Well, I hope this is short enough, and I hope it doesn't offend anyone. I thought about writing an entry with crew from the Shepard, as was my plan initially... But it didn't seem to fit. This is my only attempt at writing canon characters. Enjoy
USS Enterprise, NCC 1701
Sickbay
Lying prone in sickbay with his legs pumping rapidly on the overhead resistance plungers, Captain Kirk was quickly working up a sweat. His bare chest glistening, he grinned up at Dr. Leonard McCoy who stood fully dressed in his slightly oversized blue medical tunic and black pants. “Have you had enough yet Doctor?” McCoy calmly held the annual physical report form, and made notations as he watched the biobed readout. “Just a few more minutes Captain.”
The ships all call intercom circuit whistled and Mr. Spock’s unemotional voice carried over a plethora of speakers, “Captain Kirk to the bridge. Captain Kirk to the bridge.”
Kirk quickly slid off the biobed, grabbed his shirt and a towel and strode, bare-chested to the nearest intercom panel, draping the towel across his shoulders. Pushing the single button with a closed fist, he said, “What is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock’s voice answered almost immediately, “Captain, we are receiving what seems to be an old style distress call.”
Kirk answered just as quickly, “Red Alert Mr. Spock, I’m on my way.” Kirk hit the button again, turning off the circuit and then broke into a run towards the bridge. A second later, the voice of Mr. Sulu came over the loudspeakers, followed by a siren and flashing red lights. “Red Alert, Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. Red Alert.”
Crewmen sprung immediately into action and Kirk dodged several on his way to the turbolift. Grabbing the handle at the back of the turbolift car, Kirk spun it slightly and said “Bridge.” The doors closed and the car hummed to life, a flashing series of lights moving downward in a rectangular plate of glass in the middle of the back wall.
(Opening Credits)
(Captain Kirk’s voice)
Space: The final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its 5 year mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life and new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before.
(Commercial break)
Somehow, without letting go of the deadman handle, in the few seconds it took the turbolift to reach the bridge, Captain Kirk managed to not only wipe the sweat from his chest, but also to pull his gold command tunic over his head. When the doors whooshed open on the bridge Kirk strode out fully dressed, carefully wiping off his forehead.
“Status, Mr. Spock?” Kirk asked.
Spock straightened effortlessly from the hunched position he maintained for hours at his science station viewer and answered. “Captain, I was monitoring old style radio frequencies and it seems we are receiving a distress call.”
Kirk sauntered over and sat in the command chair, propping himself against one armrest with one hand, elbow in the air. “Lieutenant Uhura, put it on speaker.”
Uhura swiveled towards Kirk in her chair, one hand holding the communications earpiece in her ear as she answered, “Aye Captain.” She swiveled back and pushed several buttons.
A scratchy male voice, apparently recorded without the benefit of digital technology, filled the bridge as Uhura swiveled away from console again and touched her earpiece as if trying to hear the message better. “If anyone can hear this, please, you must help us. We are being taken over by forces of evil. No one here can stop them. Our planet is in danger. Please help.” Following the voice, several seconds of scratchy static were ended by a clicking noise.
Still standing at his science console, Spock raised one eyebrow and spoke. “Fascinating.”
The message began to repeat, “If anyone can hear this, please...” but Kirk stopped it with a look at Uhura, making a cutting motion across his throat.
“That’s enough Lieutenant. Mr. Spock can you triangulate the source of that signal?”
Spock bent back over the science viewer, flipped a few buttons alongside it by feel and turned a small knob on the side of the viewer slowly. His face was softly illuminated by light from the tiny viewscreen. “Affirmative Captain, a ninety-nine point eight three five percent chance the signal originated from the fourth planet in this system, bearing three four seven, five three mark two.”
As Spock continued talking a hand-drawn image appeared on the main viewscreen of a central star with the orbits of several planets indicated by concentric circles surrounding the star.
“Class M, approximately Earth mass and density, no signs of space travel.”
Kirk looked at Sulu, “Mr. Sulu, lay in a course to that system, warp factor five.”
Sulu nodded, “Aye Sir,” as his fingers flew over buttons and switches. Seconds later he replied, “Course laid in Captain, ETA fifteen minutes.”
--Later--
Sulu looked back at Captain Kirk who was now leaning with his elbow on the other armrest. “Sir, we are entering the system, standard orbit?”
Kirk nodded, “Yes Mr. Sulu, standard orbit. Mr. Spock, anything else on sensors?”
Spock turned the knob on the side of his science scanner and said, “Fascinating. I believe you should see this Captain.” Standing from his viewer, Spock pushed several buttons and the main viewer shimmered to display the planet below as the Enterprise moved into orbit.
Spock turned to face the main viewer just as a continent looking exactly like the Americas on Earth spun into view on the surface below. Spock raised an eyebrow. Uhura spoke in surprise, “It’s Earth?”
Spock shook his head, “Impossible Lieutenant, since we are one hundred fifty six point five three light years from the Sol system. However, since by all readings the planet seems geologically identical to Earth, I would surmise that it is another example of Hodgkin’s law of parallel planetary development.”
Kirk interjected, “Any signs of civilization Mr. Spock? Can you locate the radio transmission?”
Uhura spun back toward the communications panel and pushed several buttons, listening to her earpiece for a few seconds as Spock bent back to his viewer. Spinning back towards Kirk she said, “Captain, there are other radio broadcasts from the surface, but they are ... Just a second Captain, all stations broadcasting audio are the same, planet wide, adjusted for time differences. It’s some kind of state controlled broadcast. They are all amplitude modulated signals indicating early radio age, approximately nineteen hundred.” Spock continued looking into the viewer as he spoke, “Early nineteen twenties more likely, Lieutenant.”
“Put it on audio Uhura,” Kirk said, intrigued.
The bridge speakers began to hiss slightly with distortion. The voice that came through them was in a soothing tone but patronizing, and sounding somehow as if it were speaking in a large echo chamber. “Children of Baan, you have done well this cycle. All crops have been efficiently harvested. Manufacturing levels are within acceptable parameters. Birthrates in sector seven were ten percent over desired levels. Birthing pairs in that sector will receive random notification of which offspring to bring to termination units...”
Uhura cut off the signal, emotional, “Captain, they are killing babies. It’s horrible.”
Spock spoke up, “May I remind you of the Prime Directive Lieutenant.”
Kirk continued questioning Spock. “What else on the planet’s development?”
Spock spoke, still looking into his viewer. “The distress signal we received was frequency modulated, so developmentally this planet’s ‘Earth’ equivalent is probably several decades after the twenties. Atmospheric pollution levels indicate industrial age with heavy fossil fuel usage. Scanners reading electricity and early propeller driven aircraft. A fairly extensive road network with automobile traffic present on the northern continent. I have located the source of the distress call, apparently an isolated radio station away from any population centers in the mid-west, what would on your Earth be Nebraska.”
“One more thing Captain, sensors indicate one small artificial satellite in low orbit. Energy emissions indicate it only has some sort of beacon on it, as if to verify that it reached orbit intact.”
Chekov smiled from his navigation console and interjected without being prompted, “Sputnik.”
Kirk quipped, “What was that, Ensign?”
Chekov continued smiling, “Sputnik, Captain. On Earth the Russians were the first to launch a satellite into orbit.”
Kirk shook his head, “Mr. Chekov, the Russians did not do everything first, nor did they, as you seem to think, invent everything.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “In this case, Captain, I believe Ensign Chekov is correct, the Soviet Union did launch the first artificial satellite into Earth’s Orbit.”
Kirk turned towards the armrest control on the command chair as he spoke. “Very well Mr. Spock, assemble an away team, and meet me in the transporter room.”
Spock and Sulu answered “Aye sir,” simultaneously as Kirk reached for and pushed a button on his command chair and spoke into the small microphone, “Dr. McCoy, Kirk here, meet me in the transporter room, Kirk out.”
“Mr. Sulu, you have the con.” Standing, the captain strode purposefully towards the turbolift doors which swished open just as he reached them.
USS Enterprise
Transporter Room
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and two red-shirted security officers stood on the transporter platform. Standing behind the transporter control panel, Transporter Chief Kyle looked on as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott finished making an adjustment, and then nodded to him. “There you go Laddie, that’s how it’s done.”
Mr. Spock stepped off the transporter pad and walked to the control console, looking unemotionally chagrinned. Stopping at the far side he reached over and flipped a switch before speaking into the intercom. “Ensign Endive, report to the transporter room immediately.”
Before he could turn the switch off the door to the transporter room opened and a female Ensign wearing a blue sciences uniform walked through in soft focus. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head in a bouffant hairdo, while the large collar of her tunic dipped down to one side, revealing a hint of cleavage. She wore a tricorder pouch over one shoulder like a handbag, and tall boots extending nearly to her knees. Between the tops of her boots and the bottom of her short, short skirt, her legs were bare and tanned. Smiling she spoke in a voice like honey “Ensign Endive reporting as ordered, Sir.”
If anyone in the transporter room still cared if the Ensign was late, it was Mr. Spock, and he didn’t say anything as the Ensign stepped onto the transporter platform next to Captain Kirk.
Kirk leaned in closer and grinned, gray eyes glinting “I don’t believe I’ve met you Ensign, Ensign....”
The Ensign flashed a pretty smile, “Elissa Endive Sir, Sociology.”
Kirk Smiled back, “How long have you been onboard?”
“I just came onboard two weeks ago.”
Spock cut short their conversation, “Mr. Kyle, you may energize when ready.”
Kyle threw several switches and pulled slowly down on three parallel slider bars with his right hand. The transporter beam engulfed the landing party and they began to shimmer. The accompanying humming sound grew louder, then they disappeared. Suddenly a puff of smoke belched out from the center of the transporter platform with a pop.
Mr. Scott waved Kyle away, chastising the Lieutenant, “What have you done now Lad?”
Reassuringly, the com light on the transporter console began blinking. Mr. Scott pushed it and Spock’s voice came over the speaker. “Mr. Scott, you may want to examine the transporter, re-materialization took one point three seconds longer than specifications.”
Scotty nodded, “Aye Mr. Spock, I’m already on it. I’m afraid the transporter is offline for the time being. Anything else?”
Spock answered, “No, Mr. Scott, keep me appraised of your progress, Spock out.”
Scotty answered, “Aye Sir,” but the Vulcan science officer had already closed the channel.
On the planet surface below the landing party stood for several seconds, still examining their surroundings before deploying. They were in the middle of a small clear patch of dirt, surrounded by sandy soil with boulders of various sizes interspersed with scrub brush. In the distance the ground rose up in low hills with one notable formation of uplifted sandstone with diagonally weathered striations clearly visible on the outer surface.
Ensign Endive took out her tricorder and began scanning, the device whirring softly. Nearby a low concrete structure stood, a rusty radio tower alongside. The remains of what looked like a rusted Ford Model A Flatbed truck sat forlornly, rubber tires shredded with age, glass etched by windblown sand.
Captain Kirk bent over and grabbed a handful of sand, letting it fall from his hand as he walked slowly away from the landing party. He let a few strands of patchy grass brush between his fingers as he walked.
“Remind you of home Jim?” McCoy asked.
Kirk nodded, “Yes Bones, Nebraska seems a lot like Iowa.”
Spock had his tricorder out as well and began scanning. Kirk remembered they were on a mission. Looking to the two security officers he pointed towards the radio building. “Voit, you and Wilson go check out that building.”
The two men nodded, “Yes Sir.” Walking briskly toward the building, they pulled type two phasers from their duty belts.
Spock asked Endive, “Any lifesigns Ensign?” The Ensign shook her head, “Just us Mr. Spock.”
Addressing Captain Kirk, Spock gave his report. “Captain, no lifesigns locally, but I am reading a high concentration of metals and other dense material underneath that building.”
Just then a piercing masculine scream cut the air. It came from where Voit and Wilson had disappeared behind the seemingly abandoned building.
Kirk took off running, dodging some scrub and boulders, while leaping over others. Spock, McCoy and Endive followed at a slower pace. Running around to the back of the building, Kirk spotted the open door first, drew his phaser and entered.
In the dim light Kirk spotted Voit immediately. The security officer was laying face down on the ground, phaser still gripped in his hand. There was no sign of Wilson. Kirk rolled Voit over, noting three small holes in an exact equilaterally triangular pattern in his solar plexus region. Blood was spreading slowly outward, joining the circles together in a large blotch.
McCoy arrived and knelt next to the security officer, scanned him with his tricorder and looked angrily towards Kirk. “He’s dead Jim.”
Kirk stood and intercepted Endive as she entered the room. The female ensign took one look at the prone and bloody security officer and swooned into her captain’s arms, burying her face in his chest with a shocked “Oh!”. Kirk wrapped his arms around her, saying, “It’s alright Endive. I’ll keep you safe.”
Letting her go after a couple of seconds, Kirk looked towards McCoy, “Where’s Wilson?”
McCoy, still upset over Voit’s death and attempting to acertain the cause in field conditions, snapped at his friend, “How would I know, I’m a Doctor, not a psychic! I do know that this man’s heart was shredded like ground beef, and from the inside.”
Spock finished a slow sweep of the room, tricorder out, scanning, “Fascinating, Captain, this building is not what it seems. Its structure is highly reinforced and some kind of subterranean shielding is blocking my tricorder from detailed readings below ground level, other than general compositional makeup.”
McCoy practically snarled at Spock, voice gravelly “This man is dead and all you can talk about is compositional makeup? Of all the cold-blooded...”
Spock interjected, “Doctor, my blood is green, not cold. In fact Vulcan body temperatures...”
McCoy cut Spock off, “It was a figure of speech Mr. Spock.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “In any case Doctor, no amount of talking on any subject is likely to bring Voit back to life. We can best serve him by completing our mission to the best of our abilities. I believe the captain could use your services.”
Looking at Kirk, McCoy saw that somehow in the run to help the security detail the captain’s shirt had become ripped around one shoulder and that a small amount of blood was visible. Taking a hypospray from his medical bag, McCoy stood to tend the wound.
Kirk shrugged McCoy off, “It’s nothing Bones.” But winced anyway when McCoy tore the hole in his tunic larger and applied the hypospray which hissed when it touched Kirk’s shoulder.
Kirk frowned, looking back towards Spock. “Do you think that the subterranean shielding means this building extends underground Mr. Spock?”
Spock looked at Kirk, “A logical assumption, Captain. In any case it would be reasonable to assume that whatever is responsible for Voit’s death and Wilson’s disappearance came from beneath us as there are no life forms on the surface.”
Kirk shifted topics, an unanswered question still at the edge of his consciousness. “If this building is the source of the distress call, where exactly is the transmitter?”
Spock indicated a door with his tricorder. “Through that door, Captain. If you would excuse me for a minute, I need to contact the Enterprise. There was a transporter malfunction following our beam down and Mr. Scott is working on it.”
Kirk nodded and moved towards the door, motioning for the others to follow. Spock flipped open his communicator and turned the small dial inside as he spoke into the microphone, “Spock to Enterprise, Spock to Enterprise, come in Enterprise.” Walking slowly after the rest of the remaining landing party, Spock waited for a reply, and quickly received one.
Uhura’s voice answered through his communicator. “Enterprise here, what is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock continued, “Lieutenant, please patch me through to Mr. Scott in the transporter room.”
“Right away Sir.”
The communicator in Spock’s hand clicked once then the voice of the Chief Engineer answered, “Mr. Scott here, what is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock answered, pausing outside the door before entering, “What is the status of the transporter? We have one casualty who should be transported aboard as soon as possible.”
Scotty asked, concerned, “What in blazes is going on down there, Mr. Spock?”
Spock answered calmly, “That, is what I am attempting to discover Mr. Scott. Now, what is the status of the transporter repair?”
Scotty thought for a second, then replied, “I should have it up in an hour Mr. Spock. I can’t do it any quicker than that.”
Spock answered, “Very well Mr. Scott, but I would suggest all of your usual alacrity in this matter. Please transfer my signal back to the bridge.”
Casually walking into the room following Kirk, McCoy and Endive, Spock noticed the other three standing around an antique looking record player, complete with speaker horn. The only thing missing was a wind up crank. In the crank’s place was a small, also antique looking electric motor, which apparently kept the turntable spinning at a relatively constant rate.
Next to the record player hung a primitive microphone, the magnetic pickup hanging carefully by springs in the middle of a large metallic frame.
The record was playing the message they had heard from orbit. Captain Kirk reached over and removed the needle stylus from the record, halting the repeating message.
Spock made a single observation, “Curious Captain, from my recollection, this level of technology did have self repeating record play....” and two things happened simultaneously. The door slammed shut and the floor seemed to drop out from beneath them at a sickening rate. A high-pitched whining sound accompanied the drop.
Kirk found himself once again holding Ensign Endive. Spock strained through the negative G’s to speak. “Elevator, Captain, descending at an apparently high rate of speed.”
Kirk replied, straining as well. “Are you familiar with the trapdoor spider Mr. Spock?”
Spock merely raised an eyebrow.
After an indeterminate amount of time the whining lowered in tone and the elevator slowed to a stop, the door swinging open. Kirk, phaser out, exited first, followed by the other three.
Stepping into a corridor hewn from solid granite-like rock, Captain Kirk paused and pulled his communicator from his belt, flipping it open in one smooth motion. “Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise, come in Enterprise.” Nothing but static met him at the other end.
Spock also attempted to re-establish communication with the ship, but closing his communicator, he said. “I do not believe the communicators will be able to function through the shielding I scanned above us Captain.”
Kirk nodded and replaced the communicator onto his belt and continued down the corridor. Leading his team around a corner, Kirk stopped short at the entrance to a larger chamber. Standing across from him, between two large, muscular and bare-chested males, males holding large bladed pole arms, yet also wearing some sort of holstered projectile weapons at their sides, stood the most beautiful woman Kirk had seen in two or three weeks, present company excepted.
She wore a white gauze-like diaphanous dress. The skirt was irregularly shaped and while on one side it extended almost to one knee, it was cut diagonally so that the other hip was almost completely exposed. The upper portion was sleeveless, consisting of two pleated strips of cloth, which extended upwards from her narrow waist and barely covered her ample bosom. The strips narrowed as they crossed her chest and tied behind her neck.
Barefoot, she wore no jewelry, but strips of the same cloth as the dress were tied around her ankles and wrists.
Her hair was flaxen blond and straight, cut diagonally to match the lay of her skirt below, revealing an ear on one side and falling to her shoulder on the other.
Sinuously, she sauntered towards Kirk. Gracefully pushing the phaser Kirk held pointed at her midsection away with one finger, she stepped closer, sensuously. Running one finger gently down across his lips, she asked, “Do I look like a trapdoor spider? Captain...” Then pouting, “But that’s not your name is it?”
Before he could answer, she looked away, tilting her head towards Spock. Quickly she skipped over to the Vulcan, standing straight and rigid, mimicking his posture. “Now you are different. What are you, Mr. Spock?”
Spinning away from Spock before he could answer, she twirled until she was in front of Kirk again, falling so that he either had to catch her, or let her fall to the ground. He caught her.
Looking up into Kirk’s gray eyes, she blinked her own, big and blue, laughed and reaching up, kissed him on the nose. “Oh we are going to have so much fun.”
Endive spoke in an urgent tone. “Captain!” She said as the two halberd bearers started to approach her.
Standing from Kirk’s arms, the mysterious female looked at Endive and snorted imperiously, “Hmm. Whom do we have here, a pretender to the throne?”
Kirk finally spoke, pointing his phaser back towards the girl. “I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise, and these are my crew. Who, may I ask, are you? Miss...?
Completely ignoring Kirk, the female motioned her apparent bodyguards towards Endive and said haughtily, “I do not like her, she does not even know how to show proper obeisance to her high priestess. Take her away; put her with the other one in the display room.”
As the two guards advanced menacingly on Endive, Kirk and Spock aimed their phasers, but before either could pull the triggers, the phasers suddenly grew burningly hot to the touch and they dropped them to the floor.
Kirk sprang into action, taking a quick running hop, he grabbed the closest halberd with both hands and levered himself up to kick the man in the chest with both feet. As the guard fell backwards, Kirk fell as well, but rolled, breaking his fall.
Spock stepped in to the guard closest to him and grabbing the halberd with one hand, attempted using the Vulcan neck pinch on the man. It didn’t work and, jerking the halberd to one side the guard flung Spock into a nearby wall.
Kirk saw his friend’s plight and advancing on the guard from behind, delivered a double fisted strike to the middle of the man’s back, followed by a Karate chop to the side of his neck.
The guard fell and did not get up.
Kirk looked at Spock, “Mr. Spock, are you all right?”
Spock touched the corner of his mouth, wiping away the smallest drop of green blood from his lips with the back of one hand. “Yes, Captain, quite.”
Kirk grew tired of the game they were playing. He looked directly at the girl, pointing a finger “I want some answers. Who are you, and where is my crewman?”
When she spoke, there was no fear in her voice, only reproach as if talking to a small child. “Now you are not playing nice Captain, but I think I like you anyway. I think I will keep you.”
Kirk raised his voice “You’re not keeping anyone.
Laughing coldly the female addressed Kirk, “I am Arial, thirty-fifth high priestess of Baan. You are my subjects.” Watching as Spock bent to examine his dropped phaser she said in a bored tone, “your toys will not work Mr. Spock, Baan has seen to that.”
With that Arial bent over and took one of the holstered weapons from a fallen guard. Pointing it at Kirk, she motioned towards a corridor. “Off we go.”
USS Enterprise
Bridge
Uhura flipped several switches at the communications station before speaking. “Mr. Sulu, I’ve lost communications with the landing party. One second the frequency was open, the next it just went dead. I don’t understand it.”
Sulu swiveled in the command chair, sitting ramrod straight, and spoke to the Ensign at the science console. “Mr. Bailey, I want every inch of that planet scanned for the away team.”
Bailey nodded, “Aye sir, beginning sensor sweeps.”
…Meanwhile, somewhere beneath the planet below...
Kirk looked at Arial, and then started walking slowly in the direction she had indicated. As if an afterthought, she raised the weapon and pointed it towards Endive, “That’s right, I don’t like you. I think I’ll just....”
Her words were cut short as a loud and piercing beeping filled the room, she dropped the weapon, covered her ears and fell to the ground, writhing. “No, I wasn’t done yet!”
The beeping stopped and was replaced by a calm, almost soothing voice that nonetheless echoed throughout the chamber, having no distinct origin. “What are you doing, Arial?”
Arial stood up and brushed herself off, reminding Kirk that despite her erratic behavior, she was still extremely physically attractive. “I was just having fun Baan.”
The disembodied voice answered, “I can’t allow that Arial, the energy expenditure of your activities would have caused a point zero zero zero zero three six five percent diversion of power expenditures from other areas. You understand, don’t you, Arial?”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “A computer Captain?”
Kirk answered quietly, “Yes, Mr. Spock, and one definitely not made from ‘stone knives and bear skins’ despite the appearance of the planet above.”
McCoy chipped in, “Another utopian society run by efficient computers eh Mr. Spock?”
Spock replied cooly, “I fail to see why you feel inclined to blame this society’s problems on a computer Doctor. Your own Earth went through two world wars before computers, and one after. The only common factor was the presence of Humans.”
Kirk cut the argument off with a look and a hushed, “Bones... Spock... Later.”
A subdued Arial looked at Kirk and smiled a bit forlornly, “Please come this way, Baan wishes to meet you.”
Puzzled at why a computerized entity powerful enough to overheat their phasers remotely would need to ‘meet them’ at any specific location, Kirk shrugged and smiled, “After you. Gentlemen, Ensign...” He gestured with one hand for them to follow Arial.
They walked for several minutes through the rough hewn corridor before coming to an archway leading into a much larger chamber. At the far side of the chamber were two more halberd bearing guards, looking suspiciously like the first two who had escorted Arial.
More disturbingly was that between the two, chained to a single smooth pillar, arms behind his back, was Wilson. Fear filled the security officer’s eyes as he struggled vainly against his bonds.
Arial gestured towards an alcove to one side of the chamber. Two more guards, identical to the others, flanked the entrance. Kirk stepped inside.
A rectangular metallic plate was centered in the far wall. In the center of the plate was a single circular red light, approximately an inch in diameter. The light flashed slightly as a voice emanated from it. The same voice they had heard in the corridor. “Captain Kirk, you will instruct the remainder of your crew to travel to the surface for integration. After testing, some will be selected for termination but most should integrate with little difficulty.”
Kirk was fuming inside, but struggled to maintain control, he failed. “I don’t take orders from you, Baan, or whoever you are. We came here in response to a distress signal...”
Baan replied in the same sickeningly calm, soothing voice as before. “Yes, that beacon has proved most efficient. You will comply Captain, efficiency demands it. The energy expenditure to train workers from infancy is much higher than that of retraining adults. I calculate that with another three point seven crew integrations the infrastructure and technology base of Baan will increase by point zero zero two three percent. A significant number.”
Kirk shook his head, “We cannot accede to your demands, and my starship is quite capable of defending itself.”
Baan replied, “Perhaps, but is your crewman Wilson?”
Kirk’s head snapped around and he looked at Wilson, struggling more vigorously against his bonds as a small metallic robot wheeled towards the trapped security officer, a three pronged protuberance aimed towards his chest, ends spinning slowly.
“Captain...” Wilson managed.
Kirk leaned in to the red light, emphatically pointing at it. “You talk of efficiency? I submit that it is you Baan that is the most inefficient part of this society. You quibble over thousandths of a percent in efficiency loss when you have kept this planet stagnant for how long? Hundreds of years? Earth, was a planet identical to this one until three hundred years ago...”
Spock, standing next to McCoy and Endive with menacing looking halberds held at their throats to prevent them from moving, interjected, “Three hundred twenty four point...”
Kirk held up a hand towards Spock, “Thank you Mr. Spock, but not now.” He continued, “Identical to this one until three hundred years ago but is now a founding member in a star-spanning Federation of almost a hundred worlds. We have developed advanced enough technology to supply all it’s people with everything they need and to allow them to travel the stars, all without a flawed computer overlord.”
“The only difference is that on my Earth, there is no Baan. Therefore, it is you that lack efficiency and you that must be terminated in order that this planet be allowed to function normally.”
Kirk paused, waiting for a reply. The red light flickered slightly, and a voice came quietly from it. “I must consider...”
The small robot halted in its approach to Wilson, and its appendages ceased their spinning. The lighting in the cavern dimmed somewhat and surprisingly, the halberd carrying guards slumped over, not falling but heads drooping to their chests, halberds falling to the ground with a series of clangs.
Arial stood, blinking in surprise. “What is happening?” She asked in a sultry, mature sounding voice, quite different than the one she had affected previously.
Kirk looked at her and saw genuine concern in her eyes, along with a little fear. He also saw none of the deviousness and flightiness exhibited at their first encounter.
He smiled, reassuringly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Baan... Has a decision to make, as do you. Do you want to be free people? Do you want to experience life fully without a machine to guide you?”
Afraid, yet hopeful Arial stood up straighter, thrusting out her chest, “Yes! I do, and you will teach me, Captain Kirk.”
Kirk shook his head, “No, no.... No one can teach you. You must learn it on your own.”
Spock’s communicator beeped. He lifted it and flipped it open, “Spock here.”
Scotty’s voice, sounding apprehensive yet relieved at the same time, answered. “Mr. Spock? Are you alright? Where’s the Captain?”
Spock answered, puzzled by the emotionality displayed by the chief engineer, answered, “Mr. Scott, with the exception of Mr. Voit, we are all quite alive. What is the status of the transporter? Is it functional?”
Scotty answered, beaming a bit with pride, “Aye Mr. Spock, it’s working again.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Scott, once again you seem to affected repairs in under the amount of time estimated. It has only been thirty-two point five seven minutes since your initial estimate of one hour.”
Scotty answered, “Aye Sir, thank you Sir.”
“Your thanks are not necessary Mr. Scott, I was merely pointing out the timeliness of your repairs. I believe we are almost ready to transport out. On my signal Mr. Scott, five to beam out.”
Sounding relieved Scotty said, “Aye Sir standing by.”
At a low tone from Baan, the red light grew brighter again, gaining Kirk’s attention. He looked at Arial and mouthed “Wait,” before facing Baan again.
“Captain Kirk, you should have been a child of Baan. Perhaps this could have been avoided.”
Kirk looked puzzled. “Have you finished analyzing your situation and my evaluation of it?”
Baan replied, “I have, and you are correct. The children of Baan need to be able to grow on their own. I am now shutting down all operations and terminating my program.”
With that the red light slowly shrunk to a small red dot, then winked out. The lights in the cavern dimmed even more, and in the distance machinery began to wind down.
The guards, standing slumped over until that point toppled stiffly to the ground, maintaining their former body positioning.
A metallic click sounded from behind Wilson and, rubbing his hands he stepped away from the pillar, free.
McCoy knelt down over one of the guards, scanning him with his tricorder. Looking up towards Kirk, he said, surprised, “Jim, this man is an android.” Standing, he scanned the other prone figures. “They’re all androids!”
Kirk looked suspiciously at Arial for a second. McCoy walked over and scanned her as well. Smiling and rocking up onto his toes and back he said, “She is definitely not an android!”
It was Arial’s turn to smile as she grabbed Kirk and kissed him full on the lips. He kissed her back and his arms embraced her. “I am not an android,” she said huskily, breaking the kiss.
Kirk smiled back, saying, “No, you definitely are not.”
Kirk nodded towards Spock and pulled out his own communicator. Flipping it open he said, “Kirk here, six to beam up.”
USS Enterprise
Bridge
Later
Captain Kirk leaned casually in his command chair, one elbow propping him up on the oversized arm. He took a report from the pretty yeoman standing next to him, signed it quickly and handed it back to her, smiling. She smiled back and took the report back, her fingers brushing his softly. “Thank you Captain,” she said and walked away towards the turbo-lift. He glanced after her, noting appreciatively how well her figure filled out the short skirted uniform, and how well her bare legs below complimented the rest.
At the helm and navigation console several feet in front of Kirk, Sulu and Chekov turned back toward their stations. Both men had grins on their faces. Chekov sighed, “I vish just once she vould bring me a report to sign.”
Sulu laughed, punching a few buttons at his station, glad to be out of the command chair at last, at least for now.
In the background the intermittent chirping and whistling of various pieces of bridge equipment continued incessantly. No one seemed to notice.
Behind him stood Dr. McCoy, and to the other side, Mr. Spock.
Kirk, grinning as if remembering some private joke, said, “Helm, stand by to take us out of orbit, lay in a course to starbase fifteen.”
Checkov worked his console and answered, “Starbase fifteen, course laid in Ceptain.”
Uhura spun her chair towards the rest of the bridge crew, “Captain, I am picking up exclusively emergency broadcast channels. It’s almost as if the power were shut off to the entire planet.”
Spock walked to the science station, bent over at the viewer and said after a few moments, “Confirmed Captain, all major power grids are offline, local generators are allowing a few emergency channels to operate. Major traffic congestion in all cities and numerous fires seem to have broken out.”
Spock stood, continuing. “It seems that when Baan turned itself off, it also relinquished control of vital power and other electronic services. With no training on how to manually operate any of them, the society is falling into anarchy and chaos.”
“It is unfortunate that we removed the only link to stability these people had, an efficiently run system with a central computer network.”
McCoy chipped in, “Illogical, Mr. Spock?”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “Quite.”
Kirk put in his two cents, “But they were stagnant Mr. Spock, not growing, not really living. Now they have a chance at real life.”
McCoy changed the subject suddenly, done ribbing Spock. “It’s too bad Arial couldn’t have come with us. I think she had a thing for you Jim, and she was quite a woman.”
Kirk reflected, “Yes she was Doctor, yes she was. But I’m sure she’ll have no trouble attracting a man in that town we beamed her to, she said she had relatives there.”
McCoy laughed, “I’m sure she won’t.”
Kirk looked at Spock, noticed the puzzled look on his first officer’s face and laughed. “Ahead warp factor one Mr. Sulu.”
Sulu answered, “Aye Sir ahead warp factor one.”
USS Enterprise, NCC 1701
Sickbay
Lying prone in sickbay with his legs pumping rapidly on the overhead resistance plungers, Captain Kirk was quickly working up a sweat. His bare chest glistening, he grinned up at Dr. Leonard McCoy who stood fully dressed in his slightly oversized blue medical tunic and black pants. “Have you had enough yet Doctor?” McCoy calmly held the annual physical report form, and made notations as he watched the biobed readout. “Just a few more minutes Captain.”
The ships all call intercom circuit whistled and Mr. Spock’s unemotional voice carried over a plethora of speakers, “Captain Kirk to the bridge. Captain Kirk to the bridge.”
Kirk quickly slid off the biobed, grabbed his shirt and a towel and strode, bare-chested to the nearest intercom panel, draping the towel across his shoulders. Pushing the single button with a closed fist, he said, “What is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock’s voice answered almost immediately, “Captain, we are receiving what seems to be an old style distress call.”
Kirk answered just as quickly, “Red Alert Mr. Spock, I’m on my way.” Kirk hit the button again, turning off the circuit and then broke into a run towards the bridge. A second later, the voice of Mr. Sulu came over the loudspeakers, followed by a siren and flashing red lights. “Red Alert, Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. Red Alert.”
Crewmen sprung immediately into action and Kirk dodged several on his way to the turbolift. Grabbing the handle at the back of the turbolift car, Kirk spun it slightly and said “Bridge.” The doors closed and the car hummed to life, a flashing series of lights moving downward in a rectangular plate of glass in the middle of the back wall.
(Opening Credits)
(Captain Kirk’s voice)
Space: The final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its 5 year mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life and new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before.
(Commercial break)
Somehow, without letting go of the deadman handle, in the few seconds it took the turbolift to reach the bridge, Captain Kirk managed to not only wipe the sweat from his chest, but also to pull his gold command tunic over his head. When the doors whooshed open on the bridge Kirk strode out fully dressed, carefully wiping off his forehead.
“Status, Mr. Spock?” Kirk asked.
Spock straightened effortlessly from the hunched position he maintained for hours at his science station viewer and answered. “Captain, I was monitoring old style radio frequencies and it seems we are receiving a distress call.”
Kirk sauntered over and sat in the command chair, propping himself against one armrest with one hand, elbow in the air. “Lieutenant Uhura, put it on speaker.”
Uhura swiveled towards Kirk in her chair, one hand holding the communications earpiece in her ear as she answered, “Aye Captain.” She swiveled back and pushed several buttons.
A scratchy male voice, apparently recorded without the benefit of digital technology, filled the bridge as Uhura swiveled away from console again and touched her earpiece as if trying to hear the message better. “If anyone can hear this, please, you must help us. We are being taken over by forces of evil. No one here can stop them. Our planet is in danger. Please help.” Following the voice, several seconds of scratchy static were ended by a clicking noise.
Still standing at his science console, Spock raised one eyebrow and spoke. “Fascinating.”
The message began to repeat, “If anyone can hear this, please...” but Kirk stopped it with a look at Uhura, making a cutting motion across his throat.
“That’s enough Lieutenant. Mr. Spock can you triangulate the source of that signal?”
Spock bent back over the science viewer, flipped a few buttons alongside it by feel and turned a small knob on the side of the viewer slowly. His face was softly illuminated by light from the tiny viewscreen. “Affirmative Captain, a ninety-nine point eight three five percent chance the signal originated from the fourth planet in this system, bearing three four seven, five three mark two.”
As Spock continued talking a hand-drawn image appeared on the main viewscreen of a central star with the orbits of several planets indicated by concentric circles surrounding the star.
“Class M, approximately Earth mass and density, no signs of space travel.”
Kirk looked at Sulu, “Mr. Sulu, lay in a course to that system, warp factor five.”
Sulu nodded, “Aye Sir,” as his fingers flew over buttons and switches. Seconds later he replied, “Course laid in Captain, ETA fifteen minutes.”
--Later--
Sulu looked back at Captain Kirk who was now leaning with his elbow on the other armrest. “Sir, we are entering the system, standard orbit?”
Kirk nodded, “Yes Mr. Sulu, standard orbit. Mr. Spock, anything else on sensors?”
Spock turned the knob on the side of his science scanner and said, “Fascinating. I believe you should see this Captain.” Standing from his viewer, Spock pushed several buttons and the main viewer shimmered to display the planet below as the Enterprise moved into orbit.
Spock turned to face the main viewer just as a continent looking exactly like the Americas on Earth spun into view on the surface below. Spock raised an eyebrow. Uhura spoke in surprise, “It’s Earth?”
Spock shook his head, “Impossible Lieutenant, since we are one hundred fifty six point five three light years from the Sol system. However, since by all readings the planet seems geologically identical to Earth, I would surmise that it is another example of Hodgkin’s law of parallel planetary development.”
Kirk interjected, “Any signs of civilization Mr. Spock? Can you locate the radio transmission?”
Uhura spun back toward the communications panel and pushed several buttons, listening to her earpiece for a few seconds as Spock bent back to his viewer. Spinning back towards Kirk she said, “Captain, there are other radio broadcasts from the surface, but they are ... Just a second Captain, all stations broadcasting audio are the same, planet wide, adjusted for time differences. It’s some kind of state controlled broadcast. They are all amplitude modulated signals indicating early radio age, approximately nineteen hundred.” Spock continued looking into the viewer as he spoke, “Early nineteen twenties more likely, Lieutenant.”
“Put it on audio Uhura,” Kirk said, intrigued.
The bridge speakers began to hiss slightly with distortion. The voice that came through them was in a soothing tone but patronizing, and sounding somehow as if it were speaking in a large echo chamber. “Children of Baan, you have done well this cycle. All crops have been efficiently harvested. Manufacturing levels are within acceptable parameters. Birthrates in sector seven were ten percent over desired levels. Birthing pairs in that sector will receive random notification of which offspring to bring to termination units...”
Uhura cut off the signal, emotional, “Captain, they are killing babies. It’s horrible.”
Spock spoke up, “May I remind you of the Prime Directive Lieutenant.”
Kirk continued questioning Spock. “What else on the planet’s development?”
Spock spoke, still looking into his viewer. “The distress signal we received was frequency modulated, so developmentally this planet’s ‘Earth’ equivalent is probably several decades after the twenties. Atmospheric pollution levels indicate industrial age with heavy fossil fuel usage. Scanners reading electricity and early propeller driven aircraft. A fairly extensive road network with automobile traffic present on the northern continent. I have located the source of the distress call, apparently an isolated radio station away from any population centers in the mid-west, what would on your Earth be Nebraska.”
“One more thing Captain, sensors indicate one small artificial satellite in low orbit. Energy emissions indicate it only has some sort of beacon on it, as if to verify that it reached orbit intact.”
Chekov smiled from his navigation console and interjected without being prompted, “Sputnik.”
Kirk quipped, “What was that, Ensign?”
Chekov continued smiling, “Sputnik, Captain. On Earth the Russians were the first to launch a satellite into orbit.”
Kirk shook his head, “Mr. Chekov, the Russians did not do everything first, nor did they, as you seem to think, invent everything.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “In this case, Captain, I believe Ensign Chekov is correct, the Soviet Union did launch the first artificial satellite into Earth’s Orbit.”
Kirk turned towards the armrest control on the command chair as he spoke. “Very well Mr. Spock, assemble an away team, and meet me in the transporter room.”
Spock and Sulu answered “Aye sir,” simultaneously as Kirk reached for and pushed a button on his command chair and spoke into the small microphone, “Dr. McCoy, Kirk here, meet me in the transporter room, Kirk out.”
“Mr. Sulu, you have the con.” Standing, the captain strode purposefully towards the turbolift doors which swished open just as he reached them.
USS Enterprise
Transporter Room
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and two red-shirted security officers stood on the transporter platform. Standing behind the transporter control panel, Transporter Chief Kyle looked on as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott finished making an adjustment, and then nodded to him. “There you go Laddie, that’s how it’s done.”
Mr. Spock stepped off the transporter pad and walked to the control console, looking unemotionally chagrinned. Stopping at the far side he reached over and flipped a switch before speaking into the intercom. “Ensign Endive, report to the transporter room immediately.”
Before he could turn the switch off the door to the transporter room opened and a female Ensign wearing a blue sciences uniform walked through in soft focus. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head in a bouffant hairdo, while the large collar of her tunic dipped down to one side, revealing a hint of cleavage. She wore a tricorder pouch over one shoulder like a handbag, and tall boots extending nearly to her knees. Between the tops of her boots and the bottom of her short, short skirt, her legs were bare and tanned. Smiling she spoke in a voice like honey “Ensign Endive reporting as ordered, Sir.”
If anyone in the transporter room still cared if the Ensign was late, it was Mr. Spock, and he didn’t say anything as the Ensign stepped onto the transporter platform next to Captain Kirk.
Kirk leaned in closer and grinned, gray eyes glinting “I don’t believe I’ve met you Ensign, Ensign....”
The Ensign flashed a pretty smile, “Elissa Endive Sir, Sociology.”
Kirk Smiled back, “How long have you been onboard?”
“I just came onboard two weeks ago.”
Spock cut short their conversation, “Mr. Kyle, you may energize when ready.”
Kyle threw several switches and pulled slowly down on three parallel slider bars with his right hand. The transporter beam engulfed the landing party and they began to shimmer. The accompanying humming sound grew louder, then they disappeared. Suddenly a puff of smoke belched out from the center of the transporter platform with a pop.
Mr. Scott waved Kyle away, chastising the Lieutenant, “What have you done now Lad?”
Reassuringly, the com light on the transporter console began blinking. Mr. Scott pushed it and Spock’s voice came over the speaker. “Mr. Scott, you may want to examine the transporter, re-materialization took one point three seconds longer than specifications.”
Scotty nodded, “Aye Mr. Spock, I’m already on it. I’m afraid the transporter is offline for the time being. Anything else?”
Spock answered, “No, Mr. Scott, keep me appraised of your progress, Spock out.”
Scotty answered, “Aye Sir,” but the Vulcan science officer had already closed the channel.
On the planet surface below the landing party stood for several seconds, still examining their surroundings before deploying. They were in the middle of a small clear patch of dirt, surrounded by sandy soil with boulders of various sizes interspersed with scrub brush. In the distance the ground rose up in low hills with one notable formation of uplifted sandstone with diagonally weathered striations clearly visible on the outer surface.
Ensign Endive took out her tricorder and began scanning, the device whirring softly. Nearby a low concrete structure stood, a rusty radio tower alongside. The remains of what looked like a rusted Ford Model A Flatbed truck sat forlornly, rubber tires shredded with age, glass etched by windblown sand.
Captain Kirk bent over and grabbed a handful of sand, letting it fall from his hand as he walked slowly away from the landing party. He let a few strands of patchy grass brush between his fingers as he walked.
“Remind you of home Jim?” McCoy asked.
Kirk nodded, “Yes Bones, Nebraska seems a lot like Iowa.”
Spock had his tricorder out as well and began scanning. Kirk remembered they were on a mission. Looking to the two security officers he pointed towards the radio building. “Voit, you and Wilson go check out that building.”
The two men nodded, “Yes Sir.” Walking briskly toward the building, they pulled type two phasers from their duty belts.
Spock asked Endive, “Any lifesigns Ensign?” The Ensign shook her head, “Just us Mr. Spock.”
Addressing Captain Kirk, Spock gave his report. “Captain, no lifesigns locally, but I am reading a high concentration of metals and other dense material underneath that building.”
Just then a piercing masculine scream cut the air. It came from where Voit and Wilson had disappeared behind the seemingly abandoned building.
Kirk took off running, dodging some scrub and boulders, while leaping over others. Spock, McCoy and Endive followed at a slower pace. Running around to the back of the building, Kirk spotted the open door first, drew his phaser and entered.
In the dim light Kirk spotted Voit immediately. The security officer was laying face down on the ground, phaser still gripped in his hand. There was no sign of Wilson. Kirk rolled Voit over, noting three small holes in an exact equilaterally triangular pattern in his solar plexus region. Blood was spreading slowly outward, joining the circles together in a large blotch.
McCoy arrived and knelt next to the security officer, scanned him with his tricorder and looked angrily towards Kirk. “He’s dead Jim.”
Kirk stood and intercepted Endive as she entered the room. The female ensign took one look at the prone and bloody security officer and swooned into her captain’s arms, burying her face in his chest with a shocked “Oh!”. Kirk wrapped his arms around her, saying, “It’s alright Endive. I’ll keep you safe.”
Letting her go after a couple of seconds, Kirk looked towards McCoy, “Where’s Wilson?”
McCoy, still upset over Voit’s death and attempting to acertain the cause in field conditions, snapped at his friend, “How would I know, I’m a Doctor, not a psychic! I do know that this man’s heart was shredded like ground beef, and from the inside.”
Spock finished a slow sweep of the room, tricorder out, scanning, “Fascinating, Captain, this building is not what it seems. Its structure is highly reinforced and some kind of subterranean shielding is blocking my tricorder from detailed readings below ground level, other than general compositional makeup.”
McCoy practically snarled at Spock, voice gravelly “This man is dead and all you can talk about is compositional makeup? Of all the cold-blooded...”
Spock interjected, “Doctor, my blood is green, not cold. In fact Vulcan body temperatures...”
McCoy cut Spock off, “It was a figure of speech Mr. Spock.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “In any case Doctor, no amount of talking on any subject is likely to bring Voit back to life. We can best serve him by completing our mission to the best of our abilities. I believe the captain could use your services.”
Looking at Kirk, McCoy saw that somehow in the run to help the security detail the captain’s shirt had become ripped around one shoulder and that a small amount of blood was visible. Taking a hypospray from his medical bag, McCoy stood to tend the wound.
Kirk shrugged McCoy off, “It’s nothing Bones.” But winced anyway when McCoy tore the hole in his tunic larger and applied the hypospray which hissed when it touched Kirk’s shoulder.
Kirk frowned, looking back towards Spock. “Do you think that the subterranean shielding means this building extends underground Mr. Spock?”
Spock looked at Kirk, “A logical assumption, Captain. In any case it would be reasonable to assume that whatever is responsible for Voit’s death and Wilson’s disappearance came from beneath us as there are no life forms on the surface.”
Kirk shifted topics, an unanswered question still at the edge of his consciousness. “If this building is the source of the distress call, where exactly is the transmitter?”
Spock indicated a door with his tricorder. “Through that door, Captain. If you would excuse me for a minute, I need to contact the Enterprise. There was a transporter malfunction following our beam down and Mr. Scott is working on it.”
Kirk nodded and moved towards the door, motioning for the others to follow. Spock flipped open his communicator and turned the small dial inside as he spoke into the microphone, “Spock to Enterprise, Spock to Enterprise, come in Enterprise.” Walking slowly after the rest of the remaining landing party, Spock waited for a reply, and quickly received one.
Uhura’s voice answered through his communicator. “Enterprise here, what is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock continued, “Lieutenant, please patch me through to Mr. Scott in the transporter room.”
“Right away Sir.”
The communicator in Spock’s hand clicked once then the voice of the Chief Engineer answered, “Mr. Scott here, what is it Mr. Spock?”
Spock answered, pausing outside the door before entering, “What is the status of the transporter? We have one casualty who should be transported aboard as soon as possible.”
Scotty asked, concerned, “What in blazes is going on down there, Mr. Spock?”
Spock answered calmly, “That, is what I am attempting to discover Mr. Scott. Now, what is the status of the transporter repair?”
Scotty thought for a second, then replied, “I should have it up in an hour Mr. Spock. I can’t do it any quicker than that.”
Spock answered, “Very well Mr. Scott, but I would suggest all of your usual alacrity in this matter. Please transfer my signal back to the bridge.”
Casually walking into the room following Kirk, McCoy and Endive, Spock noticed the other three standing around an antique looking record player, complete with speaker horn. The only thing missing was a wind up crank. In the crank’s place was a small, also antique looking electric motor, which apparently kept the turntable spinning at a relatively constant rate.
Next to the record player hung a primitive microphone, the magnetic pickup hanging carefully by springs in the middle of a large metallic frame.
The record was playing the message they had heard from orbit. Captain Kirk reached over and removed the needle stylus from the record, halting the repeating message.
Spock made a single observation, “Curious Captain, from my recollection, this level of technology did have self repeating record play....” and two things happened simultaneously. The door slammed shut and the floor seemed to drop out from beneath them at a sickening rate. A high-pitched whining sound accompanied the drop.
Kirk found himself once again holding Ensign Endive. Spock strained through the negative G’s to speak. “Elevator, Captain, descending at an apparently high rate of speed.”
Kirk replied, straining as well. “Are you familiar with the trapdoor spider Mr. Spock?”
Spock merely raised an eyebrow.
After an indeterminate amount of time the whining lowered in tone and the elevator slowed to a stop, the door swinging open. Kirk, phaser out, exited first, followed by the other three.
Stepping into a corridor hewn from solid granite-like rock, Captain Kirk paused and pulled his communicator from his belt, flipping it open in one smooth motion. “Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise, come in Enterprise.” Nothing but static met him at the other end.
Spock also attempted to re-establish communication with the ship, but closing his communicator, he said. “I do not believe the communicators will be able to function through the shielding I scanned above us Captain.”
Kirk nodded and replaced the communicator onto his belt and continued down the corridor. Leading his team around a corner, Kirk stopped short at the entrance to a larger chamber. Standing across from him, between two large, muscular and bare-chested males, males holding large bladed pole arms, yet also wearing some sort of holstered projectile weapons at their sides, stood the most beautiful woman Kirk had seen in two or three weeks, present company excepted.
She wore a white gauze-like diaphanous dress. The skirt was irregularly shaped and while on one side it extended almost to one knee, it was cut diagonally so that the other hip was almost completely exposed. The upper portion was sleeveless, consisting of two pleated strips of cloth, which extended upwards from her narrow waist and barely covered her ample bosom. The strips narrowed as they crossed her chest and tied behind her neck.
Barefoot, she wore no jewelry, but strips of the same cloth as the dress were tied around her ankles and wrists.
Her hair was flaxen blond and straight, cut diagonally to match the lay of her skirt below, revealing an ear on one side and falling to her shoulder on the other.
Sinuously, she sauntered towards Kirk. Gracefully pushing the phaser Kirk held pointed at her midsection away with one finger, she stepped closer, sensuously. Running one finger gently down across his lips, she asked, “Do I look like a trapdoor spider? Captain...” Then pouting, “But that’s not your name is it?”
Before he could answer, she looked away, tilting her head towards Spock. Quickly she skipped over to the Vulcan, standing straight and rigid, mimicking his posture. “Now you are different. What are you, Mr. Spock?”
Spinning away from Spock before he could answer, she twirled until she was in front of Kirk again, falling so that he either had to catch her, or let her fall to the ground. He caught her.
Looking up into Kirk’s gray eyes, she blinked her own, big and blue, laughed and reaching up, kissed him on the nose. “Oh we are going to have so much fun.”
Endive spoke in an urgent tone. “Captain!” She said as the two halberd bearers started to approach her.
Standing from Kirk’s arms, the mysterious female looked at Endive and snorted imperiously, “Hmm. Whom do we have here, a pretender to the throne?”
Kirk finally spoke, pointing his phaser back towards the girl. “I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise, and these are my crew. Who, may I ask, are you? Miss...?
Completely ignoring Kirk, the female motioned her apparent bodyguards towards Endive and said haughtily, “I do not like her, she does not even know how to show proper obeisance to her high priestess. Take her away; put her with the other one in the display room.”
As the two guards advanced menacingly on Endive, Kirk and Spock aimed their phasers, but before either could pull the triggers, the phasers suddenly grew burningly hot to the touch and they dropped them to the floor.
Kirk sprang into action, taking a quick running hop, he grabbed the closest halberd with both hands and levered himself up to kick the man in the chest with both feet. As the guard fell backwards, Kirk fell as well, but rolled, breaking his fall.
Spock stepped in to the guard closest to him and grabbing the halberd with one hand, attempted using the Vulcan neck pinch on the man. It didn’t work and, jerking the halberd to one side the guard flung Spock into a nearby wall.
Kirk saw his friend’s plight and advancing on the guard from behind, delivered a double fisted strike to the middle of the man’s back, followed by a Karate chop to the side of his neck.
The guard fell and did not get up.
Kirk looked at Spock, “Mr. Spock, are you all right?”
Spock touched the corner of his mouth, wiping away the smallest drop of green blood from his lips with the back of one hand. “Yes, Captain, quite.”
Kirk grew tired of the game they were playing. He looked directly at the girl, pointing a finger “I want some answers. Who are you, and where is my crewman?”
When she spoke, there was no fear in her voice, only reproach as if talking to a small child. “Now you are not playing nice Captain, but I think I like you anyway. I think I will keep you.”
Kirk raised his voice “You’re not keeping anyone.
Laughing coldly the female addressed Kirk, “I am Arial, thirty-fifth high priestess of Baan. You are my subjects.” Watching as Spock bent to examine his dropped phaser she said in a bored tone, “your toys will not work Mr. Spock, Baan has seen to that.”
With that Arial bent over and took one of the holstered weapons from a fallen guard. Pointing it at Kirk, she motioned towards a corridor. “Off we go.”
USS Enterprise
Bridge
Uhura flipped several switches at the communications station before speaking. “Mr. Sulu, I’ve lost communications with the landing party. One second the frequency was open, the next it just went dead. I don’t understand it.”
Sulu swiveled in the command chair, sitting ramrod straight, and spoke to the Ensign at the science console. “Mr. Bailey, I want every inch of that planet scanned for the away team.”
Bailey nodded, “Aye sir, beginning sensor sweeps.”
…Meanwhile, somewhere beneath the planet below...
Kirk looked at Arial, and then started walking slowly in the direction she had indicated. As if an afterthought, she raised the weapon and pointed it towards Endive, “That’s right, I don’t like you. I think I’ll just....”
Her words were cut short as a loud and piercing beeping filled the room, she dropped the weapon, covered her ears and fell to the ground, writhing. “No, I wasn’t done yet!”
The beeping stopped and was replaced by a calm, almost soothing voice that nonetheless echoed throughout the chamber, having no distinct origin. “What are you doing, Arial?”
Arial stood up and brushed herself off, reminding Kirk that despite her erratic behavior, she was still extremely physically attractive. “I was just having fun Baan.”
The disembodied voice answered, “I can’t allow that Arial, the energy expenditure of your activities would have caused a point zero zero zero zero three six five percent diversion of power expenditures from other areas. You understand, don’t you, Arial?”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “A computer Captain?”
Kirk answered quietly, “Yes, Mr. Spock, and one definitely not made from ‘stone knives and bear skins’ despite the appearance of the planet above.”
McCoy chipped in, “Another utopian society run by efficient computers eh Mr. Spock?”
Spock replied cooly, “I fail to see why you feel inclined to blame this society’s problems on a computer Doctor. Your own Earth went through two world wars before computers, and one after. The only common factor was the presence of Humans.”
Kirk cut the argument off with a look and a hushed, “Bones... Spock... Later.”
A subdued Arial looked at Kirk and smiled a bit forlornly, “Please come this way, Baan wishes to meet you.”
Puzzled at why a computerized entity powerful enough to overheat their phasers remotely would need to ‘meet them’ at any specific location, Kirk shrugged and smiled, “After you. Gentlemen, Ensign...” He gestured with one hand for them to follow Arial.
They walked for several minutes through the rough hewn corridor before coming to an archway leading into a much larger chamber. At the far side of the chamber were two more halberd bearing guards, looking suspiciously like the first two who had escorted Arial.
More disturbingly was that between the two, chained to a single smooth pillar, arms behind his back, was Wilson. Fear filled the security officer’s eyes as he struggled vainly against his bonds.
Arial gestured towards an alcove to one side of the chamber. Two more guards, identical to the others, flanked the entrance. Kirk stepped inside.
A rectangular metallic plate was centered in the far wall. In the center of the plate was a single circular red light, approximately an inch in diameter. The light flashed slightly as a voice emanated from it. The same voice they had heard in the corridor. “Captain Kirk, you will instruct the remainder of your crew to travel to the surface for integration. After testing, some will be selected for termination but most should integrate with little difficulty.”
Kirk was fuming inside, but struggled to maintain control, he failed. “I don’t take orders from you, Baan, or whoever you are. We came here in response to a distress signal...”
Baan replied in the same sickeningly calm, soothing voice as before. “Yes, that beacon has proved most efficient. You will comply Captain, efficiency demands it. The energy expenditure to train workers from infancy is much higher than that of retraining adults. I calculate that with another three point seven crew integrations the infrastructure and technology base of Baan will increase by point zero zero two three percent. A significant number.”
Kirk shook his head, “We cannot accede to your demands, and my starship is quite capable of defending itself.”
Baan replied, “Perhaps, but is your crewman Wilson?”
Kirk’s head snapped around and he looked at Wilson, struggling more vigorously against his bonds as a small metallic robot wheeled towards the trapped security officer, a three pronged protuberance aimed towards his chest, ends spinning slowly.
“Captain...” Wilson managed.
Kirk leaned in to the red light, emphatically pointing at it. “You talk of efficiency? I submit that it is you Baan that is the most inefficient part of this society. You quibble over thousandths of a percent in efficiency loss when you have kept this planet stagnant for how long? Hundreds of years? Earth, was a planet identical to this one until three hundred years ago...”
Spock, standing next to McCoy and Endive with menacing looking halberds held at their throats to prevent them from moving, interjected, “Three hundred twenty four point...”
Kirk held up a hand towards Spock, “Thank you Mr. Spock, but not now.” He continued, “Identical to this one until three hundred years ago but is now a founding member in a star-spanning Federation of almost a hundred worlds. We have developed advanced enough technology to supply all it’s people with everything they need and to allow them to travel the stars, all without a flawed computer overlord.”
“The only difference is that on my Earth, there is no Baan. Therefore, it is you that lack efficiency and you that must be terminated in order that this planet be allowed to function normally.”
Kirk paused, waiting for a reply. The red light flickered slightly, and a voice came quietly from it. “I must consider...”
The small robot halted in its approach to Wilson, and its appendages ceased their spinning. The lighting in the cavern dimmed somewhat and surprisingly, the halberd carrying guards slumped over, not falling but heads drooping to their chests, halberds falling to the ground with a series of clangs.
Arial stood, blinking in surprise. “What is happening?” She asked in a sultry, mature sounding voice, quite different than the one she had affected previously.
Kirk looked at her and saw genuine concern in her eyes, along with a little fear. He also saw none of the deviousness and flightiness exhibited at their first encounter.
He smiled, reassuringly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Baan... Has a decision to make, as do you. Do you want to be free people? Do you want to experience life fully without a machine to guide you?”
Afraid, yet hopeful Arial stood up straighter, thrusting out her chest, “Yes! I do, and you will teach me, Captain Kirk.”
Kirk shook his head, “No, no.... No one can teach you. You must learn it on your own.”
Spock’s communicator beeped. He lifted it and flipped it open, “Spock here.”
Scotty’s voice, sounding apprehensive yet relieved at the same time, answered. “Mr. Spock? Are you alright? Where’s the Captain?”
Spock answered, puzzled by the emotionality displayed by the chief engineer, answered, “Mr. Scott, with the exception of Mr. Voit, we are all quite alive. What is the status of the transporter? Is it functional?”
Scotty answered, beaming a bit with pride, “Aye Mr. Spock, it’s working again.”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Scott, once again you seem to affected repairs in under the amount of time estimated. It has only been thirty-two point five seven minutes since your initial estimate of one hour.”
Scotty answered, “Aye Sir, thank you Sir.”
“Your thanks are not necessary Mr. Scott, I was merely pointing out the timeliness of your repairs. I believe we are almost ready to transport out. On my signal Mr. Scott, five to beam out.”
Sounding relieved Scotty said, “Aye Sir standing by.”
At a low tone from Baan, the red light grew brighter again, gaining Kirk’s attention. He looked at Arial and mouthed “Wait,” before facing Baan again.
“Captain Kirk, you should have been a child of Baan. Perhaps this could have been avoided.”
Kirk looked puzzled. “Have you finished analyzing your situation and my evaluation of it?”
Baan replied, “I have, and you are correct. The children of Baan need to be able to grow on their own. I am now shutting down all operations and terminating my program.”
With that the red light slowly shrunk to a small red dot, then winked out. The lights in the cavern dimmed even more, and in the distance machinery began to wind down.
The guards, standing slumped over until that point toppled stiffly to the ground, maintaining their former body positioning.
A metallic click sounded from behind Wilson and, rubbing his hands he stepped away from the pillar, free.
McCoy knelt down over one of the guards, scanning him with his tricorder. Looking up towards Kirk, he said, surprised, “Jim, this man is an android.” Standing, he scanned the other prone figures. “They’re all androids!”
Kirk looked suspiciously at Arial for a second. McCoy walked over and scanned her as well. Smiling and rocking up onto his toes and back he said, “She is definitely not an android!”
It was Arial’s turn to smile as she grabbed Kirk and kissed him full on the lips. He kissed her back and his arms embraced her. “I am not an android,” she said huskily, breaking the kiss.
Kirk smiled back, saying, “No, you definitely are not.”
Kirk nodded towards Spock and pulled out his own communicator. Flipping it open he said, “Kirk here, six to beam up.”
USS Enterprise
Bridge
Later
Captain Kirk leaned casually in his command chair, one elbow propping him up on the oversized arm. He took a report from the pretty yeoman standing next to him, signed it quickly and handed it back to her, smiling. She smiled back and took the report back, her fingers brushing his softly. “Thank you Captain,” she said and walked away towards the turbo-lift. He glanced after her, noting appreciatively how well her figure filled out the short skirted uniform, and how well her bare legs below complimented the rest.
At the helm and navigation console several feet in front of Kirk, Sulu and Chekov turned back toward their stations. Both men had grins on their faces. Chekov sighed, “I vish just once she vould bring me a report to sign.”
Sulu laughed, punching a few buttons at his station, glad to be out of the command chair at last, at least for now.
In the background the intermittent chirping and whistling of various pieces of bridge equipment continued incessantly. No one seemed to notice.
Behind him stood Dr. McCoy, and to the other side, Mr. Spock.
Kirk, grinning as if remembering some private joke, said, “Helm, stand by to take us out of orbit, lay in a course to starbase fifteen.”
Checkov worked his console and answered, “Starbase fifteen, course laid in Ceptain.”
Uhura spun her chair towards the rest of the bridge crew, “Captain, I am picking up exclusively emergency broadcast channels. It’s almost as if the power were shut off to the entire planet.”
Spock walked to the science station, bent over at the viewer and said after a few moments, “Confirmed Captain, all major power grids are offline, local generators are allowing a few emergency channels to operate. Major traffic congestion in all cities and numerous fires seem to have broken out.”
Spock stood, continuing. “It seems that when Baan turned itself off, it also relinquished control of vital power and other electronic services. With no training on how to manually operate any of them, the society is falling into anarchy and chaos.”
“It is unfortunate that we removed the only link to stability these people had, an efficiently run system with a central computer network.”
McCoy chipped in, “Illogical, Mr. Spock?”
Spock raised an eyebrow, “Quite.”
Kirk put in his two cents, “But they were stagnant Mr. Spock, not growing, not really living. Now they have a chance at real life.”
McCoy changed the subject suddenly, done ribbing Spock. “It’s too bad Arial couldn’t have come with us. I think she had a thing for you Jim, and she was quite a woman.”
Kirk reflected, “Yes she was Doctor, yes she was. But I’m sure she’ll have no trouble attracting a man in that town we beamed her to, she said she had relatives there.”
McCoy laughed, “I’m sure she won’t.”
Kirk looked at Spock, noticed the puzzled look on his first officer’s face and laughed. “Ahead warp factor one Mr. Sulu.”
Sulu answered, “Aye Sir ahead warp factor one.”
