TF01
3,Whatever Happened To Charlie
4,by Tina W. Pole

                    Whatever Happened To Charlie
                   ------------------------------
                           by Tina W. Pole
                          -----------------

"Whatever Happened To Charlie" was  first published in "Captain's Log
12", first published in 1979.

                          - - - - - - - - -

            I thought I had escaped my lonely existance,
                        When they came along.
                        But it was not to be.
                   For I was bought up differently
              Untouched by the warmth of a humans hand.
       Given the gift of powers beyond their farthest dreams.

            But of what use are they, when you are alone?

                              And now,

           I no longer live any kind of earthly existance,
                        My body having gone.
                  But I'm just waiting for the day,
                       When they will return.
              Then I'll show them that they are wrong.
                           Charlie Evans,
           He may never be seen again, but he hasn't gone!

                                 ***

Kirk pushed the tape to  one  side  without  even bothering to put it
into his desk's  viewscreen.  He  new  fine  well  what  it  was, new
orders... promotions  and  god  knows  where  they  would  send  him.
Alright, so he had always known  this  day  would come, they day when
their mission would reach it's completion.  Five years, lord how they
had flown. Five years and now... he  really should play that tape. He
reached for it, then once again decided against it. Perhaps if he had
a drink first to soften the blow.  He pushed back his chair intending
to go to his sleeping quarters  and  find that bottle, one that McCoy
had given him a  few  months  previously  in  celebration of his safe
return back on board ship after  yet another hazardous assignment. It
was then that his desk intercom whistled and the viewscreen lit up to
show Lieutenent Uhura, the communications officer.

"Bridge to Captain. Acknowledge please."

He thumbed the switch and  sat  back  down  to face the screen. "Kirk
here. What's the problem, Lieutenant?"

"Priority message coming through from Starfleet Command, sir. Shall I
relay it down to you?"

"Yes, go ahead Lieutenant." Starfleet  Command? He wondered what they
could want especially as  they  had  already  been officially removed
from the active  duty  list  and  were  not  supposed  to receive any
assignments on their long flight  back  to Starfleet headquarters and
base.

                                 ***

Thasus. Many years had passed since  the  USS Antares had passed that
way and  unwittingly  picked  up  their  deadly  passenger.  A  young
survivor  of  a  colonising  expedition  that  had  crashed  on  that
inhospitable planet.  Charles  Evans,  brought  up  by  the Thasians,
entities possessing no physical body yet possessing fantastic psionic
powers which they had somehow managed  to  endow  him with so that he
was able to survive on their planet.

Charles Evans, once away from  the  planet  and  the influence of the
Thasians had firstly  destroyed  the  Antares  and  then caused havoc
aboard the Enterprise. Fortunately for them, Colony 5 and the rest of
that inhabited sector of the Galaxy,  the Thasians had discovered him
missing and had come to  take  him  back.  Charles Evans, a young man
destined to a lifetime of loneliness, but  they had had no choice but
to let them take him, for there  was  no possible way that they could
have controlled him and the awful power he possessed.

Starfleet Command had been doing  some reorganization and on checking
through ships' logs had come across the Thasian affair and some smart
alec had asked the inevitable question. "Whatever happened to Charles
Evans? He is, was a  citizen  of  the Federation. Why weren't further
investigations made? Perhaps we couldn't help Charles Evans then, but
things have changed."

"Like hell they  have!"  Kirk  exclaimed,  as  he  switched  his desk
viewscreen off and fell back in  his  chair in disgust. But he wasn't
given time to digest the full  implication of the assignment they had
just been given as  the  intercom  whistled  again  and this time his
First Officer's features filled the viewscreen.

Kirk couldn't help grinning.  Talk  about  curiosity! Spock must have
watched every move that Uhura had  made on the communications console
and at  the  precise  moment  she  had  finished  relaying  Command's
communication through to him, must have activated his intercom.

"Mister Spock, what can I do for you?"

The Vulcan was clearly taken aback  that Kirk should actually ask him
that particular question, having  naturally  assumed that the Captain
would automatically pass on  whatever  Starfleet  Command  had had to
say.

"Status report, sir," he said, covering up his inability to answer.

"Forget the status  report,  Spock.  We've  something  a  little more
important on our programme. Firstly  however  we  had better get this
ship on course for Thasus."

"Thasus?" That had really whet Spock's appetite.

"Thasus, Mr Spock," and  deliberately  refusing  to  divulge any more
information until  he  actually  got  to  the  bridge,  he  gave  the
astonished Vulcan a friendly wave and cut the connection.

Chuckling  to  himself  at   Spock's   predictable  reaction  to  his
unpredictable behaviour, he reflected that it  was perhaps not such a
bad idea to have been  given  another  assignment.  At least it would
delay their return to base. "Ridiculous  really" he thought, his good
humour suddenly lost, "as it was  highly unlikely there were going to
be any more reprievals  and  he  would  have  to  learn to accept the
situation as it was. Hell, did  all  Starship Captain's feel this way
when they had to give  up  their  ship?  But  then no doubt Starfleet
Command, after all these years  of  experience  was well aware of the
effect it would have on him, and his crew. It wasn't the first time a
ship had reached the completion  of  it's  mission  and had it's crew
disbanded."

"Jim?"

There were only two people on board ship who had direct access to his
quarters and as Spock was on the bridge. "Come on in, Bones."

"What's wrong  with  you  then?"  McCoy  asked  as  he  took  up  his
accustomed perch on the edge of Kirk's desk.

"Is it that noticeable?"

"Very..."

"It's..."

"What?" McCoy enquired, looking down  at  Kirk with his clinical blue
eyes.

"The ship, Bones." Kirk eventually said, wondering why he should feel
so embarrased at revealing his emotions  about her to, of all people,
McCoy. "I'll miss her... and, of course, you and Spock."

McCoy didn't however seem to  think  it  strange  that Kirk should be
feeling that way at all, he  actually nodded hs head in understanding
and said "Can't say I fancy the  idea of leaving myself, Jim. They'll
probably retire me. Now I know I'm always harping on about going back
home and relaxing in my own backyard  with a mint julep and what have
you, but...well, I'd rather stick  around  in my sickbay anyday, give
or take a Vulcan physical or two."

Kirk laughed. He could actually  picture  McCoy  sitting there on the
back porch rocking  chair...mint  julep  in  hand.  But  McCoy  was a
medical man and wouldn't want to  be  retired and somehow he couldn't
imagine Starfleet pensioning him out, not just yet. He would probably
end up at H.Q. and now  with  his new gained knowledge and invaluable
experience of alien cultures an  physiology, well he could eventually
rise to become Cheif Surgeon General. Yes, Bones would like that.

"You've gone all sober again, Jim."

"Yes, well..." he looked at  McCoy  again  and  he could see that the
Doctor knew something else was on his  mind. "I've just had a message
from Starfleet Command, Bones.  We  won't  be  docking  as soon as we
expected, and don't look so suprised  at why I'm not delighted. We've
been given a very important last assignment, one which I can't say I,
or come to think of it, any of  us who will recall what happened last
time, will look forward to. Do you recall a certain Charlie Evans?"

"All too clearly. Why?" McCoy couldn't quite hide the suspicious look
on his face.

"We're to go to Thasus, find out what happened to Charles Evans."

"I might have guessed as much.  But that's ludicrous Jim. He's hardly
going to have improved over  the  past  few  years. In fact there's a
strong  possibility  he'll  be  psychologically  unstable.  It's  too
dangerous..."

"Try telling those paper pushing bureaucrats at H.Q. that!"

"They're out of their minds and I'll tell them!"

Kirk shook his head. "They wouldn't get  your message in time and how
would it look, us turning down our last assigment?"

"That's why they're doing it, Jim. We're expendable now."

"We've always been  expendable."  The  intercom  whistled  again. Was
there no peace? Spock's features filled the viewscreen once more.

"Captain, you did mention something about  putting the ship on course
for Thasus, but at the time gave no specific order."

So, Spock was trying to  get  some  more  information  out of him. He
smiled up at McCoy and the Vulcan.  "Put  us on course for Thasus Mr.
Spock, and that is a specific  order."  He  started to stand up, "I'm
coming now, Spock, I won't keep you in suspense much longer."

This time  it  was  Spock's  unpredictable  answer  that  rattled the
Captain and McCoy. "I'm pleased  to  hear  that, Jim." Nothing out of
the ordinary for a Human perhaps, but  for a Vulcan, those words were
just loaded with humour and emotion.

Thasus. According to Spock whatever  little atmosphere there had been
had now completely gone and sensor readings detected no humanoid life
forms. Kirk gave a sigh of  relief,  no  life forms meant he wouldn't
have to risk a landing  party  and  especially  one that was bound to
consist of his  First  Officer  and  Chief  Medical  Officer. It also
meant, though he felt guilty  about  actually thinking about it, that
Charles Evans couldn't  possibly  be  alive  down  there. However, he
eased his conscience by considering the possibility that the Thasians
has long ago moved  him.  After  all,  if  they  had  been capable of
constructing some form of vessel to  come  in pursuit of them before,
then they could have done so again.

"Standard ship's procedure, Mr. Spock."

"You are not going to assign  a  landing  party, Sir?" Kirk could see
the disappointment in his First Officer's eyes.

"No life forms, Spock." He said  in  an apologetic tone of voice. "No
need  to."  And  then  added  firmly,  before  Spock  could  consider
attempting to talk his way around it, "Carry on as instructed."

"As you wish, Sir."

The Captain's relief was short lived as Spock turned to him less than
a minute later reporting that  he  was  now  picking  up some form of
energy reading. An energy reading which he quickyl identified as that
being of a Thasian.

"One Thasian?"

"Difficult to evaluate, Captain."

"Uhura?"

"No response yet, Sir."

"Interference?"

"No Sir."

"Strange. They did  communicate  with  us  last  time  and you'd have
thought they would have sensed us before we even entered orbit."

"Not necessarily, Captain." Spock  was  quick  to  point out. "If you
recall it did take them sometime  to  discover that Charles Evans had
in fact left their planet in the first place."

Kirk nodded his head. It had  been  so,  which only went to show that
the Thasians were not infallible. But then, what did they know of the
Thasians? Precisely nothing.

"Keep on trying, Uhura, we might get some response eventually."

"Perhaps if we were to..." Spock started, but the look that Kirk gave
him was enough to convince him  that  it was useless trying to change
his mind about sending down a landing party.

"How's it  going?"  McCoy  asked  as  he  suddenly  appeared  at  the
Captain's side having decided to get  himself  in  on a little of the
action.

"Quiet so far." Kirk told him, without taking his eyes off the planet
that was displayed on the main viewscreen, "Too quiet."

It was as if somebody had been listening to him, for no sooner had he
finished talking to the Doctor when  Spock started to report a change
in the life energy they were still tracking with their sensors.

"Appears to be increasing..."  He  stopped  in mid-sentance clutching
his head in pain.

"Kirk turned to the Vulcan in  alarm.  "Spock!?" started to leave his
chair to go to his aid, McCoy  too,  took a step in Spock's direction
before they could get anywhere  near  him, the Vulcan gasped, started
to shimmer and disappeared before their startled eyes.

"Spock!" Kirk heard himself shout again,  even  though he knew it was
quite useless.

"I said it was  dangerous!"  McCoy  exclaimed  attempting to hide his
concern beneath the angry words, "Now  what  the hell are we going to
do?"

"Mister Chekov..." but  the  ensign  was  already  at Spock's vacated
post.

"Nothing, Sir. Whatever it was,  it's  gone  and taken Mr. Spock with
it."

"Charlie Evans." McCoy said.

"Charlie? But those were Thasian readings, Bones."

"The Thasians weren't hostile, Jim. No, it must've been Charlie."

"But how?"

"Well somehow the ecological changes  on  that planet have forced him
to evolve into a Thasian himself."

Kirk shook his head. "He  was  Human,  Bones. A Human couldn't change
his genetic, well, very molecular structure  over such a short period
of time."

If the Thasians had the ability  to give Charlie thier psionic powers
in the first place," McCoy pointed out,  "then I don't see any reason
why they couldn't have done something like that to him."

What McCoy said  actually  did  make  sense,  especially  as to their
knowledge the Thasians were benevolent beings  and that left only one
person or being who had the power to take Spock and cause him pain.

"I've got no choice then." Kirk started for the turbolift. "I'll have
to send a landing party."

"You'll know I'll go, Jim." McCoy said as he quickly followed him.

"No. No I think it might  be  adviseable  if  I  just went down on my
own."

"What!?" McCoy couldn't beleive his ears. "Now look here, you've done
some mighty stupid things in your time, Jim, but this beats the lot."
He took a firm hold of  Kirk's  arm  preventing him him from entering
the turbolift.

"Bones. Doctor..." He tried to  sound  annoyed  but  it came out as a
plea instead.

"One person does not constitute a landing party, Captain. I'll report
you if I have to."

"It's too dangerous, Bones."

"Precisely!" McCoy exclaimed, tightening his  grip on Kirk's arm, and
the Captain could see he had  lost  the  battle. There was no way the
Doctor would let him down on his own.

"Alright," he reluctantly agreed,  "but  I  warn  you Bones, that I'm
going to order Scotty to take this ship out of orbit at the slightest
sign of trouble."

"I'm still coming. Spock might need my help."

                                 ***

"Thse flaming things give  me  claustrophobia."  McCoy grumbled as he
trampled over the dry dusty surface of Thasus after the Captain.

"Are you trying to give  me  grounds  to  send you back, Bones?" Kirk
asked. looking at the Doctor's flushed  face through the visor of his
suit.

"I haven't found anything yet."  McCoy answered, waving his tricorder
around and completely ignoring Kirk's remark.

"Nothing from the ship either.  You'd  think  there  was some form of
invisible barrier around this planet. Sensors just can't probe beyond
the surface and there isn't much to see here as it is."

"It's as barren as  a  moon."  McCoy  said  as  he took another sweep
around with the tricorder.  "Still  nothing,  they  must be below the
surface, Jim."

"I was afraid you'd come to  the  same conclusion, Bones, and there's
no visible way in..."

                                 ***

"Interesting isn't it?" Charlie said from where he sat high up in the
cave watching his Vulcan captive.

Spock tore his eyes away from the  picture of the Captain and Doctor,
that the entity Charlie was projecting for his benefit, and looked up
at him.

"There is no need for you  to  hold  that  form." he said. "I am well
aware of the fact that you no longer have a Human body."

"Of course you  always  were  the  one  that  always  knew everything
weren't you?" And the all too  Human  form of Charlie was replaced by
that ball of incandescent light.

"I am interested to know how you managed to acheive such a form."

But the last thing Charlie was  there  to  do,  was to give Spock the
Vulcan, and of course, in many  ways  the enemy, any insight into how
he had acheived his change.

"Simple, but you're not intelligent enough to understand."

Ignoring the  insult,  Spock  glanced  back  at  the  projection. The
Captain and  Doctor  were  now  in  conference  with  the  ship,  the
situation was quite hopeless and he wished that they would just leave
him and take the ship out of orbit,  and see to their own safety. But
then he knew the Captain better than that...

"They're never going  to  find  you."  Charlie  said,  and to Spock's
suprise, added "I suppose I'd  better  give  them  some help." And he
disappeared, leaving Spock alone in  the  now  once again pitch black
cave wondering what he was planning  to  do and knowing that whatever
it was, it wouldn't be pleasant.

                                 ***

One minute they were walking  along  the flat, featureless surface of
Thasus,  nothing  on  their  tricorders,  the  next  the  ground  was
splitting open under them.

"Earthquake!" Kirk heard McCoy exclaim  as  they frantically tried to
move away in their  cumbersome  suits,  but  it  was  as if they were
standing in thick mud or  treacle  and despite their physical prowess
they just couldn't move but were thrown to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Kirk exclaimed in horror  as he saw McCoy disappear into
the crevasse and he  felt  himself  sliding  over  and down. However,
instead of falling and tearing himself  to pieces on the jagged edges
he was floating gently down.

"Bones!" he shouted over the suits built  in mike, as he floated down
on a neverending journey into the darkness. "Bones!"

"I'm here, Jim. Somewhere... I can't  tell  you  how relieved I am to
hear your voice."

"I'll bet! The feeling is mutual."

"Our friend, Charlie, eh?"

"Must be." Kirk said.

"Hardly my idea of a  welcome,"  McCoy grumbled, "give me formalities
any day."

"Didn't think you liked dress uniform and all that, Bones?"

"After this, I don't think I'll ever complain again. Ah! I've touched
the bottom, Jim. Try not to land on my head."

"As Kirk felt the solid ground under  his own feet again he said "You
know my co-ordination is better  than  that,  Doctor. I'm down... Now
where are you? Let me see if I can..."

"Shh!" hissed McCoy, "I thought I heard something."

"Captain?" came Spock's voice out of the darkness.

"Thank heavens for that..." Kirk sighed  in relief. "This way, Spock.
Or maybe you'd better stay wherever you are. It could be dangerous to
move around without any idea of what lies between us."

"Typical." They  both  heard  McCoy  mutter  as  they  lapsed  into a
momentary  silence.  "He  hears  my  voice  and  automatically  calls
`Captain.'"

Kirk found himself grinning at McCoy's  comment, his voice sounded so
comfortable down to  earth  even  though  they  were  in  a dangerous
situation.

"What about the pain in  your  head,  then?" McCot asked, forever the
Doctor, even though he couldn't see his patient.

"A momentary reaction to Charlie's attempts to probe my mind."

Kirk didn't like  the  sound  of  that,  especially  when it involved
somebody  whom  McCoy  had  pointed   out  could  be  phsycologically
unstable. Could be?! Well, judging by the  way he had treated them so
far, it was clearly evident that he was.

"Yes." Spock confirmed. "However, I automatically blocked him, but he
was strong."

"Let's hope he sticks  to  playing  a  different  kind of game then."
McCoy said. "Though I don't  doubt  for  one  moment it'll be just as
dangerous."

"Captain," Spock went onto say, "we  must  be in an enviromental cave
of his making. I did see  Charlie  momentarily  in his Human form and
his alien form. He has changed very little, except, of course, he has
learned to hate."

"I can't say I blame him."  Kirk  couldn't  help  but say. But it was
true. If he had  found  himself  in  Charlie Evans' situation, alone,
alien, unwanted and  forgotten,  he  to  would  have  hated. The only
trouble was that they were the ones he  hated and was out to get them
and it looked as though there was very little they could do about it.

There was a movement in the dark which came from McCoy's direction.

"What are you doing, Bones?"

"Communicator. We haven't  tried  it  yet.  I  don't  give much hope,
but..." There was some more fumbling and then he heard the grid being
flipped open.

"Scotty!" McCoy whispered in a hoarse  voice  as if it would make any
difference. "Scotty..." but of course there  wasn't a sound, except a
few well chose swear words.

"Just as well there aren't any ladies present, Bones." Kirked joked.

"Captain, your phaser." Spock said.  "If  it  works then we could see
precisely where we are in relation to each other."

"Now why didn't I think of that?"  Kirk asked as he pulled the phaser
out of his suits utility belt.

"No!" a vioce whispered in the dark.  "No,  I won't let you see." The
phaser was wrenched out of  his  hand  into  the darkness. "No... you
must feel as blind as I felt at times.

"It would appear that our host is back." Spock said.

"Charlie..." Kirk called softly into the darkness.

"What use is a name when you haven't got a body." came the answer.

"Charlie," Kirk said gently "your case  finally came to the attention
of Starfleet Command. They want to try and help you."

"It's too late. I don't need  your  help,  I haven't got anything for
you any more."

"The Thasians?" Spock asked,  "What  happened  to  them?  Or are they
still here?"

"If they were still here," Charlie said, "they would have stopped me,
but they've gone. Moved on."

"But if you're one of them now." Spock said. "Why did you not go with
them."

"Questions, questions... You're always questioning aren't you?"

"There must be  some  way  we  can  help  you?"  Kirk  said tactfully
attempting to change the conversation.

"I could  never  be  like  them."  Charlie  said,  ignoring  Kirk. "I
couldn't go with them, they  couldn't  trigger  off the next stage of
their evolutionary pattern in my new energy form." He explained.

Which made Kirk wonder as to  where  precisely the Thasians had gone.
No doubt to some higher place, something which they probably couldn't
comprehend anyway.

"So I  have  been  alone,  truely  alone."  Charlie  was  saying.  "A
loneliness I hadn't thought possible.  A  loneliness which you should
share. If I'm doomed to spend an eternity here, then you at least can
live out your lives here, with me."

"Why here, Charlie? The Thasians did have mobility." Spock said.

"I told you I could never be like  them. I don't what it is. Possibly
something they did, but I can't leave here, or I would have by now."

"I don't doubt that for one minute"  Kirk thought, "and we would have
known about it."

The light was blinding after the pitch  darkness they had been in for
so long. When they did eventually  regain  their sight, it was to see
the cave Spock had first  found  himself  in, and Charlie Evans... He
was without a doubt the ball of  pulsing light that floted high above
them.

"You can't keep  us  here  indefinately,  Charlie."  Kirk  said as he
looked up at it. "There's  a  whole  starship  up  there, if we don't
report in they'll come looking."

"I could easily  destroy  your  precious  starship."  The human voice
sounded strange coming from the pulsing  ball  of light. "But I don't
want to. I want  to  bring  you  all  down  here.  Then we'll build a
colony... like that one I originally came from."

"But there's no breathable atmosphere on the surphace." McCoy pointed
out.

"We'll live underground. I can take care of the oxygen for you."

Kirk  shook  his  head.  What  Charlie  was  proposing,  without  any
forethought to the problems  he  would  encounter  by  putting such a
scheme in into operation, was  something an inexperienced child would
do.

"Charlie, the disappearance of the whole crew will only bring others.
They did send us here in the  first  place, and when others come they
would be prepared."

There was a moment of silence while the pulsing ball of light floated
down to the surface of the  cave,  shimmered and Charlie stood before
them in Human form.

"I won't stay here any longer."  he said in determination. "I'll make
you all go away!" If he  stamped  his foot it wouldn't have surprised
them, his attitude being that of a  child throwing a tantrum in order
to get his own way. "I'll make you  all go away and this time there's
nobody to bring you back!"

"Look, we can't all stay  here  with  you  Charlie." Kirk said, while
doing some quick thinking. This was no ordinary child. "There must be
an answer to your loneliness...  What  if  the Federation set up some
kind of  scientific  outpost  here.  There  must  be  some scientists
interested in investigating this planet  and  searching for traces of
what the Thasians actually were." He  was  amazed at how plausible it
sounded, and when he came to think  of  it... Why couldn't it be done
that way?

"You're only humouring me."

"No, no. Not at all. It's quite possible isn't it Mr. Spock, Doctor?"

"I don't see why not." McCoy said. "They seem to be interested in the
Thasians, and you... well, you'd be a  great help to them. They could
study you as you are now."

"I'm not a laboratory specimen!" Charlie  stated, and McCoy could see
he had said the wrong thing.

"The Doctor views everyone as a laboratory specimen."

McCoy glared at Spock. Kirk grinned. "Bravo, Spock" he thought. "This
time your little banter with McCoy's coming in useful."

"Well I'm still working on you to see what makes you tick, aren't I?"
McCoy said in retort getting into the swing of things.

"Which only goes to show that  your  ability as Chief Medical Officer
onboard the Enterprise leaves a lot to be desired."

"Jim!" McCoy turned to Kirk.

"Gentlemen,  please.  We're  in  the  middle  of  a  rather  delicate
situation."

"No." Charlie said, "No, I don't  think  so... I want a proper colony
to take care of."

"Seems like we lost that round  after  all."  Kirk thought. He gave a
sigh and asked, rather resignedly, "What now, Charlie?"

Charlie Evans smiled at him. "You can bring her down."

"Her?" Kirk asked, at first not quite getting who he was refering to,
and then it struck  him  in  a  flash...  there  was  only one female
Charlie had ever gotten to know.

"Yes, Janice." Charlie said confirming his fears. "Janice, she's your
Yeoman isn't she? She  didn't  want  me  then,  but  she will now, as
leader of a colony she will."

"Er... Charlie." Kirk started, then  hesitated,  unsure  as to how to
tell him, afraid of how  he  might react. "Charlie, there's evidently
very little you know about  Starfleet's internal procedure, but then,
how can you. Janice isn't with us anymore. She was transferred off."

"I don't believe you. You're just  saying that because you don't want
her to come down."

"I'm telling the truth,  Charlie."  Kirk  said,  holding his arms out
imploring him to accept the fact. "Why should I lie?"

But Charlie wasn't listening. "I'll go and see for myself..."

"Charlie!"

Once again they found themselves in total darkness.

"Do you think I've got time to try my phaser?" McCoy asked as he went
back to fumbling in the dark.

"What's the use, Bones? You'll only  annoy  him and he's the only one
that can get us out of here."

"If it were possible to  overload  his  control  as  we did the first
time..." Spock said thoughtfully.

"This Charlie is a lot stronger, Spock." Kirk pointed out.

                                 ***

Meanwhile, on board  the  Enterprise,  there  were  some unauthorised
entries made within the very heart  of the computer systems, but they
lasted for no longer than sixty seconds at the most and Scotty didn't
want to consider it  as  dangerous  enough  to  warrant them to break
orbit as the Captain had ordered him.

"Just keep all  those  channels  open,  Ms.  Uhura."  He  said to the
Communications Officer, even though  he  knew  she  already had every
available member of her section on  the  job.  "I'm going back to the
transporter room, just in case..."

                                 ***

Back down in the cave, the  three  men suddenly found themselves back
in the light, but it only lasted  as Charlie told them he had checked
their story.

"She may not be on board  your  ship.  However,  I know where she is,
your Starfleet Command headquarters and base. I'm going to get her."

"Charlie!" Kirk called after him in an attempt to stop him. Didn't he
realise the foolishness of what he was going to attempt? The base had
far better sensory equipment and weaponry  than the Enterprise. If he
was detected he could  well  come  under  attack  and in return... It
didn't bear thinking, he might not be able to completely destroy that
base, but he could  cause  considerable  damage  and loss of innocent
life.

"He has gone, Jim." Spock's gentle  voice  cut  in on his thoughts as
the darkness of Charlie's departure closed in on them.

"How the hell's he going to do  it,  Jim?  I thought he said he could
not leave this planet." McCoy said.

"I don't know, Bones.  I  guess  if  he's  really  determined to have
her... Damn!"  he  exclaimed  in  exasperation.  "If  only  we  could
communicate with the ship."

"I doubt we  would  be  able  to  inform  Starfleet  Command in time,
Captain." Spock saidas if trying  to  reassure  him that whatever the
outcome might be, it wouldn't be his fault.

"Jim, Spock," McCoy said, "If he's left the planet, we should be able
to contact the ship..."

"But what of Ms. Rand?" Spock  reminded them, "If Charlie succeeds in
bringing her here?"

"Then we'll all be trapped." Kirk said.

"He will be completely drained." Spock pointed out.

"I see... Well, if  you  don't  mind,  Bones,  I'll think we'll stick
around a little bit longer.  Whatever  he  does  do, as Spock says he
will be weak and at least this  way, if he brings Janice, she'll have
the opportunity to escape with us."

"I just hope you're right, Jim." McCoy sounded rather dubious.

Kirk didn't blame him. He didn't  feel happy about standing around in
the darkness of the cave  any  longer  than was necessary either, but
they just couldn't  go  off  with  the  possibility  of  Janice being
deposited in the very same dark cave.

At last he could see her.  Yes,  his  desire  to  see her had been so
great that he had somehow temporarily managed to partially break free
of the hold the Thasian planet  had  over  his psionic powers. Just a
little more...

Janice Rand looked up  in  surprise  at  the  faint glowing ball that
appeared in front of  her  as  she  was  making  her way throught the
gardens of the main buildings of Starfleet Command. She looked around
to see if there was anybody else  around who could also be seeing it,
but it was after all quite late and the gardens were deserted.

Just a little more...

The ball grew in intensity  and  came  closer. Janice stepped back in
alarm, what had  been  interesting,  just  something  strange was now
beginning to become frightening.

Little more...

It darted forward, touched  her  and  a  cold, icy blackness engulfed
her. She heard somebody scream and realised it was herself.

"Did you here something, Spock?"

"A female voice, Jim. A scream."

"He must have got her. Janice...Janice."

Janice felt herself lying on hard, cold ground somewhere in the dark.
A familiar voice shouting at her.

"Janice..!"

"H.. hello?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes... yes, just a little shaken. Who is it? Where am I?"

"Captain Kirk. We're on Thasus." Kirk quickly explained. "Bones, have
you got that communicator open?"

"Yes, hold on. McCoy to Enterprise,  Enterprise  come in. Do you read
me?"

"Leonard!" A relieved voice echoed in the dark.

"Scotty, beam us up. Four, quick!"

The bright lights of  the  transporter  almost  blinded  them as they
appeared. Still before his  eyes  had  even  grown  accustomed to the
light again, Kirk was on  the  intercom  ordering  them out of orbit.
Then he turned to the girl, he just had to know.

"Was there any trouble at the base?"

"Trouble? No..."

"You weren't attacked by anything?"

"Well yes, I was... that ball of light..."

"But not the base?" He just  couldn't beleive that Charlie had gotten
through Starfleet's sensors.

"No, Captain. Everything was peaceful when I was... Did you say I was
on Thasus."

Kirk smiled at her, put a reassuring  hand on her shoulder. "You were
on Thasus, Janice. It was Charlie Evans."

"Charlie Evans..?" She couldn't  quite  believe  her ears. "I thought
he... well... was with the Thasians, but..."

"It's confusing, I know."

"I can't see him just letting  us  go  like this, Jim." McCoy said as
Scotty was helping him off with his suit.

"Neither can I, but the further  we  get  away from Thasus the better
I'll feel. It'll take him a while to recover and by the time he comes
looking for us, well...that'll take up  quite  up a bit of his energy
reserves. Who knows, with a bit  of  luck he might have stretched his
powers too far and not make it at all."

"Janice?" McCoy questioned as he shed  the  last piece of the suit in
relief.

"I'm alright, Doctor, considering I appear to have travelled half way
across the galaxy and put in a full days work."

"We'll have some  quarters  assigned  to  you."  Kirk  said as Scotty
turned to him. "But until we're well  away and out of what I consider
a dangerous situation you'd better come  on  the bridge with us. That
way at least if you go  disappearing  we'll  know you're gone and not
find out when it's too late."

"Whatever you say, Captain. Though I hope it doesn't happen that way.
What did he have in mind anyway?"

"A colony, so he  wouldn't  be  alone  anymore.  Poor kid, lord! Even
after all he's put us through I still  feel sorry for him. If only he
wasn't  so  uncontrollable  and  impulsive,  there  might  have  been
something we could have done.  That  scientific post I suggested, now
of course after what's happened, they'll never listen to us. Probably
put the place off limits."

"Perhaps if I could have talked to him." Janice suggested.

"No, the damage is done. You've been in so many words, kidnapped, and
your mode of transport was hardly what they would consider normal and
do you realise he got right through the security system..."

"But what," McCoy asked, as  he  joined  Spock and Scotty in removing
Kirk's suit, "if he  somehow  manages  to  permanently break the bond
Thasus has on him and can travel anywhere at will?"

"I don't believe that will happen, Doctor." Spock said. "The Thasians
were well aware of the danger  Charlie  was  to us and I believe that
should he stay away from Thasus  for  too  long a period, although he
should never have been able to  leave  at  all, he will in fact drain
all his powers and cease to exist."

"Die, Spock, die?"

"I believe that is what I have just said, Doctor."

It was Janice's snigger that stopped them from launching into another
one of their disagreements.

"As you can see," Kirk said  to  her,  as he exchanged looks with the
two men, "Things haven't changed all that much around here."

                                 ***

Nine hours out and there was  still  no  sign of pursuit in any form.
Nine hours plus the  time  they  had  spent  away,  plus time on duty
before that, Kirk had no choice  but  to  call it a day, though Spock
with his ability to work around  the  clock without showing any signs
of fatigue had elected to  stay.  In  one  way Kirk wished the Vulcan
would also go and rest, after  all  even Vulcans were not infallible,
on the other hand it was comforting to know that Spock was keeping an
eye on developements. If anybody could spot Charlie in time, it would
be him.

Kirk escorted Janice Rand  to  guest  quarters  on the officers deck.
Having her walk beside him bought back  memories of when she had been
his personal Yeoman and  he  cursed  Starfleet  Command  at the time.
After all he was only a normal man, and working in close proximity to
an attractive female, cooped up in  the  confined space of a Starship
had been no great help. And now, well she wasn't part of his crew...

"Janice, a night cap?"

"I'm sorry, Captain." She smiled sympathetically at him.

"Oh? What's the problem?"

"I know we're light years away from Earth but I am contracted."

"Contracted? Oh! Sort of married."

"You could call it that. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about.  I'm  pleased to hear that you've
found somebody." They stopped outside  the  door. "Keep your intercom
open at all times." he reminded her. "And don't talk in your sleep."

"Somehow I can't see  myself  sleeping  at  all goodnight... Jim, and
thank you."

"No, thank you." Kirk  thought  as  he  walked  away  feeling ever so
relieved, although he couldn't understand why.

                                 ***

It had taken him so long to regain  his power, and of course they had
used the time to escape. He didn't know if he had enough energy to to
go after the Enterprise  now,  but  why  shouldn't  he try? There was
nothing to be lost and if he succeeded, everything to be gained.

                                 ***

The Red Alert call had Kirk out of his bed in two seconds flat, as he
dashed out of the door he thanked  God  he'd had the presence of mind
to keep his uniform on, though  it  was  a  trick he had learned many
years ago, even before he had been given his own command.

"Thasian energy readings, Captain." Spock  told him over the intercom
as he was riding up to the bridge. "Closing in fast."

"Get Janice up here!" he ordered as the turbolifts doors parted as he
hurtled out onto the bridge.

"I've been trying to get  through  to  her, Captain." Uhura reported.
"But, even thought the com's open she doesn't respond."

"Bones!" He turned to the Doctor  who  had just arrived. "Go down and
see to Janice will you."

"On my way!" He did a quick  about turn  and walked straight into the
turbolift doors. If the situation  hadn't  been so serious Kirk would
have laughed.

"You alright?"

McCoy rubbed his nose. "I'll probably end up with two black eyes." he
said. "What  about  Janice  though?  I  bet  that  was  no  technical
failure."

"It wasn't." Scotty confirmed. "That'll  laddie's got himself into my
machinery again. The  emergency  exit's  been  sealed  as well. We're
trapped up here."

"Ms. Uhura, can you contact security?"

"I can't contact anybody, Sir."  she reported. "He's interfering with
all the communications systems."

"Sensors?"

"Still working, and the Thasian is still out there." Spock said.

"I thought he would have been weaker," McCoy said, "But, by the looks
of it he's growing much stronger."

"I wonder... Mr. Sulu, prepare a photon torpedo."

"A photon torpedo?" McCoy echoed. "Are you mad? What are you going to
aim it at? And do you seriously think he'll let you?"

"He won't. That's what I'm banking on. Sulu?"

"Ready, Sir."

"Fire!"

Nothing happened.

"Captain?"

"It's alright Mr. Sulu, I expected that."

"But Sir, it's armed!"

"So he'll have found out..."

"You're taking a bit of a risk, Jim aren't you?"

"We've no choice. Ms Uhura, communications?"

"Open, Sir, and  I've  got  Janice  but  she  says  the  door's still
jammed."

"Captain." Sulu interrupted, "That torpedo. It's been deactivated."

"Good, that'll have knocked the edges off him a bit."

"I would suggest we do not attempt that ploy again, Sir." Spock said,
and Kirk could tell by the tone  of his voice that he hadn't approved
of his actions at all, even though it had worked.

"Don't worry, Mr. Spock, I assure  that  I  won't." But the look that
Spock threw him was one that said he knew otherwise.

"Mr. Scott."

"Aye, Captain?"

"Is it safe to go into eight?"

"Aye, sir."

"See to it then."

Scotty   quickly   called   through   to   engineering   before   the
communications were blocked again.

"You're trying to wear him out, Jim?" McCoy asked.

"There's no other way. He'll have to go back to Thasus."

"Then what? Once he's regained  his  strength  again he'll come right
back."

"Let Starfleet Command worry about that  Bones, let's just get out of
here."

                                 ***

"Don't let them  do  this  to  me  Janice..."  A  voice  said through
Janice's open intercom. "Don't let them hurt me again."

"Charlie..?"

"Janice, don't let them!"

"Charlie?"

"Janice?" Uhura asked. "Janice are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, but I heard Charlie over the intercom."

"You did?" She sounded puzzled. "I never picked him up."

"He must just be talking to me."

"Well, keep him talking!" Kirk's voice ordered.

"Janice!" He was there again.

"Can you hear him?" She asked.

"No." Uhura answered.

"Charlie?" She asked.

"Here..." a voice said behind her.  She  turned around, stared at him
in amazement. He looked so real  and  yet  in  a way he didn't exist,
well not on her level anymore.

"This is my  last  journey,  Janice."  he  said,  coming towards her,
stretching out his hand.

"I don't understand."

"This is me now, feel..." he  gently  touched her arm, then her face.
"I've lost it, everything..."

Janice stared at him speechless. Then  she smiled. "Oh! Charlie, that
means you're normal now. You can come back with us, can't you..?"

But he shook his head.

                                 ***

Everything was normal back on the bridge, the turbolifts were back in
operation.  The  emergency  stairs   weren't   blocked  anymore,  the
Thasian/Charlie had gone. The only indication of their flight was the
fact that they were speeding through space at warp factor eight.

"Spock?" Kirk asked, before ordering Chekov  to see to reducing their
speed.

"He has gone, Sir, but not to Thasus.  I believe he is still on board
this ship, however, in human form."

"Damn!" Kirk exclaimed, realising that  there  was  only one place on
board where Charlie could be.

"Captain?" Scotty asked in concern. If  there  was no longer any need
to go tearing through space  at  such  a  dangerous warp he wanted to
know.

"Reduce speed back to three, Scotty.  Mr. Spock, Bones, you come with
me. I  had  think  we  had  better  get  ourselves  down  to Janice's
quarters. Ms. Uhura?"

"The intercom isn't open anymore,  Sir.  Either Jnaice has closed it,
or of course, Charlie."

"Jim?" McCoy asked as he and  Spock  followed him into the turbolift.
"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Bones. I just don't know. But I don't like the thought
of leaving him with Janice.  You  know  what happened last time, only
this time there are no friendly  Thasians  to bring her, or whom ever
else he decides to do away with, back."

"If you would permit  me  to  handle  this situation, Captain." Spock
said, "There is no need for us all to face danger."

"If anyone should go in there," McCoy said, "it should be me. I'm the
Doctor here and this is a medical case."

"Not necessarily, Doctor." Spock  said.  But  before  he could launch
into the logistics of why, Kirk stepped in.

"We are all going in there, alright?" He said firmly. "That way if he
zaps us all out of existance  you  two  will still have each other to
argue with." And I, he thought, won't have to bring this ship home on
my own.

"Argue!" McCoy said  in  all  innocence.  "Argue.  Did  you here that
Spock? Do we argue?"

"Not that I was aware  of  Doctor.  We  do  have our disagreements at
times but I wouldn't call thenm arguements."

"Alright!  Alright!  I  retract   that   statement."   Kirk  said  in
exasperation, though he couldn't help  but  smile  at the two of them
having suddenly realised that this time they were staging an argument
for his benefit, and in doing so relieving the tension.

                                 ***

"What's wrong, Charlie?" Janice asked.  "Why  can't you come with us?
You've lost all your powers and you're human now aren't you?"

"I'm human." he admitted. "And I've lost my abilities, but because of
what I've put myself through to  get  you  I haven't got very long. I
just wanted to tell you that I did  love you, still do, after all you
were the only girl I ever knew."

Janice didn't want to  accept  what  he  was  trying  to tell her. It
wasn't as if she loved him, she  hardly  knew him, but she had always
felt sorry for him and would have done anything possible to have seen
him able to settle down  to  a  normal  human  life. Surely there was
something the Doctor could do for him.  She made for the intercom but
he grabbed a hold of her arm.

"No!"

"I was only going to call the Doctor."

"They can't help me,  Janice.  Please..."  he  pleaded. "Please don't
call anyone, not until I've gone."

"Charlie!" she begged, feeling completely helpless.

"I just want to be here with  you, alone... I never meant to frighten
you Janice, you or  anybody."  he  said,  ignoring  her plea. "I just
didn't know any better. I do now, now  that I'm really me and can see
how wrong I was. It  is  better  this way, Janice... Janice... what's
wrong with you, Janice?"

Janice looked up  at  him  through  her  tears.  "Oh! Charlie..." she
sobbed.

"Janice..?" He couldn't understand what  she  was  doing, and then he
suddenly realised. She  was  crying,  crying  for  him. "Don't..." he
whispered as he pulled her close. "Don't  hurt for me. I'm alright. I
don't feel any pain."

"But you're so young..."

"I've experienced more than any human  could  do in one lifetime." he
told her as he gently released  her  and  pushed her away. "If only I
had had the wisdom..." He could  feel  the darkness closing in on him
making him feel so very warm and welcome. It was time to go.

"Charlie..." Her voice was just a  whisper as mother universe wrapped
him in her arms and drew him back into her womb.

"Janice!" McCoy was at her side. "Janice are you alright?"

"Where is he?" Kirk was demanding  to know, wondering in what precise
way Charlie Evans had upset the young woman.

"H... he's gone..." she whispered, allowing  McCoy to take her in his
arms. "He was human for the last few minutes and then he just went...
he's dead!" There  was  no  mistaking  the  accusitive  tones  in her
tearful voice.

"I'm sorry, Janice." Kirk said ever so gently, realising how much her
encounter with Charlie had shaken her. "I would have given everything
for this not to have happened."

"Come on..." McCoy was steering her towards the door.

"I thought he would just weaken."  He  added,  and she could hear the
regret in his voice. "Just weaken  and  go back to Thasus, there must
have been something we could have done..."

"It's alright, Jim..." She said, turning to look at the Captain, even
after all these years he still  took  everything to heart. "We really
didn't have that much choice. It's probably better this way, at least
he won't be lonely anymore."

                                 ***

He had had another  restless  night.  Charlie  Evans  had invaded his
dreams again. Laughing, crying fading away  to  die out in the lonely
void of space. It made him  wonder  if  it  was just a dream, perhaps
Charlie was trying to tell him something. Ther he went again thinking
about it. Best to get himself to the bridge and routine.

"Morning, Sir." Uhura greeted more  cheerfully  than she usually did.
He couldn't imagine why, he'd hardly  been  the heart and soul of the
party for the last week.

"Status report, Mr. Spock?" The  question  was automatic as he really
didn't need a status report at all.  It  was then he noticed Sulu and
Chekov were both looking  at  him,  amusement  written all over their
faces.

"Is something wrong, gentlemen?"

"No, Sir."  They  quickly  returned  their  attention  back  to their
consoles, but it wasn't with the kind of respect he was used to being
obeyed with. Ah! That was it,  they  had  reached the halfway mark to
base. No doubt all their discipline  would  fly out the window now as
the crew began to  anticipate  their  long  awaited  vacation and re-
assignment. Re-assignment! The tape, he hadn't played that tape back,
and undoubtledly Command would want  an acknowledgment. Landsakes! He
was out of the command chair  and  heading for the turbo before Spock
could even attempt to give him a status  report or ask him why he had
suddenly gone pale.

"Commodore?" The questioning word followed him into the turbo. It was
only as the doors slid shut  on  him  that he realised what Spock had
actually said.

He stepped back  out  onto  the  bridge.  If  Spock  had  had  a smug
expression on his face, it was then. "What did you say?"

"I merely addressed you by your new title, Sir."

"My new title? You mean..?" He was absolutely flabbergasted.

"Affirmative. If you would care to view your orders, Commodore."

"Oh... er... yes." He said in embarrasment. "I was just going to. How
do you... who told told  you?"  He  asked  in sudden realisation that
Spock knew more than him.

"Naturally, when Starfleet Command received no acknowlegment to their
orders they were sent to me."

"They were? Why didn't they just pull me up about it?"

"I believe Ms. Uhura informed them that you were otherwise engaged at
the time."

"Ah! Well thank you." He glanced  along at the smiling woman. "You've
probably  saved  my  neck.  Well  then?"  He  looked  back  at  Spock
questioningly.

"Commodore?"

That name was going to take some  getting  used to. Already he had to
resist the urge to glance around  for  the  man in question, which of
course, was himself.

"You might as well give me a run  down on the promotions." he said as
he went back to the  command  chair.  "And  where we're being posted.
Save me wasting any more time."

"You did request a status report first, Sir."

"To hell with the..." he  trailed  off  as  he caught Spock's eye and
realised this time he was being teased.

"We are on course for Starbase 14," Spock went on to tell him without
further hesitation. "Where the  Enterprise  is  to receive a complete
overhaul and where the crew  are  to  have a months shoreleave before
being reassigned."

"Starbase 14? I thought  we  were  supposed  to  got  to base. I also
thought we  were  to  receive  our  reassignments  before  we docked.
Honestly, Starfleet Command, you'd  think  they  would have the sense
to..."

Why was everyone grinning like  that?  Sure  he could understand them
being pleased with the promotions, but... It couldn't be..!

"Sir, our reassignments are to the Enterprise." Spock confirmed.

As Kirk jumped to his feet  and  hugged  the astonsished Vulcan in an
uncontrollable burst of joy,  Spock  wished  that  he had, after all,
insisted that the Commodore see the tape for himself.

"Sorry, Mr. Spock" Kirk stepped back, suddenly embarrassed by his out
burst, but Uhura came to his rescue by taking the opportunity to kiss
her ex-Captain.

"Before you get too big for your  boots, Sir." she explained. "And by
the way, in future I believe you can call me Commander."

"Commander?"

"Well, Lieutenant Commander."

"With all these titles  around..."  he  started,  and  then looked at
Spock. Surely they hadn't overlooked his First Officer.

"Sir, as you are Commodore  acting  as  Captain,"  he was told "It is
only logical to assume that I am Captain acting as First Officer."

"Well, I'll be blowed... Captain  Spock."  And  he immediately had to
think of  McCoy.  There  was  someone  who  wouldn't  appreciate  the
promotional list. However, as Spock went  on to inform him that McCoy
was now a full Commander he  couldn't  help  but smile at the thought
that given a few more years the Doctor himself could possibly rise to
be the first Medical Officer with  the  rank  of Captain, and then it
would be Spock who wouldn't appreciate  the news. Still... he settled
himself back in his command chair. It was strange that after all they
had been through that this should  be  the final outcome, he wouldn't
have believed it possible, and  Thasus  and  Charlie  had been such a
focal point to it all, because when you  came to think of it they had
been a part of  the  beginning  of  the  Enterprise history under his
command. It was as if they had come full circle.

                                 ***