Open Writing

On the ninety-sixth day at Trans-Warp Six, James Kirk stepped out of the turbolift and on to the bridge. Acknowledging Chekov’s “Kepten on the bridge,” he moved directly to his chair and sat.

“Status, Mr. Sulu,” he said.

The Asian pilot, his voice calmness and serenity itself, answered. “On course, Captain. Coming up on Klingon co-ordinates.”

Kirk nodded. “Very well, cut Trans-warp engines.”

“Aye sir, cutting Trans-warp power now. Reverting to standard warp drive.”

After the almost mind-numbing velocity of Trans warp, it was somewhat of a relief to return to standard warp speed. Kirk then gave the order to cut the warp engines completely.

“Ahead one half impulse power, Mr. Sulu.”

With a suddenness that was as startling as it was welcome, the stars came back into normal focus on the forward viewer as the Enterprise dropped out of warp and slowed its approach to the alien system. Kirk stared at the screen, and felt a moment’s unease; the system’s sun was a color he had never seen before, a reddish-brown the color of dried blood. Unlike the orange-red sun of Vulcan, which imparted a warm, rosy glow, this star was different, darker, and it had a sinister feel to it. Kirk was struck with the sudden, prescient feeling that, whatever creatures dwelled here, they would not be friends of mankind. Quickly, he dismissed the thought from his mind and concentrated on the job at hand.

“Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu,” he said, and rose from his chair. He walked closer to the viewscreen, as if by proximity he could see more than it already showed. Without turning, he said, “Uhura, open all hailing frequencies.”
“Acknowledged. Hailing frequencies open.”

Kirk, still staring at the screen, said, “This is the Federation starship Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk commanding. We come on a mission of peace and exploration to this part of the galaxy. If there is anyone there, please respond.”

In the silence that followed his hail, Kirk was aware of an almost tangible emanation from the planet below. Its surface was not visible to them, being covered by a dense blanket of cloud; after a moment, Kirk turned towards the science station, where Spock was monitoring the scanning instruments.

“Anything, Mr. Spock?” he said, as the Vulcan continued to scan the surface.

“Yes, captain. I am picking up a life-form reading of a type I have not encountered before. I will attempt to carry out a long-range examination of its physiology.” He glanced apologetically at Kirk. “It will take a little time.”

Kirk nodded. “Very well, Mr. Spock, you do that. Meanwhile, Mr. Sulu, you have the con. Bones, Mr. Chekov, please join me in the transporter room.” He thought for a moment, then added, “And Chekov, draw three phasers from the weapons locker.”

*

Kirk felt the familiar tingle as the transporter field took them. The world blurred gray, then slowly cleared, revealing a landscape unlike any other he had ever seen in all of his years in Star Fleet, in a thousand landings on a thousand worlds. The entire planet looked blasted, as though a hundred nuclear wars had taken place there. Everything, from the ground to the rocks, was covered in a strange plating; it was like being inside the belly of some gigantic beast.
Kirk looked around as the forms of McCoy and Chekov materialized alongside him. He took in the surrounding terrain, and turned to his companions.

“Readings, Mr. Chekov?”

The Russian studied his tricorder, and shook his head. “Like nothing I have ever seen, Kepten. A multitude of life forms, but unrecognizable. Also, the readings from the tricorder are too wague to give an eccurate fix on them.”

Kirk glanced around and took in their surroundings. Without quite knowing why, he said, “We’d better get away from this open terrain and find some cover.”

He started walking, and the others followed him. They moved quickly from the flat, open ground where they had arrived towards a clump of scraggly-looking trees at the edge of a marshy swamp.

As they made their way towards cover, Kirk surveyed the place in which they found themselves. The cloud-cover overhead was the same reddish-brown as the planet’s sun, a color that seemed to be almost draining the life force from him and, he supposed, the others as well. There was a malevolence about the place that only seemed to reinforce his earlier feelings about it, and whatever its inhabitants might be.

Reaching the trees, they saw that the swamp was actually a shallow lake, several kilometers across. Foul vapors rose from its surface, and the very air surrounding it seemed poisonous. The feeling of imminent peril was stronger than ever, and he warned McCoy and Chekov to be on their guard. They stood at the edge of the swamp/lake looking about them, unsure of their next move. Kirk took out his communicator and flipped it open.

“Kirk to Enterprise.”

Sulu’s voice came back strongly. “Enterprise here, captain.”

“We seem to have arrived at some sort of lake,” said Kirk, all the while casting wary glances around the area. “Do you have a positive fix on us?”

“Yes, captain,” came the reply. “We have you clearly.”

Kirk nodded to himself, his uneasiness apparent to them all. “Acknowledged. Keep a close eye on us, Sulu. This is one place we definitely do not want to get lost in. Kirk out.” He folded the communicator and replaced it on his belt, then turned to McCoy. “Anything, Bones?”

McCoy studied his tricorder. “According to this, there’s life all around us, Jim.” He gestured at the empty terrain, and Kirk frowned.

“Well, I wish they’d show themselves,” he said. “ For a species that’s been described as benign, they’re oddly cautious.”

He glanced around them again at the seemingly deserted landscape. “Maybe if we move towards the nearest concentration of life readings…”

Then McCoy gave a shout. “Life-form readings intensifying, Jim! Whatever they are, they’re closing in from all sides!”

“Phasers on stun!” said Kirk, and drew his weapon just as a creature from his deepest nightmares emerged from the swamp. It started towards them, hissing malevolently, and Kirk gave it a short burst from his phaser.

A blue flash surrounded the creature and it squealed and fell, but only to its knees. Then, to the astonishment of Kirk and the others, it rose again and approached them. Reluctantly, Kirk set his phaser to ‘kill’, and fired again. This time the flash was bright red, and the creature disintegrated. Where it had stood, only a few splashes of liquid remained; these hissed and sizzled on the ground as if red hot.

“Form a circle!” he said to the others. “Shoot to kill.”

Quickly, they arranged themselves into a tight group, back to back, alert to any movement around them. McCoy glanced at the tricorder in his hand. “Still plenty of them out there, Jim,” he said. “Just don’t ask me where.”

Chekov, his phaser held out before him, said, “What was it, Kepten?”

Kirk shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

They had all seen the alien being for a few moments before Kirk’s second phaser burst had disintegrated it. The creature had been roughly humanoid, but there the resemblance to themselves ended. It had sported a long, barbed tail, strong and evil-looking, but it was the head that had most claimed their attention. Elongated, like the head of a shiny black hammer, with the most fearsome array of teeth. Its hide shining like an insect’s black carapace, the creature had emanated a hatred so strong it could actually be felt as a physical presence.

Despite his long experience with many alien species, Kirk shuddered at the memory of the creature. And the way it had resisted the phaser stun. Quickly, he took out his communicator.

“Kirk to Enterprise.”

Sulu’s voice came immediately, reassuringly competent. “Enterprise here, captain.”

“Three to beam up, Mr. Sulu. Get us out of here.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

They stood, still in a tight group, and moments later felt the transporter field take hold. Suddenly, with blinding speed, something rushed towards them. Then everything went gray, and a moment later they were in the transporter room of the Enterprise.

However, this time they were not alone.

Standing to one side of the platform was another of the creatures, identical to the first. It turned slowly to face them, bared its teeth and hissed. Spock, who was operating the transporter, moved to the center of the room and said, “Do not move, any of you!” Then he raised the weapon he was carrying, and fired.

This time, the blue flash surrounding the creature was far more intense, and it uttered a high-pitched squeal and collapsed.

For a moment, no one moved. Then McCoy crossed the platform and ran one of his medical instruments over the supine form. After a moment, he straightened.

“It’s dead, Jim. Whatever it was.”

Chekov, standing a little behind Kirk, looked on doubtfully. “Are you sure of that, doctor?” he asked nervously. “Remember what it took to kill the one on the surface.”

Before McCoy could reply, Spock joined them and produced his weapon for Chekov’s inspection. “As you can see, Commander,” he said, “I used a heavier phaser than the captain, one designed to kill by stun while still leaving something to examine. I have been monitoring your progress on the planet’s surface, and noted the difficulty you had in dispatching the other creature.” The Vulcan moved to the platform to get a better view. “Fascinating,” he murmured. “I believe we should take a closer look at this life-form.”

Kirk nodded. “I agree. Bones, Chekov, get that….thing to sick bay.”

Chekov looked at the creature dubiously. “Very well, Kepten. But may I take Mr. Spock’s phaser in case it wakes up again?”

The black humor relieved the tension, and Kirk smiled briefly. “Whatever makes you happy, Pavel.” Then he turned to the intercom. “Bridge, this is the Captain. I’ll be in sick bay until further notice.”

When he turned back, the creature had been rolled on to an anti-gravity sled. McCoy was operating its controls, and he whistled in surprise as he brought the sled up to waist height.

“Good grief, Jim. This thing’s more or less the same size as us, but it weighs more than three times as much as we do. My God, its molecular structure must be incredibly dense. No wonder it resisted the phaser stun.”

He activated the controls, and the sled moved off, he and Chekov following. Kirk watched them go, then turned to the Vulcan.

“Well, Spock,” he said, “what do you say we go and learn what we can about this creature?”

Spock nodded, preoccupied, a look on his face that, had the Vulcan been human, Kirk would have said was a worried one. The earthman glanced again at his friend, but Spock said nothing; together, they set off in the sled’s wake.

***