Stepping down from the transporter Spock decided it would be most logical to face his confused comrade (well, technically boss) and answer questions.
"Ordinarily I'd be impressed by the guy that pulls this kind of stunt, but you, uh huh! Mr. Perfect doesn't do this." Kirk leaned in closer to Spock. "So what were you up to?"
Spock raised an eyebrow.
"I wanted to visit the New York Metropolis. I did, and now I'm here."
Kirk let out a laugh
"Seriously, you don't talk to any of us in two years and then you just up and hijack a transporter to chill in the big city? Why?"
Spock merely let the moment pass without a word. Kirk sighed.
"Well at least you aren't dead. When I went to your apartment and you weren't there I was slightly alarmed." Kirk slapped his hand across Spock's back in a friendly gesture. "The way you've been lately... well it didn't seem to far fetched that you'd off yourself."
"Captain as you can see I'm quite fine. Your emotions, as usual, were quite unfounded and unnecessary."
Spock moved as if to leave on that note but found that the doors did not open. Turning he found Kirk holding the security lock button. Kirk smirked mischievously.
"Oh come on you didn't think you'd get away that easy. Seriously, I want to know... what were you doing? I mean you don't drink so I'm sure you didn't go to a bar. You at a club is just impossible to conceive. Surely you weren't on a hot date."
Spock's mind immediately jumped to the young lady he had spent the last five hours with. It wasn't a date... why did his mind jump to her? Most people would never have recognized the strange look that crossed Spock's face but Kirk was not most people.
"Mr. Spock! You have been with a lady this evening haven't you?"
Spock's face turned to stone as if he were suppressing something highly personal.
"Captain please refrain from jumping to conclusions as I have found it a most annoying habit exhibited by your race."
Kirk refused to be defeated by such an obvious ruse.
"But, Spock, you were indeed with a woman weren't you."
Unable to lie Spock merely clasped his hands behind his back.
"If you must know then yes, I was in a sense visiting with a young Earth woman. However, I doubt it was of the same circumstances that you are considering."
James rose from his seat skeptically. He was another human, whom Spock noticed often entered his personal space. Albeit it was safe to conclude that his intentions were different from Miss Stella.
"Considering you rarely, if ever, leave the base I find it hard to believe that she is an old friend. Now tell me Mr. Spock, who is she and where did you come from? I won't tell I promise. I'm asking you as a friend."
Eying him dubiously Spock finally resigned himself and began looking around the room to make sure they were alone. When at last he was satisfied they were alone he looked back to Kirk.
"To be honest Jim, I was not aware of myself tonight and I suffered something comparable to what you would call, and emotional breakdown. I apologize for my actions."
"Apology accepted. The girl Spock, what about the girl?"
Spock sighed heavily before continuing.
"Captain are you familiar with ancient music, symphonies?"
Kirk took a step back and rubbed the side of his neck in thought.
"Yes, I recall something of the kind. My mother use to listen to them when I was a boy... why?"
"Uhura, also was a great lover of the art form and I just wanted some kind of connection. I traveled to the city to a concert hall where I had been before. For once in my lifetime, I can't explain the purpose of my actions you have to understand... and thats where I came across this Earth woman. A most peculiar creature mind you, I've never met anyone quite like her. She was completely logical in a most illogical fashion that I could not understand. She was one of the performers... she called herself Stella. She sought me out and asked me to accompany her home."
"And you did accompany her home?"
Spock shifted on his heals as if uncomfortable with the truth.
"Yes, I don't know why but I obliged her request."
Kirk chose at that moment to take a chance.
"Are you in love with her?"
Spock frowned deeply backing away.
"Certainly not! I do not freely feel such things captain. I merely found her fascinating. I wanted to learn more about her."
"So the coordinates at which I managed to track you down were at her residence?"
"Affirmative, I was... at her residence. It was there that we merely talked about our respective lives. I assure you that I have no intention of returning."
Spock was not about to tell his captain just where in her residence he had been located. Kirk suspected something was not being said but this time he allowed it to pass.
"Well luckily we were all injected with microchips last week and I did manage to find you... the important things is your back and alive." Kirk again leaned in. "I hope that you have found whatever it was you were looking for. Now how about you go home and get some sleep."
Spock looked to the ground so as not to betray the irritatingly human thoughts running through his head.
"Yes, I do believe that would be a most wise suggestion at this time."
Turning he retreated out the door. Kirk watched after his first officer with a mixture of bemusement and concern. On the one hand, he knew that whomever this strange young lady was, she'd had some kind of significant effect on his alien friend. On the other hand, he was fearful as to whether or not the meeting had been for the better. Reaching for a pad and pencil (yes even in the 23rd century sticky notes still came in handy) Kirk jotted down the coordinates labeling them with her name, Stella. He decided that he too was in need of a good night's rest.
In the following days Sock continued on with his work as usual. The other employees failed to see any change, although a few members of the Enterprise who knew him better noted a slight difference in his mood. He seemed to be thinking a lot these days about an unknown cause. He seemed to be somehow more at peace. In truth Spock's thought's were centered around one person... Stella. Although he had convinced himself that he had no intention of ever meeting with her again, he could not help but contemplate the effects she had on him. He also noticed the small note, scrawled in Jim's handwriting and stuck to the edge of his desk. There lay her coordinates.
"No, it would be illogical to continue correspondence. Our lives are too dissimilar for me to consider maintaining an affiliation with a civilian human."
Despite these simple reasons, however, Spock could not deny his primary concern for visiting her again. It was clear to him that she was inclined to think of him more than an acquaintance. Even more disquieting was that he was not certain the idea was undesirable.
"No, I cannot take these troublesome emotions seriously. I will not allow myself to care about her... indeed, I cannot allow myself to care for her."
Still, he noticed the sticky note that for some unknown reason had not yet been tossed away as trash. For approximately the one hundred and twenty third time since his departure from her room, an image of her beautiful appearance flashed through his head.
"No, I am only half human. I will not succumb to the fickle nature of beauty." and yet the image remained with him for longer and longer lengths of time. With nothing to do at the moment, Spock chose to meditate in an attempt to rid his mind of her. Setting down his tentative lesson plans and putting away his work he prepared his body. Chanting a few maxims to himself he began slipping deeper and deeper into his thoughts until at last his surroundings dissolved and he was left to himself; however he soon realized that erasing Stella from his thoughts would not be so easy.
"Would it be so inadmissible to say that I was indeed stimulated, no, attracted by this human being? Perhaps the consequences are not so great that it would be impossible for me to return."
Pushing Stella aside Spock attempted to think about the other important figures in his life. His dear parents, his best friend Jim, his deceased fiancée, they all had once solicited in him feelings that he had been taught since childhood he was incapable of. Now they seemed to tell him that it was conceivable that he could find such emotions in another. A weakness in his meditation allowed Spock to be aware that a hand was now resting on his shoulder. Coming out of his coma like state, Spock realized that he had been interrupted by the chief medical officer of the Enterprise, Dr. Leonard McCoy.
"Spock, SPOCK! Are you in there."
Slightly annoyed at the intrusion Spock replied curtly.
"Yes doctor I'm here and you have rudely interrupted me in my traditionally required daily meditation. Now I ask you what is so important that you felt the need to do so."
McCoy scoffed indignantly and growled in his usual grouchy (but lovable) manner.
"Now you listen to me you green blooded computerized half-breed. It's not my idea of fun to examine you and your crazy alien physiology and your off the charts mental readings but Jim ordered me to check in with you for god knows what purpose. Now shut up and let me do my job."
Pulling out his tricorder and various medical supplies, McCoy began to take his readings.
"Doctor I assure you that I'm in perfect health. A full physical examination is unnecessary.
Bones put down his instruments.
"Although I must agree that you seem to be in perfect health, I'm more interested in checking your emotional readings or lack thereof. Now sit still while I measure your brain waves." The Doctor's tone changed to something a little less aggressive. "You have after all been under considerable stress and it's my duty to make sure that all patients assigned to me are in working health both physically and mentally."
Spock sat quietly as the doctor began the next to impossible task of deciphering his readings. At long last his eyebrows rose in a curious manner over his old blue eyes.
"Well Mr. Spock, although your test yields similar readings to your previous recent examinations, I find a spike in your Serotonin and dopamine levels. If you were a human I'd say you were falling for someone but since I know better then something else must be going on."
The doctor and Spock ngaged in a staring contest for a minute before at last the doctor decided to let it go.
"Well at any rate, you seem fit enough to complete your job. For now I'll allow you to return to your work." McCoy turned towards the door as if he were about to leave when he paused and looked back towards his comrade.
"Spock, we may have our differences but if you are in need of help... you know where to find me."
"Thank you doctor but I assure you I'm quite fine. I only wish my human counterparts would cease insisting that I suffer the same capricious array of emotions that they are use to."
McCoy rolled his eyes and continued out the door muttering something unpleasant.
Returning to his seat Spock again retreated to his thoughts. Even the doctor's devices and picked up on his heavily guarded and uncharacteristic mental instability. Looking again at the scribbled coordinates Spock could no longer deny his sincere desire. He would indeed have to visit Ms. Stella again.
