DISCLAIMER: If I owned Star Trek (which I don't, sadly), things would probably get out of control. This story begins based off of the episode "A Private Little War"...and things will probably get out of control from there.


Prologue: Did That Just Happen?


Sometimes what we need isn't what we want. Other times, what we want isn't what we need. Most times, though, what we need or want is what we can't ever have. That's just how it is.

I sat on the couch, my arms wrapped around one of the many throw pillows we owned, eyes glued absently to the t.v. screen. It was about two in the morning, but I didn't care. I smiled as the credits rolled, the cheesy music always making me smile. Not many old shows had me hooked, but Star Trek was definitely one of them. There was just something that the characters brought that made them so incredibly perfect, something that really gave me my own hope. It was silly, but there were so many little moments that just made me think. I was a nerd like that, sometimes trying to apply it all in my own life, but I supposed that was the whole point of television and movies - to inspire us. A really good episode, 'A Piece of the Action', had just finished, about Kirk and Spock in a shoot-em-up scenario and dressed up like old-time gangsters. It was pretty memorable, as opposed to the next one, sadly. Most episodes had a pattern of hit-or-miss, and 'Immunity Syndrome' was definitely a miss. It was presented with a simple enough problem, a little drama, and and easy solution. I checked my watch again and blinked tiredly.

"Well, Claire," I mumbled, "It's about three in the morning, and you have to work in about five hours." Glancing at the screen, I noticed the next episode was already playing. "Why not ten more minutes?" Smiling, I relaxed farther into the couch, knowing I wouldn't last much longer. I could always finish the episode in the morning. Ten more minutes was long enough to keep me mildly awake and interested. Captain Kirk, Spock, and Bones had beamed down to some planet to research the natural supplies, and possibly use them for advanced medicinal yada-yada or other. My eyelids were getting heavy now, so I simply listened. Apparently the work was interrupted by some of the planet's inhabitants attacking others - or something - but I wasn't quite...sure...

One thing I really hated about how I slept was how easily I woke. It normally took me forever to get relaxed enough, but even the smallest disturbances - a light turning on, someone moving around me - was just what it took to ruin it. I usually startled myself out of sleep, too, which was just what happened. I rubbed away the visual blur and looked around, suddenly confused. No longer on the couch, I found myself in a natural terrain, a dry, breezy area with a fair amount of vegetation. As I stood, a distant, fuzzy realization made its way into my head, and I nodded, feeling I was right: I was dreaming. I'd read somewhere that, often times, dreams came from the last things we saw or thought about before sleeping; therefore, I realized I had to be dreaming about Star Trek. The planet that the characters had been on was identical to the one around me, so I only had to wait for my brain to make an adventure out of it. Making my way up a rocky slope nearby, I found a great view of the land, a peaceful feeling running over it. There wasn't a soul in sight, no one to bother anyone. I sat on the edge, my legs dangling over it, and just let myself feel the calm wind. I wasn't sure how long I'd been there before a pair of muffled voices below caught my attention.

"...wanna think about it again Jim? Starfleet's orders about this planet state 'No interference' with - "

"No interference with normal, social development. I'm not only aware of it, it was my survey thirteen years ago that recommended it."

I stood to get a better view, but I must have moved too quickly because I lost my footing. A rush of panic flooded me as I fell, and I tried ungracefully to catch myself. "Ouch! Dude, that..." I stopped, examining my scraped knee, "...hurt."

I'd never really experienced pain while asleep. I knew others said they had, so I had no place to denounce it, but that really hurt! It was a little unsettling, but I didn't have time to assess the situation. A low, steady growl reached my ears, and I turned to find some creature staring at me with wild eyes. Whether it'd been asleep or in the middle of a hunt didn't matter, but I had obviously interrupted something with my clumsiness. As it continued to snarl - which was getting louder and more menacing - I took the few seconds I had to take in its appearance. The best way I could describe it was an ape, but obviously it wasn't. An ugly, yellow horn jutted from between its eyes, spikes lining its backside just above the tail that defensively swished back and forth. I knew I was dreaming, but the fear was still all real and my heart started to pound as the creature stood its full height. It was gigantic and the beast knew it, and I was in trouble. Mad with hunger, it pounced with all of its weight and strength to pin me to the ground, all of which was very painful.

"H-Help!" I grunted, hoping someone was still around to save my butt. "Hey! Anyone, get this thing off of me!" I struggled and kicked, but my arms were trapped and all I could do was stare up at the monster. It opened its gigantic, sharp-toothed, reeking mouth, and my own mouth opened in a scream as my attacker lowered its head and bit me. It bit me! My sobs drowned my own scream, mixed in with snarling and munching and more yelling from someone else. My shoulder hurt so bad I was getting dizzy, my body starting to go limp. "Please..." I wheezed. "S-Someone..."

"...what is..." A voice yelled.

"...Kill it without..."

Another sound, and a bright light...the heavy weight of the creature gone...someone holding me. I opened my eyes, hardly believing them. Through the tears and fogginess, I was suddenly looking up at the disgruntled, panicked face of Doctor Leonard McCoy. Another face appeared,

Captain Kirk, and he was yelling something into his communicator. I couldn't...what was he saying?

"Is t-this a j-joke?" I asked, teeth chattering. I couldn't stop shaking, it was so cold.

"She's burning up..."

"...beam us up...!"

An odd, tingling sensation came over me and I thought I was going to wake up. It was quiet now, and I could still feel myself in someone's arms. My mind was clearing a little, and I opened my eyes to see McCoy looking at me.

"It'll be..."

"...Huh?" I asked, blinking.

"It'll be okay," he was saying. I couldn't hear much now, but I could read his lips. "You'll be okay."

I heaved a shaky breath, and tried to focus my vision one last time. "...I may throw up on you."