“Maybe he keeps us around to remind him of that. But as a doctor, I can tell you… some wounds never heal.”

  Kirk found Raya in her cabin, looking exhausted by the ordeal they’d all endured over the past few days- and troubled by the consequences waiting for her back on Mestiko. She managed a melancholy shadow of a smile. “Maybe I won’t go home. Maybe I’ll just join your crew and explore the cosmos… and you’ll be in charge and I won’t have to worry about a thing.”

  “Have you talked to Theena?”

  “I know she has to be in the brig, but it’s just… depressing. She says she doesn’t want an advocate. Just wants to plead guilty, no matter what the charges.”

  “That would be simpler.”

  “Part of me agrees. But part of me wants to put her through a trial.” She clenched her fists and shook them. “Part of me wants to strangle her! She betrayed me, James… betrayed a lifetime of friendship and respect. Is that… petty… of me?”

  “Not after what she did. But she didn’t intend to do it to you personally.”

  “I know that- but it feels that way. Not now- it’s too fresh- but I’m going to have to sit down with her and talk, really talk. I need to know why she did this. How could such a brilliant girl go down such a dark and foolish path- and without my noticing? How many more of our young people feel so much despair and frustration? After all we’ve been through, all the strides forward… are we doomed by our demons? Do some wounds never heal?”

  “Those are the questions your people have to ask, out loud. And I can’t think of anyone better equipped than you to listen- really listen- to the answers.” Kirk gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Well, I’ll let you get some rest.”

  “No, wait. Stay. I… don’t want to be alone.” Raya blinked to hold back a wave of grief. “I called home to check in. Blee told me… my grandmother died.”

  Kirk sighed and reached out for her hand. “I’m… so sorry. I liked your elor.”

  “She liked you too, James.” Then Raya laughed despite the tears sliding down her cheeks. “But she really liked this ship of yours. You know, when I left her this last visit, I… I had a feeling.” Raya squeezed her eyes shut. “She told me to go do what I had to do.”

  “So on top of everything else, you have to make funeral arrangements.”

  Raya nodded as she wiped her eyes. “Something I can’t delegate to my staff. I have no idea…”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help.”

  “Just listening helps.” She let out a weary sigh as recollections of Elee filled her head. “You know, she loved to fly- in anything. Gliders, props, jets, balloons… your starship. She’s positive she’ll be reincarnated as a bird. Then she’d get to spend the rest of her next life flying over…” Raya’s voice trailed off and she frowned, then brightened slowly. “Wait… I do know what she would want… where to scatter her ashes. And, yes, you can help me.”

  “Whatever you need.”

  “James, would you please join me and Elee for a balloon ride across Tuuliie Bay?”

  Kirk’s careworn face broke into a boyish grin. “I’d be honored.”

  TO BE CONTINUED…

  Acknowledgments

  This is my first time involved in a project with this many writers kibitzing together- a veritable writing orgy!

  However, as much as we hope our readers enjoy these stories, you’ll never know just how much fun we had writing them for you. Why? Because you’ll never get to read the loony e-mail exchanges we had during the process (unless Keith decides to include them in a future “Special Edition”).

  Like most writers, I’m accustomed to working alone. Remember, many of us became writers in the first place because we’re socially maladroit. So this was a welcome change of pace.

  It was a great pleasure working alongside and being inspired by my talented Mere Anarchy colleagues. Thanks to Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward, Mike W. Barr, Dave Galanter, Christopher L. Bennett, and Margaret Wander Bonanno for the honor of their company.

  Thanks to Our Glorious Editor (O.G.E.) Keith R.A. DeCandido for inviting us to play together.

  And on a personal note, thanks to all the devoted fans who have kept Star Trek alive, and given me the lucky opportunity to write these for more than thirty years.

  About the Author

  Since HOWARD WEINSTEIN sold his first story at age nineteen (the 1974 animated Star Trek episode “The Pirates of Orion”), his writing career has spanned four decades! His credits include a half-dozen Star Trek novels, three V novels, and sixty Star Trek comics. Recent contributions to Star Trek short-story anthologies are “Safe Harbors” in Tales of the Dominion War and “Official Record” in the original-series fortieth anniversary collection Constellations. His nonfiction work includes “Being Better,” an essay in Boarding the Enterprise, a fortieth anniversary celebration of the legacy of Star Trek from BenBella Books; the book Puppy Kisses Are Good for the Soul & Other Important Lessons You & Your Dog Can Teach Each Other; and a biography of New York Yankees baseball star Mickey Mantle. His numerous articles and columns have appeared in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Newsday, and Starlog Magazine. Despite his not-so-secret identity as a displaced New Yorker, Howard lives in Maryland with his understanding wife, Susan, and their two cute Welsh corgis, Mickey and Callie.

  About the eBook (v1.0)

  This eBook originated from a text file found on eMule, it was then converted into html & reformatted using a style sheet.

  —Agent Orange, June 2007

 

 

  Howard Weinstein, The Blood-Dimmed Tide

 

 

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