Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Much of the dialogue comes from the original pilot, The Cage/Season 1 Episodes 15 and 16, The Menagerie. Thank for all your lovely reviews. An important AN at the bottom.
Chapter Six
The Zoo of Illusions
"May I ask what you are doing on your computer, Rose? The programming seems to be vaguely familiar to me."
Rose glanced up from where she had been carefully typing out the new coding, a hint of dread rising in her at the talk of telling Spock what the Academy had asked her to do. Bones, who was already aware of the request, gave a grimace but continued to check out Spock's bandages. Rose inhaled and nodded, placing the computer down on the table.
"I'm rewriting the Kobayashi Maru simulation," she admitted. Spock stiffened and clenched his jaw, glancing away briefly.
"I see," he answered stiffly. "What differences will be put in place?"
She bit her lip for a half-a-second before answering, mentally reassuring herself that her and Spock's relationship was stronger than some text on a screen.
"Well there are two main problems with the current simulation," she began, tucking a hair behind her ear. "The first is that, well, it's a computer simulation. All the cadets know that they won't actually get themselves or their friends killed. At most it'll damage their grade but everyone loses so you know it doesn't have any long-term effects in reality.
But it does make you believe that you can stay calm in a crisis situation, which isn't necessarily true. So, the first problem with the test is that it's a danger because of the psychological side."
Spock had a startled look in his eyes. Although Rose's trial had been finished hastily after the Narada and she'd received a commendation for original thinking, Spock hadn't been there to listen to her explain her reasoning to the disciplinary committee. Maybe, Rose considered, this talk was a good thing. It could completely clear the air that their mutual apologies hadn't done.
"Then there's the fact that currently, the simulation isn't realistic. Of course, you can't always save everyone, but there's always a way to save someone. When I came up with the program for my own test, I could've just lowered the Klingon shields but I came up with the Corbomite Maneuver instead because it's a genuine tactic. My counterpart actually used in battle once and it saved her ship.
The code I'm working on now will have at most two or three different ways to allow for the survival of some, but not all, of the people. It'll randomize each time and to beat it will require lots of creative thinking and decisiveness. It doesn't solve the issue of the physical effects of fear, but it will hopefully work more successfully."
Rose's voice became more passionate as she spoke, forgetting to censor herself, though she didn't mention the fact that over sixty percent of command track students left their command course after failing the current Maru. Or that three percent committed suicide or got genuinely ill from the trauma of being able to do nothing when their friends and 'crew' were dying. Spock didn't need to know that.
"Well I think the whole thing's stupid," Bones huffed, standing and moving away from Spock's leg. "Useless if you ask me. You're mad, liking being in charge o' this damn metal-plated tin can."
He turned to Spock, who had a troubled look hidden in his eyes. "Your healing well," the doctor said firmly. "I'd prefer longer but you're good enough to return to full duty." He raised a finger threateningly. "That being said, you need to keep your weight off it as much as possible. If I check it and it's starting to swell or anything, you're off duty quicker than you say 'Enterprise'. Got it?"
"Doctor," Spock said condescendingly and Rose felt her lips twitch slightly as she watched. "It takes 0.59 seconds for me to fully form the word 'Enterprise'. Your belief that you could fill out the required forms and inform me of my status in less than that amount of time, is quite illogical."
Rose smirked outright this time, turning back to her work as she listened to Bones' loud complaints in the background. Of course it was all in good fun, Bones actually did like Spock, and after the Galileo, he had been nothing but respectful to him in public, even if they argued in private. But it was okay. Just a bit of fun and the three of them knew that.
Rose was broken out of her thoughts by her comm, which she quickly grabbed and answered. "This is Kirk? Is something wrong Officer," she quickly pulled up her mental duty roster as she spoke. "Garison?"
"We're heading towards something, ma'am," Garison answered. Rose frowned at the vague reply, rising to feet and signalling for Spock and Bones.
"Heading towards what exactly, Chief Petty Officer?" Rose asked hurrying to the door with the men on her heels.
"We don't know, ma'am," Garison admitted. "It's not making any sense."
Rose pursed her lips. "We'll be there shortly," she said, before snapping off the comm. "Well Spock?" she asked, beginning to fix her hair into a half-up/half-down style using the new hairclip Bones had given her for her birthday on the fourth.
Like all Betazoid women, Rose had been raised with the understanding that keeping her hair perfect at all times was the key to success.
"I cannot make any hypothesis until I have looked at the findings," Spock answered coolly.
"Fair enough," Rose nodded. The turbolift opened and she strode to her chair. Spock went to his station, replacing Lt. Marlena Moreau while Bones moved to the corner, near enough to give his opinions while at the same time keeping out of the way.
"Check the circuit," Spock ordered, bending over his station. Sulu shook his head.
"All operating, sir," the helmsman reported.
"It can not be the screen then," Spock murmured, straightening and turning to Rose. "Definitely something out there, Captain, headed this way."
"It could be zese meteorites," Chekov suggested. Spock shot him down instantly.
"No, it is something else. There is still something out there."
"It's coming at the speed of light, collision course," Sulu warned. "The meteorite beam hasn't deflected it, Captain."
"Evasive manoeuvres, ma'am?" Sulu asked, already moving to input the orders. He paused at Rose's firm headshake.
"Steady as we go," the captain answered calmly.
"It's a radio wave, ma'am!" Garison declared abruptly, sounding shocked. "We're passing through an old-style distress signal."
Rose frowned in thought. A radio distress signal. That was at least a decade out of use. "They were keyed to cause interference and attract attention this way." She thought aloud.
Garison frowned as he fumbled with his station to glean the message. "A ship in trouble making a forced landing, ma'am. That's it. No other message."
"I have a fix," Chekov called triumphantly. "It comes from ze Talos star group."
"We've no ships or Earth colonies that far out," Bones pointed out grumpily. "Haven't for years. The last couple went missing."
"Their call letters check with the last survey expedition. The SS Columbia. It disappeared in that region approximately eighteen years ago and four point three months ago."
"It would take that long for a radio beam to travel from there to here," Garison pointed out, looking at the contemplative captain expectantly.
"Records show the Talos group has never been explored. Solar system similar to Earth, eleven planets. Number four seems to be Class M, oxygen atmosphere."
"Then they could still be alive, even after eighteen years," Bones pointed out, moving closer to Rose.
"If they survived the crash," Rose's voice was hard. It had been a long year and she'd lost three more crewmen only two weeks before, as well as almost losing Spock. For once she was eager to avoid any trouble, instead of dashing towards it.
"You can't seriously be thinking o just leaving them there if they might still be alive!" Bones objected angrily. "Rose-"
"Enough Doctor!" She snapped back, forcing her shields to strength. She closed her eyes in resignation before nodding and sitting up straighter.
"Set course for Talos IV, Mr. Sulu," she ordered. "We'll check it out and if we can't find anything, at least we might be able to give their families some closer. I'll be in my ready room, organizing the away team. Spock has the conn."
Her fears were soothed by the blatant happiness her crew felt at going after the distress call. They were good people, all of them.
Bones followed her into her ready room, a frown on his face and concern muffled by his shields. He'd learnt to shield for her sake, she recalled, a smile playing on her lips. He just wasn't very good at it, that was all.
"What's wrong Rose?" He asked, compassion wafting to her. She sighed and picked up her PADD.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"The fight on Rigel 7? Rose you did all you could. You've said yourself you know that you can't save everyone."
"I know that," she insisted. "I do. But I also knew those people. Burke had a fiancée named Teresa on the Mars colony. Rad'ila was a quadruplet and she joined Starfleet so she could be herself. Eris was finishing up her contract this year before leaving the 'fleet.
And seven others injured so badly the Admirality wants me to leave them behind at the nearest space station." She sighed again and yanked a hand through her hair.
"I didn't think it would be so hard to be the one in charge," she admitted. "Deciding who lives and who dies. It's so wrong, it makes me feel sick. There always seems to be one catastrophe after another. It's exhausting."
Bones studied her sympathetically, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. "You're a good captain Rose," he assured her and she felt his firm belief in that fact. "The crew love you. 'cept Uhura of course but she's as bad as Jocelyn."
Rose snorted as he continued. "And I know it makes it harder, how you connect with the crew, but I'm not sure you realize how much of a morale-booster it is, the way you talk to them and get to know them. I've never heard of any other CO's just taking the time out of their day to go down to the common room and ask so-and-so if their little sister is over the flu yet or not. It really makes my patients smile when you pop down to visit and see how they're doing. The crew loves you, and the crew trusts you. Okay?"
Rose smiled teasingly at him to ease the tension in his expression. "Okay," she agreed, "Thanks Bones, I needed that."
He nodded and she waved him away. "Now scoot! I've gotta choose the away team. You're on it by the way."
Bones grimaced. "Oh great," he complained, making his way to the door. "Just what I wanted, more unknown diseases to attack my immune system. That's just fan-ficking-tastic!" The door slid closed on his grumbling as Rose started to chuckle, inputting the password on her screen.
Captain's log, Stardate 2259.19: We have intercepted an old radio-wave distress signal. New data has revealed that there were at least eleven survivors who found food and water in a breathable atmosphere. The message cut off before they could finish. We are now arriving at the Talos system.
"Ve 'ave settled into orbit, ma'am," Chekov reported. Rose stood to get a better look at the planet in front of her. It didn't look much different to any other planet she had ever seen but then M-Class usually didn't from space.
"Preliminary lab survey is ready, ma'am," Spock added.
"Spectography?" Rose asked, keeping her eyes on the planet.
"Our reading shows an oxygen nitrogen atmosphere, ma'am, heavy with inert elements but well within safety limits."
Rose nodded. "Gravity?"
"Zero point nine of Earth" Spock stated simply, clasping his hands together.
"Captain?" Sulu called. "Reflections, ma'am, from the planet's surface. As I read it, they polarise out as rounded metal bits. Could be parts of a spaceship hull."
Rose nodded crisply. "Right, our landing party will have myself, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Sulu, Lt. Garison, Ensign Chekov and Chief Giotto. Spock, you'll be in command while I'm gone of course. Call for replacements and I'll meet you in the transporter room."
The group nodded and went to complete their tasks, Rose herself headed to her room to change and put her curls into a complicated plaited bun.
The planet was rather desolate in Rose's opinion. Rocky with a barren terrain and a few scattered plants, Rose was instantly sceptical of finding any remaining survivors. She was shocked, therefore, when they rounded a cluster of boulders to see the small camp, with a small group of worn-out men.
"My god!" One of the men exclaimed. "I can't believe it! Humans, real actual human beings!"
Rose stepped forward. She covered her frown of suspicion at the men. According to her empathy, the men didn't exist. Obviously something was creating the illusion, however, and Rose didn't want to tip them off by letting them know she knew they were faking everything.
"Hello," she greeted them gently. "I'm Captain Rosalind Ophelia Kirk, of the USS Enterprise. We're Starfleet."
"Doctor Theodore Haskins," the apparent leader introduced to himself. "Of the American Continent lnstitute. I'm leader of the expedition. Or I was anyway."
"Is Earth all right?" One of the survivors piped up desperately, grasping Giotto's arm.
"The same old Earth, and you'll see it very soon," Sulu reassured him earnestly. Rose bit back a sigh. Her men would be crushed when they learned that the 'survivors' were fakes.
"And you von't beliewe hov fast you can get back," Chekov added with a delighted grin. "Ze difficulties with ze time barrier hawe been broken. Our nev ships can-"
He was struck silent at the sight of a pretty blonde woman, with a gentle smile moving forward through the group. Rose's gaze narrowed in on her. This woman was real, but there was something in her thoughts, they were too easy to read. As if she were being scanned constantly by a skilled telepath. There was something that she wanted from the crew.
"This is Vina," 'Haskins' gripped her arm to pull her up into their view better. "Her parents are dead. She was born almost as we crashed."
Rose's smile tightened and her crew cast discreet looks at her. The story was eerily similar to her own birth and wondered if the telepaths had chosen the story specifically to unbalance her.
"Rose," Bones said, moving toward the group. "I'd like to start doing some quick medical exams before we transport them up to the ship. God knows what that bloody thing'll do to them after they've spent the last couple of years being exposed to God knows what."
Rose nodded and waved him forward. She stepped away to comm Spock and tell him about the 'survivors'. Abruptly there was a yell and she spun around sharply, reaching for her phaser. The 'camp' and its residents had all disappeared.
"Zey are gone!" Chekov yelled in panic. It wasn't the sudden end of the illusion that upset Rose though. It was the fact that Bones was gone too.
The away team and department heads all gathered in the briefing room with grim faces. Rose in particular looked like she was barely holding back her fury.
"The inhabitants of this planet must live deep underground," Spock explained. "And probably manufacture food and other needs down there. Our tests indicate the planet surface, without considerably more vegetation or some animals, simply too barren to support life."
"So we just thought we saw survivors there, Mister Spock," Giotto clarified with a frown. Rose's scowl deepened as Spock nodded.
"Exactly. An illusion placed in our minds by this planet's inhabitants."
"It was a perfect illusion," Sulu pointed out. "They had us seeing just what we wanted to see, human beings who'd survived with dignity and bravery. Every detail completely perfect, right down to the building of the camp, the tattered clothing, everything."
"Now does everyone understand the danger of this?" Rose cut in sharply. "The inhabitants of this planet can read our minds. They can create illusions out of a person's own thoughts, memories, and experiences, even out of a person's own desires. Illusions just as real and solid as this table top and just as impossible to ignore. I could only tell it was fake because of my empathy!" She hit the tabletop as she spoke to emphasize her words.
Everyone exchanged grim looks as they digested her words.
"Any estimate what they might want one of us for?" Lt. Palmer asked.
Spock shrugged. "They may simply be studying the doctor, to find out how Earth people are put together. Or it could be something more."
"Whatever they're doing, it's unacceptable," snapped the captain. "I will not allow my crew to be a science experiment!"
"Then why aren't we doing anything?" Lt. José Tyler, Giotto's young and eager protégé interrupted. "That entry may have stood up against hand lasers, but we can transmit the ship's power against it. Enough to blast half a continent."
Rose hesitated, glancing at Spock and quirking her eyebrow. While she would get Bones back safely, she was reluctant to be a captain who used force as a default.
Spock gave a chilling look to the lieutenant. "From the Captain's description of the beings mental abilities, they must have brains at least three times the size of ours. If we start buzzing about down there, we're liable to find their mental power is so great they could reach out and swat this ship as though it were a fly. The Captain is strong but her gifts will not be able to shield us all."
"But Captain," Tyler leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "It's a member of our crew they've got. He needs help, and he probably needs it fast."
Rose closed her eyes for a second. She had a pounding headache that she knew from her old training meant someone was prodding at her shields. "Scotty," she decided.
"Aye, Captain?" The Scottish man asked quickly.
"Engineering deck will rig to transmit ship's power," Rose ordered. "We'll try blasting through that metal. Everyone is dismissed, Spock stay behind." While the others dispersed, Spock waited patiently for the woman to speak. Rose herself spent several minutes rubbing her temples, reaffirming her mental barriers and trying not to cry.
"I knew as soon as I saw those 'people'," she made brief airquotes with her fingers. "That it was a trap. I should've ordered a beam-up immediately instead of going along with it to try and learn what they wanted."
Spock balked for a minute before reaching out to carefully pat her shoulder, copying the comforting actions he seen her make use of dozens of times since she'd taken command of the Enterprise. "Your actions were logical," he informed her carefully, wary of making a misstep and upsetting her more. "It was, and still is, necessary to discover what the Talosians desire. It's possible that someone may have been harmed if you had not gone along with the charade."
"But now Bones is gone and we can't even rely on our own eyes!" Rose lashed back. She knew he was telling the truth but it was Bones. 'If a more experienced captain had command,' she thought bitterly to herself. 'None of this would have been a problem.'
Spock gave a frown at her. Or at least, she could see the frown in his eyes even if others didn't.
"You are an exceptional captain," he said earnestly. "This I my personal belief, and the belief of what I believe is 99.456% of those you have met since the beginning of our mission. You have not only successfully created at least the beginning of five new alliances but also dealt with multiple catastrophes with spectacular grace.
Dr. McCoy, though rather foolish and illogical, is sensible enough that I am certain he will be returned unharmed to us within the next three-point-seven hours."
Impulsively, Rose leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Spock," she whispered to him mistily. "I needed to hear that." She pulled away and quickly began to adjust her appearance. "Head out and check everything's getting ready please?" She half-asked, half-ordered him. "I'll be on the bridge after making a log."
Spock, still slightly surprised by her embrace, nodded and headed for the door. Rose, meanwhile, reached for her PADD to start her log.
Captain's log, Stardate 2259.19: The 'survivors' were in fact elaborate illusions created by the telepathic natives of Talos IV to lure us to them. My Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy, has been abducted by them.
I was able to tell immediately due to my empathy that they were fake but went along with the pretence to discover what they wanted. I also learned that the sole woman we saw wasn't a fake, she was real. She called herself Veena, I guess he actually did survive the crash and has been kept by the Talosians for some reason. Likely the same reason that they kidnapped Bones.
We are certain that the entrance to their city is hidden in a cliff and my engineers are now working on setting up a laser cannon to try and break through.
Forty minutes after Rose finished with her log, she was standing beside Scotty, Giotto and a group of other engineers and security officers. Spock was on the ship, preparing to charge the cannon from orbit.
Carefully the engineers adjusted the big laser cannon so it was aimed at the door in the rock.
"All circuits engaged, Ma'am," Scotty reported after checking over the cannon again.
"Standing by, Captain," Spock added.
"Take cover," Rose ordered as she crouched and, after checking everyone was out of harm's way, nodded for Spock to start the attack.
Spock calmly counted down from ten before pressing the detonator. Rose frowned when there was no damage to be seen on the rockface. Her empathy only worked on sentient beings. Without a person to scan, she couldn't tell if it was really undamaged or not.
"Increase to full power!" She called to Spock. "Can you give us anymore?"
"Our circuits are beginning to heat," Spock denied. "We'll have to cease power."
Rose cursed a she ordered him to disengage.
"The top of that knoll should have been sheared off the first second." Scotty protested.
"Maybe it was," Rose replied grimly. "It's what I tried to explain in the briefing room. Their power of illusion is so great, we can't be sure of anything we do, anything we see." Her team stared at her with wide-eyed dismay at her grim words.
"We've located a magnetic field that seems to come from their underground generator," Spock calmly explained.
"Could that be an illusion too?" Lt. Garison asked worriedly. The captain shrugged.
"Now, you all know the situation," she began. "We're hoping to transport down inside the Talosian community."
"If our measurements and readings are an illusion also, one could find oneself materialised inside solid rock," Spock added.
"Nothing will be said if any volunteer wants to back out," Rose insisted. He felt a surge of pride when no one even considered it. She turned to the transporter technician. "Energize, Mister Pitcairn."
She frowned in concern when she reappeared inside a cavern with only Yeoman Colt, Christine Chapel and Lt. Palmer.
'All the female members of the team,' her narrowed suspiciously even as she moved to a relieved-looking Bones' side.
"Bones, are you alright?" She demanded, giving him a quick scan as she embraced him.
"'m fine, just damn angry. These bloody bigheaded zookeepers want me to play Adam!"
Rose's eyebrows shot sky high. "As in Adam and Eve?" Whatever scenarios she had come up with, that hadn't been one of them.
Bones nodded, an embarrassed grimace on his face. She filed it away for future teasing, choosing to focus on the present situation. The woman, Vina, was throwing a tantrum and had been since they'd arrived.
"So you refused to sleep with her," she jerked her head toward the girl. "And now they're hoping you'll sleep with one of us instead?" Bones nodded sullenly.
"No!" Vina shrieked, seeming hysterical. She dashed toward the glass window, pushing past the silent, but obviously confused Enterprise women. "That one isn't even human! She's a Betazoid! And the others aren't speaking at all! They're terrible choices for intelligent offspring!"
"No one is forcing my crew to reproduce! We are not science experiments!"" Rose snapped furiously.
She could hardly believe it was necessary but here she was, stating outright that her crew weren't experiments. It was ridiculous, how the heck was she going to explain this to the Admirality?
The bigheaded alien who had been watching them spoke to Bones. "You have refused the option provided to you and so we have brought you three new ones. This one," he gestured at Chapel. "Is young and desires offspring in the near future. This one (motioning to Palmer) is intelligent. And this one is clearly gifted, and is frequently in your thoughts. You may use any of them."
Rose narrowed her eyes for half-a-second before abruptly lashing out with her mind. The Talosian gasped and fell to knees, clutching his head as she hammered furiously at hi weak mental barriers. She carefully kept from damaging his mind though. Such a crime was too horrific to ever be considered an option by a properly raised psychic.
"My crew," she insisted coldly, keeping up the attack. "Are not, science experiments! You will, release us all immediately." As she spoke she fired her phaser at the glass, undaunted by the apparant lack of charge. Sure enough, a hole appeared in the glass, the Talosian too wracked with pain to create another illusion.
She abandoned the mental attack and quickly rushed to grab his collar and put a phaser to his head, her crew and the stunned-looking Vina following. They made their way quickly to the surface, hostage in tow where they were confronted by three more Talosians.
"Upon releasing the Magistrate," the middle one said, stepping forward slightly. "You are free to return to your ship and leave our planet."
"Why?" Roe demanded suspiciously, not letting go of the hostage she had.
"We have been given evidence. We had not believed this possible. The customs and history of your race show a unique hatred of captivity. Even when it's pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death. This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs."
"He means that they can't use you," Vina explained softly. "You're free to go back to the ship."
"And that's it?" Rose snapped angrily. "No apologies? You captured one of us, threatened all of us."
"Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual death. Is this not sufficient?" One of the Talosians asked.
"No other specimen has shown your adaptability," the Magistrate added. "You were our last hope."
Rose went pale. She was furious about Bones and her other crewmembers being taken but that didn't mean she wanted the Talosians to go extinct.
"But wouldn't some form of trade, mutual co-operation?" She suggested helplessly and the Magistrate shook his head, looking sad.
"Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself too."
"Captain, we have transporter control now," Lt. Palmer interjected.
"You are free to leave," the Magistrate told them.
"I can't," Vina spoke up and they turned to give her surprised looks. Bones moved closer to her.
"Bones, you talk to her," Rose ordered. "Lt. Palmer. Beam us up."
Given she could sense that Vina genuinely wanted to stay on the planet, she wasn't surprised when Bones arrived alone moment after them.
Okay so either way, romance isn't going to be the main focus of the plot. The main focus is Rose. But I had kinda planned for a Bones/Rose/Spock pairing. However, the story itself seems to be coming out more Rose/Spock, with Bones falling to the wayside. I won't change the Primes but should I leave nutrek!Bones out of it or would you prefer that I give him more screen time and maybe a few chapters with Spock/Bones to develop their relationship too? Again, either way there will be Spock/Rose and the three Primes. And possibly they won't all get together at the same time if I go with the threesome, two of them might get together and then they realize they both love the third too. Haven't decided. I'm putting up a poll on my profile so check it out and vote okay?
