Maiden Voyage

Five

Ensign Spock's fingers were steepled, elbows on his science console. Number One stood over his left shoulder, Lieutenant Rios over his right. The three watched the science viewscreen display of the video provided by Captain Pike's tricorder sweep of the M-114 village. Beside it, the last video capture of the colonial compound a scant year prior. Prior images displayed a typical Starfleet built colony. The video looped as the console buttons danced, analyzing the images. Present images slowed to a crawl as the computer began a frame-by-frame analysis. Most of the bridge crew watched the playback, each spinning with hundreds of potential explanations for the appearance of M-114's sudden colonial revivalist charm. Even Lieutenant Tyler sat at his navigation station, chair swiveled towards Spock's viewers.

Rios broke the white noise of the Enterprise bridge sounds. "I'd sure like to get down there and check it out in person. Has to be a technical explanation."

Spock raised an eyebrow. It is the dozen of scenarios he had considered. What he was looking at defied logic. That was of immense particular interest to a Vulcan, as logic was their cornerstone. Although his race was suppressed of emotions, Spock was half-human on his mother's side. This mystery was nearly insatiable to both sides, but he resisted a show of giddy excitement for what flashed across his viewscreen.

Once more, the silence of the bridge was interrupted, this time by the computer. "Meteorological sweep complete. Ready for analysis."

Spock rose from his chair and moved to the left of his station to his science scanner. Looking down at the viewer, he reviewed the incoming data. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up. This caught Number One's attention. He manipulated a few buttons on the station and returned to the scanner.

"Fascinating," he muttered.

"What is it, Ensign?" Number One noted the very slightest of emotions.

Without raising his eyes from the scanner. "It appears we have yet another mystery, sir."

#

Governor Vessey bent over, wrapped his scarf around Aubrey's neck, and put his goggles on her head. "Go along home, Aubrey and put these things away for grandpa, you know where they go."

Pike waited patiently for the governor, but there was always an expectation of courtesy in return. He also was itching to beam down a crew of engineers to help him understand exactly what was going on. Vessey threw yet another wrench into the captain's quest for understanding when he noticed Doctor Boyce.

Vessey lit up with excitement. "Phil Boyce, you old sawbones! How are you? Haven't aged a day, I see. That soft Starfleet life must agree with you."

Boyce gripped the governor's hand, who had shaken it robustly. "Sure beats the confines of Starbase 23. I grew board with shuffleboard and all the other over the hill games they had in that antiquated rec room."

"If I remember, they never had enough checkers or playing cards to even get a game of go fish going," Vessey replied.

Boyce shook his head, grinning. "Thankfully, Captain April rescued me from that desk job. Now I'm keeping this warhorse in line." He patted Pike on the shoulder.

Vessey again perked up at the mention of Captain April. "How is old Bob April? I haven't seen him in a couple of years. Well, at least since he dropped us off here. Grapevine has it he's a commodore now at Starfleet Command?"

Boyce confirmed.

"Sheesh, I'm getting old," said Vessey, wondering where the time had gone.

There was a pause, enough of one for Pike to interject in this walk down memory lane. He had a job to do. That was his current focus, of course, besides the unusual sights the team had encountered. This mysterious village had to be addressed before he could move forward with the resupply. Plus, his men looked to him for answers and he knew it.