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— iece of crap. [ There's grumbling as the viewscreen jostles, bright blue (bloodshot) eyes squinting into it curiously. The would-be handsome face glances away a moment later, eyebrows pulled together; he's sick or was prior to arriving, more worn out from the exertion of walking than any young man ought to be. ] Alright, good. You'll do for the time being.

This is Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise ordering any and all Federation crewmen to report back with the location of the nearest Starfleet outpost. I'm off-world when I shouldn't be. This "computer" — [ you can practically see the airquotes around his sour tone ] — isn't responding as it should or giving me the information I need. I'm getting nothing but interference when I try and open a standard sub-space channel, the frequency's all off ... damn, this thing's gonna fry if I keep messing with it.

[ Opening his mouth to continue, a hurk noise clogs his throat and hastily, the video clatters to the ground as Jim reels around to vomit into the fountain. Classy. ]

[ Of course, where a sick Jim is, a wild, angry Bones appears. ]

Goddammit, Jim! [ He's there all of a sudden, a hand on jim's shoulder holding him for support and a - somewhat crazy expression on his face. ] Jesus Christ, why are you out of the medbay if you're sick?! Don't move or I'll hypo your ass!

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Captain Kirk! Dr. McCoy! You are at the fountain?

Chekov! Thank God, we heard you were floating around. Yeah, we're here, come rescue our asses and fill us in on what the hell's going on.

Yes, sir. I can be there in four, maybe three minutes.

Captain, if I may ask--when are you from?

Mr. Spock came down to engineering to see me after the warp core re-stabilized on the Enterprise.

[ He says it evenly, keeping the description as separate from the experience as he can. Instead of going into it, he broadens the spectrum for the others. ]

Bones is from a year ahead of me and Uhura can't remember anything after Nibiru. How about you?

Why was the warp core--?

[Oh. They're all from different points in time? That is, to borrow one of Mr. Spock's favorite phrases, fascinating.]

Before I came here sixteen months ago, we were all on Earth and waiting for the Enterprise to be refitted. You had only just been made captain after the Nero incident.

I see. Let's wait to split hairs over our divergent timelines, shall we? Four minutes, Mr. Chekov.

[ Oh, he's going to need something for his head. ]

Yes, sir.

[brb, running around the City (which is not as much fun as dashing around the halls of the Enterprise).]

[ Come on, you little speedy Russian, hop to it! Jim's still seated on the fountain whenever Pavel arrives, slumped over his knees; he straightens when he sees him coming, though. He's exhausted, up and about when by all rights he should be laid out on a medical trolley, but he offers a small genuine smile all the same. ]

[What a coincidence! Uhura arrives at that time as well!]

Well, there we are.

[ - a beat, and then, to Uhura: ] That suit brings back unwanted memories, for sure.

[Kirk, you're a sight for sore eyes... even if you look like death warmed over. McCoy and Uhura, too.]

Captain, Doctor, Uhura! Hello!

It's good to see you too. The only thing of any use I've gotten out of the locals is that we're stuck in a temporal anomaly. Anything to add to that?

[ Take it from here, whizkid, he has a strong hunch you've got a ton to get off your chest. ]

A temporal anomaly, yes, true, but the City--that is what it is called--is far more complicated than that.

[ARE YOU READY FOR SOME EXPOSITION? Good? Good, because everyone knows that the captain requires a thorough explanation.]

From what I have gathered, this universe's spacetime is both wholly severed from that of other universes and connected to them in a way that I cannot begin to understand. It is temporally isolated; what time passes here does not pass at home, and so we all return to our native universes at the same moment we left. Some call this a pocket dimension but that is, I think, inexact, as a pocket universe would be a subdivision of one universe and not an intersection of multiple places and times as the City is. As you have found, even those of us from the same world can be pulled from different points in our timeline.

The nature of this universe is uncertain, and I would guess it is artificial; not all natural laws apply all the time and the stars do not move in regular patterns, so we are clearly not orbiting a star--not in a traditional sense. There is a curvature to the horizon, as well, and barriers prevent anyone in the City from exploring this planet more completely. I thought, at first, there were only holograms beyond the barriers, but I have heard that creatures sometimes enter the City from outside. This has not happened while I have been here--not that I know of. The City was controlled by beings who called themselves the deities, and they were able to put curses on the population and give us things, if we had something to trade. I think they are a technologically advanced race, maybe one that is studying humanoids? But they were removed from power by anonymous forces very recently and I have not yet learned anything about them.

The City appears to be patterned after twenty-first century Earth. This universe's technology is ancient and so there is only so much that I can learn utilizing what is here. It lacks the raw materials to recreate phasers and replicators. I have had some success improving available technology, but I have not yet been clever enough to create anything significant.

Magic is real here, as are gods and many things that are considered myth in our world. I know that this is hard to believe, sir, and I was unconvinced until I lived with a wizard. There is a clock underground that may be important, and there are rumors that the City is sentient, but none of that has been verified. The dead also do not stay dead. Whether that is because of the clock or magic or this universe's structure, I cannot say. It is true, though, and I can verify this.

The other important thing--we do not remember anything about this world when we return home, and, if we come back here after leaving, we may or may not have the memories from our previous visits. Lieutenant Uhura was here for several months before she left; Captain, Doctor, you have both been here. Not remembering is common enough, and so there is no need to worry, but that is why some people may speak to you as if they know you.

There is no way to escape, no known way. And that is most of what I know.

[Was that good enough? What if he forgot something? It's so strange to slip back into official Starfleet mode, especially without, like, a uniform or a PADD for notes. Hopefully the captain and the doctor will be lenient where his behavior and lack of a uniform are concerned.]

[ he's just going to

look at jim.

dude????? he's what now - seventeen, eighteen????????? jim. ]

[She's really glad she left that explanation to Chekov, because just listening to him makes her headache three times worse, and it's all stuff she already knows.

She quietly addresses McCoy.]

Doctor, do you have your medical tricorder on you?

[Orders are orders, after all. And she's not the type of person to avoid getting medical help for pride's sake.]

[ Bones, stop looking at him like that, Chekov is probably the smartest button on the ship and yes he knows he's a baby. Listening raptly, the play of his emotions flickers between disbelief, exasperation and annoyance, none of which are directed at Pavel (who should be decorated on the spot, in Jim's opinion). Letting Bones help Uhura, Jim addresses his ensign. ]

Thank you for that ... colorful rundown, Mr. Chekov, I was going half-mad when no one could answer me properly after we arrived. I'd like to talk to whoever's in charge but I think we've all had enough of a shock for one day. [ A hand passes over his eyes. ] Twenty-first century Earth, great.

[ That almost fucks them over more than anything else, the wizards, not-zombie revivals and giant birdcage counted. ]

Alright, we're not staying here but for as long as we're trapped I want everyone to find out as much as they can. We'll rest up for the time being, then I'll head out and see if I can't talk to the forces holding us prisoner. Until I do that, consider this entire damn escapade to be in violation of Starfleet's terms. I don't care how quaint this backwards world looks, it's negating our rights and might be a matter of First Contact botched to hell. I don't want any of you responsible for that, let it be on my shoulders. If we can't fight our way out, it's a diplomatic matter. [ Pausing. ] Once we're adequately armed, then we go in guns blazing if there's a need for it, not before.

[ A hand claps Chekov on the shoulder. ]

Is there somewhere we can get Bones set up with decent medical back-up? Apart from your brain, he's our most important asset right now and we're lucky to have him.

[The captain's assessment of the situation and proposed plan of action are almost laughable (almost because Jim is the captain and one of the most intelligent people Pavel knows). The deities didn't engage in diplomacy, and there's no reason to suspect that the new leaders will be any more cooperative; there is no fighting their way out of this when negotiations fail. They're trapped. Pretending otherwise is an exercise in futility.

But the captain believes his own words, and if anyone can find a way out of an anomalous dimension, it's Jim Kirk.

Plus, the captain thinks that Chekov's brain is a valuable asset. He doesn't quite preen, but it's a near thing.]

There is a hospital, Captain, and Dr. McCoy was employed there previously. [to McCoy:] Sir, unless they have discarded it, there is a computer there that responds to voice commands. The technology is still very dated, but I have reprogrammed it to make it usable.

[ whatever Bones thinks of the situation, he doesn't say it this time. perhaps later, he'll speak to Kirk, tell him of the number of impossible things that can go wrong starting from the very top, but for now, that's not whatever any of them need. they're tired as hell, and jim is sick. jim literally said that he feels like he's just woken up. given their points in the timeline, if that's really the case, then bones will have to keep a closer eye on him.

in the meantime, he nods to Chekov. ]

If we can convince one of the doctors to let me in a second time, then that'd be great. Equipment's equipment. Thank you, Mr. Chekov. I do have a medical tricorder with me, but that thing is going haywire. Mind if you take a look at it for me? [ to uhura: ] I'll do your examination in the hospital. Provided that twenty-first equipment isn't going to be a pain the ass, it'll be over pretty quickly. You don't looked harmed, but I obviously gotta make sure of that.

And you [ he looks at jim very pointedly ] are coming with us. I'll check over your stats right after I'm done checking hers. I don't care if you want to wrestle with the big guys tomorrow. You just vomited into a fountain so you're going to let me do my job. If I find that you're not fit to work just yet, you're not fit to work.

Edited 2013-07-04 04:32 (UTC)

[ If he was going to argue (I'm fine, Bones, really!) the time certainly isn't now. Jim pauses before giving in with a nod, feeling rough enough to actually see the sense in having his own doctor look him over; it sort of feels like his guts scraped along the back of his throat, which they pretty much did. ]

Alright. I'd like for us to figure out a way to get our comms back online at some point, we should have a secure mode of communication that isn't those network-based antiques.

[A medical tricorder. Real, legitimate, not-stone-age technology! No, McCoy, Chekov wouldn't mind taking a look at it. In fact, he would be absolutely delighted. Whether or not he can do anything with it is another matter entirely...

Chekov studiously avoids participating in the conversation as soon as the captain's health is brought up. It doesn't seem right to be present when Kirk is unwell; it's like seeing how magic tricks are performed.

But comms? Comms he can do. Not as well as Scotty, but they don't have Mr. Scott with them.]

I can try to repair the communicators. Establishing a secure channel will be simple, if Lieutenant Uhura would help me.

[Uhura nods, slipping easily into officer mode, focusing on what needs to be done.]

One of the locals told me there are free apartments going behind a carousel or something. We'll head there after hitting up the hospital. Stay in contact. Chekov, if you could get started on fixing our comms in the meantime, that'd be great.

[ Thus, a plan. ]

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