"Captain's Log, supplemental. Our orbit tightening. Our need for efficiency, critical. But unknown to us, a totally new and unusual disease has been brought aboard."
Sulu and Riley went back there stations on the bridge and sat down.
"Relative gravity increasing, sir" Riley said.
"Compensate, Mr. Riley", Kirk ordered.
"Yes, sir"", he nodded
"Magnetic field continuing to shift, sir", Sulu said. "Planet continuing to shrink in mass."
"Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked almost nervously as they looked at the planet.
"All scanning stations manned, all recorders functioning, Captain", he said.
"Orbit steady now, sir", Riley announced.
"Obviously, this planet is condensing more rapidly than expected. A valuable study. We may be seeing Earth's distant future. Before its sun went dark, this planet was remarkably similar to yours."
"Helm answering nicely, Captain", Sulu said.
"Good", Kirk nodded.
"Captain?"
T'Lora entered the bridge carrying a clipboard in her hands. She looked at Spock and couldn't help but look down shyly. Spock was just very handsome and intimidating at the same time. Kirk turned to her expecting something important if she was on the bridge. She held the clipboard out to him.
"Sir, this is bad", T'Lora said shaking her head. "Real bad."
"Tormolen's record?" Kirk asked taking it in his hands.
"Psychiatric file, personality quotients", Spock said taking a look at it.
"Was he trying to kill himself?"
"It's doubtful he meant to. He was confused, self-tortured."
Captain, Mr. Spock, with all due respect, but yes", T'Lora said. "Believe me, I was there."
"Doesn't sound like the man I know", Kirk said not understanding what could've happened to Joe.
"His capacity for self-doubt has always been rather high", Spock reasoned. "What puzzles me is what brought it to the surface with so much force."
Seeing her work there was done, T'Lora turned to return to the sick bay. She was shocked to see Joe fighting for his life while McCoy and Chapel worked over him, trying to fix his stab wound.
"His breathing rate is dropping, Doctor", Chapel noted, looking at the monitors.
"Compensate with the respirator", he said as he continued to operate. "Stand by to close...closing."
"What's happening?" T'Lora asked as she put on protective gloves and seeing Joe's rates continue to drop.
"Took you long enough to deliver that report", Chapel glared.
"Lines needed here", McCoy urgently said.
"What is it?" Kirk asked Sulu asked as the planet's gravity grabbed the shi.p
"Relative gravity increase, sir", Sulu answered worried. "Like the planet reached out and yanked at us."
"Compensate", Kirk ordered seeing Riley wasn't doing his job, looking at his hands. "Compensate."
He took control of the controls, snapping Riley out of his trance.
"Orbit steady now, sir", he said uneasily. "May be a little nervous, I guess."
This shouldn't be happening", McCoy said noticing Joe's rates were close to nonexistent. "This man should be getting stronger. You sure the respirator's functioning properly?"
"Yes, Doctor", Chapel nodded.
"Why is this man dying?"
There was practically nothing any of them could do as Joe's rates dropped completely. Joe laid motionless on the table.
"He's dead, Doctor", Chapel said.
"The wounds were not that severe", McCoy said in disbelief.
"Should we report to Captain Kirk?" T'Lora asked.
He nodded as he pressed the button on the intercom.
"This is McCoy. Captain Kirk to sickbay..."