Star Trek V: The Final Frontier by J. M. Dillard Read Free Book Online Page B

while. And then, abruptly, an expression of confusion crossed Scott’s face. He stopped working, turned around, and sat up, facing her. “Uhura, why aren’t you on leave?”
    She had to smile. Scott might complain about the new ship, yet he was so concerned about getting her to one hundred percent efficiency that he had entirely forgotten the promise he’d made. “I thought we were going together,” Uhura answered. She affected a rather pathetic Scottish burr.” There’s nae fairer than the Highlands this time o’ year.’ Does that bring back memories?”
    She had planned her first trip to Scotland for this shore leave and had mentioned it to Scott, but upon learning that she had signed up for a package tour, the engineer had been outraged. He would take her himself, he insisted, and show her far lovelier sights than the tourists would ever see. And there would be no paying for hotels, either. She would stay with his sister’s family and that was that. It would be no imposition at all.
    Scott groaned and brought the heel of his palm to his forehead. “Uhura, forgive me. I completely forgot. At the time I made the promise, I dinna know the extent of the ship’s”—he paused; obviously, “damage” wasn’t quite the right word—“affliction. But I’ll notify my family you’re—”
    “You’ll do no such thing,” Uhura replied firmly. “I won’t impose on them. I’ll take the tour, just as I planned.” That was a lie—she’d missed the deadline—but there was no point in making Scott feel any guiltier. She would remain on the ship and help out as best she could, and when she couldn’t help, she would head for the recreation deck.
Who needs shore leave, anyway?
Uhura asked herself, and barely managed to cut the thought off before the honest part of her mind answered,
I do.
    “I’m sorry. Someday I’ll make it up to you.” Scott gestured helplessly at the panel behind him. “But I canna leave the ship when she needs me the most.”
    “I had a feeling you’d say something like that.” She grinned and produced the food pack from under her arm. “So . . . since you seem to have skipped so many meals lately, I brought you some dinner.”
    Scott took the pack from her and finally managed a smile of his own. “Lass,” he said, with genuine warmth, “you’re the most understanding woman I know.”
    You ’re probably right,
Uhura was going to agree, when an earsplitting siren interrupted. The bridge alert light began to flash.
    “Red alert,” said the computer at the communications console—the one she
thought
had been working. “Red alert.”
    Both she and Scott moaned.
    “I just fixed that damn thing,” Scott half shouted over the siren’s wail. “Turn it off, will you?”
    Uhura rushed over to her console, almost tripping over loose cable on her way, and switched the alert off. The siren died with an unhealthy gurgling sound. “Gremlins on board,” Uhura muttered. She was just about to turn away when she saw the light flashing on the communications board. Someone was attempting to contact the ship.
    She pressed a button. “This is
Enterprise.
Please identify yourself.”
    A stern masculine voice responded.
“Enterprise,
this is Starfleet Command. We have a Priority Seven situation in the Neutral Zone.”
    “Stand by, Starfleet.” Disbelieving, she put the signal on hold and gestured at Scott. “Scotty, this is for real.”
    “I heard.” Aghast, Scott shook his head. “They canna be serious. The ship’s in pieces and we’ve less than a skeleton crew on board.”
    Uhura pressed another button. “Starfleet, are you aware of our current status?” It was a polite way of asking,
Are you kidding?
    The voice remained cold and unapologetic. “Current status understood. Stand by to copy operational orders and recall key personnel.”
    “Standing by.” So much for shore leave, period. Uhura sighed and glanced over at Scott, whose expression was one of irate indignation.
    “The