Crash Landing

Chapter One

Amanda awoke in a haze, awash in pain, still strapped in the passenger seat of the shuttle, only half-cognizant of where she was and why. Last she remembered, she and Sarek were on their way home to Vulcan, close enough to see the red-orange orb in the distance.

She looked about at the sparking, sizzling components above and about her, the tossed contents of everything not strapped down, realizing that they must have crashed. Her first focused thought was for Sarek, who had been piloting the craft. She twisted hard in the seat and regretted it immediately, her whole body aflame, and spied him slumped in the seat braces.

It was pitch black out the transparent steel viewscreen so she had no idea of their true circumstances, was only worrying for her husband who was at least unconscious. She tried not to consider worse possibilities. She fought the pain at every movement and released her seat braces, slipped out and crouched next to Sarek.

She touched her hand to his neck, her heart thundering and her throat tight, but he was warm and his pulse thrummed. She felt her whole body relax. After feeling for any abnormality along his neck and spine and finding none, she lugged him from the seat, not an altogether easy feat with their size difference; but soon enough she had him flat on the floor of the shuttle.

She pulled out the emergency gear and ran a quick check. Her main concern was an injury just above his left temple. A head injury for a Vulcan was always worse than for a human. She pulled out the enviro-blankets and cocooned Sarek, then checked the controls of the shuttle. The main power was down, but the emergency back-up unit should have automatically started the rescue hail upon impact. They couldn't be too far from civilization.

With little else to do, she hunkered down alongside Sarek inside the cocoon to provide more heat for him since the environmental controls weren't providing much if any. She stared at her unconscious husband, at his banged up face and wished he'd awaken to settle her fears over his head injury at least.

She could feel the temperature dropping, and there were two dire possibilities that plagued her. If grounded, she only hoped they'd ended up on a satellite with some atmosphere and not to close to or far from any star. If not, they would likely freeze to death as they slept or awaken to a far crueler fate-to be baked for an agonizing end.

She put those possibilities out of mind as her husband would advise; she had no control over such and space was so very large that the more likely fate would be to fall asleep as the air depleted or the temperature dropped too far, a too-common death in space. And she was with the one she'd wished to be with at the last anyway.

-ooOoo-

She awakened to a beautiful sight: a wash of red-orange across the shuttle that had to be Vulcan. She couldn't think of any planets or smaller satellites that reflected that particular shade. And the fact that they weren't already broiling with this brightness assured her that, though it would likely get hot, they weren't about to be baked alive. With their intact and thermo-insulated shuttle, they had some protection at least.

Sarek moaned, and Amanda twisted toward him and caressed his face. He opened his eyes and stared, then attempted to speak but only croaked at her. She slipped out of the cocoon and brought water. She helped him partway up to drink and, after a few sips, he looked around. "Where are we?" he asked, still hoarse.

Amanda felt concern due to his head injury. "Don't you remember, dear?" How could he not remember? He had to have brought them down on Vulcan. Had to exert some control upon landing, or they would have had no chance of surviving.

He stared at the viewscreen and looked even more confused. "We were too far from any planet."

"Not just any planet, dear! Vulcan!" She smiled at him, though her concern was great. "Aren't you at least grateful we're alive?" Her teasing had always seemed to lighten his mood, but his dour expression didn't change.

Sarek looked at her. "I am relieved that we have survived, of course, and in extraordinarily good shape it appears, for a crash landing. I only don't understand how that could be?"

"You brought us down onto Vulcan!" She chimed in, trying to cheer him up, if even a smidgen.

"But that couldn't be," he said, still staring out at the changing hues through the viewscreen as sand swooped by in a moderate sandstorm for Vulcan, though still deadly.

Amanda blinked at that, and looked to the viewscreen. It certainly didn't lie. So why did Sarek believe they were somewhere else? It was very curious, to say the least.

Not long after, Sarek slipped into a healing trance and Amanda took stock of their provisions. She decided that Sarek was confused due to his head injury, and upon awakening from his trance, would be himself again. And sandstorms on Vulcan only lasted a couple days at most.

Surely, Vulcan authorities must have noticed their strange approach; would investigate if only for reasons of security. If not, they would hear the automatic beacon. Vulcan was very efficient with their rescues. Sarek's bewildering behavior, however, brought an edge to her concern that she couldn't dismiss.

Likely though they'd spend a couple days bombarded by waves of sand, cooped up. Sarek would suffer his usual intellectual frustration and claustrophobia, and she might have a few days of what might even be characterized as a short, if not rustic, holiday marooned with her husband, with no duties to pull him away. It was not comfortable, but it was far better than what could have been.

-ooOoo-

Four days had passed, and Amanda's patient and hopeful mood had long waned. This was the longest sandstorm she'd ever seen in all of the forty years she'd lived on Vulcan. It was all so very strange. But worse, she was tired of talking to herself. Tired of hearing the swoosh and roar of sand. Tired of feeling the shifting of the shuttle with the larger gusts. If only it might let up so she might step out without losing her skin, and be assured there was a world out there beyond the red-orange curtains of sand.

She was starting to feel as if every other being out there had disappeared. As if there'd been some galaxy-wide disaster and she and Sarek were the only two left. She felt concern for Spock and the Enterprise, for all of her friends and family. All of the beings in fact, except perhaps for a few of the nastier races, then felt guilty at that. Certainly not very charitable of her. She shook her head at such silliness. Four days in a box with a porta-potty and freeze-dried food could sour anyone's better sensibilities.

She was starting to understand a faint shadow of her husband's claustrophobia. It was almost sensory deprivation, as if they were sealed in a silver and red-orange coffin. She wanted out, God-damnit, even if to see a sky and a horizon and hear the cry of the night birds she had always fallen asleep to. Even a Lematya's howl would sound good about now. It could bump their shuttle as a sort of a "hey there" on its path anywhere else. She'd know, at least, this was only a glitch and not a wholesale end of all she'd known. She almost wished she had a head injury too. Less to think about. Less to make you feel like you're losing your mind.

She could almost enjoy the solitude if her husband could offer some of his more interesting entertainments. As it was, she could only stare at him and fantasize. He was a wonderful source of fantasies to be sure, but she wanted the real thing. And her teaching. Her friends. She was even missing the long, exhausting diplomatic dinners. Even the chitchat with the more irritating representatives.

She glanced back at her husband with some concern. He had awakened from the healing trance still somewhat groggy and confused. Had explained that head injuries were sometimes slow in healing as the mechanism needed to heal itself essentially. Had awakened to hydrate and nourish himself and use the facilities with Amanda's help and support, but little more.

Each time he awakened, he seemed a little more himself, but he was still quite weak and dizzy, and still held to the strange belief that they weren't where they should be, even though he couldn't articulate why he felt that way. He stared out as if seeing something not quite right about it, too often shaking his head. Amanda was at least assured the planet was still there, and that there would be somewhere to wander when they could escape the shuttle, if only for a short time and distance.

-ooOoo-

Two more days passed and the storm began to let up. The edges of mountain ranges could be seen in the distance and the shuttlecraft no longer bucked with the gusts.

Sarek was sitting up, attempting to swallow solid food, more eyeing it and reading the labels than actually consuming it, but it was a start Amada figured. His dopey staring had lessoned, and he seemed better able to focus on the interior of the shuttlecraft and keep a conversation, to Amanda's relief, more so to quell her fear that he might be more seriously injured, but also because she'd read every library-disk and watched every holo-vid on board, multiple times. She would remember to keep a far larger stock of them on board in the future.

She stared at her husband and smiled. He had the scruffy beginnings of a beard, and his hair was a little longish as he'd been delayed in getting it cut, ruffled all about into silver-black waves from sleep. His eyes were clearer, though not their usual piercing hazel-green, and he looked a little less concerned, though she had to wonder if that was only for her benefit, for she still felt his strong concern at their predicament. Where Amanda glanced out the viewscreen hoping to spot rescue vehicles blinking as they approached, Sarek just stared out.

This storm had been so more intense than he'd seen in his entire life, but he didn't tell Amanda this. He'd worried her already before he realized the pointlessness of that. What would be would be, and allowing her some measure of calm would only benefit her.

-ooOoo-

The seventh day, the sun shown clear and the sand sprayed its last in the dying vestiges of the storm. She'd marveled at the length of it, and strangely Sarek didn't even comment, only frowned slightly as his brows pulled together as he stared out the viewscreen. She noticed the frown lessoned whenever he noticed her watching him, which made her suspicious.

Late in the afternoon they popped open the door and looked out onto the flows of sand that seemed to lie so innocently now. Sarek stared out into the dunes, his hand blocking Amanda's attempt at a giddy exit.

"Sarek, what now?" She complained. His overprotectiveness was too much after being imprisoned for so long. He still looked rumpled and tired so it was difficult to stay angry with him. She poked him in the chest. "Sweetheart, you can barely walk ten feet. You think you can scout the area?"

Sarek merely looked at her, then away. "We should deliberate then, shouldn't we? I am in no condition to help should there be trouble."

Amanda fairly glared at Sarek. "I love you, darling, but if I spend one more day cooped up with you, I'll seek a divorce the minute we find another soul with any authority!"

Sarek blinked at that, and stared, his usual loss at her teasing now compounded by his injury and weakness. Divorce was never a good subject to tease a Vulcan male about anyway.

Amanda laughed and crouched with him at the edge of the door. She cupped his scruffy face in her hand and squeezed his cheek. "Will you at least let me get rid of this beard before too long?"

His eyes softened, and he sighed. "As long as you don't attempt again to cut my hair."

She laughed at that, remembering the splotchy, uneven attempt she'd made of it when they were on a long, desolate visit to a world without anyone with any such skill.

"I just want the rest of you back, my husband. I'm not used to you being vulnerable. It scares me. My bulwark has become a creme puff"

His eyes sparkled and he gave a grunt and slight smile back. He was coming back to her so that she recognized him now. He was nearly himself but for some weakness and a lack of balance and coordination. It wasn't like they were in some dangerous foreign land after all. They were close to home, Amanda thought. Too far due only to this planet's harsh environment.

They compromised, as they were so used to doing together, being so very different in some ways. They would wait until daybreak, and then, whichever was better able would make a short scouting tour. In the meantime, they had to settle their boredom. Sarek stepped over to the cabinets of library-disks and holo-vids. Amanda sighed loudly and all but dragged him toward the bed.

Sarek was surprised at his wife's sudden and aggressive insistence. "My wife, while you have the right to demand such of your husband at any time by Vulcan law, I am not sure I have the strength, balance…or coordination… for such."

Amada smiled at that. Of course, Sarek assumed he'd be on top. He was, after all, a Vulcan male. "You won't have to do much but lie there, with your flag up."

Sarek's eyes twinkled at that. "Can I at least clean myself? It has been several days…" Though he didn't smell unpleasant, Amanda knew his fastidious nature caused him discomfort at even the thought of relations in such a state.

Amanda's smile grew. "That could be fun." She began to guide him toward the shower stall, surprised at how easy he was to maneuver. She'd thought he was simply being cooperative, until his knees gave way. They fell in a pile, Amanda atop Sarek, her knee just missing his groin.

Sarek appeared almost ashamed at his weakness. Amanda realized that Sarek had little experience at being the weaker and was having difficulty dealing with it. She turned his face toward her. "My love, you are brilliant, strong and accomplished, recovering from a crash that should likely have killed you. You are no less for needing help."

His eyes found hers, and she was surprised at the touch of doubt still there. He'd likely never expected to be the one needing her except in his Time, which brought him shame as it did most Vulcan males, not to be in control. She had to wonder if this helplessness brought up all of those feelings.

Sarek smiled slightly. "I am a foolish Vulcan male. What do I know as compared to a wise and cunning Human female?"

She helped up a wobbly Sarek. He balanced himself against Amanda as she removed his tunic and pants, and then her own clothes. She caught her breath at her husband's body, as she always did. He was still so beautiful though a bit battered. The look in his eyes betrayed the week he'd gone without release. She noticed his burgeoning interest between his legs. His eyes roved up and down during her unveiling, his breath quickening,

She helped him into the shower and turned it on, to the sonics regrettably. They were marooned after all and might need every last drop of water for drinking. But as the waves surrounded her husband's body in a gentle, slightly vibrating, caress, she decided he looked beautiful under the sonics as well and with the heat adjusted, it warmed them. She skimmed her hands over his body and he purred in response, his own hands more single-minded in their touch.

She couldn't help herself in the shower. He was breathing so hard, his turgid penis bouncing softly, pressing and tapping her. She slid her hand around it and watched her husband's eyes close and mouth drop open as he groaned. She favored the head with her thumb and he groaned again, and panted. He was close already, and there would be plenty left for her. She stroked him once then twice, tightening her grip ever-so-slightly.

"Amanda…" He was all but breathless. He tried to push her hand from him, but she held fast.

"Let yourself go, Sarek."

His hand fell away.

"Let nature take its course, my beautiful husband."

He leaned back into the wall, a moan slipping out every now and then through his panting.

"Amanda," he called out again, as if in protest.

"Shhhhh," she said.

She felt his knees begin to shake and remembered his still-recovering body. She held him tight against the wall, but he came suddenly, moaned loudly, as she felt them both slipping.

They ended again in a heap, both doused from shoulders to toes by an ample amount of semen.

Before Sarek had even recovered, Amanda started to laugh as the sonics chose that moment to click off, likely a safety precaution since they collapsed.

Sarek looked at her curiously, saw the mess they both were. "The shower seems not to have accomplished its function." He gave a slight smile and she laughed harder.

-ooOoo-

They lay in bed, both exhausted and in need of a third shower now. Sarek had already fallen asleep draped almost spread-eagle across the entire bed, and Amanda found a convenient nook to slip in alongside. Sarek rarely fell asleep without choosing to, but he was convalescing and likely she shouldn't have teased him for the third go-round. But he certainly looked up for it, in more ways than one.

She snuggled in, likely for their last night in this quiet cell with walls of too many miles of sand. The days were too hot to survive very long, and the nights were too dangerous for all of the carnivorous plants and animals. She'd already started to hear the sound of emergency aircars where there were none, so much so that Sarek had started to wonder about her. Now, when she thought she heard something, she counted to ten before mentioning it, and found it was only the wind playing with her mind.

When they were safe again, she would stay away from any length of sand for a very long time, or they were going to take a long vacation somewhere wet and cool-somewhere Sarek would hate, no doubt. They could visit her parents and siblings on Earth as a compromise. They'd been unable to find enough time for them anyway.

Her warm husband next to her, and the many warm enviro-blankets wrapped about them coaxed her to sleep, with happy imaginings of visiting Earth, or the very least, her own home, before too long.