The
usual fine print: All the Star Trek characters are the property of
Thanks
again to Astrid Ferszt for help, ideas, and
encouragement (not to mention spell-checking).
Compassion is not religious business,
it is everyday business, it is not a luxury,
it is essential for our own peace and mental stability
it is essential for survival.
(Dalai Lama)
"...Chief Inspector
Mollier of the Franco-European branch of Securite Mondial has verified
that the body of the Orion trader found on Wednesday had the same pattern of
wounds as observed on the previous victims of these seemingly senseless
murders. This leads the security force to believe that the incidents can be
attributed to some form of ritual killings. The other victims included Centaurians, an Elisian and a
Woo-onunk. A full investigation is underway.
On a happier note the Amargosians have allowed Terran
settlers to import their cats as pets as long as ..."
"Computer
off."
Captain Kirk had enough of the Galactic Bulletin "...brought to you,
anywhere, by Earth-MNI News."
'Anywhere in this Solar system, that is,' he thought wryly. It was rare
indeed that he could watch news broadcast from Earth. The distances the
The
As Kirk shut his case, he wondered about Spock's sudden interest in their
destination. After all, it was only a holiday.
His door chimed.
"Come."
McCoy entered, clad in light summer clothing, a white jacket slung over his
shoulder and a soft travel bag in one hand. "Ready, Jim?" he asked, then frowned when he saw that the Captain was still in uniform.
"Just give me a minute to change, Bones." He changed into
old-fashioned, much sought after, jeans and a light shirt. It didn't feel right
to be out of uniform. He eyed it with some regret as he put it into the
recycler.
"It's only for a week, you know," McCoy said, not hiding the sarcasm.
When they entered the
transporter room, Spock was already waiting for them. McCoy had half expected
that he would still be in uniform. Instead the Vulcan was dressed in a light
grey-blue suit of Vulcan cut, that made him look
taller and more austere than the Starfleet uniform.
McCoy shook his head. 'What kind of holiday is this gonna
be?,' he thought with a small mental sigh.
"Ready,
gentlemen?"
Kirk asked. "Energize."
They beamed down to
Starfleet Central-Tel Aviv.
"Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Dr. McCoy, welcome to Tel Aviv. Your
ground car is here and the hotel that you requested, Captain, has been reserved
for you," a young cadet greeted them.
"Thank you." Kirk led them out of the Spaceport, past a large multi-language
sign that welcomed visitors to the ancient
"Oh, the heat!" McCoy exclaimed when they
had left the air-conditioned spaceport. "Must make you feel at home,
Spock."
"The temperature is, indeed, pleasant. The humidity is not. That should,
however, improve when we visit
"Better! That must mean worse..." McCoy grumbled, then
sighed in luxury as the ground-car cocooned them in a cooled environment. Spock
drew his cloak more tightly.
"Captain, are you driving?" incredulously.
"Spock! This isn't a 20th century automobile! And even then we didn't have
an accident, did we?" Jim exclaimed in mock anger.
McCoy looked bemused at his two friends. He hadn't heard the whole story of
their recent mission to Iotia. Spock, much to the
captain's chagrin, enlightened the good doctor on the Captain's ability (or
lack thereof) to drive an extinct type of transport called an automobile.
The light sea-breeze felt
pleasant after the hot day. McCoy and Jim were sitting, drinking Sabra on the hotel porch waiting for Spock. They had
explored Tel Aviv, its busy streets filled with shops
and tourists, and then lazed around on the beach, while Spock had gone to the
university library to look up some old parchments regarding an ancient Israeli
artefact. He had promised his friends that he would accompany them on their
visits to the historical sites, but was adamant that 'laying prone on a
stretch of sand in order to get the aforementioned sand in one's hair, ears and
eyes was neither a logical nor pleasurable activity for a sane Vulcan. '
"What about a swim, Spock?" McCoy had asked.
With a raised eyebrow and a disdainful glare Spock stated: "Why should I
wish to do that?"
"It's fun!"
Spock gave McCoy a 'you-must-be-out of your mind' look, calmly turned his back
on the now infuriated doctor, gave Jim a ghost of a smile and walked resolutely
away.
"That green..."
"You always fall for it, don't you?" Jim laughed, then
pulled his friend into the waves.
Carefully Spock took the
golden disc out of its case. The circular ornament was about ten centimetres in
diameter. On it a serpent-like creature encircled a humanoid form. All around
this central image were elegant sinuous carvings. Spock read the label that
described the artefact. "A mediaeval ornament
apparently describing the seduction of Eve by Evil. This and two
similar (art: 204 and 205) ornaments were found in the
"Are you finished, Commander?" The guard asked deferentially.
"Yes, thank you."
The youth entered a code in the device around his waist, and a protective field
enveloped the artefacts, at the same time transporting away the cases and the
table on which these were set. The artefacts now hung in mid-air, visible from
all sides but completely protected.
"Sir," the guard turned to Spock, "is there anything else you
wish to see?"
"No. This was quite satisfactory. I will not keep you from your duties any
longer." Spock turned to leave as the young guard spread his fingers in
the traditional Vulcan salute and in passable Vulcan bid Spock good-bye.
"Shalom, to you." Spock answered with the
traditional greeting and left.
"Had a good hunt,
Spock?" Jim asked as the Vulcan approached their table. "Yes,
Jim, extremely informative." For once Spock declined the offer to
pretend ignorance of Terran colloquialisms. His eyes were alight with interest
and unsatisfied curiosity .
"This is supposed to be a holiday, Spock," Jim said quietly.
"Is not a holiday a period of time for enjoyment as well as rest,
Jim?" Spock asked soberly.
"Are you saying you are enjoying yourself?" McCoy pounced.
"Yes, Doctor. I had a most satisfactory afternoon."
Jim steered the conversation in another direction. "Won't you let us in on
your research, Spock?"
Spock contemplated both his friends for a while. "No, not yet." he
stated simply. "Very well, Spock. More importantly, where shall we
eat?" Jim's stomach had started rumbling. He hadn't felt this hungry for a
long time.
---
The view, McCoy had to
admit, made up for the past hour. Both Jim and Spock had decided that they
would walk up to
"
Spock examined the stone
remains of
---
They had taken the air-lift
down the mountain. After six hours of exploration, both Jim and McCoy had
started to feel the effect of the heat. Spock, on the other hand, felt at home.
It was one of the few places, away from Vulcan, where the temperature and
air-consistency was to his satisfaction. However, he could see that both the
captain and the doctor were eager to savour the delights of the
After some serious
persuading from both the captain and the doctor Spock had finally relented,
stripped off his Vulcan tunic and joined his two joyfully splashing friends.
"I'm beginning to feel like a pickled herring," McCoy said, and
paddled his way to the shore.
"Had enough, Spock?" Jim asked the Vulcan, who was unsuccessfully
trying to do an underwater roll.
"I will join you momentarily, Captain" Spock
said distractedly when he carefully opened his eyes.
"OK," Jim grinned and went to join McCoy.
After a long shower,
washing the layer of fine white salt from their skins, McCoy and Jim stood side
by side watching the unusual antics of the first officer.
"You know, Jim, I believe Spock is actually enjoying himself," McCoy
said softly.
"Vulcans do not enjoy themselves, " Jim imitated Spock.
They strolled closer to the water's edge.
"Spock," McCoy shouted.
The Vulcan's rather dishevelled head turned towards them. "You are acting
like a overexcited child on his first trip to the
Moon," McCoy continued, once he had the Vulcan's attention.
Spock swam towards the shore.
"I assure you doctor I am merely experimenting with the buoyancy of the
mass of an average humanoid in relation to this concentrated saltwater,"
Spock said calmly, although a spreading light green tinge betrayed him.
"You really should come out now," McCoy sounded like a concerned
father. "That salt isn't good for you for this long."
Spock felt an unaccustomed reluctance to leave the water, but he realised that
a request for 'just a few more minutes, please' would certainly destroy
any remaining illusion of Vulcan decorum.
"Very well, Doctor," he said evenly, leaving the water and accepting
the towel that Jim held out to him.
---
Kirk sipped his glass of
orange juice, lazily looking over the old city of
"It is special, isn't it," McCoy came to
stand beside him on the balcony.
"Mm," Jim paused in recollection of their exploration of the old
city. The small streets with ancient houses repaired with such an eye to
detail, the wall of the original
"Where's Spock?"
McCoy intruded into Jim's thoughts.
"He has an appointment with the curator of the
"Well, I suppose in an air-conditioned flitter, it won't be too
bad..." McCoy sighed
"No flitters, Bones. The
"So how does Spock intend to go there and in the Galaxy, why?" McCoy
refused to include himself in this journey.
"He can go on camel-back. He doesn't intend to make contact with the
natives. He said he just wants to go to the edge of the el Harad
in
"Well, as long as he enjoys himself," drawled McCoy amused. "So
what are we gonna do?"
"What about a trip to Eilat?"
"Sounds good."
Spock was thoughtful when
he left his flitter at the edge of
"Yes," Spock confirmed as he walked around the tall muscular beast.
"And you do not wish for a guide?"
"No."
"You are aware that we do not take responsibility of any injury or loss of
life once you have crossed the boundary of
"I have signed all the necessary documents." Spock
's tone held a minute trace of impatience in it.
"When do you wish me to pick up Rham and bring
the flitter?"
Spock went over his time calculations again. "Tomorrow evening will be
satisfactory." With that Spock mounted the camel and clicked his tongue.
Obligingly the beast rose with a peculiar elegance and a quiet, deep grumble.
The Bedouin looked surprised. His client had insisted on a fast and strong
animal. Rham was that, but like most of his kind was
strong-headed and often disobedient. He watched as the camel and the robed
Vulcan disappeared across the road and through the protector-field that
disallowed any modern technological instruments to pass though. The virtual
Bedouin had expected the tourist to have some problems but the camel was
obeying his strange client impeccably. He shrugged his Bedouin cloak off and
climbed into the flitter. To his distress he found that the air-conditioning
was off.
Spock entered the barrier
field. He felt the electronic scan. The camel "tap-danced" nervously.
Spock calmed him down empathically. He wondered if his request to take his
tricorder in had been accepted. Suddenly, the protector-field melted away and
he was able to ride on into the vastness of
Following the tricorder, Spock directed Rham east. He
felt strangely calm, and at one with his surroundings. The silent rocky hills
beckoned Spock, acting like a magnet. With a barely audible sigh of
satisfaction, he spurred the camel towards the shadowy outcroppings.
Their trip to Eilat had been totally restful. After a late start, Kirk
and McCoy cruised to Eilat arriving in time for a
light lunch of fresh seafood washed down with a crisp white wine from Yarden.
After a lazy stroll they settled down on the beach. McCoy, nursing a glass of Sabra, fell asleep. Jim got involved in a discussion with a
young woman on the advantages and disadvantages of allowing families on Star
Fleet vessels on long exploratory journeys. The young lady was about to enter
Towards evening Kirk and McCoy returned with some reluctance to Tel Aviv, where
they were supposed to meet Spock. Jim had been invited to dinner, by the young
and forthcoming lady which he regretfully had to
decline. The only redeeming factor of their return was that they were both
curious to discover what had Spock so preoccupied. The short journey back was
full of speculation of Spock's possible discoveries.
James Kirk, refreshed after
a shower, walked towards the table where McCoy was examining the menu.
"Bones, have you seen Spock?"
"No. I thought he was with you. I was about to go and fetch you. I've
already been waiting half an hour," grumbled McCoy good-naturedly.
"I haven't seen Spock. I though he was here with you," Kirk said,
bemused.
"Well he must be somewhere. That boy said he stowed Spock's flitter
away."
Jim pressed Spock's room number on the computer pad next to their table.
"Not present. Do you wish to leave a message?" the computer answered.
"No." Kirk switched the computer off. "Well, looks like he's not
back yet," he added with a tinge of worry in his voice.
"He probably got caught up in his research, Jim."
"What about the flitter?"
McCoy had no answer to that.
"I don't like it," Kirk stressed. "It's not like Spock."
"Oh, come on, Jim. This isn't some mission we're on, you know," McCoy
tried to allay Kirk's fears.
"Okay, we'll give him a few more hours, then I'm
going to look for him."
"Shall we order some food in the meantime?"
"Go ahead without me. I'm going for a walk."
---
Spock was intent on
recording his finds. The tricorder precisely defined the outline of ancient
buildings deep under earth. Spock switched his tricorder into a pre-set mode
and scanned the entrance to a small cave. To his satisfaction, even a small
measure of excitement, the tricorder picked up traces of ancient painted curved
lines and other petroglyphs. Suddenly there was a
dual blip on his machine. The indicator that he set to scan for material
similar to the artefacts in the museum, blinked concomitantly with the red
light indicating the presence of life-forms.
Both the artefact and life-forms were quite near. Spock turned to get a bearing
on the readings. His sharp hearing picked up a sudden sound above him. Before
he could react he was surrounded by 20 men, closing a circle around him.
A lone man stood just outside this circle. Spock noted immediately that a
familiar artefact nestled against the man's red robe.
The men surrounding him
were clothed in long, green robes. In their hands they held various ancient
metal weapons. They shuffled slowly closer leaving a zigzag line in the sand.
With each gliding step they hissed.
Spock lay down the tricorder and spread open his arms
in a gesture of peace.
Still they advanced. The hissing increased.
"Should I fight? Will they harm me? Can I escape?" The
thoughts flashed through his mind while he looked for a way out. He came to a
decision. Quickly he retrieved his tricorder and jumped up, trying to reach an
outcropping above him. He managed to grab an indentation in the rock, but
before he could pull himself up, a knife thrown from below cut deeply into his
hand. He felt his fingers open involuntarily and slide down on the stone,
leaving a green streak behind. Spock fell into the waiting hands of the strange
figures. Tightly held, he was spun round to face the man with the golden disc.
The red robed individual stepped in front of Spock, and raised the disc to
Spock's forehead.
"I, Kram, Keeper of the Shertan
command. No more blood spilling here. This one will be perfect for the Kamra-kat-tha." He spoke while tying a red string
around Spock's neck.
"He speaks proto-Aramaic," Spock thought. He said in that
ancient Terran language, "I mean you no harm. Who are you?"
"He dares to speak using the tongue of Kamra-kat-tha!"
Kram was incensed. Then he commanded "You will
speak only in Basic."
"Why?" Spock asked in proto-Aramaic. He had studied many of Terra's
ancient languages, for curiosity's sake.
"You are not human," Kram answered in Basic,
then made a sign to his men.
Spock was dragged to his camel, slung across and tied up. Thus secured he was
led further into the mountains.
A forgotten tricorder, with a smeared green hand print, lay bleeping forlornly
in the shadow of a cave opening.
---
Kirk threw a pebble into
the waves crashing against the beach. He shivered in the cool night breeze.
After he had left McCoy he had jogged along the beach and back. He rubbed his
arms against the cold. The short sleeved shirt didn't protect him against the
rising wind.
"Here." He felt a jacket thrown over his shoulders.
"Bones." He acknowledged the doctor.
"Spock?" he then asked.
"Not back yet, Jim."
"That does it," he said and took out his communicator. He had hoped
not to have to use it on this trip.
"Kirk to
After a few seconds Scotty's voice answered.
"Captain?!? What's the matter?"
"Mr. Scott, Mr. Spock seems to be missing. I want the
"Aye, sir. But I thought you were on
holiday," Scott said.
"Just do it, Scotty. I'll explain later." Kirk answered wearily and
thought, 'When I have something to explain."'
"Scanning now, sir. Will get
back to you soon."
"Aren't you
over-reacting, Jim?" McCoy asked softly.
"Maybe, Bones. But I have this feeling..."
The communicator bleeped.
"Captain, we canna pick up Mr. Spock's
ID," Scotty's voice was worried. With Earth's satellite network, the
ID should have been picked up nearly instantaneously.
"Damn!" Kirk swore under his breath. "Scotty, he had his
tricorder with him. Try to locate that."
"That'll take a wee bit longer, sir."
"Just do your best. Kirk out," he turned to McCoy. "Let's go
back to the hotel. If he's not there, we contact the local security force."
When they arrived at their hotel they found Major Sharavi
of the Eastern Security division and one virtual Bedouin waiting for them. The
Bedouin wanted his camel back. The major was unhappy that a high-ranking Star
Fleet officer went missing in his area.
----
The cave was dark. Spock
was sitting, leaning against a rough wall. His hands and feet were tied firmly.
He had unsuccessfully tried to loosen the bonds. His robe had been removed and
he was left with only his Star Fleet issue shorts. He shivered in the cold
cave.
Suddenly he heard footsteps. These were soon followed by the flickering yellow
of candlelight. Kram entered, followed by four
green-robed acolytes.
"Your time has come," Kram said.
"Time for what?"
"Kamra-kat-tha"
"The slice-of-the-snake?" Spock queried.
"Since you speak the Tongue, it has been decided that you may ask
questions, but only during the Kamra-kat-tha."
Spock was yanked to his feet, and half-dragged through
long, curving passages while Kram continued to speak.
"Don't worry, some last up to a whole day. Why, one Orion we had lasted
for 23 hours before I performed the final act that set him free. You are the
first Vulcan to undergo the Kamra-kat-tha. You should
be honoured."
"The murdered non-Terrans, that is your doing?" Spock asked
"No questions now." Kram chuckled as they
entered a large cavern.
The cavern was filled with green-robed acolytes, standing in a semi-circle
around a flat stone table. Spock was led towards the stone slab. Through the
variously coloured blood stains Spock could make out flowing carvings. He
caught his breath. They were similar to the carvings on the Shertan
artefacts, the cave entrance, and those he had first encountered on the planet
they had briefly visited when the
Before he could make any further observations he was dumped onto the slab. His
arms and feet were tied down at each end.
"Let the Kamra-kat-tha ceremony began," Kram intoned.
The cave filled with the melancholy music of a single flute.
Kram approached. He took off the Shertan
disc and held it above Spock. "Your desire will be fulfilled. Hunger no
more. Live for ever in purity," he intoned in harmony with the music.
Then he laid the Shertan disc reverently on Spock's
forehead.
Spock felt a strange sensation course through his mind. For an instant he saw a
sphere blazing with a multitude of colours. Then he felt an indescribable,
deep, hunger. He realised, surprised, that the object had some telepathic
properties.
He rejected the visions and forced his mind to return to the cave. As he opened
his eyes, he saw that Kram held a flint knife above
him.
"Now you may ask your last questions," Kram
said as the sharp edge made contact with Spock's skin.
----
Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy,
and Chief of Security Major Sharavi stood huddled
around the abandoned tricorder.
"Look. There," Sharavi pointed a couple of
metres above the tricorder. A smear of Vulcan blood made a solitary path down
the sun-whitened stone.
McCoy swore under his breath. Kirk picked the tricorder up, and recoiled at the
sight of the green-tinged hand print.
Sharavi returned from looking at the surrounding
area. "At least a dozen men or so," he said looking sombrely at the
Captain.
"We must find him fast," said McCoy, as he examined the bloodstained
tricorder with his own medical scanner.
"As your sensors did not pick up his ID, Commander Spock must be in the
caves. No sensors can penetrate the cave walls due to their mineral content. I
will send out my men to search the area...but there are many caves," Sharavi shook his head in frustration and apology.
McCoy looked at Jim, who, since they had found the tricorder, had stood there
with an unfocused look on his face, and had not uttered a single word.
"Jim," he asked softly.
"Major," Kirk turned to Sharavi, "may
I have the map?"
With the map in one hand and the tricorder in the other, Jim walked a few steps
away from the others.
McCoy started to follow him, but Sharavi stepped in
front of him saying, "Commander Spock...is his friend?"
"Yes. Our friend."
"I am sorry. Very sorry. You must realise
that if the commander is not dead yet...it is near impossible to search this
whole area in time. I have to tell you that the first victim of the so-called
ritual killings was found near the edge of this desert."
Before McCoy could comment, Kirk had come back.
"Here," he said, pointing to an area near Har
Battra.
"Captain?" Sharavi
queried.
"We will search here. Let's go." Jim took hold of McCoy's arm and
propelled him to the air-flitter.
Sharavi shrugged. It was as good as area to start as
any. He beckoned some of his men to follow, while sending the others to search
different areas.
---
The green, life-carrying,
fluid made slow paths down Spock's body, collecting into little pools on the
stone surface before dripping into the sand floor.
The Kamra-kat-the had been going on for 24 hours and
36 minutes. Spock kept exact time partly as a technique to take his mind off
the pain and the strange mental noises invading him. He also continued to
question Kram. It satisfied his curiosity and helped
him to concentrate.
With each new cut Kram deigned to answer Spock's
queries.
"Who founded your sect?" Spock asked
He felt the flint cutting a new path across his torso.
"I did," Kram answered.
"Based on what information?"
The flint bit deeper
"The Shertan shows me the way. Tells me to do
what must be done to save Earth. To clean the Earth of all
alien life."
"Who taught you to speak the Tongue?"
The flint tore his muscles apart.
"The Shertan."
"The Shertan is alien," Spock
whispered.
The flint punctured the area where the human heart was found.
"You lie. Alien filth must be destroyed."
Spock tried to formulate a response, but he felt life ebbing from him. He knew
that he had not long to live.
'I will never be able to tell others about the link between Earth and ...' he
regretted as he lost consciousness.
---
"Jim, do you know
where you going?" McCoy asked for the thousandth time as they scrambled
higher up the cliffs. Sharavi and his men followed
silently.
In answer, Kirk climbed up a steep rock outcrop, then
pointed to a cave opening. "There..." he said in a ragged voice.
Before he could rush in, Sharavi grabbed him and
indicated for his troops to enter. Phasers drawn, they entered cautiously.
"No! Spock!" Jim gasped, his eyes wide open
as the tenuous guiding presence of his Vulcan friend vanished.
---
"IT IS DONE!"
Kram shouted exuberantly. "THE SHERTAN IS
SATIATED." He bent over the still form of Spock to take the Shertan disc.
His hand never reached it. A barrage of phaser fire
surrounded him. He dropped on to the floor unconscious.
While the security forces rounded up the other surprised sect members, McCoy
and Kirk ran to Spock.
"Bones?!?"
"He is...alive, Jim. But just." McCoy examined a deep puncture
wound and exclaimed "Thankfully his heart isn't where a normal person's
would be." Then more quietly, "I need to get him to a medical
facility ASAP, preferably the
"Here, Sir." One of Sharavi's officers
trotted up to them and handed McCoy an open blue case.
In it was a comprehensive field medi-kit, with a
portable life-support system. "Thanks. This may well be what will keep him
alive till we get to the
Jim had taken the artefact off Spock's forehead. He looked at it with
suspicion. The Shertan disc glowed and seemed to burn
his hands. Kirk flung it away from him in disgust.
In a corner of the cavern, Kram was just recovering
from the phaser stun. He saw the artefact flying
through the air.
"No. " He shouted as the Shertan
flew towards a large crevice in the cave floor.
Kram dived for the Shertan.
Major Sharavi aimed his phaser
and fired, but too late. The cult leader dived down, tripped and fell off the
edge. The heavy silence was followed by a sickening thud.
No life readings for Kram registered on Sharavi's tricorder.
On the other side of the fissure, the Shertan glowed
brightly, light pulsating from it.
The unconscious Spock gave a deep sigh and his whole body trembled. His eyes
flew open and stared unseeingly at McCoy.
"Spock!" McCoy exclaimed.
"Spock. It's okay," Jim said softly trying to find undamaged flesh
where he could touch his friend.
The Shertan disc dimmed.
Spock's eyes focused for a moment and then closed.
"Bones?"
"He's relatively stable, Jim. Let's get going."
---
Three days later, the
continuous tension in Sickbay was oppressive. McCoy was baffled. Spock was not
in a healing trance yet his wounds, external and internal, were healing at an
unprecedented rate. He looked at the brain scan on his screen, again.
"Damn. What are those elevated neurotransmitter particles doing in his
brain," McCoy muttered.
"What's that Bones?" Kirk was standing in the doorway to the doctor's
office.
The doctor was concentrating so deeply that he jumped when Kirk spoke. He
looked up and glared at his captain, then rotated the screen so Kirk could see.
"Spock's brain scan. Basically, it shows elevated
telepathic activity. He is not in a healing trance and yet he's healing at an
accelerated rate."
Jim looked at the continuously updating brain scan. Certain lines peaked above
the rest at regular intervals. Others seemed very low.
"So what are you saying, Bones?"
"I don't know, Jim. Maybe it's something else Vulcans
do to heal themselves. Something Spock never told me about...,"
"How is he?"
"Physically he is nearly back to normal. I've kept him lightly sedated,
but he will be able to leave Sickbay soon. I just don't like this," McCoy
answered staring at the screen again.
"Could he be in telepathic contact with someone or something?" Kirk
suggested, peering again at the screen.
"Well, anything's possible, but..."
The screen bleeped.
"He's waking up," McCoy stated. Both the captain and the doctor
hurried to Spock's cubicle.
"Spock?" Jim asked
Spock opened his eyes. For a moment there was no recognition in them.
Kirk noticed Spock's hands clenching into fists, then
relaxing.
"Captain, Doctor. It is gratifying to see you
again," Spock answered in a level tone.
"Oh no, you don't." McCoy held up a restraining hand before Spock
could make a move.
"Doctor?"
"I want to run a few more tests before letting you go."
Again Spock's hands clenched and unclenched.
"Of course, Doctor."
McCoy gaped in surprise at the agreement. "Well..., I'll be
damned...",
"I'll leave you two to it. Spock, please report to my quarters when
convenient."
"Very well, Captain."
---
Captain Kirk sat at his
desk, preparing reports and reviewing research-mission proposals when the door
chime sounded.
"Come," he called and the door opened obligingly to reveal his first
officer.
"Spock. It's good to see you back on your feet," he said warmly, and
indicated for Spock to sit down.
"Jim," acknowledged Spock. They sat for a while in companionable
silence.
"Would you care to fill me in, Spock?" Kirk broke the silence with
the softly spoken request.
"May I use your terminal?"
Kirk nodded.
When Spock finished, he turned the terminal back to face Kirk.
Jim saw a similar medallion to the one he had held in the cave. It depicted a
humanoid grasping another being by what looked like its throat. He looked at
Spock expectantly.
"During our mission to Xeran-2, when we inadvertently crossed the barrier
into our neighbouring galaxy, we spend a number of days reconnoitring two
uninhabited planets."
"Yes I remember," Kirk prodded when Spock stopped.
"On planet a3/1415926 I collected the remains of pictograms, recording of
various artefacts, one of which is displayed on your screen, and also
recordings of what turned out to be a language. Recently it has come to my
attention that similar artefacts were found in Edom and kept at the
Rockefeller-Ekto archaeological museum." Spock
paused.
"So that was your museum research?" Kirk asked.
Spock inclined his head in affirmation.
"So what you're saying is that this extra-galactic civilisation had been
to Earth!" He shook his head in wonderment.
"In effect, but I needed more evidence..."
"So you went to
"Indeed."
"The leader of that cult is dead," Kirk said quietly.
"I know."
Kirk looked at his friend. "How?" he asked.
"I...must have been conscious when he was killed."
"Spock, he was not killed. He died trying to prevent that artefact being
lost."
Jim regarded Spock closely. A tiny facial twinge betrayed the Vulcan.
Kirk continued, "The police have proven that this cult was responsible for
the murder of 15 non-Terrans in the past three
months."
"Kram believed that the artefact was an ancient
message from a supreme being. It told him to kill all alien life-forms,"
Spock added, his voice not quite steady. A strange hunger took hold of him as
he continued, "Captain, permission to retrieve the artefact and my
tricorder."
"Sorry, Spock. The area has been sealed off for security reasons. Clean-up operations and such." Kirk answered.
"Anyway, surely you want to check how the software installation is
proceeding."
"I see," Spock tensed. "Permission to
retire."
"Of course, Spock. I would like a written report on what happened,
relatively soon."
"Yes, Captain." Spock rose, and in un-Vulcan haste left the captain's
cabin.
Kirk looked thoughtfully at the retreating back of his first officer. Something
wasn't right. He opened a connection to the bridge.
"Bridge here," Sulu's voice
responded.
"Mr. Sulu, I want you to put a constant monitor
on all transporter activity, and notify me immediately if anyone transports to
the following coordinates."
"Yes, sir. Coordinates received."
"Captain out."
---
Spock let the door slide
shut behind him as he sank down onto his meditation pillow. He tried to empty
his mind and to attain a level of healing meditation, but he felt an incredible
Need. A hunger, hollow and dark. For
blood. For death. Violent emotions sprang into
his mind, invading every nerve-fibre. He found himself an observer of another
sacrifice. A Vulcan priest was dismembering a human. The human resembled Kram. Then he saw another sacrificial scene, and another.
"Stop!" his rational self commanded.
"I need you - you need me..." the Other
said clearly, inside him.
"No. Leave me."
"Come..."
Searing pain drove him to gasp.
"No."
His whole body trembled with the unaccustomed emotions. His rational self was
shocked at their depth.
"No. I will not."
He could not stop his body getting up and heading for the door.
"No." He tried to tighten his mental shields, but the pain worsened
while the force of the Other increased. Before he
realised what was happening he was in the transporter room and beaming down.
---
"Captain, someone just
beamed down to..."
"Sulu, you have the con." Kirk jumped from
the command seat and rushed into the waiting turbo-lift.
When the external world re-materialised, he looked around for Spock .
Spock was kneeling in front of the cave, the fingers of one hand pressing on
the cranial nerves used in a mind-meld.
As Kirk approached, Spock whirled round, eyes glazed. He stood up hurriedly.
"Spock!?!"
"Captain," was the surprisingly cool reply.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I must retrieve the Shertan."
"As I recall, I did not give you permission to come here"
"The Shertan must be retrieved."
"Spock, you're not listening..."
"No, captain. You are not listening."
"Spock!" Anger crept into the captain's voice.
"Leave now, captain."
Was there pleading in Spock's voice? 'What is going on?' Kirk folded his
arms, and scowled.
"Commander Spock, you will accompany me back to the
Spock's mind was being torn apart. Conflicting thoughts, emotions, and vivid
visions blasted through his brain. His whole body hurt. He was unutterably
weary. He tried to keep the Other under control, but
it was growing stronger. James Kirk was in danger. He must leave. The violent
emotions that he had temporarily managed to suppress crept to the surface like
a thousand spidery scrabbling things, growing in size.
"Spock, what is it?" Jim stepped toward his friend when he saw him
tremble.
"No." Spock whispered, "Go, captain. Please. Go, Jim."
"Spock, I won't leave you..."
The hunger became unbearable. Darkness filled him. Death, and
blood.
"No."
Sharp claws tore at his brain.
"Now...," the command overwhelmed him.
"No!"
"Kill...kill...kill."
"No."
"Blood...now...now"
Jim had reached Spock and grasped him by his shoulders.
"Slay...slash...destroy!"
Suddenly Spock had a Vulcan Chr'kri dagger in his
hand.
"Cleanse...joy...kill"
The knife rose above Jim's chest while Spock grabbed him at the back of his
head.
There was a total absence of expression on the Vulcan's face. Only his eyes
reflected the internal battle. The Chr'kri moved
towards Kirk, the point touching his uniform. Kirk was paralysed.
Spock snapped the Chr'kri back.
"Kill...strike-now ," The command
thundered through his entire being.
"Spock?"
"NO!" A warrior's cry echoed around the hills. The very
air trembled with its force. Kirk shuddered. Then he felt the oppressive
darkness lift from Spock and himself.
In the dark recess of the cave the Shertan snapped
into two.
The Chr'kri was lowered unsteadily. Spock looked at
his captain with clear, sombre eyes. He presented the dagger to Kirk, hilt
outward.
"It has been vanquished," he said quietly.
Jim took the knife. He held it with both hands and looked at Spock. "I
know." With both hands he handed back the dagger.
Spock bowed his head at the gift of trust, and accepted the Chr'kri.
"It's time to mind the store," Kirk whispered. "Two to beam
up," he managed to say evenly into his communicator.
The End.