Sorry for the wait- started university. And got a computer… that works… anyway, onward…

I am honestly considering that if this were an episode of Star Trek at the time, it would have been one of the ones that no one liked. Am I being hard on myself?

Act Three

Scott hurried to Engineering, worried about the Enterprise. Of course she was in danger- he knew these things. No one knew the Enterprise better than he did- not even the captain. He could not allow...

Scott glanced around nervously. For a moment, he thought that his eyes had deceived him, but after a moment, he was sure. The Enterprise had changed. Ever so slightly, ever so subtly, but it was there. He stopped and looked at the door to the room beside him. He could see, never mind trying the door, that it wouldn't open, and several light fixtures were missing, despite the corridor being perfectly lit. The color of the walls was slightly lighter in color than usual. It was as if the whole illusion was being planted in his mind and only what needed to exist did. After a moment of analysing the changes around him, he thought of the entities that Spock was talking about. This was their doing.

"You cannot take me!" he said, sure they could hear, thoughts of the Enterprise looming in the back of his mind. "I dunno what kind of...magic is at work here. But it won't work."

He fell to the floor, as if something invisible had just hit him. It was invisible- but undoubtedly physical. Maybe it wasn't magic, he didn't really believe in it anyway, but something else. Some kind of science...

Something hit him again- it winded him and he tried, with no success, to breath. The thing- whatever it was- grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. He had dropped to his chest and he felt things poke at his mind. There was a mission- an important, glorious mission. He was important to them- he had to help...

"No!" he said. The thing dropped him, if that was a word that could be used to describe it. "I serve the Enterprise, her captain- the real one- and the Federation."

He felt an excruciating pain that began in his brain shoot through him. The ship was a vessel, just the beginning. If it completed its mission, no harm would come to her. No harm. All he had to do... was believe. It was right, it was right. Yes... it was right...

Something else in his mind kicked in- the real Scott, not the one being bombarded with delusions and ideas that belonged to some other mind. A greater mind- he would give it that much credit. The Enterprise already had a mission. It could not divert from its... mission...

No! It was right, it was right... the pain shot through him again and he curled up in the fetal position, writhing in pain that went to every single cell in his body. He would have to get up, or he would die. He felt like he was dying already.

It was right... it was right... the words repeated in his mind over and over, as his mind tried to convince him of it. Then, he passed out.


Spock completed his meditation. It was the only thing that he could think of that would protect him from the entities. He had to keep his mind alert, apart, his own. He had to arm himself with the ability to fight back his vulnerabilities. These creatures were intelligent- he was sure that they knew how to use weaknesses to alter a person. He thought of Yeoman Rand as he thought of this. He wondered what they had used against her... It could be any number of things, he wasn't sure that he knew Yeoman Rand well enough to guess. But he knew Jim...

It was certain that as well as the Yeoman's tactical advantage in terms of the actual mission, she had other advantages as well. He remembered when the crew had been infected with poly-water intoxication. Jim had told him about his attraction Yeoman Rand. Spock thought it almost certain that they had used that. If they could get inside of a mind, they could know anything about a man.

He stood and began toward the bridge. It was time for him to be on-duty. Although he was certain that the entities already knew about his guesses at what they were doing, he still, for some reason, wanted to act as though nothing had happened. Perhaps as long as they thought that he would do nothing about the issue, they might take their time.

As he walked, he considered what Yeoman Rand had said when she had come out of her mind controlled stupor in sick bay. Something about... the Enterprise... that was simple. But, when she had said it, she had seemed frantic, like she did not have enough time. But what had forced her out of their control, even if only for a moment?

He stepped onto the bridge. Captain Kirk looked back at him. Spock made sure to look at him with the same passive eyes as usual. "You're late, Mr. Spock," he said. Spock raised his eyebrows.

"Forgive me, Captain. I found myself immersed in an interesting topic that I was studying."

A small smile flickered across his lips. Spock was, though not admittedly, nervous. This entity was able to mimic Jim much better than it had been able to mimic Yeoman Rand, who was currently not present on the bridge. It had his smile, whereas the entity controlling Rand was a completely different person. Perhaps they were improving. "You are forgiven, of course. I hope that it was not a topic so interesting that you will neglect your duties while thinking about it."

"Of course not," he answered. Duty... he thought. He sat at his place at the science desk, relieving the young Lieutenant who sat there. The young man left the bridge promptly, now off duty. Uhura glanced his way nervously. He did not dare respond in any manner, but he needed some kind of communication with Dr. McCoy and Mr. Scott. Once her relief came, Lieutenant Uhura would be off-duty. He looked over his sensors. There was nothing to see. To everyone on the ship, everything must seem normal, he thought. It was as if nothing was happening.

Kirk pressed the communicator button on the arm of the chair. "," he said. Spock waited for the response. It didn't come for a moment, but then 's voice came through clearly.

"Scott here, Captain."

"Increase the speed to Warp factor 8," he said.

"Aye, Captain," the Engineer responded. Spock listened, and waited, turning his chair around so that he could face the Captain.

"Captain?"

"Yes, Spock." Kirk turned to him, his face amiable as usual when all was well with the ship.

"May I ask why the ship's speed is to be increased? I understand that we are on schedule."

Kirk smiled. "I am anxious to go home, Mr. Spock."

"As you wish, Captain," he said, and turned back. He watched his sensors. A bad feeling came over him as he saw that the ship had sped up. Mr. Scott had either not heeded his request- or he was under the influence of the entities. Neither was any more acceptable than the other. He returned after a second to Kirk. "However, may I point out the enormous cost of the ship's dilithium crystal cell. Might I remind you of your duty to this ship- and to the Federation, to keep all of the ship's resources preserved for as long as possible."

Something flashed through Kirk's eyes. There was urgency there, as if his words had suddenly surfaced something that had been repressed. In fact, he was certain that it was what it was. Kirk, for a mere second of time, had seized his own mind. Then, it faded.

"I assure you, Mr. Spock, that the Federation will benefit from our early arrival."

Spock looked at him sceptically. "Very well, Captain."

Everyone else on the bridge glanced his way, as if they suddenly understood that something was wrong. Spock did a quick calculation. At Warp 8 they were reach Earth in two days. However, he was beginning to understand. He was certain that he had time. Returning to his duties, he waited.


Uhura was nervous. She had gone to see Dr. McCoy, as Mr. Spock had requested of her just at the end of her shift, after Captain Kirk had gone from the bridge to attend to something. It seemed as though Nurse Chapel was well enough now. Nothing strange had happened in sick bay. Because she had gone to see him, however, she was late to meet Janice in the Rec Room. She wasn't completely sure why, but she was nervous about suspicion. However, when she got there, she found that Janice hadn't arrived yet. She calmed a little.

She was playing a game of cards when Janice did arrive. Her friend sat down across from her. "Do you want to deal a game?" she asked.

"Sure," Uhura answered. Janice was beginning to seem more like herself. She began to deal the cards for an alien card game that had recently been adapted to fit the standard 52 card deck. "How are you feeling, Janice?"

"I'm alright! In fact, I feel like nothing happened. Dr. McCoy is an excellent doctor."

"Agreed," she replied. She set the remainder of the cards in a pile between them. "It's your turn. Of course, everyone on the Enterprise was selected because he or she was the best at something."

Janice smiled and played a card. "That is true. It makes the mission all the more easy."

"Hm..." grunted Uhura as she played. "I suppose that it does... It could be why we've lived through everything we have... Janice, can we talk about something else?"

"Yes! Of course!" Janice played a card. "What are you planning on doing when we get back to Earth?"

Uhura looked at her cards for a long moment. "I'm visiting my family. What are you doing?"Janice shrugged and smiled a little suggestively. Uhura looked at her for a moment. "Have you found someone?" she asked, surprised and more than a little worried. She played a card.

"Maybe," Janice answered. "I guess we'll see."

"Who?" she asked and Janice smiled deceptively, and said nothing, playing her card. Uhura shrugged and smiled a little. "Alright, be that way."

The communicator on the wall whistled. Uhura went and pressed the button, being the highest ranking officer in the room. "Uhura here," she said.

"Lieutenant," she heard Scott's voice. "Would ye meet me in Engineering?"

"Yes. I'll be there in a moment, Mr. Scott."

She turned off the communicator and went back to the table. " wants to speak with me," she said. "Sorry, Janice."

Janice smiled. "Bye, Nyota."

She turned and left, leaving Janice Rand to pick up the cards on the table. Ensign Sndrews sat in the corner. A moment before, he had been reading, but looked up as Lieutenant Uhura left the Rec Room. He noticed Yeoman Rand's suspicious eyes following Uhura out of the room. That's interesting... he thought. I wonder what's come over her.

After the cards were cleaned up, Yeoman Rand stood to leave. Andrews looked up from his book again, and watched her leave. The Rec Room was empty now, apart from himself, so he put down his book and left, deciding to follow the woman.

He followed cautiously at a distance. She didn't go far, and he soon found her on Deck Five in the company of the Captain. Still uncertain, he stayed behind a corner, and listened. A strange feeling of dizziness came over him, as if he was suddenly being pulled out of one world and thrust into another in the matter of a moment. It passed then, and he held his breath, suddenly feeling very afraid that they would hear him breathing.

"Did you find anything?" the captain asked.

"No. But I think that she knows something."

Knows what? He wondered.

"What makes you think that?"

"She is acting very suspiciously."

"Hmm." There was silence for a short moment. "Do you believe that she is a threat?"

Silence again. Yeoman Rand was considering something. Are they talking about Lieutenant Uhura? He thought. "No. Not on her own. However, the Vulcan and the Doctor..."

"Yes, yes... they are suspecting. No, more than that. They are theorizing, and trying to think of a way to get rid of us." The voice was succinct and, though it sounded like the captain's voice, there was something unlike him in it. It was certainly not the same Captain he had spoken to that morning- nor was the Yeoman the same. It was as though they had become different people. "But they won't."

"Yes," her voice sounded content now. "They won't. Even if they know, even if they can throw out all the others, they won't get rid of us..."

"I believe that Spock is beginning to guess... but he will be... neutralised..." Andrews could hear distinct reluctant in the captain's voice. For a moment, he thought that maybe whatever it was that had made the captain act so strangely was gone, but he went on, "before he can damage our plans with the Federation."

"And then we can be together?"

There was a short silence, and then he heard the captain's voice one last time before beginning to struggle to get away- his legs were numb and his body paralysed. "Yes. Nothing can stop us... the Federation, the Empire..."

"It will be glorious," said the woman, though her mind wasn't with her words. She sighed.

"They are such a stupid species... wanting to throw us out..."

"Hmm..."

Andrews managed to move a little, and began toward the end of the hallway, where the turbolift was. He got to his successfully, but found when he got there that it wouldn't open. In fact, it was as though it was fake. He examined it. It was fake. He stood completely still. He needed to get to Spock, but there didn't seem to be a way to get there. I must be on a different ship entirely... he thought.

"Ensign Andrews?"

Andrews was paralysed. He closed his eyes, and though he hadn't really believed in a deity of any kind since he was a child, he prayed. Slowly, he turned and saw the Captain standing there, Yeoman Rand just a few paces behind. "Oh- Captain- I was just heading down to Engineering."

"That's the other way, Ensign," he said calmly. Fear came over him at the sound of that voice. For all he had heard, he had the feeling that the calmness of Kirk's voice could mean only one thing- he was about to die.


Uhura made her way down to Engineering, and found Scott there, in a sweat, and looking very worried. "Mr. Scott, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Uhura! I tried to stop 'em... but they managed to get inside my mind. They got insides, and I can't get them out. They tell me that it's right... but I know it isn't."

She put an arm around him. "Mr. Scott. We should go to Sick Bay."

"Yes... that would be best."

They left Engineering swiftly, using the excuse that Mr. Scott wasn't feeling well- which was believable. He was weak and shivering as his body and mind struggled against whatever it was inside of him. Uhura almost had to carry him to Sick Bay. Once they arrived, she fancied that she was as relieved as he was.

"Doctor," she said, as she helped Scott lie down. "Mr. Scott is ill- I believe..."

Her voice lowered. "The entities... Doctor."

The Doctor thanked her and took the Engineer's reading. "It's a good thing that he called you, Lieutenant, he is showing all of the symptoms." There was a pause as he looked at his tricorder. "Except for one thing... he's fighting it better than Yeoman Rand did..."

"What do you think it is?" she asked. The Doctor shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe it's all in the head."

Scott looked over at them. "I think yer right, Doctor," he said. "It sure hurts my head."

"Scott- did you have the feeling that there was something else in your mind?" the Doctor asked. Scott shook his head.

"Not exactly, Doctor. It was more as though it was... well, planting thought in my head. Making promises to make me believe them. They were trying to make me believe that their mission was right."

The Doctor considered for a second. "What's their mission?" he asked, curiously.

"They're tryin' to take over the Federation!" Scott exclaimed ."It's why..." He fell back against the bed in pain, as though someone had prodded him with an electric stick to make him stop talking. Uhura went to his side and tried to calm him, but he wasn't aware of her presence. All of his vital signs went up. McCoy left the tricorder on the end of the bed and hurried to the other side of the room, quickly returning with vial of sedative.

"Hold him down!" he instructed. Uhura nodded and obliged, managing to hold him for only the moment it took for the Doctor to inject the sedative. Scott calmed and she stepped away. The Doctor looked at her. "Do you know how much longer Spock will be on duty?" he asked.

Uhura shook her head. "He first got to the bridge about six hours ago."

"What about the captain?"
"He was off duty at the same time that I was," she answered. McCoy nodded.
"Stay with Mr. Scott. I'll be back."
She nodded and he left. Uncertainly, she sat on one of the beds and waited. She didn't know why, but she was more afraid than she had ever been in her life, despite being in worse immediate situations. She thought about the Federation. It wasn't that old when she thought about it; the Federation had only been around for about for little more than a hundred years, but she couldn't imagine Earth without it. It was important.

Silently and fearfully, she waited.


McCoy came onto the bridge. Spock looked back and McCoy was sure that he saw some relief in the Vulcans eyes. He didn't say anything. "What is it, Doctor?"

McCoy lowered his voice. "Mr. Scott is in Sickbay. He's given us some insight as to what we're against."

Spock nodded. "Good. Monitor him. I will come to Sick Bay when I am relieved."

McCoy nodded, but then the communicator on the arm of the chair went off. Spock pressed the button. "Spock here."

"Mr. Spock!" cried the half-hysterical voice of a young woman. "I've just found Ensign Andrews on Deck Five! I think he's dead!"

"One moment. Stay where you are. The Doctor and I are on our way." He turned off the communicator and turned to McCoy. "Doctor?"

"I'm coming."

They turned to leave. "Mr. Sulu," he said. "You have the conn."

Sulu nodded. "Sir?" the young woman who was manning the communications station stopped them.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Shall I inform the Captain?"

"No thank you, Lieutenant. I will."

"Very well, sir," the woman replied, but she seemed uncertain. McCoy glanced her way. He didn't like this girl much. She was too strict with the rules- which wasn't bad, he supposed- but she was somewhat too strict. Although, he thought, I might just be annoyed for no reason. She isn't aware...

Spock and McCoy stepped onto the turbolift. McCoy's mind raced, despite being sure that he knew what was going on to a certain degree. He didn't like being on the bridge- it was making him nervous. Even Spock seemed a little nervous. Once the doors closed, McCoy relaxed a little, but Spock remained perfectly vigilant. "What do you think happened, Spock?" McCoy asked.

"Ensign Andrews must have come across something. Perhaps he discovered what the entities want."

"Mr. Scott came to in sickbay. He said that they're going to overthrow the Federation."

Spock glanced at him, something crossing his expression that McCoy completely agreed with. He looked completely horrified. It made him uncomfortable to see Spock uncertain like that. He tried to remind himself that it was all in his head- it had all been in his head. He hoped that it would calm him down. It didn't.

"Doctor. We must destroy the entities before we reach Earth. The Captain ordered a speed increase earlier today."

"But, we don't know how we can do that. The entities seem to be able to move freely and possibly the only thing that can get them out is to kill the body."

Spock was silent for a long moment. "Perhaps it is a matter of the person taking back their own mind."

McCoy considered, crossing his arms. "Scott did say that their power was in suggestion."

Spock nodded. "It seems as though they change the victim's thoughts- perhaps... they merge to become an entity. The human and the alien in the same mind. It would be more powerful but not completely dissimilar to a Vulcan mind-meld."

McCoy nodded, but at the moment something else was on his mind. Ensign Andrews had been killed on Deck Five. That was where Yeoman Rand had been found earlier that day. The turbolift was going to stop. Before it did, he asked a question:

"Do you think that Jim killed him?"

Spock was silent for a long moment and didn't speak again until the turbolift doors opened. "I fear that it may be so."

They found the young woman who had called him standing away from the body, her arms crossed, and her face pasted with a saddened expression, terrified expression. McCoy went to the dead Ensign and checked his pulse. He looked up. "He's dead." Spock nodded.

"Can you determine how?"

"Phaser set to kill. He must have been under their cloak, or whatever it is."

Spock nodded, and addressed the young woman who still stood there, listening uncomfortably to them. McCoy stood, holding his tricorder. "Yeoman, are you alright?" The young woman looked at the Ensign for a moment, and then looked away.

"I'll be alright."

"Are you sure? How are you feeling?"McCoy asked, considering whether or not she had been affected in some way.

"I feel alright, just... shaken."

"No feelings of pain, dizziness, shortness of breath?"

She shook her head. Spock spoke up again. "Are you prepared to make you report, Yeoman?"

The young woman was silent for a moment, and then she nodded. "Good. Doctor, call security."

McCoy did. After the head of security had promised to be there as soon as possible, he looked to Spock. "Will you inform the "captain"?"

"Of course." The turbolift doors opened and Spock stepped inside, the young Yeoman just behind him.

The doors closed, and McCoy went to the body to analyse any data that he may have missed. Dizziness came over him, he became light headed. The world around him changed slightly, but he didn't notice. He didn't even notice that the corpse that used to be Ensign Andrews was now gone- back on the real Enterprise. Janice Rand stood before him now, phaser in hand.

He glanced at the phaser. "I suppose its set to kill."

Nothing in her expression even wavered in the slightest from her intention. She looked him straight in the eyes, and he saw very little there. It was hard to believe, in a way, because Yeoman Rand had always been caring and full of emotion. Now, there was little more than her goal. It wasn't something that she was doing to be in any particular way malicious; it was simply something that had to be done. Just as a herd of animals might cast off the weaker in order to remain strong. But there was intent- a reason why. "It is necessary to the mission," she replied simply. "Necessary to the mission, and to me."

"This is not necessary, Janice! It's not your mission- it's the mission of an alien thing that wants to dominate everything you know! Everything you've known to be important!"

Yeoman looked at the phaser for a moment, her hands shaking a little, as if she was reconsidering her actions. "No," she said. "It's not important anymore. These aren't the thoughts of an alien in the body Janice Rand. No. I am Janice Rand." She stopped shaking, the phaser still pointed directly at him. "I need this." Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.

McCoy looked at her curiously, and considered for the short moment he was sure might be his last. "It's not about the mission for you. You don't care about taking control of the Federation. Janice- you have to come to your senses! You know your duty- your place- you have to acknowledge that you can't be with him!"

She looked up and smiled. "But I can! The rules of the Federation don't apply anymore- we can be happy now!"

"You're losing yourself, Yeoman!"

She shook her head. "I do regret this, Doctor."


"I will return in a moment, Yeoman," Spock said to the young woman. "I must check in with the Doctor."

The young woman nodded. "Yes, sir," she said formally and continued the report. Spock stepped outside and pressed the communicator. "Spock to McCoy."

There was nothing. He waited for a moment and tried again. "Spock to McCoy."

Still nothing. Concern came over him. "Spock to the head of security."

"Lieutenant Rhodes here, Mr. Spock."

"Lieutenant, are you with the doctor?"

"No, sir. We found the body of Andrews on Deck Five. No doctor."

"Lieutenant, I would normal request that you search for the doctor. However, due to certain circumstances, I request that you continue your duties as though the doctor was there. Understood?"

"Of course, Commander."

"Send a security officer to Briefing Room 2."

"Of course."

"Spock out."

Spock stood motionless for a long moment, considering his position. He was feeling concerned, afraid, and he had not been thinking to his full analytical potential for several hours. It was as though his mind was creating fear so real that it stopped him from being capable of thinking completely logically. A security officer arrived a few minutes later.

"Remain with Yeoman Stern. I will be back in a moment."

"Yes sir."

Spock left the young security officer and walked evenly to the turbolift, trying to calm himself. As the elevator moved, he took several long breaths, trying to relax. Suddenly, the elevator stopped on an unassigned floor and Jim Kirk stepped onto the lift.

"Captain," he said calmly. "I was coming to inform you that Ensign Andrews has been killed. We are uncertain as to how it happened. However..."

He stopped speaking as Kirk smiled, crossing his arms. "I know where you were going, Spock. I would like you to know that I already knew about Ensign Andrew's... unfortunate death."

"I see, Captain. What is your assessment of the situation?"

"I believe that the Ensign's death was unfortunate. However, it was necessary."

"Captain, I honestly cannot believe that you are capable of such a thought! You have never allowed a death on the Enterprise to be something necessary. Do you not have a promise to protect this ship in its crew. It's your duty as captain! You know that death in this manner is never necessary."

Something had come over him as Spock spoke, his voice growing with each word. "You're right... Spock... I don't know what's come over... me."

"Jim!"Spock was relieved, but he knew that he only had a moment before the thing in his mind reminded him of their mission. "There are entities on board the Enterprise that have taken hold of your mind."

Jim looked a little confused, but then he realised what Spock was talking about. "I remember... they're so strong... that... even though it's in your head it becomes...real." He looked down at him arms. Bruises that had faded just as quickly as they had come earlier in the day were now reappeared. Fainter- but there. The turbolift opened and they stepped off of it.

"They are not physical?"

"I'm don't think so…" He looked at his arms still. "They aren't real." He looked up suddenly. "Tell me they're not, Spock. You're rational."

"Jim," he said calmly. "They are not real. And you must not believe anything they put into your mind. It is all in your mind."

"Yes, of course… all… in my mind…"

His words stopped short and he became very tense. Spock grabbed his shoulders quickly as he doubled over in pain. "Jim! You must not believe them!"

The Captain came back up and hit Spock under the chin, surprising him. Spock fell back a little, in pain. "Spock. I'm sorry. But you have to be neutralised."

"Jim! No!"

Spock looked up, surprised at the suddenly hearing the distinct female voice of Yeoman Rand. Kirk stopped short, his arms falling to his side, the phaser pointed away from Spock. The Yeoman stood there. Kirk stared at her, confused. "What is it, Janice?"

"We need him," she said.

"What?"

"We need his cooperation in the mission."

"But Janice, you know…"

"He will cooperate. But, we cannot do it without him. He holds a high position in Starfleet- and his father is the Ambassador to Earth from Vulcan."

Kirk nodded slowly. "That is true. He turn to Spock."

He turned back to Spock and held up the phaser again. "You are now to be confined to quarters, Mr. Spock. Understood?"

Spock decided not to fight, curious about this sudden turn of events. "Understood," he answered, and began to where he was supposed to go.