Chapter Text
The U.S.S. Enterprise drifted cautiously through the pitch-black void surrounding Olduvai Station. The desolate research facility hung in silence, the red dusty planet lifeless and dark. It had been hours since the station had been put on lockdown. The single transmission when the Breach took place was haunting and terrifying leaving the crew to only wonder as to what happened. Scratchy static filled with screams.
It had been radio silent for over 18 hours since.
There was no hope of contacting anyone at this point. Now, They were just waiting for the automatic lock down system to reboot so they could surface and do what they could.
Captain Kirk sat forward in his chair observing the planet
“I got a bad feeling about this place. Spock, any life signs?”
The Vulcan’s hands glided over the console. “Sensors indicate one faint life sign in the lower levels of the facility.”
“Just one Spock? That doesn’t seem right. Wasn’t this a fully functioning research zone?”
“Yes. Perhaps some refugees escaped through the ark transportation device that is implemented on the planet”
“Not possible. The facility is still on lockdown. It wouldn’t be operational until the alerts have been lifted”
“I do not know captain.” The computer console beeps and Spock looks at the readings “it would appear that our single signature is… unusual. Human, but biologically unique.”
Kirk frowned and turned slightly to look at the Vulcan. “Unique how?”
Spock hesitated, as though unsure how to quantify his findings. “It appears as though this individual’s genetic structure shows signs it’s been tampered with...and enhanced.”
“Enhanced?” Uhura echoed, her voice low. “Like an augment?”
“Unknown. The signature is weak but stable,” Spock replied. “I will need to be closer to get a better reading”
Kirk nodded decisively. “Alright, well we didn’t come all this way to leave anyone behind. Let’s keep the landing party small- Spock, Uhura, you’re with me. Mr. Scott, keep us locked on their location and beam us as close as you can get to the source of the life sign without being in the same room. We don’t know what we are walking into and I don’t want our sudden arrival to spook them any more than they already likely are.”Scotty nods “understood captain”
And with that, golden light over takes their senses as they are beamed off ship not knowing what lays in wait for them.
They materialized in the dim halls of Olduvai. Multiple lights are burnt out or broken, the ones that remain functional are flickering. There’s a few traditional red flashers going off every 100 feet in response to the still active alarm. The stench of death hit them immediately—decay mingled with the acrid tang of burned flesh. There wasn’t a single surface free of what can only be dried blood and mangled gore. The flickering emergency lights cast long, jittery shadows that seemed to move on their own among the death. Everyone quickly move to cover mouths and noses as the sensations are entirely overwhelming.
“Stars… what happened here? This place is a war zone,” Uhura whispered, voice slightly wavering as she stepped over a shattered console. She had to fight to keep her stomach inside and not added to the gooey floor
The team followed the faint signal through the station’s labyrinth of corridors, past the remnants of violent struggles: claw marks gouged into walls, shattered glass, and bodies frozen in terror. Whole, and unidentified parts. All of them would carry nightmares of this for years to come.
At last, they reached a sealed laboratory door labeled CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT Co24 BG5/RG6
“The signature has not changed. They are Just beyond this door” Kirk barely managed to peel his eyes away from the horrific situation behind them and nods at the Vulcan. Spock bypassed the lock with ease. Kirk takes a deep breath to prepare himself as he opened the door and stepped through cautiously
No matter the preparation he gave himself, nothing prepared him for this. Inside the room was somehow so much worse than it was outside. So much worse than any conceivable scene. He looks back at Spock to ensure that the sights outside haven’t driven him crazy and is living in a nightmare. But he can see the minute trembling in his hand and the crease between his brow. Spock is just as put off by this as Jim is.
There’s 2 decent sized metal tables spaced evenly side by side off to the right. It has what looks like 5 evenly placed restraining bands and some huge pit in the ground not even 10 feet from the tables.
The back wall is lined by more tables covered in what looks to be various medical instruments and vials.
There is blood and Scorch marks everywhere.
Almost like a bomb had went off in the center of the room right next to someone spreading their gore across the floor, walls, and ceiling in a morbid splattered painting of dark infected black red.
His heart is pounding crazy fast in his chest and ringing in his ears, but he still hears it. The call to action sends him moving as the sound of to quick panicked breaths filter in his brain to the left of the room by a bunch of cabinets. He turns quickly, wanting to run to aid but fights the urge and moves slow and calm. Someone being trapped in here for who knows how long, living through whatever massacre happened must have left who ever it was terrified and traumatized.
His heart shattered at the sight of a child, no older 10- probably 8 at his best guess, sitting on the floor. He’s pressed tightly against the cabinets and curled around another child that he’s clinging to. There was only 1 living set of vitals. The bloody child he’s silently sobbing over is dead. His eyes snap up to meet Kirk’s the second his foot moves his direction- they are wild and full of grief and anger. Wet tears spill down his cheeks and his shoulders hitch as he keeps gasping for air. He pulls the blond girl tighter to his chest protectively and pulls away from the group of strangers, scrambling as more panic takes over his senses.
Kirk puts his hand up to stop the 2 behind him from moving and slowly crouched down so he wouldn’t be so tall and scary.
He looks the child over, noticed how both of the children are wearing torn dirty white uniforms with the same numbers from the door over their hearts and neither had shoes. Feet looking dirty and scuffed. From what he could immediately see, The boy looked gaunt, hollow cheeks and striking unnaturally blue eyes filled with mistrust.
“Hey kid” he try’s
The child full body flinched harshly, his eyes darting between them all. 100 different emotions held within that guarded gaze. Kirk kept his crouch low even though his knees were starting to protest the prolonged position, hands raised in a non-threatening gesture.
“Your alright” he said softly. “It’s okay now. We’re here to help.”
The boy didn’t answer, only pulled the girl closer to him protectively. Spock tried to discretely scan him with his tricorder. The kid saw and practically growled at them and kicked himself father away not trusting the equipment or their intentions.
“His biology is extraordinary,” Spock said, brows knitting together. “It doesn’t make any sense how this should be possible.”
Kirk turned back to his crew and gave Spock a look he knew the other probably wouldn’t understand “come on You’re freaking him out Spock. It can wait till we get out of this distressing environment” he returned his attention to the kid, keeping his voice soft and body language open and inviting “What’s your name, son?”
The boy didn’t answer, but his gaze locked onto Kirk with intensity that nearly made him want to look away. His angry blue eyes unnatural in color and completely unnerving. The kids breath came in shallow gasps, panic not decreased at all and in Fact continued to grow worse, and his trembling hands wouldn’t let up their grip on the lifeless girl Kirk could see now that her blonde hair was matted with blood, her small frame limp and cold. No discernible difference in age between the two.
Kirk’s heart ached, but he kept his tone steady. “We’re not here to hurt you. I promise. I’m Jim. This is Spock and Uhura. We’re from a ship called the Enterprise. We can take you somewhere safe. I promise”
The boy’s lips parted as if to say something, but no words came. His eyes darted again to Spock, then to Uhura, and back to Kirk. Every muscle in his body was coiled, ready to flee or fight if necessary but unwilling to act out because he didn’t want to relinquish his iron grip on the blond child.
Kirk glanced back at Spock, who had silently put away his tricorder. “Any way we can lower the temperature or the lights in here? He’s not responding well to us yet. We need to calm him down. While your at it, try to find any data logs as to what the hell happened here.”
Spock raised an eyebrow but complied, accessing a nearby console and dimming the flickering lights. Uhura knelt beside Kirk, speaking gently to the child. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’re here to help. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
For a long moment, the boy didn’t move, only staring at them with raw, unbridled mistrust. Then, in a small, cracked voice, he rasped, “bad.”
Kirk frowned slightly. “Bad?”
The boy shook his head faintly, his lips trembling. He whispered again, “bad people.”
Kirk’s chest tightened. Not fully understanding but having a few ideas to what the kid was trying to convey.
“We are not with the bad people. We came to help you. Can you tell me your name?”
The kid shook his head no defensively but at least he was responding. His breathing getting slightly better- not nearly as erratic.
Jim gestured with his head that the girl “Can you tell me her name?” whatever progress that he might have made crumbled instantly. His glare hardened and he shifted to try and hide her from sight but still keep her still.
“Stay away from her!” His voice cracked with renewed panic
Kirk held up his hands higher, palms out in a gesture of surrender. “Alright, alright, I won’t go near her. She’s safe with you, I promise.” He kept his voice calm and soothing, though the desperation in the boy’s voice struck him hard.
Uhura’s expression softened, and she exchanged a glance with Kirk before speaking gently. “You’ve been protecting her this whole time, haven’t you? You’ve been so brave.”
The boy’s wild eyes flicked to Uhura, his lips pressing into a trembling line as if he didn’t believe her, but her tone seemed to chip away at his defenses. His shoulders still shook, and his small frame trembled, but the raw anger in his gaze dimmed slightly.
Kirk shifted, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. “We’re not bad people, I swear to you. We’re here to help. But we can’t do that unless you let us. You both appear hurt, please let us help.”
The boy twitched at the words but didn’t respond. His knuckles were white, clashing against his blood covered arms as he clung to the lifeless girl, his breathing ragged.
Spock stepped forward slightly, his tone as calm and as calculated as always. “You have endured great hardship, but remaining here is neither safe nor sustainable. The atmosphere of this station is compromised, and you require medical attention. Allow us to assist you.”
Even covered in blood the boy didn’t appear injured, and their original scan had reflected that. But Jim wouldn’t rest easy until the kid had been checked over anyway.
The boy glared at Spock, his mistrust flaring again. “No doctors!” he spat.
Kirk raised a hand to stop Spock from replying. “No doctors, okay. I get it. No one’s going to force you to do anything you don’t want to. But we can’t stay here. This place isn’t safe for any of us.”
For a moment, the boy seemed to consider Kirk’s words, his gaze darting back to the girl in his arms. His lips quivered, and fresh tears welled in his striking blue eyes. “She… she’s hurt real bad” he whispered brokenly, though the evidence of her lifeless body was undeniable. “She fell asleep.”
Uhura’s hand covered her mouth briefly as her eyes filled with emotion, but she kept her composure. “Oh, sweetheart…” she murmured, her voice aching with sympathy.
Kirk felt his heart twist, but he forced himself to stay steady. “You’ve been taking such good care of her. But if you come with us, we can make sure she’s… safe. Both of you.”
The boy looked down at the girl again, his tears dripping onto her blood-matted hair. His chest heaved with shallow breaths, and for a moment, Kirk thought he might lash out again. But then the child’s small shoulders sagged, his strength spent. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment before he whispered, “Promise?”
Kirk nodded solemnly. “I promise. No one will hurt you or her. Not while we’re here.”
The boy hesitated, his grip loosening slightly on the girl’s body. Kirk glanced back at Spock and Uhura, giving them a brief nod. “Spock, get Scotty on the comm. We need to beam directly to sickbay, now.”
The Vulcan complied, tapping his communicator. “Spock to Enterprise. Prepare to beam 5 aboard directly to sickbay.”
Kirk reached out slowly, his hand hovering near the boy. “Can I carry her for you? Just to make it easier?”
The boy’s eyes narrowed, but the fight had gone out of him. After a long, tense moment, he nodded reluctantly. “Don’t… don’t drop her,” he whispered, his voice thick with exhaustion and grief.
Kirk gave a faint smile, his chest tight. “I won’t. You have my word.” He gently reached for the girl’s body, cradling her with the utmost care. The boy scrambled to his feet, swaying slightly as he stood. Uhura moved to steady him, but he flinched away from her touch.
“It’s alright,” she said softly. “You’re safe now. This next part is going to be scary but it’s ok. just remember to breathe. It’s not gonna hurt you. We are not going to hurt you.”
As the transporter beam began to envelop them, the boy’s gaze never left Kirk, his haunted eyes filled with a mixture of hope and despair. In the back of Kirk’s mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much larger nightmare.