ENT - 012 - Kobayashi Maru

TWENTY

Sunday, July 20, 2155 EnterpriseNX-01, near Draylax

“D OCTOR P HLOX TO THE TRANSPORTER, Archer said, turning away from the viewscreen to regard Enterprises beta-watch commander, Lieutenant Commander Mack McCall, with a half smile. “Good job, Commander.

McCall grinned under his graying close-cropped mustache and goatee. “The credit really belongs to several members of the bridge crew, sir. The lifesigns were so faint that it took eight sensor sweeps to zero in on the Klingons escape pod. Im not even sure how she stayed alive out there, given that the atmosphere in the escape pod had almost completely vented by the time we located it.

“Well, lets hope our Klingon castaway can shed some light on what the hell those battle cruisers were really up to at Draylax, Archer said, turning to exit the bridge. “Have Sergeant McKenzie and two of her MACO troopers meet me in sickbay immediately. And call over to Columbia; let Captain Hernandez know what weve found.

“Ive already notified Captain Hernandez, McCall said. “Shell be coming aboard Enterpriseas soon as she can.

Archer let out a sigh as the turbolift doors slid closed behind him and the car began to descend. He reflected on the fact that he still hadnt told anyone other than Phlox about TPol and Reeds abandonment of their posts, or their unauthorized departure in Shuttlepod Two, predominantly out of a desire to avoid further exacerbating Trips predicament.

A question flitted across his mind regarding TPol and Malcolms dereliction of duty: Are their actions really any worse than my own?He knew that his hands werent entirely clean, and that made condemning the actions of his officers even more difficult. How many times had he disobeyed orders himself, stretched the limits of a mission, disregarded Starfleets code of honor, engaged in some deception all in pursuit of a higher goal?

The turbolift arrived at E deck, and Archer exited, feeling glum as he stalked into sickbay. Seeing that the MACOs had beaten him there cheered him somewhat, as did the fact that one of the troopers was already deployed outside the doors of Phloxs sickbay, his pulse rifle at the ready.

Inside, Phlox was moving quickly around the biobed on which lay a Klingon woman, her bodystill inside a battered pressure suittwisted into an almost fetal position, probably as a consequence of the decompression injuries she had suffered. Phlox strapped a mask to her face, and the warrior woman offered no resistance.

With a nod, Archer acknowledged Sergeant McKenzie and another MACO trooper nearby, then spoke up. “Does it look like shell pull through, Doctor?

Phlox barely spared him a glance, his orange-hued fingers tapping on some of the medical controls. “Hello, Captain. Im not certain yet. She hasbeen breathing intermittently on her own for some time now. But it is likely that she will notregain consciousness.

Archer moved closer to Phlox. “Do everything you can for her, Doctor, but understand this: the Klingons may have struck the first blow in a war against the Coalition, and we need to know why. Do whatever you have to whateverthe costto get her back to consciousness.

Phlox regarded him with a curious expression. “I imagine you must consider her a prisoner of war then, Captain. I hope youre not suggesting that I take any measures to awaken her that might further jeopardize her life?

Archer clenched his jaw for a moment, letting out a heavy breath through his nose. “We dont know if shes a prisoner of war or not because we do not know if we are atwar. What I amsuggesting, Doctor, is that we need to question her. Thatis your imperative, beyond doing everything in your power to save her life.

Phlox nodded noncommittally. “I will do my best to accommodate you, Captain. So long as doing so does not threaten the life of my patient.

The doors to sickbay whisked open, and Archer turned to see Hernandez, escorted by another MACO, enter the room.

“Will she make it? Hernandez asked.

Archer pulled her aside and updated her, explaining the instructions that he had just given Phlox.

“Its understandable that Phlox might question the ethics of your order, Jon, Hernandez said, “but these areextraordinary circumstances. If you need my CMO to take over, I can arrange that. Doctor Metzger will have the same concerns, but she willact as ordered.

“Thats a tempting offer, Erika, Archer said, his voice low. “Theres been a bit too much free thinking among my command staff lately.

Hernandez gave him a puzzled look, but before she could question him further, the wall-mounted com unit beeped, and McCalls voice promptly issued forth. “Bridge to Captain Archer. Weve received a Priority One communiqué from Starfleet for you and Captain Hernandez.

“Well take it in my ready room, Archer said. “Thanks, Mack.

As he moved toward the door, he looked back in Phloxs direction. “Interrupt me the moment you have her stabilized enough to answer some questions, Doctor, Archer said.

Phlox affirmed the command, but did not look up from his work.

As Archer and Hernandez strode across the few meters that separated sickbay from the central turboshaft, Hernandez spoke quietly. “You can discuss with me what that free thinking comment meant whenever youre ready, Jon. No pressure, though. I have a feeling youre carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders right now.

“ Worlds,plural, Archer said with a small smile.

As the turbolift doors closed around them, Hernandez put her hand in the center of Archers back.

For the moment, he was grateful to have received even that modest gesture of human contact.

“So youre letting them off with a slap on the wrist? Archer said to his ready-room viewscreen, his words charged with far more anger than Hernandez thought was wise to display before a Starfleet admiral.

Hernandez watched as Gardner leaned forward slightly in his chair. “Archer, you and I have been through a lot together, and you know that while I disagree with you from time to time, I still respect you. Thats why Im not shouting my strong suggestion that you adjust your tone.

Hernandez nudged Archer gently aside, effectively pushing him out of Gardners line of sight. Whatevers bothering Jon has to be immense,she thought. And a lot bigger than what just happened at Draylax.

As if anything couldbe bigger than the brink of war.

“Admiral, does the Coalition Council realize that the Klingon ships not only opened fire on Draylax, Hernandez said, “but that they also engaged both Columbiaand Enterprisein battle, refusing to explain their actions or even answer our hails?

Gardner nodded, settling back again. “The Coalition Security Council has resolved that we are to give the Klingon Empire one final warning. They are to cease hostilities against all Coalition worlds and/or their allies. If they cross this line again, or engage any Coalition or allied vessel in battle, the Coalition will issue a formal declaration of war.

“You knowthat the Klingons will be honor bound to return that declaration tenfold, Archer said, stepping back into Gardners field of view. “Hell, theyll probably welcome it. And you dont even know half of the savagery that the Klingons are capable of.

“The Council hopes that this resolution will broker a truce, however tenuous, and thus stave off a war.

Archer sighed heavily. “And of course, nobody is paying attention to what the Romulans might be doing while were all distracted by this Klingon business.

Gardners expression turned to one of angry incredulity. “Unless Im missing something here, Captain, the Romulans had nothing to do with this attack. And no evidence has turned up yet linking them to the other recent

“Except for Coridan, Archer said, interrupting.

Gardner closed his mouth, and Hernandez thought she could hear the grinding of his teeth across the gulf of light-years that separated them. “There are some on the Council and in Starfleet who agree that your warnings were vindicated by the attack on Coridan. But at this time, the Council has voted that the most clear and present threat currently emanates from the Klingon Empire. That is where the Council feels our priorities should lie, and for eminently understandable reasons.

The rooms intercom let out a bosuns whistle a moment before Phloxs voice announced, “Sickbay to Captain Archer. My patient is regaining consciousness, but I cant guarantee how long it will last.

Archer leaned in toward the viewscreen. “Thats the sole survivor from the destroyed Klingon battle cruisers, Admiral. She might be our only chance to get to the bottom of whats really been going on here.

“Go,Gardner said, testiness still slightly audible in his voice. “And good luck, Archer.

Before they exited the room, Archer tapped the com panel once more. “Ensign Sato, meet me in sickbay. On the double.

Moving quickly to follow Archer out of the ready room and into the turbolift, Hernandez spoke in low tones. “I dont get why you set out to antagonize the admiral, Jon. Hes not an idiot, and hes probably trapped by the politics of the situation. And as my father used to say, you catch more flies with honey.

As the turbolift doors opened onto E deck, Archer grinned humorlessly. “Im not interested in catching flies, Erika. And duty or not, the things mydad used to say about the top brass in Starfleet would have made an Andorian blush.

“Admiral Krell is lying. Captain Veshtk wasneither a traitor nor a rogue,the Klingon woman said, her words rendered into standard English by one of Lieutenant Satos pleasant-voiced universal translator units. The Klingons natural voice came as a kindling-dry rasp that Archer found painful to hear. Every word she uttered had to be causing her excruciating pain.

“She says that Admiral Krell is lying, Hoshi said, listening directly to the womans Klingon speech in order to confirm the accuracy of the electronic translation. Archer didnt want to leave any of the Klingon survivors inflections or half utterances to chance. “She says that her commanding officer, Captain Veshtk, was not a traitor, and that he wasnt operating as a rogue agent.

“Then why did they attack Draylax without any official authorization? Archer asked, waiting anxiously for Hoshi to translate his question for the woman. Nearby, Phlox frowned, tapping away at his monitor consoles. Archer saw that he was pumping sizable quantities of painkillers into the womans system.

As before, the electronic translation device spoke on behalf of the Klingon woman before Hoshi did. “We were on patroland something seized control of our ship. Our guidance systemsour gravity, even our life-support systemsnothing would respond to us. I barely got intoa pressure suit in time. The others were still alive, but barelyand we were unable to do anything butfloat in the air while our ship acted as thoughit had a mind of its own.

“She claims that something remotely gained control of their ship while they were on patrol, Hoshi said. “It took over their guidance systems, artificial gravity, and even the life-support systems. This woman was able to don an environment suit, but the others were kept just barely alive. Apparently the artificial gravity system remained disabled while the ship was being controlled.

“How could something like that happen? Erika asked after Hoshi had confirmed the machine translation.

The Klingon woman responded to Erikas question with a series of halting rasps that Hoshis equipment quickly transformed into English. “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

“Who seized control of your ship? Archer asked. “Was it someone aboard one of the other two Klingon vessels that attacked Draylax?

The woman moaned loudly, coughing up purple-hued bloody mucus as Hoshi questioned her in the Klingon tongue. But the look on the patients faceeven through her painwas one of surprise.

“I was not even aware of the other ships untilthe battle began. The screens on our shipsshowed me the carnage. I tried to return your hailsor stop the weapons from firing, but Iwas unable. The others on the crew weretoo far gone.

“Does she have any idea whoit was that took over her ship? Archer asked.

The womans body suddenly began to jerk, her back arching up off the bed as her hands clawed feebly at the air. Purple blood spouted from her nose, and she coughed up a darker fluid.

“Move back, Captain, Phlox said, his manner grim and urgent. He punched a few buttons, and the movements of the woman lessened somewhat, though the blood still flowed. For a moment, her gaze seemed to focus on something distant, then moved back toward Hoshi and Archer.

“RomuluSngan.

The word was clear, but final. The womans eyes rolled back in her head, and her body fell limp.

Phlox lowered his head. “Shes gone, Captain.

“You did what you could to ease her pain, Archer said softly. “You didnt do anything to contribute to her death.

Phlox stared at him, but Archer couldnt quite read the tightly coiled emotion that showed in the Denobulan physicians blue, recessed eyes. “No, I did not. Her survival until now was, frankly, a miracle. She might have lived longer had I notinduced consciousnessbut probably not for more than another day or two.

Hernandez stepped forward, looking toward Hoshi. “Was her last word what I thought it was?

Hoshi nodded, her expression glum. “ RomuluSngan. Its the Klingon word for

“Romulan, Archer said, interrupting her.

Archer reached down to scratch Porthos between the ears, then took a sip of the Skagaran Lone Star tequila he had poured for himself and Erika from the bottle Trip had left behind. He had brought Hernandez back to his quarters, rather than to his ready room, to discuss what to do next. “Im just sick of sitting behind that ready-room desk and waiting for more orders and more news that I know will take us down the wrong path, he said before taking another swallow.

Hernandez stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the small desk across from Archers bunk, where she stared contemplatively at the amber fluid that covered the bottom of her own glass. “So what do we do now? The only proof we have that the Romulans mayhave been involved with this is the dying declaration of a Klingon who had enough morphine in her to tranquilize an elephant.

“If the Romulans aresomehow behind the attack on Draylaxif theyve managed to gain control of at least these three Klingon ships, then who knows what other surprises they might have in store for us? Archer said, trying not to let the despair he was feeling creep into his voice. “If were being tricked into going to war against the Klingons, then the Coalition may be about to pick a fight with the wrong enemy. That would leave us vulnerable to ambush from the realenemy. We might even find ourselves surprised by another Coridan-style sneak attack.

“Or the Romulans might just wait until the Klingon and Coalition forces have worn each other down in battle, Hernandez said. “They could swoop in then and start picking up the pieces while nobodys fleets are in any shape to do much to stop them.

“But you already know what the higher-ups will say about that theory, Archer said. “Wheres your proof?We cant change our entire defense posture based on nothing but assumptions and speculations.

Hernandez set her glass on the desktop, then moved to sit down next to Archer, who was perched on his bed. “If you were in Admiral Gardners shoes, would you have it any other way, Jon? It seems were rushing headlong toward an interstellar war, and weve only just started getting out into the galaxy in the first place.

“And the galaxy has turned out to be a much more dangerous place than any of us realized, Archer said, staring down into his nearly empty glass. On the other side of the room he could see Trips tequila bottle.

He immediately regretted having let his last few words slip out.

“You still miss him, dont you? Erika said quietly, backing away slightly, giving him some room.

He nodded silently.

“I know how close the two of you were, she said. “Commander Tucker didnt serve aboard Columbiaall that long, but I worked with him long enough to know what a good sounding board he could be. And thats something a captain needs almost as much as air and gravity. That big chair on the bridge can be a very lonely place.

Archer chuckled, but without any humor. “Especially lately. But I dont suppose either of us needs any lessons about how isolating command can be.

“No, we dont. But it does sounds as though Ineed to remind youto reach out to some of your other senior officers for guidance. Youre pretty tight with your tactical officer, Lieutenant Reed, right? And Id be willing to bet that even your Vulcan XO would be a good listener in a pinch.

He shook his head. “Theyve both been a bitpreoccupied lately.

Erika frowned then, and for a moment Archer feared she might ask why she hadnt seen either of them during the past days of repair and recovery layover that had followed the fight over Draylax. Instead, her frown softened. With a small shrug, she said, “Well, theres always Doctor Phlox.

Archer raised his glass, and some of the tequila nearly splashed out. “To Phlox. Maybe Starfleet wont post bartenders aboard our ships, but a chief medical officer is usually the next best thing.

And theres always Chef and Porthos to fall back on if Phlox ever decides to steal the other shuttlepod and pull a disappearing act of his own,he added silently as he downed a considerable fraction of what remained of his drink.

He noticed a beat later that her frown had returned with a vengeance. “Im a little worried about you, Jon. I havent seen you like this since we went rock-climbing right after the Xindi crisis.

No more eager to discuss that topic than he was to open up to her about what was really going on with Trip, TPol, and Malcolm, he said, “You dont have to worry about me, Erika.

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing in that familiar look of you-cant-kid-a-kidderskepticism. “Oh, good. Im glad thatssettled. Im completelyreassured now.

Archer spread both arms and one hand in a gesture of peace, nearly spilling the remnants of his drink in the process. “Sorry. Look, I just dont do the whole self-revelation thing particularly well. Maybe TPol has been rubbing off on me.

He paused for a moment, grateful for her patience while he tried to gather his thoughts. “Its just that I came out here to explore the galaxy, he said at length. “I didnt sign up to become a soldier. Thats why I joined Starfleet and not the MACOs, for Christs sake. He raised his drink again.

She gently took the glass from his hand before he could finish emptying it. “Youre right, Jon. We shouldbe explorers and ambassadors, seeking out the things no one has ever seen before. In peace, and with open hands. And I have faith that we willdo that, one day. She offered him a wan smile. “If not our generation, then the nextone, or the one after that.

Archer looked into her dark eyes, which were as soulful and sympathetic as he remembered. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to hold her, to be held by her. But that ship had left spacedock long ago. Besides, he was a canny enough drinker to realize that the impulse might have originated in the depths of Trips bottle of Skagaran tequila.

“Im glad oneof us is still optimistic enough to hang on to a little hope, he said after the silence had stretched for a while.

Hernandez moved her hand to his shoulder, squeezing it gently. “As long as we breathe, Jonathan Archer, there will always be hope.