CHAPTER TEN
The phaser beam
sliced through the atmosphere, the clouds and struck the ground in a precisely
established spot. The enormous amount of heat from the beam began to make the
substances that composed the ground melt and vaporize into the air in thick
clouds of smoke. The phaser was drilling deeper and deeper into the planet's
core. And suddenly stopped… The point of the interphasic
rift from where the creatures were coming had been reached…
Stevenson watched
the 3-dimensional graphical representation of the planet on the viewscreen and
the cavern that the phaser beam had drilled.
"Right."
McPherson said. "Now we can initiate the deflector beam that will hit the
rift that is within the planet. It should close it if my calculations are
correct."
"And I hope
they are." Stevenson said.
"Ready."
McPherson said with a nod to his superior.
Stevenson took a
deep breath, if McPherson's "calculations" were incorrect…Or if the
deflector dish was simply too badly damaged. This whole thing could fail…The Nightshade
would be destroyed; the interphasic organisms would
begin conquering the whole quadrant.
"Let's do
it…" He said. "Fire the deflector beam."
The deflector began
pulsing with energy, the ship began shaking.
"If I'm
right…The beam should fire any moment now." McPherson reassured them.
Stevenson nodded and
waited, and waited…
…and waited…
"Why the hell
isn't it firing?" Stevenson asked, grabbing the armrest of the command
chair so as not to lose his balance and fall.
McPherson's fingers
were flying across his console, he shook his head: "I…I don't know."
"What do you
mean "I don't know"?!" Stevenson demanded.
"Everything is
functioning perfectly! It should be firin…"
There was a blinding
flash of light and the sound of an explosion.
Stevenson thought: That's
it…I'm dead…The whole galaxy will be conquered by interphasic
creatures and it'll be my fault.
"Sir…Why are
you're eyes closed?"
Stevenson opened his
eyes.
On the viewscreen,
the white beam that had been fired from the deflector dish was heading straight
for the planet. The clouds separated as the powerful energy burst soared right
through them. The beam entered the hole drilled by the phaser beam and struck
the interphasic rift.
The beam continued
to fire, the ship began shaking even more violently.
"McPherson! Report!" Stevenson said as he struggled to remain
standing.
"It's
definitely working, captain!" He said with a grin. "In less than ten
seconds the rift should be entirely closed!"
Stevenson counted
the seconds in his head, only making them seem longer, wshen
he reached twelve. The beam ceased.
Stevenson rushed to
the side of McPherson: "Talk to me, McPherson." He said.
"
The creatures were
advancing upon Beta station…Kline was watching through a window as the clouds
of grey mist came in numbers that approached two hundred.
"Well…It
appears that this is the end."
"Not yet…"
Kline said firmly. "We still have a chance." He looked up at the sky
and said: "Come on, Sutter…I need you."
Suddenly, all of the
creatures began shrieking all at once. They stopped their approach and
shrieked.
"Wagner's opera
a few pitches higher." Eskina shouted over the noise, his hands over his
ears.
And then, all of the
creatures blinked out of existence.
They all stared at
the empty space for two full minutes.
Kline shook his
head: "My god…Good timing in its most perfectly presented form."
Eskina said:
"You can say that again, sir."
"Captain
Kline?"
Kline let out the
longest sigh of relief of his life, he tapped his commbadge: "Goddamn,
I've never heard anything as beautiful as your voice, Mister Stevenson."
"Thanks,
sir…I've always sung under the shower to train my voice." Stevenson
answered with a chuckle. "The alien vessel has been destroyed and the
source of the interphasic creatures has been
destroyed. Life is beautiful, sir..."
"Good…We'll
have to inform Starfleet of what the colonies on this planet need. They have
suffered great losses." Kline said. "Where is Commander Sutter?"
"She's on
the Eagle." Stevenson said. "The ship took quite a
beating from the interphasic ship. But they'll be
fine."
"Good."
Kline said. "And I'll need a newly replicated uniform when I get
back."
"Your
request is hereby noted, sir. Stevenson out."
EPILOGUE
"A ship will
come tomorrow to pick you and the survivors up." Kline said.
"That's
good." Linda Hamilton nodded. "Why don’t you take us back on your
ship?"
"Uh…" He
hesitated. "…Well…Our ship has taken heavy damage…We can't hold evacuees
on board. And anyway…The bunks on my ship are not that comfy…Believe me, I
know." He massaged the back of his neck.
She smiled:
"Well…I guess it's time to say good bye again."
He nodded slowly:
"Yeah."
She grabbed him and
squeezed him tightly in a bear hug: "I'll see you around right?"
"I hope
so." Kline said, returning the hug.
"Right..."
She broke the hug and began walking back towards Beta station. She stopped in
her tracks after a few steps and turned to face him again. "I'll find
out."
He frowned:
"Find out what?"
"What you're
hiding." She smiled. "I know you, Alan…You are good at hiding things
from other people, but not from me."
He stiffened:
"I don't know what you're talking about." There was a hint of sadness
in his eyes.
"Of course you
don't." She said. "But I know…"
She walked away.
Kline tapped his
commbadge: "Eagle, beam me up."
Kline sat in the
command chair of the Eagle's bridge.
"Sir."
Sutter smiled at him. "My nails have become one centimeter shorter
each."
"Mine
too…" He said. "It appears that I wasn't the only one getting shot at
this time."
"Yup."
She nodded.
"Well…I'm eager
to get back to the starbase for a refit of this ship." He said. "The Valiant
should be ready for duty now."
"And we'll pick
up Sylvia from Hell's Gate. She'll probably be disappointed to have missed the
"fun" we had."
"Somehow I
doubt she'll have sat still during her time on Hell's Gate. Well…We'll see,
won't we?" He turned to the viewscreen. "Set a course, one-one-two
mark two-one-five. Warp five, engage."
THE END
Agelshaxe
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Trek S:I Book 6 Intershade is
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