Margeret Bonanno - Probe

Then, abruptly, he had felt himself gripped by the energies of a transporter, and hope flared through him. Hiran-or even Jenyu-had realized something was wrong and was having him beamed up.

But then the energies had released him. His eyes had snapped open, and his muscles, still straining against the force that had gripped him in the cavern, had sent him reeling, almost crashing to the floor. And as he regained precarious control of his body, as he gasped in lungful after lungful of the suddenly breathable, suddenly warm

air, he realized where he was: in the transporter room of the Enterprise, not the Galtizh.

And he realized he had failed. Whatever he had hoped to gain from that crystal, he was obviously not going to get it.

But the Enterprise had come away equally emptyhanded, he realized an instant later. They had been engulfed in those insane sounds and images as quickly and completely as he had been. He had seen them pointing and gesturing and exclaiming about the images when they had first appeared, and they had been as surprised as he. So, although the hoped-for windfall of the crystal had fallen through, there was still hope. And with the false patterns the Enterprise team had to work with. .

"Ambassador Tiam, Subcommanders," the Federation captain was saying, "welcome aboard the Enterprise. "

Tiam managed a weak smile while the two subcommanders acknowledged with curt nods.

"Thank you, Captain Kirk," Tiam said. He glanced toward the ensign at the transporter controls, noticing the security team as he did. He turned his eyes back to Kirk. "I assume we owe our presence here to the fact that your transporter personnel are a bit more alert than those on the Galtizh. "

"Bridge personnel," Kirk said with a faint smile, "Commander Uhura, communications officer, to be precise."

"Convey my gratitude-our gratitude to the commander, Captain."

"Gladly, Ambassador. Now, do you wish to be transported directly to the Galtizh?"

"The subcommanders, yes, if you please. 1, however,

would like a word with you before I return, Captain, if that is possible."

"Of course." Kirk nodded to the ensign at the transporter controls as Tiam stepped down from the platform.

"Inform Commander Hiran of the situation," Tiam said to the subcommanders as he removed his heavy fur jacket, the phaser still deep in one of the pockets, and handed it to one of them. Under the circumstances, he had decided, it would be best not to have the weapon on him or even acknowledge its existence. "Tell him I will transport over as soon as possible. And have our own transporter personnel attempt to retrieve the equipment you were utilizing in the cavern."

"Very well, Ambassador Tiam," the female subcommander said while the other nodded and folded Tiam's jacket over his arm.

Tiam turned back to Kirk, noticing as he did that Riley's aide, the one named Handler, had appeared and was standing uneasily next to the captain.

"Sorry it took me so long, Captain," the aide was saying, "but I was down in sickbay, you know, seeing how Commander Riley is doing."

"And how is the ambassador doing?" Tiam asked.

"Still not awake," Handler said, "but they're expecting it anytime now."

"That is good to hear, Mr. Handler," Tiam said, trying to emulate the virtually human smile that Hiran seemed to find so natural. "You will have much to tell him when he awakens, will you not?"

"Quite a lot, yes, sir." Handler darted a look at the captain.

"You said you wished a word with me, Ambassador," Kirk said. "What can we do for you?"

Tiam swallowed, summoning up the distasteful words. "I would like you to accept my apologies, Captain, for my actions in transporting down to the planet without first notifying you of our intention."

"Of course," the captain said. "Does this mean you would like to resume negotiations? If so, perhaps you should speak with Mr. Handler, here."

Tiam repressed a scowl. The human was obviously toying with him. "I am not speaking of formal negotiations, Captain Kirk, Mr. Handler. Primarily, I would like to assure you that we will continue to cooperate in the effort to decode the object's emissions."

Kirk's eyebrows raised in what struck Tiam as mock surprise. "Then you are not aware of the actions of your aide, Subcenturion Kital, in your absence?"

Tiam's stomach knotted. Jenyu! What had he done now? "I was not, Captain."

"While we were preparing to beam down to `join' you," Kirk said, "Subcenturion Kital-acting on your behalf, I was given to understand-ordered all Romulans aboard the Enterprise to return to the Galtizh. We assumed, in light of your having already beamed down on your own, that you had decided that the time for cooperation in the matter of the work on the Probe's emissions had ended."

Tiam bit off an angry response to the captain's obvious sarcasm. "That was not my intention, Captain. I can only repeat my apologies and ask you to believe that I was overeager in my actions and did not take the proper time to consider the circumstances. We would of course have shared whatever knowledge we gained."

"Of course, Ambassador."

"And I will deal with my aide. And I will ask those

who were.part of the team working with your Mr. Spock to return-if you will allow it."

"As you wish, Ambassador. However, there may not be a great deal to do by the time they return. Mr. Spock believes he has found the key to-"

"What?" The words hit Tiam like a physical blow. "When? Was he not in that madness with us!"

Kirk shrugged, obviously enjoying himself. "He hasn't explained precisely what, Ambassador, but the `when' was in that `madness,' as you call it.- Something down there gave him a clue. I suppose we'll see soon enough if it pans out."

Tiam swallowed. Was this human simply tormenting him? Paying him back for the transgression of transporting down to the cavern alone? How could even the Vulcan have learned something from that insanity? Tiam was sorely tempted to vent his true feelings, to refuse to acquiesce in this shameful treatment, but he dared not take the chance. If the Vulcan had found something down there. .

"That is good to hear," Tiam forced himself to say. "The knowledge to be gained from this-thing-could be immense."

Abruptly, Tiam turned and stepped up onto the transporter platform. "I will speak with my aide," he repeated, "and I will send back those he mistakenly called away. I am grateful that you are willing to overlook my impulsive act and the mistakes of my aide."

The last thing Tiam saw as the transporter energies closed around him was Kirk's smiling, hateful face.

"Was it my imagination, Mr. Handler," Kirk asked as the Romulan vanished from the transporter platform,

"or was Ambassador Tiam gritting his teeth a lot when he `apologized'?"

"Yes, sir, it did seem that way," Handler said, and then, for once forgetting his nervousness around senior officers, particularly this senior officer, asked, almost breathlessly, "Was that true, sir? What you said about Mr. Spock being able to talk to the Probe?"

Kirk laughed. "Come along to the bridge and we'll see," he said, heading for the corridor and the 'lift. "But just for the record, what I said was, Mr. Spock `believes he has found the key.' There's a big difference."

"Yes, sir."

Kirk sobered. "You looked in on Kevin, you said?"

"Yes, sir."

"Still no sign of awakening?"

"They said-"

"I know what `they' said, Mr. Handler. I want to know what you think. "

Handler swallowed. "I'm not a doctor, sir."

"I know that, Mr. Handler. But you are his friend."

"Yes, sir, I like to think so."

"Then tell me what you think-as his friend."

Handler swallowed again. They were in the 'lift on the way to the bridge. "I'm worried, sir. They expected him to wake up three days ago, but when that thing grabbed us like it did, and we couldn't breathe-" He broke off, shaking his head. "I know Dr. McCoy said it didn't have any-any lasting effect, but I'm still worried. I think Mr. Sulu and Commander Uhura are, too."