Hey all – quick update for you guys midweek. My exam is on Thursday (incidentally, I slipped in an Organic Chemistry reference in this chapter if you want to guess. shout-outs if you get it right…) – so I could use some good vibes if you feel like sending any my way!
Some replies to my awesome reviewers,
Aoi Hinode: Funny you should say that. If you read the Wikipedia article (yes, I'm that cool) entitled Kirk/Spock you might find some interesting things to support that theory.
mou: You'd think that, wouldn't you? However, from what I gather you can run a Starship with two people (or in the case of the Voyager episode "One", one half-robot and a hologram) so long as its kind of just going in a straight line and not doing much. I think if Spock and Kirk want to do anything but drift on the coordinates Checkov set them to, they're going to need help.
Hikaru: something like that. And thank you. :)
underneaththesheets: I'm going to use "Oh My Star Trek!" sometime. And just for that I have included a leeetle plot bunny scene at the very beginning for you
Thanks to Secret Thought, Fitful Fantasy (yeah, probably not!), mildetryth, Exangeline (thanks!), hpets, Chimcha, AncientHistory, steph88NYC, QueenOfSparrabeth, wmonica, Jord-El, Loesje (wow, thanks!), lovefan81, Kelgadis, Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare, Basia Orci, and signofthetimes for taking the time to review. Reviews keep me writing (even when I really need to study – gah!) so this one is for you guys. :)
Life in the Neutral Zone
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Stardate 2258.115. At the request of the Federation, the starship Enterprise is dispatched to Earth Station 8, located at the edge of the Romulan Neutral Zone. On the way there, the ship encounters hostile Reman rebels. Striking up a temporary peace agreement, Kirk and Spock left to pilot the Enterprise out of danger on their own, in return for their crewmates' safe passage to the space station. Three days into their journey they have some unexpected guests.
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Smooth, hot hands pinned him into the Starfleet regulation bed, which creaked and moaned under the onslaught it was enduring. Jim squirmed in pleasure as Spock's mouth did unseemly things to his earlobe. Then, apparently catching on to the hammering pulse in Jim's neck, the Vulcan started to descend toward his collarbone. Not for the first time, Jim was extremely thankful that the rest of the crew was gone – if the incredible sensations coming from his neck were any indication, he'd have some killer hickeys the next morning.
Wanting to reciprocate but completely unwilling to have Spock stop what he was doing, Jim settled for cupping the Vulcan's head and rubbing his fingers over the other's pointy ears. Apparently this was a very good idea, because the other man growled into his chest and raised his head to press their lips together hungrily. Jim couldn't help but think that he didn't mind Spock bottling up his emotions so much if this was how he chose to release them.
"Mmhmm," he moaned as Spock's tongue ran across the roof of his mouth, sending a wave of heat though his whole body. One of the Vulcan's hands found one of his wrists, pinning his arm above his head. Hot fingers splayed out over his own and where they met there was a familiar pleasant tingling. Jim tangled his other hand possessively in the Vulcan's dark hair, pulling not-so-gently as their tongues battled for control.
Spock's other hand was roving dangerously over Jim's body. His shirt was pushed up so high it was basically off and Spock's talented fingers pushed in just the right places to make him shiver all over.
He knew what the man was up to a second before he did it, but that did not stop him from gasping as Spock's warm fingers pinched around his sensitive nipple. For a moment he was completely unable to breathe as his skin tingled and his heart hammered from the touch. He broke their kiss, panting. When he opened his eyes it was to see Spock's face, hovering inches from his own, wearing that damn sexy smirky-eyebrow-quirky face that Jim knew meant he was amused. Jim noted with displeasure that the Vulcan's hand had stopped moving.
"What?" he gasped in annoyance, sure that the Vulcan was going to come up with some highly intellectual observations about human nerve endings or something.
However, Spock didn't reply. Instead, exceedingly slowly and with his eyes locked on Jim's, he lowered his head and then his hand was replaced with his hot, wet mouth. Jim moaned louder than he'd like to admit, but he couldn't help it. His fingers curled tighter in the Vulcan's hair and he pressed his hips up against Spock's greedily. The Vulcan replied by moving his mouth again lower, to Jim's stomach. Nipping teeth and tongue assaulted his cool skin, making him sweat and twist.
Spock's hand above his head finally was forced to let go as the Vulcan reached Jim's belly button. (The extremely small part of his brain that was still coherent wondered suddenly if Spock even had a belly button. Usually by the time he had the chance to find out he was in no state to care. He'd have to check.) The recently departed hand started to fiddle with his Starfleet pants and Jim writhed in anticipation as the button slowly came undone. Spock looked up at him then, his hand resting against the very obvious bulge in the Captain's pants in an absurdly possessive way. His eyes were dark with lust as his mouth curved into the very smallest of smiles.
"Jim," he said fondly.
"Mmhmm?" Jim hummed semi-coherently. That pressure was surprisingly distracting.
"Jim," Spock said again, and this time it was a little less fond and a lot more stern. "Captain."
Jim jerked awake with a start. His cabin lights were off and that was a very good thing because his hands were in a somewhat compromising position and there was a very all-business Vulcan silhouetted at the foot of his bed. Jim tried to slide his hands nonchalantly out from under the covers, though he knew the sound would be completely audible to those pointed ears anyway, and muttered "Computer, lights on."
Light filled the room and Jim had to squint for a second before he could see properly. Trying to sound like he hadn't just been imagining his First Officer's mouth doing lewd things to his still-very-hard nipples, Jim said briskly, "Anything wrong Spock?"
Apparently that had come out a bit too energetically because Spock sent him the same knowing, amused look he had imagined a few moments earlier. This did not help his focus any as the Vulcan then relayed his message, "I have completed the repairs to the communication system Captain."
Jim sent him a look.
"Jim," Spock amended, now looking slightly amusedly at the pillow that Jim had surreptitiously pulled onto his lap. "I feel it would be prudent to contact Starfleet Command to apprise them of our situation."
"Oh…kay," Jim said slowly, not understanding why he had been woken up, unless Spock was just a twisted dream cock-blocker.
Sensing his question, the Vulcan continued, "I thought your presence would be prudent, as Starfleet will very likely wish to speak with you and I thought it would be needlessly reckless to have to inform them why you were still in bed at well past midday."
Jim whipped around to face his clock. The time 12:34 blinked mockingly back at him. No. Way. He stared at the numbers for a few seconds. There was no way he'd been asleep that long. Except, of course, apparently he had. He took a moment to puzzle out what the Vulcan had told him.
"So, you think we shouldn't tell them about the trellium-D? Or just about us?" he could not help quirking his eyebrows at Spock as he said it.
"Until we have proof that my exposure to the neurotoxin was anything but an accidental misunderstanding, I do not believe we should inform Starfleet, no. The resources that would be diverted to us should they think that I had been compromised are needed elsewhere and their delivery would risk breaching our treaty with the Remans," he said, very quickly even for Spock.
Jim blinked. He could have sworn the Vulcan seemed almost embarrassed. There was a brief silence in which Jim puzzled it over, and then he decided the first officer was right. He could only imagine all the paperwork he'd have to fill out.
Incident: Vulcan crew member exposed to trellium-D
Date of Incident: 2258.114
Cause of Incident: Unknown
Damages/Delays Incurred from Incident: broken railings/doors/tables, loss of one half of active crew, Captain suffering from bruises/concussion/hickeys/recurrent flashbacks
Jim coughed aloud. No, that really wasn't a report he wanted to write.
******************
They met on the bridge twenty minutes later, Spock having mercifully left to give Jim some time to 'make himself presentable'. The Captain was now sprawled over his chair in his usual casual manner, Spock standing as straight and stiff as a lamppost beside him. Jim could not help himself as he rolled his eyes at the First Officer before saying, "Computer, contact Starfleet Command."
The view-screen flickered and fuzzed for a moment before the welcome face of Admiral Pike swam into view. The older man's face registered first surprise and then relief as he realized who had hailed him.
"Captain Kirk!" he exclaimed, "We were beginning to think you had dropped off the edge of the galaxy!"
"You can't get rid of me that easily Admiral," Jim said amicably. He quickly informed the Admiral of the incident with the Remans, the state of the ship and crew and their plan of action. Pike was very interested as to how the Romulan's had managed to penetrate their ships defenses so quickly and Jim had to explain the embarrassing discovery that phaser torpedoes couldn't be fired at warp. When he finished he noted with apprehension that the Admiral did not look pleased.
"So, you left your entire crew with the people who attacked you?" Pike asked simply, his eyebrows raised.
"Uh, yes," Jim said uncomfortably. When you put it that way….
"If I may speak Admiral," a confident voice came from above him. "It was necessary. Due to a malfunction with the Enterprise's own weaponry the ship was left highly compromised. Any further attack by the Remans would have resulted in a complete loss of structural integrity. It was a choice between evacuating the crew as requested or condemning them all immediately to death."
Damn but Jim liked having Spock on his side. Admiral Pike was studying the First Officer now with undisguised curiosity, undoubtedly wondering why they were getting along so well. The First Officer fidgeted ever so slightly under the scrutiny and Pike's look turned to one of surprise. Finally, he apparently decided that he ought to reply.
"Hmm…" he mused, tapping his fingers on his chair. "I am inclined to agree with you Mr. Spock."
Jim relaxed a bit.
"However," the Admiral continued, and Jim tensed again. "I think we ought to send you some backup in case those Remans turn out to be less friendly than we'd like."
"With all due respect Admiral," Spock injected as Jim opened his mouth to speak, cutting him off. "It would be unadvisable to send ships to 'back us up' as you say, seeing that the Remans have agreed not to attack us providing we do not show any aggression. I think that the arrival of Federation ships would alarm them."
Jim glared up at Spock for a second before saying pointedly, "Exactly what I was going to say, Mr. Spock."
Spock looked down at him and apparently realized that he was overstepping his command again, because he nodded and actually took a physical step back. Jim almost regretted it as the Vulcan's presence beside him disappeared.
"At our current maximum warp, we expect to reach the Earth Station and rendezvous with the crew in about seven days," Jim informed the Admiral to cover up the sticky moment.
Pike nodded slowly. "Alright Jim, I'll trust you on this one. Mr, Spock, I expect you to use your knowledge of that area of space to get you out of there by the quickest route possible. Jim, we're going to need updates whenever you get any new information. I'll have our Engineering Department at the Academy send you over detailed repair walkthroughs for your damaged systems – let's see if we can't up your warp capability a bit."
"Yes Sir," Jim said. "Thank you."
"Good luck," the Admiral added. "Pike out."
The screen flickered and went out, leaving only the white trails of stars streaking, albeit slowly, past. As soon as the Admiral disappeared, Spock spoke.
"I must apologize to you Captain," the Vulcan said. "I did not mean to interfere with your communications with Admiral Pike."
Jim sighed and leant back in his chair, legs thrown over one side casually. He eyed his First Officer sternly, but the annoyance he had expected was not there. Finally he conceded, "It's alright Spock, you were right after all. Thanks for defending me, I guess."
Spock continued to look troubled and from the flexing of his forearms Jim guessed he was wringing his hands behind his back. For the second time in less than an hour Jim couldn't help but think that the Vulcan was acting very strange, very….expressively.
"What's gotten into you Spock?" he asked, concerned.
"Captain?" Spock replied in confusion.
"I just mean, you've been acting very emotional lately, wouldn't you say? Are you doing it on purpose?"
"To what are you referring Captain?" Spock said, and Jim knew this time that he was embarrassed. The pointy tips of his ears had flushed dark green.
"That," he replied as he waved his hand at Spock's flushed face demonstratively. "Normally you're impossible to read, but I've known what you were thinking all day. Look at you, ears all green and stuff."
Spock's hands left his back and one came up to touch the tip of one of his ears.
'And that! Since when have you been so self conscious? The way you went all fidgety in front of Pike, I'm surprised he didn't ask you himself what's wrong," Jim was scrutinizing his First Officer closely now. "Not to mention the whole being-with-you-makes-sense-Jim thing. I'll eat my uniform if that wasn't at least a little emotionally driven."
Spock blinked at him, the colour slowly draining from his ears and cheeks until he was composed again. "All very astute observations on your part Captain. I now regret not informing you immediately. I should have realized that you could not fail to notice my uncharacteristic behaviour."
Spock almost muttered the last sentence to himself. Jim raised his eyebrows and sat up straight in his chair, "Informing me of what Spock?"
He felt suddenly and bizarrely like a schoolteacher that had just caught his pupils whispering in class. Spock swallowed and raised his eyes to meet Jim's. They were apologetic as he said, "I should have informed you that exposure to large quantities of trellium-D often has long-lasting effects on a Vulcan's neural circuits."
His First Officer sighed resignedly, as if he had just told a disgraceful secret, but Jim was still confused. "Okay," he said slowly, drawing it out over two syllables. "What does that mean?"
"You have already noticed my increased emotionality," Spock continued, his eyes staring inexplicably off into the void of space on the screen. "It is likely that the neurotoxin has compromised my ability to inhibit emotion. As you mentioned, I have already found it difficult to make purely logical decisions…even when those decisions have possibly serious consequences. It is very uncharacteristic of my race."
"So what you're saying is," Jim tried to understand. "You aren't thinking logically?"
Spock raised his eyebrows. "Indeed not. I am not thinking logically for a Vulcan," he corrected. "My reasoning is, forgive me, still far more logical than a typical Human."
"Oh, of course," Jim said, settling back into his chair. "Well, that doesn't seem like too big a deal to me."
Spock sent him a look that practically dared him to repeat that. "From a command point of view anyway," he added hastily.
"It does matter," Spock said firmly, distress creeping back into his voice almost imperceptibly. "It has compromised my ability to be impartial. When I challenged the Admiral today, it was not because I thought our decision was a truly sound one, but because I did not like that he was insinuating you were an ineffective decision maker."
Jim smiled, trying to reassure the Vulcan. "Did it ever occur to you that loyalty to your Captain might be a good thing?"
Spock looked at him seriously. "I was not reacting to an insult to my Captain, Jim."
Jim suddenly understood and he smiled wider, despite the glower he was receiving in response. Spock had reacted that way because it was Jim being insulted. Not James Kirk his Captain, but Jim his…lover? The word sounded weird connected to the Vulcan. Against all logic it sounded too vulgar a description for the connection they had, though Jim couldn't say why.
Jim reached out and took one of Spock's dangling hands, entwining their fingers briefly before letting go. The Vulcan equivalent of a chaste kiss – Jim wasn't quite sure what had made him do it. Spock stared down at him in surprise.
A consol in front of them beeped, drawing their eyes away from each other. It was Checkov's station. Spock took the few meters to it in three steps, swiveling into the chair. He was abruptly all business again. He punched a few buttons quickly and then said, "We're being hailed Captain."
Jim, who had watched this flurry of motion with his mouth slightly open, snapped around in his chair so that he was facing the view-screen again. "Remans?" he demanded.
"No," Spock said. "The signal is from a Federation issue escape pod. Scanners are picking up several on the horizon. They are less than a light-year ahead of us"
Excitement trilled through Jim. "On screen," he demanded eagerly.
The face that flickered into being there was not a member of Jim's crew, however. Instead a decidedly blue and aged Andorian looked just as eagerly back at him. The alien was so excited, his antennae were quivering. "Greetings!" he said immediately, "To whom are I speaking?"
"I could ask you the same question," Jim said, disappointment briefly making him obstinate.
"I am Lalor," the Andorian supplied. "Of the Federation Cargo Ship Grignard."
"Captain James T. Kirk, of the Starship Enterprise," Jim replied in kind. The Andorian nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement. "This is my First Officer Commander Spock. May I ask how you came to be in an escape pod in this area of space?"
"We have fled our ship," Lalor said quickly. "It was not safe there. We feared for our lives, so we escaped."
"Please explain," Jim prompted, as Spock's eyebrows snapped together.
"Our ship was tasked with the transport of several hundred Vulcan refugees to the new colony that is being set up for them. Though you would know all about that," Lalor said graciously and Jim realized he must know about the Enterprise's involvement in the Nero debacle. Spock had sat up very straight. "Everything was fine until we entered this area of space and were attacked by Romulan warships."
Jim and Spock sent each other dark looks as Lalor ploughed on, "They did not do enough damage to disable the ship, but their weapons caused considerable damage. Our ship was left entirely without propulsion ability. We soon discovered that our storage bay had been raided during the attack and the only insulating material left to us was a variety that is also a dangerous neurotoxin to Vulcanoid species."
"Trellium-D," Jim growled, tensing up. For the first time he felt sure that Spock's incident could not have been an accident.
"The very same, Sir," the Andorian said in surprise. "Once we discovered what it was, we knew we could not use it. We tried every alternative, but none were effective in restoring even our thrusters. We were left to wait for a passing ship to rescue us."
Lalor paused, his antennae drooping slightly. He sighed. "What happened next we are not entirely sure. We believe it was a few over-zealous young Vulcans who believed that they had discovered a way to handle the trellium-D without adverse effects. They were mistaken and they were affected. Though their actions the toxin spread rapidly through the refugees."
Spock had gasped, and both Jim and Lalor looked at him. He was very tense. "How many?" he asked. "How many were lost?"
"Lost?" Jim said, confused.
"Captain," Spock said, turning in his chair. "Do you recall what happened when I was exposed?"
Lalor made a noise of interest but Jim ignored him. "Vividly," he answered cheekily.
"Imagine the effect of hundreds of uninhibited Vulcans together…such a thing is not meant to happen," Spock turned back to the Andorian, wiping the smile off of Jim's face and leaving him to contemplate Spock's words. If Spock's actions were any indication, there would have been a lot of fighting, very quickly.
"How many?" Spock repeated.
"As far as we know all are dead, along with many of my men" the Andorian hung his head sadly. Spock's knuckles tightened on the consol. Jim's head spun imagining the bloodbath it would take to kill hundreds of Vulcans. No wonder they had fled.
"How many are you?" Jim asked Lalor through the shocked silence radiating from his First Officer.
"Five escape pods of ten persons, Captain," the Andorian replied in a subdued voice. "Just over half of the crew."
"I'm assuming you'd like to come aboard?" Jim asked briskly.
"If it is not too much of a burden," Lalor replied.
"Far from it, we may need you as urgently as you need us," Jim said, the gears of his mind spinning. Quickly he relayed their story to the Andorian, leaving out only the more personal content. "So as you can see, we could use some extra hands. You may dock your ships in our empty escape pod bays for now. I will meet you there."
"Thank you, Captain," Lalor said before he flickered off screen.
Jim and Spock stood at the same time. He turned to his First Officer. "I'm going to ask you to stay here Spock."
The Vulcan seemed to be fighting with all his might to keep him emotions in check. "Why?" he said, probably more harshly than he intended.
"Because," Jim said evenly. "Every man, woman and child on board that ship is probably contaminated with trellium-D. I think it would be prudent for you to stay away for now, don't you agree?"
Spock stiffened, but then nodded, his jaw clenched.
"I think," Jim said slowly. "We should begin looking for the Remans as soon as these Andorians can help us get the repairs done. I'm starting to worry that our crew isn't as safe as we'd like – though letting the Remans onto our suspicions by hailing them would be foolish. Right now I'm just hoping they don't notice us re-stocking our crew. If you could start putting together a repairs plan?"
Spock did not look pleased to be cooped up in the bridge, but he nodded again. Jim turned to go. He had nearly made it to the door when Spock spoke, his voice all but cracking, "Jim."
The Captain turned. Spock looked at him beseechingly, "The cargo vessel, we must find it. There may yet be survivors."
"Spock," Jim began, but Spock interrupted him.
"There are very few Vulcan's left Jim," the First Officer said hotly. "Each one is crucial to the continuance of our species."
Jim looked at him, taking in the balled fists and the creased brows. He sighed. "Alright, we'll go, providing its possible and it won't put us in unreasonable danger."
Spock relaxed slightly. "Thank you Captain," he said. He whirled on the spot and resumed his seat in Checkov's chair, getting immediately to work. Only the tense set of his shoulders betrayed his continued distress.
Sighing again, Jim turned back out the doors of the bridge and headed to the escape pods.