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1. Citizens of Rothlum

After helping defeat my Uncle Khan, unplanned time travel, coming to terms with being stranded in the future, and facing the fact that I would never see my family again, I felt I was ready for anything. However what Nyota had just translated for me was so frustrating that I wanted to scream and throw a tantrum of epic proportions.

The Rothlumite owner of the site we were digging at had suddenly gotten very possessive of the land. When Spock had first brought up digging around the temple for answers it sounded like there'd be no problem. The man had agreed to let us dig the land for a fee which had already been paid, but now he was asking for absurd amounts of cash to let us continue. It seemed turning a profit from a disaster was a skill not exclusive to Humans, or a practice that had died out in these supposedly enlightened times.

"Lieutenant Uhura, please inform Mr. Keylia that I will have to get permission for his request." I watched his face as she gave my answer. His lips thinned then spat out what could have been curse words directly at me. I made a note to learn a language, any language, once this was over. We parted unhappily; another day my team was stranded on the sidelines, another day we were no closer to getting our people back. I watched the man jump over the cliff and use his arms, legs, and tail to shimmy down to a crowded walkway. The man dropped into the foot traffic without disrupting the flow of those around him and went about his day. The people of Rothlum built their civilization into cliffs at very high  altitudes. Nyota and I, along with almost everyone not of this planet, had to wear oxygen masks to breathe when visiting the cities.

Nyota patted me on the back and we headed to the shuttle to rejoin Enterprise. After the cabin pressurized I took off my mask and threw it into the seat next to me. Nyota calmly sat at the controls navigating our way through the stars. Jim had repeatedly vetoed my requests to stay on the planet. He chalked it up to protocol; I neglected that part of my studies so I didn't know if he was telling the truth. Either way it wasn't like Enterprise, or the Montana, the ship assisting us were any safer in space. People had disappeared from both ships but Jim still didn't want us on the ground any longer than necessary.

Our work had been stalled for three weeks already. Personally I wanted to work with or without permission from the land owner. It wasn't like we were pirates raiding for treasure; people were missing and with no leads this could be our only chance. Unfortunately the Admirals Jim was in contact with had urged us to work with the citizens of Rothlum instead of pulling rank. If I had to deal with this much longer I might break the rules and become a one woman expedition.

Scotty was waiting for us in the docking area. "He stopped you again, didae he. Greedy bastard." Scotty and I had been working to reconstruct the temple on a hologram in hopes of learning something. So far the scans I managed to smuggle weren't that helpful. And honestly the longer we lingered in limbo the less hopeful I was of finding anything.

If the disappearances then and now were the same, then the kidnappers would have destroyed the site and left no one behind to tell the tale. The  Starfleet headquarters here had been damaged beyond repair. Not only had everyone stationed there gone missing without a trace, but we didn't know what was used to destroy it or if the people would be returned or if they were still alive. The ancient temple I was trying to dig at was the last place a mass disappearance like this was said to have happened. I scoured the Rothlumite records praying to come across any other city, temple or land linked to the disappearances. There were stories of quite a few going back several millennia. But the problem was that those locations had been lost to time. This temple was our only chance and I was failing everyone counting on me to find something.

Spock and a team of  scientists had come to the conclusion that the abductors were beings from another dimension. The Rothlumite history was dotted with these mass disappearances. Though one hadn't happened in so long that it was chalked up to mythology, until now.

I handed Scotty the device that somehow managed to scan the ruins from my pocket.  He'd had to assure me that the device wouldn't cause cancer or some other serious health defect before I would even touch it. I swore it felt like it was going to burn a hole through my pocket when I turned it on. No damage ever appeared on my clothes or skin-so I figured they were right, and it was my nervous-about-new-and-potentially-dangerous-tech brain overreacting.

"Explicit language will not further our cause, Mr. Scott." Spock walked up typing on a datapad. "Miss Sharpe the Captain requests your presence for a conference in the ready room."

I clenched my teeth. I had nothing against Jim, but a formal meeting with him also meant Captain Stark and the Admiralty. I said goodbye to my other friends and fell into step beside Spock.

"You are tense," he commented after just a few seconds of walking next to me.

"You would be too."

"Doubtful I would show it so plainly," he said while placing the datapad and his hands behind his back.

"Is this your way of trying to get me into another meditation session?"

"It has been ten days since you last agreed to one. Meditation works best when practiced frequently." That sounded like a chastisement but could have just been a statement of fact. I was too keyed up to figure out which. 

"I suppose that's true but honestly Spock, when we practiced last time it didn't seem to do much good." None actually though I didn't say it. I wasn't about to tell him his sincere attempts to teach me something he felt essential to my well-being felt more like a waste of time.

"Many humans have difficultly grasping the Vulcan way of this art. It often takes many months. I do believe we were close to a break through during our last session. However considering how much time has elapsed you may very well have to start at the beginning once again."

"I'll meet you in your quarters after dinner," I promised. Spock nodded and requested entry to the ready room. Stark wasn't there, a relief, but R'ulan was and that was worse. The Vulcan was from the other ship and had recently returned from a sudden mysterious medical leave. I hadn't known him long but my overall opinion of R'ulan wasn't positive. During an encounter in the dark cafeteria late at night he'd set me on edge with both his words and actions. He hadn't assaulted me but that may have just been because I got out of there in time. 

My friendship with Spock had given me a little insight into how to read Vulcans. If what I saw was right R'ulan found me an oddity he wanted to study regardless of how I felt about his probing. Further amplifying my dislike of the man was that he absolutely loathed Spock for no reason I could see other than xenophobia. The prick had pretty much called my friend unworthy to be counted as a true Vulcan because Spock was half human. A detail Spock hadn't shared with me or aware I knew.

Admiral Saunders was on the viewing screen with none of the others from the high brass; which sparked a tiny amount of hope in me. She was my biggest advocate on that council and without the others constantly butting in maybe we would get somewhere this time. Spock and I took our seats next to Jim.

"Alright," Jim's tone was unhappy and that squashed my newly kindled hope. "I have just been informed that the archeological team Captain Stark sent for has arrived." I clenched my fists under the table. As I had been repeatedly told Starfleet had every right to summon a team from their ranks. That was true but it still stung. "They will be joining the Montana, as they have more room."

R'ulan decided to cut in. "They will also be taking over the excavation effective immediately. As Miss Sharpe has provided nothing useful, the Admiralty agrees the operation should be conducted by qualified personnel from now on."

My anger threatened to explode and use R'ulan as a target but somehow I managed to keep my mouth shut. It wasn't easy; especially since I could hear a condescending note in his voice the others didn't seem to pick up. Except maybe Spock but he didn't react to it.

"I want it noted that Captain Stark sent for this team against my recommendation," Jim told Saunders.

"Your complaints have been noted, Captain Kirk," she promised. "First Officer R'ulan," my eyebrows shot up at that. When had this guy been promoted? "-has assured us no one has gone missing in two weeks and this leads us to believe that the, um, collection process may be over. Starfleet feels that the danger has lessened or we would never have sent more people. Furthermore we have just received word from the Rothlumite Senate that it is against their laws for the government to supersede a property owners wishes in matters such as these. So our request for a special injunction order for excavation has been denied."

"I do not believe the fault lies in Miss Sharpe's leadership," Spock spoke up. "Mr. Keylia, the site owner, is requesting more money in compensation. His greed is the cause of this delay." I was touched that Spock had spoken for me but also a little miffed because, I wasn't sure if that was true. R'ulan's next words didn't do anything to assuage that fear but rather increased it.

"A more skilled negotiator will perhaps turn the situation around. Furthermore it was a  mistake to place an outsider in this situation. Starfleet turned to her in desperation. A misguided emotional response." Spock's jaw ticked a fraction at R'ulan's speech. But I was the only one who noticed as the others were looking at Saunders. 

The meeting concluded not long after. I headed directly to my quarters locked the door behind me then grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it at the top of my lungs.

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