Stolen Moments

16. Endurance Of The Mind

"Really? You and McCoy are family?" Nyota and I were in the kitchen; I was showing her how to make chocolate cream pie from scratch.

"Yeah. It's strange, isn't it."

"I guess it depends on how you choose to look at it. He's your friend and you like him. You think it's weird?"

"I don't really know what to think." I admitted while popping the pie in the freezer. "I thought I'd be happy but the truth is I'm kinda numb." Nyota thought about it for a moment.

"Maybe you need closure," she suggested slowly.

"What do you mean?" Nyota picked at her fingernails.

"I don't want to hurt you but it seems to me, that maybe you haven't really excepted your family's no longer alive." I stared at the floor letting the truth of her words sink in even though I didn't want to. I'd had ample opportunity to look up information on my sisters and father like I had Miles. But every time I tried I just ended up sitting there with cursor blinking in the search bar. "You don't have to do it alone. You have me, McCoy, Spock, Jim; we can be there for you."

"Thanks Nyota." I gave her a hug.

🖖

A few hours later I carried the chocolate cream pie to sick bay. Leonard and I were going to talk about the revelation we'd gotten a couple days ago. Nyota's words that I wouldn't have to face this alone kept resounding in my head, giving me a little courage. When I got to sickbay he wasn't alone. He and Spock were talking in hushed tones. 

"Jasmine, hi. We're just going over some things." Leonard sputtered out.

"Spock are you joining us?"

"No, I needed to check in with the Doctor on a case we are working on."

"You're helping Leonard with medical stuff," I asked confused. Spock's jaw ticked a fraction and he made his goodbyes.

"It's probably for the best. Chocolate has a curious effect on Vulcans." Leonard said while pulling out a chair for me. "This looks good."

"Yeah it was my dad's recipe. He always made it for my birthday."

"I wonder if it's the same one my mom used." He took a bite. "Seems like it; ah that's delicious. Reminds me of home." We launched into a conversation about his family. He'd looked into the records and saw that he was descended on his mom's side from my sister Alice. Ruby's bloodline had almost died out; an old woman named Claire Avery was now the only living descendant of her line. Leonard wondered when we got back to earth if we could pay her a visit.

"That might be nice. But from what it says here she's a bit of a recluse."

"All she can do is say no," he shrugged.

"You're right." We probably would have kept talking but an overhead page summoned me and Leonard to Jim's ready room. A little confused we headed that way. Inside we were met with Jim, Spock, Nyota, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, and Captain Stark with some crew from his ship.

"Right, everyone sit down." Jim and Spock stood in front of a monitor. "Mr. Spock believes he has discovered the answer as to why our people are missing."

Jim sat down and Spock took center stage. "My team and I have concluded that beings from another dimension are to blame for the missing and destruction of the base." He went on to tell us how they'd figured it out, and that at this time, there was nothing we could do to retrieve the lost crewmembers.

"Will they return our people?" Captain Stark asked.

"I do not know. However I believe they are not done with us." Spock brought up profiles of three ensigns from our ship, one ensign and a commander of the Montana. "In the days since we have returned from camp these five have been reported missing. Two of them returned from our camp after the earthquake, and the other three were never on the ground. All failed to report to duty shifts yesterday. Our investigation failed to locate their bodies, and by testimony given from their co-workers, none exhibited any unusual behavior before they disappeared. It stands to reason they have also been taken."