Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [101]
Was his attitude merely avoidance? Or was it fear?
Even he didn’t want to plumb for the answers to those questions, at least not now, lest he wonder whether Captain Gold’s confidence in his abilities was warranted.
“You know that I’m in this whole thing for the puzzle, Sonnie. I like cracking the nut, coming up with answers in the nick of time, and doing what I’m told.” He paused to swallow, maybe a bit too hard. “Captain Gold told me that I’m sitting in command on this end, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t have to say that for my benefit, Kieran. I know you will.” Gomez reached out to give his hand a squeeze. “I just want to be sure you know you will.”
“The big red button on the chair fires the phasers, right?” He smiled at her generous laugh, which put him more at ease. “Thanks, boss.”
Gomez dropped his hand and walked toward the briefing room’s door, turning her head just enough so Duffy could hear her whisper.
“You know, I’m liking the sound of that ‘boss’ stuff more and more.”
He followed her into the room and saw that, save one other, the meeting was waiting on them. Then he felt a small shove against his calf.
“Excuse please, many pardons,” P8 Blue said as she pushed her hard-skinned form almost between his legs. Skittering in on all eight limbs as she was wont to do when hurried, the Nasat then shot up to her hind legs and walked to her specially designed seat at the table’s end opposite Captain Gold.
“You may begin now,” she said to Gold, who smirked at Duffy and gestured him to the remaining seat with a nod of his head.
Once everyone was settled, the captain said, “Thank you all for your efforts these past hours, and for indulging my hands-on curiosity. I’m sure it’s obvious to you that I’ve more than a passing interest in our rescue of the Defiant . Commander Gomez, let me reiterate that this is your mission. You have the final say as to whether I beam over with you or stay here and direct things on this end.”
Duffy almost laughed aloud at the thought of Sonya actually telling the captain he should sit this one out.
“Sir,” Gomez began, “I’m counting on your knowledge of that class of starship to help once we get there. You’re hardly just a sightseer, and I’m going to put you to work.”
“In other words, no putzing around,” Gold said, laughing.
With a final gesture to Gomez, Gold said, “Lead us through the final check, if you would, Commander.”
Gomez turned to glance up and down the table as she spoke. “Well, we’ve already covered the historical and political aspects of this mission with Captain Scott. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.” She looked over at P8 Blue. “Pattie, why don’t you bring us up to speed on what we’re facing.”
Consulting her padd, the Nasat said, “ Everything we have gathered through long-range scans corroborates the data provided by the Tholians. The Defiant , for all intents and purposes, exists simultaneously within our universe and another. The ship is drifting in a rift between the two. As it moves in and out of this rift, it appears to lose molecular cohesion. Consoles, deck plates, everything on the ship gives up its physical qualities in one universe to regain them in the other. We will have to exercise extreme caution while moving around over there. I cannot be more precise, as this is as much as I have been able to determine from the data available to us. Many pardons.”
“That’s fine for now, Pattie.” Gomez turned her gaze to the ship’s chief medical officer. “Dr. Lense, just what is this going to do to us physically?”
Elizabeth Lense leaned forward in her chair. “I’ve reviewed the medical logs from the Enterprise and determined that we have two issues to deal with. First, those of us on the Defiant will get the full experience of interphase, which is sure to bring on nausea and dizziness, muscle weakness and slowed response times to all outside stimuli.