The Present

Spock's stride quickened as he neared Transporter Room 3. Marlena and a brace of his personal guards followed, racing to keep up. Why was it, Marlena found herself wondering, Vulcans seemed to move so much faster than humans, without giving the appearance of doing so?

Just before reaching their destination, however, they came upon a bracket of security guards confronting a blonde lieutenant in transporter fatigues Moreau didn't immediately recognize until she heard the British accents. "I told you, Mr. Scott sent me away, I wasn't derelict, you can't report me that way!" Kyle caught sight of Spock's party and raised his voice in appeal. "Captain, please, I didn't abandon my post, I swear! Mr. Scott told me to leave--" His voice ended in a cry of pain as one of the guards backhanded him.

Spock raised a hand, and the two guards sullenly stepped away from their prisoner. "Explain yourself."

When Kyle opened his mouth, Spock cut him off. "Not you. Them."

The two guards exchanged uneasy glances, then returned their attention to Spock. "Sir, we caught this man away from his duty post," the taller of the two said. "He claims Mr. Scott told him to leave, but when we checked, there was no one in Transporter Room 3." He glared at Kyle. "We were about to contact his immediate superior for further information." For permission to punish him, he meant. "He admits he was gone for more than half an hour!"

Spock appraised them coolly, then dismissed the two guards with a jerk of his head. He beckoned Kyle closer. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Moreau caught herself wondering why he was wasting time on this man, until she realized what the guard had reported; there was no one in Transporter Room 3. That meant that whatever actions Kirk had planned, if indeed he was involved, had already taken place.

Kyle was sweating lightly, but no more than anyone would under the circumstances. "Mr. Scott came into the room and ordered me to leave. He said he was performing a maintenance check, that it was a surprise evaluation of how I was keeping my duty station. I had no reason to doubt him, but when I questioned whether my supervisor should be advised, he told me he'd already taken care of that and practically shoved me out the door." He shrugged. "So I got something to eat and was on my way back when Johnson and Ryan showed up, accusing me of dereliction of duty."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "And you found nothing suspicious about this request?"

Kyle smirked. "Of course I did, sir, but Mr. Scott is my superior, the head of my department. I just thought he and Dr. McCoy--"

"McCoy was with him?" Spock's voice sharpened.

"Yes sir, looking nervous," Kyle confirmed.

"And you did not find this…unusual?" Spock's voice was an ominous growl, barely heard.

Kyle paled. "No, sir," he stammered. "I mean, yes sir, I found it unusual, but I just assumed they had a business transaction so I left them to it." His expression became defensive. "It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen. Usually my superior knows about it," he added, obviously hoping to deflect attention upwards.

Spock and Marlena traded looks, ignoring Kyle's babbling. "That's the other two members of the landing party," Moreau murmured. It couldn't be coincidence.

"Are you sure there was no one else with them?" Spock snapped, returning his attention to Kyle.

The other man took a step back before visibly stopping himself. He'd never seen Spock so furious. Now was the dangerous part; if Spock found his story unsatisfactory, he would force a mind meld and it would all be over. Oh well… He shook his head, then hesitated. "No one was with them, but I did pass a couple of maintenance workers pushing a loaded grav cart this way as I was leaving." He shrugged. "Not that it's important…"

"On the contrary, Mr. Kyle, your information could be quite important." Spock didn't elaborate further, but he seemed inclined to accept the other man's story at face value. And why shouldn't he? Kyle had never been known as a particular ally of either Kirk or Uhura. Or Scott or McCoy, for that matter. "You will come with us. I require your expert opinion on what happened in there while you were away."

"Yes, sir."

Kyle couldn't believe his luck. Getting accosted by those two jarheads had been exactly what he needed to help convince Spock of the truth of his story. Now, all he had to do was honestly answer what the transporter logs would read, information he expected Spock to have someone else independently confirm. Let him; the extra transport to the planet's surface was erased.

He'd used his time to double-check the credit transfer, and it was everything Uhura had promised. He was now rich enough to make his life on board this ship even more comfortable than it already was, or he could put it away toward an early retirement with the rest of his share of the ship's booty.

All he had to do now was tell Spock the truth, then wait to see if his gamble would pay off. He'd never been much of a risk taker, but this had been too good an opportunity to let pass.

Kyle obediently entered the transporter room, schooling his expression to conceal his hope, but allowing his trepidation to show. Spock would expect it, and so would the former captain's former Woman, who was watching him even more carefully than Spock or his body guards.

Trying to ignore all the eyes upon him, the Transporter Chief quickly crossed over to the controls and examined them as carefully as he would if he didn't know to what use they'd been recently put. He heard the whirr of a tricorder operating, although he wasn't sure what the operator--Moreau, he noted, darting a furtive look around--was hoping to find.

She let out a sharp cry, startling him into turning and staring at her. She ignored him as she stared at Spock, an expression of horror on her face. "Organic residue, two humanoids. Two people were killed in here!"

Kyle restrained the smirk he felt tugging at the corners of his lips. So that's what really happened to Scott and McCoy; the transport to the other universe had never actually sent anyone anywhere. Probably just some equipment or something rigged to give off biological readings. But he turned back to his work with a shrug, as if to say it was none of his business what happened when he wasn't around to witness it. "The transporter was used recently," he confirmed. "Two people sent to coordinates I don't quite understand." That much was certainly true. He stepped aside as Captain Spock approached, pointed out the anomalous readings. "There, sir, see it?"

"Indeed," was Spock's only comment. He studied the readings for a moment, then returned his attention to Kyle. "You are dismissed. Inform your supervisor that Transporter Room 3 has been temporarily shut down while I investigate."

"Aye, sir." Kyle was torn between relief at being out of the line of fire and disappointment that he wasn't to be privy to the outcome of that investigation. He almost volunteered to help, but caught himself and simply left the room after slamming his fist against his chest in a salute. Moreau looked to be bursting with questions, but if she had something to say she was waiting until he left to voice them. Oh well. Sometimes curiosity wasn't meant to be satisfied, Kyle reflected as the doors whooshed shut behind him.

Spock's guards, standing on either side of the doors, eyed him suspiciously, but let him go without a word. He waited until he was well out of sight before allowing a satisfied smile to cross his face. The worst part was over; now to figure out the best way to hide his new wealth.