Stop! The love you save may be your own!
Darling, take it slow
Or someday you'll be all alone.
You'd better stop the love you save may be your own!
Darling, look both ways before you cross me
You're headed for the danger zone.
-- The Jackson Five (The Love You Save)
=/\=
The Transporter Room on the ISS Enterprise was clear of all personnel except for Crewman Kyle. Mister Spock was walking in that direction. Marisol and Carmen saw him, and followed, "Sir," Carmen ventured, "we'd like to observe this transport, if we could."
"That is most irregular," he said as they walked.
"We're new," Marisol explained, "And we're studying the Transporter. We want to see if there's a way to increase the amount of time a person can remain in the buffer without any pattern degradation."
"That is useful research," Spock said, "Come along, but stay out of the way."
"By all means, sir," Carmen said. They followed him.
They joined Crewman Kyle in the Transporter Room, and nodded at him, "Sir, there's an ion storm on the surface," Kyle said.
"Understood, yet the Captain's party still requires a transport," Spock replied.
The four patterns emerged briefly, then vanished, and then returned, and the party finished materializing. The four in the party were a bit stunned to see Spock with a goatee, and when the Captain was saluted.
Carmen and Marisol watched much of the exchange, including Crewman Kyle being punished by his agonizer, wielded by Mister Spock, for allowing the power beam to wobble, "Have you finished making your calculations?" Spock asked, after Kyle had skulked away.
"Uh, yes, sir," Carmen said, tapping on a tricorder.
"Dismissed," he said to her and Marisol.
Marisol and Carmen left the Transporter Room, where they found Kyle doubled over in pain, only a few meters from the door. On an impulse, Carmen came over to him, "Let's get you to Sick Bay," she said.
"No. No doctors," he gasped.
"No doctors?" Marisol asked.
"It's a sign of weakness," he whispered as he grimaced.
"Come with us. We'll, uh; we'll take you to your quarters," Carmen said.
"You'll want something from me," he said.
"You helped us out earlier," Marisol said. She stood next to him and he put his hand on her waist to steady himself.
"Plus you can give us more directions. That's the only payment we're looking for," Carmen said, getting on the other side of him.
"Are you sure?" he gasped. They began to walk slowly, "Why are you being kind to me?"
"You were kind to us," Marisol said quietly.
"I'm not so sure I know how to be kind," he admitted.
"You do well enough, Crewman," Carmen said.
"Uh, call me John. And you are?"
"Figments of your imagination," Carmen said.
"Nice, uh, figments."
Crewmen began to leer at them as they made their way, "Hey, Kyle, how'd you land a threesome?" one of them yelled.
YOU ARE READING
Ohio
FanfictionThis time, they had no one to blame but themselves. Time was again messed up, but no one else was at fault. Still, someone was watching, and taking notes. And they had their own dilemma to deal with - how do you decide who lives, and who dies? Who's...
