Chapter Text
Aboard the USS Enterprise
It had become a nightly ritual for Captain James Tiberius Kirk since assuming command of the massive Federation starship. He’d take a short reprieve from his duties on the bridge to retire to his quarters for half an hour to get a few moments of peace and quiet but also to write his daily captain’s log, as required by his superiors. As always, he began with:
“Captain’s Log, Star Date 6609.08. Earlier, the Enterprise encountered isolated Romulan vessels that promptly left as we approached the neutral zone. I am pleased to report that so far, there have been no further hostilities between the Federation, the Romulans nor the Klingons.”
Kirk lay back in his bunk. He was beyond tired. No, worn out would be a better way to describe his present state. The room door opened. No surprise to see his long – time friend and main ship physician Leonard ‘Bones’, McCoy.
“Jim, when you retired to your room, I got a sense that perhaps you weren’t feeling well.”
Kirk had difficulty fighting the exhaustion.
“I’m tired more than anything. I have a lot on my mind these days, as you might have suspected. Even when I do get the downtime, sleep does not come easy to me.”
“If you’d like, I can prescribe you something.”
Kirk got out of bed.
“No. I need my full senses about me all the time lest I let my guard down. All quiet on the western front.”
“If my calculations are correct, and you know how much I love technology, we are nearing the eastern edges of the Alpha Galaxy,” Bones stated. “And, unless you give the order, that’s probably as far as we’re going to go.”
Bones followed his commanding officer into the corridor.
“My orders to are to stay in the general area until the Romulan threat has been diminished.”
Bones looked upon his friend with concerned eyes.
“We could be facing all-out war. That’s something neither I nor Starfleet Command is particularly fond of facing at this time.”
It was business as usual on the bridge, with Kirk’s dedicated team in their spots. Although they were all close, Kirk always got a kick out of the chief engineer of the Enterprise, Montgomery Scott, commonly referred to as Scotty, the jovial though cantankerous man with the thick Glasgow brogue.
“Scotty, you figure out what’s wrong with those circuit breakers?” he asked.
“Well Sir, it would appear as though they’re becoming worn – out and need to be replaced. I can’t find anything else.”
“I trust you’ll have the problem rectified before too long.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” Scotty replied before sitting back down.
Pavel Chekov, the chief navigator, had been a member of the Enterprise for ten years. He carefully watched the screen displaying the vast expanses of outer space.
“She’s been clear sailing ever since that slightly unnerving run-in with that Romulan vessel,” Chekov said. “Mr. Sulu made note of that himself earlier. Are you feeling alright, Captain Kirk?”
“As far as I know,” Kirk replied. “As far as I know.”