Chapter 8

by Starsinger

We start the adventurous year that happens between 2009 and ID. Also, Jim meets Jo. Don't own them.

To answer a question, if I understand how this works correctly, feel free to contradict me fans of Ms McCaffrey's universe if you feel differently, this is how it works. Jim's brain and nerves are connected to the "shell" in such a way as to control the shell. It's how the "shellperson" controls the "shell". When a shellperson becomes part of a brainship all the sensors on the shell are turned off for a few hours where they can feel, hear, and see nothing, they are also anesthetized so the experience is simply unnerving. The ship's main sensors are attached to the shell. When they wake up the ship is like a second skin. While they instantly know when a part of the ship has been damaged they're not so intertwined with the ship that it causes pain to the shellperson. What happens will very traumatic for Jim, Bones, Gary and Spock, but Admiral Marcus will wish he never messed with the Enterprise and her very protective crew.

T'Kal's brawn had been lost aboard the USS Farragut. One of hundreds who died above Vulcan, no one could leave T'Kal to return to the Institute alone. Jim sincerely wished he could accompany her as well. Spock, Gary, Gail, and McCoy made sure she made it to the transporter room and escorted her down to the Institute. Later they took part in the memorial to the dead on and above Vulcan. When finished, it would take its place next to the memorial to the USS Kelvin and her brain, Brian. In a strange twist of fate, Jim's father, George, had been Brian's brawn. While George had not partnered with a brain again, he'd never forgotten the man who'd saved his and his family's lives.

Bones exited the Institute with a sigh, tucking his red hat under his arm. Not really caring that he was supposed to be wearing it. "Daddy!" he heard. His head snapped up at the word, hoping, but not really believing it was directed at him. He discovered it was as a small bundle of energy impacted with his legs and wouldn't let go. He looked up to find his mother standing there in front of him with a smile.

Bones reached down and picked Jo up and held onto her tight. Everything seemed to be alright with the world. He reached over and hugged his mother. "What do I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

"Jonathan invited us. We're here to see your installation as a brawn. I am so proud! A Starfleet Brawn as well as Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise. I've been making the ladies green with envy down in Atlanta!" Eleanor told him.

Bones chuckled as a thought struck him. "Would you like to meet him, Mom? Jim, I mean?"

"Could I?" Jo asked.

"We wouldn't be imposing, would we?" Eleanor asked.

"Well, let me ask," Bones told them. He opened his communicator. "Hey, Jim, I have some friends who'd like to meet you. Would you mind locking onto us and beaming us up? We'll meet you in Engineering," Bones told him.

"Sure Bones, stand by for beam up," Jim responded. Bones felt the familiar tingling sensation as they dematerialized.

They rematerialized on the pad Jo looked around and she pushed to be put down. Bones complied as he took her hand. Eleanor took her other hand. "Jo, remember what I told you I would be doing in Starfleet?" he asked.

"You said you'd help people get better, and you might be the mobile partner of a shellperson. The shellperson runs the ship," she said. "They were born so ill that they had to be put in a shell to live."

"That pretty much sums up what happened to Jim. We're going to meet him where he lives," Bones told her. They walked into Engineering and Bones directed them to the column that held Jim's shell. Bones knelt down beside her and pointed at the column. "Wave hi to Uncle Jim. He's in that column right there."

"But what does he look like?" Jo asked waving hesitantly at the column.

Jim materialized beside her. "If you were able to look in there, I'd look like a tiny baby, barely a month old, Jo," Jim told her. Jo let out a squeak as she stared up at him. "This, this is what I look like as a grown-up," he continued.

Jo stuck her hand out and it went into the hologram. "You're not real," she said.

"Oh, I'm real, Jo. As real as you and your Nana and Daddy are. It's easier for you to accept me like this," Jim told her.

"Can I call you Uncle Jim?" she asked.

"I'd like that, Jo," Jim told her. He stood and watched as Bones showed her around Engineering.

"It must be very lonely," Eleanor told him.

"I'm not going to lie, it is," Jim told her. "My family always tried to love me."

"A little difficult with a capsule of Titanium surrounding you," Eleanor told him. "Your family must be very special."

"The best," Jim told her. "not that I really have anything to compare it to.

"You single-handedly saved three thousand children who would have died on Vulcan, Jim. You are a hero," Eleanor told him.

"I did what needed to be done," Jim told her.

"Your mother must be proud," she told him. "Do what you can to protect my son, please."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gary embraced his family one las time. George smiled as he looked at his son, "You and Jim have made us proud, son. Even if you aren't his brawn."

"He made the right choice," Gary told him. "I'm too close to him, and I'm the Captain!"

Sam hit him in the arm, "Yeah, Captain Gary! " Gary winced and made a show of holding the affected area.

Winona kissed Gary's cheek. "Good luck, son."

Gary gave a final wave as he boarded the shuttle back to his ship. His ship. Oh, who was he kidding? Jim was the real captain of the ship. Gary just gave orders and set the course. He hoped nothing terrible happened while they were out. He'd had enough of terrible things happening lately. He beamed up and found Spock playing Chess with Jim in the recreation room. He chuckled as the two were very intent on the game. Three dimensional chess was right up Jim's alley and Spock was occupied. Maybe the Enterprise could sneak out of orbit without Spock noticing.

The bridge was quiet as Gary sat in center seat. "Nobody's requested to leave, have they?" he asked.

"No, Gary, Spock's still here," Jim responded as the turbolift doors opened and Spock exited, taking his place at the science station.

"Okay, let's see what she's got," Jim said.

"Aye, let's see what she's got," Scotty declared over the comm. "Get down from there!"