As Spock turned Kirk watched the full Vulcan mask slipped into place. "You must know that your plan was never, never going to succeed. I will explain it to you in five very simple steps. I will attempt to use a rudimentary human level of elementary logic so you just might be able to comprehend the reasons as to why you were doomed to fail. If I detect it is too difficult for you to understand what I am saying I will change my selection of vocabulary till I find the level at which you understand what I am saying. The first four steps could possibly have assured you of success, even though the odds of that occurring are too small to waste time calculating. It is the fifth and final steps, yet such a fundamental step, that was what you incredulously had not counted upon and that did, in fact, lead to your ultimate failure."

Spock paused for a moment and looked at his shipmates, at Bebram, then back at the officer, "Firstly you had full blizzard clothing and survival supplies while all he had on was a thick shirt, some gloves, some slacks and a pair of standard issue boots worn aboard a ship. Secondly you are relatively healthy and he was returning to the ship after extensive medical treatment. Thirdly you had navigational equipment and he just had nature and innate animal instincts. The fourth point is you followed orders and he followed his nature and his," for a moment Spock closed his eyes and was silent.

"Spock?" Kirk whispered but he knew the Vulcan had heard.

There was just the slightest of nods before the dark eyes looked at him then turned to focus again on the officer next to Bebram, "his so very human emotions and illogic. Finally that fifth step. You totally overlooked it for some obscure reason. Perhaps you were mesmerized by a vision of a future you believed would be yours. What brought about your total failure, Sir, was the fact that you believed the vision of a promised shiny new role and illustrious future to be a reality to come back to." Spock paused and looked Bebram, "This is the thing that made the promise. This is the thing that made you believe what it knew you wanted to believe. You dismally failed to realize that it was a promise made by a thing that would do anything, anything at all including murder, to reach its own goals." The Vulcan took another breath and shook his head, then looked levelly at the junior officer who seemed to shrink back into his chair, "You believed in that illusion, that dream, that lie he had told you could be your future and it was all you had to keep you going. You just had that fantasy and nothing more, nothing that was real or substantial."

Spock took a step back which, for a moment seemed to make the young man relax. The Vulcan just looked at him and shook his head again, "What an exceptional pawn you made for him. You had only that illusion and now have nothing while Carl Rallon had," Spock looked at Kirk then slowly at the other five bridge crew with him then back at the officer, "and still has the reality of not just our friendship and loyalty but also that of the complement of the starship Enterprise."

As one, with arms linked, the seven started to walk out but Spock stopped and turned. The security officers were standing with Bebram and the officer as Spock walked up to stand only centimeters from the officer and looked down at him, "Know this. Should Officer Rallon have suffered irreversible damage because of your actions you will not want to leave the protection of the facility you are being taken to." Slowly the Vulcan turned and faced Bebram, "And you, you will wish the Klingons or the Romulons had you rather than my dealing with you should he be made to suffer long at all." Kirk briefly saw the coldness of determination on his friend's face that the young officer and clearly Bebram had seen and oddly felt sympathy for the dupe Bebram had attempt to kill Officer Rallon and Spock as well as for Bebram.

Bebram jumped up as Spock stepped away, "You all heard him. He just threatened me. Me. A superior. You all heard him."

Kirk just looked at the man and saw how pathetic he suddenly looked, "I did not hear a threat." He looked at the other five, "Did any of you?"

"No, Sir." Was said clearly by McCoy, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu. Like the others Kirk just looked at his Chief Engineer as he freed his arms and walked up to where Bebram stood, looked first at Spock then at Bebram, "Nay, I heard no threat. I did hear a promise and, "he looked back at Spock, "tis one, Sir, I will be honoured to help ye fulfill to the fullest should the lad nay be as he should."

Slowly Spock and Mister Scott rejoined the five and they linked arms again and walked out as one.

When they all walked into Sick Bay M'Benga pointed to a monitor that had allowed the crew throughout the ship to watch what was to be the memorial service, "My sentiments exactly, Mister Spock. There clearly was nothing else keeping him going but instinct and wanting to get you home."

Briefly M'Benga looked at McCoy and then back at Spock, "I know you would want the truth so I will tell you that the ordeal has totally undone his treatment and has actually considerably worsened the original condition. He may never,"

"Doctor M'Benga! That is enough!" McCoy's anger was clear to them all. "I will inform both the Captain and Spock about Officer Rallon's,"

"I thank you for your honesty, Doctor M'Benga. I had feared his actions in saving me were worsening his condition. While I fully understand Doctor McCoy's outburst as he is most protective of his patients, a most admirable quality, you were correct in assuming I prefer to hear his present condition with no embellishments. Doctor McCoy most likely reacted the way he did as he also understands that, in situations like this. I am sure it was only your use of the word may that caused him to react as he did for he knows I do not wish to deal with what might or might not happen but to dedicate all attention to what is present."

"Fully understandable, Mister Spock. I, too, am used to and understand Doctor McCoy's protective outbursts."

McCoy looked at his patient's charts and the panel of diagnostic lights at the head of the bed and shook his head as he looked at M'Benga, "I'm sorry. Spock is right. I can be overly protective." He looked at Kirk and looked at the troubled hazel eyes, "I'll be damned if I know how, Jim, but he is still in there fighting. No perceivable change but I'll be damned if he is not in there fighting."

"He has mumbled from time to time as he has done before when he has been in Sickbay."

McCpy looked first at Kirn then at Spock, "Like you he reacts slightly differently to medications and often mumbles incoherently. Dreams, nightmares, recollections. Noting that means anything."

"There was one time when he seemed to be semi-aware, semi-lucid as he said were two words very clearly, possibly just nothing or perhaps a question. Just seemed off but as Doctor McCoy said, possibly meant nothing."

Spock looked intently at M'Benga. "Do you remember the words?"