Part 13 (1/2)

Mouth set, she acknowledged the change of command. ”Yes, sir.” sir.” There was more she wanted to say, much more, but there was no time. There never seemed to be enough time. There was more she wanted to say, much more, but there was no time. There never seemed to be enough time.

Then he was gone, the lift doors closing behind him.

The Enterprise Enterprise was not the only s.h.i.+p in the vicinity that was suffering convulsions, but in the case of the was not the only s.h.i.+p in the vicinity that was suffering convulsions, but in the case of the Narada Narada they were of the atmospheric rather than emotional variety. Hovering at a lower alt.i.tude, even the enormous bulk of the Romulan wars.h.i.+p was being buffeted by repeated concussions from below. His expression and att.i.tude one of alarm, her chief science officer conferred with the s.h.i.+p's second-in-command until Ayel broke off the conversation and moved quickly toward the command chair. While less panicked than that of the science officer, his own expression was fully reflective of his cohort's rising concern. they were of the atmospheric rather than emotional variety. Hovering at a lower alt.i.tude, even the enormous bulk of the Romulan wars.h.i.+p was being buffeted by repeated concussions from below. His expression and att.i.tude one of alarm, her chief science officer conferred with the s.h.i.+p's second-in-command until Ayel broke off the conversation and moved quickly toward the command chair. While less panicked than that of the science officer, his own expression was fully reflective of his cohort's rising concern.

”We must withdraw! The drilling has left us too close. If we remain in this...o...b..t we risk being drawn into the expanding singularity.”

Nero nodded absently. While he was thoroughly engrossed in monitoring the destruction of the hated world below, that did not mean he wished to share its fate. Romulus too had its version of the Pyrrhic victory. He had no intention of adding to that particular lore.

The officer in charge of tactical spoke up. ”What of the Enterprise Enterprise? Their present orbit is borderline relative to the projected singularity.”

”Leave it,” Nero replied curtly. He looked to his left. ”Retract the drill and fall back. Set course for our next target. Our work here is done.” Settling himself in the command chair, he leaned forward to rest his chin against one hand.

”The rest of our work has just begun.”

XI

neither man was prepared when the drill platform lurched sharply and unexpectedly upward. Leaning over the side of the disk as they studied the planetary surface, they were completely engrossed in the catastrophe that continued to escalate below them. Knocked sideways, Kirk managed to keep his balance. As he steadied himself, he looked in his companion's direction. There was the briefest instant of eye contact.

Then the helmsman was gone over the side.

”SULU!”

If Kirk had thought about it, he might have acted differently. Instead, he simply reacted. Crew-in danger-death. Without hesitating, he leaped after the rapidly plummeting helmsman.

Sulu's training had been no less thorough than Kirk's. Though extinction was rus.h.i.+ng toward him at well over a hundred kilometers an hour, his task as a trained crewman and as a human being was to postpone that apparent inevitability for as long as possible. Spreading his arms and legs wide and keeping parallel to the ground, he did what little he could to slow his plunge as much as possible.

Above him, Kirk was doing exactly the opposite. Legs held together, face forward into the shrieking wind, and hands pressed to his sides, he dropped like a stone. Even as he closed on the helmsman, he knew he would have only one shot at what he was going to try. Streak past Sulu and it was unlikely they would have enough time to try the midair maneuver again.

Left arm out slightly to adjust his angle of descent, head up and chest out to slow as much as possible-wham! It was not a gentle rendezvous, but Sulu did not complain. With his arms locked around the helmsman, Kirk screamed into the other man's face. It was not a gentle rendezvous, but Sulu did not complain. With his arms locked around the helmsman, Kirk screamed into the other man's face.

”I GOTCHA-PULL MY CHUTE!”

Nodding vigorously to show that he had heard and understood, his left arm wrapped around Kirk's waist, Sulu reached down and fumbled until his fingers made contact with the requisite control. A firm touch was all it took to cause Kirk's chute to snap out of its container. Billowing, it expanded above, jerking them to a momentary halt.

Momentary, because an instant later their combined weight coupled with the inertia acquired during their plunge proved too much for the chute to handle. While the fabric remained largely intact, the cords that connected it to Kirk's suit, already stressed from the demand that had been put on them by the s.p.a.ce drop, snapped. Direction, velocity, and plunging toward imminent death resumed straightaway.

At least, Sulu thought, Sulu thought, I won't die alone. I won't die alone. Better if Kirk had let him go. Better if Kirk had let him go.

Too busy for philosophical reflection, Kirk was yelling into his suit's pickup. ”Enterprise, ”Enterprise, we're falling without a chute! Beam us up or we're dead!” we're falling without a chute! Beam us up or we're dead!”

On board the Enterprise, Enterprise, his cry resounded over the newly restored communications. Springing to another console, Chekov let his fingers fly over the instrumentation. He had done this sort of thing dozens, hundreds of times previously-in simulations. As he worked frantically he was shouting toward the console communicator. his cry resounded over the newly restored communications. Springing to another console, Chekov let his fingers fly over the instrumentation. He had done this sort of thing dozens, hundreds of times previously-in simulations. As he worked frantically he was shouting toward the console communicator.

”Transporter room, come in! This is Ensign Chekov on the bridge. Emergency command override, transfer full control to the forward console!”

At her station Uhura was also hurriedly requesting, manipulating, and entering information. ”Preparing intercept coordinates-stand by for transfer!”

The officer who had a.s.sumed the responsibilities of the science station when Spock had departed now looked up anxiously. ”The singularity's expanding. We won't reach minimum safe distance if we don't leave leave!”

”SHUT UP!” Uhura and Chekov responded simultaneously. Their reaction was not regulation, but it had the desired effect. Grim-faced, the replacement science officer turned back to his console. Sweat was beginning to stream down his face as he confronted numbers that implacably recognized an escalating sequence of physical events that were no less lethal for their mounting improbability.

At the forward transporter console an increasingly fretful Chekov was desperately manipulating the manual targeting control. It was not quite like doing it during a simulation. For one thing, there was no one to back him up. For another, knowing that real lives were at stake instead of career points was having a deleterious effect on his blood pressure.

”I can't get a target lock on their pattern signatures! They're falling too fast!”

Far below, Kirk noted with interest that they had now dropped farther than the peak of a nearby mountain. He chose this method of estimating their present position because the alternative would have been to look groundward. This he preferred not to do, having decided that when the impact came he would rather it arrive unexpectedly.

”Enterprise, now, now, now!” now, now, now!”

”Boost the waveform on the gain stream!” Uhura was shouting. ”I need more signal in order to lock!”

”Trying!” Chekov yelled back. An instant later, ”Got 'em-toopik!” His free hand slammed down on a large control disk.

On the other side of the bridge one junior officer frowned at another. ”Did he just say 'toothpick'?”

His companion ran a terrestrial language quick-check through his own console, then glanced up. ”Russian's his ancestral language. Toopik Toopik-it means 'dead end.'”

His expression one of deep concern, the other officer looked in the tactical officer's direction. ”I hope he meant that in a good good way.” way.”

In the Enterprise' Enterprise's main transporter room, several technicians glanced up apprehensively from the consoles and instruments they were monitoring. The sensitive curved chamber before them still stood empty. According to their readouts, entanglement had been successful. Far below the s.h.i.+p, two falling bodies supposedly had vanished. If that information was accurate, then their exact duplicates ought to be...

It was not a neat rematerialization. Not at all regulation, no. Instead of arriving in upright stances, faces forward, hands behind back, the two bodies slammed into the deck with considerable force.

But not, if the pained grunts that issued from each man were to be believed, lethal force.

Though the tech crew was stunned by the manner of arrival, they were not nearly as stunned as the two officers. Both men slowly peeled themselves off the transporter deck. Holding himself, Sulu blinked in Kirk's direction.

”Th-thanks.”

”Uh-huh,” his colleague replied weakly. Starting at his head and working his way downward, Kirk checked himself, not overlooking a single bone. By the time his examining fingers had traveled as far as his thighs he was becoming convinced he had somehow made it intact. ”I swear we were so close I could smell the dirt.”

Sulu was formulating a reply when the transporter room portal parted to admit the s.h.i.+p's science officer. Kirk gaped as the Vulcan strode purposefully past him, turned, and positioned himself for departure.

”Step-or roll-aside. I'm going to the surface.” Without waiting to see if the men on the floor were complying, Spock addressed himself to the transporter's chief engineer. ”You should already have received coordinates for a specific disaster shelter located near the city of s.h.i.+'Kahr. While physical design constraints prevent putting me down inside, get me as close to the entrance as you can.”