Chapter 10
Stardate 2134.6
Captain's personal log
We have just completed monitoring and exploring the energy wave which Captain James T. Kirk was killed by while a guest aboard the USS Enterprise B.
So far our investigations are inconclusive. We are no nearer in identifying the object in question.
Orders from Starfleet command state we are to abandon the mission and precede straight to our next assignment.
Spock of Vulcan, once a science officer of a very different ship sat like a statue in the captain's chair of the Starship Stargazer. Beside him stood McCoy, the ship's physician. At the engineering station sat the captain of engineering, Montgomery Scott who would be retiring from service very soon. At her usual post was sat Commander Uhura. The communications officer.
McCoy had decided to stay with Starfleet for another year. He had assumed that Captain Spock would be needing him aboard his new Constellation class starship. Also the mission was a curiosity - the energy ribbon.
The Stargazer was a modernistic ship and this was her second interstellar mission. The first commander of the ship Captain Ruj'Ek had bowed out and left the fleet for some unknown reason.
For sometime there was silence on the bridge except for the beeping of instruments from the consuls. The bridge of the ship seemed oppressive and sombre, probably something to do with the current situation onboard.
This mission was a failure. The Stargazer had gathered as much data as the Enterprise B had when she had made contact with the ribbon before.
The only information the Stargazer had discovered independently was that the phenomena travelled across this part of the galaxy once every thirty-nine point one Earth years. Probes were dispatched which reported no indications as to what the ribbon was other than interstellar phenomena.
The probes simply disappeared into thin air on contact. It was well established that larger crafts disintegrated within impact with the object.
By no means would Captain Spock consider sending anyone out there.
McCoy reported several of the crew rather unstable. Probably to do with the rather pronounced stress of the mission. Shore leave had not been issued for three months. People were pretty well stressed out by then. Shortly Spock could grant it. He certainly could have done with some time of his own to reflect. McCoy however seemed to be grumpier by the minute.
Spock sent a shuttlecraft out on autopilot and monitored the damage at impact, but the damage wasn't all that unusual. The ships sensor readings weren't all that unusual either. Whatever the thing was it was definitely sending back false information.
The Stargazer had spent three months in that sector of space trying to answer the baffling question, which still lay unanswered. Now the ship was to divert to another mission. Their task here according to Starfleet was completed.
No one spoke. Everyone seemed to be to engrossed in what they were doing. It seemed almost to the point of being abnormal. Something had to break the chilling silence. Everyone felt defeated.
It appeared that this disastrous mission was the hardest on Spock, for he took this as his private mission to discover how and why his friend died. McCoy swallowed. He wished someone would say something. Anything. Obviously no one would so he spoke out and turned and faced the Scotsman at the engineering consul.
"When do you go to the Norpin Colony Scotty?"
"One weeks time lad."
"Lucky you. Sometimes I wouldn't mind going myself."
"Ye got a few more years in yea yet lad. Besides Spock'll need a good doctor on his ship. Ye tell that new engineer of yours, what's her name Commander Fiona Green to take good care of her and she'll never let ye down."
Retirement was coming very soon for the engineer. Since the day Scott had gone and registered it, until he got the notification from Starfleet Command that his statement was valid and accepted he thought that the time would pass very slowly. In fact it had been the complete opposite. This would be his last complete final mission aboard the ship.
"I'll remember it," McCoy said with a smile.
"Captain, I've finished me adjustments," said Scotty. He got to his feet. "I'll be in me engine room if you want me."
Spock turned and nodded. He felt lost and defeated. They were no better off than when they started. Now he would never know what had happened to Captain James Kirk his friend.
"Very well, Mr Scott," said the Vulcan. The engineer passed the centre seat and headed for the turbo lift. The red doors parted before him with a slight swoosh. It had been Scotty's idea to repaint those military blue doors red.
Spock had suspected it was something to do with Scott's fondness for the original Enterprise. Their Enterprise. He thought it was ridiculously illogical to do so. A ship wasn't alive. It was merely metal, wires, and circuitry and it definitely did not have a personality even though the engineer seemed to think that it did. Why make something out of something, which it was not.
Was Scotty trying to hold on to his precious memories of his previous beloved ship by changing certain decor on the Stargazer? Spock wondered why. He still felt at a loss at some strange little human niceties and obsessions. Quite frankly it baffled him.
