Chapter Thirteen.

Tonia Barrows was confused.

Kathryn Douglas seemed like a nice, ordinary, teenage girl. But...she was completely clueless about the simplest things! Really, she didn't even know how to run the sonic shower or how to set the environment controls!

And where did she come from, anyway? Scuttlebutt was running rampant about her, but nothing seemed solid.

That's the trouble with being a yeoman—no one ever TELLS me anything! she thought in exasperation as she trotted down the corridor to the Mess for an early dinner.

And...I still have those fuel reports to fill out for Scotty, she reflected woefully as she entered the Mess. "A man works from sun to sun, but a WOMAN'S work is never done!"

Feeling very sorry for herself, she made her way to the food replicator.

TOS-TOS-TOS

In a stopped turbolift, a heated discussion was going on between McCoy and Kirk.

"Jim, I'm telling you, that's all I know! Some about her family, some about her telepathic powers, nothing except what she has freely told or shown me! Now, I want you to calm down before we go on!" McCoy insisted after Kirk asked him for the fourth time about Kathryn.

"We need to know more about her, Bones, and you're the only one she's really opened up towards!" Kirk shot back. "We still don't know enough about her! Remember Khan and that whole mess?"

McCoy started to say something, then stopped and considered. "This isn't about Kathryn, is it, Jim? This is about not knowing where we are," he said more gently.

Kirk ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Bones! Spock is hiding in his Science Labs, Scotty is wigged out over some Engineering problem that I don't remember, Uhura can't even send a subspace squirt back to the Admiralty, only heaven knows why, and to top it all off, Lieutenant Fauna of stellar cartography is freaking out over the sheer amount of new stars found here!" He began to cough again, doubling over with the pain.

"Aw, Jim. And I know we were all due for a leave before this mess started." Bones shook his head.

"I know, right?" Kirk slammed his fist against the wall. "It just never stops!"

McCoy blew out a breath. This is so not the time to tell him that crew efficiency is down five percent and that five people are in Sickbay with allergic reactions from that new plant in Botany, is it?

Suddenly, the turbolift started moving again. Kirk jumped, and swore, using several choice Andorian words. McCoy looked at the opening door through a very tired yawn.

There stood Spock.

"Captain, Doctor, I suggest that we now invite Miss Kathryn to join us for dinner, as it is precisely five point three minutes before the time you specified," he announced calmly.

"All right, Spock. Come on, Bones." Kirk stepped out of the turbolift, took a deep breath, and set off down the hall.

Spock and McCoy exchanged looks, then silently followed their captain.

The guest quarters weren't far from the turbolift, and soon they were all in front of the door. Kirk pushed the buzzer.

"Come in!" The doors slid open and Kirk took a few steps into a pitch black room.

"Kathryn?"

"Right here, sir," she answered, coming out of the darkness.

She evidently had changed, for when she stepped out of the room with Kirk, McCoy noticed that she was wearing a gray skirt and a puffy blue blouse.

"This way, Kathryn," Kirk said, offering her his arm.

Her eyebrows went up as she accepted it with a smile.

"So, Kathryn, from what part of Earth did you come from?" he asked her as they walked down to the lift.

"Upper Wisconsin, Captain. My family owned a homestead there—about fifty acres of land that had been in the family for some time," she answered. "With a farm and eight children on her hands, my mother had quite a time!"

"Your family were farmers?" McCoy asked.

"Only partly. My father is a professor in general literature and some branch of math. He teaches those subjects over the Internet, so he's at home most of the time."

They entered the turbolift. "Eight siblings? Are you the oldest?" McCoy asked.

"No, I'm the second oldest. My brother Tom and I are twins; he came first. Then, we have Robert, Martin, Mariah, Kenneth, Julia, and Fiona, the baby. I don't really know what ages they are now, though," Kathryn answered, fiddling with the ribbons at her throat. "Martin and Mariah are twins as well."

They stepped out of the turbolift. "Well, Kathryn, while I do wish we had met under different circumstances, we are happy to have you on board the Enterprise." Kirk smiled at her. "After we eat, would you like a tour of the ship?"

Spock stiffened, and looked like he was about to say something. Kathryn beat him to it. "I would love it, Captain, but aren't you worried about the possibility of me figuring out too much in this time?"

Kirk mentally kicked himself. Idiot!

"You are very perceptive, Miss Kathryn," Spock commented.

Kathryn looked at him sideways. "Not hard when you can't help hearing others' thoughts."

Annnd...there she reminds us again, McCoy thought. Frankly, it was downright disturbing that Kathryn had such a power, and even more disturbing was the fact that apparently, she couldn't rein it in.

There were quite a few other people in the Mess at that time, and as they walked through the door, Spock could feel the curiosity bouncing off his mental shields. Kathryn bit her lip again, and McCoy was less than pleased about being stared at like some freak show.

Kirk smiled and waved his free hand. "At ease, all," he said cheerfully.

"Aye, aye sir," "Yes sir," "Of course, sir" came back to him.

They made their way to an empty table near the back of the room. "What would you like to eat, Kathryn?" Kirk asked her.

She did not respond. "Kathryn?" McCoy tapped her shoulder.

"Oh! Sorry. I did answer you, but in Esterant style—opening a door in my mind," Kathryn explained. "Could I please have...umm...a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with milk?"

"Spock, would you and Bones get the food?" Kirk murmured.

"Affirmative, captain. Doctor, I believe a discussion of the choices on the Captain's meal card is in order," Spock raised his voice.

"Wha?" McCoy caught Kirk's eye. "Now that's one of the few sensible things you've said today," he accused Spock.

Kathryn smiled as she watched the two bicker all the way to the replicator. Kirk noticed this, and became thoughtful.

"Kathryn, may I speak freely to you?" he asked quietly.

She turned towards him, remains of the smile flickering through her eyes. "Of course, Captain. But I may not be able to answer."

"You seem to be...familiar with this ship and its technology, yet you claim to be from the twenty-first century, where this has not happened yet. Why is that?"

"Captain, I do not believe I am from your Earth's past." Kathryn's eyes darkened. "I believe I am from another universe."

"That still does not explain why you seem familiar with Doctor McCoy, and unfazed by Mr. Spock." Kirk tapped his foot, positive she was keeping something back.

"One step closer*," Kathryn hummed quietly.

She looked straight at him, but couldn't hold it, and dropped her eyes. "Very well, Captain. You leave me little choice."

"I am indeed from another universe, one in which your adventures are detailed in a television show, which I have watched since I was little. Because of that show, I believe I know some of your past, and some of your future, thus putting me in...shall we say...an awkward situation?"

*A Thousand Years