It didn't take Kirk long to win his nerves over back from the bliss of excitement as he entered the bridge with calm anticipation. The doctor followed trying to mimic Kirk's quick stride to keep up with his captain's calm enthusiastic motion. Spock lifted his head from his consol and noticed the two men marching towards him. He then stood up with his hands behind his back to greet his fellow comrades
KIRK: What have you got Spock?
SPOCK: Lieutenant Uhura and I have decoded the message but with much trepidation.
KIRK: And…?
SPOCK: We have tried to triangulate the signal's trajectory to pinpoint its origin. But we cannot seem to get a clear analysis of the location in correspondence with our own?
McCOY: So what are you trying to say? That you can't find it?
SPOCK: I am saying that whatever sent the message doesn't exist
McCOY: How the hell is that even possible? Then how did the message get sent in the first place?
Kirk pondered the possibilities for a second before finding one he felt would challenge his first officer's detective skills
KIRK: Could the signal have come from something that was already destroyed like a station or a planet?
SPOCK: Not based on the distress signal. They were quite clear as to the coordinates and the situation in which the distress covers
KIRK: Then let's hear it
Kirk looked past his fist officer to see Uhura standing at her station working diligently as always.
KIRK: Uhura, play the message that was received this morning
Uhura: Aye sir
Uhura entered a few quick commands before standing eagerly waiting to hear the message. The bridge crew's ears perked and their eyes wondered towards the sound as if the voice of the heavens were speaking to all of them when really it was just the ships advanced audio system. The message crackled and whirred and continued to do so for the duration of the time, obviously the aftermath of the task performed by Spock and Uhura. Apparently the transmission was almost impossible to decipher properly. A voice flooded the room but the tone was calm and tranquil with a hint of sadness. Kirk pictured a middle aged man with small features but a commanding tone. The tone made the message feel more like a bed time story as appose to a standard subspace distress call.
???: To anyone who intercepts this transmission. I am Zxoler. The head minister of the House of Faith on the planet of Nueterra. We send out this message as a personal greeting of friendship and welcome. My people are a simple and passionate race led by the desire to live in peace in this paradise we have strived so hard to build. Although we as a people do not believe in venturing outside our own planet we ask you to come seek us out and enjoy what our mother Goddess has to offer for you. If you triangulate the signal's point of origin you will find our happy planet. We look forward to meeting all of you.
As the message ended so to did the crackling static and whirr of the message. Kirk kept his ears pinned to the air waiting to hear more. McCoy gave up on his venture and looked towards Spock in confused irritants
McCOY: Spock, I thought you said it was a distress call! It sounds to me like a formal greeting
KIRK: Yeah, I mean…what's the deal?
SPOCK: Because gentlemen, this was the primary signal the ship was able to receive. With every transmission there is a set of codes that constitutes the transmissions rate of speed, audio tone, and length of the message. The reason why the ship could not decrypt the code was not because their technology was to advanced--
KIRK: It's because the ship couldn't read the defunked code
Spock raised an eyebrow at his captain's response
SPOCK: A crude adverb, but effective captain
McCOY: So why was the code distorted in the first place? Couldn't they have sent it like everyone else does?
SPOCK: I am uncertain as to the motive or circumstances that require such an act doctor. However I did take note to the sequence and repetition of the code.
Spock turns to face his consol and hastily enters a series of command functions. He looked up at the monitor scroll above his station where a small but very visible portion of the scroll was occupied by a series of numbers and letters. Both men looked at the visual confused. Spock once again stood facing his captain and doctor with his hands behind his back. It was clear the Vulcan was about to give a lecture. And when Spock gives a lecture, Kirk knew McCoy's patients would drag as long as Spock would talk.
SPOCK: These codes are the standardized codes that comprise of a standard subspace message. To be specific this is the code Lieutenant Uhura and myself used to standardize the message
McCoy: Yeah? So what's so special about that?
Kirk noticed his friend's patients was obviously running thin with the tone he used. He knew that McCoy was never one for technical jargon, but unfortunately technical jargon was all Spock knew. Spock raised an eyebrow and entered another series of commands before meeting the men's eyes once again.
SPOCK: Here is the original code we received from the original message. Since it was not standard code usage and repetition the ship could not isolate the message as standard.
McCOY: Great…now I'm getting a head ache!
Kirk stared at the screen almost as if he were in conflict with the repeating numbers. Low and behold, if anyone knew anything about Kirk; they would know that he hates to lose.
KIRK: 505 505 505 505? There's no letters…that's weird…
SPOCK: Indeed. I was equally perplexed captain
KIRK: Yeah…it looks familiar….
McCoy is obviously frustrated at the lack of knowledge he has in this particular field. But the passion was to much to contain any longer.
McCOY: Now you've both lost your minds! I don't see shit!
SPOCK: No one would expect you to doctor. Your training does not require you to know something as this, no matter how simple it may be
McCOY: What was that? Are you calling me stupid?! Why you green blooded in-humane son of a –
KIRK: Guys! Any other time I would love to roll out the wrestling mat but could we please just focus here?!
McCoy sighed, knowing that he had gone too far with Spock. But he didn't care. I wanted to plant the Vulcan six feet under a Georgian potato patch. He was thinking more of Jim and what he might do if he DIDN'T follow orders. All though he knew his friend was still just a kid, he knew as a captain he was as strict and stern as the rest of them.
McCOY: Aye sir…
SPOCK: Yes captain
KIRK: Sheesh! It's like having kids sometimes…
Still looking at the screen intently hoping to win this battle Kirk motioned behind him towards Uhura's station
KIRK: Hey, Uhura? Could you help us out with this?
Uhura: Sure…
She sighed as she immediately stopped what she was doing to meet the group. She still didn't like Kirk very much and would have rather told him to figure it out himself. But he IS the captain. Uhura stood next to Spock trying to stay as far away from the lecherous Kirk as much as possible. Spock quickly noticed her presents and resist the humanly urge to at least grin at her presence.
KIRK: What do you think? Look familiar?
Uhura stared at the screen as intently as Kirk. She didn't want to admit it but the two had a lot in common. Strong willed and stubborn. She took this opportunity to put this farm boy in his place. She grinned with an unusual amount of confidence
UHURA: Yeah it does. I think someone is using numbers to replace letters to make up a single message
KIRK: Yeah that's what I was thinking…*Still staring intently at the screen not looking Uhura in the eye* 505? What could that mean?
SPOCK: SOS
Both Kirk and Uhura looked at Spock in slight frustration. Neither one of them would have the satisfaction of proving the other wrong about each other today. But then again, Spock always liked to say there were possibilities. Kirk laughed to himself a little.
McCOY: How the hell do you get SOS from 505?
KIRK: Think about it Bones. Doesn't 5 look an awful lot like S?
SPOCK: And 0 shares the same physical resemblance as O
UHURA: Thought so
Yeah, sure you did...Thought Kirk
McCOY: Ok, wonderful! But why would anyone encode a message inside another one?
SPOCK: Possibly to conceal their plight to others
McCOY: But who?
Kirk fought to keep from smiling. He knew exactly what it was
KIRK: Guys, someone out there needs our help. Are we just going to ignore it?
SPOCK: Captain, normally I would allow you to command however you see fit but in this case I must remind you of Starfleet's Prime Directive of Non Interference.
KIRK: True but I also have standing orders to seek out and contact alien life. And we don't know if this is an internal problem so we might as well check it out.
SPOCK: Yes sir. But may I also remind you sir that-
KIRK: Oh Spock lighten up a bit will ya?
Kirk gives Spock a taunting grin before patting his first officer on the back and leaving the group for his captain's chair in the middle of the bridge. Spock raised an eyebrow and took one last look to the captain before meeting eyes with a still brooding doctor McCoy
SPOCK: Lighten up doctor?
McCOY: Yeah, it means smile more. And stop being so damned serious
McCoy moves to stand by his captain who is already sitting in his chair ready to bark out his commanding orders. He rested one arm on the chair's arm rest leaning on it leisurely. Kirk pressed the com button on his chair.
KIRK: Scotty! We need warp factor six can you do that for me buddy?
SCOTT: Ay sit on tha engine and nurse them ma self sir! Warp six eh is
KIRK: Mr. Sulu. Lay in a course 3732 mark 21. Let's follow some bread crumbs
Sulu grinned at his captain's humorous command and rapidly entered in the course
SULU: Aye sir! Course plotted and laid in sir
Spock looked at his bridge crew one more time in apprehension before returning to his station
Most illogical….