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5 5 Gf\f1\BIT 0DDE ' by Brenda Kelsey Cover bv Cnrdon Smith .'\ 5coTpress publication Editor -V,11erie Pidcentini Typing·· Brenda Kelsev Proofreading -J,Ult't QuartoI\, Sheila Cl,wk & V,lierie Piacentini Printing of Masters -Janet Quarton Printing -Urban I)rint, 37 Perth RUtld, Dundee. Distracting -Shon,) and Cind~' SODDE'S GAMBlT -a sequel to 50 WAYS, in which rrring decides that she does \\',)nl Srock after ill! ,1nd uses treachery to h'y to get him -,1IH.i thilt's only the beginning nt' the the complications - is put out by ScoTpress ,1Ild is aV<l,ilnble from - Sheila Clilrk 6 Craigmill Cottages Strat!ul'tartine bv Dundee Scotland CD ScoTpress Ma~' 1994. /\11 rights are reserved to the writers ,1l1d Mtists. ;\n~lone \Vishin~ tll reprint ,wy of the material herein is dsked to obtain permission in writing firs!. It is understood that this applies only to original material herein, and that no attempt is made to supersede cln~' rights held b~{ Paramount, !\lI3C, I3I3e llr <my nther holders ()[ copyright in STAR TREK n1iltt~ri,\l. 5 5 GflfT\BIT 0DDE ' by Brenda Kelsey This story is dedicated to Joanne Osborne, as Christmas. This is partly in who probably won't ever read it, and to recognition of services lately rendered to Sue Jones, who already has! Earth during which the Enterprise managed to divert the entity referred to as V'ger from an avowed intent to destroy all life on Earth, and partly to allow the Way back in 1984 I wrote a story completion of the overhaul and called 50' Ways. and ScotPress published rebuilding of the Enterprise which was it! Sodde's Gambit is really part two of summarily terminated when the Starship that story, and although it does stand had cold-started out of dry dock in order alone, the following summary of the plot to intercept V'ger. Avalon houses a of 50 Ways will help to set the scene. Starfleet Academy, orbiting dry dock facilities and a selection of personnel in Seven months after the V'ger all stages of training, and so is admirably incident Leonard McCov realises that suited to complete the rebuilding of the Spock has started to show' the initial signs Enterprise to Starfleet specifications, or to of Pon Farr. Because he'd known what to be more accurate, to Montgomery Scott's look for, McCoy has been able to warn specifications. Spock well in advance of the later, mindless stages of the mating fever. Spock leaves for the Vulcan Spock has contacted his Family on Vulcan settlement commonly called The Refuge and has asked for a mate to be found for directly the Enterprise arrives at Avalon, him. TPau informs him that on Iv one without telling his friends that he is to woman, T'Prilia, is willing to be his wife. marry T'Prilia on the day designated as She has set certain conditions: that Spack Boxing Day and is to resign from Starfleet resigns from Starfleet and lives on on that day. On the way to the Refuge Vulcan, without contact with Terran Spack meets Doctor Florence Rood, who Humans, for the duration of the marriage. is the creator of the equations that he used to cold start the Enterprise's engines. Trapped by his heritage. and by The ancient (96 years young) scientist V ulcan biology, Spock agrees to the takes a shine to Spack (who she met forty marriage, and in turn stipulates that any years before on Vulcan) and she children which result from the w1ion recognises the signs of imminent Pan \vould be raised bv him, without Farr. Something has gone wrong. interference from any' other, including Instead of months, Spock realises that he TPrilia. Thinking to bind him to Vulcan has only hours before the Plak Tow starts. for a longer period TPau and TPrilia agree to this and the date and time of the Florence takes him to the Refuge marriage is set where he collapses on the lawn outside the walls. He has arrived only to find that Startleet directs the Enterprise to Stonn has once again interfered with his A valon for the period of the year known wedding plans. Spock has literally walh:d in on Storm's wedding - to Thv'la to receivl~ the full broadc<1s1 01 tlw TTrilia. struggle. If Jim Kirk and Leona.rd :VkCo~· hild lw('n VulcllI, with the training given Spock is rescued by Doctor Rood, to all Vulcan niak's, til!.;')' wUl.lld hd\·l' who takes him to her house and been able to shield lhe1l1s\~lves, but ,b summons Doctors Joanna and Leonard t·hev are onlv Humans rht~ ft>v{~r Ih,lt nO\\' ;-V1cCn~i who confirm Spnck's worst fears. rages through Spock is rnirrnrH.i in tlwm Pon Fan has proceeded <It an accelerated too. r,lt(>; instead of months b,U'ely sixteen hours are left to Spl)ck. ivlcCov contneis Jim Kirk at the Port Admiral's residence (where he is staying for the Christmils holidays) and explilins the situation. After Kirk arrives ,1L Doctor Rl)od's hUUSl' Spuck explains Il) Jim ,md L\:unilrd about the l1larringt: plans lw h,1S .1gr{-'c~d til, MId his ink'ndl~d resign,1linn, ,'lnd ,bb ( ... lr tlwir help in pr<~vl'nting his m(IlTidge to T·Pring, the <mly ,literndtivt' now l)pen to him. (~xcept dl:ath. Explaining thi1t TTring hilS promoted the accelerated Pon Farr through the H'mn,mts of the'ir \"hildll()\hl bl)!1l1 link, Spwk pleads with his Thy'l,l tn kill hlIl1 rather than allow him to h,lnn anyolw lJnce the Plak TI)\\' h,1S bel~n reached. He totallv rejects ev(~n considering the possibility of a marriage 10 TPring. ThE' pair reluctantly ,1gree, tlwn Ll:unard :"vkCoy htlS ,1 brilliant ided. Spock has gone through Pon Farr onc(>, and has survived ul1n'laled. All })(' h,15 to do is remember what it was his rnind and body did t·o turn t)(f t"lw mating urge then and dn thl: ~anw thing ,1;2,<1in. A simple idea, and llne that helsn'! been as e,lS~j to accomplish as \-1cCJY's glib explanation has promised. While it is true that Spock hasn't entered the killing state of Plak Tow on schedule, the fever which is a side effect of the ron Farr is still raging. :'\nd bec<luse Spock's mental {,lCllities have been turned inwards in lh(:~ dIn!"! to «(llllint tIlt, mdtirw un'l'. hi\; " nwnl'li :-;i1i02kb hdVl:' (l)ildP;'l~d, l:dll~" lll~ hIS 3 SODDE'S LAWES Below is a translation of the only PLANNING STAGE. inscription found at the tomb site thought to be the burial place of the philosopher Sodde. LA WE THREE Sodde's reputation as a philosopher ANY TASK UNDERTAKEN WILL is based mainly on references made by ALWAYS GO WRONG AT THE MOST contemporary writers, as Sodde's writings CRITICAL MOMENT. were almost wholly eradicated by the more extreme of the followers of Surak. I t should be noted that Surak did not subscribe to this destruction. Indeed there is a passage in his writings that states that he found Sodde's Lawes to have a logic all of their own. It should also be noted that the only reason that the inscription survived th~ destruction of the tomb carvings was that the stone had been slotted into place with the inscription hidden: to be revealed centuries later when the wall of which it had been a part collapsed during a seismic upheaval. It continues to be a matter of some debate, given the content of the Lawes, as to whether the carver inscribed the Lawes on the wrong face of the stone bv accident, or bv Sodde's design. - , LA WE ONE ANY TASK UNDERTAKEN WILL ALWAYS TAKE LONGER TO COMPLETE THAN THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE, HOWEVER GENEROUSLY MADE. LAWETWO ANY TASK UNDERTAKEN WILL ALWAYS 13E MORE COMPLEX TO EXECUTE THAN ORIGINALLY ALLOWED FOR, NO MATTER HOW DETAILED OR INTENSIVE THE CHRISTMAS EVE uneven flare of the burning logs in the fireplace. Her eyesight was nqt what it It was the night before ChriSi1nas had been, despite the advances in medical and ail through the house not a creature science which had kept her reasonably was stirring, not even a mouse, or the hale into her ninetY-Sixth year, and she local planetary equivalent. Which was had to peer hard in l-he low light in order lucky for both the mouse and the local to make out the three long shapes on the planetary equivalent, conceded Florence rug in iront of the firepi<lce. But· slw Rood, because any creature daft enough knew that they were then::. She'd hdped to stir in her house, or the gilrden, \vas in Jo t'uck the blankets around thern atter real danger of being inhumed by they had collapsed. That had been sorne Claudius. Not that she approved of his hours ago. She grinned at a thought that hunting habits, but Claudius was, when she knew In would not appreciate. As <1 all was said and done, a cat, and it vvas young child she'd believed in Fi."Ither inherent in the nature of cats to pounce Chrisln)(ts and still remembered. the thrill on anything that was either A) small, 13) of joy on Christmas morning \vhen she'd furry, or C) interesting. Claudius, being seen the pile of presents \vaiting for her. true to his nature, had no concept of size, This Christmas all the 1"00rn under her and only the haziest notion of what Christmas h'ee \NaS occupied by thn~e constituted furry which meant that C) unconscious Startleet nfficers. interesting left I;im with a whole planet full (If potential targets. "1 haven't had this much l"xcitement since my third - or was it mv fourth? - She'd put down some food and husband tried to sell one of nw invenLions water for him in the garden, but it was to the Klingons!" long past the time at which. he was accustomed to be let in. She \vondered if "H(~ didn't!" exclaimed JOflnna. she should do so when he did arrive. "010. Th(~ misl~ri1ble little squirt Doctor Joanna McCoy, currentl.\' couldn't even manage to get that right. I assigned to the Starfleet Medical Cen tre at sometimes wonder why J did marr~' him. the Avalon Academy, interrupted her That's the worst thing about getting musings by handi.ng her a cup of hot excited about the physical ones, it alw<I)'s chocolate. "You really should get some , .. \-vears off!" sleep," "Florence!" "Thank you, 111y dear, but at my age I don't seem to need that much sleep any FIOl'(~n(e saw h()\·v In had stiffened 1110re." and turned tovvards her. "Now I've gOtW and shocked you?" "Well rest then." )0 settled herself onto the long sofa and swung her legs up "No .. Well. Yes, a little." Jo put onto the cushions. She sipped at her own the cup down un the floor. cup. "That's tlw trouble with you "Rest? With all this going on?" youngsters. You look at an old body <lnd all you see is an old body. You never tah~ Florence gestured around her living time to rernembl~r thill just ,I iew years room, which vvas lit only by the twinkling ago that old body \vas as young as you lights l)n the Christmas tree Jnd the Me, or that in ,) few years lime :.'ou'll bl~ 5 the old body. And whatever it is that "Of course. Jim's shed his flannel." you're getting up to now the chances are that somewhere there is an old body who joanna turned back towards the fire, has done it first!" tutted absently and retrieved the cloth, dipped it into a bowl of water and Joanna contemplated the statement, replaced the cooling cloth on Jim Kirk's ruefully acknowledged the rightness of forehead. Florence, she decided, was the ilccusation and asked "Was he that trying to distract her attention from the good?" seriousness of the situation, And she'd succeeded for a while. The tricorder "Yes. But that didn't stop me readouts said that the fever wasn't divorcing him when 1 found out what mounting any more, but it wasn't going he'd been doing." down either. joanna chewed on her lip. Their temperatures were dangerously "So I should think." She reached high; under any normal circumstances downwards and replaced the damp cloth she'd have whipped all three men into the on her father's forehead, "Did he get into Intensive Therapy section and started trouble with the authorities?" applying treatments to reduce their fevers. The trouble was that these were "Only the Klingon ones, dear, They not normal circumstances, she knew were quite peeved at him when they exactly what was wrong with all three finally got the machine built and turned it men, and no treahnent in the universe on, I'd built a machine to measure the had ever been effective against Pan Farr. surface tension of water, trying to identify pollution by changes at the gas/water Spack was burning up, his body interface. I figured out what he was up to consuming itself in its efforts to answer and I let him steal some plans that I'd the biological imperative that Spack was specially modified just for him. They trying to deny by sheer will power. Or built the best bubble blowing machine rather, won't power. jo's lips twitched at ever the mental quip. She'd only met Florence for the first time a handful of hours before joanna giggled, visualising the when the elderly woman had summoned outraged Klingons battling with bubbles, them to help Spock, and already the woman's unconventional way of looking "And I had the last laugh. Patented a life had infected her. the new design and sold it to some people who built null-gee bath tubs. NUll-gee jim Kirk started mutterillg again bubble baths." and twisted uneasily under the blankets. He rolled over and fetched up against "Now that I don't believe." Spack, one arm draped over Spack's chest. The muttering stopped and jim "It's true. I even found a way of relaxed with a whistling sigh onto the suspending colours and flavouring; in rug. the bubble walls. Bath times got to be real fun!" The remembering quality in "Pest," muttered jo, and got off the her voice spoke of many hours of real sofa to make her father'S friend slightly fun, more comfortable by easing a pillow under his head and putting the damp "You tried it?" cloth back on it. The heat radiating from the three was tangible but she pulled the bbnket straighL and lucked it back then1." Florence gestured Lo the triu. around Kirk. If nothing else it would serve to absorb some of the swcM which Jo ignored her, trying to LTaCl~ whorl' was pouring out of the Humans. Which the stTange sound thM had roused her reminded her of annther pl'oblern. They was coming irom. "(>tn vou hear were going to be very dehydrated \vhen something?" they finally woke up. Maybe she should start trying to replace the lost fluids now, A scratching, scrabbling follmved but that would mean drawing on the by a piteous yowl drew her attentio)1 tl) medical resources of the Academy; she the \vindow. didn't l,vant to do that unless it was absolutely necessary, and it w<lsn'[, yet. "Is somelhing out thQre?" she {lsked She took anoLher seL of readings. "Yes. And he wants to conle in There \vas still no change. No decrease in here. I'm going to have to let him in, If I Spock's fever and no decrease in the don't the "Stm:fleel Security team thaL'..; fevers of his Thv'\a who I,.vere now \V,lLching rne is going to notice that ! sharing his plight.' If ./irn Kirk and her haven'l lel him in and they will (onw to fMher had been Vulcans and tTajn(:~d for investigilte, We don't want that, do \\'l~?" this sort of task thev vvouldn't have collapsed, but they \v~ren't, they were "Absolutely not. What is he?" univ Human, and thev were [-he only frie'nds that Spock had, . "C\.)ld and hungry. Ht:"s ,)h\,il:-'S hungry. I think h~~ has hoIlnw I(~gs, and ,) hollow tail. C,)ld.. well it is sea,sollal vveal-her for Christmtls in rhis In jerked awake, glancing anxiously hernisphen~," at the trio on the rug before peering, bl(~i1rv eyed, at Flon~nce, "You should As she was talking Flonmce hi'ld have 'woken me!" she said accusingly. stood up, c1 trifle stiffly, waited until her body decided to nbcv the directions "What for? You need your sleep. dispaLched b>' her bl:ilin and moved You're the medical doctor here after all, towards the big French windcm's !il,ll and I've got the phaseI' handy if I need it." looked dut {)Ver her garden. She pulh:'d back the heav.v curtains slightly, opened .10 rubbed itt her eyes, slumped back the window n fraction <)nd let in " bl'lst lH onto the sofa and admitted, "r don't think cold air, (KC0l11pilnieQ by a slight feline that r could use it." shape. Florence shut the vvindmN with <l snap directly the long tJii was inside and "Don't worry. I can. I've got less to said, "Brrrr. It must be close to freezing lose. Mavbe another 20 vears if I'm verv nut there. ! hope that the Se(urit~! team lucky. Y~}U've got more than <1 century L;) h(1ve their thermals ,Hi," go. That's vvhat living aIl10ngst VuJcans does to you. :v1akes you think logically )0 stared at the fur-clad 511'I])l' about things," \vinding itself in ,.veicorning figures ,11 Qight <'lbllUt Florence's ankles. 'TIl,ll i~ ,I Jo snorted. "Didn't seem to do (at!" llH.Kh lor me." "Yep. CQJ1uine Tl~rraJl rn()h~ie. In, "Oh ves it did. I t shows, ,md un meet Claudius." 7 "Claudius' Right." The shadowy "Bribe? Bribe?? I have never shape stopped between Florence's ankles resorted to bribery in my life. If you have <1nd peered suspiciously at Jo, who was to bribe someone it means that you still reclining on the sofa. She waved a haven't done your homework well hand in welcome. "Greeting, Oh Cat." enough." Claudius continued to regard her ''I'll try to remember that. Why \vith deep suspicion, then seemed to Claudius?" decide that she wasn't really very interesting at all and sat down to begin an Florence stretched au t a hand, intensive toilette. fingers extended and slightly crooked, sweeping it through the air. Jo grinned Florence chuckled, stepped then glanced dovvn at her unconscious carefully away from him, and resumed charges. "Er.. Will he ... ?" her seat in the vast armchair that over the years had become perfectly deformed to "I doubt it. Have you ever seen a fit her. cat meet a Vulcan?" "Okay, I surrender. Just how did "No." you acquire a genuine cat? Importation of animals that could interrupt the "Watch and learn," invited Florence. ecosystem is strictly prohibited, and the Security team that camps out watching Claudius, his fur once again over you must have seen that by now," immaculately smooth and his whiskers bristling, glanced regally about the dimly Claudius ignored the conversation light room, decided that, in the absence of and started on another paw. any more interesting diversion, Florence and Jo would have to suffice and started "As you said, he's an illegal alien. to glide delicately across the rugs towards Poor little thing was just a scrap of fur. them. He paused as the three figures on Some bright specimen decided to bring the rug by the fire came into sight. Jo saw him, and a dozen or so lady type kittens his eves widen then narrow, and his ears in, and set up a cat fann. He got caught, pitch' forwards as he sank down onto his of course, bu t that left the local peace belly, quiveringly still except for the very enforcers with a hatful of kittens, and tip of his tail which twitched backwards they're all soft-hearted enough not to just and forwards like a demented simply destroy perfectly healthy animals. metronome. So the Xeno-biologists at the Academy ensured that there wouldn't be any next So long did the cat hold his position generation and started looking for that Jo had to risk interrupting his suitable homes for them." delibera tions and got off the sofa to replace the blanket that her father had Jo regarded Florence with displaced in his feverish twisting. She undisguised amusement. The Head of needn't have been concerned. Claudius Experimental Engineering at Avalon's ignored her as thoroughly as he had since Starfleet Academy gazed back innocently. he had first entered the room. He only wanted to know about the most desirable "How much did you bribe them?" person he'd ever encountered. asked Jo, not fooled for a second. "It's like watching a little child who's been granted thQir dparesl wish. involvement had on till, VuiC)J)s ,md tlw Awe, eagerness and TIT\ sure if J touch it ('ntHITnll<":, \·h,m;!.('~, in lift,:·;tyh"~ MId it'll disappear.'" ~)Pl)UII." lh~\l had bappen(ld \)\) Vult-'ln during her m"\'n Iift~timc \"'.?I$ l:,111sing Claudius began to inch forwards major problems to the Vulcan leadership. Rnd Jo tensed herself, ready to bat the tiny Jt) knevv th<ll the more Traditionalistic creature aside, then she heard the low groups were still a ttempting to promote a insistent purr and Claudius snuggled popular movement to force Vulcan lo down beside Spock. Ja looked at leave the Federation. As one of the Florence, her body expressing a question leaders of the group who were trying to that Fl(?rence recognised. encourage a more elastic interpretation ot IDIC, Sarek might well have accepted her Florence shrugged. "I have no idea. stav in order to sh()\·v that Terr<ll1S could All I know is that if you put any size cal cOJ;fonn to Vulcan standards of anywhere neRr a Vulcan you end up with behaviour. She'd certainly tried hard a deliriously happy cat and an enough. embarrassed Vulcan. Doesn't matter how or where, it always works. Amanda said "Wh<lt's <I Siberian Tiger?" .10 asked that Sarek once had the S<1me effect on a (lfter a longish pause in the converscltion. Siberian Tiger." "Feral feline. Big striped job, lots 01 "You know Amanda and Sarek?" filngs and claws, Zlbout· the size nt the sofa." "Why yes. I worked with Amanda for years, when I was on Vulcan. The Jo looked abou t her M the Academy wasn't as it is 11m"\'. dimensions of the vast, stuffed item of Outworlders were a definite rarity then, furniture that she \,vas reclining lm, then and fortunately Amanda and I found that looked back at Florence, disbeliei writ we could be friends as well as working large on her face and clemly visible even colleagues. We·ve kept in touch ever in the ligh t from the fire. since. Sarek pretends not to mind me too much. I irritated the hell llut of him (lnd "True, Amanda told me ,1bout it·· he was glad to see the back of me." "I'll ask her," challenged )0, In found herself in sympathy with stTuggling with the image of i'l Cat the size Sarek. Florence Rood loose on Vulcan of a sofa curled up and purring next to must have caused shockwaves through the ultimate dignity of the Federation the establishment, who \·vere more used Amb<.lss<ldor to a decorous mode of behaviour. Her thoughts drifted on to the way Amanda "Okay, but make sure that SarE~k and Sarek had invited her to live in their isn't around." house while she attended the Medical School at the Vulcan Science Academv. Jo checked the tricorder readings l)J1 Even the newfound knowledge that tl;e ag<lin and sat up straight. "The fever's main reason behind this very generous dropping. One degree down." gesture was that Spock had named her father as Thy'la did not fully explain just why Sarek had allowed her to live there. ·'Yes. Heart rate is do\<vn a couple of The impact that Federation points too, ,1nd breathing is slowed