Chapter Text
The Quiet of the Night
McCoy lay awake in his quarters. The events of this long day still fresh in his mind, his thoughts were with Scotty, Brown and Monet, or rather, with their molecules that had been spread all over the galaxy. He shuddered and told himself, what seemed to be the hundredth time, to stop envisaging how the chief engineer and his two assistants had met their fate. Otherwise he would never be able to take his place on the transporter platform ever again. God, how he hated that blasted machine.
Bones turned from one side of his bed to the other, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't sleep much tonight. He put his right arm under his head and glared into the darkness of his quarters. Here he was, contemplating his stupid fear of the damn transporter when three of their men had just been declared dead. Bones angrily shook his head. Why in God's name couldn't he grieve for the lost men? Two young, excellent engineering assistants and the most amazing technical miracle worker he had ever had the pleasure to work with. And had the honour to call a friend.
A sad smile crept on the CMO’s face as he recalled the countless times he and Scotty had shared a glass of scotch or brandy in the evening (preferably of Terran or, on special occasions, Saurian origin). They would often muse about the fact how much their different jobs had in common - the Scotsman fixed the ship while the Southerner fixed its crew. Bones felt his eyes dampen and he angrily wiped away any tears before they could be shed.
He frowned - why could he not accept that Scotty was gone? Was it the shock of the loss of a dear friend; was it his natural attitude as a physician to never accept a death unless you saw the dead body before you, felt the cold skin, closed the expressionless eyes of the empty shell that used to be a sentient being, with no other choice left but to accept the truth; was it his extreme stubbornness which only rivalled the pig-headedness of the two most senior officers on board; or was he not able to grieve because of something else, maybe a hunch, an intuition?
Somehow Bones felt that Scotty and his men weren't dead. He groaned as he imagined Spock's reaction to such a hunch - granted, he would just get another lecture on how his mind apparently was working in illogical ways. But McCoy never mistrusted his intuition. It usually was right.
But how could it be right this time?
He turned back onto his left side into a more comfortable position. If night time wouldn't provide him with some rest, at least it was giving him the time to hopefully bring a little peace to his troubled mind. He certainly had a whole lotta more thinking to do before the morning.
The doctor’s thoughts now focused on the young Russian. Chekov's promising career was at stake. Apparently, he had made a costly mistake under pressure by transferring the wrong coordinates to the transporter. But was this really the case; was the young man really to blame for the disappearance of the landing party? After all, they still hadn’t been able to gather any conclusive information about the strange energy field. Maybe it had somehow interfered with the beaming process? Bones sighed. But what did he know? He was a doctor, not an astro-physicist.
They hadn't had any more opportunities to analyse the unknown energy again which had caused substantial damage to the ship. While they had conducted their emergency meeting, the energy field suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had appeared a few hours before. The source and the exact form of the energy was still unknown because during the attacks, Spock and the science department had been able to gather only very little data from their scans.
Frustrated, Bones shook his head as he realised yet again how much a starship crew was relying on technical data. If even Spock wasn’t able to formulate a substantial theory as to what had happened, why should the Enterprise's insomniac CMO be able to do so by basing his suspicions on a hunch?
The captain's mind however worked in yet another way all together.
Even with hardly any knowledge about the origins and nature of that unknown energy, Jim had voiced his suspicion to Bones and Spock that it could have been a controlled and coordinated attack by an intelligent enemy and that the transportation process had been interrupted on purpose. While Spock didn't discard such possibilities, he didn't support them either as he didn't want to 'take a guess' on the basis of insufficient data. As no communications had been established with an alien attacker, and there wasn't any other evidence to support Jim's suspicions, Bones felt that they were merely grounded on his friend's relentless desire to protect his ship. It was much easier for Jim to defend the Enterprise against an enemy he could put a name to - but facing an unknown power like that strange energy field was deeply unsettling for the captain.
The ship maintained a wide orbit around Adelous 4 and would remain there at least another day until the engines and transporter were fully repaired. They were still ordered to search for the Cassiopeia and its crew, however Starfleet had acknowledged the Enterprise's momentary predicament that was putting the rescue mission on hold.
Regardless if the energy field would be confirmed to be of alien origin or not, McCoy mused that the more he thought about it, the more he suspected that it had interfered with the beaming process somehow and that Chekov would be freed from any blame. But so far they hadn’t been able to gather enough data to confirm this to be the case one way or another. If only they had received a positive signal from the probe… Would they ever be able to establish what happened during those frantic minutes on the bridge? What had become of Scotty and his men?
In any case, there was one thing he was dead certain of. He was convinced that if the young Russian wouldn't have found himself in a highly demanding situation on his first day of duty, in a situation that presented him with pressure he could not cope with due to the lack of experience, things would be better for all of them now. If Kirk and Spock had only listened to his concerns regarding the boy! Bones knew that Jim had had his doubts about throwing Chekov into the deep end. But the captain had been too easily convinced by Spock's ruthless attitude that they couldn't afford to allow the ensign time to get used to his new surroundings. How on earth could that green-blooded hobgoblin expect a computer-like efficiency from all crewmembers, regardless of their age, rank or experience?
Angry, McCoy pushed his blanket away and sat up in his bed. This was it - one thought about Spock’s ignorance and any hope of getting some sleep was out the window! He turned around to his bedside-table where he usually kept his 'medicine' that helped him during nights like this. But his hand only grabbed into thin air.
Bones sighed as he realised that he had left the bottle of Saurian brandy in the conference room - definitely not a sensible place to leave it, as the next group of officers that would hold their meeting there could be tempted to help themselves to a little liquid inspiration. And by God, they could all do with some inspiration right now.
He got up with a long yawn, changed into his blue top and black trousers and headed out into the corridor. It would only take a few minutes to get hold of that bottle and get back to bed for one more attempt to either fall asleep or at least drift into some light slumber before the morning shift.
McCoy jumped and nearly screamed. In one of the corners of the dimly lit conference room something had just moved.
He had aimed for the table with the brandy bottle straight away, without looking around the room. Naturally, he had not expected anyone there at this ungodly hour.
"Doctor, why are you still awake?"
A deep and calm voice emanated from the dark corner.
Spock turned away from the computer screen to face McCoy, his raised eyebrows indicating he was just as surprised as the CMO to encounter anyone else at that time of night.
"I got an excuse for being awake - I left my sleeping medicine!", McCoy grabbed the bottle with a suspicious look directed at the Vulcan, "What's yours?"
Spock's eyebrows rose again.
"I don't need an excuse to withhold sleep, Doctor. Vulcans need 74% less rest than humans."
McCoy glared at Spock. Still angry from his recent musings about the first officer's ruthlessness towards Chekov, he was in no mood for a dose of his wisdom right now.
"Spare me your lectures on Vulcan superiority at this hour, will ya? I just wanted to know what ya doin' in front of the computer at 3 AM in the goddamn morning?"
A small sigh escaped Spock's lips.
"I'm using this quiet time to go over Lieutenant Uhura's calculations regarding the probe's communication radius and the geographical trigometer scans again."
To answer McCoy's questioning look Spock continued quickly, "I have of course substantial justification to do so."
McCoy froze at this but before he could ask Spock to elaborate the FO continued.
"However, I must admit, I'm puzzled by the apparent powers of your multifunctional 'medicine', Doctor. If memory serves correctly, you used it earlier on to 'bring everyone back to life'. And now you're planning to use it to get yourself to sleep. But then, why should your medical remedies be any less contradictory than your character?"
With this, Spock turned back to the computer screen. The Vulcan obviously had a reason to be in a good mood and that could only mean he had made some discovery regarding what had happened to the landing party.
McCoy was so relived at this that he even forgot to be insulted. Curiosity had a calming effect and his anger had to take a back seat, at least for now. The CMO pulled the cork from the bottle, which resulted in a loud 'pop' noise, and poured himself a drink. With a glass in hand, taking small gulps, McCoy stepped behind Spock. His eyes fixed on the screen, the doctor nodded towards the computer.
"Mind sharing your late-night discoveries with a contradictory country doctor, Mr Spock?"
The Vulcan turned towards McCoy whose serious face didn't reflect the mocking tone in his voice. Contradictory indeed, but Spock knew the doctor well enough not to disregard his request. The CMO was very concerned about what had happened to the missing men and his interest was genuine.
"Lieutenant Uhura's calculations are exact and complete regarding the probe's possible destinations in this galaxy."
McCoy took a quick breath. He had immediately picked up on the crucial word in Spock's statement.
"This galaxy, Spock? You mean it could have been transported to another?"
Spock nodded slowly. His hesitation however indicated McCoy that the Vulcan wasn't entirely convinced yet.
"There is a slight possibility that this could have been the case, Doctor."
Baffled, McCoy stared at him.
"How, Spock?"
The FO folded his hands, his eyes never leaving the computer screen. When he replied after a few moments of hesitation, McCoy had the impression that there was a hint of frustration in his voice, if that was possible for a Vulcan.
"Doctor - the energy that has damaged the ship is of an unknown kind and according to the library computers, has never been detected before. Hence, our great difficulty to analyse the readings as we have no point of reference. I also require additional scans of the energy field to supplement the limited data we were able to gather during the attacks. But as you know, regrettably, the field disappeared while we conducted our emergency meeting earlier. Therefore, my theory to explain recent events is incomplete."
Again, McCoy picked up on the crucial word in Spock's elaboration. He might be just an ol' contradictory country doctor, but when it came to decipher the Vulcan's speech, McCoy was gradually becoming an expert.
"Incomplete, Spock? That means you got at least some idea as to what happened!"
When Spock didn't give any indication to reply and simply continued with focusing his gaze at the screen, McCoy crossed his arms angrily. He knew the first officer didn't like to speculate and only drew conclusions when he was 100% sure about something. But Spock couldn't expect him to shut up and stop asking questions after having planted some outrageous ideas in his mind.
"Do I have to get down on my knees and beg you, or are you going to tell me what's going on in that Vulcan head of yours voluntarily?", McCoy growled.
Spock frowned but decided not to test the doctor's patience any longer, as he seemed to get more irritable the later the evening, or the emptier the bottle of Saurian brandy. A small sigh escaped his lips as he turned to face this most irrational of humans.
"As I have just explained, Doctor, I haven't been able to formulate the fundamental construction of this energy yet. However, through my detailed analyses of the three-dimensional trigonometry scan readings that were taken during the attack, I can confirm the energy field's exact geographical position at the time of the collisions with the ship."
McCoy nodded eagerly, encouraging Spock to continue with his report.
"Consequently, I have been able to conclude that the energy field not only forced the Enterprise out of the vicinity of Adelous 4, it actually obstructed the space between the ship and the planet."
"Meaning what?", McCoy asked impatiently.
Spock sighed again. For a man who was preoccupied with the transporter, the doctor knew very little about the machine's functionality.
"As the transporter beam always takes the direct and shortest way to carry molecules from A to B, Doctor, it must have travelled through the energy field in order to reach the surface of Adelous 4 to the spot my calculations had intended.”
McCoy nodded slowly as he pondered the implications of Spock's findings. They sounded plausible. And it could mean good news, at least where the young navigator was concerned.
"This means Chekov probably didn't make a mistake after all when he transmitted the coordinates to the transporter. The energy field messed them up."
"This is the most plausible explanation at the moment, Doctor. However, we can only be sure beyond the reason of a doubt when the transporter computer's memory banks have been fully restored and the actual coordinates the ensign transmitted can be confirmed, and not just replicated by the repeat functionality we used to transport the probe."
"I see."
McCoy pressed his lips. He was relieved to hear that there was some hope that Chekov wasn't to blame after all. But what did all of this mean? Spock's findings were quite something.
McCoy took another sip of brandy and leaned against the table as he contemplated that strange energy field. After a few quiet moments during which the Vulcan focused his attention back on the computer screen, the doctor voiced his thoughts.
"We might not know what this energy is, Spock, but maybe we know what it wants", McCoy mused quietly.
Spock raised his eyebrows.
"Wants, Doctor?"
"You said, it prevented the Enterprise to enter the space between us and the planet. It seems like the energy field protected this area of space from us penetrating it. Maybe Jim was right after all that there was some unknown intelligence involved."
Spock nodded slowly as he pondered McCoy's interpretation.
"So far, the data only confirms that we were seemingly obstructed from entering that area of space. But your and the captain's interpretation is built on the assumption that the energy field appeared at that precise moment in the time-space continuum for a purpose. Such purpose would indeed indicate some form of intelligence. However, we have no concrete proof of this at this moment."
McCoy sighed and slumped into the chair next to the Vulcan.
"Of course I'm only guessin', Spock. Maybe it was just a goddamn coincidence that this energy appeared when we passed through that space!"
Bones took another sip from his glass as his thoughts started to drift off.
"Who am I to always understand why something happens out here?", McCoy asked no one in particular as he directed his glare towards the empty table in the middle of the conference room.
Even though Spock was focused on the computer, the shadow that suddenly clouded the doctor's face didn't escape him.
Every time Bones lost a patient he asked himself that same old question - why? Was death just a random occurrence he couldn't control or did it have a purpose, a higher meaning? And what if he was able to actually save someone? Was that just a coincidence as well, albeit a lucky one, or was there a deeper meaning behind it? If he only knew the answers to those questions. But would they make life any easier?
Spock seemed to sense the doctor's desperate thoughts somehow because he finally took his eyes from the computer screen and turned towards his colleague.
"To explain 'why something happens', Doctor, is my responsibility as chief science officer. Don't burden yourself with questions even I can't find answers to at the moment", Spock said without the usual tone of arrogance in his voice. Instead, his characteristic aloofness had been replaced by... empathy? Could it be?
Don't turn all human on me all of a sudden, McCoy thought to himself. That pointy-eared hobgoblin, always good for a surprise. Bones smiled and gently shook his head as the dark thoughts from a moment ago were pushed to the back of his mind. If he wouldn't have been so desperate to make sense of Spock's report, he wouldn't have let the Vulcan get away with such an unashamed display of his human half. But this was not the time for their usual battle of insults.
McCoy leaned forward to search Spock's face for further clues to help him make sense of what he had told him so far. The Vulcan’s face was as rigid as usual but Bones believed he could see frustration in his eyes.
"Spock...let me try to sum up what you told me, all right? Are you sayin' because we don't really know the exact nature of that energy field, we also can't know for sure what happened to Scotty and his men when they were transported through it? That they might not be dead after all...?"
Spock nodded slowly, his voice controlled but gentle.
"Indeed. Their deaths can't be confirmed and their fate is again unknown to us."
McCoy stared at the floor. This uncertainty was gradually becoming unbearable. But Spock wasn't finished yet with his conclusion.
"However, the Hoffmann 7 probe has also been transported through the energy field."
"You mean, there is a chance that it could still reply?"
McCoy felt a ray of hope warm his heart; hope for Scotty, Brown and Monet but also for Chekov.
"I'm currently checking our sensors which are focused on the particular area in space where the energy has last occurred. To give a precise answer to any of your questions, I first need to understand the exact conditions of the field.”
McCoy refrained from further questions because he felt that Spock had to focus on his task and he didn't want to distract him. He would have to remain patient.
The doctor put his drink down, suddenly wide-awake and his recent desire to get some sleep, forgotten.
A few quiet minutes passed during which no word was spoken. Finally, McCoy could no longer hold back the question that had been nagging him since Spock had started his latest scan.
“Spock...the energy field has disappeared hours ago. Why are you still observing the empty space out there?”
Spock didn't look up from the computer, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"It's not 'empty', Doctor. For 1.29 hours I have been detecting very similar energy fluctuation readings to those we received 1.30 hours before the impact with the field. At the time, I attributed them to a recent meteor impact on Adelous 4's moon..."
The Vulcan's eyes suddenly seemed to flash with recognition as some readings changed dramatically on his computer screen.
"...I was mistaken."
Spock's hands moved into hurried action as his fingers flew over his keyboard. His usually upright posture stiffened even more, signalling McCoy that something significant was happening. He leaned forward to get a better view of the computer screen.
"What's going on, Spock?"
"Doctor, as I have predicted, the energy field has just reappeared at precisely the same geographical coordinates as before. I request you give me time to conduct my sensor scans. We finally have the opportunity to analyse the energy field sufficiently."
McCoy quickly wiped over his tired eyes. His body felt incredibly exhausted, but his mind was wide-awake. The astro-physical readings and data on Spock's computer made little sense to his physician eyes, but he was able to interpret at least some of the large amount of data the Vulcan was processing. McCoy didn't dare to interrupt Spock's analyses even though curiosity was killing him. Judging from the readings, he realised it was a good thing the Enterprise was maintaining a safe distance from the energy field that had reappeared between the ship and Adelous 4. Another collision with the field could proof to be fatal. But as it didn't move and remained fixed to exactly the same spot where it had appeared before, there was no immediate danger they could collide with it again.
The minutes went by as McCoy watched the Vulcan with growing concern. Spock's dark eyes got even darker, a frown appearing on his forehead. Bones knew the FO well enough to understand that he was deeply troubled. He couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Goddamnit Spock, talk to me!”
Spock took a deep breath. He didn't seem to be sure what to make of his findings but McCoy disregarded his hesitation. He put his hand on Spock's arm, forcing the Vulcan to react to him.
"What is out there?"
His frown deepening, Spock finally turned around to face McCoy. The doctor could not remember to have ever seen the first officer look so obviously baffled and concerned. To a neutral observer Spock would have appeared as calm and composed as usual, but Bones had known him long enough to read the Vulcan's subtle signs of worry: the slightly tilted head, the quieter pitch of the deep voice, the negligence to hide obvious concern from his eyes.
"Doctor, the measurements of the energy field indicate a breakdown of all physical laws known to us. This leaves only two possible explanations as to the nature of what we are confronted with. The energy field is not a Black Hole because we are not attracted by it. This leaves only one option..."
Uncharacteristic hesitation was another sign that the Vulcan was deeply concerned.
"A wormhole, Spock?", McCoy whispered, his eyes flickering with shock and disbelief.
As his dark, dead-serious eyes were conveying more than a thousand words, Spock had to nod just once.
McCoy grabbed his drink and downed it in one massive gulp.