Read Uhura's Song for Free Online Page B

planet!"
     
     
"Precisely. And I must remind you that even this conclusion is based upon highly questionable data."
     
     
"Meaning, Mr. Spock?"
     
     
"Meaning, Captain, that should one of our assumptions be faulty, we would be searching the wrong quadrant."
     
     
"You've got to do better than that, Spock. You've got to!"
     
     
"Lieutenant Uhura"- at Spock's mention of her name, Uhura looked up at him inquiringly; he gave a quick negative shake of his head and she turned her back to them both and placed a slender hand to the ear receiver to shut out their presence- "is endeavoring to refine those results. She hopes to find reference to some... landmark, as she terms it, some distinctive cosmic formation visible from the Eeiauoans' homeworld or perhaps noted by them on their journey. I believe your presence is distracting her from this task."
     
     
Kirk was properly chastened. "I can take a hint, Spock."
     
     
"'Hint,' Captain?"
     
     
"Never mind... I'll get out and leave you to your job."
     
     
A whistle from the ship's intercom halted him before he reached the door. He acknowledged quietly, not wishing to disturb Uhura further, then listened. His face must have shown his horror, for Spock said, "What has happened, Captain?"
     
     
"Nurse Chapel is in a first-stage coma," he said softly; then, realizing that he already had Uhura's full attention, he added, in as normal a voice as he could muster, "ADF syndrome hits humans harder and faster than it does Eeiauoans.... Lieutenant."
     
     
Uhura removed her earphone. "Sir?"
     
     
"Quickfoot wants to talk to us. I think we'd better listen." Into the communicator, he said, "Put it on the screen here."
     
     
Bones appeared, behind him Quickfoot. He gestured Quickfoot forward.
     
     
"I sspeak to ccaptain and transslator," she said, her eyes narrowing at Spock. "No other to hear."
     
     
Kirk said, "Mr. Spock is my chief science officer and Dr. McCoy my chief medical officer; I must insist that they remain. I promise you, Quickfoot, nothing you say will go beyond my senior officers.... Tell her, Uhura."
     
     
Uhura translated.
     
     
Quickfoot bristled- it made her fur loss all the more grotesque- and flattened her ears. "You will be sorry for that promise, Captain Kirk, for I will tell you the truth. Your science officer is correct: Eeiauo is not our homeworld. But we are not colonists, we are criminals."
     
     
Uhura translated this. Kirk said, "Criminals? This is a prison planet? You mean you have regular contact with your homeworld?
     
     
"No, we left Sivao two thousand five hundred and three years ago. We have not been there since. For many years we could not have returned, now we would not. But I will not be so criminal as to let your people die with us. You must go, to save your people."
     
     
"We'll go, Quickfoot. Tell us where it is."
     
     
Quickfoot crouched. Without warning, she let out a long agonized wail. McCoy jumped at the sound, recovered and came forward to see if she needed his help. She waved him away.
     
     
"I do not know where it is. When you asked about it, I thought you knew everything!"
     
     
"Is there anyone who could tell us?"
     
     
"No one would tell you. No one else on my world is capable of such treason. We are all criminals, yet I alone- I- I -" She keened her despair.
     
     
"Quickfoot," said Kirk earnestly, and he heard the same tone in Uhura's translation, "unless you are two thousand years old, you are not a criminal. The Federation does not hold the crimes of one generation against another!"
     
     
He waited until Uhura's translation caught up with him, then went on, "You must help us to help you, Quickfoot. Can you tell us anything at all about the homeworld that might help us find it? Can you see its primary in your sky? What did your ancestors see when the skies above their homeworld darkened? Think, Quickfoot! Anything might help!"
     
     
Quickfoot looked at him, unblinking. She shook her head. "There