Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!in.100proofnews.com!in.100proofnews.com!feedeast.aleron.net!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!diablo.voicenet.com!yellow.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: <008001c4883c$4f574070$6700a8c0@tarzan> From: "kira-nerys" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: NEW2LIST From the Mouth of a Predator 4/5, K/S, NC17 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Lines: 696 Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2004 12:55:22 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1093179322 209.198.142.218 (Sun, 22 Aug 2004 08:55:22 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2004 08:55:22 EDT Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:82922 X-Received-Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2004 05:55:28 PDT (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) PART FOUR Halfway to the bridge, he had left the crawlspace when the lights came back on. He'd been forced to kill two more Klingons to get there, and he was now in the corridor just outside the reactor conduits. There was no way he would be able to get past those conduits by walking through the hallways. He would have to use the crawlspaces right next to them. It would be hotter than hell, and hardly healthy to move through those, but he had no choice. Making up his mind, Kirk crossed the corridor, turning to the right, choosing the crawlspace on that side. Hopefully, it would be hidden well, or he would be exposed on a very dangerous area of the ship. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage? Smiling to himself, Kirk hoisted himself up through another hatch. This one opened without problem. Looking around, he couldn't see anyone. Where were they? The lights were back on, an intruder was roaming through their ship and he could see no warriors. If he was correct, he had incapacitated half of the twenty-four crewmembers of this ship. Were the rest all baby-sitting A'sharon on the bridge? Or were they setting a trap? Of course, what else would they be doing? While moving through the crawlspace along the conduits, he realized that this was worse than he'd imagined. Parts of the walls were made from crosshatched metal, so he wouldn't be completely hidden all the way. Kirk contemplated going back and using the hallway instead. It would be more comfortable, but he would be exposed. If the Klingons came through here-the only corridor leading from the command center to the back of the ship-he would really be in trouble. Deciding not to turn back, he crawled faster, sweating from the heat coming from the conduits. He had gotten almost halfway past the antimatter conduits when the doors at the far end of the hallway opened. He froze and brought his disrupter up, aiming at the two Klingons entering the corridor. He recognized one of them as K'Ehl, A'sharon's brother. Of course, he was crawling past one of the open sections just then. "Kirk!" K'Ehl spotted him immediately. "Don't shoot. You will blow up the entire ship!" Kirk watched the Klingons standing at the end of the hallway. They were only five meters away. Kirk moved a little further in the crawlspace, without breaking eye contact with K'Ehl. The metallic antimatter conduits that ran behind Kirk were giving off a low hum. They thrummed with a steady beat, as though they were the heart of the battlecruiser. The hairs on Kirk's arms were standing on end. He hadn't been so close to antimatter in a while, and he knew that Klingons didn't take the same precautions the Federation did. The radiation from these conduits was probably ten times stronger than on the Enterprise, and suddenly he felt as though the hot metal pipes were burning his back. "What makes you think I care one way or the other?" Kirk shouted back. He heard the electrical buzz of force fields being engaged, and knew that K'Ehl was hoping to trap him inside the crawlspace. "Give up. There is no way out of there," K'Ehl said. "You really don't know me at all, do you?" Kirk replied coldly. "I don't give up. I'd rather die with your crew than allow you to capture me." Kirk realized if the Klingons fired, they would hit the machinery right behind him, and these conduits carried enough antimatter to blow the battlecruiser apart, killing all beings on board. Crawling forward, he was close enough to see K'Ehl's face clearly. The Klingon craned his neck to look up at him. "Kirk, you p'taQ. You can't shoot in here." "Sure I can. See to it that A'sharon lowers the shields, or I'll blow this ship out of space." If he fired, he'd hit the conduits on the other side of the corridor. They were all trapped. Kirk's voice was cold and betrayed nothing of his violently beating heart. He didn't want to die. He didn't want Spock to die. Not now that he'd realized the truth. He had sworn an oath to Starfleet, but he wasn't in serfdom. He had a right to choose his life partner, and he wanted Spock. Once they got off this garbage scow, he would make sure he got what he wanted. But first, he'd have A'sharon caught and punished for her crimes. "And then what will you do? My guards will be waiting for you at the end of this crawlspace." "You'll have to order them away," Kirk said coldly. "I don't care whether I die in here with your crew. Do you?" He knew it was a gamble. Klingons weren't exactly afraid of dying, but he suspected they wouldn't enjoy dying like this, shot like ducks in a row. Kirk had to admit to himself he didn't enjoy shooting defenseless men either, but he could always aim for the antimatter conduits on the other side of the hallway.. There was cold hatred in K'Ehl's eyes when he slapped his wrist communicator. "A'sharon," he barked. "What? I hope you're calling me to let me know you have apprehended the escaped prisoners." "We have Captain Kirk cornered in the crawlspace by the antimatter conduits." For long moments A'sharon didn't reply, and the silence stretched. Droplets of sweat formed on K'Ehl's forehead. Kirk waited, tense, ready to fire at any moment. He couldn't afford to make the tiniest mistake. Her angry voice reached them. "Idiots! Let him go!" Kirk smiled. The woman wasn't stupid. She assumed he would shoot. He started to move toward the end of the crawlspace, then stopped. The last few meters were constructed with the crosshatched metal, allowing him to keep an eye on K'Ehl and his men all the way. "Tell your men to step into the corridor," Kirk said. "No," K'Ehl said, his head high, meeting Kirk's gaze stubbornly. "Fine! You know as well as I do that if your men aren't in this corridor when I get out, I'm as good as dead. They'll shoot me on sight. I'd rather take your whole crew with me than die alone." "You're insane, Kirk," K'Ehl spat. "You don't stand a chance!" "Maybe, but I'll die trying." K'Ehl growled like a cornered animal. "Pe'Qoi, Darok-get in here!" he barked. Kirk watched while two large guards entered the corridor at the far end. "Come closer," he said and waved his disrupter. "Now the others." "Rochak, Ba'ik, you too!" Two more Klingons stepped into the corridor from the other end of the hallway. "This is all of them," K'Ehl said, and he bared his teeth. "And why should I trust you?" Kirk said, crawling closer to the hatch that would bring him out of the conduit. If Spock was right, there were only six more Klingons on the ship besides these. Plus A'sharon, perhaps. The problem was that A'sharon had to have sent those six men in search of him, so even if K'Ehl's men were here, he had no way of knowing that his route to the bridge was secure. What he was about to do would put Spock in serious danger, but he really didn't have a choice. So Kirk hit the communicator he carried. "Spock," he whispered. "Spock, answer me!" "Yes, Captain." Spock's voice sounded almost slurred. "I am relieved to hear your voice." "How are you holding up?" "I am.functional, Captain," Spock said. "Do you require assistance?" "Yes. I'm in the conduits between the engineering section and the command center. I need to know how many Klingons are outside. Can you reactivate the internal sensors?" "I shall try." "You'll have to hurry before A'sharon picks up our transmission." Kirk bared his teeth grimly when K'Ehl looked like he had a bright idea, reaching for his communicator. "Throw your communicators and weapons on the floor," Kirk ordered. "All of you, or I will shoot!" He glared at K'Ehl, who finally did as ordered. His men followed his example. With an eye still on his captives, Kirk waited for Spock. "Captain. I am attempting to bring the internal sensors on line, but it appears that A'sharon has broken through my blocks, which is to be expected. She now has control over the ship's computers. I will attempt to circumvent her blocks." "Are you alone?" "Indeed. I believed engineering would be filled with Klingons at this time." Kirk sighed. That was both good and bad. It meant that the rest of the crew was still in the command section of the battlecruiser unable to get to Spock. That was the good part. Kirk's head was beginning to throb. He didn't remember when he had slept last, and he longed to rub the bridge of his nose to alleviate some tension. In his hunched position, he was ready to get out of the crawlspace as soon as Spock told him it was safe. But he couldn't show weakness in front of K'Ehl. "One moment, Captain," Spock said, and Kirk's pulse sped up. The quiet exhilaration in the Vulcan's voice usually meant he had something up his sleeve. Kirk caught a movement in the corner of his eye. It was K'Ehl, trying to move closer to the door. "Don't move. Just stay where you are, K'Ehl," Kirk said. "Captain, are you in trouble?" "Nothing I can't handle, Spock. Of course, if you could seal off the corridors after I leave, that would be helpful." "I shall do my best." Kirk waited. There was no sound from Spock for a time. Kirk knew that he had to let the Vulcan work at his own pace, and usually Spock came through a lot sooner than expected, but this time it felt like an eternity. "Spock?" Kirk said. No answer. "Spock, are you there?" "Did you lose your Vulcan friend, Captain?" "A'sharon," Kirk said softly. "I'm impressed. I didn't know you had it in you. Your sister said you weren't a scientist, and yet you found our frequency. Well done." Without waiting for a response, Kirk switched to the other frequency Spock had calibrated for them. "Spock!" he barked. "Are you there?" "Yes, Captain. I have managed to get the internal sensors on line. A'sharon has two men stationed right outside your exit. The rest of her crew is still on the bridge. There are three more Klingons apart from A'sharon herself. "K'Ehl," Kirk said. "You're trying to con me. Order those men in here." The threat was wearing thin, but K'Ehl didn't seem prepared to find out if Kirk was serious. Kirk was grateful, because he really didn't want to find out either. Two minutes later, when the Klingons had entered the hallway, Kirk left. "Can you lock them in here when I leave, Spock?" "I must, or they will surely come after me." Spock said in a strained voice. The answer wasn't what Kirk had hoped for, but there was nothing he could do to help Spock at the moment. He had to get to the bridge. Just when he got out of the hallway, he spotted the crawlspace that would lead him directly to the bridge. According to the datapadd with the ship's layout, it would be the shortest and safest route, with only one or two places where he'd be exposed. Clenching his teeth determinedly, he hoisted himself into another crawlspace. He was getting tired of them. Getting closer to the bridge, Kirk had just reached one of those weak spots, when he was surprised by disrupter fire. The beam cut through the metal like a red-hot blade. It missed him by a mere inch. Kirk instinctively rolled to the side, slamming into the wall, cursing inwardly. Shooting without knowing where to aim, he tried getting away from the danger. The heat of the metal burned through his clothes, forcing him to move further into the crawlspace. He had to get out, or he was dead. Another beam shot through the metal, cutting into his thigh. He bit his tongue to stifle a groan. He crawled through the ventilation shaft, knowing that there was nowhere else to go. The shots kept coming. Kirk shot several rounds aimlessly, and suddenly, the firing stopped. Kirk crawled another few inches just to make sure. Had he managed to get away? Or had he hit someone? "Oh, great," Kirk groaned ironically. The only way for him to go was directly onto the bridge, where A'sharon was no doubt waiting for him. He was trapped. "Get out of there, Kirk," A'sharon's deep voice reached him through the thin metal of the crawlspace. His thigh was burning with intense pain, and he wondered how severe the damage was. He clutched at the wound and hissed through clenched teeth as he tried to change position. Feeling the blood running along the side of his leg, he hoped that it was a flesh wound. But his pants were soaking through pretty quickly. He had to get out of there and stop the bleeding somehow. His hands were wet, and he slipped against the metal as he crawled the few inches to the hatch. Even if the wound was small, Klingon disrupter fire held a compound that prevented blood from coagulating. If he didn't dress the wound, he'd bleed to death. "I'm coming out," he groaned. "Don't shoot." A'sharon stood beneath the hatch waiting. Her cold eyes followed him as he moved out of the hatch. Pain shot through his leg as it brushed against the edge of the hatch, causing his vision to blur. He would have liked to pause and gather his wits but he didn't. He'd hoped that he would surprise the Klingons that were still on the bridge. Instead, he was trapped, and A'sharon's lips curved in a victorious smile. Through his dizziness, Kirk surveyed the bridge. It was much smaller than on the Enterprise of course, but there was something unfamiliar there, a newly attached device. It had to be the cloaking device, or at least its generator. "I should kill you instantly," A'sharon said. "Why don't you?" Kirk replied. "Take his weapon!" One of her men reached up and tore the disrupter out of Kirk's hand. He slid carefully onto the floor, breaking the fall with his hands. Bright spots danced before his eyes, and he blinked to regain his composure. His leg trembled from the pain, and getting to his feet again took no small effort. A'sharon's black eyes blazed with hatred. "After all this, shooting you would be too easy. You have killed my men and ruined my plans. I want you to suffer!" Kirk didn't answer. She had never intended to just shoot him. If she had done so, she probably would have gotten away with everything. He straightened, groaning, deliberately making her aware of how weak he was. "You humans are so pathetic." "Yes, we are, aren't we?" Kirk groaned again as he bent over to fetch the smaller weapon he had secured from the weapons locker. He had hidden it in his boot as a safety precaution. Now, he was grateful for that foresight. As A'sharon looked at her guard and laughed, Kirk attacked. He knew he had no time to waste. Two shots hit their targets before her laughter died. Both men disintegrated before them. A'sharon screamed and her fingers clenched around her weapon, but Kirk aimed at her. Stalemate. He didn't want to kill her. He wanted her to end up in prison. He wanted her to stand trial for all the despicable things she had done, but this wasn't the time to think about revenge. He wanted to live more than he wanted her to pay for what she had done. "I could kill you now," Kirk said. "Drop the weapon and I will let you live." A'sharon's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't. I've heard all about your Federation principles. You wouldn't kill me." "No?" Kirk said, glancing toward the spots where A'sharon's warriors had been. A'sharon raised her weapon. Kirk fired. ŻŻŻ "Spock.." Kirk said into his communicator and waited, his heart beating wildly in his chest. "Spock! Answer me!" But the Vulcan didn't reply, and Kirk shivered. The Klingon ship felt like death itself. He was alone on the bridge, save for A'sharon's motionless body. She lay sprawled on the floor. Kirk had managed not to shoot her, it would have disintegrated her as well. Instead, he had aimed at her disrupter, and it had blown up in her hands. Shocked from the pain, she had been easy to overpower even for him. Kirk had hit her crudely over the head with the end of his disrupter, rendering her unconscious. He didn't like hitting women, not even this one, and it wasn't the first time he'd wished he knew how to nerve pinch someone, but try as he might, Spock had never been able to teach him how. Kirk looked around. What could he use to tie her up with? He didn't want to have to worry about her any more. His eyes fell on her leather belt, and he pulled it free, tying her hands together, making sure that the knot was tight enough not to allow her to get free. Then, with a grim smile he tore off the sleeve of his shirt and tied her ankles together. As he rose to his feet his head swam, and he knew he had to stop his bleeding. Ripping his shirt even more, he tied a strip of it around his leg as tight as he could. Dark spots danced before his eyes, but he pulled even harder. The bandage didn't help much. It was soon dark with blood, and he knew that if he were going to get Spock and himself off the ship and to safety, he would have to work fast. Kirk worked diligently, trying to shut down the shields and operate the communications station. All the while his heart was in his throat. Why hadn't Spock responded? Had K'Ehl and the other Klingons found him, or was he unconscious? Kirk forced himself not to think about it. If the Klingons had escaped, he himself was in deep trouble. The battlecruiser lay dead in space, and had done so for a while. Presumably, A'sharon had brought them out of warp when she realized he and Spock had escaped, and then he had managed to kill off more than half her crew. It would make it easier for the Enterprise to catch up if he managed to contact her. Unfortunately, the cloaking device still hid them from other ships in the vicinity. "Damn!" Kirk swore and banged his fist into the console. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Cursing wouldn't help. Finding the right frequency to contact the Enterprise took longer than expected. He slumped down in a chair, wiping his sweaty brow. Dizziness made the task difficult, but he flicked another switch stubbornly. "Kirk to Enterprise?" No reply. This damned communications gear was driving him insane. Wasn't there ever anyone at the other end? "Kirk to Enterprise. Acknowledge," he repeated, switching frequencies every other minute. Only silence greeted him. He switched and tried again. His voice sounded dry and raspy to his own ears. "Kirk to Enterprise, come in!" Static. "Captain! This is Uhura," came his communication officer's excited voice. "You're lucky I heard you on this frequency, sir." Kirk closed his eyes in relief. "I'm thrilled to hear your voice, Lieutenant," he said softly-and decided that it was an understatement. "Where are you, Captain?" "I haven't been able to determine the coordinates. I just now got the communications system working," Kirk said. "We've been looking for you and Mr. Spock for over twenty-four hours. We still can't pick you up on the sensors." "So far I haven't been able to shut down the cloaking device. I'm working on doing that now." Kirk gripped the communications console, trying to remain upright. His head was spinning and he thought he'd fall off the chair. He forced himself to continue. "Can you pinpoint me with the help of this transmission?" "We're on it, sair," Scotty's voice assured him in the background. There was a short silence and Scotty asked hesitantly, "Captain? Are ye all right?" "Yes, I'll be fine. Just track us down." "Where is Mr. Spock?" "I don't know where he is right now." Kirk noticed that his voice had an unusual edge to it. His crew knew better than to push, and for that he was grateful. He didn't turn off the audio, but simply moved away, switching on his portable communicator again. "Spock, are you there?" Static greeted him at first and his heart leaped in his throat. "Spock?" But there was still no reply. Shoving his concern for his first officer to the back of his mind, Kirk moved to try to render the cloak inoperable. "You will die, you know." Kirk started at A'sharon's voice. He'd almost forgotten she was there, and he hadn't noticed when she awakened. She had managed to push herself into sitting position, leaning against one of the consoles to his left. "We'll see about that." "The auto-destruct sequence will initiate if I fail to sign in every hour. There is a shuttle in the cargo bay. Let me go to it and I will let you live." A'sharon said, trying to get into a more comfortable position, the ties around her wrists and ankles making the task difficult. "Shut up," Kirk said, fighting the dizziness. He buried his fingers into the wound, and pain drove the fogginess away. He refused to look at her, refused to give into the anger that filled him when he saw her smug expression. The very thought of dying so close to this woman made him feel nauseated. He had to get to Spock as soon as he possibly could. He looked at the cloaking device. Even to his untrained scientific eye, it was obvious that this was it. It was newly installed, and quite different in layout from anything else on the bridge. "You'll never figure out how to shut it down," A'sharon said. "It has several layers of safety protocols. You won't be able to get through them." Kirk knew she was right. He also knew Starfleet would have preferred to get their hands on this piece of technology. But if the ship exploded it was a moot point anyway. He aimed his disrupter. "You can't do that!" A'sharon shouted, and she fruitlessly fought to get to her feet. Kirk waited patiently. "If you don't tell me how to shut this thing down in a minute, I will destroy it," he said calmly. "It's one of the greatest discoveries in centuries. It makes any ship virtually undetectable." "There is a way. We found you." "I destroyed the information on the Enterprise," A'sharon hissed. "We still know what to look for. It's not worth anything to us." Kirk knew that this was a prototype. If he destroyed it, years of work would be wasted, and there was no one left to re-create it. After all, She'zaron was dead. But then again, A'sharon's self-destruct would do the same. "I won't tell you. You'll have to kill me first." "I don't have to," Kirk said, and he fired. There was a crackling noise as the console short-circuited, it started smoking and sparks of electricity flew through the air, spreading an acrid smell. "You're crazy!" A'sharon screamed. The insanity and hatred in her eyes were bone-chilling. "I don't think so." With satisfaction, Kirk could hear the cloak shut down. He stepped over to the communications console again, feeling A'sharon's eyes follow his every move. "Enterprise?" "Yes, Captain!" Uhura replied immediately and Kirk couldn't help but smile. She'd been standing by for his orders. "Can you see us?" "Yes, sir," she replied. He could practically hear her smile. "Clear as day, Cap'n. Clear as day!" Scotty interjected. "We'll be with you in less than two hours." "Two hours? Is that the best you can do, Scotty?" Kirk said evenly. "Is there a problem, sair?" "I believe this garbage scow will blow up in less than an hour.." ŻŻŻ "You will kill all your men," Kirk said coldly. "Who's left?" A'sharon replied. "I don't care if you kill me. I will take you and that Vulcan with me." Kirk knew that if he had been in the same position she was, he'd rather die than help someone who had killed members of his crew. "You'll faint soon," she said. "All that blood dripping on the floor." Kirk swallowed and fought the dizziness, and A'sharon continued assuredly: "Then you won't be able to stop this ship from blowing up. You'll die with me." Her words made Kirk wince. If he were going to die, it wouldn't be with her. He'd have to do something to make sure they would meet up with the Enterprise on time. He'd have to figure out how to turn the ship around and get it into warp. He surveyed the bridge, recognizing some of the equipment. It shouldn't be too difficult.. Finding the helm, he drew from the memories from the Academy. The layout of the console was different, but the symbols were essentially the same. He could do this. He had to do this. Swiftly he moved his hands over the controls, feeling satisfaction as the ship's engines hummed to life, and the viewscreen told him clearly that the ship was turning around. He fed the coordinates into the computer. That was all he could do. Now, he only hoped it was enough. Duty fulfilled, Kirk swallowed and rose from the chair. He spared one glance at A'sharon. She was still leaning against the console. Satisfied that she couldn't cause him any more trouble, Kirk exited the bridge. Out in the hallways he halted, wondering how he could get to Spock as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, Kirk leaned against the door to the transporter room. He buried his hand into his wound once more and moaned. He had to stay alert, or he wouldn't get to Spock. Next time he did that he would probably pass out instead. He'd better move fast. The transporter console was almost the same as the one he'd seen in the Academy. Starfleet crew had to familiarize themselves with as much alien technology as they could. He knew how to operate the transporters, but setting the coordinates was another matter entirely. "Computer. Initiate a site-to-site transport from the transporter room to engineering," Kirk tried hopefully. His Klingonese was less than adequate, but now he was glad for the fact that he'd bothered to learn some. "Authorization required," the computer replied coldly. "Shit!" Kirk smashed his hand against the edge of the console. "Computer, what are the coordinates for the engineering section of the ship?" "234 322 32.9" the computer replied. "Add those to the transporter." "Coordinates added." Apparently there was no command authorization required for that. Kirk grinned and moved his hands over the controls, using the manual override, and moved toward the transporter pad. "Computer, activate transporter." Holding his breath, he waited for the inevitable. Would the computer require authorization for a manual override as well? "Activated." Kirk heaved a sigh of relief as he materialized. His eyes flew across engineering. It was empty. No Spock and no Klingons. His heart beat so fast that he could hear it. "Spock," he whispered, as he moved toward the hiding place. Pushing open the hatch, he could finally see the still form of his friend. "Spock," he repeated, gently shaking a lean shoulder. At first, Kirk couldn't even tell if Spock was breathing, and the compartment where he was lying was too small for Kirk to be able to check on him. "Come on, Spock," Kirk urged, his voice almost cracking. How could he ever have thought that he could live without Spock? "Don't give up on me." Gently, he grabbed the narrow shoulders, carefully pulling the limp body out of the compartment and onto the floor. It was more difficult than he had expected. He was weak, and the dizziness came and went. Spock's unconscious body was heavier than he'd expected. Placing Spock gently on his back, Kirk moved his hands over the Vulcan's side. The heartbeat was quick, but Kirk had no way of telling if it was too fast or not. Given Spock's different physiology, it was difficult to tell. "Spock," he whispered again, sliding to the floor. He pulled Spock closer, and the Vulcan's head leaned against Kirk's shoulder. He was hot as a furnace. "Can you hear me?" Spock remained unresponsive. "What's wrong? Dammit! You told me you'd be okay." Kirk cut himself off. Spock hadn't told him that. He had just assumed that Spock would pull through. After all, he always did, didn't he? Even on Vulcan, after his pon farr, Spock had gone back to being his normal, strong self almost immediately. "Come on, Spock. We're almost there," Kirk said and put his hand to the Vulcan's warm cheek. Spock's skin was damp and sweaty and he was clearly running a fever. The Vulcan's body temperature was so much higher than his own that it always seemed feverish, but this was too much. "Just hang in there long enough for Bones to take a look at you, and you'll be okay." Time passed slowly, minutes dragging, but there was nothing Kirk could do but wait for the Enterprise. When they were beamed off twenty minutes later, all Kirk could feel was a profound relief that he and Spock had been given a second chance. END part 4 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: