Mission to Horatius

by Mack Reynolds

  Kirk said, "It would seem your planet was settled while the Federation was in its infancy-or before. For your information, your fellowmen have spread over a considerable portion of the galaxy. To help in its administration, there are at present seventeen strategically located Starfleet Command Centers. The Enterprise is but one of the starships continually patrolling the worlds settled by humanity."

  The other's face worked in thought. He said, "I fear you are trying to cozen me, for whatever ulterior motives. I suspect you are the space pirates who attack us continually."

  "Space pirates!" Kirk blurted out.

  "Do not think me childish, you who call yourself Captain Kirk. You are undoubtedly aware of the raids upon our towns and the kidnappings of our churls."

  "Churls?" Kirk said questioningly. Thus far, the other's Earth Basic had been excellent.

  Spock explained, "An archaic term meaning 'serf,' Captain."

  "Thank you, Mr. Spock," Kirk said, turning toward him. "I sometimes suspect you spend your off-hours studying dictionaries and encyclopedias."

  "No need to study such works, Captain," Spock said mildly. "A single perusal is usually sufficient"

  Kirk turned back to his mike and said, "Far from being the space pirates you mention, we have come to assist you against them, whether or not it was you who sent the distress call. You see, we have just come from your sister planet, Neolithia, which is also beset by these same enemies."

  "I know of no planet Neolithia. And understand this, you who call yourself Captain Kirk. Long years ago we of Mythra were transported here in the sacred arks to escape the evils of Earth, as once the Extreme Holy Noah escaped the evils in his ark of antiquity. We want nothing of your so-called Federation, nor of you and your evil vessel, Captain Kirk."

  Captain Kirk made a face of irritation. "See here," he said, "as a captain of a starship, I am an ambassador of the Federation and carry appropriate powers. A distress signal in Earth Basic came from this star system. With your permission, I hope to trace it down. As representatives of humanity in its most developed form, we consider ourselves morally committed to assist man, no matter where he has spread. You admit to being raided by space pirates; your sister planet Neolithia has similar problems. We are here to solve them."

  The other was obviously agitated and beset by conflicting opinions. Kirk watched his face closely; there was something here he couldn't quite put his finger upon.

  Warren, the Supreme Exarch, replied, "And I tell you that we do not want your assistance."

  Kirk said very evenly, "We have no particular reason to believe it is not your people who are attacking Neolithia and its backward culture. I urgently request permission to land and investigate in the name of the Federation."

  "You have no right to make such a request!"

  Kirk sighed. "Forgive me, Your Holy. I assure you my orders do not allow me to interfere with your internal affairs or your religion. However, we are most anxious to assure ourselves that the distress call didn't come from Mythra and that you are innocent of the raids on Neolithia. Given such assurance, the Enterprise will immediately leave."

  A look of quick rage passed over the other's face, but there was thoughtfulness there as well. He was probably considering the potential strength of this starship from afar. "You still request permission to land, in spite of what I have said?"

  "Yes. And to be received as fitting an ambassador of the Federation."

  "Why ... why, you have probably not even taken your anodyne!"

  For the moment Kirk was nonplussed. "Anodyne?" He shot a glance at Spock.

  The Vulcan shrugged. "It might be anything, Captain. In proper usage, a medicine or elixir that relieves pain. For that matter, anything that relieves distress."

  "I know the definition," Kirk said impatiently. "But^ as you say, it might be anything in this case." He turned back to the mike. "What is anodyne?"

  The other was shocked-or did he just pretend to be? Captain Kirk wondered. He had an advantage over the Supreme Exarch. He could see his face, unbeknown to him. Although the voice came through as though unbelieving, the expression didn't match.

  "No person on Mythra but takes his anodyne each day! It is a sacred ceremony. It is against our beliefs that anyone upon Mythra not take his anodyne. Why ... why...." The other's eyes narrowed. "You said it was against your Federation's rules to interfere with religious beliefs."

  Kirk took a deep breath. "That is true. It is against General Order Number One. However, my crew and I hardly violate your religious beliefs by our not taking your anodyne."

  The other said stiffly, "That is not how we interpret it. If you desire to land, you must accept the holy communion of anodyne."

  Kirk had had enough. He snapped, "Certainly we can discuss that upon my arrival. With your permission, within the hour, I, as ambassador from the Federation, will land with a party of my officers. We will expect to be suitably received."

  The other was obviously upset, but snapped in return, "Very well."

  Kirk cut off the mike.

  Spock said, "A most interesting individual."

  Captain Kirk shot an irritated glance at him. "I suspect you would find Lucifer most interesting, Spock."

  The Vulcan's eyebrows went up. "Indubitably, Captain Kirk."

  Captain James Kirk looked about his small group of officers gathered in the transporter room Commander Spock, Senior Ship's Surgeon McCoy, Lieutenant Commander Scott, Ensign Chekov. All were in regular uniform, complete to rank designations and even decorations. None bore obvious side arms.

  Kirk was saying, "I need not emphasize the delicacy of the situation. The person who seems to be Chief of State of Mythra has taken a rather dim view of our landing."

  Montgomery Scott said, "Captain, are you sure my presence is needed? Work in the engineering section is piling up a wee. We've been too long out, without a major overhaul. Even the Enterprise's bonny engines need the sort of work only a star base can provide, from time to time."

  Dr. McCoy snorted. "It's not just your engineering section, Scotty. Every department on the ship is falling apart What's more-"

  "That'll be all, Bones," Kirk said wearily. "I'm afraid you'll have to come along, Scotty. We'll be wanting to check out their degree of technology. Do they have space travel? If so, perhaps Mythra, in spite of its cloak of religious sanctity, is the source of the raiders." He looked around at the others. "You're carrying your phasers?"

  All nodded. Chekov patted his tunic, as though double-checking.

  The captain looked at him. "Mr. Chekov, we'll have none of your trigger-happiness on this mission. We use our phasers only as a very last resort."

  "Yes, sir."

  The captain looked at the transporter officer. "Very well. Beam us down to that square immediately before the temple or cathedral or whatever it is."

  "Aye, aye, sir."

  The six officers of the Enterprise materialized before a towering temple that architecturally was a strange combination of Roman, Gothic, and perhaps Byzantine. A square, several acres in extent, spread around them. In the background were buildings obviously devoted to governmental and business matters, all of them drab in comparison to the highly ornamented religious building which dominated all. Through the square swarmed hundreds of hurrying citizens going about their business.

  Spock said, "Most interesting."

  Kirk looked at him. "Something out of the way, Mr. Spock?"

  "I had formed the opinion that these people were retarded in their technology. However, here we materialize in a manner one would think magical to them, but they pay us no attention whatsoever."

  It was true. The Mythrans noticed the men from space only to the extent that it was necessary to detour about them in order to continue on their way.

  Chekov said, "They seem happy enough."

  Dr. McCoy growled, "They seem too happy, if you ask me. They're all obviously as pleased as Punch. Given any average large group of people, you'll have some in a state of euphori
a, some bored with the monotony of existence, and some will be down in the dumps. But all of these pedestrians are smiling away like Cheshire cats."

  It was true. The incurious Mythrans passing by were all on top of the world. The group from the Enterprise watched for a time, scowling in puzzlement

  Finally a voice from behind them said coldly, "You are the intruders from space?"

  They turned. The speaker was a man in his middle years, garbed in flowing robes with various ornamentations, from a bejeweled belt to a golden chain about his neck. His fingers were heavy with rings. He made a strange combination of robed religious austerity and ostentatious display of finery. Behind him stood two younger men, both more simply arrayed, their hands tucked into the sleeves of their robes.

  Kirk said formally, "I am Captain Kirk of the Enterprise, ambassador of the Federation, and these are my officers."

  The other said, still coldly, "And I am Pater Stuart." He looked about, puzzled. "Where is your vehicle?"

  Kirk smiled. "Back on the Enterprise"

  The other obviously didn't understand, but he said, "You have taken your anodyne today?"

  "We don't even know what it is," Dr. McCoy said, not bothering to disguise his irritation.

  "Then you are not welcome upon Mythra."

  Kirk said, "See here, we've already been through all this with the Supreme Exarch. I suggest you take us to confront this Warren, whom you call the Extreme Holy."

  "He has se nt me to bring you to him," the other said, turning to lead the way in the direction of the looming temple.

  Chekov said to Scott from the side of his mouth, "Did you notice? This character looks perfectly normal-in fact, on the sourpuss side. But the two younger ones both have that silly-happy look on their faces."

  Scotty snorted, but obviously accepted the statement.

  In speaking to each other they had almost missed the development that had stopped Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy dead in their tracks in shock.

  In turning abruptly, Pater Stuart had stepped into the path of one of the hurrying, blankly smiling Mythrans. They collided and the berobed temple monk stepped back and glared. As though rehearsed, his two assistants brought their right hands from their robe sleeves, and, in unison, hand weapons flared.

  For the briefest of moments the inadvertent transgressor stood there as though unharmed. Then his figure grew vague, translucent, transparent, and suddenly it was gone. To the very last, the happy expression remained on his face.

  Captain Kirk snapped, "Stop!" but it was far too late.

  The temple monk looked at him in mild surprise.

  "That man! You've killed him!" Kirk snapped.

  Pater Stuart said, "He was but a churl."

  "But you killed him. At least, your men did!"

  "You are mistaken, my son, and would know better had you taken your anodyne today. He has gone to the Ultimate, to exist in everlasting peace and tranquility."

  "Why, you cold-blooded murderer 1" Scott blurted out

  Captain Kirk's facial expression made it overly clear that he, also, was enraged. However, he said, "That will be all, Mr. Scott" To the temple monk he added, "Lead us immediately to the Supreme Exarch."

  Pater Stuart turned again, his own face amused, and resumed the way. His assistants followed, their weapons back in their sleeves again.

  "Some religion!" Chekov fumed.

  Spock looked at him. "Religion need not be benevolent," he said mildly. "In fact, on the majority of the planets whose history I have delved into, I find that early religion is more apt to be based upon devils than gods. And even when gods evolve, the early ones are inclined to be, ah, a bit devilish. Have you ever heard of the Vulcan god Maripol?"

  "No," Chekov muttered, still upset by what he had witnessed.

  "As a Vulcan, I am somewhat reluctant to admit that my ancestors once worshipped at his shrine; however, speaking as a student of history, I find him most interesting. When it stormed, or when there were other manifestations of nature such as earthquakes or floods, he could be placated only with the blood of twins. The people, in their terror, sought everywhere for these unfortunates, so that their hearts might be torn out on Maripol's altars.

  "No, some terrible things have been done in the name of false gods and false beliefs. You think in terms of the gentle Jesus of Nazareth, but in the far past, especially, gods were not prone to be particularly gentle."

  "This isn't the far past," Chekov muttered.

  Spock's eyebrows went up and he looked about the square, even as they walked. "On Mythra, perhaps it is," he said.

  As they approached the portals of the great temple, the group from the Enterprise were still fuming but holding their peace.

  They entered an interior of oriental splendor, little resembling an establishment of religion. Indeed, none of those present seemed to be there for the purpose of worship. Those not in robes were dressed in what was obviously servants' livery and wore the expression of bemused happiness as they hurried about their tasks. Of those who wore religious garb, the younger and less ornately dressed also seemed to be of the same happy character.

  Dr. McCoy murmured to Kirk, "Jim, I'm beginning to get an idea about this so-called anodyne."

  And James Kirk murmured back, "Undoubtedly the same one I'm getting. But the population of a whole planet?"

  "Why not?"

  Their gaudily berobed guide led them to the right to a heavily carved door guarded by hah a dozen of the brightly smiling young men who were evidently acolytes.

  Kirk said softly to his chief engineer, "Any opinion on that weapon we saw used, Scotty?"

  Scott whispered back, "Undoubtedly an early form of phaser, Captain. Not as developed as the type we carry, and bulkier, but whoosh, mon, by the looks of what we saw, just as deadly."

  "And evidently they have no prejudices about using the things on any provocation whatsoever."

  The guards made no effort to hinder their progress. In fact, two hurried to open the door for the small procession. Inside the new chamber-obviously a reception hall-the ostentatious display of wealth was even more pronounced.

  Chekov muttered, "Some religion."

  They proceeded to another, smaller door, guarded by two of the acolytes, and Pater Stuart turned and said coldly, "You enter the presence of the Extreme Holy, Warren the Supreme Exarch and representative on Mythra of the Ultimate."

  There seemed no answer to that.

  The door swung open.

  If they had been impressed before by the luxurious surroundings of this temple, it was as nothing compared with what now confronted them. They were bedazzled.

  He who had faced them-though unknown to himself at the time-on the viewing screen of the Enterprise an hour earlier, now sat on what could only be termed a throne. The element of which it was constructed was unknown to the Federation men, but it had a rich, mother-of-pearl quality that was all but breathtaking. Standing around the throne were a score of the richly robed element that the Enterprise men were beginning to think of as the senior temple monks, as opposed to the younger, more simply dressed acolytes.

  Captain Kirk, slightly in front of the others, came to a halt. The rest of the group stopped before the throne and bowed. Kirk said, "Captain James Kirk, ambassador from the United Federation of Planets."

  The Supreme Exarch said, "I have already informed you that you are not welcome upon Mythra, Captain Kirk."

  Kirk said, "That does not surprise me, ah, Your Extreme Holy. We have been on your planet's surface less than a quarter of an hour and have already witnessed as cold-blooded a murder as our eyes have ever seen."

  The other frowned his puzzlement

  Pater Stuart said unctuously, "It was necessary on the square to send a churl to the Ultimate."

  "Oh." The Supreme Exarch shook a bejeweled hand in dismissal of the matter. "A churl."

  Dr. McCoy said, "A member of the human race, whose life was just as important to him as yours is to you."

  "Inde
ed?" The religious head looked down at the doctor in amusement "On Mythra we do not think it so. Did you see the churl's face at the moment of his meeting the Ultimate?"

  The doctor scowled.

  "Did he not seem ultimately happy at the tune?"

  Dr. McCoy's face worked in irritation, but for the moment he held his peace.

  The Supreme Exarch pursued his point "All men the sooner or later, including you from the Federation. Let us hope that when your time comes you will meet the Ultimate as happily as did the churl, and as happily as do all men here on Mythra." His eyes returned to Captain Kirk.

  "Since speaking to you on the sacred airwaves, by means of which we of the United Temple communicate throughout all Mythra, I have had a change of opinion, Captain. I have decided to accept your assistance against the space pirates."

  Kirk said suspiciously, "Ah?"

  The Supreme Exarch clapped his hands. "Refreshments for our guests!"

  Two liveried servants scurried forward bearing trays, evidently of gold, holding highly ornamented goblets. The Supreme Exarch was served first; then Kirk and the others from the starship took the proffered drinks courteously.

  The Supreme Exarch held up his goblet as though in a toast "To your assistance against the space pirates," he said.

  Dr. McCoy snapped, "A moment, please."

  The enthroned religious head scowled. "You refuse my hospitality?"

  "Not at all," McCoy returned smoothly. "However, I am head of the medical department of the Enterprise, and, as such, I must check any food or drink we take on this planet that might affect us negatively."

  "You accuse me of attempting to poison you?"

  "Not at all, but every planet, no matter how seemingly identical to our own world, has its own local flora and fauna. Consequently what might even be healthful for you, who have spent your whole lives on Mythra, might be dangerous to us."

  He unslung his medical tricorder, flicked a switch, and twisted a dial.

  Dr. McCoy's eyebrows went up and he said blandly, "It is as I suspected. Is this what you have been calling anodyne?"

  "It is!" the other rapped in return. "All must take their anodyne daily on Mythra. Not to do so is to interfere with our religious customs."