Martinez approached her.
“Reporting for duty, Lieutenant. I understand you’re taking lead on this expedition?”
In contrast to the captain, whose command style tended to the fatherly, Martinez had a reputation for being tough but fair. He was a serious, by-the-book officer who projected confidence and competence and expected nothing less from those serving beside him. Una respected that, as she admired his commanding presence and well-built, athletic physique. He was a born leader, whose authoritative manner Una hoped to emulate as she worked her way up the ranks to a command position. That he was also ruggedly good-looking was only slightly distracting.
Contrary to rumor, she was not made of duranium.
“That’s correct, Lieutenant Commander. Glad to have you along.”
Even though Martinez outranked her, April had put Una in charge. She didn’t imagine that would be a problem. The commander was nothing if not a team player.
She stepped up onto the platform and cleared her throat.
“Your attention, please.” All eyes turned toward her and she waited for any and all conversations to die down before addressing those assembled. “No doubt you’ve all heard the rumors about recent discoveries concerning Libros III, but allow me to give you the facts as we know them.” She briefed the others in a concise and efficient fashion. “Stealth is a priority here. So far there’s no indication that these newcomers have detected the Enterprise’s presence in orbit, and we’d prefer to keep it that way. The captain wants a better sense of the situation on the ground, and the players involved, before attempting to make contact with either the native Librosians or the newcomers. If he decides to make contact at all.”
Tim Shimizu raised his hand. “Is that what we’re calling the mystery aliens? The Newcomers?”
“For lack of a better term,” Una said. “Remember, this is strictly a reconnaissance mission. If at all possible, we want to avoid bumping into either the Librosians or whoever built that citadel. Ideally, no one should even know we’re on the planet. Understood?”
“Absolutely, Lieutenant,” Martinez said.
A security officer—Lieutenant Griffin—spoke up. “What if we encounter hostiles?”
“Defend yourself if necessary,” Una said, “but don’t start a war if you can help it. Everyone set their lasers on stun.”
She had already done so, but double-checked her own sidearm in order to set a good example. Better safe than sorry.
“Everybody ready?” Una asked, fully expecting as much. “Then let’s get a move on.”
The party took their places on the transporter platform, with Una and Shimizu staking out positions beside each other. “So what do you think these Newcomers look like, anyway? I suppose it’s too much to hope that they’re refugees from a distant pleasure planet, preferably of the humanoid variety.”
“Keep your mind on the mission, Ensign,” Una said, not wanting to show any signs of favoritism, while repressing an urge to roll her eyes. Her friend’s irrepressible comic streak had earned him a reprimand or two from Martinez over the years. “This isn’t shore leave.”
Shimizu looked only slightly abashed. “Sorry, Num—I mean, Lieutenant.”
“Put us down approximately half a kilometer from the citadel,” she instructed the transporter chief and her assistant, who were already stationed at the transporter control console. Beaming living beings through space was a complicated procedure that, ideally, employed two operators to ensure a safe and smooth transmit. “Close enough to be within walking distance, but far enough away to reduce the risk of our arrival being observed.”
“Understood.” Chief Celeste Darcel peered into the gooseneck viewer mounted over her control panel, which displayed targeting data from the ship’s scanners. She keyed in the selected coordinates. “You’ve got it, Lieutenant.”
Una nodded. “Energize.”
“Bon voyage,” Darcel replied.
The familiar whine of the transporter, accompanied by a distinctive tingling sensation, sent a thrill of anticipation through Una, who, as always, relished the prospect of exploring a new and alien world. As far as she knew, the landing party would be the first visitors from the Federation to ever set foot on Libros III; that the enigmatic Newcomers had apparently beaten Starfleet to the planet did little to dampen her enthusiasm. She hoped she never got so old and jaded that beaming down to a new planet became routine. Moments like this were why she had joined Starfleet.
Dissolving into atoms, she experienced less than a heartbeat of bodiless transit before rematerializing . . . elsewhere.
The cool, sterile confines of the transporter room were abruptly replaced by a clearing deep in the heart of a tropical rain forest. Her new surroundings did not startle Una, who had been briefed to expect just such an environment, but the dramatic change was momentarily disorienting nonetheless. Dense green foliage and towering tree trunks replaced blue-gray metal bulkheads. Her boots sank into the muddy forest floor. Birdsong, shrill and erratic, supplanted the steady hum of the Enterprise’s engines. Bright golden sunlight poured down from a cloudless turquoise sky, causing Una to blink against the glare and raise a hand to shield her eyes. Compared to the controlled climate of the Enterprise, the air was hot and muggy. Una was tempted to shed her jacket, but remembered that rain forests were called that for a reason; it wasn’t raining at the moment, but a sudden downpour was a definite possibility. The buzz and chitter of insects competed with the screeching birds. She swatted a tiny winged pest away from her face.
At least the gravity felt more or less the same, being typical of a Class-M world. Una took a moment to get her bearings, as did the rest of the landing party. She took a deep breath of the humid atmosphere, which carried a profusion of rich floral fragrances. She was reminded of a white-water rafting trip she had once taken down a jungle river on Nova Amazonia; that air had been just as damp and perfumed. Listening closely, Una thought she heard a stream gurgling somewhere to the north, deeper into the surrounding forest. Leafy ferns, shrubs, and seedlings grew along the fringes of the clearing, obscuring her view. The shady woods called out to her, offering escape from the blistering sun.
“Look sharp,” Una said, surveying the landing site. “We don’t seem to have any company, aside from some noisy wildlife, but stay alert.” She glanced around, further orienting herself, before briskly getting down to business. “Which way to the citadel?”
Martinez consulted his tricorder. “Energy readings indicate that the outpost is due east, at approximately fifty-six degrees.” He pointed in the proper direction. “That way.”
“Thank you, Commander.” She took point, leading the way. “Move out, people . . . quietly.”
This proved easier said than done, as the team had to shove their way through the heavy underbrush circling the clearing. Tangled vines and branches obstructed their progress, making Una wish that she had packed a machete along with her laser pistol. Spiky leaves and thorns proved the worth of her protective jacket and trousers. Fallen leaves and twigs crunched beneath her boots, more loudly than she would have liked; she could only hope that the noise would be swallowed up by the everyday cacophony of the jungle—and that there were no sentient beings close enough to hear the landing party trampling through the brush. She also kept a close eye out for any unhappy snakes, spiders, or slime devils; the ship’s computer library had provided scant information on the planet’s natural flora and fauna, so she was not going to assume that those long-ago probes had cataloged every life-form that might possibly be encountered on Libros III. This was still a largely unknown world.
“Too bad there’s no time to collect any plant and soil samples,” Shimizu said, gawking at the abundant flora. “A biologist could spend years cataloging this forest.”
“Maybe later,” Una commented, “after we’ve found out more about these Newcomers.”
“Promises, promises.??
?
A bent branch whipped past her and she reached out to block it before it could swipe Shimizu in the face. It smacked harmlessly against her palm instead.
“Thanks!” he said from directly behind her. “Have I mentioned before that your reflexes are scary-fast?”
“I prefer the adjective superb, but you’re welcome.” She ducked her head beneath another branch and parted two leafy green fronds in order to step between them. Something scuttled over the toe of her boot before vanishing into a shrub. A dragonfly the size of a hawk fluttered past overhead. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we can confirm that this planet is capable of supporting life.”
“You think?” He tugged some clinging lianas out of his way. “We couldn’t have beamed down onto a nice moonlit beach somewhere? I hear the southern shore is lovely this time of year.”
“Just be thankful this isn’t the rainy season,” she replied. “Relatively speaking.”
In truth, there was likely little variation in the seasons this close to the planet’s equator. Una glanced up at the sky, noting the position of the sun. By her calculations, it was early morning in this corner of Libros III, even though it had been late afternoon on the Enterprise. She was grateful for the extra hours of daylight, which gave them more time to complete their mission.
At this rate, we’re going to need them.
Emerging from a thicket, they found some relief, both from the sun and the foliage, as they made their way farther into the jungle. The evergreen canopy overhead, which looked to be at least forty-five meters above the forest floor, cast plenty of shade so that the way ahead was significantly less overgrown than at the fringe of the clearing. Clotted vines and shrubs gave way to a spongy carpet of fallen leaves, branches, lichens, and moss. Huge hardwood trees, some as tall as sixty meters, rose like columns from the ground, supported by thick buttress roots that threatened to trip unwary hikers. Filtered daylight dappled the rough, irregular bark protecting the tree trunks. Rotting logs, lying here and there, played nursemaid to fresh saplings, growing from the composting remains of their deceased forebears. A chorus of random squawks, chirps, and barks echoed from the upper reaches of the canopy, which sounded much more profusely populated than it was at ground level. Floral fragrances infused the air, blending with the rich loamy smell of the forest floor.
It took Una’s eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom. She stepped carefully over a thick root that bulged from the ground like a throbbing vein. “Watch your step,” she warned Shimizu. “We’ve got a bit of an obstacle course here.”
“Will do,” he said. “Whatever would I do without you?”
“Let’s hope we never have to find out.”
“Knock on wood,” he said, rapping his knuckles against the nearest tree trunk. “Or bark or whatever.”
The party wound their way through the trees and logs, occasionally wading through shallow streams and puddles. Their progress was less than linear, but tricorder readings kept them heading in the right direction, more or less. An actual path through the woods would have been convenient, Una reflected, but would have also increased their chances of accidentally encountering a native or Newcomer. It was probably just as well that their route appeared far from well-trodden.
“Wait!” she called out. “Do you hear that?”
Having already grown accustomed to the jungle’s ordinary background chatter, her keen ears caught a different sound coming toward them from somewhere high above the treetops: a loud, steady buzz that sounded distinctly artificial.
Like the engine of an aircraft?
“Take cover!” Una ordered, which was arguably redundant given that the impenetrable canopy already shielded them from view. Still, Martinez and the others flattened themselves against the looming tree trunks in hopes of foiling any invisible scans or sensors. Una peered upward, hoping for a glimpse of the approaching aircraft, but that same verdant canopy frustrated her efforts. She could only hear the unseen vehicle pass overhead and then gradually fade away into the distance, flying off to who knew where.
“The Newcomers?” Martinez guessed.
“Undoubtedly,” Una replied, “unless the native Librosians have progressed to mechanized aircraft in only a decade, or have acquired the technology from the Newcomers.”
She winced at the latter possibility, which was about as egregious a breach of the Prime Directive as she could imagine.
Martinez glanced down at his tricorder. “Whatever it was, it was coming from the direction of the citadel.”
Una nodded in acknowledgment. “How much farther?”
“Approximately three hundred meters,” he said gruffly. “As the alien aircraft flies.”
“Then let’s pick up the pace,” Una said. “I want to see where that craft came from.”
Curiosity consumed her. Ordinarily, Una would enjoy a vigorous hike through the woods, but she was eager to reach their destination and learn more about the Newcomers and what they were doing here—and how that was affecting the native Librosians.
As the party marched on, a disturbing phenomenon presented itself. Incongruous gray fungi, in shades ranging from charcoal to slate, began to infiltrate the evergreen jungle. Mushrooms and molds sprouted from tree trunks and spread like weeds across the forest floor as well, displacing the underbrush. The distinctive fungus was infrequent at first, but increased in abundance as they drew ever nearer to the citadel. A noxious, mildewy odor emanated from shelf-like growths that overlapped each other like scales. Reflective mineral deposits caused the plump fruiting bodies to glitter oddly, like nothing else in the forest.
Una paused to examine a lumpish toadstool. “These growths don’t appear as though they belong here. An invasive alien species?”
“That’s my guess.” Shimizu scanned the specimen with his own tricorder. “Preliminary readings indicate that these fungi are not native to the planet.”
“I was afraid of that,” Una said, scowling. “But is the contamination accidental or deliberate?”
Neither explanation appealed to her. Whether by carelessness or design, the Newcomers were already wreaking havoc on the planet’s natural ecosystem, perhaps irrevocably. “More importantly, is it still possible to contain or reverse the damage?”
Shimizu glanced around at the spreading gray fungi. “If you ask me, it looks like it may be too late to close the barn door here.”
“That’s for the captain to decide,” Martinez declared. “We’re just here to get the lay of the land.”
“I didn’t realize this was that kind of expedition,” Shimizu quipped, unable to resist that straight line. He wagged his eyebrows.
“You’re not on shore leave, Ensign,” Martinez said, stone-faced. “As I believe Lieutenant Una already reminded you.”
“Understood, sir.” He cast a sheepish look at Una. “Sorry, Lieutenant.”
Una repressed an urge to shake her head—or her friend. Tim’s playful nature was a big part of why she liked him, but he really needed to stop pressing his luck where Martinez was concerned. Not everybody appreciated his joking around, as previously demonstrated by that unamused stellar cartography professor back at the Academy, or the jealous boyfriend of that Risian dancing girl.
“How far to the citadel?” she asked, hoping to take the heat off Shimizu. “We should be coming within sight of it, correct?”
“Affirmative.” Martinez consulted his tricorder to be certain. “It should be right up ahead, less than a hundred meters away.”
“Good,” Una said, lowering her voice. “Heads down, everyone, and no unnecessary chatter. The key word is stealth.”
She crept forward cautiously.
“Remember, we want to see the Newcomers. We don’t want them to see us.”
Seven
A few more paces brought them to the edge of the forest. Thinning vegetation, both native and not, gave way to
a rocky beach studded with massive boulders. Beyond the beach lay a huge lake or lagoon whose wide, flat surface was completely covered by a thick layer of algae whose flat gray color betrayed its alien origins. The invasive algae had spread over the lake and onto the shore, coating the rocks and pebbles at the water’s edge. Large rock formations, some at least forty meters high, thrust up from the contaminated water but were dwarfed by the monumental edifice rising from the center of the lake like an artificial island. Peering out from behind a thick tree trunk, while the rest of the landing party also concealed themselves behind available trees and fronds and thickets, Una gazed in wonder at the object of their search.
The citadel looked like nothing else on the planet. Smooth, opalescent walls, which had already proved impervious to the Enterprise’s sensors, appeared equally opaque to the naked eye. A circular outer wall, approximately 60 meters in height and curving slightly inward at the top, guarded a central tower that climbed at least 130 meters above the defensive ring. The tower consisted of a vertical cylinder supporting a series of rotating saucers separated at regular intervals by upright lengths of the cylinder, like dividers on a post. The saucers tapered in size until you reached the top of the tower, which was crowned by a larger saucer overlooking the citadel and environs. An elaborate sensor array sprouted from the domed ceiling of the saucer like antennae. Una instinctively drew back to avoid being detected, while continuing to carefully examine the citadel.