Star Trek: Some Assembly Required by Scott Ciencin;Dan Jolley; & Dan Jolley

Author:Scott Ciencin;Dan Jolley; & Dan Jolley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

CHAPTER

7

“At least it’s speaking in a language we can understand,” Bart said. “I’ve tried everything I know, but I can’t get anywhere with the alien language of its user’s manual.”

“Now all we have to do is get it to listen,” Carol said.

Soloman boldly approached the system. “Why did you need to establish an energy grid? What are you testing?”

The machine’s only response was a burst of violet energies, a swirling matrix of light that nearly blinded everyone looking its way.

Covering her eyes, Carol growled, “Give me the instructions for the Archimedes. We need to get a distress signal out to Starfleet now.”

Soloman hastily prepared all the data she would need.

“You may want to consider going with it,” Bart said.

Carol’s nostrils flared in fury. “Because I’m no use here? Or because—”

Bart didn’t have time for this. Something about this mission was causing Carol to allow her personal issues to cloud her judgment. He turned from her. “Silveris, I think you should go, too, and report to your president that as wide a planetary evacuation as possible should not only be planned, but placed immediately in operation.”

“Such measures are under way,” Silveris said. “That is why the president was unable to meet with you.”

“Again, information that would have been useful before we were summoned to a deathtrap masquerading as a tea party!” Carol fumed.

“Quite enough,” Bart said. “Carol—go.”

* * *

Silveris accompanied Carol as she left the lab. She saw Bart poring over the alien user’s manual with Harland and Soloman looking into the blinding light of the computer, as if considering another attempt to interface with it. Then she was being hurried toward the rail station and she quickly took a seat.

“We have very few ships for evacuation,” Silveris said. “By going with your shuttlecraft and ensuring that the distress call is sent from orbit and received by Starfleet, you will indeed be performing a valuable role in helping to save our people. I thank you.”

Carol suddenly felt ashamed for her behavior. Here was a being facing the possibility of death and the destruction of his world, and his priority was to make sure that she did not feel sad or useless. It was just . . . Well, the very idea of a race totally without guile had been unsettling to her. From the moment she had been able to speak, she had always tried to extrapolate every possible meaning behind every word and gesture she observed. She had always believed that beings such as these could not exist.

Her time among the stars, however, had taught her that all things were possible.

Carol smiled at Silveris. “No,” she said. “I thank you.”

Suddenly, another tremor shook the rails of her shuttle. Several Keorgans cried out in surprise and alarm. Before she was even fully aware of what was happening, the rail ahead split apart and her shuttle was sent careening into empty air. Carol felt her heart rise into her throat as she was tossed from her seat and the spires of the city stabbed toward the shuttle’s nearby windows.

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