Captain Pike sucked on his teeth as his fingers fiddled with the PADD presented to him from his chief of security. Updated measures to a list of requested equipment that needed to be commissioned and one thing that needed the captain's signature on.

"Gold Alert?" His eyes rose from the screen. "Can't we use another common colour? Green, perhaps?"

"The human world for gold has one Syllable so quick to say," Nhan spoke up, her lips pursed through her blue eyes watched him like a hawk, "Green is also not an emergency colour but the gold colour is also closest to our yellow alert. Our other colour options were taken"

"Hm…." She was right, Pike supposed. A green alert would not strike the same alertness to the crew as a golden colour would. Green was too positive when it also meant varying things throughout Starfleet training. "But I've noticed here that anyone can call this warning…"

A necessary inquiry. Most alert systems were always established by the captain or senor member on the bridge, if and when faced with a problem out; more often than not from another ship. An alert system that could be used by anyone… it was highly unusual.

"If an internal vampire attack is imminent, the bridge or senior staff can't be the last to know. It needs to be shut down immediately. Crewmen and cadets might be the first to see an act before further life is lost before word can go higher" The commander continued, though she shifted and started to pace a little. "However, I did alter the degree of the alarms depending on the rank. Harmonic resonators are the first to go online to inhibit their speed and dregs of garlic are released to make it hard to track the crew members. I was hoping you could allow the computer to…use an algorithm take over the degree should life-signs deplete in that alert should senior staff not raise a higher alert."

Pike raised an eyebrow at the woman's in-depth report of the alert and the action-plan. "How long have you been designing this, Commander?"

Of course, he didn't expect less from his head of security and with the topic at hand but they had been on this ship for a week. Vampires were still fresh news but he didn't want to jump to… any judgmental action.

He had met Lieutenant Stamets once since coming here and had read the man's file to how he had ended up being transformed. The vampire had kept his distance and Pike knew it caution had validation to uncertain situation…or people. Like himself, like Nhan….even Connolly. That was not enough to call for a…whole new alert system when Stamets didn't display anything of a threat.

"Not long, I'm working off another emergency systems the vampire-led facility have on their main station on the Planet."

Ah. That sounded more like Nhan in a time crunch—working and improving off existing measures— and not unexpected but it seemed…redundant for a starship to need this to such a degree. From what he had read, no vampires without appropriate training were allowed to stay on the ship. That much was obvious to anyone. Human and non-alike. But, there was plentiful of logic that felt like it…had to be there. He still didn't know enough about them to just let it go. He just… had to tread carefully.

Pike inhaled deeply, turning his gaze down to the PADD then stiffly nodded. "I can agree to you setting up the alert system but let me know when it's up but keep it on the down-low for now. You're dismissed."

Commander Nhan's posture relaxed, sagging with relief before a smile graced her lips that twitched at her arguments. She took the PADD from him, straightening out her uniform jacket "Thank you, Sir."

Pike's eyes followed her form until the turbolift doors shut. They were a few hours away before they'd reach the planet… but he would still be far from reading through it all. In front of him on his desk sat several other PADDs; reports, roster, Burnham's file and the vampire database.

He pursed his lips, pushing away the first two for later. No, now he needed to know more on their returning science officer.

"No, I'd recommend installing further resonators throughout the Jefferies tubes entranced and exits that'd go on its highest setting when activated"

Pike heard Stamets's voice before the man himself appeared in the transport room, looking over the PADD with Nhan, mildly surprised the engineer was so talkative about it. His eyes continued to watch their interactions curiously.

"Highest?"

"Yes, the resonators will inhibit total movement. Cutting the tubes out of the equation will severely inhibit any chances of a quick ship-wide pass."

Nhan nodded, noting this down. "Anything else?"

Stamets paused though his ruby eyes lifted, feeling the stare before he stiffened right up. "I'll send you an in-depth report later, commander."

Feeling the change of topic, Nhan took the hint. "I'll look forwards to reading them." She stepped away.

Pike's gaze drifted, just about catching sight of the Discovery's schematics before the technician spoke.

"Transporter lock established."

"Yay!" Tilly grinned, practically vibrating with excitement next to Stamets.

Gold light shimmering on the transport. His spine straightened, ready to greet the commander as the form began to materialise.

He had seen the picture on her file though he couldn't help but…feel mildly nervous that her mere presentence seemed to admit. The obvious signs of her species were the red hue that sat within her irises, the fading gold light still managing to catch on her skin, offering a split second of glitter across her face.

Burnham was presented in Starfleet uniform though her circular badge too grabbed his attention. The details too far for him to see but it was clearly custom made but it still held enough to be part of Starfleet regulations. Unlike humans and other non-humans, her posture was…still, even as the light faded fully.

Too still.

"Michael!" Tilly was the first person to move, nearly diving at the woman at a speed though it caught the vampire's attention first,

Pike stayed where he was. Allowing the two to reconnect. Stamets seemed to move forwards at that point, his lips pursing though suppressing a smile as he watched his human friend.

"Tilly, as redundant as it is, give the woman a moment to breathe."

Tilly drew back though didn't let go, instead moved beside her, keeping her arm around Burnham's shoulders.

Burnham chuckled softly, exposing pearly white but ordinary teeth under her lips. "I don't mind, I've been stuck with more than a few uptight people in the last few months. It's nice to have a change."

Pike smiled. He couldn't blame her for that. Vulcans were easily one of the most uptight species they knew. There was a fortune in those willing to loosen their belts a little, so to speak.

"It's good to see you, you don't look like you've changed much." Burnham's eyes ran down Stamets's figure for a second, lingering particularly over his face.

Stamets smiled softly and nodded. "I haven't. Sorry for not calling you as often. I was….occupied."

Burnham didn't reply, instead, she pulled a small slim case from her luggage and held it out to him, "Your new badges. One for yourself and the other is Dr Culber's. The latter as a proxy to being your imprint."

Pike's head tilted a fraction. Imprint. An unfamiliar term. He could safely assume that was another term for a mate. Or in the Commander's case, husband. He hadn't actually gotten that deep in the file to get to know the technical terms when vampire mating practises came into play. He didn't need to know when it wasn't…relevant.

"I was informed but I didn't think I would get one." Stamets mused, focus entirely on the case as he opened it up. Crimson eyes ran over its surface, taking in its design and flipped them around with a short nod. "Thank you."

"Commander Stamets, to engineering."

Stamets's head rose, though Pike gave his nod to allow him to leave, not noticing Burnham's look either. Within a heartbeat, the blonde male was gone. Pike though found himself staring after him for a moment before Tilly drew their focus quickly

"Commander, this is the Captain and Commander Nhan."

Pike could almost hear the 'Finally' from Nhan, though he straightened himself up further as Burnham's eyes turned to them. Taking in Nhan first.

Pike smiled softly as she looked to him but he felt a sudden rush of concern as her eye colour suddenly shifted, the red darkening to black from the centre out as if her pupils dilated. Only a red rim on the outside showed any of the ruby colours though the scrutiny of her gaze made him nervous. A hot flush of heat ran through his chest, seizing his heart into unusual rhythm.

He knew what the change of colour meant….

Her face shifted to a smile just as quickly as the eye-change; almost unbothered but that did little comfort to gage much of a reaction from her expression. Nhan behind him shifted, noting this change of colour too though he was glad she stayed silent.

"Captain Christopher Pike," Pike forced himself to bury the worry though he felt oddly vulnerable as he held his hand forwards, offering her a customary handshake.

Burnham's dark gaze flickered down and then slowly reached forwards, her hand coming to grasp his lightly— almost immediately, he wanted to pull his hand free. He had expected the coldness of her hand; the smooth feel of skin yet it was as solid as stone was what threw him more on top her cooler temperature. Expectations weren't always reality.

Pike dropped his hand, the echo of coolness lingering over his flesh when she let go.

"Glad to meet you, although…unexpected." Burnham's eyes flickered over to Tilly who seemed otherwise oblivious to notice or didn't have a single worry about her to care.

"I'm currently taking over Discovery under regulation 19, section C. The Enterprise is…out of action in the meantime due to a catastrophic malfunction."

"I see. I guess I'll need to catch up."

Pike nodded. "Of course, your next shift will start later today, Beta shift. I hope that' adequate timing?" he had checked with Stamets. It wouldn't take too long for Burnham to be on the same page as the rest of them.

Burnham nodded back to him. "Yes, Sir." She patted Tilly's arm to release her, "If you'll excuse me, Captain, Commander." Her eyes flickering for a moment to Nhan then back to Pike.

Pike nodded, permitting her to leave.

Burnham slipped her arm around Tilly's mid then in a heartbeat, they were gone. The after-trail whispering over his skin like a soft breeze.

"Hm, I don't see that ending well." Nhan mused quietly first, her tone a tad dry though there was both caution and awe in her voice. "Knowing and seeing how fast they are is…."

"Quite something." Pike finished, sparing a glance to the commander and sighed. "She'll be on the bridge today. It'll take us time to adjust to her just as much as she does to the ship."

Commander Nhan nodded, unsurprised but caution arise back into her features "Did you see her eyes change? Hardly subtle." Her eyes hardened a fraction, "Maybe—"

"I'm not wearing garlic." He couldn't see that ending well either.

"Eyes changing from red to black is down to anger or thirst." She pointed out.

Pike shrugged though he spared a final glance to the transporter room, the technician before he opted to leave, nodding the commander to follow. "It's probably nothing." Her file didn't say she was liable to slip up. It was probably down to the fact that he was probably the first new human she had been around in months. Maybe he did smell…edible. But that didn't mean he was going to douse himself in garlic if there wasn't a problem.

Nhan didn't look convinced but followed, her jaw tensing up. He could almost read her displeasure at the dismissal.

"Why don't you talk to her, see what she's like and—"

"Ah, Captain!"

A new voice behind them caught his attention. Pike turned to see Saru hurrying towards them, a PADD in hand though he looked

"Is Commander Burnham on board?"

Pike nodded. "Yes, she and Ensign Tilly are getting caught up."

Saru's shoulders dropped by a fraction, looking mildly disappointed but he nodded as if expected that as an answer any case. "In that case, I've had Lieutenant Detmer set a course for a Metreon Nebula a few hours away to help the science teams determine more about the asteroid sitting in our shuttle bay. Scans have shown no signs of another red signal so I thought it'd be prudent to study what we have in the meantime."

His head bobbed, "very good. I'll be on the bridge." With a departing nod to the two, Pike headed away, hearing as the other two went their separate ways as well.

He walked, Pike snaked a hand back to his chest. Under his hand, he could feel the fast beat that still claimed his heart… the heat had lessened and hadn't become uncomfortable. Yet. It was probably nothing. Heart-burn at most.


"I can feel you staring, Commander Nhan," Michael spoke up softly as she worked on the monitor, her fingers touching over the screen, going over once again the data that had been collected from the asteroid and on the mission itself.

She had smelt and heard the woman for the last 20 minutes behind her but it wasn't hard to see why the woman was…interested to observe but Michael didn't want to be distracted. If Nhan was curious or had questions, she'd rather she asked them. Not stare.

Behind her, the Chief of security shifted her weight from one leg to another before she moved forwards. Michael didn't look up from the monitor either, content to continue as if undisturbed.

"What do you want?"

Nhan's head tilted a fraction, the light glinting off her facial augments that shifted as the woman's lips pursed together a fraction, the blue eyes flickering down to her monitor before she moved to stand the other side. Purposeful to keep a form of direct assessments of her expression and posture, even if the result was futile.

"If you have questions then please, ask. I won't be offended." Michael paused to look at her with the prompt, arching an eyebrow. "You've read my file, yes?"

The commanded frowned softly but nodded once. "I…am curious, there is only so much I can learn from a file, but… I've only encountered Lieutenant Stamets as a point of reference for your species. Vampires are…unfamiliar territory."

Michael eyed her warily, though she shifted from her station to a more formal stance, turning her attention fully to the Barzan. "You're worried as chief of security?"

"Partly. There's a behavioural difference between you and the Lieutenant's behaviour, why?"

"I turned him," Michael answered bluntly, most in part because that was true but she felt that the Commander already knew this. It made her curious to what angle the woman was working on. "He is part of my clan, as you're aware but our clans run with domination and submissive dynamic hierarchy. Those strongest at the top."

"Will there be potential for any…fighting?"

"No. He won't challenge my authority or position in the clan."

Now she could see where the Barzan was going now. Context. In-clan fighting must have been the woman's primary concern if she was coming to her about it. She supposed the woman had every right too. One vampire was enough for her concern but add another…

"I am aware that the ship has been modified in my absence. The gym on Deck 9 has been enhanced with Titanium lining the walls and excesses shielding. Am I right to assume this a designated area for vampire use?"

She had done a lookup of the systems. Harmonic resonators laced the ship bulkheads, reinforced doors on the Jefferies tubes, garlic bombs laced through the system. Audio suppressors too but fortunate, the majority of the systems were remote controlled through the system that could be assessed from a PADD but the rest were hot-wired to an emergency situation.

The federation had run theoretical tests to see how long taking a starship would take. Four minutes to effectively take command, ten if that included taking out the entire crew. Michael was pleased though to have Discovery well equipped. It made her feel….safer. Safer too for the crew should… anything happen.

Nhan's jaw flexed with a discomforted twitch. "Yes."

Michael's head twitched. "You aren't satisfied with something?"

"I…" Nhan stopped and shook her head. Her scent laced with a flush and her weight shifted. "I don't know."

Her lips pursed softly, Michael took in her posture but… she didn't probe further. The woman had been here for about two weeks, as Tilly had said. Clearly there was a lot the woman had to learn or get used to. Perhaps she wasn't used to the…unsettled feeling. Saru had taken the longest to adjust. Though the Kelpien in question was elsewhere, she hadn't yet caught up with him but made a plan to. They had a lot to talk about.

"Commander Burnham, to Sickbay." Dr Culber's voice called through the comms though Michael was glad for the interruption.

"On my way."


While startling a medic, Dr Culber remained unsurprised with her sudden appearance into the medical bay. Far too used to it at this point, it seemed.

"Commander, I've got a few new things I'd like to show you." Hugh started, his entire posture was open and light and his eyes were lit with contained excitement, "One of those things is requesting you to be a Guinea pig for me but nothing that'll put you off." He added.

"Can't Stamets be your vampire Guinea pig?" Michael couldn't help but feel a welt of amusement, taking a seat on the bio-bed at his gesture. "You married him and he imprinted on you so… you have more access to one at your every beck-and-call."

"True," Culber agreed with a firm nod, "but what I need is a variance of subjects to get a wide range of data readings."

"Subjects?" Her eyebrow rose. "What are you working on?"

Hugh just grinned before he pulled a small tray towards the bed and plucked up a cordial scanner.

Michael's eyebrow rose, her gaze flicking between them though she chuckled softly. "You know those don't work on us, right? We don't have our brains like yours anymore." Michael though tiled her head as the doctor insisted.

Culber clicked his tongue, "Well, I've been studying you since you got here so I've been trying to develop ways to….map your neurological activity."

"I'll try not to feel like a test subject," Michael quipped with a smirk, lying back. "I take it you've had a breakthrough."

"Yes but it's enough for now. You see, the machines were designed to take scans of the brain itself. You know, its shape, size and grey matter and all the squiggly bits, but, with vampires, your body becomes crystalline and the matter is reconstituted in such ways. There's no grey matter to hold the neurons, no shape… it can't pick anything up." Culber started, His fingers tapping along the screen. "Now, as personal as this is to you, I read the hypothesis on Vampire telepathy—"

Michael's humour died quickly. Her gut stiffening up at the immediate reminder; Ophelia's touch, how overwhelming she had been and… Pike. She hadn't seen him since meeting him a few hours ago.

Culber carried on undisturbed, "Which has led my interest to study your mental activity. Now, our machines couldn't also pick up the activity. Vampire 'brain' activity is always too fast to pick up how your neurons interact. It's why you're able to think much faster than humans, see where you're going at such high speeds and all…"

"Doctor, to the point," Michal interjected softly.

"Well, my hypothesis that you're nervous systems and mental activity is still developing. New pathways opening up, but that increases more mental activity. My theory is that…the older you vampires get, or the amount of development it increases, this starts to allow you to tap into the nervous pathways of other species."

Michael inhaled softly. "Ophelia did…say that I was too young for it." She felt a surge of annoyance at how soft her tone turned.

Culber's brown eyes flickered to her, his excitement dying a fraction. "She's not in your head anymore. So far, telepathy is more tactile."

Michael wanted to believe that. But it didn't mean much, not really. Ophelia was beyond any of them. She'd not develop anyways to…master her own mind against her.

"But, that doesn't mean you don't already use it." Culber added, "Imprinting, for example, …it's most likely a form of telepathy that you use subconsciously. I don't know the science behind it but… it's the most likely theory we have."

Michael's eyes fluttered closed. "Just…run your tests, Doctor."

Sensing her mood, Michael was glad the Doctor continued, explaining his theories further as the scanners ran down her form very slowly. Though she was glad to be handed the results soon enough.

On the beside the bio-bed, there were two head figured. Human and vampire as a side-by-side comparison. The human one showed the expected neural spikes throughout the brain, the impulses and pathways that went along the brain structure to particular parts of it that were shining with activity.

But the vampire one was drastically different. There were no internal brain structures but the activity spiked so fast and there was so much of it that it lit up the internal crystalline like a light bulb with constant rebounded steams of activity that disappeared down out of the range but no doubt to the rest of the body too.

It was quite astounding to see…

"Wow."

Culber grinned. "I've requested a few other vampires to undergo a few of these scans to see how they vary between new-born, older, imprinted, imprinted on—"

Michael stiffened a fraction but forced herself to nod. "Sounds like an ideal plan." A wider selection of data to work with; going over their development and evolution.

His head bobbed before he turned his focus to the monitor, flicking away the human one before a secondary vampire scan was put up. Michael blinked in surprise.

They were very near identical in the lit pace of activity, but there was a vast difference between the clusters of activity between them. The other one had a more structure order of activity that followed through at even speeds. Ordered. Yet hers, it showed the activity was less organised, radical in places…

"Hm, this is unusual." Culber had noticed, it seemed. He zoomed in, "Your active is far too erratic… did something happen while you were away?"

"No." Not while she was away.

Culber frowned though leant back, folding his arms though he turned to eye her with a long look. Michael didn't meet his gaze but she didn't have to wait until he clocked something.

"Oh….Oh!" He exhaled heavily, "Okay, I..think I know." He spared a look to the near-empty sickbay, stepping closer. "Did you—"

"Yes." Her tone hardened but she still couldn't look at him, her jaw clenched. "Didn't mean to."

Culber's body relaxed a fraction, "It's not your fault, Burnham." His tone softened. "It's a biochemical reaction—"

"It's a very specific biochemical reaction that I didn't want." Michael hissed out, jumping to her feet.

"Burnham—"

"Look, I appreciate your concern but I'm keeping it to myself for as long as possible. The other one will be fine as long as I keep my respective distance." She grabbed her jacket off the side and moved to the door but she was faced with the doctor stepping in front.

"Michael, it's not that easy for the human!" He hissed back, his eyes wide with concern, hands out to block her exit. "He won't feel the effects now but he will eventually. It alters the human brain too. It's just slower."

"Then I have time."

Culber shook his head. "You can't brush this aside and pretend it hasn't happened. Me and Paul got into a bad state before after he imprinted on me. It's not good to keep the distance."

"You two knew each other beforehand and he was a newborn, those could have sped up the…effects."

"You don't know that. But I'm assuming it's Captain Pike, yes? You haven't met Connolly and Nhan isn't human."

Michael glowered but nodded at his quick deduction. "I will talk to him about it when I need to. As of now, he's fine. I'm fine and if it gets worse, you'll be the first to know. Excuse me, Doctor."

She didn't wait, darting from the med-bay and away.


Notes:

Well, I knew I wanted to get Culber more into this than before. I figured he would have done his studies with Paul to understand more the mystery behind the vampire 'brain', so to speak. This would help them figure more out

hehe I saw a few wanted it in Pike's perspective so you have received :) I did struggle with Pike's POV so I hope it's good. I know Nhan seems a little paranoid too but she's head of security faced with a very new and deadly species she'd never encountered before; she likes to be over prepared than under with unknown factors. Plus, there's a lot of reading material to look through lol. Paul knows the ship all too well from his time in the loops on how to get around the ship if and when taking it so he doesn't mind helping bc he doesn't want that to happen again.

Pike doesn't clock anything with Burnham bc he has no context of the whole thing :) Plus, it doesn't effect humans in the same way so he just thinks it's heart-burn lol. His most logical conclusion