So this chapter will not be told through Stella's POV but it's only temporary. Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed! I understand that pens and paper do not really sound futuristic, so I will try to change that and I am sorry if it bothered you while reading the story. Also, regarding the uniform I see that yes, the women wear dresses and it seems I have forgotten that at some times. I will also try to work on that and any other things that seem incorrect or out of place. Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed, followed, you get the point. Thanks for reading!
The next few weeks passed without any incidents. Despite being in the Briar patch, which did cause a few problems in engineering, there were no more ship earth quakes. Which Stella thanked, because she would not appreciate being thrown around anymore.
Her schedule fell back into its comfortable rhythm. Go to work at 6 a.m., work until noon and then eat lunch and return to work. She would then spend time in the lab until dinner. Spock was usually in the upper deck lab when she got there, off from his shift on the bridge.
Today, Stella was a bit more exhausted than usual. She had to cover an earlier shift for Cadet Miller, who had come down with a nasty fever and meaning she had to wake up an hour earlier. Following that, she had managed to drop a rock sample on her toes, leaving her with a dark black and blue on top of her foot. She had pulled her hair into a woven bun when she first got up, but it had somehow morphed into a frizzy, loose knot of brown hair.
"Good evening Spock." She greeted when she entered the lab. She quickly slipped on her lab coat and sat at her station.
"Good evening, Stella." He paused and looked her over quickly, "You seem exhausted. Have you not received an adequate amount of rest?"
She momentarily wondered what gave it away- her disheveled appearance or the way she seemed to lean over her desk like a hunchbacked man.
She smiled and waved it off.
"I just had an earlier shift, not a problem." She said, turning back to her station. Spock seemed unconvinced but continued working.
The two worked in silence until she found something interesting.
"S-Spock can you please come over here?" She stuttered slightly. She continued to examine what was under her microscope, not bothering to pause from what she was looking at. Spock got up from his station and walked over to her swiftly. He leaned over her shoulder slightly.
"What is it?" He asked, and she moved away from the scope.
"T-this flower's venom...look what it did to a dead skin cell." She whispered, and Spock put his eye on the eye piece. His mouth parted slightly to speak, but he did not talk. The venom had managed to cause the skin to regenerate, bringing the dead cells back to life! It was like Khan's blood; except this could heal the skin directly. After a few moments, he pulled away.
"This is a fascinating discovery, Stella." He said, staring at her. Stella averted her eyes from him. She swallowed thickly.
"I couldn't have done it without your extensive research on the plant." She said, finally looking up at him. His brown eyes seemed penetrating and dark, intimidating and intrigued. He cocked his head.
"Yes, but without your intelligent research on the reactions of this plant, we would not have discovered its behavior with human skin.", he said, not moving away from her. She smiled slightly.
"Thank you, Spock." She managed, eyeing him carefully. He seemed emotionless yet interested at the same time.
She quickly turned back to the microscope, putting her face to the piece. It was a great discovery and could heal people quicker in the future, like a cream to put on skin the heal it but much faster and hopefully more efficient. She felt excitement buzz through her, glancing at something that could possibly change lives forever! Spock seemed to notice her reinvigorated attitude, for he stood up straighter and clasped his hands behind his back. His mouth quirked up slightly as she stood up. Despite the new discovery, it was reaching the end of her shift, and she knew Spock would have to finish some work on the bridge before his shift ended.
Stella glanced at the clock and yawned accordingly as it said 10:43 pm. The lieutenant rubbed her eyes and flicked off the microscope.
"I sincerely advise you to receive more rest. It seems our sessions have taken time away from your R.E.M. schedule." He said, and she chuckled softly.
"Thank you, Spock, but I think I can manage." She muttered, and pulled her coat off. She hung it up and smoothed her hair back carefully; It was going to be a pain to brush through it tonight.
He looked at her.
"Your hair seems quite disobedient." He commented, and she paused.
Had he just made a joke?
Vulcan's weren't supposed to make jokes, were they? But she couldn't mistake the glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes. It took her a second to figure out what to say.
"Yes, it is, I guess." Sheepishly, Stella reached up to smooth it down, failing miserably as several strands floated into her face. She sighed, smiling at herself. Spock looked on, curious but obviously entertained by her frivolous demeanor. But his face betrayed nothing but the upwards quirk of his lips. She quickly changed the subject, wanting to move on from the topic of her frizzy hair.
"So, Spock, when should we tell the Captain of our discovery?" She asked quickly, and Spock regained his firm posture.
"Our shifts converge at 0700, so I will inform him of it then. Lately, he has been busy handling the malfunctions brought on from our current position in this quadrant." He informed her, and she nodded.
"Got it. Thanks Spock.", Stella said, walking over to the door.
"I hope you will return directly to your quarters to reassess your hair." He said, and she smiled at his humor.
"Will do Spock, will do. Good night."
One might have been insulted by his blunt remark however she saw right through the hard shell of his banter. After a couple of months working with him, there were several things she began to understand about him, however she knew there was a lot more to comprehend when it came to the inner workings of his mind. The way he sometimes showed emotion, or masked it completely in ways that seemed cold or standoffish. The times when he wouldn't mind being closer than usual to her in the lab, and other times when he would stay on the opposite side of the room, as far away from her as possible without talking at all. He was synonymous with a coin, she thought, two different sides yet one man just the same.
"Good night, Stella." He said, and she nodded and exited the lab.
She could hardly fight off the small smile that crept up her lips as she walked back to her quarters, messy hair and all.
Four weeks later, She was on her way to the science lab when a loud alarm wailing filled her arms. Her senses were vaguely bombarded by red lights and loud sirens, slight chaos beginning to surround her. Stella sprinted to the lab, alarmed.
"Attention all crew. We've been infiltrated by Klingon mercenaries. Please remain out of the corridors until we can locate their positions on the ship. Security officers, standby." She heard Kirk's voice on the comm, panting slightly as the lab door slid shut behind her. She was alone in the small lab, frantically thinking.
An infiltration of Klingons meant people could get hurt, or worse, killed. She had to help, didn't she? But that would mean risking her life and ignoring the Captain's orders.
But people's lives were at risk.
She had the plant, in the lab, feet away from her. The plant that held venom with the ability to regenerate skin at a rapid pace, a venom that could save someones life if the situation was as serious as it seemed. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she contemplated what to do.
She could stay put in the lab, like the Captain had ordered them all to do, or she could take a chance and sprint to med bay and give them the plants venom. If people were going to get hurt, she could probably help them with the antidote.
The past weeks had held much advancement in the research of the plant, not to mention ways to distribute it and actually make it usable. She, Spock and a few other science officers had created a way to inject the antidote into human skin, safely without any harmful side effects to the crew members they had injected it into. They had discovered, surprisingly, that it reacted to the skin no differently then a dermal regenerator that they were already using on the ship. However, the venom was much quicker and convenient; it didn't require charging or time to warm up. It was just an injection and only required about 120 milliliters in one injection, though the size of the wound did matter. But it was able to heal large wounds in a short amount of time, crucial for a mission that requires a fast moving team of people. It had even healed up a nasty gash Cadet Fenway had received from a broken pipe in engineering. The plant had proved to be an important medicine that could heal small cuts and wounds, and keep them from getting infected.
She took a deep breath and grabbed a syringe, quickly moving across the room and grabbing the supplies she needed. She pulled out the plant from its tube in the wall and place it on the table, breathing heavily.
She stuck the needle in the plant, watching as the small tube of glass filled up with orange liquid. She then slipped the needle into the pocket of her undershirt she wore beneath her dress, safely concealing it and slipping out of the lab quickly. She then sprinted to med bay, her shoes clacking against the metal corridor quickly.
One second her vision was staring at a virtually empty hall way, the next moment her eyes landing on a large, heavily armed chest. She gasped as her eyes trailed up to a Klingon, an angry look in his eyes but a malicious smile on his lips.
She quickly turned to spring away, but was yanked back by her uniform collar. She let out a yelp of pain as she was pulled forcefully away from the hallway and into a nearby room. She was shoved onto the floor, the wind knocked out of her temporarily as two more Klingons entered the room. Fear began to course through her. She was breathing heavily, scrambling back and trying to stand, only to trip back onto the floor again. Two of the Klingons began to talk in another language harshly, the last one walking out of the room to stand guard. One of the Klingons turned to her.
"Where is it?" He said harshly, and she was tongue tied. When he stepped forward threateningly, she began to speak.
"W-where is what?" She said trying to sound braver than she actually felt, but the confusion in her voice was obvious. The Klingon scowled and leaned forward. His hand suddenly struck her forcefully, and black spots swam in her vision for a few seconds. Her began to take deep breaths, the pain making it hard to react rationally.
"Do not try to lie to us human. Where is the plant?", he asked loudly. Stella froze, a new fear creeping upon her. She could taste blood on her tongue.
"W-what plant?" She asked, but she had a fear about what they meant. The Klingon didn't hit her again as she feared but he growled lowly. She shuddered.
"The plant with the antidote in it. Give it to us!" He demanded, and she tried to feign confusion and ignorance. She wanted to appear more capable, even when she really wanted to cry and crawl into a corner with the antidote in her pocket. She was trying to think quickly, she couldn't give them the plant but if she didn't they would most surely kill her.
She bit her tongue.
"I-I don't have it. It was transported o-off-" She was interrupted by a strong fist connecting with her stomach, pain erupting in her abdomen. She sprawled onto the floor weakly, gasping for breath as she coughed violently.
The Klingon scowled even deeper.
"Lie and you will be killed." He growled, and she could feel tears prick her eyes.
"Tell us where the antidote is!"
She weakly tried to push herself up. She had nothing to lose, she was in a room with hostile Klingons, without a weapon and was probably going to be killed by them whether or not they got the antidote. She felt defeated however she knew she wasn't, not completely. Pushing herself up, she stared at the Klingon.
"You Klingons have great faith in honor. What honor would come from killing a woman with no weapon?" She managed, trying to sound courageous.
The Klingon didn't flinch.
"You are right. Which is why we will allow you to speak with your Captain before we rid of you.", he said it with such confidence, as if he knew he had done exactly what she feared. And he had.
Her stomach plummeted, and her blood froze. Or at least it felt like it had. The Klingon forcefully lifted her up by the her hair, which had fallen out of her bun during her struggle on the way to the room. He held her hands roughly behind her back and shoved her. She didn't bother resisting but she couldn't speak with the Captain. He would no doubt send a team down to where she was, endangering the lives of whoever he sent. She didn't want that, nor did she want anyone's blood on her hands, even if she was about to be killed.
The other Klingon walked up to the communicator pad next to the door, punching in buttons angrily. Or maybe that was just him acting normally, as Klingon's were infamous for their gruff and rude disposition. She found herself cursing an unknown deity for that fact. The speaker beeped.
"This is Captain Kirk, who is this and why are you calling from a maintenance corridor?" She heard Jim's voice from the other side of the communicator, and she bit her lip. The Klingon spoke up angrily.
"Captain Kirk.", he said, spitting his name out with obvious distaste and somewhat smugness, "I am Rel'Pek, and I am proposing a trade."
He lifted his hand off the communicator and the Jim was silent for a moment. Stella waited in anticipation, swallowing as she felt her hair stick to her neck and face with sweat.
Finally, she heard Jim speak again.
"And what sort of trade?" Jim asked, and Stella breathed heavily. He knew it was the Klingons. But he didn't know yet, that she was being held prisoner. The Klingon behind her forced her toward the comm, shoving her gruffly. Rel'Pek pressed the button and glared at her, his unspoken demand to speak.
"C-Captain, this is Lieutenant Anderson, they have me here." The other end of the comm was silent when Rel'Pek took his hand off the button.
"Lieutenant, what's the trade?" Jim's voice was strained as he tried to remain level and calm. One of his officers was in danger and it was his responsibility to stop that from happening. Stella continued when his hand was back on the comm. She was thinking hard, trying to figure out a way to keep the antidote from getting into their hands and trying to keep anyone from getting killed in the process.
"They want the antidote from the plant. Don't give it to them, I can handle this Cap-"
Rel'Pek cut her off with a sharp push and a tight grip.
"We will hand her back alive if you give us the antidote."
Kirk glanced at Spock when Stella's voice sounded over the comm. His eyes had narrowed barely a millimeter, his body more rigid and his lips firm. Jim couldn't tell exactly what his friend was thinking but he could tell what he was feeling, and what he was trying not to feel. Both of them knew this was not a time for emotion; they needed to think rationally and strategically.
Jim knew about the plant, he was informed by Spock and the entire team of science officers working on it. However, he was unaware that any Klingons would be after it, it just didn't make sense. He placed his hand on the comm and took a deep breath.
"What could Klingons possibly need with an antidote that only regenerates human skin?" Kirk waited for the response, rising to his feet.
"That is of no importance to you. Now give us the antidote or we will not hesitate to kill her. Slowly." The Klingon said ominously, his voice alarming the Captain as he looked at Spock.
Spock felt anger spread through him. He took a deep calming breath, trying to think rationally. Why was he so worried about Stella? Of course, in any event they should be trying to get a hostage crew member out of danger, but this felt like more than that, it felt like something he didn't understand.
Kirk sighed deeply, sparing a glance at Spock, who was trying to keep his emotions in check. He then passed a look to Uhura, who was tapping her hands the glass with nimble fingers. Kirk understood how she felt, scared and worried for her friend but still knowing she had to do her job efficiently and quickly. It was the way he had felt when any of his close friends or crew members were in danger. When Christopher Pike had been killed.
He pushed the heavy thoughts out of his head and focused.
"Let her go and we will give you the antidote." Kirk lifted his finger off the communicator and faced Spock.
"Don't give them the antidote. Come with me." He said, and Spock narrowed his eyes at the Captain as they walked down the corridor swiftly.
"Where was the transmission coming from on the ship?"
Spock frowned slightly, not aware of the plans Jim had in mind.
"Deck four, maintenance corridor two, room one. Captain, seeing as you do not plan to give them the antidote I can only assume you plan to ambush them."
Kirk's silence confirmed Spock's deduction. They both swept through the hall ways quickly, lifting there phasers as they neared the corridor.
"Captain, I do not advise this plan. Stella is still being held hostage in that room. The Klingons will most likely have guards outside the door and if she is being held inside-"
Kirk cut him off, his icy eyes meeting a pair of brown ones.
"Spock, I'm going to take care of the outside guard of there is one. You're going to get inside the room and get Stella out. It's a chance we need to take."
Spock stared at his Captain, slight irritation rising as he assumed the Captain's ignorance.
"Captain, are you forgetting the attitudes of Klingons toward Starfleet? They will not hesitate to kill-"
"Spock. I know you're worried about her. But it will work." Jim reassured his friend, and the Vulcan stopping protesting. He would have to have faith in his captain, and his plan.
They turned the corner, weapons positioned to fire as they sprinted down the hallway. Kirk shot at the first Klingon he saw, and Spock sprinted to the door. He entered the code as quickly as his fingers would allow him to. He heard Jim struggle with the Klingon as he entered the room, phaser aimed at the nearest Klingon. His eyes met Stella's, and his anger was rekindled although he didn't know what was being set ablaze. He lunged forward at the Klingon holding Stella, landing a swift punch across the aliens face. Stella fell to the ground forcefully, her head crashing against the ground painfully. She urged herself up, The room spinning for a moment before she watched Spock knock out the Klingon. A green cut was apparent on his cheek. He was panting slightly.
"Spock!" Stella screamed, and Spock spun around just in time to shoot the roaring Klingon that had launched towards him. The Klingon collapsed with a heavy thud on the ground at the Vulcan's feet.
Spock immediately helped Stella to her feet, her disoriented position pushed down by gravity. She was just about to speak when she heard a loud grunt coming from outside. She tried for the door weakly, Spock following suit and swiftly sprinting ahead of her.
Kirk was still attacking the Klingon, blood smeared on his face and normally yellow shirt. He was heaving heavily as the Klingon ran at him again, swiftly punching Jim in the chest as he landed on the floor loudly. Stella shrieked before Spock shot at the Klingon, his phaser successfully killing him as it hit his chest. Stella ran to Jim frantically, kneeling beside his coughing figure.
"S-Stella." He whispered, smiling but then wincing. His eye was beginning to swell and a cut had opened on his lip.
"Captain, we are going to get you to med bay as soon as a team arrives." Spock reached for his comm. Kirk didn't say anything; he just reached for the hem of his shirt. He lifted it up slowly, revealing a dark purple bruise, centered on a deep red gash. Stella gasped, and Spock's eyes widened slightly, then followed by an uncommon yet familiar feeling he had had before. Seeing Jim hurt; Spock never wanted to see his friend the way he had when Khan had disabled the ship, Jim killing himself in the process of trying to save everyone.
"It's pretty bad isn't it?" Kirk managed, and Stella nodded. She didn't want to sugar coat the obvious, though painful and daunting.
Tears appeared in her eyes, and Spock opened his communicator.
"Doctor McCoy, I need medical assistance immediately. Deck four, maintained corridor two. Please hurry." He shut the device and looked at Jim's bare abdomen, clearly injured severely. Stella sniffled before gasping loudly, and Spock whipped his head to look at her.
"What is it Lieutenant?" He asked, his voice cracking but only a small fracture. His friend, dying beside him, and he was incapable of helping. He watched as Stella's hand fumbled into the inner shirt of her uniform, her trembling fingers blood stained as she pulled out an orange syringe. He then understood, a new hope rising for both of them.
"Is that...?" She heard the Captain whisper, and she nodded, preparing to shoot the liquid into him.
"The antidote." Spock finished, and she put her hands to his abdomen carefully. Spock was somewhat astonished. She had the antidote the entire time, and yet she risked her own life in order to protect it. She would rather be killed by Klingons with the venom in her hands than give it over. He had so much to learn about humans an their actions, and he had much to learn about her. She was intriguing to him and yet she put all her emotions on display. He found it hard to comprehend.
"It's going to hurt a bit at first." She explained quickly, and Kirk nodded slowly. She injected it into his side, Spock watching carefully as the liquid emptied from its container.
Moments later, the swelling had gone down, the dark maroon fading into a lavender.
"Your vital organs are probably out of danger, Captain. The gash might take a bit longer to heal but you are no longer at a risk for bleeding out. Please stay still." She instructed, examining the wound. Spock looked on, his eyes narrowed at her ability to handle the situation. She was so calm, so lost in her job that all her emotions he usually felt that came from her were absent. She felt nothing but the need to save the Captains life, the need to help and be useful.
He watched Stella, her brown hair loose and hanging in front of her face. Some of it was dried with blood, along with it smeared on her cheek from her bruised mouth. He then scanned her eyes, dark and full of determination to help Jim.
He noticed her go pale, followed by her slumping to the ground weakly. Slightly horrified, he knelt beside both her and Kirk, his eyes wide in suppressed panic. The medical team arrived seconds later, escorting all three of them to med bay. The nurses had to convince Spock thoroughly to let go of her arm, but he couldn't. With the reassurance that Jim was going to live, he needed to know she was going to as well. He needed to feel what she felt, he needed to know she was still there.
Well there you have it! Do not expect updates once a week anymore, but I really will try my best. I need to write the next couple of chapters but because it's my vacation now, I will have more time to write drafts for the chapters.
A lot of thought went into this chapter, because I really wanted to keep everyone in character, I am really sorry if they aren't. It's difficult to write Spock's dialogue sometimes, especially when it regards his feelings towards Stella. I hope it doesn't seem like he's falling in lover with her immediately, I want it to seem more gradual and I hope it does.
I am not sure what action or events I can add next, so please comment or PM me any ideas or suggestions you have. Thanks so much for reading, and please review, I live for seeing what you guys think! Thanks!