Star Trek 06 Page 9

  "How so?"

  "Rojan is in command now."

  "Quite so," Kirk said bitterly. "Scotty, have you found out anything about the paralysis projector?"

  "Quite a lot, and none of it good. The machine is in Engineering, and it's encased in that same stuff the door of our jail was made of. Furthermore, it's nae a simple machine—and it's the only one of its kind on board. I think it must be the source of all their special powers—and it's impregnable."

  "Any suggestions?"

  "One," Scott said. "Self-destruct."

  Kirk considered it. "We've been driven to that point, or almost, once before," he said at last. "But aside from my aversion to suicide—and the deaths of everybody else—it's not practicable. We'd never complete the routine with the computer before Rojan paralyzed us."

  "I thought of that," Scott said. "I could do it myself, though. Remember that we've got to cross the energy barrier. It willna be easy at best. A little sabotage in the matter-antimatter nacelles, and we'd blow, for good and all."

  Kirk made a quick silencing gesture. Tomar had come in, and was now approaching them, staring curiously at their trays.

  "I do not understand," he said, "why you go to the trouble of consuming this bulk material to sustain yourselves." He pulled a flat pillbox from a pocket and opened it. "These contain all the required nutritional elements."

  "Not for human forms," McCoy said. "Bulk is necessary to our digestive systems, and there's a limit to the amount of energy that can be crammed into a pill, too. Perhaps you haven't been in human form long enough to find just pills debilitating, but you will—you will."

  "Indeed? Then you had better show me promptly what else we shall need, and how to manage it."

  McCoy looked rebellious and Kirk himself felt a hope die almost before it had been born. "I think you'd better, Bones," he said.

  "All right. Come on, I'll show you how to work the selector." McCoy led Tomar off toward the wall dispenser.

  "Spock," Kirk said in a whisper, "shall we self-destruct? Crossing the barrier may be our last chance to do so."

  "Granted," Spock whispered back. "But it is said on Earth that while there is life, there is hope. That is sound logic: no multivalued problem has only one solution."

  "Well, we couldn't knock out their central machine even if we were able. It has to be kept intact to restore the rest of our people to human form."

  There was quite a long silence. McCoy had settled Tomar at a table with a tray, and Tomar was gingerly forking some meat into his mouth. Judging by his nod, he found it agreeable, and he began eating at a fair speed for a newcomer to the habit. McCoy grinned and rejoined his colleagues.

  "I'm almost sorry I did that," he said. "It looks like he likes food—and I wouldn't want any of them to enjoy anything."

  Spock continued to watch Tomar. "Most peculiar."

  "What is?" Kirk said.

  "The isolated glimpses of things I saw when I touched Kelinda's mind are beginning to coalesce in my consciousness. The Kelvans have superior intellectual capacity. But to gain it, they apparently sacrificed many things that would tend to distract them. Among these are the pleasures of the senses—and, of course, emotions."

  "But then, Tomar shouldn't be enjoying the taste of food."

  "He has taken human form," Spock said, "and is having human reactions."

  Kirk's mind leapt ahead in response. "If they all respond to stimulation of the senses, maybe we could confuse them. They don't know how to handle those senses yet. If we can distract them enough, we could try to get the belt devices away. That's their only hold on us."

  "It seems reasonable," Spock said.,

  "All right. We watch for opportunities to work on them—hit them every way we can think of."

  Scott was studying Tomar. "I can think of one way right off," he said. He rose and went to the Kelvan. "Lad, you'll be needing something to wash that down with. Have you ever tried Saurian brandy?"

  McCoy stopped Hanar as the Kelvan was passing by the door to the examination room. "Come on in a moment, please, Hanar."

  "What is it, human?"

  "I've noticed you're not looking too well."

  "Impossible. We do not malfunction, as do you humans."

  "No? You're forgetting you're in a human body. And that does malfunction—that's why Rojan considers me essential. You look pale." He gestured to the table. "Sit up there."

  When Hanar complied, McCoy picked up his medical tricorder and began taking readings. "Uh huh . . . Hmmm . . . I don't know about that . . . Hmmmm."

  "Please articulate, human."

  "Well, it looks to me like this body of yours is getting a little anemic, and has some other subclinical deficiencies. Comes from taking your food in pills, instead of good solid substance." He turned aside and picked up a hypo, which he set.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I'm going to give you a shot—high potency vitamin-mineral concentrate. You'll have to have one three times a day for a few days. And eat some solid food."

  It had taken Scott a while to get Tomar down to serious drinking; initially he had been too interested in the tartan, the claymore, the armorial bearings on the walls, the standing suit of ancient armor in Scott's quarters, all of which he declared nonfunctional in a starship. He did not seem to grasp either the concept of mementos or that of decoration.

  Finally, however, they were seated at Scott's desk with a bottle and glasses between them. After a while, it was two bottles. Tomar seemed to remain in total control of himself, as if he'd been drinking lemonade. "No more?" he said.

  "Well . . . no more Saurian brandy, but . . ." Scott looked around and found another bottle. "Now, y'see, this liquor is famous on Ahbloron—I mean, Aldibib-ble—on one of these planets we go to."

  "It is a different color from the other."

  "Yes. And stronger, too." He poured some into Tomar's glass with an unsteady hand, and then, perforce, some into his own. Somehow this experiment was not working out right.

  Kirk paid a call on the cabin Kelinda had commandeered. When she invited him in, he found her looking at a tape on a viewscreen. "Did I disturb you?"

  "Disturb? What is it you wish?"

  He went over to her. "I want to apologize."

  "I do not understand, Captain."

  "For hitting you. I wanted to say I was sorry."

  "That is not necessary. You attempted to escape, as we would have. That I was taken in by your ruse is my fault, not yours."

  Kirk smiled and reached out to touch her face gently. "I don't usually hit beautiful women."

  "Why not, if there is need?"

  "Because there are better things for men and women to do." He moved the hand down to her neck. "Was it here that I hit you?"

  "No, on the other side."

  "Oh." He leaned to the other side, kissed her neck, and nuzzled her ear. "Is that better?"

  "Better? Was it intended to be a remedy?"

  "This is." Drawing her to her feet, he took her in his arms and kissed her.

  After a moment she drew back. "Is there some significance to this action?"

  "It was meant to express . . . well, among humans it; shows warmth, love—"

  "Oh. You are trying to seduce me," she said, as if she were reading a weather report. "I have been read-ing about you."

  "Me?"

  "Humans. This business of love. You have devoted much literature to it. Why have you built such a mystique around a simple biological fact?"

  "We enjoy it"

  "The literature?"

  "Kelinda, I'm sorry I brought the subject up."

  "Did you regard this contact of the lips as pleasurable?"

  Kirk sighed. "I did."

  "Curious. I wonder why." Abruptly she put her arms around him and kissed him back.

  The door opened and Rojan came in. Kirk made a point of drawing back with guilty swiftness.

  "Is there some problem, Captain?" Rojan said.

  "None." Kirk left quickl
y. Rojan stared after him.

  "What did he want here?"

  "He came to apologize for hitting me," Kelinda said. "Apparently, it involves some peculiar touching contacts."

  "In what manner?"

  Kelinda hesitated, then reached up to nibble at Rojan's neck and ear. Rojan stepped away from her, frowning.

  "They are odd creatures, these humans. Please have the reports on fuel consumption relayed to Sub-commander Hanar as soon as possible."

  Spock had taught Rojan to play chess; the Kelvan had learned with breathtaking speed. They were playing now, in the recreation room.

  "Yes, they are peculiar," Spock said, moving a piece. "I very often find them unfathomable, but an interesting psychological study."

  Rojan moved in return. "I do not understand this business of biting someone's neck to apologize."

  Spock looked up, raising his eyebrows. Then he looked back at the game, saw an opening and quickly moved another piece. "I believe you are referring to a kiss. But it is my understanding that such, uh, apologies are usually exchanged between two people who have some affection for each other."

  "Kelinda has no affection for Captain Kirk," Rojan said quickly.

  Spock studied Rojan's next move and shook his head. "You seemed disturbed about the incident Your game is off."

  "Why should I be disturbed?"

  "It seems to me you have known Kelinda for some time. She is a Kelvan, as you are. Among humans, I have found the symptoms you are displaying would be indicative of jealousy."

  "I have no reason for such a reaction. Kelinda is a female. Nothing more."

  "Captain Kirk seems to find her quite attractive.''

  "Of course she is."

  "But you are not jealous."

  "No!"

  "Nor upset."

  "Certainly not!"

  Spock made his move. "Checkmate."

  Kirk, Spock and McCoy were holding another council of war in the recreation room. Kirk was depressed. "The thing is, I can't tell if we're getting; anywhere. And I haven't seen Scotty for what seems like months."

  '"You haven't seen Tomar either," McCoy said. "But the point is, these things take time. The Kelvans started out with adapted human bodies in superb physical shape—textbook cases, as Spock said. They have high resistance. I've been giving Hanar shots that would have driven our whole crew up the wall in an hour. He responds slowly—but he's getting more irritable by the minute, now."

  "And Rojan," Spock said, "has exhibited symptoms of jealousy toward Kelinda and you."

  "What about Kelinda, Jim?" McCoy said.

  "No progress," Kirk said, uncomfortably.

  "What approach did you take with her? Could be you're a little rusty—"

  Kirk felt himself begin to bristle. Spock interposed smoothly: "I would say it is sufficient that Rojan is jealous."

  "Right," Kirk said quickly. "That's the opening wedge. As soon as it's a little wider, we move."

  Behind Kirk, Kelinda's voice said: "I would like to speak with you, Captain."

  Spock stood up at once. "Doctor, I think I need another dose of stokaline."

  "Huh?" McCoy said. "Oh, yes. Pardon us."

  They went out. Kirk leaned back in his chair and studied Kelinda. "You had something to say?"

  "Yes." Did she really seem a trifle uncomfortable, even perhaps awkward? Kirk waited. Then she took a deep breath and touched him, lightly, on a shoulder. "This cultural mystique surrounding a biological function . . ."

  "Yes?"

  "You realize it really is quite overdone."

  "Oh. Quite."

  "However, I was wondering . . . would you please apologize to me again?"

  Rojan was in the command chair. Behind him, the elevator doors snapped open, and then Hanar's voice said, with surprising belligerence: "Rojan. I want to talk to you."

  Rojan looked up in surprise. "Very well, Hanar."

  "First, I do not like the way responsibility and duty have been portioned out to us."

  "It is the way your duties have always been assigned."

  "And that is my second quarrel with you. It was always unjust—"

  Rojan snapped out of the chair. "Hanar—"

  "And further, I do not care much for the autocratic way you order us about on this ship, which we captured, not you—"

  "Confine yourself to your quarters!"

  Hanar hesitated, as though he had had a lot more to say, but had thought better of it. Then he spun on his heel and left without further acknowledgment.

  Rojan found his own fists clenching in anger—and was suddenly aware that Drea was watching him in amazement from the navigator's station. As Rojan turned his back to hide his expression, Spock came onto the bridge and went toward his library-computer. Rojan followed.

  "You were not called to the bridge, Spock. What is your purpose here?"

  "Sensors and various other recording devices require monitoring and certain adjustments."

  "Very well, proceed . . . Have you seen Captain Kirk?"

  "Do you want him? I will call him to the bridge."

  "No. I . . . wondered where he was."

  "Dr. McCoy and I left him some time ago in the recreation room."

  "He was alone, then?"

  "No. Kelinda was with him. She seemed most anxious to speak to him."

  "I told him to stay away from her."

  "It would appear that you have little control over her, sir . . . or perhaps Captain Kirk has more."

  Rojan turned abruptly and headed for the elevator.

  Kirk and Kelinda were locked in a kiss when Rojan came through the recreation room door. Kirk looked up, but did not release Kelinda entirely; instead he kept a possessive arm around her as he turned toward Rojan. Rojan stopped and stared.

  "Kelinda, I told you to avoid this human!"

  "I did not wish to," she said.

  "I am your commander."

  "I've found," Kirk said, "that doesn't mean much to a woman if she's bound to go her own way."

  "You have done this to her! Corrupted her—turned her away from me!"

  "If you couldn't keep her, Rojan, that's not my problem."

  Furiously, Rojan leaped at Kirk. He seemed to have forgotten all about the belt device, his bare hands reaching out. Kirk pushed Kelinda aside and met Rojan's rush.

  The two men, equally powerful, slammed at each other like bulls. Rojan was more clumsy, more unaccustomed to the body he was in. Kirk was the quicker and the more adept fighter, but he was not possessed by the anger which obviously drove Rojan.

  Kelinda did not intervene; she only watched. After a moment she was joined by Spock and McCoy.

  Kirk delivered a final punch that sent Rojan spinning down, backward. But he was not beaten yet. He started to climb back to his feet.

  "Rojan—wait!" Kirk said. "Listen to me-"

  Rojan flung himself forward, but Kirk fended him off. "Listen! Why didn't you use your paralyzer? Don't you know why? Because you've become a human yourself." Kirk ducked a punch. "Look at you—brawling like a street fighter—shaking with rage—"

  Rojan paused and stared as the words began to sink in. "What?"

  "You thought I took your woman away from you. You were jealous—and you wanted to kill me with your bare hands. Would a Kelvan have done that? Would he have to? You reacted with the emotions of a human, Rojan. You are one."

  "No! We cannot be."

  "You have no choice. You chose this ship. Because of its environmental systems, you had to take human form to use it. And you're stuck with it—you and your descendants—for the next three hundred years. Look what's happened to you in the short time you've been exposed to us. What do you think will happen in three hundred years? When this ship gets to Kelva, the people on it will be aliens, the Kelvans their enemies.

  "We have a mission. We must carry it out." But Rojan's tone showed that he was shaken.

  "Your mission was to find worlds for your people to live on. You can still do that. I told you we coul
d present your case to the Federation. I know it would be sympathetic. There are many unpopulated planets in our galaxy. You could develop them in peace, your way."

  "They would do that? You would extend welcome to invaders?"

  "No. But we do welcome friends."

  "Perhaps," said Rojan, "perhaps it could be done."

  Spock said: "A robot ship could be sent back to Kelva with the Federation proposal."

  "But what of us?" Rojan said. "If we . . . if we retain this form, where can we find a place?"

  "Seems to me," McCoy said, "that little planet you were on was kind of a nice place."

  "Pleasant . . . but . . ."

  "The Federation would probably grant a colonization permit to a small group of people who desired to settle there," Spock said. "You do represent an old and highly intelligent race."

  Rojan turned to Kelinda and jerked his head at Kirk. "You would want to go with him?"

  Kelinda glanced at Kirk and then back at Rojan. "As you have said, he is not our kind. I believe I owe you an apology." She kissed him. "It is pleasurable, Rojan."

  "You know, Rojan," Kirk said, "one of the advantages of being a human is being able to appreciate beauty . . . of a flower, or of a woman. Unless you'd rather conquer a galaxy?"

  "No, Captain, I would rather not." Rojan took Kelinda's hand. "A link in a chain—that's all we were. Perhaps there is an opportunity for us to be more." He turned away, crossed the room and activated an intercom. "Bridge, this is Rojan."

  "Yes, Commander," said Drea's voice.

  "Turn the ship. We are returning to the alien . . . We are returning home."

  "Sir?"

  "Turn the ship about."

  He led Kelinda out. Kirk, Spock and McCoy expelled simultaneous sighs of relief.