Black Fire (29 page)

"I don't feel anything unusual," Kirk said, signaling the guard to let him out of the cell. He was sick with anxiety for Spock, and tired of the unsatisfactory answers being offered.

"I am more sensitive than a human to unusual and subtle stresses, Captain. If you will permit me to investigate …"

"No, Spock. I'm sorry, but that's impossible. Come on, Bones, let's get out of here."

McCoy walked ahead, leaving the security area before Kirk. The captain looked back once more at Spock before he reached the end of the corridor.

"Captain," Spock called, "there is something wrong Believe me!"

Spock's insistence was disturbing. Besides himself and Scott, no one knew the ship better than Spock. He began feeling apprehensive. Turning, he almost headed back to the brig.
Maybe I should let him check the ship out? No!
He continued out of the security area.

With every nerve keyed to the ship, Spock paced his cell. He knew the
Enterprise
w
as in trouble.

3

Kirk was in the turbolift when he heard the distinctive gut-wrenching sound of metal shearing, then a loud snap. He was thrown off his feet and his head hit the control panel. Still dizzy from the fall, he punched the intercom button. The unit was dead. He engaged the manual override and felt the elevator slowly respond, then begin to move upward again.

He entered the frenzied yet disciplined bridge. The damage reports were coming in rapidly.

"Captain," Leonidas reported, "the starboard pylon has buckled. One crewman dead. Sick bay's just reporting in now."

"Buckled how? We were hit on the port side."

"Scott's reporting in now, Captain," Uhura interjected.

"What happened, Mister Scott?"

"The stress on the starboard pylon was too great, Captain. When the port pylon went, it put excess stress on the starboard side. We've lost all warp power and e'en the impulse engines are not fully functional. We're dead in space, Captain."

"Anything else?"

"Aye, Captain. Life support has ta be cut back. We'll need all the power we've got ta get us out o' here."

"Do you need additional help down there?"

"Aye, Captain. A small miracle will do nicely."

"You've got your miracle, Mister Scott. Kirk out." The decision he had just made was logical and practical; he felt relieved. He turned to Uhura. "Have Mister Spock report to Scott, on the double."

"Mister Spock, Captain?"

"You heard me, Lieutenant. That's an order!"

Turning back to her console, Uhura contacted Security. Then she turned back to Kirk. "Captain, Chekov wants a direct order from you."

Kirk spoke into the intercom. "This is an order, Mister Chekov. Please, release Mister Spock and see that he gets to Engineering without delay."

"But, Keptin …"

"My responsibility, Lieutenant. Now get to it!"

"Yes, Keptin, right away, sir."

Leonidas started to protest, but one look at Kirk's face silenced him.

"Put me on audio, Lieutenant." Kirk rubbed the painful area on his head, and felt his fingers wet with blood. "This is the captain. Emergency procedure Three A is now in effect. All nonessential systems will be cut off at 0600 hours. All personnel are to vacate all levels below six. Life systems on all decks below six, except for Engineering, will be cut off. This is no drill. I repeat. This is no drill! Please acknowledge."

Kirk could hear Uhura checking as each deck reported in. "Get McCoy up here," he ordered, shaking his head to clear it. He had a splitting headache.

McCoy entered the bridge, took one look at Kirk, and headed straight toward him. Before the captain even knew the doctor was there, he heard the whir of his medical scan.

"It's just a headache, Bones."

"Drippy one, isn't it?" McCoy commented as he continued with his work. Applying a wound sealer with his metabolic protoplaser, he administered a shot of antibiotic, and then stepped back. "I'll bet you have a granddaddy of a headache."

"King-sized," Kirk agreed.

"You have a slight concussion, Jim. I'd recommend bed rest for a day or two."

"Not now, Bones. Just give me something for the pain and get back to sick bay."

"All right, but as soon as things calm down, I want you in sick bay. It's required procedure, Captain," McCoy reminded him.

"All right," Kirk said sharply. "After this emergency is taken care of."

Uhura turned to Kirk, having received the last of the reports from all stations.

"Captain, all decks below six are cleared,"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Martin, have all systems below six shut down. Then get to Engineering to assist Mister Scott."

"Aye, sir."

"Spock here, Captain." The Vulcan's calm and modulated voice from Engineering was welcome. "We now have things under control. Impulse power is now fully operational. It would facilitate operations and put less strain on the ship if you could request a tow when we are in range of a starbase."

"Done, Mister Spock."

4

With the immediate emergency under control. Kirk—headache throbbing—reported to sick bay. He was confident that Scott and Spock had things well in hand while the
Enterprise
slowly made her way to within range of a starbase.

Once McCoy had the captain in his domain, he kept him there with steely determination. Since there was no active crisis, Kirk chose to remain where he was for a time. But his ship came first and he called a briefing session at his bedside.

Scott and Spock arrived together, with Martin and Leonidas following close behind. Before Kirk had a chance to greet his officers, Leonidas was speaking. He faced the Vulcan, voicing his long-seething resentment.

"Captain, Spock should be under arrest and in the brig. An executive officer's briefing is hardly the place for a man convicted of treason."

Martin's comments surprised the first officer. "I disagree. Since this current emergency, I've been forced to work with him. I've never met anyone who could handle a ship so well. I think he knows things about the
Enterprise
the designer doesn't!"

Kirk could see that Martin had been converted. His two senior officers were glaring at each other like two rams ready to butt heads. His strength of command resolved the question.

"It is my decision and mine alone to make. Spock will remain unconfined. I will take full responsibility for his actions. I don't want to hear another word about this. Now, I want a status report, gentlemen."

Scott reported first. "The ship is sailing wi' surprising stability, Captain. All is under control. It's slow goin', but steady."

Spock looked over his shoulder at the two guards who had been following him as he went about the ship. He was somewhat amused by Chekov's diligence. Turning back to Kirk, he gave his report.

Captain, the
Enterprise
will need repairing. This is the perfect opportunity to update the ship and incorporate some of the more interesting elements I studied on the
Moonhawk
, as well as our own advances.

"I would assume, since you have not indicated otherwise, that you are still unaware of the data I placed in the computer when I linked the Romulan integrator with the
Enterprise
's computer."

"We have gone over all of the information you programmed about Tomarii," Martin protested.

"Yes, Commander Martin, that is obvious. However, I coded additional information through the output of the integrator. The
Moonhawk
's structural details and weapons capability are completely available within the
Enterprise
's computer, if decoded properly."

Martin was visibly disturbed. "I hadn't noticed any additional coding."

"Nobody knows those computers like Spock does, Martin,' Kirk replied, not intending to criticize the science officer's abilities. "I suspected you may have left a message for us somewhere, Spock. I just had Uhura looking in the wrong place."

Spock looked pleased. "Mister Martin, if you run through the Romulan code, you will find that if you rerun the second number, then, in sequence, the fifth, followed by the ninth, and so on, that each of the numbers you retrieve have two orders of meaning. I would be happy to assist you …"

"That won't be necessary, Spock. I can handle it."

"As you wish. If I had not returned, it might have been some time before the information was retrieved."

Martin excused himself and left.

Kirk mulled over the byplay between Spock and Martin without comment.

"Anything to add, Leonidas?" Kirk asked.

"No, Captain, nothing that I haven't covered," the first officer responded, throwing a sharp look at Spock. "I'll be on the bridge should you need me, sir."

"I'll be back to m' bairns, Captain." Scott hurried out, eager to get back to his engines.

Finally alone with Spock, Kirk voiced his concern.

"And what of you, Spock? Your return prevented a war, but Starfleet won't overlook your escape from Minos, and your exploits as Black Fire are well known. I can't even begin to think how they will regard your joining the Romulans, even if you did ultimately return. It will go hard with you."

Spock didn't seem concerned. The captain attributed his attitude to Vulcan control, and not to an absence of anxiety. "You shouldn't be so relaxed about your status, Spock. Once I turn you over to the Starfleet, you'll find yourself in a hell of a mess. I can't keep you on board the
Enterprise
indefinitely."

"I'm not unconcerned, Captain."

"You're certainly giving a good imitation of it, Spock."

"You were the one who said the entire situation seemed wrong. That was your word, if I remember correctly. I suggest you trust your human instincts."

"
Wrong!
That's the word, Spock. Wrong!" He stopped speaking and stared up at Spock, looking long and hard at him.

It was then Kirk knew his gut feelings had been right all along. He nearly jumped out of bed. "You were a plant! By God, Spock, you aren't a traitor after all!"

Hearing the captain's raised voice, McCoy ran into the room. "Calm down, Jim. You've got a concussion, remember? What's all the excitement about anyway?"

"It was all planned, Bones! Everything!" Kirk kept repeating himself; he was beaming in relief and excitement.

"You may know what you're talking about, Jim, but I'm still confused."

"Spock isn't a traitor. It was a set-up. Don't you see?"

"It is simple, Doctor," Spock explained. "When the
Enterprise
was bombed, it was apparent that devious means were the best approach to investigate the attack. It was decided that I be a double agent. From the time I left the starbase with Scott, I have been on special assignment.

"When I was accused of treason, Starfleet had an opportunity to exploit my status as outcast to root out the pirates on Corsair. What better cover could I have than as a convicted traitor, sentenced to prison? It was necessary to learn where the pirates were based; their planet seemed to be in the vicinity of Tomarii, and we wanted any lead to resolve that situation. My escape from Minos was planned. Surely you don't suppose it is that easy to escape from a Starfleet maximum- security facility."

"If it were anyone but you escaping, Spock," Kirk interjected. "But you can get out of anything."

"That made the escape all the more plausible, Captain. Desus is not easily deceived. Of course, conditions at the prison helped. I had not intended to form a friendship with him. Even so, I was not completely trusted and had no real freedom of movement on Corsair, or even as Black Fire. I was waiting for my chance to get back to Starfleet when you captured Black Fire."

"His rescue of you wasn't part of the plan, then?"

"No. What happened subsequently was completely unforeseen. I had no choice when I was brought to Romulus. Either I joined them or I would be put to death. Joining them gave me a chance to observe their operations. Having the choice between death and entry into their service, I chose to become a Romulan officer. It was then that I discovered that Desus was no ordinary pirate. He was a Romulan officer whose mission it was to obtain, in detail, information on Starfleet's movements and strength. When I found out they were planning to capture a starship, there was still a missing factor. They had not indicated a time for their attack. It was imperative that I remain until the entire plan was available so that I could notify Starfleet. The successful conclusion of the Tomariian issue was a corollary benefit, of course."

"So you had me wait at the Neutral Zone on the pretext of a peace agreement."

"Yes. The
Enterprise
served in two ways. My request to place the ship in proximity to the Neutral Zone where it would easily be captured gave the Romulans further reason to trust me. It allowed me access to the last information I needed: when they would attack. And, Captain, it was my only means of escape from the Romulan Empire.

"If you had chosen to repair the ship rather than pursue the possibility of peace, I would have had no means of leaving."

Kirk realized the significance of his decision. "It would have meant your death."

"Yes. I would have relayed the information to you in any case. I remember when a Romulan commander once said one could be friends with one's enemies in a different reality. So it was with Desus and myself. By befriending me, he risked his life. And I, by doing my duty to Starfleet, condemned him. His choice within Romulan custom is limited: either execution or suicide. I am sure he chose to take his own life. It is my one regret. I respected and admired him. We truly were friends. In another reality …" Spock turned away.

"I really want to believe all of this, Spock. I mean, I do believe you, but …"

"You must check with Starfleet. I know, Jim. The decision to keep my undercover mission from you was a difficult one. You had been seriously injured. It was thought best to keep the entire affair a very closely guarded secret. I hope you understand."

"You could have told us what you were up to, Spock," McCoy scolded. "It would have saved a lot of anguish."