through native rock at bearing two hundred one, eleven hundred yards, elevation angle five degrees," Spock said.
"Right." Giotto and the guard went out, and Kirk started to follow them, but Spock remained standing where he was, looking pensive. Kirk said, "What's troubling you, Mr. Spock?"
"Captain, there are literally hundreds of these tunnels in this general area alone. Far too many to be cut by the one creature in an ordinary lifetime."
"We don't know how long it lives."
"No, sir, but its speed of movement indicates a high metabolic rate. That is not compatible with a lifetime much longer than ours."
"Perhaps not," Kirk said. "I fail to see what bearing that has on our problem."
"I mention it, Captain, because if this is the only survivor of a dead race, to kill it would be a crime against science."
"Our concern is the protection of this colony, Mr. Spock. And to get pergium production moving again. This is not a zoological expedition."
"Quite so, Captain. Still . . ."
"Keep your tricorder active. Maintain a constant reading on the creature. We'll try to use the existing tunnels to cut it off. If we have to, we'll use our phasers to cut our own tunnels." Kirk paused, then added more gently, "I'm sorry, Mr. Spock, I'm afraid it must die."
"Sir, if the opportunity arose to capture it instead . . ."
"I will lose no more men, Mr. Spock. The creature will be killed on sight. That's the end of it."
"Very well, sir."
But Kirk was not satisfied. Killing came hard to them all, but Spock in particular was sometimes inclined to hold his fire when his conservation instincts, or his scientific curiosity, were aroused. After a moment, Kirk added, "Mr. Spock, I want you to return to the surface, to assist Mr. Scott in the maintenance of his makeshift circulating pump."
Spock's eyebrows went up. "I beg your pardon, Captain?"
"You heard me. It's vital that we keep that reactor in operation. Your scientific knowledge . . ."
". . . is not needed there. Mr. Scott knows far more about reactors than I do. You are aware of that."
After another pause, Kirk said; "very well. I am in command of the Enterprise. You are second in command. This hunt will be dangerous. Either one of us, by himself, is expendable. Both of us are not."
"I will, of course, follow your orders, Captain," Spock said. "But we are dealing with a grave scientific problem right here, so on those grounds, this is where I should be, not with Mr. Scott. Besides, sir, there are approximately one hundred of us engaged in this search, against one creature. The odds against both you and me being killed are—" there was a very slight pause, "two hundred twenty-six point eight to one."
Not for the first time, Kirk found himself outgunned. "Those are good odds. Very well, you may stay. But keep out of trouble, Mr. Spock."
"That is always my intention, Captain."
Kirk's communicator beeped, and he flipped it open. "Kirk here."
"Scotty, Captain. My brilliant improvisation just gave up the ghost. It couldn't take the strain."
"Can you fix it again?"
"Nay, Captain. It's gone for good."
"Very well. Start immediate evacuation of all colonists to the Enterprise."
Vanderberg's voice came through. "Not all of them, Captain. Me and some of my key personnel are staying. We'll be down to join you."
"We don't have phasers enough for all of you."
"Then we'll use clubs," Vanderberg's voice said. "But we won't be chased away from here. My people take orders from me, not from you."
Kirk thought fast. "Very well. Get everybody else on board the ship. The fewer people we have breathing the air, the longer the rest of us can hold out. How long is that, Scotty?"
"It's got naught to do with the air, Captain. The reactor will go supercritical in about ten hours. You'll have to find your beastie well before then."
"Right. Feed us constant status reports, Scotty. Mr. Vanderberg, you and your men assemble on level twenty-three, checkpoint Tiger. There you'll team up with Enterprise
"Right." Giotto and the guard went out, and Kirk started to follow them, but Spock remained standing where he was, looking pensive. Kirk said, "What's troubling you, Mr. Spock?"
"Captain, there are literally hundreds of these tunnels in this general area alone. Far too many to be cut by the one creature in an ordinary lifetime."
"We don't know how long it lives."
"No, sir, but its speed of movement indicates a high metabolic rate. That is not compatible with a lifetime much longer than ours."
"Perhaps not," Kirk said. "I fail to see what bearing that has on our problem."
"I mention it, Captain, because if this is the only survivor of a dead race, to kill it would be a crime against science."
"Our concern is the protection of this colony, Mr. Spock. And to get pergium production moving again. This is not a zoological expedition."
"Quite so, Captain. Still . . ."
"Keep your tricorder active. Maintain a constant reading on the creature. We'll try to use the existing tunnels to cut it off. If we have to, we'll use our phasers to cut our own tunnels." Kirk paused, then added more gently, "I'm sorry, Mr. Spock, I'm afraid it must die."
"Sir, if the opportunity arose to capture it instead . . ."
"I will lose no more men, Mr. Spock. The creature will be killed on sight. That's the end of it."
"Very well, sir."
But Kirk was not satisfied. Killing came hard to them all, but Spock in particular was sometimes inclined to hold his fire when his conservation instincts, or his scientific curiosity, were aroused. After a moment, Kirk added, "Mr. Spock, I want you to return to the surface, to assist Mr. Scott in the maintenance of his makeshift circulating pump."
Spock's eyebrows went up. "I beg your pardon, Captain?"
"You heard me. It's vital that we keep that reactor in operation. Your scientific knowledge . . ."
". . . is not needed there. Mr. Scott knows far more about reactors than I do. You are aware of that."
After another pause, Kirk said; "very well. I am in command of the Enterprise. You are second in command. This hunt will be dangerous. Either one of us, by himself, is expendable. Both of us are not."
"I will, of course, follow your orders, Captain," Spock said. "But we are dealing with a grave scientific problem right here, so on those grounds, this is where I should be, not with Mr. Scott. Besides, sir, there are approximately one hundred of us engaged in this search, against one creature. The odds against both you and me being killed are—" there was a very slight pause, "two hundred twenty-six point eight to one."
Not for the first time, Kirk found himself outgunned. "Those are good odds. Very well, you may stay. But keep out of trouble, Mr. Spock."
"That is always my intention, Captain."
Kirk's communicator beeped, and he flipped it open. "Kirk here."
"Scotty, Captain. My brilliant improvisation just gave up the ghost. It couldn't take the strain."
"Can you fix it again?"
"Nay, Captain. It's gone for good."
"Very well. Start immediate evacuation of all colonists to the Enterprise."
Vanderberg's voice came through. "Not all of them, Captain. Me and some of my key personnel are staying. We'll be down to join you."
"We don't have phasers enough for all of you."
"Then we'll use clubs," Vanderberg's voice said. "But we won't be chased away from here. My people take orders from me, not from you."
Kirk thought fast. "Very well. Get everybody else on board the ship. The fewer people we have breathing the air, the longer the rest of us can hold out. How long is that, Scotty?"
"It's got naught to do with the air, Captain. The reactor will go supercritical in about ten hours. You'll have to find your beastie well before then."
"Right. Feed us constant status reports, Scotty. Mr. Vanderberg, you and your men assemble on level twenty-three, checkpoint Tiger. There you'll team up with Enterprise
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