Children Of The Star Views
On stardate 5029.5, the starship USS Enterprise intercepts a distress call from the planet Triacus, where a scientific expedition is located. Arriving at the planet, Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Mr. Spock beam down to investigate. They find the expedition leader, Professor Starnes, has gone insane; he almost immediately dies. The other adult members of the team have apparently committed suicide. However, the expedition's five children (led by Starnes's preteen son Tommy) remain alive and well, continuing to play as if nothing has happened.
Recordings made by Prof. Starnes explain that the survey team were driven to suicide to escape what Starnes called the enemy from within. The landing team buries the dead adults. The children continue to appear emotionless toward the loss of their families. After the funeral, the children and Dr. McCoy beam to the Enterprise while Kirk and Spock investigate a nearby cave where Spock has been getting anomalous readings on his tricorder. Once inside, Kirk finds himself in the throes of an anxiety attack which abates the instant he leaves the cave. He speculates the anxiety may be caused by the same phenomenon that is causing the unusual tricorder readings.
McCoy speculates that the children witnessed the shocking deaths of their parents and are now suffering temporary lacunar amnesia. They are temporarily unaware of what has happened and incapable of grieving. He warns that confronting them with the truth too soon could damage them psychologically, and that it would be best to wait until they begin to remember in the natural way. Over bowls of ice cream, Kirk tries to talk to them and they reveal that they did not like living on Triacus and were resentful their parents wanted to stay. Kirk tries to ask more questions but the children begin to chant busy busy busy and rudely ignore him.
The children are assigned quarters, and once they are left alone, they form a circle and begin to perform a summoning ritual, chanting: Hail, hail, fire and snow, call the angel, we will go, far away, for to see, friendly angel come to me. Answering the call, a humanoid apparition forms appearing as a richly dressed man who is surrounded by a green glow. He tells the children they have completed their first step ; he encourages them to take over the Enterprise and change its course to the planet Marcus XII. There he promises the children will be happy, living without responsibilities or rules, once they are with the others of his kind.
Children Of The Star Images
