Part 14 (1/2)

Many had been brought aboard in haste and had suffered injuries as a consequence. In addition to the new arrivals most sickbays were already crowded with injured crew members who had survived the Narada Narada's original devastating attack. As more and more patients were treated and discharged, living quarters on the s.h.i.+p became crowded and her life-support facilities increasingly strained. No one complained. When a request was put out for those willing to share their living s.p.a.ce with survivors, every member of the crew promptly volunteered. Where possible, healthy crew members moved in with friends and turned their private quarters over to dazed Vulcans. While it was clear to everyone that the Vulcans were handling the tragedy far better than would a comparable group of humans, there were still far too many cases of mind-shock.

As he wandered through the main sickbay, Spock tried to take stock of the survivors. Their total number was pitiful. There were Vulcans elsewhere, of course. In missions and emba.s.sies on other worlds, operating by themselves within distant scientific outposts or in conjunction with humans and other sentient species, traveling on other stars.h.i.+ps. His people would go on, albeit enormously reduced in number and influence. He delineated as much as he murmured into his recorder.

”While the essence of our culture has been preserved in, among other aspects, the Elders, including my father, who now reside upon this s.h.i.+p, Nero has destroyed my home planet. Of its six billion inhabitants, I estimate that no more than ten thousand survived. An additional number yet to be determined are safely scattered elsewhere throughout the Federation and its allied systems.” Without a hint of irony in his voice he concluded, ”I am now a member of an endangered species.”

As he continued to inspect the progress that was being made by the s.h.i.+p's medical teams, he happened upon the stowaway Kirk. Having disabled the Romulan plasma drill, albeit too late to save Vulcan, the junior officer would have been more than within his rights to have retired to quarters. Instead he was here in the bay. At the moment he was tending to a Vulcan girl, murmuring to her sweetly and smiling as he wrapped a slender arm stained with green blood in a self-sealing bandage. Noticing Spock standing nearby and watching, Kirk sent a look of regret toward the science officer. Regret, and sympathy. Their eyes met.

Turning without speaking or responding in any fas.h.i.+on to the junior officer's expression of empathy, the acting captain exited the sickbay.

Uhura was heading down the main corridor when she saw him prepare to enter a lift. She managed to slip in before the doors closed and the internal transport headed for the bridge.

They were alone in the lift. As had everyone else on board, she tried to think of something to say. And as happened to everyone else on board, she could not find words to express how she felt. Surely any words, she thought, no matter how well-meaning, would const.i.tute an intrusion. Yet as the lift continued on its way she felt-she knew-that she had to say something.

”I only wish I'd listened to that distress call more closely and sooner.”

How ba.n.a.l, she thought angrily as soon as she had spoken. she thought angrily as soon as she had spoken. How utterly, utterly inadequate. And stupid. How utterly, utterly inadequate. And stupid. Seeing her expression twist and deducing the reason, he peered down at her sympathetically. He, who had just lost his homeworld and the vast majority of his kind, had room enough within himself to feel compa.s.sion for her. Seeing her expression twist and deducing the reason, he peered down at her sympathetically. He, who had just lost his homeworld and the vast majority of his kind, had room enough within himself to feel compa.s.sion for her.

”Without you, none of us would have survived. What has happened is hardly your fault. Based on what knowledge and information is available I do not see how it could have been prevented.” He sounded almost wistful. ”Perhaps in another universe, another chain of cosmic links, a small change in this or that sequence of events might have made a difference. But not in the here and now. You must not blame yourself. What happens to us, how our lives and that of all around us progresses, hinges on very small decisions.”

They stood like that for a moment, until Uhura did something any other member of the crew would have found odd-but not out of character. Reaching out, she thumbed the Stop Stop on the lift. It immediately came to a halt between decks. Then she leaned forward, put both arms around him, and pressed her lips against his. Though mixed with sorrow and regret, no one would have mistaken it for a platonic kiss. In a manner plainly half-human, half-Vulcan, Spock responded. In a fas.h.i.+on sufficiently straightforward to indicate that he had done so before. on the lift. It immediately came to a halt between decks. Then she leaned forward, put both arms around him, and pressed her lips against his. Though mixed with sorrow and regret, no one would have mistaken it for a platonic kiss. In a manner plainly half-human, half-Vulcan, Spock responded. In a fas.h.i.+on sufficiently straightforward to indicate that he had done so before.

Eventually she pulled back. ”I'm so sorry. I can't do anything about what's happened, about your world and your people. All I can do is try to do something for you.”

He looked away, bewildered, lost, uncertain. Nothing he had learned in his long course of education prepared him to reply. Nothing except what lay within him could conceivably conjure an appropriate response.

”What can I do?” she pressed him. ”Tell me what you need.”

What I need? How to respond logically and rationally to the human woman so close to him? How to respond logically and rationally to such a question from anyone? How to respond logically and rationally to the human woman so close to him? How to respond logically and rationally to such a question from anyone?

”I-need.”

Almost, he responded emotionally. Almost, he let himself go. But the time he had spent on Earth and among humans did not begin to equal the time he had spent maturing on Vulcan. He was his father's son and his mother's son, but in the end he could only be him. him.

Whatever that might turn out to be. With a start, he realized that despite all his certainty about himself, despite all the knowledge he had so a.s.siduously cultivated, that was one question to which he still had no resolution.

In lieu of an answer he could only continue to be what he had become thus far. Reaching toward the control panel, he restarted the turbolift.

”I need for us all to continue performing admirably in the face of the terrible calamity that now confronts my people, our fellow Starfleet personnel, and the entire Federation.”

The doors parted and he stepped out. Uhura's gaze followed him until they closed once more.

XII

It was easier when she was on station. Not because she didn't think of him or of what had pa.s.sed between them but because attending to s.h.i.+p's communications required nearly all of her attention. No matter what happened, she told herself firmly, she was not going to overlook another potentially critical signal or transmission regardless of its nature or its content, or where it happened to be directed.

As Uhura listened to the ether, searching among the background hiss of stars and nebulae for anything of potential import, a conference laden with grim significance was taking place elsewhere on the bridge.

”As it stands,” Spock was saying, ”we've not yet received any kind of orders or recommendations from Starfleet on how to respond to what has happened here, which suggests that even our emergency transmissions are still being jammed, deflected, or otherwise prevented from reaching the nearest relay.”

Kirk nodded in agreement. ”We have to a.s.sume that every Federation planet's a target. Since we still have no idea what's motivating this Nero and his crew, we have no way of predicting for certain certain where or how he'll strike next, other than a best-guess estimate that he may be heading for Earth.” His gaze met Spock's. ”If only we knew the 'why' of the carnage he's causing.” where or how he'll strike next, other than a best-guess estimate that he may be heading for Earth.” His gaze met Spock's. ”If only we knew the 'why' of the carnage he's causing.”

”Agreed,” added Chekov, ”but why didn't they destroy us? Why all the other s.h.i.+ps and not the Enterprise Enterprise? They have demonstrated without a doubt that they have the capability to do so.”

Sulu shrugged. ”Why waste a weapon? We were seriously damaged and no longer a threat. Especially if they have greater goals in mind.”

”That's not it. He said he wanted me to see something. The destruction of my homeworld.” The s.h.i.+p's acting captain turned toward communications. ”If, insofar as we have been able to determine, they are indeed heading for Earth, then their ambition and intent suggests the destruction of a single remaining stars.h.i.+p is no longer high on their agenda.”

Standing, as usual, slightly off to one side, Leonard McCoy was, as usual, finally unable to contain himself. ”And how the h.e.l.l did they do that, by the way? When did they jump so far ahead in the arms race? While my specialty doesn't require me to be familiar with the technological details of alien arms and armaments, I do have to have some knowledge of the damage they can inflict because I'm expected to repair it, at least on the personal level. I've never heard or read anything about a Romulan vessel the size of this Narada Narada or the kind of destructive abilities it just displayed.” or the kind of destructive abilities it just displayed.”

Spock nodded imperceptibly. ”It is a question, Doctor, that I have been mulling over with deep concern ever since our initial encounter. It is self-evident that such a technological leap as we have recently witnessed does not take place overnight, nor even over a period of several years. The exact time frame required to accomplish such feats can at this time only be speculated upon. The engineering and technological knowledge necessary to artificially generate a black hole such as was utilized to destroy my homeworld may point toward a possible answer.

”Such technology could, in theory, be manipulated for a purpose other than destruction. It could hypothetically be manipulated to create a tunnel through s.p.a.ce-time, though from what we know of the possibilities, such a voyage would be extraordinarily risky for anyone attempting it.” He did not quite smile. ”Of course, such conjecture is based on models that rely on current physical and mathematical knowledge. We know nothing of future possibilities.”

”Dammit, man-I'm a doctor, not a physicist,” McCoy snapped. ”Are you suggesting they're from the future?”

Kirk stared at the acting captain. ”That is is what he's suggesting, and I don't buy it.” what he's suggesting, and I don't buy it.”

Spock eyed him evenly. ”If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains-however improbable-must be the truth. Process of elimination does not automatically disregard what has not yet been mathematically proven. Recall the words of Saint Clarke: 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'”

”How poetic,” McCoy commented sardonically.

”For some, Doctor, the possibility of time travel is nothing less than magic. Or poetry, if you prefer. For the enemy we now find ourselves facing, it may simply be a matter of sufficiently advanced technology.”

”If their technology is so advanced,” Kirk wondered aloud, ”then what would an angry future Romulan an angry future Romulan want with Captain Pike?” want with Captain Pike?”

”Simply because their technology is exceptionally advanced in one or several areas does not mean they are dominant in all,” Spock pointed out. ”Perversely, it is a good sign.”

McCoy's gaze narrowed. ”How can their taking Captain Pike as a captive be a 'good sign'?”

”It suggests,” Spock explained calmly, ”that while their technology is superior to us in many ways, they are not omnipotent.”

Sulu was nodding vigorously. ”Captain Pike knows as much as any admiral about Starfleet's defenses. If their next target is is Earth and they felt certain of being able to penetrate its defenses, why else would they want him except to extort information?” Earth and they felt certain of being able to penetrate its defenses, why else would they want him except to extort information?”

”We have to get him off that s.h.i.+p,” Kirk growled.

Spock turned immediately. ”That is not an option. He left us with standing orders that in the event of his failure to return, we should rendezvous with the rest of the fleet on the other side of the quadrant. It was a sensible command, clearly thought out and only reinforced by subsequent events. As has been amply demonstrated, we're technologically outmatched in every way and are fortunate the Enterprise Enterprise is still functional. A rescue attempt would be illogical.” is still functional. A rescue attempt would be illogical.”

Fighting to keep calm, Kirk struggled to reply in kind. He did not entirely succeed. ”With all due respect, what about loyalty to one's commanding officer?” He nodded sharply in the helmsman's direction. ”If Mister Sulu's correct, then if Pike's not dead he's likely being tortured to give up what he knows about Earth's defenses.”

The science officer was not moved. ”The captain's committed our our loyalty to loyalty to his his sacrifice. He would be the first to repeat and to emphasize that we carry out his final order. He understands that the needs of the many outweigh the danger to the one.” Spock's voice tightened slightly. ”It is the kind of decision one is required to make when one a.s.sumes the responsibilities of a stars.h.i.+p captain.” sacrifice. He would be the first to repeat and to emphasize that we carry out his final order. He understands that the needs of the many outweigh the danger to the one.” Spock's voice tightened slightly. ”It is the kind of decision one is required to make when one a.s.sumes the responsibilities of a stars.h.i.+p captain.”

”He also,” Kirk shot back, ”believes officers shouldn't blindly follow orders without looking for alternative ways of doing things. I can speak to that from personal experience. As his crew, we owe him the effort to explore alternative possibilities.”

That much, Spock was willing to bend. ”As stated, I am always open to suggestions.”