Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [150]
“So when are you going to bring the thumbscrews out for me? Trip said.
Sopek/Chuihv favored him with a blank, bewildered stare. “Excuse me, Commander?
“Whether youre working for Valdore or the Ejhoi Ormiin or the Vulcan Spook Bureauor all three at onceI cant see you just letting me go without first trying to pick my brain the way you picked Terixs.
A look of dawning understanding crossed the enigmatic mans face. “Ah. You were expecting a thorough and coercive interrogation. Under normal circumstances, I would not hesitate to do just that to anyone who has been such a close associate of the late Doctor Ehrehin. However, I have agreed to forgo thatand to do what I can to keep you from falling into Valdores hands.
Trip ran a hand over his frown-crumpled brow, and nearly recoiled from the highly corrugated texture of his artificial forehead ridge. Jeez. My great-granddaddy could have scrubbed his overalls on this thing.
“Why? he said aloud.
“It is a personal favor to an associate of mine on Vulcan.
That didnt tell Trip nearly enough. “Who are you talking about?
“Someone with whom you share a close mutual friend, Commander, Sopek/Chuihv said.
Someone in the spy trade on Vulcan is saving my bacon? Trip thought, astonished. Although he had no idea for whom the other man was doing favors, he felt certain he knew the identity of the “close mutual friend he had in common with this unnamed individual.
TPol.
That womans determined to go right on trying to rescue me, one way or another, Trip thought, his feelings of helplessness and frustration threatening to boil over. Whether Ive asked for her help or not.
“You are an extremely fortunate individual, Commander Tucker, said the Vulcan double agent. “You have cheated death more times than any other man I have ever encountered.
Trip shrugged, feeling worse rather than better despite the compliment. After all, it wasnt as if hed had a lot of control over his destiny over the past few weeks; he was getting damned tired of being able to do little more than merely react to events as they happened.
“If everything youve just told me is true, then my luck wasnt good for much more than pure survival, he said. “After all, it didnt let me get wind of Valdoresremote hijacking system until after you did. And if this thing actually works, it could be at least as dangerous as anything else Ive uncovered in Romulan space so far.
Sopek/Chuihv nodded. “Indeed.
“On the plus side, Trip said, “I suppose I can assume that youve already told the VShar all about this remote-hijacking thing.
“Of course. And it is more properly referred to as the arrenhehwiua telecapture system.
Thats easy for you to say, Trip thought as he tried to imagine wrapping his Alabama-Florida accent around that particular verbal mouthful.
Aloud, he said, “I really should get in touch with my superiors about this, too. Just to make absolutely sure that the rest of the Coalition sees this threat coming.
The other man shook his head. “Im afraid we need to maintain communications silence at present. At least until after I am reasonably certain that Valdores forces can neither listen in on us nor pursue.
Thats pretty damned convenient, too, Trip thought. He studied the other mans face, but found it as inscrutable as that of any Vulcan hed ever met. Well, Ill know which side hes really on after the first big Romulan military engagement with this new weapon goes down. If Coalition ships really do see this thing coming in advance, then I might be able to afford to trust this guy. But if the good guys end up getting caught with their britches down again, the way it happened at Coridan
He suppressed a shudder.
Of course, it wasnt as though he had a lot of alternatives at the moment to taking his captors words at face value. After all, challenging this man too much could get him just as dead as Phuong, any number of favors to friends of mutual friends notwithstanding.
“I suppose youll have