Part 19 (1/2)

Star Trek Alan Dean Foster 110510K 2022-07-22

”Tell me, Spock.” Kirk didn't move. ”What's it like not to feel? Anger. Anger. Or Or heartbreak. heartbreak. Or the need to stop at Or the need to stop at nothing nothing to avenge the death of the woman who gave to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth birth to you?” to you?”

A vein had begun to pulse in the Vulcan's neck. His eyes had widened slightly.

”Back away....”

”You must not feel anything,” anything,” Kirk persisted. ”I guess it must not Kirk persisted. ”I guess it must not compute compute for you. When it comes down to it, I guess you must not have loved her at for you. When it comes down to it, I guess you must not have loved her at all all....”

”Stop it, you sonofab.i.t.c.h!” Rising from her communications station, Uhura started toward them. A hand caught her arm and held her back. Looking around in surprise she saw that she was being restrained by, of all people, the s.h.i.+p's doctor. McCoy wore an indecipherable, almost speculative expression.

”Let 'em fight.”

Spock snapped.

Kirk did his best to fight back, but no human could have moved as fast as the acting captain of the Enterprise Enterprise did at that moment. Spock became a blur, a whirlwind of striking hands and darting fingers. Every blow Kirk struck was blocked, every attempt at defense repulsed as Spock tore into him. Blood-considerably more than a trickle-began to appear on the taunter's face as the Vulcan pounded him relentlessly. A couple of crew members hesitantly tried to intervene. Spock threw them aside as if they were weightless. Bedlam reigned on the bridge as other officers yelled and shouted in an attempt to stop the fight. did at that moment. Spock became a blur, a whirlwind of striking hands and darting fingers. Every blow Kirk struck was blocked, every attempt at defense repulsed as Spock tore into him. Blood-considerably more than a trickle-began to appear on the taunter's face as the Vulcan pounded him relentlessly. A couple of crew members hesitantly tried to intervene. Spock threw them aside as if they were weightless. Bedlam reigned on the bridge as other officers yelled and shouted in an attempt to stop the fight.

Lifting Kirk off the ground, Spock threw him against a far wall. One of the security team charged with guarding the intruder tried to step between the two, only to find himself thrown to the deck. Eyes blazing, Spock caught Kirk before he could spin clear and clamped a hand over the tormenting human's throat. Now even an alarmed Uhura was yelling at the Vulcan to stop. But all the acting captain heard was the uncontrolled raging in his own mind. Nothing could penetrate the white heat that was driving him, no one could make themselves heard above...

”SPOCK.”

From where he had remained standing near a far wall, Sarek had finally stepped forward.

Spock maintained the death grip for an instant longer. Kirk's eyes fluttered and started to roll back into his head. Then, with the sound of his father's voice echoing throughout his entire being, Spock abruptly released the younger human. His att.i.tude now that of the defeated instead of the victor, he stepped back, stunned by what had transpired. Clutching at his throat and gasping for air, Kirk barely managed to remain on his feet. Though his face was b.l.o.o.d.y and bruised, there was no hatred there. Only compa.s.sion.

No one gave much notice to the visage of the battered lieutenant, however. Their attention was focused solely on their commanding officer. After a moment Spock gathered himself, straightening, and wiped at his eyes as he struggled to regain some semblance of his natural dignity. A condition now fled, he knew. Thoughts elsewhere, his att.i.tude uncharacteristically hesitant, he walked calmly over to where McCoy was standing and staring back at him wide-eyed...

”Doctor. By order of Starfleet Regulation Six-nineteen I hereby relinquish my command on the grounds that I have been-emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the s.h.i.+p's log.” He pushed past the staring physician and exited the bridge.

”I like like this s.h.i.+p,” Scott declared into the ensuing silence. ”It's exciting!” this s.h.i.+p,” Scott declared into the ensuing silence. ”It's exciting!”

McCoy turned to Kirk. ”Congratulations, Jim. Now we've got no captain-and no G.o.dd.a.m.n first officer to replace him.”

Kirk didn't hesitate. ”Yeah we do.”

If he didn't hesitate, the same could not be said for his s.h.i.+pmates. It was left to Sulu to point-in his direction. That was when it hit them. That was when they remembered.

Pike had made Kirk first officer before leaving the s.h.i.+p.

”What!?” McCoy blurted in disbelief as the same realization struck him. McCoy blurted in disbelief as the same realization struck him.

Kirk offered him a lopsided smile. ”Thanks for the support, Doc.” As he moved purposefully toward the command chair, he pa.s.sed Uhura.

”There's a lot I'd like to say-Captain.” She all but hissed the t.i.tle. ”But I'll save it for another time. Meanwhile, I sure as h.e.l.l hope you know what you're doing.” She all but hissed the t.i.tle. ”But I'll save it for another time. Meanwhile, I sure as h.e.l.l hope you know what you're doing.”

Under the circ.u.mstances, he thought, her comment practically amounted to a vote of confidence. He nodded slowly.

”So do I.”

Spitting blood that was decidedly not green, he moved painfully toward the command chair. When McCoy stepped forward as if to examine the injuries the younger man had just suffered, Kirk waved him off. There would be time for that later, he knew. If they did not move swiftly and decisively now, there would be no time for anything. Slumping into the chair, he directed his voice to the communication pickup.

”Attention, crew of the Enterprise. Enterprise. This is James Kirk. Captain Spock has resigned his commission and advanced me to acting captain.” Throughout the s.h.i.+p stunned crew and officers stopped what they were doing to listen to the announcement. Those who knew Spock could not imagine a scenario under which the Vulcan would have resigned as commanding officer. This is James Kirk. Captain Spock has resigned his commission and advanced me to acting captain.” Throughout the s.h.i.+p stunned crew and officers stopped what they were doing to listen to the announcement. Those who knew Spock could not imagine a scenario under which the Vulcan would have resigned as commanding officer.

They had not been witness to the clash on the bridge.

”I know you were all expecting to regroup with the rest of the fleet,” Kirk continued, ”but I'm ordering a pursuit course of the enemy s.h.i.+p that we believe to be headed for Earth. I want all departments at battle stations and ready for combat in ten minutes. Either we're going down or they are.” Ending the transmission, he looked around to regard the bridge crew. Some of them were still in shock. It had all happened so quickly.

Not unexpectedly, it was Uhura who finally broke the stunned silence.

”I want some answers. answers. Where the h.e.l.l did you get transwarp technology?” She jerked her head in the direction of the still silent and unmistakably damp figure who had remained standing inconspicuously off to one side of the lift doors. ”Surely not from that vagrant you brought on board with you?” Where the h.e.l.l did you get transwarp technology?” She jerked her head in the direction of the still silent and unmistakably damp figure who had remained standing inconspicuously off to one side of the lift doors. ”Surely not from that vagrant you brought on board with you?”

That drew a response from the subject, who looked wounded. ”'Ere now, la.s.sie, I think that's uncalled for.”

Kirk smiled, winced at the pain this induced, and tried to answer. ”Lieutenant Uhura, that 'vagrant' is Montgomery Scott, an experienced Starfleet engineer of unexpected mental and technical gifts, if possibly dubious character. As to the definitive source of the actual physics that were employed to get us on board, trust me-it's complicated.”

Sulu looked over from his position at the helm. ”How about you you trust trust me me? I have a doctorate in astrophysics and a master's certificate in interstellar navigation-not to mention having completed a wide a.s.sortment of advanced seminars in subs.p.a.ce theory and related disciplines. Whatever explanation you care to propose, I think I can handle it.”

”And I also,” declared Chekov. ”Between Mister Sulu and myself I doubt there's any account you can provide, Mir...Kir-Keptin Kirk-that we will be incapable of dissecting. Or is it that you want us to trust you you but you won't trust but you won't trust us us?”

The expressions and att.i.tudes of the rest of the bridge complement indicated that not only did they agree wholeheartedly with the two officers but that Kirk was going to have a hard time getting them to listen to him if he was not soon more forthcoming on this particular subject. Still, he hesitated before replying. When he finally did so it was because he knew that when the time came to confront Nero and the Narada, Narada, the one thing they could not afford was uncertainty regarding the top of the chain of command. It would be critical that everyone respond promptly and to the best of their ability to whatever orders he might have to issue. The battlefield was not the place to question the competency-or the honesty-of one's commanding officer. He had no choice but to respond to Sulu's and Chekov's and Uhura's probing. the one thing they could not afford was uncertainty regarding the top of the chain of command. It would be critical that everyone respond promptly and to the best of their ability to whatever orders he might have to issue. The battlefield was not the place to question the competency-or the honesty-of one's commanding officer. He had no choice but to respond to Sulu's and Chekov's and Uhura's probing.

Even if it was likely they wouldn't believe a word he said.

”Okay, you want answers? The necessary equations to program a transporter for transwarp beaming came from Spock.” Looks of bewilderment were exchanged among the bridge crew. They only grew deeper as Kirk continued.

”Not the Spock who just resigned his command of this s.h.i.+p. Not the Spock who just nearly killed me. They came from an older older Spock. A much older Spock. One from the future who traveled through a wormhole and is currently residing in our present.” Spock. A much older Spock. One from the future who traveled through a wormhole and is currently residing in our present.”

Seated at the helm, Sulu was staring back at him. ”Okay-I find myself having to amend my previous statement: I'm not sure I can can handle it.” handle it.”

”Do you think we're all crazy, Captain?” Chekov challenged him.

”No.” Kirk found himself growing in confidence the more he explained. ”I am am asking you to asking you to think. think. Consider our opponent, the great Romulan stars.h.i.+p, the Consider our opponent, the great Romulan stars.h.i.+p, the Narada. Narada. Bigger by far than any Romulan wars.h.i.+p in the catalog. Utilizing weaponry whose basics are familiar but that are far more powerful than anything previously encountered. The unremittingly hostile, even vengeful att.i.tude of its commander and crew. An att.i.tude that to us has no basis in reality. In Bigger by far than any Romulan wars.h.i.+p in the catalog. Utilizing weaponry whose basics are familiar but that are far more powerful than anything previously encountered. The unremittingly hostile, even vengeful att.i.tude of its commander and crew. An att.i.tude that to us has no basis in reality. In this this reality.” reality.”

Sulu looked at Chekov, who looked back at Uhura. The change in att.i.tude on the bridge was perceptible. Or maybe, Kirk thought, he was just fooling himself. But at least they were listening to him. At least they were thinking. thinking.

Logic was not the exclusive preserve of Vulcans. Humans too, on those occasions when they calmed down, were capable of rational thought. And when all possible reasonable explanations for a sequence of events had been exhausted, they were frequently willing to consider the impossible. He continued to present it.

”This Nero followed the older Spock back in time because he blames Vulcan and all Vulcans for the destruction in the future of Romulus. He thinks the Federation, and Vulcan in particular as exemplified by a future mission headed by Spock, could have saved his homeworld. He doesn't trust the Federation, Vulcan, or Spock to do it in this time frame. So now he thinks the only way to save Romulus in the future is to destroy the Federation in our present. That's the truth. truth. As for transwarp beaming capability...” Turning, he nodded in the engineer's direction. ”Ask As for transwarp beaming capability...” Turning, he nodded in the engineer's direction. ”Ask him. him. He's the one who invented it. Spock-the older Spock, the one from the future-just supplied a reminder.” He's the one who invented it. Spock-the older Spock, the one from the future-just supplied a reminder.”

This time it was not just Uhura but everyone on the bridge who looked penetratingly in Scott's direction.

”Is what he says true, Mister-Scott?”

The engineer nodded, his att.i.tude a mixture of pride and embarra.s.sment. ”Aye-and me friends call me 'Scotty.'”

The astonishment and uncertainty that had heretofore dominated the bridge now dissolved into excited debate.