Star Trek - TOS 38 Idic Epidemic by Jean Lorrah Page B

when he re turned after several days’ absence. Kevin, though, was now at an age when demonstration of affection for parents was considered embarrassing—a stage both Klingon and Human adolescents exhibited, and so perfectly natural to Kevin.
    Korsal understood Kevin—it was Karl, the same fusion of Klingon and Human as his brother, who was the family enigma. It often seemed to Korsal that his younger son was trying his best to turn out Vulcan.
    Ordinarily, Korsal would have hugged his sons despite their protest, but today he would not touch any member of his family until he had showered and changed clothes. He did not think he could have become contaminated on his way home from the hospital, but he would take no risk with their health.
    “Where is Seela?” he asked as he crossed toward the communications console.
    “Gone to the market,” Kevin replied.
    “Did you not offer to go instead?” Korsal asked. He would be equally concerned if one of his sons were risking exposure, yet with every passing day their immunity to the plague seemed further assured.
    “I did offer,” Kevin said. “Seela said no one on the council who had had the second strain of the plague caught the third.”
    That was true; Korsal had told her that when he called to say he had been released. Seela had had the second strain of the plague and recovered.
    Kevin continued, “She also said I would not know how to choose either meat or vegetables.”
    “A sad lack in your education,” said Korsal. “Seela must teach both of you—and you must learn how to cook as well. I would not wish my sons to marry too soon, or to choose consorts merely because they are hungry.”
    Kevin grinned. “Or starve our own sons one day?”
    “Kevin,” Karl said flatly, “you should have more respect for our father. He always provided adequate nutrition.”
    “And you, Karl,” said Korsal to his younger son, “should stop being so serious! Kevin is quite right: I married Seela for her cooking.”
    Karl was too young to comprehend the humor in that, but Kevin choked on his laughter, pleased to share an adult joke with his father.
    “Kevin,” said Korsal, “take your brother out into the fresh air. The rain is over. I’ll come out and play ball with you as soon as I see what Torrence wants. I need some exercise after being cooped up in the hospital!”
    But Korsal was not to have the game of rough-and- tumble he had looked forward to sharing with his sons.
    Torrence’s face did not come onto the screen when he keyed in the woman’s code. Rather, he heard the hollow ring of someone speaking into a hand-held communicator, and the sound of rushing water in the background. “Korsal! Thank God there’s one engi neer not on the sick list! Get up here to the dam right away. We’ve got trouble!”

Chapter Nine
    T’Pina was fascinated by the USS Enterprise, the largest ship she had ever traveled on—at least that she could remember. She had no recollection of being taken to Vulcan as an infant, and only hazy, fragmen tary images of the transfer from Vulcan to Nisus.
    Once, during her secondary education, she had made a three-day journey with four other outstanding students aboard a survey ship mapping the uninhabit ed planets in Nisus’ system. Later, she had traveled to Vulcan to take up her classes at the Academy aboard a Vulcan trading vessel. A Federation starship was far more interesting than either.
    She found herself surrounded by legends.
    Of course the current situation was unusual. On an ordinary voyage Sarek, the famous Vulcan ambassa dor and scientist, would not be aboard with his equally famous wife Amanda, one of the foremost linguistic scholars of the Federation. Nor had the renowned medical team of Sorel and Corrigan ever left Vulcan together before—and here they were in the same room with Sarek and Amanda!
    But the crew of the Enterprise itself was headed by the legendary Captain James T. Kirk, and his first officer was Commander Spock,