Jim talked everything out with Helek, and had let him and his sister and mother out of the brig, and gave them guest quarters, but they were still guarded. He could not just let them roam the ship without an escort.

Bones knew what Jim was planning to do, and he did not want him to do it. It was too dangerous and he could not be stranded on that planet for eight years. He would get Spock and find a way to keep Jim from going down there. He went to the Bridge where Spock was now, because Jim was doing other things. "Spock, I need to talk to you," Bones said.

"About what?" Spock asked.

"I want to discuss something with you that I don't want anyone else to hear."

"We can meet for lunch if you like."

"Fine. I'll meet you at the mess hall at twelve."

"I will be there."

Bones went to where Jim was in the science lab. "Jim, I want to talk to you," he said.

"I'm kinda busy, Bones," Jim replied. "Is it about the samples?"

"No. It's about you going down to that planet."

"We can talk about that later."

"Jim, I want to talk to you now."

"Bones, I already know all the risks involved."

"Do you? If you're stranded down there for eight years, do you realize your son is not going to see you or hear from you all that time? You wouldn't even know him by the time you got off that rock."

Jim looked at him then. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"Let me go. I'm the doctor. Korax can go with me. I don't have a wife and child, Jim. Korax can help me."

"I don't want you stranded there either."

"It would be better if it was me than you."

"How so?"

"I just got through telling you! Don't stand there and tell me that Carol isn't upset about you going to this planet to solve this crime!"

Jim thought upset was a severe understatement. "She's not speaking to me this morning," he said.

"I don't blame her!" Bones replied. "You can't do this! Let us do it. If we're stranded there, you can come and get us in eight years."

Jim knew Bones meant every word he was saying. "Bones, do you realize how long that is? Besides, I don't intend for anyone to get stranded there."

"But there is a chance, and you know it. You can't ignore it!"

"I'm not going to listen to lectures from you or anyone else. I have to figure out some way of stopping this within the next few days, and we're almost down to three."

"That's why you can't do this. You need to think about your family instead of letting your curiosity get the best of you."

"It's not curiosity! We're not going to do nothing when we might be able to help them. Helek told us where the research is done. We can get in there."

"Jim, it's too dangerous."

"But, yet, you want me to let you go."

"It's not the same thing!"

"We'll discuss this later. That's an order."

Bones glared at him slightly. He only used that tone when he wanted the conversation to end right at that moment. He left the science lab and went back to the medical bay. He paced back and forth a few times, and then thought of Andrea. They had talked briefly after their ordeal. They had not had much time to talk to each other, but he supposed he could go and talk to her now since he was doing nothing.

Andrea did not have Alex with her when Bones arrived because he was with his mother. "Come right in," she said as she opened the door.

Bones went in and just stood there. Andrea walked over in front of him. "What are you worried about now?" she asked.

He thought about how he wanted to answer that question. "What am I always worried about?" he asked.

"Never the same things."

Bones looked at her. "It usually involves Jim though."

"You're worried about this mission."

"I sure am. He can't go down there and risk being stranded there for eight years away from his child and wife."

"Leonard, are you wanting to take his place?"

Bones looked at her. "Andrea, I…don't want to be away from you like that, but even you can see the difference."

Andrea touched his face. "I can, but what if you get stranded there? Eight years is a long time."

"I know. If I do, I don't want you to wait for me if you find someone who…"

"Stop right there. I don't want you to say that."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you, and love doesn't just go away."

"I know. I don't intend to get stranded there, and when this five year mission is over, you and I are…we're going somewhere that we can have privacy."

"We have privacy in this room."

"That's not what I mean."

Andrea smiled. "You always get very nervous when I talk about that kind of privacy," she said.

Bones grinned slightly. "I know," he replied. "But that doesn't mean I don't want that kind of privacy."

"Surely, we can solve this problem you have with shyness."

"Come on. I'm not shy."

"But I know you love me, so you must be shy."

"No. I'm dragging my feet, and I'm just glad you stuck with me and didn't let me make a mistake."

"So, you're telling me that when this five year mission is over, we're going to move somewhere together?" Andrea asked.

"That's what I said."

"That's not all that long anymore."

"I know. I was thinking about…Pacifica."

Andrea smiled. "You want to live on Pacifica?"

"Yeah. Why not? We'd have plenty to do and I could be a doctor there. You could be my secretary."

"Ooh, that sounds like fun. Could we have an affair in the office?"

Bones almost laughed out loud at that. "I thought I was supposed to ask that," he said.

Andrea laughed and then they shared a long kiss. "Don't you dare get stranded down there," she said.

"Trust me, I will be trying my best," Bones replied.

"I guess that's all I can ask."

They kissed again, and then Bones went to the door. He looked back at her again. He wanted to tell her not to wait for him, but he would not because he knew if it was reversed it would do no good for her to tell him that. "I love you," he said and went on out the door.

Andrea smiled, but her smile faded as she thought of him being stuck on that planet for eight years. She knew why he did not want Captain Kirk stuck there, but what about her happiness? Would she never get to be happy with Leonard? He did not like going on dates on the ship, and she thought he would be different when they were somewhere else. He could not get trapped there…if he did, she would be with him.

When lunch time came, Bones met Spock in the mess hall. They got their trays and sat down at the table. "Spock, is Jim still planning on going down to that planet?" Bones asked.

"It seems so," Spock replied.

"We can't let him do that."

"How do you propose we stop him?"

"The same way we stopped him from facing those Hirogens before. Remember?"

Spock just looked at Bones a moment. "That would be mutiny in this case," he said. "Are you really suggesting that we sedate the captain?"

"Spock, he has a family. Eight years! Think about that with the human side of yourself."

Spock sighed. "I have talked with him about this," he said. "He wants to help the people there."

"Spock, we can't let him do it."

"What do you suggest?"

"Let me and Korax go. Send Artemus Gordon with me, and Jim West. None of us are attached."

"You are suggesting that Jim's relationship is more important than your own."

"It is! He's married, and he has a baby. I don't have any of that. Spock, you have to do something about this."

"We could be court marshaled for mutiny and sent to a penal colony."

Bones looked down at his plate. "There are only three days left," he said. "That's too close!"

"I do not believe it is wise for anyone to go down to that planet," Spock replied. "However, I can understand the captain's conflict."

"You sure didn't mind resorting to mutiny when we were at that arena. You took his place, Spock. Why did you do that?"

"Because he was injured and…"

"No! It was because he's your friend, and you were trying to protect him. I won't let him risk this. It's too much, Spock."

"I will give this more thought, but we must remember that we will face consequences for our actions this time."

"Jim won't have us court marshaled."

"Leonard, how do you think he will feel if you become stranded there?"

"Probably not as bad as Carol would feel if he was stranded there. Talk to him again, and then we have to resort to more forceful actions."

"I will speak to him after lunch."

Just then, Jim walked into the mess hall, and Korax was not far behind him. Jim got himself a tray and came over to the table where Spock and Bones were. "Well, can I join you two?" he asked.

"Do you even have to ask that?" Bones asked.

Jim sat down. "Strange to me that the conversation suddenly stopped when I got here," he remarked. "You guys talking about me?"

"Yeah," Bones blurted. "We're talking about this crazy mission you're planning."

"It's not a crazy mission."

Korax came to the table next and sat next to Spock. Bones looked at Korax. "Don't you think it's crazy for him to go down there like that?" Bones asked.

"I do," Korax replied.

Jim looked at the three of them. "Am I going to have to put up with this the whole time I'm sitting here?" he asked.

"Probably," Bones replied.

"Captain, we are simply concerned about the severity of this mission, and the risks involved," Spock said.

"We've been all over this," Jim said sounding exasperated.

"Yet, we are still concerned. Whoever goes on this mission runs a severe risk of being stranded, and worse, of being used as a guinea pig."

"Jim, let me go on this mission," Bones said. "Let me take Korax, Artemus, and West with me. We can do this without you."

Jim took a bite of his food. "It is no worse for any of you to get stuck down there than it is for me," he said.

"Yes it is!" Bones argued.

Jim looked at him then. "Stop yelling at me. I'm still your captain."

"I don't care if you are!"

"Bones, do you want me to confine you to your quarters?"

"Captain, I do not believe the doctor is trying to be disrespectful," Korax said. "He is deeply concerned for you and your family."

"I don't need you to talk for me, Korax," Bones said.

"You do not seem to be getting your point across."

"I'm trying!"

"Bones, can we keep this at a respectable tone?" Jim asked with that warning voice.

Bones leaned on the table. "I don't know what else to say," he said. "You're going to regret this if you get stuck down there."

Jim had thought and thought about that, and Carol was extremely upset at him. He could not bring himself to think of sending someone else just because he had a family and they did not. It made him feel horrible, but Bones was offering. "I'll consider it," he said as he glanced at Bones.

Bones looked at him a little surprised. "You will?" he asked.

Jim nodded. "Carol's furious at me," he said. "If I go she may never speak to me again whether I get stranded or not."

"I meant what I said. Send me."

"But you can't volunteer Korax, Gordon, and West."

"I will go," Korax said. "I will protect him as I would you."

"After lunch, we'll all discuss this. Our time is running out. We have to move fast."

Bones felt better that Jim was actually going to discuss it. After lunch, they all went to the captain's "ready" room. "Helek has given us a good idea of how that place is set up," Jim said. "We made a rough schematic of the place." He brought that up on the screen in the room. He pointed to a small blinking tunnel that led down into the ground. "This is what leads down to the research facility. There's only one way in and one way out."

"So how do we get in?" Bones asked.

"That's the hard part, but you'll have to find a way. If we're going to do something about this, we have to move fast, and do what we do quickly."

"Jim, there's no way to know what we should do until we get in there."

"I realize that. But you should be able to see the place the first day, and figure out what to do."

Artemus Gordon was studying the schematic of the place. "Maybe we could pretend to be a buyer," he said. "No one knows us."

"He's right," West agreed. "They've never seen any of us…except Korax."

Jim nodded. "They're right," he said as he looked at Korax. "You can't go or they'll know you."

"Since Helek can get around there without being detected, maybe he should go with us," Bones suggested.

"I'm afraid he wants nothing more to do with that planet. He won't go with you."

"I thought he wanted to help the people there."

"He only wanted his mother and sister out."

"With his help, we could do this a lot faster, and what are we going to do once we get in there?"

"That's the hard part. We simultaneously have to get those prisoners out of there and shut down their operation."

"Jim, I hate to say this, but I think this is impossible to do in three days."

"Maybe not if we work fast. Maybe there should be more than three of you, and you have to wear disguises."

"Right. What kind?"

"I'm not sure about that yet. I've talked to Helek about what kind of people come there to buy information and research. It's a variety."

Just then, Helek came into the room. "I'm sorry for interrupting, Captain," he said. "I think I should go with you. It's very selfish of me to sit here and do nothing and expect you to help the others. I can lead you right to the facility, and I know how to get in without being detected. I cannot go in with them because they would know me, but I will help."

"Anything you can do will be sufficient," Jim replied.

"I'll help you with disguises as well, and help you know what to say."

Jim looked at Bones and the others. "I guess things are starting to come together," he said.

"Maybe they are," Bones replied. "I'll feel better if he's there."

"I know you don't want me trapped there, but I don't want you trapped there either. If you think you can't finish the job, you get out of there."

Bones nodded. "Jim," he said quietly. "If I don't get out of there…make sure Andrea's okay."

"She'll be…you're going to get out of there. If I see the time is running out, I'm going to transport you whether you want me to or not."

"Alright…but if something happens…"

"I'll make sure she's alright, Bones. I promise. I guess the two of you are talking again?"

"Yeah. When this five year mission is over, she and I are…well, we're gonna live on Pacifica."

"You are?"

"Yeah. We talked about it."

Jim smiled. "I'm happy for you, Bones."

"I guess it is possible to love someone after a disaster."

"Sure it is."

"Well, I guess I should be talking about this mission instead of that."

Jim smiled. He had hoped that Bones and Andrea would stay together. Now, it seemed they would.

Helek helped Bones to know what to ask for when he went down to the planet, and how to act. They would also wear their electro suits, which they would not activate until they needed them. Those suits would be very helpful when they needed to escape. Bones sure hoped it was all believable, but Helek assured him that all sorts of beings came to that planet, and Kyle Brandon would not suspect them if they looked confident. Helek would stay at the ship until they needed him because he would not be detected by the sensors.

Soon, Bones and the others were dressed in their electro suits, but then they had to wear robes over them. Carol and Spock had even managed to incorporate the helmets into the suit so that the parts of the helmet were almost like windows and would extend up and close at the top. That way, the helmet did not have to be carried. Bones knew what to ask for, but he just hoped they would not be recognized as Starfleet officers.

They were soon at the ship they would take to the planet, which was Solan's ship. "You better take care of my ship," he said.

"We have to have a freighter that's not from Starfleet," Jim replied.

"I know, but…"

"Artemus is a good pilot. He won't crash. You're just lucky Bones is not flying."

"I heard that," Bones said as he was walking up beside them. "I did pretty good for someone who had never flown that alien ship before."

"Sure you did."

Bones looked toward the door of the shuttle bay again. He wondered why Andrea was not there to kiss him goodbye. He had thought she would be there but maybe she did not want to see him get onto that ship and leave.

"What are you doing, Bones?" Jim asked.

"Nothing," Bones replied. "Remember to make sure Andrea's okay if…"

"Bones. I don't intend to let you get stranded down there."

"Right."

Bones knew how things went for them most of the time, and it was not always like they planned…no, it was never like they planned. Anything could happen, and usually did.

As they boarded the ship, Bones looked toward the door again. He frowned as he did not see Andrea, but he went on into the ship. Artemus Gordon was already in the pilot's seat and getting the ship ready, and Jim West was in the co-pilot's seat helping.

"You guys don't look a bit nervous," Bones said. "You realize what kind of situation we're going into?"

"Sure," Artie answered. "But it'll be alright."

"I hope you're right."

Bones sat down behind them, and Helek did as well. Helek had proven that he had no hostile intentions although he had been upset that they killed his brother, Jerah.

They were soon on their way. "Just don't act nervous," Helek said. "They will scan this ship, but they will not detect me."

"Just in case, you can stay in the storage compartments," Bones replied.

Helek went to the back of the ship and climbed down into the storage compartment. They had prepared it so it would be comfortable for him to stay there the whole time until he swung into action. He sat down after he returned the cover of the compartment. He wished his brother was there. He could not understand why Jerah did not explain his situation to the captain. The more he had talked to Jim Kirk, the more he realized that he would have helped Jerah if he had simply explained the situation to them. After all, they had planned to meet with him but Kyle Brandon had foiled that plan. He intended to do something about Kyle this time. He had nothing to threaten him with now. His new friends had no idea who Kyle Brandon really was, and he was not certain he would ever tell them. If Kyle was dead, he thought it might not be so bad to be on Nervala IV for eight years. Kyle had been the one who started the DNA research and he had absolutely no ethical compass, and did not care who he hurt. Most of the people who bought and traded with Nervala IV had no idea what went on there.

Bones sat in his seat wondering what sort of trouble they would get into because he was certain they would get into trouble. He did not want to become an experiment, and if he was stranded there, they would have a very hard time making one out of him. He would fight till his last breath. He supposed he had picked up some of Jim's determination over the years. When he first met Jim, he would never have pictured himself going on an away mission like this, but his life was totally different now. He had used that line I'm a doctor, not a… well, he was not just a doctor anymore. He supposed he had to admit that to himself. He was part of Jim Kirk's crew, and when you were part of that crew, you improvised, and took on roles that expanded your horizons. Now, he was in charge of an away mission that he might not come back from for eight years…