''Mr. Sulu, take us out of orbit.'' The Captain instructed, sitting back in the chair.
A sudden groan from the Science Officer Spock caught the bridge's attention.
He dubbled over, holding his head.
''Mr. Spock! What's happened?" Kirk frowned, approaching him.
Spock suddenly stood up straight, his expression returned to it's usual indifference, except for a strange glazed over look of fright and focus.
''I've received a distress message from a Vulcan student stationed on these coordinance.'' Spock coolly gave the position.
Captian's log- Star date: 3734
First Officer Spock has received a distress call from a planet we had no previous knowledge of.
A class M planet with a blue hue, oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere.
A landing party has beamed down to take a look, but after the loss of communications with the Enterprise, we're now stranded, with no way to contact the ship.
The ship and crew currently in manual orbit above the planet now has only two hours to grow suspicious at the lack of contact.
Inability to carry out with plans to rendezvous at 1600 hours will alert acting Captain Scott of our state of helplessness.
In the meantime, Spock, Doctor McCoy and myself must find shelter from the cold winds released at nightfall and attempt to locate the source of the distress call.
''Fascinating.'' The science officer spoke, a word used immensely by he.
''What is it, Spock, that's so fascinating? Tornadic activity? Or the fact that we're lost on a planet we didn't even know existed!?" The doctor moodily divulged with his signature note of sarcasm.
Spock gave him a raised brow and spoke, ignoring the doctor's overwhelming emotional display.
''This cave... It seems to be man-made.'' He walked around, his tricorder in tow.
''Which means... There should be civilization around.'' The Captain looked out into the howling winds, a newfound glimmer of hope shining in his sorrel iris'.
''Well, whoever sent that distress call is gonna have to wait until this storm passes.'' The good doctor crossed his arms over his blue uniform, casting a gloomy look outside of the small cavern.
At last the storm had passed and the fresh smell of wet grass filled the three men's nostrils.
They had forgotten how much they missed their dear ol' Earth, which wasn't so different from this planet. Mr. Spock, on the contrary, found himself in great yen for the Vulcan heat as the leftover chill clung to their bodies.
Equipped with phasers, tricorder and a small medical pouch, they trudged on in search of the source of their meaning upon this Earth-esque planet.
''Captain! I'm detecting a humanoid lifeform bearing mark 221.7.'' He turned in the direction, ''Faint vital signs.''
They rushed onward and found an unconscious woman dressed in strange clothing, no doubt the Vulcan Science Academy uniform.
But she was no Vulcan.
McCoy seemed to go into doctor mode as he quickly bent down on his knee and scanned her with the medical tricorder.
''She seems to be in a great deal of pain, but I can't pinpoint why.'' The doctor looked quite confused as he stood once more.
''But we need to get her to sickbay as soon as possible. She won't last long.'' McCoy advised, looking anxiously down at her.
''Give me a hand, Spock?'' Kirk asked, flipping open his communicator as Spock pulled the unconscious woman from the ground.
''Kirk to Enterprise. Do you read me, Enterprise?'' The Captain asked, praying silently.
''Yes, Captain. This is the Enterprise.'' Uhura's voice brought them great relief.
''Four ready to beam up. And alert medical.'' He told her, before closing it and putting it back onto his belt.
''The storm must have blocked our signal.'' McCoy spoke out loud, glancing upward.
Kirk took the girl, picking her up bridal style and hoping this was a good enough position to beam up, without any missing atoms.
After rematerializing on board, McCoy took the girl on a gurney awaiting their arrival and rushed to sickbay.
McCoy managed to stabilize her condition, though her monitor expressed the severe pain she wasn't showing.
All he could do for her was get her warm, seeing as he could not find the source of her sickness.
Finally at the end of his wits, he called the Captain. ''McCoy to the Bridge.''
''Kirk here.'' The Captain appeared on his small screen, looking curious and as if he had been awaiting his call.
''I'm at a loss, Jim. I don't know what more I can do for her. She shows the symptoms of the common cold, but that's not it. The virus isn't there. Somehow... Well, you better just get down here.'' He sighed.
''I'll be right down.''
The Captain was true to his word, for not moments after he materialized with a rather curious Mr. Spock.
''I can't explain it, Jim.'' McCoy sighed, pointing to her monitor. ''She shows no signs of being in as much pain as it says.''
''Is your equipment malfunctioning?'' Spock asked, arms clasped behind his back.
The Chief Medical Officer looked at him with the most dry expression his cynical baby blues could muster, and said, despite needing to, ''They're in perfect condition.''
Kirk sighed quietly, looking down at the sleeping brunette. ''What do you think, Spock? You think she is the one responsible for the distress call?"
"It would be illogical to assume it impossible. If she, a human were training on Vulcan, it's likely that she is a telepath. A powerful one to have been able to penetrate my mind."
"You want to try the Vulcan mind thingy?" Kirk asked, crossing his arms lightly.
Spock could not refuse him, despite how horrible it makes him feel. Emotions were a dirty business.
''I could try, Captain.'' Spock inched closer to the girl, cupping her sharp facial features. He closed his eyes and let himself explore her brain waves.
McCoy and Kirk watched as he began to mutter, looking in pain but unable to throw himself from their mind connection.
''Pain... Excruciating... Pain... It's only in our minds... Not real... Not real...'' He spoke with a hoarse anguish. But he wasn't just talking about himself. He was referring to them both. As one in the telepathic mind meld.
For a while, they got nothing out of the two but indications of the pain being in the mind. A mental anguish. Torture.
Spock's condition grew worse and he was on the brink of sobbing, the mind meld unbroken despite their distress.
''Pain!... So much. PAAIIN!'' He was close to a complete mental breakdown and Kirk knew he had to step in.
''Spock!'' He tugged on him, but he was glued, as if it wouldn't break. ''Spock! Snap out of it!'' The Captain slapped him in a desperate attempt to relieve his friend from his state of anxiety.
Spock at last broke the link, but seemed drained and weak.
''Jim! He's never done it this long before.'' McCoy looked worried, as Kirk drug him to the bed next to the anguished, unconscious woman.
''Spock, are you alright?'' The Captain asked, frowning down at his friend.
''Quite, Captain.'' The Vulcan stood straight with dignity. ''I was correct. She is a telepath, training on Vulcan to control her gifts. It would seem they also taught her to suppress her human emotions.''
''If she was training on Vulcan, how did she end up on this planet, alone?'' Kirk asked, glancing over at the sleeping beauty.
''I may have got that information, had you not pulled me away. If she doesn't regain consciousness, I shall attempt it again.''
''I don't know about that, Spock... You seemed pretty bad off.'' Kirk looked concerned, but that was a human emotion and Spock hardly cared for those.
''I assure you, Captain. I'll be fine.''
''It may be the only way we can find out what to do for her.'' McCoy added, agreeing with Spock the second time this day, though he seemed less than happy to.
Kirk sighed, defeated by the gang up.
''If she doesn't wake up in half an hour, then by all means.'' He sighed again, leaving the sickbay quarters.
''McCoy to Bridge.''
The Captain pressed the intercom button on the chair, wondering what the good doctor could want. ''Kirk here. What is it, Bones?''
''The girl's about to wake up.'' McCoy said, glancing back into the patient's small quarters, were she lay on the brink of consciousness.
Spock turned around in his chair, curious to find out about what had happened on the planet they now orbit.
''Spock and I will be right down.'' He signed out and headed for the elevator.
Upon their arrival, they spotted nurse Chapel standing over her, giving her a shot they assumed would help cease her pain when she awoke.
''Just in time.'' The nurse smiled, taking the equipment back and sending out Dr. McCoy.
The three stood over her until her eyes began to flutter open. She sat up too quickly, remembering what had happened.
''Ah, so I got the message through.'' She noted, inwardly pleased with herself.
''Indeed.'' Spock nodded, a bit impressed himself.
''Hello, I'm Captain James T Kirk.'' The Captain smiled politely, holding out his hand for her to shake.
She looked confused for a moment, before realization overtook her previous state of complexity. She shook his hand, almost forgetting that Earth custom the Vulcan's had taught her.
''Tsar. I should tell you, I've never met another Earthling... Most curious.'' She looked him over, making his cheeks warm with a pink hue.
''The others. Where are they?'' She glanced around the sick bay patient quarters, expecting to see her fellow students and crewmen.
''What others?'' Kirk asked, shaking off his previous comfort with the stranger. He seemed to go into Captain mode, standing straighter.
''My tricorder registered no other lifeforms.'' Spock chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest.
Her eyes widened as she glanced up at Spock. ''But... That's highly improbable. Was your device malfunctioning?'' She asked.
McCoy resisted the urge to sarcastically comment on having another Spock on board, and bit his tongue, this didn't seem the time.
''No malfunction.'' Spock shook his head.
Tsar glanced downward, muffling the emotion that constantly threatened to surface. ''But I was in the company of 5. There was no danger at the time.''
She closed her eyes and concentrate, but could not reach them through her telepathic abilities.
Tsar took a breath and contemplated the events prior to waking on this ship.
''Kirk and Spock will find out what happened to your friends-''
''-Colleges.'' She cut in quietly, she had trained all her life to do against her very nature. One slip up and she was lost. She couldn't start humoring her feelings now.
''-It's my job to take care of you.''
Tsar glanced over at Kirk and Spock, ''I tried to reach them, but I was unsuccessful. Which means they are either dead or unconscious. Or something is blocking me. We have trained to be able to communicate, it's not for lack of ability.''
''We'll do all we can.'' Kirk promised, nodding.
Tsar nodded back, before turning to the McCoy. ''Doctor, I'm quite well.''
''My monitor disagrees.'' He pointed upward. ''You're in great pain. Allow me to give you a sedative.''
Tsar shook her head. ''Honestly doctor, I have trained since birth to withstand torment. It can wait until I find my colleges.'' She assured.
The doctor sighed, defeated.
''Did you get any usual readings from the planet's surface?'' She asked Spock, getting up from the bed and straightening out her long gray and brown speckled uniform from the Academy.
''No. Just one life-form, you.'' Spock answered, walking alongside her as they departed from the sick bay after the Captain.
''Did your scanners detect a space craft?'' She inquired, glancing over at the Vulcan she had just met.
''Mr. Chekov said he saw a ship on the sensors for a split second, but it disappeared.'' He answered. ''It should be recorded into the computer's data base.''