Star Trek: The New Voyages II

Surprise! by Nichelle Nichols, Sondra Marshak, and Myrna Culbreath Spock turned as the transporter effect released them, with some thought of how to hustle the Captain off to bed, not too obviously. But Kirk was saying, "You won't forget that lullaby you just composed, will you, Uhura? It was a smash--not only with little Mori. I think you just lulled another planet right into the Federation. His grandparents are very influential, you know." Uhura stepped down from the transporter, pleased. "I can't say I was thinking of that, Captain. Just of a very bright, very brave little boy who said that he wasn't lonely all that time on the wrecked ship when his parents were in a coma. He did seem to enjoy that belated birthday party, but still there was a loneliness about him." Kirk smiled as they moved through the corridor to the turbo-lift. "Yes, there's something special about your very own party . . ." For a moment he was silent, and Spock stepped in with a voice command to the turbo-lift. It shot them to the level of officers' quarters with suitable alacrity. The Captain had very nearly been killed this day on what should have been a relatively routine rescue of the boy and his parents from a damaged ship. And Kirk had been under such stress for so long that it was a source of amazement to Spock how he kept on his feet, let alone took such obvious delight in the little boy, the impromptu party, the lullaby. Although it had to be admitted that the little boy was rather special, perhaps quite a lot like James Kirk had been . . . They stepped out of the lift. "You make a terrific mother, Uhura," Kirk said. She turned with a lift of eyebrow that was almost Vulcan. "Indeed? Thank you, Captain. But then, I always am. The ship is just full of little boys." Kirk did a small double-take as she vanished through the door of her quarters, a "Good night, gentlemen" floating sweetly after her. Spock was not quite sure whether he heard correctly, "Sleep tight." It did not seem quite logical nor, if the Captain's expression was any indication, quite safe. "When isherbirthday?" Kirk muttered. "I think the traditional spanking might be in order." Spock raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating custom, Captain. Do you really want to inaugurate it among the command crew of theEnterprise?" Kirk shot him a look of mischief, with just a touch of speculation on whether the Vulcan implied that someone might try to inaugurate it on the Captain of theEnterprise. "No," Kirk said firmly, in answer, or in rejection of the speculation. "But--" he looked back at Uhura's door, "there's no law against being sorely tempted." "Indeed," Spock said blandly, and collected a small double-take himself. Kirk paused beside his door, his mind visibly shifting to his ship. "I think I'll just check the bridge. It's a quiet night, but--" There was that look in his eye as when there was some odd mood among the crew or an engine running imperceptibly rough, some anomaly waiting to make its presence felt. Spock knew the look--and the feeling. He'd had a touch of it himself today, but it was doubtless only from the kind of day they had had. He could tell himself that and dismiss it with logic, but the Human could not. "Jim, would you mind taking a look at my last move in our chess game? I'll take a turn around the bridge." Kirk gave him the long-suffering look of being coddled too transparently. "Mother's little helper," he said with the look of a self-satisfiedmorgril. "I trust you will find the move helpful Captain," Spock said in his best Vulcan manner. "Mate in three moves," Kirk challenged. "Two," Spock said innocently, andMarshak, Sondra is the author of 'Star Trek: The New Voyages II' with ISBN 9780553279337 and ISBN 0553279335.