Darkened Constellation

"Captain's Log, supplemental. Having arrived in L-374 we're approaching the fourth planet. To our astonishment the planet is still partly intact. That's also what gives me pause: the planet is mostly not. We're approaching with deflectors at maximum."

"Helm tell me what you're seeing there," Commodore Matt Decker ordered.

Lieutenant Gil Paris, a young hot-shot pilot out of the Academy, complied quickly, "Our present course at Warp 3 has us set for an intercept of the planet in seventeen minutes. Long-range scans are picking up a great deal of interference."

Only a few minutes passed before the situation changed.

"Commodore," the navigator, Ensign Andre Lesidi, interrupted, "We'll soon be entering an uncharted asteroid belt, sir. Advise caution."

Decker nodded at the dark-skinned South African native, "Advice headed, Mr. Lesidi. Helm, reduce speed to Warp Factor 1. Keep deflectors at maximum." Decker changed his attention to his science officer, Lt. Commander Guillermo Masada, "Mr. Masada, what can you make out from here?"

The man's eyes were lit blue from the readout at his science station, "There's a lot of subspace interference. Possibly from the planet's breakup. The asteroids before us do not appear to be documented or natural occurrence."

"Are they made of exotic materials? Were the placed here intentionally?" Decker inquired.

"Not that I can determine, Commodore. The asteroids do appear to be comprised of materials not typical to this star system. However, they aren't artificial either. Their trajectory seems to have a rough origin point of..." Masada trailed off, then turned to face his captain for the revelation, "The fourth planet of L-374!"

Decker turned slowly in his captain's chair to face the command screen once again. Out of habit he grabbed two microtapes he had laying on the armrest and began rubbing them together in his right hand, "My God..."

Lieutenant Paris spoke up, "Commodore, as we get closer the asteroid density will increase. I can avoid the field all together. That will also likely increase our sensor resolution."

Decker considered it. L-374 was uninhabited, despite the third planet being a Class-M in perfect position around its parent star. Taking longer to approach and study whatever this phenomenon was, was the smarter option. No lives were at risk here except his own crew.

"Go ahead, Mr. Paris. Fly us smartly," Decker replied.

Within the next half hour the USS Constellation, NCC-1017, had made progress closer to the fourth planet. The off surge in energy readings had subsided and his crew diligently analyzed the data. It was Ensign Lesidi who spoke first with some astonishment, "Commodore! I've found a ship in orbit of, or what's left of, the fourth planet!"

"Well go ahead and put it up there," Decker motioned vaguely at the large screen.

He wasn't quite prepared for what he saw. It was... well he wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't this; perhaps something Klingon or Orion in origin. At least then he could begin to understand what he was seeing. He might even have an idea of how to approach it.

The wicked machine was mottled, blue and black all across. It had a long, spindly hull which was tapered from one end housing a gaping maw. The stern of the vessel was incredibly tiny, it couldn't have been much larger than a shuttle craft. The tapering occurred in harsh reductions at predictable intervals yet it still looked like the vessel was wrapped in massive discolored gauze. All manner of dents were present along its hull, but there was no clear breach or damage.

The monstrous ship elegantly circled what remained of the planet. To Decker's horror the vessel was in fact changing course to consume the largest parts of the planet that it could. The burning interior of the maw looked like a small red-orange dwarf star, angrily burning up any rocky victims in its path. Decker was appalled to the point he couldn't help but imagine this was right out of Lucifer's evil imagination.

The entire bridge crew seemed frozen in time by what they were watching. Decker shook himself back to his command, "Bridge crew stay sharp. All hands: red alert! Charge all phaser banks and load all tubes with photon torpedoes!"

Masada stepped down to speak quietly to his captain, "Sir, that vessel out-sizes us by several factors. My initial estimations are putting its size at several dozen miles long. We don't know what its hull is made of, nor what its defenses comprise."

Decker looked aghast at his second, "Mr. Masada I can tell you from right here it comprises a real threat to the Federation! I'll ask you to retake your station and start answering some of those questions. If nothing else we'll buy some time to analyze it. Maybe we can get it to chase us instead of destroying any hapless planets it chooses."

Masada gave his captain a look that said he wanted to refute the man, but didn't. He nodded and stood back by his station. Decker continued rubbing the microtapes in his left hand. His yellow command tunic suddenly felt very tight across his chest.

The alien vessel was firing a bright almost neon yellow beam of energy into the planet made planetoid body. Massive tracts of land exploded into space, atmosphere bled free into an amorphous cloud, any liquids which had been on its surface was vaporized, as detonations of light and rock were cast into the void.

After some time of study the unknown alien vessel Decker questions his science and second officer, "Mr. Masada do you have any information as to what comprises that beam?

"Yes, sir. From what I can determine this is a pure weapon of anti-protons. It's perfect for breaking up the proton combinations of our universe," he reported.

Decker nodded solemnly, "So it's the perfect weapon for destroying planets."

"I would say so, sir," Masada confirmed.

"Send a communique to Starfleet updating them of our status," Decker ordered.

"Yes, Commodore," the young brunette woman replied. A moment later she spoke again, "Sir, there's significant interference. Possibly from that invader."

Decker nodded in understanding, "We've still got a job to do. Continue transmitting, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir," she replied.

"Helm, take us out of warp and go to full impulse. Fire a volley of phasers and torpedoes across its bow as we pass by. But keep us a fair distance away, I don't want to be drawn in too close." Decker ordered suddenly, innately grasping the danger the alien weapon presented to the Federation.

Mr. Paris acknowledged, "Understood, Commodore. Course laid in."

"Weapons crews report ready to fire on your order, Commodore," Mr. Lesidi stated.

The Constellation drew close to the massive construct as it gobbled up a piece of rock which could've been a small continent on the surface of any planet. Perhaps of Earth. Decker was sure of his duty. At less than four thousand kilometers, a dangerously close move in the depths of space, he gave his command.

"All weapons: fire!"

The Constitution-class cruiser spat three neon red photon torpedoes at the planet killer, flanked by a series of high-powered neon blue phasers. The torpedoes splashed angrily across the enemy's carbonaceous hull. The phases just seemed to splatter impotently, not even leaving a glowing heat mark from their impact.

Decker turned to Masada, "Report!"

"Weapons fire ineffective, sir. No discernible damage of any kind," Masada stated.

"Damn! Helm, prepare to bring us about for another attack. Double the torpedo count," Decker commanded.

"Commodore the target is turning on us," Lesidi stated.

"Belay that order, helm. Set a course away from this planet and lets get the bastard to follow us," Decker corrected.

"Aye, Commodore. Going evasive," the young man complied.

The Constellation weaved her way elegantly around a few of the larger parts of the fourth planet while her shields deflected the smaller ones. The planet killer, however, did not need to spend energy in such a fashion. It merely consumed whatever lay in its path. Unfortunately, that might have included the Constellation as the smaller craft wasn't able to properly speed away due to all of the debris.

"Mr. Paris, I want-" Decker started to give a command but Masada interrupted him.

"Commodore I'm reading a large surge of anti-protons coming from behind us. It appears to be emanating from the enemy vessel!"

"Helm, emergency manue-" Decker was cut off as his entire vessel shook. Sudden quaking of the deck and the ship all around interrupted the commodore. The ship's deflector shields absorbed some of the anti-proton energy of the attack but the sheer physical force applied caused a violent shudder through the whole vessel. Decker waited for the harsh rumble to stop.

"Helm!" He started to order again.

"Already on it, Commodore!" Paris replied.

The Constellation turned back on her previous course and veered away in a new direction, getting clear of the front of the planet killer. It's cavernous maw being miles wide sent a chill down Decker's spine, the small nova within threatening death to him and his crew.

"Status of weapons," Decker called.

"We've got phasers still charged, Commodore," Lesidi responded.

"As we cut across the front of that monster open fire with all weapons. Then bring us around to attack a second time," Decker ordered. "Keep us far out, hopefully the distance will keep that weapon from targeting us too well."

"Aye aye, Commodore," Paris reported.

As the Starfleet vessel executed a quick maneuver across the planet killer's front, the two forward phaser arrays emitted its normally destructive payload into the alien ship's hide. In this instance the cruiser's weapons were made useless against the impervious hull of the alien vessel. The Constellation continued to cruise away to a presumably safe distance, her rear phaser array exhausting the charges in the phaser banks there.

As she got away and turned again on the intruder vessel, more pairs of the sharp neon beams cut through space toward their enemy. This time the phasers were equally impotent against their target. Decker could see this was going nowhere fast except that the planet killer was indeed attempting to follow their hectic and hasty course.

Decker was thinking they perhaps they needed to be closer to the enemy vessel when Masada spoke again, "Another anti-proton surge! Brace for impact!"

As before the Constellation shuddered angrily at the onslaught. Decker held firm to the Captain's chair attempting to maintain his balance as the artificial gravity surged and then ebbed. Just as the ship started to settle it was again thrown about anew, as if a small toy in a typhoon. Some of the bridge crew screamed as they were startled, for some it was a abject terror surfacing. Perhaps this Starfleet vessel was out of its league this time.

"Mr. Paris! Get control of this ship!" Paris worked frantically to rest control back to the Constellation's impulse engines.

"Commodore! We've got significant damage to the saucer section! The starboard-fore is reading completely red, emergency bulkheads have locked down. I'm also reading serious damage to main fuselage," Masada reported. "Casualty reports are coming in."

Decker stood from his chair, "Helmsman you get me control of this vessel right now! We've got to warn Starfleet command!"

"Understoo-" Paris started to say as his console exploded in his face. The detonation was so serious the crewman might have been killed, but he was certainly unconscious. The rest of the bridge crew was tossed about as if ragdolls from another thunderous barrage from the planet killer's anti-proton beam.

This time as the quaking hull stopped Masada was shouting over a significant fire that was consuming the bridge just left of the view screen, "We have anti-matter containment breech! Starboard warp nacelle is severely damaged and leaking!"

"Emergency release of the anti-matter, dump it all!" Decker shouted over the fire. And another sound he hadn't quite registered up to until now. He spun to see a tiny hairline fracture in the hull, its whistling a death-knell for the fleeing atmosphere on the bridge. "Hull breach! All hands evacuate the bridge!"

Decker walked over to Gil Paris to rouse him. He realized the young man was already dead, a severe laceration cut across the left side of his neck. The poor boy would be spared the pain of freezing to death, at least. The Commodore hated to do it but he rushed his remaining four officers into the turbolift. He was just behind them. Setting the controls for the auxiliary bridge just outside of main engineering behind the deflector dish on the main hull of the once-mighty vessel.

It took several minutes for the crew to assemble, trying to avoid their fellow comrades who were dealing with casualties. Once together he began asking for ideas.

"Why haven't we been attacked again?" he questioned for ideas.

"Our energy reserves are the only systems outputting any semblance of power, which is a far cry less significant," Masada explained.

"So outside of a certain range, with a low enough power output, we'll be ignored? interesting hypothesis, Mr. Masada. Can we use it to our advantage?" Decker asked.

"Doubtful with how much damage we've taken," Ensign Lesidi stated. "We've taken incredible hull damage, primary power systems are out, and shields are non-operational. Attacking again would be suicide."

Decker nodded in agreement, "Then we need to find a way to ride this out. We'll run out of air sooner or later. Are there any planets in this system which are habitable?"

"Scans showed the third planet to be a viable Class-M world," Masada offered.

"Very well. Mr. Lesidi, can you plot us a course to bring us closer to the world? We can beam down, set the Constellation on a ballistic course out of the system, transmitting the whole way hoping to clear this interference?" Decker asked.

"I'd say it's better than running out of air here," Lesidi offered his opinion. "And it'll give us hope for a rescue."

Decker didn't fault the young man for his nervousness. Few people faced such assured death at such a young age. Decker spoke again, "Very well. I think it would be best if I stayed here, however. From the auxiliary bridge I can do some basic flight maneuvering and with minimal impulse make course corrections if needed. There's still a lot of planetary debris out there."

The surviving bridge crew nodded. Decker drew up plans to evacuate the ship to the third planet. He would stay and give his life, if necessary, to maintain their hope in rescue. Decker had, in some sense, partially died along with his ship. Now he had to let this family go, too.

The evacuation took a couple hours, the Constellation drifting haplessly further away from the third and fourth planets, careering in away in a mass of its own debris. Decker said farewell to Masada, assuring his science officer and second in command that he'd be back as soon as possible with help.

Decker made his way from the transporter room back to the auxiliary bridge, the cramped room's doorway partially covered by a broken pipe for ferrying some fluid or other to a system that was now broken. He sat down at the small table for two people, the consoles flanking either side of him. Decker felt very alone in that moment.

He turned on the small viewscreen here; which was about four feet, corner to corner. His already dead heart now had now to deal with the cold that pumped through his veins. On the viewer, which was looking at the third planet, a deadly satellite hung in space around the world. Decker stood in protest and horror, but with utter powerlessness.

Harsh yellow-orange beams began emitting into the surface of the world. Crust, magma, and other ejecta cruised violently up out of the atmosphere which popped like an oversized transparent balloon.

"No!" Decker shouted at the view screen, "No you son of a bitch!" He threw his two mirotapes, which he had inexplicably been unable to part with, at the screen in ineffectual protest.

He clambered over to a console, trying any override sequence he could to get engines coaxed to his command. For a few fleeting moments he heard the energy transfer from the backup generators flow to his engines. Their whine was too high pitched and all wrong, almost a squeal. Then something blew outside the grating which separated him from the main engineering room. The lights darkened all around him. The view screen lost power. The consoles went inert. And Decker was left alone.

A few minutes passed before the backup lighting came on, their low lights given the barest of illumination. But the lights in Decker's eyes had perished with his crew. He sat in the uncomfortable small chair motionless. He was paralyzed.

The devil didn't come for the man directly, for a Starfleet captain's will is too strong for that. He must be broken piece by piece, bit by bit. The devil comes first for the man's prized possessions, then his family, and lastly - when the man was alone in the dark insanity of his own mind - the devil will still wait patiently knowing that you will come to him.

In the cold void of L-374 the USS Constellation's outboard lights flickered one last sigh. The port nacelle had been destroyed - the ship would never use her warp drive again. Her starboard warp nacelle burned away the last bit of the anti-matter fuel that couldn't be ejected, it's spinning red orb turning gray and resting motionless.

"They say there's no devil, Jim, but there is. Right out of hell, I saw it!"

– Commodore Matt Decker, 2267 (Star Trek: The Original Series, "The Doomsday Machine")

This work is a piece of fan fiction. The story is inspired by characters created by CBS/Paramount. There is no copyright infringement intended or implied. No monetary compensation is made. This small tale is a labor of love for the series that inspired me as a child, and still does so today.