Agents of Influence

by Dayton Ward

  Deferring to Uhura, Kirk stepped aside and allowed her to slip past him and take the empty seat to Sulu’s right. Standing in the cockpit’s open doorway, Kirk regarded his helm officer.

  “What have we got, Mister Sulu?”

  Without looking away from his console, the lieutenant replied, “Sensors just picked it up, sir. It’s an Orion vessel, heading directly for us.”

  “Orion?” repeated Uhura. “There have been scattered reports of their pirate vessels operating in this region, but nothing substantiated.”

  “We already know this is the kind of place pirates love,” said Kirk. “That said, I have to wonder how any ship, Orion or otherwise, managed to find us.” He grimaced. “Damn.” It had only been three hours since the Dreamline’s departure from the Enterprise.

  Using the search grid devised by Uhura after her hypothesis based on Captain Khatami’s message, Sulu had been following a course through the asteroid field that—in theory—made it appear the transport was in a hurry to be somewhere rather than searching for the Endeavour. It obviously had been too much to hope they might find the disabled starship before encountering some sort of obstacle.

  In other words, Kirk thought, just another day.

  Sulu replied, “They had to have seen us before I saw them. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think their sensors have to be much better than ours, even with our modifications to counteract the fits the asteroid field’s background interference is giving us.”

  “Anyone using this area for whatever reason might have found a way to tune their sensors to account for that disruption,” said Uhura. “They may have a few other tricks up their sleeve as well.” A tone sounded from the console and she leaned forward to inspect it. “They’re hailing us, Captain.”

  Kirk said, “What kind of weapons do they have, Mister Sulu?”

  The lieutenant reviewed several of the console’s status indicators before answering, “Disruptor cannons only, sir, but still enough to hurt us if this turns into a fight.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t. Uhura, let’s hear what they have to say.”

  She pressed controls on the console before her and the cockpit’s confined space was filled with a low, intimidating voice.

  “Unidentified vessel. You are trespassing in this region. Power down your engines, deactivate your deflector shields, and prepare to be boarded.”

  “I don’t like the idea of dropping our shields in here,” said Sulu.

  “Neither do I.” Kirk examined the cockpit console’s status board for himself. “I’m betting if this were the Enterprise, we’d be getting a different kind of welcome.”

  “Shall I signal them, sir?” asked Uhura.

  Kirk shook his head. “Not yet. Right now, this may be nothing more than pirates looking to take advantage of a wayward ship a long way from home.” He had no desire to blow their cover so early into their mission. For the moment, he was willing to play his part in their covert scheme. “Activate ship-to-ship communication, but let’s put that scrambling protocol of yours to work.”

  At Admiral Nogura’s suggestion, Uhura had devised a software routine for the Dreamline’s communications systems that, when activated, allowed it to simulate static and other interference with any transmission. In theory, this would present to the contacted party the appearance of a compromised signal impacting its visual feed, effectively providing a disguise for Kirk and the others. He had no idea whether the captain of a random Orion vessel might recognize him on sight, but neither did he desire to take unnecessary chances.

  “You’re up, Sulu,” he said.

  The lieutenant keyed the communications link and activated the compact viewscreen set into the cockpit’s helm console. Static on the screen cleared to reveal a bald, imposingly muscled Orion male wearing a sleeveless shirt taut across his broad chest. His bright green arms featured an assortment of tattoos and piercings.

  “This is Masamune Shirow, captain of the transport vessel Dreamline,” said Sulu, employing the name that was part of the cover identity he had created with the help of Admiral Nogura. “I am ferrying two passengers to the Rigel system. I was unaware this area is claimed by any interstellar power. Please identify yourselves.”

  “That sounded pretty convincing,” said Uhura, after waiting for him to mute the connection.

  Keeping his expression impassive, Sulu replied in a soft voice, “Let’s just hope they’re not familiar with sequential-art storytelling from twentieth-century Earth.”

  Over the open communications link, the Orion scowled. “We claim this region, and you are here without our permission. Power down your engines and prepare for boarding. Any other action will be interpreted as hostile and we will take all appropriate measures.”

  “They seem nice,” observed Kirk. “Let me try.” He gestured for Sulu to unmute the connection, and remembered to employ his alias, before saying, “Um, hello? My name is Charles Finley, and I’m on my way to an important meeting on Rigel XII. We certainly didn’t intend to trespass through anyone’s territory, and we apologize for our error. If you’re willing, we would appreciate a guide out of the asteroid field so that we might be on our way.”

  On the screen, the Orion paused and directed his attention to something Kirk could not see. Then another Orion, this time a woman, appeared in the image, and when she directed her gaze to him, her expression was hard and suspicious.

  “Your communications link is weak. Boost power to your array so that your signal clears. I do not trust anyone whose face I cannot see.”

  Engaging the mute control again, Uhura said, “I guess my trick worked.”

  “Looks that way.” Kirk leaned forward, reactivating the connection. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid our comm system is at maximum output. Apparently something to do with the radiation or whatever else is permeating this asteroid field. We apologize for the inconvenience. Now, surely we can come to some form of arrangement here?”

  The female Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. The arrangement is prepare to be boarded, or I will destroy your ship.”

  Fifteen

  Kirk had heard enough.

  “Sorry you feel that way,” he said, before cutting the link and stepping away from the console. “Get us out of here, Mister Sulu.”

  Part of their planning for this covert reconnaissance mission included the possible need to evade other spacecraft. Though both Kirk and Nogura anticipated complications raised by Klingons also seeking answers for what happened here to their own warship as well as the Endeavour, both men also knew there was a better than even chance of encountering some kind of rogue ship such as one crewed by pirates. It was a gamble, Kirk conceded at the time, but one worth taking if it meant finding Captain Khatami and her crew.

  Time to up the ante, he thought.

  The Orion woman and her male companion, each sporting matching looks of surprise and contempt in response to Kirk’s abrupt dismissal, vanished from the console’s viewscreen just as Sulu set to work on the Dreamline’s helm controls. Despite the transport’s artificial gravity and inertial damping systems, Kirk still felt a twinge in his gut as Sulu guided the ship into an abrupt starboard bank and accelerated, altering his view of the asteroid field beyond the cockpit canopy. In the distance, larger bodies shifted to the left and up and out of his field of vision as the transport arced its way deeper into the field.

  “You may want to hang on, sir,” said Sulu, not taking his eyes from his controls.

  Bracing himself in the doorway, Kirk grunted. “Now he tells me.”

  “They’re increasing speed and continuing on their intercept course,” reported Uhura.

  Sulu replied, “They’re bigger than we are. I may be able to use that.”

  Almost afraid to ask what that meant, Kirk instead leaned against the door’s frame as the helm officer guided the Dreamline in a twisting dive toward what at first looked to be a collision course with one of the larger asteroids. The enormous, space station–sized chunk of rock seemed to fill
the cockpit canopy before Sulu adjusted the ship’s trajectory, and the transport curved just to port. They passed the asteroid at such close distance that Kirk was able to make out terrain features.

  “Mister Sulu,” he began, but he was cut off by Uhura.

  “The Orion ship has cut its speed.” She frowned, looking up from her console. “Not by much, but it’s something, and I think their shields just took a hit from one of the smaller asteroids. So far as I can tell, it was no bigger than a communications buoy, but in here it won’t take much.”

  Sulu smiled. “Their pilot isn’t as good as I am.”

  “Or humble,” countered Uhura. “Or crazy.”

  “That too.”

  Reviewing her sensor readings, Uhura said, “They’re definitely slowing their speed but still maneuvering to intercept us. They’re altering their course through the field. Looks like they’re trying to get abreast or ahead of us.”

  “I see it.” Sulu’s voice was calm and confident, his hands moving across the transport’s helm console as if he had been piloting the ship for years rather than hours. Kirk divided his attention between the lieutenant’s work and its effects as depicted outside, with the asteroids appearing to twist and arc first right, then left as Sulu’s deft maneuvering took them deeper into the field.

  “Is it just me,” Kirk said, “or is the field getting more dense?” As he posed the question, Kirk watched two asteroids, one much smaller than the other, collide with each other as though wanting to help him make his point. The impact was subtle, almost a passing glance, but it was enough to alter the smaller rock’s trajectory and send it drifting off its original course, requiring Sulu to navigate around it.

  Sulu replied, “I’m taking us into a more crowded area.” He reached to a different set of controls and tapped several keys in rapid succession. “I’m reducing power to our deflector shields and narrowing their envelope around us. This far into the field, the shields are actually more of a hindrance.” Sparing a glance to his companions, he added, “When I was a cadet at the Academy, we used to make runs like this through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Compared to this, that one’s practically empty, but at impulse speeds you can get a similar effect.” He smiled. “It was fun.”

  “Mister Sulu,” Kirk said, “assuming we make it out of this, we need to discuss your ideas about fun.”

  Instead of answering, the lieutenant made another adjustment to the Dreamline’s course, lining up the craft on a direct course for yet another very large asteroid. Kirk noted that there seemed to be no other pieces of debris in this part of the field, though more asteroids were visible in the distance beyond their current target. For a moment he worried about the lack of cover and concealment as the transport made its latest dash under Sulu’s expert if unorthodox guidance.

  “Orion ship bearing two one five mark seven,” said Uhura. “They’re maneuvering in behind us. Sensors show they’ve powered up their weapons.”

  Sulu said, “Transferring shield power to rear deflectors.”

  The move came just in time, as seconds later Kirk felt the entire Dreamline shudder under the impact of something slamming into the ship’s aft shields. The cockpit’s interior flickered, accompanied by several rows of the helm console’s status indicators flashing for attention. For his part, Sulu appeared to ignore the various warnings, focusing his attention on his instruments. Looking over his shoulder, Kirk noted the astrogator scanner showing the transport’s position relative to nearby asteroids including the massive one in front of them, and watched as a new icon appeared on the small screen.

  “They’re closing fast,” he said, unable to resist looking through the canopy at the looming asteroid.

  Sulu nodded. “That’ll change once we get around this one.”

  “We’re being hailed,” reported Uhura. “The Orions sound pretty insistent this time.”

  Kirk said, “I’ll bet. Ignore it. Mister Sulu, how are we doing?”

  Instead of replying, the helm officer executed another maneuver and applied even more acceleration to the Dreamline’s engines. Kirk could not help noting their course did not seem to be changing, as the massive asteroid grew larger with each passing moment.

  “Mister Sulu?” he repeated.

  Uhura reported, “The Orions are moving in behind us. Sensors show another buildup in their forward disruptors.”

  As though anticipating the next volley of weapons fire, Sulu tapped another of his helm controls and the transport banked to port, executing a steep dive toward the asteroid’s surface. Kirk watched twin beams of bright green energy streak past the forward window, slicing through the space the Dreamline had occupied mere heartbeats earlier. Then he saw nothing but kilometers of jagged, scarred rock filling the cockpit’s window. Even with the internal systems masking the effects of gravity and inertia, he could not keep from gripping on to the door frame.

  “Hang on,” said Sulu, his voice for the first time betraying a hint of tension. He shifted his gaze between his controls, the canopy, and the astrogator screen, and Kirk observed the Orion ship’s position in relation to their own. The distance between the two vessels had shrunk to an alarming degree.

  Uhura said, “They’re getting ready to fire again.”

  Though he did not respond to the update, Sulu acknowledged it by forcing the transport into another hasty maneuver. This time Kirk did feel his stomach lurch as the lieutenant applied more thrust in concert with pulling up the ship’s nose. The asteroid ahead of them—now much too close for Kirk’s comfort—disappeared beneath his field of vision as the Dreamline climbed away from its surface. His gut and the cockpit instruments told him Sulu had put the ship into a tight loop back the way it had come.

  “Please tell me you practiced this when you were a cadet at the Academy,” said Uhura, who was leaning back in her seat and bracing herself against her console.

  “Not really, no.”

  Still propping himself in the doorway behind his officers, Kirk said, “We also need to talk about your deadpan sense of humor, Lieutenant.”

  The transport’s maneuver continued, banking up and away from the asteroid until it began to resume its original course. Only this time, the Orion vessel was centered in the canopy window before them. Its own helm officer had obviously realized what was happening and had taken steps to mitigate the surprise tactic, but by then Sulu had seized control of the situation. Having proved the Dreamline’s greater maneuverability, he now was pushing that demonstration to maximum effect, thwarting the Orion ship pilot’s every attempt to shake his new pursuer. As he completed the looping maneuver, Sulu tapped another set of controls, and Kirk saw a pair of status indicators flash from red to green.

  “Forward phasers on standby,” he said. “And thank you for the modifications, Mister Scott.” The Enterprise’s chief engineer had ensured the meager phaser banks already installed aboard the transport were properly augmented, installing power converters and additional relays that allowed the components to operate at a level well above the normal capacity for civilian versions of such weapons.

  “Always looking out for us, our Scotty,” said Kirk.

  Uhura called out, “Sensors show they’re diverting power to their aft disruptors.”

  Pointing to the canopy, Kirk snapped, “Sulu, target those weapons ports and fire to disable.”

  Sulu responded by pressing the console’s firing controls, and a pair of orange beams spat forth from either side of the cockpit’s canopy, crossing the distance separating the Dreamline from the Orion ship and striking the other vessel’s aft shields. Energy collided, flaring up to briefly obscure the other ship even as Sulu fired again. This time he continued the assault, following each salvo with another right on its heels. The Orion ship did its best to evade the attack but Sulu was locked in, holding pace and course with the other craft even as they both careened through the field.

  “You punched through their shields,” said Uhura. “Their aft disruptors are down! There�
��s some hull damage and I’m picking up some fluctuations in their main engines. It’s not critical but it will impact their maneuvering and ability to navigate the field.” After another moment spent reviewing her readings, she added, “No hull breaches or other signs of major damage.”

  “Good,” replied Kirk. “Let’s hope there are no casualties.” He had no desire to let this encounter devolve into a situation that cost lives. Hopefully the Orion ship’s commander harbored similar feelings. Ahead of them, the other vessel was banking away from the asteroid but making no obvious move to resume the confrontation. A glance at the astrogator near Sulu’s left elbow confirmed this for Kirk. “Set a course deeper into the asteroid field. I want to demonstrate we’re not looking to press anything. Hopefully, with the damage to their ship, they’ll take the hint.”

  Uhura said, “They’re continuing to move away, sir.”

  Allowing himself a small sigh of relief, Kirk kept his focus on the console readings and the space ahead of them. While he wanted to think the Orions would accept the figurative smack they had just received across their proverbial nose, experience told him a different story.

  They would be back. They might even bring friends.

  Meanwhile, the Endeavour was still out there, waiting.

  * * *

  At least all of D’zinn’s most experienced people now occupied their respective stations on the Vekal Piltari’s command deck. She knew they would respond to the sudden and unexpected turn of events confronting them with practiced confidence. However, despite her attempt to reassure herself, she was unable to quell either her concern or her anger at how quickly the situation had shifted against them.

  “Damage report!”

  Moving between stations around the command deck, Netal replied, “Both rear weapons ports are offline. Their phasers penetrated our rear shields and struck one of the primary engine manifolds. We still have partial power, but our maneuvering ability has been impacted. We need to transfer additional power to the shields if we are to remain in the asteroid field.”