Chapter Six

Soon, the mechanical noises died down but the whole place was still shaking. The structure wasn't going to last. Scuffled footsteps came rushing round the corner.

"I've never been happier to see you, Bones," said Jim.

"No time for pleasantries," he replied, grabbing Spock under the arm. Jim did the same, and the two of them dragged him as carefully as they could, but as quickly as possible. The temple was cracking, sand and dust threatening to choke them all.

The air, however dry and warm, was welcomed like a cold glass of water after a lengthy drought. The trio toppled over the rocks, which acted as their shelter as the rest of the building behind them collapsed in a cloud of grey ashes.

"Talk about cutting it close," muttered Jim. Distracted, he looked up. "Bones, what the hell are they?" Circling them like robotic vultures, the dragon creatures had their eyes fixed on the trio below.

Back in the transporter room, the doors swished open and Avrilburst into the room.

"Do not let them board," she cried, waving her scanner in front of their stunned faces. "Unless you want everyone on this ship to die."

"Now hold on just a minute," began Scotty but before he could get a word in, Avril had gone off on a tangent.

"There is a virul toxin on the planet," she said, "it manifests in the brain, shuts it down, takes it over. It is not technically a living thing which is why our sensors have detected nothing. It controls the bodies of the dead. If you bring them back up here, you risk infecting everyone." Chekov backed away.

"You ver on ze planet too," he said. Avril's face went blank. It was obvious she had not considered this.

"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered. Scotty calmly pressed the com and called for a medical team to quarantine her and ordered them to do the same to Flynn who was apparently giving them a lot of bother down there, telling them how to do their jobs.

"Vee are still bringing zem aboard?" asked Chekov, once Avril had been taken away. He sounded both wary but hopeful at the same time. "And now vee are going to 'ave to be quarantined too."

Back on Incendium, Jim and Bones were half slouched on a ridge of sand, still supporting an unconscious Spock. The creatures were circling lower by the second.

"Make no sudden movements," said Bones. "The less I tell you, the better."

Spock stirred, eyes still shut tight.

"Hey, you've decided to join us," whispered Jim. "You okay?" But Bones shushed him and clasped a hand round Spock's mouth. Getting the message, he seemed to relax a little but his breathing was getting even more frantic by the second. The minutes felt like hours, but the creatures moved away. Bones removed his hand and quickly grabbed the tricorder.

"Jesus," scowled Bones, running it up and down him. "Spock, your vitals are dangerously low."

"Doctor, leave me, something is infecting my system. You and Jim are in significant danger."

"Don't be an idiot," said Bones, opening up his communicator. "We're not leaving you...Bones to Enterprise, I've found them. Beam us-"

"No," shouted Spock, slapping the communicator from Bones' hand. He opened his eyes and both Bones and Jim jumped out of their skins. Not just because the level-headed Vulcan had just lost his temper, which had only happened on very rare occasions, but because his eyes were completely glazed over in a wash of white.

"You must," said Spock, trying to push them away.

"You know we can't," said Jim.

Bones rushed for the communicator which had been thrown quite a fair distance away. Spock weakened and gave up the fight, shutting his eyes again.

"Do you still understand?" said Jim. "Or do I need to remind you why I didn't leave you back then and why I won't leave you now." Spock said nothing, for a moment it seemed he had become unconscious again but he would never forget that moment in the volcano. That moment that seemed so long ago now.

"Friendship is illogical," he finally said. Jim seemed to sigh in relief but Spock did not want him to have any false hope. "Jim...my mind is becoming less my own," he told him. "It would be wise to take caution. Soon, I will be unable to control my actions."

"You'll be fine, Spock."

"The odds are not good."

The dreaded screeches resounded. Bones had reached the communicator but now the creatures were in formation, lunging towards him, grabbing at his dark blue shirt and lifting him into the air. Jim leapt up as his friend was torn through the clouds, so high he could no longer be seen.

"Bones," he yelled, running fruitlessly towards the place he had been taken. At this moment, he hated himself. He had led them all here to this stupid planet and for what? So he could lead his two best friends to their deaths?

Suddenly, he was off his feet. Without warning, Spock had collided with him. Jim fell, ribs cracking and head skimming a protruding rock which would have caused considerable damage had he hit it. For a split second, he was worried that Spock had been lost, that his mind had been overtaken by whatever illness plagued him and that he was now trying to kill his captain but then the creatures that had been attacking from behind flew over their heads.

"Apologies," said Spock. "However, if it looks like I have attacked you, they may not. It is logical that they would not harm one of their own."

"You're not one of them yet," said Jim as another rocketed in their direction.