Captain's Log, USS Enterprise, Captain James T Kirk

Stardate 1668.7

We have completed our mission at Starbase 34. We

have rescued a number of survivors, all members of

the First In services teams. We believe that no

civilians were left alive, as defined by Starfleet

regulations ninety six point four a, by time we

arrived. I further believe that we have destroyed

the malevolent entity which has been attacking

Federation shipping and which murdered the civilian

inhabitants of Starbase 34.

We observed a Romulan warbird in the vicinity of

Starbase 34 and the log their contact with the

Enterprise is appended to this report. Lieutenant

Commander Sulu acquitted himself extremely well in a

difficult situation with the potential to devolve

into hostilities. The Romulan warbird has departed

in the direction of the neutral zone without further

contact. We continue to track her but observe no

action that indicates anything other than the desire

to return to Romulan space as quickly as possible.

Pursuant to General Order 1 9 subsection 4 paragraph

14, I have relieved from duty those crew members who

had intimate mental contact with the entity,

Commander Spock and Lieutenant (j-g) Larssen, and

locked out their codes. I am confident that both have

survived the encounter with their minds intact and

are not, indeed were not at any time, under external

psychic influence, and my actions are only prompted

by the regulations stipulating that crew in such

circumstances be certified free of external influence

by a Starfleet PsiCorp operative before resuming

duty.

We are proceeding under impulse power to Starbase 33

for repairs. I will provide a full report to

Starfleet after we have established further details.

Personal log, James T Kirk, Stardate 1668.9

Iyen has come up with a scan based on the mu spectrum

frequencies that enabled us to destroy the creature

and has verified that there is no trace on the

Enterprise or in the minds of any of our crew. Of

course, the fact that this information originally

came from Spock renders it suspect under regulation

General Order 1 9 subsection 4 paragraph 14, and we

will continue to observe intruder alert precautions

until Starfleet PsiCorp gives us the all clear.

We are running under impulse power, but expect to be

able to engage warp within twenty four hours.

Repairs to the ship carry on apace under Scotty's

guidance.

Repairs to the crew may take a little longer.

"Spock." Kirk said, spotting the familiar angular

silhouette at the end of the corridor.

"Captain." Spock said, pausing to allow Kirk to catch

up.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Kirk asked. "I

could have sworn I heard Bones saying something about

discharging you from sickbay on the sole condition

you promised to rest."

"Indeed, Captain." Spock said as they walked on

together. "But that was almost - twenty hours ago.

And I find observing the repairs to the ship a

particularly ... restful .. activity."

"How's Science section coming along?"

Kirk could have sworn Spock looked slightly pained.

"During the - unexpected civilian ingress - there was

damage to the equipment, the fittings, and even some

damage to the lab infrastructure. Such repairs as

can be considered 'high priority' are underway -

those to equipment needed by Lieutenant Commander

Iyen to continue his work with the mu spectrum

readings, for example - but the rest will wait for

crew to become available from the repairs to

engineering."

"I'm going down there now." Kirk said. "Shall we see

if we can cajole some crew from Scotty for your

labs?"

"It would be illogical to place non-essential repairs

to the science labs above the essential repairs to

engineering." They stepped into the turbolift.

"Engineering. And Captain, I am surprised that you

would suggest such a thing."

"Oh, I wouldn't drag away any of Scotty's people who

were fixing the warp core," Kirk said. "Or repairing

the hull. But I'm sure that the high gloss shine of

Scotty's bulkheads can wait until your walls are all

intact."

They stepped out into engineering and Spock raised

his eyebrow. "I fear it will be some time before Mr

Scott has the leisure to attend to his bulkheads."

"She looks worse than she is, Captain." Scotty said,

wiping his hands on a rag. "Duval, that transponder

is fluctuatin' again!"

"Got it, sir!"

"You've got a cross-link reaction in your mediation

unit, too." Madison was slouched against the wall by

the lift, and he sauntered over to Kirk and Spock as

he spoke. "I'd run a bypass through the system

stabiliser and rewire the -"

"Ah, man, just put a new lock into the unit and reset

it." Scotty said.

"Right." Madison said. "You have a new lock."

"Your imagination does ye credit," Scotty said, "and

if we dinnae hae a new lock that bypass would be a

neat solution, but we can run to spare parts in

Starfleet, usually."

"Yeah." Madison said. "And they would be kept -

where?"

"Call the quartermaster and he'll send it up wi' the

next lot of parts we've called for."

"Quartermaster, right." Madison scratched his head.

"This is taking some getting used to."

"The merchant fleet is generally not as well supplied

as Starfleet." Kirk said.

"The merchant fleet runs on string and fucking glue."

Madison said. "We could've put all the Lady Grace's

spare parts in my office and 'inventory' was a list

in grease pencil on the wall. I can't imagine

needing someone whose entire job is keeping track of

stuff we have lying around on the off-chance we might

need it one day."

"Actually," Kirk said, "we have a whole section whose

job it is."

"Well, I suppose it keeps them off the streets."

Madison said.

"Yes, it does do that."

"I heard you got back all right." Madison said. "I

was hoping you would, the whole while we were

rewiring photon torpedoes to blow you to kingdom

fucking come."

"Mr Scott and Janet Mentsumo have told me of the role

you played in defending the ship." Kirk said. "I'm

sorry I haven't had a chance to thank you before

now. Starfleet will be informed."

"Yeah, well, I didn't do it for Starfleet, did I?"

Madison said. "This might not be my ship but it's

the ship I'm on. And cold space and a torpedo

explosion is no way for a man like *you* to die."

"Well, thank you." Kirk said, smiling. "I think."

"I've been meaning to ask you, Captain, if I could

make an appointment to see you." Madison said.

"Of course." Kirk said. "Is it urgent?"

"No, not urgent." Madison said.

"I'll see you in my office tomorrow, then. Say 09:00

hours?"

"That'll be fine." Madison said. "Well, ah..." He

raised one hand as if were going to salute, then

waggled his fingers instead, and backed away, holding

Kirk's gaze until he reached the bulkhead, and then

slipping around it and away.

"Captain," Spock said. "I would not recommend -"

"I know, Spock." Kirk said. "But I would."

"Yes, sir." Spock said.

"He's a fine engineer, that man." Scotty said

approvingly. "Course he knows the fast way around

everything, and that can be a handicap in Starfleet

if it leads a man to take shortcuts, but it's no

more'n ye'd need in the merchant fleet. A bit too

fancy in his solutions sometimes, but there's nothin'

wrong with a sense of the beauty of a piece of

engineering."

"And what do you think of Mr Madison's *character*?"

Spock asked. "I judge that he is - volatile, even

dangerous."

"He's off the merchant fleet, Mr Spock." Scotty

said. "Nine years in it, he said. Of course he's

dangerous, he'd never have survived if he wasn't.

Nine years is a long time to be out there in the

dark, sir. Too long, maybe." He looked around the

engine room and patted the nearest bulkhead

affectionately. "It may be hard for us to think of

it, settled down in this lovely lady as we are, but

the merchant fleet, Mr Spock, the merchant fleet is

hard on men. It's more than ye can understand unless

ye've seen it, really seen it, out there in a ship

that looks nothing like this, with half your crew

psyche cases and the other half throat-slitting

murderous bastards and nothing in between you and the

dark but a hull that was less than sound when it came

new from the yards - aye. A man can spend too long

out there, and sometimes not all of him comes back."

"Captain," Spock said, "that is all the more reason

that you should be cautious of Mr Madison. I

strongly suggest you have security -"

"Noted, Spock." Kirk said. "Scotty, how long before

your repair crews will be able to move on to non-

essential services?"

"Like Mr Spock's labs, sir?" Scotty said. "Well, I

was going to have them scrub down the engineering

decks with their toothbrushes, but -" He grinned.

"You'll have them as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Mr Scott." Spock said.

"You can give me a tour of the damage, Spock." Kirk

said, turning back to the turbolift.

"Yes, sir." Spock said, following the captain. The

turbolift doors hissed shut behind them. "Jim, you

said you 'noted' my recommendation to have security

present when you interview Mr Madison. Do you intend

to act on it?"

"No." Kirk said. "Deck Nine."

"As First Officer, it is my duty to ensure your

safety. I must insist -"

"You're currently relieved of duty, Spock."

"Nonetheless, Jim -"

"Nonetheless *nothing*, Spock." Kirk said. "That's

my final word on it. Leave Mr Madison in my hands,

Spock."

"Yes, sir." Spock said.

"Deck Nine." said the computer.

The damage to the science labs was justification

enough for Spock's pained look, Kirk thought. He

picked up a piece of what had been a mass

spectrometer and turned it over in his hands.

"Fortunately the triple redundancy in the computer

system prevented a data loss." Spock said. "Our

experiments in progress will of course have to be re-

run, but we had locked down most of the lab's

activities during the approach to Starbase 34. What

I most object to - is the *untidyness*."

Kirk laughed. "I see you're back to normal." he

said, and then, with a sharper look, "Spock. Are

you back to normal? How are you feeling?"