"I do not understand the purpose of this celebration," Spock declared.
"You even sound like an alien," Dr. McCoy said.
Spock raised an indignant eyebrow at him, but the little hand-made antennae sticking up on either side of his head ruined the effect.
"It's not much of a costume," Scotty said as he joined them at the edge of the room. In place of his usual uniform, he was wearing a long black coat adorned with all manner of replicated weapons; one of his eyes was covered with a black patch, and on his head he wore a red bandana. He even had a model of a bright red bird attached to one shoulder.
Unlike most of the officers that had piled into the redecorated recreation room, aside from the antennae, Spock was in uniform. Even Dr. McCoy had gotten a white lab coat and pale green "scrubs" from the ship's historian to emulate a 21st century doctor.
"You could have come as an elf," Uhura suggested, herself wearing a long white dress and extensive golden jewelry.
"Are elves not associated primarily with the holiday of Christmas?" Spock asked.
Uhura laughed. "Not one of Santa's elves," she clarified.
"You're a bit too tall to be one of those," Scotty put in.
"I was thinking something more along the lines of tall and graceful, with sharp pointed ears." Uhura shared a conspiratorial glance with Captain Kirk, who grinned at the description.
"You try to get a costume on him," Dr. McCoy retorted.
"Captain," Spock greeted him with a nod while the others' conversation turned to other channels. The captain had dressed up for the occasion in a black vest over a dirty white shirt, along with regulation pants, boots, and a holster.
"Sorry I'm late," Kirk said with a grin, "I was just making the rounds. What do you think?" He gestured down at his costume.
Spock quirked an eyebrow at him.
"You've dressed up nicely," Kirk teased.
"I have been informed that this hardly qualifies as a costume," Spock replied. "This holiday is not my own. I can remain on the bridge and allow the other officers to celebrate according to Earth custom."
"A little socializing is good for you," Dr. McCoy cut in. Scotty and Uhura had wandered off to mingle with the other officers.
"They'll get their chance to come to the party when their shift is over and then you'll be free to return to duty if you want," Kirk said. "In the meantime, I heard Mr. Sulu got ahold of a holoprojector last time we were at Starbase and has reprogrammed it into a haunted house. What do you think, Mr. Spock? Want to evaluate his handiwork?"
"Perhaps you will be more effective than Dr. McCoy at elucidating the reason of a holiday in celebration of the reportedly unpleasant human emotion of fear," Spock said as though he was skeptical such a reason existed.
"Humor our strange traditions, Mr. Spock," the captain said with a smile.
"If you're too afraid to go, just admit it," Dr. McCoy challenged him.
"Very well, I will accompany you into this 'haunted house,'" he said to the captain. Then he turned to Dr. McCoy. "Will you be joining us to evaluate Mr. Sulu's handiwork?"
"I get more than enough scares working with the two of you," Dr. McCoy retorted.
"Let's go." Kirk took Spock's arm before he could protest and led him over to the holoprojector.
The device truly had a most peculiar effect. One corner of the room was occupied by a rough wooden building of dubious structural integrity. Ever so often, a shout or bang came from inside that could be heard above the din of the party, but otherwise it appeared to be a perfectly ordinary derelict building of its time.
Kirk and Spock went to the end of the long line of officers waiting to get in and gradually made their way to the entrance. Kirk talked with a nervous young Lieutenant while Spock examined the hologram, searching for evidence of its construction.
He could not help but agree with Kirk when he stood at the entrance to the building and declared, "Mr. Sulu's outdone himself."
The wooden door opened with a loud creak and they stepped inside. It slammed shut behind them and the party vanished without a trace. The din of conversation and laughter was replaced by howling wind and pounding rain. They found themselves in a dark, musty room made of closely emulated wood. Out the dirty, scratched window, they could barely make out a sloping field behind sheets of rain.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and for an instant a twisted face appeared just outside the window, and then it was gone by the time the house shook with the following crack of thunder. Spock felt Kirk's hand on his arm. He could feel the captain's heart racing, but he was grinning when Spock glanced over at him.
"This is an impressive piece of technology," Kirk marveled.
"It is fascinating," Spock assented, "Though I am not familiar with what it is attempting to simulate." His eyes wandered the room in search of the next effect.
Kirk did not release his arm as he led the way deeper into the house. The floorboards creaked with their every step, somehow much louder than the dull pounding of the rain. They descended into a dark, damp cellar with cold stone walls. The howl of the wind and roar of thunder faded as they descended into pitch black silence. They could not see more than a step below them.
Something scratched against the wall.
Kirk's grip tightened around Spock's arm, but he smiled in response to Spock's questioning gaze.
There was a distant murmuring sound, almost like mad speech. It was getting closer, wilder and more distinct.
And then something lunged at them with a flash of bright light and a terrible screech.
Acting on instinct alone, Spock grabbed Kirk's phaser and fired. For an instant the phaser blast cut through the illusion and illuminated the corner of the recreation room, and then it was gone and they were submerged back in darkness.
"Captain, are you unharmed?" Spock asked urgently, an arm out to steady him.
There was something moving in the cellar below.
Kirk gave him a concerned smile, but before he could speak the house vanished and they found themselves back in the recreation room, just a few feet away from the ongoing Halloween party. Spock drew away and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Is everything alright?" Sulu hurried over to them. "I thought I saw a phaser go off."
"Sorry about that," Kirk said a little sheepishly. He had taken the phaser out of Spock's hand and was putting it back into its holster. "That's what I get for using a real phaser as part of my costume. It must have reacted with the holoprojector."
Sulu glanced between them as though he wasn't quite convinced.
"I didn't mean to interrupt the party," Kirk continued with a smile, "We'll just get out of the way."
"If you're certain, sir," Sulu said.
Spock gave him a sharp nod and followed the captain through the crowd, out of the recreation room. Dr. McCoy tried to accost them on their way to the door, but Kirk gave him a look and a wave that somehow convinced him to stop and let them pass with no deeper a frown than usual.
Kirk led Spock from the recreation room to his quarters.
"Captain-" Spock began when the door closed behind them.
"It's Jim," he insisted, as he removed the vest and peeled off his white shirt.
"Jim," Spock began again, his voice a little softer, "Are you unharmed?"
His torso appeared uninjured, but there were many ailments that would not make themselves so readily apparent.
Jim nodded as he tossed his costume aside and then turned toward Spock. Their eyes met and Jim took a few steps closer until there was only a foot between them.
"How are you?" Jim asked intently. His eyes never left Spock's own.
Spock quirked an eyebrow at him. "I am undamaged."
"What happened back there?" Jim pressed him, a cool hand on Spock's shoulder. Spock could almost feel Jim's concern seeping out of his hand, through his shirt.
"It appeared that you were in danger and so I acted accordingly," Spock reported as though he had done nothing out of the ordinary.
Jim let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you come with me into a haunted house. Bones was right, I frighten both of you more than enough without seeking it out."
"It is a highly illogical human behavior," Spock agreed.
Jim gave him a mischievous grin. "Not completely illogical." Their eyes met again and Jim's hand slowly wandered down Spock's arm as though to illustrate his meaning.
"I do not see any reason in purposefully putting oneself in danger," Spock said, his voice just barely sharper than usual.
Jim's smile softened. "With you by my side, Mr. Spock, I was hardly in any danger at all."
Note: I hope everyone had a great Halloween!