Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [110]
From the science station, Soloman said, “ Captain, there is more.”
“Let’s have the whole megillah, then,” Gold replied. After a brief pause, the image of Captain Blair reappeared.
“ Captain’s log: supplemental. The ship has come into contact with an unidentified phenomenon unlike anything on record. Science Officer Nyn believes it to be some kind of interdimensional corridor that may actually connect our universe with a completely different one. In addition to affecting our onboard power systems, Dr. Hamilton reports that members of the crew are being struck with what she describes as a frantic paranoia. Her medical scans show that in all of the victims, an area of the brain has been affected in a similar fashion. She hasn’t isolated the cause yet, but the attacks didn’t start until we entered this rift. We need to leave this place, but our sensors can’t seem to detect an exit from this hole in space we’ve fallen into .”
In the next entry, Gold and the others could now clearly see the exhaustion and near panic on Blair’s face.
“ The incidents of unrest are escalating, both in number and violence. Four crewmen have been killed and Dr. Hamilton was severely injured when she was attacked by one of her own nurses. Without her help, I don’t think we’ll be able to find a cure for whatever is affecting the crew. Science Officer Nyn is unable to find a way out of this rift. We have been pulled into and out of our universe on three separate occasions, but in each instance we were unable to break free from whatever is holding us here. Nyn has a plan to —”
On the screen, a crewman wearing a red shirt suddenly lurched into the picture, his hands lunging for Blair’s throat. The captain bolted from his chair to parry the attack, but the crewman had the advantage in both speed and strength.
“Oh my God,” Gomez breathed. Like Gold and Soloman, she too was transfixed by what quickly became mortal combat on the viewscreen, with Captain Blair fighting futilely against the onslaught of the obviously crazed crewman. None of the away team could bring themselves to speak another word as the struggle continued onscreen.
Finally, Captain Thomas Blair succumbed to the greater strength of his opponent, his body sagging in defeat before he and the crewman fell out of view. The log entry continued to play, the only thing discernible being the unpleasant sounds of struggle continuing out of range of the log recorder’s visual pickup. That only lasted for a few moments, though, before it mercifully ended.
Soloman was the first to speak, his voice quiet and tentative. “They never had a chance . . . trapped in the rift as they were. What a tragedy.”
“That explains why Starfleet never learned what happened to the Defiant ,” Gomez said. “First they were hiding from the Tholians, probably maintaining communications silence. Then they fell into the rift with no hope of getting a signal out. And the Enterprise never had the chance to review the captain’s logs.” She paused momentarily, gathering her composure when she realized how profoundly the images on the viewer had affected her.
“What a terrible way to die.”
Gold nodded. “Well, we mustn’t let our emotions get the better of us. There will be plenty of time later to answer all the questions the Defiant and her crew have left us. For now the best thing to do is to concentrate on getting the old girl out of this mess and heading home.”
Gomez agreed, upset with herself at allowing what they had encountered to bother her. It wasn’t normal for her to react in such a manner to the unexpected or the unpleasant. Why should now be any different?
Her attention was drawn to the chirping sound of their suit communicators and