A Special Birthday (A Star Trek Adventure)

“Do you know what today is?”
Said James Kirk to the crew.
“Today is very special
And includes each of you.”

“There is a friend among us
Who’s loved by everyone.
It also is his birthday
I want to have some fun.”

“I want to do what no one
Has done for quite a while,
And celebrate his birthday
And try to make him smile.”

“Eet must be Spock,” said Chekov
“But eet could never be-
He’s never one for parties;
Right through us, he will see.”

“Since when, has my crew faltered ?
Since when has my crew failed?
We’ve never ducked a challenge,
Together, we’ll prevail.”

Just then the ship shook wildly,
Repeated blows she took.
The *shields held strong before it,
But still she shook and shook.

“The *Klingons sir, they’re hailing!”
“On screen,” the Captain said.
Then what appeared before them
Turned Captain Kirk’s face red.

But holding back his anger
So’s not to let it show,
He sat with his arms folded,
And then he calmly spoke.

“Well, Rogan, you old warrior,
What brings you out this far?
I didn’t think the Klingon’s
Were wanting all-out war.”

Just then, the lift door opened,
And out stepped Mr. Spock.
With calm repose he stood there;
Showed no surprise or shock.

“ The same is thought of you, Kirk,
What brings You out this far?
You’ve passed the Klingon boundary
You’re risking all-out war.”

“There’s some misunderstanding,
The treaty made it clear,
This zone we share is neutral.
You have no need to fear.”

“Who me, fear you, dear Captain?”
Said Rogan, with a laugh..
“I rue the day that happens.
How can you be so crass?”

“But what about the treaty
Your leaders all have signed?
We’ve kept it to the letter,
and read it line -by-line.”

“In treaties, there’s no honor
To give in with no fight.
We are a warrior people-
Your treaties are a blight.”

“Just what are your intentions?
Now what can I expect?
Do you intend to fight me,
Or just sit there and fret?”

“Me thinks you try to goad me,”
Said Rogan with a frown.
“So do us both a favor
And turn your ship around.”

“To goad you,” said the captain
“Is far from being true.
You’ve broken your own treaty;
We could demolish you.”

“Now Captain Kirk, why banter?
Why threaten and display
When you’re the one to end it;
Just move your ship away.”

“Uh, Captain!” said Uhura
“A message coming through.
It’s Admiral Blake from Starfleet
He wants to speak to you.”

“Excuse me, Captain Rogan,
But something has come in.
A message code from Starfleet
Arriving here in ten.”

“It seems you’ve bought some time Kirk,
But only for a while.
But I’ll be back before long.”
Said Rogan, with a smile.

And as he spoke the *Warbird
Turned smoothly on a dime.
Then pow’ring up her engines
She left her wake behind.

“Uh, Captain,” said Uhura,
But you misunderstand.
This message isn’t coded
But to you, man-to-man.”

“I realize,” said the Captain,
“The type of message sent.
But Rogan didn’t know that
That’s why he turned and went.”

“You lied to him.” returned Spock,
“A bluff was all it was.
Is that a good example
Of what a human does?”

“Just tactics,” said the Captain.
“We humans use the lie.
Explore your human side, Spock.
And then you’ll know just why.”

“Why must I be reminded
Of frailties that I have?
I’d rather be all *Vulcan
Than have a human half.”

Kirk knew too well, how useless
To argue with this friend
Who’d been right there to help him
Win fights he could not win.

Then turning ‘round to face him
He said quite sheepishly.
“I’d like to ask a question,
My friend, so dear to me.”

“In all the years I’ve known you
I have, at various times,
Been privileged to notice
A smile that looks so fine;”

“But never voluntary;
Without some stimuli
To force you into smiling;
Pray tell, please tell me why.”

“Need I remind you Captain,
As friend to me you are
When I was sure I’d killed you
Right after my *‘Pon Far’?”

“Yes Spock, I do remember.
But still, I emphasize
The reason you were smiling
Was brought on by surprise.”

“You smiled for just a moment,
A lovely sight to see
But then those joyful features
Transformed in front of me.”

“What do you want then, Captain?
What are you looking for?
You know my Vulcan past sir,
I cannot give you more.”

“The kind of smile I seek, friend,
A very common one,
Is inward satisfaction
And pride, for jobs well done.”

“You have the right to smile, Spock.
You have accomplished much.
Your friends admire, respect you
You have the magic touch.”

“I cannot do that Captain,
It’s not the Vulcan way.
We fight those prideful feelings,
We fight them every day.”

And then Spock turned to exit,
Then turned back once again,
Then offered one more statement
That made the Captain grin.

“That smile of shock, my Captain
Showed weakness on my part.
Surprise is unbecoming
A truly Vulcan heart.”

“I’ll never let it happen
Again at any time.
I work at being Vulcan,
And Vulcan ways are mine.”

He turned again to exit;
The lift doors now ajar.
The Captain thought in silence,
“We’ll see how strong you are!”

“Sir, Captain, Blake is waiting !
What shall I do with him?”
“I’ll take it in my quarters-
Return to you in ten.”

And as the lift doors opened.
To Sulu gave a look.
“You have the *Con now Sulu
Just run Her by the book.”

“Aye , Aye Sir!” countered Sulu
“I’ll take good care of Her.
I’ll page you if you’re needed.
Don’t worry ‘bout her Sir.”

“It’s Kirk here Adm’ral Blake, Sir.
And how are you today?”
“Just fine, but I was wond’ring
Just what you had to say.”

“Oh yes, I see, your sensors
Picked up our incident.
Don’t worry sir he’s gone now,
He never made a dent.”

“To what , are you referring?”
Said Blake to Captain Kirk.
Our sensors picked up nothing.
All satellites still work.”

“It’s Rogan, Adm’ral Blake Sir;
He’s up to his old tricks.
He fired upon our vessel;
Just shook us up a bit.”

“I didn’t even know that
His ship was in our zone.
The last I heard he’s cruisin’
A sector near his home.

The Captain’s face looked puzzled
As deep in thought he went.
“Jim Kirk, are you still with me?
There’s something I want sent.”

“Beg pardon, Adm’ral Blake, Sir!
You haven’t lost me yet.
What do you want from me, Sir?
I’ll get it, you can bet!”

“I want to know your plans for
That thing we talked about.
I want it straight from you, Kirk
Not rumors roundabout.”

“Don’t worry”, said the Captain,
Spock’s not with me right now.
But it will be a challenge,
To honor him somehow.”

“I know, but you can do it,”
Said Blake without a smile.
The VIP’s are coming,
We’ll be there in a while.”

“I’ll send it in an hour
Right to your private line
Aboard the Constellation.
We’ll see you then in nine.”

“Blake out!” ( his voice, all bus’ness.)
“Kirk out!” came the reply.
“How curious ,” thought the Captain.
“And I’m not quite sure why.”

“Oh well, the trouble’s over,
Must do my duty first.
My plans are almost finished
I hope they’ll really work.”

Just then, the bulkhead shuddered,
The *klaxons wailed and cried.
Some force had just insulted
The mighty Enterprise.

“Report! Now! Mr. Sulu!”
Kirk hit the intercom,
“They just appeared from nowhere!”
Said Sulu from the con.

“I’m on my way!” he shouted
The ship lurched to and fro.
The deck was hard to purchase
And fear began to grow.

The hull began to rattle
Kirk bolted from the lift.
“We’ve taken hits!” said Sulu
“The ship is now adrift.”

“Let’s hear it, engineering!
What damage has been done?”
“I’m here,” said faithful Scotty
“The damage here is none.”

“Excuse me?” said the Captain,
“We’re sitting here like ducks!
If we don’t get her going
We’ll all be out of luck.”

“I canna understand sair
There was no damage done;
There is no airthly reason
The engines will not run.”

“McCoy reports no damage
To any personnel -
“A few bumps,” said Uhura
“Beyond that, all is well.”

“Our *phaser banks on line sir!”
Said Sulu, in distress.
“Then fire!” said the Captain,
“Let’s give them back our best.”

The phasers sang and crackled
And each one hit their marks.
Two Klingon ships exploded
Into a million sparks.

But filling up the spaces
Where Klingons were before,
Were two more ships before them.
They left no open door.

“Still no response at helm sir!”
Cried Chekov o’er the noise.
“And where’s Spock?” cried the Captain,
“Here sir,”said Spock’s calm voice.

Spock staggered to his station
Along the rocking rail,
Then, speaking very frankly -
“Our shield’s about to fail.”

Said Kirk to ensign Chekov,
“How many ships are here?”
“There’s three around our bow sir!
And three more at our rear!”

“The Klingons sir, they’re hailing!”
“On screen,” the Captain said.
“It’s Rogan,” said Uhura.
Again, Kirk’s face turned red.

Just then the pounding faltered,
And then completely stopped.
There, Rogan sat, arms folded,
While Kirk fumed on the spot.

“I told you I’d return, Kirk.
I brought a few friends too.
There’s nothing now to stop us ,
There’s nothing you can do.”

“Let’s talk about this Rogan”----
“No talk!” the answer back.
“I know you’re tongue is silver.
But I’ll not fall for that!”

“We’re not exactly helpless,
You’ve lost two Birds, you know,
Before more die in battle
Just turn your ships and go.”

“We dedicate this battle
To those who’ve died before.
Our vengeance will be settled
At last, forever more.”

Kirk realized for the first time,
He’d lost his silver tongue.
How could he win this battle,
How would this song be sung?

“Prepare all guns for battle!”
Kirk’s features turned to stone.
But Sulu made a comment
That froze him to the bone.

“All weapons powered down sir!”
“Confirmed!” said Mr. Spock.
“We really are quite helpless;
Our ship is in a spot.”

Kirk shouted, “What’s up, Scotty!
Our weapons now have failed.
“I dinna know,” said Scotty.
“They should be working well!”

“They’ve powered up their weapons.”
Said Spock, in calm repose.
“I don’t know how he does it!”
Thought Kirk, “Nobody knows.”

“Uhura, send a beacon!
So what occurred this day
Will always be remembered!
Quick! Send it while you may!”

Said Spock, “ Six *salvos fired.
Our shield’s at ten percent.
We’ll take this set they offer;
Our shields will then be spent.”

The mighty ship did rumble
And shook both fore and aft.
The screen, being activated-
Showed Rogan as he laughed.

“Get braced!” the Captain shouted.
“The next one will be bad.
Forgive me for my failure!
My heart is very sad!”

And even as the phasers
Shot forth from open port
The crew cried out , “We love you!”
Then nothing- nothing more.

Then silence, eerie silence
As crew began to stare.
The Klingons slowly vanished
And soon they were not there.

“Our weapons have returned, Sir!”
Said Sulu from control.
“The helm responds!” Said Chekov,
“Where deed the Klingons go?”

The Captain hit a button.
“What happened Mr. Scott?”
“The engines are online, Sair.
What happened?-I know not.”

“But I’ll find out, I promise,
I’ll search with fine-tooth comb.
And nothing will escape me;
The truth will soon be known.”

“Captain, Adm’ral Blake sir,
He wants to speak to you.
He seems upset at something.
He will arrive in two.”

“He must have seen his sensors,
And knows just what transpired.
I’ll take it in my quarters
And change to fresh attire.”

“Now, maybe he’ll believe me,
His ship was close enough
To pick up all the action,
To see the Klingon’s bluff.

“They must have seen him coming,
That’s why they turned to run.
I thank God for the Adm’ral.
I’m glad this trouble’s done.

“Kirk, what’s your explanation?”
The Adm’ral spoke quite gruff.
“I know it must have looked bad,
We all have had enough.”

“Enough?!” returned the Adm’ral.
“What are you saying Kirk?
Your orders were to send me
Those plans, now get to work!”

“But Adm’ral, weren’t you watching
The trouble we had here?
How can you be so calloused ?
We all were trapped in fear.”

“What trouble were you having?
What had you trapped in fear?”
“The Klingons ‘round our bow Sir,
The Klingons at our rear.”

“What Klingons?!” growled the Adm’ral
“If that had been the truth,
I would have been here sooner;
Is this some lame excuse?”

“I want those plans now! Pronto!
We’re just two hours away.
The VIP’s are won’dring
Just what you have to say.

“Alright, I have them ready.
I’ll signal them real soon.
I’ll have the group assembled
In our transporter room.”

“And Spock will be there also
To see his parents in.
He doesn’t know about this.
I hope to see him grin.

“The cam’ras will be running
As they *materialize.
We’ll sing him ‘Happy Birthday’
I think he’ll be surprised.”

“The rest will be there soon , Sir.
They’ll all be very clear.
We’ll meet you in two hours,
I’ll do it, have no fear.”

The party went as planned but
‘Ole Spock was not surprised,
Except for rise of eyebrow
Somehow he had surmised.

“Is he alright?” McCoy asked,
“He’s tighter than a tick.”
“It could be, what we’ve been through
Has made him slightly sick.”

“Yes, check him out tomorrow,”
The captain said to *‘Bones’,
It can’t be good to hide his
True feelings all alone.”

Spock greeted everybody,
Then turn to Kirk and said,
“Permission to retire, Sir,
I think I’ll go to bed.”

“Permission granted” said Kirk
“I thank you , Jim” Spock said.
The doors slid open for him.
He hid outside instead.

Scott hurried down the hallway,
But Spock, he did not see.
His steps were quick, delib’rate.
Displaying urgency.
He hurried to the Captain,
His entourage in tow.
“I think we found our ‘bug’ sair.
It’s something you should know.”

“You must recall your days, Sair,
At the Academy.
The thing for which you’re famous.
For which we all agree.”

Spock listened in the hallway,
Keen ears attentive now.
As Scott recounts the details
Of when, and where, and how.

The VIP’s now listened.
The crew, they listened too.
“Aye, Jim, that thing you’re known for-
*‘KOBIYASHI MARU’.”

The crowd gasped in surprise now.
Kirk’s face turned red and blue.
“Someone installed the program.
The question now is -who?”

Spock turned his steps to quarter’s
The door slid open wide.
And as it shut behind him-
-A GIANT SMILE OF PRIDE!




A Glossary Of Terms
(For “A Special Birthday”)

Shields: An invisible barrier which surrounds a ship providing protection against assault. These shields can be weakened by a constant barrage of enemy fire.

Klingons: A savage and warlike race of aliens who are sworn enemies of the Federation.

Warbird: The name given to a type of Klingon fighting ship. The ship resembles a bird of prey.

Vulcan: An emotionless and intelligent alien race friendly to the Federation. The first officer of the Enterprise (Spock) is a Vulcan.

Pon Farr: The change of life for a Vulcan when they get the urge to mate. This urge can mean a violent confrontation between two Vulcan males vying for the same female. The confrontation often is a fight to the death. On one occasion Kirk was tricked into a fight with his first officer during Pon Farr.

Con: Short, for “control”

Phaser: The primary weapon for a starship.

Beacon: A signaled message torpedo. Used to send messages when time for reception is not a factor. These beacons often carry a ships log much like a flight recorder in an airplane.

Salvos: A round of enemy fire.

Materialize: A mode of transportation is the transporter. The traveler’s body is separated into molecules and transported electromagnetically to a predetermined destination. When the travelers arrive they materialize back into their normal form.

‘Bones’: A nickname given to the ships doctor, Dr. Leonard McCoy, by James T. Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise, and close friend.
Kobiyashimaru: This is a test which is required of all Starfleet cadets. It is a computerized, simulated battle with a “no win” scenario to test the mettle and character of potential officers.