Star Trek: The Original Series - Log 01 by Alan Dean Foster

Author:Alan Dean Foster [Foster, Alan Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 0345333497
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1991-09-18T07:00:00+00:00

On the way back to the Guardian in the ground car, they tried to explain the situation to Grey and Aleek-om. Since Kirk was still confused himself, he wasn't sure they made things much clearer to the two historians who had remained behind. But they seemed to grasp the idea behind what had happened better than he had. Time was their business, space was his.

Of course, neither of them recognized Mr. Spock. And both seemed to know Thelin. The Andorian had insisted on coming along, as was his privilege both as commander and science officer.

By the time they had returned to the quiescent Guardian of Forever, mutual agreement had reached on an approximation of sequential probabilities. Nevertheless, Kirk continued to examine every salient fact with the three historians as they all made their way toward the Guardian. As always, the Time Gate was modest in appearance, overwhelming in capabilities.

Glowing cream-colored mists flowed and danced patiently, languorously in the central hollow, oblivious to the petty problems of the small knot of approaching humanoids.

"If we didn't change anything while we were in the time vortex," Kirk insisted, "someone or something else must have." He turned to Aleek-om and then Grey. "You were using the Guardian while we were gone."

"Yes, but it was nothing unusual," said Grey matter-of-factly. "We were merely scanning occasional sequences of recent history."

"Any recent Vulcan history?" asked Kirk.

"Why, yes!" She smiled in sudden realization. "I see the way your thoughts have been going, Captain. I don't see what we might have done, but—of course it seems the only other possibility."

"What time period?" asked Spock as they mounted the last step leading towards the Gate.

"I'm not sure." She fumbled with the omnipresent tricorder. "Just a moment . . ." A quick recheck provided the desired information. "No specific dates listed—approximately twenty to thirty Vulcan years past." Kirk had a sudden thought. His question beat Spock's by a few seconds.

"Was there any notation recorded on the death of the son of a Vulcan ambassador named Sarek and his human wife?" Both historians looked thoughtful, glanced at each other before turning back to Kirk and Spock.

"I don't recall any, but there was so much, information—" Aleek-om looked a little tense as he worked his own tricorder. Thin powerful claws clicked over the sensitive controls, too fine for any human to manipulate. It hummed softly, then stopped.

Aleek-om jabbed a recessed switch, ran something back and played through it more slowly. The hum deepened. He stopped again and nodded, his crest bobbing and dancing in the dry desert breeze.

"Cher-wit! Yes, the death is indeed recorded."

"How . . ." Kirk all but choked on the peculiar-sounding words, "how did he die?" He still found it hard to believe he was living this nightmare. It was no consolation to know that it must be a hundred times worse for Spock.

Again, Aleek-om checked the instrument readings.

"The child is recorded as dying during some form of . . . maturity test. Yes, that's it. It is recorded only because the father was a notable figure in government and in Federation history.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.