Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #2: Aftershock Read online

  Before he was an officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise…

  Leonard McCoy was a medical student at Starfleet Academy® looking forward to the winter break. He was just trying to have some fun when a football game on Academy grounds got out of hand, and all thanks to that upstart cadet named Kirk. Now McCoy is stuck at the Academy during the break. If only Kirk hadn’t gotten him into trouble….

  But it’s too late for regrets. McCoy has been “volunteered” for the Disaster Relief Service Club. Now he and a humorless Vulcan named Spock are risking their lives to save earthquake victims on the planet Playamar. Constant aftershocks are hampering their efforts, though, and Spock and McCoy begin to wonder: Is this a natural disaster, or are more sinister forces at work?

  Star Trek: The Next Generation

  STARFLEET ACADEMY

  #1 Worf’s First Adventure

  #2 Line of Fire

  #3 Survival

  #4 Capture the Flag

  #5 Atlantis Station

  #6 Mystery of the Missing Crew

  #7 Secret of the Lizard People

  #8 Starfall

  #9 Nova Command

  #10 Loyalties

  #11 Crossfire

  #12 Breakaway

  #13 The Haunted Starship

  #14 Deceptions

  Star Trek:

  STARFLEET ACADEMY

  #1 Crisis on Vulcan

  #2 Aftershock

  #3 Cadet Kirk

  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

  #1 The Star Ghost

  #2 Stowaways

  #3 Prisoners of Peace

  #4 The Pet

  #5 Arcade

  #6 Field Trip

  #7 Gypsy World

  #8 Highest Score

  #9 Cardassian Imps

  #10 Space Camp

  #11 Day of Honor: Honor Bound

  #12 Trapped in Time

  Star Trek: Voyager

  STARFLEET ACADEMY

  #1 Lifeline

  #2 The Chance Factor

  #3 Quarantine

  Star Trek movie tie-in

  Star Trek Generations

  Star Trek First Contact

  Available from MINSTREL Books

  The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A MINSTREL PAPERBACK Original

  A Minstrel Book published by POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  Copyright © 1996 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

  STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures.

  This book is published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc., under exclusive license from Paramount Pictures.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN: 0-671-00079-9

  First Minstrel Books printing September 1996

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  A MINSTREL BOOK and colophon are registered-trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Cover art by Michael Herring

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  For Hayley, Anna, and Piper

  Starfleet Timeline

  1969

  Neil Armstrong walks on Earth’s moon.

  2156

  Romulan Wars begin between Earth forces and the Romulan Star Empire.

  2160

  Romulan peace treaty signed, establishing the Neutral Zone.

  2161

  United Federation of Planets formed; Starfleet established with charter “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

  2218

  First contact with the Klingon Empire.

  2245

  Starship U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 launched on its first five-year mission under the command of Captain Robert April and First Officer Christopher Pike.

  2249

  Spock enters Starfleet Academy as the first Vulcan student. Leonard McCoy enters Starfleet Medical School.

  2250

  James T. Kirk enters Starfleet Academy.

  2251

  Christopher Pike assumes command of the Enterprise for its second five-year mission.

  2252

  Spock, still a Starfleet cadet, begins serving under Captain Pike on the Enterprise.

  2253

  Spock graduates from Starfleet Academy. Leonard McCoy graduates from Starfleet Medical School.

  2254

  James T. Kirk graduates from Starfleet Academy. As a lieutenant, Kirk is assigned duty aboard the U.S.S. Farragut.

  2261

  U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, completes its third five-year mission.

  2263

  James T. Kirk is promoted to captain of the Enterprise and meets Christopher Pike, who is promoted to fleet captain.

  2264

  Captain James T. Kirk, in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise, embarks on a historic five-year mission of exploration.

  2266

  Dr. Leonard McCoy replaces Dr. Mark Piper as chief medical officer aboard the Enterprise.

  2269

  Kirk’s original five-year mission ends, and Starship Enterprise returns to spacedock. Kirk is promoted to admiral.

  2271

  U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on Kirk’s second five-year mission (Star Trek: The Motion Picture).

  2277

  James T. Kirk accepts a teaching position at Starfleet Academy; Spock assumes command of the Starship Enterprise.

  2285

  In orbit around the Genesis planet, Kirk orders the destruction of the Starship Enterprise to prevent the ship from falling into Klingon hands (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock).

  2286

  Kirk is demoted to captain and assigned command of the Starship Enterprise NCC-1701-A (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).

  2287

  The Enterprise is commandeered by Sybok, Spock’s half-brother, and taken to the center of the galaxy (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).

  2292

  Alliance between the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire collapses.

  2293

  The Klingon Empire launches a major peace initiative; the crews of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. Excelsior, captained by Hikaru Sulu, thwart a conspiracy to sabotage the Khitomer Peace Conference. Afterward, the Enterprise-A is decommissioned, and Kirk retires from Starfleet.

  U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B, under the command of Captain John Harriman, is severely damaged on her maiden voyage. Honored guest Captain James T. Kirk is listed as missing, presumed killed in action.

  2344

  U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C, under the command of Captain Rachel Garrett, is destroyed while defending the Klingon outpost on Narendra III from Romulan attack.

  2346

  Romulan massacre of Klingon outpost on Khitomer.

  2364

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard assumes command of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

  2367

  Borg attack at Wolf 359; U.S.S. Saratoga destroyed; First Officer Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Sisko and his son, Jake, are among the survivors; Enterprise defeats the Borg vessel in orbit around Ear
th.

  2369

  Commander Benjamin Sisko assumes command of Deep Space Nine in orbit over Bajor.

  2371

  U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D destroyed on Veridian III.

  Former Enterprise captain James T. Kirk emerges from a temporal nexus, but dies helping Picard save the Veridian system.

  U.S.S. Voyager, under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway, is accidentally transported to the Delta Quadrant. The crew begins a 70-year journey back to Federation space.

  2372

  The Klingon Empire’s attempted invasion of Cardassia Prime results in the dissolution of the Khitomer peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

  Source: Star Trek® Chronology / Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda

  Chapter 1

  Leonard H. McCoy heaved a sigh and sunk his bony frame into a plush armchair. It was too plush, because too many Starfleet cadets had sunk into it over the years. A spring stuck him in the rump, which only added to his grumpiness.

  He bolted to his feet and set his electronic clipboard on the table. McCoy looked a bit odd standing there in his gray cadet jumpsuit with a white bathrobe over his shoulders, but he always found the dormitory lounge to be cold. Heck, all of San Francisco is cold to this Southern boy.

  It was late, his roommate was snoring, and McCoy had to study for an exam in metabolic stasis procedures. Weird instruments, keeping people alive indefinitely—it wasn’t his favorite kind of medicine, and he was worried about tomorrow’s test.

  McCoy wasn’t a doctor yet, just a medical student. He was a transfer student, too, so he was a little older than most of the new cadets at Starfleet Academy. He did fine in his studies, but he still didn’t feel part of the academy lifestyle.

  So many of the younger cadets wanted to be explorers and starship captains. They knew exactly what they wanted, but McCoy just wanted to survive day by day. Cadets were dropping out of the academy med school every day, because it was tougher than regular schools. He must’ve been crazy to come here.

  Also McCoy hated to admit that he was homesick. He was from a little town in Georgia, and he hadn’t been home in several years. But he was going home over the winter break. Just one more week to go!

  McCoy could see the old Civil War monument in the town square, the Spanish moss hanging from the oaks, and the red clay banks of the lake. His dad would be catching lots of fat catfish and bluegills by now. He wanted to be there, helping him catch, clean, and eat those whoppers.

  It was hard to imagine that he would get two whole weeks off from his crushing schedule. Thoughts of fried catfish and long naps on the porch kept him going through this last terrible week of exams.

  McCoy’s homesick daydream was interrupted by Hibulta, a big, hairless Delosian. He rushed through the lobby and pointed at the cadet. “Good, you’re still up.”

  “Why is that good?” grumbled McCoy. “I’d rather be asleep.”

  “Stay awake, McCoy.” The Delosian charged off.

  McCoy just shook his head. Everybody at the academy called everybody by their last name. So he was beginning to think of himself as “McCoy” instead of “Leonard.” It was just one more adjustment he had to make to life at the academy.

  He had finally settled into a safe spot on the sofa and was picking up his clipboard, when a squad of cadets burst into the lounge. Hibulta was in the lead, along with Wainwright, a big blond cadet.

  “Okay, McCoy,” said Hibulta. “You’re with us!”

  “I’m with you?“ drawled, McCoy. “What on earth are you talking about?”

  Wainwright stepped forward, “Come on, McCoy, the freshmen dorm has challenged us to a game of touch football. Our honor is on the line.”

  McCoy sat up at the mention of football, a fine, old Southern tradition. It wasn’t an official sport at Starfleet Academy, but it hung around, refusing to die. Sometimes he played football with the guys, when he was trying to fit in, but tonight he had too much studying to do.

  “You boys go ahead,” said McCoy, “I plan to go to bed tonight without any broken bones.”

  “It’s just touch football,” said Hibulta. “And we’ve only got ten guys—we’re one short.”

  “And we,know you can catch the ball,” added Wainwright. “You can’t do much else, but you can do that.”

  McCoy scoffed at the offhand compliment. “You make it sound like lots of fun, but I’ve got to study.”

  “Better we play with ten guys than with him,” said another cadet. “He’s just a coward.”

  Now McCoy bolted upright in his seat. “Somebody is going to have to take back that last remark.”

  There was a chorus of shouts. “Come on and play!” “McCoy, we need you!”

  “All right,” grumbled McCoy as he dragged himself to his feet. He supposed he should be flattered that they asked him to play. Of course, there was nobody else awake at two o’clock in the morning.

  He followed his ragtag teammates out the door, down a sidewalk, to the campus green. The green was a big field at the center of the academy, a pleasant place to pass a few moments on the way from one class to another. It had a well-lit, well-manicured lawn, perfect for touch football.

  McCoy shivered in the cool ocean breeze, wishing he was still wearing his bathrobe. Under the moonlight and the flood lamps, he could see the other team starting to gather. Just a bunch of pathetic, first-year cadets, he told himself. Nothing to worry about.

  They weren’t really supposed to be doing this, of course. At two o’clock in the morning, who was going to find out? In one way, he decided, it was good for them to cast off some of the tension that came with final exams. The campus green had seen plenty of impromptu football games over the years.

  “Okay, the babies are here,” said Wainwright, referring to the underclassmen. McCoy sometimes , saw women in these games, but not tonight. They had better sense, he guessed

  A cocky freshman bounced out of, the crowd and pointed at the upperclassmen. “Are we here to play or talk?”

  “Play! Play!” came the cry from both sides.

  That was when McCoy noticed that the team of freshmen had many more than eleven players, while his team had only eleven. They could substitute players, and his team couldn’t. That was McCoy’s first hint that they were going to have trouble with these upstarts.

  They flipped a coin, and his team lost. Eleven players from each side took the field. McCoy watched Hibulta line up the ball, step back, and kick off. The game was under way!

  McCoy whirled around to see two freshmen steaming toward him. Both of them were trying to block him, and he didn’t even have a chance to duck. They fell on top of him, burying him in the thick grass. Touch football meant no tackling, but it didn’t mean no blocking.

  Luckily, his teammates tagged the runner before he got very far. McCoy stood up and looked angrily at his grass-stained jumpsuit. Now they had made him mad!

  McCoy chose to play pass defense. He would let somebody else smash into the big guys at the line. The first-year cadets tried to run on their first play, and Hibulta tagged the runner at the goal line. The upper-class team hooted in victory, but that was only one play.

  It’s hard to run in touch football, thought McCoy. This time they’ll try a pass.

  “The wideout!” McCoy shouted as the younger cadets broke from their huddle.

  “You take him!” yelled Wainwright.

  McCoy looked at the muscular cadet across from him. It was one of those who had blocked him on the kickoff. The sandy-haired cadet looked like a born athlete, and McCoy wasn’t sure he could win a foot race, with him. But he was sure the pass was going to go right at him’

  The ball was hiked, and the young cadet streaked down the side of the lawn. McCoy tried to stay ahead of him, but it was a losing proposition. Just as the ball was thrown, McCoy stuck out his leg and tripped, the freshman. The ball sailed harmlessly over their heads.

  “Hey, you tripped me!” complained the cadet as he jumped to his fe
et.

  McCoy shrugged. “It’s hard to play out here in the moonlight. Sometime’s your feet get tangled up.”

  “Yeah, right,” grumbled the kid.

  The next play, they tried a sweep around the side, away from McCoy. The runner had good blocking, and he made twenty meters before Wainwright pushed him off his feet. That was the trouble with touch football—the “touch” could get a little hard.

  The next play was going to be another pass, McCoy could feel it, He saw the sandy-haired cadet he had tripped—he was lining up in the backfield, McCoy would have to cover somebody else, but he was sure that, the ball was going to the cocky young cadet.

  When the ball was snapped, McCoy ignored the man he was supposed to cover and raced across the field to try to break up the pass. He was too late, as the muscular cadet raced by the defender and caught the ball in stride.

  McCoy had good position, but the kid danced left and right, trying to fake him out. McCoy finally threw himself at the kid’s feet, and he trampled him and just kept running.

  “Hey, I touched you!” groaned McCoy from the ground.

  The young man ran back and grinned at him. “Yeah, you were lucky.”

  “Come on, let’s stop them!” yelled Wainwright. “Hey, McCoy, get there faster next time!”

  “He wasn’t even my man,” grumbled McCoy as he picked himself up.

  The underclass dorm put in almost a whole new team for the next series of plays. Three plays later, they scored a touchdown on the panting upperclassman.

  Uh-oh, thought McCoy, this could be a long night.

  But at least they were going to get the ball, finally. The freshman kicked off, and the ball sailed over McCoy’s head to the man behind him. He looked around for somebody to block, and there was that same cocky freshman. McCoy tried to block him but he never laid a finger on the kid.