As the Enterprise came into orbit of a planet, Spock pressed the com button on the captain's chair. "Mister Scott, begin beaming the crew down to the planet," he said. "Once everyone is there, we will do what we can to rescue the captain and the others."

"Yes sir," Scotty replied.

Sulu looked at Spock. "You're sending us all down to the planet?" he asked.

"Yes, Mister Sulu," Spock said. "It is too dangerous to keep the entire crew on the ship. We do not know whether Khan has programmed a destruction sequence."

"But who's gonna watch after the ship while you're working?"

"We will take care of it, Mister Sulu. Now, I order all of you to the transporter room to be beamed down to the planet. We are wasting time by having this debate."

Sulu sighed. "Yes sir," he said.

Ensign McCoy did not like the idea of leaving either since his brother was also in the holodeck. When everyone else was off the Bridge, McCoy stopped to talk to Spock. "I want to stay, Commander," he said. "That's my brother in there."

"There is nothing you can do to help him, Ensign," Spock replied.

"How do you know? Maybe I can help Scotty."

"This is no time for defiance. I would appreciate your cooperation by obeying my orders. I would not want to have to tell the captain that you refused a direct order."

McCoy frowned. "Yes sir."

"I am sorry, Ensign. I understand your concern, but we will do everything we can to rescue the captain as well as your brother and Doctor Marcus."

"I know you will, Mister Spock."

"You will be informed of whatever happens."

John got into the turbo lift that would take him to the transporter room. He was soon at the corridor. He walked slowly toward the transporter room. He did not want to go down to that planet while his brother was stuck in that holodeck with some maniac. He had been ordered to go down to the planet…his commanding officer had ordered him. If he disobeyed that order, he would most likely be put off the ship, sent back to the academy, or worse. Would Captain Kirk dismiss him?

John took a deep breath and went on to the transporter room. Scotty was standing at the controls. "Okay, Laddy, you can go with this bunch," he said. He looked at John. "Do not worry. We're gonna figure out a way to get them out."

"I can't keep from worrying," John said. "That's my brother in there, and I don't want to go down to some planet…"

"You were ordered to. Now, get on the pad."

John reluctantly went on. He was not happy as the light encircled them and he was soon down on the planet. He felt like he had betrayed his own brother by just leaving him. Sulu was waiting for everyone. He went over to John. "Come on," he said.

"I don't like this," John said.

"Mister Scott is the best, and if it's at all possible, he'll get them out of there, and besides, we're gonna be talking to some technicians with Starfleet who might have more knowledge of holodecks."

"He's right," Uhura added as she walked up to them. "We're not out of the loop completely. While Mister Scott studies the program, we're going to be getting more information for him."

"And more information is the key," Sulu said.

John went along with them, but he still wished he was with his brother…even if he could not be in the holodeck.

Jim and Khan were fighting with the bat'leths, and it had already become a bloody battle since the blades on those weapons were razor sharp. They had both given each other small cuts. It was not easy fighting in such a way in a close area like the tunnel, but Jim was not going to give up. He was trying to keep Khan from pushing him back, but he realized they were already further from Bones and Carol. He decided that was probably best if they got away from Carol and Bones, so he turned and ran when he kicked Khan back once again. He knew he would follow him.

Carol could see what Jim was doing. "Jim," she whispered, but she got over to Bones. "Doctor McCoy." She could see where the laser had grazed the side of his head, and he was completely unconscious. "Doctor McCoy, can you hear me?" She patted his face. "Doctor McCoy."

Bones did not move at all. Carol took her communicator. "Mister Spock, can anyone hear me?" she asked. She did not get an answer. She would have to figure out how to get out of this mess herself, but she did not want to leave the doctor lying there alone. She could hear Jim down the tunnel as he continued to fight Khan.

"Doctor, you must wake up!" Carol said. "Come on!" She shook him. "Doctor McCoy! Wake up! Jim needs us!"

Bones moved his hand slightly and then moved his head. Carol patted his face. "Wake up, Doctor!" she said.

Bones finally opened his eyes. "Jim?"

"No! It's me, Carol!"

Bones looked at her, and he thought he knew why Jim liked her so well as he looked up into her pretty blue eyes. He realized what he was thinking. "Where's Jim?" he asked as he tried to sit up. He grimaced at the pain in his head.

"Jim is down there fighting Khan," Carol said. "We have to find a way out of here! Come on!"

Bones managed to get up with Carol helping him. "Whoa," he said as he felt very dizzy for a moment. He touched the side of his head and saw blood on his hand. He hated the sight of his own blood.

Carol grabbed his arm as he almost stumbled backward. "Listen!" she said. "We have to find a way out of here!" She knew he was still out of it just a little.

Bones looked at her. "I hear you," he said, but his eyes closed.

Carol shook him again. "You have to stay awake!"

"I'm awake."

"Let's get moving."

Bones felt like he was walking on cotton or something as they made their way through the tunnel. He kept a hand on the wall to keep his balance while Carol held to his other arm. She was glad the doctor had come along with Jim now that they were in this situation.

"There should be a way to find the controls," Carol said. "It can't be gone."

"This is like a maze," Bones replied. "We could keep going in circles."

"I wish we had a tricorder. At least maybe we could find the controls."

"Where did Jim go?"

"He led Khan away from us."

Bones could hear the sorrow in her voice. "We have to think about what direction we're going," he said. "If we keep going in circles, we're never going to find the controls."

"How do you suggest we do that? Do you have a compass?"

"A compass wouldn't work here, Sweetheart. We have to just orient ourselves."

"Don't call me that. Only Jim can call me that."

"Sorry."

They soon came to another cavern. "I don't think I want to go that way," Bones whispered. "What if we meet up with more Klingons?"

Carol certainly did not want to meet up with anymore of them but they did not have much choice but to keep going the way they were going. "Keep your eyes open for anything that looks like it doesn't belong," she said. "The controls have to be concealed somewhere."

"I don't think Khan would leave us a way out," Bones replied.

"Still, the holodeck is set up so that the controls are sealed but they do not look exactly like they fit in with the environment."

"Oh. I have to admit I don't know much about this thing."

"It's quite an enjoyable pastime when something like this doesn't happen."

"I think reading is a lot safer."

"Not near as much fun though."

Jim and Khan were still locked in battle. Jim was getting tired, but he knew Khan was not. He wanted to get this battle over with, but he wondered what would happen if he killed this hologram of Khan. Would another one appear? Jim had not been able to take the time to see what kind of wounds he had, but he could feel blood on him.

"You're getting weaker, Captain," Khan said.

Jim wondered just how well this thing was programmed, but he supposed Khan had programmed his very being into it, and it would respond exactly like he would. Jim panted for a moment as they stood staring at each other. His muscles were starting to tremble with fatigue. He just hoped he was giving Bones and Carol a chance to find a way out.

Khan's hologram suddenly attacked again raising the bat'leth over his head, and giving Jim no choice but to block with his own blade. Then Khan kicked him in the chest, and Jim fell hard on the floor of the cave, after his back glancing off the cave wall. He scrambled to get away from Khan as he was coming at him with the bat'leth.

Jim cried out as Khan managed to slice across the back of his shin. He thought that was a very sensitive part of the body, but he had no time to think about the pain he was in because Khan was not finished. Jim got the bat'leth up in time to block the blades of Khan's. He had to get up from the floor! But Khan was determined to keep him down there.

Jim managed to trip the hologram and he fell backward. Jim got up as quickly as he could but his leg did not want to hold him up. He tried to keep most of his weight on his left leg since it was the right that had gotten cut. The hologram Khan attacked with as much fury as the real one would have. Jim had to fight to keep his footing…and his life.

Scotty was now in an access tube trying to access the controls of the holodeck. "This would be a lot easier if I didn't have to be crawling!" he said over the communicator.

Solan rolled his eyes at that. He looked at Spock. "Now, you see what I hear every time I help him do maintenance?"

"Mister Scott, have you found a way to bypass the controls?" Spock asked.

"I just now got to the right relay! Give me time, you pointy eared…"

They did not hear the rest of what Scotty said as he dropped his communicator. They were used to hearing Scotty call people names, and knew he meant nothing by it. "I have to find out what's controlling that program, and find out if there's anything else attached to it to cause a chain reaction," Scotty said. "This is no easy task!"

"Do you see anything, Mister Scott?" Spock asked. "We must work fast. The captain's life may depend on it."

"I know that! You don't have to keep reminding me! Only makes me more nervous! Solan, I need you in here. Spock can handle anything that we need done out there."

Solan looked at Spock. "Do I have to go in there with him?" he asked.

"Don't ask him that!" Scotty said. "Get your…"

"Alright! You don't have to get mean about it. You need to lay off the caffeine."

"Don't tell me what I need to do!"

Spock could hear that bantering as Solan walked away toward the access tube. He had heard plenty of banter among several members of the crew. He himself participated in the same thing with Jim and the doctor. He thought it was just a way to keep sane to humans. He had learned to just go along with it, and besides, it was sometimes rather fun. He would never let them know that but he enjoyed bickering at times. It was amazing to him that they could argue in such a way, even insult each other, and still remain friends. He thought his life would be very dull without his…friends, now. He had never actually had a friend until Jim Kirk showed him what a true friend was.

Solan crawled down the access tube to where Scotty was. "It's about time," Scotty said.

"Don't rush me," Solan replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"Oh, so now you're in a hurry."

"You're a real grouch, you know that?"

"I like being a grouch! Stuck in the middle of space with all of you is enough to make anyone a grouch."

Scotty looked into the power relay. "Tell me if anything happens right over there," he said.

Solan removed another panel where he could see what looked like bags of gel. "Okay, I'm looking," he said.

"Now."

Solan was surprised to see one of the gel packs light up. "Uh, something just happened. One of them lit up."

Scotty frowned as he backed up and removed his goggles. "It's definitely attached to cause a reaction." He looked at Solan. "We have to block the reaction before we can do anything to free the captain."

Solan could see the seriousness on Scotty's face. "You think we can?" he asked.

"It's not going to be easy, Laddy, and it's going to take time."

"We'll just have to work as long and hard as we can."

"Aye."

Scotty picked up his communicator. "Mister Spock."

"Yes, Mister Scott," Spock answered.

"We've got a big problem, Sir. We can't do anything to help the captain until we can block this chain reaction."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know, Sir, but we can't rush it or we could blow them and us to kingdom come."

"I would prefer to avoid that."

"So would I."

Spock thought he was learning just exactly what tension was, and he had learned plenty about it since he had joined this crew with Jim as the captain. He had learned not to take death so lightly because the humans who surrounded him did not see it as anything joyous, but something to avoid. He certainly did not want his friends to perish in the holodeck.

Just then, Spock's communicator whistled with another message. "Spock here," he answered.

"Spock, Mister Sulu and I have been talking to some Starfleet technicians about the holodeck," Uhura said. "They might be able to help."

"I believe Mister Scott has figured out the problem. The bigger problem is knowing how to block the chain reaction that will occur if anyone attempts to override the program that is running. We have no way of knowing what is happening to the captain and the others."

John McCoy was listening to that message. He hated the thought that his brother was in there, and could be dying. "Is there no way to beam someone into the holodeck?" he asked. "I'll go, Commander."

Spock knew how McCoy felt. He had felt the same way when Uhura was trapped in Krall's compound, and he had asked the captain to let him go in there just because she was there. "We cannot do that at the moment, Ensign," he said. "However if the need does arise, I will contact you."

"Thank you."

"Uhura, keep talking to the technicians. Tell them what I have told you and see if they know a way to stop the chain reaction. It is attached to the relays, and will reach all the way to the warp core."

"It would destroy the entire ship," Uhura said.

"Yes."

"I'll find out all we can."

They ended the transmission. Uhura looked at Sulu. "It will destroy everyone on that ship," she said.

"I hope they find a way to get in there," Sulu replied. "They could have let us stay aboard to help."

"We should just cooperate and do all we can. They're trying to spare as many of us as they can."

"I know, but they're all important too."