STAR TREK: TOS #12 - Mutiny on the Enterprise by Robert E. Vardeman

Author:Robert E. Vardeman [Vardeman, Robert E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-08-06T16:28:23.007000+00:00

Stickiness penetrated his tunic and turned his skin tacky. Startled, Kirk turned to see Mek Jokkor standing beside him. The alien’s expression was one of consternation. He was as upset as Kirk had ever seen him. The hand tightened and tiny prickly tendrils danced across sensitive skin. Kirk guessed it was the plant man’s way of communicating; to him it meant nothing.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“There’s much you do not understand, you raving space [100] worm!” Ambassador Zarv thundered onto the bridge, trailing Donald Lorritson behind. “Is it true that you’ve lost your science officer in an abortive attempt to talk those bumpkins out of a few cubic meters of radiation shielding?”

“I have not lost my science officer, as you put it, Ambassador. He, Dr. McCoy and four others have been taken prisoner by the inhabitants of this planet. We have been unable to figure out what taboos were broken to cause such action on the natives’ part.”

“Amateurs. They are all amateurs in Starfleet. I sometimes wonder why I remain in the Federation diplomatic service.”

“Captain,” said Lorritson, cutting past his superior’s tirade, “we have examined the tricorder tapes and cannot discern any reason for the action taken by the natives. However, the tricorder does not record subtleties we are trained to observe. Small facial twitches, slight movement, even the relative distances between personnel. Millions of data are our stock-in-trade.”

“Get to the point, Mr. Lorritson.”

“We wish to beam down and arrange for the release of your crew members. In the process, we feel it possible to obtain the radiation shielding required to repair the Enterprise.”

Kirk considered this for a moment. The offer seemed reasonable enough. These three were trained negotiators. Let them get Spock and McCoy and the others out of hot water. Zarv, Lorritson and Mek Jokkor knew the ropes, knew how to get things peacefully. They wouldn’t require the use of force to back them up. That was the only way: peacefully.

He shook his head, as if to clear cobwebs in it. The words echoing inside his skull sounded precisely like those [101] Lorelei had uttered. Insidiously she had intertwined her thoughts with his and blurred the decisions he had to make. He wanted a quiet settlement of this problem, but he could not rule out force if it became necessary.

Unlike Lorelei, he believed force sometimes did solve problems. It was to be regretted, but force sometimes held the answer to otherwise intractable dilemmas.

“I appreciate your offer, Mr. Lorritson, but I cannot take the risk of sending another party down immediately. A second group, following on the heels of the first, might incite the natives. We will try to figure out what happened; then one of you will be permitted to accompany the second party. As a group, you three are too valuable to risk.”

“We work as a team, Kirk.” Zarv’s belligerence increased. “You got us into this mess. We do no good sitting on our thumbs. Let us get your crew free and get us on our way. We have to be in the Ammdon council chambers in less than two weeks.

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