Star Trek: Warp Speed

Star Trek: Warp Speed

by Scott Reeves

Captain’s Log, Stardate 5319.5

For the past 11 days the Enterprise has been in drydock at Starbase 17, getting a complete overhaul. My crew has returned from shore leave and we are currently heading for deep space at Warp 4. We’ve been assigned a mapping mission that won’t bring us back to Federation space for several months.

******

Mr. Scott strolled around Engineering, keeping a watchful eye on his juniors as they went over every inch of the ship’s propulsion system, assessing the work done by the overhaul crew. He handed out praise where it was warranted, reprimands when he noticed something one of juniors had overlooked, and advice where needed.

As he was looking over the shoulder of Lieutenant Thompson, pointing out a discrepancy in a readout, the intercom whistled for his attention. “Mr. Scott, I think you’d better take a look at what I’ve found, sir.”

Ensign Wu, checking Jeffrey’s Tube 1.

“And please, sir, could you hurry?”

Scotty sighed in exasperation, gave a last bit of advice to Thompson, then acknowledged the intercom. “On my way, Mr. Wu.” He exited Engineering, turned right and climbed up a ladder to a small access corridor. Jeffrey’s Tube 1 was a large, well-lit hole in the wall, slanting upward.

As Scotty approached, Ensign Wu emerged from the Tube.

“What is it, laddie?” Scotty asked.

Wu pointed into the Tube. “Sorry to insist that you hurry here, sir, but...please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”

Scotty looked questioningly at Wu, then bent over and climbed up into the humid, narrow Tube. At the top, straddling the main intermix flow coupling, was a large box-shaped device. A small bubble of glass on top of the box was filled with a clear, viscous fluid he recognized immediately: gelatinite. Words were painted in red on the side of the box: WARNING—DO NOT TOUCH. “Oh boy,” Scotty breathed. In the cloying air of the Tube, sweat beaded quickly on his forehead. He wiped it away as he surveyed the jury-rigged contraption. Cables snaked away from the box; one attached directly to the flow monitor, and several others had been spliced into various ship’s systems.

He wiggled backwards out of the Tube. Ensign Wu was waiting expectantly.

Scotty put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. “We’re in a heap o’ trouble, laddie.”

******

On the bridge, Jim Kirk felt a subtle shift in the hum of the deckplates, the nearly-imperceptable vibration of his command chair. He hadn’t given an order to accelerate, so he knew something was wrong.

At the same moment Kirk noticed the change, Sulu looked back at him. “Captain, we’ve accelerated to warp 6.” His hands flew across the console. “Helm isn’t responding.”

Kirk stood and stepped forward, leaned over Sulu and looked at the readouts.

“Ve are changing course,” Chekov reported.

“Heading?” Kirk asked.

“Plotting...” Chekov tapped at his console. “New heading: Marcos 12.”

Kirk looked over at Spock. “What the hell is—”

That’s when the turbolift doors swished open and Mr. Scott burst out. “Captain, we have a bomb on board,” he shouted as he rushed over to the Engineering station and sat down.