The Last Roundup (Star Trek: The Original Series) by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden [Golden, Christie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek
Published: 2002-07-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

“Dilithium crystals,” was the first thing Scott said to Kirk, Chekov, Alex, Julius and Skalli as they entered the secured “debriefing room.” “What about them?”

“Think for just a moment about how important they are,” Scott said, obviously savoring his knowledge even though his face was pale.

“Oooh!” Skalli waved her hand as if she were still in class at the Academy. Kirk winced. For all her staggering intelligence, she was still such a youngster. Such a Huanni youngster. “I know!” She cleared her throat and began to recite, word for word, information that had been printed in the Academy textbook on the subject. “Dilithium is a crystalline substance used in every warp propulsion system on every known type of starship. Its unique composition regulates the matter/antimatter reactions that provide the necessary energy to warp space and therefore travel faster than light. Dilithium in its natural state is extremely rare and is found on only a few planets. In 2286, Captain Spock traveled back in time and discovered a means of recrystalizing dilithium by exposing it to gamma radiation, but this technology is still in its infancy. The purer the form of naturally occurring dilithium, the more valuable it is because it will require less processing in order to render it usable. It will also last much longer than lower-grade dilithium because—”

“Thank you, Skalli, that will suffice,” Kirk said. Skalli settled back in her chair, her ears flapping gently with satisfaction.

“The short version is,” Scott said, “without dilithium to power our ships, the entire quadrant would slow to a grinding halt. Under those circumstances, he who has dilithium would be lord of all he surveys.”

“So you’re saying that the Falorians have found a way to destroy the present deposits of dilithium?”

“Not destroy, exactly. We’ve had a look-see at the nanotechnology they’ve developed, and judging by our computer simulations, the Falorians have concocted a nasty virus that will render dilithium crystals inert by altering their molecular structure. They’ll be just as pretty to look at, but they’ll no longer be suitable for regulating matter/antimatter reactions.”

“And from the sound of it,” Chekov said tiredly, “those Falorians have planted this virus everywhere.”

“How stable is the virus?”

“Unfortunately for us, very stable,” Scott growled. “It’s smaller than a dust mote and can adhere to skin, clothing, damn near anything. So you’ll be taking it with you when you go to check on your dilithium crystals.”

“Or when the miners go into the dilithium mines,” Kirk said, the memory of his own recent visit to Rura Penthe still quite vivid.

“Like I said,” Chekov said, “it’s everywhere.”

“At least it’s not weapons,” Alex said. Everyone stared at him. “I mean, we were thinking that the Falorians were going to start a war or something. We thought millions of people might die.”

“They may not die initially,” Kirk said, “but when it’s learned that every starship, every major mining colony, every hunk of dilithium is now not worth a damn, then there’ll be violence, all right. A hell of a lot of it.

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