Gateways 07_ What Lay Beyond - Diane Carey [1]
Back outside, Kirk looked in both directions up and down the crevice. He had seen two metal-plated buildings on top of the cliffs before jumping through the gateway. Now he had to strain to see them. They were much farther up on the opposite side. The sun in the orange sky was so bright it made it hard to focus on the dull metal.
One look at the cliff behind him, and he knew it couldn’t have been a tougher climbing challenge. Kirk was willing to bet he could make it with hands and feet alone, with the gateway cylinder strapped to his back by his uniform jacket. But that was his last resort.
Still holding the phaser on the two women, Kirk demanded, “Where are we?”
Tasm was moaning and clutching her head, so he jerked his phaser at Luz. “You brought us here. What is this place?”
Luz’s lips drew back from her teeth, a desperate expression. “This is our birthing world.”
“You aren’t Kalandans.”
“We’re Petraw!” she spit at him. “You’re such fools! Such trusting fools…”
Tasm was struggling to stand up. “Silence, Luz! You’ve betrayed your pod”
“I saved the interstellar transporter!” Luz let out a high-pitched shriek, rushing at Tasm.
With surprise on her side, Luz managed to shove Tasm toward the edge. Tasm fell flat to stop herself from going over. Luz sat on top of her, grabbing her around the throat, screaming inarticulately.
“You never learn, do you?” Kirk dropped the cylinder to go to Tasm’s defense, but he wasn’t exactly willing to risk his own life for her. Aiming his phaser, he hesitated as they rolled over, Tasm on top, then on the bottom again.
Before he could fire, he was surrounded by people. Hands grabbed his arms and took away his phaser. They were rough, their manner abrupt. It was like they appeared out of nowhere.
Kirk stopped struggling immediately. When they realized he was giving them no trouble, they let his arms free so he could stand among them. He couldn’t see what had happened to his phaser, but it was gone.
They separated Tasm and Luz, taking them to opposite sides of the platform. Kirk counted eight humanoids crowded onto the platform, dressed alike in whitish-transparent bags complete with enclosed hands and feet. The loose hoods over their heads slid forward.
Kirk settled his uniform, reaching down for the cylinder. But one of the strange people picked it up first.
Kirk had to look up to see his face. It was like melted wax, with his nose, eyes, and chin softened and flattened.
“I’m James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise.” Kirk pointed to the cylinder, holding out his hand. “I believe that belongs to me.”
Luz cried out, stumbling forward. Kirk couldn’t understand what she was saying, something about completing an engagement… Tasm was speaking to others, still holding one hand to her injured head. Clearly these were her people.
The androgynous Petraw held up the cylinder. “This is for the matriarchs to deal with.”
“Are those your superiors?” Kirk asked. Getting an affirmative in response, he agreed, “Lead the way.” He was more than ready to talk to someone in charge. Tasm had clearly lied to him about everything.
Tasm and Luz were herded into the tunnel behind him. It had somehow become unclogged and continued much deeper inside the cliff. It curved ahead, so he could only see a short way, and the top was within reach of his hand. It was cramped, but better than climbing that towering cliff freehand.
Kirk could hardly see a thing. There was no obvious light source, but the pliable material covering the walls was so pale it seemed to glow like amber under a light. It wasn’t long before the tunnel ended in a slightly more bulbous section. Straight ahead were six hexagonal openings stacked three across and two high. Each opening was about a meter wide.
“In there.” The Petraw holding the cylinder gestured to the first hexagonal opening on the bottom.
Kirk peered in, but he couldn’t see out the other side. “This is the way to the matriarchs?