Sulu and Uhura did as ordered. It wasn't long before an excited looking Charlie Evans arrived on the bridge:

"Did our trap work, Sir? Did they find us already?"

Kirk replied:

"Indeed they have. But we left the area they think we are in, and they're not going to find us thanks to you. Now all we can do is wait until they get where they think we should be. According to Mr. Spock that's about an hour from now. So find an empty chair, Charlie, there's no point in forcing you to stand the entire time."

Charlie took his seat at the empty second post at the engineering console next to Engineer Scott.

"Aye, lad, you did us a good service! Between that Klingon cloaking device and your fixing our warp drive trail, they'll never find us!"

****

The tense hour passed quickly. Mr. Spock reported:

"Gary Mitchell's rogue Federation armada has reached our last known coordinates. Fortunately for us we are no longer there, nor will they be able to find us on long range sensors."

Kirk knew the next logical course of action to take:

"Okay, Mr. Sulu, plot a direct course at warp-1 back to our previous coordinates where the armada is now. Bring us 10,000 kilometers from the lead starship, which we can presume Gary Mitchell is commanding. Mr. Spock, please estimate our arrival time."

Spock replied:

"At warp- we shall arrive at the coordinates in precisely 22 minutes, 39 seconds."

Kirk was ready:

"Okay Charlie, a few minutes from now we should be close enough to the armada for you to go forward with your plan to put all of the crews to sleep. Are you ready for this psychic fight?"

Charlie seemed to be holding up under pressure:

"I can do it, Captain! I know I can! I've been thinking about how to do it this entire time."

****

Twenty two minutes later Mr. Sulu had brought the Enterprise to a halt standing ready 10,000 kilometers distant from the lead starship. Kirk gave his next order.

"Okay, Mr. Sulu, hold this position for the time being. Charlie you're on the spot! Do your best now!"

Everyone focused their attention on Charlie Evans, who their hopes depended on. They could see Charlie was now busy concentrating his mind where he stood and both of his eyes had rolled back in his head showing the whites. Charlie continued in that posture for three minutes when he visibly relaxed then spoke:

"Okay, Sir, I did it! I put all of the starships crews to sleep. I can sense Gary Mitchell is trying to use his powers to wake them up but I fixed so he won't be able to do that I think. I can see what's in his mind. Gary is mad as hell."

Kirk was noticeably pleased with Charlie's performance this far. Then Uhura cut in:

Captain, the USS Marauder is hailing us. It must be Gary Mitchell in command at the communications console since the communications officer on board his ship is asleep!"

Kirk replied:

"Uhura, open the channel and put it on the screen. Okay, gentlemen, now it's really going to start hitting the fan. We have just defied a living god!"

On the screen the image and voice of the rogue Federation armada's commander appeared. The man seated in the command chair had long grey hair down to his shoulders and a groomed grey beard. But his eyes were solid silver so it was clear the man on the screen was Gary Mitchell himself! Now Gary spoke:

"I can't see the Enterprise, but I know she's out there receiving my message. Did you forget me, Jim Kirk? It's me, Gary, your old academy classmate. Well, I never forgot about you, Jim. I came all this way just to see and speak to you again. But since you're hiding from me, I doubt I'll be hearing or seeing you for the time being until I have the Enterprise and you. Well, well, well, Jim. Looks like somebody put everyone to sleep! Don't you think I am wise enough to figure out who it was that did that? Need I remind you I also have the mind of a god? After I easily conquered Starfleet Command and everyone else on Earth is less than a day, I took a few minutes to memorize 100% of the Enterprise's missions going back all the way to her first missions. I might not have been a member of your crew at the time, but there is one mission in particular that comes to mind. What was your young passenger's name, Jim? Wasn't it Charlie Evans? Didn't all of you find out little Charlie has godlike powers similar to mine?

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