Unscrupulous

Chapter Ten

Author note: It had come to my attention that my format was hard to read. I have tried to fix it, but now I will return to my original way of doing it.

Rasmussen, Christopher and Chekov, after leaving the Enterprise via the young navigator's hidden time transporter, materialized together inside Seven's transporter chamber. Christopher was both amazed and amused that it was indeed made to look like a bank vault, just like in the classic TV episode.

Chekov was the first to step out of the enclosure and he gestured to the two men from his past to step forward. He was also the first to notice Mr. Seven, who was standing next to the bookcase, which concealed the advanced interactive computer. Rasmussen stepped out of the "vault" and noticed an attractive young woman, who was sitting on an orange-colored chair that was facing a large ebony office desk to his right. Gary Seven greeted them courteously.

"Greetings, gentlemen. Welcome to the twentieth century."

Christopher and Rasmussen nodded politely, but both were puzzled that they had not yet been transported to their own time periods.

"Why are we here?" Christopher asked. "Weren't we supposed to go back to where we belong?"

"We have come to the realization that you have not yet been compensated for the anguish we put you through when you were fired just for being honest, sir. I will also give you enough money to tide you over until we can fix that. At the very least, we of the Men in Black owe you an apology for getting you canned."

"I'll say!" Christopher barked angrily. "You nearly destroyed my life!"

"We are aware of that, sir. As I said, we can also reproduce enough currency for you as compensation." Christopher thought about that for a moment, and then remembered his hidden tricorder in his duffel bag.

"I have a better idea. If I warn my younger self not to blab to the media that I saw the Enterprise in the sky, then none of this would happen."

"I understand, but I cannot allow you to do that, sir. You would create a paradox. By telling your younger self not to divulge what you saw in 1969, you would also effect the lives of everyone involved. If you warned your younger self and he heeded the warning, then that would disrupt the very fabric of the space-time continuum."

"You are better off this way, Mr. Christopher." The young woman on the orange chair added softly. "Think of this place and time as a weigh station. Please empty your bags, gentlemen. We have to make sure that neither of you are carrying any contraband."

As soon as the young woman spoke, Seven realized that she was not who she appeared to be.

"Isis, why are you pretending to be Roberta?"

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. Christopher was close enough to notice her pupils were vertical and looked feline.

"How did you know that it was I?"

"Because I have learned to recognize you in any form you may take. Besides, your voice and mannerisms gave you away. Please answer my question."

"As you know, Roberta and I have become good friends. I was just looking out for her. I was filling in for her so you would not fire her for being late."

Everyone in the room smiled. Now that was a true friend.

"And I thought that Roberta was the one who usually jumped to conclusions. She's not late and don't worry. I sent her out for some herbal tea."

Isis smiled back and transformed herself back into her usual human form.

"Herbal tea in 1970?* Sir, you know that only hippies and beat nicks drink that in this era. She may have difficulty finding it."

Seven smiled back at her.

"You forget that she is engaged to a hippie. She won't have much difficulty finding it. I told her, however, that if she did not find it, she could bring back orange pekoe." As Seven spoke, Roberta walked into the room through the open doorway to the outer office. In her right hand was a box of orange pekoe tea. Strains of a popular song from The Guess Who could be heard from a small transistor radio clipped to her black belt around her slender waist:

"No time for my watch and chain... no time left for you..."

Listening to the lyrics of the song, Chekov then remembered that his ship mates were still suspended in time on the Enterprise. He would have to return to the future soon. The other two men smiled when they recognized the song, having heard it often during their youth and on radio oldies stations.

"Gentlemen, do what she says. Open your bags and empty their contents."

"Shove it up your Russkie ass!" Rasmussen shouted angrily. "You know very well that I'm not carrying anything that doesn't belong to me!"

"It's just a formality, Rasmussen." Seven said with a sigh, feeling sorry for Chekov having to endure a racial slur. "Do it or both of you will return to your own time empty handed."

Christopher tensed up, suddenly recalling the tricorder he had stolen from the Enterprise. If they were to find out that he had taken it from Kirk's ship, he would not have a way to compensate himself the way he felt he deserved to. However, noticing that Chekov was still holding his servo weapon and recalling how powerful the device was, he reluctantly complied. Soon, he realized with contained astonishment and dismay that the tricorder he had stolen had mysteriously vanished. He gave Rasmussen a suspicious look as his new friend also opened his bag. Christopher frowned in puzzlement when there was nothing in it from the twenty-third century. Where did the tricorder go?

It was not known to Christopher or Rasmussen that Isis was telepathic and had been reading the minds of the two men the whole time they were standing there in Seven's apartment. She knew that Christopher had taken a tricorder off the Enterprise, but now was just as puzzled that they now could find no evidence of theft. Also, none were aware that the Q was still present and that he had taken the stolen items temporarily, planning to give them back to Christopher upon their return to their respective time periods. Still invisible, he was now happy that Christopher's lovely descendant, Miss Christine Chapel, would become a very wealthy woman. She would not have to work a day in her life. However, her romantic interest in Spock would not occur because of this alteration in history. In fact, many things would change, and the Q was looking forward now to seeing what was going to happen next.

* I just found out this song came out in 1969. This also fixes an error in Roberta's time line. She met her boyfriend Maury at Woodstock.