Captains Log, Stardate 2135.7

We have happened upon a curious planet, inhabited by squid-like peoples who live in a climate most similar to Earth's. Each squid-like person has eight tentacles ending in a soft round pad and their skin is a greenish-blue. Dr. McCoy plans on examining them more closely during our stay here.

"Odd creatures. Slow heartbeat, no language from what I see, no need to eat or sleep, a very childish brain…" McCoy looked at the squid-man, who was in the corner of the room playing with his stethoscope. "However, it has unnaturally fast reflexes; the tentacles can reach twice their normal length, they can secrete some sort of fluid from its skin, and it can turn itself invisible." Almost as if to show off, the creature did, leaving only a stethoscope floating in midair.

"Fascinating, doctor."

At the sound of Spock's voice, the squid-man turned visible and started to slither towards him.

"Oh, no, you don't!" McCoy snatched the squid-man up and placed it on the table.

Spock was indifferent. "I will report your findings to Captain Kirk immediately. Thank you, Doctor McCoy."

Spock turned on his heels and left.

McCoy let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He rarely enjoyed being in the same room as the Vulcan, let alone talk to him! All of a sudden McCoy let out a little yelp and jumped forward a bit. He turned, and the squid-man looked at him innocent as ever. But he could have sworn to God it had just…

Impossible. Why would a thing like that…?

Captain Kirk strutted into sick bay. "Mr. Spock tells me you've made some interesting discoveries."

"Ah; yes. Look, Jim, I gotta talk to you about something. You got a moment?"

Kirk nodded and they moved to the adjacent room, far out of hearing range for the squid-man.

"Jim, this is gonna sound like I'm crazy, but I coulda sworn it just…tickled me. After Spock left, when I had my back turned."

Kirk stared blankly at McCoy. "It…tickled…you?"

"Look, Jim, I know it sounds crazy, but I felt it. It touched my side, Jim, it did!"

"Did you see it touch you?"

McCoy paused. "Well, no. I turned around and it just…looked at me. I know the creature is fast and childish, but tickling?..."

Kirk turned to leave. "Well, from what I see, you're in no danger from it. Continue your research and when you're done, we'll return it."

"Wait, Jim."

Kirk froze at the door. McCoy paused.

"…Nevermind. You already think I'm crazy."

"No, no, Bones. Please. Do tell."

"The squid…it has an unnatural…attraction, I s'pose you could say, to Mr. Spock."

Kirk laughed and left.

"Mr. Scott. The creature, Spock, McCoy, and I will be in the transporter room in ten minutes."

"Aye, sir, I'll be there."

The group took their places on the transporter pad.

It's such an odd feeling, Kirk thought. Kinda a tingly feeling, then disorientation, then a nauseous feeling. It's…odd.

McCoy was studying his boots. Can't wait to get rid of that Godforsaken creature…

Spock stood stoic. It seems highly illogical what Kirk said about the creature, about it tickling McCoy. What if it attacks the rest of us?

The landscape of the squids' planet came into clear view. As soon as the nausea faded, they stepped off the landing spot. The squid-man slithered away to a group of squid-men gathering not so far away. A clicking and sucking sound commenced.

"It has its own language."

Ah, Kirk, McCoy rolled his eyes, ever the Captain—Captain Obvious, that is.

"Perhaps we should try communicating back, Captain." Spock suggested. He pulled out his translator.

"Sure. Good idea, Mr. Spock. After you."

They stepped forward and the group of squid-men scattered.

"We mean you no harm." Spock spoke slowly so the translator could process his words correctly. The squid-men looked fascinated with Spock. They turned back into their circle, but no beeps or sucks were heard.

"It seems they can communicate telepathically too, Captain."

What happened next was a blur.

Tentacles shot out and wrapped around Spock's ankles. He fell, and was dragged to the squid-men. Kirk shot his phaser at the closest squid-man, but stopped McCoy for fear that he would hit Spock. Two squid-men raced towards Kirk and McCoy. The one headed towards Kirk wrapped two tentacles around his legs and attached to the back of his knees. Kirk sank to the ground, laughing, clawing at the appendages. "McCoy!" he choked out.

"I'm a little busy at the moment, Jim!" McCoy was running in a zigzag, dodging the squid-man.

"Call…backup…Bones!...take…comm!" Kirk had tears streaming down his face.

All this while, Spock was watching silently. His arms and legs were bound by two squid-men. Fascinating, he thought as he watched his good friend struggling, it seems that the squid-men know exactly where their victims' sensitive spots are, and they aim right for them in order to take their victim down as quick as possible.

McCoy had called in the order to the Enterprise and the shapes of Uhura and three security guards were appearing on a hill about 100 meters away. McCoy clambered up the side of a rock ledge but the squid-man wrapped a tentacle around his leg and pulled. McCoy's head smashed against the rock and a stream of blood made its way down the right side of his head. The squids' free tentacle squeezed into McCoy's boot and McCoy was laughing—and helpless—in no time.

Now, Spock had most certainly been ticklish as a child. The question was, whether he had grown out of it as an adult, and as a Vulcan. Spock wasn't sure if he wanted to take that risk or not. But right now, the only logical thing to do was to risk it.

"Captain!"

"Wh...wha…what?!" Kirk looked as if he couldn't breathe.

"I noticed that the aliens cannot jump. If we climb onto the ledge McCoy is near, we may be out of reach of their tentacles. It is our only hope. We do not want the others to be stuck with the same fate as ours. We must take action, Captain."

Uhura, who had been staring dumbfounded at the scene in front of her, overheard Spock's little speech to Kirk. "Set your phasers to stun. O'Brien, aim for the two next to Spock. Johnson, aim for McCoys'. I'll get the Captains'."

Spock was calculating the ways to escape from his captors when phaser beams hit both. The tentacles loosened and he ran. Kirk and McCoy were also freed by the phaser beams and they stumbled along behind Spock. Once at the top of the ledge, McCoy and Kirk were able to catch their breath.

"Goddammit, Spock! Why do these things want you so bad?" McCoy was furious.

But he screamed in terror when a tentacle started to wrap around his ankle. Kirk stomped on it.

"We're not high enough!"

Spock was looking at Uhura and the three redshirts. "Perhaps if we climb up the tree?"

Without so much as thinking it over, Kirk jumped off the ledge and ran to the tree, McCoy hot on his heels. "Up there!" Kirk shouted to Uhura. "Go up the tree!"

Uhura and the redshirts clambered on up. Kirk leaped and barely cleared the first branch. McCoy grabbed the hands of two redshirts who were beckoning him up.

Which only left Spock.

His pale, slender hands grasped the small, tan hands of Kirk just as a tentacle grabbed Spock's leg.

"Spock!" Kirk looked worried as a tentacle disappeared down Spock's boot. Spock, on the other hand, looked relieved.

"Don't worry, Captain. It'll take a lot more than this to take me down. Pull me up."

Kirk tried, but however flimsy those squids looked, they were strong. Spock remained suspended between the ground and the tree.

"Spock's not ticklish?" Uhura whispered to McCoy.

"Not ticklish enough, it seems."

Uhura had to smile at the thought, however serious Spock's predicament might have been.

The squid-men must've realized that they needed a stronger tactic, because another slippery tentacle suctioned itself to the back of Spock's right knee. Spock started to giggle and kick at the squid with his free leg. "Pull me up, Jim!"

"I'm trying!" A grotesque game of tug-of-war was going on between Kirk and the squid-men. "You're slipping, Spock!"

"Don't worry; I won't let go!"

But the squid-men were determined to have Spock. Four more tentacles slid up under Spock's shirt. Kirk saw this and cursed under his breath. Uhura gasped. You could see two pulsing under each of his armpits, and two pulsing on either side of his navel. Now Spock started full-out laughing. Uhura and McCoy exchanged shocked looks.

"I…sorry…can't…hold on!"

McCoy lunged to grab Spock's hands from Kirk but it was too late. Spock had let go.

The squid-men carried Spock, still laughing, away.

"Spock!" Kirk looked devastated. "We need to get him back!"

McCoy placed a heavy hand on Kirk's shoulder. "Jim, it's no use. Let's think of a plan of action before we do anything rash."

Kirk shook him off. "But what if they harm him? We don't know what they want with Spock! What if they kill him? We'd have lost the best first officer the Enterprise has ever known!"

But the group had started to beam up during his outburst.

Saving Spock would have to wait.