Margeret Bonanno - Probe

Hastily, Hiran dragged the guard inside his quarters and used the guard's phaser to bolster the stun that Feric had already administered. Resetting the manual lock, the three hurried down the corridor to the nearest 'lift.

But it was disabled. "Commander Jenyu is taking no chances," Hiran said with a curse.

"We cannot reach the bridge?" What little color was left in Tiam's face drained away. "Is there no other way?"

"Emergency service stairs, of course, but he will surely have sealed off all entrances to the bridge."

"Then there is no way of stopping him?"

"Not unless we can cut off power to the weapons-or to the bridge. And I doubt that his preparations have been lax enough to allow that."

"With your permission, Commander," Feric volunteered, gripping his phaser more tightly, "I will attempt it. I am as familiar with the Galtizh as anyone."

Hiran's eyes darted briefly upward, in the direction of the distant bridge. "Very well. We will go together. Tiam?"

Tiam swallowed, his lips parchment dry. "There is another possibility," he said, barely above a whisper.

Hiran spun to face the ambassador. "And you have said nothing until now? What is it? Quickly!"

"My quarters-there is a subspace transceiver. We could contact the Committee and-"

Hiran snorted. "Halfway across the galaxy? Don't be a fool, Tiam!"

Tiam blinked, then slumped as the reality of the distance hit him. "Then we are lost."

But Hiran had suddenly brightened. "Perhaps not." He turned to Feric. "Go, try to cut power to the weapons or the bridge."

"Yes, Commander." Without another word, the subcommander sprinted for the nearest entrance to the service stairs.

"Come, Tiam," Hiran said, gripping the ambassador's arm and dragging him in Feric's wake toward the stairs, "take me to this transmitter of yours."

Kirk frowned at the blurred image of the Galtizh bridge. "Commander Hiran?"

The indistinct figure looked sharply around at the screen. "Captain Kirk," Hiran said slowly, drawing in a breath. The commander's voice was oddly distorted, as if to match the images. "I must reluctantly request your assistance."

Kirk glanced questioningly toward Spock while surreptitiously signaling to Uhura to cut the audio portion of the transmission.

"Audio cut, Captain," she said after a moment.

"Spock?"

"There are no indications of malfunctions in any of the Galtizh's primary systems, Captain."

The audio returned at Kirk's signal. "Of course, Commander Hiran," he said. "What can we do for

you?"

"In light of what happened when Tiam and the others transported down to observe the crystal, we decided to investigate the object's crystal appendage more closely," Hiran said, answering Kirk's unasked question. "Now that we have approached it, however, we find that we are unable to maneuver."

"Is it similar to what happened while we were being brought here?" Kirk asked. "Whenever we tried to use impulse power?"

"No, Captain Kirk. The engines simply do not respond."

"I see. But what is it you wish of us?"

"If you could approach to within tractor-beam range and attempt to free us-"

"And get caught ourselves?"

"The effect appears to have a very short range. We first encountered it at less than ten kilometers. You will be able to get within tractor-beam range without exposing yourself to danger."

"Is the Probe affecting your transmissions as well, Commander Hiran? Your images are blurred."

Hiran blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Yours are blurred as well, Captain Kirk. Perhaps it is the result of whatever field is preventing us from moving."

"Perhaps." Kirk looked to Sulu at the helm. "Take us in, Mr. Sulu, very carefully. Reverse course the moment you detect any loss of efficiency in the impulse engines."

"Aye-aye, sir."

Kirk started to look back at the screen when the audio channel was cut abruptly.

"Captain," Uhura said, speaking rapidly, "there is a subspace hail from the Galtizh-audio only."

"Mr. Sulu, belay that order. Keep us where we are! Commander Uhura, make it look like we're having transmission trouble, too. No clear transmissions, audio or picture, to the Galtizh bridge until we find out who this other audio is coming from."

The transmission from the Galtizh bridge resumed in midsentence.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Uhura said loudly, overriding Hiran's incoming voice, "but I'm losing your signal." A moment later, the viewscreen image faltered and broke up. Hiran's voice was lost as well.

Kirk vaulted from the conn and was at Uhura's side in a second. "Who-" he began, but another voice cut him off.

"This is Commander Hiran, Captain Kirk. I must warn you-"

"Commander Hiran was just speaking to me from the Galtizh bridge."

"A poor image? Out of focus? Low-quality audio?"

"Yes, but-"

"It is Jenyu-the one you knew as Kital. He has taken over the bridge. He must be using the computer to alter his image, to simulate mine. I have used similar deceptions myself. The image and the sound are purposely of low quality so that the simulation-itself of low quality — will not be detected."

"Hiran," Kirk broke in, "do you still have the same desires regarding the Erisians?"

"What? Kirk, do not waste-"

"I have to know which of you is the real Hiran!" Kirk snapped. "Now tell me, the Erisians!"

"I see. Very well, during my tour of the Enterprisewhich I would very much like to complete some day-I expressed the hope that the Erisians would prove to be ancestors to you humans, so that the Empire would be forced to open the Neutral Zone."

Kirk let his breath out in a whoosh. "Commander Hiran," he said, "what is the warning?"

"Kital-he is in reality Commander Jenyu, late of the Shalyar-has taken over the bridge. He plans to fire every weapon we have into the cavity from which that thing's appendage is extended. He hopes to damage the massive crystal structure just below the cavity, but he expects the thing to return fire and vaporize both the Galtizh and the Enterprise, just as it did the Henzu and the cargo ship near Wlaariivi."

There was a gasp from somewhere on the bridge, but Kirk ignored it. . except to note, out of the corner of his eye, that Jandra had left Spock's side and was hurrying toward the turbolift.

"So that's why he wanted us close in." Kirk nodded. "But if you can't stop him, how do you expect us-"

"Fire on him first, Kirk! Destroy his ability to launch the attack if you can. If you cannot-" Hiran paused, swallowing audibly. "If you cannot limit your fire to his weapons alone, you must destroy the Galtizh itself. We cannot take a chance with anything else."

"But why is Jenyu doing this?"

"He is convinced there is a chance you will learn to control that thing, particularly after Tiam informed him of the progress your Mr. Spock is supposed to have made. He is afraid-convinced-that you will order it to destroy the Empire. I am more afraid that, if he manages to attack it-this would be at least the second

time a Romulan ship has attacked it-it may decide we are an enemy worth paying attention to, an enemy worth destroying."

"If it is aware that there is such a thing as a Romulan Empire. Or that there is a difference between a Romulan ship and a Federation ship."

"I am well aware of the uncertainties involved, Federation captain. The only certainty is this: if you do nothing and allow him to attack, the Galtizh will be a cloud of vapor like the Henzu within seconds, as will the Enterprise. If you can disable our weapons, there is a chance that at least some of us will survive."

"Commander Hiran is right!" another voice shouted.

"Who-" Kirk began, but Hiran had already anticipated the question.

"Ambassador Tiam. He agrees with our decision, but he wants to be beamed over before you act."