Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson, Sam Stall, Kevin David, Sam Stall Anderson Page B

USS
Enterprise
.”
    Jim shook his head.
    “I get it now,” he said. “I’m dead and in Hell, trapped for all eternity with a Star Trek nerd. We’re going to spend the next thousand years debating whether the Squire of Gothos was actually Q in disguise.”
    “Just bear with me,” Leia said. “Think this through for a minute. Do you remember the Kobayashi Maru test?”
    “From
Wrath of Khan
,” Jim said, nodding. “It’s a Starfleet training exercise that always results in the ‘death’ of the test subject. It gauges a cadet’s reaction to a no-win situation.”
    “Correct,” Leia said. “But what did Kirk say about no-win situations?”
    “He doesn’t believe in them.”
    “So hopefully you see the relevance. To paraphrase Kirk, even when you think things are hopeless, they aren’t. You’re just missing something.”
    Jim didn’t see the harm in playing along for just a minute.
    “Okay, let’s review,” he said. “We’re trapped in the elevator of a hotel that’s filled with flesh-eating zombies. We can assume, based on the police being a total no-show, that we’re in the middle of an entire city, maybe an entire nation, that’s likewise afflicted. We have minimal weapons, no food or water, and no way to open these doors without being immediately attacked by an enemy with crushing numerical superiority. Correct?”
    “Right,” Leia said.
    “So what have I missed?”
    “Among a great many other things, you’ve overlooked the fact that the zombies are morons. You’re ready to throw in the towel to creatures who can be outsmarted by doorknobs.”
    “Valid,” Jim said.
    “And it’s not like they’re invincible. We already know three ways to stop them. Bullet to the head, bullet to the third eye, Taser shot.”
    “Affirmative,” Jim said.
    “And here’s the most important thing. You’re clumsy, you’re slow, and you don’t seem terribly smart.”
    “Right,” Jim said. “Wait,
what?
”
    “I mean that we’re nothing special. If we made it this far, others must have, too. They’re out there, and your sister could be one of them. We won’t know until you get it in gear.”
    Jim uncrossed his arms, pushed away from the elevator’s corner, and stood on his own two feet.
    “I still think you’d be better off if you ran away,” he said.
    “You’re the one who wants to run away,” Leia replied. “But it isn’t going to happen. People need you, and they don’t stop needing you just because you wish they didn’t.”
    “Well, I’ll try not to disappoint.”
    “Do, or do not,” she said. “There is no try.”
    Jim placed his right hand on Leia’s bare shoulder.
    “What did I say about the movie talk?”
    Leia brushed his hand away.
    “I’m not movie-talking anything. I’m trying to get us out of this situation, and you’re the one who keeps bringing up . . .”
    The elevator’s emergency phone rang.
    They both looked at it, too stunned to move. When it rang again, Leia lunged for the receiver and put it to her ear.
    “Hello?” she asked breathlessly.
    She listened for a moment, then, with a trembling hand, gave the phone to Jim.
    “It’s for you,” she said.

Chapter 13
Strategem

    Jim took the phone.
    “Who is this?” he asked.
    “This is Lieutenant Thellina, helmsman of the USS
Stockard
.”
    “Rayna!” Jim exclaimed. “You’re okay?”
    “I haven’t been eaten yet, if that’s what you mean. How are you and the princess?”
    “You can
see
us?”
    “Barely, with all that zombie blood and goo stuck to the elevator. Look out the panel to your right.”
    Jim gazed through the glass at the bank of seventh-floor windows, peering from room to room. Zombies in the first. Zombies in the second. Zombies in the third and the fourth and the fifth—and then two very-much-alive Trekkies waving frantically for his attention.
    “I see you,” Jim exclaimed, waving back. “Is everyone okay?”
    “Everyone except T’Poc. She’s dead, Jim. A bunch of those .