Act Four: "Dinner and a Show"
The Kelvans provided some food. To be quite frank, it was unlike anything they had experienced. And not in a good way.
But the senior crew of the Enterprise – sans Spock, Sulu, and Scotty – picked their way through the meal. Anything that looked pre-digested, it was disregarded. The Kelvans didn't seem to care.
As the meal ended, Rojan ordered out the desserts. Much to their surprise, it was chocolate pudding.
"You look a bit shocked, Captain," said Rojan.
"I am. Chocolate pudding is a more . . . human delicate."
"Well," said Rojan, "we do care to enjoy the tastes of other species. Especially when we inhabit their bodies. That and our chef is quite creative."
Tomar sterned. "He enjoys his human form," he said flatly.
"And am I to understand that you do not?" asked Kirk.
Dr. McCoy straightened for a moment. Jim was just about to jump up and down on a very sensitive nerve. In fact, Jim knew it. Bones could feel the tension building around it all night. There was a debate about to blow up around them.
"I . . . do you want the truth, Captain?" asked Tomar, which seemed to shock Rojan.
"Of course. We're all friends here, aren't we?"
"These bodies are restricting. When we were first recovered our probe and studied the bio-scans, I was disgusted and I wanted all the more to conquer your galaxy. Then we found out that we were going to have to 'wear' these bodies for the rest of our lives while we piloted your ship back to Kelva, I was appalled."
"I'm not surprised," said Uruah. "I mean, who wants to spend the rest of their lives in a body that isn't there own?"
Everyone seemed surprised to hear Uruah speak of this, but Kirk acknowledged it. Bones looked carefully at his old friend and Captain. He was up to something . . .
"Exactly. And the fact that we must remain in these bodies is quite a disgusting thought."
"Change, Tomar," said Kirk.
"What?" asked Tomar, not expecting that answer.
"Your people must adapt and evolve to survive. You must change."
"Captain, I . . . you insult me."
"Do I?" asked Kirk.
"Yes! These bodies are worthless and - "
"And should be compressed into little, portable objects? Like what you did to the Enterprise twenty years ago? Like what you did to my crew?"
"Captain, that has nothing to do with this!" Tomar countered.
"It has EVERYTHING to do with this, Tomar. You did what you did because you had no choice. You had to adapt the Enterprise to conquer it. And to do that, you had to risk sacrificing my crew. Yet now, when it comes to the survival of your own people, you're unwilling to sacrifice your previous forms? Change, Tomar. You must change."
"NO!" shouted Tomar, slamming his fist down onto the table. "What we did was key to my people? Staying in this form is not!"
"Tell me, Tomar, when your people arrive in our galaxy, how are they going to react to us? Who will be the ones to teach them to make peace with the humanoids of this galaxy? I'll tell you who. You."
"You are telling me things that will come to pass."
"It will, Tomar, and you know it."
"Kirk is right, Tomar," Rojan spoke up.
"Of course you would agree with him, you puppet!"
"Tomar . . . when the Great Fleet arrives, they will need to know that they can not fight the humanoids and must be understanding of their ways. The best way to teach them this is to experience it ourselves."
"You are all fools, you know this? Fools!"
***
Meanwhile, in the database building, Mr. Spock and Sulu were busy trying to recover the much-needed information about the possible transmission.
Spock quietly set his pack down and opened it up. He pulled a small box and pressed a few keys on it, then pulled a few small cords out from the side. Moving over to the Kelvan computer, he opened their power connections and routed it straight into the boxes. The computer flickered to life.
He then started at the controls, moving his hands as fast he could – recalling all the information about Kelvan technology gathered from a mind meld twenty years ago. Then, he used these skills to look for information he recalled Rojan telling him before he entered the building.
"I'm going to keep an eye out; try and guard this place."
"Thank you, Mr. Sulu."
"No problem."
***
"So, Tomar, am I to understand you don't like the way humanoids handle themselves?" asked Bones.
"Not at all. And to be completely honest, I was hoping we would be wiping all of you out!"
"TOMAR!" shouted Rojan. "THAT IS ENOUGH!"
"No, no," said Kirk. "I want to know something."
Rojan looked reluctant, but nodded.
"Speak your mind, Kirk," Tomar said.
"How much to you hate us? And beyond that, why? Why do you hate us so much?"
***
As Spock worked inside the building, Sulu stood in the foyer, waiting for his crewmate to finish. He was on edge, though it seemed dulled. Of course, he had no desire to become a compressed object again, but still . . . it was a nice enough night to keep in a good mood. The stars were shining brightly and the planet was beautiful. Even through the tall towers and long, concrete platforms, there was a spot of trees in the west that swayed very nicely.
Suddenly, without warning, a tentacle snagged Sulu on the legs and sent the Asian to the ground. As he fell, a second tentacle smacked his phaser from his hand. As soon as he reached the ground, he felt a third tentacle wrap around his neck and lifted him up.
A large Kelvan stood before him, tentacles frilling about, attempting to move to a control where it would sound for reinforcements. Sulu struggled against it, but the Kelvan squeezed harder. Swearing he was about re-witness his entire life from his birth to his death, Sulu was shocked to hear a thrust of energy followed by a wail from the Kelvan.
The Kelvan lurched forward as a second and third blast hit it. A fourth sent it to the ground, along with Sulu – who was now free from its grasp.
Spock stood above the smoldering body of the Kelvan. "The Kelvans have a thicker hide than regular non-humanoids. We have a few hours to move it before it reawakens. We must move quickly."
"Do you have what you need?"
"Not at the moment, but I proceeded to download the entire database. A few moments on the Enterprise studying it and I believe we shall have the information we desire."
***
Tomar paused long and hard before answering the question. Finally, he looked up at Kirk with dead-set eyes. Bones glanced from Tomar to Jim, who had an obvious poker face on. Of course, it wasn't so obvious to Tomar.
"I hate humans . . . humanoids . . . because they are weak and frail. I hate them with the firery passion. I hate them because they see themselves as superior to us – which is not so. They think they can make us frail and obedient. Well, I tell you this! THE KELVAN EMPIRE IS NOT FRIAL! WE SHALL NOT FALL UNDER YOUR HEEL! WE WILL COME INTO THIS GALAXY AND DESTROY ALL OF YOU! AND I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT EACH AND EVERY HUMAN BEING IS HUNTED AND KILLED AND MADE TO DIE SLOWLY!"
Tomar's face was red and sweating, anger flowing from every pore of his body. Jim Kirk, ever the man of people skills, stood up.
"And that's exactly why we were able to get you drunk."
The room was aghast. Tomar spun and stomped away.
Rojan turned to Kirk. "Well, Captain, it seems you have accomplished the same thing I have over these past few years. Getting Tomar angry."
"Not quite. This entire conversation has been recorded, so Starfleet will know what Tomar's feelings are towards us. If there was any doubt that he is behind whatever is going, I expect it's been wiped away."
Rojan couldn't help but grin. "Well played, Captain. Well played indeed."
The Kelvans provided some food. To be quite frank, it was unlike anything they had experienced. And not in a good way.
But the senior crew of the Enterprise – sans Spock, Sulu, and Scotty – picked their way through the meal. Anything that looked pre-digested, it was disregarded. The Kelvans didn't seem to care.
As the meal ended, Rojan ordered out the desserts. Much to their surprise, it was chocolate pudding.
"You look a bit shocked, Captain," said Rojan.
"I am. Chocolate pudding is a more . . . human delicate."
"Well," said Rojan, "we do care to enjoy the tastes of other species. Especially when we inhabit their bodies. That and our chef is quite creative."
Tomar sterned. "He enjoys his human form," he said flatly.
"And am I to understand that you do not?" asked Kirk.
Dr. McCoy straightened for a moment. Jim was just about to jump up and down on a very sensitive nerve. In fact, Jim knew it. Bones could feel the tension building around it all night. There was a debate about to blow up around them.
"I . . . do you want the truth, Captain?" asked Tomar, which seemed to shock Rojan.
"Of course. We're all friends here, aren't we?"
"These bodies are restricting. When we were first recovered our probe and studied the bio-scans, I was disgusted and I wanted all the more to conquer your galaxy. Then we found out that we were going to have to 'wear' these bodies for the rest of our lives while we piloted your ship back to Kelva, I was appalled."
"I'm not surprised," said Uruah. "I mean, who wants to spend the rest of their lives in a body that isn't there own?"
Everyone seemed surprised to hear Uruah speak of this, but Kirk acknowledged it. Bones looked carefully at his old friend and Captain. He was up to something . . .
"Exactly. And the fact that we must remain in these bodies is quite a disgusting thought."
"Change, Tomar," said Kirk.
"What?" asked Tomar, not expecting that answer.
"Your people must adapt and evolve to survive. You must change."
"Captain, I . . . you insult me."
"Do I?" asked Kirk.
"Yes! These bodies are worthless and - "
"And should be compressed into little, portable objects? Like what you did to the Enterprise twenty years ago? Like what you did to my crew?"
"Captain, that has nothing to do with this!" Tomar countered.
"It has EVERYTHING to do with this, Tomar. You did what you did because you had no choice. You had to adapt the Enterprise to conquer it. And to do that, you had to risk sacrificing my crew. Yet now, when it comes to the survival of your own people, you're unwilling to sacrifice your previous forms? Change, Tomar. You must change."
"NO!" shouted Tomar, slamming his fist down onto the table. "What we did was key to my people? Staying in this form is not!"
"Tell me, Tomar, when your people arrive in our galaxy, how are they going to react to us? Who will be the ones to teach them to make peace with the humanoids of this galaxy? I'll tell you who. You."
"You are telling me things that will come to pass."
"It will, Tomar, and you know it."
"Kirk is right, Tomar," Rojan spoke up.
"Of course you would agree with him, you puppet!"
"Tomar . . . when the Great Fleet arrives, they will need to know that they can not fight the humanoids and must be understanding of their ways. The best way to teach them this is to experience it ourselves."
"You are all fools, you know this? Fools!"
***
Meanwhile, in the database building, Mr. Spock and Sulu were busy trying to recover the much-needed information about the possible transmission.
Spock quietly set his pack down and opened it up. He pulled a small box and pressed a few keys on it, then pulled a few small cords out from the side. Moving over to the Kelvan computer, he opened their power connections and routed it straight into the boxes. The computer flickered to life.
He then started at the controls, moving his hands as fast he could – recalling all the information about Kelvan technology gathered from a mind meld twenty years ago. Then, he used these skills to look for information he recalled Rojan telling him before he entered the building.
"I'm going to keep an eye out; try and guard this place."
"Thank you, Mr. Sulu."
"No problem."
***
"So, Tomar, am I to understand you don't like the way humanoids handle themselves?" asked Bones.
"Not at all. And to be completely honest, I was hoping we would be wiping all of you out!"
"TOMAR!" shouted Rojan. "THAT IS ENOUGH!"
"No, no," said Kirk. "I want to know something."
Rojan looked reluctant, but nodded.
"Speak your mind, Kirk," Tomar said.
"How much to you hate us? And beyond that, why? Why do you hate us so much?"
***
As Spock worked inside the building, Sulu stood in the foyer, waiting for his crewmate to finish. He was on edge, though it seemed dulled. Of course, he had no desire to become a compressed object again, but still . . . it was a nice enough night to keep in a good mood. The stars were shining brightly and the planet was beautiful. Even through the tall towers and long, concrete platforms, there was a spot of trees in the west that swayed very nicely.
Suddenly, without warning, a tentacle snagged Sulu on the legs and sent the Asian to the ground. As he fell, a second tentacle smacked his phaser from his hand. As soon as he reached the ground, he felt a third tentacle wrap around his neck and lifted him up.
A large Kelvan stood before him, tentacles frilling about, attempting to move to a control where it would sound for reinforcements. Sulu struggled against it, but the Kelvan squeezed harder. Swearing he was about re-witness his entire life from his birth to his death, Sulu was shocked to hear a thrust of energy followed by a wail from the Kelvan.
The Kelvan lurched forward as a second and third blast hit it. A fourth sent it to the ground, along with Sulu – who was now free from its grasp.
Spock stood above the smoldering body of the Kelvan. "The Kelvans have a thicker hide than regular non-humanoids. We have a few hours to move it before it reawakens. We must move quickly."
"Do you have what you need?"
"Not at the moment, but I proceeded to download the entire database. A few moments on the Enterprise studying it and I believe we shall have the information we desire."
***
Tomar paused long and hard before answering the question. Finally, he looked up at Kirk with dead-set eyes. Bones glanced from Tomar to Jim, who had an obvious poker face on. Of course, it wasn't so obvious to Tomar.
"I hate humans . . . humanoids . . . because they are weak and frail. I hate them with the firery passion. I hate them because they see themselves as superior to us – which is not so. They think they can make us frail and obedient. Well, I tell you this! THE KELVAN EMPIRE IS NOT FRIAL! WE SHALL NOT FALL UNDER YOUR HEEL! WE WILL COME INTO THIS GALAXY AND DESTROY ALL OF YOU! AND I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT EACH AND EVERY HUMAN BEING IS HUNTED AND KILLED AND MADE TO DIE SLOWLY!"
Tomar's face was red and sweating, anger flowing from every pore of his body. Jim Kirk, ever the man of people skills, stood up.
"And that's exactly why we were able to get you drunk."
The room was aghast. Tomar spun and stomped away.
Rojan turned to Kirk. "Well, Captain, it seems you have accomplished the same thing I have over these past few years. Getting Tomar angry."
"Not quite. This entire conversation has been recorded, so Starfleet will know what Tomar's feelings are towards us. If there was any doubt that he is behind whatever is going, I expect it's been wiped away."
Rojan couldn't help but grin. "Well played, Captain. Well played indeed."