DISCLAIMER: Blah blah blah, not mine, no money, don't sue me, blah.
Where no vampire has gone before…
Chapter One – Boarding the Enterprise
Drusilla brushed her hair carefully, as she sat in her chair. She was dressed in a smart but old fashioned, dark green outfit. Her skirt was neat, figure hugging and reached her ankles. She wore a white satin blouse, and over that, a matching dark green fitted jacket with a sash at the waist. She completed her look by fastening her hair back in a tortoiseshell clip, then setting a hat on her head, and stepping back as if to admire her reflection.
"Well, Miss Edith, how do I look?" she asked one of the dolls sat upon the shelf in front of her. "I need to look my best, I'm going on a journey. There'll be a big ship… sailing farther than the eye can see… You're invited along with me, and you too, Miss Claire… but not you, Miss Charlotte. You were a rude chatterbox, and now the sugarplum fairy is cross with us. You must stay here and learn your lesson."
Drusilla popped the remaining dolls in her small black travelling case, fastened the silver clasp, and marched out into the twilight.
Drusilla's front room was ageless, blocked off literally from the sun, and metaphorically from the modern times. It was the 23rd Century outside – vehicles flying above your head at unbelievable speeds; robotic animals in place of real pets; hologram television programmes and films that you could bring around with you all the time, wherever you walked… yet Drusilla still lived as if it were the year 1910.
She walked for almost a mile, before suddenly stopping in her tracks. She'd reached the noisiest, busiest part of the city and suddenly realised that she had no idea where she was going – only a vague notion of travelling on a ship. Still, her vague notions were very rarely wrong. She simply needed to find someone who could show her where her ship was. Her eyes fell upon the entrance to a pub, the "Orion's Belt". Now there was an idea – many a sailor would stop off in a pub for a drink and a happy send off, before raising anchor the next day, and leaving the docks, to sail the seven seas and discover new lands. Surely she would find someone in here – perhaps just a simple deck hand or cabin boy – to direct her to the ship she sought. She walked in, with a determined, confident stride.
Kirk, Scotty and McCoy sat at the bar – each with a pint of good lager. Spock sat a little off to the side; teetotal, as usual. They wore their Starfleet uniforms, proudly displaying to the other patrons that they were the crew of the new USS Enterprise – the improved Starship, which was now able to reach speeds of up to Warp 9. They would launch tomorrow – tonight enjoying a celebratory final drink upon planet Earth, before journeying off into the great unknown. Kirk took a good mouthful of beer, surveying the bar casually. Something – someone – caught his eye. A young woman, she looked about 25 years old… dressed in a peculiarly old fashioned way. Not only was she unadorned by technological accessories popular with most women her age, but she was clothed so completely, covered from head to toe. She displayed a type of modesty that hadn't truly existed for hundreds of years. Yet she appeared so graceful… so unique, that her manner eclipsed her over-dressing. Kirk was entranced.
"…but he hadn't even run diagnostics on the warp core." Kirk suddenly looked around, aware that Scotty was talking to him.
"Uh-huh?" he asked, non-committally, searching once again for the girl who had escaped his field of vision. Scotty shook his head with a grin.
"Where is she, then?" he asked. "Don't tell me you've not been gazing at some pretty young lass, that's the only thing on this earth known to distract James T Kirk."
"It's your weakness, Jim," McCoy agreed, "your eyes have that dazed expression. I bet she's something special, eh?"
"As much as I hate admitting to how predictable I've obviously become…" Kirk shrugged, and pointed over to where the young woman in the dark green outfit stood. "There she is."
"My, she's… unusual," said McCoy, "but not unattractive, certainly."
"A gem she is, Captain." Scotty said. "Aye, now that's a *real* lady there." The mysterious woman turned to see all three pairs of eyes upon her. She looked down, modestly, and walked over to greet them.
"Good evening, gentlemen." She addressed them, inclining her head politely towards Kirk.
"Evening, Miss." He replied. "Could I offer you a drink?"
"Oh, yes." The woman's eyes lit up. "I'd like that very much."
"Bartender," Kirk turned around, "a glass of your best wine for the lady here, Miss…?"
"Drusilla," she supplied the name, with a smile. "And what might your name be?"
"Kirk," he replied, "Captain James T. Kirk, actually. If you don't mind me saying so, you have a beautiful name."
"Oh!" Drusilla exclaimed. "You're a captain! Do you have a ship?"
"Indeed I do," Kirk said, "we're launching tomorrow. Journeying where no man has gone before."
"That sounds exciting!" said Drusilla. "A ship… journeying through the stars… I know the stars well, you know. They speak to me." Kirk gazed at her, transfixed.
"So true." Kirk said. "All my life, I've looked at the stars – its as if they call out to us. They speak to us, drawing us near, full of such great possibilities… I know exactly how you feel."
"Hmm… yes." Drusilla said. "I should like very much to travel on your ship, Captain Kirk." Kirk looked into her eyes and felt all thoughts disintegrate, knowing only that she had requested something and he would grant it.
"Absolutely." Kirk answered immediately. Then he regained a little of his sense. "I mean, well, you… know about the stars, don't you? That's… useful. Did you go to Starfleet academy?" Drusilla shook her head.
"I'd not be welcome there. It's a human place." Drusilla explained. Kirk's eyes widened.
"You're not human?" he asked. Drusilla shook her head. "Well, that's incredible! We could certainly use the knowledge of an alien race on board the Ship – I don't think there will be any problem at all. Just so long as you don't breathe up all of our air, that is." Kirk smiled charmingly.
"I don't breathe at all." Drusilla admitted. "There's no need to worry about that."
"Well then, I don't see how we could possibly say no." Kirk assured her.
Early next morning, Kirk headed out in his flying car to the USS Enterprise launching station. He had a splitting headache and felt utterly drained of energy. He couldn't recall himself ever being particularly susceptible to hangovers, but apparently today was not his day. He thought he heard a giggle behind him, and looked up in sudden shock at the mirror to see who was in the back seat. Nobody. God, he was starting to hallucinate now too. "Pull yourself together, Jim." He muttered.
"What's wrong?" asked Drusilla sympathetically from the back seat. Kirk slammed on the brakes and whirled round to see who was there.
"How did you get there?!" he demanded. She smiled.
"I got up early, to avoid the sunshine." Drusilla told him. "The sunshine doesn't like me."
"But… how did you know where my car was?" Kirk asked.
"I looked out your window, of course." Drusilla said. Realisation struck Kirk. He couldn't remember anything of last night beyond his fifth pint, but apparently he'd brought Drusilla home with him. He smiled, feeling smug.
"So… how was it for you?" he asked. Drusilla smiled.
"Lovely. You're strong, healthy… tasty…" she said, gaze drifting up to the roof of the car. There was no sunroof, and the little light let in by the windows didn't touch her.
"Oh, stop." Kirk chuckled. "I'm just a man. I do think you're quite possibly the most remarkable woman I've ever met. Do you have a phone number? I'll drop you off just now and call you later."
"Don't be silly." Drusilla said. "I'm going on your spaceship."
"You're… what? No! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Kirk told her.
"But you promised me." Drusilla sulked. "If you don't take me I'll bite your head off…"
"Er… Kirk's memory suddenly recalled that the girl was an alien. What if she didn't mean that threat metaphorically? He looked around and saw her face vamped out, but still sullen, like a petulant little girl. "Holy smoke!" he exclaimed, shocked to see her face that way.
"Take me on your ship, captain." Drusilla said in a quiet, almost questioning tone. Kirk swallowed, and nodded his head.
"Yes. Yes, of course, that's not a problem."
"Thank you." Drusilla's face returned to normal. Kirk kept driving, trying to reassure himself. Extra-terrestrials sometimes had unusual features. It was nothing to worry about. Her threat of biting his head off, why, that was a common human expression. She must have heard it and attempted to use it on Earth. It was very unlikely that she'd truly want to bite off his head. Even if she did, then it wouldn't be in her best interests, with her being so keen to get on board the Enterprise; and he the only one who could help her with this.
"Can we stop in the shade?" she asked, as Kirk pulled over near to the Enterprise, in the direct sunlight. The door to the Enterprise itself was in shade, fortunately, he noted as he wondered why she disliked direct sunlight. Well, she did have an unusually pale complexion.
"Sure." He replied, and did so. They got out, and Kirk explained to the military officer that this girl was an extra terrestrial with advanced knowledge of astronomy. He accepted this, and pinned a comm badge on the front of her dress. He saluted her, as she followed Kirk boarding the Enterprise. Kirk saw her curtsey in return, out of the corner of his eye, and groaned inwardly. Whatever she'd read about Earth must have been seriously dated.
"Step on board… Ensign Drusilla."