No Apologies
By Rob Morris
Kirk had thought that bringing Rojan, the Kelvin leader, together with the parents of Leslie Thompson, the Yeoman that the Kelvans had killed so horribly, was the definition of the word, *mistake*. But so far things were civil.
Oddly, the Thompsons even had quite a spread made up, some very rich foods. Kirk had surreptitiously had Spock scan and re-transport the food through several filters. While nothing was found, he would be glad when this was over.
While contact was Kirk's job, dealing with a race that had killed one of his crew always required some preparation. But if Kang killed Scotty, for example, it would probably be while each was on a mission, fortunes of war and all that. He wouldn't like it, but the Captain would understand.
Rojan and the other Kelvans, enjoying the strong drink and rich food, though, had killed Leslie Thompson as a show of their power-nothing more. As Lieutenant Shea was restored from the reduced form, Rojan also casually picked up Thompson's cube-like stasis form-and crushed it. After they recovered the ship from the Kelvans, the crew recovered the tetrahedral remains of the lively young woman.
If anyone wanted to make a case for Kirk having ancient attitudes about sexual roles, they could easily do so based on what he felt at that moment she died-the father figure, unable to protect his daughter. The alpha male, seeing a prized female brought low, and the Knight, who did not stop the evil baron in time.
He hadn't loved her. He had barely known her. Sadly, it was only by the manner of her death and the feelings it brought up, that he ever took note of her. He had seen men and women die before. But it had never been quite so casual and so gruesome all at once.
When Rojan was through offering up a rather perfunctory apology, Lesley Thompson, whom his daughter was named for, made a stunning request of Rojan.
"Do you have that device with you?"
"Well, as a gesture of trust, Captain Kirk holds it for us, while we visit with you, sir."
"Restore her."
"Sir, she is quite dead. You see, once we crushed that cubit, a significant part of her body mass was forever...."
"Spare me your explanations. Restore her."
"It won't bring her back, Mr. Thompson."
"I apologize, Rojan. Let me rephrase. Restore my daughter's body-her dead body. Can you do that?"
I-I could, but I won't. The body, while not having suffered decay, would be..."
Kirk was listening to the back-and-forth, and had a grim thought where all this was going. It was not a thought that was entirely unappealing, though.
"Rojan, I'll be frank. There are legal avenues I could pursue, even though my daughter was in Starfleet. Those avenues would hold up your application for a relocation colony-for quite some time. If you do not want that delay, then restore my daughter's body, and let the chips fall where they may."
For his people's sake, Rojan reluctantly nodded yes. He couldn't understand why this simple request made him so ill at ease.
In a coffin, laid in the middle of the living area, was the intact portion plus much of the dust from Yeoman Thompson's body-cube. Kelvans and humans gathered round. Kirk held up the device before Rojan.
"I've signaled Spock aboard the Enterprise. If I don't signal him at the pre-set time thereafter-or if he suspects something is wrong-this house and all in it vanish in a blue flash. Am I understood?"
Rojan nodded, but seemed upset.
"Those times are done, Captain. For now, we are human, as you are."
"Just remember that, Mister!"
Rojan took the device, and aimed it at Yeoman Thompson's remains. Kirk was handed it back when he was done, and for good measure the Captain had it transported back up when he signaled Spock. Then he heard the screaming, and the violent retching. He knew that the Thompsons, both trained pathologists, had seen far worse than their daughter's horribly disfigured but still recognizable corpse, and so for that matter had Kirk. But the Kelvans, still so new to humanity, never had. Suddenly, the strong drink and rich food was no longer inside them. Hanar punched Rojan square in the jaw.
"Why? We couldn't have just threatened her? You bastard! She was beautiful!"
Kelinda was almost foaming at the mouth.
"That could be--meeeeeeee!!!!"
Tomar had fainted outright.
Harriet Thompson turned to Kirk.
"Captain, our beliefs say that the body is just a shell we use so if you would, please destroy the remains."
Since all investigations were done, and the next-of-kin assented, Kirk took his sidearm and did just that. At this sight, the Kelvans began another round of vomiting. They were still convulsing when, one by one, the Thompsons picked them up, and physically threw them out of their home. Lesley Thompson saved the openly sobbing Rojan for last. The others lay on the grass, dizzy and moaning in grief.
"Please, Mr. Thompson! I-am-so-sorrry!!!! We didn't know! We're sorry!"
Rojan bounced, and hit his head on the ground, where he was thrown. Thompson looked on, not smiling, but still looking somewhat triumphant.
"No apologies needed, Rojan. Like anyone else, you were just looking out for your own."
The door slammed shut.
