INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and

incidents are products of the authors imagination or are used

fictiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, liv-ing

or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Nostrene could sense the tension permeating the

room, though he himself refused to display any out-ward

indications except that of perfect calm. His pos-ture

contrasted with that of his crew and the scientif-ic

advisors bustling about the command deck as they

made last-minute adjustments or ran final tests.

Consoles and viewscreens displayed a vast array of

data, each one dedicated to some facet of the monu-mental

experiment currently under way.

Holding at light speed minus three, reported the

subordinate manning the helm with no attempt to

hide the excitement in his voice. Nostrene could not

blame the younger officer, who was serving aboard

ship on his first assignment and was displaying much

1

CHAPTER

1

of the same excitability and enthusiasm he himself

had at that age.

Report current status, Dlyax. In response, one of

the scientists stationed near the front of the com-mand

deck turned to face Nostrene, the deep red hue

of his crystalline body reflecting the harsh illumina-tion

emitted from the deck plating.

Commander, the drive system appears to be func-tioning

normally. Our diagnostic scans show no

anomalies or irregularities. It is our consensus that

the test can proceed without further delay.

Of course they would think that, Nostrene mused.

Their reputations are being tested here today as much

as any new propulsion system.

Tholian ships had enjoyed success with their ability

to attack from positions of stealth and to utilize their

much feared energy web generators, draining the

power and crushing the hull of even the sturdiest

enemy vessel. But it had been Nostrenes experience

that ships controlled by enemies hed faced in past

battles had possessed definite advantages in speed.

While Tholian vessels had been able to travel faster

than light for generations, they never had been able to

achieve speeds comparable to those recorded by ships

of other races. The vessels most frequently under-scoring

this shortcoming, to Nostrenes chagrin,

belonged to the United Federation of Planets.

This concern had been brought to the forefront dur-2

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

ing the recent war between the Federation and the

Dominion. Alpha Quadrant forces had nearly suc-cumbed

to the might of the so-called Founders and

their legions of genetically engineered soldiers, the

JemHadar. The Assemblys tenuous state of peace

with the Federation had strengthened during the con-flict,

allowing the Tholian people to largely observe

the war. That position fit securely with the nonag-gression

pact they had established with the

Dominion. Though it had not been popular opinion to

state publicly at the time, Nostrene was certain that

Tholian forces would have fallen quickly to the vastly

superior strength exhibited by the Dominion.

Fortunately the war had ended, with the Founders

and the JemHadar being forced back into Gamma

Quadrant space before his suspicions could be tested.

Such concerns could soon be put to rest, however,

should the experiment they were conducting here

today prove successful. Tholian vessels would be

regarded as among the fastest in the Quadrant.

Additionally, the ability to channel newly harnessed

stores of power would lend additional strength to the

defenses and armament of their ships.

Satisfied with Dlyaxs report, Nostrene said, Very

well, resume acceleration.

As he gave the order, his eyes shifted from screens

displaying information transmitted by the ships net-work

of sensors to the command decks main

3

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

viewscreen. The stars as rendered by the computer

remained still, but he knew that in a few moments

they would twist and distort as their ship crossed the

threshold into subspace.

Light speed minus one, his helmsman called out,

and Nostrene braced himself for the impending quan-tum

shift. He knew it was an absurd notion, as the

ships inertial dampening systems prevented him or

anyone else on the ship from feeling the affects of

acceleration. But it was something he had always

done, almost instinctively, since childhood. It added

to the thrill, he thought. In his minds eye, he saw the

subspace field erupting into reality as the ship

stretched, extended and distended into infinity.

Plus one, the helmsman said. Continuing to

accelerate. Except for the subordinates reports of

the ships progress, all else was silent on the com-mand

deck as engineers and scientists continued

checking the telemetry fed to them by the ships sen-sors.

This was the easy part, in actuality, with the dif-ficult

tasks yet to come. First the ship had to acceler-ate

successfully to its uppermost obtainable velocity.

Then endurance tests would begin as the crew deter-mined

how long the ship could sustain that measure

of speed. If those experiments were successful, then

the celebrations would begin in earnest, and merely

wary adversaries would now have reason to fear the

Tholian Assembly.

4

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Nostrenes reverie was broken by the first in what

quickly became a series of alarms coming from the

observation stations at the front of the command

deck.

Commander, Dlyax said, we are experiencing a

power fall-off.

Moving toward the forward stations, Nostrene

replied, What is causing it?

The scientist was keying commands into his con-sole

and studying the rapidly shifting patterns of light

on his suite of monitors. I cannot ascertain the

cause. All systems are functioning normally, but there

is an unexplained power drain in the drive system.

For a moment, Nostrene was worried that the ship

might be rendered inert in space. How serious is this

drain?

It is not severe, Commander, but it is enough to

disrupt our subspace field.

Given the choice between slowing to sublight

speeds on his own or being ripped from subspace by

a malfunctioning propulsion system, Nostrene pre-ferred

the first option. Decelerate to light minus

eight. Turning back to Dlyax, he said, Initiate a diag-nostic

check of the drive systems.

Another voice called out from behind him,

Commander, our sensors are registering some

unusual readings.

Now what? Was the entire ship falling apart?

5

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

What is it? he asked as he made his way to the

sensor officers station.

The subordinate manning the station did not look

up at his commanders approach. I have detected a

disruption in space at bearing four point nine relative

to our current position. It wasnt there during my ini-tial

scans a few moments ago, Commander.

The report was far too vague for Nostrenes tastes.

Be more specific.

I cannot, Commander. The sensors are behaving

quite erratically. They report it as an object, yet I can-not

verify the readings.

If an object had been detected so close to the ship,

Nostrene knew that automated defensive systems

would have alerted the crew to possible danger. That

none of that had happened deepened his concern.

Was an enemy who could render themselves invisible

to sensors attacking them? Was a Romulan ship out

there, attempting a covert strike?

Is there a flaw in the sensor equipment? Nostrene

asked.

Not that I have been able to find, Commander, the

sensor officer replied. It is as if this region of space

is physically deteriorating.

A localized phenomenon? There were no intelli-gence

reports of anything unusual encountered in

this area. It was a lightly traveled region, one of the

reasons it was selected as the site of the experiment in

6

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

the first place.

Put that area on the main screen, he ordered.

All eyes turned as the image on the forward screen

changed. At first Nostrene saw no discernible differ-ence

from the field of stars that had been there previ-ously.

It appeared tranquil, almost the very image he

carried in his mind even when he was planetbound to

tide him over until he could return to space once

again.

There, the helmsman said, pointing at the screen.

Upper left quadrant.

Nostrene saw it too. Amid the blanket of stars beck-oning

to them, a dark area had appeared. It was small

but opaque, and therefore contrasting sharply against

the starfield.

Magnify that area, Nostrene said, stepping closer

to the screen. The image shifted again and now the

dark area dominated the center of the screen. It was

irregular in shape, its edges fluctuating with no

noticeable pattern. Everyone on the command deck

watched as the patch of darkness expanded, then con-tracted

to almost disappear entirely before repeating

the process all over again.

It looks like a hole in space, the helmsman said.

Nostrene agreed. In all the years he had traveled

space he had never seen anything like what was dis-played

on the screen.

I am detecting spiking radiation levels coming

7

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

from that area, Commander, the sensor officer

reported. They are slight, but there nonetheless.

Is there a danger to the ship? Nostrene asked.

The subordinate took an extra moment to confirm

his readings before replying. Negative, Commander,

at least so long as we maintain this distance.

Commander!

Nostrenes attention snapped back to the screen at

the call in time to see the interior of the hole, as he

had come to think of it, shift as a blue-green field of

energy appeared.

Enlarge that, Nostrene ordered, and the image

appeared to jump forward. The energy distortion

became more detailed and he could see static dis-charges

and rippling effects as the field undulated

within the confines of the dark area.

Are you saying the sensors register none of that?

he asked.

That is correct, Commander. We see it, but our sen-sors

give no indication that it exists at all.

In front of him, the helmsman nearly came out of

his chair as he pointed to the screen. Commander,

look!

On the viewer, the energy field wavered and expand-ed

violently as, out of the nothingness that was the

dark hole amid the stars, an object began to material-ize,

quickly taking on form and substance. With the

image magnified as it was, Nostrene easily made out

8

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

seams between scarred hull plates and areas where

bare metal now shone through what had once been a

brightly painted finish.

A ship.

Sensor readings?

Behind him, the sensor officer studied his console

and shook his head. I have managed to tune the sen-sors

to at least detect the vessel, but readings are

inconclusive at best. There are no signs of life or

power sources. I believe the ship to be a derelict,

Commander.

Nostrene suspected as much, having already recog-nized

the design of the ship as soon as it had become

visible. He hadnt seen such a vessel except in histori-cal

documents, but there was no mistaking the large,

saucer-shaped hull supported by a pylon above a

smaller cylindrical secondary section and the pair of

long nacelles resting on their own support pylons.

Though the design had been refined and improved

over the many years the Tholians had been aware of

it, the basic tenets had remained the same.

Behind him, his weapons officer confirmed his sus-picion.

Commander, our tactical database identifies

it as a Federation Constitution-class starship.

According to our information, that model of vessel

was retired from active service long ago.

Are there any indications of other ships in this

area? Both the weapons and sensor officers replied

9

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

with negative reports.

So what is it doing in our space? Dlyax asked,

staring at the ghostly image of the ship.

Nostrene had no answer. Learning of the ships

presence in Tholian space would certainly put some

government officials on edge. Despite the warming of

relations with the Federation, distrust and even con-tempt

for its principles continued to simmer within

the ranks of the Assemblys elder statesmen.

Seeing the ship on the screen, however, his instincts

told him such worries were unfounded. If the ship

was indeed a derelict, then it was likely that neither

the Federation nor the Assembly had any knowledge

of its whereabouts, let alone the circumstances sur-rounding

its appearance here and now, long after

such a vessel would have been retired from normal

service.

Such judgments, though, were not his to make.

We must report this discovery, he said finally.

They will know best how to proceed.

10

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

As he traversed one of the numerous corridors of

Starfleet Headquarters, Captain Montgomery Scott

felt as though red-alert klaxons were sounding but

only he could hear them. His eyes couldnt help but be

drawn to officers mingling or casually going about

their business. He returned a few polite nods but

didnt stop to talk or even smile back when their

glances met his. There was no time for niceties.

It was a key difference between Headquarters and

serving on a starship, he had learned. People here

could be on full alert, but hardly ever at the same

time.

His commbadge chirped for his attention, followed

by a female voice. Captain Scott, please report to

11

CHAPTER

2

Briefing Room 23 immediately.

Aye, lassie, he said as he tapped the badge, and

since we last spoke, where did ya think I might be

goin?

The question went unanswered. Ill tell them youre

still on your way, sir.

Scott out. He sighed as he severed the connection.

Whatever it was that awaited him in Briefing Room

23 must be important indeed to have his assistant

page him twice in as many minutes.

Probably some politician with his nose all out of

joint.

Scotty didnt break stride as he turned toward a pair

of doors that parted at his approach. As he entered

the briefing room, the first person he saw was a man

wearing civilian clothes and the puckered expression

he normally associated with a typical Federation

diplomat.

Ach. Some days it just doesnt pay to get out of bed,

he thought as he braced himself for what was sure to

be a long day. As he made his way to one of the empty

chairs surrounding the conference table, Scotty put

on his admirals smile. It was the one that allowed

him to bite the inside of his cheek when a politician

inevitably said something to irritate him.

In addition to the civilian eyeing him impatiently,

Scotty noted the unfamiliar Starfleet commander also

seated at the table. An Andorian, the commanders

12

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

rich blue skin contrasted sharply with the dark colors

of his uniform. Scotty decided that the commander,

like a growing number of officers he ran into these

days, looked like hed just graduated from the

Academy.

Does his mother know hes playin Starfleet?

As quickly as the thought surfaced, Scotty admon-ished

himself. Not everyone could be an eighty-year

old captain with fifty or more years in Starfleet, after

all.

Good morning, Captain. Thanks for joining us on

such short notice, said the third person in the brief-ing

room and the only one Scotty recognized, Admiral

William Ross.

The admiral presented an imposing figure dressed

in his dark Starfleet uniform. Jet black hair, cut short

and liberally speckled with gray, added to a severe

expression dominated by piercing blue eyes. Ross was

one of the few flag officers Scotty respected implicit-ly,

due primarily to the fact that the admiral had risen

through the ranks while serving in the fleet instead of

occupying staff positions. He had commanded vessels

and people in peace and in war, and he had earned the

trust of those he led.

Ross also knew that most issues faced by com-manders

in the field rarely if ever resembled the tidy

tactical problems presented to cadets at the Academy.

It gave him a wisdom shaped by experience that

13

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Scotty usually found lacking in other officers in simi-lar

positions. It also made Ross in high demand at

Starfleet Headquarters, especially during critical situ-ations.

If the admiral was here now, then something

big had to be brewing.

Aye, Admiral, Scotty said as he settled into one of

the conference chairs. What have ye got?

We have a developing situation that requires not

only your departments expertise, but your own as

well.

Ross indicated the Andorian and the civilian. This

is Commander Grelin, our liaison with Starfleet

Intelligence, and this is Mr. Marshall of the

Diplomatic Corps.

Considering the presence of Grelin and Marshall,

Scotty hardly believed whatever was happening was

going to be a routine matter for the Starfleet Corps of

Engineers, the department he had been appointed to

oversee by Ross himself.

The assignment had come as part thoughtful ges-ture

and part impassioned plea, with the admiral see-ing

a singular opportunity to take advantage of

Scottys vast experience and unique perspective. After

all, how many other officers could lay claim to having

served aboard Starfleet vessels more than a century

ago?

After his rescue almost eight years before from

the wreck of the U.S.S. Jenolen, where he had been

14

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

suspended in a transporter beam for seventy-five

years, Scotty had flirted with self-pity at being

removed from his friends and loved ones by nearly

a century. It hadnt taken him long, however, to

embrace this new era and all the challenges it pre-sented.

The offer from Ross had come soon after-ward,

but Scotty really hadnt needed an invitation

to return to Starfleet. In his heart, he had never

truly left.

Ross said, Captain, Starfleet was contacted earlier

this morning by representatives of the Tholian

Assembly. They reported the presence of what

appears to be a derelict Federation starship within

their territorial borders. I dont think I need to tell you

how upset the Tholians are.

It was an understatement, Scotty knew. The

Tholians had always been protective of their region of

space, only rarely allowing foreign vessels to cross

their boundaries. Relations between the Assembly

and the Federation had improved in recent years, but

they were still nowhere near what Scotty would call

stable.

This is of great concern to us, Marshall said,

insinuating himself into the conversation in that

manner all diplomats seemed to employ and which

almost always annoyed Scotty to no end. Just seeing

one of our ships in their space is enough for the

Tholians to declare all-out war.

15

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

I dont think the situation is that extreme, Mr.

Marshall, Ross countered. One of the few good

things that came out of the Dominion War was better

diplomatic relations with the Tholians. He didnt

bother to shield the skeptical look on his face as he

added, At least, thats what we keep heari ng from the

Diplomatic Corps.

Those relations came at a very high price,

Admiral, Marshall said, bristling at Rosss jab. We

intend to cultivate them, not jeopardize the peace

every time one of your captains steers a ship where its

not supposed to go.

Ross didnt rise to the baiting. Sir, Starfleet has not

authorized any vessel to enter Tholian space. This

incident was a complete surprise to us, just as it

should have been. The ship in question hasnt seen

active duty since stardate 5685.5.

The date struck Scotty with the intensity of a phys-ical

blow. All of the puzzle pieces fell into place as the

completed picture became clear to the seasoned engi-neer.

The Defiant, he said, his voice almost a whisper.

Thats impossible, Grelin blurted, his antennae

twitching noticeably in alarm. The Defiant is cur-rently

docked at Deep Space Nine. They couldnt pos-sibly

have traveled to Tholian space in such a-

Laddie, Scotty said, cutting the Andorian off, did

they stop teaching history at the Academy altogether,

16

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

or are ye just too accustomed to hearin five-digit

stardates? He turned to Ross. Now I know why Im

here, sir.

Ross couldnt suppress a smile. Gentlemen, in

2268 the Constitution-class U.S.S. Defiant was lost

with all hands when it traveled into an interspatial

rift in an area of space subsequently claimed as a ter-ritorial

annex of the Tholian Assembly. According to

the Tholians, the rift reopened two weeks ago, and

the Defiant has been scanned drifting in and out of it

nine times since its initial reappearance. The average

duration of its visibility is three hours and twelve

minutes, though the intervals are by no means con-sistent.

In more than a century, just one Federation star-ship

has encountered the Defiant since her disappear-ance.

That ship had the only opportunity to learn

what happened to the ship and her crew. Ross indi-cated

Scotty with a gesture. Were just lucky enough

to have a member of that ships crew with us today.

Steely blue eyes fixed on the engineer.

Scotty, do you want another crack at her?

The Defiant. It was one of many memorable mis-sions

Scotty had been a part of as a crewmember of

the original Enterprise. It also was one of a handful of

mysteries theyd encountered that remained

unsolved. Leaving the Defiant locked in the spatial rift

had never set well with him. The vessel numbered

17

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

among the original Constitution-class starships, and

it was one of two such vessels that Scotty had seen

lost or destroyed during his tenure aboard the

Enterprise.

Three, counting the ol girl herself, Scotty reminded

himself.

Constitution-class ships held a special place in his

heart, as such a vessel was where Scotty had served

his first tour as chief engineer. The fleet museum con-tained

a Constitution, and hed traveled there many

times in recent years. He enjoyed walking the decks

or inspecting the bridge and, on rare occasions, treat-ing

himself to the warm familiarity of her engine

room. Her powerful warp engines may have been

silenced long ago, but Scotty could close his eyes and

almost hear their comforting throb of power.

Hoping his voice wouldnt break, he said. Aye, that

I do, sir.

Admiral, Commander Grelin said as he leaned

forward in his chair, whats to say this isnt some kind

of ploy to lure us into a trap?

By way of reply, Ross thumbed a keypad on the

tabletop that activated the briefing rooms main

viewscreen. It promptly displayed an image of the

century-old starship, glowing a fluorescent blue

seemingly from within and winking in and out of sync

with the universe.

This was relayed to us from one of our Epsilon

18

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

deep space reconnaissance stations that was retasked

to monitor the region, Ross said. Weve no reason to

believe what were seeing isnt authentic.

Scotty remembered that day, ages ago, when he had

first laid eyes on the missing ship. Admiral, thats

just what she looked like from the bridge of the

Enterprise.

This invitation to reclaim the Defiant doesnt come

lightly, Ross said. The Tholians arent excited about

a Federation ship working in their space, but they

want this situation resolved before word of the rift

and the ship spreads to every sightseer and salvager in

the quadrant. Theyre grateful enough for our assis-tance

during the Dominion War that theyre allowing

us an escorted attempt to get the Defiant back. Were

going to take it.

Marshall nodded. Were looking forward to work-ing

with the Tholians in such an atmosphere of coop-eration.

It is an unprecedented endeavor and could do

much to improve our relations with the Assembly. But

know this, gentlemen I believe the progress weve

made with the Tholians is far more important than

the recovery of some relic thats remembered only by

history buffs.

Diplomats, Scotty huffed to himself. Mr. Marshall,

I dinna know about all the political ramifications, but

surely yed agree that its important to bring the ships

crew home for the final respects they deserve.

19

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Marshall was unmoved. I dont think its important

enough to risk war.

Scotty could sense himself falling victim to what he

dubbed the Robert Fox Syndrome. It was a term

coined by his longtime friend Leonard McCoy and

used to describe a longing desire to launch an insuf-ferable

politician from a photon torpedo tube.

Whereas Scotty might have been tempted to indulge

that inclination in his younger days, age and wisdom

instead told him he would be better off if he simply

returned his attention to Ross.

Admiral, Id like to head out there and help with

recovery. No one alive knows the ins and outs of a

Constitution-class ship better than I do.

If time wasnt an issue, Id agree, Ross replied.

But the Tholians arent a patient people, and theyre

already complaining that were taking too long. Given

the difficulties were likely to encounter during the

mission, both technical and political, its vital that

whomever we send to lead this mission be an innova-tive

thinker as well as a level-headed diplomat. There

are two ships with S.C.E. detachments in range of the

Defiant the Musgrave and the da Vinci. Your opin-ion?

Id send the da Vinci, sir, Scotty said. Captain

Gold has the temperament to handle the Tholians,

and if anybody can get the Defiant out of that mess,

its Commander Gomez and her team.

20

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Ross stood, signaling an end to the meeting. Very

well. Proceed as you think best, Captain, and keep us

informed.

Walking toward the door, Marshall halted abruptly

and turned on his heel to face Scotty. Remember,

Captain, that preserving the peace between the

Federation and the Tholians is more important than

a single starship, whether its the Defiant or the da

Vinci.

Not replying to the diplomat, Scotty instead looked

to Ross. The expression on the admirals face con-firmed

to the engineer that he, reluctantly, agreed.

21

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

As he absently swirled his drink, watching a wedge

of lime chase stray ice cubes, Kieran Duffys mind

drifted for what he believed would be the last few

minutes he might grab for himself until their return

to Federation space.

Not that the mess hall of the U.S.S. da Vinci was the

most intimate of hideaways. Crewmembers popped in

and out for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat as if the

place were each persons home kitchen. Everyone

stopping in took a second to be friendly or at least

acknowledge his presence, Duffy noticed. The da

Vinci carried a lot of camaraderie even for a Starfleet

vessel, but Duffy didnt find that surprising. After all,

there were only forty-two people onboard, and most

22

CHAPTER

3

of them numbered among Starfleets top engineers.

And there goes one of them now, Duffy thought as he

caught sight of the one person for whom he wouldnt

mind breaking from his reverie. Sonya Gomezs form

flashed past the mess hall door, then reappeared as

she back-stepped into the doorway. Her eyes nar-rowed,

then her smile widened a bit.

I thought that was you, she said as she walked

toward his table. I wondered why I hadnt seen you

around.

Duffy shrugged. Not much for me to do yet, really.

Got a minute to sit?

Ill take a minute, Gomez replied. Im getting a

drink. Need a refill?

Thanks, he answered. Its quinine water, not

so-

Not soda water, she finished for him. Over ice

and with a lime twist. Same vile stuff you have every

time you sneak away to think.

Gomez returned from the replicator moments later

with a clinking glass in one hand and a steaming mug

in the other. She set Duffys fresh drink before him as

she took the seat across the table, raising her mug in

a quick cheer before sipping from it.

We all have our vices, Duffy said, smiling at the

smell of Earl Grey tea coming from the mug. So, are

you ready to, what were the captains words again?

Step aboard history?

23

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Gomez snickered, but only good-naturedly. Captain

David Gold was an even-tempered man who rarely

allowed his emotions free rein. But the news that the

da Vinci crew had been assigned to recover the

Defiant had sent the captain into a near fit of excite-ment.

History, mystery, and legend all converged on

the area of space the da Vinci was rapidly approach-ing,

and Gold had made no apologies for wanting to

be the first one there.

He hasnt been this keyed up for a mission in a

long time, has he? Gomez asked. Hes acting like an

ensign on his first assignment. But to answer your

question, were ready. The captains been at my side

almost every minute since the initial briefing. She

grinned mischievously. I did manage to shake him,

though.

And your lucky successor was?

Why, Carol, of course. Shes got her h ands full deal-ing

with our Tholian escorts, but I dont think its

helping with the captain talking into one ear while

she listens to the Tholians with the other.

As the teams intercultural relations specialist, it fell

to Carol Abramowitz to guide them through the deli-cate

dealings with the Tholian vessel that had greeted

them at the Federation border to escort them through

Tholian space. Things had been touchy at first, with

Captain Gold exercising more care and diplomacy

than was normal even for him. Given the Tholians

24

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

penchant for requiring utmost precision and adher-ence

to protocol, however, it made sense to enlist

Abramowitzs expertise and greater grasp of Tholian

idiosyncrasies.

Oh, and I imagine theyre a chatty bunch, those

guys, Duffy said. Maybe I could tell them the one

about the Tholian, the Leyron dabo girl, and the tun-ing

fork? Noting the lack of amusement in Gomezs

expression, Duffy grinned and took a sip of his drink.

Uh, maybe not.

Not retreating into humor now, are we? she

asked.

Meaning?

Gomez stared at him until he met her gaze.

Meaning are you avoiding thoughts of what were

supposed to do here?

Sonnie, Im begging you, Duffy deadpanned as he

grasped her free hand, dont take the mission. How

will I ever explain to the kids why Mommy never

comes home for dinner anymore? You and your dare-devil

plans. You dont see the looks I get from the

other guys at the tongo club every week. He gave her

a grin.

Ha ha, Gomez said as she took back her hand.

Pardon me for trying to connect with you.

Okay, no more wise guy, Duffy said. What would

you have me say? Of course Ive run through all the

scenarios in my head and yes, Im nervous for you . . .

25

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

for every one of you who are beaming over to the

Defiant during interphase. But whatever works out . . .

here, well, I think weve both been around long

enough to know the risks and costs to our personal

lives.

The admission, uncertain yet heartfelt as it was,

caught Gomez completely off guard. How long had it

been since she and Duffy had talked, really talked,

like this?

Her giggle came from nowhere, and Gomez found

herself abruptly covering her mouth, struggling to

keep her composure from dissolving completely. It

was too late, though, as she saw Duffys expression

fall.

Kieran, youre sweet, she said, choosing her

words carefully. But that wasnt what I meant at all.

Duffy straightened in his chair, the brush-off sting-ing

him almost as much as it used to back on the

Enterprise. Determined to save the moment, he quick-ly

fumbled for a witty retort.

Oh, well, this has got to be the first time in my life

Ive misunderstood a womans intentions. Was it

enough of a cover?

He should have known better.

It seems we have a new issue on the table. Gomez

drew a breath only to giggle again, but quickly rallied

to maintain her bearing. I cant say I havent missed

this kind of talk with you, but we really dont have

26

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

time to get into this right now. Can we put it in stasis

for the time being?

Consider it frozen, he said, almost too quickly.

For now, he added to himself.

The pause in their conversation threatened to

become too long, but then Gomez pressed forward.

What I wanted to know was how youre planning

for your end of the mission.

Duffy shrugged again and sipped from his glass,

hoping to avoid looking Gomez directly in the eye. He

felt certain that, had she looked hard enough, she

would see through to the doubt he hid within him.

He hoped to sound nonchalant. Seems pretty cut

and-

A tone from the da Vincis communications system

interrupted him, followed by Captain Golds voice.

All senior officers and mission specialists to the

briefing room. Were approaching the rendezvous

point.

You were saying? Gomez asked as they both rose

from the table and headed out of the mess hall.

Oh. It seems pretty cut and dried, he finished as

they proceeded down the corridor. You guys have the

hard part in prepping the Defiant. Im just minding

the store.

But thats just it, Kieran. Gomez dropped her

voice, a tone Duffy knew she used when she wanted

his full attention. He obliged, pausing in his step.

27

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Its not standard procedure for the captain and me

to be off the ship at the same time. We both know that

the da Vincis center seat is not where you want to be.

For the second time in their conversation, Duffy

hoped that his wince was more internal than external.

During his time on the da Vinci, Duffy had worked his

way up the chain of command, earning the confi-dence

of Captain Gold to the point of his being rec-ognized

as third in line to the big chair. But that line

had never stretched so far as to put him in command

during an actual S.C.E. mission. Duffy had taken the

conn on a few occasions, his previous one lasting less

than an hour as Captain Gold accompanied Sonya to

a debriefing on Starbase 42. When he was in charge,

Duffy himself had joked, the da Vinci might as well be

on autopilot.

Ive never even recorded a captains log entry.

Duffy shifted on his feet as Gomezs words hung in

the air. Everyone on the da Vinci saw Duffy as a light-hearted

but skilled officer, one who led more by

example than authority. It was an image he had

worked hard to project. He never wanted to be one of

those engineers who thought he knew a ship better

than its captain did. He didnt sit at his station on the

bridge, secretly hoping for a catastrophe or crisis that

might place him in the center seat.

Was his attitude merely avoidance? Or was it fear?

Even he didnt want to plumb for the answers to

28

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

those questions, at least not now, lest he wonder

whether Captain Golds confidence in his abilities was

warranted.

You know that Im in this whole thing for the puz-zle,

Sonnie. I like cracking the nut, coming up with

answers in the nick of time, and doing what Im told.

He paused to swallow, maybe a bit too hard. Captain

Gold told me that Im sitting in command on this end,

so thats what Im going to do. Ill be fine.

You dont have to say that for my benefit, Kieran. I

know you will. Gomez reached out to give his hand

a squeeze. I just want to be sure you know you will.

The big red button on the chair fires the phasers,

right? He smiled at her generous laugh, which put

him more at ease. Thanks, boss.

Gomez dropped his hand and walked toward the

briefing rooms door, turning her head just enough so

Duffy could hear her whisper.

You know, Im liking the sound of that boss stuff

more and more.

He followed her into the room and saw that, save

one other, the meeting was waiting on them. Then he

felt a small shove against his calf.

Excuse please, many pardons, P8 Blue said as she

pushed her hard-skinned form almost between his

legs. Skittering in on all eight limbs as she was wont

to do when hurried, the Nasat then shot up to her

hind legs and walked to her specially designed seat at

29

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

the tables end opposite Captain Gold.

You may begin now, she said to Gold, who

smirked at Duffy and gestured him to the remaining

seat with a nod of his head.

Once everyone was settled, the captain said, Thank

you all for your efforts these past hours, and for

indulging my hands-on curiosity. Im sure its obvious

to you that Ive more than a passing interest in our

rescue of the Defiant. Commander Gomez, let me reit-erate

that this is your mission. You have the final say

as to whether I beam over with you or stay here and

direct things on this end.

Duffy almost laughed aloud at the thought of Sonya

actually telling the captain he should sit this one out.

Sir, Gomez began, Im counting on your knowl-edge

of that class of starship to help once we get

there. Youre hardly just a sightseer, and Im going to

put you to work.

In other words, no putzing around, Gold said,

laughing.

With a final gesture to Gomez, Gold said, Lead us

through the final check, if you would, Commander.

Gomez turned to glance up and down the table as

she spoke. Well, weve already covered the historical

and political aspects of this mission with Captain

Scott. Now its time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

She looked over at P8 Blue. Pattie, why dont you

bring us up to speed on what were facing.

30

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Consulting her padd, the Nasat said, Everything

we have gathered through long-range scans corrob-orates

the data provided by the Tholians. The

Defiant, for all intents and purposes, exists simulta-neously

within our universe and another. The ship is

drifting in a rift between the two. As it moves in and

out of this rift, it appears to lose molecular cohesion.

Consoles, deck plates, everything on the ship gives

up its physical qualities in one universe to regain

them in the other. We will have to exercise extreme

caution while moving around over there. I cannot be

more precise, as this is as much as I have been able

to determine from the data available to us. Many

pardons.

Thats fine for now, Pattie. Gomez turned her gaze

to the ships chief medical officer. Dr. Lense, just

what is this going to do to us physically?

Elizabeth Lense leaned forward in her chair. Ive

reviewed the medical logs from the Enterprise and

determined that we have two issues to deal with.

First, those of us on the Defiant will get the full expe-rience

of interphase, which is sure to bring on nausea

and dizziness, muscle weakness and slowed response

times to all outside stimuli.

Duffy couldnt help himself. Sounds like what hap-pened

to me after breakfast.

Ignoring Duffy, Lense did not even give him the sat-isfaction

of an irritated look. Based on what I

31

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

learned from the En terprise logs, the humanoids

among us on both ships have an added concern. Our

proximity to the area of interphase puts us at risk for

irregular, paranoid and ultimately psychotic behavior,

something we might as well call space madness.

Lense glanced at Duffy, as if she expected him to

chime in again. He held his tongue as she rose from

the table.

Dr. McCoy believed it was this condition that killed

the Defiants crew, but he was able to develop a coun-teragent

to the interphases effects on his ship, one

that my team has already begun to administer to our

crew. She held up a hypospray. I can give all of you

your first inoculations now, if thats not an interrup-tion,

Commander.

With Gomez nodding assent, Lense rose from her

chair and walked first to Duffy and placed the

hypospray to his neck.

He leaned to one side and asked, So whats in this

stuff, Doc?

Lense grinned slightly, thumbing the hypo before

answering Duffys hanging question. Through the hiss

of the spray, she said simply, Theragen.

Duffys eyes widened in shock and he slapped his

hand to his neck, nearly toppling his chair over in his

haste to scramble to his feet.

What? That stuffs pure poison! Basic Starfleet

combat history was rife with accounts of 23rd

32

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Century Klingon biochemical warfare and their use of

theragen as a nerve gas, one quickly and painfully

deadly to humans. Not an honorable way to fight a

foe, Duffy believed, but times were different then.

Gold laughed aloud, as did Gomez and the others in

the room. Mr. Duffy, Dr. Lense has assured me that

its merely a derivative. Its perfectly safe and may

even carry a slight intoxicating effect.

Thats correct, Lense added. Her right eyebrow

rose in an almost Vulcan fashion as she added, Dr.

McCoy also saw fit to include a recipe for mixing the

counteragent with Scotch, based apparently on field

testing by the ships engineer, whom we all know, of

course. The doctors deadpan delivery evoked anoth-er

chorus of laughs from the group.

Well, if its good enough for Captain Scott, Duffy

said, far be it from me to say no to a nip of the hard

stuff, Doc. He tried to laugh it off but his adrenaline

needed another moment to simmer.

As Lense made her way around the others, she

paused at P8 Blues seat. Pattie, I want to monitor the

interphases effects on you before your inoculation. I

dont think the theragen is necessary.

I will report any irregularities at once, Doctor.

Satisfied with Lenses report, Gomez turned her

attention back to the group. So those of us headed to

the Defiant are ready. The plan is for Soloman and me

to install a series of portable generators to the

33

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Defiants systems, as shes sure to be completely

drained of power. It wont restore full functionality,

but we should be able to activate the maneuvering

thrusters and gain limited control of some shipboard

systems. Pattie will verify the ships systems to make

sure they can handle the power and prepare ships

thrusters to help coax us out of the rift, assuming they

will still work.

Dr. Lense, your job is to keep an eye on us and

gather what data you can on the physiological effects

of the interphase phenomenon. The physician con-firmed

the instructions with a single nod.

Captain, I need you to get whatever information

you can from the Defiants logs and pass anything to

me that might help us.

Thats hardly an order, Commander, said Gold

and smiled. You have no idea how much I want to

hear the answers to our questions about the Defiant in

the words of Captain Blair himself.

She then turned to Duffy. Commander, what have

you got for me?

He almost stammered, knowing she playfully chose

those words to catch him off guard before the whole

team. It went a long way toward calming the fresh

wave of butterflies that had formed in his gut.

I wish I could say were going to be as busy as your

team. Weve modified the da Vincis tractor beam to

work in conjunction with a molecular stabilizing

34

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

beam emitted from our navigational deflector. The

specs come from Starfleet, and all of our computer

models match what we were told to expect from

them. Captain Scott worked on the calculations him-self,

and he hasnt let us down before. Were good to

go, Commander.

Gomez smiled just enough for him to take it per-sonally,

then turned to the ships cultural liaison.

Carol, whats your take on the Tholians at this

point?

Carol Abramowitz shrugged her shoulders just a

bit as she drew in a breath. This is my first time

dealing with a Tholian who wasnt a training holo-gram.

My contact on the Tholian ship is curt border-ing

on rude, guarded with information beyond any

specific requests, and quite snippy when I dont

report regularly and precisely according to his

timetable. She shrugged. In other words, business

as usual.

Gomez stifled a snicker. We all appreciate your

extreme patience here, Carol. Your role in keeping the

Tholians calm and informed on our actions is as

important as anything any of us will be doing. I might

sug-

A tone from the comm system silenced Gomez and

Lieutenant Commander Domenica Corsis voice fol-lowed

it from the speakers.

Captain Gold? This is ahead of schedule, but were

35

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

in visual range of the rendezvous point.

Gold answered, Were on our way. Duffy turned to

catch the captains eyes widening and a hint of a grin

creeping across his mouth.

Duffy was one of the first to step onto the bridge,

only to stop in his tracks and fixate on the da Vincis

main viewer. A pair of hands on his shoulders guided

him to one side and without looking he could tell the

touch was Sonyas. At any other time he might have

reacted or commented on her touch, but his attention

was riveted to the viewscreen and the captivating

image cast upon it.

The area of torn space itself was unremarkable,

unless one stopped to notice that no stars shone

there. What seized Duffy was the shimmering lines

and apparition-like form of the starship drifting with-in

the rift, hanging askew in relation to the da Vinci,

with the top of its primary hull flat enough to clearly

read the dead ships name and registry number U.S.S.

Defiant, NCC-1764.

The low number bespoke the antiquated status the

vessel held, Duffy knew. Here was a vision straight out

of history, a physical manifestation of the challenges

and adventures that had more than likely inspired

every member of the da Vincis crew to enter Starfleet

and see what mysteries the universe held for them-selves.

The electric-blue glow infusing the century-old star-36

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

ship bathed the da Vincis bridge and the dozen or so

people gathered there. As they watched, the Defiant

continued to fade and solidify, winking in and out of

existence.

As far as this universe is concerned, thought Duffy,

the Defiant is both real and unreal.

Sensor scans are inconclusive, Corsi said as she

vacated the command chair, but readings indicate

she hasnt been there too long. We cant confirm any

power sources or atmosphere. She directed a wry

smile toward Gomez. Id watch my step if I were you,

Commander.

Away team, to the transporter room, Gold said.

Its time to go to work. Mr. Duffy, you have the conn.

Take care of my ship.

The order from Captain Gold raised a chill on

Duffys skin, but one fueled by responsibility, not

alarm. His attention turned to Gomez as she and the

others moved toward the turbolift. His eyes found

hers as she smiled just a bit and held his gaze.

Just for her, Duffy puffed out his chest and winked.

As the doors closed, Duffy blew out a long breath.

For better or worse, the bridge was his.

37

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

As the transporter beam released her, Sonya Gomez

experienced a momentary feeling of weightlessness

before the magnetic locks of her boots pulled her

back to the deck.

No gravity, she said, confirming her suspicions

that many of the Defiants systems would be off-line or

without power. That was to be expected, of course.

Not even considering that the ship had been out here

for over a century, log reports from the Enterprise had

described the draining effects of the rift on their own

power systems. It made sense that after so many

years, the unprotected Defiant would have ultimately

succumbed to the influence of spatial interphase.

The only illumination in the engineering section

38

CHAPTER

4

was that provided by the helmets of the five away-team

members environment suits. As powerful as

they were, the lamps didnt do enough to drive away

the enveloping darkness of the large chamber for

Gomezs taste. Dust and dirt floated all around them,

free from the restraint of gravity. It gave the room a

murky feel that Gomez likened to disturbed silt on an

ocean floor.

What was that? Gold called out, detecting move-ment

from the corner of his eye and jerking around in

response. As his helmet lamp shone on the source of

the movement, he felt bile rise in his throat.

Drifting unencumbered in the open space of the

cavernous chamber was a skeleton, what Gold pre-sumed

to be the remains of a Defiant engineer. It still

wore the black pants and red shirt common to engi-neering

and security personnel on Federation star-ships

in the 2260s, though the boots that completed

the uniform had fallen away from the skeletons feet.

No doubt they were still floating elsewhere about the

room.

Oh my God, the captain whispered.

Captain, theres something else, Lense added, her

tricorder beeping in her hand. The majority of what

we see floating around us isnt dirt or dust. Its whats

left of the decomposed bodies of the people who died

in this compartment. Im picking up similar readings

throughout the ship.

39

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Gomez shu ddered at the thought of maneuvering

through the interior of this dead ship, the remains of

its crew floating all about her, stepping through it and

having it settle on her suit as she walked. She had pre-pared

herself to deal with looking at the bodies of

dead crewmen during the mission, even decomposed

ones. This unanticipated twist, however, made an

already tense and depressing situation even more

morose.

Perhaps sensing the pall that had been cast over the

room by their discovery, Gold said, If we werent sure

why we came here, then we should be now. He indi-cated

the drifting skeleton. If nothing else, our job is

to make sure that these men and women finally get to

go home.

Only trace amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere,

Gomez said as she consulted her tricorder. We wont

be able to work without our suits if we cant restore

life support.

Gold nodded. The ships been out here a long time,

so theres no telling what long-term effects the rift had

on her. Plus, we dont know what shes been exposed

to on the other side of the rift.

Perhaps the ships computer . . . recorded data

received by automatic sensors before power . . . was

lost, Soloman said. Formerly known as 110, the

Bynar had changed his name after finally coming to

terms with the tragic loss of his mate, 111, during an

40

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

earlier mission.

110 had wrestled with the question of whether or

not to return to his home planet and seek out anoth-er

mate, but had finally decided against it. No other

would ever be able to replace the one with whom he

had shared so much. So rather than do something

that would, in his eyes at least, diminish the memory

of his lifes love, 110 elected to remain with the da

Vinci. But a Bynar without a mate was not a normal

occurrence and by remaining unbonded, the use of

his designation would not have been proper. 110

therefore decided that a new mode of address was

needed. Captain Gold had inadvertently provided that

by referring to the Bynars unique status as a solo

man.

Well have time to examine the computer records

later, Gomez said. But first we have to get some

power back into this old girl. She activated her suits

communicator. Gomez to da Vinci.

Da Vinci. Duffy here.

Kieran, everythings clear here. Send over our

equipment.

Aye, aye, Commander. Stand by.

A few seconds passed before transporter energy

flared into existence and a group of cargo containers

materialized. Equipped with magnetic locks, each

crate remained on the deck instead of floating freely.

In addition to the collection of tools and instruments

41

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

she had insisted on for the mission, Gomezs expres-sion

brightened at the sight of the five portable gen-erators.

How did you manage the fifth one? she asked

Duffy. She could almost hear the smile coming over

the comm circuit as he replied.

Hey, an engineer isnt supposed to reveal all of his

secrets. At least, thats what Captain Scott always

says.

When Duffy had asked about her equipment needs

for the away team, Gomez had decided that four of

the generators would probably be sufficient for their

plans, but five would be better. It had been necessary

to outfit each of the devices with special shielding to

protect them from the detrimental effects of the rift, a

time-consuming procedure. That Duffy had expended

the extra effort to prepare a fifth generator, especially

with the limited amount of time hed had to complete

his original tasks, pleased Gomez to no end. She was

thankful to have the added cushion, just in case.

Well, thanks just the same. Dinners on me when

we get back. Gomez out.

As she severed the connection, Gomez noticed P8

Blue studying her tricorder, a frown creasing her face.

Pattie, is something wrong?

Looking up, the Nasat replied, I have detected an

anomalous reading. It appears to be a shielded power

source. The indication is very faint, but it is there.

42

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Where is it? Gomez asked.

Deck 20, portside cargo hold.

Frowning, Gold said, Odd place for a power read-ing

on an otherwise dead ship. Why didnt we detect

it from the da Vinci?

Gomez turned so that her helmet lamps cast illumi-nation

past the heavy mesh grating separating the

main engineering deck from the ships massive

impulse engines. She found it an odd sensation to

stand in the heart of a starship and not hear the com-forting

hum and feel the pulse of the vessels engines.

The silence only seemed to strengthen the aura of

death surrounding her.

The rift might be acting as a kind of dampening

field, she said. The Enterprise logs detail how they

were unable to get worthwhile sensor readings, also.

She turned to Pattie. You didnt find other power

sources anywhere on the ship?

The Nasat shook her head. I am sorry, no. The

warp core is completely inert and will require a cold

restart to bring it back on line.

No, thank you, Gomez countered. After a hun-dred

years, Im not doing anything with those engines

until theyve been thoroughly checked out, preferably

by a starbase dry-dock crew. Our first order of busi-ness

is restoring partial power, enough to maneuver

us out of the rift. Well also try to get enough power to

the main computer and access the databanks con-43

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

taining log entries.

The best place to accomplish that is the science

officers library computer station on the main bridge,

Gold said. I can have Mr. Duffy transmit the Defiants

prefix code from the Starfleet tactical database and

give me direct access to the whole shmeer.

Gomez wasnt sure who had come up with the idea

behind the prefix code, which allowed a ship com-mander

to assume remote control of another starship

by establishing a link between the vessels computers.

It had proven to be a tactical advantage on certain

isolated occasions, she knew, but she was convinced

it provided a much greater use for engineers, espe-cially

those sent into an abandoned or derelict ship

such as the Defiant had unfortunately become. Once

the code gave Captain Gold access to the ships main

computer, he would be able to retrieve anything con-tained

within its vast memory banks, including

secured sections containing Captain Blairs personal

log.

But youll have to get there the hard way, sir,

Gomez told Gold. I wont be able to spare enough

power to access the turbolift control network. She

looked around the immense engineering chamber.

They built these old Constitutions tough enough, but

their original duotronic systems were never intended

for exclusive automation.

Dr. Richard Daystrom did attempt to . . . rectify

44

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

that shortcoming, Soloman said, but his multitron-ic

computer project was . . . a failure.

Thats certainly an understatement, Gold replied.

He remembered reading how Daystroms lauded

attempt to follow up his revolutionary duotronic

computer systems had ended in fiery tragedy. During

an experiment in which the original Enterprise had

been outfitted with Daystroms prototype multitronic

system, the M-5, the new computer had experienced

massive malfunction. After locking the Enterprise

crew out of the ships critical systems, M-5 took the

vessel on a murderous rampage. It had ended with

the near destruction of four other Constitution-class

starships and the deaths of nearly a thousand

Starfleet personnel.

Well, were not out to automate the Defiant,

Gomez said. We just want to be able to generate

enough thrust to help the da Vinci pull us out of the

rift, if necessary. Besides, I dont like the idea of not

being able to move under our own power if the need

arises.

She turned back to P8 Blue. Pattie, I want you to

check out that power reading on Deck 20. Take Dr.

Lense with you.

Lense looked up at that. Commander, I was hoping

to investigate sickbay and see if the ships doctor

recorded any useful information about the physiolog-ical

effects of interphase on the crew.

45

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Shaking her head, Gomez replied, I havent forgot-ten

about you, Doctor, but Id rather not have Pattie

roaming the ship alone until youre certain the rift

wont have any adverse effects on her. Besides, any-thing

the Defiants doctor recorded will be accessible

from the bridge.

Having stepped away from the team to consult his

tricorder, which Duffy had prepared by downloading

the technical schematics of the Defiant into it, Gold

looked up and asked, All the way from engineering to

the bridge by way of the Jefferies tubes? The smile he

directed to Lense was good-natured enough, though.

Oy, I guess I should have seen that one coming. Well,

at any rate, the good doctor here will be thrilled to see

me get my weeks exercise quotient during this mis-sion.

* * *

The access panel opened with minimal effort on his

part, swinging away to be swallowed by the darkness

beyond the hole it revealed. David Gold directed the

illumination from his helmet lamps through the

opening, becoming the first person in over a century

to gaze on the abandoned bridge of the U.S.S. Defiant.

Hed toured the Constitution-class starship that was

interred at the Fleet Museum several times, of course.

With its display placards and directional signs to

guide visitors, however, the vessel on exhibit had

seemed to be exactly that; an elegant mock-up rather

46

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

than a functional ship of the line. This was different,

much different.

The consoles, the turbolift doors, the railing sur-rounding

the command well, everything was infused

with bright colors that were only slightly diminished

by the layer of dust covering everything. It was a strik-ing

contrast to the bridge of the da Vinci and other

ships on which he had served. By current Federation

standards, the Defiants systems were hopelessly out-da ted,

but Gold could see in the archaic equipment

how the various systems had evolved over the centu-ry

separating this ship from her modern-day descen-dants.

He could almost feel the history of the era from

which this vessel hailed wash over him.

Gold to Gomez, he said as he activated his com-municator.

Ive made it to the bridge. Whats the sta-tus

on power?

Almost there, Captain, Gomez said over the con-nection.

Soloman should have the main computer on

line a few minutes after that.

Excellent, the captain said as he stepped from the

access crawlway onto the starboard side of the upper

deck next to the main viewscreen. His boots made a

satisfying clank as their magnetic seals attached him

to the deck.

As with engineering, thick dust hung in the air. At

least, thats how Gold preferred to think of it. The

bridge appeared deserted, but he knew better. Hed

47

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

read the reports filed by Captain Kirk on their inves-tigation

of the Defiant and so was prepared when his

light fell on the two skeletal bodies floating near the

bridges far bulkhead.

Gold figured the skeleton swathed in the gold shirt

was the decomposed body of the ships commander,

Captain Blair, the golden braids on the sleeves of the

dust-coated, century-old uniform shirt providing the

only hint. The other skeleton wore a red shirt, with no

other clues to its wearers identity.

Gold idly wondered where the rest of the bridge

crew might have gone. Did they abandon their posts

while in the grips of the madness brought on by the

interphase phenomenon? Were they lying some-where,

their fallen bodies bearing silent witness to the

carnage that had eventually overtaken the rest of the

crew? Gold was surprised to feel himself shiver at the

thought.

And then he nearly had a heart attack when the

lights came on.

Gottenyu! The exclamation burst from his lips as

the overhead lighting snapped on and consoles all

across the room began their various start-up

sequences. True to her word, Gomez had restored

power to the bridge. Life flowed through the Defiants

nerve center once more.

Gomez to Captain Gold, the engineers voice

sounded in his helmet. You should have power

48

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

restored up there.

Gold sighed as he chuckled to himself. Thank you,

Commander. Now I just need a moment to get my

own power source restarted.

In a few more minutes Ill have life support

restored to that deck, Captain, Gomez said. Itll

make working up there easier and allow us to con-serve

the oxygen supplies in our suits.

Taking another look at the bodies of Captain Blair

and the unknown crewman hovering in the absence

of gravity, Golds expression sobered, though there

was no one around to see it. The restoration of the

Defiants normal atmosphere was sure to have a debil-itating

effect on any decomposed remains exposed to

it.

Stand fast on that for the moment, Commander,

and send Soloman up to the bridge at his earliest

opportunity. We have one task to complete before we

get started.

The mission, Gold decided, could wait. Captain

Blair and his crew deserved at least that much.

49

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Deep in the bowels of the Defiant, Dr. Lense and P8

Blue succeeded in forcing open the reinforced double

hatch. Unlike most of the other doors they had

encountered on their journey from the ships engi-neering

section, this one had proven more difficult to

get past. That wasnt surprising, considering its dou-ble

thickness and magnetic seal designed to hold even

in the event of a ship-wide power loss.

It was also heavy.

Thats some door, Lense said, accentuating the

fact.

It has to be, Pattie replied as she retrieved the

manual opener from the surface of the door. In the

event of an explosive decompression in the cargo bay,

50

CHAPTER

5

this door is the only thing separating the rest of the

ship from vacuum. This class of ship was in service

long before automatic safety forcefields became com-mon.

They are strong, but not too strong for us. She

hefted the door opener one last time before returning

it to its carrying pouch on her belt. Normally used in

emergency situations, the device was also one of the

many helpful implements employed by engineers on

starships to carry out their normal range of duties. It

was a standard component of every S.C.E. team

members tool kit.

Lense to away team, the doctor said into her

communicator. We have arrived at the cargo bay.

Understood, Gomez replied. Be careful in

there. Theres nothing that says a hatch or two cant

fail unexpectedly if the ship is tossed around by the

rift.

Lense directed a questioning look at Pattie, who

shrugged in reply. It has been known to occur on

derelict vessels.

Wonderful, the doctor sighed. Lets just get this

over with.

As with the rest of the ship that they had traversed

so far, this area of the Defiant was devoid of any

appreciable atmosphere and was wrapped in dark-ness.

Getting here from engineering hadnt been the

most pleasant of journeys, either, as they had been

forced to walk past more skeletal remains of

51

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

crewmembers drifting in the zero gravity as well as

the particles and residue saturating the air. Though

Lense was a physician and used to seeing bodies in all

manner of decomposition, she would be more than

happy to return to the da Vinci and its quite living

crew.

The pair swept the immense chamber with their

helmet lamps, chasing the black away as the illumi-nation

shone across the bizarre sight of cargo con-tainers

drifting freely about the chamber. Dust lit-tered

the air as well, further hampering their vision,

and in some instances the grime covered shipping

labels and other markings on various containers.

Patties eyes widened as one reading on her tri-corder

changed. I have located the anomalous power

source. She pointed off into the depths of the cargo

bay. That way.

With Lense following, Pattie stepped cautiously

into the hold, her attention riveted on the information

being relayed by her tricorder as the pair continued

past containers and other equipment. While some of

it was still strapped to the deck or fastened to storage

shelves, the majority of the rooms contents floated

about the room free of any restraint.

Inspecting the label on one container, Lense shook

her head. This one is full of replacement components

for computer workstations. She pointed to another.

That one has parts for engineering control systems.

52

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

This stuff could fill a museum exhibit.

Perhaps it will, one day, Pattie said as she contin-ued

to consult her tricorder. Starfleet may see fit to

honor the Defiants crew by interring the ship in the

Fleet Museum as part of a memorial. Such an action

would seem appropriate. She turned a corner and

headed toward the bays far bulkhead. Moving in and

around more drifting containers and components, the

insect-like engineering specialist abruptly stopped.

This is it, she said simply. It was an understate-ment.

Unlike the drab gray square and rectangular con-tainers

dominating the rest of the cargo hold, the

object Pattie and Lense now beheld was octagonal in

shape and painted in a dark black that shone through

the thick dust covering it. Pattie guessed that the

object was half again as long as a Starfleet standard

quantum torpedo tube while being nearly twice as

wide. Secured to the deck with restraining bands, the

item sat atop a suite of six stocky legs. Bending down

near one end of the squat device, Pattie waved her tri-corder

over one of the legs.

Soil residue, she said as she examined the units

readings. Whatever it is, it was intended for use on

the surface of a planet or moon.

Lense wiped dust from the surface of the object,

looking for some clue to its origin or purpose. There

doesnt seem to be any external markings. Do you

53

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

have any idea what it might be?

Components of this device look similar to technol-ogy

possessed by the Tholians, Pattie said. Or at

least the configurations carry basic Tholian tenets of

design. She pointed to one of the objects eight side

panels. These appear to be energy emitters of some

kind. She shook her head. It is remarkable that its

power cell is still functioning after all this time, and

despite the debilitating effects of the rift. We may be

able to learn something useful about the protective

aspects of its internal shielding.

Lense frowned as she studied the squat device. No

means of propulsion, nothing that appears to be a

weapon. What could it be?

For that, Pattie had no answer. Lense mentally filed

their exchange among her reminders as to why she

preferred medical science to engineering At least her

patients could assist in their own diagnoses.

* * *

Sitting at the engineering station on the bridge of

the Defiant, Sonya Gomez couldnt deny the feeling

that shed stepped backward into history.

As she ran her hands along the glossy black console

and let her fingers trace over the rows of multicolored

buttons, she realized how Captain Gold had been

enamored with the idea of boarding this vessel. The

sensation had begun to assert itself earlier, down in

the engineering section, but it was nothing compared

54

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

to what she had felt when she set foot on the bridge.

Her trained eyes had inspected every station, every

control, and come away impressed. The design of the

Defiants nerve center, like many of the systems shed

seen so far on the ship, were ones that held up sur-prisingly

well despite the gap in technology they rep-resented.

She had been very satisfied with what she

had found in engineering.

So youre saying shell hold together? Gold asked,

a childlike grin dominating his features.

Gomez nodded. Most definitely, sir. The man eu-vering

thrusters are operating well within acceptable

parameters, even though theyve been out of commis-sion

for a century. Itll be more than enough to help

the da Vinci pull us out if necessary. They certainly

knew how to build these old ships.

In addition to restoring power to the thrusters,

Gomez had also returned power and life support to

the bridge, allowing the away team to remove their

environment-suit helmets. Of course, Gold had let her

activate the automatic air scrubbers first, while he

and Soloman had taken the time to remove the

remains of Captain Blair and the unknown crewman

he had found on the bridge. Gomez for one had been

thankful for that. During the time it had taken her

and Soloman to install the generators, they had

encountered more skeletons of the engineering crew.

The ghastly sight had begun to unnerve her more

55

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

than she wanted to admit.

Captain, Soloman said from where he sat at the

science station, I have obtained access . . . to the

ships main computer. We now have access to the

entire data storage network, including the . . . cap-tains

logs.

Excellent, Gold replied. Maybe now we can final-ly

find out what happened to this ship. See if you can

find anything in the logs about the rift. He paused

for a moment before adding, Or Tholians, while

youre at it. Noticing Gomezs questioning look, the

captain shrugged. A hunch.

She turned to watch Soloman set to his task. Bynars

as a race interacted with computers as easily as

humans conversed with one another. On their home

planet, the central computer system was highly

regarded throughout the Federation as one of the

pinnacles of information processing capability. Like

others of his species, Soloman was used to computers

possessing far greater power and speed than those of

a century-old starship.

Despite his best efforts, however, Soloman was still

adjusting to working as a lone entity, rather than

being able to divide responsibilities with his bond-mate.

In the weeks following 111s tragic death,

Soloman had at times found himself confused, hesi-tant,

even resistant to the idea of working alone. Tasks

once regarded as routine while working in tandem

56

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

with 111 suddenly seemed insurmountable. Gomez

knew that it had taken no small amount of courage to

rise to the challenge of continuing on without 111s

support. That was one of the things she admired

about the Bynar.

She also wondered idly if Soloman would experi-ence

any additional frustration at being forced to deal

with the Defiants antiquated equipment. The com-mander

couldnt suppress a smile at the image of the

Bynar throwing up his hands in exasperation and

loudly announcing his refusal to work under such

intolerable conditions.

Soloman did no such thing, of course. Instead, he

turned back to Gold after only a few moments of

scanning the Defiants computer records.

Captain, I believe I have found . . . what we are

looking for. He keyed a series of controls and was

rewarded with the main viewers activation. The

image on the screen coalesced into the figure of a

human male who Gold recognized as Captain

Thomas Blair.

Captains log stardate 5684.7. Sensors have detected

a trio of Tholian vessels on an intercept course. We can

outrun them, but long-range scans indicate other ships

in the region. We are plotting an evasive course to get us

back to Federation space. The area were traveling

through is uncharted, but sensors have detected noth-ing

that might present a threat to the ship.

57

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Little did he know what he would find, Gold said

as the image froze.

Gomez nodded knowingly. Our sensors have trou-ble

detecting the rift, and we have better equipment

and know what to look for. The Defiant never had a

chance. She could almost feel her blood chill as she

regarded the image of Captain Blair. After studying

the mans service record during the journey here,

Gold had mentioned that Blair had been about fifty

standard Earth years old at the time of his command.

But the log entry made the Defiant captain look older

still.

From the science station, Soloman said, Captain,

there is more.

Lets have the whole megillah, then, Gold replied.

After a brief pause, the image of Captain Blair reap-peared.

Captains log supplemental. The ship has come into

contact with an unidentified phenomenon unlike any-thing

on record. Science Officer Nyn believes it to be

some kind of interdimensional corridor that may actu-ally

connect our universe with a completely different

one. In addition to affecting our onboard power sys-tems,

Dr. Hamilton reports that members of the crew

are being struck with what she describes as a frantic

paranoia. Her medical scans show that in all of the vic-tims,

an area of the brain has been affected in a similar

fashion. She hasnt isolated the cause yet, but the

58

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

attacks didnt start until we entered this rift. We need to

leave this place, but our sensors cant seem to detect an

exit from this hole in space weve fallen into.

In the next entry, Gold and the others could now

clearly see the exhaustion and near panic on Blairs

face.

The incidents of unrest are escalating, both in num-ber

and violence. Four crewmen have been killed and

Dr. Hamilton was severely injured when she was

attacked by one of her own nurses. Without her help, I

dont think well be able to find a cure for whatever is

affecting the crew. Science Officer Nyn is unable to find

a way out of this rift. We have been pulled into and out

of our universe on three separate occasions, but in each

instance we were unable to break free from whatever is

holding us here. Nyn has a plan to-

On the screen, a crewman wearing a red shirt sud-denly

lurched into the picture, his hands lunging for

Blairs throat. The captain bolted from his chair to

parry the attack, but the crewman had the advantage

in both speed and strength.

Oh my God, Gomez breathed. Like Gold and

Soloman, she too was transfixed by what quickly

became mortal combat on the viewscreen, with

Captain Blair fighting futilely against the onslaught of

the obviously crazed crewman. None of the away

team could bring themselves to speak another word

as the struggle continued onscreen.

59

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Finally, Captain Thomas Blair succumbed to the

greater strength of his opponent, his body sagging in

defeat before he and the crewman fell out of view. The

log entry continued to play, the only thing discernible

being the unpleasant sounds of struggle continuing

out of range of the log recorders visual pickup. That

only lasted for a few moments, though, before it mer-cifully

ended.

Soloman was the first to speak, his voice quiet and

tentative. They never had a chance . . . trapped in the

rift as they were. What a tragedy.

That explains why Starfleet never learned what

happened to the Defiant, Gomez said. First they

were hiding from the Tholians, probably maintaining

communications silence. Then they fell into the rift

with no hope of getting a signal out. And the

Enterprise never had the chance to review the cap-tains

logs. She paused momentarily, gathering her

composure when she realized how profoundly the

images on the viewer had affected her.

What a terrible way to die.

Gold nodded. Well, we mustnt let our emotions get

the better of us. There will be plenty of time later to

answer all the questions the Defiant and her crew

have left us. For now the best thing to do is to con-centrate

on getting the old girl out of this mess and

heading home.

Gomez agreed, upset with herself at allowing what

60

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

they had encountered to bother her. It wasnt normal

for her to react in such a manner to the unexpected or

the unpleasant. Why should now be any different?

Her attention was drawn to the chirping sound of

their suit communicators and the voice of P8 Blue.

Captain Gold, we have found the source of the

power readings, the Nasat said. I think you will find

this to be most interesting.

Gold couldnt help a small smile as he replied.

What on this ship isnt?

61

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Despite the reports from the Enterprise and from his

own colleagues-reports of lunacy and bloodshed

that he supplemented with horrific images in his own

mind-Duffy could not look upon the Defiant as a

dead ship anymore.

His eyes surveyed the century-old starships glowing

image on the da Vincis main viewer. Hanging silently

in space, the all but powerless craft shimmered in its

eerie blue shroud, more of a specter than a starship.

Duffy propped himself against the bridge railing,

vaguely recalling stories of ancient sailors on Earths

seas and their reports of phantom schooners sailing

not on the waves but in the skies. Had more people

the same opportunity to view this hapless ship as did

62

CHAPTER

6

he and the da Vincis crew, he thought, the Defiant

surely would become the stuff of legend.

But the surreal ship now housed very real members

of his own crew, whose mission was to restore life to

the Defiant. At least, they were to restore enough of it

to allow his team to pluck the ship from more than a

century of interspatial limbo.

If nothing else, well bring home some answers to

questions that have baffled Starfleet officers for decades,

including Captain Gold.

As he thought of his captain, Duffy swung his

glance to the empty command chair in the center of

the da Vincis bridge. Technically in command of the

vessel for almost three hours, Duffy still had not

brought himself to sit in that chair. When he wasnt

working, he lingered around it, appraising it as he

used to size up the antique sofa in his grandmothers

home as a child. Every holiday, his family would take

the shuttle to Denver for a big meal and overnight

stay. During each visit Duffy would find a way to

sneak into the sitting room and plop down on that

rickety sofa when no one was looking, just to know

that he did it. Duffy smiled to himself as he eyed the

seat cushion of the captains chair. His little game

dulled some of the tension in his mind.

Hey, Grandma, take a look at little Kieran now, he

thought as he sauntered over to the chair, turned

around, bent his knees and-

63

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Mr. Duffy, called Fabian Stevens from one of the

science stations at the rear of the bridge. Ive got the

latest structural integrity readings from Commander

Gomez if you want to see how they fit the models.

Duffys rear hung over the seat for a moment before

he straightened and wondered if Grandma had been

watching after all.

Fabian Stevens was the one crewman on the da

Vinci who Duffy had the most fun with, whether it

was knocking back a synthebeer in the mess hall or

puzzling out the answer to a technical problem.

Stevens struck Duffy as, for lack of a better term, the

most regular guy on board. He had also confided to

Duffy his own personal interest in this mission as the

da Vinci sped through Tholian space.

The tactical experts assignment previous to S.C.E.

had been to Deep Space Nine and its attending star-ship,

which bore the same class designation and

name of the very ship they intended to salvage. Upon

receiving that posting, Stevens had studied with keen

interest the logs and history of the original Defiant

and had been caught up in the mystery and tragedy

surrounding the vessels loss. As an engineer, he rel-ished

the idea of applying his technical prowess and

that of his fellow teammates to retrieve the fabled

ship and finally bring her home.

Stevens likened their mission to the ongoing

effort by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay and the

64

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Pathfinder project to contact the U.S.S. Voyager,

stranded in the Delta Quadrant with her crew

valiantly trying to get home. While the stakes for

this mission certainly werent on the same level,

Fabian Stevens felt as strongly about this mission as

Barclay had about bringing the Voyagers crew home

safely.

As he made his way toward the science station,

Duffy decided to put Stevenss question back on him.

Well, how do things look to you?

How technical do you want to get, Duff? Stevens

grinned. He tapped several commands into his con-sole

to bring up a graph with a series of fluctuating

bars. Weve finished our modifications to the deflec-tor

dish, and with even a low-strength infusion from

the beam, we should have a nice stable area of the

Defiants hull to latch onto with the tractor beam.

Stevens tapped once more and the bar graph dis-solved.

Curse me for being overconfident, Duff, but

this ought to go pretty smoothly.

Duffy nodded to Stevens and smiled, shrouding his

sincere hope for a trouble-free mission in a quip.

Smoothly? That would be a refreshing change. As

he turned away from the science station, he became

aware that he was the object of someones attention,

and that someone wasnt happy.

Of course, Id have to consult a calendar to figure out

the last time ol Core Breach was happy, Duffy joked to

65

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

himself as he turned his attention to the da Vincis

security chief, Domenica Corsi.

Concerns, Commander?

Corsi maintained her stiff stance near the securi-ty

console, moving no muscle except those needed

to deepen her frown. Duffy decided to meet her

there rather than forcing her to call across the

bridge; that would be the more captainly way to

handle it. As he took one step toward her, however,

Corsi made it clear she wasnt above raising her

voice.

You seem pretty relaxed, Commander Duffy.

He hustled his step to meet Corsi, hoping his prox-imity

might prompt her to tone down. I want every-one

to relax, Corsi, including you. Okay, mostly just

you. He decided to add a smile in order to ease the

remarks effect.

Unfazed, she replied, Never mind that were in

hostile space with a Tholian ship off our bow. You

dont even have our shields up or our weapons

charged.

Thats at Carols and Captain Golds recommenda-tions,

he countered. We do that, and the Tholians

will be sure to get curious. And just what would we

say in response? That were nervous?

You know its against regulations. As if sensing

her own breach of protocol, Corsi lowered her voice.

I want people to be prepared on the bridge, not calm

66

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

and folksy as you would have them.

Bristling at the implied criticism, Duffy snapped

back, Tell you what, Commander-next time, you

can sit in the big boys chair.

He caught himself, his ears ringing with reminders

of Sonyas advice against getting baited by Corsi. On

the surface, the crew almost universally saw the secu-rity

chief as a hard-nosed stickler for protocol and

procedure. But, as Sonya said, a person such as Corsi

was never bad for a captain to have at his or her dis-posal.

Duffy knew that in a pinch, he could turn to

Corsi for advice and that he could count on her to act

quickly and correctly.

And one thing he did not want now was her notic-ing

his unease with command.

Wait a minute, Duffy said and stalled. That was

uncalled for. He tried another smile, holding his

hands out in supplication. Listen, Ill toe the com-mand

line if you remind me of regulation breaches

later, okay? Corsi nodded, seemingly placated for

the moment, and Duffy again noted one of the rea-sons

that he would never pine away for the center

seat.

Its not a starship that a captain has to manage so

much, he reminded himself. Its her crew.

A hail from the Defiant pricked up Duffys ears. The

voice was Sonyas and she was just whom he wanted

to hear, if only as a mental pick-me-up.

67

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Defiant to da Vinci. Commander Duffy? Were

ready on this end.

Duffy smiled. And ahead of the Tholians schedule

by, oh, twelve minutes and change. They ought to

appreciate your efforts, Commander.

He looked in the direction of Carol Abramowitz,

who was seated at the communications console. As a

cultural specialist, she was pretty used to the post

although it wasnt her usual one. Duffy had seen her

talk the crews way through plenty of encounters

before; Carols background made her the perfect

blending of a diplomat and a crewperson with

Starfleet training at heart.

Carol, alert the Tholian commander that well be

starting our operation momentarily, Duffy said, sti-fling

a more natural urge to phrase things as requests

rather than orders.

She nodded and tapped the console before her.

Commander Nostrene, this is the da Vinci. I know

this is-

You are twelve minutes and eleven seconds prema-ture

for your next scheduled communication, came a

reply in a synthesized voice that Duffy recognized as

the echoing timbre assigned by the computer to all

Tholian communications. Hed had plenty of oppor-tunities

to hear the native tongues of races across the

Alpha Quadrant the guttural barking of Klingon, the

almost lyrical qualities of Vulcan and Romulan, and

68

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

the clicks and grunts peppering High Tellarite that

almost always made him chuckle. But he had never

heard the actual sounds of the Tholian language.

Sonya once likened it to the screech of a tritanium

blade on glass.

Yes, Commander, but forgive our haste as we need

to inform you that we are ready to begin the salvage

operation, Abramowitz said in an even, almost

apologetic tone. Our away team is prepared, and we

know that time is of the essence for you and the

Assembly.

Understood, replied the computer voice that

Duffy assumed was Nostrene. He figured the Tholian

commander must have drawn this plum assignment

from his higher-ups through to the bitter end, as

Nostrenes name was attached to the Tholian reports

passed through Starfleet Intelligence to the da Vinci.

Nostrenes ship had been the first Tholian vessel on

the scene of the rifts reopening and the Defiants reap-pearance.

Just to remind you, Commander, Abramowitz

said, we expect this to be a routine maneuver. We

will project a pair of beams from the da Vinci. A nar-row,

bluish one will be our tractor beam and will

come from the front of our ship. The wider, yellowish

beam that will stabilize the molecular integrity of the

trapped ship will come from our deflector dish.

Neither beam will affect your ship. With any luck,

69

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

well need just a few minutes to pull the Defiant free.

Then well be on our way.

Proceed, was all Nostrene said before cutting the

channel.

Duffy exchanged an amused look with the cultural

liaison. Im really going to miss these stimulating

conversations when this is all over. He was about to

order Stevens to begin when his commbadge chirped,

startling him from speaking.

Gold to Duffy. I need to interrupt your operations

a moment.

Duffy felt his pulse quicken at the captains words.

Had something gone wrong? Not according to read-ings

on their end. He tipped his head toward the

bridges ceiling, as if that might make him more audi-ble

to the crew on the old starship. What is it,

Captain?

Have Carol patch me through to the Tholian com-mander,

said Gold. And feel free to listen in. You all

may find this interesting.

Duffy and Abramowitz met each others gaze as if

on cue. He nodded once to her as she tapped com-mands

on the console before her. Commander

Nostrene, please prepare for communications from

Captain Gold on board the Defiant. She paused for a

moment until the Tholian commander signaled his

readiness to proceed, then said, Captain Gold, go

ahead.

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INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Commander Nostrene, Gold said, weve discov-ered

something onboard the Defiant that I believe will

make this operation one of historical sig nificance for

both our peoples. We are transmitting for your inter-pretation

our tricorder readings of a device we found

stowed here. Well be pleased to turn it over to you for

return to the Assembly as a token of our appreciation

for your help in retrieving this starship.

Duffy noted Abramowitzs quick tapping as she not

only forwarded the tricorder data to the Tholians but

recorded it in the da Vincis memory banks as well.

The speakers rang with the computerized timbre of

Tholian voice. Received and acknowledged.

Abramowitz, focused on readings from her console,

said, Captain, the transmissions been cut from their

end.

Duffy smirked and spoke up himself. Im sure

theres a Tholian word for thank you somewhere in

our linguistics records. In any event, Captain, were

definitely interested in seeing everything youve found

over there.

Maybe not everything, Mr. Duffy. The sober tone

of his captains voice gave the engineer pause before

the full realization of Golds remark hit home. The

Defiant was, after all, more than simply an unsolved

mystery or engineering challenge. The ship was also a

tomb, the final resting place of more than four hun-dred

men and women who had given their lives in

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INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

service to Starfleet. Above all else, Duffy reminded

himself, that one fact could not be forgotten in their

haste to accomplish the recovery mission.

Golds voice interrupted his thoughts. Commander,

if youre ready on your end, lets get this show on the

road.

Duffy tried to exude some confidence, for Golds

benefit as well as his own. Once more unto the

breach and all that, Captain. Well have you out in no

time.

Mazel tov, Mr. Duffy.

As the connection was severed, Duffy started

toward Stevenss station, then paused. A quick check

of the bridge showed that everyone was at their sta-tions,

ready to go. They all knew their jobs and had

everything under control. With that taken care of, he

realized it was time for him to step up and do the job

Captain Gold had given him, and there was only one

place where that could be accomplished.

Tightening his lips, he turned instead to the steps

leading to the captains chair. Without a hesitation or

flourish, he settled into the center seat. He imagined

the chair embracing him, the authority and responsi-bility

it represented reaching out to envelop him and

fuel him with the confidence he needed to see this

mission through.

Hey, this doesnt feel so bad.

Mr. Stevens, he said, not looking away from the

72

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

viewscreen, ready the navigational deflector.

As Stevens tapped at his console, Duffy spoke again.

Da Vinci to Defiant. Commander Gomez, alert the

away team that were bringing you out. Prepare your

thrusters, please.

Gomez was quick to reply. Ready on your mark,

Commander.

Stevens signaled his readiness as well. Duffy paused

a beat to center himself, then, Go with the deflector,

Mr. Stevens.

Duffy watched the main viewer as a wide, sparkling

beam burst from the bottom of the screen and shot

arrow-straight to the Defiant. The gold hue of the

beam mingled and swirled with the neon-blue glow of

the trapped ships saucer section, stirring colors and

flashing energy in ways that Duffy had never seen. In

the center of the maelstrom grew a patch of dirty

white. As he stared, the white took on definition as

precisely spaced crosshatches of black appeared with-in.

He watched the very hull of the Defiant integrate

at the deflector beams touch.

Commander, Stevenss voice broke across the

nearly soundless bridge, shes emerging from the rift

and the hull is phasing as projected. We have enough

room now to grab her.

Duffy spoke more loudly than even he expected.

Tractor beam at maximum, Fabian. Now!

He watched a thin blue beam etch a path across the

73

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

gold of the existing one. While they appeared inter-twined

from the bridge, the tractor beam actually

skated meters above the dish emission, narrowing its

proximity to the integrity field as it approached the

Defiant and struck the ship exactly where the white

hull plates coalesced within the colorful swirl. The

patterns worked to soothe Duffy a bit as he turned his

attention to the pair of consoles before him.

Pull us back, Mr. Wong. One-quarter impulse.

Ensign Songmin Wong tapped Duffys orders into

his helm console and Duffy felt the da Vinci lurch,

rocking him forward in his seat. As he leaned back in

the chair, Duffy saw the integrated area of the

Defiants saucer growing at a much faster rate than

before. The ship waxed into whiteness as if emerging

from an eclipse.

Could it be this simple, even after all these years?

Duffy called out to the viewscreen, Sonya, how are

you doing?

The speaker came to life with a laugh. Were fine,

Kieran. Even with the heads-up, you guys still man-aged

to knock Pattie off of her feet. You need

thrusters?

Seems to be good on our end without them, Duffy

said, nearly able to read the markings on the under-side

of the Defiants saucer section, faded but still

stark against the white of the hull. Weve almost got

the pri-

74

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Wong interrupted. Commander, Im getting some

resistance now. Its growing, almost as if somethings

pulling harder the farther we get the Defiant out.

Heres where the fun begins, Duffy cracked to him-self.

Is this new?

Stevens answered first. Not new. The pull from

inside the rift was slight from the very beginning and

was almost undetectable. He checked more readings.

Yeah, its growing exponentially, Duff. Well have to

fight to get her free.

Kick it up to half-impulse, Mr. Wong, Duffy said,

and intensify that deflector beam, Fabian. I dont

want to rip a chunk out of the saucer just to win a tug-of-

war.

Duffy didnt want to contemplate a stalemate just

yet as he hoped the away team could help. Stand by

on thrusters, Sonya. Seems as if well need all of the

kick we can get.

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INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Tholians were not known as a race that wasted a lot

of movement. Their unusual physiology, evolved over

millennia spent on their home planet, did not lend

itself to ease of mobility beyond the confines of that

world. Conditions aboard ship favored their life sup-port

needs, of course, but generations spent exploring

and colonizing other planets had long since condi-tioned

Tholians to conserve their energy for only the

most appropriate of occasions.

Nostrene, however, cared for none of that as he

paced the length of his private quarters. He had deci-sions

to make, and precious little time to make them.

His analysis of the data supplied by the Starfleet

engineers regarding the device they had found in the

76

CHAPTER

7

abandoned ships cargo hold had led him to believe

that the mechanism was of Tholian origin. However,

he had not recognized it, and his surprise was com-pounded

when a search of his ships computer yield-ed

no useful information. That revelation had

prompted him to transmit the data and his report to

the High Magistrates personally.

Their response had been alarming.

We are to destroy the derelict? asked Taghrex,

Nostrenes second in command. From where he stood

near the computer station terminal set into one wall

of the room, he studied the message Nostrene had

just received from the High Magistrates on the home

world. He made no effort to hide the astonishment in

his voice.

That is the command of the Magistrates, Nostrene

replied. As soon as we are able to achieve a weapons

lock, we are to either capture or destroy it as circum-stances

permit. Either of these options will obviously

require us to destroy the recovery vessel as well.

We risk retaliatory action from the Federation,

Taghrex said. Is that truly a wise course?

Nostrene did not reply immediately, instead taking

an additional moment to study his subordinate. Like

Nostrene, his body was of a similar reddish hue as

befitting someone of noble upbringing. Taghrex had

served with distinction under him for many cycles,

more than the Tholian commander could easily

77

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

remember. He would make a fine leader one day, of

that Nostrene was sure, once he learned to curb his

rash impulses to openly question the wisdom or dic-tates

of those superior to him.

Taghrex was correct about one thing, Nostrene

decided. Their next action could well anger the

Federation, perhaps endangering the fragile peace

that had been established between the two govern-ments.

As if sensing that he may have overstepped his

bounds, Taghrex said, If the Magistrates are willing

to risk such a response, then the situation we face

now must be dire indeed.

Much better, Nostrene mused. There was potential

in the young officer yet. You are correct, he said. It

seems that the Starfleet engineers have stumbled

across something that should not exist, at least not

any longer.

Part of a prototype defensive system, the land-based

web generator had been designed to capture the

inhabitants of a planetary installation without harm

to them or the structures they occupied. At least, that

was what the Assemblys official position had been.

Once seized, prisoners from captured areas could

then be easily transported to facilities properly

designed to detain them while Tholian forces moved

in to occupy the newly acquired territory. However,

the system had only been employed once outside of

78

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

strictly controlled testing environments, and the

results had been catastrophic.

The official conclusion from the investigation fol-lowing

the incident was that the systems designers

had not adequately foreseen the radical physiological

differences encountered in the wide variety of life

forms in this region of the galaxy. Having read the

report that the Magistrates had sent along with their

message, Nostrene considered the findings to be ludi-crous.

How could scientists of such caliber create a

revolutionary nonlethal weapon, designed for use

against all manner of species, and not take into

account the biological varieties inherent in such an

attempt? It was incomprehensible to him, though it

was an opinion he doubted he would ever share with

anyone else.

In this particular case, the radical physiological

differences encountered had been Klingon, and not

even a military target, but instead a civilian agricul-tural

colony. The Empire had been furious to learn of

the settlements destruction, swearing vengeance on

those who had been slaughtered. The true nature of

what had happened had never been discovered by

anyone, and the Magistrates had kept it that way all

this time.

Only now, the secret is threatening to be revealed

because of the Starfleet engineers, Taghrex conclud-ed,

absorbing what his commander had told him with

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INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

degrees of awe and uncertainty.

Nostrene nodded. During their investigation, the

surveyors of the colony discovered that one of the

generation systems emitter arrays was missing. We

now know that the Federation ship currently trapped

in the rift took it. Reports did place the vessel in that

part of space. They must have come across the colony,

investigated it, and found the destruction wrought by

the web generator.

And since Federation scientists like to study every-thing

in painstaking detail, Taghrex said, they took

the emitter array with them, having no real idea as to

what it was they carried.

And they remain ignorant, it seems, Nostrene

replied, knowing that it had fallen to him to take max-imum

advantage of that ignorance to in order to pro-tect

the Assemblys interests.

He knew that the political ramifications of the next

few moments went far beyond the simple angering of

the Klingons. While the Empire might very well

respond with hostility to the news, the Assembly

could ill afford to alienate the Federation at this time.

Diplomatic relations had reached a critical juncture,

and the Magistrates feared that negative repercus-sions

from any revelations made here today could put

the Federation into a difficult position. They could

well be forced to choose between their alliance with

the Klingons and the progress they had made with the

80

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Tholians. It was not difficult to believe that any deci-sion

would not be in the Assemblys favor.

Avoiding such a predicament seemed the only logi-cal

choice to make, the Magistrates believed. They

considered the destruction of one or even two

Starfleet vessels a small price to pay, and had issued

the order to Nostrene.

But being a seasoned commander, Nostrene would

not act rashly. In order to succeed, his plan of attack

would have to be bold and focused, with the first pri-ority

being the destruction of the derelict ship and the

emitter array. That way, even if he failed to defeat the

recovery vessel, the damning evidence harbored by

the trapped ship would no longer be an issue.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the

intraship communications system.

Commander, the sensor officer called out from

the command deck. The Federation ship has

increased power to their tractor beam. They seem to

be experiencing difficulty pulling the other vessel

free.

So the operation is turning out to be more difficult

than anticipated, Nostrene thought. Perhaps the

Starfleet engineers would fail in their attempt to

retrieve their trophy. If that were to be the case, he

would not be surprised. Nostrene had always consid-ered

it the height of arrogant presumption for anyone

to think that mechanical devices created by fallible

81

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

beings could have any real influence on natural phe-nomena

such as the interdimensional anomaly hold-ing

the forsaken starship.

Of course, he fully expected arrogant presumption

to win out today, and for that he knew he must be pre-pared.

Moments later, he and Taghrex walked onto the

command deck. His eyes scanned the main display

screen and saw that the Starfleet recovery vessels

tractor and deflector beams were still active and con-centrated

on the center of the rift.

What is the status of the trapped ship? he asked

the sensor officer.

It is difficult to be certain, the subordinate

replied. The rift is still blocking our scans. But the

ship is approaching the threshold of the opening, and

the Starfleet engineers tell us that there will be a

moment of molecular disruption as it moves through

that barrier. Once that process has begun, our sensor

readings should improve.

How much time would he have before he was

forced to act? He could not risk attempting to arm

weapons until he was certain a lock could be obtained

on the trapped ship, otherwise he risked alerting the

recovery vessels crew. Likewise, he could not even

order the ships defensive screens activated, as that

would also make their Starfleet counterparts suspi-cious.

82

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Commander, the sensor officer called out again,

scans of the Defiant are improving. She has engaged

low power thrusters. They have managed to restore

limited power to the vessel and it appears they are try-ing

to assist the rescue operation. The subordinate

spent several moments studying the sensor informa-tion

before issuing his next report. The forward edge

of the vessels primary hull has begun to emerge from

the rift, Commander.

Nostrene did not have to look to know that Taghrex

was staring at him, waiting for his instructions.

Though he may have voiced concerns over the

Magistrates directives earlier, the Tholian com-mander

knew that his second in command would

carry out his orders without question when the time

came to act.

That time, Nostrene admitted, had come.

* * *

Gomez took one final look at the status readings

displayed on the bridges engineering console moni-tors

before nodding in satisfaction. The power gener-ators

they had brought with them were working per-fectly,

and thruster power was available. It wasnt

much, but with the da Vinci already applying the full

force of its workhorse engines and tractor beam, it

should be enough.

Id find a seat, everyone, she said as she stepped

down into the command well and made her way to

83

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

the helm console. This could get bumpy.

Gold heeded her advice and lowered himself into

the captains chair. It wasnt as comfortable as his

chair on the da Vinci, a fact compounded by the bulky

environmental suit he still wore. Looking to his right,

he saw that Soloman remained seated at the science

officers console, his wide eyes watching the main

viewer.

And for good reason, too. The sight on the screen

was a kaleidoscopic furor of energy as the Defiant

struggled against the interdimensional forces holding

it inside the rift. Gold thought he could faintly see

stars beyond the multihued chaos dominating the

screen, though. He told himself that it wasnt his eyes

playing tricks on him. They were making progress.

He continued to tell himself that even as the deck

beneath his feet, already vibrating noticeably since

the da Vinci had locked on with her tractor beam,

began to tremble with increasing fervor.

You werent kidding, Gold said to Gomez as his

hands instinctively grabbed onto the arms of the cap-tains

chair.

Gomez replied without turning her attention from

her console. It will probably get worse as we start to

cross the threshold. Thats when the molecular shift

will occur as we move out of the rift and back into

normal space. Besides, I couldnt spare the power to

the inertial dampening field. Well feel pretty much

84

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

every bump in the road from here on out.

We are approaching the barrier, Commander,

Soloman reported, his face bathed in blue as he

peered into the science stations viewfinder, which fil-tered

and displayed all relevant sensor data at the

command of the person operating it. Transition

should occur in five seconds.

Gold found himself counting to himself as the inter-val

passed, the bucking of the ship continuing to

increase with each passing second. On the screen, the

stars he thought he had seen earlier were now quite

distinct. Another few moments and they would be

free of the rift.

Its going to work.

The thought came, of course, just before everything

went to hell.

Gold felt his stomach lurch and his teeth rattle as

something seemed to reach out and smack the entire

ship, hull plates and bulkheads rattling and shaking

as the Defiant twisted first one way and then another.

The sounds of protesting metal were nearly deafening

in the small confines of the bridge.

What the hell was that? Gold yelled above the din.

Knuckles white as she held onto the helm, Gomez

shook her head. I dont know. It felt like-

We are under attack, Soloman interrupted, fight-ing

to read the sensor telemetry even as he too

gripped onto his console for support. The Tholians

85

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

are firing on us!

What? Gold replied, scarcely believing his ears

even as his mouth formed around the words to order

evasive action, experience and instinct beginning to

take over. His brain took an additional instant to

catch up and remind him that the Defiant, even if not

in the grip of the da Vincis tractor beam, currently

had all the maneuverability of an elephant in a closet.

Gold to da Vinci, he called into his communicator,

his thoughts quickly turning to his ship and the vul-nerable

position they were in so long as they main-tained

their hold on the Defiant. Duffy would have to

disengage if he were to have any chance of protecting

the da Vinci should the Tholians attack her.

There was no response to his call.

Repeating the attempt achieved the same results ,

and Gold turned to Gomez. I cant raise the ship.

It was Soloman who replied, still continuing to

study the sensor displays. The Tholians weapons fire

has caused a . . . disruption in the rift, Captain.

Communications have been . . . disabled.

Damn. Gold wondered about Duffy and the pres-sure

he must be feeling right now. It was one thing to

learn the rigors of command from classroom study

and even from time spent aboard ships in space. It

was quite another thing to be tried by fire under com-bat

conditions. Many hopeful commanders had failed

this particular type of test. How would Duffy respond

86

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

to the challenge dropped so unceremoniously into his

lap?

Before he could consider that answer, the ship

shuddered again as the Defiants unshielded hull

absorbed the brunt of another attack. The shock tore

Gold from the chair and tossed him forward without

warning. He threw his arms out in a desperate effort

to protect himself from the impact of being thrown

into the unmanned navigation console.

It never came.

Air was forced from Golds lungs as he crashed into

the deck, coming to rest at the foot of the stairs lead-ing

to the bridges upper deck.

Captain! Gomez cried as she bolted from her seat,

moving around the helm console to kneel next to

Gold.

Rolling onto his side, the captain realized with

astonishment that he was lying in front of the naviga-tors

station. He looked at the console that he was sure

he should have fallen into and was stunned at the

sight before him.

Sonya, he said, his voice a horrified whisper,

look.

Before them, the captains chair was clearly visible

through the surface of the helm console, itself looking

like a hazy, semitransparent film draped across the

command well.

Molecular shift, Soloman called out from the sci-87

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

ence station. Theyre occurring . . . all across the

ship. I suspect it is a reaction to . . . the weapons fire

inside the rift.

The ship rocked again under yet another assault

and Gomez was knocked from her kneeling position

to the deck. Everyone reached for handholds as the

Defiant endured the latest round of punishment,

shaking violently once again.

We cant take much more of this, Gomez said.

Without shields, theyll cut us to pieces.

Gold pulled himself to a sitting position. Any

chance you can divert power?

The shield generators are completely inert and Id

have to go to engineering to get them back online. We

dont have that kind of time.

Captain, Soloman said. The da Vinci has severed

her tractor beam. The Bynar turned from the con-sole,

his expression one of deep concern. We are

being pulled back into the rift.

88

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Theyre firing! The Tholians are firing on the

Defiant!

A backhand from an enraged Brikar could not have

spun Duffy around in the da Vincis captains chair

with more force than did the voice of Ensign Wong.

He had turned away from the viewscreen for only a

moment to better focus on data coming from Fabian

Stevens at the science station. But in that moment,

his worst-case scenario, the one he had tucked even

deeper in his mind than thoughts of phaser-cutting

the Defiants primary hull free from the ship should

the rift pull too tightly on its warp nacelles, leapt fully

formed from his imagination to the main viewer.

Duffy felt time slow as he stared at the screen,

89

CHAPTER

8

watching the inevitable. A reddish blob of energy,

writhing and expanding, closed on the Defiants

saucer section and spread across it. The crippled star-ship

rocked a bit in response, jostling hardly at all in

the perspective provided by the viewer.

But with no shields? That had to hurt.

Theyve gone space crazy! Wong shouted. Duffy

wasnt so sure about that, but he was willing to let the

whole bridge crew assume that the Tholians had fall-en

prey to the effects of the interspatial rift. He saw

no immediate need to speculate on the true motiva-tions

of the inscrutable race of crystalline beings.

What the hell is going on? What did we do wrong? As

the Defiant reeled from her blow, the Tholians struck

again, this time with a disruptor burst that appeared

even more intensely red than the first. Words stuck in

his throat as Duffy saw the old ship rock even more

violently than it had from the first attack.

Duff, Im having trouble holding the tractor beam

on her, called Stevens from the science station.

Then dont hold it.

The words were Corsis, startling Duffy nearly as

much as had the Tholians attack. His head snapped

around and he stared at the security chief, his mouth

already open to ask her if she was out of her mind.

But he reined in his words before they could be

uttered. He just as quickly dismissed his first instinct

that Corsi was challenging his authority and instead

90

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

remembered Sonyas advice to hear Corsi out, espe-cially

in a fight. Duffy had always thought she meant

the next time they laid over at a club on Argelius II.

He scolded himself. Dont joke; listen to her. She

doesnt think youre weak, shes just trying to help.

What do you mean? he asked Corsi.

The Defiant has no shields. Theyll be ripped apart

out here, but maybe theyll be safer in the rift. She

kept her tone civil, Duffy hoped out of respect for his

command. And besides, we wont be able to maneu-ver

as long as were locked on with our tractor beam.

Duffy knew where she was going, and cursed him-self

for not reacting sooner. The rescue operation was

transforming rapidly into a tactical situation. The fate

of the Defiant as well as the da Vinci could well rest on

the decisions he made in the next moments.

Shields up! he yelled before attempting to temper

his voice with the same confidence he heard in

Captain Golds orders under fire. Fabian, disengage

the beams. Mr. McAllan, lock weapons on the Tholian

ship, but hold your fire.

Without missing a beat, the da Vincis tactical offi-cer

tapped the commands into his console. Aye, sir.

As he directed a final glance at Corsi, Duffy hoped

his next words were tinged with enough appreciation

for her to pick up.

Recommendation noted, Commander.

Corsi did not give him the smug look he half expect-91

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

ed from her, but instead offered a nod and a grim,

tight-lipped smile. Lets just hope it works.

* * *

In the cargo hold on deck 20, the attack on the

Defiant was felt with an even greater intensity than on

the bridge.

P8 Blue and Lense found themselves in a hellstorm

as cargo containers and equipment across the bay

began to shift and tumble in response to the second

assault on the ship. The lack of gravity, protective

forcefields, and inertial dampening systems only

exacerbated the situation as boxes sailed around the

room, bouncing off the deck, bulkheads, the ceiling,

and each other.

Look out! Lense cried, pulling the Nasat out of the

path of a cargo crate as it rushed past where she had

been standing the instant before.

What is going on? Pattie asked as the pair rested

against the bulkhead, catching their breath while try-ing

to keep an eye on the legion of errant debris per-vading

the chamber.

Somebodys shooting at us, Lense said. Probably

the Tholians.

Pattie looked at the doctor askance. Why? How

can you be sure?

Cursing for what seemed like the hundredth time at

her helmet interfering with her ability to wipe the

perspiration from her face, Lense replied, I dont

92

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

know why theyd want to attack us, but Ive been on

ships that were shot at enough to know what it feels

like.

And shed certainly had her fill of that during the

Dominion War, a course of events she had not count-ed

on after graduating first in her Starfleet medical

class. Such an accomplishment normally allowed the

honored individual to choose their first duty assign-ment,

and Lense had opted for Starfleet Medical

Headquarters on Earth. Shed enjoyed that posting

for a few years as she concentrated on research before

deciding on a change of pace and requesting assign-ment

to the U.S.S. Lexington. But then valedictorian

status and personal preference gave way to the needs

of the service as war erupted between the Federation

and the Dominion. Shed always felt more than capa-ble

of handling any situation that life might confront

her with, but that resolve had been sorely tested as

she faced enough death and desecration against living

tissue to last her several lifetimes.

You signed on with the da Vinci to get away from war

and the horrors it inflicts on the body, Lense reminded

herself. So how did you end up here?

Unless Gomez can figure out a way to get enough

power for the shields, Lense said, were a sitting

duck out here.

Any reply Pattie might have had was stifled as the

Defiant shuddered against a third vicious impact to its

93

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

hull. The shock from the attack sent the pair stum-bling

again for something to hold on to.

Pattie! Lense yelled out. The Nasat turned in her

direction too late to avoid the cargo container careen-ing

off the deck and heading directly for her. She was

directly in its path, trapped between it and the bulk-head.

The tumbling box was moving fast enough and

was of sufficient size that Lense feared Pattie would

be severely injured if not crushed by its impact.

The Nasats eight limbs went out in a futile attempt

to stop the wayward container, but could offer no

resistance as it struck her full on. Lense saw Patties

head snap back, the box having struck her in the hel-met

and upper body and driving her toward the bulk-head

behind her with the container in fervent pursuit.

Lense lunged forward to help, reacting instinctively

rather than with any real course of action in mind. As

she moved, she looked to the bulkhead that Pattie was

about t o smash into.

She saw stars.

No! was all Lense could shout before Pattie and

the cargo container made contact with the bulkhead.

And passed through it as if it wasnt even there.

For a split second, Lenses mind refused to accept

what she had just seen. The Defiants hull had begun

to destabilize around them, and Pattie had fallen out-side

of the ship itself!

Pattie? Do you read me? she called into her com-94

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

municator, but received no response. Was the Nasat

injured, or worse? Had her suit sustained damage in

the collision with the cargo container? Was she losing

oxygen?

Dont just stand there, her mind screamed at her.

Move!

And before she realized what she was doing,

Elizabeth Lense leapt straight from the figurative fry-ing

pan into the proverbial fire.

Though the bulkheads surface had turned trans-parent

with the consistency of a membrane or thin

gauze, she noted no strange sensation of passing

through any such barrier as she leapt through the

destabilized hull section and into open space. The

first thing she saw as she emerged from the ship was

Pattie, her body limp as she drifted slowly away from

the Defiant.

Pattie, can you hear me? she called out even as

she activated her suits maneuvering thrusters, puls-ing

the small jets of compressed gas. It took a

moment to orient her body so that she was moving in

the correct direction as she called on skills that she

hadnt given a second thought to since her days at the

Academy.

The Nasat did not respond to her latest call, and

Lense concluded that she must have been knocked

unconscious. How serious was the injury? Did she

have a concussion? Could she be treated here, or

95

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

would she require transport back to the da Vinci?

All of these questions and many others flooded

Lenses mind as she closed the gap. After another

moment, she was able to reach out and grab an errant

leg, her gloved hand closing around the fabric of

Patties environment suit.

Gotcha, she whispered, sure that Pattie was

unconscious when the Nasat did not react to having

her leg grabbed. Dont worry, well get back to the

ship and . . . The sentence faded away incomplete as

she reoriented her body to face the Defiant.

Elizabeth Lense had never been outside a starship

before. The closest she had come was an observation

port at SpaceDock orbiting Earth, looking through

plexisteel windows at vessels berthed in various park-ing

slips. While those ships looked big from that per-spective,

the derelict before her now was positively

huge.

What the hell am I doing out here? she asked

aloud as she pulsed her thrusters again, pushing her

and Pattie closer to the ship. Lense stretched a hand

out as several more seconds of maneuvering brought

the vessels hull within reach.

Then it and the rest of her body made contact with

the tritanium surface, discovering that the hull was as

solid as a starships skin was supposed to be.

Of course, her mind taunted, reminding her that

even in the 24 th Century, Murphys Law still applied

96

INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

They should make that the S.C.E. motto, Lense

decided as she set her feet and activated the magnet-ic

seals on her boots. Once secured to the hull, she

surveyed the area of the ship in her range of vision.

She had returned to the Defiant near the midpoint of

the secondary hull, yet there were no signs of airlocks

or other entries into the ship that she could see.

Where were they located? Other than the shuttlebay

doors at the rear of the ship, she had no idea. She

hadnt consulted the Defiants technical schematics

prior to beaming over.

Adjusting her hold on Pattie, she turned the Nasat

in order to look into her helmet and saw that she was

still unconscious. An area the size of a fist appeared

to be swelling over her left eye, and Lense saw that

the bruise was already beginning to turn a dark blue.

Pattie, can you hear me? I need you to wake up. A

moments scan with her tricorder confirmed her sus-picion

Pattie did indeed have a concussion. She

would need medical treatment, and soon, something

Lense would not be able to provide so long as they

were stuck outside the ship.

Damn it, she whispered, turning her head to face

the front of the ship when her attention was caught

by something else. It was the rift, the barrier marking

the entrance to interspace. Unlike the black void sur-rounding

the Defiant, the rift itself was a spectacular

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clashing of colors, colliding and mixing to form a

frenzied chaos.

And it was shrinking. The rift was closing back up!

While Lense stood by, a powerless spectator, the tear

that had brought together two spatial planes was

slowly healing itself. They and the Defiant would be

cut off from their companions and in fact from their

entire universe.

Well, this was certainly a bright idea.

* * *

The rift is sucking them back inside? Duffy spoke

to no one in particular. The question was unnecessary,

though, as everyone on the da Vincis bridge could

easily see the Defiants regression into interphase.

The numbing sight almost made Duffy not notice

that there was still a Tholian ship nearby, and that it

was at this very moment turning itself toward the da

Vinci. As Corsi had predicted, things were about to go

completely to hell.

Were not shooting first, he said, willing to tele-graph

his strategies to the bridge crew in the hope

that they might better understand his command deci-sions.

Turning his attention to Abramowitz at the

communications station, he said, Carol, open a

channel and find-

Incoming fire!

Wongs warning drowned out the rest of Duffys

order as the ensign frantically punched commands

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INTERPHASE BOOK ONE

into his console in an attempt to move the ship out of

the line of fire. On the screen, the hellish red burst of

energy grew until it washed over the entire image.

The next instant the da Vinci pitched upward,

throwing Duffy nearly out of his command chair and

catching Wong completely off his guard. The ensigns

head slammed into his console with a sickening

sound that Duffy heard even over the klaxons and

warning signals erupting across the bridge. He rushed

forward, catching Wongs slumping body before it

dropped to the deck.

Even as he eased the ensign to the floor, though, it

struck Duffy that no orders were being given to

respond to the attack.

Thats because youre not giving them. The realiza-tion

jerked him back to his first priority.

Corsi, take the helm. McAllan, fire phasers. And a

torpedo. He paused. Hell, two torpedoes.

Frustration and confusion enveloped every word that

left Duffys mouth. And turn off those damned

alarms!

As McAllan tapped out the necessary commands,

Duffy continued tending to Wong. He tapped his

commbadge. Bridge to sickbay. Copper? Wetzel? One

of you, up here now!

From the tactical station, McAllan called out,

Looks like we got them, Commander.

Duffy turned to the viewer in time to see the

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Tholian ship listing to its portside, shunted from the

offensive position it had held only seconds before. He

could see an ugly black puncture wound on the side

of the vessels hull, evidence of the damage the da

Vincis barrage had caused.

Nice shooting, Mr. McAllan, he said. Carol, open

a channel. I want to know what . . .

The words died in his throat as, on the viewscreen,

energy glowed from the stern of the Tholian ship.

Reorienting itself in a sluggish maneuver, the vessel

pivoted on its axis and pulled away from the da Vinci,

moving quickly out of the viewscreens coverage.

Theyre moving off, Corsi said from the helm. She

turned to look at Duffy, her eyes asking the obvious.

Were not chasing them, he said simply.

Though he noticed the mild slump in her shoulders,

Corsis tone was all business. Theyll be back, you

know, and theyll bring reinforcements. Tholians

dont like getting their butts kicked.

Its worse than that, Abramowitz added as she

stepped down to assist Duffy with Wong. Theyll view

the attack on them as an act of aggression. We may

have just caused an interstellar incident.

Well, thatll certainly make Captain Golds day,

Duffy said as he rose to his feet. The attempt at

humor fell flat, he knew, almost flinching at how

weak the words sounded even as they left his mouth.

Getting into a political hotbed with the Tholians was

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no laughing matter, and he imagined how the

Federation Diplomatic Corps would blow its collec-tive

stack once word of the altercation got back to

them.

No time for that now. Get it together, Duff.

Our first priority is to get the Defiant out, he said.

Fabian, reestablish the tractor be-

His voice fell off as he focused on the main viewer.

The Defiant, and the rift, were gone.

To be continued in

Interphase Book Two!

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