Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [42]
Crap. Maybe I am going native, he thought with an inward shudder.
The labs front and rear doors suddenly crashed open nearly simultaneously, admitting at least half a dozen uniformed and helmeted Romulan military troopers, each of whom carried disruptor pistols, several of which were being pointed directly at Trip.
“This woman is a saboteur, Trip said, suddenly feeling oddly detached both from his emotions and his body. Numbly, he realized that this must be what pure shock feels like. “Shes still alive, he continued. “Her partner murdered Doctor Ehrehin. I had to kill the shooter, or he wouldve burned me down next.
One of the soldiers who had evidently come in through the rear of the lab shouted a terse confirmation of Trips report. Then another one, a broad-shouldered, dour-faced man whose uniform baldric bore the single wedge-shaped insignia that denoted the rank of centurion, separated himself from his fellows and approached Trip closely.
“Set the woman down, he said in a deep and dangerous-sounding voice. “Carefully.
Despite the weapons that were directed at him, and the centurions obvious authority, Trip was unimpressed. He continued clutching the front of the unconscious womans garment in both hands. “Just who the hell are you? he demanded.
The centurions tone was surprisingly patient. “Terix. Centurion of Admiral Valdores Fifth Legion, in the service of our glorious Praetor Dderidex. And just who in Erebus are you ?
Trip began to realize that he was not only in a crime scene, but also that he was challenging a phalanx of armed and perhaps trigger-happy Romulan military personnel, none of whom had reason to deal gently with defiance or disrespect. And he was doing all this while operating behind enemy lines under an assumed identity.
Stupid, he told himself.
“Cunaehr, Trip said quietly, having regained enough presence of mind to avoid blurting out his real name. “Doctor Ehrehins chief assistant.
Terix laid a large gauntleted hand on Trips shoulder, the apparent gentleness of the gesture only barely concealing a grip of hard, cold steel. “We will take charge of thisperpetrator now, Cunaehr, the centurion said.
“I think this woman and her partner were working for the Ejhoi Ormiin, Trip said, not yet quite able to will his arms to move or his hands to open. “They wanted to take for themselves the new stardrive weve been developing for Admiral Valdore. And they wanted to make sure that Doctor Ehrehin couldnt re-create it later.
Trip realized that they had succeeded, at least, in the latter goal. It also dawned on him that they had accomplished one of the objectives of the bureau that had sent him here to Romulus, using means that probably wouldnt have much bothered the spymaster Harris, and probably would have made Captain Stillwell do a football quarterbacks end-zone victory dance.
Except, of course, for the fact that Trip hadnt managed to seize a working warp-seven drive for Earth and the Coalition. Without the brilliance of Doctor Ehrehin on tap, the likelihood of that eventuality coming to pass now seemed vanishingly small, his own engineering skills notwithstanding; while Trip had tremendous faith in his own abilities, he harbored no delusions of being Ehrehins peer.
“Let us take charge of the prisoner now, Cunaehr, Terix repeated. “We will interrogate her thoroughly about her ties to any political dissident groups. Although Trip still could hear something like compassion and sympathy in Terixs voice, the centurions grip on his shoulder felt progressively more stern with each passing second.
Trip nodded, then allowed a pair of Terixs troopers to take the unconscious woman from his nerveless hands.
“Do not worry, Terix said as the troopers carried the woman away and began securing the room as a crime scene. “You may continue Doctor Ehrehins work secure in the knowledge that he will be avenged.
Continue Ehrehins work, Trip thought, aghast but trying desperately not to show it.