"Sencus, can you translate?"
"It is the language of the Prometheans from the Beta Prometheus star system. The name of the starship roughly translates as 'Sundew, out of Archnos.' That is the largest city in their civilization."
"Give me hailing frequency."
"Channels open, sir."
"This is Captain Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior. We have received your distress signal and are prepared to assist you. Do you read me, Sundew?"
"I'm getting an answer of some sort, Captain," the communications officer said. "I'll run it through translation. Here you are."
The bridge was silent. The entire crew listened. Then a gruff voice came over the speakers.
"This is Maldari of the Sundew. Your assistance is required at once. Please transport my crew to your ship."
"Captain Maldari, this is Captain Sulu. I'm going to put you on the monitor."
The forward viewscreen crackled with static and then an unusual figure came into view. The Promethean looked humanoid, but his skin was mottled gray and wrinkled, and scaled like the belly of a snake. Short spikes of hair radiated outward from his cranium. More spikes filled his upper lip and dropped down around his mouth, reminding the crew of a fierce Mongolian warrior. His teeth appeared razor sharp and jutted out at various angles, and his eyes were black pools without pupils. Sulu felt uneasy looking at the stern visage and unbending glare. He resolved not to be ungraciously suspicious. Knowing that his own image would appear before the Promethean, he smiled and addressed the screen directly.
"Can you tell us what your trouble is, Captain?"
"We've lost all power. My engineer says it can't be restored in space. Emergency power is rapidly running out, and our life-support systems are going down now. We have less than an hour of air. We haven't had food for several days. We have a large supply of dilithium and can pay handsomely for your help."
"That will not be necessary. We will be glad to provide assistance. Please—"
"Thank you. We'll assemble in the main deck and you can transport us over at once. There are about fifty of us."
There was a short pause. The crew looked at Sulu. Then Sulu spoke to the screen.
"I'm afraid it will take us a few minutes to prepare. Please stand by, and we'll be with you shortly."
Then Sulu nodded to the communications console, and Lieutenant Rand, understanding, shut down the communication temporarily. The Promethean's vision disappeared from the screen. Ensign Violet Bays stood up from her post at the conn.
"Captain Sulu, we are capable of transporting their crew in two shifts at once. If their life-support systems are failing, shouldn't we—"
"Thank you, Ensign. Though I've never seen a Beta Promethean before, I must say that Captain Maldari didn't look like he was dying. He didn't even look hungry for that matter. And he did say that they had almost an hour of life support left. I think they can wait just a few minutes. I want to think about this for a moment."
Never be hasty, Sulu thought. Particularly where haste seems to be desired by others. He smiled at the sudden memory of his first commander, standing like a rock amid chaos. Nobody pushed him around.
Sulu turned calmly toward the science station. "Sencus, what do we have on Beta Prometheus?"
"They are not a member of the Federation, and have never sent envoys to galactic conferences. Of their three planets, only BP 1 supports life. Although we could tolerate their atmosphere, temperatures vary from eighty degrees Celsius to below freezing at night. Something like your Earth desert."
Sencus's hands played over his computer, and he drew up a holograph of the race. All the officers on the bridge saw that a Promethean's large, squat body spread out like a pear, and four leglike tentacles were attached at the bottom. Their two arms were the portion of their anatomy closest to human: short and hairy and intensely muscular. They were slightly shorter in height and broader in girth than humans.
"Because of their extensive deposits of dilithium crystals, they are quite rich. This has turned them into space traders primarily. They create almost nothing, preferring to travel the galaxy trading their dilithium crystals for everything they need or want. Even food production has almost disappeared from their planet. Thus the ship we have before us is probably a cargo ship."
"Thank you, Sencus." Traders, Sulu thought. Nothing wrong with that. An ancient and noble profession. But not people to be taken always at face value, either.
"Ms. Bays, how far are we from Beta Prometheus?"
The seven-foot woman looked over at Sulu from her seat at the navigator's console.
"Almost eleven light-years, Captain. To return them to their home port would place us several days beyond our original schedule for rendezvous at the starbase. Travel time would depend on whether or not we were towing their ship."
Sulu sat for thirty seconds more, a dozen possible circumstances racing through his mind. His officers waited in silence. Then he stood up.
"Sulu to Engineering."
"Svenson here." The rich voice came over the intercom and everyone on the bridge heard him.
"Mr. Svenson, do you think your crew could repair their ship and send them on their way?"
"Ya, but I'd have to take a look to be sure."
"All right, prepare your crew to beam aboard the Sundew. I'll meet you in the transporter room. We'll take a portable energy converter and get their life-support systems working at once. Then we can investigate the necessary repairs to their ship."
Sulu turned to his bridge crew.
"I'm going aboard with Engineering. Lieutenant Roose, Ensign Bays, I'd like you to accompany me. Mr. Sencus, you will remain here as the senior officer in charge."
"You are not intending to beam them aboard then, Captain?" Lieutenant Roose asked.
"I don't think that will be necessary, Lieutenant. Besides, have you ever heard of the ancient story of the Trojan horse?"
"I don't think so, sir."
"It was an enormous wooden horse that was left at the gates of Troy as a gift. The Trojans brought it inside their walls. But it was a trick. It was filled with Greek soldiers, and that night they came out and conquered Troy. It is the myth upon which is based the old saying, 'Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.' No offense meant, Spiros. Why don't you come with us as well, in case their navigation systems need attention?"
The young cadet turned around from his post and smiled, his dazzling white teeth set off by his long black hair.
"None taken, Captain. A wise decision." He rose eagerly out of his seat.
"All right, then," Sulu said. "Put me on with this Maldari fellow again."
The forward viewscreen came to life. The Promethean scowled at them from the screen.
"Captain Maldari, I believe we can help you more efficiently without having to beam your whole crew aboard the Excelsior. We have sufficient equipment to power your life-support systems and will bring it aboard. Our engineers can then assist you in making the necessary repairs to your power source. We have an excellent chief engineer. He and his crew and I will beam aboard the Sundew, with your permission."
"We are going to die here, Sulu, if something isn't done."
"I understand the emergency nature of your situation. Please reassure yourselves that you are in no danger. The Excelsior has outstanding resources for full repair work in space. We will bring a portable food synthesizer as well, and can provide nourishment for your entire crew while we get your problems straightened out."
"Very well, Sulu."
The monitor went dark.
At that moment, Sulu became aware that Dr. Bernard Hans had come onto the bridge and was watching the exchange.
"Dr. Hans," Sulu said. "Would you mind coming with us? There may be some injuries or illness due to the failure of their power source. We don't know what kind of medical care they have, and you might be of some assistance to them."
"You couldn't keep me away. I came up from sickbay for exactly that. Besides, they may be an interesting species for observ
ation as well. I've never seen humanoids with such bad teeth."
Maldari had to think quickly. It didn't help that Dramin walked up beside him.
"What will you tell them when they discover our engines are functioning?"
Maldari left the question unanswered. But after a moment of thought, he turned to the Steersman.
"Set a course for Beta Promethean star space. Put us inside the boundaries. By everyone's definition." He looked up at Dramin and Kornish. Both of them were expressionless. "We are to leave as soon as they are aboard. Barush, raise our shields as soon as they all step off the platform."
"Shields or not, you said they could blast us out of the galaxy with one photon torpedo, Captain."
"As long as we are holding some of them, we will be safe. Humans are like that. They are ridiculously loyal, and will not endanger each other. We will then be able to trade our prisoners for an enormous amount of goods. It will be the greatest swap in Promethean history. I am going below to assist in their arrival."
Maldari flashed his crooked smile, then scuttled across the deck and disappeared into the corridor.
Five men and women from the engineering section, led by Chief Engineer Norquist Svenson, were already waiting with several large crates of equipment when Sulu, Lieutenant Russel Roose, Ensign Violet Bays, Dr. Bernard Hans, and Cadet Spiros Focus arrived at the transporter. The engineers had loaded the transport crates onto the platform already.
Sencus appeared in the doorway.
"Captain, I think it would be wise if I went with you. This is an alien race with an eccentric background and their experience in dealing with others has been largely confined to trading. I might be of some assistance."
"You would be of enormous assistance, I'm sure. Unfortunately, our first responsibility is to the Excelsior, and you are first officer. It's important that I leave you in command of our Starship. We will be in constant communication with you, and will probably be able to return and continue on our own way within a few hours. Svenson could build a working engine out of Popsicle sticks if he had to. Repairing this old bucket won't be any trouble at all for him. Carry on."
"As you request, Captain Sulu." Sencus, tall and thin and with the aristocratic bearing of all Vulcans, turned and left the transporter room at once.
"Logic," Sulu said quietly to Lieutenant Roose at his elbow, "would have dictated that as second-in-command he remain aboard the Excelsior. His desire to come with us was probably nothing more than pure curiosity and a sense of adventure. Don't ever let a Vulcan tell you they are entirely without emotions. Somewhere in the Vulcan genetic code there is a hidden warm spot."
"Yes, sir. I'll remember that."
"You have it on good authority. I knew one who was half human, and yet he was constantly denying that side of his own character. You can trust them to act with an absolute clarity of logic. On the other hand, you can always trust them, period. That is a reliable characteristic which goes well beyond logic, and gives them the ability to form great friendships. I'm hoping for one with Sencus," Sulu whispered. "But he's all Vulcan, and it's going to take a lot of time." Sulu changed his tone, but continued speaking to Lieutenant Roose. "Are we ready?"
"I think so, sir," Roose said, then he handed a small disk to Sulu. "I've programmed these Universal Translators for the Beta Prometheus language. They will fasten to our uniforms here." He touched a point high up in the center of his chest, just below his throat. "They will enable us to be understood, and will turn their language into English."
Sulu took one and put it on. His crew did the same.
"Well now, let's see what a Promethean is like, shall we?" Sulu said. He smiled at the lieutenant and stepped up onto the transporter platform. The others followed quickly. Then Chief Engineer Svenson signaled to an officer at the console, and the transporter beams buzzed and flickered. As the eleven Starfleet officers and their cargo dematerialized, Sulu thought how attractive an assignment in deep space was. You had the opportunity to encounter so many interesting new civilizations.
Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 9621.8
While Commander Sulu is aboard the Sundew, a trading ship to whose assistance we have come, I am responsible for the Excelsior. It is odd that the crippled starship was not able to receive help from someone in their own fleet. Surely they must have other Promethean starships in the sector, closer than we were. And while it may be impolite to judge aliens by their appearance, Prometheans seem to me to be a sinister-looking lot. Circumstances here are not as simple as they appear to be, and should be monitored closely. Science officer and acting Captain Sencus.
As the boarding party dematerialized on the Sundew's transporter platform, Sulu immediately felt that something was wrong. Then it hit him: The transporter room is illuminated, which means that the ship cannot have lost all its power. With an uneasy feeling he stepped off the platform, his hand instinctively resting on his phaser.
But as he did, several dozen Prometheans scuttled into the transporter room from several corridors. They aimed a formidable if motley array of weapons at the crew of the Excelsior. Maldari scuttled in behind them. He pushed his way to the front and stood several feet from Sulu.
"You are under arrest for spying in a Promethean sector. Take your hand away from your phaser or your crew will be killed."
Sulu's face turned red with anger.
"The U.S.S. Excelsior has not been spying. We have arrived here at your request for assistance. We are not in violation of anyone's star space, least of all Beta Prometheus. Your hospitality leaves a great deal to be desired, Captain Maldari."
"You are spies from the Federation. You have been caught red-handed, and now you are prisoners of the People of Light." Maldari spat out the words angrily, and acted as if he believed them. "You will put all your weapons down at once. Also your communicators. Come this way."
Sulu looked at the weapons aimed at him and his crew. They were varied and ancient, but they all looked as if they could do serious damage to humans, and the aliens who held them looked experienced in their use.
"Don't resist. Do as they say." Sulu tried to keep his voice even. Inside he was seething, as much at himself as he was for the behavior of the Prometheans.
At his instructions the crew stepped off the platform and, surrounded by Prometheans, followed Maldari out of the transporter room, leaving their phasers, boxes of equipment, translators, and tricorders on the floor behind them.
I should have foreseen this, Sulu thought. I should have been more careful. Now I have endangered my crew. It was absurd, he couldn't help thinking, to think that this fifth-rate space pirate Captain Maldari could get away with kidnapping officers of a Starfleet ship of the line. Shields or not, the small space freighter they were on wouldn't withstand a minor hit by Excelsior's phasers. And the United Federation of Planets had a starbase less than three light-days away, with powerful ships on call. In fact, this was ridiculous, was the principal thought in Sulu's mind. It was patently absurd.
Spiros Focus was shoved by one of his captors. He turned around instinctively and quickly swung his hand against the bridge of the man's nose. Everyone in the corridor heard the bone crack. Green blood spurted out from the man's face. His gun went off, and a thin laser beam shot forward and went through Spiros's upper arm. He staggered backward. It all happened in a moment.
"Stop it," Sulu yelled out to his officers.
And Maldari raised his hand sharply.
There was a brief minute, almost frozen in time, when the two sides were poised to do battle. The crew of the Excelsior, without weapons, would surely have gotten the worst of it. Sulu feared there would be a bloodbath.
"Spiros, do as they request. That goes for all of you. Do not oppose them. Their outrageous conduct will very shortly be subject to intergalactic scrutiny. In the meantime, we will all have to do as they say."
Sulu said this without his Universal Translator, and Maldari listened without understanding. When Sulu's crew turned away from their guards
and relaxed their aggressive stances, Maldari waved for them all to continue.
In the corridor Dr. Hans caught up with Spiros and gave his arm a cursory examination.
"I'm all right, Dr. Hans," Spiros said.
"It's just a scratch. But there is no telling what kind of infection might set in from these primitive weapons. Maldari," he said to the Promethean walking several feet in front of him. "I've got to have my medical equipment. I've got a scanner and—"
But the man only shouted something unintelligible and turned his attention away.
"This is outrageous, Captain Sulu," Dr. Hans said.
"Nevertheless," Sulu said quietly, "I'm afraid we are at their mercy for the time being. As soon as I can, I'll try to talk with Captain Maldari again."
At that moment the glorious unpredictability of deep space, its inhabitants and its phenomena, did not seem so attractive to Sulu. Even the pleasure of having his own command seemed dulled just now. As he rapidly began to run over the various permutations and possibilities in his mind, Sulu resisted the impulse to ask himself what his old commander would do.
Casually scanning the Sundew with a sensor he had sent to orbit the craft, Sencus noticed a level of activity in the energy fields that belied the fact that the Sundew was without power. He read the scans and turned to the helmsman.
"Lieutenant Henrey," Sencus said quietly. "Do you read shields on the Sundew?"
"They just went up this minute, sir. I thought that their power was—"
"Yes, precisely. Yet they can raise their shields. And why have they done so just now? It seems a peculiarly rude thing to do." He turned to the communications station. "Get me Sulu."
"Sir, I've been monitoring the team's whereabouts continually and a few minutes ago I lost track of them." Lieutenant Rand, at the communications console, looked puzzled and harried. She was rapidly trying out different frequencies. "The fact is, I can't seem to raise him. Or anyone else on the team. It's as if their communicators had all failed at the same time. I've never—"
The Fearful Summons Page 3
