Nothing to Regret
This is set prior to Kirk being Captain of the Enterprise, sometime after "The Cage". This is from Number One's, Captain Pike's, and Spock's perspective set during "In Harm's Way" of Star Trek the New Voyages (aka Star Trek Phase Two) It may be difficult to understand without seeing the episode. Star Trek Phase Two is a fan production that they produce with their own money. Part of the dialogue is taken directly from the episode, I don't want to be stealing anything so I wanted to let you guys know… oh and I don't own Star Trek, I just love it :) Also I picture the originally actors in this scene.
They had been involved in a battle with a Doomsday machine, a Captain Kirk, claiming to be from the future was assisting the Enterprise in its attack against the planet destroyer. Then Another Enterprise had shown up with another James T. Kirk, along with a future Spock, and this Kirk claimed to be an Admiral! The Doomsday machine had been temporarily disabled by the newly arrived future Enterprise. Admiral Kirk claimed to have future technology that is able to destroy the Doomsday machine without having to sacrifice the ship and its crew threw self destruct. Obliviously all of this made for a very confusing situation. The Enterprise had sustained heavy damages during the fight with the monstrous machine but the amount of damage was still unknown.
Number One had an unusual feeling…but what was it. Then it occurred to her, the ship. Indeed the usual feel of the bridge was off by several degrees, in what way she wasn't sure. She glanced over toward the science officer's station. Spock was standing motionless, she caught his eye giving him a questioning look, Spock nodded, apparently he had detected the change as well. She decided to look into the problem personally; the Captain and Science officer had enough to worry about at this moment; needless to mention the frustration of the entire crew at this time due to the ever increasing number of Kirks and Spocks, of whatever rank.
Number one hit the communications button, "Engineering, I need a damage report."
Captain Pike stared at Number one for a moment, wondering what the heck she was doing, considering the mess that they were in a conclusive damage report could wait, he thought about voicing his concerns but thought better of it, "She has her reasons for checking" he told himself, "she always does".
"The baffle plating around the core reactor is damaged, there is a small Delta radiation leak, but nothing that my men can't handle, but we'll need anti-radiation treatment after this." replied the confident head engineer. Despite his confidence Number One still had an uneasy feeling in her stomach and wanted more information, "If the plating weakens any further, will your men be able to repair the damage?"
"If the radiation exposure doesn't worsen we can fix anything you want to put this pile of junk through!" replied the confident but clearly weary engineering officer.
"Confirmed, I'm coming down to take a look at the damage, Number one out."
Captain Pike didn't like the sound in her voice; she was worried that much he could tell. She came over to his chair, he eyed her carefully; "You think the damage is worse then he says, don't you?"
"Yes Captain. Do I have permission to investigate the situation?"
Pike just nodded. He didn't doubt her judgment, he knew better than to do that, her judgment had saved his life too many times over for him to start questioning it . . . no to start questioning her now.
Number one nodded in return and quickly exited the bridge and headed directly to engineering.
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Number One had only been gone a few minutes but Pike didn't like her absence, he had an uneasy feeling that he couldn't shake off. It was the kind of feeling he always got before an impending attack. Suddenly a communications whistle sounded, "Number One to Bridge, we have a serious situation here Captain."
"Crap! Why did she always have to be right?" thought Pike to himself, sighing
"What's the problem Number one?"
"There was an accident by an ensign that further damaged the core reactor shielding. The shielding is failing rapidly; we are sealing off engineering to avoid flooding the ship with Delta radiation. I've already been exposed so I'm going to remain here and assist engineering until the baffle shielding is repaired." Number One quickly and calmly reported. Although Number One always sounded calm there was another element in her voice, and this element disturbed him.
"What else, I want details! How serious is the radiation levels, is the level lethal?"
"The radiation level is severe Captain, no one else must be permitted to enter engineering until the shielding is repaired and the radiation levels subside."
"Yes of course Number One, but how dangerous is the radiation that you and engineering are experiencing. . . I want a straight answer!"
"Very severe, Captain" her voice sounded hoarse and tired something so uncharacteristic of her that Pike felt a shot of panic go through him.
"I'm coming down there" Pike replied
"Negative Captain, you're needed on the bridge. Commander Spock please remind the Captain of his duties to the rest of the crew; due to the effects of the radiation, for the duration of this crisis, you are effectively second in command."
"Affirmative, Number one" came Spock's dry response, now addressing Captain Pike; "Your duty as a Starfleet Captain logically dictates that you remain on the bridge during the duration of this crisis."
"And allow over twenty people in engineering die! That's not logical and it's not right! I'm heading to engineering." Pike turned to head for the turbo lift.
Spock quickly stepped in front of Pike "I cannot allow you to make such an illogical decision Captain." Pike looked up at his current second in command and wanted to rip his head off, how could he just stand there and act like twenty human beings didn't matter?
"There are good people down there Spock and I'm not going to just let them die, we have to get them out of that radiation!" Pike fumed
"Captain, if there was another way for Number One and the rest of engineering to leave engineering without endangering the entire ship they would have done so. Clearly they have no other choice."
"But we do Spock; I'm going down there to help!"
"If you do so, there is a high probability that you will expose the rest of the ship to high levels of delta radiation, leading to further deaths, it is illogical to risk the lives of one-hundred and eighty-three people to save twenty."
Spock paused; this was more difficult than logic dictated that it should be "who are already assured to die from their exposure."
Pike paled at Spock's comment. He wanted to deny it, but this statement had come from Spock, and so it had to be true. He paused for a brief moment then felt defiance growing within him. Spock could be wrong, it was a rare occurrence, but it had happened before and those twenty people are worth the risk, especially Number One.
"And are you going to stop me Spock?" Pike demanded
"No, I will not" Spock replied quickly and quietly,
Spock did not want to go against his commanding officer. He is the captain of this vessel and should thus be allowed to make the decisions that he deems are necessary Spock reasoned; It was a decision that Spock later regretted.
"Then you have the bridge." Pike said while heading for the turbo lift
Back in engineering Number One, the head engineering officer, and several other crewmembers were finishing the repairs on the baffle shielding. Only Number One was physically standing, the others were working on their hands and knees.
Only a few of the engineering crew were currently conscious. A mutiny had nearly broken out after she had spoken to the Captain about their situation. Clearly none of the engineering crew was as brave as she had heard them boast about. She and the head engineer had to stun many of the engineering crew to prevent them from flooding the ship with delta radiation. Everyone in engineering was badly burnt and all were quickly losing their lives to the radiation.
"That should stop the leak" said the head engineer as he wiped his brow.
At his response Number One believed that they had done all that they could do to protect the enterprise and, having preformed her duty, finally sat down.
"Do you think the radiation levels will return to normal quickly?" she asked, even though she knew that she, along with the rest of engineering, would not leave this room alive. She could feel the icy hand of death squeezing at her lungs and clouding her brain
"Yes, I believe it will, a few more minutes and the radiation should be completely innate"
A couple of minutes passed in silence, she was slipping in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, she thought she could hear a banging on the door leading into engineering. She thought that she must have imagined it as a result of the radiation, but no, there it was again. She then heard some shouting, and realized who it was.
"Number One! Are you Okay? Try to find a way to open the door; we've got to get you and the rest of the crew to safety!" Pike yelled, he found the control manual to the door and quickly entered the override code needed to unlock the door to engineering, but there was another problem as well; a pipe had fallen after Number One had reached engineering and was now blocking the door. He began pulling at the pipe when he heard the sound of a person materializing from a transport beam behind him.
Pike quickly turned, and found himself standing face to face with the future Spock, he didn't know what this was about and he didn't care, he didn't have time for time traveling Spocks or Kirks, he turned back to the door and said, "Spock, help me with this pipe."
"No Captain"
"Alright then don't" Pike replied irritably as he continued pulling on the pipe that was blocking his way to engineering
The future Spock laid his hand against the pipe and looked directly at Captain Pike, "Open that door and you will flood the ship with delta radiation."
Pike stopped pulling on the pipe for a moment, "Not if we seal this room and recirculate the air!"
With more urgency Spock again addressed the Captain, "Captain! Chris, we cannot." Spock had the same look that the younger Spock had, as he had informed Pike that the crewmembers in engineering could not be saved.
Captain Pike looked solemn for a moment and admitted, "Maybe you're right"
Spock turned to leave, he was surprised at the ease of which Pike had agreed with him, but accepted that Pike had seen the logic of the situation. He felt a wave of relief flood him as he began to realize that Admiral Kirk and himself had just saved Captain Pike from horrible radiation burns. Spock was about to turn, in order to assure that Captain Pike was following him when he felt a punch connect with his back. Spock slumped down to the ground; as he tried to lift himself up he felt another blow connect to the back of his neck.
Spock quickly regained his footing and blocked another punch that Pike had intended to collide with his face. Pike then tackled Spock causing the future Spock to slam into a wall.
Pike yelled, "They'll die if we don't get them out!"
Spock easily pushed Pike to the ground but Pike quickly retaliated by grabbing a smaller pipe that had fallen from the ceiling and struck Spock in the abdomen and then on top of his neck. This action briefly knocked Spock down and before Spock could get up Captain Pike pulled the large pipe away from the door and rushed into engineering.
Inside of engineering, everyone had quickly lost consciousness, or worse their life, except for Number One. She could hear a struggle outside of engineering, she wondered what was happening. She hoped that someone was preventing Captain Pike from entering engineering, although the radiation was quickly neutralizing, it was still high enough to badly injure anyone that entered.
Her vision was blurring quickly, she laid there and couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her current situation. All of her life she had wanted to be a Starfleet officer, the darn best one too, this was not how she envisioned her life would be. All of her ambitions meant very little now, what did matter were the friendships that she had formed with the other officers, especially Captain Pike. She laughed again, that silly crush she had on her commanding officer had always bothered her because it was so childish and unprofessional. But now she wished that she had thought a little less about her career and acted on that silly crush, otherwise she regretted nothing, nothing at all.
Pike burst through the door, headed into the radiation filled death trap. He could barely see because of a fog that had developed from a broken shaft. Everywhere he stepped there was another unconscious body. He could already feel the radiation burning his flesh but he had to keep moving, he had to find Number one, to make sure that she was okay. Then he spotted her, lying peacefully on the floor, he yelled for her but there was no response, he bent down to check her pulse but she was already gone.