Star Trek: The Lost Era: 2319: One Constant Star by David R. George III

Author:David R. George III
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Star Trek, Fiction
ISBN: 9781476750217
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2014-05-27T07:00:00+00:00

2308

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Excelsior

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6

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Captain Hikaru Sulu exited the starboard turbolift and walked onto the bridge of Excelsior. That late at night, at the beginning of gamma shift, the lighting had dimmed as part of the simulated circadian cycle aboard ship. The dusky setting matched Sulu’s mood: his fatigue left him bleary-eyed. He found great satisfaction in the crew’s current exploratory mission out on the frontier, but it had been months—Nearly a year, he thought—since the ship had visited a starbase. No matter the activities and amenities aboard Excelsior, no matter the participation in an occasional landing party, it sometimes became emotionally imperative for the crew to get off the ship specifically for rest and recreation.

As Sulu crossed the bridge to the command chair, he glanced over at the main viewscreen. He expected to see some particularly beautiful M-class world composed of blue skies, green continents, and white clouds, or a spectacularly ringed planet, or maybe even something completely new to him; although still in his first year aboard ship, Gallin Ressix had served on Excelsior long enough to know what qualified as unusual when viewed through the prism of the captain’s long experience in Starfleet. Instead of some marvelous or strange astronomical sight, though, the curve of a beclouded, nondescript planet filled the bottom half of the viewer. “Lieutenant,” Sulu said as he reached the command chair, “this better be interesting enough to keep your captain from a good night’s sleep.” Sulu had been in his quarters, about to climb into bed, when Ressix had contacted him; he’d had to put his uniform back on before going up to the bridge.

The young Bolian officer stood up from the command chair. “Begging the captain’s pardon,” Ressix said, “but what would a virile man like you need with sleep?”

Sulu maintained a steady expression, but he felt like both smiling and wincing at the jest. He felt good, both physically and mentally, but, more than a year removed from his seventieth birthday, he had to admit that he had slowed down some. “Bucking for promotion again already, Mister Ressix?” he said. “You just made lieutenant last month.”

“Somebody has to be ready to step in when the captain’s asleep.”

Sulu offered Ressix a curt nod and a smile that touched only half his mouth. “Do you know what else happens when the captain sleeps?” he asked. “All over the ship, refreshers are cleaned.” Ressix responded with a knowing smile that suggested he enjoyed the byplay, even when it turned at his own expense. Sulu appreciated the young man’s sense of humor, with which he walked the line between acerbic insouciance and outright insubordination—a delicate balance, even for seasoned veterans.

The captain also saw a great deal of potential in the junior-grade lieutenant, who, like Sulu, had chosen in his nascent starship career the position of helm officer; also like Sulu, he’d elected to do so as a member of the command division. Ressix typically piloted Excelsior during gamma shift, but when

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