"Sure. We got this." Jim said grinning at his view screen. "Establish trade and attempt to form interplanetary bond. It shouldn't be too hard." The admiral nodded.
"That would be why I assigned it to you. Not even the trouble magnet of the universe should be able to mess this one up. I've sent Spock the mission briefing as well." Jim nodded.
"Consider it done Sir."
Pike raised an eyebrow.
"Don't be so self deprecating." He said sarcastically. Jim's grin widened.
"Just stating the facts Sir."
Pike nodded and sighed.
"Jim, be careful. Pike out." The video screen went blank and Kirk sighed. Yet another diplomatic mission filled with greedy overlords, circular logic, and the ever present drone of unimportant voices. How he hated them. Sighing again, he reached for his pad. After skimming the mission profile sent to him by Pike, he forwarded it to the rest of the bridge crew and Bones. With that finished, he turned towards the screen again.
"Computer, general message please." He said.
"Bridge crew report to meeting room 3 in 10 minutes." He paused, face serious. "Bones, come to my quarters if convenient." He cut the transmission and rubbed his eyes. In minutes, his least favorite doctor (or most favorite depending on the day) was entering his room.
"What's wrong Jim?" His CMO asked crossing the room to look over his shoulder, tricorder in hand. Knowing Jim's extensive list of allergies and his tendency to find danger in the least threatening places, one could never be too sure.
"I need you to help me prep for this mission."
Leonard McCoy raised an eyebrow.
"Now I definitely know you're sick." He said raising his instrument. Jim laughed.
"No really! The planet we're beaming onto has an average temperature of 115 degrees." The doctor's mouth popped opened.
"That's an issue."
"You don't say." Jim said rolling his eyes. "I'm taking Spock, Uhura, Sulu and a couple of red shirts. But I need to know that we won't be dead in 10 minutes." The doctor furrowed his brow in thought.
"Elaborate."
"The planet has temperature range of 90- 250 degrees, it's 30% water. One day is 36 hours. Their sun emits 1.5 times as much heat, light and radiation as ours. Reading this, dehydration would take half an hour to set in and death would follow swiftly."
"Atmosphere?"
"Similar to earth. 80% nitrogen 18% oxygen, 10% water vapor. Breathable."
"So let me get this straight. You need me to find something to give them, so that they can stand down there for hours, talking, and remain fully functional. In 1 hour." Jim rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Yeah."
McCoy sighed.
"I'm not sure we have that kind of technology Jim." He said. Jim thought for a moment.
"We might not, but they have to. If they're going to live there, they either have to be land crabs, which we both know they aren't, or they know how to combat the elements. All you need to do is make sure we don't dehydrate they can do the rest."
Bones nodded. "That, I can do kid. When do you wanna leave?"
"You must be slipping Bones. I already said that." The doctor's eyes narrowed.
"Don't get smart with me. I'm the one who's gonna save your ass when you come back hurt like you always do." Jim laughed.
"Alright alright. I gotcha Bones. One hour." The doctor nodded and marched from the room, leaving Jim chuckling quietly to himself.
One hour later, the away team was assembled in the transporter room. Bones was performing last minute medical checks, scanning the away team with his tricorder and injecting them with anti-dehydration hypos. When he was finished, Bones nodded to his friend and captain.
"You're all good to go. Be safe. Make sure the captain remembers his manners and doesn't do anything overly stupid."
Jim rolled his eyes at that comment. "Thanks mom."
Bones glared at him. In two long strides, the Captain was standing in the center of the transporter pad. He smirked as the rest of the team crowded around him. Seven total.
"Back soon." He said. "Energize."
