Title: The Awakening
Author: Istannor 
Series: TOS
Part: 1/1
Rating: [PG13] to [NC17]
Codes: K/S, Violence
Summary: Not all presents are fun when unwrapped. 

Disclaimer: These are the characters of Paramount and
Viacom, they own them, I only check 'em out from the
library. I promise to bring 'em back. Thank-you to Milena
for them editing. If there are no errors, thank them, not me.

Feedback to Istannor @Aol.com


The Awakening





Spock sat at his computer console and worked diligently on
the reports from Seraphe 6, the planet they were currently
orbiting. The composition of the soil samples was most
intriguing and seemed to indicate prior domestic agriculture.
They had not found any evidence of previous habitation by an
intelligent species to explain the fossilized remains of edible
crops grouped together in planting patterns.  The door to the
cabin opened.  A terrific smell preceded the Captain of the
Enterprise, who walked in and unceremoniously plopped
down into a chair. His feet sprawled out in front of him and his
head fell back over the chair in an obvious state of fatigue.

"Jim, you are exhausted and you smell.  You need to destroy
those clothes, shower, and sleep."

"In that order?"

"In that order."

"Okay, give me a minute.  I'm going.  Do I smell that bad?"
He mumbled.

"Currently, you smell worse than...,"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture.  I'm going."  He promptly began
to snore.  Spock got up and began to pull Jim's boots off and
then his socks.  When he pulled at his pants, the human
stirred briefly, mumbled, and immediately fell back asleep.
Spock helped him  to undress completely, then he got his
T'hy'la awake enough to shower and fall into bed, still
dripping wet.  The Vulcan sighed in exasperation, dried off
the sleeping human, covered him, and went back to the
console.

The planetside rotation was grueling for the entire crew. They
had an extremely tight schedule to meet in order to ready
Seraphe for the approaching colony ships.  The terra-
forming engineers had called for emergency Starfleet
assistance after they had triple system failure in their energy
conversion systems.

The Enterprise had been sent to fix the problem and get the
water, energy, and waste conduits in place before the giant
colony ship arrived.  Each day brought a new disaster.  Jim
had been helping with the waste conduits.  The human drove
himself to exhaustion every day to attempt to resolve all the
problems before the colonists arrived.  He had even helped
with clearing and planting the land.  Even now, 25 years later,
the Iowa farmer boy was not too far under the surface.

Spock smiled to himself and turned to watch his Bondmate
sleep. All of Spock's fears and worries about how James
Kirk would deal with being the Bondmate of a Vulcan male
had disappeared over the last glorious year.  Jim was all he
had illogically dreamed of and wished for.  He rose and lay
down beside his T'hy'la.  Slowly, he stroked the smooth face;
it was so handsome.  Asleep, it was without the lines of pain
and worry that often settled over it. Jim's meld points drew
Spock's hands.  He felt a familiar tingle as he brushed
against the sleeping consciousness of his beloved, and he
entered Jim's mind, softly. The warmth and trill of joy the
Vulcan always felt on contact with his Bondmate's thoughts
rushed to fill him.  He sensed a gentle welcome.  Jim was so
used to Spock's joining, he barely stirred.  Mental arms
wrapped the Vulcan in a close embrace and drew him down
into sleep.


James Kirk awoke to the sound of the COM demanding his
immediate attention.  He felt like he had slept mere minutes,
but the display told him five hours had passed. He gingerly
tried to disentangle himself from his sleeping Bondmate
without awakening him.  "There is no need to tiptoe; I am
awake."  The warm voice freed him from his stealth and he
made a quick exit from the bed to hit the COM button.

"Kirk, here."

"Captain, I think you better come down here right away.  We
are getting some pretty strange readings."  It was Scotty.
"We started making for the main waste conduits and we hit
bedrock.  We were using the laser to drill and it stopped."

"On what?"

"Unknown, Sir.  But, whatever would stop a Federation
Engineering Corp. harmonic drilling laser has to have a
density greater then any natural substance we have
previously encountered. What the thing doesn't shatter with
high frequency harmonics, it vaporizes with the laser, or at
least it's supposed to do that."

"Conjectures, Scotty?"

"I don't have any.  If you see Mr. Spock, Sir, tell him the
readings are on his terminal."

Kirk smiled at Scotty's diplomacy.  "I'll tell him as soon as I
see him.  Have them call off the drilling and pull everyone
back from the site.  I'll be down there in 30 minutes with Mr.
Spock.  Kirk out."

"Yes, Sir.  Scott out."

Kirk walked back over to his bed and slid next to his
Bondmate, who watched him appreciatively.  "Hey, you."

"Good morning. I believe that constitutes an appropriate
response."  Spock's left eye twitched.  As he watched, his
Bondmate leaned over and settled on top of his body.

"Uh huh, that would be one response.  This would be
another."  He leaned over the Vulcan's neck and nipped at it
eagerly while he rubbed his naked body against Spock.

"We do not have time to indulge."

"Nope, but if I get you started now, I won't have as far to go
when I bring your long," he kissed Spock's left ear, "lanky," he
kissed Spock's right ear, "green skinned," he kissed Spock's
nose,  "sexy," he kissed Spock's forehead, "handsome body,
" he dove his tongue into Spock's mouth for a long
passionate kiss. At the same time he thrust his pelvis into
Spock's with a slow grind.  He stopped as soon as he felt the
Vulcan reach to grab him and continued his verbal planning,
"back for me to play with."  Jim sat up, twitched his eyebrows
with a wicked smile, and jumped out of the bed to go to the
refresher.

Spock fell back onto the pillow and contemplated the rock
hard erection his partner had left him with.  An unmistakable
smile flittered across his face, before he willed his erection
away and got up to get dressed.  "That was cruel, T'hy'la."
Spock said as he passed Jim and took his own place under
the showerhead.

"Nope, if I wasn't planning on blowing the wax out of your
ears, that would've been cruel.  But, since I am, it wasn't."

"Blow the wax out of my ears?"

"Yup."

"And when do you plan on doing this, my Captain?  You are
required on the planet surface, and by the time you finish
down there, you barely have enough energy to undress.  I
doubt my ears will be cleaned anytime soon."

"Don't be such a pessimist, Spock.  I found the neatest little
alcove down in the tunnels.  When I saw it, I thought of you."
Jim turned around and smiled lasciviously at his Bondmate.
"I'm planning on ravishing you in the tunnel."

"Now, I remind you of a conduit tunnel drilling site?"  The
Vulcan inquired in a tone of disbelief.

"Yup."  Jim's hair was finally combed and his teeth were
cleaned to his satisfaction.  "Long, dark, hot, and... tight."
Jim laughed and walked out of the bathroom to get dressed.

"I asked for that."  Spock whispered to himself.  He finished
his ablutions and exited to find his Captain already on the
terminal looking at the latest data from the surface.

"We'll never be ready for the colonists at the rate we're going.
Damn.  What else can go wrong?"

"Invariably, when we have asked that question on this planet,
fate has conspired to answer the query for us. Perhaps that is
a question that would be more suited to remain unvoiced in
the future."

"I love how you tell me to shut up.  It is so elegant."  Jim
chuckled.  "Come look at this.  The drill stopped near those
soil samples that are giving you a fit."

"Really?"  Jim immediately had his attention.  "You are
correct.  Let me load this into my tricorder and take it with us
to the surface."  Jim waited for Spock to finish and they left to
beam down to the planet, ten minutes early.


When Jim and Spock reached the surface, they spotted
Scotty immediately.  He was arguing with Hancock, the
planetary engineer in charge of the site development.  The
Captain and First Officer  walked swiftly over to join them.

"Scotty, Mr. Hancock, what do you have?"  Kirk interrupted
the argument.

"Captain, I must object.  We already have had too many
delays.  Stopping now makes absolutely no sense."

"Mr. Hancock, how did you plan on continuing past the point
where you and your laser have stopped?  Aren't you even
curious what could do that?"

"No, I'm not curious.  I want to finish this job and get the hell
off this planet.  It gives me the creeps.   The laser wasn't on
its highest setting.  We can increase the beam by a
magnitude of 10 and keep cutting."

"Mr. Hancock, how would you dissipate the increased heat
generated by that act?"  Spock inquired.

"I can drill some bore holes in the area to the surface and
bleed off the heat that way."

Kirk looked at Spock to see if the plan was feasible.  The
Vulcan nodded his assent.  "Let us take a look at what you
found first, Mr. Hancock.  If it looks like nothing, we will go
along with your plan."  Mollified, the engineer agreed,
uncrossed his arms and walked away.

"Captain, I suggest we take a metallurgist and an
archeologist down with us." Spock suggested quietly.

Kirk turned to him and looked at him quizzically.  The human's
eyes went distant for a second. It showed Spock that he was
integrating data and coming to a decision. "Add a security
detail to that list, fully armed with water, visors, and ration
packs, and have them bring the same for us."

"Explain."

"I can't; it's just a hunch."  Kirk's eyes misted over briefly, and
then he turned and pulled Scotty with him towards the
opening to the tunnel.  Spock watched his Bondmate's
retreating back.  He was hit by a momentary sense of
foreboding.  He knew it was coming from his Bondmate, and
that made him doubly uncomfortable. He had learned to
never discount Jim's 'hunches'.

The personnel were assembled in 10 minutes.  Kirk walked
over to brief them.  "We're going down into the number one
tunnel.    At the farthest end, the drilling laser stopped on
something; we don't know what.  You're going down to find
out what.  Look for any trace of previous habitation or
abandoned technology.  Look out for anything that doesn't
look like a natural formation."

"Spock and the science department have seen fossilized
evidence of crops.  That means civilization.  We have not
found any other evidence of prior habitation on this planet.
This barrier may be that evidence. Some of you have made a
lot of planetfalls; some of you have not.  Warning, alien
artifacts are dangerous until proven otherwise.  If you find
something look, shout, but don't touch."

"Do you understand me?"  A chorus of, 'aye, aye, Sir',
greeted his question.  "Good, let's go solve the puzzle then.
Scotty, you know what to do."

"What are your orders, Scotty?" Mr. Hancock asked while he
watched them disappear into the mouth of the tunnel.

"I rather not say, Hancock.  You don't really want to know."

They stood silently and waited.


The team of 20 walked silently down the recently drilled
passageway.  Thin, luminescent tubules ran down the sides
and gave it an eerie glow.  It took them 20 minutes to reach
the laser. It sat mutely, and waited for orders to continue.
When they passed the laser, they had to use their own lights
in the darkened tunnel.  Spock flipped the safety, to make
sure the drill couldn't go off and fry them all while they walked
along its sighted path.  Five minutes later they met the
barrier.

The wall over the tunnel in front of them had been vaporized
free of rock, dirt, and debris.  It bared a brilliant crystalline
surface that sparkled and glowed in their artificial lights.

Kirk waited patiently while the team inspected the surface of
the surrounding area. Spock took innumerable readings with
the tricorder and when he was finally satisfied, he closed the
lid with a grunt.  "Unknown substance, crystalline matrix,
sophistication as far above us as you are above the Cro-
Magnon, technologically speaking."

"How far does it extend?"

"I cannot find any end to it, in any vector, save one. Starting at
this point.  It ends 194.3 meters above our heads to the
surface."  Kirk whistled softly.  "It is sufficiently dense to halt
the laser even at the higher setting.  Age undetermined.  Mr.
Lilly, your report."

Lt. Lilly was the archeologist. "Sir, the surrounding soil and
rock samples show this has been embedded here for 2,362,
000 years, approximately."  Kirk smiled at the final word.  Lily
was noted for her drive for exactitude.  "In actuality, this
ground grew up, so to speak, around this artifact.  It may have
been here even longer.  Also, in the surrounding sediment, I
am finding traces of protein.  I do not know what kind."  Kirk
and Spock looked at each other.

"Familiar, or unfamiliar sequences?" Spock asked.

"Totally unknown but definitely fossilized protein."

Kirk opened his communicator.  "Scotty?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Have the teams break off for the day.  We're shutting down
operations for now.  We found something."  He could hear
angry shouting from Hancock in the background.  "Tell Uhura
to get me a patch through to Starfleet, Admiral of the day for
colonization, and put it through to me when she's got it.  Kirk
out."

"Okay, Captain.  Scott out."

"Let's get to work.  I want to know what this is; how far it goes;
is it the only one, and whether or not they left us any
surprises.  I want to know these things by yesterday. Get
moving."  They hurried off to comply.  Spock walked over to
stand next to his Bondmate. He hesitated before he
interrupted his Captain's contemplation.

"What are you going to do with the colony ship, Jim?  It is only
a week away."

"I'm going to turn it around and send it away."

"That move will not engender support from the transport Co.,
the engineering firm, the World Finder Corps, and probably
Starfleet."

James Kirk looked at his Bondmate with a frown.  "Ask me if
I give a damn.  I am not letting defenseless sheep graze on
the surface, when there may be a big bad wolf all around
them."

"Why do you think this is a wolf, as you phrase it?"

"I don't know what it is and mysteries give me a stomach
ache.  I have a rocking one right now."  He turned to look into
the darkness of the tunnel.  "Anyway, you know me and
colony worlds.  It has to be right or I worry.  Not again, ever."
Spock heard the word Tarsus flicker through his Bondmate's
mind.  He felt Jim clamp down on it ruthlessly before he
turned back to look at his first Officer.  Jim had a wide smile
on his face; his mood was mercurial as ever. "Sorry about
your ears."

Spock mouth twitched slightly as he tried to hold back the
answering smile.  "You are incorrigible."

Jim's answer was an even bigger smile. "I'm going back to
the surface to talk with Hancock.  Hopefully, he won't phaser
me as soon as I hit the open air.  Maybe we can use his crew
to help us get the facts we need.  If this thing turns out to be
nothing, the faster we know, the better for everyone."

"Agreed."

"See you, First officer."

"Indeed, Captain.  That is my desire also."  Spock watched
him re-trace their steps into the darkness.  With a sigh, he
turned around to go to work. He caught himself pulling on his
ear.


Kirk sat in front of viewscreen.  Komack and Nogura were in
front of him on either side of a split screen.  Nogura was on
Earth, but Komack was actually on an inspection tour in the
quadrant.  He was much too close for Kirk's comfort.

"Captain Kirk, I don't see sufficient evidence for you to turn
back the colony ship.  How the hell do I record your reasons
as, "a hunch"?  These folks have already paid millions of
credits for a home and we have 5,672 people on their way to
Seraph to start a colony.  I'll be damned if I turn them away on
a whim."  Komack was almost hollering.

Admiral Nogura intervened to calm his colleagues down.
"Richard, we have trusted a hell of a lot to Kirk's hunches in
the past and it has saved our behinds.  Don't discount them
now just because it makes you uncomfortable."

"Sirs, all I am requesting is a delay so we may investigate
what is under the surface of the planet.  We're just now
getting readings back and the thing is enormous.  The
colonists have ample supplies to wait near a Starbase.  They
are in no danger of starving or dying.  I cannot say the same
for them here."

"Kirk, every damn colony world is not Tarsus.  Don't you think
you're over-reacting a bit?"  Komack's voice did little to hide
his disgust.

Kirk took a deep breath.  Losing his temper wouldn't give him
a thing.  He knew Komack would love to see him explode, but
too much was at stake to indulge.  "I appreciate your insight
and concerns, Admiral.  Perhaps your presence is needed
for a decision of this magnitude.  I wouldn't want you to have
to trust my judgment alone.  Since you're already in the
quadrant, you can be here in 7.34 days.  We welcome your
input."  Kirk held back his smile.  Komack was cornered and
he could see the fact dawning on the man.

"Richard, Kirk has a point," Nogura responded first.  Kirk
could see Nogura lips twitch as he fought a smile.  "I will
expect you to rendezvous with the Enterprise in 7.5 days.
Report to me within 24 hours after arrival.  Is there anything
else, Gentlemen?"  Komack was speechless.  Kirk said no.
"Very well, I will be expecting your report. Nogura out."

Kirk turned the vid off with a sense of satisfaction.  He had
seven days in which to solve his little mystery. Hopefully, they
would be finished before Komack arrived. Komack tended to
be less than helpful, especially when it came to the command
team of the Enterprise.

Spock transferred the new data into his COM and looked
over it thoughtfully.  He had beamed members of the science
team around the globe to take readings. The readings were
the same everywhere they went.  The structure formed the
core of the planet and began at a depth varying from a
hundred meters to a thousand meters beneath the planetary
crust.  He was not surprised the initial team had missed it.
The surface defied routine scanning.  Until they took specific
readings from the waste conduit tunnel, the Enterprise team
had missed it also.  Now that they knew what to look for, the
findings were even more mystifying.  They had been unable
to put the slightest dent into the substance that comprised its
outer shell.  They were unable to ascertain if the interior was
solid or hollow.  They had no idea what it was made of and
they had no idea how old it was.  The only thing they could tell
for sure, was that the planet had been formed to surround it,
and it had not fallen to ground or been built inside the world.

Spock sighed, a very un-Vulcan trait he had picked up from
his Bondmate.  He was not making the inroads he had
anticipated, and this meant his ears were still clogged.
Spock smiled and sent a gentle ripple to his Bondmate, who
he felt respond from orbit.  Their link was unbelievably strong,
even stronger than the norm for full Vulcans.  The Vulcan
healers explained that their open emotional attachment
heightened its intensity.  Full Vulcans resisted indulging in
raw emotional relationships.  They both had long ago
admitted to loving each other, before they ever bonded.
Then they had learned to have no secrets from each other.
Once they had reached that point, the link had flared open
like a highway.  It had taken a great deal of effort for them to
retain their separate identities.  The drive to be together had
been so intense that McCoy had initially feared for their
sanity, put them in isolation, and called for a healer.  They
had survived and what they had now was their own private
sanctuary, where no pain, no censure, and no rejection ever
intruded.  Spock bent down to resume his task. The faster he
finished, the sooner he would be able to return home, to the
ship, and to his mate.

Three days later, Hancock, his staff and the Enterprise
command team met on the ship to review what they had
learned so far.  "Gentlemen, we have finished surveying the
entire planet from orbit and from the surface.  The artifact
forms the center of the planet. To the best of our abilities, we
have learned that the planet is older than the sun it orbits by
one million years."  A shocked sound came from Hancock's
group.  The Enterprise staff already knew this.  Spock
continued.  "We are unable to get even the slightest sliver of
material to break off from the artifact.  We still cannot tell you
what it is composed of or what is in its interior. In summary,
on the screen in front of you is all we have been able to
ascertain.  The planet has been far more informative. Lt. Lily,
if you would proceed."

She stood.  She was a short, dark, brown-skinned, earth-
normal human with curly brown hair, who tended a little to the
plump side.  "Gentleman, the planet had inhabitants until 2,
256,000 years ago, with a margin of error of 100,000 years,
either way.  They had a highly developed agricultural society,
but left no true artifacts. We have no fossilized skeletons to
date, but we have found something that I think is absolutely
wonderful."  She motioned and a hologram sprung up in the
middle of the room. "Here is our Oldavai gorge."  A valley,
riddled with harsh terrain, giant boulders and deeply carved
riverbeds, came into view.  The cliffs were steep, completely
uneven and covered by vegetation that flowed over them, and
surrounded them.  The vid passed along the cliffs and
openings could be seen that were cut into the cliff walls.

"Magnification 100 percent at 20 degrees to the right."  The
camera closed in on one of the openings.  "Gentleman," she
said with obvious glee, "you are about to see something
spectacular."  The vid inched into the cave opening, over
fallen rocks and ancient debris.  Finally, it exited into a huge
cavern inside of the mountain.  Lights begin to brighten the
area until the entire cavern was illuminated.  The walls were
completely covered with murals.  Not primitive drawings, but
murals detailed and executed by the hands of an artist.  The
colors looked like someone had just painted them.  They
pulled with a life all of their own, in hues and shades that
made human eyes more than a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, my lord," McCoy gasped.

"Precisely, Dr. McCoy," Lily responded.  "This is the find of a
lifetime.  I have rotating teams down there, non-stop,
recording every single solitary drawing they can find.  But that
is not all, Gentlemen.  We were able to date their drawings."
She paused for effect.  "They are 2,356,752 years old, with a
confidence of three percent.  The age of the universe is
estimated to be nine billion years old. We have dated core
samples of the rock.  Our earlier estimates were very wrong.
The planet is 10 billion years old."

The room was silent while everyone sorted out the data. "This
meant this planet had a civilization before the earliest life
crawled out of the seas on Vulcan or Earth." She was not
finished.  "Now, I want you to look at the content of the
drawings."  The pictures started to pan in front of them.  The
style was unusual, the combinations were disquieting, but the
content was unmistakable.  It showed non-humanoid
creatures with four mobile limbs and six supporting limbs,
living and working on the surface of the world.  Most of things
showed involved agriculture, a few seemed to show
creatures in the midst of incomprehensible rituals.

Spock interrupted their perusal.  "You will note that there is a
structure that is repeated throughout the drawings. It appears
to be an opening out of which the creatures enter and exit.
Logic dictates that this is why we have found evidence of
agricultural development only on the surface. These beings
built no surface dwellings.  They lived inside the structure we
have uncovered."

Kirk turned to Spock.  "Do we know if they are still in there,
and alive?"

"We cannot answer that question.  There is insufficient data
available at this time.  We know that surface agriculture
stopped 1,256,000 years ago.  That is all we are able to
discern at this time.  The alien structure resists all efforts to
scan its interior, or get energy readings from it."

Sulu spoke up.  "Are we able to locate any openings in the
surface of the structure?"

Spock responded.  "No, the surface is unbroken.  There's no
evidence of doors, or even if there were openings at any
time."

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Kirk mused out loud.

Spock turned immediately to his Captain.  He could sense
Jim's mental leaps vaguely through the bond.  He waited for
Jim to finish his thoughts.  "Have we considered the fact they
may have left us a map?"  Kirk asked softly.  Spock
immediately made the connection.  He turned to watch Lt. Lily
jump up in excitement when she made the leap.

"Yes, yes, oh my gosh.  Permission to be excused, Sir." Kirk
gave it and she ran through the door without a backward
glance.

"Alright, Jim, give."  McCoy drawled impatiently.  "Yes, yes,
what?"  He mimicked Lt. Lily.

Spock answered.  "The pictures were left intentionally,
Doctor.  They may be a guide to decoding the structure.  The
pictures are a map."

"Well, I'll be damned,"  McCoy whispered.  "They knew we
were coming?"

"If not us, then someone, Doctor.  I suspect we were just the
first that came and stayed long enough to solve the mystery."

Kirk stood up. "Gentleman, you have a lot to do before
Admiral Komack gets here.  I suggest you get to it."

"Captain Kirk," Hancock jumped up, "does this mean we're
still going to be prevented from completing our work?"

"How about we describe it as a change in job description?
You are needed to dig out an access to the structure at
whatever point my science team designates.  Until they have
figured that out, you get to take a little rest and relaxation,
otherwise known as R and R."

"Captain, you're overstepping your authority," Hancock
shouted.

"Hardly, Mr. Hancock, since I have declared this site under
Starfleet authority secondary to the importance of this recent
discovery.  I hope that makes you feel better.  Now, I have all
the authority I need, up to and including having you
incarcerated if you don't obey my orders.  See, I haven't
begun to overstep anything," Kirk gave a slight smile.  "Look
Hancock, I understand your issues, but you're getting paid,
and if it exceeds the contracted time for your crew secondary
to Starfleet interference, you get Starfleet rate, not
devastating for sitting on your behind for a few days."

A calculated look lit Hancock's face as he added up how
much more credits that might add to his coffers.  Then a
smile lit his face.  Hancock sat back and relaxed.  "We're at
your disposal, Boss.  We'll dig when you say dig and rest
when you say rest, all at fleet rates of course."

"Of course," Kirk smiled with his face only.  "So," he turned to
rest of the team, "shall we get to business?  I want this done
by the time Komack gets here.  Dismissed."

Spock waited as everyone filtered out.  McCoy turned and
saw that neither Spock nor Jim were leaving, and came back
to sit on the table next to Jim.  "Okay, shoot.  I can see from
the conspiratorial looks that you two are giving each other,
that something is less than kosher.  What gives?"

Kirk and Spock exchanged silent looks, the kind that meant
they were in mental communion.  Kirk nodded and turned to
McCoy.  "Why would they leave a map, Bones?"

McCoy jerked back at the question.  He never thought about
it.  "How the hell do I know?  I'm a doctor, not a mind reader.
Wait."  He thought furiously.  "Either they wanted us to find
them or they left something for us.  Maybe, that was their way
of saying we were here, don't forget us.  I don't know, why do
you think they left it?"

Spock answered, "Perhaps they meant for their finders to
perform a service for them."

"What kind of service can you do for someone 2 million years
after the damn fact?"

"That, Bones, is the million credit question, and I for one don't
have the slightest idea what the answer is. I'll give you ten to
one odds we'll find out soon."

"I hate betting with you; you win too much."  McCoy shook his
fist at the air.  "Shit, I should've known even digging a damn
ditch gets complicated with this ship around."

James Kirk chuckled.  "I love your enthusiasm.  Come on,
Bones," Kirk stood and gathered the older man into a friendly
arm. "Look at the bright side, you're hardly ever bored."

"I think the doctor would be more sanguine about this if he
thought these beings produced liquor and had it in storage
for all these years."

McCoy's eyes lit up.  "I wonder how million year old bourbon
would taste."  Spock rolled his eyes upward in disbelief.
"This could turn out okay after all, Spocko.  I just needed to
consider all the angles."  Spock snorted in disgust and left to
begin his labors.  "What did I say?"  McCoy asked
mischievously to the sound of Kirk's unrestrained laughter.

Later that night, the Captain poured over the reports that
covered his desk.  He heard the door open and continued to
read.  He only looked up when he knew Spock stood right in
front, then he gave a smile designed to melt the Vulcan's
knees.  It had no effect.  His T'hy'la was covered from elegant
ear tip to his regulation boots in mud.  Kirk snorted in
amusement.

"You... ah... are pretty dirty. Suddenly pick up a mud fetish?"
Kirk grabbed his mouth to attempt to stifle the laughter that
threatened to erupt at any moment.

His mate was not amused.  "We followed the "map".  We
managed to locate caverns that go on for kilometers.  The
last one we explored had a slippery incline that ended in a
pool of mud estimated to be 20 meters deep."

Jim became instantly alert. "Anybody get hurt? Why didn't I
feel it in the Bond?"

"I never felt endangered, only irritated. No-one was harmed,
however all of our dignities were bruised.  You currently have
five miners covered in mud, cursing in various dialects on the
planet surface, and 4 crew members changing uniforms."

"You went through decontamination before you came aboard,
of course."

"Of course," Spock looked up in umbrage.  "I am covered by
completely sterile dust."

"Sorry, Spock," Kirk got up.  "You go on to the shower. I'll go
get us some food.  You'll feel better after you are clean and
have something to eat."  Kirk heard a grumbling reply about
the impossibility of ever attaining cleanliness again; the
Vulcan stalked away into the fresher.  He swallowed his
laughter and left to get Spock's favorites.

When he returned to their shared cabin, Plomeek soup and
fried squash with onion loaf in hand, Spock was sound
asleep on their bed.  Kirk tiptoed over to cover the sleeping
Vulcan and returned to his reports.  Finally, hours later he
undressed and joined his mate in bed.  He pulled the super
warm body close, and went peacefully to sleep.

The COM woke them again.  "Captain Kirk?"  Lt. Lilly's voice
called him.

He rolled over and hit the COM quickly, voice only.  "Kirk,
here."

"I think we found the entrance."

"Have you done anything yet?"

"No, Sir.  As soon as the opening was identified, we pulled
everyone back, per your instructions."

"Excellent, Lieutenant.  I'll be down there in fifteen minutes.  I'll
notify Mr. Spock also, no need to call him. Kirk out."

"Jim." The human rolled over to see an awake set of brown
eyes looking at him attentively.  "I missed the first part of the
conversation."

Jim kissed him soundly on his nose.  "Get dressed.  They
found the doorway."  Spock was up and through the door to
the fresher before Jim cleared the bedroom.  Vulcan speed
was an amazing thing to watch.  Spock usually didn't use full
Vulcan speed in front of the crew; it made too many of them
uncomfortable.  He knew Jim didn't care, in fact Jim rejoiced
in his differences, and Spock rejoiced in Jim.

They made it to the surface in 14 minutes. Lilly was waiting
for them with poorly bridled impatience.  Scotty gave his
command team a long suffering look and led them into the
new tunnel they had been digging for the past 24 hours
nonstop. To Scotty, engineering was engineering, all of that
belonged to his department.  If he had to, he could supervise
tunnel digging as well as engine building.  He actually liked it
as a change of pace, but it couldn't hold a candle to working
on his lady's engines.

The tunnel stretched out in front of them, lit by glowing tubes
stretched along its length. The light reflected off the cracks
and peaks of stone, casting shadows and secrets
everywhere.  They walked in silence. The only sound was
their footsteps, the hum of machines, and the occasional drip
of groundwater from the stones.  They finally reached the end
of the tunnel where the team had cleared away 50 meters of
space around the surface of the mystery sphere. The surface
soaked up the light, instead of reflecting it, and made the wall
look like a hole in the fabric of the earth.

Spock crossed immediately to it and ran his hands over the
surface.  Then he stepped back to read his Tricorder.  The
door was obvious.  It was surrounded by symbols and
pictures and outlined in gray blue silver that throbbed in time
to some unknown scheme.

"Anything, Spock?"  Jim came to stand beside him.

"The readings are unchanged.  There's nothing other than the
markings you see to differentiate this location from any other.
We have previously drilled seven other approaches." He
leaned slightly forward. His excitement at discovery was
palpable, even without the bond.

"You're having fun with this," Jim said quietly enough that only
Vulcan ears would catch it."

Spock turned to him with a raised eyebrow.  "I am simply
attempting to solve a 10 million year old mystery, and we are
the first to encounter it in recorded history.  What could
possibly be fun about that?"  Spock's face twitched slightly in
suppressed amusement.

"I'm sorry, my mistake.  Foolish of me."

"Indeed."  Spock turned back to continue his perusal of the
surface.

Lt. Lilly came to stand beside her Captain.  "The rock around
this opening is the age we would've predicted from earlier
samples.  We're looking at a door over 9 billion years old."
She shivered slightly.  Kirk turned to watch her face, which
was transformed by satisfaction and joy. This was the type of
thing every archeologist dreamed of, to discover an ancient
civilization.  If their dating was right, this would qualify as the
most ancient and fantastic find yet.  Kirk was happy for her.
In fact he was just happy.  This find would give people
something to do and investigate for centuries.  A quiet sense
of pride flowed through him at the fact that he had a role in it.

He moved over to sit against the wall and let his people work.
Hancock ambled over, after an hour or so and slid down in
frustration next to him.  "Nothing.  Whatever the hell that stuff
is, nothing we have put a dent in it.  Why don't we just drill
around it, let the settlers come and build some huge
University and tourist trap over the dig. They'll love it.  They
can have guaranteed income from the tourist trade, before
they even move in their furniture."

Kirk looked at the graying man in amusement.  "Suppose
someone is still in there and they object to you running over
their heads.  Or," Kirk warmed up to the subject, "suppose
it's one giant bomb, waiting to go off, or what if..."

Hancock held up his hands in surrender.  "Alright for Cripes
sake.  I get the picture.  How long are we going to do this?
How long will we be here?"

"Until we know what's inside, and I'm certain the colonists will
be safe."  Kirk's answer was swift and certain. Hancock
turned away to watch the proceedings and glare at the
artificial lights which streamed towards the doorway and
vanished into its surface.

Hours later, and not one iota of positive information gained,
Kirk shut down the site for the night and returned to the ship
with his team.  McCoy met them in the transporter room and
took them to officers' country for dinner.  He was eager for all
the news.

When they got settled in their customary seats, Spock started
on his aborted menu of the night before.  Kirk and McCoy ate
garbage pizza with obvious relish and chased it down with a
rootbeer each.  Finally, hungers fed, McCoy opened the
discussion with, "Well, what the hell is it?" Kirk shrugged and
deferred to his Science Officer.

"I have nothing but a hypothesis, Doctor."

"Okay, what do you think it is, Spock?"

"A ship," Spock replied.  McCoy's eyes opened in surprise
and Kirk merely nodded his agreement.  Kirk smiled and
drank the last of his beer.  "The oldest space ship known to
exist, from the oldest civilization ever found."

"What makes you think it is a ship, Spock, and why are you
acting like this is no big deal, Captain space jockey?"
McCoy rumbled sarcastically.

Spock answered first.  "It predates the planet and quite
probably the sun around which it orbits.  It housed the beings
on the drawings and is still intact millions of years after we
can tell it was last in active use. Logically, it can be nothing
else.  It is an alien artifact that we have no idea how old it
may be, we're only able to date the planet and the sun.  I see
no other logical answer."

McCoy contemplated his answer in silence, then turned his
full attention on Kirk.  "You didn't answer me."

"Seemed like all it could be, Bones.  But I may have been
picking up on Spock's thoughts, so I just overheard his
answer."  Kirk smiled an apology.

"What does your gut tell you, Jim?"  McCoy could see
something worrying Kirk, beneath the surface.  The smoke
was coming off of his brain, and that usually meant work for
his department, work he preferred to do without.

Kirk shrugged and looked inward.  Spock and McCoy both
waited patiently for him to answer.  His instincts had never
failed them yet.  He frowned and then turned his face towards
the table, and clinched his hands in front of him, then slowly
released them.

"My gut tells me to run, now, as fast and as far away as I can
get."  He chuckled without humor and then shook himself
again before he looked at them.  McCoy felt cold.  He had
never heard Jim say anything like that before.  His Captain
and best friend was afraid and that scared him more than any
damn ball buried under the ground.

"Maybe we should clear out now then," McCoy suggested
hopefully.

"What," Kirk laughed and stood up, "and miss the party?
Komack will be here in 2 days.  I'll let him decide this one.  I'm
going back to my cabin to change and go swimming. Either
one of you want to join me?"  They both deferred and Kirk left
them to make good his plan.

"I don't like this, Spock.  He's scared, even though the
universe will have to end before he admits it.  You know what
he saw down there to set his nerves on end?"

"I have no idea, Leonard."  Spock answered truthfully.  "I will
endeavor to discover the source of his discomfort. However,
you know as well as I, sometimes he can not articulate his
whys. I would prefer that this mission be without serious or
deadly repercussions.  It would be a pleasant distraction for
us all."  Spock cleared the table. The fact that Jim didn't clear
his plate was an open indication of his distraction.  "I will let
you know what I discover if anything, Leonard."  McCoy
waved at the Vulcan vaguely then retreated into his thoughts.

He thought back to the times he had seen Jim afraid.  Those
times were always centered on the well being of another.  If
he, Spock, or a crewmember were injured, Jim would allow
his fear to show.  McCoy had never seen him show fear
doing a challenge, or an attack.  This reaction made the
doctor's stomach groan and grumble.  Suddenly, he wanted
to leave very badly.  Unfortunately, that was not an option.

Kirk swam his 40th lap, hit the wall, and flipped.  He thought
80 laps might be enough to calm his nerves for the night. The
planet, the artifact, Komack's scheduled arrival, the paintings,
all of it gave him the willies.  Normally, fear took him into an
attack mode, but there was nothing to direct that attack mode
towards, so all his trepidation and anxiety were unable to
focus on one object.  On the 60th lap he sensed Spock enter
into the pool and begin to pace him for the remaining laps.
When he hit 80, he stopped and turned to see his T'hy'la
staring at him.  "You have frightened Dr. McCoy."  Spock
came to stand beside him while he waited for Jim's breath to
slow.  "Can you identify the source of your discomfort?"

"You mean other than a ten billion year old ball buried in a
planet?"  He smiled sarcastically.

"Jim, you are purposefully being vague.  That is unlike you. Is
this a specific or general unease?"

Kirk ran his hands through his wet hair and turned to float with
his head resting against the side of the pool.  "I wish I could
tell you.  It's like someone is walking on my grave," he turned
in chagrin towards Spock.  "You're familiar with the term?"

"Yes."

"I know this place isn't safe.  I just can't tell you why. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize, Jim."  He reached up to
touch Jim's face gently.  "Of course, we will heed your
intuition.  It has not failed us to date."

Jim smiled briefly and shook his head in confusion.  "I don't
know what's the matter with me.  I feel like I'm ready to burst."

"Come, we will return to the cabin.  You will take a hot
shower, and I will give you a massage."

"In that order?"  Jim grinned.

"In that order."  Spock replied and climbed out of pool. He
reached down and lifted his Captain out with one hand.

"Yes, sir, Mr. First Officer, Sir."  Jim saluted.

"An eminently logical response, Captain."

Spock and Jim walked to their shared cabin together, and
Jim plopped down on the bed in exhaustion. "Pull your
clothes off, so that I may access your back." Spock moved
towards the bed with the oil he favored for a therapeutic
massage.

"You spoil me, you know."

"It is mutual. Relax and allow me to give you relief from your
tension."

"You know what you can do to give me some relief."

Spock began to knead his muscles. Jim's stress made them
feel like small balls of tensile steel. "You are under stress and
you are fatigued. I do not wish to add to that."

"You never add to my stress." The Vulcan's hands began
wide soothing circles that started at his shoulders and
worked down towards his buttocks.

Spock leaned down and pushed on one particularly
recalcitrant knot. "If you rest, I will endeavor to relieve your
other needs, later."

"Meanie," a sleepy voice whispered.

"I have been called worse." He continued his slow massage
until he heard the gentle breathing that signified sleep. He
worked the muscles some more until he was satisfied, bent
down and laid a gentle kiss on the smooth back, and went to
work on the computer.


One hour later, Spock left a sleeping James Kirk in his cabin
and made his way back down to the surface.  He had
remodulated his Tricorder yet again to attempt to get
readings from the interior of the artifact.  Perhaps he could
discern a code or pattern to the design around the opening.
He beamed down to find the mining team drilling diligently
around the opening to clear out the cavernous space leading
to the entry.  Hancock was shouting orders at his crew, while
the team of archeologists was hard at work examining the
sphere's surface.

"Mr. Spock," Lt. Lily approached quickly across the opening.
"We've found some indentations in the surface."  Excitement
was clearly etched over her features.  "They form a pattern;
I'm sure of it."  She stood expectantly until Spock realized she
was waiting for a response from him.

"Would you like me to review your findings now, Lieutenant?"
He knew the offer was expected, though he honestly was
looking forward to pursuing his own investigations; they could
wait.

"If you would, Sir."  She turned hurriedly and walked ahead of
him towards the farthest part of the exposed artifact. She
pointed at a series of indentations that were different depths,
sizes, and angles along the surface.

Spock stared at the surface in total concentration, and
attempted to discern a pattern or a code nine billion years
old.  He sensed no clear trend.  A small thrill of appreciation
coursed through his mind while he savored the challenge of
solving a scientific mystery.  He could not conceive of a more
weighty and intriguing mystery than this. A small tingle of
satisfaction was all he allowed himself before he returned to
the wall.  His reverie was interrupted by the sound of angry
cursing from behind.  He sighed and turned to mediate the
dispute.

"Goddammit, Scotty, there's no reason why we can't do it that
way.  It will save us three days of boring."  Hancock shouted
with his hands on his hips in defiance.  The engineer's face
was ruddy with anger.  "I'm tired of all these damn
regulations.  I've been digging tunnels and excavating for
twenty damn years.  I know what I'm doing."

"Hancock are you daft or just plain deaf?  I told you, the big
question is not the damn ground or rock, it's the resonance
on the artifact.  How stupid can you be?"  Scotty leaned into
Hancock's face angrily.

"Mr. Scott," Spock quietly placed himself between the two
men, "perhaps you should explain the difficulty you two
gentlemen are experiencing."

Scotty grunted in exasperation and turned to face Spock.  He
visibly took his anger under control.  "Mr. Hancock," he
emphasized the Mister sarcastically, "wants to increase the
frequency modulation of the drills."  Hancock moved to
interrupt and Spock held up his hand and stopped him.  "It
would clear the stone faster, but the harmonics would be
transmitted too easily through the stone to the artifact. We
have no idea what that will do, Mr. Spock.  I want him to tone
down the harmonics, which means slower digging but safer
digging."

"Show me your calculations, Mr. Scott."  Spock waited calmly
for Scotty's figures and reviewed them in detail.  Finally, he
turned to them both, "I concur, Mr. Scott.  You will do as we
ask, Mr. Hancock."  Spock turned away and unfortunately
made the assumption that his orders would be followed.

"Shit," Hancock exploded.  "I'm fucking tired of you Starfleet
assholes." He turned to the crew.  "Fire it up, Springer."
Before Spock could utter a word to halt it, Hancock's crew
chief pushed the control and the drill erupted. It shattered and
evaporated the rock in its direct path and bore relentlessly
towards the artifact.  Spock and Scott hollered at the crew
chief to shut off the drill, but the sound and the man's
disinclination to hear them, made their shouts go unheard.  It
took 20 seconds to reach the surface of the artifact.  It took
nanoseconds for the surface to glow ten times more brightly
then the artificial light of the tunnel.  By the time Spock had
reached the drill controls and shut the machine off himself,
he, along with every single member of the digging and
archeological team, turned as one to stare at the now
pulsating surface of the artifact.

Spock flipped open his communicator quickly.  "Spock to
Enterprise."  There was no response.  "Evacuate
immediately. All personnel evacuate to the surface."
Instantaneously all the powered lights dimmed.  The Starfleet
men and women, used to quickly responding to orders, had
already started down the tunnel.  The darkness accelerated
their movement. They snapped their night vision visors into
place, still mandatory since Kirk's first trip down, and began
to run.

Hancock stood and stared dumbly at the glowing wall across
the cavern from his laser drill.  Fear anchored him to the
ground beneath him.  He muttered again and again to
himself, "Oh God, oh God, oh God."  Spock pulled the crew
chief from where he stood, and ran towards Hancock and the
tunnel. Scotty had given up on shouting at the engineer and
finally shoved him away from the artifact and towards the
beckoning escape route.

Then, it went completely dark.


Spock ran.  He drove the engineer ruthlessly in front of him.
The man did not have on a night visor and he was reluctant to
run into what he couldn't see.  Hancock had refused to equip
his team with the same things that the Enterprise crew
carried at all times.  Now the terrified man was in a mad rush
through a dark tunnel hundreds of meters under the ground.
A low hum began to build behind them. The air throbbed.
The harmonics became painful to Spock's Vulcan ears.  The
rock around them began to vibrate, at first slowly, and then it
sped up.  It became difficult to maintain their footing.

Still, they ran.

Suddenly, the tunnel became completely silent except for the
sound of their own heavy breathing and the panicked shouts
of the engineers.  Spock continually retried the
communicator, to no avail.

From behind them, the sound of clicking approached rapidly.
Spock looked back briefly and could see deeper shadows
rapidly approaching them even though they ran as fast as
they could.  The dark was so intense that even with the night
visors he was unable to see anything other than deeper
shadows moving towards him.  Something struck him from
behind and a heavy weight pressed him down towards the
ground.  He used his entire Vulcan strength to throw it off of
him, and began to run again.

He pulled his phaser and turned and fired.

The phaser had no effect.

He increased the intensity of the phaser setting. He fired and
fired again, relentleesly and with pinpoint acuracy at the
shadows that pursued him.

The shadows paused... briefly, then ran towards him again.
The crew in front of him was unable to fire out of fear of hitting
him.  He was knocked to the ground by several forms that
rushed past him and then heard terrified screams of agony,
but could do nothing.  Something hit him again, this time the
weight was enormous.  There was nothing to do.  He felt
something pierce the center of his chest, and an intense
burning sensation flowed through his body.  It felt as if he was
melting from the inside out.  As blackness reached for his
mind, he screamed and raged at the injustice.  He did not
want to leave Jim.  The link flared into effulgence and then
was snuffed out.

"Spock," Kirk screamed and bolted straight up in the bed. He
hit the COM.  "Locate Mr. Spock."  He was up and dressed
before the response came back through the end.

"Mr. Spock beamed down to the dig, Captain.  He is not
responding to our pages."

"Scan the surface.  Security team armed with full armor to the
transporter room.  Dr. McCoy to the transporter room with full
medical team."  He was running down the corridor 3 minutes
after he awakened with his T'hy'la's scream of utter anguish
in his mind.  When he arrived at the transporter room, Giotto
was there with 20 redshirts in full battle armor. Giotto
silently handed Kirk his and waited for his briefing.

"We've lost contact with Mr. Spock and the entire excavation
site.  I have reason to believe they are in danger.  Do
whatever you have to do to bring everyone back to this ship."
Giotto looked at Kirk calmly.  There was no doubt in his mind
that something had happened to Spock to alert the Captain.
Security had been discreetly informed of their Captain and
First Officer's unique ability to communicate over long
distances.  It was a fact given to each new redshirt as they
boarded the ship.  It had been true since the first five-year
mission and was doubly true now.

He watched Kirk walk over to the wall COM and brief the
bridge while they waited for the medical team to join them. It
always took them longer to arrive, just like it took longer to
heal than it did to kill, or to die.  Giotto had served seven
years with Kirk.  He had watched as Kirk and Spock grew
and changed to something mystical, and indomitable.
Through it all, he'd never seen the Captain lose his
connection with his crew, or his own humanity.  The Klingon
phrase echoed in his mind.  Today is a good day to die.  He
was willing to die for his Captain, his First Officer, and his
ship.

McCoy burst in.  "What the hell is wrong, Jim?  It's 0200 in the
morning.  Why do you need a medical team?"

"First squad, begin beam down, standard deployment."  Kirk
watched while Giotto led the team to the surface. He waited
for them to signal their arrival.  The air was heavy with tension
and an emotion McCoy couldn't pinpoint at first, and then it hit
him.  It was fear; James T. Kirk was afraid. Kirk finally
recognized McCoy's earlier question and turned towards
him.  His eyes, always the door to his thoughts, were cold.
They were the eyes of death.  "Spock and the team are in
trouble.  We can't raise anyone from the site. The sensor
can't pick up anything.  I mean to find them, Bones.  Then,
we're getting the hell out of here and I'm quarantining the
whole sector.

"Is he alive, Jim?"  McCoy knew Jim was using the link,
searching along it even while they were speaking.

"Yes, but he's hurt and he's... afraid."  Kirk closed his eyes
tightly and took two slow calming breaths.  The COM barked.

"Captain, we have deployed.  There is no one visible, no life
signs, and no signs of struggle.  Should we proceed down
the tunnel, or wait for you?"

"Take sensor readings on the artifact.  Tell me if there is any
change."  Kirk waited.

"Affirmative, Sir.  We're now getting a low-level harmonic
distortion on a sub-audible wavelength.  We had no similar
readings from before."

"Wait there, Mr. Giotto."  He flicked open a channel to Uhura.
"Uhura, what do you have that would allow us to communicate
through harmonic disruptions?"

"A plain Laser," her answer was immediate.  "Fusion
generated, it shouldn't be affected by any harmonics, but it
requires relay stations in line of sight."

"Rig it up through the tunnels to the dig and have someone
bring it to the surface yesterday.  Kirk, out."  He turned to the
second squad.  "Let's go.  McCoy, you wait until we have the
communications rigged, then we'll bring you down."

"Jim, they may need us now.  Let me go with you," McCoy
inched towards the transporter pad.

"No," Kirk's face was cold.  "I will not risk you, or anyone else
down there unnecessarily.  We will secure the site first."

"Jim, suppose they're dying?  Suppose Spock and Scotty
are dying?"  The last trump card was thrown painfully on the
table.  The question made Kirk pause briefly as he climbed
the steps of the transporter pad.

"Then, we will be too late, Doctor, in more ways then you can
possibly understand."  He turned around on his pad and gave
the order to beam down.  Momentarily, his eyes locked with
McCoy's and the doctor looked away, unable to bear it.

The night was crystal clear and cool.  They moved silently
through the camp, on hand signals only.  There was no one,
and thankfully, no bodies.  They moved towards the dig
entrance and took up positions.  Giotto sent five men ahead,
who ran like ghosts into the pitch-black maw that gaped in
front of them.  Interminable seconds later, they came to the
entrance and signaled all clear.  Kirk's communicator piped.
"Sir, we're ready to transport down the equipment.  I'm
sending two communications specialists with it to set up and
operate.  It's pretty unwieldy."

They waited for the equipment to be set up.  Its final link
would be audio, laser, and subspace to the Enterprise, which
would remain in Geo stationary orbit above the sight.  Uhura
had given it three backup power supplies.

Giotto watched as Kirk sat with his eyes glued to the cavern
entrance.  He seemed to be barely breathing, barely
conscious of his surroundings.  It was a mistake to think that,
Giotto knew.  They waited.

When it was completed, Kirk had McCoy and his squad
beamed down.  "You will follow up in the rear, Bones.  We will
bring you up if we find anybody still alive."  He stared into
McCoy's face and dared him to fight his next orders. "If I, or
anyone in security tell you to leave, you are to drop every
damn thing you have to run for the surface. Don't look back,
and don't come to look for us.  Beam back up to the ship.
Sulu has orders to clear out, and you won't fight him on this.
Do you understand me?"

McCoy nodded slightly and tried to release the fear gripping
his lungs.  He let out slow breaths.  "I'll do it, Jim.  I promise."

Kirk grunted once, and turned to lead the way into the tunnel.

They traveled in silence, surrounded by darkness and
millennia old rock.  Their visors read the dark and gave them
sight.  Every one hundred meters, they placed another relay
for the communications link.  Giotto's wolves led the pack.
Security had taken to calling themselves the wolf pack,
interdependent, and protective.  The lead wolf, was Kirk.
They hunted in the dark.  They went to protect the pack.

They found the first body six hundred meters into the cave. It
was Jerry Springer.  Only his face was recognizable.
Something had shredded his body beyond recognition. His
eyes were opened and staring. Kirk closed the eyes that
accused him in death and signaled the squad to continue.

The darkness was suffocating, as only the true black of a
cave can be. Jagged rocks tried to trip them and boulders
were enemies in the dark. Still, they moved forward, silent,
deadly and sure. Their lead scout  used a life-sign indicator,
but in the cave and near the artifact, its range was limited to
twenty feet. Just far enough to let the man warn them, and to
let the scout know he was about to die. The man right behind
him used a heat seeker, any heat against the cool walls of
rock would stand out like a beacon. That is how they found
the next body, still warm, blood congealed, and torn to
shreds. It was a miner. They found five more bodies in the
dark, almost totally devoured. Two would require DNA
samples to identify.  None were Vulcan.  None were
Enterprise crew.

They continued and set up relays while they moved in silence.
A whimper, followed by soft sobbing stopped them. The
source did not register on the heat seeker. They inched
forward with the life-sign indicator. Giotto held Kirk's straining
arm to keep him back from the front. Giotto signaled the pack
to surround the source, and then positioned himself directly in
front of Kirk.  He ordered the pack to close in.

Wedged behind a large rock, in a tiny crevice, was Lt. Lily.
She was covered with blood and scrapes, and silently stared
with eyes full of tears. Kirk inched slowly towards her and
removed his visor so she could see his face. She looked at
him with a sob of recognition.  He held his finger to her mouth
to stop any further outburst and had a redshirt call for
McCoy. Satisfied that McCoy was on his way, he left one
man behind with her, and continued down the corridor.

They found two more bodies, both miners, both cut to pieces.
Then they came near the cavern.  The entire tunnel was
glowing and pulsing in an unearthly light.  Kirk had the team
stop and signal the surface and give a detailed report on
everything they had done and found so far.  McCoy already
had Lily back on the ship with Chapel and was following at
the prescribed distance.

The cavern glowed with a greenish light that emanated from
the artifact.  The sigils that outlined the presumed door,
counter-pulsated in an orange hue, with streaks of color
lancing through them in a pattern. The meaning was lost on
the wolf pack.  Silently, Kirk motioned everyone to fan out and
search for any more survivors.  He scanned the cavern with
his soul, searching for a tendril, a whiff of his T'hy'la.  The
cave felt empty, as did his heart.

"Captain," Giotto came to stand in front of him.  "We found
abandoned equipment, a few traces of blood, human, and
that's all.  What now?"  He watched his Captain and waited
for the look that signaled a decision had been made.  Kirk
would figure out something; he always did; Giotto believed.

"Signal science lab to send down sensors.  I want new
readings on the surface.  I want everything we do and say
transmitted immediately to the ship.  If anything happens to
us, at least they'll have a record."  He walked over to the
entrance to the artifact.  Giotto shadowed him closely. When
Kirk reached the surface he stared at it silently, until finally he
raised both hands, laid them against the surface, and rested
briefly. Giotto followed his example and felt warmth tingling
just below the cool outer wall of artifact. The glow illuminated
their hands and seemed to leak out through their pores.
McCoy entered at that very instant, to the sight of his Captain
touching the glowing wall.  Kirk was lit up as if he himself
glowed with an inner fire.  Kirk picked that moment to turn
away from the artifact directly toward McCoy.  When he
reached him, he walked past and motioned for him to follow.
"I want to talk to Lily.  Go back to the ship and do what you
have to so I can question her.  I'm going to look at the other
bodies."

"Jim," McCoy called out softly to the rigid back walking in
front of him.  "What if they're all dead?  What if Spock's
dead?"

"He's not."  Kirk said abruptly.

"What if he dies?"  McCoy persisted he had no choice.  The
question needed to be brought out.

"I'll get the ship back home, Bones.  I promise you nothing
after that."  He did not turn or stop.  He walked on ahead into
the darkness.  McCoy sighed and motioned for his team to
return with him to the surface.  There was nothing for them to
do down here.


McCoy, looked on in satisfaction. Lt. Lilly finally slept after he
had finished their latest therapeutic session.  He suddenly felt
a need to go visit his Captain.  When he arrived at Jim's
quarters, he found the privacy lock in place.  That was
definitely uncharacteristic for Jim.  He buzzed and waited
patiently for the Captain to answer. There was none.  He
buzzed again.  Finally, exasperated, he used his medical
override and stomped into the cabin ready for a fight.  No
fight was forthcoming.  Jim was slumped on the floor beside
his bed on the side opposite the door.  He held his head in
both of his hands and slowly rocked back and forth on the
ground.  He gave off a quiet moan intermittently.  It was
obvious he did not even know that McCoy was in the room.

"Jim, what's going on?  Did you hurt yourself?"  McCoy
dropped down beside him, reached for his hands, and pulled
them away from his face.  "Talk to me, dammit.  What the hell
is wrong with you?"  McCoy's only answer was a low moan.
He reached for his medical scanner and ran it over his
Captain.  The monitor showed alarmingly high levels of pain,
hypertension, hypoglycemia, and general exhaustion. He
dialed new settings into his hypo and injected.  He sat back
and waited for the medicine to take effect.  Five minutes
later, Jim looked up to him with a look of recognition and
appreciation.  Then, suddenly Jim jumped to his feet and
lurched on unsteady feet to the fresher.  McCoy followed
behind him.  He sat beside Jim and held his head while he
emptied the contents of his guts into the stool.

"How long has this been going on?"

Jim looked at him through bleary eyes.  "Ever since I came
back to the ship."

"The two of you are going to be the death of me yet.  Why the
hell didn't you tell me this was going on?  You know I am a
doctor.  I have stuff to fix problems like this."

"Bones, there's nothing you can do for this. There's
something they are doing to interfere with our bond. I guess
my mind sees it as a torn Bond. If you sedate me enough to
get rid of the pain, I won't be able to think any more and I
won't be able to hear Spock if he calls.  I'll deal with it in my
own way."

"Like hell you will.  I will be checking on you every four hours
until Spock is back.  If I think that you can't handle it any more,
I'll knock you out myself.  You won't do him any good, or us
any good, by killing yourself.  We need you James T. Kirk.
You don't have the right to indulge yourself.  Get a grip on it."
McCoy dialed another setting on the hypo and gave him a
second injection.  "This will last you until my next visit.  Don't
give me any shit, 'cause I don't have time for it.  Do you
understand me?"

Jim nodded weakly.  "I know you're right. It just hurts so much,
Bones.  It's like somebody ripped out all of my insides and
left my skin intact.  I'm trying to hold on, not just for you, or the
ship, but because I believe I can get my crew back. It's so
hard for me to think. I feel like someone shot a gaping hole
through my head."

McCoy helped him stand up from the floor of the fresher. "You
are going to go to bed and get some rest.  I'll be back to
check up on you in a few hours.  If you have not slept for at
least four hours, I'm going to give you a sedative. Don't even
think you have a choice on the matter."  They reached the
side of the bed and McCoy helped Jim to lower himself down
onto it.  "Jim, as much as I care about you both, I don't really
understand how it feels to have a mental bond with someone.
To be honest, I don't want to know, either. I can't conceive of
how it feels to have someone in your head all the time.  All I
know is, you passing out on the floor of your own cabin does
no one any good."  McCoy walked towards the door and
dialed down the lights. "Go to sleep, Captain.  I'll wake you up
if we need you."

Two days later, the artifact still glowed, McCoy had sedated
Jim for two 8 hour stretches of uninterrupted sleep. The
members of the crew were still missing, and Komack had
arrived.

The Admiral had commandeered a Starship, the Excalibur.
Its Captain was Safir Wai.  He was a fifty year old native of
Mars with a gentle wit, a handlebar mustache that he loved to
twirl the ends of, and a fierce protectiveness for his crew.
Kirk liked Wai, which was more than he had ever been able
to say about Komack. On a certain level, Kirk understood
why Komack detested him.  Richard Komack had been
embarrassed, out maneuvered, and at one point, out ranked
by Kirk.  All of that irritated Komack to no end.  Today, with
his crew missing, his T'hy'la missing, and his link silent, Kirk
didn't give a shit whether Komack liked him or not. They
would work together and he would get his crew back.

He personally led Komack, Wai, and Wai's First Officer,
Abdullah Ben- Obi, to the briefing room.  They sat and Kirk
had the departments bring everyone up-to-date.  When they
finished, Komack turned to Kirk in exasperation.

"You mean to tell me you lost half of the civilian mining team,
your First Officer, your Chief Engineer, and 15 other
members of your crew, and you still don't know what
happened?"  Komack's mouth twitched when he was angry
and it danced a jig as he spoke.  "What kind of kindergarten
romp are you running?  You didn't even try to dent the surface
of the artifact.  Shit, Kirk, why didn't you blast it open?"

McCoy and Sulu moved to protest and Kirk silenced them
both with a glance.  "Dr. McCoy, bring Lt. Lily in now, please."
McCoy got up to comply and Kirk turned dead eyes on
Komack. "Perhaps, you would like to hear from Lt. Lily before
you pass judgment, Admiral."  There was no life in his voice,
and no fire.

Lt. Lily was ushered in with Chapel on one side and McCoy
on the other.  She was still in Sickbay gray and had a nervous
look that leaped across the room.  They led her slowly to a
seat and sat her in it.  Chapel hovered protectively behind her
while McCoy took a seat.  Kirk began.  "Lt. Lily is the only
survivor we were able to locate.  She hid herself in a crack in
the wall of the corridor behind a large rock that obscured the
opening."  His voice softened towards the end. When he
turned to the lieutenant, a smile touched his face. She
relaxed visibly in response.

"Lieutenant, please tell Admiral Komack and Captain Wai
what you saw.  They won't interrupt you."

She began very softly.  "Well, it was like I told you, Captain.
We were going over the markings we had found on the
artifact, on the west side of the "door".  I had asked Mr.
Spock to come and see them."  Her voice got less hesitant.
"Mr. Hancock and Commander Scott were arguing over
intensifying the harmonics and range of the drill. They started
hollering at each other about it.  Mr. Scott was against it and
Mr. Hancock wanted to do it because it would cut the drilling
time down considerably."

"Mr. Spock went over to mediate and looked at the data and
told Mr. Hancock not to do it.  Hancock did it anyway," her
voice choked with emotion and tears began to run down her
face unnoticed.  Chapel squeezed her shoulder softly.  "The
bastard."  She struggled and the room waited.  "He
screamed at Springer to go ahead."  Her hands clinched the
sides of the chair.  "The drill melted the rock, and when it hit
the artifact, you could see the whole thing begin to glow.  Mr.
Spock told us all to evacuate immediately.  So we ran for the
tunnel.  Before we could reach it, all the lights went out,
except for the glow from the artifact."

"We all flipped down our visors and ran.  The miners had
refused to wear the equipment, because they thought we
were being stupid, so we had to pull them along in the dark.
Mr. Spock and Mr. Scott were at the back with Hancock.
When we got into the tunnel it went pitch black." She started
to gasp and her eyes dilated as she saw something not in the
room, but in the tunnel of two days ago.  "We could smell
them.  It smelled like something out of a nightmare, and then
we heard the scratching and scrambling from behind."

""Mr. Spock hollered at us to keep going and I heard phaser
blasts from behind us."  She sobbed.  "We ran with our
weapons drawn.  The miners wouldn't run because they
couldn't see.  They tried to hide instead.  I kept hearing
phasers and screaming from behind me until I knew I wouldn't
make it to the surface.  So, I hid behind a rock.  I could hear
them screaming and dying and all I could do was hide." She
rocked back and forth sobbing.  "I'm so sorry, Sir.  I didn't
know what else to do.  Our communicators wouldn't work and
it was obvious the phasers didn't stop them, so I hid.  Oh my
God."  Chapel stroked her head slowly.

Kirk looked at Komack.  His face was unreadable.

"Do you have any further questions, Admiral?"  Komack
shook his head.  Kirk stood and slowly crossed over to Lily.
He gently lifted her chin so she was forced to look him in the
eye.  "You did the very best you could do, Lieutenant. Without
you, we wouldn't have a clue as to what happened down
there."

"But, I hid."  She whispered.

"You followed orders.  You were told to evacuate and you did.
Now we know what started it all, and we know phasers don't
work.  You have probably saved someone's life with that
information.  There are no buts."  He stood. "Dismissed,
Lieutenant.  I expect you back on duty tomorrow."

She stood slowly and lunged for her Captain.  She hugged
him tightly and wordlessly, stood back, and saluted.  Her
eyes were still flowing.  "Yes, Sir."  Chapel escorted her out.

"Do you have any more questions, Admiral Komack?"  Kirk
asked after he had seated himself again.  His face had
returned to an emotionless mask.

"What did you have planned?"  Komack asked begrudgingly.

"We rang their bell once.  I plan to do it again.  But this time,
from a distance, with monitors in place."  Kirk replied quietly.
Komack pondered the plan.  He asked more questions, got
more answers, and reluctantly agreed.


They finished setting up the equipment.  The process had
begun two days prior to Komack's arrival, so only a few
things needed to be completed.  This time, they had bored a
drill hole straight from the cavern to the surface and had a
primary relay placed there, with vid cameras using zero light
scopes, sound, motion, and full sensor arrays.  Kirk beamed
everyone back from the surface and had the drill activated by
remote control.  Once again, the cavern was lit by blinding
blue green light.  It began to pulse in a throbbing rhythm.
They all watched from the bridge as the sigils around the
door began to glow brighter and brighter, until they were
blood red.

The artifact opened.

A dark pit of swirling air rolled in the depths of the doorway,
before they could clearly discern anything, the artificial lights
began to dim, and then they died.  Now, only the rhythmic
glow from the artifact lit the tunnel. Abruptly, it was snuffed out
and the cavern was plunged into darkness.  The zero light
vidcams clicked on instantaneously, capturing on vid, for all
to see, the most hideous aberrations imaginable spilling out
of the side of the artifact.

The creatures were huge, four times the size of a humanoid.
They had chitinous armor and multi-segmented bodies.  They
resembled a cross between the desert scorpion of Earth, a
lobster, and a nightmare.  Two sets of manipulative arms,
jutted out from the thorax.  The abdomen had three sets of
legs and a tail with a deadly looking stinger tipped with
fronds that undulated.  Admiral Komack stood at Kirk's side.
"Shit and Andorian's blue balls, they look like something out
of a damn horror vid."

Kirk did not respond, instead he turned to Uhura. "Begin the
sequence, Lieutenant."

"Aye, Sir."

Komack looked at Kirk.  "What are you doing, Captain?  We
discussed nothing about any sequence."

"We are attempting to communicate, Admiral."  Kirk
responded quietly.  "That is our mission.  These creatures
are obviously intelligent.  They have my crew and I wish to set
up a dialogue with them.  I personally don't give a damn how
they look, I want my crew back."

Sulu gave Chekov a look of satisfaction.  No matter what,
they knew Kirk would never lose sight of that goal: retrieve
the crew.  They watched as the lasers swiveled towards the
creatures and slowly began a series of flashes grouped
together and sequenced to mathematically progress from
one plus one to two plus two, until finally it would conclude
with pi, the universal constant.

The creatures reared back and turned inhumanly fast towards
the light source.  They scuttled over to the laser and watched
the numerical progression for the 32 minutes it took to
complete the cycle, before the light began again with the
same message.  When the first cycle was completed, they
turned to each other, and the crew watched as thin tubules
disgorged from the mouths of the creatures and impaled the
adjoining creature, until a circuit had been completed, and
they all were linked by biological tubes.

The creatures stood in complete silence in a circle, and the
crew waited for 3.4 hours and hoped against despair for
some signal that they had been heard.  Meanwhile, the
xenobiology labs compiled and reviewed everything they had
just recorded.  There was no record of any remotely similar
intelligent life form.  There was no record of any similar form
of communication.  There was no help.  Once again, the
Enterprise and her crew found themselves blazing entirely
new trails.

Then, without any obvious explanation, all the creatures
turned and moved back into the artifact and the door shut,
possibly on all of their hopes.

"Blast it, goddammit.  Blow it up.  Blow the damn thing up
and let's get out of here."  Komack's voice cut through the
silence on the bridge.

"Mr. Chekov, repeat the sequence."  The drill once again
shot towards the surface of the reflective wall.  This time, the
surface continued to brighten until ship wide sensors were
tripped and alarms began to klaxon.  "Mr. Chekov," he was
manning the science station, "what are you reading?"

Chekov turned to Kirk with fear across his face.  "Captain, I'm
getting readings of a power surge, magnitude equivalent to
that of a sun, emanating from below the entire surface of the
planet.  The entire planet is beginning to resonate."

"Mr. Sulu, take us out of orbit and away from the planet.  I
want distance, now.  Chekov, have science position satellites
in orbit to record whatever happens next. Let the Excalibur
know what we're doing and why, Uhura."

"Kirk, what are you doing?"  Komack barked.

Kirk turned to look briefly at Komack.  "We have company,
Admiral and they're about to make their grand entry."

"Then, let's get out of here, now."

"No, my crew is still down there inside with them.  I want first
contact with them and I want my crew back."

"Goddammit, Kirk, this is not about you and your damn
wants. This isn't about Spock, either. We need to get back to
Starfleet and let them know what we've found."

Kirk's voice was deadly quiet and calm.  Everyone on the
bridge knew that it was the voice he used when no
discussion was possible.  He stood and went to stand in front
of Komack, who visibly fought the desire to retreat from the
smaller man.

"This is not about Spock.  I have 17 men and women down
there.  I've reason to believe they're alive.  That is a
technologically advanced and ancient race.  Our mission is to
make first contact.  This is what we do, Richard.  This is who
we are.  If you're too frightened to watch, get off my bridge."

"I outrank you, Kirk."  Komack shouted.

"My flag rank is Admiral, Sir, in case you forgot. But standing
orders require I attempt to make contact and you are
obviously forgetting that. When you start acting like an
Admiral, I'll listen to you.  But, I'll be damned if I turn and run
without my people, and without finding out who these
creatures are.  Everybody has to die, Admiral.  One day is
just as good as another."  His glare allowed no room for
dissent.

"I'm taking this up with Nogura.  I'm going back to the
Excalibur and calling him now."

"I think that is an excellent idea.  Security," two men stepped
down and stood at attention, "escort the Admiral to the
transporter room and see that he is safely transported back
to the Excalibur."  They marched out with a furious Admiral
between them.


The bridge sat in the wake of their Captain and their
Admiral's fight.  Uhura got up and crossed to stand beside
her Captain.  "Jim, he's going to be in contact with Nogura
within the next hour.  That doesn't give us a long time. What
are you going to do if Nogura agrees with him?  You know
we'll back you, whatever you decide."

He reached over, grabbed her hand, and squeezed gently.
"Thank you, Nyota.  Hopefully, it won't come to that."

"Captain," Chekov broke in, "the planet is starting to
resonate at a higher intensity and frequency.  I am picking up
waves of turbulence heading our way.  They are force five."

"Get a reading on them and feed them to Mr. Sulu.  Sulu, face
into the energy waves until we can't take it, and then ride
them out to the point where it's force three or below." Kirk
turned to Uhura.  "You better get back to your station and
have everyone rig for turbulence, unknown magnitude."

"Aye, Captain," she smiled and clasped his hand again
before she left.

Kirk turned again.  "Lt. Uhura, let Captain Wai know what
we're doing.  He might be unduly distracted by loud noises
and miss this."  Sulu snickered.  "Split screen, Sulu.  Show
the satellite views and ours.  Maximum magnification on
satellite images."

"Aye, Sir."

"Mother Russia," Chekov gasped.  The planet was literally
shaking apart, right before their eyes.  Continents heaved
and rippled like skin on the back of a great animal. Mountain
ranges rose and fell in minutes.  Oceans disappeared as the
very sea floor cracked, spilling its contents into the interior of
the planet which then spewed the water forth into the
atmosphere as a violent spray of liquid. Fine mists arose
from the surface as the water that was to bathe the colonists,
floated up into the vacuum of space.

The crew of both ships watched in awe as minute by minute,
hour by hour, more of the skin was shed to reveal the
brilliantine surface that had been hidden from view for 9
billion years. Waves of turbulence hit the ships and sent them
roaring up and over the cresting flows of energy. The water
and dust from the planet's destruction formed a fog that
became denser and denser as the hours ticked off.
Someone gasped, Uhura, as the sun rose one last time over
the horizon of the world bent on its own destruction. When the
sun met the shimmering mists of moisture, frozen gases and
dust; a most wonderful sight filled their eyes. A rainbow, the
size of a world, arced over the sky and filled them all with
wonder.

For four days, twelve hours, and 24 minutes, the Excalibur
and Enterprise sat and watched the death of the planet and
the birth of something never seen before.  The artifact molted
its skin and was born again, pristine and puissant, and the
size of a world.

The nine billion-year-old vessel pulsated with shades of all
the colors imaginable flashing under it's skin, like the
reflected light from a diamond. Over a parsec away, it still
dwarfed the two Starships.  Dark as night and bright as a
sun, it hung motionless in space and both ships prayed the
next move was not their last. It was a perfect sphere, with not
a single defect on the surface, no visible openings, still
absolutely resistant to their attempts to scan the interior.

"Uhura, open a channel to the Excalibur."  He waited for
Wai's face to come on the forward screen.  "Safir, it's not
making any hostile moves.  We're going to repeat the same
sequence, first harmonics, then the numerical sequence, then
the universal lingua code.  I will let you know everything I'm
going to do before I do it, if I can."

"Jim, I'm not sure..."

"Kirk," Komack interrupted, "you are to desist all attempts to
contact the artifact.  We will handle it from here."

"Admiral, we already started it and have it programmed to
go.  What sense does it make to wait for you to do it?"

"It makes sense because I told you to stop.  I'm in charge of
this mission now.  You heard Nogura." Komack had called
Nogura, and Kirk had been duly reamed out by his C in C for
insubordination. Then Komack had gotten the same
treatment, because he had forgotten the cardinal mission of
all Starships, to seek out new worlds, new civilizations. "Sit
there and jump when I damn well tell you to, or warp out of
here."  Komack's voice was getting louder and louder as he
spoke.  His face was taking on the beefy red glow of
obstinacy.  Kirk decided to save his court-martial for
something more important than shining flashlights at an alien.

"I defer to your expertise, Admiral.  Enterprise out."  He sat
back and rubbed his temples in attempt to ease the
throbbing of his head.  He felt a pressure against his
shoulder and a warm hiss of medication was injected into his
arm.  McCoy stood next to him holding a hypo.  "Damn,
Bones, have you ever thought of asking first?"

"Nope.  You would've said you're fine and didn't need
anything.  When was a last time you ate, Jim?"

"Lunch."

"Yesterday," Uhura chimed in.

Kirk looked around at her in amusement.  "It's a conspiracy."

Kirk's yeoman came forward with a sandwich and a juice.
"Eat, Jim.  Passing out from pain or hunger won't get them
back."  Bones pleaded and quietly added, "Between you
fighting Komack, going after our people, and setting up the
contact, you're burning yourself out.  It could impair your
judgment.  You know we need you on the top of your form if
Komack is around."

Kirk stared at him gratefully.  He knew the last few days he
had buried himself in work to keep from thinking about
Spock, Scotty, and his other 15 crewmembers, but most
especially Spock.  Sometimes, fear and pain grabbed his
chest and made him have to slowly and deliberately breathe.
His head had hurt continuously since Spock's scream
awakened him.  The pain in his head was nothing compared
to the ache in his soul.  Without his T'hy'la, neither the
Enterprise nor the stars held anything beautiful for him any
longer. If Spock died, he would get his crew back to Earth,
then he would leave the Enterprise, Earth, the Federation,
and responsibility behind.  They would all be things of the
past.  As would he, most probably.  Spock had always been
his word of caution, his sense of restraint.  Without Spock, he
probably would fly into the sun one day, just to see if it was
truly hot.  He laughed humorlessly and McCoy answered with
a smile.

"We better get them back, so we can hear that more often."
Bones whispered for Kirk's ears alone.


"Captain," Uhura called, "the Excalibur has started to signal
the alien vessel."

"Captain, they are using the phasers to signal them." Chekov
shouted.  "They are at ten percent of full power."

"What the hell," Kirk dropped the sandwich.  "Uhura, signal
the Excalibur to stop the use of the phaser.  It will not
duplicate the harmonics of the drill."

Wai's face came on screen.  "Jim, we thought we could use
energy amplification and light fluctuation to signal them.
Admiral Komack wants it this way."

"Safir, we used a drill, a plain harmonic laser drill.  You have
no way to know a phaser will get the same response. The
energy readings and wavelengths are entirely different."

"I understand your point, Jim.  Really, I do.  Orders are
orders."  Wai looked over his shoulder briefly and turned
back to the screen.  "Look, Jim, be ready to rescue our
asses if you have to.  I resent dying over the choice of a
signaling tool.  Wai out."

Kirk got up and began pacing angrily as the Excalibur began
its signaling into the surface of the gigantic globe with the
phaser.  "Uhura, signal engineering to get transporter techs
to every single transporter pad we have.  Have each location
designate a part of Excalibur as their responsibility.  I want to
be ready to transport over the whole damn crew of Excalibur
if we have to."

"Aye, Sir."

"Jim," Bones walked along with his pacing, "why would
Komack use a phaser when we used a drill?"

"So he could say he used something different and that is
what actually succeeded.  Ego, pure frigging ego.  I don't like
it.  All those recordings did not show those beings making a
single audible sound.  There's no reason to suspect regular
subspace radio will work.  They may not be able to hear.  But
vibration or harmonics must cause some kind of response
from them or they'd still be in a dark ball in the center of the
world.  It's stupid to switch to phasers now. Phasers don't
vibrate along harmonic paths.  I don't see why he would use
those... oh damn."

"What's wrong, Jim?"

Kirk turned and looked at McCoy in disgust.  "He's testing his
weapons on them.  He's using weapons for signaling and
recording any defenses.  If they think of the phaser as a
signal, they won't shield against it when he uses it full
strength."

"Komack ain't that bright."  McCoy retorted.

"Maybe not, but Nogura is and they've been chatting for two
days now."  His eyes became glazed.  "He'll use photon
torpedoes next, probably dead ones with drills in them, let
them get close and signal with those."  Kirk winced and bent
over the railing and clutched his head.  "Stupid, stupid,
stupid."

"Jim, let me..."

"No, no more.  Another shot will put me out.  I need to be
awake."  He turned and looked at McCoy in open appeal,
"please, Bones."

"Jim, is this a migraine, or the bond?"

"The bond."  Kirk whispered.

"Is he still alive?"

"I think so, I still feel something, but no thoughts, no essence."
A fine sheen of sweat coated his forehead.

McCoy knew Jim was in pain.  He also knew he could not fix
this hurt and leave him conscious. "Sit down, before you fall
down."  He watched as his Captain meekly obeyed.  That
was a sure sign of Jim's level of distress.  McCoy walked
over to Uhura's COM.  "Uhura, get me a shipwide page."
She flipped the switch and signaled readiness.  "This is Dr.
McCoy, all medical personnel are to report to the main
Sickbay and pick up your emergency kits.  You are to keep
them on your person at all times."

Kirk looked up at McCoy when he returned to stand beside
Kirk's chair.  "What was all that about?"

"Doctors get hunches too, you know."  McCoy quipped.
"Now excuse me while I go ask God to keep Komack from
killing us all."

"Put in a word for Spock, Scotty, and the rest of my missing
crew also," Kirk asked quietly.

"I always do.  Lord knows the heathens need it."  He grabbed
Kirk's shoulder and shook it gently before he left.


"Chekov, any readings from our guests?"

"No, Sir.  The surface seems to fully reflect the phaser. No
resonance or harmonics are registering."

Kirk turned to sign off on the PADDS his yeoman handed to
him.  Regardless of whether or not they were trying to talk to
a civilization billions of years old, paperwork was paperwork.
"Captain," Chekov's voice shouted, "the Excalibur has
strengthened the phaser to 1/2 force."

"Response from the alien vessel?"  Kirk asked instantly.  He
leaned forward in the seat.

"None, Sir."

"Where's the site we identified as the entrance, Chekov?"

"Unknown, Sir."

"Identify it and tell the Excalibur we're going to line up in front
of it.  Uhura, ask them if they want to join us and redirect their
signals towards the known entrance."

"Aye, Sir.  Captain Wai says, wonderful idea, he will comply.
And, Sir," Kirk turned to look at her, "he says the cat's away."
Kirk laughed and turned back to the screen. They might pull
this off yet.  The thought helped to ease the ache in his chest
and his head just a bit."

"Captain, I have located the coordinates of the door," Chekov
announced.

"Feed them to the helm.  Mr. Leslie, I want you to plot an
updated course every five minutes and lay in the fastest route
out of this system.  I want no delay if we have to run.  Sulu,
take us to the door, put us 10,000 meters away from it, and
match any rotation of the vessel."  The Excalibur followed
them and began signaling again, this time directly towards
the opening.  They sat patiently and waited for an answer.
Two hours later, the Excalibur announced it was going to
increase the phaser to 75 percent of full power. When they
did, all hell broke loose.

The bridge of the Enterprise watched as the Excalibur once
again began the signaling pattern with phasers at 75 percent.
The beam shot out from the Excalibur and hit the door, which
suddenly  erupted into a brilliant flare of light.

"Screen, dampen forward screen by 50 percent."  Kirk
shouted while he tried to watch the vessel through his hands.

"Sir, returning fire from the alien vessel."  Kirk watched as a
beam of light shot out from the alien vessel towards the
Excalibur and rocked it through its shields.

"Forward shields full strength, Sulu.  Analyze that beam,
Chekov."

"Sir, the Excalibur is powering its weapons up to full strength,
"
Sulu warned.

"No, that's wrong," he turned to Chekov.  "Analyze the beam,
Chekov."  The Russian scurried; he had never hoped to be
as fast as Spock, suddenly he needed to be faster.  There it
was.

"Captain, those are phasers, 75 percent Federation
standard."

"Excalibur is firing full strength phasers," Sulu shouted.

"Signal the Excalibur to hold their fire, Uhura."  The beam
from the Excalibur lanced off into the night, impacting the
planetoid and just as surely was turned back, into the
Excalibur, full force.  The ship rocked at the impact.

"Excalibur is firing photon torpedoes, Sir," Chekov hollered.

"Uhura..." Kirk turned on his communications Wizard.

"They're not acknowledging us, Captain."

"Damn," he turned to watch as the photon torpedoes were
absorbed utterly and completely by the planetoid. Next, the
Excalibur unleashed its phasers in a continuous assault on
the ship and started evasive maneuvers.

"Sir, I have the Excalibur."  Uhura announced triumphantly.

"Wai," Kirk shouted as soon as the Excalibur Bridge
focused. "Stop firing.  Your own reflected weapons are hitting
you. They are not firing.  You probably set off some
automated defense mechanism or maybe they think you're
signaling them still."

Wai started to speak and was interrupted by Admiral
Komack. "Kirk, fire at the vessel.  We are under attack.
You're ordered to engage the vessel."

"Admiral, you are not under attack."  The Excalibur Bridge
rocked as the shields were hit again, but held.  "Those are
your weapons being reflected.  Use your own sensors to
check it out."

"What difference does it make if they use our weapons or
their own?  We are being fired upon.  I order you to attack."

"I can't do that, Sir.  Our system was rigged to signal with
drilling lasers.  Our phasers are off line."

"You're lying, Kirk.  Fire your damn weapons."  Komack
yelled over the weapons' noise.

"Admiral, if you'll stop firing..." suddenly, the Excalibur bridge
went black.

"Uhura?"  Kirk turned to her.

"We've lost the signal at the source, Sir."

"Captain, the shields have dropped on the Excalibur.  There
are hull breaches on deck's 7,9, and 5.  Life-support has
been compromised."

"Start beaming them over now.  Maintain our position and
drop our shields."  Kirk turned back to the screen and the
alien.

"Yes, Sir."

Tense minutes passed as they began to rescue the crew of
the Excalibur.  Finally, Rand signaled from the main
transporter room.  "We have 356 members of the Excalibur
crew alive, 76 injured, 73 unaccounted for, Captain.  And Sir,
Komack and Wai are on their way to the bridge.  I've notified
security."

"Thank you, Rand.  Bridge out."

"73 dead.  Stupid, just plain damn stupid."  He muttered and
waited for Komack to burst through the doors.  Kirk prepared
himself for the battle ahead.  They sat and watched the
Excalibur spark and spew forth its contents.  It was a man
made celestial light show without joy.  

Kirk didn't need to turn to know when Komack entered the
bridge.  The hostility was palpable.  Komack began shouting
the minute he breached the doorway.

"Kirk, damn your cowardly hide.  I'll have you busted down to
a yeoman.  You are relieved of duty."

Kirk's swiveled his chair around to face him.  "Did you prefer
that I destroy my ship too, so that there would be nowhere to
beam your crew?  Did you want 864 dead?  Isn't 73 dead
enough?  Admiral Komack, they did not fire."  Kirk tried to
use reason.  "Those were your own weapons.  They had the
same energy signature and came off in an exactly reflective
vector.  You fired on yourself.  What good would it do for me
to do the same?  I will not destroy my ship out of stupidity, or
ego."  He stood directly in Komack's face and his voice
dropped to a barest of  whispers.  "The next time you call me
a coward, make sure it's over subspace radio."

Komack turned to look at Kirk's bridge crew and suddenly
saw that he had no chance of taking command from him.  It
hit him in his gut.  This was not Starfleet's ship; this was
Kirk's ship and the knowledge galled him.  He decided, then
and there, if they made it back to Earth, he would scatter this
crew to the four corners of the galaxy.

"Captain," Sulu called out, "the alien vessel is moving
towards us."

Kirk instantly forgot Komack and turned back towards the
screen and took his seat.  "Should we raise our shields,
Captain?"  Lt. Leslie asked.

"Negative.  Uhura, begin signaling again from the beginning,
per our original plan."

The harmonic drill shot out through the void of space and hit
the doorway of the vessel.  It continued to approach them,
slowly, stately.  They gave no hint that they had just destroyed
a Starship.  The beam hit.  Now, as in the tunnel, the sigils
around the doorway lit and began to pulsate. They continued
the sequence and the glow spread from the doorway, out
toward the entire globe in waves, until it writhed and pulsated
with light and crackling lines of energy thousands of meters
long.

"Fire, Kirk."  Komack insisted.

"No."  He answered quietly, but no less confidently.  "We
wait.  It's their move."

"Are you crazy?  Look at that power.  What hope do you have
against something like that?  Fire, or take us out of here."

Suddenly, it hit Kirk.  He understood what had always been
between he and Komack.  In fact, the issue was between
Komack and anyone like Kirk.  Komack had never been a
Starship Captain.  Komack had never made a first contact.
Komack had never destroyed enemy ships as they tried to
destroy the one you were on.  Komack was terrified, on a
bone deep level that had no hope of relief.  He was afraid of
the unknown and the unknowable.  Kirk was momentarily
stunned that he had never realized it before.

He always thought Komack hated he and Spock, because of
the incident with Spock's first Pon Farr.  No, it went deeper
than that.  Komack hated them because they breathed deep
space and met new races in wonder, instead of fear.  The
simple act of understanding, made him smile.  He vowed to
explain it to Spock when Kirk got them home.

"Continue the sequence, Uhura."  He relaxed back in the
chair and waited. The court-martial would be brief, he
assured himself. If they didn't jail him, he and Spock would
retire to Vulcan.

"There's movement on the surface, Captain.  The door is
opening."  Chekov was riveted to his science station viewer.

"They are at 10,000 meters and closing, Captain."  Sulu
reported.

The opening was now visible on the surface.  "The doorway
is 500 meters in diameter, 1000 meters, 1500 meters..." The
opening got wider and wider, revealing nothing of the interior,
only darkness deeper than space.  Kirk could hear Komack's
breathing beside him.  His new insights made him have a
twinge of sympathy for the older man, who he now realized
was completely out of his zone of comfort.  He turned and
Captain Wai gave him an enigmatic look, which at least
hinted he had not judged him to be insane, yet.

The beam of light lanced out from the globe and shimmered
on the ship's shields.  "Harmonics, Captain, matching ours,
exactly."  Uhura calmly reported.

"Next sequence, Uhura."  They started again.  This time they
left gaps in the sequencing.  Again the beam hit them.
"Response, 100 percent Captain.  All dropped sequences
were filled.  Do you want me to transmit universal lingua code
now?"

"Yes."

She did.  "No response.  I can try again with the beam and
send it as vibration only."

"Do it, Uhura."  He didn't question how she did it.  She was
the magician; it was time for her to do her magic.

This time, when the beam hit the ship, the entire vessel
began to rock.  It was palpable and audible even through the
void of space, which should've been impossible.  Kirk
watched as the globe began to glow, building to a brilliance
of a billion candle watts.  Just when the light became almost
unbearable, it stopped, and the globe moved... towards
them.

"Captain, it is at 5,000 meters and closing."

"Back off, Mr. Sulu, maintain our distance."  Sulu hit his board
rapidly.

"Unable, Sir.  We are being held.  The helm and the engines
respond, but we haven't moved."

Kirk set back in the chair.  "I believe we have been invited to
visit."  He flipped his COM, "Giotto, requisition a No. 23 and
bring it to me."  He didn't wait for the answer. "Shipwide,
Uhura."

"You have it, Captain."

"This is the Captain speaking.  We're about to make first
contact with the alien vessel.  We are now being drawn into
its interior.  This is what you signed on for.  I want everyone
on board in their environmental suits, with emergency
supplies on their persons.  These beings are billions of years
old and may not understand our requirements.  Make me
proud. Kirk out."

Komack came and stood in front of him.  "You are just going
to sit here and let them pull us inside?"

"I see no other alternatives right now.  Anyway, they are
inside that world size globe and since I want to meet them,
and get my crew back. It seems the logical thing to do."

"This is still about getting Spock back," Komack sneered.

Kirk smiled.  "I don't think you'll ever understand me,
Admiral."

Wai came over and took Komack's arm.  "Admiral, Starfleet
regulations mandate him to make contact.  He is a Starship
Captain.  It is what we do."

Komack snatched his arm away.  "Both of you are the same.
We should have left and quarantined the entire system."

Wai shook his head gently.  "No, Admiral, he did what he had
to do.  I never should've allowed you to help me destroy my
own ship. You're wrong and when we get back to Starfleet, I'll
say that to anyone and everyone who'll listen."

Komack turned to say something but Sulu's quiet voice
interrupted.  "We're about to enter the vessel."

They turned in time to see the darkness engulf the ship.
Suddenly, the interior of the ship surged with vibration and a
brilliant red glow.  When the glow vanished, so had every
person on board.


<Jim, where are you?  I cannot find you.  Do not leave me> A
whisper of mind contact, the smell of incense, the rustle of
dark robes, a desert breeze, a Le'Matya's call.

<Never, T'hy'la.> Joyful laughter, fresh mown hay, wind
whipping through a flying mane, a sail slapping briskly in a lull
in a storm, the smell of salt water.  <Come, join me>

They woke up on the floor of a brightly-lit room.  Room did not
describe it well, a cavern or dome was more descriptive. It
was surrounded on all sides by a clear substance that
allowed them to see above them and around them.
Everywhere they looked, they saw creatures.  They moved,
they stood still; they work on walls of instruments that seemed
to be made of light; they touched; they surrounded them in the
thousands.

McCoy awoke next to one of the crewman from the Excalibur
that he been monitoring in Sickbay.  His medical tricorder
was still in his hands.  He ran over the crewman and satisfied
himself that the man was sleeping peacefully and naturally.
His medical kit was still strapped to his waist. He turned and
saw others struggling up into consciousness. Some were in
full environmental suits. It looked like all seven hundred odd
lives aboard the Enterprise were here in a space the size of
a giant null gravity hockey stadium.

He grunted.  "Another fine mess you gotten us into, Jimboy."
He looked for Chapel.  "Christine," she was already waking
up.  "You stay with these kids and keep the medical team
concentrated here.  Have them clear away a space and
cordon it off for medical problems only.  I'm going to go find
our fearless leader, whereever he is."  She nodded and got
up slowly to start.

"Leonard," she called, "how are you going to find us again?"

"I'll just holler."

She chuckled and started moving.  It took McCoy another ten
minutes to find Kirk, and he didn't like what he saw when he
found him.  Uhura was holding him in her lap and he was still
unconscious, even though everyone else seemed to be up
and moving.  He saw Nyota's grateful smile and rushed over
to evaluate him.  "Shit, I should've known," he muttered to
himself.  He pulled Kirk up by his shirt and slapped him
hard.
Uhura winced in sympathy but didn't try to stop him. Wai and
Komack moved forward but were intercepted by Chekov and
Sulu.  McCoy slapped Kirk again, harder, and again.
Suddenly, he felt his hand gripped in a steel vice.

"Bones, I think you like to do that."  Kirk sat up and rubbed
his jaw.

"Don't tempt me.  It was getting kind of fun.  I have to assume
the pointy-eared imp is alive somewhere in all of this."

"Yes," Kirk's smile was enough to make McCoy blush.

"Don't do that."  He grumbled.

Kirk laughed, jumped up, turned around and pulled Uhura up
next to him.  He gave her a kiss on the cheek.  "Thanks,
Nyota."

"Don't mention it.  Anyway it was just an excuse to hug my
Captain."

"You don't ever need an excuse, Nyota.  Grab me anytime."
They smiled at each other comfortably.  He  looked around.
"It looks like everybody is here.  Chekov, take an inventory of
what supplies people have.  Sulu, count heads, make sure no
one's missing.  Uhura, I want you to see if they managed to
bring us here with anything we can communicate with. Then
we wait for them to say hello again.  I'm going to walk the
perimeter."  He turned to start, and magically Giotto and five
members of the wolf pack appeared dressed in full armor.

"We will go with you, Captain."  Giotto said quietly.  Kirk
nodded and left for his tour.

The bubble they were in was immense, at least 10,000
meters around. It floated in the midst of an even larger
chamber, that stretched around them in all directions. Some
of the walls receded into the distance, curving away into mist.
Tunnels branched off in all directions; their doors were
surrounded by glowing hieroglyphics. Panels of lights and
sparkling surfaces gleamed at them and pulsated in tune to
an ancient rhythm. There was no sign of any life or the
creatures they had seen in the vids. Giotto watched Kirk and
let his men watch the outside world. He suspected Kirk would
be the early warning device. He knew his Captain would not
wait for security, but run to the front as he always did. The
pack had pledged to keep Kirk alive, or die in the effort,
falling with all weapons spent.

They continued on their walk, seeing no life, until suddenly,
the light around them flared high enough to be seen through
shuttered eyelids. A deep vibration shook the floor and
surrounding bubble, pulsating irregularly, speeding up, and
then slowing. They stood still waiting to see what this new
development meant. Off in the distance, the combined crews
could be seen scrambling to sit, instead of falling down.

"Captain, do you want us to take up new positions?"

"No. We wait."

The tunnel doors begin to fill with deepening shadows.
"Movement, Captain. There is something in the tunnels, " a
member of the pack announced.

Kirk turned and surveyed the entire scene. Creatures -- huge,
reflecting light from their faceted surfaces --entered by the
thousands. They scuttled towards the bubble and stopped.
The vibration increased and became a deep hum, frequency
and amplitude modulated, and completely meaningless  to
the humans who watched. Thousands of the creatures stood
and watched them. These had shredded humans into faint
remnants, unrecognizable to those they knew or loved. These
creatures had stolen Spock, Scotty, and the other members
of his crew. These creatures could shred them just as easily.
They stood and watched each other in silence. Finally, Kirk
turned to Giotto, "Let's finish the tour. There's nothing to be
done about our hosts at the moment. I want to find our
people, if we can."

It took them one hour and 23 minutes ships time to
circumnavigate the dome.  They had almost reached their
starting point when Kirk came to an abrupt stop.  He reached
up and touched the clear surface.  His eyes were riveted on
the wall across from where he stood.  Giotto could hear him
suck in air and slowly exhale.  He went to stand beside his
Captain and stared at where Kirk had fixed his gaze. Slowly,
the wall began to have discernible lumps that stretched away
into the distance.  Giotto turned his head from side to side
and tried to understand what he was looking at.  They looked
like bumps in some type of spongy surface.  It was hard to
see, but it looked as if some of it might be moving, just
slightly.

"Oh shit," he gasped.  He turned to Kirk.  "Captain, those are
our people aren't they?"  Kirk nodded.  "Do you know which
one is Spock?"  Kirk pointed straight ahead and almost in
response the wall moved, slightly.  Giotto watched as Kirk's
hands clinched, then un-clinched.  Kirk turned away slowly
and continued on back to their temporary command post.
When everyone had returned with their information, they
moved the command post over to along the wall in front of
their crewmembers and sat down to begin their wait for the
next move.

Mushroom shaped devices erupted out of the floor hours
later.  Science and engineering were quickly able to
determine some were for food, some for water, and some for
waste.  At least they wouldn't starve or wallow in excrement,
McCoy thought to himself as he wondered yet again why he
followed Kirk back out into space, one more time.  "I could be
playing the horses in Kentucky right now," he grumbled to
Chapel who chuckled in response.  "It's time for the Kentucky
Derby.  Lone Rider looked real good in the Preakness."

"Leonard, shut up.  You have never been to the Derby, even
when you were in Georgia.  Hand me that antibiotic hypo,
please, kind grumpy, Sir."

"Oh, I can't be grumpy?"  He asked.  "Here we are inside and
alien ship as big as a damn planet, surrounded by deaf-mute
9 billion year old lobsters, and you want me to be a ray of
sunshine?"  He handed her the hypo.

"No, Dear," Chapel smiled. "We love you just the way you
are; grumpy, cantankerous, and brilliant."

"Only brilliant?"

"Forgive me, cantankerous, grumpy, brilliant, opinionated,
loyal, handsome, and with the surgical skills of an angel."

"That's a better, dammit."  He stood up.  "Let me go check on
our soon-to-be middle-aged boy wonder.  He's probably
silently nursing the migraine from hell, while he schemes to
save the universe. He really believes he can bend steel with
his bare hands."

"He can't, but Spock can, so it's the same thing."  She
quipped.

McCoy chortled.  "I keep forgetting how strong that elf is.
Holler if you need me."

"Always," she turned back to their few remaining casualties,
motioned one of the medics over to her side.


McCoy walked over to the command center. He stopped
occasionally to check on the crew and see how they were
doing.  He found one of the doctors from the Excalibur doing
the exact thing.  The other Excalibur physician was back with
Chapel.  The ships were working well together, as expected.
The Enterprise crew was calm.  They expected their Captain
to figure a way out of this for them all and the Excalibur crew
had caught their confidence bug.  Small groups of people
sat, played word games, slept, or watched the thousands of
creatures that walked over their heads and around them on
all sides.  The lack of physical threat had made them all relax
just a bit.  It was a normal human reaction.  It was impossible
to state hyper alert at all times except for Vulcans, McCoy
reminded himself sardonically, and Starship Captains.

When he found Kirk, he was seated facing the area where
their missing crew was.  Komack was in the middle of an
angry tirade, which Kirk was pointedly ignoring.  Wai was
shaking his head silently and the rest of the bridge crew had
turned away to at least afford them a semblance of privacy.

"Goddammit, Kirk," Komack hissed, "what do your hunches
tell you now.  We have 800 people in here, no ship, and no
weapons that affect them."

"We wait, Admiral.  They'll contact us."  He answered quietly.
He never looked away from the wall.

That was the last straw.  Komack broke.  He rushed across
the space separating them, lifted Kirk from the ground, and
knocked him across the face with a giant back hand that
flung him six feet away onto his back.  Komack rushed to
grab him again, but found two redshirts and Captain Wai
in
front of him. "Goddammit.  I'm tired of you, Kirk.  You act like
you're a fucking wonder boy, prancing around, using your
looks, and that damn half-breed Vulcan shadow of yours. You
are nothing but a fucking idiot savant killing machine. What
you don't kill, you fuck.  What are you going to do with these
things, Kirk? Are you going to kill them, or fuck them?"

Kirk stood up slowly and wiped the blood from his face.  It ran
from his mouth in rivulets across his chin to drip slowly on his
chest.  McCoy moved to touch him, but Kirk moved him
aside.  Everyone waited.  Even Komack had realized he had
gone too far.  The rasping of Komack's breath was the
loudest sound in the nearby space.

"Fear is something else, isn't it, Admiral.  All those years
riding your desk, and our behinds, did nothing to prepare you
for the big game."  He walked over towards Komack and
stopped past the security guards. "You can hit me, you can
curse me out; you can court-martial me.  I don't care
anymore.  In answer to your question: I will kill them if I must; I
will screw them if I need to; I will communicate with them if I
can.  I will do what ever I have to, to win."

He moved to stand directly in front of Komack and lowered
his voice so that only Komack's ears could hear him.  "And, if
I have to step over your bleeding, cold corpse, to get my crew
back, and accomplish my goal, I'll do that too.  Don't block
me, Komack," he hissed quietly.  "Starfleet is a long way
away, and out here, I'm the law."  Kirk reached up and wiped
at the blood again. "Fortunately for you, I'm not the animal you
think I am.  I'm just what you made me, a Starship Captain. I
will do my job, Komack, with you, or over you.  The choice is
yours."  Kirk turned and walked back over to the wall to
resume his silent vigil.

McCoy quietly walked over to him, cleaned up his face and
sealed the lacerations inside his mouth.  "He's going to fry
you when we get back."

"Maybe," Kirk answered flatly.

"Jim, is he right?"  Kirk turned to stare at McCoy.  "Is this only
about getting Spock back home?"  McCoy ignored the flash
of hurt in the hazel eyes.  "I need to know."  McCoy watched
while Jim turned away and ran his fingers through his hair
before he turned to look at McCoy again.

"You already know the answer.  I'd kill Spock with my own
hands if I needed to, Bones, and he'd understand.  I need you
to believe in me, Bones."  His face softened into a plea.

McCoy sighed.  "I do.  But, us mere mortals have to hear the
words sometimes for reassurance."  He hugged Kirk gently
around his shoulders and sat down to join him as they waited.

It was hours later when Komack came and sat down across
from Kirk, on the floor.  The Captain eyed him warily.  Kirk
heard the Admiral curse softly under his breath and take a
pull of air.  "I shouldn't have hit you."  Kirk nodded and let him
continue.  "This is not what I do.  I solve administrative
problems, negotiate diplomatic issues, talk to people, and
tell people what to do."  Kirk smiled without humor, and
offered no comment.  "I have no control over these creatures
and damn little over you.  That makes me mad.  You are a
hard man to command, Kirk."

"I know.  You're not the first person to tell me that."  His eyes
looked back into a past of hard decisions and command
isolation.  "Have you ever thought that the reason they sent
me out here, is because of that very fact.  I'm not a follower,
Komack.  I make decisions; lots of them are painful ones.
Sometimes I wish I could sit back and let someone else do it.
I think my inability to let go is one of my fatal flaws.  I can live
with that."

He faced Komack with a simple honesty.  A small amount of
blood still stained the side of his mouth, where Komack had
split this lip.  The swelling was at its maximum and his skin
was bruised.  Komack felt small and embarrassed at the
same time.  Suddenly, Komack realized how much simple
envy had motivated him in the past, that and anger.  It no
longer seemed as important.  Komack realized that their
survival depended on Kirk now, and further antagonism was
useless and unwise.

"What do you think is going to happen, Captain?"  Komack
knew the question could be interpreted as a plea for
reassurance.  Perhaps it was, but no one in Starfleet had
more first contact experience than Kirk.  His guess would be
better than most people's considered opinion.

"I have no idea."  Komack felt his stomach fall when he heard
the answer.  "We wait, Admiral.  Where there's life, there's a
chance.  I haven't given up at all.  I'm just resting, waiting for
an opportunity to make this work."

"I still think you're an arrogant, insubordinate, son of a bitch,
but I shouldn't have hit you."

Kirk snorted.  "Apologies accepted, by the way, all of that's
true.  My Mother could be a bitch when she wanted to. I
learned how to not back down, or give up, from her.  So, I
consider being the son of a bitch, to be a distinct advantage."
Kirk stood up.  "I'm going to go check on my crew.  Get some
rest, Admiral."

Komack watched Kirk walk away with two redshirts
shadowing his every move.  He still didn't like the man, but it
was hard not the credit the fact that Kirk had balls.  It was
going to be a shame to bust them.  Kirk needed a
reintroduction to reality.  If they got out of this mess, Komack
had every intention of teaching him a lesson.  This was no
longer about envy or jealousy, he assured himself. Kirk
needed to be disciplined because he threatened the very
integrity and command structure of Starfleet.  He was a loose
cannon and Komack vowed to himself that he would
personally put a plug in the bore of that particular cannon
turned Starship Captain.

"Captain, there's some movement near our people."  Giotto
spoke softly.  Kirk came awake instantly and began to move
towards the wall from where he had been sleeping near
some of the younger and more frightened members of his
crew.  His calm presence in their midst had reassured all of
them. They quietly shared their thoughts with him and
watched him for signs of fear or uncertainty.  Seeing none,
their own fears had receded back into their closets, locked
up like good little bogey men for awhile longer.  Giotto
walked briskly beside his Captain to where his man had
been posted to watch for the very thing he just announced.

When they reached the transparent barrier, one of the
ancients, as the crew had started to call them, was working at
the membrane that covered one of the crew, at the very end
of the line of encased figures.  They had no way of telling who
it was.  "Jim, what's up?"  Kirk turned to see McCoy, Chekov,
Sulu, and Uhura walk up behind him.  "Taylor came and told
us something is changing."

Kirk turned and smiled a welcome.  "It looks like they're
opening one of our packages."  The ancient one made a
slow incision along one side.  Then the other side of the
membrane was cut, and it used its first set of arms to pull the
membrane down.  It revealed the quiet form of Ensign Mandy,
one of the science techs.  He seemed to be asleep. The
creature reached out with two pairs of manipulators, and
pulled him away from the surface.  The Ensign's limp form
came away without resistance.  The creature pivoted and
scuttled forward, straight towards the barrier and stood
motionless in front of where the Federation humans were
waiting.

"Move back, everyone," Kirk said quietly.  "It looks like we're
getting our crew back.  I don't want to make any moves that
are scary to them, especially until everyone is unwrapped."
They moved aside and the barrier dissolved instantly in front
of the ancient one who marched ahead and put the young
Ensign down on the floor, wheeled, and returned to the
barrier which closed instantly behind it.

McCoy rushed over to evaluate the Ensign.  Everyone stood
expectantly as the med scanner wthemred.  "He is in some
form
of induced sleep.  His respirations, heartbeat, metabolism,
brain waves, are all markedly slowed.  Otherwise, this kid is
healthy.  He has no evidence of trauma, or infection." McCoy
turned and smiled up at his Captain.  "I can get him back,
once we get back to the ship.  He is fine for now. One down,
16 to go."  McCoy said hopefully.

Kirk visibly relaxed.  He returned to the barrier and watched
as each member of his crew was released from their
wrapping and brought into the area of comfortable captivity.
Giotto thought he saw a slight gleam of water in his Captain's
eyes when the 10th figure was unwrapped.  It was Spock.
They brought him in and laid him down next to the rest.

Kirk came in stood quietly beside Spock's still form.  McCoy
fussed as the Vulcan was scanned.  The doctor's smile was
Kirk's answer.  McCoy turned and watched as his Captain,
his best friend, knelt down beside the Vulcan.  McCoy knew
there could be no great show, no open demonstration of
attachment. There were too many people watching the
Captain and his First Officer.  Kirk reached out gently,
touched Spock's cheek, and closed his eyes briefly.  He rose
and returned to the barrier without a backward glance.  Ten
down and seven more to go.  McCoy coughed to clear the
roughness that suddenly clogged his throat.  Then, the doctor
turned back to his patients. Scotty was number 14.

When the ancients finished carrying all the crew in, each and
every missing crewmember was accounted for.  They all
were still in the survival gear Kirk had mandated.  Some even
had their phasers in place.  None of the miners had survived.
The rest slept peacefully.

"What do we do now, Bones?"  Kirk asked hopefully.

"You're asking me?  The only things I have are the medical
kits we carry on our bodies.  I can't wake these folks up
without the sick bay equipment.  I'm a doctor, not a frigging
miracle worker."

"I thought those were the same thing," Uhura cthemped in.

"Oh, now you're going to gang up on me," McCoy growled.
"Spock's asleep so you're taking his lines?"  Uhura laughed
in response and kissed McCoy on the forehead.  "Nope,
that's better than Spock could ever do."  McCoy smiled
affectionately.

"Bones, I..." Kirk's statement was interrupted by the approach
of a large group of creatures to the barrier.  The barrier
dissolved, and several entered and walked quietly over to the
sleeping form.

"Exactly 17, Captain, one for each of ours," Sulu announced.

The creatures scuttled over to the sleeping crew and stood
over them.  When all of them were in place, each sent a thin
probe out of its thorax.  "Shit, what is that?"  McCoy blurted
out.  Each creature slowly sent a long, silvery tube down into
the chest of each and every person. The tube pulsed briefly
and they felt a humming sound in the air. Then, as quickly as
it had started, it was over.  They all wheeled in unison and left
the way they had come.

The medical team rushed over to inspect the results.  "Jim,"
McCoy shouted happily, "these readings are all normal now.
These folks are just in an old-fashioned deep sleep.  In fact,
they should all be waking up right about..." the Ensign sat up
with the scream.

"Shh, it's all right, son."  McCoy assured him.

"No, leave me alone.  Call the ship, it's too dark to see
anything."  He screamed and tried to jump up to run.  McCoy
motioned a medic over and he held the struggling man down
and spoke quietly to him until his disorientation ended and he
finally gave them a look of recognition.

"Ensign Mandy.  This is Dr. McCoy.  You're okay, son."

The young man set up and looked around.  When he saw
Kirk's face, he broke into up unrestrained grin of relief.  "I
knew you'd come get us, Sir.  I knew it."  He crowed.

Kirk blushed, "I am grateful for your belief, but we're not out of
this yet."  He reached over and pushed the young Ensign
onto his back.  "Rest, you've been through a lot. I'll want a full
report later."

"Yes, Sir," he said.  He relaxed totally, closed his eyes, and
went back to sleep.

"Jim," McCoy interrupted his thoughts, "I think we need to put
friends, or known faces with each of these folks, if we can.
That way when they wake up, someone they know can help
them make the transition.  I don't have enough drugs to
sedate all of them, and I'd rather use the old-fashioned stuff
and keep my pharmaceuticals for later, in case they're really
needed."

"Agreed, Doctor."  Kirk got up.

"Jim, you better stay by Spock.  As strong as he is, he could
kill somebody if he wakes up disoriented.  A word from you
will instantly calm him."  Kirk nodded and went to do the
doctor's bidding.

<No, I cannot see.  I must escape.  I must warn Jim.  No, no,
no, no...> He screamed in fear and utter frustration. He could
not get away.  He would die alone, and away from all that he
cherished.  No, no, no...> He screamed again and sat up,
one last chance was all he had to kill the creature that sought
to destroy him in the dark.  <They both would die now.>

"Kroykah," someone screamed.

Spock woke up.  He felt fabric and cool human flesh under
one hand.  He opened his eyes and looked into the pain filled
orbs of his Captain.  Instantly, he released him and Kirk fell
back holding his right arm to his chest.  "Jim, what
happened?  You are hurt."

Kirk gritted his teeth and tried not to moan.  Spock had
broken his right arm with his first grab.  He had felt it snap
like a toothpick.  It took all he could to not writhe around on
the floor.  The sure knowledge that movement wouldn't help,
was all that kept him still.  "Damn," he gasped.  He allowed
himself that.  Spock leapt to his side and pulled him back to
lay against the Vulcan's chest.  Long fingers felt along the
arm and stopped over the area where the most pain was.

"I broke your arm,"  he whispered.  "Where is Dr. McCoy?"

Kirk laughed and the movement made him gasp when it
shook his damaged arm.  It was so like Spock to wake up
from being abducted by billion year old creatures, and worry
about someone else before he took care of his own welfare.
"I'll be okay, Spock.  Just let me catch my breath."  Kirk took
long slow breaths to release the pain.

"Let me," Spock reached over and briefly touched Kirk's
meld points.  Kirk's face relaxed.  Spock opened his eyes
and saw McCoy rushing across the room.  The doctor sat
down beside him and took a practiced look at Kirk's arm,
then he scanned it.

"Clean break, partially displaced, and I don't have a damn
thing here to set it with."  McCoy looked at Spock.  "How are
you, Spock?"

"I am functional.  How long have I been unconscious?"

"Got me, but you went missing six days ago.  We rescued
you."  McCoy grinned.

Spock took a slow look at the scene of captivity and turned
back to McCoy.  "Indeed.  Next time, perhaps it would be
wiser to rescue me while you are still on the Enterprise."

Kirk laughed and instantly regretted it again.  "I was
improvising, Spock.  Wait till you see my next big idea."

"I am breathless with anticipation."

"Shit, here comes Komack," McCoy hissed.

"Help me up, Spock."  Kirk asked.  "I don't want him to start
on me again while I'm on the floor."

"Jim," Spock protested.

"Up, Spock."  The Vulcan sighed and stood up.  He lifted his
Captain to his feet.  He felt the human sway momentarily then
steady to face Admiral Komack.

Komack came and took a parade stance in front of Kirk.
"What happened to you?"  He asked impatiently.

"I fell."

Komack looked at him in disbelief.  "You're lying, but I doubt
that anyone over here will tell me the truth, so I'll accept that
for now.  We have everyone back.  Now, I have a plan, Kirk.  I
suggest we use the phasers, which they so kindly gave back
to us, and try to bust our way out of here."

"That would be unwise, Admiral." Spock interrupted. "The
atmosphere outside this bubble contains no breathable air. I
remember after they brought us inside that I awoke prior to
being put in the cocoon. I could not breathe.  They did
something rather quickly to take us to an area with an
atmosphere."

Komack's grimaced.  "Are you able to get a reading?"  He
waited while Spock attempted to do so.

"No, Admiral."

"Damn, we are back to waiting.  We're still nowhere."

McCoy answered.  "Actually, Admiral, we got all our people
back, just like we planned."  He watched Komack turn and
angrily stalked away.  Then he turned to his Captain.  "You
were awfully quiet."

"I was trying not to moan.  Damn, this hurts.  Give me
something, Bones,  or else I'm going to not be worth much for
much longer."

"Damn, Jim, I'm sorry.  I honestly forgot; you were being so
calm about it."  He leaned over and hissed some medication
into Kirk.

"Thanks, Bones.  Almost as good as new."

"Yeah, right.  Go to sleep.  I have to go scavenge up
something to immobilize your arm, if I can.  And Spock, try
not to break anything else on him while I'm gone."  McCoy
stalked off before his nemesis/friend had a chance to make a
retort.

Kirk began to struggle back down to the ground and Spock
immediately turned to aid him.  "Welcome back, Spock.  I
missed you."  Kirk whispered.  The human Captain laid back
and fell asleep instantly.  With his crew back and no choices
to make, he allowed himself to sleep.  The Vulcan sat quietly
beside him and meditated away the hours.  The nightmare
sense of darkness and doom flowed away from Spock and
left behind simple relief.


"Mr. Spock," Spock looked up into the face of Ensign Sally
from security.  "Lt. Giotto sent me to tell you that the creatures
are moving towards the barrier."  Spock nodded and got up
to follow him over to the inv