Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [47]
In the fleeting moment before Sulu tackled him, Maltz pounded his fist down upon the firing control. The two of them tumbled in a heap of arms and legs onto the deck. The percussive sound of a torpedo launch echoed through the hull.
Thelin felt the grip of Kruge’s fingers upon his neck slowly relax, and the dishonored commander sank to the floor and onto his back, his face still frozen in a twisted smile, his chest bearing the mark of an intense burn from Thelin’s weapon. The phaser had merely been set to stun, but at point-blank range, the force of such a shot was almost certainly lethal.
A blinding flash emanated from the viewscreen behind them as the torpedo explosively impacted the secondary hull of the Enterprise. Her shields having been lowered for transport, there was nothing to mitigate the force of the blast.
The frantic voice of Scotty sounded over the intercom. “This is Enterprise! What the bloody hell are ye doin’?!”
Thelin rushed over to the communications console. Punching a control, he opened the two-way channel and put the Scotsman’s stunned face upon the viewscreen. “Scotty! Are you all right? Did Kirk and David make it on board?”
“Aye, they’re here, but ye made a direct hit on the warp core! All the main power systems are damaged; I canna even get a readin’ on the antimatter containment! What happened?”
“We had some trouble with our prisoners. Stand by,” Thelin said anxiously. He rushed by Sulu, who had regained control over the three remaining captives, and thrust himself into the seat at the science station at the aft end of the bridge. Tapping the controls, he performed a quick scan and produced a display of the Enterprise’s status. The results were chilling.
Sulu peered over the Andorian’s shoulder. “Hull breach on deck fourteen,” he said ominously. “That’s the upper level of the engineering section.”
“Scotty,” Thelin called out. “Can you shut down the antimatter intermix?”
“Aye,” he replied. “But the automation system is down. I’ll have to get down ta engineering.”
“You’d better hurry, Scotty. I’m reading a runaway reaction in the intermix chamber…probably caused by a coolant leak. If it isn’t stopped, it could build up to a core breach in less than five minutes.”
Kirk quickly moved into the frame next to Scott on the viewer. “Chekov! Are you still in the Katai transporter room?”
“Yes, sir!” the voice of Chekov replied.
“Stand by,” Kirk said.
The Enterprise bridge was illuminated by the eerie red glow of emergency lighting as Admiral Kirk moved from station to station, growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of useful information being provided on the readouts.
“Scotty,” Kirk said urgently. “Is there any chance of restoring auxiliary power?”
“Perhaps,” he replied. “But I canna do it from here. Nae without a crew down there.” He rose from his seat and began to head for the bridge exit. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a few more miracles left.”
“Scotty, wait!” Kirk ran up to intercept him before he reached the door. “Engineering is fourteen decks down, and we’re without turbolifts or transporters.” He put a hand on Scotty’s shoulder. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re not as spry as you once were.”
Scott’s eyes widened with indignation. “Well, I ne’er…!”
“We’re completely blind over here. I need you on the other ship to monitor our status, and to guide me if I get into trouble. There’s no time to debate. That’s an order.”
Scott sighed. “Aye,” he said resignedly. “But when I get back, we’re gonna have a wee little conversation about respect for your elders.”
“Fair enough,” Kirk said as he flipped open his communicator. “Kirk to Chekov. Beam the other four over to the Katai, and keep this channel open. I’m on my way to engineering.” Scott, McCoy, David, and Saavik disappeared into the twinkle of the transporter beam; and Kirk was alone. He clipped the communicator to his belt and headed through the port side exit.
Kirk emerged from the Jefferies tube