Enigma Ship by J. York (small books to read .TXT) 📕

formation lights on the Augmented Personnel Module, still standing vigil at the gates to Enigma, but otherwise, the sky seemed empty.

He held up his hand near the force field, feeling the tingle of energy, and perhaps only imagining he could feel the bite of bitter cold.

He heard a footstep behind him. Some senses, at least, were still trustworthy.

“Come to lecture me, Corsi?”

The security chief stepped up beside him, and looked out into the star-flecked darkness. “Not at all, Captain. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind some company.”

He said nothing, and neither did she. Finally, after several minutes, she broke the silence. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Knowing what orders to give, what decisions to make?”

“It’s very hard. Especially when people’s lives are on the line, and people’s lives are always on the line. There’s never enough time, never enough information, never enough certainty.”

He shrugged toward the flashing lights of the module. “He’s back out there. Soloman. He asked to go back out and wait, and I gave permission.”

He paused to see if Corsi had anything to say. She remained silent.

“Sometimes,” he continued, “you just have to trust people, that they’ll do the right thing, that they’ll make things work. When you have a good crew, that’s the best thing you can do. Just don’t get in their way.”

Corsi chuckled slightly. It was a startling sound coming from her. “You think I need to learn not to do that, don’t you sir?”

“You should let them run, Corsi. The trick is, you shouldn’t let them run too far.”

“Is that what happened this time, sir?”

He smiled sadly. “That’s the hardest part about making decisions, Corsi. Sometimes, you make the wrong ones. But you can never be certain until it’s all over.”

“And now?”

“Now, we see what happens.”

*     *     *

Captain Vince Newport, exhausted and vaguely troubled, stepped through the doors into his quarters. It was dark inside.

“Lights,” he said, and took two more steps before realizing nothing had happened.

“Lights,” he said again, more forcefully this time.

“Lights,” said another voice, “reduced intensity.”

The lights brightened slowly to a soft glow, revealing a woman sitting on the couch under the windows. He recognized Commander Gomez, casually holding a phaser on him. She smiled at his look of surprise.

“I believe,” he said stiffly, “I sent you to the brig.”

“We didn’t like it there, Captain, and we simply don’t stay where we don’t want to stay.” She shrugged. “We’re very resourceful people. It’s a job qualification for our line of work.”

“You are Section 31. I knew it.”

Her smile faded. “You don’t know anything, Captain, and if you do know anything, you should forget it.” Her voice was harsh. “Who we are is on a need-to-know basis, and frankly, you just don’t need to know.” She looked down at the phaser. “I’m sorry about this, Captain, I just wanted to make sure we had time to talk uninterrupted. Do I have your word, as a Starfleet officer, that you’ll hear me out?”

“My word,” said Newport. “You have it.”

Gomez lowered the phaser, placing it on the cushion next to her, still within easy reach. “Be assured, Captain, our interests in the current situation are the same. We work for the security of the Federation, and that security is threatened.”

Newport nodded, as she continued.

“As you suspected, your ship has been under a subtle kind of attack, and it all centers on the Enigma object.”

He chuckled. “You’re not going to tell me we’re still trapped inside again, are you?”

“No, of course not. We were testing you. Your resolve. How easy it is to deceive you. You passed, Captain, which is very, very good, because we need you right now. The landing party you returned to the Chinook were not the same personnel that left that ship. They were alien imposters, and it is vital we get them into custody and onto this ship before they have a chance to act.”

Newport’s eagerness quivered in his voice. “The Chinook is at Starbase 12. We could be there in just over a day.”

She laughed. “That will be too late, Captain. But I did say we were resourceful. Perhaps you’re wondering where my comrades are? They’re covertly making certain modifications to your deflector dish and warp drive. These modifications would be much easier with your cooperation.”

“What kind of modifications?” He licked his lips, and Gomez suppressed a triumphant grin. She had been right.

“The hand-held device we arrived with, you saw it?”

“You said it was a magnetic probe.”

“Yet it doesn’t look like any magnetic probe in your database, does it?” She rose in a single swift motion, retrieving her phaser and holding it lightly at her side. She wouldn’t need it, but it was part of her masquerade. “It looks just enough like one to obscure its real purpose. It’s a warp slipstream overdrive module, secret technology obtained from salvage of an experimental Jem’Hadar strike ship. With it, the Lincoln can reach Starbase 12 in less than three hours. Once there, it will be up to you to arrange for the transfer of the false personnel to your ship. I’m confident you can handle the assignment.”

Newport squared his shoulders, pleased with her endorsement.

“They shouldn’t give us any trouble,” she said. “They can’t without exposing themselves.”

“You need my help.”

“The Federation needs your help, Captain, and your pledge of secrecy. Can we count on you?”

A smile crept across Newport’s face. “You bet you can. I’ll talk to my chief engineer, arrange full cooperation.”

“Thank you, Captain Newport.” Gomez started for the door, anxious to make her escape.

“What should I do next?” Newport asked.

She turned back, her expression serious. “Make your call to the chief engineer, then go to the bridge and set course for Starbase 12. Have your conn officer engage at warp six-point-seven. By then, the first modifications to your warp drive should be complete, and that will get us there in plenty of time.” She grinned. “Then you can find out just how fast your ship can go. I think it will exceed all your expectations.”

*     *     *

Gomez looked out an