Fiction: Star Trek: Darkness Visible, Part 8

Previously on A Mind Occasionally Voyaging…

“We’re too late,” M’Benga said.

“Saavik, how bad is it?” Jim Kirk asked.

“Impossible to say at this distance,” she answered. “I am detecting neither a warp core signature nor impulse emissions, suggesting that main and auxiliary power are both down.”

“Does Enterprise have weapons?” Kirk asked.

“Minimal power readings from forward phaser banks. No weapons lock. At best, they have minimal phaser capability.”

“There’s got to be something we can do,” David said.

“Should I try to raise Enterprise?” Terrell asked, rubbing the side of his head.

“Any sign Reliant has seen us yet?” Kirk asked Saavik.

“We wouldn’t be here if they did,” McCoy said, wryly.

“Stand by, Captain,” Kirk said. He thought for a moment and gestured Saavik, McCoy and M’Benga aside.

“Doctor,” he said, “You said Khan is from the twentieth century, right? How is he flying a starship?”

“He’s extremely intelligent. Photographic memory, absolutely brilliant strategist.” M’Benga glanced away for a moment, remembering. “Twenty years ago, before we realized who he was, he had access to the ship’s computer. Within a few hours he had picked up enough to take control of key systems. I’m sure he’s spent decades going over what he learned in that time.”

“How?” Kirk asked.

“He was able to identify a key system interconnect and physically destroyed it. Just smashed it to pieces with his bare hands. It isolated primary control systems so that he could bypass security lockouts on life support.”

“Physically…” Kirk thought. “So his knowledge of our systems is twenty years out of date, and he’s got a twentieth-century mindset. So it’s possible… Saavik, punch up the data charts for Reliant’s command console.”

“Reliant’s command?” she asked.

“Hurry.” Kirk stepped back. “Captain Terrell, get ready to contact Enterprise. They’re only going to get one shot at this, the timing is going to be hard.”

“Harder than you think, I’m afraid,” Terrell said. Kirk turned to see the phaser. Then motion to his other side as Ortegas stood, her own phaser drawn, covering all six of the others. Past her, on the viewscreen, Reliant had turned to face them.

“Erica?” M’Benga asked.

“Sorry Joseph,” she said.

Terrell reached back with his free hand and activated the communications system. “Do you have the coordinates, your excellency?” he asked.

“I have indeed, Captain. You have done well.”

Kirk’s eyes flicked to the side at the whine of a transporter. The genesis device dissolved in a blue glow.

“You can’t! You son of a bitch!” David shouted. He leapt toward Terrell. The captain’s phaser fired. Kirk instinctively moved to put himself between them.

Jeddah did as well. He was faster. Only the first hint of his scream was audible as his body burned out of existence. David crumpled with a whimper.

“Please, don’t move,” Terrell said. He rubbed the side of his head again. His phaser remained raised, but his hand trembled. “We await your commands, excellency.”

“Kill the others,” said Khan. “All of them.”

Terrell hesitated. “Sir… it is difficult.”

“Kill them, Terrell. Now.”

The tremble had become a full shake. “I try to obey, but…”

Terrell thrust his phaser toward Kirk, a look of wild desperation on his face. He strained, as though the weapon was fighting him. He mouthed a silent, “I’m sorry,” and before anyone could stop him, he put the phaser to his own head and pulled the trigger.

Kirk reacted on instinct, swinging to his side in the hope of catching Ortegas off-guard. The blow didn’t connect, but it didn’t need to. She dropped her own phaser and was clutching the sides of her head. She fell to the deck, screaming. Kirk took her fallen phaser while M’Benga crouched beside her scanning with his tricorder. “I don’t understand this, I’m not reading anything, but…”

A rivulet of blood ran down from her ear. A moment later, two long structures emerged, something between mandibles and antennae. The rest of the creature wriggled free, something alien and threatening, almost like an armored slug. “The hell?” M’Benga asked.

Reflexively sickened, Kirk vaporized it. Saavik moved to the flight control panel Ortegas has abandoned. “Captain, Reliant is locking weapons.”

There was no time for restraint or even sympathy. Kirk shook Ortegas violently. “Commander! Erica!”

She stirred, glazed. “Prefix code!” Kirk demanded. “Reliant’s prefix code. Now, or we’re all dead.”

---

“Reliant is closing on the shuttle,” La’an said.

“Dammit, Jim,” Sam said. “Always with the heroics.”

“Xon, where’s those phasers?” Pike demanded. “Sulu, get us between them.”

“Nearly there, sir,” Xon said.

“Trouble maneuvering, sir,” Sulu said. “I still don’t have auxiliary power.”

Sam tapped a control. “Engineering, we’re out of time.”

“We’re still overheating,” answered the voice on the intercom. “Energizer’s bypassed like a Christmas tree. If I bring the mains back on-line, I can get you a few seconds of power, but it won’t hold.”

“Standby,” Pike ordered. “Uhura, get me Reliant.”

“Channel open, Admiral.”

“Khan!” Pike shouted. “This is between you and me. They don’t have anything to do with it.”

There was no response. “Reliant is powering weapons.”

“Xon?” Pike asked.

“Phasers ready,” Xon warned, “But we cannot penetrate their shields.”

“Lock on their main reactor. Maybe we can distract them.”

Sam asked, “Can we beam them aboard?”

Xon shook his head. “Plasma leaks on deck seven are interfering with transporter operations.”

“Sulu,” Sam said, “Can you line us up to give them a straight shot to the shuttle bay without exposing them to Reliant?”

“I’ll try, sir,” Sulu answered. He looked to Pike. “That will put key areas in the line of fire, including the bridge.”

“Do it,” Pike said. “And stand by warp. Get in. Get them. Get out.”