This choice: Continue reading "Double Double" • Go Back...Chapter #27Double Double (2) by: Seuzz   Chapter 2
"JIM!"
James T. Kirk, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, whirled at the sound of his name, but could only stare blankly at the grinning figure who had called to him across the concourse. Well, Kirk thought as the other approached, this is going to be awkward if I can't remember his name.
Quickly he scanned the other's face and dress for clues. His tunic marked him as a member of Starfleet—but that didn't distinguish him here on a Deep Space station. His insignia assigned him to outpost duty—which again was a common enough sight on a station such as this. He searched out the man's features, which were familiar, straining to place them.
But he had to give up. Surrendering to the inevitable, Kirk put on his friendliest smile and prepared to grit it out.
And maybe the other was as unsure of Kirk as Kirk was of him."It is Jim Kirk, isn't it?" he said when he had joined the captain. His smile had faltered a little, though his eyes were still bright and warm.
"It is indeed, Commander," Kirk replied.
"Brody Maddox," the other said, putting out his hand. "You probably don't remember me."
The memory finally clicked for Kirk.
"No, of course I remember you," he exclaimed, taking the other's hand in a warm handshake. "It was on Vulcan— Gosh, I don't want to think about how long ago it was."
"I didn't think I made that much of an impression on you."
"It did take me a moment to place you."
For a moment the two men held each other's gazes with a smile. Am I required to make small talk now, Kirk wondered, or can I tell him my starship needs me?
"I have a few minutes before my transport departs," Maddox said. "Can I get you a drink while I wait?"
"I have to get back to my own ship," Kirk replied, then reflected that a social drink wouldn't be too great a burden. "But I could stand a little something first." He indicated that his companion lead the way.
"So, I couldn't help noticing your captain's stripes," Maddox said after the two had settled at a small table in a bar crowded with travelers of various species. "That wouldn't happen to be your starship out there, would it?"
"It just would be," Kirk admitted.
"Constitution class," Maddox observed. "I can't say I'm surprised. Everyone at the conference had you marked out as someone on the way up."
"Everyone?" Kirk asked with elevated eyebrows. "It was a big conference."
"Well, everyone at the ambassador's reception. Which ship is that out there?" he asked as Kirk put on a pained smile. "I didn't catch the registration number when I was looking it over earlier."
"The Enterprise. We're preparing to make a survey of Gamma Trianguli, and the systems near it. But what about you?" Kirk was feeling the strain of having to maintain a proper degree of modesty under the pressure of the man's flattery. "Are you assigned to Deep Space One?"
Maddox lifted his glass in a toast.
"Last nine months, doing data analysis. But I'm finally heading out to do some field work again."
"Really? You were working in Archaeological Medicine, weren't you? At least, that's what the conference on Vulcan—"
"Yep. I'm heading to Gamma Hydra IV now. There was some very interesting happenings out there recently."
"Yes, very interesting," Kirk brusquely replied. Then he mentally kicked himself for letting the thought slip out, and he tried to dodge Maddox's puzzled glance.
Then the archaeologist gasped.
"The Enterprise," he said in a hushed voice. "That was you!"
Kirk shrugged.
"Oh! Honestly, Jim— Captain," Maddox corrected himself. "I didn't put two and two together until just now. My God."
"Surely you were briefed," Kirk said. "If you're going to there—"
"I was, but—" Maddox glanced around the bar with a pinched expression. "The names were redacted."
Kirk stared, and Maddox returned his stare with an even and pleasant stare of his own. For some reason that made the man's transparent lie even worse.
"Well, I do have to get back to my ship," Kirk said. He knocked back the rest of his drink, and stood.
"And I have to get to the Wesley," Maddox said, getting to his feet as well. "As we're going the same direction, mind if I walk with you?"
"Not at all," Kirk said, figuring that if Maddox could lie, then he could too.
"And now that I've had a chance to do a few more sums," Maddox said, "didn't I hear that Christine Chapel is assigned to your ship?"
"I don't know what you've heard, but it's true."
"A mutual friend told me. A real loss to the field. Archaeological Medicine, I mean. Unless her duties on the Enterprise encompass—"
"She's our chief nurse."
"Oh. I wish I had time to see her. Listen." Maddox gripped Kirk's arm, and stopped him in mid-stride. "If I could just beam over to the Enterprise with you for a few minutes—" His expression was eager, pleading.
"Certainly," Kirk replied after a fractional hesitation. "Although you might find that Christine has changed a bit since you last saw her." She's a lot more mature, Kirk thought, than the girl you drunkenly chased around the ambassador's residence all those years ago on Vulcan.
At least he was able to shake Maddox off once they were aboard the Enterprise by getting a yeoman to guide him to sickbay. Kirk himself returned to his quarters. He stopped on rounding a corner when he almost bumped into Spock, who looked as startled as a Vulcan could.
"Captain," he said. "I thought you weren't due to return for another six-point-four hours."
"I had my reasons for returning early," the unhappy Kirk replied. "And it turns out I brought them with me."
Inside his cabin, he turned when he didn't hear the familiar swish of the closing door, and saw Spock standing in the doorway.
"If you will excuse my inquisitiveness," the first officer said, "I sense that something untoward happened aboard the station, and I am naturally curious."
"Nothing to be concerned about, Mr. Spock. I just ran into someone I'd rather not have run into." Kirk fell into the chair at his desk. "But you can tell me one thing. Do you know, or know of any reason, that a report on Gamma Hydra IV, and what happened there, would have our names redacted?"
Spock cocked an eyebrow, and the door slid shut as he stepped fully into the room. "It might help me to answer if I knew the import of the question."
Kirk briefly told him of Brody Maddox, and of his conversation with the archaeologist.
"No," Spock said after a moment's reflection. "I cannot speculate on why such details would have been removed from the official report. Unless it was to intended to protect the afflicted crew members' privacy."
Kirk mulled this. That was a possibility. Someone in Starfleet might have felt that the rapid-aging effects of the radiation sickness were sufficiently embarrassing that they had decided to spare the victims from possible gossip.
"And yet," Spock continued, interrupting Kirk's thought, "if I may continue to indulge myself, I have the impression that Commander Maddox made himself in some way ... obnoxious ... even before the subject of Gamma Hydra IV came up."
Kirk sighed.
"I don't want to speak ill of the man," he said, "but I'll admit that I don't have fond memories of him. I doubt Christine will, either."
"Nurse Chapel?"
"Yes. Our guest attempted to purse a ... romantic ... interest in Christine while we were all at a conference on Vulcan some years ago."
"If I may say, sir," Spock dryly replied, "if you are employing the word 'romantic' as a euphemism for 'sexual', you are making more work for yourself than necessary. It arouses no prurient interest in me, and creates an ambiguity in your description of the situation."
"Alright, yes, it was sexual," Kirk replied after giving his first officer a somewhat beady-eyed look.
"And his attempt was unsuccessful, I take it?"
"Very much so. For a start, he was making an obvious pest of himself. Also, she was engaged at the time."
"To Doctor Korby."
Before Kirk could reply, the alert on his door shrilled. "Come," he said.
The door slid open, and Maddox stepped in. He caught himself, though, on seeing Spock. "Excuse me," he stammered. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"My inquiry was of no importance," Spock said smoothly to the captain. "If you will excuse me, I will return to my duties."
Kirk cast a baleful glare at his back as his first officer departed.
Maddox now entered. He wore a plump but slightly sweaty smile.
"I stopped in to thank you for letting me come aboard to see Christine. You're right. She has ... changed."
"I'm sorry," Kirk said.
"Don't be, it was only an excuse to get myself aboard. The fact is, captain, that I misled you back in the bar, and I wanted to explain myself."
Kirk was in no mood to deal with this popinjay, but he smiled patiently.
But his eyebrows rose when Maddox asked if he could lock the door.
* * * * *
To continue investigating the room: "Disposing of Lucy"    indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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