THE NIGHT OF THE TREK AMONG THE STARS

By Andamogirl

WWW

ACT FOUR

Much later, in Katakl's quarters

It was 10 cycles later that Katakl found the new Altaran male sitting on her bed. He was blinking slowly, heavily drugged. He was wearing the short golden tunic of the males of her vre'ed'anj (harem) and looked confused and lost, but he was absolutely gorgeous.

Katakl purred immediately in satisfaction.

She grinned. "You're perfect," she said as she moved toward him, licking her lips in an unintentional gesture of pleasure. "I'm going to make my favorite of you…" She stopped in front of Altaran-Artemus and using a finger, she raised his chin, admiring his now dark green skin and his green sparkling eyes and then she ran her hand through his long, dark hair, falling to his shoulders. "Dr. Nevreet did remarkable work. I will reward her with a new sex-slave. You're perfect… What am I going to call you?..."

Raising a limp hand, his head swimming from the powerful drug running in his veins, Artie said, "I… I'm-I'm green."

Katakl smiled. "Yes you are, again and it's going to be permanent this time. You're not a human anymore, but a new member of my species, an Altaran male." She ran a fingertip along his strong jawline, "I know, I'm going to call you Kvak, it means 'new', it's appropriate."

His brain foggy, Artemus shook his head as if in slow motion and felt a shiver going down his spine, "No… my name's Artemus… Gordon, my name is…" He glanced again at his dark green-tinged hand. "What did you do… to me?"

Katakl sat beside 'Kvak' and took his hand in hers. "I asked Dr. Nevreet to transform you into an Altaran male, because I want you to be mine… I will add you to my vre'ed'anj soon, after Dr. Nevreet gives you a new memory. I'm interested in your body only, not in your mind."

Failing to clear his hazy and murky thoughts, Artie slurred, "'M'… human…"

Katakl shook her head. "Not anymore. I didn't forget you after we met. On Earth, in the past. Sometimes I dreamt about you… and the Four Gods be blessed, they sent you to me… I will sacrifice a jred (equivalent to a bull) to thank them." Grinning, she pushed him backward onto the big bed and straddled his legs, pulling up his tunic, revealing his loincloth and stomach, purring like a big contented cat. "The G'ahj should take effect soon… " She licked her lips then nibbled his throat with her slightly pointy teeth. "Mine…" then she ripped 'Kvak's tunic in two and roamed her hands over his hairless chest possessively. "So mine…" She purred like a cat brushing her fingers over his two new sets of nipples, now grouped in threes.

Distressed, Artie shook his head weakly, "No… not yours," he whispered, his eyes becoming more and more bleary.

Katakl licked her lips again. "Resistance is futile… no male has ever resisted me…" She kissed him and then pulled back.

She noticed that her new male's eyes were almost vacant. The drug was ready to make him obedient and submissive.

She kissed Kvak again… and this time Kvak parted his lips, allowing Katakl to deepen the kiss.

Katakl pulled back again grinning in victory. "The drug is now active… You will obey me, Kvak, comply with any of my desires… You're mine!"

Kvak nodded. "I'm yours," he said in an apathetic tone.

Seeing that her new sex slave was falling asleep, she shook him, "Wake up! I'm not finished with you, I barely started."

Suddenly the door chime resounded and Katakl groaned in displeasure and irritation. "Wait for me here, Kvak, don't move."

Kvak complied docilely. His eyes fluttered closed, and his head lolled to one side as he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

She placed her palm on the sensor pad on the right, unlocking the door and discovered Sub-Commander Nadaat in the corridor, standing at attention. "I'm really sorry to disturb you, Commander, but our long range sensors have detected the Federation Starship Enterprise. They are following us."

Katakl frowned angrily. "I don't want to be importuned by that Captain Kirk." She turned around and noticed that Kvak was sleeping. She'd have a word later with Dr. Nevreet, to reprimand her. She had given Kvak too high a dose of G'ahj making him incapable of doing anything. "Let's engage his miniscule ship… let's blow it up. It shouldn't take long. Then I will have pleasure with my new sex-slave." She joined her First Officer Nadaat into the corridor and the door wooshed closed behind her.

She was so irritated that she didn't lock it.

WWW

Feeling his sixth sense ringing alarm bells in his head, or more exactly a prickling starting between his shoulder blades, Jim instantly knew that Artemus was in danger and needed his help.

He moved toward the door and placed his hand on the oval shape illuminated by a red light on the bulkhead, to the right of the door. It turned green and the door slid to the side… revealing an empty corridor. There was no guard there.

He wasn't surprised, Katakl had not placed a guard in front of the door to prevent him from going out of his quarters because he had nowhere to go. He was on board a mothership, the size of Washington D.C. and in space, he couldn't escape.

But he could go in the Commander's quarters, where Artie was – in a dire situation. He just knew it. He followed a group of Altaran women who stopped and grouped around him, purring in pleasure as they could see his taunt, muscular body though his clothes.

One of them, propelled Jim against the bulkhead and said, "I didn't know that the Commander had granted access to a human on board…"

One of the others said, "to two humans, actually. He's the other one… and like the other one, he's not going to stay human for long, Danek. Soon Katakl will have him transformed into an Altaran male… so he can be a new sex slave."

Running a hand over Jim's chest, another woman said, "I heard that Dr. Nevreet has already transformed the other human into a male of our species…"

The blood left Jim's face as the horrible news sent a shiver down his spine and he felt his knees go weak. 'No, no, no! Artie!'

Chuckling, a third woman added, "Like the others before him, he'll end up in the Commander's bed… She's killed 27 of her sex-slaves in the two last mleks (months). She's never satisfied." She ran a hand through Jim's short hair and added, "Katakl loves her sex slaves with long hair… "

Pinning Jim against the bulkhead, Danek said, "I hope she'll give this soon-to- be- new sex-slave to me… as a reward. I'm the best security officer for the third time running. I beat all the others during the last hajkl-Yaak (wrestling competition). She told me she'd give me a new male … and I like this one…"

Deeply worried about Artie, Jim said, "Perhaps I could talk to her… I find you very… beautiful…" and yelped in pain when Danek wrapped her massive hand around his neck, crushing his throat, beginning to choke him, cutting his airway off almost completely.

Danek frowned in irritation and groaned. "Males don't speak unless there are told they can." She released Jim when his face turned from red to purple and added, "But it's a good idea. We are expected on the bridge, so we can't lead you to the Commander's quarters, but you will find them easily. Deck one, door number one at the end of the corridor. Take the lift to your right and tell the computer, deck one." She gave Jim a predatory smile and purred. "You'll be mine soon…" She pointed at a turbo-lift. "Go inside!"

His eyes red with raw anguish Jim ran.

WWW

Later

Entering the Commander's quarters was easy as the door wasn't locked… and Jim padded to the only weakly- lit room located in the corridor.

He walked like a cat , looking around him, dreading finding himself face to face with Katakl who wouldn't be pleased to see him there, to say the least as it was evident she despised him. Only Artemus interested her, he mused.

But she wasn't there, hopefully, he finally realized and he sighed in relief.

He took a cautious look inside of the lit room – a vast bedroom – and spotted an Altaran man lying on a big bed, spead-eagled, his golden tunic torn, exposing the upper part of his dark-green body.

His eyes were closed.

Dreading finding Artie dead, he breathed out, "Oh, no, Artie!"

He made a bee-line to his best friend and sitting on the bed beside him gasped, appalled by Artemus's physical transformation.

He touched his partner's throat and felt a pulse, slow but steady.

He wasn't human anymore. And this time, not only his face was – definitively - green, but his whole body was, and he had cat-like ears, and long dark hair, and his insides had probably been changed too, starting with a single lung, as he could see the uninterrupted ribs showing.

He had no body hair. But what was the most disturbing thing were the two sets of three nipples in groups and the lack of his navel.

He gritted his teeth as he felt his stomach churn with nausea. "Oh dear God…" he breathed out, aghast. "that's horrible…" He lay his hand on Artie's face. "Artie… what they did to you?" Then he gently shook Artie's shoulder and the the 'new Altaran' male opened his eyes, slowly, then he blinked steadily, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Artie!"

He had just shaken Artie's shoulder again, less gently, when a loud siren resounded and he heard people running in the corridor, yelling things in the Altaran language.

He wondered what was happening.

Jim pulled Artie into a sitting position and Artie slumped against him. He grabbed his partner by his shoulders then, one hand pressed against his chest to keep him upright, he slapped Artemus's face, gently but firmly. "Wake up Artie! we have to find a way to leave this ship!"

Finally, after one minute or so, Artie opened his eyes, and he mumbled, "M'yours…" Then he realized that it was Jim he had in front of him, not Katakl. "J'm… help me."

Helping Artie to his feet, keeping him upright with an arm locked around his waist, supporting the older man's frame and weight, Jim said "I'm here for that buddy… Can you walk?"

Shaking his head, Artie said, "M'ore like wobbling… S'like m' drunk…" He glanced at his right hand. "M'green… why m' green?"

Embarrassed Jim said, "Let's talk about that later, okay? We have to get out of here… but I don't know how – yet. But I will."

The two men were heading toward the cabin door when it suddenly whooshed open and Katakl appeared.

She immediately ran toward a work table, opened a drawer and pulled out a gunbelt and a disruptor. She immediately pointed it at Jim. "I came back because I like to be armed during a battle with another ship… It was a good idea to come back. Move away from Kvak, human."

Frowning, upset Jim said, "My partner's name is Artemus Gordon, not Kvak."

Katakl chuckled. "He's an Altaran male now, I named him Kvak. Soon I will erase his mind – I'm not interested in it - to replace it with one stored in the main computer. Then, ArtemusGordon will disappear completely." She set her gun on kill, her lip curling in annoyance. "I should have killed you the second you materialized on the bridge…I knew you would only bring problems. I hate those." She moved her fingertip on the button releasing the energy beam… and a split second later the blinding white thin shaft of light hit Artemus who had pushed his partner out of harm's way and stepped into the line of fire, to protect him.

Feeling his chest being devoured by an intense and concentrated fire burning his skin to the bone and his bones melting as if they had been splashed by acid, Artie closed his eyes tight shut and he screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed in excruciating pain. It felt like his entire chest was on fire, like his flesh was being eaten away - which is what was happening.

Katakl cried out, "Noooo!" as her new sex-slave collapsed bonelessly to the floor, with a burning and smoking hole where is chest had been.

Kneeling beside Artie Jim took his best friend's hand, his head resting on his lap "Don't die…" He gritted his teeth so as not to vomit.

The scent of burned flesh and blood assailed his nostrils, making him sick to the stomach. He felt nausea welling up inside him.

But Artemus died.

Devastated, Jim closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Suddenly a mist coming out from nowhere appeared around the two agents and Katakl took a step back more surprised than afraid.

Taking Artemus's body in his arms, still fighting nausea, Jim said, "Let's go back home Artie…" and he and his dead partner, enveloped in fog, vanished.

Katakl let out a string of curses.

WWW

The Wanderer

Lowering Artie's limp body to the sofa, human again, and dressed in his pajamas and robe, Jim glanced around him.

They were back on the Wanderer and Vautrain and his men were gone. Fortunately.

Hearing a duet of loud welcoming meows, he looked down and watched Marmalade and AG rub themselves against his calves and he smiled.

He took his cat in his arms, petting the young black cat, whereas Marmie was padding toward her unconscious owner.

She leaped on Artie's legs and, settling on top of his chest, pawed the human's face. "MEOW-MEOW-MEOW!" she let out.

No response from Artemus.

She rubbed her nose against Artie's chin in affection.

Moaning, Artemus slowly came around. He raised a weak hand and met Marmalade's furry head, and the cat butted it, purring. "M'trying to sleep Marmie…" and he finally opened his eyes, smothering a huge yawn and noticed that his hand was its usual color. "I'm not green anymore…" then he touched his left ear, finding it normal. "I'm me…" He glanced around him, a smile coming to his lips and looked up at Jim, holding a purring AG against his chest. "I died…" He suddenly remembered – vividly - how he died and grimaced. He could still smell burning flesh – his.. "I'll never forget that… level of pain. It was abominable, and that's an understatment." A wave of dizziness passed over him and he swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. He closed his eyes, buried his face in his trembling hands and let out a strangled sob.

Marmie gave a low meow, feeling her owner's distress. To soothe her, Artie brought her closer, revealing his face, pale and wet with tears. "I'm alright,"

he said. Placing AG on Artemus's legs, Jim pressed Artie's shoulder warmly, gratitude shining in his eyes. "It's over buddy, it's over. You saved my life on board that starship, Artie. Thank you," he said.

Using the back of his hand to dry his face and regaining some color, Artemus moved himself into a sitting position and said, "I couldn't let her kill you, Jim." He exhaled a long sigh and then ran his hand wearily down his face. "I'm beginning to hate those forced time travel voyages…" He glanced around him again and smiled. "I'm so pleased and relieved to be back home…" His stomach growled. "I'm hungry… God! It's like I haven't eaten in days…"

Instantly the two cats leaped to the carpeted floor and converged toward their empty plates, meowing hungrily in concert.

Jim chuckled. "They heard the magic word 'food'…" reaching out, he offered a hand to Artie. "Let's prepare a good breakfast, or lunch, or dinner because I don't know what time is it… even what day is it."

Standing, Artemus frowned. "Let's? You mean you're going to participate? You in my precious galley, messing it up? He rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and forehead. "Not on your life, but you can feed the cats with the meal I'm going to prepare for them, It won't harm them."

Hugging Artie, Jim said, "You're back."

WWW

Later, after dinner

Dressed in comfortable clothes, including his burgundy smoking jacket, Jim poured himself a third cup of the delicious coffee Artie had made. Then he opened yet another newspaper, the San Francisco Herald. He had three days of news to catch up with.

Fortunately, the driver and the fireman taking care of the Wanderer were accustomed to take care of the cats too when they were gone, he thought.

Speaking of the cats, they were in the galley busy eating pan-roasted chicken thighs cut into small pieces and small pieces of vegetables that Artie had prepared for them with love.

Cats were gourmets.

He retrieved his cup of coffee and took a sip, watching Artie over the rim. Sitting on the other side of the table, in front of him, his hair still wet from his shower, Artemus was writing their latest 'adventures' in his leather-bound journal, as he did after every assignment . "You shouldn't do that, buddy. If your journal got into the wrong hands… it could change history, and the future."

Sipping a little of the strong coffee Artie shook his head. He lowered his cup to the table and replied, "Impossible, because I write everything in code. A code I invented and that no one else but me can decipher and read. I'm taking extra precautions."

Feeling a lot better Jim nodded. "I prefer that…" He glanced at the door of the parlor suite, running an anxious hand through his hair. "Do you think Vautrain is going to show up again?"

Frowning, Artie turned around to look at the door too. "Yes, I'm afraid so. He'll learn sooner or later that we're back, and he'll try to kill us again."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Jim put the newspaper down as Artie, in a flash, moved toward the couch and grabbed the gun he kept under the golden cushions.

He cocked the hammer and opened the door… revealing Captain James T. Kirk. Kirk grinned. "Hi! It's good to see you, Mr. Gordon." He pointed at the Colt. "Could you lower your gun, please?"

Flabbergasted, Artie complied and puzzled, he asked. "How did you manage to get here? I thought you couldn't travel through time?"

Spock appeared beside his captain. Like him he was wearing 19th century clothes and a hat – hiding his pointed ears. "Actually, that's incorrect, Mr. Gordon. We can, using a very ancient device called the Guardian of Eternity, but if we use it to explore the past, or the future, we are unable to leave people behind."

Moving to join Artemus Jim said, "That's why you didn't use it to bring us back. It wouldn't have left us here, even if we belong here – and you found us, because I told you it was the 21st of July 1875 when Artie and I 'left Earth' for space… and that we had a train in San Francisco's railroad yard."

Spock nodded. "Exactly, Mr. West."

McCoy climbed onto the rear platform of the Wanderer in his turn. "Hi, Mr. West, Mr. Gordon… Mmm… I can smell coffee… real coffee, not the computer-generated one that we have on board the Enterprise."

Smiling, the two agents parted and Artemus gestured toward the couch before placing his Colt on the Louis XV work table. "Welcome on board the Wanderer, gentlemen, it's the name of our train. It's not your ship, but we call it home."

Looking around them like children in a toy store, stars shining in their eyes, the three officers of the Enterprise observed everything.

Kirk who had a passion for 'old things', such as antique, real-paper books or old real-wood furniture, was in heaven. "It's beautiful… You own this?"

James shook his head. "No, the government lends it to us… " He watched Jim caress the work table with reverence. "You like it?"

Jim nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "It's a Louis XV table… It's beautiful."

Heading toward the door opening to the galley, Jim said, "Please sit down, I'm going to fetch three more cups and some cookies."

He opened the door and Marmalade and AG seized the opportunity to pad into the parlor suite to observe the three unknown people.

Sitting on the armchair, facing the three other men who were on the couch, Artie said, "The tawny cat is Marmalade, she's my cat, and the black one is AG, he's Jim's cat.

McCoy smiled, when the two cats moved toward Spock, then both leaped on his lap. The Vulcan couldn't resist petting them. He gently stroked his palm down the length of the cats's back, and then moved to scratch them under their chin.

Loud contented purrs resounded.

Leonard smirked and said, "Spock has a thing with cats you see, they instantly love him. it's maybe the form of his ears…"

Kirk chuckled soflly. "Speaking of cats and ears… As you came back here with your partner, you obviously died on board the Altaran ship…"

Sighing, Artie nodded. "Yes, I did." He watched Jim enter the room holding three cups and a plate covered with lemon-sponge biscuits. "That woman, Katakl turned me into an Altaran male against my will so she could have me as her new sex-slave… "

Pouring coffee into one of the cups, Jim added, "She was completely obsessed with Artemus… I was trying to flee the starship with him, when she fired her weapon to stop me." He offered the cup to Spock who thanked him, then he poured a second cup. "Artie saved my life, placing himself in front of me, just before a white beam of energy hit him… His chest was badly burnt. He died almost instantly."

McCoy grimaced. "She probably used some kind of disruptor… Such wounds are mortal. I wouldn't have been able to save you…"

Frowning, Artie asked, "Save me?..." Then he remembered Katakl saying, "I like to be armed during a battle with another ship"… You were attacking the Altaran ship to rescue us?"

Kirk took his cup of coffee. "Thank you." He nodded. "In fact, they attacked us after they discovered we were following them. Spock and Bones had the feeling that you were in danger… and you were. So I set course to follow you. But at that time I had no idea how to rescue you…"

McCoy finally got his cup of coffee and placing his nose above it, smiled ecstatically. "Wonderful… the last time I drank real coffee was… an eternity ago."

Smiling, Jim offered him a biscuit, "Artie's biscuits are delicious too, and I agree with you Dr. McCoy, Artie's coffee is pure pleasure." He placed himself on a chair beside the table, bit into a biscuit, immediately imitated by the other men and asked, "So… why are you here gentlemen?"

Kirk looked at the two agents and embarrassed he said, "I was a bit harsh with you when you were on board the Enterprise and I wanted to apologize."

Jim nodded, "Artie and I accept your apology, Captain. But we don't blame you, you did what you had to do, and Artie and I too. We thought you were a potentially deadly threat to us, so we had to escape… but it didn't work. But when Artie and I are locked somewhere, in a prison, or a basement, or in an ice storage room… etc. it usually does work…" Saying that, he saw Artie's eyes become vacant, as he was lost in his thoughts. Then he noticed Artie's gentle chocolate eyes moistening with tears.

He frowned in concern. Was Artie remembering what had happened to him on the Altaran ship, or was it something else? His instinct leaned toward the second possibility. And suddenly images from his last nightmare popped in his mind ... not knowing why and guessing that the two things were related somehow… He promised himself that he would have a word with Artie about that, later.

Realizing that he was close to crying, Artie hurriedly rubbed his eyes and said, "I'm sorry… I'm really tired. Recent events have taken their toll on me."

McCoy nodded. "True, you need to rest Mr. Gordon."

The men sipped their coffee in companionable silence, then Artie asked, "Have you decided to stay long? Perhaps you wish to discover what life in the 19th century far-west is like?"

Kirk shook his head. "It would have been a pleasure, but we can't. We have to proceed to starbase 67 to take new orders directly from Admiral Fisher."

McCoy nodded and drawled, "It sounds mysterious… I wonder what mess we are going to find ourselves in this time."

Kirk stood and Bones imitated his best friend. "It was a pleasure to see you again," he said. He looked at his First Officer who hadn't moved. "Spock?"

Spock fascinated by the cats constant low purrs of pleasure, finding them soothing, relaxing… and, eyes closing, was slowly drifting off to sleep.

McCoy shook Spock's shoulder, then he reached out to scratch Marmalade behind an ear. "Come on, Spock, wake up! Time to go!" and smirked when he saw the Vulcan blink looking lost and blush the palest shade of green.

Spock scooped up the cats, placing them on each side of him – eliciting meows of displeasure and stood. "I'm ready, Captain."

Suddenly two men holding guns entered the car, coming out from the narrow passageway as a third opened the door… Noel Bartley Vautrain.

Blanching, Artie growled "Vautrain!" and moved back toward the table on which his Colt was sitting but one of Vautrain's goons was quicker.

He placed the mouth of his gun against Artemus's jaw. "Not so fast pal…" Using his free hand he took the AG monogramed Colt and slid it in his belt.

Kirk breathed out, "Khan…" He wanted to pinch himself to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. The other man looked like a twin brother of Khan Noonien Singh.

Colonel Vautrain stepped inside and looked at Kirk, Spock and McCoy briefly, not interested in them and ordered, "You three, out!" He cocked the hammer of his Colt. "I won't repeat it. Tell this to the law and your friends here are dead."

Kirk nodded. "Okay, we'll leave…" He glanced at Jim and gave him a wink without anyone else seeing it. "See you buddies."

Followed by Spock and McCoy, the Captain of the Enterprise left the parlor suite… and Vautrain closed the door before locking it it behind them.

Once on the railroad yard platform the three officers regrouped.

McCoy was the first to speak, "That man Vautrain… He looks like Khan! But it's not him… he's been exiled on Ceti Alpha V. Could the two of them be related?"

Spock nodded. "It's possible doctor. This question would require further study, but we don't have time for that now. That man is the one who used his power to send James West and Artemus Gordon to Altair 9-B-2118. He tried to kill them. We have to stop him before he does it again."

Kirk nodded. "I know. But it's not going to be easy to intervene…" He looked at the last car of the Wanderer, seeing silhouettes moving behind the closed blinds. He pulled out his type one phaser from the right-hand pocket of his corduroy jacket. "Take your phaser too Mr. Spock and set it on 'heat'… We're going to heat up that last car… The heat will be increased by the metallic structure ... After a while the heat will be so unbearable they will have to come out ..."

McCoy nodded approving Jim's non-reckless idea . "Then you can stun the bad guys. That's a good plan, Jim, but a dangerous one. They could suffer heat exhaustion

Kirk nodded. "I know, but I have no other option, Doctor."

Bones sighed. "I know. Okay… I'll take care of them if that happens . I'm going to watch to see if someone comes along... if so, I'll whistle twice."

WWW

Inside the Wanderer

Colonel Vautrain sat down on the golden embroidered sofa and smiled. "I suspected you would come back, somehow - –everything comes in threes and I was waiting for you" he said, placing his gun on his lap. "I wasn't surprised though when Collins whom I had instructed to monitor your train told me that he had seen two people on board. I don't know how you do it… but it is the last time. As unconventional ways to kill you don't work, well I'm going to take a conventional way to kill you –definitively."

Crossing his arms on his chest, Jim replied, "You sound a lot like Dr. Loveless… He tried to elimiate us both in different ways as well… and failed."

The ex-Confederate officer nodded. "But he didn't fail to make his escape… I heard he escaped from his federal prison two days ago."

Both Jim and Artie looked at each other at the same time, and thought 'Damn!'

Mopping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, Vautrain continued, "But you won't be arresting him next time… because you're going to be dead in a moment… With a bullet in your head." He loosened his tie. "It's very hot in here…"

Realizing that too, Jim nodded. "Maybe there's something malfunctioning with Artie's latest invention: warm water central heating…"

Glaring at his partner, offended, Artemus said, "It works perfectly." But his skin was damp with the heat and he felt dizzy. Something was wrong… "It's like an oven in here…"

Overheated, Vautrain started to pant as his lungs couldn't work properly. "Something is wrong… We shouldn't feel so hot…"

Sweating too, his head throbbing, Jim nodded. "Maybe's something wrong with the train, but I'm not an expert in mechanical engineering…" he rasped, his throat was painfully dry.

Concerned Artie croaked, "Maybe there's something wrong with the locomotive…" Black dots appeared in his vision and the room began to spin. "Not good…"

Colonel Vautrain stood. The heat was now atrocious, unbearable. He felt like he was dying. "Let's get outside, I need cool air…"

He unlockled the door and opened it. The cats went out first.

Sweating profusely, his vision graying around the edges, Artie breathed out, "Good idea…Can't… breathe… so hot…" he grunted, barely able to articulate.

Pushing Artie and Jim before them, the two goons, followed their boss outside, their lungs burning, and with splitting headaches… and sighed in relief as the night air cooled their bodies.

Once on the railroad yard platform, they stumbled before collapsing to the ground – dehydrated, suffering from heat exhaustion.

Colonel Vautrain tried to stand, grimacing as it was painful to draw breath. His ears were ringing and vision fading fast. "No…" he whispered and he closed his eyes, the exhaustion completely setting in.

He slumped onto his back, glancing at the other men lying around him, fighting to stay conscious or already passed out.

Kirk was the first to approach Vautrain, and he quickly divested him of his gun, while Spock retrieved his henchmen's Colts.

Upset, and it was an understatement, Vautrain groaned and covering his eyes with a hand, he rasped, his mouth as coarse as sandpaper, "You're responsible for what happened to us… How did you do it?"

Kirk smiled. "You will never know."

McCoy knelt beside Artemus, lying on his side, unconscious and flushed. He noticed the telltale signs: the lack of sweat, the hot and dry skin… He pressed two fingers to Artie's pulse point and felt that the heartbeat was rapid and weak. "He's suffering from a heatstroke…" He rolled him on his back and quickly unbuttoned the other man's clothes clinging to his skin, starting with his emerald smoking jacket. Within less than two minutes, he had stripped Artie down to his underwear.

He looked up at Spock, "Spock, go back inside the train and bring me cold water, and ice if you can find any." The Vulcan complied after giving the confiscated guns to Jim.

Propping himself up on his elbows, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glassy Jim dragged a dry tongue across his chapped lips then he asked weakly, "Is he going to be okay?"

He closed his eyes as a dizzy spell washed over him.

Once Artie was cooling down in his short black underwear, McCoy knelt beside Jim as the younger agent lay back down again. "Yes, he's going to be fine," he responded reassuringly and touched his feverish face before taking Jim's pulse too. "Like you, and the others he needs to cool down… and lying here, on the cool ground, in the cool night air will do the trick."

McCoy's last words faded from Jim as he fell into sleep, shivering a little.

WWW

Much later, on board the Wanderer

Sitting on the edge of Artie's bed, Jim watched his best friend sleep peacefully, relieved he was fine, as he was too, thanks to Dr. McCoy. He smiled. Kirk had told him - because he had been unconscious for hours - that the good doctor had complained without interruption about having been obliged to look after his patients using medical equipment dating from the Middle Ages, but he had managed, and managed very well. They were still alive – as well as the others, he thought.

He brushed a lock of hair away from Artie's forehead. "It's over – for now. Sleep buddy."

Marmalade and AG suddenly both leaped on top the sleeping man, doing their best to wake him, pawing him and licking his face, using their tails to brush his nose, butting their heads against his chin, purring loudly… and Artie finally shifted on the bedspread, groaning lowly before his eyelids fluttered. "Lemme s-sleep," he slurred, his voice hoarse.

Jim chuckled. "Come on Artie, wake up! Who's gonna prepare breakfast? Not me, and not our guests – because they left about 30 minutes after I woke up."

Opening one eye, Artie said, "I'm not at your service Jim… I'm a special agent, not your personal Chef." He managed to sit and petted the cat's bellies as they had flopped on their backs, paws in the air, tails waving. "You said they left?"

Standing, Jim nodded. "Yes, they're gone and are probably back on the Enterprise by now. They left us a letter, on the work table. I didn't open it as I wanted to read it with you, buddy. As they saved our lives, I thanked them by offering them something each. I offered McCoy a bag of your best ground coffee, I gave Spock one of my watches and I took the liberty of offering one of your books to Kirk, Shakespeare 's 'Julius Caesar'– because his middle name is Tiberius, the same as a roman emperor… I thought it was appropriate."

Rubbing his forehead, Artie said, "Caesar has never been an emperor, but I approve your choice… That's a good idea. I guess they were happy?"

Jim smiled. "Ecstatic!" He frowned in concern. "How do you feel?"

Massaging his temples now, Artie said, "I have a light headache and I feel very tired…and, I'm still alive!" Intrigued, he asked, "I thought I was going to die from a heat stroke…What happened?"

Scooping up AG to hold him against his chest, Jim said, "They used their energy-beam weapons to heat the metallic structure of the train provoking an intense and rapid heat inside. They expected us to leave the train when the heat would have became unbearable, and that's what happened. Kirk contacted the police and a group of policemen arrested Vautrain's henchemen a few minutes later – but not Vautrain, unfortunately. He used his power to vanish into thin air. God knows where he is – and when."

Leaving his bed, Artie stood, swayed on legs like jelly and slumped back on it. He was completely drained. "I'm good to eat your food…" and he lay back down on the bed. "I'm not moving from my bed." He ran a finger between Marmie's pointy ears, blinking rapidly, fighting the pull of sleep. "Now we have to find him and Loveless… But something tells me they will find us before we find them."

Jim cringed. "I know. But for now, we're back home and we're safe."

Artemus closed his eyes, yawned and relaxed.

Marmalade settled sphinx-like on Artie's lap and purred in pleasure when her owner stroked her neck and under her chin.

The loud purrs lulled Artie back to sleep.

Tbc.