Nightshade - Laurell K. Hamilton [29]
He had absolute confidence in Worf and Troi, but all the same he hoped the Enterprise would be returning very soon.
Chapter Seven
The alien vessel hung in the blackness of space. It was roughly oval, with one end bulbous, the other ending in a soft point. It was twice the size of the Enterprise, a huge, silver ball, with opaque silver windows decorating much of the ship.
Commander William Riker sat on the bridge of the Enterprise, staring at the Milgian vessel. Their distress message had stopped abruptly about an hour before. Now, they weren’t moving. “Data, are there life readings on that ship?”
The android sat at his post, spine rigid. His pale fingers danced over his console. He blinked, then swiveled his chair to glance at Riker. “Yes, Commander.”
A tightness in Riker’s stomach that he hadn’t known was there, eased. To have come all this way to find a dead ship would have been beyond words. A failed rescue was always one of the worst failures. “How many people left alive?”
‘Over a hundred, sir,” Data said, his voice rising at the end with that small lilt, that was nearly the only inflection the android ever showed.
They had arrived in time. Very good. He glanced back at the ensign who was filling Worf’s station on the bridge. “Ensign Chi, hail the alien vessel. Tell them we have arrived to give whatever assistance is needed.”
‘Aye, sir, hailing the alien vessel now,” Chi said. His dark uptilted eyes scanned his control board.
Almost immediately, Chi said, “They are answering our hail, Commander.”
‘On main viewscreen,” Riker said.
The screen flickered to life. The distress call had been without visual. The alien’s skin was pale blue. His head was made up of soft squares, while his mouth was a deep slit in the center. The eyes were scarlet, like fresh blood-startling against the blue of the skin.
His torso seemed to have no neck at all. He looked like a body builder gone mad, huge square shoulders meeting just under the chin.
‘I am Commander William Riker of the Starship Enterprise. We heard your distress signal. What is the nature of your emergency?”
The voice was almost painfully deep, as if dragged out of the wide throat. The words seemed slow, as if the alien were speaking at halfspeed. “I am Captain Diric of the Milgian vessel Zar. Our engines have malfunctioned and are a day away from imploding.”
‘Is there a way to repair?”
‘No, we would ask you to take off the families and civilians, so they will be safe.”
‘Gladly. How many people would that be, Captain Diric?”
‘Fifty, though some are injured. There have been explosions in sections of the ship. Internal fires. Three of my people have died.”
‘Then you will want to evacuate your entire crew?” Riker asked.
‘No, we do not believe in abandoning a ship. When our ship dies, it will not die alone. It is our way.”
Riker blinked, not sure what to say. There wasn’t time to argue philosophies about the sanctity of life. He would try later to convince the captain to beam aboard. Right now, he had people to save.
‘With your permission I will send an away team over to you. Do you need medical help, or extra engineering officers?”
‘Medical aid would be most appreciated. I have every confidence in my own chief engineer but again, any aid is most appreciated.”
‘We will contact you as soon as we are ready to receive your people,” Riker said.
‘Most kind. I will meet your away team.” The screen went blank.
‘Communication has been cut off, Commander,” Ensign Chi said.
Riker wanted badly to lead the away team himself; but he was acting captain, and he had no right to endanger himself. He watched over Picard’s safety too tenderly to risk himself now. It would set a bad example for the captain when he returned.
‘Data, take an away team and beam over to the Zar.”
‘Aye, Commander, with permission, until we ascertain the stability of the Zar