Part 23 (1/2)

The instant Kirk and Spock reappeared on the bridge, the acting science officer moved away from his post and Sulu surrendered the captain's chair to return to his own post at the helm. Chekov was reporting excitedly even before Kirk had resumed his seat.

”Keptin! The enemy s.h.i.+p is losing power and...its s.h.i.+elds are down!” He looked toward the command chair. ”All of them! They're defenseless.”

All eyes turned toward Kirk. There was no uncertainty in them now, no qualification in those glances. They no longer hoped for him to render decisions-they expected it.

Would he issue the directive to resume firing on the Romulan craft whose commander was responsible for so much death and destruction? Or...?

”Hail them,” Kirk snapped. ”Now.”

It took longer than usual for contact to be established, and when the screen finally produced a picture, it was not the best. Static occasionally distorted the image and it s.h.i.+fted or doubled unpredictably. The commander of the Narada Narada took a moment to try and stabilize his own pickup. Despite the continuing disruption, there was no mistaking the ident.i.ty of the human who was presently gazing back at him. took a moment to try and stabilize his own pickup. Despite the continuing disruption, there was no mistaking the ident.i.ty of the human who was presently gazing back at him.

”This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. U.S.S. Enterprise. Your s.h.i.+p is compromised. You are sacrificing power fighting a losing battle against a growing gravitational anomaly. The closer to it you fall, the more inexorable its pull becomes and the less the likelihood that you or any of your crew will survive. In the absence of full warp power there is no possible way you can attempt to escape by utilizing the anomaly to attempt a time s.h.i.+ft-you have no maneuverability. None of you will survive without a.s.sistance-which we are willing to provide.” Your s.h.i.+p is compromised. You are sacrificing power fighting a losing battle against a growing gravitational anomaly. The closer to it you fall, the more inexorable its pull becomes and the less the likelihood that you or any of your crew will survive. In the absence of full warp power there is no possible way you can attempt to escape by utilizing the anomaly to attempt a time s.h.i.+ft-you have no maneuverability. None of you will survive without a.s.sistance-which we are willing to provide.”

Of all the possible responses to the current state of affairs Kirk could have articulated, this was one none of his fellow crew members had antic.i.p.ated. Spock's reaction was no different.

”Captain-what are you doing?”

”We show them compa.s.sion. It may be the only way to secure a permanent peace with Romulus. It's logic, Spock. I thought you'd respond positively to such an offer.”

The science officer measured his words even more carefully than usual. ”Captain, he destroyed my home planet. As a human might say-to h.e.l.l with logic.”

As it turned out, further discussion and possible dissension was obviated by an unequivocal retort from the Narada' Narada's commander. Pus.h.i.+ng his face toward his pickup, Nero glared unapologetically across s.p.a.ce at his human and Vulcan nemeses.

”I would rather suffer the death of Romulus a thousand times than accept a.s.sistance from you!”

That was all Kirk needed. No, No, he told himself-it was more than he needed. When the history of this encounter was written, no one would be able to say that he had not acted with consideration and forbearance. he told himself-it was more than he needed. When the history of this encounter was written, no one would be able to say that he had not acted with consideration and forbearance.

He was much relieved.

”You got it,” he shot back as he turned toward Chekov. ”Lock phasers. Fire everything we've got!”

Swinging around in a wide arc, the Federation stars.h.i.+p unloaded a ma.s.sive burst in the direction of the struggling Narada. Narada. Already weakened by previous attacks, its s.h.i.+elds down, and succ.u.mbing to the relentless pull of the anomaly, one detonation after another began to tear the huge s.h.i.+p to pieces. As it lost what remained of its drive it began to disintegrate, collapsing into the singularity. The main bridge screen offered a final glimpse of the Romulan commander they had known as Nero: defiant, half-mad, and ultimately frustrated as he joined his s.h.i.+p in being crushed down into his subatomic components. Already weakened by previous attacks, its s.h.i.+elds down, and succ.u.mbing to the relentless pull of the anomaly, one detonation after another began to tear the huge s.h.i.+p to pieces. As it lost what remained of its drive it began to disintegrate, collapsing into the singularity. The main bridge screen offered a final glimpse of the Romulan commander they had known as Nero: defiant, half-mad, and ultimately frustrated as he joined his s.h.i.+p in being crushed down into his subatomic components.

The Narada, Narada, Nero, and everyone else on board who had taken part in the destruction of multiple Federation stars.h.i.+ps and the planet Vulcan-were gone. Nero, and everyone else on board who had taken part in the destruction of multiple Federation stars.h.i.+ps and the planet Vulcan-were gone.

There no longer being any need to address tactical, Kirk directed his attention and his command elsewhere. ”Kirk to engineering-get us out of here, Scotty!”

”Aye, Captain!” came the immediate report. A slight quiver ran through the length of the came the immediate report. A slight quiver ran through the length of the Enterprise Enterprise as her weapons systems and s.h.i.+elds were drawn down so that all power could be directed to the engines. as her weapons systems and s.h.i.+elds were drawn down so that all power could be directed to the engines.

On screen and behind them, the last vestiges of the wars.h.i.+p Narada Narada collapsed inward and upon themselves as they pa.s.sed the gravitational point of no return and vanished into the miniblack hole. Seated squarely in the captain's chair, Nero had less than a second to let out a final defiant scream as his life, body, and fanatic's hopes were compacted out of existence. collapsed inward and upon themselves as they pa.s.sed the gravitational point of no return and vanished into the miniblack hole. Seated squarely in the captain's chair, Nero had less than a second to let out a final defiant scream as his life, body, and fanatic's hopes were compacted out of existence.

On board the Enterprise Enterprise full power was directed to ram her into warp. Dilithium gave up its incredible matrix in ever-increasing quant.i.ties in response to the command from engineering central. And... full power was directed to ram her into warp. Dilithium gave up its incredible matrix in ever-increasing quant.i.ties in response to the command from engineering central. And...

Nothing. The s.h.i.+p's position relative to the system-departing anomaly did not change. It did not fall inward in the wake of the Narada, Narada, but neither was it able to pull away. The fabric of the s.h.i.+p itself began to vibrate as it threatened to succ.u.mb to the enormous gravitational forces that were clawing at its superstructure. but neither was it able to pull away. The fabric of the s.h.i.+p itself began to vibrate as it threatened to succ.u.mb to the enormous gravitational forces that were clawing at its superstructure.

On the bridge, Kirk stared at the main monitor. The view aft showed the all-devouring monster to which Red Matter had given birth.

”Why aren't we at warp?”

”We are!” Sulu reported even as he struggled with a recalcitrant helm.

”Captain!” Scott's voice resounded over the bridge speakers. Scott's voice resounded over the bridge speakers. ”We're caught on the edge of the gravity well! It's got us!” ”We're caught on the edge of the gravity well! It's got us!”

”Go to maximum warp! Push it, Scotty!”

From deep within engineering, Scott raised his voice to a shout in order to make himself audible above the straining whine of the engines.

”I'm givin' 'er all she's got, Captain!”

”All she's got isn't good enough!” Kirk shot back. ”What else have you got?”

Scott's thoughts were a whirl. ”If we eject the core, the wave front when it detonates against the singularity might be enough to kick us clear-if it doesn't kill us. And if that fails, then we'll be without drive power! We'll be sucked in for certain!” ”If we eject the core, the wave front when it detonates against the singularity might be enough to kick us clear-if it doesn't kill us. And if that fails, then we'll be without drive power! We'll be sucked in for certain!”

Kirk looked over at the helm. ”Mister Sulu! Status!”

”Still holding position relative to the anomaly, Captain, but we can't break the impa.s.se. If we don't break free soon, we'll begin to lose ground incrementally until we pa.s.s the gravitational point of no return!”

Kirk didn't need to hear anything else. ”Do it, Scotty!” he yelled into the command chair pickup. ”We're dead anyway!”

In engineering Scott slammed a series of controls, unkeyed a protective security cover, entered the catastrophe code all chief engineers are required to commit to memory in the course of their initial studies, and then struck simultaneously two parallel and now flas.h.i.+ng deep-set switches. The entire central engine compartment shook once, violently, as the warp core was expelled from the stern of the s.h.i.+p.

Ejected at speed, the activated core sped backward. Impinging upon the singularity, it released all all of the energy contained within it in a single t.i.tanic explosion. Light too bright to look at directly illuminated a tiny corner of the solar system and flared outward. There was no sound. of the energy contained within it in a single t.i.tanic explosion. Light too bright to look at directly illuminated a tiny corner of the solar system and flared outward. There was no sound.

That was not the case within the Enterprise. Enterprise. The shock wave enveloped the s.h.i.+p that was now fleeing as fast as possible in the opposite direction on impulse power alone. On multiple decks, anything not fastened down was jolted loose. Artificial gravity was momentarily disrupted, sending airborne anyone not strapped in place or failing to grab onto something fixed. The instant gravity was restored, bodies fell to the floor or onto surrounding furniture or equipment. A collective moan of pain seemed to wash over the s.h.i.+p as nearly every crew member suffered b.u.mps or bruises. Paradoxically, those who came through without injury of any kind were the patients confined to sickbay, who were secured in their beds. In a single instant the entire crew had been battered and beaten. So had their s.h.i.+p. The shock wave enveloped the s.h.i.+p that was now fleeing as fast as possible in the opposite direction on impulse power alone. On multiple decks, anything not fastened down was jolted loose. Artificial gravity was momentarily disrupted, sending airborne anyone not strapped in place or failing to grab onto something fixed. The instant gravity was restored, bodies fell to the floor or onto surrounding furniture or equipment. A collective moan of pain seemed to wash over the s.h.i.+p as nearly every crew member suffered b.u.mps or bruises. Paradoxically, those who came through without injury of any kind were the patients confined to sickbay, who were secured in their beds. In a single instant the entire crew had been battered and beaten. So had their s.h.i.+p.

But it had not come apart.

And in spite of the pressure, the pain, and the threat of near annihilation of themselves, their s.h.i.+p, and the world whose survival had ultimately rested entirely on them, neither had they.

EPILOGUE

It is astonis.h.i.+ng how quickly people can go from imminent catastrophe to the boredom of daily routine. Back on the ground, back at Starfleet, there was still much to do. Final courses so rudely and urgently interrupted still required completion. Personal matters left unfinished demanded the attention of the hastily dispersed. Seminars paused in a convulsion of emergency were resumed. At the Academy, orders of mundanity swiftly and smoothly replaced the desperate attempt to save a planet.

The individual uppercla.s.smen and-women who had been hastily a.s.sembled to crew the Enterprise Enterprise were no exception. Having gone from students to saviors and back to students again in the s.p.a.ce of days, certain leeways and dispensations were granted when one newly promoted officer was a little late completing an a.s.signment, or another pleaded a date with a counselor as an excuse for missing a simulation. were no exception. Having gone from students to saviors and back to students again in the s.p.a.ce of days, certain leeways and dispensations were granted when one newly promoted officer was a little late completing an a.s.signment, or another pleaded a date with a counselor as an excuse for missing a simulation.

No such handicaps affected Spock. As on previous mornings the science officer was busy in the main Academy hangar supervising the allocation of supplies. Any demons tormenting his soul were held tightly in check, forced down into the darkest depths of his psyche, where only he would have to deal with them. Inwardly as well as outwardly he was in complete control of himself.

Or so he thought, until a glance across a delivery path revealed the presence of another Vulcan in the hangar.

The man's dress was unusual, more affected than practical. An odd choice for a Vulcan, especially for one as elderly as this individual appeared to be. Heading toward the figure who stood quietly surveying his surroundings, Spock knew of only one person who might logically be so clad as well as present in the hangar at this moment in time.

Still, as he drew nearer, something about the shape was not quite right. Familiar, yes, but not quite right.