Star Trek_ A Choice of Catastrophes - Michael Schuster [116]
The image paused, hanging in place. “It’s trying to continue the playback,” said Seven Deers.
“The statements of Benshor-Ka-Morafe verify our hypotheses,” said Spock.
The playback continued. “—have made it here, then you have bypassed the defenses we built before we entered our slumber. Knowing that a world of sleepers would present a tempting target for some of the species we have encountered, we designed a system—powered by warp reactors across the continent—that would project distortions in subspace, making it impossible for any vessel to approach this planet at warp speed. The projector is designed to respond to the warp bubbles it encounters; the more powerful the engines, the more powerful the distortions. We do not know how you managed it, but you have made it here. Please, let the Community of the Children of Farrezz slumber in peace. Do not loot our world. We have gone through much to ensure its continued survival.”
The Farrezzi raised three of its tentacles into the air, balancing on the two remaining. “Please, go back to the stars. We are defenseless, we have only our pleas. I ask you to go back to your home so that we may keep ours.”
The image faded out. “This explains a great deal,” Spock said to the assembled team. “The distortions the Enterprise encountered were caused by this device.”
“Why is the projector so unstable?” Saloniemi asked.
“The warp engines of a Constitution-class starship are massive,” said Seven Deers. “If the projector tried to match their power, the distortions would be enormous—far more than this system would have been designed to accommodate.” The engineer shook her head. “It’s reached its maximum, and it’s now caught in a deadly feedback loop.”
“Correct,” said Spock. “The Farrezzi did not anticipate more advanced technologies. The power the Enterprise can generate would be enough to create distortions not only in subspace, but in normal space as well. Possibly even projecting into other realities. Fascinating.”
“What about the overload? We need to stop this!” Tra was frantic.
“Correct, Crewman.” Spock consulted his tricorder. “Additional ships have activated their warp drives, overtaxing the system—the two ships we detected in orbit. This system will overload in four minutes. We must stop it or the Community of the Children of Farrezz will no longer have a world.”
The lights flickered back on, but dimmer than before, making it hard to see. Kirk pushed himself up off the deck—and suddenly felt no resistance. The artificial gravity was out.
Kirk needed to remember to push gently to propel himself. He spun slowly toward what his brain was telling him was up, but now was just a surface like any other.
“Everybody okay?” he shouted.
“Aye, sir,” came the somewhat strained reply from Giotto.
Kirk called out, “Chekov?”
“Yes, sir,” said the ensign, sounding as though he was halfway across the command center.
The Farrezzi had fared better, their many limbs proving to be an advantage, but they were scared. Horr-Sav-Frerin had pulled itself into a ball, eyestalks retracted, two thin appendages wrapped around a pole to keep itself from floating away.
The captain instinctively hooked his foot on the ring that connected the computer display to the support poles. He pulled himself “down” along the pole, so he could take in the HUD. He needed to find out what had hit them. It turned out to be a swarm of Farrezzi satellites, floating outside. “Mister Chekov, you hit the wrong ship!”
“With only some of them,” replied the ensign matter-of-factly. “Look, Captain!” He pointed at the heads-up display.
The viewer showed the slaver transport, bombarded by a swarm of satellites.