Chapter Eighteen

Spock finished the preparations for the relief and repair teams for Beta Sigma. The Enterprise was still doing small missions rather than a full five year assignment. Their refit was a trial run at having a generational ship for longer assignments and, so far, it was going well. They had over twenty families on board and we're still growing. The Enterprise had always been a highly requested assignment for Starfleet and Academy personnel but now the list of applicants requesting their ship had more than tripled. With the creation of the newer safer family friendly ship, enrollment in the Academy increased. It was changing the face of Starfleet to more than just a temporary assignment but more of a lifetime career, showing that you can have it all.

It had been a little over two years since he had last seen Jamie and his heart ached every day. He meditated often and a few times he was sure he could feel her presence at the other end of the bond. Sometimes, it was extreme happiness and delight, bright and vivid while other times it was loneliness, dark and cold.

He received pictures and videos of Elizabeth almost once a month via his counterpart, the doctor or his father. Jamie was notably absent in all of them.

Elizabeth had grown into a bright, curious toddler. Her long, wavy blond hair was usually tucked behind her pointed ears and carefully braided or tied back. She had warm brown eyes that were almost exact mirrors of his mother's and he could see her intelligence shining through them as she played in the vids.

There was one video where he had caught a quick glimpse of Jaime but it had only been a minute. Elizabeth had been "meditating" with Jamie coaching her. The camera had slipped or something had knocked it to where he had seen her. Elizabeth had been sitting, mirroring her mother but was squirming and peeking behind tightly shut eyes, giggling and fighting to stay still but Jamie smiled in indulgence and peeked at her occasionally, gently encouraging her to try and calm her mind.

She had looked breathtaking but wrong. Her hair was still a dull brown, washing her out and making her look pale and her eyes were green rather than the sky blue he associated with her. She had put on weight since he had seen her in person last, her cheeks had lost the hollowness and were now pink and full. Her eyes, despite the wrongness of the color, now held a mischievous glint to them that he had not seen for far too long.

He wished to get to know this side of her. He wanted to know his daughter. His attempts at communication had either been ignored or not been passed on to her.

He had neglected to forward her resignation to Starfleet, instead assigning her time off as extended maternity leave but time was rapidly running out and they were soon to honorably discharge her if she did not return soon.

He pulled his thoughts away from his mate and child and focused on the problem of the malfunctioning weather satellites. The planet was experiencing extreme storms for the past several days. The Intrepid had been called away at the last minute and the Enterprise rerouted to aid the colony. The damage was extensive. Many of the colony's homes had been destroyed by flooding and fire from the storms. Their fields and crops failing due to the extreme weather and they were forced to rely on technology but it was sparse.

The Enterprise was tasked with repairing the satellites and providing supplies, rescue, and medical aid to those in the colony. He had to admit that they had were doing an admirable job in the difficult circumstances. Many of the residents had opened their homes to those who were now homeless, sharing and rationing supplies and working together to rescue those trapped in the flood waters.

Their hospital had been lost due to the severe flooding in the downtown area and medical aid was currently a top priority. Dr. McCoy had spent the last day loading shuttles with everything that could be spared while Dr. M'Benga was setting up sickbay to receive incoming wounded and sick that couldn't be handled on the surface.

Spock signed off on the last file, approving all of the relief plans just as he was signaled from the bridge that they were about to enter orbit around the small colony. He could see from his viewport the chaos of the planet's atmosphere. Clouds covered almost the entire northern hemisphere where the colony was located. He could see the violent storms and was deeply concerned. The residents had been unable to restart the satellites and had lost communications due to a mix of the cloud cover and their outdated communications systems. They were literally going in blind.

"Lieutenant Marcus to Commander Spock."

Spock stood and went to the wall unit. "Spock here."

"We are at Beta Sigma, sir."

"Understood, Lieutenant. I am on my way. Notify relevant departments of our arrival and have teams standing by."

"Aye, sir."

The commander made his way to the bridge, already considering the problems that may have afflicted the weather satellites. The best hope was for a power transfer from the Enterprise. That it was simply a case of loss of power. It would take at least twelve hours for the planet to normalize and the storms to calm. It was Captain Fitzpatrick's hope that the planet would not "throw a wrench into the works" and not continue despite their repairs.

The bridge was a flurry of activity. The captain, Chekov and Marcus were bent over the science station analyzing the data from the satellites while Lt. Uhura's fingers were flying over her board trying to raise anyone on the surface.

Spock walked over and looked over the readings just as Lt. Comdr. Scott joined him.

"Oh, Aye. Looks like one of the six satellites has fried it's circuits."

Chekov looked up from scanner nodding. "Ze other two haff drained zair power to compensate."

Fitzpatrick straightened himself, tugging his uniform shirt into place. "Agreed. Mister Scott, can we arrange a power transfer to the two and can we repair the damaged one?"

"Should be an easy enough fix but with the other two compensatin' it won't be as effective. The signal would be rather weak." He looked over the model on the computer screen, blowing out a breath. "It's an old model so it'll be delicate."

"We'll worry about upgrades once we get the atmosphere stable. Get started, gentlemen." He turned to Spock, expression grim. "Commander, we can't get a hold of anyone and we can't wait for the repairs to fully take effect. It took too long for us to get here as it is. I need teams sent down as soon as possible. We need to get a handle on this. How long until we can start sending down shuttles and set up camp?"

"An hour, sir."

Fitzpatrick let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Let's get started."

xXx page break! xXx

Jamie carefully maneuvered around the group of people in her living room, handing out small cups of coffee to the adults and juice to the children. Josiah's team had just gotten back from the Hill's farm and had managed to save thirty of the cows from the advancing floodwaters. Josiah was out getting them settled in their new home and checking on the horses. Fortunately, her farm was higher up than those in the valley and she had, so far, escaped flooding so quite a few people and animals had taken refuge on her property. It was crowded but with Delilah's help, it was manageable.

Elizabeth had been finding it hard. While she loved the continuous distraction and supply of playmates, it was a lot of stimulation for a toddler. The storms raging overhead with thunder and lightning had finally become background noise to them and Elizabeth no longer jumped at every noise but she was struggling to stay calm with so many people around her.

"Sara! Sara! Your comm in the basement is beeping! I think someone's finally getting through!" Delilah ran out of the kitchen, Elizabeth on her hip.

Jamie felt relief but nervousness. She had had little to do with Starfleet since leaving the Enterprise but she knew that their best hope was the Intrepid. Selek's comm system was the best in the colony and was their best hope at breaking through the atmosphere.

"Get Mayor Cooke. I'll head down and try and boost the signal for her." Jamie scooted around the colonists, pausing to kiss the top of Elizabeth's head before heading down the stairs. She could see the Starfleet logo flashing on the screen and quickly hit accept.

The signal was poor and full of static. She couldn't hear or see anything. Jamie pressed buttons trying to reroute power and boost the signal. She heard pounding on the stairs and felt Suzette behind her as she worked.

"Any luck? The Intrepid should have been here two days ago." Jamie spared a glance at Mayor Cooke. The woman had been through so much since the storms began. Her wife had been trapped when the elementary school's roof collapsed yesterday. They had been moving the colonists from the makeshift shelter to outlying properties when it had happened. M'raysa had broken her arm and a child had died. So far, the death toll had reached 53 colonists.

"Not so far." Jamie growled and started to pull off the panel, hoping to manually re-wire and get a stronger signal.

"...arrived...shuttles on...you read us..."

Static buzzed as Jamie continued to work.

"Sara."

Jamie jumped as a spark flew and singed her fingertips.

Josiah stood at the top of the stairs, dripping water and mud. "Three of the horses have gotten out of the barn. One of the side panels came off in the wind. We're putting up a temporary wall but we can't spare anyone to go find them."

Jamie bit down a curse and attached the last wire. Seeing the light turn green signaling that a link was established, she started running up the stairs. "It should work now."

Suzette smiled thinly, her focus on the computer. "This is Mayor Suzette Cooke for Beta Sigma. Can you read me?"

She didn't hear the reply as she got into the kitchen. Josiah looked terrible. His eyes had dark circles under them, his clothes were covered in mud and water and his shoulders sagged under the stress of the past few weeks. Jamie was sure she didn't look much better. She had spent all day yesterday helping sandbag the high school and patching roofs and today caring for those displaced.

"Sit down before you fall down, Josiah. I'll go looking for the horses." Jamie ordered and Delilah pursed her lips in distaste. She hated anyone going out in the storm but she understood the necessity of it.

"Mommy, no!" Elizabeth wiggled out of Delilah's arms and ran up, her eyes bright with fear.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'll be back soon." Jamie knelt and hugged her daughter, feeling the fear and desperation through their link. Liz hated it every time they were separated.

Small hands grabbed at her neck and she held on tight while Jamie rubbed her back, shushing and reassuring her that everything was fine. "Dr. Chapel would be mad if her fiancé got sick, wouldn't she? Mr. Josiah needs to warm up and rest." She put her down and leaned back, looking Liz in the eyes. "I'll bet Selly will keep you company until I get back."

Elizabeth shrugged and looked over to her stuffed sehlat on the table, her lip still trembling. "Nothing's going to happen. Okay? I love you."

Jamie gave her another kiss and stood, grabbing her rain coat and boots by the door despite Liz's big brown eyes pleading with her to stay. She felt guilty every time she left.

"I'll be right back." Jamie promised. She looked up to Delilah who smiled, letting her know she'd watch her until she returned. By the time she'd stepped out the door, poor Josiah had fallen asleep at the table and her daughter was crying, tears staining her face and her cheeks flushed bright green.

She made her way over to the barn as the team finished putting up the plywood. They were exhausted. Thankfully, Delilah always had a supply of hot food and hot drinks ready. One of them helped Jamie saddle up Sam and she was off. The fields were too muddy for her truck.

Outside it was like a scene from The Tempest. Clouds were black, almost making it seem like night despite the fact that it was early afternoon. Lightning and thunder was a constant, occasionally brightly illuminating the once beautiful meadows and fields that were now muddy and brown and the rain chilled her to the bone as it came down hard. Jamie's hood kept blowing off in the wind and her wet hair kept getting in her face but she just swiped it away and kept looking, riding Sam hard and patting him. He was the calmest horse she had.

She was an hour into her search when she heard it. A whining, groaning that was different from the roar of the wind.

"Oh, shit."

There was a shuttle heading straight for her, it's landing lights and nacelles dim. It was crashing. Jamie kicked her heels on Sam's flank, urging him to run. She could hear the shuttle behind her, getting closer. She turned, trying to escape but Sam had other ideas. She felt him rear up in fright, her feet leaving the stirrups and her flying through the air. Her last thoughts before it went dark were of Elizabeth and how she had broken her promise.

xXx page break. Sorry! xXx

Spock and McCoy strapped into the shuttle while Lt. Sulu finished his system checks. The doctor was pale, his jaw clenched and eyes closed as his hands clutched the armrests. It was well known how much Dr. McCoy hated shuttles especially when it was going to be a rough ride.

Spock assisted in the co-pilot's chair while the two security crew members and nurse Joseph Baker settled into their seats. All six men were quiet as the shuttle lifted and started it's descent to the Beta Sigma colony. The Newton had left first and now Galileo was following. They were forced to rely on computer assistance and maps due to the extreme weather.

Their target landing grid was a little outside of town near the school that was the current shelter for many of the colonists. The Enterprise had managed to restore power to two of the satellites and had pulled the damaged one into their shuttle bay. Lt. Cmdr. Scott and Lt. Carol Marcus were working to repair it. Despite power being returned to the other two, the weather was still chaotic. It would be a good twelve hours before the grid calmed the planet.

Nyota had managed to get contact with a Suzette Cooke who had provided landing coordinates for their team.

"Here we go. It's about to get bumpy." Sulu frowned and Spock felt the shuttle dip as they entered the atmosphere.

"Oh, hell." McCoy paled further and Spock agreed with the doctor's sentiment.

The Galileo swerved and shook as the storm buffeted them. Spock could see the lightning and feel the resistance as they tried to navigate.

Another flash and the shuttle jerked, the lights going dark. "We've been hit! Inertial dampeners are offline. Navigation's out."

Spock's heart rate soared as adrenaline flooded his system. "Back-ups are not responding."

Their descent increased and the ground started coming up fast in their window. Spock and Sulu reached over and quickly pulled the manual release clamps for the thrusters. They jerked in their seats as the nose shot up and they slowed but they were still falling without power.

"Everyone, hold on!" Sulu shouted. The noise in the shuttle was deafening. The walls groaning under the pressure. Spock held onto his harness, closing his eyes and felt fear.

The shuttle slammed into the ground, dragging and finally coming to a stop. Spock's body strained against the harness while the other team members shouted and cursed.

"Is anyone hurt?" Spock's shoulders and neck hurt from the strain and he knew he was bruised from the harness but he was otherwise uninjured.

Groans answered and Spock took inventory. Sulu was shaking slightly but was conscious. Spock unbuckled himself and, as he turned, the auxiliary power kicked in, bathing the crew in a low red light. Sighing, the commander stood and assessed the situation.

"Figures." McCoy grumbled and rubbed his face.

The crew was just shaken and their cargo was still intact and secured.

"Galileo to Enterprise. Do you read us." Sulu's voice was strong and unwavering despite being shaken by the accident.

Spock assisted with Lt. Hendorff and Ensign Yamada while McCoy started looking over Nurse Baker.

"This is Enterprise. We read you Galileo. Is everyone alright?"

Uhura's voice filtered over the comm system, their minimal power not enough to activate the view screen. Yamada waved off his help and Spock moved back to the forward cabin.

"We are all uninjured but the shuttlecraft has sustained damage from the lightning strike. We have auxiliary power."

There was a pause and the crew heard Captain Fitzpatrick. "Do you require assistance?"

Spock looked over their location. They were only a mile away from their target location. "Affirmative. The crew from the Newton can join us and help transport supplies."

"Understood. Enterprise out."

"Well, let's just see where we are." McCoy pressed the hatch release and the door opened. "Looks like Florida during hurricane season."

The doctor shuddered and grabbed a coat from the overhead supply bin, his eyes on the storm outside. He paused pulling the hood over his head, looking thoughtful.

"Do you hear something?" Sulu held up a hand for silence and Spock listened carefully despite the noise of the storm.

"There!" Hendorff pointed and Spock followed. A chestnut horse with it's saddle empty ran by, heading away from them. It was an unusual sight in any weather.

"I think we need to find the rider. They may be injured and fallen." Spock ordered and the group quickly pulled out their tricorders, McCoy and Baker grabbing their med kits.

Spock scanned the area, looking for life signs close by while the rest of their team fanned out to search. The further they walked, the more pale and serious McCoy became making Spock uneasy.

"Doctor, is there something you need to inform me of?" Keeping one eye on the tricorder, Spock watched McCoy.

"Damn it all to hell!" McCoy brushed wet hair off his forehead and stopped walking, facing Spock. "This is the colony where Jim and the baby are. I didn't know the name or location but...I recognize the land and..." He looked over to the distance and pointed to a farmhouse, it's lights barely showing in the storm. "...that's their farm."

It was as if the storm had stopped. All the sound was gone and there was only Spock. The blood rushes from his face and his breathing became shallow. "She's here?"

"Yes."

Spock looked at McCoy, simultaneously wanting to strangle him and seek out Jamie. He pushed the urge aside, forcing himself to continue searching for the potentially injured rider.

"Commander Spock! Doctor McCoy! I think I've found her!" Yamada's voice barely broke the din of the storm and they ran over, slipping in the mud.

Spock's heart stopped as he saw the mystery rider. It was her. She was so pale, her wet hair clinging to her face, her leg at an unnatural angle. She was so still and Spock felt grief.

McCoy and Baker swarmed her, scanning and pulling out hyposprays. "Dammit, kid. Don't you dare."

"Tension pneumo with tracheal shift. Temperature's too low. She's got a bleed."

McCoy's words were muffled over the rushing in his ears.

"We need an emergency beam out. Now!" McCoy barked to Hendorff and, before he realized it, they were gone.

"Sir? Your orders?" Sulu's voice wavered, his eyes still on the spot McCoy and Kirk had been.