Spock joined Kirk in the turbolift. A short ride later, they arrived outside the shuttlecraft bay at the rear of the ship. “Shuttle acquired,” a voice announced over the intercom system. “Repressurizing landing bay.” Moments later, a green light flashed above the doorway, signaling that the deck was now safe to enter. Blue double doors slid open to admit them.
The shuttlecraft, which was smaller and of boxier design than the Starfleet models, rested at the center of the cavernous gray landing bay. Despite its shields, the shuttle’s exterior was freshly dented in places. Its outer plating had been dinged and chipped. Kirk was impressed that the pilot had been willing to fly through the barrage to get here.
A single passenger exited the shuttle. Slight of figure, Qat Zaldana wore a neatly tailored emerald blazer and matching skirt. Dark hair was piled atop her head in a beehive. A metallic gold veil completely concealed her face, making her age hard to determine. The veil seemed to be composed of dozens of overlapping sequins that sparkled like a transporter effect. Kirk wondered how she could see through the shimmering fabric.
“Welcome to the Enterprise,” he greeted her. “I’m Captain Kirk, and this is my first officer, Mr. Spock.”
“Pleased to meet you, gentlemen.” She crossed the landing pad to join them. A shiny silver carry bag was slung over her shoulder. “I only wish the circumstances were less dire.”
“As do I,” he agreed. “But thank you for coming.”
According to Governor Dawson, Qat Zaldana was Skagway’s chief scientist and astronomer. Kirk was anxious to hear her views on the crisis threatening the colony. He offered her his arm. “If you’ll allow me.”
“You don’t need to guide me, Captain,” she said with a chuckle. “I can see perfectly well through my veil.”
“It is composed of a sensor web, is it not?” Spock surmised.
“That’s quite right, Mr. Spock. I belong to the Order of the Faceless, whose teachings require us to keep our visages to ourselves,” she offered by way of explanation. “I assure you, I am not a Klingon in disguise.”
“I never thought you were,” Kirk said. He was not familiar with the sect she had mentioned but had no intention of asking her to compromise her beliefs. The Federation embraced all manner of creeds and philosophies, some more esoteric than others. “But I’m impressed by the craftsmanship of your veil.”
Miranda Jones had worn a similar fabric, he recalled, but for a different reason. Apparently, the shimmering fabric was made of dozens of miniature sensors strung together in a complex lattice that probably allowed Qat Zaldana to perceive her surroundings better than either he or Spock could. For all he knew, she could see right through him — literally.
He couldn’t help wondering what she looked like.
“This old thing?” she joked. “I’ve had it for years.” She turned her shrouded face toward Spock. “I must say, Mr. Spock, I’m looking forward to working with you on this problem. Your reports to the Vulcan Science Council have made fascinating reading. I was particularly intrigued by your theories regarding temporal mechanics and mirror universes.”
“Indeed?” Spock was too Vulcan to be visibly flattered by their guest’s praise, but Kirk thought he detected a hint of pride in his friend’s voice. Or perhaps Spock simply appreciated encountering an equally scientific mind. “I hope you found my work illuminating.”
“Very much so,” she insisted. “I have to ask, do you really think that the long-term relativistic side effects of the so-called slingshot maneuver can be calculated by means of a factored transdifferential equation?”
“That depends on the constancy of acceleration and the maximum fungibility of the space-time continuum. There are many other variables to consider as well.”
“Such as the possibility of a quantum rift?”
“Precisely.”
Kirk smirked in amusement. “I hate to break up this small talk, but perhaps we should get down to business?”
“Of course, Captain,” she said apologetically. Her voice took on a more somber tone. “Is there somewhere we can talk? I have new data that may be of interest to you.”
“We can speak in the briefing room,” Kirk suggested. Before escorting her out of the landing bay, the captain cocked his head toward the parked shuttle. “What about your pilot? I imagine he might like to relax in one of our rec rooms, especially after that bumpy ride you just took.” He shook his head. “You were both brave to go out in that storm.”
Ordinarily, the Enterprise would have just beamed the scientist aboard, but that would have involved lowering the colony’s shields. Under the circumstances, a shuttle flight from the spaceport outside the dome had seemed a safer bet — at least, for everybody back on the moon.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Captain,” she said warmly, “but there is no ‘both.’ I piloted the shuttle myself.”
“I see,” Kirk said, impressed. Qat Zaldana was clearly a woman of many talents. “This way, then.”
The doors slid shut behind them as they entered the corridor outside. Busy crew members, intent on their duties, hustled past them. An engineering team performed routine maintenance on an exposed power conduit. Kirk lowered his voice on the way to the turbolift.
“So, what’s it like down on the colony?” he asked. “How are people bearing up?”
“No better than you might expect, Captain.” Zaldana kept her voice subdued. “The governor is doing her best to try to keep everyone calm, but people are frightened. Who can blame them? Tremors are shaking the moon, the storms won’t let up, and everyone’s worried about what’s coming next. Your timely arrival has reassured people a little, but nobody knows if that’s going to be enough. Folks are on the verge of panicking, I’m afraid.”
Kirk didn’t like the sound of that. A rioting population could cost lives and make evacuation efforts even more difficult. He made a mental note to ask Governor Dawson if she needed any additional security forces.
“Panic is seldom logical,” Spock observed, “but your fellow colonists have reason to fear for their safety. By my calculations, Skagway will soon fall out of its orbit unless we can determine the source of these anomalies and find a way to restore the status quo.”
“I know,” she said. “That’s why you need to see my new data right away.”
Kirk didn’t have to see her face to know how urgent this was. He commandeered the nearest turbolift, which took them directly to a hallway outside the ship’s main briefing room. The lights turned on automatically as they entered the chamber and sat down at the conference table. Kirk briefly wondered if he should summon McCoy or Scotty to this meeting but decided against it; he could get their advice later if necessary. Kirk activated the computer terminal.
“All right,” Kirk said. “What do you have for us, Ms. Zaldana?”
“Please, call me Qat,” she insisted.
“If you wish,” he said. “Is that a name or a title?”
“Both,” she answered. “But take a look at this.”
She inserted a data card into the terminal. An image appeared on the triscreen viewer facing their seats. Churning clouds swirled around what appeared to be an enormous hexagon bordered by six dark purple jet streams. The vortex seemed to extend deep into the planet’s turbulent atmosphere. Straight sides and sharp angles gave it an oddly artificial appearance, not at all like a natural weather pattern.
“What you’re looking at,” she explained, “is one of Klondike VI’s most distinctive features: an enormous hexagonal vortex that permanently covers the planet’s north pole. It’s more than thirty thousand kilometers across, large enough to hold at least four Earth-sized planets, and it’s been there for as long as anyone remembers.”