"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic."
– Frank Herbert
Logic runs at the core of things. That is what I thought or was taught at any rate, and so did Spock. But it turns out that Mother Nature – here there is a pause in the entry, paired with a mild sound of disapproval off to one side – always has a surprise up the sleeve. We discovered another race, one that works off neither logic nor emotion but a mingling of both, that results in brilliantly channelled but potentially violent abilities with a biological cause. Similar to the telekinetics. Status: Allies. We have one of them stationed aboard as a science officer, as she seems to have the ability to 'read' electrical signals and people's life signs. Kirk, out.
The white tendrils and filaments of light from the teleporter faded out, and the blue-shirted hybrid, blue-shirted human and yellow-shirted human exchanged a brief glance – ensuring the other was there and confirming it with a wordless nod. All was as it should be then, all life signs registering of the small party. Not that they had worried at all about the technology malfunctioning, it was Scotty's and Spock Prime's additions that had refined it further. They stepped off the raised platform and onto the ground, before Bones made his first and characteristically blunt assessment of the surroundings after shouldering his medical pack.
"Christ, it looks like a warzone."
Bodies, freshly-dead from the consistency of the wounds, littered both the edges of the platform and the area further afield from it. There was no pattern to where they had fallen, and different banners and standards mingled together. Spock's observance came after a lingering pause.
"If this is where the message originally came from, then we would be better off scanning the surrounding area for higher ground and buildings. To send a message in the middle of a fight of the intensity that is here would have been exceptionally difficult, if not impossible."
Chekov's words of affirmation through the com finally came through.
"There's a few life signs if you go North by about eight clicks. A few are fading out, like there's a glitch or some sort of barrier…"
"…or they're dieing." Bone's gravelly and accented words cut across the Scot's observation, but no attempt at protesting that assessment was made. True enough.
"We should find out what happened, Captain. One of those life signals may be the individual that sent the message of distress." Spock's conclusion was, as ever, the one that made the most sense.
Over the battlefield did they pick their way. Most of the bodies on the ground looked human, save for perhaps a subtle point to some ears and unique scarification patterns on the faces of others. The wounds seemed conventional enough at first, although some seemed to have fallen while clutching at their hearts or throats, their hands still frozen into claw-like shapes like they had perished on the spot within an instant. That was when, still a good few feet in front of them, something moved. Kirk spotted it first, moving a hand to rest on his phaser and tensing up. The movement ahead stopped, frozen on the spot, but as it was the only humanoid-shaped thing within the area that was upright aside from them, it had little chance in hiding successfully.
Spock looked ahead, before gesturing subtly for the Captain to move forwards as he did. Slowly and steadily, did they begin to close the gap.
"Any other signs of life in the immediate area?" was Kirks' discreet murmur up to the ship.
"No sir, just that one nearest to you. The rest are still some clicks avay." Bones spoke up next.
"This is the first planet we've come across in this cluster, correct?"
"Affirmative, McCoy." Spock's crisp tone came from his right.
"So how do we expect to communicate with them, if we don't know anything about them?"
"Well gentlemen, that's what we're here for. To explore places that haven't been seen before, and to make new alliances with new people. There's bound to be language barriers…" There was a pause before Kirk finished off his own sentence.
"…and surely Uhura can find some common features out of the languages we do know." No doubt that the xenolinguist was keenly listening in, attentive and curious like most of the crew tended to be when they arrived on a new planet. This was the first in quite some time, although it would not have been on their list had the transmission not came through.
The figure warily moved forwards for a moment, then seemed to stumble… then another figure, this time one that had been on the ground, jerked upwards. A flash of wood, what looked like a spear, jabbed upwards and even as the trio began to run forwards, did it impact into the shoulder of the one standing. The screech was high, but seemed to have a quality to it that almost too animal for a human (or most humanoids) to realistically make. Bones was already – automatically – moving into a run forwards towards the commotion. A trained response, Spock observed, and one that came without prior thought to the nature of the injured individual. Kirk on the other hand, had drawn his phaser and closed the distance between them fast, a series of actions which Spock mirrored. The speared individual which was confirmed female as he closed the distance, then made a sharp wrenching gesture towards the other. But while her hand didn't reach the one holding the rudimentary spear up, the figure below began to convulse, jerking and spasming as blood began to fleck from his lips. Her eyes were wide, determined – none of them yet noted the black sclera. Finally the figure still, just as Bones closed the distance and made to move for the spear. She moved, swiftly, although of course impeded by the foreign object. Raising a hand warily despite the fact that she was unarmed, her eyes flitted between the three warily. Half-looking ready to run, but Bones took a step back then. He knew what was coming from her steps, her movements, her breathing.
"We aren't here to hurt…." She collapsed before the Captain had gotten the words out of his mouth.
"…you." He finished the sentence rather lamely, and watched as the First Doctor knelt beside her.
"Well her pulse is more regular than I'd expect and shock hasn't set in yet. Bring her up to the Enterprise. I can quarantine and assess her better there than in the middle of this damn mess."
"Affirmative idea, Doctor."
"Chekov, beam us up."