by James Blish
"I don't think so," said Kirk, slowly releasing the little girl. "It would spoil your dinner."
"See what I told ya? They all say it." The children gathered behind Tommy, who stood there, a young captain ready to defend his crew, Kirk thought. The boy was a leader. But why this . . . sense of opposition?
"All right, children," he said. "You've had a full day. I think you could use some rest. Nurse Chapel will see you to your quarters."
"A very good idea, Captain," said Christine with some relief. There had been tension building up in the room. She herded them toward the door through the "Awwws" and "Do we have tos."
Kirk called to Tommy. "Just a moment. I'd like to ask you something." McCoy had quietly joined the Captain at the table. Tommy reluctantly sat down on the other side.
"Tommy, will you tell me what you saw?"
"Saw where?"
"By the rocks. On Triacus."
Tommy shrugged. "You were there," he said indifferently.
"Did you see your father today?"
"I saw'm."
"Did he seem upset?"
"Yeah, he was very upset."
"What about?"
"I didn't ask him." How could he get through this almost sullen resistance and reach the boy?
"What was going on that would have upset him?"
Tommy looked at Kirk distantly. "How should I know? He was always upset. Just like you, Captain Kirk."
"I'm not upset with you or your friends, Tommy. We invited you aboard the Enterprise. Why would I do that if I didn't like you?"
"You had your reasons," said the boy in a voice too old for him.
Kirk tried another tack. "Are you unhappy about leaving Triacus?"
"That place? That's for adults."
"Aren't you sorry about . . . about leaving your parents?"
"My parents?" said Tommy, amazed. "They love it down there. Always bizzy. They're happy." He wriggled to his feet. "Can I please go now? I'm tired too, you know."
Kirk sighed. "Yes, certainly. I'll take you."
"I know the way."
They let him go. "Round one to the young contender," said McCoy.
"Almost a knockout," agreed Kirk. "It's as if the parents were strangers to them. But—" he flipped the switch on the communicator. "Kirk to Security. Post a guard on the children. They're to be kept under constant watch."
But neither officers, guards nor crew heard the soft sound of chanting from Tommy's room:
Hail, hail, fire and snow,
Call the angel, we will go,
Far away, far to see,
Friendly angel, come to me.
Perhaps they were saying their prayers.
Kirk passed a restless night. The memory of little Mary dancing on her mother's grave kept returning to haunt him. If he had not seen the tragedy, he would never have suspected any trouble at all from the Children's attitude. It was all very well to talk of lacunar amnesia, but there was an undercurrent of horror that he could not shake.
And the doctor had found no signs of Spock's "chemically induced" derangement.
The viewscreen on the bridge showed the expected image of Triacus, just distant enough for the details of the landscape to be blurred.
"Mr. Sulu?"
"Maintaining standard orbit, Captain," said Sulu, pleased to give an "all's well" report to the tired face of his commander.
"Lieutenant Uhura, is there any report from the planet security team?"
"Everything is quiet, sir." Everything quiet, everything in order. Why this sense of unease?
Mr. Spock appeared at his elbow. "Captain, I have extracted the salient portion of Professor Starnes's tapes."
"Good." Kirk moved to Spock's console.
"Among the technical facts he gathered, Professor Starnes also offers some rather . . . unscientific hypotheses." Spock's voice expressed distrust.
"Let's see them, Mr. Spock."
". . . Log date, 5025.3. Ever since our arrival on Triacus, I've had a growing feeling of uneasiness. The distinguished man on the screen glanced around him. "At first, I attributed it to the usual case of nerves commonly associated with any new project. However, I found that the rest of my associates were also bothered by these anxieties."
Kirk and Spock exchanged a puzzled glance. On the screen, Dr. Starnes licked his lips and hurried on.
"The only ones not affected are the children, bless them, who are finding the whole thing an exciting adventure." For a moment, the trouble left his face and he smiled. "Ah, to be young again!"
"Are there more of these unscientific hypotheses, Mr. Spock?"
Spock nodded briefly.
". . . 5032.4 The feeling of anxiety we've all been experiencing is growing worse. It seems to be most intense close to the camp, in fact. There is a cave in the rocks in which we have been sheltering part of the time; I have ordered Professor Wilkins to begin excavating. There are signs that the area was once inhabited, and perhaps there is an explanation to be found."
Spock switched off the tricorder. "There is another portion, Captain, which I believe you'll find particularly interesting." He adjusted the mechanism.
". . . 5038.3 Professor Wilkins completed his excavation today. Although whatever civilization that might have been here was destroyed by a natural catastrophe, as described in notebooks 7 through 12 of our records, it would appear that . . . took refuge in the cave . . . all our efforts, we are becoming more apprehensive . . . as if some unseen force . . . influ— . . ." The recording had gradually begun fading and bleeping. Now the professor's mouth went on moving, but only a high whistling emerged from the tricorder. As Spock bent over it to try to adjust the settings, even the image blurred.
"What happened?" said Kirk.
"Unknown," replied Spock, frowning over his instrument. Kirk heard a soft step behind him.
Tommy smiled, all boyish freckles.
"I didn't see you come in, Tommy," said Kirk.
"I had something to say to you, Captain. After we leave here, can you take us to Marcos Twelve?"
"No, Tommy, we'll probably take you to a Federation Starbase."
Urgently, Tommy said, "But I have relatives on Marcos Twelve."
"I'm sorry, but Marcos Twelve isn't within our patrol area. Mr. Spock, we'll continue in my quarters." Spock was still inspecting the tricorder. He now removed the tape.
"Oh, Captain," said Tommy, looking wonderingly around the bridge at the consoles, the flashing lights, the complex equipment. "Can I stay here and watch?" For a moment, Kirk forgot the problem the boy represented, and remembered his own enchantment the first time he had been taken aboard a Starship. "I'll be very quiet," the boy added hopefully.
"All right, Tommy. Lieutenant Uhura, please ask Dr. McCoy to report to my quarters for a brief conference."
The last Kirk saw of Tommy, he was heading for Kirk's own chair—going to play Captain. Kirk smiled at Mary as he and Spock passed her at the door.
"I wonder where the rest of them are."
"Playing, no doubt," said Spock, still looking at the malfunctioning tricorder as they walked. "It seems to be a thing they do. Most illogical."
"Of course, Mr. Spock."
Mr. Scott woke up ten minutes late and just a little irritated with himself. He stomped to the Engineering Room and picked up his clipboard, glaring at the two technicians who were on duty. Suddenly, he stopped dead in front of an indicator.
"And when did we change course?"
One of the technicians turned and looked at him curiously. "We haven't changed course."
"What d'ye mean we haven't changed course? Look at your bridge control monitor!"
Mildly puzzled, the technician replied, "We're still in orbit, sir."
"Have you gone completely blind? Tha's no' orbiting position!" Scott reached over to the controls.
The technician seized his hand and thrust it aside. "Don't touch the controls, sir," he said quietly.
"What the devil d'ye think ye're doin'?" Scott snatched hi
s hand back.
"We must remain in this orbit until the bridge orders are changed."
"You blind fuil, can't ye see what's in front of ye? We're not in orbit!" Mr. Scott lunged toward the controls again.
"I will not disobey an order from the bridge," reiterated the technician firmly. He placed himself squarely before the console, barring Scott.
"You are disobeying an order from the bridge! Now step aside!" What ailed the man? Triacus was nowhere in sight; the readings showed the Enterprise moving through space at Warp Two.
"You're losing control of yourself, sir," said the second technician carefully and very gently.
"Not yet!" Scott's voice had become a growl as he drew back his fist. He ducked the blow aimed at his chin and connected satisfyingly with the solar plexus of the first technician, who doubled up and backed away. The second man was on Scott at once, and furiously Scott swung and knocked him down.
Unfortunately, the first man had recovered and dispatched Mr. Scott with a neat blow from behind. The two technicians glanced at his fallen body and turned back to their consoles.
Little Don stared down at the big man lying on the floor. His white teeth flashed in a proud grin.
In Kirk's quarters, the tricorder was functioning again.
". . . I'm being influenced to do things that don't make sense. I've even gone so far as to call Starfleet Command to request a spaceship to be used as a transport." Professor Starnes had entirely lost composure; his eyes had grown dull in deep caverns under his brows. "It was only when I couldn't tell them what I wanted to transport that I began to realize that my mind was being . . . directed. I decided to send a dispatch to Starfleet, warning them . . . God forgive us! We must destroy ourselves..The alien is upon us! The enemy from within, the enemy . . ." The cracked voice faded.
"He never completed the entry. And that dispatch was never sent—only scenes of family life, games and picnics with the children. That is the complete record." Spock was sober as he rewound the tapes. "Whatever overwhelmed them must have done so with incredible speed, or the professor would have provided details of the experience. He was an excellent scientist and tireless in the pursuit of the truth."
"A high tribute coming from you, Mr. Spock. But that could be what destroyed him."
Spock stared at Kirk. "The truth destroy? I don't follow that. Captain. It seems to be a non sequitur. The pursuit of truth is the noblest activity."
"Of course, of course. But the revelation of truth had often been fought, and fought hard."
"He's only too right, Spock," said McCoy.
"Unfortunately, I am compelled to agree. Evil seeks to maintain power by the suppression of truth." Slowly, Spock added, "Or by misleading the innocent."
With a sense of nearing enlightenment, Kirk said, "I wonder . . .?"
"Do you mean the children?" said McCoy.
"Yes, Doctor."
There was a short silence, broken by the Captain. "Spock, what do we know about the race that lived here?"
"Legends, Captain. They say that Triacus was the seat of a band of marauders who made constant war throughout the system of Epsilon Indi. After many centuries, these destroyers were themselves destroyed by those they had preyed upon."
"Is that the end of it?"
"No. Like so many legends, this too has a frightening ending. It warns that the evil is awaiting a catalyst to set it in motion once again and send it marauding across the galaxy."
The three officers looked at one another. "Is it possible that this . . . evil . . . has found its catalyst?"
"I was speaking of a legend, Captain," said Spock severely.
"But most legends have their bases in fact, Mr. Spock."
"I think I read you, Jim," said McCoy. "But as Medical Officer, I must warn you that unless the normal grief is tapped and released from these children, you're treading dangerously."
"I'll respect your diagnosis, Bones. But not to the exclusion of the safety of the Enterprise. Thank you. Mr. Spock, what other expeditions have visited Triacus?"
"According to Federation records, this is the first."
"What was that about an 'unseen force'? Starnes said it was influencing him, he had recognized and was beginning to fight it . . ."
"And he had canceled his request for a ship," said Spock.
"The ship! Yes, a ship for Triacus. But why? Transport was wanted, but by whom?"
With decision, Kirk addressed the communicator. "Security Detachment. Ready for relief duty on Triacus. Assemble in the Transporter Room immediately." He added, more to himself than to the others, "I'll have some questions for the first detachment as soon as they've beamed up. It's about time we found out whether Starnes's 'enemy within' is on the planet below—or here on board."
In the Transporter Room, two guards were already standing on the platform. Spock went to the controls. As Captain Kirk told the men that their tour of duty would be one hour, they looked at each other with astonishment—and then uneasiness. "Be ready with your communicators at all times to report any signs of alien beings. Don't wait to investigate. Is that clear?" The men nodded. "Beam down the guards."
Mr. Spock pulled the lever; the guards shimmered, began to fade and were gone. "Beam up the Security Detachment from Triacus."
The flickering figures on the platform faded, returned, faded. Where there should have been two solid security guards, there was only scintillating light.
"What's wrong?" said Kirk sharply.
"I am unable to lock on to the proper coordinates, Captain."
"Why not?"
"It appears we are no longer orbiting Triacus."
"But that's impossible." As the information sank in, Kirk said with horror, "If we're not orbiting Triacus, those men I just beamed down are dead."
"Captain, we are no longer orbiting Triacus."
"Activate the bridge monitor screen." Mr. Sulu was sitting placidly at his console, with Tommy watching interestedly. Uhura was smiling at little Mary. "Captain to bridge. Mr. Sulu, we are not in orbit around Triacus."
"With all respects, Captain," replied Sulu, surprised, "you're wrong. I have Triacus on my screen right now."
"You're off course. I'm coming up there."
He merely glanced at the children as he hurried to Sulu's station, followed by Spock.
"Mr. Sulu, your controls are not in orbiting position."
"But we are in orbit. Look." The screen showed the planet serenely below them.
"So it would appear," said Spock.
Behind them, the children had begun to play some game. Mary's voice chanted, "Hail, hail, fire and snow . . ." as the other three gathered in the doorway. They formed a circle and joined hands, clasping and unclasping in a complicated pattern. Kirk was aware of them only as a background distraction.
"Mr. Scott! This is Kirk. Look at your course override. What is our heading?"
The answer came blandly through the intercom. "Marcos Twelve, Captain."
Marcos Twelve! Kirk glanced at the circle of children. ". . . Far away, far to see . . ."
"Why have you changed course, Mr. Scott?"
"According to your order, Captain." The intercom clicked off.
". . . Friendly angel, come to me . . ."
"Mr. Scott! Scotty!"
The lights on the bridge dimmed slightly and took on a greenish tinge. In the circle of children, something was forming in the air, not with the familiar shimmer of a transporter beam, but eerily, gradually, the figure of a silver-haired, sweet-faced manlike being clad in a glittering cloak took shape. It spoke to the children.
"You have done well, my friends. I, Gorgan, am very proud. You have done what you must do. As you believe, so shall you do."
Softly, the children replied in chorus, "As we believe, so shall we do."
"Marcos Twelve has millions of people on it. Nearly a million will be our friends." The figure smiled benignly. "The rest will become our enemies. Together with our friends, we will destroy them as we destroyed our
enemies on Triacus." It glowed with satisfaction. "A million friends from Marcos Twelve will make us invincible. We can do anything we wish in the whole universe. It will be all ours to play in, and no one can interfere. All ours, my friends!"
It spread out its hands. "Now we have come to a moment of crisis. The enemy has discovered our operation. But they are too late! They no longer control the ship—we do. We shall prevail! They will take us wherever we desire.
"As you believe, so shall you do."
The children, gazing raptly at the figure, replied, "As we believe, so shall we do."
"Each of you will go to your stations. Maintain your controls. If resistance comes, you know what to do. Call upon their Beasts! Their Beasts will serve us well. In each one of our enemies is the Beast which will consume him.
"Remember how it was on Triacus? If they resist, so shall it be on the Enterprise. If you need me, call me, and I, Gorgan, will appear. We make ready for our new beginning on Marcos Twelve. We must not falter . . .
"As you believe, so shall it be, so shall it be . . ." The creature smiled sweetly upon the children and slowly faded.
Mr. Spock's eyebrow lifted in astonishment. Kirk was unable to move for a paralyzed moment, and in that moment, Tommy whispered orders to the others.
"Go to your stations. Mary, you remain here with me." Don, Steve and Ray whisked out the door as Mary seated herself near Uhura.
Kirk spoke gently to Sulu. "Helmsman, disregard what you see—whatever you think you see—on your screen. Set a course for Starbase 4." Sulu's hands jerked. He froze, blood draining from his face as he stared at the screen.
"Helmsman, do you hear me?"
Sulu managed to whisper, "Yes, sir." Kirk, relieved, ignored Tommy's mutter.
". . . See, see, what shall he see . . ." The boy's eyes glittered with concentration.
"Lieutenant Uhura, contact Starbase 4. Tell them we are bringing the children back. Tell Starfleet Command that I suspect them of being alien in nature and I want a thorough investigation made on our arrival."
"Aye, aye, sir," said Uhura briskly and turned to her board. She stopped. She began shivering as her hands went to touch her face, her eyes fixed on her console.