Michael opened her eyes slowly, it was painful, the lights were too bright. As she made her way to get up a hand went to settle her.
"Don't try to get up, Commander Burnham, you have serious injuries." Dr Pollard cautioned her.
Michael opened her eyes wide enough to see that she and Tilly were in a secure bubble in Med Bay, Tilly was still unconscious. Michael made an attempt to reach for her friend before the pain on her side made her flinch back in pain.
"Commander Burnham. Michael, Tilly is fine, she suffered some head trauma but she will be good. So will you if you would just listen to me." Dr Pollard said.
Michael sat up and then quickly remembered the events that had her and Tilly in Med Bay. "Someone needs to inform the Captain that Tilly was attacked."
"Don't worry Burnham, he already knows. Why do you think the two of you are in these security shields? He ordered me to put them up."
"Did you catch who did it?" Michael asked hopefully.
"No, and that is why Captain Pike is worried. He wanted to make sure you guys were safe just in case." Dr Pollard said reaching for a what could only be sedative.
"I'm not worried. No one on this ship would attack us like that." Michael said confidently.
"You mean as Lt Tyler did to you and Dr Culber last year? Or how Airiam did to you and Lt Nahn last week?" Dr Pollard asked as she injected Michael, she continued "Frankly, I think that Lt Stamets had the right idea, wanting to take leave from this ship earlier, it clearly is a magnet for trouble."
Michael wanted to protest but found herself drifting off.
"This is the third time you have checked your watch, am I boring you Chris?" asked Admiral Cornwell
It was midnight and Chris was hoping to sneak off and see Burnham before he got some sleep, something which he had not been getting for the last couple of days.
He tried to focus on what Admiral Cornwell was saying to him and Leland but his mind drifted to a memory from only 3 days ago.
He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell Michael that if they logged their relationship with Starfleet then he would have to hand off command of her to Saru and the idea that he wouldn't be able to guide her while she went on dangerous missions, which were starting to seem to be more frequent ever since the signals appeared, was holding them back. He was also afraid that their relationship was too new to stand up to the scrutiny of Starfleet, he knew what putting your love on display, for everyone to see, could do their relationship. He knew all too well. Chris was getting back from interrogating Dr Burnham when he saw the grim look on Saru's face indicating that something terrible had happened while he was away.
The USS Discovery was on lockdown.
"We found them under all the shelf rubble about an hour ago, Dr Pollard was able to stabilise Commander Burnham but Ensign Tilly is still having problems with her head traumas," Saru informed him, Chris was almost at a run as he made his way to Med Bay but before he could get there, Lt Nahn pulled him aside, wanting to talk about the attack on the crew members.
Chris yearned to see Michael but he made he turned, walking to his ready room instead.
"What do we know?" Chris asked Lt Nahn, once all members: Captain Georgiou, Saru, Spock, Admiral Cornwell, Lt Tyler and Leland were present.
"Approximately around 2:30 am Ensign Tilly was attacked, as she finished her shift, by someone on board the ship, she tries to fight but a majority of specialists aboard this vessel are not trained in combat so she clearly lost the fight." Just then a photo of Tilly's beaten face came into view. Everyone in the room flinched. Tilly wasn't just one of the youngest members aboard the ship but she was such a nice and sweet person that it was unforgivable that someone would have done this to her.
"Lt Nahn took a deep breath and then continued "Around 3:10 am Commander Burnham comes walking down the corridor, now what she was doing up so late is something that is a mystery but what you can see from the security footage we do have of that corridor, Commander Burnham seems to hear something coming from that room, maybe it was Tilly or the assailant but she goes in to the room to check it out."
"And then?" Captain Georgiou asked.
"And then nothing. Obviously Commander Burnham is more of a skilled fighter than Tilly so maybe the assailant didn't want to take her on directly but either way, Commander Burnham was left unconscious around 3:20 am and then only around 3:40 am do all the cameras go back to normal." Lt Nahn said.
"Why didn't anyone notice the cameras acting weird during all of this?" Captain Georgiou asked.
"Discovery is not like other Starfleet ships, there are security personnel aboard the ship but it remains a science vessel so even though most of Discovery's missions lately have involved action, it is supposed to be a ship that sees no conflict," Saru explained
"So the cameras are only checked after the fact? That has to be changed." Chris said.
"I agree, considering all Discovery has valuable aboard including Lt Stamets himself as well as the Sphere's data, I think training the crew for combat should be implemented." Lt. Tyler said.
"I'm more concerned with the lockdown of the ship Chris, why do you think this is necessary? Who's to say that Ensign Tilly and Commander Burnham were not just injured by the falling shelves?" Admiral Cornwell asked.
"Because Dr Pollard confirmed what I saw on the scene. That the injuries the Ensign suffered before the Commander got there were from fists." Lt Nahn explained.
"Yes but her ribs and leg fractures were so precise, there is no one aboard this vessel that could do that." Admiral Cornwell said.
"Anyone could, actually." Spock spoke confidently and continued "Those injuries although precise could be done by an extremely skilled fighter."
Everyone took a deep breath and Chris finally spoke: "Look either way all of this needs to be investigated further and until then I am keeping both Commander Burnham and Ensign Tilly in secure quarters until they are able to give us their version of events."
"What about the ship lockdown?" Leland asked, Chris, ignored his calm demeanour and replied: "Only secure personnel may leave the ship until everything has been investigated."
Everyone shuffled out of his ready room but Spock lingered behind.
"Captain Pike I would like to request some days off to take care of Michael while she recovers."
Chris was not going to lie, he was surprised by Spock's request but he granted it, knowing that if Spock was by Michael's side at least he knew she was safe.
Ash made his way down the corridor to his quarters when he realised that he was being followed he took a quick step and lunged at the person standing behind him, Leland was of course too fast for him and pinned him against the wall.
"Do you mean me to harm Lt Tyler?" Leland asked, not releasing him from his hold.
"No, sir." Ash spoke, Leland often reminded him of Lorca, both men were rough and violent but they were 'the ends justify the means' type of people and even though people often looked down on it, he understood why people like them always seemed to get things done that no one else could. Even as Ash thought about how Leland was working on a time travel suit, something that no one could replicate in this time without the specifications with Michael's parents. Although the means got Michael's father killed and her mother stuck in a time-travel suit that pulls her back to the future repeatedly, they created something that allowed them to manipulate time and Ash thought that was an amazing accomplishment.
Leland let go of Ash and looked at him in the eyes. "What do you know about what Discovery is going to do with the Sphere's data?" Leland asked.
"I am not sure but I think they planned on getting rid of the data by sending it to the future in Dr Burnham's suit. That way Control will not be able to get it." Ash explained.
"You cannot let that happen. That data is too valuable, think about all the lives and people that could be saved and kept safe if we had access to that information."
"Sir, I don't think Captain Pike is an arguing mood, he just spoke to Dr Burnham and he thinks that maybe the ends justify the means, sir."
"Okay I understand him thinking that but I thought you understood what joining Section 31 would mean. That we are the only ones that get to perform justifiable actions. We are the only ones who truly understand what information like that could mean."
"What do you want me to do sir?" Ash asks.
Ash is getting ready to be teleported down to visit with Dr Burnham but he knew the real reason he was going down there. Ash fiddled with the device in his hand and as soon as he landed, his heart was in his throat.
Ash walked into the facility housing Dr Burnham, quickly putting the device on one of the cases and the download of the Sphere's data began. Dr Burnham speaks before he even gets into her eye-line "I am disappointed by you again Lt Tyler. It's always you, it sends."
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked her, stepping into her line of sight now.
"Always so eager to please. Eager to prove you are not a monster, you ignore the ones right in front of your face, time and time again." she said, "You did it with Lorca, you did it with Leland, hell you even did it whenever you looked into the mirror." Dr Burnham spoke so calmly it scared him a little, she seemed a lot colder than the woman Michael told him about.
"I don't know what you are trying to get at," he said to her.
"I think I do." Phillipa Georgiou said stepping into the facility, she went to the device that Ash thought he hid discreetly on the cases and stopped the download, she continued "She's trying to tell you that you fell prey to Control's manipulations."
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked her.
"I followed you. You and Leland seemed to be having an awfully interesting conversation so I got curious and went to the camera room to see if I could see what you guys were talking about and wouldn't you know it, the cameras started acting strange wherever Leland appeared on them. Discovery thought it was a glitch but I knew then what he had done and what he probably asked you to do." Phillipa explained.
"He attacked Michael?" Ash asked
"Well he's not really he anymore, it's it. It's Control." Dr Burnham said.
"We have to warn everyone aboard Discovery," Ash said as he called for a teleport.
"You go, I think I'm going to stay and have chat with Michael's mommy," Phillipa said.
Ash didn't think there was time to argue but once he got back on the ship he realised he was not aboard Discovery, he was on the main Section 31 vessel.
"Lt Tyler I hope you don't mind but I rerouted your call so I could talk to you about why you stopped the download of the sphere data," Leland spoke calmly.
Ash tried his best to fight off Leland but as soon as Leland got one strike to the chest, he knew that this was a losing battle, so once Leland left Tyler on the floor to beam down and obviously continue the download of the Sphere's data, Tyler got a message out to Discovery and he was then beamed aboard.
This was the first time since he was younger did Spock ever hesitate seeing Michael. How could he tell her that they had to send her mother back to the future, without her time-travel suit, before she could even talk to her?
3 years after their sexual intercourse Spock could feel himself yearning for Michael, for his mate. He travelled to see her where he knew the Shenzhou was docked. The entire crew was going to be there for the medal ceremony happening. Michael and her captain were going to be awarded for their bravery and wit when they stopped the natives of Alora from a civil war breaking out. Their efforts were lauded and even father expressed some words about being impressed, words that Spock was to deliver. That was basically his version of patting her on the back and telling Spock that he should be like her.
As Spock approached the Shenzhou he felt absurdly anxious, he knew what he wanted to tell her. He also knew what he wanted to do to her but that was willing to be put in the back of his mind as he boarded the ship he walked the corridor where he bumped into a specialist who directed him to where Michael and the Captain were going to be.
As he turned the corner he halted as he realised that he was going to be interrupting the conversation going on.
"Come on, Michael, the Admirals were pretty clear about the dress code. Wear your best." Captain Georgiou spoke.
"I think I look best in my uniform," Michael replied and Spock tried not to look at her as he heard her speak but even then just her voice got his heart beating faster.
"Michael, I am not asking you to wear a two-foot-long dress. Maybe just a nice fitting suit? Or something that showed off your shoulders?" Captain Georgiou asked.
"Fine. I just want you to know how much I hate this." Michael said.
"Your resistance is noted. And here you go." Spock felt like that he should have interrupted at that point but he was afraid that he would not get to see her try on the outfit the Captain gave her and so he stayed where he was.
"Can I ask why I let you talk me into these kinds of things?" Michael asked from behind a changing divider.
"I always thought it was because you felt comfortable with me."
"I was comfortable with my mother but I still wouldn't wear half the things she wanted me to."
"That was just because of your Vulcan upbringing. You were not comfortable with yourself when you were there."
"That is not true," Michael said and Spock felt a twinge of joy when she defended their home.
"Yes, it is. You were almost constantly the only human in all spaces. That could not have been comfortable."
"Yeah but my brother Spock is half-human."
"Yeah, but how comfortable did he make you as a human, not as part of the family?" Spock listened intensely and then heard her sigh "Okay I get it." Michael said clearly agitated.
"It was interesting to grow up on Vulcan," Michael said and Spock smiled.
"But?"
"But I could never shake the loneliness I felt. Like I was constantly surrounded by people, even family and just felt lonely." Spock's heart sank, he knew he was not emotional but he tried his best, it seemed his best was not good enough. Spock always felt like a weird freak around other Vulcans but his mother and Michael never did and to hear that the whole time she was lonely made him hurt.
Spock held the note from their father in his hand, tightly, took a peek at Michael in her a dark blue pantsuit. He immediately regretted it, walking the hallway he bumped into the same specialist that gave him directions to the Captain's quarters and said "I have a delivery for First Officer Burnham. If you could give her this note from her father."
"Couldn't find her in the Captain's quarters? I thought she would be there but sure I can give that to her."
"Thank you." Spock reluctantly handed the specialist the note but before he left the specialist said: "You don't look like a delivery guy."
"Special circumstances for the Ambassador's ward." Spock lied coolly.
"Okay cool." the specialist walked away.
Spock thought about what Michael said, over and over again. His graduation from the Vulcan Science Academy was in 2 months and he had not given his father his application for the Vulcan Expeditionary Group. When the time came, Spock decided on who he wanted to be and the choice was clear it was a decision that ripped his family apart.
Spock took a breath and walked into Med Bay.
"Something's wrong," Michael said sensing his anxious. He never knew how she was able to do that. It drove him figuratively mad.
Spock really wanted to comfort her, to hold her as she cried about her mother but all he could do was stand there watching as the newly woken up Tilly, did all those things for her and for him. He pained at how he wasn't enough and then made to excuse himself when Lt Tyler was shuffled in unconscious.