Dr. McCoy regained consciousness with a loud groan. In the darkness he ran a quick mental inventory of himself and found that his worst injury was a lump on the head. Then he saws lights moving, casting eerie shadows on the ancient stone walls.
“Who’s there?” he said, shouting at the shadows.
Proceed to page 65.
Page 50
From page 31.
Spock and his men were nearing the bottom of the vast pit. They had circled the walls of the pit several times as they went down. From time to time they heard noises above, and there were still noises below.
“Proceed cautiously,” Spock ordered. Soon they were only a few feet from the floor, and their lights revealed a strange sight. Spock pulled out his communicator and flipped it open.
“Captain Kirk.”
“What is it, Spock? Where are you?” Kirk’s voice came scratchily from the communicator’s speaker.
“At the bottom of a great central pit, Captain. There is something here you must see.”
“Coming, Spock. Kirk out.”
If you want to have Kirk join up with Spock, turn to 66.
If you want McCoy to join with Spock, turn to page 67.
Page 51
From page 33.
“Look at this, Admiral,” a security sergeant said from one of the storage door entrances. Kirk strode swiftly ahead and looked in.
The room had simple wooden bins filled with pale tube much like man-sized beige and tan and dark brown sausages. But what struck Kirk was that one bin was filled with what appeared to be cocooned human figures!
“Ensign!” Kirk ordered Gottlieb. She hurried forward and ran her tricorder over the shapes, peering anxiously at the readout panels.
She looked at Kirk, shaking her head. “Some kind of proto-life, sir. Definitely not human, but…”
“But what, Mister Gottlieb?”
“There’s some kind of primitive life forces at work, sir. As if…as if they were duplicating human life in some way.”
Kirk made a quick decision. “Come on. We’ll investigate that later.”
Gottlieb nodded and started toward the exit. She accidentally brushed one of the shapeless “sausages” in a bin with her hand and hurried on.
After the team had moved down the passageway, the sausage she had touched quivered and began to slowly change shape. If there had been someone there to see it, they might have recognized the features of Ensign Lydia Gottlieb slowly forming at one end of the tan tube.
If you want to continue to investigate the mysterious items in the alien storage rooms, proceed to page 68.
If you want to find the archaeologists and Chekov, go to page 69.
Page 52
From page 33.
There was so much to learn here, Kirk thought. The knowledge of an entire race seemed to be here, if they only had time to study it.
But that was not the priority: finding the Enterprise crew and the scientists took first place, and the sooner the better.
Kirk halted his team when they detected a warm glow ahead. “Proceed cautiously,” he ordered, and they began to advance slowly.
The glow came from a tanklike pit in the stone floor of a larger cavern. In the pit was a gelatinous substance, softly glowing, with dim movements visible deep within the mass.
A security man, phaser in hand, drew close to the edge. “Sir, it smells like—!”
A blob of the stuff surged up from the surface and in a moment covered the crewman, pulling him off his feet into the pit of goo. He yelled wildly and fired his phaser just before he was covered over, sinking into the pit.
Proceed to 70.
Page 53
From page 34.
Lieutenant Nakashima was the first to see them. He sent out a shout and started to run ahead, then abruptly stopped. Ahead of him were the nine scientists they sought, lying as if dead in the stone passageway. But where was Mister Chekov? What had downed the archaeologists?
“Very good, Mister Nakashima,” Spock said at his shoulder. “Proceed cautiously, and logically.”
Nakashima started forward, flanked by two security men, their phasers ready in their hands, expecting anything. What they didn’t expect was the bodies of the scientists to disappear in a blink. There one second, reading strongly on Spock’s tricorder, then gone; the dials dropped to zero.
“Fascinating,” Spock murmured. No slow transporter beam scan, no molecular displacement apparent. And the scientists had been there, giving weak but positive tricorder readings. “Teleportation?” Spock wondered.
Then blink—something was there, something terrible.
Proceed to 71.
Page 54
From page 34.
Spock’s tricorder lit up. There was some kind of life ahead. He alerted the security detail and listened carefully. The dark passages had whispering echoes, distant rasping sounds, and soft unintelligible murmurs. These sounds disconcerted the men, but Spock tried to sort them out.
There was a sudden burst of flaming energy along the left-hand wall, and the stones exploded from stress. A phaser beam, coming out of the dark, had disintegrated a great scar into the ancient stone. Spock’s men dived for the floor, but his sharp command kept them from firing back.
“Who is there?” Spock called out.
“You’ll not get us!” a voice cried back in Interplanetary English. “We’ll die before we become your mind slaves!”
“Doctor Tripp!” Spock called out, naming the leader of the archaeologists. “We’re from the U.S.S. Enterprise! We are answering your distress signal!”
“No, no,” the voice in the dark growled. “It’s a trick!” Another phaser beam seared a groove along the ceiling and partway down the wall, showering the crew members with shards of burning rock.
Continue on next page.
Page 55
From page 54.
“I’m glad he’s a lousy shot,” Nakashima muttered.
“Perhaps he’s only trying to scare us off,” Spock said. Then he shouted at Tripp. “Doctor, who or what do you think us to be?”
“The Fi’lakas, of course: the Guardian! Don’t try to trick us!”
Proceed to page 72.
Page 56
From page 40.
The red blobs released him back into the room again. Galen Tripp opened his eyes and sighed. “I should have told you. You can’t fight them. Phasers don’t work, they heal themselves too fast.”
“That fast?” Chekov said, shocked.
Tripp nodded. “To them we are antibodies. They were the protectors of the city when the Vardans were alive. They can handle anything: electrical energy, acid, venom, anything. So we are trying the only thing left.”
The archaeologist looked at his eight companions. “Now we have a focus, a place to go.”
Chekov tugged at his communicator. “I’ll have them beam us up. I’ll give them the coordinates and—”
“Don’t bother,” Tripp said with a faint smile. “The blobs removed a lot more than dead cells and harmful bacteria from our bodies. They removed poisons from the mind.”
With that he began to fade, eyes closed, a smile on his face. The others followed, and in a moment they were gone. Chekov flipped open his communicator. “Transporter room, this is Chekov.”
“Mister Chekov,” Scotty said in exasperation, “who are these people who just beamed aboard?”
“We’ll explain when we get aboard, Commander Scott. Prepare to beam us up.”
END
Page 57
From page 43, 44.
Chekov looked around, but he saw only the four guards on each side of the queen’s throne. They were armed with ornate swords and ferocious glares. He hefted his phaser in his hand and whispered, “Cover me,” to his team.
“Your Majesty,” he said. “I am Lieutenant Commander—”
“I know who you are,” she snapped. “Come here at once, I tell you, or I’ll have your head.”
Oh, no, thought Chekov. Anoth
er Alice in Wonderland fantasy! Wait a minute: there are nine of them…and there are nine members of the archaeological team!
“I didn’t catch your name, Your Majesty.”
“I didn’t throw it, young man. But I’m Queen Galena, and I rule the depths.”
“I’m sure you do, Your Highness,” Chekov said, “but I’m looking for nine Federation scientists who—”
“I am quite aware of the subject of your search. The distress signal was a very unwise action on the part of one of my subjects.” She glared in the direction of one of the guards, who blushed furiously.
Turn to page 58.
Page 58
From page 57.
“Highness, this is perhaps an impertinent question, but—”
“All questions are impertinent, young man.”
“But are you those missing scientists?”
Her eyebrows went up. “Oh, darn,” she said. “You are no fun, Mister Chekov.” The crown, the royal robes, the formal garden, everything misted away. What was left were nine Terran scientists with foolish grins on their faces.
Proceed to page 77.
Page 59
From page 41, 42.
Chekov and his people moved carefully along the stone passageway. From time to time they heard rumblings ahead, odd, echoing noises that made them nervous. Then they came upon a large thick door. It opened easily enough, though it creaked. What lay beyond made Chekov gasp.
It was Red Square itself. Phalanxes of twentieth-century tanks surrounded them, their primitive chemically fired weapons pointed right at him! Helmeted Russian soldiers aimed what were to Chekov ancient weapons at him. Beyond lay the Kremlin and St. Basil’s.
Proceed to page 76.
Page 60
From page 47.
It came up the dark passage like a great blob of pale blue mush. Chekov fired at once, his phaser set on “stun.” The security man fired, too, but the blue mush rushed over him, enveloping him in its blobby folds. The man screamed, and Chekov thumbed his phaser to “kill.”
The phaser crackled and the brilliant light of dissolving molecules filled the stone corridor. The blue mush shrank back, dumping the unconscious security man at Chekov’s feet. He fired again and the mush pulled back, but Chekov could see he had not done it any real harm.
Chekov seized the security man’s wrist and dragged him roughly along the floor, back toward the niches. The mush began to slowly roll forward.
“Beam us up!” Chekov hollered. He fired again, then again, in long, energy-devouring spurts. He saw the last of the stasis-bound figures dissolving in the shimmering columns of transporter light, then Narva Moktar and the rest of the team.
The blue mush clogged the passage, flooding, forward. Chekov’s phaser fired again, then the red light of power dissipation lit up. He tugged at the security man’s limp body as the blue mush rushed forward. Chekov had never been so grateful as when he felt the tingling of the transporter beam.
Continue on next page.
Page 61
From page 60.
Later, he reported to Captain Kirk. “Sir, I suggest we leave the Guardian to guard whatever it is it guards.”
Kirk nodded. “It has only one purpose and does that Well, without seriously harming anyone for long. Yes, Mister Chekov, I agree. Mister Sulu, set course for Starbase Six. The archaeologists will want a rest.” He turned with a smile to Chekov. “And how do you feel, Mister?”
Chekov managed a smile. “I…I don’t think I’ll be eating mush for breakfast for a while, Keptin.”
END
Page 62
From page 45.
As they approached the turbolift, Chekov began to shake, and his eyes bulged with fear. The Klingon stuck the phaser roughly into Chekov’s side. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” Chekov said at once, his mouth twitched.
“Something wrong?” the other Klingon said. He put his phaser to Chekov’s face. “Tell me!”
“I don’t want to die,” Chekov trembled.
The Klingon sneered. “These Federation types, they’re all cowards.”
“No, something is wrong,” the first Klingon said suspiciously. His hard-gloved hand seized Chekov’s arm. “What is it?”
Chekov’s eyes widened and he blurted out words desperately. “Security procedures! We have to be authorized to go on the bridge! Or we’ll be vaporized!”
“You’re authorized, are you not?” the Klingon growled, and Chekov nodded. “Then get us onto the bridge, human!” he said, shoving Chekov into the turbolift.
Proceed to page 78.
Page 63
From page 46.
Captain Kirk and his team materialized outside the alien structure and looked around. There was always something different and exciting about breathing the air of an alien planet. He had never gotten used to it and had never ceased to be excited by it.
This was a fragrant planet, he thought, smelling of spice and flowers. Then he gestured at Sulu and the security detail he had brought down with him.
“Mister Sulu, take half the team and enter the passage on the left. Keep in touch.”
“Aye, sir.” Sulu gestured and marched off. Kirk could barely restrain a smile as he entered the right-hand passage. Sticking his nose into the unknown was one of his greatest thrills. Not even attaining Admiral’s rank had dulled that feeling, he thought. I’ve missed it. I should get back to it.
Kirk and his half of the security team moved ahead.
If you want to follow Captain Kirk, proceed to page 80.
If you desire to follow Sulu, go to page 82.
Page 64
From page 48.
“It’s Commander Chekov!” the security man shouted. McCoy and the rest of his team rushed along the passage until they came upon a fallen mass of debris. Sitting in the dark, dazed and dusty, were all of Chekov’s team.
“Doctor McCoy,” Chekov said huskily, his smile weak. “We found the archaeologists…or rather, they found us.”
At that moment a group of people in jumpsuits came along the passage from the other direction, bearing stretchers. McCoy looked up from his medical work. “You don’t look in distress to me!” he snapped.
The leader, a bearded man in his middle years, grinned. “We were. Some kind of disease we liberated when we opened this tomb. But we caught it in time.”
“I’ll report to Keptin Kirk,” Chekov said, reaching for his communicator.
“I’ll do that, Chekov,” McCoy said. “You just take it easy. We’ll have you back on the Enterprise in no time.”
END
Page 65
From page 49.
“It’s me: Chekov!” The voice came from the group of lights casting long beams through the settling dust.
“Then get over here and help!” McCoy snapped in relief. “There may be people hurt here!”
“This place is falling apart,” grumbled a deep voice McCoy did not recognize.
“Who’s that with you?” McCoy asked, getting shakily to his feet.
“Doctor Tripp, Galen Tripp,” Chekov said. “We found the archaeologists!”
McCoy found his own light and flashed it on the scientists, seeing an assorted group of male and female scientists in frayed jumpsuits. “You look all right to me,” McCoy said. “Why the distress signal?”
“We opened something in a storeroom and apparently released some kind of disease,” Dr. Tripp responded, bending over an unconscious security man. “But we found the cure in time.” He looked up at McCoy. “It wasn’t a false alarm.”
“What kind of place is this?” McCoy asked, gesturing at the ancient structure around them.
“A very old race, who just lost the will to live. They lost their curiosity and lost their sense of adventure. That’s fatal in an intelligent race.”
“I’ve had enough adventure for today,” McCoy muttered. “Let’s get these people out of here.”
END
Page 66
&nbs
p; From page 32, 50, 69.
Admiral Kirk and his team came out of a passageway and found themselves on the edge of an immense, dark pit. The call from Mister Spock had been from the bottom, at the base of a winding staircase. The team hurried down, phasers in hand and at the ready.
At the bottom they found Spock, whose team had their lights on what they had discovered at the bottom of the pit. Kirk gasped.
“Spock! What is it?”
“I’ve taken tricorder readings, Admiral. As best I can determine, it’s an organic machine of immense age.”
They looked at the dark shape that towered over them, soft glows barely seen deep within it, a slowly moving mound of protoplasm.
“It’s a doctor, Jim,” Spock said softly. “There are nine lifeform readings within, conforming to the nine members of the Luna University team. They have evidently contacted some kind of disease.”
Kirk looked sharply at his science officer.
“I know, Admiral,” Spock said. “We may have been exposed.”
Proceed to page 83.
Page 67
From page 30, 50.
Yells of surprise and pain echoed through the dark passages of the alien building. Dust choked the air and bodies thrashed about. McCoy’s hand found a light and switched it back on, swinging it around his position in an attempt to discover what had happened.
Star Trek II: Distress Call Page 4