Pippenge asked again.
“None,” Spock said. “Again, without the proper catalyst, it is, as your scientists found, quite harmless.”
“Why go to war to acquire it?” Kirk tried to rub a knot of tension from his neck, but it wasn’t going away.
“Perhaps to protect it,” Spock suggested. “I’m not familiar enough with the compound to be certain. However, it could be used to produce a chain reaction, and that might cascade out of control, destroying more than one’s intended target.”
“A doomsday device?” Palamas asked.
Kirk shook his head. “Let’s hope not.”
“The Kenisians’ intent is unknown,” Spock said grimly. “But the possibility of wide-scale destruction cannot be ruled out.”
“They may not know what they have,” Palamas suggested.
Tainler was now panicking. “Might they fear that we’ve made it into a weapon?”
“Their intensive scans were probably checking to see if you had weaponized the na’hubis .” Kirk nodded toward the display on the console.
“But we haven’t. They know we haven’t, don’t they? Does that mean they will leave us in peace?” Pippenge asked.
“Unlikely.” Spock toggled a switch, and the view returned to the basic data on the compound. “Considering their actions, the Kenisians may want to continue the experiments they were conducting thousands of years ago.”
Kirk stepped away from them, studying the consoles and the hatchways. “It’s more urgent than that.” The captain wasn’t sure if he was getting that feeling from having talked to Zhatan and the personalities within her or from when she force mind-melded with him. Somehow it must have come from her. Otherwise why would he know that the Kenisians were on a timetable?
“They want these containers.”
“Mines,” McCoy corrected.
“ Why do they need them?” Kirk asked. “How many other installations are there like this? How much of this compound has been stored elsewhere?”
Spock checked the computer again, scrolling through a series of reports in the Kenisian language. “If I interpret this correctly—I can only surmise—”
Kirk didn’t care about the qualification. “How many, Spock?”
“I believe this was a unique installation. It is possible the Kenisians hoped this weapon would end their war, but did not have time to complete it.”
“If they had, how would they have even used it? They’d destroy their own planet just to keep invaders out? ‘If I can’t have it, no one can’?” McCoy’s tone was thoroughly irritated, as if the Kenisians who designed the weapon were in the room.
“It is not a rational plan. But if they’re Vulcan—” Palamas began.
McCoy cut her off. “A modern Vulcan wouldn’t. But one without logic?”
Spock agreed. “We were brutal and heartless before embracing Surak’s teachings. My world was devastated by war after war.” He paused. “It was not rational, but savage and vicious.”
“They obviously don’t have the means to re-create the na’hubis .” Kirk turned directly to Pippenge. “We need to get rid of it. The Enterprise isn’t back yet. When Mister Scott returns, I can have a team beamed down to remove it all. With your permission.”
“I— I don’t know,” Pippenge stammered. He was an ambassador, not a head of state. “I’d have to consult the Court. President Moberte would have to authorize—”
“We may not have time for that.” Kirk pulled out his communicator and flipped it open. “Kirk to Enterprise .” He nodded toward Pippenge. “The ship may be in range. I’ll need you to contact your President and get clearance for us to beam down the proper equipment.”
“I will do so now.” The ambassador looked away, nervously making his call.
“Kirk to Enterprise .” The captain fussed with his communicator’s dials. “Kirk to Enterprise .” Even without the ship in orbit, there should be some kind of response signal showing a channel was open. There wasn’t.
“None,” Spock said. “Again, without the proper catalyst, it is, as your scientists found, quite harmless.”
“Why go to war to acquire it?” Kirk tried to rub a knot of tension from his neck, but it wasn’t going away.
“Perhaps to protect it,” Spock suggested. “I’m not familiar enough with the compound to be certain. However, it could be used to produce a chain reaction, and that might cascade out of control, destroying more than one’s intended target.”
“A doomsday device?” Palamas asked.
Kirk shook his head. “Let’s hope not.”
“The Kenisians’ intent is unknown,” Spock said grimly. “But the possibility of wide-scale destruction cannot be ruled out.”
“They may not know what they have,” Palamas suggested.
Tainler was now panicking. “Might they fear that we’ve made it into a weapon?”
“Their intensive scans were probably checking to see if you had weaponized the na’hubis .” Kirk nodded toward the display on the console.
“But we haven’t. They know we haven’t, don’t they? Does that mean they will leave us in peace?” Pippenge asked.
“Unlikely.” Spock toggled a switch, and the view returned to the basic data on the compound. “Considering their actions, the Kenisians may want to continue the experiments they were conducting thousands of years ago.”
Kirk stepped away from them, studying the consoles and the hatchways. “It’s more urgent than that.” The captain wasn’t sure if he was getting that feeling from having talked to Zhatan and the personalities within her or from when she force mind-melded with him. Somehow it must have come from her. Otherwise why would he know that the Kenisians were on a timetable?
“They want these containers.”
“Mines,” McCoy corrected.
“ Why do they need them?” Kirk asked. “How many other installations are there like this? How much of this compound has been stored elsewhere?”
Spock checked the computer again, scrolling through a series of reports in the Kenisian language. “If I interpret this correctly—I can only surmise—”
Kirk didn’t care about the qualification. “How many, Spock?”
“I believe this was a unique installation. It is possible the Kenisians hoped this weapon would end their war, but did not have time to complete it.”
“If they had, how would they have even used it? They’d destroy their own planet just to keep invaders out? ‘If I can’t have it, no one can’?” McCoy’s tone was thoroughly irritated, as if the Kenisians who designed the weapon were in the room.
“It is not a rational plan. But if they’re Vulcan—” Palamas began.
McCoy cut her off. “A modern Vulcan wouldn’t. But one without logic?”
Spock agreed. “We were brutal and heartless before embracing Surak’s teachings. My world was devastated by war after war.” He paused. “It was not rational, but savage and vicious.”
“They obviously don’t have the means to re-create the na’hubis .” Kirk turned directly to Pippenge. “We need to get rid of it. The Enterprise isn’t back yet. When Mister Scott returns, I can have a team beamed down to remove it all. With your permission.”
“I— I don’t know,” Pippenge stammered. He was an ambassador, not a head of state. “I’d have to consult the Court. President Moberte would have to authorize—”
“We may not have time for that.” Kirk pulled out his communicator and flipped it open. “Kirk to Enterprise .” He nodded toward Pippenge. “The ship may be in range. I’ll need you to contact your President and get clearance for us to beam down the proper equipment.”
“I will do so now.” The ambassador looked away, nervously making his call.
“Kirk to Enterprise .” The captain fussed with his communicator’s dials. “Kirk to Enterprise .” Even without the ship in orbit, there should be some kind of response signal showing a channel was open. There wasn’t.
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