Chapter 2

Jane was sitting in med bay, conversing with Dr McCoy, Captain Kirk, and Mr Spock.

"So let me get this straight." the disgruntled doctor grumbled. "Yer' from another universe, where everyone is gender flipped, and aside from that everything is all the same?"

"I don't know if everything is the same or not. I just know I'm supposed to be a girl, and you're not, and Ms Spock is supposed to be a girl and you're not, and the same goes for everyone else. Aside from that, everything else I've seen is the same."

"This does seem to be a rather fascinating experience." came a higher pitch of the monotone everyone was so used to hearing. Everyone turned to see Ms Spock standing in the doorway, looking as pristine and clean cut as if she had just spent hours in front of a mirror, not walked out of medbay after being beaten by hostile forces and drugged into an inconsolable emotional state. McCoy was not happy.

"What are you doing up! You're as bad as the hobgoblin! You are the hobgoblin! Hobgoblinette?"

"I assure you… doctor, I am in full health. My injuries were superficial, and the drug has worn off completely."

"I'll be the judge of that, thank you very much." Ms Spock eyed the doctor impassively.

"I am not a member of this crew, nor this starfleet, and therefore you do not possess the right to keep me in sick bay longer than I deem necessary." Ms Spock looked distinctly not-smug. "And I do not deem it necessary to remain here." McCoy spluttered helplessly, trying to come up with an adequate response, and finding none.

"I… I… OF ALL THE INFURIATING, GREEN BLOODED, HALF BREED…" The two Spock's made eye contact past the doctor, and simultaneously that eyebrow was raised.

"I see the doctor is as illogical in your universe as in my own." Ms Spock remarked.

"Indeed." Mr Spock replied. "It is fortunate that you're doctor McCoy was not also brought over."

"He could not be, as the Delavans did not have him, therefore lacking the proper DNA to find a close enough match for, however you are correct. I believe, though, that we shall 'have our hands full with both captain's."

"That is correct. Speaking mathematically, they should be twice as hard to control."

"We shall have to start coming up with alternate methods." The two Kirks stared at each other in undisguised horror.

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The lights of red alert flared, crew members sped through the halls, the very picture of efficiency and focus. Harnauts were attacking, and the Enterprise stood no chance of fighting them. Their only hope was to perfectly time when there would be a small glitch in the shield holding them captive (both Spock's had calculated that would happen; the shield took a lot of energy to maintain) so that they could warp out in the split second the shield was down. It was dangerous, warping from complete stillness, but they had no choice. The Harnauts had heard of the interdimensional travelers, and hoped to interrogate them for possible increases in knowledge. After all, they didn't know things were the same except the gender difference. They were beaming aboard the Enterprise, and searching for the female captain, whom they had decided would break easier than her Vulcan first.

They had locked all doors on the Enterprise, leaving Jane stranded by herself with Harnauts quickly materializing. She fought back, to no avail. There were too many to stun, too many to keep at bay. They grabbed her, and transported away. Kidnapped.

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"Sir, glitch coming in 5.2 minutes."

"Understood, Mr Scott." Jim shut off the comm.

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"5 seconds to warp." Jim said tensely. "4, 3, 2, 1, NOW!" The Enterprise rocketed forward, just as the shield flickered. But the shield reenacted, thankfully only in time to clip the back of the Enterprise. She spun a bit, but quickly righted herself, eventually coming to a halt. Catapulted far from their original destination, they were stranded, if only for the time. Engines burned out, they would take time to repair, time Jane might not have. On the bridge, everyone righted themselves, quickly recovering from the violent lash back. Ms Spock looked out the view spreen, seemingly lost in thought.

"Captain." She spoke. "Permission to leave?"

"Granted." Kirk replied automatically. Ms Spock turned on her heel, and strode quickly to the turbolift. Jim wondered why she'd left, but then, he rarely understood everything his Spock did, let alone a female one from another universe! He turned his attention back to deducing best how to retrieve his female counterpart.

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Ms Spock had deduced that based on the similarities between universes, the viewing port would be in the same place as it was in her universe. She was correct. A small part of her scolded that she should be familiarizing herself with the layout of the ship, looking for differences. A larger part couldn't bear to face anyone. She fell to her knees in the abandoned room, fighting the urge to cry.

Jane was gone. She was gone forever, the only person who'd really ever took the time to defend and befriend the young hybrid, and she was gone. And it was her fault. She should have been there. She shouldn't have let her captain leave by herself, even for a moment. It should have been her. Almost no one would care if she herself died, but Jane… no. No, Jane was far too important. Spock's mind called, unbidden, what would surely happen once she returned to her Enterprise. The solitude, that would be all the worse now that she knew what it was like to have a friend. No one would speak to her, she was sure, aside from in the line of duty. All would know that she had killed her captain, and all would hate her for it. She hated herself. She deserved no different. There was no way this Enterprise would return for her captain. No, it was to dangerous, and they could not be cleared of all suspicion yet.

Alone. The word pounded at her, unforgiving. Alone. Alone. Forever. Spock pulled back into herself; she would never allow such weakness again. She would always work to atone for this, knowing it was unforgivable. She would accept whatever punishment came, and add on some of her own. Jane was dead. Alone forever.

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Ms Spock strode through the halls, ignoring the stares she received. She pulled up a map of the Enterprise, and saw it was identical to the one to which she was so used. She pursed her lips, and walked back toward the turbolift.

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"Captain, is there any way I can be of assistance?"

"Ah, yes. Can you go down to engeneering and give Scotty a hand with the engines?"

"Yes, captain." Ms Spock turned on her heel, and walked back out.