"Midnight in Heliopolis"
Chapter Two
"Good morning, Enterprise. We were starting to think you weren't going to show up." Captain Frank Abbott reclined in his command chair. Kirk had gotten just enough time to sit down before the screen lit up and stood again. His leg was bulky with the extra framework around his knee.
"Sorry for the delay, Bradbury. Had a small problem with one of our maintenance crawlspaces." Uhura shot Spock a look at that, and Chekhov started a bit, too. "We are ready to initiate transfer of resources whenever you're ready."
"Our cargo bays are clear."
"Chekhov, that's your queue."
"Aye, Keptin." The Russian paused, clearly wanting to ask about the comment. "Bradbury, ve are in communication with your cargo crew."
"All right, we'll let you know when we're checked out."
"Enterprise out."
The screen blinked to stars and the vessel hovering just off their bow.
Kirk turned to join Spock at his station, taking the opportunity to rub his eyes. He had a headache starting, and he knew it was thanks to the crappy sleep he'd been getting. Spock brought up a schematic of the ship and zoomed in to the specific access port they'd apparently spent an hour in front of earlier.
"What's in there? I mean, I know, but the details escape me."
"Simple power modulator, tasked with maintaining the constant flow of power to the turbolift in that section, accessible for maintenance. There is nothing else of note in that certain tube that wouldn't be more convenient through other avenues."
"What would happen if it exploded?"
"The turbolift might lose steady power, but secondary systems would keep the lift itself active and usable."
Kirk started at the screen, reading through the descriptions of each pipe, wire, and conduit that ran past the panel that he remembered sparking. When he could make no sense of it, he moved up the schematic, searching for anything in the vicinity that might serve up a clue.
"Spock, can we-" By the faces of the bridge crew, he could only assume what had happened. McCoy jumped out of the 'lift. "How long this time?"
"An hour. The same duration of time as earlier."
"Dammit, I was hoping that he'd still be out when I got here. Next time, let me know earlier so I can get some readings." Bones grunted like a kid who had his new tricycle taken away on Christmas morning.
"Keptin, Doctor." Chekhov interjected, coming up behind Uhura, speaking insistently. "Dis may sound like a silly question, but do you have nightmares? A-and then wake up, vis strange bruises?"
"The ship is falling apart." Uhura chimed in.
"Collapsing." Kirk added to their meeting of the minds. "And I've got to get to the Jeffries tube."
"And when I get there-"
"Bodies." Uhura looked at Spock.
"My father. Uncle. Mister Spock. And you, Keptin."
"Wait. Spock is in all of our dreams."
Everyone looked at the Vulcan, who merely tipped his head. "Under any other circumstances, this might be grounds for flattery. However, I myself have not suffered any injuries or nightmares."
"So, what's different?"
Uhura shook her head. "My dreams started after we took on the cargo at the base."
"It vas about that time, yes. Keptin?"
Kirk shook his head. "I don't remember when they started. The new ones just kind of bled into the old."
"Are we carrying something dangerous?"
"Sir, according to ze manifest, it is just lab equipment. Replacements for components fried when a nebulae ignited too close to ze Bradbury's shields."
"It is highly unlikely that the cargo is causing this phenomenon, as none of the components are self contained." Spock rotated his seat a bit to better see those assembled. "Few of them even have power, and those that do, are power cells themselves."
"Which aren't hooked up to anything. The whole shipment is inert." Uhura shrugged slightly.
"Do any of these things have chemicals, gases that could be leaking?" McCoy had finished a scan of Uhura and moved on to Chekhov.
"And only affect a few of us?" Kirk jerked a thumb at his second-in-command. "I don't think a gas could cause a shattered kneecap, Bones."
Uhura and Chekhov have him a strange look, and McCoy nudged the Russian's chin back around for optimal scan results. "So what do we think it is? If it's the cargo, shouldn't we warn the Bradbury?"
"The transfer has only just begun. Ve are checking the inventory at each step." Chekhov's voice was a little strained, caught between relaying information and keeping his head still.
"Why an hour..." Kirk pondered, resisting the urge to stare at the schematic again.
"What do we tell them? 'Excuse me, Captain Abbott, but we think one of those boxes is trying to maim the crew.' Yeah, that'll go over about as well as asking Santa Claus for a Red Rider BB Gun." McCoy released Chekhov. He motioned to Spock. "Your turn."
"I do not see how my inclusion in your medical scans will assist us in discovering the cause of this anomaly."
"Do I have to spell it out for you? You're center stage, and I want to know why."
Spock relented under protest. After he left his seat, Kirk stole a glance at the schematic again. A relatively harmless power modulator, lab components, too-real dreams: all pieces in a puzzle that made his headache worse. Leaning on the console, he tried going back through the dreams, to pick out specifics, but as most dreams, after a while, they tended to blur.
"Uhura, where did your first dream start?"
"The cargo bay with the shipment."
"Was the entire shipment there, or was it empty?"
"The bay was almost empty, Keptin. Except for one case. Large, blue, reinforced. Maybe there was a second one..."
"The power cells."
"Yes, and vhen ze ship began to shake, they..." He tried to explain what had happened in the dream, but Kirk and Uhura already knew what he meant. He could see the scene clearly now, parsing the details out from the miasma.
The case had simply lit up. When the blinding flash had faded, the entire ship was in flames or crumbling.
"Don't let them lock in the power cells." Kirk snapped. "Chekhov, tell them right now. Do not use the power cells."
"Aye, Keptin!" He whirled around and slid into his chair. Sulu, who had been listening to everything, gave the other officer a worried look.
"Captain." Uhura hissed suddenly. "Spock. Bring up a schematic of the Bradbury. See if there is a corresponding junction."
"Perhaps the dream did not reference our own ship." Spock raised an eyebrow at her and turned to his station. Between any other couple, that look might have been an appreciative smile or wink.
Kirk rubbed his eyes again. Damn headache was getting worse. In the dream, he had been just about to climb into the crawlspace. Then what?
"I've got an idea. Bones, come with me."