By Hazelyn Patterson
Boldly going where angles fear to tread
Captain?
“I want to be with you Daniel, I “m tired. “
Candy and Jonathan, her
beloved children. Carolyn felt as if she were falling, falling. She heard
voices around her. There was a horrid pain across are temple and she wanted to
scream but couldn’t “t.
“Doctor we “re losing her, “
said a woman “s voice that she didn’t “t recognize.
“Normal sinus rhythm doctor, “said
the female voice. “She “s coming
back “
“Then get her out of engineering and down to sick bay. Medic! Bring a gurney. Chapel I want her treated for cordrazeine intoxication. I gave her enough to make a cow jump over the moon. “
“I ‘m on it doctor. “
Carolyn slipped back into
the darkness, but this time it was only the darkness of a deep sleep.
Daniel Gregg stood at
Carolyn “s bedside and held her unmoving hand. At least it was warm now,
and for that he was grateful. She slept, beautiful even when deathly ill. Dr.
McCoy, Dr. M “Benga and their nurses we ‘re in constant attendance.
The life system monitor kept up a steady whine. Gregg could only hope, pray
that Carolyn pulled through, for it was not her time to join him, not while the
children still needed one living parent.
“Captain Gregg? “
“Captain Kirk. Mr. Spock, such a pleasure to see you both again. “ Gregg nodded politely as he lied. “Could you please tell me where I am, exactly? “
“How is she Bones? “
“Captain Gregg. “ Kirk nodded away
from Carolyn “s bedside, indicating he wished for Gregg to following him
in to McCoy “s office. He watched the specter squeeze Carolyn “s
hand and reluctantly follow him.
Kirk stood in front of the
Doctor “s desk and Spock, a bit sullen for not being allowed to ask his
myriad of probing questions, paused at the office door. Jim bit his lip as he
summoned every diplomatic skill he processed. He had experienced more than a
taste of Captain Gregg “s ill temper in the past and the last thing he
wanted was to summon it forth in the future.
“Captain we “re going to do everything we can to insure Mrs. Muir “s recovery, “ Kirk paused and cleared his throat. “It would help us considerably if we knew how you got here. “
“I ‘m not certain Kirk, “
Gregg replied. “Carolyn and I were
chatting in the cabin when that blasted rouge showed up. I “m sure he
‘s responsible I ‘m just not sure how. He said he knew both you and
Spock. “
Sock “s eyebrow arched
and he exchanged a confused glance with Kirk.
“That blasted Trelane! “
“Trelane, “ groaned Kirk
“Trelane? “ demanded Spock. “Are you certain? “
“Trelane! That childish brat that calls
himself the squire of
“Gothos, “ corrected Kirk.
“Can you tell me how he sent or brought
you here? “ Kirk explained gently.
“I don “t know how Kirk. I just know that he did. And if you don “t mind, could you please tell me where we are exactly. “
Daniel Gregg paced his
stateroom and waited for time to pass. It did so incredibly slowly. McCoy had ordered
him out of sickbay for 4 hours and Spock accompanied by a hulking, red shirted
security man had ushered him to these quarters. It had all the conveniences he
had never imagined and a view of the stars melting by the ship. It was hard to
think of The Enterprise, as a space ship. So different from his
old frigate with her tall sails and cannon decks. Hard to believe he was in
space. It seemed like some a fairy tale except that Carolyn lay in the
infirmary fighting for her life.
Oh, he ever got hold of that
Trelane! He would pay dear for this sour, hapless trick.
Gregg looked at his pocket
watch. Five minutes had gone by. This was maddening. He looked around the cabin
again. There were chairs and a table with a thing that looked like a cross between
a tiny television and a radio, bolted on top. There was also a sofa, and a
small galley where Spock had shown him how to dispense food with a word. To the
right of the door were the bedroom and a bath.
“What luxuries theses people have on their ship! “ he said to himself as he surveyed the rooms. “And what poor taste in color and furnishings. If it were my ship I “d make the decorator walk the plank. “
On the small coffee table
Spock had set up a large marble chessboard. The Vulcan claimed that something,
called a computer, could play chess with him if he asked. Gregg had been too
embarrassed to ask the man what in blue blazes a computer was.
Spock listed out a variety
of restrictions on his movements and activities. “So as no to cause additional
temporal and chronological anomalies. “ Whatever that meant. Spock seemed
to think it was blasted important. No moving around the ship, security escorts
at all times when not in quarters etc. The first officer also warned him
against “dematerializing “ and passing though the bulkheads and
overheads, “For his own safety and
that of the delicate circuitry, “ so he was forced to stay in corporeal
form. That kind of strain always used up his energy, but he was in no mood to
eat. Gregg walked over to the little galley and studied its flashing lights.
“Brandy, “ he said hesitantly.
“Well what types are there? “ he
asked as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
“This database has 78 entries for
brandy, “ the voice droned.
“Would you like a detailed listing? “
“Alexan, Altairian, Andorian, Australian, Bolian, Chilean, “
Again, he was taken aback by
the response. Could this alto voice in the galley be the computer Spock spoke
of? She seemed more adept at giving orders than taking them.
“I was wondering what else you could
cook up. “
“This database contains over ten million
culinary entries. “
“Ten million, now that “s a lot of
food. “ Gregg downed another shot
of the brandy and he was beginning to feel better for it. “What I really want is to know how my
darling fares. What is McCoy doing down there? “
There were some beeping
noises and the droning voice was replaced by the disembodied voice of the good
doctor.
Captain Gregg jumped as if he “d seen a ghost. “Where? “
“I can hear your voice doctor but ,
“ This was really creepy, where in blue blazes was that voice coming
from? Suddenly the tricks he “d a played on unsuspecting people for years
didn’t “t seem so funny.
“Walk over to the table! “ the
doctor commanded impatiently.
Gregg could see McCoy
“s face now on the tiny little screen.
“Oh, is this television?
Gregg leaned closer to the screen and peered around the table. “Can you see me? “
“ No change. I ‘ll keep you
posted. When we finished the tests I ‘ll send for you. McCoy out. “
“Well that was interesting. What else
can you do? “ He didn’t jump
this time when the surly computer answered.
“Specify. “
This was blasted confusing. What did it mean “dimensional “? “Old fashion chess blast it. “
“King ‘s knight
to King ‘s bishop three. “
The computer made a quick
reply. “Queen “s bishop
“s pawn to queen “s bishop three “
“We have a real problem on our hands
Spock. “ Captain Kirk said as he and Spock waited for the tubolift to the
bridge.
The Vulcan “s eyebrow arched an inch. “Indeed Captain, I would say that a problem brimming on the verge of disaster is a closer approximation. “
“We have to get those two back to their own time, “ Kirk stated as they stepped onto the lift. “She has to survive this, but it would be better if neither one remembered anything about the experience. “
“Getting them home may prove harder even than making them forgot they were here, “ Spock replied as the lift sailed upward towards deck one. “Both problems are quite challenging. “
“Well I want them -off- my -ship- Spock, “ Kirk said, his words choppy and emphatic. “An all powerful non corporeal, with a bad temper to boot. He “s -got -to -go. This could be worst than Trelane, worst than Khan. “
“I must state for the record captain that I find that kind of scenario, most unlikely, “ Spock explained. “Captain Gregg is a highly ethical entity, on whose word one can rely. And he is as anxious to return to his time and place as you are to have him gone. “
The two officers stepped off
the lift and entered the brightly lit bridge. The day shift was on duty and
Sulu and Chekov stopped their grinning banter as soon as their superiors
entered the deck. Scotty at the engineering console, instructed a new ensign in
the fine points of fuel control and dilithium chamber integrity. Uhura
monitored the day’s incoming subspace mail, watching as the security
scanning software checked each one.
“Uhura, “ Kirk said to his communication “s officer. “Open a channel to Prime Minister Melpomene on Eriphi Prime please. “
The communications officer
deftly pushed buttons on her consol, cut through the interstellar traffic and
space noise and plugged in the subspace connection.
The humanoid image of the
Eriphi Prime minister, Melpomene, appeared on the screen. Her eyes, sunken
beneath the fine lines of her narrow eye ridges were dark rimmed as if she
hadn’t slept in weeks. The exhaustion compared to their last visit a year
ago was phenomenal. Obviously she dealt with a major planetary crisis.
“Hello, Captain Kirk, “ the Prime
minister greeted him, her voice a rasp of fatigue.
“Madam Prime minister, “ Kirk
began, “If this is a bad time.
“
Melpomene “s dark
eyebrows drew together as she frowned.
“I “m not sure if I can Kirk, “ she answered gravely. “Unless they are Eriphian, I wouldn’t know where or how to send them. “
“Yes I “ve read that paper.
“ Melpomene replied thoughtfully.
“It was, as the Vulcan “s would say “fascinating “. I am aware of
Lon’s“s work in the area but I think trying to recreate that
process would be rather risky. Much too risky. “
“Indeed, but so is sling shooting the
“The way they came, “ Kirk explained. “Was by way of an entity we have no way
of contacting. “
“An entity? “ Melpomene mused
though another half covered yawn.
“What kind of entity? “
“You know him? “ Spock asked as he
looked from Kirk to the stunned Prime minister.
“Unfortunately I do, “ she
replied. “Is this channel secure?
No never mind. Kirk just come to Eriphi as quickly as you can. We “ll
talk then. Melpomene out. “
The view screen went suddenly
blank with only the UFP logo showing in the bottom right corner. Kirk shifted
in his seat and gazed at his baffled first officer.
“That Trelane has created an impression on the Eriphian Prime minister that is not favorable and that Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir may be our guests for quite a while longer. “
“Aye Captain, “ The helmsman
said. “Eriphi Prime, warp 6.
“
The engines of the
Time had slipped away from
Captain Gregg, The hours passed more quickly than he expected before Dr. McCoy
summoned him back to Carolyn “s beside. He lost two games of chess very
quickly to the
A robust security man
escorted him back to sickbay and the look on McCoy ‘s face told him the
news was bad. The doctor ushered him into his office and bade him sit as the
doors closed behind them.
Gregg started to speak but
the words lumped in his throat achingly. He felt a twang of pain where his Adam
“s apple rose under his ruddy beard.
My poor Carolyn, I will
never forgive myself for this.
“I see, “ was all he could rasp
out.
McCoy nodded. “You can visit her when you “re
ready, “ he said, and then left
the office.
What was the horrid ache he
felt, he had no heart to break anymore. But the anguish was so real, so
numbing. How had this happened, why to her and not to him? He pushed the
emotions down and went to Carolyn “s bedside. She was hooked up to tubes
and monitors but looked more peaceful now, less pained. The nurse, Chapel,
pulled up a seat for him and put a box of tissues in his lap. Only then did
realize that tears were falling from his eyes.