Xorila led Uhura and McCoy back to the bridge, explaining the rest of the process could be monitored there, and the bridge seats offered restraints for what promised to be a turbulent ride. The Assistant had brought up the AI, which was awaiting orders. Xorila nodded at him, and the General said, "AI, please initiate the launch sequence."
"Greetings General Vorredyrix. Launch sequence commencing for the Twilight's Shining Teeth." Uhura's software left the Praxidian overtones of clicks, buzzes, and hums but otherwise the translation was perfect. She was pleased that it worked even through the ship's own audio systems, and savored the victory.
From somewhere near the middle of the ship a high-pitched whine spun up, then gave way to a low-voiced drone. Sections of the bridge lit around them in a wave of flickering light.
"Warp core online."
The viewscreen flashed to life and showed the dull gray hills of the planet with their icy blue and white trees and slick rocks. Along one side, Praxidian script flowed by and filled in empty spaces.
"Primary shielding system online. Long-range sensors online. Commencing weapons systems testing." As it read off each item data panels became active, though the majority of them remained dark.
The moment the suit began syncing with the system the Pilot was there and trying to become the majority of them. He fought, the terror of what had happened last time at the forefront of his mind, and the Pilot fought back in turn. They engaged in this struggle for a handful of painful seconds (which in his mindspace was like years), then the Pilot simply stopped and pulled back. The ship awoke around them, and they felt the various portions of the grid light up and become available. There were things they needed to do, processes to nudge along here and there from this quasi-rest state, until it was time to complete the connection to the ship.
Once Jim was certain the Pilot was waiting for him to make the first move, he reached out to it. He wouldn't let the Pilot run the show this time. They had to be on equal terms. Their survival (and the survival of everyone on the ship) depended on their ability to work together.
The Pilot was some time in responding, and when it did reach out to him in turn, he felt that it was afraid. (Maybe it was just a reflection of his own fear.) For months now it had been crushed under the weight of Jim's consciousness, trying to find a way to exist. Worse yet was the new and terrible knowledge of what should have happened to it; that this shadow of being was only allowed due to a mistake.
Jim promised that wasn't on the agenda, since it wasn't even possible now. If they did this, it would be as two halves of the same whole. Integration rather than excision. They had to come to an understanding that there was no way to survive at war with one another, because it was only a war against themselves. Such a war could have only one conclusion.
The Pilot's agreement came in the form of a suggestion of what process to wake first. Jim didn't know how to do that. The Pilot showed him how.
The ship's AI rolled through its scripted duties, providing updates at steady intervals. McCoy paced around the bridge with restless energy; Uhura watched the readouts, growing tenser by the second.
"Weapons systems testing completed: all weapons grids are functioning within optimal operational range. Communications systems online. Subspace array alignment is optimal for the current broadcasting frequency. Secondary shielding system online." There was a lengthy pause, then, "Please stand by for Pilot acquisition."
Uhura closed her eyes and prayed this would work.
The ship thrummed around them, ready for the final step. The main grid reached out with the same words that had haunted Jim's nightmares for weeks.
You are the Pilot.
Jim was afraid. The gruesome details of what had come before his service on the Dancer assailed him anew, and knowing that wouldn't happen this time didn't dispel them. He held back, unable and unwilling to answer.
The Pilot reassured him that there would be no severing of him from himself, because the Pilot wouldn't (couldn't) allow that to happen. They had agreed they needed to act together, and if their survival was intertwined, then protecting itself meant protecting Jim. The Pilot had every intention of doing that to the limits of its capabilities. He had taken the Pilot's fear and offered it his courage, and now it did the same in turn, because the Pilot's fears were his own, and the Pilot's confidence was also his own.
You are the Pilot.
His expectations would only interfere with what he needed to do, so he let them fall away. A stillness settled over him, and the potential of what came next hovered just beyond his reach, gathering like the dust that formed stars.
He answered the call with the Pilot's voice.
I am the Pilot.
"Pilot engaged."
The sight and sound of the rest of the ship coming to life was impressive all on its own, but what sent the chill down Uhura's spine was what followed it: her captain's voice, speaking through the translation filter with Praxidian overtones.
"This is the eighth Pilot of the Twilight's Shining Teeth, online and ready for operations."
Out of the corner of her eye Uhura saw one of McCoy's hands form into fists. "Jim?" His voice was tight with anger.
"It's me, Bones. That part's kind of automatic."
Uhura relaxed a fraction. It sounded like him, anyways.
The General seated himself in the captain's chair, and the Assistant moved to stand to his right. "What's the status of the ship, Pilot?"
McCoy gave the General a murderous look, which the General either didn't understand or chose to ignore. Uhura met McCoy's eyes to show him she understood his frustration, and he stalked back to one of the engineers' stations, taking a seat next to Xorila.
"I'll need a partial subcycle to finalize everything. I'm going to put the ship in orbit first. Uhura, I want you to send one last transmission once we're orbiting the planet."
"Will do, Captain."
Though she knew little of Praxidian body language, Uhura thought Vorredyrix looked pleased. "Excellent. Begin at your discretion."
Uhura caught McCoy giving Vorredyrix another disgusted look, and sighed to herself. She hoped Kirk could get them out of the nebula, because the chances of McCoy not trying to kill Vorredyrix were getting slimmer all the time.
"Engaging docking thrusters."
The ship trembled, then began to rise as the docking thrusters pushed it free of the valley floor. On the viewscreen hundreds of trees bent and snapped, shattering into gleaming shards, landslides spilled down the valley walls, and the skin of plants and ice and rocks that had coated the ship rained down. They climbed until the ship was clear of the valley walls, which offered them a sweeping view of the horizon. They stayed there for several seconds, and Uhura wondered if Kirk wasn't admiring the view as well. Then he said, "Engaging impulse engines and setting a course for transpolar orbit. ETA two minutes."
The planet fell away beneath them as the ship climbed towards space. Just as they entered their orbit, they came into view of the system's red dwarf breaking over the arc of the planet, and Uhura smiled to herself. Of course he was still Jim Kirk, and would want to see that at least once before they left.