.o0o.

Captain's Log, Stardate 3197.2. Just a few hours ago, Eva Sagumpta committed suicide after confessing to the murder of Malcolm Brigley. All evidence points to a psychotic break and suggests that this will be an isolated incident. While both of these young people will be missed, I am relieved to report that we no longer need to fear a murderer in our midst. A memorial service will be provided for Sagumpta to commemorate her noble and courageous deeds before her psychotic break.

Dr. McCoy and Lieutenant Sulu have returned from the surface of Andar IX having successfully located the missing crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur, who appear to be alive. Unfortunately, they are being held unconscious under what appears to be a cross between an alien life form and a large tree, and they are guarded by the same creatures that removed them from the ship. We do not yet know how to defend ourselves against these creatures, nor the purpose for which the crew is being held. Worse, members of my own crew have gone missing since the return of McCoy and Sulu, and I must conclude that they've accidently brought one of the creatures back with them. If things progress here in the same manner as they did on the Excalibur, I suspect the entire crew will begin to behave irrationally within five hours, and we will all be transported to the planet's surface within three days. If such events come to pass, it is my belief that a second rescue attempt would be too dangerous to try. I dare not retreat without fear of taking these creatures with us.

Kirk turned off his log and rubbed his hands over his face. He took a deep breath to steel himself and then swung his chair around to look at the majority of the bridge crew. "Well, gentlemen and lady," he nodded at Uhura, "Suggestions?"

"Well, I've managed to reconfigure a tricorder to detect those buggers." Scotty volunteered. "We can give tricorders to as much of the crew as possible, then they can at least run away if they spot one. Don't think it's a permanent solution, but it might buy us some time."

Kirk nodded. "What about weapons?"

"I've been working on the phasers, but I didn't have anything to test them on."

"Well, now you do." Kirk prompted. "Get a team to reconfigure all of the tricorders we have and then hand them out, starting with the bridge. Then get to work on those phasers. I need them as soon as possible, Scotty."

"Aye, Captain. You can take this one to start with." The engineer handed off a tricorder and hurried from the room.

Kirk took it and immediately scanned the bridge. Sulu swiveled in his chair and offered, "Sir, even if we can get the phasers to have some effect, they don't work on the surface of the planet. Neither do the tricorders."

"We've gotta clear the ship first, then we can work on the people on the surface." Kirk responded, slapping the tricorder closed, immensely relieved that nothing had appeared on the bridge. It wouldn't do to go around kissing anyone else. He handed the tricorder off to Chekov who eagerly began looking over Scotty's reprogramming, heading over to the science station. "Where are all of them coming from anyway? Don't they teleport down to the planet with their victim?"

Bones jumped in, "My guess is that they reproduce first. Maybe through mitosis. If they came up on our shuttles, then there could only have been a few of them at first. In order to get everyone on the Excalibur from just one shuttle, they'd have to be able to reproduce once on board."

"Can we stop them from reproducing?"

Bones seemed to mull this over. "Generally, it takes a great deal of energy to reproduce. If we can cut off their source of food, then it should stop them from reproducing. In theory."

"And what are they feeding on?" It couldn't be their replicated food, could it? They didn't even appear to exist in the same dimension. There was a slight pause as everyone pondered Kirk's question.

"Emotions." Uhura said from her station with finality. "That's why they made us all emotional when we went over to the Excalibur. They feed off our emotions."

"That doesn't make any sense." Kirk shook his head. "If they're feeding off emotions, why take Spock?"

"Um." Chekov interjected hesitantly, "I believe you were their target, Captain." From his periphery, he could see that Bones was nodding in agreement.

Kirk had to concede that that made the most sense. "I can't ask my crew to simply stop feeling. We need a way to communicate with these things. Uhura?"

Uhura stood and joined their circle. "I've tried everything in the book and then made up some more, but the entities don't seem to be affected by anything. I'm not sure what else to do, sir."

"We need someone who's been inside of it." Bones commented gravely. He seemed to have concocted some sort of plan and Kirk was sure he wouldn't like it.

"Well, that would be nice, but we seem to have a shortage of those."

Bones came around his chair so he could look the captain in the eye. "Let me go get him," he said in earnest. Kirk didn't have to ask to know that 'him' meant Spock.

Kirk shook his head, more in disbelief than in discouragement. "I think you missed the part where we decided that they feed off of emotions. You're the most emotional person I know. You'll be like an all-you-can-eat buffet to them. Literally anyone else on the ship would be better."

"Normally, I'd take that as a compliment, but I really did learn a thing or two from Spock. I can do this." Kirk would wager that the last sentence was said more to convince himself than the captain.

"And if you can't?"

"You'll know exactly where to find me." Seconds ticked by, but Bones didn't back down.

"Captain!" Chekov exclaimed, looking excitedly up from Spock's console. "I duplicated Mr. Scott's changes into our scanners and conducted a ship-wide scan. There are over a hundred of the creatures aboard, mostly where there are a lot of people, like engineering and the rec rooms."

"Not sure why you're happy, Ensign." The situation was much worse than Kirk had feared.

"Because the Excalibur doesn't have any trace of them. We can evacuate."

Kirk nodded. As much as he was loathe to leave his ship, that was good news. "Keep an eye on the transporter room, and let them know immediately if any of the creatures enter. Sulu, I want you to lead the evacuation. If they follow you into the transporter room, start sending people in shuttles."

"Aye, sir." Sulu said dutifully, hurrying from the room.

"You're not going." Kirk stated in a tone that would leave no room for argument.

For anyone other than the doctor. "We can't just leave them down there!"

"I have no intention of abandoning them. But endangering yourself isn't going to help matters." Kirk huffed. "I'll just chop down that damn tree."

"We have no idea what that would do to the people attached." Bones reasoned. "Not to mention that you'd have to get through those glowing aliens to reach it. They probably wouldn't take kindly to you cutting down their tree."

"Then we can try a mass beam out."

"I'd advise against it." Bones countered. "Something about that tree is keeping them unconscious, and my best guess is some mental joining. Severing it could cause more damage than good."

"Scotty's working on the phasers-"

"Which won't work on the surface. Jim, let me try. If I can't get him out, then you can still try the mass beam out."

Kirk thought about it. If it were anyone else who thought they could do it and wanted to try, would he let them go? Probably; he was quickly running out of safe options to perform a rescue with. And none of them would have the advantage of being linked to a Vulcan. Would Bones be able to use Spock's training? Did he really want to know? "All right."

.o0o.