Chapter six

Decisions

Jim looked round at the people in the room. Sulu – playing his part well - was frowning deeply. Oops! Sulu doesn't know that Chekov's not on the ship! Oh well, he knows now! Jim thought. He glanced at bones who shrugged, then at Spock.

"I think it would be unwise captain. Russia has some of the best defence technology and will probably have a beaming shield in place. Besides, there are rumours that Russia has created a miniscule device that is streamed into a computer in the capitol. These devices make it possible to track down anyone in Russia with one. It would give us a good idea of where we need to go to look for him." for some reason, Spock had avoided saying Chekov's name since he had gone missing.

Jim listened intently. "Spock, how do these tracking devices work? I mean, do the people have to go and get one or what?" he asked. If it was up to the individual, there was no guaranteeing that Chekov had one.

"No captain, it became law to get on over thirty years ago. If memory serves and I have understood the device correctly, then, at the age of two, it is compulsory for a child to have one injected under their skin, just in front of the right ear. It would be an excruciatingly painful process so the child is unconscious when it happens." Jim screwed his face up. He couldn't imagine how painful it must be, to have a microchip injected into the side of your head.

"Is it done like, in a hospital or doctors?" Bones asked. He was dreading the answer. He remembered when he was child. He had hated the thought of doctors, let alone hospitals. It must be really scary as a two-year-old.

"No Doctor." Jim looked up, a look of sheer disbelief spread all over his face. "It is what is referred to as a 'Back-street job. ` They are taken into a dark room, knocked out physically, and then it is injected into their head. A most illegal way to perform a legal operation." Spock finished. He didn't look phased by what he had just said. Bones was obviously disturbed by the thought. Sulu was positively puking and Scotty was looking anxiously toward the door.

"So, you wouldn't recommend beaming down there anyway?" Jim asked the Vulcan. Spock looked up at Jim and shook his head.

"Anyone else got anything to say?" Jim asked the group. At this point, Sulu looked up. Watching the captain closely, he started to speak.

"Aye Captain. Isn't it possible to do both?" he asked. Jim frowned at the helmsman, a sure sign for him to carry on. "A small group could beam down to where the Klingons did and start looking, and others could wait up here for permission so the Russians don't suspect." As he finished, Bones and Scotty nodded their agreement.

"Alright, Spock, is that a good idea?" Jim asked. There was no way he was going to blunder in and make a potentially fatal mistake.

"Good, it most probably will work but, it will be highly dangerous. If the Russian government were to find out about the landing party, they wouldn't hesitate to start a man-hunt and take prisoners. Russians are also known through-out the galaxy for their 'highly imaginative ways of finding out what they want to know. I doubt they would hesitate to use their highly praised methods." Spock told the group. "The groups would have to be volunteers. No-one has the right to order another man into such a dangerous away-mission." Everyone nodded.

"Right so everyone's agreed?" Jim asked, glad it had only taken ten minutes to get this sorted. "Is anyone volunteering?" he asked. Sulu's hand was straight up, followed closely by Scotty's. Bones was frowning.

"Jim, it would be wise for a doctor to go down but, would it be too suspicious if I was to go?" As he spoke Uhura walked in.

"Captain, what's happening?" They knew Uhura would have tapped into their meeting but they weren't expecting her to walk in. Jim looked up from his thoughts about what Bones has said as Spock filled her in. "I wish to volunteer." She said solemnly when Spock had finished. "And it would solve the problem of taking a doctor. I am emergency-aid trained. I could hopefully help treat whatever- if any- wounds he might have when we find him."

"I don't mean to be a downer, but you sound like you know where he is already." Jim commented. He looked at her standing there.

"You've got to be confident. When you're confident, things happen. If you sit there worrying, nothing's going to change." She told him. Jim nodded. Uhura was right.

"Alright. That's the undercover search party sorted." Jim made it sound final. None of them were backing out now. "You must all have a fully-charged phaser, a communicator and I want all of you to go in Russian civilian clothes. Oh and I dare say a translator might come in handy. Be in the transporter room for 11:55. You'll go at midnight."

The rotting oak door swung inwards and Pavel instantly recognised the interior of the ancient house. Hardly anything had changed since the day he'd been chased out, when he had been 11 years old. The bright wallpaper was peeling in the corner and was hardly distinguishable as white anymore. Brown marks from things being dragged across it had made it dark and gave the place an eerie feel. Spots of red mixed in with the brown and were well hidden. If they weren't, police would have dragged that pig in years ago for wife-beating and child abuse. Of course, it would ruin his career as a general if he were to have his collar felt. Pavel thought to himself. He looked down, past his knee- which was still dislocated, but Pavel had got used to the pain by now, - And looked at the shabby carpet. He scrutinised it carefully. It had been changed. Replaced with a very similar copy but it was not the same by a long shot. Pavel knew because the black patch where he and his brother had accidentally set it on fire was missing.

"I think you know where to go." His half-brother said icily from behind him. Pavel deliberately ignored the hint and remained still. His brother pushed him through a steel trap door that was covered in graffiti. This room had changed completely. When Pavel had lived here… when I used to live here, it used to feel, right. But now, I feel nothing. Not even a slight happiness at being home after, what, sixteen years away from the place. That's not right. Pavel tried to erase the memories from his mind. He needed to concentrate. There had to be a way out. As they came fully into the room, a light flickered on followed by thousands. Chekov automatically screwed up his face until his eyes adjusted to the sudden bright light. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room in disbelief. This had once been his room, where he had grown up. Now it had one clear use; torture. There was an electric chair shoved in one corner, out of the way from the entrance. There was a whole quarter of the room filled from top to bottom with ancient tortures. There was a pair of shackles drilled into the wall; there were some strange metal hoops that fastened shut. God knows what they are for, but it sure as hell can't be good. Pavel thought. He knew there would be no escape for him now. If the Klingons had brought him in here, it was for one reason only, to kill him.

He twisted his neck to look at them, not even trying to disguise the fear in his eyes. They gave him evil grins in return. He knew what that meant. He shook his head at them defiantly. They walked toward him, gathering speed all the time. He saw their attacks coming, but could do nothing to stop them. His punching arm was out of action, it was full of crushed bone. The blows rained down on him everywhere. Head, chest, arms, they didn't care where they were hitting. One of them hit his dislocated knee with such a force he crumpled onto the floor.

Black dots appeared in front of his eyes. He could vaguely make out his step-father fiddling with something; something long and thin, with a silver sick on the end. The injection didn't hurt, but it left a loud throbbing in his head. It urged him to sleep but there was something at the back of his mind, trying desperately to keep him awake. Was his own conscience toying with him, or was there something really important he needed to be awake for? Something cold clasped round his wrists as the haze in front of him thickened and left him in blackness…

11:55 p.m.

Jim met Sulu, Uhura and Scotty in the transporter room. It was strange enough seeing them out of uniform but, seeing them in Russian clothes was even stranger. The clothes suited Chekov, it was almost like they had been made exactly for him but Jim knew it was just normal clothing. But Chekov's thin frame made the clothes look alright, but Sulu and Scotty weren't skinny like Chekov. Uhura looked sexy in the Russian made dress she was wearing. It was a basic but effective dress. Short, black, low-cut, strapless, everything that attracted a man. It had the most beautiful pattern on it as-well though. Normally Jim never took time to admire dresses that girls wore; he was usually trying to imagine the beauty underneath the dresses. He dragged his eyes away from Uhura's cleavage long enough to register that everyone was waiting on him for the order. He cleared his throat gently. "Well, err, there's nothing much to say, just good luck really and err, maintain radio silence unless you absolutely have to tell us something. The Russians will no doubt be monitoring the ships frequency. Good luck!" he spoke quietly. He wasn't going to admit it, but he didn't have faith in the idea. He didn't see what use they would be. They yellow beams of people disappeared and Jim left the room in silence, reflecting on whether he should have let them go.

On the planet's surface, the air had a November chill and pretty soon all three were shivering. They took in the looming shadow of the wooded area in front of them. They glanced in the opposite direction briefly. Scotty pulled a tri-corder from around his shoulder and started scanning. "I think, he went, that way." He said pointing into the woods. Sulu shuddered.

"I hate woods. They're creepy." He mumbled under his breath. He took a step forward and the others followed. "This is going to be a long night." He sighed dramatically.

"You just be glad you've got some layers of clothing on!" Uhura remarked. Sulu hadn't been paying attention to much over the last hours before beaming down and had failed to notice what Uhura was wearing.

"Yeah, but this is hardly going to keep us warm." He replied as he picked at the funny material. Uhura scoffed loudly.

"Yeah, but be glad you're not wearing a prostitute dress!" she said hotly. Scotty laughed.

"It isn't a prostitute dress!" he chortled. Uhura shot him a glance.

"Oh really? What do you think a red light above a black door means then?" she asked, the sarcasm in her voice obvious. She waited for a reply as they carried on walking.

"Err, that someone can't see, so they switched a light on?" Scotty asked her. He did really know what it meant but he couldn't resist annoying the communications officer, she was hilarious when she was angry.

"No! You dumbass! It means that there are women who sell sex there!" she cried out. Then it dawned on her that Scotty was winding her up. They entered the first few trees. Being in the dark made it hard to navigate and all of them bumped into trees until their eyes adjusted to the light.

Pretty soon, they found the road and stopped. Once again, they didn't know where to go. Uhura was looking across the road hopefully, an indication she wanted to go that way but Scotty seemed to have different plans. He was walking toward a black shadow on the floor.

"Oh my," he whispered. "Sulu, you better get a look at this!" he called softly but urgently. He was shell-shocked. As Sulu walked over carefully, Scotty stunned the air with his phaser to make some light. "Flowers, bouquets, loads of 'em. And that!" he exclaimed. Sulu looked down in the light. It was fading quickly but he could see what Scotty meant. About a hundred thousand flowers were laid out, some with cards, some with other, more meaningful things, next to them. He followed Scotty's finger to a body on the ground. Wait! A body? What the? Of all things? Sulu thought. He looked across at the lieutenant-commander, frowning deeply. They stumbled through the ankle-deep flowers and crouched next to the stinking corpse.

"What on Earth happened here? Are all these flowers for whoever that was?" Sulu asked genuine bewilderment in his voice. Sulu looked across at Scotty.

"I don't think so. This person, whoever they were, has only being dead for no more than two hours I'd say." Scotty told him. Then he turned to Uhura. "You'd better report this to the ship."

Sulu looked down at the body in front of him. Then he shuddered. "It's not, is it? I can't tell in this light, not to mention the fact that it's been hacked to bits so much, I wouldn't be able to tell anyway."

He really didn't want to hear Scotty's reply but as it turned out, he didn't have to. Something moved, just in front of them. The two officers looked at each other momentarily before lunging at the bush. Scotty caught hold of warm flesh. He dragged it out of the bush and pulled it straight up.

"Ow!" it cried out. "Let go of me! I want to help you, get off!" Whatever it was had a feminine voice.

Scotty loosened his grip and the creature stopped screaming. "Who are you, what do you want?" he asked in a commanding tone. The thing stopped struggling as much.

"I err, my name is Klavdia, I want to help you." She said breathlessly.

"Do you know what we are doing here?" Sulu asked. It was strange that what was now obviously a child should claim to want to help three adults. He came toward the girl who glanced in the other direction.

Klavdia pulled her arm free before she spoke again. "You are looking for Pavel. You are Sulu, Scotty and Uhura from the Enterprise and you are looking for Pavel Chekov." She finished.

Scotty looked at her face sharply. "How do you know that?" his harsh tone didn't mask the worry in his voice. There was a scream of anger from the same bush and Scotty was sent flying backwards. Sulu let go of Klavdia and tore off the other child that had attacked Scotty. "Jesus! You got some force there. Felt like she was made to fight, that did." The lieutenant commander sounded slightly impressed.

"Get the hell off of me, you stupid scoundrel! We want to help you find him so let go!" another girl, definitely Sulu thought to himself. He was struggling to hold the kid. She was tough and strong.

"Quite feisty an' all! What a character!" Scotty smirked. Sulu finally let go of the girl. She ran over to Klavdia and they stood next to each other.

"My name's Karina." The second girl spoke with iciness in her voice. She was taller and thinner, if it was possible. They were both stick thin figures. They look like they've been on the street Sulu thought. He didn't know how right he was.

"It looks like we've got some explaining to do." She told them…