Usually Spock is the first to become suspicious, even tense, whenever the ship receives no response from a ship-to-ground-crew hailing. Almost always it's a brief interference from the atmosphere that interrupted their comms but good gracious how Scotty wished that were the case this time as he rushed down to the transporter pad.

"Get them back," Spock ordered after Uhura's 3rd hailing was met with near silence. The only sound that came through sounded like something being dragged through sand and leaves. Whatever it was, it wasn't the crew confirming their well being and Spock took that as an immediate sign to withdraw from this mission. The Vulcan's heart beat a little faster at the thought of his captain being in danger down there but he held steady as he sat tall in the chair and began sounding off orders over the chair's comm station.

A bead of sweat ran down Scotty's temple as he quickly worked the transporter console while Spock's voice came over comm system to alert the crew to clear a path to the medbay. Scotty could hear them calling Doctor McCoy as his mind buzzed to quickly find a way to get their missing crew away from the planet's surface.

"Sc-... Scotty!" Kirk's voice crackled over the comm, making the Engineer's heart flutter with relief until he heard the crack in his captain's voice. "Get... Sulu... the others. They go first. I'll... hold them back!"

"B-but, Sir!"

"Do it!"

The Scotsman almost wanted to sigh at his captain's pigheadedness but he had no time for that now. As soon as Scotty got a lock on their signals he began the process of energizing the crewman. The particles of the landing crew were just becoming visible when Captain Kirk's voice shouted through the comm again.

"Did you get them? Are they up?" Phaser fire and animal like screeching could be heard alongside the voice of Captain Kirk.

McCoy and Chapel walked through the door just as the crew's anatomy had stabilized and were fully solid. Sulu was first to fall to the floor as well as one other ensign, causing McCoy to rush forward with his scanner.

"Aye sir! They're up!" Scotty confirmed, fingers poised over the controls, waiting Kirk's order to be beamed up.

"Good! Now wait for my signal!" One more phaser shot was heard.

"Aye sir!"

The other two crewman on the pad swayed on their feet, slightly dazed though not seeming to have gotten any serious injuries. Righting themselves, they looked to McCoy, unsure what to do.

"Well don't just stand there! Help me get them to sickbay!" McCoy told Chapel to escort them out and that he would head down as soon as their Captain had transported up. The doctor walked over to the comm and called up Spock.

"McCoy to bridge" was his gruff greeting.

"Spock here. Is the landing crew out of danger?"

McCoy heard no sign of worry in the Vulcan's voice, save for the slight hurry in his tone, but knew he was asking if Kirk was up yet. "All except the captain. He's still down there."

A pause. "Very well. I will be down shortly. Spock out."

McCoy looked to Scotty who seemed to be getting a little worried as he looked over his console and began pressing a few buttons. The doctor knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Something's wrong?" McCoy asked in haste as he quickly stepped over to the console. Spock walked in a few minutes later and quickly made his way over to the two men, knowing there was a complication judging by the look on Scotty's face. The engineer did not normally falter easily.

"The captain's signal is actin' strange! I lose it and then it comes back!" Spock looked over the screen and furrowed his brow. No technology on this planet could block their instruments. The commander stepped over at another console and quickly checked for any outer disturbances, such as an ion storm, but nothing came up.

McCoy tried the comm again. "Jim! Where are you?"

No reply. Not even any background noise. McCoy growled the same message again, frustrated with his friend, but the results were the same. Suddenly Scotty got a lock on Kirk's signal again and turned to Spock who nodded.

"He could be unconscious and in grave danger. We do not want to risk losing his signal again. Energize."

Scotty acted without hesitation and pressed the necessary buttons to beam up the captain. The three men watched in anticipation as the particles swirled on the pad, but something was wrong. They were not gathering up the right size. They were low to the floor, as if only wanting to solidify a pair of feet. Scotty toggled a few switches but when the swirling stopped he didn't see Kirk, though his console indicated a successful beam up.

McCoy stared at the empty space as if looking for an invisible Jim.

"Well? Where is he?" He threw up his hands in irritation. Spock glanced down on the floor and pointed to something on the pad.

"There, Doctor."

Scotty and McCoy looked where Spock indicated and gasped.

It was a torn piece of Kirk's shirt lying on the floor, a slight bump protruding from underneath it. Spock approached it first since he was not dumbfounded by the sight before them. That was human reaction which he was not capable of. He bent down and removed the cloth, gently picking up the small mass. It was an unconscious Kirk, naked, and only six inches tall.

"Doctor" McCoy quickly went over and scanned Kirk, eyes watching his tricorder and glancing at the unbelievable size of his friend. Scotty could only gaze in disbelief and confusion.

"It says he's fine, just knocked out with a few scratches on his arm. No serious threat to his life…"

Spock looked over the small man. His face was a healthy color. No limbs missing…that was good. Spock grabbed the shirt piece and proceeded to wrap Jim's lower half with it.

"To sickbay then, Doctor?"

McCoy just nodded, seeming unable to express his jumbled thoughts in words.

"Yeah. Get him to sickbay."