Fellowship & Fairydust

~ By Laura Cynthia Chambers 

A very nervous Albix paced back and forth on the bridge like a caged lion. He looked much better otherwise, now clean shaven and dressed in a dark gray sweater and black pants.

“Could you not do that? It’s really distracting, and I’d rather not have to drag you down to sickbay again,” Riley scolded. He turned back to Mr. Scott, who was reading off a series of numbers and nodded, confirming his readings. 

Albix wrung his hands, ignoring Riley’s annoyance. “I just hope he won’t turn me away. I think I could bear anything but that.” 

Scotty left the bridge, nodding to Kirk as he entered and stopped to confer with his yeoman. Riley gave Albix his full attention this time, smiling at the man. “Cheer up. He’s your dad. He’s not going to shoot you just because you cost him half his fortune…” His face sobered as he realized what he’d said. “On second thought, good luck, buddy.” He clapped Albix on the back, muttering, “You’ll need it,” under his breath as he left the bridge.

“Captain?” Uhura pressed a button on her console and spun in her chair. Kirk looked up.“We’re just within communications range of-“ A light blinked on her console and she held up one finger before posing both hands on the console. “Sir, we’re receiving a hail from the surface now.” Albix froze, mid-pace, then moved rapidly down the steps to her console, a desperate look on his face.

“Go ahead.” Kirk leaned forward.

“Starfleet vessel…can you hear me? I…want to ask you something.” The voice was quiet, unreadable.  

Albix’s eyes widened. “My father,” he mouthed silently, his face drawn and pale. 

Everyone on the bridge stopped working to listen. Sulu studied the helm but clearly his mind was elsewhere. Ensign Chekov, next to him, was out and out staring. Kirk’s yeoman held her breath, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Spock had abandoned his post by the ship’s database readout and now stood on the other side of Uhura. Albix clenched the edge of desk, white-knuckled.

“This is Captain James Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise. What would you like to know?”

A sharp intake of breath. “Captain….” Uhura touched Albix’s hand and he straightened up, emotions playing across his face. “My son, Albix…is he onboard your vessel?”

Kirk’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Yes, yes he is. We’re bringing him-“

Uhura turned in her chair. “Sir, we lost him.”

“That’s odd.” Kirk frowned. “Try again.” 

She pressed several buttons and waited for a few seconds. “Nothing, sir. No response.” 

Albix staggered backwards. “’No response.’ I knew it. He wants nothing to do with me. I don’t blame him. After the shame I’ve brought…” He wrung his hands, then pounded a console with his fist. “Why did I ever think he’d take me back?”

Uhura looked at the display in front of her. “We’re getting another communication, sir…text only. It says, ‘Your ship and its crew are welcome here. Bring my son with you when you come.’ That’s all.” She shrugged. 

“Tell him we accept.” She nodded and leaned into the communications station. Kirk stood up and looked behind him. “How soon until we arrive, Mr. Chekov?”

“If all remains as it ees, approximately vun hour, Keptin.” Chekov responded.

Kirk smiled. “Excellent.” He looked around the bridge. “Albix?” The man was nowhere to be found. “Where did he go?” Kirk asked his yeoman.

“Out the door. I think he said something about going to his quarters to get ready, sir.” She tugged on her long red sleeve. “He did look awfully upset, though.”

“I think he’ll be all right, Yeoman.” Kirk reassured her. She nodded and left his side. 

As everybody seemed to remember they had a starship to run, Kirk paced across the bridge to where Spock stood. “Absorbed as usual?”

Spock looked over his shoulder. “I find nothing wrong with devoting my complete attention to my studies, sir. Do you consider it an aberrant trait?”

“Not in the least. I just wondered what you were reading. Another volume of Vulcan wisdom perhaps? Last week you quoted A’hn O’syr Saltak a total of 17 times in my presence alone.” He looked at the screen. “Communication logs regarding Agapea?”

Spock straightened up and leaned closer to Kirk, speaking quietly. “Yes, sir. I found it singularly unusual that Descin would initiate contact with us so quickly. For him to notice us at the very moment we come within communications range is either a coincidence or indicative of the fact that he must spend significant time monitoring the comings and goings on his homeworld.”

 Kirk leaned against the console. “Yes, maybe so, but he’s a rich man, Spock. A businessman who needs to stay on top of these things. Fruit doesn’t sell and ship itself, you know. “

“Indeed it does not, sir. Yet he contacted you personally, though he is neither a diplomat or a politician. On the off chance that his son, who has been absent for almost eight years, is with us.” He raised one eyebrow.

Kirk stroked his chin, nodding. “You may have something there.” He leaned closer to the computer. “Computer, identify all correlations amongst the communications logs regarding Agapea from present day to eight years ago.”

Whirring came from the computer. Then a female voice responded, “All logged communications with Agapea in the time period specified correlate in the following respects; all communications initiated by Agapean citizen Descin Baras; all communications requests as to the presence of Albix Baras, son of Descin Baras.”

Kirk looked up from the computer and towards Spock. Both wore a look of surprise. 

Spock frowned. “It would appear he is most eager to reunite with his son.”

Kirk looked upwards. “Apparently so.”

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