Pike stood awaiting beside the transport technician, lips curled up as the glow of the transport lit up over one of the pads and the familiar shape of Number one materialised in all her usual finesse. Though he noticed the immediate quirk of her lips as her brown eyes turned to him.
"Welcome to Discovery, Number one." He greeted though with an edge of caution.
Number One's smile stretched on but she immediately headed off the pad so he didn't hesitate to lead away; it was late morning and while he knew he should lead to his ready room but this was not 'official' business. It was better conducted in a more…leisurely manner.
"The fault's cascaded through all of our primaries; helm, Nav, impulse and warp drive." She immediately started, getting directly to the business. "Chief Louvier has a team working around the clock."
A soft chuckle passed his lips. "Enterprise has never had an engineer more in love with his ship."
"Hm, and from what I've been able to gather, Enterprise is the only one in the fleet that's had any problems."
"You know, he warned me about the damn holographic comm system," Pike grumbled softly, shaking his head. "Yell him to rip out the entire system. From now on, we can use the view screen." Good and old-fashioned but it at least was practical. "Never too fond of Holograms either. Makes everyone look like ghosts."
Number One shorted softly, unsurprised as they both
"What, he told you I'd say that?"
"Nope. I told him."
Pike's lip curled up unsurprised at how well she knew him. Pike led the way into the Mess and ordered a tea.
"Cheeseburger, fries, Habanero sauce."
"Do you want to order Lighter fluid with that?" He remarked softly, earning a smirk across her face.
"That comes with the shake."
Pike chuckled, sparing a glance to see it was quiet though there were a few officers milling about. None that warrants too much concern; it was clear to see they were otherwise in their own worlds; probably mulling about work or their next shift.
"You've been looking into the allegations against Spock?" he injured softly, turning his eyes back to her. Her humoured expression shifted into something more serious, her gaze flicking passed him.
"It's hardly believable that Spock of all people would commit murder of all things." Scepticism laced though her entire posture. "Anyone familiar with a Vulcan knows that they don't murder so impulsively, nor is it in Spock's psychological profile."
"I agree, how is the crew taking it?" No doubt news would new everywhere by now.
"Details haven't gone down too far, but they know he's in trouble."
Bing.
Both of the replicators opened though he took a testing sip as Number One headed to a table and sat down, her expression crafted well but he could feel that there was more to it.
"There's something else?" He probed.
Number One hesitated for a second, her fingers curling around her sauce bottle. "Starfleet has…classified hi case level one."
His eyebrows shot up. That was definitely odd. Too unusual for a simple murder case even. What was Starfleet doing by going down that route? "Line officers don't warrant that amount of scrutiny."
"Indeed, which is why I've looked into it?" Number One
"Sanctioned?"
"I'd rather not answer that question, sir."
The answer was clear though he felt justified to comply with her request. Things weren't adding up, not just in response to Spock but…Starfleet's attitude in general. How they were handing Vampires too, it seemed unusual so a so-enlightened organisation.
"As long as we can get to him, then we can protect him much more without so much red tape." He was fortunate even to have this ship to do it. Its capabilities would enable them to hide out at Terralysium if they so wanted if they had to hide with Spock; Starfleet would be forced to send an away team for 150 year-generational ships to catch them even if they stayed there that long.
With a gentle push, Number One nudged the PADD she had towards him. "As long as you're careful, then I'm sure we can get him out of it. Something will come up."
The truth. Seemed to be the implication. If Spock truly was guilty, he knew how that impacts the ship… his trust in him as a friend and as his commanding officer. If he wasn't, he had to protect his friend from unwarranted attention and call for arrest.
"I hope so, Number One."
He sipped down his tea, feeling its heat sear through his throat in a pleasant way though he tugged the PADD towards him, flicking its screen on to see the files prepared ready for him. Not a lot but…enough for him to work with. A warp trail. They were close enough to catch up in good time.
"I heard about…what happened with You since you've been here." Number One broached softly. "I know you've kept it private and it's more or less stayed that way—" she added, seeing his expression.
It shouldn't have surprised him for her knew…know about the imprint, but it did. Only a few were aware and knew how personal it was.
"And?"
"Admiral Cornwell felt it was prudent to inform me."
"Let me guess, she told you because being bound to a vampire puts my future into a scene of uncertainty." He could see that concern, nor had he wanted to think so far given how…new and badly he had started it. Of course, Admiral Cornwell liked to see the bigger picture; to see if he's staying on-board to be close to her, if they'd be separated by their ships or…if Burnham was willing to leave Discovery for the Enterprise if they ever patched things up. With her clan here, it didn't seem likely she could leave her ship so easily. Long-distance or his transfer was on the table, of course.
"Something like that." Number One smiled assuredly, "She has to be good to be considered a match for you."
Pike's lips twitched though said nothing on the matter.
"Captain Pike, to the ready room."
Almost like he was somewhat saved from the bell, he rose to his feet. "I'm due for a briefing."
Number One nodded. "Good Luck, captain."
Pike nodded though an idea occurred to him. "You too. Also, while you're not busy, can you look into growing issues regarding the Vampire Legislation and Starfleet? Prejudice is starting to grow and…my connections to Burnham, I could do with understanding what's on the table for us."
"Of course, Chris."
Michael's mind flittered between three places as she brief the senior staff, minus Saru, about her findings from Spock's drawings, data from Terralysium (both PADD and the book they had). A part on the briefing itself, but her mind wandered to both her meeting with Cornwell and the others and then…Saru. She hadn't heard much from Sickbay apart from being dismissed but monitored from his quarters.
His demeanour was off, his scent was all wrong and he had little to no responses with her nature that would normally happen. She knew something was off with his biology from his scent, while it reminded her of a human going through the transformation, this was hardly on the same degree. Did Kelpiens go through biological stages as humans did? Like a human teenager going through puberty, or a human female going through menopause or Vulcans with Pon Farr?
She didn't know, nor did she not like that ignorance.
Then there was the VL.
Selling land, starting new projects, building independence from the federation was logical but uncomfortable, at least for her. She didn't know. But she felt Cornwell was expecting and preparing for Starfleet to terminate their unofficial membership in the federation. That was her concern. As if it was inevitable. She had hope that it wasn't but understood the logic to prepare for it, as long as they did their jobs, they should be supported well.
"So, we need to think about how to proceed," Michael spoke, getting her mind back to the brief "Whatever this angel is, it's powerful and it has a motive."
"Which we don't know yet." Detmer sighed, "I doubt its intent a hostile intent if it saved all those people on the planet and the Hiawatha crew."
"Yes, though we haven't seen the angel ourselves, at least not yet. So what we can determine from it is limited. The context will have to come later but clearly, there's something about those people and the crew that was prudent for us to save. What use would it be to go to a planet twice, once in the past and once in our present?"
"It could live that long. Perhaps the meteors were too out of its power for it to deal with, so they got our attention with the signals." Linus suggested.
"An immortal species, or one that lives longer than the average humanoid?" Rhys question, "Vulcans can live up to two hundred years old, Axanars up to four hundred years…"
"Neither have that technology for ten interstellar signals of this magnitude, but I see your point. But…. We can't conclude this angel and red signal are consistent with each other." Michael pointed out.
"What if it only appears when it needs to? Why appear when a signal can be just as good when you know someone is there following?" Commander Nhan spoke, her expression thoughtful.
"Assuming it knows we're following it."
"It probably does. Probably why it's doing one at a time than all at once again." Michael spoke up. "If it's giving us the signals, it's already told us how many there are, but…. It's staggering the arrivals of the sequence."
"Is there a way we could….lure this angel to Discovery?" Linus suggested, "If we can get it on board, we could get our answers much quicker."
"Unless it's unable to communicate conventionally. If it's an unfamiliar species. Our ways of communication could be…a completely foreign concept." Nhan interjected softly. "Any attempts at a lure could end badly since it could be preserved as a threat. We don't understand how it generates a signal over a few hundred light-years. In a vacuum. "
The hint of concern on what it could do in an atmosphere was clearly implied and Michael didn't like the thought.
Suddenly, the door opened and Pike strolled in with a PADD in mind.
"Everyone to your stations. Detmer, set us a heading to… One-oh-eight, mark-four, maximum warp."
"Aye, Sir." Detmer bounced from her seat and practically took the lead out though Michael watched as they left, lingering last though she felt he wanted to talk to her.
The feeling proved right as his eyes turned to her. "Commander, a word."
Michael flittered to his desk side though waited until she heard the turbolift doors close before her eyes flickered to the PADD in his hand though there was an unfamiliar scent that drifted from the object, female and human. Number One's scent, if she was correct.
"I take it that's what your first officer dropped off."
Pike nodded. "It's the warp trail of Spock's shuttle that he took from the facility. We'll be on an intercept course for him and…should get to him in the next few hours."
Her head bobbed softly. "I'm glad to hear it." And she was. But now… as eager as she was to get to him, she could feel her own doubts about their…reunion. That hardly left things on a good note since they had last spoken and this was years ago on the Shenzhou era, before her transformation. There was a lot they'd have to address and this was without informing Spock of her and Pike's eventual relationship. "I'm…" Michael started, "Do you think he'd be open-minded about…me? I haven't spoken to him in so long…"
Pike's gaze softened a fraction. "He knows what you are now was no choice, Michael. There's no logic to judge you on the basis on what you are."
She shook her head softly, exhaling heavily, "It's…more than just what I am, Chris. We've had an estranged relationship since we were children. It was…my fault." She folded her hands behind her back, shoulders sagging, "I've tried to…connect back but he's always refused my efforts."
It…felt comfortable to admit this to Chris…more than she did with Amanda. She knew…his relationship was Spock was good and knew him well. He clearly had his respect. While he did not know the details, she knew he wouldn't get angry nor judge her on it. Not in the way Amanda had done.
Pike's gaze remained soft before he nodded softly. "While…. I can't begin to understand this rift between you and your brother, I know he does have a high opinion of you, regardless of what happened." He moved from around his desk, stepped close to her enough for her to feel more of the natural warmth of his body. "But now, you two are different people from back then and…assuming the worse in this anticipation will not make it any easier on your mind."
A soft puff of air slipped passed her lips, more as a sigh than anything else. "It's not easy not to worry." She could just…feel that Spock would once again reject her. Even with her current status of emotions in debate, the idea of Spock pushing her away could push her back into an unresponsive state that she had been after the broken bond. It was horrible. Fear of that was always gonna be present.
"I know." His hand came up, coming to rest on her forearm and tightening with assurance. Within that moment, Michael felt a warmth from his touch radiate up through her skin like a wave that almost engulfed, even with the cloth between; it was enough for her to…feel much lighter. That second felt stretched and for a second, she felt…whole. Complete.
Then his hand dropped.
The feeling lingered for a second longer but faded away to a lesser degree. Her eyes flickered to his hand. They had not had physical contact since Terralysium…. Before the breaking of their bond. She felt a peak of curiosity…what if they had skin-to-skin contact?
Michael opened her mouth to speak suddenly the ship gave a sudden lurch, immediately shifting her step and maintained her balance as Pike almost toppled over; lights immediately turning read though she could see the echoing lull through the metal; a resonating feeling that buzzed in the air like static electricity but she felt it run through her body before she noticed how the speeds outside began to drop.
Pike instantly shifted into a full captaincy mode and took the immediate lead out into the turbolift.
"Detmer, Status." He called out as soon he entered the bridge, Michael though started to her station, Linus moving away though she started on the scans of what was happening, vaguely hearing Detmer's reply and how the ship went into Red alert to the captain's command.
"Our scans show we've been pulled into a multi-phasic stasis field that's disrupting our shield harmonics," Michael spoke. But the feeling in the air…. She could feel it ran more than through the shields… Her body was sensitive to strong harmonic resonant… it made her worried. She could easily recall the last time she was on the bridge when a harmonics jammer was weaponised. So long to be…reconstructed… she didn't want that again.
"We've come to a full stop, air. Whatever got us, we're locked in place."
"Like a damn fly in a web."
Michael's fingers brushed over the screen though she found the source of the field with very good ease. "And there is the spider."
Outside the view screen, she could see a vast, moon-like sphere ahead of them, with tendrils that shifted in an almost orbit within itself. Its colour was a burned rustic and there was dim shifting of light within it. With a few pulses of its light, she could feel resonated through the ship's infrastructure, in turn through her…