Chain of Attack (5 page)

For several seconds no one on the bridge made a sound. They could only watch as the ghastly images flowed silently across the viewscreen. McCoy's teeth were clenched as he gripped one of the padded rails, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hushed with a kind of terrible awe.

"My God, Jim! What kind of creatures could be capable of something like that? Even the Klingons…" His voice trailed away as he shook his head and wiped briefly at his eyes.

"How long ago, Spock?" Kirk asked after another protracted silence.

Spock, whose eyes, like everyone else's, had been riveted on the screen, turned abruptly back to his instruments, his Vulcan training clamping down on the emotion that struggled to emerge from the human half of his heritage.

"Impossible to say precisely, Captain, without detailed information on the number and nature of the weapons used. Assuming the use of devices similar to those on board the object the
Enterprise
encountered earlier, I would estimate approximately eleven thousand standard years has passed since this bombardment took place, with a possible error of plus or minus three thousand."

Spock's numbers and his carefully maintained matter-of-fact tone seemed to restore some measure of objectivity to the others, though McCoy still looked as grim-faced as before.

"Is there any chance the planet's inhabitants could have done this to themselves, Spock?" Kirk asked softly. "Two factions fighting each other for control of the planet?"

"Possible but extremely unlikely, Captain. Both combatants would have to have been totally irrational and suicidal. Less than one percent of the weapons used here would have been sufficient to effectively destroy all life outside the oceans, and anyone capable of launching such weapons would certainly have been aware of that fact. No, Captain, this amount of destruction and this amount of residual radiation are almost certainly the result of an attack by a fleet of spacecraft, an attack that was designed to do precisely what it did—destroy all life on the planet and ensure that the planet itself would be uninhabitable by any life forms for hundreds of thousands of years. Based on an analysis of the elements that are producing most of the radioactivity, it would, in fact, appear that most of the radioactivity is not the direct result of the fusion explosions themselves but the result of the materials in which the weapons were housed. 'Clean' fusion weapons, as I believe your ancestors called them, Captain, can destroy a world but allow life forms to return safely in a relatively short time. These weapons, however, would appear to have been deliberately designed to be as 'dirty' as it is possible to make them."

McCoy shuddered. "What kind of madhouse have we fallen into, Jim?"

"I don't know, Bones. But at least all this happened a long time ago. There's nothing to indicate that the ones responsible for this are still around."

"And nothing to indicate they aren't, either," McCoy said, his eyes flickering apprehensively at the sheer savagery of the destruction still visible on the viewscreen. "And if they were capable of this thousands of years ago, what kind of weapons do you imagine they've developed by now?"

 

ON THE COURSE the
Enterprise
followed to the next system, two more of the "booby traps" were found, both still partially functional. Once the nature of the objects was determined, both were destroyed by phaser fire, thereby preventing the fusion weapons aboard from detonating and flooding nearby space with the kind of radioactivity the first had left behind when its antimatter fuel had exploded.

In the system itself, two once habitable worlds had been destroyed just as thoroughly as the world in the first system. Whether the worlds in both systems had been destroyed by the same enemy or they had destroyed each other was impossible to say. Spock's sensors could only indicate that the destruction in the second system had occurred somewhere during roughly the same six-thousand-year period they had indicated for the first system.

In the third system, there were no habitable worlds and hence no destruction.

In the fourth, there was one habitable world. It, too, had had life scoured from its surface, but in a different, less permanent way. Here, it appeared that spaceborne lasers had been used. There was no radioactivity, and life survived in the oceans. On the land, some plant life survived as well, and, except for the lack of any animal life larger than insects and except for deserts that had been turned to glass, certain areas looked pleasantly pastoral. The time of the destruction, Spock estimated, was also different—in the twenty-to-thirty-thousand-year range.

In two more systems, no habitable worlds were found. In another, antimatter missiles had apparently been used less than five thousand years ago. In another, there was two-thousand-year-old evidence that massive phasers had been the agent of destruction, along with weapons similar to the photon torpedoes the
Enterprise
carried. In yet another, there was the residue of a deadly, corrosive chemical gas that had blanketed an entire planet, still present after at least thirty-five thousand years. And in still another, a world destroyed by the same hellish radioactive weapons that had obliterated the first two was still hideously barren after more than forty thousand years. Between systems, more than a dozen of the spacegoing booby traps were found and destroyed.

On only one planet in all the systems they visited on that first leg of exploration was there anything that didn't fit the pattern of total destruction.

The planet itself, dead for at least thirty-five thousand years, was no different from a half-dozen others. All plant and animal life was gone from the land, devoured by enough antimatter missiles to do the job a hundred times over. Deep beneath the surface, however, apparently beyond even the reach of the radiation that still poisoned space for a thousand kilometers around, Spock's sensors detected an operating antimatter power source. More than five kilometers below the surface, small amounts of power were being produced and used, and at the same point there were peculiar and extremely low-level life readings.

"Fascinating, Captain," Spock said after nearly two minutes of steady concentration on the readouts. "I have never encountered anything quite like it."

"Artificial life, perhaps?" Kirk suggested.

"Negative, Captain, at least no type of artificial life I am familiar with."

"Don't forget, this is another part of the universe. Who knows what could have been created here?"

"Granted, Captain. But this reading is not only different but…diffuse. In some ways it appears to be a single being, and yet it is not." Spock paused, looking again at the readouts.

"I apologize, Captain," he continued after a moment, "that I must express myself so imprecisely. It is a most disturbing feeling to suspect a pattern exists and yet to be unable to define that pattern or even to describe logically why I suspect its existence."

"It's called intuition," McCoy said, but without the grin that would normally have accompanied the remark. Here, in a universe of seemingly endless death, smiles had been rare. "It's from your mother's side of the family, that's all."

"Perhaps you are right, Doctor," Spock said, without the argument or the arched eyebrow that, like McCoy's missing mischievous grin, would normally have been a part of their byplay.

"An organic computer, then," Kirk said. "Remember, the Federation experimented with them for a time before Duotronics came along."

"I have considered that possibility, Captain. I have also considered the possibility that the readings are the result of distortion caused by the intervening mass of rock or even the radiation. Neither theory, however, has proven satisfactory."

"At least," McCoy said, "whatever it is isn't shooting at us the way those booby traps did."

"And no sensor probes have been detected," Kirk added. "And Uhura's found no indication of subspace activity of any kind. My own guess is that, whatever it is, it was put out of commission when the surface of the planet was destroyed, and that was at least thirty-five thousand years ago. In any event, it is obviously not the builder of the gate, and I can see no way of learning more without beaming someone down—through five kilometers of solid rock and a thousand kilometers of radiation—to look."

Spock stared at the readouts another few seconds and then straightened. "You are correct, Captain. Such a risk would be illogical simply to satisfy one's curiosity."

After two standard weeks and twenty-seven planetary systems without finding anything more advanced than insects anywhere outside the oceans, even McCoy was becoming inured to the seemingly endless destruction. His eyes began, like everyone's, to glaze over with each new scene of devastation.

Finally, as the twenty-seventh system fell astern, Kirk ordered a new course laid in, and they returned to their starting point. There was, however, no indication that the gate had reappeared, and after half a day, despite Dr. Crandall's strenuous objections, they resumed their explorations. Now, however, instead of spiraling slowly outward, the
Enterprise
struck out radially, putting as much distance as possible between itself and their starting point. And instead of stopping at every system that might hold a habitable world, they leapfrogged over ten for every one they investigated. For the first fourteen days, nothing changed. Destruction was everywhere, and everyone was beginning to wonder if every habitable world in this entire cluster had been destroyed.

But then, on the fifteenth day, more than thirty parsecs out, as the
Enterprise
dropped to sublight velocity to take detailed readings on yet another planetary system, the routine they had fallen into was abruptly shattered.

Spock, studying his instruments as always, was the first to spot the new intruder.

"Captain," he announced, "sensors indicate approaching craft."

Kirk, who had been concentrating on the magnified image of the planet they had dropped out of warp drive to inspect, looked around sharply. "Another booby trap?"

"I do not think so, Captain. It is moving under its own power, and there are indications it is capable of warp speed."

"Bearing, Mr. Chekov?"

"Three-seventy-five, mark twenty-three, sir."

"Mr. Sulu, get that on the screen, maximum magnification."

"Aye-aye, sir." As the helmsman spoke, the planet vanished abruptly from the screen, replaced by yet another view of the impossibly dense star field. After an instant of hesitation, the view expanded, the countless stars spreading outward and shooting off the edges of the screen. Finally, near the center, something nonluminous appeared in the star field, and soon its seven-sided shape was fuzzily evident.

"Details, Mr. Spock."

"Mass approximately thirty million kilograms. Heavy shielding indicated. Range one-hundred-seventeen-point-six-million kilometers, moving at point-two-three-five-c on a heading that will, at its closest point, bring the craft within thirteen-point-two-million kilometers of our present location. Preliminary indications are that the craft is technologically comparable to early Federation cruisers of the Cochrane or Verne class. There are only five life forms aboard, however."

"Any sign that they're aware of our presence?"

"None, Captain. No sensor beams detected as yet. The probability is that we are well beyond the range of its sensory apparatus."

"You mentioned shielding. What about weapons?"

"Unknown, Captain, but based on the type of shields detected, lasers are the most likely. Their shields would present no resistance to phaser fire."

"Estimated time of closest approach?"

"Twenty-seven-point-nine minutes, Captain."

"Lieutenant Uhura, any indication of subspace radio activity?"

"None, sir."

"Is it possible they don't have subspace radio capability, Mr. Spock?"

"Possible, Captain, but unlikely since they appear to have warp drive. It is more likely that they are simply not broadcasting. From the amount and type of shielding they carry, they would appear to be intentionally trying to avoid letting their presence be known. To another craft of the same technological level, without sensors similar to ours, they would be virtually undetectable beyond direct visual range."

"Then they could be listening?"

"Of course, Captain."

"Is it possible that this ship could be related to the destruction we've seen?"

"Impossible to say, Captain, but if by 'related' you imply responsibility, I would think it unlikely for a number of reasons."

Kirk nodded, sighing. "I know. Most of these worlds were destroyed thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, so no ship we come across now could possibly have had any part in whatever happened that long ago. And one would expect whoever was responsible for that destruction to have come up with an even more sophisticated and destructive technology in the interim, while this ship appears more primitive."

"Precisely, Captain."

"Then who are they? Mr. Chekov, does their flight path, fore or aft, intersect any nearby star system?"

"No, sir. Except for the one we are both in right now."

Kirk paused, studying the seven-sided dot on the screen as if trying to force it to yield its secrets by simple concentration. Finally he said, "Lieutenant Uhura, see if you can get any response."

"Right away, sir." Her lithe fingers stabbed at the controls as she spoke.

"Sensor beams, Captain," Spock announced. "However, though we can detect the beams themselves, it is unlikely that the alien craft is able to gain any useful information from them. We are still well beyond their effective range, probably indistinguishable from background noise."

"Subspace radio transmission, sir," Uhura said, "but nothing intelligible. And it's already stopped."

"Let the computer have it, Lieutenant. Maybe it can make something out of it."

"Analysis in progress," she said, "but it doesn't look hopeful." She paused, listening. "There
is
a pattern, though, Captain. It could be an identification code of some kind. A challenge to us, perhaps."

"Apparently they heard us, at least," Kirk mused. "And they obviously have subspace radio and sensor capability. Let's get a little closer, Mr. Sulu. Lay in an intercept course and proceed on impulse power, deflector shields up."

"Laid in, sir, and deflectors up."

"Lieutenant Uhura, continue broadcasting and monitoring all subspace frequencies."

"Yes, sir."

"Any change, Mr. Spock?"

"None, Captain. Their course and speed remain unchanged, and their sensor beams continue to operate. No further subspace emissions."

On the screen, the alien ship was no longer simply a dot, and the relatively primitive nature of the ship was becoming ever more apparent. A single, massive warp-drive engine mounted behind a much smaller, blunt-nosed pyramid that apparently contained the living quarters reminded Kirk of the probes the
Enterprise
had been using to investigate the anomalies. The craft was purely utilitarian, and it was little wonder that there were only five crew members aboard.

"What would you estimate the range of their sensors to be, Mr. Spock?"

"Based on their intensity, they should be at least marginally effective at our present range."

"In all likelihood, then, they know not only that we exist but where we are," Kirk said thoughtfully.

"Affirmative, Captain."

"But except for the sensor beams and that one subspace emission, they're ignoring us." Kirk paused, frowning at the craft as it continued to expand on the viewscreen. "Or, more likely, pretending to ignore us. All stop, Mr. Sulu. Let them come to us."

"All stop, sir."

"And Lieutenant Uhura, cease broadcasting but maintain surveillance of all frequencies."

"Yes, sir."

Shields up, the
Enterprise
waited.

As the alien, stolidly maintaining its original course, closed to within five million kilometers, Spock said, "Definitely laser weaponry, Captain. It is detectable through their shields at this range. Sixty-three seconds to closest approach, now estimated to be three-hundred-twenty-seven-point-six-thousand kilometers."

"Our own deflector screens can handle anything they can put out, I assume."

"Of course, Captain."