After a day of meetings with one department after another, 2 disciplinary actions and a very annoying vaccine for E'pir virus, Captain Kirk was thoroughly worn out. It was the first time since he woke at the unearthly hour of 05:00 that he had been able to be alone without somebody nattering in his ear, giving him a list of demands, asking him to save the day, or lecturing him within an inch of his life. He leaned forward in the chair and covered his eyes with his hands, yawning. Whoever it was who had the bright idea to to make the walls of the recreation room stark arctic white needed to be shot. And revived. And shot again.
"Augh…" He forced one eye open, then the other. Scanned the room. Held his breath and listened. Ahhh. Completely, blessedly empty. Even S'akitg had retreated to his quarters for the night. Kirk allowed the lines between his eyes to soften. The Etroidan was known to haunt this room at all hours of the day. Quite literally, to the point where 3 ensigns and a lieutenant refused to come in unless he was absent. Just because he's translucent is no reason to fear him. Oh, yeah, and the fact that he hovers – no, lurks- in the corner with that inscrutable look on his face. Come to think of it, he chuckled, they may have a point there.
He leaned back in the soft chair and yawned again. The soft fabric gave way to his form. He was seriously considering replacing the captain's chair with one of these. Yawn. When was the last time I ate? I-I can't even…. His eyelids drooped. Then popped open. Then shuttered halfway. He pulled his legs up on the chair and turned slightly, so his left side was leaning on the backrest. …stay…awake. Must…., he protested even as his body relaxed. With a soft snore, he settled in, his arms tucked close to his body and his mouth half open.
The sky was glowing a pale blue as he floated on the clouds ever so gently. He reached his hand out and scooped up an armful of frothy cloud. He plumped it carefully between his hands. It firmed up like a feather pillow, and he bent at the waist and placed it on the ground.
He reached for another bundle of cloud and lifted it by the edges. He shook it lightly in the breeze, and it spread wider and thinner, becoming a soft blanket of mist. The warm wind wisped through his short hair, and he laid the blanket down too. Smiling to himself, he eased down and lifted a corner, preparing to rest beneath it.
Suddenly, the cloud gave way from underneath him. He struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening, even as his body slipped through a large gap in the ground. Arms flailing and gasping, he dropped like a stone.
The clouds around him were different; thick, ominous and foreboding. Thunder rumbled and the wind was buffeting his uniform; he closed his eyes, still thrashing in a battle against gravity.
And then, as if by – magic? Divine intervention? – he stopped falling.
Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his racing heart rate. He looked down and saw, beneath his feet, nothing. Nothing. He whipped around, frantically. Nothing. He was surrounded by blackness.
A small point of light caught his eye. He looked towards it. Far off in the distance, but coming closer by the second. No….not a light. A face….
"Awaken, Captain."
Spock?
"AHHHH!" Kirk flew out of the chair as if his warp engines had kicked in. He landed with a THUMP! on the floor. His heart flew into his throat and pulsated as if it was fighting its way out through his trachea. He looked up to see Spock standing next to the chair, completely unfazed, as if his captain always greeted him with a scream and a vault. One eyebrow lifted. Well, maybe not completely unfazed.
He inched backwards slightly and winced. "Ah,…Spock….what is the matter…..with you? Can't you just….tap me on the….shoulder?" he asked, noticing for the first time that only one of the commander's hands was behind his back. The other was frozen mid-air, as though he was reaching for something. Or…
"What the heck did you just do?!...Meld me awake?!"
Spock seemed to notice for the first time that his hand was still lifted. He lowered it and clasped the other one. "Captain, when you did not arrive on the bridge this morning on time, I was concerned for your wellbeing. I went to your quarters but you were absent. This caused further consternation. Recalling your inoculation, I inquired of Dr. McCoy, but he informed me you had not been there since yesterday. His request that I track you down was accompanied by several choice words, which if I were to repeat them would undoubtedly cause unwarranted tension between you and himself. ( I suspect he was merely frustrated and anxious, not hostile, however, and I do believe if you apologized, he would be willing to overlook it.) It then occurred to me that given your busy schedule yesterday and the certain fatigue you would be experiencing that you had gone to the one place where you could be certain of both comfort and solitude apart from your private quarters or office where anybody who wished to locate you would naturally look.
"When I arrived here, I found you in this chair, in a state of slumber that was considerably deeper than usual. You did not appear to be in medical distress; in fact, you seemed quite peaceful. My tricorder revealed no trace of drugs or toxins; therefore I could only assume that you were merely enjoying respite after your trying day. I considered shaking you awake, but I felt that would be disruptive. Yelling loudly I dismissed, as well as applying a needless stimulant. Therefore, there remained only one solution in my repertoire, and I used it."
"You….used…it." Kirk shook his head, still unable to believe what he was hearing. Then again, it was Spock….
He stood up carefully, then walked slowly towards his first officer. "Don't you EVER do that again," he cautioned, even as his eyes betrayed his slight- very slight- amusement. They turned and headed for the exit, Kirk walking ahead, Spock behind him, watching protectively. "Man, and I thought only Pike could freak me out like that….."
"Augh…" He forced one eye open, then the other. Scanned the room. Held his breath and listened. Ahhh. Completely, blessedly empty. Even S'akitg had retreated to his quarters for the night. Kirk allowed the lines between his eyes to soften. The Etroidan was known to haunt this room at all hours of the day. Quite literally, to the point where 3 ensigns and a lieutenant refused to come in unless he was absent. Just because he's translucent is no reason to fear him. Oh, yeah, and the fact that he hovers – no, lurks- in the corner with that inscrutable look on his face. Come to think of it, he chuckled, they may have a point there.
He leaned back in the soft chair and yawned again. The soft fabric gave way to his form. He was seriously considering replacing the captain's chair with one of these. Yawn. When was the last time I ate? I-I can't even…. His eyelids drooped. Then popped open. Then shuttered halfway. He pulled his legs up on the chair and turned slightly, so his left side was leaning on the backrest. …stay…awake. Must…., he protested even as his body relaxed. With a soft snore, he settled in, his arms tucked close to his body and his mouth half open.
The sky was glowing a pale blue as he floated on the clouds ever so gently. He reached his hand out and scooped up an armful of frothy cloud. He plumped it carefully between his hands. It firmed up like a feather pillow, and he bent at the waist and placed it on the ground.
He reached for another bundle of cloud and lifted it by the edges. He shook it lightly in the breeze, and it spread wider and thinner, becoming a soft blanket of mist. The warm wind wisped through his short hair, and he laid the blanket down too. Smiling to himself, he eased down and lifted a corner, preparing to rest beneath it.
Suddenly, the cloud gave way from underneath him. He struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening, even as his body slipped through a large gap in the ground. Arms flailing and gasping, he dropped like a stone.
The clouds around him were different; thick, ominous and foreboding. Thunder rumbled and the wind was buffeting his uniform; he closed his eyes, still thrashing in a battle against gravity.
And then, as if by – magic? Divine intervention? – he stopped falling.
Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his racing heart rate. He looked down and saw, beneath his feet, nothing. Nothing. He whipped around, frantically. Nothing. He was surrounded by blackness.
A small point of light caught his eye. He looked towards it. Far off in the distance, but coming closer by the second. No….not a light. A face….
"Awaken, Captain."
Spock?
"AHHHH!" Kirk flew out of the chair as if his warp engines had kicked in. He landed with a THUMP! on the floor. His heart flew into his throat and pulsated as if it was fighting its way out through his trachea. He looked up to see Spock standing next to the chair, completely unfazed, as if his captain always greeted him with a scream and a vault. One eyebrow lifted. Well, maybe not completely unfazed.
He inched backwards slightly and winced. "Ah,…Spock….what is the matter…..with you? Can't you just….tap me on the….shoulder?" he asked, noticing for the first time that only one of the commander's hands was behind his back. The other was frozen mid-air, as though he was reaching for something. Or…
"What the heck did you just do?!...Meld me awake?!"
Spock seemed to notice for the first time that his hand was still lifted. He lowered it and clasped the other one. "Captain, when you did not arrive on the bridge this morning on time, I was concerned for your wellbeing. I went to your quarters but you were absent. This caused further consternation. Recalling your inoculation, I inquired of Dr. McCoy, but he informed me you had not been there since yesterday. His request that I track you down was accompanied by several choice words, which if I were to repeat them would undoubtedly cause unwarranted tension between you and himself. ( I suspect he was merely frustrated and anxious, not hostile, however, and I do believe if you apologized, he would be willing to overlook it.) It then occurred to me that given your busy schedule yesterday and the certain fatigue you would be experiencing that you had gone to the one place where you could be certain of both comfort and solitude apart from your private quarters or office where anybody who wished to locate you would naturally look.
"When I arrived here, I found you in this chair, in a state of slumber that was considerably deeper than usual. You did not appear to be in medical distress; in fact, you seemed quite peaceful. My tricorder revealed no trace of drugs or toxins; therefore I could only assume that you were merely enjoying respite after your trying day. I considered shaking you awake, but I felt that would be disruptive. Yelling loudly I dismissed, as well as applying a needless stimulant. Therefore, there remained only one solution in my repertoire, and I used it."
"You….used…it." Kirk shook his head, still unable to believe what he was hearing. Then again, it was Spock….
He stood up carefully, then walked slowly towards his first officer. "Don't you EVER do that again," he cautioned, even as his eyes betrayed his slight- very slight- amusement. They turned and headed for the exit, Kirk walking ahead, Spock behind him, watching protectively. "Man, and I thought only Pike could freak me out like that….."
