"There," the man said with a smile. "Now, tell me, why are you doing on my planet? I'm pretty sure I didn't get the memo about a half Vulcan and a human gallivanting around on my planet. Not that I mind, really. But I would have loved to have gotten some sort of notice. That would have been nice and proper, don't you think?"

Spock stared at the strange with a raised eyebrow. This planet was supposed to be devoid of humanoid life, it was supposed to be a paradise planet. Instead there was strange man with bright orange hair and a dream like reality.

"Not much of a talker, I see." The man walked around Spock, his hands shoved inside his pockets. He pulled out black visors and put them on, covering his strange eyes. "Maybe we should wake up your beau, what do you think? I think it's a great idea! Yeah, let's have some fun!"

He snapped his fingers and Captain Kirk began to stir. Spock had been so captivated by the strange he hadn't noticed Jim had been lying a few feet away from him, unconscious. He left the stranger alone and went to Jim's side, helping him get up.

"Wha- what happened?" Jim asked, holding on to Spock for dear life. "I had this strange dre- who's your friend, Spock?"

"I'm Ziggy. You're Captain James T. Kirk and that's Spock," The man, Ziggy, said with a serious voice. He took a step towards them and then broke out into a giant grin that showed off his strangely, point white teeth. "I know who you are! BUUUUT, I don't know what you're doing here on Neuköln (1)."

"Neuköln?" Spock asked, finally speaking up. "Is that the name of this planet?"

"It's what I named it!" Ziggy yells happily with a clap of his hands. "You like it?"

Ziggy swirled around in a circle, his head thrown back and eyes closed. He inhaled deeply and stopped a few feet away from Spock and Jim. He looked at them in the eyes, pulling down his visors to sit on his straight nose. He tilted his head, a hand coming up to his face in silent contemplation. His forefinger traced his thin lips as he took a few steps back to the Vulcan and Human.

"You do like it, don't you?" He looked at them uncertain, blinking rapidly and tilting his head to the side. Jim nodded. Spock looked around, taking in all the beauty that surrounded them and concurred that it was aesthetically pleasing. He nodded too, bringing another unnaturally wide smile to Ziggy. "It's not at all like my planet. There's water here!"

"Your planet? You mean you are not a native?" Spock asked.

"My planet dried up and died a long time," Ziggy replied sadly, turning away from them and looking down to the ground. "It was a beautiful place before the drought occurred." Ziggy turned back to them, biting his lower lip. "I've been on my own for such a long time, man. I've been rather lonely here, until you came that is. But I'm not stupid; you're here for the planet, not me. Enjoy it. Bring your crew down here; I'll make the necessary arrangements for their stay."

With that in mind, he walked away, white shoes leaving in prints on the soft sand that they hadn't noticed before. The man looked saddened by the thought of being alone and yet Spock didn't care because he and the Captain had to talk. He turned to Jim then, but the human was looking at Ziggy with a strange look on his face.

"Captain?" Jim snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Spock. He looked back towards the path that Ziggy had walked and motioned with his hand for Spock to follow him. The talk could wait; they had to figure out if this man was dangerous or just lonely.

The sound of music hit their ears as they followed Ziggy's path. Jim had nothing on his mind but the safety of his crew and this man, this Ziggy, had to be considered a threat until he was convinced otherwise. There was also the fact that Spock had turned to him with dark, confused eyes that held a question Jim just wasn't ready to answer. He remembered their dreams, both of them and he didn't want to talk about it while being on the planet. They would have time back on the Enterprise once this situation was settled.

"There's a starman waiting in the sky... he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds...(2)" the song grew louder as the continued on. The soft melody held a sort of earthy feel to it that resembled some of the tunes that Jim had back in his room. But this music was strange, almost alien. Oddly, Jim felt relaxed as they came to an opening and a small house came into view.

The song changed and a new melody, much more mellow that the last. "Ground Control to Mayor Tom... Ground Control to Mayor Tom...(3)" Jim stopped. That song sounded familiar. The deep, throaty voice and the guitar strings sounded like...

"Ziggy... Ziggy Stardust (4)," Jim whispered out. "Ziggy Stardust... that's odd."

"Gentlemen," Ziggy said as they approached the house. He held a guitar in his hands, strumming the cords softly over the music coming from inside the house. He motioned with his thumb to the chairs in front of him. "Sit, please."

"We'd like to know about this planet," Jim started. "We need to collect enough information so that our more shy colleagues will come down."

Ziggy explained about the planet and how the vegetation came to be. He told them of the splendours it had, the large sections of the planet with different seasons and climates. He gave them a geographic view of the planet using a tricorder and a computer and pointed out some of the more dangerous sections. But it wasn't until the end that he explained that the planet had one purpose and that was to grant a person's desires.

"Mine was to have my planet back," Ziggy told them. "And I've been here so long that I think Neuköln has just taken its form for ever. This is what my planet was like before the drought... before all the death." He sighed deeply. He looked at both Spock and Jim and said with a sad smile, "I hope you enjoy your stay here, as much as I have."

"Thanks, Ziggy," Jim said standing up. "We'll get started on landing procedures immediately. We appreciate your hospitality." They shook hands and Jim gave Spock a nod. Spock followed Jim out of the house and out of earshot, his hands running through his hair uneasy. "Report to the Enterprise and begin procedures. I think I need to talk to Ziggy a bit more. We can talk afterwards, all right?"

Spock nodded and opened his communicator while Jim returned to Ziggy's home. He wasn't convinced still. This man was strange and the mention of his planet and his loneliness might make him incline to keep them on the planet forever. But there was something else. His eyes... they looked so old yet he didn't look a day over 26. He spoke of his world as if it had died a long time ago and it still saddened him to think about it. Jim couldn't just leave the poor man alone while he and Spock brought down strangers from another planet to invade this replica. He had to understand Ziggy and his purpose and perhaps, help him out of his misery.

1. Neuköln is a song by David Bowie

2. "There's a starman waiting in the sky... he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds..." - Starmanby David Bowie

3. "Ground Control to Mayor Tom... Ground Control to Mayor Tom..." - Space Oddity by David Bowie

4. Ziggy Stardust is both a song and an alter-ego of David Bowie.

AND since i am, obviously, NOT David Bowie, i own nothing.