Chapter Text
Kirk was running, smoke filling his lungs and making his eyes water. Every muscle in his body protested against the strain, but time was of the essence if they wanted to make it out of this alive.
SELF-DESTRUCT IN NINE MINUTES, the computer announced in an infuriatingly clam voice.
Next to him, Spock was jogging along, apparently unaffected by the heat and smoke surrounding them. The two of them had stayed behind as everyone else had made their way to the escape pods as per Kirk’s orders, to key in the self-destruct sequence.
As they turned the corner to the nearest escape pod bay, the Enterprise was hit by another volley of phaser fire and the ship lurched under their feet throwing them off balance. As Kirk clambered back to his feet, he suddenly heard Spock shout a warning and was pushed unceremoniously out of the way of a falling bulkhead, narrowly escaping being crushed under its weight.
“Thanks, Spock,” he panted, his heart hammering in his chest. The Vulcan was already on his feet, offering Kirk a hand up.
“Shit, you’re bleeding,” Kirk remarked, looking at Spock’s outstretched arm. His uniform sleeve was torn to shreds and long nasty gashes down the side of his right arm were oozing green blood, an injury sustained from pieces of twisted metal sticking out from the fallen bulkhead.
“Superficial, captain,” Spock reassured him. “We should continue, otherwise we will have far more serious concerns than a few cuts and bruises.”
Kirk nodded. They turned towards the bay, walking along empty docking station after empty docking station. At the very end of the bay, there was a single one-man escape pod still docked to the ship. They looked at each other.
“Jim, you must take the pod and go,” Spock said without hesitation, but Kirk shook his head.
“No way, Spock. I’m not leaving you here. Yougo. After all, a captain is supposed to go down with his ship, right?” he smiled sadly.
Spock raised an eyebrow. “I do not believe invoking an idiom from 20thcentury Earth maritime tradition has any logical applicability in the current situation, captain. You still have a responsibility towards the surviving crew now on the planet.”
“And I have a responsibility towards you, too, Spock,” Kirk shot back. “Fine. We go together or not at all. Let’s look for another pod in the next bay.
SELF-DESTRUCT IN SIX MINUTES, the computer supplied.
“Hurry, Spock!”
As they turned around to make their way down the dim corridor to the next bay, the Enterprise was hit once again, leaving them sprawled on the floor for the second time in a matter of minutes, debris raining down upon them. When Kirk sat up, trying to get his bearings, he saw that another bulkhead had crumbled, cutting off their way to the next escape pod bay.
“Fantastic,” he mumbled. “Now what?”
Spock tilted his head to the side. “We go back to the pod,” he stated.
“Spock, I already told you...”
“…together or not at all,” Spock interrupted him. “I am aware.”
***
McCoy was fumbling with the controls of his escape pod, cursing under his breath. He knew he was late to evacuate. He had stayed in the OR, trying to save the life of Lieutenant Summers who had been in Engineering when they were hit full force, causing shrapnel to pierce her lungs and liver. She hadn’t made it. McCoy had done everything he could but she had died on his table not 5 minutes ago.
He had been planning on taking her to the escape pods with him once she was out of immediate danger. The pods for evacuation from sickbay were designed to hold two individuals plus medical equipment. When she had died despite his best efforts, he had even briefly contemplated bringing her body to the pod, just so she could have a proper burial. But when the ship’s computer announced that there were now nine minutes to self-destruct he had abandoned the idea. Too many would find their last resting place in the cold void of space today. He didn’t like it, but he also did not want to be one of them.
The escape pod shuddered. What is wrong with this damn thing, McCoy wondered when finally, the third time he had pressed the launch sequence, the pod shot out of its bay and towards the planet below.
***
It was a tight fit. Kirk and Spock were squeezed into an escape pod designed to hold only one person.
“Has this been tested for double occupancy?” Kirk asked as Spock started the ejection sequence.
“Unknown, captain,” the Vulcan replied as the pod lifted off. They shot away from the Enterprise with 4 minutes to spare until the ship would blow up.
Kirk looked down, melancholy and apprehension fighting for the upper hand in his chest. His gaze fell on the enemy ship, hovering nearby, still shooting at the Enterprise, apparently oblivious to the fact that her entire crew had left the ship by now. The other pods all ought to have landed on the planet already, he mused, directing his gaze towards their destination.
Not all pods, apparently, he realized. There was one pod drifting down just ahead of them. It was slightly larger than theirs and marked as a medical evacuation pod. It seemed to be veering off course though, moving erratically. At its current angle, Kirk realized, it would burn up in the atmosphere.
“Spock, look at that,” he pointed the pod out to his First Officer.
“Curious,” Spock commented. “The pod’s trajectory and speed are pre-programmed, this should not be happening. Whoever is inside will have to adjust the course manually.”
Kirk pressed their pod’s comm button. “Kirk to medical evac pod. You’re veering off course. Adjust your trajectory, please acknowledge.”
“Jim!” came a surprised voice over the comm link. McCoy’s voice. Kirk and Spock looked at each other, alarmed.
“Bones! What were you still doing on the ship?” Kirk asked, then, realizing they could discuss this later, added: “Never mind. Just correct your course before you enter the atmosphere!”
McCoy harrumphed. “I’m a doctor, not a pilot. Which one of these crazy button do I press?”
Spock raised an eyebrow. “Doctor McCoy, I will talk you through the manoeuvre. There is a lever to the very right of the control panel. Please ease it up slowly.”
“Spock! You’re there too?” McCoy was trying to move the lever. “Damn thing is stuck,” he grumbled. “I’ve been having problems with this pod from the very start.”
“Doctor,” Spock tone was urgent. “Are you able to cross-circuit the main switch and program the course using code?”
“Very damn funny, Spock. I’m a doctor, not a computer technician.”
“Bones…” Kirk intervened. “You will enter the atmosphere in three minutes. Spock, can’t you talk him through the override thing?”
Spock looked at Kirk apologetically. “I am sorry, doctor. While I could accomplish the override in approximately 1.4 minutes, I believe the time it will take to explain it to you will overstretch the available time window.”
“In other words, hobgoblin, you’re saying it was nice knowing me. Well, gentlemen, it was good to hear your voices one last time.”
“Spock,” Kirk urged anxiously. “Is there nothing we can do?”
Spock thought for a moment. “Perhaps there is, Jim.”
The Vulcan’s hands began to fly over the pod’s console at record speed.
“Hang on, Bones,” Kirk said excitedly. “Spock is doing something!”
“Well, he better do *something* quickly, or I will – whooooa!” McCoy suddenly felt the tingle of a transporter beam and Kirk simultaneously saw Spock disappear beside him. Seconds later, McCoy materialized in his place.
“What in the name of…? Spock! What did you do? Spock?” McCoy asked frantically.
“Calm yourself, doctor,” Spock’s voice sounded over the comm link. “I remotely connected to the Enterprise’s transporters and used simultaneous beaming to enable us to switch places. I will now attempt to address this pod’s malfunction.”
“Couldn’t you just have beamed me over here without putting yourself in that death trap?” McCoy ranted agitatedly. “That’s not what I meant when I said ‘do something’.”
“As you have probably become aware by now, doctor, the captain’s pod is not designed to hold more than one person, not to mention more than two. Now, if you would allow me to concentrate on the task at hand, please.”
“It is damn tight in here”, McCoy mumbled. “Jim, did you know what he was up to?”
Kirk only shrugged helplessly.
At that moment, Kirk and McCoy were jolted forward and pressed against the control panel of the pod, the whole thing buckling and shivering violently.
The shock wave from the Enterprise exploding, Kirk realized. He briefly closed his eyes.
“She’s gone,” he whispered.
“Jim!” McCoy interrupted Kirk’s thoughts. “Spock’s pod!”
Kirk looked down to see the pod speeding towards the planet erratically, apparently riding the shock wave.
“Spock!” Kirk punched the comm button. “Spock, can you hear me?”
“Perfectly, captain,” Spock’s voice was strained but strong. “I incorporated the approaching shock wave into my calculations and used it to tip the pod into the correct angle for entering the atmosphere.”
McCoy breathed a sigh of relief.
“However,” Spock continued, “the pod’s malfunction appears to be more serious than I anticipated. Without a further external stimulus such as the wave, I am not sure I will be able to control…” –
The sound of a small explosion and flying sparks came over the speakers.
“Spock?” McCoy asked frantically. “Spock, can you hear us?”
There was no reply.
Kirk pressed his lips together. “It sounded like the control panel short-circuiting,” he remarked nervously.
They watched the pod descend further in front of them as the planet’s landscape came into view. They were above a mountain range with large jagged cliffs dropping away beneath them. Suddenly, they felt a lurch and their descent slowed.
“Our parachute’s unfolded,” Kirk said, panic clear in his voice, “but Spock’s still hasn’t even though he’s already closer to the ground than we were.”
McCoy swallowed hard. He bent forward to look for Spock’s pod even though he wasn’t sure he was ready to see what would happen to it. All he could see, however, was the pod disappearing behind a cliff, the parachute still nowhere to be seen.
***
Spock could see the ground coming closer and closer. If the parachute did not open in the next 11.2 seconds, his chances of survival were 4.7 %. However, even if the parachute did open, the chances improved only to 22.8%. In case of survival, there was a probability of serious injury of 98.4%. He decided the logical thing to do would be to strap himself firmly into his seat’s harness. This done, he decided the comforting thing to do would be to close his eyes. And so he welcomed darkness before it welcomed him.