Captain Kirk sat on the bridge staring out into the miles and miles of space. Around him computers moaned, lights flashed, buttons clicked. His crew had gone through the day doing their work and not saying a sound. Indeed, it was a quiet day on the Starship USS Enterprise. But Kirk didn't mind. He liked days like these where he could just sit back and relax.
He could hear some commotion behind him. By the sound of it, two men were having an argument. "Bones and Spock" he smiled to himself. The elevator opened behind him and out stepped his two companions.
"Hey, Jim" smiled Dr. "Bones" McCoy, "Are you hungry? The special tonight is meatloaf!"
"Dr. McCoy," interjected Spock, "I fail to see your enthusiasm for a baked loaf of ground meat of which its origin you do not know. To add to all that, a gravy that does not even compliment the meal. Not also to mention an absence of proper vegetables."
"Oh, go ahead!" laughed the good doctor, "Just go ahead and scoff just because I know how to appreciate the good life!"
"The good life, or a stomach ache? Really, Doctor, I would atleast expect that a man of your medical knowledge and position would know the rules to a proper diet."
McCoy only frowned. "I don't have to take this form you. You ready Jim?"
Kirk smiled, amused by the conversation. "I'll be right there, Bones."
"Okay" he smiled, "But hurry, a meal like this I don't think will last long!" With that, he skipped into the elevator and off to the galley.
"Of that I have no doubt" Kirk joked to his first officer. "Mr. Spock, since I see in you no desire to enjoy this wonderful meal with Dr. McCoy and myself, I'm leaving you in command."
"Very well, Captain."
Kirk got up and stretched, "I believe you shall find this job rather boring. It's been a pretty quiet day. So, uh, feel free to cause some commotion."
"I do not cause commotion, Captain" the Vulcan replied.
"Quite right" smiled the captain, "I forgot. Don't feel too bad: we'll make you human yet."
"Of that, I highly doubt."
Kirk smiled as he left for the galley.
"Isn't this just wonderful, Jim?" laughed Dr. McCoy as piping hot plates of meatloaf smothered in gravy were set before him and the captain.
"Yes" Kirk poked at his food with his fork, "wonderful."
"Well," the doctor smiled placing a large piece into his mouth, "dig in!"
Captain Kirk put a small piece into his own then quickly washed it down with his drink.
"Amazing stuff, isn't it?"
"Oh yes" smiled the other, "Amazing..."
Their meal was suddenly cut short by an abrupt stop of the ship. Kirk leaned over to the intercom. "Kirk to Bridge" he said.
"Spock here, Captain" replied a voice.
"What's going on up there Mr. Spock? I thought Vulcans didn't cause commotions."
"I can asure you, sir, they do not and that commotion was not of my doing."
Kirk and Bones smiled. "Well, answer my question, Mr. Spock: What happening up there?"
"That," Spock replied, looking at one of the computers lining the bridge wall, "I don't know, but we are attempting to figure out."
"You do that" directed the captain, "I'll be right up there."
"I'm coming with you, Jim" McCoy declared as Kirk got up from his seat.
"But I thought you wouldn't want to pass up such an opportunity with this delicious meatloaf that you were so anxious about only minutes ago."
"Well," the doctor's voice became a low whisper, "just between you and me, it's not quite as good as is it usually is today."
Kirk gave the smile of "You just don't like it and not want to admit you're wrong."
McCoy noted the expression on the younger man's face. "Damn it Jim!" he frowned, "Isn't a man entitled to change his own mind once in a while?"
Kirk laughed as he and McCoy went to the bridge.
"Mr. Scott's been trying to reach you, Captain" said Spock as Captain Kirk entered the bridge. The entire area had exploded into chaos. Crew members were running to a fro checking machines and charts to diagnose the problem.
"Thank-you, Mr. Spock." He switched on the intercom, "What's happening down there, Scotty?"
"I don't know, Capt'n" a voice with a strong Scottish accent replied, "The engines just stopped runnin'. We've checked an' nothin's wrong with 'em."
"Can you get them started again?"
"It'll take some time, Capt'n" Scotty replied, "They're cold now,"
"Work on it, Scotty!"
"Aye, Capt'n!" he turned to his helpers in the engine room. "Hop to it, lads!" he cried, "We gotta get these engines started ag'n!"
Captain Kirk looked ahead into the vast plain of stars. What had happened to his peaceful day? "Mr. Sulu," he said, "is there any way that we can steer the ship?"
"Apparently not, Captain" was the reply, "All power has been cut. Even our phasers have been drained of their energy."
"What's going on, Jim?" cried McCoy.
"I wish I knew" was the reply. "Issue Red Alert; battle stations. This may be a form of attack."
"It would be useless for us to fight, Captain" reasoned Spock, "As Mr. Sulu has pointed out, we have been drained of our weapons."
"We can always think of something, Mr. Spock" replied the Captain, "We are, after all, creatures of ingenuity."
Mr. Spock shook his head sadly, "Another human flaw: optimism."
"Yes, we know" joked Bones, "Very illogical."
Spock raised an eyebrow. "Dr.," he said, "I will not stand here and be ridiculed by your naïve human remarks."
Kirk smiled, "Okay you two. Can you postpone your conversation until we're out of this mess?"
"Yes," agreed the first officer, "I believe we can."
"Alright" pouted the Doctor.
"Captain," communications officer Uhura said, "we seem to be picking up some sort of message."
Captain Kirk looked out into the universe. "From where?" he asked, "I see no ship or planet. Where's the signal coming from?"
"There is not signal, Captain."
"What?"
"Greetings, strangers!" a voice came from behind the crew. All turned to the screen. A plump woman in red satin gowns was projected onto it. "My name is Madame Morrible and I am speaking on behalf of our lustrous leader The Wizard of Oz. I come to you with the hopes that you can help my dying planet. We are but a peaceful people who are being plagued with demons. We seek your help as a last resort for our Wizard fears, that we will die if this problem is not dealt with. Please, I implore you: help us!"
The screen suddenly returned to a star field.
"Try to track from where that message came from" ordered Kirk. He paced back and forth trying to make sense of the whole situation.
"Are you going to help her, Jim?" asked McCoy.
"That's what we're here for" was the reply. His thinking was interrupted as he was nearly thrown off balance by a thrust from the engines. He quickly ran to the intercom. "Scotty!" he praised, "You're a genius!"
"It wasn't me or any of me lads, Capt'n" the other replied, "Them engines just started on their own. They don't even need to warm up."
"Captain," Sulu said, "phaser banks have just returned to full power."
"Everything's returned to normal, Captain" reported Spock.
"Cancel Red Alert" ordered Kirk. He was relieved when the chaos had once again returned to order.
"It would appear that this Madame Morrible had something to do with what has just happened" Spock deduced.
"Maybe," pondered Kirk, "the question is why?"
"Captain!" Sulu yelled.
"Jim!" cried Bones.
Captain Kirk turned to the screen and was shocked and fearful at what laid before them.
"Where did it come form?" asked Uhura.
"Mr. Sulu?"
"I don't know, Captain" replied the navigator, "It wasn't there a moment ago. It just appeared out of the blue, out of nowhere."
"Try to steer us away form it."
"I've been trying, Captain, but it only pulls us in faster."
"Much like quicksand" commented Spock, "Fascinating."
"But black holes don't usually work that way" replied the doctor.
Kirk jumped to the intercom. "Scott!" he cried, "We need more power!"
"They're givin' all they've got, Capt'n" replied the Scottish engineer.
"Try harder, Scotty! We're being sucked into a black hole!"
"Thar's nothin' I can do. The engines are already almost at peek capacity an' I dare not push them any further."
"What do we do, Captain?" asked Spock.
"Fight it." He turned back to the crew. "Issue Red Alert."
"How do you fight something like this, Jim?" McCoy tried to reason.
"With the only things we can, our engine power and Mr. Sulu's skilled steering. Hopefully, we can avoid it. Uhura, anything on that message?"
"Nothing at all, sir."
"Keep working on it."
Everyone held on tight as the Enterprise fought with the great black hole.
"It's no use, Captain!" Sulu cried, sweat pouring from his brow, "It's too strong...It's pulling us in!"
"It's no use to do anything else, Captain" continued Spock, "We are already on the border of its mouth."
"So this is it, then?" asked the doctor, "Either the start of a new adventure or the end of our own."
"If this is the end," Spock replied, "I must say that I never cease to grow tired of your philosophical remarks."
Dr. McCoy shot a glance toward his Vulcan co-worker, "Oh, hush!"
"Here we go" Kirk announced softly as the ship entered the black hole.
It was a rough ride as the starship hurled through open space. All eyes watched as they sped past vast star fields. Suddenly, all became quiet again as the black hole opened and the ship stopped once again.
"Captain," Spock looked at his computer data, "There appears to be no trace of the back hole."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"That's impossible!" yelled Bones, "Black holes don't just come and go out of the blue."
"Apparently, this one did."
McCoy crossed his arms, "Crazy Vulcan."
"Captain," Uhura reported, "we're receiving another message."
"Is it like the one we received before?"
"Yes."
Kirk turned his eyes to the screen.
Once again Madame Morrible appeared, but her clothes were torn and tattered. They showed signs of burning. "Help us!" she cried out, "The demons have attacked again!" Her message was then cut short and static covered the screen.
"Captain, there appears to be a planet below us. Class M; very simular to Earth, I would say it is almost an exact duplicate."
"Thank-you, Mr. Spock" acknowledged Kirk, "That must be the source of our messages. Assemble a landing party; I'll take Spock, Bones and Uhura." He turned to the intercom, "Mr. Scott, meet us in the transporter room and bring someone from security with you."
"Aye, Capt'n"
"McCoy, bring along with you your full medical kit, you may need it down there if these demons are as bad as Madame Morrible makes them out to be."
"Right Jim!" nodded the doctor.
"Mr. Sulu, take the helm."
"Aye aye, Sir."
Kirk looked around, someone was missing and had been missing since he left for dinner. "Where's Mr. Chekov?"
"He went to his room to lay down for a while. Said something about a stomach ache. Mentioned it may have to do with what he ate for dinner—meatloaf, I believe."
Spock gave Dr. McCoy the glance of "See what I mean?"
Bones was aback. "Go ahead, rub it in!" he pouted, "You overgrown hobgoblin!"
"Oh," remembered Kirk, "and you can cancel Red Alert now."
When Captain Kirk entered the Transporter Room, he was met with Scotty and the security man Stephens. "Everyone is to keep phasers and communicators with them at all times" he ordered, "Also, no one is to wonder off on their own. We are to stick together until we understand who or what we are dealing with."
Everyone nodded as a sign of understanding.
"Okay, let's go then."
The six stepped into the transporter as the operator started it up. "Transporting" he declared.
A/N: So, should I continue? Or just abandon this whole crazy thing? Let me warn you that I do have plenty of time on my hands and the whole story outlined; just need to type it down. Ha! Please review!
