The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [39]
But Vigo wasnt going to complain. He was a Pandrilite. He had been given an assignment and he would carry it out.
Suddenly, the weapons officer saw something move into the tube from a perpendicular passageway far down the line. At first, he thought it was one of his fellow crewmen, on his way to an assignment much like his own.
Then he realized that it wasnt a crewman. It wasnt even humanoid. It was the kind of life-form one might have seen at the bottom of an alien ocean, slithering out from under a rock to snatch unsuspecting sea creatures with its long, dark tentacles.
As Vigo watched, anxious and fascinated at the same time, the thing pulled itself along the tube with chilling efficiency. His hand darted to his hip instinctively, but he wasnt wearing a phaser.
What is that? Pernell asked, his voice thick with consternation.
The Pandrilite shook his head, his eyes glued to the tentacled monstrosity. I dont know. I
Before he could finish his sentence, before he could even think about getting out of the Jefferies tube and calling for security, the thing began to change. Right before his eyes, its tentacles grew shorter and the mass at its core lengthened, until it wasnt nearly as horrific.
In a matter of seconds, it became the kind of figure Vigo had expected all along a black set of work togs accommodating two arms and two legs andin this casea head full of fiery red hair.
Bloody hell, Pernell whispered, his skin pale and slick with perspiration. Its the Kelvan .
The Pandrilite nodded. It was the Kelvan. And now that he thought about it, he had been warned that Jomar might return to his original shape on occasion. He just hadnt been prepared for what that shape might be.
The Kelvan continued to make his way toward Vigo and Pernell, though he seemed somewhat less adept at maneuvering a human body through the tube. Finally, he got close enough to speak with them.
Any problems? Jomar asked.
None so far, the weapons officer managed.
Good, said the Kelvan.
Apparently, he was just checking up on them. No doubt, he meant to do that with the other retrofit teams as well.
Do not let me keep you, Jomar added.
Then he made his way back down the tube. Eventually, he came to another perpendicular passageway and vanished into it. Vigo was glad the Kelvan had opted to retain his human form until he was out of sight.
What a nasty thing he is, Pernell observed.
The weapons officer looked at him. Hes our ally, remember?
But deep down inside, Vigo had to admit, where his instincts were stronger than his intellect, he thought of Jomar exactly the same way.
As Stephen Leach negotiated the long, subtle curve of the corridor, casting blue shadows in the light of the overheads, he felt as if he were finally making some progress.
For months, ever since the Stargazer left Earths solar system, the first officer had been forced to take a backseat to Commander Picard when it came to the important assignments around the shipassignments that required knowledge and leadership and experience.
And there was no one but Picard to blame for it. The second officer had a way of ingratiating himself to Captain Ruhalter that Leach couldnt seem to get the hang of.
Things had been different on the Merced . Leach had been the fair-haired boy there, a second officer who could do no wrong. He had had the kind of relationship with Captain Osborne that sons have with their fathers, and only then if theyre very lucky.
If not for Picard, he might have had the same kind of relationship with Captain Ruhalter. No not might have, Leach assured himself. Would have, without question.
But right from the beginning, Picard had upstaged and undermined and sabotaged the first officer, to the point where Ruhalter didnt seem to feel he could trust Leachs instinctsand instincts were more important to the captain than anything else.