The thing was following them, Leonard knew. He didn't need Chekov to tell them that. He could hear it crawling after them, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. The acoustics in the corridor made it difficult to track.
Tactician's nightmare indeed.
Still, they pressed on—Jim in front and Spock right next to him, Sulu in the middle, with Leonard and Porter closing the group. Their pace was steady but fast, and Leonard could tell Spock had his ears pricked for noise. He could also tell that Spock already knew they were being tailed.
Discreetly, Leonard pulled off his air mask, his enhanced sense of smell immediately assaulted by the stale, moldy air and the sharp cold smell of rot and death. Heaving, Leonard shuddered and noisily gagged at the disgusting stench, making everyone pause to look at him. The creature stopped as well, just a few meters behind them.
"Bones?" Jim asked, moving to break formation to come to his side.
"Stay there," Leonard gasped, raising a hand to emphasize his point and resisting the urge to pull the mask back over his face. The mutant's smell was distinct, and with the air mask off, he could start pinpointing where it was. Definitely somewhere behind them though—the scent was lighter in front of them, so he raised his gun and gestured for Jim to keep moving.
Spock took point this time, his phaser held tightly at his side, ready for action. Jim kept glancing behind to check on Leonard, clearly wondering why he wasn't putting his mask back on and itching to ask about it. Leonard ignored his questioning looks and focused, his senses reaching out in all directions.
Suddenly, the creature disappeared. Shit, it was fast.
Fuck.
Tightening his hold on the gun, he shifted it from his shoulder to hold it with both hands, though he kept his finger away from the trigger.
Funny how old habits die hard.
Spock paused suddenly. "I believe I hear something in the room before us," he announced quietly, and Leonard was impressed at how much sharper Spock's hearing was. A few paces later, he could hear it too.
It was pacing. Waiting for them.
And it only took Leonard a second to realize what room it was in.
"Fuck," he hissed, the unwelcomed memories assaulting him. Ignoring the surprised looks he'd gotten, he flipped open his communicator. "McCoy to Chekov, is there still only one extra heat signature?"
Chekov's reply was prompt. "Affirmatif, Doktor."
"Good," he drawled, shoving his communicator into Porter's hands and pushing aside Spock and Jim.
It was like he'd never left, his fingers easily inputting the codes he needed to open the door. The mutant shrieked and lunged instantly, but Leonard had both rifles at the ready, and he open-fired on the flesh-and-purple-colored predator. Finishing the entire clip into its head and torso and effectively destroying any chance of regeneration, the creature was blown back, displacing a table and eventually stopping just below the display case holding old skeletal remains.
"Oh my God," Porter whimpered in the silent aftermath. "Oh my God!" She easily gave up his communicator when he reached for it, eyes wide as she stared up at the dead creature.
"Chekov, is the signature fading?" Because it didn't hurt to be sure, and being in his personal hell, Leonard definitely had to be sure.
"A-aye, Doktor," Chekov sighed. "It eez fading slowly." Leonard relaxed, just as relieved as Chekov sounded.
"What is this place?" Sulu asked aloud, keeping his sword before him as he stepped into the room. To Leonard's displeasure, he wandered right up to the creature, as well as the bone structure John Grimm had seen over two hundred years ago. 'Lucy' and her child looked as if time hadn't passed them at all. "Are these human bones?"
"Humanoid." Ah, shit. He knew this place was a bad idea. Leonard strode over to the display. "We're on Mars, a dead planet, and this place had a dig site. No way could this be human remains, especially since no human's been here for two hundred years."
"I was not aware you read the mission debriefing," Spock mused over the computer Sam had sat in front of so long ago, downloading data she didn't know held proof of unethical human experimentation.
"I don't go anywhere without reading about it first," Leonard replied seriously. "I need to be prepared for any disease or illness we might face.
"Of course," Spock said. "I did not mean to say you were unprepared for possibilities."
Leonard ignored the absent apology Spock didn't say, doing his best to repress the memories of his sister in this room. It felt like she was still there, a ghost haunting both the console and the edges of his sanity.
Jim cleared his throat. "Well, now that we've ascertained that there are no more threats in this facility—" Leonard knew where he was going with this, so he tuned it out. It didn't matter what they planned to do, Leonard had already decided the fate of Olduvai.
It was his right, after all. He and Sam had been born here. He had died here. It was only fitting that he destroyed this place, this hell that has haunted him for two hundred years.
"So!" Jim clapped his hands, clearly done outlining his plan. A quick review told Leonard that Jim wanted to return to the Enterprise, and he was only a little surprised that Jim was clearly freaked out by this place. Or perhaps it was Leonard's reactions that had freaked him out. Either way, he couldn't wait to leave. "Shall we?"
It took a mere two minutes to rush back to the beam point. Leonard was glad to breathe in the Enterprise's clean air. After the surprisingly quick debriefing, Leonard stepped into his office, and opened his communicator.
"Ignite."