Star Trek 04 Read Online Free
breathing told him that the prosecutor was bending over him. A quick glance through half-closed lids told him where the nearest wrist was. He grabbed it.
"If you yell, I'll kill you," he whispered with fierce intensity.
The prosecutor neither yelled nor struggled. He mere ly said, "It will go harder with you if you persist."
"I am being falsely accused. You know it."
"You are to come with me to the Inquisitional Tribunal. There the matter of your witchcraft will be decided."
"There are no such things as witches."
"I shan't say you said so," the prosecutor said. "That is heresy. If they hear you, they will burn you for such beliefs."
"You are the only one who can hear me. Before the Inquisitor, it will be different. I'll denounce you as a man who came from the future, just as I did. Therefore, you too are a witch."
'They would surely burn me as well," the prosecutor agreed. "But what good would that do you?"
"Use your head, man," Kirk said. "I need your help."
"How can I help you? I will do my utmost to plead your innocence. I may be able to get you off—providing you say nothing of the comrades you left behind."
"Not good enough. I want you to help me to return to the library."
"You cannot go back."
"I tell you, I must. My comrades are lost in another time-period. I have to find them. Why don't you go back too?"
"We can never go back," the prosecutor said. "We must live out our lives here in the past. The Atavachron has prepared our cell structure and brain pattern to make life here natural. To return to the future would mean instant death."
"Prepared?" Kirk said. "I am here by accident. Your Mr. Atoz did not prepare me in any way." As he spoke, his temples began to throb again.
"Then you must get back at once. If you were not transformed, you cannot survive more than a few days here."
"Then you'll show me where the portal is?"
"Yes—approximately. But you must find the exact spot yourself. You understand I dare not wait with you . . ."
"Of course. Let's go."
Five minutes later, Kirk was back in the library. It looked as empty as it had when he had first seen it. He checked the contemporary time with the Enterprise, shunting aside a barrage of frantic questions. It was seventeen minutes to nova. Evidently, no matter how much time he spent in the past, the gate at its present setting would always return him to this day. It had to; for the gate, there would be no tomorrow.
He drew his phaser. It had not worked in the past, but he was quite certain it would work here. And this time, Mr. Atoz, he thought grimly, you are going to be helpful.
McCoy was still abed, but he was feeling distinctly better, as his appetite proved. Zarabeth, who had adopted a flowing gown which made her look positively beautiful, was out in her work area, making something she had promised would be a delicacy.
"I hope the Enterprise got away in time," McCoy said.
"I hope it will get away. The event is a hundred thousand years in the future."
"Yes, I know. I wonder where Jim is?"
"Who knows?" Spock said. "We can only hope he is well, wherever he is."
"What do you mean, we can only hope? Haven't you done anything about it?"
"What was there to do?"
"Locate the portal," McCoy said impatiently. "We certainly didn't come very far from it."
"We've been through all that already, Doctor. What's the point of rehashing the subject? We can't get back. Wasn't that clear to you?"
"Perfectly. I just don't believe it. I refuse to give up trying."
"It would be suicide if you succeeded."
McCoy sighed. "I never thought I'd see it. But I understand. You want to stay here. I might say, you are highly motivated to remain in this forsaken waste."
And not ten minutes ago, Spock thought, it had been McCoy who had been praising Zarabeth's cooking, and offering other small gallantries. "The prospect seemed quite attractive to you a few moments ago."
"Listen to me," McCoy said, "you point-eared Vulcan . . ."
Before Spock fully realized what he
"If you yell, I'll kill you," he whispered with fierce intensity.
The prosecutor neither yelled nor struggled. He mere ly said, "It will go harder with you if you persist."
"I am being falsely accused. You know it."
"You are to come with me to the Inquisitional Tribunal. There the matter of your witchcraft will be decided."
"There are no such things as witches."
"I shan't say you said so," the prosecutor said. "That is heresy. If they hear you, they will burn you for such beliefs."
"You are the only one who can hear me. Before the Inquisitor, it will be different. I'll denounce you as a man who came from the future, just as I did. Therefore, you too are a witch."
'They would surely burn me as well," the prosecutor agreed. "But what good would that do you?"
"Use your head, man," Kirk said. "I need your help."
"How can I help you? I will do my utmost to plead your innocence. I may be able to get you off—providing you say nothing of the comrades you left behind."
"Not good enough. I want you to help me to return to the library."
"You cannot go back."
"I tell you, I must. My comrades are lost in another time-period. I have to find them. Why don't you go back too?"
"We can never go back," the prosecutor said. "We must live out our lives here in the past. The Atavachron has prepared our cell structure and brain pattern to make life here natural. To return to the future would mean instant death."
"Prepared?" Kirk said. "I am here by accident. Your Mr. Atoz did not prepare me in any way." As he spoke, his temples began to throb again.
"Then you must get back at once. If you were not transformed, you cannot survive more than a few days here."
"Then you'll show me where the portal is?"
"Yes—approximately. But you must find the exact spot yourself. You understand I dare not wait with you . . ."
"Of course. Let's go."
Five minutes later, Kirk was back in the library. It looked as empty as it had when he had first seen it. He checked the contemporary time with the Enterprise, shunting aside a barrage of frantic questions. It was seventeen minutes to nova. Evidently, no matter how much time he spent in the past, the gate at its present setting would always return him to this day. It had to; for the gate, there would be no tomorrow.
He drew his phaser. It had not worked in the past, but he was quite certain it would work here. And this time, Mr. Atoz, he thought grimly, you are going to be helpful.
McCoy was still abed, but he was feeling distinctly better, as his appetite proved. Zarabeth, who had adopted a flowing gown which made her look positively beautiful, was out in her work area, making something she had promised would be a delicacy.
"I hope the Enterprise got away in time," McCoy said.
"I hope it will get away. The event is a hundred thousand years in the future."
"Yes, I know. I wonder where Jim is?"
"Who knows?" Spock said. "We can only hope he is well, wherever he is."
"What do you mean, we can only hope? Haven't you done anything about it?"
"What was there to do?"
"Locate the portal," McCoy said impatiently. "We certainly didn't come very far from it."
"We've been through all that already, Doctor. What's the point of rehashing the subject? We can't get back. Wasn't that clear to you?"
"Perfectly. I just don't believe it. I refuse to give up trying."
"It would be suicide if you succeeded."
McCoy sighed. "I never thought I'd see it. But I understand. You want to stay here. I might say, you are highly motivated to remain in this forsaken waste."
And not ten minutes ago, Spock thought, it had been McCoy who had been praising Zarabeth's cooking, and offering other small gallantries. "The prospect seemed quite attractive to you a few moments ago."
"Listen to me," McCoy said, "you point-eared Vulcan . . ."
Before Spock fully realized what he
Readers choose
Cyndy Aleo
Christopher S McLoughlin
Rita Herron
Ann Lee Miller
Heather Muzik
Victoria Parker
Santa Montefiore
David Donachie
Sutton Fox
Bill Diffenderffer