Carnival

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Chapter Five

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Blood and Haunted Houses

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The ability to hear came back to Spock first. From the hum of the ship's engines, he knew instinctively where he was on the Enterprise and opened his eyes without hesitation. Spock let his irises adjust before attempting to move off of his bunk. Many years had passed since he'd been the victim of a Vulcan nerve pinch and he'd nearly forgotten the horrors it unleashed on a person's anatomy. His skin was on fire due to thousands of nerve cells firing a flood of electrochemical signals to his brain - a painful biological systems check that Terrans liked to dub 'pins and needles'. His head was throbbing as well, but he felt no need to fetch a sensory block for the pain - there were more pressing issues at hand.

Spock sat up and looked around; T'Lai was no where to be found. The urge to panic was quickly suppressed. He needed to alert the Captain of his findings and fast. Spock flew to his feet, stumbling slightly as his muscles jump started while he made his way to the computer.

The Vulcan took one glance at the screen and didn't bother to refer to it again. Of course T'Lai eliminated the evidence of their discussion... it was only wishful thinking that made him look to the computer in the first place. Spock would have to retrieve the file she deleted later, after he assessed what other tasks she managed to accomplish during the time he was unconscious. His eyes flickered to the chronometer on his desk and immediately caused him to rush out the door.

He had been out of commission for five hours. The Captain and the Doctor were sure to notice that he failed to meet them at the saloon - unless T'Lai deceived them into thinking he was not returning. That would be logical, not to mention a simple task considering they had been consuming ethanol based beverages and Spock had been expressing his dislike of the planet since their arrival. Spock wondered if Zira tailored this plot around these facts. Everything seemed to fit too perfectly.

The Science Officer jogged to the Transporter Room to find Scotty at the console. The engineer was looking ready to energize the platform.

"Mr. Scott, I require immediate use of the Transporter."

"Just a moment Commander, I got two te beam aboard." He toggled the dials to activate the transportation sequence, moving as efficiently as possible now that he had an audience. Spock wondered why the Engineer hadn't waited for a confirmation from the other side before commencing – as was standard procedure for any transfer - but Spock was distracted from his mental inquiry as soon as he recognized the figures appearing before him.

"Jim!" Spock stepped forward, relieved that his captain was unharmed in his absence; but Jim held up a partly materialized hand of warning. As soon as all his atoms were in the right place he keeled over and threw up on the transporter. Vienna winced and picked up her skirts, "Better out then in I suppose…"

Spock's head snapped in the direction of the woman who just arrived beside his Captain. "I order you to leave this vessel at once. " He inclined his head towards the Engineer at the console, not willing to take his eyes off of Vienna for more then a second. "Mr. Scott, prepare to transport this woman back to the co-ordinates you received her from."

Jim looked to his second in command with confusion, "S-Spock…?"

"I cannae do it Commander… the Captain is still on the transporter…"

Spock approached Jim and grabbed him by the shoulders. He was going to guide him off of the platform when Jim grabbed his arms and tried to resist. "McCoy… Spock, I can't find McCoy and I couldn't find you. "

Vienna went to set a hand on the Captain, but a glare darker then anything the woman imagined made her recoil in fright. The Vulcan stood to his full height and addressed the Doll with a tone of deepest disgust. "You are behind this."

The woman tried to regain her composure. She wasn't used to intimidation - especially from a Vulcan. "I assure you! I was with the Captain the entire night… I was even with him when the doctor disappeared!" She never expected Mr. Spock could be so terrifying.

"Not you. The ringleader of more then just a circus of nightmares. I am referring to the woman who sees through your eyes and hears through your ears - Madame Zira."

There was an awkward silence following Spock's words, in which the Captain cleared his throat. Either his First Officer was mad, or there was something going on beyond his comprehension. Scotty went to the intercom and ordered a security team to the Transporter Room. However, he didn't know who required the attention as of yet; Spock's theories were usually sound, but this time his accusation was a tad far-fetched.

Vienna adopted the look of an innocent victim. "Mr. Spock… I mean you no harm. Whatever T'Lai has done to make you so upset, I'm certain she didn't mean it."

Her sentence was punctuated by Kirk emptying his stomach contents yet again.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone on that ride…" He mumbled quietly as he wiped his mouth. No one heard him as he made to stand next to Spock. His legs were trembling from dehydration and his skin took on a sickly sheen. "Spock… we need to find M-McCoy. Vienna isn't guilty of anything we can prove…"

"You need to lie down Captain. You are unfit to search for the Doctor. With your permission I will assume command and deal with the present situation."

Kirk leaned against Spock, feeling absolutely wretched. "Spock… I left him behind. I need to go back and get him. You know I leave no man behind…"

Vienna looked from Kirk to Mr. Spock before suggesting, "I can stay and keep the Captain company while you go look for Doctor McCoy." The sweetness in her voice made a shiver creep up the Science Officer's spine. He felt like he was in a particularly complex stalemate. He technically couldn't declare Jim unwell to command without verification of the senior medical officer - who happened to be missing. He could only acquire it if Jim himself offered it, and the drunkard seemed too stubborn to do so. Plus, the old standby of knocking him out would count as mutiny… in which Scotty would be there to witness.

A security team entered with phasers drawn. They weren't sure as to what to expect, so they looked at their superior officers with confusion.

Spock swiftly took matters into his own hands. "Captain, I propose you go to your quarters to sleep off your affliction, while Vienna and I search for Doctor McCoy. Scotty can command in our absences." It was the only logical course of action available to him. He would have to personally find the doctor by interrogating Zira through Vienna.

Jim held a hand to his forehead. He felt like he was going to pass out then and there. "Spock… I'm counting on you."

"As usual Captain. Now rest." Spock turned to the security team. "Assist the Captain to his quarters."

The red shirts put away their phasers, took one look at the vomit on the floor, then stared at each other with bewildered expressions. They then took both the captain's arms in their own and gently led them down the hallway. Jim chuckled the entire way, "Boys… not a word of this to McCoy… or he'll have me confined to sickbay till payday. I d-don't know about you… but his potions are s-something awful…"

Spock stepped onto the transporter. "Scotty. Do not let any of the Dolls aboard this ship. Also, the Captain should not return to Pacifica no matter what the circumstances may be. If I fail to return, they will most likely try for him next."

"Why Mr. Spock! You speak as if we mean to hunt you down one by one." Vienna had the nerve to sound insulted.

"Precisely. I am not certain as to the purpose of such an endeavor, but T'Lai has informed me that Madame Zira has a special interest in this crew. McCoy being misplaced is statistically likely to be a factor of her interests, and since you have been assigned to Jim as I assume T'Lai was assigned to me… I can only speculate that I prevented you from harming him as T'Lai has harmed me." He tucked his hands behind his back in a business-like manner. There was a lot of guesswork on his part, but the pieces fit too well to be re-arranged in any other formation. "From this point onward, you are under my strict observation and will assist me in locating Doctor McCoy; if all of what I theorized is correct, you know where he is being held." Spock turned his head and addressed Scotty, "Mr. Scott, we are ready to energize."

Vienna looked incredulous. Scotty was just shaking his head and working the dials like a professional, "What ever yea say Commander… I just hope yea get McCoy back." The transporter hummed to life and Spock nodded. "I will Mr. Scott. I will."

The Carnival swam before Spock's eyes and the music hit his ears hard. He had blissfully forgotten how piercing the tunes were to his sentive hearing. Immediately he reached for his phaser and pointed it at Vienna in case she tried anything; yet Spock found that she was standing perfectly still and waiting obediantly for her his orders. The Vulcan tilted his head slightly, both pleased that she didn't take advantage of the second he was distracted, and suspicious. "Your charade is useless against me, and I know that Zira is in your mind puppeteering this situation. I suggest you tell me where the doctor is so we do not waste valuable time."

Vienna touched a hand absently to her chest. Spock assumed her fingertips were hovering over a ruby like T'Lai's, which allowed her to communicate with the ringleader. She looked at the phaser in Spock's hands intently before pointing her nose in the air like a rich noble. "Follow me then." She turned and started to head towards a shadier portion of the Carnival.

Moving like a ghost through the crowd, Vienna made Spock have to keep close behind her in order to not lose her if she tried to make an escape. Some of the junior crew members still on their leave spotted the pair weaving about and looked on in interest. It was rare to see the Science Officer on his own, especially in the company of women. First it was that Vulcan broad on teh Enterprise, and now it was this golden haired human. Perhaps there was more to their starched alien Science Officer then everyone assumed - or maybe the Captain was rubbing off on him.

Spock hoped that these subordinates would not attempt to distract him from the task at hand.

They both ducked down a small alleyway between two carnival stalls – one smelt of horrid food, while the other was a simple shooting game involving ducks. The hidden path lead to a surreal area surrounded by tall hedges that looked as if it were picked up from one of Earth's story books and transplanted straight into the Theme Park. It was a large house, grey in pallor and run down beyond repair. Windows were broken and a slight breeze – no doubt manufactured from somewhere just for ambience– blew through twin trees whose branches scraped at the dilapidated shutters.

Spock stared at it with a furrowed brow. "The Doctor is here?"

Vienna's hands were on her temples and she looked like she was experiencing a headache. "Yes. Though, this is as far as I am able to take you."

"What is this place?" The Vulcan asked, trying to figure out the purpose of having such a worn out building hidden amongst the newly constructed stalls and rides. "It appears ancient, and yet this Carnival is newly constructed. It is a discrepancy which I cannot solve with logic."

The woman laughed, "My people call this a 'Haunted House'. It is supposed to inspire fear"

Spock looked to the house, and then back to Vienna. "I am not afraid."

Vienna walked over to an empty swing that hung from one of the scraggily trees. "No… of course not. This was not what Zira had in mind to scare for you." The smile she gave as she ran her hands down the frayed rope made Spock worry about McCoy and what the woman meant by her statement.

The Vulcan left Vienna by the swing and squared his shoulders in an effort to prepare himself for anything that might attempt to maul him. He walked up the rotting steps cautiously and skirted around some debris from the destroyed porch to access the door. He looked back to see Vienna sitting quietly as if waiting for something. Spock eyed the decayed door with suspicion. This was obviously a trap, and he was going to walk right into it. How illogical.

"Silly little Vulcan. I promise I won't bite until you retrieve Dr. Leonard McCoy."

It was Zira's voice again, this time from Vienna's mouth. The Terran's eyes had gone pure black as if dipped in oil and her grin looked nearly maniacal. Spock started to backtrack towards her slowly, his phaser raised with intent to fire. "Zira. If you have harmed the Doctor in any way you have violated Federation law and will be arrested."

Zira/Vienna seemed disinterested in Spock's show of force. "Every second you waste with me is another second poor Leonard suffers. You have two options before you Mr. Spock; one is to wander into my pretty little house and rescue your friend, the other is to go back to the safety of your ship while dear Leonard dies feeling terrified and alone."

There was only one clear option, and Zira knew it.

"You will answer for your crimes." Spock said simply as he tore himself away from the possessed Terran and quickly re-flew up the steps in order to open the door. Finding McCoy was first on his list of priorities; Zira would come later.

Flecks of white paint came off the entrance as Spock's uniform brushed against it. The creaking of rusty hinges echoed dully around the foyer and was soon stifled in the layers of dust that suffocated all sound. Spock couldn't see the pattern of the carpet through the debris and dirt that seemed to layer everything. During his ten second inspection he noticed large spiders creeping over broken wood and metal that littered the floor. He speculated that they must be the source of the gigantic cobwebs that he was forced to walk through in order to search the house properly.

He entered the kitchen first and raised an eyebrow at the blood writing on the walls. It was fresh and in English characters, yet poorly written. From what Spock could tell it was a name: "Johanna," and it probably belonged to the female Starfleet officer that was disemboweled and hanging out of a cupboard. Upon closer examination, it was actually an ancient earth mechanism called a dishwasher and the Ensign's leg was missing. What caught the majority of Spock's attention was a large pool of vomit nearby that made the Vulcan wonder if the doctor had seen all of this before he did.

Sure enough, when he investigated further, his nose picked up the scent of Brandy from the puddle as well as bloody shoe prints that showed a clear outline of the sanitation patches which were components in the soles of boots worn by medical officers. What he also noticed was the butchered woman's ID card in her hand and the name printed on it. It was "Nancy Clarkson," which didn't explain the significance of the writing on the wall. Perhaps it was a clue that he would have to solve in order to find McCoy.

Spock put the card in his pocket and continued his search. He entered the dining room where two red shirts were sitting at an oak table with their faces ripped off. That made three Starfleet causalities he would have to pin down to Zira when he had the chance.

Spock pulled out his communicator to radio the ship, but as soon as he did so a sudden black and white image of a screaming woman overrode his senses for a split second and made him drop the device in alarm. A hologram of the woman seemed to flicker around the room in strobe light poses of terror that would made any human faint with fright. Spock however, merely assumed it was a hologram and tried to keep his composure - but it was difficult even for a Vulcan.

The security personnel sitting dead at the table were mauled by something, and that same something could probably appear and attack him too. The ghost woman flicked millimeters from the Vulcan's face making his eyes widen in distress.

"Won't bite. Won't bite!" With those shrieks reverberating off the papered walls, the spirit faded as swiftly as she came.

Spock moved on quickly, now desperate in his search for McCoy. There was no way the doctor could have experienced all of this without psychological consequences. Humans were just too fragile to be exposed to such things and still keep their wits about them. Bones was especially vulnerable if Zira manufactured this atrocity for him in particular.

He tried the living room next to find a trail of blood leading up a set of stairs. Spock took the steps two at a time, not liking the way his boots picked up the blood and smeared it into the white carpet of the upstairs hallway. There were a second set of tracks before his that the Vulcan could only assume belonged to the Doctor; they led into the master bedroom... where he could hear crying.

All other input was tuned out… including the gore that lined the walls and the soft wail of wind through the broken window panes. Spock ran into the room with only the Doctor on his mind.

McCoy was rocking back and forth; in his lap was a young woman with long brown hair and startling blue eyes that stared at nothing. The majority of her body was in bloody pieces and the Doctor was trembling as if experiencing a seizure. Spock was too stunned by the scene to move.

"Now you see what he sees… but can you feel what he feels?"

It was Zira's voice, as if whispering directly into his ear.

"He sees his old home… filled with the dead, his arms… filled with his daughter, his heart… filled with so much horror! But what is REAL?"

Suddenly there was a noise that reminded Spock of the breaking of a vacuum seal. He felt a disturbance in his mind, but realized it was as if a layer was being peeled off of his vision. Zira allowed him to properly open his eyes and glimpse reality untainted by her influence. There was no girl in McCoy's arms… it was just a mannekin broken into several pieces. Spock looked around the room to see only fake blood and manufactured gore that would hardly fool a child.

"Illusions… all if it."

Zira was more then a Betazoid then. No ordinary telepath - even one with empathic qualities, could do this. This was the mark of a powerful mind.

When the voice didn't answer him, Spock felt anger. It was a fury that even his Vulcan nature couldn't reign in. "Zira! Correct what you have done!"

Laughter echoed around his head, making him feel even more upset. The Vulcan took several deep breaths to calm himself before he approached his friend. "Doctor McCoy." He knelt in front of the troubled man and grabbed his face within his smooth hands. "Doctor, you need to understand that this is an illusion."

Warm tears rolled over Spock's fingers as Bones' eyes seemed to stare right through the Vulcan's head and into the nightmare beyond. He didn't register Spock's presence at all. His azure irises had reduced his pupils to mere pin-pricks, giving him a crazed look that shook Spock to his core.

"Doctor. Please focus on my voice."

"I can't… I can't put her back… together. I can't… I can't…" His voice fluctuated with extreme emotion and Spock felt himself floundering in his attempts to calm him. Bones tried to tear his face from Spock's grip to look back to the manikin in his arms, but the Vulcan held tight and moved it closer to that they were nose to nose. Now the Doctor couldn't avoid the soft brown eyes that bored into his own.

"Leonard. Focus only on what is in front of you."

"Spock… I…" His eyes started to dilate, and the trembling of his body quelled as his voice sounded momentarily stronger. "She's dead Spock. My little girl. There was nothing I could do…"

Spock moved his hands up the man's face, his fingers searching out his psi points with expert precision. "It was a lie doctor. I will show you."

It was the only conclusion he could come to given the present situation. He would have to face the consequences of a mind meld later. It wasn't the first time, and if Jim were present Spock was certain the man would order it.

The bombardment of emotions overwhelmed Spock as he attempted to enter McCoy's mind. Images from a distant past flooded his senses and the Vulcan was forced to gain get his bearings before being able to project what he saw into the man's mind. Bones reacted poorly, not able to take the strain of new input over the horrors his own mind was trying, and failing, to process. His psyche reached its limit and immediately shut down, forcing Spock out.

The Science Officer was riddled with a whole new network of complex feelings for what just happened as he found himself staring at an unconscious doctor now slumped in his lap.

Author's Note:

I was being greedy before submitting this chapter. I wanted to reach 20 reviews. I didn't make it - but 19 is damn close, so here you go. Now we're getting into the darkest parts of the story I was hinting at from the very beginning. When planning this, I was trying to associate classic Theme Park features with evil reflections on Jim, Bones and Spock's deepest nightmares. I picked the Haunted House for Bones since he's always been plagued by his mysterious past; his divorce, his daughter, his sick father... the sense of a broken family just radiates from him. A Haunted House seemed fitting.

Spock's horror is next. His was the first one I designed... since originally he was supposed to go through his trial first but I juggled some things around and he came out second.

Please read and review! I'm hoping to get to 25 reviews... though I know it's a slim chance ;.; If you need a prompt to review, try and guess the Carnival feature poor Spock is going to have to experience! It's not too difficult.