Authoress' Note: I hate to say this, but I'm not terribly happy with where this story is heading. I feel like it's being rushed, but every time I try to sit down and elaborate on each chapter I can't find anything to say. *sigh* I'm still going to continue, but I'm afraid that it won't be up to par with other fics I've written. Keep on trekkin' though. Perhaps things will start looking up again.

City in the Dark

Kirk came out of his reverie to find Spock still staring at him intently. Clearing his throat, he changes the subject. "Now then, back to these hallucinations. What are we gonna do about them, and how are we gonna get back to the Enterprise?"

"While you were still asleep, Captain, I took the liberty of searching the surrounding area. It would seem there is an old Earth style transportation system underneath the city. The entrance to one is just outside."

"Good thinking, Spock. We've seen almost everything above ground. It's about time we went below."

Standing up gingerly, Kirk pulls down the hem of his shirt, and wipes his hands on his trousers. Spock leads the way, slowly at first, because his captain is still stiff, but they finally make their way into the bright sunlight and around the corner where the entrance to "the underground", as Kirk vaguely remembers it being called, descends into the earth.

He grips the rail tightly and lowers himself one step carefully. An aching pain shoots up his legs, and he almost stumbles over himself. He motions for Spock to go first.

"My legs are still a bit sore. I think it'd be better if you scouted ahead. I'll get down soon enough."

Spock nods and descends the remaining steps into the darkness below. Kirk watches as his head disappears from sight and continues on his slow downward climb. Less than a minute later, Spock's voice echoes up to him, "There is a tunnel, Captain, but no one in sight so far."

"Good," Kirk calls back, "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Spock waits patiently, taking in his surroundings. Ahead are several turnstiles, most rusted over, though perhaps still usable. Beyond that a box like structure looms out of the darkness made of brick and glass. To the right a track has been laid into the ground, but there are no transportation apparatus' to be seen. Kirk thumps down next to Spock and takes a look around. He points at each object in turn.

"That would be the turnstiles right there, with the ticket booth just beyond. Over there are the tracks. I think they had something similar to the monorail on those tracks, but I'm not entirely sure. These things are almost from ancient history."

They make their way slowly in the gloom as the light streaming in from outside disappears behind them. The darker it gets the more apprehensive Kirk becomes. It is much easier to be ambushed when one cannot see.

"Captain, did you see that?" Spock asks sharply, his voice echoing slightly.

"See what?" Kirk asks, straining his eyes to see ahead.

"Just ahead there was a light. Watch."

Stock still, the two men stare toward the cavern in front of them hoping to see some glimpse of light.

"There it is again!"

Kirk sees it this time. It is a tiny pinprick in the vast darkness, and it goes out almost as quickly as it came on. The two proceed forward with caution, as the blinking light grows larger and larger. Just when they think they will surely run into it someone speaks.

"Who goes there?"

The light goes out, and Spock and Kirk freeze. Kirk straightens up, tense, and speaks, "I'm Captain James T. Kirk from the USS Enterprise. I am here with my first officer Mr. Spock. We do not intend to harm anyone."

Tense silence follows and then another entirely different voice is heard, "What's that they said? From the Enterprise? Have they come to help?" It is a woman's voice, frightened and trembling.

Before Kirk can answer he is nearly blinded by what seems to be a floodlight turning on overhead. It blazes down on him and causes everything to go white for a few seconds. Kirk shields his face as his eyes adjust.

"Captain, I believe you should open your eyes."

Kirk does so, slowly, and to his astonishment finds himself face to face with a crowd of pale, sallow skinned people. He stares at them, dumbfounded. There are men and women, some of whom hold children by the hand or have hoisted them on their hip. There are grey-haired elders also. The man nearest them is one. His thin hair is balding, and his face is so pale that he almost looks like a ghost. They are dressed in a rag tag of clothing that has been torn and patched over and over again.

"Please, please come this way. Quickly now."

The old man ushers Kirk and Spock into the throng of people making their way back into the tunnels. They push onward at a slow pace for some time until all of a sudden they round a corner and find themselves in a large open cavern that has obviously been hollowed out over many years. There are hundreds of other tunnels leading from the main cavern, and some of the people, families by the looks of it, walk off down the tunnels. The majority, however, stay in the cavern, surrounding Kirk and Spock and staring at them with wide pale eyes.

Kirk decides it's time to speak up since the leader of the group, the same elderly man who had led them all to the cavern, has not said anything since. The people stop their murmuring as soon as Kirk opens his mouth. "We are from the USS Enterprise from Earth. Our data on your planet told us that you were once Earth-dwellers but colonized this planet several centuries ago. We were told of, and have experienced, the hallucinations that come upon the city in the night. We would like to know what has happened and how we can help."

The elderly man steps forward then, taking Kirk's hand in his and shaking it briskly. "I am Latimer, the Chief Elder of my people. You are correct in your knowledge of the history of our world. Come, we have much to discuss."

Latimer takes the lead and steers the two men into a side room that is significantly smaller. It consists of a roughly hewn table and low seats carved from boulders. Kirk and Spock lower themselves into the chairs, and Latimer takes his place opposite them as many of the civilians file in around them.

"Do you normally conduct business with half the population around, Latimer?" Kirk asks, gazing around at the people crowding into the room.

"This is a democracy, is it not? A government of the people. Therefore, the people must be present," Latimer states, gesturing at the men and women behind him.

"Fascinating," Spock says so that only Kirk can hear.

"Now, then," Kirk begins, business-like again, "What's the trouble with these hallucinations? You've got a perfect city up there waiting to be used, yet you're all hovelling down here in the darkness."

Latimer's smile slips off his face, and he clasps his hands in front of him sadly. "Our first founders invented a computer that could produce any dream or fantasy that any one of our people could ever come up with. They believed that by giving the impossible to the people every one would be happy. Unfortunately, it did not work out as planned. Something went wrong. Hallucinations of our dreams came out as nightmares instead and terrorized the people to the point of insanity. We escaped underground as it is the only place the computers power cannot touch us. Here we may live in peace."

Kirk's face lights up. Now that they knew what they were looking for this was going to be all too easy. "It's definitely a computer causing all of this then?"

Latimer nods again.

"Do you know where we can find it? If you don't mind, we'd like to destroy it so that your people will be able to live up on the surface once more."

Latimer brightens slightly, and then looks uncomfortable again. "We'd be very grateful to you if you could do away with the computer, but the problem is, none of us know where it is housed. We have lived so long underground that all those who once knew of its whereabouts have long since died. I'm sorry."

"You do not have any records or blueprints of the city?" Spock asks, as though that were the most obvious solution to their problems.

Latimer shakes his head sadly again, and Kirk slumps back in his chair, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose we'll just have to continue our search of the city. We did leave the other half unexplored, Spock."

The Vulcan nods and makes to stand up. Latimer stands up faster though and waves at them to take their seats again.

"You can't go now!" he cries, a wildness in his eyes, "You could be caught outside again while it is night. You must stay here and rest and begin your search again tomorrow."

Kirk shrugs. "All right then. You wouldn't happen to have a guide who could come with us tomorrow, do you?"

"No, no, of course not. None of us have been to the surface in a centuries."

Kirk blinks a few times at the old man, still comprehending his words, while Spock utters the only word that seems appropriate for such a situation:

"Fascinating."