Black Fire Read Free Page B

fragments you are sublimating. Will you permit the probe?"
    "Yes." Sulu realized the importance of this information; the Vulcan never made such a request lightly.
    Spock put his fingertips to Sulu's temple, concentrating on reaching the helmsman's unconscious.
    "I want you to think back to the period just before the explosion. I will ask you to describe the activity on the bridge in detail."
    Spock was able to penetrate the upper levels of Sulu's memory with ease; but as he approached his experience of the accident, he met with increasing resistance. Gently, Spock eased the release of those memories of just preceding the explosion from the hold Sulu's subconscious exerted over them. Finally, the helmsman relaxed his vigilance over the disturbing scenes and they were made available to Spock. Sulu, now yielding his mind to Spock's, spoke slowly and clearly.
    "I was teaching the cadet assigned to me how to switch from warp to sub-light speeds in emergency situations. The mechanism on board the
Enterprise
is more sophisticated than the Academy's simulations. His name was John Real. Behind me, Chekov was instructing his student. You were at the science console looking over a computer readout. Your back was turned to the center of the bridge. Lieutenant Uhura was having trouble with her cadet. I could hear her correcting her over and over again.
    "Uhura was close to losing her patience. The captain was in the command chair. No. He got up. It's becoming clearer now. A yeoman, one of the cadets, entered the bridge. She had something for the captain to sign. She gave it to him. Then she left the bridge."
    "She didn't wait for him to sign it?"
    "No. She gave it to the captain and left."
    "Then what happened?"
    "The captain put the pad on his chair."
    Spock prodded gently. "And then …?"
    "The explosion—I don't remember anything else."
    Spock withdrew his hand from Sulu's brow. Sulu instantly snapped out of the trancelike state. "Was I of any help?"
    "Yes, Lieutenant. You have given me a lead."
    "Can I help you any further?"
    "Not yet. It is too soon for me to reach a satisfactory conclusion. I will know what occurred more specifically when I have examined the facts you have just given me. I must be entirely sure before I act." Spock turned to leave but stopped. "One more thing. Can you describe the cadet who entered the bridge?"
    With his memory jogged, Sulu, who had an acute eye for visual detail, remembered quickly. "She was very fair, short and stocky. She looked almost square. Know what I mean? Not fat, but strong for her size. Are you going to question her?"
    "Perhaps," Spock answered absently as he walked out of the room. His concentration was already intently focused on his task.
    After checking briefly with the other injured crewmen, Spock headed for the quiet, darkened room in which James Kirk lay. The captain was still unconscious. From what Spock could see of his condition, it was assuredly for the best.
    Two unfamiliar nurses worked around the captain. Spock approached and sat down on the chair beside the bed. An agonizing pain pierced through his spine and he gasped; putting all his effort into regaining control, he re-established his Vulcan discipline of the mind. The gasp alerted one of the nurses who started to approach.
    "I am all right. Please leave us alone," he ordered abruptly.
    Spock's aura of unquestioned authority was overwhelming; the nurses reluctantly left. He then placed his hand on the captain's head, establishing a healing meld. Kirk groaned as he became aware of the Vulcan reaching into his mind. Spock strained his skills to the limit to suppress his friend's pain as well as his own.
    Sometime later, when McCoy checked on his patient, he saw a marked difference.
    "Spock's been here. Right?"
    "Yes, Doctor. How did you know?"
    "I've seen him do this before. There could be no other reason for so great an improvement so quickly. He may well have made the difference in Jim's recovery."
    Kirk, regaining