The Sarah Spencer: Prologue

A Chapter by Darkeyes777

The Enterprise sets about her first mission

“Captain’s log, Stardate 2258.109. The Enterprise is nearly two weeks out from Spacedock. Our first mission; to escort three cargo freighters to Veridian III. The ships are loaded with construction and medical supplies destined for the new Vulcan colony in that system.

The Enterprise has performed incredibly after her two months in drydock, and I can only credit Mr. Scott with the state of the ship, and the outstanding work he and his engineering team put in after the beating she took escaping from the black hole that consumed Nero…”

Jim Kirk swung around in his chair, letting the bustle of activity on the bridge of the Enterprise flow around him. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Finally, after nearly two months stuck in Spacedock while the warp core was replaced, the spaceframe was strengthened, and replacement crew came aboard, his ship was underway.

His ship. He liked the sound of that.

Swinging back toward the main window, Kirk addressed the young man at the navigation console. “Estimated time to arrival at Veridian III colony, Mr. Chekov?”

“Five standard days at present course and speed, Keptin,” his navigator beamed.

Kirk nodded and glanced back at his first officer. “Mr. Spock. Sensor report if you please.”

The Vulcan seated at the science console didn’t bat an eye at the oddly formal phrasing the Captain had taken to using during quiet moments on the bridge. To his left, the dark-skinned communications officer rolled her eyes and went back to scanning the subspace frequencies. Since the christening two weeks ago, Kirk had been unusually jolly in his command style.

“Now approaching the Iota Virginis star system, Captain. A Class G Star orbited by six planets, two of which are gas giants. First surveyed in 2220 by the USS Aurora. Fairly unremarkable, except for a an asteroid field with an unusually high concentration of water ice among the orbiting bodies.”

Jim worked to suppress a chuckle. “Thank you, Mr. Spock. You’re very…thorough.”

An eyebrow shot up in response. “Thorough reports on sensor finding is logically expected from a science officer.”

Before Jim could respond, the auxiliary sensor officer, a petite blonde woman, piped up, “Sir, the warp velocity of the S.S. Sarah Spence is decreasing. She’s falling behind.”

Kirk’s brow furrowed and suddenly he was all business, the playfulness of the moment gone as he turned to the helm.

“Mr. Sulu, decrease our warp velocity to match the Sarah Spencer.”

“Aye sir. Dropping to warp 2.4.”

Kirk turned once again toward the rear of the bridge, this time addressing his communications officer. “Lieutenant Uhura, instruct the other two freighters to match our velocity and hail the Sarah Spencer. Ask them why they’ve dropped out of formation.”

“Aye sir. Hailing frequencies open.”

A sudden insistent beeping sounded from Spock’s console. Examining his instruments, Spock’s voice grew just a little tighter. Which, for a Vulcan, was practically an alarmed scream.

“Captain. There is a radiological alarm on the Sarah Spencer.”

- - - - - - - - - -

Lieutenant Commander Scott was something of a genius when it came to engineering and transporter theory. Lieutenant John Kyle had been at his side when he beamed Kirk, Pike, and Spock back from the Romulan ship. Three people from two locations onto one pad. Bloody brilliant feat that had been. He’d also been there when Scott had unveiled his equation for transwarp beaming after the Enterprise had made her return to Earth. The mathematics had almost been like looking at poetry.

So the junior lieutenant tried not to take it too personally that the chief engineer spent so much time in the transporter room, checking on the ship’s transporter officer and constantly tinkering with the machine. There was no doubt that the transporter was up a few percentiles in performance, even if it tended to run a little hot now and then. No, the problem was that Kyle had the nagging feeling that Scotty considered the transporter room his, and viewed Kyle as a guest instead of a valued junior officer.

He was there now, sitting in the operator’s chair Kyle had vacated, idly chatting while punching up diagnostics on the screen while Kyle took a place at the assistant’s station.

“Oh aye. So I says to Keenser, ‘Dinnae yer mother ever pull ye down when ye started that climbin’ as a child?’ An’ he don’t say anythin', as usual. But what can ye expect, eh?"

Kyle studiously studied his instruments. "Right you are, Commander."

Scotty slapped a hand down on the console, swiveling in his seat with a teasing grin. "Ach. But what would a Brit know, right son?"

"I'm Australian, sir."

The senior engineer cocked his head, his expression bemused. "Really? Ye don' say. A fellow rebel." He turned back to his diagnostic, muttering to himself, "Fancy that. I'd never've guessed..."

Kyle was in the middle of turning to Scotty to reply when klaxons blared overhead and the Captain's voice came on the ship's speakers.

"Yellow Alert. General Quarters. All hands to action stations. Ship in distress."

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