The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [74]
Abruptly, as if fate were intent on being cruel to him, he heard a beeping sound. Envisioning an emergency, he swung his legs out of bed and returned to his anteroom.
Come, he said.
The doors to his quarters slid apart, revealing Lieutenant Vigo. The Pandrilite entered the room a little tentatively.
What is it? Picard asked wearily.
I have some news for you, sir. Vigo looked apologetic. News you are not going to like.
Picard ran his ringers through his hair. Go ahead.
Remember the shuttle that exploded prematurely? When we were trying to liberate the colony?
The second officer nodded. Of course.
At the time, said the Pandrilite, it appeared to be an accident. But just a little while ago, one of the Magnian engineers came across some evidence that indicates otherwise.
Youre saying it was sabotage? Picard asked.
Judge for yourself, sir, Vigo told him.
Crossing to the second officers workstation, he brought up a red and blue diagram of a secondary command junction. This is one of the switching points from my bridge console to the remote control node. During the battle, all my signals to the shuttles passed through it.
All right, said Picard.
Take a close look, Vigo advised. What do you see?
The second officer did as the Pandrilite suggested. After a moment, he realized what Vigo was talking about The junction had been modifiedpurposely, it appeared.
A second data line had been spliced in, allowing the command junction to simultaneously accommodate two completely separate sets of signals. And since the first signal would go through unhindered, the change wouldnt show up on a routine diagnostic.
If someone had wished, they could have taken advantage of this situation to blow up one of the Stargazers shuttles without warning. In fact, they could have blown up all the shuttles.
Picard looked at the acting weapons chief. It seems we have a saboteur on our hands.
That was my conclusion too, sir.
Do you have any idea who it might be? the second officer asked.
Vigo shook his hairless, blue head. No, sir. However, I believe there are ways to find out.
See that you pursue them, Picard told him. However, you must do so without letting anyone know what youre doing. We need to keep this privileged information for the time being.
Yes, sir, said the weapons officer, and left the room with a laudable sense of urgency.
Picard watched the doors to his quarters slide closed, leaving him alone again. Dropping into a chair, he heaved a sigh.
Just when he thought the dawn might be in sight, the shadowy figure of a saboteur had appeared on the horizon.
He needed to think this through, he told himself. But he was too fatigued to do so on his own. Looking up at the intercom grid in the ceiling, he called upon the one man he felt he could trust implicitly.
Mr. Ben Zoma, he said, this is Commander Picard.
Ben Zoma here, came the reply.
Meet me in my quarters, the second officer told him. Ive learned something you may find interesting.
Gilaad Ben Zoma sat back in his chair and considered the problem with which his friend had presented him.
Finally, he spoke. There were only two unknown quantities on the ship when we came up with the notion of using shuttles as tactical weapons. One of them was Jomar. The other was Serenity Santana.
Ms. Santana was unconscious, Picard reminded him.
The second officer was seated on the other side of his quarters anteroom, a cup of hot tea resting on a table beside him. He looked as if he would much rather have gone to bed than begun unraveling a mystery.
True, Ben Zoma conceded. But do you remember what you told me about her brain activity? How it remained elevated even when she was unconscious? For all we know, she could have been manipulating someone in order to sabotage that shuttle.
The second officer tilted his head. You mean one of us?
A crewman, Ben Zoma suggested. You, me anyone, really. They might not even have a recollection of having helped her.
On the other hand, said Picard, Santana has already admitted her treachery regarding the ambush.