Star Trek The Original Series From History's Shadow (2 page)

“My name is Mestral,” the Vulcan replied, “and though I
did not board your ship while you were visiting Earth, that is where I came from. As measured on your planet, I had been there for more than a decade.” He gestured to the unconscious Certoss. “My unlikely travel companion has been living there even longer, though her motives were quite different than mine. Whereas I was content to live in peace among your people, she and others of her kind were working to bring about your world’s destruction.” Then, as he was about to say something else, he paused, and Kirk saw the slight change in his expression as the Vulcan’s gaze shifted. Kirk turned to see Spock standing behind him.

“Fascinating,” said the science officer before he stepped forward. “Were you acting against her?”

Mestral’s eyes narrowed. “In a manner of speaking. I was . . . assisting in a clandestine effort to locate and neutralize the Certoss agents before they could put their plans into motion.”

“You mean Gary Seven?” Kirk asked, his recent encounter with the mysterious, genetically advanced human operating on twentieth-century Earth still fresh in his mind.

“I only recently became familiar with that name, Captain, though I have never interacted with that person. I suspect that any explanation I provide regarding my time on your planet will perhaps be difficult to accept.” Was it Kirk’s imagination, or did he detect the hint of a smile on the Vulcan’s face? “I imagine it also will take considerable time.”

“Then I suggest we get started,” Kirk said, “because I for one can’t wait to hear what you have to say.”

But I’m betting I’m not going to like it
.

TWO

Holding the piece of unfamiliar technology so that he could examine it with his own eyes, Montgomery Scott saw nothing that his tricorder and other diagnostic instruments had not already told him.

“It’s a transmitter of some kind, Mister Spock,” he said after a moment, setting the article down on the worktable in his office. “So far as I can tell, it’s not even capable of receiving any sort of signal; only sending one, and even then it couldn’t broadcast very far on its own.” He pointed to a small protrusion on the device’s face. “This is what passes for an antenna. Very small, but fairly powerful, and likely capable of linking with any larger communications network within its broadcast range, so long as the interface protocols can be worked out.”

“The Certoss intruder was working to connect to a communications terminal in the Cargo Bay 1 operations office,” Spock said. “It was this tampering and the device’s own energy source that Lieutenant Uhura detected from the bridge.”

“This thing would need a larger communications array to work, but even then, its capabilities look pretty limited.” Scott shrugged. “To me, it looks like it might be a distress beacon of some kind.”

Spock, standing next to him at the table with his hands clasped behind his back, asked, “But most of its components are not of Certoss origin?”

Scott frowned as he shook his head. “That’s what’s bugging me about this, sir. This thing has been cobbled together with parts from several different pieces of twentieth-century technology, plus a few bits that couldn’t have come from that time period, but neither are they exactly consistent with what we know of Certoss technology.” Shrugging, he added, “Of course, I’ve only had time for a quick review of the data we have on Certoss Ajahlan, but so far, what I’m finding here doesn’t line up.” The discrepancies had bothered him throughout his examination of the odd items taken from the Certoss intruder, who now resided in the
Enterprise
brig.

“I shall conduct a more thorough review of the relevant library computer entries,” Spock said, before gesturing to the other item on the table. “And what of this device?”

“Definitely not a product of twentieth-century Earth technology, though it does contain some components that fit the time frame. From the looks of it, those parts were used to effect repairs of one sort or another.”

During the
Enterprise
’s recent time travel mission to observe Earth’s people and events taking place three hundred years ago, Scott had taken advantage of the opportunity to conduct sensor scans in an attempt to learn more about the technology of the era. Of course, much of that research had been set aside when the
Enterprise
crew became entangled in the activities of Gary Seven. He was one of a small group of genetically enhanced humans placed on Earth throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries by a still-unknown alien cooperative with a mission, as Seven had explained it, “to prevent Earth’s civilization from destroying itself before it can mature into a peaceful society.” Still, the ship’s computer had collected and stored the data, of which Scott so far had accomplished only a cursory review.

“Interesting,” Spock said, inspecting the odd device for himself. Activating his tricorder, he waved it over the unidentified item. “Its internal power source and transmission array are not intended for any sort of long-range broadcast.”

“From what I can tell,” Scott replied, crossing his arms, “it’s not meant to emit anything much farther than the body of the person wearing it. This has to be what that Certoss lass used to mask her life signs, but beats me how the bloody thing works. I tried to activate it, but it’s not having any of that. The same goes for the transmitter, if that’s what it is. I guess we’ll have to ask their owner about them.”

Spock nodded. “Indeed.” A beep from his tricorder as he continued to scan the alien devices seemed to catch his attention, and Scott noted the barest change in the Vulcan’s expression as he consulted the unit. “My scan appears to have found something unusual with the transmitter.” He adjusted a control on the tricorder and repeated the scan. “It is emanating a multi-phasic power reading.”

“What?” Scott asked. How had he missed something like that? “Are you sure?”

“Affirmative,” replied the first officer. “I am not surprised that your instruments failed to register it. My tricorder is programmed to detect a much broader spectrum of readings than your diagnostic tools.” Then, as though realizing he may have said something a human might find inappropriate, he looked up from his tricorder. “It was not my intention to impugn your skills, Mister Scott.”

The chief engineer smiled. “Worry not, sir. However, I wouldn’t mind you having a look at my scanners. Maybe you can give them the same bit of adjusting you’ve obviously given your tricorder.” He nodded to the Certoss transmitter. “After we figure out this wee beastie, though.”

Handing Scott his tricorder, Spock said, “If you’d please monitor these readings while I attempt an adjustment.” He reached across the table and retrieved the multi-phasic transducer from Scott’s diagnostic kit, adjusting the compact unit’s power setting before aiming it at the Certoss device. The chief engineer studied the tricorder’s display screen as Spock worked, noting the fluctuations as the transducer went about its work. Then, the tricorder beeped at the same time Spock nodded in apparent approval.

“That should prove sufficient,” the Vulcan said. “If we can activate it, we should be able to gain a better understanding of its functionality before we risk allowing it to transmit.”

The device, with no assistance from Spock or Scott, chose that moment to activate of its own accord.

“What the devil?” Scott asked, flinching in response to the shrill beeps the device emitted.

Retrieving his tricorder, Spock said, “The unit has acquired a connection with our communications system and is transmitting some form of encrypted burst data packet.”

Scott grabbed the device and pressed each of the buttons on its recessed control pad, and a moment later the electronic litany ceased. “Irritating little bugger.”

“
Bridge to engineering!
” called the voice of Ensign Chekov, filtered through the intercom system. “
Mister Spock, our sensors have just detected a subspace burst transmission originating from your location!
”

Stunned by the report, Scott almost felt his jaw go slack. “Subspace? That whole array is under constant security lockout. How in the name of William Wallace was this thing able to do that? It couldn’t possibly be that sophisticated.”

“I don’t believe it is,” Spock said, taking the device from Scott and eyeing it with his hard, dark eyes. “All that would
be required was the interface protocol. As intriguing as this unit’s capabilities may be, however, I’m afraid we face a more pressing question.”

“Aye,” Scott said, nodding in comprehension. “We need to find out who’s on the receiving end of that message.”

•   •   •

Kirk took a seat at the briefing room’s table across from Mestral. A pair of security guards, Ensigns Minecci and Hawthorne, stood to either side of the doorway leading from the room, but the Vulcan wore no restraints. A glass of water sat untouched on the table. Doctor McCoy had given Mestral a physical and found him to be in good health, and the mysterious guest even had accepted the physician’s offer of a meal prior to being brought here.

“I trust you’re being treated well,” Kirk said by way of greeting.

Nodding, Mestral replied, “Yes, Captain. Thank you.” He sat with his hands clasped and resting on the table before him, ramrod straight in his chair. His expression, of course, betrayed nothing, though his eyes tracked Kirk’s every movement.

Kirk glanced to the guards at the door. “I apologize for the security, but until we can corroborate your story, I hope you’ll appreciate the need for caution.”

“Given the circumstances,” Mestral said, “anything less would be imprudent and illogical. Rest assured, Captain, that despite the years I have spent living among humans and after acquiring several of your people’s habits, I have not yet learned to take offense even when none is intended.”

The chuckle Kirk almost released was interrupted by the door opening to admit Spock, who settled himself in the seat closest to the computer interface terminal at the head of the
table. Kirk watched as the science officer, who had been carrying a pair of computer data cards, inserted one of the cards into the terminal’s reader slot.

“I have run a check against Vulcan Science Academy computer records,” Spock said, turning his chair to face the group, “and there was a Vulcan crewmember named Mestral assigned to a survey ship that conducted a reconnaissance mission of Earth during the twentieth century. That ship crash-landed in 1957 in a sparsely populated area of North America, which at the time was referred to as ‘Pennsylvania.’ According to Academy records, two of the four crewmembers were later rescued, but Mestral was reported as having died along with the ship’s commander in the crash.”

Mestral nodded as he listened to Spock’s report. “T’Mir agreed to file that report on my behalf. As I never again encountered anyone from my home planet, I assumed that her explanation was accepted without incident, and the matter closed.”

“Other Vulcan ships did visit Earth in the years following your landing,” Spock said, “though a review of survey records filed by those vessels’ commanders reveals no further mention of your name.” Turning to Kirk, he added, “Captain, it’s worth noting that I did not offer any information from my review to Mestral prior to this meeting, though he correctly named the female Vulcan who was rescued from Earth in 1958.”

“The other surviving member of our crew was named Stron,” Mestral offered.

Kirk asked, “What made you decide to stay on Earth?”

For the first time, Mestral reached for the nearby glass of water and took a sip before answering. “During the three months that transpired between our crash and the rescue ship arriving at Earth to retrieve us and what remained of
our vessel, I had become . . . accustomed to living among humans.” His expression seemed to soften. “I had always been intrigued by your planet and its people, Captain. Our study of humans to that point led us to believe that your species was on the verge of numerous societal and technological advancements. The development of nuclear energy in particular was something of interest and concern to us, as we did not yet know if such progress might herald a new age of discovery and exploration or the utter destruction of your world.”

“A bit of both, actually,” Kirk said. “We know that Vulcans were observing Earth for decades before—” He stopped himself, his expression growing sheepish. “I’m sorry, Mestral, but I almost revealed information pertaining to events that for you haven’t yet taken place.”

“I understand, Captain,” the Vulcan replied. Looking to Spock, he added, “It is good to see that relations between our two peoples appear to have grown and strengthened in the time you say has passed. As for time travel, in my century, researchers and other subject matter experts at the Vulcan Science Academy maintained that was impossible. My encounters with Gejalik and her fellow Certoss have shown me a very different perspective.”

“The Academy was forced to reevaluate its stance in light of certain incidents and other occurrences that have taken place since your time,” Spock said. “Though not at all common, time travel has been achieved using various methods, none of which are easily duplicated.”

Leaning forward, Kirk rested his elbows on the conference table. “What about this Gejalik and the other Certoss agents operating on Earth in your time?” he asked, realizing as he did so how strange the question sounded, directed as it was to Mestral. “How did they come to be there?”

“Some form of temporal displacement technology on their homeworld, Captain,” the Vulcan replied, “though I never did ascertain much in the way of relevant data regarding any such mechanism.”

Kirk asked, “How were they able to blend in with the human population? Vulcans, at least superficially, can pass for human well enough. That is, so long as no one takes a serious interest in you, but the Certoss? Did they use harnesses like the one she was wearing to appear human?”

Mestral nodded. “It essentially is a form of holographic projection system, allowing the wearer to present whatever outward appearance is desired, or even render themselves invisible. From what I have observed, the most common use for the device is to simulate the appearance of other living beings. It includes within its framework a universal translation device that enables the wearer to further blend in with another species, provided it has been programmed with the necessary languages.”