Star Trek - TOS - The Tears Of The Singers

by Melinda Snodgrass

  The Tears of the Slnprs

  something to protect me?" She knew she was being unreasonable and, disgusted

  by her own weakness, she pushed herself to her feet. Unable to relax, she

  flitted agitatedly about the room, dusting the already spotless dresser,

  straightening Koes collection of antique weapons that hung on one wall,

  smoothing the coverlet on the bed.

  As she gazed down at the bed that she shared with her husband she found

  that her mindless activity had not managed to banish her fears and worry.

  She had only been back aboard Klothos for a scant thirty minutes, and

  already she had the temper of the officers and crew. It wasn't good. Mutiny

  hung like a miasma in the air and drifted through the halls, carried by the

  mutterings of disgruntled men.

  Instead of being here, aboard his ship where he belonged, Kor was lingering

  among the humans, doing what the gods alone knew. Adding fuel to the

  already prevalent attitude that he is a lover of Earthers, she concluded

  sourly, staring down at the bed.

  Working with the humans had made sense to her when they had first been

  faced with the phenomenon, but now she wondered if Kor wasn' t carrying

  things a bit too far. In the beginning he had intimated that they would

  deal with the Enterprise once the space/time rip was successfully resolved,

  but she had begun to have doubts about his sincerity in that direction. She

  had known Kor for two years before she had finally convinced him to marry

  her, and during that time she had heard a great deal about Captain James

  Kirk of the starship Enterprise. He had a great deal of admiration for the

  man, and had always regretted that the Organians had interfered before they

  could test their strength against one another.

  She wished she had not thought of the debacle on Organia, for it raised a

  fear that she had not even discussed with Kor. After the Organians had

  dispersed the Klingon and Federation fleets without allowing a battle, and

  forced a treaty upon the two warring powers, the Empire began to search for

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  The TOWS of the Shwrs

  scapegoat to bear the blame. it didn't have to look very far, and the full

  fury of the thwarted ruling party fell upon Kor. He had been severely

  punished, and indeed had lost everything he had fought to gain in a long and

  distinguished military career. In fact, when she had met him he had been a

  mere lieutenant teaching tactics at the military academy outside of the

  capital, stripped of all rank and honors, and more importantly, mourning the

  loss of his beloved ship.

  She had stood beside him, falling ever more deeply in love with this

  brilliant, ironic man, while he struggled to regain his position. Finally

  a shift in the political climate had returned him to his ship and his

  command. When he once again felt he had something to offer her he had

  proposed, and she had gladly accepted. Now it seemed he was ready to throw

  away everything they had fought so hard to regain.

  She sank slowly down onto the bed, and forced herself to face the fear that

  had been torturing her for months. Was Kor still loyal to the Empire? And

  if not, what should she do? Duty dictated that if she suspected such

  disloyalty she should immediately report her suspicions to Imperial

  Command. But Kor was her husband, the mate she had chosen for life, and

  yes, as trite as it sounded, the love of her fife. What was duty when

  compared to the love that she felt for this man?

  She was appalled at her own thoughts, and she rose and took a quick turn

  about the room. She was a Klingon. Surely the Empire that had raised her,

  educated her, given her a career, deserved her service and her loyalty. She

  thought of the unwarranted and unfair treatment Kor had received at the

  hands of the Empire, and her lips tightened into a rebellious line. They

  had had no right to treat Kor like that. No commander could have done more

  against the awesome might of the Organians.

  And they've lied, she thought suddenly, beginning to warm to the logical

  construct that she was beginning to form. They said that the humans were

  cruel and barbaric. That their only response to a Klingon was death or the

  camps.

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  The Tears of the Singers

  "And it's not true," she said aloud. Dunng the time she had spent with the

  humans on the surface of Tbiygeta she could see that they were all, humans

  and Kfingons, very much alike. Oh granted, the humans were weak and overly

  sentimental, but they were by no means despicable. One could begin to like

  them with some exposure.

  She turned and stared at the door, her jaw tightening into a militant line

  as she considered Karsul, and her probable fate if he led a successful

  mutiny against her husband. B y Klingon law she was booty, spoils to the

  victor. If Karsul succeeded in his bid for power she would be expected to

  go meekly to his bed. Her hand reached out and snagged a bottle of perfume

  from the dresser. She sent the glass vial crashing against the door.

  "Never," she whispered hoarsely, watching the amber liquid flow down the

  door and fill the room with the sweet scent of deenaela blossoms. "I will

  never submit myself to that man!" If this was what Klinzhai expected from

  its women then she refused! She would stand by Kor whatever action he might

  take.

  "What is it with you?" Guy asked softly as he hunkered down in the sand to

  pet his Thygetian shadow.

  There was a dull ache that seemed to have settled behind his eyes, and he

  felt faintly sick, but he was unwilling to return to camp to face Spock's

  impatient and questioning glances, and what he felt was mute reproach from

  the other members of the landing party. He had felt so cocky a few days

  ago. The answer seemed just around the comer, but that comer had been

  followed by another and still another until he felt as if he was in some

  bizarre musical maze. And out in space the phenomenon grew and advanced,

  devouring yet another segment of Thygetian space, and drawing ever closer

  to the system's sun.

  The Thygetian trilled gently and nudged his hand with its muzzle. "Why

  don't you respond to me?" Maslin continued.

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  61t's so important that I understand you, yet nothing I do seems to reach

  you. I know I'm not that stupid. My machine and I have pretty well figured

  out the rudiments of your language. We've removed the hunters that were

  hurting your parents. So why won't you respond?"

  IMe Thygetian youngster seemed to sense his mood, and it hooted mournfully

  up at him. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad since you've been such a

  good and constant friend to me. In fact, you're not even the worst. Your

  parents are the really impossible ones. You at least have the courtesy to

  listen while the synthesizer and I hoot, and tweet, and hum and triff at

  you. But your elders . . ." The composer made a hopeless gesture in the

  air. "They don't even know I exist. What can possibly be so important that

  they don't even acknowledge the presence of alien invaders on their world?"

  he adde
d almost to himself. He had stopped his steady stroking, and the cub

  sang a fretful and complaining little passage, then took the human's hand

  in his mouth, and gave it a gentle shake.

  Guy resumed his steady stroking through the silken fur, and the cub gave a

  sigh of contentment and closed its eyes. Guy smiled with wry amusement at

  the blissful youngster.

  "LAttle hedonist. Don't you realize you're in dreadful danger?" The cub

  opened one eye and peered up at him, then dropped back into its

  semisonmolent state. "Apparently not, and apparently you don't give a damn

  either. Just so long as there's someone around to pet and pamper you the

  rest of the universe can go to hell. Actually, you sound a lot like me,"

  Guy said, and the thought struck him as so amusing that he gave a short

  bark of laughter. Short, because the laugh triggered a violent coughing

  spasm that left him weak and breathless.

  He lay back on the sand, trying to catch his breath, while the cub pushed

  itself up on its front flippers, and stared worriedly down into his white

  face. Maslin started to rise, then fell back exhausted onto the beach. His

  arms seemed to

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  The Tears of the Sh*ers

  have lost all strength. The Thygetian had begun to chirp, and flop in

  agitated circles about the prone human. Suddenly it broke into a complicated

  song, and began haring up the beach.

  "Hey!" Mashn shouted, struggling up onto one elbow. "Where are you going?

  Don't leave me," he cried after the rapidly retreating cub, but the

  creature paid no attention. He fell back on the sand, and fear gripped him.

  Never in all the years of living with the disease had he felt this

  horrible. Pain gnawed at his chest and stomach, and seemed to send burning

  tendrils coiling along the nerve endings into his legs and arms.

  He reached into a pocket, searching for his pills, and realized that he had

  left them back in the tent. He thought with longing of the camp. Suddenly

  it seemed far more comfortable and attractive than any resort planet he had

  ever visited, and just as distant. He had walked for miles trying to outrun

  his depression and frustration, and no one knew where he was. He closed his

  eyes, and tried to ignore the pain.

  "Uhura," he whispered softly. - "Oh God, I need you." After a time he

  slipped into a fevered sleep in which he seemed to be dancing on a tide of

  golden music. Uhura was in his arms, and they went spinning and whirling

  like chips in a stream. A golden light was all around them, and they were

  one with the music. It swept them past stars and planets and great glowing

  dust clouds, where fife was beginning. He reached out and captured some of

  the precious substance. It spilled from his hand like diamond dust, and he

  quickly raised his hand so it fell gently onto Uhura's black hair. The

  particles sparkled and flared like miniature stars against the veil of her

  hair, and she seemed crowned by an incandescent aura.

  "Quick, " he said to her. "Do the same for me. This is the stuff of life.

  We can live forever."

  But faceless, uniformed figures suddenly appeared and, taking her by the

  arms, pulled her slowly, inexorably away 156

  The Tears of the Singers

  into the blackness of space. He cried out to her, and tried to follow, but

  the music swelled and crashed about him, and swept him away.

  "Nol" He jerked upright, his head throbbing with pain, and reached out,

  trying to capture her and bring her back. His flailing hands were caught

  and held irmnobile while he stared uncomprehendingly into her concerned and

  beautiful face.

  "It's all right, Guy. I'm here. You're safe."

  "You went awayl" he cried accusingly. "Went away and left me alone. You

  never even gave me a chance," he said, his voice catching on a half sob.

  Uhura caught him to her, and held him while he struggled feebly against

  her. His cheek where it pressed against hers was burning hot. She drew back

  and studied him, noting the hectic flush on his high cheekbones, and the

  erratic pulse that was fluttering in the base of his throat. Still keeping

  a grip on him she dug out her communicator and called the ship.

  "Entepprise. "

  "rzeela! Two to beam up, and this is an emergency. Have Dr. McCoy meet us

  in the transporter room."

  "Aye, aye, Sir!"

  Seconds later she felt the familiar disorientation as her molecules were

  separated and reassembled aboard the Enterprise. Kyle goggled at her, and

  she realized what an odd picture she must present, huddled on the

  transporter platform with Guy in her arms. The door hissed open, and McCoy

  came pelting into the room. He took in the situation at a glance, and

  before she could speak had bounded onto the platform and begun running his

  medical tricorder over Guy's limp form.

  "It's the disease," he said tensely. He checked the readings and looked

  grim. "It's running rampant through his body. Good God, Uhura," he tossed

  over his shoulder as he hurried down to the transporter control panel,

  "didn't you notice this coming on?"

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  The Tears of the sinsers

  Stung by what she considered an unfair attack, she deposited Guy gently on

  the platform and leaped to her feet glaring at McCoy. "Perhaps if I had

  some medical training and knew how this disease manifested itself, I might

  have been able to diagnose his condition," she said sarcastically. "Also,

  I'd like you to have done any better when Guy hides how he's feeling, and

  refuses to admit when he's ill.,,

  "I'm sorry, Uhura," he said, turning back. "I'm not so much angry with you

  as I am with myself. It's my responsibility to care for the people on this

  ship, and I hate it when I fumble a situation. I should have been down on

  the planet checking him over every day."

  "And he would have hated it," she said, her tone softe at McCoy's obvious

  distress.

  I "That's stiff no excuse." He punched open a communication fine and,

  calling the sick bay, ordered a stretcher to the transporter room.

  "Aren't you going to tell the captain?"

  "After I see how bad things are. Besides, he's down in the gym working out,

  and I'd rather let him know that I screwed up after he's released some

  tension and frustration."

  "'You didn't screw up," she said, sinking back down on the platform. "At

  least no more than the rest of us. He should never have been forced to come

  here," she concluded softly, drawing her hand through Guy's silky black

  hair.

  Kirk came hurrying into sick bay just as McCoy concluded his examination of

  the unconscious musician. He was dressed in a pair of tight-fitting sweat

  pants, and a towel was draped over his neck. A fine sheen of sweat still

  dampened his bare chest.

  "What's going on here? And why in hell wasn't I informed by you, Doctor,

  that we had a casualty?"

  "Because I didn't want you cluttering up my sick bay until I'd had a look,

  and had something to report. Having Uhura

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  The Tears of the Singers

  hovering over me was bad enough," he daid grumpily, with a ance to the
>
  communications officer where she stood at the side of the bed, holding

  Maslin's hand.

  "So what's the problem?" Kirk asked, approaching the bed, and looking down

  at Maslin. "Exhaustion?"

  "I only wish it were that simple. Oh, it's exhaustion all right, but it's

  triggered a dangerous flare of the syndrome, and if I can't get it back

  under control-and quickly-it'll kill him.9

  "Kill him?" Kirk echoed.

  "Yes, kill him. I warned you this was a risk we were running by bringing

  him along on this mission."

  "So what are you going to do?"

  "Try massive doses of cordrazine. T11at sometimes throws this disease into

  an arrest."

  "AJI right. Let me know how it goes. I'll be in my quarters if you need

  me." He started for the door, then turned back as a new thought struck him.

  "Has Spock been informed? We don't want him running all over the planet

  because he thinks two of his landing party have vanished."

  "I'm sorry, sir. I forgot," Uhura said quietly.

  "Well get on it," he began, then stopped when he noticed the way Uhura was

  clinging to the composer's limp hand. He gave an inward sigh. "Never mind.

  I'll handle it." Uhura threw him a grateful look, and returned her

  attention to Maslin.

  "Spock ...

  "Captain, forgive me for interrupting," the Vulcan broke in, his voice

  carrying an underlying tenseness. "But we have a problem down here."

  "No, you don't," Kirk said as he wiped the sweat from his chest, and tossed

  the towel onto the bed.

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "Lieutenant Uhura and Mr. Maslin are aboard the Enterprise."

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  Spock looked peeved, and pressed his lips together. "May I ask why I was

  not informed of this decision?"

  "It was a rather spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Maslin became ill; Uhura

  found him, and brought him to the ship."

  "I see. Is it serious?"

  "Hard to tell. Dr. McCoy is being somewhat closemouthed about the

  prospects."

  "Undoubtedly because he does not know," Spock said with some acerbity. "I

  shall return to the ship," he suddenly announced. "If Mr. Maslin is unable