[Sometimes Choices Have to Be Made]

[kirktastic]

The beeping came suddenly from off from the side of his desk where he sat in his office. For a second Kirk was grateful that no one was in there with him as he jumped, just a little startled. Grabbing his comm and flipping it open, Kirk got out "Hello" before realizing it was only an alert.

The alert was coming from Jim's communicator, down there on the planet, trapped with Nero. Knowing that Jim had managed to sneak out two messages before, a small shiver of worry passed through him as he realized what only an alert could mean. It had to be a warning that something was happening - something that Jim couldn't sneak away to tell him. Considering the circumstances, there were very few things that the warning could have been. Kirk could only hope that getting out this warning wasn't putting Jim's life in danger.

Kirk thought about what George had said the other night. The idea had gotten stuck in his head - transported against their will. He had thought about it, laying in bed at night when he couldn't sleep. Could there be a way to do just that? To transport not only Jim and Spock, but the Romulans as well? If something was happening right now, something that Jim thought was worthwhile enough to have to warn him about, then maybe it was their only chance. He had a good feeling that whatever was taking place wouldn't give him much time to think this over.

Just as Kirk started to get out of his chair, the computer spoke to him as simultaneously a red alert appeared on the console before him. Sensors indicate the Narada is no longer aboard this ship. Repeat - sensors indicate the Narada is no longer aboard this ship. Kirk felt a cold fear run down his spine as he stared at the diagram of the Enterprise the computer automatically pulled up. It showed the Narada's last known location in Jim's quarters with the single red dot disappearing and reappearing over and over again.

With that in mind, Kirk found himself rushing down toward the nearest transporter room, with his comm still in hand. "Captain to Lt Commander Scott - Captain to Lt Commander Scott!" When Scotty didn't reply fast enough, Kirk snapped off a curse and hit the transporter room at a dead run. Kirk looked to the startled ensign behind the controls. "Ensign - the last known coordinates of the Narada should still be in the system, pull them up for me," Kirk said quickly as he slid in behind another console. His fingers flew over the screen, and using the coordinates the ensign pulled up, he scanned for information about the Narada.

The Enterprise's powerful scanners swept across where the Narada lay dormant on the surface of the planet below. To his utter amazement, the powerful shielding that had not only protected the Narada from every attack they had launched her way but kept them from doing something like this before was down, as if it had never been. To his greatest fear, Kirk could also see that her power levels, which had previously been so low, were now quickly picking up. That had to be it. That had to be what Jim was warning him about. The Romulans had done exactly as they feared - they had managed to not only locate but mine up the dilithium without the use of the plasma drill Kirk had helped destroy.

There was no time to think about what he had to do or talk to any other officer if this was the right course of action. Kirk looked to the confused ensign beside him and said, "Prepare - four to beam up." The computer recognized Jim and Spock's signatures immediately - it was Nero and Ayel's that Kirk had to locate. It wasn't hard, there seemed to be little else in the immediate area around the Narada. The mining must have scared everything off, Kirk thought to himself off-handedly. He had no doubt that every second counted. After all, it was impossible to say how long it would take for the Narada to get her shields back up.

Kirk hadn't realized he was holding his breath until the computer finally located Nero and Ayel's signatures. Something else that George had said came into his mind. He wasn't sure that Stockholm Syndrome was the right term for it but Kirk understood what his father meant. He didn't know how Jim and Spock would react to what he planned to do. With that in mind, he carefully divided the instructions to the transporter. Spock and Jim would be sent the conference room on Deck A. He instructed the computer to lock the door on the conference room and put his own personal code as the clearance needed for the lock.

The next set of instructions were a little more difficult to do in such a hurry. Choosing two open rooms in the brig, he set each one to its highest level of security. Only the captain would be able to lower the force field that separated the Romulans from the rest of the ship. Knowing the anger he had seen in Spock's eyes, and knowing the revenge in some people's hearts, even in his own, Kirk had to ensure that his crew was protected from Nero, and Nero from his crew. I'll need to speak with Security myself, Kirk thought quickly as he typed.

As he finished the last of the instructions to the computer, with the transporter locked on the four life signatures below, Kirk could only hope that he was doing the right thing. He looked to the ensign beside him and nodded only once. "Energize."

Comments

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

The moment Jim walked out of the conference room (http://kirktastic.livejournal.com/38239.html?thread=1974879#t1974879), the turbolift doors hissed open and Spock stepped out. As he came around the corner, he saw Jim standing there. The doors were closed, so he couldn't catch a glimpse of what was inside.

"Captain," Spock began, walking closer. "You had something to tell me concerning the situation?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Girls. They're girls." He stared at Spock, lips twitching. "They're girls. Jim, and Spock. Are girls. They're girls." He didn't know what else to say.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

Girls. Spock arched an incredulous eyebrow. It wasn't the strangest thing that had happened on this ship but it was rather close, and the only thing directly related and unintentional from their transporter. He would have to tell Mr. Scott to survey the system again...

Yet, if the older Jim and Spock had been transformed, and Nero and his first had been transported as well...then that implied that they were, perhaps, female as well. Female as in -- Spock's memory triggered, biology lessons throughout his adolescence both in and out of mandatory education -- a centre of balance they hadn't adapted to yet, a shorter height, a slighter build, less muscle. Lighter, brittler bones.

An opportunity.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Even as Jim watched, something changed. It was subtle, but he had seen it before. He recognized that look from one time before, except then it had come with a hand tight around his neck and a console digging into his back. Autopilot and instinct, that look said. Spock's hands fisted at his sides, and he turned.

"Spock."

Spock was already turning, heading towards the turbolift. "SPOCK."

Fuck, fuck. Spock wasn't even stopping, just going as if his mind couldn't even hear anything around him. Jim stepped out and grabbed Spock's arm, "SPOCK!"

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

He stopped, froze, a cat caught in its prowl through the undergrowth. A small (but vital) sense of awareness flickered into his eyes again. Relaxing a little, Spock looked down at the hand at his arm, and then up at Jim's face. "Captain." Not quite a question. He could guess why he was fifteen feet from his previous spot at a later time.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"No. No. No." He focused on Spock's eyes, his own narrowed. "If I have to lock you in your quarters until Starfleet arrives, no." Even though he hated to say it, because he wanted it too.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

If it came to that point, Spock would hope that he would do it himself. But it wouldn't come to that. So he didn't offer it as a possibility. "That will not be necessary." He said, looking directly at Jim and into those suspicious eyes. It was time to lock down his emotions until later, and what better time to begin than at the present.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Don't bullshit me, Spock," Jim said, very quietly, "you know how I feel about this. You know. And fuck, maybe I'm doing everything wrong. I know Jim's not perfect but how everyone else acts, you'd think he was. Like he's never made a wrong decision before." He laughed, just a little. He knew Jim probably had, considering what he knew of them, but... shit. Everyone liked the guy, everyone seemed to agree with him... "I think this is best, whether or not you, or I, like it. Just stay away from the brig, okay?"

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

"I will maintain my distance." And then the smallest look of uncertainty and suspicion, before it disappeared under a mask of cool confidence. "You will not change their status in the brig?" It was his kill to make. Jim didn't have anymore of a legal right to dispose of them as he did, but if there was a choice, Spock would rather take the burden on his reputation.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"...No. What's done is done, until Starfleet gets here. The Vulcans will know what to do with him. Maybe they'll agree with you," him, being the voice of reason. That was ... unusual, maybe.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

Disturbing might have been the better word. His right fist remained tight at his side, but was slowly loosening as each stray thought of hate, murder, and other premeditations of harm were carefully wrapped and compartmentalized.

"I cannot say." He didn't want to make it a democratic vote, but it seemed it would come to that.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"...I dunno." Jim reached out, almost touching Spock's hand, but let his hand drop. Spock wouldn't want it... he was pretty sure, not right now. "I have to go talk to Security."

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

He saw the move Jim's hand made for his own, the hesitant prevention of the touch. However, that fluttering emotion of gratitude for Jim's concern was also stored away unacknowledged. One slip now would just encourage another, and he'd be practically human even before he got the blood on his hands.

"Do you require escort?" Spock wanted to see, with his own eyes, but he doubted Jim would allow him.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"No, but..." Jim thought fast, then said, "Dinner, tonight. Meet me... fuck, your quarters?" Thinking Spock would be more comfortable there. It was half suggestion half order, but Jim's voice didn't have the command in it.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

A single nod. He had no logical reason to refuse, other than maybe Nyota's objections. He would inform her before shift's end. "Very well."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Good." This time, he did reach out and squeeze Spock's shoulder. He thought of Jim and his Spock, how easily they...

It didn't matter. They weren't him and Spock. "Dinner." He turned, heading for that turbolift.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

The physical contact did more than he expected. A little squeeze that was like a nerve pinch in itself in how it tempted him to relax and stop coiling tight anger right in the depths of his thoughts. He said nothing as Jim turned and walked off, but walked off in completely the other direction. Not to meet their counterparts, though there was some latent curiosity concerning them as well.

But not now. His current state would disgust his counterpart, possibly even the elder Jim if he had gained any understanding at all of Vulcan expectations. Spock needed silence, just his footsteps and the hum of the ship.