"Bridge to Captain Kirk," Uhura's voice cut through Kirk's thoughts.
He punched the comm button on his desk. "Kirk here."
"I have Starfleet Command on a secure channel," Uhura explained. "A personal response to your last report, I believe."
"Thank you Uhura, put it through down here." He straightened his shirt and waited patiently, and at last the screen in front of him fizzled and took the image of Admiral Davis. "Admiral, this is an unexpected pleasure," Kirk said, forcing a smile. "What can I do for you?"
"I've just finished reading your report on the time travelers," Davis said seriously. "A very impressive amount of knowledge on the part of these children. However, we at Starfleet believe that they fall under the protection of the Prime Directive."
It took all of his self-control not to leap from his chair and demand an explanation. "Admiral...I fail to see how time travel fits under the Prime Directive," he said instead, struggling to remain calm. "They obviously already knew about us long before the incident ever occured, and I don't see how anything else we do could affect them."
"Captain...Starfleet believes the best course of action is to perform a memory-wipe on all seven, revert them to normal, and then return them to their proper timeline," Davis said. "No one will ever know they were missing."
Kirk shook his head. "Sorry Admiral, but that just wouldn't work. Doctor McCoy has thoroughly examined each person, and all the results are the same. None of them can have reverse mutation back to normal human. They would most certainly disrupt the timeline back on Earth of the past if we were to return a handful of alien children."
Admiral Davis' brow furrowed as he contemplated this new information. At last, he spoke. "I see your point, Kirk. The children are in much less danger here than they would be in their timeline. Very well, they may remain aboard the Enterprise until Starfleet reaches an official conclusion. Which brings me to your current orders." He looked directly at Kirk. "An asteroid is on collision with an M-Class planet, which lies approximately two hundred seven lightyears away from your current position. Your mission is to scout out the planet for intelligent life and if it supports any, you are to use all means necessary to deflect the asteroid from its current course."
Kirk felt a chill run up his spine. Allison was right..."Yes sir." He swallowed hard. "Anything else?"
The Admiral studied him curiously, wondering at his sudden unease. "That is all, Captain. Admiral Davis, out." The picture winked off, and Kirk exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He sat in silence for a few moments, then clicked on his deck communicator again. "Kirk to bridge."
"Spock here," the smooth Vulcan voice replied.
"Spock, I need to see you in my quarters," Kirk said, taking careful assurances that his voice did not waver. "We have new orders about the children."
"I'm on my way, Captain." A click indicated that he had cut transmission.
Kirk opened another channel. "Kirk to Sickbay. Bones, I need you to meet me and Spock in my quarters on the double. Kirk out."
~~~~~~~
"She was right," Kirk said, staring at his desk. "Admiral Davis called me today with new orders." He raised his eyes to his two friends, who were looking slightly bewildered by all this. "An asteroid is on a collision course for a small planet nearby. We're being sent to investigate."
"Jim, we can't!" McCoy blurted instantly. "If Allison is right, then you'll be in danger the entire time! And what did she mean by you won't be on board for two months, and without us knowing it?"
Spock looked thoughtful. "Actually Doctor, she stated that the Captain would not know it. She did not speak about anyone else."
"Yes..." Kirk agreed, absently rubbing his jaw. "A rather cryptic response..." He frowned. "It's really too bad that we can't just ask her what's going to happen. But, since this all obviously will happen...we have to take the mission. We'd be altering the future as she knows it, and then if we needed advice on a situation there would be no one to turn to."
"A logical conclusion, Captain," Spock admitted.
"Well, is that all, Jim?" McCoy asked, sounding disappointed. "Or are you gonna give me something to complain about?"
Kirk smiled a little. "Oh, nothing much. Just that all the children have requested to join Starfleet."
~~~~~~~
Allison looked at her reflection in the mirror again, admiring the gold ensign uniform. At her insistance, she had been given a uniform similar to those worn by the men, rather than be stuck in a miniskirt and low-collared shirt. She was one of the only females on board who were privileged enough to wear pants, with the other time-traveling teens in similar situations.
The door chime warbled, and Allison turned around. "Come in."
Jessie walked in, sporting a brand-new blue uniform of ensign rank. She barely flinched at the increased temperature of the room. "This is soooo cool!" she exclaimed. "We are actually members of the Enterprise crew now!"
"Yeah, but unlike certain other people, I intend to work toward promotion," Allison jabbed good-naturedly. "The rank of ensign may fit a lowly Klingon, but a Vulcan deserves more of...say, a Captain's rank." She had to duck, laughing, as Jessie chucked a nearby PADD at her head. "Ooh, temper, temper," she scolded.
"One of these days, you're gonna get it," Jessie grumbled, but she knew it was a joke.
"So, what brings you here?" Allison asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Come to pay a visit to the only full-blooded alien on board?"
"Nothing much, except I thought you'd like to know that Michael is flipping out over being a red shirt," Jessie said, sitting down in a chair.
Allison chuckled. "Lemme guess...he BEGGED for that color, right?"
"Pretty much," Jessie admitted. "I don't think he realizes that in TOS, the red shirts always die first."
"How are the others doing?" Allison asked, after the image of a lunatic red shirt Michael faded from her mind.
"They're doing okay, considering. Steve is thinking about becoming a medic, evidently. He's been practically beaming over the fact that McCoy lets him help out in Sickbay," Jessie said. "Lia and May are both trying out more scientific stations. Kristian's already dead-set on being a Science Officer, and I think he's starting to annoy Spock since he started following him all around."
"It honestly wouldn't surprise me," Allison admitted. "Spock's a more emotional person than he lets on. So, what about you?"
"Honestly, I'm thinking about going with Security. As long as I don't have to wear red. And you?"
"Oh, I'm going right up the Command Track," Allison answered truthfully. "I'm going to start Bridge duty tomorrow, at the Navigational console. You know, Chekov's normal spot. Then, hopefully, I'll eventually get promoted and work my way up to Captain of a starship."
Jessie laughed. "You're joking."
Allison's face remained unchanged. "No, I am not. Why would I joke about something like this?" She looked at her friend closely. "You don't think I could handle it, do you? You insult my honor?"
Jessie knew right away that she had made a mistake, as soon as the word "honor" was spoken. To a Klingon, honor was everything. And to a Vulcan, it was maybe just a bit more. Especially to a Vulcan who had not yet learned to control and conceal her emotions.
Thousands of years ago, Vulcans had been savage barbarians, killing one another in massive bloody wars. After Surak realized the truth, he led the Vulcans to peace and logic. But even then, no Vulcan had managed to rid themselves of their instinctual violent nature unless they were a master of the Kohlinar disciplines. Allison was no such master.
"Now Allison, you know I didn't mean anything bad by that.." Jessie said quickly, trying to avert the oncoming conflict. "I just meant that with your personality and experience, I don't think you're capable of commanding a starship. Let alone reaching the rank of Commander." She meant the last part as a joke, a harmless little comment. But Allison, still not used to these new feelings, took it literally.
Allison narrowed her eyes at her friend. "T'kevaidors a skelitus dunt'ryala aikriian paselitan...Toriatal," she spoke in an alien tongue, fury burning in her eyes.
Jessie's mind raced. What language had she spoken? What words were said? She was obviously waiting for an answer, and if she gave the wrong one there was no telling what might happen.
The words came to her automatically. "MaSuv? HlhlvQo'! Jlbup!" She spoke with a harsh Klingon infliction, somehow knowing exactly what to say.
Allison's expression did not change. "You do not wish to fight me?"
Jessie almost sighed in relief, now that she could understand her friend. "No, Allison. You are my friend. Jlmev. JlSagh. I won't do that again."
"Good." There was an awkward silence, but the savage feelings from both girls were gone. Allison walked over to the end of her bed and sat down, wearily running a hand through her hair. "Man, I don't know what just came over me. How did I know what to say?"
"What DID you say?" Jessie asked. "I couldn't understand what language it was."
"It's an ancient Vulcan dialect, called Old High Vulcan," Allison explained. "On occasion, the Vulcans on Star Trek used that language instead of English. What I said would be roughly translated as, 'I challenge you to a fight to the death.'"
Jessie's eyes went wide. "Whoa. It is SO lucky we didn't go through on that."
"Now, it's your turn."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You spoke Klingon back there. At the convention, you told me that all you knew how to say was qapla'. How did YOU know what to say?"
Jessie pondered that, not fully understanding it herself. "I'm not exactly sure. It kind of came instinctively, and I'm not even sure what I said."
"Well, the first thing you said was 'We fight? No, don't attack me, I quit.' Then you said, 'I will stop, and I speak the truth.' Or something along those lines," Allison explained. When Jessie answered with nothing but a stare, she elaborated. "I bought the Klingon-English Dictionary and studied it a while ago. I basically learned how to fluently speak Klingon, and it only took me about three months. Trust me, High Old Vulcan is a lot harder."
The comm unit whistled, and Allison reluctantly answered it. "Ensign Danks, here."
"Ensign, this is Spock. Meet me at my quarters in ten Standard minutes."
Allison looked puzzled, but answered the unusual order. "Acknowledged." She snapped off the channel and turned back to Jessie. "Well, it seems duty calls," she said. "See you around, Jess."
"Same to you."
Both of them headed for the door. When Jessie reached it, she turned to face Allison. "No matter what, I'll still be your friend, right?" she asked.
Allison allowed herself a faint smile. "I have been, and always will be, your friend."
Jessie grinned. "Thank you, Miss Trekkie, for that wonderful quote."
"Any time."