Star Trek Into Darkness Page 0,42

detecting a single advanced sentient life sign in the Ketha Province. Given the information provided by Mr. Scott and the clear differentiation between this readout and what would be expected were it of Klingon origin, my conclusion is that it is most likely John Harrison.”

Kirk nodded with satisfaction. “Then he’s stayed in one place and hasn’t tried to ingratiate himself with his unknowing hosts. That further confirms that he’s hiding here and hasn’t formally defected. If the latter was the case, then he’d be surrounded by Klingons or, more likely, not feel the need to sequester himself in an abandoned city. That makes our job a lot easier.” He addressed himself to the secured, tight-beam comm.

“Mr. Sulu, I think we’ve found our man. Let him know we mean business.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Sulu fought to conceal his nervousness. It would help, he felt, if the ship’s doctor would retire to his own department and quit hovering in the vicinity of the captain’s chair. But ordering McCoy away would betray an uncertainty Sulu much preferred to keep hidden.

This isn’t how it’s done, he told himself. Very un-bushido. Sitting up straight in the chair, he addressed Communications. The officer who was substituting for the absent Uhura was immediately attentive.

“Narrow beam, as previously programmed. Frequency as indicated. Pinpoint our broadcast to that exact location.”

Uhura’s replacement complied. “Channel is open and ready for transmission, sir.”

With a terse nod, Sulu turned back in the chair and addressed the comm.

“Attention, John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the U.S.S. Enterprise. We are aware of your present location and in position to bear on it from a distance. A group of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not prepare and agree to surrender yourself to them immediately upon their arrival, I am instructed to unleash an entire payload of advanced, long-range, undetectable torpedoes that is currently locked on your location. I must inform you that we are prepared to do this despite any possible diplomatic fallout or other reaction from the Klingon community.” He paused, his voice tightening. “If you test me, you will fail.”

There being nothing more to say, nothing he could think of to add, he sat back in the chair. Had he used the correct tone of voice? Could he have been simultaneously more forceful and more persuasive? A glance showed the doctor still standing nearby. Pursing his lips in a manner most familiar, McCoy peered down at him.

“Mr. Sulu. Remind me never to piss you off.”

A quick nod and Sulu turned forward once more. The smile that played across his face was slight, but full of meaning.

It was not a smooth descent. While the K’Normian controls were similar enough to be familiar, Kirk’s experience at personally piloting a shuttle-size ship all the way to a surface touchdown was limited. Which was to say, he had never done it before except via simulations. Qo’noS’s characteristically turbulent atmosphere did not make his task easier. The compact craft bucked and rocked in the rough air. Between the fact that he remembered a good deal from his studies and Spock forgot nothing, the two of them managed to wrestle the unsophisticated but sturdy craft past towering but abandoned structures that pierced the heavy cloud layer.

It wasn’t long thereafter that they could make out individual structures on the ground. The dense complex of enormous, long-abandoned buildings extended as far as they could see. It must have been some plague, Kirk mused, to induce the Klingons to flee from so much costly infrastructure. It appeared that not a single building remained intact. Some had walls as well as windows blown out, though whether by weather or attempts by Klingon medical controllers to draw a physical line around the plague that had caused Ketha Province to be abandoned, he could not tell. If the latter, he would hardly be surprised. It was likely that Klingon plague control was as subtle as the rest of their cultural and scientific methodologies.

Easy enough to understand why Harrison had chosen this place as a potential refuge following his assault on Starfleet. Who would be foolish enough to try and run him to ground on the Klingon homeworld?

Spock was doing yeoman work, making use of the K’normian vessel’s comparatively straightforward instrumentation, running it through his own tricorder and somehow obtaining useful results.

“We will arrive at Harrison’s last verified location in three minutes, Captain.” He looked over at Kirk. “It is unlikely he will come willingly. By way of contrast and