I'M BACK! Sorry it took so long for me to put out this chapter, I'm trying to write as much of this FanFic as possible in the free time I have. So there maybe gaps between chapters for a while which I'm sorry for, but I will finish this and that's a promise ?
McCoy had told Scotty to go lie down for a little while on one of the beds which sat in a corner of the base, well by bed, McCoy was actually referring to a metal box with a thin foam top. Clearly Star Fleet still chose to devote its resources to different outposts, since these 'beds' had been here way before Scotty even set a foot on the planet. According to Keenser anyway. Scotty had only laid down for a couple of minutes, before getting up after realising where the problem that he had been trying to fix was. McCoy had decided to go and check on Scotty, knowing full well he was probably bored out of his mind. Only to find that he wasn't there, cursing quietly to himself McCoy chose to go and find him. The CMO was going to give the CEO a stern talking to, that was when he could find him. The building was so big and McCoy didn't wish to wander around it alone, not when they're unsure what's been happening here. Finally he spotted the Scotsman, knelt in front of a circuitry panel which sat on the wall. As he walked over McCoy thought about what he was going to say, he didn't want to annoy Scotty any more than he already was. "You're meant to be resting?" McCoy growled.
"I feel fine, not the first time I've took a wee bang to the head." Scotty replied, not stopping his work. "Just like it's not the first time you've fallen from that tower?" McCoy wasn't really in the mood to argue with him, "I was fine then and I'm fine now! So sto…" Scotty had stood up quickly while talking, maybe a little too quick since he suddenly felt light headed. McCoy grabbed a firm hold of the Engineer's shoulder, stopping him from tipping over. "Dam it Scotty, you're gonna end up blacking out if you're not bloody careful!" McCoy led him over to a nearby chair and forced him to sit down. Scotty sighed loudly, "Doctor, would ya quit worrying over me, I feel fine." He went to stand up, McCoy just glared at him and gently forced him back down, "Scotty you're nowhere near as tough as you think you are. What were you doing over here anyway?" "Could ask you the same thing?" McCoy rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question!" Once again Scotty sighed loudly, "I was fixing the computer problem, what's your excuse!" "I was looking for you." He replied, "Come on, lets head back to the others. I'm sure Keenser can come and sort this problem out."
The two of them wandered back over to the others, who all had a journal in their hands. Scotty asked Keenser to go and look at the circuitry panel, which he quickly ran off to do. "How's the head?" Asked Lexie as Scotty sat down, "Fine lass, still hurts a little but I'll be fine." Lexie smiled at him, she was glad that he hadn't been too hurt. "Have you found anything useful among all these journals Jim?" McCoy questioned as he lent on the back of Scotty's chair, Kirk snapped the journal he was holding closed. "Not really Bones." Chekov hadn't looked up from the journal he was reading, well one of them anyway. He was sat cross legged on the floor with a journal in his hand, one on each of his knees and several more scattered around him. "Captain, I think I found something. But it could just be nothing." Everyone turned to face the Navigator, "What is it Pavel?" "I've read through several of the journals which were left by the previous officers, they all wrote about hearing a strange noise and even seeing a large shadow of a creature, but not one known to live here on the planet."
Lexie nodded in agreement, "It's mentioned in here too, so what ever made them officers want to leave, it was the same for all of them. But what could it possibly be? Delta Vega has only two known native species." Scotty smiled faintly, "The key word in your sentence lass is 'known' for all we know there could be something else living on this hell hole." He stated, Kirk turned to face him. "Did anything like this happen while you were here Scotty?" The Scotsman had to think for a little while, he tried to think back to his time here. "I'm not sure Captain." He replied, Kirk sighed quietly before turning towards the desk. "Have you found anything Delta?" The little robot nodded as he walked over to the edge of the desk, "Yes Captain, one of them contained some video files, sadly I'm not equipped to open them. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." Kirk smiled as he placed a hand on Delta's head. "No need to apologize Delta, can you send those files up to the ship? Maybe Spock can see what's on them?" The little robot nodded and set to work.
There was still a mountain of journals to get through, clearly the officers who once occupied the outpost preferred to log everything the old fashion way, on paper. Kirk wished that these logs were all digital, at least that way they could search through them much quicker and lowered their chances of getting thousands of painful papercuts. "Why did all these officers use paper back journals? Why not just do digital ones? It's so much easier and less time consuming." Kirk asked as he picked up yet another book, Scotty looked up to face him. "It was mandatory Captain, since there were a lot of technical issues regarding the computers, Star Fleet made it so that any officers who were stationed here had to make their reports in writing. It's been that way for years." McCoy tilted his head, "You had to do this too?" Scotty just nodded, "Aye Doctor, it was a little odd at first, but I soon got used to it." Lexie and Chekov exchanged a look, despite the mass of journals that they had already read through, not a single one had been from Scotty. On the front cover of every book was the name of the officer who was the writer, but Scotty's hadn't yet cropped up, which was a little odd.
"I haven't seen any of yours yet Scotty, are they even here?" Asked Lexie as she placed the book in her hand down, only to pick up another one. "You won't find mine among them lass, they were destroyed during a fire that broke out here. If you do then it will be a miracle to say the least." Scotty had answered rather quickly, which made Lexie concerned. She already knew he was hiding something, but this added to that. Lexie may have only been onboard the Enterprise for less than six months, however she had become to be close to the Chief, so she could tell if something was amiss. Just then she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, Lexie turned to see it was Keenser. He grunted a little which Lexie understood, he wanted her to follow him, along with Chekov. She smiled at him as she stood up, handing her book over to Delta to continue reading. "Keenser needs our help with something Pavel." Chekov was slightly confused but just nodded before standing. "We'll be back in a minute or two Captain." Kirk just nodded as the three of them walked away, Lexie still was trying to figure out what the Engineer wanted to show the two of them.
Keenser was still leading Chekov and Lexie through the outpost, it seemed like forever ago since they left the others. "Keenser, where are you taking us?" Asked Chekov, the Engineer grunted in reply but Chekov didn't understand him the way Lexie or Scotty could. "He said we're almost there." Lexie translated for him, which he was grateful for. Finally they came to a large open space, Chekov looked around. Apart from a few metal containers scattered about, there wasn't much else. He was just about to question why they were here, when Keenser knelt on the ground and lifted up a section of the floor. He then pulled out several books and handed them to Lexie, who just looked at them in confusion, that was until she read the name which was written on the front cover of the top one. 'Montgomery Scott'. Her eyes widened, these were Scotty's. "These must be Scotty's journals from his time here on Delta Vega." Lexie said as she handed one off to Chekov, who was in just as much shock as her. "But why were they hidden in the floor? And why would he claim that they had been destroyed?" Chekov asked, Lexie wish she could give him an answer. Lexie then looked back at Keenser, who had closed the floor back up. "Keenser, you were stationed here with Scotty. Did strange things happen during that time?" The Engineer seemed reluctant to answer her question, but he did eventually.
He simply said (more grunted) that there were a few times when Scotty would act strangely but it never lasted longer than an hour, he just put it down to him not liking the planet. But Lexie had a feeling it was more than that, much more. "Let's take a look through these when we get back to the others, but let's not tell Scotty about them for now Pavel. I don't think he'll be too happy to find out we discovered them." Chekov couldn't agree more, he didn't want to upset the Scotsman. Lexie handed a few more to Chekov to carry as they headed back, how they were going to keep these from Scotty was a mystery, but they had to find a way. "Do you think Mr Scott will be alright?" Chekov asked shyly, "Of course he will Pavel, he only took a small bang to the head." Lexie replied. "I was referring more to him being back here, I know he hates this place with every fibre of his being." Lexie sighed, once again she didn't have the answer to that. "I think he'll be OK, Scotty just needs to know that he's not here alone and that he can rely on us to help." Chekov chuckled, "You're starting to sound like him Lexie, you really do care." Lexie blushed slightly, "Yeah, he was there for me when I faced things from my past, he was there to comfort me. So it's only fair that I do the same for him." Chekov didn't bother replying with words, he simply just smiled.
When they did return they found that Scotty was gone, concerned Lexie asked McCoy where he had gone. "I sent him back to bed, hopefully this time he stays put." The Doctor replied, Kirk then noticed the books that both of his officers were carrying. "You found more journals?" Lexie nodded slowly, "Yes Captain, but you should see who they belong to." Puzzled as to what she meant, Kirk took the top book from the stack and proceeded to read the name on its cover. He couldn't believe what was written on it, McCoy came over to look as well, "My god." He muttered. Kirk glanced quickly back at Lexie. "Where did you find these?" Lexie gestured over her shoulder, "Keenser led us to them, they were hidden in a secret compartment in the floor." That only puzzled Kirk more. "So they weren't destroyed in a fire, he hid them, but why?" Chekov had sat back down onto the floor and pushed the previous journals aside to make room for the new ones, Lexie sat down at the desk.
"Maybe the journals themselves will give us that answer Sir." Kirk nodded slowly, he was still trying to figure out why Scotty had lied about them being destroyed. What was written in them that he didn't want them to know? Kirk pushed the questions aside and began to read the journal he had taken from Lexie. McCoy had also taken one and was sat on the desk reading it, next to Delta who was doing the same. "Captain, listen to this." Chekov cried, Kirk turned to face the Navigator. "Go on Pavel?" "I can hear it crawling around in the depth of night, how it's here I don't know but it hasn't tried to get to me, not yet anyway." Chekov read out loud, "By the sounds of it, something was here and Scotty seems to know what it is." McCoy noted. Kirk nodded slowly, "That would seem to be the case Bones, but I doubt that Scotty will tell us what this means." "Doubt I'll tell you what Captain?" Everyone froze at the voice that had spoken, Kirk turned around to see Scotty standing behind him. The Scotsman glanced his eyes around at each of them, it was then he noticed the books in their hands. Lexie watched as Scotty's mood quickly changed.