Kirk stared in shock, thinking…hoping…that he'd either misheard or misunderstood.
"To die in?" he finally managed.
The Tausian nodded. "Yes," he said simply. "My Time to Die has come. This occurs at the end
of my peoples' natural lifespan."
Without taking his eyes off Skinar, Kirk pulled out his comm. "Bones. I'm bringing Skinar in.
He needs a complete physical. Yesterday."
'All right, Jim. I'll be ready for him.'
The sound of his best friend's voice was calming.
Kirk stood up. "You're coming with me to sickbay. Now."
Skinar stood as well. "As you wish. The doctor's examination will only confirm what I say."
The two left the Ready Room and headed to the turbolift via the bridge. "Thelin," Kirk called to
his First Officer; "I'm taking Skinar down to sickbay. I may be awhile."
The Andorian nodded. "Understood, Captain.'
He and the rest of the bridge crew glanced at the elderly Tausian. Their expressions varying between
puzzlement and concern.
Sick Bay
Skinar sat quietly on a biobed. After being practically dragged to sickbay by the Captain he had patiently
submitted to a thorough exam by the Chief Medical Officer. McCoy was even now talking to Belzoni as they
both looked over the results of his latest scans. When an anxious Kirk, who hadn't left the Tausian's side
during the entire procedure, looked over at them it was obvious from both the CMO's and Head Nurse's
expressions that they weren't at all happy with what they were seeing.
Through it all Skinar had remained silent but now began to speak. "What were the results of your examination,
Doctor? I already know but the Captain needs to hear it."
McCoy shook his head and although the question had been asked by Skinar it was Kirk that he looked at.
"All of his vitals are dropping, Jim," he said quietly. "And there's massive cellular degradation.
It started a couple of days ago but its accelerating like wildfire. I've been studying Tausian medical records.
When they reach a certain age their bodies begin to rapidly deteriorate and then just…shut down.
Based on the rate of decline I'd estimate that he has three days at the most."
Skinar nodded. "My people are able to sense when their Time is approaching. I first sensed mine
three days ago."
Kirk looked at him sharply. "You sensed it? Why didn't you say anything then? Are you in pain?"
The Tausian shook his head. "There's no pain. It's an instinct, a knowing that our time has come to lay
aside the flesh and embark on our Final Journey. Our judgmental capacity is unaffected and for the first
few days there are no physical signs. When I first sensed it we were at an important stage of our scans
of this system. I wasn't exhibiting any symptoms yet so I saw no reason not to continue my duties."
He paused. "But I'm beginning to tire now and over the next day or so I will become increasingly weak.
You need to relieve me of duty effective immediately and have someone else assume my post until
Starfleet can send you a replacement."
His expression turned thoughtful as it always did when he was calculating options. "Lieutenant Rodriguez
is one possibility but she dislikes Gamma shift and her skills lie more in Communications than Operations.
Crewman Nehru would be a good choice. I realize that Operations Management is usually manned by an officer,
but she's very good at organization and always rises to a challenge."
Kirk gave the Tausian an incredulous look.
A few hours ago I'm sitting in my office writing a routine report and suddenly one of crew comes in to tell
me that he's going to die in two days. And now he's sitting there, cool as a cucumber, making recommendations
about who I should choose to replace him.
Kirk felt like he was stuck in a nightmare rabbit-hole.
And over it all one thought kept ringing like a death knell.
I'm going to lose a crewmate.
I'm going to lose a crewmate.
It didn't matter that he wasn't close to the Tausian, few on the Saratoga were. But Petty Officer Skinar was
a member of his crew. Part of the family of the Saratoga. And in a matter of days he would be gone.
Skinar had first sensed his Time approaching three days ago. For the past three days a member of his crew,
his family, had been dying… and he hadn't had a clue.
Although a loner by nature, Skinar was remarkable perceptive and he intuited the Captain's thoughts.
His normally stern, expression softened. "Captain, this is the way of all living things- we're born, we live
and when our time comes we die. I have lived for eighty years. That is past the norm for my people;
usually our Time comes between the ages of seventy and seventy five. I've lived much longer than most.
But my Time has come at last and there was nothing that Doctor McCoy…or you…could have done to prevent it."
Where's your family?" a quiet voice asked.
Everyone turned to see Kirk's Soul Sibling, the medic, Tuskaro Alyen. The young Nlian's large blue eyes
were filled with sorrow and concern. "If you knew that you were dying why didn't you contact your family?
They should be here with you."
"It is not our way, young one," Skinar said softly. "My people are solitary by nature and we live most
of our lives alone. When we return to the Birthworld to mate we select a partner based on genetic compatibility
and as soon as our offspring are born we part ways. We don't raise our offspring either; they are cared for
by the Guardians until they come of age. We do keep in contact with our kin but we have no need to be in
their physical presence; simply knowing that they live is enough.
"In regards to my own kin, the two who gave me life both died many years ago. The two who were born
with me died within the last five years, as did the woman with whom I mated. I have three offspring and
all of them have sired or borne offspring of their own. Since first sensing my Time approach I have been
in contact with each of them and we have said our farewells."
"Why exactly do you need the High Tide?" Kirk heard himself ask. "If you're dying you should be in sickbay
or in your quarters."
"It is the way of my people," Skinar replied. "We were born of the stars. When they created us they built
within us a love for them so great that we would ever be drawn toward them. Others may refer to our Birthworld,
Tausia, as our home planet, but it's not our home, it hasn't been for a thousand years; as soon as our ancestors
developed the technology to do so they departed it in the Great Exodus. The only ones who remain there are
the Legislators who protect the Birthworld and represent the interests of our people, the Archivists who preserve
our history and knowledge and the Guardians who raise our offspring.
"We are born on the Birthworld and spend our early years there, learning the history and ways of our people.
But even as children we instinctively yearn for the stars and as soon as we are of age, roughly ten Earth years,
we depart for space, our true home. We return only once, at the age of thirty, to reproduce and as soon as our
offspring are born, we once again depart never to return.
"Space is our home, the stars are our love and we journey endlessly among them basking in their glory.
We never stay on planets or stations; our spirits ever cry for the stars and we are at peace only when
we are among them."
Skinar continued and it was obvious that he was now speaking to everyone there. "From the time we leave
the womb our spirits long for the stars and when our Time approaches that longing increases a thousand-fold.
The stars call to us and we answer. We take a small shuttle and we spend our last hours alone among them
listening to their song. And then just before our Time comes, we plot a course into a star. It was the stars that
created us, it is to the stars that we are ever drawn and it is to the stars that we return at death. We were born
of the stars, we live among the stars and we die among the stars."
Skinar's attention once again turned to Kirk. "I thought that the High Tide would be best because it's the smallest
shuttle the Saratoga has. It's normally only used for ship to surface transports and it's hardly ever used for away
missions. Our assignment here is actually fortuitous; you're not scheduled to leave this area for several weeks.
You can contact Starfleet and they can have a new shuttle and a replacement here long before you're ready to leave."
His voice softened. "Captain, would you have me spend my last hours in sickbay in the care of a healer
who can do nothing for me? Or in my quarters separated from the stars when I need them the most?"
His dark brown eyes once again locked with the Captain's blue ones. "I have made my request, Captain.
What is your answer?"
"Permission granted," Kirk whispered.