Chapter 11

About two hours later, a figure appeared in their midst, apparently humanoid. It was a young, handsome male, dressed in warrior's garb to match the dagger Spock still had. His demeanor was arrogant and taunting. With hands on hips and chest puffed out, he surveyed them with a taunting smile. "Well, Captain, very intriguing. You are full of surprises. This forgiveness doctrine is most puzzling, but I don't expect it to extend to aliens and strangers. You must wish to kill me. Your officer still has the dagger. Why don't you attack me?"

"Why should I do that?"

"I brought you here against your will. I have used you and abused you. I have caused you great pain. I have destroyed your relationship with your First Officer. I have left him in a state he will not recover from. Yet, you do not wish to kill me? That is not logical."

Kirk almost smiled. "You sound much like my First Officer. And no, I will not kill you. I do have some questions, though."

The figure ignored him. "What about your First Officer? Does he wish to kill me?"

Spock stood and spoke slowly. "Why should I wish to kill a hologram?"

"An astute guess. But I am surprised you are functioning at all."

Spock extended the dagger to him, hilt first. "I believe this belongs to you."

"You do not wish to keep it for future use?"

The hologram refused to take the dagger, so Spock set it on the table.

"There are other, less messy, methods."

"Goodbye then."

And with that, they were all transported back to the Bridge of the Enterprise. Kirk recovered first. Ascertaining that all were present and accounted for, he gestured for them to take their stations, told the relief crew to stand by, asked for a status report, and responded to Spock's "Captain..." with "Not yet, Mr. Spock," all in the first thirty seconds.

Lieutenant Tanis stood stiffly at attention. "Sir. We've been completely immobilized since you left. Engines dead - both warp and impulse; weapons inoperative; communications jammed; computer locked up; no power for anything, except life support. For the last thirty-six hours, we haven't been able to do anything, except watch."

"Watch?"

"Yes, sir. The other ship fed us a signal. It was locked on the Bridge screen until just before you returned. We saw everything that happened over there."

"Indeed. Status, Mr. Scott?"

"Ye c'n ha' impulse power whenever ye want it. The warp engines will take a couple o' hours ta restart."

"Sulu?"

"Helm's responding, Captain."

"Chekov?"

"Veapons are fully operational, sir! They cannot be, but they are!"

"Interesting. Uhura?"

"Communications still jammed, sir."

"And the computer?"

Spock had not taken his station, and was staring at nothing, very internally focused. So Lieutenant Martin, who was still at the science station, replied. "Responding sluggishly, sir. Getting data now. Scans indicate the other ship's shields are down. Power levels minimal. No sign of any weapons power-up. Life-form readings, sir. Approximately 800. Atmosphere, not breathable, except for a small pocket of air, presumably where you were detained. Gravity 1.3 standard, again except for the small pocket."

"Thank you. And our shields?"

"Coming up now, sir. We are at 60% and climbing rapidly." He paused. "Shields now at 100%, sir."

"Acknowledged."

Kirk sat down thoughtfully. He was about to ask Spock for an analysis, remembered Spock's mental state, and decided not to push it. "Opinions, anyone?"

Sulu responded, "Seems like he's begging us to shoot him down."

"He's still playing the same game," was Chekov's opinion.

Uhura echoed their opinions. "He wants to know if you will attack from the safety of your own ship. And he's still jamming - you can't talk to him."

"Or Starfleet either. He wants me to attack, so I won't. But I do want some answers. We're not through here yet. Mr. Scott, is the transporter working?"

"Aye, sir, at the moment, but that's nae guarantee we could get back."

"That's why I'm going alone." McCoy started to protest, but Kirk cut him off with a gesture. "Scotty, get down and man the transporter; I'll want an environmental suit, too. Sulu, you have the conn. If he shows his fangs, get out of here - leave me behind! Also, if I'm not back by 2000 hours, get out of range and contact Starfleet."

"Aye, sir."

Kirk spoke to Lieutenant Tanis. "Lieutenant, thank you for taking care of my ship. It's difficult to do nothing. You are to be commended for your patience. I'll want a full report."

"Yes, sir." He was gratefully relieved at having done right.

"Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy - a word with you both." He gestured them into the 'lift, which took them to the Transporter Room.

"Spock, now that we're back on the Enterprise, is there anything you can tell me about this, that you couldn't say before?"

"Their technology is sufficiently more advanced than ours that they could wipe out our entire galaxy. That is not their present intent, but if Starfleet sends a force to resist them, the results could be catastrophic."

"And what is their present intent?"

"I believe their present mission to be concluded."

"Why can't you tell me what that is?"

"It would not change the fact that what I have done is inexcusable. I am expecting a court-martial."

"Spock, I'm not going to court-martial you! I just want some answers."

Spock did not reply.

McCoy interrupted the stalemate. "Do you have to go back, Jim?"

"Yes I do, and you know it. These people are extremely paranoid, and they've got a fixation on betraying a trust, but I've got to find a way to make them talk to me. The only way I see is to walk back into their trap. Spock, they seem equally interested in you, but you're in no shape to go with me, so I'm leaving you in the hands of Dr. McCoy."

"I would prefer a maximum security detention cell."

"No, I want you under medical observation. And that's an order."

"Yes, sir."

McCoy and Spock went to Sickbay.

"Well, we might as well get this over with. I'm sure Jim is hoping I'll find some medical reason..." He paused to stare at the biobed's monitor. "Spock, I'm getting some disturbing readings." He approached the bedside. "I've only seen readings like this once before, and we're a long ways from Vulcan."

"Doctor, it is not the ponn farr, and going to Vulcan would provide no cure."

"Then what is it?"

"It is a condition called the kash tau. Its symptoms are very like those of ponn farr, and there is progressive loss of control. My body is merely acting out the turmoil of my mind. I do not know of anyone who had the condition and survived it."

"How long?"

"From what I have read, that depends on the level of exhaustion at the onset. Hours to days. Certainly less than a week."

McCoy fiddled with his medscanner, simply for something to occupy his hands. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Remove all breakable equipment from this room, and strap me down before I hurt someone, rather than afterwards. Do not medicate. It won't help, and it would remove what little control I have. Keep the Captain out of here. It will grieve him and there's nothing he can do. And please tell him, I hope he finds a better friend."

"My personal opinion is that it is not possible to find a better friend than you are to Jim Kirk, but I'll give him the message."

Kirk transported with communicator, tricorder, and environmental suit, but no phaser. He was not wearing the suit, but merely had it along in case. He arrived in the same room they had left a short time before. There was no sign of the hologram figure. Kirk tried the communicator and got nothing but static. He wasn't surprised. Switching on the tricorder, he scanned the vicinity. It seemed to be operating normally, and gave life-form readings in all directions. When he tried to calibrate to locate the door, however, the readings made no sense. He was still working on that puzzle when the hologram appeared.

"Captain, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to get this little machine to tell me where the door is."

"There is no door to this room. But why have you returned?"

"Well, it didn't look as if you were leaving anytime soon, and I want to talk to you."

"You realize that if we left with you on board, you would never see your crew again - or any others of your kind?"

"Yes, I realize that. I'm hoping your plans don't require imminent departure."

"What is that piece of equipment on the floor?" The hologram took a step and almost reached out to touch it.

"That's an environmental suit. I brought it in case you might give me a tour of your ship. Our scanners indicated your air was not breathable for us."

"You want to tour our ship!?" He laughed. "Captain, you amaze me. I do not understand you."

"That's why I want to talk with you - so we can build mutual understanding. Could we agree to take turns asking questions?"

"You realize that we can take from your mind anything we want to know?"

"That doesn't surprise me. What puzzles me is why you haven't already done so."

"Because what we required from you was your interactions with your crew - especially your relationship with your First Officer."

"For what purpose?"

"That's privileged information."

"Because it will ruin your experiment if I know what's going on? Or are you afraid of what I could do with the knowledge? Or maybe you're too proud to admit the truth?"

"That's three questions, not one. Besides, it's my turn to ask a question: Do you enjoy taking risks? In my brief observation of you, it appears to me that given a choice of actions, you will invariably choose the one that involves the highest level of personal risk. Why?"

"Taking risks is part of my job description. I'd much rather take a risk myself, than lose a crew member by letting him take the risk instead of me. But yes, I think life without risks would be very boring." He went on without pause. "My next question is in the form of a request: Would you show me what you really look like? I find it improbable that your true form is that of the humanoid I'm looking at."

"You are correct. It is not. My true form would be very disturbing to you. What purpose would this serve?"

"In my travels, I've encountered many beings: Hortas, Organians, Hamalki, to name a few. I have found that knowing a being's form helps me to understand how they think."

"Very well." As the humanoid winked out and the new picture appeared, Kirk's first impression was of a wild display of colors, pulsing, undulating, ever-changing. And it was nauseating. He firmly told his stomach to settle down, and with concentration, was able to see various snake-like extensions from a cork-screw core. He could not discern anything that resembled eyes or mouth.

"May I be permitted to say, 'I told you so'? My true size is about twice what you see, since I wouldn't fit into this room."

"If that is the case, then I do not see how your vessel could contain 800 of you. Unless our sensors are lying about the size of your vessel. Also, your shape does not seem to lend itself to the high gravity we detected."

"We lied to your sensors, Captain. In reality, there are only nine of us, and we operate in a gravity of about a third of yours. And yes, we lied about the atmosphere too. Our air is much like yours, slightly richer in oxygen."

"Why would you bother to conceal the truth?"

"We wished to be perceived by you as a threat."

"So why are you now willing to tell me the truth?"

"Because you have demonstrated the integrity of your character. Because you did not attack us, when you could have. Because you came back voluntarily, seeking to know us. Now for my next question: Why is your trust of your First Officer so unshakeable?"

"Spock and I have worked together for many years. During that time, under various circumstances, each of us has demonstrated over and over again a willingness to die for the other. The integrity of his loyalty, his devotion to duty, his self-giving sacrifice are simply beyond question. It would never occur to me not to trust Spock."

"You misunderstand me. I knew all that before. What I want to know is why you still trust him, in the face of acknowledged and confirmed betrayal. You still treat him as a close friend, and you trust him implicitly. Why? And how?"

Kirk sensed that this was a crucial question, and answered carefully. "I cannot explain that, except to say it was a miracle of Jesus Christ. And I'm convinced that only a similar miracle will save Spock now. He cannot reconcile what he has done with who he is, so unless God intervenes, he will slowly self-destruct. If it will help you to understand, I invite you to look into my mind. But no memory blocks - I want to remember you."

"You do not comprehend what you are suggesting. However, I find it intriguing that your First Officer was absolutely convinced that nothing I could do would destroy your trust in him. And he was right. What I do not understand is why he then chose to do it himself. Why would he do such a thing? It is not logical."

Kirk laughed. "It is, if you have the right set of facts. Spock has a much more powerful mind than I do. I think your memory block was ineffective. I think he knows what you're still not telling me. And he decided it was worth sacrificing his life for. The fact that he had to risk mine without my consent is what he cannot forgive himself for." He paused. "I want to know what he's giving his life for. The only way I'm going to find out is if you tell me, because Spock won't. He doesn't think it would make any difference anyway. But even if it would, he wouldn't tell me. It was knowledge he gained without your consent, and he won't talk even to save his life."

There was a long moment of silence. "Captain, you and your First Officer bring me to shame. I sought you out with the intent of using you for my own purposes, taking from you what I need, without your knowledge or consent, and without revealing anything of myself or my purposes. You knew this, yet you have acted with honor and integrity, not just towards each other, but towards me as well. Not only that, but you have been consistently unafraid to show me who you are.

"I will tell you what you wish to know. However, you must understand what you are asking for. We are a telepathic race. To communicate as we are doing now requires a computer interface. It is cumbersome and time-consuming. I cannot tell you what you wish to know using this method. It is too complex. To communicate telepathically creates other problems, however. We use the memory block because the experience is too terrifying and painful for your species. The first time we tried it, the victim died before imparting any useful information. Since then, we use the block, and the victim doesn't remember a thing."

"Did you do that to Dr. McCoy?"

"Yes."

"So the experience itself doesn't kill, or damage the mind of the victim."

"That's correct."

"I don't see a problem, then. If I pass out from the pain before we're finished, we'll just have to do it again after I wake up."

"You are very persistent. However, there is another problem. I can take information from you regardless of the state of your mind. But to impart anything to you, your mind must be receptive and your body relaxed. I do not know that you can do this, no matter how much you may want to."

"I have to try, and maybe the Lord will accomplish another miracle."

"Very well. We will attempt it. One last warning: We are touch telepaths. To establish contact, I must encircle you with my many arms. You will probably feel smothered. Do not breathe too deeply, because of the oxygen-rich atmosphere."

Kirk was transported to the place where the being was. His first impression was of the immense size of the creature. The colors were even wilder than the hologram had been. Though he had been more or less prepared for this, the reality was still overwhelming. He was dimly aware of the reduced gravity, and he tried to breathe slowly. Then, the snake-arms began to approach, ever so slowly, almost tentatively. So, he held out his arms and spoke. "Come. I am not afraid of you." And it was true. He was aware that the scene before him should be terror-provoking, but he felt no fear. Instead, he was flooded with a great peace. "Thank you, Jesus!" he whispered.

He calmly watched as the snake-arms reached his feet, and began to circle each of his legs. By the time they reached his waist, he had lost contact with the floor and seemed to be sitting on one of the snake-arms. Then, he remembered that a relaxed body was supposed to be essential. He continued to breathe slowly as he ordered his muscles to relax. As the snake-arms felt his body relax, they snuggled closer. At the sudden constriction, his body tensed in panic. "Sorry. You took me by surprise. It's okay." And again he forced his body to relax, to relax completely. By this time, he was completely encased except for his head. As they began to enclose his head as well, he muttered, "I trust you know how much oxygen I need." He felt his body panic again at the thought of suffocating. He mentally dived into the peace of Jesus, aware that he could not afford to think about suffocating. After several minutes of dwelling on the peace of Jesus, he was again completely relaxed and breathing slowly. And he could breathe.

He remembered he was to have a receptive mind, too. So he closed his eyes and reached out mentally. He felt a warm presence surrounding him, but there was no specific thought to it. He felt rising up in him a fierce wanting to know. He was afraid that would frighten the creature, so he immersed that, too, in the peace of Jesus. And just waited.

Nothing changed for long moments. Finally, Kirk spoke. "Come. Don't be afraid. I will not die. Trust me." Suddenly he felt contact.