Disclaimer: 1/8 of a penny to anyone who can guess the owner of Star Trek. Hint: It isn't me.

PenguinQueen: No, I haven't read that book. It sounds...different. Anyway, many thanks for all the reviews I have received from you. This is the final chapter. (much applause)

Chapter Four: Return to the Enterprise

Jordon watched in horror as the prickly plant, that the Guardian said had been punished by death, zoomed down toward them, obviously about to get them again. They would probably be in the dead-like state when the Enterprise came back. Of course. They were red-shirts, weren't they?
Hey, wait a minute! Isn't this the place where red shirts are lucky?
Just then the Guardian's red light appeared in front of the plant, struck it with red lightning. The plant gave a howl (Is that possible? Jordon thought.) and disintegrated.
"Thanks. I though we were about to die again. After all, the red shirts usually die." Jack said.
"Not on my planet." the Guardian said, opening the entrance again with some kind of rock-melting red beam.(A/N: Why a red beam? Because this is the planet of the red shirts.) "Now, come with me. You must be in the same place as you were when you supposedly died, to make it easier for your captain."
"He needs all the help he can get." Jordon informed him, and they followed the Guardian to where they had originally beamed down. "Not that I would actually say that to him, of course."
"When does the ship get here?" Kalinda asked when they got there.
"In five standard minutes." the Guardian replied. "I hope I do not have to meet you again."
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Because that would mean that we died in a mission." Kalinda reminded him.
"Oh yeah. I knew that."
"Sure."
"I detect your ship in warp speed. This is where I leave you, because soon he will detect me." With that the red light that was the Guardian vanished. Jordon looked around. They were back at where they had beamed down.
Five minutes later, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock appeared in front of him. The captain looked at them, and they saluted. He returned the salute.
"Where have you been?" he demanded. "We thought you were dead."
Jordon opened his mouth. Then shut it again. How could you explain that you had had your death simulated by a rogue plant, had seen the spirits of all the dead red shirts, had been stuck in a cave having a pinball tournament with your friends, and meeting an all-powerful Guardian who protected the spirits of red shirts? Somehow, that seemed hard to explain. But he didn't want to lie.
"Well, we aren't sure, sir." he said. That, at least, was the truth. "A plant jumped onto us-"
"Jumped, Ensign...?"
"Jordon, sir. Well, I think there may have been a sort of heat sensor apparatus in the plant, but when we awoke, it was gone. And after the plant jumped us, we were sort of paralyzed, but we could hear."
"Oh, I've been there.*"
Jordon gave him a curious look, but continued. "We heard the order to beam up, but we passed out then and were here." That was the truth, with parts omitted from the story.
"Well, Ensign, we have orders to look around here and find the power source, then leave for Alpha Omega II. But you will beam up for a complete physical."
Jordon groaned in spite of himself. The captain gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know. Physicals are the worst." He took his communicator out.
"Scotty, three to beam up. Spock and I will be staying down here. Have Dr. McCoy aware that they are to report for a physical."
"Aye-aye, sir." he said, and Jordon felt himself being beamed up. + + +
A day later, after the dreaded physical, Jordon, Jack and Kalinda were sitting at their favorite table near the viewport, eating their lunches in the Mess Hall.
"Well, let's not go back there."
"Yeah. That was enough excitement."
"Where are we going next?"
"Oh, Alpha Omega II. There's some plague or something that causes hallucinations."
"That's weird."
"No weirder than what we just went through."
"That wasn't the oddest thing I've ever done." Jack said.
"You've done something weirder?" Kalinda asked.
"Well, yeah, but that another story entirely."
"For when?" Jordon asked.
"Next time were bored out of our minds on a five hour watch."
"Oh. That makes sense."

A/N: And on that happy note I end this great story. Please Read and Review! * If you read the TOS episode book adaptions by James Blish, a similar thing happened to Kirk at the end of "Amok Time" when he was 'dead'.