A/N: Okay, after several reviews stating that Nyota would never, under any circumstance, be dumb enough to drink something offered to her by M'anuk...I've realized the reviewers are right. I have edited the whole scene in chapter 10 where she drank the juice. Please go back and read it before reading this, because it will be mentioned in this chapter. I know that my changes to make it more believable are weak, but I hope it is a little more acceptable to those who brought the plot-hole to my attention. Please let me know if the changes are acceptable or not. I really do try to listen to my readers' opinions.
And also- if you have not read the notes I added at the end of chapter 10, and are concerned that Nyota and M'anuk will get intimate, I want to reassure you. That won't happen. The only man Nyota will ever sleep with in my stories is Spock- no matter the situation. I'm addressing this issue because it was a concern of some of my reviewers.
Chapter 11: Tumultuous
Spock took one of the pillows off of the bed and placed it on the floor before settling down onto it. He took several deep breaths, letting them out slowly. He closed his eyes, relaxing his body as he began to meditate.
He had been meditating for nearly fifteen minutes when Nyota sent him an image...an image of her wearing a skin-tight golden dress. He shifted uncomfortably, not allowing himself to become aroused. Across the link he sensed her mischief...she was trying to discomfit him.
He closed the link so he could meditate without interruption, confident that she would contact him if he was needed. And once his nightly meditation was over...he would seek her out, and rip that dress to shreds. He almost smirked at the thought.
He was again meditating when he felt her reach out to him across the bond. All of his attention immediately turned to her when he felt her fear. She showed him the Koshaak...he was asking her to stay on Kathosia. She was afraid. She needed him.
He stood swiftly as he felt anger and possessiveness overwhelm him. This time, however- it seemed he could control it. It would not be like the last time. He would not be the cause of her pain.
Spock picked up his phaser from where it lay with his tricorder and utility belt on a table. He headed toward the door...he could feel Nyota, and knew he could find her if he followed the link. He stopped only long enough to consider that perhaps he should recruit the help of his captain and McCoy. He might need assistance...
He strode to Kirk's door and pounded on it. The burnished metal dented under his fist- but he did not care if he ruined the Kathosian artwork. Let them think he was rude.
"Spock?" Kirk asked when he answered the door, shirtless. If he had not been so preoccupied by Nyota, it would have occurred to him that his captain was waiting on company.
"We must assist Lieutenant Uhura." Spock replied in clipped tones. "Please get your phaser, Captain."
"What?" Kirk asked, taken aback. "What do you mean? We just saw Uhura a little bit ago..."
"And since then she has fallen into the hands of the Koshaak." Spock replied. "Captain. She is frightened...I feel it across our bond. She needs help. If you will not assist me, I will go alone. We are wasting time."
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Kirk said. He disappeared and came back 10.6 seconds later, wearing a shirt and holding his phaser. By that time, Spock was already at McCoy's door.
Soon, the three men were armed and assembled. Spock began to lead the way down the corridor- the others had to run to keep up with him.
"You're sure she needs help?" McCoy panted as he neared Spock.
"Affirmative, Doctor." Spock replied firmly. "While her fear has momentarily dissipated, she is still wary."
"So you feel everything she's feeling?" Kirk asked.
"Captain, this is hardly the time to discuss the particulars of the marriage bond." Spock replied flatly. He was concentrating on the piece of his soul embedded in Nyota's mind...an invisible rope connected them, and if he needed to find her, that rope would pull him inexorably toward his goal.
Left, right, straight ahead, right again- the corridors were a maze. If he did not have the bond to guide him, he would be lost already.
It was Scorpius Three all over again. Searching, searching...so close but not quite there...he must find her. He must save her.
He was passing an ornate vase on a marble pedestal when it struck. A haze entered his mind...he became dizzy, his limbs heavy, sounds were strangely muffled...he stumbled, reaching out to the pedestal to catch himself. The vase fell, shattering against the floor. He heard Kirk and McCoy nearby him.
"Spock...are you okay?" Kirk asked, and Spock felt his hand on his shoulder.
"It is not me. It is Nyota." Spock said. He was breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. "I must close the link, or I will be unable to continue."
He struggled to close it...it was difficult. Her mind was a whirl of fog and confusion...something was terribly wrong.
When the link was closed, he felt his strength and clarity of mind return. He pushed against the cool wall until he stood straight.
"We must keep going." he said. "I do not know what has happened to her...but it is not good."
He took a step forward...which direction had the bond been pulling him toward before the strange spell of dizziness? This would be much more difficult now that the link could not guide him...Spock turned down the next corridor. He could only hope that this was the correct way...he considered trying to tap into the link again to check, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to withdraw again. Nyota's clouded mind would make it extremely difficult for him to concentrate.
To Spock's relief, the corridors were becoming less like a maze. But even while he was relieved about this, his panic was rising...what if they were too late? What had happened to his Nyota to make her mind so...tumultuous? A deep dread had settled in the pit of his stomach by the time they finally reached a long corridor that ended with a set of double doors, emblazoned with the Kathosian Seal.
"That has to be it." Kirk said. Spock did not reply- he immediately went to the doors and pulled at the carved handles. They were not as heavy as they looked, and opened easily. Kirk and McCoy followed him, phasers raised and ready.
They were in an antechamber. The first things Spock noticed were Nyota's boots next to the door, and her uniform folded neatly on a table nearby. This must have been where she changed into the gown...there was another door up ahead, and Spock headed toward it.
He pulled on the handle, and swung the door open. His fingers tightened around the phaser as he entered. What he saw stopped him cold, and he had to fight hard against the rising tide of disbelief, confusion, and fury within him- and he did not entirely succeed.
Nyota- HIS Nyota, his wife- stood with her head resting on the Koshaak's shoulder, one of the Koshaak's arms around her slim waist, the other raised as he stroked her hair.
Spock's nostrils flared. His eyes widened. He was again teetering on the edge of his control. Yes- this was definitely Scorpius Three all over again. The similarities were startling.
"What the HELL?" McCoy said loudly, before Spock could do anything. He was staring at the couple. The Koshaak turned around, releasing Nyota from his embrace. Nyota looked at them- and Spock was unsettled by what he saw. Her face was entirely blank- her eyes looked dead, hollow. He knew immediately that she was not in her right mind.
"What have you done to her?" Spock asked. His voice was even, controlled- it did not at all reveal how he was feeling. There was not so much as a hint of the fury that seemed about to erupt from him. It seemed that, while he did not get the chance to exact revenge on Nyota's torturers on Scorpius Three- the Koshaak would not be so lucky.
"I have done nothing." the Koshaak was smirking mockingly at him, cold black eyes glittering. Spock's jaw clenched.
"Sarlah, Nyota." Spock said in Vulcan.
Nyota's eyebrows drew together, and she looked at the Koshaak.
"Why has he commanded me to come to him, M'anuk?" she asked. The Koshaak continued to smirk.
"Nyota, what have I said about Vulcans?" he asked. Nyota looked back at Spock.
"They are unimportant and meddlesome. They are to be despised." Her voice, like her eyes, was hollow and devoid of emotion. Yet the words still hurt. Spock drew in a deep breath.
"Nyota, do not listen to the Koshaak. He has somehow altered your mind. You must remember who you are. You are Nyota Uhura of-"
"Enough! I tire of this conversation. I order you to leave my presence. Nyota has decided to stay with me- she will not return to Starfleet. This is by her own choice." the Koshaak said. Kirk and McCoy, who were on either side of Spock, also with raised phasers, stepped forward.
"By her own choice my ass." Kirk snapped. "Let her go and we won't fire."
The Koshaak moved toward a rope that hung from the ceiling.
"I will not let her go- and if you fire your weapons, you will soon be dead. I give you one last chance to heed my command. Leave my presence. No one disobeys me."
"We're not leaving without her." McCoy said grimly, tightening his hold on his phaser. The Koshaak smirked once more.
"As you wish, fools." he said, and raised his hand to pull on the rope. From overhead came the deep, reverberating clash of a large gong. As if this were a cue, Spock, McCoy, and Kirk all fired their phasers at the man before them. He flew backward, hitting the wall before sliding down to lay in a heap beside the bed's platform. Nyota let out a short cry.
"No!" she said. "Don't do that! I love him!"
All three men froze and turned to her at this declaration. Although he knew she was not herself, the words cut Spock to the very core of his being. Even though he knew she did not really love him- it did not diminish the pain of hearing her say she loved another.
"Nyota, you do not love him." Spock said calmly. Kirk was now kneeling in front of the Koshaak, feeling for a pulse- although at this point in time, Spock did not care if three phaser shots had been too much for him- Vulcan respect for living beings be damned. McCoy was examining a pile of broken glass near Nyota's feet, a red liquid staining the once-immaculate white stone floor.
"How would you know? You're Vulcan. I want to stay here. I love M'anuk. No one denies him. I am his."
Both Kirk and McCoy were refusing to look at Spock. He stepped over the mess of broken glass to stand in front of Nyota.
"Get away from me!" she said, stepping back, almost tripping over the platform behind her. Spock reached out, catching her arm to prevent her from falling, and at the same time rose his other hand to her temple. Before she could pull away, he entered her mind fully.
He was not prepared for what he found there. There was nothing...just vague impressions, no emotions, no thoughts other than what the Koshaak had told her. He attempted to locate her memories, anything that would indicate that she was more than an empty shell. But it was as if it was all blocked from him...he could sense it there, but he could not access it. Her mind was dark...almost dead. She was there, somewhere...locked inside her own body.
"Listen to me, Nyota. You do not love the Koshaak. He has somehow altered your mind. He has planted these ideas in your head, and you believe them because there is nothing else for you believe."
"How are you doing this! Get out of my head, Vulcan! M'anuk was right about you...you are meddlesome! What is it to you if I want to stay on Kathosia?"
"You are Nyota Uhura, Chief Communications Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, a member of Starfleet. You do not love the Koshaak, you love me. You are my wife. The Koshaak is manipulating you to suit his own desires."
"Liar! I would never marry a Vulcan! I despise Vulcans!"
Spock sent her an image of them- of the night they bonded. He recalled how happy she had been, how happy he had been.
"You do not despise Vulcans. He has made you think you do. You do not despise anything- you are emotionless. He has taken your essence of who you are away from you."
"Stop putting images in my head!" she cried. Spock only sent her more.
"They are memories- your memories." Spock replied. "I am trying to help you, ashayam."
Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled away from her. "No!" he called- but it was too late. He felt hands on him, backing him away from Nyota, who still stood, looking even more dazed than before.
He had forgotten about the gong in the ensuing phaser fire and in his urgency to get to Nyota. But now that he was surrounded on all sides by silver-clad guards wearing armor and carrying some sort of advanced weaponry- he realized that the gong had been a summons. He was unarmed- he had dropped his phaser when he melded with Nyota.
Even his Vulcan strength was no match for the four men holding him, and the four weapons leveled at him. He looked around, and saw that Kirk and McCoy were standing with their hands up, phasers held loosely. They were far outnumbered...twenty to three.
"What have you done to the Koshaak?" one Kathosian demanded of Kirk.
"He's alive, if that's what you're worried about." Kirk snorted. "Just knocked out."
"Which of you has done this?" he now demanded.
"It was all three of us!" McCoy snapped. "And I'd do it again, too! Just what the hell did he do to Uhura?"
"Take them to the prison!" the Kathosian barked. "When the great Koshaak awakens, he will decide their fate!"
Spock was still staring at Nyota, who watched what was happening around her, her face just as blank as before. Her eyes were still dull...what had they done to her? He felt pain building within him. She did not remember him. She was convinced that she loved the Koshaak. This wasn't just like Scorpius Three...this was worse.
_________________________________________________________________
"So much for being a 'peaceful' race. Those are the biggest damned phasers I've ever seen. What the hell is going on?" McCoy asked as soon the force field sprang up behind them, blocking the entrance to the cell.
"I have no idea. Did you learn anything from the meld, Spock?" Kirk asked. Spock did not reply. He sat down in the farthest corner of the cell, legs crossed, his hands clasped together in front of his lips. He closed his eyes, attempting to access the bond, but to no avail. That, just like the rest of her, was inaccessible. He had no explanation for it- it should have been impossible for something to affect her brain this way. The only logical explanation was that the Kathosians had some sort of mind-altering drug...but how did it work? Would it wear off? Was it permanent? Would Nyota ever recover from it, if they somehow managed to get away from here?
His last view of Nyota had been as they were led away by the Kathosians...she had been kneeling beside the unconscious Koshaak, stroking his cheek. The sight had been extremely painful for him. Would she always think she loved the Koshaak instead of him? Was their new marriage already over? What Nyota had said before was true...every time they were happy, something came along to ruin it. He didn't think he would ever be happy again if Nyota did not recover. In fact, he would be miserable. He had never thought that he would be forced to see Nyota with another...he had not been prepared for the torment it brought. Was it possible for him to still be alive, with this much pain inside him?
"Spock?" Kirk asked hesitantly. Spock opened his eyes and looked at his captain.
"I found nothing of use, Captain. It appears that whatever the Koshaak did to her, it has altered her mind. She does not remember anything- including me. She does not feel emotion. It is as if her brain has been shut down, as unlikely as that may sound. I cannot even access the link. When I melded with her...it was like being in a dark room with no light."
"So he somehow brainwashed her?" Kirk asked.
"A crude term, Captain, but that appears to be the case. Nyota only knows of the things the Koshaak has told her. She is, at this time, not the Nyota any of us know."
"So she's gone?" McCoy asked quietly. Spock was not as adept at 'reading' eyes as Nyota was, but he thought that perhaps the doctor was looking at him with pity. He did not want or need his pity.
"No. I felt her. She is still there, but buried. I cannot explain it, Doctor. I am at a loss to explain how this has happened. Such a thing as this should be impossible."
"I think that this has something to do with the liquid I found on the floor." McCoy said, picking up his medical tricorder- the Kathosians had not bothered to take it when they frisked them for weapons. "When I saw the broken glass, I figured I would scan it. The results are incomplete- whatever was in the glass has never been cataloged before. But a few things did register. I didn't get the chance to read the findings before those Kathosians burst in."
"Then please refrain from stalling, Doctor, and share what you do know. Any information on what has happened to my wife would be appreciated at this time." Spock replied. His voice was laced with impatience, and Kirk and McCoy exchanged surprised glances.
"All right." McCoy grumbled. At any other time, he would have thrown in an insult or two- but apparently he was wise enough to realize that now was not the time to provoke this particular Vulcan. "The liquid itself is made from some kind of fruit- but there are two chemicals in it that aren't fully registering on the tricorder, and I'll need better equipment to study them. One appears to be a highly addictive chemical- I've never seen one so potent before. I imagine that even the smell of the stuff would be enough to hook someone. I think that's a natural property of the fruit, because it's present throughout the liquid. But the other one...the concentration isn't as great. And it's something completely different. The tricorder shows that it has some psychotropic chemicals in it- but nothing like what we have on Earth. I think that's what our old pal the Koshaak gave her that's completely messed with her head. I can't say for certain how it works or if there's an antidote. But my guess is that it should wear off eventually- unless he gives her more. As for recovery, I have no clue."
"So you're saying that he gave her some sort of drink that she wouldn't be able to resist, and slipped something in it?" Kirk repeated.
"This is all just a guess, Jim. Like I said, the results of the scan are incomplete. There are too many unknown components. But it sounds like the ultimate date-rape drug. Slip her some of that, and she'll believe whatever you say."
"Do not say that word." Spock said shortly. McCoy rose his eyebrows.
"What word?" he asked. "Rape?" When Spock stared stonily back at him, he swallowed and looked away. "Right. I'm sure you don't want to think about the fact that he might-"
"Bones, stop it." Kirk said sternly. McCoy fell silent, looking down at the floor.
The thought had occurred to Spock that the Koshaak may very well take advantage of Nyota's confusion. The thought made him want to slam his fist into the wall. It would only be rape because she was not in the right state of mind...because she would be all too willing.
He needed to get his mind off of that before he hit someone. Dr. McCoy seemed a good candidate. The fact that he was contemplating violence, which he was normally opposed to, only proved that he was not quite in control.
The cell was silent for several minutes. Spock remained in his corner, and McCoy took the opposite, still looking at his tricorder. Kirk paced the floor, looking around the cell.
"I do not suppose that you have checked in with the Enterprise this evening?" Spock asked Kirk after awhile. Kirk continued to pace.
"Nope. I called them after dinner to let them know that we were spending the night, and I said I would contact them in the morning. And since we all left our communicators in our quarters- which was a very stupid move- we have no way of contacting them to let them know what's going on. So we can't beam out."
"Our quarters are not far from here." Spock said, more to himself.
"That doesn't really do us any good, now does it?" Kirk asked with a sigh.
"It may, Captain." Spock said slowly. He unfolded his legs and stood. "Jim, you must order me to do something. I cannot do it with a clear conscience otherwise. It is highly unethical for a Vulcan."
"What are you getting at?" McCoy asked suspiciously, standing up from his own corner. "Do you have some Vulcan trick up your sleeve?"
"I have never understood that particular colloquialism, Doctor, but to humor you- yes." Spock replied without even looking at him.
"Well, what am I ordering you to do, Spock?" Kirk asked.
"You must order me to use my touch telepathy in a highly unethical manner to induce one of our guards to assist us."
"You can do that?" McCoy asked in disbelief. Kirk was grinning.
"Mr. Spock, I order you to use your Vulcan mind tricks to get one of these Kathosians to help us get out the hell out of here." Kirk said. Spock tilted his head.
"Very well, Captain." Spock said. He walked slowly over to the horizontal, electric-blue bars of the force field. A Kathosian was patrolling the corridor, holding his phaser across his chest with both hands. He watched him closely, noting every movement. The Kathosian would walk past the cell, pivot smartly on one heel, and walk past the other way. Spock timed it perfectly, and just as the guard walked by again, his arm shot out between the bars, his fingers landing precisely on the man's meld points.
"You will power down the force field and get us weapons. When that is done, you will let us leave, and energize the force field again. If your superior comes to check on us, you must tell him all is well. You will not remember doing this." he said, before pulling his arm back. The man stood stock-still for a moment, black eyes half-hooded, before he turned to the panel beside the cell and keyed in a code. The blue bars disappeared.
"That was easy." McCoy said, staring as the man left and came back with three Kathosian phaser rifles.
"It was hardly taxing, but such use of mind-control is, as I said, unethical." Spock replied. He accepted his phaser rifle and tested its hefty weight. It was much more ungainly than their phaser pistols, but it would work.
"First things first- communicators." Kirk said. "I'll contact the Enterprise to have us on standby for beam-up. Then we'll go get Uhura. You have my permission to kill the Koshaak if he puts up a struggle, Spock- I'll just tell Starfleet Command that we tried to leave and he was a necessary casualty."
"Captain, I am not usually inclined to violence."
"Yeah- not usually." McCoy said. "But this is different, Spock- that man is trying to take your woman. Where's all that fury we saw on Scorpius?"
"I am Vulcan. I do not express fury."
"Not expressing it doesn't mean you don't feel it. Come on." Kirk said.
They turned and began to run down the corridor. This time, it was different- they had been too urgent before, they had not fully planned everything out. This time, they knew what they were going to do, what to expect. They had a plan, and they would have the Enterprise on standby if it went wrong.
Spock was determined to get his Nyota back- and this time, he would not fail. And if the Koshaak died during the struggle...so be it.
A/N: Yeah, I'm sure the semi-not really-scientific explanation for the juice thing made no sense. But I failed chemistry in high school, so...
This chapter wasn't too exciting- but the next one should make up for it. Either chapter 12 or 13 will be the end of this little story arc. I won't know until tomorrow (or tonight, depending on what time it is when you read this). Anyway, reviews, good or bad (I prefer good, but I actually found after the last chapter that bad ones are helpful, too) are awesome! So if you have time, drop a few lines. Or a few words. Heck, a letter would be fine. Just give me something to look forward to in my inbox!