by 12(lit)
With Scott and McCoy, he went to her to replace her at the scanner.
"It's faint, sir," she said, "but it consistently reads in excess of predictable energy levels." Spock adjusted several dials before he spoke. "There seems to be an ionization trail. Most interesting." And rapidly punched another computer key.
"What would account for that?" McCoy asked.
"The very question I have just fed into the com-puter, Doctor." And after a moment, added, "The an-swer is, nothing is known to us to account for it."
Scott rose to the defense of his Transporter. "It lacks both the power and the range to be responsible for it."
"Plot a follow course, Ensign Haines," Spock or-dered.
"Aye, sir." And returning to her navigation console, swung switches before she said, "Course plotted, Mr. Spock. 310 Mark 241."
"Now lay in the course, Ensign Haines."
McCoy's voice rose in anger. "You're going to leave here without them and go off on some wild-goose chase halfway across the galaxy just because you found a discrepancy in a hydrogen cloud? Spock, where's your head? They've been gone for more than two hours!"
Spock, eyes on his scanner, said, "I am pursuing the Captain, Lieutenant Uhura and Ensign Chekov, Doctor, not an aquatic fowl. This is the only lead we have had."
"Course laid in, Mr. Spock," Ensign Haines re-ported.
"Initiate," he told her. "Warp Factor Two."
All eyes, including his, swerved to the main viewing screen.
Chekov was having his troubles too. He had backed nervously toward a bench in his stall as the fanged Tamoon opened its door, carrying his covered con-tamer of food. For to his horror, he had read covetous admiration in the slanting yellow eyes of the leopard-haired woman.
Stammering, he managed to ask, "You-you have been selected for me?"
She uttered a sad little whine. "No. I am only your Drill Thrall. I have brought you nourishment." And placing the container on the bench near him, made an obvious attempt to sound seductive. "It is a nice name -Chee-koo."
"Chekov," he said.
Though the fangs prohibited clear enunciation, she tried, speaking slowly and carefully. "Chee-koof." And beaming happily at him, said, "It is a very nice name -so nice you may call me Tamoon."
Chekov ran a cold hand down his face. "Pleased- pleased to know you... uh... miss."
"You are a fine specimen. I like you better than the others."
Chekov had amply demonstrated his courage in con-frontation with galactic foes, but the clumsy coquetry of this alien female terrified him. When she said, "I will instruct you well so my Provider will take you," he backed still farther away. "That's very nice of you, miss, but-"
He had reached the bench. It hit the back of his knees so that he sat down on it abruptly only to be followed by Tamoon who dropped down beside him, the fanged mouth opened in a coy smile.
"If my Provider is pleased, we may even be selected for each other."
A slight groan escaped him, and Tamoon, her hoarse voice sympathetic, said, "You are hungry, Chee-koof." And uncovering his dishes, added, "Eat, Chee-koof."
"Chekov," he said. "No, thank you, I am not hun-gry."
But Kirk was. As he wolfed the contents of his metal bowls, Shahna watched him approvingly. Finish-ing, he gave a satisfied sigh.
"Didn't realize I was so hungry. Whatever you call that, it was good."
"It is nourishment," she said. "We call it that." And gathering up the emptied bowls, replaced them neat-ly in their container, Kirk studying her contemplative-ly, very much aware of her slim beauty.
"Nourishment," he repeated. "Very practical. And what do you call this collar?"
The sapphire eyes stared at him. "It is the sign of our Provider. By the color of the jewels, it can be known who holds us. When you are vended, you will also have a colored jewel."
"Vended? You mean sold? Bought?"
Puzzled, she said, "When you are developed. The Provider who offers the most quatloos puts his color on us."
Kirk nodded. "My race has another name for that -the word 'slavery.' "
Clearly the information meant nothing to her. As she covered the food container, he said, "The collar of obedience. Is Galt the only one who can operate it?"
"It is only to warn and punish."
"How does he make it work?"
She stared again. "It is not permitted to talk of that."
He pointed to the container she held. "Are you- will you bring me all my nourishment?"
"Of course. I am your Drill Thrall. I will train you well."
"I'm sure of that." And rising from his bench, he said, "I must say I've never seen a top sergeant who looked like you."
"I don't understand. What does that mean?"
Leaning back against the wall, he said, "It means that you're a very beautiful woman."
She rose from her stoop, shaking her head in be-wilderment. "What is beautiful?"
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that before?"
"No. What is it?"
"It's hard to explain... a lot of things... it's-" Then lifting the shining metal cover from the con-tainer in her hands, he got up, and holding it close to her face, said, "Look into this. What you see is beau-tiful."
But her mirrored reflection seemed to merely in-crease her bafflement; and as her discomfort was genuine, Kirk, changing the subject, asked, "Where were you born, Shahna?"
"Born? I have been here always."
"Where are your parents? Your father and mother. Where are they?"
"She who bore me was killed in a free-style match."
"Free style!"
"Do not be anxious. You will learn all these things."
"And the others, Lars and the one who is Chekov's Drill Thrall, they weren't born here. Where did they come from?"
"It is not permitted-" and breaking off at the sud-den shrill of a bell, immediately recovered her self-possession, all business again. "The exercise interval," she told him. And turning to a small cabinetlike pro-jection in a corner, pressed a button on its door. A well-disguised panel slid aside; reaching past it, she re-moved a harness from it similar to the one she wore.
"This is your training harness. Put it on."
Spock, with Ensign Haines beside him, was working on his scanners, but the eyes of the other bridge peo-ple were fixed on the main viewing screen, their faces taut with anxiety.
McCoy moved impatiently. "This is ridiculous! There's nothing out there-nothing at all!"
Scott nodded his agreement. "We're certainly head-ing into an empty sector."
Spock looked up. "Projecting back along the path of ionization, the nearest system is M24 Alpha."
"But that must be two dozen light years from here!" Scott cried.
"Eleven point six three zero, Mr. Scott."
"Spock, are you suggesting that they have been transported over a distance of-?" And sputtering in angry protest, said, "You're out of your Vulcan mind, Spock!"
"I am suggesting nothing, Doctor. I am following the only logical course available to us."
McCoy was not calmed but began to stride nervous-ly around the bridge stations.
"This is the staff," Shahna said. "It can defend or attack."
It looked as though it could, its one end sharpened to a cutting edge, the other one hooked. Like Chekov and Uhura, Kirk said nothing, aware, however, that Lars and Tamoon were standing nearby on one of the gaming board shapes.
"I demonstrate," Shahna announced. "Lars."
As Lars moved toward her, holding a staff of his own, she spoke to the three strangers. "I shall attack. An attacker may use only the dark areas of the board, the defender only the light areas."
Positioned on the gaming board, the two instructors went through a brief show of quarterstaff technique, of expert lunging and pike work. Then Shahna said, "We stop now. Your Drill Thralls will begin your train-ing."
"Hold!"
It was Galt's cold voice. By a means none of the Enterprise officers could detect
, the Master Thrall had suddenly popped into the central triangle, another Thrall, hands manacled, beside him.
Galt was pleased to explain. "This one was slow to obey a command. For his punishment, he will be tar-get Thrall." And ignoring the shock on the trainees' faces, said, "You will charge from here, striking the target Thrall as you pass. Uhura, begin."
Staring at her victim in horror, Uhura dazedly ac-cepted the staff Lars handed her. Then full realization flooding her, she cried, "No! No! No!"
Gait's face was glacial. "It is not allowed to refuse a training exercise. Begin!"
"I don't care whether it's allowed or not! I won't do it!" And, in a fury, Uhura threw down her staff.
Very quietly, Kirk said, "None of us will do it, Galt."
Sparkle came into Gait's eyes-a glitter that re-minded Kirk of the shine of snow under sun. "It is part of your training. The Providers wish it."
"The devil with the Providers!" Kirk shouted, hear-ing Chekov beside him mutter, "Cossacks!"
There was a pregnant pause before Galt closed his eyes-and the gems on their slave collars began to glow. The agony forced them to their knees. Then the glow faded as Galt opened his eyes. And once more there was the struggle to recover their feet.
"We have been tolerant because you are newcomers," Galt said. '''But I see you must be taught a lesson." He clapped his hands sharply, and two other Thralls quickly strode from the sidelines, released their manacled fellow, all three moving away as Galt called, "Kloog!"
The hunched ape-man appeared, armed with a wide, hooked net, a dagger and a short whip. Crossing to the triangle, he faced Galt, waiting expectantly.
The Enterprise officers exchanged appalled glances, but the oblivious Galt merely said, "Kloog will ad-minister correction. Uhura, take your place on that rectangle. Lars, tie her!"
She gave Kirk a frightened look and was starting forward when he swiftly interposed himself in front of her.
"I am responsible for the actions of my people! I demand to see the Providers!"
"That is not permitted."
Controlling the hot rage surging in him, Kirk said, "I know your Providers possess great power, but I as-sure you that it doesn't match the power of the entire Federation. There is a Starship searching for us now. If we're killed, you will invite the vengeance, not of one Starship, but a fleet of them."
"The Providers know of your Starfleet, Captain. And since you assume responsibility for your people, you will take the punishment." Galt smiled slightly. "If I may say so, you are rash, Captain. However, this punishment will be less painful than the collar. Turn around."
For a moment, Kirk hesitated. Then he obeyed, and Galt, still smiling, snapped manacles on him.
"You, Captain, will be target Thrall."
Well, he'd asked for it, so now he had it. Moving slowly but alertly onto the board, he paused a few feet from Kloog, half-crouched, watching the creature warily.
Galt spoke. "It's a shame to lose you, Captain. But it's worth it as an example to the others."
It was an example of insane brutality. Kloog, ex-pert with the hooked net, lunged suddenly at the hand-bound Kirk who dodged the mesh just in time to avoid snare in it; but before he could recover him-self, Kloog slashed him across the chest with his whip. Kirk, staggering backward, didn't hear Uhura's gasp of horror nor did he see Lars push back the onrushing Chekov with his spear. Fighting, he knew, for his life, he was totally concentrated on eluding the perilous net.
It lifted for another downsweep, and again Kirk ducked from under it, one of its hooks ripping his arm. Once more, whirling and crouching, the pattern of the unequal contest continued, Kirk circling, dodging as Kloog, bearing in on him, gave him not a moment's respite. He was sweating now, his legs shaking with ex-haustion when Galt called, "Hold!"
Head sagging, Kirk heard him add, "Rest interval. Fifteen trisecs."
Kloog lowered his weapons, dropping down cross-legged on the floor while Kirk, staggering to a nearby bench, collapsed on it. Vaguely, he was aware that Shahna had appeared beside him, and had placed a slim-necked flagon to his lips.
"This will strengthen you. Drink it."
He swallowed ravenously, some of the liquid spilling down his cut chest. Gradually, as his breathing be-came normal, he said, "Thanks. He's pretty fast with that whip."
"It is the net you must watch. Once you are caught in it, he will use the dagger-to finish."
He nodded; and Shahna, giving a swift glance in Gait's direction, quickly whispered, "Kloog's left eye is weak. Approach him from that side."
Startled by this unexpected concern, Kirk watched her run back to her place on the sidelines; but there was no time for reflection on its meaning, for Galt had called, "Resume places!"
However, the watchful dodging and ducking had become more confident now. As Kloog, his net and whip retrieved, turned slowly to face him, Kirk darted abruptly to the right, reversed and angled in on his op-ponent's left. Kloog lashed out with the whip, con-necting viciously with Kirk's cheek; but he, catching the thong with a foot, jerked it from him. The net rose high for the throw. Ready for it, Kirk flung him-self to the floor and, rolling, sprang up to butt Kloog in the midriff with his head. Then, swiftly, he twisted away from the net, and kicking at Kloog with both feet, felled him.
A new voice, loud and shrill, cried, "Hold!"
All the Triskelions, Galt and the Thralls, knelt, their heads bowed humbly in the direction of a blank rear wall.
"We hold, Provider One," Galt said obsequiously.
Kirk joined Chekov and Uhura, the three trying to locate the owner of the voice when it spoke again. "Provider One bids three hundred quatloos for the newcomers."
A deeper voice cried, "Provider Two bids three hun-dred and fifty quatloos!"
Then another one chimed in, all the disembodied voices sounding from the various walls. "Provider Three, four hundred!"
Once more the Enterprise officers glanced vainly around to detect some other source for the mysterious voices, the walls alone confronting them.
"Provider Two bids one thousand quatloos!"
"Provider Three says one thousand and fifty quat-loos!"
It was the turn of Provider One again. "Two thou-sand!"
Immediately the bidding quieted. And Galt, bowing deferentially, said, "Two thousand quatloos are bid. Is there another challenge?"
The walls remained silent; and after a pause, Galt made his announcement. "The newcomers have been vended to Provider One."
Kirk spoke sharply. "We are free people. We be-long to no one!"
Provider Two was pleased to approve the state-ment. "Such spirit! I wager fifteen quatloos that he is untrainable!"
If Kirk was spirited, so was the competitiveness of the invisible Providers. "Twenty quatloos that all three are untrainable!"
"Wagers accepted," shrilled Provider One.
Whereupon bedlam burst out from the walls, the voices overwhelming each other in their excitement to register bets on their new Thralls' trainability. The sums of offered quatloos mounted wildly until the clamor was finally stilled by the shout, "Provider Three wagers five thousand quatloos that the newcom-ers will have to be destroyed!"
The high, effeminate voice of Provider One shrieked, "Accepted! Mark them, Galt!"
The gems on their collars went orange.
"You now bear the mark of a fine herd," Galt said. "But I must warn you. Now that you are full-fledged Thralls, any further disobedience will be punishable by death."
The bridge's unpromising viewing screen had raised Scott's anxiety to such a pitch that he couldn't contain it. Marching purposely over to Spock, he said, "Mr. Spock, listen to me! It just doesn't make sense they could have come this far! If there's any chance at all, it's to continue to search the area where they were lost!"
Self-possessed, inscrutable, Spock said, "We searched that area, Mr. Scott."
"It's always possible to miss something!"
"Such as a failure in the Transporter mechanism?"
"No, sir. There's no sign of any failure."
"And there was no sign of them in the area of Gamma II."
McCoy broke in. "And if they weren't there, it's just ridiculous to believe they could still be alive-not after all this time!"
"In that case, Doctor, we have nothing to lose in pursuing our present course."
