With a swift pace Kirk and Ceilia made their way towards Spock, who was keenly eyeing his own computations.
" What are the readings Mr. Spock?" inquired Kirk leaning his arm across the computer panels.
"There seems to be a variety of underground passages, some, leading to too many dead ends." Affirmed Spock blinking twice with thoughtfulness.
"Can't the computer narrow the tunnels down?" asked Kirk turning his attention towards Spock.
"Indeed Captain we can do that, but it would take an immense amount of time for the computer to sort through the various tunnels, also considering the part of sorting through the tunnels security." Stated Spock pulling away from the computer screen.
"When we beamed down to the planet I believe you used your tricorder to scan the planets interior."
"Couldn't we tie in the tricorder's information to the ship's computer for better quality readings?" inquired Kirk looking straight back at Mr. Spock.
"Quite so, the tricorder's information may possibly have a superior knowledge of the planets geographical contents." Affirmed Spock his eyes glistening with intrigue.
"Right go on and connect the tricorder's reading to the ship's computer perhaps with both it's knowledge we could try and narrow down the search." commanded Kirk jerking away from the panels.
With Kirk's prompt directive Spock immediately began to work.
Grabbing the wire from the computer's data plate, he connected it quickly to the tricorder's information banks.
As speedily as Spock connected the two, Uhura began getting hails from the planet Helix below.
"Captain I have an URGENT hail reading from Helix!" exclaimed Uhura pressing her earpiece tighter to her head.
"They have visual." confirmed Uhura looking back Kirk, who was situated in the Captain's chair.
" They must be the Elders!" exclaimed Ceilia turning towards Kirk. Her eyes gazed at him with terror, for the Elder's were much more deeply disturbed than any man could understand.
"They'll punish us!" screamed Ceilia kneeling down next to Kirk. The bloody memories seeping through mind quickly, but the gory details never faded from her mind. The uncontrollable bloodshed her planet was pulled through, and her own damned destiny scurried by her eyes in a flash.
A destiny created for her.
"Ceilia we're here, no one's going to hurt you now." uttered Kirk lifting Ceilia to his side.
"We need to put this through the crew's life depends on it." "Helix's life depends on it." Said Kirk gliding his fingers down her cheeks with sympathy.
"Put it through then." Said Ceilia straightening her stance once again.
"Uhura put on the screen." Affirmed Kirk staring directly ahead.
Uhura's fast fingers lept across the colored buttons and the hail quickly projected on the screen.
The Elder's images increased on the screen. The men stood there, their old winkled faces howling through projection.
Kirk couldn't help but wonder if these were the men that Ceilia described, the evil men that tortured her and her people for the single purpose of knowledge.
These aged men were the ones that sent Ceilia and her people masked behind a cloak of agelessness and terror?
Those tiny thoughts of insecurity quickly fastened themselves deep into his consciousness.
With one glance towards Ceilia Kirk felt disgusted in himself. Watching Ceilia tremble in front of men to puny to consider a threat, washed out from his mind.
The Elder's smirks and quirky remarks broke through when the finally spoke.
"Is our little Ceilia there?" laughed one of the old men bursting with chuckles underneath his grey hood.
Ceilia's expression deepened with anger. Her eyes could practically stare through their souls.
"The is Captain Kirk of the U.S.S Enterprise."
"Your planet has sent us an urgent hail once again."
"Explain." barked Kirk staring expressionless at them.
The doors behind Kirk slide open and McCoy made his way through.
"What an unpleasant tone." Echoed the one of the Elder's
"We are here to ask for Ceilia to return."
"The Elder's miss her quite so." Stated the Elder's.
"LIES!" shouted Ceilia pounding her fist on the railing of the Enterprise.
"We do not care for the formality of chatter, but we are here to help the people of Helix who are under the Elder's oppression." Exclaimed Kirk leaning back into his chair.
"An oppression we are committed to break." snapped Kirk staring once again into their cold grey eyes.
The Elder's broke out into babbling. They stared back at Kirk with anew fury.
"You have no authority to come by our planet and start tearing through our civilization!" shouted the Elder's once again pure heat and ignorance seeping through their tongues.
"If you do not return to us our precious Ceilia!"
"We will be forced to eradicate the Enterprise with an means necessary!" cried the Elder's loud as any man could shout.
"We will be forced to take a violent course!" shouted the Elder's once again.
Kirk's eyes exposed his gambling nature. His fist curled up once again and with a confident pose Kirk spoke.
"I'm growing tired of your insincere threats!" barked Kirk leaping up from his chair.
"Men that use power and hateful threats are fools that need no consideration!" exclaimed Kirk his hazel eyes gazing with intense authority.
"Not on my Ship will I allow you and your men to terrorize the Enterprise!" shouted Kirk curling his fingers tight.
"And if you think I will allow mindless torture while I'm still here you ARE severely mistaken!" snapped Kirk with a final verbal blow.
"Cut the line Uhura!" whispered Kirk taking his seat once again.
And with that Uhura instantly discontinued the message.
"Jim were those men the Elder's?" inquired McCoy leaning towards Kirk.
" Yes, Unfortunately." groaned Kirk swiveling his chair around his hand lying once again on his temple.
"They want Ceilia or…" paused Kirk staring back at the stone-like Spock.
"Or what!" asked McCoy staring at Kirk intently.
"Or Doctor the will destroy the Enterprise." uttered Spock crossing his hands once more behind him.
Kirk stared back at Ceilia, whose sparkling eyes were as uneasy as his own.
