Leonard McCoy tossed the white sound device up and down in one hand, feeling its weight. "You know, Jim," he muttered under his breath, "technology never ceases to amaze me." He moved around behind the captain's chair, still studying the object.
Kirk leaned his head back, looking upwards at McCoy. "How so, Bones?"
"Its potential for good or ill, for one thing." McCoy held the object out for Kirk to see. "Take this device, for example. With just the flip of a switch, it can eliminate all ambient sound. You have no idea how a thing like this could be misused." He rounded the chair and stood facing Kirk. "Let's say there was a red alert, for instance. Now, if you had designs on endangering someone's life, you could set fire to someone's quarters and use this on the alarm; they'd never hear it. Or suppose you wanted to move through an area undetected." He leaned against the rail. "'Course, we could parlay it to our advantage someday. It all depends on whose hands you put it in." He chuckled. "Something else just occurred to me."
Kirk smiled. "What?"
McCoy crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a good thing I don't practice medicine in the twentieth century, let me tell you. Some wise guy patient – you, for instance-" Kirk made a wounded face as McCoy gestured to him with the object "-could turn off his heartbeat and breathing just prior to me having a listen. Let me tell you, I'd be the one having a heart attack then," he drawled, pointing the device at himself.
Kirk smiled and turned to the communications station. "Lieutenant Uhura, has the crew begun boarding the Enterprise again?"
"I don't know, Captain. Let me check with the transporter room." She turned in her chair and leaned forward over her console.
Suddenly, a loud growling roar filled the bridge. Kirk, Uhura and the other crew members started. McCoy jumped three feet in the air, fumbling with the white sound device before dropping it on the floor with a clatter. He staggered backwards, paling and clutching his chest. "What in the name of all that-" Seeing Kirk's worried expression, he sucked in a breath. "I'm okay, I'm fine. For now." He straightened up. "Jim, what was that?!"
Lieutenant Uhura covered her mouth, smiling. "Captain? I'll let him explain." She pressed a button.
"Who him?" Kirk asked.
An embarrassed laugh came over the comm. "Hello, Captain. Did I frighten ye?"
Kirk stood up from his seat. "Mr. Scott." He tugged on his sweater. "Welcome aboard. Would you mind explaining what just happened?" He motioned over his shoulder, even though the chief engineer couldn't see him. "I think it took ten years off of Bones' life."
McCoy coughed. "Try fifteen."
Scott chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor. I, uh, well, in all the excitement today, I completely skipped lunch. So what ye heard was me stomach growling."
Kirk sighed. "Your stomach, Mr. Scott?"
"Yes, sir. I dinna realize how famished I was."
McCoy strode over to the comm. "Scotty, please do us all a favour and eat something, now. Doctor's orders."
"Yes, Doctor. Scott out."
McCoy bent over and retrieved the device from the ground. He cast a sideways glance at Kirk. "See what I mean?"
Kirk nodded. "Now would probably be a good time to deactivate that thing..."
Kirk leaned his head back, looking upwards at McCoy. "How so, Bones?"
"Its potential for good or ill, for one thing." McCoy held the object out for Kirk to see. "Take this device, for example. With just the flip of a switch, it can eliminate all ambient sound. You have no idea how a thing like this could be misused." He rounded the chair and stood facing Kirk. "Let's say there was a red alert, for instance. Now, if you had designs on endangering someone's life, you could set fire to someone's quarters and use this on the alarm; they'd never hear it. Or suppose you wanted to move through an area undetected." He leaned against the rail. "'Course, we could parlay it to our advantage someday. It all depends on whose hands you put it in." He chuckled. "Something else just occurred to me."
Kirk smiled. "What?"
McCoy crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a good thing I don't practice medicine in the twentieth century, let me tell you. Some wise guy patient – you, for instance-" Kirk made a wounded face as McCoy gestured to him with the object "-could turn off his heartbeat and breathing just prior to me having a listen. Let me tell you, I'd be the one having a heart attack then," he drawled, pointing the device at himself.
Kirk smiled and turned to the communications station. "Lieutenant Uhura, has the crew begun boarding the Enterprise again?"
"I don't know, Captain. Let me check with the transporter room." She turned in her chair and leaned forward over her console.
Suddenly, a loud growling roar filled the bridge. Kirk, Uhura and the other crew members started. McCoy jumped three feet in the air, fumbling with the white sound device before dropping it on the floor with a clatter. He staggered backwards, paling and clutching his chest. "What in the name of all that-" Seeing Kirk's worried expression, he sucked in a breath. "I'm okay, I'm fine. For now." He straightened up. "Jim, what was that?!"
Lieutenant Uhura covered her mouth, smiling. "Captain? I'll let him explain." She pressed a button.
"Who him?" Kirk asked.
An embarrassed laugh came over the comm. "Hello, Captain. Did I frighten ye?"
Kirk stood up from his seat. "Mr. Scott." He tugged on his sweater. "Welcome aboard. Would you mind explaining what just happened?" He motioned over his shoulder, even though the chief engineer couldn't see him. "I think it took ten years off of Bones' life."
McCoy coughed. "Try fifteen."
Scott chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor. I, uh, well, in all the excitement today, I completely skipped lunch. So what ye heard was me stomach growling."
Kirk sighed. "Your stomach, Mr. Scott?"
"Yes, sir. I dinna realize how famished I was."
McCoy strode over to the comm. "Scotty, please do us all a favour and eat something, now. Doctor's orders."
"Yes, Doctor. Scott out."
McCoy bent over and retrieved the device from the ground. He cast a sideways glance at Kirk. "See what I mean?"
Kirk nodded. "Now would probably be a good time to deactivate that thing..."
