STAR TREK®: NEW EARTH - THIN AIR

by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  She still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Captain Skaerbaek alone, although he had stopped by the ward once to see how everyone was doing. He had looked busy and worried, but she didn’t ask him why. She just figured that her idea of taking one of the hospital ship’s shuttles was her best plan at the moment, so she focused on it. Trying to get his help to leave the system was just going to have to wait.

  Every hour she would leave Charles and wander down near the shuttlebay, hoping to accidentally meet a crewman. It was on her fourth such walk that she had success. Just beyond the entrance to the shuttlebay a young woman worked on a panel. She was clearly part of the engineering staff. She had dark blond hair and looked to be around thirty, Tegan’s age.

  “Hi,” Tegan said, stopping a few feet from the crew member.

  The woman turned and a smile lit up her faceful of freckles. “Tegan Welch, correct?” the woman said.

  Tegan was taken back. “Right. How’d you know?”

  The woman laughed, a high, infectious laugh that she must have used often. “You’re not crew, so you must be family, and the only family your age on board is named Tegan Welch.” She smiled and extended a hand. “I’m Ensign Bonnie Harrow.”

  Tegan shook the firm hand of Bonnie Harrow, then laughed as well. “I’m impressed you took the time to learn the passengers’ names.”

  “Captain Skaerbaek makes it a priority to know the passengers, and have his crew know them as much as possible,” Ensign Harrow said. “I’ve been with the ship now for three years. It’s become a habit.”

  “And a good one,” Tegan said.

  “How’s your son?” Harrow asked. “Any improvement?”

  Tegan shook her head. “Still the same, I’m afraid. But Dr. Akins says it’s too early yet to expect changes.”

  Harrow nodded. “Still doesn’t keep you from being disappointed, though.”

  “You got that right,” Tegan said. Then she glanced back at the door. If she could now just get the ensign to take her in there. “I saw the other day you have two shuttles.”

  “Yup,” Harrow said, finishing something inside the panel and closing it. “Little Brother and Little Sister. Nice little ships.”

  “You fly them?” Tegan asked.

  Harrow nodded. “Sure do. All of us regular Starfleet who came along on this mission had to know how to pilot the shuttles. Just in case of emergencies.”

  “That makes sense,” Tegan said. This next bit was going to either get her in one of the shuttles or make this entire conversation a waste of time. “I sure miss flying shuttles. Did a training stint on Earth for six months before we set off. Loved it.”

  “You’ve flown shuttles, huh?” Harrow said, smiling. “Bet you’d love to see the insides of one of these then.”

  Tegan laughed. “I thought you’d never offer.”

  Tegan couldn’t believe her luck. Her plan had worked. Harrow gave her the full tour of Little Sister, right down to letting her sit in the pilot’s chair and run through the controls. As Tegan had figured, she could fly it. In fact, it wasn’t that different from the one she had trained on.

  And knowing that made her feel a lot better.

  She agreed to meet Ensign Harrow later for a late lunch, then headed back to the ward to sit with Charles. All the way she smiled. Step two complete. Now she just had to wait for the right moment. And the way she figured it, that moment was at least fourteen hours away, during the next Gamma Night. And she had a lot to do between now and then.

  Captain Kirk stared at the image of the tiny Kauld nanoassembler that filled the small screen in the makeshift science lab. It was hard for him to believe that the square-looking machine was so small that thousands of them could fit on the head of a pin. And that each one was a tiny factory that rebuilt more factories just like it, as well as building siliconic gel polymers.

  He knew that nanomachines of different sorts and complexities had been around on Earth since the late twentieth century, but they still fascinated him. And worried him at the same time. He could fight something big and powerful. That he was used to. But fighting machines that were too small to even be seen, and that built new machines just like themselves, was hard for him to grasp. It was why Earth governments for centuries had severely limited and regulated the use of nanomachines.

  “So, Mr. Spock,” Kirk said, turning from the screen. “Now that we know what we’re dealing with, how do we stop them?”

  “I do not know, Captain,” Spock said.

  “Have you tried chemicals?” Kirk asked. He figured that since the things looked like little bugs, and acted much like a virus, maybe chemicals would kill them.

  “I have done one hundred and six logical tests of different compounds,” Spock said. “No results.”

  “Electrical charges?” Kirk asked.

  “A strong enough charge does shut down the nanoassemblers,” Spock said, staring at the captain.

  Kirk suddenly saw the wound across Spock’s forehead and remembered that Spock had destroyed the science lab by putting an electical charge into the soil. “Never mind,” Kirk said, waving his hand. “How about sonic?”

  “A high level of sonic vibration does break apart the siliconic gel molecules, but does not shut down the nanoassemblers or their ability to produce the polymers. I have reported my discovery to the team on the planet.”

  “Good,” Kirk said. “Might help them fight back the siliconic gel in certain places that need protection.”

  “That, yes,” Spock said, “but I suggested they set up sonic defenders aimed into the sky on all sides of the canyon city they are building, to keep oxygen-rich atmosphere flowing from above the levels of the siliconic gel down and into the city. They agreed it would be a good idea.”

  Kirk just shook his head. Amazing what they were having to come up with to escape this Kauld attack. But he still believed that if the Kauld could build something like that tiny machine on the screen, Spock and the colonist scientists could find a way to stop it.

  Then he realized what he had been missing. “Spock, we need a fourth front of attack at this problem.”

  “And what might that be, Captain?” Spock said, his eyebrow arching as it always did when trying to follow human logic.

  “We missed one of the basic rules of solving a problem. We need to go to the source to find our solution.”

  “Captain,” Spock said, “the source is the Kauld.”

  “Exactly,” Kirk said. “And since they attacked us, I doubt if they’re going to just give us the solution, do you?”

  “Highly unlikely, Captain,” Spock said.

  “So then,” Kirk said, smiling at his first officer. “I guess we’re just going to have to go and take the answer from them.”

  Spock just stared at his smile, but did not object.

  Lilian Coates stared out the window at the canyon that was to be her new home as the transport swooped in toward the unloading sight. It was going to be almost everyone on Belle Terre’s new home, if the siliconic gel wasn’t stopped soon. The canyon and desert around it seemed barren and stark compared with the almost tropical island she had just left. The canyon itself looked like a slice in the ground and was nothing but rock and a running stream down the middle.

  The entire bottom of the canyon, for as far as she could see in both directions, had been scraped clear down to the stone, leaving the stream muddy and still finding its new channel. In a dozen places crews were working to install beams that extended in an arch over the canyon. She had been told those support beams would hold a double layer of a special rubber membrane to hold out the siliconic gel and the atmosphere inside. They were producing the membrane in a small, quickly built plant about a hundred paces from the canyon rim.

  She could also see against the far wall drillers hollowing out rooms from the side of the cliffs, cutting staircases and ramps, and building living places. The extra rock pulled from the walls was being formed into walkways and buildings on the canyon floor. Entire log structures had a
lso been airlifted in and placed on the canyon floor, including Governor Pardonnet’s office. Almost before her eyes a town was being born. It was amazing what necessity could do.

  And how fast it could be done.

  The transport touched down without even a bump and a few moments later she was helping the ground crew unload the school supplies and machines she and Reynold and a few others had carefully packed. There was still a little more to get, but not much. For some reason, having the school machines and library disks all in a safe place made her feel much, much better.

  Reynold and their cat were already here at the canyon. Reynold was with a hundred other schoolchildren of his age, being taken care of in a building a half mile from the canyon construction. She had set that up first thing after Gamma Night cleared, so the parents of all the children would have the time to keep working, knowing their children were safe.

  Not having to worry about Reynold had certainly freed her time as well.

  It took less than five minutes before everything was unloaded from the transport and headed for its assigned location in the canyon.

  She climbed back into the passenger seat of the transport and nodded to the pilot that she was ready. With surge and twist, they were airborne, headed back toward the large island she had called home.

  It still was her home. She refused to think any other way. They were just moving for a short time, and would soon be back, she was sure.

  The flight time was less than ten minutes, and during that time she worked over what was left to be done. She had to get her and Reynold’s things from her home and get them to the transport pad. Thank heavens Reynold had insisted on taking the cat with him to the canyon location. That was one worry missing now.

  She also had to finish getting the rest of the school equipment and supplies to the transport. That would come first, then her own things. After that she was finished, and her work could start on the other side, setting up the new school, unpacking the supplies she had just spent hours packing.

  As they swept in toward the island, a dark weather front was looming to the west and slightly north. The clouds were not something she had wanted to see. With luck, the transports wouldn’t be grounded if the storm came ashore. Or better yet, maybe they would get lucky and the storm would hold off until they were done.

  The transport settled on to the pad and she jumped out as the crew there started loading the next equipment and baggage to go to the canyon. There were only about twenty people left around the transport area, and she could tell that half of them at least would go with this ride. What had once been the main colony town was becoming a ghost town. She had been through this once before, only then she had had no intention of leaving. This time she had every intention of leaving, and leaving as soon as she was done with this last load. She had no desire, as they say, of being the one to turn out the lights.

  The storm on the horizon, from the ground, looked even more threatening than it did from the air. She waited until the transport was loaded; then, at a fast walk, she and two of the crew helping load the transport headed for the old school building to get the last of the equipment and supplies. By the time they got it back to the platform, the second transport was coming in for a landing. Perfect timing.

  She made sure it all got loaded, then headed up the gravel road. A quick trip up to her home to get her and Reynold’s luggage and a few pictures, and then she would be on the following flight to safety.

  As she headed up her sidewalk, she was amazed at how bad her garden looked. It hadn’t been that long, but it seemed the Kauld machines in the soil were really doing their jobs. She had spent a lot of hours in that garden. It made her mad to have to leave it and her home.

  Inside she did a quick walk-through to make sure she hadn’t left anything. She didn’t want to dwell here too long. It would be too hard having to leave if she did that. It was hard enough as it was. Better to do this quickly and get out. She had no doubt she’d be back very soon.

  She had just started to pick up the last of the suitcases when a rumbling shook the air, like a distant thunder, followed by a shock wave that tumbled her over backward.

  The rumbling grew.

  It was clearly an earthquake, getting louder and louder as everything around her shook. Then slowly it faded and the silence came back. The silence seemed almost as unnatural as the rumbling and shaking.

  She staggered to her feet, grabbed the suitcases again, and was about to make a run for the transport pad when another distant rumble filled the air, again followed by a massive earthquake that again knocked her down and shook her house the way a child would shake a toy.

  Dust and debris flew everywhere, and a cupboard smashed off the wall to the ground.

  She held on to the edge of the kitchen counter and waited, forcing herself to stay calm.

  This time when the rumbling stopped, she stayed down long enough to wait for another wave. Long seconds of deep, intense silence as her breathing seemed to fill every ounce of her awareness. For the moment it seemed as if another wasn’t coming. But if those were earthquakes, there was sure to be aftershocks. She wanted to be on the transport and headed for the canyon when they came.

  The air around her was swirling with dust, and the light from the windows looked tainted with orange and red. She had scraped her knee and jammed a finger when she fell, but otherwise she was all right.

  She gathered the luggage one more time and headed for the door. She had no idea what was happening, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She had heard rumors that the siliconic gel could be explosive. She just wished she had listened more closely when they were talking about that.

  She pulled the door open and was instantly smacked by something that felt like a spiderweb.

  It seemed to cover her, choke her breath, stick to her eyes, as if she had walked into a thousand spiderwebs, sticky and deadly.

  She screamed and the web-feel filled her mouth, wrapped around her tongue, choked at her.

  She managed to pull back and slam the door closed.

  Then staggering, she moved back into the living room, clawing at her face, coughing the feeling of webs out of her mouth. She managed to catch her breath and the web feeling quickly vanished from her skin, leaving only the sensation of something crawling on her.

  She brushed her arms and just stood in the middle of her living room, shuddering.

  After a few more deep breaths, she moved to the window and looked out down the street. It was as if she were staring through a thin layer of water instead of air. Everything looked just slightly blurry.

  Siliconic gel.

  That was the only thing it could be.

  The entire area was suddenly covered with siliconic gel. Now she knew what siliconic gel felt like and she didn’t like it at all.

  A body lay on the street a hundred meters below her house. She couldn’t tell who it was, but it was clearly not moving. More than likely the person had suffocated trying to breathe in the siliconic gel as she had tried to do. She didn’t want to think about what the transport pad might hold.

  She turned back to stare at her small home. At the moment, the walls and windows were the only things keeping her safe from the siliconic gel surrounding her. And she had no idea how long that would last. Or how long her breathable air would last.

  She was in a cave again, just as in the last evacuation. Only this time, the cave was her own home and for the moment Reynold was safe. At least that much she could be thankful for.

  She just had no idea how to get out. Or if she ever would.

  Chapter Seven

  KIRK WAS STUDYING a recent Kauld movement report from the two scout ships he had patrolling the system. It seemed the Kauld were keeping their distance at the moment, a detail that would not be unusual in and of itself, but combined with the attack by their nanoassemblers, it made sense. They had no need to get close, except to watch. Somewhere, one of the Kauld ships, or outpost, had to be watching. Kirk knew them well enough to know
that. He just had to find them. And then get the information from them on how to stop their nasty little machines.

  “Captain,” Lieutenant Uhura’s voice said, clearly full of worry. “We’ve got a problem on the main island.”

  He glanced around at her and instantly knew something was very, very wrong. He’d watched Uhura’s expressions for years and could read her like a book.

  “What happened?”

  “A lightning storm triggered some explosions,” she said. “Not everyone was off the island yet. There are thirty-seven missing.”

  “Lilian?” Kirk asked, already knowing the answer from Uhura’s face.

  “I’m afraid so,” Uhura said.

  “Any contact with anyone from the island at all?”

  Uhura shook her head.

  “Put a visual on screen,” he said.

  A moment later the main string of colony islands appeared. A large storm system was swirling to the east and north of the main island, just brushing the land.

  “Increase magnification,” Kirk said. “Focus on the main colony site. Scan for life.”

  The island chain vanished and the screen was filled with the images of the colony. Everything looked fuzzy and out of focus. His stomach twisted as he realized what he was seeing. “I assume that’s the best image,” Kirk said. “Nothing wrong with the equipment.”

  Uhura nodded. “Something seems to be blocking the visuals of the ground. And scanning is also blocked.”

  “Siliconic gel,” Kirk said. “A very thick layer of it, from the looks of it. Pull back just slightly. I want to be able to see the entire island.”

  It was clear at once where the leading edge of the siliconic gel was, from the distortion in the view. And the siliconic gel cloud was moving fast toward the lower side of the island. Luckily there was no one there. Everyone had been up in the center of the island, at the main town area.