Chapter 4
"Spock, the door is locked tight and no one can figure out how to get it open, or how it got locked," McCoy said as Spock joined him by the locked door of sickbay.
"Doctor, wasn't Nurse Chapel in sickbay at the time it locked?" Spock asked turning to face McCoy.
"No, she had stepped out for a moment to deliver something to the laboratory, but as she took one step out into the hallway the doors locked behind her."
Spock stepped up to the communicator on the wall, "Spock to engineering."
"Scotty here."
"Any luck on either freeing us from orbit or unlocking the sickbay doors?" Spock asked.
"No luck so far, all we know is something is controlling the ship," came Mr. Scott's answer.
"Then there is nothing we can do but wait to see what they have planned for us."
"That seems to be the only thing to do, doctor."
"Hey, Amanda, that was a good idea you had of locking the sickbay doors."
Amanda turned to face her friend, "Why do you think that?"
"Well, look for yourself, it is good for us anyway but not the captain or the rest of the crew," Marie said somewhat smiling.
"Oh well, let's get started on that escape anyway."
"Computer, put a code on this file so no-one can track this or any other program of ours," Marie began. The computer blinked in acknowledgment.
"I've got to get one of those hairclips, Marie, they seem to be very handy."
Marie smiled at her friend and continued, "Amanda, are we going to plan our escape or talk about my hairclip?"
Amanda returned the smile, "Let's get started. Start by tapping into the transporter controls."
Marie tapped a couple of codes in and the computer started downloading. As the computer fulfilled the first command Amanda and Marie discussed the rest of their escape. "O.K., Amanda, I got it. Computer, when I give you the signal you are to follow these commands, first beam myself, Amanda, and Captain Kirk directly down to the planets surface. Then you will take this ship on a direct course with no turning back to Star Base 3. Also you will not allow yourself to be reprogrammed. Oh yah, and when we have beamed down you can unlock the sickbay doors, but then you are to lock the captain's quarters."
"That sounds good Marie, I couldn't have said it better myself."
"Now all we need to do is wait for the right time to beam down."
In the briefing room another meeting was taking place to figure out what to do. "Spock, we have to try to get Jim out of sickbay."
"Doctor, you know as much as I do about getting the sickbay open, and nobody even knows why they are locked."
"Spock, do we have much of a choice for anything?" McCoy said getting a bit annoyed.
"Mr. Scott, do we have anyway of leaving orbit yet?" Spock said turning to Scotty.
"Mr.Spock, you know as much as I do, all we know is that something is locking our computers in this orbit."
"Gentlemen, return to your posts, I will beam down to the surface and see if our solution is down there."
"I'm going with you," McCoy said standing up.
"Doctor your presence is not necessary."
"What else am I supposed to do up here? If there is some way to get Jim out I'll do anything." "Very well doctor, you may come with."
"Amanda look at this," Marie said turning sideways so Amanda could see.
"What exactly do you want me to see Marie?" Amanda said coming up beside Marie and staring at the words all over the screen.
"This might make it clearer for you." All of a sudden a picture of Spock and McCoy walking into the transporter room appeared.
"So the Vulcan and the doctor are beaming down are they."
"That's what it looks like."
"But why Marie?" Amanda said still looking a bit confused.
"They think they will find the answer to the problems they are having, on the surface. Computer bring up the file marked 'escape'." The computer blinked and the words appeared on the screen. "Add another command to the schedule," the computer blinked again. "Before we beam down beam McCoy and Mr.Spock back on board the ship."
"Good thinking, they really should be on the ship or we would be stuck with three officers instead of one," Amanda said as the computer finished typing out the command.
"So when do you want to leave?" said Marie as she turned to face her friend.
"Can I take a nap first?" Amanda answered yawning to show how tired she was.
"I suppose we could wait a while, because it may be difficult dealing with the captain."
"Good, I'll be in bed if you need me."
"And I think I'll look in on our two visitors," Marie said as Amanda left the room and she turned back to her computer.
"Spock, do you have any idea where we are going?" Spock heard as they walked around another bend in the mountain.
"Doctor, I'm sure we could walk allot faster if you would stop asking questions." There was silence as Spock noticed the passageway that the captain had found the day before last. And just as before they came through the passageway and saw the river and waterfall.
"Spock," McCoy said looking around at the forest.
"I'm not picking up any power sources, but it will be hard with all these trees they may be covering any signal. Shall we doctor," Spock said turning to see if McCoy was following then crossed the river and stopped to wait for him.
"How close do you think you will have to be to find anything, Spock?" McCoy said catching up with Spock.
"I'm not sure," came the reply as they entered the forest.
"Amanda wake up," Marie said coming into the bedroom. Marie walked up to the bed and pulled the covers back.
"What now Marie?" Amanda said rolling over and looking at Marie.
"It's time to go, it has been a half an hour."
"O.K. I'm up," she said standing up and pulling on her shoes.
"Good, because the computer is ready to beam all three of us directly down to the planet's surface."
"Whoa, what good service."
As Amanda entered the room she heard Marie talking to the computer "...and once you've beamed up McCoy and Spock you will beam the Captain, me, and Amanda directly down and then take this ship to starbase three."
"I thought it already knew that Marie, you're treating it like a little kid."
"I just wanted to make sure it understood," Marie said removing her hairclip and putting it back in her hair.
"Won't the computer forget now that you have removed the hairclip?" said Amanda walking up to stand beside Marie.
"Nope, I put a chip from my hairclip into the computer so that it can't forget."
"Good thinking now lets go."
"O.K. computer, energize." They watched as Spock and McCoy appeared on the transporter pad then the room started to shimmer.
"Spock, the door is locked tight and no one can figure out how to get it open, or how it got locked," McCoy said as Spock joined him by the locked door of sickbay.
"Doctor, wasn't Nurse Chapel in sickbay at the time it locked?" Spock asked turning to face McCoy.
"No, she had stepped out for a moment to deliver something to the laboratory, but as she took one step out into the hallway the doors locked behind her."
Spock stepped up to the communicator on the wall, "Spock to engineering."
"Scotty here."
"Any luck on either freeing us from orbit or unlocking the sickbay doors?" Spock asked.
"No luck so far, all we know is something is controlling the ship," came Mr. Scott's answer.
"Then there is nothing we can do but wait to see what they have planned for us."
"That seems to be the only thing to do, doctor."
"Hey, Amanda, that was a good idea you had of locking the sickbay doors."
Amanda turned to face her friend, "Why do you think that?"
"Well, look for yourself, it is good for us anyway but not the captain or the rest of the crew," Marie said somewhat smiling.
"Oh well, let's get started on that escape anyway."
"Computer, put a code on this file so no-one can track this or any other program of ours," Marie began. The computer blinked in acknowledgment.
"I've got to get one of those hairclips, Marie, they seem to be very handy."
Marie smiled at her friend and continued, "Amanda, are we going to plan our escape or talk about my hairclip?"
Amanda returned the smile, "Let's get started. Start by tapping into the transporter controls."
Marie tapped a couple of codes in and the computer started downloading. As the computer fulfilled the first command Amanda and Marie discussed the rest of their escape. "O.K., Amanda, I got it. Computer, when I give you the signal you are to follow these commands, first beam myself, Amanda, and Captain Kirk directly down to the planets surface. Then you will take this ship on a direct course with no turning back to Star Base 3. Also you will not allow yourself to be reprogrammed. Oh yah, and when we have beamed down you can unlock the sickbay doors, but then you are to lock the captain's quarters."
"That sounds good Marie, I couldn't have said it better myself."
"Now all we need to do is wait for the right time to beam down."
In the briefing room another meeting was taking place to figure out what to do. "Spock, we have to try to get Jim out of sickbay."
"Doctor, you know as much as I do about getting the sickbay open, and nobody even knows why they are locked."
"Spock, do we have much of a choice for anything?" McCoy said getting a bit annoyed.
"Mr. Scott, do we have anyway of leaving orbit yet?" Spock said turning to Scotty.
"Mr.Spock, you know as much as I do, all we know is that something is locking our computers in this orbit."
"Gentlemen, return to your posts, I will beam down to the surface and see if our solution is down there."
"I'm going with you," McCoy said standing up.
"Doctor your presence is not necessary."
"What else am I supposed to do up here? If there is some way to get Jim out I'll do anything." "Very well doctor, you may come with."
"Amanda look at this," Marie said turning sideways so Amanda could see.
"What exactly do you want me to see Marie?" Amanda said coming up beside Marie and staring at the words all over the screen.
"This might make it clearer for you." All of a sudden a picture of Spock and McCoy walking into the transporter room appeared.
"So the Vulcan and the doctor are beaming down are they."
"That's what it looks like."
"But why Marie?" Amanda said still looking a bit confused.
"They think they will find the answer to the problems they are having, on the surface. Computer bring up the file marked 'escape'." The computer blinked and the words appeared on the screen. "Add another command to the schedule," the computer blinked again. "Before we beam down beam McCoy and Mr.Spock back on board the ship."
"Good thinking, they really should be on the ship or we would be stuck with three officers instead of one," Amanda said as the computer finished typing out the command.
"So when do you want to leave?" said Marie as she turned to face her friend.
"Can I take a nap first?" Amanda answered yawning to show how tired she was.
"I suppose we could wait a while, because it may be difficult dealing with the captain."
"Good, I'll be in bed if you need me."
"And I think I'll look in on our two visitors," Marie said as Amanda left the room and she turned back to her computer.
"Spock, do you have any idea where we are going?" Spock heard as they walked around another bend in the mountain.
"Doctor, I'm sure we could walk allot faster if you would stop asking questions." There was silence as Spock noticed the passageway that the captain had found the day before last. And just as before they came through the passageway and saw the river and waterfall.
"Spock," McCoy said looking around at the forest.
"I'm not picking up any power sources, but it will be hard with all these trees they may be covering any signal. Shall we doctor," Spock said turning to see if McCoy was following then crossed the river and stopped to wait for him.
"How close do you think you will have to be to find anything, Spock?" McCoy said catching up with Spock.
"I'm not sure," came the reply as they entered the forest.
"Amanda wake up," Marie said coming into the bedroom. Marie walked up to the bed and pulled the covers back.
"What now Marie?" Amanda said rolling over and looking at Marie.
"It's time to go, it has been a half an hour."
"O.K. I'm up," she said standing up and pulling on her shoes.
"Good, because the computer is ready to beam all three of us directly down to the planet's surface."
"Whoa, what good service."
As Amanda entered the room she heard Marie talking to the computer "...and once you've beamed up McCoy and Spock you will beam the Captain, me, and Amanda directly down and then take this ship to starbase three."
"I thought it already knew that Marie, you're treating it like a little kid."
"I just wanted to make sure it understood," Marie said removing her hairclip and putting it back in her hair.
"Won't the computer forget now that you have removed the hairclip?" said Amanda walking up to stand beside Marie.
"Nope, I put a chip from my hairclip into the computer so that it can't forget."
"Good thinking now lets go."
"O.K. computer, energize." They watched as Spock and McCoy appeared on the transporter pad then the room started to shimmer.