Star Trek - Fingers Crossed
Copyright© 2026 by SilkStories
Chapter 4: Violated and Enhanced
I peeled open leaden eyelids, blinking away the fog until my vision cleared enough to recognize the familiar ceiling panels of my quarters. My quarters? That couldn’t be right. I bolted upright from the bed, the thin sheet slipping down my body as I moved. Solid deck plating confirmed it—I was back on my ship. Flinging the covers aside, I glanced down and froze. I was completely bare.
I instinctively brushed my fingers across my left breast, the absurdity of the situation hitting me as I rolled my eyes. Pushing myself off the bed, I strode toward the comm panel.
“Garrett?” I called out. When no response came, I tried again. “Computer, locate Lieutenant Stone.” The system chimed in its neutral female voice: “Lieutenant Garrett Stone is in his quarters.”
“How many members of the crew are currently onboard?” The question hung in the air for a beat before the computer’s neutral female voice responded, “There are thirty crew members on board the USS Seeker.” A wave of relief washed over me as I processed the words—all my people were back.
My uniform and boots lay neatly arranged on the floor beside my undergarments. I snatched them up, dressing hastily—yanking trousers over my hips with impatient tugs. “Stupid aliens,” I muttered, fastening my top with sharp jerks at the zipper, “you bother to strip me but can’t be troubled to dress me again.”
As my door slid open, I strode past the other quarters just as one hissed apart ahead of me. Lieutenant Brennan stumbled out, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. He stood there, dazed and utterly bare, his genitals hanging low and exposed in the corridor’s stark lighting. “Lieutenant!” I barked without breaking stride as I passed him.
“Clothe yourself immediately and join me on the bridge.”
“Yes, Captain,” he mumbled groggily, fumbling for his doorway as I continued toward the turbolift.
I stepped off the lift onto an eerily empty bridge. “Computer, initiate a ship-wide alarm to wake everyone up,” I commanded. The system responded in its neutral female voice: “Ship-wide alarm - define intensity?” With a sigh, I snapped, “Maximum intensity.”
The ship erupted in a deafening klaxon, red alert tones hammering through the corridors with enough force to make me wince.
“Fuck!” I slapped a hand over one ear. “Computer, reduce intensity by twenty percent.”
“Acknowledged.”
The turbolift doors hissed open and closed repeatedly as I observed my bridge crew straggle in, rubbing sleep from their eyes while weaving unsteadily toward their stations. I remained seated in my command chair, scrutinizing each arrival with focused intensity.
“How is everyone feeling?” I asked, watching their bleary expressions sharpen as they considered my question. Mumbled replies of “Okay, Captain” and “Fine” rippled through the bridge crew.
I pressed further, my gaze sweeping across their faces. “The Kaelari—they performed procedures on all of us?”
One by one, heads nodded in grim confirmation. “Yes, Captain,” came the unified response, heavy with the weight of shared violation.
“Ensign Rejal, what is our current position?” I ordered. Mira swiveled toward her helm console, fingers moving with efficiency across the controls. “We remain within the asteroid field, Captain,” she confirmed, her voice steady despite the circumstances. “Precisely where we were taken.”
I shifted my attention to Evan at the tactical station. “Ensign Mitchell—any sign of Kaelari vessels in proximity?”
His hands flew over the sensor interface, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the readouts. After a moment, he looked up, relief evident in his expression. “Negative, Captain. Scans show no alien ships within sensor range.”
“Bring up on main viewer,” I directed, watching as the screen flickered to life with the stark image of our surroundings. The jagged silhouettes of tumbling rocks filled the display. “Take us to quarter impulse, Ensign Rejal,” I commanded, my voice steady despite the adrenaline still thrumming through my veins. “Get us out of here.” My eyes remained fixed on the viewscreen. Mira’s acknowledgment came without delay, her focus absolute as her fingers moved across the helm controls. “Aye, Captain,” she confirmed, her tone crisp with professionalism.
The turbolift hissed open once more, depositing Brennan onto the bridge before revealing Garrett stepping out behind him. Lietenant Brenan immediately claimed his station at communications, his posture radiating renewed focus. My gaze lingered on Garrett, a silent communion passing between us – an unspoken acknowledgment of the violation we’d endured side by side in that alien chamber.
“Are you alright?” I murmured, my voice barely carrying across the space that separated us. He met my concern with a tender smile and slight inclination of his head. “You?” he returned, his eyes searching mine for reassurance. I answered with a single, measured dip of my chin.
Garrett moved toward a side console, his focus shifting to ship security as Ensign Rejal announced, “Two minutes until we clear the field, Captain.” I pressed the comm button on my armrest. “Engineering!” A brief pause followed before Lieutenant Carter’s voice responded over the speaker. “I’m here, Captain,” he said. A gentle smile touched my lips at his reply.
“We’re about to clear the asteroid field—what is the status of our engines?” I asked, my gaze fixed on the viewscreen as the last few asteroids tumbled past our hull.
“All systems are functional within parameters, surprisingly, Captain,” Carter replied, a note of relief evident in his voice that matched my own cautious optimism.
After all we’d suffered—the abduction, the violations—it defied belief that our systems could simply revert to normal function. “Shield status?” I pressed, needing confirmation that we weren’t venturing into open space defenseless.
“Full capacity!” Carter’s prompt response came without hesitation, easing some of the tension coiling in my shoulders.
“And the deflector dish?”
Silence hung over the comm for a beat.
“Fully operational, Captain.”
I slowly turned toward Mitchell.
His eyes widened. “I blew that dish.”
“I know you did.”
“Captain, we’re clearing the asteroid field!” Rejal’s voice held a shrill edge of relief as she announced our escape from that damned floating debris field. I watched the main viewscreen as the last of those frustratingly annoying rocks finally slipped out of view. A heavy exhale escaped my lungs. “Well done, Ensign,” I acknowledged, letting my posture relax just slightly. “Are we prepared for warp?” Ensign Rejal swiveled her chair to face me, a genuine smile breaking across her face. “Yes, Captain,” she confirmed, her tone bright with renewed confidence.
“Resume our course to the Andoria System, warp six,” I declared with finality.
“Aye, Captain.”
Ten hours remained until we reached our destination. Garrett and I stood in sickbay as the doctor completed his analysis. His expression had grown increasingly troubled as he studied the results.
“Well?” I demanded.
The doctor released a heavy sigh. “The Kaelari implanted some kind of biogenic organism at the base of your skull.”
My stomach tightened. “Can you remove it?”
“No.”
I stared at him. “No?”
He turned the display toward us. “It’s not simply sitting inside your head, Captain. It’s integrated itself with your nervous system. Filaments from the organism have spread throughout the surrounding neural tissue and formed connections with your existing pathways.”
Garrett’s expression hardened. “So cut it out.”
“I can’t. Not without taking part of your nervous system with it.”
I swallowed. “You’re saying this thing is part of me now?”
The doctor’s silence lasted just a little too long.
“Yes, Captain. As far as I can determine, it’s permanent.”
My gaze drifted around the room as I considered what purpose such an implant could possibly serve. “What does it do?” I pressed, my frustration mounting as he gave another helpless shake of his head. At this point, I was beginning to suspect Starfleet had saddled me with a subpar physician as well. “Its function remains unclear,” he admitted, turning the display toward us again. “The organism has integrated with so many neural pathways that its potential applications appear ... extensive.”
My eyes widened as a chilling thought occurred to me. “Can they control us?” I asked sharply.
“There is no evidence to confirm that hypothesis,” he replied, but the slight hesitation in his voice did little to quell my unease.
As we walked toward the turbolift together, I glanced over at Garrett. “Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of them,” I murmured, my voice tight with apprehension. He met my gaze, his expression grim as he gave a single curt nod.
We stepped inside the lift. “Computer...” I began, then stopped as my gaze shifted to Garrett. “Turn around,” I instructed quietly. He shot me a puzzled look but complied, rotating to face the wall. There, at the nape of his neck, I saw the telltale mark—the precise point of entry where that alien device had violated his flesh. Drawn by a surge of empathy and morbid curiosity, I reached out and gently brushed my fingertips over the tender scar. At my touch, every hair on his neck instantly stiffened in response.
“I saw you in pain,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. He turned to face me fully, his blue eyes locking onto mine with startling intensity. “That scream...” My words trailed off as the memory of his raw agony echoed in my mind. “I know you felt it too,” he said quietly, the unspoken understanding passing between us like a shared current.
I hardened my resolve. “We need to decipher their communications,” I declared, my tone resolute. Garrett nodded, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Yes, Captain,” he agreed as we both turned to face the doors once more. Squaring my shoulders, I spoke with renewed determination. “Computer ... bridge!”
Stepping onto the bridge, I called out sharply, “Lieutenant Brennan!” He whirled from his console, eyes wide with shock. I halted mid-stride, my brow furrowing as I took in his startled expression. “Captain!” he exclaimed. “What is it?” I demanded, my voice tight with concern.
Brennan’s fingers flew across his console with practiced efficiency. Suddenly, the unmistakable baritone of Captain Avery Shaw reverberated through the bridge - a recording of his encounter with the Kaelari.
Captain Shaw: “I am Captain Avery Shaw of the USS Endeavour, we have no hostile intent.”
“I’ve already reviewed this transmission,” I informed Brennan as he shook his head emphatically. “Just listen, Captain,” he insisted while adjusting the playback. The bridge fell silent except for the static crackling over the recording as we waited for the Kaelari’s response to emerge from the noise.
Kaelari Vessel: “Please, do not be afraid. We intend you no harm.”
My breath caught as my eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping my parted lips. Around me, every head snapped toward the speakers with identical expressions of stunned disbelief. When I turned to Garrett, I found his reaction mirrored mine exactly – eyes rounded in shock, mouth slightly agape.
Captain Shaw: “We are experiencing difficulties deciphering your language, but our people are working diligently to rectify this situation.”
Kaelari Vessel: “We mean you no harm. Please lower your weapons.”
“Sir, the universal translators can’t process their speech patterns,” I heard one of his officers say. “They’ve surrounded us, Captain,” his tactical officer added urgently. “We must assume hostile intent.”
Kaelari Vessel: “We have come to this region of space seeking refuge from extinction. We are being hunted. Please, will you help us?”
My breath came in short, shallow gasps as my throat constricted. Moisture blurred my vision, making the bridge lights swim before me. “Captain?” Garrett’s deep voice penetrated my daze, his firm hand coming to rest on my shoulder.
“SIR? They’re reacting, trying to penetrate our shields,” the tactical officer’s recorded voice announced urgently.
Captain Shaw: “Cease your attempts immediately or I will interpret this as hostile intent!”
I raised my hand to halt the playback as Brennan stopped it. “How did you decipher it so quickly?” I asked, my gaze fixed on him. Brennan shook his head slowly, his expression perplexed. “It wasn’t me, Captain,” he admitted, gesturing vaguely toward the console. “I just listened to the same recordings we already had ... and suddenly there it was, clear as day.”
I swept my gaze across the bridge, taking in each crewmember’s face. “Everyone heard that correctly? The Kaelari speaking English?” A chorus of nods answered me as I released a shaky exhale. Good—I hadn’t lost my grip on reality after all.
T’Pren interjected calmly, “That is not entirely accurate, Captain. Logic dictates they are speaking their native language.” Her dark eyes met mine as I turned to her. “Indeed? Could the Kaelari have modified our translation algorithms?”
Brennan interjected, his brow furrowing in confusion, “We actually turned off the translator during that playback, Captain ... but we still understood every word.”
“Our systems have not been altered, Captain,” T’Pren stated with her customary Vulcan composure. “We have.” The truth struck me like a physical blow - how could I have missed something so glaringly obvious? I mentally chastised myself for not arriving at that conclusion sooner.
Those neural implants weren’t translating their words. They were allowing us to understand them—somehow forging a bridge between our species.
I moved toward the turbolift, turning to address the bridge. “Senior staff will reconvene in the observation lounge in one hour.”
As I turned back toward the lift, Garrett’s voice stopped me. “Captain? Where are you going?”
I shot him a sharp look over my shoulder. “I’m heading to the head, Lieutenant. Care to observe?”
His expression faltered. “No, Captain.”
“Good.”
I took my seat at the head of the polished rectangular table in the observation lounge, the wide viewport stretching along the aft wall displaying an expanse of stars. My senior officers settled around me - Mira Rejal and Evan Mitchell to my right, Garrett Stone directly opposite, with Eliott Brennan and Darius Carter completing the assembly to my left.
The lounge provided sufficient space to grant us some small measure of comfort. “Right,” I began, leaning forward with my hands interlaced upon the table’s surface. “We’ve all been abducted by the Kaelari—stripped, violated, and implanted with biogenic organisms now integrated into our brains.” Around me, heads nodded in grim acknowledgment.
My voice caught in my throat as I continued, the memory of that searing agony vivid enough to make my palms sweat. “I’m certain we’ve all endured that horrific pain—a violation that convinced me beyond doubt the Kaelari were hostile, that they meant us harm.” I paused, my thoughts snagging on the implications of what we’d just witnessed. “Until...” The word hung there, heavy with unspoken revelation.
My gaze shifted to Garrett. “Until we understood them,” he completed my thought as I gave a slow nod of agreement. “There’s no question the Kaelari employed extreme measures to make us comprehend their situation,” I acknowledged, my eyes dropping for a moment before settling on Mira.
The young ensign trembled visibly in her seat. “Ensign?” I asked gently, genuine concern coloring my tone. “I was terrified, Captain,” she admitted, her voice quivering. As I reached out to place a reassuring hand over hers resting on the table. “You don’t understand, ma’am!” Mira exclaimed with sudden urgency, her dark eyes wide with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.
Then I saw it.
Anger.
Her trembling hand curled into a fist beneath mine. “They took me from my station. They stripped me. Restrained me.” Her voice hardened with every word. “They put something inside my head while I couldn’t even fight back.”
“Mira—”
“I don’t care what they were saying!” she snapped, then immediately caught herself. “Forgive me, Captain.”
I withdrew my hand slowly as she straightened in her chair.
“They had no right.”
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