This choice: Continue reading "Double Double" • Go Back...Chapter #43Double Double (18) by: Seuzz   Chapter 18
CAPTAIN'S LOG, STARDATE 4948.7
The Enterprise has begun its transit of the sector containing Outpost Four, bringing us to our closest approach to the Neutral Zone. We have been in only brief contact with the outpost staff, exchanging the kind of cordial greetings a starship and outpost would normally exchange. By coded message, however, Outpost Four has kept us apprised of the disposition of the Romulan fleet and of the intruder, which continues to move at a steady pace on a steady course that will shortly bring it into Federation space. Meanwhile, the rest of their fleet continues to conduct maneuvers suggesting a search pattern over an increasingly large volume of space.
It is almost as though they are searching for their cloaked comrade.
"Update from Outpost Four, captain," Spock announced. "No change in the intruder's course or speed, but there has just been a single, very concentrated electronic signal from them, directed toward the rest of their fleet." He looked up from his viewer. "The Outpost is asking us to go to red alert."
"Request noted," Kirk replied. "Helm, maintain our course and speed."
Sulu, whose hands were hovering over the console, relaxed. "Aye, sir," he said.
It's a damned peculiar thing, Kirk thought. One of the Romulans' own ships cloaks and begins drifting casually across the Neutral Zone, while the others cruise in ever-widening circles in the volume where the first one had cloaked. The Outpost, in their last communication, had reported that the maneuvers had begun with an exchange of low-powered phaser and torpedo fire—standard war game practice—but that all such fire had ceased immediately after the one ship had cloaked.
If it was a fleet-action war game, why was the one ship simply drifting at low speed across a volatile military boundary? If it was the precursor to an armed incursion, why were the other ships circling haphazardly instead of marshaling into position?
Over the next hour the Enterprise, itself cruising at a deceptively lazy pace, passed Outpost Four (though, at nearest approach, she still missed it by several million kilometers) and seemingly dawdled on toward some other, much more distant destination. One more transmission from the Romulan ship was noted before it crossed into Federation space.
And it showed no change in speed or course, the Outpost reported.
Tension, which had peaked on the bridge of the Enterprise, slowly seeped away.
Then came a direct transmission from the Outpost. Kirk ordered it on screen.
Walton appeared, looking more drawn and haggard than the last time they had spoken. He must have found the strain of watching and waiting and wondering to be intolerable.
"Enterprise," he said, "I am being hailed by the commander of the Romulan fleet. He wishes urgently to talk."
"So talk to him."
"I have asked if he will also talk to you. He has agreed."
"Patch him through, then."
Some slight relief appeared on Walton's face as it faded, to be replaced on the viewscreen by that of a Romulan.
He wore the tunic of a Commander, and he had the arrow-head face of his race: broad forehead tapering to a narrow chin; a long nose; and eyebrows like twin daggers. His expression was impassive, but there was an unnatural rigidity to it. Kirk wondered if he was fighting to suppress some very strong emotion.
"I am Commander Teleb of the Imperial cruiser Brak'makh," he said. "I am urgently requesting the assistance of your Outpost, and of any Federation ships in the vicinity."
"This is James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise," Kirk replied. At his announcement, the other looked momentarily startled. "What is the nature of your emergency?"
"One of our ships has suffered a partial warp core breach. She is crippled and requires immediate assistance."
Kirk fought to keep his face clear of any emotion as he glanced at his science officer, who shook his head.
"Our scanners detect no core breach in any of your ships," Kirk replied. "Besides, to render assistance would require that we cross the Neutral Zone and enter Romulan space. Both of which would be a breach of interstellar agreement."
"The damaged ship is cloaked, Enterprise. She is adrift and is moving toward Federation space. If she has not crossed into it already, she will soon."
Kirk involuntarily sucked in his cheeks before forcing himself to relax again. This was getting more interesting, and not in ways that he particularly liked.
"This is a most serious situation, Commander," he said. "If she does enter Federation space, it will be your government that is in violation of interstellar agreement."
"It was an accident."
"Was it an accident that you were conducting your maneuvers so close to Federation space?"
"What is done is done, Captain Kirk." The commander now clearly wore an expression of agony. "In the interest of interstellar amity—"
"It was not interstellar amity that brought you to our border. But your request is moot. If your ship is cloaked, how are we supposed to be able to find it?"
"That is a question only you can answer."
Kirk held the commander's eye.
Then he said, "You are in communication with the ship. Can they not give you their position?"
"Contact is intermittent, their comms coils appear to be overloaded. If we are able to get their position, we will of course inform you."
Kirk compressed his lips.
"We will take your request under advisement. Until then— Keep the rest of your fleet on your side of the Neutral Zone. Enterprise out." He signaled Uhura to cut transmission.
"A core breach would explain much," Spock said. He had moved to Kirk's side.
"Too much. They want us to find their ship. It's a test of our capabilities."
"If we found it," Spock replied, "they surely know that we would try to keep it. At least long enough to gain intelligence on any new systems they have."
"Not with six other birds of prey just on the other side of the Neutral Zone. And if we did get that ship, we'd find it's been stripped of anything we don't already know about. No," Kirk said as he mulled it. "This is Romulan chess, and a fine example of it. If we find their ship, they confirm that we can penetrate their cloaks. If we don't, then they learn that. We, on the other hand—"
He caught himself, then wheeled back to Uhura. "Open a channel to the Romulans, Lieutenant.
"Commander," he said when the screen flared to life again. "Can you give us the location, heading and speed of the ship before it cloaked?"
"We can," the commander said doubtfully. "But the Ka'frah would have altered course and speed on cloaking herself. Any data we gave you would not be reliable."
"But you said she was about to enter Federation space, if she had not entered it already. Given that, and her initial vector, we can at least narrow down the search area."
The commander hesitated, then nodded.
When his image had faded again, Kirk had Uhura open a channel to the outpost. Briefly, he asked Commander Walton to advise Starbase Three of the Romulans' predicament, and of the Enterprise's decision to render what aid she could. "Though I doubt," he added in a seeming afterthought, "that we'll be able to find her." Walton indicated that he understood.
"Mr. Spock," Kirk then called over to the science station, where Spock was bent over his instruments. "How useful is the data the Romulan commander has given us?"
"It implies a very large search volume, but one that does encompass the cloaked vessel's actual position and direction."
"Interesting. Patch the information to Navigation. Mr. Chekhov, plot a search pattern within that volume that will brush us up against that vessel every time we make a transit. Mr. Spock, deploy standard search tools for a cloaked ship."
He straightened in his chair.
"Alright, let's get busy."
* * * * *
To continue investigating the room: "Disposing of Lucy"   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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