Chapter Text
The heat of Tiamat I prickles at Jim’s neck. He can feel the beads of sweat rolling down his back, soaking his shirt and he can’t even imagine how he must smell to the two vulcans present, with all of their superior senses. Spock stands by him, as he always does, completely unphased by the environment.
“How can you stand this, Spock? This has to be worse than Vulcan.”
Spock gives Jim one of his impassive eyebrow raises. “The temperature is not much higher than that of the tropical regions of your Earth, captain. You are likely experiencing the heat to a greater degree due to the air humidity. I would have to conduct experiments to be sure but-”
“Yes, yes. High humidity feels hotter. Let’s leave the experiments for later.” Jim can practically feel Spock frown at the lack of accuracy, but right now is not the time for this.
“Welcome, Captain Kirk, Commander Spock.” says their Vulcan host, another scientist. He’s dressed in what seems to be modified Vulcan robes. The sleeves come down to his elbows, revealing a pair of scrawny arms and the hem of the robes has similarly been shortened to knee-length, likely for ease of movement. He seems young and if Jim wouldn’t know any better, he’d say that the man is nervous.
“Thank you. You are Sekar, I presume?”
“Yes.”
Jim greets him with a smile, even though he knows that the vulcan won't care for it. Habits, he supposes. Sekar’s eyes flicker over his mouth only for a moment before returning to his eyes.
“Excellent. I heard that the settlement is close by. I would like to get to work as soon as possible.” and have a shower, possibly a meal, but he decides against saying it out loud.
Sekar guides Jim, Spock and the rest of the ground team down a winding path covered in some kind of light yellow gravel. 20.2 percent of the minerals on Tiamat I are citrine quartz, Sekar tells them. Tiamat I is a small Class M planet, devoid of native sentient life, with a tropical climate and high biodiversity. The planet is also special in that it possesses one of the few interspecies settlements outside of the immediate Federation homeworlds and their colonies. Scientist, curious travelers and people just looking for a new start have all managed to live on it for the past 10 years in relative peace.
The Enterprise has been called in to assist scientist in exploring the planet's ecosystem. They are to provide medical and scientific equipment, see to the safety of the scientists and ‘ensure that they are given the necessary amount of space to safely conduct experiments’, which sounds like vulcan for ‘stay out of the way’.
They’ll have to take a shuttle to the actual research location because the planet’s southern hemisphere is going through its wet season, which in Tiamat I’s case means heavy storms that mess with equipment and makes beaming an unsafe option. The scientists are hellbent on studying in the area as it brings out otherwise subterranean fungi, which could potentially hold the cure to several rare illnesses.
“You and your crew will stay in the main building tonight.” Sekar says. “The shuttles will leave at 0800 hours tomorrow morning.” He goes on to explain the schedule in excruciating detail, and though he tries to stay on track, Jim finds himself distracted by the colorful dragonflies that fly just above them in hoards. At least, that’s what they look like. If Jim’s luck is anything to go by, they are carnivorous or poisonous or something equally dangerous. Sekar notices his wonderment at the creatures and when most of the group is dispersed, he walks up to Jim and Spock, PADD in hand.
“What are they?” Jim asks, still tracking the flashing wings with his eyes.
“The humans named them Iron Bugs, in reference to their diet. It is somewhat inaccurate, since only 2.50 percent of their nutrition comes from pure iron. They seem to mostly be consuming airborne nanobacterium. They possess an exoskeleton, but their underbellies are a soft gelatinous material, exposing their bioluminescent organs.”
“They are beautiful.” Jim says before he remembers who he is talking to. “Though I suppose that is irrelevant.”
Sekar gives him a look. “They are… aesthetically pleasing.”
Spock shifts at Jim’s side, bringing him back to the present.
“Perhaps it would be prudent to get settled in our accommodations.”
He seems to catch Sekar off guard. He guides them to their room hastily. The interior is austere, with two beds, a bathroom and a desk with two chairs. A food synthesizer is embedded in the far wall. Jim takes the bed closest to the window, since Spock claims to have no preference in the matter. Sekar leaves them with a few PADDs detailing the environment and some of the local wildlife. Jim eyes through a few of them, but the heat is getting to his head and frankly he’s not here to do the actual science. He takes a shower instead. It feels good to wash off some sweat, though he is sure that it will return in no time at all. Oh well.
When he returns to the room, a towel draped around his waist Spock has already obtained a cup of tea and is sitting in his bed, reading one of the PADDs. He glances up at Jim at his approach. It’s not a big deal, Spock has seen him in several states of undress during various missions. They have fallen into this comfortable kind of being, where Jim doesn’t feel like he has to speak all the time because he knows Spock appreciates the quiet. He seems a little tense tonight, but that could just be the way shadows fall over his eye sockets as he bows down over the PADD, stray hairs slipping over the shell of his ear. He looks very sweet like that, all engrossed in his work. Jim tries not to follow that particular train of thought much further.
He orders a cup of coffee, and then a second one because Bones isn’t here to cuss him out. Spock might tell on him, but that’s a worry for later. Right now there’s not much to do since he’s mostly there to oversee his crew and maintain diplomatic relations with the settlement.
At 2100 hours sharp there is a small chime from the door. It opens up to reveal Sekar, who stands ramrod straight in the hallway.
“Captain Kirk. Since you expressed interest in the Iron Bugs earlier today, I summarized that you would perhaps be interested in seeing them at night. They exhibit similar characteristics to your Fireflies, I believe.” He folds his hands behind his back. “I could show you, if it would be agreeable to you at this time.”
Jim feels a delighted smile spreading over his lips and he turns to look at Spock excitedly.
“You hear that, Mr. Spock?”
“My hearing is optimal, Captain.”
He laughs and turns back to Sekar.
“Of course we’d like to see it- Unless you still have work?”
Spock, who is already standing at the ready, looks down on the other vulcan. “Not at this time.”
Sekar looks between the two of them.
“I had- Nevermind. Follow me.” He leads them out of the building and into the night. Some makeshift spotlights illuminate the way down a man-made path, covered with more of those yellow rocks. They soon come to a standstill in the middle of a clearing. Sekar fiddles with a small box and all the spotlights turn off. It takes a moment before he sees it, but suddenly the area is lit up by dozens of small glowing insects, accompanied by the low buzzing sound of their long wings.
“Fascinating.” Spock says from next to him, scarcely visible in the low-light. “Is the purpose to attract mates, as is with the Terran Lampyridae?”
“We believe so. Further testing is still required.”
They stand a moment in silence, watching the creatures. They dart around, emitting a little ‘whoosh’ sound whenever they change direction. A snapping sound from the forest beyond brings them back to the present. There is still unknown wildlife in these parts.
“Captain, perhaps it would be best to return now.” Spock starts. You need-”
“Surely the captain is capable of taking care of himself.” They both turn to look at Sekar, who is getting as close as a vulcan can to looking like he regrets ever being born. Spock looks mildly bemused.
“Yes, however as first officer I am responsible for the captains health. The recommendation for adult humans is a minimum of 7 hours of sleep.”
Jim frowns, uncertain what to make of the situation.
“I agree with Mr. Spock. There is still much to do tomorrow. We can talk more at a later point.”
“Of course, Captain.”
Sekar turns on the spotlights again and they walk back towards the settlement in an awkward silence. Spock seems to be deep in thought and when they are finally in the privacy of their room Jim turns to him.
“What do you make of our vulcan guide, Mr. Spock?”
“Most unusual. His control seems to be weaker than it should be, yet I cannot detect any reason as to why it would be so.”
Jim takes a seat at the table, a hand rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.
“Is it something in the environment? But in that case everyone would experience it.” He looks up at Spock. “You are alright, aren’t you?”
Spock inclines his head. “Yes. Though I do believe we should not discredit the possibility of some kind of outside influence, as Sekar has lived here longer than the other scientists. His level of exposure would naturally be higher.”
“Yeah. You tell me if you start feeling strange, understood?”
Spock quirks an eyebrow at the f word. Jim smiles.
“I will inform you if I experience any physical sensations outside of the norm.”
They settle in quietly, Spock in his Starfleet issued pyjamas, Jim in his non-regulation boxers. He’s got a copy of Two Stars Left of Orion loaded up on his personal PADD. It’s a poorly written, cheesy love story, but he’s not so picky. Spock is reading the latest issue of one of the dozens of science publications he’s subscribed to.
Spock wakes up at 0400 in the morning, before the planet’s sun has touched the horizon. Cerul II, the planet closest to Tiamat, is already visible in the sky above. It glows a pale blue against the slowly brightening sky.
He does what he always does. He brushes his teeth (2.02 minutes), takes a shower (5 minutes), gets dressed (1 minute), gets some tea from the replicator (0.5 minutes), and drinks it (31.5 minutes). The captain is still fast asleep. Spock eyes him over, first officers duty and all that. He’s thrown off his blanket during the night and is now sprawled out on his stomach. He’s drooling a bit. Once he has confirmed that Jim is healthy he picks up his tricorder to examine the area further on his own. He walks around a bit and takes some readings. There are large avian creatures circling above the rainforest. They are too far away to get proper readings, but observation reveals that they do not seem to have the need to land very often. There are sounds coming from east that indicate a waterfall, 2 kilometers off from the settlement Spock’s superior hearing tells him. The settlement itself seems to be built out of crates, old shuttle parts and other discarded material. Wire has been attached between the makeshift buildings to act as clothes lines, though Spock questions their effectiveness in the humidity. Some of the residents are already starting their day. They don’t pay him much mind, likely used to members of the scientific community. Sekar, Spock notices, is also awake and hunched over some coral-like plants at the edge of the forest.
Spock is not used to following his ‘gut feeling’, as his mother would say, but there is something about Sekar that does not sit right with him. Talking to him might clarify the issue. He approaches the other vulcan cautiously. If there is something wrong with him, it might be best to be careful; vulcan strength is not to be taken lightly, even by other vulcans. Sekar stands up and turns around when he hears Spock’s footsteps. His eyes dart over Spock and land on the tricorder. He twitches ever so slightly but his face remains in within the limits of vulcan propriety.
“Are the PADD’s I left for you unsatisfactory?”
“Negative. I was simply attempting to gather more data on the plant life.”
“You should know that the electromagnetic field of Tiamat I occasionally disrupts tricorder readings, rendering them inaccurate.”
Spock raises an eyebrow at this.
“I have not observed any such disruptions.”
“I did say occasionally.” He picks up a box of supplies and turns to leave. “Our shuttle leaves in 3.4 hours. Do not be late.”
It’s clear that Sekar doesn’t appreciate Spock’s company. Perhaps his half blood status offends the man.
At precisely 0800 hours Jim and Spock enter a shuttle with Sekar in tow. The rest of the scientists are preparing for takeoff, assisted by a few ensigns. Their shuttle is an older model, likely modified by the looks of it. The captain is rubbing his eyes sleepily but his excitement is almost palpable. He shifts in his seat, fingers tapping against the console, eyes flickering over the view outside. A small, familiar smile lingers on his lips. It’s the same one he wears during silent days on the bridge when he has the time to admire the endless sea of stars on the viewscreen. He’s sure he’ll never grow tired of the sight, he has told Spock during one of their chess games. Spock adjusts the controls to be manual with automatic navigation and flight adjustment; they can’t fly entirely on autopilot due to the unpredictable weather. Sekar sits right behind them, eyeing their every move in a manner the doctor would liken to ‘breathing down their necks’.
“Take us above the treeline, Mister. We’ll fly low to avoid the storm clouds.” the captain tells him when he’s got the go-ahead from the other shuttles.
“Very well, Captain.”
Spock does as he’s instructed. The planet looks just as fascinating from the air. The sky above them is clear but he can see the heavy gathering of clouds in the distance. They light up with the occasional lightning. A mountain rises above the treetops.
“How breathtaking.” Jim murmurs. “There is something primal about untouched, untamed natural forces, wouldn’t you agree?”
“That is the definition of the word, yes.” Spock answers. Silently he agrees with the sentiment.
The shuttle is a cramped, with only a bit of room to move around at the controls. They sometimes bump into one another, knee to knee, arm to arm. It’s impossible, he knows, but Jim’s touch sometimes feels like burning coals or perhaps ice on bare skin. Spock is used to it by now, of course, with how often and freely Jim initiates physical contact. It has never felt like that with any other being he’s touched and after countless hours of twisting and turning it over in his mind he has simply decided to put it with all the other things that are inexplicably unique to Jim.
“Go higher.” Sekar says as they approach the storm. The smattering of rain against the hull forces him to shout.
“But we’ll rise right into the storm cloud!” Jim exclaims. Spock’s eyes flicker over the console.
“I agree with the captain. The risk is -”
“If we keep our current altitude, we will break the control sensors against the tree tops.” Sekar is gripping the back of Spock seat in an iron hold. “We will lose control should they be damaged.”
“Why are there sensors on the bottom of the shuttle?” Jim says in exasperation, adjusting to avoid the tallest branches. “We can’t fly up there! The wind would tear us to pieces and we’d lose all visibility.”
“I implore you captain. We can either risk flying into the storm or assure that we crash because of control failure.”
“Dammit- Should’ve taken official ‘fleet shuttles for this.” Jim looks to Spock, a question in his eyes. “Spock. What’s your read on the situation?”
“I believe we should hold this altitude. With a tight enough manual steering we should be able to avoid the trees. I could-”
“What if you fail?” Sekar’s face is unreadable but his eyes are wild. He looks between them both.
“I did not imply it would be easy. Our chance of success is about 50.5 percent with either option. This is your decision, captain.”
The Captain looks out into the storm, frowning. Then he sighs.
“There are too many variables to take into account. Take us up, Spock.”
Spock obeys. Soon they are swallowed by darkness. The console panel blinks and beeps in distress as its rudimentary flight system struggles to detect the ground and the underlying trees. The clouds are denser than normal. Spock suspects it is because of something in the atmosphere but he doesn’t have the time to analyze them.
Sekar straightens up.
“If we remain level, without deviating from the current path, we should be able to-”
They hit a heavy bout of turbulence. Sekar falls on his back.
“You were saying?” Jim shouts as he tries to keep the console in working condition. They start losing altitude. Darkness still surrounds them as Spock attempts to steady the shuttle. Something is showing up on the sensor but before any of them have time to react they crash. Sekar is flung back into the shuttle. Spock twists himself out of the seat to shield Jim from the inevitable fall. The shuttle seems to hit several dense objects as it falls. He suspects they may have hit a tree.
Finally they hit the ground with a heavy thud. Something seems to absorb a part of the impact. Spock looks down to meet Jim’s eyes, the back of his head still cradled in his hand to make sure no permanent harm was done to the sensitive human neck.
“Are you alright, captain?”
He seems to adjust himself a bit against the seat. Spock moves away to give him space. Finally he lets out a strained “yes”.
Spock looks around. The shuttle door has been beant so it’s halfway open. He kicks it off its hinges and promptly sinks his foot into the ground outside. They seem to be in some kind of swamp, he notes. It is still pouring, but the forrest dampens the wind. Spock observes the area, does some quick calculations, and turns back into the shuttle.
“We are safe for now but I would suggest moving outside. We have 15.8 minutes until the shuttle is fully submerged into the ground.”
Sekar stands up, not seeming any worse for ware. Spock helps the captain out of his seat. There are a few bruises developing on his right shoulder, and he has managed to tear his shirt again, but his eyes are sharp and ready for action. No signs of a concussion.
“That’s the last time I ever go against your judgement, I swear.” he mutters. Spock forgoes pointing out how unlikely that is.
“There is no way of knowing if the outcome would have been any different had we not flown into the storm.” he says instead. Sekar radiates displeasure.
“We would have survived were it not for the turbulence-”
“Which you failed to account for.” Spock finishes. It is not an accusation, so much as pointing out the facts, but Sekar seems taken aback nonetheless. He is strangely animate, in a way that puts Spock on edge. He briefly entertains the notion that the man is about to enter his time , but he lacks certain symptoms that would be present, and even he has to have the good sense to return to Vulcan should the need arise. He is, despite evidence to the contrary, a scientist.
Spock guides Jim to safer ground, leaving Sekar to trudge along behind them. The rain makes it hard to see and hear. Right as he starts suspecting that he has taken them further out into the swamp, instead of out of it, he feels a hand grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to safer ground.
“Whoa there, palls! Looks like you went for a swim!”
Spock looks up, blinking as he realizes that he can’t feel the rain anymore. A large man, human, smiles down at them from where he is standing on the root of a tree. He is holding a large leaf as a makeshift umbrella against the storm. Behind him stands two other Humans, an Andorian and a Vulcan, all carrying similar leaves. The new Vulcan, a small woman, leans forward to pull Sekar out of the swamp. Jim looks bewildered.
“You three look like you could dry up a bit. Come along!” the large man says. Spock looks to Jim with a silent question on his lips. The captain shrugs and together they wander into the forest after the strange group of people.