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“Whoever built this,” said Kirk, shining his light up the hole, “must have been very limber.”

Chekov nodded but said nothing, focusing on his tricorder. The captain realized that he was trying to make a good impression, trying his best to find their missing crew member.

“What way now, Chekov?”

Chekov shrugged. “I can find no life signs, Captain.”

Kirk considered for a moment. If they wanted to explore this place efficiently, they’d have to split up. The buddy system would be safest, even if it was a risk. “Tra and Rawlins, you take that one.” He pointed to the leftmost tunnel. “Seven Deers and Giotto, up the right one. Chekov, you’re with me.” He looked at the vertical tunnel above their heads. “We’ll have to wait for a champion rock climber to handle that one,” he said with a smile. “I want everyone to maintain a constant lock on each other’s life signs, and above all,” he added, “stay together.” The groups headed off.

Continuing through the tunnel, Kirk and Chekov soon realized that there was no smooth surface; instead it appeared as though they’d entered a large sponge. Holes and tunnels dotted this subterranean lair, some large enough for Kirk to step into without having to duck, while others were barely big enough for a child to crawl through. There were no flat surfaces anywhere, no angles, no hard edges.

Kirk moved into each new section of the tunnel with his phaser drawn, but there was never anything but that omnipresent hissing noise, not even lights. Finally they entered a room that was slightly larger than normal, with hollow bowl shapes set into the floor.

“What is this place?” Chekov asked. “It reminds me of the old government buildings in Moscow. Laid out to be as confusing as possible.”

“To make it difficult for people to get what they wanted?”

“We Russians invented bureaucracy, Captain.” There wasn’t a hint of irony in Chekov’s voice.

Kirk bent to take a closer look at objects that had been heaped in the hollows. He grabbed one at random and inspected it up close. It was soft and colorful and looked like the graffiti creature—a child’s doll?

Chekov’s tricorder chirped. “Sir, Commander Giotto and Ensign Seven Deers are headed this way.”

The captain nodded and continued turning the doll over in his hand, looking at the other similar ones on the floor. Had beings like this taken Yüksel? A few moments later, a noise caught his attention, and his head jerked up toward the other end of the chamber. Giotto and Seven Deers had squeezed themselves through a narrow hole.

“It’s easy to get turned around in this place,” said the engineer. She was staring at her tricorder, bewildered.

Giotto was holding a bright red cylinder. “Sir. It’s some kind of scroll.” He pressed a button on the end, and a screen popped out. “It’s got text, but even with the universal translator, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Give it to Mister Chekov. I want scans sent to Saloniemi.”

Giotto handed the scroll to Chekov, not saying a word. Kirk knew that Giotto was taking his frustration at Yüksel’s disappearance out on the ensign. It had been over four hours since they’d received the interrupted message. It had been the scientist’s first time on an initial survey, and he’d been so excited. Kirk dreaded what would happen if they didn’t find him. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Yüksel. I regret to inform you that your son Fatih was lost on a planetary survey mission in the Høyland 5900 sector…

“Any sign of him, Commander?” asked Kirk.

Giotto shook his head. “I don’t think anyone’s been in here for a long time.”

Damn. With a dozen of those doors set off the basement of the tree chamber, they’d be searching a long time. The botanist could be behind any one of them, never to be found.

“Let’s head out and rejoin the others.”

They were going to find him.

She would not close her eyes even for a moment. The temptation was great, but she wouldn’t give in—didn’t dare to. Christine Chapel knew her body—she would try to stay awake, regardless of how tired she felt. People depended on her, patients as well as colleagues.