Six

Nathan Wuornos

They separate the three cosplayers and begin with the man who is the obvious leader, even if he wasn't currently dressed as Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. He simply exudes an air of command behind his boyish facade.

Spock is deadpan and placidly follows Stan to a separate interview room while McCoy, glowering darkly at everyone and everything, is put into an office with one of the other detectives.

Nathan and Audrey sit down across from Kirk, who's assessing them just like they're assessing him, an arrogant smirk on his face.

Audrey starts the tape recorder then leans forward and says, "For the record, please state your name, occupation, and current address."

"My name is James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise."

Audrey sighs. "Your real name. Please."

The man frowns and Nathan has a dawning certainty that his confusion is genuine.

"I am Captain James T. Kirk—"

"James T. Kirk is a character on a television show," Audrey says, her voice flat. "How did you know about our missing person?"

The man—Kirk, for lack of another name for now—sits back. "I assure you, Detective, I am a real person, with a real starship parked in orbit around your planet."

"Right," Nathan says. "Where were you born?"

"Iowa."

"At least we're finally getting somewhere," Audrey mutters. "Town and date of birth?"

"Riverside, March 22, 2233."

Nathan and Audrey stare expressionlessly at Kirk. Kirk spreads his hands out in a shrug.

"You asked," he says.

"Mr., uh, Kirk," Audrey says, leaning forward, "I appreciate you're in costume and you're trying to stay in character, but I have a young woman I'm trying to find. You and your buddies waltzed in here and claimed to have information about her abduction. I strongly—strongly—warn you that now is not the time to pretend to be someone you are not."

Kirk leans forward as well, his blue eyes intent and serious and never wavering from Audrey's. "Trust me, Detective, I know. I am not pretending to be someone I'm not, and the less time you waste on trying to understand that, the more time you'll have to actually investigate the crime and we can help that poor girl before things go from bad to worse."

Audrey's eyes narrow and Nathan can practically see her mind working.

He says, "Alright, Mr. Kirk, we'll play it your way. For now. What can you tell us about the abduction? Did you and your friends witness it?"

"No. We received a distress signal."

"A distress signal from a young woman who's been kidnapped? How did she contact your ship?"

For the first time, Kirk looks uncertain then he shakes his head. "I don't know. All I know is she's in trouble. She needs help. She needs us."

*/*/*/*/*

Nathan follows Audrey out of the interview room and they huddle together in the hallway.

"What do you think?" he says.

She crosses her arms and shakes her head. "He's committed to his role-play, that's for sure."

"Maybe..."

She gives him a disbelieving stare. "You can't think he's really a fictional character come to life!"

Nathan rolls his eyes. "This is Haven, Parker. Have you met us?"

She pauses, blinking. "Oh, god..."

Nathan glances around and steps closer, lowering his voice. "Look, Captain Kirk in there is positive he received a distress signal from a girl who, if she's been kidnapped the way we think, has no access to a phone let alone a communicator to a mythical starship roaming the universe...yet he knows she's in trouble."

"Or he's a delusional witness. Or he's the one who kidnapped her."

Nathan smiles a little at that. "There's an easy way to find out if he's telling the truth."

"Oh, really."

Nathan leans closer, his smile widening. "If he's telling the truth, then we have a real live alien here in the station. An alien with green blood."

*/*/*/*/*

Gloria shakes her head as she ties the rubber band around Spock's arm.

"Just when you think you've heard it all," she says. She glances up at him as she prepares the needle, her gaze searching. "Gotta admit, you've done a good job. There are a few differences, but for the most part you look just like him."

Spock raises one eyebrow. "I assure you, Doctor, this is truly how I look."

"Huh. Even the ears?"

His eyebrow inches higher. "Yes, Doctor, even the ears."

Gloria shakes her head and bends to the task of drawing a small tube of blood for testing.

She holds it up to the light.

There's silence as everyone stares at the tinge of green glinting through the glass vial.

*/*/*/*/*