Star Trek 07

by James Blish

  "No, sir. Not a chance."

  Elaan was beside Kirk. Averting his eyes from her, he said, "I told you to stay in Sickbay."

  "If I'm going to die, I want to die with you."

  "We don't intend to die. Leave the bridge."

  She drifted away toward the elevator and stopped to lean her head back against the wall.

  Sulu shouted, "One thousand kilometers!"—and the ship shuddered under impact by a Klingon missile. As it burst against a deflector shield, its flash bathed the Enterprise in a multi-colored auroral light.

  "He's passed us," Spock said. "All shields held."

  "Mr. Sulu, come to 143 mark 2. Keep our forward shields to him."

  "Here he comes again, sir," Sulu said.

  "Stay with the controls. Keep those forward shields to him." On the screen the Klingon ship was an approaching streak of speed.

  "He's going for our flank, Mr. Sulu. Hard over! Bring her around!"

  The force of the second missile shook every chair in the bridge. "Sulu!" Kirk shouted.

  "Sorry, Captain. She won't respond fast enough on impulse drive."

  "He's passed us again," Spock said. "There's damage to number four shield, sir."

  "How bad?"

  "It won't take another full strike. Captain, I'm getting some very peculiar readings on the sensor board."

  "What sort of readings, Mr. Spock?"

  The Vulcan had seized his tricorder and was scanning the bridge area with it. Suddenly, he leaped from his chair to point to Elaan. "She is the source!" he cried.

  "She?" Kirk said. "You mean Elaan?"

  "The necklace, Captain!"

  Both men ran to her. "What kind of jewels are in that thing?" Kirk demanded.

  Bewildered, she fingered the necklace. "We call the white beads radans. They are quite common stones."

  Spock scanned the diamonds with a circular device on his tricorder. Under it, they glowed and sparkled with an unearthly fire.

  "It's only because of its antiquity that the necklace is prized," Elaan said.

  "Common stones!" Kirk said. "No wonder the Klingons are interested in this star system! May I have that necklace, your glory?"

  "If it can be of any help—of course," she said.

  "You may just have saved our lives," Kirk said. "Mr. Spock, do you think Scotty could use some dilythium crystals?"

  "There's a highly positive element in your supposition, Captain." The necklace in hand, Spock entered the elevator.

  "He's coming in again, sir," Sulu cried.

  "Mr. Sulu, stand by my order to turn quickly to port. Try to protect number four shield. Now, Mr. Sulu! Hard to port!"

  Again the shields reflected the brilliant interplay of multi-colored light as the ship vibrated under shock by the Klingon attack. "Shields holding but weakened," Sulu called.

  "Captain, message coming in," Uhura reported. At Kirk's nod, she hit the speaker.

  The guttural Klingon voice had triumph in it. "Enterprise, our readings confirm your power extremely low, your shields buckling. This is your last chance to surrender."

  Sulu said, "Number four shield just collapsed, sir. Impulse power down to 31 percent."

  Kirk walked over to Uhura's station. "Lieutenant, open a channel." He seized the microphone. "This is Captain Kirk. I request your terms of surrender."

  "No terms. Surrender must be unconditional and immediate."

  Kirk struck the intercom button. "Scotty, what's the estimate?"

  "We're fitting it now, sir. We'll need to run a few tests to make sure—"

  "We'll test it in combat."

  Spock said, "Those are crude crystals, sir. There's no way to judge what the unusual shapes will do to energy flow."

  Scott used the intercom to add his caution. "Captain, a hitch in the energy flow could blow us up just as effectively as—"

  Kirk cut him off. "Let me know when it's in place." He returned to Uhura. "Hailing frequency again, Lieutenant." Back at his command chair, he said into his speaker, "This is the USS Enterprise. Will you guarantee the safety of our passenger, the Dohlman of Elas?"

  The harsh voice repeated, "No conditions. Surrender immediate."

  "Captain, he's starting his run!"

  "I see, Mr. Sura." Standing before the screen, Kirk felt a quiet hand laid on his arm. Elaan watched with him as death in the form of the Klingon ship neared them, itself a black missile made vague by speed. Then Scott spoke from the intercom. "It's in place, sir—but I can't answer for . . ."

  "Get up here fast!" Kirk said. He wheeled from the screen. "Mr. Sulu, stand by for warp maneuver. Mr. Chekov, arm photon torpedoes."

  "Photon torpedoes ready, sir."

  "Warp power to the shields, Captain?"

  "Negative, Mr. Sulu. His sensors would pick up our power increase. The more helpless he thinks we are, the closer he'll come. It's as he passes I want warp drive cut in. You'll pivot at Warp Two, Mr. Sulu, to bring all tubes to bear."

  "Aye, sir."

  "Mr. Chekov, give him the full spread of photon torpedoes."

  Scott rushed into the bridge to take his place at his station and Sulu said, "One hundred thousand kilometers, sir."

  "Mr. Scott, stand by to cut in warp power."

  The engineer looked up from his control. "Fluctuation, Captain. It's the shape of the crystals. I was afraid of that."

  "Seventy-five kilometers," Sulu said.

  "He'll fire at minimum range, Mr. Sulu."

  "Forty," Sulu said.

  Scott's worried eyes were on the flickering lights of his board. "It won't steady down, Captain."

  The mass of the Klingon ship nearly filled the screen. Kirk said, "Warp in, Scotty. Full power to the shields. Mr. Sulu, warp two. Come to course 147 mark 3."

  The Klingon ship fired. The Enterprise swerved, began to rotate dizzily in the dazzle of the now familiar auroral blaze reflected from its wounded shields.

  "We're still here!" Scott cried, unbelieving.

  "Fire photon torpedoes! Full spread!"

  They waited. Elaan's hand found Kirk's. Then it came. From far out in space there came the shattering roar of explosion, of tearing metal. Another one detonated.

  "Direct hit amidship by photon torpedo!" Sulu yelled.

  Spock lifted his head. "Damage to Klingon number three shield, Captain. Number four obliterated. They've lost maneuver power, sir."

  Chekov turned. "He's badly damaged. Retreating at reduced speed, sir."

  "Secure from general quarters," Kirk said.

  Elaan, her eyes shining with proud excitement, looked at him, startled. "You will not pursue and finish him off?"

  "No." His eyes met hers. It was a long moment be-fore he was able to say, "Mr. Sulu, resume course to Troyius."

  Having said it, he looked away from the dead hope in her face.

  In the Transporter Room, Petri had taken his place on the platform. As Elaan entered in her wedding dress, she touched the Troyian necklace she wore and smiled at him. "The two missing stones in this," she said, "saved all our lives, Ambassador Petri." He bowed deeply.

  She went to Kirk. "You will beam-down for—the ceremony?"

  "No."

  She detached the jeweled dagger from her belt. "I wish you to have this as a personal memento. You have taught me that such things are no longer for me." She stooped and kissed his hand. "Remember me," she whispered.

  "I have no choice," he said.

  "Nor have I. All we've got now is duty and responsibility."

  She took her place on the platform, her two guards beside her. "Good-bye, Captain James Kirk." Her voice broke.

  "Good-bye," Kirk said. He walked swiftly to Scott at the transporter desk. "Energize," he said. Scott turned the dial and the figure of Elaan began to shimmer. He turned for his last look at her. Her eyes were on his, bright with tears.

  McCoy met him excitedly as he walked out of the bridge elevator. "Jim, I've finally isolated the poisonous substance in that woman's tears. I think I've found t
he antidote."

  "There's no need for it, Doctor," Spock said. "The Captain has found his own antidote. The Enterprise infected the Captain long before the Dohlman's tears touched him."

  Kirk said, "Mr. Sulu, take us out of orbit. Ahead Warp Two."

  Was the Enterprise the antidote to Elaan? McCoy and Spock seemed very sure it was. He was not so sure. Not now, anyway.