Star Trek: Shatnerverse - 005 - Dark Victory by William Shatner & Judith Reeves-stevens & Garfield Reeves-stevens

Author:William Shatner & Judith Reeves-stevens & Garfield Reeves-stevens [Shatner, William & Reeves-stevens, Judith & Reeves-stevens, Garfield]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9780743411103
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2002-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

“She really is quite beautiful,” the EMH said.

For some reason, when the time had come for them to meet here, the EMH had taken form not in his duty outfit but in a dress uniform. The hologram looked like one of the guests in this reconstruction of the wedding.

Kirk wondered if the change of garb meant that it was somehow important to the EMH, an artificial being, to fit in.

“What do you know about beauty?” Kirk asked the hologram.

“Not a great deal, I’m afraid. But I know how much she means to you.

I was aware of all the changes in your heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure during our session with Dr. McCoy in sickbay. And I know that beauty is something that can have a powerful emotional effect on people. Since you presented all the physiological symptoms of someone experiencing emotional turmoil, and are doing so right now, it seems likely that her beauty is one of the reasons she has such an effect on you. And because of the strength of that effect,” the EMH concluded, “I believe that she really is quite beautiful. Am I correct?”

“Yes,” Kirk said. It was both a wonder and a concern to him that the computer-based intelligence programs of this era were becoming so capable of understandingand discussing-abstract concepts. Though there was much he would like to consider in the ramifications of those advances, he and the EMH were here on the holodeck to take action, not talk, if they were to save Teilani.

Suddenly, a section of the dark forest ringing the clearing brightened as the holodeck’s entrance arch materialized.

“Is that part of the forest?” the EMH asked, apprehensive.

Kirk began walking toward the arch. “It’s the holodeck entrance.”

Then Spock stepped through the arch. Like Kirk, he had changed into a Starfleet uniform. After the events in the Goldin Discontinuity, both had elected to maintain their reserve status with the fleet.

The EMH rushed past Kirk to the edge of the arch. “Is that … the ship?” he said as he peered past Spock.

In the corridor outside the holodeck, two crew members walked by the entrance opening. The EMH waved at them excitedly. “Lieutenant Strieber! Ensign Hopkins! It is I!

Your Emergency Medical Hologram!”

Kirk saw the lieutenant and the ensign hesitantly return the wave, obviously unused to being accosted by the hologram outside of sickbay.

“Computer, resume program,” Spock said.

The EMH stumbled backward, waving his arms as if to keep his balance as the arch disappeared and was replaced once again by the dark encircling forest of Chal.

“That was certainly exciting,” the hologram said breathlessly. “I’ve only ever seen the corridor outside sickbay. This one was different.

Wider. A slightly darker hue to the friction carpet. Did you notice?”

“Spock, can’t we do this on our own?” Kirk didn’t want to waste any more time with the EMH if he didn’t have to.

“By being present in the holodeck, the EMH will be a much more efficient interface to the imaging systems we require,” Spock said. He looked around the clearing.