Phaser Fight Read online

  “You mean we’re under attack?”

  “Possibly” says the Science Officer, “but my readings aren’t exact. I could be picking up an illusion. If that ship exists though, one of us must beam aboard it and try to communicate with their crew.”

  “But if your readings are wrong and one of us beams outside the Enterprise—”

  “—it will mean instant death,” he says, finishing your thought.

  When you finally reach the transporter room, you must make a life or death decision. Should you volunteer to beam outside the ship, or should you let the more experienced Spock do the job while you man the transporter controls?

  If you volunteer to beam outside the ship, turn to page 30.

  If you think it’s wiser for Spock to beam outside, turn to page 37.

  Page 27

  When you reach the transporter room, you see two technicians beam four Mr. Spock look-alikes off the alien ship.

  They’re sending out boarding parties!”

  “Obviously,” agrees the Vulcan. “And just as obviously, we’ve got to stop them.”

  “Right!” You slam into one of the two transporter technicians, tackling him to the floor. Mr. Spock, however, merely places his hand on a nerve at the base of the other technician’s neck and squeezes. The alien instantly collapses. So far, so good. Now hurry and get back to the Enterprise!

  Turn to page 56.

  Page 28

  If you hit Warp 10, and speed directly into the center of the black hole, you might be able to soar through the hole so fast that you won’t get crushed. Some experts have said that it’s the only way to come out the other end safely. The problem is, nobody has ever done it.

  Your other choice is to use your tractor beam like a lifesaver. By attaching the beam to the nearby mystery planet, you might be able to “haul” the ship out of trouble.

  But if you don’t act now, you’ll never get another chance. Which will it be? Soaring directly into and—hopefully—through the black hole, or using the tractor beam? The fate of the Enterprise is in your hands.

  If you speed toward the center of the black hole, turn to page 43.

  If you choose to use the tractor beam, turn to page 47.

  Page 29

  With a lightning motion, you sweep the apple up off the food tray and, before Dr. McCoy can rip your throat open, you jam the apple up into his gaping mouth.

  His pointed teeth snap down on the ripe fruit. He swallows half of the apple and spits out the rest. Then he comes after you again!

  You pull away—or at least you try to. But he’s got you trapped in the corner of the cubicle. You close your eyes…

  Turn to page 83.

  Page 30

  “Mr. Spock.” you call out. “The Enterprise needs you! I’m just an ensign. Let me be the one who gets beamed outside.”

  “I can’t let you do that,” says Speck. “You’re my responsibility.”

  “But it’s more logical for me to go,” you reply with a sly smile. “After all, I’m here to learn. And the best way to learn isn’t by watching, it’s by doing, right?”

  “I can’t fault your reasoning,” he says reluctantly. “All right. Get up on the transporter.”

  You do as Spock orders. And then you watch him hit the controls…

  Beam yourself over to page 45!

  Page 31

  Dr. McCoy runs blood samples from the aging crew through the ship’s computer. “According to my readout,” he announces, “I think I can make a serum!” But after he fixes up a test tube full of a dark, bubbling liquid, he thinks he might have left out an important ingredient.

  Time is running short. The crew is now twenty years older than they were just an hour ago!

  You’ve got to make a decision. For the sake of speed, should you volunteer to test the serum on yourself? The result could be fatal! Or, should you take the more cautious route and recommend that Bones try making another batch (and hope that it won’t take too long)?

  If you test the serum on yourself turn to page 51.

  If you think Bones should try to make a new serum, turn to page 57.

  Page 32

  Thanks to your warning, the shields stop the monstrous green hand from crushing the Enterprise.

  But then, in your brain, you hear the deafening rattle of the alien’s voice.

  “Only I can defeat this disease,” says the alien. “My species has a lifetime of five hundred million of your years. Though I am dying just like you, I will last long enough to destroy every last microbe of this horrible sickness.” Then, sadly, the alien adds, “I am sorry, but because the disease festers in your bodies, you and your kind must also be destroyed along with it!”

  If you thought you were in trouble before, it’s nothing compared to the mess you’re in now!

  Turn to page 52 (and good luck!).

  Page 33

  Just as he’s about to stick you, the Enterprise reels from another explosion! McCoy staggers. You try to get away from him, but he grabs you, struggling to get the sharp point of the needle near your skin. It doesn’t matter where he touches you with it, because the laser needle is so strong it can even put Klingon Flame Creature to sleep.

  “I’m not crazy!” you shout at him.

  “I’m just trying to help you.” McCoy insists, but that’s not the kind of help you need.

  Using every bit of strength you can muster, you twist the needle back against him. The pointed tip grazes his wrist—and Dr. McCoy ends up sedating himself!

  As the well-meaning doctor slumps to the floor in a deep sleep, you hurry out of sickbay. You’ve got to find Mr. Spock!

  Turn to page 50.

  Page 34

  “The meteor’s going to hit us!” you cry. “I’m turning the ship hard to starboard!”

  “No!” shouts Kirk.

  You ignore him and turn the Enterprise away from the oncoming meteor.

  Unfortunately, your maneuver brought the ship directly into the path of another meteor the size of a small planet. And now there’s no escape at all. You collide head on with the gigantic meteor and the Enterprise is turned into cosmic dust!

  After less than an hour aboard ship, you directly defied the orders of the captain. Close the book and head back to Starfleet Academy for more training—especially in the area of discipline!

  The End

  Page 35

  While you try to think of a way to escape, Spock returns, getting tossed into the cell.

  “Boy, am I glad you’re back.” you sigh with relief.

  The Vulcan gives you a big smile. “I wouldn’t let you down,” he says, patting you on the back. “You’re my friend.”

  Whoa! you say to yourself. This can’t be Mr. Spock. This fake has shown more emotions in five seconds than the real Vulcan has shown in his entire life!

  But two can play this game. And if you play it right, you just might escape….

  Trying not to let on that you’ve seen through the imposter, you suddenly clutch at your stomach and cry, “Spock, help me! The pain!”

  Will you fool him?

  Turn to page 49.

  Page 36

  The Klingon blasts bounce off the energy shields around the ship.

  Just then, Captain Kirk strides back up onto the bridge and asks for a status report.

  “Shields are holding.” you reply.

  “So far,” says Kirk. “But they won’t hold forever. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” you say.

  The captain looks at you. “Speak up, Ensign. Don’t be shy.”

  “Well, actually. I have two ideas,” you offer. “We can either try to lose the Klingon fleet by making a run past the black hole a half parsec away. Or we can go back the way we came, leading the Klingons into that meteor belt we just escaped from.”

  Both are bold plans. The captain, impressed, smiles at you and says, “Tell me, Ensign, which one of your two ideas do you think has the best chance of working?”
<
br />   Well?

  If you choose to heed toward the black hole, turn to page 40.

  If you choose to head back to the meteor belt, turn to page 46.

  Page 37

  “I’m ready,” Spock announces calmly, as he stands straight and tall in the transporter machine.

  “Are you sure you want to beam outside the ship?” you ask, giving the Science Officer one last chance to change his mind.

  “It must be done,” he replies softly. “And I’m best equipped to do it.”

  Spock has already set the transporter coordinates to the spot where the deck of the phantom ship should be. All you have to do is turn on the machine.

  “Now,” says Spock.

  You grit your teeth and turn on the transporter…

  Is there a phantom ship out there? Or is Spock lost in space?

  Find out on page 41.

  Page 38

  You’re turning blue from lack of air! You’ve got to save yourself, except you’ve become old and weak. You certainly can’t wrestle McCoy to the ground. But you’ve got to do something!

  Maybe you could pinch McCoy’s ogre nose. Or maybe you can stamp down on his foot—anything to distract him and force him to let you go. But hurry and choose—because in another few seconds you’re going to be dead!

  If you pinch McCoy’s ogre nose, turn to page 54.

  If you stamp down on McCoy’s foot, turn to page 117.

  Page 39

  You pretend to sulk, wandering away from the others. But what you’re really doing is following Spock’s tricorder reading, searching for life forms that are somewhere nearby.

  It’s getting dark by the time you climb through a field of broken boulders and come upon a beautiful, green valley. You look down below.

  To your amazement, you think you see a flash of light—like a signal—from the middle of a lake. A second later, you catch a fleeting glimpse of something that looks like a campfire flickering inside a cave. You’ve got to investigate. But where should you head first, the lake or the cave?

  If you head for the lake, turn to page 93.

  If you head for the cave, turn to page 96.

  Page 40

  The captain approves your plan, and the Enterprise starts to make its getaway toward the black hole. But the ship reacts sluggishly. The power you’re using to keep up the shields is slowing you down. In order to get more speed, you switch off the shields.

  Bad move!

  Just as you pull away from the Klingon fleet, they fire again. And this time, without any protection, all that’s left of the Enterprise are little pieces of debris floating in space—things like Mr. Spock’s tricorder, Captain Kirk’s communicator, and a strange little book called PHASER FIGHT!

  The End

  Page 41

  Your communicator suddenly crackles with static. None of the communication devices on board ship had worked before, but now yours seems to have sprung to life.

  You flip your communicator open and hear Spock’s voice! He’s alive! But then you hear his message: “They’re taking me prisoner!” he says. “I don’t have much time. This is important—”

  The static becomes very heavy and the rest of Spock’s words arc garbled. You’re not sure if he said, “Jam up the transporter!” or “Jump into the transporter!”

  What should you do?

  If you think you should jam up the transporter, turn to page 66.

  If you think you should jump into the transporter, turn to page 77.

  Page 42

  You might have been able to evade one enemy blast. Maybe two. But the entire firepower of a Klingon fleet? Are you kidding? The Enterprise twists and turns, but it’s a rollercoaster ride to oblivion!

  Five Klingon photon torpedoes strike the Enterprise! The ship loses power. Lights go off. The engines quickly whine to a stop. And so does your adventure.

  The End

  Page 43

  You hit Warp 10. The Enterprise is no longer swirling in a wide circle toward the black hole—it’s heading straight into it!

  This is as fast as the Enterprise is designed to go. Except the incredible gravitational force of the black hole is pulling the ship toward it even faster!

  The hull is beginning to crack You can hear it. The whole ship is beginning to quiver from the strain.

  You’re getting closer to the center of the black hole. But the Enterprise is up to Warp 16! It’s rattling and shaking. Circuits are burning, and instrument panels are bursting into flame. If the ship can just hold together a few seconds longer…

  Hurry and turn to page 64!

  Page 44

  You leap inside the transporter room—and the light reflecting off the mirrorlike glass creatures nearly blinds you! In the far corner, Mr. Spock is shielding his eyes from the brilliant reflections. The aliens are about to pounce on him.

  Before you’re totally blinded, should you use your phaser to blast out all the lights in the room? Or should you set your phaser on stun and shoot directly at the aliens?

  If you shot out the lights, turn to page 53.

  If you shoot at the aliens, turn to page 59.

  Page 45

  The transporter converts your body into energy and then sends it out into space. When you reassemble into your human form again, you find yourself standing on what appears to be the bridge of the Enterprise!

  Captain Kirk, Sulu, Chekov, and the rest of the officers on the bridge turn to stare at you. These aliens must be from some sort of mirror universe, you think to yourself.

  “Listen!” you shout. “You’ve got to stop attacking the Enterprise! We mean you no harm!”

  Captain Kirk shakes his head sadly. “It didn’t take long for our young ensign to crack, did it? What a shame. Take him down to sickbay,” he orders a security team.

  The last thing you hear as you’re carried off the bridge is Sulu telling Kirk, “That strange force field is still out there, Captain.”

  That’s when you realize that you’re on the real Enterprise! You must have bounced off the force field and reassembled on the bridge! And Captain Kirk thinks you’ve gone crazy!

  Turn to page 60.

  Page 46

  With the captain’s blessing, you turn the Enterprise around and race back toward the meteor belt.

  The Klingons follow after you at top speed. And they’re gaining on you fast! But just as you approach the meteor belt, you suddenly veer off!

  Turn to page 70.

  Page 47

  You set the tractor beam on the uncharted planet. It works! You’re no longer being pulled toward certain death. In fact, you’re slowly putting some distance between the Enterprise and the black hole!

  Just then, Captain Kirk comes back to the bridge. “I see you’ve got everything under control,” he says, complimenting your quick thinking.

  “Just doing my job,” you answer modestly.

  “And doing it well.” says the captain. “You know,” he adds thoughtfully, “I could use a good officer like you when we beam down to that mystery planet. Consider yourself assigned to the landing party, Ensign.”

  What an honor! Let’s just hope you live long enough to enjoy it!

  Turn to page 55.

  Page 48

  The minutes tick away.

  Where is Spock? you keep asking yourself.

  More time drags by. No Vulcan.

  Suddenly you hear the unmistakable sound of photon torpedoes being fired. First one torpedo, then another, and another. And then you hear the distant sound of an explosion!

  Throughout the alien ship there is thunderous squeaking. It may not be English, but you can understand cheering in any language. They blew up the Enterprise!

  And they blew you right out of this book!

  The End

  Page 49

  The fake Spock is startled and he signals the two guards. They turn off the laser and join their fellow alien to see what’s wrong with you.

  And that’s when you leap into action!


  Using your ancient kung fu moves, learned from centuries-old Chuck Norris films, you clobber your three enemies.

  Okay, you’re free now. But what are you going to do next? The real Mr. Spock said that there was a logical way to stop the aliens. But what is it?

  Two thoughts pop into your mind. One is that the Enterprise needs to shut down all of its power so that the duplicators have nothing to duplicate, destroying their energy source. The second thought is just the opposite—that the Enterprise should use all of its power in one sudden blast in order to overload the duplicator capacity, short-circuiting the enemy.

  Make a choice—and hope that it’s the right one!

  If you think the Enterprise should turn of its power, turn to page 8.

  If you think the Enterprise should use all its power, turn to page 14.

  Page 50

  You race back to the transporter room, hoping to find the Vulcan.

  He’s there, all right, but he’s not alone! Mr. Spock is under attack by a horde of strange-looking creatures who appear to be made out of glass!

  Should you run for help, or should you join in the battle?

  If you run for help, turn to page 6.

  If you join the battle, turn to page 44.

  Page 51

  Dr. McCoy is about to take a swallow from the test tube when you grab it out of his hand. You’re too important to risk poisoning yourself!” you exclaim. “If this formula doesn’t work, you’ve got be alive to make another.” And with that, you take a big mouthful of the bubbling dark liquid and force it down your throat!