Author's Note : References TOS episode 'The Way to Eden'
"-"
Temptations
Chapter 37 - Just Because You Want it Doesn't Make it So
May, 2269
They left Uhura at the StarBase for a seminar and headed out on a routine sweep of the sector, planning to pick her up at the end of the week. Lieutenant Palmer took her place on Alpha shift. The bridge did not seem quite the same. All of them missed Uhura's brightness and cheerful ways, but Spock missed her the most. In the evenings, in his quarters, when he sat before his firepot, he indulged himself in silent communion with her, trying to sooth the ache that her absence caused.
It was the second day when they received the report on the stolen space cruiser. They began to scan for it as they progressed on their course.
They found the stolen spacecraft, the Aurora, with six lifeforms aboard. It did not answer standard hails. When Kirk informed them that he had Federation orders to detain whoever was aboard, the Aurora took off. Kirk ordered pursuit. The Aurora headed directly for Romulan space. Kirk ordered Chekov to lock a tractor beam on the Aurora and reel it in. The Aurora resisted, and its engines began to overheat. Spock reported that the engines were becoming critical, and Kirk warned whoever was on the Aurora. Still they did not respond. As the engine failure passed critical and an explosion became imminent, the Enterprise hurled itself closer, to get within transporter range. By the merest hair's breath, the occupants of the stolen vessel were beamed to safety. Scotty stared at the strangely dressed, and strangely behaving humanoids, trying to figure out what they thought they were.
One of the six turned out to be the son of an ambassador, and they were ordered to handle him with extreme delicacy. When Kirk told Scotty to send them to a briefing room, the six refused, sitting down on the floor and chanting. Scotty thought perhaps the lot of them were mentally challenged. Kirk could hear them chanting over the intercom. Sighing, he took Spock with him and headed for the transporter deck.
Kirk told the son of the ambassador that their actions had caused damage to the property of others, had endangered the life of other beings, and also have have caused the breakdown of negotiations between their home planet and the Federation. He stated that he was ready to hear their explanation. He got none. They called him Herbert, for some odd reason.
Kirk ordered Spock to take them to sick bay, to check to see whether there had been any radiation damage from the explosion. Spock looked at him oddly, and asked permission to try another approach. Kirk told him to go ahead. Spock approached the six sitting on the floor, his hands clasped behind him. When he was standing just before them, he formed his hands into the same shape that the six people had made when they first materialized, and said the word 'one'. Scotty wondered how he knew what those odd ducks had done. The six returned the sign, and one of them said "We are One."
Spock replied. "One is the beginning."
The Ambassador's son spoke next. "Are you One, Herbert?"
Spock dropped his hands, clasping them behind his back again. "I am not Herbert."
The third man in the group grinned. "He's not Herbert!" He looked down at the man who had answered Spock's first statement, then back up at Spock. "We reach."
Spock then suggested that they tell him their objectives. After some circular statements, their destination was revealed as the planet Eden. Here Kirk finally had something he understood. Immediately he stepped forward, stating that that planet was a myth. He was greeted rudely, told that they did not recognize any authority but their own. He replied that it did not matter whether they recognized it or not, but here, on this ship, he was it. He told them that he was under orders to return them to the nearest starbase, from whence they would be returned to their planets of origin. He also told them, that because of his orders, they were not prisoners, but guests.
The third man laughed. "Oh, Herbert, you are STIFF!" The other five laughed as well.
Kirk again told Spock to take them to sick bay, and after that to their quarters, and to see to their needs. The man who seemed to be their leader demanded that they be taken to Eden, but Kirk simply told him that he had orders to the contrary and that the Enterprise was not a passenger liner. These comments were greeted with derision, and further chants of 'Herbert'. Kirk turned and left the transporter bay, headed for the bridge.
On the bridge, Chekov told Kirk that he had recognized one of the voices. One of the women in the group had been at StarFleet Academy at the same time he had. Kirk was startled. He could hardly believe that one of those odd beings had been at the Academy.
When Spock returned to the bridge, he told Kirk that the leader of the strange group was Dr. Severn, a brilliant acoustics engineer. Kirk was amazed. He could hardly believe that someone with that background would become involved with such a weird group. Spock replied that there were those who had rebelled against the planned, ordered society found now on so many worlds. They longed for something more spontaneous.
When Kirk asked Spock why he was so sympathetic to them, Spock replied that it was not sympathy so much as curiosity. He added that this group regarded themselves as strangers in their own world, a condition that he found himself familiar with.
Kirk paced about a bit, and then turned back to Spock, asking him what 'Herbert' meant. Spock stammered a bit, finally telling Kirk that is was uncomplimentary. The name came from a minor official noted for his limited and rigid patterns of thought. Kirk was not pleased.
"***"
In sick bay, one of the six began to play his stringed instrument and sing. Another joined in on a drum-like object. When Chekov entered sick bay, looking for his friend, they said she was getting her physical. In just a moment, she came out, and smiled in delight at seeing her old friend. When others from the group gathered round, Chekov hurried her out the door and down the corridor. He led her to an empty rec room, and they sat and talked for a few minutes, and he realized that they could never see eye-to-eye. He told her to go back to her friends, and he sat quietly, calming himself. And then he heard noise in the corridor, voices yelling, and he went out to find five of the groups trying to force their way into sick bay, with two security guards trying to hold them back. He hurried over to help.
When Kirk got to sick bay to see what the problem was, McCoy told him that Dr Severn was the carrier for a nasty little bug. McCoy said he would have to check everyone on the ship to be sure their immunizations were up to date. Severn should be placed in total isolation. Severn rejected everything that McCoy said, demanding to be released. At Kirk's order, two of the orderlies manhandled Severn away.
"***"
Spock attempted to reason with Severn, telling him that with permission he could attempt to locate Eden, and that Severn's followers could petition for the right to settle there as colonists. But in order for that to happen, they must not become criminals, which they would surely become if they continued in the attempts to pervert the members of the crew. As Spock continued to speak with Severn, he came to realize that the man was insane, that his thoughts and actions were totally illogical. When he returned to the bridge, he advised Kirk of his opinion. Kirk replied that he would have McCoy confirm his suspicions. And then Spock asked for permission to do what he had promised, to attempt to locate the planet Eden, and to have the assistance of Chekov. Kirk agreed.
"***"
While Spock was working in his quarters, the member of the group who played the stringed instrument came in to talk to him and noticed his ka'athyra behind him. He asked permission, first to touch, and then to play. Spock assented. The man made the strings sound, and was delighted. Then he asked Spock for a demonstration. Spock took his ka'athyra back and gave a brief demonstration. The other man was delighted, and immediately suggested a 'session'. He further stated that he had been trying to contact the captain to arrange a 'session', but had not been able to. Spock told him that he thought it would be possible. The man left, delighted.
"***"
Pavel's old friend found him, as he worked on the assignment Spock had given him. She asked him what the room was for, and without thinking, he told her that in case the main controls failed for some reason, they could navigate the ship from here. He did not see the look on her face. She continued to question him, and he rose from his seat to answer her, becoming more and more distressed and confused by her presence. Eventually his nose was almost touching hers, and he succumbed to the desire to kiss her. Almost immediately, Spock signaled him, stating that he was not receiving data. It took the second comment to get his attention. He stepped back from Irina and seated himself again.
"***"
The five gathered in their quarters. Each had a target that they were trying to convert. And with the information that Irina brought, their goal was now in sight. They would begin a new effort to convince as many crewmembers as possible to join them.
"***"
The five set up their instruments in the rec room that had been assigned for their 'session'. Members of the crew drifted in, interested in what they heard. The sound was piped all over the ship, so that all could hear. While they sang, in his confinement, Dr Severn smiled.
Spock entered the rec room while the others were singing, his ka'athyra in his hand. When the group finished their current song, the string player motioned with his hand, inviting Spock to join them. He seated himself on a bench, beside the girl who had the circular stringed instrument. They began to play together.
Meanwhile, the guard on Severn's cell was swaying back and forth in time to the music, his eyes closed. The Ambassador's son climbed up out of one of the Jeffries tubes behind him, and overpowered him before he was even aware that anyone was there. In only a moment, Severn was free.
Concentrating on his playing, Spock was not aware that the other members of the group were sneaking out of the rec room. When he finished playing, he rose and left the room, unaware that the Ambassador's son and Severn were now in control of the auxiliary control room.
On the bridge, Sulu became alarmed. He reported that he got no response from the controls, and that they were going off course. Scotty stepped over and began to run diagnostics, quickly discovering that Auxiliary Control had taken over command. Kirk called the Auxiliary Control Room, but at first he did not get an answer. Sulu commented that somebody else seemed to be running the ship. Just as Spock entered the bridge, Severn's voice was heard over the intercom, confirming that someone else was indeed running the ship. He made very explicit threat about what he would do if they made any attempt to wrest control from him. Sulu became very alarmed when he realized that they were leaving the Neutral Zone and bearing into Romulan space.
Kirk quickly asked Spock to check for patrols. Thankfully there were none found within scanning range, although Kirk did not think that that would last long. Kirk tried to convince Severn to turn about, telling him that he was endangering the peace of the galaxy. Severn just smirked.
Next Kirk tried to convince the others that they were being used by a madman. They laughed at the idea. Now Spock tried to reach them, telling them of the files available in the computer, from a hospital where Severn had been confined. He was not believed.
In the auxiliary control room, the location of the planet Eden suddenly appeared on the console Chekov had used earlier. The six were ecstatic. Severn jumped up, turning the controls over to the Ambassador's son, and pulled a panel off the wall, making adjustments to a control panel that was revealed within, moving the jumpers to other locations. None of the others had any idea what he was doing. When he moved back to the computer console, Irina asked what effect his plan would have on the crew. He replied that he was using sound to stun them. By the time they revived, their group would be off the ship. She was concerned, saying that sound pitched that high would destroy, rather than stun, but he soothed her.
On the bridge, Spock announced that they were within sensor range of the planet Eden, and continuing to approach. Kirk determined that he must act now. Taking Scotty and Spock with him, he left the bridge. When they reached the corridor where the auxiliary control room was, Scotty used a phaser to cut through the wall.
Inside the room, the six reacted with dismay. And then Severn turned a control on the panel before him. Although he could not see, in the corridor outside, Spock reacted with intense pain. He staggered, falling against the wall, trying to block his ears. Kirk approached him, concerned.
As Severn turned up the pitch, both Kirk and Scotty fell to the floor, unconscious. Spock was not far behind them. And all over the ship, crewmembers collapsed. The six celebrated, eager to leave.
The lull that Severn had programmed started, giving the six the chance to negotiate the ship's corridors. Scotty, Kirk, and Spock regained consciousness. But Spock was still in severe pain, because his hearing was so much greater than a human's. He directed Kirk to destroy the device causing the sound. Kirk staggered into the auxiliary control room, and found the main control panel, and the correct control, and dialed it down to null. In the corridor outside, Spock staggered to his feet, then he and Scotty entered the room, where Kirk was trying to raise someone in Engineering, then anyone, anywhere on the ship. He got no answer. Finally Sulu answered from the bridge, not sure what had happened. Then someone from the hanger deck called, saying that one of the shuttle craft was missing.
Kirk asked Spock if he had found any Romulans. Spock answered in the negative, but added that he was picking up the shuttlecraft, which had landed on the planet. He further added that there was no animal life on the planet at all, except for those six.
Kirk called McCoy, and told him to proceed to the transporter room with full medical gear. And then he called Chekov. Taking Spock with him, he headed in that direction himself, leaving Scotty with the con. The four men transported down out of sight of the shuttle. Spock immediately began to scan the area with his tricorder. Kirk and Chekov pulled out their phasers. The planet was beautiful, lush with plant life, flowers blooming profusely.
Kirk order the party to spread out and approach with caution. He flipped open his communicator and attempted to contact Severn. At that exact moment, Chekov screamed in agony. All heads turned in his direction, then they rushed to him. He was holding one hand in the other, and gasping. He said he had touched a flower. McCoy immediately began to examine him. He found acid burns all over the palm and underside of the fingers of that hand. He quickly scanned the plants around, and said that even the grass was full of acid. He said that their clothing should protect them for a while.
When Spock called to him, Kirk came running. There on the ground was the string player, dead, a piece of fruit with one bite taken out of it beside him. McCoy scanned the fruit, pronouncing it deadly poison. They looked up and saw the shuttle craft ahead of them. Swiftly they covered the distance and Kirk pressed the door control. When it swung down, they discovered all of the others inside, some with severe burns. Severn was the last out.
McCoy said they needed more help than he could give them here, and Spock whipped out his communicator, requesting that the transporter bay stand by to beam up injured parties, and that a medical team be dispatched to the transporter room.
Severn did not meet their eyes, but he stated that they were not leaving. Kirk looked at him in astonishment. Severn jumped off the door of the shuttle, down to the ground on his severely burned feet, and across the clearing to climb a tree. Before they could reach him, and stop him, he picked one of the fruit that the other man had eaten, and took a large bite from it. He was dying by the time they reached his side.
When they arrived back at the StarBase with the four surviving members of the group that had caused so much trouble, Kirk was sincerely glad to see the end of them. And glad as well, to get his best communications officer back. But not nearly as glad as Spock was.