Of Lost Ships and Old Friends
Chapter 3: A Cat Named Spock
Kirk was sitting in his chair on the bridge in deep thought. Spock hadn't dug up anything even remotely close to the planet T'Kaia had named in his search of the ship's database. He had, however, found the history of the Europa under Captain Ghol.
It read that Captain Ghol was 6'7", had silvery eyes and a completely bald head, and was a human. He had taken command of the Europa seven years ago, when it was first launched. Kirk knew this already, he had been to the ceremony. Ghol and First Officer T'Kaia Jackson had been the longest serving people onboard. Several things stuck out distinctly from the report. No crew member had EVER taken shore leave in the seven years the Europa had been running except for the Captain and his brother in law, medical officer Jai. These two were also the only crew members to make a communication from the ship other than a routine report and to ask for a transfer. And, most remarkable, was that the non-human crew members asked to be transfered more often, and also sustained signifigantly more 'accidental' injuries than the human crew.
All this went to support T'Kaia's explination of life onboard the Europa. And what troubled Kirk most was that it didn't sound like the Ghol he had met at all. When he met him seven years ago, Ghol seemed charming, tolerant, calm, polite, a perfect candidate for captain. Kirk wondered what could cause a man to go wrong like that.
Suddenly, "Shuttlecraft docking bay, Captain."
Kirk switched the communicator on. "Kirk here."
"We found a...cat."
"WHAT?"
"We found a cat in the shuttlecraft, sir. You might want to ask Commander Jackson whether or not a cat was sealed in with her, 'cause we just found one."
Kirk let out an exasperated sigh. "A cat. Okay, if it's that important I'll be right down." He switched the comm off. "Not as if we have anything better to do," Kirk commented to himself, "Spock, go get T'Kaia and meet me down in the docking bay."
"Yes sir."
Mr. Spock walked into the rec room. He found T'Kaia and McCoy engrossed in a game of 3D chess. T'Kaia smirked and made a move. "Checkmate, Bones."
McCoy sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Never was my game anyway. You should challenge Spock sometime, he's better at this sort of thing. Just don't tell him I said that."
"Why, thank you, Doctor," Spock said. He had been standing behind McCoy as he said it. McCoy turned around quickly. "Don't scare me like that, Spock."
"T'Kaia, Captain Kirk wants us to meet him down by the shuttlecraft," Spock said, ignoring McCoy's protest.
In the docking bay, Kirk walked in to see one of the technicians holding, just as advertised, a cat. The cat was a sort of greenish white except for a black splotch on it's head, in a pattern that made it look like a human with hair. It's ears were even more long and pointy than normal for a cat. The cat had fiercely intelegent brown eyes.
Kirk laughed when he saw it. The cat jumped down from the technician's arms and rubbed up against Kirk's legs. Kirk scooped it up and looked it in the face. "You know," Kirk said, "It looks almost like..."
"SPOCK!" T'Kaia shouted as she walked in and saw the cat. The cat leaped away from Kirk and bolted towards T'Kaia and Spock as they entered the room. T'Kaia got down on her knees and embraced the cat. It purred happily. "Oh, Spock, I missed you so much! I'm so glad you managed to follow me onboard. You're so smart, my angel."
Kirk laughed out loud, even harder than before. "You named your cat after Spock?" He tried his best to supress his laughter as he noticed the poisonous glare T'Kaia was giving him.
T'Kaia stood up with Spock (the cat, not the vulcan) in her arms. "Yeah, so? He looks like him, that's all." She was blushing furiously as she said this.
The vulcan Spock chose this moment to speak up. "I fail to see the resemblance."
"Yeah, I see one vital difference," McCoy said, "The cat is sort of cute. I don't think that description could ever apply to Spock."
T'Kaia was about to object, but then thought better of it. "I'm just glad that my cat is alive," she said instead. "Ghol never really liked him. I always thought Spock here would end up getting kicked out of the airlock when I wasn't looking." At this point, the cat had found a perch on T'Kaia's left shoulder.
Kirk, still waging a war with his laughter said "I should thank little Spock for showing up, I needed a break like this."
Uhura's voice came over the intercom. "Bridge paging Captain Kirk. We're receiving a distress call, please report to the bridge."
Kirk sighed. "Oh well, looks like it's back to work. T'Kaia, I don't want the cat running wild all over the ship, I'd hate to be reminded of the last time a small furry creature was brought aboard the ship."
He and Mr. Spock left, and McCoy had begun teasing T'Kaia about Spock.
Note: I felt the need to lighten the mood a little as the next chapter won't be so bright and sunny. And also, Spock is a great name for a cat. Chapter four will be up in 2 days at the latest, I have school to contend with too (sadly).
Chapter 3: A Cat Named Spock
Kirk was sitting in his chair on the bridge in deep thought. Spock hadn't dug up anything even remotely close to the planet T'Kaia had named in his search of the ship's database. He had, however, found the history of the Europa under Captain Ghol.
It read that Captain Ghol was 6'7", had silvery eyes and a completely bald head, and was a human. He had taken command of the Europa seven years ago, when it was first launched. Kirk knew this already, he had been to the ceremony. Ghol and First Officer T'Kaia Jackson had been the longest serving people onboard. Several things stuck out distinctly from the report. No crew member had EVER taken shore leave in the seven years the Europa had been running except for the Captain and his brother in law, medical officer Jai. These two were also the only crew members to make a communication from the ship other than a routine report and to ask for a transfer. And, most remarkable, was that the non-human crew members asked to be transfered more often, and also sustained signifigantly more 'accidental' injuries than the human crew.
All this went to support T'Kaia's explination of life onboard the Europa. And what troubled Kirk most was that it didn't sound like the Ghol he had met at all. When he met him seven years ago, Ghol seemed charming, tolerant, calm, polite, a perfect candidate for captain. Kirk wondered what could cause a man to go wrong like that.
Suddenly, "Shuttlecraft docking bay, Captain."
Kirk switched the communicator on. "Kirk here."
"We found a...cat."
"WHAT?"
"We found a cat in the shuttlecraft, sir. You might want to ask Commander Jackson whether or not a cat was sealed in with her, 'cause we just found one."
Kirk let out an exasperated sigh. "A cat. Okay, if it's that important I'll be right down." He switched the comm off. "Not as if we have anything better to do," Kirk commented to himself, "Spock, go get T'Kaia and meet me down in the docking bay."
"Yes sir."
Mr. Spock walked into the rec room. He found T'Kaia and McCoy engrossed in a game of 3D chess. T'Kaia smirked and made a move. "Checkmate, Bones."
McCoy sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Never was my game anyway. You should challenge Spock sometime, he's better at this sort of thing. Just don't tell him I said that."
"Why, thank you, Doctor," Spock said. He had been standing behind McCoy as he said it. McCoy turned around quickly. "Don't scare me like that, Spock."
"T'Kaia, Captain Kirk wants us to meet him down by the shuttlecraft," Spock said, ignoring McCoy's protest.
In the docking bay, Kirk walked in to see one of the technicians holding, just as advertised, a cat. The cat was a sort of greenish white except for a black splotch on it's head, in a pattern that made it look like a human with hair. It's ears were even more long and pointy than normal for a cat. The cat had fiercely intelegent brown eyes.
Kirk laughed when he saw it. The cat jumped down from the technician's arms and rubbed up against Kirk's legs. Kirk scooped it up and looked it in the face. "You know," Kirk said, "It looks almost like..."
"SPOCK!" T'Kaia shouted as she walked in and saw the cat. The cat leaped away from Kirk and bolted towards T'Kaia and Spock as they entered the room. T'Kaia got down on her knees and embraced the cat. It purred happily. "Oh, Spock, I missed you so much! I'm so glad you managed to follow me onboard. You're so smart, my angel."
Kirk laughed out loud, even harder than before. "You named your cat after Spock?" He tried his best to supress his laughter as he noticed the poisonous glare T'Kaia was giving him.
T'Kaia stood up with Spock (the cat, not the vulcan) in her arms. "Yeah, so? He looks like him, that's all." She was blushing furiously as she said this.
The vulcan Spock chose this moment to speak up. "I fail to see the resemblance."
"Yeah, I see one vital difference," McCoy said, "The cat is sort of cute. I don't think that description could ever apply to Spock."
T'Kaia was about to object, but then thought better of it. "I'm just glad that my cat is alive," she said instead. "Ghol never really liked him. I always thought Spock here would end up getting kicked out of the airlock when I wasn't looking." At this point, the cat had found a perch on T'Kaia's left shoulder.
Kirk, still waging a war with his laughter said "I should thank little Spock for showing up, I needed a break like this."
Uhura's voice came over the intercom. "Bridge paging Captain Kirk. We're receiving a distress call, please report to the bridge."
Kirk sighed. "Oh well, looks like it's back to work. T'Kaia, I don't want the cat running wild all over the ship, I'd hate to be reminded of the last time a small furry creature was brought aboard the ship."
He and Mr. Spock left, and McCoy had begun teasing T'Kaia about Spock.
Note: I felt the need to lighten the mood a little as the next chapter won't be so bright and sunny. And also, Spock is a great name for a cat. Chapter four will be up in 2 days at the latest, I have school to contend with too (sadly).