The high pitch of the screams caused Hemmer to flinch and step back. Several of the crew in the halls cast curious glances to the closed Medbay doors. They echoed down the long hallways casting an eerie ambiance to the ship.

La'an quickly stood from her security panel and held a hand over the security field deploy button, "Captain..."

Pike acknowledged her with a nod of his head but kept his eyes between the subjects and the doctor. The subjects were slowly coming out of their drug induced suspension. Their bodies, slick with fluids, began to shiver in the slightly cooled temperature. They were barely dressed save for a tube-like black compression garment that helped feed tubes and wires from their pods to their bodies. Their eyes glanced over everyone on the room but seem fixated on Spock and Hemmer.

The male presenting subject clenched his teeth and scurried back against his capsule, leaving a cyan streak against the floor.

One of the female-presenting subjects, belted screams of horror and confusion as she looked about the medical area. No matter where her eyes darted around to, they always fell back to the two 'aliens' in front of her.

M'Benga crouched down and held his hands up with palms forward, "It's okay, it's okay. You're going to be alright. I can imagine that everything is very confusing right now. I'll explain it all. I swear to all of you to give you what answers I can. But I can say you're safe here."

Nurse Chapel grimaced, "Doctor, pressure is climbing too fast. Brain activity is firing in all the wrong places with our friend." She gestured with her head to the furthest subject from her. The male presenting figure whose pod was labeled with a 01.

Hemmer's own senses were feeling overloaded. He could feel the pods in their own death throes as their purpose became fulfilled. Hardware inside began to shut itself off one system at a time. The screaming of the terrorized subjects was always a possibility with the doctor's estimate of their age dating being before first contact. However, they had all hoped that during the process of what was done to them, that the existence of life other than human had already been revealed to them. They had hoped for too much.

It had been some time before he felt this way, but he felt his anxiety climbing. Hemmer's breath began to quicken. Then there it was. He could hear it and feel it. His focus drifted to a singular heartbeat in the room. One that was calm and steady. From her heartbeat he found her breaths to be deep and he began to match his own. His panic was beginning to subside amongst the screams.

Subject Three's attention shifted from gazing at each individual crew member surrounding them and stopped upon the captain.

Her eyes clenched as she took a deep breath, "When are we?" Her voice cracking and volume was at a whisper.

Captain Pike related the day's current stardate slowly. "It's been a very long time. I'm so, so sorry." His brows knitted together in concern.

Subject Three closed her eyes and nodded, breathing in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. She turned her head to the other subjects and her gaze softened. She crouched over to Subject Two and reached for her hands. Three pulled her into her arms and held her. The screaming from Two and One continued but now on drying throats.

Humming. Humming is what rose through the screams. Three's hands held Two's face and wiped away the tracks of tears down her cheeks. She said not a word but pulled her fellow subject towards her chest and held her closer. The hums, at the cadence of a lullaby, drew the attention of the subjects and the room finally quelled.

Doctor M'Benga inched closer to Subject Three and presented the inoculator. "I would like your consent to take a sample. It will be painless and cause no harm. It's purely to check your health and to create a correct and current record." He fought back a wince as he could imagine what the request might feel like to them. Thinking of what taking more from them might feel like made his own bones ache.

Three slowed her rocking of her colleague and she smiled weakly. She nodded her consent and looked over to Subject One, giving him a comforting smile while the sample was pulled from her arm. It did not cause any pain and she wanted to make sure that the others could tell.

She made no reaction to the sample and when M'Benga asked consent from Subject Two, she only nodded and tightened her own hold on Three.

"Thank you." The doctor nodded his respect and backed slowly up before standing. As he began to approach the last subject, sensors began to report a climbing blood pressure.

The man began to become visibly agitated and Nurse Chapel shot Pike a worried look. Sensing the shift, La'an took a step forward away from the button and brought both hands tightly around her phaser. La'an hoped that the stun feature would be strong enough.

Three reached her hand out to One and continued her humming. His eyes looked around the room, darting around like a trapped animal before shuffling towards the outstretched hand.

In her embrace, he calmed. Chapel approached and gained a nod of consent from the last subject as Mbenga counseled with the captain.

"I apologize, Captain. I had hoped that the data input about being before first contact was a reference to something else, but I should have read it at its face value."

"Doctor, it is not something anyone of us could have prepared for enough. "

Spock, finally no longer silent, "I did make mention. However, Hemmer's expertise was still ideal."

M'Benga mostly ignored the side comment, "Which is why I also suggest moving them from medbay to their own quarters. Exposure from the rest of our crew might be in their best interest. At least until they get a bearing on what is and has happened to them."

"I agree. Perhaps you and Chapel should arrange the transport. Familiar faces will likely have the best way to anchor from any other confusion."

Transport in the form of floating chairs awaited them in the hall. Subject Three squeezed their shoulders and released them, helping assist one another to stand.

Chapel extended her hand to Subject Two who after a slight hesitation, accepted her hand and even managed a smile of thanks. Christine noticed her hands were icy cool at first but by the time they made it to her seat, her touch had warmed.

Watching over the others being escorted to their transports. Three took a moment to look over her individual pod and continued her deep breathing. As if finished saying goodbye, she turned towards Hemmer and held out her hand, "Thank you." Her words were genuine, and her voice still stretched in effort to expel the words. He reached for hers and she clasped them around his. The warmth in her grasp surprised him and he felt himself drawn to it even holding on longer than he would have done before.

Despite that, she also continued to hold his grasp and gave a slight squeeze. It was Hemmer that dropped her hand when he noticed Doctor M'Benga approach.

Three nodded towards Hemmer and reached out to shake M'Benga's hand. As the others were whisked down the hall towards their new shared quarters, she stayed behind to personally shake everyone's hand and issue a "Thank You."

La'an followed the other two's mini convoy as she declared to herself the other two more of a threat than Three and besides the rest of the crew could handle it.

M'Benga held out his arm with a smile, "If you'll please follow me. I'd like to get you all settled." He then gestured to the seat.

Pausing with a tired smile, "I'd like to walk if that is possible, Doctor..."

"M'Benga. Well, I'd feel much better in case anything unsuspected happened but perhaps we can come to a compromise. Just hold on." He gently patted her arm in his and escorted her out behind the others.

Pike and Spock exchanged glances. "Well Spock, that could have gone better but also much worse. What is your take as science officer?"

"I am less interested in their current state and more interested in their origin and who tended to them all these years. These documents," Spock cycled through screens upon screens worth of experimental data, "indicate many previous untested theories and practices that break many Federation guidelines and the morals of many."

Speed reading was a talent hard earned for Pike, but his eyes did manage to pick up glaring terminology. "Am I seeing advanced weapons and combat enhancement modules?"

"Yes, Captain. It appears they each have a port installed to download what we could only estimate as data packages, tactical information, and perhaps other such information similar to android and robotic implications."

"So, what you're saying is we didn't just wake up three people trapped in a time not their own but in actuality...three walking, talking experimental weapons."

"That would be a logical conclusion, Captain."

Uhura was tasked with the socialization of The Subjects 3. The immediate task was identification which resulted in several trips back to Medbay for grief and trauma counseling over losing more than just time. They each had their own sessions and had many more scheduled. Captain Pike had given them clearance to use historical data to lookup whomever they liked as well as to begin to learn all they had missed.

At the suggestion of the doctor and with the captain's approval, Uhura was arranging a full tour of the Enterprise. Spock had theorized the group would act as a single unit in all decisions once hearing they all unanimously refused to accept their past names. However, Uhura was preparing counterpoints. In different varying ways, having a name that led and constantly reminded them of what they lost and who they once more seemed difficult for them to manage. It had surprised the commanding crew to find out that these people seemed to not have any records of any high value. They each seemed to have regular, average human lives for the time. The mystery of why them had plagued Spock who spent his free time pursuing the logical reason these specific three were taken.

Nyota was fascinated by their differences. One and Two were mostly inseparable but Three had been branching out. Just this afternoon, she introduced herself to a table of ensigns playing a strategic hologram game. She asked questions which the players were more than happy to explain. She had even been replicating different cuisines outside of traditional Earth meals.

When the doctor suggested the larger tour, Uhura was eager to volunteer. The resocialization of a long-ago people that still exist in the modern universe was fascinating.

La'an accompanied them of course. She was consistently stoic, but Uhura was aware of her distrust of the Subjects Three. One and Two were quiet throughout the tour and refrained from asking any questions or commenting but Three was a refreshing change. She greeted every crewmember with their name and rank when crossing paths. She had stopped to chat with a pair of biology ensigns asking them how their recent grafting had gone. They were more than eager to fill her in on their success and she was just as excited as they were.

Their last stop was engineering and Uhura was careful to schedule the stop around the next shift change to when there would be the least amount of bother. All departments received notice and an estimation of when their department would have visitors. She assumed that Hemmer had no issue since he hadn't voiced a concern or even voiced anything at all.

With excitement in her voice and an edge of pride from her extra time spent in Engineering. Uhura escorted the group inside.

"And this, is Engineering. Where all the magic happens. Or I should say," She looked warmly over to Hemmer and the other two crew members awaiting relief from the next shift, "Where all the hard learned science and talent makes us fly." She clapped her hands together and backed towards Hemmer and the core. She tended to shy away from naming any of the actual systems of flight and technical data. During the last several days she had observed frustration on their faces and voices when current science theories and practices were mentioned. Everything had advanced so much that such talk went way over their heads.

The three of theme respectfully maneuvered around the consoles and edged to the warp core. They were already forewarned to stay within the yellow line boarders on the floor for their safety and for others.

Uhura let them have a few moments and walked to Hemmer's station, placing a hand on the edge. "So, how did today's simulations pan out?"

"Everything ran adequately, as I said it would." He sniffed the air noticing a drifting scent of the closest relation being vanilla with cardamon.

"And there isn't a soul on board that would have doubted that." She smirked and took a step back to twist on her foot and face the others.

Three's eyes were closed, and her head tilted back. Her hands were held away from her sides, and she was smiling. "Does she always feel like this?"

One and Two looked at each other, confused but remained silent.

"I'm sorry, feel like what?" Uhura approached the core next to Three and felt the air around Three but noticed no difference.

"I can't explain it...I just feel a ...comforting warmth."

"Hmm, I'm not sure-"

"Yes, it feels like that all the time except when we're docked. It's a little cooler then." Hemmer continued to work on his station, not aware of Uhura's confused glance.

Giving the answer time to settle, Uhura clapped her hands and began to walk back to the exit. "Now, shall we continue?"

"May I stay? Just for a bit longer?"

Nyota glanced back to Hemmer and back to their chief security officer who only shrugged back to her. She looked over to the other two who seemed uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"I'll bring her back. My shift ends in a few minutes." Hemmer was nonchalant as he continued his data input.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother." Three turned towards Hemmer.

"It is no bother. I walk by your quarters at the end of my shift. I will expel no extra effort in simply escorting you back."

Uhura raised an eyebrow as she watched the two interact and noticed a smirk on Three's face as well as her eyes eyeing their chief engineer up and down.

This seemed enough for La'an who was well aware of Hemmer's capabilities as well as the very direct route. She alerted the system to pay extra attention and for the computer to alert her should any divination or hostile interactions arise.

It was only five minutes before the next shift arrived. There was little to debrief as this 'night shift crew' was low staffed for only maintenance and standard operating size. Three stayed where she was, soaking in the light from the core and staying out of the way.

Hemmer signed off the system and followed the scent and his general perception of space to her side. "Have you spent sufficient time, now?"

She turned to him with a smile which was evident in her voice, "Enough for today at least." She laughed. "I appreciate you willing to take me back, Lt. Hemmer."

"It is of no trouble." Hemmer swallowed hard. He didn't expect this closeness to make his heart race, but it did. The smell of her perfume was like a ghostly kiss on his senses, and he found himself getting drunk on the feeling.

He turned on his heel towards the exit ready to lead the way when her arm slid in the crook of his. He cleared his throat and nodded as he led them through the engineering doors.

The first few moments were silent but somehow not awkward. Hemmer felt content and found himself smirking when her humming started. With the other two gone, the aura around her was intensely calming and she was received warmly by those they passed in the hall.

He felt his heart race when she placed her other hand on his arm. He knew her quarters were nearing, and his stomach sunk. His own internal map of the area was impeccable, and his antae helped with his special awareness not only within the ship but within the cosmos. And yet, it seemed like their route ended so abruptly.

Her humming fell silent outside the doorway, and she turned to face him, still holding gently onto his arms. "Thank you, Lt. Hemmer. I look forward to being in your presence again. Perhaps next time it won't be under the guise of work?"

"It was no trouble. And please, just Hemmer." He audibly swallowed, "If you wish." He entirely had no idea how to respond. His stony demeanor kept others away, but it seemed she refused this natural barrier.

"Till next time, Hemmer." Three leaned up and gently kissed his cheek. A lock of hair fell from her face and brushed against his skin. Goosebumps spread across his skin at this indirect intimacy. She released his hands and brushed the fallen hair behind her ear.

Hemmer stood there in the hall for an extra moment. He didn't snap back until he heard the door close and the smell of vanilla and cardamon cease. His antae signaled a fellow crewmember approaching and Hemmer cleared his throat before continuing on.

"Finally, off shift?" Una asked La'an after finding her awaiting the next lift.

"Just heading to the bridge to confirm and then yes."

"Any Plans?"

"Other than a bowl of strawberries, absolutely nothing." She flashed a smile to Number One.

"Sounds magical." She laughed.

"It absolutely is, it's the only thing that's gotten me through the day."

The lift doors opened, and they both took a step forward before La'an noticed a rattling. Her arm shot forward in front of Una to hold her back from stepping on the lift. Her eyes went upward to the noise just in time for a dark shape to land with a heavy thud on the turbolift floor.

It was a body. Humanoid. The exposed skin on the hands were bubbled and deep purple. Deep navy stippling added depth to the violet skin. A sickly-sweet smell wafter from the body.

"Who is that?" Una signaled the lift to stay as she crouched to inspect closer while covering her nose and mouth.

"I have absolutely no idea. Fuck." La'an couldn't take her eyes off the reason why.

The body was missing its head.