THE SONG OF THE UNICORN
"Report, Mr Spock?"
"A Class M-type planet, Captain, rich in vegetation and minerals. Atmosphere 0.95 Earth-normal, capable of sustaining human life. Evidence of basic humanoid habitation around the equatorial region, along with other bipedal and quadrupedal animals."
"Thank you, Mr Spock. Comments?"
"Recommend a landing party to approach the humanoid population to investigate level of culture and intelligence, Sir."
"Agreed, Mr Spock. Do you wish to do the honours?"
"If you so wish, Captain, I shall take the usual landing party down."
"Proceed, Mr Spock."
---oo0oo---
The transporter room was filled with research equipment as Spock, two scientists, one an exobiologist, the other a geologist, plus three security guards, prepared to beam down. When they were ready they stepped onto the pads and Mr Scott activated the beams. On the Bridge, Lt. Uhura' s eyes suddenly widened and she spun in her chair. "Ion disturbance, Captain, transportation dangerous!"
The ship lurched as Kirk punched the corn button to the Transporter Room. "Do not transport personnel, Mr Scott!"
But it was too late - Scott had activated the beam and the figures on the pads had dematerialised. The ship continued to rock for a further few seconds before stabilising.
"Mr Scott - report!"
"Surr, they were on their way down, I couldna reverse in time!"
"Scan the surface, Mr Chekov!"
Chekov leaped over to Spock's scanner, activated it, the blue glow illuminating his face.
Just as he turned to Kirk to give his report, the planet-to-ship intercom buzzed. Kirk punched it in. "Security, Commander Evans of the landing party reporting, Sir. Sir, we've lost Mr Spock - he did not materialise with us. What happened?"
"Ion disturbance, Evans." replied Kirk curtly. "Institute a search for him immediately, Mister. Kirk out." He then punched the button for the Transporter Room. "Did they all get beamed down, Scotty?"
"Ayr, Surr, but it looks as if Mr Spock got thrown off-course, so to speak. He's down there somewhere, though."
"Chekov, scan the planet's surface for him, fast."
"Aye, aye, Keptin." The blue glow lit his face as he started the search.
---oo0oo---
Down on the planet's surface Spock stood, dazed and disoriented from his rough ride down. He was in deep foliage - what could, he surmised, be a tropical forest. The sun was obscured by overhanging trees, so Spock could not get an immediate fix on his position. He reached for his communicator, flipped it open. It was dead. He fiddled with the gain, but to no avail. It had been disabled by the ion disturbance. Giving a mental shrug, Spock decided that the best plan was to climb a tree to try to get his bearings from the location of the alien sun. Bright shafts of sunlight speared through the trees, making abrupt contrasts of sunshine and shade. The sun was brighter than Earth's star and considerably brighter than Vulcanis. Spock was temporarily dazzled and did not see the tiny figures moving in the shade, under the foliage and silently above him, high in the treetops. The attack came swiftly and efficiently, taking even Spock totally unawares. The little people swarmed all around him, armed with clubs, flint knives and stone-weighted creepers. One humanoid threw a stone down from an overhanging branch. It hit Spock on the crown of his head and his brain exploded in a flash of searing agony. He was deeply unconscious before he crumpled to the ground.
The little people swarmed over their captive, tying him up with the creepers, then striking him with their blunt instruments until green blood flowed. Seeing the alien colour of his blood, the tiny humanoids stopped their vicious attack and, with a series of frightened, high- pitched grunts, backed away and left their victim where he lay.
---oo0oo---
"Chekov?" There was an edge of impatience and anxiety in Kirk's voice.
"It's difficult, Keptin. 'm getting a lot of life-form readings but nothing specifically Vulcan."
"Keep scanning till you find him, Mister. Lt. Uhura, order the remainder of the landing party back to the ship immediately.
Uhura complied.
"Maintain scanning orbit, Mr Sulu."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
---oo0oo---
It was dark, so dark, where he was. He tried to move but could not. Darkness all around and his head hurt so. He was unable to induce the healing trance - the injury was too severe. He was alone, vulnerable and weak. He kept his eyes closed to keep out the bright sunlight that was lancing through the trees, making his headache worse.
He had no idea how long he lay there, his life-functions at their lowest ebb, until out of the depths of his unconsciousness he felt a silent touch on his cheek.
*What was that?* There it was again, soft and gentle as a caress. He could not move in answer.
He pulled his mind up to a higher level of consciousness, which only served to increase the pain in his head. He smelled the aromas of the forest and - something else. Something warm was standing over his prone figure. *Jim?* The mind-projection increased his pain to a blinding agony and he lapsed into unconsciousness again. Again, through his darkness, came the velvet touch on his cheek and again - something else. The feeling of mental contact.
*Who are you?* he projected, mastering the pain.
*My kind are called Unicorn and my name is Shayla.* she replied. *You are badly injured.*
Spock did not respond. His mind was busily trying to recall where he had heard the name "unicorn" before. Yes, that was it! Ancient Earth legend about a beautiful, magical, horse-like animal with a single horn projecting from its head. Mythical or extinct, he knew not which. Struggling to contain the excruciating pain, he projected *I am Spock. My friends will be looking for me. Please - find help. I need ... medical assistance.*
The concept of medical assistance was foreign to Shayla and she stood in bewilderment, swaying her head to and fro. Then, seeming to come to a decision, she lifted her head and emitted a sound akin to birdsong.
Spock tentatively opened his eyes, the nictitating membrane automatically covering his light-sensitive pupils as an extra protection. Hazily he could see, from where he lay on his side, a four-legged creature standing half in sunlight, half in shadow. It was pearly white with a translucent skin which shimmered every colour of the rainbow as it sang. The single horn that protruded from the centre of its skull was long, spiral and sharp and seemed to glow when the animal moved into darkness. Its mane and tail were long and silky and there were diaphanous wings on its flanks. It was the most beautiful creature Spock had ever seen, and he immediately regretted having kept his consciousness to the minimal for so long, thus preventing him from beholding such beauty from the first possible moment.
Shayla returned to Spock's side. *Can you release these bonds, Shayla? I am quite incapacitated.*
*I will attempt to gnaw through your bonds, Spock.* and she moved, nuzzling him until she could reach the bonds. When she had finally released him, he was so numb from lack of circulation that he could only lie on his stomach until the pins and needles in his arms and legs had abated, but when he attempted to raise his hand to touch his skull he was unable to do so. With a cold shock he realised the full extent of his injury. *I regret,* he projected to Shayla, *that I must remain immobile. The injury to my cranium is substantial. If I move at all, I will die.*
*Help is coming, Master.* responded Shayla.
*Master? I am not your master. You are a free spirit, I have no command over you.*
*You are wrong, Master. Our minds are joined. Come, I can take away your pain.* and Shayla knelt by Spock, first licking away the blood on his face, then gently placing her horn, shining and gleaming, colours coruscating, iridescing, on the injury. Spock felt warmth flooding over his entire body, felt the agony in his head abate, disappear. Gingerly he touched his head, felt it whole again and looked at the beautiful creature now standing again over him. Slowly he got to his feet, his eyes filled with the wonder of her beauty. Shyly he reached out to touch her flank, which was flashing all the colours of the rainbow to show her pleasure at his recovery. At the last moment he drew back from the personal contact, but Shayla took a delicate step towards him.
*Come, ride on my back, Master. My people are approaching and I wish you to greet them, my brothers and sisters. It is they who gave me the strength to ease your pain.* He leaped agilely up onto her back, feeling the warm body moving beneath him. He recalled hearing Jim say how he had loved to ride bareback back home in Iowa. Jim! Must get back to the ship! But Shayla was cantering under him and he had to use all his concentration to stay balanced on her back, quickly learning the skill of bareback riding that Jim had so often spoken to him of. He felt an exhilaration as they ran as one towards the rest of the unicorn herd, and felt her mind opening to greet her family. There they were, ahead in the glade, walking towards them through shafts of sunlight.
What happened next occurred so swiftly that Spock was forever unsure what had transpired. He heard a series of high-pitched grunts, and suddenly Shayla plunged under him, falling to her knees. Spock was thrown off, but was unhurt. The rest of the unicorn herd reared and raced towards them. The little humanoids attacked the fallen unicorn, and Spock found himself again fighting for his life. The herd of unicorns plunged towards the assailants, horns lowered, and each impaled a humanoid. The survivors again ran off, leaving Spock still standing, gasping but no worse injured than the superficial cuts he had sustained during his previous encounter. He turned to Shayla. She was lying on her side, her breath coming in short, snorting gasps. An enormous gash ran the length of her underside, and it was quite clear that she was dying. The rest of the herd milled around their fallen sister, making chirping, weeping noises that rent Spock's soul. He knelt by his unicorn, and placed his hand to her beautiful head. She was in great pain and he was powerless to assist her. The other unicorns knelt in a circle surrounding her, horns touching her body. Spock felt her pain easing.
*Go, Master, you must return to your own people.* Her thoughts became weaker. *I was selfish, Master, you do not belong here - that I now understand. My people will ease me through my last moments - don't grieve for me ...
Spock lay down beside her, stroking her noble head, seeing the shining hide fading, the rainbow colours dimming. Involuntarily Spock felt the tears spring from his eyes. *You gifted me with my life, Shayla, but I am powerless to gift you with yours. I am sorry.*
*My death will release you from our influence, Master. You will feel some pain, but you must return. Your friends are waiting for you - but I have one more gift for you before I go, Master.*
Then, quietly at first, and gradually increasing in volume, Shayla and then, one by one, every member of the herd, joined together and sang a paean of such poignant beauty that it filled Spock's entire being. Never had he heard a more beautiful sound. When the paean ended, Spock felt that he had lost something he could never have, or hear, again, as the memory of its melody was instantly erased. He looked down and saw that Shayla had died.
The herd nodded their horned heads once in salute, then turned and walked silently away, their coats flashing a melancholy blue.
And then for Spock the world went dark.
---oo0oo---
"Got him, Keptin!" Chekov exclaimed, triumphantly punching the air.
"Alive?" The concern in Kirk's voice was evident. "He is not moving, Keptin, I think he may be injured." Kirk punched the com. "Bridge to Sickbay. Bones, Transporter Room on the double - we have an injured Vulcan to contend with." Kirk was on his way to the turbolift as he spoke.
They beamed down to the co-ordinates, and the sight that met their eyes shocked them. Spock was lying unconscious, a dreadful wound in his skull, his blue shirt torn to shreds and stained with his green blood. By his side lay the body of a horse-like creature. Spock's hand was touching the animal's head. The creature's hide was pale grey and was darkening even as they watched.
"Oh my God." breathed McCoy as he knelt by the Vulcan' s body. "His skull is fractured and there's a fragment penetrating his brain, Jim. I can't move him."
"Can you operate here then?" asked Kirk anxiously.
"Guess I've got no alternative, Jim. Move him and he'll die." McCoy flipped his communicator, patched in to Nurse Chapel, who got a sterile-field area and all the necessary accoutrements beamed down. Security guards ringed off the area and McCoy set to work.
---oo0oo---
Two ship's days later McCoy was standing by Spock's bedside in Sickbay. Spock was lying, unseeing eyes open. The diagnostic bed's audible heartbeat was slower than it should be for a Vulcan, and McCoy had a worried frown on his face.
Kirk bustled in. "Any news, Bones?"
"He's not inducing the healing trance, Jim, and I don't know why. He just lies there like that, as though he's seeing something that we cannot."
"Huh?" Kirk looked enquiringly at the doctor.
"There's something strange about his alpha-waves, Jim, as though he' s in a constant state of dreaming. If I could get him out of that, he would induce the healing trance himself."
Kirk stepped to the bedside and took Spock's limp hand in his two hands. "Spock. Spock." Kirk saw the merest flicker in the empty eyes. "Spock, it's Jim. Can you hear me?"
"Jim?" Spock's voice was a mere whisper.
"Yes, Spock, I'm here."
"Jim." The name was spoken as a statement.
"Induce the healing trance, Spock."
"Beautiful - so - beautiful, Jim."
"What was, Spock?"
"Shayla ..." Spock's eyes closed.
Kirk laid a hand on a thin shoulder and gently shook the Vulcan back to awareness, saying "Spock, induce the trance now - please - for me." Kirk's voice was gentle but insistent. He looked enquiringly at McCoy, who nodded as he looked at the life systems indicator above Spock's head.
"He's made the transition now, Jim." confirmed McCoy.
But before Spock succumbed, his eyes opened wide, and a smile flitted across his lips. "So ... very ... beautiful." His voice seemed to echo and Kirk felt a pang of shock as he saw Spock's eyes filling with unshed tears.
Somewhere deep in the canyons of his mind, Spock was hearing a forgotten/remembered sound - as his eyes closed at last in the healing trance, once again, then nevermore, Spock could hear his unicorn singing ...
---oo0oo---