I took a deep breath then typed Miles Fisher into the search bar of my datapad. I decided to start with him then work through my family. Suddenly I wondered if this was the most useful thing I could be doing with my day off. Since we'd reached Rothlum my lessons with Spock, and others, were canceled until it became clear what the situation below was.  

Slowly I opened my eyes. Miles, face lined and hair faded, looked out at me smiling through time. He'd married a woman from Sweden and had three girls; one of which was named after me. Miles had partnered with my family to lead the search for me in Egypt; and even consulted on a book written about my disappearance in 2036. There were pictures of him sitting and smiling with my family; in some several little kids I didn't recognize played in the background. He'd been a better friend to me than I realized. Miles died on October 13, 2086; he is buried in a cemetery in Arizona. Shoving the datapad away, I let tears plop on my desk unopposed. 

🖖

The USS Montana arrived right on time. I watched it come out of hyperspace from a window in the cafeteria. An anxious buzz was going around from table to table. An away team had departed for the surface early this morning, and returned to report that the Starfleet base, from whence the distress signal came, had suffered substantial damage. Jim had people combing the wreckage for survivors but so far none had been found. I watched as a shuttle left from the Montana and headed toward us. Before I could even blink it was out of sight. A none too pleased Janice passed my table without so much as a glance my way, but muttered a rude name at me she didn't realize I could hear. I snorted lightly and went back to my Lucky Charms. 

I sat bored for a while before pulling out my datapad, which had become my constant companion. I'd gotten a 77.68, which Spock encouraged me to improve, on the protocol test. Glancing through my mistakes I noticed most of them had to do with the layout of the ship. I knew my small area well and could find the bridge, gym, medical, and cargo bays without trouble, but beyond that I was lost. There were just so many Jefferies tubes, hallways, restricted areas, and little conduit closets.

Sighing, I got up to take myself on a tour. I did my best to make wide circles of the main hall ways before working my way in further. I found a botany lab and waved at Sulu and Christine, passed the transporter room with a lone crewmen inside, and eventually wound up at the kitchen. There I found myself face to face with a Vulcan but not the one I knew. 

He took note of the schematic and quickly concluded I was new around here. He had dark hair and eyes, like Spock, but his features where sharper. This mans eyebrows were slightly more severely angled, his ears sharper pointed, and his eyes lacked the charm I could find in Spocks. He introduced himself as R'ulan stating that he was an officer from the Montana.

"Jasmine Sharpe," I offered. R'ulan's head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

"The time traveler. I have heard of you."

"From Spock?"

"No. Your presence is widely known among Starfleet." He looked over my appearance again. "Was that standard of dress common in earths twenty-first century?"

"Yes."

"How vulgar. Do you require assistance?"

"No, thank you."

"It seems very common for humans to refuse assistance they need; especially from a superior intellect. It is a great failing in illogical beings across the galaxy, however, not merely exclusive to your kind."

"Excuse me." I tried not to let my steps give off any sort of irritation. A feat that was hindered when R'ulan fell in beside me. I said nothing and neither did he. Even with the blueprints I still, somehow, managed to get lost; and R'ulan remained with me the entire time. It was the most uncomfortable forty-five minutes I'd experienced since arriving.     

When we finally made it to an area of the ship I recognized, near cargo bay one, Spock and some other officers were carrying crates and loading them into shuttles. Spock turned over command to another and came over to speak with us.

"Live long and prosper, R'ulan." Spock held his hand in the salute of his people and R'ulan echoed the greeting. "Miss Sharpe, may I ask how you came to be in the company of Captain Stark's Chief Engineer?"

"We ran into each other while I brushing up on protocol."

"Yes. Miss Sharpe did not refer to me though it was clear she was lost."

"If that is how she familiarizes herself, and it improves it her understanding, there can be no harm." Spock then addressed me. "Would you come with me? Captain Kirk has a matter of importance he would like to discuss."

"Of course. Goodbye Mr. R'ulan," I inclined my head as friendly as I could manage though eager to leave R'ulan behind, but before we could leave R'ulan stepped in front of me.

"It has been rumored that you are telepathic and possess telekinetic skill, quite unusual for a human as most of your species brains are not developed enough for the practice."

"We are keeping the Captain waiting." Spock wasn't looking at me but directly over my head at the other Vulcan. If I didn't know better I'd say Spock was glaring. R'ulan curtly nodded and turned stiffly on his heel.

"Jasmine." Jim was inside a shuttle preparing for lift off. "How would you feel about helping us out down there?"

"Doing what?" The prospect of going to see a real alien planet was enough to completely push rude R'ulan from my mind. How could he seem so cold to me when Spock didn't? It was strange. 

"Well, there's an awful lot of debris down there. It's taking us a long time to move it with just the shuttles. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help us out."

"Of course. Let's go."

"Welcome to the away team." I buckled in. I tried to reminded myself that a tragedy had occurred here. There could possibly be people injured and dying below. That fact sobered me a bit; but I couldn't wait to be on solid land again, to see a sky, and feel a breeze. My fingers twitched with impatience.