Author's Note: Thank you to all who've been following this story and reviewing :) More detailed Author's Note is at the end of this chapter.
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Part III
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Captain's log, stardate twenty-two sixty-one point seventy-eight. Lieutenant Commander Scott in temporary command for Captain James T. Kirk. We've been orbiting the planet, temporarily named Alpha One, for nearly five hours now. Captain Kirk is currently planet side with a landing party in search of the missing crew of the USS Apollo in which we believe may have been stranded on. No contact has been made within that time frame.
I believe something strange has been happening with our instrumentation since the Captain and his crew left. Communications has been down for the past four and a half hours with no success in restoring it. We do not understand why this is happening as systems are reporting back stable and undamaged. Transporter capabilities have also been disabled with no cause as to why or how. To put it simply, everything has went offline.
I am now apprehensive as to what my next action should be. Captain Kirk has ordered me to Condition Green if there's no contact made within twelve hours. Until that time comes, we'll focus our attentions on restoring communications and transporter capabilities.
" Mr. Scott, what will we do if we're unable to restore communications and the transporter?" Chekov asked in his thick Russian accent. From the Captain's chair, Scotty sighed as he rubbed his eyes.
" I don't know, lad. But we'll hafta think of somethin' if we don't hear anythin' from them down there."
" Can we send a shuttle down to the surface with a landing party?" Sulu asked. He turned around in his chair to face Scotty and the engineer shook his head.
" Captain's ordered us to Condition Green. Can't do anythin' direct. Besides," Scotty scratched the back of his head. " If they haven't came back, what makes ye think that the shuttle crew we sent down there would make it back?"
He had a point, " Then what can we do? What will we do?"
" If worst comes to worst, we'll leave the planet's orbit… If the problem is due to the planet, that is. Hopefully it'll restore our systems and enable us to alert Starfleet."
Chekov turned around in his chair to face Scotty. The average person probably would not have given the twenty-year-old attention — his baby face and curly hair set him up for immediate dismissal under the assumption of a naive youth – but way his eyes widened ever so slightly, shoulders slightly straightened, his back flat… everyone on the bridge knew that this baby faced Ensign was anything but a naïve child.
He had something to say, something important, and whatever it was always managed to get them out of a tight spot.
" I've been monitoring the ship's systems from the science station and I have noticed that every so often there's a…" He held out his hands in front of him and demonstrated for emphasis. " … Spike in power, like our communication and transporter capabilities have went back online. But!" He held his hands as if he was telling everyone to wait. " It's just for a second, maybe two… It fluctuates."
" What are you trying to say, Chekov?" Sulu asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back into his chair. Chekov looked at him.
" I thought it was due to the repairs… but now that you've mentioned planet interference…." He trailed off slightly. " I'm saying that whatever is happening to our ship's systems maybe related to whatever is happening on the planet." He faced Scotty again. " What you've suggested maybe correct, Commander."
" Lieutenant Commander…" Scotty reminded.
" I'm sorry, Comm—Ah! Lieutenant Commander… Sorry, sorry!"
" Don't stress yer self so much there, lad. Commander Scott has a nice ring to it, but as long as Starfleet is holdin' that grudge against me for Admiral Archer's beagle…" Scotty sighed. " I'm getting ahead of me self."
" If there is a spike in power… if we're regaining our systems in random spurts… then we have to exploit it."
" Aye, Mr. Sulu. We have another seven more hours to figure out how to correct this tight spot we're in. Mr. Chekov, what's the status on the Captain and his party?"
Chekov turned around in his chair and typed a few things on his control panel, " All alive. Heart rate has elevated for Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Commander McCoy…" Chekov blinked in disbelief. " … and Commander Spock."
" Elevated heart rate…? Does it let us know why?"
" No, Comman-Lieutenant Commander. All other vital information is blocked due to interference but it is within normal range given the situation…. This was last reported nearly an hour ago with the last surge."
" Communications, stop trying to restore the system, it is not on our end. I want ya to focus on any potential incoming communications from the landing party. " Scotty ordered.
" Aye, Lieutenant Commander."
" If there's a window for us to get a communication out to them, we'll use it. Same applies to the Transporter Room. If there's an chance to beam them out, use it. How long does it last again?"
" One to two seconds. Longest was a minute." Chekov replied.
" Let's exploit any opportunity we can get our hands on, lads."
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Uhura winced and gritted her teeth as Spock slowly removed her right boot from her foot. It was the one that suffered the most injuries from her forced performance. He looked up at her briefly but he could not bring himself to reach out and caress her cheek, brush the loose strands of hair away from her face, or open their bond to assure her that he was there for her. After the psychological assault against his mind, their minds, he was apprehensive in reopening the bridge in fear of affecting her in that way again.
Nyota was already in pain, he thought grimly to himself, she didn't need to endure his weight.
He put the boot aside and looked at her foot. There were small stains of blood around her big toe that seeped through the sock she wore. He silently sucked in a breath, enough to so he would not alert the other three in the room. He was emotionally compromised but he did not want to show them that he struggling to control what he had lost. Slowly and steadily, he removed her sock and Uhura gasped once the sock had been removed.
" Doctor, I require… your assistance." Spock called out quietly. McCoy looked up from where he sat in their room and got up. He walked over to the two lovers and knelt beside Spock.
" What is it?"
" What is your prognosis, Doctor?"
McCoy looked at her foot. He was afraid to touch her because of the Vulcan. Ever since he was forced to be emotional and witness his bond mate suffer, Spock had been reserved, quiet, and quite possessive over Uhura. Even if he did not act upon it, his body signals spoke otherwise. Spock was angry and he was trying to contain himself. McCoy knew when to not overstep his boundaries with the Vulcan, which is why he had not attended to Uhura's injuries sooner.
Spock was mentally in a place that he did not know how to fix. Any subtle action or saying could easily tip the Vulcan. Whatever he had to do to recover from his assault was with him and him alone. McCoy refused to overstep his boundaries, even if he was within the medical right.
" I'll have to clean the wound. It looks like she's stopped bleeding but I want to wrap it up to protect it." He took out his scanner and did an analysis of her entire foot. " A few torn ligaments, sprained ankle... and a hairline fracture to the heel bone." He read off of his tricorder.
" Please do whatever is necessary to keep her from being in further discomfort, Doctor."
" Will do, Spock." McCoy moved to get up but stopped and looked at the science officer. " What about you? How are you doing?"
Spock looked at Nyota, " You need not to concern yourself with me, Doctor."
" Alright…." McCoy stood up. Normally, if this were any other person, he would have patted them on the back, but this was Spock and however awkward it was for him, he refrained from physical contact and walked back to his small makeshift medical station.
Uhura bit on her lower lip as she attempted to slowly sit up to get a better view of Spock. He was still on his knees in front of her, holding her injured foot delicately – he was afraid to apply any pressure in fear of hurting her. She smiled, a small one, and reached over to caress his cheek, letting her hand rest there for a brief moment.
" Stop worrying about me," Uhura whispered softly. " I'm fine. Worry about yourself. Take care of yourself…"
" Nyota, you are injured and suffered from the effects of my assault through our bond. I lost control of my emotions and it in turn affected you. I can not simply leave you—"
She gently silenced him with her index finger against his lips, " I'm an officer of Starfleet, Spock, or did you forget?" Uhura removed her finger. Spock did not say anything for the shortest of a moment. Was he that affected that he could not even think logically or rationally?
" No, I did not forget, Nyota."
" It's Lieutenant, Commander Spock. We're on a field mission."
" You are correct, Lieutenant Uhura."
It was fascinating that she, an emotional human, would be the logical half in this situation. The irony of it all, Spock thought as he let her foot go and stood up. Uhura held out her leg as she waited for McCoy to return with the necessary medical supplies and Spock at next to her. He hunched over, rested his elbows on his thighs, and clasped his hands together with his index and thumb fingers pointed out.
" Is he alright?" McCoy asked as he approached the two with roll of gauze and a small goblet of water. Uhura looked at Spock and nodded her head.
" He's attempting to control his emotions." She explained as McCoy knelt in front of her. " I do not believe much else needs to be said about it."
" Understandable." He placed the goblet and roll on the floor. " I wouldn't be of much help anyway but fortunately enough I can be of help to you. Let me just see your foot. This maybe a bit crude but I'm sure you can understand."
McCoy ripped off a piece of gauze from the roll and dipped it into water within the goblet. He took her foot into his other hand and began to clean the wound. She hissed from the contact of the water against her injury. McCoy raised an eyebrow.
" This is hurting you? It's only water."
" It feels like you're pouring peroxide on it." Uhura groaned out. McCoy blinked and picked up the goblet. He dipped his finger into the water and plopped it in his mouth to taste.
" … I taste nothing. Like water." He looked at her foot and blinked again. The injuries had begun to heal. " … Well, I'll be damned."
" What is it, Doctor?"
" … Whatever is in this water is healing the lacerations on your toe." McCoy looked over his shoulder. " Jim, you better take a look at this."
" What is it, Bones?" Kirk asked as he got up. He walked over to them and crossed his arms.
" Look, I cleaned her lacerations and," McCoy picked up the goblet. " Whatever is naturally in this water healed them. Can you move your toes for me, Uhura?"
She did as he instructed her to do and to her surprise she did not feel any pain at all. Her eyes went wide and bent down to feel her big toe. No scars, no blood, no swollenness – nothing. Kirk looked at the development with amazement. Water that could heal?
" Fascinating."
The trio looked at Spock who had not moved nor changed from his position on the couch. He sounded as if he was coming out of a trance, which he probably was. He sat up and placed his hands on his knees.
" Spock…?" Kirk asked. The Vulcan looked up at Jim.
" May I remind you that my mental health is none of your concern, Captain, but since you would still ask regardless of what I say; I am functioning well enough at the moment."
" I'm glad to know that our friendship is blossoming."
" I need my tricorder," Spock ignored Kirk which garnered a chuckle from McCoy. The captain shot a glare at his doctor's direction but he shrugged it off. " If my deductions are correct, whatever is in this water is probably the source of their power."
" Even if it is in the water, Spock, what can we do about it?"
" Your failure to look beyond the black and white is quite frustrating, Doctor." McCoy stood up and glared at Spock.
" Damnit, Spock, I'm a god damn doctor – you're the scientist."
" An obvious fact that I am aware of."
Uhura rolled her eyes. " Boys… nothing will get done if the two of you are going to spend time battling egos."
" Lieutenant Uhura is right. We don't have time to waste. We need to figure out what makes these guys tick and we need to do it now before they end up killing us."
Uhura had to give it to the guy. Three years ago she thought he was the sleaziest cadet on campus; probably contracted a disease or two from his sexual escapades on and off campus and definitely was never going to make captain. But, he matured right before her very eyes, and while he had moments where he became the sleaze ball that annoyed her during their days at the academy, they were far from the man that stood before her today.
Three years he probably would have jumped on Spock in McCoy's defense. Now, he was trying to put out a fire. Maturity was a beautiful thing.
" Apologies, Captain. We need to break down the make up of their water and find the source." Spock looked around McCoy's body towards the direction that Gaius was currently standing at. He was hidden in the shadows and silent. " Gaius, did you mention earlier that your people obtained this power after arriving on this planet?"
There was a shuffling noise and Gaius stepped out into the open. He nodded his head. Spock stood up and picked up his tricorder that rested on the table next to the bench that he and Uhura sat on. He walked over to one of the tables in the center of the room and scanned the bowl of fruit that was placed on top as a "gift" from Lucius and his wife.
" As I thought." Spock confirmed. " Doctor McCoy, your assistance is needed, please. Also, Gaius, would you come here as well." The two walked over to Spock. " Doctor, I need you to run a scan on Gaius."
McCoy nodded and pulled out his scanner. He turned around to face Gaius and smiled, " This won't hurt at all."
" I trust you."
McCoy looked at his tricorder and raised an eyebrow, " Amazing. It's…"
" Kironide." Spock finished. " The mineral that the crew of the USS Apollo was searching for is naturally in the water and dispersed through the food."
" So, anyone who stays here long enough will eventually become as powerful as them." Kirk concluded as he approached Spock and McCoy.
" Affirmative, Captain. Kironide is the source to their power."
" Apollo's crew was probably under the assumption that it was a rock or something akin to a dilithium crystal." Kirk thought aloud.
" It would be the logical hypothesis."
" No, they knew it was a mineral that gave us power." Gaius said quickly. Everyone looked at the boy. " They figured it out once their doctor saved Lucius' wife. That is why Lucius' killed them and destroyed their ship."
Uhura stood up and looked at the boy in disbelief, " Destroyed their ship?"
" How is that even possible?" McCoy asked.
" He can control anything within his mind's reach. Whatever he is consciously aware of he can manipulate." Gaius explained with regret. " He forced their ship out of the sky."
" … He has control of the ship." Kirk grimly said in realization. " We have to get back."
" It's no use. He'll kill you all and destroy your ship."
" If there's one thing you should know about me, Gaius, it's that I don't believe in no-win scenarios. I am going to find a way back to my ship."
That feeling of guilt and dread came over Leonard McCoy again. Once more he was faced with the reality that all of this could be resolved with him simply staying behind. Why was he listening to them? Why did he allow them to humiliate and hurt themselves to save his life? What made his life more important that the four hundred souls above in that star ship?
He didn't understand it. He didn't want to understand it anymore. There was more at stake here than a divorced country doctor being forced to stay on a remote planet. The Enterprise has lost many men on its current five year mission – McCoy would not be the first nor would he be the last. It was a grim and depressing thought for the doctor, yet a harsh reality of the risks involved.
" Jim, I think that I should stay. The Enterprise will be free and you would be able to return." McCoy said. Kirk shook his head.
" No, that's not apart of the plan, Bones, and you know it."
" What plan, Jim? Watching you suffer? Draw solutions from assumptions? The reality is that we're trapped here with no contact to the ship with a tyrant who could easily break our bones and the only way out of it for you guys is for me to stay."
" What makes you think that he won't kill us once we get back on board, Bones? What makes you think that he won't kill us right now? Or perhaps the entire ship? Gaius said it himself, that man has killed a crew of fifteen scientists even after they helped cure his wife. Do you honestly believe that he would let us go knowing that there's a possibility that we would return with reinforcements?"
McCoy opened his mouth and shut it. He wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't come up with a counter-argument. He was right; Lucius could not be trusted and they could not give in to whatever methods he forced upon them to get the doctor to stay.
" I am the Captain, Bones. I am responsible for you as well as the lives of that crew up there; and as long as I have command, I will do anything within my power to make sure that I do not loose another life under my command." He sighed and put a hand on McCoy's shoulder. " You're also my friend." Kirk finished softly with a squeeze.
" We need to figure out a way to counter the kironide in their systems." Spock said, picking up a fruit from the bowl. He observed it in his hand. " Strange, though, how you have not obtained any of the abilities they have."
" Me?" Gaius asked. Spock nodded his head and placed the fruit back in the bowl. " … Everyone who received the power were over the age of twenty-five. I was the youngest… along with my friend. "
McCoy pulled out his scanner and ran it around Gaius head, " His brain isn't fully developed." He said as he looked at his tricorder. Spock held his hands behind his back.
" Then the effects of the kironide are dependant on brain development."
" And considering that the human brain is fully developed at the age of twenty five…" McCoy pondered aloud.
" … Gaius would not have been able to develop the telekinetic ability, only the stopping of the aging process. This probably would explain why Lucius attacked the crew of the Apollo. He was trying to protect his secret."
" Once they figured it out, they two were capable of harvesting the power." Kirk concluded. He looked at McCoy and crossed his arms. " Bones, could you create a synthetic form of kironide? Perhaps if we injected ourselves with a pure source we would be able to develop a similar ability."
" I could, Jim, but it could take some time. I'm limited on supplies here." McCoy patted his medical kit for emphasis. It only had enough for first aid emergencies and for creating cocktails on the spot; extracting and synthesizing a mineral required more than what he had.
" Improvise, Bones. You're good at that."
Rolling his eyes, McCoy walked over to his small medical station and sat down on a small stool, in front a small table where his other supplies were laid out. He called Gaius over to help him out in retrieving the things he needed to make the synthesized kironide. Impressively enough, the young slave was eager to help the doctor.
" Captain, it took these people nearly two years to develop their telekinetic abilities. There's no guarantee that this will work on us within such a short time frame." Uhura interjected from where she sat. They looked over at her and Spock nodded his head.
" Her logic is sound, Captain. There is no guarantee that this will work given the time factor."
" Noted, Lieutenant, Commander; but it's still worth taking the gamble. Unlike them, we're going to be injecting pure kironide into our systems."
" Humans and their obsession with gambling still continue to perplex me."
Kirk chuckled, " You tend to forget that you're half human yourself, Spock."
" And you manage to remind me whenever you have the opportunity, Captain."
" Touché, Spock. Touché."
After a few minutes, McCoy held up a hypospray with a cartridge containing a yellow tinged liquid inside. While it was not the synthesized kironide that the Captain wanted, he had managed to find something else that could counter the effects of the kironide; or so was his theory when he was initializing mixing the kironide rich water with various vaccines and medication in attempt to break down the water.
" I think I got something here that's better than synthesized kironide." McCoy called out. He stood up and walked over to Kirk and Spock with his tricorder and hypospray in hand. Gaius followed next to him.
" What do you got?" Kirk asked. McCoy held up the hypospray.
" I managed to mix a cocktail that can counter the effects of the kironide. When I was trying to separate the kironide from the water, some of the medicines I was using happened to eradicate the mineral instead."
" So what are you suggesting?"
" We inject Lucius and his wife with this." He looked at Gaius. " I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to run a scan on you again." He said with a tinge of regret. Gaius nodded with a smile and he held up his tricorder as he scanned the boy. " I've already injected Gaius with the counter-active two minutes ago and it seems to have started to take effect. The kironide in his system is breaking down."
" Will this permanently remove their abilities?" Kirk asked. McCoy shrugged his shoulders and flipped his tricorder shut.
" I don't know, Jim. The kironide reacts differently in him because he's only a teenager. With the others, it may only suppress their abilities. It may even take longer."
Kirk sighed, " It's a weapon that we can use, Bones, and that's all that really counts. We just have to hold out until the opportunity rises."
" Gotcha. I'll prepare another hypo."
" Good work, Bones."
Uhura stood up stiffly, " They've taken control over my body again!"
Spock and Kirk looked over instantly then Spock ran over to her side and grabbed her arm once she began to walk way. It wasn't enough; he lost control of his body, released her, and followed right behind. Kirk was soon following them.
McCoy stood up but couldn't move. He growled in frustration.
" Obviously, they have other plans." He held out a hypo to Gaius and the boy took it from him. " When the opportunity arises, inject Aurelia or Lucius with this. This is our last and only chance to get out of this." He shoved his hypo in his medical pouch that hung over his shoulders.
Gaius nodded, " I understand, Doctor."
If they didn't pull this off, Kirk as well as Spock and Uhura were sure to die. McCoy mouth went dry and his heart raced. He didn't know what else he could do if this failed. Their fate was literally in his hands – the fate of four hundred souls was on his hands.
" No… No! This will work…"
As he was forced to walk over to Lucius' chamber, the feeling of dread only managed to grow.
Author's Note (cont'd): Ahhhhh... There were a lot of things in Plato's Stepchildren that I liked and a lot of things that I hated in that episode. While it's one of the best in the season, I felt the resolution was too rushed. Alexander is a dwarf due to his pituitary gland and thus the kironide doesn't take effect. So, suddenly five minutes later McCoy and Kirk are suggesting that he take it because his body is already is already tolerant to the substance and he'll get the abilities faster than Kirk and Spock. If his body is unable to produce the telekenetic ability alone - what makes you think injecting it in him will work? Then, it took a couple of years for Parmen's ability to flourish like the rest of the Plutonians... so suddenly Kirk gets his powers and is more powerful than Parmen within a hour or two window? Deus ex machina at it's finest. Star Trek sure loves that machine.
I wanted to avoid ... all of those loop holes while writing this chapter. In doing so, my so called planned " three parter " ended up being a " four parter ". lol!
So who will save the day? Will it be McCoy? Scotty and the rest of the Enterprise crew? Kirk doing a judo chop? Spock knocking out Lucius with a Vulcan neck pinch? Maybe Uhura has something up her sleeve! All to be concluded in Part IV!