Read Online Star Trek: That Which Divides by Dayton Ward - Free Book Online

the record is somewhat incomplete, but there are indications of some sort of attack from the planet’s surface.”
    “Attack?” McCoy repeated. “By whom? Surely not the Dolysians?”
    Spock shook his head. “No, Doctor. The Dolysians do not possess the level of technology required to launch an assault on an orbiting space vessel. As to the identity of the responsible party, there is no data at present to support any preliminary conclusions.”
    “How about a guess, Spock?” the captain asked.
    Though his face of course registered no outward emotional reaction, the Vulcan’s voice seemed to lower anoctave as he replied, “I would prefer to review the available information in greater detail before putting forth a hypothesis, Captain.”
    “Of course you would,” Kirk replied, smiling. Then, he added, “But, even your initial analysis tells you it’s probably not safe for us to enter the rift?”
    It was Scott, having moved from his station and stepped down into the command well to stand next to Kirk, who replied, “I wouldn’t think so, sir. Our warp engines would likely provoke the same kind of reaction. That’d be risky, even dangerous. I’d like to take a better look at the data for myself. I may be able to do something to reduce or eliminate the risk; alter plasma flow or modulate the warp field generators, perhaps. We could even deactivate the warp engines entirely, though that wouldn’t be my first choice.”
    “Nor mine,” Kirk said. “So, how close is too close?”
    The engineer frowned. “Based on what I’ve been able to dig out of the sensor data so far, I’d say a hundred thousand kilometers is a nice buffer, just to be on the safe side.”
    “Mother hen, that’s what you are.” Sighing, Kirk nodded. “Okay, Scotty, look into that. See if you can find a way to let us pass through, but without doing anything to upset the field’s natural stability.”
    “It’s likely that ‘natural’ is an inappropriate descriptor in this case, Captain,” Spock said. “The readings collected by the Huang Zhong sensors indicate a repeating modulation in its waveform, one precise enough that the odds of it occurring naturally are quite remote.”
    “Remote?” Kirk echoed.
    McCoy asked, “Remote enough that the Huang Zhong ’s science officer might’ve had it right all along?”
    “Not now, Bones,” Kirk snapped. “All right, so if it is artificial in origin, how is it the Dolysians haven’t been able to figure that out for themselves?”
    Spock replied, “The readings are such that very sensitive equipment would be required to detect the patterns, Captain. Current Dolysian technology precludes the existence of such equipment.”
    Before the conversation could proceed, an alert tone sounded on the bridge, and McCoy looked past Kirk to see the alarm indicator at the center of the helm-navigation console flashing bright red. Ensign Chekov turned in his seat, and McCoy saw the concern on the younger man’s face.
    “Captain, we’re picking up the approach of a vessel. It looks to be a Dolysian transport, sir. It came out of the rift and is heading in our direction.” Looking toward the main viewscreen, McCoy now was able to discern a small, dark shape highlighted by the intense illumination of the energy field. It was short and stout, resembling at least in some respects the sorts of low-warp long-haul freighters that were in common use from Earth during the previous century.
    His attention also on the screen, Kirk hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Uhura, broadcast a standard hail on all frequencies.”
    “Aye, Captain,” answered the communications officer as she input the instructions to her console. After a moment, she reported, “We’re receiving a reply to our hail. Audio and visual, sir.”
    “On-screen,” Kirk ordered.
    The image of the energy field on the main viewscreen faded, to be replaced by that of two figures—a Dolysianand a human male—standing in what to McCoy