Jim Kirk was running through the red jungle on Nibiru with Leonard McCoy close behind him. They had been ordered to observe the planet, but they had discovered something they could not ignore…

"Are you sure?" Jim asked as he stood on the Bridge of the Enterprise looking at the planet Nibiru on the view screen.

"Yes sir," Pavel Chekov answered. "If the volcano erupts, it will wipe out this species, and possibly the whole planet."

Jim just stood there silent a moment. "Is there anything we can do to save them? Stop it some way?"

"Captain, interfering with a civilization's destiny violates Starfleet regulation…" Spock began.

"What are we supposed to do? Sit here and watch this planet be destroyed because of some regulation?"

"Captain, may I remind you that this is a primitive civilization which is far from having warp capabilities. It would be a severe violation if we let them see us, let alone our ship."

"Then we have to figure out a way to keep them from seeing it. Can we transport down to the planet?"

"Negative, Sir," Chekov answered. "There is a strong magnetic field. We would have to be on the planet."

Jim was not willing to accept defeat. He thought surely they would get recognition for saving a planet, and surely Starfleet would not object to their saving a planet and a species from destruction. Maybe they would even get that five-year mission that had been talked about.

"Jim, the Enterprise is far too large to hide on this planet," Spock declared.

"We'll use a shuttle then," Jim said. "But how can we neutralize the volcano?"

Spock realized that Jim was going to try to do something with or without his help, so he would help in order to make the mission go as smoothly as possible. "A cold fusion device could render the volcano inert," he said.

"But how do we get it there?" Jim asked.

"The cold fusion device would have to be activated within the volcano."

Jim just stood there a moment. "Within it?"

"Yes, Captain. This will be a particularly dangerous mission. If the volcano were to erupt while we are there, we too will be destroyed."

"If we hide the Enterprise somewhere and use a shuttle to put someone into the volcano to activate the device and then pull them back out, the species will never know we were there."

Spock was silent a moment as he considered that. "It is possible that a shuttle would be hidden by the debris cloud from the volcano and would not be seen by the indigenous species if they were lured away."

Jim thought about that. "We know where the main part of their village is, and that's right at the base of the volcano."

"That is why they must be lured away from the volcano. That way, they will not hear the shuttle and become curious."

"How can we lure them away? What would draw their attention?"

"Someone would have to observe them and find a way."

Jim thought a moment. He went over to the schematic that showed the data they had collected about the planet so far. "There's a large ocean," he pointed out. "The beach is not far from the volcano."

McCoy was listening to everything. "Are you actually suggesting that we go down there, hide the Enterprise in this ocean, and sneak over to their village to try and lure them away from this volcano that could explode at any time while some fool on this ship takes a dive into the volcano?"

Jim thought about that a moment. "Yeah."

"It will take time to prepare a cold fusion device powerful enough to stop a volcano," Spock said.

"How long?"

"At least twenty four hours, Captain."

"Well then, we've got that long to figure out how to get them away from there."

"You're really going to do this?" Bones asked.

Jim walked over to Sulu who was at the helm. "You think you can set this ship down there in that ocean?" Jim asked.

"Captain!" Scotty exclaimed. "This ship was not made to be a submarine! It's a star ship! As in…space!"

"Relax, Mister Scott."

"I'm not sure the Enterprise can withstand that pressure."

"We're only gonna be deep enough to cover the ship. It's pressurized, Scotty."

"What about the nacelles, the engines? Equipment that isn't made to be in water!"

"Watch after them."

"How do we get the ship down without them seeing it?" Sulu asked.

"We'll go down under cover of darkness," Jim said. "Spock, work on that device."

"Yes, Captain," Spock replied and left the Bridge.

"Jim, how do you suggest that we go down there and observe them?" Bones asked.

"We'll just have to have disguises that cover us completely," Jim said.

Bones followed Jim from the Bridge. "Jim, this is never gonna work!" Bones declared.

"How do you know it won't work?"

"Because it's just impossible."

"Don't give up so easily."

"I can understand wanting to save a world, but risking our own lives to do it is just crazy! You're actually gonna let Spock go into that live volcano! What if something goes wrong?"

"It won't. Just work with me on this."