Ti K' T'nash-veh T'hy'la (Kirk/Spock)

Two

Beaming is a lot like blinding the senses then dipping your very essence in a low current in electricity. Your body feels tingly, but the rest of you feels...distant in a way. I'm guessing it's why Starfleet usually has so much problems with cadets who have never beamed. It can be a very strange experience for those who have never done it before. Some have panic attacks after their first time, saying that they had lost their body or soul. I don't know if it's because I grew up around them or that I have simply beamed so many times but I hardly notice anything adverse while beaming anymore.  Therefore, beaming planet side was nothing new.

                The environment that I materialized in however was a completely different story.  As my senses recovered from the transport, my sense of feel was the first to come back online. And the first thing I felt was overwhelming heat and humidity, but with this humidity and heat was a almost winter like breeze.  And the cool breeze smelt like something close to cherry blossoms and lotus flowers but even the smells are somehow off. They were either vibrant cool that seemed to refresh skin and lugs, much the way a aftershave or face wash would. Or, a intense warmth like a hard liquor but without the sting or burn.

                The world that I am just starting to experience suddenly has sound. It is surprisingly quieter than I expected. There are very few sounds. Some distinct like the sound of something that sounds like earths crickets and locusts.  Some just background noise, like the sway of the native foliage. And in the distance running water.

                Finally, as the shimmering subsides the world becomes clear, and my heart stops. Nothing could have prepared me for what I see, no a Starfleet briefing,  not the climate, not the sounds, nothing. I have materialized In a lush Han Purple and neon pink dominate forest. In fact, everything in the forest was a neon color. Many of the neon plants came up to my knees easily. Some of the plants were higher, others lower like you would expect from plant life. However, native foliage on this planet took it to extremes. The trees here were an excellent example; most of the trees around us were much bigger than the ones on earth being what I guess to be almost 3 meters in with and hundreds upon hundreds of feet tall. While other trees were mere centimeters away from the planet's surface.

                Within seconds, I realize that the forest around me is actually quite dark. But then another shocking fact about the planet becomes evident. The forest doesn't seem dark to me because the neon plants are actually glowing. 

"Fascinating...." I cannot help the smile that splits my face as I hear Spock as he comes to the same conclusion that I have.

"Indeed Mr. Spock. It would seem that we have walked into a all natural rave factory. "

"Rave, sir? "

"Yes. It's something from old earth, I explain it to you sometime." Even as I speak, I can tell the spark that was in my voice only moments ago is gone.  It is the realization that has snuck up on me often as of late. The realization that things are not how they use to be, we are not as we use to be.  And that it is wrong that I constantly try to act as if things have not changed. It must be my own selfishness that has let me forget countless times already that because of my actions I have lost something dearer than my life. For I will never be able to explain to Spock what a rave is or to-

"Captain! Look!" I am ripped from my thoughts as security officer Pearson shouts in surprise. He is pointing to something.  For a moment, I see nothing but the native purple bamboo then, an ever so subtle movement catches my eye, an almost nonexistent shift in the bamboo.  But after a faction of a second, as if someone flipped a switch, the movement was gone.

                With the disappearance of the movement, the disappearance of sound seemed not so far behind.  The forest around us seemed to have died. The only thing alive being the tension that mounted with every second of not knowing what was around us. Silence cascaded in, leaving us with only our thoughts.

                "Perhaps it was the wi-" Pearson's words cut themselves off with a murderous scream. Without warning,  Roughly an inch above what was  most likely the mans navel a deep crimson darker than his red uniform seeped out in every direction. At first, the only evidence of anything wrong was that thin line of the seeping red around the mans midsection.  But as Pearson began to make a sickening sound that was half a gurgle and half a hiccup everything fell into place.

                To my horror, Pearson collapsed, body sliced in two. His intestines shredded about, each piece leaking acidic bile that stained the ground.  For a moment I was frozen, watching the carcass of Pearson twitching about. Thankfully my command instincts took over quickly, reminding me of what I needed to do.

                "Everyone defense positions! Phasers on Kil- High stun!" I cursed, god damn prime directive. The remaining beam down crew quickly assembled themselves into a defense position.  Defense against what though?  

                "Captain, there!"  I fallowed Spock's line of sight. Suddenly, there on the edge of the bamboo circle, leering over Pearson's corpse was something only vaguely humanoid.  The thing looked like it was six feet tall. Its entire body was a mass of rippling muscles. Its body was structured like that of a human with the addition of dozens of razor like teeth, a furred tail half its height in length, and hands that curved to into blood stained talons.  Behind it was a smaller version of itself, minus the threatening features. In fact, the smaller animal seemed to be in distress.

                The two creatures seemed to be communicating to each other. After only a few alien syllables the universal translator began to notice there language.  

                "Brother please! The one did not hurt me! He didn't mean to do it. Please brother let them be!" The smaller one looked like a 16 year old boy. His words apparently a part of a conversation that had been going on for at least a few minutes.

"Katzuki, hush! Look at them, furless and sickly. They look like the Ta'leer! And that one even has the skin of a Benki and weird ears; they are evil and will only hurt. And I will NOT let them hurt you Kat. They must be eliminated. "

With that a lager one heaved a growl and barreled forward, closing in on...Me!