Fic: Evolution Part 3/12 - Kirk/Spock
Jun. 30th, 2009 10:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhaegalTitle: Evolution Part 3/12
Author:rhaegal
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Rating: PG this part. Still. But getting there.
Summary:The ongoing mission of the USS Enterprise under the new captaincy of Captain Kirk. In this part, a distress call takes the Enterprise to Talos IV…
A/N: Beta-read by the lovelywaketosleep, who is a dirty enabler.
This series makes a lot of TOS references, but you don't need to have seen the episodes. Ultimately, it's all (eventually) about fixing the science in the new movie. And about the slash, of course.
Part I // Part II
*
The Enterprise had many fine qualities. In fact, Captain Kirk wouldn't normally hear a word against her.
Nonetheless, the addition of a couple of hundred passengers made her feel decidedly small.
He had never appreciated, for instance, just how narrow the corridors were, or how slow the turbolifts – and if he caught one more person stopping the lift between floors while he was waiting, he was having them assigned to permanent laundry duty.
All in all, as thrilled as he was to have been able to rescue the crew of the Excalibur - and he would confess to some pride at being able to deliver the far more experienced Captain Harris safely to the nearest Starbase – he was even more thrilled to have seen them off.
He grinned all the way to the bridge, dropping into his chair with a dramatic flourish and favouring each of his officers with his most dazzling smile. They all responded in kind – except for Spock, but he quirked an eyebrow in what Kirk decided was his equivalent.
"She's all ours again." Kirk gave a happy sigh and patted the arm of his chair. "Let's take her out."
"Separating from spacedock now, Captain," Sulu confirmed.
"Don't forget ze parking brake," said Chekov.
Sulu's response was to lean over and swat him on the arm. Chekov made an indignant noise, and they both laughed.
Kirk watched this exchange, aware that his eyebrows were creeping upwards. By the time he thought to order them to focus on the task at hand, though, they were already back in professional mode, so he let it go.
"Ready for warp," Sulu confirmed.
As they jumped to warp speed, Kirk allowed himself another smile. After a while, he realised Spock was watching him with a curious, and perhaps slightly nervous, expression on his face. Unabashed, Kirk shrugged.
"Doesn't it feel good to be back to normal?" he said.
Spock lifted one eyebrow. "Normal is a relative term, Captain," he said, and turned back to his station.
Uhura let out a low chuckle, and from across the bridge Lieutenant Russ from Engineering joined in.
Kirk tensed, waiting for someone to bark them to order. It was only when he caught Chekov sneaking a glance back towards him that it hit him; he made the rules here, and this was how it was going to be.
"Other people don't think being threatened by crazy aliens is normal?" he addressed the bridge at large, wearing the most innocent expression he could muster.
Sulu snorted. "I'll take that over a diplomatic mission any day."
"Careful what you wish for," said Uhura.
From there, the conversation turned into a discussion of just how many Klingon vessels would need to be firing on them before they'd rather take a dilithium mining treaty mission instead. Eventually even Spock joined in to posit a power-law relationship between the perceived risk of a mission and the dullness of the alternative they would accept. That made Kirk roll his eyes and declare Spock the biggest geek he had ever met, but he did so with a fond smile.
For the first time since assuming command of the Enterprise, Kirk actually enjoyed a shift that consisted of nothing more than travelling at warp speed through empty space.
They didn't talk constantly, by any means, but light conversation and occasional banter drifted across the bridge, until in no time at all beta shift arrived to relieve them.
Kirk was grinning like a madman when he sauntered into Sickbay. Bones greeted him with his customary scowl.
"What have you done now?" Bones asked, his tone accusing.
Kirk hopped onto a biobed. "Is that how you've been taught to greet your captain?"
Bones snorted. "I still can't believe they gave you a ship."
"Yet you still insisted on being assigned to it."
"Only to keep an eye on you."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, turns out I'm the best captain ever. Or I have the best crew ever. Or possibly both." He jabbed a finger in Bones' direction. "And don't give me that sceptical look."
"That what you came here to tell me?"
"Pretty much." Kirk jumped down from the bed and slapped Bones on the back. "Dinner?"
Bones heaved a long-suffering sigh, but followed him out of Sickbay. When they got to the mess hall, Spock was already there and was sitting alone, so Kirk joined him. Bones scowled at them both, but took the seat beside Kirk.
"I'll say one thing for him," Bones grouched, gesturing towards Spock with his eyes. "At least he eats right."
Kirk glanced between Spock's salad and his own steak, and snorted. "I'm healthy as a horse."
"Fascinating," said Spock. "I seem to recall Doctor McCoy also once compared you to an equine."
Bones choked on his dinner.
"A stallion, if I recall correctly," Spock continued over Bones' indignant splutter.
Kirk hooted with laughter and slapped Bones on the back. Red-faced, Bones glowered at Spock. "You're the one who was on about breaking him."
Kirk leaned back in his seat with a grin. "You two are better than a holovid," he declared, and this time earned scowls from them both.
*
The next morning, Kirk was whistling jubilantly as he made his way to the bridge. There were no emergencies, his crew was awesome, and he was actually looking forward to presiding over an uneventful shift.
His good mood ended the moment he stepped out of the turbolift and sensed the tension on the bridge.
"Captain," Uhura called him over. "I'm picking up a strange signal."
"What is it?"
"I – I don't know." Uhura's face was screwed up in concentration as she worked the controls. "It's –"
"What?" Kirk prompted as she broke off.
"It's not coming through on a subspace channel. It's radio."
"Radio?" Kirk made a face. "Who would be using radio out here?"
"Give me a moment, Captain," said Uhura. "I just need to calibrate…"
Kirk looked over to Spock, intending to ask him to check the scanners, but Spock was already bent over his station doing exactly that. Kirk was left to wait by Uhura, earning himself a scowl when he began drumming his fingers on the back of her chair.
"It's a distress signal," she declared at last. "From the SS Columbia?" she frowned and gave Kirk an apologetic shrug. "I've never heard of it."
"That ship went missing more than twenty years ago," said Spock from his station.
"Can you trace the origin of the signal?" Kirk asked him.
"Affirmative." A long pause, then, "Allowing for the signal having travelled at light speed for twenty-two years, I project a point of origin in the Talos system."
"Do we know anything about that system?"
"Very little," Spock replied. "It is as yet unexplored, but is known to have eleven planets. The fourth in the system is Class M."
"There's a chance they could have survived there, then?"
Spock turned around then to look directly at him. His expression may have looked neutral to anyone else, but Kirk caught the slight twitch of an eyebrow and tilt of his head that he knew would translate to a shrug in anyone else.
"For twenty-two years?" Spock said. "The probability of survival is –"
"A ridiculously low number, I know," Kirk cut him off. "I also know you'll agree with me when I say we should go anyway."
Spock's only response was a raised eyebrow, but Kirk took that for assent. He grinned, patted the back of Uhura's chair and returned to his own. "Chekov," he ordered. "Plot a course for Talos IV."
"Course already laid in, sir."
Kirk's grin broadened. "Ahead maximum warp, Mr Sulu."
"Aye, sir."
*
"You are tense," Spock observed during their chess game that evening.
Kirk rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed. "Starfleet Command took some convincing that this mission was worth it," he admitted.
"Understandable," said Spock, giving one of his minute shrugs. "Factoring in both the deviation from course and the likelihood of success –"
"Doesn't that bother you, though?" Kirk moved his bishop with more force than was strictly necessary.
"It is –"
"Dammit, don't tell me it's logical," Kirk huffed and rose to get himself another drink from the replicator. "You need more tea?" Spock did not take his eyes off the board, but gave a slight nod.
"So anyway," Kirk continued once he was seated again. "Imagine you got stranded on some rock somewhere. Wouldn't you like to think that if someone got your distress signal they'd, you know, answer? Not think, 'Oh, it's a bit out of my way…'"
"I would hope that they would respond if it was the best use of Starfleet resources," Spock replied.
"Bullshit."
Spock raised an eyebrow, and Kirk could have sworn he saw a hint of a smirk as he made his move. He watched Spock remove his bishop from the board and scowled.
"You ever get stranded somewhere," said Kirk as he considered his next move, "I'm not coming after you."
When Spock did not respond, Kirk sneaked a glance over at him. He was running a finger idly over the rim of his teacup and looked deep in thought.
"It is illogical," Spock said at last. "But I see your point."
"Hey, did I just win?" Kirk clapped his hands and beamed.
Spock fixed him with his level gaze, an eyebrow inching upwards. "I concede that your illogical actions have some merit. However…" Without taking his eyes off Kirk, he moved his knight and pronounced, "Checkmate."
Kirk deflated immediately. "Really?" He examined the board and scowled at his surviving pieces. "I thought my whole 'playing illogically' thing was infallible."
"Your strategy may be illogical at first glance, but you still demonstrate clear patterns in your play."
"Shouldn't have let you get so used to me," Kirk grumbled, though in truth he was struggling to feel any real irritation. "Guess I'll just have to come up with crazier strategies."
"I look forward to breaking them down," Spock said without meeting his eyes.
Kirk felt inexplicably like smiling at the realisation that he, too, relished the challenge. He felt dangerously close to saying so, though, so he cleared his throat and sat up straight. "How long 'til we get to Talos?"
Spock's reply was immediate. "Three weeks, two days and six point four hours."
Kirk gaped at the 'three weeks' part and did not hear the rest. "Are you kidding me? Scotty said he'd got us warp seven. I thought that was supposed to be pretty quick?"
Spock gave him that condescending look he used when he knew Kirk was being deliberately obtuse but had decided to humour him anyway. "Warp seven equates to three hundred and forty-three times the speed of light. This fits most definitions of 'pretty quick,' as you put it. Nonetheless, with twenty-two light years to cover…"
"Right, I know," Kirk sighed. "It's just, they never tell you about this bit. In the training vids, everything happens so fast, they make it look like you can just zip from system to system in minutes." He scowled. "I sort of see Komack's point now."
"May I enquire as to how you persuaded him to change his mind?"
"Luckily, it just happens to be on the way to some planet they wanted checked out, so I had to agree to take on some boring science mission. Completely uninhabited, as far as anyone can tell." He made a face to indicate how pointless he felt that rendered the mission. "But lots of rocks. You'll love it, I'm sure."
"The galaxy is a large place," said Spock. "There will be many opportunities for you to be physically assaulted by various lifeforms, as seems to be your preferred activity."
Kirk glared at him, but had to concede the point. "Well, it beats rocks and anything involving dress uniform," he grumbled.
The faintest hint of a smile ghosted across Spock's face. It only really touched his eyes, but Kirk was used to that by now.
*
Kirk thought the weeks were going to pass agonisingly slowly, but in fact he found it refreshing. There was time to build up routine aboard the ship, and he found that he enjoyed the pattern that life fell into, even the long hours on the bridge. He took fencing lessons from Sulu, and while he'd yet to win, he found after the second week that he was no longer embarrassingly hopeless at it. Sulu even pronounced him "not as bad as Pavel." It took a moment for Kirk to realise who Pavel was, in which time Sulu had lunged at him and he had to concede defeat yet again.
Meanwhile, Uhura set up some sort of music society, which provided entertainment for the crew. At first, Spock accompanied them on a Vulcan lyre, but after the first week he stopped participating, citing a lack of enthusiasm for Terran music. Kirk wondered at this but never pressed the matter, as it meant their chess nights increased in frequency. In those weeks, he lost more games than he won, but found he didn't mind too much.
Soon, though, gym sessions were added to the extra chess nights. Kirk was hopelessly outmatched by Spock's Vulcan strength, but enjoyed the sessions nonetheless. Somehow that led to their taking meals together, and Kirk had to wonder when Spock was finding the time to spend with Uhura. Though Spock and Uhura still acted perfectly friendly on the bridge, he reasoned to himself, so there was obviously no problem.
Scotty was the only one who seemed not to enjoy the break. He fretted daily about the warp drive being pushed for such an extended period, and spent most of his time down in Engineering, where Kirk guessed he was singing Scottish lullabies to the engines in an attempt to soothe them.
Still, everyone was pleased when they finally came into orbit above Talos IV, for as welcome as the respite may have been to most, they all spoiled for action.
"Assuming standard orbit now," Sulu declared.
There was a collective intake of breath and all eyes turned to Spock, who was bent over the scanner. An interminable silence followed. Kirk began to dread having to make a grovelling apology to Komack for wasting time on a wild goose chase, and resolved to insist that it had still been worth it.
Finally, Spock sat back and looked around at him. There was disbelief on his face, marked only by parted lips and a slight crease to his brow. The rest of the bridge crew looked crestfallen, but Kirk grinned, knowing what was coming.
"Sensors record human life signs," Spock announced. "I have transmitted the coordinates to the transporter room."
There was a further moment of silence, then a spontaneous round of applause that Kirk was fairly sure started with Chekov.
Kirk leapt up from his chair and clapped his hands. "All right," he said, and the applause died down as everyone came to attention. "Sulu, Chekov, transporter room in five minutes." He turned to Uhura. "Have Dr McCoy meet us there. Mr Scott, you have the conn."
He met Spock's eyes before turning for the turbolift, leaving Sulu and Chekov to hand over their stations. He waited inside the lift, holding the doors open until Spock joined him.
Spock stood beside him, his hands clasped behind his back, and was silent until the doors closed. Once they were alone, his eyebrows drew together and he took a breath as though about to say something, then evidently thought better of it and fixed his gaze on the opposite wall of the lift.
"Problem?" Kirk prompted.
Spock's eyes flickered towards him. "As First Officer," he said evenly, "I believe it is my duty to remind you of regulations regarding your inclusion in the landing party."
Kirk fought back a grin and stared at the ceiling. "And you know I'll just ignore you, right?"
"Indeed."
Kirk laughed. "Are we going to have this conversation before every away mission?"
"The probability is extremely high."
The turbolift doors opened, and two passing ensigns were greeted by the sight of their captain laying a hand on the first officer's arm with a decidedly fond smile.
Spock stiffened, and they walked to the transporter room in silence. Bones was waiting for them, eyeing the transporter pad with suspicion. Kirk grinned and slapped him on the back. "Ready to have your molecules disassembled?"
Bones glowered at him. For some reason, this only caused Kirk's grin to broaden.
Momentarily, they were joined by Sulu and Chekov, the former looking as wary as the latter was eager.
"Hikaru thinks there are not being any surwiwors," said Chekov said of the helmsman's disposition.
Sulu scowled at Chekov and explained, "Uhura tried to hail them, but –"
"They are only hawing old radios," Chekov cut in.
Kirk got the distinct impression they'd had this argument before, and had to hide his amusement. "We'll soon find out, and we're going to try nonetheless. Long odds are still odds, Mr Sulu."
"Of course, sir."
With no small amount of trepidation, Kirk took his place on the transporter pad and waited for the others to join him before giving the command, "Energise."
*
The planet's surface was rocky and barren. The sun on his back was hot, but not oppressively so, and the air was dry. There was an odd hum in the air, like distant music, but no signs of life.
Spock examined his tricorder and led them off over some rocks. They had walked for no more than a few minutes when Sulu called, "Captain!"
Kirk halted in his tracks. Sulu had found a plant of some description, with flattened blue flowers. Kirk exchanged a look with Spock and made his way over cautiously.
"Careful," he said. "We haven't had great luck with alien plants."
Sulu just grinned and took hold of one of the blue flowers. "Hear that?"
Kirk frowned. The strange hum he had heard was quieter now. Sulu held another flower still, and Chekov reached around him to help. When all the flowers were restrained, the sound ceased entirely, and an eerie silence stretched out around them. Sulu looked enthralled, but Kirk was thoroughly creeped out.
"I am not seeing singing plants before," Chekov piped up.
Kirk eyed the plant suspiciously. "Let's move on," he said.
He wasn't sure what he expected to see. Spock may have recorded human life signs, but the idea of any crew surviving in this barren wasteland for twenty-two years was unthinkable. So when they rounded a corner and saw a decidedly human camp, and heard human voices speaking in English, Kirk froze.
It was the strangest thing. He hadn't thought to find anything like this here, but if he had considered it, then what was before him was exactly what he would have pictured as a survivors' camp.
There were makeshift shelters fashioned from parts of a broken-up ship, arranged in an approximate circle. In the centre was the remains of a bonfire, surrounded by stones. The human occupants of the encampment were dressed in tattered remnants of old-fashioned clothing.
Kirk approached the camp cautiously, the others a pace behind him, and Spock staying particularly close. One by one, the survivors noticed them, and stopped what they were doing to stare openly.
For a long moment, no one said anything. Then, at last, an elderly man cried, "Humans! Can it really be?"
Then there was a cacophony of exclamations and cries of delight as they hugged each other and ran towards their rescuers.
Kirk felt numb, as though he were watching someone else approach the camp. He could think of nothing to say. When he reached the edge of the encampment, he stopped. Spock drew level with him, still examining his tricorder intently. Bones was shaking his head in disbelief, and Chekov was grinning.
The man who had spoken first approached them, wonder and incredulity on his face. "Are you…?"
"From Earth, yes," said Bones when Kirk could not form a response. Bones shot a look towards Spock. "Most of us, anyway."
"Then you got our message? It's been so long…"
"By Earth count, twenty-two years, one month and an uncertain number of days," Spock filled in.
For some reason, that snapped Kirk to attention. He smiled and shot Spock an amused glance before turning to the man in front of him. "Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise," he introduced himself. "This is First Officer Mr Spock, Chief Medical Officer Doctor McCoy, Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov. How do you feel about going home?"
A cheer went up around the camp, and they were beckoned into the centre to meet everyone. Bones went to work right away, scanning everyone with his tricorder and muttering to himself.
After only a few minutes, Sulu approached him. "Permission to go and study those plants, Captain?"
Kirk fought the urge to squirm. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about those plants made him uneasy."I don't know," he hedged. "I'm not sure I trust anything that sings if we can't see where it keeps its brain."
"Captain," Spock interjected, "the sound you heard is merely the breeze passing over the plant's surface. According to my readings, they should be quite harmless." At Kirk's frown, he added, "I would like to take further readings of the planet's surface, so I could accompany the lieutenant."
"Fine," said Kirk with a sigh. As an afterthought, he added to Sulu, "But don't eat it." Sulu shot him an exasperated look. "And stay in regular contact."
"Aye, sir."
As Sulu and Spock wandered off, Kirk watched them go, gnawing nervously on his lip.
"They're fine, Jim," Bones assured him from where he was scanning someone nearby. "And cataloguing new life is supposed to be what we're about."
"Maybe I should call a couple of the science department down?" Kirk mused.
"Hikaru is a wery keen botanist," said Chekov, taking Kirk by surprise.
"Really?" Kirk wasn't sure whether he was more surprised that he didn't know that, or that Chekov did.
He was soon distracted, though, when he was drawn back into a conversation about progress on Earth. The Columbia had left Earth before he was even born, he realised, feeling increasing respect for these people who had survived with dignity for so long.
Eventually, Bones completed his rounds and pulled Kirk aside.
"Well?" Kirk prompted when Bones did not immediately give his report.
Bones shook his head. "I can't explain it, Jim," he said. "They're all perfectly healthy."
"That's a good thing, right?"
Bones shrugged. "I guess, but…" he frowned and looked around. "Have you seen this place? Barren as anything. How'd they do it?"
"Does it matter?" Kirk replied with a shrug. "What matters is they're alive, we get to play hero and take them home, and Komack will have to agree I was right to insist we come here."
Bones scowled at that, but then he was always scowling, so Kirk just clapped him on the arm and said, "Come on, let's get everyone together and beam up. Where's Chekov?"
"Over there." Bones jerked his head towards the other side of the camp. "Talking to some girl, last I saw him."
"Girl?" Kirk looked around curiously; all he'd seen were aging scientists.
"Yeah, Vina, she said her name was. Born here, poor thing."
Unable to see Chekov, Kirk reached for his communicator. "Kirk to Chekov," he called. "Location?"
There was no response. "Chekov," Kirk repeated. "Report."
Still nothing. Kirk and Bones exchanged a worried glance. "Mr Spock?" Kirk tried next. "Lieutenant Sulu?"
"Captain!" Sulu's voice came not from his communicator but from behind him. Kirk turned around to see Sulu jogging towards them. "It's Spock," he panted. "He just…" he made a vague gesture with his hands. "He vanished."
The leaden weight of panic settled in Kirk's gut. "Vanished? How?"
Sulu shook his head, apparently struggling to find words to explain. "He was there, right next to me," he said. "And then he…wasn't."
Kirk flipped open his communicator again. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Mr Scott here, Captain."
"Scotty, can you locate Mr Spock and Ensign Chekov?"
A pause that seemed to drag on forever, then there came a hesitant, "Negative, sir."
Feeling desperate, Kirk turned back to the camp to question the Columbia crew, but just then they disappeared into thin air. No trace of the camp was left, just an expanse of dry sand and barren rocks.
"What the…" Kirk gasped at the empty space before them.
"Jim," said Bones carefully. "I don't know about you, but I'm starting to suspect this may have been a set-up."
Kirk snorted. "No shit, Sherlock."
"This way," said Sulu. "Spock and I were about to show you this when it happened… I might know where they are."
Kirk and McCoy followed Sulu back to where he had been examining exotic plants. He pointed up at a large rock face. Kirk thought it looked unremarkable at first glance, but then he squinted and saw something like a doorway carved into the rock. There seemed to be a pathway leading up to it. Drawing his phaser, he ran towards it and gestured for the others to follow.
The doorway was, predictably, sealed. Kirk tried a few running leaps at it before Bones hauled him away, muttering about doing himself an injury. Kirk stepped back, rubbing at his shoulder through his torn shirt.
Next, Sulu suggested firing on it, so they moved back to the ground below and Kirk aimed his phaser at the doorway. Nothing happened. They tried firing all three phasers at once. Again, nothing happened.
Kirk scowled at the offending rock. "It makes no sense," he complained. "That much energy should have brought the whole thing down."
"Unless…" said Sulu.
But Kirk didn't get to hear the rest of Sulu's thought, because the scene before him suddenly swam, and then vanished.
*
Kirk spun around a few times, seeing his surroundings but too disoriented to take them in. Then he saw Spock, and he paused and took a deep breath.
"Thank God," he said. "You're alive."
Spock gave a minute frown that told Kirk he was refraining from pointing out that his continued existence owed little to any deity, then his eyes flickered to the side. Kirk turned, and staggered.
For the first time, he saw that they were in a cage, fronted by a transparent panel through which he could see three aliens. They appeared essentially humanoid, but so pale as to be almost translucent, and with grotesquely enlarged heads laced with pulsating veins.
Kirk lunged for the front of the cage, throwing his entire weight against the panel. It did not give; he was thrown back and landed firmly on his ass.
Interesting, said a voice that had to come from one of the aliens, though none of their lips moved. This one is more primitive than the other. See how it immediately rushes to demonstrate its physical prowess.
Kirk hauled himself to his feet, chagrined but puzzled. He looked between Spock and the aliens.
Witness the confusion as it hears our thoughts, the voice continued.
"Why did you bring him here?" Spock demanded of them.
We read in your mind that you desired this one's company, came the voiceless response. We wish all our specimens to be content in their new lives.
For some reason, Spock was agitated by this. He began clasping and unclasping his hands behind his back, and spoke through gritted teeth as he said, "Let him and the ship go, and I will stay."
"Spock," Kirk scoffed. "Don't pull that noble martyr crap. Now, you want to fill me in?"
"I believe the situation is self-explanatory," said Spock, not meeting Kirk's eyes. "We are in some sort of menagerie, held captive by a telepathic race which possesses the power of illusion."
"Right, I got that much." Kirk darted a nervous look towards the Talosians, who were watching Spock carefully.
The one with the pointed ears fancies himself quite intelligent, said one voice in his head.
Yet his ship was lured here so easily by our simulated transmission, added another.
"So that was faked, then," said Kirk, turning on them. "There were no survivors from the Columbia?"
They did not respond. Kirk sighed and reached for his phaser.
"You will find your phaser depleted of charge," said Spock.
"It was charged when we – oh." Spock was right, his phaser was useless. His communicator, too, proved ineffective. "What now, then? What do they want with us?"
"Unknown," said Spock. "So far they have done little but insult my intelligence. They seem quite amused by your more emotional reactions."
Kirk glared at Spock, then at the Talosians.
These two are most captivating, one of them said in his mind. I believe we are ready to begin.
"Begin what?" Kirk demanded.
The pointed-eared one has a strong emotional attachment to this place. We shall start here.
Kirk opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but then the Talosians disappeared, the whole cage began to flicker, and suddenly he was somewhere else.
The landscape was red and arid, desert sands beneath his feet and a scorching sun overhead. They were high on a hill, and in the valley beneath them lay a large ringed city. A sister planet hung over the horizon like a vast moon.
Spock was by his side, staring wide-eyed at his surroundings. It took Kirk a moment to orient himself, but then everything fell into place and he had no need to ask where they were.
"I never saw Vulcan," Kirk said quietly. "I mean, before –"
Spock did not respond at first, but Kirk could see that he was struggling to keep hold of his neutral expression. Kirk took a step closer, reached out to lay a hand on Spock's arm, but thought better of it and clasped his hands behind his back in imitation of Spock's pose.
"This is an illusion," Spock stated, though whether to Kirk or to himself Kirk couldn’t be sure.
"Looks pretty real," Kirk remarked, turning around to look at their surroundings. "I can even feel the heat of the sun."
Spock regarded him carefully. "The atmosphere on Vulcan is – was – thinner than on Earth. I am curious to know whether they are able to replicate the effects of that."
Kirk laughed. "Ever the scientist, eh?" He was breathing rather heavily, though, but perhaps that was only because Spock had pointed it out.
Spock looked away, turning his attention to the city beneath them. "Every detail," he murmured to himself.
Kirk fidgeted, suddenly awkward. He had no idea what the appropriate etiquette was for when you were inexplicably transported to an exact replica of your friend's recently-destroyed planet.
"Want to show me around?" he tried.
Spock turned to face him, his eyes narrowed. Kirk looked away; apparently that wasn't the correct response, then.
"What do you think they want from us?" he tried instead.
"I have formulated a number of theories," Spock replied. "The currently prevailing one is that we are here for their amusement."
"So they just want to see how we act?"
"Presumably."
"Okay." Kirk picked a rock and sat down. "So we just don't play."
Spock nodded, and looked as though he was moving to join him, but suddenly Kirk's head felt as though it was being split in two. He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip against the onslaught of lancing pain.
It spread like fire through his body, as though his blood were boiling in his veins. In his head he was screaming, though whether he gave voice to it he couldn't have said.
Then, just as abruptly as it had begun, the pain vanished. Kirk opened his eyes to find he was kneeling in the sand. Spock, who was kneeling before him, hastily dropped Kirk's hand and got to his feet.
Kirk hoisted himself back up onto the rock and rubbed at his temples. "Ow," he said.
Spock frowned and took a step towards him, then halted and looked away. "I would surmise that the Talosians are using pain as a motivator."
"Ya think?"
Spock's hands clenched. "That is the city of ShiKahr," he said. "You may see where I was raised."
Kirk clambered to his feet. "We're playing along, then?"
Spock's eyes flickered to Kirk's for a moment, then he led the way down into the valley.
Vulcan, Kirk decided as they walked, was a lot like its people. Or rather, like the image they tried to project: hot in temperature, but cold in temperament. The architecture was large and grand, but forbidding and unadorned with decoration.
There was no one else in sight, which was perhaps to be expected given that this was an illusion. It was hard to believe it wasn't real though, so finely detailed were their surroundings. It felt real, too; he could touch the buildings, even feel the dry heat of the air.
Kirk stopped before one of the more domineering buildings. "I feel like I've seen that before," he said.
"That is the Vulcan Science Academy," Spock explained, coming to stand beside him.
"Oh. I guess I must have seen a holo or something." Kirk sounded unconvincing even to his own ears, but Spock didn't press the matter.
They continued along wide streets that became progressively narrower. Spock explained that they were coming into the Old Quarter and pointed out some of the tourist attractions. Kirk listened with rapt attention, painfully aware that none of this was real yet simultaneously thrilled to have a chance to see this lost world.
There was something exciting about seeing Spock's home, too. He had never imagined Spock as a child, but when he pointed out his school – a peculiar building that hung like a vast stalactite above them – he was suddenly filled with questions. He voiced some of them and, though hesitant, Spock demonstrated uncharacteristic patience with him.
"Vulcan schooling is quite different to that which I witnessed on Earth," Spock explained. "The teaching is tailored individually to each child, whereas Humans opt for group instruction."
"You're on your own? Sounds a bit boring."
Spock raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the school. "On the contrary, most educational theorists concur that –"
"I don't care about that," Kirk interrupted. "What was it like?" Spock looked as though he didn't understand the question, so Kirk tried again. "What about the other kids? Are all Vulcan kids chess club nerds or do you have jocks and get into fights?" He hurriedly bit back the amusement that image provoked.
Spock hesitated before replying, and did not meet his eyes. "I had little to do with the Vulcan children."
It took Kirk a moment to realise that Spock had phrased his response in such a way as to exclude himself from the group of Vulcan children. He mentally kicked himself and rushed to change the subject. "Where'd you learn to play chess?"
Spock looked at him and inclined his head. "I instructed myself," he said as though that ought to be obvious.
"Of course you did," Kirk murmured with a smile.
They continued down another street, with Spock giving occasional commentary. Kirk found he was enjoying himself so much that he had to constantly remind himself that they were really in a prison.
They came at last to a large house, built of the same sand-coloured stone as the rest of the city, but with one side composed of glass in geometric shapes.
"This was the house of Sarek," said Spock.
Kirk let out a low whistle. "Fancy," he said.
Spock gave him an odd look, and led him inside. The doors were open, and Kirk pretended not to notice that Spock looked around as though expecting to find someone inside.
The house was large and spacious, all elegant lines and swooping curves. Up close, Kirk saw that the windows were more ornate than they appeared from outside. He wondered idly whether this house bore the influence of Spock's human mother, or whether Vulcans were simply less detached than they appeared.
"Nice place," he remarked. He hadn't appreciated how important Spock's family had been on Vulcan, and only then recalled that his father was the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He recalled little of Sarek from the Vulcan's time on the Enterprise. Certainly Kirk had been somewhat distracted at the time, but also, he reflected wryly, he had been far less interested in Spock's personal life then than he was now.
Spock was standing by the large window, looking out onto a terrace. Kirk watched him for a moment. He was perfectly still, his hands clasped neatly behind his back, a statuesque silhouette against the bright sun outside.
Kirk approached him slowly and stood by his side, their arms brushing together. Spock tensed slightly, but then relaxed and did not move away. Smiling inwardly at the small victory, Kirk followed his gaze out onto the terrace, wondering what he was recalling. He tried to imagine how he would feel in Spock's position, but drew a complete blank.
At length, Spock broke the silence. "There is much to see on Vulcan," he said. "The volcanoes and some of the ancient ruins in particular attract many visitors. Perhaps you would prefer to see these things."
"Not really," said Kirk. At Spock's questioning eyebrow, he added, "I kind of like seeing where you came from, actually. What was she like?"
An uncertain look flashed across Spock's face, but he didn't pretend to misunderstand. "She had a fondness for a Terran author named Lewis Carroll. I recall a tale involving a white rabbit, which she would read to me out there." He indicated the terrace. "It was most illogical."
"Yeah," Kirk agreed with a laugh. "That one's about as illogical as they get, in fact."
"I had little appreciation for it at the time," Spock admitted.
"She must have had some sense of humour, to pick that book, here of all places."
"The Human concept of humour is not something I –"
"Bullshit," Kirk interrupted. "You inherited hers, I'll bet."
Despite having known for some time that Spock's mother was human, Kirk had never really stopped to consider what it must have been like for a human woman to be married to a Vulcan, and to live here amongst the most repressed race in the galaxy.
Spock wasn't so bad, of course, but Spock was half human. He had that cold veneer, but it was only a mask for his human traits, and coaxing out glimpses of that emotional human side was a constant thrill. He tried to imagine Spock without that side, an aloof Vulcan to the core, and shuddered. His mother must have been a remarkable and brave woman indeed.
When his thoughts returned to the present, he realised Spock was watching him. He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"I never apologised for that stuff I said," Kirk began, looking out of the window.
"That is unnecessary. It is evident that your aim was for me to resign command, and I cannot dispute the results of that."
"Still." Kirk darted a gaze towards Spock, then hurriedly looked away again. "It was out of line. I'm sorry."
Spock looked away. Had he not known better, Kirk would have wondered if he'd heard.
"It's hot here," Kirk remarked, a little too loudly in his attempt to lighten the mood. "You guys don't have air con?"
It took a moment for Spock to reply, but when he did his voice was even, as though nothing unusual had transpired. "The temperature is at a comfortable level for a Vulcan. Nonetheless, there are environmental controls if you are unable to –"
"No, it's fine," Kirk lied. "Seriously, this is normal to you?" Spock inclined his head. "Wow. The Enterprise must be like living in a fridge."
Spock made that shrugging gesture with his eyes. "It is frequently uncomfortable, but I am – was – adjusting to it."
Kirk frowned at Spock's correction. "We will get back, you know."
"How?"
"The others will be looking for us," Kirk declared with confidence. He was right, he knew it, they just –
Suddenly, the surroundings began to fade from view. He instinctively reached for Spock, and the next thing he knew, they were back in their cage, and he was grasping Spock's forearm. He dropped it abruptly and stepped away, glaring at the Talosians.
"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "Did you get what you wanted?"
This one is interesting, said an alien voice in his head. It lacks some of the intelligence of the other human, but demonstrates remarkable compassion.
"Wait." Kirk's head snapped up at that. "Other human? You have Chekov too? Where is he?"
The one you call Chekov has been selected to repopulate your species on this planet. He is quite well.
Repopulate? Kirk stared at them, dumbly. "And what about McCoy and Sulu?"
They were not required at this time, and have returned to your ship.
Kirk's mind was racing. Part of him sincerely hoped Scotty would have the sense to get the Enterprise out of there, though another part of him was terrified by the thought that he might do just that.
Spock spoke up then, for the first time since they had returned from Vulcan. "You speak of repopulating," he said, his voice as calm as ever. "Then you also have a human female?"
A female was the sole survivor of the vessel that crashed here. We have long sought a mate for her, as the species shows great promise.
"Great promise for what?" Kirk yelled, banging his fists against the front of the cage.
The Talosians backed away as though frightened. Kirk took a step back and looked over at Spock, who had cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.
"Why were you unable to anticipate his movements?" Spock enquired. "If you are reading our minds."
There was no response, but Kirk shot a satisfied smirk over to Spock. They were onto something, then.
Magistrate, said one of the voices. There are other human females on board the ship currently orbiting our planet. Perhaps this one would make a good secondary candidate for repopulation.
"No!" Kirk roared. "You leave my crew alone!"
Again, they looked at him in surprise.
I read one particular female in its thoughts, said one of the voices, and dammit Kirk wished he could tell which one was speaking – hearing their voices in his head was far too weird. She has been the subject of many of its fantasies, though such thoughts seem to be insincere.
Kirk felt his face heat. He cast a surreptitious glance towards Spock, whose eyebrow was raised in something approximating amusement.
She will do.
Kirk opened his mouth to protest, but suddenly he felt himself being whisked away again, and before he could speak he was in a familiar bar back in Iowa.
"Dammit," he snapped. "Will you stop doing that?"
Unlike Vulcan, the bar was full of people, but no one acknowledged him; he seemed, for all intents and purposes, invisible. Except to one person, who was standing at the bar beside him, looking around in bemusement.
"This is an illusion," Uhura said.
"Yep," Kirk sighed. "So you're Eve, huh?"
Uhura glared at him. "What?"
He held up his hands and shrugged. "Hey, not my doing. How'd you work out we're not really in Iowa, anyway?"
She rolled her eyes. "The camp was an illusion. It didn't take a genius to work that out."
"Looked pretty damn real," Kirk grumbled.
"So where are we really?"
"Some sort of cage. We're like a zoo or a theatre or something to them. They also have Chekov." He bit his lip and looked at the floor. "And Spock."
"And 'they' are?"
"Really freaky aliens with giant heads."
She almost smiled at that, but just as quickly it was replaced with a frown. "We worked out that they must be telepaths of some sort," she explained. "Able to create illusions out of thoughts, memories and so on. McCoy and Sulu both said the camp looked exactly as they would have expected."
Kirk nodded. "Logical," he said.
She did smile at that. "We tried everything. We fired phasers, even turned the whole ship's power on the place."
"Seriously? And it didn't give?"
Uhura shrugged. "Maybe. How would we know, if they can keep us from seeing it?" She looked as though she was going to continue, but then grimaced and clutched her head.
"Shit," said Kirk. He led her over to an empty table and sat her down. "You've gotta play the game," he explained when she opened her eyes. "Or they do that."
"And what is the game?" she asked between clenched teeth, rubbing her head.
"They said something about repopulation," Kirk explained, slumping into the chair opposite her, "so I reckon I have to think really hard about having sex with you. Just so the aliens don't hurt you, you understand…"
Uhura shot him a look that would have cowed a Klingon. "You're an ass."
Kirk assumed his most innocent expression and held up his hands. "Hey, I didn't make the rules," he protested.
"Why did they take you, anyway?" Uhura asked. "And not McCoy or Sulu?"
Kirk glanced nervously at her head, waiting for her to double over in pain again.
"Go on," she insisted. "I can deal. We won't work out how to get out of this unless we figure out what they want."
Kirk shrugged, but continued to eye her nervously as he replied, "Beats me. They said they read in Spock's mind that he wanted my company or something." Suddenly, he felt inexplicably awkward, and hastily added, "Not to repopulate anything. Just… I don't know, actually."
"Interesting," she said distantly, her brow creased in thought.
She sounded more contemplative than annoyed, but Kirk still gave a nervous laugh and felt the absurd urge to try to excuse whatever it was in Spock's mind the Talosians had picked up on. Unable to think of anything to say, he settled for, "Huh?"
"Well, they've got us in some sort of zoo, either for study or entertainment."
"Right," Kirk prompted when she didn't seem as though she was going to continue.
Uhura hesitated before continuing, "But it seems they care about their…specimens, or whatever. They know we need company, so they brought you in for Spock."
Kirk gave her a blank look. "So?"
"So they're not entirely evil. Or they don't mean to be." She sounded oddly triumphant.
"They still have us in a cage against our will," Kirk pointed out with a wry laugh. "And do I need to remind you of the mind control?"
"It's not bad, as mind control goes," said Uhura with a shrug, indicating the perfectly replicated bar.
"Yeah, it's a holiday all right. Minor detail of the whole punishment thing."
"I said they didn't mean to be evil," said Uhura. "We've had zoos on Earth for centuries, and we're not innocent of using pain to motivate animals, either."
"So we're animals now?"
"To them, perhaps."
Kirk shook his head with a mirthless laugh, growing irritated by Uhura's confident demeanour. "And this helps how?"
Uhura grinned. "Because contrary to whatever you might believe, we weren't up there sobbing and flailing wildly when you got taken. We came up with a plan, and now I think it might just work."
"Whose plan is it?"
Uhura leaned back and crossed her legs. "Mine," she said, then shrugged. "And Scotty's."
"So what do we need to do?"
"Nothing. Scotty will sort us out. We were in the middle of it when we were rudely interrupted." She glared at him, as though it was his fault or something. "Just…maybe talk about something else?" She winced and rubbed at her temples.
Kirk grimaced, remembering, and said hurriedly, "Uh, I'm thinking really, really hard about, you know, repopulating. With you. Yeah."
She laughed and shook her head. "No way am I raising any kids of yours."
"Hey! Our kids would be smart and beautiful."
She snorted. "Not to mention arrogant, reckless…"
"Stuck-up," he shot back.
"Smarmy."
"See," Kirk threw up his hands in mock exasperation, "and I was being nice and everything."
Uhura shook her head in disbelief and looked away.
"All right," Kirk conceded. "So I did get two of my crew captured. Including my first officer, which is kind of a no-no. And then got captured myself, which is a bit sucky. And then dragged you into it." He frowned. "I had a point, I'm sure. There was definitely a 'but' in there somewhere."
Uhura was looking at him curiously. He fidgeted under her scrutiny.
"And okay," he said, "Spock may have been right about the whole not-sending-us-both-on-away-missions thing. Maybe."
Uhura huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe I'm going to say this," she said, shaking her head, "but give yourself a break."
"Huh?"
"I still think you're a bit of a moron. With all due respect, Captain. But only because you have years of being a moron to make up for. As captains go, you're…not bad."
Kirk's eyebrows shot up – he was too surprised to even berate her for her insubordination. "Even though I landed us here?"
"Would you rather be the kind of captain who ignores distress calls?"
He grinned and settled back in his chair. "So I'm awesome, huh?"
Uhura glowered at him. "Don't let that go to your head, it's big enough as it is."
Kirk sputtered indignantly, but before he could form a response their surroundings faded away, the darkness of the bar morphing into the bright, sterile cage.
"Oh, for –" Kirk began, but then his eyes widened. "Spock!" He rushed over to his first officer and grasped his arm, unthinking, before quickly stepping away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Uhura watching him. "And Chekov!" he breathed when he saw the young ensign. With Chekov was a young blonde girl he had not seen before.
"Zis is Wina," Chekov introduced her. "See, someone from ze Columbia was being here after all!"
She stepped forward and offered him a shy smile. Kirk nodded a greeting and then turned to the Talosians.
"Well? What are you up to this time?"
We have received a most troubling transmission from your ship.
Kirk felt his stomach plummet, but when he glanced at Uhura he saw she was smiling.
It seems your species is most unsuitable for our purposes, another voice said. You are free to go. With that, they turned away.
Kirk felt oddly deflated at that. "What?" he called after them. "That's it?"
One of the aliens turned back to face them. Our race was all but wiped out long ago when our mastery of illusion overtook reality.
Kirk rolled his eyes. "You can spare us the monologuing."
Very well. Then know only that your species was our last hope of reclaiming this planet. In allowing you to leave, we are condemning our species to death. I hope you will consider this sufficient recompense for any inconvenience you have suffered.
The last Talosian turned away, leaving Kirk uncharacteristically speechless.
"Captain," said Spock. "Our communicators appear to be functional."
Snapping abruptly back to the present, Kirk flipped his open and breathed a sigh of relief. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Scotty here," came the welcome response.
"Good work," said Kirk. "Five to beam up."
"Wait," Vina interjected. "I can't go with you."
"What?" said Chekov.
Vina turned pleading eyes on Kirk. "Perhaps," she said, "you will allow me a moment alone with him to explain."
"No chance," said Kirk. "We're getting out of here."
"But Keptin…" Chekov pleaded.
Kirk rolled his eyes. "Fine. Scotty, three to beam up. Give Chekov one minute. One minute precisely, then beam him up whether he wants it or not. Understood?"
"Aye, Cap'n."
Moments later, the cage was flickering out of focus and being replaced with the transporter room of the Enterprise.
Kirk leapt off the transporter pad, grinning. Uhura followed him and went straight over to Scotty, winked at him and said, "Nice one."
Scotty grinned. "All your idea," he said, but he was blushing all the same.
Kirk gave them both a mock scowl. "We were just about to come up with a plan too," he insisted. "Right, Spock?"
Spock looked dazed, as though he hadn't heard. Kirk frowned. "You okay?"
"I am uninjured," Spock confirmed.
Kirk squeezed his shoulder. "Not what I meant," he said.
Just then, the transporter came back to life, and Chekov materialised on the pad. He looked downcast.
"Well?" Kirk questioned him.
Chekov bit on his lip as though trying to decide on an appropriate response. "She had reasons for staying," he said simply, and without another glance at any of them, made his way out of the transporter room.
Kirk watched him go curiously, but made no move to follow him. He toyed idly with the torn seam of his shirt sleeve.
"You appear to be making a habit of that," Spock observed.
"What?" Kirk followed Spock's gaze to his damaged shirt. "Yeah," he said with a wry smile. "My yeoman'll go ballistic."
Spock looked as though he were going to say something else, but then glanced over towards Scotty and Uhura, both of whom were watching them with evident curiosity, and thought better of it. "If you will excuse me," Spock said, somewhat stiffly, then made his exit.
It took Kirk a moment to realise that he was staring after his first officer, and that Uhura was watching him, looking thoughtful.
"Captain," she said, not unpleasantly, before she turned to follow Spock, leaving Kirk and Scotty alone in the transporter room.
"So what was in that transmission?" Kirk asked.
Scotty shrugged. "Not really sure, to tell ye the truth. Nyota seemed to think no really advanced aliens could be properly evil – which, by the way, definitely not true – so she put together some stuff from the ship's library all about human culture and history and the like. Ye'd have to ask her."
Kirk nodded, only half listening. Then something registered, and he snapped his head in Scotty's direction. "Nyota? How come everyone gets to call her that but me?"
"Jim?" came a voice from the doorway.
"Hey Bones!" Kirk greeted his friend with a dazzling smile. "Got some of that Saurian brandy?"
Bones shook his head and muttered something incoherent, but led him off towards Sickbay. Once they were safely ensconced in his office, brandy in hand, Bones said, "So what happened to Chekov?"
"Hmm?"
"He was a bit of a mess when he turned up on the bridge."
"Oh." Kirk frowned. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. Thought it best to leave him alone. Think I should go find out?"
"Nah. Last I saw, Sulu was marching him back to his quarters; he's in good hands. Spock didn't look too happy, either."
That caught Kirk's attention. "What?"
Bones sighed, shaking his head and pouring himself another glass. "Course, he never does, but…"
Kirk fought the urge to go and find Spock, reasoning that Uhura was probably with him. He turned what he hoped was a casual-looking smile on Bones. "He's fine."
Bones just scowled at that, though. "That's what worries me," he said darkly. Then, in an apparent non-sequitur, he added, "You were lucky to get out of this one. See what I mean about space being too dangerous for us to go gallivanting around in?"
Kirk grinned, took a long sip of brandy and leaned back in his chair. "Yep," he said. "Isn't it great?"
Continued in Part IV
Author:
rhaegalPairing: Kirk/Spock
Rating: PG this part. Still. But getting there.
Summary:The ongoing mission of the USS Enterprise under the new captaincy of Captain Kirk. In this part, a distress call takes the Enterprise to Talos IV…
A/N: Beta-read by the lovely
waketosleep, who is a dirty enabler.This series makes a lot of TOS references, but you don't need to have seen the episodes. Ultimately, it's all (eventually) about fixing the science in the new movie. And about the slash, of course.
Part I // Part II
The Enterprise had many fine qualities. In fact, Captain Kirk wouldn't normally hear a word against her.
Nonetheless, the addition of a couple of hundred passengers made her feel decidedly small.
He had never appreciated, for instance, just how narrow the corridors were, or how slow the turbolifts – and if he caught one more person stopping the lift between floors while he was waiting, he was having them assigned to permanent laundry duty.
All in all, as thrilled as he was to have been able to rescue the crew of the Excalibur - and he would confess to some pride at being able to deliver the far more experienced Captain Harris safely to the nearest Starbase – he was even more thrilled to have seen them off.
He grinned all the way to the bridge, dropping into his chair with a dramatic flourish and favouring each of his officers with his most dazzling smile. They all responded in kind – except for Spock, but he quirked an eyebrow in what Kirk decided was his equivalent.
"She's all ours again." Kirk gave a happy sigh and patted the arm of his chair. "Let's take her out."
"Separating from spacedock now, Captain," Sulu confirmed.
"Don't forget ze parking brake," said Chekov.
Sulu's response was to lean over and swat him on the arm. Chekov made an indignant noise, and they both laughed.
Kirk watched this exchange, aware that his eyebrows were creeping upwards. By the time he thought to order them to focus on the task at hand, though, they were already back in professional mode, so he let it go.
"Ready for warp," Sulu confirmed.
As they jumped to warp speed, Kirk allowed himself another smile. After a while, he realised Spock was watching him with a curious, and perhaps slightly nervous, expression on his face. Unabashed, Kirk shrugged.
"Doesn't it feel good to be back to normal?" he said.
Spock lifted one eyebrow. "Normal is a relative term, Captain," he said, and turned back to his station.
Uhura let out a low chuckle, and from across the bridge Lieutenant Russ from Engineering joined in.
Kirk tensed, waiting for someone to bark them to order. It was only when he caught Chekov sneaking a glance back towards him that it hit him; he made the rules here, and this was how it was going to be.
"Other people don't think being threatened by crazy aliens is normal?" he addressed the bridge at large, wearing the most innocent expression he could muster.
Sulu snorted. "I'll take that over a diplomatic mission any day."
"Careful what you wish for," said Uhura.
From there, the conversation turned into a discussion of just how many Klingon vessels would need to be firing on them before they'd rather take a dilithium mining treaty mission instead. Eventually even Spock joined in to posit a power-law relationship between the perceived risk of a mission and the dullness of the alternative they would accept. That made Kirk roll his eyes and declare Spock the biggest geek he had ever met, but he did so with a fond smile.
For the first time since assuming command of the Enterprise, Kirk actually enjoyed a shift that consisted of nothing more than travelling at warp speed through empty space.
They didn't talk constantly, by any means, but light conversation and occasional banter drifted across the bridge, until in no time at all beta shift arrived to relieve them.
Kirk was grinning like a madman when he sauntered into Sickbay. Bones greeted him with his customary scowl.
"What have you done now?" Bones asked, his tone accusing.
Kirk hopped onto a biobed. "Is that how you've been taught to greet your captain?"
Bones snorted. "I still can't believe they gave you a ship."
"Yet you still insisted on being assigned to it."
"Only to keep an eye on you."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, turns out I'm the best captain ever. Or I have the best crew ever. Or possibly both." He jabbed a finger in Bones' direction. "And don't give me that sceptical look."
"That what you came here to tell me?"
"Pretty much." Kirk jumped down from the bed and slapped Bones on the back. "Dinner?"
Bones heaved a long-suffering sigh, but followed him out of Sickbay. When they got to the mess hall, Spock was already there and was sitting alone, so Kirk joined him. Bones scowled at them both, but took the seat beside Kirk.
"I'll say one thing for him," Bones grouched, gesturing towards Spock with his eyes. "At least he eats right."
Kirk glanced between Spock's salad and his own steak, and snorted. "I'm healthy as a horse."
"Fascinating," said Spock. "I seem to recall Doctor McCoy also once compared you to an equine."
Bones choked on his dinner.
"A stallion, if I recall correctly," Spock continued over Bones' indignant splutter.
Kirk hooted with laughter and slapped Bones on the back. Red-faced, Bones glowered at Spock. "You're the one who was on about breaking him."
Kirk leaned back in his seat with a grin. "You two are better than a holovid," he declared, and this time earned scowls from them both.
The next morning, Kirk was whistling jubilantly as he made his way to the bridge. There were no emergencies, his crew was awesome, and he was actually looking forward to presiding over an uneventful shift.
His good mood ended the moment he stepped out of the turbolift and sensed the tension on the bridge.
"Captain," Uhura called him over. "I'm picking up a strange signal."
"What is it?"
"I – I don't know." Uhura's face was screwed up in concentration as she worked the controls. "It's –"
"What?" Kirk prompted as she broke off.
"It's not coming through on a subspace channel. It's radio."
"Radio?" Kirk made a face. "Who would be using radio out here?"
"Give me a moment, Captain," said Uhura. "I just need to calibrate…"
Kirk looked over to Spock, intending to ask him to check the scanners, but Spock was already bent over his station doing exactly that. Kirk was left to wait by Uhura, earning himself a scowl when he began drumming his fingers on the back of her chair.
"It's a distress signal," she declared at last. "From the SS Columbia?" she frowned and gave Kirk an apologetic shrug. "I've never heard of it."
"That ship went missing more than twenty years ago," said Spock from his station.
"Can you trace the origin of the signal?" Kirk asked him.
"Affirmative." A long pause, then, "Allowing for the signal having travelled at light speed for twenty-two years, I project a point of origin in the Talos system."
"Do we know anything about that system?"
"Very little," Spock replied. "It is as yet unexplored, but is known to have eleven planets. The fourth in the system is Class M."
"There's a chance they could have survived there, then?"
Spock turned around then to look directly at him. His expression may have looked neutral to anyone else, but Kirk caught the slight twitch of an eyebrow and tilt of his head that he knew would translate to a shrug in anyone else.
"For twenty-two years?" Spock said. "The probability of survival is –"
"A ridiculously low number, I know," Kirk cut him off. "I also know you'll agree with me when I say we should go anyway."
Spock's only response was a raised eyebrow, but Kirk took that for assent. He grinned, patted the back of Uhura's chair and returned to his own. "Chekov," he ordered. "Plot a course for Talos IV."
"Course already laid in, sir."
Kirk's grin broadened. "Ahead maximum warp, Mr Sulu."
"Aye, sir."
"You are tense," Spock observed during their chess game that evening.
Kirk rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed. "Starfleet Command took some convincing that this mission was worth it," he admitted.
"Understandable," said Spock, giving one of his minute shrugs. "Factoring in both the deviation from course and the likelihood of success –"
"Doesn't that bother you, though?" Kirk moved his bishop with more force than was strictly necessary.
"It is –"
"Dammit, don't tell me it's logical," Kirk huffed and rose to get himself another drink from the replicator. "You need more tea?" Spock did not take his eyes off the board, but gave a slight nod.
"So anyway," Kirk continued once he was seated again. "Imagine you got stranded on some rock somewhere. Wouldn't you like to think that if someone got your distress signal they'd, you know, answer? Not think, 'Oh, it's a bit out of my way…'"
"I would hope that they would respond if it was the best use of Starfleet resources," Spock replied.
"Bullshit."
Spock raised an eyebrow, and Kirk could have sworn he saw a hint of a smirk as he made his move. He watched Spock remove his bishop from the board and scowled.
"You ever get stranded somewhere," said Kirk as he considered his next move, "I'm not coming after you."
When Spock did not respond, Kirk sneaked a glance over at him. He was running a finger idly over the rim of his teacup and looked deep in thought.
"It is illogical," Spock said at last. "But I see your point."
"Hey, did I just win?" Kirk clapped his hands and beamed.
Spock fixed him with his level gaze, an eyebrow inching upwards. "I concede that your illogical actions have some merit. However…" Without taking his eyes off Kirk, he moved his knight and pronounced, "Checkmate."
Kirk deflated immediately. "Really?" He examined the board and scowled at his surviving pieces. "I thought my whole 'playing illogically' thing was infallible."
"Your strategy may be illogical at first glance, but you still demonstrate clear patterns in your play."
"Shouldn't have let you get so used to me," Kirk grumbled, though in truth he was struggling to feel any real irritation. "Guess I'll just have to come up with crazier strategies."
"I look forward to breaking them down," Spock said without meeting his eyes.
Kirk felt inexplicably like smiling at the realisation that he, too, relished the challenge. He felt dangerously close to saying so, though, so he cleared his throat and sat up straight. "How long 'til we get to Talos?"
Spock's reply was immediate. "Three weeks, two days and six point four hours."
Kirk gaped at the 'three weeks' part and did not hear the rest. "Are you kidding me? Scotty said he'd got us warp seven. I thought that was supposed to be pretty quick?"
Spock gave him that condescending look he used when he knew Kirk was being deliberately obtuse but had decided to humour him anyway. "Warp seven equates to three hundred and forty-three times the speed of light. This fits most definitions of 'pretty quick,' as you put it. Nonetheless, with twenty-two light years to cover…"
"Right, I know," Kirk sighed. "It's just, they never tell you about this bit. In the training vids, everything happens so fast, they make it look like you can just zip from system to system in minutes." He scowled. "I sort of see Komack's point now."
"May I enquire as to how you persuaded him to change his mind?"
"Luckily, it just happens to be on the way to some planet they wanted checked out, so I had to agree to take on some boring science mission. Completely uninhabited, as far as anyone can tell." He made a face to indicate how pointless he felt that rendered the mission. "But lots of rocks. You'll love it, I'm sure."
"The galaxy is a large place," said Spock. "There will be many opportunities for you to be physically assaulted by various lifeforms, as seems to be your preferred activity."
Kirk glared at him, but had to concede the point. "Well, it beats rocks and anything involving dress uniform," he grumbled.
The faintest hint of a smile ghosted across Spock's face. It only really touched his eyes, but Kirk was used to that by now.
Kirk thought the weeks were going to pass agonisingly slowly, but in fact he found it refreshing. There was time to build up routine aboard the ship, and he found that he enjoyed the pattern that life fell into, even the long hours on the bridge. He took fencing lessons from Sulu, and while he'd yet to win, he found after the second week that he was no longer embarrassingly hopeless at it. Sulu even pronounced him "not as bad as Pavel." It took a moment for Kirk to realise who Pavel was, in which time Sulu had lunged at him and he had to concede defeat yet again.
Meanwhile, Uhura set up some sort of music society, which provided entertainment for the crew. At first, Spock accompanied them on a Vulcan lyre, but after the first week he stopped participating, citing a lack of enthusiasm for Terran music. Kirk wondered at this but never pressed the matter, as it meant their chess nights increased in frequency. In those weeks, he lost more games than he won, but found he didn't mind too much.
Soon, though, gym sessions were added to the extra chess nights. Kirk was hopelessly outmatched by Spock's Vulcan strength, but enjoyed the sessions nonetheless. Somehow that led to their taking meals together, and Kirk had to wonder when Spock was finding the time to spend with Uhura. Though Spock and Uhura still acted perfectly friendly on the bridge, he reasoned to himself, so there was obviously no problem.
Scotty was the only one who seemed not to enjoy the break. He fretted daily about the warp drive being pushed for such an extended period, and spent most of his time down in Engineering, where Kirk guessed he was singing Scottish lullabies to the engines in an attempt to soothe them.
Still, everyone was pleased when they finally came into orbit above Talos IV, for as welcome as the respite may have been to most, they all spoiled for action.
"Assuming standard orbit now," Sulu declared.
There was a collective intake of breath and all eyes turned to Spock, who was bent over the scanner. An interminable silence followed. Kirk began to dread having to make a grovelling apology to Komack for wasting time on a wild goose chase, and resolved to insist that it had still been worth it.
Finally, Spock sat back and looked around at him. There was disbelief on his face, marked only by parted lips and a slight crease to his brow. The rest of the bridge crew looked crestfallen, but Kirk grinned, knowing what was coming.
"Sensors record human life signs," Spock announced. "I have transmitted the coordinates to the transporter room."
There was a further moment of silence, then a spontaneous round of applause that Kirk was fairly sure started with Chekov.
Kirk leapt up from his chair and clapped his hands. "All right," he said, and the applause died down as everyone came to attention. "Sulu, Chekov, transporter room in five minutes." He turned to Uhura. "Have Dr McCoy meet us there. Mr Scott, you have the conn."
He met Spock's eyes before turning for the turbolift, leaving Sulu and Chekov to hand over their stations. He waited inside the lift, holding the doors open until Spock joined him.
Spock stood beside him, his hands clasped behind his back, and was silent until the doors closed. Once they were alone, his eyebrows drew together and he took a breath as though about to say something, then evidently thought better of it and fixed his gaze on the opposite wall of the lift.
"Problem?" Kirk prompted.
Spock's eyes flickered towards him. "As First Officer," he said evenly, "I believe it is my duty to remind you of regulations regarding your inclusion in the landing party."
Kirk fought back a grin and stared at the ceiling. "And you know I'll just ignore you, right?"
"Indeed."
Kirk laughed. "Are we going to have this conversation before every away mission?"
"The probability is extremely high."
The turbolift doors opened, and two passing ensigns were greeted by the sight of their captain laying a hand on the first officer's arm with a decidedly fond smile.
Spock stiffened, and they walked to the transporter room in silence. Bones was waiting for them, eyeing the transporter pad with suspicion. Kirk grinned and slapped him on the back. "Ready to have your molecules disassembled?"
Bones glowered at him. For some reason, this only caused Kirk's grin to broaden.
Momentarily, they were joined by Sulu and Chekov, the former looking as wary as the latter was eager.
"Hikaru thinks there are not being any surwiwors," said Chekov said of the helmsman's disposition.
Sulu scowled at Chekov and explained, "Uhura tried to hail them, but –"
"They are only hawing old radios," Chekov cut in.
Kirk got the distinct impression they'd had this argument before, and had to hide his amusement. "We'll soon find out, and we're going to try nonetheless. Long odds are still odds, Mr Sulu."
"Of course, sir."
With no small amount of trepidation, Kirk took his place on the transporter pad and waited for the others to join him before giving the command, "Energise."
The planet's surface was rocky and barren. The sun on his back was hot, but not oppressively so, and the air was dry. There was an odd hum in the air, like distant music, but no signs of life.
Spock examined his tricorder and led them off over some rocks. They had walked for no more than a few minutes when Sulu called, "Captain!"
Kirk halted in his tracks. Sulu had found a plant of some description, with flattened blue flowers. Kirk exchanged a look with Spock and made his way over cautiously.
"Careful," he said. "We haven't had great luck with alien plants."
Sulu just grinned and took hold of one of the blue flowers. "Hear that?"
Kirk frowned. The strange hum he had heard was quieter now. Sulu held another flower still, and Chekov reached around him to help. When all the flowers were restrained, the sound ceased entirely, and an eerie silence stretched out around them. Sulu looked enthralled, but Kirk was thoroughly creeped out.
"I am not seeing singing plants before," Chekov piped up.
Kirk eyed the plant suspiciously. "Let's move on," he said.
He wasn't sure what he expected to see. Spock may have recorded human life signs, but the idea of any crew surviving in this barren wasteland for twenty-two years was unthinkable. So when they rounded a corner and saw a decidedly human camp, and heard human voices speaking in English, Kirk froze.
It was the strangest thing. He hadn't thought to find anything like this here, but if he had considered it, then what was before him was exactly what he would have pictured as a survivors' camp.
There were makeshift shelters fashioned from parts of a broken-up ship, arranged in an approximate circle. In the centre was the remains of a bonfire, surrounded by stones. The human occupants of the encampment were dressed in tattered remnants of old-fashioned clothing.
Kirk approached the camp cautiously, the others a pace behind him, and Spock staying particularly close. One by one, the survivors noticed them, and stopped what they were doing to stare openly.
For a long moment, no one said anything. Then, at last, an elderly man cried, "Humans! Can it really be?"
Then there was a cacophony of exclamations and cries of delight as they hugged each other and ran towards their rescuers.
Kirk felt numb, as though he were watching someone else approach the camp. He could think of nothing to say. When he reached the edge of the encampment, he stopped. Spock drew level with him, still examining his tricorder intently. Bones was shaking his head in disbelief, and Chekov was grinning.
The man who had spoken first approached them, wonder and incredulity on his face. "Are you…?"
"From Earth, yes," said Bones when Kirk could not form a response. Bones shot a look towards Spock. "Most of us, anyway."
"Then you got our message? It's been so long…"
"By Earth count, twenty-two years, one month and an uncertain number of days," Spock filled in.
For some reason, that snapped Kirk to attention. He smiled and shot Spock an amused glance before turning to the man in front of him. "Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise," he introduced himself. "This is First Officer Mr Spock, Chief Medical Officer Doctor McCoy, Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov. How do you feel about going home?"
A cheer went up around the camp, and they were beckoned into the centre to meet everyone. Bones went to work right away, scanning everyone with his tricorder and muttering to himself.
After only a few minutes, Sulu approached him. "Permission to go and study those plants, Captain?"
Kirk fought the urge to squirm. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about those plants made him uneasy."I don't know," he hedged. "I'm not sure I trust anything that sings if we can't see where it keeps its brain."
"Captain," Spock interjected, "the sound you heard is merely the breeze passing over the plant's surface. According to my readings, they should be quite harmless." At Kirk's frown, he added, "I would like to take further readings of the planet's surface, so I could accompany the lieutenant."
"Fine," said Kirk with a sigh. As an afterthought, he added to Sulu, "But don't eat it." Sulu shot him an exasperated look. "And stay in regular contact."
"Aye, sir."
As Sulu and Spock wandered off, Kirk watched them go, gnawing nervously on his lip.
"They're fine, Jim," Bones assured him from where he was scanning someone nearby. "And cataloguing new life is supposed to be what we're about."
"Maybe I should call a couple of the science department down?" Kirk mused.
"Hikaru is a wery keen botanist," said Chekov, taking Kirk by surprise.
"Really?" Kirk wasn't sure whether he was more surprised that he didn't know that, or that Chekov did.
He was soon distracted, though, when he was drawn back into a conversation about progress on Earth. The Columbia had left Earth before he was even born, he realised, feeling increasing respect for these people who had survived with dignity for so long.
Eventually, Bones completed his rounds and pulled Kirk aside.
"Well?" Kirk prompted when Bones did not immediately give his report.
Bones shook his head. "I can't explain it, Jim," he said. "They're all perfectly healthy."
"That's a good thing, right?"
Bones shrugged. "I guess, but…" he frowned and looked around. "Have you seen this place? Barren as anything. How'd they do it?"
"Does it matter?" Kirk replied with a shrug. "What matters is they're alive, we get to play hero and take them home, and Komack will have to agree I was right to insist we come here."
Bones scowled at that, but then he was always scowling, so Kirk just clapped him on the arm and said, "Come on, let's get everyone together and beam up. Where's Chekov?"
"Over there." Bones jerked his head towards the other side of the camp. "Talking to some girl, last I saw him."
"Girl?" Kirk looked around curiously; all he'd seen were aging scientists.
"Yeah, Vina, she said her name was. Born here, poor thing."
Unable to see Chekov, Kirk reached for his communicator. "Kirk to Chekov," he called. "Location?"
There was no response. "Chekov," Kirk repeated. "Report."
Still nothing. Kirk and Bones exchanged a worried glance. "Mr Spock?" Kirk tried next. "Lieutenant Sulu?"
"Captain!" Sulu's voice came not from his communicator but from behind him. Kirk turned around to see Sulu jogging towards them. "It's Spock," he panted. "He just…" he made a vague gesture with his hands. "He vanished."
The leaden weight of panic settled in Kirk's gut. "Vanished? How?"
Sulu shook his head, apparently struggling to find words to explain. "He was there, right next to me," he said. "And then he…wasn't."
Kirk flipped open his communicator again. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Mr Scott here, Captain."
"Scotty, can you locate Mr Spock and Ensign Chekov?"
A pause that seemed to drag on forever, then there came a hesitant, "Negative, sir."
Feeling desperate, Kirk turned back to the camp to question the Columbia crew, but just then they disappeared into thin air. No trace of the camp was left, just an expanse of dry sand and barren rocks.
"What the…" Kirk gasped at the empty space before them.
"Jim," said Bones carefully. "I don't know about you, but I'm starting to suspect this may have been a set-up."
Kirk snorted. "No shit, Sherlock."
"This way," said Sulu. "Spock and I were about to show you this when it happened… I might know where they are."
Kirk and McCoy followed Sulu back to where he had been examining exotic plants. He pointed up at a large rock face. Kirk thought it looked unremarkable at first glance, but then he squinted and saw something like a doorway carved into the rock. There seemed to be a pathway leading up to it. Drawing his phaser, he ran towards it and gestured for the others to follow.
The doorway was, predictably, sealed. Kirk tried a few running leaps at it before Bones hauled him away, muttering about doing himself an injury. Kirk stepped back, rubbing at his shoulder through his torn shirt.
Next, Sulu suggested firing on it, so they moved back to the ground below and Kirk aimed his phaser at the doorway. Nothing happened. They tried firing all three phasers at once. Again, nothing happened.
Kirk scowled at the offending rock. "It makes no sense," he complained. "That much energy should have brought the whole thing down."
"Unless…" said Sulu.
But Kirk didn't get to hear the rest of Sulu's thought, because the scene before him suddenly swam, and then vanished.
Kirk spun around a few times, seeing his surroundings but too disoriented to take them in. Then he saw Spock, and he paused and took a deep breath.
"Thank God," he said. "You're alive."
Spock gave a minute frown that told Kirk he was refraining from pointing out that his continued existence owed little to any deity, then his eyes flickered to the side. Kirk turned, and staggered.
For the first time, he saw that they were in a cage, fronted by a transparent panel through which he could see three aliens. They appeared essentially humanoid, but so pale as to be almost translucent, and with grotesquely enlarged heads laced with pulsating veins.
Kirk lunged for the front of the cage, throwing his entire weight against the panel. It did not give; he was thrown back and landed firmly on his ass.
Interesting, said a voice that had to come from one of the aliens, though none of their lips moved. This one is more primitive than the other. See how it immediately rushes to demonstrate its physical prowess.
Kirk hauled himself to his feet, chagrined but puzzled. He looked between Spock and the aliens.
Witness the confusion as it hears our thoughts, the voice continued.
"Why did you bring him here?" Spock demanded of them.
We read in your mind that you desired this one's company, came the voiceless response. We wish all our specimens to be content in their new lives.
For some reason, Spock was agitated by this. He began clasping and unclasping his hands behind his back, and spoke through gritted teeth as he said, "Let him and the ship go, and I will stay."
"Spock," Kirk scoffed. "Don't pull that noble martyr crap. Now, you want to fill me in?"
"I believe the situation is self-explanatory," said Spock, not meeting Kirk's eyes. "We are in some sort of menagerie, held captive by a telepathic race which possesses the power of illusion."
"Right, I got that much." Kirk darted a nervous look towards the Talosians, who were watching Spock carefully.
The one with the pointed ears fancies himself quite intelligent, said one voice in his head.
Yet his ship was lured here so easily by our simulated transmission, added another.
"So that was faked, then," said Kirk, turning on them. "There were no survivors from the Columbia?"
They did not respond. Kirk sighed and reached for his phaser.
"You will find your phaser depleted of charge," said Spock.
"It was charged when we – oh." Spock was right, his phaser was useless. His communicator, too, proved ineffective. "What now, then? What do they want with us?"
"Unknown," said Spock. "So far they have done little but insult my intelligence. They seem quite amused by your more emotional reactions."
Kirk glared at Spock, then at the Talosians.
These two are most captivating, one of them said in his mind. I believe we are ready to begin.
"Begin what?" Kirk demanded.
The pointed-eared one has a strong emotional attachment to this place. We shall start here.
Kirk opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but then the Talosians disappeared, the whole cage began to flicker, and suddenly he was somewhere else.
The landscape was red and arid, desert sands beneath his feet and a scorching sun overhead. They were high on a hill, and in the valley beneath them lay a large ringed city. A sister planet hung over the horizon like a vast moon.
Spock was by his side, staring wide-eyed at his surroundings. It took Kirk a moment to orient himself, but then everything fell into place and he had no need to ask where they were.
"I never saw Vulcan," Kirk said quietly. "I mean, before –"
Spock did not respond at first, but Kirk could see that he was struggling to keep hold of his neutral expression. Kirk took a step closer, reached out to lay a hand on Spock's arm, but thought better of it and clasped his hands behind his back in imitation of Spock's pose.
"This is an illusion," Spock stated, though whether to Kirk or to himself Kirk couldn’t be sure.
"Looks pretty real," Kirk remarked, turning around to look at their surroundings. "I can even feel the heat of the sun."
Spock regarded him carefully. "The atmosphere on Vulcan is – was – thinner than on Earth. I am curious to know whether they are able to replicate the effects of that."
Kirk laughed. "Ever the scientist, eh?" He was breathing rather heavily, though, but perhaps that was only because Spock had pointed it out.
Spock looked away, turning his attention to the city beneath them. "Every detail," he murmured to himself.
Kirk fidgeted, suddenly awkward. He had no idea what the appropriate etiquette was for when you were inexplicably transported to an exact replica of your friend's recently-destroyed planet.
"Want to show me around?" he tried.
Spock turned to face him, his eyes narrowed. Kirk looked away; apparently that wasn't the correct response, then.
"What do you think they want from us?" he tried instead.
"I have formulated a number of theories," Spock replied. "The currently prevailing one is that we are here for their amusement."
"So they just want to see how we act?"
"Presumably."
"Okay." Kirk picked a rock and sat down. "So we just don't play."
Spock nodded, and looked as though he was moving to join him, but suddenly Kirk's head felt as though it was being split in two. He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip against the onslaught of lancing pain.
It spread like fire through his body, as though his blood were boiling in his veins. In his head he was screaming, though whether he gave voice to it he couldn't have said.
Then, just as abruptly as it had begun, the pain vanished. Kirk opened his eyes to find he was kneeling in the sand. Spock, who was kneeling before him, hastily dropped Kirk's hand and got to his feet.
Kirk hoisted himself back up onto the rock and rubbed at his temples. "Ow," he said.
Spock frowned and took a step towards him, then halted and looked away. "I would surmise that the Talosians are using pain as a motivator."
"Ya think?"
Spock's hands clenched. "That is the city of ShiKahr," he said. "You may see where I was raised."
Kirk clambered to his feet. "We're playing along, then?"
Spock's eyes flickered to Kirk's for a moment, then he led the way down into the valley.
Vulcan, Kirk decided as they walked, was a lot like its people. Or rather, like the image they tried to project: hot in temperature, but cold in temperament. The architecture was large and grand, but forbidding and unadorned with decoration.
There was no one else in sight, which was perhaps to be expected given that this was an illusion. It was hard to believe it wasn't real though, so finely detailed were their surroundings. It felt real, too; he could touch the buildings, even feel the dry heat of the air.
Kirk stopped before one of the more domineering buildings. "I feel like I've seen that before," he said.
"That is the Vulcan Science Academy," Spock explained, coming to stand beside him.
"Oh. I guess I must have seen a holo or something." Kirk sounded unconvincing even to his own ears, but Spock didn't press the matter.
They continued along wide streets that became progressively narrower. Spock explained that they were coming into the Old Quarter and pointed out some of the tourist attractions. Kirk listened with rapt attention, painfully aware that none of this was real yet simultaneously thrilled to have a chance to see this lost world.
There was something exciting about seeing Spock's home, too. He had never imagined Spock as a child, but when he pointed out his school – a peculiar building that hung like a vast stalactite above them – he was suddenly filled with questions. He voiced some of them and, though hesitant, Spock demonstrated uncharacteristic patience with him.
"Vulcan schooling is quite different to that which I witnessed on Earth," Spock explained. "The teaching is tailored individually to each child, whereas Humans opt for group instruction."
"You're on your own? Sounds a bit boring."
Spock raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the school. "On the contrary, most educational theorists concur that –"
"I don't care about that," Kirk interrupted. "What was it like?" Spock looked as though he didn't understand the question, so Kirk tried again. "What about the other kids? Are all Vulcan kids chess club nerds or do you have jocks and get into fights?" He hurriedly bit back the amusement that image provoked.
Spock hesitated before replying, and did not meet his eyes. "I had little to do with the Vulcan children."
It took Kirk a moment to realise that Spock had phrased his response in such a way as to exclude himself from the group of Vulcan children. He mentally kicked himself and rushed to change the subject. "Where'd you learn to play chess?"
Spock looked at him and inclined his head. "I instructed myself," he said as though that ought to be obvious.
"Of course you did," Kirk murmured with a smile.
They continued down another street, with Spock giving occasional commentary. Kirk found he was enjoying himself so much that he had to constantly remind himself that they were really in a prison.
They came at last to a large house, built of the same sand-coloured stone as the rest of the city, but with one side composed of glass in geometric shapes.
"This was the house of Sarek," said Spock.
Kirk let out a low whistle. "Fancy," he said.
Spock gave him an odd look, and led him inside. The doors were open, and Kirk pretended not to notice that Spock looked around as though expecting to find someone inside.
The house was large and spacious, all elegant lines and swooping curves. Up close, Kirk saw that the windows were more ornate than they appeared from outside. He wondered idly whether this house bore the influence of Spock's human mother, or whether Vulcans were simply less detached than they appeared.
"Nice place," he remarked. He hadn't appreciated how important Spock's family had been on Vulcan, and only then recalled that his father was the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He recalled little of Sarek from the Vulcan's time on the Enterprise. Certainly Kirk had been somewhat distracted at the time, but also, he reflected wryly, he had been far less interested in Spock's personal life then than he was now.
Spock was standing by the large window, looking out onto a terrace. Kirk watched him for a moment. He was perfectly still, his hands clasped neatly behind his back, a statuesque silhouette against the bright sun outside.
Kirk approached him slowly and stood by his side, their arms brushing together. Spock tensed slightly, but then relaxed and did not move away. Smiling inwardly at the small victory, Kirk followed his gaze out onto the terrace, wondering what he was recalling. He tried to imagine how he would feel in Spock's position, but drew a complete blank.
At length, Spock broke the silence. "There is much to see on Vulcan," he said. "The volcanoes and some of the ancient ruins in particular attract many visitors. Perhaps you would prefer to see these things."
"Not really," said Kirk. At Spock's questioning eyebrow, he added, "I kind of like seeing where you came from, actually. What was she like?"
An uncertain look flashed across Spock's face, but he didn't pretend to misunderstand. "She had a fondness for a Terran author named Lewis Carroll. I recall a tale involving a white rabbit, which she would read to me out there." He indicated the terrace. "It was most illogical."
"Yeah," Kirk agreed with a laugh. "That one's about as illogical as they get, in fact."
"I had little appreciation for it at the time," Spock admitted.
"She must have had some sense of humour, to pick that book, here of all places."
"The Human concept of humour is not something I –"
"Bullshit," Kirk interrupted. "You inherited hers, I'll bet."
Despite having known for some time that Spock's mother was human, Kirk had never really stopped to consider what it must have been like for a human woman to be married to a Vulcan, and to live here amongst the most repressed race in the galaxy.
Spock wasn't so bad, of course, but Spock was half human. He had that cold veneer, but it was only a mask for his human traits, and coaxing out glimpses of that emotional human side was a constant thrill. He tried to imagine Spock without that side, an aloof Vulcan to the core, and shuddered. His mother must have been a remarkable and brave woman indeed.
When his thoughts returned to the present, he realised Spock was watching him. He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"I never apologised for that stuff I said," Kirk began, looking out of the window.
"That is unnecessary. It is evident that your aim was for me to resign command, and I cannot dispute the results of that."
"Still." Kirk darted a gaze towards Spock, then hurriedly looked away again. "It was out of line. I'm sorry."
Spock looked away. Had he not known better, Kirk would have wondered if he'd heard.
"It's hot here," Kirk remarked, a little too loudly in his attempt to lighten the mood. "You guys don't have air con?"
It took a moment for Spock to reply, but when he did his voice was even, as though nothing unusual had transpired. "The temperature is at a comfortable level for a Vulcan. Nonetheless, there are environmental controls if you are unable to –"
"No, it's fine," Kirk lied. "Seriously, this is normal to you?" Spock inclined his head. "Wow. The Enterprise must be like living in a fridge."
Spock made that shrugging gesture with his eyes. "It is frequently uncomfortable, but I am – was – adjusting to it."
Kirk frowned at Spock's correction. "We will get back, you know."
"How?"
"The others will be looking for us," Kirk declared with confidence. He was right, he knew it, they just –
Suddenly, the surroundings began to fade from view. He instinctively reached for Spock, and the next thing he knew, they were back in their cage, and he was grasping Spock's forearm. He dropped it abruptly and stepped away, glaring at the Talosians.
"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "Did you get what you wanted?"
This one is interesting, said an alien voice in his head. It lacks some of the intelligence of the other human, but demonstrates remarkable compassion.
"Wait." Kirk's head snapped up at that. "Other human? You have Chekov too? Where is he?"
The one you call Chekov has been selected to repopulate your species on this planet. He is quite well.
Repopulate? Kirk stared at them, dumbly. "And what about McCoy and Sulu?"
They were not required at this time, and have returned to your ship.
Kirk's mind was racing. Part of him sincerely hoped Scotty would have the sense to get the Enterprise out of there, though another part of him was terrified by the thought that he might do just that.
Spock spoke up then, for the first time since they had returned from Vulcan. "You speak of repopulating," he said, his voice as calm as ever. "Then you also have a human female?"
A female was the sole survivor of the vessel that crashed here. We have long sought a mate for her, as the species shows great promise.
"Great promise for what?" Kirk yelled, banging his fists against the front of the cage.
The Talosians backed away as though frightened. Kirk took a step back and looked over at Spock, who had cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.
"Why were you unable to anticipate his movements?" Spock enquired. "If you are reading our minds."
There was no response, but Kirk shot a satisfied smirk over to Spock. They were onto something, then.
Magistrate, said one of the voices. There are other human females on board the ship currently orbiting our planet. Perhaps this one would make a good secondary candidate for repopulation.
"No!" Kirk roared. "You leave my crew alone!"
Again, they looked at him in surprise.
I read one particular female in its thoughts, said one of the voices, and dammit Kirk wished he could tell which one was speaking – hearing their voices in his head was far too weird. She has been the subject of many of its fantasies, though such thoughts seem to be insincere.
Kirk felt his face heat. He cast a surreptitious glance towards Spock, whose eyebrow was raised in something approximating amusement.
She will do.
Kirk opened his mouth to protest, but suddenly he felt himself being whisked away again, and before he could speak he was in a familiar bar back in Iowa.
"Dammit," he snapped. "Will you stop doing that?"
Unlike Vulcan, the bar was full of people, but no one acknowledged him; he seemed, for all intents and purposes, invisible. Except to one person, who was standing at the bar beside him, looking around in bemusement.
"This is an illusion," Uhura said.
"Yep," Kirk sighed. "So you're Eve, huh?"
Uhura glared at him. "What?"
He held up his hands and shrugged. "Hey, not my doing. How'd you work out we're not really in Iowa, anyway?"
She rolled her eyes. "The camp was an illusion. It didn't take a genius to work that out."
"Looked pretty damn real," Kirk grumbled.
"So where are we really?"
"Some sort of cage. We're like a zoo or a theatre or something to them. They also have Chekov." He bit his lip and looked at the floor. "And Spock."
"And 'they' are?"
"Really freaky aliens with giant heads."
She almost smiled at that, but just as quickly it was replaced with a frown. "We worked out that they must be telepaths of some sort," she explained. "Able to create illusions out of thoughts, memories and so on. McCoy and Sulu both said the camp looked exactly as they would have expected."
Kirk nodded. "Logical," he said.
She did smile at that. "We tried everything. We fired phasers, even turned the whole ship's power on the place."
"Seriously? And it didn't give?"
Uhura shrugged. "Maybe. How would we know, if they can keep us from seeing it?" She looked as though she was going to continue, but then grimaced and clutched her head.
"Shit," said Kirk. He led her over to an empty table and sat her down. "You've gotta play the game," he explained when she opened her eyes. "Or they do that."
"And what is the game?" she asked between clenched teeth, rubbing her head.
"They said something about repopulation," Kirk explained, slumping into the chair opposite her, "so I reckon I have to think really hard about having sex with you. Just so the aliens don't hurt you, you understand…"
Uhura shot him a look that would have cowed a Klingon. "You're an ass."
Kirk assumed his most innocent expression and held up his hands. "Hey, I didn't make the rules," he protested.
"Why did they take you, anyway?" Uhura asked. "And not McCoy or Sulu?"
Kirk glanced nervously at her head, waiting for her to double over in pain again.
"Go on," she insisted. "I can deal. We won't work out how to get out of this unless we figure out what they want."
Kirk shrugged, but continued to eye her nervously as he replied, "Beats me. They said they read in Spock's mind that he wanted my company or something." Suddenly, he felt inexplicably awkward, and hastily added, "Not to repopulate anything. Just… I don't know, actually."
"Interesting," she said distantly, her brow creased in thought.
She sounded more contemplative than annoyed, but Kirk still gave a nervous laugh and felt the absurd urge to try to excuse whatever it was in Spock's mind the Talosians had picked up on. Unable to think of anything to say, he settled for, "Huh?"
"Well, they've got us in some sort of zoo, either for study or entertainment."
"Right," Kirk prompted when she didn't seem as though she was going to continue.
Uhura hesitated before continuing, "But it seems they care about their…specimens, or whatever. They know we need company, so they brought you in for Spock."
Kirk gave her a blank look. "So?"
"So they're not entirely evil. Or they don't mean to be." She sounded oddly triumphant.
"They still have us in a cage against our will," Kirk pointed out with a wry laugh. "And do I need to remind you of the mind control?"
"It's not bad, as mind control goes," said Uhura with a shrug, indicating the perfectly replicated bar.
"Yeah, it's a holiday all right. Minor detail of the whole punishment thing."
"I said they didn't mean to be evil," said Uhura. "We've had zoos on Earth for centuries, and we're not innocent of using pain to motivate animals, either."
"So we're animals now?"
"To them, perhaps."
Kirk shook his head with a mirthless laugh, growing irritated by Uhura's confident demeanour. "And this helps how?"
Uhura grinned. "Because contrary to whatever you might believe, we weren't up there sobbing and flailing wildly when you got taken. We came up with a plan, and now I think it might just work."
"Whose plan is it?"
Uhura leaned back and crossed her legs. "Mine," she said, then shrugged. "And Scotty's."
"So what do we need to do?"
"Nothing. Scotty will sort us out. We were in the middle of it when we were rudely interrupted." She glared at him, as though it was his fault or something. "Just…maybe talk about something else?" She winced and rubbed at her temples.
Kirk grimaced, remembering, and said hurriedly, "Uh, I'm thinking really, really hard about, you know, repopulating. With you. Yeah."
She laughed and shook her head. "No way am I raising any kids of yours."
"Hey! Our kids would be smart and beautiful."
She snorted. "Not to mention arrogant, reckless…"
"Stuck-up," he shot back.
"Smarmy."
"See," Kirk threw up his hands in mock exasperation, "and I was being nice and everything."
Uhura shook her head in disbelief and looked away.
"All right," Kirk conceded. "So I did get two of my crew captured. Including my first officer, which is kind of a no-no. And then got captured myself, which is a bit sucky. And then dragged you into it." He frowned. "I had a point, I'm sure. There was definitely a 'but' in there somewhere."
Uhura was looking at him curiously. He fidgeted under her scrutiny.
"And okay," he said, "Spock may have been right about the whole not-sending-us-both-on-away-missions thing. Maybe."
Uhura huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe I'm going to say this," she said, shaking her head, "but give yourself a break."
"Huh?"
"I still think you're a bit of a moron. With all due respect, Captain. But only because you have years of being a moron to make up for. As captains go, you're…not bad."
Kirk's eyebrows shot up – he was too surprised to even berate her for her insubordination. "Even though I landed us here?"
"Would you rather be the kind of captain who ignores distress calls?"
He grinned and settled back in his chair. "So I'm awesome, huh?"
Uhura glowered at him. "Don't let that go to your head, it's big enough as it is."
Kirk sputtered indignantly, but before he could form a response their surroundings faded away, the darkness of the bar morphing into the bright, sterile cage.
"Oh, for –" Kirk began, but then his eyes widened. "Spock!" He rushed over to his first officer and grasped his arm, unthinking, before quickly stepping away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Uhura watching him. "And Chekov!" he breathed when he saw the young ensign. With Chekov was a young blonde girl he had not seen before.
"Zis is Wina," Chekov introduced her. "See, someone from ze Columbia was being here after all!"
She stepped forward and offered him a shy smile. Kirk nodded a greeting and then turned to the Talosians.
"Well? What are you up to this time?"
We have received a most troubling transmission from your ship.
Kirk felt his stomach plummet, but when he glanced at Uhura he saw she was smiling.
It seems your species is most unsuitable for our purposes, another voice said. You are free to go. With that, they turned away.
Kirk felt oddly deflated at that. "What?" he called after them. "That's it?"
One of the aliens turned back to face them. Our race was all but wiped out long ago when our mastery of illusion overtook reality.
Kirk rolled his eyes. "You can spare us the monologuing."
Very well. Then know only that your species was our last hope of reclaiming this planet. In allowing you to leave, we are condemning our species to death. I hope you will consider this sufficient recompense for any inconvenience you have suffered.
The last Talosian turned away, leaving Kirk uncharacteristically speechless.
"Captain," said Spock. "Our communicators appear to be functional."
Snapping abruptly back to the present, Kirk flipped his open and breathed a sigh of relief. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Scotty here," came the welcome response.
"Good work," said Kirk. "Five to beam up."
"Wait," Vina interjected. "I can't go with you."
"What?" said Chekov.
Vina turned pleading eyes on Kirk. "Perhaps," she said, "you will allow me a moment alone with him to explain."
"No chance," said Kirk. "We're getting out of here."
"But Keptin…" Chekov pleaded.
Kirk rolled his eyes. "Fine. Scotty, three to beam up. Give Chekov one minute. One minute precisely, then beam him up whether he wants it or not. Understood?"
"Aye, Cap'n."
Moments later, the cage was flickering out of focus and being replaced with the transporter room of the Enterprise.
Kirk leapt off the transporter pad, grinning. Uhura followed him and went straight over to Scotty, winked at him and said, "Nice one."
Scotty grinned. "All your idea," he said, but he was blushing all the same.
Kirk gave them both a mock scowl. "We were just about to come up with a plan too," he insisted. "Right, Spock?"
Spock looked dazed, as though he hadn't heard. Kirk frowned. "You okay?"
"I am uninjured," Spock confirmed.
Kirk squeezed his shoulder. "Not what I meant," he said.
Just then, the transporter came back to life, and Chekov materialised on the pad. He looked downcast.
"Well?" Kirk questioned him.
Chekov bit on his lip as though trying to decide on an appropriate response. "She had reasons for staying," he said simply, and without another glance at any of them, made his way out of the transporter room.
Kirk watched him go curiously, but made no move to follow him. He toyed idly with the torn seam of his shirt sleeve.
"You appear to be making a habit of that," Spock observed.
"What?" Kirk followed Spock's gaze to his damaged shirt. "Yeah," he said with a wry smile. "My yeoman'll go ballistic."
Spock looked as though he were going to say something else, but then glanced over towards Scotty and Uhura, both of whom were watching them with evident curiosity, and thought better of it. "If you will excuse me," Spock said, somewhat stiffly, then made his exit.
It took Kirk a moment to realise that he was staring after his first officer, and that Uhura was watching him, looking thoughtful.
"Captain," she said, not unpleasantly, before she turned to follow Spock, leaving Kirk and Scotty alone in the transporter room.
"So what was in that transmission?" Kirk asked.
Scotty shrugged. "Not really sure, to tell ye the truth. Nyota seemed to think no really advanced aliens could be properly evil – which, by the way, definitely not true – so she put together some stuff from the ship's library all about human culture and history and the like. Ye'd have to ask her."
Kirk nodded, only half listening. Then something registered, and he snapped his head in Scotty's direction. "Nyota? How come everyone gets to call her that but me?"
"Jim?" came a voice from the doorway.
"Hey Bones!" Kirk greeted his friend with a dazzling smile. "Got some of that Saurian brandy?"
Bones shook his head and muttered something incoherent, but led him off towards Sickbay. Once they were safely ensconced in his office, brandy in hand, Bones said, "So what happened to Chekov?"
"Hmm?"
"He was a bit of a mess when he turned up on the bridge."
"Oh." Kirk frowned. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. Thought it best to leave him alone. Think I should go find out?"
"Nah. Last I saw, Sulu was marching him back to his quarters; he's in good hands. Spock didn't look too happy, either."
That caught Kirk's attention. "What?"
Bones sighed, shaking his head and pouring himself another glass. "Course, he never does, but…"
Kirk fought the urge to go and find Spock, reasoning that Uhura was probably with him. He turned what he hoped was a casual-looking smile on Bones. "He's fine."
Bones just scowled at that, though. "That's what worries me," he said darkly. Then, in an apparent non-sequitur, he added, "You were lucky to get out of this one. See what I mean about space being too dangerous for us to go gallivanting around in?"
Kirk grinned, took a long sip of brandy and leaned back in his chair. "Yep," he said. "Isn't it great?"
Continued in Part IV
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-30 10:17 pm (UTC)I really adore Kirk's earnestness and affection for his crew - so endearing! I'm enjoying watching him feel his way around how to be a good captain. And the Kirk&Spock relationship is being developed nicely. They make me smile. You write a good, subtle but very present Spock - if that makes any sense.
Liked the plot too - it felt like a TOS episode kind of idea.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-30 10:30 pm (UTC)I'm really pleased you like Spock! It's difficult to resist explaining him sometimes, because Kirk doesn't entirely understand him yet, although he's getting there.
Thanks for reading :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 12:18 am (UTC)You'll love it, I'm sure " - needs a comma after sure
he added to Sulu. "But don't eat it." - should be a comma after Sulu
Spock gave him a odd look - an odd look
Uhura asked, "And - lowercase A on the and
I like the things you added to this. The scene in the camp works much more smoothly, now!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 12:19 am (UTC)...AND a lowercase B in 'but'. *facepalm*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 02:15 am (UTC)<33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 02:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 10:20 am (UTC)Yeah, I'm not sure why I didn't just do the camp scene this way to start with. Then again...since when has there been any logic whatsoever to the way they handle away missions? :-p
Thanks for putting up with my wibbling over this ♥
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 01:15 am (UTC)I've been rewatching TOS so I recognised the ep you based this on, you've done a great job of melding TOS with reboot, I particularly liked the way you used it to take Kirk to Vulcan and the way you had the main plot point off screen.
I'm really enjoying the slow development of the Kirk / Spock thread, I find it so much more engaging than an (IMO) OOC leap straight into PWP.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 10:24 am (UTC)Thanks for reading :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 04:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 10:28 am (UTC)Man, if this is geeky then I dread what you'll think when I start getting to the main plot with all the science! I would almost be ashamed of my geekiness, except that I get to call it work and that's kind of made of win *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-02 03:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-02 07:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 05:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 10:31 am (UTC)The way they plan away missions actually makes me weep a little inside. I mean, it's awesome, because it would suck if they didn't get locked up together every other episode, but still!
Thanks for reading :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 12:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 04:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-01 05:24 pm (UTC)I'm so in love with this story! I just found it when I was looking at your recs (<3) and went *_* and started reading it and went *_* and <3 because it's wonderful! I love everything about it, and I think everyone is so in character, and that you do an excellent job in portraying Spock and Kirk's new, tentative friendship, and the moments where Kirk feels the effects of the mind meld between himself and Spock Prime. I can't wait for more of this, and I hope you update soonish! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 11:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-02 08:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 11:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-05 08:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 11:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-06 06:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 12:09 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-11 07:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 12:11 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-17 11:11 pm (UTC)wonderfully thorough rec lists and absolutely incredible stories -- what's not to loveeee!
I am so enamored with this series already! I wholeheartedly agree with what others have said before: reads like a TOS episode (flawlessly and with great coherence), wonderful use of classic tropes (you totally won my heart the first time you ripped Kirk's shirt hahaha), great characterization of our beloved Reboot crew, and an inspired and sensitive portrayal of Kirk and build up of the Kirk/Spock relationship (and i don't just mean the splashy-slashy yumminess, i mean the friendship and tentative camaraderie)
and.and.anddddd
I love Kirk and Spock on Vulcan -- a wonderful use of the TOS episode planet without completely exploiting the possibilities. I love the crew and all their knowing looks and side-plots between them. Your Spock.. has me so curious as to how deep his emotions have begun to run for Kirk.
Oh! and I always love seeing how people handle the Apology (ya know, all the when and why fores) and I felt it was very touching for Kirk to have that opportunity to apologize to Spock on Vulcan; the whole thing was just the right amount of tender sincerity and dutiful regret. and then to follow it up with a chance for Kirk to ask about Amanda?! guh! i love it.
in short, dearest, i love you! and i cannot CANNOT wait to read more.
take care!
All kinds of AWESOME
Date: 2009-07-28 07:24 pm (UTC)Also, Spock is amazing and Chekov and Sulu already starting to head down the BFF path makes me want to draw hearts around everything ♥ It's a compulsion.
Not your job to be my tech support, but in case you happen to know: I am wondering if there's any way to set up a track on your updates of this story? Like the way LJ has? I can't seem to find the tracking button, if there is one, alas!
OKAY, SO TO SUM UP: LOVE IT TO PIECES!!! I am just starting to work my way through TOS and have only made it through the first 5 episodes, so a lot of this story is 100% new to me regarding missions and they have me on the edge of my seat :D
(captcha: tan martinis. YES AND YES PLEASE)
Re: All kinds of AWESOME
Date: 2009-07-28 07:28 pm (UTC)THANKS THOUGH :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-31 02:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-01 02:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-20 12:45 am (UTC)I'm definitely getting the impression now that Jim and Spock are the only ones who don't have a clue about what's going on between them :D. More great banter and I liked that Jim got to see Vulcan, even if it wasn't real.
Laura.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-23 02:55 pm (UTC)I'm worry about poor Jim with this dejavu and his lack of confidence, thinking the other self it's resolving things for him.
And obviously without Pike the talosian choose another, but Checov??
that was a surprise , i think they will choose Kirk.. but i like more your idea of Spock choosing Jim!!!
But Jim is totally oblivious to the fact that Uhura and Spock are not together... and even than Scotty and Uhura were flirting!!
the other thing i like is that the crew of the enterprise are all so capable and skilled!!!
With Pike only Spock and number one was helping!
and the carbonite maneuver in the romulan situation was brilliant!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-23 08:22 pm (UTC)Re Chekov - I'll be honest - obviously the plot from the original episode had to be in there because that was the Talosians' reason for luring them to the planet. I don't want to just rehash TOS plotlines, though, so I just shoved it in the background, and thought Chekov was suitably pretty ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-24 02:42 am (UTC)I love Talosians there because they went there around the same time and they are not disrupted with the new time line, so the moment was now, arrive a different crew... and i love how you take it!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-10 05:05 am (UTC)~ margarks
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-30 02:21 am (UTC)