Everyone looked at turbo shaft number one.
Red doors hissed open.
The two security guards on the bridge drew their phasers.
Everyone looked at turbo shaft number one.
Out walked Rand, carrying a tray with several cups of coffee. "Hi, everyone!" She said, with a cheery smile. "What's up?"
A sigh of relief rippled around the bridge. The security guards lowered their phasers. Rand started distributing the coffee. Sulu was sneaking a hand under the cushion of the center seat.
Kirk and Spock still looked at turbo shaft number one.
Cautiously they approached the turbo-lift. In unison, they each leaned forward and peered inside, Kirk looking to the left and Spock to the right. Slowly they scanned the interior of the empty lift until they faced each other, practically nose to nose. The captain and first officer quickly withdrew their heads from the turbo-lift and stepped back. At that moment, a brilliant flash of light emanated from the open doors, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. And there, where the light had been, stood a man.
He was dressed in 15th century garb, complete with plumed hat, breastplate, cape and sword. Kirk thought he looked vaguely like pictures he had seen of Christopher Columbus.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Kirk demanded. His head hurt. He mentally willed Rand to get that coffee to him.
The security guards raised their phasers.
"Thou art notified that thy kind have infiltrated the galaxy too far already...Thou art directed to return to thine own solar system immediately!" the Columbus clone proclaimed arrogantly. Then, looking about himself, he suddenly gave the appearance of being vaguely confused, and his lips formed the word "oops!"
Another flash of light. He was gone.
The security guards lowered their phasers.
Kirk stared, bewildered, at the space where man had been. The turbo-lift doors closed and Janice shoved a cup of coffee into his hand. "Scotty – status!"
"Och, what've ya done, Captain? Th' power drain just increased! We'll be dead in space in one hour! Dead in space!" Was that a sob over the intercom? "Ma poor bairns..."
The captain of the Enterprise passed a weary hand across his eyes. "Spock..."
Spock was preoccupied. "The magazine, if you please, Mr. Sulu."
It was Sulu's turn to look embarrassed, as he was caught perusing the centerfold. He sheepishly gave it up to the waiting hands of the first officer, wondering as he did so what the men around him found so intriguing about the magazine; it certainly wasn't to HIS taste.
"Mr. Spock!" Kirk's voice grew insistent.
Spock put the magazine on his chair at the science station. "Yes, Captain?"
"Any ideas about this power drain? And, are we still 'stuck'?"
Once again, the Vulcan first officer of the United Space Ship Enterprise turned and faced his captain, hands folded loosely behind his back, and took a deep breath.
Just then, the bridge shuddered under an apparent attack.
"Status!" Kirk shouted.
Everyone looked at their instruments in confusion. The bridge rocked with another assault.
Uhura had been busy monitoring transmissions, such as they were. She looked around the bridge for the "item," and her eyes focused on Spock's chair. Gingerly, she picked up the magazine, instantly knowing what she needed to do. "Janice!"
Rand was busy leaning against the bridge railing with one foot on the step, her hand trailing up her thigh, surreptitiously gazing at the captain.
Kirk pretended not to notice. There she goes again, he thought. Will she ever get a clue?
"Janice!"
The sound of Uhura's voice brought Yeoman Rand back to reality. Janice lurched ungracefully over to the communication station as the bridge jolted under another onslaught.
"Status!" Kirk shouted again, more insistently.
Spock looked up from his scanner. "The gaseous anomaly that has been holding the ship in its gravitational field and causing the distortion of the space/time continuum which has created the spiral gradient seems to be emanating temporal waves of unusual magnitude."
Kirk swore his headache was getting worse.
Uhura and Rand seemed to be urgently discussing something near the communications console. Janice grabbed the magazine from Uhura and flipped through it. "I think you're right!"
"I know I'm right! Let's go!"
Before the captain or the first officer could query what was going on, both Lieutenant Uhura and Yeoman Rand leapt for the turbo-lift, each holding a side of the magazine.
The lift doors whooshed open.
Without hesitation, the women heaved the magazine through the lift doors.
Flash of light...
The doors whooshed closed.
"Keptin! Look!"
Kirk turned his attention toward the view screen. The gaseous anomaly was dissipating. His chair beeped at him and Scotty's voice came over the com. "Captain! Power readings are comin' back ta normal! Th' drain has stopped!"
"What happened, Spock?"
The Vulcan did not answer.
"Spock?.... Spock!"
Beyond the voice he could hear faint rhythmic beeping. Spock opened his eyes and immediately wanted to close them again. The first thing he saw was Dr. McCoy's face bending over him and he remembered at once that he was in sickbay. "I had the most fascinating dream..."
Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters, Kirk caught his breath and sat up with a start. The intercom was buzzing insistently and he groped for it with one hand. "Kirk here. This better be good!"
END