Open Secrets

Still reeling from the exertion it had cost her to traverse the Void, she took a moment to gather what little strength she was able to preserve. She was weaker now than she had ever been since the collapsing of the Conduits and the departure of the First World. How much longer could she continue like this, without the guidance and support of the First Conduit? Had the Enumerated Ones not heard her cries for help or those of others like her who she knew were scattered among the stars?

As always, her pleas went unanswered.

Surveying her surroundings, the Wanderer could not help but feel satisfaction at what she beheld. Unlike the world she had been forced to sterilize after its infestation at the hands of Telinaruul,this planet held much promise. Its lush, fertile environs offering ideal breeding grounds for the nascent life-forms it harbored. Searching her memory, the Wanderer recalled this world as being among those selected for prolonged experimentation and observation, with the ultimate goal of bringing about the next stage in the evolution of the Shedai.

So far, the planet had been spared contamination by Telinaruul.Observing the primordial beings that dwelled among its vast undersea mountains and crevasses, the Wanderer sensed that they carried within them the seeds of life given to them uncounted generations ago by the Enumerated Ones. Their potential was palpable, yet at their present rate of advancement, she knew it would be aeons before they rose to a level that might indicate whether those who planted them here were successful. Such progression might be accelerated, of course, should the Enumerated Ones desire it, but without them, this world and the life on it would evolve at its predetermined pace. As such, it offered no immediate assistance to the Wanderer in her ongoing battle.

That is correct, child. There are no others to take pity on you.

Her consciousness convulsed in response to the words of the Apostate, taunting her once more from somewhere in the Void. Summoning precious bits of her flagging strength, she probed outward, searching for some hint to his location. It was a futile attempt. At the same time, the Wanderer drew in upon herself, hoping to escape the Apostate’s scrutiny, not just for her sake but also for the burgeoning life this world cradled. If her enemy found it, she knew that he would obliterate it from existence without a second thought.

Worry not, little one. I will find you and the feeble hatchlings you seek to protect.

For a moment, the Wanderer was certain she sensed irritation in the Apostate’s words, along with…fatigue? Was it possible that her adversary also was weakened, perhaps by attempts at transit without benefit of the Conduits?

I need no such aid. I am all.

Strong words, but they were tainted by something else, something new, an odd quality the Wanderer had never before felt him exhibit. Then she understood.

The Apostate was afraid, but of what?

I fear nothing.

A lie, the Wanderer decided, but what could have this effect on one so powerful? Might it be the furtive, unknown Voice that had penetrated the Void, perhaps even at the bidding of Telinaruul?Straining to listen, she detected no overt sign of that presence, either, but the sensation of terror that had gripped her upon first hearing it was still fresh in her memories.

Of course it is. Monsters always frighten children.

The Apostate’s goading tone belied his own anxiety, of this the Wanderer now was certain, just as she was convinced that her enemy harbored his own apprehension about whatever it was that awaited them in the Void. Did that make this mysterious entity her ally? Of that the Wanderer was unsure. All she knew was that she still felt the dread that had enveloped her on the diseased world she had so recently cleansed. Did the Telinaruulunderstand this unknown consciousness? Was it possible that they were able to harness its power to any degree?

She all but shuddered at that thought.

Your weakness will be your undoing, young one.

The Wanderer ignored her enemy and his words, dismissing them as empty, distant, and weak. There were larger concerns, she knew. Somewhere in the Void, something powerful was growing, lying ominously in wait. Would any threat it posed be enough to incite the return of the Enumerated Ones? If that happened, was whatever might oppose them great enough to usurp their will?

Once more, the Shedai Wanderer was gripped by fear.

The Taurus Reach 2267

EPILOGUE

Harsh crimson illumination bathed the bridge of the I.K.S. Zin’za,casting most of the room in near-darkness and forcing the animated computer displays that littered the bulkheads to stand out in stark contrast. In the dim lighting, the shadows grew longer, making the walls of the already cramped space seem as though they might be pushing inward and attempting to crush the comparatively fragile beings who dwelled within them. The sensation acted as stimulation to a true warrior’s spirit. Anticipation was heightened, hearts beat stronger, and blood raced ever faster through veins as every fiber of one’s being prepared for battle.

Captain Kutal would have it no other way.

“Range?” he barked, feeling the rush of expectation as the time for battle approached. Leaning forward in his chair, he studied the immense Federation space station now depicted on the bridge’s central viewing screen.

“Twelve thousand qelI’qamsand closing, Captain,” replied his tactical officer, Lieutenant Tonar. “Sensors show that the station’s deflector-shield generators and weapons systems are online.”

On the viewer, the image of the station was overlaid with a series of bright red indicators and other telemetry that offered tactical information about the station as relayed from the Zin’za’s sensors. The outpost, one of the Federation Starfleet’s newest and most advanced models, was by all accounts more than capable of defending itself against an enemy attack such as the one it currently faced. Of course, the station had not yet endured the ferocity of a Klingon battle squadron, an oversight Kutal intended to correct in the coming moments.

As for the quartet of vessels maneuvering into a defensive formation between the station and Kutal’s squadron, tactical scans showed that only one of the ships, the Earthers’ closest equivalent to a battle cruiser, appeared to pose any significant threat. Of course, as an experienced veteran of space combat, Kutal knew that a ship’s fighting prowess was predicated as much—if not more—on the ability of its crew and the ingenuity of its commander as on its simple technical capabilities. Further, he had seen more than one Earther ship and its master emerge from battle with victories that should have been beyond their reach. That included the battle cruiser that he and his strike force now faced. Kutal vowed that there would be no underestimating his enemy on this day.

“Captain,” called out Lieutenant Kreq, the Zin’za’s communications officer, from his station along the bridge’s left bulkhead, “the space station is attempting to hail us.”

Kutal released a low grunt. “Of course they are. Earthers love to talk,” he said, sneering as he cast a look over his shoulder to the back of the bridge and the lone figure standing alone there and observing the proceedings. “It seems to be an embedded genetic disposition of their species.”