Black Fire Page 9

  "Lieutenant Commander Douglas, sir," the engineering officer reported smartly when he entered the bridge.

  "You say you were assigned as chief engineer?" Kirk asked, obviously puzzled.

  "Yes, sir."

  "I need a computer readout. Where's Spock?" the captain demanded again.

  A tall, large-boned blond entered the bridge. "Lieutenant Commander Martin, sir. Reporting for duty."

  "What is your assignment?" a baffled Kirk asked the newcomer.

  "Science officer, sir."

  Kirk caught Sulu staring at him again. "Mister Sulu, do you know what's going on here? Why am I the last to know what's going on on my ship?" He turned to the science officer. "I want a readout of the duty roster. Right now!"

  Martin stepped up to the computer terminal and pushed the appropriate buttons. Sitting tensely, Kirk waited. The others stood rigidly, not knowing what to expect from the evidently angered captain.

  McCoy entered the bridge and immediately felt the tension. Oh, boy! He's found out about Spock and Scott. All hell's gonna break loose! I should've told him before he got back onto the ship.

  "Bones!" Kirk just about shouted as he got up to greet his chief medical officer. "At least you're on board!"

  Martin handed the duty roster to Kirk. He studied it, and looked up at his unfamiliar senior officers.

  "We will meet in the briefing room in a half hour," he ordered in a low voice.

  McCoy started to leave.

  "You stay here, Bones!" Scowling, Kirk snapped at McCoy. "What's going on? You knew that Scotty and Spock weren't on board, didn't you?"

  Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura stiffened as if ready for a blow.

  "Not here, Jim. Let's go somewhere private."

  "I won't be put off, Bones. Ship's business can be conducted on the bridge. Now, answer me!"

  "Not here, Jim." McCoy walked to the turbolift with a reluctant Kirk following him.

  They entered the doctor's office in sick bay and McCoy reached for his bottle of brandy. He handed Kirk a glass and took a large gulp of his own. The captain put his glass down untouched.

  "I'm wating, Bones."

  "Jim, it was in your best interest."

  "What was in my best interest?"

  "Not telling you."

  "Not telling me what? Stop beating around the bush, McCoy. Just tell me what's going on. I didn't even get a duty roster before I came on board. I assumed I would have my entire crew back intact. You know why my two best officers are not on board. Stop delaying and tell me why!"

  McCoy handed two computer tapes to Kirk, who turned them nervously in his hand. "This is your answer? Record tapes?"

  "It's the official explanation, Jim."

  "Explanation? Explanation of what?"

  "You were too badly injured to be informed, Jim. It was my medical judgment to keep you in the dark. If you had gotten wind of the situation, you would have taken off, no matter how sick you were. There was nothing you could do, then or now."

  Kirk inserted a tape into the playback.

  Stardate 6101.1: Preliminary hearing, court-martial proceedings, Commander Spock and Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott. Charges: Desertion—theft of a Starfleet vehicle. Present location of defendants unknown. Case pending.

  The second tape was a transcript of the hearing.

  "Is this it?" Kirk took the tape out of the computer terminal and placed it on the table. He sat, waiting for McCoy to explain further. "Well, Bones?"

  "What can I tell you, Jim? They disappeared. Not a clue as to where. No one really looked."

  "Are you telling me no one has the slightest idea of where they went?"

  McCoy shook his head. "Jim, if there was anything I could have done—they just took off and vanished. I suppose they headed for that series of dots Spock thought was so important. He was clearly dissatisfied with Starfleet's response—or lack of one—regarding what he believed to be sufficient evidence of sabotage behind the bridge explosion."

  "It's not like Spock not to give his whereabouts or intentions. He must have left some clue." Kirk mulled over Spock's most likely move.

  McCoy had another drink, waiting for Kirk to accept the situation. "Jim, they're gone. If he could have, Spock would have let us know where they are. It's been a long time. You'll have to accept the fact that they're gone."

  Kirk looked up at McCoy with an anger he rarely outwardly displayed. He was angry at McCoy for not telling him what was going on, and he was angrier at himself for assuming too readily that all would be back to normal when he returned to his ship. He lashed out at the doctor in resentment and frustration.

  "You're partially responsible! If you had let me know, I could have found them. I could have stopped them! Now it's been too long." He stood up and stalked out of sick bay, leaving a thoroughly depressed McCoy.

  Kirk had no desire to convene a meeting until he fully absorbed the devastating news and formulated a strategy. He went to his cabin and switched on the intercom. "Cancel that meeting I had scheduled, Uhura. Schedule it for o-seven-hundred hours tomorrow."

  Uhura's steady voice acknowledged the change and she notified the officers involved.

  Kirk's thoughts were dark ones. I sensed something wrong—and now that I know what it is . . . what now?

  2

  What would Spock do? He wouldn't go off without leaving a message for me. Where would he have left a clue? Kirk was obsessed with finding answers. He headed down the corridor, letting himself into Spock's quarters. It was late—the ship's lights were dimmed for the night cycle. He reached for the light panel and was immediately sorry.

  All was changed. Gone were the strange Vulcan artifacts: the small flame which had always given these quarters a different quality, the rich red tapestries which added mystery to Spock's surroundings; all was gone.

  With the light's brightening, Alexander Leonidas blinked and sat up abruptly, awakening with a jolt.

  "Is there something wrong, sir?" he asked sleepily, when he saw the captain standing in the doorway.

  "Nothing is wrong," Kirk responded. "I was looking for something. Were these quarters empty when you were assigned them?"

  "Empty, sir?"

  "Had they been vacated? Was there anything besides the regulation furnishings?"

  Kirk noticed a few of Leonidas's personal touches: a photo of a girl and an Academy class picture.

  "There was nothing here, sir. Should there have been?"

  "No, Commander. I hope you don't think I make a habit of walking into my officers' quarters uninvited, but …"

  "Can I help you find whatever it is you're looking for, sir?"

  When I figure out what it is, I'll let you know. Sorry I awakened you. And, Commander, please don't mention this visit to anyone."

  "No, sir," the puzzled first officer answered, not entirely convinced that he shouldn't be telling someone about the captain's odd behavior.

  Kirk went back to his quarters, took off his tunic and boots, and lay down on the bed. He lay in the dark, trying to reconstruct Spock's logic. He was very tired. It had been a long, full day, full of new people, a new ship, painful disappointment, anger, and frustration. Damn! He clenched his fists and hit the bed. He lay there for hours, staring at the overhead until exhaustion finally overcame him and he slept.

  When he entered the briefing room the next morning, Captain James T. Kirk had controlled his anxiety. He looked at the gathering of command personnel on the Enterprise with an almost detached interest. The familiar face of Sulu, smiling as usual, lifted his spirits somewhat.

  McCoy was talking to Uhura. First Officer Alexander Leonidas was sipping a cup of coffee while he absently flipped through a series of star charts. Lieutenant Thorin Martin, wearing the orange insignia of the science section, was having an animated conversation with the engineer, Heath Douglas.

  Kirk took his seat. Yeoman Yolanda Helman handed him a fresh cup of coffee. The group settled down. The captain waited for a few beats; then he spoke.
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  "Gentlemen, some of you know me well; others of you will come to know me. No captain can run a starship alone. You are all essential to the well-being of the ship and her crew. Our success depends upon being able to work as a team. I rely upon your expertise and your loyalty, to me and to the ship. There are times when we encounter problems beyond any prior experience, and we must be capable of dealing with the new, the unusual, and sometimes the terrifying. Some of you have served on the Enterprise before. I welcome you back. Those of you who are new on board, I welcome you to the finest ship in the fleet.

  "Now we will get to business. Our mission is a simple one: A shakedown cruise to test the ship. Then we are ordered to map a section of the Omega Six system. Any questions or comments?"

  McCoy watched Kirk carefully. His calm is a sham. I know him too well. What is Jim really up to?

  The questions were technical—no pressing business was presented; the meeting ended.

  "Martin, Leonidas," Kirk called as they were leaving, "would you stay behind a moment?"

  McCoy turned to come back into the room. "You're not needed at this meeting, Doctor."

  Kirk turned his attention to his new officers. Perched on the edge of his chair, he spoke. "Mister Leonidas, I want a full computer search. I want to know what Mister Spock was using the computers for before he disappeared—and—where he went. Mister Martin, what is your computer rating?"

  "A six, sir. Only one below Commander Spock. He has the only seven in Starfleet."

  "Good. I need someone as good as Spock to find what I'm after. Look for anything unusual. Any clue. This is a priority-one situation. Those computers are Spock's other self. He must have programmed something into them. It might be very subtle. Go to it!" He got up and left.

  Leonidas ran his hand through his curly hair in confusion. "What was that all about?"

  Martin was just as confused. He shrugged. "I guess we'll figure it out sooner or later." They left the briefing room together, heading for the main computer terminal on the bridge.

  The Enterprise performed beautifully. Kirk should have felt great joy in the rebirth of the Enterprise, but he felt none. He fulfilled his duties automatically, requiring those around him to perform at peak efficiency, giving no clue as to the satisfaction he felt with his ship or crew in spite of his frustration regarding his missing friends.

  The lone figure sitting in the command position was completely unapproachable. McCoy didn't come up to the bridge, deciding that any intervention would only aggravate the situation. Let Jim work it out. He always does.

  Leonidas had a habit which Kirk found grating. The Greek first officer owned a set of worry beads which he held in his hand and clicked when he was concentrating. Above all of the bleeps and static which was considered normal in the routine of the Enterprise, the sound of the click, click, click of Leonidas's beads beating a nervous rhythm was like itching powder crawling up the captain's back, bringing him close to losing control.

  Leonidas, unaware of the effect he was having on Kirk, stood beside him, beads rattling. With a quick motion, Kirk grabbed his wrist, forcing him to drop the beads. "Don't bring them back on the bridge again, Mister!"

  Kirk rushed off the bridge. Sulu and Chekov turned to watch the captain leave. They were relieved to have the clicking stop, but had never seen the captain behave that way before. Leonidas picked up the beads, put them into his belt, and sat down in the command chair.

  He saw Sulu and Chekov staring at him. "Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, signing a report handed to him by Yeoman Helman.

  Retreating to his quarters on his break, Kirk realized that his stern and grim attitude was distressing his officers, but all he could think about was Spock and Scott. There had to be a clue; he was certain. He opened his safe and took out his personal log.

  He used the log as a record but also as a sounding board for particularly complex, frustrating problems. As he pulled the log from its niche, a computer tape dropped to the floor. He picked it up and examined it. There was no standard ID number. In the lower-right-hand corner of the red square was a small recognizable symbol.

  The IDIC—Spock's message! He had missed it before. Kirk put the tape into his private console. Spock's image appeared on the screen.

  "Captain—Jim—if you are listening to this tape, I will assume I am either missing or dead, and you are planning to search for me. If I have not succeeded in my quest, it will be hopeless for you to take up the search. If you have heard the tape of the hearing examining the explosion on the Enterprise, you will know I have gone to find our unknown adversary. I do not undertake this lightly. I believe the Federation is in great danger, but I do not have enough physical evidence to prove my position. Mister Scott has agreed to accompany me, to lend assistance in engineering and navigation. Jim, do not search for us. I will endeavor to get a message to you if we find something. Do not follow us! Live long and prosper, my friend… ."

  The tape ended.

  Kirk removed it and turned it in his hand. It was as close as he had been to Spock since that nightmare on the bridge. He ran his finger over the IDIC symbol. Peculiar, I don't remember Spock using a tag like that before. Come to think of it, Spock never used a visual identification code, not on any of the computer tapes he handled. If he marked this one, maybe he tagged others. Spock is always consistent.

  I must get myself together. Bones was doing what he thought was his medical duty—trying to protect me—I can't blame him for that. Got to snap myself back to efficiency—no time for self-indulgence.

  "Mister Martin, report to Captain's Quarters," he summoned via the intercom.

  When Martin arrived, Kirk handed him the message tape with the small IDIC in the corner. "I want you to search the computer banks for any tape marked like this."

  The science officer examined the dot. "What's the symbol, sir?"

  "It's a Vulcan IDIC, Commander. I'll explain it some other time."

  "But, sir, there are thousands of computer tapes. It could take a great deal of time."

  "Then get some help, but find those tapes."

  "Yes, Captain." Martin left the captain's quarters as confused as ever.

  Hours later, Martin was still searching. He was beginning to dream of computer tapes, red ones, blue ones, all neatly stacked—all with little IDIC symbols in the lower-right corner. No one had ever told him that serving on a starship could be so tedious. He had developed a rhythm: A quick flip of the thumb brought all of the corners into view. For what seemed like the millionth time, he searched through another section of tapes. He almost missed the small symbol as it went by. He flipped through the deck again. There it was! He called Kirk.

  The three executive officers huddled over the chart on the screen. "Can you make out what that is?" Kirk asked.

  Martin shrugged. Leonidas examined the image more closely. "Captain!" he said excitedly, "It's a star chart! My hobby is collecting maps of obscure star systems and I'd bet my career on it! I'm not familiar with area, but that's definitely what it is."

  The image on the screen changed. A full-scale galactic map appeared, superimposed on the smaller chart. "What do you make of it, Leonidas?"

  "It's our galaxy, sir. The section detailed on the chart is at the far end—the other end. We've never fully mapped that area. It's too far away." Leonidas was bouncing with enthusiasm. "I've never seen this galactic map before, Captain. It's about the most advanced one of our system. Where did Spock get it?"

  "Vulcan, I'd bet," Kirk surmised aloud. "He always had a scientific ace in the hole. Is there a habitable planet in that detailed area?"

  "I can't tell. It's just a star chart; no planets are indicated."

  Spock's got to be there. He must have found a planet. There's no other lead, Kirk thought. "How long will it take us to get to that quadrant?" he asked.

  Leonidas pondered the question, then answered. "About three days at maximum warp. But, sir, it will be awkward to explain to Starfleet why we are going in
the opposite direction from our designated course."

  "I'm going to exercise my captain's prerogative and gamble on Spock's map. He never does anything without a definite purpose. We're going to follow his lead. If he thinks sabotage was involved, I want to know who blew up the Enterprise!"

  He vowed silently, To hell with orders! I'm going to find Spock! I'll need a legitimate reason to go into that region.

  "Is there anything of special interest in that area, Mister Leonidas?"

  "I'll need some time to analyze the data, sir," Leonidas answered, eager to study the chart.

  An hour later, Leonidas looked up from the computer's navigational terminal and reported excitedly, "Captain, I think I've found something!"

  "What?" Kirk rose from his seat and joined Leonidas at the console.

  "A red giant, sir. I mean really large, Captain. Bigger than any I have ever seen before. It's not exactly in the quadrant we're interested in, but it's close."

  "Is it of sufficient interest to study?"

  "It's of great interest, sir. One of a kind!"

  "Leonidas, you've earned your pay! Helmsman, set a course on the coordinates given to you by Mister Leonidas."

  "But, Captain, that red giant isn't in the quadrant Spock indicated."

  Kirk answered in a soothing voice. "Close enough, Mister. Close enough. Uhura, send a message to Starfleet, space normal. Investigating unusual red giant of great interest—and give the coordinates."

  Uhura turned to Kirk. "Space normal, Captain? It'll take a week to get there."

  Kirk grinned knowingly. "So what's the hurry?"

  3

  Entering the recreation room, Alexander Leonidas smiled warmly. His daily visit was something the crew was beginning to count on. This was his first assignment as first officer, a promotion he deserved and had long anticipated. He was a small man, only five feet six inches, just making it into Starfleet. He was dwarfed by the complement of tall men on board.

  He loved women, and they loved him. His smile could charm the most sober of them. Leonidas was a startling contrast to their former first officer, Spock, whose serious manner and alien ways set him apart.