Into Darkness and Beyond (Star Trek: Into Darkness Fanfiction - sequel to AKFAS)

Chapter 4

On the bridge Kez was freaking out. And it was not good.

She hurled the communications device from her hand and yelled, "Someone get me through to either Spock or Kirk!"

"We're trying Lieut- I mean Keptin. We're trying Keptin." Chekov said from his panel at communications.

The whole bridge was in disorder, people filling seats that had been vacated by those currently off ship, meaning somehow Kez had found herself in the captain's chair and Chekov found himself in communications.

Kez began to pace and as Chekov watched her, her skin flickered, like she was a hologram slowly losing its connection. Chekov didn't know whether it was just a nervous reaction or whether she was trying port but couldn't due to the pressing weight of water above her. She was wearing her navy-blue starfleet dress which skimmed above her knees, the medical insignia at her breast, identifying her as not only a medical officer but also the newly assigned Chief of Nursing. And being acting Captain was far from the promotion she wanted right now.

Actually, the feeling of her body flickering in and out of porting calmed Kez down immensely and she tapped her boots against the floor rhythmically as another way of distraction.

Chekov turned in his chair and suddenly sighed in relief when he spotted Kirk stepping out of the elevator, perused by McCoy and Scotty.

"Keptin on the bridge!" He cried happily causing Kez to turn on her heels, the flickering stopping.

"Ohmygod, thank goodness!" She said handing over all the borrowed equipment, "Take the bloody ship, I don't want it anymore." She passed the comm back to Kirk who smiled before hugging her, quickly kissed her cheek.

"You did fine, stop panicking." He assured her gently and she smiled before her face fell again.

"Spock, he-," Kirk cut her off by sitting down in the chair, taking control of the ship.

Kez went and stood by Uhura.

"Lieutenant Uhura, I want full communications with Mr Spock. Do we have all open channels?"

Kez looked down at her panicking friend, "The heats distorting the connection but I have a limited one. I'll push it."

Kez slipped into the chair beside her and helped to fix down buttons and type in codes offering Uhura some much-needed help but also support in her sudden fractured state of mind.

Kirk couldn't deny hearing the underlying emotion in Uhura's voice and he shot Kez a worried glance.

Kez couldn't really do anything so just ignored him and continued with her work, not knowing what to say at this time.

"Spock? Report!"

Programming the last bit of equipment on the Rankine Nullifier, Spock stood up and stepped away from the case.

Lava and heat raged around him uncontrollably and despite the Vulcan's balance, the jerky movement of the loose rock below him made him stumble deathly off balance.

"I have activated the device, Captain. Just awaiting the countdown. Then the geothermal reaction should render the volcano inert."

On the bridge, Kez listened to the broadcast and glanced at Uhura who was biting her lip nervously.

"We need to get him out," Kez said getting to her feet.

"Before the volcano renders him inert!" Bones said unhelpfully.

"Can we use the transporter to pull him out yet?" Kirk asked, mind racing. He was against the clock here.

Sulu turned in his seat, "Negative, Captain. No more than we could use them from the start. There're so much toxic gas and fumes in the volcano that the transitions risk being thrown off by several millimetres which could be fatal to anyone travelling via the beam. The situation has not changed."

Kirk groaned in frustration, "There has to be a way around it. Something we can do to make it function effectively. We need Spock on this ship! If there's no perfect way to do it, then give me the next best way."

Kez stood for a moment then leaned over Chekov who was deep in thought.

"What about a direct line of sight?" She asked, looking up, "If we got as close as possible and got right above him, maybe the interference wouldn't be so strong." She was thinking back to her weapon-engineering days, sorting out the past knowledge of physics from the new knowledge of biology.

Everyone listened to her then looked to Chekov who said, "There's no guarantee it would work, Keptin, but that sounds like an option."

Scotty waved his hands, " 'O no! Nononono, the beam would be too fractured, no way can ye do that. Plus, you're askin' me to hold position over an active volcano on the verge of mega eruption? Sir, this ship is designed to hold a position in space or in orbit, not over natural disasters!"

Kirk's face was a blank canvas,  listening to all the ideas his crew were throwing at him.

Kez suddenly realised something; "Wait! If we're in the air and if you have us a good distance and relatively direct line of sight, I could just port down, grab him and port back up. It wouldn't be a clean job but he'd be back aboard."

Scotty looked alarmed, " 'Ave ya ever been in a volcano lassie? Are ye mad!?"

Kez ignored him and looked at Kirk who had fixed his eyes on her as if assessing her statement. Emotions played around his face and Kez began to wonder if he'd agree or not. It wasn't an easy decision that Kirk was faced with; losing just his friend or potentially losing both his friend and his girlfriend. Finally, he nodded.

Then the comm buzzed, "That is unacceptable, Miss Stibbons. We would never be able to conceal the Enterprise from the native planet. It is far too big. If utilized in a rescue effort it would invariably be revealed to the indigenous species."

"Screw the Prime Directive," Kez mumbled as Bones raised an eyebrow at her.

"There must be an exception Spock? I'm not letting you die!" Kirk shouted.

"There is none, Captain. Not in this instance. Revealing superior technology represented by the Enterprise directly violates the Prime Directive."

"But your life!" Kez yelled out of place but only thinking of her best friend who was monitoring the connections, looking close to crying.

"The rule cannot be broken under any circumssss . . ." The connection went dead.

"Ninety seconds till detonation, sir!" Chekov said suddenly as Uhura scrabbled around trying to fix the connection.

Kirk breathed through gritted teeth, "If I was down there and Spock were here, what would he do?"

No one wanted to answer that, Kez knew her answer but she would be speaking for herself and not for Spock.

Finally, it was Bones who said, "He'd let you die."

"Then I'd port in any way." Kez said defiantly before grabbing a spare comm by Uhura, "He's not dying, Captain, not today anyway. We can kill him when we get him back aboard."

Kirk looked at her then snapped into action, "Stibbons get in an Exosuit, Sulu raise the front screens, thrusters on full."