Slings and Arrows 01_ Sea of Troubles - J. Steven York [1]
For astronomers and scientists it was an exciting and fascinating place. For a starship, it was a challenge, a hostile and dangerous place to operate. Yet this was also what made the region ideal for Picard’s purposes, if they could stay alive long enough to learn its secrets.
“Mr. Hawk, plot a maximum-impulse course toward the alpha planetary remnant, closest possible approach.” The alpha remnant was little more than a molten, metallic ember, all that was left of a super-Jovian gas giant, its atmosphere long ago stripped away by the nova. Soon, even this would be swallowed by its expanding parent star.
Data turned his chair to face Picard. “Captain, I should point out that this will bring us dangerously close to the star’s corona. With our degraded shields…”
“As we make our closest approach, you’ll divert power from propulsion to shields and structural integrity fields. We’ll use the remnant’s gravity to slingshot around and away from the star.”
Data raised an eyebrow and nodded. “That will conserve power and minimize our exposure to solar radiation.” He turned back to his console and set immediately to work. “I will program an optimized power redistribution pattern.”
“Mr. Hawk, do you concur?”
Hawk was already busy with the new course. “She’ll hold together, Captain.”
“See that she does.”
Ahead, the clouds of dust were clearing, the glowing red eye of the central star peeking through. “Put the remnant on-screen.”
Even at maximum magnification, the remnant barely filled the screen. But it grew rapidly, the day side black, veined with silver, the night side glowing orange, seas of molten metal in which black, slowly dissolving continents floated like ice cubes in a neglected glass of Andorian glow-ale.
“The planet’s crust is highly unstable. It will be difficult to determine the surface elevation at the point of our closest pass.”
There was that quaver in Data’s voice again, so slight that someone who knew him less well than Picard would not have noticed. Fear.
That was new. Data had only recently installed his emotion chip, and in dealing with his emotions, Picard’s most trusted officer remained unseasoned and relatively untested.
“Then I trust you’ll give Mr. Hawk your best guess, Commander,” Picard said.
“Aye, sir.” Something on his console caught Data’s eye. “The pursuit vessel has spotted us, Captain. They have warped in two hundred and eighty thousand kilometers behind us and are following at maximum impulse.”
The image of the planet remnant overflowed the screen as they approached, plumes of volcanic ash interrupting the razor line of the planet’s horizon. A huge mountain range, jagged and raw, appeared over the horizon and raced toward them with alarming speed.
Picard leaned forward in his chair. “Lieutenant Hawk.”
Hawk said nothing, his brow furrowed in concentration as his fingers danced over the console. Thrusters fired. The view on the screen rolled slightly, and the Enterprise shot through a narrow mountain pass like a thread through the eye of a needle.
“The pursuit vessel,” said Data, “is taking a looser arc around the planet. Sensors show that their shields are weakening, and they are losing speed. Captain, readings indicate a solar flare is beginning only slightly off-axis from our current position. Particle density is already climbing.”
“Mr. Hawk, get us in the planet’s shadow. Now! Data, where is the pursuit ship?”
“Still lagging behind, Captain. I do not believe they will make the planet’s shadow before- “
On the screen, a streamer of glowing plasma swept past them like a passing train, catching and shaking the small dot that was the pursuing spacecraft.
Data tapped his console rapidly. “Captain, their shields are down to thirty percent. Radiation flux is still increasing. They have damage to weapons, warp, and impulse systems. I cannot be more precise due to the radiation interference.”
Picard’s jaw clenched.