Dolls
Captain's Log, Stardate 9834.2: We have recently been ordered to take aboard the princess of Malka 7, a planet where many of the inhabitants have strong psychokinetic powers, much like platonians. The royal family has the most of any civilians and are rather humanoid if not exactly like humans in physical structure. The princess is to be transported to a federation base across the galaxy for ambassadorial reasons in which we are not informed of currently. She is a rather young child and we are to be on the lookout because no other Malkans are allowed on the ship. We hope this mission will run smoothly.
Jim stabbed the button to end the log as the rest of the bridge was obviously listening in and fully informed. Bones was also standing, nervousness was evident. "Like the Platonians?" he asked.
"They're a much more civilized group, Bones. No more hostages or stuff like that." Kirk reassured him.
"Still, are you sure that this is really a good idea?"
"We're the best ship in the fleet and this is a Proprietary mission. Primary status."
"Fine." Bones toyed with his tricorder, making the screen fuzz a little bit, much to Spock's dislike since it made a high pitched beeping noise.
"Doctor, would you please refrain from using your tricorder when it is not needed? It is indeed very annoying." Spock said, not bothering to turn around. "If I may ask, how long with the Malkanian princess be onboard?"
"Well, the base is at the other end of this galaxy, so…two weeks? Three weeks? A month tops, I think." Kirk replied, also playing with another piece of equipment, this one not bugging Spock's sensitive, pointy Vulcan ears.
Just then the intercom buzzed as Uhura brought the communication in from a Starfleet representative. "Ambassador Wakeli to enterprise."
"Enterprise, Kirk here."
"Kirk, we're ready to beam aboard Princess Cahili."
"Reading, Ambassador. Beam her up in five minutes. Kirk out." He punched the button. "Gentlemen? Spock, Bones?" McCoy nodded and Spock got out of his chair as they walked to the elevator.
"Jeez, it seems like we're a school bus these days. We've have more kids aboard than any other ship in the fleet!"
"Come on Bones. She can't be that bad."
"It's not that I don't like kids Jim, its just…kind of annoying."
"And you are not, most of the time, doctor?" The Vulcan shot nonchalantly. Bones grumbled under his breath, Spock picking up every word of it. "And if I may inquire, where on earth did you learn such foul language?" This didn't help McCoy's mood.
"Shuddup hobgoblin."
"Can we keep the swearing to a regular level? There will be royalty on board. Small royalty, so can we make this be a clean trip?"
"Fine." McCoy rolled his eyes as they got off by the transporter hallway and stepped through the doors.
The same voice came through the intercom.
"Ready to beam aboard?"
"Ready. Bring her up." Kirk said cheerily.
Within seconds, the shape of a little girl who looked creepily from the sixties began to vaporize on the launch pad. She looked about five, maybe six, years of age with braided brown pigtails the same shade as Kirk's hair, but capturing the light like a prism. She had a lot of blush and a pink and blue frilly dress and wore a matching head dress with a beautiful white crystal on her forehead, seemingly the crown. 'Great'. Bones thought.
There was also the Starfleet ambassador beamed up, who was there for introductions before he would leave. "Good day to you captain!" He bid welcomes.
"Good day to you ambassador," Kirk said with his evident charm. "And who is this you brought along?" He squatted down to the little girls level and she grinned, an adorable blush sweeping her complexion.
"This is Princess Cahili of Malka Seven."
"Hi there!" Jim put out his hand for her to shake. She looked at it, then looked at him and giggled a little. Bones did too, realizing something the wise captain who had gone through 6 years of Starfleet command school hadn't. She wasn't human, and obviously didn't know what a hand shake was.
"Jim?" he nudged the captain a little.
Kirk made a rather not so smooth recovery and stood up. "Ambassador, Princess, this is my first officer Mr. Spock,"
"Greetings."
"And my Chief Senior Medical Officer, Dr. McCoy." Bones smiled.
"A pleasure."
Ambassador Wakeli put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "She's great to have around captain. Put her to bed around seven thirty, earth time and always have someone with her. Oh, and she loves dolls and-" A little blip came from his clothing. "Oh dear, I really must be going. Cahili, be good." He put out his fingers but his thumb and Cahili did the same. "Good bye!" and hazed out into little yellow dots and disappeared. He left behind one thing. Three huge bags of luggage.
"So where's my room?" She asked excitedly, right after he was gone.
"We'll all escort you down there, won't we?" McCoy just barely sighed and Spock remained neutral as the two crewmen picked up the bags.
They walked down the halls and the ever so well behaved Cahili made faces at the crewmen. One of the three wanted to tell her off, but none of them really had the heart to do so.
"Why are your ears funny?" she looked up at Spock. Spock seemed displeased.
"I do not see the humor in their shape." He responded drily.
"You see Cahili, he is from a different planet." Kirk explained patiently, trying to take the pressure off the Vulcan. Being friendly towards kids was never his strong suit.
"Ooh. You got weird eyebrows too." This may have been annoying Spock, but was defiantly lifting Bones' mood as he snickered a little.
"Great observation there." The doctor patted the girl on the back as they got to the door. It squeaked open in a joyous manner, but really not very joyous if you had the hearing of a Vulcan. This day was not going to be his piece of cake.
The room was lined with flowery wall paper and looked very nice since this was where most important feminine guests would stay. The bed immediately caught Cahili's eye. She ran towards it and began jumping wildly.
"Cahili, you cannot jump on the beds." Kirk said adamantly.
"Why?" she moaned.
"That's not proper behavior for a young lady."
"I'm not proper!" She yelled back, doing a front flip.
"Be careful! Stop jumping!"
"No!" The princess squealed. Jim was suddenly rather violently shoved against a wall.
"Get down from there!" He managed. She groaned.
"Fine." Her grip on Jim was released. McCoy's eyes went wide as both he and Spock raised an eyebrow.
"We're going to call in someone to watch you."
"Aw. Why?"
"That's why." McCoy told her. "I'll come back in in a little while, alright?" he said as they left and a redshirt took their place. They sat in the hallway away from the door."
"You said they were DIFFERENT than the platonians!" McCoy screamed.
"She's a little girl! Lay off her. Jeez." Jim said defensively.
"A little girl who could potentially kill us!" he argued.
"They are civilized. We have contact with Starfleet, nothing is going to happen."
"The comment on my ears was quite unnecessary." Spock commented, looking up at the pointed things attached to his head. "I agree with the Doctor. She could be dangerous."
"Look, if anything happens, Starfleet can take her off our hands. She's a little kid. What's the worst that could happen?" Bones and Spock exchanged looks.
"Whatever. Just be careful. I'm going to take a shift with her okay?"
"Why are you suddenly wanting to know her?"
"I had a little girl once, you know?"
"Oh yea, your daughter. Alrighty Bones, good luck." And with that, the captain and officer left for the bridge.
The CMO opened the door and relieved a redshirt who had been waiting for his return. "Hi Cahili." He said, sitting down in a chair.
"Hi!" she said, putting down what looked like a Malkanian version of Barbie dolls. "You're Dr. McCoy right?" Her high voice ringing.
"You can call me Bones."
"That's your name? That's a weird name." She got up and came over to the doctor and leaned over on his lap, resting her head on his legs. "Mr. Ears talks funny."
"Yes, yes he does." Bones said wistfully. "But don't tell him that."
"Why?"
"He gets grumpy."
"Oooh." After raising a kid for about seven years, you knew how to address these things.
"What's your favorite color?" And, apparently, make small talk.
"Pink."
"My favorite color is blue." He said.
"Like your shirt?" she asked.
"Yea, I like this color."
"Do you like dolls?" That comment was totally out of the blue. (Look at the horrible bad pun-ness! Get it? Out of the Blue? His favorite color? Ha, that wasn't funny. So sorry. I'll get back to the story, behind the keyboard. Where I belong…)
Yea, sure, why not. Lets go with that. "I do." He smiled in that little way of his.
"This is Jilly." She took a blond haired doll wearing a hot pink dress and proudly showed it to Bones.
"She's very pretty."
"She's one of a kind! My daddy got her special!"
Great, she's spoiled too. "Who's that one?" Another doll floated, much to McCoy's discomfort. This one had a braided ponytail with brown hair.
"This is Mabi. She's my favorite." Bones continued to smile, remembering how he had, with such joy, shown almost every visitor his teddy bear collection as a kid. This, he was happy to know, only he knew. Oh, if Jim knew he would NEVER let him live it down. Joanna was never in to dolls. She was more the tomboy type.
She continued, unpacking one of her enormous bags that was full of these dolls, blowing the good doctor's mind. It was beginning to get late and there was a page for McCoy. He tapped the button. "Bones here."
"McCoy, come down to the bridge. Someone has to go to sleep and Yeoman Rand will take care of that."
"Alright Jim, just a sec."
A few seconds later, the redshirt girl was in the room.
"I have to go, Cahili. Good night."
"No! Can you stay here?" she asked.
"I have to go."
"Pleeeeease Bones?" she begged and a very slight tug was felt on the back of Bones' shirt, obviously from her psychokinetic powers, a pit falling into his stomach, his instincts telling him saying no would be a bad idea.
"Alright." He pulled over a chair as the light grip released him. The yeoman left, seeing as this was under control. Cahili climbed into bed and shut her eyes. "Goodnight." Bones said and headed for the exit. The tug began to get heavier.
"I need to go, Cahili, let me go." He said, his voice wavering a little. He was rewarded by a slow loosening of the grasp as he slipped out the door and made a beeline for the elevator.
XXX
"She wasn't going to let me get out of there, I'm telling you." McCoy insisted.
"I believe you, but clearly your out and not in bad condition. How exactly do they do that anyway?"
"The difference between Malkanians and Humans is that their brain waves can easily manipulate our brain pulses, allowing us to pretty much be under their control. It's worrying."
"Yes, I would agree doctor." Spock turned around from his chair.
"I don't know…it just seems so ominous."
"Hm." Jim seemed to not care so much. "Just carry around a communicator. Anyway, how developed can her powers be? She's only five."
"Actually 6 earth years." Bones said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Not 19 Vulcan years? 12 Romulan years?" Kirk jibed.
"Everyone's a critic." Jim laughed and the Vulcan smiled a little. "Listen, I have to go to my quarters. I have some medical stuff to attend to."
"Nighty night." Kirk said, leaning back in the captain's chair.
"I shall see you on duty at six hundred hours." Spock jabbed.
"What? That's so early! Are you joking?"
"I never joke, Doctor."