Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [117]
Of course, he fully expected arrogant presumption to win out today, and for that he knew he must be prepared.
Moments later, he and Taghrex walked onto the command deck. His eyes scanned the main display screen and saw that the Starfleet recovery vessel’s tractor and deflector beams were still active and concentrated on the center of the rift.
“What is the status of the trapped ship?” he asked the sensor officer.
“It is difficult to be certain,” the subordinate replied. “The rift is still blocking our scans. But the ship is approaching the threshold of the opening, and the Starfleet engineers tell us that there will be a moment of molecular disruption as it moves through that barrier. Once that process has begun, our sensor readings should improve.”
How much time would he have before he was forced to act? He could not risk attempting to arm weapons until he was certain a lock could be obtained on the trapped ship, otherwise he risked alerting the recovery vessel’s crew. Likewise, he could not even order the ship’s defensive screens activated, as that would also make their Starfleet counterparts suspicious.
“Commander,” the sensor officer called out again, “scans of the Defiant are improving. She has engaged low power thrusters. They have managed to restore limited power to the vessel and it appears they are trying to assist the rescue operation.” The subordinate spent several moments studying the sensor information before issuing his next report. “The forward edge of the vessel’s primary hull has begun to emerge from the rift, Commander.”
Nostrene did not have to look to know that Taghrex was staring at him, waiting for his instructions. Though he may have voiced concerns over the Magistrates’ directives earlier, the Tholian commander knew that his second in command would carry out his orders without question when the time came to act.
That time, Nostrene admitted, had come.
Gomez took one final look at the status readings displayed on the bridge’s engineering console monitors before nodding in satisfaction. The power generators they had brought with them were working perfectly, and thruster power was available. It wasn’t much, but with the da Vinci already applying the full force of its workhorse engines and tractor beam, it should be enough.
“I’d find a seat, everyone,” she said as she stepped down into the command well and made her way to the helm console. “This could get bumpy.”
Gold heeded her advice and lowered himself into the captain’s chair. It wasn’t as comfortable as his chair on the da Vinci , a fact compounded by the bulky environmental suit he still wore. Looking to his right, he saw that Soloman remained seated at the science officer’s console, his wide eyes watching the main viewer.
And for good reason, too. The sight on the screen was a kaleidoscopic furor of energy as the Defiant struggled against the interdimensional forces holding it inside the rift. Gold thought he could faintly see stars beyond the multihued chaos dominating the screen, though. He told himself that it wasn’t his eyes playing tricks on him. They were making progress.
He continued to tell himself that even as the deck beneath his feet, already vibrating noticeably since the da Vinci had locked on with her tractor beam, began to tremble with increasing fervor.
“You weren’t kidding,” Gold said to Gomez as his hands instinctively grabbed onto the arms of the captain’s chair.
Gomez replied without turning her attention from her console. “It will probably get worse as we start to cross the threshold. That’s when the molecular shift will occur as we move out of the rift and back into normal space. Besides, I couldn’t spare the power to the inertial dampening field. We’ll feel