the brief attempt at interception showed only that it either had a high-density hull or was otherwise cloaked against sensor probes. It was definitely manned, but by what? The Romulans had nothing like it, nor did the Federation or neutral planets, and that it was Klingon seemed even more unlikely.
Two fragmentary transmissions had been picked up, in an unknown code—with a reception point somewhere inside the Enterprise herself. Kirk ordered the locator field tightened to include only the interior of his own ship; if somebody aboard had a personal receiver—as seemed all too likely now—it might be pinned down, if the shadow sent another such message.
There seemed to be nothing further to be done on that for the moment. With Spock, whose only concern over his father's illness seemed to be over its possible adverse effect upon the mission, Kirk paid a visit to Sickbay. Sarek was bedded down there, with McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel trying to make sense of the strange reports the body function panel was giving them; Amanda hovered in the door, trying to keep out of the way. As for Sarek himself, he looked as though he felt inconvenienced, but no longer in uncontrollable pain.
"How is he, Bones?"
"As far as I can tell, our prime suspect has a malfunction in one of the heart valves. I couldn't make a closer diagnosis on a Vulcan without an exploratory. Mrs. Sarek, has he had any previous attacks of this sort?"
"No," Amanda said.
"Yes," Sarek said almost simultaneously. "There were three others. My physician prescribed benjasidrine for the condition."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Amanda asked.
"There was nothing you could have done. The prognosis was not serious, providing I retired, which, of course, I did."
"When did you have these attacks, Ambassador?" McCoy said.
"Two before my retirement. The third, while I was meditating on the Observation Deck when the Tellarite was murdered. I was quite incapacitated."
"I saw you taking a pill not long before that," Kirk said. "If you'll give one to Dr. McCoy for analysis, it should provide circumstantial evidence in your favor. Were there any witnesses to the Observation Deck attack?"
"None. I do not meditate among witnesses."
"Too bad. Mr. Spock, you're a scientist and you know Vulcan. Is there a standard procedure for this condition?"
"In view of its reactivation by Sarek's undertaking this mission," Spock said, "the logical approach would be a cryogenic open-heart operation."
"Unquestionably," Sarek said.
"For that, the patient will need tremendous amounts of blood," McCoy said. "Christine, check the blood bank and see if we've got enough Vulcan blood and plasma. I strongly suspect that we don't have enough even to begin such an operation."
"There are other Vulcans aboard."
"You will find," Sarek said, "that my blood type is T-negative. It is rare. That my two aides should be lacking this factor is highly unlikely."
"I, of course," Spock said, "also have T-negative blood."
"There are human factors in your blood that would have to be filtered out, Mr. Spock," Christine said. "You just couldn't give enough to compensate for that."
"Not necessarily," Spock said. "There is a drug which speeds up replacement of blood in physiologies like ours . . ."
"I know the one you mean," McCoy said. "But it's still experimental and has worked only on a Rigellian. The two physiologies are similar, but not identical. Even with the Rigellian, it put a tremendous strain on the liver and the spleen, to say nothing of the bone marrow—and I'd have to give it to both of you. Plus which, I've never operated on a Vulcan. I've studied Vulcan anatomy, but that's a lot different from having actual surgical experience. If I don't kill Sarek with the operation, the drug probably will; it might kill both of them."
Sarek said, "I consider the safety factor to be low, but acceptable."
"Well, I don't," McCoy said, "and in this Sickbay, what I think is law. I can't sanction it."
"And I refuse
Two fragmentary transmissions had been picked up, in an unknown code—with a reception point somewhere inside the Enterprise herself. Kirk ordered the locator field tightened to include only the interior of his own ship; if somebody aboard had a personal receiver—as seemed all too likely now—it might be pinned down, if the shadow sent another such message.
There seemed to be nothing further to be done on that for the moment. With Spock, whose only concern over his father's illness seemed to be over its possible adverse effect upon the mission, Kirk paid a visit to Sickbay. Sarek was bedded down there, with McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel trying to make sense of the strange reports the body function panel was giving them; Amanda hovered in the door, trying to keep out of the way. As for Sarek himself, he looked as though he felt inconvenienced, but no longer in uncontrollable pain.
"How is he, Bones?"
"As far as I can tell, our prime suspect has a malfunction in one of the heart valves. I couldn't make a closer diagnosis on a Vulcan without an exploratory. Mrs. Sarek, has he had any previous attacks of this sort?"
"No," Amanda said.
"Yes," Sarek said almost simultaneously. "There were three others. My physician prescribed benjasidrine for the condition."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Amanda asked.
"There was nothing you could have done. The prognosis was not serious, providing I retired, which, of course, I did."
"When did you have these attacks, Ambassador?" McCoy said.
"Two before my retirement. The third, while I was meditating on the Observation Deck when the Tellarite was murdered. I was quite incapacitated."
"I saw you taking a pill not long before that," Kirk said. "If you'll give one to Dr. McCoy for analysis, it should provide circumstantial evidence in your favor. Were there any witnesses to the Observation Deck attack?"
"None. I do not meditate among witnesses."
"Too bad. Mr. Spock, you're a scientist and you know Vulcan. Is there a standard procedure for this condition?"
"In view of its reactivation by Sarek's undertaking this mission," Spock said, "the logical approach would be a cryogenic open-heart operation."
"Unquestionably," Sarek said.
"For that, the patient will need tremendous amounts of blood," McCoy said. "Christine, check the blood bank and see if we've got enough Vulcan blood and plasma. I strongly suspect that we don't have enough even to begin such an operation."
"There are other Vulcans aboard."
"You will find," Sarek said, "that my blood type is T-negative. It is rare. That my two aides should be lacking this factor is highly unlikely."
"I, of course," Spock said, "also have T-negative blood."
"There are human factors in your blood that would have to be filtered out, Mr. Spock," Christine said. "You just couldn't give enough to compensate for that."
"Not necessarily," Spock said. "There is a drug which speeds up replacement of blood in physiologies like ours . . ."
"I know the one you mean," McCoy said. "But it's still experimental and has worked only on a Rigellian. The two physiologies are similar, but not identical. Even with the Rigellian, it put a tremendous strain on the liver and the spleen, to say nothing of the bone marrow—and I'd have to give it to both of you. Plus which, I've never operated on a Vulcan. I've studied Vulcan anatomy, but that's a lot different from having actual surgical experience. If I don't kill Sarek with the operation, the drug probably will; it might kill both of them."
Sarek said, "I consider the safety factor to be low, but acceptable."
"Well, I don't," McCoy said, "and in this Sickbay, what I think is law. I can't sanction it."
"And I refuse
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