Welcome to the first chapter of this story, and please enjoy your stay! I warn right now that it will be dark at some points, with plenty of Kirk angst and the like. Warnings for child abuse and Tarsus IV, 'cause Jim is just an entity purely made up of issues.
"Ooh, what's this?" Jim held up a fleshy blue fruit, around the size of his palm and shaped like a seven-pointed, round-tipped star. The fruit caught the light from the planet's twin suns, and the glimmer it reflected was a deep indigo hue, like it couldn't quite decide between blue or violet.
Spock approached him from behind, crouching at his shoulder. "That, Captain, is a Shar'k'yui fruit, the name originating from the Frooliin word sharkr-frryj, meaning 'star fruit'."
Jim twirled the fruit in his hand, squeezing it a bit and surprised to find it quite resistant to pressure. "Is it edible?"
"Negative. The Shar'k'yui fruit is highly dangerous to humans, though it is considered a delicacy to most other races."
The captain held out the fruit to his first officer. "I dare you to eat it."
Spock raised one eyebrow, and Jim knew from experience this was not his 'Jim-what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about' face, this was his 'this-is-highly-illogical-but-sounds-kind-of-fun' face. "You dare me, sir?"
Jim nodded seriously. "I dare you to eat it. If you don't, you have to let Uhura put makeup on you, and you have to wear it for all of Alpha shift."
"Jim!" Both men sprang to their feet in record time, nearly knocking each other over in the process, equally startled by McCoy's approach. The doctor looked irate, his boots sending up clouds of dust with every step and his sweat-drenched face clenched in fury while he stuck his tricorder out at the two of them accusingly. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Spock did it!" Jim replied, grabbing the Vulcan's hand and slapping the fruit into his open palm.
Spock's eyes widened. "I think you will find that it was indeed the Captain who initiated the-"
McCoy held up his hands, telling them without words to shut the hell up before he hypo'd the both of them. "You two are complete and utter imbeciles and you are so damn lucky that it is too hot on this god-forsaken planet to plot either of your murders. Get back to work."
Work, it turned out, wasn't much but cataloguing plants and animals on the planet Clooxee in a solar system located roughly nine parsecs from where Vulcan had once stood. Open communication and trade with the occupants of the planet had long since been established, but there had never been a formal investigation into its native life forms. The mission would only take a few days, but the work was hot and boring, so naturally Jim had taken to annoying his crew whenever McCoy wasn't looking.
The two men watched the doctor leave, and when he was out of sight beyond a copse of trees, Jim turned back to Spock. "Okay, Spock, you have to-"
However, the first officer had already taken a bite of the fruit and was chewing thoughtfully. "The fruit's taste could be described as remarkably similar to that of a Terran onion."
"Oh. That's gross," Jim grimaced, his gaze falling to the ground where he'd found the fruit. "I wonder where it came from?"
"Without over explaining things, Captain, I recommend you look up." Spock spoke around another mouthful of the fruit, apparently not experiencing any negative affects despite his human heritage.
Jim did as instructed, and was startled to see the trees making up the forest reached high enough that their canopies were completely obscured by clouds. The trees themselves were thin and silvery gray with bark that possessed a shaggy, moss-like texture. No branches could be seen splitting off from the trunks, so Jim supposed they only separated at the canopy. "Wait a minute, how did that thing survive a fall from so high?"
"The height of the trees is much lower then what one might expect." Spock answered, his own tricorder out as he circled one of the slim poles. "The clouds on this planet are incredibly dense and so float much lower than on most. In fact, this entire planet bears a remarkable resemblance to twenty-first century Earth during the phenomenon known as global warming."
"Well, that explains why everything looked white from above," Jim grumbled, dutifully examining a low-lying shrub with feathery purple needles. "What're they doing here to cause such a radical climate change, anyway?"
Spock appeared thoughtful, as though he'd pondered over the same thing. "No one knows. The Frooliin are a very private people, peaceful and content with a simple way of life, so it's unlikely they are working on anything potentially destructive. However, whatever it is has been releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air, creating the cloud cover that keeps in heat from the suns. The greenhouse effect, is what humans call it."
"Spock, I'd say you have a certain degree of fascination with global warming," Jim grumbled, wiping sweat off his brow.
The first officer gave one of his little not-smiles. "Yes, well, this climate is much more to my liking then most we've encountered."
Jim realized for the first time that Spock actually seemed at home in the muggy heat, and for a moment he worried if the Vulcan was ever uncomfortable aboard the Enterprise. He was about to ask when he heard McCoy's voice calling again, this time sounding considerably less grouchy. "I guess we're done for today."
The two men began the walk back to the rendezvous point in companionable silence, something Jim was always grateful for with Spock. Between them, words weren't needed, and for the first time in his life the quiet didn't make him feel ignored.
Despite that feeling of companionship, Jim couldn't shake the uneasiness he felt, walking through the dull silver woods. Everything about this place reminded him of a time long ago, and though the memories hadn't become overwhelming, they were enough to put him on edge and disrupt his sleep.
The forest was ominously silent and undisputedly beautiful. Mist wreathed about gracefully reaching trunks like this planet's ethereal version of ivy, seemingly seeping from the moss-like bark and from underneath large boulders. Even the earth had a grayish tone, as though the entirety of the sky was being reflected, silver dust and soot scattered on a dying planet which didn't quite know how to die. The flora and fauna on this planet were remarkable versatile and adaptable, clinging with stubborn roots to nitrogen-poor soil and perpetually marshy ground.
Perhaps the most unsettling thing about the forest was the scarcity of undergrowth. Well, unsettling to Jim, because there was nowhere to hide- not that they'd need to hide, of course, but old habits die hard and you can never be too careful. He wondered how the animals of the world survived in such vulnerable conditions when the very thought of it made him shudder.
The two men reached the edge of the woods, where the trees cut off sharply and the bare earth gave way to waves of ashen grass. The field was small and vaguely circular, positioned on a slight hill that dropped off into a larger stretch of forest. The team had beamed down here, and their uniforms were strikingly bright against the gray all around. Jim and Spock approached the gathered crewmen, and were intercepted halfway by a very concerned looking McCoy.
"Spock ate the thing." Jim said quickly.
"You-" Spock began, but stopped immediately, knowing there was no point arguing with the- remarkably immature- captain. "Yes. I indeed ate the thing."
"Apparently it tastes like an onion."
"Quite vulgar, really."
"And yet he ate it."
"I was threatened."
"It was a dare."
After the first couple sentences, McCoy seemed to stop listening and instead glared at both men until they stopped talking. "Ensign Martin found something," his voice got lower, considerably more solemn, "it's not good, Jim."
Ice flowed through him, killing the playfulness of just a moment before. He straightened up, steeling himself for whatever had been found. "Show me."
The settlement was in ruins.
What had been beautifully crafted stone buildings were now little more than charred rubble, strewn across the clearing, smoke and still blazing fires rising from the remains. The village, a little over a mile from where the team had beamed down, was rather large, at least in comparison with most other settlements on the planet.
Jim could only imagine what it had looked like in its prime. Great stone arches engraved with mindless patterns, blockish buildings with rounded edges and spires that reached to the sky, twining sculptures of hardened white clay- all left crumpled in an inescapable maze on the ground.
Spock stood at Jim's right shoulder, McCoy at his left, all three standing at the edge of the village along with the three young ensigns they'd brought along. Jim turned to McCoy. "Take the ensigns and check for survivors. Don't leave the settlement, and be on guard." The doctor nodded in response and waved over the ensigns.
By his side, Spock surveyed the scene with apparent detachment, which Jim had learned by now to be no more than a device he implemented in order to analyze a situation. "According to my estimates, the attack occurred exactly four-point-seven-four-two hours ago, around an hour before we arrived. We could not detect anything amiss due to the cloud cover."
Jim exhaled, grimly thinking that some of the inhabitants may have died in the hours they'd spent cataloguing life forms. Then again, they were lucky they'd found the settlement at all, if Spock's analysis was anything to go by. Together the two men carefully picked their way around a half-tumbled building and stepped into what had been the center of the village.
Ash rose around their boots, smearing their uniforms with pale gray as they took in the damage. From the center of the village, it was obvious the entire settlement had been situated around this small town square, upwards of twenty buildings turned to dust. Spock trailed one slender-boned hand over a chunk of decimated rock, his slanted eyebrows furrowing further in bemusement. "Captain, I hear something."
Jim's focus snapped back from where it had been wandering a moment before in memories he really shouldn't think about. Ever. "What is it?"
Spock straightened, beckoning to his captain to follow him into one of the collapsed structures on the left side of the square. Closer to the building now, Jim could hear the sound: thin, plaintive wailing, and his heart soared in hope. "A child, Captain. It appears to be buried somewhere in the rubble."
"Right, okay. Help me out-" Together the two men shifted a large rock that had been resting diagonally across another, and as the grinding sound stopped when the rock was cleared, the cries became louder. "Just one more, and I think we'll reach 'em."
It was actually two more rocks that had to be moved before Jim caught sight of pink fabric in the shadows of the stone. He enlarged the hole a bit until he had a clear sight, and he lifted the infant out of the rubble.
The infant was beautiful, and the sight of her made Jim grin even as he wiped stinging sweat from his eyes. Her skin was deep crimson red, and despite looking to be no more than two months old, her raven-black hair was long and sleek, tucked into the pink cloth she was wrapped in. The baby opened her mouth wide and began to wail again, and instinctively Jim cradled her close and shushed her gently.
"The child is a Frooliin," Spock observed from behind Jim, his presence as sturdy and assuring as ever. "She appears to be uninjured, as her lungs are obviously functioning at optimal capacity." He whipped out a scanner from his belt and began wandering about the rubble of the decimated house, searching for more life signs.
Jim had never seen a Frooliin before, at least not in the flesh. Though she was very young, certain aspects of her race were already emerging in the shape of her wide-set eyes, ridged cheek bones, and small finlike ears. He held her up and bounced her a bit, trying to calm her cries. "Shh, shh," he repeated, somewhat helpless, feeling suddenly very young and very stupid.
"As expected, there are no further life signs from this house," Spock reported as he reappeared from behind a pile of rubble. "It is safe to assume the child's parents are dead."
Jim sighed heavily, holding the infant's head against his shoulder. "Great. How are we going to-"
He didn't get to finish as the ground suddenly lurched beneath him. He gasped, just barely managing to regain his balance before he saw the fire rushing towards them. "Get down!" he screamed, grabbing Spock and hiding behind the collapsed wall as the explosion blazed past them. Searing heat surrounded them, and Jim held the infant as closely as possible, trying to keep her safe from the scorching blast. Just as quickly as the explosion had occurred, it was gone, and both men ran from their feeble shelter.
"What the hell?!" McCoy emerged from another building not far away with the three ensigns, all of them scraped up and singed but otherwise unhurt. "Jim! Spock! Are you okay?"
"We're okay, Bones. Just-" He looked up. An object streaked down from the gray sky, reminiscent of a comet, burning bright red with a tail that threw off yellow sparks. "Shit," he muttered, and everyone else looked as well. "Shit, shit, shit- we're being bombed! Get back in the building- go!" McCoy and the ensigns ran as fast as they could, hiding again in their insufficient stone shelter.
Jim and Spock sprinted as well, Spock hiding immediately with his back to the wall. Jim was slower, and as the bomb hit the ground, the great lurch of the planet sent him onto his hands and knees. He let go of the baby at the last minute, and Spock managed to pull her to safety just before the bomb exploded.
Jim saw fire. It spiraled about him and seared through his uniform, cocooning him in unbearable heat, licking against any bare skin it could find and singing the hair off his arms. Luckily, he'd had the sense to cover his head and essentially curl into a ball before the wave had hit, so his back got the brunt of the attack.
He screamed as his skin turned to fire, but still he could not close his eyes, could not look away from the flames as they surrounded him. The stench of burning flesh brought all those memories to the surface and he was going to throw up, from the pain and from the smell and from knowing he'd seen this all before, he'd felt it all, up close and personal and he was burning all over again-
The flames passed and still he was burning, choking to breathe through the smoke and the smell and finding he couldn't- his lungs were charred too, and he was gasping but it hurt, a thousand needles stabbing his throat-
Spock was at his side, that was good- but he couldn't see, the world was too dim after staring into the heart of fire, and his eyes were watering with smoke. He felt strong hands grip his upper arms- he screamed a little bit, because the movement pulled his melted skin- and drag him into the shade of the ruins where he could hear the child crying. She was okay, which was also good.
"Captain," Spock's voice revived him just a bit as his first officer helped him into a sitting position against the wall. That hurt like a son of a bitch but he didn't tell Spock, couldn't even hear him speaking as he pulled his communicator from his belt.
"Kirk to Enterprise," he rasped, his voice sounding like his vocal chords had gone through a meat tenderizer. "Come in, Enterprise."
"Captain?" Sulu's voice came in over the communicator.
"Beam us up immediately," he voice was cut off by a round of harsh coughing that shook his entire body and rattled his frame. "We're under attack- get us out of here."
Spock was looking up at the sky, his dark eyes trained on where the last bomb had appeared. For several moments they were silent, holding baited breaths will the seconds ticked by.
"Captain," Sulu said, sounding uncharacteristically rattled. "We as well are under attack- three ships of unknown origin have us surrounded and are threatening destruction should we not turn back." Jim cursed, but Sulu wasn't done. "Also, sir, we have a problem with the transporters. We can't get a reading on all of you. Some of you may be left behind."
Several beats of silence passed between them in which Jim grit his teeth against the urge to curse and scream. "Just… just get who you can and get the hell out of here, Sulu. That's an order." He snapped shut the communicator and his arm fell down to his side, suddenly too weak to hold anything.
"Jim-" Spock began to speak, and Jim turned his head to look at him, preparing a small reassuring smile on his lips and an 'I'm fine' on his tongue, but suddenly Spock was fading, sparkling atoms swirling and dancing through the air, breaking his first officer apart to put him back together onboard the Enterprise.
When Spock had disappeared, he sat there, listening to the soft cries of the child at his side. He heard nothing aside from her screams. The rest of the team he'd beamed down with were gone as well, then. All safe on the ship and hightailing away from this hellhole of a planet.
Jim gave a rasping sigh, gathering the child in his aching, melted arms. He swallowed thickly, not sure what to say, if anything. "Here we go again," he finally muttered.
Please review, friends! It inspires me to write, and I love hearing what people have to say. Stay tuned for next time!