From: weed@venus.ycc.yale.edu
Subject: "The Doctor and The Enterpris  **someone else's original work**
Organization: Yale Computer Center (YCC)
Date: 31 Aug 92 00:08:20 EDT

I received this story some time ago, and after a request for it, I looked
around and found it.  It is not editted into small parts, so those what news
readers which   have limitations on the lengths of articles accepted may not
get the whole thing.  If so, you are likely to find it at FTP.CIS.KSU.EDU.
Doctor (from the "Doctor Who" universe) met up with the crew of the
"original" "Star Trek" series.  It was the first thing I'd written since
graduating from college fifteen years before, and, with the assistance
of an excellent author and very good friend, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, was
able to finish it.  The result turned out to be an enjoyable reading
experience to a number of people.  The story was not intended to be a
satire, it was intended to be an honest representation of what might
happen if these two particular universes met.  It was intended as a
fanzine in the most classic tradition of that particular genre.
Unfortunately that popularity resulted in the ultimate "ripping off" of
the story without my permission into a highly priced "book" format (in
one version) and to a complete travesty of the original in yet another.
For some years now, I had been offering to make copies available at the
cost of postage -- and was willing to "post" copies to the electronic
networks.  However, I did not want to rekey the whole rather lengthy
document.  After a recent discussion of the 'zine on the network, Marc
Barrett offered to scan the original into an ascii file.  (Many thanks
to him!) With some editing (Proportional Space type resulted in some
unique versions of McCoy's name, along with some other anomalies), the
following file is being posted to the net.
     The following are the rules for use of this file.  A) You may read
it -- FREE.  B) You may print it to a printer -- FREE.  C) You may make
copies for your friends -- FREE.  D) You may redistribute to other
electronic networks and databases, including ftp archives FREE.  E) The
text carries my copyright from the date of original publication and
"publication" of these files in this format does not grant anyone
anywhere permission to make copies either electronically or in print
which carry *any* charge to anyone of any type for that copy.  F) Any
reproduction of the text (print or electronic) must carry this notice
with it.  An individual editing for a single copy for their own records
is not bound by this requirement and may edit this paragraph out.
     Paper copies with the original artwork (including the marvelous
cover by Gail Bennett) are available from me.  SASE for details.  Some
dealers may also have appropriately priced *authorized* copies available
(STARTECH is one of them).  Not everyone is on a computer network!
     With regrets for being so picky -- but I've been burned on this
enough.  Read and enjoy!

November 8, 1991 Jean Airey 1306 W.  Illinois Aurora, IL 60506 USA START
OF TEXT
__________________________________________________________________
THE DOCTOR AND THE ENTERPRISE
     by Jean Airey
     copyright 1982 Jean Airey

     The alien sound pierced Kirk's ears.  He stopped, alone in the
corridor, trying to pinpoint its origin.
     The transporter room.
     He turned and ran towards the door as the klaxon alarm of a Red
Alert sounded.  Damn!  he thought.  It seemed that the Enterprise could
not even make the final trip back to Earth after completing her
five-year mission without complications.  First an emergency rescue of a
Cultural Survey and Contact team and the crew of the liner that had been
transporting them, then a freak magnetic storm that had buffeted the
ship unmercifully and taken out the subspace radio, and now...
     As he entered the room, Lieutenant Kyle was staring at a large
boxlike structure that stood on several of the transporter pads.  It was
about eight feet tall with small opaque windows at the top, a white
light on the roof that was rotating slowly, and lettering above the
windows that said `POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX'.
     "Report, Lieutenant."
     "It just appeared, sir."
     "The transporter wasn't activated?"
     "No, sir.  We were performing signaling tests, but it was not
activated."
     The door at the front of the box started to open.  Both Kirk and
Kyle had their phasers out as a man emerged.
     Over six feet tall, he was wearing a heavy coat over clothing that
reminded Kirk of the earth styles of the 18905.  A long scarf was
wrapped around his neck, hanging down in front on both sides to the
floor.  A floppy hat partially covered an abundance of brown curly hair.
His blue eyes seemed to focus suddenly on Kirk and Kyle.  One cheek
looked bruised, and he swayed slightly.
     "Oh bother," he said with a decided British accent, "this isn't
London."
     "Just stand there and keep your hands where we can see them," Kirk
said.  He did not seem to be a menace, but Kirk had seen his ship
threatened too often to take any chances.
     "No need to panic."  The man raised his hands slowly and eyed the
phasers as if he recognized them.
     The door behind Kirk opened, and two security guards took positions
on the right and left while McCoy and Spock came over to Kirk.
     "Captain?"  Spock already had his tricorder going.
     "The box materialized in that position - and he -" Kirk motioned
with his head to the stranger who was watching the proceedings with
curiosity, "came out of it.  He hasn't made any hostile moves.  Oh,
Spock, the transporter wasn't activated."
     The stranger eyed the assembly as if he were accustomed to weighing
the odds against him.  Kirk did not miss that look.  In spite of the
stranger's unimpressive appearance, he felt uneasy.  He could hear the
combined tricorders of Spock and McCoy humming behind him.
     "Spock?"
     "The - box - would seem to be a representation of a middle
twentieth century English Police Call box.  However, there are some
anomalies..."
     "He's not human, Jim."  McCoy interrupted.
     "Captain," said Spock, "I am getting some unusual readings from
inside the device."
     As Kirk was realizing that the `box' had now become a `device', the
stranger moved quickly towards its door.  The security guards fired
instantly, but he still managed to close the door as he fell, collapsing
on the transporter step.
     "Kyle, see if you can get that door open.  Spock, is he armed?"
     Kyle moved up to the door of the device, but the door would not
open.  Spock was carefully analyzing his tricorder readings.  "Captain,
the pockets of his coat are filled with a great many objects.  I am
unable to ascertain if any of these might be some type of weapon."
     "Empty his pockets."  Kirk ordered one of the security guards.
     "Captain, in view of the quantity of items present, it might be
more expedient to remove the garment."  Kirk nodded and the security
guards moved to comply.  As the security guards were removing the coat
and jacket, one of them let the unconscious body slip slightly.  Spock
caught the head just before it hit the floor again.
     He stiffened suddenly as the contact was made, his head snapping up
and his eyes abruptly glazing.  It took a moment before Kirk realized
that somehow, without willing it, Spock had mind-melded with the alien.
     "Spock!"  Kirk moved quickly and tore Spock's hands from their
grip, letting the alien's head fall back to the floor.  "Are you all
right?"
     Spock's eyes remained glazed for a second and then he responded,
"Quite all right, Captain."
     "What happened?"
     "He has - unusual - psychic abilities.  Unconscious - I unwittingly
established the mind- meld."
     "What did you find out?"
     Spock looked at Kirk reproachfully.  "Captain, the mind-meld was
made accidently."  Kirk realized that Spock had in some way violated his
sense of ethics by entering the meld, and now Kirk was compounding the
situation by asking questions.
     "Does he present a danger to the ship?"  Surely Spock could at
least answer that.
     "No, Captain, he does not."  Spock seemed to have retreated behind
the thickest wall of Vulcan reserve.
     "Bones, what is he?"
     "Nothing I've ever seen or heard of before."  McCoy moved closer to
the unconscious body, clad now in a white shirt, vest, pants, boots, and
with the long multicolored scarf still wrapped around its neck.  "He has
a double circulatory system, - not like Spock's, literally two hearts,
one on each side of his chest, some kind of a double breathing system,
body temperature 17 , blood pressure almost nonexistent.  I can't tell
you what he is, Jim, but even his response to the phaser fire was
abnormal - he was still conscious as he fell.  As a matter of fact, I
believe he may have sustained some type of head injury."  McCoy ran the
medical tricorder over the stranger's head again.  "He did - but it
looks like it's an aggravation of a recent previous injury.  And that's
unusual - his skull is very thick, so what could have caused the
original injury..."
     "How long will he remain unconscious?"
     "Jim, I can't say - longer than normal, with a combination of two
phaser stuns and at the very least a severe concussion."
     "Doctor," said Spock, "your ability as a prognostician would seem
to leave something to be desired."
     Kirk and McCoy looked at the stranger.  His eyes were open, and he
was very apparently conscious.
     "Gentlemen," he said, eyeing the security guards as they moved back
into their `alert' position.  "Don't you think that some two sided
conversation might be more informative than your one sided version?"  He
smiled, as if finding their reactions deeply funny.
     Kirk noticed with surprise that the security guards were relaxing.
"Do you feel well enough to talk to us?"
     "Yes, of course.  I love to talk - if you are willing to talk and
not shoot.  I really hate stun guns."
     Glancing at McCoy and Spock and receiving an answering shrug of
shoulders and a tilted eyebrow, Kirk turned back to the stranger and
said, "We can talk in one of our briefing rooms."  The stranger got up
slowly, accepting McCoy's help.  "Kyle," said Kirk, "come with us.
Spock, have you been able to clear up that subspace communication
problem yet?"
     "No, Captain, the fault is not in the computer scanning system.
Lieutenant Uhura and Commander Scott are continuing to work on it."
     "I want to be informed as soon as anything is found out about what
caused it - and I want it fixed."
     "Yes sir."  Spock turned to relay the order to the bridge,
informing them that the captain could be reached in briefing room 4 at
the Transporter level.
     The security guards moved to either side of the man.  He glanced at
them and then over to Kirk.  "Do you consider me so dangerous?"
     "I have seen danger come to my ship in many forms - I prefer not to
take chances."  In spite of Spock's statement, Kirk was not ready to
relax his guard.  Their eyes locked, and the stranger smiled in
amusement again.  Kirk's eyes narrowed and then, suddenly returning the
smile, he motioned the guards away.  "Kyle, keep your phaser ready."
     "A compromise - a very judicious choice."
     "What is your name?"  asked Kirk.
     "Oh, I'm the Doctor."
     "The Doctor?"  said Kirk as the group left the room.
     "Doctor who?"  asked McCoy.
     "That's right," said the Doctor, beaming at McCoy.  McCoy looked
baffled.
     "Doctor McCoy," said Spock, "I believe that the `name' was `The
Doctor' - and I should assume that it is in the nature of a title, and
can be most appropriately used without any surname.  However, the Doctor
apparently is accustomed to the human desire to attach at least two
names to all sentient beings.  If you wish to use a duonomen form of
address, he would not object if you refer to him as Doctor Who."
     The Doctor had been listening to Spock with an infectious smile
impossibly growing on his face and Kirk began smiling too.  Somehow an
individual who could appreciate Spock at his most precise did not seem
to be a threat to the Enterprise.
     They went into the briefing room and sat down.  The Doctor was
looking at Spock closely.  "You're not human either?"
     "I am a Vulcan."
     "Vulcan?  From a planet called Vulcan?"
     An eyebrow raised.  "Yes.  Do you know of it?"
     "From somewhere - I'll think of it."
     "Well, Doctor," said Kirk, "you must realize that the first
question that we need answered is, what are you doing here?"
     "I don't know."  The Doctor grinned as Kirk winced.
     "You mean that you did not control the method of your arrival on
this ship?"  asked Spock.
     "Exactly.  I was expecting the TARDIS to return to London - in June
of 1980, and instead she materialized here."
     "Is the TARDIS the device in the Transporter room?"
     "Yes.  Ever since I've been using her she doesn't always go where I
expect her to - and I can certainly assure you that I was not expecting
to arrive on your ship."
     "What planet are you from originally?"  asked Kirk, hoping to get a
simple answer that might help solve the mystery.
     "Gallifrey."
     "Spock?"  Kirk had never heard of it, but that did not mean that it
did not exist.
     "No record of any planet by that name."
     The Doctor was studying Spock intently.
     Spock looked up from the science computer viewer.  Under his
breath, Kirk could hear him mutter "Vaksh, Vogan, Voord, Vulcan!"  He
turned to Kirk suddenly.
     "What year is this - Earth time - say, since 1980?"
     "224 years."
     The Doctor looked puzzled.  "Captain, it would seem that we both
have something of an enigma on our hands.  You have me, and I have a
Vulcan surviving centuries after his race - and his planet - was utterly
destroyed in a massive civil war."  Spock turned and stared at him.
     "Parallel Universes," said Kirk.
     "You are familiar with the theory?"
     "I - we - have experienced the phenomenon before."
     "Can you give me the coordinates of your planet?"  Spock asked.
     The Doctor could.  Spock entered them into the computer and looked
at the response with resignation.  "That planetary system was destroyed
when its sun became a red giant 140,000 years ago."
     "So my people do not exist in your universe."
     "It would seem unlikely.  There are very few intelligent, space
travelling races that are completely unknown, and the Doctor - Doctor
McCoy - has no record of any race of your type.  What do you call
yourselves?"
     "Time Lords."
     Spock's eyebrow raised, but Kirk decided to interrupt before his
first officer's curiosity could be indulged further.  "It would seem
that what we need to do is to find out how to return you to your own
universe."
     "No, Captain, I think that the first thing we must find out is
whose universe we are in now."
     The intercom beeped.  "Bridge to Captain Kirk."
     "Kirk here."
     "Sulu here, Captain.  We've got what appears to be a large group of
ships just within scanner range."
     "Is the subspace radio fixed?"
     "No sir.  We have not been able to obtain any transmissions on any
standard Starfleet frequencies."
     "I'll be right up."
     Kirk turned to the Doctor who had been listening to the
conversation with a curious mixture of interest and amusement.  "Doctor,
would you care to join us?  This might prove to be the answer to your
question."
     "I'd be delighted."
     McCoy scowled.  "Jim, I don't think that the Doctor should be
moving around too much until I can tell
     "Oh, I'm quite all right - really.  I've almost gotten used to
being stunned by something or another."  The Doctor smiled at McCoy.
     "I would suggest that, given the circumstances, the Doctor's
presence on the bridge could prove of some benefit."  Spock interjected.
     "Very well, then, the Doctor will join us.  Kyle, record your
report on this and then you're off duty.  I want all other transporter
personnel alerted in case we acquire any other visitors."
     On their way to the bridge, Kirk noticed that the Doctor took in
the usual sights and sounds of the starship with interest but without
amazement.  He seemed to note with somewhat increased interest the
presence of two Andorians - commenting to Spock - "So you have other
alien species in the crew."  Spock did not seem to think that the remark
was worthy of response, but Kirk observed that the Doctor found Spock's
lack of response an apparent cause for thought.  His only other comment
came when they got into the turbolift system and Kirk said "Bridge"
causing the turbolift to begin its usual forward and upward motion.
     "Voice controlled?"  Kirk nodded.  "How convenient."
     "We find it so," said Spock.
     "A logical approach?"  said the Doctor smiling at Spock and,
surprisingly, winking at Kirk.  Spock did not respond, which seemed to
afford the Doctor more amusement.  Kirk began to wonder if the Doctor
pictured himself as some sort of intergalactic comedian.
     The door opened on the bridge and Kirk moved to the navigational
console.
     "How close are those ships?"
     "I can pick them up on visual scanning now, sir," said Sulu,
adjusting the controls.
     "Put it on the screen - highest magnification."
     "Yes sir."
     A swarm of small ships came into view.  Globe-like, they seemed to
fill the viewscreen like dozens of small stars.  Kirk heard the Doctor
take a deep breath.  "Identification?"
     Spock was checking the readings at the Science Station.  "Type of
ship unknown to our computers, some type of alien lifeform within - also
unknown."
     "Captain," said the Doctor, stepping down beside Kirk.  "It's my
universe, and I would suggest that you move away from those ships as
rapidly as possible."
     All traces of the comedian had left.  "Why?"  Kirk asked.
     "They're Sontaran - freight and shipping vessels from the look of
them and the number, but they usually have some armed escorts."  He
glanced around the Bridge, taking in the assorted personnel, seeming to
weigh their experience and the possible reception of what he was saying.
Having apparently made some kind of a decision, he continued.
     "Have you ever met a race whose greatest joy was to enslave other
people?  To conquer, kill, torture and maim - often for the joy it
brings them?  Who value their own individual lives as nothing - and the
lives of other races as less than that?"  By now the Doctor was speaking
with a seriousness that surprised and impressed Kirk with its deadly
concentration.  Indeed, the Doctor seemed to have lost the concern for
his `audience' and was speaking almost to himself.  Kirk glanced around
the rest of the Bridge.  All of the crew had been listening intently,
their attention completely on the Doctor.  Even Uhura and Scotty had
crawled out from under the communications panel where they had been
working.  As the Doctor finished speaking, eyes moved to the viewing
screen where the alien vessels were growing larger.  That the Doctor was
sincere Kirk could not question, that in some situations discretion was
the better part of valor he had never doubted.
     "We've run into people like that.  Spock - get as much information
as you can from the scanners.  Sulu, warp six 1800 out of here.  Uhura,
Scotty, you can stop working on that radio.  Start scanning for any
communications on bands outside the Starfleet band, they apparently
don't use that high a range here."
     The Doctor was smiling again as Kirk finished.  "Well, Captain, you
and your crew are certainly both quick and efficient."  He glanced
around with approval at the organized effort going on on the Bridge.
     "Doctor," said Kirk, "I think that you and I need to have a talk."
     "But of course- at your convenience."  The Doctor leaned casually
against the bridge rail and smiled at Kirk as though he were in complete
control of an ordinary situation.
     With a feeling of exasperation, Kirk turned to Spock.  "Have you
been .  .  ."  He heard a crash behind him and as he turned around saw
that the Doctor had collapsed and McCoy was bending over him.  "Bones?"
     "Cerebrovascular hemorrhage - we'd better get him down to sickbay."
     "Go ahead."
     McCoy was calling for the sickbay team when Spock turned to Kirk.
     "Captain, armed vessels from that fleet were attempting to pursue
us.  We have outdistanced them.  However, long range scanners indicate
similar vessels throughout this area."
     "How long can we maintain evasive action?"
     "Difficult to say, Captain.  We have no familiarity with these
ships or their capabilities.  If this is indeed a parallel universe, we
cannot even determine with certainty where we could go in relative
safety until we can effect our return."
     "In other words, we need the Doctor."
     "If he does possess the knowledge he claims, and if he is willing
to assist us - then yes, we need him."
     The sickbay team was removing their patient.  Kirk looked at the
unconscious form.
     "Scotty, you have the con.  Keep us clear of any involvement with
anything.  Spock and I'll be in sickbay.  If I can get any more
information from the Doctor, I'll tell you."

                               ++++++++++

     Down in sickbay, McCoy scowled at the indicators over the bed where
the Doctor lay.
     "How bad is it?"  asked Kirk, concerned that the only source of
information about this alternate universe would be unavailable.
     "Jim, I don't know what normal is for him - so I can't tell how
badly the hemorrhaging is affecting him - except that he is unconscious,
and I would say that if the injury is doing that then it's very bad
indeed.  There seem to be previously damaged areas in that part of the
brain, and while he also seems to have a remarkable healing ability,
what's happening now is more than his own body mechanism can handle on
its own.
     "What are you going to do?"
     "I suspect that, even with the damage, given time, he would recover
without my doing anything."
     "Bones, we don't have time."  McCoy still looked unconvinced and
Kirk continued his argument.  "He is the only clue we have to where we
are and possibly how we got here - and how we can get back in one piece.
I need him conscious - and well - as soon as possible."
     "Jim, there's a large blood clot between his skull and his brain.
It covers quite a large area and there is active bleeding from inside
the brain to that area.  That clot has to come out and the bleeding
stopped."
     "You've treated our crew for that kind of thing before."
     "I've been able to treat them medically.  I know what medications I
can use on our people - even Spock - mostly.  I wouldn't dare use any of
them on him.  1 have absolutely no way of determining what the possible
side effects would be.  The only possible thing I could do would be to
operate and surgically remove the clot and cauterize the bleeding."
     "Then you'll have to do that."
     "Without anaesthesia?  I've got the same problem with what we
normally use for pain killers.  Damn it, Jim, you saw that even the
phasers didn't have the normal effect on him.  If I use a drug, I could
kill him.  If I don't use one - Jim, I'm a doctor, not a butcher."
     "Doctor?"
     McCoy turned.  The Doctor's eyes were open but still slightly
glazed.  He looked at McCoy.  "What's the problem?"
     McCoy explained.
     "Normally I could tell you what would be effective - but I don't
think I'm up to that.  I have been trying to get into a catatonic trance
- which would enable you to operate humanly, but I suspect the area
involved.  .  ."
     McCoy nodded.  "It would interfere with your ability to do that."
     Kirk noticed that the Doctor's speech had become slightly blurred.
It was obviously an effort for him to talk, and the pain indicator was
rising higher with each effort.
     "You are proposing a manual procedure."  McCoy nodded.  "That would
seem to be the acceptable alternative."
     "There is a possibility that you will not be unconscious during the
operation."
     "I quite understand that - but from what I saw out there - we have
little time to spare."
     McCoy still looked reluctant.
     "Come now," he snapped impatiently, "surely you are as skilled as
your own Incan physicians.  The operation must be done.  I would suggest
that you strap..."  He slipped into unconsciousness again.
     "Okay Jim, we'll try it.  Only pray that he stays unconscious."
     "I thought the brain had no nerve endings," Kirk said.
     "Yours doesn't," McCoy said grimly.
     With the restraints in place and the Doctor turned on one side to
expose the operating area, a sterile field was established and McCoy
began the delicate operation.  opening the skull, his opened again.
Kirk saw his hands move against the restraints.  Suddenly Spock moved
and took them.  The eyes of the two aliens met and something was
exchanged between them.
     "Sometimes it helps to have someone to hold on to."  Did Kirk
really hear that?
     Almost an answering smile came as the Doctor's eyes closed again.
But Kirk saw the pressure of the hands grasping Spock's and knew that
the man remained aware of McCoy suctioning out the area.  Only when the
laser cauterizer was used did the hands relax again and full
unconsciousness return.
     "That seems to be it.  Chapel, were you able to make a repair patch
from those skull fragments?"
     "Yes, Doctor."
     McCoy carefully molded the `patch' into place.  Only a small area
of bone had been removed and the patch, made from the patient's own
tissue and bone, would rapidly fuse the open area with as much
protection as the original.  "Jim, I think we did it."  McCoy looked at
the indicators carefully.  "Pain is down, both hearts in sinus rhythm,
blood pressure stable, alpha rhythm flowing.  Was he conscious at all?"
     "Yes."
     "Damn.  I still feel like a butcher having to operate like that."
     "Not at all, Doctor," came the voice from the bed.  "It was a very
well done job and I thank you."  The Doctor looked as though he was
going to get up as soon as Chapel finished removing the restraints.
     "You stay right there," barked McCoy.
     "But Doctor McCoy," the Doctor said in a hurt, injured tone, "I
feel very well now and there are things..."
     "Don't tell me how you feel.  You're staying there for at least
another 24 hours- - and if I have to keep the restraints on you, I
will."
     The Doctor's gaze and McCoy's clashed.  The Doctor raised himself
to a half-sitting position and McCoy moved forward.  Kirk looked at the
indicators; they were starting to move again.  Spock stepped between the
Doctor and McCoy.  "Doctor, I would suggest that you follow Doctor
McCoy's prescription.  I do not think that the time need be wasted.  We
can provide you with a tie-in to the library computer from here.  If you
are going to help us, you will need to know quite a bit more about us."
McCoy glared at Spock.
     "Bones," Kirk said, "you know that he isn't just going to lie
there."
     "Very well," McCoy turned back to his patient.  "But you're not to
get up."
     "Agreed - Bones," and traces of the old smile appeared as the
Doctor lay back.  Spock started toward the door.  "Oh, and Spock," Spock
turned back and looked at the Doctor questioningly.  "Thank you.  I have
not often come upon a gesture made as appropriately and as willingly."
Without waiting for a reply the Doctor turned and smiled at Nurse
Chapel.  "Do you have a listing..."
     "Nurse Chapel," McCoy interrupted.  "I want the biolab to do a full
analysis on him.  And Doctor, before you start playing around with the
computer, you tell Chapel all about your medical history.  It you're
going to be around here I want to know how to treat you."
     For a moment Kirk thought that Spock was going to make another
remark, but he turned and went out the door.
     "Bones," from the grin on the Doctor's face, Kirk suspected that he
was about to say something that would provoke a reaction from McCoy.
"Do you really think it essential to have all my medical history?  I'm
749 years old, and as charming as Nurse Chapel is, that might take more
time
     "If you could restrain yourself to the pertinent facts, I think
that the time will be sufficient.  I'm sure that in 749 years you've
learned to restrain yourself when it's necessary."
     Score one for McCoy, thought Kirk.
     "And in the next 24 hours, I expect you to rest - or sleep - or
whatever you do - for at least eight," McCoy continued.
     The Doctor looked quizzical and McCoy paused.
     "Six?"  No response.  "Four?"
     "Four hours should be sufficient.  At the end of my stay here,
Captain, I would suggest that you and I and your chief officers get
together."
     Kirk had an uneasy feeling that the control of the ship had been
transferred but reminded himself that the Doctor was only expressing
what he himself had already decided.  "As soon as McCoy says you're fit,
I'll call the meeting."
     Kirk and McCoy walked toward the sickbay door.  "What was that last
part to Spock about, Jim?"
     "If the Doctor travels around alone - as he would seem to - he must
often find himself fighting on his own in unpleasant situations.  How
old did he say he was?"
     "749."
     "Spock should find that.  .  ."
     "Fascinating!"
     As Kirk entered the Bridge, Spock got up from the command chair.
     "Report, Spock?"
     "We seem to have outdistanced the Sontaran fleet.  However,
scanners indicate considerable activity in most of the space in this
area.  We have been following a path which would seem to lead to an area
of comparative inactivity.  When the Doctor recovers .  .  ."  He tilted
a questioning eyebrow.
     "We can expect the Doctor to be available to us in 24 hours.  Until
then, we will simply have to avoid making any sort of contact with the
ships and people in this universe."
     "Captain," said Uhura, "I am now able to receive transmissions from
vessels in the area.  We are unable to translate them coherently,
however."
     "Very well, Lieutenant.  Let me know as soon as possible when we
can tell what they're talking about.  I want all senior officers in
briefing room 2 in one hour."
     "Yes, sir."  Uhura turned back to her communications panel.

                               ++++++++++

     Inside the briefing room, Kirk looked around at the officers
already gathered.  McCoy was late, and they were waiting for him.
     For five years I've been with this crew through all sorts of
adventures - bizarre and commonplace, he thought.  I've lost 92 crewmen,
and for all my command experience, I'll never accept those deaths as
being necessary.  This ship and its crew is my life, and whatever it
takes, I'll see that they get back to their own universe.  It's part of
my mission, any responsibility.  No glory in doing that, it's part of
the job.  And when it's completed?  He decided not to try to guess what
Starfleet would do then.  Anyway, McCoy had arrived and they could get
working on the current problem.
     "Sorry I'm late, Jim," McCoy said as he came in and sat down at the
briefing table.  "I finally managed to get my patient settled."
     "Was there much of a problem?"
     "Not much more than I'm used to," McCoy looked at Kirk and Spock
accusingly.  "Although I must say that you two don't generally involve
Chapel with fantastic tales of wild adventures, persuade the Medical
staff - and all my other patients to join in a feast at jelly babies..
."
     "Jelly babies?"  asked Kirk.
     "Some kind of candy about two centimeters long, shaped like a
swaddled infant, and in assorted flavors.  He seems to have an infinite
supply and he's got everyone in sickbay munching on them.  In between
passing out candy and talking to Chris, he's been running through the
data on the library computer - at fast speed.  I finally had to tell him
that I'd put him in isolation with no computer before he agreed to
rest."
     "Will he be able to talk to us tomorrow?"
     "Yes.  Although if he disrupts my sickbay much more, I might let
you have him earlier."
     "If I might make a suggestion, Captain," Spock said.
     "I think that both Doctor McCoy and I would welcome it, Spock."
     "When we rescued the passengers and crew of the liner Crotone,
there was a Cultural Survey and Contact team on board."  Kirk nodded.
CS&C was a recently created specialized division in Starfleet.  They had
their own chain of command, but while on his ship they were under his
command.  Since the rescue, they had been quite helpful in keeping the
Crotone crew and passengers out of his own crew's way.  The addition of
some 250 `passengers' stretched the Enterprise's normal resources to an
uncomfortable limit.
     "Do you think they can help us, Spock?"
     "The Lieutenant who is in charge of the team has an exemplary
record in initial survey expeditions and on this last expedition has
been credited by the other members of the team with enabling them to be
retrieved by the Crotone after their Captain was killed.  Since we have
a member of a new culture on board, it would seem logical to assign her
to `study' him."
     "What's her background, Spock?"  McCoy asked.
     "She has a PhD in Xenobiology and is also a certified paramedical
technician."
     "Well, I'd certainly be glad to have her assigned to him."  McCoy
said.  "What's her name?"
     "Stephans, Lieutenant Dorcy Stephans," Kirk answered.  "As soon as
we're through here, I'll notify her of her new assignment."
     McCoy nodded with relief.  "The sooner the better."
     "Now, if we could come to the main concern of this meeting?
Scotty, what is the current damage report?"
     "We had some minor problems immediately after that storm, mostly
caused by the vibration.  They've all been checked and cleared.  But
there seems to be something going off balance in the matter-antimatter
mix when we're at warp speed.  As long as we stay at warp speed, I can't
try to clear it up."
     "You want to go to impulse power?"
     "Aye, Captain."
     "Spock, is there any sign of an enemy vessel in scanning range?"
     "Negative, Captain.  We are presently in an area of space which
shows no signs of any lifeform activity."
     "Very well, Scotty, cut back to impulse power, but remember that we
could have to cut in warp drive on short notice."
     "Aye.  We'll leave an emergency cutin - but we still won't be able
to tolerate high warp speed until we find the main trouble."
     "Captain," Spock said, "we also have another problem with the
computer control to engineering life support."
     "I thought that was all in a separate system with full emergency
backup?  Wasn't that what we just had installed?"
     "We now have an independent primary control and a secondary control
which is a complete duplicate of the first.  We also have a tertiary
system which can provide up to two hours of full support.  During the
storm, the PROMs on the primary control were erased.  It will take 35
hours to reprogram and reinstall them on the primary system."
     "Then we're running on the secondary system with the tertiary as
the backup."
     "Exactly.  However, if something happens to the secondary system,
and the tertiary system exceeds its life span, a failsafe back to the
main computer will start a half-hour countdown to destruct the ship."
     "Now whose bright idea was that?"  McCoy asked.
     "It's supposed to force an organized abandonment of the ship's crew
to the nearest M- type planet - with a rescue robot beacon detached, and
no chance of the ship falling into the `wrong hands'."  Kirk smiled at
McCoy.  "Starfleet is apparently discouraging heroics."
     "But Jim, we don't even have enough spacesuits or evacuation
equipment for everyone now - with the people from the Crotone on board."
McCoy said in concern.
     "And there are no M-type planets within transporter range," Spock
added.
     "And what good would a robot beacon do us here?"  McCoy continued.
     "Gentlemen, aren't we looking at the worst possible circumstances?"
Kirk said.  "In 35 hours we'll have the primary system back up, by then
Scotty will have us underway at full warp power, and in only 24 hours
the Doctor will be able to at least guide us around this universe in
safety.  We should have ample time to figure out how to get back to our
own universe.  All we have to do is to stay out of trouble for a very
short while."
     "Aye, Captain," Scotty said, "it would be a mighty strange set of
circumstances that would get us into trouble again that quick."  He
stopped and thought for a moment.  "But Captain, do you really think
that we can trust the Doctor?"
     "What do you think?"
     "Well, he's an alien.  His travelling device is of a type we've
never heard of.  We dinna know anything about him - but he seemed to
assume that we'd both be on the same side against a bunch of people like
the Sontarans.  He seems to have had considerable experience in dealin'
with humans - but we dinna know how he got it."
     "What makes you assume that he has had such extensive contact with
humans?"  Spock asked.
     "Well, Mister Spock, it might not be your kind of logic, but it
seems to me that anyone who can accept the fact that the natural
reaction of a security guard would be to shoot has got to have been
around humans for quite a while."
     Kirk looked at Spock who nodded in agreement.  He knew better than
to ask Spock outright how far he felt the Doctor should be trusted.  But
he knew enough of his first officer.  .  .  "We've given him complete
access to the library computer.  In spite of his disruption of sickbay,
he seems to be as concerned with our situation as we are."
     Scott nodded.  "It canna be denied that we'll need all the help we
can get to get back to our own universe in one piece."
     "And if we're going to do that, Mister Scott, we'd better get to
work on what we know we have to do.  Meeting dismissed."
     As the group got up to leave, Spock walked over to Kirk.
"Incidently, Captain, I could not help but notice that at times the
Doctor seems to have a very charismatic effect on humans."
     "I had noticed that too - but I don't think that it's going to
become a problem."  Spock turned to leave.  "Oh Spock, did you hear how
old he is?"
     Spock turned back, an eyebrow raised.  "Indeed, Captain, and have
you determined what his total life span would be?"
     "No, but.  .
     "I would venture to say that he is still quite young according to
his present age measured against the normal longevity of his race."
     Kirk stared at Spock's departing back and shook his head in
amazement.  If Spock was right, and the Doctor was still `young',
perhaps that explained the seemingly inappropriate bursts of humor.
Maybe all Time Lords went through this stage before stabilizing into
serious adults.  At least he did not seem to demonstrate the childlike
cruelty that Trelaine had.  Somehow Kirk felt that his reasoning might
not be completely correct, but it was a comforting thought.  All he
needed on the ship at this time was a comedian, and an alien one at
that.

                               ++++++++++

     In the briefing room the next day, Kirk, Spock, Scott and
Lieutenant Dorcy Stephans waited for Dr.  McCoy to arrive with the
Doctor.  McCoy had reported that Lieutenant Stephans and the Doctor were
working quite well together and that there had been no further major
disruptions in sickbay.
     "Kirk to bridge."
     "Uhura here."
     "If you pick up any significant transmissions while we are here,
alert me and patch them through."
     "Yes, Captain."
     The door opened and the Doctor and McCoy entered.  Kirk noticed
that the Doctor had reacquired his overcoat, jacket, and floppy hat.
Well, he thought, with such a low body temperature, the Doctor might
well feel cold in the earth normal environment of the Enterprise.
     "Good morning, everyone," said the Doctor blithely, taking the seat
at the table opposite Kirk.  Kirk noticed as he sat down that it was as
if the `head' of the table had suddenly shifted.  Well, Spock had warned
him.  Whatever the Doctor had, it was there, it was `natural', and it
affected humans - Vulcans too?  He wondered.
     "Good morning, Doctor.  I don't think you've been introduced to
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott."
     "Chief Engineer," the Doctor responded, rising and offering his
hand to Scott.  Somewhat surprised, Scotty responded in kind.  "And
Lieutenant Stephans and I have been having some fascinating
conversations."  The Doctor smiled.  The Lieutenant smiled.  "And of
course I am already acquainted with Mister Spock and you, Captain."  The
Doctor glanced over at the captain quizzically.  "Well, Captain, could
you fill me in on our present status?"
     McCoy snorted.  Kirk gathered that the Doctor had not been idle
during his confinement in sickbay, even after the disruption had
stopped.  He probably knew the situation as well as anyone else.
     "Spock?"
     "We have been able to successfully avoid all contact with any alien
vessels.  This is our present position."  The computer viewers glowed,
indicating the Enterprise and the present star position.  "In our
universe, this was part of the area controlled by the Klingon Empire."
     "So you don't have much information on it?"
     "Very little.  Are you familiar with it?"
     "Yes, I've been around here before.  In this time - in this
universe - the Sontarans are trying to conquer this area from the
Rutans."
     "Our long range scanners indicate considerable vessel movement."
     "Doctor," asked Kirk, "What would happen if we met up with a
Sontaran fleet?"
     "It would depend on how many of them there were.  With your
offensive and defensive weapons you could probably escape an attack of,
say, 20-40 of their ships.  More and they could destroy you."  He cocked
his head at Kirk.
     "20-40?"  queried Spock.
     "I can't give you a more precise number."  The Doctor smiled at
Spock.  "There are a significant number of random factors."
     "How large are their fleets?"  asked Scotty.
     "It depends on what they're attacking.  A massive effort and they
think nothing of sending out 400."
     Spock looked skeptical.
     "They don't care how many may be destroyed," the Doctor went on,
"they only want to win."
     "Don't they value their own pilots and crews?"  asked Kirk.
     "Oh no, you see, they're clones."
     "Clones?"
     "Yes.  They reproduce by cloning.  So any individual life means
nothing to them, and they don't think much of races who do respect
individual life - especially humans."
     Stephans was frowning.  "But cloning would.  .  .  "
     "You must allow for the environmental factors, Lieutenant,"
interrupted the Doctor, leaning forward on the table.  "So many are
raised to be leaders, others to follow orders and die."
     "Doctor," Kirk said, trying to return the attention of the
conversation to the topic he felt to be of primary concern.  "You must
realize that our primary interest at the moment is to return to our own
universe without any entanglement in yours."
     "I can certainly sympathize with that."  The Doctor leaned back in
his chair and put his feet on the table.  "If our positions were
reversed, I should certainly feel the same way."  He grinned.
     "And a further consequence of this interest is that we do not want
to do anything that might alter the course of events in this universe."
     "Ah yes, I have come across that desire to be detached observers
before.  Your Prime Directive, I believe you call it."  The group
nodded.  "That might not be so simple."  He sat up straight again.  "The
Sontarans' scanners have a slightly longer range than yours, and if you
have been detected, they will not choose to merely observe you.  And
Captain, I can also tell you this, you cannot allow your ship to fall
into Sontaran hands."
     "Possible effect?"  asked Spock.
     "With the knowledge they could gain from the engineering and
weaponry of your vessel, you would enable them to conquer the galaxy
quite easily."  He leaned back again and glanced around the table as if
weighing the quality of the people he saw.
     "I see," said Kirk.
     The Doctor sat suddenly upright.  "As a matter of fact, you might
check the activity in the area surrounding your ship - at the very edge
of your scanner range."
     "Spock," snapped Kirk.
     "360 degree scanner - alien vessels at the edge of the third sector
now."
     "Captain," it was Sulu.  "We have vessels closing in on us from the
third sector.  Uhura has not been able to complete translation of their
transmissions."
     "Red Alert, Mister Sulu.  I'm on my way.  Well, Doctor, if you're
right, it looks as though we'll be fighting our way out of this one."
Kirk turned to leave.
     "If you take a heading of 185 degrees, Captain, you should be able
to get into a relatively safe area," shouted The Doctor as Kirk passed
through the door.

                               ++++++++++

     On the bridge Kirk found his crew alert and ready for battle.  The
glow of the red alert light gave an eerie highlight to the area.
     "Mister Scott, do we have warp speed?"
     "I can give you up to warp 2, sir, but beyond that there is still
an unstable factor in the matter anti-matter mix."
     "How fast are the Sontaran vessels, Mister Spock?"
     "Presently travelling at warp I, Captain."
     "Increase to warp 2, Mister Sulu."
     "Aye, sir."
     "The Sontarans can reach the equivalent of your warp 3, Captain."
Kirk looked around and saw that the Doctor had seated himself on one of
the bridge steps.  Wonderful, he thought, now I have a back-seat driver.
     "Sontarans increasing to warp 2 also, Captain."  Spock studied his
science console viewer closely.  "Now at warp 2.5 and gaining on us."
     "Mister Sulu, make a 180 degree turn and slow to warp one."
     "Aye, sir."
     The Enterprise turned smoothly and as she headed back toward the
small globe-like ships, they scattered in front of her, eventually
forming a circular pattern around her.
     "Impulse power now, Mister Sulu.  How many of them are there,
Spock?"
     "53, Captain."
     "Well, we'll let them look us over.  So far they haven't done
anything that is overtly hostile - let's return the favor."
     "Captain, the Sontarans are not going to decide that a vessel of
this size can be ignored.  If you fire now, you could catch most of them
by surprise."  The Doctor looked quite serious.  "Unless, of course, you
enjoy playing sitting duck."
     Kirk ignored the statement.  "Chekov, arm the photon torpedoes,
wide range.  Sulu, set the phases for a maximum sweep.  You are not to
fire except on my direct order."
     For several moments, it looked as though the stalemate would be
indefinitely maintained.  Then simultaneous bursts of fire emerged from
all the Sontaran vessels.  "Photon missiles have been fired at us,
Captain.  Time to impact, 12 seconds."  Spock said.
     "Sulu, Chekov, fire - NOW!"
     Between the wide sweep of the torpedoes and the following burst of
the phasers, most of the enemy's missiles were destroyed before they
reached their target.  A number did get through, however, and Kirk could
hear the damage reports coming in.
     "Now, Chekov, I want a series of photon torpedoes with a narrow
burst directly at those ships.  Sulu, set the phasers on tracking and
pick up any stragglers that the torpedoes miss."
     The battle strategy seemed to be working effectively as thirty-five
of the small vessels fell to the coordinated offense.  Some of the
others, however, began moving rapidly directly toward the Enterprise.
They seemed to be making no effort to fire their weapons.  Their swift
zig-zag motions enabled them to evade any direct hits.
     "They're going to smash their ships into your shields, Captain.
That will put all of their weaponry and their ships' reactors into a
direct explosion on your main defense shields."  The Doctor said.
     "Kamikaze?"  Kirk said in amazement.
     "That's what you call it - they call it fighting for the glory of
the glorious Sontaran Empire."
     "Scotty, full power to the shields!  Sulu, try reaching them before
they reach us.  Chekov, keep the ones still on the perimeter under full
torpedo attack."
     A sudden violent rocking warned Kirk that the kamikaze technique
was proving effective.  "Damage reports, Mister Spock."
     "That last hit was in the main power link between Engineering and
secondary computer control.  Exact level of damage cannot be determined.
.."  Another blast rocked the ship, but Sulu and Chekov simultaneously
fired their weapons and let out a yell of exaltation.
     "All enemy ships destroyed, Keptin."
     "Very good, gentlemen.  Heading 185 degrees, Mister Sulu.  Battle
stations, yellow alert status.  Damage reports, Lieutenant Uhura."
     "Sickbay reports thirty wounded - two dead."
     "Life support systems damaged further in that last attack,
Captain."  Scotty was regarding his display panels with dismay.
     "How badly?"
     "Less than 60% life support capability left."
     "Captain," Spock turned from the Science console, "The computer
area has also received extensive damage to the secondary life support
control memory system.  With the direct damage to life support itself,
we have about two hours of life support left on the tertiary system."
     Silence engulfed the bridge.



     "How long will it take to repair?"  Kirk asked.  the Spock and
Scott-exchanged glances, then Spock spoke.  "On the life support system
itself, the engineering portion, about three hours, on the secondary
computer memory system, about five hours.
     Kirk looked over at the Doctor who was still perched on the bridge
steps.  "Doctor, can you get out of here in your TARDIS?"
     "I could but.  .."  The Doctor gave Kirk a quizzical look.
     "If we cannot complete our repairs in two hours and get the
secondary system back up, this ship will begin a self-destruct sequence.
So I would suggest that you be prepared to leave."
     "That is one alternative, Captain, but there might be another."
The Doctor said calmly.  "Tell me, Mister Scott, Commander Spock, how
many people would you need to complete repairs on your systems?"
     Scotty thought for a moment.  "About five for the life support
engineering."
     "And the Computer system?"  The Doctor turned to Spock.
     "Myself and one other.  The working area is small, and most of the
time would be involved in testing."
     "Well then, Captain," the Doctor stepped down to stand next to
Kirk's chair and lean on the arm.  "If you only had a crew of, say 8 -
in three areas - I assume someone would have to control the bridge - and
you could shut down all other areas completely - how long would your
life support last?"
     Kirk nearly made a remark about pointless questions, but there was
something in the Doctor's tone of voice - "Scotty?"
     "10 hours."
     "So that's your answer."  The Doctor exclaimed gleefully, turning
around.
     "Doctor."  Kirk tapped him on his shoulder and waited until he was
facing him again.  "We have a crew of 430 - and 250 additional
passengers.  We do not have enough space suits for everyone."
     "But my TARDIS is on board."  At Kirk's blank look he hastily
continued.  "Put 422 of your crew - and your passengers - inside her,
and the rest should be able to pilot your ship and make the necessary
repairs."
     Kirk took a deep breath before speaking.  "Doctor, are you trying
to tell me that box of yours can hold over 600 people?"
     "She's quite a bit bigger on the inside than it would seem from the
outside.  She'll hold your people - and she has her own life support."
     "Captain," Spock had been doing some calculations.  "The time to
evacuate to the TARDIS would require full life support for the major
part of the time.  Estimating that against the repair time shows that we
will have total oxygen depletion one hour before repairs could be
completed."
     "Spock - you require less oxygen than a human."  The Doctor stated.
     "Spock nodded.
     "Aye, three of them."
     "And I can manage quite comfortably with less life support than you
presently provide."  The Doctor turned to Kirk.  "And you do have enough
space suits for the humans involved?"
     Spock turned back to the computer.  The Doctor smiled at Kirk.
     "Spock?"
     "The Doctor's calculations are correct, Captain.  The time margin
would be sufficient."  He looked at the Doctor.  "You would be assisting
me?"
     "I am somewhat familiar with computer systems."
     Kirk turned to Uhura.  There seemed to be no doubt that the command
decision had been mad' and he was simply to enforce it.  "Order all crew
and passengers except Mister Scott's engineers to follow evacuation
order 5 - using Transporter Room 2."  He turned back to the Doctor.
"Doctor, if you will open your TARDIS, we will proceed."
     When they arrived at the TARDIS, they found McCoy waiting.
     "You will be taking your injured in first?"  The Doctor asked.
     "Yes," McCoy looked skeptically at the box.  "If you're sure
there's room."
     "Oh yes, quite enough."  The Doctor opened the door and led Kirk
and McCoy into what seemed to be a very modern control room.  Kirk
looked around with amazement.  The room was well over twice the size of
the box they had entered and several doors indicated even more rooms
beyond.
     "Now, Dr.  McCoy, if you go through that door and turn right and
then right again, there is an area which you will find suitable for
caring for your people while we fix your ship."
     He turned back to Kirk and Spock who were looking at the large
six-sided control panel in the center of the room.
     "Fascinating," said Spock, circling the device.  "I should like to
discuss its principles and functions with you sometime, Doctor."
     "Well, the TARDIS usually does what I want her to."  Kirk had a
feeling that Spock was not going to be able to satisfy his curiosity
about this device very easily.  "Why don't you start on the computer
repairs, and I'll join you shortly."
     "A logical suggestion."  Spock turned and left.
     "Curious little devil, isn't he," commented the Doctor to Kirk.  He
apparently accepted Kirk's silence as agreement as he went on.  "Now,
Captain, I assume that there will be some time to evacuate those of us
left after you begin your self-destruct sequence?"
     "There should be."
     "In case there isn't - who of your crew members could quickly learn
some of these" - he motioned toward the button and lever studded panels.
"To remove the TARDIS and the passengers in it to safety?"
     Kirk smiled.  The Doctor knew that he would be the one remaining on
the bridge until the last minute.  "Lieutenant Sulu."
     "Your helmsman - very good.  If you would get him down here."
     Kirk opened his communicator.  "Sulu, come down to the transporter
room."
     "Yes sir."
     McCoy appeared at the door looking stunned.  "Amazing - there's a
whole city in here!"
     "Not quite, Bones, but it will serve your needs.  I would suggest
that you begin your evacuation."  The Doctor stepped over to the control
panels and began setting some of the controls.  Kirk and McCoy exchanged
glances.  It was clear from the Doctor's manner that he was accustomed
to people being amazed at his ship - and was delighted in that
amazement.
     The evacuation began in an orderly fashion.  After the injured had
been moved in the of the crew started to come.  Lieutenant Stephans was
the first inside and the Doctor turned away from the controls.
     "Oh, Dorcy - if you would lead the rest of this group down the
stairs, turn left, right, and left and right, there is an area that you
all should find satisfactory.  Please help yourselves to the food
supplies, you may have a long wait."
     Lieutenant Stephans look at Kirk who nodded.  "Very well Doctor."
     When Lieutenant Sulu came in the Doctor was standing back from the
controls apparently satisfied with what he had done.
     "Lieutenant Sulu."  The Doctor motioned Sulu over to stand next to
him.  "I have preset the controls so that you can use these."  He
motioned to an array of buttons and a single lever in one of the control
panel sections.  "If you should have to remove the TARDIS from here,
just push these buttons, and then this lever.  Understood?"
     "Yes sir."
     "I have programmed the TARDIS to land on a small Earth-type planet.
You should be able to handle yourselves there."
     "Sulu," Kirk said.
     "Yes sir."
     "If we do not make it back you are to follow the Doctor's orders
explicitly.  Keep your communicator handy and I will inform you if you
are to leave."
     "Yes sir.  Good luck, Captain."
     "Thank you Lieutenant."
     Kirk watched as the crew continued to file past and down the
stairs.  He could hear laughter coming from the lower level.
     "Well, Doctor, I suggest that we get to work."
     "My sentiments exactly."

                               ++++++++++

     On the Bridge, seated in the helmsman's position, wearing the new
X-E life support suit, Kirk had the feeling that he was piloting a ghost
ship.  Behind him he could hear Uhura moving around as she'
systematically shut down life support as areas of the ship were vacated.
     "All areas evacuated, sir.  Life Support shut down except in
engineering, computer memory control and on the Bridge."
     "Have you picked up any transmissions?"
     "No sir."
     "Very well.  Go down to the TARDIS, Lieutenant.  After you leave
I'll shut off life support here."
     With Uhura gone, the `ghost ship' feeling became even more
oppressive.  In an effort to dispel it, he called Scotty to check on how
the repairs were going.  Scotty informed him that his crew was
progressing `as well as might be expected' and from the tone of his
voice, Kirk knew that any further interruptions would not be welcomed.
     He had heard nothing from Spock and the Doctor.  Neither one would
be inclined to report until something decisive had happened, and, even
more so than Scotty, would resent `unnecessary interruptions'.  Kirk
decided that he could just open the communication link to the Computer
Memory area.  If he couldn't be there, at least he could hear what was
going on.
     "Are you ready to retest this bank again?"
     Spock's voice, as calm as if this were routine maintenance check.
     "Quite ready."
     "Running the diagnostic program now.  It should complete a
successful pass in five minutes."
     "Or fail in less."
     "Exactly."  Spock paused for a moment.  "Doctor, why did you leave
your people to go to Earth?"
     "What makes you think I did that?"
     "While you were unconscious in the Transporter room, I
inadvertently entered into a mind meld with you.  That information was
there."
     "You're a touch-telepath?"
     "Yes.  I must apologize..."
     "Oh nonsense, don't bother.  I've had my mind invaded by nastier
beings.  Why did I choose Earth?  Well, I like Earth people - compared
to most of the other races I've met."
     "They are a most emotional race."
     "Do you think so?  They're certainly not as emotional or as
illogical as some I've met.  They're a bloody nuisance at times and
quite indomitable - they can also cause more trouble than almost any
other race if you let them get started.  Of course, things may be
different in your universe, but what I like about the people from Earth
is that by and large they care."
     "Is caring such an important thing to you?"
     "Yes, when it means that the people can reach outside themselves to
care for others -and especially for others not of their own species -
that's extremely rare.  And, somewhat surprisingly, Earth people can
quite astonish you and do just that."
     "And what of your own people?"
     "They stopped caring about anything a long time ago - so I left."
     "Did your people agree with your leaving?"
     Kirk suddenly had the feeling that he was listening to a bi-level
conversation.  Was Spock trying to interrogate the Doctor - or the
Doctor, Spock?
     "Oh no.  I - borrowed - the TARDIS and then they caught me and
exiled me on Earth.  Until they needed me."
     "Needed you?"
     "Well, they were determined not to interfere - but when you know
what is going to happen, interference is sometimes needed.  So I helped
them out."
     "And now?"
     "Well, I could go back to Gallifrey, settle down, take my place on
the Council, even teach in the Academy - but I'm not ready for that.
There still seems to be so much more to learn.  Whatever a professor
might say, you don't learn - especially about yourself - in the Ivory
Tower."  The Doctor paused.  "What about you?"
     "Me?"  Kirk could almost see the uplifted eyebrow.
     "Yes, you.  You know, one of the reasons I left was because of
Vulcan.  When the Time Lords did not interfere, I felt that a very
valuable people had been lost - needlessly.  I am very glad to see that
my supposition was correct.  Although I should not base my decision on
you alone.  You're half human."
     "I am Vulcan."
     "You mean that you've chosen the Vulcan way over the Human way when
you had to - I know that much about you at least - apparently the mind
meld worked two ways.  Why weren't you allowed to become the best of
both worlds - instead of having to choose one over the other?"
     "It is not possible to be both Vulcan and Human."
     "Has anyone ever tried before?  I suspect that you may be .  .  .
is that board supposed to be smoking?"
     Spock muttered something that Kirk couldn't catch.  "Powering down.
There must be more trouble here than our first analysis showed."
     "If the person who did your last maintenance servicing had used the
right servo-fuse, that power surge wouldn't have affected this area at
all."
     "It is unfortunately a common human characteristic to use the most
expedient way and avoid the difficulty of the required way."
     "Surely a characteristic not limited to humans."
     A pause.  "Agreed."
     "That board looks pretty bad.  Do you have another replacement?"
     "We have no more spare memory storage modules of this type."
     "Spare parts, then?"
     "There is a bench testing system over there and spare parts are
available.  The new memory bubble domes will also have to be
reprogrammed."
     "I'll start on it now."
     Kirk turned off the intercom link and analyzed the conversation
carefully.  While not an expert in the hardware maintenance of the
Enterprise's computer system, he did have enough basic knowledge to
realize what had happened.  During their last scheduled maintenance,
someone had used the wrong servofuse in the secondary life support
memory control.  The `new' fuse was unable to prevent a power surge from
coming through and damaging what had at first appeared to be the three
boards that Spock had identified.  The Enterprise carried a number of
spare boards for the computer system, but not an infinite supply.
     Apparently additional damage done by the power surge had resulted
in what would be a longer repair time than Spock had originally
estimated.  He looked at the chronometer.  Half an hour left before tee
tertiary system would begin the self-destruct sequence.
     The intercom sounded.
     "Kirk here."
     "Repairs completed in engineering, Captain.  Waiting for computer
control."
     "Very good, Mister Scott.  Computer Control is not yet repaired.
Can you handle things down there when it is?"
     "Aye, Captain."
     "Then send the rest of your people to the TARDIS.  They'll have to
wear X-E suits until they get there.  Kirk to Spock."
     "Spock here, Captain."
     "Scotty reports engineering repairs completed.  What is your
estimated time for repair of the computer system?"
     "Previously undetermined damage to the backplane area has
necessitated rebuilding one of the spare memory boards that was damaged.
I am about to replace the backplane now.  Repairs should be completed in
fifteen minutes."
     Fourteen minutes later Spock's voice came over the intercom.
"Diagnostic test on computer systems successfully completed, Captain.
Bringing up memory systems to engineering."
     "Mister Scott, Mister Spock is bringing up your computer memory
system."
     "Well, if he is, Captain, there's nae anything on the asynchronous
signal interface monitor."
     "Spock, did you hear that?"
     "Affirmative, Captain.  There appears to be an additional problem.
We are investigating."
     Kirk could hear the sound of someone whistling in the background as
Spock was speaking.  He wondered what the hell the Doctor could find to
whistle about.
     "Spock," the Doctor said, "Look at this."
     "The drivers on the fiber optic bus cable?"
     "Looks like they were hit in the power surge too.  What's your
replacement procedure for them?"
     "Difficult.  We have to run a new bus cable over to engineering
through the inside conduits of the ship."
     "You don't use a cable connector?"
     "Not with this cable.  The bus bars get hung too easily."
     "But you do have a spare bus cable?"
     "Yes."
     "Then let's get going."
     "Spock," Kirk broke in, "in 12 minutes the tertiary system will
default to the main computer and initiate the self-destruct."
     "And we cannot bypass the main system to halt the self-destruct
after that point, Captain.  The Doctor will attempt to connect the cable
from here to engineering.  I will remain here to bring up the computer
system if the connection is completed in time."
     "Very well, Mister Spock.  Doctor, you realize the risk you are
taking?"
     "He has already left, Captain.  I can assure you that he is well
aware of the risk involved."
     The minutes crawled by.  Five minutes left.  Kirk had a sudden
vision of living out his life on one earth-type planet, with no way to
return home, and the Enterprise destroyed.  It would be as though all he
had struggled for during the last five years had counted for nothing.
     Four minutes.
     "Captain, the Doctor's coming through now, I've got the cable."
     Two minutes.
     "Cable attached, Mister Spock."
     "Bringing up your computer control, Mister Scott."
     One minute.
     "Secondary support system is activated, Captain.  Tertiary is cut
off."
     Kirk looked at the chronometer.  There had been thirty seconds
left.  He opened his communicator.  "Sulu, as soon as all life support
is back to normal, you will evacuate the TARDIS."
     "Yes sir!"
     In the background he could hear what seemed to be party noises -
laughing, singing.  Well, whatever the crew was doing at least they had
not had to wait alone through the agony of the last hours.  And one of
Spock's and Scotty's first projects when they were out of this mess was
going to be to find some way to bypass that tertiary system self-
destruct.  He'd be the one to decide what heroics were suitable to his
ship.

                               ++++++++++

     As the Enterprise wandered among alien stars, most of the crew were
involved in repairing the damage from the storm and the subsequent
battle.  But all their duties were routine compared to the assignment of
the Science and Engineering officers - find the way for the Enterprise
to return home.
     Both Spock and the Doctor were on this team, and its first efforts
were devoted to analyzing the physics of the Enterprise's entering the
alternate universe.  After this had been discovered, the team could
decide what needed to be done to reverse the effect.
     Neither Spock nor the Doctor needed as much sleep as the humans on
the team.  Spock, of course, spent his time in additional work and
research, but the Doctor did not seem to be so inclined.
     Kirk had offered the Doctor his choice of a room on the Enterprise
or staying on his TARDIS.  The Doctor had chosen the Enterprise.  He had
pointed out that he would be in closer touch with the happenings by
being closer to the Enterprise communication system - and anyway - he'd
never been on a ship like the Enterprise before.
     Kirk was beginning to wonder if he was really taking the work he
was supposed to be doing seriously - if he took anything seriously.  He
seemed to `work' with the scientific team for only ten to fifteen
minutes at a time.  When Kirk sat in on the sessions he noticed that
most of the Doctor's time was spent in looking at the- results that the
Enterprise team had generated, staring into space for a few minutes, and
then making some minor change in one of the currently generated
equations, and leaving the room.  While the team did not seem to be
upset with this `working style', Kirk was beginning to seriously wonder
just what the Doctor was contributing.
     He would be walking down one of the Enterprise corridors and spot
the Doctor doing tricks with a yo-yo in one of the branching halls -
usually with a crew member watching.  He had also managed to find out
from someone how to program the food computers to produce what seemed to
be his major source of sustenance -the ubiquitous jelly babies.
Unfortunately, his programming had resulted in everyone else who ordered
something getting at least one jelly baby too.  Kirk suspected the
programming was deliberate.  He stared at the small red shape next to
his fruit salad, looked at the other crew members who seemed to be
happily eating theirs, and decided that he had better discuss the
situation with McCoy.
     "Jim, I've still got 23 seriously injured people to take care of -
and I can't say that anything in the Doctor's behavior has bothered me
in my job."
     "I just have this feeling that he may be helping himself more than
us."
     "Have you talked to Spock about it?"
     "Spock is busy."
     "Look, if there was a problem with the Doctor and the help he's
supposed to be giving the team, then Spock would have said something.
You may think that he isn't doing anything, but Spock may find that what
he is doing is exactly what the team needs.  And I can tell you this,
from the tests that we've been able to run on him and from Lieutenant
Stephans' reports, his mind is at least the equal of Spock's, if not
better.  Have you read any of the Lieutenant's reports?"
     "No.  Not yet."
     "Well, instead of worrying about what he is or isn't doing, why
don't you read them?  You're expecting him to act as though he was
human, and believe me, he is not."
     "Excuse me, Captain."
     It was Uhura.
     "Yes, Lieutenant?"
     "Sir, the crew was wondering if we could have a party for the
Doctor?"
     "A party?"
     "Yes sir.  We would like to thank him - all of us - for helping us
with the life support problem - and letting us use his TARDIS and..."
     "Lieutenant Uhura, the Doctor is supposed to be trying to find out
how we can get this ship back to our own universe.  I hardly think that
a party would be in any way appropriate."
     "Come on, Jim," McCoy said.  "Considering what the crew has gone
through, and the Lieutenant's expressions of their feelings, why don't
you let her check with Spock and the Doctor.  If they have time, it
might be a good idea."
     Uhura was looking at Kirk expectantly.  He shot an annoyed glance
at McCoy.  "Very well, Lieutenant.  If Mister Spock says that he can
spare the Doctor and if the Doctor accepts, you may have your party."
     "Thank you, sir."
     The party started off in an orderly fashion.  The Doctor turned up
for the occasion in a black velvet coat, solid white scarf, and top hat.
Kirk assumed this was his concession to formality.
     While appropriate beverages and food were in ample supply,
everyone, including the Doctor, seemed to be on their best behavior.
Kirk was somewhat surprised to see Spock join the party, but also
relieved.  The presence of his first officer usually kept an Enterprise
party from turning into a raucous affair.
     Spock had brought his Vulcan lyre with him, and Kirk was not
surprised to see that he and Uhura were going to perform.  What
surprised him was the performance.  Uhura had found an old Earth song -
never popular - called "My Friend the Doctor".  With somewhat revised
wording, it had the Doctor laughing in one minute and the rest of the
crew with him in two.
     From that point on, the beverage consumption increased
considerably.
     Kirk left half-way through the evening.  The Doctor had borrowed
Spock's lyre, with Spock's approval, Kirk noticed.  Urged on by
Lieutenant Kyle, he proceeded to teach the crew some early English
drinking songs.  Kirk heard that the evening wound up with a spontaneous
limerick contest.

                               ++++++++++

     Kirk made a point of turning up in the briefing room that the
Scientific team was using early the next morning.  To his surprise, the
whole team was there, and working, and, a few moments later, the Doctor
walked in.  He seemed to be unusually somber.
     "I am afraid that you people are going to have to get out of this
universe."
     Spock turned and looked at the Doctor with raised eyebrows.
"Indeed?"
     "Look here, Doctor, this team has been working on that problem for
nearly a week now," Kirk said angrily.  "What makes you say that .  .
."
     "I believe that the operative words in the Doctor's statement are
`have to'," Spock interrupted.  Kirk looked at him and then at the
Doctor in surprise.  "What have you discovered?"  Spock continued.
     "I ran some studies last night, in the TARDIS, and unless you're
out of here in three weeks, there are going to be serious disturbances
on the Space-Time continuum which will have the gravest consequences for
several of the races native to this universe and which will result in
your ultimate destruction."
     Kirk looked at Spock.  His Science Officer accepted the Doctor's
statement.  Well, at least it might get the Doctor working on the
problem with more dedication than he had previously exhibited.
     Spock turned to the computer and displayed an equation.  "I believe
that this is the effect that has brought us here."
     The Doctor studied it.  "Yes, that would do it."
     "So the question is, then, to reverse it."  said Scotty.
     The team studied the figures.  Kirk noticed that the Doctor seemed
to be falling asleep.  Then he suddenly sat up.  "Of course!"  He
changed some of the figures in the equation.
     "That would seem to be the desired effect."  Spock said.
     "And we've got just enough dilithium to do it."  said Scotty.
     Kirk breathed a sigh of relief.  At last there seemed to be a way
out of the trap.  And if he had to thank the Doctor for it, he would.
     "Wait a minute," the Doctor said, staring intently at the display.
"There's something wrong."
     "I can see no error."  said Spock.
     "You're not a Time Lord," said the Doctor, still frowning at the
display.  "No, you can't use that, but I can't..."  He got up abruptly
and paced around the table.  "The Matrix!"
     "The Matrix?"  Spock asked.
     "Yes, the Time Lord Matrix - the summary of all Time Lord
experiences - the answer's there."
     "Can you obtain it?"  Spock inquired.
     The Doctor stood still for a moment, his head flung back.  Then
sweat broke out on his face and he stumbled back into a chair.
     "Doctor," Spock said, "are you all right?"
     "Yes - and no."  The Doctor looked around the table and managed a
faint smile.  "I have been exposed to the Matrix, but it was
contaminated, and I - I do not have full access to all the knowledge
that is there."
     Spock raised one eyebrow.
     "Can you explain that more completely, Doctor?"  Kirk asked.
     The Doctor hesitated, then, shrugging his shoulders and exchanging
a brief glance with Spock began speaking.  "When I became a - renegade -
that portion of my mind was made inaccessible to me.  By the Time Lord
Council.  Since then .  .  .  there are times when I seem to be able to
access part of it, but not consistently - and not now."
     "Spock?"  Kirk knew that mind blocks of this kind were more likely
to be familiar to the Vulcan than to anyone else on the ship.  Spock's
eyes met Kirk's and then he turned to the Doctor, who was now staring at
the computer display in obvious frustration.
     "Doctor," The Doctor turned to look at Spock.  "You state that
there is a block on certain portions of your memory."
     The Doctor nodded.  "It was their right to place it on me - their
means of punishment."
     "Does the need for the block still remain?"
     The Doctor looked surprised and suddenly thoughtful.  "No - no,
there is no more reason for it.  No one thought about it, until now."
     "Can the block be removed, then?"
     "Are you a Time Lord, Spock?  Is there another Time Lord on this
vessel?"  The Doctor got up and paced to the other side of the room.  He
turned back and stared at Spock.  "Can you reach into my mind and remove
it?  Oh, I know that you are a touch telepath, but can you destroy what
Time Lords of the First Rank - with infinitely more experience - made?"
He sat down again and this time his smile carried no humor.
     "Doctor," said Spock, templing his hands.  You are a Time Lord.  Do
you believe that the block should be removed?"
     There was a pause.  The Doctor looked at Spock, obviously puzzled.
     "Or do you still accept it as part of your punishment?  Would your
fellow Time Lords - now - consider it necessary?"
     "Necessary?  No, I don't think they even remember it.  And until
now, I really haven't needed it."  He looked at the computer display
again with annoyance.
     "As you have observed, Doctor, I am only a touch telepath.
However, Vulcans have some ability in these matters - if you can
cooperate fully with me."
     "You think you can remove it?"
     "Not by myself, but with your support.  Without your full
cooperation, your own psychic abilities could interfere and negate our
purpose."
     "Then it also carries some danger for you."  The Doctor looked
directly at Spock.
     "There is that possibility.  The melding of one mind to another -
especially between different species of varying psychic abilities - to
remove or change something in one of the minds - can be hazardous.
Either or both of our minds could be lost.  There is therefore a risk
for you too."
     "Not a causal encounter, then."  The Doctor said, and Kirk thought
that he almost seemed to be laughing".
     "No."  said Spock, maintaining the tension.  "Is it your wish to
make the attempt?"
     The Doctor thought for a moment, then turned to Kirk.  "Captain, is
what Spock is proposing as dangerous to him as I think?"
     "It could well be.  Spock has never used the mind-meld casually."
Kirk felt frustrated.  The Doctor was acting as though he could
understand everything about his first officer, and in this area Kirk
knew that his knowledge was incomplete.
     "If it were possible for you to remain in this universe without
harm - or if the time we had to work in were longer, I might suggest a
delay.  As it is..  what must be done?"
     "I would suggest that we go to Dr.  McCoy and utilize the isolation
area of Sickbay."
     McCoy was not pleased at the idea of the attempt, but set up the
isolation area as Spock requested, a single bed and a chair alongside it
and full medical monitoring.  He looked at the room grimly.
     "Jim, you realize that we could lose both of them."
     "They've already discussed that possibility.  Our major concern at
the moment has to be to find a way to return the Enterprise to our own
universe.  Even the Doctor admits that."
     "Even the Doctor?  Jim, I think that ..
     Lieutenant Stephans walked into the room and McCoy did not finish
his statement.  Kirk decided not to ask him to - if it was important,
McCoy would find some time to talk to him about it.  The Lieutenant eyed
the isolation area with as much distaste as McCoy.  Kirk studied her for
a moment.  Of all the crow members, she had spent the most time with the
Doctor since he had arrived.  He was curious about her reaction.
     "Lieutenant, you seem to share Dr.  McCoy's misgivings about this
experiment."
     She looked up at him in amazement.  "Captain, you do realize that
of the two we are much more likely to lose Mister Spock if the
experiment fails?"
     Kirk studied her.  While all her records indicated a level-headed
practical approach on her field missions, her reports on the Doctor had
a slight tinge of gullibility.  Obviously the alien Doctor had as much
effect on her as on the other crew members.  "What makes you say that?"
     "Because of the Vulcan regard for the mind-meld, Mister Spock has
had the least experience in effecting a strong mind probe.  That is an
ability that develops with practice.  The Doctor, on the other hand, has
not only exercised his ability to create and maintain a strong probe, he
has also experienced and resisted mind probes from other alien species."
     "And how do you know that?"
     "Because I have been studying, talking to, and observing him ever
since you made that my assignment.  Oh, he doesn't brag about it,
Captain, but obtaining such information is my field.  Believe me, his
experiences are not conducive to permitting an alien probe into the
depths of his mind.  I doubt that he would even easily tolerate such a
probe from his own species."
     "With Spock then, what could happen?"
     "It all depends on the Doctor.  If he truly trusts Spock - not just
consciously, but unconsciously, enough to allow the probe to reach its
intended goals, then they will succeed.  If he does not - or cannot -
the defense mechanism of his mind could snap shut and destroy Spock's
mind."  She started to add something else but stopped when Spock entered
the room.
     "Is the Doctor here?"  Spock asked.
     "Not yet," McCoy answered.  "The room is ready.  Spock, are you
certain that this is necessary?  Lieutenant Stephans believes that it is
quite dangerous."
     Spock hesitated for a moment.  "Doctor McCoy, it is quite
necessary."  He had withdrawn into his most Vulcan image.  Kirk looked
at him.  Could the danger the Lieutenant had suggested be real?  He
started to say something to Spock, when the Vulcan turned and went into
the isolation room.  He sat down in the chair, hands templed, withdrawn.
     "You can't stop it now, Jim."  McCoy said.  "It's between them."
     The Doctor came in.  He had discarded his coat, scarf, and hat and
was once again wearing a cossack-like white shirt, tweed trousers, and
boots.
     "Is everything ready?"  he said cheerfully.
     McCoy nodded grimly toward the room and the silent Spock within.
"If you two are determined to proceed."
     The Doctor smiled at McCoy and started to enter the room when
Lieutenant Stephans stopped him.  "Doctor."  He looked down at her in
surprise.  "Remember you must give up the control to Spock."  Their eyes
met briefly and he nodded and went into the room.
     Kirk felt a sudden chill of fear, realizing that more than the life
of his first officer, of his friend, lay in the hands of this alien whom
he did not trust.
     McCoy closed the door and turned on the intercom system.  The
medical monitors were on.  He looked at Kirk again, shaking his head
this time - "You can't stop it now, Jim."
     The Doctor stopped just inside the door and looked at Spock.
Without disturbing him, he lay down on the bed, closed his eyes for a
moment and then said "Mister Spock, if you're ready?"
     Spock's eyes opened slowly and he looked at the Doctor.  The Doctor
smiled and closed his eyes.  Spock untempled his hands and then spread
them on the Doctor's face.
     "My mind to your mind.  .  ."  came the familiar words.
     The Doctor's body stiffened momentarily.  Spock's grip tightened.
     "The Doctor has to drop his own telepathic blocks," Lieutenant
Stephans whispered.
     Sweat broke out on the Doctor's fact and Spock's eyes closed
tightly.  The Doctor's body relaxed.
     "My mind to your mind.  .."  Spock's body seemed to encircle the
Doctor's although he did not move.  There was silence from the room.
Kirk was waiting for the outpouring of words he was used to hearing
during one of Spock's mind melds.  But nothing seemed to happen.  He
looked down at Lieutenant Stephans.
     "What's going on?"
     "They are both natural telepaths, Captain.  This is quite unlike
what you have seen before."
     Perspiration gleamed on Spock's brow.  The Doctor's body
alternately tensed and relaxed.
     Suddenly the eyes of the two opened and met.  Kirk could almost see
some kind of exchange take place.
     "They are in close contact now, " said Lieutenant Stephans.  "There
is only the barrier to be broken."
     The eyes of the two closed again.  From his own experience Kirk
remembered the feeling of another mind in his, and he was not
telepathic.  What would it be like if that mind was attacking yours?
And if you had a real ability to defend yourself -- for the first time
he realized the danger Spock was willingly encountering was formidable.
Everything dependent on the ability of another to relinquish control,
the whole dependent on the tightest of disciplines of the minds
involved.
     Discipline - and the Doctor?
     "Heart rates increasing, Jim," said McCoy.
     The Doctor's head began to move restlessly in Spock's grip.  A
scream emerged from the Doctor's mouth but it was Spock's voice that
sounded.
     "No, it must remain, it is the penalty.  / The penalty no longer
exists: the penalty has been paid."  Spock's voice now in the familiar
mono-dialogue.  "The punishment must be complete.  / The punishment is
no longer required.  You have earned the right to be free.  / I am the
President.  The Matrix is mine.  The Matrix is invaded.  The -Master.
Death to all Time Lords.  My people.  There is danger.  I cannot release
the Matrix.  I must drive out the enemy!"
     "Heart rates still increasing.  I don't know how much longer they
can take it."
     The Doctor's eyes opened and stared blindly at the ceiling.
Spock's voice continued, monologue this time.  "Layer by layer,
opening..
     Another `voice' - this time exploding in Kirk's mind.
     "Broadcast telepathy," said Lieutenant Stephans, wincing.  "Spock
has opened some new ability the Doctor has."
     "*The enemy has gone, the way is open.*"
     Spock's hands broke contact.  Grabbing the Doctor's shoulders, he
caught the Doctor eyes with his own.  "You must proceed.  I will not
probe your knowledge."
     *"I must have your support, or the barrier will not be fully
broken."*
     Spock paused and then resumed contact.  The Doctor's eyes closed
again.
     *"So.  .  in this way, slowly.  .  .  "* The Doctor's head jerked
fitfully in Spock's grasp.  *"You are there, the path is open.  I
enter.*"
     A stillness descended on the room.
     "Heart rates going down."
     The Doctor was sweating again; Spock seemed to be in a passive
trance and Kirk was reminded of the first, involuntary contact Spock had
made with the Doctor.
     "Readings back to normal, Jim."
     "If they can break the bond now..."  said Lieutenant Stephans.
     Both sets of alien eyes opened and met again.  Spock's head jerked
back.  The texture of the mental voice changed.  *"Yes, so you have
joined with us."*
     "No."  Spock's hands moved to break the meld but the Doctor's hands
quickly held them in place.  "I am my own.  I am Vulcan."*"You are still that. 
But you are more.  It has been earned."*
     Spock's eyes closed.  The Doctor's hands reached up to Spock's face
assuming the Vulcan contact points.  *"Accept."*
     Spock seemed to nod in the Doctor's grasp.  Spock's hands fell away
from the Doctor, then the Doctor's from him.  The Doctor came to a half
sitting position.  Spock's head was still bent, his eyes closed.
     "Spock!"  cried Kirk, heading for the door.  McCoy and Stephans
stopped him.
     "Jim," McCoy said.  "You've got to let the Doctor finish now."
     The Doctor took hold of Spock's hands which were lying limply on
the bed.  "Spock," the Doctor called, then louder, and Kirk could almost
feel a mental calling with the verbal, "Spock."  Spock's eyes opened.
There was a depth to them that Kirk had rarely seen before.
     "What have you given me?"
     "Something more than you had before, but nothing you had not
earned, were not entitled to, or more than you can handle.  Why not ask
what you have given me?"
     Spock's eyes met the Doctor's.  The Doctor smiled.  "Spock, I am
whole again.  I think that you can realize what that means.  I know you
- now - and I know what you risked.  I risked no more than I have risked
before, and for no more reason.  Accept my gift, my friend, and look on
it as repayment for what my people failed to do in this world for your
people."  Spock looked intently at the Doctor and nodded.
     The Doctor turned to the window.  "Captain, I believe that I have
the solution to the problem."
     McCoy opened the door.
     Spock got up slowly.  Kirk went to him.  "Spock, are you all
right?"
     "I believe so, Captain.  It was a most unusual experience."
     "Spock," called the Doctor, "come on, we've got to get this thing
solved."
     "Coming."
     The two left the room.  Kirk and Stephans followed.  McCoy decided
that he was going review the medical records of the happening again.
     "Lieutenant," said Kirk, walking behind Spock and the Doctor as
they headed toward the briefing room, "What has Spock got now that he
didn't have before?"
     "It's difficult to say, Captain.  Certainly some expanded knowledge
or awareness normally unique to Time Lords.  Perhaps an increase in his
own telepathic abilities, perhaps some of the Doctor's sense of humor."
     "Lieutenant, I do not find that particularly amusing."
     "No sir, but don't you think it would be interesting?'
     "No."
     "Well, sir, you should be aware that it is not uncommon after such
a melding for the participants to take on each other's characteristics -
for a time."
     The Lieutenant nodded her head at the two ahead of them.  Kirk saw
that Spock was accepting one of the Doctor's jelly babies.
     "Well, Lieutenant, if it gets us out of this universe and back into
our own, I can tolerate anything."
     "I do hope that your tolerance is up to what might happen,
Captain."

                               ++++++++++

     Back in the briefing room, both the Doctor and Spock resurveyed the
computer display.  After a few minutes, the Doctor started smiling.
Leaning on the table, he turned and looked at Spock.
     "Do you see it?"
     Still looking puzzled, Spock indicated an area of the equation.
"There?"
     "Exactly."
     It seemed to Kirk that Spock was smiling back at the Doctor, but no
change was visible except the disappearance of puzzlement.  He glanced
at Lieutenant Stephans and she nodded.  So he was not the only one to
have noticed something!
     The Doctor started entering some new figures into the computer and
the display changed.  "You could probably work it out, but you can see
where using that formula would have been disastrous to you."
     "Indeed."  Spock nodded.
     "What was the matter?"  Kirk asked.
     The Doctor looked at Spock and gestured as if giving him the center
stage.
     "The Time Factor, Captain."
     "Time Factor?"
     "Yes, in transferring between universes there is always an inherent
Time Factor.  Had we tried to return to our universe using the original
formula, we would have arrived in the correct universe, but 300 years
before the time we disappeared."  Spock turned to the Doctor, one
eyebrow cocked.
     "A somewhat simplified explanation, but correct.  With this change,
you should return within five minutes of the time you left and you will
not need to return to the Sontaran area."
     Scotty had been eyeing the changed equation and suddenly spoke.
"Captain, I canna say that this willna do the trick, but we dinna hae
the power for it."
     Spock and the Doctor surveyed the equation.  Spock nodded.  "Mister
Scott is correct, Captain.  The new formula calls for at least one third
again as much power as our present dilithium will give us."
     "Could we reverse the polarity?"  the Doctor asked.
     "Doctor, ye canna be serious," exclaimed Scotty.
     "I do not think that will work - this time."  Kirk could have sworn
that Spock was trying to keep from laughing.
     "Well, well, never a solution but another problem," said the
Doctor.  "What will you need to solve this one?"
     Scott had apparently been doing some calculating too and he
answered immediately.  "At least six more dilithium crystals.  I can
juryrig a system so that they could give us the power when we need it,
but we've got to have the dilithium."
     Kirk noticed, without a great deal of surprise, that everyone in
the room turned to the Doctor.  Well, after all, this was his universe,
and he seemed to like playing the deus ex-machina and pulling the
Enterprise out of difficulty.
     "Well, Doctor, where can we get the dilithium?"
     "There is a planet in this area which has a supply of dilithium
crystals."
     "Can we buy - or trade - with them to get the crystals?"
     "I don't know."  the Doctor sat forward pensively, templing his
hands in front of his face.  Kirk felt a slight shock at this Spock-like
gesture.  He glanced over at Spock and felt his shock compound as he saw
that Spock was leaning back in his chair looking ready to put his feet
up on the table.
     He felt Lieutenant Stephans touch him gently on the arm and heard
her whisper "Tolerance, Captain."
     The Doctor untempled his hands and stood up.
     "This planet is highly unusual, even for this universe.  Apparently
a humanoid race started to settle it about a thousand years ago.  It
should have been a normal settlement - everyone working together in the
early years, wars and other problems coming along later - you know the
patterns."
     Kirk saw Lieutenant Stephans nodding - apparently what the Doctor
was saying was something familiar to CS&C.
     "Instead a split occurred very early.  Some of the colonists were
determined to maintain a high level of technology in spite of almost
impossible difficulties, and others wanted to live the basic `back to
nature' life that seemed to fit the planet."
     "So we have to deal with one group or the other?"  Kirk asked.
     "More than that.  There were certain aspects about the planet which
caused an abnormal development of what you call PSI powers in some of
the people - on both sides.  The `back to nature' group accepted these
and encouraged them.  The technologists ignored and repressed them.  The
two groups have now developed two totally opposite ways of dealing with
any type of problem.
     "I don't see that makes a difference."  Kirk felt that the Doctor
was seeing problems where there weren't any.
     "It wouldn't - if it hadn't been for the invasion."
     "Invasion?"
     "Yes - an utterly ruthless race recently tried to conquer the
planet and both sides ultimately joined together to defeat the
invaders."
     "Then we only have one side to deal with."
     "Well, when the would-be conquerors left, they wanted to take
revenge on the planet and the people that had withstood them - to prove
that ultimately they could win.  You know the type."
     Kirk saw Spock nod out of the corner of his eye and, glancing over
at him, saw that his feet were up on the table now.  He was about to say
something when a kick on the shins diverted him.  He glared at
Lieutenant Stephans who was staring innocently at the Doctor.
     "At any rate, Captain," the Doctor went on.  Kirk was certain that
he had missed none of the byplay.  "The invaders placed several fission
type bombs around the planet in such a fashion that at irregular periods
for the next five years the orbits will decay and a bomb will come
down."
     "And if they simply explode the bomb, they'll create a ring of
radiation around the planet that will eventually destroy them."  Scotty
said.
     "Exactly."
     "Sounds like we might be able to help."  Kirk said.
     "We can certainly remove the bombs from their orbits and dispose of
them somewhere else safely."  said Scotty.
     "Would that be sufficient for a trade for dilithium?"  Kirk asked.
     "Possible."  The Doctor seemed to be studying his hands again.
"Does your Prime Directive prevent you from helping other people?"
     "No.  Just from interfering with the natural development of an
indigenous culture."  responded Lieutenant Stephans.
     "Well, on this planet, the dilithium crystals are mined and
controlled by the back to nature group - the Norms, as they call
themselves.  They can use the dilithium to expand and amplify their
psychic abilities.  And it was one of their cities that was hit by the
first bomb that fell."  The Doctor looked at Kirk expectantly.
     "Are you suggesting that we supply medical aid?"
     "Yes.  Can you agree to that?"
     Kirk responded without hesitation, "Yes."
     "Very well, then, let's get to the planet and do some horse
trading.  The coordinates.  .  ."  The Doctor punched up some figures on
the computer display.  "What," said Spock sitting upright again, "is the
name of this planet?"
     "Lightunder," said the Doctor.  He started out the door and
stopped.  "One more thing, you know I told you that some of the people
had psychic abilities?"
     "Yes."  Kirk failed to see why the Doctor was reemphasizing a
point.
     "Well, apparently the ability is tied to a recessive gene, because
you can usually recognize a psychic by their physical appearance too."
     "How?"  Lieutenant Stephans asked.  Kirk supposed that such an item
might be of interest to a xenobiologist.
     "By the color of their hair."  The Doctor started out the door.
     The Lieutenant looked puzzled for a minute and then shouted "What
color is it?"
     The Doctor's head reappeared around the corner.  His grin reminded
Kirk of the Cheshire cat in the old story.
     "Green."  He said and disappeared.

                               ++++++++++

Kirk was concerned about his crew's morale.  They had, after all, been
overdue for R&R before starting the return trip to Earth, and had a
succession of emergencies in a rather short time.
     He spent the evening walking around the ship, visiting areas where
the crew was stationed and gathered.
     In the gym Sulu was practicing what appeared to be a new and
difficult series of fencing moves.  "Improving your technique, Mister
Sulu?"
     "Yes sir.  The Doctor showed me some offensive moves that I'd never
heard of before.  The problem is to try to master them."
     "The Doctor?"
     "Yes sir, he said he learned them from a Captain in Cleopatra's
army."
     Kirk watched as Sulu went back to his practicing.  He knew his
history well enough to know that at the time of Cleopatra the swords
used were not the epee Sulu used.  But Sulu seemed to find the whole
thing credible, so Kirk decided not to try to argue about it.
     Passing through the Engineering section, Kirk saw that Scotty
seemed to be involved in analyzing a silver object about 13 centimeters
long and 3 centimeters in diameter.  He knew that Scotty had been
working on the designs which would implement the extra dilithium
crystals and he walked over to see what was going on.  The silver object
`Has something he had never seen before.
     "Something new, Scotty?"
     "Aye, Captain.  It's a Sonic Screwdriver, and it's a beautiful wee
bairn."
     "A Sonic Screwdriver?"  The term sounded more like an exotic bar
concoction than something that would fascinate his Chief Engineer.
     "Aye, it's the Doctor's."
     "The Doctor's?"
     "I've been trying to persuade him to let me look at that TARDIS of
his, but he doesna seem to want to let me do that."
     "So how did you get this - Sonic Screwdriver?"
     "`Yell, he says that if I can duplicate it, then I can look at the
TARDIS."
     "Can you?"  Kirk was confident that nothing mechanical was beyond
Scotty's skills.
     "Not yet.  Oh, it's a bonnie wee bairn.  So far I've found thirty
uses for it, but I canna yet make another one."
     "Did the Doctor make it?"
     "Well, he designed it."
     "Well, Scotty, if you keep at it, you'll find the secret."
     "Secret!  Nae, Captain, this is pure engineering genius.  And an
honor it is to be working on it."
     Kirk walked out shaking his head.  The Doctor certainly seemed to
have found the way to keep Scotty away from the TARDIS.
     One of the Rec rooms had been turned into what Lieutenant Kyle
explained to Kirk as the site of the Starfleet Yo-Yo Championships.
     "Where did all the yo-yos come from, Lieutenant?"
     "Oh, the Doctor gave them to us."
     "Did he set up the rules for this - competition?"
     "Set them up?  No sir.  He told us what the rules were - back on
Earth."
     "Will he be participating?"
     "No sir.  He said he'd already won his championship in 1923."
     Kirk watched an Andorian ensign attempt a `walk the doggie.'
     "All the Andorians are very good at this, sir.  They seem to have a
knack for it."
     "That would certainly be helpful."
     "If you'll excuse me, sir, my turn is coming up."
     "Of course."
     On his way to Rec room 4 Kirk mulled over what he had seem.  His
crew was alert, happy, and there certainly seemed to be no cause for
alarm.  He decided he would see if Spock would join him for a game of
chess.  Certainly they could both use the break.
     In Rec room 4 Spock was already playing chess - with the Doctor.
     Kirk walked over and looked at the board.  It was obviously near
the end of the game and as Kirk neared them the Doctor made a move.
     "Check and mate, I believe."
     Spock studied the board.  "You have learned the game well."
     "It's much more challenging than the one dimensional version I'm
used to.  I'll have to teach it to K-9 when I get him fixed."
     "K-9?"  Kirk asked.
     "My dog."
     "Your dog?  - plays chess?"  Kirk looked at Spock in hopes of some
amplification of the strange statement.
     "Actually, K-9 is a highly sophisticated robot."  Spock said,
resetting the pieces on the boards.  Kirk relaxed, at least his first
officer was back to normal.
     "However," Spock went on, "he is really a very good dog."
     The Doctor had looked slightly disappointed at Spock's mundane
explanation and now smiled across the Board at him.  Kirk was shocked to
see his first officer smile back.
     "Spock" - Spock turned to look at him, his face expressionless
again.  "Um - would you say that the Doctor plays as illogically as
humans?"
     "Captain," one Vulcan eyebrow raised, "the Doctor's mind works in a
unique fashion.  I would not compare the processes."
     "Would you care to play the next game, Captain?"  asked the Doctor,
starting to get up from his chair.
     "No, no."  Kirk motioned him back down.  "Mister Spock and I play
quite often."  Of course, as their mission was ending, he and Spock.  .
.  Well, he thought, at least the Doctor was out of mischief.  He went
back to his cabin determined to have a talk with McCoy the next day.

                                +++++++++

     "Bones, are you sure Spock is all right?"
     "Jim, he's fine.  He just had me give him a complete physical."
     "He asked for one?"
     "Jim, it was the - logical - thing to do.  He wanted to be sure
that there were no after effects from that mind-meld experiment.  Made
me give the Doctor one too.  Not that I needed to add any more of those
strange readings to my records."
     "Don't you find that - unusual?"
     "Before this whole thing happened - yes.  Now - well, I don't know
what you're worried about, but Spock is healthier - in body and mind
than I've ever seen him.  What are you so worried about?"
     "Bones, I don't know.  I just have this strange feeling that
something is wrong - with the Enterprise - and that the Doctor is
somehow related to it."
     "Well he certainly has done nothing but help us since we got in
this mess.  The crew likes him, I like him and Spock likes him.  You're
the only one having problems dealing with him.  Jim..."
     "Dr.  McCoy, Lieutenant Caffrey is fibrillating again."  Chapel
called from inside on of the sickbay areas.
     "Damn - Jim, I want to talk to you about this after I take care of
my patient."
     Kirk started glumly at the door as McCoy left.  He could not
believe that he was the one out of step.  Every feeling that he'd
learned to rely on told him that something was wrong.
     "Captain Kirk."  It was Sulu on the intercom from the Bridge.
     "Kirk here."
     "Coming into the Lightunder system."
     "I'm on my way up."

                              ++++++++++++

     Orbiting the planet the next day, the selected landing party met in
one of the briefing rooms.
     Lieutenant Stephans had been working with the Doctor gathering
information about the planet through a linkup of the TARDIS and the
Enterprise sensors.  "Luckily the Techies - the technologists - and the
Norms are still speaking to one another," she said.  "We don't want to
get involved in a civil war.  Only one bomb has fallen on a populated
area - the first one.  It destroyed the Norm city of Metebe and left
strong radioactive aftereffects.  The population in the area is
suffering from radiation exposure.  The Norms were able to deflect the
second bomb as it was falling, but burnt out - lost - five of their best
telekenetics to do it.  The area it landed in was unpopulated, but we
will need to do a clean up of the radiation.  The bombs are too distant
for the Norms to move them further out, or keep them up, and the Techies
don't have a clear enough understanding of how the internal mechanism
works to enable the Norms to defuse one as it comes down.  They are in a
desperate situation and they know it.  However, they are very proud and
will resent any intrusion even though it is intended to be helpful."
     "Full diplomacy, then, Lieutenant," said Kirk.  He noticed that
McCoy was staring at him but he had been too caught up in the plans for
the planetary contact - including a possible use of the Doctor's TARDIS
as the `hospital base' to get back to talk to him.  It would have to
wait.
     "Diplomacy in spades, Captain, if we hope to accomplish anything."
     "Doctor, if you're ready?"
     The Doctor had his feet up on the table and his hat over his head.
Kirk was convinced he had been sleeping.
     "What - oh yes - are we ready?"
     "We will be beaming down into the meeting room of the capital city
of the Techies.  The leaders of both sides should be there."  Spock
said.

                              ++++++++++++

     As the group materialized, Kirk could see the surprise of the men
and women in the room.  He hoped that this display of superior
technology would give them a bargaining advantage.  He looked around at
the people.  Even from their clothing he could distinguish between the
two groups.  The Techies were wearing military type one piece suits, and
the Norms were wearing leather and fur garments and all carried swords.
     "We have come in peace."  Kirk said, spreading his hands to show
the absence of weapons.  "We would offer our assistance.  .  ."
     "We do not wish the assistance of aliens!"  shouted one of the
Norms, a short but powerfully built man.  Mutters from the others in the
room indicated that they agreed.  Kirk was starting to frame another
sentence when the Doctor abruptly stepped forward.  He calmly surveyed
the group and said "I am the Doctor, a Time Lord of Gallifrey.  We have
determined that without our intervention your planet will be destroyed
in 16 months.  We have decided that we will intervene to save you - for
a price."
     Kirk thought that the arrogance in his tone was unmistakable.
     The man who had refused Kirk stared at the Doctor.  His green hair
seemed to bristle.  "A Time Lord.  We have heard of you."  A small
polished dilithium crystal that he wore on the inside of his left wrist
began to glow as he lifted his hand.  When his hand was level with his
eyes the crystal suddenly flashed.  Kirk felt what seemed to be a
momentary pressure on his mind and heard Spock take a sudden deep
breath.  The Doctor seemed amused.
     "So.  It is true.  What is your price and who are these people with
you who are not Time Lords?"
     "Our price is six large energy crystals - the size you do not use
because you cannot control them."  The scorn in the Doctor's voice hung
in the air.  "These people have been chosen to assist me."
     "What do you offer us?"
     "Medical help for those of your people suffering from the effects
of the first explosion.  And we will remove the remaining devices from
your skies."
     "Will you treat our people in our own land - without bringing in
large machines?"
     "We will land our own dwelling place where you specify.  The
machines we use will be no more to you than a black box that makes
noises.  What machines we have in our dwelling place will be of no
concern to you."
     "Will you teach us so that we may avoid something like this
happening again?"  one of the Techies asked.
     The Doctor looked at him as if he was some kind of lower species of
insect.  "We will teach you enough to better defend yourselves."  The
Doctor looked at the group.  "Do accept our offer?"
     "We must discuss..  ."  murmured the Techie.
     "What is there to discuss!"  said the Norm.  "This is a Time Lord
and he speaks the truth.  Must we discuss if we wish to live or die?"
     There was no dissenting voice from the group as they looked
ruefully at each other.  The Norm turned back to the Doctor.
     "Very well, Time Lord.  We will agree to your bargain.  But those
of you who come on our land must agree to abide by our customs."
     "Agreed."  said the Doctor.  "Where do you wish us to place the
medical treatment center?"
     "We have established a place of healing in Besteco."
     "Then we will land there.  After we remove the devices orbiting
your planet, we will send people to meet with you."  The Doctor nodded
at the Techies.
     One of the Techies stepped forward.  He was tall, with blond hair
and a beard.  "I am Lif d'Lewis, head of my people.  We will be glad to
learn all that you are willing to teach us."
     The Doctor nodded an acknowledgement of the Techie's statement.
Kirk could not help thinking that if they had to deal only with this man
and his people instead of the feisty Norm who had taken over, the whole
thing could have been handled better.
     "Captain, if you will call for the beam-up."  The Doctor turned
back to the Norm.  "Alert your people at Besteco.  We will be there in
one hour."  He turned and nodded at Kirk, obviously concluding the
conversation.  Kirk opened his communicator.  He felt as though he was
an Ensign again.
     "Kirk to Enterprise, beam up landing party."
     As the transporter beam picked up the landing party, Kirk felt a
sudden surge of anger.  What right did the Doctor have to step in like
that!  He could feel the emotion pulsing through him as the group
materialized on the Enterprise.  As he turned to the Doctor, prepared to
express his anger, Spock stepped forward and said "An excellent job,
Doctor.  I believe you accomplished everything we desired."
     "Even what you offered the Techies is well within the limits of the
Prime Directive.  How did you know that was the way to approach them?"
Lieutenant Stephans asked.  The Doctor looked slightly surprised.
     "It was the - logical - thing to do."  He smiled at Spock, shaking
his head slightly.
     Kirk felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.
Spock and the Lieutenant were right.  What they had wanted done was done
- so why did it matter WHO had done it?  Suppressing an uneasy feeling
of having been in the wrong, he turned to McCoy.  "Bones, are you and
your medical team ready?"
     "As ready as we can be, Jim.  It's a good thing that we'd already
expected that we'd have to use the Doctor's TARDIS as our base.  We've
installed some of our medical computers and laboratory equipment.  The
Doctor and Mister Spock have also arranged to implement a direct link
between the TARDIS' computer system and our science computer."
     "You're satisfied with the arrangements, then?"
     "They're better than most I've had to work with under the Prime
Directive on a primitive planet."
     "Bones," said the Doctor.  "If you will have your medical team at
the TARDIS in - say - fifteen minutes?  Lieutenant Stephans and I want
to review some of the customs of the local people.  Dorcy has a feeling
that certain aspects of the local culture were not emphasized strongly
enough in the standard briefing tape she made earlier.  The Norms are
very set in certain ways, and we cannot afford to offend them."
     "We'll be there."
     "Captain, if you are planning on coming down to the planet, you
should hear this."  The Doctor said.
     "I'll have to get it later, Doctor.  At the moment we need to get
this ship ready to dispose of these orbital bombs."
     The Doctor looked at Kirk and, with a slight smile, nodded.  "Of
course, Captain."

                                +++++++++

     Beaming down the TARDIS was a learning experience for Lieutenant
Kyle under Spock's tuition.  Apparently something of the unique nature
of the TARDIS had to be calculated for during transportation and Kirk
was thankful that the beam-down with his crew aboard was successful.
     He looked at the now empty transporter pads and turned to Spock.
     "Why didn't the Doctor take the TARDIS down on its own, Spock?
Wouldn't it have been simpler?"
     "With the TARDIS in its present condition, there is always the
chance that it might not land where it was directed."
     "You mean that the Doctor can't control it."
     "His level of control of the TARDIS suits him, Captain.  In this
situation, I preferred that we handle the transportation."
     "Spock, there are some things that I simply do not understand."
     "Indeed, Captain?"  Kirk saw his first officer looking at him
expectantly.
     "Not now, Spock, we've got some bombs to get rid of."
     "But of course, Captain."

                               ++++++++++

     The removal and defusing of the orbiting bombs was time consuming
but relatively simple for the Enterprise crew.  The defused bombs were
dumped into a sun of a nearby uninhabited planetary system.  Kirk was
pleased to see that his crew was handling the situation in their usual
efficient fashion.  Apparently with the disruptive influence of the
Doctor removed, things were going to return to normal.  Within a week
the Enterprise had returned and was orbiting Lightunder again.
     Scotty, a team of Enterprise engineers, and selected members of the
CS&C group beamed down to meet with Lif d'Lewis.  Another group was
assigned to `clean up' the unpopulated area of the second explosion.
Kirk decided to go down with Spock to see how the medical group was
getting along.
     In the transporter room, Spock placed a small black box on the
transporter console.
     "Lieutenant Kyle, initiate signaling sequence 21CQ305260."  Spock
said.
     "Yes sir."
     "What's that all about, Spock?"  Kirk asked as they walked toward
the transporter pads.
     "Without the adjustment and amplification that box provides for our
signals, we would not be able to beam down inside the TARDIS.  The
Doctor has specifically requested that landing party at Besteco beam
down directly into the TARDIS and await further contact."
     "Are you saying that without that device, we wouldn't be able to
transport into the TARDIS?"
     "The TARDIS has unique defensive capabilities."
     Kirk sighed.  He was back in the strange world of the Doctor's
again.  They materialized inside the TARDIS control room just as the
Doctor was coming in through the outside door.
     "Oh, Spock," he said, "I'm glad you're here.  Come on down to the
workshop.  I want to look at something."
     Spock and the Doctor started through one of the other doors when
the Doctor stuck his head back through the door.
     "Captain - don't leave the TARDIS until you check with Lieutenant
Stephans."  Then he disappeared again.
     Kirk waited for some time, his impatience growing.  Other members
of the medical team came hurriedly through the TARDIS control room,
apparently to and from the area where the Doctor and Spock were.  They
barely acknowledged his presence.  Lieutenant Stephans did not appear.
     His patience finally exhausted, he decided that it would not hurt
to go and look for the Lieutenant or, preferably, McCoy.  They probably
just wanted to reemphasize some of the local customs.  He had already
seen the briefing tape twice, and had been taking care of himself on
alien planets several years longer than the Lieutenant, but if they
wanted to make some special point, he'd find them and let them make it.
     As he stepped out of the TARDIS, he noticed the `hospital' seemed
to be a converted large stone building.  The TARDIS had actually been
located in a room in the building.
     The other rooms he saw as he walked down the hall were filled with
patients.  The medical personnel, both his own people and some from the
native population seemed to be constantly busy.  He could not see McCoy
or Stephans anywhere.
     At length his wanderings took him to the front door of the
building.  The sunlight and open air outside looked inviting after the
closed-in aura of the hospital.  He even seemed to be experiencing a
slightly nauseous feeling from the strange pungency.  All hospitals
smell, he thought, and decided to step outside and look around.
     Leaning on the beast-shaped stone structure at the foot of the
hospital steps, he looked out at what seemed to be a town square.  There
were shops on three sides and the normal activity of people going in and
out with and without parcels.  Horses - or a very close facsimile of the
earth animal, except for the cloven hooves and horn - and carriages were
tied up by the stores.
     He took a deep breath of the planet's air.  It tasted good.
     He noticed a girl - a young woman - standing by one of the shops,
apparently waiting for someone.  He looked at her intensely.
     Her hair was a dark green, so dark as to be almost black.  The
slight breeze blowing against the lightweight rose fabric of her ankle
length gown outlined a figure of delightful proportions.
     She suddenly looked up at him, revealing dark black eyes formerly
masked by thick and curly downcast eyelashes.  Her skin was fair,
highlighted by a natural rose shading on her cheeks and lips which Kirk
could tell owed nothing to artifice.  She met his gaze for an instant
and then cast her eyes down again momentarily.  He was not surprised
when, after a brief moment, the open and provocative gaze met his again.
     How lovely she was - and would be on any planet he had ever
visited.  The rose of her cheeks seemed to deepen and a faint smile
appeared on her lips and the black eyes seemed sparkle.  He could not
speak to her, he remembered that from the briefing tape, but he
continued to smile into those brilliant eyes and it seemed that his
smile was echoed back to him.  It had been a long time for him, and his
thoughts became more specific.  Her body and his, meeting, blending .  .
.  A horrified look appeared in the lovely eyes and she turned and ran
into the shop.  Well, you can't win them all, he thought wistfully.
     He felt slightly dizzy and was turning to go back into the hospital
when he saw Spock, McCoy and the Doctor coming out.
     "Jim," said McCoy, "Have you seen Lieutenant Stephans?"
     "Not yet, Bones."  He replied, smiling.
     Spock and McCoy exchanged glances of - irritation?  Why should
seeing Lieutenant Stephans such an important matter?
     "Blithering idiot," said the Doctor.  "You'd better get back inside
and let us look at you."
     Kirk bristled.  What right did the Doctor have to give such an
order and, anyway, they could just as well look at him out here.
     There was a commotion across the street.  The four on the hospital
steps turned.
     Three men were approaching rapidly.  Kirk saw the girl he had been
looking at being bundled into a carriage with some other women.
     The men paused, face to face now with the Doctor and the Enterprise
crew.  Kirk recognized one as the Norm who had been present at the
meeting in the Techie capital.
     The Norm looked at the Doctor.  "You said that your people would
abide by our customs."
     "I did."
     "This man," he motioned to Kirk, "has violated one of our women."
     The Doctor seemed to take a deep breath.  Spock and McCoy
simultaneously exclaimed "Captain!"  and "Jim!"
     Kirk looked at them and, with a shock, realized that they seemed to
be accepting the justification of the charge.
     "Bones, Spock - I just got here!"  He felt a wave of dizziness
sweep over him.
     "Time is relative, Captain," said the Doctor.  He turned to the man
who had stated the charge.  "You are Raul d'Colm'n, head of the clan
d'Colm'n, and you are making this charge."
     "On behalf of my kinswoman, Namona d'Colm'n, I am."
     "The one charged has the right of defense by challenge."
     "With swords and knives."  d'Colm'n looked scornfully at the
Doctor.
     "Will your clan accept the challenge of defense?"
     "We will - and the best of our warriors will face this pervert
personally."
     "Where will the challenge be?"
     "In the hall of the d'Colm'n.  We will take the accused there now."
     "I am liegelord to the accused.  I shall go with him."
     "It is your right.  But only you as liegelord may do so.  And you
must leave all of your alien machines behind.  We have extra horses; we
will leave now.  The challenge will be on the morrow."
     Kirk found himself clinging to the sculpture.  The dizziness seemed
to be getting worse.  Was this a dream?
     The three d'Colm'n went back across the square.  Kirk heard the
sound of a tricorder behind him.  He turned and saw McCoy and Spock
looking at something on the screen of McCoy's tricorder.  They both
looked grim.  The Doctor was coming out of the door carrying a sword and
knife in a curious double scabbard and a leather jacket.  He started for
Kirk when McCoy stopped him.
     Odd, the three seemed to be blurring - had he been drinking?  They
were talking.  He heard the words but didn't want to bother trying to
make sense out of them.  The stone sculpture felt cool and comfortable.
     "How serious is the challenge?"
     "Very.  Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it.  He'll be back
to you in two days."
     Now that was the Doctor talking - he'd take care of it!  He thought
he could handle anything.  Well, James Kirk could handle this, and his
ship, and his crew, and his friends.  He'd show them - handle this
situation the way he had all the others there had been and everything
would be fine.
     The blurring seemed to be getting worse and he could barely
recognize McCoy's shape coming toward him with a hypospray.  He felt the
hypospray going in, but nothing seemed to happen.  The Doctor was
putting a leather jacket on him.  He tried to shrug it off.  He wasn't
cold; it was too hot on this damn planet.  Spock's face suddenly came
into focus and he realized that the Vulcan was pulling the jacket back
on him.
     "Jim?"
     Was that Spock?  He hadn't called him Jim in a long time.  He tried
to listen.
     "Jim - you must do what the Doctor says.  Do you understand?"
     Kirk nodded.  He felt Spock removing his phaser and communicator.
Of course, even Spock wanted the Doctor to be in charge.
     "Doctor, there is a problem."
     The Doctor had been getting some medical supplies from McCoy and
was stuffing them in his pockets.
     "Problem, Spock?"  Kirk felt the blue eyes focus on him.  He turned
away from the penetrating look.  "If he doesn't cooperate, we will both
be lost."
     Spock turned back to Kirk who had now decided that he wouldn't look
at any of them.  The dizziness seemed to be passing, but the feeling of
estrangement continued.  He felt the Vulcan's hands grasping his head,
turning it so they were face to face, the hands shifting into the
mind-meld position.
     "No, Spock!"  Had he said that, or just thought it?  The Vulcan's
eyes, now close to his, seemed to soften, but he felt Spock's mind enter
his.  You must return to Us alive.  You must do what the Doctor tells
you to do.  has turned all of you away from me.  He is an enemy.  is not
an enemy.  He is our friend.  has fooled all of you.  He has not fooled
me.  Jim!  You must not think that.  Now, look back on what has
happened.  Review all of it.  Is our friendship so fragile that you can
no longer trust me?  I trust you.  Then trust the Doctor also.  If you
do not, we will never meet again.  Your word?
     \My word.\ An alien touch - mind?  - entered.  \They are
returning.\
     Spock broke off the meld.  "He is in your hands, Doctor."
     The Doctor nodded.
     The dizziness had gone now, and Kirk was able to get on the horse
without help.  As they rode off, the Doctor rode next to Kirk and they
were both surrounded by armed men.
     Raul led the group through rough paths and rocky trails.  Kirk was
spending most of his time trying to stay on the horse.  He was thankful
when they arrived at their destination.
     A castle-like structure, heavily fortified, stood on top of one of
the smaller mountains.  He noticed banners flying from the turrets which
matched the banners that several members of the party were carrying.  A
white sheep on a yellow and blue striped background with a bell inside a
double ring in one corner seemed to be the emblem displayed.
     "Why a sheep?"  He could not resist asking the Doctor as they got
off their horses in the courtyard of the castle.
     The Doctor glanced at him.  "You don't know the sheep on
Lightunder.  It is quite an appropriate emblem for this clan."
     The armed men escorted them to a large chamber.  They left and Raul
stood facing the Doctor.  Kirk's knees felt oddly weak again and he sat
down in one of the high-backed chairs.
     The little man looked up at the Doctor and said "While you are not
of our people, we will give you the guesting appropriate to the
challenge."
     "You honor us," said the Doctor.
     Raul looked over at Kirk.  "Is your man not well?"
     "It has been a long trip and he has drunk too heavily."
     Raul seemed to be weighing the Doctor's words.  Kirk debated
protesting that he had not been drinking at all but the effort seemed
too much.
     "That is no excuse."  Raul made the statement definitive.
     "It was not given as one."
     Raul nodded as though the answer satisfied him.
     "Food will be sent.  The challenge will be fought at cock's crow on
the morrow.  You will be summoned."
     "Who will be fighting for the d'Colm'n?"
     "I shall be."
     "As is my right, I shall fight for my liegeman."
     "As you wish.  I would not have thought him worth it."
     Raul turned and left the room.  Kirk suddenly realized that he
limped.  Then the significance of the last remarks sank in and the
lethargy was swept away.
     "What do you mean, you're fighting for me?  I can fight for
myself!"
     "Captain," the Doctor came over and forced Kirk back into the
chair.  He leaned over one arm.  "How skilled are you at fighting with
sword and knife?"
     "I've used those weapons."
     "Against the most skilled man on a planet which uses those
weapons?"
     "Him?"
     "Captain - you must not judge by appearances.  For all his size and
his injured leg, he is the best that this planet has produced.  You
could not win against him."
     The dizziness seemed to be returning.  Kirk shook his head, trying
to clear it.  "Can you?"
     "Yes - most likely.  It is our only chance.  How do you feel?"
     The words seemed to come out of a distance.  Spock had said `trust
him'.
     "Weak and dizzy.  What's going on?"
     The Doctor began rummaging in the pockets of his coat and pulled
out one of McCoy's hyposprays.  Kirk heard it hiss against his arm.
     "That should help.  I'll wake you when the food comes."
     Kirk awoke to find himself supported by the Doctor's arm.  He was
lying in one of the beds.  The Doctor was spooning some kind of broth
into his mouth.  He started to pull away but then relaxed.
     "Well, I'm glad to see that Spock got through to you."  The broth
seemed to be finished and the Doctor offered Kirk a chunk of some type
of whole grain bread and propped him up in the bed.  "Eat as much of it
as you can.  You need the energy."  The Doctor sat back in a chair and
took out a bag of jelly babies.
     "Doctor - what the hell is wrong with me?"
     "You didn't see Lieutenant Stephans before you left the TARDIS, did
you?"
     "No.  I..."
     "You didn't really think that it was necessary.  Well, because you
didn't see her, you didn't receive the immunity injection you humans
require for the current virus mutation that's floating around.  So now
you've caught the disease."
     "Then the shots I've been getting are part of the cure."
     "The shots aid in relieving the symptoms, but we have not yet found
the cure.  The mortality rate is 97%".
     Kirk suddenly lost his appetite.  The Doctor reached out and took
the remaining bread out of his hand.
     "You know, Captain, there are times when it pays to listen to
someone you don't like."
     "Doctor, I .  .  ."
     "Don't try to excuse it, Captain.  I can understand what happened,
and I should have recognized it earlier.  You're about to wind upyour
mission in a blaze of glory, when you get sidetracked into this."  The
Doctor made a vaguely circular motion with his hand.
     "I certainly wasn't prepared for anyone like you."
     The Doctor chuckled.  "But surely, Captain, you must realize that
one of the things I did, inadvertently, was to trigger some of the fears
you have about what will happen when you do complete your mission."
     "Changes."
     "Yes - changes."  the Doctor said cheerfully, "separation and
loneliness.  And you are so bound to your ship that the separation.  .
."  He became oddly pensive.  "I think that you had better tell me what
happened in the square that got us into this."
     Kirk related the events as he recalled them, noticing that the
dizziness and the fog seemed to be approaching again.  As he finished
his story he felt the hypospray against his arm.
     The hissing sound of another hypospray awoke him in the morning.
     "Doctor McCoy will not be thrilled with what I'm doing, but you've
got to stay on your feet during the next several hours.  Here, drink
this."  The Doctor held out a small vial of liquid.  Without hesitating,
Kirk drank it.  The effect was immediate; a feeling of normalcy
returned.  He got out of the bed and saw that the Doctor was strapping
on the double scabbard.  He was wearing only the spotless, flowing white
shirt, tweed pants, and boots.  The rest of his clothes were laid in a
neat pile.  "Can you carry those?"
     "Yes."
     The Doctor pulled the sword from the scabbard and looked at it.  It
was a curious shape.  One edge curved slightly while the other was
straight.  Both edges were honed to a fine sharpness.  The strange blend
of direct and curved line met in an elongated point.
     "That's an unusual sword."  Kirk commented.
     "It's designed for great efficiency.  Because of the curved edge,
you gain an impetus to your blow if you decide to swing at your enemy -
but the point still allows for the thrust."  His voice seemed quite
academic.  "Do you see these grooves?"  He indicated two channels in
each side of the weapon.  "If you should sink your weapon into your
enemy to that depth and then quickly remove it, a suction is created -
which causes an even greater loss of blood than in the flat sided
weapon."
     With a sudden intuition, Kirk said, "You don't like weapons, do
you?"
     "Aren't all men supposed to enjoy the fight?"
     "You don't even travel armed - you were completely defenseless when
you came out of the TARDIS."
     "It has been my experience that if you go about armed, more people
are apt to attack you than otherwise.  You humans seem to feel an
absolute compulsion to have some weapon or another on you."
     "I think that for us it is a form of security - that we expect more
attacks than welcomes.  To leave all weapons behind - consistently -
would be a step beyond our understanding ourselves."
     "I didn't think that you were a philosopher."
     "Not a philosopher, but as a Starship Captain I have to have some
understanding of any crew - and most of them are human, like me."  Kirk
smiled wryly.
     The Doctor looked at Kirk with puzzlement and Kirk wondered what he
had said that had surprised the Doctor in some fashion.
     A knock sounded at the door.
     "Our escorts."  said the Doctor.
     They were led down into a large circular hall.  The seating around
the sides, sloped so that all could have a good view, and the entrances
from the front and back, reminded Kirk unpleasantly of the ancient Roman
gladiatorial contests.
     The Doctor and Kirk stepped unto the floor, their escorts falling
back.  The Doctor motioned to Kirk.  "Stand back away from the combat
area and do not interfere - whatever happens.  If I am killed, they will
be required to let you go."
     "Then you are not certain about winning."
     "Of course I an," said the Doctor huffily.  "The probability that I
can defeat Raul is at least - 90%."  He seemed to think for a minute and
then said with what seemed to Kirk to be an incorrigible honesty, "Well,
70% anyway."  He started out for the center of the room and then turned
back to Kirk, smiling.  "At least it's 100% better than yours!"
     As Kirk watched the Doctor turn and walk into the center, he
realized that he was nearly laughing.  All his fears and distrust of the
Doctor seemed to have vanished.  The Doctor was what he was and that was
worthy of all the trust that Spock and McCoy had placed in him, and that
now Kirk would place in him too.  If he had been the better swordsman,
the Doctor would have made him fight his own battle.  As it was, the
Doctor would fight for him.
     Raul emerged form the other door.  He was dressed in full
swordsman's outfit - leather, silver, the sword and the knife.  The two
men accompanying him stepped to one side and Raul, his green hair
blazing, walked to the center.
     A gong sounded and both men drew their weapons.
     The fight began slowly, both men circling, taking cautious feints
at each other, looking for weaknesses.
     When the action finally began, Kirk had a few uneasy moments as the
Doctor seemed to be outclassed as he faced the skill of a man trained to
live and die with the bladed weapons.  Then he noticed that the Doctor
was consistently moving more rapidly than Raul, forcing Raul to turn on
his injured leg.  And while Raul was making frequent thrusts and passes
at the Doctor, the Doctor rarely had to block them - he seemed to be
moving one step ahead of his opponent.  The, unexpectedly, the Doctor
went on the offense, driving Raul around the floor.  Within seconds, the
Doctor gained the advantage.  Kirk saw Raul fall, disarmed, with the
Doctor's sword at his throat.
     "Your life is forfeit to me and mine, Raul, and the innocence of my
man is proved by your own laws."
     "Then kill me quickly, in honor."
     "In honor, I shall not do that.  I would establish the truth of the
matter - for all we have proved here is that I am a better swordsman
than you.  I will give you leave to probe the mind of my liegeman for
the truth - if you will agree to verify it by putting your cousin Namona
under the truthspell."
     "This is not in accordance with our ways."
     "Is death then more important to you than truth?"
     The Doctor's sword remained steadily at his exposed throat.
     "I will grant you what you ask."
     A murmur rose up around the hall.
     Raul glared at the Doctor.  The Doctor moved his sword to one side
and Raul stood.
     "Quiet.  It will be as I have said.  Call forth your man."  Raul
turned.  "Summon Namona and El Donna."
     "Jim," the Doctor motioned Kirk to the center of the floor.  He
unbuckled the scabbard and let the weapons fall to the floor.  Kirk
moved quickly.
     As he handed the Doctor his coats, he whispered "What's going to
happen?"
     "We'll let them find out what really happened."  The Doctor
shrugged into his longer outer coat, wrapped his scarf around his
throat, and settled his hat on his head.  "Raul will mind-probe you.
Just concentrate on what happened.  He isn't interested in anything
else."
     Namona, dressed all in white, eyes cast down, entered from the
other side.  With her was another woman, slighter, darker, with a
dilithium crystal worn in the hollow of her neck.
     The two women joined the men in the center of the hall.
     "El Donna," said Raul, "Place Namona under the truthspell."
     "As you wish, Paul."  The words were submissive but Kirk felt that
had she so wished a refusal could as easily have been granted.  She
turned to Namona.  "Child, look at me."  Namona's eyes raised and as
they met the other's the crystal at El Donna's throat pulsed with
energy.  Namona stood, eyes fixed on space.  El Donna turned back to
Raul.  "It is done."
     Paul faced Kirk.  Kirk looked down into the dark eyes and was
suddenly thankful that the Doctor had been the one fighting this man.
     The mind contact was sudden and sharp, quite unlike the feeling
Kirk had ever had with Spock.  This was a knife burning in his mind.
For a moment Kirk tried to resist.  Then, remembering what the Doctor
had said, he concentrated instead on the happening in the square.
     The contact broke off.  Kirk felt weakened and was thankful that
the Doctor had moved over and taken his arm.
     Paul turned to the wide-eyed girl.  "So, then, is this how it was?"
     Kirk felt that he could almost see the exchange between the two
minds.
     "Yes, it is as he remembers."
     Raul's hand flew forward and Namona reeled under the blow.
     Kirk started toward Paul, but the Doctor restrained him.
     "Fool!"  Raul turned to El Donna.  "See that she is returned to the
nursery for another year until she is prepared to live with adults."
     "As you wish."  El Donna motioned and two women came and removed
the now sobbing girl.
     Paul faced the Doctor and ceremoniously bowed.  "All honor to you
and your liegeman.  My home is yours."
     "Honor to you for being willing to make a change."  The Doctor
replied, bowing in return.  He stood for a moment, looking at Raul
questioningly.  "If you can accept change, then I would talk to you for
a moment before we leave."
     "Very well."  Raul called toward the door.  "Pad!"  A young man
stepped forward from the group on the far side.  "See that horses and an
escort are provided for our guests.  El Donna, while the liegelord and I
speak, will you accompany the liegeman to the horses?"  El Donna nodded
her head in agreement.  Paul turned back to the Doctor.  "No doubt your
liegeman will wish to check that everything is in order."
     "No doubt," replied the Doctor wryly, glancing at Kirk.
     The Doctor and Raul walked off together.  Kirk noticed that while
his legs still seemed to be stable, the fog had returned, edging his
thoughts.
     "Captain?"  It was El Donna.  "Will you please come with me?  We
can await Raul and the Doctor outside."
     She turned and led the way through the building.  As they reached
the entrance, Kirk was thankful to see that there were some stone
benches in front.  The horses and escort were net yet there.
     "May we sit while we're waiting?"  Kirk asked.
     El Donna nodded.  He was thankful that she did not seem disposed to
chatter, yet he wanted to ask some questions.
     "You have questions, Captain?"
     "Yes.  If it would not be offensive.  I do not understand all of
your ways."
     "I think that you understand very few of our ways, but you may ask
your questions."
     With an effort, Kirk tried to concentrate on the main point.  The
fog seemed to clear for a minute; he noticed that the crystal at El
Donna's neck was glowing.  "Why did Raul hit Namona?"  God, he though,
that was blunt.
     "A blunt question is preferable if it enables the appropriate
answer.  Raul hit Namona for two reasons.  First, it is customary among
our women - especially those with high powers -not to look at any man
other than one's own family until after marriage.  You seem shocked,
Captain, but I can tell you that her bold glances of themselves would
have been sufficient to require punishment.  As it was, her worst crime
was in claiming forced violation after she read your response to her
given invitation."
     "You're saying she read my mind?  What I was thinking about her?"
Kirk felt a sudden sinking feeling- his thoughts?  - a mental rape - and
they said she was guilty?
     "But I did.  .  ."
     "Captain."  The lithe figure turned to him and dark eyes gazed
sympathetically but with some hint of amusement into his.  "Have you
ever physically raped a woman?"
     "No."  *Never had to,* he thought and felt himself flush as he saw
by the answering gleam in her eyes that she had caught that additional
thought.
     "Our custom of not looking at strange men is for our own
protection.  There are some whose thoughts would be without doubt -
rape.  Your thoughts, on the other hand - oh yes, Raul read them, so
have we all - were flattering, stimulating, and exciting, for any woman
who was the direct object of them.  You are embarrassed.  There is no
need to be.  We all have our passions and desires, and yours for Namona
was not in any way perverted or debased.  Her reaction, on the other
hand, showed that she does not yet deserve to be called woman, but is
still a child, and will now be treated so.  What she did could have
caused at least one needless death, had it not been for your liegelord.
Can you understand this?"
     It was strange but - "Yes.  Although I must say that I will be
thankful to leave this planet.  I don't like the feeling that my mind is
open to everyone."
     "Not to everyone.  That would be dishonorable, and exhausting for
the true telepath.  I have just been scanning your surface thoughts
because it seemed that it would facilitate our conversation."
     There was a clatter of hooves, and Kirk saw that the horses were
being brought round.  He wondered if he was going to be able to make it
back.  He felt the fog disappear and a soft strength enter his body.  He
turned to the woman beside him.  Her eyes were closed and the jewel at
her throat was pulsing.  The dark eyes opened and looked into his.  "You
will make it back - and to your home."  A gentle smile seemed to caress
him.  "I must go now.  Raul and the Doctor are coming."
     Kirk eyed the horses without enthusiasm.  While he was feeling
better, he was not a horseman.  Somehow the thought of subjecting his
still sore muscles to another trip on the beast was not appealing.
Beside him he heard El Donna sigh.  "This much too, then, Captain."  He
looked back down at her to see the crystal pulsing again.
     "What?"
     "It is a small thing, Captain.  A gift from me to you.  That you
may have some not-so- unpleasant memories of this planet."  The Doctor
and Raul were coming out of the door.  She turned and left.
     "Coming, Captain?"  said the Doctor as he moved past Kirk and
mounted.
     Kirk followed, getting on the horse behind the Doctor's.  As he
mounted, he realized that somehow his body seemed to know how to ride
and handle the animal.  Things fit - the double reins, the saddle and
stirrups - he was a part of the animal.  Kirk looked over to the doorway
where El Donna was standing.  An enigmatic smile was on her lips as the
group rode away.
     Riding through the hills he thought about her.  The Doctor had
pulled slightly ahead and was talking to the leader of their escorts,
the young man Paul had called Pad.
     Why was the armed escort needed, Kirk wondered.  There had been no
trouble on the way up and the countryside certainly seemed peaceful.
Now, at mid-morning, there was not even the need for the leather jacket
he had worn on the ride up.
     A brilliant flash of light and shouting broke his thoughts.
Phasers?  The leading members of the party and their mounts had gone
down.  The Doctor was reining his horse sharply around.  Without
hesitation, Kirk followed.
     "Pad," the Doctor called, "Get out of here!"
     "We do not retreat!"  Kirk saw that the remaining party were
pulling out their swords, preparing to attack.
     Swords against phasers?  Kirk kicked his horse into a gallop and
headed down the trail after the Doctor.  The light flared again and the
Doctor looked back.  He shook his head and led the way off the trail
into a rocky pass.
     "Let the horses go.  They'll be good decoys."  The Doctor
dismounted and gave his horse a slap on the rump, sending it on its way.
Kirk quickly followed suit.  As his horse galloped away, he followed the
Doctor up the side of the mountain and joined him, crouching behind a
large rock.
     "What was that all about?"
     "Daleks," said the Doctor grimly.
     "Who are Daleks?"
     "The ones who invaded this planet before.  Apparently they left a
small group behind to keep the pressure on as the bombs came down."  The
Doctor cautiously stood up and looked of the top of the rock.  Kirk
stayed down, watching him.
     "You are the Doctor."  A metallic artificial voice echoed from the
rocks.  The Doctor stood completely still, motioning Kirk to stay down.
     "Exterminate the Doctor!"
     "No.  I wish to question him first."
     At least two of them out there, Kirk thought.  Probably more.
There was an utterly vicious tone in the voices.  The Doctor was moving
around to the front of the rock.  No time for plans or signals.  Did the
Doctor expect him to follow and attempt a rescue or leave?
     "Put that down," said the metallic voices and a brief flair of
light flickered among the rocks.
     "It's only a toy," said the Doctor plaintively.
     "You will come with us.  You will keep your hands in sight.  Now."
     "Well, there's no need to shove."
     Kirk heard noises as the group moved away.  He peered cautiously
around one corner of the rock.  He could see the Doctor and four strange
dome shaped metal creatures about five feet high moving down the path.
He waited until they went around a bend and started to follow.
     As he came out, he saw a mark on one of the rocks and, looking
down, saw a yo-yo on the ground.  He picked it up.  A child's toy, but
the Doctor had risked something to leave it.  If the Doctor had done
that, then there might be a purpose for it.
     He continued to trail the Doctor and his captors.  Some type of a
robot - but with an independent mind, he thought.  Certainly an
eminently practical design, not at all anthropomorphic.  The weaponry
they used seemed to be built-in as one of the projections from the
center of the bulletlike body.  The other projection was probably a
`hand', although it bore no resemblance to anything humanoid.  A third
projection near the rounded top rotated as if the creature used it as an
eye.  He could not tell how they were moving.  The base of the body was
so close to the ground that nothing could be seen.  No wheels in this
terrain - maybe some type of an air suspension system?  However they had
come about, their creation was inspired and, with the attitude they
seemed to have, diabolical.



     The group came to a circular stone structure.  A brief noise and an
opening appeared in one side and they went in.  The opening closed.
Some kind of a forcefield, he thought.  He crept cautiously up to the
sides.  Solid rock, but the structure stopped about nine feet up.  Where
there's a wall, there's a way, Kirk thought and realized that the fog
was pressing on his mind again.  No, he thought, not yet, and pushed it
back.  These Daleks did not have feet or legs or real arms, so they
might not be prepared for someone attacking from the top of the wall.
He found hand and footholds in the rough rock and got to the top.  He
realized that he had carried the yo-yo in his mouth.  Like a weapon, he
thought.  Could it become one?
     Lying down flat on the top, he looked down inside.  The Doctor was
standing in the middle of the structure.  A strange light surrounded
him.
     "Why have you come here?"  asked one of the Daleks and the light
around the Doctor changed color.  The Doctor did not respond and the
light flickered again.  It seemed to be tightening on him.  Another
force field, Kirk thought.
     "I was just looking around.  What are you doing here?"  The Doctor
lifted his head and smiled at the nearest Dalek.
     At least he was conscious, and if he was conscious, then if the
forcefield could be removed.  .  .  .  Kirk moved slowly along the wall
looking for some type of control panel inside the complex.
     "I do not believe you.  You will tell the truth."
     "Exterminate!"
     "No.  He may have information we need."  The light changed color
again and Kirk heard the Doctor gasp.  If he didn't act quickly, the
Doctor would not be able to get out.  Kirk spotted what looked like a
control panel - switches, buttons, and flashing lights.  He crawled so
that he was directly above it.  Now - one leap down.  He glanced over at
the Doctor to catch a definite glance that said `no'.
     "Do you still like blue?"  said the Doctor to the Dalek who was
questioning him.
     "That is not an answer."  The light changed again.
     Blue?  There was one panel glowing that color.  Kirk looked at the
Doctor and then realized that he still had the yo-yo in his hand.  He
lifted it.  Heavy - maybe not just a normal yo-yo then.  And on a
string.  Kirk smiled at it.  Method in the Doctor's madness.  He tied
one end of the string to his finger and sent the weight down toward the
panel.  Missed.  He pulled it back up and tried again.
     "You will tell us what we wish to know."
     "Difficult without breathing."
     Kirk felt the weight rebound as the yo-yo hit the panel and broke
it.  The power over the complex died and Kirk saw the Doctor run for the
opening.  He slid off the wall as the Doctor ran around to meet him.
The Doctor pulled him down behind another rock.  "Stay here.  They'll be
looking for us to be running."
     They remained hidden until dusk came, saying nothing.  The Doctor
motioned and Kirk followed him up further into the mountains.  A small
cave seemed to be an acceptable stopping place and the Doctor motioned
Kirk inside.  Kirk collapsed on one side and looked at the Doctor who
was leaning against the other wall.
     "Doctor," said Kirk, "Don't you know any nice people?"
     The Doctor turned to Kirk.  "Where did you learn to ride like that
in one day?"
     Kirk looked at him, suddenly at a loss.  Oh no, he thought, he's
off on a tangent.  the blue eyes looking into his were quite serious.
     "I think that El Donna did something to me before we left."
     "Psychically?"
     "I think so.  I feet better and I did know how to handle that
horse.  I can't think of any other way for that to have happened."
     "That last bit of riding probably saved your life.  And now.  .."
     Kirk waited patiently.  The Doctor seemed to be in another world
but now he could accept this as part of the way the alien mind worked.
They were alone in a wilderness with no weapons or communication
devices, pursued by Daleks.  Anything the Doctor could think of would
help.
     "Do have any psychic abilities?"  the Doctor asked.
     "No.  I've always tested negative."
     "Tests aren't always the whole answer."
     "What are you thinking of doing?"
     "There is one possibility."  The Doctor stopped and looked down at
his hands.  Kirk realized that one of them had been burned by the
Dalek's weapon.
     "If there is any possibility, I'm willing to try it.  What do you
want me to do?"
     The Doctor studied Kirk carefully as he said, "El Donna is the most
powerful psychic on this planet.  You have recently been in telepathic
contact with her.  For her to do what she did, she obviously felt some
attraction to you."  He stopped.
     Kirk waited and when the Doctor did not continue said, "The problem
is that I'm not a telepath, so I can't reach her."
     "You're not a telepath."
     "Can't you reach her?"
     "I haven't had the contact I need to establish a link.  I know of
her - I don't know her."  The Doctor seemed to be studying the side of
the rock.
     "Doctor, if you will tell me what you want me to do, I will do it."
The Doctor looked at Kirk and smiled.
     "What I want you to do is to try to reach El Donna mentally.  I
will tap into your mind, enable your signal - boost it, and then talk to
her through your mind."
     "You want me to be a link between the two of you?"
     "A signal and a link.  It will not be easy."
     Kirk looked at the Doctor intently.  Ne was still serious.
     "Okay, let's try.  What do I do?"
     "Picture her in your mind.  As clearly and accurately as you can.
When the picture is sharp, call her name."
     Kirk nodded and leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
He felt one of the Doctor's hands resting lightly on his head.  Odd, he
thought, he could easily accept the idea of telepathy through touch, but
over a distance..
     It can be done.  The Doctor's thought in his mind was as unique as
his voice.  Not like Spock at all.
     Mind-touch is a matchless muteness means of identification.  Think
of El Donna.  Obediently, Kirk tried to remember her.  The dark eyes,
the smile, the tilt of her head, the mass of dark green hair, the image
swirled in his mind but he could not seem to stabilize it.  He realized
that he was breathing more rapidly and the Doctor's hand dropped away.
He opened his eyes and looked at the Doctor.  The Doctor was looking at
the opposite wall of the cave.  He seemed almost discouraged.  /Damn,/
Kirk thought, /we can't give up now./
     "Try again?"  he said lightly.
     "Do you feel up to it?  This may turn out to be physically painful
to you, and in your present condition..."
     "I'll make it."
     He closed his eyes again and felt the Doctor's hand come back on
his head.  He summoned the image again.  It came, moving, refusing to
become firm.  He felt weak.  No wonder Spock was leery of using the
mind-meld if it was as tiring as this.  Come on, he thought, when have
you ever had trouble remembering a pretty face?
     /Something is missing./ The Doctor thought.
     /Missing?/ Kirk tried not to look at the image but to think about
the woman he had just left.
     /The crystal./ He thought at the Doctor.
     /Of course, the crystal is part of her./ Kirk grabbed the floating
image and placed the dilithium crystal at her neck.  Immediately the
image became sharp and clear.  As if she was in his mind, looking at
him.  He felt the Doctor's mind move in his.
     /NOW!  - call her!/
     /El Donna.  ..  El Donna!/ Without warning, another mind touched
his.  He felt his body double over in spasm and the Doctor's other hand
catch and cradle his head.
     /Captain?  Why are you calling me?/ The spasm seemed to ease
slightly as he felt her mind settle into his.
     /The Doctor needs to talk to you./
     /The Doctor?  Your liegelord?/
     /Yes.  Here.../ Kirk felt the Doctor's mind move forward and meet
El Donna's.  Now he could sit back and let these two handle it.
     /The invaders - the Daleks - are still here.  A rear guard, in the
mountains./
     /So, the machines have not gone./
     /They have killed our escort.  We must join now to destroy them./
     /Before myself and others of the greatest power joined with the
machine lovers - those whom you call the Techies.  Now the others of the
Power who joined with me are gone.  Our powers are diminished.  Our
weapons cannot equal theirs.  What can we do??/
     /It is possible that an avalanche could be triggered on their camp.
Do you have enough of the Power left to do that?/
     /I would need the assistance of others.  They will have to come
from afar.  It will take time./
     Kirk felt himself being stirred from his bystander role.
     /Doctor./ He could sense that his body was objecting to the effort
it was taking to enter the conversation.
     /What?/
     /You are not alone in this./
     /What do you mean?/
     /There is the Enterprise./ The Doctor did not respond.
     /Had you forgotten?/
     /What about your Prime Directive?/
     /To hell with the Prime Directive!/
     He could feel the Doctor's laughter and it somehow made the pain in
his body ease.
     /Captain, I think I like you./
     /Can we reach her?/
     /Who is this Enterprise?/ El Donna questioned sharply.
     /It is his ship./
     /Strange,to love a machine so./
     /Doctor./
     Kirk realized that if they did not act quickly his body would
collapse from the effects of the linking.  /Can we reach Spock?/
     /Image him for me, Captain, and I shall reach him./ El Donna's
mental voice was brisk and quite matter-of- fact.
     Kirk again tried to summon a mental image.  This time, Spock.  His
muscles were quivering as if he had been running too long.
     /With this image I can help./ The Doctor's mind swept into his.
     The image he had been striving for sharpened, became clear.
     /Captain, I can drop you from the link now./
     /No Doctor.  This time he was the one laughing.  If you want the
Enterprise to fire her phasers on this planet, I have to give the order.
     /If it costs you your life?/
     /If it does - then it does./ He felt his muscles contract tightly,
almost in spasm.
      /Captain.  ..  as you wish it./
     One part of his mind seemed to feel the Doctor holding him, the
other brought the image of Spock into focus again.
     /El Donna./ The Doctor called.  /The image - can you reach this
man?/
     /Yes./
     And Spock was there.
     /Captain - Jim?!/ Spock's mind seemed reassuringly familiar.
     /Spock.  Full phasers .../ El Donna's mind was there, linked with
the Doctor's and coordinates appeared in his mind.
     /Captain - the Prime Directive?/
     /Spock/ No good to give Spock the answer that had so readily
satisfied the Doctor.  /The Daleks, the ones who invaded this planet
before - still here - are the violators./ He felt his body spasm
violently again and knew that the three minds in his felt it too.
     /Jim!  Doctor, get him out of this!/
     /My decision, Spock.  You have your orders./
     And the world slid away.

                               +++++++++++

     He came to to find himself lying on the floor of the cave wrapped
in Doctor's coat.  The Doctor was standing at the entrance looking out.
     "Doctor?"  He tried to lift his head.
     The Doctor moved back and made him lie down.
     "Don't try to move.  You won't have the strength.  Don't even try
to talk.  Spock will never forgive me if I don't get you back safely."
     Kirk took a deep breath.  The Doctor was right.  He didn't have any
strength left.
     "You missed the fireworks.  That's the easiest time I've ever had
with Daleks."
     Odd, Kirk thought, he would have thought that the Doctor would be
exuberant, but he seemed strangely subdued.  He was taking a metal
object out of his pocket - the sonic screwdriver Scotty had been trying
to analyze.
     "I'm setting this to a signal your transporter will be able to home
in on.  We should be having company soon."  He smiled at Kirk as a small
section of the screwdriver seemed to extend.  "At least you won't have
to ride a horse back."
     There was the familiar shimmer of the transporter beam and Spock
and McCoy were there.  McCoy moved quickly over to Kirk, the medical
tricorder going.  From the look on his face Kirk knew that the results
were not good.
     "Is this from that damned mind-meld of yours?"  McCoy said, turning
to the Doctor who was undeniably looking guilty.  Kirk caught Spock's
eye.
     "Doctor McCoy, the decision to attempt the telepathic contact was
the captain's."
     "He couldn't have known it would have this effect!"
     "Bones," Kirk felt that he had to stop the argument.  What was done
was done.  "It was my choice."  He had to stop to take another deep
breath.  "Check the Doctor."
     McCoy looked at him for a minute and then swung the tricorder over
toward the Doctor.  Kirk nearly laughed as he saw the burned hand
disappear into a coat pocket.
     "I'm fine," said the Doctor defiantly.
     "Like hell you are.  You've got second degree burns on your right
hand, three broken ribs and what amounts to a punctured lung."
     "I feel fine."  The Doctor smiled at McCoy.
     "Ha!  At least this time I can treat you properly.  And that's what
I'm going to do!"
     "Doctor McCoy," Spock interrupted, "I would suggest that we return
to the hospital with your patients."  Kirk closed his eyes again as he
saw the Vulcan bending down to pick him up.  In spite of the gentleness
of the touch, he was unconscious again in seconds.

                               ++++++++++

     His next memories were nightmares.  Strange but familiar faces
hovering over him shouting, "Hang on, Captain, hang on, Jim, hang on.
Hang on."  Damn it, he was hanging on!  He sensed a presence that was
not shouting.  He opened his eyes to see Spock standing by his bed.
     "Thanks" he said.
     "Captain?"
     "You're not shouting."
     "What did he say?"  Another presence - he turned his head - the
Doctor.  He looked around the room.  Still on the planet, well, that was
where all the medical people were.
     "He said something about shouting."  Spock seemed puzzled.
     "Shouting?"  Kirk closed his eyes again.
     "No one's been shouting in here."  Spock said.
     "Maybe not.  Your medical indicators are showing an improvement
now.  Lieutenant Stephans!  Come in here!"
     The shouting started again.  Worry, concern, fear echoing in his
mind.  "What's happened, what's wrong?"
     "See there!  Now, Lieutenant, get out of here."
     The shouting stopped.
     "Spock, with the changes in the DNA patterns.  .  ."
     "Uncontrolled telepathy..."
     "Why we're losing all the children.  .  ."
     He opened his eyes again to see Spock and the Doctor staring at
each other.  The Doctor smiled and Spock nodded.  They turned to leave
the room and the Doctor turned back.
     "Don't worry, Captain, there won't be anymore shouting."
     And there wasn't.  From his accidental remark the two had been able
to link the effect of the infection to the use of uncontrolled psychic
abilities - a relationship that had McCoy muttering for days.

                               +++++++++++

     When McCoy was satisfied that the raging viral infection had
finally been routed, Kirk was pronounced well enough to be beamed back
to the ship and the treatment of the medical crew still on board.
Watching the medical team making preparations to transport him up, he
rejoiced in being able to think clearly again even though lifting a hand
was exhausting.  Then he had a thought.  "Bones."  At least speaking
wasn't so bad.  McCoy came over and stood by the bed.
     "Jim, don't try to talk.  It'll be quite a while before you get
your strength back."
     "It's okay.  I want to talk to Spock."
     McCoy looked at him with relief.  "Well, I suppose you'll cause
more trouble if I don't let you see him.  You can have one minute."  He
went out the door and came back with Spock.  "One minute, that's all."
     "Of course, Doctor."  Spock said and looked quizzically down at
Kirk.
     "Spock, I do not want the Doctor to leave until I get to talk to
him."  Kirk looked up at Spock intently.
     "Indeed, Captain?"
     "I think he might try to slip away without - saying goodbye.  I
have to talk to him before he goes."
     Spock smiled slightly and Kirk was relieved to see that some of the
influence of the Doctor's mind-melding was still at work.  At least he
wasn't going to get a lecture on the illogic of wanting to say goodbye.
     "Captain, Mister Scott has not yet completed the design for the
extra dilithium crystals.  Even with the Doctor's help it will take at
least two days.  I am quite certain that the Doctor will not leave until
the engineering is completed."
     "Very good, Spock.  Just have him see me before he goes."
     "I will see to it, Captain."
     Kirk smiled as his first officer turned and left.  McCoy was right.
Spock was easier with himself than he ever had been.  Still, after the
Doctor left, and they returned to their universe and the effect of the
meld had worn off - could there be a whiplash effect to this?  He
thought about it as the medical team transferred him to the stretcher
and the transporter brought them up to the Enterprise.  He would have to
talk to McCoy about it.  If Spock suddenly took it into that Vulcan head
of his that behaving as he had been was aberrational, Spock could wind
up throwing away everything he had finally started to put together.
Kirk wondered if there were any nut cults on Vulcan - probably not.
Still, with Spock's tour of duty coming to an end, he would be quite
free to leave Starfleet.  Well, whatever Spock decided, he'd back him.
At any rate, he thought, as they transferred him to the bed in Sickbay,
he wasn't going to be physically fit to command a starship for some
time.  And his hair was falling out.  He felt a hypospray against his
arm and as he fell asleep thought of the Doctor blithely saying
"Changes."

                               ++++++++++

     The next day Kirk awoke from a catnap to see McCoy standing by the
bed.
     "Good morning."  McCoy said.
     "Is that what it is?  I've lost track."
     "It's not surprising."
     "Was it that bad?"
     "We nearly lost you."
     Kirk looked at McCoy and smiled.  After a moment McCoy smiled back.
"I'm getting too old for these close calls."  McCoy paused for a moment.
"I'm also getting too old to get used to another Spock."
     "What do you mean by that?"
     "Did anything - unusual - happen on that little trip you took with
the Doctor?"
     "Nothing you don't know about.  I've listened to the Doctor's
report and it's quite accurate.  Why?"
     McCoy shook his head.  "I can't tell you anything specific, but I'm
positive that something happened that wasn't reported."  The events of
the last days on Lightunder were unexpectedly replaying in his mind.

                                ++++++++

     After getting Kirk settled, McCoy had found that his other patient
had disappeared.  He was not really surprised.  The Doctor had
demonstrated that he had as strong an aversion for being confined for
treatment as Kirk and Spock.  He finally tracked him down in one of the
TARDIS' laboratories.  He and Spock were studying the results of the
most recent gram isolation tests.
     - "Doctor," McCoy said, "if you can tear yourself away for about
two hours, I can treat you and send you back to work."
     "I've got more important things to do," the Doctor snapped
irritably.  Spock looked at the Doctor with surprise.
     "Doctor, it is illogical for you to assume that you can work with
normal efficiency while you are in pain."
     "Pain?  Don't be ridiculous - my body heals very rapidly and lying
around won't speed things up at all."
     McCoy looked at the readings on his medical tricorder and was about
to respond to the Doctor's statement when Spock stood up and walked over
to the Doctor.  "While Dr.  McCoy's medical treatment is quite
primitive, I do not think that he will simply have you recline in a
passive state and wait for your own healing process to function.  Now
are you going to accompany him?"
     "Spock, I'm fine.  I don't need any medical treatment.  I've got
work to do."  The Doctor turned back to the electronic projection he had
been studying.
     Spock glanced at McCoy.  In response to the uplifted eyebrow McCoy
just shook his head.  He disliked reluctant patients, but there was no
denying what his medical instrumentation was telling him.  `Primitive'
it might be according to Vulcan or Time Lord standards, but he had seen
the Doctor's normal readings and what was indicated now was far from
anything resembling those.
     With one fluid motion, Spock administered the Vulcan neck pinch and
caught the Doctor as he fell.
     "Very efficient, Spock.  Let's get him into the medical treatment
area."
     One of the rooms in the TARDIS had been converted into an emergency
treatment area.  The portable equipment from the Enterprise which had
been installed there enabled McCoy to treat almost any emergency.  It
only took a few minutes to remove the Doctor's outer coats and his shirt
and get him on the treatment table.  McCoy was thankful that the Doctor
remained unconscious.  In the mood he was in, he would have been loudly
protesting the whole time.  As much as McCoy disliked reluctant
patients, he disliked noisy reluctant patients even more.  By the time
the Doctor was conscious, had completed his analysis of the damaged area
involving the Doctor's rib cage and was calibrating the Bertod Ray
Attenuator that would enable a rapid mending.
     "The Platysternidae is a slow moving creature."  The Doctor said.
His blue eyes focused accusingly on Spock.  "You did something to me."
     "It is quite illogical for you to attempt to work in a physical
condition that is below normal."  Spock replied quite calmly.  The
Doctor looked ready to dispute Spock's statement when McCoy intervened.
"Now, Doctor, there's no sense in getting angry at Spock."
     "Angry?  I never get angry."  The Doctor said, clipping the ends of
his words in a brusque, precise manner.  "Even when people interfere
with what I want to do, I don't get angry!"
     "Well then, you're doing the best imitation of a man about to get
very angry that I've ever seen."  McCoy turned the attenuator on.  "If
Spock hadn't dropped you, I would have."  The Doctor looked at McCoy in
surprise.  "I can lay my hands on at least ten things now that'll put
you to sleep like a baby and when, in my medical opinion, Doctor, you
need to be treated in order to remain a viable part of this team, I will
not hesitate to use them.  You may be the Doctor, Doctor, but I have the
full medical responsibility for this team and I will not evade that
responsibility by allowing any member to go off on some masochistic ego
trip and ignore his body's own natural warning signs!  Now since your
body is so much better than a human body, it may not even take two hours
to heal under the Berthod ray - but you are going to stay here until
Nurse Chapel confirms that your ribs and lung have healed.  Now let me
see that hand."
     The Doctor had listened to McCoy with an awed fascination and
promptly held his hand out.  "Bones," he said, a wicked grin
unexpectedly lighting up his face, "When you were in Medical School,
what sort of a grade did you get in `bedside manner'?"
     McCoy heard a noise behind him and, turning, saw that Spock was
leaving the room.  Chris Chapel seemed to be intensely studying the
lower panel of the Attenuator.  He ran the medical tricorder over the
Doctor's burned hand.  "Y'know, I never heard that `bedside manner' was
related to medical skill."  He looked at the Doctor.  "That's a nasty
burn."
     "The Daleks do not have a reputation for being nice."  The Doctor
looked tired.
     "This won't hurt, but your hand may be a little stiff until it
heals."  McCoy sprayed the burned area and put the Doctor's hand down.
He glanced at the bruised area on the Doctor's side and noted with
pleasure that the discoloration had already begun to face.  "Now I know
you're going to get edgy just lying there, so I'm going to give you a
sedative that will keep you quiet for about an hour.  By the time you
wake up, you'll be back to normal."
     The Doctor did not protest as McCoy administered the hypospray.
"Bones, I wish.  .
     "Wish what?"
     "You know," from the Doctor's voice, McCoy could tell that the
medication was taking effect.  "No one gets too old to learn a new way
of being stupid."  McCoy looked at the now sleeping figure in
puzzlement.  He had no idea what occasioned that remark, and he knew
that any attempts to pursue it would be rebuffed.

                               ++++++++++During the next several days, McCoy
became convinced that the
Doctor was determined to demonstrate his superiority over the human
members of the team.  He worked without sleep, running test after test,
trying to find a clue to the control of the deadly elusive virus.  The
only sign of fatigue that McCoy could pinpoint was that his joking
remarks were devolving into the lowest level of humor.
     Each day saw Kirk's condition worsen.
     When the Doctor and Spock happened on the causal relationship
between the effect of the virus and the uncontrolled use of psychic
abilities, McCoy was convinced that they were now in complete control of
the situation.  The Doctor's natural exuberance returned as patient
after patient was successfully treated.
     McCoy could not enter the room where Kirk lay isolated, but he was
waiting outside while the Doctor and Spock administered the treatment.
After a longer time than any of tee other patients had required to
respond, the Doctor emerged alone.  His face was deadly serious.  He
looked at McCoy and said, "He's not responding."
     "Not at all?"
     "Not worse - but not at all better."
     "Even if he doesn't get worst, he can't.
     "Three hours - maybe four."  The fatigue that McCoy had been
expecting was suddenly there in his voice.
     "Come on, Doctor, I think we'd better sit down."
     The Doctor did not protest as McCoy led him into a nearby vacated
room.  Once inside, however, another frantic burst of energy caused him
to pace back and forth in the narrow space between the bed and the wall.
     "It should have worked.  Every test, every calculation - every
other patient proved it."  He stopped and turned to McCoy.  "He's an
unusual man - your Captain."  He glared at McCoy as if daring him to
dispute the statement.
     "He is."  McCoy stated calmly.  There didn't seem to be any sense
in both of them getting upset.  "He'll be the first Starship Commander
to complete a five-year mission with ship and crew virtually intact."
     "The first?"  The Doctor looked surprised.  "Why?"
     "Because he knows when to go by the book - and when to throw it
out."
     "And we're going to lose him here."  He turned to the door- and
McCoy was not surprised to see Spock come in.  Spock was carrying one
the Enterprise's recording tablets and the skin on his face was tight
against the bone.  The Doctor reached out and took the tablet from
Spock's hand.  He looked at the notes and with a suddenness that made
McCoy jump, flung the tablet to the floor.  He looked at it laying there
and then looked at Spock.
     "I know," he said, as if in response to an unspoken comment.  "It
doesn't change anything.  But then again," he smiled wryly, "What's the
point of being grown up if you can't be childish?"
     "Jim?"  McCoy whispered.
     "Still alive.  But the treatment is definitely ineffective."
Spock's voice was level as always, but McCoy recognized that it was not
because of a lack of feeling.
     "Now what?"  McCoy asked.
     "Try something else."  The Doctor bent to pick up the tablet.
"There's always something else."
     "For what?"  McCoy looked over to see Lieutenant Stephans standing
in the door behind Spock.  "I don't mean to interrupt, but it sounded as
though someone was throwing things around."
     "The captain seems to be immune to the only treatment we have."
The Doctor said bluntly.  "Don't want to throw something around?"
     "If it would help, I would.  However, I don't think I could be of
much more help than that here."
     Spock and the Doctor exchanged swift glances.  "Explain," Spock
said.
     "My field is Xenobiology - the captain's human.  .  ."
     Spock's eyes lit up and the Doctor shouted "That's it!"  With a
leap he was shaking her hand and patting her exuberantly on the back.
"Good girl," he said, beaming at her.
     "Doctor," McCoy said, "knowing why Jim doesn't respond to the
treatment doesn't help us find a treatment he will respond to."
     "Logically.  .  ."  Spock said.
     "Oh pooh," interrupted the Doctor.  "Logic is the science of going
wrong with confidence.  We've got the same disease, curable in
individuals of the same species and intractable in an individual of
another species.  All we have to find is the denominator of difference."
     "Exactly."  Spock said.  The Doctor looked at him and laughed.
McCoy and Stephans smiled at each other.
     "Now then," the Doctor said, "We have our best research sources
right here."  With one swift movement he had McCoy and Stephans seated
next to each other on the bed and perched himself backwards on a chair
opposite them.  He glanced at Spock and Spock pulled up a chair and sat
down too.  McCoy looked at them.  One was sitting in a proper and
correct fashion, leaning forward slightly with interest.  The other was
sprawled over and around the wrong side of the chair.  Like two sides of
a coin, he thought and glanced at Lieutenant Stephans, wondering if the
same thought had occurred to her.  He couldn't tell if it had.  She was
looking straight at the Doctor.  Even her shoulder length copper colored
hair was completely still.
     "Now then," said the Doctor, "What do we know about this virus?"
     "Its effectiveness is directly linked to the use of psychic
abilities."  McCoy answered.
     "The uncontrolled use of psychic abilities."  Spock added.
     "Exactly," commented Lieutenant Stephans.  "An individual with no
active psychic ability - or a superior control - only contracts a mild
case and recovers rapidly."
     "We haven't had many of those!"  McCoy said.
     "That's strange," said the Lieutenant, "I don't recall that the
captain was ever identified as even marginally psychic."
     "He isn't - or he wasn't," McCoy said.  "Now, the problem seems to
be that what ability he does have is literally feeding the virus."
     "But most of the adult Lightunder people we've seen have managed to
pull through.  The major problem has been with the children - both in
catching the virus and combating it."  said the Doctor.
     "Not just `children', Doctor," Lieutenant Stephans continued.
"Specifically, the break occurs exactly with the completion of puberty."
     McCoy looked at her in surprise.  He hadn't realized that she had
the time to do any research into the basic biological cycles on
Lightunder.
     "Quite right, Dorcy.  Now, can you detail the differences during
this time between Lightunderans and humans?"  asked the Doctor.
     The Lieutenant nodded and abruptly stared into a corner of the
room.  McCoy looked at her in increasing astonishment.
     "Doctor McCoy," Spock said dryly, "I believe we are about to see an
example of Cultural Survey and Contact's new eidetic memory control
training."
     "Difference during pubertal transition - Lightunder and Terra."
The Lieutenant's voice had flattened somewhat but there was obviously a
human control over the generation of the data.  The Doctor beamed at her
with pleasure.  "Onset of puberty the Lightunder humanoid causes a flux
in the production of an adrenaline-like hormonal substance.  As
production ebbs, the individual's psychic abilities, when present,
overcome the natural balance and cause dizziness, spacial
disorientation, hallucinations, and, in extreme cases, death.  As the
flux stabilizes to the adult level, the individual gradually acquires a
somewhat variant control over the now active psychic abilities."  She
blinked and looked at the Doctor expectantly.  "Does that sound
helpful?"
     "What's the chemical formula for this substance?"  McCoy asked.
     "CN3H2O2 bonded in a tri-nitrous base of BCzC4."
     McCoy felt his heart sink.  He shook his head.  "Any mixture like
that would kill Captain as surely as the virus is."  The four of them
sat in silence.  McCoy felt a sudden empathy for the Doctor's desire to
throw things.
     "But it's still a question of control."  Spock said, leaning
forward in his chair.  "If the psychic abilities the captain has could
be controlled in some other way.
     "Of course!"  McCoy said.  "If one of you could duplicate the
chemical effect in a chemical fashion..."  Spock and the Doctor looked
at each other.  "Can you do it?"  He knew the answer from the look on
the Doctor's face.
     "No," Spock said.
     The Doctor shook his head.  "I seem to be good at starting things,
but stopping that takes tremendous power under superb control."  His
voice was bleak.
     "Isn't there someone on this planet who could?"  The Lieutenant
asked in a level voice.
     The Doctor's face brightened.  "El Donna!"  he said gleefully.
     "Of course," Spock said.  "She could do it - but will she?"
     The Doctor hesitated for a moment.  "Yes, I think she will.  She
took a liking to your Captain.  I expect most people do."  His voice had
the same edge of defiance McCoy had heard before.  This time the
Lieutenant picked it up and glanced questioningly at McCoy.  McCoy
shrugged his own puzzlement.
     "Can she be reached quickly?  Our time is increasingly limited."
Spock looked at the Doctor.
     "I think I can get her attention - with your help."  Spock nodded
and the Doctor got up.
     "If you two are going to link up again, Doctor, you'd better lie
down."  McCoy said.
     "Oh, well, if you think so."
     "I think so, Doctor," said Spock.
     The Doctor laid down on the bed.  Spock sat on one side and placed
his hands in position on the Doctor's head.  The Doctor smiled at Spock
and closed his eyes.  McCoy took a deep breath as he walked around to
the foot of the bed and watched them establish their mental
communication.  It might be `natural' to them, but it seemed to set his
teeth on edge.  It was something beyond his control, and it made him
nervous.  He opened his medical tricorder and, hearing a hum behind him,
realized that the Lieutenant had started hers.
     "Monitoring the Doctor," she said.
     McCoy turned his tricorder on Spock and winced as he watched the
medical graphic display.
     "They're both on the edge of exhaustive collapse."  The Lieutenant
remarked.
     The readings on McCoy's tricorder went suddenly askew and he
recognized the pattern he had seen before when the two had melded.
     "They're in the meld now," he said.  "I didn't hear Spock say
anything."
     "He doesn't need to any more with the Doctor.  If they were
together much more, this kind of thing would be routine.  Both hearts
stabilizing rates."
     "Blood pressure normal.  Alpha and Gamma waves peaking."
     Spock took his hands away from the Doctor's head and turned to
McCoy.  "She's on her way."
     McCoy looked at the Doctor.  He was lying very still and his eyes
were still closed.
     "She and her escort will be teleporting here.  The Doctor is acting
as a location beam."
     There was a multicolored burst of light near the bed and, with a
slight popping noise, a woman and two men appeared.  The Lieutenant
quickly shut off her tricorder and McCoy followed suit.  Damn!  but she
was lovely, McCoy thought.  Petite, with a slim lithe figure, great dark
eyes, a mass of curly dark green hair set off by a floor length flowing
yellow gown, and a glow that gave her a regal presence.  The Doctor got
up from the bed.
     "El Donna," he said respectfully.
     One of the armed men with her stepped forward.  McCoy recognized
him - Raul d'Colm'n.
     "We have come at your request, Time Lord, to handle that which you
cannot," Raul said.
     "Raul, you will speak no more of this.  I have already spoken with
the Doctor on it."  A faint but decisive hint of command in El Donna's
beautifully modulated voice brooked no hint of defiance.  Raul stepped
back.
     "Your pardon."  He bowed to the Doctor.
     The Doctor brushed the apology aside.  "The captain is in here."
He started toward door.  "Some of our medical machines are also in the
room."
     Raul started to speak but El Donna interrupted.  "He is yours - not
ours.  The machines will not interfere."
     "Spock," said McCoy, "Would it be possible for me to be there?"
     Before Spock could answer, El Donna turned and looked up at Mccoy.
The Crystal at her throat was glowing dimly.  "You are his friend and
his physician.  You may be with us.  And you?"  She looked at the
Lieutenant.
     "El Donna, I would have no reason to be there save curiosity."
     "An admirable trait, but not to be indulged on this occasion."  The
two women smiled at each other and the selected group left the room.
     They entered Kirk's room and El Donna stepped close to the bed.
McCoy looked at his friend and then up at the medical indicators for
reassurance.  The body in the bed was emaciated, the hair thinning, no
visible sign of life.  Yet the medical indicators showed that Kirk was
still alive.
     The Doctor walked around to the other side of the bed, glanced down
at Kirk and then looked at El Donna.  She did not look at the medical
indicators; her gaze was fixed on Kirk.  McCoy swallowed convulsively
and realized that Spock was standing next to him.  The tension in the
room was palpable.
     El Donna stretched her hands out over the bed, palms down.  McCoy
could see a pulsing glow from the dilithium crystal at her neck.  A
phosphorescent swirling fog seemed to appear between her hands and
Kirk's body.  She moved her hands and the glow followed them, spiraling
in a tumbling pattern between her hands and Kirk's head.  For a moment
the flow seemed to hesitate and Raul raised his hand to his head, the
crystal on his wrist glowing.  The flow stabilized then, moving in a
pulsing rhythm toward Kirk and then, abruptly, flowing back.  Three
times it pulsed between the two.  McCoy noticed that the eerie glow
seemed to be growing brighter.  Then its movement from Kirk to El
Donna's hands slowed.  McCoy had a feeling that this time it was pulling
something with it.  It suddenly broke free and dissipated its brilliance
around the room.
     Kirk's body heaved with a convulsive spasm.  McCoy started for the
bed, but the Doctor was closer and the Doctor was the one who held the
body as the spasm subsided.
     McCoy looked at the medical monitors.  Their message was clear;
Kirk was now winning the battle.  The antidote had taken effect.  He
felt a hand grab his arm.  It was Spock.
     "He's made it, Spock."  McCoy whispered.
     The Doctor, still holding Kirk, looked at McCoy and Spock.
     "Bravo!"  he said with a smile to El Donna as he lay Kirk down
again and stood up.
     With a start, McCoy realized that El Donna's eyes were full of
tears.
     "That is a terrible thing that I have done for you, Time Lord.  Had
you summoned me earlier, I could have left the power with him.  Now he
is totally bereft."
     "El Donna," said Spock, "the captain will not miss what he never
knew he had - and you have saved his life."
     "For my people, Mister Spock, what he has lost is more than life.
It may come back in time, but it is still a death and destruction now."
     "He is alive."  The Doctor said.
     "That is because of your choice, not his.  You stand as his
liegelord and you must answer to him for it.  You speak of change, Time
Lord, and urge such change on us - but will you be prepared for the
change that you must face?"  Without waiting for a reply, El Donna
stepped back between her two escorts and, with a hissing noise, they
disappeared.
     As they disappeared, McCoy heard the Doctor take a deep breath and
Spock moved quickly over to the bed and looked down at Kirk.
     "Pompous, puffed-up psychics!"  said the Doctor.  "Always having
the last word.  What does she know.
     "Doctor," said Spock.  "I thank you."
     "You're not everyone, Spock."
     "She is not the captain," Spock replied.
     "Neither is she speaking for me or any of the others on the
Enterprise."  McCoy said.  He didn't like the look on the Doctor's face.
He had a sudden hunch that if the Doctor could have left in his TARDIS
at that moment he would.  "That the captain is alive now - and that
we're all going to be able to return to our own universe is because of
you."
     "Because of me?"  The Doctor said in surprise.  "Oh nonsense anyone
could have.  well, almost anyone.  .  ."  McCoy shook his head, smiling.
     "If you two don't have anything better to do, I'd like to get on
with taking care of my patient."
     "Doctor," said Spock, "I believe that Mister Scott has encountered
some difficulty in the design for the use of those additional dilithium
crystals."  Spock turned and walked toward the door.  After hesitating a
moment, the Doctor joined him.  "We also need to begin the disengagement
of the computer link between.
     McCoy watched them leave and resisted the impulse to tell them both
to get some rest.  He took out his tricorder and began to analyze Kirk's
condition.

                               ++++++++++

     "I can see that that's an experience you don't want repeated,
Bones."  Kirk said.  "But what makes you say that the Doctor is like
Spock?"
     "Well, I know he was hurt by what El Donna said.  And I'm equally
as sure that something else happened to him on the trip with you."  Kirk
shook his head in puzzlement.  "I don't think that he quite accepted
what I said," McCoy continued, "but since then I haven't been able to
get to him to try and convince him that I really mean it."
     "Why not?"  Kirk was perplexed.  The Doctor had always seemed to be
quite accessible.
     "Y'know how Spock uses that `I am a Vulcan' bit when he wants to
shut you out?"  Kirk nodded.  "Well, I may be completely out of line,
but I'd be willing to bet that the Doctor uses that clown act of his in
the same way.  You can't really touch him with a ten foot pole."
     "So you're frustrated."
     "Well, I keep reminding myself that he's not a member of our crew,
and he's apparently quite capable of taking care of himself, but..."
     "He's a friend."  McCoy nodded in agreement.  "And you don't like
to see your friends hurt."  Kirk was beginning to feel tired again.
     "You'd better get some more sleep."  McCoy said.  "One other thing,
though, what did El Donna mean by the Doctor having to face a change?"
     "I don't know Bones - it sounds as though she is seeing something
that the Doctor is going to have difficulty dealing with."  Kirk
recalled the Doctor going off with Raul after the duel.  "I suspect that
he's been trying to get their culture to accept the changes the war has
made them face - and I don't think she approves of that."

                                +++++++++

     The next day McCoy announced that the Doctor had come to see him
before leaving.
     "Spock said you wanted to see me, Captain," announced the Doctor as
he swept into the room and sprawled into the chair next to Kirk's bed.
In spite of the words, Kirk sensed that some of the surging exuberance
was repressed.  He looked carefully at the man in the bulky clothes
slouched in the chair.  The Doctor seemed to be studying his shoes.
     "Doctor."  The head came up and the blue eyes stared at him warily.
The look was familiar.  "Doctor," he said, shaking his head and
laughing, "you are a fraud!"  The Doctor's eyes widened in astonishment.
"For all your carrying on, you don't like emotional scenes any more than
Spock does.  You're embarrassed!"
     "I am never embarrassed."  replied the Doctor haughtily.
     "Of course not."  Kirk smiled.  "Then you're not going to object if
I apologize to you."
     "Apologize?"
     "I misjudged you and I do most sincerely regret that."
     "Oh that," the Doctor got up and walked over to the monitor by the
other bed.  Still facing away from Kirk, he said, "It's very difficult
to judge people properly all the time."
     "I nearly died because of it."
     "Captain," the Doctor seemed to square his shoulders and turned
around.  "If I had not stimulated your latent telepathic abilities, the
virus would not have been able to gain the hold that it did."
     "Doctor, McCoy has already been through that with me.  I would
remind you that I would have died at the end of Raul's sword had not
been for you."  The Doctor's eyes studied Kirk carefully and Kirk went
on, "And Doctor, you never made me do anything.  And what I did by
choice, I would do again."  The Doctor seemed to be considering Kirk's
words.  Kirk wondered how many humans the Doctor had outlived.
     "Well," said the Doctor, "It might have been his knife."  He smiled
luminously at Kirk.
     "You're incorrigible."  Kirk laughed.
     "That's what all my teachers said."
     Spock and McCoy came into the room.
     "Doctor," Spock said, "We will be warping out of here in twenty-two
minutes."
     "Is there anything we can do for you before you go?"  Kirk asked.
     "For me?  Oh no, the TARDIS is quite self-sustaining."  He settled
his hat to the back of his head.
     "I don't suppose we'll meet again."  McCoy interjected.
     "Doctor McCoy, there is a 61.725 percent probability that the
Doctor will arrive at some time in our universe."
     Kirk looked at Spock in amazement and then at the Doctor.  The
Doctor seemed to accept the statement.  "Spock - explain please."
     Spock and the Doctor exchanged glances and Spock continued.  "In
entering and leaving the Doctor's universe, we will have created a
weakness between this universe and our own.  The Doctor's TARDIS
utilizes the same principle as our warp drive.  It is this particular
use of power that enables transfer between universes.  The Doctor's
control of the TARDIS is not reliable."
     "I like it the way it is," interrupted the Doctor indignantly.
     "Indeed.  You would not permit Mister Scott to work on it.  As long
as it is in its present condition, there is a 61.7..  ."
     "All right, Spock," Kirk said.  "Doctor, do you agree with Mister
Spock's conclusion?"
     "I won't dispute it, Captain."
     "Then I think that there is something that I can to for you."
     "Article 110, Captain?"  asked Spock.  Kirk smiled.  His first
officer was certainly reading his mind today.  He looked at McCoy.
     "Jim - you've never used that before."
     "I never had any reason to, Bones.  Don't you think that it would
be an appropriate -gift?"
     "Perfect."  McCoy smiled as smugly as if he had the idea himself.
The Doctor looked uneasy and Kirk wondered how many times in his
adventures he had ever been thanked by anyone he helped.
     "Computer," Kirk said.
     "Working."
     "This is Captain James T.  Kirk - acknowledge."
     "Acknowledged."
     "Prepare to implement Command Decision under Article 110."
     "Ready."
     "The individual known as the Doctor is to be considered a citizen
in full standing of the Federation and is to hold the honorary rank of
Commander in Starfleet.  Standard identification patterns as follow."
Kirk nodded at McCoy who took one of the computer input cartridges from
his files and entered it in the slot.  The computer hummed as it
digested the information.
     "Acknowledged.  Article 110 Command Decision implemented."
     The Doctor was looking at Kirk in amazement.
     "Now, Doctor, this obligates to nothing - but if you should run up
against some other muleheaded Starship Captain, or a government
bureaucrat, you can make them call up this record.  Not only will it
identify you, but it will provide you with some authority.  If it is
ever called up, the record of what you have done for us will be there
too."
     "Captain, I.  .  ."  Kirk realized that the voluble Doctor was at a
loss for words.  He abruptly shrugged his shoulders and shook his head
and looked at the three men who were watching him.  "Thank you."  He
stepped forward and offered his hand to Kirk who took it without
hesitation.  The warmth of the handshake said more to Kirk than the
Doctor could have possibly expressed in words.  "Thank you," he said
again and glanced around at all of them.
     "Doctor," said Spock, "you have ten minutes before you have to
leave."
     The Doctor stepped back and settled his hat at a rakish angle on
his head.  He smiled brightly.  "Since you people place such a high
priority on saying goodbye, I'm going to go and say goodbye to
Lieutenant Stephans.  I'll see you down at the TARDIS in five minutes."
     Kirk watched the tall figure leave the room with regret.
     "Spock, if the Doctor does land in our Universe, what are the
chances - no, on second thought, don't tell me."
     "Jim," said McCoy, "You don't need Spock to figure out that if we
ever run into the Doctor again either we'll be in some kind of trouble,
or he'll be in some kind of trouble, but either way, we'll all wind up
in trouble!"
     "Doctor McCoy," said Spock, "If you are implying that the Doctor
has a knack for landing in the middle of unpleasant situations..  .  you
are quite correct in your assumption."  A slight smile curved one corner
of Spock's mouth.  McCoy laughed.
     "Damn it, Spock, I wish we'd run into the Doctor five years ago."
     Spock cocked a quizzical eyebrow at McCoy.
     "Gentlemen," Kirk said, "if you want to see the TARDIS off, I would
suggest that you be on your way."
     Kirk watched the two leave and lay back in the bed staring up at
the ceiling.  It had all started five years ago, and now this time had
come and there was the unknown future still ahead.
     An alien sound seemed to echo through the halls and he knew that
the Enterprise was going home.


                                 THE END

***poster's note: I didn't write this, as the header information states.  The
work is copywritten, and the details of this are at the top of the file. End of
Poster's note***