Part 15 (1/2)

”Captain Christopher Pike. An honor. Truly. I regret that the circ.u.mstances must be as they are.”

”Likewise.” Pike gazed determinedly at the dark ceiling as he played back the last movement of the Jupiter Symphony Jupiter Symphony in his head. ”Romulan.” in his head. ”Romulan.”

Nero sighed. ”Centuries ago, before the Vulcan High Council decided to reveal themselves to the people of Earth in order to inform them that they were not alone in the universe, and to invite them into the Federation, we would occasionally observe your species from a distance.” He paused. ”You are a more n.o.ble race than our deplorable fallen cousins.”

Pike let out a snort. ”If that's an attempt to drive a wedge between us, it's a pretty feeble one.”

Nero smiled. ”An understandable presumption on your part, but such is not my intent. I speak truly when I say that I feel that humankind is a more decent species than the Vulcans-the great majority of whom are now, thankfully, no more. Humans can feel, can suffer, can be aware of their surroundings on a level the forever 'logical' Vulcans cannot. In this you are closer to my kind than to them.”

”You'll excuse me,” Pike muttered, ”if at the moment I don't feel any special kins.h.i.+p.”

Nero stiffened slightly. ”I'll take no pleasure in humanity's extinction.”

”Your attempts to draw a link between our different species are growing progressively more feeble. Pardon me if I don't feel rea.s.sured.”

”It's not your fault,” Nero went on, ”that Starfleet chose Earth for its headquarters and the Federation for its center, nor do I chastise you for your allegiance to your own. I find both it and you admirable. But despite this there is something I require from you and will obtain by whatever means necessary, in spite of my avowed admiration.”

”Let me guess,” Pike posited. ”You want to know how to pick up females.”

Nero's tone darkened. ”Your impertinence does not serve you well, Captain. I expect that in a short while such attempts at humor will be halfhearted at best.” He leaned toward the pinioned prisoner. ”You must have so many questions for me. I have only one for you. I need the subs.p.a.ce frequencies that alert Starfleet to hostile intrusion. Specifically those surrounding Earth.”

Pike's voice grew faint and his expression distant. ”It-it's strange, but I-I find myself...” Nero and a couple of other attending officers leaned closer.

”...not remembering,” the Enterprise' Enterprise's captain concluded. Fastened athwart the platform, he managed to smile. ”Recent events must have affected my memory. I'm afraid the information you're asking for has completely and permanently fled my mind.”

Stepping back, the commander of the Narada Narada gestured. Two crew members who had been standing in the shadows now advanced toward the platform and its pool. One of them was carrying a container; his companion, instruments. Pike tried not to look in their direction. gestured. Two crew members who had been standing in the shadows now advanced toward the platform and its pool. One of them was carrying a container; his companion, instruments. Pike tried not to look in their direction.

”Ambus.h.i.+ng your opponent isn't very n.o.ble,” he told Nero accusingly.

”True.” The Romulan nodded in agreement. ”In this case it's an act of mercy. I give you one last chance to recall the information I require.” He smiled thinly. ”I strongly suggest you look hard into your 'deteriorating' memory.”

Pike turned away. ”Christopher Pike, Captain, U.S.S. Enterprise. U.S.S. Enterprise. Registration NCC-1701.” Registration NCC-1701.”

Nero's tone hardened. ”Christopher. Answer my question.”

”No. You You answer for the genocide you just committed on a peaceful planet.” answer for the genocide you just committed on a peaceful planet.”

”I prevented genocide.” Calming himself, the commander of the Calming himself, the commander of the Narada Narada continued. ”Christopher, I chose a life of honest labor to provide for myself-and the wife who was carrying my child. I sit here now, knowing you as an enemy. Not just of today, but of tomorrow. I watched helplessly as your continued. ”Christopher, I chose a life of honest labor to provide for myself-and the wife who was carrying my child. I sit here now, knowing you as an enemy. Not just of today, but of tomorrow. I watched helplessly as your Federation, Federation,” he spat the word, ”did nothing. They let us die, to the last man, woman, and child.”

Pike suddenly found himself more confused than fearful. ”Then Nero, you're mistaken. Romulus has not been destroyed. How can you blame the Federation for something that hasn't happened?”

”It did did happen. I remember it. I-felt it. When I lost her, I promised myself I would not speak another word until the day of my retribution. In twenty-five years I forgot the sound of my own voice. But I didn't forget the pain. That feeling cannot be erased.” Unrepentant anger crept back into his voice. ”A feeling that every surviving Vulcan now shares.” happen. I remember it. I-felt it. When I lost her, I promised myself I would not speak another word until the day of my retribution. In twenty-five years I forgot the sound of my own voice. But I didn't forget the pain. That feeling cannot be erased.” Unrepentant anger crept back into his voice. ”A feeling that every surviving Vulcan now shares.”

”If what you say is true,” Pike hurried on, ”you can save Romulus. You have a second chance to...”

”Yes.” Nero overrode him. ”Which is a gift I won't waste on mercy. My Nero overrode him. ”Which is a gift I won't waste on mercy. My purpose, purpose, Christopher, is not simply to avoid the destruction of the home I love, but to create a Romulus that can exist free of the Federation. Only then can her future be a.s.sured.” Christopher, is not simply to avoid the destruction of the home I love, but to create a Romulus that can exist free of the Federation. Only then can her future be a.s.sured.”

Pike turned away and half closed his eyes. ”Then we have nothing more to discuss.”

The commander of the Narada Narada sighed anew. ”As you wish. Given the determination you have displayed thus far it is, while time-wasting as well as disappointing, no less than I expected of you. I regret the discomfort that is to come.” sighed anew. ”As you wish. Given the determination you have displayed thus far it is, while time-wasting as well as disappointing, no less than I expected of you. I regret the discomfort that is to come.”

In addition to the newcomers, a brace of attending crew moved forward to close in around Pike. One handed Nero a pair of gleaming metal tongs, the other a sealed box.

”The frequencies, please.”

”Christopher Pike, Captain, U.S.S. Enterprise. U.S.S. Enterprise. Registration NCC-1701.” Registration NCC-1701.”

”As you wish.”

Pike braced himself, but the instrument was not directed at him. Instead, Nero inserted the tongs into the container and probed inside briefly before withdrawing them carefully. Clasped firmly between the metal tips was an alien arthropod of a body type and configuration unknown to Pike. A pair of long tentacles extended from the head while the abdomen squirmed in a futile attempt to gain freedom.

Nero regarded it thoughtfully. ”This is a-well, no matter. We're not here to discuss Romulan entomology. I can tell you that it likes neither the light nor cold. What it prefers is a warm, dark place safely inside another creature where it can estivate in peace until it is ready to emerge and sp.a.w.n. As the bulk of its favored host creatures have an understandable dislike of its presence, it seeks to prevent being ejected from various bodily orifices by clamping itself securely around a portion of its host's spinal cord. This ensures that it cannot easily be dislodged and expelled.” As he spoke he was bringing the metal tongs and their writhing carapaced prisoner closer to Pike's face.

”When thus settled it secretes a fluid to ensure that it does not damage its host's nervous system nor prevent it from functioning properly. When released within sentient beings, however, the fluid has an interesting side effect. It blocks deception. When asked a question, someone hosting one of our migratory little friends invariably responds with a truthful answer.” He nodded at the crew surrounding the prisoner.

Pike struggled violently, to no avail. His mouth was forced open, the squirming arthropod dropped into it, and his mouth closed tight. He was forced to swallow. He could feel the intruder kicking and writhing as it went down his throat.

He did not expect it would be pleasant when it forced its way out of his stomach and went hunting for his spinal cord.

Nero seemed to read his thoughts. ”Don't worry, Captain Pike. You'll be given adequate local anesthetics to mute the pain of its pa.s.sage. We want you healthy and alive when the first secretions start to loosen your memory.”

”What-what happens-afterwards?” He fought not to throw up, nor to think about the creature that already must be starting to chew its way through the inner lining of his stomach.

”Afterwards?” Nero looked thoughtful. ”Why, afterwards you will be invited to watch the annihilation of your own home planet and its entire resident population. After which, you will be permitted to join them.”

XIII

Lately it seemed to Kirk as if all he was destined to do was to endure painful falls from very high places.

Vision and consciousness returned simultaneously, though not efficiently, as he struggled to free himself from the enc.u.mbering safety harness. He had not gone quietly. At least he had departed the Enterprise Enterprise secure in the knowledge that sedation had been administered by someone other than Bones McCoy. The good doctor might have disagreed with him on strategy and chosen to side with that pointy-eared usurper, but he had also opposed the need to ban Kirk from the s.h.i.+p. secure in the knowledge that sedation had been administered by someone other than Bones McCoy. The good doctor might have disagreed with him on strategy and chosen to side with that pointy-eared usurper, but he had also opposed the need to ban Kirk from the s.h.i.+p.

”I can keep him quiet and out of trouble while he's on board,” McCoy had insisted.

”With all due respect for your medical expertise, Doctor,” acting Captain Spock had responded, ”from what I have seen and know of Lieutenant James Kirk, short of placing him in permanent stasis it is not possible to do either. And even then I would have my doubts.”

Groaning, Kirk pushed himself forward out of the deceleration chair and tried to focus on the bank of blinking instrumentation in front of him. Other than insisting that he was alive and more or less intact, which conclusion he had already reached independent of mechanical confirmation, the readouts were not especially informative.

A quick look around indicated that he was in a standard one-person survival pod. He ought to have been flattered that the Enterprise Enterprise had dropped out of warp long enough to deposit him wherever the h.e.l.l he presently was, but for some reason he was less than thrilled. No doubt the pain in his shoulder had something to do with his lack of appreciation. At least he had been put down somewhere inhabitable. had dropped out of warp long enough to deposit him wherever the h.e.l.l he presently was, but for some reason he was less than thrilled. No doubt the pain in his shoulder had something to do with his lack of appreciation. At least he had been put down somewhere inhabitable.

When he finally managed to squirm completely free of the couch and peer out the single port, he discovered that while his present venue might be habitable, it was anything but inviting.

Spread out before his gaze was a pale vista of ice, snow, slopes of raw rock, scudding dark clouds, and a lowering sky that loomed over a landscape that was anything but benign.

Welcome to the resort world of Antarctica Twelve, he told himself bitterly. Somewhere far out in s.p.a.ce a certain Vulcan commander unexpectedly raised to the rank of captain was no doubt smiling at his younger colleague's predicament. he told himself bitterly. Somewhere far out in s.p.a.ce a certain Vulcan commander unexpectedly raised to the rank of captain was no doubt smiling at his younger colleague's predicament.