Corona (8 page)

When the situation had stabilized and the stars had settled on their path to the main sequence, the researchers had emerged from the shelter to discover that their comrades in cold storage had been severely injured. "The hibernacula are heavily shielded against most forms of radiation," T'Kosa explained. "We were not prepared for so much Ybakra, and believed that proximity to the planetoid would keep levels down. There is no other way to shield against Ybakra … we could have done nothing more, anyway."

Spock intercepted Kirk's glance but said nothing, and Kirk likewise kept his counsel.

"We were able to repair most of the damage to the station, and to resume our work," Grake said. "We realized we could never use sub-space radio to communicate with the Federation, since in the presence of the mass anomalies the Ybakra would totally block all fraction-space transmissions, so I set about creating a very powerful tight-beam radio signal transmitter. I knew the location of a Federation buoy beyond the boundaries of the Black Box, but only approximately, since our position had been changed and our view of other stars was obscured by the expanding nebula gas clouds. Still, I was able to send the signal …"

Radak looked up from the table at Spock. "We assume the message was only partially intercepted."

"Yes," Spock said. "We received a fair amount of science data, but very little of Grake's audio-visual transmission."

"That, too, is for the best. We were pessimistic about our chances, and the message may have caused undue alarm. As it is, we have done quite well. And we have made significant advances in our understanding—not only about stellar processes, but about physics in general. We will soon be able to show you our new research center, perhaps after Dr. McCoy has finished with the sleepers."

"We may have problems rescuing your people quickly," Kirk said. "We were not prepared to take on such a large job. It could take weeks."

"There is also some doubt that the nebula has stabilized," Spock said. "We strongly recommend you all come aboard the
Enterprise
, and return with us to the nearest starbase as soon as we've transported the sleepers."

Radak shook his head once, firmly, and Grake did likewise. "That is impossible, Spock," T'Prylla said. "There can be no interruptions in our work. We do not require rescuing, as you can plainly see. And if the nebula should be agitated again … we have survived once. We are much more prepared now. You will better comprehend how safe we are when you've seen the research dome."

"Do not misunderstand," Radak said.

"We have been here, out of touch with everyone, doing our work," T'Prylla continued, as if on cue from her son. "To have fellow beings with us, to compare our findings with the work of other scientists—with what has been happening in the Federation in the last ten years—is marvelous." She looked at Spock with an expression that on a human face would have been interpreted as stern. Spock lifted an eyebrow and withdrew a data pack from his belt pouch.

"I anticipated such a need," he said, handing the pack to T'Prylla. "Here you will find all the research results published in your fields of interest. There has been considerable progress in understanding subspacial mass anomalies." He paused. "And there has been much change in the
Spyorna
on Vulcan."

T'Prylla did not react to Spock's last bit of information. She took the preferred pack and passed it to Grake. "In return, we have prepared a report on our protostar and Ybakra studies."
Severely edited …
"How quickly can the sleepers be moved to the
Enterprise?
"

"For the moment, we can only beam up six at a time," Kirk said, "and reconstruct two a week. We're investigating rigging the shuttlecraft to ferry the hibernacula, but even that would take time and present some risks." And for that reason, he thought, we could certainly use a little more cooperation …

The TEREC analyzer, at McCoy's request, sent its remote probe around the cold storage chamber for a second time before returning a final answer. McCoy and Chapel waited outside the cylindrical cold chamber, watching through the glass port as the probe floated from hibernaculum to hibernaculum, calculating the mass and complexity of each of the thirty frozen researchers. The remote probe acted as a scan-only transporter, with neither the power nor the equipment to actually disintegrate and reintegrate anything. It fed its results to the analyzer, which considered the situation and decided what the TEREC was capable of doing, practically and legally. McCoy had few doubts what the answer would be.

"Slow as molasses," he grumbled, pulling up a seat and squatting with the back pulled to his chest, legs straddled on either side. Chapel stood by the port, arms crossed, with her hands gripping her shoulders.

"Just looking in there makes me feel frozen," she said. "Ten years in cold storage …"

"Yes, and even without Ybakra, I don't think there's been such a prolonged freeze in a century. They were only supposed to be in there two or three years, until the preliminary work had been done by T'Prylla and her people."

"I wonder what it would be like to work with Vulcans … I mean, almost everybody being Vulcan but you." There were four humans in cold storage; all the rest were Vulcans.

"They were volunteers. I suppose they knew what they were getting into. From what Spock says, T'Prylla isn't exactly your straight-forward Vulcan. She's even odder than Spock, not that you'd notice."

"Analysis completed," said the analyzer.

"Well, let's have it," McCoy urged impatiently.

"These individuals have all suffered severe nerve damage in cold storage. They are legally dead. The TEREC unit is forbidden by its monitors from reviving beings who are dead by the definition established for each category of being."

"Damn," McCoy said.

"There would be practical difficulties, as well. Since the bodies can only be transported once, without suffering even more severe damage due to the dangers of transporting deep-frozen specimens, and since therefore they must be fed directly into the TEREC, only six may be transported at a time. The TEREC can hold two form-memories for restructuring, and four in auxiliary banks."

"Yes, yes, we knew all that. If we have to, we can bring them all up on the shuttle … though Scotty alone knows how we'll rig the power supplies and safeguards. Show me a profile on the typical case for Vulcans and humans." The analyzer displayed a multi-dimensional chart in three separations, giving the scanning results for a Vulcan and a human. The doctor stared at the results for a moment, repeated the display, and frowned. "Something isn't right here. The bodies have been tampered with, or I'm greatly mistaken. But that doesn't make sense. Maybe the probe needs adjusting." McCoy shut off the analyzer and rested his chin on his crossed wrists.

In the station mess, Kirk was not encouraged by McCoy's expression when the doctor and Chapel returned.

"If the transporters are working properly, we can move up the first six patients now. The rest we may be able to transport in the shuttle. Either way, it'll take us fifteen weeks to reconstruct the people in cold storage. The major problem is whether we can work our way around the monitors."

"They're going to block it?" Kirk asked.

McCoy pursed his lips and lifted his hand. "Hold on a minute. We're not out yet, just down. We have to return to the ship and discuss strategy. Since these people are all in prime physical condition and don't seem to need us right away, I presume that's allowed?"

"We have completed our first de-briefing," Spock said. "I believe it would be useful to return to the
Enterprise.
We can be replaced by a security team."

Radak protested. "We have no need for protection."

"It's part of the regulations," Kirk said. The boy irritated him. "Station One is now in extended status. There has to be a team in the station at all times." He flipped open his communicator. "Kirk to
Enterprise.
"

"
Enterprise
, Uhura here, Captain."

"How does the transporter check out?"

Uhura brought Scott on the line. "Captain, there's not a thing wrong with it. It's in prime condition."

"Any explanation for what happened to Mr. Spock?"

"No, sir. But I cannot blame the machines. My crews have been over them four times."

"Will he guarantee my atoms won't be spread over known space?" McCoy asked.

"Aye, Doctor," Scott said. "That I will, or throw out my engineering degrees and become a brewmaster."

"Not a fair exchange," McCoy said under his breath.

"We'll need a security team to replace us. Transport all of us but Chekov, and send down two replacements for the next watch period. Kirk out." He turned to Chekov. "Brief your replacements and stay with them until the change of watch. Then I want you back within four hours."

"Yes, sir."

Spock, Kirk, McCoy and Chapel began to transport seconds later. When they were gone, Chekov smiled nervously at the Vulcans and stood stiffly by the door of the mess. "I hope the presence of my men won't inhibit you," he said.

"They are most welcome," Radak said, passing him to leave. Grake, T'Prylla and T'Kosa followed. Anauk ordered Vulcan food from the autochef, then followed his comrades out the door to eat in privacy.

"I'm sure we all have questions," Kirk said as they stepped down from the transporter stage.

"And I'm sure you know what my question is," McCoy said, guiding the medical pallet.

"In my quarters. We need to talk. Let our hair down." He looked at Spock. "Most of us, anyway."

McCoy left the pallet in Chapel's charge and followed Kirk and Spock to the elevator. Just as the doors closed, two ensigns began beaming down to the station.

Kirk walked through the doors to his cabin and ran his hands through his hair. "God help us," he said. "There's something—"

"Why did you usurp my authority as ship's doctor?" McCoy asked sharply, confronting him.

"Because they were clearly reluctant to be treated," Kirk said. "And T'Raus hinted they would refuse if the issue was pressed. Regulations are regulations, Bones, but can we actually force them to submit?"

McCoy backed off, hands on hips. He had no immediate answer, but his anger still hadn't subsided.

"Spock, why shouldn't we tell them about Ybakra shields?" Kirk asked.

"I cannot answer that question at the moment, Jim. But there is something clearly amiss on Station One, and we should come to grips with it right away."

"I'll tell you one thing that's wrong," McCoy said. "The TEREC analyzer picked up some anomalous data. It had no immediate bearing on the case, but it doesn't make sense."

"And what's that?"

"Jim, the people in cold storage have been interfered with. I couldn't figure out the analyzer displays until a few minutes ago, but I'd swear something has been
tapping
them, drawing information from their brains, or storing information there. Now while we're talking about regulations, may I point out how illegal that is?"

"Jim," Spock said, "T'Prylla evinced not the slightest interest when I mentioned that the
Spyorna
had undergone change. That is not characteristic. Nor, I must say, is the behavior of their son and daughter. A Vulcan youth is not allowed to guide the conversation of his elders, certainly not past the age of
ka nifoor.
"

"So what does it all add up to?"

"There's trouble in River City," McCoy said.

"I beg your pardon, Doctor?" Spock said, genuinely puzzled.

"Never mind. Jim, we should clear them all out and comb that station centimeter by centimeter. I don't trust any of them."

"For once, Doctor, we are in agreement," Spock said. "Though I am reluctant to detail all of my misgivings, there is something definitely wrong on Station One."

"Okay, we're agreed on that. Now for the next problem. The monitors aren't going to let us revive the sleepers."

"That just confirms our worst fears," Kirk said.

"Yes, and I'm not totally unprepared. I'm going to go up against the monitors. I'm going to fool them, Jim, and to do that, I'll need—"

"Bones—"

"I'll need both of you to help me."

"Bones, if we mess with the monitors, it means my command. Worse, it means all of us will face court-martial."

"They sent us here to rescue the people on Station One, and we can't do it because of a prissy computer with prissy laws built in! My job is to save lives, Jim, whether regulations allow it or not!"

"Clearly, technology has outstripped Federation laws," Spock said. "I, too, have investigated the possibility of failings within the monitors."

McCoy stared goggle-eyed at Spock, then smiled. "By God," he said. "I'm beginning to like this tall green-blooded fellow."

Kirk sat down heavily on his couch and laid both palms on the low table before him. "It would take two weeks for a subspace message to go out to Starfleet and come back. I've taken risks in my career, and I've stretched the regulations often enough that you should know I'm not squeamish. But I do worse than disobey Starfleet if we circumvent the monitors. I disobey my oath to serve the Federation. Every one of us owes our allegiance to the Federation, the civilian branches of government."

"Jim, I don't ask that we shut the monitors down. Only that we tickle them a bit."

"And how do you suggest we do that, Doctor?" Spock asked.

Kirk glanced between them. "I never thought I'd see the day when you two would be in cahoots."

"Why, Spock, seeing that you're so sympathetic, I was hoping you might be able to suggest something."