(Part 7 - Finale)
The voice shouted... An 'Eternal Man' who had only wished to be left alone... In Peace... Who hated the taking of Life. Even a small animal.
Much like Methuselah, the father he'd never met, he had to keep on running away from the curious. The seekers. The greedy ones too!
"You've worn out your welcome... Whoever you are... I give you one last chance... To save yourselves. Please... Just... Leave!"
The voice now boomed all across the small valley the Romulan shuttle and five explorers had arrived at. It was like thunder.
"We cannot leave... We have nowhere to go... We are all outcasts from our old home worlds. Please... Let us stay!"
This last plea from the Romulan captain... Was met a few moments later by a narrow beam... The violet ray.
He, the Orion scientists, and two sentry guards... as well as the shuttle... were vaporized. No trace that
they ever had stood or landed here. All the disturbed soil was soon smooth again. No footprints at all.
The Ancient Being soon relaxed, but then detected the cloaked vessel in orbit. The 'Vaak-Straya'.
She soon was also vaporized. Gone from the galaxy, and now just a 'Dream' that once existed.
Like the dream of the Eternal Planet of Legend. The planet which now cloaked itself. Forever!
###
"Captain... The planet in question just disappeared from all our sensor screens. Like it never was there!"
This from Jenkins' science officer. On Enterprise, Mr. Spock reported the same phenomenon on his screens.
"Well, I'll be damned! No sign of the Romulans... And now, no mystery planet as well. The cookie crumbles!"
Spock and Number One were also very disappointed but could not hold back a bit of a grin at Pike's chosen words.
Thresher and Enterprise stayed on station for a Solar Day to see if any sign of the Romulan ship could be discerned.
But after none was found, or of the fabled Eternal Planet... The two captains agreed to turn around, and head for Home.
Pike queried Mr. Spock soon after, for any ideas on what happened... Usually, a planet does not just get up and go 'Missing'.
Spock: "Captain, I am well read in many ancient myths, of Earth as well as of Vulcan... But this one has me 'Beat!'... Sir."
Pike could not help but give a chuckle... Mr. Spock was half-human but might be turning more & more Human by the Day!
Not too long after, as warp speed ships go, Enterprise and Thresher were soon back into more known, friendlier space.
Admiral Jenkins was thrilled to have his son and Threshers' crew back again... But the Romulan Command was furious.
And somewhere beyond a violet-colored star, an invisible planet became a rogue planet... Moving silently on... and on.
(The End)