Valerie stepped forward and showed the shaken driver a bag of gold bars—this was a "compensation" Osiris had temporarily synthesized using the ship's basic element synthesizer, its value far exceeding that of the vehicle and the transport mission itself.
"This is your compensation, enough for you to buy ten new cars. Now, please get out of the car and go to the roadside. Our doctor will give you a simple health check and escort you to a safe area. We are temporarily borrowing this vehicle."
The driver looked at the gleaming gold bars in the bag, then at the group of strange and highly skilled people in front of him, and wisely chose to cooperate.
McCoy immediately stepped forward to fulfill his duty of "ensuring personnel safety," while also briefly blurring the driver's memory.
This was to avoid unnecessary trouble; while not as thorough as a neural neutralizer, it was enough to make him confused about the details of the event for a period of time.
The transport vehicle was successfully taken over, and Maine's team members quickly got in, with Valerie taking the driver's seat.
The vehicle restarted and headed towards the valley where the Enterprise was hidden.
Under Valerie's driving, the transport vehicle smoothly headed towards the valley outside the city.
Inside the compartment, Maine's team members had just relaxed, thinking the trickiest part was over.
However, at a seemingly ordinary intersection, a patrol police car happened to be stopped nearby. The officers inside noticed the large specialized transport vehicle and the faces in the cab, which had a distinctly different demeanor from typical drivers.
The red light turned on, and the transport vehicle stopped.
A young traffic policeman walked up and, as a matter of routine, asked Valerie to show her driver's license and vehicle documents.
Jackie immediately leaned out of the passenger seat, his face plastered with his most practiced smile, a mix of enthusiasm and bewilderment, and began to babble a story, claiming they were part of an avant-garde art team transporting "living sculptures" for a large performance art piece, attempting to bluff their way through with exaggerated words and fictional details.
However, Valerie could not produce a driver's license that met the requirements of this era, and Jackie's flawed story only deepened the officer's suspicion.
The officer's eyes became wary, his hand went to the walkie-talkie on his waist, and he motioned for them to pull over, demanding that everyone get out for further inspection.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Valerie exchanged a glance with Maine in the back compartment and instantly made a decision.
Before the officer could speak again, Valerie struck with lightning speed, delivering a precise chop to the officer's neck, causing him to instantly collapse and lose consciousness.
She quickly dragged the officer to a relatively safe spot on the roadside, then jumped back into the driver's seat, stomped on the accelerator, and the transport vehicle sped off with a screech of tires.
"We've been exposed! Shake them off!" Valerie growled into the communicator.
The stunned officer's partner had already called for backup via the walkie-talkie.
Soon, piercing sirens sounded from behind, and more and more police cars joined the pursuit.
The transport vehicle was large and not agile on the city streets, and it was about to be surrounded by police cars.
Just at this critical moment, a group of people in strange outfits, riding roaring motorcycles, suddenly burst out of a nearby alley—it was the local hippies and their biker friends whom Jackie had spoken to earlier.
They clearly recognized Jackie's group of "uniquely styled" outsiders and saw that they were being pursued by the police.
"Hey! It's those 'alien' friends!" The leading hippie shouted, then made a few gestures to his companions.
These young people immediately understood; they were not acting out of disregard for the law, but rather out of a sense of camaraderie for "kindred spirits" and a rebellious attitude towards "authority."
In an instant, the motorcycle convoy split into two streams. One accelerated to the front of the transport vehicle, deliberately driving in a serpentine pattern to block the pursuing police cars; the other followed alongside the transport vehicle, honking loudly, waving clothes, creating immense chaos and noise, and drawing the police's attention.
They used their familiarity with the city's alleys to guide Valerie into an unplanned side road that avoided the main thoroughfares.
This sudden street chaos successfully disrupted the police's pursuit formation.
Taking advantage of the police being tied up by the bikers, Valerie drove the transport vehicle sharply into a cluster of warehouses in an industrial area. After several quick weaves and turns, they finally temporarily shook off their pursuers.
"Nice work, friends! Drinks on me later!" Jackie leaned out of the car window and shouted to the bikers who were scattering to draw away the police, tossing out a few remaining synthetic energy bars as a temporary thank you gift.
After a thrilling but ultimately safe escape, the transport vehicle finally left the city and sped towards the valley where the Enterprise was hidden.
This unexpected street chase, while adding unplanned risks, also unexpectedly tested the reliability of the fragile alliance they had formed with the "outcasts" of this era.
Ultimately, they successfully brought the transport vehicle carrying George and Grace back to the Enterprise.
The transport vehicle safely entered the valley where the Enterprise was hidden.
The crew, already prepared, immediately sprang into action.
Under Scott's command, the cargo bay doors in the Enterprise's belly slowly opened, and a powerful tractor beam precisely enveloped the special container, smoothly lifting it, along with George and Grace swimming peacefully inside, into the spacious, temporarily modified cargo bay.
Dr. Taylor followed closely throughout, directing efforts to ensure the whales were as comfortable as possible during the transfer.
When the container was finally securely fastened to the cargo bay base, and the life support system began to operate, simulating appropriate water pressure, temperature, and salinity, she let out a long sigh of relief, watching George and Grace, who seemed not to have been too startled in the water.
However, when Kirk signaled that she should leave and return to her own time, Dr. Taylor firmly shook her head.
"No, Captain Kirk," her gaze swept across the incredible starship, finally resting on the whale container, "I have spent years studying them, understanding them. They are my responsibility.
Now you are taking them to a completely unfamiliar era, to face an unknown… probe.
They need familiar voices, someone who can understand their condition. I must be with them."
Kirk looked at the stubborn scientist, understanding her concerns.
Considering her knowledge of the whales and the help she could provide, as well as the fact that he had already involved her in a time paradox, Kirk, after a brief deliberation, agreed to her request: "Alright, Doctor, welcome aboard. But please remember, what you are about to see may completely overturn your understanding."
Dr. Taylor nodded solemnly.
All personnel quickly boarded the ship, and the cargo bay doors closed tightly.
The Enterprise's engines started, and the optical stealth system made the massive ship rise silently into the 20th-century sky as if it had never appeared, soaring straight into the heavens.
"All systems in position, Captain," Sulu reported.
"Set course for the sun. Repeat gravity slingshot procedure." Kirk's voice echoed on the bridge, filled with determination.