Chapter 7: Searching the Istar Inn
"What is it that you want me to do Spika?" Kirk asked.
"Tell your men that we are leaving in search of your other comrades." Spika curtly replied. "I believe they might still be out there wandering lost without their captain."
"How do you know they are missing?" Kirk inquired.
"I for one know that it's impossible that a star ship can be navigated by a crew of only three members, or am I not up to date with my records?" Spika quickly answered.
"Where have you been Jim?" McCoy yawned grumpily as Kirk entered the main room of the shelter.
"Like you would care of what I was doing.." Kirk sulked as he sat next to him.
Spock surveyed the men's faces and felt they were deeply angered somehow..probably because of the incident with Vaga's blindness. Kirk had definitely changed a fair amount the last day or so, physically and maybe mentally as well. He didn't seem to understand anything since they became stranded...the space overwhelmed his brain and the ability to control it, maybe his Vulcan mind was deteriorating in these conditions converting it to his human mind which noted memory loss. With these thoughts cramped up inside his head he kept his gaze on the fire.
"By the way, Spika wants us to go back to the Istar Inn to look for the others." Kirk muttered quietly.
"What are you saying? We just got here and that woman wants us out again?" McCoy snapped.
"This isn't like you doctor, with the crew split apart and the Enterprise in pieces wouldn't you try and regroup?" Spock intervened.
"How can we trust these so called Vagrants If they know where the others are why didn't they get here yesterday?" McCoy asked.
"Is it a lack of trust or jealousy to another person that you possess?" Spock quietly remarked.
"I'm not jealous. What does that have to do with anything?" McCoy inquired.
"Well you have been endlessly crabby all morning." Spock pointed out.
"Vulcans...they're all such smart alecks." McCoy muttered as he left the room.
"As you know, the Balizsar ways are devious, misleading and barbaric. They think bloodshed is a blessing and sacrifice of a human being a playful game." Spika announced as the crew members of the Aquila Interceptor and the three men from the Enterprise gathered in one of the Exit tunnels. "So we shall play a game with them."
"Since the Balizsar Republic doesn't approve of technology and the thought of other-worlders we must change into the appropriate attire by their standards." Spika continued and showed them simple merchant outfits that the Balizsar wore in the Istar Inn. "When we reach the Istar Inn we'll split into two teams one for the average bargain raid and the other because of another vessel marooned on the planet we need to find individuals who wear the Star Fleet crest. If these people are found, bring them back immediately. If no one is found..let's hope they have went down peacefully."
With that said Spika divided the teams, Spock, McCoy and Kirk were paired with a vagrant that advised them into the world inside the Istar Inn. McCoy was paired up with Malone, Spock with Spika and Kirk with a Hungarian man named Zoltan Nyeste.
"You should know I have been meeting many gypsies in my time. In Hungary, my homeland we had dozens of them. My great-great grandfather vas one...so vas my aunt and cousin. You don't want those relatives borrowing cash from you." Zollie chuckled in that booming evil genius voice portrayed in many movies.
"Zollie, aren't we supposed to be setting up the stand right now?" Kirk mentioned as they stood the Istar Inn and watched Spika unpack some strange little metal trinkets onto her stand.
"Oh yes, stand! You know my great great grandfather had a stand he used to set up his tupperware containers and empty wine bottles. You know my great great grandfather never left wine bottles full, unexplainable is it huh?" Zollie said loudly clapping Kirk hard on the shoulder.
When the stall was put up Kirk felt a sudden rush of excitement he had never felt before all the trinkets and knick knacks were all very interesting and selling them was even more interesting. The Balizsar seemed to welcome him to the Istar Inn and treat him as if one of them. Zollie kept on talking about his great great grandfather and complaining how much his family tried to cheat him from house and home, Kirk barely believed these were the people who tried to kill him the other day.
"Did you see anyone?" McCoy asked as the merchants packed their belongings and went to their caravans.
"No one little friend." Zollie declared sadly clapping a hand onto McCoy's shoulder. "My you are skinny bones, you should eat more goulash yes?"
"Thanks for the advice Zoltan." McCoy muttered recalling Zoltan's waistline as he tried to get Zollie's hand off his shoulder.
"If they aren't here they're good as gone...the Balizsar must have captured them and at any moment now they'd be stuck in one of their horrible rituals." Spika sighed closing the drawstring of her bag full of inventory.
"Wait maybe they're still out there...remember Scotty's message." McCoy interrupted.
"Excellent idea Bones," Kirk commented taking out his communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise..come in Mr Scott."
"Aye sir. Scott here." Scott replied through the communicator.
"Found where your coordinates are yet Scotty?" Kirk asked.
"Can't quite get coordinates sir, it's a wee bit difficult to see anythin' around here." Scott simply responded.
"What can you see?"
"Nothing." was his reply.
"Can you be more specific?" Kirk remarked.
"Well, I can see figures...but I can't seem to communicate with them one on one."
"Isolation barriers." Spika whispered.
"A what now?" McCoy asked.
"You're crew members might be trapped in isolation barriers. You can't see anything, you can't feel anything, or talk to anyone.. even if you're all together in a group." Spika explained. "The only faults are that it can't stop communicator signals."
"You got all that Scotty?" Kirk said into the communicator.
"Aye sir, but I don't understand.." Scott replied confusedly.
"It means you've got a lot of calls to make..Kirk out." Kirk concluded shutting the communicator off.
"So what are we doing now?" McCoy asked.
"The only thing we can do..find those barriers and shut them down." Spika requested.
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