Spock Must Die

Chapter Five — ON THE OTHER HAND…

From the Captain’s Log, Star Date 4020.8:

I have interdicted further orders from either Spock until the identity question can be resolved — if it can be — although it effectively deprives me of my first officer. This is a long way from being even a satisfactory interim move, however, since even without authority an alienated Spock could work all kinds of mischief. But there is no way of preventing this short of throwing both of them in the brig, a step for which I have no present grounds.

Operating without a first officer was exhausting work despite Sulu’s best efforts, especially under the added strain of Klingon surveillance — Sulu had indeed managed to shake the scout ship that had been trailing the Enterprise, but there could be no doubt that the Klingons now knew she was somewhere in the area, and would be searching for her grimly, tenaciously and efficiently. Nevertheless, when Kirk came off watch he went to the sick bay before turning in.

“Something that Spock Two suggested has been nagging at me,” he told McCoy. “If the replicate is in fact a mirror image, wouldn’t fluoroscopy or an X-ray show it? Heart pointing the wrong way, appendix on the left side, something like that?”

“Afraid not, Jim,” McCoy said. “Anatomically, Vulcans have perfect bilateral symmetry — and no appendix, either. Of course, Spock is genetically half human, but the only influence that has in this particular area is in handedness.”

“I thought of that, but obviously the replicate has thought of it too. If he’s in fact left-handed, he’s counterfeiting being right-handed very successfully.”

“Let’s keep watching for it anyhow. Handedness is a very deep physiological bias — sooner or later he’s bound to slip.”

“Spock? You must be kidding.”

“I guess you’re right,” McCoy said gloomily.

“Nevertheless I agree that watching may be the only answer, and particularly by the ship’s psychologist, meaning you, Doc. If there is a major personality reversal here, there’s got to be something un-Spocklike to be seen in the replicate if we look hard enough for it.”

“Any suggestions?”

“We’ll have to play it by ear. But just for example, I’ll tell you privately that I’m highly suspicious of Spock Two. The emotional pressure he has been bringing to bear on me to have the replicate destroyed is uncharacteristic. The conservative approach Spock One advocates seems more like the old Spock. But it’s not enough to go on. We’ve got to have a test.”

“Easy,” McCoy said drily. “Just order Yeoman Rand to kiss one of them. If he responds shoot him.”

“If we can’t think of anything better, I’ll do just that,” Kirk said. “I’m dead serious, Doc.”

“I know you are, Jim, and I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Watching that human computer was a chore at the best of times, though. Having to watch two of them, under battle alert, is going to be a real cross.”

Kirk left, temporarily satisfied. McCoy would follow the lead; it did not matter that he was sarcastic about it. He could no more avoid that than he could avoid breathing.

After the next day’s watch — uneventful, but nerve-wracking — Kirk visited the engineering deck. Scott’s report was no more encouraging than the surgeon’s had been.

“I’ve been shooting out inanimate objects toward Organia’s coordinates, Captain, and I’ve got quite a collection of duplicate mathoms th’ noo. They don’t tell us a thing we didna ken before.”

“What’s a mathom?”

“A useless object, alas. The things do replicate in reverse, so we can regard that hypothesis as confirmed. But I dinna see bow that helps us. I suppose ye thought of checkin’ the Spocks to see where they were wearin’ their badges?”

“I did think of it, but not soon enough — not when the duplication first occurred. Now the replicate has had plenty of time to think of it himself and take steps.”

“Well, an’ next I’m goin’ to send out an experimental animal an’ give the replicate to Doc to play with. Though he won’t see much in the way of personality reversal there. If it’s a rabbit, maybe it’ll bite him.”

But the next day, all hopes for a testing program became academic — and in fact, impossible.

Spock Two was on the bridge when Kirk came on duty, to the Captain’s rather disquieted surprise. He said at once, “Captain, I have issued no orders and would not be here at all were it not for the gravity of the situation. However, I must report that the entity you call Spock One has barricaded himself in Dr. McCoy’s laboratory, and refuses to come out without a logged assurance of my destruction, and a guarantee of his own life.”

The atmosphere on the bridge was like the inside of an electrostatic chamber. Kirk said, “Confirm!”

“Confirmed,” the computer said.

Kirk snapped a glance at Uhura. “Lieutenant, ask Dr. McCoy to come up here, on the double. Mr. Spock, if you were he — that is, Spock One — what do you think you might be attempting to gain? Beyond, of course, trying to force my hand on the overt demands?”

“There are many possibilities, Captain. Simple disruption of ship’s routine is one. Or trying to force a loyalty crisis among your other officers. Or an attempt to gain privacy in order to jury-rig some form of communication with the Klingons.”

“Could you run up such a rig, in his circumstances?”

“Yes, in any of several different ways.”

“Mr. Sulu, deflector screens up.”

“Already up, Captain,” the navigator said with indefatigable cheerfulness. At the same moment, McCoy entered.

“Doctor, is there anything in your laboratory that Spock One could adapt to damaging the ship — or the personnel?”

“Quite a lot,” McCoy said. “In fact, probably more than I could guess. After all, he is the ship’s science officer — or a more than reasonably accurate facsimile.”

“Enough to justify our trying to cut our way in there with a phaser?”

“I would say not,” McCoy said. “There’s a lot of equipment in there that’s irreplaceable under our present circumstances, to say nothing of a good many reagents and drugs. If he resisted, much of it could be damaged or destroyed — or he could stymie us by threatening to destroy it himself. And consider, Jim, that he may be doing nothing more than what he says he’s doing: safeguarding his own life. Why not wait and see?”

“May I comment, Captain?” Spock Two said. Kirk nodded. “The risks in such a course are enormous. Surely this move — which is in direct violation of your standing orders to me — establishes that he is the replicate, not I. Leaving him unmolested is tantamount to inviting a highly qualified Klingon science officer aboard, handing him a full set of engineering tools and materials, and inviting him to do his worst.”

“Think highly of yourself, don’t you?” McCoy said.

“If you doubt that I am highly qualified, Doctor, I suggest that you ask the computer for my record.”

“Cut it out, both of you,” Kirk said. “This is no time for feuding. And Mr. Spock, I want you to bear in mind that I do not consider anything established as yet. I am highly suspicious of both of you, and the only chances I am prepared to take are those which will keep both of you alive. Dammit, man, don’t you know that you’re insisting on my destroying someone who may be my friend — as well as the best first officer in the Fleet? If you don’t, then it’s pretty clear that you can’t be the original Spock!”

“Of course I understand it,” Spock Two said. “But it is my duty to offer what I think to be the facts.”

“It is,” Kirk agreed, somewhat mollified. “However, for the present, we will leave this mess standing exactly as it is. In the meantime, I want you all to recall that we are still trying to dodge the Klingon navy and make a run for Organia — which is now our own best chance for survival, as well as of being of some use to the Federation.”

“We may not be in time even at best, Captain,” Lieutenant Uhura said. “I have just intercepted a general Klingon subspace broadcast. They claim to have inflicted a major defeat upon the Federation Fleet in the Great Nebula area of Orion. That’s awfully close to Earth itself.”

“It is more than that,” Spock Two said. “It is the area which the Klingons call New Suns Space, because fourth-generation stars are being born there.”

“Why does that matter?” Kirk said.

“Because, Captain, the process still has millions of years to run. It means that the Klingons are so confident of winning the war that they are willing to expend men and ships to capture solar systems that, as yet, do not even exist. And they may very well be right.”