Episode 1x03

 

Heatwave

 

Chapter One

 Sentinel Asew looked at one of the screens in the domed habitation he oversaw on the seismically-active volcanic world of Calyso II. He could easily see the acidic atmospheric clouds pounding against the powerful electromagnetic forceshield and numbly realised that the weather—if you could call it that—was worse now than it had been over the last few years since he had been assigned to the science station.

Master Engineer Teyr was the Calyso Station’s chief—only—engineer and frequently checked on the forceshield generator as it was the only thing that kept them all from dying horrific deaths. Sentinel Asew ran his paws through his hair as he checked his display boards for the tenth time that hour, hoping to find an answer to the question that had plagued him for the last day and a half. The orbital proximity sensors had been picking up an intermittent contact but the station’s automated alarm systems hadn’t sounded, meaning that the most advanced computer system in the sector decided that whatever it was, was nothing to worry about but Asew worried all the same. It was his job to worry.

He glanced at the power consumption board as it spiked. One or more of the scientists was working in Laboratory Seven, on the terraforming project that was their primary mission on this forsaken world. It was the only possible reason that so much power was being used, but at least it wasn’t affecting the shield generator. Asew picked up the cup k’tah he’d been drinking and his ears suddenly pricked up. His fur bristled and he saw Teyr look him oddly, as if to say “what’s going on?” The proximity alarms sounded and in the same moment a blindingly-white light streaked through the sky and neutralised the forceshield as if it was a piece of fabric in the way. Teyr ran into the command centre just as Asew slammed his paw against the evacuation button.

‘What happened?’

Asew glared at the engineer. ‘I don’t know’ he said, baring his teeth. ‘But I bet it’s got something to do with that weird contact the sensors were picking up.’

‘Well, we’ve got a problem. We’ve got nowhere to go, the shuttle is for short range and there’s no ship in orbit.’

‘You’re right, we’ll have to go underground,’ Asew replied. ‘I’m sending a distress call. I just hope that it reaches someone friendly or we’re dead.’

‘The subspace transceiver won’t last long out there without the forceshield,’ Teyr told the Sentinel and as if on cue there was a sound of wrenched metal as the sulphuric atmosphere crushed the delicate communications array.

‘How long before the bulkheads start to collapse?’

‘They are constructed of a high-pressure alloy, designed to withstand the pressures of deep-ocean research but in this situation, I’ve got no idea. The safest place for us to be is in the terraformed cave below the command centre,’ he pointed toward a bulkhead in the floor. ‘We’ll be safe there until the inner bulkheads fail or help arrives.’

Asew thought quickly. ‘Get everyone into the cave. All of the outer bulkheads were sealed when the forceshield failed and the alarms went off. I’ll seal the inner doors as the scientists assemble.’

‘As you wish, Sentinel—you are our protector,’ Master Engineer Teyr accepted the decision and left the command centre as Asew began sealing the inner bulkheads in areas of the kilometre-wide dome that were unoccupied.

Six of the seventeen scientists—the ones that were working in Lab Seven—arrived at the command centre, which was the most protected section being at the very centre of the dome, below which was the terraformed cave that had been the first practical test of the new technologies being developed in the science station. Asew sealed the other labs manually, making sure that they were devoid of personnel, and then ran to the living quarters to rouse the other scientists who hadn’t deigned to get out of bed even though there was an evacuation order. He rapped heavily on the door of each room.

‘All of you, up now. The forceshield has failed,’ he yelled, aware that the shield failure klaxon hadn’t gone off but the evacuation alarm was still blaring.

Asew heard gasps and a moment later eleven people, some in nightclothes and others in tunics, appeared before him.

‘Come on, to the command centre and the terraformed cave.’

As if to hasten their departure the outermost bulkhead groaned and crumpled under the immense pressure of the planet’s atmosphere. Bulkhead alarms sounded and the scientists looked at each other before running toward the command centre. They were so scared that they reverted to all fours, something that their species hadn’t done in two hundred millennia. Asew herded the scientists into the command centre and the open bulkhead leading to the terraformed cave a few hundred feet below. As the last one it was his job to seal the bulkhead so that they would all be safe from the rapidly approaching high pressure atmosphere. The cave had a fully operational command centre and Asew, with the scientists looking over his shoulder, watched as several more rooms were lost to the planet’s wrath. For now, he mused, they were safe.

 

The gamma shift was in command as it was in the middle of the night—or what passed as arbitrary night—on board a starship. The Andorian operations officer, Lieutenant (senior grade), Talen was aware that he would need to be on the bridge in just over three hours. But for now he was quite content to sit in a holographic representation of a landmark on his homeworld of Andoria. He had the temperature set to its lowest safe setting and revelled in the extreme cold. The temperature in his quarters was also set low but over the years he had become accustomed to operating in the higher “room temperature” of Starfleet vessels, the twenty degrees Celsius that humans preferred.

Talen closed his eyes for a moment, savouring the silence, but when he opened them and glanced at his old Earth wrist chronometer—given to him as a present by an old friend—he realised that slightly more than two hours had passed. Moving quickly, he exited the holodeck and shut down the programme. He met no one in the darkened corridors of the ship and entered his quarters silently. No sooner had he pulled off his clothes and stepped into the shower then there came a call over the ship-wide comm.

‘All senior officers report to the bridge.’

Talen dried himself off, put on a fresh uniform and sprinted to the bridge. When the turbolift doors opened he saw that the gamma shift commander, Lieutenant (junior grade) Anna-Marie Stockholm, was still in the captain’s chair. She nodded her head in the direction of the situation room. Talen nodded his thanks and entered as the doors slid apart to admit him. Captain Elizabeth Astor, the half-Human and half-Bajoran commanding officer of the Osiris, was seated on the stool at the head of the table. To her right was the ship’s executive officer, Commander Aaron Wright.

They were the only two there and Talen nodded greeting to them as he took his usual seat. A few seconds later the Bolian doctor, Solian Brex, and the human helmsman, Ensign Daniel Larson, entered the room laughing at some joke. The last to arrive were the Romulan chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Xeris, and the Betazoid tactical officer, Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales. Once they were seated Astor pressed a few keys and the holographic display table flickered into life. On the screen was a Venus-like world.

‘At first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting about this planet—’ Astor began.

‘But there is,’ interrupted Xeris. ‘Otherwise we wouldn’t have been woken up an hour early,’ he added, glaring at his commanding officer.

‘Exactly,’ she replied, ignoring his blatant rudeness and probable insubordination. She decided to talk to him after the briefing. ‘Scans show that there is some kind of habitation down there.’

The view of the planet changed, coalescing into a strange domed structure. The outer hull looked like it had been crumpled and all the officers looked at the image with varying degrees of surprise.

‘How does it stay intact?’ Gonzales asked.

‘Some kind of shield, I’d wager,’ Xeris answered. ‘But it looks like the shield has failed.’

Astor nodded. ‘That was our opinion too,’ she said, indicating Wright. ‘I want you to figure out a way to get one of our ships down there. When we’re ready, I’ll pick the away team.’

‘Aye sir,’ Xeris replied.

‘The rest of you get your departments in order. We have no idea who or what is down there,’ Astor told them. ‘Dismissed.’

Wright stood first and the others followed him from the room.

‘Not you, Commander,’ Astor looked at Xeris. ‘What was that outburst for?’ she asked him when the others had left the situation room.

Xeris sighed and sat on the stool that Wright had just vacated. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m tired and I haven’t been able to get much sleep recently.’

‘Brex could help you with that.’

‘Nothing he can give me will help.’

‘Do you want to talk about it?’

Xeris sighed again. ‘I received a message from my mother on Romulus two weeks ago, during the Jumani mission. My grandfather was killed when the Reman leader Shinzon assassinated the entire senate.’

‘I did wonder why the Enterprise and then the Titan headed to Romulus,’ Astor replied and then something occurred to her. ‘Who was your grandfather?’

‘The Praetor. He advised me to follow my heart and join Starfleet when I was the right age. He believed that it was a way to foment a peace treaty between the Empire and the Federation.’

Astor watched his face. ‘I’m glad you felt you could trust me, Commander. But please, no more outbursts and I really think that you should ask Brex for something to help you sleep.’

‘I will,’ Xeris replied.

‘Dismissed.’

He left the situation room and Astor leaned back a little before realising that she was sitting on a stool and not a chair. She stood up and stretched, her uniform going taut across her full breasts. Astor straightened her uniform and strode onto the bridge. The gamma shift officers had been replaced with the alpha shift crew. The senior officers were all at their bridge stations, even Brex. Xeris had not gone to engineering like she expected him to, but was at the rear science station running simulations by the look of things.

She went directly to her ready room, leaving Wright in command, and opened an access line to the massive LCARS database. As a captain she should have access to the information on the Enterprise’s mission to Romulus. Every captain in the fleet knew that Picard and his crew had been sent to Romulus on an urgent mission.. The Enterprise had returned from that mission needing several months for a refit. Astor entered her search query for Shinzon and Remus. There were several returns, several of which needed ultra-top-secret clearance, admirals only. She scrolled down until she found what she was looking for, an article on the leadership of the Romulan Star Empire from its inception to the present day.

Shinzon, with the backing of the Romulan military, staged a coup and assassinated  the Romulan Senate—backing up what Xeris had told her—and the Enterprise had been invited to foster peace with the new Reman Praetor. Things had turned sour and the Enterprise was badly damaged. Shinzon was killed and different factions vied for control of the Empire. The Titan, under the command of Captain William Riker, former first officer of the Enterprise, was sent in to restore order and make sure that the transition from the leadership void to a new Praetor was as smooth as possible. Astor closed the line to the database and the screen recessed into the desk.

‘Computer, lemon tea, hot.’

The required drink materialised in the replicator alcove but before she could reach for it the door to her ready room chimed.

‘Come in.’

Commander Aaron Wright entered as she took the drink from the replicator. He stood just inside the ready room. The ready room was actually quite large and split into three sections. The one immediately off the bridge was the workspace and had a couch for informal meetings. The second was designed as a temporary living quarters which could be used during long waiting missions and the third was a small bathroom.

‘What can I do for you, Commander?’

‘Gonzales and I have picked up some kind of energy source but neither of us can locate its origin.’

‘Keep an eye on it,’ Astor replied. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘Did you have a talk with Xeris?’

‘I did, there are family problems involved and they do check out, before you ask,’ she answered and Wright nodded.

‘What do you hope to find down there?’

‘Allies. People who can build a habitat that can withstand the harsh environment of a planet like that may have other technology to offer. But I’m not sure what technology we could offer them.’

‘Let’s just meet them first,’ Wright suggested. ‘We can do the diplomatic exchange after that.’

‘Right as always,’ Astor replied. ‘What is Xeris up to?’

‘I believe that he’s running simulations on various theories.’

‘Tell him to hurry.’

‘Are you expecting company?’

Astor looked at her executive officer. ‘I always expect company, it’s my job as a captain, especially in an uncharted area.’

‘Gonzales isn’t picking up anything on sensors, except that energy blip.’

She glared at him, pressing the point. ‘If you want to sit in the big chair one day you have to expect the unexpected all the time, and be ready to face whatever comes your way.’

Wright looked amused. ‘Sir, this was all drilled into us at the Command School.’

‘No one takes it seriously until they have to face it in the real world. The Dominion war forced a lot of people to face that particular demon.’

Wright nodded. ‘I do want to sit in that chair, one day.’

‘You will,’ she assured him.

The door chimed again.

‘Enter.’

‘Sir,’ Xeris took two steps into the room and stopped, noticing Wright standing beside the captain.

‘What have you got, Commander?’ Wright asked.

‘I’ve looked at everything that we’ve got and run more than a hundred simulations. The best craft that we could use is the Heisenberg with the ablative hull generator.’

‘Isn’t that still connected to the Osiris?’ Wright asked.

‘Yes sir, but it will take a matter of minutes to replace it in the Heisenberg.’

‘Very well,’ Astor replied. ‘By the way, you won’t be going on the away team.’

Xeris looked disappointed but said nothing.

‘Dismissed.’

He nodded and left.

‘Who is going on the away team?’

‘You are,’ she answered. ‘With Talen and Gonzales.’

‘Interesting choice,’ he replied. ‘Why?’

‘I don’t have to explain myself to you, Commander,’ Astor enlightened him to command prerogative.  Her expression softened. ‘Talen doesn’t get to go on away missions very often and I think that this is a perfect opportunity to help with that deficiency. As for Gonzales, she recently seems to delegate tasks so I want her to take charge of security for a change.’

‘I see.’

‘Dismissed, Commander. Go and assemble your team.’

Wright nodded and strode from the ready room. Astor smiled, she enjoyed keeping her officers on their toes.

 

Chapter Two

 

Shuttlebay two had been emptied of personnel. There should have been three people on duty but Xeris had assigned them to other duties so he could work on the Heisenberg in peace and quiet. Astor had assigned Gonzales to the away team so he was going to make sure that everything was working to optimal specifications. She was the only one on board that really trusted him so he couldn’t let her down. He had used an antigrav unit to take the ablative hull generator to the shuttlebay because it had some very unique and delicate systems and was now on the floor of the shuttlecraft pulling up an access panel specifically designed for the device. He was in the process of installing it when he looked up and saw someone standing there. Ignoring the figure above, he returned his eyes to the task at hand.

‘How’s it coming?’ Gonzales asked.

‘How did you manage to sneak up on me like that?’ Xeris asked without looking up.

‘You’re losing your touch, Romulan. So, how are you doing?’

‘Done, it’s installed. The shuttle will make it down to the dome but the rest is up to you.’

‘Meaning?’ she asked, glaring down at him. Her full lips were set in a pout that he found oddly attractive.

Xeris smiled but it served only to infuriate Gonzales more. ‘That I know you intend to fix the shield and find out whether the people that built the dome are still alive or even contactable.’

She frowned and relaxed the pout. ‘We’re Starfleet officers, it’s what we do.’

He chuckled, a rich, bass sound and Gonzales couldn’t help but smile. ‘I’m an engineer, I should be going down there.’

‘But your outburst earlier put an end to that?’

Xeris nodded.

‘As I told you before,’ she admonished teasingly, ‘I used to be the chief of security on an SCE ship. I picked up a few tricks during my time there.’

He nodded again. ‘I like getting onto away missions. They don’t always need engineers so it’s nice when they do.’

‘You have to be careful around her,’ Gonzales told him. ‘She had a lot to deal with during the war and then found herself drifting around a lot.’

‘Wasn’t that by choice?’

‘Possibly.’

‘Was there a reason you came by?’ Xeris asked her.

She looked at him. ‘I’ve told no one but doctors this. Don’t let it get out.’

He nodded, a solemn look on his face.

‘I get motion sickness sometimes and I have a feeling that going down to the surface of this planet might well give me something to be sick over.’

He didn’t laugh, which pushed him up a few degrees in her estimation of him, but just nodded again.

‘I’d go and get something from Brex. There will be heavy turbulence in the upper atmosphere but you should be relatively fine in the lower atmosphere. Keep your environment suits on at all time. The atmosphere is totally unbreathable and the pressure is immense, but the suits should protect you for a while.’

‘Thank you, Commander,’ Gonzales said and left.

Xeris sighed and went back to work. He had run numerous simulations using the Heisenberg and knew how to give it a little more protection. The duranium alloy that made up the hull of the shuttlecraft could withstand some of the pressure but he was going to try something that he had seen in the SCE journal a couple of years ago but he needed to run it by the captain first.

‘Xeris to Captain Astor.’

‘Go ahead, Commander,’ she replied, and sounded none too happy about the interruption.

‘I’ve installed the generator but I want permission to add another layer of protection.’

‘What were you thinking of?’ she asked.

Xeris grinned even though he knew Astor couldn’t see it. ‘I can tie the generator into the structural integrity field so that it’ll be able to withstand greater pressures. There’s also something else I’d like to do.’

‘What you’ve got sounds good,’ Astor replied. ‘What more can you do?’

‘Nothing to the ship, but I can install micro-SIF generators into the suits to provide extra protection there.’

‘Good work, Commander, get on it.’

‘Aye sir.’

‘Astor out.’

Xeris shook his head at her abruptness and set to work, making adjustments to the Heisenberg’s systems to protect its occupants from the ravages of the planet below.

 

Commander Wright sat in the pilot’s seat watching the shuttlebay doors open and glanced to his right. Lieutenant Commander Gonzales occupied the co-pilot’s seat and behind her sat Lieutenant Talen. The forcefield to prevent decompression was in place and Talen adjusted the Heisenberg’s shield frequency to match it.

‘Heisenberg to bridge, requesting permission to launch,’ Wright asked

‘Astor here, permission granted. Heisenberg, you are cleared for launch.’ With Wright on a mission she became the Flight Operations officer.

‘Acknowledged,’ Wright replied and engaged the thrusters.

The Heisenberg nosed its way through the forcefield and then into open space.

‘We’re clear of the Osiris,’ Gonzales informed him.

‘Good luck, Commander. Astor out.’

‘Have you got the landing coordinates, Lieutenant?’

‘Aye sir,’ Talen answered. ‘Just received them.’

‘Then let’s go.’

He angled the shuttle toward the surface of the Venus-like world and activated the ablative hull armour. The Heisenberg began its descent and the three Starfleet officers were aware that they were ensconced in a fairly small craft. Talen was looking nervous, the usual bright blue hue of his skin had dulled to a pastel colour, but he tried to get it back to normal by sheer force of will and concentrated on the task at hand. Gonzales had both of her eyes pinned to the proximity sensors and the other systems that kept the ship running smoothly. All three of them could hear the groans as the atmosphere tried to crush the hull of the sturdy shuttle. She kept her mind open for the thoughts of anyone outside the crew of the Osiris that might be in need of help. It wasn’t quite a standard operating procedure but as a Betazoid she knew that her innate abilities could come in useful, and they had on numerous occasions, both before and during the war.

 Wright had most of his attention on piloting the shuttlecraft through the planet’s atmosphere but the rest was agonising over the vagaries of the ship’s chief engineer, a captain that at times was still unsure whether she could handle her command responsibilities and a security chief/tactical officer that was too trigger happy, even by Starfleet standards. He knew that her mind was complex, she was a woman as well as a Betazoid, but he still wished that she wouldn’t spend so much time with Xeris, god only knew if the Romulan could really be trusted. He was shaken from his thoughts as the Heisenberg was buffeted by something.

‘What the hell was that?’

Gonzales looked sheepish. ‘Xeris did mention to me that there might be some turbulence.’

‘Nice of him to let the rest of us know,’ Wright muttered through clenched teeth.

Gonzales moaned something incoherent and the shuttlecraft bucked.

‘We should be clear of the upper atmosphere in twenty seconds,’ Talen added. ‘Ablative hull is holding. Xeris’ modifications are working.’

They collectively held their breaths as the Heisenberg slipped through the denser parts of the planet’s atmosphere. Talen was the first to breathe again as the shaking subsided and they levelled out.

‘Hull temperature at three hundred degrees Celsius and rising slightly,’ Talen informed them. ‘Pressure at ten thousand Pascals and rising. Landing coordinates at bearing 1-3-7-mark-2-9-0, on approach vector.’

‘Thank you, Lieutenant,’ Wright replied as he took the shuttle down.

‘Don’t mind him,’ Gonzales chimed in. ‘Keep up the running commentary on the vital statistics. We need to know.’

Wright spared her a glance and sighed.

‘Twelve thousand Pascals and climbing.’

‘How much pressure can she take?’ Gonzales asked.

‘I don’t know. I know how much the shuttle can take but I have no idea how much the ablative armour can take or how much stronger it is with the structural integrity field coursing through it.’

Gonzales sighed this time, hoping that Xeris had got it right.

‘Twenty thousand Pascals and not rising so fast. Seven thousand feet to landing coordinates.’

‘Landing coordinates locked in.’

‘I’ve got it,’ Wright told them, annoyed with their by-the-book conservativeness.

He didn’t mind the day-to-day rules and regulations but the running commentary had annoyed him since he was in the Academy and he had made several complaints to the Academy Director. He guessed that it had been filed away and forgotten about, otherwise he doubted he would have passed.

Wright’s internal monologue was lost on Talen as he continued to call out the rising pressure and altitude readings. ‘Thirty thousand Pascals. Five thousand feet to landing coordinates.’

The Heisenberg’s rocking subsided as they got closer to the surface.

‘Two thousand feet to landing coordinates,’ Talen said. ‘Sir, we’re going too fast.’

‘We’re caught in an eddy,’ Gonzales added. ‘What’s the pressure like, Lieutenant?’

‘Thirty-five thousand Pascals, and holding.’

‘Hold on, I’m going to try and use the impulse engines to slow us down.’

Gonzales said nothing but held on and Talen did the same. If the trick didn’t work then they would end up as stains on the rear bulkhead. Wright engaged the impulse engines at full reverse for a half-second burst and Gonzales felt like her head was going to burst through her skull. The motion sickness threatened to overwhelm her but she used every ounce of will power to force it to the back of her mind.

‘Five hundred feet to landing coordinates,’ Talen advised them. ‘We’ve slowed.’

‘This old gal can sure handle herself,’ Wright said as the heavy cloud cleared sufficiently for him to actually see the landing site and the dome.

‘I hate to say this,’ Talen pushed before Gonzales could say anything, ‘but if Xeris hadn’t increased the structural integrity field it wouldn’t have worked.’

Only Gonzales saw the look on Wright’s face and she felt the very short burst of pure rage from her superior officer. He didn’t like Xeris, that was no secret, but learning that the man had actually been responsible for saving his life was too much. Gonzales knew that she would have to talk to the captain when they got back. She set her mind back to the task at hand and watched as Wright neatly landed the Heisenberg five metres from an accessible entrance to the dome.

‘What’s the pressure like, Lieutenant?’ Wright asked him.

‘Thirty-six thousand, five hundred Pascals, and holding.’

‘Can the suits withstand that?’

‘With Xeris’ modifications I would think they’ll be able to handle twice that.’

Wright nodded but Gonzales felt the anger seep out again.

‘Well, let’s get what we need out of here and get into that dome,’ he ordered, now in command of the mission, like he was supposed to be.

‘Aye sir,’ Talen replied and put a hand up to stabilise himself as he turned round. He felt dizzy again but forced the sensation away, he had a job to do.

After fifteen minutes they were all in their modified environment suits. Wright activated the forcefield and the hatch opened downward, coming to rest on the ground. He stepped out first, the forcefield flickering around his spacesuit, and then he thought that he actually felt the pressure of the planet’s atmosphere. Gonzales followed him and Talen was out last. The hatch returned to its upright position and the three Starfleet officers strode as best they could toward the dome’s only accessible entrance. The other three entrances had all collapsed since the forceshield failed.

‘It’s a simple locking mechanism and I’m assuming that there’s an airlock on the other side,’ Gonzales said.

‘There must be, otherwise everyone inside would die when the door opened,’ Wright replied logically.

‘I’m getting no readings from the tricorder, the atmosphere is causing too much interference.’

‘Can we get inside?’ Talen asked, looking around nervously. ‘This isn’t exactly a nice place to be.’

Gonzales snickered. ‘Opening the door now.’

The door to the dome rumbled ominously but it opened slowly, rising from the ground with an agonising lack of speed. As soon as it had opened to waist level Gonzales whipped out her phaser and ducked inside. There was no one there. Talen and Wright joined her moments later and the door rumbled closed. The airlock cycled faster than anything they had and the inner door opened. Gonzales went first, phaser ready, and saw that the inner door led into a storage room for spacesuits.

‘The air is clear of all toxins,’ Talen said. ‘I suggest we use it to conserve our suits in case of emergency.’

‘You first,’ Gonzales replied, replacing her phaser in its holster.

Talen took his helmet off and sniffed the air. ‘Smells like dogs.’

‘You don’t have dogs on Andoria,’ Wright replied with a grin and took off his helmet, ‘but you’re right.’

‘I’ve been to Earth several times. My cousin lives with three dogs and two kids, or is it two dogs and three kids?’ he smirked.

Gonzales laughed as she took off her helmet. ‘Definitely dogs, maybe their species have a lot of hair, that would account for it.’

‘Or maybe they evolved from dogs just like we evolved from primates.’

‘Let’s keep the speculation to a minimum and wait until we meet one of them,’ Wright ordered. ‘Do we have a map of the dome?’

‘The Captain provided us with one from the astrometrics lab.’

‘Where’s the control centre?’

‘At the centre,’ Gonzales answered. ‘It would be the safest place to put it in an installation like this.’

‘Lead the way.’

Gonzales did so, snaking her way through corridors.

‘Any ideas as to why that door hadn’t collapsed?’ Wright asked.

‘It was probably built thicker than the others, as a way for a quick escape.’

‘So why is their shuttle still here?’

‘Maybe they couldn’t fit everyone aboard and decided to stay, or maybe that’s a second shuttle and they’re all gone.’

‘Are we going to be able to get out that way if it collapses?’ Wright asked, ‘or are we going to be stuck here.’

‘I don’t know,’ Talen’s reply was not what he wanted.

‘We’re here,’ Gonzales told them.

‘Open it up.’

She touched a button on the doorframe and the doors slid apart. She walked in first with the phaser in her hand but there was no one there.

‘All clear.’

The others followed her in and Wright whistled. The command centre was huge, about three times the size of the Osiris’ bridge. Talen put his helmet down on a table and whipped out his tricorder, scanning everything in the room. It started beeping and he pointed toward the floor.

‘I’ve got some kind of bulkhead here,’ he called out. ‘But the tricorder can’t scan beyond it.’

‘We’re not going below ground,’ Wright replied. ‘Commander, find that shield generator and see what you can do with it.’

‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied and took her tricorder in hand again.

Wright was using his own tricorder but recognised what the occupants of the dome were doing.

‘They’re trying to terraform this planet,’ he told Talen.

The Andorian looked at him. ‘Why bother?’

‘We’ve been trying to terraform Venus for decades.’

‘Like I said, why bother?’

‘I have no idea why Starfleet wants to, just as I have no idea why these people want, or need to. But it explains the dome. They would need a permanent structure from which to begin the operation.’

‘Why are we here?’ Talen asked, looking positively uncomfortable.

‘To repair the shield generator and locate the occupants, or contact their homeworld.’

‘Well, I’ll get to work on their communications array then. It doesn’t appear damaged but there’s no way to get a signal out.’

‘Their array was probably shorn off by the atmosphere, when you get it working route it through the array on the Heisenberg.’

‘Aye sir,’ Talen replied and shucked off his spacesuit in order to work more comfortably.

 

Chapter Three

 

Sentinel Asew had been watching the boards for several hours when the continual bleeping roused him from his nap. He opened his eyes and glanced at the console. There were three life forms in the command centre. He activated the visual link and saw three people in space suits. One left the room carrying some kind of device and the other two were looking around, waving similar devices around. Asew blinked the sleep from his eyes and ran his paws through his hair.

‘Teyr, come here.’

‘Sentinel, is there a problem?’

‘Do you recognise those creatures?’ He pointed at the display screen.

‘No, Sentinel. Are they responsible for the shield’s failure?’

‘I don’t know, I don’t have sound.’

‘It will take some time but I believe I can provide you with sound.’

‘Make it a priority.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Asew continued to watch these strange looking aliens. Two of them looked almost identical, pink with almost no facial hair at all. But the third looked very strange. He was blue with antennae on the top of his head. The blue alien was at the communications console and Asew glanced at his own, it was offline. The alien was either trying to make sure it never worked again or to repair it, he didn’t know which. The pink male was inspecting everything with the strange device and talking to the blue male. Asew switched displays and saw the pink female closing on the shield generator. It was gone, what did she expect to do, fix it? No female could fix anything.

‘Sentinel,’ Teyr called out. ‘I have sound for you.’

‘Excellent.’

‘Commander,’ the blue alien said, ‘the communications system looks like it is intact, but I will need time to repair the damaged power couplings.’

‘Can you tell what damaged them?’

‘It looks as if they were shorted out, but there is nothing these people have that could cause such a power surge.’

‘Hmm,’ the commander replied.

‘Wright to Gonzales,’ the commander tapped a device on his chest.

‘Go ahead, sir.’

‘What is your status?’

‘The shield generator looks to be intact but most of the relays have been shorted out by some kind of electric surge.’

‘Talen says that the communication system looks that way too. Is there any way to tell what caused the short?’

‘No, sir,’ Gonzales replied. ‘But I’m going to need some equipment to repair it. Have you been able to access a map there?’

‘You want to know where the cargo bays are?’

‘Yes, sir. They must have spares for this equipment.’

Asew thought about the exchange. They were obviously trying to repair the systems, but that didn’t mean they were responsible. However, they did not appear to know what caused the damage which could mean that they were there to help. They obviously had a hierarchical command structure, like a military outfit, and their uniforms looked military, but there was too much camaraderie for it to be a crack military unit. He could outfight all of them easily.

‘Sentinel, are they the enemy?’

‘I don’t believe so,’ Asew answered. ‘But I am not a hundred percent sure.’

Teyr looked at them. ‘They don’t look dangerous.’

Asew laughed. ‘Perhaps not, but do we look dangerous?’

Teyr grinned. ‘Only when we’re angry.’

‘Precisely.’

‘What are they doing?’

‘Trying to repair the communication system and the shield generator.’

‘The female?’

‘She is repairing the shield generator.’

‘I would not have believed it if I had not seen it.’

‘Not all races treat women as we do. But as you can see, these three belong to at least two different races.’

‘What makes you say “at least two”?’

‘Because although they look like the same race I am aware that the similarity may end there. For example, in space that belongs to the Thallonian Empire there is a race that calls themselves the Dogs of War. They appear to be similar to us in appearance, being of canine descent, but our features, religion and culture differ greatly from theirs.’

‘How do you know all this?’ Teyr asked.

‘Sentinels are required to know a little bit about everything.’

‘What races do you think they come from?’

‘I don’t think that is important,’ Asew answered the engineer. ‘I believe that where they come from is more important.’

 

Astor was pacing the bridge like a caged tigress as she waited for a response to the continued hails. Lieutenant Lars Reich, Gonzales’ second in command of security, was sending hails on all frequencies every thirty seconds. The away team had been out of contact for more than an hour and Astor was starting to get worried, after all three of her senior officers could well be in extreme danger.

‘Still nothing?’ she asked of Reich.

‘No, sir.’

‘Keep trying. I’ll be in my ready room.’

Astor was by the door to the ready room when the tactical console began bleeping frantically. She whirled to face Reich who was pressing several buttons to switch tracks from communication to tactical.

‘Well?’

‘Incoming starship,’ Reich answered. ‘Heavily armed.’

Astor was in her seat before the ship dropped out of warp. When it did so, Astor didn’t need the Osiris’ massive computer database to tell her that the ship did not conform to any known configuration. It was large, the size of two Galaxy-class starships, and looked like a horizontal space station. Reich shook his head as the full scans were completed.

‘We are severely outgunned.’

‘Lieutenant?’

‘Thirty phaser banks and twenty torpedo launchers. I’m also reading what look like fighters,’ Reich elaborated.

‘He’s right, we’re outgunned,’ Larson chimed in from the helm.

‘Hail them,’ Astor ordered.

‘Captain, should I raise the shields?’

‘It could be considered an aggressive act.’

‘Sir, with all due respect, that ship is aggressive.’

‘Anything on any communications channel?’

‘No response, sir. We’re being scanned.’

The massive starship suddenly fired a burst of energy at the Osiris and it was only Reich’s lightning-fast reflexes that prevented the burst shorting out every system on board. The shields held but several power relays were blown.

‘Xeris to bridge, we can’t take many more like that.’

‘Acknowledged. Lieutenant, I’m glad we have those shields.’

‘Aye sir.’

‘Open a channel.’

‘They’re firing again.’

Another burst of energy hit the Osiris but this time it was slightly less powerful.

‘That wasn’t so bad,’ Larson said as the inertial dampeners took control again.

‘Fire at that weapons port, and open a channel,’ Astor ordered.

‘Aye sir, firing. Channel open.’

‘This is Captain Elizabeth Astor of the Federation starship Osiris. We mean you no harm. We are on a mission of peaceful exploration.’

The image of the huge starship was replaced by what Astor could only describe as a dog in a military uniform. She had seen too many alien races to be surprised but this male, unmistakably male, looked attractive.

‘I am Prime Sentinel Fert. You are trespassing in Denaari space. You are responsible for the destruction of our surface station and for that you will be destroyed.’

Astor sighed. ‘We have people down there trying to repair some damage. We detected this surface station and came to investigate because we have never seen anything like it before. Our sensors detected that the dome was in danger and I have a team down there.’

Prime Sentinel Fert considered this. ‘You say you are from the Federation. What branch?’

‘Starfleet Command.’

Fert nodded. ‘I have heard stories of this Starfleet. You consider yourselves the galaxy’s do-gooders, interfering for the good of all.’

Astor smiled at an oft-repeated maxim used by alien cultures to describe Starfleet’s work. ‘We are those do-gooders,’ she agreed.

‘You did not receive a distress signal from this station?’

‘No.’

‘Then I apologise for trying to destroy you. We have had several of our bases attacked and this is the first time that a vessel has been found nearby. Naturally we assumed the worst.’

Astor felt that she shouldn’t mention the assumption idiom and merely nodded. ‘We could work together to rescue our people.’

‘An acceptable proposition.’

‘If I may, what was this base being used for?’

‘We had scientists trying to terraform this world using new technologies that they were developing.’

Astor nodded. ‘Were all the bases scientific in nature?’

‘Now that you mention it,’ Prime Sentinel Fert replied, ‘I believe they were.’

 

Another section of the outer dome had collapsed and Gonzales was still trying to locate the cargo bays. The power had failed and she therefore had no way to tell whether she was going in the right direction called out to her by Wright. In the command centre Talen was hunched over the communication console trying to reroute the damaged relays and power couplings when he suddenly keeled over and hit the floor. Wright stopped working his way through the scientists’ notes and rushed over to his fallen comrade.

‘Lieutenant, are you alright?’

‘I think so, it’s just the heat getting to me.’

‘You don’t look too well, Lieutenant.’

‘I’m fine, sir. I think I just need a break for a few minutes.’

‘There’s a couch just in there,’ Wright said, pointing toward a doorway. ‘Go and get some rest.’

‘Aye sir,’ Talen replied as he shakily stood up and held on to Wright’s shoulder.

‘Wright to Gonzales, have you found that cargo bay yet?’

‘Yes sir, but without power it will take me some time to scan everything and determine exactly what I’ll need to fix the shield generator.’

‘Do it as fast as you can, I think that Talen will need medical attention very soon.’

‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied without questioning the order. ‘I’ll be back as soon as possible. Gonzales out.’

Wright peeked in on Talen, who was fast asleep, and then returned to the scientists’ notes, hoping that they would give him an idea of what they were doing and therefore who might want to stop them from doing it, or worse. Without electrical power he was consigned to reading by flashlight. Gonzales was rooting around in the cargo bay, shining her flashlight at every box, hoping to find what she needed. The labelling was obviously in a different language, one that the universal translator was having a little trouble with, so she was having to open every single box to discern its contents.

After what seemed like ages she finally found what she was looking for. Relays and power couplings looked much the same across the galaxy. Grabbing a couple of boxes of each, Gonzales made her way back to the command centre where the sight that greeted her was not at all what she expected. Lieutenant Talen was up but stumbling about by the communications console while Commander Wright was seated at one of the consoles flicking through what looked like a notebook of some kind, presumably the scientists’ handwritten notes.

‘Can you read their language?’ she asked him.

‘No, the universal translator is handling it,’ Wright replied absently.

‘I was having trouble with their language,’ Gonzales added, pouting.

Wright ignored her.

‘Sir!’

‘Commander, fix the generator and get us out of here. I’m trying to learn about their terraforming practices.’

Gonzales shook her head and went over to Talen, who had just collapsed again.

‘Lieutenant, you should be lying down.’

‘I’m trying to find San Francisco,’ Talen replied, looking up at her from the floor. ‘Can you help me?’

Gonzales sighed. ‘We’re a little far away, right now.’

‘Did I take the wrong route?’ the Andorian asked. ‘Look, I nearly broke the chronometer that Erin gave me when I first got to Earth.’

Gonzales looked at it. The wrist chronometer was one of the antiques that her father had always been interested in, what they called digital in late twentieth-century Earth history. She pulled the Andorian up and took him through to the couch where he had been lying before. Talen was asleep before his head hit the soft material. The Betazoid sighed and strode over to her commanding officer.

‘Sir, we have a problem.’

Wright actually looked at her this time. ‘Commander?’

‘Lieutenant Talen is delusional and I can’t look after him and fix the shield generator. You’ll have to stop looking at those notes and see to your officer.’

Wright glared at her and his head suddenly snapped back. ‘Sorry, Commander. I guess I got carried away.’

She sighed and walked over to the boxes of equipment. ‘I’ll be with the shield generator,’ she said and walked out of the command centre. The shield generator was located in a specially-protected bunker toward the outer hull of the dome. The section it was in was heavily protected and from what Gonzales could see, it had been some kind of extraordinarily powerful electrical charge that knocked out the shield generator. The battery back-ups had failed and she knew that if she didn’t get this back up and running they were all going to suffocate. This generator was also the back-up generator for life support.

Wright was still flicking through the notes when he heard a moan. He lifted his head up and saw Talen stumbling about. Something at the back of his mind started to make some noise and the notes fell to the floor as he realised what was going on. Ever since he could remember, he had started to obsess over things and anything could trigger it. But as the first officer on a starship in deep space and the mission commander on an away team on a hostile planet he had let it get the better of him. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and ran to his fallen comrade.

‘Come on, Talen, let’s get you lying down.’

‘I need to get to San Francisco,’ the Andorian replied. ‘I’ve got a meeting with Admiral Chevrolet at noon.’

‘Lieutenant, snap out of it!’

‘Lieutenant?’ echoed Talen. ‘I’m not a Lieutenant. I’m an Ensign, I’ve only just graduated. Admiral Chevrolet will be sending me to my first posting.’

 

Chapter Four

 

Wright sighed but Talen lapsed into unconsciousness. He returned to the scientists’ notes to the exclusion of everything else.

Talen woke up moments later. ‘This doesn’t look like any sickbay in Starfleet or hospital on Earth. Where am I? Surely the admiral would wait for me if I am a few minutes late.’

He lifted his head slowly and looked around. There were no windows for him to see outside and he couldn’t move without stabs of pain coursing through his head and antennae. Raising his hand to wipe sweat from his forehead he noticed the chronometer and took a closer look.

‘I don’t remember this,’ he told himself aloud and took it off. ‘“To my dear Talen, congratulations, love Erin.” Maybe I should have tried to get an Earthside assignment,’ he thought to himself as he remembered their first meeting, while he was still a cadet.

He had just finished his biology class and was strolling through the lush Academy grounds when he heard an argument with raised voices. Quickly heading in that direction he saw a young Human woman being taunted by two older Bolians. They were holding a display case that she was anxious about.

‘Why don’t you leave her alone?’ he asked, projecting his voice.

They all turned round and the older Bolian sneered. ‘What do you want, Andorian? Maybe you’d like to copulate with the puny human.’

Talen strode toward them, ready to defend both his honour and hers when an Admiral appeared as if from nowhere.

‘I don’t think that you should be speaking like that,’ the admiral told them. ‘Especially not to my daughter.’

The Bolians looked at each other, handed the case back to the young woman and walked off, not looking back.

‘Erin, I told you not to visit me here.’

‘Are you alright?’ Talen asked her as he came close. ‘Admiral.’

‘Thank you, cadet,’ the admiral replied. ‘Would you mind seeing her home, I have an urgent meeting.’

‘Not a problem, sir,’ Talen replied and held out his hand for the young woman to take.

She looked at her father. ‘I wanted to surprise you.’

‘You did,’ he said, smiling. ‘I’ll be home for dinner, cook me something special.’

She smiled. ‘I will.’ Turning to Talen, she added. ‘Cadet,’ and took his arm in hers.

Once they were out of Academy the smile on her face fell and she started to cry.

‘What’s the matter?’ Talen asked, stopping in the street.

‘I’m not a girl anymore, but he still treats me like one. I’m his youngest.’

‘Erin,’ he said, tilting her chin so she was looking in his eyes. ‘You will always be your father’s little girl, even if you became a captain in Starfleet.’

She looked at him. ‘You don’t treat me like I’m young.’

‘What’s in the case, that was so special to you?’ he asked, ignoring her comment.

She pouted but showed him the case. ‘It’s an antique Earth chronometer, they called it a watch in the twentieth century.’

‘It’s beautiful,’ Talen said, holding the display case up to the light. ‘Are you just interested in old time pieces or in other things as well?’

‘Anything from the twentieth century,’ she replied and he smiled.

‘Come on, I’ve got something you’ll want to see.’

She had to run hard to keep up with him but when they got to the outskirts of San Francisco he stopped by a large structure and knocked on the large door. A face appeared and then vanished. The door opened just a little and an old man walked out.

‘Talen, you came,’ the old man said and embraced the Andorian.

‘Jax, this is Erin,’ Talen said, gesturing to the young woman. ‘She’s interested in twentieth century stuff.’

Jax turned to the girl. ‘You’ve met a fellow enthusiast. Come in, I’ll show you what he’s been working on.’

Erin looked at him and Talen took her hand as they walked inside. The interior was decked out like a twentieth century garage. There were three old combustion engine cars and a glass-enclosed room with other things.

‘I’ve been collecting for years,’ Talen told her. ‘Jax introduced me to this stuff when he ran freight in Andorian space. I’ve been meaning to come by for months.’

‘Is that…?’

‘A television,’ Talen answered.

Jax switched it on and Talen saw a strange alien world with a dome covered by purple clouds and Talen felt a stab of pain in his antennae.

‘Where am I?’ Talen asked, looking around.

Wright poked his head in the room. ‘You’re in the dome,’ he said.

‘The heat, it’s too much,’ Talen replied and lapsed back into unconsciousness.

‘Wright to Gonzales.’

‘Gonzales here.’

‘How are you coming with that generator?’

Sentinel Asew had been listening to the conversation and Master Engineer Teyr was also listening in.

‘They do not seem to be dangerous,’ the engineer mentioned again.

Asew sighed. ‘I happen to agree with you on that point. They do seem to be having trouble fixing our technology.’

‘Only one of them is fixing anything, the female. The blue one is delirious and the pink man is looking at our notes.’

‘Do you think he is a scientist?’ Asew asked.

‘He looks like he understands what is written, but does that not constitute a breach of security protocols?’

‘In ordinary circumstances. We could go up and give them a hand fixing the shield generator but I want to wait a little longer to see what happens.’

‘What did the female say about the generator?’

Asew cycled the screen back to hear what she said.

‘I’ve removed about half the damaged relays so far. This is a large generator that’s responsible for more than just the shields. It’s the backup for life support as well and the structural integrity field.’

‘Keep me informed every ten minutes, Commander.’

‘How’s Talen?’

‘He’s delirious,’ Wright answered.

‘Are you trying to help him or still looking through the notes, sir?’

Wright bristled at that remark. ‘I’m trying to help him. As of this exact moment I have located the bathroom facilities and am getting some water to try and bring down the fever that he’s getting.’

Gonzales smiled grimly. ‘Aye sir, Gonzales out.’

‘The female knows their weaknesses,’ Teyr told the Sentinel.

‘Indeed she does,’ Asew replied.

 

Prime Sentinel Fert materialised on the Osiris’ transporter pad with three officers and Captain Astor met them with Lieutenant Reich and Lieutenant Commander Xeris. Astor tried not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of her guests. They were definitely canine in origin, the smell was greatly enhanced to Earth canines, but they were currently her best hope of rescuing her people on the surface.

‘Prime Sentinel,’ Astor bowed. ‘Allow me to introduce my officers. This is my security second in command, Lieutenant Reich, and this is my Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Xeris.’

‘This is First Sentinel Dery, my Chief of Security; First Sentinel Zeso, my Flight Operations officer and Second Sentinel Vota, my Chief Engineer,’ Fert told them, introducing each of his officers.

‘Would you care to join me in the situation room and we can discuss the problem at hand?’

‘Lead the way.’

As she took them through the corridors she noted that her crew barely gave the Denaari a second glance. They just nodded or bowed as they went past.

‘Your crew do not seem surprised at our appearance,’ Fert mentioned.

Astor slowed to level with him. ‘The Federation has many worlds and many species. It is our prime mandate to meet new life forms and new civilisations and to open peaceful negotiations with them.’

‘Then you have seen our kind before?’

‘Not that I recall, but I do remember a report from another captain in Starfleet about a race that called themselves the Dogs of War.’

‘We have heard of them,’ Fert replied with venom. ‘They give a bad name to canine races.’

Astor grinned. ‘Perhaps you could show the Dogs of War what canine races are meant to do.’

Fert smiled back, showing his teeth. ‘I agree. What can we do to assist you, Captain?’

‘As I mentioned before, Prime Sentinel, we have people trapped on the surface and no way to contact them.’

Astor gestured for the Denaari to enter the situation room and then her officers followed. She entered last.

‘We have people on the surface as well, Captain. Again, with no way to contact them,’ Fert replied. ‘Thankfully, because we have the ability to turn worlds like this into worlds suitable for us, we have a number of vessels capable of travelling down to the surface and are preparing one as we speak.’

As if on cue Zeso’s wristcom chirped. ‘Go ahead.’

‘Terraformer Seven is ready to depart,’ someone told the Flight Operations officer.

He looked at Fert, who nodded. ‘Launch it.’

‘Aye sir.’

Astor tapped a key on the holographic display table and an image of the ships in orbit of the planet appeared with the moon in the distance. A smaller ship left the Denaari vessel and headed down toward the surface. Zeso was listening to the ship’s descent information and missed the beginning of the problem. A bright white light, that seemed to come from the moon, streaked through the atmosphere and then Zeso looked up, aghast.

‘It’s gone.’

Fert barked in anger. ‘Where did that come from?’ he asked an officer over the wristcom.

‘I don’t know, sir,’ the officer screeched.

Astor looked at Reich. ‘Get down to astrometrics and find out where the hell that thing came from.’

‘Aye sir,’ Reich replied and jumped out of his chair.

‘Larson to bridge.’

‘Go ahead, Ensign.’

‘That light, it looked like it came from a point on the moon. I’ve got sensors trying to triangulate it now.’

Astor smiled, leaving him in charge was a good idea. ‘Thank you, Ensign. When we know where it came from, you’ll lead the away team.’

‘Aye sir.’

Fert looked at her. ‘The moon?’

‘Yes, Prime Sentinel. Apparently, our sensors have been picking up a strange energy signal but we could not locate it. It appears we now have.’

‘I should have been informed.’

‘I apologise,’ Astor nearly floundered. ‘I, like my officers, did not know what it represented.’

Fert nodded. ‘No matter. What matters now is what we do to deal with this.’

Astor looked at Xeris. ‘I want a ship design on my desk within the hour.’

‘I’m on it, Captain,’ Xeris replied and left the situation room for engineering.

Fert looked at her askance.

‘We have the capability to build our own support craft, tailoring craft for specific missions.’

He looked shocked and surprised at the same time. ‘Can all your ships do this?’

‘No, only the new classes can do this. But it is now being made standard on all classes, even the smaller ones.’

‘That is impressive.’

‘If you like, I can show you what another craft came up with a few years ago. A ship that is also being made a standard support craft.’

Fert nodded. ‘Your Federation is indeed a powerful force to be reckoned with. I would be honoured to join, if that is possible.’

‘Are you the planetary leader?’ Astor asked.

Fert thought for a moment. ‘I am the leader of the military services.’

‘If the planetary leader wishes to join, then it must go to the people.’

Fert nodded. ‘I see. Unfortunately there is no single government on my world. There are seven major governments that each take turns governing our world. The people have not yet decided which government they want to lead them.’

Astor acknowledged the explanation with a nod of her own. ‘It was like that on my world once.’

‘Larson to Astor.’

‘Go ahead, Ensign.’

‘With Lieutenant Reich’s help, I’ve located the source of that energy signal.’

‘Take Reich with you and find out what you can.’

‘The Pascal’s being prepped now, sir.’

‘Good thinking, Ensign. Astor out.’ She looked at Fert. ‘I have a team ready to find where on the moon that light originated.’

Fert stood up. ‘Captain Astor, you have impressed me with your working practices. If you will no offence, I must return to my ship and make certain that we are ready for battle if one should be necessary. Thank you for your assistance.’

Astor nodded. ‘I will escort you myself.’

In shuttlebay two Lieutenant Reich stood by the hatch of the shuttlecraft Pascal, named for the seventeenth century physicist Blaise Pascal. The doors to the shuttlebay opened to admit Ensign Larson.

‘Danny, we’re in for it now,’ Reich told him.

‘Yeah Lars, that’ll teach us not to be so bright.’

‘Why are we taking the Pascal and not the Mauna Loa?’

‘The Pascal is smaller and might not show up on whatever sensors might be there.’

‘Okay, why not one of the other shuttlecraft?’

Larson looked at him. ‘This one has got the silent running subroutines that Xeris has been working on. We’ll look like a bit of debris to any sensors. Only a visual will give us away.’

Reich nodded. ‘We’d better get a move on.’

Larson walked inside and Reich followed. They sat themselves down and got the thumbs up from the technician in the bay, the pre-flight checks had been run.

‘Closing hatch,’ Reich said.

‘Did you watch him do the pre-flight checks?’ Larson asked.

‘I did, he did them by the book.’

‘Good.’

‘Reich to bridge. Shuttlecraft Pascal ready to depart.’

‘Astor to Pascal, clearance to depart granted. Find what’s out there.’

‘Aye sir, Reich out.’

The doors opened and the shuttle drifted through the forcefield. Larson adjusted the nose and pointed the ship in the direction of the moon. The impulse engines glowed as the shuttle moved off. Astor watched from the bridge and hoped that she wouldn’t have to rescue more senior officers. Only Xeris and Brex remained on board of her senior officers. Some captain she was if she lost most of her senior staff on one mission. She watched as the Pascal disappeared over the curve of the moon. They were on their own and could do nothing but wait.

 

Chapter Five

 

‘We’ve just lost contact with the Osiris,’ Larson told Reich.

‘As we expected,’ the security man replied. ‘This is just like being on the dark side of Luna.’

‘You’ve been there?’

‘I spent six months at the Far-side Observatory, watching the farthest reaches of known space.’

‘I would have loved to do that but I was in the Academy during the war. I took part in a few battles so I wasn’t green when I graduated but this mission has made me rethink what I wanted to do in Starfleet.’

‘Are you saying you’re not sure it’s for you?’

‘Not at all, the fleet is just where I want to be, I’m just not sure if I’m in the right place.’

Reich looked at him. ‘Meaning?’

‘I’m not sure if I want to be in command.’

‘What would you do, security?’

‘I was thinking of engineering actually.’

‘What area?’

‘I could join the Corps but I think that I want to join the Advanced Starship Design Bureau.’

‘Create new ships? Its worthwhile.’

‘I know, I just haven’t made up my mind.’

Both officers watched the heavily pitted surface of Calyso’s moon change subtly as they traversed the dark side until it became almost smooth, with no craters or indentations of any kind.

‘What the—?’ Larson asked as the sensors recorded the change and bleeped.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Reich added and looked at the tactical sensors. ‘There’s some kind of energy field surrounding that smooth area. Its only a few metres above the surface but it looks like it originates deep within the moon.’

‘Where—exactly—is it coming from?’ Larson asked in his command tone.

‘I don’t know,’ Reich answered, but we should take a look.’

Larson agreed and guided the shuttle toward the energy field. He nosed the ship lower and lower until they were just skating the top of the energy field.

‘It doesn’t fit anything in the databanks,’ Reich told Larson. ‘We need to be careful,’ he added, his tone becoming that of the lifetime tactical officer that he was.

‘I know,’ Larson replied. ‘I’m detecting a chasm six hundred metres ahead.’

‘It’s wide enough for the shuttle, I think you could just about fit the Osiris in there.’

Larson looked at the security officer. ‘Do you recommend going in or should we get backup?’

Reich thought for a moment. ‘We haven’t got time to call in for backup. We don’t know how long our people on the surface have. Let’s go,’ he added, activating the bright lights the shuttle had.

‘Engaging silent running mode,’ Larson said.

The lights dimmed and the engine noise died to almost nothing, but Reich couldn’t hear it. The Pascal glided into the chasm, aware that the  energy field could give them away, but it didn’t and they navigated what quickly became a maze of caverns. Larson deactivated the lights and a fluorescent marker told them which direction to take.

‘What do you make of that?’

‘I think that we’ve found some kind of operations base,’ Reich answered. ‘Go slow, and be prepared to get us the hell out of here.’

‘I was planning on it,’ Larson replied as he saw that the cavern they were in ended several hundred metres ahead in a massive door.

‘It’s open,’ Reich said. ‘Wonder why.’

‘Because something recently returned,’ Larson theorised, thinking about the white light that had taken out the Denaari shuttle.

‘Possibly.’

‘I’m going to take us in to land. We’re going to do a little exploring.’

‘You’re mad.’

‘Possibly, but if we can find out what that light was then we might be able to stop it happening again, giving us a chance to rescue our people on the surface.’

‘By all means,’ Reich reluctantly acquiesced. ‘But we’re going in suits and with weapons.’

‘Damn right we are,’ Larson screeched. ‘I wouldn’t go in any other way.’

The Pascal landed with a gentle bounce on a landing platform and the two Starfleet officers, wearing their environmental suits, exited the shuttle and started toward the doorway at the end of the massive hangar. They could see several other ships there, and Reich didn’t recognise any of them, but he could guess at their uses. They were made for trips into hazardous atmospheres. Reich reached the doorway first and the door opened automatically.

‘Careful,’ Larson warned.

‘No one there,’ Reich shot back.

Larson joined him in the corridor and looked at the markings on the bulkheads.

‘This looks like a map of the base.’

‘I agree, we’ll go this way, to the operations centre.’

Larson looked around at the corridor. It had unusual colour variations in different sections that he thought might be something to do with their function or denote area of expertise. Reich said nothing but sighed inaudibly to Larson as they moved off.

 

Talen glanced at the couch he was lying on and felt another twinge of pain coarse through his body. He knew that the heat was getting to him because he could remember very little of what he was supposed to be doing. Suddenly he felt cooler as Wright pressed a cold cloth to his forehead.

‘Where am I?’ he moaned.

‘Rest,’ Wright answered softly.

‘Where am I?’ Talen repeated.

‘In a dome that’s collapsing,’ Wright answered as another bulkhead collapsed.

Talen’s mind was muddled because of the heat and he was taken back to his second posting, as an Ensign aboard the Ambassador-class USS Albuquerque.

Captain Victor Teutopolis sighed audibly as he surveyed the officers in front of him. The lowest ranks aboard his newly-refitted had been involved in a fight with the crew of another ship and he was supposed to discipline them. As a new captain he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing but he knew that putting them all on report, going strictly by Starfleet regulations, was not the way to go.

‘Listen up, people. You’re not going on report and you’re not being penalised for that disgraceful brawl on Starbase 125. Instead, we’ve been chosen to go on a mission of great importance—’

Someone groaned.

‘You have a problem with that, Ensign?’ Teutopolis asked Talen.

‘Why don’t you just say we’re going on a suicide mission?’ Talen asked.

Teutopolis sighed again. ‘Very well, the brass don’t think we’ll be back, but they do think that we can do it.’

‘Do what?’ another Ensign asked.

‘Take our ship into Romulan space and blow up their newest listening post.’

Talen chuckled.

‘Problem, Ensign?’

‘I take it we’re going into the B’reni system.’

Teutopolis looked aghast at the young ensign. ‘How do you know that?’

‘I overheard a couple of Admirals talking about it a few days ago, on the Starbase.’

‘What did you hear?’

‘That the Romulans are planning an invasion of the Federation and are trying to discover our fleet movements with a new listening post that they’ve built, turning the B’reni system into a giant dish.’

‘Well, ladies and gentlemen, you now know everything that Starfleet knows. Red alert, all hands to battle stations. We’ll be there in under three hours.’

Everyone scrambled and Teutopolis grabbed Talen.

‘Sir?’

‘You know as well as I do, that that is not how you found out. So why don’t you tell me how you did?’

Talen looked at his captain. ‘Admiral Tyagaraja mentioned to me when I was posted aboard that we might be diverted over there because of the Romulans.’

‘Why did he tell you, you’re just an Ensign.’

Talen squared his shoulders. ‘Because I happen to be an expert in tactical operations. My team at the Academy always won because I knew how to move my people around.’

Teutopolis shook his head. ‘Fine, you will lead the assault. If you complete your assignment and survive then I guess you’ll be promoted and get a better assignment.’

Talen grinned. ‘Sir, this assignment is fine. We’re on the frontier, what could be better.’

The Albuquerque entered the B’reni system and was met by a hostile force of Romulan warbirds. The tactical officer knew the weaknesses of those old vessels and the warbirds were destroyed. Talen, a lowly ensign, led the security teams into the main power station of the system-wide listening array and using his people carefully he managed to redeploy it to listen in on the Romulans without them knowing about it, while all the time feeding them false information about Federation fleet movements. Teutopolis was impressed, as were the top brass, and assigned Talen to Deep Space Nine, just after the war began.

‘Talen, stay with me,’ Wright shook the Andorian.

‘Sir?’

‘You’re doing okay,’ Wright told him, squeezing his shoulder. ‘It’s the heat. We’ve got no control over the environmental controls.’

Talen nodded absently. ‘The communications array, I need to fix it,’ he said and tried to rise but a fresh wave of pain shot through his antennae.

Wright pushed him down. ‘You’re not going anywhere, Lieutenant.’

‘But I need to fix it,’ the Andorian repeated and forced himself into a sitting position.

‘Talen, don’t force me to give you something,’ Wright told him, holding up a hypospray.

Talen looked at him and passed out.

‘Maybe it’s best that way,’ Wright said to himself and then tapped his combadge. ‘Commander, how’s it going?’

‘I’ve removed all the damaged relays and power couplings and have just started to install the spares. I’ve got to calibrate each one by hand otherwise I’ll end up blowing the lot when I try to turn the unit on again. It will take some time. How is Talen?’

‘Getting worse. He’s delusional now, talking about old missions. I think the heat is starting to effect his neural system.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘He is used to the cold on Andoria and in his quarters. This heat is killing him. We need to get him out of here quickly.’

‘Sir, let me fix the generator, it’ll bring the environmental controls back on line and we’ll be able to cool him down much easier then.’

‘I have a feeling that you’d better hurry, Commander. Wright out.’

As Wright went back to Talen he looked up through the transparent circle at the top of the dome and wondered what was going on back on the Osiris. In fact, Astor was pacing the bridge waiting for news from any direction.

‘What have you got for me, Commander?’ she asked Xeris when he arrived back on the bridge.

‘A design for a ship capable of withstanding the pressure,’ he replied and passed over the padd.

She perused it carefully and then glanced up at him sharply. ‘Can you not build it any faster?’

He shook his head. ‘Because of the materials I need and the absolute care needed to make sure that everything is calibrated properly. That’s what will take the time.’

Astor ran her hands through her hair and then looked back at him. ‘I’m sorry, Commander. This won’t do, I don’t think our people have that long.’

Xeris nodded. ‘I didn’t think so, sir. But I had to give it a try.’

‘You know what this means.’

‘Sir?’

‘We have to rely on Larson and Reich to find out what caused the white light so that the Denaari can send another ship down there, to rescue their people and ours.’

Xeris nodded solemnly, but then smiled. ‘In that case, sir, we’ll be fine.’

His baseless optimism made her smile. ‘Yes, we will.’

 

Larson and Reich had been walking down a corridor when they heard a couple of voices. They crept toward the sound and noticed two seven-foot red-hued humanoids gesticulating wildly at a machine pointed toward the planet’s surface. Larson froze and Reich pulled him out of the way as one of the humanoids yelled something and walked off, it would have noticed them had Reich not hauled Larson behind a number of large cargo containers. The remaining humanoid resumed pacing in front of the machine. Reich noticed that he was holding some kind of firearm at his side and mentioned it to Larson.

‘What do you make of it?’

‘I’ve no idea. Do you think that’s the machine that’s causing all the problems?

‘It could well be,’ Reich answered. ‘But we need to find out either way.’

Larson nodded and looked around. ‘We need a diversion.’

Reich glanced about him but saw nothing that they could use but he hit on an idea. ‘Why don’t we give ourselves up?’

‘I’d say you needed your head examined. Who knows what they would do to us.’

‘But we could learn something and figure out how to escape later.’

‘We certainly don’t want them to get their hands on the Pascal, but if we give ourselves up they’ll wonder how we got here.’

‘Good point, I didn’t think of that.’

‘Obviously.’

‘What do you suggest then?’ Reich asked him.

‘Give me a second, I’m thinking.’

The red humanoid suddenly stopped pacing and swung his gun round to the cargo containers.

‘Damn,’ Reich muttered.

‘What?’

‘Look.’

Larson poked his head up just enough and saw the gun pointed in his direction. ‘He’s saying something.’

‘The universal translator is having trouble locking on to the language.’

‘Well, it better solve itself soon.’

‘Why?’

‘Because we’re about to be caught.’

‘No we’re not,’ Reich replied as the translator sputtered.

‘Plshy, get back down here, intruder alert.’

‘Hjyrd, calm down. I’m not detecting any other lifesigns.’

‘The sensors are calibrated to Strdy lifesigns, not aliens.’

They heard Plshy sigh. ‘Recalibrating now.’

‘We’re in trouble,’ Larson said.

‘Maybe not,’ Reich replied. ‘Wait.’

‘What for?’

‘Just wait,’ the security officer answered.

‘Hjyrd, I’m not picking up any alien lifesigns on the station, you are mistaken. Now be quiet and keep your eyes on the machine.’

‘How come we weren’t caught?’ Larson asked.

‘A new design addition to the suits,’ Reich told him. ‘Something that Starfleet came up with during the war. The suits have their own small damping field which makes them undetectable to sensors not specifically calibrated to look for them.’

‘What about visual pickups? Will we be visible?’

Reich shrugged. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘We could make Plshy think that Hjyrd is crazy if we say hello to him but we’re not detectable on sensors or visuals.’

‘I think it only works on sensors.’

‘So, do we hope that they don’t have visuals in here?’

‘I guess so,’ Reich answered.

Both officers stood up at the same time and walked toward the alien called Hjyrd. He whirled round with his gun and took a step forward. Larson and Reich stopped walking and raised their phasers.

‘Plshy, I told you there are aliens here. They’re holding weapons on me,’ Hjyrd said over some kind of comlink.

‘There is nothing on sensors,’ Plshy, the more senior officer, replied.

‘Then activate visuals.’

The Starfleet officers looked at each other, thinking that they were doomed.

‘We don’t have them in sensitive areas.’

They relaxed. ‘That’s lucky,’ Reich told him.

‘But, they’re standing right in front of me.’

‘I’m the only other one here at the moment and I can’t leave the operations centre. Stop wasting my time Hjyrd. Plshy out.’

‘Poor Hjyrd, no one believes you,’ Larson said.

‘I can still kill you,’ he replied and aimed his gun.

‘You first,’ Reich added and stunned him.

Hjyrd fell to the deck.

‘That was easy,’ Larson muttered.

‘Come on, let’s see if we can disable this machine.’

 

Chapter Six

 

Sentinel Asew had decided on a course of action and was prepared to follow it through. But he needed to talk to the scientists first and knew that they might not agree, which might undermine his authority. He could always pull rank but that never went down well with scientists. Master Engineer Teyr was watching the female alien on a screen and was tapping his hind paws on the tiled floor.

‘Well?’ Asew asked.

‘She is competent,’ Teyr remarked. ‘I believe that she can fix it, but she will need help to complete the task before the dome collapses.’

‘We’re running out of time then?’

‘Yes sir, the outer bulkheads, other than the hangar door, have all succumbed to the planet.’

‘Then we must get up there and help them.’

‘But if they’re trying to kill us?’ the engineer murmured.

‘Then they’ll kill us and we’ll be dead before the dome is destroyed,’ Asew answered. ‘But if they’re trying to help then the work will go much faster and we’ll all get out of here alive.’

Teyr couldn’t argue with that.

‘Will the scientists agree?’

‘If it means that they can rescue their notes and work, I believe so.’

‘Good,’ Asew said. ‘Inform them that we’re going up in ten minutes.’

‘Yes, Sentinel,’ Teyr replied and hurried off.

The Master Scientist of Calyso Station strode up to Asew and cleared his throat.

‘Can I help you, Zare?’

‘I do not think it is safe to go up.’

‘Then you may stay here and we’ll try not to forget you when we leave,’ Asew told him.

‘I am the Master Scientist here.’

‘I am the Sentinel, I override all other authorities except a Fifth Sentinel or higher. I do not wish to pull rank on you but I believe that these aliens represent our best chance of getting out of this alive.’

Zare considered the statement and meekly nodded. ‘Very well.’

‘Excellent. Prepare to leave.’

It took just a few moments for everyone to gather up their belongings. Asew stood at the bottom of the stairs and activated the opening mechanism. The bulkhead door slid open and Asew climbed up first, holding his weapon ready. He reached the top of the stairs and saw the pink male holding a weapon of his own. This was the moment of truth, Asew thought, and holstered his pistol.

‘I am Sentinel Asew, Commander of Calyso Terraforming Station. Identify yourself.’

Wright holstered his own weapon. ‘I am Commander Aaron Wright, first officer of the Federation starship Osiris.’

Asew smiled. ‘You have a ship in orbit?’

‘Yes, but communications are offline at the moment.’

‘I am aware of the situation. I have scientists here, and an engineer, that can help fix the equipment.’

Wright smiled. ‘Allow me to inform my officers.’

Asew nodded.

‘Gonzales, we’ve got help. The occupants of the station were hiding below us the whole time.’

‘Can they be trusted?’

‘They want to get out of here just as much as we do.’

‘Close enough, I suppose,’ she replied. ‘Who will I be working with?’

‘Apparently the Master Engineer will be assisting you with the shield generator. He’s on his way now.’

‘Thank you for the heads up, Commander,’ Gonzales said and signed off. He needed to be less trusting. Just because they didn’t come up shooting didn’t mean that they were completely trustworthy. She also looked at it the other way, that she could give these aliens the benefit of the doubt, like she did with Xeris.

‘Commander Gonzales?’ asked a voice behind her.

She turned round and saw a dog. ‘That’s me. You are?’

‘Master Engineer Teyr.’

‘I’ll be glad of the help.’

Teyr nodded. ‘How far have you got so far?’

‘I’ve removed all the damaged relays and I’m about half way into calibrating the new ones as I put them in.’

‘Contact your commander and tell him that we shall be finished in one hour.’

‘Won’t it take longer than that?’

‘Not with both of us.’

She nodded. ‘Gonzales to Wright.’

‘Go ahead, Commander.’

‘We should be done in an hour. How’s Talen?’

‘I’ve got the scientists looking after him now, but we need environmental controls as soon as possible. Sentinel Asew and I are working on the communications system.’

‘I think we’ll be out of here before you know it, sir.’

‘You’re probably right. Wright out.’

He looked around at the six scientists crowded around the couch that Talen was lying on and then turned his attention back to Asew, who was pulling relays and power couplings from their housings. Wright heard a cry and ran to Talen, the scientists were trying to inject him something and he was trying unsuccessfully to pull away.

‘Wait,’ Wright ordered. ‘What are you trying to give him?’

‘A tri-ox compound, to help him breathe.’

Wright slapped his forehead. ‘He’s not having trouble breathing, he’s suffering from the heat. His people are used to colder temperatures.’

The scientists looked at each other and Master Scientist Zare waved them away. ‘I’ve got just the thing.’ He turned to the youngest scientist. ‘Find the yellow hypospray in the med-kit.’

‘What will that do?’

‘Lower his body temperature, hopefully.’

‘Meaning?’

‘It works for our people but I don’t know if it will work on his.’

‘It’s worth a try,’ Wright acknowledged. ‘Talen, they’re trying to help you.’

‘I don’t want to die,’ the Andorian muttered as Zare injected him.

Talen’s eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he started to convulse. The scientists held him down and he quickly stopped moving. Wright opened one eyelid and sighed. His eyes responded to the light. He was sleeping. Talen suddenly sat up and tried to get away from them.

‘Erin!’

Wright looked at the others. ‘I’ve no idea what he means.’

As Talen succumbed to the medicine his mind took him back to the last time he was faced with too much heat. He was back on Earth. The Dominion war was over and he was on leave, spending it with the only woman he had ever really loved. Erin had wanted to go on a picnic so they’d taken the old combustion engine car for a spin into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, into Muir Woods. They had eaten their fill of sandwiches and champagne and took a walk.

They found an old building that had never been torn down and had a look inside. Erin backed up against a wall when she saw the cages of animals, dead and alive. Talen took control and tried to free them but the owner returned and fired a phaser at them. Talen fired back and unknowingly hit the fire-suppression system. When the owner fired again Erin ducked behind a container and the owner of the place ran.

‘Are you alright?’ Talen asked her.

‘I’m fine, but we should still get the animals out.’

‘I agree,’ he replied and tapped his combadge. No one answered. He tried again. ‘There must be a damping field over the building. That is probably why no one knows about it.’

Erin was about to ask him something when they both heard an explosion from somewhere. ‘The car!’

Talen grabbed her hand and they ran toward the exit but it was blocked. ‘We’re trapped.’

‘There must be another exit.’

‘I hope so,’ Talen replied and headed off, still holding her hand, to look for one.

They soon realised where the explosion had come from. Whoever the owner had been had driven the car into the side of the building and it was alight. The whole place was going up.

‘We have to get the animals,’ Erin said to him.

‘I know, honey. Hopefully they’ll be able to get out.’

‘Thanks. If we don’t get out, I just wanted to say that I love you.’

Talen looked into her eyes and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Come on.’

Erin freed the animals in the first tier of cages and Talen climbed up to free the rest on the second and third tiers. Most were cats and dogs but there were also a few non-Terran animals. The animals found small holes to escape through and Erin tried to squeeze through the same one that one of the larger dogs had. She got stuck.

‘Help me!’ she cried and Talen tried to push her through.

‘It’s not working, hold on,’ he said and pulled out his phaser.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Make the hole bigger,’ he answered and set the phaser to its lowest setting.

He fired in a circular pattern half a metre above her. The building’s wall was weakened by the phaser and Talen prepared to push it.

‘Hold tight,’ he warned her and pushed.

‘It worked,’ she yelled as the phasered section toppled over.

‘Let’s get out of here.’

‘Not so fast,’ a voice shouted.

Talen faced it and saw that it was a Starfleet security officer. ‘We’re victims here. We were trapped.’

‘Where did you get that phaser?’

‘I am Lieutenant Talen, Starfleet serial number 5-7-2-7-2-5-7-1-5-7-6.’

The security officer paused for a moment and heard a whine from another phaser. He crumpled to the ground and the owner of the building stood there.

‘You shouldn’t have let them go,’ he told Talen and fired at Erin.

She fell to the grass and Talen grabbed his phaser and fired. At the same moment three other people fired and the man collapsed in a heap.

‘I need a doctor,’ he yelled and a security officer ran over with a med-kit.

After a few moments he stopped trying to help her. ‘I’m sorry, sir.’

Talen looked up into his eyes and then onto the collapsed figure on the grass. ‘How’s your boss?’

The officer shook his head. ‘He’s dead. The phaser was set to kill.’

Talen looked down at the woman he loved. ‘Oh, Erin. I’m so sorry.’

‘Do you know this man?’ asked the officer.

‘No,’ Talen answered and explained what had happened.

Hours later he watched Erin beamed to the nearest infirmary for an autopsy. He was taken for a complete debriefing afterward and nearly decided to quit Starfleet but after nearly two years on leave he was assigned to the Osiris and made a decision to stay, for now. He opened his eyes closed, saw Wright beside him and slipped into a restful sleep.

 

‘I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing,’ Reich told the helmsman after a third careful perusal of the huge machine.

‘I’ve found the firing control mechanism and I’m trying to render it inoperable,’ Larson replied. ‘Have you no idea at all what this weapon can do?’

‘I know what it can do,’ Reich answered caustically. ‘I just don’t know how it does it.’

‘Did you get any sensor readings of the light itself, like what type of energy it was?’ Larson asked as he stuck his arms into an open access panel.

‘No, the sensors couldn’t identify it.’

‘Well,’ Larson said with a satisfied air, ‘it won’t be firing again.’

‘Now what?’

‘Now, we use him to tell us what these aliens are doing here in the first place.’

Reich couldn’t let this one go. ‘What are we going to do, interrogate him?’

‘That was the plan.’

‘And if he doesn’t comply?’

‘We be a little more forceful,’ Larson replied and help up a hand to forestall Reich’s inevitable argument. ‘I do not intend to torture him. That goes against my principles, and those of Starfleet.’

‘I was just checking,’ Reich replied, abashed. ‘Where are we going to put him?’

‘In front of the weapon. He won’t know that its not going to work.’

Reich smiled. ‘My pleasure.’

It took them several energy-consuming minutes to manoeuvre Hjyrd’s large frame into position directly in front of the massive weapon. They did it just in time because no sooner was he slumped in front of it than he woke up and tried to fight through his bonds.

‘Who are you people?’

‘Why are you firing on the surface?’ Larson asked.

Hjyrd shrugged. ‘My job.’

Reich shuddered at the gall. ‘What is your job?’

‘My job is to fire on anything that tries to land on the surface.’

‘Well, you failed in your job,’ Larson told him. ‘At least one ship landed down there.’

Hjyrd looked shocked but recovered quickly. ‘Well, nothing else will.’

‘Let me see if I’ve got the controls figured out,’ Larson said and manipulated them.

The cannon rotated into position and it was firmly aimed at Hjyrd’s chest.

‘All I have to do is fire, what are your people doing here?’

Hjyrd realised that he wasn’t going to get out of this one. He slumped and then lifted his head. ‘I’ll tell you.’

‘We’re listening,’ Larson said.

‘We are the Ahri,’ Hjyrd told them. ‘My world functions on a caste system and this world is suitable for the Namir, an undesirable caste in the hierarchy.’

‘Why fire on the surface?’ Reich asked, unable to grasp the significance of the information.

‘This world has been annexed by the Ahri Democracy for the sole purpose of relegating all Namir and these aliens are interfering.’

‘Okay, lets back-track,’ Larson said. ‘They do not breathe the same atmosphere as you do?’

‘We can exist in almost any atmosphere. This planet is perfect because the rest of the system is uninhabited.’

‘I hate to disappoint you,’ Larson replied. ‘But this planet is under the jurisdiction of the Denaari Republic. They are terraforming it for their own purposes.’

‘This cannot be allowed to happen. My people need this world.’

Larson tried to think quickly. ‘Why are the Namir an undesirable caste on your world?’

Hjyrd shrugged his shoulders. ‘They are less intelligent than the rest of us, with smaller bodies and less developed musculature.’

Reich nodded in understanding. ‘I’ve seen it happen on many worlds.’

‘You’re condoning this?’ Larson asked.

‘No, I’m not excusing it, but I do understand it.’

‘We need to find another way for them to get rid of the Namir, or our people are going to die.’

‘We’re not supposed to interfere,’ Reich reminded him.

‘If we don’t, then we lose people. And we’re not supposed to do that either,’ Larson shot back.

Reich scratched his head in frustration. ‘I know.’

Hjyrd was fidgeting in his bonds and caught a glimpse of the control mechanism for the weapon. ‘You disabled it! You weren’t going to fire at all.’

‘That’s not our way,’ Larson told him. ‘The Federation is an alliance of many races and we all get on peacefully together.’

‘More fool you,’ Hjyrd told them. ‘The only way to be sure of allies is to rule by fear. They will follow.’

‘You get better results ruling with respect. They will want to follow you then,’ Reich added.

‘This planet is ours and we will do with it whatever we want.’

‘I have an idea,’ Larson said suddenly. ‘But it kind of goes against Starfleet’s principles.’

‘And you wish that you could ask the Captain?’ Reich asked.

‘Something like that.’

‘Well, we’re stuck here until we figure something out, why don’t you run it by me and we can discuss it.’

‘With him around?’ Larson asked dubiously.

‘He’s not going anywhere.’

‘Okay. I thought that we could maybe—’

‘Stay right where you are!’

They whirled to face another Strdy.

It was Plshy.

 

Chapter Seven

 

‘We have a solution to your problem,’ Larson told him.

I’m listening,’ Plshy replied.

Reich sighed.

‘Hjyrd told us that the Namir are an undesirable caste on your world,’ Larson said. ‘And you want to find a way to get rid of all of them. Why don’t you make them a labour class. That way you can live your lives as normal and they can be your servants and do jobs that the other castes don’t want to do.’

Plshy and Hjyrd looked at each other, nodding in agreement.

‘You were right,’ Reich added angrily. ‘That does go against our principles.’

‘I think its better than chucking them all off world,’ Larson replied.

Plshy returned his weapon to his side. ‘I think that you should leave before my superior returns. We’ll discuss this with him and in the meantime we will not harm anyone on the surface.’

Larson and Reich nodded, then strode to the doorway and into the corridor.

‘Astor will hear of this,’ Reich said, angry at his comrade.

‘I’m going to put it all in my report of this away mission. She can do with it what she pleases. I’m doing what is best for our people.’

‘You’re making them slaves.’

‘If they’re still on world then things might change in the future. If they’re all off world then things don’t need to change. We had a caste system a few hundred years ago but we came through it.’

Reich said nothing as they returned to the Pascal. He couldn’t believe what had been suggested and, though he could see the point Larson was trying to make, he felt that his fellow officer had betrayed the very foundation principles that Starfleet and the Federation was built on.

 

Astor was in the ready room, pacing across the carpet with a hot lemon tea, when the door chimed and interrupted her thoughts.

‘Come.’

The door opened and the Bolian Chief Medical Officer, Solian Brex, entered. ‘Don’t wear out the carpet, Liz.’

She stopped and set the drink down on the desk, then walked to the couch and flopped down into it. Brex sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘I suppose I should be more optimistic about my crew, shouldn’t I?’

‘They are the best in the fleet,’ Brex answered.

Astor grinned stupidly. ‘Every captain says that about her crew, and her ship.’

‘And every captain is right,’ Brex replied. ‘Each and every crew in the fleet faces its own problems and faces them admirably, thereby making them the best to their respective captains.’

Astor smiled and the stress that was building up in her face suddenly relaxed. ‘It’s just that I’ve got most of my senior officers on two dangerous away missions and they are all out of contact because of different reasons.’

Brex scratched his facial ridge. ‘You have a well-trained crew—war-hardened—and they are fully capable of handling anything that they come across.’

She nodded wearily. ‘I know, but its just that I could have a problem if they are all killed.’

‘That’s pessimistic and they are not thoughts you should even be having,’ Brex admonished, still thinking along the lines that Astor was not ready for her captaincy.

Before Astor could make a retort a comlink was activated. ‘This is the Pascal to the Osiris, Captain we have solved the problem of what destroyed the Denaari ship.’

‘Report to the ready room as soon as you dock,’ Astor replied and glanced at Brex. ‘You might want to stay here and listen to this.’

‘I was going to ask if I could,’ Brex added.

Moments later Ensign Larson and Lieutenant Reich stood before Captain Astor in her ready room.

‘Explain the situation to me,’ she told them.

Larson began. ‘The Strdy were planning to use this planet as a penal colony for the lowest caste on their homeworld and intended to destroy any vessel that approached the surface. Our shuttle only got through because of a shift changeover.’

‘And you found a way to deactivate the weapon?’ Astor asked.

‘Yes ma’am,’ Larson answered. ‘And then questioned a Strdy called Hjyrd to reveal the information.’

‘Do you have something to add?’ Astor asked Reich when the security officer shot an evil look at Larson.

‘Yes ma’am,’ Reich answered and Larson returned the glance.

‘Well?’

‘When Ensign Larson,’ Reich began and emphasised the rank, ‘learned of their reasons he suggested they integrate the lowest caste into a labour class on their homeworld, making them servants, like slaves.’

Astor turned to Larson, who said nothing but meekly nodded.

‘Doctor, Lieutenant, leave us alone will you.’

Both officers nodded and left.

‘Ensign, I want you to explain to me why you abandoned Starfleet’s most sacred protocols in this situation. Bear in mind that you will probably be facing a court-martial no matter what you tell me.’

Larson nodded. ‘I could ask for council but I don’t need it.’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’ Astor asked, raising her voice.

Larson looked at her and took a deep breath. ‘It’s simple, Captain. If the Namir, what the Strdy call their lowest caste, are sent off world there is little chance of reintegration into the society. If they are still on world then there is the chance that a change in society could result in reintegration.’

‘What do you base that information on?’

‘Black people on Earth in the middle of the twentieth century were treated as slaves in part of what used to be the United States of America. If they had been sent to an island somewhere then its unlikely that they would have been integrated into society. But Martin Luther King created a civil rights movement that changed the tide of society and they were reintegrated.’

‘And you think the same will happen on this world?’

‘It has to have a chance of happening,’ Larson answered cryptically.

‘So you don’t know whether it will but you have faith that it might?’

‘Yes ma’am.’

Astor sighed. ‘While it appears that you acted against the principles of Starfleet and the Federation, your answers tell me that you were in fact acting in their best interests. I will, however, be putting you on report for acting without orders. I don’t think you’ll be court-martialled but I will be contacting Starfleet.’

‘I understand.’

Astor nodded. ‘Good. Maybe you will ask for my help next time.’

‘For the record, sir,’ Larson said. ‘I didn’t believe that we had time to return to the Osiris, because of our people on the surface.’

‘Understood, I’ll enter that in my log.’

‘Aye sir.’

‘Dismissed.’

 

Gonzales was on her knees with her head and arms inside the forceshield generator and beside her Master Engineer Teyr was assisting in replacing the last of the relays and power couplings. Each one had to be precisely calibrated and that was what was taking the time. She wiped sweat from her forehead and then pulled herself out.

‘That’s my lot. I’m done.’

Teyr replaced his calibrator in his toolkit and sat up. ‘I think we are ready to test it, everything is calibrated properly.’

‘So, provided that nothing else is wrong, we should be back up and running?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Gonzales to Wright.’

‘Go ahead, Commander.’

‘What’s the status of the dome?’

‘Outer sections inward to sector 15 have collapsed.’

‘We’re ready to try the generator.’

‘Initialising now,’ Wright replied over the com.

They all heard the hum as the powerful shield reasserted its hold over the dome and the lights returned to full strength. What pleased Gonzales most of all was the whirring sound of the environmental system coming back on line and the sound of the gases being sucked out. She picked herself up, dusted herself off, and strode in the direction of the command centre where she could hopefully concentrate on the communications system, which had gone unattended because Talen had succumbed to the heat.

‘How’s Talen?’ her question startled Wright and Sentinel Asew.

‘He’s sleeping,’ Wright answered.

‘The communications system?’ she asked.

Asew pointed it out to her and she walked over to it, quickly followed by Teyr.

‘This doesn’t look good,’ the engineer replied.

‘Why?’

‘The power relays look like they are undamaged, but the transceiver was lost. Even if we get the system on line we have no way to contact anyone.’

‘Commander,’ Gonzales called out to Wright. ‘Can we shunt the signal through the Heisenberg?’

‘I don’t see why not, can you get it operational again?’

She looked at Teyr, who nodded. ‘Yes sir, we should be done in about half an hour.’

‘So quickly?’

‘Not much needs doing,’ she replied optimistically.

Talen suddenly screamed and the sound cut through them all, especially the Denaari who had sensitive hearing.

‘What was that?’ Asew asked, covering his ears.

Gonzales and Wright rushed over to him because the scientists that had been looking after him were still rolling about the floor. They restrained him from getting up and he looked at them with wide eyes.

‘Where am I?’

‘Calyso II,’ Wright answered. ‘The terraforming dome.’

Talen looked blank. ‘I was on Earth, with Erin.’

Gonzales shook her head. ‘It was a delusion brought on by the heat,’ she told him. ‘You’ve been hallucinating.’

‘But it felt so real.’

‘It usually does, my friend,’ she replied.

While Gonzales continued to talk to him, Wright asked the scientists for the hypospray and quickly injected the delusional Andorian. Talen sunk back onto the couch and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes, stood up and stretched. The shuttlecraft journey wasn’t taking long but he still had time for a quick nap. He’d been at a loose end since Erin had been killed months before, a few miles from Starfleet Headquarters. Summoned to the officer of the Director of Starfleet Operations, he’d been given a choice. Take this new assignment or leave Starfleet. He’d taken the assignment and now, a week later, was flying toward the ship that was to be his new home for what he hoped would be a long time to come.

An Ensign was piloting the craft and he looked about him with awe at the array of ships in the numerous docking berths of one of Starfleet’s biggest shipyards. They were heading for the berth farthest away from the administration building and when the last dry-dock fell away both men stared in shock at the ship that was to be their home.

‘That’s impressive,’ Ensign Daniel Larson was the first to break the silence.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Talen agreed.

‘A sleek arrow in the quiver of space,’ Larson muttered poetically and they both laughed.

‘She must be huge.’

Larson consulted the displays on his screens. ‘USS Osiris, Heliopolis-class, thirty-five decks, the most advanced bioneural circuitry and all the new technologies that we could possibly have.’

Talen peeled his eyes from the ship and glanced at the screens. ‘Type-V quantum torpedoes, type-XIV phasers, regenerative shielding—’

‘We’re approaching the shuttlebay,’ Larson broke in.

Talen looked in awe as they passed through the forcefield and came to a stop beside two other type-XV shuttlecraft. ‘I wonder what other craft we have.’

‘Two Danube-class runabouts and a Delta Flyer.’

‘A Delta Flyer, I’ve wanted to see one of them ever since I heard of it.’

‘Lieutenant Paris on Voyager came up with the design,’ Larson told him. ‘Starfleet thought it had possibilities and now it’s a standard auxiliary craft on all deep space vessels.’

‘Wow,’ Talen replied.

He walked with Larson through the corridors of the Osiris and marvelled at the space on board the ship. As they rounded a corridor heading for a turbolift, Talen noticed a young blonde woman, in a Starfleet non-com uniform, walking in front of them and he was suddenly reminded of someone. He strode ahead, grabbed her shoulder and turned her round.

‘Erin?’

The woman pulled away, her angry eyes dancing as she took his expression in. She walked off.

‘Sorry,’ Talen called after her.

‘What was all that about?’ Larson asked.

He looked ashamed. ‘I thought that was someone I was close to a few months ago. She was killed in front of me.’

Larson didn’t mention the fact that if she was dead then she wouldn’t be serving on a starship. He’d seen too much death during the war to make a comment about how someone dealt with the death of someone close. They strode into the turbolift and headed to the bridge to make themselves known to the executive officer, they didn’t have a Captain yet.

Talen suddenly sat up and yelled. ‘Erin!’

Gonzales was beside him again. She had taken the story of Erin from his public mind and felt sorry for him, immediately knowing how close they were. ‘She’s dead,’ Gonzales told him softly.

‘I know,’ Talen leaned into her and cried.

Wright had taken over from her fixing the communications system, realising that she was better suited to look after Talen. With the environmental system back up and running the temperature in the command centre had returned to something more normal but it was still too warm for Talen. Gonzales ordered the door to the resting room closed and lowered the temperature even further. Talen was starting to come round from the fever but it would take time and he hadn’t had anything to eat in several hours. He’d had some liquid but that wouldn’t be enough to heal him. He would need careful monitoring in sickbay.

The door suddenly slid open and Wright stood in the doorway. ‘It’s certainly cold in here.’

‘Are you done?’

Wright nodded. ‘I was coming to get you. You know the Heisenberg’s systems better than I do.’

‘I’ll be right there.’ She turned to Talen. ‘We’ll be out of here real soon,’ she assured him.

She stood up and left the confines of the freezing room. Shaking off the cold she walked out of the now-clear dome to the shuttlecraft and walked inside. After several moments of adjusting frequencies the green light came on.

‘Commander, have you got a green light on your board?’

He looked. ‘I have now.’

‘Then by all means contact the ship.’

Wright pressed a button. ‘Wright to Osiris.’

 

Chapter Eight

 

Astor was sitting in her chair on the bridge when the call came through.

‘Go ahead, Commander. Glad to know that you’re alright.’

‘We’ve got a problem down here, sir.’

‘Let me have it.’

‘Talen is suffering delusions and hallucinating, presumably from the heat down here. The shield generator is back up and, obviously, so is the communications system. We’ve found some people alive here, too.’

‘I have their rescue ship with me now,’ Astor told him. ‘Can the Heisenberg bring you back up?’

‘That’s a negative, Captain. It took us much longer than anticipated to fix the generator. The ablative hull is all but gone and the structural integrity field is fried.’

‘Commander Wright, I am Prime Sentinel Fert,’ the Denaari captain broke in. ‘We will be able to bring all of you back up, including your craft, now that the problem on the moon has been solved.’

‘Sir?’ Wright asked Astor.

‘I’ll debrief you when you return, Commander. Astor out.’

‘At least we know that they’re alright,’ Xeris said from the engineering console.

Astor hadn’t heard him come onto the bridge but that never surprised her. ‘From what you heard, how long do you think it will take to repair the damage to the Heisenberg?’

‘Sounds like the damage is mostly superficial, so a few relays will need to be replaced and the ablative generator reconstructed. Other than that just a lick of paint on the hull. A few hours at most.’

‘As soon as we get the ship back I want you to get to work on it straight away.’

‘Aye sir,’ Xeris replied and made a few notations on the padd he always kept handy.

‘Astor to sickbay.’

‘Brex here, Captain.’

‘Prepare to receive casualties.’

‘Captain, do you know the nature of the casualties?’ Brex asked matter-of-factly.

‘Lieutenant Talen is suffering from the heat,’ Astor answered, knowing no more than that.

‘Aye sir, we’ll be ready. Brex out.’

‘Prime Sentinel,’ Astor said over the still-open comlink between the two ships.

‘Captain?’

‘What type of vessel do you have that can withstand that atmosphere?’

‘With all due respect, Captain, you won’t mind if I choose not to reveal that information. It is classified under Denaari Republic laws.’

‘I understand, Prime Sentinel. Much of our specifications are also classified.’

Fert nodded. ‘We will be ready in less than an hour to undertake the rescue operation. Do you wish any of your crew to come along?’

Astor thought carefully and then nodded. ‘I’d like my doctor and engineer to join you.’

‘Very well, have them beam over and we’ll take them with us. Prime Sentinel Fert out.’

‘Commander,’ she turned to Xeris. ‘Drop by sickbay to inform the doctor and then get over there as soon as possible.’

‘Aye sir,’ the engineer replied and went straight for the turbolift.

Xeris reached sickbay and Brex was waiting for him.

‘Are we going?’ the doctor asked.

‘I won’t ask how you knew.’

‘I know Elizabeth,’ Brex replied.

Xeris shrugged as they made their way to the transporter room. The transporter chief was waiting for them and nodded to Xeris as the two officers stepped onto the platform. ‘I’ve got the coordinates.’

‘Energise,’ Xeris told him and they disappeared in a blaze of humming light.

When they materialised on the Denaari ship the first thing that Xeris noticed was the smell. It was like being surrounded by filthy dogs, which wasn’t too far from the truth. Brex swallowed hard and wrinkled his nose, but otherwise made no outward sign of discomfort. Xeris had been in worse situations and made no mention of it. Two Denaari in military uniforms stood at attention and as soon as the Starfleet officers stepped down they were escorted out of the room.

Xeris would have liked to get a look at their transporters but was content to let his eyes roam the corridors as they were led. Brex carried his medical kit and held it close to his chest as the Denaari officers kept up a brisk pace. The escorts stopped in front of a large door that two more Denaari were protecting. The Denaari in front of the door stood aside and it opened to reveal a shuttlebay that put the Osiris’ to shame. It could fit every shuttle they had twice. One of the Denaari escorts walked over to a knot of people and one of those people turned to face the officers.

‘This way gentlemen, please don’t dawdle. These security officers will probably shoot you if you do,’ the officer laughed and the others broke out in laughter as well. It sounded like a barking contest. When the others calmed down, the officer spoke again. ‘You’ll be seated in the rear of the shuttle. Touch nothing. When we reach the surface you will attend to your injured man and that is all.’

‘What about our shuttle?’ Xeris asked. ‘He’s the doctor, I’m an engineer.’

‘You will all enter your shuttle and we will take you in a tractor beam back into space. Do not deviate from your instructions. You will not need spacesuits because we will be emerging from within the protective shield.’

Xeris nodded and Brex followed suit. They climbed into the Denaari shuttle and were directed to their seats and strapped in. Brex held his breath as the shuttle filled up with seven Denaari officers and was then launched like a pinball from twentieth-century machines that he collected. The journey to the surface was brief, taking a third of the time that Wright had taken to get down there several hours ago.

Xeris saw the shuttle pass through the protective forceshield and noticed the gases around them. It wasn’t as bad as a gas giant but still quite unpleasant. The hatch opened and a Denaari in the same uniform as the escorts showed himself, followed by Gonzales. She nodded to Xeris but turned her attention to the doctor.

‘Talen’s in a really bad shape,’ she told him.

‘Just point me in the right direction, I’ll do the rest. You might want to help Xeris prep the shuttle. These people won’t wait for us if we’re tardy.’

She nodded and joined the Romulan at the hatch to the shuttle. ‘Well?’

‘The ablative generator is shot to hell. Half the parts will need to be replaced before it will work again. The structural integrity field is holding, just about, but I wouldn’t want to try any complicated manoeuvres with it in this condition. Just what the hell happened here?’

‘It will all be in my report, can you help me get the suits together? We’ll prep the shuttle when we get back. It should only take a few minutes.’

Xeris nodded. ‘How’s Talen?’

‘Suffering from the heat, he should be okay once the doc is through with him.’

Gonzales led him through a maze of corridors, past the collapsed sections, and into the command centre. The environment suits were in a heap on the floor and Xeris just scooped them up, paying little attention to the looks he was getting from the Denaari officers. Gonzales followed him out and when they were on their way back to the shuttle she broke the silence.

‘What was all that about?’

‘They don’t like engineers,’ Xeris answered without elaboration.

Gonzales left it at that as Xeris tossed in the suits and sat down in the pilot’s chair to begin a quick pre-flight check. Gonzales assisted and neither of them noticed the shuffling sound until Wright poked his head in through the open hatchway.

‘Room for more?’

‘Commander,’ Xeris said in greeting.

‘Put him down there,’ Brex ordered and Wright complied.

Brex sat beside the injured Andorian as Wright took a seat opposite. Gonzales took the co-pilot’s chair and Xeris closed the hatch.

‘Have we got everything. I doubt they’ll let us go back.’

‘We’ve got everything we came with,’ Wright answered, sparing a quick glance at the mound of environment suits.

‘Good,’ Xeris said as the com sputtered to life.

‘Prepare to be lifted,’ the Denaari officer told them.

‘Standing by,’ Xeris replied.

They all felt the tractor beam connect and the inertial dampers kicked in as they were taken toward the surface. Gonzales watched the gases recede as they got closer to the upper atmosphere and the mood lightened as the stars began to appear. The tractor beam abruptly dropped them and Xeris fought for control against the planet’s gravitational pull, cursing the Denaari officer. Brex held Talen’s head as Xeris piloted the shuttle toward the Osiris.

‘Osiris to Heisenberg, are you alright?’ Astor asked.

‘No thanks to the Denaari pilot,’ Xeris answered acidly.

‘You are cleared to dock, make it quick,’ she added and the comlink was cut.

As soon as they docked, there were a lot of people waiting in the wings.

‘Bring that gurney here,’ Brex ordered and several med-techs lifted Talen onto it and Brex led the way to sickbay.

‘Grab the suits,’ Wright told Gonzales who nodded and picked up two of them, leaving Wright’s on the seat. Wright picked his own suit up and tucked something into his uniform as he hung it in the closet with the others.

‘Gruber, over here,’ Xeris called. ‘I want that ablative hull generator taken out, carefully. It might be tough after the beating they gave it. Then check out every system. I’ll be working on the structural integrity field, I think it’s going to need a lot of work.

Gonzales and Wright left Xeris in the shuttlebay and while Wright made for his quarters, Gonzales went straight to sickbay. Astor was there when she arrived and watched Brex inject him with several different drugs.

‘Can you please leave,’ Brex glanced at them. ‘I will let you know when he is conscious.’

‘Doctor,’ Astor began.

‘Captain, in the sickbay I overrule you on all points. Please leave.’

Astor nodded and left, Gonzales hot on her heels. ‘Where is Commander Wright?’

‘I think he went back to his quarters,’ she answered.

‘Astor to Wright. Meet me in my ready room in two minutes.’

‘Acknowledged,’ Wright replied.

Gonzales took her leave and returned to the bridge. Astor went straight to her ready room and Wright emerged from the turbolift, breathless, a moment later.

‘I couldn’t stall her,’ Gonzales looked at him.

‘Don’t worry, it won’t be found.’ Wright replied and touched the door chime for the ready room.

‘Enter,’ he heard Astor say.

Once inside he could see that she was upset. ‘Sir?’

‘The Denaari went to warp as soon as they disengaged the tractor beam,’ she answered.

‘Were you hoping to make allies out of them?’

‘No, I was hoping that we might be able to continue a dialogue with them. It seemed to be going so well.’

‘Is that why you wanted to see me?’ Wright asked.

‘Take a seat, Aaron,’ Astor told him and then turned to face him. ‘I don’t like the fact that the Denaari have decided not to keep talking to us but that’s not the worst thing that has happened today.’

‘What is?’

‘I nearly sent Talen to his death.’

‘I don’t think that’s true at all,’ Wright began but Astor held up a hand to forestall him.

‘I should have realised that being an Andorian would mean that he is extremely susceptible to the heat. Especially to the levels of heat that he would face on a planet like that.’

‘He could have pulled out of the away mission.’

Astor looked up at him. ‘Are you saying that he wanted to go down there? Doesn’t that make him have a death wish?’

‘Not at all,’ Wright answered. ‘He could have just wanted to face his demons. He became delusional, talking about a girlfriend he had on Earth. She was killed by someone in San Francisco and he never forgave himself. I think that he might have seen Calyso II as a trial by fire.’

‘All the same, I don’t think I had very good judgement on this mission. Next time, I’ll run my thoughts by you. You have to tell me if I’m going the wrong way.’

‘Captain—’

‘Aaron, please.’

Wright nodded and Astor lay down on the couch. He took that as his sign to leave and as he took his seat in the captain’s chair he wondered if she really was fit for command. He decided not to say anything to Brex or anyone else for now, but he would definitely keep an eye on her.

‘Ensign, get us out of here,’ Wright ordered Larson.

‘Where, sir?’

‘The nearest uninhabited system, warp five.’

‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied. ‘Course and speed set.’

‘Engage.’

Wright enjoyed watching the stars as the ship jumped to warp. Hopefully Astor would pull herself together but he knew that when the time came he would have to deal with her, and maybe take command himself, but that was a long time away.

In the ready room Astor watched the ship jump to warp and sat up. Wright was taking command. She knew that she relied on him a lot more than she should but at least he would be ready for command. She went to her desk and called up the story that she had been reading before they had arrived at Calyso II. It was the latest novel in a series about a freighter captain turned mercenary in the early days of Starfleet back in the twenty-second century.