Three - Michael Jan Friedman [20]
[55] Or so the captain thought until his transporter operator spoke up again.
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” said Refsland. “One of them is standing right here in front of me.”
Picard leaned back in his chair. This had now gone beyond the parameters of a joke. Clearly, the man was trying to get his goat, for no reason the captain could discern.
But he still had to investigate Refsland’s report. It was his duty as commanding officer of the Stargazer, regardless of how much he doubted his source’s veracity.
“Security,” he said.
“Joseph here,” came the response.
“Go to Transporter Room One,” Picard told him, “and tell me whom you see there.”
It took a few minutes for the security chief to make his way to his appointed destination. In the meantime, the captain drummed his fingers on his armrest.
Finally, Joseph said, “I’m here, sir.”
“Mr. Refsland is present?” Picard asked.
“He is, sir.”
“Is there anyone else in the room with him?”
“There is,” Joseph confirmed.
“Who is it?”
A pause. “I’m not exactly sure, sir.”
The captain couldn’t believe it. “You’re not sure?”
“No, sir. It’s either Idun or Gerda. But they look so much alike, I can’t say which one it is.”
Idun and Gerda exchanged looks of surprise and mistrust. Picard didn’t blame them.
“Lieutenant,” he said, “please escort that individual to the brig.”
[56] “Sir?” said Joseph.
“You heard me,” the captain insisted. “To the brig.”
“Aye, sir,” the security chief responded. But it was clear he didn’t think much of the idea.
Picard turned to Ben Zoma, who looked every bit as confused as the captain did. “Number One,” said Picard, “you’ve got the bridge. I’m going to see what this is all about.”
“I can’t wait to hear the explanation,” said Ben Zoma.
Neither can I, thought the captain, as he made his way aft to the turbolift.
Wutor Qiyuntor was less than a light-year from the Erechek Riheyn system and the Balduk orbital stronghold circling its fourth planet when he received a message from one of the overseers of the Middle Order.
“Abort your current mission,” said the overseer, a female who was surprisingly handsome for her advanced age and station, “and head for the following coordinates.”
Wutor eyed the data as it came through in a band at the bottom of the bridge’s concave screen. It described a point in the recently annexed area beyond the binary star Jopter Kej.
“You will find a hole in space there,” the overseer continued, “and an energetic hole at that. As you know, such things often attract the attention of our enemies. But the phenomenon is in Balduk territory.”
“And Balduk territory must remain inviolate,” Wutor said, making the ritual reply.
Even though the overseer couldn’t hear it, his bridge crew could. Commanders had been relieved of their [57] ships for less serious infractions than failing to comply with the ritual. On the Ssakojhin, he wouldn’t have worried about it. But here on the Ekhonarid, he didn’t know if he could trust his officers to keep their tongues still.
“Guard the phenomenon until a High Order squadron can arrive,” said the overseer. “At that point, you will go to Erechek Riheyn and carry out your duties there.”
Wutor cursed silently. The overseer’s words cut, and cut deeply. Had a High Order squadron been as close to the phenomenon as Wutor’s was, she would never have thought to contact him. After all, he had already demonstrated his inadequacy in battle.
“That is all,” said the overseer. “Guard and defend.”
“Guard and defend,” the commander said in return. Then he glanced at his protocol officer. “Send a message back to the Overseer confirming that we received her orders.”
“As you wish,” growled the officer, a stocky male with a scar down the side of his face.
Next, Wutor turned to Jeglen. “You have the coordinates,” he said. “Set a course and follow it.”
“Done,” said the pilot, and got to work.
Wutor turned to his screen, where he could see the stars wheeling from left to right. They didn’t stop until Jopter Kej was in the center of the screen.
Somewhere in the depths of Balduk