Star Trek - Blish, James - 11

by 11(lit)

  Kirk had raced for the lab door. Behind him, Deela shouted, "The captain's gone!"

  "Go after him, Deela!"

  But his headstart had given him time to make the Transporter Room. He rushed to its console, ripped out some wire; and had it shut again to conceal the damage as Deela ran in.

  "Why did you leave me?" she demanded.

  "I panicked," Kirk said.

  The green eyes swept over him. "I don't believe that," she said.

  "Can we leave before he activates your device?" he said.

  She looked at him, her smooth brow puckered suspi-ciously. Then she touched the medallion. "Rael, we're in the Transporter Room. You can-activate."

  "Beam him down at once."

  Still doubtful, she gestured Kirk to the platform. At the console, she pushed a switch. It swung, limp-and the smile in the green eyes deepened. "What did you do to the Transporter, Captain?"

  "Nothing," he said. "It must be what your people did. Try the switch again."

  She obeyed. Then she touched the medallion commu-nicator. "The Transporter isn't working," she said quietly.

  "What did he do to it?"

  She delayed her answer. The impishness glinted in her eyes. She was enjoying herself. It was fun to pretend she didn't know what she knew. "Nothing," she told Rael. "He didn't have time. I think it's a-what do they call it? A malfunction. You'd better not activate yet." She turned to Kirk, the amusement still in her face. "What would you say it is, Captain?"

  He assumed a thoughtful look. "Well, our technicians reported a loss of energy. That may be it."

  She spoke solemnly to the medallion. "The captain says his technicians-"

  "I heard him. Do you expect me to believe him?"

  It was the Queen in her who spoke. "I expect you to check into all possible causes." She turned the medallion off to smile the impish smile at Kirk. "If I had a suspicious nature," she said, "I'd say you sabotaged the Transporter, Captain. To buy time."

  "Of course," he said.

  She laughed with delight. "Aren't we the innocent pair? I despise devious people, don't you?"

  Kirk nodded gravely. "I believe in honest relation-ships, myself." He hesitated. "Deela, you've never seen my quarters. Before we leave, wouldn't you like to?"

  Their eyes met. "Are they like you?" she said. "Aus-tere, efficient-but in their own way, handsome?"

  "Yes," he said.

  In his cabin, the first thing she went to was his mirror. "Oh, I look a perfect fright! All this running about has left me a perfect fright, hasn't it?"

  She lifted a brush from the dresser and flung her head over, the shining hair cascading to the floor. She parted the chestnut curtain with a finger, peeking at him. Then she laughed, tossed the hair back and began to brush it, a delicious woman attracting what she knows her preening has attracted. An electric spark flashed between them.

  "Are you married, Captain?"

  "No."

  "No family, no attachments? Oh, I see. You're mar-ried to your career and never look at a woman."

  "You're mistaken," he said. "I look, if she's pretty enough."

  "I wondered when you'd say something nice to me. Am I more presentable now?"

  "A bit," he said.

  She was facing him, the brush still in her hand. "It was quite delightful kissing you when you couldn't see me. But now that you do see me, don't you think... ?"

  He strode to her, took her in his arms and kissed her. She drew back-but he had felt her body tremble. Her arms were reaching for his neck when she whirled out of his embrace, her weapon out. "Unfair!" she cried. "To try and take it in the middle of a kiss!"

  She thrust it back into her belt. "But I'll forgive you. I'd have been disappointed in you if you hadn't tried to take it!"

  "Was I too crude?" Kirk said.

  "Just don't try It again, that's all. You're so vulnerable to cell damage. All I have to do is scratch you." She held up pink nails. Then she lifted his arms and placed them around her waist. "You'll come around to our way of think-ing sooner or later. And it will be better sooner than later. That's a promise."

  In the medical lab, Spock, still functioning in normal time, was about to insert a tape of his own into the computer when McCoy called him. "Have a look at this, Spock. There's no question about it. The same substance is in the captain's coffee as in the Scalosian water. But not a trace of it in the other cups."

  Spock spoke to Christine. "Nurse, program that infor-mation and see if we can isolate counteragents."

  A mosquito whined. Spock, striking at air, turned to McCoy. "Did you just hear-"

  "I've been hearing that whine ever since we beamed down to Scalos."

  "We brought it with us. And I know what it is. I shall be on the bridge." They stared after him, puzzled, as he raced out of the lab. He was still running when he brought up short on the bridge. "Lieutenant Uhura, replay that Scalosian distress call on my viewer!"

  "Yes, sir."

  Rael's image appeared on the screen. Spock leaned forward in his chair, waiting for the voice. It came. "Those of us who are left have taken shelter in this area. We have no explanation for what has been happening to us. Our number is now five..."

  It was enough. Spock twisted a dial on the viewer; and the voice, rising in pitch, became incoherent babble, went higher still until it turned into recognizable whine. Spock slowed the voice back into words, lifted it up again into the whine-and nodded. On the screen, the image, rushed faster and faster, had first blurred. Then it vanished.

  "So," Spock said to nobody.

  Back in the lab, McCoy had made a discovery, too. Banging away the whining mosquito at his ear, he spoke into the intercom. "McCoy to Spock." "Spock, here."

  "Did you leave a tape in the computer? I've tried reading it but I get nothing but that whine..."

  "Bring it to the bridge at once, Doctor."

  Kirk's voice. They listened to it on their separate edges of eternity, each of them reading his own fate in Compton's and Kirk's.

  "... Its destruction is imperative. I am dictating this in the presence of their Queen who has denied none of it. Why she has permitted me-"

  Deela's voice came. "Because by the time you hear this, it will be too late. The mechanism will be activated..."

  Silence fell over the bridge people. Spock leaned swiftly to his console. "I read no change in life support," he said. "Lieutenant Uhura, alert the rest of the crew."

  Scott rose and went to him. "We could use phasers to cut through the wall, bypass the force field and get to that mechanism..."

  "Mr. Scott, we cannot cope with them on our time level."

  "Is there a way to cope with them on theirs?"

  "A most logical suggestion, Mr. Scott. Please stand by in the Transporter Room. Dr. McCoy, I should appreciate your assistance."

  They left with him, their faces blank with bewilder-ment. Uhura followed them with her eyes. "Mr. Sulu, if nothing has happened yet, wouldn't it mean that the cap-tain has managed to buy time, somehow?"

  "Yes," Sulu said. "But how much?"

  Rael had restored sufficient energy to the Transporter for a beam-down. But his success had a bitter taste. His fancy persisted in tormenting him with present and future images of Deela with Kirk. Finally, he touched his own medallion.

  "Deela..."

  She didn't answer. Languorously, she was combing her hair to rights before Kirk's mirror. He watched her from a chair. Then he got up, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. As he kissed the back of her neck, she turned full into his arms.

  "Deela!"

  Rael stood in the cabin doorway. The hot fury in him exploded. He reached for her; and seizing a lamp, hurled it at Kirk. Kirk ducked it. Cell damage! In his accelerated state, this could be no ordinary fight. Deela screamed, "Rael, stop it! Don't hurt him! Rael! Captain, get out..."

  Grabbing her weapon, she fired it at the lamp. But Rael lunged at Kirk again, barehanded. She fired again, spinning him around with the force beam. "That's en
ough!" she cried. "Did he damage you, Captain?"

  "No."

  "How very fortunate for you, Rael! Don't try any-thing like that again!"

  "Then don't torment me. You know what I feel."

  "I don't care what you feel. Keep that aspect of it to yourself. What I do is necessary, and you have no right to question it." She paused to add more quietly, "Allow me the dignity of liking the man I select."

  He stood sullen but subdued. "Is the Transporter re-paired?" she said.

  "I have more work to do."

  "Then do it." He left. She remained silent, more de-pressed by the scene than she cared to show. After a long moment, she spoke. "He loves me. I adored him when I was a child. I suppose I still do." She made an effort to recover their former mood. "I must say, you behaved better than he did."

  "I hope so," Kirk said.

  Something in his manner startled her. "What did you say?"

  "That I hope I behaved well."

  She was staring at him. "And nothing troubles you now?"

  "Why are we here?"

  "Our leaving was delayed. Don't you remember? You damaged the Transporter."

  "That was wrong," Kirk said.

  "It certainly was."

  "But we are going to Scalos?"

  "Do you want to?"

  "Yes."

  "What about your crew? Aren't you worried about them?"

  "They'll be all right here."

  Her mouth twisted with distaste. "What's the matter?" Kirk said.

  "You've completely accepted the situation, haven't you? You even like it."

  "Am I behaving incorrectly?"

  "No." Then she burst out petulantly. "Oh, I liked you better before! Stubborn, independent... and irritating! Like Rael!"

  "Those are undesirable qualities," Kirk said.

  But she was brooding over her discovery. "Maybe that's why I liked you so much. Because you were like him."

  The muscles of Kirk's face ached under the blandness of his smile. But he held it. She touched her medallion. "Rael, you don't have to worry about him. He's made the... adjustment"

  McCoy was examining the vial of liquid he had proc-essed. "It's finished," he told Spock wearily.

  Spock took the vial; and, mixing some of its contents with the Scalosian water, exposed the result to an electron-ic device. "It counteracts the substance most effectively, Doctor."

  "Under laboratory conditions. The question is, will it work in the human body? And the second question is, how do we get it to the captain?"

  Spock poured some of the Scalosian water into a glass. He lifted the glass in a toast to McCoy. "By drinking their water." He drained the glass.

  "Spock!" You don't know what the effects-"

  But Spock was savoring the taste. "It is... somewhat stimulating." He paused. "And yes, Doctor, you seem to be moving very slowly. Fascinating."

  He winked out. McCoy sank down in a chair, his eyes on the vacancy where Spock had stood.

  Rael, his face intent, twisted a knob on his refrigerat-ing mechanism. When it flared into red life, he adjusted another one. He nodded to himself as it began to pulsate, its throb dimming the lights of the life support unit. He touched his communicator medallion. "The arrangement is activated, Deela. Go to the Transporter Room and beam-down at once. The others have already left."

  Scott was at the console. Unseeing, unmoving, he didn't turn as Kirk entered the room with Deela. Time, time, Kirk thought-was there no way to gain more tune? He looked at the Transporter platform that was to maroon him on Scalos, and Deela said, "Come, Captain. We are leaving your pretty ship. Your crew will be all right. You said so yourself."

  He smiled at her. "Know something?" he said. "I think I'll make sure of it." Then he caught her; and wrenching her weapon from her belt, ran for the door.

  She screamed into her medallion. "Rael! He broke away! He's armed-"

  "I'm ready for him!"

  Kirk,was racing down the corridor to life support, ducking the stony figures of his crewmen. The beam of a phaser lanced the darkness-and he brought up short. Then he saw Spock. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. A vicious ping came from the open life support door. Together, they dodged, split, and, weapons out, plunged through the door.

  Rael fired again, missed-and Kirk stunned him with Deela's weapon. At the same moment, Spock's phaser beam struck the Scalosian machine. It continued to flare and throb. Kirk aimed his weapon at it. It burst into flame, melted and was still.

  "Nice to see you, Mr. Spock," Kirk said.

  "Rael!"

  It was Deela. She ran to the slumped body, feeling for its heart. Satisfied, she kissed Rael's lips. Then she looked up at Kirk. "You're very clever, Captain. You tricked me. I should have known you'd never adjust." She had Rael in her arms. "What shall we expect from you?"

  "We could put you in suspended animation until we determine how to use you," he said. "What do you want us to do with you?"

  She was close to tears. "Oh, Captain, don't make a game of this! We've lost. You've won. Dispose of us."

  "If I send you back to Scalos, you'll undoubtedly play he same trick on the next space ship that passes."

  She was openly weeping now. "There'll never be an-other one come by. You'll warn them. Your Federation will quarantine this entire area."

  "I'm sure it will."

  "And we'll die out. We'll solve your problem that way. And ours."

  "Will you accept help?" Kirk said. "We can't be helped. I've told you..."

  "Madam," Spock said, "I respectfully suggest that as we are advanced beyond your rating on the Industrial Scale, we may be able to be of some help."

  "Our best people in the Federation will work on it. Will you accept our offer, Deela, and go in peace?"

  Clearly, there were aspects to Kirk's nature she had not suspected. She looked at him wonderingly. After a mo-ment, the old mischief glinted in her green eyes. She shrugged. "What have we to lose?"

  She looked down at Rael. He was recovering con-sciousness. "We have lost," she told him quietly. "It is you and I who will transport down to Scalos." He smiled up at her. "Soon," he said. As they took their places on the platform, Deela turned to Kirk at the console. "Now about your problem, Captain. I note that your Vulcan friend, too, has been ac-celerated."

  Spock spoke. "If you will devote yourself exclusively to the concerns of Scalos, Madam, we shall be very happy to stay and take care of the Enterprise."

  "Spock," Kirk said, "remind me sometime to tell you how I've missed you."

  "Yes, Captain."

  "You could find life on Scalos very pleasant, Captain," Deela urged.

  "And brief," Kirk said.

  "Do I really displease you so much?"

  "I can think of nothing I'd like more than staying with you. Except staying alive."

  "Will you visit us, Captain?"

  "Energize!"

  "Captain... Captain... goodbye..." Spock had moved the controls. They dissolved-and were gone. Kirk stared at the empty platform a long mo-ment. Then, turning briskly to Spock, he said, "And now, how do we get back?"

  "Doctor McCoy and I have synthesized a possible counteragent to the Scalosian water, sir. Regrettably, we lacked the opportunity to test it."

  "Then let's test it." He took the solution Spock gave him and swallowed it. Deela and Rael. It was all for the best. You couldn't have everything you wanted. Sex-a pe-culiar magnetic field. Her eyes... like wet green leaves...

  Preoccupied, he vaguely heard Spock say, "Your mo-tion seems to be slowing down, sir."

  Kirk started to' speak. "Missssterrr... Spock!" He drew a deep breath. The counteragent had worked. They were back in their own time! Then, abruptly, he realized that Spock hadn't answered. He wheeled-and before his eyes, Spock vanished.

  "Spock! Spock, where are you?" Scott came through the door to halt in midstride, "Captain Kirk!" he yelled. "Where in blazes did you come from?"

  There was no cause to panic. Bones would have more of the counter
agent. But Vulcan physiology was a tricky thing. What had worked for him would not necessarily work for Spock. What then? A permanent isolation in an accelerated universe? Kirk had whipped out his communi-cator before he remembered it was useless, dead as the ship itself. The bridge! He had to get to the bridge! Search par-ties? Futile. They couldn't see him. If Spock were there beside him, he, Kirk himself, couldn't see him.