The Vulcan Changeling Project

Bright Futures

"Is our plan working Mister Sulu?"

Sulu grinned. "Yes, Sir, it is."

Kirk rubbed his hands together, then punched a button on his chair. "Mister Chekov, this is going to be a tricky transfer. Are you up to it?"

"Yes, Sir," Chekov answered.

Kirk smiled. When he first met Pavel, he could catch every other word and that was about it. He remembered asking Spock for a Universal Translator to decipher the young Russian's accent. However, with work and patience he could understand Chekov even when his voice chattered away, fueled by adrenaline.

***

Talareth drummed her fingers on the armrest of her command chair. "Let me know when they are in transport range."

"Commander, someone has already locked on to them."

"What? Who is beaming them up?"

"It's the Enterprise, Commander."

Talareth whirled around in her chair. "Fire on them now." She then smiled. Very clever, Captain Kirk.

***

"Mister Chekov, has everyone been beamed aboard?" Kirk shouted.

"Yes, Sir."

"Sulu, blow that Romulan ship to hell."

Sulu grinned. "Yes, Sir."

The bridge crew watched as the Romulan Bird of Prey disintegrated into little molecules of light. Kirk sighed. He hated waste. Spock bowed his head, ignoring the burn in his stomach when the Enterprise was forced to defend itself in such an aggressive manner.

Uhura came over and laid a hand on his arm. "At least they went quickly," she whispered, so that only Spock would hear her.

Spock covered her slim brown hand with his own. "Yes, thank you, Lieutenant."

Kirk watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. Maybe Bones is right. Maybe there is something between Spock and Uhura. Hmm, fascinating.

"Jim, are you quite through up there? I've got a woman in labor, here." McCoy growled over the speaker.

Kirk leaned back and smiled. "Well, it looks as if we are going to have a small edition to the crew very soon."

***

Muriah leaned back following McCoy's instructions, while Tiberius spoke words of encouragement in her mind. I love you dearest. You're almost there. Stay with me.

McCoy looked up at Muriah's blood pressure readings in alarm. "Nurse Chapel, get me some Trinadol. We've got to get her pressure down."

Tiberius' face paled when he looked over at McCoy. "Doctor, will the drug hurt the baby?"

The tension of the situation reached a boiling point with McCoy and he snapped. "I'm a Doctor and a damn good one."

Tiberius bowed his head. "Yes, of course, you have my apology."

McCoy's expression softened. "Everything's going to be okay."

Tiberius nodded, then stepped back.

"We are going to have to take the baby C-section. Nurse Chapel help me get an operating module set up."

Muriah looked at McCoy with a wild expression, her eyes filled with pain. "McCoy, please I want to have my baby natural."

McCoy smoothed her hair back from her damp forehead. "If we don't do this the baby will be in danger. Now lean back, shut your eyes and when you open them there will be a precious baby by your side."