Star Trek: Intrepid
The Double Edge - Part 4
by Galen Holcomb
(intrepidlogs@hotmail.com)

The Double Edge - Part 4

Chapter 8

Lieutenant Commander Adol was tempted to think he was delirious. He had trouble believing that the two people he wanted to see most in the galaxy were suddenly before him, as though wished into existence.

"Captain?" he inquired with caution. "Doctor Kella?"

Aubrey and Kella seemed both solid and real as they walked towards him.

"Lieutenant Commander Adol." Aubrey's firm voice was like an anchor.

Doctor Kella and Aubrey supported Lieutenant Pal, who had been staggering next to Adol for most of the walk. Pal had a glazed look, as though he didn't quite recognize the new arrivals.

Doctor Kella guided him gently to the floor. She took his pulse and examined his eyes. Pal squinted at her.

"Doctor Kella?" he managed.

"It's all right Lieutenant." She said. "Just sit here for awhile, okay?"

"How is he?" Aubrey asked. "Is he like the others?"

She looked up at him. "I'm afraid so. I should make sure he's stable before I leave him."

"Sir," Adol stammered, "how did you get here?"

"The same way you did, it seems." He gestured with his head. "Take a look."

As they crested a rise in the pathway, Adol saw below him a large plateau where hundreds of crewmen were milling about. Around them, great pillars of light stabbed upward into the darkness, terminating on a massive object, which turned lazy circles.

Adol surveyed the peculiar scene, not knowing what to say. Then he focused his eyes again upon the colossal thing high above them. It was very dark, but as the object completed each rotation, aspects of it began to look familiar; the sleek angles, the curves.....

No. It was impossible.

"As you can see, we're in a bit of trouble." Kella supplied.

High above their heads the starship Intrepid hung like an oversized toy, her window ports dark, and her power sources shut down. She spun end over end, her bow and stern interchanging positions as she completed gentle somersaults. Adol could see angry scorch marks criss crossing her hull, as though a giant had vandalized her with a great blowtorch.

A pang of sadness came over the Andorian. The old lady had suffered a lifetime of abuse, but somehow had always sheltered her crew from harm. It was disheartening to see her humbled this way.

Aubrey and Adol made their way into the crowd, while Doctor Kella elected to stay behind with Lieutenant Pal.

As they mingled with various crewmen, the captain would stop here and there to offer encouragement to people and ask how they were.

"Sir, are all the crew members accounted for?" Adol asked.

"All but one: Commander Shantok. Quite a few people have volunteered to search for her, but I want everyone to stay together."

Adol stepped in front of Aubrey. "Sir, I spent a long time wandering around out there. I'm sure I can find her."

"My answer's the same. I don't want to lose another officer."

They were interrupted by a minor disturbance in the crowd. Someone whom they couldn't see was shouting Aubrey's name and pushing people out of his way.

Finally, an out of breath Orion man appeared out of the thick of bodies and presented himself in front of the captain.

"Captain Aubrey." He began. "This is an honor. I'm Lieutenant Perboda, the new ship's counselor."

At first, Aubrey couldn't place his face. Then he remembered the man from his personnel file. "Yes, you came aboard a few hours ago from the Legacy."

Perboda offered a weak smile. "Yes sir."

"As I recall, Admiral Jellico himself recommended you. He even tossed out the red tape to get you over here sooner."

Perboda shrugged. "I'm glad he did. I'm happy to be under a captain with your experience."

Perboda extended his hand.

Captain Aubrey shook it. For an instant, a vicious sneer came over Perboda's face, but it disappeared so fast, Aubrey wasn't sure if he had really seen it.

Perboda held onto Aubrey's hand for several seconds longer than was typical, clenching it so tightly the captain had to squeeze back to avoid injury. With some effort, he withdrew from the Orion's powerful grip.

"I see you keep yourself in shape," Aubrey offered as he massaged his aching appendage.

Perboda seemed concerned. "Sorry sir. I hope I didn't hurt you. I often forget that humans are more delicate than most species."

For reasons that Adol didn't fully understand himself, he stepped between Perboda and the captain. "I wouldn't underestimate pink skins if I were you." He meant the statement only half seriously, since he would never really call Aubrey a "pink skin".

The Andorian and the Orion spent a moment sizing one another up.

Then Perboda displayed his usual disarming smile. "You may be right."

Adol wasn't put off by the Orion's smile or good looks. He let Perboda benefit from his scrutiny for a moment longer before turning away.

"So what do you make of all this?" Perboda asked the captain. "One moment we're flying into the nebula, the next were all suspended in some kind of light beams. The next thing I know, some kind of consciousness is trying to probe my thoughts. Then, all of a sudden, I find myself on one of these strange pathways that eventually leads me here."

"That happened to almost everyone on the ship." Aubrey responded.

"'almost everyone'?" Adol asked.

Aubrey nodded. "Some of our crew didn't fair very well, like Lieutenant Pal. Whatever probing was done to them caused extreme mental shock. About a dozen people were severely traumatized by the experience."

Adol gritted his teeth, thinking of what damage might have been done to Pal. "I think there's no doubt they're hostile, sir. On the way here, Pal was coherent enough to tell me how these creatures crushed our runabout like a wad of paper."

The three of them frowned, looking upwards at Intrepid. "And there's something else he said that concerns me." Adol continued.

"Which is?"

Adol looked around self consciously, even as Aubrey and Perboda drew closer.

"Well, he said that these aliens are....." He cleared his throat, then chuckled. "of course, Doug was half delirious at the time, so I wouldn't put too much into what he said....."

"Who?" Aubrey insisted.

Adol collected himself. "The Inth."

Perboda folded his arms and started laughing. "The Inth? They're not even real. They're one of those fables that various races have spread through the galaxy long before the Federation came about. Even my people used to scare their children with those bedtime stories."

"We've all heard the same kinds of stories." Adol replied, a little defensively. "On Andoria, my ancestors wrote down hundreds of folk tales about the Inth." He studied the floor. "Most of them were not very pleasant."

Aubrey was lost in thought. "They weren't heard of on Earth until we started making contact with other races. I wonder...."

"You don't think it's really them?" Despite himself, Adol's heart began to beat faster.

Aubrey began walking, an indication of his mind at work. "Remember, people used to think that the Iconians and the Preservers were make believe, too-----until proof finally emerged that they were real."

Perboda's cavalier expression quickly evaporated. "Okay. If it is them, what do we have to go on? All we know is that they steal away children in the dead of night or animate corpses to feast on the living. It just depends on what parable you want to believe."

Aubrey addressed his security chief. "Did Pal say anything else that could be useful?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. He was in pretty bad shape."

The captain looked around him. "The crew needs some words of comfort from me right now. Mr. Perboda, any recommendations on what I should tell them?"

Perboda considered for a moment. "They just need to know you're here. That they're still a unified crew, despite being put off their ship. That you're still in charge and that you'll lead them through the unknown as you always have."

Aubrey removed his combadge. "I think I can adjust this to broadcast my voice like a speaker. I'll address the crew from that pathway over there." He began walking. "Thank you, Counselor."

"My pleasure, sir."

It was exactly at that moment that the crowd around them gasped in astonishment. Eyes went wide and fingers pointed excitedly towards the surrounding darkness.

Aubrey, Perboda and Adol spun around to see what had captured the crew's fascination.

A giant towered over the platform that they all stood upon. It was a gargantuan image of Commander Shantok-----she looked to be a hundred meters tall, big enough to smash the crew with one strike of her oversized fist.

For a crazed moment, Aubrey thought his first officer had been mutated into some kind of leviathan. A dozen horror stories regarding the Inth flickered through his mind in that time but he quickly dismissed them as his Starfleet training re asserted itself. Upon looking more closely, he understood that it was not the real Shantok before him, but a barely opaque image-----like a massive hologram.

And then it spoke.

"AUBREY." The booming voice definitely was not that of his first officer.

The captain stepped out of the crowd and looked up at the giant face. "I'm Captain Aubrey." He said.

Shantok's eyes danced with a blue green fire. "YOU HAVE HURT US."

"I don't understand."

The giant looked down, then directly at him. "THE ACCESSION HAS BEEN HALTED. WE ARE ISOLATED FROM THE REST. THEY CANNOT FIND THEIR WAY HOME."

Aubrey decided on a few direct questions. "Who are you? Why have you imprisoned us?"

"WE ARE INTH. WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE OTHERS. ONLY THIS MIND WAS COMPATABLE FOR DIRECT COMMUNICATION."

Adol stepped next to Aubrey. "Sir," he whispered. "Let me speak to them. If these creatures are the Inth, you shouldn't be putting yourself in their way."

He replied to Adol without taking his gaze from the gigantic image of Shantok. "They said I hurt them, not we. It's me they're interested in. I have to be the one to communicate with them."

"But it's the Inth! We don't know what they'll do to you."

"We don't know that they will do anything to me-----but even if they do, I'd rather it was me then a my crew or ship. Besides, if I did hurt them, I need to know how."

A weak but determined voice came from behind him. "It was Genesis. Genesis disrupted something the Inth were doing." Lieutenant Pal came through the line of crewmembers and took his place next to Adol and the captain.

Aubrey noted that the giant Shantok seemed to be listening intently to the conversations he was having with his crew, as if happy to let them supply the answers.

Adol took hold of Pal's arm and began to gently lead him back to the other crewmembers. "Doug, you shouldn't be here. You need time to recover."

"Just a moment." The captain said. "Mr. Pal, you said Genesis interfered with something they were doing. Did they tell you that when they tried to make contact with you?"

"Yes sir. They kept trying to link with my mind, but..." he paled momentarily, recalling difficult memories. "They couldn't. They were only able to get some basic information from me."

"Like where you came from. That might be why they brought the ship here." Adol offered.

"Sir, I think we're inside the nebula." Pal said.

Aubrey gave the strange surroundings another look. "That would make sense. If Genesis detonated inside the nebula..." He turned to face his crew, raising his hands in the manner of someone addressing an unruly crowd. "I want all of you to step back. I appreciate your support, but whatever the Inth decide to do, I want it to be with me."

The Inth giant spoke again, evidently deciding that enough conversation had ensued between the Starfleet personnel. "YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE, CAPTAIN AUBREY."

Adol began to move in front of the captain, but Aubrey put out his arm to warn him back.

"I admit that. It was I who convinced my superiors to destroy this nebula. I gambled that no life existed here."

"WE KNOW THIS. WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF SHE WHO IS CALLED SHANTOK. WE UNDERSTAND CLEARLY YOUR MOTIVATION."

This was the most encouraging statement Aubrey had heard so far-----but he couldn't assume that the Inth were now going to be friendly, just because they had read Shantok's mind. Information could be easily distorted when transferred telepathically. Also, who could say with certainty how the Federation's war might be interpreted by a completely dissimilar species? He would have to be careful not to do anything that could destroy any positive perceptions the aliens held-----while at the same time taking care not to re enforce the negative ones.

"Then you know I meant you no harm," he began carefully. "I ask that you return Commander Shantok to me."

"IT SHALL BE DONE. YOU WILL NEED HER TO COMPLETE OUR MISSION."

The chose of words and matter of fact tone put Aubrey on alert. "'Your' mission? Please explain what you mean."

"YOU WILL BRING THE OTHERS FROM ARCHER IV. THEY HAVE BEEN TRAPPED BY YOUR PETTY CONFLICT. THEY CANNOT LEAVE UNDER THEIR OWN POWER. YOU WILL BRING THEM HERE THAT THEY JOIN US FOR THE ACCESSION."

Something about the repeated use of the word "accession" finally caused a relay to click in Aubrey's mind.

"Your species is about to evolve, isn't it? Into a higher level of consciousness, into pure thought and energy. You were inside this nebula so you could remain isolated. The Genesis explosion disrupted the entire process." Aubrey knew what he had said was no mere hunch. The mental probing that he and his crew had endured had not been a complete failure-----information had been imparted in both directions.

As confirmation, the Inth did not reply. Their silence was convincing as it was damning.

Curse my rotten luck. Aubrey thought. Anyone graduating from Starfleet Academy knew that countless life forms in the galaxy lived within nebulas, whether indigenous to the dust clouds or mere residents. To destroy a nebula without taking this into account would be criminal under normal circumstances.

But they were at war. He had considered it a necessary risk at the time and he knew that it had been the right thing to do-----and honestly, were he given the same choices, he would do it again.

"YOU WILL BRING THE OTHERS FROM ARCHER IV. THIS YOU WILL DO IMMEADAITLY."

Not good. They were starting to dictate orders.

"Please explain. What others are you referring to?"

"THE OTHER INTH." Came the thundering reply. "THEY MUST COME HERE FOR THE ACCESION. BECAUSE OF GENESIS, WE ONLY HAVE THE POWER TO ACCEND OURSELVES. THEY WILL BE LEFT BEHIND." Shantok's face wrinkled in grief. "THEY MUST NOT BE LEFT BEHIND."

Aubrey ventured another question. "You want us to rescue members of your species on Archer IV?"

"YES."

The 600 crewmen around him began to murmur in agitation.

Thinking of Shantok, he said: "You must know that's illogical. Our vessel is in bad shape. Many enemy ships surround Archer IV-----defeating them all is impossible, even if Intrepid were in perfect condition."

"WE SHALL MAKE IT POSSIBLE." The alien declared.

Shantok's huge form began to blur and shimmer. Out of reflex the captain took a step backward. Blue green light began to advance up and down the figure like fountains of running water.

Then it turned inside out.

Adol and Perboda exchanged glances, both reading the other's intentions. They sprung into action, Adol interposing his body in front of the captain while Perboda shouted to the crowd.

"Everyone stay calm!" He yelled. "Just stay where you are. Don't make any sudden moves."

The crew braced themselves, but followed Perboda's instructions. They were professionals who were trained to face the unexpected-----it took little encouragement for them to maintain their poise.

Aubrey gave up trying to fend off Adol's protection, realizing that neither force nor rank would dislodge the Andorian from his duty. His only option to keep Adol out of harm's way was if Aubrey were to keep stepping back, forcing his "bodyguard" to accompany him.

The thing that had looked like Shantok no longer bore a resemblance to anything even remotely humanoid. It was a grotesque combination of bird and crocodile-----all teeth, scales and feathers with insect features thrown in for good measure. Spider like arms sprouted everywhere from the giant's body. Other elements of the alien were fuzzy and continued to change from moment to moment, as if the humanoid brain could only decipher part of what it was seeing. It grew by another 50 meters.

Aubrey now understood why these creatures had inspired awe and dread throughout the cosmos. It was no wonder they were the subject of countless nightmares and horrific legends.

Something that might have been an arm whipped downward and brushed Adol aside as if he weighed nothing. The security chief tumbled into the crowd of crewmembers behind him where he finally came to rest on a pile of injured bodies.

There was no time to prepare. A scorpion like pincher clamped around Aubrey's waist and snapped him high into the darkness.

"JASON!" Doctor Kella yelled.

The Inth spoke again and its grumbling speech now sounded ancient and elemental-----as if fire, wind and rock had magically been given a voice.

"YOU WILL HAVE THAT WHICH WE GIVE."

The massive creature reached upward with one of its many limbs and took hold of the vessel above it, somehow sinking a portion of itself deep into the ship's secondary hull.

Blue green energy gushed from Intrepid's every window port.

Still clutching Aubrey, the creature fully enveloped itself around the starship like a primordial monster swallowing a bug.

* * * * *

Three days. Three days of drifting and waiting. Finally, Balog's prayers were answered. A Cardassian squadron of three destroyers was on their way to pick him up-----him and his insufferable prison mate, Timett.

Timett.

Only the medical kit had kept Balog from suicide. Feigning illness, Balog had pulled a hypo spray from it but then injected Timett before the dolt could raise a hand to stop him. The powerful sedative had given Balog a few days of blissful relief. Even after the tranquilizer had run dry, it's after effects had left Timett in a daze, hindering his ability to make noise from his mouth.

Now, salvation of a sort was at hand. At least he would be able to emerge from this claustrophobic escape pod.

The communications panel built into the bulkhead began to spit at him. "This is Gul Ratorn of the Seventh Order to rescue pod. Identify yourself."

"This is Gul Balog and my first officer Timett. We are survivors of my ship." He tried to inject a proud dignity into his voice, shooting for the demeanor of a dethroned King who had been unjustly exiled from his throne-----instead of what he really was: a disgraced Gul who had just lost his ship.

To say Balog was taxing his acting ability was an understatement.

There was an unusually long pause before Gul Ratorn replied. At last, he said, "Did you say Timett is alive and with you?"

At the sound of his name, Timett looked up groggily.

"Yes," Balog replied. "what of it?" He had not met Ratorn before now but he knew the name. He was one of the privileged many who had been swiftly promoted after Cardassia became part of the Dominion-----those whose families were in a position to offer something of value to these so called allies. Like most of his ilk, Ratorn was young, inexperienced and held a rank he had not truly earned.

Again that long pause. "Stand by for transport. We will be passing by your position within the minute." Ratorn had completely ignored Balog's question.

This only encouraged Balog to ask another. "Why are you so close to the Kokala system?" He scolded the man. "Your squadron should be centered around the Betazed perimeter, not here."

Ratorn seemed to be considering his answer, which only confirmed Balog's suspicions. Ratorn had instinctively blinked at the stern tone of a more seasoned officer-----a true Gul would not have.

Then, in a insolent voice that was no doubt an over compensation, Ratorn fired back, "We are on patrol, to make sure the remaining Federation ships do not return and attack the shipyard."

A fool's errand, Balog thought with dark amusement. The Vorta, who commanded the Jem'Hadar, had no doubt sent these three ships away from Betazed. They had been subjected to the ultimate humiliation: they had been given something to do-----like keeping unruly children away from a lush dinner party.

They were just too na‹ve or outright stupid, to recognize it.

He almost felt sorry for them. But he felt more sorry for Cardassia. It seemed everywhere Balog turned these days; the Dominion, the Bajorans or the Federation was making fools of his people.

Sadly, It seemed his destiny to die in the company of fools.

Their arrival was fortuitous for Balog, however. He would be happy to make more wistful observations once he was safely aboard a Cardassian warship again.

"We are standing by for transport," Balog said dismally.

Over lapping splinters of light marched across Timett-----and then he was gone.

A full minute came and went before Balog realized he would not be joining his companion-----his invitation had evidently been revoked.

"Gul Ratorn, why are you not transporting me?" He seethed.

When Ratorn responded, it was with excitement, instead of the childish gloating that Balog had expected. "Shut up, Balog! Something's happening to the nebula. We're going to get a closer look."

Balog felt dread begin to prickle his spine once again. "What do you mean? What's happening?"

"We'll come back for you." Ratorn switched off the channel.

Balog could just glimpse the three ships moving away at full impulse speeds. They were out of sight in seconds.

He pounded his fist against the hard bulkhead. "Ratorn! Damn you! Come back here!"

* * * * *

Like sharks, the Cardassian warships flitted through the vacuum of space, firing repeatedly at the disturbance. Spiral wave disrupters hummed and crackled, torpedoes rained upon their target like hail.

All of it passed through the energy wave and the object within it as though they didn't exist.

And then the wave suddenly changed course, making an abrupt 90 degree turn that put it on a collision course with its would be executioners.

And still the attacking ships would not relent. They launched salvo after salvo at the intruder, even after the futility of their aggression was made obvious.

The wave stopped. It went from one eighth the speed of light to a complete standstill in the time it took a Cardassian heart to beat one time.

The wave was no longer a wave. The energy disturbance had now evaporated to show its contents. The object within now stood completely revealed, in all of its hated detail.

* * * * *

Admiral Jellico was puzzled but not terribly surprised by what he saw unfolding on Nagasaki's view screen as the Cardassian ships continued their drama. Somehow, this absurd turn of events seemed to fit the order of the day. It was yet another unexpected chapter of this cursed military campaign that refused to die.

"Dammit, it looks like we're going to have to engage the enemy after all." He grumbled, but secretly, he was glad of the excuse.

"CON, bring us in and go to battle stations. Notify all ships to intercept."

"They've already acknowledged, sir." The Vulcan tactical officer intoned.

Captain Zorek stroked his beard, a bushy grey eyebrow climbing ever so slightly. "Admiral, we should be alert to more than the Cardassians in this situation. There are obviously unforeseen factors at work here. All is far from what it appears." Like most Vulcans, Zorek had honed the fine art of understatement.

"You can say that again." Jellico said, shaking his head.

"Is there a reason you wish me to repeat my statement?" Zorek asked. Most humans just said "What?" Or "pardon me?" when they didn't hear something clearly. He had yet to come across the expression "you can say that again." It seemed more a statement of fact than a request to have information repeated.

Jellico smiled, suddenly enjoying the differences between humans and Vulcans. Sometimes he forgot what the Federation represented, what all this bloody, tooth and nail fighting was about in the first place.

He enjoyed a brief and unanticipated tingle of happiness. What a wonderful surprise-----and from such an unlikely source.

"Tactical, open a channel." Zorek ordered, deciding that no answer would be forthcoming from Jellico.

But the tactical officer suddenly had other things on her mind.

"Captain, Admiral..." she said.

They turned to watch the screen, curious to see what had peeked the officer's attention.

The drama before them became even stranger, if that were possible.

A blue green wedge of energy jumped from the object to one of the Cardassian ships, instantly surrounding it in a sphere of flickering light. The destroyer continued to fire, but the energy bubble absorbed its every attack, refusing to allow the disruptor charges to pass through it.

Then the sphere began to contract rapidly. As it shrank small enough to touch the hull, the bow and stern began to crumble on contact. The ship's midsection actually snapped like a twig. With grisly efficiency, the Cardassian destroyer was crushed out of existence.

The entire event had taken approximately ten seconds.

Stunned by the ferocity of the object's assault, the two remaining Guls of both destroyers hesitated before counter attacking.

They were obliterated before they could fire a single shot.

A few minutes later, the left over vessels of the Tenth Fleet and Tango Fleet glided to a stop near the object. They kept a wary distance. What was before the Starfleet crews certainly looked familiar, but that could be very misleading.

Jellico was the first one to attempt contact. Aboard the Nagasaki, he walked to the center of the bridge and composed his voice.

"This is Admiral Edward Jellico, please respond." He stated.

The object moved forward ever so slightly, as if in silent response to Jellico's greeting.

The admiral held his breath as he watched the familiar structure progress towards the Nagasaki, knowing that no defense would be possible if the thing out there decided that the six ships before it were now foes, rather than friends.

Then it stopped in its tracks.

Time stood still as the crews from the remaining ships awaited some kind of reply.

But the Federation starship Intrepid only hung in space, her skin glowing with the terrible power that she had used to strike down her enemies.

Chapter 9

Commander Shantok awoke in Intrepid's sickbay. She felt refreshed and well rested, which was nothing less than an affront to logic, given what she had just endured.

She rose smoothly from the bio bed and planted her feet upon the deck. She noted that she was still in uniform.

Around her, injured crewmembers from the recent battle occupied the remaining beds. Oddly, there appeared to be no doctors or nurses on duty.

Wobbling from slight dizziness, she walked around the medical ward, searching for any signs of a staff. She found none.

Most of the patients were recovering from critical injuries and were not aware enough to notice anything was amiss.

She envied them. Unfortunately for Commander Shantok, she remembered everything.

She tapped her combadge. "Shantok to bridge."

The bewildered voice of Lieutenant Commander Adol answered back. "Commander? Is that you? Are you all right?"

"I'm unharmed. What is the status of the ship and crew?"

"We're still counting bodies. The computer hasn't been able to account for everyone because of the damage to our combadges. Internal and external sensors are off line, too. We can't verify our position."

"Where is the medical staff?" she asked. "Sickbay is still full of casualties from our last engagement. Since the ward's automated treatment processes were not interrupted, I would conjecture that these patients were never removed from the ship."

"So far, Doctor Kella and the medics haven't checked in. But only part of our COMM network is operating. They could be in another part of the ship and unable to communicate. Strange that the Inth were merciful to the injured crewmembers, isn't it?"

"It is not in the least strange. There is much I have to tell. Where is the captain?"

"He's in engineering, ma'am-----but, he won't respond to our questions. The entire section is sealed. He's in there alone and won't tell us what's happening. He just sent a message to stand by."

"I shall proceed there immediately. If we can't raise the captain, we'll beam in. Continue to locate the crew and be sure a continuous effort is made to restore sensors."

"Yes ma'am. Adol out."

Shantok could not leave sickbay unattended. Until the medical staff arrived, she had but one recourse.

"Computer," she ordered, "activate Emergency Medical Hologram."

A short, balding man appeared in the middle of the ward.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The hologram instructed in a sharp tone.

"The medical staff is absent. Please see to the care these patients." She ordered.

"Very well," the holographic doctor said in exasperation. "but I'm only designed to be a temporary supplement to the medical staff. When can I expect help?"

Shantok thought about that. "I don't know. You may have to care for all of these patients by yourself. We are in the midst of a crisis."

The hologram rolled its artificial eyes. "Naturally." It snorted. "Starfleet ships are always 'in the midst of a crisis'." The hologram suddenly looked around the sickbay in alarm. "There are over 30 patients here. I expect at least some kind of help. I may be the prototype Mark One EMH hologram with a complete medical knowledge of over 3,000 cultures, but even I can't be everywhere at once. I shall expect no less than two officers trained in field triage to assist me."

She regarded the hologram with curiosity, taken aback by its demanding posture.

"I'll see what I can do," she allowed. "in the meantime, you shall have to make do."

* * * * *

The imposing Inth creature was now only half a meter tall. It had communicated with Aubrey for a short while before becoming too weak to converse. It crouched on a dozen crab-like legs upon which rested a small egg shaped head. Its body still rippled with change from moment to moment.

He knelt beside it, determined to gleam every last vestige of information from the unusual being.

"If you can still understand me, I want you to know that I'll keep my word to you. I'll do everything I can to prevent this from happening."

The small head turned up to him, but it possessed no face with which to convey it's thoughts or feelings. Instead, it raised one of its limbs towards him. The tiny arm trembled in the air, as the creature exerted itself for the last time.

Gently, Captain Aubrey reached out and cupped his hand around the small appendage. He showed the same care that he would have for touching a human infant.

A few moments later, the Inth became a puddle of ooze and ran through his fingers.

As if on cue, sparkling blue transporter beams deposited five people into the engineering room. Shantok, Adol, chief engineer Cal Benjamin and two security officers looked about with unease.

"Captain?" Shantok said as she approached him. Adol and the security detail began to move out, scanning the room with tricorders, their phasers held at the ready.

Benjamin immediately went to the master systems display and began running a diagnosis on all systems.

Aubrey was immobile, kneeling over the puddle of fluid that had been a living, sentient being only two minutes before.

"Captain?" Shantok said again, "are you all right?"

He looked up from the puddle and beheld Shantok with dawning surprise. "Commander. Good to see you again. The last time I saw you your stature was impressive to say the least."

"The Inth took my image while they were melded with me. My real body was held at another location."

"So I gathered." Aubrey stood up. "I had a similar experience."

She knitted her brows. "Indeed?"

"After I was grabbed by the Inth creature, I remember being carried towards the ship. Then, we were inside somehow." He frowned in puzzlement. "I don't know how exactly, but we began to communicate with one another. Before I knew it, the crew was calling me, reporting that they had been transported back to the ship."

"The crew is still being counted. Internal systems are severely damaged."

"They're all here." Aubrey stated confidently.

"How can you be certain?"

He regarded the slick of ooze on the deck. "I just am. "

"Sir, you said the Inth was speaking to you? They communicated with me as well. I believe it's urgent that we assist them in-----"

"Captain!" The startled cry of Lieutenant Benjamin was like a sharp crack. "Captain, Commander! Come here, quick!"

They both trotted around the corner, towards the sound of Benjamin's voice. They found him staring slack jawed at something directly in front of him. Adol and the security detail were scanning furiously with their tricorders, all of them facing the same direction.

"Sir," Benjamin whispered in fear, "what is it?"

The warp core was sheathed in a pulsing, gelatinous membrane that completely enveloped the structure from top to bottom. Tentacle like appendages connected it to several engineering stations and power coils. The organic material radiated a blue green aura of energy as it quivered in rhythm with the ship's power.

Curiously, Captain Aubrey did not appear surprised by the queer spectacle. Shantok, for her part, seemed especially non-plussed, as though she were almost disappointed at not encountering something more unusual.

Adol walked over to them, scowling at his tricorder. "Sir," he said, "that thing around our core is interfaced with it somehow. And captain-----it's alive."

"Of course it is," Aubrey replied as he walked around the core, examining the organic sheath more closely. "this is all that's left of the Inth that brought me here."

Adol looked at Shantok, expecting some dry, typically Vulcan response along the lines of 'how do you know this?'. But she said nothing, as though the captain's remark were perfectly normal.

"Sir?" Benjamin had walked over in time to hear this last exchange. His gaze jumped between Aubrey and Shantok.

The captain turned to him. "Let the engineering crew in. Make sure they don't try to remove the Inth tissue that's around the core. If it shows signs of danger or any kind of instability, notify me at once."

Benjamin was flabbergasted. "Sir, we're going to just leave it there?"

"At the moment, it's imperative that we do just that." He looked about the engineering room. "Work around it as best you can while making repairs. I can't explain just yet, but that organic material won't interfere with the core. Now get your team in here, there are a lot of repairs that still need to be done."

Benjamin blinked rapidly, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Finding no solace from Shantok, he gave Adol a beseeching look.

"Mr. Benjamin, belay that order. " Adol said in a quiet tone he usually reserved for speaking to flag officers. "Captain, as security chief, I need some kind of explanation." He pointed behind him at the warp core. "That organic tissue, or whatever it is seems to be merged into our main power grid. Who knows what effect it could have?" He stiffened noticeably. "We can't just leave it there. Especially since it was put there by a hostile species."

Aubrey smiled. "I guess I haven't been making much sense. But I'll need more time to explain and I'm not sure we're going to get it."

Adol made no effort to move. His eyes held Aubrey's in a steady embrace.

The security officers came out of the parade rest position they had been in, their hands within easy reach of their phasers.

It was becoming apparent to Aubrey that he had better make the time to explain to his officers, before he found himself relieved of command. "Mr. Adol," he began, but klaxons suddenly whooped to life all over the ship.

"Red alert! Captain to the bridge!"

"Rodriguez, what's going on?" Aubrey called into the COMM system.

"Sir, three Cardassian destroyers are closing fast! ETA four minutes, 19 seconds."

"The Carddies must have followed us into the nebula." Benjamin complained.

Shantok walked over to an engineering console and punched up something on the display screen. "I don't believe they did." She stated.

"What's the status on our guns?" Aubrey asked.

"We only have two banks on line. Most of our phaser couplings were burned out during the last battle." Rodriguez reported. "Our quantums are gone and we've got 14 photons left between the fore and aft tubes."

Benjamin was apologetic. "Sorry sir, we never had the chance to put her back together."

"Stay in the nebula. Try to use it for cover. If we can-----"

"Sir," Rodriguez interrupted. "that's what I was going to tell you. We're not in the nebula anymore. As soon as sensors came up we realized that we're being carried out of the cloud by some kind of vortex. Our drive systems are off line, we have no control over our trajectory."

A moment later, Shantok's stoic voice added: "Captain, we are emerging from the nebula and the Cardassian ships are closing at full impulse."

Benjamin sprinted towards the nearest console, and with a verbal command, changed its function to multipurpose. "I have shields up, but they're still at 15%! A few hits will finish us!"

"Benjamin, reallocate phaser power to the shields." Aubrey said somberly. He knew it would only prolong their destruction by a few more minutes. But his ship was now a sitting duck and he was fresh out of clever ploys. He wondered how invincible his crew felt now.

He turned to go. "Rodriguez, I'm on my way. Shantok, you stay here and assist Benjamin until the engineering crew arrives. Advise me-----"

"Sir," Benjamin cut in, "I need you here, too. Without an engineering team I need every hand I can get." His ingrained nervousness began to surface, threatening to derail his line of thought. Plunging ahead, he continued: "Right now, an extra pair of hands is my only hope of keeping things together down here." Blushing furiously, Benjamin looked at the deck and mumbled. "With all due respect, sir, of course. You're the captain. Whatever you think is best is fine with me I was just -----"

"Benjamin." The captain's voice was a pale of cold water. "Despite your rank, despite your age, I put you in charge of engineering. I did that because you're one of the most gifted engineers Starfleet ever produced. You know this old lady and her new technology like no one else. If you tell me I need to stay put then I defer to the judgment of my chief engineer."

The words sank in. Benjamin straightened.

Aubrey rubbed his hands together. "Now tell me what I need to do."

Benjamin pointed towards a bank of consoles adjacent to the warp core. "Sir, if you could monitor the plasma flow from there. I'm gonna try to restart the core with an auxiliary power flush. Most of these experimental neural gel packs were undamaged. They seem to take punishment better than the isolinear systems ever did. I just need to route new pathways for the energy."

Aubrey nodded and jogged across the deck. "Captain to bridge. I'm staying down here until our engineering team gets here. Make every effort to find them and get them here. Keep an open channel to me at all times and continue tactical updates."

The bridge acknowledged. Benjamin quickly gave out assignments to Shantok, Adol and the two security officers.

It wasn't long before Rodriguez called down, bearing unpleasant news.

"Captain, the enemy ships are coming into weapons range. Any luck with more shield power or getting warp?"

"Negative, Lieutenant. On my mark, lets target the lead ship with our remaining torpedoes and bring all forward tubes to bear. I want to do as much damage as we can, while we can."

"Captain, the vortex we're in has the ship immobilized. We can't change course to line up our sights!" The tactical officer's frustration was evident.

Shantok looked up from the master systems monitor, where Benjamin had assigned her. She grabbed the edges of the display table. "Sir, we're being fired on."

At the same moment, a call went out over intraship to all decks. "Incoming fire! Brace for impact!"

From his position, Adol watched a small view screen on his board. It showed the yellow forms of three Cardassian warships as they unloaded a storm of disruptor fire at the ship.

He had time to think, we won't even survive the first salvo, just before torpedoes and energy beams slammed into the Intrepid, ripping the ship into fiery ribbons of metal and bodies.

At least, that's what should have happened. Instead, as Adol turned back to the screen, he saw the enemy ships launch one barrage after another and every time there should have been a deadly impact, nothing at all happened.

Benjamin stood up from his crouched position, where he had covered his head with both arms. "What happened?" He asked, looking around gingerly. "Did the Carddies miss?"

"Not at this range." Aubrey said evenly. "Bridge, report. Rodriguez, what happened?"

When Rodriguez answered, he had an odd tone in his voice. He sounded like someone who had just discovered evidence of the Tooth Fairy's existence.

"Captain. The disruptors, the torpedoes-----they just passed right through us. Right through the ship."

The group of officers looked at one another, their expressions carefully neutral.

Adol said, "It's true. Take a look."

Everyone walked over to stare at the console before him. The small screen continued to show the Cardassian ships throwing everything they had at Intrepid. There was not so much as a vibration in the deck plating to show for their efforts.

"Benjamin, are the sensors working properly? Maybe those ships are firing at something else."

"I know our external sensors are working fine, Captain. I had time to do a diagnostic before I came to engineering."

"The vortex around the ship." Shantok said at once. "It must be protecting us."

"The Inth are doing this." Aubrey said. "But when their generosity runs out, we won't last 30 seconds."

"Rodriguez to Aubrey. Sir, the vortex is changing course. We're being carried right towards the enemy ships."

Within seconds they were deposited right in front of the Cardassian destroyers. Dropped, as it were, into the laps of their enemies.

To make matters worse, they watched with dread as Aubrey's dire prediction came to pass. The vortex began to evaporate, leaving the Intrepid exposed and vulnerable with a mere handful of torpedoes and some degraded shields for protection.

The captain tried to keep his voice steady in these last few moments. His crew deserved that much, at least.

"Rodriguez, when you have torpedo acquisition, fire at will." After everything the Inth had communicated to him, after he had allowed their organic technology aboard his ship, it was going to end like this. Had this all been some kind of sadistic joke?

The warp core flashed into a silent explosion of eerie light. The whole engineering section was immersed in blue green radiance. Beneath the membrane that encompassed the core, the great cylinder shone like a sinister sun.

"What he hell?" Benjamin breathed. "every system path in the ship just came to life. We're being flooded with energy."

"The vortex has completely dispersed." Shantok reported quietly.

"Something's happening!" Rodriguez yelled over the intercom.

In horrified awe, the officers watched as a bolt of energy streaked away from their ship and enveloped the nearest destroyer in a shimmering bubble. The destroyer tried to punch its way out with disruptors, but the sphere seemed impenetrable.

And then the bubble imploded, smashing the Cardassian ship into nothingness. The macabre scene happened twice more as the remaining ships were wiped out of existence before they could get off a shot.

The sheathed warp core slowly diminished its blinding light, until it became a soft glow. It pulsed one or twice more before extinguishing its fire all together.

"Dear Lord," Aubrey whispered.

* * * * *

"This is Admiral Edward Jellico, please respond." He repeated.

"Admiral, Captain, we are receiving a text transmission from the Intrepid."

Captain Zorek and the rest of the Vulcans aboard Nagasaki's bridge betrayed their intense curiosity as they leaned a little closer in the direction of the tactical officer.

On the screen before them, the Excelsior class ship hung serenely. Jellico had ordered no scans from any of the six Starfleet ships. No one knew what was going on over there, or if Aubrey was still in charge of his vessel. He didn't want to risk an attack that none of them would survive.

"The message says that their COMM system is down. They further report that there is alien technology aboard their ship that they are not in control of." The tactical officer continued. "The message stresses that we not take any aggressive action because the alien weapons may respond of their own volition. Requesting we stand by. The message ends there."

Jellico looked at the deck and shook his head in agitation. "Relay to all ships: take no action. Stand by for further orders."

Captain Zorek came up beside him. "An interesting turn of events. Logic tells us that there is at least some truth in their message. If not, we would have shared the Cardassians' fate by now."

"I was thinking the same thing." Jellico agreed. "I only hope those weapons can be controlled." And then his eyes glimmered as the outline of an idea; an outrageous scheme came to mind. He played with the thought carefully as one might a do with an impossible dream that suddenly seemed attainable once again.

He would wait a few minutes more. He had to talk to Aubrey, if he was still alive.

* * * * *

As Shantok collapsed to the deck, unconscious, Aubrey and Adol ran to her side. The captain felt her pulse even though he didn't know what was normal for a Vulcan. He straightened up and spoke urgently into the open intercom.

"Rodriguez! Medical emergency! Beam Commander Shantok directly to sickbay!"

"Aye, sir. Energizing."

She dissolved away into the transporter beam.

The captain stood. "Benjamin, did you see what happened?"

Benjamin shook his head. "I'm not sure. As I turned around, I saw her wobble a little, like she was dizzy, then she just fainted."

Adol's voice was uncharacteristically stern. "What happened is, she just suffered through a mental trauma from a hostile species. Of course it was going to affect her. Vulcans are people, not androids." He pointed at the encased warp core. "This is the same hostile race that put that thing in here. The same race that held us all captive and tortured our people."

A flicker of anger sparked across the captain's features. "When the time comes, Lieutenant, I'll let you voice your concerns freely, but now is not that time. If I don't talk to those ships out there, they might be obliterated. For now, that is our top priority. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Adol spoke in a controlled tone, but the unusual appendages above his head gave away his inner turmoil. Both antennae were bent over, seeming to point accusing fingers at Aubrey. The security chief looked again at the strange, organic material that seemed to be violating the ship with its very presence. Material that he now knew was extremely dangerous.

Benjamin was nervously shifting from one foot to the other. He decided to take his shot at diffusing the situation. "Uh, Captain? Most of my engineering staff is here now. If you, uh, you need to uh, go back to the bridge...?" Saying that "most of his staff" was present was an exaggeration, since only ten members had arrived. But Aubrey either didn't notice the inflated statement, or decided that ten was enough to hold things together.

He nodded at Benjamin, almost smiling despite himself. He was being told to leave. He turned to face Adol, who was maintaining a sullen silence.

"Let's go, Mr. Adol. I need your expertise more now than ever."

Saying nothing, Adol fell into step with him as he walked out of engineering.

Unseen by Aubrey, he gestured subtly for the two security officers to remain behind.