Ishtar Rising Book 1 - Michael A. Martin [7]
“Not if we want to maintain a margin of safety when we activate the entire planetary force-field grid for real,” Paulos said, leaning against the bookcase. She clearly hadn’t forgotten the near-catastrophe that had resulted the last time their numbers had failed to jibe closely enough with the unpredictable vicissitudes of the real world.
“What if we were to ask the Federation Council for some additional short-term help?” she asked.
Saadya shook his head wearily. “It would probably take at least two weeks just to get a formal request in front of the Science and Technology Committee. No, Adrienne. I’m afraid we’re on our own.” And that could mean that six years of work is about to get tossed right out the airlock.
He realized glumly that none of Seyetik’s projects had ever come to such an ignominious end.
“Then what we really need,” she said, “is more Bynars to help Ten-Eleven and Eleven-Ten with the number-crunching.”
“That’s not funny.” Saadya said, scowling. How could she make jokes at a time like this?
“No, I’m serious, Pas. So the authorities on Bynar are being stingy. Why can’t we look elsewhere for what we need?”
Saadya sighed in resignation. It was obvious that she was determined to draw this out. “Look where?”
“The last time I checked,” Paulos said, “there was a Bynar pair working as civilian observers aboard a Starfleet Corps of Engineers ship. One of those retro-looking Saber-class jobs.”
Despite having served in Starfleet decades ago, Saadya hadn’t kept up with the starship configurations of the past several years. These days, he wasn’t sure he could distinguish a Saber from a Sovereign.
But he cautiously allowed hope to rise within him anyway. “What ship?”
“The da Vinci, I think.”
The da Vinci. The name triggered a sudden avalanche of memories. What spectacular luck.
“Would you do me a favor, Adrienne?” Saadya asked.
“Shoot.”
Saadya grinned. “Find out if David Gold is still in command of that ship.”
Chapter
2
Captain David Gold headed straight to his ready room the moment Pascal Saadya had finished making his somewhat oblique request for assistance.
“So he didn’t say what help, precisely, he was hopin’ you could provide?” said Captain Montgomery Scott, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers’ official liaison, and Gold’s immediate superior, from the small computer terminal on the ready room’s desk.
“Not exactly.”
Scott offered a good-natured scowl. “Typical. But you also say he’s one of your oldest friends.”
“That’s right.”
Gold thought he saw a wistful look pass across Scott’s face. “Old friendships are something I can appreciate,” Scott said. “But I have to be honest with you, lad—I’m not thrilled about Saadya’s plans to play billiards with the inner solar system.”
“Haven’t you played a bit of planetary pool yourself, Scotty?” Gold said. “I seem to remember reading about a tide-locked planet that you once helped spin up to something resembling an Earth-normal day-night cycle.”
Scott sighed. “Aye, I have to admit to helpin’ the Dumada put the planet Rimillia to rights. But that was a very long time ago—very nearly came to a bad end for millions of people.”
“You’re not saying you regret it, are you, Scotty?” Gold said, grinning.
“Not at all. But that mission did give me a healthy respect for the forces of nature.” Scott paused contemplatively for a moment before continuing. “I suppose I must seem hypocritical.”
Very deliberately, Gold adopted a demeanor of wide-eyed innocence. “Perish forbid I should even suggest such a thing.”
Scott appeared to have come to a decision. “An old commander of mine once warned me that I ought to be more tolerant of fresh ideas. All right, then. Far be it from me to stand in the way o’ progress. Besides, maybe havin’ an S.C.E. contingent watchin’ over the critical phases of his experiment will keep Saadya’s haggis out of the fire. Just give me a detailed report once all the shoutin’s over.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gold said, smiling. After Scott had signed