2
A Strange New World
Even though the Enterprise was a large ship, it didn't take that long before the rumor about a possible new first contact was spreading amongst the ranks and lower decks. Seconds after the sound of yellow alert, all senior officers took their stations. Lieutenant Nicola and Lieutenant Amin hadn't even left theirs yet but Mann, Una and Louvier quickly doubled back. Louvier could actually have chosen to stay behind in engineering but he usually took the engineering station on the bridge during times like this, simply because he was curious.
"Captain on the bridge," Nicola acknowledged as Pike arrived with the same turbolift as the rest, having decided to follow Una from his quarters.
Spock found himself wondering how long time it would take for Doctor Boyce to appear at the captain's side. The older human usually made an appearance at times like this. In the Vulcan's mind the medically trained man would have been better off in sickbay, preparing for a possible emergency, since the ship was flying towards a first contact mission. However, Doctor Boyce seldom did what logic dictated. After the last five-year-mission he should know by now that the doctor was a stubborn, witty and straight-to-the-point kind of man, who was strongly opiniated and rarely took no for an answer. However, Spock also recognized the professionalism with which the doctor worked and respected him for it. That didn't necessarily mean that they agreed on things – on the contrary – they seemed to disagree more often than they agreed.
"Doctor on the bridge," Nicola said with a smile.
Boyce huffed at the mischief in the communication officer's expression and turned to Pike who sat relaxed in his chair. "Have you made him call out my arrival now?" he asked.
Chris's lips twitched slightly upwards with amusement at the grumpy voice of his friend. "I didn't want to put a bell on you, Phil," he said cunningly.
"Don't tease him, sir," Una cautioned from her position at the helm. "It might backfire."
"Entering geosynchronous orbit around unknown Minshara class planet," Lieutenant Amin reported from navigation/ops next to Una.
Pike nodded. "Nicola, have you been able to establish contact with the surface?" he asked.
"Stand by, captain," he said seriously as his fingers flew over the console before him. "Hailing now, I have a link. It's a video feed – sound and picture."
"Put it on screen," Pike ordered.
The main view screen shifted from the purple greenish tone of the planet's atmosphere to an interior view of a large ornamented room. An older man with a slight ridge to his cheekbones, ears swiped back long into his yet black hair and alluring green eyes stared at him.
"Hello, my name is Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise. We are explorers and picked up some chatter on our communication channels," he said by way of introduction. "It sounded like you were having a problem of some kind. May we render assistance?"
The man nodded faintly. "Yes, I am afraid we're having a communication problem between our transmitters and space buoys but it is nothing major. The system has been very reliable up until recently. I am surprised you managed to pick it up though. Your ship must have a wide range of communication."
"The Enterprise is a deep space vessel," Pike answered kindly.
"Forgive my manners. Welcome to Circusia, I am the first chancellor, Ta'Bob Bobba Dus. We have many tourists around this time of the year. They visit us for leisure activities and shore leave. Tourism is very important to us and we benefit from the fact that we are the only system between deep space and the civilization of Gargantos," he explained kindly and then added. "Unless you count the barren wastelands of Trehelios."
Chris and Phil turned to look at each other; one intrigued, the other cautious.
"I'm curious. I haven't seen your species around here before," Ta'Bob Bobba Dus said.
"Thank you for the run-through, chancellor," Pike said. "We are new to the region."
Ta'Bob Bobba Dus nodded. "Yes, of course, you did say your ship was a deep space vessel," he stated thoughtfully. "It seems to be a rather advanced and well-equipped ship."
"We come in peace," Pike assured him with a faint upward twitch on his lips.
"Please, captain, why don't you join us at the surface? Bring some of your officers with you," the chancellor suggested brightly. "I would like to show you the premises."
He nodded. "Thank you for the invitation. We will be there shortly. Please specify the location."
"I assume you'll be coming in a shuttle?" the chancellor fished for information. "You're not going to land your ship, are you?"
Pike broke into a faint dimpled smile, sensing the doctor's eyes upon him from where he stood nearby. "I am afraid gravity wouldn't permit such a thing, chancellor," he answered politely.
First contact protocol was still enabled and, even if Circusia appeared to be a planet with a high level of technology, Pike didn't want to reveal that they had means of transportation by shifting atoms and molecules just yet.
Ta'Bob Bobba Dus smiled again. "Can you lock on to this signal? There is a rather large shuttle parking right behind the government building and a commuter zone. But I have to warn you – the zones are both for planet bound transportation and space craft's so, please, don't park on the planet bound tracks. They are electrical and have to follow a certain path in order to work."
"I am sure we can manage," Chris said. "Pike out."
As the transmission ended and the screen once again displayed images of the planet from a faraway distance, Chris turned to his chief of security, Trina Mann, with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Do you think we can manage, lieutenant?"
She smiled back. "Absolutely, sir."
He nodded. "Nicola? I want you to continue to monitor as many channels as you can, but do it discreetly. I need to be able to assess what we're getting ourselves into."
"I have it covered, captain," he replied. "So far, they are impressed by the size and shape of the Enterprise, sir."
"Any thoughts; Doctor Boyce, Lieutenant Commander Louvier?" Pike asked, always appreciating input from his senior officers and crew.
Boyce just shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, looking somewhat suspicious.
The French engineer, Matthieu Louvier, shrugged. "I prefer to talk to engines, not people, as you well know, sir," he offered lightly. "The way the chancellor speaks about tourists makes me think of Risa and we all know that a trip to that place can be either wonderful or dangerous, depending on your intention of the visit."
Chris looked smug as he got out of his chair and nodded at Una. "Since we're taking a shuttle, I think I'll take the opportunity to do some flying," he said and then added. "Lieutenant Amin, you have the bridge."
The navigator and chief of daily operations along with Number One, Jamila Amin, nodded as she made a few adjustments on her console. "Yes, sir. I have the bridge."
"Chris," Boyce started informally, a note of caution in his voice. "Send down a bunch of security officers and a first contact specialist first."
"You always chide me for hiding away in my office with paperwork when there's time for shore leave," he countered cunningly. "I thought you'd be pleased that I am going?"
The doctor huffed. "Just make sure you get back in one piece," he muttered sourly as he and Louvier entered the turbolift.
Chris watched the turbolift doors slide shut behind the two men. "Number One, Spock, you're with me," he ordered.
The two bridge officers nodded and followed their captain toward the turbolift. As the door closed behind them, Una turned to her friend and captain with her trademark expression on her face; a mix of arrogance and mischief. "Shouldn't we have invited Phil to come along?" she asked softly. "He's starting to get grumpy down there in his domains."
"Not until we've made sure the planet is safe," Chris replied as he twisted the stick and commanded the turbolift to begin its descent. "Hanger deck."
Spock arched an eyebrow as he considered the statement to be somewhat illogical. "Captain, it is not logical for both you and your XO to travel down to the planet if you believe the planet is unsafe," he pointed out. "If you were to be captured or otherwise incapacitated, the ship's chain of command-,"
"I think I am entitled to leave the ship every now and then, lieutenant," Pike interrupted softly. "Besides, I have faith in the abilities of those under my command. Doctor Boyce, newly appointed chief engineer Louvier and our navigator Amin, are more than qualified to make any necessary arrangements and/or take decisions while we're gone."
"I am aware of their credentials," Spock countered, his voice neutral and flat. "However, I am also familiar with the rules and regulations within the fleet."
Chris stared at the turbolift doors before him.
"Captain, may I remind you that Starfleet order 3, section 3, specifically states that the ship's captain is not allowed to beam down to an unknown and/or unclassified planet before his or her safety can be guaranteed. Furthermore, Starfleet regulation 2, section 12, prohibits the captain and first officer to undertake the same away mission."
"I am sure you excelled all expectations at the Starfleet jurisdictive exam," Una remarked dryly.
Pike refrained from rolling his eyes as they stepped out of the turbolift and crossed the corridor to enter the hanger deck. "If he did-," he began as he looked from Una to Spock, "-then he'd also know that there are several ways for me to circumvent those particular paragraphs. One of them would be the captain's prerogative."
Number One let out a low whistle. "Spock knows," she said enigmatically, smirking at her two comrades. "He merely wishes to make a point." Una leaned in to Chris, as if to whisper into his ear. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he thinks we are accident prone."
There was a very faint upward curl to the Vulcan's lips as he overheard the XO. "Statistics show that Captain Pike have a rather high accident frequency. I am, however, inclined to believe that it is because we're chartering a new frontier and that the risks involved in our assignment are much higher than those that the other captains in the fleet encounters."
"Well, thank you, Spock," Chris managed, a little touchy.
"He's worried about you, Chris," Una let on as they entered the shuttle.
"Worry is a human emotion," the Vulcan protested mildly.
"Hmm," Una snorted as she took the co-pilot's seat.
Spock took a seat directly behind his captain and fastened his seatbelt. Una hadn't been far from the truth. He didn't like his mentor and captain to rush headlong into danger if it could be avoided. While he appreciated others among the crew, the captain was a stable factor in his life at the moment. Vulcans formed bonds over a long period of time and those he chose to develop a friendship with would be considered lifelong friends. Spock rarely committed to people, other than Vulcans, because he knew he would outlive humans and he felt any loss deeply.
The loss of his sister had been very troublesome to come to terms with. It had taken months of healing and meditation. He remembered her, he would never forget, but there was something she had said before she left for the future that struck him as odd and, at the same time, very logical. She said he should look for a soulmate, someone to trust explicitly, someone to call a true friend. At this very moment he considered Captain Pike to be that friend, even though he was his current commanding officer. Therefore, he simply could not afford to lose, or handle the loss of, Christopher Pike on this mission.
Spock suddenly found himself contemplating if he had developed a sense of selfishness during the last couple of years. He shook his head, a motion barely even noticeable, as he berated himself. 'No, it was logical to be protective of his commanding officer, it was expected of an officer to make sure the captain was all right. It made the ship run smoother and more efficient', he thought. The Vulcan sighed. No, he wasn't going to fool himself any longer, he was half-human after all. He needed Christopher Pike's gentle guidance, he needed his directions and his insights to be properly balanced.
"So," Una said. "What shall we make of this? "
Chris shrugged as he entered a series of command into the flight computer. "If we're lucky, we might find an equal to Risa. I think it's time for us to strike a little luck. Phil has been pestering me about finding a place for shore leave for the last couple of months now."
"You aren't the only one he's been pestering," Una remarked.
OOOOOO
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