Ship of the Line - Diane Carey [60]
“Don’t look at me,” Deanna Troi warned from Environmental, and leaned her hip against the console’s spongy edge. She obviously didn’t quite buy into what she was hearing.
Riker hoped the captain didn’t pick up on her coolness, but Morgan Bateson didn’t seem to miss much.
Smiling, Bateson tapped his combadge again. “Attention all hands. Propulsion and science stations, confirm ready for warp speed.”
The words rang. He had a resonant broadcast voice with natural stage presence, and he knew how to use it. A shiver of excitement went up Riker’s spine in spite of his trying not to like all this.
He did like it, damn it! The launch of a new starship!
The main turbolift doors parted. Captain Scott rolled out, beaming happily, followed by Geordi La Forge and Data. Riker was instantly stung by the absence of Captain Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Worf. Would they ever be together again?
A few seconds later, hardly any difference at all, the secondary turbolift beside the main screen opened and two engineers piled out, each rushing to take the first step out onto the bridge. They almost tripped each other, and Riker smelled a bet. Behind them, out sloshed Gabe Bush, with Wizz Dayton guiding him along custodially.
Riker suddenly realized what was going on. Bateson had his whole bridge crew from the Bozeman here now, as well as all onboard officers from the EnterpriseD.
“Ah—good!” Bateson looked around. “I wanted you all here for this marvelous moment. Wizz, hold that lift door. George Hill’s coming out.”
Dayton stuck a hand at the lift panel, keeping it open as a big, gaudy, tentacled creature tumbled goofily out. The thing wrapped one tentacle around Wizz Dayton’s ankle and promptly turned color to imitate the carpet. It blinked its two—only two?—soggy black eyes at Riker as if knowing he was new here.
“What is that?” Riker blurted.
“That’s George Hill,” Bateson said. “He’s a member of my original crew and he’s entitled to be here.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a decapus. We don’t know where he’s from.”
“Captain … is this some kind of a—”
“No, he’s a member of the crew. He’s our official worrier. Department staff, I’ll take your reports now.”
Grinning like a pumpkin, and in a holiday way resembling one, Captain Montgomery Scott proudly announced, “Main core engineering, matter/antimatter reaction assemblies, dilithium integrity, plasma injection terminals, SIF and IDF conduits, and catastrophic auxiliary operations are ready for warp speed, Captain.”
“Thank you, Scotty. Mr. La Forge?”
Geordi La Forge stepped forward one pace. “All tactical, mission operations, subspace relays, navigational, guidance and sensory stations, emissions receiving, and conning stations show ready for warp speed, Captain.”
“Very well. Commander Data?”
Still overwhelmed by his emotion chip, which forced him to deal with feelings most people had dispatched by kindergarten, Data actually clapped his hands once. In this state, he was essentially a long-lived child. His moonstone eyes glittered as brightly as his onionlike skin.
“All mission-specific sensor systems, shipboard security, defense functions, and communications report go for warp speed, Captain. Isn’t it just wonderful?”
“Yes, it is, Data. Commander Troi?”
Rather drably in comparison, Troi reported, “All medical and environmental stations, graviton control, internal damage control, and internal sensors report ship is tolerable for warp speed, Captain.”
“Very well. Science Officer?”
John Wolfe stood up from his seat at the primary library computer system. “LARCS is on line, sir. All systems operational.”
“Thank you. Chief Hamilton?”
Ham Hamilton, Bateson’s smarmy original engineer from the Bozeman, drawled, “NDT’s are completed, sir. MIE, DCA’s, MCPC, RCS diagnostics, ODN’s, and MJL’s are go for warp, sir.”
Bateson bottled a laugh. “A-OK. Thank you, all of you.” With genuine warmth he said, “And thank you sincerely for having more faith in me than I deserve. Mr. La Forge, how about a little nostalgia? Would you like to take your original post as navigator