Chapter Fourteen
"Have you confirmed that Nero is headed for Earth?" Spock asked. He was pacing, anything to keep moving.
"Their trajectory suggests no other destination, Captain," Uhura said, turning from her station to watch her acting captain's face carefully. He still wasn't showing any signs, in public, of his undoubtedly churning emotions.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Spock said as he continued to pace.
"Earth may be his next stop, but we have to assume every Federation planet's a target," Jim said from his rather comfortable recline on the captain's chair.
"Out of the chair," Spock said, for a Vulcan sounding mildly annoyed.
Jim very nearly rolled his eyes, but he stood.
"Well, if ze Federation iz ze target, vy didn't zey destroy us?" Chekov speculated, joining in the brainstorming.
"Why would they? Why waste a weapon? We obviously weren't a threat," Sulu pointed out.
"That is not it," Spock said confidently. "He said he wanted me to see something, the destruction of my home planet."
"How the hell did they do that, by the way?" Bones asked. He had only joined this little group campfire to be on the bridge. At least here, he felt like he was helping to save Ari. "Where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?"
"The engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer. Such technology could theoretically be used to create a tunnel through space time," Spock rattled off, thoroughly confusing just about everyone on the bridge.
"Damn it, man! I'm a doctor, not a physicist. Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?" Bones exclaimed.
"If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," Spock explained.
To that he had no answer. However, he had the feeling that Ari would. She always knew what to say in these situations. Wait a second...
"Then what would an angry, future Romulan want with Captain Pike and part of our crew?" Jim asked.
"He's the captain. He does know details of Starfleet's defences," Sulu pointed out.
"Then why take the others?" Bones asked.
"A hostage, a demand for attention," Spock said simply.
"What we need to do is catch up to that ship, disable it, take it over, and get Pike and Ar- Tresina back," Jim said.
"We are technologically outmatched in every way. A rescue attempt would be illogical," Spock said.
Not to me it isn't, you Hobgoblin!
"Nero's ship would have to drop out of warp for us to overtake it," Chekov pointed out.
"Then what about assigning engineering crews to try to boost our warp power?" Kirk asked.
"The remaining power and crew are being used to repair radiation leaks on the lower decks and damage to subspace communications, without which we cannot contact Starfleet," Spock said.
Half way through that, Jim said, exasperated, "Okay. All right. All right. There's got to be some way-"
"We must gather with the rest of Starfleet to balance the terms of the next engagement," Spock said.
And kill Ari in the process. Not damn likely.
"There won't be a next engagement. By the time we've gathered it will be too late. You say he's from the future, knows what's going to happen, then the logical thing is to be unpredictable," Jim said.
"You are assuming that Nero knows how events will unfold. On the contrary, Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history, beginning with the attack on the USS Calvin, culminating in the events of today, thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party," Spock explained.
"An alternate reality," Uhura said in realization, simplifying the speech for everyone else.
Spock looked over at her quickly before turning back to Jim and saying, "Precisely." The acting captain then turned and walked back to the captain's chair. As he went, he said, "Whatever our lives might have been before the time continuum was interrupted, our destinies have changed. Mr. Sulu, plot a course to the Lorentian System. Warp factor three."
"Spock, don't do that. Running back to the fleet for a-a-a-a con-fad is a massive waste of time!" Jim said indignantly.
"These are the orders issued by Captain Pike when he left the ship-" Spock began to explain.
Jim interrupted again and said earnestly, "He also ordered us to go back and get him. Spock, you are captain now! You have to make-"
"I am aware of my responsibilities-" Spock shot back.
"Every second we waste, Nero's getting closer to his next target!"
"That is correct and why I am instructing you to accept that I alone am in command."
Jim began to speak over Spock nearly shouting, "I will not allow us to go backwards and hide from the problem instead of hunting Nero down!"
Spock stood. He had decided something. "Security, escort him out."
Two security personnel, or 'Red Shirts' as they are so endearingly named, came forward and took hold of Jim by his shoulders and arms. Bones watched, mystified, as Jim didn't even put up a fight, that is, until he was down the steps.
The next second, he was fighting the Red Shirts off. Before he could even finish that, Spock walked over quickly and applied the Vulcan Neck Pinch, sending him effectively into unconsciousness. The acting captain then turned to the Red Shirts and said seriously, "Get him off this ship."
Damn it! Now we're not getting closer to her and that ship!
ooooooooooo
The first thing Ari was aware of was something cold and smooth against her cheek. It took only a second more to realize that this was the floor. Another second ticked by, allowing her to register the fact that her cheek hurt tremendously. She winced without thinking, which brought a whole wave of pain to her cheek. When that pain had subsided, she sighed. Her cheek were likely bruised a light blue colour from the Rhodium in her blood.
Hesitantly, Ari propped herself up on her arms before looked around her. There wasn't a single Romulan in sight. This is my chance.
Ari quickly hopped to her feet and silently ran off to a console to find Pike. After a quick search through the ship's records, she found him.
Captain Pike was secured to a table. The instruments and paraphernalia surrounding him on the nearby tables suggested that this was for torture.
Ari rushed to his side, splashing in the water at her feet as she went.
"Tresina?" Pike asked instantly, unsure if he was hallucinating.
She nodded quickly.
"Have you found a way to get away?" he asked instantly.
"No," she answered honestly.
"Listen to me, if you can get away, go. Don't think about me. Just go," he said seriously.
"I can't do that, Sir," Ari returned, shaking her head.
Pike opened his mouth to try to convince her, but Ari's head whipped around. That made her point quite clear: Nero is coming.
Almost instantly, Ari was gone, dodging behind one of the machines to wait her chance to run back to the bridge.
As she ran back, she could hear Pike's pain, and feel it. An equally strong emotion came from very near him: anger.