Spock woke and realized he was still restricted in his movements and heard the sound that had assisted him into his fully awakened state. A voice, an angry but soft voice not far from him.
"Thought you were going to drop out of warp, huh? Thought there was nothing I could use to make you give us warp two? It may not be what your designers had in mind but you are again giving us warp two point two and more, aren't you? Was always told to cut it big and kick it into place and that usually works. No doubt the Captain and Mister Scott will really doubt my sanity but we will be on the Enterprise when they do."
"I highly doubt if we should make it to the Enterprise that either the Captain or Mister Scott would or could doubt your lucidity and ability to get a display piece to get us from the planet to the ship. Might I ask what the problem was?"
Jenkins moved to where Spock could see him and Jenkins first offered him some water, holding it out in his left hand, which Spock gratefully sipped. "Just that my first patch job was losing power and we still need about another five hours at at least warp two for them to know we're coming. Also a few panels were threatening to come off."
"I highly doubt if an innate object, such as the panels, would threaten."
"Okay, they were giving signs that they were unstable. I just had to do a quick cut and paste to see that did not happen."
"You mentioned losing warp power."
"Just needed some rewiring and new metal bits."
For a minute as he looked at the man Spock thought of what would have been involved and then remembered Jenkins had used his left hand whereas before, when he had been tending him before, it had been with his right hand.
"May I see you right hand?"
A flicker of uncertainty or panic crossed Jenkins's face before he held up a bandaged hand, "It bit me. Nothing serious. Can still feel and still move the fingers."
Just for a moment was Spock about to comment that machinery does not, in fact bite, but Jenkins was holding, in his good hand, a bottle of water for him to take a sip from. It was a clear indication he had finished discussing the matter.
"My question, Captain, is why waste energy on the scan and transport when the outcome will be the same and the energy could better be used to increase our warp speed? It is, after all, just space junk."
Kirk looked at the officer. Now he was hearing what Spock had. There was just enough of an intonation of imagined, almost delusional, superiority in the way the question was asked that Kirk just slowly shook his head. A myriad of answers came to him but he just looked at Wallin silently for a moment then said, We will be doing so because I am the Captain and it is my decision. We also are uncertain if it is just space junk as you call it."
It was clear that Wallin had not expected that answer and before he could comment Kirk looked at Sulu, "Sulu, any change on that reading on whatever that is?"
"There has been a drop in its speed,"
"Told you, it is just space junk and has lost its initial inertia." Kirk turned to look at Wallin just in time to catch sight of a smug self-righteous look that matched his tone, "Just like all the other items that have been expelled by the planet. It is,"
Sulu turned and looked at Wallin then at Kirk, "There was a near total power outage then it came back at warp four, dropped to warp two point two, and now is holding at warp three point one, Now back to warp two point two and holding, Sir."
"That is impossible!" Wallin turned quickly and looked back through his scanner. "It is physically impossible."
When Jenkins put the bottle down Spock again looked at his hand, "How exactly did it," for a moment he paused as it was an illogical question, "bite you?"
Jenkins briefly looked at his hand, "When you don't have the tools you need you use what you got." he grinned at Spock, "Not too sure if it was a barb or metal that was in the way or a wire I grabbed to move out of the way. Main thing is we go the impulse back and I got just a little more out of it. We are on about warp three."
"You are not in engineering."
Again Jenkins grinned, "No, Sir. Not officially. Officially I am Security but because I have acquired so many skills, according to Starfleet, that Captain Kirk has me pin-balling from engineering to security to sciences. I fit in where I am needed when I am needed."
Spock looked at the man and nodded. He had seen the man often at posts that were different and when he checked the rosters he had seen that Jenkins was relieving for an officer who was unwell. Just before this mission he had checked back on the rosters as he had once again see Jenkins relieving for a person in science lad three when he had just been on a shift in engineering. There were one hundred and eight times in the last standard year when he had been double shifting which was contra to procedures. He was going to mention it to the Captain when the present emergency had arisen.
"You also obviously have had medical training, although I doubt if Doctor McCoy would approve of how you have attended to your hand."
"He has often told me that my methods are highly effective and functional while god-awful in appearance." He reached out and adjusted a strap across Spock's chest which instantly made his breathing much easier. "Only had it that tight as was not sure about your ribs. I know, well, have heard that Vulcan can more or less self-heal but thought it might help if you kept still. If you like I will remove,"
"No, no thank you. Perhaps on this occasion my being secure is best as I have not been able to fully assess the possibilities of damage to my upper vertebrae. If I might ask one thing of you," Spock wondered how Jenkins would react to what he had to ask.
