Chapter Three

The message had gone out, that a group of people were needed to go down onto the planet and help rescue the captain and first officer from a sacred ground. Apparently they were trapped but the captain had failed to specify the extent of the damage.

Which is why, when the team beamed down, they were shocked to discover the vast amount of rubble littering an otherwise barren landscape that glowed amber under the darkening sky.

Chief Medical Officer, Leonard McCoy was chosen to lead the expedition after Scotty voiced concerns that Jim and Spock might need medical treatment. Bones had said indignantly that he would've gone down whether that had been the case or not.

There were four of them in the party in total. It was feared that too many people would disturb the landscape and potentially worsen the situation. Two members of the party were engineering men, one named Bryan Nigh, a keen-eyed boisterous man who couldn't wait to get his hands dirty, and the other, Flynn Cricket, the dark studious one who was as jumpy as his name implied. The third was a new science cadet called Avril Parker, a fiery young woman who seemed more interested in examining the area rather than helping in the rescue efforts.

"Good God," said Bones as he gazed upon his team working in front of the ruined temple. He just could not see anyone surviving under all of that. He flipped open his communicator and it was a while before anyone answered. "Jim, is that you?"

"Expecting someone else," said Jim jokingly.

"It's a mess out here, damn it," said Bones. "Are either of you hurt?"

"Spock got the worse of it," said Jim lowering his voice, "but the pointy-eared bastard's too proud to admit it."

"I can hear you captain," he heard Spock say in the background. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Bones might have found the comment amusing. Instead he just rolled his eyes.

"And you?" he said.

"Seeing as I technically died a few months back," said Jim, "this is a walk in the park." Distantly, a roaring screech filled the air and Jim dropped his jokey tone. "What the hell was that?"

"I know as much as you do," was the urgent reply. "I thought the hobgoblin said that there were no life signs on this blasted planet."

"And there aren't," said Jim. "That's what we don't understand."

Not too far away, Bryan was eagerly grabbing every rock he could find and moving it into another pile. His hands were filthy and red raw from the effort but he could not help thinking that if he was the first person to find Captain Kirk and Mr Spock, then a promotion would come soaring his way.

Short annoying little Flynn was watching his every move, making disparaging sounds every now and then.

"Why don't you help?" Bryan snapped. A roaring screech filled the air, and he looked up only to see nothing but orange sky.

"Because you're going about this entirely wrong," said Flynn, ignoring the noise. "Besides, the scanner says that we should be digging approximately five metres to the left in order to reach the men quicker."

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

"I just told you," said Flynn, perching on top of a nearby rock. The noise sounded again, louder this time. Bryan looked over to the doctor who was talking on the communicator. Well, he thought, if they were in any danger, surely they would have beamed back up by now. He glanced over to Flynn who was clearly ogling the science officer, Avril. For this, Bryan punched him hard in the arm. Flynn toppled over into the dry sand.

"Disrespectful," Bryan spat. Bones heard the commotion and strode over.

"What the hell is going on here?" he said. He turned around and called for the other ensign to join them. "Ensign Parker," he said once she had approached the men. "This is a rescue operation! I realise this is an interesting place of study, however, I expect you to help with the efforts. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very, doctor," said Avril. "Only, I've found a carcass and I thought-"

"You thought it was more important that getting Jim and Spock out of there alive?" he snapped. Avril averted her eyes and muttered her apologies. "Look," he continued in a softer tone, "I'm sorry. I know you're new but you've got to keep your mind focused on the job."

"I just thought it curious, doctor," Avril replied. "We keep saying there are no life forms on this world yet the evidence suggests otherwise."

"We'll look into it," he assured her. "But our first priority is shifting this damn rubble. I don't know what's taking Scotty so long with the equipment."

At that moment, screeches wretched the air once again, but this time it sounded like the cries of an army.

"Doctor!" yelled Flynn, pointing to the sky. A bustling black cloud of what appeared to be miniature dragons were hurtling towards them, mouths half the size of their bodies were unhinging, revealing massive fangs.

"Take cover," he shouted, aiming his phaser towards the sky. His order had been drowned out by flapping wings and his team's cries of pain. One of the creatures knocked into the back of his head, throwing him to the floor where out of the corner of his eye, he could only watch in horror as Bryan was lifted up into the air by two of the beasts. Flynn was cowering behind a rock whilst Avril was attempting to fight them off by swatting at them with her scanner.

Moments later, Bryan had disappeared behind dark amber clouds, followed by the rest of the hoard. The air became still. Flynn was visibly shaking as he emerged from his hiding place. Avril was hastily scribbling in an old fashioned notebook whilst Bones, rubbing his head, walked back over to the half-collapsed temple. Dust was tumbling from its sides, white bricks were beginning to teeter and he knew they were running out of time.

"Do you think they'll come back?" stammered Flynn who then proceeded to screech when a second later, the top half of Bryan came plummeting back to the ground a few metres away from them, spraying them with bloody bodily gunk. Bones jumped back and swore loudly whilst Avril simply looked up, mildly interested.

A familiar noise and a shimmery force field wrapped itself around all three of them and to Bones' severe annoyance, they had arrived back on the Enterprise.

"What's going on Mr Scott?" he said. "Beam me back." But it was not Scotty who had brought them back. A concerned looking Chekov was standing purposefully behind the controls. "What are you doing here, kid? Where's Mr Scott?"

"Sorting out ze equipment, sir."

"Well he's sure taking his time," said Bones, irritated.

"Is zat blood?"

"Never mind that. Now if you wouldn't mind beaming me back down."

"Eez it safe?" said Chekov, "we 'ave lost Lieutenant Nigh. I made sure you ver returned to ze ship as soon as vee lost 'is frequency." Bones sighed. He could not help but be frustrated. Jim and Spock were still trapped and in need of medical attention yet everything that could go wrong seemed to be doing so. Still, Chekov had been right in looking out for the safety of the team.

"Just send me then," said Bones. "Cricket, go to the medical bay and tell the nurses to treat you for shock. Parker, examine your findings. Try and figure out why we are getting no life readings from these creatures and Chekov...beam me back, now."