  STAR TREK LOG NINE Alan Dean
Foster
  Based on the Popular Animated Series
Created by G ne
  Roddenberry BALLANTINE BOOKS @u NEW
YORK For Charlie
  Lippincott, with admiration and friendship Copyright
  (can) 1977 by Paramount Pictures
Corporation All rights
  reserved under International and Pan-American
Cop tilde rright Conventions.
  Published in She United Stases
by BaBanSine Books, a division of Random
  House, Inc., New YorLike and
simulsaneously in Canada by BaBanSine
Books
  of Canada LS-DO., Toronto, Canada
Library of Congress
  Catalog Card Number 7 tilde 8477
ISBN 0-couldS-25SS7-GO-lSO
  PRINTED IN CANADA First Edition:
February 1977 STAR
  TREK LOG NINE log of the Starship
Enterprise Stardates
  5537.3 -- 5537.9 Inclusive James
T. Kirk, Capt., USSC, FC, ret.
  Commanding transcribed by Alan Dean Foster
  At the Galactic Historical Archives on
Ursa Major Locus
  stardated 611 1.3 For the Curator: JLETTER
  (adapted from a script by David Gerrold)
  "Captain's log, stardate5537.3." Kirk
  directed his voice toward the log recorder as
he settled himself more
  comfortably in the command chair. "The Enterprise,
having concluded the
  Lactran affair and having returned officers
Market, Bryce, and Randolph
  to Starbase Sixteen Survey Headquarters,
is proceeding according to
  directives on standard survey run."
As Kirk shut off the recorder, he
  decided this mission wasn't quite standard. With all
  ship's operations functioning smoothly, he was able
to lean back and
  relax slightly. The small portable reader
screen set into the left-hand
  chair arm was playing back an ancient history
of Starfleet. Presently
  the screen displayed the half-legendary story of
how one Matthew
  Jeffries first conceived of the Constitution Class
vessels, of which
  the Enterprise was but one of many now. Fascinating
  as the tale was, wreathed in myth and He
uncertain garb of Terran
  history, Kirk soon found his mind wandering. He
had originally intended
  to pause at Base 16 and add his own personal
observations and comments
  to the report of the rescued survey team. Instead,
he had to settle for
  submitting the appropriate taped report and
excerpts from the ship's
  log. As usual, the completion of one mission
meant that half a dozen
  more awaited the Enterprise in the backlog of
Starfleet's central
  computer network. There were never enough ships, never
adequate
  personnel available : 1 2
  to handle the continually growing task of taking some
  of the mystery from newly discovered worlds. The
  Federation's tireless drone probes, immune
to fatigue, had recently
  located several previously unknown and closely
packed systems of
  planets and satellites. These potential
colony worlds required the kind
  of in-depth, and thorough, preliminary study
only a major-class
  starship could provide. So the Enterprise was
immediately dispatched to
  carry out routine observations. At least, the
journey
  would be as routine as one could expect with the opening up
of several
  new worlds each one filled with a googolplex of
new problems and
  dangers and promises. There would be one other
small break in
  routine-one minor alteration in assigned
personnel. An extra, official
  observer had been added to the roster for the duration of the
mission.
  What made him important was not that he was
nonhuman, non-Vulcan, and
  even nonhumanoid, but that he was a
representative of a recently
  contacted intelligent race. The orders Kirk
had
  received went on to explain that the Federation was going
through a
  very delicate stage in its relations with the government
of Commander
  Ari be Bem, of the system of Pandro. The
Pandronians had requested that
  a representative of theirs be permitted
to observe a Federation crew
  carrging out precisely the type of mission the
Enterprise had just been
  assigned. Such simple requests could not be
refused.
  According to his orders, both the Klingons and the
Romulans had
  expressed an interest in deepening their
ties with the Pandronians.
  Every opportunity should be taken to convince the
Pandronians that
  their interests would best be served by a close
alliance with the
  Federation, particularly since several Federation
worlds existed in a
  strategic position relative to Pandro. What
an that meant was that
  Pandro held a position of vital concern
to several Federation
  worlds-but the official phrasing of spatial
relationships was more, ah,
  realistic. Federation DIPS'-MEMBERS of the
Diplomatic
  3 psychology Corps-were convinced that the
Federation
  was gaining the upper hand in the
  battle for Pandronian influence a battle that
had to be augmented by the cooperation and aid of everyone in
Starfleet. Captain Kirk was therefore directed
to extend to Commander ha Bem all courtesies
normally extended to an attached observer, with
special regard for the precarious diplomatic
situation, keeping in mind the need to . . .
  Et cetera, et cetera.
  Well, Kirk had it in mind, all right! The
matter had been foremost in his mind since that always
underfoot, irritating, and occasionally downright rude
Pandronian had come aboard. Unless something happened
to change their visitor's attitude, Kirk feared
that Federation-Pandronian relations could be severely
damaged. He was also afraid that Commander be Bem
might be severely damaged. The list of angry
complaints from insulted or challenged or otherwise
provoked crew members was approaching critical
mass.
  He managed to shove the problem from his thoughts as he
added a short entry to the log. The view now on the
main screen a handsome world of swirling white clouds
and blue ocean-did much to blank out all thoughts of
their obstreperous visitor.
  "Captain's log, stardate 5S37.3. We
are taking up orbit around Delta Theta Three,
a newly charted Class M planet-the last world
on our current mission. The original drone scout
reported the possible presence of
  aboriginal life forms on Delta Theta
Three, life forms of undetermined intelligence and
accomplishment.
  "Upon entering orbit the Enterprise will proceed
to carry out standard survey procedures and
investigation, placing particular emphasis on a
detailed study of the local sapient life form."
  Kirk clicked off the machine as he rose,
heading for the turbolift. The presence of even a
marginally intelligent life form would be a most
welcome conclusion to this expedition, which had been
remarkable only for the mediocrity and
unattractiveness of the worlds they had examined thus
far. 4
  And then there was the remarkable unattractiveness of the
singularly trying Commander bn Bem. The Pandronian
was one guest Kirk would be glad to be rid of. As
he rode the lift toward the Transporter Room,
he broke out in a satisfied smile at the thought
of the moment when Commander bn Bem would be officially
returned to the Pandronian mission at Starbase
13.
  He came upon the rest of the initial landing party in
the corridor leading to the Transporter Room
Sulu, and Spock, with Scott accompanying them.
  "Anything new on your potential hosts,
Captain?" Scott called to him.
  "Sensors have located several possible
groupings of aborigines, Scotty," Kirk informed
them. "The xenologists are sure of one thing-Delta
Theta Three isn't another world of superminds like
Lactra. The natives here are definitely
primitive. Bear in mind, gentlemen, that like all
primitive peoples they may tend to spear first and
think later. I want everyone to keep in mind that no
unnecessary risks are to be taken, no matter how
important the information in question." He indicated the
compact, cylindrical
  instruments each man held.
  "These monitoring devices have to be hand-planted
close to a center of local activity, if we're
going to get any long-term data on these people. That
accomplished, we'll beam up. Study of flora and
fauna, geological features, and the like can be best
accomplished by specialized teams afterwards.
  "Lieutenant tilde Uhura will be tracking us
throughout, and Mr. Kyle will be standing by." Chief
Engineer Scott nodded reassuringly. "If there
is trouble of any kind, beam up immediately. Don't
try to be a hero, and don't place intelligence
gathering above your own life." This last comment was
directed, as usual, at Spock, who, as
usual, took no notice.
  As the door sensed their approach, it slid
aside, admitting them to the Transporter Room.
Entering, they started toward the transporter
  alcove-and froze. Chief Kyle was present,
but not in his accustomed position behind the console.
Instead, he stood to one side,

  uncertainly eyeing the creature who occupied his
station. At the entrance of the captain and his companions,
Kyle turned and threw Kirk a helpless look.
  Kirk nodded once as he turned his attention to the
console. The biped who stood behind it, fiddling with every
control in reach, was more or less of human size.
Resemblance to anything manlike faded rapidly
after that. The creature was bulky, blue, and
hirsute aDo three characteristics amply apparent
despite the concealing full-length uniform it wore.
The interloper had also noted the entrance of the four
officers and turned to bestow the toothy equivalent of a
Pandronian
  in on an unamused Kirk.
  "Ah, Kirk Captain," he rumbled in a
voice like a contrabassoon full of marbles,
"welcome and greeting. Settings are almost
complete."
  For the moment Kirk elected to ignore the
Pandronian's unauthorized manipulation of the
transporter controls. And there was no reason to
  reprimand Kyle, who had only been following the
orders regarding bn Bem. As honorary Federation
commander, the visiting Pandronian had free run of the
cruiser. The mounting stack of complaints back in
Kirk's office attested to the extent to which bn Bem
had exercised his privileges.
  Ordered to stand aside by a "superior" officer,
Kyle had done so. The transporter engineer would have
his chance to report on this incident later. At the
moment, it was the Pandronian's presence which concerned
Kirk most.
  "tilde Commander be Bem, exactly what are you
doing here? I thought you would be down in Sciences,
studying procedure as information on the world below is
gathered."
  bn Bem replied readily in the highly
contemptuous manner which perfectly complemented his
personality. It was almost, Kirk reflected, as
if the Pandronian were granting them a gigantic
favor by deigning to grace the Enterpnse with his
presence. "This One," be Bem sneered, "has
decided to accompany contact team for
observation of Delta Theta surface."
  Kirk ignored the tone of the envoy's voice.
He had

  learned through past days to tune it out. Nevertheless,
he couldn't keep all trace of irritation from his
reply. "Commander be Bem," he reminded the other with
as much control as he could muster, "you were assigned to this
ship in an "attached observer" status. Yet
you've spent the past several planetary
circumnavigations holed up in your quarters-when you
weren't intruding for "observation" into the private
quarters of my crew. You haven't made anything like
a detailed study of our survey methods-until
now, it seems, when we are about to deal with a world that
may very well sport a hostile primitive
culture."
  ho Bem's answer took the form of a controlled,
basso chirp, made softly, but just loud enough for
Kirk and the others to hear. "Patience ... every
planet is dangerous to the ignorant." Now
speaking in a normal
  conversational tone, he resumed. "This One has
decided that the nexus is now. Must now obsene
workings of starship and crew. This One is not
impressed by outside recommendations for study time.
A teacher is not instructed by students."
  "You've had ample opportunity to "observe
workings" both on board and on-surface during our
last several planetfalls-at all times in
comparative safety. This beam-down is not for the
casual observer, especially one as
diplomatically sensitive as you know you are. It could
be hazardous and -- -"
  I am prepared," bn Bem countered simply.
  Kirk started to say something, turned, then muttered
to his first officer.. "Mr. Spock, I don't like
this at an. Diplomatic relations could be endangered
if anything happens to this-this-to Commander be Bem while
he's our guest."
  It is not merely political considerations that
dictate our actions, Captain," Spock
reminded him. "There is the fact that the Pandronians
are also very advanced in certain exotic areas of
medicine and biology. There is much we can learn from
them-much that Starfleet would rather we learned than the
Klineons, say. And remember-orders
expressly stated that Commander be Bem be given
anything he requested."
  7
  at at at
  "Within reason," Kirk added. "But I don't
think this request to join the landing party is reasonable."
  "Starfleet may feel otherwise.")
  Kirk started to offer further objection, but found
Spock's reminder inarguable. He let out a
frustrated, heartfelt sigh and turned back to their
guest. He'd make one last try.
  "Corn tilde nander be Bem, this is not going to be
a pleasure excursion. I really cannot, in clear
conscience, permit you to beam down to this planet with us.
You understand my position, I'm sure."
  "Understanding it is," be Bem replied, "but dirty
conscience if required. This one is adamant and
bystanding to accompany on landing."
  Kirk growled back, wondering at the
Pandronian's perverse
  preferences. "This is an odd time to be
adamant."
  There wasn't much Kirk could do about it, except
Ally no-and that could undo an the courtesy they had
so painfully extended to bn Bem thus far. "AU
right," he finally grumbled, "let's go. There's a
world waiting for us." He stomped toward the
transporter alcove.
  "Scotty, if you'll set-was
  bn Bem interrupted him even as the chief engineer
was moving to the console. be Bem was an accomplished
interrupter. "Waste not the time. This One has already
controls set, Mr. Scotty."
  "Mr. Scotty" eyed the Pandronian
distru/lly and proceeded to make an elaborate,
overthorough inspection of the settings in question. Hard
squints and florid gestures notwithstanding, he was
finally cornpelled to look toward the alcove and nod
slowly.
  "l tilde verythin" appears to be okay,
Captain," he announced. "The coordinates are
locked in on the preselected touchdown site, and
everythin' else looks proper."
  be Bem let out a snort of satisfaction, which no
one could fail to hear-least of all Scott-before taking
his place in the alcove next to Kirk, Spock,
and Sulu. "Time waste," he muttered disgustedly.
His human companions resolutely ignored him.
8 STAR TRBK l.og NINE
  They were joined a moment later by Scott as Kyle
assumed the position behind the transporter console
Kirk checked to make certain everyone still held the
important automatic monitoring
devices, then nodded toward the console.
  "Energize, Chief."
  The room faded around them....
  Delta Theta Three was a name devoid of
planetary personality, but the little comgroup was soon
to discover the world so designated was well equipped with
same.
  All at once five roughly cylindrical forms
of glowing particles appeared near the shore of a lake
and commenced to coalesce.
  The lake itself was covered with brown scum and
riotous blue growths, shading in color almost
to black in places. Equally bloated vegetation
thrived in the swampy region draining into the lake.
A meandering stream entered the lake to the right of the
rapidly solidifying figures, the water
comdrifting with infinite slowness. Black and brown
cypresslike trees, long creepers, and twisting
vines occupied much of the open space between the larger
boles. But despite the luxuriant growth, there
vvas an absence of grass and ground cover, giving
the jungle an underlying appearance of desolation.
  The few open, meadowed spaces were muddy and
unwholesome-looking. In contrast to the somewhat ominous
landscape, the cries of innumerable tiny
climbers and other hidden creatures sounded merrily
from' within the thickly overgrown areas.
  The five cylinder-shapes became more distinct,
added detail and resolution, and turned into the five
explorers transported from the
  Enterprise. Something caused a split-second
delay in the final transformation of each figure.
Scott resolved first, stumbling slightly as he
did so on the soft, sloping shoreline. Sulu
appeared next to him, stumbling awkwardly enough
to fall' momentarily to his knees.
  bn Bem was next. The Pandronian actually
materialized a full meter above the shore, which did
not affect STAR TREK L tilde ME
  him as the slight difference had affected Scott and
Sulu. His legs instinctively extended the
additional meter to allow him a gentle letdown.
Once established on the ground, those elastic
limbs retracted to their normal length. No one
saw the startling adaptation take place.
  Kirk and Spock completed the arrival of the landing
party. They rematerialized at a similar distance
above the water. Having neither
  extendable legs, nor wings, the two looked both
confused and stunned as they dropped, making a
pair of undignified splashes. Fortunately the
water was only chest deep.
  As the only one of the arrivals with a sound footing
on land, bn Bem rushed into the water to aid the
struggling Kirk and Spock in regaining their footing.
Kirk had already suspected their guest of having a
manylayered personality, but a multilayered torso
was something no one could have anticipated.
  The Pandronians were a very new race to Federation
biologists. Consequently, neither the captain, nor
the rapidly righting Spock-much less Sulu or
Scott- took note that under the murky surface
Commander bn Belles lower half detached itself from his
upper torso with all the ease and naturalness of a
shuttle leaving the Enterprise's hanger.
  While the creature's upper half made arm
motions to aid the
  floundering Kirk, the lower half swam busily
around behind the captain and proceeded to remove his
phaser and communicator. These devices were im
  mediately and efficiently replaced with
well-made cop- "dis
  ies. Then the substitution was carried out on
Spock.
  Above, bn Bem-half of him, anyway-
entended an arm as Kirk regained his balance.
"Assistance is offered," he said, with barely concealed
  distaste. Kirk and his first officer exchanged
glances, then Kirk looked back at their guest.
"Thanks just the same, Commander. We'll manage."
bn Bem imitated a human shrug, one of his
newly acquired gestures. "As you choose." As
he turned to leave the water, his lower half
reattached itself to the upper. It was an intact and
familiar Pandronian who emerged from the lake. 10
STAR TREK LOG NINE
  Kirk and Spock struggled out of the plant-choker
stagnant water, both completely unaware that
anything untoward had taken place. If they had
felt a slight twinge or two, they might have
looked more closely at the slight bulges in the
Pandronian's sample pouch, dangling loosely from
one hip. The pouch looked full, which was odd if one
considered they hadn't been here long enough to do much
sampling.
  Kirk choked back the thousand or so suggestions that
sprang
  immediately to the tip of his tongue and contented himself with
saying, "In the future, Commander ha Bem, you will
leave the operation of the transporter to Mr.
Scott, Mr. Kyle, or one of the regular
members of the transporter crew." tilde
  "Is response to offer of aid," ha Bem
munnurai. Apical" He seemed ready to add a
few additional choice observations, but was interrupted
himself for a change.
  "Captain!"
  Kirk looked at the anxious expression on his
chief eagineer's face. "What's the matter,
Scatty?" He shook water from his arms and began
stripping the clinging water plants from his tunic,
hoping that soggy mess didn't contain anything
likely to bite, cut, or otherwise make a
nuisance of itself at some future date
  'maybe nothing, Captain," Scott replied;
"but Lieutenant Uhura reports some very
unusual activity in our general vicinity."
  Wonderfull They had barely touched down, and
already they'd gotten drenched to the skin and were now
confronted with something else unexpected. He took
a couple of steps and hefted the open communicator.
  "What kind of activity, Lieutenant?"
  Uhura spoke from her position as commander-incharge,
leaning forward toward the con pickup. "Lieutenant
Arex has beeh tracking what appears
to be a mobile nonnehvork sensory stasis.
It's still very tilde small," she added after looking
for confirmation to Arex seated at Navigation, "and it's
several thousand kilometers west of your present
position."
  Kirk frowned. "Say again, Lieutenant?"
STAR TREK NINB
  Uhura's voice was only slightly distorted,
thanks to the ever efficient communicator. "It
resembles a ship's sensor field, but there's nothing
detectable like a scanning grid or other central
point of reference."
  Kirk digested this information, his concern mitigated
by the distance involved. "You said it was mobile,
Lieutenant. How mobile?"
  "Lieutenant Arex speaking, sir," came the
Edoan navigator's crisp tones. "Brownian
movement only-no discernible direction and no hint
of a guiding force."
  "Most odd," Spock commented from nearby. "The
implication is that there is something else on this world beyond
aborigines. One would have to suspect something
intelligent, yet nothing of the kind was reported in the
initial survey." He shook his head. "It
hardly seems likely the probes would have
missed something we have detected so soon after
arrival."
  Kirk decided to ignore the implication, for the
present. As long as whatever it was presented no
immediate threat, they would concentrate on the task at
hand. But he could no more stifle his curiosity than
could Spock.
  Yt might be a very low-lying atmospheric
anomaly, Mr. Spock. We've encountered other
climatic phenomcna before which have superficially
  resembled the activities of something sentient. And
keep in mind that a drone probe isn't the most
exacting observer. Detailed examination of a world is
our business."
  "None of which I had forgotten, Captain, and all
of which I agree with."
  Kirk turned back to the communicator. 'bleep
monitoring, Lieutenant Uhura. As a
precaution only, put the ship on yellow alert.
We'll continue the survey and
monitor-emplacement mission for now, but notify us
immediately if there is any change in the situation. An
increase in the intensity of the field, a change of
speed or direction, and especially anything that might
indicate the field is under the control of
intelligence-anything which hints that this might be other
than a natural phenomenon. Kirk out."
  He closed the communicator, breaking
transmission, 12 STAR TRBR L tilde
tilde
  and handed it back to Scott, then indicated a path
through the swampy meadows. "According to the computer plotting,
the nearest life-fonn
  concentration- presumably the nearest native
village comis this way. Let's get on with it."
  Footing near the lake ranged 'Prom the
oleaginous to the
  obfuscatory," as Spock pointed out. That
remark prompted Scott to redefine it in less
precise but more colorfuI terms.*
  The ground they encountered was messy, but not
dangerous. There were no quicksands or sandpits. After
some hard slogging, they found themselves moving through the forest
and meadows with confidence, if not comfort.
  "The rain-forest ecology is particularly
interesting here," Spock commented absorbedly.
"Life on this planet appears to be geologically
younger than one would expect, given the age of this star
and-was
  A familiar voice interrupted, almost
on cue. "Now urgent." be Bem was studying his own
tricorder. "Annowce: This One is picking up
readings which indicate a large group of
inte11igent- maybes life forms directly
ahead."
  Kirk held up a hand and called for a halt.
"AN right. We must take care not to be seen. Part
of the prime directive Heyt"
  - Commander ho Bem, ignoring Also instructions and
  precautions, took of E at high speed toward
the hypothesized
  aborigines.
  "Commander be Bem, come back!" Kirk shouted.
Ile started off after the retreating figure.
"Scatty, Sulu-stay here." His
  "But, Captain-was Scott began.
  Kirk cut him off curtly. "Orders,
Scatty. Stand by. Come on, Spock." They
both broke into a run in pursuit of the galloping
Pandronian.
  Their bulky guest appeared to be slowing as they
crossed a swampy meadow. He vanished into a
clump
  *TransenbeThat tilde note. Ethnic highland
termh tilde ologv omitted hero
by curators diroc tilde ve.
  , .
  STARR-EVERY,: roa Nuns l3
  of tightly packed black trunks laced with
interweaving vines.
  "He won't get far in there," Spock commented with
satisfaction. Kirk's reply was tense. "I
hope not-for his own sake, as well as ours."
  They headed for the dense thicket. Spock's
estimate was reasonable as far as it went, but it did
not go far enough to include a Pandronian.
  be Bem came up against a veritable dead end, a
place where The small trees grew so close together
that no one his size could possibly squeeze through.
So the commander split into three parts, each of which was
small enough to ooze through any of several openings in the
wall of wood. Once successfully past the
barrier the tripartite alien promptly reassembled
himself and continued blithely on his composite way.
  Unfortunately, neither Kirk nor Spock was
capable of such bodily diffusion, nor was either aware
that their recalcitrant guest was. They came to The
same dead end, only in their case the description
was fitting and final.
  "He's gone," Kirk exclaimed,
spinning to search every crevice, each potential hiding
place.
  But Spock continued to stare in disbelief straight
ahead. Yale could not have reversed his direction and
slipped past us. To escape he had to go through here."
  "That's impossible, Spock," Kirk said
confidently, turning. "There's no way-was He
stopped, moved to a gap in the trees the size of his
chest, and stared through. He got only a brief
glimpse of a blue bipedal figure
  disappearing into the distance. But unless this world was
inhabited by blue, two-legged aborigine., Kirk
had a pretty good idea who it was.
  "There he is, an dght." He frowned. "if
don't know how he got through, but get through he did."
Kirk took hold of the smallest trunk bordering
the gap, got a good grip with both hands, braced
himself, and gave a mighty heave. The tree moved
about as much as one of the Enterprise's war tilde
ddve engines would under similar circumstances.
  . .
  14 STAR TRBK [0ONFFNB
  "Come on, Spock, we'll have to go around."
  They began to circle the dense grove of saplings
and vines, wed aware that ho Bem could be far
ahead by the time they found a way. Something else was
puz" -- cling Kirk.
  "That Pandronian's actions lust don't make
sense. Never mind for the moment how he got through that
tight space. Right now Ed like to know why he did it.
No sense, none at an."
  "His actions might make sense to another
Pandronian, Captain," the always pragmatic
Spock soggested.
  'I suppose so," Kirk confessed. 'Tvo
got to admit that one thing I've never found it easy
to understand are the motivations of another species."
  "Indeed?" exclaimed his first officer, with an
item lion that indicated there was something more to his
remark.
  They detoured until they roached a section of the
closely bunched trees which was penetrable. The forest
closed in around them, shutting out the meadow and nearly
doing likewise to the son. As it turned out, the
intertwined trunks were a disguised blessing, for the
surface here was too soft and deep to permit rapid
walking. They made much better time through the
branches.
  "I believe that is the direction, Captain,"
Spock said finally, when the trees showed
signs of thinning. "Or possibly it was more to the
left. Or perhaps his
  'we've lost him," Kirk finished succinctly.
He was studying the small open area ahead, equally
uncertain which way to go, when he heard a low murmur
off to their left.
  "That way-something over there."
  Some frenetic crawling and running brought them to a
wide clearing. They were about to move out into the open
by jumping a fallen log when each man's hand went
to his companion's shoulder and the two dropped down
behind it.
  They had seen the movement simultaneously.
  t would appear to be a native food-gathering
SI.ARTREK tilde NINE 15
  party," Spock ventured, peering at the
stiBut-distant, slow-moving forms.
  "Yes," agreed Kirk, "and part of the food
they've gathered is Commander bn Bem."
  At this distance it was difficult to obtain an
accurate picture of the aborigines, but they
appeared to stand jwt under an impressive three
meters in height. Their skin was bright red; the
overall impression was of reps titian,
dull-witted, and probably belligerent
creatures
  Commander be Bem stood in their midst, looking
decidedly unhappy. For the moment his Dual haul
tiness and air of self-satisfaction was completely
absent
  Equally anxious minds studied the situation from more
comfortable and more remote surroundings Strange information
was coming through on the Enters pnse's instruments.
"Lieutenant Uhura," Arex finally declared,
"I'm picking up mounting activity on the sure
face. Initial indications point to an expansion of
thee still unidentified sensory anomaly."
  Uhura nodded, glanced backwards.
"Lieutenant M'ress, contact the landing party."
  "Aye, aye, Lieutenant."
  Scott's gaze shifted from the placid surface
d the vegataffon-choked lake to his communicator
as it buzzed urgently,
  "Scott here."
  "Mr. Scott, where's the captain?"
  "He's separated from us. Commander be Bem off into the
forest and-was "Ran off into the forest?" came Uhura's
startled echo.
  "Yes. I know it's undiplomatic of me, but
I say good riddance. However, the captain's
not in a position to do so. He's responsible for that
hairy-Anyway, ho and Mr. Spock took off
after our Pandronian charge. They're out in the brush
somewhere. Sulu and I were ordered to remain here." He
looked into the trees, starmg in the direction the two
senior officers had taken too many minutes ago.
16 STAR TREK LOG NINE
  "That was a while ago, and it doesn't look very
friendly down here." He chewed his lower lip. "Have you
tried contacting them directly since they
disappeared?"
  "Yes, we have. Neither the captain nor Mr.
Spock acknowledges his communicator. Nor,"
Uhura added, "do they show up on the scanning
grid. We can detect only one energy source, and
it hasn't moved. That would be you and Sulu.
  "It's their absence on the and that really worries
me, Commander Scott. The.silence almost screams that
their communicator responders have been disconnected.
Also, we're picking up increased sensory
activity."
  "The large anomaly?"
  "Yes. Nothing threatening. At least, it's as
untbreatening as something that big and inexplicable can
be." Her voice turned film. "You're
certain Mr. Spock went with the captain?"
  "Aye, Lieutenant."
  Her voice faded sightly as she apparently
addressed someone on the bridge. Scott heard the
order faintly. "Lieutenant Arex, initiate a
detailed sensor scan for the captain and Mr.
Spock, using Commander Scott's
  communicator pack as a center point." She
directed her words to the pickup Gun.
  "Landing party, prepare to beam up."
  "Lieutenant Uhura," Scott countered,
"Sulu and I could track down the captain and Mr.
Spock from here."
  - 'Tomorrow sorry, Commander Scott," she
replied. "You right-brace now standard procedure in
a case like this- better than I do, I suspect.
We've had no response from the missing men. We
can't take additional chances without further information on
their whereabouts and/or condition."
  "We are talking about the captain," Scott
fumed.
  Uhura's voice rose, strained. "I know that,
Commander." There was a pause, and when she spoke again
her tone was quieter, though no less
  strained. "We have to follow orders, and
regulations. An unre" solved situation of this
type on a new world, involving STAR TRBK
IOG NINE 17
  an unknown-race of still indeterminate
potential-and then there's that anomaly. No . . .
stand by to beam up, Mr. Scott."
  The chief engineer started to reply again. He
outranked Uhura, but she was officially in charge as
long as he remained on the surface. Besides, she
made sense.
  "Standing by," he told her tightly. "And-my
apologies, lassie. You're right, of course."
  If Uhura responded, he didn't hear it,
because a faint fog was beginning to obscure vision and
percept lion. The chief became a cluster of
chromatically colored particle-wave energy, as
did S'iiu. The cluster faded, disappeared.
  Nothing moved on the shore of the halcyon lake
save a few small beetlelike things and one
curious quasi lizard, whose attention had been
momentarily focused on the incomprehensible
apparitions. They were gone now and the creature's
blank gaze turned back to the beetles. They were
much more interesting, and comprehepsible.
  'QV-EVERY could rush them, Spock,"
Kirk surmised as he studied the size and number
of aborigines surrounding the captive be Bem, "but
someone might get hurt. I'd rather it wasn't any
of them, and I darn sure won't let it be one of
us. Their weapons may be crude, but they're
effective." He thought a moment. "Maybe we can
do it the easy way, simply beam him and then ourselves
out of here."
  "A facile solution, Captain," concurred
Spock.
  Kirk brought out his communicator, flipped it
open.
  irk to Enterprise . . . Kirk
to Enterprise."
  Silence, He looked down at the compact
instrument, listened hard. Even the barely audible low
hum which indicated proper activation was absent.
Carefully Kirk closed the top, then opened it
again. "Kirk to Enterprise."
  No hum, no reply-so he then began staring at
the device. His
  particular personal communicator had been in his
possession for some time. Only . . . this wasn't
it.
  18 STAR TREK tilde tilde
  A glance over at Spock showed that his first officer
was examining his own communicator
  "This isn't my communicator, Spock. I know
every scratch and smudge on it, and they're all
missing from this one."
  'ationor is this one mine, Captain," the first
replied evenly. "Not only is it not mine, it is
not anyone's. These are not Federation communicators but
clever forgeries. Very clever forgeries." He hefted
his experimentally. "Even the weight is correct,
though I venture to say they contain anything but
operative elect tropics."
  "But It's not possible," Kirk objected
dazedDy. "Thin communicator's been with me since
we beamed.... What now?"
  Spock had his phaser out and tried it
experimentally. "Our weapons are also
substitutes." For confirmation Kirk attempted
to rattle a small sapling with his own phaser. Not so
much as a leaf was disturbed.
  "So- our phasers and communicators have been
swapped for phonies, Commander bn Bem has run
off and gotten himself taken captive by the local
primiffves, and we've been separated from Scott
and Sulu." It was the captain's turn
to hike a rarely raised eyebrow. "Mr.
Spock, something mighty funny is going on."
  His first officer nodded somberly. 'A would put it
in less colloquial terms, but that is certainly
an accurate appraisal of our present
  circumstances. It would appear that a course of
action other than what we originally planned is
advisable, until we can discover what is haps
peeing, and why."
  "Agreed, Spock-except for one thing." He
looked back across the log, keeping tilde his
profile low. "Commander bn Bem's difficulty
seems genuine. Phasers or not, we have to rescue
him. If he should be killed while under Federation
protection, not to mention ours ..." The sentence
trailed off unfinished.
  "Hold it-they're moving."
  Both officers watched as the natives began
to move off to the west, picking their way easily through
the STAR TREK NIB 19
  muddy meadows and swampland. Commander bn Bem
hiked along readily, making no attempt to slow his
captors" progress or leave a trail for
would-be rescuers to follow.
  Kirk was suddenly struck by the
Pandronian's curiously complaisant attitude.
"He doesn't act like some one on the verge of being
dissected by alien abongines."
  ""There's not a great deal he can do, in his
present circumstances," Spock suggested.
  "I don't buy that, Spock. He ought to be
making it difficult for them-struggling, making noise,
anything to delay his removal from here. Especially
knowing that we were chasm after him. The motives-was
  tilde comofa Pandroruan are unknown to us,"
finished Spock. "In any case, we are badly
outnumbered-not to mention being unarmed. We might
return to contact Mr. Scott and Lieutenant
Sulu. Hopefully the* phasers and
  communicators are in working order."
  Kirk shook his head. "Can't risk it,
Spock. The group is moving. We might never be
able to find them again in time to save be Bem, not in this
swamp. And if Scotty's and Sulk' equipment
also turned out to be fakes no, at least now we have
the commander in sight.
  "Let's stick with them. As long as we stay under
cover, we have a chance to surprise them."
  Careful and occasionally treacherous pursuit brought
them unseen to a vantage point slightly
above the natives' destination: a small but neatly
arranged village. Several large wooden cages,
empty now, reposed at its canter. The convoy
appeared to be in the process of installing Commander ho
Bem in one of the cages.
  The thatched huts comprising the village looked
competent enough. They were in no way spectacular, not
even for primitive architecture. Little in the way
of drying sheds, baskets, pottery or other tools
and constructions was visible in the small community. There
was nothing to indicate to Kirk that these aliens ranked
in the forefront of letdown primitive races.
Spock was obviously dwelling on the same thought.
20 STAR TREK tilde tilde
  "These aborigines appear to be in a late
primitive state, below urban tribal
infrastructure but far above mere nomadic hunters
and gatherers. Based on what we have seen thus far,
one can deduce that they are at least
  moderately intelligent and possess a basic
language and well-developed social
structure. I would as sumethat a
well-developed system of morals, taboos, and
traditions is present in the appropriate
proportions and degrees of
  advancement."
  He paused, considered a moment before adding, "The
standard method of dealing with strangers in such
societies may include dismemberment,
  consumption, or various other unfrly actions we
cannot imagine." He directed a nod toward the now
tightly imprisoned Commander be Bem.
  "Judging from the way they have treated the come mender so
far, I believe we can safely discard such hopeful
possibilities as the commander's being treated as a
god from the sky, or being adopted into the tribe."
  "That's too bad," Kirk murmured. "I think
he boa longs, somehow. But I agree, Spock."
Once again he found himself puzzled by the
Pandronian's nonchalant attitude. ten. Bem
stood calmly in the center of the wooden cage, not
pacing or testing the bars or implore ing his
captors.
  "You'd think Commander bn Bem would be able to look
at these people and see the same things, yet he's given
no indication he finds capture and confinement
especially objectionable. If anything, he's
behaving as if he's half enjoying it." Kirk
shrugged, resigned.
  "Novell, maybe His is the standard
Pandronian way d reacting to capture. As
you've pointed out, Spock, we know so little about them."
He slid down behind the rotting log in front of
them.
  "In any case, we can't do anything for him before
nightfall. I just hope these aborigines" night
vision isn't as well developed as their biceps."
  The time remaining until dusk wasn't passed in
idleness. Studious searching through the underbrush around the
little rise they had encamped on turned up several
broken but unrolled sections of tree. These STAR
TRBGG'CL-OA NINE 21
  would serve as clubs. A few fist-sized stones
coupled with some lengths of native creeper and a little
dexterous Vulcan handwork produced a set of
efflcient-looking bolos.
  tilde an -- , they waited until the sun had
vanished behind the trees in the abrupt manner common
to all jungles, before proceeding cautiously down the
slope toward the village clearing. Civilization
here hadn't reached the elevated plane of
intertribal warfare, BO Kirk and Spock
encountered no posted guards as they entered the
outsldrts of the village.
  - Once, something like a cross between a cat
and a chartreuse sofa crossed their path. It stared at
them with starded red eyes, uttered a single soft yelp
like a warped taper and waddled rapidly out of sight.
None of the natives were about. Occasional muffled
80UI-LDSo drifted out from various huts.
  "Shhh," Kirk tilde whisperea
  "Of course," Spock agreed in near-normal
conversational tone. Kirk threw him an exasperated
look.
  Several moons-one globular, two others of
irregular cast-lit the viBage in ghost light.
Eight shapes
  the two men and their shadows-moved toward to central
cage.
  ha Bem noticed their approach and had the grace
not to cry out. Silently, Kirk and Spock set
to work on the lashings of the cage door.
  "Kirk Captain-?"
  "Shut up," Kirk ordered, scraping fingers on
the code fleer of the binding. "We're rescuing you"
  "You are interfering with observations."
  Even Spock was starded. "This is how you
observe? By being captured?"
  "The opportunities for first-member study are
best."
  "Assuming the studied don't decide to do a little
vivisecting of their own," the first of fleer observed.
  ho Bem adopted a pose of contempt. "disIs
as loyal a way as any, Spock Commander."
  'maybe so," put in Kirk, "but I don't
think Starches would approve. You're being rescued,
Commander, whether you like it or not. Come on."
  . .
  22 STAR TREK LOG NINE
  The lashings finally undone, Kirk yanked the
door aside. For a minute, as bra Bem stood
stolidly in the middle of the cage, the captain was
afraid the Pandronian was actually going to resist the
rescue. But he finally left the confines of the wooden
bars, muttering to himself, using some of the logic he
professed to have.
  They started for the hills but were confronted by the
unexpected appearance of a light. It did not come from
any of the orbiting satellites above. It was
small, intense, and wavered slightly.
  A second light joined it, then another, and still
more. Bach light lit a semihumanoid
reptilian face, staring into the night. The torches
formed a circle around the men. In the flickering light
the aborigines" skin took on an ominous
blood-red hue.
  Kirk took a step backward. As he considered
running for it, there was a faint blur before him and something
went ka-thunk at their feet.
  Looking down, he saw the quivering length of a
rough-hewn but deadly-looking spear. As a
nonverbal means of interspecies communication, it was
brutally effective.
  "Gentlemen," Kirk observed as the circle of
torchbearers moved closer, "I think we're
trapped."
  "Ineluctably," Spock murmured.
  None of them got much sleep the rest of that night,
due in large part to the steady noise of saplings being
felled around the village and to the steady rumble of their
own thoughts. Only Commander bn Bem seemed composed
as he studied the native activity.
  "tilde Why, Kirk Captain," he
exclaimed once, "you are not observing."'7 Kirk
thought a few choice thoughts and ignored the
Pandronian's sneers. A steady stream of most
undiplomatic images eventually lulled him
to sleep. STAR TREK NIB 23
  When the sun rose again, Commander bn Bem was back
in his cage. The village was unchanged,
except that the commander now had company. Two cages
to his left were also occupied. One imprisoned
Kirk; the other held his first officer.. A single
native guard stood close by, the villagers
undoubtedly having decided one was required should
any more of the evil strangers suddenly appear.
  Kirk had spent futile hours in the predawn
darkness testing the lianas which held his cage door
closed. But while the aborigines were primitive,
they were not stupid. the new knots were far too solid
and complex for Kirk to unravel.
  A small knife would probably have been enough
to Saw through the woody lashings. But he didn't have a
small knife. Instead, he had a phaser which could
carbonize the entire viUage in a couple of
minutes. Only this phaser was a phake. It
wouldn't incinerate a Still tilde rfleet
Technical Manual.
  Kirk doubted that the natives, however lethargic
tilde they might
  otherwise appear concerning their captives, would
give him time to gnaw through the bindings with his teeth.
He wished he had the tech manual now, anyway.
At least it would give him something to read.
  Instead, he had to be satisfied with standing
morosely at the front of the cage, eyeing the
massive guard and muttering to himself.
  "How's that, CaptainThat' Spock queried,
overhearing a portion of Kirk's ramblings.
  "y was wondering how come we always end up like this,
Mr. Spock." 'ally assume that's a
rhetorical question, Captain."
  Kirk sighed, puUed his arms free of the
supportive crossbar, and stared through the poles at
his first of
  .
  24 STAR TRBR IeaOaNINB
  ficer. "I was just expressing my astonishment at
our ability to get into these situations."
  "The common complaint of every human since the dawn
of time, I believe," Spock commented
philosophically. "It's fate, Captain," he
murmured.
  Kirk looked surprised. "Fate, Mr.
Spock?"
  "I think that is the correct term," his first
officer said, looking curious rather than uncertain.
  Apparently stirred by this incomprehensible alien
gabble, the guard strode over to Kirk's cage and
poked at the captain with his spear. Kirk
jumped back.
  "Well, I'm not going to rely on fate to get
us out of here." He eyed the guard, who stared back
unimpressed. Then Kirk turned a
significant expression on Spock.
  "Why don't you coax him over to your cage and
try a quick Vulcan nerve pinch, Mr. Spock?"
  Spock eyed the aborigine warily as the
enormous biped turned a neolithic gaze on
him. "Captain, I'm only a Vulcan. There
are limits to what even I can do. It is possible
that I could surprise this creature. I could also
fail. For one thing, I am unfamiliar smith its
internal physiology and, specifically, its
neural network. Should I guess wrong, it might
irritate the creature. I do not believe being
taken apart by an aroused native would enhance your own
chances of escape, while mine would no longer be in
  question. Logically, therefore . . ." He shrugged.
  Kirk turned his attention back to Commander be
Bem, who had been mercifully silent all morning.
'Em afraid this means we're not going to be able
to rescue you at this time, Commander."
  His sarcasm was lost on the naturally sarcastic
ha Bem. "Good intentions, Captain, are not
enough. Planet Pandro will be much displeased.
Starfleet Federation told us you were best captain in
the fleet. Actions to date deny this."
  Kirk had finally had enough. To hell with
diplomacy. "Commander bn Bem," he veiled. "you
are persona11v responsible for our present
situation!
  "You deliberately disobeyed orders, orders
given for STAR TREK [tilde tilde 25
  your tilde wn good, by running off. Your
attitude during this entire mission has been
extremely abrasive. And I don't know how you
did it," he continued dangerously, "but I'm
convinced now that you're the one who switched our phasers
and communicators for imitations."
  "You place too much dependence, Kirk
Captain,- on phasers and communicators." If
Kirk's accusations had dented the Pandronian's
  insufferable egotism, he gave no sign of it.
"Petty instruments. One should rely more on
personal resources instead of artificialities."
  "Either one of those 'artificialities" could
solve our problems right now," grumbled Kirk.
  Us that all?" bn Bem sneered contemptuously.
He reached into the pouch at his waist-and
produced both phasers and communicators.
  "Our phasers!" Kirk exclaimed excitedly.
"Throw one was His excitement was abruptly tempered
by realization of what the magical appearance of their
devices meant.
  "Commander be Bem," he began carefully, "if
you've had those phasers and communicators all this
time, why didn't you use them to escape?"
  The Pandronian's attitude was that of a parent
patiently lecturing a couple of dull-witted
children, "You recall will, Kirk Captain, my say
that this is best way to observe. As observation is
completed, is now time to leave. This One, Cough,
does not demean self by the use of casual violence
to accomplish simple goals."
  "Oh." Kirk wasn't sure whether he was more
fas ciliated than furious.
  "However," the commander concluded, "you may demean
yourselves if you wish."
  "If we wish? Commander bn Bem, I want those
phasers and communicators rzow-and for O'Morion's
sake, toss them over carefully. They're pretty
rugged, but-was
  be Bem waved him off. "Compliance wim request
is, but is no need to throw. This One must
disassemble."
  comKirk stared blankly at the Pandronian, the
corn 26 STAR TREK L tilde tilde E
  mender's words echoing meaninglessb in his mind, until
be Bem showed what he meant.
  Detaching his lower half, the commander split neatly
m two and squeezed out through the gaps in the bars, his
top half carrying phasers and communicators
easily.
  Kirk gawked, fascinated, while Spock
murmured, "Remarkable." The Pandron tilde an
reassembled and handed each of then their instruments.
"Truly remarkable. Commander ho Bem is a
colony creature. Or perhaps we should begin calling
him Commanders be Bem."
  "Commander," Kirk wondered, leaving aside for the
moment the question of whether the Pandronian should be
addressed in the singular or plural, "if you could
  - split yourself into separate sections, why
didn't you es
  cape on your own earlier?,"
  He set his phaser on low stun and beamed the
guard. The huge native slumped, unconscious,
on his supporting spear. A careful readjushnent
of the setting wheel and Kirk Divas burning
away the lashings on his cage, as Spock did
likewise to his.
  be be Bem watched their efforts idly and continued in
  the same lecturing tone. ""I explained, was
not concluded with observating. Also, would deny you the
  chance to prove your people's value to planet Pandro
  by rescuing This One from possibly dangerous
situation
  to same."
  "For the last time, Commander be Bem," Kirk
declaimed in
  exasperation, "this is not a laboratory. Not for
testing the locals, not for testing us. This is a new,
hostile world. And," he added forcefully, "Mr.
Spoclc and I are not your private experimental
animals."
  "I did not say that," be Bem objected
mildly.
  "But you implied it." The Pandronian did not
replier. y have no choice this time," Kirk went
on. "CQ-MMANDER, consider yourself under
  protective custody. We're going to protect
you from any further escapades. Mr. Spock,
keep an eye on him while I call in. On
aation of him." He flipped open his
commumcator.
  tilde Kirlc to Enterprise, Kirk
to Enterprise . . In STAR TREK BOO
NINB 27
  From his position at the con, Chief Engineer
Montgomery Scott leaned forward toward the
communications console and asked for the tenth, or
possibly hundredth, time, "Lieutenant Arex,
have you located them yet?"
  The Edoan looked back over a feathery shoulder.
"No, sir. It is a large world, filled with many
distracting life forms."
  Uhura looked up from the main readout screen at
Spock's science station. "Mr. Scottl That
sensory anomaly-it's expanded to cover the whole
northern continent n
  "Try more to the south of where we set down,"
Scott suggested to Arex. "It's possible that-was
He blinked, spun in the chair to face Uhura.
"What's that, Lieutenant?"
  "The sensory distortion-it's covered the entire
region. We aren't receiving any information from that
area."
  "That explains why the detectors are so
confused," Arex noted with satisfaction.
"I thought they were giving awfully peculiar readings."
  Scott left the command chair and walked over
to check the readouts at the science station. "That does
it, Lieutenant," he said finally. "You couldn't
locate the Loch Ness monster through that." His face
wrinkled in disgust as he examined the
distortion-plagued information.
  "These figures look like a regurgitated mass
of undigested haggis, and they're about as
encouragin'." He looked back at the navigation
console. "Nonetheless, Mr. Arex, you've got
to keep tryin'."
  "Yes, sir."
  "Kirk to Entercom n The captain paused,
studied his communicator. "There's some kind of
advanced interference on all channels, Mr.
Spock." He looked around nervously. "We're
going to have to get out of this village on our
own-horizontally, for now. I doubt we'll be able
to manage that without being seen."
  ,
  28 STAR TRBR LOG tilde 8
  "Am afraid I agree, Captain," said
Spock, turning to study the still-silent huts.
  "Remember, keep your phaser on stun.
There are no advanced weapons here, no reason
to put a native down permanently. Let's get
moving."
  They started toward the low rise tilde that he and
Spock had descended so hopefully the night before.
The concentration of thatched houses was thinner there, but
to no avail. As soon as they had emerged from the
central
  clearing, they were spotted by the villagers. The
shouting and angry natives reacted to this second em
  cape attempt, as Spock declared sadly,
"Most unreasonably."
  First one, then a couple, and soon the whole
tribe was charging down on them, brandishing spears and
clubs and howling deafeningly. The native in the lead,
a huge, husky fellow, raised his arm and prepared
tilde to hurl one of those thick weapons. His
companions started to do likewise.
  Apparently the community decision had been made
that these strangers were not worth keeping alive any
longer.
  "tilde ire," Kirk ordered, at the same
time depressing the trigger of his phaser and pointing it
at the first aborigine.
  Something happened.
  His finger froze on the button, unable
to depress the trigger the necessary millimeters to fire
the weapon. His legs locked in place and his arms were
held in an unbreakable yet velvety grasp.
Even his eyelids were paralysed. He tried to blink
and couldn't.
  Fortunately he wasn't staring at the sun, but
he could see Spoclc nearby, held rigidly in
a similar pose in the act of firing his own phaser.
Commander be Bem had been likewise deprived of an
mobility.
  Around them, the spectrum had gone berserk. He
could still see clearly. The charging natives had also
been frozen in place, spears poised for flight,
clubs held ready to strike but nothing, nothing
looked natural.
  Normally brown trees now glowed lambent
maroon and sported
  fluorescent pink foliage. The blue sky
STAR TREK LOG ME 29
  overhead had turned a deep green, while the
earth underfoot shone orange shot with black. And
everything had a hazy, befuzzed edge to it.
  Then the Voice sounded.
  It was firm,-faintly feminine, and hinted
at immense power held easily in check. The
Voice seemed to originate several centimeters
behind Kirk's forehead, and it echoed all around the
hollow places within,
  reverberating gently between his ears.
  ""No," the Voice instructed, "do not
attempt to use your weapons." Kirk experimentally
tried to- comply and found he could raise his thumb from
the trigger. The loosening of control was generalised,
enabling him to move his extremities now-fingers,
toes, eyes, and mouth.
  He utilised the latter to announce
unnecessarBy, Tm paralyzed, Mr.
Spock."
  "tilde We are being held in a new, unique
tvoe of force field, Captain," the first officer
commented thickly.
  "Put away your weapons," the Voice continued.
"These are My children. Do not attempt to harm them."
  Kirk put aside the question of who was about to harm
whom in his desire to learn what was at work here. It
was certainly no manifestation of the spearwielders'
minds.
  Vho are you?" he asked.
  Echo are your' came the reply.
  Proceed slowly, he warned himself. This is a
powerful, unknown quantity with unknowable motivations.
Don't anger it, and don't give anything away.
  "Em Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the
Federation cruiser Enterprise. On my right is my
first officer, Mr. Spock, and on his right,
Honorary Commander Ari ho Bern of the Pandro
system of worlds."
  Rib* received the impression that this honest recounting
of names and titles satisfied the Voice.
  'pithy are you here?" it inquired with what sounded like
true curiosity. "Why do you disturb this place?"
  hit is part of our mission," Kirk tried
to explain, staving to make their assignment sound as
innocuous 30 STAR TREK too
  as possible. "We are required to classify this
planet. We have to take readings, examine the
native population, report the state of-was
  The Voice interrupted, not angrily, but
annoyed. "What gives you the right to intrude here7
This planet was not created for your use. My children are
not created to be subjects of your tests. Your
weapons, bad things, will be nullified.""
  Kirk watched the phaser he held simply
melt away. He experienced no pain, no
sensation of heat-only a slight tingle in his palm
after the phaser had completely vanished. The tingling
faded rapidly.
  "I would say 'nullified" was an understatement,
Spock.?"'
  Natural color returned without warning. Kirk
stumbled, his muscles stiff from being held motionless
BO ionand
  Seeing the intruders stumble and the peculiar shiny
things disappear from their hands, the natives slowed. They
lowered their spears and clubs and clustered tightly
around their captives.
  "There are times, Mr. Spock," Kirk went
on, staring in amazement at his now empty hand, "when
I think I should have been a librarian."
  "There are those who believe the task of librarian
would be equally challenging, Captain," Spock
responded as the circle of lowered spears grew
denser around them. Sharp points touched the midsections
of the three captives. "Though it is undoubtedly
less dangerous....
  "The disturbance was temporarily localised,
Mr. Scott," Uhura reported from the science
console. His
  have been able to fix it near what appears
to be a village of local native life. It's
not far from where you originally set down."
  "Never mind the disturbance," Scott muttered,
eyeing Arex. "Have you found the captain and Mr.
Spock yet7"
  "I've located emanations tilde which could be the
captain's and Commander Spock's," he explained
care STAR TR-ERather LOG NINE 31
  fully, with the emphasis on the "could be." "But
the sensory anomaly has so interfered with our
instrumentation that it is impossible to make positive
identification at this time."
  "Which means tilde was Uhura began, but Scott
cut her ok
  was "Could be" is good enough for me, right now,
Lieutenant. Ready a security landing squad.
We're going down there with questions and phasers." He
rose from the con and headed toward the turboTo t.
  Kirk, Spock, and bn Bem found themselves
secured within the three cages only recently
vacated. This time they were surrounded by several guards
who looked alert and ugly. Kirk did not enjoy the
return to familiar
  surroundings. Their moment of liberty had been
shortlived and short-circuited by a
mysterious unseen power which saw fit to side with the
antisocial locals. And now they didn't even have
the possibility of recovering their phasers or
communicators. The former had been melted
into nothingness, and the latter were confiscated by their
captors.
  As might be expected, Commander be Bem did not
improve the situation any. "You've mishandlled
problem again, Kirk Captain," the Pandronian
berated him. "This One judges you not an
intelligent captain."
  Kirk was almost too discouraged by their failed
eseape and subsequent recapture to respond.
"Commander be Bem, Mr. Spock and I are here in the
first place because we thought you were worth rescuing.
Don't misunderstand me. It was to preserve good
relations between the Federation and planet Pandro, not out of
any overwhelming affection for your person."
  "Planet Pandro," be Bem riposted, "is
unconcerned as to fate of This One. Planet
Pandro win not have dealings with ineffectual and inferior
species. You've failed everything you have attempted.
You have not rescued This One and you have not been able
to handle local primitives."
  At the conclusion of this sneering polemic,
seeing 32 STAR TREK L tilde tilde E
  that the guards were temporarily inattentive, the comm
tilde nder literally came apart at the seams.
  Is head hopped down off his shoulders, moving on
short stumpy legs. His upper torso, headless
now, walked on long amp, while both legs,
joined at the top, backslash slid easily through the
bars of the cage. These parts were followed by the rest of the
commander.
  The head turned back to call to Kirk and
Spock. "This One wishes you-what is the Federation
Sol word-luck? Yes, luck. You will require
it."
  With a contemptuous salute from one of the arms
attached to the upper torso, the components of- the
commander scuttled separately into the
  surrounding brush.
  "Wait! Unlock us-set us freer" Kirk
finally gave up shouting at the unresponsive forest.
Meanwhile, the guards noted the sudden disappearance of
one of their captives, yet again. Much frantic
gabbling and gesticuIating ensued, after which most of them
started off into the jungle, following the tracks of be
Bem's main legs. Some shook spears and clubs
at the two men still imprisoned, made
faces promising tilde dire developments on
their return. Kirk sympathised with them.
  "So much for interspecies loyalty and
PandronianPederation
  friendship," he muttered angrily "tilde
Well, fine" We're going to get no help from
our guest, wec communicate with these natives, and
we can't get through to the ship. What now?"
  "Perhaps," Spock mused thoughtfully, "we can
regain the attention of the powerful local intelligence
and reason with it."
  The aborigines had left the communicators
unguarded nearby. Spock succeeded in unraveling
enough of one vine to make a small lasso. Kirk
watched uneasBy, expecting some native to happen
along at any mom meet, while Spock
patiently cast and recast the line.
  Eventually they regained their communicators. But
a furtive attempt to contact the ship produced the
same results as before-nothing.
  Kirk studied the device as if it were capable of
pro
  SITAR TREK were -- NIB 33
  ducing the miracle they hoped for. '1t's worth
a try, I suppose." He started
to talk, then hesitated. His('How do you address
something you've never seen and cannot imagine?" He
shrugged as Spock regarded him silently.
  "Oh, well . . . Kirk to alien
intelligence, Kirk to alien
  intelligence. This is Captain James Kirk
caning the controlling intelligence of this world. Answers
pond9 please."
  He felt something of the fool talking into a
communicator directed at thin air. It
probably would be as effective to throw his head back
and howl at the sky. But comusing the communicator
couldn't hurt.
  He continued trying, to continued nonresponse.
  "tilde Perhaps an offering of some sorts
Captain," suggested Spock. Kirk eyed his first
officer evenly. "tilde Whatever we're dealing
with, Mr. Spock, I don't think we can babe
it. Not that we've much to bribe with, but somehow I think
it's imperative we be honest with it." He
directed his voice to the small pickup and tried
again, earnestly.
  "Kirk to alien intelligence, Kirk to alien
nteBigence." He paused, shaking his head. "Good
idea, and that's all, Spock."
  "Hmmm," the Vulcan murmured. 'elf we
connect our two communicators, we can generate a
single high-energy burst, several times the strength a
single communicator can put out. That might draw more
attention to tilde is." He finished the
proposal unwaveringly:
  'iDoing so will also render both communicators
powerless in a very short time."
  "Do its" Kirk concurred. "Thev tilde re
useless now an tilde rway, if we can't reach the
ship through them."
  "The interference could clear later, Captain."
  "tilde Yes, but by then our jailers will be back
and wm take them away from us again. They'll put them
way out of reach. Let's take the gamble,
Spock."
  "Precisely my thoughts, Captain." He
extended both hands and arms through the bars of his cage.
  Kirk moved over to the side facing Spock's
cage. He made a one, two, three gesture with the
hand holding the communicator and let it fly with a soft
underhand 34 STAR TREK tilde NIB
  toss. Spock caught it neatly and bent immediately
to the task of mating the two instruments.
  Ordinarily he could have accomplished the
task in a couple of minutes, but the circumstances
were not as conducive to such work as were the labs on board
the Enterprise. Nevertheless, he managed it.
  When they were firmly locked together, he tossed the
hybrid back to Kirk, who checked the
reintegrated circuitry and nodded approval.
He switched it on, felt the warmth immediately as the
double-powered device began to build toward
overload.
  "This is Captain James Tiberius Kirk
calling the ruling intelligence of this world. Can you hear
me? If so, please acknowledge."
  He repeated the call over and over, working against the
mounting heat in the joined communicators, steadily
adjusting the frequency modulator.
  "Kirk to entity, Kirk to entity. This is
Captain James rlberius Kirk caging thee n
  The wooden bars of the cage turned violet, the
ground became orange shot with black, and he found
his fingers frozen on the double communicator.
  "I am here," the Voice announced gently.
  "We apologise for our intrusl tilde n,-
Kirk explained hurriedly. "We didn't
realize the true situation here. If we had, we
certainly would not have proceeded as we have. If
you win permit us, we will leave immediately in our
vessel and not return. Nor will others of our kind
come.
  "If we do not return, then others of our
Federation will surely come and you will be troubled no end.
Please understand, this is not a threat. They will come not as
destroyers, but rather as curious explorers."
  There was a long silence during which Kirk discovered
that despite his paralysis he could still sweat.
  "This is good," the Voice finally decided.
Kirk let out a private shout. "Go, then-go now
and do not return."
  The paralysis vanished. Kirk stretched in
relief. "Just one more thing: There's a third member
of our group." STAR TREK LCKBBNINE 35
  "I detect no third inteDigence here," the
Voice responded, sounding puzzled.
  "He, ah, left this immediate area," Kirk hastened
to explain. f i. The Voice ignored him. "You
must go. You must not interfere with the natural
activities of My children. I will allow you to contact
your ship again, but go now. His
  Kirk didn't hesitate. Rapidly he
disconnected the two communicators and checked the
power leads. "StiUs functioning-whewt" A
second sufficed to reset his own communicator on
standard ground-to tilde ship frequency.
  "Kirk to Enterprise. Kirk to-was
  Response was gratifyingly fast.
"enterprise," an excited voice sounded over the
little speaker. "Uhura here. Captain, are you all
right?"
  "Affinnative. Stand by." He looked across at
Spock. "We're not leaving without ho Bem. He's
stiDo our re6ponsibility, and I won't
abandon him here-no matter how much he deserves it.
I can't play personalities in this." He
returned his attention to the communicator.
  "Lieutenant Uhura, beam down a security
squad with tricorders set for Pandronian scan."
  "Aye, aye, sir. Mr. Scott has already
readied one, with phaser cannon."
  "Belay that, Lieutenant!" Kirk ordered
frantically. Gino heavy weapons-just tricorders.
Hop to it. Kirk out." He Sipped the
communicator shut and stuck it back to his waist.
  "Cannon or no, the intelligence will still be most
dim pleased, Captain."
  "I'll worry about that when I have to, Mr.
Spock," replied Kirk firmly. "Our
primary concern now is to recover Commander be Bem,
whatever the opposition." He looked toward the
canter of the village cleanog. "Here they come . .
."
  SmaDo rainbow whirlwinds began to form before them.
Six crew members appeared, five of them clad
in security tunics, the sixth in that of the engineering
dividon. 36 STAR TREK Loo NINE
  "Captain, Mr. Spock," Scott
exclaimed the moment he had fully rematerisli
tilde ed and had time for a look around, "are you all
right?" He pulled his phaser, adiusted it, and began
burning through the fastenings on the cage door.
  "AU right now, Scatty," Kirk replied.
  The last fiber gave and Kirk was freed. One
of the ensigns had performed a similar service for
Spock.
  "Spread out, staying within sight of each other at
all times. You're all familiar with the
Enterprise's guest, Commander Ari ho Bem of
Pandro?" There were nods and signs of affirmation,
several of them embroidered with personal opinion.
  "This is a priority assignment," Kirk warned
them sternly. "Personal opinions and feelings have
no place here. We may encounter hostile
native bipeds. Stun
  - only for self-protection, and then only as a
last resort.
  'Snow, let's spread out and try to locate
Commander bn Bem. He's split into three
individual parts."
  "Beggin" pardon, sir," Scott blurted,
voicing the general-confusion. "Three parts?"
  "Commander be Bem is some kind of colony
creature," Kirk explained. "He can operate as
a single large individual, as you've seen him, or
as three sepal orated segments-maybe more, we
don't know." He grinned tightly. "A
guarantee you won't confuse part of him for native
life."
  The group turned and started off toward the sew
lion of forest the Pandronian had run into,
spreading out as Kirk had directed and working their way
through the beginnings of the thickening undergrowth.
  As it developed, they got no further than
Spock, Kirk, and be Bem had the previous
night.
  Captain's admonition or no, when confronted
by the sudden appearance of numerous screaming natives
three meters tall, all charging toward them
waving spears and clubs, none of the security
personnel hesitated. Low-power phaser bursts
colored the air and several natives dropped,
temporarily paralyzed.
  The Voice, despite Spock's fears, did
not interfere.
  STAR TRBR 1 tilde 00 NINE 37
  The ground remained brown, the leaves green, and
their limbs mobile. They continued into the jungle.
  It wasn't long before they encountered the main body
of warriors. They were returning to the village with a
recaptured (and intact) Commander be Bem in their
midst. He Divas tied like a tiger, every part of his
body secured tilde with vines and lianas.
  A few phaser bursts were enough to send the rest of the
natives running in terror. They left their
weapons and fallen comrades and vanished into the
trees, leaving a securely bound be Bem standing
alone behind them. Kirk thought the commander looked rather
embarrassed.
  'fine couldn't help it, sir," Scott declared,
coring over to join Kirk as the captain moved toward
the Pandronian. "The crew had to defend themselves."
  . "Don't worry about it now, Scatty,"
Kirk reassured him, anxiously studying
the sky and the terrain around them. "Let's get our
guest and get out of here before we make any real
trouble."
  ha Bem's head inclined forward and there was a
moroseness, a modesty in his tone Kirk had never
heard. "Embarrassment results," he declared
softly. "This One is shamed. This One has failed
in its judgment."
  If that was a plea for sympathy, it was wasted on
Kirk. "You have endangered an of us by your actions,"
he- chastised the commander, "and you've forced us to interfere
with the natives of a world that deserves prime
directive protection-not to mention outright
quarantine."
  comThe Pandronian struggled to regain some of his former
haughtiness. "This One exists by its own standards,"
he announced, rather lamely.
  "Not on my ship, you don't. Not any more. Ill
stand for a lot, Commander, but when the Enterprise itself is
endangered, diplomacy takes a back seat."
He kicked at the dirt and reached for his
communicator.
  The dirt turned orange and froze in midfaUs
as colorful aberrations swept the landscape and all
Kirl"'s fears were suddenly roached. He
fought the paralysis, fought
  .
  38 STAR TRBK [tilde tilde
  to activate his communicator. If He just make
one shout, relay one order to have them beamed up . .
.
  But the effort was useless. His finger wouldn't move
another
  millimeter closer to that crucial switch
  There was no fury in the Voice. No spite,
no indignation. Kirk had the impression that such
petty emotional flavorings were beyond the mind behind the
Voice. If it contained any recogalzable
inflection, it was one of puzz lement.
  "You are still here," it announced solemnly. "And
you are still interfering" Then it added, without any change
in tone, ""I am angry."
  "We didn't mean to interfere," Kirk
explained des perately. "We have our own rules
of conduct which forbid intrusion into the affairs of others.
We his
  "Then you have not only disobeyed My rules, you have
broken your own as well."
  "No. We simply could not leave one of our own
behind. It is our responsibility to take
care of those placed under our protection, just as it's
your responsibility to take care of yours.
  'eve could not leave Commander be Bem where he could
interfere with your"-he hesitated- "children. Would you
really want that?" He waited tensely for the
response.
  "Yes," that rippling voice finally replied, "it
is so. You have some wisdom, James Tiberius
Kirk. The lost one is found, then?"
  "He is found," Kirk admitted. "We will
leave."
  Another voice sounded-ha Bem's. 'th One is
greatly distressed. This One has erred. The mission
was to judge, and the right of judgment no longer exists
This One must disassemble unity."
  "Disassemble?" Kirk started.
  ""Never again to exist as a cooperation. This unity
is defective, insufficient, inadequate, and
false. This unit must cease to exist."
  Kirk started to protest-certainly a severe
reprimand was in order, but as he understood it the
Pandronian was contemplating suicide. His
personal inclinatiens were overriden by more powerful
concerns. "Not," STAR TRBR L tilde
NIB 39
  bn Bem looked around wildly. "what . . .
?"
  "Do not destroy yourself."
  "But-This One has erred," bn Bem protested.
This One has tried to judge Kirk Captain and
Spock Commander, only to be found himself wanting. This
One has acted wrongly."
  "tilde You may have made a mistake," the
Voice declared, without judging the Pandronian's
actions in any way, "but if you disassemble you cannot
learn from your error. Errors demand recognition.
They also demand nonrepetition. If you disassemble,
you will not be able to never repeat your mistake."
  Spock admired the logic of it while bn Bem
argued uncertainly. "And you-you do not demand
punishment, for the brealdog of your laws?"
  Kirk was ready to scream; was be Bem trying to get
them an
  disassembled? He needn't have worried.-He
comwas underestimating their
  observer.
  "Punishment?" Now the puzz lement was
unmistakable. "tilde What is punishment?"
  "Revenge."
  "Revenge? Intelligent beings require
no revenge. Punishment is necessary only where learning
cannot occur without it. You are behind such things as I am
above it. My children here are different. That is why you
must leave, so as not to corrupt their development with
such obscene concepts as punishment and red
  verge." tilde
  The last comment was uttered with an inflection of
contempt so strong it made Kirk momentargy
dizzy.
  tilde were' am humbled," was all bn Bem
managed to whim per
  Suddenly Kirk found that his own anger at ho
Bem had become a source of embarrassment. "Wed
be on our way now, if we may," he asked
humbly.
  "Yes. Go now . . ."
  Natural coloration returned to the jungle and
Kirk regained control of his body. For a long
moment he studied the landscape, but saw only
trees and vines, heard only the sounds of bird-
things and shy crawlers. There was the rustle of a
breeze. Nothing more. 40 STAR TREK LOO
NINE
  He took out his communicator, addressed it
slowly. "Kirk to
  Enterprise. Beam UB up . . ."
  bn--Bem was with him as the captain resumed his
position at the con. "Stand by to break orbit."
  Spock was back at the library station, awaiting
instructions. "Mr. Spock, classify this
planet, Delta Theta Three, as being under strict
Pederationquarantine from this stardate forward. Said
quarantine subject to Starfleet review of the
official report of this mission. Under no
circumstances is any vessel to approach this world."
  "A restriction planet Pandro will also
respect," ha Bem declared helpfully.
  "I compliment you both on a wise decision,
gentlemen," said Spock, working to prepare the necessary
documentation.
  "It's necessary for them as well as for us, Spock,"
Kirk explained. Spock nodded, turned his gaze
to the main viewscreen. It displayed a wide-sensor
picture of the planet in question, still rotating
demurely below them, giving no hint of the
extraordinary alien intelligence inhabiting it.
  "It is fascinating, Captain. A highly
advanced alien entity using this system as a
laboratory for guiding another people to racial
maturity. Almost a god, you might say."
  "Such comparisons are as meaningless as they are
farfetched, Mr. Spock. By contrast to the ruling
mind of Delta Theta Three, we are all children."
  "In This One's case," be Bem mumbled with
becoming humility, "is still an eggling."
  Kirk looked gratified. If, despite all
the trouble, this expedition had taught the Pandronian a
little modesty, then it was worth all they'd been through.
  "Take us out of orbit, Mr. Sulu. It's
time to-was
  at at
  Uhura broke in with an exclamation of
surprise. "Captain, I'm picking up a
transmission from the surface."
  "Put it through the bridge speakers,
Lieutenant."
  - Kirk, @.pock" and bn Bem recognised that
wizened,
  STAR TREK LOG NINE i. 41
  maternal voice, which rippled and heaved with vast
sighs like some midocean wave:
  "tilde Go in peace. Go in peace, children. You have
learned much, though you have much left to learn. Be proud
and-someday, perhaps-return."
  That was the tantalising bequest Hey bore
with them as, at warp four, the Enterprise left the
system of the sun Delta Theta.
  That was a promise worth carryingeahome....

  Kirk and Spock remained affected by their contact
with the
  extraordinary intelligence experimenting on
Delta Theta Three, only in their case the
effects didn't show. The opposite was true of
Commander Ari bn Bem.
  In contrast to the first part of the voyage, the commander had
turned into a model passenger. His demeanor as they
traveled toward StarBeet Science Station 24 was
downright subdued.
  Previously his interest in Federation procedures
and operations had run from nonexistent to outright diedain.
Following the humbling experience on Delta Theta
Three, he exhibited a powerful desire to use the
limited time remaining to him to learn an he could about the
methods of Federation survey, navigation, research,
and other exploratory techniques. So furiously
did he plunge into his new studies that Kirk
feared for his health. The commander refused to slow down,
however.
  'ationave wasted much time already, Kirk
Captain," ha Bem told him in response
to Kirk's expressions of concern. "This One's
ignorance must be assuaged. Cost to body self is
negligible in comparison."
  be Bem's prior intransigence manifested itself
now and then, but only when the material he wished
to ab 42 STAR TRBR LOG NINB
  sorb wasn't instantly available, or when he
chose to dispute a bit of science or procedure.
So hard did he question various technicians that they
almost wished they were aged victims of the
Paudronian's contempt instead of his voracious
desire to learn.
  It had been Kirk's intention to leave the commander
at Science Station 24. According to the captaiu's
original orders from Starfleet Command, the commander would
remain at the station for a month, intensively
researching Federation analytic methodology until
a Pandronian ship arrived to take him home.
  But Kirk was not to lose be Bem's company as
soon as he thought. Hiswere' have contact with Science
Station Twenty-four, Captain," Uhura
announced. "whey have an urgent message."
  "Classified?" Kirk asked discreetly, with a
glance at the science station, where ho Bem was
engaged in earnest discussion with Spock.
  Uhura checked her instrumentation His('ment tilde
doesn tilde t ap-- pear to be, Captain."
  "Very well, Lieutenant. Put it on the
screen." Kirk swiveled the command chair as
Uhura moved to comply. A brief burst of static
and the viewscreen produced a portrait.
  The face of Licutenant-Commander
KunjoIly stared back at him. Long white
sideburns looking like puffs of steel wool flared
out from skin the hue of dark chocolate. In an age
of scientific miracles, the station commander's smooth
pate was a glaring anomaly
  "Captain Kirk," the slightly high-pitched
voice offered in greeting. "Good to see you again."
  Costello, Monty," a smiling Kirk
replied. "Nice to see you, too. I have some good
news for you.)"' It would be considered more than good, he
reflected, when the no doubt apprehensive station
staff learned of their incipient guest's
transformation.
  "And I have some puzzling news," Kunjolly
riposted, "though not for you. But go ahead and tell me
yours first."
  Kirlc looked uncertainly at the
screen. "All right." STAR TREK NINB 43
  He glanced over at the science station. The
conversation between bn Bem and Spock had grown
lively.
  "Your assigned visitor had an experience at
our final survey stop which seems to have modified the
inherent irascibility of his kind. I don't know
how familiar you are with the Pandronians, but you'll be
glad to know that this one's become almost charming"
  Kunjolly grinned back at him. "That's very
gratifying to learn, Captain." The grin turned
to a concerned frown. "Though I wonder if we'll be
enjoying his company for long."
  Kirk's puzzlement grew. 'what are you talking
about, Monty?" Visions of having to play host
to even a reformed bn Bem rose in his mind
  The station commander shuffled some papers out of Kirk's
view, then looked back into the pickup. 'Em
holding a sealed message for your Pandronian
VIP, Captain, beamed straight to us from his
homeworld of Pandro."
  'floor me a messaged came a startled queer.
Ape parently bn Bem hadn't been as totally
absorbed in hi" conversation with Spock as Kirk
had thought. Now he ambled over to stare at the
screen, then down at Kirk
  "what means this; Kirk Captain?"
  'ally was hoping you could tell me, Commander."
  "This One is expecting no sealed messages from
home," bn Bem declared openly. "This One is
thoroughly puzzled."
  "You've no idea what the message is?"
  "None more than you, Kirk Captain."
  "Oh, and something else, Captain Kirk."
  Kirk glanced back up at the screen. "What
is it, Montyour
  The station commander looked to his left. 'ally have
additional orders for the Enterpnse from Starfieet
Command. They read as follows:
  was 'The Interpose is hereby directed
to provide, pursuant to
  Federation law and naval restrictions, all
services requested by Pandronian representaffve
Commander Ari bn Bem subsequent to his receipt
of important message to him from his government." was
44 STAR TRBK [equals tilde
  "ThaesaDvery irregular," Kirk observed,
a mite testily. "Why wasn't the message sent
directly to us? It could have reached UB Bevera1
days ago."
  '4The Federation orders came through tilde only
this morning, stationtime, Captain Kirk. As for the
Paudroman message, there wouldn't have been any
point in sending it to you."
  "Why not?" Kirk wanted to know.
  "It was stated explicitly in Elaglish
accompanying the Pandroman that delivery of the
message was to await complementary orders from
Starfieet-the one that came through this morning.
  "Besides, it's all in Pandronian code. I
wouldn't like to try transcribing it for rebroadcast.
No one here has any clue as to the contend of the
message."
  "Someone at Starfleet must, Captain,"
Spock put in, "if they acceded so readily to the
Pandronian request."
  "Not necessarily, Spock," Kirk mused
thoughtfully. "The Pandronians might have made a
request for unspecified aid. StarBect wants
Pandro as an ally badly enough that they might have
promised our help without Icnowing the specifics of
what that help is wanted for."
  "That is possible, Captain," Spock conceded.
  "Very well. The sooner we dock in, the faster
we'll find out what this is aBut about." He
snapped directions to those manning the con. "Mr.
Sulu, Mr. Arex, bring us into Station
Twenty-four. Gently, if you please." His
attention returned to the screen.
  dive should be in your office in a little while,
Monty. I expect you're as curious to know the
nature of that message from Pandro as we are."
  "if am, Captain Kirk. However, the orders
from Starfleet are
  aBut-inclusive, which means that Commander ha Bem
need not apprise us of his message's contents."
  'if know," Kirk admitted, trying not to let his
worry how.
  "Enterpnandeaence out.""
  "Station twenty-four out," a solemn Kunjolly
ace knowledged, closing the transmission.
  "Well, Commander," Kirk began, facing ha
Bem, "still no idea of what's going one,"
  "Not ever before have I heard of such a thing, Kirk
  STAR TRBR LooINB 45
  Captain," the Pandronian replied. He
seemed genuinely concerned. Reflecting his
nervousness, his head shifted from side to side on his
shoulders. Even though he knew that a Pandronian
could sep" arate his body into at least three
major sections-each one capable of independent
motility-Kirk still found if unnerving to see the
commander adjust his structure so casually. "It must be
important, Captain," insisted Spock from his
position at the science station. 'fly requesting such
extreme assistance from Starfieet, the Pandronians
are jeopardising their neutrality. That is a great
deal to risk merely to speed the commander on his way.
Obviously, his presence is desired for some
emergency so severe that they cannot wait for one of their
own ships to come and pick him up." "Makes sense,
Mr. Spock," the captain agreed. From what he
knew of Pandro, which was little, Kirk found the entire
situation unlikely. Something had worried the
Pandronian government enough for them to modify their
fierce independence. That was aation to the Federation's good,
but not necessarBy to that of his ship. Science Station
24 consisted of a central hub in the shape of a
slowly turning disk from which the multiple spokes of
connector passageways protruded. Various
shaped modular stations bulged at the terminus of each
long pressurized corridor; spheres, cubes,
ellipsoids, and combinations of these and other forms held
laboratories and living quarters, the whole station a
halluci" nant's vision of an exploded
popcorn ban. Bach module housed a different
function, from complete
  laboratories dedicated to the study of zero-g
biology to long
  tubular.structures filled with facilities for
examining the movement of subatomic particles. One
of the longer spokes ended in a simple large
airlock. No other modules were placed near it.
liven so, it was a delicate maneuver on
Sulu's part to align the Erg terprt.se properly
with the station docking port. The simple spoke
provided none of the navigational aids of a
completely self-enclosed StarBeet station dock,
but 46 STAR TREK LOGGBBNINE
  those weren't required here. Only supply ships
and occasional ships like the Enterprise on special
missions stopped at the isolated research stations.
Elaborate facilities would have been wasted.
Gravity increased to near normal as the turbolift
carried Kirk, Spock, and Commander Ari be Bem
down the long pressurised shaft toward the central
station hub. From the central turbolift depot, where
cargo and passenger lifts transported supplies
and personnel to the many distant lab modules, it was
a short walk to the outer offices of the station
commandant, Lieutenant Commander Kunjolly. An
ensign greeted them and after a short conversation via
intercom, directed them to the inner sanctum. "Good
to see you again, Captain Kirk," Kunjolly
exclaimed as the three entered. He left his desk
to shake Kirk's hand, then repeated the formality with the
Ens tcrprise's first officer. "And you, Mr.
Spock." "Dr. Kunjolly," the science officer
said by way of return, using a warmer title than the
station chief's military one. Spock was anxious
to learn the nature of Kunjolly's extraordinary
message for be Bem, and the sooner formalities,
however pleasant, were over, the better he would like it.
Spock's concern was echoed by the tan blue form
alongside him. "Anxiousness This One expresses
to observe message," stammered be Bem hurriedly.
"I understand," Kunjolly declared. Returning to his
seat behind the big desk, he passed a palm over
its left andmiddot; side. There was a soft beep,
duplicated by a second beep as his hand crossed
over the spot once again. A panel flipped open
behind the desk. AR three guests watched as the station
commandant used an electronic key to open a
locked drawer. After removing a tiny metal cube
he relocked the drawer and pressed a hidden
button. A three-panel viewer common to conference
rooms on the Enterprise popped up in the center
of the desk. Kunjolly inserted the message cube
properly and hit still another switch. Kirk and
Spock stared expectantly at the tripartite
screen as it lit up, but the flow of information which
SITAR TREK tilde OG NINE 47
  raced across was disappointingly incomprehensible. Not
that either man had anticipated understanding the Pandronian
message, but Kirk had half hoped he could make
something out of the communication. The complex
cryptography proved totally alien, though, as
alien as the Pandronians themselves. While Kirk
waited impatiently, Commander bn Bem avidly
examined the steady stream of information. Occasionally the
Pandronian would produce a low gurgling noise,
sounding like a faulty water pipe, but otherwise he
remained silent as he studied the message. At the
conclusion of the message, be Bem let out a startling
yelp, his eyes rolled over, and he collapsed to the
floor. "Commander be Bem!" Kirk shouted, rushing
to kneel above the motionless form. Kunjo11y
hurried around from behind his desk, and Spock also bent
over the prone Pandronian. The commander's eyes
remained shut and his upper torso appeared
to be shivering slightly. Kirk put out a hand toward
one shoulder, intending to give the body a gentle
shake, and abruptly hesitated. "Mr. Spock,
how much do we know of Pandronian physiology?"
"Practically nothing, Captain."
  Kirk's hand drew back.
  Kunjolly's hands had tightened into worried
fistic "There must have been something powerful in that
message. It appears to have induced a fatal
shock." "No matter the cause," Spock noted
grimly. "If he dies here, aboard a Pederation
outpost while under Federation protection, we will be
blamed. Not for inducing the shock-that is surely the
fault of the message but for not knowing how to cure its
effects.. Pandronian-Pederation relations will
suffer." Kirk noticed that the shivering continued.
"lIe's not dead-not yet, anyway. Monty, get
in touch with your medical personnel. Mr. Spock,
contact Dr. McCoy, explain what's happened,
and have him rush down here. Perhaps working toeaeether we
can-was Spock put up a hand for silence. "Just a
moment, Captain, Dr. Kunjolly." The station
commandant 48 STAR TREK L tilde ME
  paused at his desk, one hand ready to activate
the intercom there.
  Kirk stared in fascination. The body of the
unconscious Pandronian was coming apart. First the lower
torso slithered away from the commander's stomach. The
upper torso, moving on mobile arms, detached
itself at the lower part of the neck. Both lower and upper
body sections moved independently to take up
positions on either side of the limp head. Tiny
cilia extending from the upper part of the hips commenced a
feathery caress of the face while the two hands
massaged the back of the skull, which raised up
slightly on cilia of its own to provide easy
access for the arms. Kirk stared openmouthed at the
nightmare scene being played out before them. "The
Pandronian form," Spock commented quietly,
"appears capable of taking care of itself under
circumstances which would leave a human
Vulcan-relatively helpless." As if to confirm
further the first officer's speculation, Commander bn
Bem's eyes blinked open seconds later. stin
moving on neck cilia, the now-alert head adjusted
itself on the floor. Rushing about like a family of
varmints scurrying to flee an owl, the remaining
sections of the commander's body reattached themselves at
neck and stomach. ho Bem placed both hands on the
floor and sat up, staring at the stupefied
onlookers with a puzzled
  expression. "This One fainted at import of
message, Kirk Captain. Something the matter
is?" "Uh, you fen down without warning. live thought you
needed assistance." ha Bem got to his feet, a
touch of his natural aloofness reasserting itself. 'u not
to worry. Natural superiority of Pandronian
lifeform assures self-care in such matters."
Ele moved to the desk, addressed a stilldazed
Kunjolly. The station commandant, Kirk reminded
himself,. had not seen the startling Pandronian
separate- but-equal performance before today.
"1mport of message overwhelmed This One
temporarily. Must run through again, please." STAR
TRBK Loa NINE 49
  "tilde What?" muttered Kunjolly, in
the.voice of a man emerging from a dream. "Must see
again the message." ha Bem gestured at the blank
triple screen. "Yes ... of course." The station
commandant regained his composure and pushed the
appropriate button. Once more the coded
Pandronian message splashed its cryptic
contents across the desk screens. Spock chose the
moment to whisper to Kirk, "A most interesting
display, Captain, on the commander's part.
Apparently the shock of the message only
incapacitated the brain, leaving the rest of the body
free to work at restoring consciousness. A useful
function for an intelligent being to have. The
advantages would apply to a host of diseases-the
problems of hangover, for example." "True,"
agreed Kirk readily. "I can see where tilde was
He paused, gaped at his first officer. "Now, why
would a nonimbibing Vulcan be interested in
hangover remedies, Mr. Spock?" 'Chile not
subject to such a primitive malady, Captain,
I can still
  appreciate the luxury of a physiology which
keeps the rest of the body from suffering for the
transgressions of a poorly functioning brain."
Kirk was about to reply when he was interrupted by a
series of shouts and yelps from Commander be Bem. The
Pandronian was twisting his hands about one another in an
unfamiliar fashion while shaking his head from side
to side. On occasion as the commander gave vent to his
emotions his head would lift up slightly on its
motile cilia and run back and forth on his
shoulders, sometimes turning complete circles. This was
an upsetting sight even to one who by now should be inured
to the unique abilities of the Pandronian
form. "Oh, woe! Oh, incomprehensibility!
Oh, abomination most sublime!" bn Bem turned
eyes filled with disbelief on Kirk. "Something that
cannot be imagined has happened." Kirk noted that the
screens were blank once again. The message had
run its course for the second time. . 50 STAR
TRBK Boa NINE
  He wondered how much of this naked emoting was for his
benefit, in
  anticipation of a request yet to como. At least the
commander's head had ceased its gyrations and had seen
fit to sit in normal head-fashion solidly on
bn Bem's shoulders. For this Kirk was thankful.
"Is there something we can do to help?" he asked, knowing
foil well that the Pandronian government had already
made that request of Stardeet Command, albeit in a
generalised form. "Is," acknowledged be Bem
tersely. "Must go This One with you to planet Pandro
immediately." "With us?" Kirk exclaimed, his
eyebrows suddenly matching Spock's for
altitude. "That explains the orders, Captain,"
Spock pointed oot.
  "Yes, to go immediately all of us," the excited
Pandronian insisted. "No delay to be brooked."
He brushed past Kirk and Spock as he
headed for the outside corridor leading toward the
central station hub. "Without pause follow now,
Kirk Captain. Of the essence Is time." "But we
was Too late; the commander was gone, presumably on
his way back to the Enterprise. Kirk took a
deep breath, turned back to a dumbfounded
Kunjolly.
  "I'd like to see those StarQeet orders for myself,
Monty."
  "Of course, Captain," the station commandant
roplied understandingly. Reaching into his desk, he
withdrew another cube, replaced the Pandronian
message cube with it, and activated the playback.
This time the triple screen bloomed with the face and
upper body of a Starneet admiral. A second
human hovered in the background of the recording.
Kirk didn't recognize the nonspeaker's
face, but the trim uniform of the Federation
Diplomatic Corps was unmistakable. Both he
and Spock listened as the verbal orders played through.
It was quiet in the office for a long moment after the
communique ceased. "But surely, Monty,"
Kirk argued out loud, "rendering services can't mean
that Commander be Bem is STAR TREK 51
  permitted to commandeer the Enterprise for his
own private transportation." Kunjolly looked
thoughtful, then ventured almost apologetically,
"tilde What are your next stated orders, Cap
"Actually, we don't have any." Kirk told
him. "On dropping off Commander be Bem here we were
supposed to"-his voice sank-"await new
directives from Starfleet." "In the absence of
additional orders or specifics, the message
appears inarguable, Captain," Spock finally
mused aloud. "We are to provide whatever
services Commander bn Bem requires, while
keeping within Federation law. The commander desires to go
directly to Pandro, therefore we must take him there.
'1 confess I too have mixed feelings about
traveling to the world which developed those attitudes the
commander espoused prior to our experiences on Delta
Theta Three, but naturally we cannot allow personal
opinions to interfere with the Starfleet
directive.") ""Naturally." Kirk
concurred. "Though just this once I wish that-was He
stopped, frowning. "Spock, we don't know why the
commander has to go to Pandro so quickly. Could it violate
Federation and Starfleet law if he fails to ten
us?" "Unfortunately," Spock responded,
Hiswere' am afraid that because our orders were so
general in scope, he need not. But considering his
altered attitude, I have ounds to believe he will."
"Good-bye, Monty," Kirk said quickly. 'fit
looks as if you'll have to wait a while longer
to entertain a Pandronian representative." "From
what I've heard and seen, Captain," the station
commandant replied, "I don't think the delay will
upset too many of my associates." After rushing
for the turbolift depot, Kirk and Spock had
to wait around for an empty capsule. In his haste
to return to the Erzterprtse, a frantic Commander
ha Bem had taken the last one by himself. Hiswere'
hope," lfirk noted with wry amusement, "he has
52 STAR TRBR LOG NINB
  the decency to wait for us to return before leaving I
wouldn't put it past him to try to order the
Enterprise about on his ownl" IV
  The Pandronian commander didn't go quite that far, but his
impatience was unmistakable to Kirk when he walked
onto the ship's bridge. "Is in greatest hurry
to depart, Kirk Captain," be Bem rattled off
at top speed, accompanied by much waving of hands and
rolling of eyes. At least the eyes remained in
place in his head, Kirk mused gratefully.
"Is of the urgency utmost to proceed
to Pandro at maximum velocity." "Just try
to take it easy,
  Commander," Kirk advised the apoplectic
Pandronian as both he and Spock resumed their
stations. "We'll get you there as fast as is
practicable." "Not to delay," be Bem advised
him, his voice am
  suming a warning tone. "Is best for all
to remember the delicate nature of present
negotiations between planet Pandro and Federation, not
to mention Pandro and Klingon Empire." "tilde
Don't threaten me, Commandereament" Kirk told
him quietly. "I have my orders, which instruct me
to take you home if that is your wish I'll carry
those orders out." His voice rose ever so slightly:
"But threats from you or anyone else won't slow me
or speed me in doing "Slow you or speed you in doing
what, Jim?" another voice inquired.
  Kirk glanced over a shoulder, saw that McCoy
had entered the bridge. "In going to Pandro,
Bones." McCoy's body, unlike Commander ha
Bem's, was incapable of separating into three
independent parts. The expression on the good
doctor's face as he heard Kirk's
announcement, however, seemed to suggest that .
.
  STAR TREK t tilde tilde E 53
  he felt ready to give it a try. His gaze
traveled incredulously from Kirk to the phlegmatic
be Bem, then back to Kirk again. "Pandrol I thought
we were going to leave this going to leave Commander bn Bem
here at the station' then proceed on new orders."
"Those are our new orders, Bones, as interpreted
by Mr. Spock and myself. We are to render unto be
Bem whatever bn Bem requires. Right now he
requires that we get him to Pandro pronto."
Abut why, Jim? Why us? Why not a Pandroman
vessel"...tt
  "ares, why the unusual haste, Comm tilde
nder"...tt asked Spock from the science station.
"Insensitive beingsI" bn Bem raged, a touch of
his fonder
  personality reasserting itself. ""Unfeeling
onesl Explanations to demand while sacrilege
occurs!" Still fuming at the incomprehensible insult
caused by Spoclcts simple question, the commander stalked
off the bridge. McCoy stared after the fuming alien
until the turbolift doors had closed behind him,
then glanced sardonically back to Kirk. "Well,
now that everythi tilde s been made clear
. . ." "Leo not be too harsh on our guest,
Doctor," advised an ever considerate Spock.
'prom what we now know of his psychology I have
to guess that his fury is motivated not by hostility but
by some real atrocity which has taken place on his
homeworld. I believe that if we do not- press him
for information now, he will inform us of the cause of his
anguish before we arrive at Pane dro." For a
long while it didn't look as if the first officer's
prediction would come to pass. Commander bn Bem
remained secluded in his cabin, having his meals sent
in and refusing to have anything whatsoever to do with anyone.
All invitations to emerge were met with a stony silence,
broken occasionally by gruff mutters in Pandronian
which sounded vaguely like cursing AB that changed of
necessity when the Enferprisc eventually entered
orbit around Pandro and the 54 STAR lllERLOG
NINE
  transporter room was prepared to beam them down.
Or so Kirk thought as he, Spock, and McCoy
stood waiting in the chamber for the commander to appear.
"Surely, Jim," a still disbelieving McCoy
murmured, We're not going to beam down to a world
possibly populated by arrogant megalomaniacs
without having the slightest idea of what
we're letting ourselves in for?" "Don't worry,
Bones. We're going to stay right here until I
get some kind of explanation out of bn Bem." "If
you recall the wording of our orders from Starfleet,
Captain ..." Spock put in by way of gentle
reminder. "I recall the wording perfectly,
Spock. We are to render service to Commander bn
Bem as he
  requires." When it became clear that the captain
had nothing to add, Spock pressed on. "Would you still
refuse him beam-down then, Captain, if he
continues to refuse information?" Kirk smiled
knowingly. "Of course not, Spock. Ad you just
noted, I couldn't do that without violating our orders.
But I'm betting that bn Bem, this close to home,
won't want to chance that." Several minutes passed
in idle speculation among the officers as to the cause
of the Pandronian commander's extraordinary summons
home. No one had produced a likely
explanation by the time the subject of their conversation
arrived. Spock and McCoy followed Kirk into the
Transporter Chamber, while Commander be Bem
exercised his newly won knowledge by moving to the
transporter console where he instructed Chief
Scott on beam-down coordinates.
Scott had to admit to himself that the Pandronian had
done his homework; the coordinates were precise and
neatly translated from Pandronian navigational
terms. The commander moved rapidly then to take up a
position alongside the three waiting officers..
Kim nodded toward the console. "Stand by to energise,
Mr. Scott."
  "Standin" by, sir," replied the chief engineer.
  Kirk waited a couple of seconds for effect
before he STAR TREK NIB 55
  turned to stare hard at the Pandronian. "All
right, Commander be Bem. We've brought you this far
unquestioningly, but we're not beaming down until I find
out what we're likely to encounter. What was that
message you received all about?" "At once to beam
dowel" the commander retorted angrily. "At once
to waste no more time. Is for you to remember orders
that-was Kirk was shaking his head slowly. "Sorry, that
won't work any more, Commander. Our orders directed
us to render you whatever service you, required in
accordance with Federation law and regulations. For us
to beam down ignorant of surface conditions which
might prove hazardous to Federation
personnel-our6elves would be in violation of those
laws." bn Bem said nothing, but continued
to stare belligerently at Kirk. "Quiet,"
Kirk finally prompted the Pandn tilde nian,
"whichll it be? Do we get some information, or do we
At here until I can get clarification from Starkest
headquarters? And unless Pandronian bureaucracy
is astonishinkly more efficient than its Federation
counterpart, you know how much time that will take." Commander be
Bem's gaze turned toward the deck and he was
obviously struggling to control himself. 'A time for This
One to have patience," he mumbled. 'A better to be
pleasant with misunderstanders." Eventually he looked
up and explained tersely, "You will comprehend full
meaning not, but has been stolen the Tam Paupa."
His enunciation of "stolen" conveyed a sense of
intense disgust and disbelief, evident to every listener on
the bridge despite their differences in species.
"The Tam Paupa1" Kirk repeated, wrestling
with the supple but guttural pronunciation. 'Em
afraid we don't know what that is, Commander be
Bem." The Pandronian looked
  exasperated. "Did I say not you would not understand?
This One endeavors to elucidate. ""Has been
worn well Tam Paupa by every ruler of United
Planet Pandro for"-he hesitated briefly-"for
56 STAR TREK tilde tilde
  twelve thousand of your years. To understand importance
of Tam Paupa you must realise, hard though it be,
Kirk Captain, that on rare occasions we
  Pandronians can be slightly testy, and
argumentative even." "Oh, we couldn't possibly
think of you that way," McCoy chirped in
sarcastically, "but if you say it'd true, I
suppose we'll have to believe you-hard though it be."
"Take it easy, Bones," Kirk whispered to the
doctor, but McCoy's sarcasm was apparently
lost on the worried Pa ndroni an . "Is the
wearing of Tam Paupa," bn Bem continued, "which
gives elected premier of Pandro the ability
to govern fairly and without animosity toward others.
Is talent recognised and honored by all
Pandronians. Wearer of Tam Paupa never
accused of injustices or favoritisms. This has
preserved our civilisation, Kirk Captain, has
permitted Pandro to reach present heights.
To imagine govermnent without Tam Paupa not
possible. "An example This One gives.
Sixteen hundred of your years ago, was stolen from
premier, Tam Paupa. Chaos and civil wars
resulting took three hundred years to recover from.
That this again should happen is unthinkable." He
looked simultaneously revolted and downcast.
"Yet happen it has." "y think I understand.
Commander," Kirk responded sympathetically as be
Bem- turned away to hide 08 emotions. Kirk
whispered to the nearby Spock and McCoy, "This
Tam Pa'upa is some sort of crown or other
device that somehow enhances the decision-making ability
of the elected Pandronian leader while assuring the
general populace of his continued impartiality. I'd
like to have a look at me mechanism."" "So would
I, Captain." Spock agreed readily. "Such
a device, if it truly does what the
commander-says it does, could benefit others besides the
Pandronians."" "And now it's been stolen," added
McCoy. "Last time it caused three centuries
of civil war." He whistled softly. 'Leo
wonder the Pandronians are panicked." STAR
TRBRL tilde tilde 57
  "It would appear, Captain," the first officer went
on, "that we have been presented a chance to solidify
the Federation's position vis-a-vis formal
interstellar relations." -- "You mean do inore than
just transport the com mander home, as our orders
indicate?" Kirk said.
  Spock nodded slowly and Kirk
considered uncertainly.
  "I don't know, Spock. We know so little about
Pandro.
  What little we do know seems to point to a highly
developed society fighting to survive on a
primitive world."
  "No more time to waste on murmurings idle," a
pleading bn Bem interrupted them. "Now
to rushhurry-quick with transporting." Devoid of
any reason to stall further, Kirk gave his
assent. The three officers resumed their positions
prior -- to transporting as Kirk faced the
console. "You can energize, Mr. Scott."
  "Aye, Captain," the chief engineer acknowledged
from behind the console. "I dinna know where these
coordinates will set you down. I hope the commander
knows what he's doin"dis" Kirk recalled the last
time they'd set down on a world after bn Bem had
programmed the transporter. He uncomfortably
  remembered rematerializing several meters above
open water. But he said nothing, mentally seconding
Scotty's wish. His first impression was that he had
materialized at the point of a gun. That was his thought
as he stared at the tubular-shaped, lethal-looking
instrument a grimfaced and very blue
Pandronian was pointing directly at his chest.
Glancing around, he saw that the little group was
surrounded by similarly armed, equally determined
Pandronians. "tilde What's this all about, bn
Bem?" McCoy asked, fighting to keep his anger in
check. "An explanation would certainly seem to be
in order, Commander," Spock added more calmly. But
he didn't take his eves off the Pandronian
covering him. "A precaution only, gentlemen," the
commander assured them. He spoke to the guards in his
own lan58 STAR TREK boae
  guage. Abruptly the weapons went vertical
and the intimidating circle turned into an escort of
honor. "This way, please," be Bem indicated.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy followed the commander
at a rapid pace down a high-ceilinged,
triangular-shaped corridor, their former captors
flanking them on either side. "I still do not understand,"
Spock persisted.
  "Is sad to admit, Spock Commander," bn Bem
proceeded to explain, "but are somewhat paranoid we
Pandronians where other races are concerned. As was
This One until enlightening experience on Delta
Theta Three." Privately Kirk felt that
describing Pandronians as "somewhat
paranoid" severely understated their state of mind, but
it would have been undiplomatic to argue the point.
They turned several bends in the corridor as
Spock wondered aloud, "How did the guards know
where we were going to materialise, Commander? You had no
contact with the surface prior to our beaming down."
"Oh, is standard landing coordinates for all
un-Pandronian visitors," be Bem told them.
"Detectors in chamber sense utilisation of
various transporter fields and so are alerted the
guards." That satisfied the first officer.. It also
inspired Kirk to reflect on the fact that the
Pandronians were an advanced people whose friendship was well
worth cultivating even if their personalities could
be somewhat disagreeable. It also caused him to wonder
how the Tam Paupa could have been stolen, since the
Pandronians were clearly very security-minded. A
final bend in the corridor and they came up against a
closed and guarded door. Commander ha Bem spoke
to the two neatly uniformed guards standing before it, and the
little party was admitted instantly. The room they
entered was roughly circular in shape. A broad
window across the floor showed that they were at least thirty
meters above the surface of Pandro. A view of the
disjointed Pandronian architect STAR
TREK L tilde ME 59
  ture of the capital city of Tendrazin was visible
through the transparent acrylic. Green trees and
fuzzy growths of all kinds brightened the cityscape,
as would be expected on a world which was primarily
savanna and jungle. The chamber itself was domed, the
roof blending into walls of blue, green; and yellow
tile. Light filled the room, courtesy of the vast
oval skylight above. Where the skylight met the
walls, the glass or plastic was composed of
multibued mosaics depicting scenes from
Pandronian history. From various points above,
globular lamps hung by long thin tubes
to provide additional illumination. Scroll cases
and sealed cabinets of a wood like oiled cherry lined the
walls, alternating with closed doors. A large
half-moon desk of darker wood rested on a
raised dais at the far end of the impressive
chamber, backed by the sweeping window. Several rows
of curved, thickly padded benches formed concentric
arcs before it, the seats adjusted to accommodate the
Pandronian physique. "This is the innermost
Pthad," bn Bern explained with a touch of pride in
his voice, "the seat of our government. Here meet the
integrals of the high council to determine
policy for all Pandro." McCoy's attention was
focused not on the sumptuous appointments or the
view of the city beyond, but on something sandwiched between two
nearby cabinets. "What's that?"
  bn Bern glanced in the direction indicated by the
doctor. "Is one of the premier's favorite
pets." McCoy strolled over to the large
rectangular cage. Itwas formed of narrow slats
of some bright grey metal Its floor was covered with
what appeared to be a mixture of natural growth
and dry wood shavings. Resting in the center of the care
floor lay an animal. It had a plump round
body covered with bristly brown fur about a
centimeter in length. Seven pairs of legs
protruded from seven clearly defined segments. A
double tail tipped one end while a tiny ball of a
head indicated the other. A single eye glared from its
center, 60 STAR lllER tooe
  with nostrils set to either side and a mouth both above
and below the eye. At the moment, the apparition was
munching sedately on some leaves or green
paper-Kirk couldn't decide which. It peered up at
the onlookers, its single blue eye blinking
placidly. "Not a very cuddly-looking pet,"
McCoy commented with distaste.
  "The diccob is amusing, though," countered ho
Bem, "and responsive. Watch." Clapping his
hands twice, the commander let out a low-pitched
whistle. Immediately the diccob eyed him tilde and went
all to pieces. Literally. Sight sections,
including the head, fen away from each other and performed
a little scurrying dance, weaving about themselves. As if on
cue, they unexpectedly came together. Only now the
diccob stood erect, a bipedal form. Two
segments served as legs, three as a body above,
with a pair for arms topped by the head. The twin tail
had also divided itself, and each tail formed a gripping
tentacle at the terminus of each arm. Apparently
as content in this new shape as in its former one, the
diccob returned to its eating. Kirk wondered at
the marvels of adaptive internal phvsiology which
permitted such rapid dissolution and reforming without any
evident harm or loss of efficiency to the animal.
Amusine, is not?" bn Bem inquired.
  "'Fascinating would be a better term," a
thoroughly engrossed Snock
  suggested. 'Is it capable of assuming more than
two forms?" "Watch," was all the commander said. Under
his hand and voice directions, the diccob executed
several more collapses and reassemblies,
concluding with a fully circular shame which rolled
sniritedlv around the cage like an animated wheel.
the cyclopean head tucked safely on the interior
of the wheel. "Some diccobs," bn Bem explained
to his mesmerized audience, "only one or two
new
  combinations can manage. Premier's diccob can do
twenty nearly. Is
  prizewinner." STAR TREK LOG NINB

  "I can imagine," McCoy said. "My stomach
does flip-flops just watching it." "Is the diccob
the most flexible form of Pandronian life?"
Spock inquired curiously, "or are there other
native types equally adjustable?" "Difficult
to answer that question is," be Bem began, his tone oddly
thoughtful. "To understand, first you must know that on Pandro
is-was The commander's reply was interrupted by a soft
chime. Everyone turned toward the direction of the
sound. One of the numerous doors on the other side
of the room opened inward and two Pandronians entered
the chamber. One appeared to be slightly younger than
Commander be Bem, while the other, judging from his
movements and coloring, was of an advanced age.
Touches of yellow had crept into his
natural blue skin, and he walked toward them with the
deliberate caution of the incipient infirm.
  Commander bn Bem bowed before him as Kirk,
Spock, and McCoy did their awkward best
to imitate the gesture. "I present the Supreme
Integral of all Pandro," be Bem announced
grandiosely as he returned to an up tilde right
position, "Premier Kau afterdel Kaun. This
Other One I know not," he concluded in referring to the
premier's companion. "Greetings to you, ho Bem
Commander. To you greetings also, Federation
representatives, and thanks be for your returning the
commander home," the premier said in a shaky voice.
"For you back to be is good, Commander, though sorry
This One is that your visit and study of Federation must
interrupted so shockingly and suddenly be."
Despite his aged body, the premier spoke in
English for the benefit of his alien guests, Kirk
noted admiringly. There was no condescension in his
voice, and neither was there the arrogance the captain had
come to associate with Pandro: a result, Kirk
decided, of the premier's long association with the
missing Tam Paupa. He began gesturing to the
younger Pandronian at his 62 STAR TRBK t
tilde NIB
  side. "tilde e known to Lud eb Riss,
Commander and visitors. Of the atrocity on us
visited he will tell you. This One tires." On
unsteady legs the premier mounted the dais and
slumped into the chair behind the cubed desk. "At the
wall here," the younger Pandronian indicated, leading
them to a blank space near the dais. Depressing
a segmented tile caused a large map to descend.
It was fined with Pandronian glyphs which none of the
Federation officers could read, but a twodimensional
map was difficult to misinterpret no matter what
its origin. Kirk felt certain he could identify
large cities, mountains, an ocean, and other
features. "Was stolen the Tam Paupa," eb
Riss told them, "several"-and he uttered a term
in Pandronian which. was evidently untranslatable
"ago. Thus far to it recover all efforts failed
have." With a hand he indicated a large symbol in the
approximate center of the map. "tilde We know
it is- not in Tendrazin or *tion any of other
cities secondary nearby. Still scoured are other
major cities of Pandro being. Search and seizing of
known elements criminal nothing has produced.
All are outraged by theft of Tam Paupa too."
"That's surprising," McCoy commented.
'withy should the theft of the Tam Paupa bother them?"
"History has shown that crime
  flourishes best under stable governments,
Doctor." 'oven on Vulcan?" "Such
sociological aberrations, Doctor, are more
typical of less advanced societies such as-was
"Spock, Bones," Kirk muttered a warning.
Both men returned the* attention to eb Riss as
if nothing had been said. The Pandronian's hand
moved to encircle a huge shaded area near
Tendrazin, which grew to encompass a considerable
section of the map west of the capital city. "Has
never been fully explored this region," eb
Riss explained forthe* benefit. "Development
halted here at Tendrazin. In this vast area we
  suspected the ibillter tilde STAR TREK
tilde tilde 63
  who have defiled Pandro have the Tam Paupa
taken." eb Riss turned to stare at them, but his
gaze was concentrated principally on ho Bem. "Is
thought that none there can survive, yet investigators
believe perpetrators of blasphemy there have fled;
Explained can be, since ibillters probably
insane "To the varbox fled?" an appalled be Bem
gasped.
  Mad are they for surely."
  "tilde Why surely?" Kirk wanted to know.
"What is this varboxr,
  "A region filled with wild integrals and
integrator, so dense and swampish to enter there is
to court death in fashions unimaginable and certain."
"One thing I still don't understand," Kirk continued.
"How can your capital city be built so close to a
dangerous, unexplored wilderness?" "Much of
Pandro unexplored is, Outworlder," eb Riss
snorted with typical Pandronian contempt. "Yon
comprehend not." "We admit we know very little of
Pandro," Spock confessed. "We would like to know more.
When fommal association between Pandro and the Federation
takes place, we-was "If takes place," eb
Riss snapped brusquely. "if e tilde
cplain simple for you. Are surrounded most of our
cities by largely untraveled jungle
wildernesses. Is due to nature of Pandronian
biology. Is no such thing as Pandronian science
of biology." McCoy almost smiled. ""Now,
simple or not, thaes impossible."
  "Listen clear, McCoy Doctor," be Bem
advised him. "Are constantiv chancing, Pandronian
lifefomms. Most shapes unstable and ever
altering, like diccob without training. A few
integrators like ourselves"-he indicated his own body
and its three independent soon lions-"discovered
long ago that to stay in pemmanent association was
benefit to all parts. Others have likewise
evolved. "But for rest of much of Pandro life,
existence is; struggling continual to find satisfying
combination of 64 STAR TREK L tilde ME
  sections. So is ever changing much of Pandro
zoology, and some plant life as well. How can
one classify species which exist a few days
only?" "I see," Spock murmured.
"Pandro's ecology is unstable. I assume,
Commander, that such steady mutations are limited to the
higher forms of life?" "They'd have to be, Spock,"
McCoy pointed out.
  "Is true," be Bem confirmed, "or otherwise
ever altering diseases, bacteriums and virus forms,
would all Pandro life have wiped out long ago. But
forms microscopic constant are. Permanent
integrators like self can build
  resistance to others." ""Is why," eb Riss
put in, "all Pandronian cities and towns with
history have old fortress walls around them, built
by ancestors to hold out dangerously changing
jungle lifes." -- 'iWhat I still don't
  understand," muttered McCoy, "is why anyone would
want to steal your Tam Paupa. If even the
criminal elements have an investment in keeping it where
it belongs, who does that leave as a potential
thief?" 'shd only we know that ourselves, outworlder,"
came the sad voice of Premier afterdel Kaun from
behind the great desk. "Unheard of is this thing." He
winced and both hands went to the sides of his head.
"Is certain one thing only: Unless Tam Paupa
soon recovered is, This One will lose ability
to make sound objective decisions." The supreme
ruler of Pandro assumed a woeful expression.
"Is certain. Can feel already This One
divisiveness and personal opinions entering mind.
At same time slips away slow and steady the
intelligence needed to govern Pandro. Is terrible
helpless this feeling." "We must Tam Paupa
recover, Kirk Captain," an anxious bn Bem
added. "Or Pandro society sinks again into mindless
raging against self." The commander drew himself up. "Have
done what of you was asked, Kirk Captain, in
bringing This One home. To you and your government goes
thanks of planet Pandro." Spock leaned over and
whispered to Kirk, "Remember,
Captain, our opportunity to gain a decisive
march STAR TRBR L tilde tilde E 65
  on the K1ingons by ingratiating ourselves forever in
the minds of the Pandronians." ""I haven't
forgotten, Mr. Spock," the captain replied.
He faced the raised desk and directed his words to the
premier. "Perhaps a new approach, or the benefit
of outside thought processes, would be of some help
to you, sir." "Yourselves explain," afterdel Kaun
implored.
  "Well," Kirk continued, "from what we've
learned so far, we know that Pandronian science is
far advanced in certain fields. Yet the Federation
is more advanced in others. We're not afraid of the
varbo*." "Bravery of ignorance," snorted eb
Rise, but Kirk ignored him and pressed on.
"We have certain weapons in our possession, unknown
on Pandro, which would be of much help in making one's
way through the jungle you fear so wrongly." "Is
true," bn Bem confirmed.
  Enough intelligence I retain to know that to accept your
offer of aid is wiseness," the premier said
solemnly. "How soon can you join expedition
into vary boxy" '1nside an hour," Kirk
replied quickly. "We'd like to return to our
ship briefly to outfit ourselves properly for the
journey, and also to obtain heavier weaponry.
We'll need something more than hand phasers if the
inhabitants of this jungle are as intimidating as you
make em sound." "iDanger lies in not knowing what
one may confront, Kit* Captain," bn Bem
told him. "Time we will save if you beasn back
down into zintar yards." 'whatever you say, Commander,"
Kirk replied, not bothering to inquire as to what a
zintar yard might be. They would know soon enough.
He flipped open his communicator as Spock
noted a new set of coordinates. "Kirk
to Enterprise." "Enterprise tilde cott here,
Captain." 'gleam us up, Mr. Scott, and stand
by the transporter. We'll be coming back down
shortly." 66 STAR TRBR LOG NINE
  "Aye, Captain." A pause, then, "Back
down, Captain?"
  "That's right, Scatty. It looks like we're
going to see more of Pandro than we originally
thought...." V
  After drawing jungle fatigues, appropriate
survival equipment, and type-two mounts for their
hand phasers, the three officers beamed down to the
surface of Pandro once again. A zintar
yard turned out to be an enormous stable, although
Kirk was reminded more of a repair yard for large
shuttlecraft. Rank on rank of the huge,
barnlike metal sheds were arranged alongside one
another before a broad sward of green growth, cut
short like grass. Bach long metal cell contained
a sinuous reptilian creature which was a near
analog of the ancient, idealized Terran Chinese
dragon. But these were covered with pray, brown, and
green fur. "Like my own people," bn Bem informed them,
"has found the zintar a combination of integrals
advantageous to maintain. Advantageous to us as
well." The commander introduced them to a tall,
swarthy-looking Pandronian who sported short
whiskers and managed to look like the Pandronian
equivalent of a pirate. "This is ah Af, who
will our zintar in charge of be." ab Af made a
curt gesture indicative more of a being interested in
minding his own business than of standard Pandronian
arrogance. "eb Riss and six others will arrive
to join soon," be Bem continued. "They a third
zintar will ride, while will a second supplies
carry. Zintar is only creature by us tamed which not
afraid of forest. Better than machine. Zintar
runs off other Pandronian life and All
not break down. Very little there is that a zintar is
afraid ok" STAR TREK Lo tilde B 67
  "I can believe that," Kirk agreed, staring up
at the weaving, bobbing dragon-head of the forty-meter-
long creature. It yawned elaborately,
displaying thin, needlelike teeth in front and flat
grinders behind. Four spikes or stiff
whiskers-Kirk couldn't decide which-dangled from the
front corners of upper and lower jaws. bn Bem
directed them to step aside as ab Af urged 'the
monster out of its stable. The handler utilized verbal
commands and prods from a small charged metal tube.
Kirk noticed the wide saddles set between
protruding vertebrae on the creature's back
even as bn Bem asked, "If all are ready,
Kirk Captain?" McCoy ran a hand through his
hair as he examined the attenuated apparition. "I
don't know if all are," was his comment, "but as long as
I'm not expected to feed one of these oversized
horned toads, I guess I'll give it a
try." "Good is, McCoy Doctor," bn Bem
complimented him. He barked something in Pandronian
to ab Af. The handler stood to one- side of the
swaying skull, touched the vistas between the front
legs, and shouted a command. " Docile as
a dog, the six-legged colossus appeared
to collapse in on itself. Its short, stumpy legs
never moved, but the central body slumped to the ground
between backslash veen them, like a ship being lowered between
six hydraulic lifts. Its stomach scraped the
dirt. Yntriguing arrangement of ligaments and
muscles," was Spock's observation at this
unexpected physiological maneuver. "Both
appear to be extraordinarily flexible." Using the
thick fur for handholds, the first officer mounted one
of the Pandronian saddles notched into the animal's
backbone and seated himself as best he could. Kirk and
McCoy followed, the captain envying the ease with which
eb Riss and his six armed followers mounted their
zintar nearby. Once everyone was properly
seated-Kirk felt "aboard" would be a better term
to describe mounting a creature thy size-ah Af
uttered another command. Kirk felt tilde rising,
tilde sensation not unlike that pro68 STAR
TREK NrNB
  duced in one of the Enterpfise's turbolifts, as
the zinger raised its body between its legs again. Then
they were on their way, moving at a
  surprisingly rapid pace through the wide skeets
of Tendraz tilde McCoy had started in
surprise when the guitar began to move. The
movements beneath him were unique. It was a peculiar-but
not necessarily uncomfortable- sensation, he
reflected. Had he ever ridden a large camel, the
motion would have been somewhat more familiar to him. Before
Kirk had gotten his fin of the fascinating
architecture around them- a curious and exciting
mixture of archaic and ultramodern-they had passed
through a very old, heavily guarded gate in the ancient
city wall and were kaveling steadily across a broad
open plain. "Many of our crops," be Bem
lectured them from his position just behind ab Af, "are
grown within old city walls, to protect the
cultivators from incursions by wild Pandronian
lifes. Space here and around most cities are
clear kept for reason the same, Kirk
Captain." "Eve are obviously headed on some
predetermined course," Spock commented from two
places behind Kirk. "Why this way? I thought you said
you didn't have any idea where the thieves had fled,
except into. the very large area you called the
varbox." "Are going that way now," bn Bem
replied. "Have tried all sources in cities. Was
one noncity theory which implicated carbon, but could not
get Pandronians to By until you your
weapons aid offered." His voice turned
conspiratorial. "Several citizens of Tendrazin
home returning from fraternal meeting one night
reported encountering large group of nervous-seeming
Pandronians leaving city by gate now behind us.
Suspicious Ones were on coryats mounted. One
citizen asked destination and Nervous One replied his
group to Cashua going. Cashua a medium-sized
city several hundred laggers to northeast of
Tendrazin." "What's so suspicious about people going
from one city to another?" McCoy wanted to know.
STAR TRBR LOG ME
  "Not where-when," bn Bem told him. "No One
travels at night near forests on Pandro if not in
armored vehicles. Also, coryats good forest
walkers, if protected well. "Only recently
this report checked in detail," the commander continued.
"tilde as found that time necessary to travel between
Tendrazin and Cashua, even allowing for reasonable
delays, should have shown travelers there within four
drams. No party on coryats, or of similar
number to that reported by citizens, ever seen arriving
at Cashua or other nearby cities. Party not
sighted by aerial surveyests. "So ground from
Tendrazin outward hunted for clues. Many
tracks of vehicles and animals near city, but
few near forest. Found prints of coryats entering
forest. Entering forest there," and he pointed ahead of
them, to a slight break in the marching ranks of green
and brown. "'Is old hunter trail, one of
many," he went on. "No other trail show signs
of coryat passage. May not be significant.
Many Pandronians enter jungle on own, some for
reasons legal not. Few return after long stay.
Maybe these not wish to return. "Is lucky dry
season this is. If they did enter forest here,
coryat tracks will remain." In a short while the
zintars slowed, approaching the first fringe of jungle.
A small group of soldiers was waiting to greet
them. eb Riss's zintar did the bodyslumping
trick and eb Riss dismounted to confer with one of the
soldiers, apparently an officer. There was a
short, animated discussion during which both
Pandronians studied something on the ground out of
Kirk's vision. He could imagine what the
subject of their conversation was: the coryat
tracks, which these troops had doubtlessly been
placed here to protect against destruction-intentional
or otherwise. eb Riss confirmed Kirk's
suspicions when he passed by them on the
way back to his own zintar. "Tracks remain
still," he called up to them. "Party of six to twelve
entered the varbox here. Is more than first guessed.
Too large surely it is for a larking group." 70
STAR TREK LOG NINE
  "True that is," agreed be while Kirk and the
others wondered at the purpose of a larking party.
"On our way to hurry." eb Riss gestured
confirmation and trotted back to scramble monkeylike
up the leg of his zintar. The expedition plunged into the
forest. Immediately the usefulness of the zintar in such terrain
manifested itself. Not only did the creature's
size intimidate and frighten off potential
attackers, but its bulk shouldered aside or
smashed over much vegetation, some of which was dense enough
to impede the progress of any ground vehicle. The
Enterprise's heavy groundcraft could have done as
well, but not nearly at such a pace. Kirk
mentioned his opinion as he continued to study the uneven,
swampy ground below, which was thickly overgrown with
alien roots and climbers. And this was supposed to be
a trail! 'if can see why the Pandronians prefer
organic to mechanical transportation, Spock."
"Indeed, Captain," the first officer agreed, eyeing
a particularly wicked-looking cluster of
thorny vines which the zintar simply strode through without
apparent ill effects. "Even a powerful landcraft
would sacrifice mobility for movement here. And there
is also the matter of logistics. It is evident that
the zintars can live well off the land." They were many
hours into the jungle when the head tracker shouted
back to them from his position on eb Riss's mount.
Handlers halted their zintars while the Pandronian
scrambled down one postlike leg and examined the
ground. He gestured and babbled until several other
troopers dismounted and followed him into the dense
underbrush to one side of the forest path. The greenery
swallowed them up quickly. be Bem and eb Riss
started to show signs of ner-vousness when the tracking
party failed to call out or return some minutes
later. The two officers were about to order the zintars
into off-trail pursuit in search of their vanished
comrades when the little group reappeared. STAR
TREK L tilde RIB 71
  The head tracker looked disheveled and tired, but
the excitement was evident in his face. He walked
to stand below eb Riss, began talking rapidly and with
many gestures. "The tracker says," be Bem
translated for them as the discussion progressed, "that
a small but definite animal path within
lies. Is evidence also of coryats passing Age
of tracks," and now the commander was hard pressed
to restrain his own enthusiasm, "is proper
to correspond with time suspicious party was noted
leaving Tendrazin. Is further confirmation to clinch in
tracker's hand." Kirk leaned as far to his right as
he dared, squinting. The slim tracker eras waving
what looked from this distance to be a torn bit of
black fabric. At bn Bem's request, the
incriminating cloth was passed up to him A brief
inspection and then he was conferring with eb Riss in
Pandronian while Kirk, Spock, and McCoy
waited tensely for information. eb Riss's zintar
handler shouted and tapped his mount on its shoulder with the
charged tube. One by one the three great creatures
turned like seagoing ships to bull their way into the
growths on their right. After a short walk the dense
brush thinned somewhat, enough for Kirk and the others to see
that they were truly traveling down a cleared and marked
trail. It wasn't as broad or well used as the
hunters path they had entered the forest by, but a path
it was. ha Bem turned in his saddle, passed the
bit of black material back to Kirk. His face
looked grim. "Is first possible explanation to part
of nuzzlings, Kirk Captain. Now things
become clear a little maybe." "It's just a ran
to me," Kirk told him, turning to pass it back
to Spock. 'QF-LHERE'S the significance for you?"
"A popular color on Pandro black is not,
Captain. May again mean nothing Is little to be
gained wasto conclusions hopping, but still . . ." "But still-was
Kirk prompted.
  'As on Pandro," the commander explained, "a
small society of"-he pawed for a second,
hunting for a 72 . STAR TRBR L tilde
tilde
  proper translation-"best I can come is
physiological anarchists. They believe that
holding integration to form perpetuating species is
against natural orders. Would have all Pandro
lifes, including This One, return to separate
integrators and recombine as do wild forms. Mad
Ones believe better
  integration than present developers of
Pandronian civilization will
  eventually result. "Very young and stupid most of
them are. But they believe strongly in their madness,
Kirk Captain. Have been troublesome in few
incidents past, but not really dangerous. Is
conceivable they could react violent enough against
Pandronian heritages to perform heinous deed like theft
of Tam Paupa. If any Pandronians could, would
be them for sure. "Part of their belief is to wear
heavy black clothing, as if to hide the shame of their
integration from universe." 'A take it the Tam
Paupa was always well guarded," Spock said.
  "Well guarded truly, Spock Commander,"
concurred ha Berm
  "I am puzzled, then," the first officer confessed,
"as to how a small coterie of mildly annoying
revolutionaries could suddenly jump from being youthfully
irksome to executing a deed as elaborate as the
Tarn Paupa's theft." "Agree wholesomely-no,
wholeheartedly," ho Bem replied after a moment's
  consideration. 'As most strangeness. Would indeed not
give group credit for such talents." He performed
the Pandrobian equivalent of a shrug "May be more
than anarchist types after all. Into place pieces
beginning to assemble. Still is missing important
integers." Kirk, Spock, and McCoy could
only agree.
  An urgent beep sounded in the Main
TOMORROW-NSPOITER Room on board the Enterprise.
Transporter Chief Kvle stared blankly at it
for a moment, then moved quickly to the console
intercom when the beep was repeated. STAR TRBR
LOG NINB73
  "Transporter Room to bridge, Engineer
Kyle speaking.
  "Chief Scott here. What is it, Mr.
Kyle?"
  The engineer waited until a third beep
confirmed the previous message and reported,
"Sir, I'm receiving a direct nonverbal
emergency signal from the surface on personal
communicator frequency. There seems to be," and
he hurriedly checked two readouts, "sufficient
strength to indicate that the signal is being generated
simultaneously by two" no, by three
communicators." A short pause, then, "It must
be the captain, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy,
though I canna imagine why they're usin"
nonverbal signalin'. They can tell us soon.
Home in on them and stand by to beam "em up, Mr.
Kyle. We'll find out what happened soon
enough." On the bridge Scott turned to face
  Communications. "Lieutenant Uhura?" "Mr.
Scott?" the communications officer replied.
  "See if you can raise any of the landin" party and
get an explanation of what the trouble is."
"Yes, sir." Uhura turned back to her
instrument and rapidly manipulated controls. She
glanced back concernedly seconds later. "Jo
response, sir."
  "Verra well." He directed his words to the command
chair pickup again. "Beam 'em up quickly, Mr.
Kylef" "Aye, aye, Mr. Scott."
  "Rematerialize slow as you safely can. I'm
coming down." He rose from the chair. "Lieutenant
Uhura, you're in command until I return with the
captain." "Very well, sir." As a precaution,
she buzzed for Lieutenant M'ress to come on
duty, on the unlikely chance that she would have
to vacate Communications and take up position at the
command station. Safety procedures were good to keep
up, even if certain key personnel lost a little
sleep in the process. Moving at maximum
speed, Scott entered the Transporter Room
even as Kyle was bringing up the crucial levers.
  "They're coming in now, Chief," the engineer
indi74 STAR TREK L tilde NIB
  cased, sparing the approaching officer the briefest
of glances.
  "Carry on, Mr. Kyle."
  Three forms slowly solidified, began
to assume definite outlines in the transporter
alcove. The last flickers of transporter energy
were dying away as Scott charged reflexly for the
alarm switch. The paralysis beam projected by one
of the forms standing. in the alcove caught the chief
engineer just above the knees. With a desperate twist and
lunge, Scott was just able to fall forward far enough
to slap a hand down on the red control. Klaxons
commenced sounding all over the Entail prose. On the
bridge, Uhura declared a general alert, then
activated the command chair intercom.
  "Transporter Room tilde hief Scott,
Mr. Kyle, what's happening down there?" Kyle
fought to reply oven as he was dodging immobiationzing
beams from behind the shielding bulk of the console. Scott
fought to pull himself out of the line of fire using only his
hands. "I don't know!" the transporter engineer
shouted toward the intercom pickup. "Chief
Scott's been hurt." The three things in the
alcove were rushing toward him, firing as they came.
"Three boarders, bipedaLike type un-was
Transmission from the Transporter Room ceased
abruptly.
  "engineer Kyle-report," Uhura yelled into the
intercom. "Report!" The intercom gave
back a steady Eight hiss tilde and faint sounds
as of something not human moving about the chamber. She
turned, spoke decisively to where a now
wide-awake M'ress sat ready at the controls.
"Lieutenant, contact Also security stations.
Seal off the entire deck around the Main
Transporter Room and have security personnel
close in." "Yes, sirr," M'ress
acknowledged without thinking. "tilde hat arre they
to look forr?" "Three invaders, bipedal in fonn.
Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. Whatever they
are, they've STAR TRLETTER Lo MEL 75
  injured both Chief Scott and Mr. Kyle.
Warn Nurse Chapel to stand by for casualties and
to alert backup medical personnel." Uhura
turned to face the helm as M'ress relayed her
orders through the ship. "Mr. Arex, maintain orbit
and begin attempts to contact the landing party. Mr.
Sulu?" "Yes, Lieutenant?"
  "Take over security operations. You win
personally assume charge of the rescue of Chief
Scott and Mr. Kyle." Sulu was out of his chair
and heading for the turbolift. Uhura watched him
leave, wishing she could go in his place. But she had
been left in command, and personal reasons
were no reasons for altering orders-especially in an
emergency situation. But, she thought furiously, if
the three who had beamed up weren't the captain,
Mr. Spockeatilde and Dr. McCoy, then who
were they? More important, why weren't the Enterprise
crew members responding from Pandro? In the
Transporter Room below, Scott rolled over
onto his back and pushed himself to a sitting position
against a wall. Kyle, he saw, had been
completely paralyzed by the strange weapon which had so
far only affected the chief engineer from the waist
down. Around him the general alert continued to sound, but
it didn't appear to panic or otherwise affect the
three figures standing over Kyle and conferring among
themselves. Bach was clad in a long black robe.
Black hoods covered their heads. At the Salne
time as Scott recognized their chatter as
Pandronian they flipped their hoods back and began
to disrobe. They were Pandronians, all right. Somewhat
to the chief's surprise, Commander Ari be Bem
wasn't in the group. He was glad of that. Had be
Bem been one of the belligerent boarders, it would have
meant that the captain and the others were in serious trouble
below. They still might be, but the wild-eyed,
disorganised appearance of these three gave
Scott some hope that at least the Pandroniae
government wasn't involved. 76 STAR TRBK
LOG tilde
  B6t if that was the case, how had these
creatures managed to board the Enterprise so
neatly? All were sullen and grim-faced. One
pointed at Scott, then jabbered at his companions.
A second replied curtly and they bent to examine
Engineer Kyle. Scott ground his teeth in
frustration and anger as they roughly turned the body
over. With relief Scott saw that Kyle's eyes
were open and functioning, even if the rest of his body was
frozen into immobility. Purther discussion in the
alien tongue and suddenly the three Pandronians
became nine. Each split into its three component
parts while Scott gaped. He knew of the
Pandronian ability from the report of what had
transpired on Delta Theta Three, but this was the
first time he had actually seen the process in
action-not to mention in triplicate. Each section
grasped a sidearm in various hands, toes, or
cilia, and the three heads, three torsos, and three
lower bodies ambled out the Transporter Room
door. As it shut behind them, Scott moved, fighting
to drag himself toward the intercom. He had
no idea what the Pandronians were up to other than that
it was inimical to the good health of the ship and its crew.
And, he realized with a start, he had reported three
of them. Without knowing that the invaders were Pandronians,
Uhura and everyone else would be hunting for only
three shapes, leaving six sections to stroll
freely about the ship.
  Hopefully they would be detected as sections of
mature Pandronians, but Scott had no intention
of leaving that identification to others. Despite the
fact that the paralysis seemed to grow worse the more
he moved, he continued hunching and pulling himself across
the deck. The tingling numbness had reached his waist by the
time he reached the console. Exhausted by the effort, he
started to shout. The intercom should still be open, since the
Pandronians hadn't bothered to shut it off. If so,
the directional pickup should gather and transmit his
voice. But the tingling moved rapidly now, creeping
eerily up his arms and chest and into his throat. He
couldn't STAR TREK tilde tilde 77
  operate his voice. Screaming furiously with his
eyes, he slumped to the deck, fading across the legs
of the moffonless transporter engineer and-rolling
slightly to one slide. Apparently the paralysis
left the higher functions unimpaired, for
Scott found he could still see and hear, could stiBut
think clearly. Moving his eyes, he saw Kyle
staring helplessly back at him. With silent Dances
the two men managed to communicate a wealth of
emotions to each other. Not least was a mutual anger
at thdr inability to warn the rest of the ship as to the
nature of their attackers. tilde A patrol of
three security personnel was first to spot the
invaders. Phasers set on stun, they exchanged
fire with the unrecognised antagonists.
Incredibly agile and too small to hit easily,
the aliens slipped away. But now the crew knew
what they were up against, for the ensign in charge had
recognised the similarity of the sectioned creatures
to a former passenger. "Pandronians!" Uhura
exclaimed. "I don't understand." She leaned a little
closer to the pickup to make certain she heard
correctly. "Was Commander Ari be Bem, our former
visitor, among those firing back at youth
  ""It's impossible to say, Lieutenant,"
came the reply from the security officer.. "But from the
pictures we were shown of him and from the couple of times
I myself met him in corridors, I don't think
so. Of course, there's no way to tell, and they were
all split up in parts. Nine parts. I
guess they could even be in disguise." "Thank you,
Ensign," Uhura acknowledged. "Keep your
phasers set on stun. They haven't killed
anyone yet. If they do," she added warningly,
"appropriate orders win be forthcoming." She
clicked off, turned to Communications.
"Lieutenant M'ress, keep trying to contact the
landing party. "Am doing so, Lieutenant
Uhurra, but therre seems to be some kind of
interrferrence." Natural or artificial?,"
Uhura demanded to know. 78 STAR TRERLOG
tilde
  y don't know yet, Lieutenant. Without
detailed inforrmation on Pandrro, it is difficult
to say." She turned back to her instruments, leaving
Uhura
  frustrated and unsatisfied, but helpless to do more
than vait. The squad that had originally spotted the
invaders turned down a corridor. Three dim
shapes could be seen scuttling around a far bend.
"There they arel" the ensign in charge yelled.
4'Come on!"
  Phasers at the ready, the two men and one woman
rosined down the corridor. Bach got halfway
to the turn the three shapes had vanished behind
when they grabbed at midsection or head, tumbling
one after another to the deck. Three sets of arms and
chests slipped out of a crevice to inspect the
motionless shapes lying on the metal flooring Two
lower torsos with heads set incongruously in their
middles came around the corridor bend they had
previously turned. The heads jumped off the
hips, made room for the middle torsos and arms, which
then picked the heads up and set them on their
respace five shoulders. Thus reassembled, the
three Pandronians started back up the corridor
the way the security team had come. Vl
  The zintars continued to make rapid progress through
the forest. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy used the
deceptively tranquil ride to marvel at the
incredible diversity of life around them. Such
abundance of forms was only natural in a world of
constantly changing species, where an entire genus
might consist of only one creature. And that
creature might choose to annihilate itself and its
place in any textbool: of Pandronian STAR
TREK NINE 79
  biology by freely dissolving into its multiple
components, or integrals. These endlessly variable
animals were in never cease ing competition
to create a form more successful, better able to compete,
than the next. The steady flux led to a number of
forms bizarre beyond belief, forms which-ha Bem told
them-rarely lasted out a day or more before the component
integrals reatized their own absurdity. They saw
tiny mouse-sized creatures with enormous heads and
pincushion mouths fun of teeth, impressive but
impractical on creatures so small.
Massive armored bodies teetered precariously
on the lithe limbs of running herbivores. TaUs
bipedat trunks armed with clawed arms and legs ended
in bovine faces fined with flat molars suitable for
mashing only the softest of vegetable matter. "Such
extreme mismatches ludicrous are, Kirk
Captain," the commander pointed out. "Outlandish shapes
continue to join, though, brief as they may last. So
fierce is the compulsion new forms to create." "How
many possible combinations are there?" asked a thoroughly
engrossed McCoy. "How many varieties of hands
and legs, torsos and heads, trunks and so on
exist?" ha Bem looked dolefully back at him.
"No one knows, McCoy Doctor. Have been already
cataloged many hundreds of thousands of shapes and
millions of integrals. Sometimes cataloged ones
vanish and new ones take their place.
Is impossible job which never ends." "I see,"
an impressed McCoy replied. "Row often
does a new successful form, like yourself or the d
tilde ccob or avatar evolve?" "Cannot give
figure," bn Bem responded, "but is rare
occurence. About forty percent Pandronian lifes
maintain permanent association and reproduce same
form. All can break down, though, if such is
natural willing, but this is very rare. Cannot tell
what win find next." The officers were soon
to discover the truth of the 80 STAR TRBR LOG
NINE
  comn tilde ander's concluding statement. The group
made camp in a partial clearing on a slight
rise of ground Gentle though the rise was, it
placed them high enough above the surrounding terram
to provide reasonably dry footing. Kirk
studied their surroundings. Only the different colors
and designs of the encircling vegetation, the peculiar
alien cries filling the evening air, made this
jungle any different from half a hundred others
he had i visited or read about, including those of
Barth itself. To the south, the Pandronian sun was
slowly sinlcing. It was slightly larger and redder
than Sol, a touch hotter as well. The
three massive zintars were bedded away from the camp,
where they made their own clearing by simply walking in
tighter and tighter circles until trampled
vegetation formed a soft bed underneath Well trained,
they were left by themselves, their handlers secure in the knowledge that
nothing known would risk attacking them. eb Riss and
his men unpacked supplies from the third
pseudodragon, taking care not to tangle lines in
the creature's hr. They produced several oddly
shaped, roughly globular tents and some equally odd
foot stores, which bn Bem assured Spock he and the
others could eat. Had he not partaken with reasonable
satisfaction of food on board the Enterprise?
The bonfire the troops raised in the middle of the
encampment was the only familiar thing around, and
McCoy in particular was glad for its cheery
crackle and sputter. "You can always count on the
familiarity of a fire," he pointed out to his
companions, "no matter what kind of world you're
on." ""That is not necessarily true,
Doctor," Spock mused. "Depending both on the
nature of the atmosphere in question and the combustible
materials employed, a fire could be-was "tilde
ever mind," McCoy advised with a sigh. "Sorry
I mentioned it, Spock." A heavy mist
closed in around them as the sun dropped lower in the
sky. The nature of the yelps and STAR TREK
LOG tilde 81
  squeeps from the surrounding jungle changed
slightly as the creatures of the day faded into their
holes and boles and the inhabitants of dark
gradually awoke. "I can see," Kirk found himself
musing conversationally to bn Bem, "how Pandronians could
develop a feeling of superiority to other races."
"A conceit to be deplored,"" the reformed come
mender responded.
  ""No, it's true," Kirk insisted.
"You're not to be blamed, I think, for such an
attitude. You live on a world of constant change.
Coping with such change is an incredible racial
feat. You have reason to have developed considerable
pride." "Is so," bn Bem was unable to refrain from
concurs ring Their conversation was shattered by a violent
yet muffled howl from the depths of the forest. "tilde
What was that?" McCoy blurted.
  "Is no telling, McCoy Doctor," lien
Bem reminded him, eyeing the surrounding trees
appraisingly. 'u as your saying, as good as mine is
your guess." "Generally," Spock ventured,
striving to see through the opaque wall of
emerald, "those creatures which make the loudest
noises do so because they have no fear of calling attention
to themselves. That roar was particularly uninhibited." As
if to back up Spock's evaluation, the howl sounded
again, louder, closer. 'A believe," the first officer
said slowly, "it would be advisable to concoct some kind
of defence. Whatever is producing that roar seems
to be moving toward us." "Is not necessarily
true," bn Bem argued. "Strange vocal
organs of Pandronian lifes can-was Something not quite the
size of a shuttlecraft rose like a purple moon
in the almost dark, towering out of the underbrush. It bellowed
thunderously, took a step toward the camp-and stopped.
It had encountered a pair of huge trees too
close together for it to pass between. It hammered with
massive limbs at the trees, shrieking its
outrage. Fortunately, Kirk thought as he
retreated toward the
  82 STAR TREK tilde tilde E
  bonfire in the centerofthe camp, the components which
had combined to compose this creature had not included more
than the absolute minimum of brains. The
creature snarled and howled at the tiny running
shapes so close before it while continuing to try to force
its way between the two trees. It could have
backed off, taken several ponderous steps to either
side on its five pairs of scaly legs, and
charged the camp unimpeded. Thankfully, it
obstinately continued battering at the stolid trees.
Kirk watched as the Pandronians struggled to set
up a large complex device. It consisted of several
shiny, featureless metal boxes arranged in
seemingly random order. A long, rather
childish-looking muzzle projected from one end of the
collage and various controls from the other. By now the
thought had penetrated the attacking abomination's
peanut mind that to go around might be more efficient than
trying to go through. Backing up like a lumbering earth
mover going into reverse, the creature moved to one
side of the right-hand tree and started forward again. Only
its slowness allowed Kirk and his companions a
measure of confidence Kirk felt he could easily
outrun the thing, but would prefer not to have to try. Spock
was regarding the still-frantic Pandronians, and he
concluded aloud, "It seems our friends were not
expecting an assault of this size. I suggest,
Captain, that to preserve the camp and supplies we
disregard the egos of our hosts and restrain it
ourselves." McCoy already had his phaser out and was
holding it aimed on the unbelievably
slow carnivore. It showed a mouth lined with short
saw-edged teeth. The cavity was wide and deep enough
for a man to walk around in without stooping. Four eyes
set in a neat row near the crest of the skull peered
down at them dumbly, crimson in the glow of the
campfire. Nonetheless, McCoy wasn't
impressed. "How can any meat-eater that slow
expect to catch any prey? It's got to be an
unstable form." STAR TREK L tilde tilde
E 83
  "True, Bones," Kirk acknowledged, "but if
we don't stop it, it's going to make a mess of the
camp." "Maybe if we rubbed its tummy it would
calm down a little," the doctor suggested. Spock
looked uncertain at the suggestion. "An interesting
notion, Doctor. How do you propose we convince
the creature to turn onto its back?" "Don't
look at me, Spock," McCoy responded
innocently. 'allyjust make up the prescription.
I don't make the patient take it." 'ally think
something more convincing is in order, Bones," Kirk
decided as the creature neared the first of the tents.
"On command, fire." Three beams brightened a
small portion of the night They struck the creature,
one hitting the side of the skull near the
neck, the other two touching higher up near the waving
dorsal spines. Leffing out a hideous yowl, the
monster halted. Two front feet rose off the
ground, and the nightmare head jerked convulsively to one
side. The creature shook off the effects, took
another half tread forward. "Again, firer" Kirk
ordered.
  Once more the phaser beams struck; once again the
effects were only
  temporary. "Aim for the head," Kirk ordered,
frowning at their inability to injure or even to turn
the monster. "Captain, we don't even know if
that's, where its integral brain is located," declared
Spock, who shouted to make himself heard above the
creature's snuffling and yowlinand "Why don't you
ask it?" McCoy suggested as he tried to focus
on one of the four pupils high above. Spock
frowned. "The creature does not appear capable of
communication at the higher levels, Doctor." He
fired and ducked backward as the head, making a sound
like two steel plates crashing together, snapped in his
direction. But by now the Pandronians had assembled
themselves behind their funny-looking little wheeled device.
All at once there was a soft thud from the muzzle and
something erupted from its circular tip. 84
STAR TREK tilde tilde
  - Several hundred tiny needles struck the
creature, die
  tnbuted across its body. The creature took
another step
  forward, the head almost within range of a quickly
retreating Kirk, and then it stopped. All four
eyes blinked sequentially; a second time. A
high mewling sound began to issue from the beast,
incongruously pitif al in so threatening a shape.
  Then * started coming apart like a child's toy.
Varioos segments-legs, tail parts, and pieces
of skull- dropped off, each running madly in
different directions, until the entire apparition
had scattered itself into the . iongte. "That's quite a
device," McCoy commented, impressed. He
walked over to study the machine. It no longer
looked funny. What does it do?" As
difficult, McCoy Doctor," the Pandronian
commander explained, "to kin a creature whose
individual integers retain life independent.
Would have to kill each integral separately. "This,"
and he indicated the weapon, "fires tiny syringes,
each of which a chemical contains which makes mutual
  association abhorrent to creature's
integrals. Is very effective." He gestured at
the forest wall. "Attacking carnivore integration
suddenly found its components incompatible with one
another. All broke free and fled themselves. Will not
for a long-time recombine because of lasting effects of the
drub." offer apologies," a new voice said.
Kirk turned, saw a distraught eb Riss
approaching them. "We did not an assault by so
large a meat-eater expect, Kirk Captain.
Was oversight in camp preparations on my part.
  Sorrowful I am." "forget it," advised
Kirk.
  "To produce a carnivore so Ire." eb
Riss continoed, "requires an unusually large
number of integrators, The fasir," and he
indicated the device that had fired the hypodermic
darts, "is not ordinarily prepared so large a
dose to deliver. And the first time we certain had to be
dose was large enough to disassemble creature, or half
of it might have continued attack eve could not stop in
time." STAR TRER[00 tilde B 85
  "An interesting method of fighting an unusual and
unpredictable opponent," observed Spock with
appreciation. "It would be interesting to consider if such
a drug could be effectively employed
against non-Pandronian life forms. The fighting
ability of another person, for example, would be
severely impaired if his arms and legs could be
induced to run in different
  directions. And if the parts could later be made
to recombine, then a battle might be won without
any permanent harm being done. There remains the question
of psychological harm, however. If one were
to literally lose one's head, for example . . ."
Mercifully, Kirk thought, McCoy said nothing
"us strange, though," bn- Bem commented as he
studied the forest, "to find so large a carnivore here.
Far though we be, is still close for one so large
to Tendrazin." McCoy gestured at the- jungle.
"Do you think maybe * has a mate out there?"
Both be Bem and eb Riss favored the doctor with a
confused expression. "A mated Ah!" be Bem
exclaimed, showing understanding. "Is evident you have no
knowledge of Pandronian reproduction methods. Can
become very complicated with multiple integrated
beings. When we have year or two together will This One be
pleased to explain Pandronian reproductive
  systems." "Thanks," McCoy responded
drily. "We'll pass on it for now." "Any word
on the whereabouts of the Pandronian boarders.
Lieutenant?" Uhura inquired of M'ress.
"Nothing," came the prompt reply. Abruptly
the
  communications officer placed a hand over the receiver
in one fuzz-fringed ear. "Just a moment. Casualty
reed port coming in." Uhura's fingers
  tightened on the arms of the command chair.
  "One securrity patrrol
incapacitated-thrree total."
  "How bad?" came the unwanted but unavoidable
next question. 86 STAR TREK L tilde tilde
  "They appearr to be subject to some forrm of
muscularr parralysis. It is selective in that
it does not affect the involuntarry
musculaturre,
  perrmitting vital functions to continue." Something
on the board above the console beeped for attention, and
M'ress rushed to acknowledge. "Anotherr
rreporrt, frrom Sick Bay this time.
Trransporrterr Chief Kyle and Lieutenant
Commanderr Scott have been similarrly affected.
Commanderr Scott has been only parrtially
affected, it appearrs. He is waiting to talk to you
now." "Put him through," she snapped. "Mr.
Scott?"
  "I'm okay, Lieutenant Uhura."
  "We know its Pandronians. What happened"
  "They came through as I was enterin' the
Transporter Room. Surprise was total.
They used some kind of hand weapon that puts your whole
body to sleep-everything but your insides. I dinna
know what they're up to, but there is one thing I do
want to know-verra badly, lass." "I'm thinking the
same shine, Mr. Scott." She could almost hear
him nod his agreement. "Aye ... How did they
know what frequency to simulate to convince us it was the
captain and the others who wanted to be beamed back
aboard?" There was a pause' then the chief engineer
continued in a more speculative tone. -- "The only
thing I can think of is that they've taken
  the captain, Mr. Spock, andeaDr. McCoy
prisoner and
  learned or knew in advance how to broadcast the
  emergency si 2nal."
  A lighter but no less serious voice sounded
over the communicator. "Now, you just lie down,
Mr. Scott, and no more buffs. if s, or
maybe's about it." "Who's that?" Uhura inquired.
  "Nurse Chapel here, Lieutenant," came the
reply. "The paralysis shows no signs
of worsening or spreading in any way which would threaten
life
  functions. But I've four and a half cases in
here, counting Mr. Scott Sims partly recovered.
None of the others show any indication of similar
recovery yet. I don't want to put any STAR
TREK BOG RIB 87
  strain on anyone's system." She added,
obviously for Scott's benefit. "No matter
how well they're feeling." "I agree
absolutely," Uhura declared. "Let me know when
anyone's condition change tilde for better or
worse." "Wilt do, Lieutenant."
  "Bridge out." Uhura turned back to stare
thoughtfully at the communications station. Her gaze did
not fall on the busy M'ress, who was striving
to coordinate the flow of security reports from around
the ship, but went past her. How had the Pandronians
known what signal to duplicate? And how had they
managed to do it? Was Scott right? Had the captain
and the others been cap" lured? Or was there another, as
yet unforseeable explanation? An excited YelPeople
came from Communications, a cross between a growl and a
shout. ""Take it easy, Lieutenant
M'ress," Uhura advised. 'what is
it?"
  "I have contact with the landing narrty, Lieutenant!"
she replied gleefully "It's weak, but coming
thorough." Uhura was hard Pressed to keep her own
enthusiasm in check. "Put them through." There was a
beep, followed by a burst of white noise.
Exotic sounds drifted over the bridge speakers,
but Uhura didn't relax even when she heard a
familiar, if distorted and slightly puzzled,
voice. 'quirk here," the badly garbled
acknowledgment came. "What's the trouble, Mr.
Scott?" "Mr. Scott has been injured,
Captain," she said quickly. "This is Lieutenant
Uhura, acting in command." "Scotty hurt?"
came the cry of disbelief. 'qlhat's going on up
mere, Lieutenant? Report in full."
"tilde We've been boarded, Captain.
By Pandronians three of them." She hesitated,
then asked,. "Are yew Ore you're speaking
freely? If you can't, try to give me some sort
of sign." There was a long pause and everyone on
He bridge 88 STAR TRBR LOG NINE
  could hear Kirk discussing the incredible situation with
someone else. A new voice sounded. "Spock
here. We are perfectly all right,
Lieutenant, and able to converse as freely as if we
were at our stations. What is this about the ship's being
boarded by Pandronians? Such a thing should not be
possible. The Pandronians don't possess the
requisite technology." "Em sorry, Mr.
Spock, but I want to make sure you're okay.
What are you doing now, and where are you?" Mildly
incredulous, the ship's first officer replied with forced
calm, "tilde We are at present aiding
local authorities in an attempt to recover
something called a Tam Paupa, which is vital to the
maintenance of tilde tilde stable, friendly government
on Pandro. That is not important at this time.
"What is important, Lieutenant, is how
Pandronians, and hostile ones at that,
  succeeded in gaining access to the Enterpnse." "We
don't know for certain," Uhura tried to tell them.
"Somehow they managed to simulate the precise
frequency of your hand communicators, in addition
to duplicating the
  emergency beam-aboard signal in triplicate.
Mr. Scott and Mr. Kyle naturally assumed
you were broadcasting those signals and so locked in on
them and beamed the villains aboard. "Instead of you,
three Pandronians appeared. They used
some kind of paralysis weapon to stun the chief,
Mr. Kyle, and at least one entire security
patrol. Nurse Chapel says it doesn't
appear to be fatal, but all five people affected are
still immobile. Mr. Scott can talk, but that
seems to be about all." "What steps have you taken,
Lieutenant?" Kirk demanded to know.
  "All security forces have been mobilized and are
now hunting the Pandronians. Captain," she
reported. "The ship is on full alert, and all
personnel are aware of the Pandronianst presence."
"What do they hope to achieve?" Kirk wondered
aloud, static badly crippling the transmission.
'excuse me, Captain," Spock broke in,,
"but it STAR TRBK [equals SIB 89
  seems clear that the Pandronians who boarded the
Enterprise are in some way connected with those
responsible for the theft of the Tam Paupa. Yet I
do not understand how they could know we are aiding the
aovernment-or how they are performing technical feats
supposedly beyond their capacity." 'if want
answers, Mr. Spock, not more questions. Stand bv,
Uhura." "Standing by, sir," she replied. There
followed a period of intense
  discussion on the surface below, none of which
came over the speakers understandably. Arex used the
interruption to address the command chair. "Lieutenant
Uhura?" "tilde What is it, Mr. Arex?"
The navigator looked thorou tilde hlv confused.
"fit is only that in routine observation of the-
surface Below us, I have recently detected something
which may be of interest." "What is it?" The moan
manipulated instrumentation. A topographic
photomap of a large section of Pandro was
projected by the main viewscreen forward. A
cross-ha* sight appeared, was adjusted to line up
on the mapis northeast quadrant. Several
concentric circles of lightly shaded blue were
superimposed over the region, the colors
intensifying near the cross hairs. "There seems
to be an unexpectedly high level of controlled
radiation active in this region," the navigator
explained. "It is far more intense and sophisticated
than anything else operating on Pandro, more
concentrated even than anything in the capital city
itself. It may be that it is a secret Pandronian
installation." "Just a second, Lieutenant Arex.
M'ress, switch the lieutenant's intercom into the
ship-to-ground broadcast." The Caitian
communications officer executed the command, and
Arex repeated the information for the benefit of those on the
ground "Most interesting, Mr. Arex," came
Spoek's reply after the navigator had finished
relaying his discovery. "Could you compare the center of
radiant generation with our present position? Dr.
McCoy will also activate , tilde 90 STAR
TREK L tilde tilde
  his communicator to provide you with our most powerful
detectable signal.", Several anxious moments
followed during which M'ress pinpointed the source of the
communicator broadcast. She then relayed the
coordinates to Arex, who compared them with the location of the
cross hairs on the photomap, then gave the
information to Spock. "Most interesting," the first officer
replied in response, without bothering to indicate why
it was so intriguing. "Thank you, Lieutenant.""
"Uhura?" Kirk's voice sounded again.
"Maintain red alert until the Pandronians are
taken- alive, if possible. We believe they
may have something to do with a tiny but dangerous rebel
faction that opposes the constituted Pandronian
government. But we don't know how they're doing what
they're doing, or why. "Wou can regard them as
dangerous fanatics liable to try anything, no
matter how insane. If they belong to the
same group, they've already committed the ulti. mate
act of outrage against their people. Consider humans in a
similar position and treat these boarders ewise. But
no kiBing if it can be avoided."
  She'll watch ourselves, Captain," Uhura
assured him ilrmly. "[Make sure you watch
yourselves." "Advice received and noted, Lieutenant.
Contact us when something has been resolved-if you're
able. The radiation Mr. Arex detected is
undoubtedly responsible for our difficulties in
communication. Kirk out." "Enterprise out,"
Uhura countered.
  Kirk put his communicator away, turned his
attention to his first officer.. Spock was making
sketches on a small pad. "Yendrazin is
here, Captain," he explained, indicating a
small circle. "Our present position is
approximately here, according to Mr. Arex's
information." Kirk called Commander bn Bem over and
showed him Spock's sketch, explaining what the
symbols meant.
  "Yes, correct is," the Pandronian agreed,
indicating STAR TRBK [tilde ME 91
  the distances and relationships of Tendrazin and their
current location. "We are traveling in this
line," Spock continued, using stylus and pad
to elaborate. "The source of the unusual radiation,
as detected by instruments on our ship, Commander,
lies about here." He tapped an X mark
slightly north and west of their present position.
"Almost in a direct line with our present course
away from Tendrazin. Does the Pandronian
government or any private Pandronian concern
operate an installation in that area which might produce
such radiants?" "In the varbox?" be Bem
stammered unbelievingly. "I have from home away
been, but not so long as that. But to make certain is
always good idea." He called out in Pandronian.
eb Riss joined them, giving Spock's crude
map sketch a quick, curious glance. "Have in this
region," and be Bem pointed to the radiation source,
explaining its meaning, "any government posts been
emplaced since my leaving?" eb Riss's reaction
was no less incredulous than the commander's. If
anything, Kirk felt, it was more intense. "In that
area lies nothing-nothing," he told them
assuredly. "Is most intense and unwholesomest
swampland. In such territories exist the most
dangerous lifeforms in constant state of baffle and
recombination. No sane Pandronian would
there go, and total Mad One would live not to reach
it." "Our readings wouldn't be off so drastically,"
Kirk informed him. "There is unquestionably a great
deal of activity of a sophisticated nature going
on there." "Natural sources, maybe?" ventured
eb Riss.
  Kirk shook his head slowly. "Absolutely
not. The quality and kind of
  radiation stamp it as artificial in source. If
it was natural, Lieutenant Arex wouldn't have
bothered to mention it to us unless it was danger ous."
"Is all very hard to believe," eb Riss
muttered. "Certain is This One no
representative of Pandro government there has
been. No private group could build 92 STAR
TREK LOG NINB
  installation there, not even stealers of Tam Paupa
Must be mistaken your ship's detectors."
"Unlikely," Spock said sharply. ""Nor
is Lieutenant Arex the type to make such a
report without triplechecking his readings." "Are you
so sure the rebels couldn't have a hideout in that
area?" McCoy pressed bn Bem. "Are mad and
evil the blasphemers, McCoy Doo" for," the
commander admitted, "but suicidal are not.
Remember, ourselves would not be here now if not with aid of
your advanced energy weapons. Life forms here and
certainly there would overwhelm These Ones, even with
fasir to defend us. Mad Ones have no such help
-- ing." He looked to eb Riss for confirmation.
  "To knowledge of This One, no Pandronian has ever
entered great swamps-or at least, entered and come out
again to tell of it." eb Riss indicated
  agreement. -- tilde "And still," Kirk
murmured thoughtfully, "Arex in
  BiStSo there's something in there. Something throwing off
  a lot of controlled energy. Something that's been
interfering with our communications to the Enterprise." Ho
eyed bn Bem firmly.
  "Whatever it is, it's not very far off our present
path It'll be interesting to see if your tracker
leads us toward that area. Don't you think that would be a
mite suspicious, if these coryat tracks
curve toward the radiation ource?" "All may come
to be, Kirk Captain," eb Riss admitted,
"but if does, tracks will there end. Not best
tracker on Pandro can follow prints in
swamplands." "They won't have to," Spock
explained to the pessimistic Pandronian. He
flourished the map sketch. "The
Enterprise has located the source of radiation.
If we turn toward it, we need only continue on
through the swamp in its direction. If required, we
can recheck our position at any time by contacting the
ship. Provided," he added cautioningly,
  "communications interference grows no worse." "Very
well so," eb Riss said, dropping his objections.
"If holds true, we must proceed toward
suspectcd radiation source." Evidently the
Pandronian ofSTAR TREK LOG tilde 93
  fleer still refused to believe that any Pandronians
could have constructed something in the inimical swamplands.
"But only if coryat tracks lead there and no
place else." "I disagree," bn Bem said
firmly. Kirk and the others looked at the commander in
surprise. "I enough have seen of Federation science
facilities to know that what Enterprise officers
say is truth." He gestured with a furry arm into the
jungle ahead. "Could be circling track designed
to throw off any pursuings. Could follow we coryat
tracks for many fluvets and find nothing save more
coryat tracks. Enterprise findings to me
significant are. I think we to radiation source
should proceed, no matter where go coryat prints."
"I concur not, Commander," objected eb
Riss strongly. When bn Bem merely stared back,
the other Pandronian made a hand movement
indicative of resignation. "But is outranked This
One. It as you say will be." "Slateen," bn Bem
announced in Pandronian. '18 settled, then.
We toward there turn," and he pointed to the X on
Spock's map. eb Riss headed back to ready his
own troops and to mount the lead zintar. As McCoy
walked toward his own patiently waiting dragon he
jerked a thumb toward the forest, toward the two huge
trees their assailant of the previous night had
tried to break through. "Apparently," he told bn
Bem, "we're heading into an
  especially bad area. Does that mean we're
likely to encounter any more visitors like last
night's?" "Is not likely, McCoy
Doctor," the commander informed him.
  McCoy was surprised, but relieved. bn Bem
added, "Creature that attacked us last night would not
be able to compete with dangerous animals in
  swamplands." "Oh," was all McCoy said,
trying to conjure up an image of something that could take
the monster of the forest apart integral by integral.
"Surely the thought of confronting larger primitive
94 STAR TRBR LOG NINE
  carnivores does not intimidate you,
Doctor," Spock dedared. "You have faced far more
dangerous creatures on other worlds, which could not stand
up to a typetwo phaser. "It's not that, Spock,"
the doctor explained. "It's just that the Pandronians
don't even know what might be festering and growing out
there. How can they, when potential antagonists
break up and form new combinations every couple of days?
I can take the thought of coming up against all kinds of
different killers, but the idea of facing something never
before in existence until it stands up and screams in your
ear, and doing that maybe a couple of times a day, is
a bit overpowering." "fit does reduce one's
ability to prepare for defence," the first officer had
to admit. "Still, that only adds to the interest of the
occasion. Imagine being able to remain in one place
for a while and watch evolution take place around
you." "Thanks just the same, Spock"" McCoy
replied. "Me, I think I'd prefer a little more
biological stability." And he shivered slightly
in a cool morning breeze as the howls, hoots, and
shrieks of creatures which had only just come inffbeing
sounded the arrival of a new day. V11
  The low-intensity blast of-a phaser set on stun
exploded on the wall behind one of the three
Pandronians. That was followed immediately by a distant
cry of "There they are! Notify all other
units." The Pandronian that the bolt had just missed
shouted to his companions. Together they increased their
pace as they ran down the corridor. In addition
to hearing the faint call with their own auditory
organs, the boarders had also detected it far more
clearly over the pocket communicators each of
  comSTAR TREK LOG New 95
  them carried. Although those communicators differed
substantially from Federation issue, they still received the
on-board broadcasts of the
  Enterprise with shocking electronic competence.
Their very presence was something no one not Scott, not
Uhura, nor anyone else striving to locate the
three intruders-could have suspected. So even as
instructions to various security units and the rest of the
crew were being sent through the ship, the Pandronians who
were the subject of all the conversation were overhearing every
word. At that very moment the interlopers were listening to
  instructions passed to a large security team
close ahead, directing them to block off the
corridor. While the three had managed to evade
the group which had nearly caught up with them, they knew
that couldn't last much longer. More and more
security teams were concentrating in this area, sealing off
every possible escape route. Or so they thought.
  Realizing the importance of the narrowing cluster Of
pursuers, the
  Pandronians did a curious thing. They stopped.
The tallest of the three fumbled with his backpack and
removed a small box. A tiny screen was set
on top of it with controls below. Once activated,
the screen began to display a rapidly 6hif
tilde ng series of schematics and diagrams.
Not everyone could have recognized them, but an engineer
would have known what they were instantly. They displayed, in
excellent detail, the inner construction of a Federation
heavy cruiser. The operator touched a switch,
freezing one diagram on the screen. All three
Pandronians examined it. This was followed by a
brief, intense discussion after which they hurried on
down the corridor once more. Very soon they came
to a small subcorridor. Instead of rushing past,
they turned down it. The subcorridor was a dead
end, according to the diagram, but the Pandronians were not
looking for an appropriate place to be captured
or commit suicide. Stopping near the end of the
subcorridor, one of 96 STAR TRBK LOG
NINE
  them opened a carefully marked door on the right.
It opened into a cramped room, two walls of which were
lined with controls. The largely automatic
devices were not what interested the Pandronians,
however. By standing on a companion's shoulders, the
tallest of the three was just able to reach the protective
screen in the roof. The lock-down seals at each
of the screen's four corners opened easily. According
to the diagram they had just studied on the tiny display
screen, this shield opened into a ventilation tube.
Said tube executed several tight twists and
turns before running down the section of the ship they
desired to traverse. Once the shield screen had
been opened, the third Pandronian closed the door
behind them and then climbed up onto his two companions
and pulled himself into the tube above. Reaching down, he
helped the first one, then the other into the shaft. Ibrning
in the cramped quarters, the last Pandronian
to crawl in reached down to reseal the lockdowns from
inside, using a small hand tool from his own pack
to reach through the fine mesh to the locks on the outside.
Very soon thereafter, six armed security personnel
turned down that same dead-end corridor in the
course of scouring every possible avenue of escape.
They moved to its end. With five phasers
covering him, the ensign in charge tried first the door
on the left. All instruments inside the little room
appeared undisturbed and registering normally. Then
he turned to the door on the right. The room beyond was
likewise deserted. "No sign of them." He
turned to leave. "Just a minute, sir," one of the
crew said. "Shouldn't we check out that overhead
vent?" The ensign retraced his steps, leaned back
to stare up at the uninformative grill overhead.
"Could they have slipped in there?" He wondered aloud.
"It doesn't seem likely, but we'd better
make certain." He pulled out his communicator.
Engineering?" STAR INKB 97
  "engineering. Lieutenant Markham here," came
the crisp reply.
  "This is Security Ensign Namura. We're
hunting the Pandronian boarders, and just now I'm
standing in ventilation operations cubicle"-he peered
around at the open door-"twenty-six. There's a
sealed ventilation shaft overhead. Could a man
crawl through it?" "Just a second, Ensign." There
was a pause as the engineering officer ran the
schematics for that region of the ship through his own
viewscreen. "Got it now. Several men or
man-sized creatures might get up in
there, but the shaft goes straight up for about four
meters. Then it does a number of sharp doglegs
to connect with other ventilation tubes before runmag into a
main shaft. No way a man could get through those
turns, not even a contortionist." Namura moved,
stared up into the dark tube above. "Hang on,
Lieutenant." Removing a small device from his
waist, the ensign activated it, sending a powerful
if narrow beam of illumination upward. It lit the
entire four vertical meters of shaft, which were
manifestly empty. "They're not up there. Thank
you, sir," the ensign said, replacing the light at his
hip and speaking again into his communicator.
"Security team twelve out." Shutting off his
communicator, he directed his words to the other
five. "They're not in here. Let's try the next
service corridor down." Relaxing shghtly, the
group turned and trotted out of the subcorridor.
Contact by the average member of the crew with
Pandronians or things
  Pandronian had been infrequent and rare. So it
was unfortunately only natural that in his anxiety
to run down three man-sized intruders, Namura
had overlooked the basic nature of Pandronians,
had hot considered their
  physiological versatility. Far above and beyond
the security team, in the very bowels of the Ent tilde
rprise's ventilation system, nine segments of
three whole Pandronians made their rapid way
around twists and turns which no man-sized creature
could have negotiated. An hour passed and a worried
Uhura faced Commu98 STAR TREK tilde
  nicffions. "'Still no contact with the invaders,
Lieutenant? It's been much too long." "No,
Lieutenant Uburra," M'ress replied. If
anything, she looked more haggard than her superior.
Elars and whiskers drooped with exhaustion, her
energy drained by the effort of coordinating dozens upon
dozens of uninformative security reports from all
over the ship, compounded by the tension which still gripped
everyone on the bridge. "Therre hasn't been a
sighting of the Pandrronians in some time-only false
rreporrts. One security team thought they had the
boarrders trrapped nearr the Main
Trransporrter Rroom, but they managed to slip
past all pumuerrs. I don't know what-was
Alarms suddenly began sounding at Communications, the
command chair, and at several other stations around the
bridge. "Now what!" Uhura shouted. Below, in
another section of the cruiser, a badly
dazed technician dragged himself to the nearest
intercom. Acrid smoke swirled all around him,
and the mists were lit by flashes of exploding
circuitry and in"'eatrumentation shorting out. Phaser
bolts and other energy beams passed through the choking
air above and around bim. "Hello, hello!" he
coughed into the pickup grid. "Bridge . . .
emergencycom n "Bridge speaking; Lieutenant
Ubura here. Who is this?"
  "Technician Third Class Camus," the
voice replied, shaky and barely
  discernible through the sounds of destruction around it.
Something blew up close by and he was thrown slightly
to one side. But one arm remained locked around the
console containing the intercom. Bleeding from a gash across
the forehead, he blinked blood from his eyes and coughed
agam. "Camus tilde amus!" Uhura yelled
over the intercom. "What's your station? Where are you?"
"I'm ... on ... secondary bridge," he
managed to gasp out. "We've been attacked.
Only myself ... two others on duty beret
Standard maintenance compliment STAR TRBR L
tilde tilde 99
  for ... area. Aliens attacked us ... slipped
in before we knew what was happening. Must be
... the Pandronians." He blinked again. "Can't
see ... too well. Smoke. We didn't
expect anytlung. Thought ... they were several
decks above "So did we," replied Uhura
grimly. She glanced away, back toward
Communications. "M'ress, notify an security
teams that the Pandronians are attacking the
secondary bridge." She turned her attention
hastily back to the intercom. "iWhat happened,
Mr. Camus?"
  Explosive charges . . . not phasers. Shaped
demoli lion, from what T can see." The smoke
burned his eyes, and tears mixed with the blood from the
gash above his eyes. ,, "Damage report?"
Uhura queried.
  - "Helm's . . . okay. So's most everything
else, except for minor damage. But communications
are completely gone. We were lucky . . . I
think." "Report noted, Mr. Camus,"
Uhura told him. 'Ellis is important,"
she said slowly as something banged violently over the
speaker. "Was the destruction achieved randomly or
did they go for communications intentionally?" "Don't
know . . . Lieutenant," the technician
reported, trying to see around him.
"Happened too fast to tell anything" "Understood.
Listen, if they're still there, try to tie them down with
your phasers," Uhura ordered hi "Security
teams are on their way to you."
  "Will do, Lieutenant," the technician
acknowledged, just before something touched him in the middle of
his back and he slumped to the deck unconscious.
Uhura looked again at M'ress. "Direct Also
security teams in that area to block off an
turbolifts and stairweUs, seal an corridors
near the secondary bridge. Maybe we can pin them
down there. Also notify Sick Bay to send a
medical team over-they've obviously experienced
casualties." Her expression was not 1OO
STAR TREK LOG NINE
  pleasant. "If any of those techs die, every
phaser on this ship goes off stun." There was a low
murmur of agreement from the rest of the solemn
bridge personnel. "Verry well,
Lieutenant," the communications officer acknowledged.
"I also want extra security sent to Engineering
at war tilde drive control and at all
approaches to the main bridge." "Yes,
Lieutenant$7" Uhura voiced her thoughts
aloud. "If they were trying for communications,
or anything else on the secondary bridge, then
their intentions are obvious. They're trying
to cripple one or more ship functions. If that's the
case, then I think they'll try for Engineering or the
bridge next." She leaned back in the command
chair' resting a fist against one cheek and trying
to make sense of what was going on. Several minutes
passed and she noticed that the navigator had his
eyes focused-on her. "Well, what are you
looking at, Arex?" she snapped.
  "I am as worried as you are, Lieutenant
Uhura," the Edoan replied in his soft singsong
voice. "Staring at each other isn't going to help
the situation any." The Edoan looked away, but
remained deep in thought. "I just can't help wondering
why Pandronians, even the rebel Pandronians the
captain mentioned, are trying so desperately
to damage the Enterprise. They must know that three of
them can't do any serious destruction, can't carry out
anything we won't eventually repair." She shook
her head slowly, wishing the solution were as simple as
operating ship's communications . . . communications.
Apparently the same thought occurred to Arex. "of it
is our communications they are trying to destroy," he
theorised, "and not the ship itself, it seems
to me there can be only one reason behind this. They are
attempting to prevent us from keeping in touch with the landing
party. Yet for them to want to do so must mean Ibis
rebellious faction knows the captain, Mr.
Spoek, STAR TRER LOG NIB 101
  and Dr. McCoy are, as they mentioned, aiding
government forces. If that is the case-was "If that's
the case," an excited Uhura finished for him,
"since only the Pandronian government knows we're
helping them, that means that government is home to at
least one traitor. The captain needs- to be
told." "I believe the Pandronian government should
also be notified," the always empathetic Edoan added.
"Lieutenant M'ress," Uhura began, "call
the
  authorities in the Pandronian capital anyone
you can make contact with. Tell them it's vital for
both their security and ours that we speak immediately
to someone high up in the government. Then get in touch
with the captain." "Aye, aye," the tired Caitian
replied. She turned back to her control console and
prepared to carry out the orders. She was interrupted
by a loud thumping from some" where across the bridge. Like
everyone else, she paused,
  listening. Now the strange noise was the
only sound on the bridge. It didn't remain
stationary, but instead seemed to move from place
to place. Abrupt1 tilde , the noise ceased.
It was dead quiet for a minute, and then a loud bang
sounded from overhead. "They're in the repair access
space above us!" Uhura shouted. "M'ress,
emergency alert! Get a security team in here on
the double. We've got to-was Camumphhst
  A powerful concussion shook the bridge. Smoke
and haze filled the air, and nearly everyone was thrown
to the deck. A hole had been blown in the roof, just
to the right of the science station. Recovering well, everyone
dove for cover in anticipation of the coming assault.
Three sections of Pandronian dropped through the
ragged gap, hurriedly assembled themselves into a
complete assailant. Sections of a second came
close behind, the three integrals joining together like
midget acrobats. As the second alien came
together, the turbolift 102 STAR TREK LOG
NIB
  doors to the bridge slid aside to reveal four
battleready security personnel, phasers drawn
and aimed outward. Everything happened very quickly after that.
Huddled behind the command chair, struggling for every breath,
Uhura was able to absorb only isolated
glimpses of the subsequent fight. One
Pandronian fired a burst at her from an
unfamiliar weapon, which glanced harmlessly off the arm
of the protective chair. The alien whirled quickly
to fire at the turbolift. This second shot
caught one of the charging security techs in the shoulder
and sent her spinning to the deck. Her companion
slipped clear of the confines of the lift car and fired.
The stun beam struck the first Pandronian in the
midsection. As the alien collapsed, he came
apart again. Ignoring the immobile midsection lying
still on the deck, the head hopped onto the lower
torso. One leg reached down, regained the weapon
still held in a stiff hand, and prehensile toes
commenced operating the gun as if nothing had happened.
The second, by now completely reformed Pandronian
ignored the battle and raised a device whose
muzzle was wider than its handgrip was long. He
aimed it to Uhura's left and fired. The
awkward-loolccing instrument emitted a dull pop
which was barely audible over the noise and confusion
swirling around the turbolift. Luckily,
M'ress had seen the alien point the weapon and had
rolled aside. She escaped injury when the short,
stubby missile landed in the middle of her
console. For a microsecond the flare from
Communications was too bright to look at directly.
As it vanished, Uhura could see puffs of white
smoke covering the console and surrounding instrumentation.
The Pandronian reloaded his weapon for a second
shot. But by this time security personnel were pouring
onto the bridge via walkways as well as the
turbolift, faster than the three Pandronians could
shoot them down. Short and furious, the gun
battle ended before the STAR TREK ME 103
  second Pandronian could unload his second
missile. It ended with all three aliens-or rather,
all nine independently mobile sections of
same-paralysed and motionless on the floor. When the
last operative Pandronian integral, a
furiously resisting head, had been stunned,
Uhura, shaken, stood up from behind the command chair.
One after another, the rest of the bridge
  complement rose or crawled out from their
respective hiding places. Only the security
personnel who had resisted the attackers had been
hit. Everyone else appeared healthy and able
to resume his post. Security teams continued to pour
onto the bridge, followed closely by medical
teams responding to the emergency calls
issued by the first to reach the bridge. IT had grown
incredibly crowded beneath the gap the attackers had
blasted in the ceiling. Uhura and Arex moved
to examine the nine motionless shapes scattered across the
deck. "Which one belongs to which one?" a bewildered
security officer wondered. "No letting,";
muttered Uhura. "Take the whole cop lection
down. They can sort themselves out when they regain
consciousness. When that happens, I've a few questions
I want answers to-and I'll have them, or i
  these three will be disassembled into a lot more than
  nine pieces!"
  Under the close guard of a dozen security
personnel, supervisory medical technicians
loaded the various sections of dismembered aliens
onto stretchers and carted them down to the security
area of Sick Bay Once the bridge was clear of
Security and Pandronians, Uhura used a
pocket communicator to contact EITHER-NGINEERING and
request a repair team. Then she moved to stand before
the shambles that had been the communications station.
M'ress met her there trying to peer into the
wreckage, yet careful to jerk clear whenever something
within the white-hot mass would flare threateningly. "I
don't know what was in that missile," she
confessed to Uhura, "but whateverr it was prroduced
104 STAR TREK BOG NIB
  an enorrmous amount of heat. They couldn't have
chosen a betterr way Snake a thorrough mess of
things." It didn't take an expert to see what
M'ress meant Instead of being blown apart, the
communications sta lion had been melted, fused into a
half-solid wall of metal and plastic slag.
Where they could have replaced the damaged or destroyed
areas resulting from an explosion, now the entire
section of wall would have to be cut clear out to the
depths of the heat damage and the console would have to be
literally rebuilt. When Scott heard what had
happened, there was no holding him in Sick Bay,
despite Chapel's admonitions. Having
recovered the use of all but his legs below the knee the
Enterprise's chief engineer was on the bridge
minutes later. He propped himself up on the
mobile medical platform and directed the
  engineering team which had already commenced repairs. His
steady swearing was directed at those who had dared
violate his beloved equipment in so horrid a
fashion. It wasn't long before the subjects of
Scotty's ire began to recover from the effects of
security phasers. Uhura sat in the
sealed security area and watched the activity within the
Sick Bay cell as the Pandronians reassembled
themselves. "The lower portions recovered first, the head
last," Chapel was explaining to her. "I expect
that's only reasonable, since the heads contain the
greatest concentration of nerves and would be most strongly
affected by a phaser set on stun." However, when
Uhura began questioning them via a hand translator,
the Pandronians might as well have remained
unconscious, for all the loquaciousness they
displayed. "Why did you board the Enterpriser" she
inquired for the twentieth time. All three sat
quietly at the rear of the cell, ignoring the energy
barrier and those beyond it while they stared with single-minded
intensity at the back wall. "Why did you destroy
our communications facilities?" STAR TREK
L tilde tilde - 105
  Silence of a peculiarly alien kind.
  "Was it to prevent our communicating with our landing
party on Pandro? If so, how did you know about it?"
Perhaps, she thought, a question which should strike closer
to home.
  "Are you," she began deliberately, "connected
to the rebel groups of
  Pandronians operating on Pandro? If
that's true, why interfere with us? We have no desire
to interfere in Pandronian domestic squabbles." That
was an outright lie, since the captain' Mr.
Spock, and Dr. McCoy were openly aiding the
present planetary government, but it produced the
same response from the quiescent three, which was no
response. Uhura made a sound of disgust,
turned to Chapel "You're certain the paralysis
has completely worn off?" "From everything I can
tell, they're fully functional. Any
paralysis of the vocal apparatus is voluntary,
Lieutenant." "Fully functional, huh?"
Uhura muttered sardonically. "Let's see some
functioning, then." She raised her voice, all but
screamed herself hoarse. "At least identify yourselves!
Or are you going to insist you're not even
Pandronians!" Unexpectedly, the middle alien
turned to face her. "We are the representatives
of the True Order," he said contentedly. Uhura was
not impressed. "I seriously doubt that, whoever you
are and whatever that's supposed to mean. But it's nice
to know that you're capable of speech." The Pandronian
assumed a lofty pose. "Can talk to lower forms when
mood occurs." "Goody. Maybe you'd condescend
to chat with this representative of a lower
order about a few things. Once more: Why did you
sneak aboard our ship?" Dead silence. Uhura
sighed. "AU right, if you don't want to talk about
what you're doing here and why you've brutally
assaulted those who mean you no harm, maybe you're
willing to 106 STAR TRBK BE RIB
  answer questions about yourselves." She began pacing back
and forth in front of the energy barrier. "What is this
True Order you mentioned?"
  "The Society of Right Integration," the
Pandronian replied, as if talking to a child.
"Only the True Order to restoring the natural
order of lifes on Pandro is dedicated.
Dedicated to bringing end to desecrating civilization
now existing. Dedicated to eliminating vile
government which perpetuates unnaturalness.
To cleansing running sore of-was "Take it easy,"
Uhura broke in. "You're giving me a running
headache. What's this natural order you're so hot
about restoring?" Shifting his position slightly, the
Pandronian gazed upward. "In beginning all
lifes on planet Pandro had freedom of
integration complete. Could integrate one life form
with any other to achieve integrated shape pleasurable
for moment or lifetimes. Had even
primitive Pandronian intelligences like This One
great flexibility of form. Often primitive
rites including dividing and recombining to gain new
insights into existences." The alien's voice turned
from reverent to remorseful. "Then did bastard
civilisation now grown huge begin to take hold.
To become rigid, unduid, frozen was Pandronian
intelligences. Recombinations among intelligent
Pandronians were," and his words became coated with
distaste, "law forbidden. Realized only a few
true believers, first of True Order, that this was
horrible wrongness! Themselves dedicated to restoring
naturalness of
  Pandronian lifesl" His head dropped and
turned resolutely from her. Purther questions
elicited only silence. Having delivered their
sermon, the captives apparently had nothing more
to say. Uhura had listened stolidly to every word of the
diatribe. Now, when it became clear they would
learn nothing more from the three, she turned and spoke
bitterly to Chapel. "A bunch of religious
fanatics. Wonderful! So somehow we've gotten
ourselves mixed up in some kind of theological,
philosophical rebellion against Pandronian
STAR TREK EM WE 107
  society. A normal group of revolutionaries
I'd know how to deal with, but these," and she gestured
back at the silent Pandronians, "are of an
  impossible type anywhere in the galaxy. You can't
talk reason and logic and common sense to them.
Whatever such types are rebelling against is never
worse than what they represent." "I wonder,"
a concerned Chapel murmured, "if the captain and the
others realize how fanatical their opposition
is?" "A don't know," Uhura muttered.
""I hope so, because according to Chief Scott's
preliminary estimation of the damage to ship's
communication's facilities, we're certainly not
going to be telling them about it for a while. Elven
energy-supplemented hand communicators would be hard
pressed to reach the surface, assuming we could
cannibalise enough components for them. And that kind of
signal wouldn't-get two centimeters through the
radiation distortion now blanketing that region of the
planet. "I only hope the captain and Mr.
Spock aren't as easily surprised as we
were...." Once the strange roll-and-jolt
novelty of riding the zintar had worn off, Kirk
relaxed enough to enjoy their journey. One thing the ride
never became was boring. Not with the incredible
diversity of life that swarmed around them. Ki* was
able to study the constantly changing vista as the three
zintars parted greenery and snarling animals alike,
living ships plowing through waves of brown and green.
In places he felt as if he recognized
certain plants and, more infrequently, familiar
animals that they had encountered before. As bn Bem had
indicated earlier, these were the members of Pandronian
nature which had found success and harmony in a
particular combination of integrals. So much so that they
reproduced as a continuing species. These
conservative representatives of Pandronian
life were seemingly far outnumbered by the biologically
unfulfilled. One could never predict what might
hop, 108 STAR TREK LOG ME
  leap, run, or fly from behind the next tree, or
scurry across a brief dare of open space ahead.
The excitement was intensified because the Pandronians were
as new to many of these unstable shapes as Kirk. The
thrill of never-ending discovery was intoxicating. In
fact, he mused, that was the best way to describe the
state of life on Pandro, where nature was on a
perpetual drunk. For the first time he had leisure
to speculate on a host of related, equally
fascinating possibilities. How, for
example, did the Pandronians insure the
stability of their domesticated animals? Imagine
a farmer going out in the morning to milk the local
version of a cow, only to find himself facing a barn
full of bears. Or what about mutating crops which
could be nourishment incarnate when the sun went down and
deadly poisonous on its rising? Even the stable
forms of Pandronian life, like be Bem and his ilk, were
capable under proper stimulus of disassociating. He
didn't think, exciting as it was, that he'd care
to be a Pandronian. Not when you could wake up one
morning and find your head had gone for a walk.
Another full day and night of crashing through the
undergrowth brought them to the end of the tracks. Dismounting from
the lead zintar, the chief tracker confirmed that the
coryat trail swung neither left nor right of the
muddy" murky shoreline straight ahead, but instead
vanished at the water's edge. Perhaps
  coincidentally, the tracker also located evidence
of considerable recent activity at that location on the
shore, as of numerous creatures milling about in the
soft soil where the tracks disappeared. ab Af
spoke to the zintar he was riding and the long furry form
executed its elevator movement so that its riders
could dismount easily. McCoy was the first
to approach the scum-laden edge of the water. "Not very
appealing country," he commented, eyeing the unwholesome
muck with professional distaste. "An understatement,
Doctor." McCoy turned, saw Spock standing
just behind him and likewise surveying STAR TREK
Loo
  the terrain. "fit is no wonder that the
Pandronians have not ventured into it, or that eb Riss
doubted Lieutenant Arex's information." What lay
before them was neither water nor mud, but something which
partook of both
  qualities. Where it didn't eddy ponderously
up against solid ground, the thick brownish sludge
bubbled softly under the impetus of noisome
  subterranean gases. Delicate gray-green
fungus floated over much of the shoreline shallows.
It drifted and clung viscously to the boles of
massive multirooted trees. Vines and
creepers and things which might as easily have been
animal instead of vegetable hung draped
haphazardly from intertwined branches, forming a
cellulose web above the waterways between the trees.
Noting the absence of screeches and screams,
McCoy commented, "It's unusually quiet here,
compared to the territory we've crossed."
He walked back, questioned bn Bem. "Is it
quieter here than in the forest because the swamps aren't as
fertile?" "No, McCoy Doctor," the commander
assured him. "Swamp lifes strive noise not
to make. Unhealthy to call attention to Oneself in
swamplands." Kirk joined them, and bn Bem turned
his attention to the captain. "According to tracker ours and
instruments yours, Kirk Captain, our quarry in
there somewhere has gone." He made a broad
gesture to encompass as much of the morass as
possible. "Is still hard to believe any Pandronian
would into swamplands flee, but seems so. To follow
we must a raft build." He started to turn and
walk away, but paused at a thought and looked
back. "Is certain your people found radiation source that
way?" He pointed straight ahead into the depths of the
stinking riot of growth. Spock held out a confident
arm, matching the direct tion of the commander's own.
"Directly along this line, Commander." "So it be,
then," bn Bem agreed reluctantly. He faced
eb Rise, "Set all to raft constructing. Must
push and pull our way through. Zintars and handlers here
will remain to await our retuM." STAR TREK
L tilde NIB
  "What return?" eb Riss snorted
resignedly. "In there to go is new death for all.
Is madness to do, especially," and he glared
haughtily at Kirk and Spock, "on word of
outworlders." "Forget you that coryat tracks lead here
and signs of many creatures waiting disturb this
place," bn Bem countered firmly. "Is
advisable to go to source of strange radiation." "Is
not my objection to that," eb Riss corrected him.
"Is getting to there from here my worry." "On that
Em with you, Lud," McCoy commented, still studying the
hostile nonground ahead of them. "Can't we just
transport up to the ship and have Mr. Scott beam
us down at the coordinates given for the radiation
source, Jim?" Kirk smiled apologetically.
"You know that wouldn't be very good strategy, Bones.
Remember the attitude of guards toward us when we
first beamed down here with the commander? And they were expecting
us. No, in this case slow but sure does the
trick-I hope." He pulled out his
communicator, flipped it open. "But I don't
think we'll have to fool with a raft." He glanced
reassuringly at the curious be Bem and eb Riss.
"I'll order some strong folding boats sent down
from ship's stores. "Kirk to Enterprise." The
normal brief pause between signal and
reply came and passed. Frowning slightly, he
tried again. "Kirk to Enterprise ... come in,
Enterprise." An arboreal creature squawked
piercingly from somewhere behind them. "Mr. Spock?"
Kirk said, eyeing his first officer significantly.
Spock activated his own communicator, repeated
the call, and was rewarded with equal silence.
"Nothing, Captain. Nor is it radiation
interference, this time. There is no indication that the ship
is receiving our signals." He glanced over at bn
Bem, who was watching anxiously. "It would appear,
Commander, that the rebel faction which we are tracking and
which placed several of their number on board the
Enterprise has managed to somehow interrupt shi
tilde to- ground
  communications. Of STAR TREK By NIB I
I 1
  course, we cannot yet be absolutely certain it
is the same group, but evidence strongly points
to it." "I wonder if that's all they've managed
to interrupt, Spock," McCoy grumbled.
"We've no way of knowing, Bones. And the breakdown
could be due to other factors besides obstreperous
Pandronians." McCoy could tell from the tone of
Kirk's voice how little stock the captain
placed in alternate possibilities. "We
might as well proceed as sit here." "To commence
construction of the raft now," be Bem directed eb
Riss. The other Pandronian officer ace knowledged
the order and moved to comply. Construction of two large
rafts of local wood proceeded apace under eb
Riss's skillful supervision. Kirk had
to admit that the Pandronian, whatever his attitudes
toward the Federation officers, knew what he was doing.
They were aided by the extreme mobility of the
Pandronian troopers. Their ability to separate
into two or three sections enaUed each of them
to perform functions no human could have duplicated,
and with amaze ing speed. As the day wore on they were
attacked only twice while working on the rafts.
According to bn Bem, this was an excellent average,
considering their proximity to the teeming swamps.
Kirk was thankful he wasn't present here on a
day when the local life chose to act
belligerently. The first assault came when something
like a large, supple tree trunk slithered out of the
sludge nearby and panicked the Pandronians working
nearest the. shore. The creature sported long,
branchlike tentacles. Its mimicry was lethally
impressive: It looked exactly dike
a section of tree. Under selective phaser fire
from Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, the branches
broke away, scampering in all directions on
tiny legs to retreat back into the swamp and along the
water's edge. Despite repeated phaser bursts,
however, the main body of the tree snake ret 112
STAR TREK EM WE
  mained where it had emerged from the muck, exhibiting
no inclination to retreat. Close inspection revealed
the reason for this obstinacy. The thing didn't retreat
because it couldn't. The trunk that looked like a tree was
just that an old warped log which the many small
creatures that resembled branches had adopted as a
central body. "A poor choice of association,"
Spock commented. "Surely the branch animals could
not hope to blend
  successfully with a vegetable." "True is,
Spock Commander," bn Bem agreed. "disIs
defensive integration for little long eaters. Other
predators would be by size of this "body" frightened
off. Tomorrow will branch lifes be maybe spines on
back of big carnivore, or maybe decorative
striping along belly of big plant grazer." The
second attack on the raft builders was more
insidious and dangerous than that of the almost
pathetic branch imitators. Kirk had gone for a
stroll along the swamp edge, moving just deep enough
into the forest to frustrate anything lurking below the
sludge's surface. To snatch him from between these
intertwining trees would require a Pandronian
killer with more flexibility and brains than any
Kirk had seen thus far. He was taking care
to remain within sight of the construction site when he
heard the low thumping. It sounded something like a muffled
shout. Drawing his phaser, he moved cautiously
forward, toward the source of the sound. In a partial
clearing he discovered a rolling, jerking shape making
frantic, nearly comprehensible noises. It was
submerged under a blanket of olive-green
puffballs. Two long ropes of interconnected
puffballs were dragging the smothered form toward me ominous
waterline nearby. Kirk recognized that
gesticulating, helpless shape immediately, was shouting
back over a shoulder even as he ran forward.
"Spock-bn Bem-this way, hurry!"
  Breaking into the clearing, he set his phaser for
maximum stun and raised it toward the two living
STAR TREK LOG New
  green ropes. At the same time he was
assaulted by a horde of other fuzzy
spheres. Not one was larger around than his fist. Ah
were faceless,
  featureless. Other than the unbroken mantle of
green fuzz, all that showed were three sets of tiny,
jointed legs ending in a angle short hooked
claw. Kirk experienced a moment of panic as the
creatures swarmed around and onto him, began
attaching themselves to his legs and feet. There was no
pain, no biting sensation from unseen jaws. The
puffballs neither stuck nor clawed nor punctured
his skin, but merely grabbed tight and held on. A
similar
  multitude had blanketed McCoy to the point
where- only the doctor's hands, lower legs, and
face remained visible. He was using all his strength
to andmiddot; keep the fuzzy spheres clear of his
mouth, nose, and eyes, 80 that he could still see and
breathe. Every time he opened his mouth to call for help,
one of the puffbaBs rolled over it, and he had
to fight to clear the ori lice. Meanwhile, the two
long lines of iriterlocked balls, like knotted
green hemp, continued to drag the doctor: ever
closer to the shore Kirk's phaser, carefully
aimed, cleared some of them off his own arms and
McCoy's body, but even as dozens
fell stunned, other newcomers swarmed out of the
underbrush to take their place. In seconds, however,
Spock, ha Bem, and several Pandronian
soldiers had joined him. With the addition of Spock's
phaser, they were able to keep the fuzzy reinforcements
at bay. be Bem and the soldiers were rushing toward the
trapped McCoy. Bach Pandronian brandished a
long prod ending in a hypodermic tip. Working
smoothly and efficiently, they began poking each
individual bristle ball with the needles. Kirk
learned later what he was too busy then
to guess-each poke injected a puffball with a
minute quantity of the same drug that the Falkirk
syringe darts carried. be Bem and his companions
began at the spot where the twin chains of green were
holding on to McCoy. As soon as one ball
fell away, another rushed in to Me its 114
STAR TRBK t tilde tilde
  place and continue the seemingly inexorable march
toward the swamp.
  But with Kirk and Spock now holding all
reinforcements at the edge of the forest clearing, re-
formaffon of the two green chains took longer and
longer. Finally the chain was permanently broken and the
Pandronians were able to begin picking
individual puffballs off McCoy. When that was
concluded, they chased the remaining spheres into the
depths of the forest. "You okay, Bones?" Kirk
asked solicitously as he hurried over to the
doctor. McCoy was sitting up, slightly
groggy, and brushing at his clothing where the tiny
creatures had clung. "I guess so, Jim.
They didn't break the skin or anything."
  "How did it happen, Doctor?" asked
Spock.
  McCoy considered a moment before replying. Hiswere'
was bending to get a closer look at something that looked
like an overgrown aboveground truffle over?-he
abruptly began searching around, finally pointing toward
a tree deeper in the forest-"over there. Then it felt
like someone had dumped a hundred-kilo bale of hay
on me. "Next thing I knew I was rolling over
on the ground while those little monstrosities poured
over me." He kicked at a couple of the
immobile, now innocent-looking green balls.
"They were all over me in an instant. And they
won't be pulled off." As Kirk helped him
to his feet McCoy queried the commander, "What are
they, anyhow?" His face contorted irritably and
he resumed rubbing at his clothes. "They
may not bite, but they sure itch like the devil."
"Vigroon," bn Bem replied, nudging several
of the olive globes with a blue foot. "A
successful life form we well know. Even near
Tendrazin we have them, but they are not dangerous
generally, since occur not nearly in such impressive
numbers. "By selves are harmless eaters of insect
forms and other small things. But in integration they act
con. STAR TRBRLOG NINE 115 McCoy
Doctallyor ,, have had opportunity to observe
  "Saints preserve me from such
opportunities," McCoy mumbled, trying
to scratch a place on his back he couldn t reach.
"Are found near water only, when in dangerous
numbers," be Bem went on helpfully. Kneeling,
he pushed SiIt legs and fur aside on one of the
immobile vigroon, to reveal a tiny circular
mouth lined with minute teeth. "Single, even fair
number of vigroon could not kin any animal of
size. Jaws too small and weak, teeth too
tiny. But in large number integration can
associative vi8roon smother large prey or
drown it. Last named what they try to do to you,
McCoy Doctor. 'Many vigroon lump on
prey creature to keep it from fleeing.
Others link up to pull into water, where held under
until drowned. Can then devour nonresisting
corpse at their leisure. You would a great feast have
been for them, McCoy Doctor." "Thanks, but
I don't feel complimented," McCoy muttered in
response to the commander's evaluation. "You sure
you're not hurt, Bones?" "rm fine, Jim. Even
the itching's beginning to fade-thank goodness." Kirk
turned to his first officer.. "Mr. Spock, try
to raise the Enterprise again." "Very well,
Captain." Activating his communicator, Spock
attempted to contact the ship, with the same results as
before. "Still no response whatsoever, sir."
  Kirk sighed, sat down on a rock, and ran
both hands through his hair. "Things happen awfully
fast with Pandronians. I still haven't figured out
how those rebels managed to board the ship, not to mention
knock out our
  communications. Pandronian technology just isn't
supposed to be that
  advanced." "tilde We admit to knowing little about
Pandro, Captain. It is conceivable that our
preliminary Beet reports understated thdr
achievements in certain areas by several factors.
Given what has taken place so far, it
would 116 STAR TRAM tilde tilde
  seem more than merely conceivable-unless another
explanation can be found." Kirk glanced up
hopefully. "Have you any alternative in mind,
Mr. Spock?" The first officer managed to appear
discouraged. regret, Captain, that I do not."
V111
  Prom the moment the two rafts were launched into the
murky water Kirk could sense nervousness in the
Pandronian troops. As they poled and paddled their
way clear of the shore, the nervousness increased-and there
was nothing more unnerving than watching a Pandronian with the
differs, their heads shifting position on their shoulders
with startling unpredictability. Kirk could
sympathise. There was no teeing what might lurk just
beneath the surface of a swamp on any world, and on
Pandro that was true a thousand times over. But as they
traveled farther and deeper into the seemingly endless
morass of sweating trees and dark waters and nothing
monstrous arose to sweep the rafts out from beneath them, the
Pandronians gained confidence. Oddly, though, the more
relaxed and assured the regular troops became, the
more concerned and uncertain grew Commander Ari be Bem.
Kirk was finally moved to ask what was the matter.
"Why the nervous face, Commander? We've
had no trouble so far-less than we had when we were
"safely" on shore building the rafts." He
peered into the dank mists ahead. "I don't see
any sign of trouble, either." "Is precisely what
worries This One, Kirk Captain," bn Bem
told him softly. "Should we have been assailed
by unwholesome lifes several times by now. Not only
has that happened not, but is little sign of any kinds
of lifes, antagonistic or otherwise. "In
fact, the deeper into varbox we go, the scarcer
  STAR TREK LOG NINE 11 7
  becomes all life forms. Is strange. Is
worrisome. Is most unsettling" "Is it
possible," Spock ventured, "that the rebellious
Pandronians, who presumably have retreated through
here on many occasions, could have committed so much
destruction and taken so much life that the surviving
inhabitants of this region have fled to other soon
lions of the swamp?" "Would take army of
Pandronians all equipped with fasirs to clear
even tiny portion of carbon," the commander countered, "and
then would suffer heavy casualties in process.
Would not think Mad Ones had such power or
abilities at their command. If so, would believe they
would have caused Pandro government much more
trouble than they have before now. Find possibility
unworkable, Spock Commander," he concluded y "Can
you offer an alternate explanation for the comparative
tranquillity of our passage, then?" the first
officer wanted to know. ha Bem openly admitted he
could not. He repeated his feelings again: "Worries
me." Lud eb Riss, who was in command of the second
raft poling alongside them, didn't share the
commander's paranoia. "I see not why it should," he
  exclaimed almost happily. "Lucky can These
Ones count themsdves. Personal opinion This One
is that if we not another meat-eater see again, will be
more than pleased. Not to look gift zintar in the
masticatory orifice." They made excellent,
unimpeded progress through the carbon all that day.
When it grew too dark to travel accurately, they
camped on the rafts for the night, mooring them to each
other and to four great trees. The thick boles formed
a rough square, and their net of vines and creepers
provided a psychologically pleasing barrier
overhead. Soft hootings and muted howls colored the
night, but none of them came close enough to trouble the
sleepers or the Pandronian troops on guard
duty. Except for the humidity, the following morning
was almost pleasant. "When do we reach this
place by your ship's sup118 STAR TREK
LOG NINE
  posedly infallible instruments located, Kirk
Captain?" an irritable eb Riss wanted to know
when the morning had passed. Kirk turned to his first
officer. "Well, Mr. Spock?"
  Spock frowned slightly, his attention shifting from
the view forward to the figure-covered sketch he
held in one hand. "We should have reached it already,
Captain. I confess to being somewhat discouraged; but
we may still-was A loud Pandronian shout caused him
to break off and, along with everyone else, look
ahead. The second raft was moving a little in advance
of the other, and a shar tilde eyed trooper standing
precariously on the foremost log was chattering
excitedly in Pandronian. bn Bem and eb Riss
were both straining to see something no one else had.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy did likewise,
and the reason for the lookout's enthusiasm became
evident seconds later. They were once more nearing
solid land. It rose in a smooth, firm bank from
the sludge's edge. Despite the thick cover of
growth, there was no concealing it. The ground looked as
solid as that they had left the long Pandronian day
before. "I thought you once mentioned, Commander,"
Spock murmured, "that the width and length of this
swampland was far greater than this." "So This One
did," bn Bem replied positively. "And So it
is." He gestured at the muddy beach they were
approaching. "Cannot possibly be other side of
carbon. Can only one thing be: an island in varbox
middle." "But you cannot be certain?" the first officer
persisted.
  be Bem turned to face him. "Cannot, since no
Pandronian has ever penetrated into varbox this far and
returned to tell about it. But can be ninety-eight
percent positive is not other side of varbox.
Island must be. Could be many others." "We can count
at some future date," Kirk interrupted them.
"Right now I'm interested in finding out what's on this
particular one." "Is seconding feelings, Kirk
Captain," said be Bem STAR TREK EOG
ME
  fervently, his hand fondling the dark sidearm
strapped to his hip.
  Both rafts grounded on the muck of the narrow
beach. Amid much grunting and struggling
by Pandronians and Federation officers alike, the
waterlogged rafts were pulled far enough up onto the
mud-cumearth to insure their not drifting
away. Probably they needn't have bothered with the
effort, since the current here was nearly
nonexistent. No one, however, wanted to chance being
marooned in the center of the dismal region without an
immediate means of retreat. If the island turned out
to be small, there might not be enough suitable lumber
present to duplicate the rafts. But as they moved
cautiously inland it became slowly apparent that the
island they trod was one of respectable size,
despite the difficulties of seeing very far to either
side because of the dense ground cover. Had it not been for
be Bem's and eb Riss's assurance that they could not
possibly have traversed the entire swamp, Kirk
would have felt certain they had landed on its opposite
shore. Gradually the trees gave way to brush and
thick bushes, the jungle turning reluctantly
into less dense savanna. It appeared they might
even be entering an open area, like a grassy plain.
The low, easily ascendable hill looming ahead of
them was almost barren of growth. Only a few
scraggly bushes poked forlorn stems above the waving
pseudograss. "We ought to be able to get a good
look at the rest of the island from up there," Kirk
surmised, indicating the low summit. "This can't be
a very high island. Not if the varbox
maintains its similarity to Terran swamplands."
Starting forward, he pushed aside several bare
branches and took a step upward. The hill
moved. Jumping clear, Kirk joined the rest of the
party in retreating back toward the jungle.
Disturbed, the hill continued to quiver and rise
heavenward. "Nightmare!" bn Bem shouted in
Pandronian. But 120 STAR TRER L tilde
tilde
  Kirk felt he could translate the commander's
exclamation without resorting to instruments. At full
extension the apparition was at least ten meters tall,
equally wide. As to how long it actually was they had
no way of telling, because they couldn't see around the
thing. A minimum of twelve heads glared down at
them. Each head was different from the next, no two
alike, boasting various numbers of eyes and
nostrils and ears. Each mouth save one (which showed a
round sucker at its end) displayed varying but
impressive stores of cutlery. Each head bobbed
and twisted at the end of a different neck. Some were
long and snakelike, others short and heavily
armored. Still others were jointed like a long finger.
Several of the "growths" Kirk had noted on the
creature's side and top moved
independently, along with limbs of all shapes and
sizes scattered seemingly at random along both
sides of the horrible mass. Grossest abomination of
all was the huge body itself, a bloated ellipsoid
whose skin alternated from feathers to scales to a
smooth, pebbled epidermis not unlike the surface
of certain starships. The skin was squared in places,
round in others, concave in still more. It looked as if
something had taken a cargoload of creatures and
thrown them into a vast kettle, then pounded and boiled
the entire collection together and somehow reanimated the
ghastly concoction. As the thing moved, the most awful
cacophony of whistles, tweets, howls, and
bellows issued from the various mouths. Round eyes
big as a man glared down from one skull, flanked
by slitted pupils in a second. One Meat
burning red crescent shone in the midst of a third.
Somehow the beast moved, on an assortment of limbs
as diverse as the rest of it. Short, thick
pseudopods alternated with stubby, thick-nailed
feet and long-clawed running limbs. It humped rather
than walked toward them. Still retreating into the
jungle, the Pandronians fought to assemble their
fasir. With phasers set on STAR lllEK
tilde tilde 121
  maximum, Kirk, Spockeaand McCoy blasted
away at the oncoming behemoth. It was like trying
to stop a three-dimensional phalanx instead of a
single creature. Various sections and integrals
would drop away-inJured or killed-but the
undisciplined collage would retain its shape and
purpose. One, two, three heads were sliced
away by the powerful handguns. The remaining nine
continued to dart and probe for prey as if nothing had
happened. The Pandronians had almost assembled the
dartthrower when a high whining sounded. Every
  Pandronian, from the lowest-ranking soldier up
to bn Bem, abruptly fell to the ground. They lay
there, moaning and holding their heads. Completely
unaffected, a dumbfounded trio of Federation
officers stood nearby, uncertain whether to aid their
fallen allies or to continue firing at the lumbering
mountain in front of them. Events decided for them.
As the first whine sounded, the creature's dreadful
roars and yowls turned into a pitiable assortment of
mewings and meeps and cries of pain. It turned like
a great machine and began flopping off gruesomely
toward the south, smashing down vegetation as it went
until it had passed from sight. Once the beast had
vanished, the sound stopped.
  When no explanation for this fortunate but
inexplicable occurrence presented itself, Kirk
turned his attention to something hopefully more understandable.
"What happened to the Pandronians, Bones?"
  McCoy looked up at him. He was bending over
one of the soldiers. "Beats me, Jim. The sound that
drove off that grotesque impossibility also hit
them pretty hard. Don't ask me why, or what
produced it." The soldier's normal healthy
blue color had faded drastically. Every other
Pandronian had
  similarly paled, though now their normal hue
began to return. "Inside my head, suddenly
something," a panting ho Bem told them. "Painful,
but more shock than anything else, This One thinks.
Could tolerate if had to, but would rather not." "From the
look on your face, I can understand 122 STAR
TREK L tilde tilde
  why," a sympathetic McCoy agreed. "what
felled you drove off the monster as well. I
suppose we should be grateful for that, but somehow I'm
not so sure. At best this was a pretty
indiscriminate kind of rescue." 'ally do not think
that term is entirely appropriate, under the
circumstances," a voice objected.
Everyone turned to its source. Standing in a slight
gap in the undergrowth leading toward the confer of the island
stood a semicircle of Pandronians. Kirk
experienced no elation at the sight of their black
robes and hoods. They wanted their suspicions
about the Pandronian rebels confirmed, but not under these
conditions. More important even than the presence of
Pandronian rebels here deep in the carbon were the
modern hand weapons they held trained on the
government party. They differed noticeably in their
sophistication from anything Kirk had seen on Pandro
so far. He almost recognized them-no, he did
recognise them. The source of the weapons-and
probably the eq"planation for a great many other as
yet
  unexplained on currences was to be found in the
middle of the Pandronians: one, two . . . three
Rlingons. Holstering his own sidearm, the one in the
middle walked forward, stopped an arm's length from
Kirk. "Captain James Kirk, I
presume? I am Captain Kor of the Imperial
Science Division. You and your companions-he
gestured to include the dazed Pandronians as well
as Spock and McCoy-"are my prisoners."
"tilde What's the meaning of your presence
here, For?" Kirk snapped, unintimidated.
"What are you up to on this world?" "You will probably
find out in due course, Captain," Kor assured
him. "Until then, I require your sidearm,
please?" He held out a hand for the gun in Kirk's
fist. Kirk studied the surrounding group, all armed
with Klingon weapons, and then reluctantly handed
over his phaser. Spock and McCoy followed.
Black-clad Pandronians immediately ran toward
them, disarming their
  counterparts and confiscating STAR TRIER tilde
B 123
  anything resembling a weapon, including the partially
assembled fasir. Under close guard, the helpless
group started into the island's interior.
  "Actually," Kor said imperiously, "you should
all thank me for saving your lives. Had I not
ordered the controller activated, the creature would
likely have exterminated you by now." ""Not true,"
protested ha Bem with dignity. "Fasts would have
induced Reintegration in monster." "Perhaps," Kor
  admitted, showing white teeth in a wide grin.
"Primitive though they are, your local weapons
are effective, in their fashion. And the creature
was, after all, only one of our more modest
expenments." "Experiments?" echoed a curious
Spock.
  "First and Science Officer Spock," Kirk said
tightly, "and this is our-ship's chief physician,
Dr. McCoy." Kor did not acknowledge the
introductions. After all, the officers were
prisoners. "Experiments," he conceded, "yes.
Effxperiments which it has been your misfortune and our
inconvenience for you to have stumbled upon, Captain
Kirk. Why could you not simply have returned to your
ship and taken your trouble making selves elsewhere?"
  "I don't know about the misfortune part," Kirk
replied, glaring as a black-clad Pandronian
prodded him with the muzzle of a weapon, "but you can bet
on the inconvenience. The presence of armed Klingons
on a world of high
  sentience like Pandro, without the knowledge and consent of the
Pandronian government, is strictly forbidden by all
Federation-Klingon treaties Your presence here
constitutes a violation of the most serious order,
Captain Kor." "No doubt certain parties would
consider * so," the ingon captain replied, 'If
it were ever to come to their attention." His grin turned
predatory. "But that will not right-brace happen. And
besides," he added, affecting an attitude
of mock outrage, "we are not here without the
  Pandronians" permission." "I beg to differ,"
said Spock. "No one in the govern124 STAR
TREK L tilde tilde
  mentmentioned anything to us about the presence of a
Klingon mission on Pandro. They surely would have."
"Can be of that certain," be Bem finished. "That
depends on who you chose to recognise as the
official government, Mr. Spock," Kor
pointed out pleasantly. "We happen to feel that these
  representatives of a free society are the
legitimate representatives of the Pandronian
people." He indicated the black-clad figures
escorting them. "Not the illegitimate government which
has its seat in the city of Tendrazin."
"Oovernment has support of overwhelming majority
of Pandronian people," an angry be Bem protested.
"A question of figures-mere quibbling," countered
Kor, obviously enjoying himself. "How do you have the
gall to call these rebels a legitimate
government?" Kirk demanded to know. "They are for
free disassociation and reassociation of an
Pandronian life," the Klingon
  explained. bn Bem could not longer contain himself.
"Means destruction of civilizationl" he
shouted. "Would These Mad Ones destroy all
civilisation on planet Pandro by having
intelligent Pandronians return to unordered
  integralsI" "Anarchy," Spock concurred,
"would be the undeniable result." He quieted when
one of the Klingons gem tared warningly with his gun.
Kirk suddenly looked thoughtful "A lot of things
are becoming clear now. How the rebels managed
to simulate our communicator signals and get
themselves beamed aboard the Enterprise, for example.
And if they were responsible for the breakdown of
commudications between the ship and ourselves, how they knew where
to go and what to destroy. Klingons were heip" ing them
every step of the way." He glared at Kor. "I would
be unduly modest if I denied aiding these bravo
Pandronian patriots," the captain confessed.
"when you do not return to your ship, Captain
Kirk, your death will be attributed to the malignant
Pandronian swamp life which will in fact be the
truth." Kirk didn't like the sound of that one bit.
"It is hoped," Kor continued, "that the
Entcrprisc STAR TREE
  will accept that information, along with your bodies, and
leave Pandro orbit." "You don't know
Scotty," Kirk warned him.
  "Scatty?" The Klingon looked puzzled.
  My current offlcer-in-charge. He's not the
kind to gracefully accept three corpses without a
more detailed explanation of how they came to be that
way." "Our explanation will be sufficient,
Captain," Kor assured him. "tilde We will
concoct something so reasonable, so logical, that even the
most skepffcal mind wig accept it. The story will
have the advantage that none of you three or any of these
misguided Pandronians," and he indicated be Bem
and the soldiers, "will be in a position to refute it."
"If you want us dead," Spock asked,
obviously confused, "why didn't you allow that
creature to kill w when it had the chance?" "A
couple of good reasons," Kor replied readily.
Thirst, the possibility did exist that the
Pandronians' fader might have caused the creature
to permanently disassociate. We do not like our
expensive experiment ruined, not even the small
ones." "Small one," McCoy muttered.
  Yt was still a viable subject for further
experimentation," the Klingon continued, "and therefore
valuable to Is. More important, we could not have
permitted the destruction of our most valuable
Pandronian operative." Kirk stumbled,
saw that be Bem was too shocked even for that.
"Valuable operative? Are you saying. . . r
At would appear," Spock said, looking around
carefully, "that our good friend Lub eb Riss has
gone elsewhere." bn Bem uttered a long string of
Pandronian curses
  "The good eb Riss," Kor informed them, "is
already ahead of us, on his way to our headquarters
building. He has kept with him a small,
supremely efficient Iinpenal communicator. With
this we have easily been kept apprised of your
progress." The Klingon shook his head sadly,
126 STAR TREE L tilde tilde
  "You should have followed his advice to turn back
instead of entering the varbox. He did his best
to dissuade you, but you fools wouldn't listen. It would have
spared me some awkwardness, not to mention what it would have
spared you." He sniffed. "However, you are here. So
now you must be dim posed of, and in a manner
to satisfy your Mr. Scatty and everyone else on
the Enterprise, Captain Kirk." Another
several dozen meters and the brush vanished entirely,
revealing a cluster of fairly large prefabncated
  structures of Klingon style. Despite the
speed with which they had clearly been put
together, the buildings conveyed an impression of
solidity. Multiple antennae bristled above one
structure. Kirk also took note of what
appeared to be a barracks for Klingon regulars and a
series of interconnected science labs. Ample
use of local vegetation had been made, and the
buildings gave every indication of being well
camouflaged from the air. Off to the left, across a
andmiddot; grassy open space, light danced and
flared, indicating the presence of extremely powerful
energy barriers- the partial source, at least, of the
radiation that had so engaged the attention and curiosity
of Lieutenant Arex. "what do you keep on the
other side of those Gelds?" Spock inquired,
nodding in their direction. hour important
experimental subjects, of course," For
responded. "You will have an opportunity to see them
at close range before too long-under unfavorable
circumstances, I fear." He looked toward the
swirling, shifting barrier. "At the moment they are
ad down toward the far end of the island. They prefer
to stay as far away from the
  controller as possible." "You mentioned this controller
before," McCoy reminded him.
  "Yes. It is the device which produced
the frequency that drove your attacker away,"
Kor explained, "and incidentally stunned your
Pandronian friends. Our truethinking Pandronians,"
and he again pointed to the silent rebels around them,
"are provided by us with special devices that fit
over the head and cancel out the frequency. We have
located one, you see, which STAR TREK LOG
NINE 127
  causes considerable discomfort to all Pandronian
life forms."
  4'Monsters you are"" bn Bem growled.
"Quill never the Klingon Empire now bang
Pandro under its influence. Ourselves will align with the
Federation." be Bem's declaration constituted a
Pyrrhic victory at best, Kirk knew,
since it was growing more and more unlikely the commander would be
able return to Tendrazin to convey his recommendations
to the government, Kor's threats were hardly idle.
Given the severity of the treaty violation represented
by this installation's presence on Pandro, he couldn't
chance releasing any of them alive. That had been
self-evident from the moment Kirk had identified
him as a Klingon, back near the jungle's edge.
"But what's your purpose behind all this?" he asked,
indicating the extensive illegal station.
"tilde Why are you risking so much to carry out a
few experiments? Or are you going to let these
rebels use your frequency modulator to attack
Tendrazin?" "Certainly not," Kor insisted. "That
would be dan" gerous to us, as well as unnecessary. For one
thing, our rebel friends don't really have the expertise
required to operate such advanced equipment as the
controller. For another, its
  widespread use could be easily detected by any
off-world observer. The Pandronians themselves would know
immediately that the device was not developed on Pandro,
and could notify any number of nosy
busybodies." "The Organians, for example?"
suggested McCoy.
  Sphere are certain parties," Kor admitted,
"that might frown on such aid to one group of
dissidents on an independent world. And there is that
awkward treaty you mentioned, Captain Kirk.
No, the controller is not a subtle weapon. And
strong-willed Pandronians could resist it enough to fight
back. Our friends are still few in number." "Is
clear now," a slightly subdued be Bem observed.
"They seek the collapse of our society for their
own ends." "Everything suddenly makes sense,"
Spock agreed. 128 STAR TRBRL
tilde B
  "The rebels destroy the present Pandronian
government and take over, thus instigating a
massive wave of disassociation among the planet's
sole
  intelligent species. The Klingons, who are
waiting on the sided lines, promptly step in,
declare themselves selfless teen" efactors, and commence
restoring Klingon order amid the chaos they themselves have
helped to bring about." He reached for his translator,
eyed Kor expectantly. But the
  confident Klingon captain offered no objection
to Spock's use of the
  instrument. Turning to the nearest black form, the first
officer more or less repeated what he had just said,
concluded by saying, "I am surprised you
Pandronian rebels, whatever your personal
beliefs, do not realize thus." "We assurances
have," the Pandronian replied, That once present
unnatural government of Pandro is broken,
Klingons will leave w in free disassociation. We
andmiddot; only need permit them to establish base
or two and count planet Pandro among their worlds of
influence." "If they go back on their promise
to you," Spock argued, "you'll have no
effective government with which to oppose them." The
Pandronian made his equivalent of a shrug. Hi
disassociation and return to natural order that
importantis most. AN else incidental is."
Spock gave up. "Rousseauian philosophy
carried to a dangerous extreme, Captain."
"Mad," was be Bem's evaluation. "All are
mad."
  "You win be properly dealt with soon enough, Cap
fain Kirk," Kor told him. "But there is no
great hurry, and as you have expressed an interest in
our experiments here, and as to how we intend to aid our
rebel associates, I see no reason why you
should not go to your extinction well educated." He
drew out a small control device "This remote
is locked into the large controller in side the
installation. It is convenient to be able to work out in the
open, especially since our more successful
experiments could never fit inside. Let's
see"-he gazed down the wan of energy on their
left-"I think the nearest cell will be most
appropriate. The barrier STAR TRBR Loo
NINE 129
  also splits into individual cells for different
expert meets, you see." He adjusted
controls on the small box. Again the whine they had
heard earlier sounded, but it was not as intense this time.
"It is now a bad headache like," ho Bem
complained, wincing noticeably. "It will get
worse," Kor told him without a trace of
compassion. "The various broadcast units are already
operating full strength at the other end of the island,
thus driving the creature toward us instead of away."
McCoy was staring intently through the energy bar. rier.
"I don't see anything." "Patience, Dr.
McCoy," Kor advised him. '1t is a
large island, and the objects of our experiments must have
room to move about freely." They continued to wait in
expectant silence. Except for a few
intermittent flashes of fire across its fabric, the
energy barrier was perfectly transparent. Most of the
time there seemed to be nothing there at all, but Kirk
knew that if he wallced forward he would eventually
encounter an invisible wall capable of stopping much more
than a lone man. As promised, the whining grew
stronger, until ho Bem and the other Pandronian
soldiers were once agam writhing in pain. Captain
Kor coldly ignored them and turned a deaf ear
to McCoy's entreaties. "Ah, it approaches.
One of our noblest products to date,
Captain Kirk." "Something is certainly coming
toward us, Captain," Spock announced, staring off
into the distance. Totally awed, they all gazed
openmouthed as the lip lag mountain moved toward the
barrier. It dwarfed the monstrosity which had attacked
them on landing at the island, made it appear a
newborn puppy by comparison. Nearer it came,
nearer, until it seemed it couldn't be any larger.
And yet there was more of it behind. Kirk forced himself not
to flinch as the colossus halted on the other side
of the barrier barely five meters away. "We are
quite safe," Kor told them. "where is i 130
STAR TRER Loo NINB
  double barrier, one inside the other, in case by some
unlikely mischance one should fail. Each is quite able
to restrain such creatures. We take no chances with
our experiments, you see." Gazing up and up at the
gargantuan thing, Kirk could understand why. It was hard
to believe the mountain was alive. It was easily a
hundred meters high and at least twice that in
length. Comparing it again to the monster that had attacked
them earlier found that smaller beast a model of
symmetry compared to this thing. At least it had faintly
resembled an organized creature. This sported
head and necks in no special place or
order. Only the legs appeared even vaguely
arranged according to natural law. From time to time new
eyes or ears or mouth orifices would appear
along the rolling, quivering flanks, while other
organs would vanish within. The creatures apparently
existed in a continual state of reintegration and
disassembly. "An impressive mass," Kor
observed rhetorically. Fit weighs many thousands of
comtons." There was an evil pride in his voice as
he enumerated the virtues of hm crime against
nature. "This is the most mobile one of its dze
we have been able to produce, although the barrier
restrains flame much larger but not nearly so
agile." "How," McCoy wondered, staring up at
the burbling mountain, "did you succeed in getting so
many small integrals to combine into such a
monstrosity? Even Pandronian nature operates
according to some laws." -- "It is a forced, artificially
induced association, of
  course," Kor explained. "The integration is
accomplished by employing a combination of controller
free quencies and a hormone we have synthesised. The
hormone is essentially the antithesis of that used by the
Pandronians in their weapons, such as the fasir. That
  drug forces Pandronian life fonns
to disassociate, while
  our chemical impels them irresistibly
to associate, to
  combine into larger, ever larger forms."
  'let's still impossible," McCoy insisted.
'blow could something that big feed itself?" "To begin with,"
Kor told him, 'lit is basically carSTAR
TRBK lOONGG'NB 131
  n"...vorous. You can ted that from the preponderance of
teeth and claws. Such a mass would ravage this
entire swampland quickly enough, would eat its way
across an entire planet in short order. We
synthesize enough raw protein to keep our experiments
like this one satiated. Of course, when we eventually
succeed in developing a creature with high
mobility, it will support itself when necessary." 'x would
stin know your purpose behind this," Spock said
quietly.
  "Oh, come now, Mr. Spock. I expect
better of a Federation science officer.. The universe
is full of weapons. Not an need to be inorgamc.
tilde creature of this size," he went on as the
experiment in question began to pound with awesome but silent
futility against the inner force screen, "could assault
a position defended even by phaser
cannon. Because when one small portion of itself is
destroyed, the rest continues OD, thanks to its
individual
  integrals. "One would need to concentrate an
enormous amount of firepower on it to reduce it
to sizes susceptible to hand-weapon fire. By that time
the creature would already have overwhelmed any field
position, no matter how well emplaced and
defended. The controller would see to that."
'impractical," Kirk snapped.
"Transporting several such monsters to a world in
combat would be an impossible problem in logistics."
"Not at all," Kor countered. 'Eve shnply use
the Pandronians own disassociation drug-in a
diluted formula-thus causing the creature
to disassemble into manageable sizes. These will then be
transported like any breakdown weapon to the world in
question and there reassembled on the battlefield through the
use of the integrator hormone and the controller.
'ationaturally," the Klingon captain added after a
"tilde inent's pause, "not everything is perfected
as yet. The problem of high mobility, for
example. But do not worry-perfection is not far
off. When that comes, Pandro will be turned into an
organic arsenal for the Empirel" 132
STAR TREK [tilde NIB
  IX
  "What," Spock inquired as they were being led
toward the nearest building, "do your Pandronian
allies think of your plans?" Kor showed DO
hesitation in replying. "The brave Pandronians
who have chosen our assistance to aid them in their struggle
against the repressive autocrats of Tendrazin
care nothing for what we might wish to do in the
swamplands, provided we permit free
associaffon and disassociation among intelligent
beings on Pandro. They know that the results of our
experiments will be utilized on other worlds, not here."
Kirk tried to imagine the colossus thundering against the
  impenetrable barrier before them let loose on a
commechanised battlefield, or dropped into the
center of a large city whose inhabitants might
elect to resist Klingon rule and he shuddered. "The
reb-patriots," Kor continued, "have granted
  full permission to make use of all the
Pandronian lower life we require for our
experiments." "You're not going to use the frequency
modulator, you're not going to unleash your abominations
on this world, and yet you say you're going to help the
rebels topple the government without using
Imperial weaponry. I'd like to know how," Kirk
wondered. "The Pandronian government will fall of
its own accord, rotten as it is," For announced
solemnly. "You mean, unhelpful to Klingon as it
is, don't you?" said McCoy angrily.
"Actually," the Klingon captain added in less
ponfflical tones, "it will collapse because we aided
the rebels in one slight sortie." "The theft of the
Tam Paupa-so that's how this motley assortment of
fanatics managed to pull that off." "You malign
our patriots," commented a disapprovSTAR
TRBR-TOA NtNB 133
  ing Kor. tilde Nevertheless, it is here. Would you
like to see it?"
  "The Tam Paupa . . . it here is?" a
reverent be Bem whispered, his head ringing. "Would I
lie to you?" grinned Kor.
  'A Vould a Klingon-was McCoy began, but
he was rem strained by Spock. Why he couldn't have his
say he didn't know, since they were going to be
killed anyway; but Spock always had good reasons
for employing physical restraint. The comment died
aborning. "lbside, please," Kor commanded them.
They entered the building.
  be Bem expressed relief. "They have
turned off the controller, This One "hints.".
"if still can't believe you haven't used heavy
weapons on Pandro, in contravention of still another
treaty point," Kirk essayed. 'blow do you keep
the dangerous swamp life clear of your pathway through
the carbon, not to mention off this island?" That's no
problem, Captain Kirk. Consider the modest
experiment you encountered just inland. We let a few that
size roam more or less freely about the perimeter
of the island, and run some back and forth through the swamp
path we've chosen with the use d controller remotes
like this one." He tapped the control box at his
waist. tilde "MoStill Pandronian life gladly
makes haste to other regions. Those that do not help
by reducing somewhat our need to produce eynthesized
protein." He smiled wolfishly. "By the way,
Mr. Spock, I know that you've had your
communicator on OpeDo
  broadcast since we captured you." The first
officer stiffened slightly. "It is d no
consequence. Your unit could not penetrate the
radiant screening around this installation. Even if it
could, our operatives on board the Enterprise have
evidently accomplished their task of disrupting your
ship's communications equipment "By the time
they have ship-to-surface capability restored, you
will not be around to signal for beam-up. But your
  communicators will, BO that you can be 134 STAR
TRBR [00 New
  beamed back aboard-whaPs left of you, that is.
I might point out that She modern weaponry which so
concerns you, Captain Kirk, still has not been used
on Pandro-but only on the Enterprise." He
pushed Through a door leading into a busy lobby.
Variously uniformed Klingons mixed freely with
black-clad Pandronians. "Before too long the
absence of the Tam Paupa will begin to make itself felt
in government circles. Soon word of its absence will
breach government security and spread to The general
populace. "Panic will ensue. The government will be
in complete disarray. The Pandronians" natural
bellicosity will come to The fore and cus tilde no more
planetary government." The group halted at the end
of the lobby, where Commander bn Bem and the odher
Pandronian soldiers were separated from Kirk,
Spock, and McCoy. "If not meet again, Kirk
Captain," be Bem murmured softly, "was for This
One good to have known you. For you sentiments same,
Spock Commander, MCCOY Doctor." The
Pandronians were led away, while the
Enters prise officers were taken down a nearby
narrow corridor. At its end was a door flanked
by a pair of arrow-straight Klingon guards. Kor
used an electronic key attuned to She
electron levels of the lock alloy to open she
door. They entered, saw a small, dimly lit
room. The room itself was almost empty and as warm as
The outside. Some stands holding a smattering of
scientific equipment were placed around The chamber.
Cases and cabinetry lined one wall. At The far
end was a bench supporting a medium- sized glass
case. "In there, gentlemen," Kor advised them
as he pointed toward the case, "lies The
Pandronian Tam Paupa. If local records
are accurate, and we have no reason to believe they
lie, the most frantic search the Pandronians could
mount would not locate anodher for at least two
hundred of their years. Their government and
civilisation should collapse inside forty." . STAR
TREK Leon NIB 135
  'if can see why it's so difficult to locate,"
McCoy commented, squintinand "I can't see it even
now." "The inferiority of the human form," smirked
Kor. That may be," Spoclc conceded, drawing 8
vicious glare from McCoy, "but it does
not apply to me, and I see nothing inside that case
save some shredded vegan table matter." Kor's
smirk gave way slowly to confusion as he also stared
at the case. "It should be in plain view," he
muttered. "Watch them closely," he directed the
guards as he walked rapidly toward the bench He
looked down into the case. "Odd." Taking a
metal probe, he reached inside and stirred the bark
shavings which apparently served to cushion the Tam
Paupa. His stirrings grew frantic. "Something the
matter, Kor?" Kirk wondered pleasantly. But
the Klingon captain's eyes had widened and he showed
no sign of having heard. "Guard-chamber
guards!" Both tall Kiingons who flamed the
doorway stuck their heads into the champ ber. "Has
anyone had access to this chamber sincebbtion and he
hurriedly checked his personal chronometer,
"eight fleas ago?" Looking puzzled, the guard
replied in Klingon, "No, Honored Captain.
But we assumed duty only six "Get baclc
to your postln Kor screamed. Rushing to one of the
cabinets lining the left-hand tilde all, ho
thumbed an intercom switch, then spoke in
Klingon, which all three officers understood
reasonably wed Security Central . .
. this is Captain Kor speaking. Who was on duty
in the secure chamber as of seven a tilde as
back?" A pause, then, "And for the period before that?"
Another pause, followed by a violent command "Get
all of them up here immediately! I don't care if they
are on rest periodt" Kor's voice dropped
menacingly. "Would you lice your head separated from its
shoulders like a Pandronian? You'll end reattaching
it not so simply" They waited while Kor glared
furiously from empty 136 STAR TREK; NINE
  case to intercom and kicked at another cabinet as
if it were personally responsible for his troubles.
Abruptly his attention returned as someone
reported at the other end of the intercom. "Yes-what
is your name and rank? This is Captain Kor, that's
who, you lower-grade moron! And stop trembling-it
garbles your words. Now, think carefully, if you are
capable of such: Who had access to the secure chamber
where the alien Tam Paupa thing was being kept?
Only him? You are certain? Very well . . .
No, you are not to be disciplined. Return to your
activity previous. It matters nothing now." He
clicked off, stared blankly at the floor.
  "Well?" Kirk prompted, unable to keep
silent. Kor did not look up
  immediately. "I had wondered why eb Riss had not
come along to enjoy this victory," the Ningon
murmured with barely controlled fury. "It is now
clear he was planning one of his own." "Such
loyalty does a Ningon inspire among its
minions," McCoy whispered, soft enough so that Kor
didn't hear. In any case, the captain had other
matters on his mind as he activated the intercom
once again. "Stables? Yes, I suspected. Who
could have guessed? Prepare the others for emergency
run. Yes, immediately." A quick flip transferred
him to a different department. "Security Central-this
is Captain Kor. I want a full squad of
our Pandronian allies and an Imperial
platoon at the stables-yes, fully armed. I
don't care what Headquarters will say if we have
to use energy weapons-the Tam Paupa's been
stolen. Yes, by Lud eb Riss, our"-he
paused, then concluded, his voice dripping
venom-"most trusted contact in the Pandronian
government." He flipped off the intercom, faced a
curious but not displeased triumvirate of Federation
officers.. "The traitor has taken a coryat,
which is capable of negotiating the swamps. There is
only one way he could run, and that is through
the pathway cleared by our experimental creatures.
But we will catch biro and STAR TREK were --
tilde 137
  I will bring him back with me alive, to know the
exquisite refinements of Klingon justice." Still
under guard, they were led from the empty room. In
passing, Kor gave an order to one of the chamber
guards. "Get onto the intercom. I want all
the captured Pandronians brought to the front
entryway, even if interrogation has begun. I have
no time to go to them in the holding pens." "It shall be
done, Honored One," the guard responded.
  Moments later they were back at the entrance to the
headquarters building, where they were soon joined by a
troop of tired, worried-looking Pandronian
soldiers led by Ari bn Bem. Pandronian rebels
kept them packed tightly together. Kor went
straight to be Bem. "'1 must know what Lud eb
Riss is likely to do; therefore I must know what
sort of person you consider him to be." The commander
looked uncertain, but replied oRhandedly, "He
is a traitor to his race; what more is there to know
of him?" "He has restolen the Tam Paupa,"
Kor explained "and is even now riding for
Tendrazin. What is he lilcely to do
there?" At this information a strange sort of verbal
bubbling poured in increasing waves from be Bem's mouth.
Since the common soldiers could not understand Klingon,
he translated Kor's announcement for them.
Immediately they began to mimic his bubbling noises, some
bubbling so hard they could barely keep their feet.
Their heads and middle sections shifted on their
bodies as if they were coming apart. Kirk recognised
it from previous experience with bn Bem as the
Pandronian equivalent of laughter. Captain
Kor was not amused. He drew a small sidearm
from his waist. It was clearly not Pandronian in
origin and differed also from the hand weapons held by the
Pandronian rebels. It very much looked like a
poorly disguised, standa tilde val-issue
Imperial energy weapon. Kor pointed it at be
Bem's head. "I will burn you 138 STAR TREK
L tilde tilde
  integral by integral where you stand if such a
disrespectful outburst occurs again. Tell that to your
subordinates." be Bem dutifully translated
and the laughter died down. Despite the threat, the
commander couldn't prevent himself from declaring, with some
satisfaction, "So have the traitors betrayed been.
Is for justice too perverted, but is
pleasing still was "tilde You should choose Four
coconspirators with greater care, Captain,"
Spock
  suggested, noticing the ingon's anger tightening on
the trigger of his weapon. Kor, properly
distracted, stared back at Spock. "We are now
presented with an additional question of interest: To be
precise, who here was using whom?" "Shut up, you,"
Kor ordered him warningly. Feaorgetting that he was
about to kill be Bem, he directed another question at the
Pandronian. "What can we expect eb Riss
to try to do with the Tam Paupa?" "To return it was
clearly never of his intention," bn Bem surmised.
"By now should high council be incapable of acting with a
Tam Paupa-less premier. eb Riss
intelligent is always, but now appears That One more
intelligent than any believed. Also cunning, also
calculating 'quid One would guess Tendrazin That
One win enter surreptitiously. WE move
freely, as is his rank, in government central.
With aid of Tam Paupa, eb Rise win have own
abilities enhanced. This One believes he could
himself have anointed premier." "The shortsighted
imbecDe," Kor rumbled. 'doesn't he
realize we can have him removed the same
way we removed the Tam Paupa from that doddering
old fool who is the present head of
government?)"' "That may not be as easy as it was the
first time," Spock felt compelled to point out, moved
by the logic of it. The present premier and his
supporters had no idea there were Klingons scheming
on his world, whereas eb Riss knows precisely where
you're located and what you're up to. He used you
all along" "To make himself supreme-ruler of
Pandro," Kir right-brace STAR TREK L
tilde ME
  continued when Spock had finished. "If his plan
succeeds and he makes himself premier, and if this
brain-boosting Tam Paupa is all its cracked
up to be, then I don't see how you can give him
much trouble. This rebellion you're supporting will
fail and you'll have to renegotiate your position on
  Pandro-this time bidding against the Federation. I know eb
Riss's type he'll be interested in joining up with the
side that offers him the most, not the one that promises
the best for Pandro." . "There'll be no such trouble
if we catch him first," Kor reminded them sharply.
His weapon came around to point at Kirk. "In
any event, you three will not be around to witness the
eventual outcome. I see no reason for
putting off your demise any longer. "You will be fed
to one of the experiments. I could burn you here, but I
dislike waste and inefficiency.. Your partially consumed
bodies will be rescued and at least one communicator
activated. We will lower our screens long enough for your
ship to locate your communicator signal and beam
up your remains. They win accept the evidence of the
marks on your corpses, and there will be none to dispute
this." He gestured meani tilde gfully with the
weapon. "Outside, please." Devoid of
expression, the three men and the Pandronians were marched
toward the exit. The guards at the wide doorway
moved aside smartly and the transparent panels
slid apart to let them pass. Kirk had barely
taken a step outside when a tremendous explosion
slammed him hard to the ground. As he was trying
to recover from the initial shock of the concussion, a
second explosion occurred. Glass and metal
fragments whistled over his head, followed instantly
by a series of nonstop, slightly smaller
eruptions "Spock, Bones-run for the rafts!"
  They were on their feet then, nearly falling several
times as continuous blasts shook the earth all around
them, though the actual explosions came from behind.
Kirk looked around, almost falling again, and
saw ha Bem and the rest of the Pandronian soldiers
following In the confusion which had thrown everyone to the
140 STAR TREK tilde tilde
  ground the well-trained Pandronian troops had
reacted more professionally than the Klingon-led
rebels. They had overpowered their guards at the cost
of several casualties. Now only Captain
Kor and two Klingon guards remained outside,
for the initial explosion had collapsed the entryway
into the main building Seeing that he was outmanned and now
outgunned, Kor had time to visit a look of
helpless rage on Kirk. It turned to panic when
another eruption ripped the air behind them. "The power
station!" Kirk could hear him yen dew perately.
"Get to the backups quickly or everything is An
ear-splitting moaning sounded from behind and to the right as they
ran. Kirk saw that a second abomi tilde
nation had come up alongside the first. EITHER-VEN as he
watched, both horrors suddenly slipped five
meters closer to the Klingon installation. "what the
hell's going on"...ful" McCoy shouted. Hid
answer came from the scurrying blue bi-ped now Rand
Ding on his left. "Told an This One that Lud
eb Riss's cunning was great," ha Bem told him
breathlessly as they raced into the jungle again.
"expected the traitor some pursuit from
  Klingons. Would guess he left charges
to create confusion and panic among them." y heard
Kor yell something about a power station," Kirk told
the others, gasping for breath as they hurried along.
The rafts should be close now. "That would cause
panic indeed, Captain," Spock concurred with
enviable ease as he strode along nearby. "It
means that the double-force barrier the Klingons have
erected will come down, and that the central frequency-
  modulator installation will also be ins operative.
It follows that the results of the Klingon
biological experiments will soon be free of an
restraints." "Talk about Frankenstein unbound,"
McCoy panted. "Frankenstein unbound? What
is that Commander bn Bem wanted to know. "I'll
explain later," McCoy replied, "but basically
it's STAR TREK LOO NINE 141
  a Terran catch phrase commeaning you'd better
run like read!"
  Trees rose a" around them now. Kirk stole
a last glimpse backward. Energy bolts were
beginning to rise from the smoking rubble that had been the
KlingoDo station. Kirk couldn't see what they were
firing at. But he had a brief sight of
one target as they reached the rafts. It raised
three legs and four tentacles, each as big around
as a shuttlecraft, and brought them down on the
exterior of the main building they had been so
briefly imprisoned in. It was not an educated
assault, but it was effective. The structure
simply disappeared beneath thousands of ldlograms of
sheer mass. Screams began to sound above the noise
of battle. Every so often a Klingon energy beam would
strike OD-EVERY of the several colossuses now
assaulting the installation and burn a hole in it. A
section or two of the creature would fall away,
blackened and burning without slowing its former body in the
least. "The Klingons are becoming victims of their
own experiment," he noted aloud. "Poetic
Justice." "The justice will be more than poetic,
Captain," Spock reminded him, "if eb Riss
also had the foresight to destroy our rafts as he
retreated." But when they broke through the last thick
brush above the narrow beach and tumbled gratefully to the
water's edge, the two unsightly craft were
exactly where they had been left, grounded on the
gentle slope. To Kirk they were as beautiful as a
F'ederation destroyer. "It may be, Captain, that
eb Riss was unable to move this tilde
heavy craft by himself, or he may not have wished
to delay himself by doing so," Spock theorized, even as
he was lending his own muscle to that of four
Pandronians as they fought to slide one raft into the
swamp sludge. "Or he could have expected us to be
trapped in the explosions," McCoy countered.
"Captain Kor couldn't have chosen a better time
to feed us to his pets." Bot rafts slid
buoyantly into the murk. No group of 142 STAR
TREK LOG NINE
  professional oarsmen could have moved those two
clumsy constructions faster through the water than did the
three men and squadron of bedraggled
  Pandronian troops. "Look!" McCoy
shouted, pointing behind them. They had already put some
distance between themselves and the island. Kirk turned, saw
an enormous elephantine neck stretched perhaps a
hundred and fifty meters into the sky. It towered far
above the tallest of the island trees. Six mouths
formed the terminus, each filled with teeth the size of
concrete pillars. Two of the jaws were crunching
sections of metal wall, while another was devouring
a thick cylindrical shape, munching on the hard
formed metal as though it were a cracker. An
eye-searing flash ensued, followed by a
rolling explosion. The momentary flare lit-the
swamp around them and threw everyone on the rafts
into eerie shadow. "That was a fuel tank, chemical
type," Kirk finally declared assuredly as he
looked back. The huge waving neck was swaying
wildly about. All six mouths and the gargoylish head
they had been mounted in were gone, as was about twenty
meters of upper neck. But the blackened, charred
stump continued to flail about without ceasing. "The danger
now imminent is," bn Bem brooded as he regarded
the now distant horror. "All will proceed to act as
would any meat-eater. All must now obtain own
enormous masses of food to survive.
"Varboxites Will flee in all directions from
them," the commander explained. "Creatures' senses will
direct massive forms to largest mass in region
which flees not." "What would that bet" Spock asked,
already more than suspecting the answer. be Bem gazed
at each of them in turn before replying "In
Tendrazin city, is naturally." "I wonder if
eb Riss foresaw that also," Kirk muttered. "Can
they get through the swampy" "Are you kidding, Jim?"
McCoy looked back toward STAR TREK
tilde NIB 143
  the island, which was now long since out of
sight. Yt would take nothing short of a
thermonuclear demolition charge or a ship's
phaser banks to stew any one of those babies."
""Mr. Spock?" Kirk inquired. Spock
already had his communicator out, but shook his head after
several tries. "The interference shield generated by the
Klingon, has vanished, Captain, but there is still
no indication we are being received by the Enterprise."
That meant that the damage indicted by the Pandronian
boarders still hadn't been repaired, Kirk
reflected. They were on their own, then. As hard
to believe eb Riss would plan so well and not see
results of destroying Klingon aliens" control
machines," be Bem was musing. "Must That One have some
plan.for turning creatures from Tendrazin." "You
stin don't seem to grasp the magnitude of what
eb Riss has done, Commander," Kirk advised
him. "Turning on his own people, then turning on those who
helped him-I wouldn't put it past him todt idly
by while the Klingons' monsters ravage the whole
city. Then he could make himself surpreme ruler of
Pandro without worry of any interference whatsoever-not
with the seat of government obliterated." "This One cannot
believe such crime even of such as eb Riss," a
horrified be Bem replied. And then he
appeared to wilt slightly. "Still, has he
participated in theft of Tam Paupa twice.
Loyalty must remain only to self. Can This One
sorrowfully put nothing past him. It may be that eb
Riss is madder even than the rebels he once
helped." A shout sounded from the other raft. be Bem
looked
  affective as he exchanged words wim a
particularly bedraggled Pandronian soldier. Then
Kirk recognised the other speaker. It was the head
tracker, the Pandronian who had led them to the edge
of the swamp. At the moment, he was gesturing at a
passing tree. "Broken small branches and
missing leaves," bn Bem informed the curious men.
"AU dens of a coryat taking sustenance while on
the rum 44 STAR TR8Rather Low tilde
  "Could be another creature have been made, but
tracker thinks sure a combat. Is good sign that
eb Riss traveling same direction$7' "Any
chance of our overtaking him?" Kirk asked.
  ha Bem looked sad. "'Coryat built for
speed, can outrun zintar. And travels much faster
than raft." There was one more surprise waiting for
them when the rafts grounded on the mainland the following
day. The zintars were arranged in a circle,
their three handlers camped behind the protective
bulks and armed with dart sidearms. bn Bem conversed
with- their own handled, ah At, and learned that eb
Riss had indeed been by this way. He had tried
to surprise the group, but the handlers detected him
too soon and he passed them by, presumably on
his way to Tendraz tilde "eb Riss decided not
to challenge three handlers and trained zintars," be
Bem concluded. 'pithy should he risk himself?"
McCoy dechared. "He got what he really
wanted-the Tam Paupa. The Klingons won't
give him any trouble; they'll be lucky if any of
them get off that island alive. And he knows no one
can beat him to the capital." "Can but try," bn Bem
countered grimly. 'rifle ride, gentlemen." The
situation was explained to the zintar handlers as the great
tame animals were being mounted. Soon they were
traveling at a starding pace back toward
Tendrazin. Somewhere within that huge old city, man and
Pandronian alike knew, Pandro's greatest
traitor in its civilized history had by now
secreted himself. X
  Halfway back to the city Kirk nearly fell
from his saddle in his haste to acknowledge the suddenly
beeps ing communicator at his waist. The
steady jounce of a STAR TRGG'3Rather LOG
tilde B 14So
  zintarat the gallop nearly caused him to drop it
under thundering feet-but he held on. "Mine is also
signaling, Captain," Spock report
  "And mine, Jim!" added an excited McCoy.
  Kirk took a deep breath, flipped the cover
back, and spoke hesitantly into the pickup. "This
is the captain speaking:" "Lieutenant Uhura still
acting in command, sir. Mr, Scott remains
partially incapacitated by the Pandronian low-grade
stun beam. The effects have almost worn off, though.
Nurse Chapel is confident there will be no
permanent aftereffects." "And the Pandronian
boarders?" Kirk wondered.
  "They succeeded in completely disabling our
communications, Captain," she informed them as Kirk
ducked a low-hanging vine. "Somehow they knew
exactly where to go and how to get there. I don't
understand. I thought the
  Pandronians weren't that advanced." "They've had
plenty of the wrong kind of help, Lieutenant,"
Kirk told her. "There are Klingons operating on
Pandro-or, there were." tilde "Klingons!" A
moment's silence, then, "But I thought the
Pandronians hadn't decided-was "They haven't,
Lieutenant. This installation was present without either the
approval or knowledge of the duly constituted Pandronian
government. 111 explain later. For now, suffice
to say that the Klingons had some typical Klingon
ideas about exploiting the peculiar Pandronian
ecology for their own uses. But we don't have
to worry about them any more," he finished grimly.
"Though you might keep a sharp watch for Klingon
warships. Their base here had to be supplied
periodically from outside." "The ecology they
played with is now running wild. According to Commander be
Bem, natural instinct will probably lead the
animals involved to move toward the largest stable
concentration of life on this part of the planet, which would be
the Pandronian capital city. Now, what about other
damage and casualties?" "Several other
paralyzed security personnel are also 146 STAR
TREK NINE
  showing signs of recovery, Captain," Uhura
reported crisply. "Ship damage appears to have
been limited to our communications facilities. Under
Mr. Scott's supervision, though, we have manged
to rig a ship-to-surface link sufficient to get
in touch with you-though Mr. Scott insists
he can't guarantee how long it will last. Do you
want us to beam you up, Captain?" Kirk was
considering a reply when Uhura broke in again.
"Captain, Mr. Sulu has sensor contact with
another vessel." A long, tense pause while
they waited helplessly for further information. "What's
happening up there, Uhura?" Kirk finally called,
unable to stand the silence. "I was awaiting
identification, Captain," came the reply.
"Klingon cruiser escorting a cargo ship. We
can't beam them and they're not beaming us." "Probably
surprised to see you," Kirk ventured. "Their
captain's undoubtedly wondering at the lack d
response from the surface, not to mention the presence
of the Enterprise. I suspect he'll remain
silent in orbit, hoping we'll leave-which we will,
eventually. But keep a close watch on them, and
report any indication of impending hostilities,
Lieutenant." This was all he neededcom Klinglon
cruiser confronting the Enterprise at this crucial
moment. He had to decide-did they beam up to join
the ship, or remain to try to help
the-Pandronians7 The Klingons were obviously here
to supply their ruined base. When a party from the
cruiser finally beamed down into the
wreckage, Kirk was willing to bet the cruiser
captain would head for home with a report, rather than
chance a pitched battle with a Federation ship for no
particular reason. But he couldn't be certain-not
until the Klingon left orbit. But while it
remained, the Enterprise couldn't use its ship's
weaponry to halt the attack on Tendrazin. That
would put her in an untenable tactical position which
would be like waving a red nag in front of the Klingon
cruiser. No, they would have to try something else
to halt the lumbering assault on the city, at least
until the standoff above was broken somehow. STAR
TRBR [equals NIB
  "What do you think, Spock, Bones? Should we
beam
  Spock shook his head once, quickly, and
McCoy grumbled without looking at Kirk, "The
least we can do is try to fix the mess the Klingons
have made of Pandro." "Stand by in the Transporter
Room, Lieutenant," Kirk announced into his
communicator, "but we're not ready to beam up just
yet. We've got something we have to do here first.
We'll keep you advised." Ahead, Commander Ari
ha Bem executed the Pandronian equivalent of a
smile. tilde "What about the
Pandronians who boarded the ship?" Kirk asked.
  "We're holding them in the security section of
Sick Bay, Captain," came the reply front
above. "No matter how small they can subdivide,
I don't think they can dip through a force screen.
They refuse to discuss their mission, but they admit
to being part of some kind of fanatical Pandronian
society." "tilde anaffcal doesn't half
say it, Lieutenant," Kirk told her.
"Keep them locked up, and whatever you do, don t
let one of them get behind anybody." ""No chance
of that now, sir," she assured him. tilde his only
wish we'd known their true capabilities when their
first beamed aboard." "equals is seems to be the
day to learn an about Pandronian capabilities,"
was Kirk's response. "The Klingons learned the
hard way. Kirk out I "Enterprise out."
  Once they entered the government stables, ho Bem was
first off a zintar. He waited impatiently for
Kirlc and the others to dismount. "We must hurry to the
government chambers and convey our information to the premier
and the council Action must in effect be put to wrest the
Tam Paupa from the traitor eb Riss."
Alternately walking and running, they followed the
commander through the winding corridors of the
government building. A queried courier told them that
the 148 STA1ITRBR LOG NINE
  premier was presently meeting in session with the
full high council of both Tendrazin city and
planet Pandro. "Are all in private meeting
chamber," the dazed courier called as the commander and his
three aliens rushed by her. be Bem led them upward.
Eventually they confronted a high portal guarded
by four armed Pandronians in purple and puce
uniforms. The officer in charge barred their way.
"No one to be admitted is," he said
resolutely. "High Council and premier in
special meeting are." ""I am a high commander
myself and envoy extraordinary to United Federation of
Planets," be Bem announced with dignity. "Has
This One information vital to safety of city
Tendrazin and all planet Pandro." "Nevertheless,"
the officer replied, "This One's orders say
clearly that we are to-was This One claims
extraordinary over ordinary," be Bem shot back,
"on all integrals mine and rank of high commander."
  "Overranked and absolved is This One," the
guard admitted, executing a half bow. "Be it
on your association, I admit you." He moved
aside, directing the other BU-ARD8 to do
likewise.
  The door was shoved inward and be Bem strode
importantly into the chamber with the Federation conhugent
close behind. Most of the room was taken up by a huge
table in the form of an eight- pointed star.
High-ranking Pandronians of varying age and
venerability were seated at seven of the points. At the
star-point farthest from the doorway sat the premier,
who abruptly rose and stared at them in shock
"You," the new premier of Pandro exclaimed, the
Tam Paupa positioned securely on his head,
"how did you escape from-?" Lud eb Riss
suddenly grew aware he was on the verge of saying
too much. Slowly he assumed his seat again and left
the startled gaping to the rest of the representatives in
the chamber. Those exhalted Pandronians were no
less stunned than the new arrivals. ha -- STAR
I"OO NINB 149
  Bem's hasty composed speech and declaration of
emergency was totally
  forgotten. "Lud eb Hiss," he was finally able
to stammer, "This One under arrest declares you as traitor
to all Pandro intelligences!" Turning, the commander
called back through the sti11-open door. "Officer
of the guard." The officer who had first
prevented them from entering came into the chamber, followed
by two of his subordinates. ha Bem pointed across the
table. "Arrest Lud eb Riss, the usurper.n
  "Remain at your posh," eb Riss countered in a
new, strangely commanding tone. Foote the altered
voice, Captain," Spock whispered to Kirk.
"One of the benefits of wearing the Tam Paupa,
apparently. It magnifies more than the
decidon-making ability of whoever wears it. eb
Riss is clearly more than he was. It is no
wonder the Pandronians have placed such faith in
whoever the Tam Paupa was on." The officer of the
guard hesitated, took a step backward. eb
Riss appeared satisfied and to be gaining confidence
with every moment. tilde 'what have you done, eb Riss,"
Kirk demanded to Ludlow, "with the real premier,
Karl afterdel Kaun?" It wasn't eb Riss but
one of the councilors seated at the table who supplied
an answer. "Have you heard not? Old- aidel
Kaun died from the effort of trying to handle the affairs
of his office without the aid of the Tam Paupa. The
strain was for him too much. The final dissolution his
body met these two days past." He gestured
toward the far corner of the table. tilde 8 now Lud
eb Riss, wearer of Tam Paupa,
premier designate of planet Pandro, to be
confirmed this day itself." "But you can't make him your
new premier!" an outraged McCoy insisted.
"He's the one who's respondble for the theft of the Tam
Paupa in the first place." Repressions and
reactions differed markedly from human ones, but there was
no mistaking the shoclc that McGo tilde s
startling accusation caused at the table. 150 STAR
TREK LOG NINE
  Slowly, the attention of every councilor shifted to the
premier's chair. eb Riss appeared only
momentarily shaken by the direct charge, but with the
assistance of the Tam Paupa he quickly recovered his
confidence-as would be demanded of any planetary leader
in such a situation. Kirk had already realized they were
not arguing against a single Pandronian, but a
Pandronian plus One. "This a monstrous lie
is," eb Riss declaimed with certitude. "Has
This One only just risked life and integration
to return and warn of danger to city of Tendrazin from
beasts created by alien enemy Klingons?" It had
to be the Tam Paupa's assistance again, Kirk
realized in frustration, which had induced in eb Riss
the brilliant ploy of both denying McCoy's
charge and stealing their chance to warn the council
of the impending threat at the same time. "Lies,
lies, more and greater lies!" a near-violent be Bem
objected, waving his arms so hard that his middle
torso occasionally hopped clear off his hips. "Not
only a usurper and blasphemer is eb Riss, but
was he himself who cooperated with Klingon aliens and them
enabled to produce their monsters on Pandro." "See
how at moment of most crucial need for confidence and
stability they dissension and disruption attempt to sow,"
boomed eb Riss with sly power. "Commander bn Bem
has by his stay with Federation aliens been
corrupted. Must he for his own good be imprisoned.
"As for alien life forms, they no better than
Klingons are. Only different in shapes and
colors. They too wish use of Pandro for their own
unknowable ends. Must they be executed immediately,
to prevent false panicking of Tendrazin population
with their wild, detrimental stories." "This One-This
One knows not what to do, which ones to believe," stuttered
Dav pa Hon. the most experienced and respected
of all the high councillors. "Wears eb Riss
the true Tam Paupa, which knowledge and forthrightness
guarantees. Says eb Riss one thing." STAR
TREK IeaOG NINE 1Sl
  His gaze swung speculatively to the
angry group of aliens fronted by the honorable
Commander bn Bem. "Produces Commander Ari be Bem
outworld aliens for confirmation of most grave charges.
Says bn Bem one thing." He performed a
Pandronian gesture indicative of utter
uncertainty. "Who is This One, who is council
to believe?" Murmurs of agreement and similar
confusion were heard around the polished table. eb Riss
addressed the wavering silence. "Believe in which
person you must," he told them, "but whatever you
believe, cannot you deny the true Tam Paupa."
When this didn't produce an" outburst of
acclaim, eb Riss played his trump card.
  "Anyways, is any present who can offer means
d stopping creatures both sides say soon win
Tendrazin be attacking?" More worried mutterings from
the assembled counciDors. Now their attention
shifted from one another to the four agures standing before the
doorway. ha Bem turned to the Federation officers.
"QV-E0, Kirk Captain," he asked
hopefully, "can you help us?" "I don't know,"
Kirk admitted. "Just a moment." Activating his
communicator, he turned away from the curious
assembly and whispered into the pickup. "Kirk
to Enterprise." "Enterprise," came the
roper, toned to softness by Rirk's adjustment of the
volume. UU-HURA here, Captain." Hiswere' the
you-know-what stir Know where, Lieu
  '1t hasn't changed position, Captain,"
Uhura ro tilde ponded, matching Kirk's
deliberate lack of specifics with some fast thinking
of her own. There wee a definite reason behind it.
If eb Riss right-brace new there was a Klingon
cruiser standing off the planet, the situation could
become twice as difficult as it already was.
"Tnanks, Lieutenant. Kirk out."
  "What about one of your dart-throwing mechanisms such
as the fiord" Spock inquired. "Would they not be
effective against the Klingon creatures7" 152
STAR TREK LOO NINE
  "Perhaps, Spock Commander," bn Bem admitted.
"But is not weapons a- problem. Is hard for us
to produce the dissolution drug. Is not nearly enough in
supplies of Tendrazin, not in many cities, to stop
creatures 80 hiand Was not ever expected by us to have
to fight such impossible accretions of
  integrals." "You see," exclaimed eb
Riss, taking quick advantage of his opponent's
indecision, "they are against their own lies helpless, as
wed as against assault which soon will come against
us. Whereas This One," he rerninded them
grandiosely, "who wears Tam Paupa is only
one who can Tendrazin save. Only This One. "But
win This One save city," he warned them, meeting the
eyes of every individual council member in turn,
"only if am confirmed immediately and irrevocably
by high council as new premier of planet
Pandro." And he grinned a Pandronian grin, not
at the thoughtful councillors but across the broad table
at the anguished face of Commander Ari bn Bem.
"Must do something to stop the traitor, Kirk
Captain," the commander pleaded. "Is nothing you can
do?" "Circumstances prevent us from using ship's
weapons, Commander," Kirk told him sadUy.
"As for anything we could beam down, I just don't
know. I don't have authorisation to use heavy
weapons on Pandro's surface, and I don't
want to duplicate a Klingon treaty violation
by doing so. Besides, I'm not sure a phaser cannon
could stop those
  creatures, and transmitting enough ship's power to be
effective would put a strain on the Enterprzse's
systems which might prove fatal if certain other
parties elect to make trouble. I just don't know."
He turned to his first officer. "I am
truly sorry, Captain, but it appears we must
make a choice whether or not to use modern energy
weapons, whether to risk weakening the Enterprise or
saving Tendrazin." "tilde What about
duplicating the frequency used by the Klingons in their
controller?" Kirk wanted to know. Spock quashed
that possibility instantly. "Highly unlikely,
Captalu. We would have to achieve in a few STAR
TREK Loo NINE 153
  hours what Klingon scientists clearly took a
considerable period to
  accomplish. We have no idea what the frequency
in question was. To locate it requires more time than
we have, by a substantial margin. "Of course, we
could have an extraordinary stroke of good luck and
hit upon the precise frequency right off, but I
consider that a possibility too distant to be worth
considering. We must come up with a different
methodology." Kirk looked over at McCoy,
who was apparently deep in thought. "You working on an
idea, Bones?" "I was just thinking, Jim. The
Pandronians, aocording to Commander bn Bem, might
be able to handle this attack with their own weapons. All
they need is a sufficient supply of the dissolution
drug Wee, I've been producing
drugs in large quantity all my life. I
don't see why the
  Enterprise's organic synthesize[ness couldn't
turn out all the drug the
  Pandronians need. Oven so," he added
cautiously, "I'm not sure mass sive doses
of the Pandronian drug will be enough to reduce to harmlessness
what's coming this way. The commander's right when he says
it will take one helluva lot of the stuff poured
into those hulks. They might still be big and strong enough by the
time they reach the city to cause a lot of damage."
"Is true," be Bem agreed woefully. "Even
best efforts with drug could not reduce last two
creatures we saw while leaving carbon." "There's
got to be a way to make it work," Kirk indsted,
trying to will a solution inffbeing. "There's At to bel"
"tilde or yourselves see," eb Rise cried in
triumph, "admit the aliens their helplessness
to save city. Cannot they preserve you. Only can This
One. Par This One wears the Tam Paupal" "It
jwt doesn't look possible, Jim," McCoy
insisted. "Whichever way the Pandronians turn
they're faced with a dog-eat-dog situation."
"Bones, if we risk transmitting ship's power
and you-know-who decides to attack, then we
. . . we . . ." He paused Enlightenment
dawned on his face. 154 STAR TREK LOG
NINE
  Spock's eyebrows went up slightly.
"tilde Whatever your immediate thought, Captain, I do
not see how Terran canines can be involved in our
present situation in any way." "It's not that,
Spock, it's-was Kirk started to explain, but the
same thought apparently struck McCoy. "It just
might work, Jim." The first officers eyebrows
advanced to his hairline. "Terran canines are
involved? Captain, I don't understand whatcom n
"It's just an expression, Spock," Kirk told
him offhandedly, his attention on McCoy. "You're
sure you can synthesise the dissolution drug the
Pandronians use, Bones?" tilde "Unless its
a much more complex protein chain than I suspect,
I don't see any reason why not." "And in
sufficient quantities?"
  McCoy nodded. "As much as is needed."
  "Captain, may I point out again the size and
flexibility of the creatures the Klingons
produced." "I'm not thinking of destroying them before
they reach the city, Mr. Spock. It seems clear
we haven't that capability. What I am
thinking of is moving them to the point of least
resistance." "If you are thinking, Captain," the first
officer declared, "of changing the path of these creatures
the way we did the drainer stampede on Ribal
Two, I don't believe it will work. The situation
here is not analogous. We are dealing with only a
few colossal creatures instead of millions of
smaller ones. "Furthermore, there is no
species link between our attackers as there was on
Ribal. Bach one is different from the next, and there
exists nothing like a chosen leader." "I'm not talking
about trying to run them in a circle like we did on
Ribal, Spock. Obviously, if what
Captain For told us about their protein
requirements is true, nothing could possibly
turn them from the nearest large, stable source of meat,
which is Tendrazin. "But if we can mount enough dart
launchers on dther side of their approach path and
keep a steady . STAR TREK NINE 155
  quantity of the drug raining into them, we should at
least be able to force the two creatures on the flanks
to move away from the source of irritation. In other
words, they'll continue to advance, but packed closer and
closer together. Then if we can shove them tight enough,
the combination of pressure, threat, and the
presence of so much protein so close should unnerve
them enough to start attacking each other." "I wish I
had your confidence, Jim," McCoy told him, "but
I must admit your idea has a chance." Kirk
looked for confirmationp from his science chief "Well,
Mr. Spock?" "On the surface it seems
plausible, Captain," Spock admitted.
"Yet," and he was straining to gather in a heeling
thought, "something about the very concept troubles me, and I
cannot say precisely why." "Have you any better
suggestions?" Kirk asked hopefully.
  "No, Captain, I do not. And my worry is
not grounded in fact. The idea seems reasonable."
"A fool's plan," snorted the transmogrified
eb Riss. "Can never work. Only This One can
save you ale Must make your decision now." "Just a
minute!" Kirk shouted as several council members
seemed about to speak. "You don't have to make your
final decision yet. eb Riss is a traitor of
hardly believable proportions." "So say you,"
injected a solemn Dav pn Hon. "But what if
we're telling the truth?" Kirk argued
anxiously. "Give our idea a chance. If we
fail, and eb Riss is truly as omnipotent now
as he'd like you to believe, then he can still
save you." Topped by his own vanity, eb Riss
was forced not to refute Kirk's appraisal of his
self-proclaimed abilities. "Dr. McCoy,
Mr. Spock, and I think we can force these monsters
to turn on themselves," Kirk went on determinedly.
"If we fail in this, you can always turn to whatever
miracle eb Riss has planned. But you must
give us this chance! Afterwards, when the threat to Tendrazin
has been eliminated, you can consider the 156 STAR
TRBR LOG tilde
  question of who should be your next premier without having
to do so under pressure. Isn't that worth striving
for?" Rumbles of uncertainty from the assembled
councillors, ending in Budging assent. "And as
long as we're on the subject of saving
Tendrazin," Kirk shot across at eb Riss,
"I'd like to know just what your plan for saving the city
is, anyway." eb Riss sat up straight in his
seat and folded his arms. On his head the Tam
Paupa, a metallic green circle surrounded
by decorative projections and sparlding cabochons,
shone bright in the light from overhead. "andrely, Kirk
Captain, you cannot think This One will reveal idea for
use until is confirmed as premier? This One will
wait as need be until high council comes
to
  realisation of truth." "Yeah," snapped
McCoy, "even if that turns out to be too late
to save Tendrazin." eb Riss made a
Pandronian shrug "Has This One presented offer
to council." "Look," McCoy muttered, "why
doesn't someone just walk up to him and yank that holy
crown whatsi tilde off his rotten head?" "Is
against all Pandronian law and histories," Dav
pa Han informed them. "Would any to take Tam
Paupa from who is wearing it, That One would he as
guilty as whoever first stole it." "And never mind that
the one who stole it is now wearing it," a frustrated
Kirk muttered. "Try to get around that one." He
glared at eb Riss. "Your treachery is worse
than a Klingon's, eb Riss. I believe you'd
sacrifice the entire capital city to further your
own personal ambition. Human history has had
its share of types like you." "This One not threatened
by alien comparisons," eb Riss declared with dignity.
"This One has passed point where personal wishes
matter. Must do what must do, and means this insisting on
my terms. Tendrazin not in This One's hands now."
He eyed Kirk challengingly. "In your hands,
Kirk Captain." STAR lllER Loo
  "Have we no choice," another councillor
lamented. He faced Kirk. "If you fail,
Kirk Captain, we must turn to eb Riss,
traitor though maybe he be, in hope of
salvation. This is our way." "I understand, sir,"
Kirk replied soberly. He activated his
communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise ...
Transporter Room." "Transporter Room
on standby-Ensign M'degu on tation, sir."
  "We're ready to beam aboard, Ensign. We--
was He paused as a hand came down on his shoulder.
  bn Bem looked hard at him. "This One would go with
you, Kirk Captain." The commander was fighting
to control his emotions. "To be of assistance
to McCoy Doctor." He indicated his own waist
band and its pouches. "Have in sidearm and weapon case
several doses of dissolution drug. Will need
to duplicate." He looked to his left.
"distilde 8 sufficient, McCoy Doctor?"
he inquired, flipping open the case to show the half
dozen dark withy McCoy glanced at them, nodded.
"Is sufficient, be Bem Commander." He smiled
broadly. Like Kirk's and Spock's,
McCoy's opinion of the commander had come a long way
since the latter had first set foot on the
Enterprtse. "Besida," bn Bem added, glaring
back across the table, 'If remain here knowing what This
One knows, may do something fatal to self and other
party. Would be dangerous to leave This One behind.
Might violently disassemble eb Riss, even though
fight could end with Tam Paupa damaged." "I
see your point," Kirk said knowingly. His voice was
directed to the communicator again. "Ensign, there will
be four in the beam-up party. Mr. Spock, Dr.
McCoy, myself, and
  Commander bn Bem. We're localized," he"
added as all four moved close together, "so don't
worry about catching someone else. The transporter
is holding the commander's pattern." "I have it,
sir," the transporter operator reported.
  As the high council watched silently, the four
figures
  158 STAR TRAM Let tilde
  were engulfed in a stone of dissolution no
Pandronian life form could match. Then they were gone,
leaving the councillors to stare at one another-and with
mixed emotions at the calm, assured form of the
mentally inspired Lud eb Riss. Once back
on board ship, McCoy wasted no time, but set
to work immediately with several of the ship's chemists
and Spock's assistance to synthesize the dissolution
drug contained in be Bem's tilde dart-syringes.
As expectedsiond hoped-the drug turned out to be a
come paratively simple organic construction, which the
Enterprise's organic fabricator had no
trouble reproduo. ing. With production underway,
Kirk was able to devote some time to considering the
Klingon threat. Actually, it was a threat only on
the basis of past incidents, for the cruiser sat
close by its companion cargo vessel and offered no
contact. That was fine with Kirk. Now if the
Klingons would only cooperate by staying put and let
tiny their minds puzzle over what had happened to their
secret ground installation, he might just have enough time
to work everything out. It was while he was dividing his
thoughts between the enemy cruiser on the main viewscreen
and the timetable Spock had worked out for the approach of the
creatures to Tendrazin that ho Bem approached him,
leaning over the command chair with an apologetic
expression on his blue face. "Your pardon for
disturbing thoughts, Kirk Captain." tilde
Tnat's an right, Commander. I wasn't having any
brainstorms anyway. What can I do for you?" ho
Bem, for the first time since Kirk had known him,
seemed to be having difficulty finding the
right words. Anally, he murmured, "IB
Pandronian problem but seems insoluble by methods
Pandronian." "If you're still worried about what
well do if the drugs fail to act as planned-was
Kirk started to say, but the commander waved him o@l
"Is not that. E McCoy Doctor can produce
enough dissolution drug and if your plan succeeds, will still
ret STAR TREK L tilde tilde 1S9
  main matter of traitor eb Riss having
possession of Tam Paupa. He will not give it
up voluntarily." Kirk didn't understand. "But
once we've disposed of the threat to Tendrazin created
by the Klingons' experiments, then can't the council
deal with eb Riss without fear?" "You still not comprehend
fully importance of Tam Paupa, Kirk
Captain," be Bem tried to explain. "Remind you
that no Pandronian can take Tam Paupa by force from
whoever wears it. Also, consider that Pandronian who
wears Tam Paupa is best suited for making
decisions on all Pandro." "Are you saying,"
Kirk muttered in disbelief, "that is spite of
what we've told them about what eb Riss has
done, the high council could still possibly confirm him
as premier?" "This One really knows not," bn Bem
confessed worriedly. "Never in memory
has such a series of circumstances followed. So
high councillors face unique tuation, "Is
merely advising you that your help may further be
required before certainty of planet Pandro's
alliance with your Federation is. As you said, eb Riss
if he survives will for himself strongest bargain
drive." "I guess we've been underestimating the
spiritual importance of this Tam- Paupa all
along," Kirk mused, "while concerning ourselves only
with its biological effects." "There may be a
way, Captain, to part the Tam Paupa from eb
Riss." Kirk looked across to where Spock was
regarding be Bem thoughtfully. "According to the commander,"
Kirk reminded his science officer, "Pandronian
law forbids the removal by force of the Tam Paupa
from whoever wears it." "Is so," confirmed a forlorn
be Bem. "Removal and exchange must be
voluntary." . "I realize that, Commander,"
Spock replied. "It is merely an idea I
have, not a concrete proposal. Give it a little more
time." 160 STAR TREK LOG Notgg'NB
  Xl
  Four days later McCoy and his research team
had not only cracked the organic code of the
Pandronian dissolution drug and
successfully reproduced it, but they were now drawing
it from the ship's organic fabricator in
hundred-lifer batches. Each fresh tank of the
drug, after being tested for dissolution toxicity, was
beamed down to the surface of Pandro. There, under the
disdainfully aloof gaze of eb Rise, Commander ha
Bem was overseeing the distnbution of the liquid.
Tendrazin's government armories were tuning out
hypodermic dark at a furiow rate. After being
suitably charged with drug from the Entcrprisc, these
thousands upon thousands of loaded syringes were placed in
the concealed faster and other dart-Sring weapons that had
been placed on both ddee of the approach to the city.
Facing the distant varbox and much closer forest, a
broad cultivated plain and cleared area separated
the former from the outer, ancient city wale On either
side of the plain facing the approach path to the city,
the Pandronians had labored mightily to create
two earth" en dikes nearly twenty meters high.
These formed a wide V-shape leading to the city
gates, the point of the V actually being somewhere
inside the city. Everyone was preparing for the coming
attack on the assumption that no quantity of the
drug could cause the creatures to turn back.
  Naturally, the modest walls of the city
would never stop a charge from even the smallest of the
Klingons' experiments. But they would serve to channel
the oncoming behemoths a lithe faster into smaller and
smaller quarters. They were also excellent sites
on which to mount the Pandronian dart-throwers. When word
was passed to the Enterprrse via the communicator
given to bn Bem that the onrushing STAR TRER L
tilde tilde 161
  monstrosities were about to break clear of We
forest, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beamed down
to join the city's defenders. Sensing the nearness of a
ready substantial quantity of raw protein, the
creatures had apparently increased their speed.
Kirk had hoped they would have several more days
to produce even more of the dissolution drug, but the
increased speed wasn't the real reason far the
upsetting of the defenders' timetable. dive have had
scour out monitoring the approach the past three
days, Kirk Captain," ha Bem told them as they
walked toward an unknown destination. "It appears the
creatures do not sleep. Yet ad integrals do
Bleep." "I believe I can see how that is
managed," SpocEvery essayed. 4'The beasts are so
enormous that while a portion of the integrals
comprising each one engages in rest, there are
enough remaining which perform simBar functions to keep the
body going at an times." They had entered a
semimodern Pandronian building near the
outskirts of the city and been whisked bar elevator
to the top. "Should from here have good view, Kirk
Captain," ha Bem assured them as they walked out
onto the rod of the structure. The commander's
assessment turned out to be accurate. -- Prom a
position forty meters above the ground and
  close to the city wan, Kirk could see all the
way to the
  distant forest. Tendrazin lay spread out behind and
on
  both sides, a modern capital city which had
retained
  the charm of its ancestry. One of the attractive,
wellkept relics was the old city wall, which was
presently lined with dart-armed Pandronian soldiers
who would
  form the last line of defence against the onslaught of
an
  ecology gone mad. Beyond them, only
cultivated fields
  of stabilised associative plants moved in the
slight,
  warm breeze of morning.
  Farther off lay the cleared area that separated
Tendrazin from the forest proper. Stretching off to either
side were the two low earthen wags which the Pan162
STAR llLBK L00 NINE
  dronians had so painfully erected, working in
roundthe-clock shifty
  "What if the creatures, dumb as they are,
choose to turn?" Kirk wondered at a sudden
thought. "Suppose they decide to attack the
gunners mounted on the walls instead of continuing on
toward the city?" -- 'Of Captain Kor's
description of their appetites wad accurate,
Jim, I don't think that's likely." McCoy
seemed confident. "They haven't the brains, I
don't think, to guess where the irritation will be coming from,
and the few soldiers on the ramparts don't
represent a thousandth of the potential meal in
Tendrazin. No, they'll keep advancing on the
city, all right." "Has already small-scale
evacuation been started," one of the assembled
councillors told Kirk. 'prom far side of
Tendrazin. Is younglings and elderly only, as
precaution. Always precaution. Should your idea not
work and that of the wearer of Tam Paupa," and
he indicated eb Riss, who was staring interestedly
across the plain, toward the forest, "not work, hope we
to still save most of population, even if city
destroyed is." "I hope that's what it remains,"
Kirk told him, "dud a precaution." "A
rider comes!" someone called out. Everyone rushed to the
edge of the bordered roof. A single coryat was rushing
toward the city from the forest fringe, both legs of the
tall running animal swallowing up the intervening
distance with long, loping strides. A moment later the
rider himself, panting for breath but otherwise composed,
had joined them on the rooftop. "Are near to emerging
from forest," he gasped. "Have all impossible ones
increased their speed as they near the city." "They
detect food in ample amounts," McCoy
commented, finding the prospect of anyone here ending up
in some Klingon experiment's belly discouraging.
'Is noted," Dav pn Han told the rider.
"Have you and all riders done well." The rider,
dismissed, took his leave. pa Han turned to face
Kirk. "Are all gunners ready. Have been given
your instructions to fire on nearest creatures and
continue fire STAR TRLETTER LOO NINE 163
  as long as are able, Kirk Captain. Should last
long thanks to ample supplies of drug
produced by McCoy Doctor." 'knot me,"
objected an embarrassed McCoy. ""I had
plenty of help in analysing the drug, and the ship's
organic
  fabrication engineers did the real work." "Even
now is too late, yet stiDo you to these aliens
listen," came a stinging accusal from eb Riss. "for
chance last to save Tendrazin, throw outworlders and ha
Bem into prison and to me alone listen." As the point
of no return approached, several of the
councillore appeared to waver slightly. They
looked to pa Han as their spokesman. He turned
to face bn Bem, osid quietly, "What you say
first will we try, as have profnised." eb Riss
snorted and turned away from them all. If he
held any concern for his own hide he didn't show
it. Or, Kirk mused, he might have been
trembling inside, only to be calmed by the soothing
actions of the Tam Paupa "Here they come,"
McCoy announced.
  Trees were smashed aside, large bushes and
ferns crushed to pulp under their weight, as out of the forest
barrier came a collection of six to twelve of the
most bizarre living creatures anywhere in the
galaxy. Hopping, stumbling, rolling, they
lumbered forward, differing from one another only in
size and shape. AD were undisciplined
assemblages of the most impossible arrangements of
teeth, nostrils, eyes, legs, and other body
parts. Kirk had to correct his initial
appraisal: They differed from one another in one more
respect, besides size and shape. There was the question of which
was most hideous. The largest of them was hunched forward
slightly to right of canter. It was so enormous
Kirk couldn't see it all, at least not wed enough
to estimate its true dimendons. One of the
councillors, in spite of having been told what
to expect, cried aloud. Another found the sight so
repulsive he covered his eyes and turned away.
ha Bem was peering into a pair of Pandrnnian
mag164 STAPHRBR LOG NINE
  nlliers. Moving them from left to right, he was
surveying the fasir
  positions. "Our gunners firing steady now are,"
he informed them. "As yet no change visible on
creatures' progress, Kirk Captain." "Ghe
the drug and the gunners time," McCoy urged. "Its
going to take every drop of dissolution drug to have any
kind of effect on those leviathans." Confirming the
doctor's words, the monstrosities
continued their advance on the city. They were into the
cropland now, and the councillor representing
Tendrazin and its
  surrounding lands moaned steadily at the
destruction. Flopping and crawling, somehow moving their
stupendous bulks over the ground, they ignored the
steady hail of dart-syringes as they progressed.
Behind them lay long dark streaks tilde gouges in the
land dug by sheer mass. At this range the rain of
darts formed two clouds of silvery mist on the
flanks of the advance. "Still no observable effect,"
be Bem reported. Then a hint of excitement entered
his voice. "No, wait. On the right is something
happening." Kirk had noted it, too, without the need
of may" nifiers. So had Spock and McCoy.
It was a little thing, an almost imperceptible shift in
one creature's actions-but at least it was a beginning.
The monster on the far left, nearest the embankment
and guns on that side, had appeared to flinch, its
whole hundred-meter-high body arcing to the inside.
Moving inward, it scraped hard against the abomination
next to it. Several jaws and grasping limbs on
each creature snapped and dug at each other, but the
hero creatures continued to move forward, though now
jammed tight together. '1t's working!"
McCoy exclaimed. "The one on the inside was
forced inward by the darts, Jim. The drug cost it
too much of itself." And he pointed to the affected
sections of the creature, which lay like large limp
rags in a retreating line back toward the forest.
""It"'tilde working," Kirk agreed tightly,
"so far." STAR TREK LOO NINE 165
  "There-on the side otherl" one of the councillors
shouted. Everyone's gaze swerved to the other side of the
broad open plain. Sure enough, the beast nearest the
irritating weapons there had swung inward, shoving the
next creature in to one side, where it pushed up
against still another monster. Sounds of rising fury
began to become audible from the approaching armada of
integrals, but they continued to come on. They're still not
fighting' Jim," McCoy complained. "They're
jammed almost on top of one another, but they're not
fighting among themselves." t Tin has time to work,
Bones," Kirk responded.
  t has to work."
  Pandronian soldiers at the forest end of the dirt
ramparts who had now been passed by the marching
monstrosities were struggling to move their mobile
weapons down the line. As a result, the barrage
of darts grew more intense the closer the
creatures came to the city. By now they were near enough so
that the men and the Pandroniano on the rooftop could discern
individual features on each animal. Never in
trio wildest nightmares as a child had Kirk
envisioned anything so ghastly as any one of the oncoming
gargantuas. Tendrazin was being assaulted
by creatures a dying addict could not have imagined in his
most frenzied moments. Now they were packed 80
close to one another by the dissolution drug that there was
no room left for the creatures inside to move any
direction but straight ahead. Any brains contained
by the monsters were lost in the task of simply running
the huge collection of integrals. Kirk watched
in absolute fascination as the rain of darts continued
to strike the outside of the two creatures nearest the
narrowing battlements. As each dart injected its
tiny portion of drug, a small portion of
creature would slough away, to run, hop, scramble
back toward the forest, Also win to integrate lost.
Those on the flanks had lost considerable mass by now,
but 166 STAR TRBR LOG NINE
  the remaining majority of creatures in between were
only weakly affected. "Something's got to happen
soon," McCoy said nervously. "There's hardly
enough room for them to move without stepping on
each other." At first it seemed as if McCoy was
wrong, that the abominations would continue their inexorable
side-byside march on the city. But soon a great
tintinnabulation arose among the heaving mass of
integrated flesh, a cacophony produced by the
simultaneous activating of ten thousand mouths. Coming
to a slow, ponderous halt, one creature tamed
furiously on its neighbor, and it in turn on the
next, and it on yet another, so that soon jaws and
limbs were engaged in a frightful battle the likes of
which no world had ever seen. "That's done ill"
McCoy exulted. "Yhey're attacking one
another. They're going to ... to ..." His
voice faded, crushed by the enormity of what was
taldng place out on the innocent plain. "Oh,
my God," Kirk murmured.
  Indeed, the results of the Klingon experiment had
begun to turn on one another-but not in the way Kirk
had predicted, and in a fashion none had foreseen.
No more limbs were torn, no flesh ripped from a
fellow mountain of integrals, no teeth dug great
sores in the body pressing so claustrophobically
upon it. 'allyhey're not fighting any more," Kirk
whispered in disbelief. 'allyhey're integrating with
each other." Panic had fallen like a
wave on the high council "Sound full
evacuation!" one was yelling repeatedly. "AII
to retreatl Is lost Tendrazin ... Is lost
Pandro ,,, ....
  Gunners continued desperately to pour their
unceasing hail of darts on the flanks of the
attackers, which were attackers no longer. In their
place the ultimate horror had been created,
forced for survival to close integral ranks instead
of fighting among itself. Under the constant prodding of the
dissolution drug, the lumbering horrors had blended,
joined to form one single, awesome, pulsating mountain of
flesh. It towered above STAR ll tilde R rod
  the highest structures of central Tendrazin and
cast a long, threatening shadow over the plain and city
wan behind which Kirk and the others stood. So enormous
was it that it blocked out the sun. Thousands of jaws
bellowed and snapped along its front and sides,
thousands more eyes of an shapes, sizes, and
coIors rolled madly in all directions. With a
heave that shook the ground, the Pandronian mountain
threw itself forward in a half hop, half fan. The
action was repeated again, covering more distance this time. With
energy born of desperation the gunners on the
embankments flanking the quivering hulk
poured more and more of the dissolution drug into its
clifflilre sides Integrals continued to fan and
tumble from the crea sure's sides, looking like
pebbles bouncing down 8 cam you wag. "It's not
going to work, Jim," a frantic McCoy de"
clared. "We've failed." "It's my fault,
Bones," a
  disconsolate Kirk replied. 'if didn't
imagine this possibility." 'Iggo not blame
yourself, Captain." Spock viewed the catastrophe
with typical
  detachment. "Neither did I though something was bothering
me about the concept from the first. Who would dream that the
attackers would combine to create one invulnerable beast
instead of fighting one another, as would be expected of
cars nivores in such a situaffon." "There's
sff11 one last chance, Spock."
  The first officer noffced the wild gleam in
Kirk's eye. "Captain, I must object. We
cannot transmit ship's power. To 80 weaken the
Enterprise while it lies in range of a
potentially belligerent enemy vessel-was 'I know,
Spock, I know!" Kirk's voice was agonised
as he fought to make the decision, while the oncoming
colossus rolled steadily nearer. The
Pandronians could not wait for Kirk to make up his
mind. All had rushed as one to stand before eb Riss,
who glared down at them, apparently indifferent
to approaching annihilation. They took turns
pleading with the wearer of the Tam Paupa to save them, as
168 STAR TREK NIB
  Pandronians had done for thousands of years in
moments of crisis.
  eb Riss finally deigned to speak. "Is This
One confirmed as premier?" "Yes-yes!" several
voices acknowledged hastily.
  "Too easy," eb Riss objected. "It must
by the Oath of do Mida be so sworn." The members
of the high council began to recite in Pandronian a
long, involved, unchallengable oath. When concluded,
it would irrevocably install the traitor eb
Riss as supreme head of the planetary
government-no matter what anyone might decide
subsequently. Having been sworn in by that oath,
eb Riss could not be removed from office. It
looked, Kirk thought, as if the master Pandronian
manipulator was about to gain everything he had planned
from the very beginning. eb Riss had made use of
Kirk and his companions, of the Klingons, and of his own
people to achieve absolute power. And there
didn't appear to be any way to stop him.
  "Hold your oath a moment. Councillors of
Pandro!" Spock's cry was loud and strident enough
to startle the councillors to silence. eb Riss eyed
Spock warningly. "Listen not to this alien outworlder.
Finish the oath!" Spock turned, pointed toward the
field. "Closely to look at what happening is,
gentlemen," he insisted in halting Pandronian. In
spite of themselves, in spite of the anxiety of the
moment, all of the council members gave in to the
urge to see what this strange alien was so insistent
about. "It-it's stopped," McCoy stammered in
amaze" meet.
  Similar wondrous mufferings rose from the group of
high councillors, for truly, the ontu tilde
mbling mountain had come to a halt. "The organism
has reached a critical organic mass,"
Spock explained to the mermerized
  onlookers. "The demands of an impossible body
have overridden the arguments of its nervous systems.
Organic demands insist STAR TREK LOG
tilde B 169
  that it can proceed no further without massive ingest
tions of food. And food it win have." All gaped
as thousands of mouths tore at the flesh
nearest to their respective maws, shredding limbs and
scales, necks and motile limbs in a frenzy of
hunger. "It's devouring itself," Kirk said for all
of them. 'One section no longer can communicate with
another," the first officer went on. "Internal
cornmunication has collapsed under the all-consuming
need for sustenance. "It has become big enough to go
mad."
  Steadily one section of the monster vanished
into another, all internal direction submerged in the
orgy of mindless feeding Soon the irrigated
croplands just outside the old city wall were measly
in a sea of Pandronian animal blood. Claws
and fangs continued to rip away at helpless body
parts. The rejuvenated Pandronian gunners had no
time to cheer. They were too busy, continuing to pour an
unending flood of drug-laden darts into undamaged
integrals. Now the individual sections of the
creature commenced to fall away in clumps instead of
single components. The retreat of disassociated
  integrals back toward the forest grew from a steady
stream into a stampede. Between its own depredations and the
effects of the massive infusion of drug, the
ultimate monster dissolved like a steak in an acid
bath. ViUs they ever recombine?" Kirk
mused
  tilde were' think not, Captain," ventured
Spock. "The effects of the dissolution drug are
long-lasting In any event, it was only the Klingon
hormones and frequency controller that induced the
component integrals to combine into such huge,
unnatural associations. That hormone is now being
broken down by the
  dissolution chemicals. Those integrals which are not
drugged win likely experience no desire, retain
no drive, to form anything other than natural
integrations again." By now the monster had shrunk
to half its initial size. Dead-sections,
paralysed or wounded integrals began to pile up
around its pulsing base like so much liv170 STAR
TREKB
  log talus. At the rate dissolution was
proceeding, the creature would shortly be reduced
to manageable proportions. It already appeared
to Kirk that the numb" of wounded or dying integrals
exceeded the healthy ones still
  constituting the living body. Eve give thanks
to you for aid," Commander ha Bem told Kirk
gratefully, "for having Tendrazin saved from greater
evil than could be imagined." Turrung,
he addressed the silent council members. "Have
done the outworlders of the Federation what they said could be
done, what This One said they could do. Have we now
another task before us of equal importance." His
gaze went past them. "To choose new premier of
planet Pandro." Somehow a shaken eb Riss
managed to retain a modicum of composure, although his
previous arrogant confidence had vanished. I, it
weren't for the Tam Paupa he wore, Kirk
suspected, eb Riss would long deice have been
runmag for the nearest exit. "Still This One wears the
Tam Paupa," he boomed shakily. "Are among
you any who would oldest Pandronian law violate
to take it from me?" Not one of the by-now-angry
councillors took a step forward, nor did ha
Bem. "tilde What are we to do, Kirk
Captain?" he wondered, bemoaning the seeming
standoff. "Cannot anyone take Tam Paupa from wearer
without incurring wrath of an Pandronians past. Cannot
we confirm nonperson eb Riss as premier, but
cannot we have premier without Tam Paupa" y still
don't see why the situation doesn't warrant an
exception to the law," Kirk objected. "for this one
time, can't you try and-Spock?" He broke off,
staring at his first officer, who was standing
utterly motionless, looking into nothingness. "Spock,
are you all right?" McCoy had noticed Spock
enter his present state from the beginning, and he cautioned
Kirlc, Easy, Jim-Vulcan mind trance."
Already Kirk had noticed the familiarity of
Spock's peculiar vacant
  expression. The Vulcan body swayed STAR
TREK I tilde OONINE . 171
  ever so slightly, but remained otherwise rigid.
Kirk followed the direction of that blank gaze of
concentration and discovered it was focused directly on
Lud eb Riss. Gradually that Pandronian's
air of determined defiance faded, to be replaced
quickly by first a look of uncertainty and then one of
alarm. On his head the Tam Paupa seemed
to quiver, just a hair. "No," eb Riss
stammered, stepping back away from Spock. "Stop
now, Outworlder!" But Spock's attitude did not
change one iota, and the Tam Paupa's quivering
increased. Kirk, McCoy, and the other
Pandronians were united in their dumbfounded feeling-but
for different reasons. Kirk had no idea what
Spock was up to, but he knew better than to try
to question or interfere while his friend and second in command was
locked in that trance. -- The oscillation of the
Tam Paupa continued to increase, until a fully
panicked eb Riss was forced to put his hands to his
head to try to steady it. Both hands came away as
if the Pandronian had immersed them in fire.
Something else seemed to go out of the traitor. He
stumbled backward blindly, crashed into the
  restraining wall lining the top of the building, and
slumped to a tiffing position. He wore the look
of a badly beaten boxer. At that point, when Kirk
began to feel he was gaining some understanding of what was
going on, some thing happened which dropped his lower jaw
a full centfmeter. Rising on a ring of glistening
cilia, the Tam Paupa lifted itself into the air.
  Microscopically fine filaments withdrew
bloodlessly from a circle around eb Riss's
scalp. As he stared in disbelief, Kirk could
juseament barely make out a line of tiny eyes, much
like those of a spider, running around the front rim of the
brilliantly colored circle. What had given
the appearance of metal now revealed itself as
organic, having the same sheen as a shiny tilde
caled Terran lizard. Gemlike bulges in
front 172 STAR TRER L00 NIB
  now declared themselves to be eyes, which stayed glazed
over while the Tam Paupa was being worn.
While eb Riss lay like one paralyzed, the Tam
Paupa slowly crawled off his head, down his
face, and away from his body. "I'll be an
imploded star," Kirk exclaimed, "the blasted
thing's alivel" bn Bem spared a moment to turn a
curious look on Kirk. "Of course is alive
the Tam Paupa. You mean you knew this not?" "We
thought," murmured McCoy, "it was some kind of
crown." "Is crown truly. Is crown alive,"
the commander hastened to explain. "Why you think we not
make new Tam Paupa when this one first stolen?"
"We thought this one had some particular cultural or
spiritual significance," Kirk reasoned. "Has
that," admitted be Bem, "but is much more why. Tam
Paupa is maybe rarest integral on Pandro.
One found only every two to five hundred our years.
Is why this one missed so badly. Immature
Tam Paupa types live plentiful, but useless
to us. Have no ability to integrate with Pandronian
mind, to aid in decisionmaking." "It's an
intelligent creature, then?" a skeptical
McCoy wondered.
  "Not intelligence as we say," the commander
continued. 'As most specialised integral-perhaps
most -- specialized on all planet
Pandro." He frowned a Pan dronian frown.
  "But This One not understand why it left eb Riss.
eb Riss not dead." "What happens when the
Pandronian wearing-no, I guess I should say
  associating-with the Tam Paupa does die?"
McCoy inquired. "Surely Pandronians
don't live six hundred years or so." 'ationo.
When that happens, council or similar group of
potential premiers is assembled. At moment of
decision Tam Paupa leaves now useless body of
former integration and chooses new one to associate
with. That One becomes new ruler of Pandro. STAR
TREK ME 173
  'u most fair and efficient method of choosing
new Pandro leader. Tam Paupa always selects
best mind present to associate self with. Is also
why Pandro never have any fat premiers," the commander
added as an afterthought. "Tam Paupa draws
sustenance as uneating integral from its Pandronian
host-
  partner." "Sort of like a mental tapeworm,"
McCoy observed fascinatedly. "But still remains
question, why Tam Paupa leave eb Riss
traitor? Is That One not dead," and he gestured
at the dazed but still very much alive eb
Riss. "I think maybe I can answer that,"
Kirk said slowly. "When he enters a Vulcan
mind trance, Mr. Spock LS capable of mental
communication to a certain degree. What he's doing
to, or with, the Tam Paupa I can't imagine, but
he's obviously doing something. "I wonder how long
Spock's known that the Tam Paupa was a living
creature and not a hunk of metal Bones."
""No telling, Jim," the doctor replied.
"Could have been from the beginning; or he might have
discovered it just now. We never discussed it among
ourselves, so if he did know, he probably saw no
reason to bring the subject up. Besides, you know
Spock when he really gets interested in something."
"if know, Bones. Sometimes he forgets that the rest
of us might not see things as clearly as he does,"
Kirk noted. "And speaking of seeing things clearly
. . ." He pointed downward. After a long pause
next to eb Riss's motionless body, the Tam
Paupa had apparently concluded its scrutiny of the
assembled prospective candidates. It began
to move again on its hundreds of tiny cilia-
directly toward Spock. "We've got to wake
him up, Jim," McCoy exclaimed, alarmed at
the direction events were taking. "He may
not be aware of what's happening." Indeed, the
Enterprise's first officer was still staring off into space,
and not down at the shining circle approaching "Bones,
I don't know. Maybe" Kirk moved to in174
STAR TREK tilde E
  tercept the creature, bending and reaching down with a
hand.
  A strong blue arm grabbed his shoulder, pulled
him back. "No, Kirk Captain," bn Bem
warned him. "Not to touch the Tam Paupa. Recall
that creature which can live six hundred Pandronian
years in unstable jungles of Pandro has defences
other than mental Re" call recent actions of
traitor eb Riss." Kirk thought back a
moment. When eb Riss had sought to prevent the Tam
Paupa from leaving him, he had reached up with his
hands-and promptly yanked them away, in evident
pain. Now Kirk scrutinised those limp hands and
saw that they were burned almost beyond recognition. "When
so wishes, can Tam Paupa secrete extremeb
caustic substance for protection," be Bem went on
to explain. "Protects self also from disassociation,
even while wearer sleeps." "Then how the devil,"
McCoy wondered, "did the rebels manage
to remove it from old afterdel Kaun?" "That
answer's obvious, Bones, if you stop a minute
and think."
  "Sure-the Klingons have methods of handling
anything, like we do, no matter how corrosive.
They must have supplied the rebels who committed the
actual theft with everything they needed." His attention
wee directed downward. "Right now I'm more concerned
with what that impressive little symbiote has on its
mind," the doctor finished, voicing professional
concern. " "We can't stop it, Bones," a
tight-voiced Kirk reminded him, "and it would be
highly dangerous to try beaming Spock up while
he's still in trance state. He must have known what he
was chancing when he began this. Let's hope he has
some control over what's happening now." The first
officer of the Enterprise showed no sign of retreat
or awakening, however, as the Tam Paupa continued
its deliberate approach. Although Kirk knew it
was a benign creature, he couldn't help comparing the
scene to a large spider stalking its prey. STAR
TREK L tilde NIB 175
  Reaching Spock's feet, the front end of the
Tam Paupa touched his left boot. Kirk
stiffened, started to reach for the hand phaser at his hip-no
matter the consequences to Pandro if he
vaporised the creature. More important were the
consequences to Spock. But his hand paused when the
creature did. It remained there for long minutes,
and Kirk wondered if it could detect his implied
threat to kill. Abruptly, it backed away,
hesitated again, and this time started straight-for Commander
Ari bn Bem. With a mixture of-
  excitement and horrid fascination, Kirk and
McCoy stared as the creature touched bn Bem's
foot, crawled up the back of his right leg,
crossed his chest, went up the back of his neck, and
settled itself like a bird
  scrunching down in its nest on the commander's head.
be Bem's eyes had closed and remained dosed when the
Tam Paupa first touched him. Now they opened, and a
different bn Bem looked out on the world. It was the
look of a wiser Pandronian, one more compassionate and
understanding, devoid of the omnipresent arrogance of
Pandro. "Is done," he told the councillors in
a deep voice. "Has chosen the Tam
Paupa." One by one he locked eyes with the
assembled high council members. One by one they
wordlessly confirmed him as premier. No oaths or
formalities were required, not now. "Have we been
without a leader too long," declaimed
High Councillor Dav pn Hon. "Commander former
Ari bn Bem, are you now legitimate Premier
Ari afbn Bem, ruler of planet Pandro. Done
this moment by choice of high council and the true Tam
Paupa." "Is good this resolved well," afbn
Bem agreed, with out a hint of smugness or personal
satisfaction in his voice at the Tam Paupa's
choice. He turned now, to face the approving
gazes of Kirk and McCoy-and of Spock, whose
trance had broken the moment the Tam Paupa had
settled itself on the commander's head. "All thanks
is to you, Kirk Captain, McCoy Doctor,
176 STAR TREK EOG tilde
  Spock Commander. Is once agape of Pandro
stabilised."
  But while Kirk heard every word the commander said, his
attention was focused irresistibly on the
Pandronian's forehead. Somewhere in a circular line
there, he knew, thin silky filaments had been
sunk through the skin into atbn Bem's head, probably
into the brain itself. Hard as he peered, he could see
no hint of the COO. Section, so fine were the
filaments involved. His gaze moved slightly
higher, to note that once more the multiple eyes had
glazed over. Again they resembled so many
jewels set in a motionless crown. The Tam
Paupa, content in its new partner, was at peace.
So apparently, was Ari atbn Bem, and so was the
government of Pandro. "To you, Spock Commander," the
new premier was saying, "must go highest of all
thanks." Yt was the only way," a diffident
science officer replied modestly. He was rubbing his
temples. The strain of holding the mind trance was
always somewhat wearying. "tilde What way,
Spock?" asked McCoy. "How did you do it?"
"Naturally it was clear the Tam Paupa could not be
forcibly taken from eb Rise," Spock went on
to explain. "Not only would the Tam Paupa
resist with its own particular defences, but the shock of
tearing loose the filaments would have Idlled it, as
well as eb Riss Only with advanced medical
technology could it be done. That's what the Klingons
obviously employed in removing it from aider
Kaun, but we had no time to engage in even modest
surgery." McCoy nodded in agreement. "I had
gradually grown aware that the Tam Paupa was a
living organism complete unto itself, and found myself
drawn to study of its extraordinary circular
brain." "Circular brain?" Kirk muttered.
"Yes, Captain. Functions of both
spinal cord and brain are combined in one organ which
runs the entire circumference of the body. STAR
TREK EOG tilde 177
  "Only recently did I feel I might be
able to contact that unique mind. We did not actually
engage in mental speech or telepathy of any
kind. It was more in the nature of exchanging whole
concepts all at once. "I concentrated on
communicating one thing to it: that Lud eb Riss was an
unsuitable host. The Tam Paupa was uncertain.
I tried to show it that while eb Riss's mind might
be organically sound, its decisionmaking process was
aberrant and diseased. To illustrate this, I used
examples of eb Riss's recent behavior in an
attempt to convince the Tam Paupa that such a mind
was not a healthy
  associative partner because it could at any moment
turn upon itself. 'fin other words, I tried to show that
by logical standards-and the Tam Paupa is a very
logical organism, Captain-eb Riss was
insane. In the end, me creature agreed with me and
left eb Riss for a more suitable partner." He
indicated afbn Bem, who was standing nearby, listening
with interest. "Yet it started for you first, Spock,"
Kirk pointed out.
  Spock looked mildly discomfited for a minute.
"I had only conceived of persuading the creature
to abandon eb Riss, Captain. I did not consider
that once having done this it might settle upon me as
the most reasonable new host. Had the creature
persisted in its first decision I do not know what might
have happened "Nor could I break the mental link I
had so firmly established between it and myself. Had it
completed a full integration with my mind, assuming it
could do so with a non- Pandronian life form, I
suspect I would have ended up resigning my commission
and remaining here for the rest of my natural life as
ruler of Pandro. "Spockl," McCoy looked
aghast. "I had no choice in the maker,
Doctor," the first officer insisted, turning to face
him. "The Tam Paupa's power is concentrated
foremost on its own needs. I could not break that
mental bridge. For so small a creature its
mental strength is quite incredible. "fortunately, it
decided at the last minute, perhaps partially as a
result of reading the reluctance in my 178 STAR
TREK L tilde tilde B
  mind, that my resistance to the prospect of ruling
Pandro was so strong that it eliminated me as a
suitable host. A more receptive mind was
required, hopefully one which would actually welcome
the prospect of ruling the planet. It chose, as
we have seen, Commando be Bem." "Don't tell me
the Tam Paupa has a compulsion to fule,
Spock," McCoy commented in disbelief. "No,
Doctor, it is not that at all. But if you wished
to maximise your opportunities for a good life,
what better person to associate with than the
supreme ruler of the dominant race of the world you
live on? It is the Tam Paupa's way of
  optimising its survival quotient." "Argue
we not with the Tam Paupa's choice," declared the
elderly pa Hon. "Is known well to us Premier
afbn Bem's integrity and abilities. Still," and
he looked puzzled, "are many present with longer
experience and, intending no impoliteness, greater
administrative talents. Why, then, Ari bn Bem
chosen?" "I can hazard a guess," Spock told
him. Kirk nodded. "Go ahead and hazard, Mr.
Spock."
  "Remember our experience on Delta Theta
Three, Captain. Commander bn Bem was exposed to the
influence of the planetary modher-mind. As we
subsequendy observed, his attitude was altered
significantly for the better by chat
chastising encounter. "Perceptive a creature as the
Tam Paupa is, I have no doubt that it detected
dais shift in normal Pandronian state of mind,
which none of The odher councillors present have had the
benefit of." "What about him?" McCoy demanded
to know, compelled by professional concern to pay more
attention than he desired to the only suffering member
of the group. "eb Rise?" a councillor said,
noting dine-direction of McCoy's gaze. "We
do not believe in killing, though never was it so
warranted." backslash "We will not kill him
outright," be Bem explained, "but will he be given
maximum punishment under Pandronian law. He will
a massive dose of the dissolution formula be given,
so Ulat his integrals no longer one STAR
TREK LOG Notgg'NB 179
  another win be able to stand. As all such criminals
deserve, he will to wander the streets and fields of
Pandro be condemned-in pieces, never again to exist as
a fully-functioning Pandronian." McCoy
shivered. '1 don't think I'd care to spend the
rest of my life not knowing where my arias and legs and
body were. No, I'd far rather be killed." "Is
not quite same sensation for Pandronian, McCoy
Doctor," aibn Bem told him. "But
will insure eb Riss berms no one ever again." Under
order from one of the concillors, guards wore called
and Lud eb Riss was led away to his fate.
"Owe we you all an
  immeasurable debt, Kirk Captain," the new
premier declared when eb Riss had been removed.
"Not only This One personally, but all planet
Pandro. Is little enough, but con This One assure you
that high council will soon approve application for
associative member status in United Federation
of Planets." "That ought to make the Klingons
happy," chuckled McCoy.
  "Depart in harmony and full integration," afbn
Bem told them. "To return as soon as are
permitted, Kirlc Captain. Will then see some
changes made in Pandro and Pandronian
attitudes, of which I was once worst example."
"I'm sure you'll make a fine premier,
Commander," replied a gratified Kirk, "with the
Tam Paupa to help you." He activated his
communicator. "Kirlc to Enterpnse.
"Enterprise-Scott here-finally."
  "Scottyl" exclaimed a surprised but pleased
Kirk. 'allyou're all right again." "Aye,
Captain," the chief engineer replied,
obviously in high spirits. "The paralysis was
temporary, as Nurse Chapel decided it would
be. I'm fully recovered." "And the other crew
members who were affected?" McCoy inquired over
his own communicator. "They're all comic' along
fine, Dr. McCoy. Chapel says they should all
be up and about in a couple of days. 180 STAR
TREK EM tilde
  "All good news, Scotty," responded
Kirk, "and just as good down here. You can beam the three
of us up. We're Wished. Pandro is going to join
the Federation and our old friend Commander bn Bem has just
been made premier." "ten Bem?" Scott
muttered uncertainly, unaware as he was of the
commander's complete transformation. "Captain, are you
certain . . A" "He's changed quite a bit since
he first stepped on board the Enterprise,
Scotty, and he's the first to admit that it's been for the
better. Also, the Klingons have experienced a severe
case of diplomatic foot-in-mouth disease." "That
doesn't send me into fits of depression,
Captain."
  "I didn't think it would, Scotty. Whenever
you're ready."
  "Aye, Captain. Stand by."
  The entire Pandronian high council snapped
to attention. Led by their new premier, every member
performed an intricate Pandronian salute as
Kirk, McCoy, and Spock dissolved in pillars
of fire and vanished from the surface of Pandro. As
soon as he was sure transportation was proceeding
normally, Scott left the conclusion of the operation
to his assistant and rushed
  toward the alcove. He was moving to shake
Kirk's hand almost before
  final decomposition was completed. "Good to see you
back on your feet,
  Scotty," was Kirk's first observation as he
stepped down from the
  alcove. "There don't seem to be any
aftereffects, either, Captain,"
  his chief engineer informed him. "I'd be willin'
to bet that the
  Klingon's Pandronian allies were BO unstable
and unpredictable that
  they couldn't be trusted with really dangerous
weapons." "I'd come to
  the same conclusion, Scotty, even allowing for the
demolition equipment
  they brought on board. They're still in
custody?" "Aye, Captain."
  "You can direct Security to bring them here and
STAR TRBR Loo NIB 181
  beam them down to the surface. Use our last
coordinates. I think
  they'll find a suitable reception waiting for
them." "With pleasure,"
  Scott replied. "A more sour and fanatical
bunch I've never encountered.
  It's a good thing Uhura was the one who interviewed
them. I dinna think
  I would have been quite so gentle." Kirk nodded,
turned to his
  companions. "Mr. Spock, Bones, we'd
better be getting up to the
  bridge." "U you don't mind, Jim,"
McCoy murmured, "I'd just as soon
  checlc on those injured security people first." "Of
course, Bones. I
  forgot." McCoy smiled slightly, left
quickly for Sick Bay. Although
  still on full alert because of the presence of the Klingon
cruiser
  nearby, it was an understandably happy bridge
crew that noted Kirk and
  Spock's reappearance. There were no shouts of
joy, no demonstrations.
  But nothing in the regulations forbade personnel under
alert status
  from smiling, and everyone seemed to straighten
slightly. "Any change
  in the Klingons' position, Mr. Sulu?"
"None, Captain," the helmsman
  replied. 'They're still just sitting there." "Our
communications are
  functioning again, Captain," Uhura put in.
"Should I try to contact
  them now?" Kirk considered, then smiled a little
himself. 'ationo,
  Lieutenant. Never mind. They know we know
they're here. They're
  probably waiting and hoping that we don't start
anything, or just go
  away. Well oblige them. Any sign of
transporter activity since they
  arrived, Mr. Sulu?" 'ationo, sir." Kirk
appeared satisfied. 'ationaturally
  not. They're afraid we'd detect it and want
to know what they were up
  to on a neutral world. They must be
frantic with worry, since they
  haven't been able to raise their secret
installation. I don't think
  they're going to like what they find. "Mr. Arex,
lay in a course for
  Starbase Sit. 182 STAR TREK tilde
NIB
  Much as I'd like to be around when the Klingons
discover what's
  happened on Pandro, I'd prefer to avoid
unnecessary hostilities. And
  the Klingons are going to be feeling particularly
hostile." Navigator
  and helmsman moved to execute the order. As they
were preparing to do
  so, Kirk noticed that his first officer seemed in
an especially
  thoughtful mood. 'iWhat is it, Spock?"
Abruptly he had a thought of
  his own. "Don't ted me you regret leaving
Pandro?" "It is not that,
  Captain. Naturally I had no desire
to remain and rule the planet. But
  there was something else the Tam Paupa offered which I
cannot get out
  of my mind." He looked speculatively across
at Kirk. "It insisted in
  its own way of communicating that it could instruct me
how to fully
  disassociate in the fashion of the Pandronians.
The possibility of
  being able to separate my body into several
independent sections was BO
  intriguing that I confess for a brief moment I was
sorely tempted."
  "I'm Lad you didn't accept, Spock,"
Kirk told him honestly, appalled at
  the picture his mind conjured up of three Spock
sections running
  haphazardly about the ship. "I like you the way you
are. In one piece."
  'what was my eventual feeling also, Captain.
Besides, while the Tam
  Paupa was positive it could teach me
to disassociate, it was not quite
  so certain it could show me the way to reintegrate
again. The only
  thing I want following me through the universe is
my shadow. Not," he
  added strongly, "my arms or legs.
I'd rather be a whole Vulcan than a
  parade." "Amen to that," Kirk concurred. Then his
mood turned somber
  as the viewscreen replaced the receding planet
Pandro with a spacious
  view of stars and nebulae. "You know, the
Klingons with their
  experimental creatures weren't behaving much
differently than children
  do with building blocks. Their toy just got out of
hand at the end." He
  stared at the vast panorama on the screen, which
formed a very tiny
  portion indeed of one infinitesimally small
corner of the universe.
  STAR TREK BE tilde 183
  ""In a way we're all like Captain Kor
and hm people-children playing
  with building blocks that we don't always understand.
We have to be
  careful and " keep the castles we build out of
them down to sizes we
  can manage, or one day they're all liable to come
tumbling down on
  us....

























 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
