Surefoot 77: Nightmare Fuel

She made a sound as she rose. "Don't worry, I won't tell Kami about you two."

"She knows already," Hrelle informed her. "We have an open marriage. Talk to you later, Runt of the Litter." After she left, he focused on Weynik. "And how are you doing, Inch High?"

Weynik swallowed. "Managing, thanks. Esek, I didn't have much time to talk with you privately, and properly, before you had to leave for your new command. I wanted to apologise to you for how I behaved, the things I said-"

Hrelle shifted in place. "You apologised already, Brother."

"It wasn't enough. I said horrible things to you- and if you knew what I had said to Kami, and Sasha-"

"But I don't want to know," the Caitian informed him, his expression changing, growing sober... and inflexible. "And I don't have to know, and thus potentially have it affect our relationship. I'll trust that it was all nasty enough to make you feel so obviously guilty. Which you have to live with... not me. If you still want to make it up to me, you keep my little girl alive and safe."

Weynik paused as he felt the Katana shift into high warp, regarding his best friend, before finally nodding in concession. Esek was right; unloading on him might make Weynik feel better, but it could sour their bond. "I'll keep you updated on this Hengist guy. He shouldn't give us any trouble. Certainly not like the Cosmostrator did."

The Caitian smiled with the memory. "A devious, beautiful adversary... and one I hope has had the sense to retire on her ill-gotten gains and not make another appearance in our lives. Stay safe, Brother."

The transmission ended.

Weynik rose, straightened out his jacket and ventured onto the Bridge, still growing accustomed to the different layout, with a second seat next to the Captain's for the XO, and more stations for Science instead of just backups for Engineering and Tactical.

Sasha had never taken his chair, though she could have, given the orders he had given her before he arrived; he was grateful for her consideration as he sat down beside her. "ETA to the Incubus?"

"6.5 hours at Warp 9."

"Can we speed it up a little?"

"Not recommended at this time, Captain; Engineering are still working on the Auxiliary Structural Integrity Field Generators."

He looked to her with mild annoyance. "And?"

She looked back, unintimidated. "And the Sabre Class vessels need both Primary and Auxiliary SIF systems for warp speeds over 9, or you risk nacelle depolarisation." She paused and added, "You don't want nacelle depolarisation, Sir."

"Hmph." We wouldn't have had this sort of problem with the Ajax ... Over his shoulder he asked, "Mr Jor-Dakk, do you wish to take the time before our interception of the Incubus to run some Holodeck Security drills for your team?"

"Yes."

Weynik waited for more, before turning and looking behind him at the Tactical station, and the huge, stone-skinned Brikarian officer standing there. "Have you conducted searches of Antares-class transports before, Lieutenant?"

"No."

Weynik studied him. He had never worked with a Brikarian before, but had heard much about them: their massive sizes, reinforced mineral hides, mega strength, and the general lack of body and facial communication compared with other humanoids. There was nothing about the apparent verbal minimalism, which Weynik put down to some quirk of the Universal Translator. "Are you feeling alright, Lieutenant? You're not tired or depressed or anything?"

Jor-Dakk remained perfectly still, a living statue, with only his slit-like mouth moving as he responded, in that chasm-deep voice, "No."

"Oh. Good. Carry on." He turned around again, glancing at Sasha, who pretended to be engrossed in her PADD, with only a smirk on her face as he muttered, "I thought I'd never get a word in there."

*

Madison entered Main Engineering in time to catch the tail end of one of the Chief's Russian tirades. "Zhopu porvu margala vikoliu!"

He ignored the aches and pains he was still feeling - it had been a stupid idea to try to beat a Caitian at Parisses Squares - as he strode up to the azure-blue column of the warp core, to see CPO Helga Maryk leaning into the equally azure-blue face of Crewman Damix Xass, who was taller than the human woman but still seemed to shrink in size under her verbal assault. "Sorry about that, Chief!"

Madison glanced between the two of them. "What's going on?"

Now Maryk looked to him, her gaunt, raisin-like face scowling. "What's going on, Man Mountain, is that I have been given a baby's idea of a warp core and a sack full of monkeys to help keep it running!"

Then she turned and stormed off, leaving Madison facing Xass, whose bald head had turned a shade of violet. "I said I was sorry, Lieutenant! But she- she was-"

He raised a hand to cut him off. "What happened?"

"I ran the stress test on the nacelle pylon struts, as ordered, and sent the results to-"

"-To my terminal, instead of the Chief's?" Madison finished, guessing.

The Bolian nodded, explaining, "That's what I would have done on the Lexington! You're the senior officer in Engineering-"

Madison reached out and patted his shoulder. "Forget it, I understand. The dynamics here are... not typical for a ship this size."

Xass swallowed, glancing in Maryk's direction. "I've screwed up, Lieutenant, badly. She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Crewman."

"Of course she does! She doesn't have a nickname for me! She calls you Man Mountain, she calls Patterson Snowflake, she calls Dorsey Stumpy, she calls Ghissok Pigsy. Everyone, but me."

Now Madison smiled. "Give her time. I'm sure before long she'll be just as abusive to you as to everyone else."

*

The modular, rectangular shape of the Incubus appeared in the centre of the Katana's Bridge viewscreen as it continued along its way at Warp 5, in the direction of its registered destination, Epsilon Indi. Weynik breathed out, glad to have finally arrived. "Helm, match course and speed, but be prepared for anything."

Before him, Lt Grel snorted and clacked his hooves, the young Tellarite male still sounding pleased with himself after returning from completing his Tactical Flight Operations course at Starbase 355. "Aye, Sir - but I think the most likely 'anything' will be them having heart attacks when we appear beside them unannounced."

"Assuming that they haven't detected us yet," Sasha noted, turning slightly. "Mr Mori, any evidence of their reaction to our approach yet?"

At Ops, the Caitian male's tail, sticking out of the back of his chair, swished with concentration as he worked his station. "No, Ma'am - your recommendation to intercept them from within their sensor blind spots and warpfield wake, was quite ingenious. They should call it the Hellcat Hrelle Manoeuvre."

Weynik saw the slight flush in Sasha's cheeks, as she avoided meeting her Captain's gaze to reply, "I didn't come up with it; it was a variation on a practiced assault move from Captain Kang back when the Klingons were at war with the Federation, pre-Praxis. Learn from your enemies... and former enemies." Now she faced Weynik. "They will detect us in seconds, Sir."

He nodded, impressed once again by her. "Hail them, Mr Mori, order them to come to a full stop and power down all systems. Any weapons detected?"

"Type 3 phasers," Sasha reported, frowning at her PADD. "Standard deflector shields..."

Weynik leaned closer to her. "What's up?"

The young woman set aside her PADD. "It's probably nothing, Sir."

"Go with your instincts, Number One," he encouraged.

She pursed her lips. "I'm detecting chronitons from inside the vessel - dead centre, in fact, in a section of the Cargo Hold lined with energy conduits in the walls, floor and ceiling, like a Holodeck or a Brig Cell."

"Chronitons?" Before Weynik could ask further, Mori reported, "The Incubus have acknowledged our hail, Sir, and are dropping out of warp."

"Matching them as ordered, Captain," Grel added.

"And now they're hailing us, Sir," Sasha finished.

Weynik rose to his feet and stepped away from Sasha, experience having recently taught him that sitting next to the tall human did not help foster a commanding presence in him. Too many giants in this Galaxy... "Onscreen."

The image of the Incubus was quickly replaced by a hairless, pale-skinned humanoid male with wide eyes, snub nose and narrow chin, all wearing an expression of fear. "What the Devil's going on? Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"Captain Weynik, USS Aja- USS Katana, and this is a surprise inspection, pursuant to Federation Transport Regulations. Identify yourself."

"Hugo Hengist, owner and operator of the SS Incubus . Why have you stopped us?"

"I believe I already informed you that this is a surprise inspection, Mr Hengist. I want you and all passengers and crew gathered together in your Wardroom with immediate effect. Security teams are beaming over now to make a physical search, and we'll be accessing your ship's computers. Make no attempt to resist or conceal anything."

Hengist looked offended at the notion. "Of course not, Captain! What do you take me for?"

I don't know yet, Mr Hengist. But there's something about you I don't like. "Stand by. Katana out." As the viewscreen returned to an exterior view, he announced, "Mr Jor-Dakk, you'll accompany me to that ship. Ms Hrelle, you have the Conn."

Sasha frowned at him and rose to her feet, looking down at him. "Captain, as your First Officer-"

Stop being so damn tall, Giraffeski. "Protest duly noted for the record, Sasha; I need to give this new leg of mine some exercise. You remember? The one I had to get to replace the one you chopped off?"

She crossed her arms, unmoved. "Sir, I should inform you that I was ordered by Commodore Hrelle, and Admiral Tattok. to kick your ass if you tried to get around me with attempts at guilt trips. They may have meant your proverbial ass... but to be honest, they're weren't too specific."

He frowned - I wouldn't put it past either of our Dads to tell you that - but then relented. "You're to stay here and continue analysing those chronitons readings you're getting, maybe put that new Science Officer of ours to some use... assuming the Squab can find her way up here."

Sasha relaxed her pose. "I'll draw her a map. Be careful over there, Sir."

He nodded back and marched to the doors at the rear of the Bridge, asking Jor-Dakk, "Are you ready for anything, Lieutenant?"

He lumbered behind. "Yes."

"Can you say more than two words at a time, Mr Jor-Dakk?"

"Yessir..."

Sasha watched them leave, before tapping her combadge. "Lt Holtzmann, report to the Bridge at once."

The pause extended almost to the point of Sasha repeating herself, before a young female voice responded. "Really?"

Sasha glanced around, seeing the reactions from Grel, Mori and the others present, before she answered, "Yes, really, unless you want to spend your time in your quarters packing your bags again while I arrange for your replacement?"

"Ummmm.... No, Ma'am?"

She paused, listening, before snapping, "I don't hear you following orders, Lieutenant!"

"No, Ma'am- I mean, yes, Ma'am! On my way, Ma'am! Holtzmann out!"

Sasha grunted, sitting down in the Captain's Chair. "Damn Squabs."

"She'll soon learn not to cross swords with Hellcat Hrelle," Grel quipped.

She shot him a look. "There's still time to get you traded in for something less annoying, like a pair of flea-infested boxer shorts."

*

Weynik started when entered the Incubus' Wardroom and was face to face with Hengist. Literally: the Rigelian was the same size, and looked as pleasantly surprised to see him as Weynik had, and straightened out the lapels of his sober black suit. "At last, someone of normal height! I thought I'd never get the ache out of my neck from looking up at all these giants all the time!" He stepped forward and held out a pudgy hand.

I know the feeling... The Roylan meet the hand with his own. "Mr Hengist, I'm Captain Weynik. Apologies for the interruption to your transit, we'll be as quick as we can. In the meantime, if your crew could remain here for the moment?"

"Of course! Of course!" He turned and looked at the dozen or so humanoids standing or sitting around. "You'd better make the most of this little interlude, you'll be pulling double shifts to make up for this delay!"

"We need to examine your manifest and ship's logs as well," Weynik informed him.

Hengist turned back to him, beaming affably. "Of course! Of course! I can provide you access from my quarters! Come! Come!"

Weynik followed, looking to Jo-Dakk and his second, Crewman Emily Roth as he departed, ordering, "Proceed. Be thorough."

"Yessir," the Brikarian complied.

Hengist glanced behind him as he led the way down the high, narrow corridors, still smiling. "'Thorough', eh? I can't imagine what we might have done to warrant such attention, Captain."

"Nothing personal, Mr Hengist. What are you currently transporting?"

"We're packed to the proverbial rafters with refined pergium ore from Sappora VII, to fuel the automated terraforming reactors on Nalnadus." He stopped outside a door. "Zorin Interstellar will pay a 10% bonus if we can get it delivered in the next six days, so if we're a little anxious to be on our way as soon as possible, I'm sure you'll understand-"

"You're not quite packed to the rafters, Mr Hengist. There's an empty section on your Deck 3, with some high energy fields surrounding it. Care to explain?"

"That? Oh, that's our Secure Unit, for cargo that needs additional shielding and protection for insurance purposes. But it's empty at the moment. Check it out for yourself."

"We will." They entered Hengist's quarters, Weynik frowning as he heard a barking from within.

Hengist cursed, his friendly demeanour momentarily dropped as he strode forward. "In the name of... you miserable little wretch!"

Weynik took in the surroundings - a spacious, opulent quarters with furniture designed for Hengist's diminutive size - before focusing on the source of the barking: a squat brown-white Terran dog of some breed Weynik wasn't familiar with, possessing wrinkled, flappy skin, drooping face, huge panting tongue and bright brown eyes.

Eyes that shone fear as it backed away from Hengist, still growling.

Weynik regarded the creature. "Who's this?"

"Not who, what! And it's a pain in the ass! That's what it is!" The Rigelian cursed again as he picked up a shredded, slobbered shirt from the floor, shaking it at the dog. "Aren't you, you little bastard? Well?"

The dog barked up at him - until Hengist took a step near his desk. Then the dog drew back... displaying a limp in its right foreleg.

Weynik looked at Hengist again, his voice taut. "I asked you who this is."

Hengist looked to him, before moving to a drinks cabinet, reaching for a black, curve-necked Saurian brandy bottle and making a noise. "It belonged to my ex-wife, who saw a Terran British bulldog in some old video and wanted one for herself. She called it Churchill; I call it Little Bastard. She's treated this shit machine better than she ever did me."

I can't blame her. "So why do you have him?"

"The bitch cleaned out our accounts on Rigel before I had to go on this run... so I took him with me for compensation." He uncorked the bottle and reached for two wide-brimmed drinks glasses. "We'll see if she's willing to renegotiate a more equitable division of our assets when I return in three months." He glowered at the dog, raising his voice. "Assuming he survives the trip. Isn't that right, you little bastard?" He stepped closer to his desk again; the dog went silent and backed away again.

Weynik looked to the desk now... and saw a long black Klingon swagger stick on display.

His hands clenched into fists.

*

"Yes," concluded the young human woman in Sciences Blue as she studied the screens at her station. "Definitely chronitons."

Sasha blinked, waiting for more, before reminding the junior officer. "You get that I was able to work that out myself without your help, don't you, Lieutenant Obvious?"

Lt Brianna Holtzmann flushed scarlet, her bob of honey-blonde hair a contrast to the reddening soft skin beneath, and she seemed to shrink even further in her seat - her discomfort probably not helped by having Sasha, Mori and Madison surrounding her. "Sorry, Ma'am. There's definitely a pocket of chronitons emanating from a generator in the central section of that freighter, but if you're looking for a reason for it being there-"

Sasha ground her teeth. "Yes, actually, I am! You weren't assigned to this ship for ballast!"

Holtzmann looked up at her, frowning, her pixie nose wrinkling. "'Ballast', Ma'am?"

"Never mind - according to the data we've received, it's a vault of some sort. What sort of security measures would produce chronitons?"

The younger woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "They shouldn't, Ma'am! Chronitons are usually a by-product of more exotic phenomena: temporal travel, wormholes, transwarp corridors-"

"Transwarp?" Sasha looked up at the others. "Could the Incubus be secretly equipped with a transwarp coil?"

Madison and Moru both made sounds, Madison adding aloud, "It would give smugglers a tremendous advantage, even if it was stable for only a few seconds' worth of a getaway."

"That's idiotic," Mori countered, looking to him derisively. "Do you know how rare and valuable working transwarp coils are? They could make more selling it to the Romulans or Orions than they could actually using it!"

Madison straightened up, clearly trying to demonstrate his superior size and height to the Caitian. "And have you got something better to offer to explain the chronitons?"

Mori matched him, baring his teeth. "Yes - a cloaking device, to hide contraband!" He looked to Sasha again. "Get Security to the location, we can direct a polaron beam to destabilise the cloak and reveal what they're hiding!"

"And if it's a transwarp coil you could overload it and blow up the ship!" Madison warned.

Sasha looked between the two of them, turning to Security Crewman Traykon Elegi. "Mr Traykon, have you finished scanning the records downloaded from the freighter?"

The young Bajoran male wrinkled his already wrinkled nose. "Yes, Ma'am, and compared it with the port manifests and schedules at all their stops for the past year: a few hours' worth of discrepancies here and there, but local Customs checks can account for most of those. Nothing that stands out."

"You sound pretty sure about that."

He looked up, smiling. "My family runs a freight and shipping service; I know a few of these ports personally."

"Thanks." She began re-examining the scans of the Incubus, focusing on the power networks. "The chroniton density is thick, strong enough for a small transwarp coil, and the power being fed to it would support that... but I'd expect it nearer their warp engine and nacelle arrangement, for balance. It's more likely to be a cloak, though it's not on a design that I've seen with Romulan or Klingon cloaks, or even Caitian Prowl units. Lt Holtzmann, continue analysing the particle frequency, and keep digging for other possibilities."

Madison cursed and returned to the Engineering station at the other side of the Bridge. Sasha ignored the look from Holtzmann and the others who had witnessed the reaction, as she strode up to the Ready Room door. "Mr Mori, you have the Conn; Mr Madison, in here, now."