Arena - Chapter Two - Part Two
Rand laughs with a light blush and shifts timidly as he pulls free a canteen full of soup from his knapsack. "Yeah, I did. Thankfully. It was quite the challenge, but once I inserted my system into it, everything was nicely organized and functional," he remarks. "You don't know how many sick days were unaccounted for. There's going to be a handful of happy officers in the next two weeks. They'll have received the money they were due and it's pretty sizeable. I mean, what they get wont be a lot, but, it's enough to by some furniture."
"That is a reason to be happy," Jim laughs as Rand flushes again with an embarrassed shrug. For someone so attractive, he was adorably awkward and self-conscious. She nods when he makes an offering gesture to the soup in his hand. She takes the cup and holds it steady as he pours her some broth.
"Sorry to say, but it's probably just warm," Rand warns, but Jim waves him off.
"That's totally fine with me. I really hate hot liquids," she assures. "Bad past experiences and all that."
"Yeah, okay. Sure," Rand says with a bemused grin. He looks across the fire. "Commander Spock-can I tempt you with some homemade chicken soup?"
"Thank you, but I will decline," Spock replies without looking up from his PADD.
Rand just shrugs and turns his attention back to Jim.
"So, um," Jim drawls, drumming up some conversation. "With your outstanding administrative skills-how exactly did you get into the mountain climbing and cartography business?"
Rand smiles and ducks his head as he pours himself some soup. "Well," he starts. "It was my grandfather actually. He was a bit of a map enthusiast. He just, loved the stuff and he collected all sorts of diagrams or emulated a region he knew from mere memory. My brothers didn't think much of it, but I thought it was amazing-and so when I wasn't stargazing or nose deep in a book or drawing charactures, I was right up under my grandfather in his study, watching and listening and learning. After he died, I sort of took on his hobby. The mountain climbing, however, is just another pastime of mine. When you live on a farm for most of your life, you get a bit antsy about seeing anything other than a bunch of chickens or cows or corn or your dick brothers-pardon my language."
Jim chuckles and waves him off. "No, it's fine. I completely get what you mean. Dicks and all. I grew up in Iowa so I know how it goes. When I was old enough to get out and about on my own, that's exactly what I was doing," she says as she takes a sip. "I don't know what it is about open fields and corn-but it just makes you wanna fly the coop doesn't it?"
"I think I was fishing for my aviator's license the moment I left my mother's womb," Rand jokes as he chuckles into the cup of his broth.
Jim hums and licks her lips. "This is good. I don't drink a lot of soups, granted-but this is really good. You made it yourself you said?"
"Yup," Rand confirms as he finishes his cup.
"You're a man of many talents it seems," Jim speculates. "So why did you pick administrative work, and why'd you pick Starfleet?"
"I don't know really. I guess its just one of those things. I've always wanted to sail the stars and keep my feet off the ground," Rand supposes as he tears open the wrapper for a granola bar. "I have no complaints about what I'm doing. I really like it and when I'm not doing it, I get to work on all other sorts of projects. So at the moment, where I'm at is perfect. I like my bosses, and the people I work with and it's just-great."
Jim gives a thoughtful hum as she finishes up her cup of soup. She hands it back to Rand, who exchanges it for a granola bar. She uses her teeth to tear the wrapper off.
"What about you, Captain?" Rand takes a moment to chew before he goes on to ask, "Brothers? Sisters? Hobbies? Interests? Family recipes? I feel like I said too much about myself. Let's level the playing field."
Jim snorts and says. "Okay." She finishes chewing the bite in her mouth before she continues, "I have one brother, and two sisters. They're all younger than me. They're sweethearts and they write me all the time. They make me want to be a better person and all that other mushy gushy stuff. I don't have any family recipes that I'm aware of. Um-when I'm not playing captain, I like to gorge myself on apples and chocolate."
"Nothing wrong with that," Rand quips as he toasts his granola bar at her.
"I really enjoy playing chess, or I used to. I haven't played since I left the academy. I used to throttle my roommate all the time, and he would hate me for it but I didn't care. I really like doing hair too, now that I think about. I used to be the braid guru back when I was at the academy. I had all manner of women coming to me with this idea they had for their hair or they'd let me take free reign," Jim says, and she takes another bite of her granola.
"Awesome," Rand remarks with an impressed nod. "So what do you think? Can you do something with my hair?"
"Sure, if we add some extensions," Jim replies with a chuckle. "Uh-what else? I-am a bit of a science and math geek. I love a good difficult equation. The more challenging, the better. I dabble in different subjects too, so that's something we have in common. I read up on botany from time to time. I love animals-which is why I'm a semi-vegetarian. But I can't resist a good chicken or turkey-yeah I know, stop laughing because it's true. I enjoy nonfictional books, and I have maybe even a handful of books that are fiction but otherwise I can't get into it. I love to surf. And I'm a bit of a shopaholic if you give me half the chance."
"What about instruments?" Rand says as he shoves the granola wrapper in his knapsack. "Is there anything you play?"
"Not really. I mean I can play the piano really well, and I'm kinda handy with a guitar," Jim supposes with a mild shrug. "But other than that, nope. How about you?"
"Guitars are my life, I won't lie. I used to be in a band back in high school," Rand admits with embarrassed flush as Jim covers her mouth and laughs into her palm. "Yeah-we called ourselves Mad Candy."
Jim snorts and turns away as she laughs.
"I can't believe I'm admitting this, but the inspiration for the name came from this crush I had back in grade school. There was this girl named Madeline Candy and I just was never over it," Rand admits with a self-deprecating headshake.
"Awe, that's kind of sweet," Jim chuckles as she fans at her reddened face and moist eyes. "And you know what? I still remember my first crush. They were twins. Alana and Aaron Weathers."
"Wow. You didn't settle for just one," Rand notes with an amused grin.
"I sure didn't," Jim confirms. "But you know they turned out to be total pricks later on. So, you know-best thing I never had."
"True," Rand agrees as he stands. "Excuse me, Captain. Nature calls."
Jim just nods and watches him disappear into the gathering darkness with nothing but a flashlight, leaving her alone with Spock.
"You are interested in him," Spock resolutely states, shaking the still silence of the night.
"What makes you think that?" Jim drawls with a meticulous expression.
"Your behavior indicates it."
"Oh," Jim simply says and wiggles her mouth thoughtfully. "Do you-is that a-problem?"
"No," Spock merely says. "However, if you are to pursue a relationship, given that your ranks supersedes his-I urge you to be discreet."
"Spock," Jim drawls with a fond smile. "Is that actual approval for something that goes against regulation?"
"It would appear so," Spock admits evenly as he gives her a brief glance before he calls his attention back to the PADD in his lap. "I am given to understand that friends offer support and advice in such situations."
Jim doesn't say anything, but her smile does lengthen. She makes a mental note to buy him something nice.
What did Vulcans like exactly? Paperclips maybe?
Jim snorts and rolls her eyes at herself, just as Rand returns. They chat animatedly a little while after that, and she ends up growing more and more interested in Rand. He tuckers in after a while after a string of yawns, and because she can tell he's tired, she lets him be. He gives her a timid smile as he rolls out his sleep mat and spreads out, falling asleep in mere seconds. She observes him for a few quiet minutes before she crawls over to Spock and sits beside him.
"What have you been working on this whole time?" she asks with unconcealed curiosity.
"Various projects," Spock vaguely explains. "Dr. Cruise has forwarded me a list of Vulcan plants that are being voluntarily donated to Starfleet from an array of planets. I am examining the list to confirm which plants will be of use to New Vulcan and which will not. Also, there are several species that have offered to bestow animals that have originated from Vulcan unto us. I am to verify this list as well."
"Cool," Jim remarks with nod. She yawns without meaning to.
"You are fatigued," Spock notes without looking at her fully. He pauses his work to extract his sleep mat from his knapsack.
Jim spies a pair of binoculars and she perks up eagerly. "Can I see those? The binoculars."
Spock hands her the binoculars along with the sleep mat.
"Thanks," Jim says, but then frowns. "Wait, aren't you going to sleep?"
"I do not necessarily require it," Spock assures. "Though I am aware that humans generally do."
"Well thanks again. I kinda feel like I'm being a pain and putting you out but thanks," she says and stands, unfolding the sleep mat out on east side of the fire.
Spock inclines his head wordlessly before he focuses his attention back to his PADD and his work.
Jim unlaces her boots, takes off her socks as she wiggles her toes and lies on her back under the stars. It's truly a beautiful sight. Her plum painted toes wiggle and flex in contentment as the fire crackles beside her. She manually sets the binoculars and aims it up at the sky as she zooms in on different constellations with a smile. She yawns and flexes her toes again as she silently names the constellations and their points while simultaneously adjusting the focus and zoom.
It's the most content she feels in a long time.
888
Jim falls asleep without knowing that she's done it. She dreams that's she's still wide-eyed and staring up at the sky as the fire crackles beside her. She's counting the stars when she decides to get up and walk in the opposite direction of their little camp. The night is calm and the air is warm, flushing her skin from head to toe as she treks barefoot across the uneven plains of rocks and sand. She walks for a good two hours before she just stops and drops to her knees before she plops back on her butt. She folds her legs like a pretzel under herself and grips her ankles as a gentle breeze sways her long bangs into her blue eyes.
She thinks about how upset Spock will be when he looks up and notices that she is not present.
But when Jim looks down and sees the phrase 'KODOS LIVES' carved into deep proud lines in the sand, she can't find it in herself to care much about that.
Shadows pass overhead and at the caw of a bird, Jim looks up to see vultures and ravens circling above.
A hole forms in her gut, and it's engraved from anger and fear and uncertainty. It burns and bubbles low in her bowels, rising up past her navel and into her chest like acid. Her hands are shaking, her lips are dry and her eyes are burning in the confines of her sockets but no tears fall. She doesn't cry in disappear-there is none inside of her. She's angry-so fucking mortified with fury that she can barely keep it in as her shoulders tremble.
That fucker Kodos is free and alive and out there somewhere.
She hates that-hates it-hates him.
There is a part of Jim that is a bit gleeful at the prospect. There is a sliver of something dark and anxious and full of anticipation at the thought. If she could get her hands on him, she would rip him to fucking shreds until there was nothing left but blood and bone-for all those boys, she would fucking do it for all those boys. Back then, she couldn't do anything at all. She was small and weak and scared. But now, oh now, she could do so much. So much.
Jim cringes as a furious sob presses against the inside of her ribcage on all sides in efforts to escape. She starts to gasp as her heart thumps in distress and bowls her over onto her hands and need in a panting mess. She grunts and gasps as she punches her hands in the ground until she's wrists deep and fisting the sand in her hands. Goosebumps wrack her body as she coughs and wheezes. Her skin feels taunt and tight and oh God-she's having a fucking panic attack. She hasn't had one this bad in years. Not since Tarsus-and God she can't get a handle over it-it just-it hurts so much to try and keep it in.
Jim trembles before she screams at the ground in one long breath until she's forced to stop and gasp sharply. She coughs out a sob as her lungs contract and she lets out another hoarse scream while she slams her fist into the ground. She hiccups into another gasp, then coughs out another ragged scream while she beats her hands into the sand in a fit of rage and agony. Every time she screams out she is making an incoherent vow to hunt Kodos down and rip him into shreds with her bare hands. She would. She would.
On her father's fucking grave she swears she would-
"Jim."
Jim hiccups and coughs.
"Jim, what is the matter?"
Jim shakes her head as she sits back on her legs and hiccups. "Everything," she whimpers as she presses her mouth into the curled fingers of her hands. "Everything is wrong. He's alive and it's not fair. It's not fair."
"Who? Who is alive?"
Jim stares vacantly into the distance as her body jerks with another hiccup. She points at the phrase carved into the sand. The silence that follows is louder than it should be.
"Jim."
Jim lifts her glassy blue eyes and looks at Spock and blinks at him. He is crouched on his knees beside her in his science uniform. The blue looks good against his pale skin. She blinks and says, "How did you find me?"
"I do not know. I-sensed something was amiss."
Jim stares at him blankly for a long moment before she looks away and says, "Well it's a good thing we're going to get this link blocked soon. Sometimes I don't want to be found."
Spock studies her carefully before he replies, "You do not know you are asleep."
"Am I?" Jim retorts as she blinks through a series of tears. "Am I asleep and I don't even know it?"
"Under high levels of stress, the body can succumb to immediate catalepsy. It is not uncommon among humans," Spock remarks in that lecturing monotone way of his. "I sensed your distress, and out of concern, I accosted your mind."
"I don't want you to do that," Jim says as she stumbles to her feet. "I don't need your help. I don't need Bones's help. I don't need anyone's help. I'm fine on my own. I've always been on my own. I'm not weak anymore, I can take care of things myself."
"Why should you have to?" Spock counters as he stands and tucks his hands behind him. "I am your friend. Allow me to share the burden."
"No," Jim simply says. "How can I when you won't even let me offer the same courtesy?"
"I am unsure to what you-"
"I know your people have been giving you a hard time," Jim mumbles. "You've done enough to keep me out of that."
Spock tenses, and tersely replies, "It is a personal matter."
"Well so is this," Jim counters with a tremor in her voice. She's scared. She's angry and spiteful and scared and she doesn't want Spock to see her like this. It's shameful and she doesn't want him to know how badly she actually wants him here to help. She doesn't want to be weak-she can't be weak. "I-I don't need you here. So get out of my head and leave me alone. I don't want you here. Friend or not."
Spock hesitates, but he steps back, and the hurt he feels is clear in his tense shoulders as he says, "Very well."
Jim swallows dryly as she watches his outline dissipates and come to nothing. Her fingers twitch along her sides as she closes her eyes. When she opens them, she's staring up into an illuminated sky. She briefly shudders against the heat of the daylight and shoves her feelings down as deep as she can before she rolls into a sitting position. She nods quietly at a smiling Rand who is already wide-eyed and ready to continue their expedition. He's rolling up his mat and shoving it in his steel tube, before he jams that into his knapsack.
Jim rolls her bottom lip between her teeth as she wordlessly hands Spock back his sleeping mat and binoculars. She doesn't miss the way he avoids her gaze as he accepts it, nor the perturbed furrow of his brow, the unnatural stiffness of his posture and the set line of his shoulders. She refuses to feel guilty-she doesn't have time for it-she can sort it out later.
Sefor and Kovar have returned from their investigative hike, and are waiting patiently for them to gather and follow them to the place they have designated as a suitable place to begin the climb.
The walk to said place takes fifteen minutes, and without hesitation, Sefor and Kovar begin climbing the North Mountain without the aid of rope or any kind of hoisting device.
Jim is mildly impressed, but not the least bit surprised.
Spock studies the frame of the wall before he follows his Vulcan counterparts up, taking careful mounts and fewer pauses.
This leaves her and Rand to fend for themselves the way humans usually do when they have to climb a mountain. Rand does most of the work and preparation, since he has more hands-on experience. He ties himself off with the intelliRope and makes sure that the connecting line to Jim is just as secure. Then he carefully outfits Jim's hands with the BioGloves, which he claims will make the climb all the easier and quicker. The insides of these grey gloves are cool and comfortable, while the outside is rubber gel like with tiny air pockets stamped around the raised bumps and grooves along the palm and finger pads.
"No worries," Rand assures as he begins a careful ascent. "The gloves will remember the grooves and do the rest of the work. Just pace yourself and tug my rope three times if there's any problem or you need me to slow down."
Jim begins to climb up behind him with a grin and says, "What if I need you to speed up?"
Rand laughs with the wind and throws her down a wink. He then focuses on his climb.
The mount is fairly easy-easier than what Jim originally thought. She must be in better shape than she realizes, but then again she is a little twig so it's not like she's hauling a lot of weight up the mountain. She can't even really whine about her weight because she doesn't eat. It's not intentional, but when she's preoccupied she just doesn't really think about it. As she climbs, she makes a little promise to herself to try and change that. If she's fortunate enough to have food than she should enjoy it. After all, it wasn't too long ago when she would have given anything for a piece of bread.
Jim stumbles and falls down a few paces with a hiss. She waves her hand to Rand to assure him she's all right. She really should have known better to think about Tarsus at a time like this. So she flushes it from her mind and focuses on the task at hand.
By nightfall, they reach their designated checkpoint. It's taken a whole day to get at least a third of the way up the North Mountains, and they still had far to go, but it was progress at least.
Rand chats enthusiastically about how fascinating he finds the texture of the mountain. It's unlike anything he's ever encountered. The rocks should usually be more solidified than they are, but they felt and appeared damp-almost like hardened clay.
Spock briefly shares in the opinion, stating how he noticed it as well.
Jim doesn't say anything at all. She remains as quiet as Sefor and Kovar have.
At the arrival of their designated camp, the two eldest Vulcans have kept mostly to themselves.
Rand tosses her two granola bars and she doesn't hesitate eating them.
When she finishes, she scurries off and mumbles, "Bathroom break." No one follows her and she finds some rock to stoop behind. Her communicator chirps.
"McCoy to Kirk damn it!"
Jim smiles, flips open her communicator and responds, "Kirk here. Cool your jets."
"Where have you been? I've been tryin' to reach you all day."
Jim frowns as she straightens from her crouched position and fixes her clothes. "Really? All day?"
"I believe that's what I said. Now where are you?"
"On an excursion for water through the North Mountains with Spock and company," Jim explains as she wanders further off.
"Oh yeah? And how long is this little adventure gonna take?"
"Don't know. Couple more days at least." Jim stops at the edge of a cliff and peers down. It's a great thing she's not afraid of heights, otherwise the view she sees would have been gut wrenching. "I know it's hard, but try not to miss me too much."
"Yeah-full-aren't-" Static interference. "Supposed-with-gut-"
Jim frowns and glares down at her communicator as she hits the side of it against the butt of her palm. "Bones? Hey-can you-can you hear me?"
"Goin'-and-much-" More static. "Jim-hear-Jim-"
"Bones?"
The connection dies with a ping.
Jim sighs and studies her device with a thoughtful frown as she holds it up to the sky. She tries to dial back but the whirr and ping of the connection drop clues her in that she's not going to have much luck. She curses lowly and snaps the communicator shut with a resigned sigh. She crosses an arm over her chest as she rubs the top of her communicator against her chin thoughtfully, staring into the barely visible rocky outlines of the mountainside.
That's when she sees it. A large darting figure that disappears just as quickly as it appears.
"What-the-fuck?" Jim mutters as she hunches down on her knees and leans closer to the edge, searching rapidly for the darting black shadow. A hand falls down on her shoulder making her jump back with a yelp and scramble to her feet, hands curled over her phaser and aimed to stun.
"Whoa! Whoa! Don't shoot me!" Rand begs, shielding his face in a weak attempt of protection. "Commander Spock asked me to check on you because you were taking a long time. We were worried you might've gotten lost or fell or something-can you lower that thing, they make me nervous."
Jim relaxes her stances and returns her phaser back to her holster. "This isn't right," she mutters as she looks down at her feet. She picks up a smooth stone that is as big as her hand.
"What? What happened?" Rand questions with a curious frown. "What isn't right?"
"None of it," Jim insists as she turns the rock over several times. "To begin with-my First Officer was sanctioned by the Vulcan Council for an expedition I wasn't made aware of beforehand or even asked about." She pauses and throws the rock. It clatters somewhere unseen. Jim picks up another hefty stone to repeat the action. "Then-the shapes of these rocks-growing larger and larger as we get closer to the mountain. It's not that hard to figure out that they must be like some sort chipped off debris of the moment caused by a kind friction or a-a-quake." She continues to chuck rocks as they clatter. She's throwing a bit aimlessly but she has a point to prove. "Then I have static interference with my communicator which is the only kind of thing that should occur if I so happened to be on top of a volcano. Which we shouldn't be on, am I right? Not unless our Vulcan companions have failed to mention the fact-which is another thing." She swipes some more stones from off the ground and begins throwing those. "I know Vulcans can be quiet and a bit to themselves-I should know, I work with one-but even then they aren't that quiet. Which makes me think they are hiding something. And lastly-this." She turns away and chucks the biggest stone she can find as far as she can and waits for a resounding echo.
There is none.
Rand frowns as they search the dark together. "Why wasn't there a report?" he mutters. "A stone that big-it should've been one like with the others-but, there was no sound."
"That's because someone caught it. Someone, or something," Jim explains blankly as they continue to stare out into the darkness of the mountain. "We're being followed."
"Oh," Rand says weakly. "Well I-maybe we should mention this to the others?"
"No. Not yet," Jim decides. "Not until we see what's inside this mountain."
Rand nods wordlessly and turns away, heading back to their little camp.
Jim lingers a moment longer, searching the dark and waiting for movement that never comes. She slides away and returns to the camp as well.
Sefor and Kovar are nowhere to be found.
"Where's the other two?" Jim asks, looking at Spock, who is sitting as far as he can away from the edge and against the mountain wall.
"They are seeking privacy to meditate," Spock replies without looking up from his PADD. He must still be upset with her.
Jim looks at Rand who returns the look with a mildly speculative shrug. She sighs and drops herself on the other side of Rand, who is sitting several paces away from Spock. She folds her legs under her as she looks out into the distance, vaguely making out the outlines of the camps, which are illuminated by torches and lamps. From this distance, the camps look so small and meager, compared to the rest of the planet. But Jim knows that there are over 12,500 bodies out there-2,500 being her own doubled crew, while the Vulcans made up the other 10,000.
"Looks small," Rand murmurs as he leans his head back against the wall and crosses his arms. "The camps."
"I was just thinking that," Jim admits as she pulls her legs up and wraps her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees.
"Back home," Rand continues. "When my granddad was still alive-he'd called that sort of thing 'God vision'."
"God vision?"
Rand nods and explains, "When you see something-like really look at it, and it's the smallest aspect of a bigger view. It's like looking with the eyes of God." He shrugs and shakes his head thoughtfully. "This is creation-it's beyond comprehension, but, here it all is."
"Hm," Jim hums as she cocks her head against her knees and peers at the camps. A warm breeze sways in and brings with it silence and solidarity.
Rand falls asleep with his head cocked back against the wall and his mouth agape-but he doesn't snore. She's coming to understand that Rand has the ability to fall asleep at the drop of a dime. It's amusing as much as it is adorable.
Jim glances across him at Spock, whose face is illuminated by the light of his PADD. She makes sure to pull her gaze away before he notices. She bows her head and presses her forehead against her knees and shuts her eyes.
She dreams about a group of crows walking in a circle around a raven lying face up with its feet in the air and wings expanded in a puddle of its own blood.
The caws of the crows echo ominously in her ears, even long after she wakes.
888
The second day of the climb is way easier than the first-just for the simple fact that Sefor and Kovar lead them up to an open pathway that winds around the mountain and to the channels they've specified held the water source.
Jim is sweating and uncomfortable and sticky and she's changing her mind about this whole rock-climbing thing. Her feet are sore, simply because her damp feet keep sliding against the walls of her borrowed cleats. Rand's feet are bigger than her own of course, so it results in some uncomfortable friction. She silently hopes she isn't getting callouses as they round another bend. If she is, she's so going to make Rand give her feet the spa treatment after all this.
Sefor and Kovar stop at the mouth of a cave and retrieve their flashlights from the inside of their holster vests, aiming them towards the darkness of the cave. They enter in without really waiting for the rest of them.
Jim frowns as she takes off her cleats and hands them to Rand in exchange for an extra flashlight he has. "Be careful, Rand. I know I shouldn't have to tell you that, but I am for my own security," she says.
"Will do boss. Nice and easy." Rand gives her the thumbs-up after he tucks the cleats away in his knapsack and aims his flashlight at the cave opening before he begins his descent inside.
Spock wordlessly follows behind him.
Jim exhales heavily before she turns on her flashlight. The light sputters a few times, and she has to hit the head to get it to work. She travels carefully across jaggedly sharp stones to the mouth of the cave. It's damply cool, a relief from the heat-and as she presses her hand against the wall, she notices that its moist with moss and water. She flinches slightly when a drop of water hits her cheek. Her flashlight sputters, shrouding her with darkness and she's forced to stop with the attempt of shaking it on. It takes ten minutes but it finally illuminates again, but by this point she can't really see Spock or Rand.
"Hey guys," Jim calls as she uses the back of her hand to dry her face. "Not so fast, please." She aims her flashlight around as she tries to get an awareness of her surroundings.
There is a clatter of a rock behind her.
Jim turns in the direction of the sound but there's nothing there. She puts her free hand on the handle of her phaser just in case.
Moving on, she notices that the floor of the cave is made of a bed of small stones with smooth faces and water in between the gapes. She definitely can't even see Rand or Spock anymore-let alone Sefor and Kovar.
"Great," Jim mutters with a sigh. She shakes her head and aims her flashlight around to see if she can find a way to figure out where they went.
Of course, that's when she comes to three separate entrances.
"Fuck me," Jim mumbles as she eyes the three openings. She huffs with an annoyed sigh and pulls her communicator free. "Kirk to Spock."
Nothing.
"Kirk to Spock. Come in if you read me."
Nothing.
Jim's face scrunches unhappily as she holds up her communicator. She has no signal. Swell.
She hears a caw and another clatter of a rock to her immediate left. Quickly aiming her flashlight to the third entrance, she carefully steps in that general direction to locate the source of the sound.
"Hello!" she calls, but it's only her voice that echoes. She follows the channel down until she hears the unmistakable roar of water. She sees sunlight and when she exits the wet tunnel, she's immediately assaulted by a cool breeze intertwined with mist.
It's a massive sea cavern of ice green waterfalls interlaced with plant vines tattooing the walls. It's awe-inspiring as much as it is surprising. It smells like rain, and as she stands on the edge of a small cliff, she looks down into the crystal clear water formed from the multiple waterfalls coming from up above through different openings. She switches her flashlight off, there's no need for it anymore, and peers around at each waterfall again. She looks down into the still waters below.
"Captain Kirk!" Rand calls as he and Spock appear at the exit she just came from.
"Hey. What happened?" Jim asks as she turns toward them and puts her back to the falls.
Spock tenses as he eyes her position at the edge of the stony platform, and says, "We were attempting to locate Sefor and Kovar when they deliberately departed from us. During which, Yeomen Rand explained to me your suspicions of them."
Jim gives Rand a look.
"Sorry-I just-I had too," Rand says as he rubs the back of his neck timidly. "I didn't want either of us walking into a trap. And we had to find you so-"
"You went through the other tunnels?" Jim questions, ignoring her irritation for the moment.
"Yeah, dead ends. Both of them. Except for this one of course," Rand replies as he looks around with a baffled expression. "Guess they were right about the water source. But why'd they lead us up here just to leave us?"
"I don't think they intended for you and I to be here," Jim supposes as she looks directly at Spock.
Spock's brow furrows, but he doesn't seem ignorant of what she's trying to imply.
"This is going way too far," Jim states, barely able to contain her anger. "If you won't do anything about them, then I will."
Suddenly, twin stoic voices reverberate off the walls of the sea cavern.
"Khosaar t'suk'kunel zhu-tor nash ishtaya kulah vestal ma etak J'Kah nufaya."
A smoky cloud of fog forms among the ceiling of the sea cavern. Small sparks twist around this cloud as the waters below begin to spin inward into a vortex. A crack of thunder follows a massive quake, and seriously, Jim is beginning to fucking hate lightening.
"Nar-tor nash-trufemu. Nar-tor nash-trufemu."
"What is that?" Rand says as he looks around.
"Sounds like a bunch of cowards!" Jim yells as she looks around for Sefor and Kovar.
"It is a prayer." Spock eyes are dark with unhappiness and concern. "They are praying to the old gods-executing a sacramental ritual that has been prohibited for many centuries."
Rand looks at the storm cloud in dismay and says, "But why?"
"Because these rituals do not follow the principles of Surak-and also because the ritual requires a living blood sacrifice," Spock murmurs as his eyes lower from the massive storm cloud forming overhead, and down to Jim. "I believe I was the intended victim of choice. But Captain Kirk is-" He shoulders tense further as understanding usurps his normally stoic expression. "Captain-if you remove yourself from the edge, you will find me most appreciative," he urges with a barely concealed tremor in his voice. His eyes look shaded with something darker than concern.
Jim pauses when she remembers that the way she is standing and where she is standing is the same that his mother stood on the day she died. She's definitely not insensitive to the fact that this is presenting a major problem for Spock. She moves to step away but the platform shakes and weakens under feet stalling her escape. Her heart thumps wildly out of anxiety and she realizes that if she takes another step, the cliff will just collapse under her feet.
"Spock-" Jim gets cut off as the ground beneath her rumbles all the more.
Spock steps forward as he quickly studies the ground under Jim's feet with considerate calculation. "Yeomen Rand-as soon as you are able, you must flee the mountains." He takes another step towards her. "Sefor and Kovar may seek to harm you."
"Don't," Jim warns as she works to maintain her balance by keeping her feet apart and her hands level with her chest-the same way she would stand if she were on a surfboard. "If you come any closer-then you'll just fall and die with me."
Spock stubbornly ignores her, concentrating only on distributing the weight of his footfalls evenly so that he can make it to her. He takes another step forward as he goes on to address Rand, "When you are at a safe distance, you must hail the Enterprise and instruct them to beam you aboard. Do the same for my father as well and locate a security team. You must not speak to anyone outside of them otherwise. A search party will be required."
"Stop!" Jim shouts, watery eyes finally catching his determined gaze. He looks at her wordlessly and for a brief moment, time seems to stall as she slowly shakes her head at him. "Don't make me drag you down with me-just go with Rand and get-"
"Jim, quiet yourself," Spock says as he takes another step forward. "You are behaving irrationally."
"Me? What about you? You stubborn-" Jim gasps as she feels the rocky platform beneath her feet give way.
Spock lunges across what little space there is between them and folds her in his arms as they go crashing into the cyclone of water.
It's a mess of darkness and rough tugs as the current pulls them under into a region unknown. They collide into a turf of rocks, Spock taking most of the blows in efforts to use his own body to shield Jim's more fragile frame. She knows he must be in a lot of pain because his arms tighten painfully around her ribs several times. But by some miracle, they survive the turbulence of the whirlpool, which sucks them in from one end and thankfully spouts them out the other. They wash ashore along a bank of stones.
Jim coughs wetly and gasps, greedily sucking in as much air as she can. She's soaked from head to toe and she feels like she skinned her knees, elbows, and even her chin. She's definitely dislocated her shoulder and her ribs feel sore all around, but thankfully not broken. She quickly looks at Spock, who is lying unconscious in the tide of the water. She hobbles over on the ankle that doesn't feel like it's sprained and uses what little strength she has to pull him completely from the water.
It's no easy feat. Spock feels like he weighs a hefty ton. But she manages somehow, and she drags him all the way to a nearby boulder sticking up from the sand. She puts her hand under his nose and sighs in relief when she feels air hitting her fingers. She takes a moment to asses the damage to his body and she winces when she notices, outside of the green bruise in his right cheek and his split bottom lip, the severely deep cut sliced into the shin of his right leg-and oh God, she can even see a bit of bone.
Not good. Not good at all.
Spock's eyes flutter open and he tenses in pain and discomfort, but his eyes immediately seek her out and he seems to relax when he notices she's right by his side.
"I'm sorry," Jim says around a watery cough while she hugs her arm around her creaking ribcage and uses the other to clasp Spock's upper arm. "You really shouldn't have done that! God-I'm so sorry. "
"It is no matter," Spock rasps as he struggles to sit up. He manages on his third try and with her help. He props himself against the boulder behind them. "Where are you hurt?"
Jim swallows dryly as her shoulders and ribs ache. "Shouldn't you be asking me if I'm hurt?"
Spock's mouth flattens into a grim line as a layer of sweat breaks out across his forehead under his short bangs. "If I do," he rasps. "You will merely lie."
"I'm fine," Jim lies anyway. "Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Where are you injured?"
"Can you even still feel your legs?"
"James-"
"Oh my God, you frustrating Vulcan!" Jim says with as much exasperation as she can muster. She unbuttons her overalls and lets the upper half fall and shows him the purpling bruises forming across her lower ribcage where he was clinging to her tightly. "I don't think anything's broken, but it hurts like hell-cant be helped though. I think I dislocated my left shoulder, but I can set it back myself. I've done it before. And I've got a few scrapes but I'll live. There. That's it, that's all. You're the one with the serious injuries. You tried to break my fall you idiot-I wish you hadn't done that."
"There was a great probability that your neck would have snapped on impact during the commotion of the whirlpool had I not. Also, there was an undeniable likelihood that had you landed any other way, your collision would have ensued a far more serious contusion in your skull, resulting in internal bleeding and subsequent death by drowning. Either way, you could have died. The fact alone is unacceptable-however, I will heal and you are still alive," Spock calmly specifies.
Jim stares at him for a long moment before she throws all caution to the wind and hugs him, exhaling shakily as he stiffens under her touch.
Spock eventually relaxes under her and remains quiet, having enough sense not to ask her to remove herself.
Jim eventually manages to catch her bearings and pulls away with damp eyes. She exhales shakily once more as she looks around and tries to think up a plan. They seem to be in a gigantic cave located on the opposite end of where they initially were in the mountain. She looks to the mouth of the cave and out into the distance where she can see rolling hills of sand and sky.
She turns back to Spock, who is paler than he normally would be. She looks down at his leg and begins to rip the pantleg of his trousers off. She can see thickly dark green bruises all around the inner thigh of his right leg. "You have a quadriceps contusion," she says as she uses the cloth to cover the open wound on his shin. Her hands are shaking and her shoulders are trembling. She feels awful and responsible for this. By the time she is done, her hands are covered in green blood. "The cut on your shin is messy, but I don't think you're at risk for infection. If we can be found quick enough-"
"It is not necessary, my body will heal itself without the aid."
"Oh good," Jim mutters as she continues to avoid his eyes. Her gut is churning painfully and her shoulders are still trembling.
"Jim-"
"I'm going to go outside and look around," Jim chokes and quickly stumbles to her feet. She flees before he can try and stop her and she moves as far as she can before she has to stop and throw up. Tears burn her eyes as her throat begins to feel raw and sore. She swipes the back of her hand against her mouth and tries to calm down. The brunt of the situation is really getting to her. Spock's own people tried to kill him and if she hadn't been there-maybe they would have succeeded and she-she-she wouldn't have known.
There will be fucking hell to pay for that one.
Jim shudders and closes her eyes against the glare of the sunlight. She exhales carefully as she tries to pull herself together. When she stands, she realizes that her holster is gone-washed away in the tide of the whirlpool. She grits her teeth and quickly sets her shoulder right as she yelps in shocked pain. She flexes the fingers of her left hand stiffly as the blood flow returns and she wipes her long wet bangs out of her eyes. She looks around, narrowing her eyes against the glare of the sun as she tries to identify anything of use.
There's nothing.
Jim has no idea where they are exactly, but she hopes they can be found just as easily. She hobbles back to the cave and plops down beside a fatigued Spock. "I didn't see anything," she says as she looks at his waist and notes that he's without his holster as well. Hopefully they wouldn't need their phasers, but it's not clear if Sefor or Kovar will come searching for them to make sure the job is done. She tries not to think about it, and remains optimistic. "How are you holding up?"
"The pain is tolerable," Spock rasps as his lids lower, and its clear that is most certainly is not. "Though I find I may be going into a healing trance. It is not the suitable time nor the place."
"I won't mind if you do," Jim reassures with a weak smile. "Anything that will help you get better is fine with me."
"I would rather do so when I know that we are safe," Spock clarifies, but his eyelids lower a fraction more.
"We're safe in a way, I think," Jim swears. "Stop fighting it if you're just doing it because you're worried about me. I'm okay-you're the one that isn't. Just let nature take its course. You know, I'll just keep fussing at you until you give in."
"I do not doubt that," Spock remarks dryly. "Jim-if you do remain within distance, you will find me most appreciative."
"I'll be here. Even when you wake up," Jim promises and touches his shoulder. "Rest."
Spock's eyes close fully and he goes still.
Jim carefully rearranges him so he's lying more comfortably in the sand. She puts his head in her lap as she props herself against the boulder instead. She leans her head back against the boulder and closes her eyes in an attempt to lower her anxiety.
She hopes they are found very soon.
She has some asses to kick.
Chapter Three
Author's Note: So…? What did you think?