Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [95]
“Is there a danger to the ship?” Nostrene asked.
The subordinate took an extra moment to confirm his readings before replying. “Negative, Commander, at least so long as we maintain this distance.”
“Commander!”
Nostrene’s attention snapped back to the screen at the call in time to see the interior of the “hole,” as he had come to think of it, shift as a blue-green field of energy appeared.
“Enlarge that,” Nostrene ordered, and the image appeared to jump forward. The energy distortion became more detailed and he could see static discharges and rippling effects as the field undulated within the confines of the dark area.
“Are you saying the sensors register none of that?” he asked.
“That is correct, Commander. We see it, but our sensors give no indication that it exists at all.”
In front of him, the helmsman nearly came out of his chair as he pointed to the screen. “ Commander, look!”
On the viewer, the energy field wavered and expanded violently as, out of the nothingness that was the dark hole amid the stars, an object began to materialize, quickly taking on form and substance. With the image magnified as it was, Nostrene easily made out seams between scarred hull plates and areas where bare metal now shone through what had once been a brightly painted finish.
A ship.
“Sensor readings?”
Behind him, the sensor officer studied his console and shook his head. “I have managed to tune the sensors to at least detect the vessel, but readings are inconclusive at best. There are no signs of life or power sources. I believe the ship to be a derelict, Commander.”
Nostrene suspected as much, having already recognized the design of the ship as soon as it had become visible. He hadn’t seen such a vessel except in historical documents, but there was no mistaking the large, saucer-shaped hull supported by a pylon above a smaller cylindrical secondary section and the pair of long nacelles resting on their own support pylons. Though the design had been refined and improved over the many years the Tholians had been aware of it, the basic tenets had remained the same.
Behind him, his weapons officer confirmed his suspicion. “Commander, our tactical database identifies it as a Federation Constitution -class starship. According to our information, that model of vessel was retired from active service long ago.”
“Are there any indications of other ships in this area?” Both the weapons and sensor officers replied with negative reports.
“So what is it doing in our space?” Dlyax asked, staring at the ghostly image of the ship.
Nostrene had no answer. Learning of the ship’s presence in Tholian space would certainly put some government officials on edge. Despite the warming of relations with the Federation, distrust and even contempt for its principles continued to simmer within the ranks of the Assembly’s elder statesmen.
Seeing the ship on the screen, however, his instincts told him such worries were unfounded. If the ship was indeed a derelict, then it was likely that neither the Federation nor the Assembly had any knowledge of its whereabouts, let alone the circumstances surrounding its appearance here and now, long after such a vessel would have been retired from normal service.
Such judgments, though, were not his to make.
“We must report this discovery,” he said finally. “They will know best how to proceed.”
CHAPTER
2
As he traversed one of the numerous corridors of Starfleet Headquarters, Captain Montgomery Scott felt as though red-alert klaxons were sounding but only he could hear them. His eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to officers mingling or casually going about their business. He returned a few polite nods but didn’t stop to talk or even smile back when their glances met his. There was no time for niceties.
It was a key difference between Headquarters and serving on a starship, he had learned. People here could be on full alert, but hardly ever at the same time.