\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kids do the darndest things.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> The thought ran in endless circles through Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brain as he watched Bones drink himself into oblivion, as his heart broke for his friend.<\/p>\n
Diplomacy under pressure wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Leonard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s modus operandi, so Jim wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t surprised when his desperate ranting and raving had gotten him nowhere with earthside authorities. Plus Jim was sure that San Francisco police were indeed doing exactly what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d told Bones … namely, everything they could. But \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and Jim knew that for a fact based on his own experience in the same situation, only in reverse \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if a clever kid was determined not to be found, the best efforts of police and local education authorities wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be enough.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Jim had taken the initiative and used his captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s privileges to contact earthside authorities himself, San Francisco and Georgia State police, as well as Starfleet Command. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t turn the Enterprise around to go looking for Jo himself (though he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been damn tempted for a moment when that horrible message had first popped up on his PADD). But he could damn well make people talk to him. Unfortunately, neither his authority nor his personal expertise had resulted in anything more constructive than replies along the line of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153yes, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re trying that, too\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153we are really doing everything in our power to locate her\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll keep you informed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and finally, the eerie white noise of a cut-off subspace transmission.<\/p>\n
Now all he could do was pour Bones another bourbon.<\/p>\n
Such a surreal scene: Bones wilted in his chair, clutching his glass and gulping whiskey like there was no tomorrow. M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga in a visitor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chair, disapproving, but supportive. Dr. Chapel, too, with a prim measure of bourbon in her glass. Nurse Oli in the background, her cheeks tearstained, her crush on Bones barely concealed under the pressure of the situation. <\/i><\/p>\n
Jim downed a shot of his own. Then he picked up the whiskey again. Damn, I really should have kidnapped her. <\/i><\/p>\n
He froze, bottle midair. What if …<\/i><\/p>\n
No.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Impossible!<\/i><\/p>\n
He looked around for Spock and was entirely unsurprised to find him just a few meters away, standing in the corner, unobtrusive, yet observant. Jim jerked his head in the direction of the door and slid out of the room. Outside, he sucked in a shuddering breath and almost choked on it. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock, I have this really, really crazy idea … And I fucking pray <\/i>that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m right.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock stared at him, both eyebrows raised in wary confusion.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153On the bridge,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim ordered. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Next thing Jim knew \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in that special crazy adrenaline-drenched haze \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he was looking over Lieutenant Jacoba Penn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulder, Chekov\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s counterpart on Gamma shift. (Pretty woman; tons of shiny chestnut hair in a neat ponytail.) He peered at the screen of her console, watching each tap of her slender fingers on the keyboard.<\/p>\n
Jim did his best to maintain an appearance of calm control. When he noticed Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gaze resting on his hands, he offered a wry grin \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he was aware that his hands were trembling faintly with tension. But he also knew his voice sounded reasonably calm when he addressed Penn. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lieutenant, please run a routine check on clearances. Joanna McCoy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
A second ticked by. Two seconds.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Got her, Captain. Basic visitor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clearance activated.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim sank down on the center chair hastily vacated by Lieutenant Leslie. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now … please run a check for the ID. If she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s somewhere on the Enterprise.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He felt Spock behind him, Vulcan body heat at his shoulder. There was a second, or two, or three, when he wanted to reach behind him and cling to Spock, to the solid burn of his hand, three times as strong as a Human\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grip, and seemingly twice as warm.<\/p>\n
The Enterprise was a big ship, with many people on it, crew members and civilians. Scanning for IDs took longer than a few seconds, longer than a minute. He knew it wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take much<\/i> longer than that. For the first time in his life he fully appreciated the meaning of the idiom \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the longest minute of my life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Horizontal Jefferies 22 B 2, deck 22.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be damned.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Jo wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there.<\/p>\n
But her ID was.<\/p>\n
Jim collapsed against the curve of the tube, his back pressed against the cool metal. His heart was thundering, every breath an explosion inside his lungs. Stars crowded in on his vision. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s here, Spock. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on the damn <\/i>ship.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
When his vision cleared, a warm hand rested on his shoulder, and Spock gazed at him in concern. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m fine, Spock, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m fine. Just relieved.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim laughed, lightheaded, almost giddy. In his hand he clutched a small plastic card that showed the picture of a smiling, black-haired, blue-eyed girl. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you were an eleven-year-old girl hiding on a spaceship, where would you be?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Never having been an eleven year old Human, male or female, I do not know how to answer that question, Jim,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock said, without giving an inch, a heated, solid mainstay in this bizarre situation.<\/p>\n
Jim leaned back again, closing his eyes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s here. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the most important thing. Nothing bad can happen to her here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and Spock, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not <\/i>an invitation to list all the things that can kill a little girl on board. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s here. Main thing. We just need to find her. Preferably without causing her and everyone else to freak out and panic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
The wall of the tube at his back vibrated with the gentle hum that he thought of as the pulse of the Enterprise.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find her,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he whispered. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And if I have to turn the whole ship inside out with my own bare hands.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Thirty seconds, perhaps a minute, in other words half an eternity later, Jim asked Spock: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where did you hide out as a kid?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
It never occurred to him to wonder how he knew that Spock had needed to hide. He just knew.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There was a room,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock said slowly, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in my father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s house. A room with books. A … library, maintained as a historical monument. No one ever went there. Printed books have been obsolete on Vulcan longer than on Earth; sentimental attachment to antiques is not socially acceptable in our culture. It was a room full of untold stories \u00e2\u20ac\u201c stories no one would listen to. I felt at home there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no library on the Enterprise,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim said with a frown. He pushed off the hull of the tube. Anger on behalf of a lonely little boy spilled over and into how he smashed back the access door of the Jefferies tube, how he stalked down the corridor.<\/p>\n
Suddenly he whirled around. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But there are<\/i> places where kids go here for stories. Kindergarten. Playgrounds. School. Rec rooms. Movie theaters. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll check those first.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
They found her on deck eight, in a rec room for preschoolers. Fast asleep she lay curled up in an entity vaguely reminiscent of medieval Terran castles but made of foam cushions, colorful pillows and blankets \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153reading fort\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Take Bones to his quarters and get him sober,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim ordered, pushing Spock in the direction of the turbolift. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Have Dr. Chapel stand by. M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga and Oli can take charge of sickbay for the time being. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be down with Jojo as soon as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve woken her and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had a little chat. Twenty minutes or so, maybe half an hour. That should give you enough time to bring Bones back to his senses.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
It didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help that Jo knew it was a nightmare. Because this was her mother, burning alive. Her mother, screaming and shrieking, until her face was melting away, until Jo saw the bones of her skull, until Jo choked with the stink of charred flesh. Her mother, grabbing at Jo and dragging her into the flames and away from her dad, and her dad crying and calling her name and reaching for her\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/p>\n
Sobbing, Jo clung to the comfort of a familiar embrace.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jo, Jo, everything\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s alright, everything\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fine. That was just a dream. Just a bad dream. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got you, Jojo, everything\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s okay, everything\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Uncle Jim?!<\/i><\/p>\n
The shock of his voice ripped away the horror of the nightmare, only to replace it with terror at her discovery.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uncle Jim?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim in his golden captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s uniform, sitting cross-legged in a kindergarten reading fort? She choked on a startled scream, started coughing, then hiccupping. Uncle Jim just tightened his arms around her, drawing her completely on his lap, where he held her until she calmed down. Only when she had stopped crying and was breathing normally, he talked to her again.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, damn, Jojo,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he whispered. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you have any idea what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done to your Dad with running away?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
She winced and burrowed her face against his chest. She didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to think of that. Hurting her dad was the last thing she wanted. But obeying him in this case? Impossible.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she mumbled. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Just couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim said softly, rubbing her back, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I get that, kiddo. I get that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
A bit later, he gently gripped her arms and held her away from him, until she was forced to look at him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Better now?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What was the dream about?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to tell me if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to know.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Mutely, she shook her head. Her throat constricted with the memories of dream and reality. At last she whispered, and it sounded more like croaking, kind of pathetic, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mom\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death. The fire. Dad couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t reach me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, Jojo.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim pulled her back into his arms and squeezed hard. When he released her, his eyes were suspiciously red. She crawled off his lap and sat in front of him, cross-legged like him, concentrating on her toes. She hated it when grown-ups cried. And when people tried to make her talk about her mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death. At least Uncle Jim never did that.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright now?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim asked. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Because there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something else we need to discuss.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He sounded stern, and she guessed that he was done with being nice. Well, he was<\/i> the captain. And she was a stowaway.<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hear you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she managed. She still didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t look at him. The mattress of the reading fort sported patterns like cobblestones, but it was soft and warm.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you please look at me, Joanna?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t yell. But there was something to his voice that made his question sound like an order.<\/p>\n
She looked up. Yup, he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t real friendly now.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim gave her a hard stare. She still wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t used to his new eye color. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tonight we got a subspace message from Earth, saying that you ran away to Georgia, and that they can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find you. Your Dad\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He paused. She noticed how a muscle twitched in his right cheek, as if he was grinding his teeth. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Your Dad\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been very worried. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to take you to your Dad now. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be very happy to see you, but you need to know he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been really very worried.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll freak,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said, and she trembled a little bit when she thought of her dad in a rage.<\/p>\n
Uncle Jim sighed. There was sympathy in his eyes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah. Yes, he will.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jo swallowed hard. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you … are you gonna throw me into the brig?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Uncle Jim blinked at her. Then he actually laughed. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No! God, no. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lock up kids in prison here. But I bet you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get grounded for a while, trickster.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d With a groan he rose to his feet and climbed over the wobbly wall of the reading fort. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, come on,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he urged and extended his hand toward her when she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uncle Jim …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she whispered. A wave of fear and desperation crashed down on her, to the point that she couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have moved even if she had wanted to. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you … are you going to send me back?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Uncle Jim frowned. Then he lifted his outstretched hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he muttered at last. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do that even if I could. Which, luckily, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. And now, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s get going.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
When Jim reached Bones\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cabin, Jo was clutching his hand in a kid\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s version of a death grip. Her fingers were icy, her skin damp with sweat. She was so little, and so damn scared. He remembered too well what an awful feeling it was to be eleven or twelve or thirteen, and to have absolutely no say over what happened with you, what was done to you.<\/p>\n
But different from him at that age, she still had at least a father left who loved her. She had a father who had done his best to take care of her up until now, a father who would keep doing just that until she was an adult and ready to live her own life.<\/p>\n
… And a father who would freak out all over her in approximately thirty seconds.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jo? Wait a sec.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim turned away and pulled out his comm. A glance at the display told him that forty-seven minutes had passed since he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d sent Spock to take Bones to his quarters. Thanks to Jo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nightmare, their chat had taken a little longer than expected. Definitely enough time for Spock and Chapel to get Bones detoxed, then. He pressed the quick-dial button to contact Spock. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said so quietly that Jo wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hear. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are we good to come in? Have you told him already?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reply was just as soft. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The effects of intoxication have been neutralized with an efficacy of approximately 90%. Dr. Chapel is here. He hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been informed yet.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Great. On with the show. Kirk out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He took a deep breath and went back to Jo.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright, kiddo,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said, bending over a little so he was able to look her in the eye. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now remember: Your Dad really loves. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been very worried, but he loves you. A lot. No one will throw you in the brig, and no one will send you home or anywhere else. Got that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
She nodded, all huge eyes and tremulous lips.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good. Then let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face the music.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He put his hand on the key pad, and with a soft hiss, the door opened.<\/p>\n
Bones was sitting at his desk, face buried in his hands. Spock stood a few steps behind him, seemingly at ease but practically ready to intervene in an instant, should that be required. Dr. Chapel sat in one of the two armchairs in the living area, a hypo and a medical kit on the coffee table in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bones,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim said. When his friend didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t react, he tried again, louder this time, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bones! I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got her. Jo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s here. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153D-d-daddy?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/i><\/p>\n
At the sound of Jo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice, high and scared, Bones looked up. He looked terrible \u00e2\u20ac\u201c haggard, with waxen cheeks, his eyes sunken and bruised purple from lack of sleep and too much whiskey, and his lips pressed together into a tight, white line. And he was shaking from the detox and the shock.<\/p>\n
Jim winced. No eleven-year-old should see their dad looking that way. Of course that was still loads better than watching your mother burn to death like Jo had. Also much better than some of his own memories \u00e2\u20ac\u201c like watching his mother get shot in front of his eyes and then tossed into a mass grave along with his best friend because their IQ wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite as high as his own. Or his stepfather lying in a puddle of vomit and cheap booze on the living room floor, when Frank had finally managed to booze his brains out of his head for good.<\/p>\n
Bones stared at Jo.<\/p>\n
His throat was working, he swallowed convulsively, but he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t speak. With a muffled gasp he got to his feet and staggered towards his daughter. He sank to his knees in front of her and pulled her into his embrace.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, Daddy!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d With a cry, Jo flung her arms around her father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s neck, and started crying all over again, hiding her face against his shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And there weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even any Klingons involved.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim slammed his head back against the wall in frustration and amusement. Loose-limbed with relief, he sprawled on the mattress. Without discussing it, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d ended up on Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side of the bathroom. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Or Romulans. Or …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It seems your initial assessment of the situation was correct,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock mused and sat down carefully on his bed next to Jim, back straight, posture perfect. It was his bed, so he was entitled.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hmm… <\/i>what?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes glittered, as he turned to Jim. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I believe the human idiom you used was \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcKids do the darndest things\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, that!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim grinned. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah, well. Been there, done that. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just glad Bones and Jo got a happy ending out of it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Thank goodness for that. When they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d left Bones and Jo half an hour ago, those two had been totally done in. With Chapel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s help Jim had put Jo to bed in her dad\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bunk, while Bones collapsed on the sofa. To Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s secret amusement, it had been Spock who had tucked a blanket around their sleeping friend.<\/p>\n
Jim made a mental note to talk to Rand about having Bones\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quarters shuffled around in the morning. One of the stateroom suites should do the trick, he decided. They didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to keep all of the visitors\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 quarters available for this mission, just in case someone wanted to hitch a ride in style. Plus, he wanted to keep an eye on Jo after that stunt. This kid was trouble of the best kind. No way he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d allow Bones and Jo to move several decks away from him. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d also done the captainly thing and taken Bones off duty for three days and put Dr. Chapel in charge of rearranging the sickbay shift roster. Sometimes<\/i>, he reflected, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good to be king.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153May I inquire what you referred to with the expression \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbeen there, done that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock asked, interrupting his musings. Jim thought that glint in his eyes might be curiosity. About Jim. Cool.<\/i> He liked that. But he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily want to answer that particular question. At least not right now. Jim was at once too wired and too tired to talk or sleep. Also, at this point it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worth it anymore. In two hours Alpha shift started. And sure, as the captain he could just pass on the conn and get some sleep. But if he hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t skipped a shift for Nero, he sure as hell would be up on the bridge on time today.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hmm.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He considered what he might tell Spock about his childhood. About what was in his files that Spock already knew. About what was not<\/i> in there. And about how all of that didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really say much about Jim.<\/p>\n
Instinctively, he reached for Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand, rubbing a circle into his palm. Only when the Vulcan couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t suppress a gasp, he realized what he was doing. Mortified, he dropped Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand and jerked back. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, damn. Sorry, man. I … Damn.<\/i> I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so keyed up, I shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be anywhere near you, I guess. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean to overload you with my \u00e2\u20ac\u201c my crap.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He was already sliding off the bed, before Spock managed to grab his hand and hold it in a tight, hot grasp. Jim could see in his eyes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c his focus dazed, turning inward \u00e2\u20ac\u201c how hard that simple tactile contact hit him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do that, Spock.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
But Spock wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let go. And never mind Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s awesome reboot powers, Spock was still a lot stronger than Jim. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you think so little of me that you believe the remnants of your anxiety for your best friend and his daughter would be off-putting to me?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim froze, a new wave of shame washing over him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153God, no. Spock, no, of course not. Never.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then accept my touch,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock ordered. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And while Alpha shift begins in one hour, twenty-three minutes and forty seconds, there is also still enough time for you to sleep for a short period of time. Twenty minutes will be most beneficial, physiologically and psychologically. Afterwards your mind should be sufficiently refreshed and your alertness should be adequately increased in order to discharge your duties on the bridge in a satisfactory manner.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wait \u00e2\u20ac\u201c what?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim sank back down on the bed and stared at Spock, incredulous. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You want me to cuddle up with you for a nap?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock raised an elegantly slanted eyebrow and held out his other hand, an imperious gesture.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Things calmed down after the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Joanna Incident\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, as Jim called it in his private log. Routine set in.<\/p>\n
Two weeks into the mission, Jim stopped taking center chair for every Alpha shift so he could haunt the bridge and the various departments of the Enterprise at all possible and impossible times, twenty-four hours a day, so he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d get a feel for the different teams and units. Bones told him not to be a micromanaging asshole of a captain and to pretty please let people do their damn jobs. Spock, however, approved of the strategy. Jim suspected that was at least in part because it fit Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own agenda, namely his pet project of developing a perfect secondary command team. The supposedly pacifist, humanitarian Vulcan promptly passed the conn to Sulu for each and every Alpha shift now \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and proceeded to torture the poor man simultaneously with various simulations.<\/p>\n
Because he was a responsible captain, Jim hacked into Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s program. The scenarios Spock was using on Sulu now made the Kobayashi Maru look like a walk in the park. With a girl scouts picnic and pink velvet cake. Jim spent a few fun-filled nights wrestling the sims into submission. He \u00e2\u20ac\u0153died\u00e2\u20ac\u009d four times, lost the Enterprise three times, turned the entire crew pink twice, and ended up a space pirate once. And people claimed Spock had no sense of humor. Because Jim definitely did have a sense of humor, he repackaged Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sims and sent them via private subspace transmission to a holo-deck games competition.<\/p>\n
Scotty easily managed to keep the warp drive purring at six, shifting down to warp four and up to warp eight at intervals that only made sense to him and Keenser. (And perhaps to the new Assistant Chief Engineer, Lt. Elena Amell, an expert in warp drive efficiency; Scotty kept raving about how lucky it was to have her on board.) Commander Scott was determined to thoroughly test the new capabilities of the Enterprise after the refit. Jim for his part had no compunctions about letting Scotty push the ship to its absolute limits while they were still in Federation space. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d need those limits, and more, at some point. If there were any serious technical issues lurking in the system, he wanted them weeded out now. Because now they were still close enough to home that they could expect a reply from a Federation starbase before they died of old age, should all else fail. Later on, not so much.<\/p>\n
And now it was almost time for their first stopover. Stardate 2260.164 to .167 would see the Enterprise in orbit around the planet Pyrithia of 26 Draconis, a trading post just beyond Federation space. With a little bit of luck they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d practice away team drills, get the word out about those Vulcan space gypsies, stock up on fresh veggies, and no one would get hurt.<\/p>\n
But before every away mission, God put a briefing. Or two or three.<\/p>\n
Jim wrapped his hands around a mug of Yeoman Rand\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s awesome, authentic coffee and relaxed in his chair. With half an ear he listened to Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s introduction to the wonders of Pyrithia.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u015326 Draconis is a triple star system in the Alpha Quadrant,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock explained. With a tap, he called up a projection of the star system. Cubes of black mist formed above the oval table. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Forty-six light years from Sol.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Stars blinked into existence, forming patterns. On Earth, Ptolemy had called that constellation \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Draco\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, while the ancient Arabic astronomers had likened those stars to mother camels guarding a baby. Tracing the familiar lines in his mind, Jim wondered if similar myths existed to explain the stars that had been visible from Vulcan, or if such stories had been abolished after Surak. Not that it mattered now, he guessed, with Vulcan gone.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Two of the system components, an F and a K class star, form a spectroscopic binary that completes an orbit every seventy-six years,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock went on, zooming into the projection. Three glowing marbles hovered brightly above the table, one red, one white, one muted orange in color. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The composite spectral classification of the FK pair is G0V, which decomposes to individual spectral types F9V and K3V. The masses of these two stars amount to 1.30 and 0.83 times the mass of the Sol. In comparison they are metal-poor with a lower proportion of elements other than hydrogen or helium.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock flicked on the wall screen, displaying the spectral analysis. Sulu was riveted, of course. His department had come up with the suggestion to pick Pyrithia for their first planetary layover so they could study the eccentricities of a trinary system besides discharging the political duties of their mission. When Spock had supported his proposal, Sulu hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stopped beaming at the Vulcan for a week. Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s discomfiture at such open adoration had been very amusing.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The third component of the trinary is a red dwarf M-type star with a spectral classification of M1V, separated by 12.2 arc seconds from the FK pair and sharing a common proper motion. The system is on an orbit through the Milky Way galaxy with an eccentricity of 0.14, taking it as close as 23.1 kly and as far as 30.4 kly from the galactic core. It belongs to the Ursa Major moving group in the vicinity of the Helaspont Nebula.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pay attention to the astrophysics. The Draconis 26 threesome was interesting, but it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pose any dangers to the Enterprise and it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t require any special maneuvers or safety precautions. In other words, those awesome astrophysical details were irrelevant for Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s job. But he did listen to Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice. He concentrated on the pretty patterns of the holo-projection and let Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice wash over him, deep and gentle and clear … He could listen to Spock for hours, and since Spock had lots to say at briefings, Jim indulged in the luxury of listening to Spock without hearing a word he was saying now and again.<\/p>\n
Twenty-six days had passed since he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d curled up in Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bed for that much-needed nap after the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Joanna Incident\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Twenty-nine days had gone by since the kiss. Jim tried not to frown. Since then … nothing.<\/p>\n
Well, almost nothing. By unspoken agreement both bathroom doors remained open at night, and as shipboard routine had set in, that trick was usually sufficient for Jim to be able to sleep. With that arrangement in mind, he concentrated on his PADD. Because if he looked at Spock now, he would frown. Sure, he connected with Spock in many ways besides via those open doors at night. They shared dinner in the officers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 mess on a regular basis, they played chess and board games in the rec room, they did workouts together, and just hung out in the ready room between shifts. But nothing more. And Jim … Well, after the kiss, after the cozy intimacy of that damn nap (exactly twenty minutes, not a second longer, and how could twenty minutes be so short and so long at the same time, and how was it even possible to remember a nap like that, after twenty-six days?) Jim wanted more. A hell of a lot more. But for the first time in his life he was unsure of how to go about it. Even if he had known how to flirt with a Vulcan, there was already too much between them for deepening their relationship in such a casual manner. And Spock was … Spock<\/i>, damn it! Jim couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just walk up to him and ask him for a shag. And besides, he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure if a shag would be enough, wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure if fucking his brains out for weeks would be enough. Enough to satisfy this \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this \u00e2\u20ac\u201c need <\/i>\u00e2\u20ac\u201c or whatever it was he felt every single time he looked at Spock.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pyrithia is the fifth planet of the F type primary,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock announced, interrupting Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reverie. Jim suppressed a sigh. Time to man up and concentrate. His first officer was getting around to the relevant bits of the briefing. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With an axial tilt of 27\u00c2\u00b0 and an orbital period of 380 days around its primary, its seasons and calendar are similar to Earth. The surface gravity is 0.24027 g higher than Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. The ratio of oxygen to nitrogen is constant at 23% to 75% in the atmosphere. With a partial pressure higher than Earth normal by 2.3566%, Pyrithia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s atmosphere is denser than Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, but still breathable without special equipment.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d On the wall screen, the relevant data flashed up in an orderly display.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Geologically, Pyrithia offers the usual deposits of metals and minerals commonly found on Earth-type planets. Pyrithia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s flora and fauna are entirely unremarkable. The most noteworthy animals present on the planet are the Pyrithian bat \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a flying mammal with white fur whose diet primarily consists of snow beetles and moth larvae \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and the Pyrithian moon hawk, a nocturnal bird of prey and the natural predator of the aforementioned bat. In fact, what is most remarkable about the planet is that no intelligent life forms have evolved there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In other words, Pyrithia was a boring disappointment of a planet. And with that, Spock was done with his part of the briefing. He put away his PADD and reclaimed his chair.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you, Mr. Spock, for your fascinating elucidations on Draconis 26 and Pyrithia.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim rose to his feet. Time to be captain, yay. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Without any intelligent life of its own, Pyrithia remains an unaligned planet. At the beginning of the 22nd<\/sup> century, Denobulan traders established an outpost there. Since then Pyrithia has risen in importance and has become one of the major trading hubs in this section of the Alpha Quadrant. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a favorite stopover for Denobulan, Kaelon, Vissian, Xindi, and Kovaalan merchants. Federation ships are welcome, too. That provides us with an excellent opportunity to get information about the V’tosh ka’tur<\/i>, and to put the word out that the Federation seeks to establish communication with them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Jim called up a picture of the trading post on the screen. It featured a big spaceport surrounded by a sprawling city. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll reach Pyrithia on stardate 2260.164 and stay in orbit for three days. Mr. Spock and I are on an away team the first evening. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been invited to a dinner of the Pyrithian Merchants\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Guild. I have ordered Commander Paul to put together away teams at his discretion for our stay. The top priority of the teams will be to collect intelligence without drawing any undue attention to themselves. There will be three teams with three members each for every shift. Their specific missions will be coordinated with the departments involved.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He switched the display to a schedule of the away missions. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Briefings for the bridge teams on shift during our time in orbit every day at 0800 and 2000 for updates on the away missions and anything else that comes up. This should be the least challenging layover imaginable. The perfect opportunity to work the kinks out of away routines. I want us to make the most of it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim switched off the screen and the holo-projector. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it from my side for tonight. Questions? Comments? Or are you ready for dinner?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I realized these were all the snapshots which our children would look at someday with wonder, thinking their parents had lived smooth, well-ordered lives and got up in the morning to walk proudly on the sidewalks of life, never dreaming the raggedy madness and riot of our actual lives, our actual night, the hell of it, the senseless emptiness.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Author\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Notes:<\/b><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lecture on Draconis 26 and Pyrithia is Wikipedia mixed with Memory Alpha mixed with random bits of information about what exactly constitutes \u00e2\u20ac\u0153breathable atmosphere\u00e2\u20ac\u009d found on some SF forums.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re into maps and want to follow the itinerary of the mission, I recommend http:\/\/www.startrekmap.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Per canon technically the speed of subspace messages is warp 9.99 (or speed of plot LOL). Since I like going with the idea that space is really a big place, the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Joanna Incident\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the last opportunity for real-time communication with Earth in this story for the next few years (and that may be pushing things, but hey, speed of plot is a time-honored device in SF). Subspace messages from Earth to Pyrithia take six days, thirteen hours, and thirty-two minutes, which I know thanks to the fabulous Star Trek Travel Calculator (http:\/\/www.aerth.org\/Constellation\/star_trek.asp<\/a> ).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That Raggedy Madness, Our Actual Night Stardate 2260.134, 0100 hours, Deck 7, Sickbay \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kids do the darndest things.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The thought ran in endless circles through Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brain as he watched Bones drink himself into oblivion, as his heart broke for … Continue reading
\u00e2\u20ac\u201c Jack Kerouac, On the Road<\/i><\/p>\n
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