Part 19 (1/2)
”Your personal vessel has survived,” Spock told him, ”but is severely damaged.”
The Klingon looked toward the forward viewscreen, though it showed nothing. ”How damaged?”
”Three of the four have at least auxiliary power. They all have life support. No hull breaches.”
”Three s.h.i.+ps gone. Three. And an entire planet. Nineteen million people,” Kalor said slowly. ”My people. Under my charge.”
If only that were the end of it, Picard thought. On that planet was the data on T'sart's virus. If he died now, without explaining all he knew about the dead zones ... this was the fate of every technologically civilized planet. Including Earth.
Chapter Twenty-two.
Enterprise runabout Kaku Romulan s.p.a.ce Sector 3B ”IT is eerily quiet.” Deanna looked out the forward port at the small relay station. It wasn't in a star system, but just hanging out in s.p.a.ce, illuminated only by its own running lights.
”That's good,” Riker said. ”No one's supposed to be here.”
She continued to gaze at the station's rather graceful arms. Shaped like a giant flower, each petal had what looked like a deflector array at its end. It was peaceful. Beautiful, in fact. ”For some reason, when invading enemy s.p.a.ce I think of conflict more than serenity.”
2/4.
MAXIMUM WARP: BOOK ONE.
”We could argue again if you'd like,” Riker offered, along with a playful smile.
Deanna returned the smile. ”I thought we were only discussing.”
”That, too.” He twisted a half turn toward aft. ”Anything new on those enhanced long-range sensors, Data?”
”Nothing, sir. Still reading the two warbirds. One in orbit around a planet in the Galaras system, the other heading toward the Romulan homeworld.”
Deanna noticed how, even with his emotion chip enabled, Data's voice remained mostly unchanged. A slight difference, she supposed, but most people would probably not notice.
”Current distance?” Riker asked.
”Three pa.r.s.ecs and seven point nine pa.r.s.ecs respectively, sir.”
Riker frowned and, as usual, Deanna felt his change in emotion flow over her. In a way, it was like listening to an orchestra. Sometimes one set of instruments could be heard over the others. Now she ”heard” a sense of caution.
”Three pa.r.s.ecs is a little closer than I'd like,” he said. ”They could scan us.”
”I am modulating our warp signature to resemble that of a Romulan shuttle,” Data said.
”Good. See if you can pull up any info on one of their shuttles. Might be good if we matched their plasma emissions and other characteristics they might be able to scan.”
”Aye, sir.” Data liked the idea and sounded cheerful. ”Perhaps I could-”
An audio alarm rang and brought all their attention forward.
In front of them, the relay station flashed brightly and then ruptured outward with a white-hot glow.
”What the h.e.l.l-” Riker spun toward the side console. ”s.h.i.+elds!”
Chunks of molten debris slammed into the quickly raised deflectors, bouncing the runabout as she turned away.
”Inertial dampers failing,” Data called.
Riker struggled with the helm. Deanna caught glances of him as he grunted to hold a course. She was bounced out of her chair and onto the deck. The lip of her seat caught her neck and the lights dimmed, or her consciousness did. She wasn't sure which.
”Hold on!” Riker's voice. It sounded faint. She tried to pull herself up, but darkness swirled around her and she fell into it.
”How long?” Riker's head felt as if it weighed a hundred kilos and his voice sounded shallow, but he struggled his way mostly upright, leaning on the bulkhead. ”How long?” He asked again.
”You have both been unconscious for three minutes, nineteen seconds,” Data said.
Both. Riker turned to one side, then the other, before he saw Deanna to his left. ”Deanna?”
She groaned and her head s.h.i.+fted as she lay faceup on the deck.
”I scanned you both briefly with a medical tricorder,” Data said as Riker tilted her up softly. ”No serious injuries, though you'd both succ.u.mbed to stray coolant fumes. And Counselor Troi has a bruise on her left cheek.”
Riker looked down and checked each side of her ivory face. ”I don't see one.”
Data looked back a moment, then toward the forward port. ”Not that left cheek, sir.”
Figuring that information was received from the tricorder, Riker saw Deanna's eye fluttering open and he helped her up. ”Are you okay?”
”I seem to have fallen,” she said, sliding back into her chair.
”Me, too.” Riker gripped the back of her seat. He was still a bit off balance himself.
”You okay?” she asked.
”Yes.” He tapped Data on the shoulder and Data let Riker take the helm chair. ”Status?”
The android slid into the scanning station next to Deanna. ”Debris from the relay station explosion damaged one of our warp nacelle stabilizers, and main inertial dampers were knocked offline. I have compensated with backup systems, but our maximum speed is reduced, and we have a small plasma leak.”
”How small?”
Data nodded. He obviously understood Riker's concern. ”Big enough for them to see, sir.”
And it didn't take long. A Romulan warbird, the one that had been closest, was on an intercept course.
”I don't suppose evasive maneuvers are called for.” Deanna touched Riker's shoulder supportively.
Riker suppressed a sigh. ”I'm not sure what good it'ddo.”