2.10 - Delta Vega

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Just as Cali replied with his promise, the turbolift doors opened to show the bridge. Cali stepped out of the way from his spot in front of Spock, allowing the Captain to enter first and simply followed behind him.

"Have you confirmed that Nero is headed for Earth?" Spock questioned as he stepped off, catching everyone on the bridge's attention.

"Their trajectory suggests no other destination, Captain." Uhura replied from her spot at the same workspace she had been at last Cali saw.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Spock replied quietly in thought, walking towards the front of the bridge while Cali wandered to stand on the opposite side of the Captain's chair, where he had spotted his partner sitting casually with Bones stood at his side.

"Earth may be his next stop, but we have to assume every Federation planet's a target." Jim commented causing Spock to spot him.

"Out of the chair." He scolded in annoyance making Jim look to Cali in disbelief. But Cali just gave Jim a light scolding look, he should have known better than to sit in the Captain's chair. Jim just rolled his eyes making Cali smirk slightly, amused by his childish behaviour.

"Well, if the Federation is a target, why didn't they destroy us?" Chekov questioned, looking over in the direction of Sulu, where Spock was currently as he continued pacing lightly around the bridge.

"Why would they? Why waste the weapons? We obviously weren't a threat." Sulu replied to the Russian, looking around to Spock.

"That is not it." Spock commented, pointing in Sulu's general direction as he wandered around the front of his station, "He said he wanted me to see something. The destruction of my home planet."

"How the hell did they do that, by the way?" Bones chipped in in confusion, "Where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?"

"The engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer. Such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through space-time."

"Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist. Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?!" Bones snapped back, looking over at the Vulcan.

"Time travel does make sense," Cali replied, pausing as he realised what he just said, "in this context."

"If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Spock agreed, looking over at Cali who gave a subtle nod to the captain in support.

"How poetic." Bones rolled his eyes in frustration, looking away.

"Then, what would an angry, future Romulan want with Captain Pike?" Jim questioned, obviously worried about the man he had began to see as a father figure during the years since he met him.

"As Captain, he does know details of Starfleet's defences." Sulu commented, looking between Jim and Spock.

"What we need to do is catch up to that ship. Disable it, take it over, and get Pike back."

"We are technologically outmatched in every way. A rescue attempt would be illogical." Spock shot down immediately.

"He's right love, how would we even catch up to them?" Cali questioned, moving to Jim's side.

"Nero's ship would have to drop out of warp for us to overtake him."

"Then, what about assigning engineering crews to try and boost our warp gear?" Jim suggested, trying to think of any way to get his mentor back.

"Remaining power and crew are being used to repair radiation leaks on the lower decks and damage to subspace communications, without which we cannot contact Starfleet—"

"Okay, alright. There's got to be some way—" Jim tried to interrupt, but Spock kept speaking, ignoring the man.

"—we must gather with the rest of Starfleet, to balance the terms of the next engagement."

"There won't be a next engagement. By the time we've gathered, it'll be too late. But you say he's from the future, knows what's going to happen, then the logical thing is to be unpredictable." Jim countered, moving to the front of the bridge where Spock was so he could argue with him eye to eye.

"You are assuming that Nero knows how events are predicted to unfold. To the contrary, Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history, beginning with the attack on the USS Kelvin, culminating in the events of today, thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party."

"An alternate reality?" Cali questioned, the only person daring enough to join in on the argument that Spock and Jim were having.

"Precisely." Spock nodded at Cali while Jim gave a small glare at both of them, not liking how Cali seemed to be agreeing with Spock instead of him, "Whatever our lives might have been, if the time continuum was disrupted, our destinies have changed." Spock explained, trying to get Jim, and everyone else to understand the logic in his words as he walked back over to his chair, leaving Jim behind as he sat down, "Mr. Sulu, plot a course to the Laurentian system warp factor three."

"Spock, don't do that." Jim called out, walking over to stand next to him making Cali tense slightly, knowing that this wasn't going to be good if Jim kept pushing him, "Running back to the rest of the fleet for a- a- a confab is a massive waste of time—"

"These are the orders issued by Captain Pike when he left the ship—"

"He also ordered us to go back and get him. Spock, you are captain now! You have to make—"

"I am aware of my responsibilities, Mister—"

"Every second we waste, Nero's getting closer to his next target."

"That is correct and why I am instructing you to accept the fact that I alone—"

"I will not allow us to go backwards—"

"Jim!" Bones called out as Jim raised his voice, now shouting at the captain, at the same time that Cali tried to interfere, calling to his partner, "James!"

"—instead of hunting Nero down!"

"Security. Escort him out." Spock finally snapped, though he of course kept his tone professional as he stood to look Jim in the eye as he gave the order.

"Spock!" Cali called out in slight panic, though he could understand why. Jim didn't have the right to be shouting at Spock. Pike may have made him first officer before leaving the ship, but that didn't mean he could so openly defy his captain in front of everyone.

But Cali's words didn't do anything as two security officers grabbed Jim and began escorting him towards the turbolift so that he could be removed from the bridge. However, Cali caught Jim's eye just he got to the edge of where Chekov was sat. Getting a bad feeling about the look on Jim's face, Cali went to step forward just as Jim suddenly threw one of the officers off of him and shoved the second one.

"No, Jim!" Bones shouted as soon as he saw it. Everyone rose to their feet in shock, not believing that Jim would actively attack the security officers.

Cali could however and shouted at Jim, "Jim, stop it," hoping to calm him down. However, Spock was the one to end the fight as he quickly walked over and preformed the Vulcan nerve pinch on Jim, causing him to drop to the floor unconscious.

"Get him off this ship." Spock ordered, making Cali take a step forward.

"Spock, you can't!"

"Would you like to go with him Cadet?" Spock snapped back, turning to the Polyvore.

Cali's eyes widened, shocked at Spock's harsh tone aimed at him, especially after their moment they had together in the lift. He knew that the Vulcan was angry in general, and not specifically at him, but it didn't stop the pain in his chest as he looked into the Vulcan's angry eyes. He didn't know what to say, because yes, a part of him wanted to go down to the planet with Jim. He'd be able to help protect him better if he were at his side. But he had just promised Spock that he would stay with him.

Cali bowed his head submissively, eyes looking to the floor away from the captain as he whispered out a defeated, "No sir..."

"Then return to your station." Spock ordered, taking his seat at the captain's chair and looking away from Cali. He hadn't meant to snap at him.

Spock could feel a pair of eyes glaring into the back of his skull, but he knew they weren't Cali's. Daring a look around, he spun his chair slightly and spotted the doctor glaring angrily at him before he moved over to Cali, who Spock noticed had returned to his station as ordered, taking an almost defensive position between himself and the Polyvore.

"He'll be okay Cali, Jim always is." Bones whispered down at his friend, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. But Cali didn't reply, just gave a small smile up at Bones in thanks and then returned to his work.

Cali knew Bones was likely right. Jim always did somehow get out of everything alright. But that didn't stop him from worrying. They didn't know what was waiting for him on the planet. It may have been a biologically safe as a class M planet, but that didn't mean anything about the inhabitants.

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