The Abode of Life

by Lee Correy

  When the eight sat down together, Kirk realized that this would be a meeting of paramilitary men rather than a meeting of scientists, as with the Technic group. It was fortunate for Kirk that he was a star-ship captain.

  "We're meeting here," Kirk announced, "so that you might see for yourselves that I spoke the truth when I said we did not come from the Abode but traveled in a small world from the Ribbon of Night."

  "James Kirk," Prime Proctor Lenos said with exaggerated lack of emotion that was betrayed only by his eyes, "I could not believe you then because what I'd been taught to believe could not be expanded to include the truth of what you said. Now I see the Abode on one side and Mercaniad on the other … and I know for the first time that we're not on the Abode. I accept this as reality. I must therefore also accept the other things that you've said, even though they may conflict with what I have known to be truth. . . ."

  "Prime Proctor," Kirk replied with equal lack of emotion and curtness, "we don't require that you or any Mercan change your belief in the Code. However, the reality of the Universe will require you to add new information to the Code … which will not really change the Code very much at all."

  "Why do you wish to show us these things and to talk with us?" Lenos wanted to know. "With your power, your weapons, and your traveling world, will you be displacing the Guardians by force and require the Proctorate … or do you wish to discuss an arrangement with us for participation in the conflict in exchange for our services thereafter?"

  "Neither. We meet because there are changes that you must understand," Kirk tried to explain. "The role of the Proctorate need not be changed drastically if suitable agreements can be reached between the Technic, the Guardians, and the Proctorate."

  "I find it difficult to believe that you don't intend to conquer and rule," Lenos said bluntly. "We haven't had conflict and conquest on the Abode for uncounted generations, but we have stories from the time before the Code, when such things occurred. You have the capability for conquest. We would fight, but we might not win. With my background and training, I must tell you that we haven't fought for so long that it would be difficult for us at first … then difficult for you later, even with your capability."

  Kirk said slowly and carefully, "We don't choose to use our capability for conquest except to prevent conflict between Mercans because of the change." There were times when the formal and stilted language usage of Mercan had its advantages, and this was one of them.

  "What is this change you speak of?"

  "Mercaniad will no longer create an Ordeal. To save ourselves, we were forced to tamper with Mercaniad to stabilize it. There will be no further need for the Guardian Mysteries of the Ordeal. There will be no further need for the Keeps. There would be no need for change if only the Guardians and the Proctorate knew this, but the Technic knows it, too … and all Mercans will know it soon," Kirk explained. "We're speaking of this separately to the Technic, to the Guardians, and to you, the Proctorate. Then we'll bring all three groups to the Enterprise so that together you may discuss and work out solutions for the change without having to resort to conflict."

  "You'd speak of this with the Technic?" Lenos asked indignantly.

  "We've done so because they knew of the change of Mercaniad."

  "An open conflict with the Technic would pose no problem for the Proctorate," Lenos boasted.

  "So? You just told me that you hadn't fought for many generations. Thallan of the Technic has told us that the Technic is capable of building and using weapons superior to yours; they haven't fought, either, so you're on equal ground there. But they may have superior weapons. Do you wish to risk losing to them? Or would you be willing to talk about an arrangement first?" Kirk paused for a moment and added, "Lenos, I have fought. I tell you in truth that I'd rather come to an agreement by talking than to fight. I've seen my friends killed; I've seen my enemies die. It doesn't produce personal satisfaction for a paramilitary person such as you or me to fight. As Captain of the Enterprise, I'm trained to fight if absolutely necessary … but only if there's no other recourse! Am I correct in saying that your Proctorate training is the same?"

  Lenos thought about this for a long moment during which he watched impassively as Mercaniad slipped behind the edge of the Abode and the Ribbon of Night became visible. Then he said, "Captain James Kirk, at first you were strange and different. Now I see that you and your people only appear to be different. We think alike in many ways. I believe that we may be able to work together to accomplish our real duty which is the prevention of conflict. Please tell me what you recommend the first joint action should be. . . ."

  Kirk smiled. He'd won two out of three now. "Prime Proctor, I suspect we've both been taught that the first action to take in any operation is to obtain and evaluate information upon which future action may be soundly based. Is this correct?"

  The Prime Proctor of the Abode of Life inclined his head upward in the Mercan gesture of affirmation.

  "Then let us first exchange information about one another so that we may work together more soundly toward the goal of stabilizing and expanding the Code of the Abode."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Captain's Log: Stardate 5080.7

  In a few minutes, I'll beam down with a landing party to the island-city of Celerbitan and the Guardian Villa on the surface of Mercan, the Abode of Life. This is probably the most critical phase of our attempt to stabilize the civilization of Mercan.

  Our meeting with the Technic group led by Thallan revealed that their technology is well-advanced due to the copious amounts of iron, aluminum, and copper available on or near the surface of the planet, with high-quality lodes deep in the mantle, where the Mercans built their Keeps generations ago. These lodes and ore bodies have been relatively undisturbed because, without a large moon and tidal strains, Mercan is a tectonically stable planet with little movement of its continental plates. Thus, it's been easy for the Mercans to develop the iron-based technology we find on nearly all Type M planets inhabited by humanoids.

  Although the Mercans seem to have forgotten a lot of the older technology that preceded the universal use of their traveler system, my Engineering Officer believes that the Technic possesses the necessary technology in metallurgy, materials science, and antimatter know-how to provide us with raw materials and finished parts built to Scott's specifications, even though the Mercans don't have antimatter warp drives yet. We shouldn't expect that they'd direct their technology toward star flight anyway. They've developed antimatter as a compact power source for their traveler system.

  In the course of talking with the Technic members, we learned that Mercan is also rich in the basic material for an antimatter energy system. The Mercans call it "vitaliar," but Scott says it's an alloy of several elements of the matter-antimatter system. There are also some low-quality dilithium crystals on the planet, but the Mercans never thought to use them in their antimatter systems because they had developed different but more complex techniques. The use of the Mercan dilithium crystals in our systems would not produce the efficiencies we require … but there're a lot of these low-quality dilithium crystals on Mercan if we wish to make some modifications to use them. Scott's looking into this now as an alternative if we need additional dilithium crystals for our return journey.

  We might be able to effect repairs here without the Guardians and without establishing a restabilized civilization on Mercan. But we'd save ourselves and leave a shambles behind. With the technology possessed by the Mercans, there might be nothing left when we got back … and I'm sure the Federation will want to establish diplomatic relations, if not offer outright Federation membership to these people. Mercan is in a critical location to support future Federation exploration and colonization of our treaty-permitted sector of the Galaxy in the Sagittarius Arm. In addition, it has valuable ore deposits; even the low-grade dilithium crystals are of value to commercial star ships that don't operate at the high warp speeds of Star Fleet vessels.

  Eventual
ly, perhaps in less than a century, the Klingons are likely to work their way this far toward the center of the Galaxy. If we don't have Mercan in the Federation, I know the Klingons would indeed play the conquistador role … if they left anything at all except their own fleet base here.

  I want to put my thoughts on record before beaming down, because this is a critical operation and I want a record to remain, should something happen.

  But we're going down in force this time. Lieutenant Commander Scott will have the conn in my absence. My landing force will consist of Mister Spock, Doctor McCoy, Lieutenant Sulu, and seven of our most experienced security officers under Sulu's command. I intend to convince Pallar and the Guardians to beam up willingly to meet in the ship. If they won't agree to parley in the Enterprise, I have Prime Proctor Lenos as a hostage if I wish to use him as such. I'd rather not, since he appears to understand the situation now and is willing to confer, however reluctantly, with the Technic and the Guardians. If Pallar abandons Lenos, we'll get Pallar up here by force. We may have to stun a few Proctors or even some Guardians to do it.

  At this point, I'm not averse to using coercion in the form of physical force to bring the Guardians to conference. We've got too much to lose. . . .

  In an unusual move, Kirk inspected the landing force before beaming down, wanting to make absolutely sure of every detail because of the critical nature of this mission.

  "Spock, I want you to carry your hand phaser in the open where it'll be visible," Kirk told his First Officer, noting that Spock had apparently placed the Mark II phaser under his tunic, where it would normally be carried.

  "Captain, a Vulcan never appears in public visibly armed with a weapon except in Kal-if-fee," Spock objected.

  "On Mercan, you must appear visibly armed," Kirk ordered. "In the Mercan culture, if you're not visibly armed, you're a nobody."

  "At your request, Captain, I will follow the local custom," Spock replied.

  "Are you sure I really have to wear this again?" McCoy indicated his Mercan sidearm. "I certainly don't intend to use it."

  "Wear it, Bones. It's your option to use it or not. You're the medic on this mission. Even though medics don't want to fight, sometimes they have to."

  Kirk stepped up on the transporter stage to look over his landing force. "I'll repeat the general order for this mission, gentlemen: if you have to shoot, shoot to stun and not to kill, regardless of what the Mercans do if a fight breaks out. I don't feel it's necessary to repeat any of our recent briefing unless any of you have questions. If you don't understand something, ask now and not on Mercan, where we've got to act in a unified manner. So, for the last time, any questions?"

  There were none.

  Kirk stepped into a transporter locus and quietly said, "Landing force, prepare to beam down. Places, please."

  Then, as everyone stood at the ready, Kirk gave the command, "Energize."

  Kirk had selected the spot where they had materialized in the Guardian Villa with Lenos and Orun those many days ago.

  There was no one in sight.

  "Follow me," Kirk snapped. "Security, cover our rear and check each alcove as we pass it." He strode toward the corridor where he had seen Pallar appear during their first encounter. It ended in a heavy set of double doors. Kirk merely pushed one open and went through.

  And found himself face to face with a seated circle of about two dozen Guardians, apparently in conference session.

  He strode into the chamber far enough to permit the rest of his landing force to get through the door behind him and array themselves on either side of him.

  Pallar rose to greet him. "James Kirk, welcome. We thought you'd perished in the recent Ordeal along with Proctor Lenos and his group."

  Following Mercan custom, Kirk replied, "Greetings, Pallar. We're all alive and well, thank you. You may be pleased to learn that Prime Proctor Lenos and his group of Proctors, as well as Thallan, Orun, Delin, and Othol, are alive and well, too."

  "You were able to overcome the Proctors and find the safety of a Keep?" Pallar asked incredulously.

  "Yes and no," Kirk told him. He still carried his phaser in his hand, as did the rest of his landing force. But the familiar Mercan sidearm was holstered at his side. "Our Keep is in the sky … in the traveling device we used to journey here from the Ribbon of Night. Your Prime Proctor and the Technic group are there."

  Guardian Noal, seated at Pallar's right, was looking over the landing force carefully. He sneered. "Pallar, he is still insane, as before. These biological constructs of the Technic are obviously able to withstand the Ordeal … but I'm truly surprised at the variety of form that the Technic has been able to achieve. Consider the one with the pointed ears. . . ."

  "Pallar … Guardians … we didn't come here to argue the reality of our source with you," Kirk said firmly. "A great change has come over Mercaniad, and this change will create drastic and sweeping changes in your civilization here on the Abode."

  "What do you know of Mercaniad?" Guardian Parna asked, rising to her feet.

  "Ah, you've noticed?" Kirk asked the rhetorical question with a smile. "Mister Spock here, a citizen of an abode called Vulcan, will be happy to explain it to you."

  Spock looked directly at the Guardian council and said in his usual emotionless tone, "Mercaniad has been stabilized. I calculated that the placement of high-energy antimatter explosives we call photon torpedoes in the core of Mercaniad would damp the irregular oscillations in its stellar output. Therefore, I caused those two photon torpedoes to be injected into Mercaniad. Your sun is stabilized. There will be no more Ordeals."

  "How have you of the Technic been able to do this and to determine this outcome?" Parna asked directly.

  "We aren't of the Technic," Kirk told her, "but Spock knows stellar physics. Mister Spock …"

  "Your Mystery of Mercaniad is no mystery to those of us in the Star Fleet of the United Federation of Planets," Spock explained carefully. "Your ancestors learned how to measure the critical parameters such as neutrino flux and gravito-inertial radiation, both of which emanate from the stellar core. I am certain that those instruments left to you by your ancestor Guardians will now show that there is minimal variation in these parameters. . . ."

  "The Technic has learned the Mysteries of Mercaniad," Guardian Tombah growled.

  "We aren't of the Technic," Kirk repeated. "But the Technic knows of this already. However, it doesn't make any difference. With Mercaniad stabilized, the Mysteries of Mercaniad no longer have any validity."

  "Pallar, I warned you!" Guardian Aldys shouted at the Guardian One. "We should have had the Proctorate move against the Technic earlier, before they learned. Now it is too late!"

  "The Technic didn't learn any of this from their own experiments," Kirk tried to point out. "They learned from us."

  "The general populace doesn't know of this yet," Pallar pointed out to his colleagues. "There are only a few who know. Aldys, you and Parna were very effective in explaining why the recent Ordeal was so short. So the citizens of Mercan still believe in us. Therefore, fellow Guardians of the Principle Council, I submit to you that there is only one thing that we can do at this point. Do you agree?"

  "Kill them!" Noal shouted.

  "Destroy them before they can inform," Aldys put in.

  "Proctors!" Tombah yelled.

  Three doors to the chamber flew open to reveal Proctors in their openings.

  Kirk was the first to fire. But the concentrated phaser fire of the lightning-fast security people dropped the other Proctors almost simultaneously.

  The Guardian Johon, seeing this, reacted instinctively by going for his Mercan sidearm. Spock dropped him instantly with a stun bolt from his hand phaser.

  "Hold!" Kirk shouted above what could become a melee as he reset the output of his phaser. With cool aim, he fired a phaser bolt into the floor in front of Pallar. The floor grew hot, then blew up in an explosion of shards driven by the vaporization of the latent water in the flooring. />
  That stopped the confusion.

  "We didn't come here to argue with you and your Guardians, Pallar," Kirk stated flatly. "We possess more weapon power than you can possibly imagine! This has been only an example of it. The Proctors and Guardian Johon are unhurt; they'll regain consciousness shortly. All the Proctors on the Abode cannot possibly stop us, because this time we've come in force to show you the truth of that fact."

  Pallar stared at Kirk for a moment, then at each member of the landing force. "What do you want of us?" he finally asked.

  Another Proctor appeared in an open doorway to the chamber, and the landing force from the Enterprise heard a sound few of them had ever experienced. The Proctor fired as he had been trained to do: the first shot went over their heads. The explosion of the Proctor's firearm was followed by the slap sound of the bullet's shock wave as it passed centimeters over their heads. The Proctor was immediately stunned to unconsciousness by a phaser bolt from one of Kirk's security men.

  "First of all, call off the Proctors before we become angry and somebody gets hurt," Kirk snapped with obvious irritation in his tone.

  As four more Proctors appeared in the doorways, Pallar held up his hand to them. "Cease, Proctors! Secure your weapons!" the Guardian One ordered. "Now, again, James Kirk, what do you want of us?"

  "You and three of your Guardians. You may choose who accompanies you," Kirk explained. "We'll travel to our Keep in the sky for a meeting between us, conducted in peace. Then, you'll meet with an equal number of representatives from the Proctorate and the Technic in our Keep for the purpose of working out between your groups a stable social situation here on the Abode."