I usually don't do disclaimers, but since this story is a direct take-off of an existing episode I have to say: Adrian Spies owns the events of this story. I do not in any way claim to take credit for his ideas, I'm just having a little fun mucking around with them.
One of the duties of the Enterprise was to come to the aid of any vessel or colony that required it. Which was how they had come to investigate the signal they were now analyzing.
Remarkably similar to old Earth distress calls, the crew had originally believed it to be from an Earth colony or ship. But as they traced it back to it's source the case became more and more perplexing. Scans indicated that the planet was in an untraveled region of the galaxy and therefore had no contact with or knowledge of the federation. And yet the parallels were eerie, beginning but not ending with the ancient distress call that was drawing them steadily nearer.
"Earth style distress signal," Kirk observed, from his position at the helm "S-O-S."
"I've answered it on all frequencies sir. They don't reply." Lieutenant Uhura announced from her station.
"Not a vessel," Mr Spock said. "A ground source. The third planet in this solar system according to my instruments.
Uhura continued her analysis of the signal. "Directly ahead. Definitely an earth style signal".
"We're hundreds of light years form earth Mr Spock. No colonies or vessels out this far". Kirk moved back to his chair while he spoke, pressing the button that would summon Doctor McCoy to the bridge.
"Measuring the planet now captain,"Spock said, his gaze fixed on his viewer. "Spheroid shape. Circumference: Twenty four thousand eight hundred seventy four miles. Mass: six times ten to the twenty first power tons".
The reading were beginning to sound awfully familiar.
"Mean density: five point five one seven. Atmosphere." Here Mr Spock paused briefly before continuing. "Oxygen nitrogen".
"Earth." Yeoman Rand said, echoing the thoughts of everyone present on the bridge as they stared in disbelief at the blue and green planet rotating serenely on the main viewer.
"Not the Earth," Kirk corrected her. "Another Earth."
"Another Earth."
Captain's log, star date 2713.5. In the distant reaches of our galaxy we've made an astonishing discovery: Earth type radio signals coming from a planet which is apparently an exact duplicate of the Earth. It seems impossible, but there it is.
Kirk concluded his log entry for the time being. "Hold us in a fixed orbit Mr Spock." He ordered. Then directed his next comment to Lieutenant Uhura. "Still no response to communications?"
"None Captain." She replied.
"We'll beam down. Alert security. Prepare to transport landing party to surface." He had already selected and notified the officers that were to beam down with him. "We'll land in the vicinity of the distress signal now being received." And with that, he hopped of his chair and disappeared into the turbo lift with Doctor McCoy and Mr Spock close behind.
The architecture of the town was an exact duplicate of 1960's Earth. As though it had been copied directly from the surviving photographs. Copied, and then abandoned. The structures were broken down and crumbling, not a single window or door frame remained intact and the furniture inside seemed to be spilling out onto the streets in bits and pieces as though they'd been ransacked. Long forgotten motor vehicles that were more rust than metal peppered the dusty streets that threaded in between and around the decrepit buildings.
It was in the middle of one such street that six figures materialized, eager to find answers as to the eerie silence that greeted them.
Kirk was the first to break the silence. "Identical." He commented, scanning the surrounding buildings. "Earth, as it was in the early nineteen hundreds".
"More the mid nineteen hundreds Captain", Spock cut in, his tricorder whirring. "I'd say approximately nineteen sixty."
"But where is everybody?" Chapel was the first to ask, although the question was on everybody's mind. She had her own tricorder out, set to scan for life signs. Still reeling from the discovery of her fiancee's death several days prior, Kirk had selected her for the landing party sensing that she needed a distraction. So far she was performing admirably.
"Readings indicate that natural deterioration has been taking place on this planet for at least several centuries". Spock countered.
"But there are life forms present." Chapel predicted, glancing from her tricorder screen to their surroundings and back again.
"Not necessarily Lieutenant. The evidence would suggest that the distress signal is automated."
Kirk made a point never to get between two scientist arguing hypotheses, so he remained silent and moved off to continue the search.
Doctor McCoy, on the other hand, had no such reservations. "Now this is marvellous. The most horrible conglomeration of antique architecture I've ever seen." He said, insinuating himself between the two officers, with his usual scowl.
They all exchanged brief glances before moving off to follow the Captain.
None of them noticed the door that had been standing ajar. Silently, it was pushed closed by an unseen observer inside.
"Mr Spock". Kirk called to his first officer, drawing his attention to the pile of refuse in the street. Curiously, he picked up the remains of what had once been a tricycle. Identical in every detail to the design that had originated on earth. He turned it over briefly before handing it over to Mr Spock who immediately passed it off to Doctor McCoy.
McCoy looked at the broken toy with a level of consideration that his fellow officers hadn't, wondering at the kid who had ridden and played on it all those hundreds of years ago, and what had become of them.
He set the tricycle down gently, spinning one of the wheels idly, lost in thought.
Suddenly the silence was shattered by a piercing cry.
"Mine!"
McCoy turned just in time to see something that might have once been human dart from one off the buildings and come barrelling towards him, yelling.
"Mine!"
The creature slammed into Doctor McCoy knocking him into the dust, where it attempted to wrap it's mottled grey hands around his throat. He did his best to defend himself, but the thing was strong in a way that only a madman could be.
Alerted by the thing's cry, Kirk and Spock raced to the Doctor's aid. It took their combined strength to pull the thing off of him.
"Are you alright?" Christine asked, helping him to his feet, their eyes fixed on the fight that was now taking place.
Kirk and Spock were attempting to restrain the thing, but with it's enormous strength it was a losing fight. Realizing that it couldn't be reasoned with, Kirk let lose a mighty blow directly to it's chin, sending it sprawling in the dirt. Any normal person would have stayed down, but it was quickly back on it's feet and charged at them again.
It took three blows before the creature finally stopped getting back up. It lay in the dirt next to the tricycle, whimpering pathetically.
"It's broke," It sobbed, indicating the remains of the tricycle. "Somebody broke it." It looked around at the officers surrounding it. "Fix. Somebody please fix"
"Of course. Somebody will fix it." McCoy said reassuringly.
Mr Spock scrutinized the life form. "Definitely humanoid in spite of the distortion."
"But with the mind of a child." Kirk pointed out. He rested his hand on it's shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Instead he felt it jerk violently beneath his palm.
"Bones what is it?" He asked as the creature continued to jerk and tremble involuntarily.
"A seizure of some type". McCoy replied, as Christine knelt beside him, scanning the convulsing figure on the ground.
"We want to help you". Kirk said calmly, keeping his hand on it's shoulder.
"Liar!" It screamed, the anger returning as suddenly as it had left. "Fibber." The convulsions grew worse as it continued to yell nonsensically. "Fibber. Fibber. Ha! Fibber."
Eventually the shaking subsided and the creature collapsed in the dirt, where it lay unmoving.
"It's dead," McCoy announced, then exclaimed: "It's incredible"
"What is?" Kirk asked curiously.
"It's metabolic rate, it's impossibly high. As if it's burning itself up. Almost as if it's aged a century in just the past few minutes". They all looked to Christine, who was the bio-researcher of the group, but she shook her head helplessly. It was like nothing she'd ever encountered in her studies.
Just then there was a sound of movement from down the street. "Come on". Kirk said, taking off in the direction of the noise. Spock, McCoy and Chapel followed, joined by the two security guards who'd been scouting the area. They rounded the corner to find that whoever they'd been pursuing had managed to duck into one of the buildings, leaving them with no idea as to where they'd gone.
As they stood, trying to decide where to look next, there was the creaking sound of a door closing behind them. All six officers turned and ran towards the building the sound had come from, finding the door thankfully unlocked. Kirk entered first followed closely by Spock and a security guard.
The interior was just as shabby and ancient as the exterior. It seemed to be a long abandoned house, the carpets and furniture faded and threadbare. Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust adding to the atmosphere of abandonment.
Kirk motioned for one of the security men to check the upstairs, while the rest of them investigated the ground floor.
"How old is this thing?" He asked Mr Spock, indicating the piano standing in the corner.
"About three hundred years". He estimated.
Their attention was immediately taken by a very audible thud from the closet and they all moved to surround the closed door.
"Come out," Kirk said, phaser ready. "We mean you no harm."
When it became apparent that their quarry would not comply with Kirk's demands, he silently signalled Spock, who confirmed the command with a slight nod. Kirk gripped the doorknob, both officers poised to take on any unexpected action, and in one seamless motion, he flung the door open to reveal the thing they had chased in the hopes of gaining answers.
Okay, I know there hasn't been much Christine yet, but there will be. It takes me an amazingly long time to get just a short section of story written due to the fact that I'm copying the dialogue word for word from the episode.