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

“Always is,” replied Gomez, pulling out her personal access data display.

Corsi’s reaction was different. She stopped and studied the captain, her eyes narrowed. He could see her mind working furiously.

Corsi wasn’t an engineer, far from it. Beyond fieldstripping a hand phaser in the dark, or setting a demolitions charge, she steered clear of technical subjects. If the current mission concerned her, she knew there was a threat involved, either to the ship, or the crew. Playing watchdog to a ship full of egghead engineers, often oblivious to their own safety, was her job. She took it very seriously.

Lense, Soloman, Blue, Abramowitz, and Stevens quickly followed and took their seats, Blue scuttling across the room and crawling onto her special chair at the far end of the table. Gold noticed Duffy bringing up the rear, a distracted frown on his face.

“Computer, display file Enigma on the main viewer.” A screen on the wall lit with the files entry screen, Scott’s image shifting to an inset in the upper-right-hand corner.

Gomez frowned as she looked over the file’s contents. “This is a search-and-rescue operation? I’d think there were better-equipped ships in the sector for that.”

Scott sighed. “Well now, that’s the rub. The U.S.S. Chinook is already on station, but they’re having no luck getting inside the bloody thing, or even figuring out what in blazes it is. Command has a vital relief mission for them across the sector, and they’re going to have to get under way in just a few hours.”

“More vital than a missing starship?” Gold asked.

“According to Starfleet Command, this is classified as a salvage operation where the Lincoln is concerned. We know the Lincoln struck what they’re calling a navigation hazard at sublight speed. The object is about a hundred kilometers in diameter, and the Lincoln didn’t come out the other side. That means it was likely decelerated from two-hundred and fifty thousand KPH to the navigation hazard’s speed, about ten thousand KPH.”

Gold felt his jaw clench involuntarily as he thought about it.

Shaking his head, Stevens said, “Even with inertial dampers, that should have torn the Lincoln to shreds, and turned its crew into paste. Not something I’d wish on my worst enemy.”

“That’s what Starfleet assumes, Mr. Stevens. There’s also the matter of a freighter crewman who disappeared inside the object under less violent circumstances. Starfleet hasn’t given up on him, but the Chinook ‘s mission is of planetary importance. They expect you go in, rescue that merchantman if possible, recover any wreckage, and deal with this blasted navigation hazard, but that’s nae the way I think. The crew of the Lincoln is as certain paste as I’m seventy-five years dead on a derelict ship. Until I see evidence of the wreckage and the bodies, we’ll be working on the assumption that those people are alive and in need of our immediate help.”

This time Gold did grin, just a little. Scott had come back from the dead more than once, after all. “If I’m ever in trouble, Scotty, I should have someone like you looking for me. Fine, search and rescue, then. By the book. If there’s any way possible, we’ll be bringing them back alive.”

Scotty’s lined face brightened a bit. “Aye, I knew I could count on you lot. It’s stumped the science types on the Chinook, so I’m hoping an engineering approach will do better. Just don’t forget the main thing is to crack that egg open and get any survivors out. Captain Gold, I’ll stop my meddling and let you get on with your work. Good luck to ye, and keep me posted.”

The screen blanked, replaced by an annoyingly incomplete scan of the enigma object.

Gold turned back to the crew. “We’ll be pulling alongside the object in about eight hours, but we should know what we’re doing when we get there. Comments?”

Blue made a little bell-like noise, her equivalent to clearing her throat. “Captain Scott’s egg metaphor, while gruesome, appears quite accurate. It seems impossible to understand this object from surface observations. To understand it better, we’ll need to find a way to penetrate to its interior.”

Gomez nodded. “That’s what we’ll need to focus on then.”

“Remember,” Gold said, “our immediate goal here isn’t complete or immediate understanding of the Enigma, it’s results. We’ll try anything, and we’ll try everything.”

“It would help,” Stevens said, “if we could see inside the thing.”

“Good point, Fabian,” Gomez said with another nod. “Take the lead on that. Find us a window inside that thing, visual, sensors, probing with a long metal rod—anything that’ll give us some useful information.”

“One more thing,” said Stevens. “This freighter crewman, Wayne Omthon, who’s lost inside? I’m pretty sure I’ve met him. My parents run a shuttle service in the Rigel colonies, and he’s hauled express cargo through there while I was visiting. Apparently Rigel is a regular stop for his ship.”

“It’s a small galaxy,” said Corsi.

“But I wouldn’t want to paint it,” said Duffy.

Gold talked over their banter with the ease of long practice. “Can you tell us anything useful about him?”

Stevens scratched his chin for a moment, considering. “Mom once said he was part-human, part-green Orion. Not sure why that was noteworthy.”

Corsi grinned, as though someone had just told her a secret joke.

Stevens studied her face for a moment, puzzled, then moved on. “He has a good reputation as an engineer. Apparently he’s come up with some innovations to improve the engine efficiency on Profit-class Ferengi-built freighters, which have been widely adopted.”

Gold mulled this for a moment. “You think that’s significant?”

“Reports are he’s smart and resourceful. He may have found, or at least stumbled upon, a way to open a chink in the Enigma’s hide. Maybe if we can figure out how he did it, we won’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

“It’s worth keeping in mind,” Gomez said. “Thanks, Fabian.” She turned her attention to Blue. “Pattie, assuming we can find a way inside the Enigma, we’ll need contingency plans for sending a team inside, and what they’ll do once they get there. I want