Hailing Frequencies

[allmhadadh]

Or: How to make poor Captain Kirk (the new, that is) go batshit from stress.

After some time -- still he didn't know how long -- Lieutenant Uhura reported back to the bridge in her coveralls.  She looked tired and disheveled (didn't they all?) but there was a gleam in her eyes and he knew right away what it meant.

"All done, then?" Scott asked, relieved to have something to distract him from the tracks of his own troubled thoughts.

"Yes, sir, we are," she replied, repressing a smile. "You know, your division likes me quite a bit.  I might just apply for your job."

"That mean I'll have yers?  Aye, that'd go down well."  He grinned back. "Startin' four or five intragalactic wars because I accidentally insulted someone's mum, nevermind the mess I'd make just with the standard-speakin' civilizations."

"Mm.  You may have a point."  She sat down in her seat, turning towards the panel. "Ready at the order."

The grin faded and Scotty took a breath, nodded to himself and composing the message in his mind.  "Go ahead an' launch the probes."




It took about ten minutes (relatively) for the sensor probes, now acting as something more akin to subspace relays, to align themselves along the temporal band.  But even though they had no proof that the message would be received, there was only about fifty percent signal degredation between the first of the string of ten and the last.  A lot, but still better than he expected it to be, given what they were facing.

"On your mark, sir," Uhura said, as the entire bridge crew sat still and waited tensely.

"Go ahead," Scotty said, then squared up automatically in front of the Captain's chair, even though visual was out of the question.

He took one more breath, then tossed out the message he sure as Hell hoped would be received:

"This is Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, in temporary command of the USS Enterprise, hailin' the Enterprise we're currently tied to through the temporal anomaly with a message for Captain Kirk.  Our Enterprise is currently runnin' near sensor blind, and repairs cannot be completed without an estimated two months in dry dock at the nearest starbase with facilities.  We have discovered a way to break the temporal band tyin' these ships together and will do so within the next forty-eight hours if this message is not received.  The situation with Doctor McCoy is of a potentially life-threatenin' nature, and we are seekin' orders on how to handle that.  Transporters here are non-operational and will be until repairs are conducted.  Any transport'll have to come from that side, and risks are extremely high.  We'll stand by long as we can awaitin' orders.  Scott out."

And now all they could do was sit back, and pray for the reply.

Comments

[just-uhura.livejournal.com]

After her discussion with Leonard, she couldn't bring herself to return to her quarters. So dismissing the Ensign on communications, Uhura settled down and began to check the frequencies for something, anything to distract her puzzled mind.

There was so much she had missed just by attempting to perform in the same, efficient manner she did every day. Something with the Prime Universe versions of Spock, Kirk and McCoy she didn't didn't quite understand. Really, it was best not the think about the technicalaties of having a temporal link to another universe's version of your ship. If thought on too much, your mind would explode. At least that was her theory and the reasoning seemed sound.

Then of course her Spock, Kirk and McCoy - as well as George - just had to get into yet another dangerous away mission. The repercussions of that were only now settling in. Not to mention the other Pike on the bridge and god knows how many personal spats between Sulu, Chekov and that double running around.

Oh, and a female Pavel. Couldn't forget that one.

So when something broke through the regular silence she was hearing in her earpiece, Uhura could have kissed the console for some relief to her thoughts. She pressed her hand against her ear with a slight frown as she listened, quickly replaying the message when it was done.

Oh, the Captain was going to love this. Quickly she ordered the computer to locate him before beginning on the reply.

"Lieutenant Commander Scott," she began, recording the message to send back to them on the same frequency. "This is Lieutenant Uhura. I am currently attempting to contact the Captain, so stay right where you are." There wasn't much else she could say, even though she felt a slight colleague-like affection for the man she knew yet didn't. With that she sent the message and attempted on communicating with the Captain, sending out a ship-wide comm for him to report to the nearest comms station or the bridge.

(OOC: By the way, I don't think it can be said enough that your Scotty is amazing!)