The View from the Gallery...and Recess
Submitted by Mistress V
* * * * * *
The courtroom was abuzz.
Both sides had approached the bench, begging for a sidebar at the same time and the judge granted the request. He then glanced at the clock, noting the lateness of the day and dismissed court proceedings until the following morning at 9. The attorneys followed him into chambers, closing the door firmly.
"Mr. District Attorney?" A guard touched Jack McCoy on the shoulder gently.
"Yes, what is it?" The man had been reading briefs and making notes nonstop since he'd arrived in the spectator benches and even now barely noticed most of the visitors were gone.
"For you, sir. It's urgent." A slip of paper passed between the two men, observed carefully by three sets of human eyes and one pair of android orbs.
"Thanks." McCoy quickly scanned the writing, a frown etching his careworn features. He whistled softly. "I'll be," he finally said.
"Shall I escort you to chambers?" the officer asked.
"Yes, that's fine." McCoy grabbed his possessions and followed the guard up the stairs and out the door.
"Goodness me, I should wonder what THAT was about!" Miss Marple commented.
"I don't know. Shall we go find out?" Her companion offered an arm and helped the elderly woman up. "Court's still in session elsewhere, we could linger in the halls, see what we can learn."
"I'd dearly love to, pet, but I'm just exhausted. I think I'll toddle off to the hotel and re-read my writings, then have a quick meal and an early night. You run along, though, I bet you've still plenty of energy."
"All right. I have to admit, I'm dying to know what's going on now that the D.A.'s been called to chambers. Maybe a deal?"
The two females made their way slowly out of the second story gallery and headed towards the elevator. They were followed closely by the improbable looking pair from Picard's bridge.
"What shall we do now, ensign?" Data asked in a hushed tone.
"You can cut the whispering, it'll call attention to us both. And it's Wes, Data, we're not on duty. Officially that is." Crusher checked his PADD. "We have about a half hour to kill. What should we do?"
"Kill? Is it possible to take the life of time, even if it is fluid and inanimate?" The android looked puzzled, which for him was an everyday occurrence.
"Come on, let's follow those two. Something's brewing downstairs by the sounds of it. But stay away from Riker. He can't see us at all. Got that?"
"Aye, er, yep."
**********
V found herself seated on a bench outside the courtroom Jack McCoy had just entered. Not to her surprise, the pair of futuristic misfits found themselves seated at the opposite end of the bench, also watching the courtroom. Figures, she thought. Oh well, I have work to do. And with that she pulled out her trusty laptop and fired up.
Around the corner and down a small alcove corridor, a light shone brightly and then disappeared.
"This doesn't look like the base in Florida," an irritated voice said. "Look out that window. It's an eastern city and it's snowing! Scotty must have miscalculated. What should we do?"
A pause. "Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise? Come in? Anyone?"
Static.
"Perhaps we should ascertain when and where we are, Jim. Then attempt to contact Mr. Scott."
"You're right, Spock. Now follow me out there and try to blend in, will you?'
"Blend in?" The Vulcan sounded annoyed. "Why should I attempt to resemble a caffeine based drink?"
"Never mind. Just grab a newspaper and start reading. I'll scope the area and we'll compare notes after that."
***********
"Come on, Data. We're due back at the rendezvous point in five minutes." Crusher got up from the pair's vantage point, mightily disappointed they'd learned nothing new.
"Five point two minutes," the android corrected.
"Yeah, whatever." The ensign incognito barely missed colliding with some passers by. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"That's all right. Say, could you tell us the date? We just crossed the international dateline and are a little mixed up."
"It is March 15, 2009," Data replied over his shoulder. If he could possibly have been stunned, he was.
V was aware of the entire series of events, though she sat calmly reading over the latest draft she was working on as though none of it mattered. But it did.
The second pair of interstellar misfits quickly sat down on her bench.
"Did you hear that? It's 2009! Scotty miscalculated by 41 years and don't go giving me hours, seconds and microseconds." Kirk was obviously stunned. "Now what do we do?"
"Try to contact Mr. Scott as soon as we can find out our proper coordinates." Spock peered down the hall at the disappearing duo. "You know, I have the most uncanny feeling I have met that person before."
"Not yet you haven't," V muttered under her breath.
The Vulcan glanced at her sideways but said nothing.
"Naah," Kirk told his friend, handing him a newspaper. "Here, read all the news that's fit to print. I'll be back soon, soon as I find out where this is."
Spock watched his captain disappear into the end of day courthouse throng. He turned back to his benchmate, curious.
"Excuse me, miss, did you say something earlier?" he asked politely.
"No, I was just complaining about the lack of bandwith. I can't get a clear signal," the woman replied, not looking up from her screen.
"Oh, I see. That appears to be a somewhat primitive instrument, to be honest." Spock was curious about the apparatus but hesitated continuing the conversation.
Just then the courtroom doors swung open and Wil Riker left, accompanied by Perry Mason. Both of them were deep in conversation. V's eyes followed them over the top of her laptop as they sat down on the next bench over and began comparing notes.
A moment later, Jack McCoy exited, his trademark Barbour jacket slung over one shoulder. His face lit up in recognition and he approached the woman.
"Hi, Jazzbo," V told him as they embraced warmly.
"V, just look at you. Still a knockout. When are you going to let some man make an honest lawyer of you?" McCoy chided, with the familiarity of one who knew his companion well.
"Is that any way to talk to your first clerk, Jack?"
"Forgive me. So how is our alma mater, Dean V? If you'd been my dean of students back then, I somehow don't think I would have graduated as highly as I did."
"It's fine, but we miss you. When are you going to do a guest lectureship again? I see more of your successor than I ever did of you and that's not fair." The woman pouted prettily.
"Now that's a proposition. Look, I have to meet with someone for a bit, you free for a drink? I'll meet you at the AA in, say, fifteen minutes?"
"Deal. See you then." V waved as her former boss hurried off to his meeting.
Then her gaze caught sight of something potentially disastrous. Oh no, she thought, closing her eyes momentarily. No, no, no!
Over at a bank of pay phones, the older woman from the gallery front row was trying desperately to keep from fainting as she wheezed into a receiver. Her eyes were riveted to the tall man seated directly opposite. Not Riker.
"Mr. Spock, you and the captain need to get out of here. Now," V said quietly, knowing Vulcan ears would hear her.
"I beg your pardon?" Spock dropped his tone to match hers.
A slight nod of the head. "That woman there is calling her friends. They'll be here in a few minutes and you'll never escape in one piece."
"What do you mean? And how do you know who I am?" An eyebrow raised.
"Trust me. They're part of a group that thinks you and Jim are, you know...." V raised her eyebrow and let a wrist go limp.
"Oh no." Spock shook his head. "Not THAT again. You are quite correct, but where shall we go?" He was relieved at the sight of Kirk returning.
"Somewhere they never would. A bar. A real dive. And stay there. In the meantime, here's my cellphone number and my email, they're on the front." V slipped her business card into the man's hand, marveling at the warmth that emanated. Vulcans were definitely hotblooded, she decided.
"Can you...recommend such an establishment?" Spock looked perplexed, his friend was the consummate barfly.
"Around the corner's a good one. The Airtight Alibi. I'll be headed there myself soon, but you'd better leave now. Sit way in the back and keep a low profile."
"Thank you----miss?" Spock got up and motioned to Kirk.
"V."
************
To be continued, perhaps. Now there, my friends, is a REAL attempt at a Mary Sue! :-)