Chapter 9

We were on the next level, standing just before the shuttle in the airlock. Scotty and Uhura had already started for it, me close behind them.

But Spock…he was just standing there, just inside the entrance, as if waiting for something.

"Spock, come on, we gotta go," I heard myself say.

The Vulcan allowed a slight smile to curve his lips. "Not this time, Jim," he said.

What the hell do you mean, "not this time"?!

"What are you talking about?!"

From behind, I heard Uhura's voice. "Spock? What are you doing, we need to go!"

"Aye, it's now or never, lads!" Scotty interjected.

I stepped over to my first officer. My friend. Uhura followed.

"The ship cannot be allowed to land anywhere or be intercepted by anyone while these creatures still reside here," Spock explained, cool as a cucumber, "So I am going to set it to self-destruct. I will remain here to make sure it is not disabled."

"Spock, that's suicide!" I shouted. Looking back on this moment, that sounds horribly corny, but it was also true.

"I believe the nickname Admiral Pike would assign you after that statement is 'Captain Obvious'," he replied, calmly.

"Spock, this isn't a joke!" Uhura exploded, her uncontrolled fury and fright making itself known.

It was a little ironic—Spock joking just before his death. Hell, Spock joking at all was ironic.

"I won't let you do this," I told him.

"You must be the one to tell Starfleet what has occurred here, Jim," he countered.

"The captain goes down with his ship," I retorted.

"Not this time."

Had the circumstances been different, I would've interpreted that as a challenge.

He could kill you on a whim, I heard Bones's voice say in my head.

But he won't, I thought.

"This is the no-win situation," I began, "You wouldn't do that to Nyota, would you? To your parents? To your people?"

Uhura stiffened beside us. I hated to put her on the spot like that, but I wasn't about to let Spock kill himself when I could.

When I could see my father again. My friends. Bones.

This last thought of mine was so completely irrational that I almost burst out laughing hysterically.

"You're not about to change my mind about this, Jim," Spock said, calmly, turning to Uhura, whose eyes were brimming over with tears. "Nyota," he said.

She simply nodded, and kissed him.

I started for the airlock door when Spock grabbed me by the back of my shirt, yanking me back.

"You have a responsibility to your crew," he growled.

"No!" I shouted, "You're doing this because you have to—I'm doing this because I want to!"

Then, right behind me, there came a huge THUD as the airlock door slammed shut.

Spock let go of my shirt and I whirled around…

…to see Scotty standing on the other side of the glass.

***

Interlude: Scotty

The engineer gave a sad little smile as Jim, Spock, and Uhura stared at him, shocked. He picked up a speaker comm connected to the airlock and spoke into it.

"You couldn't stop arguin'," he said, "I'm sorry, Captain."

"Scotty…" Jim began, sharply, "…Open the airlock. NOW."

He shook his head. "No can do, sir. I'm already here. Get off the ship. Th' crew needs a leader."

"SCOTTY, OPEN THE DOOR!"

"Captain, I'm goin' tae set th' airlock tae open in one minute. The shuttle is there for ye. If ye really want tae die, it's your decision."

True to his word, Scotty stepped over to the console and set the airlock to release. The alarm and red lights inside started up, blaring and circling the room like they had done for Sulu.

"No!" Jim screamed, "Scotty! SCOTTY!"

The engineer switched off the comm between the airlock and the main hall, cutting off his captain's desperate shouts.

I'm sorry, he thought, as Spock and Uhura dragged Jim towards the shuttle, the latter of the three kicking and struggling the entire way.

Just before disappearing into the shuttle, Uhura caught Scotty's gaze. Tears were streaming down her face.

Thank you, she mouthed, Thank you.

Scotty nodded to her. "Good luck, lass," he answered.

Then she was gone.

The engineer ran to the console once more and started to hack into the ship's system. There was a lot to be said, he reflected wryly, for having friends on the other side of the law. Kate and Benny, for two, the ones who had taught him the art of computer-hacking. He wondered how they'd react to the news of his death.

There. It was set. He had to allow the shuttles time to escape the blast.

Smiling slightly, he wondered how much of his life would flash before his eyes in three minutes.

The smile disappeared completely as he heard roars in the distance coming down the adjacent hallway, growing louder, coming fast.

He drew his phaser, set it to kill. M'comin' back, Susie, he thought, Wherever y'are.

Phaser fire sounded in the corridor.

***

"All shuttles, prepare for warp," Spock ordered into the communicator, as he prepared the coordinates, "Set coordinates to Earth, Starfleet Headquarters. On my mark."

He was piloting the shuttle with Uhura as I stared out the back window at the Enterprise.

I heard Spock count down: "Three. Two. One. Mark."

Just before we jumped to warp, I caught a glimpse of a small explosion beginning on the bridge of the ship.

And then the Enterprise was gone, her beloved Chief of Engineering, and so many others, gone with her.

I sagged against the wall and sat on the floor of the shuttle.

What have I done?