Verdigris

Fear! No! Control it! Don't ever let her see. This is the last time, I swear!

Pain flared as the bladed crop struck home again and again.

Cold in Blood

30 earth standard years later...

Xhosa Prime

"Lieutenant Kim, please report to Transporter Room 3, McNab out"

I arrived in the transporter room as ordered, surprised to find the captain was present allong with the landing party.

"Lt. Kim you are to accompany the landing party and myself to survey Xhosa Prime for any possible medicinal flora."

Commander Jordan, the chief medical officer, cleared his throat to gain the captain's attention. "Captain, you are aware that Xhosa Prime is a planet with one hundred percent humidity and an average temperature of of seven degrees centigrade? A Vulcan like Lt. Kim is not.."

"Doctor, when I want your opinion on something I'll ask for it! Besides, you aren't even going with us. She is needed for this landing party and that is final." The captain was in one of his brusque moods and nothing would dissaude him.

"Captain, if I may, I am not adequately equipped for this landing party. I f there is sufficient time I ask to retrieve the necessary equipment from my quarters."

"Fine, hurry up because i want this landing party on the surface twenty minutes ago! Move it or lose it Lieutenant!"

It is illogical to want such an impossibility but I will never mention that to the captain. Judiciously, the Lt. double-timed it to her quarters. Once there, she found her gear and double-timed it back to the tranporter room. She arrived just in time to hear Captain Preston start to call her over the intercom. He took an appraising look, noting her unruffled appearance, and gave her a dressing down for her tardiness in returning to the transporter. "Now that Lt. Kim has finally decided to grace us with her presence, we are able to beam to the planet's surface." Used to such remarks, the crew replied affirmatively and quickly took their places. A second later, they dematerialized in a shimmer of color.

Once the landing party arrived, the captain reminded them that they would be staying planetside for the duration of the survey which was to last about two weeks. Already, Kim started taking shallow breaths to minimize the amount of fluid entering her desert-bred lungs. Taking out her tri-corder, she began to take readings, noting that two species in her vicinity appeared to be carniverous and rather large. I believe I shall give them a wide berth unless accompanied. Being devoured by carniverous flora is a tremendously unappealing option.

Three more days passed with the survey progressing smoothly but yielding few medicinal possibilities. "Lt. Kim are you alright?" The question belonged to a very young human ensign by the name of Kurt Dritzell. "Perhaps you should speak with the captain, if i may be so bold".

"Thank you Ensign. I shall...consider it." I must be starting to show my distress for one of the crew members to speak to me. It was getting more and more difficult to hide my respiratory distress from the members of the landing party at camp each night. I think I will ask the captain to return to the ship, there are several other officers almost as skilled as I in the Science Department. The decision made, I walked over to the captain and asked to have a word in private with him. Thankfully, he acquiesced.

"Lt. Kim, I want to tell you that I respect you professionally but I do not have romantic relationships with members of my crew, sorry to dissapoint you". I was bewildered that he started the conversation off with a statement that was so completely off topic. I raised an eyebrow at him in amazement and he began to frown as soon as I did. He hated that particular expression, but I remembered too late to stop it. This was not turning out as I had hoped.

I cleared my throat and began,"Captain, that is not at all what I was about to ask you. With all due respect, the thought has never entered my head as such a relationship is tremendously innappropiate." I could not supress the cough that escaped from me, "Actually, what I asked to speak to you about is that I am having difficulties with my respiratory system due to the extreme moisture content of the atmosphere. I am requesting to return to the ship for medical treatment." By the time I finished, the captain was glaring at me. I learned a human idiom that appeared to fit the situation, "if looks could kill".

"That is out of the question! You are needed here to help the survey team and if you can't hack it, you can resign your commision!" After he finished he turned and returned to the campfire. It appears that my request was denied. As I do not wish to resign, I will stay and attempt to last out the survey.

Six days later...

"Captain! Sir, come quick! I found Lt. Kim! She's unconcious and barely breathing." Yeoman Bruce Kendall's voice cracked with fear as he called the captain.

"Damn, what did the fool girl do now?" Muttering under his breath about Vulcans and their tendency to cause trouble, he called the ship as he hurried over. "Preston to Bridge".

"Bridge here, captain".

"Tell the tech. in transporter room one that we have one to beam up and alert Sickbay that there is a medical emergency arriving. Preston out". Seconds later, Lt. Kim disappared in a haze of colors.

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This is my first fanfiction ever! Yay! This is just the first chapter, there will be more, I promise. I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to comment, constructive criticism is welcome and thank you for reading. Please review if you wish but flaming is unacceptable. Any and all flamers will be summarily given to my paternal cousins. If this does not sound like sound like a fate worse than death, you have been forewarned.