Johann was, once again, working on the septic tank. During her time off, they had to replace her, and they'd sent a rookie who not only damaged a pipe but also the tank's electrical system. By the time anyone noticed, the tank had filled up and if there was one tank you didn't want to see overflow…

According to White, she was the only one qualified to fix this mess. So, she didn't really have much of a choice. Hemmed inside the three-meter tank, wedged between the polymer basin and the outer lining, she patched the pipe with an induction torch.

Checking the welder's battery, she told herself for the hundredth time that she really needed to ask the commander to transfer her somewhere else. He owed her that much. Except, now that he'd praised her, she was kind of stuck. Sure, there was something impressive about the fact that she hadn't "tried to get benefits," but the truth was she'd just hesitated too long before going to see him.

And wasn't that normal? For fuck sake! Anyone trapped in this tank would be doing anything to get out! And anyone suggesting a crappy lay like that would at least have the decency to do something about it. Too bad she was stuck with an alien who probably thought she enjoyed wallowing in the crew's excrement—a typically human activity.

Jo sighed and lowered her safety mask. She pressed the tip of the electromagnetic torch to the duranium pipe, sending green sparks flying, lighting up the tank like a tiny fireworks display.

Of course, he hadn't exactly refused her anything. In fact, he probably would've transferred her if she'd asked. But now that he'd congratulated her for it, things got more complicated. And not just because she'd look like an idiot. There was something else.

When he'd touched her and she found herself in that strange bubble, it had kind of felt like being inside some sort of… immaterial blanket fort, she'd felt a lot of things. Like she was a telepath or something. For example, at first, she sensed he was surprised, like he hadn't expected that thing to happen at all. Or when he touched her wrist, it felt like he knew that she would like it. But not quite. It was hard to tell. Still, considering how much she had enjoyed it, chances were he knew what he was doing.

Jo turned off the torch, raised her visor, and checked that the weld had taken. She lowered the mask with expert precision and showered her red jumpsuit with another round of emerald sparks.

And after going through that thing with him, after having "sensed" him, something told her that the respect he had for her would matter. Something told her that not asking for anything had earned his respect. It was just a feeling, but she'd bet on it. And with what was coming, it was better to keep her good cards close. If she traded her shitty job for a promotion, somehow she'd end up with a ten of diamonds, when in the game ahead, that lousy job might just turn out to be worth an ace.

So, it was something to think about.

Except, trapped in this shit container, the smart thing to do seemed perfectly obvious.

Through her protective helmet, the welding sparks looked orange and dull, whereas in reality, they were a brilliant green. She always wondered why engineers never cared about how beautiful those sparks were. Unless they were complete moron, by now, they should've found a way to make a safety visor that allowed you to admire them.

It was kind of like Spock. You'd see him through a sort of Terran welding mask, and he'd seem green and dull, but without the mask... he could spark fireworks from an innocent wrist.

Because, let's face it, it had been damn amazing to be touched like that. To be "perceived." She had never felt anything like it. It was as if his fingers passed through her to touch her "energy body" or something like that. It felt both silky and intense—a gentle, yet powerful touch.

All of this probably came from that konshi-thing. That bond he had implanted in her.

At the very least, ever since the Commander knew she could sense him, he seemed to be careful. She didn't feel his presence as much. It was like he had closed himself off. But she could still sense that he was at the other end of the bond. It was easy, she just had to follow the thread of energy, and there he was—not far, up on the bridge. She suddenly felt him turn his attention toward her, sensing that she was looking for him. She immediately shut her mind off, having no desire for him to know she was thinking about him. He closed himself off too, and the sensation disappeared.

This thing was seriously nuts.

Jo stopped the welding torch and checked her work. It wasn't great. In fact, it would've been fine for a normal tech, but for someone at her level, it was pathetic. She'd better focus more than this, she thought as she lowered the visor again. But of course, that was easier said than done.

It wasn't exactly easy to focus when, at the same time, she had to deal with a meta-crazy bond linking her to an insufferable and completely bonkers guy, a damn alien who was soon going to screw her over like a beast, and under the worst possible conditions.

Jo sighed and went back to the poorly welded joint, telling herself that thinking about things this way wasn't helping at all. And besides, it wasn't fair. He wasn't that nuts, after all. When he'd come back to her quarters, he had really tried to be nice. His approach was terrible, but you could tell this wasn't his cup of tea, and that he'd tried to please her. That was a point in his favor.

Not to mention, the way he'd looked at her after the Vulcan kiss—she had to admit it did something to her. He had always been detached and professional, but in that moment, his dark eyes had deepened, and he'd looked at her for a long time with a kind of quiet attention. He did look awesome when he stared like that. She almost understood the techs who said he was hot.

And if he could make her feel like that just by touching her hand, it was hard not to imagine what else he could do. Jo smiled mischievously under her visor; a smile she quickly lost when she thought about the state he'd be in. That was probably not good news. A shiver ran through her, and she stopped the welding torch that had strayed off.

At that exact moment, she had the feeling of being lifted off the ground, a sensation she immediately associated with being transported.

Spock suddenly raised his head from the console. He remained still for a second, as if listening, then abruptly stood up and rushed into the elevator. He grabbed the lever, twisting it all the way to the left, using the maximum power allowed for an emergency maneuver, and descended the decks at breakneck speed. The red alert blared the millisecond he passed the twelfth deck, confirming what he already knew.

The doors opened onto engineers rushing to the scene of the disaster. Spock followed them and found himself among the techs gathered around the gaping hole where the septic recycling tank used to be. A large, soft, white polymer pipe hanging from the ceiling swayed lazily over the void, while the dozen smaller white pipes running along the ground looked like they'd been sliced cleanly with a scalpel.

He listened carefully.

"Yes, sir. That's correct, sir. No injuries, Captain, but Third Class Stone was in the tank. Pardon? Third Class Johann Stone, Captain. She disappeared with the tank."

Spock glanced up at the gaping hole left by the tank's absence. He couldn't find any logical explanation for this abduction, nor any clue as to how it had been accomplished. He could barely sense his female through the bond, and this worrying situation sent a surge of energy through his blood, triggering a powerful reaction. At that moment, a burning shiver ran up his spine, and a wave of rage clawed at his mind.

It was also at that moment that the pipe hanging from the ceiling made a dull gurgling noise and expelled three large turds covered in blue jelly. Everyone instantly backed away as the matter splattered onto the floor with a slimy plop. From a safe distance, the crowd stared at the foul mess in grave silence. As the stench hit their nostrils, they each realized that the disappearance of this tank was, in fact, a real catastrophe.

oOoOo

The sensation of dizziness faded, and Jo removed her helmet. She couldn't see a thing. It was pitch-black, like being inside a oven!

"Shit! What the hell is going on?!"

She fumbled in front of her and found the pipe. She pressed the welding torch to it and switched it on. The burst of green sparks lit up the tank. She could only see a few feet around her. Everything was black.

Her brain immediately informed her that she was no longer on the ship, but she refused to believe it. "If we were still on the ship, we'd hear the techs swearing and shouting in the dark, right?" That was one thing. "You just felt the effects of teleportation, didn't you?" reason chimed in. "It makes sense that you're no longer on the ship." Except it didn't make sense because you'd need some seriously advanced tech to teleport a tank this size.

As far as she knew, none of the planets in the system they were in had advanced technology. "No, that's wrong," her mind argued. "What we know is that the scanners didn't find anything." Right. Of course. It was possible that some undetectable hillbillies in the area had tech advanced enough to loot an interstellar ship—and that they'd managed to haul off two tons like it was nothing. Highly unlikely, but possible. Except, among all the high-tech gear on this ship, they'd pick what? The shit tank? They'd have to be seriously pathetic thieves to pull off a stunt like that. Between you and me, dear reason, if they're dumb enough to snatch the septic tank, they're way too dumb to pull off a heist like this.

Her mind raced but it couldn't come up with any plausible explanation. It concluded that it was time to stop making deductions and move to the next level: look outside. Except she really didn't want to. suddently, a loud burst of laughter erupted in her head. Was she seriously thinking that she wanted to stay inside this freaking tank? Life throws you surprises like that sometimes.

Then, she thought of the bond. The bond! She focused and felt it. She tried to follow it but couldn't. Damn! It always worked! She spent half her day blocking out that annoying Vulcan, and now that she needed him, there was no one at the other end of the line. "See? You've been teleported, and there's a force field preventing communication," reason chimed back in. She had no clue about that. Maybe nothing was blocking it, but it just didn't work past a certain distance. "That also implies you've been teleported, so get off your ass and move!"

Jo snapped out of it and grabbed the service ladder. She climbed up, placed the welding torch against the duranium surface, and squeezed the trigger. What the hell? She was in a cave! A hissing noise suddenly caught her attention. Something was emerging from the corridor leading to the cave—something pale and squirming. In the darkness, it looked like a giant insect, and it was followed by a hissing sound that suggested this creature had a whole army of these pale, squirming things behind it. She switched off the welding torch and dove into the tank.

"A hiding spot! The arrival of the pipes!" In complete darkness, she ran to the other side of the tank and fumbled to open the small door.

"Where the hell was that opening button!"

She found it, but of course, there was no power to make it work. "Damn it!" The hissing grew louder, and she could hear the first claws—or whatever those creatures had at the end of their legs—scraping against the metal of the tank.

She set the welder against the outer shell and the green light quickly helped her find the manual opening latch. That's when she saw a nightmare of a head appear above her. The creature, with its milky white appearance, resembled a hideous ant. It seemed gigantic with its long antennae and, especially, its large mandibles that clacked in her direction. Instantly, dozens of these creatures, at least three meters long, wriggled between the tank and the outer shell. In a chaos of legs, antennae, and mandibles, they invaded the narrow space like a tide. Jo screamed and instinctively held the welder in front of her.

She found herself plunged into darkness, delivering random induction burn while opening the hatch. She squeezed into the compartment and managed to close the metal door right in front of the attackers. They groped around the hatch but failed to open it. The filthy creatures quickly lost interest in her, but she could hear them bustling around the tank, doing God knows what.

She took a few deep breaths to try to calm the panic that was paralyzing her brain, then, pulling herself together, she set the welder against the shell. The emerald fireworks illuminated the cramped compartment packed with cables and pipes. "Silicon, carbonite, polymer, copper. Damn it! ... How to extract anything from such shitty material?"

oOoOo

Kirk had been watching the screen attentively for two hours. The red alarm was flashing all over the ship, everyone was at their posts, on high alert and ready for battle. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was dead calm. They had been robbed and there wasn't a hint of an enemy vessel.

They had searched the asteroid belt and scrutinized every inch of space as far as the eye could see. At one point, he had thought they were dealing with a Romulan ship, however, it was unlikely that the Romulans would risk a war with the Federation just to steal a tank full of waste. The attack had to come from the planet itself. There had to be some thieves well hidden down there. They had a top-notch transporter and now they needed to flush them out. With the danger seeming less imminent, it was time to take stock.

"Yellow alert," announced Kirk.

"Yes, Captain," said Chekov.

"Scott, McCoy. Report. Briefing room," he said into the intercom. "Mr. Sulu, take over."

"Aye, Captain."

Kirk headed for the elevator, which opened.

"Mr. Spock."

The latter was focused on the scope and didn't give him any attention.

"Mr. Spock," he insisted without success.

Jim raised his eyebrows. Of course, his partner was missing, and he was worried; or at least the Vulcan version of worry.

"Mr. Spock," said Uhura.

Spock finally looked up, and Kirk signaled him to follow. For a moment, it seemed he might refuse, but then he decided to follow his captain to the briefing room, where they were soon joined by the others. Scotty seemed particularly grumpy and sat heavily. The others took their seats, and the captain started with a round of updates.

"McCoy?"

"There are no injuries to report beyond Miss Stone's abduction."

"Spock?"

The first officer had his hands under the table and appeared focused.

"Mr. Spock?"

He came back to himself and took on a serious expression.

"I estimate that the reservoir was moved using a form of teleportation different from what we use. The piping was cut with great precision. We are not aware of any technology capable of doing this. No clue about the attackers' intentions has been discovered. This action appears illogical at first glance."

"Could they have wanted to abduct Miss Stone?" McCoy asked.

"Unlikely. She has no interest."

McCoy shot him a reproachful look.

"No interest? Really?"

" She holds no strategic or diplomatic value. The reservoir seems to be the primary target. Johann Stone is merely collateral damage."

" Well, it's clear for you, at least," McCoy said with irony.

"Is that all, Mr. Spock?" Kirk said, giving Leonard a pointed look.

"No. I am almost certain that the thieves are using a jamming system that prevents communications. Considering what we already know about their method of teleportation, I suspect that they may also possess more aggressive technologies. Their location is unknown."

He stepped back to indicate that he was finished.

Suddenly, Spock felt a change. Since her disappearance, he had been unable to see his mate at the end of the link. However, he could still perceive certain vibrations, probably induced by the intensity of her emotions. Initially, she had felt a powerful feeling. Fear, perhaps. Then for almost two hours, he had feel nothing unusual—until now, when her emotions flared up again. He concentrated, listening for any clue that might help them locate her.