Spock lifted his tricorder again and approached the great protoplasmic mound. He reached out with his hand and touched it, then grunted as he made mental contact.
In a moment he stepped back. “It’s all right. They are releasing the patients now. And they are cured.”
“Spock,” Kirk said. “What was that like?”
“You mean contact with the Healer? It was pleasant enough. It’s a very logical machine, programmed eons ago by the original inhabitants of Verda III. It could heal all their ills except one, Captain.”
The protoplasmic mound began to extrude globules of matter, and Kirk could see human figures within. The gelatinous material flowed back, leaving unconscious but alive human beings on the stone floor.
“What was that one failure?” Kirk asked as he watched the teams examine the archaeologists.
“There is no medical cure for a failure to advance, Jim. The Vardans simply grew bored. They looked neither inward for answers, nor ventured outward, into space. They died of…boredom.”
Turn to page 84.
Page 84
From page 83.
“And the disease?” Kirk asked.
“One which was not fatal to the Vardans, but which the Healer has now cleansed from the planet, seeing it was harmful to humans.”
“And Chekov?”
“Here, Keptin!” a voice called from above, on the steps. “We fell into some kind of trap, sir, but we got out.”
“Very good, Mister Chekov. Ensign Gottlieb, take command of the archaeologists. Let’s get out of here!”
Proceed to page 107.
Page 85
From page 70.
“Whatever that is in the tank is some kind of restorative,” Kirk said. “Interesting, but we can’t stay to investigate. Keep moving!”
The passage took a turning, then slanted downward. The walls grew smoother, the ceiling lower, until Kirk’s team was walking along carefully on the slippery floor, bent over. It grew increasingly colder, and Ensign Gottlieb shivered.
“We’re well below ground level, sir,” she said.
“I’m aware of that, Ensign,” Kirk replied. “If we just—” Kirk halted as their lights revealed a series of stone tanks not much bigger than bathtubs. Within them, one in each tank, were Lieutenant Commander Chekov, his team, and nine strangers.
Proceed to page 106.
Page 86
From page 72.
“Doctor Tripp, I am a Vulcan, not a human,” Spock said. “But I am real, not an illusion.”
“I’ll shoot!”
“I don’t believe so, Doctor. You have not really tried to kill anyone, you have been acting out of fear.” Spock was in complete darkness now, though he knew he was outlined against the light beams behind them. “It would not be logical for you to kill me if there is any hope that I am who and what I say I am.”
There was no sound from the archaeologist. “Come out,” Spock said. “The Guardian was just protecting this temple. If we leave, there will be no more danger.”
A light snapped on, and Spock could see the exhausted survivors staring at him, their faces still filled with fear. One of the men held out his hand, offering Spock the phaser.
“Keep it,” the Vulcan said. He pulled out his communicator. “Transporter room, lock on these coordinates and prepare to beam up seven survivors.”
A smile slowly grew across Tripp’s bearded face. “You passed the test,” he said.
“You mean when I let you keep your weapon?” Spock responded. “That was only logical. The Guardian would have disarmed you.”
Spock turned toward the security detail. “Now we must find what trouble Mister Chekov has gotten into,” he said.
END
Page 87
From page 74.
“It was as if we were frozen,” Chekov said as he staggered toward Kirk. “But our minds were working. There was this voice in our heads, asking questions.”
“These are the scientists?” Kirk asked, and Chekov nodded.
“What sort of questions?” Ensign Larek asked Chekov.
The young Russian officer shrugged. “Terran history; the food we liked; reproduction; law. It seemed fascinated by ice cream.” Chekov shook his head. “How long were we there, sir? It seemed like days!”
“Less than an hour, Mister Chekov.” He flipped open his communicator. “Kirk to bridge. Have Doctor McCoy beam down with a medical team.”
Admiral Kirk turned toward the full sphere with the pulsating glow within. “I thank you. My name is Kirk, Admiral James Kirk.”
Kirk was momentarily distracted by the shimmering arrival of Leonard McCoy and a medical team, then he returned to the sphere again. “We’ll check over everyone, then beam back aboard and—”
…no…I…Am…Guardian…
Kirk blinked. The pain in his head was intense. “I’m afraid I must insist. Once we get aboard the Enterprise, we can discuss the topic of someone staying behind.”
…no…
Turn to page 88.
Page 88
From page 87.
Kirk staggered with the mind blow. Phasers were swept from their holsters by the security men but they, too, staggered back, dropping their weapons as they suffered a mind hit.
Phaser blasts lanced across the cavern room from a side passage, and the dull gray sphere glowed fiery red, but did not disintegrate.
“Spock!” Kirk called out, his throat constricted with pain.
“Here, Captain!”
“Beam us up!” Kirk ordered, his hands to his head.
Spock flicked out his communicator, then lurched back as the Guardian struck at him and his men. Spock stayed on his feet, but his team fell, moaning. He fired again, and while the phaser beam played on the sphere they did not feel the stabbing pain in their heads.
“Captain, your phaser! Mine is running out!” Spock said. Kirk grabbed a weapon and fired on the sphere.
“Get us beamed up!” Kirk ordered.
“Sir!” Ensign Larek said. “There’s some kind of electrical field around us now. We can’t beam up!”
And Kirk’s phaser blinked red as the charge began to dissipate.
For Kirk’s solution, turn to page 100.
For Spock’s solution, proceed to page 101.
Page 89
Front page 75.
“Klingon!” Ensign Larek said. “That’s not logical! This is a very old Vardan structure!”
Kirk said, “Which is a good cover for whatever they have in mind. That must be what happened to the archaeologists and to Chekov.”
“What do we do, sir?” Scott said.
“Find our people,” Kirk said grimly. “Then see what the Klingons have in mind. This planet is in Federation territory!” He pointed at the machinery. “Scotty, find out what that does. Ensign Larek, come with me!”
If you stay with Scotty, proceed to page 102.
If you go with Admiral Kirk, continue to page 103.
Page 90
From page 75.
“What are Klingons doing here?” Kirk demanded. “This is a Federation planet!”
Scotty shrugged. “It’s Klingon machinery without a doubt, but it may not be run by Klingons, sir.”
“They are not known to be generous with their technology, Scotty,” Kirk said. He turned to the young Vulcan officer. “Mister Larek, your appraisal of the situation.”
The Vulcan female blinked, then spoke quickly. She knew she was being tested as part of her training. “Sir, I’d destroy the machinery—”
“Not until we find out what it does, and why,” Kirk said. “Go on.”
“I’d continue the search for the scientists and Mister Chekov, then transport back as quickly as possible.”
“Then?”
“Sir, the Klingons are in violation of treaty by just being here. Starfleet regulations say—”
“Yes, Ensign, I know what they say. Scotty, you figure out what they’re making here, and report back. Mister Larek, take th
e point. We are continuing the search.”
“Aye, sir!”
Proceed to page 104.
Page 91
From page 81.
Back on the bridge of the Enterprise, Admiral Kirk pressed the stud to activate the log. “Captain’s Log. Stardate 8001.5. We have rescued the archaeologists from a stasis trap on Varda III and are proceeding to Starbase Six. Also recovered were a number of space travelers, including a real live Thrix, which Doctor McCoy says is a living fossil. Kirk out.”
Kirk settled back into his chair, and watched the stars begin to blur as they went into warp drive. A good day’s work, he thought.
END
Page 92
From page 82.
It seemed to last forever. Just the motionless suspension of mind and body. Even thoughts moved at the pace of snails. Sulu fought to clear his mind.
Fight…it…he thought. Do…not…surr…ender…keep…strug…gling…the Enterprise…Kirk…body…can…not…move…body…move…mind…caught…by…green…glop…keep…trying.
He felt nothing, not heat, not cold. He saw nothing, heard nothing. The deprivation of all his senses was the ultimate prison.
My…mind…is…still…free…slow…but…free…
Con…tact…alien…
But…is…it…in…tell…i…gent?
May…be…bio…log…i…cal…ma…chine…
Hel…lo?
I…mean…no…harm…
Then pictures seemed to form in his mind. Blurred, fuzzy, erratic, fading and returning. Picture of a bright, sharp-edged building, the star-shaped building. Tall, handsome creatures, only faintly humanoid, strolled about. There were sparkling spots in the daytime sky, disks that rose into the sky carrying people, works of sinuous art, the sound of tinkling music.
Be…fore?
Continue on next page.
Page 93
From page 92.
The people looked up as a bright flash exploded in their night sky. They aged swiftly, the sparkling spots died one by one, the disks stopped moving, the people died, one by one.
There was a pool of green, deep within the star-shaped building. Beyond, seen in Sulu’s mind, were glowing blobs of light, sparkling obelisks and shimmering spheres. Then, slowly, the glows and sparks and shimmering stopped and all was dark, except for the dull green glow from the pool.
A Thrix entered, flashing his light cautiously, and the pool flowed out. The Thrix ran, but the pool caught him and placed him in a niche. One after another the invaders were caught and placed carefully in the niches. None escaped.
Then Sulu saw himself, standing in a niche, eyes closed, seemingly dead. Then, as if in a dream, he saw Captain Kirk appear, speak into his communicator. He felt the tingling of a transporter field, and the image of the green pool faded.
“Are you all right?” McCoy asked, running his twinkling sensor over his body.
“The others?”
Turn to page 94.
Page 94
From page 93.
“All right, all of them,” McCoy said. “In fact they’ve never been healthier. Whatever that stuff is, it regenerates the body beautifully, dissolves the neurotoxins.” McCoy smiled. “You could have lived forever in that place.”
Sulu snorted. “Thanks, Doc, but no thanks.” He saw Captain Kirk enter. “Ready for duty, Sir!”
“Very well, Mister Sulu. Set course for Starbase Six!”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
END
Page 95
From page 109.
“We’re on our own,” Kirk said, his mind racing.
“Not quite,” Ensign Larek pointed out. “There are other Enterprise landing parties in this building.”
“It’s a very big building, and our communications have been severed,” Kirk responded.
A voice rang out through the stone passageway. “Human! Federation dogs! Your end is near!”
Kirk edged closer to the corner, then called back. “This is Federation territory! You are in violation of treaty!”
“Laws were made to be broken, human! That is Klingon law!” He laughed harshly. “What we do here is our business—and you’ll tell no one!”
“There’s a Federation ship in orbit, Klingon! It can devastate this planet in moments!” Kirk called back.
“A petty bluff, human! They will not do so while you are here, and soon it will be too late!”
Kirk turned to Larek and whispered a command. “I’ll keep them occupied. You see if you can find and knock out their jamming field. The moment you do, transmit our coordinates and have us beamed out of here.”
“What about Mister Chekov and the scientists?”
“I’ll take care of that. Move!”
Proceed to page 120.
Page 96
From page 110.
Leaving two of the armed Klingons to guard the Federation crewmen in the ancient Vardan trap, the Klingon leader strode arrogantly back toward the automated factory.
Luckily he liked to talk to the other Klingons, boasting of how the mighty humans would soon be drooling morons. His loud, boastful words gave Commander Scott time to hide in the maze of the machinery.
“Ah,” the Klingon said. “The first are coming out. Look at them, Klaar, nicely packaged in stasis bubbles.”
“And look at this,” Scotty said, rising up, his phaser sending stunning pulses into their startled bodies.
Proceed to page 124.
Page 97
From page 111.
The maze of corridors and passages within the immense star-shaped building almost ruined Kirk’s sense of direction, but at last he emerged behind the Klingons. He could still hear the occasional burst of phaser fire, and the insults being thrown back and forth.
Kirk blinked as he heard some of the epithets the young Vulcan ensign was using to taunt and keep the Klingons’ attention. Where did she learn those? he wondered.
“Ready?” he whispered to the security men, and they nodded. “Go!”
They jumped out into the corridor, phasers firing, and the six Klingons toppled. Within moments Kirk had established contact with Spock, McCoy, and the Enterprise. Then he went back to the automated factory to discover what Commander Scott had figured out.
“Mind spores, Captain. They’ll rot the brains of anyone within minutes. I imagine the Klingons expected to seed the air of Federation planets with them, sir. They spoil, you know, and you can’t refrigerate them—which is why they had to make the dreadful things close in, within Federation territory.”
“Destroy all of it, Mister Scott. Every molecule. And Mister Chekov?”
Turn to page 98.
Page 98
From page 97.
“With the scientists, sir. The Klingons zappd ‘em all good. Going to use the lads as guinea pigs, they were!”
“Very well, Mister Scott.” He flipped open his communicator again. “Bridge, this is Kirk. Yellow alert. We suspect a Klingon vessel at any moment. Prepare to give it a surprise!”
Go to page 122.
Page 99
From page 68.
“The figures in there don’t move,” Ensign Gottlieb said, peering into the tank. “They must be the scientists in some kind of suspended animation.” She looked up at Admiral Kirk. “How do we get them out?”
“Tickle it,” Kirk suggested. He put his phaser on the very lightest energy level, one used sometimes for warming things. A slightly higher level could start a campfire.
Kirk aimed his phaser at the gelatinous substance, well away from any of the nine figures trapped in it, and fired. At once there was a quiver across the surface, then the tank erupted in great columns of formless gel. In the center of each blob was one of the human figures. The columns flowed over the edge of the tank and deposited the bodies, then flowed sluggishly back into the tank.
One of the figures stirred and opened his eyes. “I’m alive,” he croaked.
Proceed to page 105.
Page 100
&nbs
p; From page 88.
“Mister Larek, fire!” Kirk ordered. The Vulcan’s weapon played a series of deadly pulses over the sphere as Kirk organized the people.
“Get everyone out,” he ordered McCoy. “Gottlieb, Nakashima, Mister Chekov, you help!” He gathered phasers from several of the security men. “Get going!” he ordered Larek, aiming his phaser at the now fiery sphere.
“But, sir!”
“That’s an order, Ensign. You cannot learn to give orders until you learn to take them!”
“Sir!” she said and spun on her heel.
“Spock!” Kirk called. “You’re rear guard!”
“Jim, you can’t stay here!”
“Spock, go! That’s an order!”
Spock narrowed his eyes, then turned to run after the last of the Enterprise crew escorting the weak and confused scientists.
The phaser in his hand began to blink red, and Jim Kirk picked up another one. The weakened beam from the first weapon wandered off target, and Kirk grunted as a mind strike got through and staggered him.
Follow Mister Spock on page 107.
Follow Admiral Kirk on page 108.
Page 101
From page 88.
“Everyone out!” Kirk commanded. “Follow Spock! Mister Larek, collect those phasers and give them to me!” he said, pointing at some of the weapons dropped by the security men.
Star Trek II: Distress Call Page 6