The Humanitarian

The Humanitarian is a Star Trek: The Original Series manga story from the 2008 anthology Uchu, published by ToykoPop, written by Luis A. Reyes, with art by Nate Watson and shading by Chow Hon Lam. A peace mission went disastrously awry when a nuclear reactor blast killed 63 and wounded 57 of the crew. With Kirk off the ship and Spock in sole command, Spock had to contend with political and emotional turmoil, both for the crew and the war-torn planet’s inhabitants.

Publisher's Description

From the back of the anthology Uchu: “Luis Reyes tries to glimpse the softer side of Spock.”

Summary

Captain's Log, Stardate 3347.6.: First Officer Spock in Command. As Captain Kirk is recuperating on Starbase 47, the Enterprise has been ordered to the planet Rudimon for a remarkable mission of peace. Though once on the path to membership in the United Federation of Planets, Rudimon’s internal political unrest drove them to sever all galactic ties. Now, seventy years later, the Federation has been asked to return and help a fledgling peace prosper. Our mission is to aid the people of this world by initiating a program to rebuild infrastructures weathered and torn by decades of war and neglect. It is a unique privilege. If I were human, I would most likely be bordering on excitement… if I were human.

Upon arriving, Spock met with Governor Laisu and began the massive mission, refitting equipment and training the populace on their first day. McCoy complimented Spock on his diplomacy. When Spock met with his staff, Scotty reported an outdated warp core powering the city that should get a new casing. McCoy reported their hospitals were good but staff needed training. Lt. Labar Tique in security suggested implementing a system to inventory medical supplies. Petty Officer Harris said their educational materials were out of date but the system was good.

For Tique the mission was personal. His father was an early warp scientist from Rudimon who left after first contact then found himself unable to return once planetary fighting resumed. His father died believing his world would never find peace, so Tique appreciated being on the mission.

Suddenly a massive explosion tore through the city.

Touring sick bay in the aftermath, Spock heard McCoy report 63 fatalities, 17 critically injured in sickbay and 40 more wounded crew members still on the planet. McCoy said they’d need to go to a Starbase to treat everyone, that sickbay “wasn’t built to handle so much carnage.”

In Engineering, Scotty reported that a crude nuclear engine blew up. He was unable to tell the reason for the explosion, whether it was intentionally set or if it had been forgotten over the years and whether age or the crew’s movements had accidentally set it off.

As the crew prepared to evacuate to Starbase 47, Spock meditated in his quarters. McCoy brought two Saurian brandies, both for McCoy. Spock said he had no emotions to be affected, but nonetheless appeared moved by the experience and appreciated McCoy’s company. Spock was reading an ancient Vulcan book of Invocation to remind him that “even at the nadir of their development, we were at the core logical beings.”

Spock and Tique visited the body of Governor Laisu, who had been killed in the blast. Spock told a local official that continuation of the mission was impossible with so many of the crew dead, but that the Federation would return soon. Lt. Tique reported the evacuation completed except for one security team. But as he was making his report, Tique was shot by a sniper and dead by the time the landing party beamed up.

Meeting with Kirk after arriving at Starbase 47, Spock suggested that Kirk might have found an alternative to aborting the mission, but Kirk commended Spock for his actions.