Chapter Fourteen
"McCoy to Enterprise. One to beam up." McCoy flipped shut his communicator and closed his eyes so he didn't have to see the massive graveyard spread all around him. Such a waste, he thought miserably. A whole, previously unknown culture had killed itself rather than try and greet the newcomers, who gave every impression of being a civilized people. McCoy didn't even mind the molecule scrambling transporter, so saddened by the sights below.
"Bones, how are the…" Kirk's voice trailed off as McCoy stepped off the platform. "Bones, what's wrong?"
How could McCoy even begin to describe what he had seen? He was a doctor, not a diplomat. Perhaps if someone else had been in charge of the landing party and if someone had gone with him (not just the two Security guards, Delaynia Fjordicana and Bob Lee; Lieutenant Fjordicana had been killed instantly by one of the natives and Ensign Lee had been shot down with a rainstorm of arrows. Only McCoy had been spared, and only because he had made a sign of surrender before the would-be captors. After he surrendered, the man made a choking noise and died instantly. The rest followed suit and not even the most advanced methods of resuscitation had worked.
"They're…they're dead, Jim," he choked out. "Dead, yet there's no reason medically possible for that to have happened. At the same time they died, I tried to communicate that I would surrender to them and then they choked to death."
"Where are my Security guards?"
"They're dead too. Lieutenant Fjordicana was killed instantly when we beamed down by a native. Ensign Lee was…he was pursued by some of the inhabitants and shot by a flurry of arrows. I surrendered before they had the chance to do the same to me." The older man was visibly shaken by what he had witnessed. "Jim," he moaned. "Dammit, Jim. You should have sent a diplomat down, not an old country doctor like me."
"Lieutenant Commander McCoy, I order you to tell me exactly what happened. Go to your office and write me a full report."
"Aye, sir." Perhaps this will help me sort out the confusion in here, McCoy thought hazily as he slogged to Sickbay. Should get a stimulant so I don't fall asleep and forget some important detail. Cortropine should work. Gonna need something very strong. As he walked to his office, he briefly saw the ground come up from the sky and hit him in the head. McCoy fainted.