"How's everything looking down there?" Captain Jim Kirk asked his landing party.
Far down on the planet's surface, First Officer Spock attempted to reply, but CMO Leonard McCoy snatched the communicator from him and demanded, "Is Tonia okay?"
A very round-bellied Tonia McCoy, Bones's wife, couldn't supress a smile as Kirk shot her a half-exasperated, half-amused glance over Bones's question. "Leonard, the baby isn't due for another two weeks," she said with a chuckle.
Bones ignored the quite put-out look Spock was giving him. "I know," he said defensively. "But some women have delivered more weeks than that early."
"Really, Doctor, for such a medically minded man as yourself, you are acting rather illogically," said Spock, gently taking the communicator back from the doctor. "To answer your question, Captain, the planet's surface is very dry and barren, much like a desert."
"That's what the scanners picked up," agreed Kirk. "If you see anything out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to report it."
Again before Spock could reply, Bones leaned in to the communicator's mouthpiece and said, "And if anything happens to you, Toni, if you feel anything, you have to tell me."
Kirk covered his eyes in exasperation. Grinning, Tonia said, "I will, Leonard, just focus on your mission."
"Alright," said Bones grudgingly.
Spock closed the communicator and addressed Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, who was scanning the ground. "Anything?"
"No, sir," replied the Scotsman. "The scanner isn't pickin' anythin' up."
"Notify me if it does."
"Will do, Mr Spock."
Spock turned to look at the final member of their landing party: Vivian Walker, their expert biologist and geologist. The brown-haired woman was on her knees and elbows, closely examining a small rock on the ground with her scanner.
"Miss Walker, if I may venture a question: what exactly is it about this rock that fascinates you so much?" Spock asked.
"It's the only one of this colour," replied Vivian in her English accent.
Spock glanced around at all the other rocks in the vicinity. To his eyes, they looked exactly the same colour as the one Vivian was examining. "I shall take your word for it. I am certainly not the expert geologist in this landing party."
Bones stared up at the blue sky, narrowing his eyes against the sun. "At least there's a sun," he observed. "Maybe we'll get a tan down here."
"Doctor, the fact that that is your primary concern is worrying to me," Spock stated.
"Whoever said that was my primary concern?" snapped Bones. "Seeing as I am neither a scientist nor a geologist, I wonder why you even brought me along."
"I told you before we left," said Spock. "This is a completely new planet to us, and we don't know what kind of dangers are around here. Therefore, it is best if we have a skilled medical officer such as yourself around in case anything happens."
"Nothing's going to happen." Bones threw his arms out, gesturing to the barren wasteland. "What exactly are you expecting to happen in a barren wasteland like this?"
"As you humans say: it is better to be safe than sorry," said Spock, and not even Bones missed the subtle look in the Vulcan's eye that clearly told Bones that Spock was not going to discuss this further.
Bones shrugged and turned away, his thoughts still on his pregnant wife. He loved her more than anything, and he was so glad that he was getting the chance to be a father for the second time. While he loved Joanna very much too, he wasn't able to be a good father to her while she grew up on Earth and he travelled the universe on the Enterprise. Since Tonia was already a member of Starfleet, they would be able to raise their son or daughter on board the Enterprise.
As he wandered around with his thoughts, he didn't notice that the ground beneath him was breaking. He glanced down at the ground as he heard the cracking sound. The ground suddenly gave way beneath his feet. With a yell, he began to fall.