Chapter 1

He couldn't see. Something warm dripped into his eyes, and everything was dark here.

Where?

Nausea rose in his stomach and he fought to push it down.

I am in control.

He tried to stand up and was immensely confused when he found himself on the ground. He winced, not at any of the aches and pains he felt, but at the loud crash which had accompanied a sudden new pain at the back of his head. He began to shiver - it was very cold.

Suddenly there were footsteps. Stealthy, inaudible to all but his superior hearing. A creak as something was opened and then light washed over him, not nearly bright enough to incite the use of his inner eyelid.

A figure stood there, a silhouette, holding something in a hand that trembled almost in time to Spock's shivering body.

"Who are you?" The voice was undeniably male, and far steadier than the owner's hand. "How did you get in here?"

With immense difficulty Spock hauled himself into a sitting position, stomach turning somersaults, a fact which he could not deny he felt some irritation at, given that such a feat was both illogical and impossible.

"Don't move!"

Again Spock found himself wincing at the volume. His head was pounding, and he could not understand how his senses could feel both heightened and muffled all at once.

"Who are you?" the voice asked again when Spock showed no further sign of movement.

His voice was a dry rasp when he answered.

"Spock."

"Spock?"

His throat ached, but he did not have time to try and block out the was something... something he must do... "I- I have the time device. One to... beam up."

"Spock, the field - we can't-"

Of course... Spock chided himself for having forgotten. "My apologies Captain I fear my thoughts are- are somewhat-"

No. Apologies were illogical. Wasting time on apologies was illogical - there was something he must do. But what..?

"Mr Spock!" He vaguely realised the Captain had been growing louder and his voice was now... worried? Panicked? Human emotions were so easily interchangeable... "SPOCK!"

"Still... still here, Captain. The- the device - I have the time device-"

"I know Spock," the Captain's voice was oddly soothing and Spock could not help but wonder why... "Bones, what's wrong with him?"

"How the heck do you expect me to know Jim!" Spock very nearly allowed himself a smile at McCoy's abrasive reply. "I'm a Doctor not a psychic! Get him where I can see him and then I'll tell you. All I can tell from these readings is his blood pressure's raised and he's colder than normal."

"Captain," Spock said over Kirk's answering sigh. "The- the F'lacha't'Nel - they placed some sort of- of tracking mechanism on the time device. They are coming."

"Can you get above ground Spock?" Kirk asked. "So we can transport-"

"I do not... think so, Captain." Spock answered.

"Giotto I want a security team on the planet's surface now, get to the-"

"Captain." Spock interrupted, wincing at the raised volume, "I estimate 2- 2 point..." he faltered, the numbers of the calculation in his head already lost. "Roughly 2 minutes until they are on me Captain. Not enough time."

Time... Spock looked down to the machine, clutched in his bloody hand, not listening to the Captain and other COs having a rapid-fire discussion on what to do.

"I will use the time device."

He said it more to himself than anyone, so that the thought would not trail away, as so many others had in the past few minutes. But, of course, the Captain heard him.

"WHAT?!"

Spock began to prepare it, his fingers irritatingly sluggish and the gash on his forehead dripping emerald into his eyes, obscuring his vision. He strove to remember the blueprints he had examined earlier, precisely which buttons he should press...

"Mr Spock!" Chief Engineer Scott's voice, though a little quieter than the Captain's, was no less emotional. "That technology's never been tested before - who knows if it'll work, what'll happen to ye if it doesn't!"

The small machine sparked into life - quite literally, as the burns on Spock's hands would now testify. He ignored this however.

Concentration. Focus. He needed them both if this were to work, but his mind was so muddled he was unsure if he would manage it... The babbling voices from his communicator were not helping matters.

"Captain, the F'lacha't'Nel must not use this device - that was our mission," Spock said, all too aware of the increasing noises of pursuit. Of the enormity of what he was about to do. "Good- goodbye."

"Mister Spock ye dinnae have to-"

"Spock so help me if you use that thing I'm gonna hypo you into the middle of-"

"Spock don't do it! That's an order Spock! Do you hear me? Spock? SPOCK?"

"Spock?"

The man's unfamiliar voice was doubtful. Spock wondered vaguely where he was. When he was... The rest of his thoughts were lost as he fell back into darkness.