CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Captain Kirk turned at the sound of Chekov's voice. He spotted Chekov waving at him from behind a large boulder. Motioning to the others to join him, Kirk jogged over. "What is it, Ensign?"

Chekov pointed toward some gray material that had collected in a deep depression in the rock. It reminded Kirk of wet cement, except ripples marred its surface.

"I was scanning the area and I discovered this stuff." Chekov explained. "It is the only thing here that is not a rock. I don't know what it is. The tricorder does not recognize it or what it is made of."

Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Lt. Gomez all stared down at Chekov's mysterious gray liquid. Both Spock and McCoy started to scan the stuff.

"Well, what is it, Spock?" Kirk asked his Vulcan Science Officer.

"I do not know, Captain. But I will take a sample to be tested in the ship's science lab, with your permission, of course." Spock replied as he pulled a large glass tube from his black bag that hung from a strap over his shoulder. Bending down, Spock carefully stuck the tube into the gray material. Everyone watched at the thick gray goo oozed into the test tube. After it was filled, Spock depressed a button and the lid snapped close. He secured the sample in his bag and gathered a few rocks to take to the ship as well.

Dr. McCoy stared at the gray stuff, a frown on his face. "Spock, you don't think this here gray pudding has anything to do with what happened here, do you?"

"Without sufficient information, I cannot answer your question with one hundred percent accuracy." Spock told the doctor. "But by observing this gray puddle I can see it does not have the means to cover the infected area. It does not walk, run or fly. Perhaps it is the byproducts of what has occurred here and will give us a clue to solving the mystery. I intend to examine it on the first opportunity."

"Well, if your sure the stuff is harmless." McCoy shrugged and walked off to examine a pile of rocks.

"It's getting late." Kirk said as he called the landing party back together. "Let's beam back to the ship. We can continue this investigation tomorrow morning. I also want to see what the other landing parties have to report." He flipped the communicator open and they beamed back to the Enterprise.

Kirk materialized on the transporter pad and immediately stepped down. He walked over to Kyle. "Are all of the teams in for the night?"

"Aye, Sir. I just beamed the last two aboard ten minutes ago." Kyle answered.

"Good. I'm going up to the bridge. Are you coming, Spock?" Kirk asked as he stepped out into the hallway and headed for the nearest turbo lift.

"In a moment, Captain. I wish to drop these samples off into the Science Lab first. Then I will join you on the bridge." Spock headed the opposite way down the hall.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night, Jim." Dr. McCoy told Kirk as he yawned loudly. "I think all the fresh air made me tired. The duty nurses can handle anything that may crop up during the night."

Kirk arrived on the bridge and called up the reports of the other landing parties. He frowned as he read the reports. Three teams spoke of missing vegetation and one reported missing equipment, seismograph equipment, to be exact. He snapped the report off and leaned back in his chair. A sharp pain had started to throb steadily right behind his eyes. He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face, rubbing at his eyes. He opened his eyes and glanced at the main viewer. A beautiful planet hung in space before him. It looked like any other Class M world, streaked with white, red, green and blue.

How can this beautiful world be the cause of my headache? What had started out as a simple mission was now a full-blown problem. Where did the trees go? Who or what took the equipment? Was there an undiscovered intelligent life on the planet? Were they angry at the Enterprise being here? Could it be a deadly virus or bacteria, one that ate organic material? Will the answer be in that cement stuff Chekov discovered? What will go wrong next?

Sighing, Kirk rose from his chair and headed towards the turbo lift. As he reached the doors, they opened and Mr. Spock stepped onto the bridge. "I'm going to stop by Sickbay and get something for this headache. Then I'm going to my quarters for the night."

Spock's eyebrow rose. "More problems?"

"Three teams reported missing vegetation, one had missing equipment." Kirk informed his First Officer.

"Stolen?" Asked Spock.

"Missing, stolen, it's just gone. Did you find out what that gray stuff was?" Kirk asked as he stepped into the waiting lift.

"It appears to be a new type of macerated mucilaginous gelatinous protoplasm."

"In other words, it's slime." Kirk said.

"I do believe I just said that." Spock replied, his hands behind his back. "Good night, Captain."

Night on the Enterprise. The lights were dimmed in the corridors and the ship was silent as most of her crew slept in their cabins. The science lab was also deserted. Microscopes sat on their tables, waiting for morning. Even the computers were asleep. A thick stack of notes rested next to a towering pile of computer disks. Several of the disks had fallen onto the floor. Glass fronted bookcases held more science equipment. In the far corner of the lab sat a rack of test tubes. The lab was silent.

The quite was broken by a loud rattling, the sound of clinking glass. The test tubes shook violently but no one was there to see. A loud bang filled the air as one of the test tubes exploded. Glass shards flew in every direction as they tinkled onto the floor. A mass of gray slime spread itself out over the rack of test tubes. Parts of it extended and stretched downward towards the table. A loud sizzling filled the air as the test tube rack was dissolved. Smoke filled the air and if someone had opened the door at that moment they would have smelled a great stink. The gray mass slumped in the middle and collapsed onto the table. It stretched out over the table's surface. One part of it formed a psuedopod that stuck up into the air. The psuedopod quivered and undigested glass test tubes were spitted out onto the floor where they shattered into a million pieces. The table dissolved under the creature and it sunk to the floor. Slowly it heaved itself towards the door, leaving a trail of destruction behind it.