'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven' - Chapter 6

[nikki4noo]

Jim pulled out a top and held it up. It was made from a soft brown material, with a wide collar that rolled back. As Jim held it up against his own body he realized how open it was at the chest. He looked back into the compartment, where they had found some clothes being stored, and there wasn’t an undershirt in sight.

“I think you would look good in this Bones,” he said as he tossed the top in Bones’ direction.

Bones screwed up his face as he looked it over. “I swear these clothes make no sense. What on earth did these people think was out in space?”

“By the look of that, somewhere you need to bare your chest obviously,” Jim pointed out.

Bones threw the garment back to Jim. “These aren’t giving us any answers, just more questions. Nothing makes sense here,” Bones grumbled as he tossed back into the drawer the pants that he had in his hands. He stalked away from the drawer, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Jim smiled at how easily he could read the man and his moods. He folded up the top and put it back before walking over to the drawer that Bones had been in front of. He folded up the pants before putting them away as well.

“I thought you liked a good mystery,” Jim said.

“I do, when I know we can solve it. This one looks like nothing but red herrings. The sooner we head back to Starbase Twelve, the better.”

“Already on our way,” Jim pointed out.

“What?” Bones almost yelled it at him.

“We are on our way back to Starbase Twelve, have been for a few hours.”

Bones’ eyes did that bug out thing when he was particularly mad. Jim knew that he was making it worse by smiling at Bones.

“You mean when we beamed over, it was all moving? God dammit Jim! Think of all the things that could go wrong with that stupid atom re-oganizer, even when it’s from one stationary point to an other. Height of stupidity when the points are moving!”

“Bones, when we beam down or up from the ship, it’s always moving. There hasn’t been any issues of transporter malfunction in years,” Jim tried to make Bones see sense, even though he knew it was like talking to a brick wall about this subject. Bones hated transporters with a passion, even after five years.

“C’mon, lets try and solve this mystery.” He picked up the PADD that had the ship layout configured on it. “They said there was another storage area over here.” He lifted it up to show Bones.

“Fine, but when our patient still only remembers his last name and not much else. I think the technical term for it, is ‘we’re fucked!’” Bones had one of his sarcastic smiles on his face when he made the pronouncement at the end.

“He’s been awake how long and still only remembers that part of his name? Is he faking it?” Jim sat down on the low bench in the middle of the room.

“Six hours, give or take a bit. He claims to have no other memory, but little things slip out. Not enough to make a valued judgement one way or the other. It is still hard to predict how amnesia will affect an individual’s brain. No two cases are exactly the same. So he could be speaking the truth, or he could be lying through those perfectly white teeth of his.” Bones had sat down on the other side of the bench, so that they were shoulder to shoulder.

“What sort of clues has he given?” Jim asked.

“Not anything really helpful. Just a vague sense that I think he thinks he could run things better. He was definitely in command in some aspect back in his time. He also flirts inappropriately with any female.”

Jim laughed at that last point. “Well, if I was asleep for 200 years I might be inclined for some human contact.” Jim winked at Bones.

“He doesn’t flirt like you. It’s more... I don’t know, it’s hard to say, but I know that he made Chapel uncomfortable and she didn’t want to tell me about it. He does have a magnetism, but I’ve made sure that my staff understand that they are not to go into that room alone and it should always be a mix of gender.”

“That’s a bit old school of you,” Jim said.

“You’ve met my mother,” Bones dryly replied with a sardonic lift of an eyebrow.

Jim grinned wider.

“God knows that if I had been asleep for 200 years, I would still ask after my loved ones,” Bones mused.

“What if you can’t remember them?” Jim pointed out.

“Then wouldn’t you wonder if you had any? Any little clue, I would hope I would want to find out more. But this Khan appears content not to wonder. He did show emotion about the people still here though. Maybe these are his loved ones?”

Jim stood up. “Who knows. Let’s have a look in that other room and see if that can shed any light.”

Jim had walked around the bench and held a hand out to help Bones up, even though he knew very well that he didn’t really need it. Bones shrugged at him, but grasped his hand anyway.

oOo

Nyota called over H’terh to take over her position at the comm station so that she could speak to Spock. Once she was sure that H’terh was in position and had the comm unit securely placed in their listening orifice, she walked over to Spock, who was sitting in the Captain’s chair while Jim and Leonard were on the other ship.

“Lieutenant,” Spock said quietly as she approached.

“I have noticed the patient has attempted unauthorized access, sir,” she said, keeping her voice low.

“Indeed, this Khan has made attempts. I have been monitoring his access.” Spock maintained his posture of looking forward across the Bridge, observing all in front of him. Nyota knew that he wasn’t deliberately ignoring her, it was just his way to ensure that their conversation was perceived to be ordinary business to the other crew.

“Yes, I have observed that. He has tried to access the communication system. I have ensured that a block has been placed in his way,” she reported.

“Very good. Please keep me updated on his attempts.” Spock looked at her and she knew that the inflection of approval was there in his tone. Others would not have picked up on it, but she knew him better than others.

“I do wonder, sir,” she said.

“Wonder, Lieutenant? It is rare that you wonder about things.” Spock was interested in her statement, she was sure. It was proven in that he did not glance away to look about the Bridge, but maintained his gaze in her direction.

“Nero,” she stated. Spock preferred brief reports, getting to the heart of the matter. He might use a lot of words in response to someone, which drove Jim and Leonard a little nuts at times, she knew, but he liked things succinct when they were reported to him. She was sure that she wouldn’t need to elaborate on her feelings, that he would know exactly her concerns.

“Yes, I have thought of that Romulan as well today.”

“A man from the past as opposed to a man from the future. This one doesn’t appear to be a madman, yet,” she said.

“One does not have to be mad to be dangerous,” Spock observed.

“True, but if we do not know about this one, it makes it difficult to predict his patterns of behavior,” Nyota observed back at him.

Spock inclined his head slightly and turned back to look around the Bridge once more. She followed his lead and glanced around. Hikaru and Pavel at the helm, Beth at the station behind the chair, the two Williams on Engineering systems, and Blertzk at the Science station.

“We have him in our custody, under our observation, which is considerably greater than the encounter with Nero. The captain is being cautious. He may just be a displaced man from the past. We shall have to wait and see until we have further proof.”

“Very well, sir,” Nyota said as she smiled at Spock. He was still looking ahead, but she knew he saw her smile, so she turned and returned to her station, to continue her multitasking of staying ahead of the patient, monitoring the subspace waves, and all the general chatter on the ship.

oOo

Marla heard her name called in a voice that was familiar to her. When she turned her head, it was to see Pavel waving at her and then indicating the spare seat opposite him. She made her excuses from the group that had been questioning her and walked over to join him, resolutely ignoring the pleas for her to stay and talk.

“I thought you looked like you could need some help,” Pavel said, smiling at her as she sat down.

“Thank you, Pavel. I understand their interest but...” She shrugged before picking up her fork and pulling the plate off the tray so that she could start in on the stew she had selected for her meal.

“You are not used to being the center of it,” Pavel was looking down at his own tray as he spoke.
She paused with the fork part the way to her mouth, a little shocked at how well Pavel had picked up on what was, not annoying her as such, but making her uncomfortable.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly before turning her attention back to the stew.

They ate in silence together for a while, before she put the fork down and looked at Pavel, who was two years younger than her, but who had years of experience that she was likely to never catch up to.

“You aren’t curious about Khan?” she asked.

“Very much so,” Pavel said. “If you want to talk, I am happy to listen. Otherwise I am happy to talk about whatever you like.”

Marla considered Pavel, trying to figure out why he was so understanding.

“You were first year at the Academy in ‘58? Yes?” he asked.

“Oh,” Marla said. “Yes. I understand now.” She smiled at Pavel, remembering the circus that erupted after the Enterprise limped back to Earth, and the attention granted to all it’s crew. The boy sitting opposite her now was only seventeen at the time, was in the thick of the action, and had received a large amount of notice afterward.

“How did you manage?” She rested her chin on her hands, her food forgotten as she questioned Pavel.

“Starfleet kept most away. We had debriefings and counselling sessions, and final exams to finish. There was curiosity among Academy students too, but Captain Kirk kept an eye on me. He is very good man. I hope to be a captain like him one day. I was very proud to be selected for his crew.”

“I wasn’t sure what to make of him when I learned of my posting. I haven’t served under another captain, so I can’t compare but he seems fair, if a lot more hands on than I expected,” Marla said.

Pavel laughed.

“No, no, I think it is a good thing. I still have my report to finish for him though. I just wish I could have spoken to him longer.”

“The captain?”

“No, Khan. He was tired and doesn’t remember a lot about his time,” she explained.

“You spoke to him?” Pavel leaned forward eagerly on the table.

Marla was pleased to see his reaction, as opposed to the curiosity of the other crew members. When she first joined the crew, it was understandable that not many would seek her out to speak to. She had told herself that over and over. She was a solitary soul she knew, but it had still hurt a little bit. The existing crew had nearly five years together to make friendships and she was joining them for only a few months toward the end of their first mission. Pavel was the anomaly. He had spoken to her a few times and a little friendship had been forged between them, she liked to think.

“Yes, Nurse Chapel let me speak to him, but he was more interested in where he is now.”

Pavel nodded at her. “It is not the strangest thing to happen to us,” Pavel admitted. “It is probably the strangest thing to happen to him.”

“Pavel, why are you not eating in the officer’s mess?” Marla asked, the thought just coming to her.

“The captain and Dr. McCoy are back from the other ship and I heard Lt. Uhura confirm that she and Mr. Spock were joining them for dinner in the Captain’s quarters. It is nice to see more people sometimes and I got to eat with you.”

Marla glanced down to hide the blush she knew was on her cheeks.

“You were not in systems on Alpha?” Pavel asked.

Marla shook her head. “I am about to go on shift,” she explained. She glanced up at the chrono on the wall, noting that she had a few minutes before she needed to report for duty. “I should go. Thank you for inviting me to sit with you.”

Pavel waved a hand toward her tray. “You did not eat all your meal,” he pointed out.

“I’m still a bit excited from finding the ship. I’ll get a snack later, mom,” she teased Pavel.

He smiled widely, his nose wrinkling up a little at the tease.

She packed up her tray, careful about not spilling the leftover stew in the bowl and left the table she had shared with Pavel.

oOo

Nyota pulled the hem of her dress up slightly, so that it was out of the way of the ensign who was hurrying past them in the corridor. She let it drop back down once they had passed, admiring the floating nature of the material as it fell into place around her ankles and all the bright colours printed on it, before they stopped outside the door to the captain’s quarters. The dress had been a surprise gift from Spock last year and was still her favorite.

Spock pressed the chime and it was only moments before it opened to reveal Leonard waiting for them on the other side. She could see Jim fussing over the table, directing his Yeoman about some placement or other in respect to the meal.

“Nyota, looking as lovely as always,” Leonard said as he leaned forward to bestow a kiss upon her cheek.

“Thank you Leonard, you are looking quite handsome too,” she said, taking in his casual dress. He was still wearing his uniform pants, but his top was definitely non-regulation. A nice dark green, a color that she approved of him wearing.

“Doctor,” Spock said, standing stiff backed as he waited for her and Leonard to finish greeting each other.

“Spock,” Leonard returned and Nyota bit her lip, knowing that the expression on Leonard’s face meant that he was about to say something acerbic. “I’m not gonna kiss you if that is what you are afraid of, so come on in.”

Nyota walked past Leonard, to seek out Jim and thank him for the invitation, and also to get out of the possible line of fire. Jim and her had agreed once that Spock and Leonard needed to at least snark at each other once a day, otherwise there would be war on their hands. She was always pleased though when someone would question Spock or a decision of his and Leonard would come to his defense. No matter how many times it was pointed out to Leonard, he would refuse to concede that he had done so.

“We haven’t had a dinner together for a while. Thought it was about time we had another one with just the four of us,” Jim was explaining. Nyota made sure to focus her listening on him and not on the argument behind her about appropriate greeting techniques. She noted that the door had closed behind the Yeoman and it was now only the four of them.

“Speaking of,” Jim continued. “Bones, leave poor Spock alone. Get your ass over here, otherwise the food will go cold and Nollo will get pissed at me.”

Nyota didn’t bother to smother her laughter at the grumbling from Leonard.

As she sat down on the chair that Jim had held out for her, she smelled a familiar scent, Pok tar.

“Thank you,” she whispered at Jim as he also held out the chair for Spock.

Jim smiled at her before walking around the table to sit down in his own chair. He reached forward to start lifting off the covers on the dishes, while Leonard was pouring drinks for them all. In companionable silence, they started serving themselves. It was true that they hadn’t had a meal with just the four of them for a while but they had enough over the past five years to know what each other liked or disliked.

They talked about general ship business for a while, a few reminiscences included about past missions and shore leave, before Nyota decided to bring up her observation about the similarities with Khan and Nero.

“Can’t say I haven’t thought it too,” Jim said. “As Spock reminds me often, we have to consider the facts as we have them.”

“Indeed,” Spock agreed.

“Have to consider how Khan would be feeling as well. We don’t know what their original intentions were on that ship, but it wouldn’t have been to wake up 200 years in the future,” Leonard pointed out.

“He is very interested in this time and does not like the restrictions that have been placed on him,” Nyota said.

Jim looked interested at what she had revealed.

“I noted him trying to get around the security measures while you and Leonard were on the other ship. We kept ahead of any of his attempts.” Nyota explained.

“That’s my girl,” Jim said with a cheeky smile. Nyota resisted rolling her eyes, knowing that Jim was teasing and wanted her to rise to the bait. Leonard did it for her instead.

“If she’s your girl, I don’t want to know which of us is your boy.”

Nyota noted that Spock had opened his mouth, about to speak, when he frowned at Leonard instead.

“Dr. McCoy, did you just kick me under the table?” Spock asked.

“Yes, now shush, or else I will do it again. Harder,” Bones griped at him.

Nyota tried to hide her laughter behind her hand, but Jim being Jim, he just burst out laughing and made no attempt to hide it.

“I can strongly advise Spock that you should follow the good doctor’s advice in this instance. If only to make sure that I don’t have to hear him whine about you for the rest of the evening.”

Leonard glared at Jim and Nyota raised her glass at Jim’s diplomatic skills, ensuring that Leonard’s ire was now directed his way and stopping Spock questioning him further.

The dinner continued in a similar fashion for the rest of the evening, teasing and banter among the four of them, before Nyota and Spock made their goodbyes and left Jim and Leonard alone together in their room.

oOo

Marla kept one eye on the systems screen that was monitoring abnormal changes to any of the environmental systems while she kept the other one on the library texts which she was scrolling through on her PADD. After leaving Pavel, an idea on a lead to follow came to her and she hurried to her room on her way to starting her shift. That left her here and now checking her PADD while still doing her shift responsibilities.

She flipped back and forth between two texts before smiling. Two names that were linked by similar information in the articles; Dr. Arik Soong and Dr. Sarina Kaur. She now had some more information to understand the man, Khan, and a lead about Dr. Kaur’s son that seemed to never be mentioned again.

oOo

“Jim, that’s the second time you are reading those. Put them down and come to bed,” Bones called from the bedroom.

Jim knew from his tone that it was time to listen to the advice, so he put the PADD down and ordered the lights off in the living area, before joining Bones in the bedroom.

Bones had on his pyjama pants and was pulling the covers back on their bed. Jim had already toed off his boots and socks earlier, so he pulled off his pants and then his top, just dropping them on the ground and ignoring the look from Bones. Jim crawled across the bed, so that he was kneeling on the other side and could lean in and kiss Bones. He lifted up a hand to slide it around Bones’ neck gently. Bones pulled back from the kiss, turning his head and neck away from Jim’s hand. Bones gently pushed Jim on his chest so that he fell back onto the bed.

“Get onto your own side, kid,” Bones growled.

Jim watched the intent look on Bones’ face, before he lifted up his hips so that he could do as he was told and get under the covers. The slight flinch that Bones had done when Jim touched his neck was new and Jim thought back over the day. There had been another moment when a similar thing had happened. He let it slide instead, knowing that to push and question would make Bones clamp up tighter than Scotty holding onto some dilithium crystals. He rolled over onto his side, pulling his pillow into position so that he could tuck his head into it just how he liked it.

He exhaled as he felt Bones climb into bed behind him, feeling the mattress dip as Bones adjusted into his normal sleeping position. Bones pulled the covers back up and then wrapped one arm around Jim’s waist. As Jim called for the lights to go off, his last view was of Rascally sitting on his side table. The little stuffed rabbit had been with them on this mission from the start and even though Jim knew that superstitions were just that and had no basis in fact, he liked to think that the rabbit had been watching over them. Jim’s thoughts were busy as always in his mind, but he tried to calm them down, or at least send them to a quiet place to rest. He could feel Bones’ head resting on the back of his shoulders, feel Bones’ hair tickling slightly on his bare skin. Bones moved his head and pressed a dry kiss to Jim’s shoulder. Jim smiled as he breathed deeply and pushed back slightly so that he could feel all of Bones up against his back. There he was, like always, protecting Jim’s back, silently and quietly.

oOo

Chapter 7 this way