Perry's Planet by Jack C. Haldeman

Author:Jack C. Haldeman [Haldeman, Jack C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780553135800
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 1980-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Ship’s Log, Lieutenant Commander Scott Recording, Stardate 6845.3:

The situation remains critical. There seems to be nothing we can do but maintain a defensive posture. Even that is limited by the failing dilithium crystals. It is no longer possible even to leave or change orbit while maintaining the shields at the necessary level. As long as the Klingons continue their sporadic firing, we are helpless.

In addition, contact has been lost with Lieutenant Uhura. According to reports from the planet’s surface, Dr. Davis is also missing. Since she was not issued a communicator, she cannot be traced from the ship.

An attempt has been made to jury-rig the phaser controls so that they could be triggered without conscious thought. It was a miserable failure and cost us considerable time.

Our position is deteriorating rapidly. We are running out of options.

Scotty’s burly frame filled the Captain’s chair. He felt as uncomfortable as he looked. With all his heart and soul he wished that Kirk was in the chair and he was back in his familiar engine room.

He’d never wanted command, but had accepted it willingly when it was forced upon him. There had been other times when he had found himself in command of the ship, and he had been trained for it, but this was different. Now he had no control over the situation, was unable to do what every fiber in his body screamed to do—fight.

He tapped the intercom open. “Bridge to Engineerin’.”

“Nason here, sir.”

“Give me an update on the crystals.”

“Not good, sir. We’re approaching the decay point. It will go rapidly downhill from there.”

“I suppose you’ve tried a shunt from the auxiliary patch board?”

“Yes, sir. As you would expect, we got nothing. The delta figures are getting smaller.”

“A time estimate?”

“Roughly an hour, maybe two. The decay factor is unpredictable until it starts. I’ll have a better idea in about twenty minutes.”

“Carry on, Nason. Let me have the revised estimate when you get it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bridge out.”

Scotty resisted the urge to head back to Engineering. Although it was irrational, he couldn’t help thinking that his mere presence would help things. He’d squeeze the extra ergs out of the crystals with his bare hands if it was possible. Nason was a good man, he was undoubtedly doing everything that could be done. There was nothing Scotty could do back there that would help. Frustration overwhelmed him.

The Klingon ship hung in the viewscreen, the planet’s mottled surface below it. Scotty clenched his teeth, wondering how Korol would savor the victory when it came.

Korol was a renegade. By swearing the blood oath against Kirk and blatantly attacking the Enterprise, he had violated the Organian Peace Treaty. The Klingon High Command officially disavowed responsibility for his actions. He was branded an outlaw, acting on his own.

Unofficially, of course, it was quite a different story. The High Command would have no regrets if Korol was to rid them of the troublesome Kirk. The sensor-penetrating device on his ship was a one-of-a-kind prototype. If it continued to work successfully, it would be incorporated into all Klingon warships.

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