BELLE TERRE
“THE BOTTOM LINE, MR. SPOCK,” KIRK SAID.
“The pressure inside Belle Terre’s third moon is building and has been for some time. The moon will soon explode and, in the process, will destroy all life on this planet.”
“Explode?” Kirk asked. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, sir,” Spock said.
Kirk nodded. When Mr. Spock said he was certain, the event would happen. “How did we miss this?”
“The moon’s crust makes scanning difficult,” Spock said.
“How long?”
“So far I have been unable to ascertain the exact time of the explosion, again due to the nature of the olivium.”
“A day? A week? A year?” Kirk demanded. “I’ve got over sixty thousand colonists to get off this planet and out of harm’s way.”
“My data is insufficient to allow me to predict the explosion exactly, sir,” Spock said. “I may be able to give you a more accurate time frame after a few more hours of research.”
“Do it,” Kirk said. “And quickly. . . .”
DEAN WESLEY SMITH
WITH
DIANE CAREY
NEW EARTH CONCEPT BY DIANE CAREY AND JOHN ORDOVER
POCKET BOOKS
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