"Spock, your estimation for arrival is precise as always, thank you. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am exhausted and ready for some shuteye. Let's all get some rest as soon as the second shift arrives. Captain Sulu, you're in command until the second shift commanding officer arrives to relieve you not long from now."

Sulu got up from his seat at the helm.

"Commanding the Enterprise is always a pleasure Captain! Pleasant dreams, Sir."

CHAPTER 5

In the interim two days during the slower voyage to Thasus, Captain Kirk used the downtime thinking about exactly what he would say to the now forty-something year old, Charlie Evans, once they arrived and located him on the planet's surface. That is if Charlie was still alive. Kirk imagined Charlie could use his powers to command his body to remain in perfect health so there was no reason to think Charlie had died of a heart attack or some other incurable illness. Then Kirk got an idea working inside his mind. He got out of bed, and went to his desk to thumb the inner-ship intercom. Shortly, Commander Janice Rand heard her buzzer go off. When she answered the hail she discovered it was Captain Kirk wishing to speak to her:

"Yes, Captain, this is Commander Rand, how may I help you?"

Kirk was ready with his question:

"Yes, Janice. I called to invite you to dinner in my quarters. I have something important to discuss with you in private. Can you come to my quarters now?"

Janice replied:

"Let me get into my uniform and I'll be there in ten minutes."

Kirk replied casually:

"Actually Janice, you may come dressed as you are now, it's perfectly okay and a casual dinner. I'm out of uniform myself."

Janice smiled and agreed:

"Okay, Captain, I'll leave right now. See you in five minutes."

Five minutes later the chime of Kirk's sliding doors went off. He got up to thumb the open button and when the doors slid open, there stood Janice Rand looking lovely as always, but even more lovely in her gown and jewelry, with her hair down and her face expertly made-up. Kirk could smell the familiar favorite perfume Janice always wore even while in uniform:

"Welcome, Janice, it's always a pleasure to see you, especially out of uniform for a change. I have ordered us Chicken Chow Mein so I hope that's to your liking."

Janice winked:

"I can eat Chinese food any time, Captain."

Kirk smiled again:

"Feel free to call me Jim, Janice. This is a casual meeting between us. It's nothing official."

Janice smiled:

"Okay...Jim."

The Chow Mein was already laid out on Kirk's desk that he cleared to serve as a dinner table for two. The extra chair was placed opposite his usual seat facing the doors. Kirk was polite and slid Janice's chair away from the desk so she could sit down. Then he took his own seat opposite her:

"First, I suggest we enjoy ourselves eating over small talk. After we eat I'll serve us both a nice synthetic vodka cocktail, and then we can discuss the matter I asked you here to talk about."

Janice nodded and took off the cover to her plate. The Chinese food smelled delicious because she hadn't had dinner yet. The small talk was about the usual things, beside the weather for obvious reasons, given there's no such thing as weather on board a starship. After the pair finished their dinner, the porter cleared the table then Kirk opened his miniature wet bar and prepared two martinis with two simulated olives skewered on plastic swords:

"Okay, Janice, I wonder if you can guess why I invited you to a casual dinner?"

Janice was keen enough to guess what Kirk wanted to talk about. She, like the rest of the crew, had been notified about the current events and the mission they were on:

"It's about Charlie Evans, isn't it? You want to talk to me about Charlie Evans, right?"

 

Kirk took a sip of his martini and replied:

"Good girl, Janice. You are always a step-ahead like a smart yeoman who already made Commander. Yes, I wish to talk with you about Charlie Evans. I don't need to remind you what took place on board the Enterprise when we brought Charlie aboard when he was about 20 years old and very immature with no real social skills due to him having lived in total isolation fending for his self until the Thasians began to help him. We both know none of us knew the Thasians had given Charlie seemingly godlike powers. But that is academic. The reason I needed to talk to you about Charlie is because when we get to Thasus I am going to need your help."

Janice smiled and said:

"Okay, what do you have in mind, Jim?"

Kirk replied:

"Once we locate Charlie, I will be beaming down to try and talk to him about our current crisis concerning Gary Mitchell. It is imperative I manage to convince Charlie to help us because he's the only human being we know of who has powers similar to Gary Mitchell's powers. That's where you come in Janice. I am counting on Charlie recognizing you as soon as he sees you, and I am hoping he will remember the young man's crush he had on you even if that never worked out for him. We can assume all these 20 odd years Charlie's been alone without the company of a beautiful woman like you or any other kind of woman for that matter. Now don't get the idea that I want to ask you to seduce Charlie Evans, Janice. I want you along as simple sex appeal when I find Charlie. You can manage that much, right?"

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