Charades

By

Wicketbear

Summary: Halloween tricks were never like this.

Notes: I hope that you will enjoy this story. It's my first attempt at a more serious story after writing, "Exercise". Reviews, yes please.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.

"I think I'll go as a devil."

"That would be appropriate."

"Spock! What's that suppose to mean?" Grinning, the captain added, "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were joking, but since I do, explain yourself."

"I was merely stating a fact. It is only logical that you would pick a character that you can relate to." Seeing Jim pout he continued, "It is appropriate for you to dress as a devil as it would be for Dr. McCoy to dress as Dr. Jekyll."

"Spock! I sure hope you're teasing."

With a raised brow, as if nothing was out of order, Spock added, "Sir?"

"Foul play," Kirk countered, "No fair picking on Bones when he can't be here to defend himself."

"My observations are correct."

Jim chuckled quietly to himself, but one quick glance at the stern, logical, Vulcan made him burst out laughing.

"I don't think it'd be good for your health to tell Bones what you said unless you wish to spend the next twenty-four hours in decompression."

"I would not," Spock replied bluntly returning to his station. He heard Kirk chuckle quietly to himself.

The Halloween party was a major crew function. Most dressed in holiday attire but everyone was welcomed. The festivities carried on for a solid twenty-four hours so that all personnel could attend, regardless of duty rotation.

Suddenly the ship rocked so violently that crew members were thrown to the deck. The ship rolled as if on a turbulent sea.

"Damn, next upgrade we get seatbelts installed." Over the turmoil Kirk shouted, "What the hell was that?" He picked himself up off the floor.

"It appears to have been a shock wave," Spock answered.

"From what?" the Captain stood behind the science officer waiting for more specifics.

"Not what Captain, but where."

Jim sat down on the bridge rail. "You mean to tell me that someone produced that?"

"I believe that is what I said." Kirk gave him snide look. "I am checking the incoming data. A moment please."

Sulu said, "Sir, according to sensors, this area is clean."

"No disruption in communications either."

"Thank you people," Jim replied. He waited impatiently for Spock's analysis.

Spock looked up from his monitor.

"Well?"

"It appears that we have been hailed by a planet not far from our present path."

"Hailed?" Jim scoffed. "Well that was one hell of a 'hello'. They need to have that doorbell replaced. A little extreme don't you think?"

Puzzled, Spock questioned. "Doorbell?"

Jim waved him off, "Never mind, Spock. What planet did it come from?" he asked going back to his chair to sit down.

"The doorbell, as you call it…" the others burst out laughing. When it was quiet again he finished, "came from Cygnet VII."

"Oh crap," Kirk said with dread.

"Captain, as I recall, the last time we visited Cygnet VII..."

"Yeah, Spock, I know."

"I believe we left with a female computer personality."

Kirk sighed, "Don't remind me." He scowled as he wiped a hand across his tired eyes. "Mr. Sulu, if you please."

"Yes, Sir."

XXXXX

As the Enterprise headed for Cygnet a Halloween party was in full swing below deck. The party was to be confined to the recreation rooms but it leaked into the corridors as more and more crew members joined the festivities.

There were two holidays that Kirk really enjoyed, Christmas and Halloween. He thought of past parties and grinned remembering.

"Captain," Kirk jumped. "I apologize for startling you."

"That's okay, what's up?"

"We are in standard orbit around Cygnet VII. They are waiting to talk with you."

"Uhura, please."

"Ah, Captain Kirk, so nice of you to stop in. Is it time for another computer refit?"

"No!" Kirk yelped. "No computer work." Kirk toned his voice down, smiled and pleasantly said, "Commander Cilia, it's nice to see you too. The computer is just fine. Actually we were responding to a hail that originated from your planet."

The young women looked around at her staff before responding. "Captain, I believe someone is pulling your chain. We," she gestured at her staff, "did not place a call to you or your ship."

"Commander," Spock spoke up, "the signal came from the southern continent."

"Oh no."

Confused Jim asked, "What does that mean? Do you know who might have transmitted the signal?"

With a furrowed brow the Commander responded, "Captain, we have a cult on the southern continent, but we had no idea they could send a subspace signal. I'm a bit surprised. They come once a year for some sort of gathering. They really cause no trouble and then they're gone for another year."

"Cilia, would it help to know it was not a message in the form of communications, but rather a powerful blast of energy that sent a shock wave through space." The captain sat forward with his chin resting in one palm as he puzzled.

"Captain, do you have a pressing engagement? Could you and Mr. Spock beam down? I think we can explain and maybe with all of us working together we can come up with a solution to a problem we are having with these people."

"I think we'd better do something. If it'd been a smaller ship, people could've been injured. We were lucky." Slapping his hands on his knees, Jim stood saying, "Will you provide the coordinates, please?"

"Yes, of course."

"We will see you in a few minutes. Enterprise out." The screen returned to the stars and the planet below. Irritated Jim said, "Come on, Spock. Let's go. Uhura, call Mr. Scott to the bridge." They left for the transporter room. In the lift Jim hit the comm. line, "Kirk to McCoy."

"Sickbay here. Ensign Meyers."

"Ensign, is Dr. McCoy there someplace, maybe hiding under a bed?"

She snickered, "Just a moment, Sir."

Kirk gave Spock a quizzical glance then a perturbed scowl. "That's weird. Bones always answers my page"

"I assure you, I have no idea."

"Sir, he's here somewhere. I'm having difficulty locating him. Standby..."

Before Kirk could respond the connection was dropped. "Oh great." Just then the lift dropped out from under them as they grabbed for the railing. It was over quickly, much to their surprise, as the floor came up to meet them. They fell into a tangled pile. "Damn! Now what? Remind me to have Scotty add harnesses in the lifts."

"McCoy to Captain Kirk."

"Oh great," Kirk frowned as he slowly stood on shaky legs and a twisted ankle. "Bones… damn it," Kirk shouted as he put weight on his injured ankle.

"Jim, what's wrong?" McCoy shouted through the link.

"Bones, who is Ensign Meyers?" The lift continued on its course as if nothing had happened.

"What Ensign Meyers?" McCoy puzzled.

"The one I was just talking to before the lift took a dive." Perturbed he added, "She went to get you and cut the comm. line."

"Jim, I don't have an Ensign Meyers, or an Ensign anything. I have no idea who you talked to."

Now Kirk was simply mad, "Bones!" he shouted, a little louder than intended.

"Jim? Calm down. What's got you so bent out of shape?"

Taking a deep breath Kirk sighed. "Spock and I had a little disagreement with the lift… we lost. That's not why I called you. Please get your kit and join us in the transporter room."

"I'll be right there. You sure you don't need medical attention?"

"I'm sure. Kirk out."

The lift came to a halt and the two occupants took a step out and stopped. They had overshot by one deck.

Kirk turned to Spock saying, "I don't believe this."

A young female voice responded with, "Sorry about that, we missed a floor." Even as the words were spoken the lift doors were closing.

Before they could step out the doors were closing. As soon as the doors closed the lift dropped like a rocket into the bowels of the ship. Kirk's head collided with the bulkhead, hard. The lift just as suddenly stopped. The two men, after a moment of weightlessness, were dropped like lead balloons. They landed in a tangled mass. Spock reached up and grabbed the control, but no matter what he said or did the lift paid no attention, and went on about its way with the reluctant passengers.

Again they were dropped down the shaft at a speed that made Mr. Spock's hair stand on end. They came to another jolting halt. The doors swished open on the correct deck with a medical team standing by.

The medics stepped into the lift and helped both men to their feet. "Jim, are you all right?" McCoy asked a dazed captain.

"Bones?"

"Scotty put a call into us when the lift didn't respond to override commands."

"Jim, I don't know what happened with the lift but I promise I'll find out," Scotty said without being asked.

"That would be great."

The two officers left the lift but not without hearing a snicker from the speaker as the doors swished shut. The door closure was so abrupt that it would have caught the captain's shirt if Spock hadn't yanked him clear. Jim rested with his back against the bulkhead still a bit dazed and sore.

McCoy ran his scanner over the captain and gave him a hypo for pain. The usual complaint about the hypo was missing, causing McCoy concern. Jim had a pretty good knock on the head. "That should help. Jim, I would rather you rethink going on this trip."

"Ha," Kirk scoffed, "and go to my quarters in that?" he pointed over his shoulder at the offending lift, "no way, no how, no. No thanks, Bones." He pushed off the wall and with McCoy and Spock in tow, headed for the transporter room, again.

When Kirk stepped inside he wiped a sweaty hand across his eyes, and closed his eyes until the dizziness passed. They stepped onto the platform and were energizing before the tech had time to begin the sequence. There was nothing anyone could have done except hope they re-materialized in one piece.

Materialize they did, but not where they had planned. Jim immediately pulled his communicator, "Kirk to Enterprise." Static was the response. He slipped the device back on his belt.

"Jim, where are we?" McCoy asked.

"Spock, can you get a fix on our position?"

"I am trying." Spock aimed his tricorder in several directions.

On impulse Jim added, "I have a feeling you'll probably find that we're not in Kansas anymore, but on the southern continent a few miles from the problem." Jim smiled at Spock's bewilderment and walked off without a second thought, while the other two stared after him.

"Maybe it was the hit on the head," McCoy offered.

"He is correct," Spock added. He followed Jim with McCoy close on his heels.

Continued in Chapter 2