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“Do you need to see Dr. Morell?” Sulu asked, the concern in her voice plain. Fe
“I’m all right,” Fe
Sulu leaned in very close to Fe
Fe
“Go ahead,” Sulu said at once. “I’ll let Dr. Morell know you’re on your way. We’ll cover for you here.” She reached a hand up and grasped Fe
Fe
“Sickbay,” Fe
Sulu thumbed the comm cha
Sulu sat down at the sciences station and took a quick inventory of the readouts. She familiarized herself with the data being transmitted to Enterpriseby the probes, noted Universe’s unique sensor profile, along with the life signs of its skeleton crew of fifty-one, then turned and looked toward the captain. He was already peering in her direction, evidently having noticed Ensign Fe
“All right,”she heard a voice say—a deep, harsh voice she immediately recognized as belonging to Admiral Harriman. “Confirm four-way comlink and ship readiness.Universe?”
“Universe confirms comlink,”said a voice Sulu did not know, but that must have been that of Adrie
“Acknowledged,”Admiral Harriman barked. “Canaveral?”
“Canaveral confirms comlink and ship’s readiness,”said Captain Jack Breshar, an old space dog Sulu had known for many years, and who had once been a colleague of her father.
“Enterprise?” the admiral asked.
Captain Harriman responded in the affirmative, then asked Sulu to establish a visual of Universefrom the probe nearest to it. She turned and operated the controls of Fe
“All right,”Admiral Harriman said. “It’s your show,Universe.”
Sulu felt her stomach jump with excitement. Once these test flights had successfully been completed, dramatic and thrilling changes would be in store for interstellar exploration. And although she had not spoken to Captain Harriman about it, she understood that a significant improvement in warp-engine performance, even short of hyperwarp drive, could easily have a positive impact on the precipitous state of affairs with the Romulans and Klingons.
“Universe acknowledges,”said Captain Kuwano. “All our boards show green. Engineering, helm, and navigation preparations are complete. We are begi
As Universewarped out of sight on the main viewer, Sulu turned back to the sciences console and checked the readouts. “The first probe has begun telemetering data,” she reported. “The Enterprisehas the Universeon long-range sensors.”
“Warp one,”Sulu heard a woman say, and she assumed it was Universe’s helm officer, Lieutenant Seaver. Sulu had taken a glance at Universe’s perso
“All three hyperwarp computers are engaged,”came another voice, a man’s, probably that of Universe’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Chernin. “Primary and secondary hyperwarp computers are in synchronous operation.”
“Fifty seconds to hyperwarp,”Captain Kuwano said.
Sulu felt her heart race, gripped by the moment. Fifty seconds away from a revolution,she thought. She did not know the specifications of hyperwarp, but her imagination sent her soaring across the Milky Way.
“Warp two,”said Seaver.
“Articulated dilithium matrices are focused and aligned,”Chernin said.
“Forty seconds.”Captain Kuwano.
Sulu saw another set of readings begin to register on her panel. “The second probe now has the Universein range,” she said.
“Warp four.”Seaver.
“We have matter entering the flux chamber. Warm-starting antimatter flow.”Chernin.
“Thirty seconds.”Kuwano.
In these breathless moments, Sulu thought of her father. She recalled how, when she’d been attending Starfleet Academy, he would send her recorded messages telling her stories he had wanted to share with her: the first sustained powered flight by the Wright Brothers at Kill Devil Hill, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin setting down on Earth’s moon, Verna Mitrios surviving the first landing on Mars, Zefram Cochrane traveling at warp in Phoenix.