Day 49: Morning - Main Street

[sanguinario]

[From here.]

Easily forgiven? Unlikely. A pair of (presumably) mental patient committing theft. No, it was highly unlikely they would be easily forgiven. Conscience-wise? It wouldn't even stain his thoughts, really. Nothing like ten years of judgemental slaughter to make your mind jaded against the simpler crimes in the world

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[doneinthree]

Kirk transferred his attention back out the window as they approached what he guessed to be Doyleton. A small town. He hadn't expected anything else, but simply seeing the cluster of low buildings made his shoulders tense up and his face shutter. The place wasn't Riverside, of course, but was just as dim green and picturesque as any other Iowan small town he'd rolled through for the majority of his life.

On the other hand, he wasn't that angry kid anymore, and this wasn't even Earth. Kirk straightened in his seat as they pulled into Doyleton, eyebrows raising at the unmistakable graffiti on a wall, and the faces of the townspeople they passed. While not exactly a favourite around town, his father's heroic reputation had afforded Jim a certain amount of goodwill from everyone in Riverside - to the least, he'd always been sure someone would call his mother if he was picked up for disorderly conduct again. For all of Jim's resentment at everyone and everything, Riverside had been home, and the people had accepted him as one of its sons.

The difference in Doyleton couldn't be starker.

Being as he was in a window seat, Kirk couldn't be the first person off the bus, but still came pretty close. The air was wet as he stepped out, but he left his coat and sweater open as he strode over to where the third bus would be letting out. Bones and Chekov were aboard - he'd missed seeing Spock, but expected that the bright yellow raincoat would make him easy enough to spot.

As he waited, Kirk fished the apple out of his paper bag, tossing it into the air once with a smile. Despite his general unease, he couldn't deny that today presented interesting opportunities.

[Kirk to Enterprise~]

[hes_deadjim]

That was one of the oddest commutes he'd ever sat through. McCoy was glad when the buses rumbled to a stop, and not just because the vehicles looked highly unsafe. He stood up. All around the doctor, patients were shuffling out. He caught a glimpse of Chekov while he waited. The ensign looked about as hale as ever, which was promising. He'd managed to stay out of trouble. With any luck, he'd managed to keep the captain out of trouble as well. McCoy thought it more likely that it'd be Jim who dragged Chekov into something. The captain had a way of being a bad influence; if he could get to Spock, Chekov didn't have a prayer.

The doctor glanced out the window as the line inched its way off the bus. The place looked like it could have been almost anywhere back on Earth. A decent sized town, small enough to feel comfortable. There were touches of modernization obvious all over, although it wasn't consumed by it like the high density cities. It was pleasant enough.

It wasn't what he'd expected to find. He'd almost expected to come across some obvious edge to the illusion their captors were creating, maybe a barren surface and biting air of some barely Class L planet, not a town that could have come right out of Earth's past.

Even so, the town didn't look completely idyllic. There were signs of vandalism he could see already, yellow and black that looked suspiciously like the faces on the standard institute uniforms. A broken window here and there.

He was getting a bad feeling about this. McCoy finally reached the front of the bus and hugged the jacket closer about him. Drizzle was falling, clinging to his skin, hair, everywhere. While he appreciated the chance to get outside, what were the staff thinking? With weather like this, he could just feel the onset of the flu coming on for the patient body. Grimacing, he stepped off.

It didn't take too long to spot the captain, considering he'd made a beeline to the bus they were on. He was smiling and tossing and apple haphazardly in the air, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

McCoy tried hard not to think of the apple that Heat had just ingested nearly whole. "Mornin' Jim."

[sewenteen_sir]

Chekov hurried off of the bus, but tried not to look as though he were fleeing from Commander Spock's roommate and near-twin. There was something about him that just set Chekov on edge--something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but was nagging at the back of his mind. He passed it off as discomfort at speaking so familiarly with someone who looked exactly like the Commander, and put the incident aside.

He pulled his jacket around him, looking out at the wet gloom that seemed to hang over the unfamiliar town (and... trying to cover the shirt that was still making him feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the fabric...). The newness of the strange place made him nervous, and caused him to chew on the inside of his bottom lip. He must have been developing nervous tics--he'd have to see Doctor McCoy about that. But between monsters, dank decrepit hallways, and being shuttled to a quaint-looking town in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, he couldn't say he was surprised. The whole thing just screamed Siberia.

Making eye contact with Captain Kirk as he made a sweep of the area, he felt the earlier tension from talking with Commander Spock's roommate fade. As far as Chekov was concerned, as long as he was here familiarity would never breed contempt. Doctor McCoy was also walking ahead of him, moving to meet up with Captain Kirk, so Chekov trotted over as well to make sure he wasn't needed by the Captain and the Doctor.

"Good morning, Keptain, Doctor McCoy," he greeted, standing at attention. "Is zere a debriefing I should be present for?"

[doneinthree]

Kirk didn't have to wait long. While his face broadcast nothing less than the cheerful blondness he tended to radiate in most situations (regardless of appropriateness), he may have held himself a little less rigidly as he saw his crew approach. As he'd observed earlier, McCoy and Chekov looked well, although Bones was scowling slightly more fiercely than usual, and the ensign seemed a touch uneasy.

His eyebrows quirked at Bones, curious, before he turned his smile to Chekov. "At ease," said Kirk, and scanned the area for Spock as he continued: "Looks like we're blending in with normal people today, so just act natural. Sadly, I don't imagine all these nurses are going to let us run off like free men either."

He tossed the apple up again, catching it neatly before taking a bite out of it. "So, how was the ride over, you two?" Kirk asked. They could debrief once the whole crew was here.

[hes_deadjim]

"Chekov," McCoy acknowledged. The ensign seemed uneasy, although that could be attribute to just about anything, from riding around in that bus, one without a decent restraint, bumper, or any other safety features, to watching out for that other patient from earlier.

McCoy's attention returned to the captain. Act natural? A skeptical look crossed his face. Was there a natural to this planet?

It'd help if we knew what natural was with these people in the the first place, he thought. They looked all human, but that could easily be superficial and Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development at work. That was if it wasn't an illusion tailor-made for them to actually comprehend what they were seeing.

Either way, there could be plenty of customs they wouldn't know about. They didn't have access to the Enterprisedatabases or any information from surveys about the locals, only had what their eyes and ears were telling them. In his experience, you couldn't always trust them. Fitting in wasn't going to be easy as taking a stroll through San Francisco. McCoy didn't point this out to Jim. Jim was probably well aware of it, and the doctor wasn't about to completely question an order right in front of an subordinate.

"Aye, captain." The doctor watched him take a bite. How he even maintained an appetite after being bounced around that contraption was beyond him. "I think we just got a lungful of noxious fumes to last a lifetime, but we'll survive."

Should he mention Heat? He'd essentially admitted to having practiced cannibalism earlier, and in addition that, on living victims, which placed him squarely as having murdered... but at the same time, that was also something that fell under a right to privacy if he was mentally ill. There was no doubt in McCoy's mind that Heat was disturbed, that he needed help and that broadcasting that to everyone would be counterproductive to any progress he might make.

But how far should that privacy extend if he was possibly a danger to others?

[dual_worlds]

Learning that most of the patients were going to be relocated to Doyleton for the day did not surprise Spock. After all, this weekly trip had been the reason why the building was largely empty the night he had initially arrived at the Institute. From what he understood, the trip was not always a peaceful one. In fact, he vividly recalled his conversation with the female patient during his first full day in Landel's.

Doyleton, she had said. We go there every week on a 'field trip'. And once in a while, we end up wishing we'd stayed here.

They would need to prepare for the possibility that tonight would be just as dangerous. It was for that reason Spock had largely spent the bus ride observing their surroundings and mentally tracing the route his assigned bus took as they wound their way through the Earth-like countryside. Of course, if they were ever stranded out here for the night, then plunging back into the wilderness was likely the worst place for them to go. That did not make knowing the area any less important, however.

Upon stepping off of his bus, Spock adjusted the striped scarf his nurse had given him. She had also made certain that he was properly wearing a hat, gloves, and the thick, beige sweater he'd received as well. Apparently the staff were aware that he was particularly sensitive to cold weather and took extra measure to make certain that he would be comfortable. It was mostly unnecessary, seeing that the temperature did not impede his ability to function, but he appreciated the extra clothing nonetheless.

The vandalized property did not go unnoticed, and Spock privately wondered if it was a lingering trace of what had occurred last week. It seemed unlikely, though, that a "zombie" attack would produce this sort of damage. One might have assumed that a group of rowdy delinquent had passed through, rather than a horde of vicious creatures carrying a potentially deadly pathogen.

Before he could ponder the situation further, the first officer's eyes were drawn toward a group of men he instantly recognized. The manner in which Kirk tossed the apple before take a bite was effective in capturing the attention of anyone who walked past him. Perhaps that was his intention, though Spock was uncertain as to whether it was wise.

He approached them and neatly clasped his hands behind his back. "Captain," he greeted, before before briefly nodding toward McCoy and Chekov to acknowledge their presence.

[sewenteen_sir]

How was the ride over? Somewhere between a strange parallel universe and dancing on a razor's edge. The stranger had drawn Chekov into talking about Commander Spock, and he was regretting it tremendously. Especially now that Commander Spock was standing amongst them. What if, in an effort to help Gabriel understand Commander Spock, he'd said too much and opened up a floodgate for Gabriel to start asking questions?

He fell into the at ease position and nodded to Commander Spock in greeting. The only way this would be alright was if he informed both Captain Kirk and Commander Spock of the encounter. If he mislead them... he would be thrown out of Starfleet for starters.

"I had an encounter wiz a man..." he looked up at Commander Spock, as though apologizing for the random meeting. "Zough I did not catch his name, he claimed to be Commander Spock's roommate."

And had his face on top of that. Though he didn't think that portion of the report was strictly necessary.

[doneinthree]

They were already attracting attention for clustering like this, but Kirk was determined to stand here for as long as it took to see all of his men face-to-face. Until then, he could do his best to make it look like they weren't planning to escape (for the benefit of the staff) or planning a heist (for the townspeople). With the tense mood they'd encountered upon entering Doyleton, for once he'd much rather they be taken as just a few harmless mental patients on a field trip, instead of the trained Starfleet officers they were.

So Kirk kept talking through his mouthful of fruit as he smirked at Bones, looking like the least likely candidate ever for a starship captain. (That he'd done this exact thing before while sitting in a command chair was irrelevant. The Kobayashi Maru test had been a simulation, and that apple had been delicious.) "I didn't think it was all that bad. I mean, the atmosphere of this planet has it a lot worse than- Spock!"

While the reverse might've happened for a second, there was no confusing his first officer for Zachary Blaine. Kirk looked him over as he approached, unable to tell if he was injured or not under all his layers of clothing, but guessing that he had to be fine if McCoy was. Kirk smiled at Spock's usual laconic efficiency. "Nice of you to join us."

With the crew gathered, they could now move to somewhere less crowded to discuss last night's activities, but Chekov's report gave him pause. He'd met Bones' roommate, albeit extremely briefly, and was aware that Chekov's roommate had disappeared, but until now, hadn't learned anything about the man sharing Spock's room. He hadn't really thought of it either - Spock would've mentioned him if he thought it was important, and otherwise could handle himself - but what did concern him was Chekov's lingering nervousness.

Or maybe he needed to stop looking for Klingons under every latrine. There were plenty of reasons for why the young ensign might feel uneasy right now, such as ominous broken windows or the walking dead. Kirk glanced briefly at Spock, then said: "A friendly encounter, I hope." His tone remained as casual as ever, but the apple in his hand dropped slightly as Kirk looked around for a good place to continue the conversation.

[hes_deadjim]

Despite years of knowing the captain (his captain), McCoy couldn't stopped the faint look of exasperation at Jim talking with his mouth full. It just drove in what ten years difference could make. The sass hadn't changed much, however.

Of course the captain wouldn't think it was bad. He also didn't see a single thing wrong with transporters either. McCoy might utterly respect the man, follow him to the end's of the earth even, but he couldn't say that Kirk always had taste, or a certain common sense.

"I'd prefer not to have to choose between my poisons in the first place, Jim, I-"

The doctor cut off. Spock had joined them, gave them all a curt nod in greeting before settling into that rigid military stance as if it was second nature. The conversation had switched tracks just then, moving onto this mystery roommate of Spock's. McCoy didn't have a clue who that was.

McCoy didn't see what was so interesting about him, other than the fact that he was (temporarily) living with Spock and hadn't gone mad from being stuck with a Vulcan. With the way Jim was acting, and Chekov for that matter for bringing it up like that at all, it seemed like there was something a little more noteworthy about this man than just being a simple roommate. McCoy caught the way Jim looked at Spock.

[dual_worlds]

Spock did not return Kirk's smile, though his mouth relaxed somewhat. "You and Mr. Chekov appear uninjured," he remarked. It was difficult to make an accurate assessment beneath some of the clothing the nurses had given in order to protect them from the potential rain, though neither of them appeared to hold themselves in a way that indicated they had sustained any wounds. Even so, he trusted that someone would correct him if his observation was wrong.

Upon hearing Mr. Chekov had met Gabriel, he regarded the ensign with a neutral expression. That was not unexpected news, especially considering it would not be difficult for Gabriel to attract the attention of his crewmates for obvious reasons. He had already spoken with the captain at least once, after all.

"If you are referring to the individual who bears a remarkable physical resemblance to myself, Ensign, then, yes, he is indeed my roommate," Spock replied.

There was still some uncertainty as to how much they had in common outside of a similar facial and body structure, though it may have been more than Spock was willing to concede. Still, the fact remained that Gabriel was fully Human, while Spock was half Vulcan; Gabriel was a watchmaker from New York, while he was a Starfleet officer from a planet that no longer existed; Gabriel hailed from the 21st century, and Spock was from the 23rd. These differences were obvious and likely created far more differences between them than there were similarities.

[sewenteen_sir]

'Remarkable physical resemblance' seemed to be Commander Spock's way of saying, 'The man looks like he could be my twin.' Not as though Chekov was complaining. The Commander hadn't looked disapproving, nor had he tried to delve into what their conversation had been about. Nothing would be more embarrassing than being lectured by the Vulcan Commander about how it didn't matter if he and his roommate 'got along'--especially after his efforts to make it so the other man had some clue as to what might make things rocky. He couldn't help it. Whenever someone looked perplexed, he had to help.

Chekov nodded to Commander Spock. "I wanted to meke you aware, sir. So zere would not be any surprises should he mention we spoke."

And if that indeed happened, at least Chekov would only get an explanation as to why his actions were unnecessary, instead of an explanation as to why his actions were unnecessary and a reminder to report any seemingly significant encounters or details. Possibly.

"He seemed perfectly amiable, Keptain," he continued. "It was merely strenge to encounter someone who... was wery different from ze Commander, yet looked nearly identical to him. I was unaware until zis point zat there might be prisoners here who bear a strikingly similar resemblance to people we may know."

He dearly hoped he wasn't late to this little revelation. "I cannot begin to speculate as to what zis could mean, or what would cause zis... twin phenomena, sir."

What he could begin to imagine was the chaos that would ensue should someone looking like the Captain, the Doctor, or even himself appear. It was fairly easy to distinguish a Vulcan from a Human, but human twins?

[doneinthree]

Kirk listened to the conversation with half an ear as he surveyed the area. As with the Institute, uniformed staff members could be spotted everywhere you looked, most of them still guiding the rest of the patients off the bus, but others were fanning out in every direction like a well-organized away team. From where he stood, he could see a few promising locations: an inn would be used to visitors coming and going, but a bookstore might be more private and provide some clues to the world they inhabited - assuming, of course, the late-twentieth-century Earth masquerade didn't extend this far. Otherwise, they could take their chances with the large park they'd been deposited in-

Hold on. "Nearly identical"?

"Wait. They made your evil twin your roommate? Or good twin, rather, since... I mean..." Kirk remembered joking about it with Spock that first day over the bulletin board, but hadn't heard anything else about Zachary since then. Of course, there had been several other more important things to discuss in the few times they'd talked this week, and Zach hardly seemed like someone who would cause trouble during dinner. Even so, rooming Spock with his human doppelganger couldn't have been a coincidence on the part of their captors - more mind games, then? How strange would it be for a half-Vulcan to have to spend an hour everyday with a fully human version of himself?

On this subject, Spock appeared stoic, which was like saying water appeared wet. While Kirk would've ordinarily been interested in pursuing this bizarreness further, they had a lot more important things to worry about right now, and there was no reason to put Spock on the spot over a personal matter. Of course, being Kirk, he couldn't resist getting the last word in either. "Did he smile at you?" he asked Chekov. "Because that was the weirdest part to me."

Park, bookstore, inn... Even if they opted to take a walk through the town instead, Kirk had a feeling they wouldn't be getting away from the nurses so easily - or away from the reach of Landel's power. Could this place be another simulation? Compared to the hustle and bustle of San Francisco, Riverside had seemed like a relic from another era, but it was still nothing compared to Doyleton. Endless lectures on maintaining the Prime Directive had prepared him for the possibility of encountering Earth-like but underdeveloped planets, although those lectures hadn't covered this exact scenario.

"This town looks pretty good for a place that was apparently crawling with zombies last week." Kirk swallowed his latest bite of apple. "So what have you guys learned about Doyleton?"

[hes_deadjim]

Oh ho, so this must be that man Jim had mentioned, the one who he claimed was a scruffier version of Spock. McCoy couldn't deny that he'd harbored a secret curiosity about him. Spock always looked so impeccable, not a single hair out of place, that it seemed completely impossible that the universe could harbor anything else.

McCoy's gaze drifted from Jim to Chekov. He wanted to make them aware of Spock's roommate? The doctor still wasn't sure why it was that noteworthy in the first place that the ensign had talked with him, and amiably at that. It was interesting that he could very well have a twin going around, one from another universe that wasn't a counterpart.

Assuming Spock doesn't surprise us and spring the news that he's got siblings, he thought. Spock was notoriously tight-lipped about anything to do with Vulcan ritual and tradition, and even more so when it came to his personal life. It took him nearly losing his control, his biosigns going through the roof, and Jim wearing at his defenses to admit that pon farr business. Getting him to talk about family? McCoy wasn't even sure he'd talk about that even if his life was threatened. Spock could swear up and down that Vulcans had no emotions, but the doctor knew for a fact that they certainly had a stubborn streak in them a mile long.

The doctor listened as the ensign explained further, a strange, cold irritation coming over him that seemed to come out of nowhere. Outside of the implications, multiverse hypotheses and how this man fit into it, it didn't seem at all necessary to bring up, but he supposed Chekov was just making sure the captain was kept informed. Even if it was relatively insignificant. Chekov was, if anything, thorough. It was one of the qualities that made him suited for the position as navigator. The ensign was young, over-eager at times, of course, talented... and too ambitious for his own good, traitorous. He had a sadistic streak in him that matched Sulu's...

[dual_worlds]

"Yes, Captain, we have been assigned to the same cell." He was aware that pointed ears and slanted eyebrows lent him a more demonic appearance when viewed through the lens of Earth lore. This was not the first time anyone had made reference to it. Spock raised an eyebrow at Kirk and added, "Although I must confess I find the manner in which you divide us into the categories of 'good' and 'evil' rather curious."

As far as why they looked so similar, Spock was uncertain, though it was true that in many humanoid species it was not completely unheard of for two unrelated individuals to share similar facial structures. Yet, on the surface, the similarities seemed too striking for such an explanation to suffice. If there were not other matters pressing on them, Spock may have been more interested in investigating the matter deeper in order to satisfy his curiosity. For now, though, there was Doyleton to discuss.

That was why the finer details of Gabriel's discussion with Chekov, such as whether they exchanged smiles, were irrelevant as far as Spock was concerned. Regardless, Kirk's question had not been directed toward him, so he simply ignored it.

Focusing on the captain's inquiries about Doyleton was best. "The town shows signs of being swarmed by a group of vandals -- most unusual, considering the type of creatures we encountered a week ago," Spock evenly said. "If what transpired here was indeed as violent as some of the patients have indicated, then it is likely that Doyleton and its inhabitants fall under Landel's direct sphere of influence."

[sewenteen_sir]

"Euh... yes sir," Chekov said, and left it at that. For whatever reason, Doctor McCoy seemed to be disquieted by Chekov's report, and was watching him more intently than Chekov could remember. The ensign gave the Doctor and the Commander a nervous nod, and fell silent. Perhaps he should have kept his concerns to himself and voiced them privately to Commander Spock. For now, though, he would listen to the brief without interjecting. Unless he had something he was certain was relevant.

So far though, he hadn't thought much of the vandalism or graffiti. The 20th century had been a tumultuous time for mankind, and such things were probably fairly normal. ...of course, the subject of the graffiti was a little too coincidental, now that he looked at it again.

It was slightly disheartening though, to hear that Commander Spock thought this town also fell under Landel's strange and powerful form of tyranny. Did the people here even know that as night fell, their environment became hostile and dangerous? Given that the town was not deserted, Chekov was inclined to believe that they had no idea such things happened.

But for him it meant that there may not be anywhere to escape to. Nowhere to run. They were trapped in an unknown situation where even the stars weren't a comfort.

"Perhaps someone here has some idea as to who is responsible," Chekov suggested tentatively. "For ze wandalism. Ze painted images seem to reference ze faces marked on our uniforms. Why... I could not ewen begin to speculate."

[doneinthree]

Kirk merely smirked at Spock's mild protest at being designated the "evil" one. As un-PC as the joke was, it wasn't a particularly uncommon one in the halls of the Academy - frankly, the Vulcans invited it with all their seriousness and secretiveness. The playful normalcy of the moment took his mind off, just for a bit, but ribbing his first officer would have to be saved for later. His crew reminded him that they had more important concerns.

"Spock's right: this town and our prison are connected, but I don't think that graffiti has to do with us, necessarily. Last night, the radio woman told us of an injured ally... I don't suppose you two managed to make contact with him?" asked Kirk, looking to the science officers. If someone had been gravely hurt, no matter how dubious, Bones would've insisted on helping them, and Spock wasn't nearly as cold as he acted. Kirk was willing to bet they would've tried to follow Jill's hint. However, his and Chekov's own night had been short in the unpredictable way time flowed in this place, and he had to wonder if Spock and McCoy had experienced the same.

Kirk tapped his half-eaten apple against his chin, thinking. "In any case, if this man - and 'Jill' - can be trusted as far as being enemies of Landel, then we can assume that somewhere outside of the Institute, some party doesn't fall under his influence. But if this is their work, the message could be clearer. So. We need more information, and we'd learn quicker if we all split up." His hands fell to his sides as he looked at each of his men in turn.

Just last night, he'd repeated those words about them keeping an eye out for each other, and now he was going to send his crew out individually into Doyleton. Under normal circumstances, with everyone fully equipped with weapons and communicators, Kirk wouldn't have thought twice about splitting up four officers. Here, they were at a disadvantage, but the hospital staff was out in droves today, and would no doubt be even more keen on watching the patients for disruptive activity.

If danger was coming, it wouldn't be until nightfall. "There's at least an hour's worth of ground to cover. Commander Spock and I will start in the south; Doctor McCoy and Ensign Chekov, take the north. Check anything that appears suspicious, talk to the residents to find out anything interesting..."

Kirk trailed off with a frown. What he'd initially taken to be a (slightly strange) expression of concentration from McCoy hadn't altered in all the time he'd been speaking. That the doctor's eyes now looked like they were boring holes into Chekov was just the icing on the eerie cake.

"Bones," he said sharply.