The reptile moved swiftly through the grass, following the biscuit, which was tied to the string. The other end of the string was tied to one of the twigs, which Scotty held in his hand. He sat astride the lizard, between two ridges, Sulu directly behind him, then Uhura, with Chekov bringing up the rear.
“Good idea, sir,” Sulu shouted. He looked past Scotty’s form towards the tree. They were already halfway across the yard. He pushed a pink flower out of the way before it hit him on the head.
Scotty dangled the biscuit closer to the creature’s face. It snapped at it and he pulled it back up. “We’ve still got a ways to go yet, lad, and then ye’ll get yer cookie. I promise.” He patted it on the neck.
Uhura gazed around as tiny insects buzzed low over the grass. A fuzzy green bee-like creature flew into the center of a white flower, making a low rumbling sound. A pink butterfly the size of her hand landed lightly on her finger, fluttering its wings slowly. “All the insects we’ve seen are so little. I mean, even compared to us.” She waved her hand around as it flew off, indicating the size of the yard.
The butterfly landed on Chekov’s head. “Bugs are supposed to be small,” he said, looking upwards at the insect.
“I know, but still...” Uhura looked up at the treehouse again. The gleam of light was more constant now. She shaded her eyes and saw for the first time that it had a silvery blueness to it. “Definitely something up there.”
Scotty shook the twig and the biscuit bounced around. The lizard romped ahead faster, jolting the crew members from their seats. “Whoa, now!” Scotty shouted, gripping a spine with one hand. The others struggled to stay on, sliding and bouncing around. The creature finally came to a halt in front of the tree, much to their relief. Scotty stood up slowly and slid off the side of the creature, followed by the others.
He looked up at the treehouse, then back down at the rope, which hung loosely about 2 or 3 of their feet off the ground. “Don’t suppose ye can climb trees, now, can ye?” he asked, indicating the tree with his chin. The lizard whined. Scotty patted his leg. “That’s all right, then. Ye did us a great favour. Here you go.” He untied the biscuit from the string and picked up one end. Chekov grabbed the other. “One, two, three.” They heaved the biscuit through the air in the direction of one of the flowerbeds. It disappeared into a clump of purple trumpet-shaped blooms. The lizard bounded off through the grass after it, stopping once and turning around as the crewmembers waved goodbye, then continued to search for the treat.
Scotty wiped his hands on his pants and looked up again. The others followed his gaze.
“What do you think, about half a mile?” Sulu asked.
Scotty studied the rope, stroking his chin. “I’d say that’s about right.” He tugged on the frayed end. “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about it holding our weight.” He pulled himself up, grabbing onto the first large knot. “Just think of it as a training exercise,” he suggested, looking down briefly as he continued upwards.
Uhura pulled herself up next, lifting her left leg up onto the knot, then her right leg. “Good thing we’re wearing gloves,” she muttered, pausing to count the knots. “These knots are about 25 feet apart. It’ll be slow going, but I think we can make it if we stop to rest now and then.” She climbed higher as Chekov’s face appeared by her left boot, Sulu’s hands by her right. “No problem.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Captain’s Log, Supplemental: While searching for the Ingalls on Kappa Mu VII, I and several members of my crew have been captured. The giant children who reside here have apparently mistaken us for toys. Though amusing at first, we have since discovered that play isn’t all fun and games...
This figure was even shorter than the other two. It had curly dark hair and chubby cheeks and resembled the other two children closely. It waved its arms in the air and toddled into the room, squealing. Blue drool dripped from its mouth onto its white tunic shirt.
“What are we so afraid of? It’s only a baby.” McCoy smiled as it plopped down onto the ground and began grabbing handfuls of the carpet fringe. He turned to face Kirk. “Kind of cute, in a way,” he continued, not noticing the fat hand that reached out for him from above until it was too late. “Ah!” The baby picked up McCoy by the leg and dangled him upside down, shaking him. It squealed again and tossed McCoy in the air, catching him in its hand. “Help!” The other crew members watched helplessly as the baby pinched his head between its fingers and tried to twist it around. McCoy frantically pivoted his body to compensate. “Hey! My head doesn’t turn that way!”
Kirk and Spock waved their hands in the air. “Hey! Over here!” Kirk yelled. The baby looked down at him, squeezing McCoy gently in its right hand, pinning his arms to his sides, and reached for Kirk with its left one, grabbing him. Opening its mouth wide, it moved Kirk towards the gaping hole. A single tooth stuck out of its gum. It closed its lips around Kirk’s upper body and sucked on him with loud smacking noises, eyes closed. The captain’s legs flailed around.
“Captain!” Chapel shouted, bringing her hands to her face. She turned around to Spock and tugged on his sleeve. “We’ve got to do something!” She riffled through her medikit and pulled out a hypospray, pressing it into his hands. “Here.” She passed another to M’Ress, and kept one for herself. “They’re mild tranquilizers. I’m not sure about the exact dosage, but it should calm the little one down enough so we can rescue them.” She climbed up on the child’s knee, and Spock did the same on the other side, while M’Ress waited down by its feet.
“Captain, Doctor” Spock shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth, “you will be free shortly.”
The baby shook McCoy gently like a rattle. “Easy does it,” he complained. “Jim, you hear that?”
Blue slime covered Kirk’s body, hanging down from the roof of the child’s mouth. “Yuck,” he groaned as he lifted one arm dripping with drool to reengage his helmet. “Sooner would be better.”
Chapel poised her hypospray above the baby’s leg. “Now.” She plunged the injector against its skin and pressed. M’Ress and Spock did the same with theirs.
The baby’s eyes popped open in surprise. Dropping McCoy, its mouth dropped open and it let out a loud howl. Kirk slid down into its lap as it started reaching for the places it had been injected. He shared a look with McCoy. “I’m okay. Soggy, but okay,” Kirk laughed, raising a dripping wet hand.
A chubby arm knocked Chapel towards a large green stuffed snake with wings. “Oof!” She lay there, splayed out. The baby grabbed M’Ress and Spock and shook them up and down, throwing them in opposite directions. Spock tumbled and rolled into the toy chest, bumping his head. He rubbed his crown, frowning. McCoy caught M’Ress in his arms, stumbling backwards, and set her down feet first. As the child continued to scream and throw toys, everyone ducked while blocks, marbles, and puzzle pieces soared over their heads. “Watch out!” Kirk shouted, as a whistle flew past him, cracking his helmet. The drool soaked into the carpet beneath him.
Bremo and Rynci appeared in the doorway. “Nula! Stop that!” Rynci shouted. She ducked as a block almost hit her. “You’re making a mess!” Running into the room, she picked up the crewmembers and looked them over, noticing Kirk’s helmet. She touched it with her thumb. “Look, Bremo. She broke his hat,” Rynci muttered sadly. She passed Kirk to her brother as the baby continued to cry.
The boy studied Kirk closely. “I see it.”
Spock looked up from Rynci’s hand. “Perhaps now might be a good time to try to convince them we are not toys.” He wiggled around in the boy’s hand.
Kirk disengaged his helmet. He waved at the boy. “Can you understand me? Hello. My name is Captain Kirk. I need your help.”
“Please, help us,” Chapel shouted, climbing up the girl’s sleeve. She jumped back and dropped the others. They stood up and waved their hands in the air. “Help! Help!”
The boy frowned down at Kirk, then looked over at the others. “They’re all broken,” he said sadly. Then a smile crept across his face. He placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder, reaching for Chapel. “Don’t worry, Rynci, I’ll take them to Dad’s workshop. He’ll fix them,” he assured her.
Rynci smiled a little. “Okay,” she agreed. She picked up the other three and gave them to her brother. He put Kirk and McCoy in one pocket, and Chapel, M’Ress, and Spock in the other. As they left the room, Nula hiccupped twice, lay down on the rug and closed her eyes, snoring quietly.
“Here we go again,” McCoy muttered. They were all hanging onto the edge of the pockets with both hands, looking over the side. They held on tightly as Bremo thumped down the stairs and down a hallway. He skidded to a stop in front of a large door just as it was opening.
A man wearing a grey work apron over a long brown tunic stepped through. “Hey, there!” He ruffled the boy’s hair with a large, sinewy webbed hand. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Bremo pulled the crew members out of his pockets and handed them to his dad. He frowned, studying them. “Where’d you get these from?” He rolled them around in his hand. “I don’t remember making any like this.”
“Me and Rynci found them outside.” The boy stood up on his tiptoes to look down at them. “But Nula broke them. See?” He pointed to Kirk’s helmet. “They keep moving and making funny squeak noises.”
The man lifted them closer to his face.
“Hey! We’re alive! We’re not toys! Hello!” they shouted in unison, waving their hands and kicking their feet.
“I see,” he said thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t fix them today, son. It’s too late in the day. Tell you what; why don’t I just put them away in my workshop for now, and then you can help me fix them tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
Bremo looked disappointed. “Okay,” he finally said.
“Why don’t you go give Joro his dinner?” Bremo’s father suggested. “I’ll bet he’s a very hungry te-taf-ree by now.”
Bremo walked past his father and through a white door at the end of the hallway. His father headed back down the stairs to his workshop and deposited the still shouting and waving crew members on a large flat table covered in dust. He turned and went back upstairs, flipping off the light and locking the door behind him.
“Come back!” M’Ress shouted, hands cupped around her mouth.
“Don’t leave us down here!” McCoy added. “Helloooooo...”
Kirk put his hand on their shoulders. “It’s no use. He’s gone,” he sighed. Both their shoulders drooped.
“The captain is correct. Nobody can hear us from this distance.” Spock said, looking back at them as he reached for a dark shape. He pressed it and a small lamp turned on, illuminating the tabletop.
Chapel sat down on the side of a blue metal tool. “And even if they could, they wouldn’t understand a word we said.” She rested her chin on her hand. “We probably all sound like we need oil.”
McCoy paced over to the edge of the work bench, He glared at Spock. “‘Perhaps now might be a good time to try to convince them we are not toys,’” McCoy mocked. He shook his head and spread his hands. “Brilliant idea, Spock. Now we’re going to be locked in this room all night. And heaven knows what ‘fixing’ us entails.” He shuddered.
“Don’t be too sure, Doctor. There’s got to be a way out of here. We just have to find it.” Kirk surveyed the table. Several tools were scattered all about the surface, and bits of fluff and a couple of feathers stuck in between the wooden slats. A bottle of amber glue was tipped over, spilling a small sticky puddle on the table. “Maybe we could use some of these tools.” They spread out, examining various objects.
McCoy’s stomach growled. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” McCoy said, rolling a couple of screws out of the way. “Maybe some chicken, a little gravy...” His voice trailed off as he bumped into some feathers. “Oof! Achoo!” he sneezed, wiping his nose with his sleeve. He looked up. A large grey speckled bird stared ahead, unmoving. “Speak of the drumsticks,” he chuckled, leaning one hand against the animal’s front. “I guess we’re not the only broken toys down here.”
“Here’s another one,” M’Ress purred, standing in front of a round red ball of fur whose body resembled a tribble, except it had tiny legs and a snout like a snapping turtle.
“Yikes! And another,” Chapel added, jumping backwards. A shark-like fish with purple scales, its narrow jaws frozen open, looked as though it wanted to eat her. She reached out her hand and touched it. “They look so real, don’t they?”
Kirk had one leg up over the side of the tool box, when he saw Spock wander over to the animals. He watched as the Vulcan took out his tricorder and scanned them one by one. Kirk leapt down from the toolbox and jogged over towards Spock. “What is it?” he asked, glancing between the animals.
Spock turned to face him, his expression grim. “I have uncovered something which is potentially disturbing.” He looked over at the others. “The reason all these ‘toys’ appear so lifelike is because, at one point, they were alive.”
“What?” Chapel asked. She looked back over her shoulder at the shark, as though she expected it to snap at her.
Spock passed the tricorder to Kirk. “Once, these creatures were as animated as we are. Since then, they have been rather expertly cleaned, stuffed, and preserved with resin.”
Kirk looked at the readings. “Taxidermy,” he muttered. He gave Spock back the tricorder and crossed his arms over his chest, seeing the creatures anew. “Impressive.”
The others crowded around them, their faces wearing dismayed expressions. “Let me see that.” McCoy grabbed the tricorder from Spock’s hand. He studied the readings and backed up quickly, dropping it on the tabletop. “Oh, no. That’s not happening to me.” He raised his hands, palms up. “I’m a doctor, not a hunting trophy!”
Kirk reached out a hand and put it on McCoy’s arm. “Relax, Doctor. The only thing any of us is going to be stuffed with is a good supper after we get back to the Enterprise.” He pointed towards the tool box. “I think I saw a ball of twine in there. We might be able to use it to get across the room and out that window.” Kirk indicated a slightly open window that sat just above a metal shelf on which several dusty jars sat.
“Well, now we’re getting somewhere.” McCoy sighed with relief. He rolled up his sleeves and headed for the tool box while Chapel and M’Ress went off together in the other direction.
Spock bent over to pick up his tricorder, only to see Kirk studying him intently. “Is there something else on your mind, sir?” he asked.
“Yes.” Kirk moved closer to him. “When you scanned the room, did you happen to find any human blood?” he whispered.
Neither spoke for a moment. Spock put the strap of the tricorder over his shoulder. “No, sir, I did not.”
Kirk sighed with relief. “Good.” He walked away in the direction McCoy had gone, leaving Spock standing there alone.
____________________________________________________________________________
Scotty stopped on one of the knots and wiped his brow. “Oof! I think I’m a little out of shape.” He reached down for Uhura’s hand and helped her climb up onto the knot.
She rubbed her neck. “A little water wouldn’t hurt, either.” Uhura peered upwards and saw Chekov and Sulu above them on the other side of the rope. “How’d you two get ahead of us?” she shouted.
Chekov paused, his legs wrapped around the rope. “Slowpoke,” he teased, glancing down at them. Scotty frowned.
Sulu laughed. “It’s because he’s always ‘rushin’. Get it?” He inched upwards slowly.
Uhura smiled at him. “What’s your excuse?” she called back.
“All that fencing improves my -ugh- upper body strength.” Sulu pulled himself up higher.
Scotty reached up for the next rope section. “Well, all I can – oof- say is, that –ugh- ship better be up there,” he muttered under his breath.
“If it isn’t,” Uhura added as she followed him, “I’m contacting the Enterprise for reinfor-rrr-cements.” She hoisted herself up slowly.
Chekov climbed even higher, pausing in between two knots as he became level with a branch that jutted out to the right. A small nest full of chirping baby birds with fluffy brown feathers sat between two smaller branches on the end. He smiled and pointed. “Look, babies.”
A loud SQUAWK! caused him to look up and behind him. A large brown bird was diving from the sky. Straight towards him. “Whoa!” He swung around to the other side of the rope, grabbing onto it for dear life as the bird flew past just inches away from him. The rope shook with the vibrations of air from its wings, causing the others to sway back and forth.
“Incoming!” Sulu yelled as another bird headed in their direction. He held on tight as it swept by. “That was a close one.”
Scotty’s legs shook loose of the rope. “Ach!” He kicked and thrashed in midair.
Uhura fell backwards, her hands letting go. She gripped the rope with her legs as it swung, pulling herself up to grab on again.
Several times the birds dive-bombed them, but the crew members barely managed to hang on. Just as the birds circled around for another attack, a beam of orange shot out from the treehouse at them, startling them. With a frightened screech, they flew away.
All their eyes looked towards the front of the treehouse as the rope slowed its sway. A redheaded human woman wearing a blue nurse’s dress stood there, re-holstering her phaser. “Need help?” she called down. A bearded man wearing civilian clothes stood behind her, watching.
“Oh, noooo...we just thought we’d hang around here a bit longer. Are ye daft, lassie? Of course we do,” Scotty shouted back. He shook his head and pulled himself upward.
The woman frowned at him before turning to the man. “There’s four of them down there, Aaron. Give me a hand.” They reached down together and grabbed Chekov’s arms, pulling him up towards the treehouse and laying him on the floor. He stood there, catching his breath as they helped Sulu up, then Uhura, and finally Scotty.
They strode away from the entrance of the treehouse. Light streamed in through the window, catching the dome lamp atop the roof of a large two-level shuttle craft. The ship was charred and missing several hull plates, but in remarkably good condition otherwise. An open hatch on the side of the craft with loose wires hanging out revealed that someone had been attempting to fix the engines. Two young men looked up as they walked by.
Scotty reached out a hand towards the man and woman. They shook his in turn. “Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, USS Enterprise. And these are Lts. Uhura, Sulu and Chekov,” Scotty added, each one nodding as he pointed to them. He chuckled. “We came out here looking for you, and now ye’ve rescued us.” He cocked his head to one side. “You are from the SS Ingalls, aren’t ye?”
“Yes. Captain Aaron Jelinek, and this is Nurse Daphne Gellar. It’s a good thing you’re here; I could use your assistance. Most of our passengers are civilians. Don’t know beans about repairing engines.” He pointed back at the ship. A woman pressed her face against the window, watching them.
Scotty cracked his knuckles. “Well, let me at ‘em. I’m sure between the two of us, we can get this bird airborne again.” He put his arm around Captain Jelinek’s shoulders and they headed for the ship.
Gellar watched him leave before turning to face the other three. “We’ve got a few injured, but nothing critical.” She shook her head. “I’m surprised you were able to find us after those kids brought us up here.”
“What kids?” Uhura asked.
Gellar pointed towards the large house across the yard. “A family of giants lives there. Three little kids and two parents. The oldest boy found our ship a short time after it crashed. He must’ve thought it was a toy. Flew us all around the backyard for a whole hour.” She touched her stomach. “The longest hour of my life.” Gellar smiled. “I’m no chicken, but one more wild ride like that one and I’ll swear off space travel forever.”
“Excuse me.” Sulu pulled out his comm. “Sulu to Enterprise.”
The Enterprise orbited the red planet.
“Enterprise here. Ensign Cylan is. Ahead gone.” An alien woman with short black hair and a single suckered octopus tentacle sticking out of her pale white head sat at the comm.
“We’ve located the Ingalls. Mr. Scott thinks he can get her working again.” He licked his lips. “Any word from the first landing party yet?” Sulu asked.
“Contact negative. Try I more?” she burbled, leaning forward in her chair.
“Yes, please do. Sulu out.” He shut his comm, shaking his head.
“There are more of you?” Gellar asked.
“Yes,” Chekov replied. “Our keptin and four others. They beamed down before ve did. But ve couldn’t find them anyvhere.”
Gellar frowned. “They could be with the children. Nobody’s come up here for a few days.” She strode toward the ship and they followed. “Kids never saw us, but if they found your people...” Gellar shook her head. “If we could just get the sensors up and running, at least we could tell you where they are.”
Sulu walked over to where Scotty and Captain Jelinek were hard at work. “What’s the good word?” he asked.
Scotty stuck his head up. His hair was mussed. “Finally found the part that’s been giving ‘em all this trouble.” He pulled out a small box with two cylinders sticking out of it and held it up. “I think I might be able to adapt one of the spare iridium impolators to replace it.” He smiled at Captain Jelinek. “What did I tell ye? Once we catch up with our people, we’ll escort ye to the closest Starbase for further repairs.”
“How long will that take, Mr. Scott?” Sulu asked.
“About 20 minutes, if we’re lucky.” He turned to Jelinek. “I’d suggest ye assemble the rest of your passengers, Captain.”
Jelinek smiled and walked away.
