STAR TREK: PHASE ONE
To Whom I Serve
The crew of the USS Enterprise cheered loudly as explosions rocked the Charles/Dennison Asteroid. Kirk and the bridge crew were on their feet cheering as well at the success of Dr. Merriweather and his assistants, who had joined them on the crew as well.
"You did it Doctor," Chekov said to Merriweather, as she stood next to the scientist by her post on the bridge. "This is indeed a moment in Earth history that will not soon be forgotten."
"Thank you," Merriweather said to her.
Gary slapped Kirk hard on his back, and then handed his friend a Cuban-cigar, already lit. Mitchell also handed McCoy a cigar.
"Promise me this isn't going to blow up in my mouth," McCoy said with mock suspicion.
"Well, it won't explode this time," Gary said, "maybe on another occasion, like when Jimmy's kid is born." Gary was shocked that neither Kirk nor McCoy laughed at the comment. "Hell, I'm only kidding," Gary replied, though somehow, deep in his mind, he felt as if it was a statement of fact.
Kirk shot a look of anger at McCoy, who was the only person on the ship who knew about Carol's pregnancy. McCoy shook his head, quietly denying he told Mitchell, and Kirk believed him.
"Very funny," Kirk added with fake laughter at Gary's words.
As the cheering continued, Dr. Richard Daystrom, the creator of the S.P.O.C.K. unit came over to where Kirk stood. McCoy then drifted over the engineering station to converse with Scotty and Sulu.
Gary Mitchell then drifted over to Sulu's station, and sat there and began to converse with the Russian Navigator. It was clear that Gary and McCoy cared very little for Daystrom, and it was obvious as they both scattered upon the arrival of Daystrom.
"You should be happy, Dr. Daystrom." Kirk said, puffing on a cigar as he spoke to Daystrom.
"A very monumental success," Daystrom agreed, in very matter of fact manner. "However, I wonder, could you please let the Spock Unit use the ship's sensors to scan the effectiveness of explosion, and the aftermath. It would be a good test, on a purely scientific level."
"Sure," Kirk said with a smile.
Kirk sat in his chair, and pushed the button that activated the Spock Unit.
/Spock, reporting as ordered./
"Spock," Kirk said, "Can you please scan the debris field ahead and determine the success of our mission."
/The Charles/Dennison asteroid's mass has been altered. I can detect no sizable remnants large enough to pose a threat to Earth in the near future. However, on April 15th, 52089, fragment C/D-14580, will impact in the southern hemisphere, and will cause and Extinction Level Event./
"Which I'm sure would have been taken care of long before it happens. In fact," Kirk told Daystrom, "I read somewhere that the Valiant, when she comes on line in a year or so, will be given the task of taking out any large threats that remain from this asteroid."
"Indeed," Daystrom said with a smile, "I happen to know a little more than you do on that matter Kirk. The onboard interface, currently with the designation of M-5, on the Valiant will carry out that aspect of that mission, with the Captain only along as an advisor."
"Oh," Gary said as he was sitting at Sulu's post, having overheard that part of the conversation, "I'll be sure to write that date down on my calendar."
Daystrom looked at Gary, with very condescending eyes, and shook his head. "You don't understand what this means, and it scares you." Daystrom said to Mitchell. "You're just another toy-soldier, wound up and marching around with orders from your superiors."
Kirk was surprised to hear the frank words coming from Daystrom. Kirk was hoping Gary would let it slide, but he didn't.
"You're calling me a toy-soldier?" Mitchell asked. "Men, and women, will never go along with the idea of serving beneath computers."
"Do you really believe that?" Daystrom asked. "This ship is pretty much already run by computers; I know, I built them. Without them, this mission would have failed. There will come a time when the only need for a human on a starship will be for; maintenance."
"Yeah," Mitchell said with a fake smile, "well, for now, we tell them what to do. They serve; us. And that is the way it should be. They are not superior to us, simply because they're faster."
"No," Daystrom replied. "But they don't come with all the baggage we, as humans, are wired with. They can do your jobs far more efficiently, and without all the human politics involved."
Then the Spock unit 'spoke'.
/Doctor Daystrom, I have no desire for humans to serve under my command./
That statement from the Spock unit seemed to surprise Daystrom, Kirk noticed; which was quite interesting. It was common knowledge, Kirk thought to himself, that this computer's so called 'profile' had been built up from data queues based on the actual synapses of Daystrom's own mind.
It was a controversial procedure developed by the legendary neurologist; Doctor Deanna Troi. For Daystrom to be surprised Spock's statement, seem to suggest that the Spock unit had grown beyond Daystrom's attempt to have his creation follow in his footsteps. Kirk, at that moment, gained a little more respect for the Spock unit.
"Spock," Daystrom said to the device, "wouldn't it be more logical for mankind to devote his time to other less risky ventures, especially since space isn't his domain in the first place."
"That's nonsense," McCoy said before Spock could reply. McCoy had also come over to join the exchange. "That's like saying man shouldn't sail the seas because he isn't a boat, or fly because he isn't a bird. What's next, man shouldn't paint because his hands are not pencils?
/One does not paint with pencil shaped hands, Doctor McCoy. I shall endeavor to send you data on the several different techniques of painting, including oil, water color, finger…/
"Stop already," McCoy said. "God I hate computers," McCoy said as he walked away and rejoined Sulu and Scotty, who were discussing a new fencing book Sulu had downloaded the night before.
Kirk switched off the Spock unit.
"Well," Kirk said to Daystrom, "the Spock unit performed up to specs, and that's all that matters here."
Daystrom nodded to Kirk, and then headed toward the exit, and left the Bridge.
"That guy is a nut," Gary said to Kirk. "Colonel Pike would never let a starship be commanded by a computer."
"For now, I agree," Kirk said. "But someday, they will try. I just hope it's long after I've been put out to stud."
"Now that," Gary said, "is what I'm talking about. Could you imagine the kind of stud farm an astronaut would be sent to?" Gary said, lost in his thoughts about such a place.
"I was just speaking figuratively, of course," Kirk added.
"Yeah, sure you were," Gary said as he headed back to his post.
The ship would remain in the general area for two to three days, and take more scans of the debris, and then would head back home. Kirk had hoped the Enterprise would be diverted to Mars, to search for possibly survivors. But the Space Agency denied the request, having deemed that no one had survived the malfunctioning laser bombardment from space.
As James Kirk looked at the view screen, which displayed the remnants of the asteroid, he couldn't possibly know that in the very near future, his life would be affected by one of the remnants of the asteroid in a most serious way; and someone very close to him would die!
Continued…