"Let's go down to the engine room," Kirk said to Spock.

The Vulcan looked at his Captain, confusion plainly evident in his eyes, but he followed Kirk into the lift anyway. "May I ask as to why we're going to the engine room?"

"Well why shouldn't we?"

Spock could site many reasons as to why Kirk should not leave the bridge, some of the Regulation and others personal. Who knew what kind of damage could be done to the ship by allowing Kirk to wander aimlessly through it. "Do you have a reason or no?" It had seemed, to Spock anyway, that ever since the Enterprise had returned home, that Kirk had been doing his best to not cause any friction between them.

"First of all, I'm bored. Second, I promised Gaila I would go check on a friend of hers."

Spock raised an eyebrow in, but didn't comment, choosing instead to ponder the question of how to get Kirk back to the bridge as soon as possible. He did not like being a babysitter. The doors opened and they stepped out, walking towards Lieutenant Scott. There was a blonde woman next to him, and as she turned, her green eyes locked onto Spock's and he recognized her immediately. Of course, how could he forget her? She had made his Advanced Quantum Physics class quite interesting, to say the least, but why was she down here? He was quite aware that Montgomery Scott had requested a few new engineers, but last her checked the girl was only nineteen.

"Ah, Cap'n, Commander Spock," Scott said, noticing their presence.

"Hey Scotty! How things down here?"

"She's still movin' ain't she?"

"Good point."

"Of course it's a good point. Hey! Get aff, get down from there! What is it with you and climbin' things?"

Scotty walked off, ranting still at his alien friend from Delta Vega, and Kirk turned to Paget. "Gaila wants to see you tonight. She mentioned something about missing you."

"It's only been two days. How can that woman possibly miss me that much?" Paget asked.

Kirk shrugged, "maybe she's clingy."

They both knew the ridiculousness of that statement and Paget rolled her eyes at him. "Captain, I need to speak with you for a moment," Spock interjected.

They stepped away from Paget and Kirk asked, "what is it?"

"She's under age to be down in the engine room."

"Oh please, Chekov is seventeen, yet he's on board."

Spock noticed that Kirk purposely didn't mention the engine room. He knew the rules as well as anyone, he just chose to ignore the majority of them. "Chekov does not spend his days in the engine room."

"Come on Spock, she's brilliant. Besides, the bridge is just as dangerous as the rest of the ship, so that age limit thing is ridiculous. And the Academy board backed my decision." Spock doubted this, but there was no point in arguing with the captain, since he knew that it would only lead in two directions, both of which Spock would not retrace again. Kirk changed the subject quite suddenly, "well since everything seems to be in order down here, what do you think about visiting Bones?"

"I'd rather be on the bridge, personally, and I believe you should also."

"Then go, I can take care of myself." Kirk once again only listened to the part that he wanted to hear, and Spock gave a mental shrug before leaving the captain, who went back to say something else to Scott.


Paget leaned her back against the lift and rubbed her neck. She didn't know why she was stressing out, it's not like working in the engine room was hard work, not yet anyway, and she doubted it was because she was worried about being in space. It was only a huge, dark, soundless expanse that could kill you in less than twenty seconds. Sighing, Paget stepped out and went to her room, opening the door and she was immediately assaulted by Gaila. "What are you doing here?" she asked as soon as her friend let go.

"Well it's good to see you too." Gaila attempted to pout, but she was in to good of a mood to keep it from turning into a smile. "So what's it like in the engine room?"

"Loud, but it's fun."

"As well it should be considering it's what you love to do. So did you hear where we're headed?"

No one in engineering knew much about anything unless it was announced, and even then most paid little to no attention, so she shook her head, "nope, but I'm going to assume it's a planet."

"Wow, you are smart," Gaila said sarcastically. "Anyway, we're going to Tyree."

Paget tilted her head, as far as she knew Tyree was a Class M desert planet that was largely uninhabited. "What's going on there?"

"We don't know. Uhura found an emergency distress signal coming from the planet so we're sending out a search and rescue team in the morning."

"I hope someone told Scotty," Paget said, laying back on her bed. "He's not going to be too happy if he has to get a shuttle ready just before the Captain decides he wants to leave."

"You're calling him Scotty now?" Gaila asked, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Is there something you should be telling me?"

"I don't think so, why?" Paget asked, leaning up on her elbows with a look of confusion.

"Well you did just call him Scotty. Kirk's the only one I've heard do that."

"Gaila, he's like…double my age!"

The green skinned girl hopped onto the bed noisily, "so? What's age go to do with anything?" Paget opened her mouth to give what should have been a very smart response, but she couldn't think of anything. She was, however, saved as the doors slid open to allow in her roommate. She looked at the two girls almost disdainfully, and with a somewhat suspicious look, not that Paget could really blame her. Paget was lying on her bed, propped up on her elbows, and Gaila was leaning over her, one arm on the other side of her friend's legs. "Some people are so judgmental," Gaila sighed, patting Paget's cheek and give her a wink and a sly smile before she left.


"Dammit Jim! Put that down!" Bones growled, pulling the hypo from his friend's hand. "If all you did was come down here to annoy me then I suggest you leave. Unless you want another vaccine."

Jim grimaced, remembering the last time Bones had given him a vaccine to "help" him. The worst part had been the weird, leaking feeling. "I came down for a reason," Jim said quickly as the doctor started to reach for a sedative.

"Well what is it?" Jim hopped up onto one the of the beds only to be pulled back down by Bones, "stay off."

"Tomorrow morning we'll be arriving at Tyree. And emergency signal was picked up, so we're sending out a team to see if we can find anyone."

"And you want med bay to be ready for any injured that come aboard," Bones finished.

"Exactly!"

Bones stared at his friend for a moment before asking, "you're not planning on going, are you?"

"I suggested it, but then Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu told me no, all at the same time mind you, and then Spock began in on how illogical it would be for me to go down and risk my life."

"Good. I'd rather not have to be putting you in a body bag." Jim's eyes widened slightly and Bones took a wary step back, "what?"

"That's your way of saying you care!"

"Don't push your luck kid," Bones warned as Jim came toward him with open arms. Jim didn't stop and Bones reached for the sedative the captain had been playing with earlier. "I will use this on you."