Osmosis

A STXI Spock/Uhura Fanfic

Characters: Spock/Uhura (eastablished relationship), James T. Kirk, Leonard McCoy, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, Montgomery Scott/Charlene Masters, Gaila in later chapters, OCs. Includes characters and references to situations in my shorter fic 'The Couch' & the long story 'Savages', but it should be possible to follow this story without having read either of the others.

Romance, adventure,fluff/coziness, OCs, some Emo!Spock, whimsy. Early chapters rated T. Some M-rated and MA-rated content in later chapters.
Please note: there are some TOS/STXI mashup elements in this story. A few TOS characters appear, and TOS fans will recognize some story elements from 'Day of the Dove' and other episodes.

Chapter 1: Unexpected Guests

…

The bridge of the Enterprise, USS starship NCC-1701

In the orbit of Algid-17, Planetary System JoBakair

Late in the year 2262

"Cigar," drawled Dr. Leonard McCoy.

"Cough lozenge. What do you think it looks like, Sulu?" Nyota Uhura said, turning away from the ship's broad, wraparound viewscreen to grin at Hikaru Sulu.

"Swim float," replied Sulu. The athletic helmsman kept the Enterprise in steady orbit around the nearly oval-shaped dwarf planet Algid-17. Captain Jim Kirk, Ensign Pavel Chekov, First Officer Spock, and Ensign Charlie Steap, outfitted in pressurized suits, trod the cold surface below. In accordance with his rank in the chain of command, Leonard McCoy temporarily occupied the Captain's chair.

Oddly beautiful, the oblong greenish-white planet orbited the habitable zone around the sun like star Etta J-38. JoBakair was an active, if sparsely populated galactic sector. In addition to Algid 17, the zone the Enterprise presently occupied housed a 'water world' planet new to the Federation, as well as terrestrial planets including Alpha Cachette, home to Federation Starbase 231.

Normally she avoided chatter during a landing party mission, but Nyota couldn't resist commenting on Algid-17's unusual shape, thought to be the result of gravitational effects linked to its fast rotation around Etta-J38. One day on Algid-17 lasted only four Standard hours. "I'm so accustomed to seeing spheroid planets; this is exciting," Nyota murmured. "The observation deck may get a little bit crowded while we're in orbit."

"'Tis an éclair, without chocolate," Scotty said from the transporter room, where he monitored the landing party's communications feed. "Or the sort of football that Yanks use for their games – not real football, mind you, but it'll do in a pinch."

A soft chuckle sounded through Nyota's earpiece, indicating that Lieutenant Charlene Masters worked beside the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise. Charlene was still dividing her time between Engineering and Sciences, then. During the past several months, the hard-working, friendly engineer worked beside Scotty with increasing frequency. Some crew speculated that Montgomery Scott's interest in Charlene went beyond her technical skills. Although she considered Charlene a friend, Nyota chose to wait for Charlene to address the subject herself. Gossip made even a large Constitution-class starship feel terribly small.

Nyota smiled towards the camera carrying a live video feed from the bridge to Engineering, and then focused her attention on the landing party. As the crew moved across Algid-17's surface they spoke little, recording images of the base and gathering samples.

"Ten minutes left." Spock spoke into the comm mounted inside his helmet. Although breathable by humanoids, the atmosphere on Algid-17 was thin, cold, and often carried the sharp scent of mineral deposits. Over thirty percent of the 1,200-kilometer long planet's surface was covered in snow and ice, the rest with muddy prairie and low, twisted trees.

Despite the physical distance between them, Nyota felt a heightened attentiveness to Spock's movements and safety. Perhaps it was illogical to worry about a landing party visiting an uninhabited planet, but Starfleet life taught one that things are seldom as they seem. During research or work hours, each kept their side of their mental bond quiet, concentrating on their respective duties. Classified Starfleet information remained secret and unshared.

Spock kept his attention on his work, holding the pleasant anticipation of cuddling with Nyota at the edge of his thoughts. Before beaming down to Algid-17, he'd returned from a five-day away mission to find Nyota busily working a schedule that gave the couple separate sleep and duty shifts for an additional day. Spock craved skin contact beyond their "Welcome home" kiss. The peach-colored satin negligee he'd seen half-tucked under the pillow on her side of their bed hinted at plans for a warm celebration of his return tonight.

Some years earlier, research teams established a chain of small bases on Algid-17's surface. The inhospitable climate and lack of room for expansion resulted in the abandonment of the project. Now small freighters and privately owned ships, not all of them linked to the Federation, sometimes landed on its empty airstrips, using the remaining buildings for temporary shelter. Efforts to turn the dwarf planet into a refueling station fell through; most space businesses sought greater comforts than the icy oblong offered.

The Enterprise landing party conducted their survey quickly. The base looked abandoned, with a few boxes and fuel tanks scattered around an empty building. Ensign Steap stood beside one box, an empty soil sample vial in one hand. He kicked at the half-frozen, slushy surface dirt, glad when the bridge chatter ended. A man of his talents deserved to be assigned to more exciting landing party missions than this one, he decided. He'd seen more action in his back yard on Earth.

Chekov concluded a few surveying tasks several meters away while Spock gathered a few additional pieces of data with a tricorder. Captain Kirk spoke to the ship, relaying his observations and requesting to speak to Mr. Scott. Within minutes they would beam back up to the ship.

A shrill chirp sounded in Nyota's earpiece, then an earnest voice speaking the ragged half of a sentence mixing Standard and Vulcan words.

"– help us, please, sanoi. We are stranded here and cannot -"

Frowning, Nyota hit an alert switch on the panel in front of her. "Alert. Incoming communication, distress call received from the surface of Algid-17." She exchanged a glance with the Communications staff member beside her as she opened a hailing channel and responded in Vulcan. "This is the Federation starship Enterprise. Where are you?"

More static, then: "– degrees east on the surface of Algid-17, inside one of the remaining trade depots, Building Two. We are three Vulcans traveling on business; we were moving between planets to purchase supplies. Our shuttle developed engine trouble and we were forced to land here. We have been stranded on this planet for three Standard days. Our supplies are low. Please help us."

Nyota's slim fingers moved quickly over the controls as the man spoke; she opened the comm channel to the landing party and the bridge crew. "Maintain contact with me if you can; I'm notifying the Captain and First Officer."

Jim Kirk, though surprised, remained calm. "Greetings; this is Captain James Kirk of the starship Enterprise. Clarify, please. You're on planet with us, but some distance away?"

Nyota readied herself to translate the response, but the deep voice answered Kirk in fluent Standard. "Yes, honored Captain, we are on the same planet with you. Many of our ship's instruments were damaged in the crash. However, the auditory component of our communication system is partially functional, making it possible for us to hear that you were on the planet with us. Our previous distress calls went unanswered. Captain, please help us. We are peaceful and loyal to the Federation."

Spock switched on his comm. "This is First Officer Spock of the Enterprise. Federation members customarily provide assistance to people in distress. Identify yourselves."

The unseen man's voice had been steady, if somewhat tense earlier. Now Nyota detected an awestruck tremble.

"Honorable Opidsu (highly honored person/Lord) Spock, son of Sarek...greetings, sir. I am Donstelralth, furniture maker and craftsman on New Vulcan. I am accompanied by my lapan-zupsu (carpenter) apprentices Serranstivlen and Stelendos. "

Nyota dropped the stylus she used to note speech patterns and map the flow of the conversation on her padd. "Donstelralth? Captain, Mr. Spock, I met this man on New Vulcan. Osasu Donstelralth, this is Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of the Enterprise."

And a satisfied customer, she chose not to add. During a recent visit to New Vulcan, she'd purchased a piece of specialized furniture from Donstelralth's furniture shop as a gift for Spock: a sturdy, well-upholstered couch with arms and sides one could adjust for comfortable reclining, or more energetic, intimate activities.

"Esteemed Okosu Uhura, bondmate of Opidsu Spock," Donstelralth replied with characteristic politeness. "This is a most unexpected, though welcome, meeting."

Through their mental bond, Nyota felt a slight reaction from Spock: the emotional equivalent of a raised eyebrow. His voice continued over the comm, his tone neutral.

"Indeed. Greetings, Osasu Donstelralth," he said in Vulcan, then switched to Standard. "You are now in communication with the bridge crew of the Enterprise, the Starfleet ship where I serve. The Enterprise will assist you. Prepare yourselves to beam aboard the ship. Are any transporter pads accessible to you?"

"Yes, though they appear long disused," Donstelralth replied in Standard as the entire bridge crew listened.

"No matter," Scotty reassured everyone. "Engineer Scott here. We'll beam you up. I've already retrieved and set the coordinates from a database of active and inactive trade routes. Grab yer belongings, gents, and step onto those pads. If you're ready, Captain, I'll bring all of ye up in two groups: landing party first, then our guests."

…

While the Captain and Spock talked with the stranded Vulcans and Chekov listened, Ensign Steap looked at the pile of discarded boxes next to him, taking note of one box with a splash of red paint on its side. Kneeling, he dug the point of his collection tool into the planet's cold, marshy top layer. From a distance, it appeared that he gathered another small soil sample. Only someone standing near him could see his fingers slip beneath the edge of the box, raising it high enough to pull out a slim metal object with multiple hinged, folding rods and smooth silver capsules.

Steap held the object along the line of his forearm as he stood and walked back to the collection box, deposited his soil samples beside the soil and water samples already gathered by Chekov, and pressed his forearm against the cover of the collection box, hiding the metal object below the lid's projecting outer rim. With a barely detectable click, magnets attached the object to the side of the box.

A voice sounded through the comm of Steap's helmet, startling him.

Vulcan glossary for this chapter:

Okosu = honored lady, or madam. Honorific / form of formal address.

Opidsu = Lord.

Osasu = honored man, or gentleman/sir.

Osular = gentlemen/sirs, ladies, ladies & gentlemen; 'honored people'.

Sanoi = please.

Source: thanks to the Star Trek Online Geekipedia.

Our own galaxy includes a real oblong dwarf planet called Haumea. You may read more about Haumea and the researchers who discovered it on the Space dot com website.

Thanks for reading!

…