Chapter One
Captain's Log, Stardate 2256.257. The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is currently undertaking Starfleet mandated shore leave on planet Aracelis II. Captain's logs will continue in one week's time once leave has ended.
Music pulses through the club, causing the walls to vibrate with the beat. The whole place is lit in a vibrant purple hue, blue gobos swinging wildly from the ceiling, casting swirling designs and spotlights over the hundreds of patrons packed inside. The entire club smells strongly of alcohol, with hints of fruit and sugar and the occasional whif of perfume. Over the music, the voices of the people partying inside are a roar of laughter and shouting and off-key singing.
In all, it's not exactly the place you'd expect to find a Starship Captain, his Chief Engineer, and his Chief Medical Officer lounging on cushioned stools at the center bar, enjoying exotic, alien drinks out of curly red glasses. Their bartender-a woman with long, wavy, blue hair and greenish skin-is laughing at something the young Captain has said, a pretty smile on her yellow lips.
"So, you really came all the way from Starfleet just to visit this planet?" The bartender asks in a purring, accented voice as she pours another round of drinks for Kirk, Scotty, and McCoy. She flutters her long eyelashes flirtatiously, earning a smirk from Jim.
"Well, you could say that..." He replies, smiling as he stirs his drink. Which, of course, earns a roll of the eye from Bones.
"We're on an exploratory mission across the galaxy." The doctor explains a little more soberly than his friend. "We're here on shore leave."
"Ah," The woman nods, acid-green eyes still locked with Kirk's, who spares a moment to glare at Bones for being such a lousy wing-man.
"Aye, heard yer planet was quite the hotspot for partyin'." Scotty chimes in, taking a long swig from his bottle of Scotch, which he brought in for himself. "Yer a real fun-lovin' people round here."
She snickers and nods again, setting down the bottle she'd been pouring for another customer to lean on the counter in front of the Captain, reaching out with dainty, green hands to twirl a lock of his hair around her finger. "Oh yes, we have a lot of fun here..." She purrs and Jim's glare melts into another lopsided grin. "You know, it would be my pleasure to show an esteemed Starship Captain around the city. Take in the sights... Why don't we-" But she trails off as something behind Jim catches her attention and her acidic eyes drift away.
Kirk frowns and is about to turn around when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He revolves his stool around and finds himself raising his eyebrows at the sight of his First Officer standing behind him, dressed in his uniform with his arms folded behind his back. Jim sighs and leans back against the counter, folding his arms over his chest, only slightly amused at the sight of his rigid, emotionless friend standing in the midst of strobe lights and dancing, bobbing, rocking bodies. "Spock!" He greets, patting the stool next to him. "I never took you as the bar-type."
The Vulcan raises an eyebrow and, if possible, goes even more stiff than before. "I assure you, Captain, that I am not."
Jim shakes his head and turns halfway back toward the bar, offering a wink to the pretty bartender. "Then what are you doing here, Spock? If you haven't noticed, I was right in the middle of a very interesting conversation with this beautiful lady..."
"Ah yes, I apologize for the intrusion upon your attempt at 'hooking up' with this woman-
Jim nearly chokes on his drink, hearing that.
"-but I have some important information I must relay to you."
Kirk clears his throat and offers an apologetic smile to the bartender, who is obviously growing annoyed with Spock's presence. "Um, can it wait, Spock? I'm kinda in the middle of something."
"Unfortunately, Captain, it cannot." Spock assures him. He finds himself briefly wondering why Bones and Scotty seem so amused at the discomfort on Jim's face but quickly dismisses it as more human emotional reactions he'll never understand.
Kirk sighs heavily and turns back toward his First Officer. "Alright, alright, what it is?" He grumbles sourly. "And it better be good."
Spock doesn't miss a beat before explaining the situation in his usual calculated, clipped tone. "I am afraid shore leave is being cut short." He says. "Lieutenant Uhura has just made me aware of a message from Starfleet. Apparently, a distress signal has been picked up in a nearby solar system."
Kirk scoffs and rakes a hand through his hair. "Can't they find another ship to check it out? We've been flying for months now without a break. Some of the crew is-"
"I assure you that I am aware much of the crew needed a break." Spock interrupts him. "But it is not my decision, Captain. I am simply relaying the message."
Jim puffs out a sigh and reclines against the bar again, nodding his head. "Alright, fine. Spock, how much of the crew already knows?"
"There is only a small handful left that I have not yet made aware." He replies. "Admittedly, Captain, you were among the most difficult to track down, having neglected to bring your communicator. Doctor McCoy and Mr. Scott included, of course."
"And why's that?" Bones asks him, leaning in.
"Simply, Doctor, this is not the sort of place that is logical for three Starship officers to be. It was several hours before I remembered that humans do not follow the same mindset as Vulcans and that I should, instead, search places that would make sense for the Captain's...'hobbies'."
"Oh? And what hobbies would those be, Mr. Spock?" Jim asks curiously, bartender all but forgotten behind him.
"According to the opinion of Lieutenant Uhura, sir, women and bar fights." Spock tells him. "And she appears to have been correct. Although I admit I am at a loss as to how she could know these things."
Kirk stiffens slightly and clears his throat, smiling a bit nervously at the memory of having hit on Uhura and immediately afterwards, getting his butt kicked by a Starfleet cadet. Of course, that was before he even knew Spock or knew he and Uhura were together but still... He'd rather not bring that up right now...or ever. So he simply stands up and pats Spock's shoulder. "Alright, message received, Commander. Thanks for letting me know and please do contact the rest of the crew. They're to report to the Enterprise at zero-five hundred hours tomorrow morning."
"Understood, Captain." Spock says. "I shall relay that to the rest of the crew." He pulls his communicator from his belt as he turns to shrug back through the crowd, most likely on his way back to where the Enterprise is docked.
Jim slowly shakes his head in bewilderment and humor. "He's quite the character, isn't he?" He chuckles, turning back to the bartender, who has returned to her job and is now pouring a neon red drink into someone else's glass, that familiar, flirty smile on her lips for another man. Instantly, Jim's expression sours and he glances sideways at his companions. "Pointy-eared bastard..."
The next morning, a mildly hungover Kirk finds himself grumpily boarding the Enterprise through the docks instead of beaming up. He takes the elevator up to the top floor and enters through a door on the side of his ship, unsure that his sour stomach would be up to the energizing process.
Most of the crew has already arrived. They respectfully step aside and salute as Kirk passes, something he still isn't entirely used to but enjoys all the same. Soon, he finds himself walking through the sliding doors onto the bridge, his presence being announced by Chekov.
"Keptin on ze bridge!"
As soon as he's put on the respectable Captain show, Kirk flops into his chair and leans his head back, closing his eyes against the alcohol-induced thumping in his head. He's half considering popping down to sick bay before take off to talk Bones into getting him some kind of hangover remedy when the doors hiss open behind him and said doctor comes strolling in, a syringe of some clear liquid in his hand.
"Ah, if it isn't my Chief Medical Officer, what can I do for you this miserable morning?" Kirk grunts, eyeing the needle suspiciously.
"Now, Jim, is that really any way to be talking in front of your crew?" Bones whispers as he unceremoniously grabs the Captain's arm and rolls up his sleeve.
"Hey, what are you-OW!" Kirk flinches as the needle plunges into his forearm, none too gently either. "What the hell was that?!" He demands, rubbing his arm as Bones pulls away with a roll of his eyes.
"Something to kill that hangover of yours." He hisses. "You're welcome."
"Was it that obvious?" Jim asks quietly and McCoy nods his head.
"Sorry, pal. But it couldn't have been more obvious if you'd painted 'I'm hungover' on your forehead."
"Great..." Jim mutters as he straightens up in his chair, rolling his neck as the last of the hangover fades away, leaving his head much clearer than before. "Thanks, though. I kinda needed that."
McCoy smirks in satisfaction and turns toward the turbolift, on his way back to sickbay, when the doors slide open to reveal Spock standing within. The Vulcan's arms are folded behind his back as he steps out into the bridge, offering a polite nod in the doctor's direction.
"Doctor." He greets.
Bones forces a smile. "Mr. Spock." He says, sidestepping around Spock into the lift. As the doors hiss shut once again, he notices with an amused grin the way Spock immediately goes to Kirk's side, obvious about to question him on the events of last night...
"Captain," The Vulcan says cooly.
"Mornin', Spock." Kirk greets evenly as he sits forward, craning around Sulu's shoulder to see their progress on pulling out of the dock. Satisfied that everything is in working order, he presses down on the intercom button, voice loud and clear when he makes his announcement, which will be heard throughout the dock as well. "Captain Kirk to crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The ship will be departing in exactly five minutes. All crew to their assigned posts. I repeat, the Enterprise is leaving in five minutes, all crew to assigned posts."
As soon as his finger leaves the button, Spock speaks up again. "I am pleased to see you are in your right mind this morning, Captain."
Kirk sits back again but glances up at him with an eyebrow raised. "Oh? And why wouldn't I be, Mr. Spock?" Although he's pretty sure he already knows the reason his second in command is saying that...
"Do not misunderstand, sir. I simply meant that I am relieved all the alcohol you appeared to consume last night has not effected your clarity of mind." Spock clarifies. "Although I do have my suspicions that Doctor McCoy's presence on the bridge just now was no coincidence." Despite his apparent lack of emotion, there's an obvious challenge on the young Vulcan's face.
"What? Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Spock." Jim dismisses quickly with a wave of his hand. "Bones was just up here to chat before take off, that's all."
Kirk's First Officer makes a quiet sound of disbelief, not unlike a scoff, before moving to his station and running some apparent diagnostics on his computers. "So, what's the deal with this distress call?" The Captain asks as the last few members of his crew are beamed aboard.
"Starfleet contacted the ship at zero-one-hundred hours to relay a message on a distress signal picked up in the star system adjacent to our current location. It appeared to be emitting from planet Ardin IV."
"Ardin IV?" Kirk asks, suddenly curious. "Isn't there a small human colony in the southern-most quadrent of that planet?"
"That is correct, Captain." Spock confirms. "The signal reads that there are only a handful of survivors and that their home has been attacked by some form of native wildlife they previously assumed to be harmless. They are in apparently dire need of emergency medical assistance and immediate evacuation."
Kirk nods and turns back to the intercom. "Bridge to engineering. Scotty, you there?"
"Aye, what can I do you for, Captain?"
"Has the rest of the crew made it aboard yet?"
"Affirmative, sir."
"And how's our ship? Engines all warmed up and ready to go?"
"Aye, she's purrin' like a house cat, sir."
Jim smirks and sits up straighter in his seat. "That's what I like to here. Kirk out." He releases the intercom and turns to the helm. "Take us out, Mr. Sulu."
"Aye, sir."
Within the docks, a red light glares as the Enterprise begins its slow, weightless ascension into the sky, breaking the clouds and soon drifting through the atmosphere. Within seconds, the starship is hovering in the black vacuum of space, engines roaring.
"Helm, set course for planet Ardin IV."
"Yes sir. Entering warp 2 in five seconds."
Exactly five seconds later, the Enterprise appears to vanish from sight, its course taking it directly toward the adjacent solar system.
