Chapter 23

The antecedent first officer of the first Starship Enterprise had beamed aboard the Starship Nova only a matter of days ago. His task concerning the Anagosians was officially completed. It was assumed he would be travelling home.

The mission was relatively simple for the Nova. Take Captain Spock to Vulcan then depart to the Hartelli sector to Starbase fifty-eight for their next orders.

Unfortunately this elementary mission was changed when the communications officer, Lieutenant Harry Robinson picked up the trail of an SOS as the ship passed by at warp two. The SOS was immediately respond to.

They crew of the Nova discovered that the identity of the call was coming from the Je'Drell system near one of the habitable planets called Droline V.

Droline I to VII were inhospitable to humanoid life. Droline V however was acceptable. Humanoid life did exist there. The people were an advanced and sophisticated race almost up to the standards of the people on Earth in the Sol system.

Its people were quite small physically with a distinctive high forehead covered with pale amber markings. There was distinctive person to person, which could be mistaken for tattoos by outworlders. The eyes were large, round, and purple. The bridge of the nose was shaped into a kind of protruding heart.

Unlike most males of other species, the adult's faces were completely hairless except for a single bushy eyebrow running across the tops of the eyes, which came in an assortment of red hues. Many of the men wore their hair short and neatly cut.

The hair was usually red in colouring, but the pigment range started from the palest pink to the deepest purple/black, which matched the same colour of the single brow.

The female of the species were a little more refined. There hair was kept extremely long usually scraped up into a scrupulously tight bun at the back of the head and a twine of hair wrapped around the hairline or double plats coiled round in two tight buns which were held at the side of the head. This seemed to have been the current fashion.

The people seemed friendly enough, but it could be considered that they were slightly over friendly when strangers visited their land. They spoke a distinctive, but varied accent.

To an outworlder it was thought that the accent resembled British cockney London with an overtone of something completely different and alien. Typically their blood was a deep blue, as were all the animal life forms on that world.

The Nova made her way at warp speed across the sector towards the planet which was renowned for it's beauty and the hospitality of it's people. From the message received something was terribly wrong.

Spock of Vulcan had finished reading the report that the captain had given him after his request on the change of destination three hours ago. Now he sat alone in the quiet darkness of his assigned quarters.

All that broke the gloom was a pair of spindly candles, which enabled contemplation to be unhindered. He lay on the bed meditating, but something was disturbing him. Something he wasn't sure of. It almost seemed alien to him in some respects, but it was part of him, part of his Vulcan culture.

Spock suddenly felt burning hot from the inside out. He wondered whether the temperature controls in his quarters were malfunctioning so he asked the ship's computer if the temperature controls were in error. It replied in a flat feminine voice that there was nothing wrong. It had checked for malfunctions of various kinds. There wasn't any. Spock gave himself the luxury of a deep sigh.

He sat up frowning, but sudden nausea and the feeling he was going to pass out clasped him. For a moment he sat still where he was, then gingerly stood up. The sensations slowly began to fade. Beneath his feet he felt the vibration of the engines pass into impulse power from warp drive. Spock guessed that they were nearing their new destination.

The vast starship began to slow. He passed into the outer room and headed for the door. Spock frowned at himself. He wondered why or where he was headed. Then he remembered. The bridge. He turned and gazed at the artificial flickering candlelight.

"Lights," he said. The computer complied and they came on with a quiet beep confirming that it had corresponded to his order. The Vulcan stepped towards the dressing table and extinguished the voltage candles. Then he left.

The corridor seemed strange. Extremely dazzling bright. His hearing appeared to be hyper accelerated and a blazing headache formed between his temples. Why do I feel so...strange? He questioned himself. Spock stopped abruptly then drew himself up tall and reached into his mind for the mind rules. He succeeded and the sickness completely vanished.

He continued down the empty corridor toward the nearest turbo lift. He stopped in front of the beige doors and they parted before him. Spock stepped in, "Bridge." he commanded. The lift complied and accelerated upwards. Slowly it came to a halt at a higher level. The doors opened and a young female ensign stepped in. For a moment she appeared a little taken a back.

"Captain," she managed to murmur shyly. He nodded in reply. The lift took them up three more levels before she departed.

Once more Spock was alone. The lift started again and this time it continued without any more disruptions. It finally came to a halt at the correct destination. The Vulcan stepped onto the bridge. Someone turned and starred in mild surprise. The captain spun around and towards him in her chair and smiled.

"Captain Spock welcome to the bridge, but at this moment we are entering into a difficult situation I would advise strongly for you to return to your quarters." It was a polite way off saying go away he realised.

Spock stepped down toward the command centre. Captain Shomoko Wong was seated next to the first officer, Commander Antor Jax. He was a typical Orian complete with dark olive green skin and an annoying self-important personality. He didn't give Spock a second glance.

"I am here to offer you my services Captain," Spock said in a matter of fact tone.

"You are?" She replied.

"I have read the review of the mission," he said. "Since I am here I believe I would be a valuable officer to you and your staff."

She turned to face him directly. "You know that this is not under regulation Captain, but since your here..." She pondered for a minute then cocked her head side ways indicating him towards the science stations."...You might as well stay." Spock did not budge from his spot. He neatly placed his hands behind his back.

"Thank you," he said. Wong waited to see if he would move. He didn't.

"You can take science station three," she said. Spock continued to remain where he was standing She paused. "Is there something wrong Captain? That was your position aboard the Enterprise. Science officer?"

"Yes sir," he said. The Vulcan turned and stepped toward his station at the back of the circular room. For Shomoko Wong it seemed strange even inappropriate for someone of Captain Spock's status to address her as sir. She guessed that the living legend, if she could address him as such would soon become an ambassador for the Federation. She felt a little uncomfortable. His life was in her hands.

Perhaps it was a mistake to have granted him a position as an officer on her bridge, but she knew that she couldn't go back on her word. He was all too valuable to her. She knew of his vast career as a scientist and as a first officer.

He certainly had plenty of experience in both fields. Not to mention command experience as well. Technically the Vulcan was her superior. Spock can take care of himself, she decided. Wong flicked back a strand of straight bobbed hair behind her ear.

Jax was gazing at her. She assumed he had the same question in his mind.

"Captain Spock was," she corrected herself, "is the best science officer in the fleet. I would be stupid to pass up a chance of working with him. After all he is still aboard the ship. He would be a very valuable commodity."

"Of course Captain," said the Orian.

"What's on your mind?" She said.

"Do you think it is wise including him as a chief science officer?" He paused. "If something happens it's us who'll get the blame." Wong smiled.

"Captain Spock won't be included in any landing parties." With his name being mentioned the distinguished Vulcan turned in his chair and glanced at Wong. She smiled back at him and lowered her voice remembering Vulcan ears were particularly more developed than the average human's.

"His safety is in our hands," muttered the first officer.

"Approaching Droline V sir," said the young man from the flight control station."

"Yellow alert," said Wong.

The ship gradually descended towards the planet. The world looked different. Polluted considering its appearance before. The Krackatowa hung nearby in a high orbit around the planet.

"Hail the Krackatowa," said Jax.

"Hailing frequencies open," said communications officer Robinson. For a long moment there was nothing. Then the signal broke through. "On screen Sir," said the officer as his busy fingers ran across his keyboard. The image appeared, but was disturbed with static. Everyone was running about hastily. Aboard the Krackatowa there was chaos.

"Thank god your here said the officer in command." Tavell's face displayed the emotion he felt. "It a disaster zone here." He shook his head.

"Where is your Captain?" Said Wong. She leaned forward in her chair as if to get a better view of what was happening aboard the other ship.

"Captain Saavik and her away team have gone missing. They beamed down to the surface to see what was happening to the planet after it was so drastically changing."

"Are you the highest ranking officer aboard Lieutenant?" Said Jax.

Spock sat in silence. He gazed at the screen. For a moment he felt his control lapse and the fever calling him. Then he realised with the utmost reverence that he was undergoing the first stages of the frenzied mating drive which Vulcan males endured once every seven years. But he was different.

Being half human the condition was unpredictable, like it had been before, the first time. He had hoped that was the last. Unfortunately it was not. Then he remembered that the Genesis planet had stirred such an illness within him.

He wondered how old he must have been during that time considering that it was a premature experience. He still didn't remember anything, which took place on Genesis. It was still incredible to him that a child had been conceived. His child and Saavik's.

The Krackatowa was her ship. He had no idea that this was her ship. Finally the Vulcan pulled his eyes away from the fuzzy screen and continued with his task.

He hadn't seen her for thirty-seven years. It had been difficult for her. He understood that. He had felt dreadful about it all, the entire situation. Even angry at first because she had never told him. His daughter, T'Sharl was dead and he never had the chance to talk to her about the young girl. His own anger however had dispersed years ago. What remained now was commiseration.

Now was the clear possibility that Saavik had died down on that planet or was dying and that he was too late. What made it worse was the Pon Farr. If he did see her again, alive there was no way he could burden her with his predicament. It was both embarrassing and shameful. Spock struggled in vain to suppress the physical inner shudder and inner torment that was steadily awakening.

"Yes sir. Commander Singh is critically wounded," replied Tavell.

The screen began to crackle loudly. Someone over the other side, out of the view screamed.

"What the hell is happening over there?" Said Jax. Captain Wong got to her feet.

"The ship is being taken over. Huge creatures are killing anyone who stand in their path." The communication transmission began to waver. "Doomed. To late...Starfleet command. The aliens..." The picture fizzed and audio blinked out.

"I can't hear you," yelled Wong in desperation. "What aliens? TAVELL!"

"Captain," Spock's quiet voice said. He glanced down at his scanner. Wong turned. "The science computer is malfunctioning. I am unable to get a definite fix on either the Krackatowa or the planet."

"Harry can you compensate for the disturbance?" Said Wong.

"Trying sir." He switched channels. "Unable to. There is too much interference. Seems to be a frequency blocking the communication." Spock adjusted the sensitivity of his scientific instruments.

"If what I am receiving is correct the disturbance is emanating from beneath the surface of the planet."

They watched in silent horror at the view screen. Aboard the Krackatowa something black and gigantic burst through the rear turbo lift doors on the bridge as if the metal was constructed from paper. There was silent screaming as the thing snatched an ensign and began devouring him right in front of the other crew.

Spock averted his eyes and closed them. The ensign was young, too young. Even though he had seen it all before, many times over it did not ease the discomfort he still felt when something like that happened. It was a human weakness, which he still could not resolve. Compassion.

"End transmission," said Wong quietly. The screen blanked.

"Captain it blanked before I touched the controls," muttered Robinson. He turned in his chair and gazed at her.

"Keep a good distance from both the planet and the Krackatowa." Carey shook his head.

"I'm sorry sir, but the ship won't move. I'm no longer in control." He shrugged and spun around in his chair towards the captain and the first officer,

"What!"

"I can no longer pilot the ship. It's out of my control."

"Red alert," she said. "Battle stations. We don't what the same thing that is going on over there to happen to us."

It worked and the room darkened. All emergency systems actually came into operation, but only for a short second. The lights dimmed and the whining sound of instruments failing could be heard.

Everything went down and there was near blackness. Only minimum systems were still functioning. The only light came from a large circular window above the bridge on the ceiling, which was from the planet and sun.

Captain Spock got to his feet and came to stand next to the centre seat. "All systems are closing down." Wong laughed. It was a horrid bitter sound.

"I fail to understand what is suppose to be funny," said the Vulcan.

"Quite right Mr Spock. There is nothing at all amusing about this situation. In fact it is quite the opposite. If we don't act fast we're be dead very soon." She grimaced. "Shields."

"Unable to," said the defence systems officer Shantelle, peering closely at her computer terminal just to make sure that she wasn't in error. Unfortunately she wasn't. Her training in minus lighting situations had paid off.

"Damn," said Wong. "Then we're trapped here." She turned and gazed up at the Vulcan who had now moved next to the first officer.

"We're sitting ducks," he commented. Both officers gazed at Spock for a moment and there was complete silence.

"Are the emergency back up lights working?" Wong said after a time.

Carey keyed in the request. For a moment there almost seemed to be a chance that they would function. There was a fizz of energy. Unfortunately it was nothing more than the depletion of power.

"How long wills the air last?" Wong said in the darkness, not to any one in particular.

Spock replied. "Six hours, thirty minutes, twenty four seconds."

"Then we've got to figure out watta we are gonna do until we suffocate to death," murmured an officer in the darkness with a distinctive Mexican accent.

The ship suddenly began to move. Slowly at first. They were headed towards the planet. Then Nova plummeted.

With no idea what was happening the crew were thrown out of their seats. The gravity generator was immobilised. Everyone began to float upwards before they inadvertently were thrown onto the ceiling as the Nova was tipped upside down by an unknown force as if she was a plastic toy bobbing on a pond.

Gradually the ship resumed its normal position and everyone fell into a heap on the floor. Captain Wong managed to crawl free. Someone on top of her was either unconscious or dead. She didn't know.

"Whatever they are they've resumed our gravity," she managed to say. A pain ran down the length of her arm and across her shoulder. Wong realised she had dislocated it. She gasped with the pain and managed to get up relatively unfazed.

Everyone crawled, staggered or dragged themselves to their stations. The lights flashed and came back on.

"What the hell is going to happen next?" Murmured Jax as he flopped rather undignified into his chair. Spock as usual appeared unflappable as if nothing had happened. Only a cut on his forehead marked his fall. "What are they trying to prove?"

"Other equipment working?" Wong asked rubbing her arm. The turbo lift doors opened with force and the chief surgeon stepped out looking a little worse for ware. His blue skin on his corrugated head was puckered and raw. Evidently he had been in the turbo lift when the incident happened. He staggered towards the captain.

"Any one hurt?" He managed to say despite his head whirling around. He could clearly see stars before his eyes.

"It looks if it is you who need medical attention, Zati," said Carey.

The screen flickered on and everyone starred. The doctor taking no notice rushed across towards the Vulcan, but he stopped in mid stride when a deep growling voice which sounded computer generated interrupted him.

"WE FROM ARKHICTOURA. WHAT HAPPENED? PROOF STRENGTH. WE DEMAND YOUR SHIP, OURS. WE STOP AT NOTHING. YOU NOT COMPLY, WE REMOVE ONE." The message stopped.

"They don't sound very friendly do they?" Said Jax. He didn't know whether the message indicated all the crew or one person. The message was poorly constructed, but understandable.

"Captain. The message was a recording," Spock said from his station.

"How do you know?"

"The words were randomly placed together. It is obvious."

"Is your scanner working at all?" Spock shook his head.

"Negative sir."

"Then we have no choice, but to follow their wishes." She stopped and rubbed her head. "Any recommendations?"

"The escape pods sir," said Shantelle. "We leave in the escape pods."

"What would that accomplish?" Said Wong angrily. "We're not finished yet." She didn't really mean the bitterness in her tone directed at the girl. It was more out of defeat than anything else.

"The Captain is correct, Ensign. The planet is teeming with the creatures. We would be no better off than here or there," said Spock.

"Are the weapons functioning?" Wong asked her. The blond girl shook her head.

"Their thinking is logical," said Spock. He got to his feet. "They would not jeopardise their mission by giving us access to our weapons."

"What mission?" Said Jax. "All they seem to want to do is kill as many people as possible."

"Shouldn't we try the shields again," suggested Carey.

"Go ahead," replied the captain. Ensign Shantelle keyed in the data for the shields. She shrugged. Something stirred and a partial energy field managed to envelope around the huge ship. It suddenly disintegrated and vanished.

"Unable to sir," she said. Wong slumped in her chair, but she wasn't defeated yet. Not by a long shot. Suddenly the view screen flickered with the dark shape and the deep mechanical voice boomed.

"YOU, ONE MINUTE." Then it was gone.

"A minute," exclaimed Carey. "What are we going to do?"

"It would appear we have no choice but to submit to their demands. I only assume that they will not harm us yet if we comply with their wishes. They may transport us to the planet below." Said Spock.

"Oh that comforting," spit the Bolian doctor. "Those things will be wandering all over the place. What do they want any way?"

"Our analysis is undetermined," the Vulcan remarked.

"Communications officer try and open up a frequency to the aliens. I assume that they will let us do that if we decide to surrender. Check if anything else works will you Harry," the captain ordered. It worked and something appeared. The creature appeared similar to the one on the bridge of the USS Krackatowa. Wong leaned closer.

"We offer negotiations for a truce," she said.

"NOT ACCEPTED. YOU TEN SECONDS," the alien said. This time it did not speak with the randomly placed words. The being appeared to speak genuinely. Once again the screen blanked. It had not occurred to them that nearly a minute had passed and they had used it futilely.

"Sir, communications have just come back on line. I shall contact Starfleet command," Robinson said quickly. In code he quickly sent out a message.

Code One - Nova attacked. Giant mollusc life forms. Priority immediate. Seek direct assistance. Out.

"WARNING UP," said the alien. "WE DO WHAT WE PROMISED."

"Wait!" Wong stood up. "Harry reinitialise communication."

"Can't sir. It's to late. They've prevented any further messages from us."

"Oh god," said Shantelle from her station. She turned and gazed at the Vulcan. Everyone waited for the outcome. There was dread. It could be any of them.

Spock got to his feet and opened his mouth. Before he could utter a single word he disappeared within a showering beam of luminescent yellow light.

Wong yelled, "Track transporter signature."

"Unable to. System has gone down again." The relief science officer who hurried to Spock's station gazed hopelessly at the blank computer screen as if willing it to come back to life.

Wong wanted to scream. She turned to see twelve or more aliens materialise on the bridge. She and her crew were out manned and outgunned with no place to run. They were completely trapped on their own ship.

A deathening scream emanated from the young weapons officer. She was no more. All that remained was her uniform crumpled on the floor.

One of the creatures armed a weapon of sorts. A high pitch whine came from the device and everyone fell into deep unconsciousness.