Star Trek: The Original Series: Miasma Read online

  “Captain,” Spock greeted his guests, “Lieutenant.”

  Kirk felt Saavik relax, all but imperceptibly, beside him. Perhaps she had been pacing inside.

  “Spock,” he replied. “You’re looking more like your old self. How are you feeling?”

  There was a time when Spock would have objected to the word “feeling,” but not anymore. He answered the question without any caveats. “Inconveniently weak, and experiencing a certain bodily discomfort, but the good doctor assures me that I can expect to make a full recovery.”

  “If you don’t overexert yourself and follow your doctor’s directions.” McCoy approached the bed to take a closer look at the life-signs display. “It was touch-and-go there for a while. Spock had lost an absurd amount of blood, and, as you know, he has a rather exotic blood type, even by Vulcan standards.”

  “T-negative,” Saavik said. “I regret that I was not a suitable donor.”

  “It is not our blood type that we share, Saavik-kam. I believe I owe my life to a deeper connection between us.”

  Their gazes met, momentarily excluding the two humans, and Kirk wondered if he would ever truly comprehend what had passed between them when their minds had reached out and found each other just in time to save Spock. Probably not, he guessed. It’s a Vulcan thing.

  “I am pleased to find you well,” Saavik said finally, “and that I was able to render what assistance I could.”

  Spock nodded in acknowledgment, saying no more.

  “In any event,” McCoy said, breaking a suddenly awkward silence, “in the absence of another green-blooded donor, I resorted to pharmaceutical means to accelerate Spock’s own blood production in order to replenish his supply, using a modern variation of the same drug I gave him on our way to the Babel Conference way back when.”

  Kirk recalled the occasion. Spock’s father had required major surgery while aboard the Enterprise and Spock had needed to provide a dangerous quantity of blood for transfusion purposes. They had nearly lost both men at the time.

  “Of course, the drug’s not nearly as experimental as it was twenty years ago,” McCoy added, “which spoiled some of the suspense.”

  Spock regarded the doctor with amusement. “My apologies if my medical emergency was not sufficiently stimulating for you, Doctor.”

  “I’ll let it go this time,” McCoy said. “Heck, after what went on down on that fog planet, I may never complain about your freakish green blood again.”

  “Somehow I doubt that, Doctor.”

  McCoy thought it over.

  “Yeah. Me, too.”

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my editors, Ed Schlesinger and Margaret Clark, for inviting me to write my first Star Trek ebook. It’s going to be strange not having a physical copy of this book to show off on my brag shelf, but I guess I’ve finally joined the twenty-first century—by way of the twenty-third.

  Oddly, this is the first time I’ve ever written the character of Saavik, whom I’ve enjoyed as a fan ever since her debut in The Wrath of Khan more than twenty years ago, so I want to take the occasion to thank both Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis for bringing her to life on the screen. Feel free to visualize whichever actress you prefer when reading this book; I admit my mind’s eye swung back and forth between the two while writing it.

  Funny story: I first came up with this plot at least fifteen years ago, when I was brainstorming possible pitches for Star Trek: Voyager. The original version involved Tuvok and Chakotay, but I like to think Spock and McCoy work just as well. I’m grateful for the chance to finally tell this tale.

  I also want to thank my agent, Russ Galen, for handling the contractual details; as always, my girlfriend, Karen, who made an emergency coffee run just when I needed it; and our two four-legged kids, Sophie and Lyla, who got locked out of my office a few times when I needed to focus on giant killer leeches. Sorry about that.

  About the Author

  Greg Cox is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous Star Trek novels and stories, including Child of Two Worlds, Foul Deeds Will Rise, No Time like the Past, The Weight of Worlds, The Rings of Time, To Reign in Hell, The Eugenics Wars (volumes one and two), The Q Continuum, Assignment: Eternity, and The Black Shore. He has also written the official movie novelizations of Godzilla, Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Death Defying Acts, and the first three Underworld movies, as well as books and stories based on such popular series as Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Farscape, The 4400, Leverage, Riese: Kingdom Falling, Roswell, Terminator, Warehouse 13, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

  He has received three Scribe Awards from the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers and lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

  Visit him at: www.gregcox-author.com.

  FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Greg-Cox

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  First Pocket Star Books ebook edition February 2016

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  ISBN 978-1-5011-2531-7