To maneuver the rescue pod back to the ship was rather difficult business, but Spock managed despite the cold. Through the pod's small window, Kirk could see a dozen other pods do the same. Soon, all would be over.

Earlier that day

The three men had spent some time coming up with ideas on how to kill or repel the black cloud, but had not yet found one that they thought would work. "If it can't penetrate titanium, why can it go through the decks so easily?", Kirk asked slightly off topic. Spock looked at him. "Simple. Only the ship's mainframe is made out of said material, the gaps are filled with an assortment of different materials, mostly carbon-based synthetics." Kirk nodded absentmindedly. "You said the thing was made out of carbon, didn't you?", he suddenly asked. Now, Spock lifted an eyebrow and McCoy looked at him quizzically. "I did.", Spock confirmed. "What are you thinking of?", Bones wanted to know. "Does it breathe?", Kirk asked his Science Officer. "It appears to absorb oxygen from its environments. I presume this is what you wish to know?" Kirk smiled. "That is exactly what I wanted to know." He proceeded to explain his idea to his friends.

The Captain's plan was the following: First, the crew would evacuate the ship, making sure that the cloud wouldn't come aboard on one the rescue pods. When the crew was gone, Kirk would manipulate the Environmental Controls in such a way that they would fill the ship with carbon-dioxide. He would implement a timer, so the ship would eventually be habitable again. After that, he would run to one of the rescue pods and leave as well.

"And where do you suppose to get enough carbon-dioxide to fill the entire ship?", Bones asked. Now, that was a good point. Spock chimed in. "We could deactivate parts of the air recycler system, namely the ones responsible for changing carbon-dioxide back to pure oxygen. The emergency protocol will activate and the carbon-dioxide will be collected and could be released by a few unorthodox lines of code. Additionally, the Science department is in possession of several liters of the gas in question. These could be released into the air circulation."

"It will take some time until a meaningful amount of carbon-oxide will come together.", Kirk remarked. "Indeed. I estimate about six hours." "Let's start immediately, then."

Doctor McCoy returned to his Sickbay, and the Captain and his Science officer made their way to the Environmental Controls. Luckily, nobody saw them, as they were still in their sleep wear. Kirk watched as Spock pressed a few buttons and switched a few switches. Finally, he nodded to his Captain. "It is done."

Just as Kirk, back in his quarters, was pulling his yellow shirt over his head, the intercom system chimed. He finished dressing and pressed the button. "Kirk here.", he said. "Captain!", Scotty returned. "The environmental system has just jumped into emergency mode. Somebody must have fiddled with the controls." Kirk realized that he should have spoken to his engineer beforehand. "It's alright, Scotty. Spock was the one changing the settings.", Kirk tried to calm him. "What?", the Scotsman shouted after a few seconds. "Don't change anything, that's an order. There will be a meeting in ten minutes, where I will explain what's going on. Kirk out." After he had ended his call with Scotty, Kirk immediately sent a message to all his bridge crew save Bones, who had already enough on his hands to deal with.

Just ten minutes later, his crew had come together in Conference room one. "What is going on?", Chekov asked immediately upon entering. He was the last of the group that had been missing, so Kirk started to explain. "Mister Spock and I had an encounter with our little trickster earlier today. We were able to acquire a piece of its body and now know how to kill it.", he explained. "Mister Spock, will you please repeat our plan of action?"

After Spock had finished, everyone nodded in understanding. "With all the fail saves on the enviro system, it will not produce enough carbon-dioxide to fill the ship with more than three to four percent.", Scotty remarked. "Captain, I believe we will need at least seven percent to ensure the creature's death.", Spock told Kirk. Scotty pressed a few buttons on his PADD. "This means we will need to produce about fifty-thousand cubic meters of the stuff." Kirk looked around his crew. "Ideas?", he asked. Scotty spoke up again. "Well, I have a bunch of plastic junk that I wanted to get rid of for a while now. Why not burn it?"

So, they did. The Captain watched as Scotty's people carried crate after crate to the air recycler. The engineer turned the fire alarm and the automated extinguishing system, before lifting a flare gun and getting to work. Soon after, the flames were blazing, the melting plastic stank terribly. The air was perpetually sucked into the air changer, fixing the carbon-dioxide and therefore keeping it inside. Both Captain and Chief engineer stood there watching. "Aye. I think this will do the trick." Soon after, Sulu entered, carrying a crate filled to the brim with plant cuttings. "Throw it on the stack, lad.", Scotty told him, seemingly enjoying himself. Kirk chuckled and walked over to where Spock was surveilling the air changer's controls. "Mister Scott's plan seems to work.", the Vulcan remarked. "I do however believe that there is no need to burn as much deposed material as he currently is." Despite himself, Kirk laughed full-heartedly.

Kirk had gone to the bridge to make a crew-wide announcement and to record his log. M'Ress was at Communications and Lieutenant Hendricks was manning the helm. Kirk let himself fall into his seat. "Lieutenant, please put me on all speakers.", he ordered the Caitian. She pushed a few buttons and nodded to him. "Attention all hands. We will evacuate the ship at nine-hundred today. I repeat: Ship-wide evacuation today at nine-hundred hours. Kirk out.", he spoke into the microphone. As the departments checked in to say that they had received and understood the order, Kirk begun recording his log.

With nothing to do but wait for the deadly gas to accumulate, Kirk left his post in search of a coffee. When he exited the turbolift, he thought that he had seen something run around a corner. Probably just a crewman in a hurry. He only managed to walk a few steps until he heard it. "Jimmy!", someone called out behind him. Recognizing the voice, Kirk turned before he could stop himself. And indeed, his dead brother Sam was standing there, being twelve years old again. Kirk looked down to him, realizing that he had never looked down on his older and taller brother before. This wasn't his brother, he reminded himself. It was that cloud.

"Why do you want to kill me, Jimmy?", Sam asked. It was absolutely heart-breaking. "You are not Sam. Stop pretending to be him.", Kirk growled at the creature, absolutely furious. "Why did you not help me, back on Denava?", the make-believe Sam asked. "You know I couldn't. The request for help was issued too late." Sam came nearer while Kirk was frozen in place. "Do you remember how I hid you when Kodos was after you?" Kirk nodded. "And how I beat up those older boys when they made fun of you?" Kirk remembered. "How I came with you to your entrance exam for Starfleet, so you wouldn't be so nervous?" Sam kept getting nearer. "Don't you like me, Jimmy?", he finally asked, his pitch-black eyes big as saucers. His eyes! Kirk broke out of his reverie. "Keep away!", he shouted at the creature. "Never!", the other screeched back, opening his mouth much wider than possible for real humans, showing three rows of nail-like teeth. Following an ancient instinct, Kirk ran as fast as he could.

"Jimmy, stop.", Sam urged while running after him. Jimmy wouldn't stop but kept running towards the mess hall. The doors opened, Kirk lost his balance, the doors closed again. "Captain, are you alright?", somebody asked. Kirk picked himself up from the floor. "Merely a bit ruffled.", he said and walked over to the coffee machine.

Sipping his hot bean drink, Kirk stared out the mess hall's windows. The creature had hit a wound spot of his. He had to agree to himself that he missed his brother. He sighed and decided to visit his orphaned nephew Peter at the next possibility. Poor kid.

The intercom system across the room chimed. "Scott to the Captain.", the speaker produced. Kirk drank the last of his coffee and walked over. "Yes?", he asked. "That wee beastie has turned the safety system back on. Everything is covered in foam." "Have you collected enough gas?", the Captain asked. "I guess.", the engineer returned. "We have indeed acquired a sufficient amount of carbon-dioxide.", Spock chimed in. "Very well. Keep going according to plan. Kirk out."

Nine-hundred rolled around and the crew begun evacuating the ship. Kirk was overseeing the process when Bones came up to him. He held an orange biohazard suit. "Wear this.", he said and pushed the suit into his arms. "Bones…", Kirk set out to protest, but was cut short. "The hobgoblin is wearing one as well. I don't want to find you suffocated." Defeated, Kirk slipped into the suit. "Wait. Did you say Spock wears one as well?", he asked. "I do.", he heard the Vulcan say from behind him. "Spock. This is going to be dangerous. You know that?" "Indeed. That is why I am going to stay and ensure your safety." "Well then.", Kirk waved his hand.

They had decided that Spock would go to the Science lab to release their stock of carbon-dioxide, while Kirk would manipulate the air recycler. With nobody but Spock and him on the ship, it was eerily quiet. Kirk, still scarred from the encounter with Sam, walked a bit faster than he was used to. Suddenly, something behind him exploded. He turned to see parts of the ceiling falling down and circuits burning. He began to jog as his ship began to fall apart behind him. He hoped that nothing essential was being destroyed.

He climbed down some steps on a ladder, which was rather awkward in the suit. He almost lost his grip when he heard the children's laughter, similar to the kind he had heard in Giotto's office. 'It can't hurt me.', he told himself, rather unsure of that fact. Upon entering Environmental Control, the light fell out. Becoming even more nervous, Kirk switched his helmet light on. He pulled a tape Spock had given him out of a pocket and put it into the console's slit. The program on it started its work and Kirk heard gasses being released into the air vents. Task finished, he left the room and hastened to their designated escape pod.

From somewhere behind him, he heard an inhumanly screech. "Why, why?", he heard next, a very hollow voice. More screaming followed. Kirk suddenly felt a little bad for what he was doing. He tried to ignore the sounds.

Later that day

It was good to see the ship being populated again. Kirk walked through the corridors, smiling at the crew he encountered. Scotty had told him that the damage caused by the explosions was minimal and could be easily fixed. A few decks lower, he met Spock. In front of his First, there was a giant puddle of a black substance. Spock looked at him as he came nearer. "We were successful.", the Vulcan stated. "I feel a bit bad. It screamed when it died.", the Captain confessed. "Jim.", Spock said to him, using his soft voice. "This was no intelligent being. It merely projected back what it received from you.", he assured him. "Nobody would frown upon a prey fighting back its hunter." Spock gave the puddle a hard glance and left. "I'm sorry.", Kirk said under his breath before turning around and following Spock.

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And also, thanks for reading!