The Star Trek: The Original Series: The Rings of Taute by Dean Wesley Smith

Author:Dean Wesley Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery
Published: 2000-09-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

THE EMERGENCY BACKUP SYSTEMS had kicked in.

Captain Bogle liked the darkness. It reinforced the sense of urgency, and his crew always worked well when things were tough. He had diverted the main power to the shields in the last skirmish with the Klingons, but even that was failing.

The red-alert lights were blinking in the background, bathing the bridge in rotating red. The eerie color made his officers look as if they were bleeding, something that no one seemed to notice but him.

Bogle would have disconnected the red-alert lights if he could have.

But he couldn’t. It seemed they were as essential to a starship as air.

On the screen before him the remaining operational Klingon ship hung silent and deadly, its green looking sick and pale against the livid red of the bridge.

“Our shields are at forty percent,” Science Officer Lee said. “Not enough to withstand the coming subspace wave.”

Bogle clenched his fists. The Klingons had targeted his shields. They had recognized that weakness and had gone for it. If he couldn’t get more power to the shields, the Klingons would succeed in destroying the Farragut.

“How long do we have?” Bogle demanded.

“Two minutes,” Lee said.

Bogle punched his intercom button to get his chief of engineering. “Projeff, we need more power to the shields.”

“I’ve already diverted everything I can think of.” Bogle could tell from Pro’s voice that he knew the importance of the problem.

“Well, divert everything else. Including the damn red-alert lights.”

“Aye, sir.” Bogle thought he heard a chuckle in Projeff’s voice. Pro knew how much Bogle hated those lights.

“Good,” Bogle said. “Bogle out.”

Four members of his bridge crew were attempting to divert power as well. Those shields were crucial, especially since the wave strength was increasing for reasons none of them could yet figure out.

And, beneath it all, he was worried that the Klingons would attack again just as the wave hit, when the Farragut would be at her most vulnerable.

Bogle swiveled his chair.

Lee was hunched over his science console, monitoring everything. He didn’t know what he’d do without Lee.

“What’s the status of the Enterprise?” Bogle asked.

“They seem to have taken very little damage,” Lee said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Bogle shook his head, too. He didn’t know how Kirk managed it. If Bogle were to lay odds, he would guess that Kirk would be the only officer in the fleet to retire without losing a ship. If he didn’t get tossed out first for breaking rules.

The red-alert lights shut off, leaving the bridge in near darkness. Bogle blinked, grinning to himself. Nice going, Projeff.

“Sir,” Gustavus said, “the Enterprise is hailing us.”

“And sir,” Lee said, “that Klingon ship off our bow is powering up.”

“Wonderful,” Bogle said. Just as he had predicted. The Klingons would attack when the wave hit. He hoped Pro repaired those shields in time. “Put the Enterprise on screen.”

The screen flickered and then an image filled it. Bogle resisted the urge to rub his eyes. The Klingon commander stood beside Kirk, looking as at ease on the bridge of the Enterprise as her own captain did.

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