Someone asked if I could add in the part where Sulu and Chekov help Scotty with his spider problem. Currently I plan it to be in chapter 10, via flashback in Scotty's POV.
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Pranks 9: Pinta IV
It took a minute for Jim to get a grip on himself, but he finally succeeded. He turned to Uhura, who grinned lazily from the sedative. His first concern was the immediate safety of his crew. "Uhura, inform all decks that if they hear 'seven minutes', they must report to me and Dr. McCoy immediately."
"Yes, Captain," she said happily.
Jim listened as she carried out his orders. Her bright manner contrasted greatly with the horrific meaning of her message that she was apparently unaware of.
"Chekov. Find anything?" asked Jim.
"Yes, Captain. Pinta IV was an earth vessel that journeyed out here some fifty years ago. It was named after one of Christopher Columbus's ships. The people on board were to find and settle on a new planet. However, it is unknown what really happened to them, and all contact from them was lost." He wanted to tell the Captain about Scotty, but now did not seem to be a good moment.
"Chekov, I want you to to examine the piece of debris in the transporter room to determine if it could have come from Pinta IV," ordered Jim. "Be very careful. Some unknown force is at work here that has shown nothing but hate towards us."
"Yes, Captain," said Chekov. He left to carry out the order.
Jim glanced down at his First Officer, still in his lap. He wasn't sure what to do to protect him, or if further protection was even needed. Should he still keep him under, to fool that malevolent spirit? Or could he wake him up safely? The spirit did not seem to wish to hurt himself, for some reason. Would leaving Spock alone for a bit be dangerous? Was it only his presence keeping it at bay? There were simply too many questions. He did not feel good about taking further risks with Spock. "Captain to Sickbay. McCoy, any more deaths?"
"No, Captain. Everyone's formed into teams to watch everyone else. It's been more than seven minutes and no one has heard or seen anything."
"All right," said Jim, feeling a bit relieved. He remembered they were heading towards that planet at a great speed. Perhaps that was what it wanted? Or was it Spock's lack of reaction that stopped it? "McCoy, come to the bridge to examine Spock."
"I'll be right up. McCoy out."
Jim turned towards the helm. "Riley, I'm aware that our ship cannot sustain warp eight for long. Reduce speed to warp six."
"Yes, Captain. ETA ten minutes."
McCoy entered a few minutes later and examined Spock. "Well, as far as I can tell, he's still alive under the influence of that drug. Seems we fooled it or prevented that thing from killing him."
Jim sagged slightly in relief.
Chekov entered the bridge. "Captain, the piece of debris could very well have been from the Pinta IV, but there is no way to determine for sure."
"Very well. Let's hope that planet holds some answers for us. McCoy, would it endanger Spock to re-administer the drugs?"
"He'd be all right for a few more doses, but it would be dangerous to keep him under for more than an hour or two."
"Very well. I think that until we get some answers and know for sure what is going on, we should keep him under. It might be the only thing stopping that spirit from attacking."
"All right, but you'd better find some answers fast."
"I have every intention of doing so. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Captain, we have reached the planet," announced Sulu.
"Very well. Establish standard orbit, Mr. Sulu."
"Orbiting now, Captain."
"Now I need a landing party - "
"What?! You're sending people down there? Jim, have you lost your mind?!" demanded McCoy. "This is the home planet of that thing, there could be more of them!"
"How else am I going to find answers, Bones?" asked Jim. "I refuse to beam anything more aboard this ship after what happened last time. The only logical course of action would be to beam down."
"Logical course of action?" repeated McCoy. Jim was beginning to sound like Spock, and even his body language was beginning to reflect that of his First Officer.
"Yes. It is better that a few are put at risk, rather than the whole ship. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, doctor."
"Jim, what's gotten into you?" demanded McCoy.
"I fail to see the problem, doctor." His expression changed back to normal. "Now, I've decided that myself, along with Mr. Spock equipped with one of your gadgets that will make him walk, and Mr. Chekov will beam down to investigate."
"Jim, I'm not certain in your condition that would be wise. I think that mind meld from the other day has finally gotten to you - "
"Why? Am I acting differently?"
"You're acting and speaking like Spock!"
"Oh, I see. Well, he did tell me that he wasn't sure what the effects of giving me his soul would be."
"WHAT?! That green-blooded hobgoblin put his soul in your head?!"
"Yes, because I ordered him to. I decided it was the best way to fool that evil spirit that he was dead."
"Jim, I think you've gone space crazy! One doesn't just go around giving away and accepting other people's souls! It ain't natural! It ain't right! It goes against -"
"I did what needed to be done, end of story," said Jim a little shortly. "Now, Mr. Chekov, come with me. Dr. McCoy, outfit Spock with that gadget of yours."
"Why are you bringing him with you? He won't be much help in his current state," McCoy pointed out.
"There's too many unknowns right now. It could be that it won't attack him as long as he's with me. They don't seem to want to hurt me for some reason."
McCoy did not comment. Jim followed him to Sickbay, carrying Spock. Once the gadget was on his head, Jim took the controls and directed Spock to follow him. The trio went to the transporter room and Chekov, Jim and Spock beamed down to the planet.
Jim looked around him after they rematerialized. The planet was mostly barren. As he'd expected, debris did indeed dot the landscape, and the air was thick with presences like the one that had appeared to him. His hair stood on end. Getting a grip on himself, he turned towards his helmsman. "Mr. Chekov. Examine the debris. See if you can piece together what ship or ships it came from. Also, find the ship's log if you can. Maybe it will hold the answers we're looking for."
"Yes, Captain," answered Chekov, his voice slightly higher than normal. Apparently, he felt the malevolence as well.
Jim started walking around, making sure Spock stuck close to him. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he had to do something! He had to communicate with the things somehow. He tried the universal translator that he brought with him, but he got no response.
"One of them appeared to me and spoke earlier..." he mused. What had happened? It was threatening Spock. He had been extremely angry. Perhaps anger was the answer? Maybe that was all these beings understood. It certainly had only exhibited hate so far.
He thought about the crew members who had just died for no reason. He thought about the delay the things had caused in an important mission. He thought about how they had threatened Spock. "You DEMONS! Come out where I can see you!"
Dozens of spirits appeared, all their faces blank. "What are you? Where are you from?! What do you want?!"
"Pinta IV," whispered one of the nearest ones.
"Yes, we've covered that already! This all has something to do with that damn ship that disappeared decades ago! That still doesn't explain what you want!"
"Valiant," whispered one in another group.
"Extender III," whispered another.
"Metropolis," another said.
Several more beings whispered names of what Jim assumed were ships. He made a mental note of all of them. Some of them he recognized. "Does this mean that you are the spirits of the crew members?"
They all remained stubbornly silent, which only heightened Jim's rage. "ANSWER ME!"
"Senali killed us," one whispered finally.
"Senali? But that's the name of the race of alien ambassadors I'm about to transport!" Jim said, alarm fighting with his rage.
The malevolence of the spirits heightened to an extent that chilled Jim to the bone. "Kill. Kill Senali," they hissed.
"I can't do that," said Jim, his voice shaky. "They are Ambassadors seeking to make a peaceful alliance with us." Jim's rage lessened and his fear increased. The spirits disappeared, though their presence lingered. Jim turned to Spock. He sure wished that he could ask his friend what he thought.
"Uh, Captain? Permission to speak freely, sir?" asked Chekov. He had returned sometime during his conversation with the spirits.
"Yes, go ahead," said Jim.
"I think you should go to Sickbay."
"Why?"
"You were just having a heated conversation with thin air, sir. And you know Spock isn't in a state to respond."
"You didn't see them?"
"See what?"
"Those spirits. They were talking to me."
"I saw nothing, sir. Nothing but rubble and debris."
"Did you find any of the captain's logs?"
"A few, sir."
"Keep looking. There should be a total of seven of them."
Chekov gave him a confused look. "Yes, Captain." He left to renew his search. He'd prefer to get off this planet as soon as possible, so he did not want to waste time arguing, even if he thought his captain was mentally unstable.
Jim turned back to Spock. Those spirits did not seem interested in him at present, and he had a potentially major problem on his hands. He really needed Spock right now. The Ambassadors were important, and those spirits had certainly proved they were capable of killing. If anyone could think of a way to resolve the situation, it would be Spock. As much as he hated to admit it, he really did need to take the risk of returning his friend to normal. It was his duty.
"Kirk to Enterprise," said Jim into his communicator.
"Uhura here," said his communications officer cheerfully.
"Have Dr. McCoy beam down the antidote to what he drugged Spock with," ordered Jim.
"Right away, Captain!" she giggled.
Jim felt a bit irritated at her attitude, but knew it was only the drugs. It would wear off in a few hours. Within a few minutes, the antidote appeared and he administered it to Spock, keeping a tight hold on him and keeping alert for the demonic spirits. He released Spock from the gadget that was controlling him while he waited for his best friend to wake up.
He saw Spock blink a few times. "Spock, this is Jim. You're on that planet the debris came from. There were no more deaths after their attempt on you. The situation has become grave, and I need your help."
"Yes, Captain," he said, his voice a little weak. "What seems to be the problem?"
"As best as I can figure out, there are a bunch of disturbed spirits from various destroyed ships inhabiting this planet who claim they were killed by the Senali. They are quite determined to kill them in revenge. They have certainly proven they are capable of that, and if they manage to get aboard the ship, it would be disastrous."
"I understand, Captain."
"Well, Spock? Comment? How can we prevent them from boarding the ship?"
"It is difficult to hypothesize with my current data. However, it does seem that they must attach themselves to a physical object to travel, as the one spirit did with the debris. Whether they are limited to their ship's debris, or whether it can be any physical object, is uncertain."
"What is your opinion?"
"It is not in my nature to guess, Captain. But since you requested it, I would be inclined to believe they are limited to their own ship's debris. Earth legends about such spirits suggest this sort of thing."
"Do you think there's any chance we can put them to rest, so they will pass away as all other souls do?"
"Possibly, Captain, but again, any strategies we would be able to come up with would be based on the questionable legends of Earth. It would be risky."
"It's all we've got, Spock."
"Captain, I am feeling weak. I would like to take my katra back."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. It may be that my keeping of your katra is all that is preventing them from killing you. It was risky enough to wake you up as it is. They seem to be a very hostile and determined bunch."
"Captain, I cannot serve you efficiently in my current state. I am willing to take the risk."
"Well, I'm not, Spock. That's final. I'm not giving it back until we're reasonably certain the danger is past."
Jim helped Spock to his feet, and had him sling an arm over his shoulders for support. If it were any other man, Spock would have argued that he had a right to his own soul. However, this was Jim, his captain and his friend. If he were to trust his soul with anyone, it would be him, and was him.
Chekov approached them. "Good to see you up and about again, Mr. Spock," he said. There was something reassuring about having that Vulcan's keen intellect focused on their current problems.
"Did you find anything, Mr. Chekov?" asked Jim.
"Yes, Captain. I have found all seven ship's logs in a surprisingly short time. This rubble looks like it's been rearranged a bit, as unlikely as that sounds, of course. The chances of them all crash landing in this organized manner are astronomical! Here they all are."
"All right, Chekov, good work. Now let's all listen to them and see what we can glean from it."
Listening to the logs was quite grim and did not soothe their uneasy feelings about the planet. Jim wished he could beam them all back to the ship to listen to them, but he dared not beam anything more aboard after what happened last time. While each ship had a different purpose, they were all on peaceful missions when, as those ghosts said, they were attacked by Senali. The Senali did not simply blast them out of the sky; they taunted them before they died, and beamed aboard gases that caused extreme pain, anguish, and nightmarish hallucinations before they finally passed away.
Finally they were done listening to them all. The ensuing silence was eerie. "Well, Mr. Spock. Comment?"
"All of this evidence suggests that these spirits are indeed all that remains of the crew members. Earth legends suggest that when humans experience especially horrific deaths, their spirits tend to linger around their place of death, spreading the hate that was wrought upon them. I have seen nothing to indicate otherwise, in this case."
"How can we lay them to rest? Ideas?"
"It is possible that if we bury the remains of their ships, they would find some peace at last. There is, of course, no logic in this. However, considering that it is a human custom, it is to be expected."
"So you think that if we bury all this, they won't come after the ship?"
"It is possible, Captain, but I am unable to determine for sure at this time."
Jim looked around him at the extensive piles. "Well, that looks like quite a time consuming job. Any suggestions?"
"We could use the ship's phasers to create a large hole. Then we could use the tractor beam to drag everything into it. We also might be able to rig the tractor beam and transporter to move the required amount of dirt and rocks over the mass grave."
"Very well. Let's get back to the ship and get it started."
Unbeknownst to them, it was not just the three of them that beamed aboard the ship. The fourth presence did not want to make his presence known just yet. He wished to wait until the most amusing moment.
Jim had the piece of rubble in the transporter room beamed down and felt the hostile presence go with it. He stuck by Spock's side as he coordinated the burial operation. When it the only thing left was to put the dirt and rocks on top, he decided to go down to the surface for a funeral of sorts for the spirits. He took Spock, Chekov, and Bones with him. "Might as well be thorough," he said to them.
He made a speech, then decided he wanted to attempt to talk to the spirits for what hopefully would be last time. Before he could gather his rage, however, the girl he'd seen on the bridge appeared to him. She smiled for the first time. "I am Jane. It is done," she whispered, then disappeared again.
"Kirk to Enterprise. Finish the burial," he ordered. Within seconds, dirt covered the rubble completely. The sense of malevolence dissolved. They were now the only ones on the planet.
"Well, gentleman, it seems as if our work here is finished. Let's get back to the ship." They beamed back.
Spock nearly collapsed when they landed. Jim had Spock lean onto him again. "Let's get that katra back where it belongs," Jim said.
"Yes, Captain," said Spock. They went to Jim's quarters and they both sat down. Spock mind melded with Jim and took his katra back. They sat there for a minute in companionable silence afterwards, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Spock, what do you think of the Senali situation? They are obviously a cruel race, and yet they are supposed to be like Vulcans. Do you think we should alert Starfleet Command? I am uneasy about letting them aboard the ship when they could be dangerous."
"We have our orders, Captain," said Spock, as if that settled everything.
"Yes, well, after what we've just seen, I still don't like it," complained Jim nervously.
"The situation does not seem ideal to me either," admitted Spock. "All we can do at this point is take the necessary precautions."
"You're right. Captain to bridge. Leave orbit and change back to our original course. Warp four."
"Acknowledged, Captain," said Chekov.
Jim turned back to Spock. "I think you should go to Sickbay to have Dr. McCoy make sure you're all right."
"I assure you, Jim, I am perfectly fine."
"I insist. Let's go."
Spock dutifully followed Jim to Sickbay. He was beginning to see a pattern in Jim's behavior that Earth men tended to compare with a 'mother hen.' Jim seemed most unsettled by everything that had happened, especially to him in his near death experience. He hadn't left him alone since. Spock decided not to comment. He'd found that in Jim's case, patience did have its rewards.
A presence followed them to sickbay. He was waiting for the most amusing moment to reveal himself. Nothing good enough had presented itself to him yet. And Jimmy boy deserved the best! A plan formed in his mind. Yes, that would be delightful. Jimmy boy would go off the deep end! When the Senali came on the ship, he would be sure to come up with something good for them too. They might have killed his body, but nothing could kill his prankster spirit!
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I know, maybe I made it a bit too easy for them to solve their problem...but they are by no means out of the woods yet! They are going to have a heck of a time with that poltergeist. Now I'm off to start chapter ten!
