Precipice

She checked the new interface’s co

He checked the readings on the command console for the second artifact’s interface. “Looks good so far,” he said. “Let’s co

Though he was trying to stay focused on their checklist of tasks, he felt the weight of two dozen pairs of eyes staring at him and Marcus while they worked. The delivery of the first artifact’s empty twin—by a Tholian expatriate named Ezthene traveling on Ganz’s ship, no less—had set the lab abuzz with rumor. Xiong was hardly immune to gossip’s pull; he was just waiting for the right moment to ask Dr. Marcus what she’d heard.

That moment seemed as opportune as any other.

“Is it true Diego Reyes is on Ganz’s ship?” he asked.

Marcus scowled at him from behind a fall of her blond hair. “Keep your voice down,” she said. Whispering, she continued, “Yes, it’s true.”

Xiong echoed her hushed tone. “Then why isn’t he back in custody?”

“Apparently, as long as he stays on the Omari-Ekon, he’s outside Starfleet’s jurisdiction.” She flipped some switches, and a few more indicators on the interface panel turned green. “What’s next on the list?”

“Tachyon sca

“Because the Federation has no extradition treaty with Orion,” Marcus replied. “Interstellar law gives Ganz the right to grant Reyes asylum aboard his ship, and that’s exactly what he’s done. As long as Reyes doesn’t set foot on the station, Nogura can’t touch him.”

Shaking his head, Xiong said, “That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s the law.”

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Closing the lower half of the pedestal’s access panel, Marcus said, “All set here. How’s the board?”

“Green lights all the way,” Xiong said. “Ready to release the safeties and bring main power online, on your order.”

“Let’s do it,” Marcus said. She stepped around the pedestal to stand beside the young anthropology-and-archaeology officer. “I think we should run a full range of material tests. Since this artifact is empty, we might be able to get a clearer picture of its composition and internal structure.”

“Sure,” Xiong said as he began co

Marcus gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “All in good time,” she said. “Right now, this new artifact is a gift. Let’s appreciate it for what it is instead of cursing it for what it’s not.” She threw an encouraging smile Xiong’s way. “Besides, sooner or later Ganz will need another favor from Nogura. When that happens, I suspect he’ll use the origin of these crystals as a bargaining chip.”

Xiong smiled and nodded in agreement. “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.” He entered the final sequence of commands for activating the new interface. “Taking the last safety offline now. Main power is up and steady.”

“All systems appear nominal,” Marcus said. “Let’s go ditch these canary suits.”

“Roger that,” he said, following her to the airlock and radiation-containment portal for the experiment chamber.

A few minutes later they had stowed their hazmat suits in the equipment room. Xiong smoothed his blue uniform tunic while Marcus pulled her white lab coat back on. There was a tiny glint of mania in her eyes as she asked, “Ready to see what our new prize can do?”

“I can hardly wait,” Xiong said.

They returned to the main area of the lab and situated themselves behind a transparent safety barrier set back from the experiment chamber. “First,” Marcus said, pushing buttons and flipping switches, “let’s see if it reacts when we apply power to the Mirdonyae artifact.” She turned a dial and fed a stream of charged particles into the original artifact, which pulsed with eldritch light only a few meters from its inert twin.

“Nothing so far,” Xiong said.

“All right. Sending power to the second artifact …”

For one brief moment the new polyhedron was surrounded by a golden halo, and the first artifact’s aura of fear melted away.

Then the Red Alert klaxon wailed, and all Hell broke loose.

60

The first wail of the Red Alert klaxon was still fresh in Nogura’s ears as a thunderous jolt knocked him from his chair and left him wearing most of his cup of hot tea.

He was halfway back to his feet and scrambling toward the door to the operations center when another jarring impact dropped him back to the floor.

More concussions rocked the station as he stumbled out his door and waded into the circle of barely restrained panic outside. He shouted to his XO, “Cooper! Report!”

Hanging onto the Hub with both hands as the deck pitched in response to the continuing attack, Cooper yelled back, “We can’t get a lock on who’s attacking us! All we’ve got are shield failures and inertial damper over—”

A new alarm cut him off. He flipped switches on the Hub as Nogura ran up the stairs to the supervisor’s deck, and looked up as the admiral joined him. “Hull breach,” Cooper said. “Main docking bay. We’re venting atmosphere!”

“Put it on screen two,” Nogura said.

The display on Nogura’s left snapped to a view of the interior of Vanguard’s main docking bay. An ugly rent had been torn in the thick gray hull, and a storm of loose debris was tumbling through the zero- genvironment toward the core of the station. Chunks of broken and twisted duranium caromed off the hull of the docked U.S.S. Buenos Aires.

Pushing its way through the ragged gap in the hull was an amorphous dark mass. It moved like a fluid and spread through the docking bay like a black bloodstain. Tentacles shimmering with violet motes of energy sprouted from it and lashed out at anything in their path—automated repair robots, ma

A Shedai was attacking Vanguard.

The Wanderer felt the abomination’s presence. She had followed its sickly emanations across a vast expanse, waiting for the Telinaruulto return to normal space-time so she could assess their vulnerability.

A hollow shell in the darkness. Apparently that was all the arrogant little sparks needed to make themselves feel safe. It was a flimsy construct, hardly equal to her fury.

She pierced its tender skin with ease.

Inside she found air surrounding a narrow shaft. Though the signal from the abomination was muffled, it was not silenced. TheTelinaruul must not be allowed to tamper with it any longer,she decided. Forging ahead toward the structure’s core, her intention was resolved. This place must be destroyed.

Captain Atish Khatami stared in horror at Endeavour’s views-creen as the Shedai intruder smashed a wedge off the primary hull of the Buenos Aires.

“McCormack, arm phasers,” Khatami said.

Her first officer, Lieutenant Commander Katherine Stano, snapped at the navigator, “Belay that!” To the captain she added, “You can’t fire phasers inside a docking bay!”

“I’m not letting that thing on the station without a fight,” Khatami replied. “I’ve got a clear shot, and I’m taking it.” Leaning forward from the command chair, she said to Lieutenant McCormack, “Marielise, arm and lock phasers, now.”