Thanks again to all the many, many readers our there! And thanks for the thumbs up Ann. Appreciated muchly.
CHAPTER FIVE
The third floor of Star Fleet Headquarters had only recently been transformed into a data library for usage of Federation personnel, cadets from the Academy, a few private groups, the media and Star Fleet. Oddly, the latter of the listed, seem to be the ones who had forgotten they had such institute in the building. Rarely did you find a member from any of the branches of Star Fleet in the up-to-date, modern, sleek, expensively furbished library. Occasionally, a someone from Engineering or the Medical branch would make a quick flight in and then back again, usually picking up something they had put on hold. Not often though. It had come to the point that the staff were more suspicious of anyone who claimed to be with Star Fleet than anything else, and would frequently ask for identification. And they tended to be real sticklers on the matter.
As the lift dumped them off into the library, Kirk glanced around the wide, open space and seriously wondered why he had been here before now. It was a cross between The Crystal Garden, the Library of Congress, and the Maritime Museum. Ferns, native wild flowers, and bonsai tree's had been carefully planted into small landscaped area in corners, around columns and miniature patches about the reference desk. While overhead models of four master's, clippers, galleons, and war ships, hung from invisible lines, like ghosts progressing into a perfect time line from the lifts towards the windows that looked out at Golden Gate Bridge. It was a scene that felt as if it had been ripped from the pages of a some child's fairy tale and was had taken away the breath of the two veteran Star Fleet officers still standing just outside the turbolift door's.
"I don't remember any libraries that I was forced to use ever looking a thing like this." Murmured the Doctor his pale blue eyes scanning the surrounding ferns and miniature evergreens that encase the turbolift. "It's good to see 'go green' is alive and well, but this could also bolster the idea that it isn't easy to be green. AlthoughI mighta went more often to the local book depository if they had had the foresight, and more importantly the money to do something like this. Maybe even checked out a book or two."
Eyes following the line of ships that were painstakingly strung across the room, Kirk was smiling in a faint boyish manner. "But back then starfleet didn't have the Significant Other Auxiliary to press the issue of how donation money was to be spent toward the best benefit of all the patrons of said department. If they had I may have found more time to actually study while I was in the Academy."
"And maybe you wouldn't had to spend all that time cheating at the end then." McCoy said giving his friend one of his infamous mischievous side looks before glancing around the expansive room again to get some bearings. "So where do we go from here?"
Eyeing the Doctor stingingly, Kirk refrained from saying the first thought that came to mind and then the second, before he finally answered. "I think the main reference desk is at the back of the library. There should be somebody there even on late Saturday afternoon I would think."
"One would hope so." Sighed Bones as he followed Jim through the man made forest glade. "I had to think what these kids would look up if they were left on their own."
There was a split second that Kirk wavered in his step and shot a look back at the Doctor, while a corner of his mouth twitched upwards a centimeter or two. He often wondered if McCoy exhibited his somewhat bitter disdain towards the younger set in his classes at any given time, even if it was for the most part feigned on his part. Somehow he doubted it. Even if they were aware that the good Doctor's attitude was faux, Kirk couldn't see the cadets and medical students letting him get away with for too long. Unlike the Captain and crew of the 'Enterprise'.
The pair of officers made their way towards the back of the library at more leisurely pace, taking in the ironically storybook environment that was all around them. Kirk couldn't help but half expect one of the lost boys to jump out from the ferns at any given second, followed by a gang of pirates, his mind drifting back to the pages of Peter Pan. His eyes moved overhead again, drawn instantly to the row to ships, giving each one an appreciative look over until the hazel gaze slipped on to the familiar outline of the original 1701 'U.S.S. Enterprise'. Appropriately enough it was at the head of the line of ships, it's bow seemingly only a few inches from the windows as if it was on the verge of slipping into warp drive and breaking away easily from it's invisible moorings off to that one time final frontier.
A pang of regret went through him, and he quickly jerked his eyes away from the model before the feeling had crept it's way into his gaze. Everything around him had a way of reminding him of the life that he foolishly believed he could live without after stepping down from the 'Enterprise'. Admittedly it was his own fault, especially after deciding to take up the position at the Academy and found himself having to face the fact every single morning when he awoke. He was idiotic enough to have actually thought that staying close to HQ and the Academy, would somehow satiate his need to be part of Star Fleet. He discovered almost immediately, that it didn't. Not by a long way. And since that second that he come to that conclusion, he been silently brooding his days away.
Blinking to break up the dismal thought pattern he had started, Kirk sucked in a deep breath and found himself standing in front of the vegetation swathed reference desk. Ferns, moss, wild flowers, and giant mushrooms were sprouting from every spot available, save for the narrow counter space and computer screens that were tilted away from the prying eyes of patrons. The sound of a tiny frog chirping could be heard among the flora, serenading the two men as they waited, as seeing that the area had apparently been vacated by the librarian at the moment.
Spreading some of the greenery apart, Kirk managed to find a bare spot on the counter to lean against as they waited. Beside him, he noticed McCoy giving the counter a long faintly caustic look, as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to touch any part of it. Nature and the Doctor had a bad habit of clashing for the most part, with McCoy usually getting the brunt of the conflicts.
"I wonder how many Vulcans have wandered in here thinking this a salad bar." McCoy finally said when he saw the inquiring gaze Kirk was giving him.
A half a smile managed to come through on to Kirk's face as he gave the moss enclosed counter another quick glance, just as one of the librarians returned to her post once noticing the Captain and Doctor.
"Let me guess Jim. Your lost, right."
Looking up when he heard the voice, his half smile dimmed ever so minutely then grew a quick couple of centimeters. "Suzanne. What a surprise to find you here. I thought you were transferred to the library at the Academy."
An eyebrow rose at a dubious angle over an ash gray eye that was filled with an equal amount of skepticism aimed directly at Captain Kirk. "I was stationed at the Academy library, Jim. I was transferred to the HQ's library when they reopened it. Of course, if you would attend an actual staff meeting once while you're here Jim, or come to one of the function's when invited, you would know these things."
"Yea, well,…." Hesitating Kirk glanced over at McCoy who was still trying to find a spot to rest an arm on without coming into contact with any of the greenery. "I like what they've done to the place."
"You wouldn't if you had to work here." Complained the librarian running a hand through her short dark brown hair, as she looked around the reference area with exasperation. "If the vegetarians aren't nibbling at the plants, I have amateur botanist's in here yelling about how our people destroyed true nature to create our own pseudo nature. Then the other day I actually had one of the Ambassador's wives come in here and want to know if she can bury her dog under one of our miniature redwoods, since it was one of his favorite spots. And if I have to listen to any more of these nature soundtracks, I think I'll actually crying right in the middle of the periodicals. Those frogs are really getting to me."
"Every department has their share of problems." Agreed Kirk, deciding it was time to get on with their business, before he had listen to another string of complaints.
"Which brings me back to why are you here Jim? I'm not saying that I'm not happy to see you, but I seriously don't see you as a man who has to patrol the local libraries for some,..company." She edited herself when her own eyes darting towards the Doctor, who gave her a faint crooked smile well aware of what she meant. "So what do you want, that I'm probably not supposed to do to begin with?"
Ignoring the short quiet chortle from McCoy, Kirk let his own smile grow another beguiling millimeter or two. "Nothing quiet that drastic Suzanne. We just want to look through some files and news reports."
The eyebrow twitched, as she blinked dubiously at Kirk then shot another look over at McCoy before giving the Captain a speculative stare. "Really? Who or what are you looking for?"
Pausing, Kirk took a quick moment to determine what he wanted to tell the woman. No doubt what he did spit out for an answer, she would question him more on the matter, out of pure curiosity not for some obscure deceptive purpose. He nearly let the smile expand a few more centimeters when he realized that in matter of a handful of hours he was already back into his old working mode of thinking. It wasn't so much of suspicion towards her that made him hesitate, but uneasiness in what trouble may come out of this if he and the Doctor did find anything out of the ordinary.
"Whatever we can find out about Telcron and Dalcrom from the last year." He said finally his charismatic hazel gaze easily meeting the somewhat surprised soft gray stare.
"Thinking about investing with them, or looking for a new job?" There was still a hint of inquisitiveness in her face as she moved to one of the computer consoles behind the counter.
"Neither." Grunted McCoy from his spot among the moss. "Star Fleet doesn't pay us enough, and our credentials wouldn't pass Dalcrom's security."
Both Kirk and the librarian looked over in the Doctor's direction. One in puzzlement, while the other pure annoyance.
"We have an,...acquaintance who wanted to know what we could find out about the two companies. You could say it's research for a project." Kirk replied feeling somewhat clever at the fact that he didn't have to come up with some story that even he would have a hard time believing.
"Probably because that's all you're going to tell me, right Jim." Suzanne murmured, not looking up from the computer screen as a growing list appeared that were all connected to either the name of Telcron or Dalcrom. "All right then, what is it exactly you want? Files on both companies before the buy out or what happened afterwards?"
"Is there anything about the fire at the Dalcrom main offices in the files you've got up?" He asked wondering what the public take was the fire that seemingly took place in the wrong building to a certain physician.
Scanning the screen, as she scrolled through the mass of reports and files, Suzanne paused when her eye came across one that she knew instantly would get the Admiral's attention. "I have the report from the both the Federation and Star Fleet Security inspectors, that were assigned to the investigation, if that would pique your interest."
"Really?" The word came out in a disappointed tone, as Kirk realized that if the reports were so readily available even after this many month's then the investigator hadn't found anything that would qualify as even being undetermined. "I would like to look at both of those, as well as anything else on the fire that seems prevalent."
"What about Telcron? Do you want anything on it before Dalcrom bought them out? Or do you just want what we have after the sale?" She shot a quick look up at Kirk as she spoke, an all business cast appearing in the dove gray gaze. "I can sift through the files. There are several dozen's of them otherwise."
"Wonderful." Sighed McCoy straightening up from his perch and began to do some serious searching for a place to sit down.
Pursing his lips as he listened to the librarian, Kirk stared out the window behind the reference counter at the overcast sky. This may have become more of a task than he had anticipated, it suddenly dawned on him.
"Do you have any files pertaining to Kersin Werwix, Morlix Tane, Kasper Rossenber and Toni Finnegan?" He inquired his gaze slowly sliding back down to the woman behind the computer.
Rescanning the files, she absently began chewing on her lower lip. "I have files on all of them. Someone must be getting ready for a shake up. Tane's and Rossenber's have both been updated within the past week. The others are older, but should be pretty accurate, considering everything. I'll filter through the rest, and send it over to viewing area's six and seven. Even with all the sifting, it's still going to take both of you awhile to get through all of it."
"Just another exciting Saturday evening." Grumbled McCoy, his pale eyes narrowing as he surveyed the jungle-infested room for anything with the numbers six or seven burned, engraved or tattooed on it. "I'll see if I can something to sit on that doesn't have toadstools growing on it."
Watching McCoy meander his way to the right side of the room, Kirk shook his head in partial amusement. He knew that the man didn't have to stay and help him with this. He had made it obvious what his thoughts on the matter were from the moment Toni Finnegan had started talking. Yet, he hadn't made any murmur of not sticking around. Typical of the man. He may talk a good argument and may act as if he lacked the enthusiasm to want to get involved, but in the end he was always one of the first in line to do what he could for the cause.
"Now, tell me Jim. The truth." Standing up from her computer station, Suzanne walked back over to the counter a sly smile on her face as she leaned across the spongy surface. "There is no way you're doing this kind of research out of the complete goodness of your heart for this 'acquaintance'. So, level with me. This friend wouldn't happen to be some poor young girl who is desperate need of a kind hearted instructor, who obviously has been around long enough to hear about you yet."
A small wicked grin flashed on to Kirk's face, as he glanced back at the librarian. "Jealous Suzie?"
"Not hardly." She snorted back pushing herself back from the counter again. "Remember Jim, I've known you a few more years than these poor young children have. Don't forget I've been on the opposite end of that line of tender amorous bravado of yours, so don't stand there and give me that great innocent look either."
Also straightening up from the counter, Kirk let the grin slip back down to small smile. "Well don't worry Suzanne. The safety of our up and coming Star Fleet troops is still in tack."
"For today anyway." Murmured the librarian as a junior officer approached the reference counter, and she slide down in his direction.
Flashing a mock look of hurt in the direction of the woman as he moved away from the counter to join McCoy at the viewing area that was tucked away into a small alcove. For the most part, he had always been perhaps a bit too pleased of his somewhat notorious romantic interludes, but he had to admit that after awhile he was getting tired of the insinuation's that everything he went out of his way to do always lead back to a dewy eyed young woman. Not that this particular incident didn't, but it still was getting a little annoying. There was a hesitation in his step as he thought to himself, God, does that mean I am getting old?
Pushing back a few strands of simulated Spanish moss to one side, he stepped into the tight alcove, that barely had room for the viewing station let alone anything else. Sitting on the left side of the table, McCoy shifted around in his hard plastic seat trying to find a comfortable spot that also allowed him some minor breathing space.
"Do you want me to have them move the table out until you're comfortable?" Inquired Kirk giving the Doctor an amused gaze before peering over at the other chair and immediately frowned which he quickly covered up before McCoy saw it.
Finally squaring himself up directly in front of the blank screen, McCoy scowled peevishly at Kirk. "Listen, I'm here and I'm attempting to help. I don't need your cute humor right now. Besides, sit down and tell me another one of your witticism."
An eyebrow twitched in both irritation and tentativeness as Kirk eyed the chair and the evident minimal space between the table and the alcove wall. With some care, as not to draw any more attention from the Doctor, he sucked in a breath and swiftly slipped in behind the table. After a moment of readjusting the chair and silently thanking whoever was listening for deterring him from having desert the last couple of nights, Kirk smugly gazed over the partition between the screens at the disgusted McCoy.
"I supposed you'll be gloating over that the rest of the weekend." He grumbled as the screen's suddenly hummed to life, as the two men entered their identification codes into the system. "So, any idea of what we should be looking for? Or can I just pick out anything, if you'll let me go home?"
"Just read, Bones. If you see anything that doesn't sound right to you, shout." Kirk said, as he accessed the first file. "I'll do the same if I find something. And I'm not meaning typographical error's either Bones."
A harrumphing noise rolled from the Doctor side of the table as he settled in for what would undoubtedly be a long lackluster evening. True, he hadn't planned on doing a single thing for the evening, but Jim had no reason to know that he didn't have any social life.
Forty five minutes later, Kirk paused long enough to rub his eyes that were stinging from running through page after page of incredibly tiny print, on reports and files that he wasn't completely sure he understood. Business was not his forte, mostly because he had little if any interest in any such matters. The lack of sufficient finances undoubtedly explained this. That and the fact that it didn't quite have the same heart pounding, blood pressure raising exhilaration as the life of a Star Fleet Captain, did for the one time kid from Iowa.
Slumping in the hard plastic chair, he clinked his tired eyes again, then glanced over the partition at McCoy, who was staring at his computer screen with a familiar bleary eyed expression. Apparently the Doctor hadn't found anything too significant either and Kirk was beginning to wonder if his friend wasn't right, that he was trying to find something to break up his boredom.
Maybe he was. Subconsciously it was possible, he realized. Spock would've been able to give a long, complicated explanation to him on the subject, but he doubted that it would've made him feel any better. In the back of his mind he accepted the fact that he was more than a little desperate for something to do other than take attendance and keep those did show up for class awake for the duration.
On the other hand, he was unable to shake the feeling that maybe there was something to all of this, if the girl had been telling the truth about the fire and the possibility of Star Fleet falling into hands of an enemy. Of course, it all could wind up being some colossal bad joke on her part for being fired from the Dalcrom and that brought a faint wince to Kirk's face when he thought of the reaction from his peer's once they heard. But her evident anger and apprehension when she had spoken to them kept interrupting his self-reproach, solidifying his belief that something was definitely a miss in Dalcrom.
Running a hand over his face once more, he plodded on opening the next file and leveled a jaded gaze at the screen as the report came up. He was only three sentences in when the weary eyes suddenly came back to blazing life, as they instantly reread the words over again and then once more. Whatever tiredness he had been feeling had suddenly dissipated as he sat back slowly in his chair, his hazel stare widen a sliver in silent disbelief as he gazed back out into the main library.
Only seconds had ticked away, when McCoy looked up from his own viewscreen, breaking into the Admiral's tense reverie. "Hey, I think I may have actually found something."
Blinking at the Doctor, Kirk at first didn't act as if he heard then pushed himself out his seat, glancing at the report on his own viewscreen one more time before joining McCoy on the otherside of the table.
Unaware of the still lingering marks of his dazed reaction remaining on his face, Kirk didn't notice the questioning look in McCoy's eyes as he moved in a little closer beside the Doctor to read the report.
It took a couple of seconds for him to refocus his gaze on the Doctor's viewscreen and quickly scan the article that McCoy had up. The article itself was only a few paragraphs, but it's author unknowingly had embedded a possible clue within the handful of words that they had written. A clue, if that's what it truly was, that caused a tiny knot to begin forming in the pit of Kirk's stomach as he scanned the words again.
In brief, it simply and almost innocently reported that Dalcrom had been renovating a number of Telcron's still existing facilities, specifically those located along the infamous 'Circle of Fire' that encompassed the Pacific Ocean. This included Japan, Hawaii and Washington where the company had original been formed over a hundred and fifty years ago. Apparently these locations were being considered more advantageous for the company, for what reason it didn't say, but it was an accommodating decision since they were also seeing fit to close a few of their own plants. One in western Europe and one stationed within the domed base on the moon. Something that even the author found odd. The short article consisted of nothing more, other than Kasper Rossenber hearty guarantee of no positions being lost by their valuable employees.
'Right.' Thought Kirk as he straightened up, ignoring the faint flare of pain in his back as he did so. His mind was more concerned with adding this with the information that Toni had given them and coming up with four than a minor back spasm. It was too much of a coincidence not to take notice in his way of thinking, as it had with McCoy who was gazing expectantly up at Kirk.
"What's the date on the file?" He asked after taking in a half hearted deep breath while moving back around to his own chair.
Squinting at the miniscule numbers at the top of the file, McCoy took a moment to double check before answering. "May 23rd this year. That would be a month to the day before the fire at the Dalcrom's head offices."
Slouching down into his seat, Kirk's frown deepened as did his contemplation. Considering the time, his idea's were already beginning to change on the situation. He had no clear idea of what it all could mean, and there wasn't enough pieces to even begin sorting out a lucid picture. With what he did have though, all be it, a scant few strands of speculation, guess work and compunction, he didn't like the image he was visualizing in the empty areas.
Slowly rising to his feet, McCoy laid a forearm along the top of the viewscreen, an eyebrow rising in a hesitant action. He wasn't quite sure if Jim's sudden subdued nature pertained to the Dalcrom matter or whatever he had been reading on his own viewscreen. Which ever it was, he could tell just by the dour expression on his friend's face that he was not going to enjoy listening to the account that he would be forced to pry from Kirk.
"So Jim, what is it you're thinking?"
Gradually looking up at McCoy over the partition, Kirk's eyes swept over his computer screen again and the frown tightened as he spoke, his gaze meeting the Doctor's face. "The fire."
"The fire?" Repeated McCoy puzzlement filling his pale blue eyes. "What about it?"
"I'm beginning to think that Miss Finnegan may have been mistaken." He murmured letting his gaze fall back to the screen, his eyes staring at it, precisely two words, until his vision blurred and brought him back as he blinked then looked up at McCoy again. "About the fire at least."
"So you're saying that the possibility of the destruction of Star Fleet is possible, but the fire was a figment of her imagination. If that's consolation Jim, it needs work." Grunted McCoy absently glancing out of the alcove as a pair of young women walked by and curiously peeked into the area inhabited by the two veteran officers.
Scowling irritably at the comment, Kirk followed McCoy's appreciative gaze out into the main room of the library and he relaxed slightly as he spoke again. "Let's say that I think if Miss. Finnegan had been released or not that day, there was still going to be a fire that night at Dalcrom's offices."
This brought the Doctor's other eyebrow to match it's twin. "Why do I feel the sudden need to find a nice quiet spot where no prying eyes or ears are targeting us."
A corner of Kirk's mouth twitched at McCoy's dry reaction, well aware of what the tone was hinting at. Taking in a deep thoughtful breath, he glanced over at his viewscreen again and the corner of his mouth twitched once more as his eyes were drawn back to the pair of words. To the name.
"Let's get back to my apartment." He said after a ten second span of lost reflection, as he rose from his chair again and absently glanced at his wrist chronometer. "I want to stop at the reference desk before we leave. I want copies of the files we didn't get to sent to my apartment. I have a feeling they may warrant a little look see."
A familiar small genuine smile appeared on the Doctor's face as he straightened up from the viewing station. "Well, there must be something in all of this or you wouldn't be pulling out those kinda words already. 'Look see'. I don't suppose I could persuade you to change your mind about this whole modest scheme if I said that it's possible that we're just a pair of paranoid old Star Fleet Officers who get bored easily and have too much time on their hands."
There was a faltering movement in Kirk's first step, as he gave his friend a dubious look. "If I shocked you Bones, and said yes, would you be able to walk away from it without so much as one curious look back? Just one?"
Silent for a couple of heartbeats, McCoy considered the question his pale blue gaze becoming extremely meditative as his faint smile grew. "No. I don't think I could. But not for the same reason that you have."
Faltering again, Kirk let his own smile return. "Really Bones. And what would that difference be?"
Clasping his hands behind his back, McCoy gave the Admiral his best prudent look he could muster from the corner of his eye. "Myself it would be the possible destruction of Star Fleet and civilization as we know it, that would motivate me. You on the other hand, it would just happen to be the prettiest, playful pair of brown eyes you've seen in a while, Jim."
Staring at McCoy in a mixture of amusement and mock shock, Kirk took a moment to respond. ""I was right the first time, wasn't I Bones. You're jealous."
"No Jim, I'm not." Reaffirmed McCoy with a single shake of his graying head, before meeting Kirk's gaze again. "I've just learn to live with reality better."
-/-
TBC