The Doctor And The Enterprise by Jean Airey
The Doctor & the Enterprise, Authors introduction and disclaimer.
Prologue: In 1979 I started writing a *fanzine* story in which the Doctor
(from the "Doctor Who" universe) met up with the crew of the "original" "Star Trek"
series. It was the first thing I'd written since graduating from college fifteen
years before, and, with the assistance of an excellent author and very good friend,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg, was able to finish it. The result turned out to be an
enjoyable reading experience to a number of people.
The story was not intended to be a satire, it was intended to be an honest
representation of what might happen if these two particular universes met. It was
intended as a fanzine in the most classic tradition of that particular genre.
Unfortunately that popularity resulted in the ultimate "ripping off" of the story without
my permission into a highly priced "book" format (in one version) and to a complete travesty
of the original in yet another. For some years now, I had been offering to make copies
available at the cost of postage -- and was willing to "post" copies to the electronic networks.
However, I did not want to rekey the whole rather lengthy document. After a recent discussion
of the 'zine on the network, Marc Barrett offered to scan the original into an ascii file.
(Many thanks to him!) With some editing (Proportional Space type resulted in some unique
versions of McCoy's name! along with some other anomalies.), the following files are being
posted to the net. The following are the rules for use of these files.
A) You may read it -- FREE.
B) You may print it to a printer -- FREE.
C) You may make copies for your friends -- FREE.
D) You may redistribute to other electronic networks and databases,
including ftp archives FREE.
E) The text carries my copyright from the date of original publication
and "publication" of these files in this format does not grant anyone
anywhere permission to make copies either electronically or in print
which carry *any* charge to anyone of any type for that copy.
F) Any reproduction of the text (print or electronic) must carry this notice with it.
An individual editing for a single copy for their own records is not bound by this
requirement and may edit this paragraph out.
Paper copies with the original artwork (including the marvelous cover by Gail Bennett) are
available from me. Some dealers may also have appropriately priced
*authorized* copies available (STARTECH is one of them). Not everyone is on a computer
network!
With regrets for being so picky -- but I've been burned on this enough. Read
and enjoy!
PART 1
THE DOCTOR AND THE ENTERPRISE
by Jean Airey
copyright 1982 Jean Airey
The alien sound pierced Kirk's ears. He stopped, alone
in the corridor, trying to pinpoint its origin.
The transporter room.
He turned and ran towards the door as the klaxon alarm
of a Red Alert sounded. Damn! he thought. It seemed that
the Enterprise could not even make the final trip back to
Earth after completing her five-year mission without
complications. First an emergency rescue of a Cultural
Survey and Contact team and the crew of the liner that had
been transporting them, then a freak magnetic storm that had
buffeted the ship unmercifully and taken out the subspace
radio, and now...
As he entered the room, Lt. Kyle was staring at a large
boxlike structure that stood on several of the transporter
pads. It was about eight feet tall with small opaqued
windows at the top, a white light on the roof that was
rotating slowly, and lettering above the windows that said
`POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX'.
"Report, Lieutenant."
"It just appeared, sir."
"The transporter wasn't activated?"
"No, sir. We were performing signaling tests, but it
was not activated."
The door at the front of the box started to open. Both
Kirk and Kyle had their phasers out as a man emerged.
Over six feet tall, he was wearing a heavy coat over
clothing that reminded Kirk of the earth styles of the
18905. A long scarf was wrapped around his neck, hanging
down in front on both sides to the floor. A floppy hat
partially covered an abundance of brown curly hair. His
blue eyes seemed to focus suddenly on Kirk and Kyle. One
cheek looked bruised, and he swayed slightly.
"Oh bother," he said with a decided British accent,
"this isn't London."
"Just stand there and keep your hands where we can see
them," Kirk said. He did not seem to be a menace, but Kirk
had seen his ship threatened too often to take any chances.
"No need to panic." The man raised his hands slowly and
eyed the phasers as if he recognized them.
The door behind Kirk opened, and two security guards
took positions on the right and left while McCoy and Spock
came over to Kirk.
"Captain?" Spock already had his tricorder going.
"The box materialized in that position - and he -" Kirk
motioned with his head to the stranger who was watching the
proceedings with curiosity, "came out of it. He hasn't made
any hostile moves. Oh, Spock, the transporter wasn't
activated."
The stranger eyed the assembly as if he were accustomed
to weighing the odds against him. Kirk did not miss that
look. In spite of the stranger's unimpressive appearance, he
felt uneasy. He could hear the combined tricorders of Spock
and McCoy humming behind him.
"Spock?"
"The - box - would seem to be a representation of a
middle twentieth century English Police Call box. However,
there are some anomalies..."
"He's not human, Jim." McCoy interrupted.
"Captain," said Spock, "I am getting some unusual
readings from inside the device."
As Kirk was realizing that the `box' had now become a
`device', the stranger moved quickly towards its door. The
security guards fired instantly, but he still managed to
close the door as he fell, collapsing on the transporter
step.
"Kyle, see if you can get that door open. Spock, is he
armed?"
Kyle moved up to the door of the device, but the door
would not open. Spock was carefully analyzing his tricorder
readings. "Captain, the pockets of his coat are filled with
a great many objects. I am unable to ascertain if any of
these might be some type of weapon."
"Empty his pockets." Kirk ordered one of the security
guards.
"Captain, in view of the quantity of items present, it
might be more expedient to remove the garment." Kirk nodded
and the security guards moved to comply. As the security
guards were removing the coat and jacket, one of them let
the unconscious body slip slightly. Spock caught the head
just before it hit the floor again.
He stiffened suddenly as the contact was made, his head
snapping up and his eyes abruptly glazing. It took a moment
before Kirk realized that somehow, without willing it, Spock
had mind-melded with the alien.
"Spock!" Kirk moved quickly and tore Spock's hands from
their grip, letting the alien's head fall back to the floor.
"Are you all right?"
Spock's eyes remained glazed for a second and then he
responded, "Quite all right, Captain."
"What happened?"
"He has - unusual - psychic abilities. Unconscious - I
unwittingly established the mind- meld."
"What did you find out?"
Spock looked at Kirk reproachfully. "Captain, the
mind-meld was made accidently." Kirk realized that Spock
had in some way violated his sense of ethics by entering the
meld, and now Kirk was compounding the situation by asking
questions.
"Does he present a danger to the ship?" Surely Spock
could at least answer that.
"No, Captain, he does not." Spock seemed to have
retreated behind the thickest wall of Vulcan reserve.
"Bones, what is he?"
"Nothing I've ever seen or heard of before." McCoy
moved closer to the unconscious body, clad now in a white
shirt, vest, pants, boots, and with the long multicolored
scarf still wrapped around its neck. "He has a double
circulatory system, - not like Spock's, literally two
hearts, one on each side of his chest, some kind of a double
breathing system, body temperature 17 , blood pressure
almost nonexistent. I can't tell you what he is, Jim, but
even his response to the phaser fire was abnormal - he was
still conscious as he fell. As a matter of fact, I believe
he may have sustained some type of head injury." McCoy ran
the medical tricorder over the stranger's head again. "He
did - but it looks like it's an aggravation of a recent
previous injury. And that's unusual - his skull is very
thick, so what could have caused the original injury..."
"How long will he remain unconscious?"
"Jim, I can't say - longer than normal, with a
combination of two phaser stuns and at the very least a
severe concussion."
"Doctor," said Spock, "your ability as a prognostician
would seem to leave something to be desired."
Kirk and McCoy looked at the stranger. His eyes were
open, and he was very apparently conscious.
"Gentlemen," he said, eyeing the security guards as
they moved back into their `alert' position. "Don't you
think that some two sided conversation might be more
informative than your one sided version?" He smiled, as if
finding their reactions deeply funny.
Kirk noticed with surprise that the security guards
were relaxing. "Do you feel well enough to talk to us?"
"Yes, of course. I love to talk - if you are willing
to talk and not shoot. I really hate stun guns."
Glancing at McCoy and Spock and receiving an answering
shrug of shoulders and a tilted eyebrow, Kirk turned back to
the stranger and said, "We can talk in one of our briefing
rooms." The stranger got up slowly, accepting McCoy's help.
"Kyle," said Kirk, "come with us. Spock, have you been able
to clear up that subspace communication problem yet?"
"No, Captain, the fault is not in the computer scanning
system. Lt. Uhura and Commander Scott are continuing to
work on it."
"I want to be informed as soon as anything is found out
about what caused it - and I want it fixed."
"Yes sir." Spock turned to relay the order to the
bridge, informing them that the Captain could be reached in
briefing room 4 at the Transporter level.
The security guards moved to either side of the man. He
glanced at them and then over to Kirk. "Do you consider me
so dangerous?"
"I have seen danger come to my ship in many forms - I
prefer not to take chances." In spite of Spock's statement,
Kirk was not ready to relax his guard. Their eyes locked,
and the stranger smiled in amusement again. Kirk's eyes
narrowed and then, suddenly returning the smile, he motioned
the guards away. "Kyle, keep your phaser ready."
"A compromise - a very judicious choice."
"What is your name?" asked Kirk.
"Oh, I'm the Doctor."
"The Doctor?" said Kirk as the group left the room.
"Doctor who?" asked McCoy.
"That's right," said the Doctor, beaming at McCoy.
McCoy looked baffled.
"Doctor McCoy," said Spock, "I believe that the `name'
was `The Doctor' - and I should assume that it is in the
nature of a title, and can be most appropriately used
without any surname. However, the Doctor apparently is
accustomed to the human desire to attach at least two names
to all sentient beings. If you wish to use a duonomen form
of address, he would not object if you refer to him as
Doctor Who."
The Doctor had been listening to Spock with an
infectious smile impossibly growing on his face and Kirk
began smiling too. Somehow an individual who could
appreciate Spock at his most precise did not seem to be a
threat to the Enterprise.
They went into the briefing room and sat down. The
Doctor was looking at Spock closely. "You're not human
either?"
"I am a Vulcan."
"Vulcan? From a planet called Vulcan?"
An eyebrow raised. "Yes. Do you know of it?"
"From somewhere - I'll think of it."
"Well, Doctor," said Kirk, "you must realize that the
first question that we need answered is, what are you doing
here?"
"I don't know." The Doctor grinned as Kirk winced.
"You mean that you did not control the method of your
arrival on this ship?" asked Spock.
"Exactly. I was expecting the TARDIS to return to
London - in June of 1980, and instead she materialized
here."
"Is the TARDIS the device in the Transporter room?"
"Yes. Ever since I've been using her she doesn't always
go where I expect her to - and I can certainly assure you
that I was not expecting to arrive on your ship."
"What planet are you from originally?" asked Kirk,
hoping to get a simple answer that might help solve the
mystery.
"Gallifrey."
"Spock?" Kirk had never heard of it, but that did not
mean that it did not exist.
"No record of any planet by that name."
The Doctor was studying Spock intently.
Spock looked up from the science computer viewer.
Under his breath, Kirk could hear him mutter "Vaksh, Vogan,
Voord, Vulcan!" He turned to Kirk suddenly.
"What year is this - Earth time - say, since 1980?"
"224 years."
The Doctor looked puzzled. "Captain, it would seem that
we both have something of an enigma on our hands. You have
me, and I have a Vulcan surviving centuries after his race -
and his planet - was utterly destroyed in a massive civil
war." Spock turned and stared at him.
"Parallel Universes," said Kirk.
"You are familiar with the theory?"
"I - we - have experienced the phenomenon before."
"Can you give me the coordinates of your planet?" Spock
asked.
The Doctor could. Spock entered them into the computer
and looked at the response with resignation. "That
planetary system was destroyed when its sun became a red
giant 140,000 years ago."
"So my people do not exist in your universe."
"It would seem unlikely. There are very few
intelligent, space travelling races that are completely
unknown, and the Doctor - Doctor McCoy - has no record of
any race of your type. What do you call yourselves?"
"Time Lords."
Spock's eyebrow raised, but Kirk decided to interrupt
before his first officer's curiosity could be indulged
further. "It would seem that what we need to do is to find
out how to return you to your own universe."
"No, Captain, I think that the first thing we must find
out is whose universe we are in now."
The intercom beeped. "Bridge to Captain Kirk."
"Kirk here."
"Sulu here, Captain. We've got what appears to be a
large group of ships just within scanner range."
"Is the subspace radio fixed?"
"No sir. We have not been able to obtain any
transmissions on any standard Starfleet frequencies."
"I'll be right up."
Kirk turned to the Doctor who had been listening to the
conversation with a curious mixture of interest and
amusement. "Doctor, would you care to join us? This might
prove to be the answer to your question."
"I'd be delighted."
McCoy scowled. "Jim, I don't think that the Doctor
should be moving around too much until I can tell
"Oh, I'm quite all right - really. I've almost gotten
used to being stunned by something or another." The Doctor
smiled at McCoy.
"I would suggest that, given the circumstances, the
Doctor's presence on the bridge could prove of some
benefit." Spock interjected.
"Very well, then, the Doctor will join us. Kyle, record
your report on this and then you're off duty. I want all
other transporter personnel alerted in case we acquire any
other visitors."
On their way to the bridge, Kirk noticed that the
Doctor took in the usual sights and sounds of the starship
with interest but without amazement. He seemed to note with
somewhat increased interest the presence of two Andorrians -
commenting to Spock - "So you have other alien species in
the crew." Spock did not seem to think that the remark was
worthy of response, but Kirk observed that the Doctor found
Spock's lack of response an apparent cause for thought. His
only other comment came when they got into the turbolift
system and Kirk said "Bridge" causing the turbolift to begin
its usual forward and upward motion.
"Voice controlled?" Kirk nodded. "How convenient."
"We find it so," said Spock.
"A logical approach?" said the Doctor smiling at Spock
and, surprisingly, winking at Kirk. Spock did not respond,
which seemed to afford the Doctor more amusement. Kirk
began to wonder if the Doctor pictured himself as some sort
of intergalactic comedian.
The door opened on the bridge and Kirk moved to the
navigational console.
"How close are those ships?"
"I can pick them up on visual scanning now, sir," said
Sulu, adjusting the controls.
"Put it on the screen - highest magnification."
"Yes sir."
A swarm of small ships came into view. Globe-like, they
seemed to fill the viewscreen like dozens of small stars.
Kirk heard the Doctor take a deep breath. "Identification?"
Spock was checking the readings at the Science Station.
"Type of ship unknown to our computers, some type of alien
lifeform within - also unknown."
"Captain," said the Doctor, stepping down beside Kirk.
"It's my universe, and I would suggest that you move away
from those ships as rapidly as possible."
All traces of the comedian had left. "Why?" Kirk asked.
"They're Sontaran - freight and shipping vessels from
the look of them and the number, but they usually have some
armed escorts." He glanced around the Bridge, taking in the
assorted personnel, seeming to weigh their experience and
the possible reception of what he was saying. Having
apparently made some kind of a decision, he continued.
"Have you ever met a race whose greatest joy was to
enslave other people? To conquer, kill, torture and maim -
often for the joy it brings them? Who value their own
individual lives as nothing - and the lives of other races
as less than that?" By now the Doctor was speaking with a
seriousness that surprised and impressed Kirk with its
deadly concentration. Indeed, the Doctor seemed to have
lost the concern for his `audience' and was speaking almost
to himself. Kirk glanced around the rest of the Bridge.
All of the crew had been listening intently, their attention
completely on the Doctor. Even Uhura and Scotty had crawled
out from under the communications panel where they had been
working. As the Doctor finished speaking, eyes moved to the
viewing screen where the alien vessels were growing larger.
That the Doctor was sincere Kirk could not question, that in
some situations discretion was the better part of valor he
had never doubted.
"We've run into people like that. Spock - get as much
information as you can from the scanners. Sulu, warp six
1800 out of here. Uhura, Scotty, you can stop working on
that radio. Start scanning for any communications on bands
outside the Starfleet band, they apparently don't use that
high a range here."
The Doctor was smiling again as Kirk finished. "Well,
Captain, you and your crew are certainly both quick and
efficient." He glanced around with approval at the organized
effort going on on the Bridge.
"Doctor," said Kirk, "I think that you and I need to
have a talk."
"But of course- at your convenience." The Doctor leaned
casually against the bridge rail and smiled at Kirk as
though he were in complete control of an ordinary situation.
With a feeling of exasperation, Kirk turned to Spock.
"Have you been . . ." He heard a crash behind him and as he
turned around saw that the Doctor had collapsed and McCoy
was bending over him. "Bones?"
"Cerebrovascular hemorrhage - we'd better get him down
to sickbay."
"Go ahead."
McCoy was calling for the sickbay team when Spock
turned to Kirk.
"Captain, armed vessels from that fleet were attempting
to pursue us. We have outdistanced them. However, long
range scanners indicate similar vessels throughout this
area."
"How long can we maintain evasive action?"
"Difficult to say, Captain. We have no familiarity with
these ships or their capabilities. If this is indeed a
parallel universe, we cannot even determine with certainty
where we could go in relative safety until we can effect our
return."
"In other words, we need the Doctor."
"If he does possess the knowledge he claims, and if he
is willing to assist us - then yes, we need him."
The sickbay team was removing their patient. Kirk
looked at the unconscious form.
"Scotty, you have the con. Keep us clear of any
involvement with anything. Spock and I'll be in sickbay. If
I can get any more information from the Doctor, I'll tell
you."
++++++++++
Down in sickbay, McCoy scowled at the indicators over
the bed where the Doctor lay.
"How bad is it?" asked Kirk, concerned that the only
source of information about this alternate universe would be
unavailable.
"Jim, I don't know what normal is for him - so I can't
tell how badly the hemorrhaging is affecting him - except
that he is unconscious, and I would say that if the injury
is doing that then it's very bad indeed. There seem to be
previously damaged areas in that part of the brain, and
while he also seems to have a remarkable healing ability,
what's happening now is more than his own body mechanism can
handle on its own.
"What are you going to do?"
"I suspect that, even with the damage, given time, he
would recover without my doing anything."
"Bones, we don't have time." McCoy still looked
unconvinced and Kirk continued his argument. "He is the only
clue we have to where we are and possibly how we got here -
and how we can get back in one piece. I need him conscious -
and well - as soon as possible."
"Jim, there's a large blood clot between his skull and
his brain. It covers quite a large area and there is active
bleeding from inside the brain to that area. That clot has
to come out and the bleeding stopped."
"You've treated our crew for that kind of thing
before."
"I've been able to treat them medically. I know what
medications I can use on our people - even Spock - mostly. I
wouldn't dare use any of them on him. 1 have absolutely no
way of determining what the possible side effects would be.
The only possible thing I could do would be to operate and
surgically remove the clot and cauterize the bleeding."
"Then you'll have to do that."
"Without anaesthesia? I've got the same problem with
what we normally use for pain killers. Damn it, Jim, you saw
that even the phasers didn't have the normal effect on him.
If I use a drug, I could kill him. If I don't use one - Jim,
I'm a doctor, not a butcher."
"Doctor?"
McCoy turned. The Doctor's eyes were open but still
slightly glazed. He looked at McCoy. "What's the problem?"
McCoy explained.
"Normally I could tell you what would be effective -
but I don't think I'm up to that. I have been trying to get
into a catatonic trance - which would enable you to operate
humanly, but I suspect the area involved. . ."
McCoy nodded. "It would interfere with your ability to
do that."
Kirk noticed that the Doctor's speech had become
slightly blurred. It was obviously an effort for him to
talk, and the pain indicator was rising higher with each
effort.
"You are proposing a manual procedure." McCoy nodded.
"That would seem to be the the acceptable alternative."
"There is a possibility that you will not be
unconscious during the operation."
"I quite understand that - but from what I saw out
there - we have little time to spare."
McCoy still looked reluctant.
"Come now," he snapped impatiently, "surely you are as
skilled as your own Incan physicians. The operation must be
done. I would suggest that you strap..." He slipped into
unconsciousness again.
"Okay Jim, we'll try it. Only pray that he stays
unconscious."
"I thought the brain had no nerve endings," Kirk said.
"Yours doesn't," McCoy said grimly.
With the restraints in place and the Doctor turned on
one side to expose the operating area, a sterile field was
established and McCoy began the delicate operation. opening
the skull, his opened again. Kirk saw his hands move
against the restraints. Suddenly Spock moved and took them.
The eyes of the two aliens met and something was exchanged
between them.
"Sometimes it helps to have someone to hold on to." Did
Kirk really hear that?
Almost an answering smile came as the Doctor's eyes
closed again. But Kirk saw the pressure of the hands
grasping Spock's and knew that the man remained aware of
McCoy suctioning out the area. Only when the laser
cauterizer was used did the hands relax again and full
unconsciousness return.
"That seems to be it. Chapel, were you able to make a
repair patch from those skull fragments?"
"Yes, Doctor."
McCoy carefully molded the `patch' into place. Only a
small area of bone had been removed and the patch, made from
the patient's own tissue and bone, would rapidly fuse the
open area with as much protection as the original. "Jim, I
think we did it." McCoy looked at the indicators carefully.
"Pain is down, both hearts in sinus rhythm, blood pressure
stable, alpha rhythm flowing. Was he conscious at all?"
"Yes."
"Damn. I still feel like a butcher having to operate
like that."
"Not at all, Doctor," came the voice from the bed. "It
was a very well done job and I thank you." The Doctor looked
as though he was going to get up as soon as Chapel finished
removing the restraints.
"You stay right there," barked McCoy.
"But Doctor McCoy," the Doctor said in a hurt/injured
tone, "I feel very well now and there are things..."
"Don't tell me how you feel. You're staying there for
at least another 24 hours- - and if I have to keep the
restraints on you, I will."
The Doctor's gaze and McCoy's clashed. The Doctor
raised himself to a half-sitting position and McCoy moved
forward. Kirk looked at the indicators; they were starting
to move again. Spock stepped between the Doctor and McCoy.
"Doctor, I would suggest that you follow Doctor McCoy's
prescription. I do not think that the time need be wasted.
We can provide you with a tie-in to the library computer
from here. If you are going to help us, you will need to
know quite a bit more about us." McCoy glared at Spock.
"Bones," Kirk said, "you know that he isn't just going
to lie there."
"Very well," McCoy turned back to his patient. "But
you're not to get up."
"Agreed - Bones," and traces of the old smile appeared
as the Doctor lay back. Spock started toward the door.
"Oh, and Spock," Spock turned back and looked at the Doctor
questioningly. "Thank you. I have not often come upon a
gesture made as appropriately and as willingly." Without
waiting for a reply the Doctor turned and smiled at Nurse
Chapel. "Do you have a listing..."
"Nurse Chapel," McCoy interrupted. "I want the biolab
to do a full analysis on him. And Doctor, before you start
playing around with the computer, you tell Chapel all about
your medical history. It you're going to be around here I
want to know how to treat you."
For a moment Kirk thought that Spock was going to make
another remark, but he turned and went out the door.
"Bones," from the grin on the Doctor's face, Kirk
suspected that he was about to say something that would
provoke a reaction from McCoy. "Do you really think it
essential to have all my medical history? I'm 749 years
old, and as charming as Nurse Chapel is, that might take
more time
"If you could restrain yourself to the pertinent facts,
I think that the time will be sufficient. I'm sure that in
749 years you've learned to restrain yourself when it's
necessary."
Score one for McCoy, thought Kirk.
"And in the next 24 hours, I expect you to rest - or
sleep - or whatever you do - for at least eight," McCoy
continued.
The Doctor looked quizzical and McCoy paused.
"Six?" No response. "Four?"
"Four hours should be sufficient. At the end of my
stay here, Captain, I would suggest that you and I and your
chief officers get together."
Kirk had an uneasy feeling that the control of the ship
had been transferred but reminded himself that the Doctor
was only expressing what he himself had already decided.
"As soon as McCoy says you're fit, I'll call the meeting."
Kirk and McCoy walked toward the sickbay door. "What
was that last part to Spock about, Jim?"
"If the Doctor travels around alone - as he would seem
to - he must often find himself fighting on his own in
unpleasant situations. How old did he say he was?"
"749."
"Spock should find that. . ."
"Fascinating!"
As Kirk entered the Bridge, Spock got up from the
command chair.
"Report, Spock?"
"We seem to have outdistanced the Sontaran fleet.
However, scanners indicate considerable activity in most of
the space in this area. We have been following a path which
would seem to lead to an area of comparative inactivity.
When the Doctor recovers . . ." He tilted a questioning
eyebrow.
"We can expect the Doctor to be available to us in 24
hours. Until then, we will simply have to avoid making any
sort of contact with the ships and people in this universe."
"Captain," said Uhura, "I am now able to receive
transmissions from vessels in the area. We are unable to
translate them coherently, however."
"Very well, Lieutenant. Let me know as soon as possible
when we can tell what they're talking about. I want all
senior officers in briefing room 2 in one hour."
"Yes, sir." Uhura turned back to her communications
panel.
++++++++++
Inside the briefing room, Kirk looked around at the
officers already gathered. McCoy was late, and they were
waiting for him.
For five years I've been with this crew through all
sorts of adventures - bizarre and commonplace, he thought.
I've lost 92 crewmen, and for all my command experience,
I'll never accept those deaths as being necessary. This ship
and its crew is my life, and whatever it takes, I'll see
that they get back to their own universe. It's part of my
mission, any responsibility. No glory in doing that, it's
part of the job. And when it's completed? He decided not
to try to guess what Starfleet would do then. Anyway, McCoy
had arrived and they could get working on the current
problem.
"Sorry I'm late, Jim," McCoy said as he came in and sat
down at the briefing table. "I finally managed to get my
patient settled."
"Was there much of a problem?"
"Not much more than I'm used to," McCoy looked at Kirk
and Spock accusingly. "Although I must say that you two
don't generally involve Chapel with fantastic tales of wild
adventures, persuade the Medical staff - and all my other
patients to join in a feast at jellybabies.. ."
"Jellybabies?" asked Kirk.
"Some kind of candy about two centimeters long, shaped
like a swaddled infant, and in assorted flavors. He seems
to have an infinite supply and he's got everyone in sickbay
munching on them. In between passing out candy and talking
to Chris, he's been running through the data on the library
computer - at fast speed. I finally had to tell him that I'd
put him in isolation with no computer before he agreed to
rest."
"Will he be able to talk to us tomorrow?"
"Yes. Although if he disrupts my sickbay much more, I
might let you have him earlier."
"If I might make a suggestion, Captain," Spock said.
"I think that both Doctor McCoy and I would welcome it,
Spock."
"When we rescued the passengers and crew of the liner
Crotone, there was a Cultural Survey and Contact team on
board." Kirk nodded. CS&C was a recently created specialized
division in Starfleet. They had their own chain of command,
but while on his ship they were under his command. Since
the rescue, they had been quite helpful in keeping the
Crotone crew and passengers out of his own crew's way. The
addition of some 250 `passengers' stretched the Enterprise's
normal resources to an uncomfortable limit.
"Do you think they can help us, Spock?"
"The Lieutenant who is in charge of the team has an
exemplary record in initial survey expeditions and on this
last expedition has been credited by the other members of
the team with enabling them to be retrieved by the Crotone
after their Captain was killed. Since we have a member of a
new culture on board, it would seem logical to assign her to
`study' him."
"What's her background, Spock?" McCoy asked.
"She has a PhD in Xenobiology and is also a certified
paramedical technician."
"Well, I'd certainly be glad to have her assigned to
him." McCoy said. "What's her name?"
"Stephans, Lt. Dorcy Stephans," Kirk answered. "As
soon as we're through here, I'll notify her of her new
assignment."
McCoy nodded with relief. "The sooner the better."
"Now, if we could come to the main concern of this
meeting? Scotty, what is the current damage report?"
"We had some minor problems immediately after that
storm, mostly caused by the vibration. They've all been
checked and cleared. But there seems to be something going
off balance in the matter-antimatter mix when we're at warp
speed. As long as we stay at warp speed, I can't try to
clear it up."
"You want to go to impulse power?"
"Aye, Captain."
"Spock, is there any sign of an enemy vessel in
scanning range?"
"Negative, Captain. We are presently in an area of
space which shows no signs of any lifeform activity."
"Very well, Scotty, cut back to impulse power, but
remember that we could have to cut in warp drive on short
notice."
"Aye. We'll leave an emergency cutin - but we still
won't be able to tolerate high warp speed until we find the
main trouble."
"Captain," Spock said, "we also have another problem
with the computer control to engineering life support."
"I thought that was all in a separate system with full
emergency backup? Wasn't that what we just had installed?"
"We now have an independent primary control and a
secondary control which is a complete duplicate of the
first. We also have a tertiary system which can provide up
to two hours of full support. During the storm, the PROMs
on the primary control were erased. It will take 35 hours
to reprogram and reinstall them on the primary system."
"Then we're running on the secondary system with the
tertiary as the backup."
"Exactly. However, if something happens to the
secondary system, and the tertiary system exceeds its life
span, a failsafe back to the main computer will start a
half-hour countdown to destruct the ship."
"Now whose bright idea was that?" McCoy asked.
"It's supposed to force an organized abandonment of the
ship's crew to the nearest M- type planet - with a rescue
robot beacon detached, and no chance of the ship falling
into the `wrong hands'." Kirk smiled at McCoy. "Starfleet
is apparently discouraging heroics."
"But Jim, we don't even have enough spacesuits or
evacuation equipment for everyone now - with the people from
the Crotone on board." McCoy said in concern.
"And there are no M-type planets within transporter
range," Spock added.
"And what good would a robot beacon do us here?" McCoy
continued.
"Gentlemen, aren't we looking at the worst possible
circumstances?" Kirk said. "In 35 hours we'll have the
primary system back up, by then Scotty will have us underway
at full warp power, and in only 24 hours the Doctor will be
able to at least guide us around this universe in safety.
We should have ample time to figure out how to get back to
our own universe. All we have to do is to stay out of
trouble for a very short while."
"Aye, Captain," Scotty said, "it would be a mighty
strange set of circumstances that would get us into trouble
again that quick." He stopped and thought for a moment.
"But Captain, do you really think that we can trust the
Doctor?"
"What do you think?"
"Well, he's an alien. His travelling device is of a
type we've never heard of. We dinna know anything about him
- but he seemed to assume that we'd both be on the same side
against a bunch of people like the Sontarans. He seems to
have had considerable experience in dealin' with humans -
but we dinna know how he got it."
"What makes you assume that he has had such extensive
contact with humans?" Spock asked.
"Well, Mr. Spock, it might not be your kind of logic,
but it seems to me that anyone who can accept the fact that
the natural reaction of a security guard would be to shoot
has got to have been around humans for quite a while."
Kirk looked at Spock who nodded in agreement. He knew
better than to ask Spock outright how far he felt the Doctor
should be trusted. But he knew enough of his first
officer. . . "We've given him complete access to the library
computer. In spite of his disruption of sickbay, he seems
to be as concerned with our situation as we are."
Scott nodded. "It canna be denied that we'll need all
the help we can get to get back to our own universe in one
piece."
"And if we're going to do that, Mr. Scott, we'd better
get to work on what we know we have to do. Meeting
dismissed."
As the group got up to leave, Spock walked over to
Kirk. "Incidently, Captain, I could not help but notice
that at times the Doctor seems to have a very charismatic
effect on humans."
"I had noticed that too - but I don't think that it's
going to become a problem." Spock turned to leave. "Oh
Spock, did you hear how old he is?"
Spock turned back, an eyebrow raised. "Indeed, Captain,
and have you determined what his total life span would be?"
"No, but. .
"I would venture to say that he is still quite young
according to his present age measured against the normal
longevity of his race."
Kirk stared at Spock's departing back and shook his
head in amazement. If Spock was right, and the Doctor was
still `young', perhaps that explained the seemingly
inappropriate bursts of humor. Maybe all Time Lords went
through this stage before stabilizing into serious adults.
At least he did not seem to demonstrate the childlike
cruelty that Trelaine had. Somehow Kirk felt that his
reasoning might not be completely correct, but it was a
comforting thought. All he needed on the ship at this time
was a comedian, and an alien one at that.
++++++++++
In the briefing room the next day, Kirk, Spock, Scott
and Lt. Dorcy Stephans waited for Dr. McCoy to arrive with
the Doctor. McCoy had reported that Lt. Stephans and the
Doctor were working quite well together and that there had
been no further major disruptions in sickbay.
"Kirk to bridge."
"Uhura here."
"If you pick up any significant transmissions while we
are here, alert me and patch them through."
"Yes, Captain."
The door opened and the Doctor and McCoy entered. Kirk
noticed that the Doctor had reacquired his overcoat, jacket,
and floppy hat. Well, he thought, with such a low body
temperature, the Doctor might well feel cold in the earth
normal environment of the Enterprise.
"Good morning, everyone," said the Doctor blithely,
taking the seat at the table opposite Kirk. Kirk noticed as
he sat down that it was as if the `head' of the table had
suddenly shifted. Well, Spock had warned him. Whatever the
Doctor had, it was there, it was `natural', and it affected
humans - Vulcans too? He wondered.
"Good morning, Doctor. I don't think you've been
introduced to Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott."
"Chief Engineer," the Doctor responded, rising and
offering his hand to Scott. Somewhat surprised, Scotty
responded in kind. "And Lt. Stephans and I have been having
some fascinating conversations." The Doctor smiled. The
Lieutenant smiled. "And of course I am already acquainted
with Mr. Spock and you, Captain." The Doctor glanced over at
the Captain quizzically. "Well, Captain, could you fill me
in on our present status?"
McCoy snorted. Kirk gathered that the Doctor had not
been idle during his confinement in sickbay, even after the
disruption had stopped. He probably knew the situation as
well as anyone else.
"Spock?"
"We have been able to successfully avoid all contact
with any alien vessels. This is our present position." The
computer viewers glowed, indicating the Enterprise and the
present star position. "In our universe, this was part of
the area controlled by the Klingon Empire."
"So you don't have much information on it?"
"Very little. Are you familiar with it?"
"Yes, I've been around here before. In this time - in
this universe - the Sontarans are trying to conquer this
area from the Rutans."
"Our long range scanners indicate considerable vessel
movement."
"Doctor," asked Kirk, "What would happen if we met up
with a Sontaran fleet?"
"It would depend on how many of them there were. With
your offensive and defensive weapons you could probably
escape an attack of, say, 20-40 of their ships. More and
they could destroy you." He cocked his head at Kirk.
"20-40?" queried Spock.
"I can't give you a more precise number." The Doctor
smiled at Spock. "There are a significant number of random
factors."
"How large are their fleets?" asked Scotty.
"It depends on what they're attacking. A massive
effort and they think nothing of sending out 400."
Spock looked skeptical.
"They don't care how many may be destroyed," the Doctor
went on, "they only want to win."
"Don't they value their own pilots and crews?" asked
Kirk.
"Oh no, you see, they're clones."
"Clones?"
"Yes. They reproduce by cloning. So any individual life
means nothing to them, and they don't think much of races
who do respect individual life - especially humans."
Stephans was frowning. "But cloning would. . . "
"You must allow for the environmental factors,
Lieutenant," interrupted the Doctor, leaning forward on the
table. "So many are raised to be leaders, others to follow
orders and die."
"Doctor," Kirk said, trying to return the attention of
the conversation to the topic he felt to be of primary
concern. "You must realize that our primary interest at the
moment is to return to our own universe without any
entanglement in yours."
"I can certainly sympathize with that." The Doctor
leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table. "If
our positions were reversed, I should certainly feel the
same way." He grinned.
"And a further consequence of this interest is that we
do not want to do anything that might alter the course of
events in this universe."
"Ah yes, I have come across that desire to be detached
observers before. Your Prime Directive, I believe you call
it." The group nodded. "That might not be so simple." He sat
up straight again. "The Sontarans' scanners have a slightly
longer range than yours, and if you have been detected, they
will not choose to merely observe you. And Captain, I can
also tell you this, you cannot allow your ship to fall into
Sontaran hands."
"Possible effect?" asked Spock.
"With the knowledge they could gain from the
engineering and weaponry of your vessel, you would enable
them to conquer the galaxy quite easily." He leaned back
again and glanced around the table as if weighing the
quality of the people he saw.
"I see," said Kirk.
The Doctor sat suddenly upright. "As a matter of fact,
you might check the activity in the area surrounding your
ship - at the very edge of your scanner range."
"Spock," snapped Kirk.
"360 degree scanner - alien vessels at the edge of the
third sector now."
"Captain," it was Sulu. "We have vessels closing in on
us from the third sector. Uhura has not been able to
complete translation of their transmissions."
"Red Alert, Mr. Sulu. I'm on my way. Well, Doctor, if
you're right, it looks as though we'll be fighting our way
out of this one." Kirk turned to leave.
"If you take a heading of 185 degrees, Captain, you
should be able to get into a relatively safe area," shouted
The Doctor as Kirk passed through the door.
++++++++++
On the bridge Kirk found his crew alert and ready for
battle. The glow of the red alert light gave an eerie
highlight to the area.
"Mr. Scott, do we have warp speed?"
"I can give you up to warp 2, sir, but beyond that
there is still an unstable factor in the matter anti-matter
mix."
"How fast are the Sontaran vessels, Mr. Spock?"
"Presently travelling at warp I, Captain."
"Increase to warp 2, Mr. Sulu."
"Aye, sir."
"The Sontarans can reach the equivalent of your warp 3,
Captain." Kirk looked around and saw that the Doctor had
seated himself on one of the bridge steps. Wonderful, he
thought, 0w I have a back-seat driver.*
"Sontarans increasing to warp 2 also, Captain." Spock
studied his science console viewer closely. "Now at warp 2.5
and gaining on us."
"Mr. Sulu, make a 180 degree turn and slow to warp
one."
"Aye, sir."
The Enterprise turned smoothly and as she headed back
toward the small globe-like ships, they scattered in front
of her, eventually forming a circular pattern around her.
"Impulse power now, Mr. Sulu. How many of them are
there, Spock?"
"53, Captain."
"Well, we'll let them look us over. So far they
haven't done anything that is overtly hostile - let's return
the favor."
"Captain, the Sontarans are not going to decide that a
vessel of this size can be ignored. If you fire now, you
could catch most of them by surprise." The Doctor looked
quite serious. "Unless, of course, you enjoy playing
sitting duck."
Kirk ignored the statement. "Chekov, arm the photon
torpedoes, wide range. Sulu, set the phases for a maximum
sweep. You are not to fire except on my direct order."
For several moments, it looked as though the stalemate
would be indefinitely maintained. Then simultaneous bursts
of fire emerged from all the Sontaran vessels. "Photon
missiles have been fired at us, Captain. Time to impact, 12
seconds." Spock said.
"Sulu, Chekov, fire - NOW!"
Between the wide sweep of the torpedoes and the
following burst of the phasers, most of the enemy's missiles
were destroyed before they reached their target. A number
did get through, however, and Kirk could hear the damage
reports coming in.
"Now, Chekov, I want a series of photon torpedoes with
a narrow burst directly at those ships. Sulu, set the
phasers on tracking and pick up any stragglers that the
torpedoes miss."
The battle strategy seemed to be working effectively as
thirty-five of the small vessels fell to the coordinated
offense. Some of the others, however, began moving rapidly
directly toward the Enterprise. They seemed to be making no
effort to fire their weapons. Their swift zig-zag motions
enabled them to evade any direct hits.
"They're going to smash their ships into your shields,
Captain. That will put all of their weaponry and their
ships' reactors into a direct explosion on your main defense
shields." The Doctor said.
"Kamikaze?" Kirk said in amazement.
"That's what you call it - they call it fighting for
the glory of the glorious Sontaran Empire."
"Scotty, full power to the shields! Sulu, try reaching
them before they reach us. Chekov, keep the ones still on
the perimeter under full torpedo attack."
A sudden violent rocking warned Kirk that the kamikaze
technique was proving effective. "Damage reports, Mr.
Spock."
"That last hit was in the main power link between
Engineering and secondary computer control. Exact level of
damage cannot be determined. .." Another blast rocked the
ship, but Sulu and Chekov simultaneously fired their weapons
and let out a yell of exaltation.
"All enemy ships destroyed, Keptin."
"Very good, gentlemen. Heading 185 degrees, Mr. Sulu.
Battle stations, yellow alert status. Damage reports,
Lieutenant Uhura."
"Sickbay reports thirty wounded - two dead."
"Life support systems damaged further in that last
attack, Captain." Scotty was regarding his display panels
with dismay.
"How badly?"
"Less than 60% life support capability left."
"Captain," Spock turned from the Science console, "The
computer area has also received extensive damage to the
secondary life support control memory system. With the
direct damage to life support itself, we have about two
hours of life support left on the tertiary system."
Silence engulfed the bridge.
__________________________________________________________________
PART 2
THE DOCTOR AND THE ENTERPRISE
by Jean Airey
copyright 1982 Jean Airey
"How long will it take to repair?" Kirk asked. the
Spock and Scott-exchanged glances, then Spock spoke. "On the
life support system itself, the engineering portion, about
three hours, on the secondary computer memory system, about
five hours.
Kirk looked over at the Doctor who was still perched on
the bridge steps. "Doctor, can you get out of here in your
TARDIS?"
"I could but. .." The Doctor gave Kirk a quizzical
look.
"If we cannot complete our repairs in two hours and get
the secondary system back up, this ship will begin a self-
destruct sequence. So I would suggest that you be prepared
to leave."
"That is one alternative, Captain, but there might be
another." The Doctor said calmly. "Tell me, Mr. Scott,
Commander Spock, how many people would you need to complete
repairs on your systems?"
Scotty thought for a moment. "About five for the life
support engineering."
"And the Computer system?" The Doctor turned to Spock.
"Myself and one other. The working area is small, and
most of the time would be involved in testing."
"Well then, Captain," the Doctor stepped down to stand
next to Kirk's chair and lean on the arm. "If you only had a
crew of, say 8 - in three areas - I assume someone would
have to control the bridge - and you could shut down all
other areas completely - how long would your life support
last?"
Kirk nearly made a remark about pointless questions,
but there was something in the Doctor's tone of voice -
"Scotty?"
"10 hours."
"So that's your answer." The Doctor exclaimed
gleefully, turning around.
"Doctor." Kirk tapped him on his shoulder and waited
until he was facing him again. "We have a crew of 430 - and
250 additional passengers. We do not have enough space suits
for everyone."
"But my TARDIS is on board." At Kirk's blank look he
hastily continued. "Put 422 of your crew - and your
passengers - inside her, and the rest should be able to
pilot your ship and make the necessary repairs."
Kirk took a deep breath before speaking. "Doctor, are
you trying to tell me that that box of yours can hold over
600 people?"
"She's quite a bit bigger on the inside than it would
seem from the outside. She'll hold your people - and she has
her own life support."
"Captain," Spock had been doing some calculations.
"The time to evacuate to the TARDIS would require full life
support for the major part of the time. Estimating that
against the repair time shows that we will have total oxygen
depletion one hour before repairs could be completed."
"Spock - you require less oxygen than a human." The
Doctor stated.
"Spock nodded.
"Aye, three of them."
"And I can manage quite comfortably with less life
support than you presently provide." The Doctor turned to
Kirk. "And you do have enough space suits for the humans
involved?"
Spock turned back to the computer. The Doctor smiled at
Kirk.
"Spock?"
"The Doctor's calculations are correct, Captain. The
time margin would be sufficient." He looked at the Doctor.
"You would be assisting me?"
"I am somewhat familiar with computer systems."
Kirk turned to Uhura. There seemed to be no doubt that
the command decision had been mad' and he was simply to
enforce it. "Order all crew and passengers except Mr.
Scott's engineers to follow evacuation order 5 - using
Transporter Room 2." He turned back to the Doctor. "Doctor,
if you will open your TARDIS, we will proceed."
When they arrived at the TARDIS, they found McCoy
waiting.
"You will be taking your injured in first?" The Doctor
asked.
"Yes," McCoy looked skeptically at the box. "If you're
sure there's room."
"Oh yes, quite enough." The Doctor opened the door and
led Kirk and McCoy into what seemed to be a very modern
control room. Kirk looked around with amazement. The room
was well over twice the size of the box they had entered and
several doors indicated even more rooms beyond.
"Now, Dr. McCoy, if you go through that door and turn
right and then right again, there is an area which you will
find suitable for caring for your people while we fix your
ship."
He turned back to Kirk and Spock who were looking at
the large six-sided control panel in the center of the room.
"Fascinating," said Spock, circling the device. "I
should like to discuss its principles and functions with you
sometime, Doctor."
"Well, the TARDIS usually does what I want her to."
Kirk had a feeling that Spock was not going to be able to
satisfy his curiosity about this device very easily. "Why
don't you start on the computer repairs, and I'll join you
shortly."
"A logical suggestion." Spock turned and left.
"Curious little devil, isn't he," commented the Doctor
to Kirk. He apparently accepted Kirk's silence as agreement
as he went on. "Now, Captain, I assume that there will be
some time to evacuate those of us left after you begin your
self-destruct sequence?"
"There should be."
"In case there isn't - who of your crew members could
quickly learn some of these" - he motioned toward the button
and lever studded panels. "To remove the TARDIS and the
passengers in it to safety?"
Kirk smiled. The Doctor knew that he would be the one
remaining on the bridge until the last minute. "Lieutenant
Sulu."
"Your helmsman - very good. If you would get him down
here."
Kirk opened his communicator. "Sulu, come down to the
transporter room."
"Yes sir."
McCoy appeared at the door looking stunned. "Amazing -
there's a whole city in here!"
"Not quite, Bones, but it will serve your needs. I
would suggest that you begin your evacuation." The Doctor
stepped over to the control panels and began setting some of
the controls. Kirk and McCoy exchanged glances. It was clear
from the Doctor's manner that he was accustomed to people
being amazed at his ship - and was delighted in that
amazement.
The evacuation began in an orderly fashion. After the
injured had been moved in the of the crew started to come.
Lt. Stephans was the first inside and the Doctor turned away
from the controls.
"Oh, Dorcy - if you would lead the rest of this group
down the stairs, turn left, right, and left and right, there
is an area that you all should find satisfactory. Please
help yourselves to the food supplies, you may have a long
wait."
Lt. Stephens look at Kirk who nodded. "Very well
Doctor."
When Lt. Sulu came in the Doctor was standing back from
the controls apparently satisfied with what he had done.
"Lieutenant Sulu." The Doctor motioned Sulu over to
stand next to him. "I have preset the controls so that you
can use these." He motioned to an array of buttons and a
single lever in one of the control panel sections. "If you
should have to remove the TARDIS from here, just push these
buttons, and then this lever. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"I have programmed the TARDIS to land on a small
Earth-type planet. You should be able to handle yourselves
there."
"Sulu," Kirk said.
"Yes sir."
"If we do not make it back you are to follow the
Doctor's orders explicitly. Keep your communicator handy and
I will inform you if you are to leave."
"Yes sir. Good luck, Captain."
"Thank you Lieutenant."
Kirk watched as the crew continued to file past and
down the stairs. He could hear laughter coming from the
lower level.
"Well, Doctor, I suggest that we get to work."
"My sentiments exactly."
++++++++++
On the Bridge, seated in the helmsman's position,
wearing the new X-E life support suit, Kirk had the feeling
that he was piloting a ghost ship. Behind him he could hear
Uhura moving around as she' systematically shut down life
support as areas of the ship were vacated.
"All areas evacuated, sir. Life Support shut down
except in engineering, computer memory control and on the
Bridge."
"Have you picked up any transmissions?"
"No sir."
"Very well. Go down to the TARDIS, Lieutenant. After
you leave I'll shut off life support here."
With Uhura gone, the `ghost ship' feeling became even
more oppressive. In an effort to dispel it, he called Scotty
to check on how the repairs were going. Scotty informed him
that his crew was progressing `as well as might be expected'
and from the tone of his voice, Kirk knew that any further
interruptions would not be welcomed.
He had heard nothing from Spock and the Doctor.
Neither one would be inclined to report until something
decisive had happened, and, even more so than Scotty, would
resent `unnecessary interruptions'. Kirk decided that he
could just open the communication link to the Computer
Memory area. If he couldn't be there, at least he could
hear what was going on.
"Are you ready to retest this bank again?"
Spock's voice, as calm as if this were routine
maintenance check.
"Quite ready."
"Running the diagnostic program now. It should
complete a successful pass in five minutes."
"Or fail in less."
"Exactly." Spock paused for a moment. "Doctor, why did
you leave your people to go to Earth?"
"What makes you think I did that?"
"While you were unconscious in the Transporter room, I
inadvertently entered into a mind meld with you. That
information was there."
"You're a touch-telepath?"
"Yes. I must apologize..."
"Oh nonsense, don't bother. I've had my mind invaded by
nastier beings. Why did I choose Earth? Well, I like Earth
people - compared to most of the other races I've met."
"They are a most emotional race."
"Do you think so? They're certainly not as emotional
or as illogical as some I've met. They're a bloody nuisance
at times and quite indomitable - they can also cause more
trouble than almost any other race if you let them get
started. Of course, things may be different in your
universe, but what I like about the people from Earth is
that by and large they care."
"Is caring such an important thing to you?"
"Yes, when it means that the people can reach outside
themselves to care for others -and especially for others not
of their own species - that's extremely rare. And, somewhat
surprisingly, Earth people can quite astonish you and do
just that."
"And what of your own people?"
"They stopped caring about anything a long time ago -
so I left."
"Did your people agree with your leaving?"
Kirk suddenly had the feeling that he was listening to
a bi-level conversation. Was Spock trying to interrogate the
Doctor - or the Doctor, Spock?
"Oh no. I - borrowed - the TARDIS and then they caught
me and exiled me on Earth. Until they needed me."
"Needed you?"
"Well, they were determined not to interfere - but when
you know what is going to happen, interference is sometimes
needed. So I helped them out."
"And now?"
"Well, I could go back to Gallifrey, settle down, take
my place on the Council, even teach in the Academy - but I'm
not ready for that. There still seems to be so much more to
learn. Whatever a professor might say, you don't learn -
especially about yourself - in the Ivory Tower." The Doctor
paused. "What about you?"
"Me?" Kirk could almost see the uplifted eyebrow.
"Yes, you. You know, one of the reasons I left was
because of Vulcan. When the Time Lords did not interfere, I
felt that a very valuable people had been lost - needlessly.
I am very glad to see that my supposition was correct.
Although I should not base my decision on you alone. You're
half human."
"I am Vulcan."
"You mean that you've chosen the Vulcan way over the
Human way when you had to - I know that much about you at
least - apparently the mind meld worked two ways. Why
weren't you allowed to become the best of both worlds -
instead of having to choose one over the other?"
"It is not possible to be both Vulcan and Human."
"Has anyone ever tried before? I suspect that you may
be . . . is that board supposed to be smoking?"
Spock muttered something that Kirk couldn't catch.
"Powering down. There must be more trouble here than our
first analysis showed."
"If the person who did your last maintenance servicing
had used the right servo-fuse, that power surge wouldn't
have affected this area at all."
"It is unfortunately a common human characteristic to
use the most expedient way and avoid the difficulty of the
required way."
"Surely a characteristic not limited to humans."
A pause. "Agreed."
"That board looks pretty bad. Do you have another
replacement?"
"We have no more spare memory storage modules of this
type."
"Spare parts, then?"
"There is a bench testing system over there and spare
parts are available. The new memory bubble domes will also
have to be reprogrammed."
"I'll start on it now."
Kirk turned off the intercom link and analyzed the
conversation carefully. While not an expert in the hardware
maintenance of the Enterprise's computer system, he did have
enough basic knowledge to realize what had happened. During
their last scheduled maintenance, someone had used the wrong
servofuse in the secondary life support memory control. The
`new' fuse was unable to prevent a power surge from coming
through and damaging what had at first appeared to be the
three boards that Spock had identified. The Enterprise
carried a number of spare boards for the computer system,
but not an infinite supply.
Apparently additional damage done by the power surge
had resulted in what would be a longer repair time than
Spock had originally estimated. He looked at the
chronometer. Half an hour left before tee tertiary system
would begin the self-destruct sequence.
The intercom sounded.
"Kirk here."
"Repairs completed in engineering, Captain. Waiting for
computer control."
"Very good, Mr. Scott. Computer Control is not yet
repaired. Can you handle things down there when it is?"
"Aye, Captain."
"Then send the rest of your people to the TARDIS.
They'll have to wear X-E suits until they get there. Kirk to
Spock."
"Spock here, Captain."
"Scotty reports engineering repairs completed. What is
your estimated time for repair of the computer system?"
"Previously undetermined damage to the backplane area
has necessitated rebuilding one of the spare memory boards
that was damaged. I am about to replace the backplane now.
Repairs should be completed in fifteen minutes."
Fourteen minutes later Spock's voice came over the
intercom. "Diagnostic test on computer systems successfully
completed, Captain. Bringing up memory systems to
engineering."
"Mr. Scott, Mr. Spock is bringing up your computer
memory system."
"Well, if he is, Captain, there's nae anything on the
asynchronous signal interface monitor."
"Spock, did you hear that?"
"Affirmative, Captain. There appears to be an
additional problem. We are investigating."
Kirk could hear the sound of someone whistling in the
background as Spock was speaking. He wondered what the hell
the Doctor could find to whistle about.
"Spock," the Doctor said, "Look at this."
"The drivers on the fiber optic bus cable?"
"Looks like they were hit in the power surge too.
What's your replacement procedure for them?"
"Difficult. We have to run a new bus cable over to
engineering through the inside conduits of the ship."
"You don't use a cable connector?"
"Not with this cable. The bus bars get hung too
easily."
"But you do have a spare bus cable?"
"Yes."
"Then let's get going."
"Spock," Kirk broke in, "in 12 minutes the tertiary
system will default to the main computer and initiate the
self-destruct."
"And we cannot bypass the main system to halt the
self-destruct after that point, Captain. The Doctor will
attempt to connect the cable from here to engineering. I
will remain here to bring up the computer system if the
connection is completed in time."
"Very well, Mr. Spock. Doctor, you realize the risk you
are taking?"
"He has already left, Captain. I can assure you that
he is well aware of the risk involved."
The minutes crawled by. Five minutes left. Kirk had a
sudden vision of living out his life on one earth-type
planet, with no way to return home, and the Enterprise
destroyed. It would be as though all he had struggled for
during the last five years had counted for nothing.
Four minutes.
"Captain, the Doctor's coming through now, I've got the
cable."
Two minutes.
"Cable attached, Mr. Spock."
"Bringing up your computer control, Mr. Scott."
One minute.
"Secondary support system is activated, Captain.
Tertiary is cut off."
Kirk looked at the chronometer. There had been thirty
seconds left. He opened his communicator. "Sulu, as soon
as all life support is back to normal, you will evacuate the
TARDIS."
"Yes sir!"
In the background he could hear what seemed to be party
noises - laughing, singing. Well, whatever the crew was
doing at least they had not had to wait alone through the
agony of the last hours. And one of Spock's and Scotty's
first projects when they were out of this mess was going to
be to find some way to bypass that tertiary system self-
destruct. He'd be the one to decide what heroics were
suitable to his ship.
++++++++++
As the Enterprise wandered among alien stars, most of
the crew were involved in repairing the damage from the
storm and the subsequent battle. But all their duties were
routine compared to the assignment of the Science and
Engineering officers - find the way for the Enterprise to
return home.
Both Spock and the Doctor were on this team, and its
first efforts were devoted to analyzing the physics of the
Enterprise's entering the alternate universe. After this had
been discovered, the team could decide what needed to be
done to reverse the effect.
Neither Spock nor the Doctor needed as much sleep as
the humans on the team. Spock, of course, spent his time in
additional work and research, but the Doctor did not seem to
be so inclined.
Kirk had offered the Doctor his choice of a room on the
Enterprise or staying on his TARDIS. The Doctor had chosen
the Enterprise. He had pointed out that he would be in
closer touch with the happenings by being closer to the
Enterprise communication system - and anyway - he'd never
been on a ship like the Enterprise before.
Kirk was beginning to wonder if he was really taking
the work he was supposed to be doing seriously - if he took
anything seriously. He seemed to `work' with the scientific
team for only ten to fifteen minutes at a time. When Kirk
sat in on the sessions he noticed that most of the Doctor's
time was spent in looking at the- results that the
Enterprise team had generated, staring into space for a few
minutes, and then making some minor change in one of the
currently generated equations, and leaving the room. While
the team did not seem to be upset with this `working style',
Kirk was beginning to seriously wonder just what the Doctor
was contributing.
He would be walking down one of the Enterprise
corridors and spot the Doctor doing tricks with a yo-yo in
one of the branching halls - usually with a crew member
watching. He had also managed to find out from someone how
to program the food computers to produce what seemed to be
his major source of sustenance -the ubiquitous jellybabies.
Unfortunately, his programming had resulted in everyone else
who ordered something getting at least one jellybaby too.
Kirk suspected the programming was deliberate. He stared at
the small red shape next to his fruit salad, looked at the
other crew members who seemed to be happily eating theirs,
and decided that he had better discuss the situation with
McCoy.
"Jim, I've still got 23 seriously injured people to
take care of - and I can't say that anything in the Doctor's
behavior has bothered me in my job."
"I just have this feeling that he may be helping
himself more than us."
"Have you talked to Spock about it?"
"Spock is busy."
"Look, if there was a problem with the Doctor and the
help he's supposed to be giving the team, then Spock would
have said something. You may think that he isn't doing
anything, but Spock may find that what he is doing is
exactly what the team needs. And I can tell you this, from
the tests that we've been able to run on him and from Lt.
Stephans' reports, his mind is at least the equal of
Spock's, if not better. Have you read any of the
Lieutenant's reports?"
"No. Not yet."
"Well, instead of worrying about what he is or isn't
doing, why don't you read them? You're expecting him to act
as though he was human, and believe me, he is not."
"Excuse me, Captain."
It was Uhura.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, the crew was wondering if we could have a party
for the Doctor?"
"A party?"
"Yes sir. We would like to thank him - all of us - for
helping us with the life support problem - and letting us
use his TARDIS and..."
"Lieutenant Uhura, the Doctor is supposed to be trying
to find out how we can get this ship back to our own
universe. I hardly think that a party would be in any way
appropriate."
"Come on, Jim," McCoy said. "Considering what the crew
has gone through, and the Lieutenant's expressions of their
feelings, why don't you let her check with Spock and the
Doctor. If they have time, it might be a good idea."
Uhura was looking at Kirk expectantly. He shot an
annoyed glance at McCoy. "Very well, Lieutenant. If Mr.
Spock says that he can spare the Doctor and if the Doctor
accepts, you may have your party."
"Thank you, sir."
The party started off in an orderly fashion. The Doctor
turned up for the occasion in a black velvet coat, solid
white scarf, and top hat. Kirk assumed this was his
concession to formality.
While appropriate beverages and food were in ample
supply, everyone, including the Doctor, seemed to be on
their best behavior. Kirk was somewhat surprised to see
Spock join the party, but also relieved. The presence of his
first officer usually kept an Enterprise party from turning
into a raucous affair.
Spock had brought his Vulcan lyre with him, and Kirk
was not surprised to see that he and Uhura were going to
perform. What surprised him was the performance. Uhura had
found an old Earth song - never popular - called "My Friend
the Doctor". With somewhat revised wording, it had the
Doctor laughing in one minute and the rest of the crew with
him in two.
From that point on, the beverage consumption increased
considerably.
Kirk left half-way through the evening. The Doctor had
borrowed Spock's lyre, with Spock's approval, Kirk noticed.
Urged on by Lt. Kyle, he proceeded to teach the crew some
early English drinking songs. Kirk heard that the evening
wound up with a spontaneous limerick contest.
++++++++++
Kirk made a point of turning up in the briefing room
that the Scientific team was using early the next morning.
To his surprise, the whole team was there, and working, and,
a few moments later, the Doctor walked in. He seemed to be
unusually somber.
"I am afraid that you people are going to have to get
out of this universe."
Spock turned and looked at the Doctor with raised
eyebrows. "Indeed?"
"Look here, Doctor, this team has been working on that
problem for nearly a week now," Kirk said angrily. "What
makes you say that . . ."
"I believe that the operative words in the Doctor's
statement are `have to'," Spock interrupted. Kirk looked at
him and then at the Doctor in surprise. "What have you
discovered?" Spock continued.
"I ran some studies last night, in the TARDIS, and
unless you're out of here in three weeks, there are going to
be serious disturbances on the Space-Time continuum which
will have the gravest consequences for several of the races
native to this universe and which will result in your
ultimate destruction."
Kirk looked at Spock. His Science Officer accepted the
Doctor's statement. Well, at least it might get the Doctor
working on the problem with more dedication than he had
previously exhibited.
Spock turned to the computer and displayed an equation.
"I believe that this is the effect that has brought us
here."
The Doctor studied it. "Yes, that would do it."
"So the question is, then, to reverse it." said Scotty.
The team studied the figures. Kirk noticed that the
Doctor seemed to be falling asleep. Then he suddenly sat
up. "Of course!" He changed some of the figures in the
equation.
"That would seem to be the desired effect." Spock said.
"And we've got just enough dilithium to do it." said
Scotty.
Kirk breathed a sigh of relief. At last there seemed to
be a way out of the trap. And if he had to thank the Doctor
for it, he would.
"Wait a minute," the Doctor said, staring intently at
the display. "There's something wrong."
"I can see no error." said Spock.
"You're not a Time Lord," said the Doctor, still
frowning at the display. "No, you can't use that, but I
can't..." He got up abruptly and paced around the table.
"The Matrix!"
"The Matrix?" Spock asked.
"Yes, the Time Lord Matrix - the summary of all Time
Lord experiences - the answer's there."
"Can you obtain it?" Spock inquired.
The Doctor stood still for a moment, his head flung
back. Then sweat broke out on his face and he stumbled back
into a chair.
"Doctor," Spock said, "are you all right?"
"Yes - and no." The Doctor looked around the table and
managed a faint smile. "I have been exposed to the Matrix,
but it was contaminated, and I - I do not have full access
to all the knowledge that is there."
Spock raised one eyebrow.
"Can you explain that more completely, Doctor?" Kirk
asked.
The Doctor hesitated, then, shrugging his shoulders and
exchanging a brief glance with Spock began speaking. "When
I became a - renegade - that portion of my mind was made
inaccessible to me. By the Time Lord Council. Since then . .
. there are times when I seem to be able to access part of
it, but not consistently - and not now."
"Spock?" Kirk knew that mind blocks of this kind were
more likely to be familiar to the Vulcan than to anyone else
on the ship. Spock's eyes met Kirk's and then he turned to
the Doctor, who was now staring at the computer display in
obvious frustration.
"Doctor," The Doctor turned to look at Spock. "You
state that there is a block on certain portions of your
memory."
The Doctor nodded. "It was their right to place it on
me - their means of punishment."
"Does the need for the block still remain?"
The Doctor looked surprised and suddenly thoughtful.
"No - no, there is no more reason for it. No one thought
about it, until now."
"Can the block be removed, then?"
"Are you a Time Lord, Spock? Is there another Time
Lord on this vessel?" The Doctor got up and paced to the
other side of the room. He turned back and stared at Spock.
"Can you reach into my mind and remove it? Oh, I know that
you are a touch telepath, but can you destroy what Time
Lords of the First Rank - with infinitely more experience -
made?" He sat down again and this time his smile carried no
humor.
"Doctor," said Spock, templing his hands. You are a
Time Lord. Do you believe that the block should be
removed?"
There was a pause. The Doctor looked at Spock,
obviously puzzled.
"Or do you still accept it as part of your punishment?
Would your fellow Time Lords - now - consider it necessary?"
"Necessary? No, I don't think they even remember it.
And until now, I really haven't needed it." He looked at the
computer display again with annoyance.
"As you have observed, Doctor, I am only a touch
telepath. However, Vulcans have some ability in these
matters - if you can cooperate fully with me."
"You think you can remove it?"
"Not by myself, but with your support. Without your
full cooperation, your own psychic abilities could interfere
and negate our purpose."
"Then it also carries some danger for you." The Doctor
looked directly at Spock.
"There is that possibility. The melding of one mind to
another - especially between different species of varying
psychic abilities - to remove or change something in one of
the minds - can be hazardous. Either or both of our minds
could be lost. There is therefore a risk for you too."
"Not a causal encounter, then." The Doctor said, and
Kirk thought that he almost seemed to be laughing".
"No." said Spock, maintaining the tension. "Is it your
wish to make the attempt?"
The Doctor thought for a moment, then turned to Kirk.
"Captain, is what Spock is proposing as dangerous to him as
I think?"
"It could well be. Spock has never used the mind-meld
casually." Kirk felt frustrated. The Doctor was acting as
though he could understand everything about his first
officer, and in this area Kirk knew that his knowledge was
incomplete.
"If it were possible for you to remain in this universe
without harm - or if the time we had to work in were longer,
I might suggest a delay. As it is.. what must be done?"
"I would suggest that we go to Dr. McCoy and utilize
the isolation area of Sickbay."
McCoy was not pleased at the idea of the attempt, but
set up the isolation area as Spock requested, a single bed
and a chair alongside it and full medical monitoring. He
looked at the room grimly.
"Jim, you realize that we could lose both of them."
"They've already discussed that possibility. Our major
concern at the moment has to be to find a way to return the
Enterprise to our own universe. Even the Doctor admits
that."
"Even the Doctor? Jim, I think that ..
Lieutenant Stephans walked into the room and McCoy did
not finish his statement. Kirk decided not to ask him to -
if it was important, McCoy would find some time to talk to
him about it. The Lieutenant eyed the isolation area with
as much distaste as McCoy. Kirk studied her for a moment.
Of all the crow members, she had spent the most time with
the Doctor since he had arrived. He was curious about her
reaction.
"Lieutenant, you seem to share Dr. McCoy's misgivings
about this experiment."
She looked up at him in amazement. "Captain, you do
realize that of the two we are much more likely to lose Mr.
Spock if the experiment fails?"
Kirk studied her. While all her records indicated a
level-headed practical approach on her field missions, her
reports on the Doctor had a slight tinge of gullibility.
Obviously the alien Doctor had had as much effect on her as
on the other crew members. "What makes you say that?"
"Because of the Vulcan regard for the mind-meld, Mr.
Spock has had the least experience in effecting a strong
mind probe. That is an ability that develops with practice.
The Doctor, on the other hand, has not only exercised his
ability to create and maintain a strong probe, he has also
experienced and resisted mind probes from other alien
species."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I have been studying, talking to, and
observing him ever since you made that my assignment. Oh, he
doesn't brag about it, Captain, but obtaining such
information is my field. Believe me, his experiences are
not conducive to permitting an alien probe into the depths
of his mind. I doubt that he would even easily tolerate
such a probe from his own species."
"With Spock then, what could happen?"
"It all depends on the Doctor. If he truly trusts
Spock - not just consciously, but unconsciously, enough to
allow the probe to reach its intended goals, then they will
succeed. If he does not - or cannot - the defense mechanism
of his mind could snap shut and destroy Spock's mind." She
started to add something else but stopped when Spock entered
the room.
"Is the Doctor here?" Spock asked.
"Not yet," McCoy answered. "The room is ready. Spock,
are you certain that this is necessary? Lieutenant Stephans
believes that it is quite dangerous."
Spock hesitated for a moment. "Doctor McCoy, it is
quite necessary." He had withdrawn into his most Vulcan
image. Kirk looked at him. Could the danger the Lieutenant
had suggested be real? He started to say something to Spock,
when the Vulcan turned and went into the isolation room. He
sat down in the chair, hands templed, withdrawn.
"You can't stop it now, Jim." McCoy said. "It's between
them."
The Doctor came in. He had discarded his coat, scarf,
and hat and was once again wearing a cossack-like white
shirt, tweed trousers, and boots.
"Is everything ready?" he said cheerfully.
McCoy nodded grimly toward the room and the silent
Spock within. "If you two are determined to proceed."
The Doctor smiled at McCoy and started to enter the
room when Lt. Stephans stopped him. "Doctor." He looked down
at her in surprise. "Remember you must give up the control
to Spock." Their eyes met briefly and he nodded and went
into the room.
Kirk felt a sudden chill of fear, realizing that more
than the life of his first officer, of his friend, lay in
the hands of this alien whom he did not trust.
McCoy closed the door and turned on the intercom
system. The medical monitors were on. He looked at Kirk
again, shaking his head this time - "You can't stop it now,
Jim."
The Doctor stopped just inside the door and looked at
Spock. Without disturbing him, he lay down on the bed,
closed his eyes for a moment and then said "Mr. Spock, if
you're ready?"
Spock's eyes opened slowly and he looked at the Doctor.
The Doctor smiled and closed his eyes. Spock untempled his
hands and then spread them on the Doctor's face.
"My mind to your mind. . ." came the familiar words.
The Doctor's body stiffened momentarily. Spock's grip
tightened.
"The Doctor has to drop his own telepathic blocks," Lt.
Stephans whispered.
Sweat broke out on the Doctor's fact and Spock's eyes
closed tightly. The Doctor's body relaxed.
"My mind to your mind. .." Spock's body seemed to
encircle the Doctor's although he did not move. There was
silence from the room. Kirk was waiting for the outpouring
of words he was used to hearing during one of Spock's mind
melds. But nothing seemed to happen. He looked down at Lt.
Stephans.
"What's going on?"
"They are both natural telepaths, Captain. This is
quite unlike what you have seen before."
Perspiration gleamed on Spock's brow. The Doctor's body
alternately tensed and relaxed.
Suddenly the eyes of the two opened and met. Kirk
could almost see some kind of exchange take place.
"They are in close contact now, " said Lt. Stephans.
"There is only the barrier to be broken."
The eyes of the two closed again. From his own
experience Kirk remembered the feeling of another mind in
his, and he was not telepathic. What would it be like if
that mind was attacking yours? And if you had a real
ability to defend yourself -- for the first time he realized
the danger Spock was willingly encountering was formidable.
Everything dependent on the ability of another to relinquish
control, the whole dependent on the tightest of disciplines
of the minds involved.
Discipline - and the Doctor?
"Heart rates increasing, Jim," said McCoy.
The Doctor's head began to move restlessly in Spock's
grip. A scream emerged from the Doctor's mouth but it was
Spock's voice that sounded.
"No, it must remain, it is the penalty. / The penalty
no longer exists: the penalty has been paid." Spock's voice
now in the familiar mono-duologue. "The punishment must be
complete. / The punishment is no longer required. You have
earned the right to be free. / I am the President. The
Matrix is mine. The Matrix is invaded. The -Master. Death
to all Time Lords. My people. There is danger. I cannot
release the Matrix. I must drive out the enemy!"
"Heart rates still increasing. I don't know how much
longer they can take it."
The Doctor's eyes opened and stared blindly at the
ceiling. Spock's voice continued, monologue this time.
"Layer by layer, opening..
Another `voice' - this time exploding in Kirk's mind.
"Broadcast telepathy," said Lt. Stephans, wincing.
"Spock has opened some new ability the Doctor has."
"*The enemy has gone, the way is open.*"
Spock's hands broke contact. Grabbing the Doctor's
shoulders, he caught the Doctor eyes with his own. "You must
proceed. I will not probe your knowledge."
*"I must have your support, or the barrier will not be
fully broken."*
Spock paused and then resumed contact. The Doctor's
eyes closed again.
*"So. . in this way, slowly. . . "* The Doctor's head
jerked fitfully in Spock's grasp. *"You are there, the path
is open. I enter.*"
A stillness descended on the room.
"Heart rates going down."
The Doctor was sweating again; Spock seemed to be in a
passive trance and Kirk was reminded of the first,
involuntary contact Spock had made with the Doctor.
"Readings back to normal, Jim."
"If they can break the bond now..." said Lt. Stephans.
Both sets of alien eyes opened and met again. Spock's
head jerked back. The texture of the mental voice changed.
*"Yes, so you have joined with us."*
"No." Spock's hands moved to break the meld but the
Doctor's hands quickly held them in place. "I am my own. I
am Vulcan."
*"You are still that. But you are more. It has been
earned."*
Spock's eyes closed. The Doctor's hands reached up to
Spock's face assuming the Vulcan contact points. *"Accept."*
Spock seemed to nod in the Doctor's grasp. Spock's
hands fell away from the Doctor, then the Doctor's from him.
The Doctor came to a half sitting position. Spock's head
was still bent, his eyes closed.
"Spock!" cried Kirk, heading for the door. McCoy and
Stephans stopped him.
"Jim," McCoy said. "You've got to let the Doctor finish
now."
The Doctor took hold of Spock's hands which were lying
limply on the bed. "Spock," the Doctor called, then louder,
and Kirk could almost feel a mental calling with the verbal,
"Spock." Spock's eyes opened. There was a depth to them that
Kirk had rarely seen before.
"What have you given me?"
"Something more than you had before, but nothing you
had not earned, were not entitled to, or more than you can
handle. Why not ask what you have given me?"
Spock's eyes met the Doctor's. The Doctor smiled.
"Spock, I am whole again. I think that you can realize what
that means. I know you - now - and I know what you risked.
I risked no more than I have risked before, and for no more
reason. Accept my gift, my friend, and look on it as
repayment for what my people failed to do in this world for
your people." Spock looked intently at the Doctor and
nodded.
The Doctor turned to the window. "Captain, I believe
that I have the solution to the problem."
McCoy opened the door.
Spock got up slowly. Kirk went to him. "Spock, are you
all right?"
"I believe so, Captain. It was a most unusual
experience."
"Spock," called the Doctor, "come on, we've got to get
this thing solved."
"Coming."
The two left the room. Kirk and Stephans followed.
McCoy decided that he was going review the medical records
of the happening again.
"Lieutenant," said Kirk, walking behind Spock and the
Doctor as they headed toward the briefing room, "What has
Spock got now that he didn't have before?"
"It's difficult to say, Captain. Certainly some
expanded knowledge or awareness normally unique to Time
Lords. Perhaps an increase in his own telepathic abilities,
perhaps some of the Doctor's sense of humor."
"Lieutenant, I do not find that particularly amusing."
"No sir, but don't you think it would be interesting?'
"No."
"Well, sir, you should be aware that it is not uncommon
after such a melding for the participants to take on each
other's characteristics - for a time."
The Lieutenant nodded her head at the two ahead of
them. Kirk saw that Spock was accepting one of the Doctor's
jellybabies.
"Well, Lieutenant, if it gets us out of this universe
and back into our own, I can tolerate anything."
"I do hope that your tolerance is up to what might
happen, Captain."
++++++++++
Back in the briefing room, both the Doctor and Spock
resurveyed the computer display. After a few minutes, the
Doctor started smiling. Leaning on the table, he turned and
looked at Spock.
"Do you see it?"
Still looking puzzled, Spock indicated an area of the
equation. "There?"
"Exactly."
It seemed to Kirk that Spock was smiling back at the
Doctor, but no change was visible except the disappearance
of puzzlement. He glanced at Lt. Stephans and she nodded. So
he was not the only one to have noticed something!
The Doctor started entering some new figures into the
computer and the display changed. "You could probably work
it out, but you can see where using that formula would have
been disastrous to you."
"Indeed." Spock nodded.
"What was the matter?" Kirk asked.
The Doctor looked at Spock and gestured as if giving
him the center stage.
"The Time Factor, Captain."
"Time Factor?"
"Yes, in transferring between universes there is always
an inherent Time Factor. Had we tried to return to our
universe using the original formula, we would have arrived
in the correct universe, but 300 years before the time we
disappeared." Spock turned to the Doctor, one eyebrow
cocked.
"A somewhat simplified explanation, but correct. With
this change, you should return within five minutes of the
time you left and you will not need to return to the
Sontaran area."
Scotty had been eyeing the changed equation and
suddenly spoke. "Captain, I canna say that this willna do
the trick, but we dinna hae the power for it."
Spock and the Doctor surveyed the equation. Spock
nodded. "Mr. Scott is correct, Captain. The new formula
calls for at least one third again as much power as our
present dilithium will give us."
"Could we reverse the polarity?" the Doctor asked.
"Doctor, ye canna be serious," exclaimed Scotty.
"I do not think that will work - this time." Kirk could
have sworn that Spock was trying to keep from laughing.
"Well, well, never a solution but another problem,"
said the Doctor. "What will you need to solve this one?"
Scott had apparently been doing some calculating too
and he answered immediately. "At least six more dilithium
crystals. I can juryrig a system so that they could give us
the power when we need it, but we've got to have the
dilithium."
Kirk noticed, without a great deal of surprise, that
everyone in the room turned to the Doctor. Well, after all,
this was his universe, and he seemed to like playing the
deus ex-machina and pulling the Enterprise out of
difficulty.
"Well, Doctor, where can we get the dilithium?"
"There is a planet in this area which has a supply of
dilithium crystals."
"Can we buy - or trade - with them to get the
crystals?"
"I don't know." the Doctor sat forward pensively,
templing his hands in front of his face. Kirk felt a slight
shock at this Spock-like gesture. He glanced over at Spock
and felt his shock compound as he saw that Spock was leaning
back in his chair looking ready to put his feet up on the
table.
He felt Lt. Stephans touch him gently on the arm and
heard her whisper "Tolerance, Captain."
The Doctor untempled his hands and stood up.
"This planet is highly unusual, even for this universe.
Apparently a humanoid race started to settle it about a
thousand years ago. It should have been a normal settlement
- everyone working together in the early years, wars and
other problems coming along later - you know the patterns."
Kirk saw Lt. Stephans nodding - apparently what the
Doctor was saying was something familiar to CS&C.
"Instead a split occurred very early. Some of the
colonists were determined to maintain a high level of
technology in spite of almost impossible difficulties, and
others wanted to live the basic `back to nature' life that
seemed to fit the planet."
"So we have to deal with one group or the other?" Kirk
asked.
"More than that. There were certain aspects about the
planet which caused an abnormal development of what you call
PSI powers in some of the people - on both sides. The `back
to nature' group accepted these and encouraged them. The
technologists ignored and repressed them. The two groups
have now developed two totally opposite ways of dealing with
any type of problem.
"I don't see that that makes a difference." Kirk felt
that the Doctor was seeing problems where there weren't any.
"It wouldn't - if it hadn't been for the invasion."
"Invasion?"
"Yes - an utterly ruthless race recently tried to
conquer the planet and both sides ultimately joined together
to defeat the invaders."
"Then we only have one side to deal with."
"Well, when the would-be conquerors left, they wanted
to take revenge on the planet and the people that had
withstood them - to prove that ultimately they could win.
You know the type."
Kirk saw Spock nod out of the corner of his eye and,
glancing over at him, saw that his feet were up on the table
now. He was about to say something when a kick on the shins
diverted him. He glared at Lt. Stephans who was staring
innocently at the Doctor.
"At any rate, Captain," the Doctor went on. Kirk was
certain that he had missed none of the byplay. "The
invaders placed several fission type bombs around the planet
in such a fashion that at irregular periods for the next
five years the orbits will decay and a bomb will come down."
"And if they simply explode the bomb, they'll create a
ring of radiation around the planet that will eventually
destroy them." Scotty said.
"Exactly."
"Sounds like we might be able to help." Kirk said.
"We can certainly remove the bombs from their orbits
and dispose of them somewhere else safely." said Scotty.
"Would that be sufficient for a trade for dilithium?"
Kirk asked.
"Possible." The Doctor seemed to be studying his hands
again. "Does your Prime Directive prevent you from helping
other people?"
"No. Just from interfering with the natural
development of an indigenous culture." responded Lt.
Stephans.
"Well, on this planet, the dilithium crystals are mined
and controlled by the back to nature group - the Norms, as
they call themselves. They can use the dilithium to expand
and amplify their psychic abilities. And it was one of their
cities that was hit by the first bomb that fell." The Doctor
looked at Kirk expectantly.
"Are you suggesting that we supply medical aid?"
"Yes. Can you agree to that?"
Kirk responded without hesitation, "Yes."
"Very well, then, let's get to the planet and do some
horse trading. The coordinates. . ." The Doctor punched up
some figures on the computer display. "What," said Spock
sitting upright again, "is the name of this planet?"
"Lightunder," said the Doctor. He started out the door
and stopped. "One more thing, you know I told you that some
of the people had psychic abilities?"
"Yes." Kirk failed to see why the Doctor was
reemphasizing a point.
"Well, apparently the ability is tied to a recessive
gene, because you can usually recognize a psychic by their
physical appearance too."
"How?" Lt. Stephans asked. Kirk supposed that such an
item might be of interest to a xenobiologist.
"By the color of their hair." The Doctor started out
the door.
The Lieutenant looked puzzled for a minute and then
shouted "What color is it?"
The Doctor's head reappeared around the corner. His
grin reminded Kirk of the Cheshire cat in the old story.
"Green." He said and disappeared.
__________________________________________________________________
PART 3
THE DOCTOR AND THE ENTERPRISE
by Jean Airey
copyright 1982 Jean Airey
Kirk was concerned about his crew's morale. They had, after
all, been overdue for R&R before starting the return trip to
Earth, and had had a succession of emergencies in a rather
short time.
He spent the evening walking around the ship, visiting
areas where the crew was stationed and gathered.
In the gym Sulu was practicing what appeared to be a
new and difficult series of fencing moves. "Improving your
technique, Mr. Sulu?"
"Yes sir. The Doctor showed me some offensive moves
that I'd never heard of before. The problem is to try to
master them."
"The Doctor?"
"Yes sir, he said he learned them from a Captain in
Cleopatra's army."
Kirk watched as Sulu went back to his practicing. He
knew his history well enough to know that at the time of
Cleopatra the swords used were not the epee Sulu used. But
Sulu seemed to find the whole thing credible, so Kirk
decided not to try to argue about it.
Passing through the Engineering section, Kirk saw that
Scotty seemed to be involved in analyzing a silver object
about 13 centimeters long and 3 centimeters in diameter. He
knew that Scotty had been working on the designs which would
implement the extra dilithium crystals and he walked over to
see what was going on. The silver object `Has something he
had never seen before.
"Something new, Scotty?"
"Aye, Captain. It's a Sonic Screwdriver, and it's a
beautiful wee bairn."
"A Sonic Screwdriver?" The term sounded more like an
exotic bar concoction than something that would fascinate
his Chief Engineer.
"Aye, it's the Doctor's."
"The Doctor's?"
"I've been trying to persuade him to let me look at
that TARDIS of his, but he doesna seem to want to let me do
that."
"So how did you get this - Sonic Screwdriver?"
"`Yell, he says that if I can duplicate it, then I can
look at the TARDIS."
"Can you?" Kirk was confident that nothing mechanical
was beyond Scotty's skills.
"Not yet. Oh, it's a bonnie wee bairn. So far I've
found thirty uses for it, but I canna yet make another one."
"Did the Doctor make it?"
"Well, he designed it."
"Well, Scotty, if you keep at it, you'll find the
secret."
"Secret! Nae, Captain, this is pure engineering genius.
And an honor it is to be working on it."
Kirk walked out shaking his head. The Doctor certainly
seemed to have found the way to keep Scotty away from the
TARDIS.
One of the Rec rooms had been turned into what Lt. Kyle
explained to Kirk as the site of the Starfleet Yo-Yo
Championships.
"Where did all the yo-yos come from, Lieutenant?"
"Oh, the Doctor gave them to us."
"Did he set up the rules for this - competition?"
"Set them up? No sir. He told us what the rules were -
back on Earth."
"Will he be participating?"
"No sir. He said he'd already won his championship in
1923."
Kirk watched an Andorian ensign attempt a `walk the
doggie.'
"All the Andorians are very good at this, sir. They
seem to have a knack for it."
"That would certainly be helpful."
"If you'll excuse me, sir, my turn is coming up."
"Of course."
On his way to Rec room 4 Kirk mulled over what he had
seem. His crew was alert, happy, and there certainly seemed
to be no cause for alarm. He decided he would see if Spock
would join him for a game of chess. Certainly they could
both use the break.
In Rec room 4 Spock was already playing chess - with
the Doctor.
Kirk walked over and looked at the board. It was
obviously near the end of the game and as Kirk neared them
the Doctor made a move.
"Check and mate, I believe."
Spock studied the board. "You have learned the game
well."
"It's much more challenging than the one dimensional
version I'm used to. I'll have to teach it to K-9 when I
get him fixed."
"K-9?" Kirk asked.
"My dog."
"Your dog? - plays chess?" Kirk looked at Spock in
hopes of some amplification of the strange statement.
"Actually, K-9 is a highly sophisticated robot." Spock
said, resetting the pieces on the boards. Kirk relaxed, at
least his first officer was back to normal.
"However," Spock went on, "he is really a very good
dog."
The Doctor had looked slightly disappointed at Spock's
mundane explanation and now smiled across the Board at him.
Kirk was shocked to see his first officer smile back.
"Spock" - Spock turned to look at him, his face
expressionless again. "Um - would you say that the Doctor
plays as illogically as humans?"
"Captain," one Vulcan eyebrow raised, "the Doctor's
mind works in a unique fashion. I would not compare the
processes."
"Would you care to play the next game, Captain?" asked
the Doctor, starting to get up from his chair.
"No, no." Kirk motioned him back down. "Mr. Spock and I
play quite often." Of course, as their mission was ending,
he and Spock. . . Well, he thought, at least the Doctor was
out of mischief. He went back to his cabin determined to
have a talk with McCoy the next day.
+++++++++
"Bones, are you sure Spock is all right?"
"Jim, he's fine. He just had me give him a complete
physical."
"He asked for one?"
"Jim, it was the - logical - thing to do. He wanted to
be sure that there were no after effects from that mind-meld
experiment. Made me give the Doctor one too. Not that I
needed to add any more of those strange readings to my
records."
"Don't you find that - unusual?"
"Before this whole thing happened - yes. Now - well, I
don't know what you're worried about, but Spock is healthier
- in body and mind than I've ever seen him. What are you so
worried about?"
"Bones, I don't know. I just have this strange feeling
that something is wrong - with the Enterprise - and that the
Doctor is somehow related to it."
"Well he certainly has done nothing but help us since
we got in this mess. The crew likes him, I like him and
Spock likes him. You're the only one having problems dealing
with him. Jim..."
"Dr. McCoy, Lieutenant Caffrey is fibrillating again."
Chapel called from inside on of the sickbay areas.
"Damn - Jim, I want to talk to you about this after I
take care of my patient."
Kirk started glumly at the door as McCoy left. He could
not believe that he was the one out of step. Every feeling
that he'd learned to rely on told him that something was
wrong.
"Captain Kirk." It was Sulu on the intercom from the
Bridge.
"Kirk here."
"Coming into the Lightunder system."
"I'm on my way up."
++++++++++++
Orbiting the planet the next day, the selected landing
party met in one of the briefing rooms.
Lt. Stephans had been working with the Doctor gathering
information about the planet through a linkup of the TARDIS
and the Enterprise sensors. "Luckily the Techies - the
technologists - and the Norms are still speaking to one
another," she said. "We don't want to get involved in a
civil war. Only one bomb has fallen on a populated area -
the first one. It destroyed the Norm city of Metebe and left
strong radioactive aftereffects. The population in the area
is suffering from radiation exposure. The Norms were able to
deflect the second bomb as it was falling, but burnt out -
lost - five of their best telekenetics to do it. The area it
landed in was unpopulated, but we will need to do a clean up
of the radiation. The bombs are too distant for the Norms
to move them further out, or keep them up, and the Techies
don't have a clear enough understanding of how the internal
mechanism works to enable the Norms to defuse one as it
comes down. They are in a desperate situation and they know
it. However, they are very proud and will resent any
intrusion even though it is intended to be helpful."
"Full diplomacy, then, Lieutenant," said Kirk. He
noticed that McCoy was staring at him but he had been too
caught up in the plans for the planetary contact - including
a possible use of the Doctor's TARDIS as the `hospital base'
to get back to talk to him. It would have to wait.
"Diplomacy in spades, Captain, if we hope to accomplish
anything."
"Doctor, if you're ready?"
The Doctor had his feet up on the table and his hat
over his head. Kirk was convinced he had been sleeping.
"What - oh yes - are we ready?"
"We will be beaming down into the meeting room of the
capital city of the Techies. The leaders of both sides
should be there." Spock said.
++++++++++++
As the group materialized, Kirk could see the surprise
of the men and women in the room. He hoped that this
display of superior technology would give them a bargaining
advantage. He looked around at the people. Even from their
clothing he could distinguish between the two groups. The
Techies were wearing military type one piece suits, and the
Norms were wearing leather and fur garments and all carried
swords.
"We have come in peace." Kirk said, spreading his hands
to show the absence of weapons. "We would offer our
assistance. . ."
"We do not wish the assistance of aliens!" shouted one
of the Norms, a short but powerfully built man. Mutters from
the others in the room indicated that they agreed. Kirk was
starting to frame another sentence when the Doctor abruptly
stepped forward. He calmly surveyed the group and said "I
am the Doctor, a Time Lord of Gallifrey. We have determined
that without our intervention your planet will be destroyed
in 16 months. We have decided that we will intervene to
save you - for a price."
Kirk thought that the arrogance in his tone was
unmistakable.
The man who had refused Kirk stared at the Doctor. His
green hair seemed to bristle. "A Time Lord. We have heard of
you." A small polished dilithium crystal that he wore on the
inside of his left wrist began to glow as he lifted his
hand. When his hand was level with his eyes the crystal
suddenly flashed. Kirk felt what seemed to be a momentary
pressure on his mind and heard Spock take a sudden deep
breath. The Doctor seemed amused.
"So. It is true. What is your price and who are these
people with you who are not Time Lords?"
"Our price is six large energy crystals - the size you
do not use because you cannot control them." The scorn in
the Doctor's voice hung in the air. "These people have been
chosen to assist me."
"What do you offer us?"
"Medical help for those of your people suffering from
the effects of the first explosion. And we will remove the
remaining devices from your skies."
"Will you treat our people in our own land - without
bringing in large machines?"
"We will land our own dwelling place where you specify.
The machines we use will be no more to you than a black box
that makes noises. What machines we have in our dwelling
place will be of no concern to you."
"Will you teach us so that we may avoid something like
this happening again?" one of the Techies asked.
The Doctor looked at him as if he was some kind of
lower species of insect. "We will teach you enough to better
defend yourselves." The Doctor looked at the group. "Do
accept our offer?"
"We must discuss.. ." murmured the Techie.
"What is there to discuss!" said the Norm. "This is a
Time Lord and he speaks the truth. Must we discuss if we
wish to live or die?"
There was no dissenting voice from the group as they
looked ruefully at each other. The Norm turned back to the
Doctor.
"Very well, Time Lord. We will agree to your bargain.
But those of you who come on our land must agree to abide by
our customs."
"Agreed." said the Doctor. "Where do you wish us to
place the medical treatment center?"
"We have established a place of healing in Besteco."
"Then we will land there. After we remove the devices
orbiting your planet, we will send people to meet with you."
The Doctor nodded at the Techies.
One of the Techies stepped forward. He was tall, with
blond hair and a beard. "I am Lif d'Lewis, head of my
people. We will be glad to learn all that you are willing to
teach us."
The Doctor nodded an acknowledgement of the Techie's
statement. Kirk could not help thinking that if they had to
deal only with this man and his people instead of the feisty
Norm who had taken over, the whole thing could have been
handled better.
"Captain, if you will call for the beam-up." The Doctor
turned back to the Norm. "Alert your people at Besteco. We
will be there in one hour." He turned and nodded at Kirk,
obviously concluding the conversation. Kirk opened his
communicator. He felt as though he was an Ensign again.
"Kirk to Enterprise, beam up landing party."
As the transporter beam picked up the landing party,
Kirk felt a sudden surge of anger. What right did the Doctor
have to step in like that! He could feel the emotion
pulsing through him as the group materialized on the
Enterprise. As he turned to the Doctor, prepared to express
his anger, Spock stepped forward and said "An excellent job,
Doctor. I believe you accomplished everything we desired."
"Even what you offered the Techies is well within the
limits of the Prime Directive. How did you know that was the
way to approach them?" Lt. Stephans asked. The Doctor looked
slightly surprised.
"It was the - logical - thing to do." He smiled at
Spock, shaking his head slightly.
Kirk felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped
on him. Spock and the Lieutenant were right. What they had
wanted done was done - so why did it matter WHO had done it?
Suppressing an uneasy feeling of having been in the wrong,
he turned to McCoy. "Bones, are you and your medical team
ready?"
"As ready as we can be, Jim. It's a good thing that
we'd already expected that we'd have to use the Doctor's
TARDIS as our base. We've installed some of our medical
computers and laboratory equipment. The Doctor and Mr.
Spock have also arranged to implement a direct link between
the TARDIS' computer system and our science computer."
"You're satisfied with the arrangements, then?"
"They're better than most I've had to work with under
the Prime Directive on a primitive planet."
"Bones," said the Doctor. "If you will have your
medical team at the TARDIS in - say - fifteen minutes? Lt.
Stephans and I want to review some of the customs of the
local people. Dorcy has a feeling that certain aspects of
the local culture were not emphasized strongly enough in the
standard briefing tape she made earlier. The Norms are very
set in certain ways, and we cannot afford to offend them."
"We'll be there."
"Captain, if you are planning on coming down to the
planet, you should hear this." The Doctor said.
"I'll have to get it later, Doctor. At the moment we
need to get this ship ready to dispose of these orbital
bombs."
The Doctor looked at Kirk and, with a slight smile,
nodded. "Of course, Captain."
+++++++++
Beaming down the TARDIS was a learning experience for
Lt. Kyle under Spock's tuition. Apparently something of the
unique nature of the TARDIS had to be calculated for during
transportation and Kirk was thankful that the beam-down with
his crew aboard was successful.
He looked at the now empty transporter pads and turned
to Spock.
"Why didn't the Doctor take the TARDIS down on its own,
Spock? Wouldn't it have been simpler?"
"With the TARDIS in its present condition, there is
always the chance that it might not land where it was
directed."
"You mean that the Doctor can't control it."
"His level of control of the TARDIS suits him, Captain.
In this situation, I preferred that we handle the
transportation."
"Spock, there are some things that I simply do not
understand."
"Indeed, Captain?" Kirk saw his first officer looking
at him expectantly.
"Not now, Spock, we've got some bombs to get rid of."
"But of course, Captain."
++++++++++
The removal and defusing of the orbiting bombs was time
consuming but relatively simple for the Enterprise crew.
The defused bombs were dumped into a sun of a nearby
uninhabited planetary system. Kirk was pleased to see that
his crew was handling the situation in their usual efficient
fashion. Apparently with the disruptive influence of the
Doctor removed, things were going to return to normal.
Within a week the Enterprise had returned and was orbiting
Lightunder again.
Scotty, a team of Enterprise engineers, and selected
members of the CS&C group beamed down to meet with Lyf
d'Lewis. Another group was assigned to `clean up' the
unpopulated area of the second explosion. Kirk decided to go
down with Spock to see how the medical group was getting
along.
In the transporter room, Spock placed a small black box
on the transporter console.
"Lieutenant Kyle, initiate signaling sequence
21CQ305260." Spock said.
"Yes sir."
"What's that all about, Spock?" Kirk asked as they
walked toward the transporter pads.
"Without the adjustment and amplification that box
provides for our signals, we would not be able to beam down
inside the TARDIS. The Doctor has specifically requested
that landing party at Besteco beam down directly into the
TARDIS and await further contact."
"Are you saying that without that device, we wouldn't
be able to transport into the TARDIS?"
"The TARDIS has unique defensive capabilities."
Kirk sighed. He was back in the strange world of the
Doctor's again. They materialized inside the TARDIS control
room just as the Doctor was coming in through the outside
door.
"Oh, Spock," he said, "I'm glad you're here. Come on
down to the workshop. I want to look at something."
Spock and the Doctor started through one of the other
doors when the Doctor stuck his head back through the door.
"Captain - don't leave the TARDIS until you check with
Lt. Stephans." Then he disappeared again.
Kirk waited for some time, his impatience growing.
Other members of the medical team came hurriedly through the
TARDIS control room, apparently to and from the area where
the Doctor and Spock were. They barely acknowledged his
presence. Lt. Stephans did not appear.
His patience finally exhausted, he decided that it
would not hurt to go and look for the Lieutenant or,
preferably, McCoy. They probably just wanted to reemphasize
some of the local customs. He had already seen the briefing
tape twice, and had been taking care of himself on alien
planets several years longer than the Lieutenant, but if
they wanted to make some special point, he'd find them and
let them make it.
As he stepped out of the TARDIS, he noticed the
`hospital' seemed to be a converted large stone building.
The TARDIS had actually been located in a room in the
building.
The other rooms he saw as he walked down the hall were
filled with patients. The medical personnel, both his own
people and some from the native population seemed to be
constantly busy. He could not see McCoy or Stephans
anywhere.
At length his wanderings took him to the front door of
the building. The sunlight and open air outside looked
inviting after the closed-in aura of the hospital. He even
seemed to be experiencing a slightly nauseous feeling from
the strange pungency. All hospitals smell, he thought, and
decided to step outside and look around.
Leaning on the beast-shaped stone structure at the foot
of the hospital steps, he looked out at what seemed to be a
town square. There were shops on three sides and the normal
activity of people going in and out with and without
parcels. Horses - or a very close facsimile of the earth
animal, except for the cloven hooves and horn - and
carriages were tied up by the stores.
He took a deep breath of the planet's air. It tasted
good.
He noticed a girl - a young woman - standing by one of
the shops, apparently waiting for someone. He looked at her
intensely.
Her hair was a dark green, so dark as to be almost
black. The slight breeze blowing against the lightweight
rose fabric of her ankle length gown outlined a figure of
delightful proportions.
She suddenly looked up at him, revealing dark black
eyes formerly masked by thick and curly downcast eyelashes.
Her skin was fair, highlighted by a natural rose shading on
her cheeks and lips which Kirk could tell owed nothing to
artifice. She met his gaze for an instant and then cast her
eyes down again momentarily. He was not surprised when,
after a brief moment, the open and provocative gaze met his
again.
How lovely she was - and would be on any planet he had
ever visited. The rose of her cheeks seemed to deepen and a
faint smile appeared on her lips and the black eyes seemed
sparkle. He could not speak to her, he remembered that from
the briefing tape, but he continued to smile into those
brilliant eyes and it seemed that his smile was echoed back
to him. It had been a long time for him, and his thoughts
became more specific. Her body and his, meeting,
blending . . . A horrified look appeared in the lovely
eyes and she turned and ran into the shop. Well, you
can't win them all, he thought wistfully.
He felt slightly dizzy and was turning to go back into
the hospital when he saw Spock, McCoy and the Doctor coming
out.
"Jim," said McCoy, "Have you seen Lt. Stephans?"
"Not yet, Bones." He replied, smiling.
Spock and McCoy exchanged glances of - irritation? Why
should seeing Lt. Stephans such an important matter?
"Blithering idiot," said the Doctor. "You'd better get
back inside and let us look at you."
Kirk bristled. What right did the Doctor have to give
such an order and, anyway, they could just as well look at
him out here.
There was a commotion across the street. The four on
the hospital steps turned.
Three men were approaching rapidly. Kirk saw the girl
he had been looking at being bundled into a carriage with
some other women.
The men paused, face to face now with the Doctor and
the Enterprise crew. Kirk recognized one as the Norm who
had been present at the meeting in the Techie capital.
The Norm looked at the Doctor. "You said that your
people would abide by our customs."
"I did."
"This man," he motioned to Kirk, "has violated one of
our women."
The Doctor seemed to take a deep breath. Spock and
McCoy simultaneously exclaimed "Captain!" and "Jim!"
Kirk looked at them and, with a shock, realized that
they seemed to be accepting the justification of the charge.
"Bones, Spock - I just got here!" He felt a wave of
dizziness sweep over him.
"Time is relative, Captain," said the Doctor. He turned
to the man who had stated the charge. "You are Raul
d'Colm'n, head of the clan d'Colm'n, and you are making this
charge."
"On behalf of my kinswoman, Namona d'Colm'n, I am."
"The one charged has the right of defense by
challenge."
"With swords and knives." d'Colm'n looked scornfully at
the Doctor.
"Will your clan accept the challenge of defense?"
"We will - and the best of our warriors will face this
pervert personally."
"Where will the challenge be?"
"In the hall of the d'Colm'n. We will take the accused
there now."
"I am leigelord to the accused. I shall go with him."
"It is your right. But only you as liegelord may do
so. And you must leave all of your alien machines behind.
We have extra horses; we will leave now. The challenge will
be on the morrow."
Kirk found himself clinging to the sculpture. The
dizziness seemed to be getting worse. Was this a dream?
The three d'Colm'n went back across the square. Kirk
heard the sound of a tricorder behind him. He turned and
saw McCoy and Spock looking at something on the screen of
McCoy's tricorder. They both looked grim. The Doctor was
coming out of the door carrying a sword and knife in a
curious double scabbard and a leather jacket. He started for
Kirk when McCoy stopped him.
Odd, the three seemed to be blurring - had he been
drinking? They were talking. He heard the words but didn't
want to bother trying to make sense out of them. The stone
sculpture felt cool and comfortable.
"How serious is the challenge?"
"Very. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it.
He'll be back to you in two days."
Now that was the Doctor talking - he'd take care of it!
He thought he could handle anything. Well, James Kirk could
handle this, and his ship, and his crew, and his friends.
He'd show them - handle this situation the way he had all
the others there had been and everything would be fine.
The blurring seemed to be getting worse and he could
barely recognize McCoy's shape coming toward him with a
hypospray. He felt the hypospray going in, but nothing
seemed to happen. The Doctor was putting a leather jacket on
him. He tried to shrug it off. He wasn't cold; it was too
hot on this damn planet. Spock's face suddenly came into
focus and he realized that the Vulcan was pulling the jacket
back on him.
"Jim?"
Was that Spock? He hadn't called him Jim in a long
time. He tried to listen.
"Jim - you must do what the Doctor says. Do you
understand?"
Kirk nodded. He felt Spock removing his phaser and
communicator. Of course, even Spock wanted the Doctor to be
in charge.
"Doctor, there is a problem."
The Doctor had been getting some medical supplies from
McCoy and was stuffing them in his pockets.
"Problem, Spock?" Kirk felt the blue eyes focus on him.
He turned away from the penetrating look. "If he doesn't
cooperate, we will both be lost."
Spock turned back to Kirk who had now decided that he
wouldn't look at any of them. The dizziness seemed to be
passing, but the feeling of estrangement continued. He felt
the Vulcan's hands grasping his head, turning it so they
were face to face, the hands shifting into the mind-meld
position.
"No, Spock!" Had he said that, or just thought it? The
Vulcan's eyes, now close to his, seemed to soften, but he
felt Spock's mind enter his.
You must return to Us alive. You must do what the Doctor
tells you to do. has turned all of you away from me. He
is an enemy. is not an enemy. He is our friend. has
fooled all of you. He has not fooled me. Jim! You must
not think that. Now, look back on what has happened. Review
all of it. Is our friendship so fragile that you can no
longer trust me? I trust you. Then trust the Doctor
also. If you do not, we will never meet again. Your
word?
\My word.\ An alien touch - mind? - entered. \They are
returning.\
Spock broke off the meld. "He is in your
hands, Doctor."
The Doctor nodded.
The dizziness had gone now, and Kirk was able to get on
the horse without help. As they rode off, the Doctor rode
next to Kirk and they were both surrounded by armed men.
Raul led the group through rough paths and rocky
trails. Kirk was spending most of his time trying to stay on
the horse. He was thankful when they arrived at their
destination.
A castle-like structure, heavily fortified, stood on
top of one of the smaller mountains. He noticed banners
flying from the turrets which matched the banners that
several members of the party were carrying. A white sheep
on a yellow and blue striped background with a bell inside a
double ring in one corner seemed to be the emblem displayed.
"Why a sheep?" He could not resist asking the Doctor as
they got off their horses in the courtyard of the castle.
The Doctor glanced at him. "You don't know the sheep
on Lightunder. It is quite an appropriate emblem for this
clan."
The armed men escorted them to a large chamber. They
left and Raul stood facing the Doctor. Kirk's knees felt
oddly weak again and he sat down in one of the high-backed
chairs.
The little man looked up at the Doctor and said "While
you are not of our people, we will give you the guesting
appropriate to the challenge."
"You honor us," said the Doctor.
Raul looked over at Kirk. "Is your man not well?"
"It has been a long trip and he has drunk too heavily."
Raul seemed to be weighing the Doctor's words. Kirk
debated protesting that he had not been drinking at all but
the effort seemed too much.
"That is no excuse." Raul made the statement
definitive.
"It was not given as one."
Raul nodded as though the answer satisfied him.
"Food will be sent. The challenge will be fought at
cock's crow on the morrow. You will be summoned."
"Who will be fighting for the d'Colm'n?"
"I shall be."
"As is my right, I shall fight for my liegeman."
"As you wish. I would not have thought him worth it."
Raul turned and left the room. Kirk suddenly realized
that he limped. Then the significance of the last remarks
sank in and the lethargy was swept away.
"What do you mean, you're fighting for me? I can fight
for myself!"
"Captain," the Doctor came over and forced Kirk back
into the chair. He leaned over one arm. "How skilled are
you at fighting with sword and knife?"
"I've used those weapons."
"Against the most skilled man on a planet which uses
those weapons?"
"Him?"
"Captain - you must not judge by appearances. For all
his size and his injured leg, he is the best that this
planet has produced. You could not win against him."
The dizziness seemed to be returning. Kirk shook his
head, trying to clear it. "Can you?"
"Yes - most likely. It is our only chance. How do you
feel?"
The words seemed to come out of a distance. Spock had
said `trust him'.
"Weak and dizzy. What's going on?"
The Doctor began rummaging in the pockets of his coat
and pulled out one of McCoy's hyposprays. Kirk heard it hiss
against his arm.
"That should help. I'll wake you when the food comes."
Kirk awoke to find himself supported by the Doctor's
arm. He was lying in one of the beds. The Doctor was
spooning some kind of broth into his mouth. He started to
pull away but then relaxed.
"Well, I'm glad to see that Spock got through to you."
The broth seemed to be finished and the Doctor offered Kirk
a chunk of some type of whole grain bread and propped him up
in the bed. "Eat as much of it as you can. You need the
energy." The Doctor sat back in a chair and took out a bag
of jellybabies.
"Doctor - what the hell is wrong with me?"
"You didn't see Lt. Stephans before you left the
TARDIS, did you?"
"No. I..."
"You didn't really think that it was necessary. Well,
because you didn't see her, you didn't receive the immunity
injection you humans require for the current virus mutation
that's floating around. So now you've caught the disease."
"Then the shots I've been getting are part of the
cure."
"The shots aid in relieving the symptoms, but we have
not yet found the cure. The mortality rate is 97%".
Kirk suddenly lost his appetite. The Doctor reached
out and took the remaining bread out of his hand.
"You know, Captain, there are times when it pays to
listen to someone you don't like."
"Doctor, I . . ."
"Don't try to excuse it, Captain. I can understand what
happened, and I should have recognized it earlier. You're
about to wind up your mission in a blaze of glory, when you
get sidetracked into this." The Doctor made a vaguely
circular motion with his hand.
"I certainly wasn't prepared for anyone like you."
The Doctor chuckled. "But surely, Captain, you must
realize that one of the things I did, inadvertently, was to
trigger some of the fears you have about what will happen
when you do complete your mission."
"Changes."
"Yes - changes." the Doctor said cheerfully,
"separation and loneliness. And you are so bound to your
ship that the separation. . ." He became oddly pensive. "I
think that you had better tell me what happened in the
square that got us into this."
Kirk related the events as he recalled them, noticing
that the dizziness and the fog seemed to be approaching
again. As he finished his story he felt the hypospray
against his arm.
The hissing sound of another hypospray awoke him in the
morning.
"Doctor McCoy will not be thrilled with what I'm doing,
but you've got to stay on your feet during the next several
hours. Here, drink this." The Doctor held out a small vial
of liquid. Without hesitating, Kirk drank it. The effect
was immediate; a feeling of normalcy returned. He got out
of the bed and saw that the Doctor was strapping on the
double scabbard. He was wearing only the spotless, flowing
white shirt, tweed pants, and boots. The rest of his clothes
were laid in a neat pile. "Can you carry those?"
"Yes."
The Doctor pulled the sword from the scabbard and
looked at it. It was a curious shape. One edge curved
slightly while the other was straight. Both edges were
honed to a fine sharpness. The strange blend of direct and
curved line met in an elongated point.
"That's an unusual sword." Kirk commented.
"It's designed for great efficiency. Because of the
curved edge, you gain an impetus to your blow if you decide
to swing at your enemy - but the point still allows for the
thrust." His voice seemed quite academic. "Do you see these
grooves?" He indicated two channels in each side of the
weapon. "If you should sink your weapon into your enemy to
that depth and then quickly remove it, a suction is created
- which causes an even greater loss of blood than in the
flat sided weapon."
With a sudden intuition, Kirk said, "You don't like
weapons, do you?"
"Aren't all men supposed to enjoy the fight?"
"You don't even travel armed - you were completely
defenseless when you came out of the TARDIS."
"It has been my experience that if you go about armed,
more people are apt to attack you than otherwise. You humans
seem to feel an absolute compulsion to have some weapon or
another on you."
"I think that for us it is a form of security - that we
expect more attacks than welcomes. To leave all weapons
behind - consistently - would be a step beyond our
understanding ourselves."
"I didn't think that you were a philosopher."
"Not a philosopher, but as a Starship Captain I have to
have some understanding of any crew - and most of them are
human, like me." Kirk smiled wryly.
The Doctor looked at Kirk with puzzlement and Kirk
wondered what he had said that had surprised the Doctor in
some fashion.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Our escorts." said the Doctor.
They were led down into a large circular hall. The
seating around the sides, sloped so that all could have a
good view, and the entrances from the front and back,
reminded Kirk unpleasantly of the ancient Roman gladiatorial
contests.
The Doctor and Kirk stepped unto the floor, their
escorts falling back. The Doctor motioned to Kirk. "Stand
back away from the combat area and do not interfere -
whatever happens. If I am killed, they will be required to
let you go."
"Then you are not certain about winning."
"Of course I an," said the Doctor huffily. "The
probability that I can defeat Raul is at least - 90%." He
seemed to think for a minute and then said with what seemed
to Kirk to be an incorrigible honesty, "Well, 70% anyway."
He started out for the center of the room and then turned
back to Kirk, smiling. "At least it's 100% better than
yours!"
As Kirk watched the Doctor turn and walk into the
center, he realized that he was nearly laughing. All his
fears and distrust of the Doctor seemed to have vanished.
The Doctor was what he was and that was worthy of all the
trust that Spock and McCoy had placed in him, and that now
Kirk would place in him too. If he had been the better
swordsman, the Doctor would have made him fight his own
battle. As it was, the Doctor would fight for him.
Raul emerged form the other door. He was dressed in
full swordsman's outfit - leather, silver, the sword and the
knife. The two men accompanying him stepped to one side and
Raul, his green hair blazing, walked to the center.
A gong sounded and both men drew their weapons.
The fight began slowly, both men circling, taking
cautious feints at each other, looking for weaknesses.
When the action finally began, Kirk had a few uneasy
moments as the Doctor seemed to be outclassed as he faced
the skill of a man trained to live and die with the bladed
weapons. Then he noticed that the Doctor was consistently
moving more rapidly than Raul, forcing Raul to turn on his
injured leg. And while Raul was making frequent thrusts and
passes at the Doctor, the Doctor rarely had to block them -
he seemed to be moving one step ahead of his opponent. The,
unexpectedly, the Doctor went on the offense, driving Raul
around the floor. Within seconds, the Doctor gained the
advantage. Kirk saw Raul fall, disarmed, with the Doctor's
sword at his throat.
"Your life is forfeit to me and mine, Raul, and the
innocence of my man is proved by your own laws."
"Then kill me quickly, in honor."
"In honor, I shall not do that. I would establish the
truth of the matter - for all we have proved here is that I
am a better swordsman than you. I will give you leave to
probe the mind of my leigeman for the truth - if you will
agree to verify it by putting your cousin Namona under the
truthspell."
"This is not in accordance with our ways."
"Is death then more important to you than truth?"
The Doctor's sword remained steadily at his exposed
throat.
"I will grant you what you ask."
A murmur rose up around the hall.
Raul glared at the Doctor. The Doctor moved his sword
to one side and Raul stood.
"Quiet. It will be as I have said. Call forth your
man." Raul turned. "Summon Namona and El Donna."
"Jim," the Doctor motioned Kirk to the center of the
floor. He unbuckled the scabbard and let the weapons fall
to the floor. Kirk moved quickly.
As he handed the Doctor his coats, he whispered "What's
going to happen?"
"We'll let them find out what really happened." The
Doctor shrugged into his longer outer coat, wrapped his
scarf around his throat, and settled his hat on his head.
"Raul will mind-probe you. Just concentrate on what
happened. He isn't interested in anything else."
Namona, dressed all in white, eyes cast down, entered
from the other side. With her was another woman, slighter,
darker, with a dilithium crystal worn in the hollow of her
neck.
The two women joined the men in the center of the hall.
"El Donna," said Raul, "Place Namona under the
truthspell."
"As you wish, Paul." The words were submissive but Kirk
felt that had she so wished a refusal could as easily have
been granted. She turned to Namona. "Child, look at me."
Namona's eyes raised and as they met the other's the crystal
at El Donna's throat pulsed with energy. Namona stood, eyes
fixed on space. El Donna turned back to Raul. "It is done."
Paul faced Kirk. Kirk looked down into the dark eyes
and was suddenly thankful that the Doctor had been the one
fighting this man.
The mind contact was sudden and sharp, quite unlike the
feeling Kirk had ever had with Spock. This was a knife
burning in his mind. For a moment Kirk tried to resist.
Then, remembering what the Doctor had said, he concentrated
instead on the happening in the square.
The contact broke off. Kirk felt weakened and was
thankful that the Doctor had moved over and taken his arm.
Paul turned to the wide-eyed girl. "So, then, is this
how it was?"
Kirk felt that he could almost see the exchange between
the two minds.
"Yes, it is as he remembers."
Raul's hand flew forward and Namona reeled under the
blow.
Kirk started toward Paul, but the Doctor restrained
him.
"Fool!" Raul turned to El Donna. "See that she is
returned to the nursery for another year until she is
prepared to live with adults."
"As you wish." El Donna motioned and two women came and
removed the now sobbing girl.
Paul faced the Doctor and ceremoniously bowed. "All
honor to you and your liegeman. My home is yours."
"Honor to you for being willing to make a change." The
Doctor replied, bowing in return. He stood for a moment,
looking at Raul questioningly. "If you can accept change,
then I would talk to you for a moment before we leave."
"Very well." Raul called toward the door. "Pad!" A
young man stepped forward from the group on the far side.
"See that horses and an escort are provided for our guests.
El Donna, while the liegelord and I speak, will you
accompany the liegeman to the horses?" El Donna nodded her
head in agreement. Paul turned back to the Doctor. "No
doubt your liegeman will wish to check that everything is in
order."
"No doubt," replied the Doctor wryly, glancing at Kirk.
The Doctor and Raul walked off together. Kirk noticed
that while his legs still seemed to be stable, the fog had
returned, edging his thoughts.
"Captain?" It was El Donna. "Will you please come with
me? We can await Raul and the Doctor outside."
She turned and led the way through the building. As
they reached the entrance, Kirk was thankful to see that
there were some stone benches in front. The horses and
escort were net yet there.
"May we sit while we're waiting?" Kirk asked.
El Donna nodded. He was thankful that she did not seem
disposed to chatter, yet he wanted to ask some questions.
"You have questions, Captain?"
"Yes. If it would not be offensive. I do not understand
all of your ways."
"I think that you understand very few of our ways, but
you may ask your questions."
With an effort, Kirk tried to concentrate on the main
point. The fog seemed to clear for a minute; he noticed
that the crystal at El Donna's neck was glowing. "Why did
Raul hit Namona?" God, he though, that was blunt.
"A blunt question is preferable if it enables the
appropriate answer. Raul hit Namona for two reasons. First,
it is customary among our women - especially those with high
powers -not to look at any man other than one's own family
until after marriage. You seem shocked, Captain, but I can
tell you that her bold glances of themselves would have been
sufficient to require punishment. As it was, her worst
crime was in claiming forced violation after she read your
response to her given invitation."
"You're saying she read my mind? What I was thinking
about her?" Kirk felt a sudden sinking feeling- his
thoughts? - a mental rape - and they said she was guilty?
"But I did. . ."
"Captain." The lithe figure turned to him and dark eyes
gazed sympathetically but with some hint of amusement into
his. "Have you ever physically raped a woman?"
"No." *Never had to,* he thought and felt himself flush
as he saw by the answering gleam in her eyes that she had
caught that additional thought.
"Our custom of not looking at strange men is for our
own protection. There are some whose thoughts would be
without doubt - rape. Your thoughts, on the other hand - oh
yes, Raul read them, so have we all - were flattering,
stimulating, and exciting, for any woman who was the direct
object of them. You are embarrassed. There is no need to
be. We all have our passions and desires, and yours for
Namona was not in any way perverted or debased. Her
reaction, on the other hand, showed that she does not yet
deserve to be called woman, but is still a child, and will
now be treated so. What she did could have caused at least
one needless death, had it not been for your liegelord. Can
you understand this?"
It was strange but - "Yes. Although I must say that I
will be thankful to leave this planet. I don't like the
feeling that my mind is open to everyone."
"Not to everyone. That would be dishonorable, and
exhausting for the true telepath. I have just been scanning
your surface thoughts because it seemed that it would
facilitate our conversation."
There was a clatter of hooves, and Kirk saw that the
horses were being brought round. He wondered if he was going
to be able to make it back. He felt the fog disappear and a
soft strength enter his body. He turned to the woman beside
him. Her eyes were closed and the jewel at her throat was
pulsing. The dark eyes opened and looked into his. "You will
make it back - and to your home." A gentle smile seemed to
caress him. "I must go now. Raul and the Doctor are coming."
Kirk eyed the horses without enthusiasm. While he was
feeling better, he was not a horseman. Somehow the thought
of subjecting his still sore muscles to another trip on the
beast was not appealing. Beside him he heard El Donna sigh.
"This much too, then, Captain." He looked back down at her
to see the crystal pulsing again.
"What?"
"It is a small thing, Captain. A gift from me to you.
That you may have some not-so- unpleasant memories of this
planet." The Doctor and Raul were coming out of the door.
She turned and left.
"Coming, Captain?" said the Doctor as he moved past
Kirk and mounted.
Kirk followed, getting on the horse behind the
Doctor's. As he mounted, he realized that somehow his body
seemed to know how to ride and handle the animal. Things fit
- the double reins, the saddle and stirrups - he was a part
of the animal. Kirk looked over to the doorway where El
Donna was standing. An enigmatic smile was on her lips as
the group rode away.
Riding through the hills he thought about her. The
Doctor had pulled slightly ahead and was talking to the
leader of their escorts, the young man Paul had called Pad.
Why was the armed escort needed, Kirk wondered. There
had been no trouble on the way up and the countryside
certainly seemed peaceful. Now, at mid-morning, there was
not even the need for the leather jacket he had worn on the
ride up.
A brilliant flash of light and shouting broke his
thoughts. Phasers? The leading members of the party and
their mounts had gone down. The Doctor was reining his
horse sharply around. Without hesitation, Kirk followed.
"Pad," the Doctor called, "Get out of here!"
"We do not retreat!" Kirk saw that the remaining party
were pulling out their swords, preparing to attack.
Swords against phasers? Kirk kicked his horse into a
gallop and headed down the trail after the Doctor. The light
flared again and the Doctor looked back. He shook his head
and led the way off the trail into a rocky pass.
"Let the horses go. They'll be good decoys." The Doctor
dismounted and gave his horse a slap on the rump, sending it
on its way. Kirk quickly followed suit. As his horse
galloped away, he followed the Doctor up the side of the
mountain and joined him, crouching behind a large rock.
"What was that all about?"
"Daleks," said the Doctor grimly.
"Who are Daleks?"
"The ones who invaded this planet before. Apparently
they left a small group behind to keep the pressure on as
the bombs came down." The Doctor cautiously stood up and
looked of the top of the rock. Kirk stayed down, watching
him.
"You are the Doctor." A metallic artificial voice
echoed from the rocks. The Doctor stood completely still,
motioning Kirk to stay down.
"Exterminate the Doctor!"
"No. I wish to question him first."
At least two of them out there, Kirk thought. Probably
more. There was an utterly vicious tone in the voices. The
Doctor was moving around to the front of the rock. No time
for plans or signals. Did the Doctor expect him to follow
and attempt a rescue or leave?
"Put that down," said the metallic voices and a brief
flair of light flickered among the rocks.
"It's only a toy," said the Doctor plaintively.
"You will come with us. You will keep your hands in
sight. Now."
"Well, there's no need to shove."
Kirk heard noises as the group moved away. He peered
cautiously around one corner of the rock. He could see the
Doctor and four strange dome shaped metal creatures about
five feet high moving down the path. He waited until they
went around a bend and started to follow.
As he came out, he saw a mark on one of the rocks and,
looking down, saw a yo-yo on the ground. He picked it up. A
child's toy, but the Doctor had risked something to leave
it. If the Doctor had done that, then there might be a
purpose for it.
He continued to trail the Doctor and his captors. Some
type of a robot - but with an independent mind, he thought.
Certainly an eminently practical design, not at all
anthropomorphic. The weaponry they used seemed to be
built-in as one of the projections from the center of the
bulletlike body. The other projection was probably a `hand',
although it bore no resemblance to anything humanoid. A
third projection near the rounded top rotated as if the
creature used it as an eye. He could not tell how they were
moving. The base of the body was so close to the ground that
nothing could be seen. No wheels in this terrain - maybe
some type of an air suspension system? However they had come
about, their creation was inspired and, with the attitude
they seemed to have, diabolical.
__________________________________________________________________
PART 4
THE DOCTOR AND THE ENTERPRISE
by Jean Airey
copyright 1982 Jean Airey
The group came to a circular stone structure. A brief
noise and an opening appeared in one side and they went in.
The opening closed. Some kind of a forcefield, he thought.
He crept cautiously up to the sides. Solid rock, but the
structure stopped about nine feet up. Where there's a wall,
there's a way, Kirk thought and realized that the fog was
pressing on his mind again. No, he thought, not yet, and
pushed it back. These Daleks did not have feet or legs or
real arms, so they might not be prepared for someone
attacking from the top of the wall. He found hand and
footholds in the rough rock and got to the top. He realized
that he had carried the yo-yo in his mouth. Like a weapon,
he thought. Could it become one?
Lying down flat on the top, he looked down inside. The
Doctor was standing in the middle of the structure. A
strange light surrounded him.
"Why have you come here?" asked one of the Daleks and
the light around the Doctor changed color. The Doctor did
not respond and the light flickered again. It seemed to be
tightening on him. Another force field, Kirk thought.
"I was just looking around. What are you doing here?"
The Doctor lifted his head and smiled at the nearest Dalek.
At least he was conscious, and if he was conscious,
then if the forcefield could be removed. . . . Kirk moved
slowly along the wall looking for some type of control panel
inside the complex.
"I do not believe you. You will tell the truth."
"Exterminate!"
"No. He may have information we need." The light
changed color again and Kirk heard the Doctor gasp. If he
didn't act quickly, the Doctor would not be able to get out.
Kirk spotted what looked like a control panel - switches,
buttons, and flashing lights. He crawled so that he was
directly above it. Now - one leap down. He glanced over at
the Doctor to catch a definite glance that said `no'.
"Do you still like blue?" said the Doctor to the Dalek
who was questioning him.
"That is not an answer." The light changed again.
Blue? There was one panel glowing that color. Kirk
looked at the Doctor and then realized that he still had the
yo-yo in his hand. He lifted it. Heavy - maybe not just a
normal yo-yo then. And on a string. Kirk smiled at it.
Method in the Doctor's madness. He tied one end of the
string to his finger and sent the weight down toward the
panel. Missed. He pulled it back up and tried again.
"You will tell us what we wish to know."
"Difficult without breathing."
Kirk felt the weight rebound as the yo-yo hit the panel
and broke it. The power over the complex died and Kirk saw
the Doctor run for the opening. He slid off the wall as the
Doctor ran around to meet him. The Doctor pulled him down
behind another rock. "Stay here. They'll be looking for us
to be running."
They remained hidden until dusk came, saying nothing.
The Doctor motioned and Kirk followed him up further into
the mountains. A small cave seemed to be an acceptable
stopping place and the Doctor motioned Kirk inside. Kirk
collapsed on one side and looked at the Doctor who was
leaning against the other wall.
"Doctor," said Kirk, "Don't you know any nice people?"
The Doctor turned to Kirk. "Where did you learn to ride
like that in one day?"
Kirk looked at him, suddenly at a loss. Oh no, he
thought, he's off on a tangent. the blue eyes looking into
his were quite serious.
"I think that El Donna did something to me before we
left."
"Psychically?"
"I think so. I feet better and I did know how to handle
that horse. I can't think of any other way for that to have
happened."
"That last bit of riding probably saved your life. And
now. .."
Kirk waited patiently. The Doctor seemed to be in
another world but now he could accept this as part of the
way the alien mind worked. They were alone in a wilderness
with no weapons or communication devices, pursued by Daleks.
Anything the Doctor could think of would help.
"Do have any psychic abilities?" the Doctor asked.
"No. I've always tested negative."
"Tests aren't always the whole answer."
"What are you thinking of doing?"
"There is one possibility." The Doctor stopped and
looked down at his hands. Kirk realized that one of them
had been burned by the Dalek's weapon.
"If there is any possibility, I'm willing to try it.
What do you want me to do?"
The Doctor studied Kirk carefully as he said, "El Donna
is the most powerful psychic on this planet. You have
recently been in telepathic contact with her. For her to do
what she did, she obviously felt some attraction to you." He
stopped.
Kirk waited and when the Doctor did not continue said,
"The problem is that I'm not a telepath, so I can't reach
her."
"You're not a telepath."
"Can't you reach her?"
"I haven't had the contact I need to establish a link.
I know of her - I don't know her." The Doctor seemed to be
studying the side of the rock.
"Doctor, if you will tell me what you want me to do, I
will do it." The Doctor looked at Kirk and smiled.
"What I want you to do is to try to reach El Donna
mentally. I will tap into your mind, enable your signal -
boost it, and then talk to her through your mind."
"You want me to be a link between the two of you?"
"A signal and a link. It will not be easy."
Kirk looked at the Doctor intently. Ne was still
serious.
"Okay, let's try. What do I do?"
"Picture her in your mind. As clearly and accurately as
you can. When the picture is sharp, call her name."
Kirk nodded and leaned back against the wall and closed
his eyes. He felt one of the Doctor's hands resting lightly
on his head. Odd, he thought, he could easily accept the
idea of telepathy through touch, but over a distance..
It can be done. The Doctor's thought in his mind was
as unique as his voice. Not like Spock at all.
Mind-touch is a matchlessmuteness means of
identification. Think of El Donna. Obediently, Kirk tried
to remember her. The dark eyes, the smile, the tilt of her
head, the mass of dark green hair, the image swirled in his
mind but he could not seem to stabilize it. He realized
that he was breathing more rapidly and the Doctor's hand
dropped away. He opened his eyes and looked at the Doctor.
The Doctor was looking at the opposite wall of the cave. He
seemed almost discouraged. /Damn,/ Kirk thought, /we can't
give up now./
"Try again?" he said lightly.
"Do you feel up to it? This may turn out to be
physically painful to you, and in your present condition..."
"I'll make it."
He closed his eyes again and felt the Doctor's hand come
back on his head. He summoned the image again. It came,
moving, refusing to become firm. He felt weak. No wonder
Spock was leery of using the mind-meld if it was as tiring
as this. Come on, he thought, when have you ever had
trouble remembering a pretty face?
/Something is missing./ The Doctor thought.
/Missing?/ Kirk tried not to look at the image but to
think about the woman he had just left.
/The crystal./ He thought at the Doctor.
/Of course, the crystal is part of her./ Kirk grabbed
the floating image and placed the dilithium crystal at her
neck. Immediately the image became sharp and clear. As if
she was in his mind, looking at him. He felt the Doctor's
mind move in his.
/NOW! - call her!/
/El Donna. .. El Donna!/ Without warning, another mind
touched his. He felt his body double over in spasm and the
Doctor's other hand catch and cradle his head.
/Captain? Why are you calling me?/ The spasm seemed to
ease slightly as he felt her mind settle into his.
/The Doctor needs to talk to you./
/The Doctor? Your liegelord?/
/Yes. Here.../ Kirk felt the Doctor's mind
move forward and meet El Donna's. Now he could sit back and
let these two handle it.
/The invaders - the Daleks - are still here. A rear
guard, in the mountains./
/So, the machines have not gone./
/They have killed our escort. We must join now to destroy
them./
/Before myself and others of the greatest power
joined with the machine lovers - those whom you call the
Techies. Now the others of the Power who joined with me are
gone. Our powers are diminished. Our weapons cannot equal
theirs. What can we do??/
/It is possible that an avalanche could be triggered
on their camp. Do you have enough of the Power left to do that?/
/I would need the assistance of others. They will have to
come from afar. It will take time./
Kirk felt himself being stirred from his bystander
role.
/Doctor./ He could sense that his body was objecting to the
effort it was taking to enter the conversation.
/What?/
/You are not alone in this./
/What do you mean?/
/There is the Enterprise./ The Doctor did not respond.
/Had you forgotten?/
/What about your Prime Directive?/
/To hell with the Prime Directive!/
He could feel the Doctor's laughter and it somehow
made the pain in his body ease.
/Captain, I think I like you./
/Can we reach her?/
/Who is this Enterprise?/ El Donna questioned sharply.
/It is his ship./
/Strange,to love a machine so./
/Doctor./
Kirk realized that if they did not act quickly his body
would collapse from the effects of the linking.
/Can we reach Spock?/
/Image him for me, Captain, and I shall reach
him./ El Donna's mental voice was brisk and quite matter-of-
fact.
Kirk again tried to summon a mental image. This time,
Spock. His muscles were quivering as if he had been running
too long.
/With this image I can help./ The Doctor's mind swept into
his.
The image he had been striving for sharpened, became
clear.
/Captain, I can drop you from the link now./
/No Doctor. This time he was the one laughing. If you
want the Enterprise to fire her phasers on this planet,
I have to give the order.
/If it costs you your life?/
/If it does - then it does./ He felt his muscles
contract tightly, almost in spasm.
/Captain. .. as you wish it./
One part of his mind seemed to feel the Doctor holding him,
the other brought the image of Spock into focus again.
/El Donna./ The Doctor called. /The image - can you reach
this man?/
/Yes./
And Spock was there.
/Captain - Jim?!/ Spock's mind seemed reassuringly familiar.
/Spock. Full phasers .../ El Donna's mind was there, linked
with the Doctor's and coordinates appeared in his mind.
/Captain - the Prime Directive?/
/Spock/ No good to give Spock the answer that had so
readily satisfied the Doctor. /The Daleks, the ones who
invaded this planet before - still here - are the violators./
He felt his body spasm violently again and knew that the
three minds in his felt it too.
/Jim! Doctor, get him out of this!/
/My decision, Spock. You have your orders./
And the world slid away.
+++++++++++
He came to to find himself lying on the floor of the
cave wrapped in Doctor's coat. The Doctor was standing at
the entrance looking out.
"Doctor?" He tried to lift his head.
The Doctor moved back and made him lie down.
"Don't try to move. You won't have the strength. Don't
even try to talk. Spock will never forgive me if I don't
get you back safely."
Kirk took a deep breath. The Doctor was right. He didn't
have any strength left.
"You missed the fireworks. That's the easiest time I've
ever had with Daleks."
Odd, Kirk thought, he would have thought that the Doctor
would be exuberant, but he seemed strangely subdued. He was
taking a metal object out of his pocket - the sonic
screwdriver Scotty had been trying to analyze.
"I'm setting this to a signal your transporter will be
able to home in on. We should be having company soon." He
smiled at Kirk as a small section of the screwdriver seemed
to extend. "At least you won't have to ride a horse back."
There was the familiar shimmer of the transporter beam
and Spock and McCoy were there. McCoy moved quickly over to
Kirk, the medical tricorder going. From the look on his face
Kirk knew that the results were not good.
"Is this from that damned mind-meld of yours?" McCoy
said, turning to the Doctor who was undeniably looking
guilty. Kirk caught Spock's eye.
"Doctor McCoy, the decision to attempt the telepathic
contact was the Captain's."
"He couldn't have known it would have this effect!"
"Bones," Kirk felt that he had to stop the argument.
What was done was done. "It was my choice." He had to stop
to take another deep breath. "Check the Doctor."
McCoy looked at him for a minute and then swung the
tricorder over toward the Doctor. Kirk nearly laughed as he
saw the burned hand disappear into a coat pocket.
"I'm fine," said the Doctor defiantly.
"Like hell you are. You've got second degree burns on
your right hand, three broken ribs and what amounts to a
punctured lung."
"I feel fine." The Doctor smiled at McCoy.
"Ha! At least this time I can treat you properly. And
that's what I'm going to do!"
"Doctor McCoy," Spock interrupted, "I would suggest that
we return to the hospital with your patients." Kirk closed
his eyes again as he saw the Vulcan bending down to pick him
up. In spite of the gentleness of the touch, he was
unconscious again in seconds.
++++++++++
His next memories were nightmares. Strange but familiar
faces hovering over him shouting, "Hang on, Captain, hang
on, Jim, hang on. Hang on." Damn it, he was hanging on! He
sensed a presence that was not shouting. He opened his eyes
to see Spock standing by his bed.
"Thanks" he said.
"Captain?"
"You're not shouting."
"What did he say?" Another presence - he turned his head
- the Doctor. He looked around the room. Still on the
planet, well, that was where all the medical people were.
"He said something about shouting." Spock seemed
puzzled.
"Shouting?" Kirk closed his eyes again.
"No one's been shouting in here." Spock said.
"Maybe not. Your medical indicators are showing an
improvement now. Lt. Stephans! Come in here!"
The shouting started again. Worry, concern, fear echoing
in his mind. "What's happened, what's wrong?"
"See there! Now, Lieutenant, get out of here."
The shouting stopped.
"Spock, with the changes in the DNA patterns. . ."
"Uncontrolled telepathy..."
"Why we're losing all the children. . ."
He opened his eyes again to see Spock and the Doctor
staring at each other. The Doctor smiled and Spock nodded.
They turned to leave the room and the Doctor turned back.
"Don't worry, Captain, there won't be anymore shouting."
And there wasn't. From his accidental remark the two had
been able to link the effect of the infection to the use of
uncontrolled psychic abilities - a relationship that had
McCoy muttering for days.
+++++++++++
When McCoy was satisfied that the raging viral
infection had finally been routed, Kirk was pronounced well
enough to be beamed back to the ship and the treatment of
the medical crew still on board. Watching the medical team
making preparations to transport him up, he rejoiced in
being able to think clearly again even though lifting a hand
was exhausting. Then he had a thought. "Bones." At least
speaking wasn't so bad. McCoy came over and stood by the
bed.
"Jim, don't try to talk. It'll be quite a while before
you get your strength back."
"It's okay. I want to talk to Spock."
McCoy looked at him with relief. "Well, I suppose you'll
cause more trouble if I don't let you see him. You can have
one minute." He went out the door and came back with Spock.
"One minute, that's all."
"Of course, Doctor." Spock said and looked quizzically
down at Kirk.
"Spock, I do not want the Doctor to leave until I get to
talk to him." Kirk looked up at Spock intently.
"Indeed, Captain?"
"I think he might try to slip away without - saying
goodbye. I have to talk to him before he goes."
Spock smiled slightly and Kirk was relieved to see that
some of the influence of the Doctor's mind-melding was still
at work. At least he wasn't going to get a lecture on the
illogic of wanting to say goodbye.
"Captain, Mr. Scott has not yet completed the design for
the extra dilithium crystals. Even with the Doctor's help it
will take at least two days. I am quite certain that the
Doctor will not leave until the engineering is completed."
"Very good, Spock. Just have him see me before he goes."
"I will see to it, Captain."
Kirk smiled as his first officer turned and left. McCoy
was right. Spock was easier with himself than he ever had
been. Still, after the Doctor left, and they returned to
their universe and the effect of the meld had worn off -
could there be a whiplash effect to this? He thought about
it as the medical team transferred him to the stretcher and
the transporter brought them up to the Enterprise. He would
have to talk to McCoy about it. If Spock suddenly took it
into that Vulcan head of his that behaving as he had been
was aberrational, Spock could wind up throwing away
everything he had finally started to put together. Kirk
wondered if there were any nut cults on Vulcan - probably
not. Still, with Spock's tour of duty coming to an end, he
would be quite free to leave Starfleet. Well, whatever
Spock decided, he'd back him. At any rate, he thought, as
they transferred him to the bed in Sickbay, he wasn't going
to be physically fit to command a starship for some time.
And his hair was falling out. He felt a hypospray against
his arm and as he fell asleep thought of the Doctor blithely
saying "Changes."
++++++++++
The next day Kirk awoke from a catnap to see McCoy
standing by the bed.
"Good morning." McCoy said.
"Is that what it is? I've lost track."
"It's not surprising."
"Was it that bad?"
"We nearly lost you."
Kirk looked at McCoy and smiled. After a moment McCoy
smiled back. "I'm getting too old for these close calls."
McCoy paused for a moment. "I'm also getting too old to get
used to another Spock."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Did anything - unusual - happen on that little trip you
took with the Doctor?"
"Nothing you don't know about. I've listened to the
Doctor's report and it's quite accurate. Why?"
McCoy shook his head. "I can't tell you anything
specific, but I'm positive that something happened that
wasn't reported." The events of the last days on Lightunder
were unexpectedly replaying in his mind.
++++++++
After getting Kirk settled, McCoy had found that his
other patient had disappeared. He was not really surprised.
The Doctor had demonstrated that he had as strong an
aversion for being confined for treatment as Kirk and Spock.
He finally tracked him down in one of the TARDIS'
laboratories. He and Spock were studying the results of the
most recent gram isolation tests.
- "Doctor," McCoy said, "if you can tear yourself away
for about two hours, I can treat you and send you back to
work."
"I've got more important things to do," the Doctor
snapped irritably. Spock looked at the Doctor with surprise.
"Doctor, it is illogical for you to assume that you can
work with normal efficiency while you are in pain."
"Pain? Don't be ridiculous - my body heals very rapidly
and lying around won't speed things up at all."
McCoy looked at the readings on his medical tricorder
and was about to respond to the Doctor's statement when
Spock stood up and walked over to the Doctor. "While Dr.
McCoy's medical treatment is quite primitive, I do not think
that he will simply have you recline in a passive state and
wait for your own healing process to function. Now are you
going to accompany him?"
"Spock, I'm fine. I don't need any medical treatment.
I've got work to do." The Doctor turned back to the
electronic projection he had been studying.
Spock glanced at McCoy. In response to the uplifted
eyebrow McCoy just shook his head. He disliked reluctant
patients, but there was no denying what his medical
instrumentation was telling him. `Primitive' it might be
according to Vulcan or Time Lord standards, but he had seen
the Doctor's normal readings and what was indicated now was
far from anything resembling those.
With one fluid motion, Spock administered the Vulcan
neck pinch and caught the Doctor as he fell.
"Very efficient, Spock. Let's get him into the medical
treatment area."
One of the rooms in the TARDIS had been converted into
an emergency treatment area. The portable equipment from the
Enterprise which had been installed there enabled McCoy to
treat almost any emergency. It only took a few minutes to
remove the Doctor's outer coats and his shirt and get him on
the treatment table. McCoy was thankful that the Doctor
remained unconscious. In the mood he was in, he would have
been loudly protesting the whole time. As much as McCoy
disliked reluctant patients, he disliked noisy reluctant
patients even more. By the time the Doctor was conscious,
had completed his analysis of the damaged area involving the
Doctor's rib cage and was calibrating the Bertod Ray
Attenuator that would enable a rapid mending.
"The Platysternidae is a slow moving creature." The
Doctor said. His blue eyes focused accusingly on Spock. "You
did something to me."
"It is quite illogical for you to attempt to work in a
physical condition that is below normal." Spock replied
quite calmly. The Doctor looked ready to dispute Spock's
statement when McCoy intervened. "Now, Doctor, there's no
sense in getting angry at Spock."
"Angry? I never get angry." The Doctor said, clipping
the ends of his words in a brusque, precise manner. "Even
when people interfere with what I want to do, I don't get
angry!"
"Well then, you're doing the best imitation of a man
about to get very angry that I've ever seen." McCoy turned
the attenuator on. "If Spock hadn't dropped you, I would
have." The Doctor looked at McCoy in surprise. "I can lay
my hands on at least ten things now that'll put you to sleep
like a baby and when, in my medical opinion, Doctor, you
need to be treated in order to remain a viable part of this
team, I will not hesitate to use them. You may be the
Doctor, Doctor, but I have the full medical responsibility
for this team and I will not evade that responsibility by
allowing any member to go off on some masochistic ego trip
and ignore his body's own natural warning signs! Now since
your body is so much better than a human body, it may not
even take two hours to heal under the Berthod ray - but you
are going to stay here until Nurse Chapel confirms that your
ribs and lung have healed. Now let me see that hand."
The Doctor had listened to McCoy with an awed
fascination and promptly held his hand out. "Bones," he
said, a wicked grin unexpectedly lighting up his face, "When
you were in Medical School, what sort of a grade did you get
in `bedside manner'?"
McCoy heard a noise behind him and, turning, saw that
Spock was leaving the room. Chris Chapel seemed to be
intensely studying the lower panel of the Attenuator. He ran
the medical tricorder over the Doctor's burned hand.
"Y'know, I never heard that `bedside manner' was related to
medical skill." He looked at the Doctor. "That's a nasty
burn."
"The Daleks do not have a reputation for being nice."
The Doctor looked tired.
"This won't hurt, but your hand may be a little stiff
until it heals." McCoy sprayed the burned area and put the
Doctor's hand down. He glanced at the bruised area on the
Doctor's side and noted with pleasure that the discoloration
had already begun to face. "Now I know you're going to get
edgy just lying there, so I'm going to give you a sedative
that will keep you quiet for about an hour. By the time you
wake up, you'll be back to normal."
The Doctor did not protest as McCoy administered the
hypospray. "Bones, I wish. .
"Wish what?"
"You know," from the Doctor's voice, McCoy could tell
that the medication was taking effect. "No one gets too old
to learn a new way of being stupid." McCoy looked at the now
sleeping figure in puzzlement. He had no idea what
occasioned that remark, and he knew that any attempts to
pursue it would be rebuffed.
++++++++++
During the next several days, McCoy became convinced
that the Doctor was determined to demonstrate his
superiority over the human members of the team. He worked
without sleep, running test after test, trying to find a
clue to the control of the deadly elusive virus. The only
sign of fatigue that McCoy could pinpoint was that his
joking remarks were devolving into the lowest level of
humor.
Each day saw Kirk's condition worsen.
When the Doctor and Spock happened on the causal
relationship between the effect of the virus and the
uncontrolled use of psychic abilities, McCoy was convinced
that they were now in complete control of the situation.
The Doctor's natural exuberance returned as patient after
patient was successfully treated.
McCoy could not enter the room where Kirk lay isolated,
but he was waiting outside while the Doctor and Spock
administered the treatment. After a longer time than any of
tee other patients had required to respond, the Doctor
emerged alone. His face was deadly serious. He looked at
McCoy and said, "He's not responding."
"Not at all?"
"Not worse - but not at all better."
"Even if he doesn't get worst, he can't.
"Three hours - maybe four." The fatigue that McCoy had
been expecting was suddenly there in his voice.
"Come on, Doctor, I think we'd better sit down."
The Doctor did not protest as McCoy led him into a
nearby vacated room. Once inside, however, another frantic
burst of energy caused him to pace back and forth in the
narrow space between the bed and the wall.
"It should have worked. Every test, every calculation -
every other patient proved it." He stopped and turned to
McCoy. "He's an unusual man - your Captain." He glared at
McCoy as if daring him to dispute the statement.
"He is." McCoy stated calmly. There didn't seem to be
any sense in both of them getting upset. "He'll be the first
Starship Commander to complete a five-year mission with ship
and crew virtually intact."
"The first?" The Doctor looked surprised. "Why?"
"Because he knows when to go by the book - and when to
throw it out."
"And we're going to lose him here." He turned to the
door- and McCoy was not surprised to see Spock come in.
Spock was carrying one the Enterprise's recording tablets
and the skin on his face was tight against the bone. The
Doctor reached out and took the tablet from Spock's hand. He
looked at the notes and with a suddenness that made McCoy
jump, flung the tablet to the floor. He looked at it laying
there and then looked at Spock.
"I know," he said, as if in response to an unspoken
comment. "It doesn't change anything. But then again," he
smiled wryly, "What's the point of being grown up if you
can't be childish?"
"Jim?" McCoy whispered.
"Still alive. But the treatment is definitely
ineffective." Spock's voice was level as always, but McCoy
recognized that it was not because of a lack of feeling.
"Now what?" McCoy asked.
"Try something else." The Doctor bent to pick up the
tablet. "There's always something else."
"For what?" McCoy looked over to see Lt. Stephans
standing in the door behind Spock. "I don't mean to
interrupt, but it sounded as though someone was throwing
things around."
"The Captain seems to be immune to the only treatment we
have." The Doctor said bluntly. "Don't want to throw
something around?"
"If it would help, I would. However, I don't think I
could be of much more help than that here."
Spock and the Doctor exchanged swift glances. "Explain,"
Spock said.
"My field is Xenobiology - the Captain's human. . ."
Spock's eyes lit up and the Doctor shouted "That's it!"
With a leap he was shaking her hand and patting her
exuberantly on the back. "Good girl," he said, beaming at
her.
"Doctor," McCoy said, "knowing why Jim doesn't respond
to the treatment doesn't help us find a treatment he will
respond to."
"Logically. . ." Spock said.
"Oh pooh," interrupted the Doctor. "Logic is the science
of going wrong with confidence. We've got the same disease,
curable in individuals of the same species and intractable
in an individual of another species. All we have to find is
the denominator of difference."
"Exactly." Spock said. The Doctor looked at him and
laughed. McCoy and Stephans smiled at each other.
"Now then," the Doctor said, "We have our best research
sources right here." With one swift movement he had McCoy
and Stephans seated next to each other on the bed and
perched himself backwards on a chair opposite them. He
glanced at Spock and Spock pulled up a chair and sat down
too. McCoy looked at them. One was sitting in a proper and
correct fashion, leaning forward slightly with interest.
The other was sprawled over and around the wrong side of the
chair. Like two sides of a coin, he thought and glanced at
Lt. Stephans, wondering if the same thought had occurred to
her. He couldn't tell if it had. She was looking straight
at the Doctor. Even her shoulder length copper colored hair
was completely still.
"Now then," said the Doctor, "What do we know about this
virus?"
"Its effectiveness is directly linked to the use of
psychic abilities." McCoy answered.
"The uncontrolled use of psychic abilities." Spock
added.
"Exactly," commented Lt. Stephans. "An individual with
no active psychic ability - or a superior control - only
contracts a mild case and recovers rapidly."
"We haven't had many of those!" McCoy said.
"That's strange," said the Lieutenant, "I don't recall
that the Captain was ever identified as even marginally
psychic."
"He isn't - or he wasn't," McCoy said. "Now, the problem
seems to be that what ability he does have is literally
feeding the virus."
"But most of the adult Lightunder people we've seen have
managed to pull through. The major problem has been with the
children - both in catching the virus and combating it."
said the Doctor.
"Not just `children', Doctor," Lt. Stephans continued.
"Specifically, the break occurs exactly with the completion
of puberty."
McCoy looked at her in surprise. He hadn't realized that
she had had the time to do any research into the basic
biological cycles on Lightunder.
"Quite right, Dorcy. Now, can you detail the
differences during this time between Lightunderans and
humans?" asked the Doctor.
The Lieutenant nodded and abruptly stared into a corner
of the room. McCoy looked at her in increasing astonishment.
"Doctor McCoy," Spock said dryly, "I believe we are
about to see an example of Cultural Survey and Contact's new
eidetic memory control training."
"Difference during pubertal transition - Lightunder and
Terra." The Lieutenant's voice had flattened somewhat but
there was obviously a human control over the generation of
the data. The Doctor beamed at her with pleasure. "Onset
of puberty the Lightunder humanoid causes a flux in the
production of an adrenaline-like hormonal substance. As
production ebbs, the individual's psychic abilities, when
present, overcome the natural balance and cause dizziness,
spacial disorientation, hallucinations, and, in extreme
cases, death. As the flux stabilizes to the adult level, the
individual gradually acquires a somewhat variant control
over the now active psychic abilities." She blinked and
looked at the Doctor expectantly. "Does that sound helpful?"
"What's the chemical formula for this substance?" McCoy
asked.
"CN3H2O2 bonded in a tri-nitrous base of BCzC4."
McCoy felt his heart sink. He shook his head. "Any
mixture like that would kill Captain as surely as the virus
is." The four of them sat in silence. McCoy felt a sudden
empathy for the Doctor's desire to throw things.
"But it's still a question of control." Spock said,
leaning forward in his chair. "If the psychic abilities the
captain has could be controlled in some other way.
"Of course!" McCoy said. "If one of you could duplicate
the chemical effect in a chemical fashion..." Spock and the
Doctor looked at each other. "Can you do it?" He knew the
answer from the look on the Doctor's face.
"No," Spock said.
The Doctor shook his head. "I seem to be good at
starting things, but stopping that takes tremendous power
under superb control." His voice was bleak.
"Isn't there someone on this planet who could?" The
Lieutenant asked in a level voice.
The Doctor's face brightened. "El Donna!" he said
gleefully.
"Of course," Spock said. "She could do it - but will
she?"
The Doctor hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I think she
will. She took a liking to your Captain. I expect most
people do." His voice had the same edge of defiance McCoy
had heard before. This time the Lieutenant picked it up and
glanced questioningly at McCoy. McCoy shrugged his own
puzzlement.
"Can she be reached quickly? Our time is increasingly
limited." Spock looked at the Doctor.
"I think I can get her attention - with your help."
Spock nodded and the Doctor got up.
"If you two are going to link up again, Doctor, you'd
better lie down." McCoy said.
"Oh, well, if you think so."
"I think so, Doctor," said Spock.
The Doctor laid down on the bed. Spock sat on one side
and placed his hands in position on the Doctor's head. The
Doctor smiled at Spock and closed his eyes. McCoy took a
deep breath as he walked around to the foot of the bed and
watched them establish their mental communication. It might
be `natural' to them, but it seemed to set his teeth on
edge. It was something beyond his control, and it made him
nervous. He opened his medical tricorder and, hearing a hum
behind him, realized that the Lieutenant had started hers.
"Monitoring the Doctor," she said.
McCoy turned his tricorder on Spock and winced as he
watched the medical graphic display.
"They're both on the edge of exhaustive collapse." The
Lieutenant remarked.
The readings on McCoy's tricorder went suddenly askew
and he recognized the pattern he had seen before when the
two had melded.
"They're in the meld now," he said. "I didn't hear Spock
say anything."
"He doesn't need to any more with the Doctor. If they
were together much more, this kind of thing would be
routine. Both hearts stabilizing rates."
"Blood pressure normal. Alpha and Gamma waves peaking."
Spock took his hands away from the Doctor's head and
turned to McCoy. "She's on her way."
McCoy looked at the Doctor. He was lying very still and
his eyes were still closed.
"She and her escort will be teleporting here. The Doctor
is acting as a location beam."
There was a multicolored burst of light near the bed
and, with a slight popping noise, a woman and two men
appeared. The Lieutenant quickly shut off her tricorder and
McCoy followed suit. Damn! but she was lovely, McCoy
thought. Petite, with a slim lithe figure, great dark eyes,
a mass of curly dark green hair set off by a floor length
flowing yellow gown, and a glow that gave her a regal
presence. The Doctor got up from the bed.
"El Donna," he said respectfully.
One of the armed men with her stepped forward. McCoy
recognized him - Raul d'Colm'n.
"We have come at your request, Time Lord, to handle that
which you cannot," Raul said.
"Raul, you will speak no more of this. I have already
spoken with the Doctor on it." A faint but decisive hint of
command in El Donna's beautifully modulated voice brooked no
hint of defiance. Raul stepped back.
"Your pardon." He bowed to the Doctor.
The Doctor brushed the apology aside. "The Captain is in
here." He started toward door. "Some of our medical
machines are also in the room."
Raul started to speak but El Donna interrupted. "He is
yours -
not ours. The machines will not interfere."
"Spock," said McCoy, "Would it be possible for me to be
there?"
Before Spock could answer, El Donna turned and looked up
at Mccoy. The Crystal at her throat was glowing dimly. "You
are his friend and his physician. You may be with us. And
you?" She looked at the Lieutenant.
"El Donna, I would have no reason to be there save
curiosity."
"An admirable trait, but not to be indulged on this
occasion." The two women smiled at each other and the
selected group left the room.
They entered Kirk's room and El Donna stepped close to
the bed. McCoy looked at his friend and then up at the
medical indicators for reassurance. The body in the bed was
emaciated, the hair thinning, no visible sign of life. Yet
the medical indicators showed that Kirk was still alive.
The Doctor walked around to the other side of the bed,
glanced down at Kirk and then looked at El Donna. She did
not look at the medical indicators; her gaze was fixed on
Kirk. McCoy swallowed convulsively and realized that Spock
was standing next to him. The tension in the room was
palpable.
El Donna stretched her hands out over the bed, palms
down. McCoy could see a pulsing glow from the dilithium
crystal at her neck. A phosphorescent swirling fog seemed to
appear between her hands and Kirk's body. She moved her
hands and the glow followed them, spiraling in a tumbling
pattern between her hands and Kirk's head. For a moment the
flow seemed to hesitate and Raul raised his hand to his
head, the crystal on his wrist glowing. The flow stabilized
then, moving in a pulsing rhythm toward Kirk and then,
abruptly, flowing back. Three times it pulsed between the
two. McCoy noticed that the eerie glow seemed to be growing
brighter. Then its movement from Kirk to El Donna's hands
slowed. McCoy had a feeling that this time it was pulling
something with it. It suddenly broke free and dissipated its
brilliance around the room.
Kirk's body heaved with a convulsive spasm. McCoy
started for the bed, but the Doctor was closer and the
Doctor was the one who held the body as the spasm subsided.
McCoy looked at the medical monitors. Their message was
clear; Kirk was now winning the battle. The antidote had
taken effect. He felt a hand grab his arm. It was Spock.
"He's made it, Spock." McCoy whispered.
The Doctor, still holding Kirk, looked at McCoy and
Spock.
"Bravo!" he said with a smile to El Donna as he lay Kirk
down again and stood up.
With a start, McCoy realized that El Donna's eyes were
full of tears.
"That is a terrible thing that I have done for you, Time
Lord. Had you summoned me earlier, I could have left the
power with him. Now he is totally bereft."
"El Donna," said Spock, "the Captain will not miss what
he never knew he had - and you have saved his life."
"For my people, Mr. Spock, what he has lost is more than
life. It may come back in time, but it is still a death and
destruction now."
"He is alive." The Doctor said.
"That is because of your choice, not his. You stand as
his liegelord and you must answer to him for it. You speak
of change, Time Lord, and urge such change on us - but will
you be prepared for the change that you must face?" Without
waiting for a reply, El Donna stepped back between her two
escorts and, with a hissing noise, they disappeared.
As they disappeared, McCoy heard the Doctor take a deep
breath and Spock moved quickly over to the bed and looked
down at Kirk.
"Pompous, puffed-up psychics!" said the Doctor. "Always
having the last word. What does she know.
"Doctor," said Spock. "I thank you."
"You're not everyone, Spock."
"She is not the Captain," Spock replied.
"Neither is she speaking for me or any of the others on
the Enterprise." McCoy said. He didn't like the look on the
Doctor's face. He had a sudden hunch that if the Doctor
could have left in his TARDIS at that moment he would. "That
the Captain is alive now - and that we're all going to be
able to return to our own universe is because of you."
"Because of me?" The Doctor said in surprise. "Oh
nonsense anyone could have. well, almost anyone. . ." McCoy
shook his head, smiling.
"If you two don't have anything better to do, I'd like
to get on with taking care of my patient."
"Doctor," said Spock, "I believe that Mr. Scott has
encountered some difficulty in the design for the use of
those additional dilithium crystals." Spock turned and
walked toward the door. After hesitating a moment, the
Doctor joined him. "We also need to begin the disengagement
of the computer link between.
McCoy watched them leave and resisted the impulse to
tell them both to get some rest. He took out his tricorder
and began to analyze Kirk's condition.
++++++++++
"I can see that that's an experience you don't want
repeated, Bones." Kirk said. "But what makes you say that
the Doctor is like Spock?"
"Well, I know he was hurt by what El Donna said. And I'm
equally as sure that something else happened to him on the
trip with you." Kirk shook his head in puzzlement. "I don't
think that he quite accepted what I said," McCoy continued,
"but since then I haven't been able to get to him to try and
convince him that I really mean it."
"Why not?" Kirk was perplexed. The Doctor had always
seemed to be quite accessible.
"Y'know how Spock uses that `I am a Vulcan' bit when he
wants to shut you out?" Kirk nodded. "Well, I may be
completely out of line, but I'd be willing to bet that the
Doctor uses that clown act of his in the same way. You can't
really touch him with a ten foot pole."
"So you're frustrated."
"Well, I keep reminding myself that he's not a member of
our crew, and he's apparently quite capable of taking care
of himself, but..."
"He's a friend." McCoy nodded in agreement. "And you
don't like to see your friends hurt." Kirk was beginning to
feel tired again.
"You'd better get some more sleep." McCoy said. "One
other thing, though, what did El Donna mean by the Doctor
having to face a change?"
"I don't know Bones - it sounds as though she is seeing
something that the Doctor is going to have difficulty
dealing with." Kirk recalled the Doctor going off with Raul
after the duel. "I suspect that he's been trying to get
their culture to accept the changes the war has made them
face - and I don't think she approves of that."
+++++++++
The next day McCoy announced that the Doctor had come to
see him before leaving.
"Spock said you wanted to see me, Captain," announced
the Doctor as he swept into the room and sprawled into the
chair next to Kirk's bed. In spite of the words, Kirk sensed
that some of the surging exuberance was repressed. He looked
carefully at the man in the bulky clothes slouched in the
chair. The Doctor seemed to be studying his shoes.
"Doctor." The head came up and the blue eyes stared at
him warily. The look was familiar. "Doctor," he said,
shaking his head and laughing, "you are a fraud!" The
Doctor's eyes widened in astonishment. "For all your
carrying on, you don't like emotional scenes any more than
Spock does. You're embarrassed!"
"I am never embarrassed." replied the Doctor haughtily.
"Of course not." Kirk smiled. "Then you're not going to
object if I apologize to you."
"Apologize?"
"I misjudged you and I do most sincerely regret that."
"Oh that," the Doctor got up and walked over to the
monitor by the other bed. Still facing away from Kirk, he
said, "It's very difficult to judge people properly all the
time."
"I nearly died because of it."
"Captain," the Doctor seemed to square his shoulders and
turned around. "If I had not stimulated your latent
telepathic abilities, the virus would not have been able to
gain the hold that it did."
"Doctor, McCoy has already been through that with me. I
would remind you that I would have died at the end of Raul's
sword had not been for you." The Doctor's eyes studied Kirk
carefully and Kirk went on, "And Doctor, you never made me
do anything. And what I did by choice, I would do again."
The Doctor seemed to be considering Kirk's words. Kirk
wondered how many humans the Doctor had outlived.
"Well," said the Doctor, "It might have been his knife."
He smiled luminously at Kirk.
"You're incorrigible." Kirk laughed.
"That's what all my teachers said."
Spock and McCoy came into the room.
"Doctor," Spock said, "We will be warping out of here in
twenty-two minutes."
"Is there anything we can do for you before you go?"
Kirk asked.
"For me? Oh no, the TARDIS is quite self-sustaining." He
settled his hat to the back of his head.
"I don't suppose we'll meet again." McCoy interjected.
"Doctor McCoy, there is a 61.725 percent probability
that the Doctor will arrive at some time in our universe."
Kirk looked at Spock in amazement and then at the
Doctor. The Doctor seemed to accept the statement. "Spock -
explain please."
Spock and the Doctor exchanged glances and Spock
continued. "In entering and leaving the Doctor's universe,
we will have created a weakness between this universe and
our own. The Doctor's TARDIS utilizes the same principle as
our warp drive. It is this particular use of power that
enables transfer between universes. The Doctor's control of
the TARDIS is not reliable."
"I like it the way it is," interrupted the Doctor
indignantly.
"Indeed. You would not permit Mr. Scott to work on it.
As long as it is in its present condition, there is a 61.7..
."
"All right, Spock," Kirk said. "Doctor, do you agree
with Mr. Spock's conclusion?"
"I won't dispute it, Captain."
"Then I think that there is something that I can to for
you."
"Article 110, Captain?" asked Spock. Kirk smiled. His
first officer was certainly reading his mind today. He
looked at McCoy.
"Jim - you've never used that before."
"I never had any reason to, Bones. Don't you think that
it would be an appropriate -gift?"
"Perfect." McCoy smiled as smugly as if he had had the
idea himself. The Doctor looked uneasy and Kirk wondered how
many times in his adventures he had ever been thanked by
anyone he helped.
"Computer," Kirk said.
"Working."
"This is Captain James T. Kirk - acknowledge."
"Acknowledged."
"Prepare to implement Command Decision under Article
110."
"Ready."
"The individual known as the Doctor is to be considered
a citizen in full standing of the Federation and is to hold
the honorary rank of Commander in Starfleet. Standard
identification patterns as follow." Kirk nodded at McCoy who
took one of the computer input cartridges from his files and
entered it in the slot. The computer hummed as it digested
the information.
"Acknowledged. Article 110 Command Decision
implemented."
The Doctor was looking at Kirk in amazement.
"Now, Doctor, this obligates to nothing - but if you
should run up against some other muleheaded Starship
Captain, or a government bureaucrat, you can make them call
up this record. Not only will it identify you, but it will
provide you with some authority. If it is ever called up,
the record of what you have done for us will be there too."
"Captain, I. . ." Kirk realized that the voluble Doctor
was at a loss for words. He abruptly shrugged his shoulders
and shook his head and looked at the three men who were
watching him. "Thank you." He stepped forward and offered
his hand to Kirk who took it without hesitation. The warmth
of the handshake said more to Kirk than the Doctor could
have possibly expressed in words. "Thank you," he said
again and glanced around at all of them.
"Doctor," said Spock, "you have ten minutes before you
have to leave."
The Doctor stepped back and settled his hat at a rakish
angle on his head. He smiled brightly. "Since you people
place such a high priority on saying goodbye, I'm going to
go and say goodbye to Lt. Stephans. I'll see you down at the
TARDIS in five minutes."
Kirk watched the tall figure leave the room with regret.
"Spock, if the Doctor does land in our Universe, what
are the chances - no, on second thought, don't tell me."
"Jim," said McCoy, "You don't need Spock to figure out
that if we ever run into the Doctor again either we'll be in
some kind of trouble, or he'll be in some kind of trouble,
but either way, we'll all wind up in trouble!"
"Doctor McCoy," said Spock, "If you are implying that
the Doctor has a knack for landing in the middle of
unpleasant situations.. . you are quite correct in your
assumption." A slight smile curved one corner of Spock's
mouth. McCoy laughed.
"Damn it, Spock, I wish we'd run into the Doctor five
years ago."
Spock cocked a quizzical eyebrow at McCoy.
"Gentlemen," Kirk said, "if you want to see the TARDIS
off, I would suggest that you be on your way."
Kirk watched the two leave and lay back in the bed
staring up at the ceiling. It had all started five years
ago, and now this time had come and there was the unknown
future still ahead.
An alien sound seemed to echo through the halls and he
knew that the Enterprise was going home.
THE END
posted 0201.2 by Michael James Oetting.