Trek to Madworld by Stephen Goldin

Author:Stephen Goldin [Goldin, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction; Canadian, Kirk; James T. (Fictitious character), Star Trek Fiction, McCoy; Leonard (Fictitious Character), Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780553246766
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 1984-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

McCoy leaned over to whisper in Kirk’s ear. “What this world lacks most,” he said, “is a sense of perspective and consistent standards on the part of its manager.”

Enowil’s sharp ears, however, had picked up the doctor’s comment.- The Organian turned to McCoy and clucked his tongue accusingly. “What a dreadful passion is that pride, which would force men to think like ourselves!” he said. “I heard that remark, Doctor, and it’s not really germane to the issue at hand. It took me millennia, by your paltry standards, to develop my personality, and I’m quite satisfied with it. It is my immediate surroundings that I seek to change. Very few beings are ever blessed with that option, and I wish to take advantage of it. Kindly direct your attentions to the kind of environment that best suits my personality—short, of course, of a straitjacket and rubber room. I’d find those most tedious.”

“It seems to me,” said one Romulan, “that this world of yours must be very lonely. Aside from yourself and some animals and plants, and a very muddled geological structure, there’s no one to talk to. I think that is why you’ve really called us here—you wanted some company.”

“Ah, yes. Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue,” Enowil replied. I assure you, my world does not lack for inhabitants. You haven’t seen any yet because it’s still early; the sun just rose a little while ago, you’ll recall. I brought you to my glass menagerie before the official opening time, so that you could look about at the animals without distraction; I sense, however, that the gates are now opening to the general public, so I would suggest that we all step to one side and keep together to avoid becoming lost in the throngs.”

He motioned everyone into a small clearing beside the main path and began looking back toward the entrance. At first nothing was apparent. Then a young woman came along, holding the hands of her two little children. She was busy talking to them and pointing out various things as they walked, but she took the time to smile at Enowil and the others as she passed them and continued deeper into the zoo.

No one else appeared for a moment, and Kirk began to wonder whether that was the extent of this world’s population. Then more people appeared walking along the pathway, small knots of them at first, but in a very short time the clumps began to coalesce into a mob as more and more beings crowded their way into the zoo. There were members of every race in the Galaxy that Kirk had ever seen, plus a sizeable number that he hadn’t Tall, short, fat, thin, winged, finned, biped, triped, quadruped. Some were covered with hair, or scales, or feathers, or fur, while others were completely bald. Their skins were in every hue of the rainbow, and some of them even changed color as Kirk watched. The body odors

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