Free Yesterday Son by A. C. Crispin Page B

rescue was going to cause a lot more problems for the young man than it had solved.

Chapter VIII
    The return trip aboard the supply ship was uneventful and routinely boring for everyone—except Zar, who spent hours staring at the stars through the viewport. When he wasn’t studying the tapes Spock had given him, he was underfoot in the control cabin. The First Officer of the transport, a Tellarite female named Gythyy, took a shine to him, and began teaching him the rudiments of piloting. Although he lacked the advanced mathematics necessary for the navigational computations, he proved adept at seat-of-the-pants maneuvering.
    When the Enterprise personnel disembarked, Gythyy embraced her pupil roughly, after the custom of her people, and turned to the three officers. “This boy of yours is plenty smart. If the Federation doesn’t want him, send him back to me. I could train him to be the best pilot in the whole quadrant!”
    As they walked down the loading ramp, Zar turned to Spock eagerly. “Did you hear her? She said—”
    “Tellarites are notoriously given to overstatement,” the Vulcan said matter-of-factly.
    Visibly deflated, Zar’s voice was subdued. “I’ve finished the tapes, sir.”
    Spock nodded. “I am designing a course of study for you that should allow you to attain the levels expected of a general studies university graduate. I would not recommend specialization until you have completed it.”
    Doctor McCoy was busy explaining the orderly [75] pandemonium of Star Base 11 when Kirk and Spock returned from the administration offices.
    Waving a clipboard of readouts, Kirk announced, “Our clearance and bill of health ... And new orders. Taxi duty, ferrying an experimental strain of honeybee to Sirena, across this sector. Ever do any beekeeping, Bones?”
    McCoy shook his head. “No, can’t say I’ve had any contact with the little devils since I accidentally sat on one at the Sunday School picnic when I was twelve. I got the worst end of that deal!”
    The two men laughed, and Zar asked, puzzled, “What’s a bee?”
    An explanation of the life and habits of Hymenoptera Apis mellifera (delivered by Spock) occupied them until they were beamed up to the Enterprise.
    The Captain drew an appreciative breath, looking around his ship. She was quiet, and still relatively deserted. He walked over to the transporter controls and flipped a couple, nodded his head at her quietly efficient hum. Glancing at the maintenance reports, he opened a channel.
    “Computer,” announced a mechanical-sounding female from the bulkheads around them. Zar jumped.
    “Run a complete check on all systems, with special emphasis on those that were overhauled. Give me a verbal report on general status and follow up with a readout to be delivered to me when I key for it.”
    “Working,” commented the voice. After a second’s pause, it said, “All systems answer with an efficiency rating of plus 95 or better. Do you wish a breakdown by individual system?”
    “Not at this time. I’ll key for it in a few minutes. Provide copies upon request to Department Heads, Mr. Spock, and Chief Engineer Scott. Also duplicates to the maintenance authorities. Kirk out.” He turned to Spock, who was standing beside him. “I thought I’d assign Zar to bunk in with some of the unmarried security men.”
    [76] The Vulcan nodded. “That will be satisfactory.”
    McCoy joined them, directing their attention to Zar, who had drifted over to the door of the transporter room and was experimenting with how close he had to stand to make it whoosh open. Grinning, the Doctor shook his head. “More curiosity in that one than a kitten. ... I’m going to run some tests on him today, blood pressure, heart, that sort of thing. He needs some nutritional supplements, and for that I’ll need basal metabolism and some other readings. I can also test his intelligence—unless you’d rather do that, Spock.”
    The First Officer looked thoughtful. “I will