Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [145]
TPol shook her head, looking almost wistful. “No, Captain. His Romulan intelligence contacts had led him to believe that the Klingons were indeed the aggressors at Draylax.
Archer was puzzled. “But we already know that cant be true. How could he discover something that isnt true, unless
The answer to his question dawned on him before he could finish his sentence, and the idea chilled him to the core.
“Unless he was purposely being misled, TPol said. “Meaning that his identity as a spy may well have been compromised.
Archer shuddered, trying desperately to force his mind not to wander down the path it was already navigating. If Trip was indeed compromised, any information he was finding was likely to be tainted. And if he failed to pass along what was almost certainly disinformation concocted by the Romulan Star Empires intelligence servicesor if he managed to discover that Romuluss own spymasters were using him as a pawn in their gamethen he was likely to end up in the crosshairs of some Romulan assassin.
Archer knew that in the shadowy world of espionage, compromised spies frequently ended up very dead.
THIRTY-NINE
Tuesday, July 22, 2155 S.S. Kobayashi Maru , Gamma Hydra sector
K OJIRO V ANCE TRACED the swell of the womans dusky-hued hip as she slumbered, his fingertip traveling over the exquisite area he had so recently ravished. She had tasted like plums, although he granted, in retrospect, that it might have been the liqueur they had consumed before theyd had passionate sex against nearly every flat surface in his opulently appointed quarters.
Orana Shubé clearly wanted to go places on the ship, but Vance wasnt certain that there was any place for her to go. After all, she wasnt particularly intelligent, and her mechanical aptitude was laughable. He suspected that she would best serve him exactly where she was, in the captains bed. Or, perhaps, in the galley, preparing food for the crew and passengers. And, of course, thetemporary guests.
Yawning, he clambered over his plaything and padded naked toward the shower, absentmindedly scratching his groin as he walked. Stepping into the shower, he mourned the days on Earth when hed been able to enjoy real showers, with unlimited supplies of hot water. But on a fuel carrier like the Maru, carrying the huge quantities of water needed for such a personal extravagance was not something he could justify, either to his financial backers in the Tau Ceti system, or to the crew that would expect to share this amenity. And since the Maru is a retrofitted Klingon fuel carrier, he thought, having any luxury at all is, well, a luxury itself.
He heard a chime at his door, and poked his head out of the shower stall. “Enter!
Jacqueline Searles, the chief engineer of the Kobayashi Maru, stepped into the cabin, first noticing the nude woman on Vances bed, then turning her head just enough to ascertain that her captain was in the shower.
“What is it, Jackie? Vance asked, reaching for a towel.
She made a face. “Whatever is in that cargo we picked up for the Horizon seems to be slowing us down.
“How is that possible? Vance asked, spreading his hands wide and shrugging. The towel fluttered to the deck.
Searles made another face and put a hand out as if to block her view of his nakedness as she turned away. He noticed that she seemed to object a great deal less to viewing Oranas plump behind. “Would you mind terribly putting some clothes on, Captain? Searles said. “I dont need to talk to all of you.
Shrugging again, Vance walked naked to his large wardrobe, which he opened so he could consider which of his many fanciful outfits he was going to wear. After all, if he was to be dealing with histemporary guests again, he wanted to make the best of impressions, regardless of their present demeanor.
Theyd picked up the nearly two dozen new passengers nine days ago, along with their cargo, at Altair VI. The Earth Cargo Service freighter Horizon was supposed to have been the ship to ferry them, along with their equipment, from the Maru s destination of the Sataghni II