Free The Rings of Tautee by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch Page B

the thin cushion no protection against each impact.
    Sulu clung to the helm.
    Chekov tried to swivel his chair back and nearly fell again.
    Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch And Uhura maintained her balance with the grace of a ballerina.
    They were getting used to these waves, although this one felt as if it was bumping harder than the last.
    Spock frowned and even before the shaking had stopped turned back to his scope. Kirk jumped to his feet, relieved to be off that chair, and moved up to the rail near the science station.
    "Was that more intense?" he asked. He already knew the answer. It was clearly a stronger wave, but he needed Spock to confirm his senses.
    After a moment Spock looked up. "Since our arrival into this system, the intensity of the subspace wave has increased by almost ten percent. The rate of increase appears to be constant."
    "Constant?" Kirk said. He had not expected that. He had thought that all the waves had been similar until this one. "Can you speculate on this increase, Spock?"
    "Unfortunately, yes, Captain," Spock said. "If this rate of increase continues, the Tautee sun will be torn apart in approximately twenty-seven-pointthree days."
    "Torn completely apart?" Kirk asked. He couldn't wrap his mind around that level of destruction any more than he could around fifteen planets destroyed.
    Spock nodded. "Yes, sir. In sixty-two days the closest planetary system will be destroyed."
    Kirk could feel his stomach starting to flutter, and he took a deep breath. It didn't seem to
    THE RINGS OF TAUTEE help. There were four billion more lives in the Wheaten system. "It will spread that far?"
    Kirk asked, his voice low, hoping he had heard wrong.
    Spock kept one hand on the science console, as if he were still bracing himself against the subspace wave.
    "If the rate of increase continues, and I see no logical reason why it should not, the waves emanating from this rift in space will be strong enough to destroy the planet Vulcan in approximately four hundred and eight days. And the planet Earth twenty-six days later."
    "Four hundre d and eight days?"
    Kirk leaned against the rail. Its support felt good against his back. Klingons, survivors, the Prime Directive, and now this. They would have to close that rift somehow, stop the waves. One year and the Federation would cease to exist if he didn't act. He had to stop those waves.
    And he would wager the only way to stop the waves was to know what caused them.
    Kirk turned again to face Spock. "If these waves are growing in intensity, Mr. Spock, how long until we have to move the Enterprise?"
    "Ten hours, Captain. I would recommend, however, that we find a safer distance before that."
    Kirk returned to his chair, and sat heavily in it, instantly regretting the movement as a jolt ran up his spine. Ten hours. Why did every important event in his career have to have such a short timetable?
    He glanced at the Klingon ships on the screen.
    Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch Suddenly rescuing Tautee survivors and violating the Prime Directive seemed very small. If he didn't act and act now, there would be no Prime Directive, no Federation, and no planet Earth.
    The whir of the turbolift doors filled the silence on the bridge. He didn't turn to see who had entered. He had too much on his plate already. The next problem, whatever it was, could wait.
    The bridge crew seemed to feel the same way, for no one[*thorngg'except Sulu[*thorngg'had taken their gaze off him.
    They were waiting for him to act.
    And act he would.
    He clenched a fist and pushed it into the armrest. "How do we close this rift in space, Mister Spock?"
    "I do not know, Captain. I do not even know how it was created."
    "I do, Captain."
    Kirk didn't recognize the voice.
    He spun quickly around to face Dr. McCoy and tiny people who were obviously two of the Tautee survivors. The man was staring at the equipment in awe. He was small and delicate, looking more like a boy than a full-grown