Disclaimer: Do not own Star Trek, though I wish I did....a girl can wish...though I do own Rayne...who you'll meet later :)
Rated T for language though I might modify the rating later on.
Summary: A routine colony supply mission becomes anything other than routine when McCoy meets up with an old friend he lost contact with years ago. Add onto that sabotage and you've got some interesting headaches for the gang.
Hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you think reviews and critiques are always welcome!
With a great deal of trepidation, not to mention grumbling, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy allowed himself to be led onto a shuttlecraft. His fear of flying had never gone away, though it had lessened over the years. That fear however wasn't as great as his fear and slight disgust of transporters. The thought of his atoms being pulled apart, tossed across space, then squished back together again, never failed to cause him to break out in a cold sweat. So when asked to choose between flying down to the planets surface and beaming down, he chose to fly.
What was especially grating on his nerves was the presence of his two companions. If he didn't have to deal with Jim Kirk's annoying and macho attempts at needling him, then he had to deal with Spock's even more annoying cold logic and dismissal of McCoy's fear. Kirk understood, even if he did think it could be gotten rid of a lot more easily than McCoy claimed. Spock however didn't have a damn ounce of red blood in him, and as such considered McCoy's behavior irrational and childish.
While under other circumstances Bones might agree, he'd never let Spock know that. It had been a year since the three of them had started serving together as the official command crew onboard the Enterprise. During all that time McCoy had gotten to respect Spock, but he also took every opportunity to snipe at him that he could. He'd constantly engage the first officer in debates on the validity of emotion, trying to get Spock to admit the same. So far the two of them were at a stalemate, at least in McCoy's mind.
The shuttlecraft lurched suddenly as it hit a small amount of turbulence causing Bones to grip the armrests even more tightly than he already had. His knuckles were white, and he had a feeling that they'd be aching for a while after they got down to the surface. If the mission wasn't so damn important he would have opted to stay on the ship. The Enterprise was arriving at the Omega Delphi colony to help resupply and to also help refit any equipment or buildings they required help with. McCoy would be helping with the colony's clinic and medical warehouse.
"You know Bones if you grip the armrests any tighter you're going to rip them right off. You need to learn to relax." Kirk smiled over his shoulder at McCoy from his seat in the pilot's chair. McCoy glared at him.
"You just concentrate on getting us onto the ground in an unmangled heap and leave me the hell alone." His voice was a low growl making his normally soft southern drawl much harsher. "The faster we get down to the surface the faster I can get off this damn thing."
"Your fear of flying is still not one that I can understand doctor, especially considering your choice of career. It is quite ill…."
"If you utter that word in my presence right now Spock I will not hesitate to rip the points of your ears right off believe you me."
Kirk couldn't help but chuckle, a sound that set McCoy even more on edge. "Eh, just give the guy a break Spock. Everyone's afraid of something."
Spock raised an eyebrow turning his head from his view from the copilot's chair to Kirk. "Is that so captain? Even you?"
"I'm the captain, I can't admit to being afraid of anything." He paused a moment before glancing back at McCoy again. "Hey have you met that new yeoman that transferred on a week ago? The blond one with legs up to the ceiling?"
McCoy gritted his teeth. "Do we really need to be having this discussion right now Jim?" The shuttle shook again and McCoy squeezed his eyes shut. "Can't you make this thing fly smoother?"
"I'm just saying she's a hot little number." He glanced back at his controls. "It's going to be distracting having her on the bridge. What was her name again anyway? I know you talked with her yesterday when you updated her medical files. What does she look like under that uniform anyway doc? And don't tell me you don't know. We all know you peek whenever you have the chance."
"It's Rand and I don't peek. Besides I'm a doctor, when I peek it's purely professional."
"That's right, Rand. Damn she's cute. And that's bullshit Bones and you know it. You may not date but you're not a robot either."
"This is neither the time nor the place to be having this discussion!"
"Maybe, but it got you to forget about flying didn't it?" Kirk grinned back at him.
McCoy glared at him and continued to grip the armrests tightly as he shut his eyes again. He heard Kirk sigh and he could just feel the cold disapproval emanating from Spock. If he wasn't so paralyzed at the moment he would have reached over and smacked the smug Vulcan upside the head.
"You know what you need Bones? You need to get out and have a little fun, preferably with a member of the fairer sex. A night with a woman would definitely get you to relax more."
"I'm not you Jim, I have enough common sense to keep it in my pants for longer than two seconds! Why can't you grow up and act like an adult and not a kid?"
If Vulcan's could chuckle that's exactly what Spock would have done at that moment. "His pattern of behavior has gone on for so long I highly doubt that it could be changed at this point doctor."
"Can't teach an old dog new tricks Mr. Spock? Doesn't sound very Vulcan of you."
Kirk interrupted as he prepared to land the shuttle, "Besides I like my current pattern of behavior. I'm having too much fun to stop now. I mean just last month during our two day shore leave on Risa I met these twins and man…"
"Damn it Jim if you continue that train of thought out loud I will reach into my med kit and inject you with the first loaded hypospray I can get my hands on!"
Kirk winced at certain memories that came to the surface of his mind and kept his mouth shut. The shuttle was touched down onto the designated landing area that the colony had given them the coordinates to. Moments later, McCoy burst out of the shuttle like a shot taking in deep lungfuls of the crisp slightly cool air.
"That wasn't so bad now was it Bones?" Kirk smiled broadly at him. McCoy just glared at him as he stood up straight. Spock closed the shuttle doors behind them and went to stand with Kirk and McCoy. McCoy glanced around at the colony which they stood on the outskirts of.
Omega Delphi was a fairly new, only a year old yet it was prospering much more ahead of schedule. It already had the look of a medium sized town. It had almost two hundred inhabitants of men, women, and children. There was a town hall at it's center, the start of a small library, a school, a clinic that was growing up into a small hospital, three energy stations that provided the colony's power as well as serving as nexus points for all of the computer technology, several labs, a handful of bars/restaurants, as well as scouting mobile labs that were out in the wilderness of the planet.
Speaking of the wilderness, McCoy couldn't help but marvel at it. The colony was surrounded by thick dark green woods and rolling plains. Mountains crowned the woods providing a spectacular view that reminded him of the Rocky Mountains back on Earth. Kirk came over to him and stared out at the mountains a moment himself.
"Now that's beautiful. Those mountains look perfect for climbing. Think they'd let me take a little time off to do some climbing? You could come with me Bones."
McCoy scowled and grumbled slightly, "Damn irresponsible. I'm not going to risk breaking my neck thanks very much."
Kirk clapped him on the shoulder grinning. "You've really got to learn to live a little."
McCoy was about to open his mouth in reply when Spock alerted them to someone approaching them. He turned to see a man in his early fifties walking towards them. He was dressed in casual civilian clothes and he was tall, about the same height as the three of them. He smiled broadly, his brown eyes warm yet somehow distant, something that McCoy found curious. He went straight up to Kirk holding out a hand to him as he did.
"You must be Captain Kirk. I'm John Harrison, leader of the colony. Sort of a mayor I guess you could say. I'm head of the colony's council anyway. It's a pleasure to meet you captain, I've heard much about your ship and its crew."
"Thank you for the welcome Mr. Harrison. This is Commander Spock my first officer and chief science officer and this is Dr. McCoy, my chief medical officer." Kirk gestured to each man in turn. Harrison nodded at them smiling that slightly empty smile that immediately got McCoy more than a little anxious. He had really been hoping for something non life threatening and/or slightly easy in the mission. He hoped he was wrong.
"Welcome gentlemen. I'm really glad you're here captain and I'm also grateful for Starfleet's speed in our request for extra supplies, though we weren't expecting Starfleet's flagship to arrive on our doorstep."
Kirk nodded in understanding, "We've just been assigned to this sector of space. It was added to our usual patrol about a month ago and this is the first opportunity we've had to come out here."
"Ah of course….well I'd be happy to give you a tour of the colony, but I've got quite a bit of work to do before you send your crew down to the surface. I was wondering if you'd mind if I handed that duty off to our local Institute officer."
"Institute officer?" Kirk frowned slightly not understanding right away. Spock looked like he was going to pipe up with the answer but McCoy beat him to the punch.
"Exploratory Science Institute captain, a division of the Federation Science League that works directly and in conjunction with Starfleet. You know who they are Jim, we had a handful of Institute officers in our graduating class."
Kirk's expression cleared and he nodded in understanding. The Exploratory Science Institute had been formed some years after Starfleet had been formed. Institute officers were technically civilians that were given Starfleet training. They were all required to attend the Academy and even had hold over ranks. While they were civilians they could be called to active duty by Starfleet Command or any commanding officer that they had a contract with.
Institute officers could get themselves assigned to starships if requested by the commanding officer of said starship. Assignments were done in form of contracts much like Starfleet tours of duty. Contracts could last anywhere from a few days to a few years. The Institute also assigned officers to colony programs if requested by the colonists themselves and if a compatible match could be found. Institute officers played a critical role in colony formation. They did preliminary scout missions before colonies were formed and could even get themselves integrated into the colony itself for a period of time after they formed.
The unique thing about most Institute officers was that they often held multiple specialties. Many had degrees in science, engineering, and medicine and often all three at once. Being civilians they had a lot more freedom in their choices than ordinary Starfleet officers. They were still bound by a rulebook similar to but not as strict as Starfleet's own rules and regulations. Starship captains often valued having an officer assigned to their ships since in some situations an Institute officer could settle disputes or get into areas that Starfleet officers couldn't.
The thought of the ESI got McCoy thinking of the past and his eyes glazed over slightly in memory. He knew a lot about the ESI, or the Institute as it was commonly referred to, since he had had a close friend who was a member of it. It was a friend he hadn't talked to or even thought of in a long time. He was surprised at a sudden ache in his chest as he thought back. That memory brought back laughter and pain and he took in a deep breath to try and bring himself back to the present.
"We did not realize that an ESI officer had a contract with this colony." Spock tilted his head slightly as he spoke, finding the prospect of another serious scientist to talk to very intriguing.
Harrison nodded almost apologetically. "She's been assigned to this colony since the beginning. She serves as our own chief medical officer and she's the head of our clinic and our science labs."
Kirk's eyes lit up. "She?"
"Yes. If you want I could take you to her lab so you can speak to her directly. Then I'm sure she'd be happy to give you a tour of the colony as well as an overview of our needs. She's also on the council, and I rely on her for quite a bit of the decisions here. She one of our most respected members in the colony."
"That would be wonderful Mr. Harrison. Please lead the way." Kirk gestured for the man to lead them. McCoy rolled his eyes behind all their backs knowing that look on Kirk's face. It had to be a woman, it just had to be. While he had nothing against female professionals, often enough when Kirk was around things turned less than professional and he wasn't looking forward to this at all. He took in a deep breath and followed the other men as Harrison led them to the main lab building that was also on the outskirts of the colony. This was definitely going to be an interesting mission.