Summary: One crewmember becomes devoted to forbidden research. This is the story of how even the most terrifying concepts and sudden changes can positively impact others.
Pairings: S/Mc, K/R (implied), S/Ch (one sided), and other minor characters –m/f and m/m.
Rating: K+ for swearing, slash, and adult concepts.
Disclaimer: I own Lieutenant Hernandez, S'Brin and Simon. However, Star Trek and all related characters belong to Paramount. Go them.
Archiving Information: Please, no archiving without my permission. Overarching permission goes to the Spock/McCoy Haven and BLTS. All others must ask.
Author's Note: The Prologue and a handful of other chapters will be told like my story "Once She Had Noticed," from the point of views of the three major female crewmembers, due to popular demand. Unlike that story, much of this story will be told in the omniscient third person, focusing on Spock and McCoy. This is by Fisheyme only, but Traycon3 has been a great sounding board for my ideas. Thanks T3!
Prologue
Janice:
She gasped as she heard him raise his voice to Spock. It was so unlike him to raise his voice at all, much less to a man he admired as much as Mr. Spock. But Spock was unfazed, despite the swearing. Lieutenant Hernandez seethed.
"I don't understand sir. I've gone step by step over the procedure, what in the name of God is wrong with it? You've let lab techs do their own experiments before!"
"For one thing, Doctor McCoy has also told me about your intended experiment and what it entails. He has already denied your request to work in the medical labs."
"You out-rank him, sir. Surely you,"
"For another, I believe that your experiment, while laudable in goal, can easily be corrupted in practice. I cannot condone such a possibility occurring on this ship. I suggest you petition Star Fleet or some other research facility and conduct this research privately."
"Sir,"
"My decision stands, Mr. Hernandez."
Hernandez clenched his fists and scowled. "McCoy's an old fool! I'm sure he lathered his description of my experiment with backwards and conservative Southern bullshit! Look at this with an open mind, sir!"
She shifted her weight and looked at the captain. He didn't look pleased, but Spock was holding his own, so he didn't speak up.
"Doctor McCoy is as able a scientist as you or I," Even she could hear the slight edge of irritation creeping into Spock's tone, "and I judge your work without bias, but completely logically. My decision stands."
"You're just mad that I affronted your lover! Can't you see I'm trying to help people like you?"
"Jeraldo!" She gasped.
Spock stood to his full height. "Doctor McCoy and I are not lovers, Mister Hernandez. As for your 'help,'" Spock put his hands behind his back, "that is not a military matter. Again, I would recommend that you attempt to conduct this research in a private facility. Dismissed."
Hernandez glared at Spock for a minute, but then left.
She looked at Jim and wondered what he was thinking about all this. He was looking at Spock.
"What was he going on about, Mister Spock?"
"Mister Hernandez wishes to conduct research into means of producing offspring for same-sex parents. Hence his 'I'm trying to help people like you' declaration."
"Sounds pretty noble. Why are you denying it?"
She knew he was saying that just to make Spock look at other angles…
"The theory is laudable, Captain, much like communism."
She couldn't help but look at Chekov at the mention of something so… Russian.
"However, like communism, the practice is next to impossible when one factors in the human desire for a specific gender, race, hair color, eye color, genetic disposition for stamina…"
"You're suggesting the process might invariably lead to eugenics?"
"In essence."
She shuddered as she remembered Kahn: so handsome and yet so cruel.
"I see." Jim said, nodding. "Alright then."
She felt something in her gut tell her that this wasn't the end of this problem… But she couldn't bring up the courage to say anything. She was just a yeoman, who would believe her?
Jeraldo looked at the data on his terminal. If he could just determine one variable… It could work if only he just, but no. It didn't matter. No one would let him do this. No one wanted him to do this.
God, Spock was blind, Jeraldo knew it. If he would stop being so worked up about that damned cracker he would surely see all the potential for new life. Surely he had to see…
This was all McCoy's fault! If he would stop toying with the Vulcan: teasing him, praising him one minute and bullying him the next, jerking his chain and never giving him a moment's peace. Didn't he have any idea what he was doing to Spock? All the science staff could see the way their chief could be worked up sometimes for weeks about one quip that the doctor spat in one argument. It wasn't fair that Spock could be so infernally devoted to someone who obviously hated him.
Jeraldo growled and slammed his fist into the glassy screen of his computer. A long web-like pattern remained in place when he pulled his hand away. It hadn't really hurt. A thin triangle of sharp glass fell out of the monitor.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave," he muttered, idly fingering the shard. His finger began to bleed. "Why won't they let me bring life? I'm no spider… I won't eat my own young. No, the spider is the one who tastes the blood of trapped prey."
He lifted the glass into his hand, admiring the sharp, stained edges.
"Spock to Mr. Hernandez."
"Here, sir," Jeraldo breathed, looking wistfully at his own blood.
"Please report to Medical Lab 6."
"Si, senor."
He stood and walked out of the oppressive dark of his quarters, clenching the glass in his fist.
Ffft, ffft. Softly, dark spots appeared on the red carpet in the corridor as the Enterprise consumed the last remnants of the man he used to be.
"Down came the rain and the spider washed him out," Hernandez hummed as he walked into the medical lab.
"Ensign DeSoto forgot to wear her gloves and was injured," Spock said, not bothering to look up from his monitor. "Will you assist me in completing her experiment?"
Jeraldo nodded and sat at the terminal, but all he could see was the data he could never present. "Dead in the womb."
"What was that, Lieutenant?" Spock asked, not looking up.
"All our hopes are dead in the womb because of a careless surgeon… There's nothing left. No life," he trailed off.
Jeraldo opened his hand and saw the glass shard, like an iceberg floating in a red sea. He lifted it in his fingers and opened up a red river down his forearm.
"Drink up, little spider," Hernandez whispered as tears escaped from his eyes.
"Mr. Hernandez?" Spock asked, looking over at the lieutenant. "Are you well?"
Jeraldo sobbed. His family would hate him. This was his only chance to do anything good for them. "Ivan was depending on me."
Spock looked over at the human's trembling shoulders. "Is your brother's name not Ivan?"
Jeraldo didn't respond. His blood was running slowly. He tried to move the glass to his other hand, but his fingers were slick and sticky and his hand couldn't grip it. His tears mingled with his blood and the glass slipped to the floor.
When Spock stood to note Hernandez's condition, he was overwhelmed by the amount of blood. Reigning in his astonishment, Spock walked calmly to the comm. panel in the wall and depressed the button.
"Spock to Sickbay, emergency in Medical Lab 6. Mr. Hernandez has injured himself and is bleeding heavily."
"I'll be right down." McCoy replied.
"¡No¡Guarde esa araña lejos de mí!" Hernandez yelled.
"Why did you do this, Mr. Hernandez?" Spock asked, seizing the lieutenant's arm and pressing a pressure point.
"No," Hernandez pleaded, "No, it isn't worth it. My blood isn't on your hands. Let the butcher cut me up, I don't want to be put me back together again. I've had such a great fall."
"Butcher, fall? You are not making any sense. Stop struggling, you will lose more blood."
"I KNOW! Let me go!" But Hernandez was too weak to struggle. He continued to sob.
McCoy and Chapel rushed into the lab. McCoy took Hernandez's arm from Spock. "Good God, Jeraldo, what have you done?"
Hernandez gripped McCoy's forearm with his other hand. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he spat, his wild eyes blazing. "It is your responsibility."
McCoy looked down at the blood all over his hands. Chapel handed him a bandage, a look of concern apparent in her eyes.
Spanish for non-Spanish speakers:
¡No¡Guarde esa araña lejos de mí! – No! Keep that spider away from me!