embarrassment. “I was . . . lost in thought for a second.”
If she saw through his weak fib, she had the grace and decency not to call him on it. Instead, she said, “Doctor, you mentioned your ability to read people. I’d like to think that I’ve acquired a similar gift.”
McCoy nodded as he felt the lift slowing before the lights in the motion indicator switched to scrolling in a vertical pattern, signifying the car’s ascent. “Given your chosen profession, I can imagine something like that coming in pretty handy.”
“I’m not really sure what we’re getting into out here with the Dolysians,” Sortino said, “but I feel better knowing it’s the Enterprise that’s here with me. Your ship and crew have quite the reputation, you know.”
Unable to resist a small chuckle, McCoy said, “You are most definitely nothing like any diplomat we’ve ever had aboard.”
Sortino had time only to share a laugh at his comment before the turbolift slowed to a halt and the doors opened to reveal the bridge. The familiar sounds of activity filled the air as intercom voices relayed status reports from other areas of the ship, control panels beeped either to request their users’ attention or in response to bridge officers’commands. As he and the ambassador stepped from the car, McCoy looked to the main viewscreen and the brilliant energy field displayed upon it.
“Wow,” Sortino said, her attention also on the screen. “That’s really something.”
Nodding, McCoy replied, “You can say that again.” He directed her away from the turbolift alcove. To their left, Montgomery Scott sat at the engineering station, and he nodded in greeting as he noted their arrival. Guiding Sortino to the right along the bridge’s upper deck, McCoy glanced at Lieutenant Nyota Uhura as she looked up from her communications console. While Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and Ensign Pavel Chekov manned the helm and navigation stations at the center of the room, the command chair behind them was empty. Its normal occupant, Jim Kirk, instead was leaning against the railing that separated the bridge’s perimeter workstations from the command well. The captain’s hands were clasped before him as he conversed quietly with his first officer, Mister Spock, who was seated at the science station. Looking up at their approach, Kirk straightened his posture and pulled down on his uniform tunic.
“Ambassador, thank you for joining us,” he said, the casual manner he had displayed at the poker game two nights previously now replaced by a straightforward demeanor, or “command mode,” as McCoy liked to call it. “As I told you earlier, Mister Spock has finished his review of the Huang Zhong ’s distress buoy.”
The buoy had been intercepted within moments of the Enterprise ’s arrival in the Kondaii system less than three hours earlier. According to the preliminary information Kirk had shared with him, McCoy knew that the device hadbeen found maintaining station outside the mysterious energy barrier surrounding the Gralafi planetoid, and was the only clue as to the current status of the Archer -class scout ship. Much to the doctor’s relief, no debris or ship wreckage had been found.
“Does it offer any details about what happened?” Sortino asked.
His expression grim, Kirk nodded. “I’m afraid so. Spock?”
Folding his arms across his chest, the first officer said, “The data contained in the buoy’s memory banks reports that the Huang Zhong sustained damage during its transit of the rift. Based on the sensor telemetry provided by the science officer, the energy field possesses properties similar to a passive sensor net, not unlike those used to protect sensitive ground-based installations. Further, the field reacted to the presence of the ship’s warp engines, or perhaps the energy generated by the engines. The ship then encountered further difficulty after assuming orbit over the Gralafi planetoid. Information at this point in
If she saw through his weak fib, she had the grace and decency not to call him on it. Instead, she said, “Doctor, you mentioned your ability to read people. I’d like to think that I’ve acquired a similar gift.”
McCoy nodded as he felt the lift slowing before the lights in the motion indicator switched to scrolling in a vertical pattern, signifying the car’s ascent. “Given your chosen profession, I can imagine something like that coming in pretty handy.”
“I’m not really sure what we’re getting into out here with the Dolysians,” Sortino said, “but I feel better knowing it’s the Enterprise that’s here with me. Your ship and crew have quite the reputation, you know.”
Unable to resist a small chuckle, McCoy said, “You are most definitely nothing like any diplomat we’ve ever had aboard.”
Sortino had time only to share a laugh at his comment before the turbolift slowed to a halt and the doors opened to reveal the bridge. The familiar sounds of activity filled the air as intercom voices relayed status reports from other areas of the ship, control panels beeped either to request their users’ attention or in response to bridge officers’commands. As he and the ambassador stepped from the car, McCoy looked to the main viewscreen and the brilliant energy field displayed upon it.
“Wow,” Sortino said, her attention also on the screen. “That’s really something.”
Nodding, McCoy replied, “You can say that again.” He directed her away from the turbolift alcove. To their left, Montgomery Scott sat at the engineering station, and he nodded in greeting as he noted their arrival. Guiding Sortino to the right along the bridge’s upper deck, McCoy glanced at Lieutenant Nyota Uhura as she looked up from her communications console. While Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and Ensign Pavel Chekov manned the helm and navigation stations at the center of the room, the command chair behind them was empty. Its normal occupant, Jim Kirk, instead was leaning against the railing that separated the bridge’s perimeter workstations from the command well. The captain’s hands were clasped before him as he conversed quietly with his first officer, Mister Spock, who was seated at the science station. Looking up at their approach, Kirk straightened his posture and pulled down on his uniform tunic.
“Ambassador, thank you for joining us,” he said, the casual manner he had displayed at the poker game two nights previously now replaced by a straightforward demeanor, or “command mode,” as McCoy liked to call it. “As I told you earlier, Mister Spock has finished his review of the Huang Zhong ’s distress buoy.”
The buoy had been intercepted within moments of the Enterprise ’s arrival in the Kondaii system less than three hours earlier. According to the preliminary information Kirk had shared with him, McCoy knew that the device hadbeen found maintaining station outside the mysterious energy barrier surrounding the Gralafi planetoid, and was the only clue as to the current status of the Archer -class scout ship. Much to the doctor’s relief, no debris or ship wreckage had been found.
“Does it offer any details about what happened?” Sortino asked.
His expression grim, Kirk nodded. “I’m afraid so. Spock?”
Folding his arms across his chest, the first officer said, “The data contained in the buoy’s memory banks reports that the Huang Zhong sustained damage during its transit of the rift. Based on the sensor telemetry provided by the science officer, the energy field possesses properties similar to a passive sensor net, not unlike those used to protect sensitive ground-based installations. Further, the field reacted to the presence of the ship’s warp engines, or perhaps the energy generated by the engines. The ship then encountered further difficulty after assuming orbit over the Gralafi planetoid. Information at this point in
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