Bones is a Very Worried Man

"First, that the brains of all these foetuses are developing far too fast. Second, that all the brains are, as far as I can tell, indistinguishable from one another. Mentally, if not necessarily physically, these foetuses are identical."

"Are you saying that they're all thinking identical thoughts?"

"I can't be sure, Jim. The technology's not that good. But I wouldn't be surprised. And there's something else. Though it was distasteful, of course I had to ask each expectant mother whether she wanted an abortion. How many do you think said that they did?"

"I've no idea, Bones. Ten per cent? Twenty per cent?"

"Not a single one, Jim. Out of 126 women, that's impossible. You'd surely expect at least a handful. I can only think of one possible explanation. The unborn babies can somehow influence their mothers' thoughts, and are doing so in such a way as to ensure their own survival."

Fred, overhearing the conversation, frowned. Were her thoughts being influenced? She wasn't aware of it, but then she supposed that if it was skilfully enough done then she wouldn't be.

"And another thing," Bones said, getting increasingly het up. "We've got two doctors, plus eight nurses and medical orderlies. How are we going to cope with 126 births all occurring over at most a month or so? Especially as half of those eight nurses and orderlies are themselves pregnant."

"I don't know, Bones," Kirk replied, sounding uncharacteristically weary. "We'll just have to hope that Livingstone IV will provide us with some answers."

"I never thought I'd say this, Jim, but we could really use Spock's analytical brain right now."

Two more days passed.

1. They arrived at Livingston IV.
2. Dr McCoy detected something else to worry him: the women were beginning to change genetically.
3. Fred started hearing a voice in her head (no, not the voice she was used to), urging that she and the other women should take over the ship.

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