Chapter 8
Will Parry felt the Enterprise accelerate for what seemed like forever, and then abruptly stop. That was all there was to it? It was no worse than riding a rollercoaster at an amusement park.
Pantalaimon peeked out of his shell. "Are we there, yet?"
"I think so," said Lyra. "We en't moving any more, so far as I can tell."
"Bridge to all stations," Uhura said over the intercom. "All stations: Status Report."
Dr. McCoy un-strapped himself from the acceleration couch and went over to the intercom. "Sickbay reporting. All personnel are well; all systems are go."
Nurse Chapel got out of her acceleration couch and helped Dr. McCoy un-strap Will and Lyra. When Lyra's harness was removed and she stood up, Pan took the form of a ferret and hopped on Lyra's shoulder.
"What year is this, now?" said Lyra.
"By your way of reckoning, this is 2269, AD," said Dr. McCoy. "But you two will learn how to use the Federation-wide Stardate system in no time."
"Now what, Dr. McCoy?" said Nurse Chapel.
"Well, the first thing I'll need to do is ask Uhura or M'Ress to contact Mr. Samuel T. Cogley at Starbase 11 for me. I'll need a good lawyer to help me apply for guardianship of Will and Lyra. I'll also want to contact my daughter, Joanna, on Centaurus IV, to let her know that . . . ."
The deck of the Enterprise shook hard below their feet. Lyra gasped and grabbed the nearest bed to steady herself. Pan looked around frantically. Did they hit something?
A few seconds later, the Enterprise shook again. Only this time, harder. Now, the lights dimmed, a pulsating alarm sounded and a bright red light flashed just above the entrance.
"Red alert!" came Uhura's voice over the intercom system. "Red Alert! The Enterprise is under attack! This is not a drill. All hands to General Quarters!"
"STATUS REPORT!" said Captain Kirk.
"Main phaser targeting controls are heavily damaged, sir," said Chekov. "Phasers are off-line!"
"Shields are up and holding," said Spock. "The attacking vessel knew exactly where to hit us. That second volley was targeted to disable our photon torpedo launchers."
"We still have photon torpedoes?" said Kirk. "We can still direct their fire? Lock-on to our attacker and prepare to fire on my mark!"
"Aye, sir," said Chekov. "Unidentified hostile vessel is coming about at warp 4.2 for a second attack run. They are firing!"
Again, the Enterprise shook under the bombardment.
"Captain," said Spock. "The unidentified vessel is attacking us with . . . phase cannon fire. No damage. Shields are holding at 96."
"Phase cannon?" said Kirk. "Uhura, open hailing frequencies."
"Aye, sir," said Uhura. "Hailing frequencies open on all channels. No response, sir."
"That's not exactly true, Lieutenant Uhura," said Chekov. "Tactical sensors detect six incoming projectiles . . . sir, they are . . . spatial torpedoes!"
"Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Sulu," said Kirk. "Mr. Chekov . . . fire!"
Two photon torpedoes launched from Enterprise. The first torpedo overwhelmed the unidentified attacker's shields; the second torpedo destroyed the attacking vessel.
"Bridge to engineering," said Kirk. "Scotty, how are you holding up down there?"
"The engines are holdin' fer now, sir," said Scotty. "But try an' go easy on 'em! No more than warp 4 maximum for the next thirty minutes or so. We just completed a 'slingshot maneuver!' My poor bairns need time ter cool down!"
"Damn it, Scotty! The slowest hostile is capable of warp 4.2! I need more power!"
"Sir, I canna change the laws of physics! I've got to have thirty minutes fer the engines to cool! Any warp factor higher than warp 4 and ye risk burnin' out our dilithium crystals!"
"Do what you can, Scotty. Bridge out!"
Now Spock added, "Sir, I am detecting 13 other vessels of similar configuration converging on our position from multiple vectors at warp 4.2. In addition, I am also detecting a significantly larger vessel on intercept vector, approaching at warp 6. Assuming similar weaponry on the other vessels, I estimate the first of the approaching hostiles will be within attack range in five minutes, thirty-seven seconds."
"Phase cannon? Spatial Torpedoes?" said Kirk. "What are we up against, Spock?"
Spock checked his scanner. "Captain, sensors indicate the majority of the approaching ships are similar in size and performance to Earth's early NX-Class starships. Their main armament consists of phase cannon, spatial torpedoes and possibly photonic torpedoes. Defensive systems include polarized hull armor with some force field screens. I estimate their maximum performance to be within the warp 4 to 5 range."
"Could we have missed our target date?" said Kirk. "Could we have accidentally emerged in the 22nd century?"
"Negative, sir," said Chekov. "The computer has verified my initial temporal and spatial computations! We have arrived in 2269 on our assigned Earth-approach vector, approximately eight-point-two hours after our initial departure, as per our originally assigned flight-plan, sir!"
A familiar blue-green world showed on the main viewer. Kirk stood from his chair for a better look. From this distance, it looked right, however . . . . "Mr. Spock . . . is that world . . . our Earth?"
"Initiating surface scans . . . negative, sir. It is Cittagazze," Spock looked up from his scanner. "This is the Cittagazze system in the year 2269. Captain, we have succeeded in traveling temporally, however, we have failed to travel spatially."
"I am tracking all incoming vessels now, sir," said Chekov. "The first one will be within photon torpedo range in one minute, seven seconds, sir. But, sir, we are down to eight photon torpedoes. And long-range tactical shows an additional six more vessels of similar NX-type on intercept vector. The nearest of those vessels will arrive at our position in approximately forty-five minutes."
Kirk nodded. The math was not difficult. It would take two photon torpedoes minimum to destroy each of these ships. A total of fourteen ships would arrive in less than one minute, with six more reinforcements arriving within less than an hour. And for the moment, the Enterprise had no phasers and was limited to warp 4.
"Captain," said Chekov. "The largest vessel is in range. Scans show they have deflector shields similar to our own. Should I lock photon torpedoes on target?"
"Get a lock, but hold your fire, for now," said Kirk. Put it on the screen." The approaching vessel appeared as a small dot. "Magnification five."
When the main viewer adjusted, a large red and gold zeppelin-shaped vessel appeared.
"Sir," said Uhura. "You are being hailed by name!"
Captain Kirk instructed Uhura to put it on visual as well as audio. On the main viewer, the zeppelin-shaped starship vanished and was replaced by a stern-looking man in a uniform, holding himself with the bearing of one in command. His head was cleanly shaven and he wore a moustache. Perched on the man's shoulder was a peregrine falcon.
Kirk also noticed that every crewperson in the background of the unidentified zeppelin-ship also had an animal close by. Some of the crew were wearing helmets of some kind, and their companion-animals were holding or biting on straps coming from their control consoles.
But Kirk knew these were not helper animals or pets.
They were daemons.
The man on the main viewer spoke. "You have been identified as the United Federation of Planets starship USS Enterprise. Captain James Tiberius Kirk, I presume?"
"Your information is correct," said Kirk. "Who do I have the honor of addressing?"
"I am Lord Commodore Nigel Stewart of the Magisterial Celestial Naval starcraft Stelmaria. You are intruding in Magisterium space, and are herby so ordered to lower your shields and power-down your weapons." The falcon on his shoulder flexed its wings and seemed to whisper something in Commodore Stewart's ear.
"Ah, yes Sheba. No, I had not forgotten." Commodore Stewart again addressed Kirk. "Captain, you should know that while I command the ships in this task force, there is one aboard who is in charge of the overall mission. As such, I am compelled to relinquish any further discussion to her."
Commodore Stewart stepped to one side, and Kirk saw a familiar-looking woman in her late 50's sitting in a large command chair behind the Commodore. The woman wore civilian clothing consisting of a stylish suit coat and skirt of grey pinstripe material. On each side of the woman, there were two formidable looking security guards, and after a moment, Kirk realized that they were Klingons!
What's more, like the human crewpersons of the Stelmaria, the Klingons were also accompanied by daemons, which were in the form of a fierce looking animal that Kirk did not recognize. Kirk then gave the bridge of the Stelmaria another quick check. One of the crew was definitely Vulcan. And the animal by her side that Kirk had originally mistook for a small bear, he now realized was a sehlat, or rather, a sehlat-formed daemon.
Then, Captain Kirk recognized the woman in the command chair, as well as the golden monkey daemon sitting by her side. "Mrs. Marisa Coulter."
"It is Dame Marisa Coulter now," she said in a cold, hard voice. "You have five minutes to bring my Lyra to the bridge of your ship that I may see her, Captain Kirk."
Captain Kirk was about to speak, when Dame Marisa cut him off. "Know that if you fail to comply in the time that I have allotted, I shall assume that you are unable to comply, because my precious Lyra is dead. In which case, I shall order the annihilation of Enterprise and all who are aboard her. Hurry now, captain. Your time is running out!" And the golden monkey balled his fists and bared his teeth.