suffered.
Entering the bridge, he was greeted by a rush of perfume and an uninhibited hug from Uhura. She had decided to forgo all military decorum for now. Kirk, as happy as she was to see a familiar face, returned her embrace with gusto, much to the surprise of the helmsman who was new on board and had never encountered a captain who greeted his officers so effusively.
The captain took his seat, enjoying the feel of being back in action again. Next to enter was Sulu, who tapped the helmsman on the shoulder. "I relieve you, Lieutenant." He turned to Kirk. "It's great to be back on board, sir."
Kirk smiled broadly.
Chekov arrived next. He was sporting a new stripe on his uniform. "
Lieutenant
Chekov, reporting for duty, sir."
"Congratulations on the stripe, Lieutenant." Kirk shook his hand. "And Chekov, it's good to have you back on board."
Chekov and Sulu greeted each other warmly. It was beginning to feel like his ship again. Kirk eased back into his chair. He listened to the sounds of the mechanisms: each beep and buzz, each light that blinked, welcomed him back.
It's good to be aliveâand to be back
.
"Transporter Room, sir. All personnel aboard."
"Acknowledged," Kirk answered routinely.
At the science console an unfamiliar man leaned over the instruments. Kirk noted Spock's absence.
He must be checking the computers
.
The voice from the transporter room had not been Scott's.
Must be in engineering, somewhere
, the captain supposed.
Kirk pressed the intercom button. "Mister Scott, we warp out in ten minutes." A long silence followed. "Mister Scott, do you hear me? Acknowledge, please."
"Lieutenant Commander Douglas, sir, Engineering. There is no one down here by that name, sir."
"Who's in charge down there?"
"I am, sir."
"Come up to the bridge, Douglas."
"Now, sir?"
"I didn't mean tomorrow. Get up here on the double!"
Sulu and Chekov glanced furtively over their shoulders at Kirk. Uhura turned to watch him, caught his eye, and quickly turned away. When he looked back, he caught Sulu staring at him.
"Mister Sulu, is there something I should know?"
Sulu squirmed uncomfortably and turned back to the helm; he punched the console buttons rapidly, attempting to look too absorbed to respond right away.
Kirk turned his chair and looked to the science station, now unmanned. He pushed the intercom button again.
"Mister Spock, report to the bridge immediately."
Uhura, in direct sight of the captain, tried to look inconspicuous.
Pushing the button again, Kirk spoke. "McCoy, report to the bridge."
"Yes, sir," came the quick reply from the chief surgeon. "On my way, Jim."
At last! A familiar voice
.
The small, dark man entering the bridge smiled engagingly. "Commander Leonidas, reporting for duty, sir." His tousled hair gave him an air of rakish abandon.
Kirk swiveled his chair to get a look at the unfamiliar officer. "I'm at a disadvantage, Commander. What is your position?"
"First officer, sir."
"First officer? I thought I already had a first officerâSpock. Where's Spock?"
Sulu turned, furtively glanced at Kirk, and looked back to his instruments.
"Lieutenant Commander Douglas, sir," the engineering officer reported smartly when he entered the bridge.
"You say you were assigned as chief engineer?" Kirk asked, obviously puzzled.
"Yes, sir."
"I need a computer readout. Where's Spock?" the captain demanded again.
A tall, large-boned blond entered the bridge. "Lieutenant Commander Martin, sir. Reporting for duty."
"What is
your
assignment?" a baffled Kirk asked the newcomer.
"Science officer, sir."
Kirk caught Sulu staring at him again. "Mister Sulu, do you know what's going on here? Why am I the last to know what's going on on
my
ship?" He turned to the science officer. "I want a readout of the duty roster. Right now!"
Martin stepped up to the computer terminal and pushed the appropriate buttons. Sitting tensely, Kirk waited. The others stood rigidly, not knowing what to expect from the
Entering the bridge, he was greeted by a rush of perfume and an uninhibited hug from Uhura. She had decided to forgo all military decorum for now. Kirk, as happy as she was to see a familiar face, returned her embrace with gusto, much to the surprise of the helmsman who was new on board and had never encountered a captain who greeted his officers so effusively.
The captain took his seat, enjoying the feel of being back in action again. Next to enter was Sulu, who tapped the helmsman on the shoulder. "I relieve you, Lieutenant." He turned to Kirk. "It's great to be back on board, sir."
Kirk smiled broadly.
Chekov arrived next. He was sporting a new stripe on his uniform. "
Lieutenant
Chekov, reporting for duty, sir."
"Congratulations on the stripe, Lieutenant." Kirk shook his hand. "And Chekov, it's good to have you back on board."
Chekov and Sulu greeted each other warmly. It was beginning to feel like his ship again. Kirk eased back into his chair. He listened to the sounds of the mechanisms: each beep and buzz, each light that blinked, welcomed him back.
It's good to be aliveâand to be back
.
"Transporter Room, sir. All personnel aboard."
"Acknowledged," Kirk answered routinely.
At the science console an unfamiliar man leaned over the instruments. Kirk noted Spock's absence.
He must be checking the computers
.
The voice from the transporter room had not been Scott's.
Must be in engineering, somewhere
, the captain supposed.
Kirk pressed the intercom button. "Mister Scott, we warp out in ten minutes." A long silence followed. "Mister Scott, do you hear me? Acknowledge, please."
"Lieutenant Commander Douglas, sir, Engineering. There is no one down here by that name, sir."
"Who's in charge down there?"
"I am, sir."
"Come up to the bridge, Douglas."
"Now, sir?"
"I didn't mean tomorrow. Get up here on the double!"
Sulu and Chekov glanced furtively over their shoulders at Kirk. Uhura turned to watch him, caught his eye, and quickly turned away. When he looked back, he caught Sulu staring at him.
"Mister Sulu, is there something I should know?"
Sulu squirmed uncomfortably and turned back to the helm; he punched the console buttons rapidly, attempting to look too absorbed to respond right away.
Kirk turned his chair and looked to the science station, now unmanned. He pushed the intercom button again.
"Mister Spock, report to the bridge immediately."
Uhura, in direct sight of the captain, tried to look inconspicuous.
Pushing the button again, Kirk spoke. "McCoy, report to the bridge."
"Yes, sir," came the quick reply from the chief surgeon. "On my way, Jim."
At last! A familiar voice
.
The small, dark man entering the bridge smiled engagingly. "Commander Leonidas, reporting for duty, sir." His tousled hair gave him an air of rakish abandon.
Kirk swiveled his chair to get a look at the unfamiliar officer. "I'm at a disadvantage, Commander. What is your position?"
"First officer, sir."
"First officer? I thought I already had a first officerâSpock. Where's Spock?"
Sulu turned, furtively glanced at Kirk, and looked back to his instruments.
"Lieutenant Commander Douglas, sir," the engineering officer reported smartly when he entered the bridge.
"You say you were assigned as chief engineer?" Kirk asked, obviously puzzled.
"Yes, sir."
"I need a computer readout. Where's Spock?" the captain demanded again.
A tall, large-boned blond entered the bridge. "Lieutenant Commander Martin, sir. Reporting for duty."
"What is
your
assignment?" a baffled Kirk asked the newcomer.
"Science officer, sir."
Kirk caught Sulu staring at him again. "Mister Sulu, do you know what's going on here? Why am I the last to know what's going on on
my
ship?" He turned to the science officer. "I want a readout of the duty roster. Right now!"
Martin stepped up to the computer terminal and pushed the appropriate buttons. Sitting tensely, Kirk waited. The others stood rigidly, not knowing what to expect from the
Similar Books
infinities
Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Scott Nicholson, Garry Kilworth, Eric Brown, John Grant, Anna Tambour, Kaitlin Queen, Iain Rowan, Linda Nagata, Keith Brooke
