[NVC Day 27] -- [Open Office] -- [Open to All]

[kirktastic]

With the sentencing over, the Enterprise would soon be leaving Sha'Kwai and returning to its original mission. By this point, Jim was ready for it. He wanted off the planet, his wanderlust getting the better of it. It was the longest stretch of time he had spent in once place minus his years at the Academy - always moving, always traveling, wanting

Comments

[original_fine]

It was an unorthodox way of holding office hours, but Jim couldn't argue with the impulse. Why didn't they have a deck? He and Spock had, fortunately, showing up during a lull, and Jim was glad to see that Kirk looked better than he had. Maybe they'd gotten someone to fix what had gone terribly wrong.

"Jim?" he called out from the door as he entered. "Sorry. Captain!"

[kirktastic]

"Actually," Kirk waggled a finger at nothing at all, "that's what I've based part of my theory around. The mirror Pike and his Spock, and the stuff you," now the finger was directed at them, "and Scotty did with McCoy. That deliberate movement." A good term for it.

[original_fine]

Jim frowned. "But our arrival wasn't deliberate," he said. "Nor the rest of my crew, or James'."

[sehlatbear]

"Indeed, James's arrival was twice accidental as he was being transported from our ship to his own universe after malfunction brought him to us in the first place."

[kirktastic]

Kirk sat up more, eyes bright. He hadn't fully told anyone, not even Bones yet, about his theory but... "That's the point."

He drew a circle on the table between them. "Say this is us. Right now, this universe." He drew straight lines, several, to either side of it. "And these are parallel universes. What I think happened, was the black hole that the Narada and the Jellyfish came through was a man-made anomaly. It punched a hole between our two universes - the one that they came from, and this one

[original_fine]

"I don't know," Jim said. "We're from the same universe as Nero--different times, though. Uhura came through months after us, but mere days had passed for her. And Marlena and James are separated by years, from what I can tell." He paused in thought. "If it's possible to get back deliberately, that's what we should be focusing on. And it makes more sense to do it where these phenomena have been observed."

He didn't know, after all, that Starbase 69 wasn't next to the hole Nero had made.

[kirktastic]

"I think though we do know how to go back deliberately," Kirk said. "We've managed it between universes. McCoy did it, and so did Pike and his Spock. And nothing said that universes all move in the same time as each other."

[original_fine]

Jim blinked at him for a moment.

"If we could get home," he said slowly, "we would have." He glanced at Spock. "Spock would have found a way. The fact that he hasn't yet doesn't mean it's impossible, but I don't think we've got all the data we need or we'd be gone. This isn't a holiday, Jim. My ship needs me--don't you think I'd be there if I could?"

[sehlatbear]

"I have the calculations used by Pike and his Spock. They are not universal in application. And our McCoy was transported through the original anomaly with the full cooperation of a ship on the other side. To repeat that experiement would be to risk being beamed into open space."

Spock's brow was arched. Was that what James was suggesting they do?

[kirktastic]

A lot of responses went through his head, mostly because he didn't understand Spock's answer at all. They would have full cooperation of the ship on the other side. They had Scotty on the other side, and provided that the group of them could work together - they had talked not only to Scotty in the past, but Pike and his ship, so it could be done to settle things. If Spock already had the calculations, and they had a concept of how to do it, it seemed like

[original_fine]

It was lucky Jim couldn't read his younger self's mind. There was nothing in the universe that would have kept Jim from his ship, his crew, if there was the remotest possibility of a chance. The tenuous knowledge they'd had that their ship was waiting for them had fled when Scotty had had to move the ship, and subsequent tests had failed to establish the necessary communication link for cooperation.

They had a concept. It wasn't enough. And that weighed on Jim more every day.

He glanced at Spock. "We'll look into it," he said. "Thanks."

[kirktastic]

"Guess there isn't much more to say than that," Kirk gave a small smile towards them both. He was going to miss them both, their expertize. Jim had taught him about himself, though maybe not of what Jim would have thought. He felt more settled in his skin.

"We're giving Tina a ride over to the Starbase instead of her having to wait for a shuttle. You want the same?" He didn't know if Jim had business still on the planet.

[original_fine]

Jim had known he was making the right decision. Kirk's new comfort with it only confirmed that.

"I need to check with the rest of my crew," he said. "See what their plans are. But part of that's up to you--I don't want to speak for any of them, you understand. If they wanted a place on your ship--would there be one?"

Jim still felt like their captain. But he knew better that to assume or play on that loyalty.

[kirktastic]

"That wasn't what I met..." Kirk blinked, but smiled. "Of course though. If they want to stay, if they've made a life here... they're more than welcome. We'll have to do some stuff to make it permanent... but they need to make that choice. Are they your crew or mine or this Starfleet's people." His tone was soft, because he knew it was asking them to make a heavy choice, but everyone knew it had been coming eventually.

[original_fine]

"Oh, I know." Jim waved a hand. "I meant that before I solidify our plans, I need to talk to my crew and make sure they're provided for. And the others, too--I more or less feel responsible for them."

[kirktastic]

Kirk nodded slightly. "I would too," his tone understanding, "We'll be shipping out in three days. So let them know.. they're free to talk to me, ask questions if they need it about what they decide to do. Otherwise, I'll assume they are going with you."