Scales and Ridges, Part 7
by: Thomas Oakes
On the Purloiner, the female helm officer, Heevna-Por, turned to the captain. “We are now on course for the Betreka Nebula at Warp Five. The Federation ship has accelerated beyond Warp Eight, but they won't reach us before we enter the nebula.”
“Excellent,” Captain Dorrad-Sehr responded. He turned back to McCoy. “Now, Doctor,” he said, leaning back in his chair, “shall we see who among your crew will be the next to take a stroll in open space? I believe you Earthers call it 'EVA'.”
McCoy was not amused. “Extra-Vehicular Activity does not refer to murder,” the doctor spat.
Dorrad-Sehr waved his hand. “Whatever, Dr. McCoy. You can put a stop to it simply by cooperating.”
McCoy tried to stand but was forced back into his chair by one of the burly security guards. “I told you I don't have the answers to your questions. What do you want me to do? Lie?”
Dorrad-Sehr ignored McCoy's outburst, instead thumbing the intercom to re-establish communication with his security chief at airlock four. “Birret-Vor, are you ready with the next crewman?”
Birret-Vor, his face half covered in stone and metal lancets piercings, roughly jerked a gold-shirted officer into view. “This one fancies himself a swordsman,” the Orion security chief commented, “so it should be most amusing to see him practice his Kendo thrusts in a vacuum.”
“Very well,” Dorrad-Sehr replied, “you may proceed when –”
“Wait,” McCoy nearly shouted, desperate to prevent Sulu from being spaced. “That one is the Enterprise helm officer and a member of the senior staff. Bring him up here. He'll have the information you're after.”
“Hold on a moment, Birret-Vor,” the Orion captain commanded. “Dr. McCoy, your ship's helmsman bears the rank of lieutenant, while you are a lieutenant commander. How can it be that he knows more about your ship than you do?”
McCoy shrugged off the hand that was keeping his plastered in his seat. “I told you, Captain. I'm a doctor, not a Bridge officer. Mr. Sulu is a member of the command staff; knowing all ship's details is part of his job.”
Dorrad-Sehr thought for a moment. “How do I know that Mr. Sulu won't simply refuse to disclose the information, as you have done?”
“Because I outrank him, and I'll order him to answer all your questions.”
Dorrad-Sehr considered McCoy's proposal. “Very well, Doctor. We will put our questions to Mr. Sulu, but I warn you, if he is not forthcoming, you will take his place at the airlock.” The Orion captain relayed his new orders to Birret-Vor, who arrived moments later with Sulu in tow.
An additional chair was provided and Sulu was shoved down into it. “Dr. McCoy,” the Enterprise helmsman asked, “are you all right?”
Dorrad-Sehr answered in the doctor's place. “He is fine, so far, but he won't stay that way for long if you do not cooperate, Mr. Sulu.”
Sulu continued to address McCoy. “What does he want?”
“He wants detailed information about sensor specifications and weaponry on the Enterprise. If you don't tell him, he will continue spacing members of our crew, one by one,” McCoy explained.
“Beginning with the good Doctor,” Dorrad-Sehr added.
Sulu was aghast. “Doc, you know I can't give him that information!”
McCoy adopted his sternest expression. “You can and you will, Sulu. That's an order. I will not have any more deaths on my conscience.”
Sulu seemed to consider McCoy's order and then acquiesced. “All right, Captain. What do you want to know?”
“Describe the armament and sensor package on the Enterprise,” Dorrad-Sehr, replied, repeating his earlier demand.
Sulu sighed. “The Enterprise is the second in a new class of ships of the line, and it is equipped with three major sensor suites, the most powerful of which is the long-range array.”
“I'm listening,” Dorrad-Sehr responded.
“The long-range array uses both active and passive sensor scans, with a maximum effective range of over five light years at maximum resolution. If resolution is reduced, the range can be extended to up to 17 light years. Sensor scan pulses travel at faster than Warp 15 and are immune to jamming by any known technology in the quadrant.”
“So,” Dorrad-Sehr concluded, “they can detect life forms at considerable range.” This was not a question.
“Detect and positively identify,” Sulu reported. “What's this all about?”
“You have been forthcoming with me, Lieutenant, so I will answer your question. We were wondering how the Enterprise managed to select our ship out of a total of six that hit you. Now we know. Next, Mr. Sulu, I want to know about Enterprise weaponry.”
“The primary hull of the Enterprise is equipped with twelve dorsal and ventral pulse phaser banks, capable of continuous, rapid fire of bolts ranging in power up to 500 petajoules. The ship also has lateral and aft phaser banks. Its heavy weapons consist of 250 magnetirap, Mark III photon torpedoes. The ship is also equipped with fourth generation deflector shields, which are twice as powerful as the previous version.”
Dorrad-Sehr looked shell-shocked. “So, Starfleet has gone into the business of producing dreadnoughts,” the Orion captain reflected. “So much for the peace-loving Federation!”
“It was felt that a stronger class of starships was needed after Nero's attack in the 2230s,” Sulu explained. “Only the Enterprise prevented him from destroying Earth on Stardate 2258.43.”
McCoy jumped into the conversation. “Something tells me that your ship is no match for the Enterprise.”
“Quite right, Doctor,” Dorrad-Sehr replied. “Your ship would make very quick work of us. Fortunately, we're on course to rendezvous with a fleet. We'll see how well the Enterprise can defend itself with a skeleton crew against those odds.”
McCoy and Sulu were taken back to their respective holding cells, while Dorrad-Sehr made preparations to ambush the Federation flagship.
* * * * *
In a small holding cell by himself, Commander Spock completed a series of Vulcan meditations, then moved over to a spot on the wall, on the other side of which an Orion guard stood watch. Spock pressed his fingers against the wall and entered a trance-like state, willing his consciousness to reach out and meld with the other mind in close proximity.
After a moment, he successfully made contact and began to impose his will on the Orion guard. Suddenly, Spock was hit with waves and waves of intense pain, traveling along his nerves to all points of his body. At the same time, the Orion screamed in anguish, bringing two more guards running to assist.
Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Spock broke the meld and sagged against the wall, his breathing ragged. His attempt at mind-melding had caused both him and the Orion guard to feel searing pain, which continued to intensify until the connection was broken.
One of the guards that arrived to help his comrade stood at the door to the cell and lowered the force field. “You, Vulcan,” he said, “try a stunt like that again, and you'll be vaporized.” The guard pointed his disruptor at Spock and fired, stunning the Vulcan into unconsciousness.
The Orion guard turned to his comrade. “Go to the infirmary, and tell the medic we need a sedative strong enough to keep a Vulcan unconscious.”
Scales and Ridges, Part 8
by: Thomas Oakes
Kirk avoided choking on his first sip of raktajino, though his face froze momentarily until he could muster up the will to swallow the strong Klingon beverage. “That's some coffee,” he croaked, casting a smile at DeSalle, whose cup was frozen scant centimeters from his mouth.
KadRiq took a gulp of the Klingon coffee. “Yes,” he replied, “your food slots surprisingly do it justice. Shame we can't program more Klingon recipes into it, but replicated gagh is just plain nasty.”
“Perish the thought,” Kirk responded, rolling his eyes. “It must be terrible having to eat human food.” The Bridge crew was taking a short meal break in the Mess Hall until the ship was on final approach to the Betreka Nebula, leaving Chekov as the temporary duty officer.
“Why do humans prefer their food dead, Captain?” This from Koloth.
Dr. M'Benga, the only remaining physician on board, fielded the question. “Well, humans ate their food uncooked and sometimes even live a few millennia ago, but cooking was discovered as a way of reducing food-borne illnesses and enhancing flavor.”
“Mmm,” KadRiQ grunted, biting off a chunk of his sandwich, which was made from the breast of a Rigellian Tinga fowl. Wiping a glob of mayonnaise off his lips with the back of his hand, the Klingon captain waved his sandwich before him. “This bird may be dead, but it has a certain flavor. The first time I tried human food, back on Earth, I was disgusted. But after a few weeks, I developed a taste for it.”
“At least we give our food a merciful and quick death, Captain,” Kirk explained. “I hear that Romulans bore their food to death first.”
“Yes,” KadRiQ chuckled, “that is the Romulan way, in cuisine, courtship, and combat!”
“At least we shall not starve to death, Captain,” Koloth added.
The bosun's whistle shrilled to life, followed by Chekov's voice. “Bridge to Keptin. Ve are ten minutes away from entering ze nebula.”
Four minutes later, Kirk and his entourage stepped onto the Enterprise Bridge and took their respective stations. “Mr. DeSalle, take us out of warp at thirty light seconds to nebula entry and engage the impulse engines at half speed.”
“Yes, Captain Kirk,” DeSalle answered, making the relevant calculations on his board.
“Kirk, are we just going to walk into the nebula,” KadRiQ demanded. “This is a trap. They know what our entry point will be if we do not change course!”
“You're right, Captain,” Kirk replied, “and I'm counting on it. However, I expect them to ambush us a little further in, when they've got their reinforcements. I doubt they'll take us on one to one.”
“Sound analysis, my dear Captain Kirk,” Koloth commented.
“Thank you, my dear Commander Koloth,” Kirk replied. The Klingon executive officer was starting to get on his nerves.
“Slowing to half impulse, Captain,” DeSalle reported, as the star field visible through the viewing screen lost its surreal warp effect.
“Very good, DeSalle. Lieutenant Uhura, hail the Pompeii, code two, on viewer. I want to make sure we're still synchronized.”
“Hailing frequencies opened, Captain,” Uhura replied.
A moment later, the image of a middle-aged man with hazel eyes filled the viewscreen. “Matt Decker here, Jim. Is our plan still a go?”
“It is, Matt. We'll rendezvous at the agreed-upon point in four hours. Will you be able to get there in time? This nebula's got an awful lot of turbulence for an Einstein-class ship to handle.”
“We'll be there, Jim. These Orions have got to be stopped once and for all!”
“All right, Matt, we'll see you there. We'll be glad to have your firepower to add to our own.”
“Agreed. Pompeii out.”
Seconds later, the Enterprise entered the swirling, multicolored, interstellar cloud of dust, planetary fragments and ionized gases.
“Bring our sensors up to 110%, Commander Koloth, and sound Red Alert” Kirk ordered.
Koloth's hands played across Spock's science station like a concert pianist. “Sensors now at ten points above full power, my dear Captain Kirk. I do believe this ship can see in the dark.” The Red Alert klaxon blared for a few seconds and the ship's lighting shifted to red.”
“Let us hope that you can as well, Koloth, because if any Orion ships sneak up on us, the only thing you'll be seeing is my teeth your throat,” KadRiQ rumbled.
Kirk raised his eyebrows, at which KadRiq explained sotto voce. “Kirk, among Klingons, it is necessary to snarl and bare your teeth. If I did not, Koloth or one of my other men would cut out my heart and eat it while he stood over my lifeless body.”
“How do you treat your best officers?”
“That is how we treat our best, Kirk. Koloth is my best friend, yet he would kill me if I showed any sign of weakness.”
Uhura turned to face Kirk. “All decks report battle ready, Captain.”
“Deflector shields are non-functional, Captain,” DeSalle reported. “Phasers are armed and ready, and both forward and aft torpedo bays are loaded.”
“Thank you, Mr. DeSalle. Prepare to change course to 147 mark 63, three-quarters impulse power.”
“Aye, sir.”
“At that speed, Captain Kirk,” Koloth reported, “it will be almost impossible to detect enemy ships until we are upon them – or they us.”
“I'm wagering they won't expect us to take this course, Commander, but even if they do, it is unlikely more than one of their ships will be in position to do anything about it.”
“Captain,” Uhura cut in, “without shields and running only a skeleton crew, aren't we in danger of being boarded?”
KadRiQ beat Kirk to the punch. “Lieutenant, their transporters will not work in the nebula, and if they try to grapple shuttlecraft onto the hull, we'll see them and have our men in position to repel.”
Kirk nodded and smiled, unaware that his course change had been observed by one of the Orion raiders, which even now was tracking the Enterprise from a positive 20,000 meters relative on the Z axis.
To be continued..
Topic: New Star Trek Fan Fiction Serial: "Scales and Ridges" by Thomas Oakes (Read 7395 times)