Fic Post: The Box 2/2
Title: The Box
Author: idvo
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Rating: Mature
Warnings: none
Relationship Status: Established K/S
Additional Pairings: some Uhura/Scotty
Genre: drama, humor, action-adventure, romance
Word Count: ~4,200/10,000
Summary: The Enterprise has to drop off a few supplies at a nearby colony, and Kirk was looking forward to the lull in activity. Finally, a chance to spend some time with Spock. However, between McCoy hounding him to complete his athletic evaluation, and the appearance of strange and destructive aliens, Kirk can’t seem to spend more than a few short moments with him.
A/N: Written for ksrelativity . Group 6, prompts: alleyway, box, athletic evaluations, quartermaster. Also, holy crap, I think this is the longest fic I’ve ever written.
Part One
::
Kirk stepped out of the turbolift before the doors fully opened. He looked down the corridor and noticed Scotty and three security officers standing near the wall, so he quickly walked over to them. When he got there he saw Uhura crouched inside the vent, Scotty trying to convince her to take her net back in with her.
“What if they attack you again?” he said.
“You think flailing around an overgrown butterfly net is going to do me any good if that happens?” She shook her head. “And they’re not going to attack me, anyway.” She saw Kirk walk up. “Do you have it?”
“Yeah,” he said, stepping through the small crowd to hand the universal translator up to her. “What’s this all about?”
“I think they’re trying to communicate with me,” she said.
“I think you need to come out of that vent and get some fresh air,” Scotty countered.
Uhura rolled her eyes and started climbing back up the vent.
“Wait!” Kirk called out. “How do you know that’s what they’re doing?”
“It’s hard to explain,” she said, poking her head out of the opening. “But there’s a certain pattern to the sounds they make, like they have syntax. They take turns when communicating, and they don’t interrupt one another.” She looked at Kirk. “I really think this is important.”
“Go ahead,” he said, after a moment of deliberation. Uhura nodded and went back in.
“Sir!” Scotty turned to him. “What if something happens?”
“Come on, Scotty.” Kirk patted his arm. “She knows what she’s doing.”
They followed her back to the creatures and waited. She opened a channel between their communicators so they could listen in, but she didn’t talk to them. Instead, they all listened as she talked to the creatures, and they could just about hear them respond when she asked questions. They could also hear her move the universal translator around as she tried to get it to decipher their sounds.
For a long time, nothing else happened. Kirk saw Scotty fidget as they waited, and two of the security officers leaned against the wall. The third held his net in both hands and kept his eyes trained on the ceiling, as if he was expecting something to burst through it at any moment.
Suddenly, a scratchy, high-pitched voice said, “No, we are stay.”
“Was that-” Scotty began.
“Yes.” Uhura’s voice had that tell-tale note of excitement in it. “Those are my friends. No one wants to hurt you, I promise.” She made more adjustments to the universal translator.
“Hurt before,” a different voice said. “Many.”
“We won’t hurt you,” Uhura repeated. “We want to help.”
“No.”
“Lying.”
“Please believe me.” She shifted around. “I’m talking to you, aren’t I? Has anyone else ever tried to do that?”
“Yes.”
“But were they talking to you, or at you.”
There was a pause, and then a voice said, “Doesn’t understand.”
“Did they just say things like, ‘Come here,’” she said in a sing-song voice and making some kissing noises. “‘Come here. We won’t hurt you.’ Like that?”
“Yes.”
“The ones who said that were talking at you. They didn’t really care what you had to say; all they wanted was to catch you.”
“You want that.”
“We saw.”
“That was before. But look, do I have anything now?”
“That.”
“This just helps me talk to you. You hear my voice come out of it, right?”
“Yes.”
“See? It’s not a trap.”
“I’ll be damned,” Scotty whispered. Kirk nodded in agreement, and they all waited a few more minutes as Uhura continued to talk to the creatures.
“We’re coming out,” she said at last. No one answered her. “Hello? Are you there?”
“What? Oh, right.” Kirk motioned towards everyone’s nets. “Get those out of here, and someone make sure the corridor stays clear. I don’t want to scare them off again.”
“We’re on it,” one security officer said, tugging on another’s sleeve. The first gathered the nets, and the second took out his communicator and called for assistance with keeping the corridor clear. The third stayed behind.
Slowly, Uhura made her way out of the vent. Kirk and Scotty helped lower her to the floor. They watched as two tiny, blue creatures appeared at the opening. They blinked in the light, and looked at the humans standing around them. They were each about six inches tall, with wings that they held in front of them, folded almost like arms. Their back legs were short, and two long claws protruded from each foot. They also had shiny, black beaks, which they quietly clicked at one another.
“It’ll be okay,” Uhura said, and she held out her arm. They hopped down, and Kirk noticed that they didn’t dig their claws into her flesh.
“I think it’d be better to take them to sickbay,” he said.
“I agree.” Uhura was careful to keep her arm steady.
Kirk grabbed Scotty’s communicator. “Kirk to Spock.”
“Spock, here.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” Kirk said. “Apparently, the creatures are sapient. We’re taking them to sickbay, not the labs.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“Good. Kirk, out.” Cutting the connection with Spock, Kirk contacted McCoy.
“McCoy, here.”
Kirk smiled. “Guess what, Bones? I have a couple new patients for you.”
::
“You know, Captain, as long as you’re here-”
“Not right now, Chapel.”
“But who knows how long they’ll be in there? It’d be better than just waiting around, doing nothing.”
Uhura and McCoy were in a private room, interviewing and examining the creatures. They were very nervous around people, and only barely trusted Uhura, so Kirk had decided to limit their exposure to others. He had no idea what they were or where they came from, and he couldn’t imagine how they came to be on the ship. Their fear was understandable, so Kirk, Spock, and Chapel waited for them in McCoy’s office.
“And what if they finish up right this second? Then we’ll have to stop and start the evaluation all over again later.”
“They can wait while you do it,” Chapel said. “Right, Mr. Spock?”
“It would not be an inconvenience,” he said.
“You too, Spock?” Kirk mock-pouted. “Are you going to try to guilt trip me next? It won’t work.”
“I would never think of doing such a thing.”
“Right,” Kirk said.
Before they could argue any further, Uhura and McCoy came into the office.
“They’re fine,” McCoy said. “A little shaken and dehydrated, but they’ll live.” Kirk didn’t like the way he was looking at him, so he moved closer to Spock.
“They’re members of a species called the Friit,” Uhura began, sitting on the edge of McCoy’s desk. “Their home world is a small moon orbiting a gas giant in the Haran system.”
“That’s in neutral space,” Kirk said.
Uhura nodded and continued. “There also used to be a mining colony located on the moon, about ten years ago. It was rich in dilithium, and people from various factions went there to mine it, including the Federation. The Friit didn’t know what was happening at first, and they tried to get the miners to leave, but they were basically treated like pests and chased off.”
“No one thought to conduct a more detailed investigation?” Spock asked.
“No,” Uhura said. “What’s worse is that they eat mainly minerals, and dilithium was one of their main food sources. There was some left over from the mining, but there’s definitely not enough to last them for very long.
“Eventually, some people thought that the Friit were just a curious species of local fauna. They started capturing them and tried to ‘domesticate’ them. They shipped them to their home planets and even marketed them as exotic pets.”
“And that’s what happened to the two we have on board,” McCoy said.
“Exactly,” Uhura said. “They’ve been away from their home for nearly two years, now. People keep buying them, but they return them when they don’t act like the cute little birds they thought they ordered.”
“Damn,” Kirk said.
“There was an address attached to the box the Friit were shipped in,” Spock said. “It is located on the colony where we’re currently heading.”
“So it’s possible we can find whoever ordered them?”
“Yes.”
Kirk clapped his hands together. “Okay, here’s the plan: when we get to the colony, we’ll unload the rest of the supplies. I’ll get Hendricks to put on some civvies and give him the box. Spock and I will follow him to the address. As soon as Hendricks hands over the box, we’ll arrest the buyer.”
“Shouldn’t you contact the authorities first?” McCoy asked. “This is a serious crime we’re dealing with.”
“We have no idea who the buyer is,” Kirk said. “For all we know, they might be part of the colony’s security force. The way I see it, the less people who know the details, the better. I’ll have Scotty keep a lock on our frequencies, and if anything goes wrong he can get us out of there.”
“Fine.” McCoy motioned for them to leave. “Just be careful, because as soon as you’re done, you know what you’re going to do.”
Kirk cringed. “No need to remind me.”
::
“Maybe they’re not coming,” Hendricks said, holding the box in front of him. Kirk could see it shake from Hendricks’ nerves.
“We just got here,” Kirk said. “Give it some time.” He and Spock hid in the shadows at the back of an alleyway, next to a puddle Kirk didn’t want to think about. A trash chute protruded from the building, about three floors above their heads, and passed through a hole in the ground. They stood behind it, trying not to make too much noise.
“What if they bring backup?” Hendricks shifted his feet. “What if they catch on to us?”
“Keep talking and they will,” Kirk said. “Now, be quiet.”
He checked his communicator. As soon as the box was in the buyer’s hands, Kirk would signal Scotty to beam Hendricks back to the ship. He and Spock would then attempt to apprehend the buyer, using force if necessary. If Kirk didn’t send word of his success or failure in ten minutes, Scotty was to beam them back, and then notify the colony’s security force.
Kirk hoped he could convince the buyer that what they were doing was wrong. With any luck, they’d be horrified that they were part of the trafficking of sapient beings. Then again, smuggling alien fauna to different worlds was no small crime, either. Kirk recalled reading about a case where a small insectoid species nearly devastated the agriculture of a newly discovered planet when the owner accidentally lost them after showing them off to the locals.
“I hear something!” Hendricks called to them. They looked around the edge of the chute and watched as a tall man in expensive clothing walked around the corner and into the alley.
“I didn’t know this was being hand-delivered,” the man said.
Hendricks coughed. “We can’t just leave precious cargo like this unattended.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “Why do you think it’s precious?”
“Well, uh,” Hendricks made to step back, but stopped himself. “It says ‘fragile’ all over it. I figured a little extra protection wouldn’t hurt.”
“Just give it to me.” The man snatched the box from Hendricks’ hands and glared at him. “You can leave now,” he said.
Kirk didn’t miss a beat. He pressed a button on his communicator, and moments later Hendricks disappeared in the transporter beam. The man froze and stared at the now empty spot on the ground. Kirk walked around the chute and towards the man, Spock close behind.
“Nice package,” he said, smiling.
The man jumped and faced them. He held the box to his body, but he didn’t move away. “Who are-?”
“I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise,” Kirk said. “And this is my first officer, Commander Spock.”
The man’s eyes widened as recognition washed over him. “I-I’m not- This isn’t what it looks like.”
“No, it’s exactly what it looks like.” Kirk stepped closer to him.
“Do you know the consequences of illegally purchasing alien fauna?” Spock asked.
The man didn’t answer.
“And do you know the consequences of illegally buying sapient alien species?” Kirk added.
“What?!” The man dropped the box. “No! They’re just little birds! My children, they wanted a pet that no one else had-”
“You should’ve gotten them a goldfish, then,” Kirk said. “No one has those anymore.”
He walked towards the man, but before he could reach him, he turned and ran. “Hey!” Kirk took off after him, almost tripping over the box. Spock followed them. The man tore out of the alley and ran across the narrow street. There was no traffic, but a few pedestrians on the other side had to dodge out of his way. Kirk ran through the opening in the crowd and saw the man going for a hovercycle parked close by. Kirk forced his legs to move faster and lunged at him, slamming into him with his shoulder and causing them both to tumble to the ground.
“You don’t understand!” the man shouted, trying to plead with Kirk even as he wrestled to get free. “I didn’t know!”
“Like that matters, now,” Kirk said between gritted teeth. The man was stronger than he looked, and Kirk was winded from the short chase. He lost his grip on the man’s arm and almost took an elbow to the head, but he managed to avoid it. With a strong shove, the man pushed him away and got to his feet. Kirk scrambled to get up, but before he could Spock caught the man before he could take off again. With a pinch, he knocked the man unconscious and settled him to the ground. He offered his hand to help Kirk up.
Kirk reluctantly took it. “Thanks,” he said. Breathing heavily, he glanced down at the man and then back to where they’d run from. It looked to be about two-hundred feet, but Kirk felt as though he’d run a mile.
“Captain-” Spock said.
“I know, I know.” Kirk wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “As soon as we beam back, I’ll take the evaluation and get my ass in the gym. This can’t happen again.”
“That is admirable,” Spock said. “However, I was going to suggest that you notify Mr. Scott of our success.”
“Oh.” Kirk reached for his communicator, “That’d be a good idea.”
Spock nodded and bent down to check the man over. Kirk contacted Scotty, grateful that he could blame his blush on the exertion of the chase.
::
The authorities at the colony agreed to house the Friit until a ship could arrive to take them back to their world. Kirk sent a message to Starfleet notifying them of the situation, telling them that they needed to work on finding and retuning all of the Friit that had been captured and sold. He made sure to mention that the mining of their home had depleted their food sources, and he recommended that the Federation reimburse them. Uhura also composed a report to send to Starfleet. It included the code they would need to translate the Friit’s language, as well as advice on how to interact with them. Spock was going to go over her report when she was finished and add to it what his science team had discovered about the box they were shipped in. He was also going to include a detailed analysis of the feather and suggestions on how to scan for their bio signs.
Overall, Kirk was optimistic. He knew there were a lot of Friit still captive throughout the Federation, and probably in other jurisdictions, as well, but he knew that they’d work hard to set things right again. He, himself, was determined to keep an eye out for anything that might lead them to finding others. He also hoped that one day the Friit would forgive the Federation for being so ignorant and careless.
::
“And one more time,” McCoy said, alternating his gaze between Kirk’s bio readings and the chart on his PADD. Kirk gulped in a deep breath and pushed up on the two bars by his shoulders. He managed to get them about a foot above his head before his muscles gave out, and he let go. They slid slowly back into position while he caught his breath.
“Well?” he asked.
“Your right arm is slightly stronger than you left. Pretty much what I expected. And overall your readings are lower than they were last time.” McCoy leveled a look at him. “Also what I expected.”
“Oh, come on. You’re not over that yet?”
“You forged medical information, Jim.” McCoy motioned for Kirk to hop off the table. “I should report you.”
“But you love me, so you won’t,” Kirk said, reaching for his shirt and putting it on. “Besides, it’s not like I made myself out to be some sort of superhero. I made sure I was as average as I could be, without making anything too average, you know? If I managed to fool you, I know I fooled the brass.”
“Keep neglecting your fitness and you’ll be below average,” McCoy said, shutting down the testing equipment. “I don’t think they’d like that too much, knowing that the captain of their flagship can barely handle a civilian smuggler.”
“Relax, Bones.” Kirk straightened out his uniform and put a hand on McCoy’s shoulder. “Spock’s going to train me.”
“Oh is he.” Any flatter and one could’ve rested fine curios on his voice.
“Yep.” Kirk smirked. “And you know how much I love being under his tutelage.” He waggled his brows.
McCoy rolled his eyes and lifted one eyebrow. “Get out of my sickbay and get some rest.”
Kirk clapped him on the back as he walked by. “You shouldn’t make that face so often. It might get stuck that way, and then you’d just look like Spock.”
“Out.”
“Not that that’d be a bad thing. Might even be a small improvement.”
“Out!”
“Or maybe you two could teach a class: ‘The Art of the Eyebrow,’ presented by Commander Spock and Dr. McCoy.”
“Do you need help sleeping, Jim?”
Kirk laughed and darted out of sickbay. Teasing Bones was fun, but he already had more hypo stings than were probably necessary.
::
The loud and persistent beeping of his alarm startled Kirk awake. For a long, confused moment he laid there, his body knowing that something wasn’t quite right. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and croaking out a command to cut the alarm. When he remembered why he decided to get up earlier than usual, a slow grin spread across his face.
Spock.
Kirk swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood, and he nearly bounced his way into the head. Today was the start of Spock’s special training sessions for him, and he couldn’t be more excited. There was barely any time for them to talk to one another, let alone have sex, and Kirk was very much looking forward to the chance to make that happen. He got into the shower and let the warm water pound away the aches of yesterday’s scuffle and Bones’ evaluation. Getting some soap, he rubbed a rich lather in his hands and started to massage it over his body. He reached his waist and looked down. His penis twitched a bit, and Kirk thought about what he should do. He gave himself a few lazy strokes. If he got himself off now, then he might be able to last longer with Spock, later. But who knew what Spock had in store for him? He didn’t want to be completely spent halfway through the proceedings, so he reluctantly let go of his erection.
After finishing up in the shower and taking care of the rest of his morning routine, Kirk walked back into the main room, towel slung low on his hips. He was just about to reach for his uniform when the comm whistled. He walked over to it and pressed the button.
“Kirk, here,” he said, and smiled when Spock’s face appeared on the screen. He noticed his eyes quickly scan over his exposed chest, and his smile grew wider.
“Captain,” Spock said, sounding every bit the professional Vulcan. “I trust that you remember our arrangement?”
“How could I forget?” Kirk said. He turned and went to his dresser and, feeling bold, dropped the towel before grabbing some clothes.
Spock went quiet for a moment, then said, “I have reserved training room two for the next three hours. It would be most satisfactory if you could proceed there as soon as possible.”
One of the training rooms? Kinky Vulcan. Kirk pulled on his uniform and turned back to the comm. “I’m on my way.”
“I’m confident that you will find this morning’s activities to be quite stimulating, sir.”
“Looking forward to it, Mr. Spock.”
With a nod, Spock cut the connection.
Grinning like a fool, Kirk left his quarters and made his way to training room two. He cheerfully greeted every passing crew member, and exchanged pleasantries with a few who were in the turbolift with him. They probably thought he’d finally snapped, but he didn’t care. He had three whole hours of alone time with Spock. It was almost a surprise that he wasn’t floating down the corridor, he was so happy.
He got to the room and strode through the door, expecting to see Spock, wearing some kind of tight workout gear and doing some stretches. Maybe they would start off with some sparring, just to warm themselves up…
“Hello, Captain!”
Kirk started and stared at the smiling face of a young officer. “Uh, hello.”
“You should take a few minutes to get changed in the locker room,” she said. “I’ll be waiting out here when you’re ready.”
“Um, excuse me Lieutenant…”
“Landon, sir.”
“Yes, Lieutenant Landon. Mr. Spock said-”
“Isn’t he great, reserving the room for us like this? I’m just a junior grade lieutenant, so the most I would’ve been able to get was an hour, but Mr. Spock said he’d take care of everything when he asked me to help you train.”
Kirk twisted his mouth into something he hoped looked like an easy smile. “He sure is something, isn’t he?”
“Yes, sir, he is!” Landon kneeled down and started checking over the various pieces of equipment lined up on the mat. The aches and pains he thought he’d gotten rid of in the shower started coming back.
Kirk walked into the locker room and quickly located a comm unit on the far wall. He pressed the button and said, “Kirk to Spock.”
“Spock, here, sir.” Spock’s voice sounded from the small speaker.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Spock,” Kirk said, “but didn’t we have an arrangement for today?”
“Sir?”
“I’m standing in training room two, and, well, you’re not.” Kirk folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “Care to tell me why?”
“I am currently overseeing an experiment in the labs, and later I must read over and sign Lieutenant Uhura’s report on the incident with the Friit, as well as add my own findings. I will not be available for another ten-point-five hours.” He paused. “Did you think that I was going to directly assist you with your training?”
“I was under that impression, yes.”
“Ah. It appears I may have misled you. My apologies.” Kirk could just see that innocent, “I didn’t do anything,” look on Spock’s face. “However, I assure you that Lieutenant Landon is a skilled instructor. She teaches fitness classes three times per week, and Dr. McCoy informed me that she achieved the highest combat score of anyone on the ship. Her assistance will be quite beneficial.”
Kirk opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. “Sir? Are you ready?” Landon said.
“Just going over a few things with Mr. Spock before we get started, Lieutenant. I’ll be right out.”
“Okay, sir,” she said.
Kirk lowered his voice. “This conversation’s not over,” he said.
“Indeed not,” Spock answered. “Perhaps we could discuss your training later this evening?”
Kirk pushed himself away from the wall and smiled. “We’ll go over some other business, too.”
“Was there anything else you wanted, Captain?”
Oh, was there. “Nope, Spock. I’ll see you later. Kirk out.”
He quickly changed into a training suit and went back out to where Landon waited.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Now that he wasn’t completely confused, Kirk felt like better company. “Everything’s fine,” he said. “Hey, Lieutenant?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know any good wrestling moves? You know, takedowns, holds, stuff like that?”
“Sure do. You want to start there?”
“That’d be great. I’ve been meaning to work on my grappling technique.”
“All right, sir. After some stretches, we’ll begin.” Landon stood in front of him and showed him a few stretching positions. “First you’ll want to lift your arms up, like this…”
Kirk was determined to perfect whatever moves Landon taught him. After all, he didn’t want to disappoint Spock after he went through so much trouble arranging these training sessions. And what better way to show him how much he’d improved than with a hands-on demonstration?
Kirk had already waited three months. A few more hours wasn’t going to kill him.
::
END
::
Author: idvo
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Rating: Mature
Warnings: none
Relationship Status: Established K/S
Additional Pairings: some Uhura/Scotty
Genre: drama, humor, action-adventure, romance
Word Count: ~4,200/10,000
Summary: The Enterprise has to drop off a few supplies at a nearby colony, and Kirk was looking forward to the lull in activity. Finally, a chance to spend some time with Spock. However, between McCoy hounding him to complete his athletic evaluation, and the appearance of strange and destructive aliens, Kirk can’t seem to spend more than a few short moments with him.
A/N: Written for ksrelativity . Group 6, prompts: alleyway, box, athletic evaluations, quartermaster. Also, holy crap, I think this is the longest fic I’ve ever written.
Part One
::
Kirk stepped out of the turbolift before the doors fully opened. He looked down the corridor and noticed Scotty and three security officers standing near the wall, so he quickly walked over to them. When he got there he saw Uhura crouched inside the vent, Scotty trying to convince her to take her net back in with her.
“What if they attack you again?” he said.
“You think flailing around an overgrown butterfly net is going to do me any good if that happens?” She shook her head. “And they’re not going to attack me, anyway.” She saw Kirk walk up. “Do you have it?”
“Yeah,” he said, stepping through the small crowd to hand the universal translator up to her. “What’s this all about?”
“I think they’re trying to communicate with me,” she said.
“I think you need to come out of that vent and get some fresh air,” Scotty countered.
Uhura rolled her eyes and started climbing back up the vent.
“Wait!” Kirk called out. “How do you know that’s what they’re doing?”
“It’s hard to explain,” she said, poking her head out of the opening. “But there’s a certain pattern to the sounds they make, like they have syntax. They take turns when communicating, and they don’t interrupt one another.” She looked at Kirk. “I really think this is important.”
“Go ahead,” he said, after a moment of deliberation. Uhura nodded and went back in.
“Sir!” Scotty turned to him. “What if something happens?”
“Come on, Scotty.” Kirk patted his arm. “She knows what she’s doing.”
They followed her back to the creatures and waited. She opened a channel between their communicators so they could listen in, but she didn’t talk to them. Instead, they all listened as she talked to the creatures, and they could just about hear them respond when she asked questions. They could also hear her move the universal translator around as she tried to get it to decipher their sounds.
For a long time, nothing else happened. Kirk saw Scotty fidget as they waited, and two of the security officers leaned against the wall. The third held his net in both hands and kept his eyes trained on the ceiling, as if he was expecting something to burst through it at any moment.
Suddenly, a scratchy, high-pitched voice said, “No, we are stay.”
“Was that-” Scotty began.
“Yes.” Uhura’s voice had that tell-tale note of excitement in it. “Those are my friends. No one wants to hurt you, I promise.” She made more adjustments to the universal translator.
“Hurt before,” a different voice said. “Many.”
“We won’t hurt you,” Uhura repeated. “We want to help.”
“No.”
“Lying.”
“Please believe me.” She shifted around. “I’m talking to you, aren’t I? Has anyone else ever tried to do that?”
“Yes.”
“But were they talking to you, or at you.”
There was a pause, and then a voice said, “Doesn’t understand.”
“Did they just say things like, ‘Come here,’” she said in a sing-song voice and making some kissing noises. “‘Come here. We won’t hurt you.’ Like that?”
“Yes.”
“The ones who said that were talking at you. They didn’t really care what you had to say; all they wanted was to catch you.”
“You want that.”
“We saw.”
“That was before. But look, do I have anything now?”
“That.”
“This just helps me talk to you. You hear my voice come out of it, right?”
“Yes.”
“See? It’s not a trap.”
“I’ll be damned,” Scotty whispered. Kirk nodded in agreement, and they all waited a few more minutes as Uhura continued to talk to the creatures.
“We’re coming out,” she said at last. No one answered her. “Hello? Are you there?”
“What? Oh, right.” Kirk motioned towards everyone’s nets. “Get those out of here, and someone make sure the corridor stays clear. I don’t want to scare them off again.”
“We’re on it,” one security officer said, tugging on another’s sleeve. The first gathered the nets, and the second took out his communicator and called for assistance with keeping the corridor clear. The third stayed behind.
Slowly, Uhura made her way out of the vent. Kirk and Scotty helped lower her to the floor. They watched as two tiny, blue creatures appeared at the opening. They blinked in the light, and looked at the humans standing around them. They were each about six inches tall, with wings that they held in front of them, folded almost like arms. Their back legs were short, and two long claws protruded from each foot. They also had shiny, black beaks, which they quietly clicked at one another.
“It’ll be okay,” Uhura said, and she held out her arm. They hopped down, and Kirk noticed that they didn’t dig their claws into her flesh.
“I think it’d be better to take them to sickbay,” he said.
“I agree.” Uhura was careful to keep her arm steady.
Kirk grabbed Scotty’s communicator. “Kirk to Spock.”
“Spock, here.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” Kirk said. “Apparently, the creatures are sapient. We’re taking them to sickbay, not the labs.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“Good. Kirk, out.” Cutting the connection with Spock, Kirk contacted McCoy.
“McCoy, here.”
Kirk smiled. “Guess what, Bones? I have a couple new patients for you.”
::
“You know, Captain, as long as you’re here-”
“Not right now, Chapel.”
“But who knows how long they’ll be in there? It’d be better than just waiting around, doing nothing.”
Uhura and McCoy were in a private room, interviewing and examining the creatures. They were very nervous around people, and only barely trusted Uhura, so Kirk had decided to limit their exposure to others. He had no idea what they were or where they came from, and he couldn’t imagine how they came to be on the ship. Their fear was understandable, so Kirk, Spock, and Chapel waited for them in McCoy’s office.
“And what if they finish up right this second? Then we’ll have to stop and start the evaluation all over again later.”
“They can wait while you do it,” Chapel said. “Right, Mr. Spock?”
“It would not be an inconvenience,” he said.
“You too, Spock?” Kirk mock-pouted. “Are you going to try to guilt trip me next? It won’t work.”
“I would never think of doing such a thing.”
“Right,” Kirk said.
Before they could argue any further, Uhura and McCoy came into the office.
“They’re fine,” McCoy said. “A little shaken and dehydrated, but they’ll live.” Kirk didn’t like the way he was looking at him, so he moved closer to Spock.
“They’re members of a species called the Friit,” Uhura began, sitting on the edge of McCoy’s desk. “Their home world is a small moon orbiting a gas giant in the Haran system.”
“That’s in neutral space,” Kirk said.
Uhura nodded and continued. “There also used to be a mining colony located on the moon, about ten years ago. It was rich in dilithium, and people from various factions went there to mine it, including the Federation. The Friit didn’t know what was happening at first, and they tried to get the miners to leave, but they were basically treated like pests and chased off.”
“No one thought to conduct a more detailed investigation?” Spock asked.
“No,” Uhura said. “What’s worse is that they eat mainly minerals, and dilithium was one of their main food sources. There was some left over from the mining, but there’s definitely not enough to last them for very long.
“Eventually, some people thought that the Friit were just a curious species of local fauna. They started capturing them and tried to ‘domesticate’ them. They shipped them to their home planets and even marketed them as exotic pets.”
“And that’s what happened to the two we have on board,” McCoy said.
“Exactly,” Uhura said. “They’ve been away from their home for nearly two years, now. People keep buying them, but they return them when they don’t act like the cute little birds they thought they ordered.”
“Damn,” Kirk said.
“There was an address attached to the box the Friit were shipped in,” Spock said. “It is located on the colony where we’re currently heading.”
“So it’s possible we can find whoever ordered them?”
“Yes.”
Kirk clapped his hands together. “Okay, here’s the plan: when we get to the colony, we’ll unload the rest of the supplies. I’ll get Hendricks to put on some civvies and give him the box. Spock and I will follow him to the address. As soon as Hendricks hands over the box, we’ll arrest the buyer.”
“Shouldn’t you contact the authorities first?” McCoy asked. “This is a serious crime we’re dealing with.”
“We have no idea who the buyer is,” Kirk said. “For all we know, they might be part of the colony’s security force. The way I see it, the less people who know the details, the better. I’ll have Scotty keep a lock on our frequencies, and if anything goes wrong he can get us out of there.”
“Fine.” McCoy motioned for them to leave. “Just be careful, because as soon as you’re done, you know what you’re going to do.”
Kirk cringed. “No need to remind me.”
::
“Maybe they’re not coming,” Hendricks said, holding the box in front of him. Kirk could see it shake from Hendricks’ nerves.
“We just got here,” Kirk said. “Give it some time.” He and Spock hid in the shadows at the back of an alleyway, next to a puddle Kirk didn’t want to think about. A trash chute protruded from the building, about three floors above their heads, and passed through a hole in the ground. They stood behind it, trying not to make too much noise.
“What if they bring backup?” Hendricks shifted his feet. “What if they catch on to us?”
“Keep talking and they will,” Kirk said. “Now, be quiet.”
He checked his communicator. As soon as the box was in the buyer’s hands, Kirk would signal Scotty to beam Hendricks back to the ship. He and Spock would then attempt to apprehend the buyer, using force if necessary. If Kirk didn’t send word of his success or failure in ten minutes, Scotty was to beam them back, and then notify the colony’s security force.
Kirk hoped he could convince the buyer that what they were doing was wrong. With any luck, they’d be horrified that they were part of the trafficking of sapient beings. Then again, smuggling alien fauna to different worlds was no small crime, either. Kirk recalled reading about a case where a small insectoid species nearly devastated the agriculture of a newly discovered planet when the owner accidentally lost them after showing them off to the locals.
“I hear something!” Hendricks called to them. They looked around the edge of the chute and watched as a tall man in expensive clothing walked around the corner and into the alley.
“I didn’t know this was being hand-delivered,” the man said.
Hendricks coughed. “We can’t just leave precious cargo like this unattended.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “Why do you think it’s precious?”
“Well, uh,” Hendricks made to step back, but stopped himself. “It says ‘fragile’ all over it. I figured a little extra protection wouldn’t hurt.”
“Just give it to me.” The man snatched the box from Hendricks’ hands and glared at him. “You can leave now,” he said.
Kirk didn’t miss a beat. He pressed a button on his communicator, and moments later Hendricks disappeared in the transporter beam. The man froze and stared at the now empty spot on the ground. Kirk walked around the chute and towards the man, Spock close behind.
“Nice package,” he said, smiling.
The man jumped and faced them. He held the box to his body, but he didn’t move away. “Who are-?”
“I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise,” Kirk said. “And this is my first officer, Commander Spock.”
The man’s eyes widened as recognition washed over him. “I-I’m not- This isn’t what it looks like.”
“No, it’s exactly what it looks like.” Kirk stepped closer to him.
“Do you know the consequences of illegally purchasing alien fauna?” Spock asked.
The man didn’t answer.
“And do you know the consequences of illegally buying sapient alien species?” Kirk added.
“What?!” The man dropped the box. “No! They’re just little birds! My children, they wanted a pet that no one else had-”
“You should’ve gotten them a goldfish, then,” Kirk said. “No one has those anymore.”
He walked towards the man, but before he could reach him, he turned and ran. “Hey!” Kirk took off after him, almost tripping over the box. Spock followed them. The man tore out of the alley and ran across the narrow street. There was no traffic, but a few pedestrians on the other side had to dodge out of his way. Kirk ran through the opening in the crowd and saw the man going for a hovercycle parked close by. Kirk forced his legs to move faster and lunged at him, slamming into him with his shoulder and causing them both to tumble to the ground.
“You don’t understand!” the man shouted, trying to plead with Kirk even as he wrestled to get free. “I didn’t know!”
“Like that matters, now,” Kirk said between gritted teeth. The man was stronger than he looked, and Kirk was winded from the short chase. He lost his grip on the man’s arm and almost took an elbow to the head, but he managed to avoid it. With a strong shove, the man pushed him away and got to his feet. Kirk scrambled to get up, but before he could Spock caught the man before he could take off again. With a pinch, he knocked the man unconscious and settled him to the ground. He offered his hand to help Kirk up.
Kirk reluctantly took it. “Thanks,” he said. Breathing heavily, he glanced down at the man and then back to where they’d run from. It looked to be about two-hundred feet, but Kirk felt as though he’d run a mile.
“Captain-” Spock said.
“I know, I know.” Kirk wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “As soon as we beam back, I’ll take the evaluation and get my ass in the gym. This can’t happen again.”
“That is admirable,” Spock said. “However, I was going to suggest that you notify Mr. Scott of our success.”
“Oh.” Kirk reached for his communicator, “That’d be a good idea.”
Spock nodded and bent down to check the man over. Kirk contacted Scotty, grateful that he could blame his blush on the exertion of the chase.
::
The authorities at the colony agreed to house the Friit until a ship could arrive to take them back to their world. Kirk sent a message to Starfleet notifying them of the situation, telling them that they needed to work on finding and retuning all of the Friit that had been captured and sold. He made sure to mention that the mining of their home had depleted their food sources, and he recommended that the Federation reimburse them. Uhura also composed a report to send to Starfleet. It included the code they would need to translate the Friit’s language, as well as advice on how to interact with them. Spock was going to go over her report when she was finished and add to it what his science team had discovered about the box they were shipped in. He was also going to include a detailed analysis of the feather and suggestions on how to scan for their bio signs.
Overall, Kirk was optimistic. He knew there were a lot of Friit still captive throughout the Federation, and probably in other jurisdictions, as well, but he knew that they’d work hard to set things right again. He, himself, was determined to keep an eye out for anything that might lead them to finding others. He also hoped that one day the Friit would forgive the Federation for being so ignorant and careless.
::
“And one more time,” McCoy said, alternating his gaze between Kirk’s bio readings and the chart on his PADD. Kirk gulped in a deep breath and pushed up on the two bars by his shoulders. He managed to get them about a foot above his head before his muscles gave out, and he let go. They slid slowly back into position while he caught his breath.
“Well?” he asked.
“Your right arm is slightly stronger than you left. Pretty much what I expected. And overall your readings are lower than they were last time.” McCoy leveled a look at him. “Also what I expected.”
“Oh, come on. You’re not over that yet?”
“You forged medical information, Jim.” McCoy motioned for Kirk to hop off the table. “I should report you.”
“But you love me, so you won’t,” Kirk said, reaching for his shirt and putting it on. “Besides, it’s not like I made myself out to be some sort of superhero. I made sure I was as average as I could be, without making anything too average, you know? If I managed to fool you, I know I fooled the brass.”
“Keep neglecting your fitness and you’ll be below average,” McCoy said, shutting down the testing equipment. “I don’t think they’d like that too much, knowing that the captain of their flagship can barely handle a civilian smuggler.”
“Relax, Bones.” Kirk straightened out his uniform and put a hand on McCoy’s shoulder. “Spock’s going to train me.”
“Oh is he.” Any flatter and one could’ve rested fine curios on his voice.
“Yep.” Kirk smirked. “And you know how much I love being under his tutelage.” He waggled his brows.
McCoy rolled his eyes and lifted one eyebrow. “Get out of my sickbay and get some rest.”
Kirk clapped him on the back as he walked by. “You shouldn’t make that face so often. It might get stuck that way, and then you’d just look like Spock.”
“Out.”
“Not that that’d be a bad thing. Might even be a small improvement.”
“Out!”
“Or maybe you two could teach a class: ‘The Art of the Eyebrow,’ presented by Commander Spock and Dr. McCoy.”
“Do you need help sleeping, Jim?”
Kirk laughed and darted out of sickbay. Teasing Bones was fun, but he already had more hypo stings than were probably necessary.
::
The loud and persistent beeping of his alarm startled Kirk awake. For a long, confused moment he laid there, his body knowing that something wasn’t quite right. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and croaking out a command to cut the alarm. When he remembered why he decided to get up earlier than usual, a slow grin spread across his face.
Spock.
Kirk swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood, and he nearly bounced his way into the head. Today was the start of Spock’s special training sessions for him, and he couldn’t be more excited. There was barely any time for them to talk to one another, let alone have sex, and Kirk was very much looking forward to the chance to make that happen. He got into the shower and let the warm water pound away the aches of yesterday’s scuffle and Bones’ evaluation. Getting some soap, he rubbed a rich lather in his hands and started to massage it over his body. He reached his waist and looked down. His penis twitched a bit, and Kirk thought about what he should do. He gave himself a few lazy strokes. If he got himself off now, then he might be able to last longer with Spock, later. But who knew what Spock had in store for him? He didn’t want to be completely spent halfway through the proceedings, so he reluctantly let go of his erection.
After finishing up in the shower and taking care of the rest of his morning routine, Kirk walked back into the main room, towel slung low on his hips. He was just about to reach for his uniform when the comm whistled. He walked over to it and pressed the button.
“Kirk, here,” he said, and smiled when Spock’s face appeared on the screen. He noticed his eyes quickly scan over his exposed chest, and his smile grew wider.
“Captain,” Spock said, sounding every bit the professional Vulcan. “I trust that you remember our arrangement?”
“How could I forget?” Kirk said. He turned and went to his dresser and, feeling bold, dropped the towel before grabbing some clothes.
Spock went quiet for a moment, then said, “I have reserved training room two for the next three hours. It would be most satisfactory if you could proceed there as soon as possible.”
One of the training rooms? Kinky Vulcan. Kirk pulled on his uniform and turned back to the comm. “I’m on my way.”
“I’m confident that you will find this morning’s activities to be quite stimulating, sir.”
“Looking forward to it, Mr. Spock.”
With a nod, Spock cut the connection.
Grinning like a fool, Kirk left his quarters and made his way to training room two. He cheerfully greeted every passing crew member, and exchanged pleasantries with a few who were in the turbolift with him. They probably thought he’d finally snapped, but he didn’t care. He had three whole hours of alone time with Spock. It was almost a surprise that he wasn’t floating down the corridor, he was so happy.
He got to the room and strode through the door, expecting to see Spock, wearing some kind of tight workout gear and doing some stretches. Maybe they would start off with some sparring, just to warm themselves up…
“Hello, Captain!”
Kirk started and stared at the smiling face of a young officer. “Uh, hello.”
“You should take a few minutes to get changed in the locker room,” she said. “I’ll be waiting out here when you’re ready.”
“Um, excuse me Lieutenant…”
“Landon, sir.”
“Yes, Lieutenant Landon. Mr. Spock said-”
“Isn’t he great, reserving the room for us like this? I’m just a junior grade lieutenant, so the most I would’ve been able to get was an hour, but Mr. Spock said he’d take care of everything when he asked me to help you train.”
Kirk twisted his mouth into something he hoped looked like an easy smile. “He sure is something, isn’t he?”
“Yes, sir, he is!” Landon kneeled down and started checking over the various pieces of equipment lined up on the mat. The aches and pains he thought he’d gotten rid of in the shower started coming back.
Kirk walked into the locker room and quickly located a comm unit on the far wall. He pressed the button and said, “Kirk to Spock.”
“Spock, here, sir.” Spock’s voice sounded from the small speaker.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Spock,” Kirk said, “but didn’t we have an arrangement for today?”
“Sir?”
“I’m standing in training room two, and, well, you’re not.” Kirk folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “Care to tell me why?”
“I am currently overseeing an experiment in the labs, and later I must read over and sign Lieutenant Uhura’s report on the incident with the Friit, as well as add my own findings. I will not be available for another ten-point-five hours.” He paused. “Did you think that I was going to directly assist you with your training?”
“I was under that impression, yes.”
“Ah. It appears I may have misled you. My apologies.” Kirk could just see that innocent, “I didn’t do anything,” look on Spock’s face. “However, I assure you that Lieutenant Landon is a skilled instructor. She teaches fitness classes three times per week, and Dr. McCoy informed me that she achieved the highest combat score of anyone on the ship. Her assistance will be quite beneficial.”
Kirk opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. “Sir? Are you ready?” Landon said.
“Just going over a few things with Mr. Spock before we get started, Lieutenant. I’ll be right out.”
“Okay, sir,” she said.
Kirk lowered his voice. “This conversation’s not over,” he said.
“Indeed not,” Spock answered. “Perhaps we could discuss your training later this evening?”
Kirk pushed himself away from the wall and smiled. “We’ll go over some other business, too.”
“Was there anything else you wanted, Captain?”
Oh, was there. “Nope, Spock. I’ll see you later. Kirk out.”
He quickly changed into a training suit and went back out to where Landon waited.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Now that he wasn’t completely confused, Kirk felt like better company. “Everything’s fine,” he said. “Hey, Lieutenant?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know any good wrestling moves? You know, takedowns, holds, stuff like that?”
“Sure do. You want to start there?”
“That’d be great. I’ve been meaning to work on my grappling technique.”
“All right, sir. After some stretches, we’ll begin.” Landon stood in front of him and showed him a few stretching positions. “First you’ll want to lift your arms up, like this…”
Kirk was determined to perfect whatever moves Landon taught him. After all, he didn’t want to disappoint Spock after he went through so much trouble arranging these training sessions. And what better way to show him how much he’d improved than with a hands-on demonstration?
Kirk had already waited three months. A few more hours wasn’t going to kill him.
::
END
::