Mirrors and Reflections - [The Brig: Closed]

[allmhadadh]

Or: The Brig is the Happening Place to Be!

Whatever was happening to this ship, whoever she was, wasn't good. It sounded like a battle; all around him, he could practically hear the energy shift through her as power was redirected from one place to another, and the shudders of shots taken.

It was a strange place to be trapped, on a ship with no name, surrounded by humans wearing unknown uniforms, in the middle of a battle.

How the bloody Hell did he get here from San Francisco?


Scotty didn't move from his spot, despite the chaos. Whatever had happened that found him waking up in some strange medical facility and required him to be under guard implied one of two things: Either he was under arrest for some crime he didn't commit and this was some sort of civilian vessel, or he was captured by an enemy that he had hitherto not known about. In none of those scenarios did he plan on sticking around to get all of the fine details.

He was a little more calm now than he had been when he'd known for certain he was being pursued; then, he had been so frantic that he fumbled quite a bit when he was pulling these... touch-screen panels off of the access doorways to hot-wire them. If not for the fact that his mind could trace those connections and piece together what was what even in that state -- sometimes especially in that state -- he would have probably been caught.

But he was a swift study; after the first few, he got good enough to spend only about thirty seconds on each one, and replaced the panel like new again once the door was opened. Not out of any sense of duty. Just because he knew better than to leave a trail that could be followed.

Now some calmer, though his head was still hurting and he had realized he was half-starved, he tried to work out some sort of battle plan. If this was a ship, given her size, she was bound to have shuttles. If he could figure out where the shuttle bay was, he might be able to use all of this chaos to his own advantage.

Unfortunately for Scotty, he never quite got the chance.

Between the headache and the fact that he was actually a bit more calm and therefore not running on pure instinct, he didn't hear the approach. A shadow fell across the narrow edge of light between the bulkhead and the sensor probe he'd hidden behind.

He looked up and went from mostly calm, to entirely afraid, to mostly feral just that fast, scrambling backwards with narrowed eyes and tensing for the run, or the fight.

And ran smack into the guard who'd been waiting on the other side.

--

Jessep rethought, pretty quickly, his assessment that the kid wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Mostly because by the time that they literally threw him in a cell in the brig, not a single one of the three guards had escaped unscathed.

Between the three of them, there were two black eyes, one split lip, one cracked tooth, many bruises and a number of sore or pulled muscles.

Jessep had almost forgotten how pissed he was when the kid had looked up, hiding in a space too small for the guards to get into, wide-eyed and obviously startled and scared. For that instant, the guard thought that this was just some frightened, baby-faced kid, barely an adult, who was in over his head. Just give him a good talking to, and take him back to sickbay.

And an instant later, that sort of sweet, scared look vanished into something considerably more dangerous and the fight was on. And it didn't stop. And size sure didn't come into play. It took all three of them to half-carry, half-wrestle the kid to the brig, and not once in that entire time did the kid quit fighting.

For their part, they handled themselves admirably and didn't give him any tune-ups along the way. Even if he was a crazy little bastard, they weren't thugs. But by the time they chucked him into the cell, every one of them hoped that they would never have to deal with him again.

"Send a message to Mister Scott that we have his... charge down here," Jessep said. "Don't interrupt him, just send a message." Then, casting one last look at the brig cell, he muttered to a man who couldn't hear, with a small smirk, "Have fun, Chief."

Comments

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim and Spock arrived in the brig, flanking Lt. Moreau. There was no intent to hurt her, of course, but things were far too uncertain to allow her free reign on the Enterprise. Knowing where she was from, that was probably true in the best of times. Jim had no evidence that she'd been anything more than a lover and accomplice to his Terran Empire counterpart, but even that was dangerous.

Jim's eye was caught momentarily by a familiar figure in another cell. And yet there was something... when he took a better look, he almost thought he'd been mistaken. But no. Montgomery Scott... young and almost feral.

Jim was beginning to wonder if everyone on this ship needed to be locked up.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

The movement of someone into the main room that made up the brig pulled him to a halt in his restless, anxious pacing; he froze for a moment, eyeing the new arrivals warily. He met the man's look for only a second or two, then looked at the Vulcan -- no recognition in his eyes -- then the woman.

Well, he's only eighteen; both eyebrows go up and he blinks a few times. And then, turning a little red, he tries to pretend he wasn't looking at her legs -- you can practically see him decide that yes, she's very beautiful, and at the same time realize, yes, she is way out of his league. And no, he is not very smooth at all.

Then, strangely a little less tense (and still stealing the occasional curious glance that way -- oh, teenagers!), he goes back to pacing.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

No, he was not smooth, but Jim would probably have caught the boy's interest in Marlena regardless. Marlena's loveliness was, after all, evident to anyone with eyes.

Did Jim know about this?

Regardless, it would have to wait for a moment.

[lt-moreau.livejournal.com]

Marlena strides purposefully toward an empty cell. She stops there, glancing over her shoulder at the security officer on duty. She's not about to ask him to let her in to her own jail cell; she assumes Kirk will do that for her.

She glances at the occupants of the other cells. They are both familiar faces. She thinks she would have heard if her ship's Chief Engineer had gone missing, so this man must be from their universe. "Why've you got Scotty locked up?" she asks, curious.

She doesn't let her gaze linger on the other man longer than the moment it takes to identify him. She's never met him before, but his face is infamous, and she's heard stories of what he's capable of...that is, what the Captain Pike of her universe had been capable of. She doesn't know if his counterpart is of a similar disposition, but given that the captain's got this man locked up, Marlena isn't about to take any chances.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

Well, you can bet hearing his name gets his attention. He stops and stares at the women, shocked and confused, eyebrows drawn up in a worried expression distinctly recognizable from his older incarnation.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"That's more complicated than I can currently state, Marlena," Jim said, ushering her towards her cell. "Wait."

Jim had not previously encountered the other Pike on this ship, but he knows him instantly. It would be bad, very bad, for Marlena and he to get cozy.

"Further down," he said. Out of earshot--he'd leave instructions with the guards not to let the two Terran officers communicate. "It's just for now, Lieutenant Moreau. Until we figure out why you're here." And can send you back, he thought.

The young Scotty's brief bout with something Jim couldn't see hovered near the edge of his awareness--he'd deal with him when Marlena was squared away but he wondered if it had anything to do with why the boy was here in the first place. And how.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

Quite successfully shaken, Scott still manages to pull himself together enough that the only residual traces left are shaking hands, which he promptly clasps behind his back (another gestural echo), and a look in his eyes that suggests he's scrambling hard in his mind to figure out what had just happened to him.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

Spock follows of course but pauses at the pain slams him like a blow to the head. He grabs it, reaches out for more, an instinctive bid to spare Jim at this tense moment. Moreau has been accommodating but it would not be wise to present her with a weak moment and Jim is the one who holds her attention.

The pain is catching is sensitive Vulcan fingers in a slamming door. It is the sudden wrench of a rockslide. It is the ghost of what he will experience if his bondmates die. Spock clenches his jaw, grits his teeth, outwardly stoic. Jim has given no indication that he was affected and the throbbing passes with an almost audible pop of pressure equalizing in Spock's ears.

He realize he has been holding his breath, inhales and makes up the step he lost as Kirk and Moreau moved deeper into the brig.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

The echo of Spock's pain resonated through him along with the dim tail of the pain Spock had spared him, but Jim paused for only an instant. Ostensibly, it was to examine the cell. It would not do to show weakness.

Something had happened, but he needed to focus, now. He wasn't even sure if he'd felt anything or just Spock, through the bond. Was it always so difficult to tell? Was this a liability, or an asset?

He wanted to turn to Spock, offer him comfort or at least a query as to his well-being, but there was Marlena watching. Jim tried to send reassurance through the bond, not sure if he had the hang of this, yet.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

Spock opened the cell furthest from the other occupants of the brig. Any interaction between Moreau and the Christopher Pike the younger officers were currently calling Pher would be inadvisable.

He could feel Kirk's thoughts on him and took a deep breath through his nose. Bearing the brunt of the unexplained pain would be worth nothing if Jim were distracted anyway.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

After spending yet more time pacing, more on-edge and feeling... almost desperately lost after that violent pain hit his head, now trapped well beyond the energy field of this cell, he finally retreats to the farthest corner and sits down and buries his head in his arms.

He can't fathom why he feels like this. He can't even think of it in words, only through senses, and right now it feels like having something cut open.

It never once occurs to him to ask someone for help, for sympathy; he doesn't even show any to himself. Just exists, in whatever singular moment is now. He never so much as whispers a complaint.

He's still ready to bolt or fight and listening for any approach. His hearing's above average, and he uses it about as much as he does sight to process things.

But he blocks out the lights, hiding his head, as though that would somehow fix it; firmly closes out sight of the world and reminds himself to breathe.

[lt-moreau.livejournal.com]

She steps into the cell and waits until the forcefield is reactivated before quietly saying, "Jim." She gives him a moment to fully focus on her, and reminds him, "I saved your life."

It's a last-ditch attempt to retain her freedom; she knows it's clumsy and desperate, but it is the last card she has to play.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

His attention partially divided--Spock had shielded him from the brunt of the attack, but he still noticed Spock's discomfort--Jim failed to notice anything about Marlena's behavior that might have clued him in as to her perceptions. But when she spoke, his focus returned in full.

"I know," he said. "And I'm not unaware of the favor I owe you. This isn't how it's going to be repaid, however. Not now, anyway. You'll be as comfortable as possible. It won't be for long. I'm not interested in seeing you rot away here."

He smiled at her, not his full-on charm but something quieter and compassionate.

"I promise. No harm will come to you, so long as you cooperate."

[lt-moreau.livejournal.com]

She laughs humorlessly at that. "I'll continue to cooperate. Why would I not? I'm thrown in the brig when I cooperate, I can't imagine that anything else will bring more favorable results." Nothing else that she is capable of at this point, that is. Besides, pointing a phaser at him hadn't worked either.

She leans closer to the forcefield between them, lowering her voice. "Jim. Please..." She pauses, offering a sad smile. "Please ask the captain to go easy on Spock. He meant well."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim looked at her with slight disbelief.

"You know very well we have no choice, under the circumstances. The captain isn't me, but neither is he your version of Jim Kirk. You, and Commander Spock, will both be treated fairly."

Frankly, Jim couldn't imagine was Spock had been thinking. Knowing where she was from... What could Lt. Moreau have done to sway him? To sway a Vulcan?

"I'll... come and see you soon, Marlena."

With that, he smiled and turned away to attend to the new Scott.

[lt-moreau.livejournal.com]

"I thought you were a merciful man, Jim." It's a muttered half-accusation directed at his back, not meant to be heard clearly. She turns away, curling her lip in disgust.

Marlena gives the cell a quick once-over. It's fairly well-designed, as far as she can tell, but then she's not an engineer. Perhaps once the officers leave, she'll conduct a more thorough investigation.

She sits on the narrow bunk and allows herself to slouch back against the wall. She stares up at the bare ceiling and says to no one in particular, "I want my sash back, damn it."

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

(OOC - Should have linked here (http://allmhadadh.livejournal.com/7983.html) - popping the temporal link has some nasty side effects, apparently.)

[lt-moreau.livejournal.com]

Marlena moves further into the brig as ordered, glancing back at the two men as she does so. She's hardly studying them, but she nevertheless notices the tiny change in Spock's face which would be the equivalent, in any other species, of collapsing in pain. Her instinct is to reach for him, but she holds back. This isn't her Spock. Besides, it might be prudent not to let them know how well she can read Spock.

She opens her mouth to speak, but reconsiders and closes it. Jim's attention is obviously on Spock; this is certainly not the most opportune time to appeal to his feelings for her.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Pike watched the events that have unfolded in the otherwise silent brig with silent curiosity. The young man they have locked up put up quite the fight. Yet this young woman... there was a brief look of recognition in her face. Another 'intruder' to the ship, it would seem.

He only met her eyes a moment, but there was much to read. Confidence, surely. Beauty, without a doubt.

He would be sure to speak with her when the brig went silent again. In the mean time, he would learn.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

Spock remains on guard but a quiet part of his mind, one that is constantly engaged in analysis and calculation makes the dry comment that the Enterprise's brig has never played host to so many of its own officers before.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim, having squared Marlena away in her cell, returned down the hallway to find young Scott curled in his own. He stopped in front of the cell, watching for a moment.

The boy seemed traumatized, in a heightened state of fight or flight. Some of that was understandable, but it was not like the Scott he knew to break down completely upon stumbling against the unexpected. He'd barely spoken in Jim's hearing, and even that Jim could not be sure he'd heard. There was no telling what sort of universe he was from.

"Montgomery Scott," he said calmly, his voice firm enough to command attention but in no way harsh. "No one's going to harm you here."

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

Oh, he's not broken. He's scared, and he's scrambling to process way too many things flooding in from every single direction, but never broken. This isn't enough to reduce him to that state.

He hears the man's voice, but it's a bit of time before the words all process into something recognizable. Except his name. He gets that right off. And then he tries to figure out the right way to respond to this (they did cover enemy capture in Basic Training, but this isn't like any scenario they'd ever run), so in all, it's awhile before he does answer.

But finally he picks his head up, not looking over. His accent's heavier that his older twin's, though not too broad and reasonably understandable. "Fa... Where's 'ere?"

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim waited patiently. He wasn't sure how the man had gotten here, and apparently neither was he. It wasn't even clear to him that Scott should be in the brig, but he'd apparently been violent before. Jim hoped, for everyone's sake, this didn't represent an influx of Terran Empire counterparts.

"You're on the U.S.S. Enterprise., Mr. Scott. My name is James T. Kirk." If he really was a teenage version of Scotty, that would mean nothing to him. "Do you remember how you got here? Where you were before?"

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"'At's nae possible," is the very first thing he shoots back, looking over now finally. And boy, is there a wary look in his eyes. "The Enterprise hasna been in service in near a century." Meaning, the NX-01, which is the only Enterprise he would know at this point.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"Of course." Jim crouched by the barrier, his voice and gaze steady. "This is going to be difficult to believe, Mr. Scott. But you're caught in a multiphasic temporal convergence. The year is 2258. And this ship is the Enterprise NCC-1701."

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

He blinks. He blinks and looks back at Kirk, and there isn't a stitch of belief there. To him, this sounds like quite the fantasy. Especially since it's 2240 where he's from, and... wait.

Since it's not classified, he shakes his head again. "Nothin' about this ship's Constitution-class." His reasoning being that the Constitution, NCC-1700 was officially launched this year after trials, where she was the NX-1700; in theory, then, what this Kirk fellow is saying is that this is the 1701, yet unnamed in the San Francisco Fleet Yards and not even close to completion.

Though, admittedly, when he says the words 'Constitution-class, there's a wistful, longing note in his voice, if only for a moment. No doubts that some things must be universal, regardless of the age. And he certainly has studied what was released unclassified about the Constitution; he knows what her class should look like, and this isn't it.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim glanced at Spock, his thoughts centering on the fact that this Scott was not from this universe, though that proved nothing about where he was from. Perhaps Spock could think of some way of convincing him, or... A meld. Jim couldn't ask it of Spock, not so soon after everything. They were running on adrenaline as it was, and the coffee Jim choked down on his way to the bridge.

He turned back to the kid.

"It's different, certainly," he said, working on the assumption that, even if it wasn't Jim's own universe Scotty was referring to, he did understand the confusion. "But I assure you, the Enterprise is a Constitution-class vessel, just launched this year." Keep him going about the ship, Jim thought. If nothing else, Scotty would respond to that.



((OOC - Just realized that if I'm not getting notifications, Spock might not be either, and she's probably checking in from her phone. So sorry, Spock, if you were going to jump in.))

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"Still nae possible; 1701's nae due to launch 'til 2245, but it'd never take 'til 2258." Stubborn little monster. It's a damn good thing that he's not able to read Kirk's mind, though. "I dinna know where ye're gettin' yer information, sir, but if ye're tryin' t'convince me I'm aboard a Starfleet vessel, ye'd best fire yer informant."



[[OOC: I'm not getting any myself, which sucks.]]

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"I assure you, Mr. Scott, that it is not only possible but true. You're in another reality, one altered by outside circumstances. We're doing our best to find out what happened and how to get you back where you belong, but we need to figure out where that is. Now. You are with Starfleet. Is that correct?"

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"Handy excuse," Scotty mutters to himself, starting to feel more frustrated than upset at the moment. Then he stands up, clasping his hands behind his back and defaulting onto training; name, rank, serial number.

"Cadet Montgomery Scott, Starfleet, SCC 224056 E." Which is easy enough to parse out -- Starfleet Command Cadet (which the original was, before transferring permanently into Engineering), the year he joined the service and his acceptance number, then E (engineering) which is his minor study.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim nodded. "At ease, cadet," he said. Scotty had ever been skeptical, and assuming this one bore any resemblance to the one they knew, he would take more convincing. His trust needed to be earned. And the kid would have to be convinced of something if they were going to let him out of the brig. He did not, at the moment, appear violent.

"We're going to have to leave you here until we determine where you're from and convince you we mean you no harm," he said. He was tired, Spock was tired, and Jim needed to know what the hell was going on. "Are there any questions you would like to ask in the meantime? Anything you won't dismiss out of hand, that is."

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"If this is a Starfleet vessel, then why've I been held captive?" There's a little flash of anger across his eyes. "I dinna do anything t'warrant a guard on me."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim could understand that anger, certainly. He could not say he'd have acted much differently. Especially at that age.

"Because, Mr. Scott, the Enterprise has, of late, seen a number of unauthorized and potentially dangerous visitors. Until the exact nature of the disturbance can be discovered, we are playing it safe. It's not meant to be permanent. We'll make you as comfortable as possible, and I assure you someone will come for you soon."

This business of not being captain, Jim thought, was extremely trying when one was used to it.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"Aye, comfortable." There's a long pause, then he looks back at Kirk. "A shower? There isna one in here." You can bet that somewhere in that head of his, he's contemplating escape. But he really does need a shower. And clothes that fit a wee bit better.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim watched him for a long moment.

"All right," he said. "I'll have that arranged for you. And a hot meal. But no more fighting the guards, or we will have to consider you hostile."

Jim would leave word with Security that Scott could be taken to the shower but utmost care must be taken to see that he remain in custody. There was something to be said for earning the boy's trust.

[allmhadadh.livejournal.com]

"I'd appreciate it." Which is about the only honest answer he could give. And he would. And he would still probably contemplate escape if the opportunity presents itself, but even if he makes off with a shower and food, he's still in slightly better shape than he is at the moment.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim's smile was immediate and offered no indication that he was talking to anyone but a friend and fellow officer.

"Good. I'll see you soon, Cadet."