Dont own star trek though i got a ton of awesome calendars! wooo!
Episode 1-5 The Enemy Within.
Saya had requested some form of test to help check if she was retaining the information. Spock had obliged and Saya had failed the test. not just sort of but really badly. So she spent each night up late studying. she decided to try something new, she would draw out the information to help retain it. it seemed to be working well but she still was frustrated about not having learned enough. after a week of this her walls were covered in various odd drawings and she was showing clear signs of a prolonged lack of sleep.
Spock knocked on her door that morning noting that she didn't meet him at it like she had the habit of doing. " , alpha shift starts in 32 minutes." he said after a moment. he heard a muffled 'open' and the doors opened to reveal something he was unaware of. He had not seen in her room for quite some time but now that he did he saw the pictures all over the walls and her with one stuck to her cheek as she looked up at him with tired eyes.
"I'm not late yet am i?" she asked.
"No, however you have 31 minutes to get ready and report to the bridge." Spock answered her.
rubbing her face and stretching she got up and got her uniform. Spock was rather intrigued to see her night wear was much the same only looser fit. going to her bathroom she quickly got ready and came out clean, dressed, putting up her hair with the clip in her teeth. "mfh rfemfy oo fo." she said. at Spock's arched eyebrow she finished twisting and grabbed the clip. "I'm ready to go. Sorry to hold you up." she clarified as she put the clip in place and they quickly walked to get breakfast. "So we are getting specimens at this planet which is… Alpha 1… 177?" she said.
"Correct" he said as they got their food. she ordered a black coffee and as soon as it cooled, downed the whole thing in one breath. She was still tired but she would be functional. "You require more sleep than you are currently getting." Spock informed her.
"Yeah, well i have to make up for all the stuff i didn't retain before and manage to keep up with my reading." she said as McCoy came up behind her.
"Now , I told you not to overwork her." he said gruffly.
"Not , I just am not retaining the information I need so i have to work harder." Saya defended Spock.
"If it is a concern I will cut back your reading. It would be illogical to make yourself sick by working too hard." Spock told her.
"But I have to work hard. I can't catch up if I don't push myself."
"Who are you competing with missy?" McCoy asked.
"Everyone, No One. I don't know. Quite a few of the officers around me are near my age and already so far. I have to make up for 200 years of being a popsicle and figure out how to be useful in a world vastly different from mine." Saya said. She didn't mean to say everything but it just poured out.
"You are not required to be a science officer, or to do it by a set time. You are able to pursue any career you wish. I would advise an art career seeing as you are adept and passionate about it." Spock told her examining her face. She was developing deep circles under her eyes and her skin looked dry.
"Yeah, but an artist wouldn't be allowed the privileges I currently get. I like where I am. I get to see and do new things and stay with people I like and am comfortable with. If i become an artist my whole world would change. I wouldn't be able to stay with you guys either." Saya said before getting up and putting her dishes away.
Spock and McCoy exchanged looks before McCoy took off and Spock and Saya walked to the bridge. "You will be able to retain less the more sleep deprived you get." Spock informed her.
"I'll keep that in mind." She said as she sat down and started reading again. Today Kirk would be on the planet's surface and it would be a rather light day. The morning passed easily until the transporter room notified them of an injury to Fisher causing him to beam up early. Kirk beamed up soon after but it was nothing out of the ordinary so everyone on bridge continued as usual.
After some time McCoy informed them that Kirk had demanded brandy forcefully then left. Spock went to check on Kirk. knocking on his door Spock announced himself and Kirk invited him in. Saya was unsure if she should follow but Spock had not instructed her to stay and by now Kirk was used to her being Spock's shadow so she followed but stayed by the door. "Yes, , What is it?"
"Is there something I can do for you, Captain?" Spock asked, he looked somewhat uncomfortable. When Kirk asked 'like what' Spock told him "Well, seemed to think I should check on you."
Kirk looked over Spock before saying "That's nice. Come on, Spock, I know that look. What is it?"
"Well, our good doctor said that you were acting like a wild man, demanded brandy." Spock answered.
"Our good doctor's been putting you on again." Kirk chuckled.
Spock made a slightly irritated face "Hmm. Well, in that case, if you'll excuse the intrusion Captain, I'll get back to my work."
"I'll tell him you were properly annoyed." Kirk said as Spock and Saya left.
"I don't think McCoy was pulling your leg." Saya said softly.
Soon Spock and Kirk were called to the transporter room and Saya followed. Saya noticed Scotty holding something that was dog ish but very strange. she wanted to pet it but resisted the urge. When Kirk inquired what was wrong Scotty answered "Transporter breakdown. Continue circuit testing. We beamed up this animal and, well, look for yourself. It's in this specimen case."
Scotty continued explaining after he showed them the angry version of the animal. "A few seconds after they sent this one up through the transporter, that duplicate appeared. Except it's not a duplicate, it's an opposite. Two of the same animal, but different. One gentle, this. One mean and fierce, that. Some kind of savage, ferocious opposite. Captain, we don't dare send and the landing party up. If this should happen to a man."
Saya heard Kirk say "Oh, my." and figured they had all come to the same conclusion. McCoy wasn't pulling Spock's leg, there was an opposite of Kirk aboard. As they walked back to the bridge Spock and Saya thought about what to do. They had dropped Kirk off in his room to rest. they heard a com call. "Geological Technician Fisher. Deck twelve, section" suddenly there was a strange struggling sound and it cut off.
Rushing to the deck in question the soon found Fisher on the ground unconscious from a hard hit to the head and Janice sobbing in her quarters. Taking both to sickbay they went to talk to Kirk. Saya was not fond of Janice but she understood the fear.
"Me? My yeoman said that? I've been resting here since you left me. Alone, ." Kirk said incredulous.
Spock replied as he held up a bottle of brandy "Doctor McCoy reports that you demanded this brandy in Sickbay and left with it. I found this bottle in Yeoman Rand's quarters."
"Not true. I haven't been to the Sickbay. Let's find out what's going on." Kirk said as he walked out.
Saya wanted to speak up but Kirk still intimidated her. She wasn't quite sure why but he did. Soon they were listening to Janice tell her story "Then he kissed me and he said that we, that he was the Captain and he could order me. I didn't know what to do. When you mentioned the feelings we'd been hiding, and you started talking about us."
Kirk demanded "Us?" as McCoy, Spock and Kirk formed a closer semi circle around her.
Saya had finally seen enough. "She is frightened and hurting! you all are using intimidating postures which doesn't help! Sit down and actually listen! if she is lying, you will be able to figure that out. if she is telling the truth frightening her more makes you as bad as whatever assaulted her!" she glared at each in turn then pulled a chair over and sat beside Janice rubbing her back gently.
The 3 looked at Saya for a moment before Kirk and McCoy took a seat and Spock stood against a wall a reasonable distance from Janice. At Saya's gentle prod Janice continued. "Well, he is the captain. I couldn't just. You started hurting me. I had to fight you, and scratch your face."
"Yeoman, look at me." Kirk demanded but at a glare from Saya softened his tone. "Look at me, look at my face. Are there any scratches?"
Janice looked him over and confused said "I was sure I scratched you. I was frightened. Maybe..."
"Yeoman. I was in my room. It wasn't me." Kirk insisted.
"Sir, Fisher saw you, too." Janice persisted. At Kirk's questioning of Fisher seeing she added "If it hadn't been. I can understand. I don't want to get you into trouble. I wouldn't have even mentioned it!"
Saya was about to say that wrongdoing should always be corrected when Kirk forcefully said "It wasn't me!"
Fisher had gotten up and heavily leaned against the doorway between the sides of sickbay. "It was you, sir." he clearly said.
"Do you know what you're saying?" Kirk demanded.
Fisher looked him square in the eye and said "Yes, I know what I'm saying." with conviction.
McCoy gently led him back to bed and Spock dismissed Janice. Saya gave her a smile and hug quickly before Janice left to try and help her feel better. Spock turned to Kirk and said "There's only one logical answer. We have an impostor aboard."
Saya taped his elbow and said quietly "the dog thing." Spock nodded and they started to the transporter room and as soon as they got there Kirk started questioning Scotty about how it happened.
"I don't know sir, but when Fisher came up, his suit was covered with a soft yellow ore that had highly unusual properties. It may have caused an overload. Can't tell, not yet." Scotty answered but when Kirk asked if the transporter could work at all Scotty replied "Yes sir, but we don't dare bring up the landing party. It might be duplicated like this animal."
when it came to figuring out how long it would take to fix Kirk reminded Scotty "We just can't leave those four men down there. It's getting dark. They'll die. The surface temperature of that planet goes down to a hundred and twenty degrees below zero at night." Scotty knew and Kirk knew Scotty knew.
Spock asked about Kirk's double and Kirk seemed a little less commanding than usual as he said "Yes, er, yes, we'll have to find him. Search parties, . Organise search parties."
"We can't take a chance on killing it. We have no previous experience, no way of knowing what would happen to you." Spock pointed out.
"Yes, that's right. We don't know, but the men have to be armed. The men are to be armed, with their phasers locked, I repeat, locked, on setting number one. There can't be any chance of him being killed. He's to be taken without. If the men are forced to fire, he can't be killed." Kirk said.
Spock asked "How shall we explain it to them, Captain? The search parties are to capture you?" and when Kirk seemed to almost forget about the problem Spock prompted him again.
"Yes, I'll make an announcement to the entire crew, tell them what happened. It's a good crew. They deserve to know." Kirk said. This time both Spock and Saya raised an eyebrow at the terrible idea.
"Captain, no disrespect intended, but you must surely realise you can't announce the full truth to the crew. You're the Captain of this ship. You haven't the right to be vulnerable in the eyes of the crew. You can't afford the luxury of being anything less than perfect. If you do, they lose faith, and you lose command." Spock tactfully pointed out.
Kirk looked at Spock slightly puzzled and said "Yes, I do know that, . What I don't know is why I forgot that just now. , if you see me slipping again, your orders, your orders are to tell me." Spock agreed as kirk went back to his room. Saya could tell Spock was worries. She was worried herself but she concentrated on trying to be helpful.
Saya and Spock walked onto the bridge as Kirk announced to the crew "This is the Captain speaking. There's an impostor aboard the ship, a man who looks exactly like me and is pretending to be me. This man is dangerous. Utmost caution is to be observed. All crew members are to arm themselves. The impostor may be identified by scratches on his face. Repeat, the impostor may be identified by scratches on his face. Section chiefs, assign personnel to the search. All search parties report to for assignment." Kirk looked at Spock who reminded him about phasers being set and locked on stun. "Oh, yes, yes. All hand phasers must be set on base cycle, stunning force. The impostor is not to be injured. Use minimum force. Repeat, the imposter is not to be injured."
They went to the briefing room to sort out ideas. Kirk checked on Sulu and Sulu reported it being 20 degrees below 0 already. Kirk turned off the communicator and asked if there was any way they could help. "Thermal heaters were transported down. They duplicated. They won't operate." Spock informed him.
as Kirk was talking about the need to get the men back up a crewman reported to Spock "Transporter Technician Wilson found injured near the Captain's cabin. He says the impostor attacked him, called him by name, took his hand phaser." Spock acknowledged and told him to continue the search.
"Apparently, this double, however different in temperament, has your knowledge of the ship, its crew, its devices. This being the case, perhaps we can outguess him by determining his next move. Knowing how the ship is laid out, where would you go to elude a mass search?" Spock surmised.
Kirk thought for a few moments before answering "The lower levels. The Engineering deck." Spock and Kirk started for the lower levels and Saya wondered what she was supposed to do. Thankfully as they passed her quarters Spock told her to stay in her quarters and rest until he came for her. She did as she was told and soon she was asleep in her bed.
after a fair few hours Spock finally came for Saya to inform her that Kirk's double had been dealt with. Knocking and announcing himself he heard a soft 'Open' and entered. Not seeing Saya at her desk he looked around to see her in her bed still asleep. Raising an eyebrow he said "Fascinating" as he stored the information for later. Saya rolled over and asked in a soft mumble "Kirk safe? Sulu safe? Janice ok? Spock… Spock…" Spock approached her as she talked intrigued by her sleep-talking. With a big grin she said "Spock logical?"
Spock's lip twitched a moment before he softly replied "Kirk is safe and as he should be. Sulu and the away team are back and being treated. Janice is doing well. I am… myself." He wasn't sure what she meant by the last question but he hoped she would accept the answers. She snuggled into her blankets with a happy 'humm' and Spock left to go to his room. Alpha shift had ended a while ago and he was in need of meditating.
*END*