Star Trek: Time Keeper
The Window Story
Previously…
Inside the Romulan Star Empire
Three Romulan Birds of Prey were in formation just outside a planetary system near the Bassen Rift. On the bridge of the squadron lead ship, its commander, V' raja, was a very stern officer and his square jaw was taught with tension as he waited for the results of the test formation.
"This is a fool's errand," V'raja said.
Sla'val shifted her gaze from the main screen, and looked at V'raja.
"You worry that this experiment will fail, and your name will forever be attached to the stigma of such a result," Sla'val said to V'raja. The two had never gotten along.
V'raja stared back with his own iciness.
"You do realize what the praetor has decreed should this attempt fail as well," V'raja said with a smirk on his face.
"You will not have to execute me," Sla'val told him, "I will take my own life for failing the Romulan Star Empire."
"No; I won't let you. Your life will end at my hands." V'raja fired back with."I shall be in my chambers," V' raja said to Tholalk, his first officer. "Inform me if anything warrants interruption."
Tholalk nodded his head and watched as his commander left the bridge. Tholalk came over to where Sla'val was standing; gazing at the main-screen.
"I fear you will not live much longer," Tholalk told her.
Over the past year since Sla'val had been aboard, she and Tholalk had built up a respectful relationship.
"Perhaps," Sla'val replied. "Yet I know it will work this time, the Time Keeper is not a fool's errand."
The Time Keeper, if successful, could be the ultimate weapon and could lead to the Romulan conquest of the galaxy. Sla'val knew that war was a foolish prospect and did not want to satisfy the praetor's blood thirst. Sla'val's only hope was that a Federation extraction team she knew was on the way would arrive in time. The torture V'raja had alluded to was not just going to kill her, but would also cause her to give up her scientific knowledge. And it wouldn't be long before someone else learned how to use the Time Keeper.
Starbase-16
Jim Kirk was on the bridge of the Enterprise, when Sean Landis, who was Carol Marcus's new husband as well as David's stepfather, had distressing information from the planet below.
"My wife has been abducted," Sean told Kirk, "and so has my…son!"
The word "son" penetrated Kirk's soul because David was really Jim Kirk's son. But Spock had also heard the unfortunate information as well, and he also knew that David Marcus was really Jim Kirk's son.
"This is an image of the abductor; one of the security arrays was able to obtain it, and," Sean paused, "it may indeed be one of your Romulan mercenaries."
Kirk didn't recognize the Romulan, but Spock did immediately. It was the Romulan who had abducted him as well; Linav! Spock also concluded that Linav probably wanted to be seen, so as to decoy Jim Kirk's attention. Kirk stood up and turned to face Spock; his best friend.
"Spock; is this the same Romulan who abducted you?" Kirk asked.
Spock arched an eyebrow.
(our story continues…)
There was nothing else for Spock to do, but to go along with the charade that he had been ordered by Commodore Mendez to take part in.
"Affirmative," Spock replied.
Kirk turned to face the screen.
"Mr. Landis," Kirk said to Sean Landis, a man he really didn't care for, but for now, shared his same concerns, "Spock and I are heading back down there to investigate the warehouse Spock says he escaped from; maybe there are more clues there."
"My men scoured that warehouse, Kirk," Sean Landis came back with, "certainly with all that technology up there you can pin point where Romulans might be down here; there aren't that many."
Kirk nodded his head.
Spock knew that going down to the planet with Jim Kirk would delay what he, Spock had been ordered to do by Commodore Mendez; removing the Enterprise's warp engine/shield flow regulator and handing it over the Charvon; the female Romulan Kirk and Spock had duped a year earlier when stealing the Romulan cloaking device from her ship.
Spock knew there was only one person other person on the Enterprise who posed a threat, other than Jim Kirk, and that was Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott. So, with that in mind, Spock knew what had to be done.
"Captain, if I may," Spock said to Kirk, as he walked down from his science station toward the command chair, "Perhaps Mr. Scott would be a better choice to accompany you to the warehouse. There were several outdated mechanical devices and vehicles stored inside that warehouse that he would have better knowledge of and that could provide a possible clue as to what the mercenaries are up to. I can use that time to try and augment the sensors so that we can find Mr. Landis's wife and the child." (Spock had gone out of his way not to say his child, when referring to Sean Landis.)
Kirk nodded his head. The first priority in all of this was to find Carol and David, and no one on the Enterprise could match Spock's adept ability at manning the scanners.
"Very well," Kirk said to Spock. Then he aimed his glance back at Sean Landis, who was Starbase-16's Chief Administrator. "I'm heading down there. I know your men probably did a thorough examination of that warehouse, but I want to be sure. Spock here," Kirk said, motioning to Spock, "can work wonders with the Enterprise's scanners."
Sean Landis nodded his head.
"Very well, Kirk," Landis finally said, "I will meet you at that warehouse in ten minutes. We have to find them; we just have to!"
His face faded from the screen.
"Alright Spock," Kirk said to his Vulcan first officer, "the ship is yours. Have Scotty meet me at the Transporter room, and Spock," Kirk aimed directly at Spock, "find them."
"I'm coming too," McCoy said.
Kirk knew better than to override McCoy and just nodded at the good doctor and then he headed off of the bridge.
A few minutes later, Kirk, McCoy and Scotty materialized inside of the warehouse. As reported by Spock, there were several old computers lined up in neat rows. At the other end of the warehouse were all sorts of farming equipment; the entire place gave off the vibe of being a place to dump un-needed stuff. And that usually was the case for new Starbases, such as this one. They always seemed to get a bunch of old equipment which, at best, 30% of the gear could actually be used. In the middle of the building were the administration offices, which Kirk, McCoy and Scotty headed for.
Scotty looked at some of the old equipment as they headed for the offices.
"Why do they eve'n bother sendin' some of this stuff," Scotty scowled. "And I certainly can see no use for it in terms of the Romulans."
"I see your point," Kirk replied. He was slightly irritated at Spock for even suggesting Scotty come down to look at the old machinery. "Oh well," Kirk added, "just do your best and see if any of this stuff could be put to use by the Romulans. I'll see if I can find Landis and get his report."
"I bet he's in the main office," McCoy suggested, "most paper pushers are."
Scotty headed for the equipment, while Kirk and McCoy walked into the offices.
As Kirk and McCoy entered the main office, where they found Sean Landis and a security detachment from the local authorities. The room was just how Spock described it. It was the typical arrangement of offices and large meeting rooms.
As for this particular room, there was a lone chair, which Spock had freed himself from, and the removed window panel which he climbed out of to make his escape. The discarded rope that had been tied around Spock's wrists was still on the ground near the chair.
"Ah, Kirk, and Dr. McCoy," Sean Landis said. Landis came closer to Kirk, and spoke in a hushed tone. "Look, I know you're just as worried as I am about Carol and David; so I'm sorry for any attitude I gave you earlier. Nothing like this has ever happened to be me before, and unlike you, I've never quite learned how to handle stress."
Kirk nodded his head.
McCoy found the exchange a bit interesting, but didn't say anything.
"Don't worry, Mr. Landis," Kirk told him, "we'll find them."
Landis nodded his head, and reached out his hand.
"Please call me Sean," Landis added.
Kirk shook the man's hand; his respect in Carol's new husband had just gone up a few notches.
"If you call me Jim," Kirk said with his own smile.
The chief investigator came over. He was an oriental man in his later years, and seemed very official.
"This is my chief of security," Sean Landis told Kirk, "Inspector Hank Hoshimoto."
Kirk shook the man's hand.
"Nothing new to report," Hoshimoto explained to Kirk and Landis, "however I wish Commander Spock would have come down with you Captain Kirk; I have a few questions for him."
Kirk and McCoy didn't like the sound of that at all.
"What are you implying, inspector?" Dr. McCoy asked Hoshimoto.
Sean Landis looked at Kirk and McCoy and then he answered before Inspector Hoshimoto could.
"Jim," Sean Landis said, "Inspector Hoshimoto is a former Starfleet Officer. He used to run the advanced teams that provide security for the President of the Federation; I trust him and his judgments."
Kirk nodded in acknowledgement.
"I'm sorry," Kirk said to Sean Landis and to Inspector Hoshimoto as well. "but Commander Spock is my first officer, and I have never known him to submit an incomplete report." But Kirk knew that Hoshimoto was only doing his job. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I will show you," Hoshimoto replied.
The four of them made it over to the window; the one Spock said he had made his escape through. Hoshimoto pointed at the window.
"This is the problem," the inspector said.
"A window," Kirk said. "In Spock's report, I believe he said that he escaped through this window."
"He did indeed, Captain Kirk," Hoshimoto agreed. "And while this may look like an ordinary window, it isn't. You see," Hoshimoto continued, with a slight oriental accent, "like all Star bases, we have our fair share of young people; school kids and the like. And like all kids, they are mischievous at times, nothing major I assure you. However, we've had a few troublesome kids break in to warehouses like this one, so, several months ago, all the windows were given advanced locking ridges," he pointed at the top of the window, where it was fitted on to a track. "The only way the ridge can be opened, is via a switch, which is through that door," he pointed at a door that led into the office one room over, "located on the wall. According to Commander Spock, that office is where his captors where holed up, and to be sure, we found proof of that. However, if that is the case then…"
"Then," McCoy said cutting him off, "who pressed the button to release the ridges on the windows."
"Perhaps they were already opened, for circulation," Sean Landis suggested.
Inspector Hank Hoshimoto shook his head in disagreement.
"No, that cannot be," Hoshimoto said, "Commander Spock mentions, in his report, that he had to quietly open the window and that it was fortunate they were not locked."
"So; they weren't locked," Kirk interjected.
"I wish it were the simple," Hoshimoto added, with a softer voice now. "The ridges automatically lock the window; there is no exception."
Kirk took it all in.
"Then they let him escape?" McCoy said.
"Or," Jim Kirk said, as he looked at the window, "Spock was never a captive at all."
A look of worry came over Kirk's face…and McCoy's too.
Continued…