"What's he doing?" exclaimed Kirk, keeping his voice at whisper tone while still making it sound like he was screaming. No one could quite figure out how he did it, but he did it all the same.

"I do not know, Captain," Spock replied.

"Rhetorical question, robot," Kirk said, rolling his eyes. "I was asking myself."

Spock didn't look put off at all. "Just because you-"

"Shh!" Kirk interrupted. "I wanna see what happens."

They both peered out from around the corner again, and it seemed like the people that they were observing didn't notice them yet.

The scene in front of the two was very odd, and something that neither of them had ever expected. The young Russian whiz kid, Chekov, was sitting on the floor with his back to them in front of the force field that formed the jail cell. On the other side of the barrier sat that John Whatsit. Kirk couldn't remember his name. Oh, yes. John Harrison. And they were talking.

"This is very… unusual, Captain," Spock said quietly. "Why would one of our own be talking to the prisoner?"

"Dunno, but I'm gonna find out," Kirk said back. They kept watching.

Meanwhile, Chekov picked at his shoelace. "But what'll happen to your freends?"

"I don't know," replied Khan, sighing. His head was held high but his expression was decorated with grief.

"Does zhe Kepteen know your story?" asked Chekov. He felt so sad and wondered what he would do if he were in the prisoner's position.

"No, but he will soon," Khan said. He looked to the side, avoiding eye contact and spoke softly. "I miss them."

"Your freends?"

Khan nodded in consent. "I have so many people whom I love that I could loose at any moment. My mother… my sister… my partner."

"Err, sorry." Chekov didn't really know what to say. "You-you know that eef you ewer need anytheeng, I-I'm here."

Khan looked up and their eyes locked. He said, very, very softly, "Thank you."

On the other side of the room, Kirk and Spock exchanged glances.

"What would you say is going on?" asked Spock. They hadn't been able to hear much, just little burbles of the muted-by-distance words.

"Something weird, Spock," said Kirk. "Something very very weird."