Officer In Distress Stardate 2258.62

Nathan shifted his light around but didn't see anything. "Well, lets move on," Nathan said and they all seemed to be more wary as they moved down the narrow hall. After the hall there was another door that had been forced open. There was an odd smell and as they approached the door they saw several odd machines near the floor and against the walls. The area here felt more open than the hall. The machines were pumps of some kind and like the other room, metal clanged and groaned and drips came down from the ceiling. There were tubes that led to the machines. The tubes were white but glowed an odd green color. The smell was borderline horrible. As Kaia shifted her light up, she didn't want another spider thing to touch her she saw an Alien. Not one, several of them all suspended upside down from the ceiling.

Kaia decided to stay close to the group from now on and they all moved together. They moved down the hall to another door that had been forced open. As they stepped through the first thing they noticed was the odd smell. There were several odd machines that appeared to be pumps. There were tubes that led to the machines that were glowing an odd, green color. The smell was almost overwhelming and as Kaia shifted her light up towards the ceiling to ensure that another creature didn't touch her she gasped at what she saw. Several aliens were suspended upside down from the ceiling. They all appeared to be unconscious or in a coma like state. 

"Hey guys...you need to see this," she said and Elyse's eyes widened as she saw what Kaia was looking at. "Dr. McCoy, are they alive?"

The tubes were coming from the Aliens and it appeared the green substance was being extracted from them and collected in a large tank of some kind. "Their alive but just barely," he said then he shifted his tricorder to the tank. "This is something like adrenaline," McCoy said. "Adrenaline?" Nathan said. "Well, a version of it," McCoy said. "So someone is harvesting these aliens for this substance?" Nathan Asked. "Who would do that?" Nathan asked. "I don't know," McCoy said as he looked up at them. Their color looked pale and unhealthy and what was being done to them was horrific. Like something out of a horror story.

"Elyse...what should we do?" Nathan asked.

Elyse listened closely to what McCoy was saying. She looked back up at the aliens and then at the tank before looking back at McCoy. "Can we stop what's being done to them or reverse it?" Elyse asked.

McCoy rubbed his chin a moment. "I think so, but it will take time and whomever did this to them might come back," he said. "I...I can't stay here...I'll finish searching the ship,:" Nathan said more than a little upset at what he was seeing. Upset and horrified at the same time. Elyse saw his eyes, he was unhinged by this.

"We'll need a whole medical team and transport everyone to sickbay after we disconnect them," McCoy said.

Elyse was upset about what she was seeing as well, but she had to keep a cool head about her. She was their leader and she needed to act like it. Kaia motioned to Elyse that she would go with him and Elyse gave her a grateful look. 

Kaia caught up to him. "You shouldn't search this ship alone...not after what I saw is on the ship with us."

Elyse decided to contact Kirk. She pulled out her communicator and began to explain the situation to him. She was able to show him the alien bodies and what they were hooked up to. "Dr. McCoy says that we might be able to save them, but we'll need a much larger medical team down here and each one will need to immediately be transported to sickbay after they are disconnected."

Kirk was taken aback by what McCoy and Elyse said and what he saw. He was horrified like them about what was happening. They had answered a distress call and he was actually angry with whomever could have done this. But attacking people for their misdeeds was not why they were out here.

"Sir, long range scanners have detected a ship. Its configuration is nothing like I've ever seen before," Craig said. "Keep an eye on it Ensign," Kirk said.

"Ensign Martin, patch me into sickbay. "Sickbay, I need a full medical team to beam over to the ship and help with whats happening there. Whomever is left, we'll be beaming these aliens right to sickbay, be ready. Engineering...Scotty, I need you to beam over a Engineering team and see if we can get the cargo ship moving," Kirk said.

"Away team, we're going to help them. Elyse, I'm sending you a medical team and an engineering team. But, there is something you should know. We've detected a ship on long range sensors. Nothing like we've seen before. Whatever you decide to do, do it quickly," Kirk said.

Elyse listened to what Kirk said and she nodded. "Yes, Captain." She hung up and looked at McCoy. "They're sending over a full medical team and an engineering team to see if we can't get this ship up and running again. However, they've detected a ship on long range sensors that's nothing like we've seen before. We need to work quickly. What can I do to help?"

Hours passed....

Spock had set up a small area on the shuttle to meditate. He had used his water ration to make the odd tea that helped him focus. He burned the incense and it didn't smell very good to Scarlett. Spock just knelt there, like a statue for over an hour now...almost an hour and a half. His hands were clasped in front of him.

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Several of the aliens had been moved to sickbay, others were on the floor below where they had been hanging. None had been revived yet but McCoy had been using Adrenaline, a form of it, to replace what had been removed form them. The first patients were actually looking much better and he was encouraged by the change in their vital signs.

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Scotty was well into repairing the ship. He had to replicate several parts that he reverse engineered from plans they found in their ships computer. Kaia was still having trouble with the language. It was extremely complex and it wasn't just about the syntax. It involved feminine and masculine, slang, dialects and emotions along with what was said. A perfect storm as far as a language went. She had her hands full.

Elyse was bouncing back between the two teams and also helping Nathan with their Navigational Computer. "Elyse, they've been all over but they avoid our end of the neighborhood like the plague. Their starmaps are vast," Nathan said. "I think we should download them," he said.

Scarlett didn't know quite what to make of the mediation. She had never seen him meditate before, although the other night when she had come to his quarters to question him about the information he had told Nathan she had seen a similar set up in his room. The incense had a strong smell to it that didn't appeal to Scarlett, but she wasn't going to say anything and risk upsetting him. They had to live in close quarters together for the next few days until the Enterprise returned. Scarlett would have preferred to have someone to talk to though. She sighed and walked away and back up to the cockpit to sit there. She just stared out the window in front of her at the vastness of space before her.

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The two teams had arrived and both were working hard. Elyse was bouncing back and forth between the two teams to orchestrate what was happening and ensure there weren't any problems. Some of the aliens had already been beamed onto the ship and taken to sickbay, but Dr. McCoy was still working on disconnecting the last few.

Kaia was doing her best to decipher the language these aliens spoke. However, it was extremely complicated and the use of slang and different dialects wasn't helping matters. It was a slow and tedious process.

Elyse had gone to check on Nathan with the navigational computer.  She listened to what he said and nodded a little at his suggestion. "Ok, go ahead and download them."

Later that evening when they prepared to sleep they found the thermal blankets. They made pillows out of some of their clothes. There was a way to raise up all the arm rests and Spock passed on sleeping on the seats which was far more comfortable than the hard floor. Spock had intended to return tomorrow morning and take another dose of medication. The meditation didn't work. With Scarlett so near, he couldn't clear his mind sufficiently for the meditation to do any good. He felt the burning starting and he was glad that the lights were off. He did not want her to see him sweat.

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All of the aliens were moved to sickbay but the odd design of their engines was causing issues for Scotty. He couldn't give Kirk a timeline and that alien ship was much closer now and headed directly for them. "How long before they arrive," Kirk asked. "3 hours and 40 minutes if they maintain their present speed. There is another ship that appeared on long range sensors that resembles the cargo ship," Craig said. "Friends of theirs?" Kirk asked. "Possibly," Craig answered.

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Elyse and Nathan were allowed to clean up, get a bite to eat and get some rest. She had alien goo all over her and she was beyond exhausted. However for Scotty, McCoy and Kaia, there was no rest. Nor for their teams.

Scarlett had spent hours alone up in the cockpit. She had eventually gotten hungry and had eaten part of an energy bar and had some of her rationed water. She finally heard Spock stir from his meditation and he found some thermal blankets for them to use while they slept. Scarlett had no idea what was going on with Spock. Neither of them said a word as they prepared to sleep. Scarlett arranged herself to sleep up on the seats, while Spock decided to sleep on the floor. Scarlett eventually fell asleep, but several hours later she awoke because she thought she heard a groan. She looked over at Spock and she sat up and then stood and moved closer to him. As she got closer she saw he was sweating. "Spock, what's wrong?" She grabbed the clothing she was using as a pillow and poured some of the cool water onto it and placed it against his head.

Spock exploded. "Get away from me!" Spock growled, almost in a feral way. He shrugged off her attempts to help him though the cold compress had felt good. He was unhinged and he was sweating profusely. He was looking at her and she saw his face. He was beyond angry and he was shaking. "There's nothing you can do...NOTHING! I should have never recommended you for the Enterprise! But I was weak! Too weak to step away from you for good!" Spock said.

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Elyse was awakened by the Red Alert alarm going off.

By the time she made it to the bridge the ship already had been hit several times. Kirk was there with Rodriguez, Sulu, Craig and Kaia though Kaia looked exhausted. As Elyse came toward her chair Rodriguez got up for her and moved to the tertiary tactical station.

"It's some kind of disruptor Captain. Their targeting our engines," Craig said. The ship lurched again. "Kaia, try and tell them we're not here for a fight," Kirk said but the oddly shaped ship fired at them again. Sparks flew from Craigs station as their sensor array was hit. "Return fire, target their weapons," Kirk said. Elyse targeted their weapons with phasers and fired. The phasers impacted the ships shields but didn't penetrate them. The ship was shaped like a jagged half moon. It even looked mean.

"Sir, I've detected elements on the ship that resemble those pumps on the alien ship. It's a good bet they're the ones that hurt our alien friends," Craig said. "Sulu, Evasive pattern beta 4," Kirk said. "I sir, Sulu said as Elysa fired another volley of phasers.

Scarlett was taken aback by Spock's reaction towards her. She knew that something was very wrong. His words hurt, but she didn't let them drive her away...not when she knew Spock needed her. She looked at him and into his eyes. "I love you Spock. I've always loved you and I will always love you and there is nothing you can do or say that will ever change that. You can yell and push me away as much as you want. You can drop me on a planet on the other side of the universe and I will still love you. So go ahead and yell at me if it makes you feel better, but I will always be there for you when you need me."

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Elyse had only gotten a little bit of sleep when suddenly she was startled awake by the Red Alarm going off. She had slept in her uniform and she jumped up and rushed up to the bridge. Kaia was back at her station, but was exhausted. She was trying to make contact with the ship to tell them that they were not hostile. However, they didn't seem to want to listen. Elyse immediately sat down at her station and her fingers flew over the keys as she targeted their weapons with phasers and fired. She saw the phaser hit their shield causing a ripple across it, but it didn't penetrate. Elyse immediately began to fire another round of phasers.

Spock was so embarrassed that he was unable to control what was happening to him. His blood was killing him, boiling inside of his body. Release from all of this was just a few feet away. And she loved him and was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He saw shaking as his body was wracked with the pain of his blood growing hot in his veins.

"Its...the Pon Farr," Spock groaned as he curved in on himself. God how it galled to admit that. He just wanted it all to end.

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"Shields at 65 percent," Sulu said. "Sir, there's another ship coming in" Craig said and Elyse's targeting options expanded to both ships. "It looks just like the freighter," Kirk said. "Kaia, I need you to talk to them. We have their people aboard our ship!," Kirk snapped at her. The Enterprise shook again as the other ship hit them once again.

"Engineering to the bridge, we're taking a beating down here Captain!" He warned.

"Sulu keep that ship between us and the freighter, Elyse, keep on after their weapons," Kirk said.

Scarlett knew something very bad was happening and she wasn't sure how to help him. She moved down next to him on the floor of the shuttle. He was shaking and she was becoming extremely scared for him. She picked up the cool cloth and placed it against his forehead again.

"Pon Farr...what is that?"

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Elyse continued to target and fire at the enemy ship. She was extremely careful in her targeting that she didn't hit the other ship that had just arrived. Kaia had managed to hail the new ship and she did her best to speak their language. "We are here in peace. We have your people on board our ship. We are trying to help them," she said as best she could.

"You take people, you take maps, Why?" Kaia was able to make that much out.

Elyse was doing the best she could but this ship she was firing at may be more than they could handle. They must have regenerative shielding. "Shields, 35 percent," Sulu said.

"Kaia, we could use their help!" Kirk snapped. "Sulu, keep them away from our port side," Kirk said.

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In a fit of rage Spock grabbed her. His hands were warm..no, hot and sweaty and up close she could tell he was suffering a great deal. Was he crying? She did see tears in his eyes. His hand shifted down her arm to her hand and then to her fingers. He shifted them so that two of her fingers were pointed outward but together. He took his hand, and, with two fingers he stroked along the top of her first finger then beneath the bottom finger. "Pon...Farr," Spock said again as he groaned and nearly doubled over. His hand remained where it was though. Did he need her to do something?

"Please, you know that I love you Scarlett. I've always loved you," Spock said though his words were desperate and pleading.

"I'm working on it!" Kaia snapped back. She was usually quite calm and collected under stressful situations, but she hadn't slept in close to 24 hours at this point and this language was complicated and difficult to understand...let alone speak. 

"We're trying to help you. Please help us and we will give everything back to you," Kaia told them desperately. 

Elyse continued to target and fire in rapid succession, but they needed the help of the other ship.

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Scarlett was desperate to do something...anything to help him. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him in pain. Suddenly, he shifted his hand down her arm to her hand and to her fingers. He shifted them so that two of her fingers were pointed outward, but held together. She felt him then stroke along the top of her first finger and then underneath the bottom finger with two of his fingers. Scarlett began to wonder why he had done what he had just done. However, before she could question him, she heard him tell her that he loved her. Tears began to stream down her cheeks when she heard him finally say the words she had been waiting four years to hear him say. But now...now she thought she was going to lose him. But suddenly...suddenly it was almost like she knew what she needed to do. She took Spock's hand and she positioned his fingers just like he had hers. She then stroked along the top of the first finger and then beneath the bottom finger with two fingers.

"We will see!" They said back and Kaia could not be certain if that was a threat or that they might believe her. "Sir, the other ship is moving into attack range!" Sulu said. Kirk wondered if it might be prudent to run but that option was taken away with the next volley from the crescent ship. Elyse saw her phaser power dip drastically as their warp engines went offline.

"Sir, main power is down!" Scotty said over the comms. "Shift all power to the shields!" Kirk barked. The cargo ship moved up and fired a full volley of phasers and torpedoes at the crescent ship. It took heavy damage and began to pivot as if its attitude control was destroyed. Its power began to flicker and then shut down. "Now, why take friends? Why take maps?!" Kaia heard them ask and it wasnt in a friendly tone either.

"Sir, those weapons are powerful, we can't sustain a hit by them," Sulu said.

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Spock repeated the motion one last time then shifted her hands up to his face. He spread her fingers on both sides of his face just so and then did the same to her. For several, long moments Scarlett felt a pulling. As if parts of herself were pulled away. No, not away, into Spock. And, to her surprise, those empty spaces were filled abruptly, by him. Oddly, she began to sense his emotions. He was in terrible pain but she was nearly overcome by the love she felt from him. It was like coming up out of a lake of freezing water with the warm sun shining above her. The strength of it, the sheet vastness of it filled her. And then his lust...no, his 'need' for her was there. It was as if the arrow had left the bow, aimed right for her heart. He was dying, she knew that. She actually knew it. And knew what he needed.

"We intercepted a distress signal coming from the ship. Your friends were dying when we found them. They were hooked up to machines that were killing them. We didn't know what to do, but we wanted to save them. We thought the maps could help us bring them back to you. They are on board our ship, but if this enemy ship destroys our ship then your friends will be killed. Please, I give you my word that we will give your friends and maps back," Kais said in absolute desperation at this point. Kirk would be able to hear (although not understand) that she was doing everything she could at this point. 

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Scarlett let Spock shift her hands up to his face. Her fingers were spread on both sides of his face and then he did the same to her. Almost instantly, Scarlett felt a strange pulling sensation all over her body. She didn't understand at first what was happening as she felt as if parts of her were being pulled away, but then she suddenly realized that parts of her were being pulled into him. And then she felt him inside her. She could sense all of his emotions in a way she never had before. Spock tried to hide his emotions, but now nothing was hidden from her. It was all there inside of her as if it were apart of her...and she knew now that it was. She felt his pain, but above that she felt his overwhelming love for her. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was powerful, deep, and true. It was the most real thing she had ever felt in her life. She had always known it was there...but hearing him say the words...and now being able to actually feel it was all Scarlett could have ever hoped for. She was his and he was hers and she knew that he needed her.

She moved closer to him and she closed her eyes and she kissed him. The kiss quickly became a more passionate kiss than they had ever shared before. She felt his hands over her body and she touched him as well. Their hands then moved to begin discarding items of clothing. They couldn't seem to do it fast enough. Scarlett had never wanted a man more than she wanted Spock in that moment.

Spock's body was extremely warm, almost too warm as he made love to Scarlett. His passion was unbridled for it had laid dormant for too long. Now he unleashed it upon her and she did not seem to mind at all. In fact from the loud noises she made and her encouragements for him not to stop, he thought that, perhaps, she had enjoyed the coupling. When it was done, when he was spent, his blood began to cool and she laid upon him and they were covered in the thermal blanket.

"If I knew what I was missing, we would have done this years ago," Spock said. Her disapproving grunt almost made him chuckle.

Scarlett had only ever slept with one other man, but he did not compare to Spock and the way she felt with him. Their bodies just fit together perfectly and they moved as if they were one. Spock’s passions were completely unbridled and Scarlett loved ever moment of it. Throughout the coupling, she was aware of not only his body, but of his mind and his heart. It was an experience she knew could never be equaled.

When it was finally over, they both collapsed down to the floor. Scarlett could see almost immediately that he looked better. She pulled the thermal blanket over them as she remained curled up next to him. She heard what he said and she grunted a little in disapproval, but then as they looked at one another they both began to laugh and smile happily. “So, can I get my necklace back?” Scarlett had hated being without it.

There was a tense few moments and the ship had come around to face the Enterprise. Elyse was looking down the barrel of 2 powerful weapons and if they fired, The Enterprise would take heavy damage. All eyes were on Kaia including the captain's but it was the ship UT that translated their words...finally though Kaia had done that.

"You give...our...people...you...keep...maps," The Translator managed. Sulu sighed audibly. And the Captain nodded approvingly to Kaia. That and his face held that small grin it almost always held as if he knew she'd get them out of the pickling jar.

"Sickbay, how are our guests?" Kirk asked. "Awake...and hungry," McCoy said. Kirk smiled at Elyse who was looking at him. "Transporter room. I want a site to site transport of all the aliens to that ship," Kirk said. "I Sir," The crewman there said. Once all of their people were aboard, the freighter turned and initiated a tractor beam to their damaged ship. It began to tow it away.

Kirk gave Elyse and then Kaia a hard look. "Kaia, Elyse, go get some sleep, you've earned it," Kirk said with a smile. He was tired to but he looked hail and felt great considering that they might have just made a new friend.

When Elyse got to her room she would find a covered food tray and a note.

'Eat everything on the tray...Doctor's Orders'

When she opened it, it was a burger not unlike the one she had made for them on their first date. The ship had to remain until their Warp Drive was repaired and Scotty and his teams were working hard on it. Mainly because they didn't like the look of that other ship that was floating around near them.

Kaia had never been so relieved that anything was over in her life until that moment. "I need a stiff drink...or three...." Kaia said as she stood up. She saw Kirk glance over at her and she wondered if he might join her. Technically, there was no bartender on duty at the moment, but she didn't need one. She took the turbolift to level 5 and went down to the bar. No one else was in there since it was technically very late...or very early in the 'morning' (although Kaia wasn't sure which it was at this point). She grabbed a bottle of Bourbon and poured herself a glass.

Elyse made sure that there was nothing else that Kirk needed for her to do before she headed back to her room. She was exhausted, but also hungry. However, as she walked into her room she saw a covered tray with a note. She read the note and she couldn't help but smile. She removed the cover and actually felt a few tears come to her eyes at what she saw. She smiled and wiped away her tears and then sat down and began to eat.

Kirk couldn't leave the bridge. There was still too much to do and they still hadn't gotten the Warp Drive repaired. It was now a race to fix it before the other ship was fixed. Even so they headed away on Impulse power as fast as it would take them. Which wasn't very fast.

The next morning it was Power bars and water rations again but the meal felt as if it were a grand feast with Scarlett sitting in Spock's lap. He was surprised to find her touching him to see if last night was just a fluke, perhaps? She quickly found out that it wasn't. Spock was Vulcan and in relative control of his emotions but, he was also human and it was impossible to ignore her or what she was 'trying' to do to him. That and even when she woke up she was beautiful. This time she had taken control of the situation and that was no less amazing in Spock's opinion.

Scarlett ate silently and was all smiles as she sat there on his lap. He supposed she was getting everything she wanted and so, what was there not to smile about? He was...happy...that he was the cause of those smiles. Though he would have liked to have attended the science Emporium on an alien world, he enjoyed his time alone with Scarlett. He had 'hedged' his bets and had brought the necklace with him in hopes that they would have 'made up'. And they had in the best way possible by his estimation.

"I will speak to the Captain about us sharing a room. It might be a shock to the crew but, we are a couple now and I feel it is appropriate," Spock said. "It will be odd giving you orders so do not be offended if they are not always to your liking.

"If it makes you feel any better, while we are alone, you can order me about, if it suits you," Spock said. He was making a joke but there was also some seriousness to it as well.