Star Trek: USS Jupiter

Two-The Intergalactic Orb

Kristen motions for Jim and Spock to enter the turbolift with her. The two men comply and Kristen briefs her friends on their dire situation. "Engineering."

Jim looks at Kristen with his lips parted. His eyes search hers for answers.

Kristen raises a hand. Jim closes his mouth. "Twelve weeks ago before we met up at Yorktown my ship came across a planet. One that looks nearly identical to the one the Enterprise is now orbiting. When we scanned the planet we found it to be M class. I assume your scans told you the same,"

Jim nods.

"After three days of further analyzing we realized it wasn't a planet at all. My chief engineer reported that our warp core and antimatter was slowly being depleted. That shouldn't have been happening. I assume that's happening to the Enterprise,"

Jim nods again.

"We had originally thought the orb was harmless. We were so wrong. It took almost all the Jupiter had to break orbit. We would have been drifting for weeks if not for Starfleet sending Commodore Decker to find us. Our communications had been damaged and the signal, when fixed, was terribly weak,"

"How long were you drifting for?"

"One long week,"

Jim whistles. "You say you can get us out of this mess?"

"I can,"

"How—"

The captain of the enterprise is cut off when he has to brace himself on the turbo lift wall. Kristen latches onto the closest thing. That happens to be James T Kirk. In turn, Jim grabs Kristen to keep her from launching foreword. Meanwhile, Spock simply places a hand on the wall.

"What on earth?"

"Jim we are not—"

"It's a saying, Spock,"

"Computer, how far are we from engineering?" Kristen detaches herself from Jim. She unhooks her claw clip and re-does her hair. Jim rightens himself and smooths his uniform. Spock simply tugs his shirt down.

'We have arrived.'

"Uh..."

"Open the doors," The doors open to reveal they had indeed arrived. The problem now afflicting the trio is the gap slightly larger than a foot between the floor of the turbo lift and the engineering's door frame.

"How are we going to fit through that?" Jim questions. He kneels beside Kristen. Gears turn in the two friends' minds. Until Kristen gages the space with her hands. A space she can fit through.

"You can't but I can." Kristen sits and begins wigging through the opening.

Nearby crew members come to her aid. Being shorter than average it's a challenge for the young Captain to reach nearly everything above her head. Not to mention her dangling feet when she sits in her chair on the bridge.

With her feet safely on the floor, she shoos the engineers off. Kristen immediately begins her search for the chief engineer. She calls out for the engineer several times. "Mr. Scott!"

"Aye lass?" The Scotsman answers.

"Where are you?"

"Up here ma wee lass," Scotty calls down from one of the platforms. Kristen calls for him to help her.

Scotty climbs down to see who wants his expertise. The Scotsman is pleasantly surprised to find the young captain. He offers her a handshake. Kristen takes it briefly. "What kin I do for ye Captain Lee?"

"It's what I can do for you," Kristen charges around engineering. As she moves around she looks for the right control panel. The one to give control to the warp core and antimatter. Scotty moves with her. His curiosity getting the better of him.