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They haven’t even been on the planet’s surface for a full ten minutes when they encounter people. That might not seem like such a big deal on a more inhabited planet, but here on the crystalline surface of Mu Four it’s definitely… odd.
Particularly since their sensors hadn’t picked up signs of any other ships or life forms nearby before they’d beamed down.
Kirk gives a silent signal to his team to stay on their toes and they approach the pair of… humans? It’s impossible to tell from this distance but given the way the taller of the two is gesticulating madly, Vulcan is unlikely.
They’re still a good distance away when the pair turns around to face them.
‘Oh! Rose, look! People! Hello!” The man – for they can now see it’s a man and a woman – gives them a rather enthusiastic wave, his long brown coat flapping at his side. The woman gives them a grin and a wave as well, albeit a more sedate version of her partner’s.
Jim opens his mouth to speak but it thwarted by the man before them letting another rather excited “Oh!”
“Rose!” he exclaims, elbowing his companion in the ribs. “It’s Captain James T. Kirk!” This clearly means nothing to her but she smiles politely at them, none the less.
Kirk is less amused. “Now hold on –"
But the man has already moved on down the line. “S'chn T'gai Spock!” Spock’s surprise at hearing his full name pronounced correctly is manifest only in a slight facial tic.
“And you. You!” the man says, coming at last to McCoy. “Dr. Leonard H. McCoy. This man,” he continues, turning back to the girl at his side. “Now this man is a doctor.”
He says the word as if it is a weighty title, but his insouciance quickly returns. “Not the Doctor, mind, because that’s me and he’s not.” He squints at McCoy. “You’re not?”
The look McCoy gives Kirk is half amused, half ‘I blame you.’ “I can say with absolute certainty, I’m not.” He says dryly, turning back to the man.
“Good. That’s good.” The man continues. “Not that I would mind being you. You’ve got a nice nose. Wouldn’t mind a nose like that, me.”
McCoy just quirks an eyebrow and thanks whatever God sent him Jim Kirk for the years of training he’s had dealing with bubbly insanity.
Kirk opens his mouth again, and again he is steamrollered by the skinny guy in the suit. “Right, well, I’m the Doctor. This is Rose.” His companion gives a little wave and the man – the doctor? - stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels, looking at them all like they were very small children that had just done something very clever.
The Doctor leans over to Rose and in a voice that is possibly supposed to be a whisper but carries easily to everyone’s ears he says “Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy have just been married, you know.”
“What?” McCoy yelps, at the same time Kirk says “Married?”
The Doctor looks surprised to find they were listening. “It is 2262?”
“It is the Earth year 2259,” Spock offers helpfully, his gaze nothing more than curious.
“Ah,” the Doctor says brightly, turning to Rose. “Nevermind then. Well, we should be off. Stars to see, planets to visit and all that. Come on, Rose.” And with that he’s off walking across the barren, if bizarrely beautiful, surface of the planet.
“It was nice to meet you,” Rose offers with a smile before she scrambles to catch up, neatly tucking her hand into his.
The away team stands slightly dumbfounded as they watch the pair walk sedately toward the horizon. “Rose, what do you think of visiting Greece? Greece is lovely. Oh, we could visit Caesar. Interesting man, Caesar. Nice nose.”
“What the hell just happened?” Kirk asks, looking more than a little amused.
McCoy just throws his hands up in defeat. “I’m going back to the ship”