Star Trek_ A Choice of Catastrophes - Michael Schuster [19]
“Indeed, Mister Scott. Once our aerial survey comes to an end, you may proceed.”
Scott leaned back to sit on the deck, against the aft wall of the shuttle. “Mister Spock, shouldn’t we be helping find Yüksel?” His face distorted in a portrayal of what could only be termed exasperation. “The poor lad is out there somewhere.”
“The captain has ordered us to continue our survey for now. There is little that a second shuttlecraft could do that the first cannot.”
Scotty nodded and began looking at his tricorder readouts once more. Spock recognized that he was not entirely satisfied, but knew better than to press the issue. He returned to the pilot’s seat to examine the surface beneath the Hofstadter. It was a large expanse of wooded land dotted with mountains that grew larger the farther the shuttle flew. Rivers cut patterns into the terrain, a flood plain of times long past, and they eventually converged into one wide torrent that rushed on toward a high cliff.
A light began bleeping on Kologwe’s controls. “Incoming transmission from the Columbus party, sir.”
“On speakers, please, Lieutenant.”
The voice of Captain Kirk crackled from the speakers. “Spock, do you read me?”
“Perfectly, Captain.”
“Do you know anything about this interference we’re starting to pick up?”
Spock checked his controls. There was indeed static in some of the scan results, though it was not pronounced enough to trip any alerts. “A negligible amount was reported by the initial probe of the planet, but I have only just detected the increase myself, Captain. Is it impeding the function of your tricorders?”
“A little. Could it be related to the distortions that Uhura reported?”
“Unknown, Captain.” Several minutes after Yüksel had sent his distress call, the landing parties had received a transmission from the Enterprise, indicating that it had encountered a spatial distortion, but would be continuing to Mu Arigulon at a slightly slower pace. “The data that the Enterprise sent were not comprehensive.”
“Raise them again.”
“Captain, do you want us to come and help you look for Yüksel?” broke in Scotty.
“Negative, Scotty. Right now I want to know more about this planet. And what happened to its inhabitants.”
“Understood, Captain,” said Spock. “I will contact you if we acquire further information.”
“Good. Be careful.”
Spock raised an eyebrow. It seemed an unnecessary reminder. “Of course, Captain. Hofstadter out.”
He readied a transmission to the Enterprise and sent it, but there was not an immediate response. If the level of subspace interference was higher near the starship’s position, there could be a time delay of up to six minutes. He returned his attention to the Hofstadter’s path.
The shuttle followed the river until it shot over the cliff edge, thundering down in a waterfall so high that when it arrived at the bottom it shattered into an all-enveloping mist. Ignoring the expressions of awe coming from the others, Spock took the shuttle in a slow descent down to the lowland, still following the river. The former inhabitants of Mu Arigulon V appeared to have needed or wanted access to water; they had constructed their population centers near bodies of water. This much the survey probe had established.
“Mister Spock,” Kologwe said, turning to him. Her normally smooth and expressionless features evidenced excitement, indiscernible to any but him. “I’m getting a reading here.”
“What kind of reading, Lieutenant?”
“There’s an energy source dead ahead of us. It’s weak, but definite.”
Spock was surprised to pick up an energy signature, after having spent the better part of half a day first in orbit and then in low-altitude flight with sensors constantly in active mode. “Intriguing. Well done, Lieutenant. We shall investigate.” Spock altered the Hofstadter’s course, simultaneously increasing speed.
Attempting to retrace the route Yüksel would have taken,