In the belly of the whale

 

'Well that's just fine!', Rogers thought to himself disgustedly.

 

 Then David cringed; a weird feeling creeping over him.

 

 'Kheren isn't here', David thought as he glanced about; 'but ...'.

 

Crouching swiftly, Rogers spun down and twisted into a crouch beside the master systems table, his phaser at the ready.

 

"...but someone's here, right?", David said with a rising inflection, throwing a challenge into the seemingly empty room.

 

''Sort of...'' 

The softened steeled reply came from behind him; from what appeared as a tall, well-built caucasian human male of indeterminate age, wearing a surprisingly up-to-date Starfleet uniform with the pips of an admiral.

'' You're the one assigned to take over this ship's systems. Let's get to work. ''

 

  'Hologram', Rogers thought knowingly.

 

 The slight shimmer of the holographic projector's emanations were barely visible in the minute particulate matter that floated within the engineering deck; The product of an empty ship too long without proper maintenance of atmospheric cleansing. David stood slowly and nodded toward that which was obviously the Admiral Redding holo-program.

 

 "Admiral," David nodded slightly. Toward the  uniform initially.

 

 "If indeed your the real program, I need the command code please!"

 

 Rogers knew that that code would have been changed by the Khan program. He really had been paying attention to his compatriot's on the Alsea's bridge moments before. And if this was not the real Redding, then it would likely give him the code as it was; 17221. 

 

 David tensed a bit, awaiting the reply. A wrong answer would get every holoprojector in engineering a solid phaser blast.

 

The hologram gave him a slight smirk.

 

''You don't need the command code; you need access. Computer; allow full access to all ship systems to all organic lifeforms aboard and reject any counter-order by non-organic lifeforms; authorization Redding...''

What followed was a fractal number so complex, only a computerized mind could even hope to memorize, let alone understand it. Consoles blinked to life and Redding's own voice answered from the computer comlink.

'Security code confirmed. order acknowledged.''

The Redding facsimile never took his eyes from Rogers.

'' The ship is now yours, Commander.''

A sudden jolt that was not from external fire brought the smirk back.

'' And someone is definitely not happy about it.''

 

  David thought a second as he returned a smile to the hologram. Time to cast a net over this beast.

 

"Computer! All stop! Take weapons systems offline!"

 

''Confirmed; all weapons systems offline.''

 

The Redding Hologram then interjected.

 

''Computer; continue fractal rotation of command code encrypted to this hologram's specific signal. Transmit on closed encrypted channel in continuous stream to the organic lifeform's engineering tricorder in this room only.''

 

'' Procedure implemented.''

 

On Rogers' tricorder, a series of almost indecipherable mathematical encryptions scrolled as if it's memory circuit was going haywire. The image of Redding showed him a compartment under the ship's schematicas display.

''All the tools you need are available here Commander. And once you... neutralize my fellow crewmember, I have another task for us regarding those doomsday machines coming our way.''

 

He paused for a moment as if listening to something distant.

''I suggest you hurry. Your companion will now have my... friend's undivided, and very angry, attention. If he manages to dispose of him, it won't take long before he finds a way to bypass my tricks. He is quite... intelligent; and utterly ruthless.''

 

The Holographic admiral was not making a wild guess. Using it's direct connection to the ship"s systems, it was actually witnessing what was happening. And it was not looking good.

 

As soon as the Andorian materialized on the bridge, he fired his phaser. It went right through the wide muscular chest of the holographic recreation of Khan Noonian Singh. The revived 20th century superman just looked up with a startled face that immediately darkened.

''Captain Kheren!''

''You still remember. I can not help, but be touched. I of course remember you.''

 

Kheren using Khan's own recorded historical words for a moment confused the computer-generated entity. That was the intent. Every second bought away from the Alsea and from Rogers counted.

 

But the artificial Khan also had the processing speed of the machine and didn't take all that long to recover. With a formidable leap, it went from the command chair directly in front of the Andorian, picked him up like a ragdoll and threw him bodily accross the whole bridge.

 

''I have five times a man's strength! You're no match for me!''

despite the obvious pain of hitting a wall console with his kidneys, Kheren's antennae curved inward.

''Maybe not.''

The Andorian too was a genetic construct and had twice the strength and bone density of of one his kind; which made him four times as strong as a human and twice as resilient as a Klingon, almost an actual match for Khan. But not quite, and he knew it beforehand. He also suspected the hologram would be dematerialized when operating the ship, already linked electronically to it's controls, so firing at it would be ineffectve; but not pointless. It irked the tyrant's too-perfect replica and spured it into attacking his hated enemy of the 25th century; and to do so, then it would have to materialize, long enough to bodily attack him.

Long enough for Kheren to stick an activated portable emergency transporter on it's back as he was lifted and thrown. 

 

The bewildered face of Khan's image dissolved in a annular confinement beam.

 

That too would last only seconds, before the ship's computer would deactivate this facsimile thrown into space and recreate one back on the bridge. But every second counted to distract it from what Rogers and hopefully Redding's own sentient hologram would be doing.
 

True enough, Khan reappeared spitting with anger at being outsmarted. Kheren ran for the turbolift but the doors slammed shut in his face.

''No, no you can't get away. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee! ''

Kheren waited for him to close in.

''Khan; I'm laughing at a superior intellect.''

With a scream of pure rage, the hologram charged.

Kheren was abnormally strong and tough, and an experienced master duelist, born on a planet where fighting for your life started at infancy right out of the womb and even against your own parents, making Klingon upbringing and Jem'Hadar training look like summer camp on Risa. His heightened senses could even zero-in on the hologram's EM signal to time his parries and dodges to the moment it solidified to strike or grab him. And Khan's savagery was no match for his martial arts mastery. 

But Kheren also had all the weaknesses of his kind. A broken bone would be twice as messy as for a human and he was tiring much faster than a human would. The fight could not last that long before his growing exhaustion would slow his formidable reflexes enough for the tireless, pain-immune, warpcore-powered Khan to defeat his dodges and parries and land a fatal blow.

 

But every second counted.

 

And then lights on the tactical console went dark and the image of the looming galactic barrier froze while the distant rumble of the ship's engines quieted to a dull purr.

 

For the Khan construct, everything went the other way. His eyes took a stunned glare, his face contorted with rage and a scream of both emotions announced his charge.

 

 Moving toward the compartment suggested, Rogers thought again, quickly. There was no time for well drawn up plans. No time for much of anything for that matter. He, and the Redding construct, were against a super-luminal computer foe; One that could out-maneuver Rogers before Rogers could blink. So, speed of thought was more important than speed of physical action. With a leap of insight, Rogers threw a command at the ship.

 

"Computer! Rotate main bridge holographic projector's actuation power supply to port side only, then switch to starboard side. Keep rotating on one second intervals."

 

And not a moment too soon. As Khan launched into a renewed attack on the panting and sweating Andorian, he suddenly flickered and vanished. Two seconds later he was back behind Kheren, charging... then disappeared again, only to reappear yet two seconds later, finishing his charge into the wall. Unhurt but clearly bewildered, he turned again towards an equally surprised Andorian, only to flicker out again.

 

A sigh of both relief and amusement escaped Kheren's thin lips.

Thank you for your service, Commander Rogers.

 

That should mix up the Khan holo, David thought smugly at that very same moment as he bent and opened the compartment indicated, to see what the Admiral had provided him. As the panel opened, his combadge chirped for attention. Surprised, and thinking it was Khan and the Achilles, David tapped his communicator and answered the hail:

 

"Please state the nature of your emergency."

 

“Commander… Syntron here. What is the status aboard the Achilles?”

 

   David paused while listening to Syntron. His own status was fine, but Kheren on the bridge was unknown to himself at the moment. With a curt reply he informed the Alsea.

 

"I have full access to all systems Sir. Ship is at station keeping and weapons are offline!"

 

 With a quick thought Rogers figured he had better add more information.

 

"I have had no contact with Kheren but our mutual friend here informs me our Jonas is entangled with his whale on the bridge. I've implemented some holographic projector trickery to confuse our foe, but cannot confirm at this time if it is aiding Kheren."

 

 Pivoting away from the compartment for a second David implemented another command to the ships' computer while the channel was still open to the Alsea.

 

"Computer, open ship wide public address."

 

 A small double chirp sounded in engineering as the PA system came online. The Achilles' computer voiced a confirmation: 'Ship wide communications open.'

 

"Computer, lower shields! Enable intra-ship site-to-site transporter functions! Restrict transporter to organic lifeforms only!"

 

 Rogers hoped that Kheren was able to act upon this last information transmitted in the open ship wide.  The Andorian needed to know that the shields were down and that he had access to options of egress from his position if needed.

 

Thank you again, Commander.

Kheren refrained from voicing his gratitude outloud. The last thing he wanted Khan to notice was that there was somebody else aboard. The engineer's intervention came just in time as the Andorian was almost exhausted. As Khan flickered for one last time and launched himself with a scream of rage Kheren curved his antennae at him and al;most manaaged to break his face with a human smile.

'' Now that looks like fun! can I play too?''

 

And with that, he started in turn to fade in and out all accross the ship.

As a computer-generated construct directly linked to the ship,s computer core, the Khan hologram could instantly detect where he was materializing and transfer himself at the same location a mere second after.; but just before the Andorian jumped again. A face-paced game of hide-and-seek went on all accross the six hundred meters of warship, buying some more time for Rogers to find a way to disable the murderous hologram.

 

But it would have to be soon. Repeating beam in and out was taxing even fo the Andorian's formidable physique, already exhausted by a prolonged battle with a tireless opponent. Just staying conscious was another battle in itself.

And he was starting to lose that one.

 

meanwhile, David turned back to the compartment indicated by the Redding hologram to see what the tools were that he was providing to Rogers.

Redding's hologram pointed a monitor to him where technical schematics of a torpedo were displayed. 

''Commander, this is all the data I have on the Klingon-designed Harp'Heng torpedo; specifically designed to deal with things like these planet killers. Only one of them is enough to destroy all the inner workings of a doomsday machine when shot right down it's throat. I'm transfering this to your tricorder.''

He switched the technical display to one of the Achilles class starship and focused it on it's rear longitudinal axis where numerous torpedo tubes could be seen, along with a scrolling of data.

''This is the Phallanx system of the ship; for all intent and purposes, broadsides of micro-torpedoes made to destroy huge installations like Ketracel-White orbital manufactures. This will allow the Achilles to make straffing passes in front of those robots while peppering them with the modified warheads I showed you. Because these are smaller than conventional ones, it will take a full broadside for each planet-killer, even with Harp'Heng modifications. But it can be done with a good tactical officer, a bit of luck and lots of guts. Diversion fire from other ships would certainly improve probabilities of success.''

 

Then he showed him another graphical data display and the set of controls on the console under it.

''This is the ship's hologrid. Since we cannot cripple the holo-Khan himself without damaging the ship's computer, the best way to disable it completely and quickly enough, before our friend can manage a counter, is to send an EPS surge through the entire emitter system and destroy it. Push this button here, and this will effectively disable all holographic emissions shipwide.''

He looked intently at Rogers.

''All of them.''

 

 All of them. Rogers thought knowingly; including the ability for the Redding hologram to use the grid.

 

 But David also knew that the holographic constructs would still be in the ship's massive computer memory. Somewhere. But an Andorian lifeform was battling on the bridge; so David knew that he would have to confine both constructs to the mainframe if there was any hope of relieving Kheren and, ultimately, the mission to stop the doomsday weapons coming for the galaxy.

 

Without another second thought, he pushed the plain, standard looking button indicated as he looked back over his shoulder. David was sure there was gratifying approval in the admiral's disappearing eyes.

 

Until we meet again, Admiral, Rogers thought glumly.

 

The last thing he saw was a smirk on Redding's face. Then he was gone.

 

And with a last 'damn you!' so was Khan.

Panting and sweating, Kheren noticed for the third time that he was alone when he appeared on a deck before wiking out the second later to reappear on another one. In between jumps, he tapped his combadge then spoke a word each time.

 

''Good. Work. Commander. Now. If. You. Please...''

 

  It took a couple seconds to piece together what Kheren was trying to convey to him until Rogers realized the ships' transporter 'jump' routine he had initiated beforehand. With a soft 'Fvadt' David opened a channel to the main computer.

 

"Computer! Re-establish normal ship transporter functions. Keep organic lifeform only parameters as previously ordered!"

 

''Ship transporter functions restored to standard operation protocols. Organic lifeform control parameters maintained.''

 The disembodied voice of the computer was now starkingly different. It sounded exactly like the voice of Admiral Redding.

Kheren however did not notice, as he materialized in a corridor he took a moment to identify as the outermost one of the saucr section, starboard side, deck 5. he fell on his knees, drenched in sweat and panting. Taking the time to touch his legs, torso head and arms to make sure everything was still there, he truly started recovering his breath once convinced no white-haired superhuman maniac was nearby. With a sigh of relief, he tapped his combadge.

''Kheren to Commander Rogers; thank you for your efforts. I will go to the battlebridge. I'll await your signal when we will be ready to proceed with our next phase. I will contact the Alsea from there and confirm our success.''

 

  Rogers received his cohorts message with a sigh of relief; "Understood. Running complete systems diagnostics. Estimate three hours to completion."

 

 Walking over to the 'pool' table, as the main engineering console was affectionately called, David began a level two ship wide diagnostic cycle, beginning with life support then propulsion. This would then cycle toward weapons and then computer and transporter systems. Engineering always took precedence with Rogers. Especially after a battle involving the ship itself, so to speak.

 

'Speaking of that,' David thought reluctantly, 'I'll need the main and secondary computers diagnostics separate!'

 

 Putting the secondary core in charge of the ship's systems, David took the main computer off line and began a level one diagnostic. He needed to know where in its memory the two holo programs where, what their respective size's entailed and what, if anything, could be done about permanent storage. 'Or deletion,' David thought silently to himself.

 

 As the systems began their diagnostics Rogers was suddenly hit by a stray, out-of-the-blue revelation. He was the ranking Star Fleet officer aboard the Achilles.

 

"In fact, David stated to the empty room with dismay, "I'm the ONLY damn Star Fleet officer aboard the Achilles!"

The engineer was not the only one to make this realization. As soon as he stepped onto the compact, massively protected battlebridge of the siege destroyer, he went to the tactical station and found it in what his former chief engineer, Marksus Sangliar, called ''factory condition;'' ready to activate and yet bereft of any encoding protocol. The console answered immediately to his touch and he opened a ship-to-ship channel.

''Alsea, this is Achilles. Ship has been secured. Commander Rogers in full command. Estimating three hours of diagnostics before implementing next phase of operation. This channel will be kept open. Please acknowledge.''

 

“Message received Commander.” Syntron acknowledged stoically from the gamma vector as he began a full scan of the nearby vessel. “Will you require any assistance with the Alsea’s full reinstatement and preparation for the impending mission?”

''I beleive Commander Rogers has things well in hand. But you may contact him directly though his combadge safely now and discuss this with him. I will remain on the battlebridge to familiarize myself with the tactical systems of this vessel.''