Star Trek - Blish, James - 06

by 06(lit)

  "I could have saved two men at least. Beamed up. Made further investigations from the ship. Done something! This... blundering along down here... cut off from the ship... the ship's in trouble itself... unable to help it..."

  "We can help it, Captain. The source of the inter-ference with the ship must be here on the planet. Indeed, this may be the only place the difficulty can be solved."

  "And how many more lives will I lose?"

  "No one has ever stated Starfleet duty was particu-larly safe. You have done everything a commander could do. I believe-" He broke off, listening. "Captain... I think our visitor is back again."

  Reluctantly, Kirk turned to Marple, the last of the security guards of the landing party. "Ensign, go ahead fifty yards, swing to your left, cut back, and make a lot of noise. Mr. Spock, Mr. Chekov, make a distraction, a loud one."

  He moved quietly away from them toward the brush. Behind him, Chekov's voice rose: "What kind of a tricorder setting do you call that?"

  "I will not have you speaking to me in that tone of voice, Ensign!"

  "Well, what do you want, violins? That's the stupid-est setting I've ever seen-and you a Science Officer!"

  Kirk crept stealthily forward.

  "It's time you paid more attention to your own duties," Spock's voice shouted uncharacteristically. "Furthermore, you are down here to work, not to hold hands with a pretty yeoman!"

  There was somebody, or something, ahead now. Kirk parted the brush. Directly in front of him, his back turned, was a small humanoid, his skin copper red, his hair platinum blond. There seemed to be two tiny silver studs behind his ears. Kirk tensed himself to spring.

  At the same time, Marple came crashing toward them from the opposite side. The alien sprang up and ran directly into Kirk's arms. The alien struggled. Measuring him coolly, Kirk struck him squarely on the jaw, and he went down. Clutching his face, he began to cry like a child.

  Kirk stood over him, slowly relaxing. Obviously, this creature was no threat. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "Do you understand? I won't hurt you."

  He spoke, without much hope, in Interstellar. To his surprise, the alien responded in the same tongue, though much slurred and distorted.

  "You struck me with your hand."

  "I won't strike you again. Here." Kirk extended his hand to help the being up. After a moment, the hand was taken. "You've been following us, watching us. Why?"

  "I am the Eyes of Vaal. He must see."

  "Who is Vaal?"

  "Vaal is Vaal. He is everything."

  "You have a name?"

  "I am Akuta. I lead the Feeders of Vaal."

  The rest of the party began to gather around them. Akuta tried to flinch in all directions at once.

  "They won't hurt you either. I promise. Akuta, we have come here in peace. We would like to speak to your Vaal."

  "Akuta alone speaks to Vaal. I am the eyes and the voice of Vaal. It is his wish."

  "This is fascinating," Spock said. He stepped for-ward and put his hands gently to Akuta's head, turn-ing it slightly for a closer look at the two small metal studs. "If you will permit me, sir... Captain, ob-serve."

  "Antennae?" Kirk said.

  Akuta had suffered the examination without pro-test. "They are my ears for Vaal. They were given to me in the dim time, so the people could understand his commands, and obey."

  "The people," Kirk said. "Are they nearby?"

  "We are close to Vaal, so we may serve him. I shall take you there."

  Kirk's communicator shrilled. "Kirk here."

  It was Scott: "Captain, something's grabbed us from the planet's surface! Like a giant tractor beam! We can't break loose-we can't even hold our own."

  "Warp drive still out?"

  "Yes, Captain. All we have is impulse power, and that on maximum. Even with that, we'll only be able to maintain power for sixteen hours. Then we'll burn up for sure."

  "Mr. Scott, you are my Chief Engineer. You know everything about that ship there is to know... more than the men who designed it. If you can't get those warp engines going again-you're fired."

  "I'll try everything there is to try, sir. Scott out."

  Kirk turned to Akuta. "Tell me about Vaal."

  "All the world knows about Vaal. He makes the. rains fall, and the sun to shine. All good comes from Vaal."

  "Take us to him. We want to speak with him."

  "I will take you, but Vaal will not speak with you. He speaks only to me."

  "We'll take our chances."

  Nodding, Akuta led the way.

  Vaal became visible from a clearing some distance away. He was a great serpentlike head, seeming to have been cut out of a cliff. His mouth was open. In color it was greenish bronze, except for its red tongue, which extended from its open mouth. There were steps cut in the tongue, so that a man could walk right up and into the mouth. Two huge fangs extended down, white and polished. Vaal's eyes were open, and they glowed dimly red, pulsating regularly. Even from here, they could hear that the pulsation was timed with a faint but powerful-sounding low-pitched hum.

  They drew closer, both Spock and Chekov taking tricorder readings. "Of a high order of workman-ship, and very ancient," the First Officer said.

  "But this isn't the center, Spock," Kirk said.

  "No, Captain. The center is deep beneath it. This would seem to be an access point. In addition there is an energy field extending some thirty feet beyond the head in all directions. Conventional in composition, but most formidable."

  "Akuta, how do you talk to Vaal?"

  "Vaal calls me. Only then."

  Kirk turned to the rest of the party, scowling. "Well, we can't get to it, and we can't talk to it until it's ready to talk."

  "Vaal sleeps now," Akuta said. "When he is hungry, you may be able to talk with him-if he desires it."

  "When does he get hungry?"

  "Soon. Come. We will give you food and drink. If you are tired, you may rest."

  He led them down the hill and back into the jungle. It was not very long before they emerged in a tiny village, which looked part Polynesian, part American Indian, part exotic in its own way. There were small thatched huts with hanging batik tapestries, simply made and mostly repeating the totem image of Vaal. At one end of the village area were neatly stacked piles of the explosive rainbow-colored rock. About a dozen aliens were there, men and women, all very handsome, all younger than Akuta. They seemed to be doing nothing at all.

  "Akuta," Kirk said, "where are the others?"

  "There are no others."

  "But... where are the children?"

  "Children? You speak unknown words to me."

  "Little people," Kirk explained. "Like yourselves. But they grow."

  "Ah," said Akuta. "Replacements. None are neces-sary. They are forbidden by Vaal."

  "But," said Martha Landon, "when people fall in love-" Chekov was standing next to her, and at these words he smiled and slipped his hand around her waist. She pressed it to her.

  "Strange words," said Akuta. "Children... love. What is love?"

  "Well... when a man and a woman are... attract-ed..." She did not seem to be able to go any farther. Akuta stared at her and at Chekov's arm.

  "Ah. The holding. The touching. Vaal has forbidden this."

  "There goes Paradise," said Chekov.

  During the questioning, the People of Vaal had been drawing closer and closer, not menacingly, but in simple curiosity. Akuta turned to them.

  "These are strangers from another place. They have come among us. Welcome them."

  A young man stepped forward, beaming. "Welcome to Vaal."

  A girl, beautiful as a goddess, though wearing slightly less, stepped out with a lei of flowers in her hands, smiling warmly. She went to Kirk and put the lei over his head. "Our homes are open to you."

  Thus encouraged, the others came over, giggling, touching, exploring, examining the clothing and the gadgets of the strangers. Another young woman put a necklace of shells arou
nd Spock's neck.

  "It does something for you, Mr. Spock," Kirk said.

  "Indeed, Captain. It makes me most uncom-fortable."

  "I am Sayana," the girl said. "You have a name?"

  "I am Spock."

  Sayana repeated the name, pointing to him, and so did the rest of the natives, with a wave of laughter.

  "I fail to see," Spock said, "what they find so amusing."

  "Come," said Akuta. He led the landing party off to one of the huts. The rest of the People of Vaal contin-ued to crowd around, laughing and probing gently.

  The interior of the hut was simple, indeed primi-tive. There were a few baskets, a few wooden vessels, some hangings with the totem image on them, sleep-ing mats on the floor.

  "This house is your house," Akuta said. "I will send food and drink. You are welcome in the place of Vaal."

  He went out. Chekov stared after him. "Now we're welcome. A while ago this whole planet was trying to kill us. It doesn't make sense."

  "Nothing does down here," McCoy agreed. "I'm going to run a physiological reading on some of those villagers."

  He went out after Akuta. Kirk took out his commu-nicator. "Kirk to Enterprise. Come in."

  "Scott here, sir."

  "Status report, Scotty."

  "No change, Captain. The orbit is decaying along the computed lines. No success with the warp drive. We're going down and we can't stop it."

  "I'm sick of hearing that word 'can't,' Scott," Kirk said harshly. "Get my ship out of there."

  "But, sir-we've tried everything within engineer-ing reason-"

  "Then use your imagination! Tie every dyne of power the ship has into the impulse engines. Discard the warp drive nacelles if you have to and crack out of there with just the main section-but get out!"

  "Well, we could switch over all but the life support circuits and boost the impulse power-black the ship out otherwise-"

  "Do it. Kirk out."

  McCoy reentered, frowning. "Incredible," he said. "I ran a complete check on the natives. There's a com-plete absence of harmful bacteria in their systems. No tissue degeneration, no calcification, no arteriosclero-sis. In simple terms, they're not growing old. I can't begin to tell you how old any of them are. Twenty years-or twenty thousand."

  "Quite possible," Spock said. "It checks with my atmosphere analysis. The atmosphere completely screens out all dangerous radiation from their sun."

  "Add to that a simple diet," Kirk said, "perfectly controlled temperature... apparently no vices at all... no natural enemies... and no 'replacements' needed. Maybe it is Paradise, after all-for them."

  Outside, there was a curious vibrating sound, not loud, but penetrating, like the striking of an electronic gong. Kirk went out, beckoning to Spock.

  The People of Vaal were no longer lounging around. They were moving off toward the cliff, pick-ing up rocks from the stockpiles as they left. Kirk and Spock followed.

  At the cliff, the people entered the mouth of Vaal with the rocks, and came out without them. The red eyes were flashing, brightly now.

  "Apparently our hypothesis is correct," Spock said. There is no living being in there. It is a machine, nothing more."

  "The field's down. The people are going in. Let's see what luck we have."

  Kirk took a step forward. There was an immediate rumble of thunder, to the considerable alarm of the People of Vaal. Kirk stepped back quickly. "That's not the way."

  "Evidently not. It is no ordinary machine, Captain. It has shown a capacity for independent action in its attacks upon us. It may well possess a more than rudimentary intelligence."

  "But it needs to eat. It can't have any great power reserves."

  "Indeed, Captain. But that does not seem to be of help. The ship now has only ten hours to break free."

  "What if Vaal's power weakens as it approaches feeding time? Mr. Spock, check with the ship; get an estimate of the total energy being expended against it. And measure it every hour."

  "With pleasure, Captain." Spock took his communi-cator out quickly. Deep in thought, Kirk went back to the hut, where he found all of the landing party outside.

  "What was it, Jim?"

  "Mess call, Bones."

  Spock came up behind him. "A perfect example of symbiosis. They provide for Vaal, and Vaal gives them everything they need."

  "Which may also answer why there are no children here," Kirk said. "There are exactly enough people to do what Vaal requires."

  "In my view," Spock said, "a splendid example of reciprocity."

  "It would take a mind like yours to make that land of statement," McCoy said.

  "Gentlemen, your arguments can wait until the ship is out of danger."

  "Jim," McCoy said, "you can't just blind yourself to what is happening here. These are humanoids- intelligent! They've got to advance-progress! Don't you understand what my readings indicate? There's been no change here in perhaps thousands of years! This isn't life, it's stagnation!"

  "You are becoming emotional, Doctor," Spock said. "This seems to be a perfectly practical society."

  "Practical? It's obscene! Humanoids living only so that they can service a hunk of tin!"

  "A remarkable hunk of tin, Bones," Kirk said. "And they seem healthy and happy."

  "That has nothing to do with it-"

  Kirk's communicator cut in. "Kirk here."

  "Scott, sir. We've got a reading on the power source as Spock asked. It is dropping a bit at a time-nominal, but a definite drain."

  Kirk grinned triumphantly at Spock. "Good. Keep monitoring. How are you doing with the circuit switchover?"

  "We're putting everything but the kitchen sink into the impulse drive, sir. It'll take another eight hours to complete the work."

  "That's cutting it fine, Scotty."

  "Aye, sir. But if we don't break out, I'd rather we didn't have to wait long for the end of it."

  Kirk took a deep breath. "Right. Carry on, Scotty. Kirk out."

  The hours wore away. A large assortment of fruit and vegetables was brought to the landing party by the People. Martha Landon was nervous and on the verge of tears; Kirk sent her out with Chekov for "a breath of air" and whatever reassurance Chekov could give her. Privately, Kirk hoped also that the People would spy on them; the sight of a little open necking might give them a few ideas disruptive to the absolute control Vaal had over them. Of course, that might provoke Vaal to retaliation-but what more could Vaal do than he was doing now?

  Spock seemed to read Kirk's intentions with no difficulty. "I am concerned, Captain," he said. "This may not be an ideal society, but it is a viable one. If we are forced to do what it seems we must, in my opinion, we will be in direct violation of the noninter-ference directive."

  "I'm not convinced that this is a viable society in the accepted sense of the word. Bones was right. These people aren't living, they're just existing. It's not a valid culture."

  "Starfleet Command may think otherwise."

  "That's a risk I'll have to take." He called the Enter-prise. "How's it coming, Scotty?"

  "Almost ready, sir. We'll need a half hour yet."

  "You've only got forty-five minutes until you're pulled into the atmosphere."

  "I know, sir. As you said, it's cutting things a bit fine."

  "I think we're going to be able to help down here. I'll be back in touch shortly." Kirk cut off. "All hands. We're coming up on the next feeding time for Vaal. Before that happens I want all the Vaalians confined in one hut-the women too, no exceptions. When that gong sounds, round them all up."

  The gong in fact sounded only a few minutes later. By this time Chekov and McCoy, phasers drawn, had herded all the People together. They milled around inside the hut, appalled, some wailing and crying.

  "Vaal calls us!" Akuta cried out. His face contorted in agony, and he touched the electrodes behind his ears. "We must go to him! He hungers!" The bell rang again. "Please! Let us go to him! We must!"

  Kirk got out the communicator again
. "Scotty, do you still have phaser power?"

  "Aye sir. But what--"

  "Lock all banks on the coordinates of the energy field you located down here. On my command, fire and maintain full phasers on those coordinates."

  "Aye, sir, but they won't penetrate the field."

  "If my guess is right, they won't have to. Stand by."