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Intercepting a Message
from the Klingon Dreadnaught Terror
"It's clearer now. The
computer has refined some of the decoding. It . . . no, it can't be!"
cried Uhura, eyes widening in horror.
"They attack soon," said
Chekov flatly, certain of his conclusions.
"Yes, that's it! They're
preparing to attack!"
"Battle stations," commanded
Chekov. He came fully alive now. He felt in the center of a giant web of
nerve endings, all pulsing and sparkling with life. The lightest twitch
on his part caused ripples to flow along the strands of the web and
produced instant action at the perimeters.
The loud clanging filled the
ship. Chekov felt the adrenaline pumping through his arteries. Never
before in his life had he felt this alive, this powerful, this sure of
his own actions.
"All hands to battle
stations," repeated Chekov. "Phasers prepare to fire. Track Klingon
vessel. Photon torpedoes load!"
"Chekov," shouted Uhura,
over the din of the bridge, "are you sure of what you're doing?
Shouldn't you call Captain Kirk?"
"No time. Message said to
attack us. Such a powerful ship can destroy us with little
effort--unless we attack first. I will do so as soon as the phaser banks
are charged and ready."
The lights on the command
console blinked menacingly, showing full phaser charge. The young ensign
quickly ran through the checklist in his mind. Phasers charged. Tracking
computers locked on target. Photon torpedoes ready to follow up the
first phaser barrage, to give the Klingons something to think about
while the phaser banks charged again.
"That is the meaning of
this?" came the sharp question from the door of the turbo-elevator.
"Explain yourself, Mr. Chekov!" |
