ENT - 012 - Kobayashi Maru

FORTY-NINE

Gamma Hydra sector, section ten EnterpriseNX-01

A RCHER WAS AFRAIDhe knew what Hoshi was going to say before she said it. “Sorry, Captain,said the communications officer via the intercom unit on Archers ready-room desk. “The subspace modulations carrying that signal have juststopped.

“Thanks, Hoshi. Keep scanning for any follow-up transmissions. He closed the channel before pushing the chair beneath him away from his compact desk. Looking up at TPol, he said, “Trips message stopped right in the middle of that last repetition. A tight fist of worry clutched at his guts.

TPol stood tensely in the center of the small chamber, hands clasped behind her back.

“Did you understand the message, Captain?

“I did, Archer said, nodding. “Ill admit Im a bit rusty at Morse code, but evidently not much more rusty than whoever sent that message.

Her head tilted slightly in evident curiosity. “Morse code?

“An Earth communications code thats even older than EM-based luminal-speed radio. He took a moment to confirm the brief messages exact verbatim contents with Hoshi via the intercom, and shared the information with TPol in the process. “What the hell do you suppose happened during that last repetition? he said as his XO considered the message in silence.

The Vulcan woman raised an eyebrow, making Archer think that she might be wondering if his question had been purely rhetorical. “It would appear that Trip is no longer transmitting.

“If it really wasTrip transmitting, Archer said.

Her reply was as devoid of doubt as the rocks outside the New Berlin lunar settlement were free of water. “It was. What do you intend to do about his warning?

“I wish I knew, Archer said. “I need a little bit more to go on to justify leaving a whole ship and crew out here to diestarting with why the transmission was cut off. Did the Romulans find out what he was doing? Or did he have to stop transmitting in order to keepfrom being discovered?

TPol shook her head, responding again with bedrock certainty. “He hasbeen discovered, Captain. Trip is in extreme danger again.

Archer allowed himself a puckish smile, despite the pain in his face and the distinct lack of humor in this situation. “Another Vulcan hunch, TPol?

“An objective fact, she said, an almost mournful expression lengthening her olive-toned face.

The shrill whistle of the intercom interrupted his search for a reply that might both encourage and convince her. “Captain, the Romulan vessel is on the move,Reed said, sounding alarmed.

Archer hopped out of his chair and leaned on the reply button on his desk. “On my way.

Leading the way through the hatchway that connected the ready room to the bridge, Archer wasted no time taking a seat in his command chair. The main viewer displayed a computer-enhanced image of the blast-damaged, almost completely unilluminated Kobayashi Maruas it continued its slow, unpowered tumble through the stygian void.

“Ive dropped us out of warp, Captain, Mayweather said. “Decelerating at impulse to match velocity with the Kobayashi Maru,at a current distance of just over eleven kilometers.

“Sensors read approximately two hundred life signs, Captain, said Hoshi. “Some of them very faint.

Two hundred people,Archer thought. He couldnt abide the idea of just leaving them out here to die, Romulan sneak-attack warnings or fire-breathing dragons notwithstanding. But if Trips message was to be believed, the Marus problem was an insoluble one, no matter what he tried to do about it.

“Position of the Romulan bird-of-prey? Archer said.

“Thats strange, said Malcolm, speaking from behind the captains chair at the aft tactical station. “The Romulan vessel seems to have moved directly into the path of one of the cometary bodies. Theres been a collision, but the ship appears to be intact.

Archer looked away from TPol. I hope to hell she was wrong about Trip being aboard that ship,he thought, even though he knew that she had a singular habit of being right about such things.

“So the Romulan ship might still be able to direct an attack against us remotely, Archer said.

“Thats possible, Reed said. “Its also possible that the Romulans have installed their remote-hijacking device aboard one or more of their captured Klingon vessels by now.

“At least the communications jamming has stopped, Hoshi said. “It coincided exactly with the moment that Romulan ship hit the iceberg. Whether or not its directing other ships, the bird-of-prey must have been the source of all the com interference.

Nodding an acknowledgment to the com officer, Archer said, “Commence rescue operations on the Kobayashi Maru. Though he was addressing the entire bridge crew, his gaze settled on TPol, who had begun working at her science console. “Once that job is done, well investigate the crash of the Romulan ship.

He approached TPol closely, and spoke in a volume intended for her ears alone. “Maybe the sneak-attack plans we were warned about crashed along with that Romulan ship.

Looking more stricken than reassured, TPol merely glanced down at her console and said, “Both shuttlepods have launched, Captain. Lieutenant ONeill is running the transporter.

Archer nodded. Opening an intercom channel on the console adjacent to TPols, he said, “Archer to ONeill. Report.

“The systems having some trouble establishing a positive lock on any of the survivors, Captain,said D.O.; her tone suggested that she might soon give the finicky transporters control console a swift kick in the annular confinement circuits.

“Whats the problem, D.O.?

“Whenisnt this damned thing having problems, sir? My best guess is that the residual hull graviton flux from the mine the freighter hit is interfering with the transporter lock. We might need to find a way to disperse the remaining particles.

“A low-yield photonic torpedo tuned to radiate anti-gravitons might do the trick, Reed said.

Archer nodded. “Get on that with Mike, Malcolm. Were going to need to get the transporter up and running ASAP. The shuttlepods might not be enough to rescue all the survivors before whatevers left of their life-support system decides to give up the ghost.

“Aye, sir, Reed said just before his attention became riveted to one of his tactical displays. “Captain! Im reading two incoming warp signatures. No, make that three. Theyre dropping out of warp, and just about right on top of us.

TPol hunkered over the hooded scanner built into her science console. “Configuration is Klingon, she said, immediately switching from what Archer recognized as the depths of Vulcan grieving back to no-nonsense officer mode. “All three are D5-type battle cruisers.

And if those ships really have Klingons behind the wheel, then Im Dorothy Gale from Kansas,Archer thought, recalling both the evidence hed gathered on QonoS and the mysterious warning about an imminent Romulan sneak attack.

Aloud, he said, “Tactical alert! Recall those shuttlepods. A heartbeat later, the bridge lights dimmed.

“Polarizing the hull plating, Reed said. “All weapon systems armed and tactical crews summoned to battle stations. Lieutenant Burch is preparing a photonic torpedo to disperse the graviton flux around the freighter.

“Shuttlepods returning to launch bays, Hoshi said.

“Give me a tactical display on the Klingon ships, Malcolm, Archer said, returning to his seat.

The image of the mortally wounded fuel carrier vanished from the viewer, replaced by a computer-generated grid depicting the local region and all five ships that now maneuvered within it. The two white computer-generated icons that represented, respectively, Enterpriseand the Kobayashi Maruwere so close they almost touched at the viewscreens center, while the three outlying long-necked gray deltas that stood in for the approaching Klingon warships wasted no time deploying themselves in a loose triangle that encompassed most of the screen.

“Theyre trying to surround us, Archer said.

“And theres a good chance well never get away from them if they do, Reed said in strictly matter-of-fact tones. “Their weapons tubes all read as hot. The nearest vessel is at ten thousand klicks and closing rapidly.

“Are the shuttlepods docked yet? Archer asked, scowling.

“Shuttlepod Two reports successful docking capture, Hoshi said. “Shuttlepod One is making its final approach.

“The nearest Klingon vessel is opening fire with its main disruptor, said Mayweather.

The bridge rocked, but not nearly as hard as it might have had the gunner attacking them really meant business.

Archer turned toward Reed, who displayed a puzzled frown. “They should have hit us a hell of a lot harder than that.

Archer shook his head. “They wouldhaveif it really wasthe Klingons pushing the buttons on those ships.

“And if theyre really Romulans, Captain? TPol asked.

“If theyre Romulans, then theyll want to capture more of their enemies ships, Archer said. “The bastards will try every trick in the book to take Enterpriseintact.

“At least at first, Reed said with a gallows grin. “Once they realize they canthave her intact, theyd probably be inclined to make sure that nobody else can have her either. Present company included, of course.

Archer nodded. “Well have to gamble on whether their patience will run out before time is up for the Kobayashi Marus survivors.

“And on whether or not we can pull off a rescue and get out of here in one piece before bothdeadlines expire, Reed said. “I recommend we dont press our luck here, Captain. They might only be lobbing snowballs at us now, but were still outgunned and outnumbered three to one.

“We should stay long enough to rescue as many of the survivors as possible, Captain, said TPol. “That first shot bought us some time. The Romulans just showed us that destroying Enterpriseis not their top priority.

“Commander, Reed said, his voice raised slightly, “if we start taking serious hits, even with our hull plating polarization activated, the warp drive could go down. And if that happens

“If that happens, Malcolm, Archer interrupted, “then well all have a whole lot less paperwork waiting for us after the mission.

Reed nodded. “I suppose theres always an upside to everything, sir.

Archer grinned. “Thats the spirit, Malcolm. Lets get those residual gravitons cleared out and beam as many of the survivors as we can off that ship.

As Reed busied himself at his console, Hoshi said, “Shuttlepod One has just docked, Captain. Do you want to redeploy?

Archer shook his head. “No. Lets hedge our bets and leave em both docked, since we still might have to make a quick exit. Theres no way to know exactly when

The bridge was suddenly plunged into inky darkness, startling Archer into silence and prompting exclamations of alarm all around the bridge.

The surreal red glow of the emergency lights suffused the bridge a few frantic heartbeats later, turning the room into a colossal Hieronymus Bosch painting.

“What happened? Archer asked as the main viewer rebooted, dropping the tactical display in favor of an image of the wounded Kobayashi Maru.

Reed consulted one of his now dimly glowing displays before answering. Owl-eyed, he said, “ Enterprises life-support system has just failed. Complete shutdown.

Hoshis translation of a mortally injured Klingon womans dying words whispered anew in Archers ear: “The first thing they did wasto use some remote means of seizing and deactivating each of our systems, one by one. They started with life-support

Over the fading echoes of that grim recollection, Archer recalled the warning message hed received more recently: “ROMULAN SNEAK ATTACK COMING, BY REMOTE CONTROL.

“Captain, the Klingon vessels nearly have us surrounded, Reed said. “But we still have full warp capability.

Archer heard the unspoken “for now at the end of Malcolms sentence loud and clear.

“Cant let em have Enterprise,he murmured.

He noticed then that Mayweather was looking up at him expectantly from the helm station. “Sir?

Looking around the faintly illuminated bridge, Archer saw similar looks of expectation on the faces of everyone there. The ruddy glow of the emergency lights cast harsh, bizarre shadows across the features of TPol, Reed, Hoshi, and Mayweather, greatly accentuating every anxiety they must have felt, as well as his own.

ARCHER, YOU ARE HEADED INTO A TRAP. ROMULAN SNEAK ATTACK COMING, BY REMOTE CONTROL.

But I cant just leave all those people here to die,he thought, anguished.

FREIGHTER NOT SAVABLE.

He slammed the side of his hand onto the intercom unit on the arm of his chair. “Archer to ONeill. Any luck transporting those survivors yet?

“Theres still too much graviton particle flux on the hull, Captain,ONeill said. “Im sorry. I wish I had better news for you, sir.

Damn.

FREIGHTER NOT SAVABLE.

I cant accept that!

“Captain! Reed cried. “The hull polarization system has gone down, just like life support did. I cant determine exactly why yet.

ButI can,Archer thought, recalling the dying Klingon woman. Defensive and tactical systems were the next dominoes to fall after life support.

TURNENTERPRISE ABOUT IMMEDIATELY, MAX WARP.

Forgive me.

But Archer seriously doubted he would ever develop a large enough capacity for self-forgiveness to accept absolution for what he knew he had to do.

“Travis, get us out of here, Archer said. “Pedal to the metal.

Mayweather regarded him silently for a moment, his eyes widening into pools in which disappointment and relief commingled, as did both repugnance and understanding.

“Aye, Captain, the helmsman said, turning toward his console and bringing the ship into motion. The whine of the engines and the vibration in the deck plates signaled Enterprises quick transition from subluminal velocity to high warp speed.

Archer stared straight ahead at the viewer. The dying Kobayashi Maruimmediately fell away astern, dropping into the infinite, just another piece of flotsam on the cosmic ocean. Not wishing to see what he had already seen once in Traviss eyes and in the gazes of the rest of his crew, he continued staring straight ahead long seconds after the fuel carrier had completely vanished from sight.

“The lead vessel is pursuing, Reed said. “But shes slowly losing ground to us. The other vessels seem to be converging on the Kobayashi Maruand powering up their weapons.

Without tearing his eyes from the star field ahead of him, Archer opened an intercom channel. “Archer to engineering.

“Burch here, Captain.

“We need to get life support back up, Lieutenant.

“My people are already on it, Captain. We should have everything five-by-five before it even starts getting stuffy around here, sir.

“Captain Vance is hailing us again, Captain, Hoshi said quietly. After a long, pregnant pause she added, “What should I tell him?

He slowly turned to face her, and allowed his gaze to sweep the rest of the bridge. The eyes of everyone looked like small mirrors of shock and accusation.

He wondered if he could stand to see the same look in Admiral Gardners eyes, whether or not Starfleet Command ultimately vindicated the decision hed just made.

“The Klingons have opened fire on the Kobayashi Maru,Reed said, an audible quaver in his voice.

“One of the vessels neutronic fuel tanks appears to have exploded, causing a chain reaction, TPol reported a moment later from her science console. Then she drew away from her scanner and turned to face Archer directly. “Captain, the Kobayashi Maruhas been destroyed.

Archer closed his eyes tightly.

God forgive me.