Fic: The Point of No Return
Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series/Star Trek Reboot
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kirk/Spock, Kirk Prime/Spock Prime, Scotty/Uhura, Sulu/Chekov
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Star Trek.
Written for the kink meme prompt: nu!Enterprise inadvertently travels to TOS!verse. Cue Kirks confusedly trying to figure out what's going on, Spock contemplating his multiple future selves (bonus points if Spock Prime is on the ship, making 3 Spocks in the area), Uhura Prime trying to convince Nu!Uhura that Scotty's the hottest thing ever (I'm like 90% sure they ended up together after one of the movies), and the McCoys drinking together.
Also: Sulus debating hobbies, Chekovs giggling over advanced mathematics, and Scotty Prime introducing nu!Scotty to tribble breeding.
The Point of No Return
Despite a lot of bickering, deranged yelling, and nearly starting an intergalactic war the mission had been…well successful was not the correct word to use, not a complete disaster was more appropriate. They had managed to get the captain back on board, fired up the ship, and escaped the Tholian Web just in time. It all would have been wonderful really, if a ship hadn’t already been occupying the sector of space that they were thrown into.
James T. Kirk practically fell out of the turbolift onto the bridge as the shaking stopped.
“Report! What did we hit?”
“Scanning now.”
Before Spock could give a full report the view-screen came back up and the bridge crew stood there with their jaws on the floor at the sight in front of them.
“It is the Enterprise, captain,” Chekov announced belatedly.
“Spock, are…are we all just seeing things?”
“The hull appears to be made of more reflective material, but all readings do indicate it is.”
“How, how can that be?”
“Unknown. It is possible that this space has allowed it to be here. Whatever the case it is here and obviously it is solid.”
“Any life form readings?”
“Several, captain, but they don’t appear to be moving very much and many more are not moving at all.”
“Uhura, open a channel.”
“I have, sir, I’m getting no-”
Just then a static filled message came through.
“Is anyone out there?”
“This is Lieutenant Uhura please respond.”
“Who?”
“Lieutenant Uhura of the USS Enterprise.”
“U-Uhura?”
“Yes, what is your status?”
“Then the next question I have for you is, when are we?”
Uhura tried to clear the static and then the line went dead.
“Please respond.”
She received only silence and turned to face Jim.
“Nothing, captain.”
“Can we get visual on their bridge?”
“Negative, captain,” Spock said, coming over to him.
“All right, Scotty, prepare to beam us over there. Bones, you’re coming too they may need medical assistance.”
***
On the other Enterprise Spock picked himself up off the floor with the aid of his captain. Despite obvious damage to the ship Mr. Scott was still with them as they had auxiliary power. As he began to scan for further problems he was distracted when the turbolift opened and three familiar men walked out. Spock stood there staring at what appeared to be a rescue party, or more specifically at the man who stood to the right of his captain.
“I cannot bring myself to be surprised.”
“Well I can, what the hell is going on here?” James Kirk asked.
“That is something we would all like to know Mr…?”
“Kirk.”
Jim flinched. “I had hoped we’d be wrong. May I call you, James?”
“Sure, whatever.”
Before anyone needed to explain further impulse power came on as well and a ship came up on the view-screen.
“Oh, shit.”
Quickly James went over to his chair and hit the com.
“Bones, you still alive?”
“For now, and I’d be around a lot longer if you’d stop shaking the ship all around the quadrant.”
“Come to the briefing room...and bring the ambassador with you he’s probably familiar with this sort of crap by now.”
***
Spock Prime resisted the temptation to roll his eyes as McCoy ran his tricorder over him for the third time, as they made their way to the briefing room.
“I assure you, doctor, I am in fine physical condition.”
“Don’t stop me from doing my job, sir! I get enough of that from the other green-blooded hobgoblin.”
McCoy stopped short as he saw the other group coming down the hallway.
“Oh, dear god he’s multiplied.”
As the Vulcan’s eyebrows went up McCoy Prime glared at his Spock.
“Spock, don’t you dare say it’s fascinating.”
“I shall not. Still it is quite remarkable. An ambassador he called you.”
“That is correct,” the ambassador responded.
“Most interesting.”
“All will be explained in good time I’m sure, shall we?”
They went into the briefing room and spent the next several minutes sitting around the table, mostly staring at everybody else, while slowly trying to explain the events that had lead them to crossing paths.
“So, you were attempting to escape a gravitational pull and ended up here?”
“I guess so, is that possible?” James asked the ambassador.
“It is. Whiplash can propel us backwards, but it should have pushed us to a past in your timeline not this one.”
“You are not native to their timeline?” Spock asked.
“No, in all respects I am you. Their dimension is an off-shoot from this one. Its creation and my being in it cannot be disclosed, but the arrangement is permanent.”
Spock nodded as if he’d merely been told the statistics of bumblebee mating habits. “We do know that this area of space is unstable. You could have been brought here when we escaped the Tholians. You’re advanced age indicates that our universe is ahead of yours within the time stream, and so when you went back in time you crossed over to our dimension, to what is an earlier era.”
“It is possible.”
“So, exactly how much can we change?” James asked the eldest Spock.
“Nothing.”
“Wait, why can’t we screw around with shit? It’s not our universe you guys just said so.”
“Because if as you say ‘we screw around with shit.’ That affects my timeline and any changes to me may affect my future which is now, for better or worse, directly tied to your universe.”
“And if we do anything here we could fuck up our timeline more than it already is. Jesus this sucks.”
“Your uh…dialect is quite different from mine. Is that normal where you’re from?” Jim asked, not quite sure what to think about the young captain who was him and yet not him.
“No, it is a bad habit we are trying to break him of, captain. I apologize for my superior’s rough tone.”
“Hey, I like being expressive.”
“Need I remind you of the incident with the beryllium ambassador?”
“He was asking for it, Spock, and how was I supposed to know that he could take the term ‘go fuck yourself’ literally?”
“Gentlemen, this is really not the time. If you truly wish to have a debate on the benefits of profanity I can supply you with a detailed and itemized list of colourful metaphors to be discussed at a later date.”
Jim couldn’t help, but chuckle. “Why, Mr. Spock, are you teasing them?”
“When one reaches my age, Jim, one must find new ways of interaction to fill one’s days.”
McCoy's blue eyes practically lit up at those words. “Well I can’t believe it the computer actually lightens up.”
“Doctor, computers maintain a constant spectro frequency and as such cannot lighten up,” young Spock announced with certainty from the other side of the table.
McCoy leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Well one out of three is better than nothing.”
“All right let me see if I understand this correctly. You,” Jim said, pointing at the elder Spock, “are our Spock from the future.”
“Indeed, Jim.”
“And through some future events that we cannot be aware of you travelled back in time, but because of other unspecified events the timeline had already been irreversibly changed when you arrived causing an alternate universe. That’s why there are two of you.”
Both Spock and the elder Spock nodded.
“Now all of you have travelled back in time, perhaps hopping dimensions along the way, and we have to get you back to your proper time and space, or we all have the potential to blink out of existence at any time.”
“I believe that is an adequate summation of the situation, captain.”
Jim rubbed a hand against his temple.
“I think I’m getting a migraine.”
“I think I need a drink.”
Spock crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair in thought. “Actually, captain, this opens up intriguing possibilities. We have always worked on the assumption that things must be set right in order for the time stream to remain stable. Them being here offers the theoretical possibility that should an event not be corrected a new universe shall grow to accommodate it while the other remains intact as far as we know. After a certain pivotal threshold, past the point of no return if you will, and when that point is, is unknown.”
“We could be working in one right now. One in which we have crossed paths and somewhere there is another that has not.”
“There could be dozens of them.”
All three Spocks raised an eyebrow in unison.
“Fascinating.”
“Okay now I know I need a drink,” blue-eyed McCoy said, getting up from his chair.
“I’d like to join you, what do you have?” Bones asked his older counter-part.
“Saurian Brandy.”
Bones smiled. “I think I’m going to like this universe after all.”
“Bones, is that truly…the most constructive use of your time?” Jim asked looking at his CMO in disbelief.
“I’m merely a doctor, untangling a string of universes is not my department,” he announced, and left.
The other McCoy merely shrugged and followed his counter-part out the door.
“Well despite our doctors not wishing to give aid the first thing we have to do is repair the ships. I propose we start with mine and then yours as mine, hopefully, has less damage. Then we have to find someway to get you home.”
“Of course, and-oh look I’m sorry, but this is just really creepy! I don’t know how you two stand it!”
“One adjusts,” the Spocks answered.
“Well since you two are comfortable with each other you won’t mind working with our Spock to get you home.”
“Of course, Jim.”
Jim twitched slightly at the use of his name. Not that he minded really it was just strange to hear it so frequently from him. That elder Spock was so, so human, how was his Spock ever supposed to be that? Well at the moment it didn’t matter and he knew he wouldn’t get an answer even if he asked. He needed to focus on other issues.
“Kirk to Enterprise.”
“Scott here, sir.”
“Scotty, how much damage?”
“We blew a lot of circuitry in the collision, captain, repairs will be tricky.”
“Well luckily we have the perfect person to help you.”
***
“You’re really okay with this, laddie?”
“I’ve already dealt with people from the future it’s nothing new, sir,” Scotty answered as he rummaged through a drawer, until the drawer gave a squeak. The older Scotty came over quickly and slammed the drawer closed.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
“Now come on you can’t hide things from yourself.”
“I’d be willingly to show if you do not tell the captain, either of them.”
The slightly younger man nodded and Scotty opened the desk drawer again and pulled out a small brown ball of fur from it.
“It’s a tribble,” the younger Scotty practically squealed with delight.
“Mind now you don’t feed it or you’ll have an infestation of your hands.”
“I haven’t seen one of these in a long time, may I hold it?”
***
Jim entered the science bay as the day drew to a close. “Mr. Spock.”
“Yes,” all three responded, not looking up from the myriad of tapes and PADDs spread out before them on a table.
“My Spock specifically.”
That Spock left the table and approached him.
“Dare I ask how you three are progressing?”
“Our work has been quite satisfactory. We have been able to calculate back their route through time and tomorrow we can simulate a flight pattern to test our hypothesis. If it is successful they will get home safely within in twenty-four hours, assuming of course that all repairs have been made to the ship.”
The youngest Spock now left the table. “Then if we have reached our work quota for the day, gentlemen, I shall check back with my captain. Will you be coming?”
The eldest Spock shook his head. “I wish to remain here, with your permission of course, Jim.”
“If that is what you want, Spock, you’re more than welcome to.”
The youngest Spock nodded, bid his counterparts goodnight, and left.
***
Spock found as moved down the hallways that he was content. As odd as the situation had started out to be things were moving along swiftly, they had calculated the proper cold warp formula needed to get them home, hopefully testing would bear that out tomorrow, and the repairs, on both ships now, were progressing smoothly. As Spock headed back to his own Enterprise he found Chekov seated at the transporter console earnestly babbling away in Russian any mathematical equation he could think up with the younger Chekov.
Once back on his Enterprise he was informed that both Sulus had confined themselves to the gym to debate the advantages of fencing blades, while Uhura for some reason was telling Nyota all about Mr. Scott’s favourite types of food and preferred alcoholic beverages.
He arrived at their quarters and now, in private, he wished to indulge fully. He leaned over the desk, where James was working, and kissed him soundly. James responded eagerly, pulling himself out of the chair, and letting his hands move underneath Spock’s shirt.
“Nice to see you too.”
“You are tense,” Spock noted, “Have I offended you, Jim?”
“No, but you haven’t been within two feet of me for the whole day either I was beginning to think I’d pissed you off.”
“Not at all, Jim, I merely felt that the depth of our feelings should not be shown to the other captain.”
“Why not?”
“My elder self calls him Jim regularly. Your counter-part and mine appear surprised at this constant use of endearment indicating that they have not reached the point in the relationship that we have. Therefore it is best that we do not display public affection least we alter events in the past.”
James frowned, all these restrictions were really starting to annoy him. Everyone got to wreck havoc on the time stream but him. “You owe me for this.”
“Do you wish to make my debt a written contract?”
“Yeah, in hot fudge sauce,” James said, and practically threw Spock onto their bed.
***
Spock observed his elder self as he wandered onto the observation deck. He had chosen to remain on this Enterprise rather than going back to his own. He had been unable to determine a motive for this. Nostalgia perhaps, the man was more emotional that much was plainly obvious. Spock calculated that there was a minimum a century of age between them and he appeared even more comfortable in his skin than he was now, how intriguing. He wondered what life experiences he would have that would bring about such a shift in personality, but he knew better than to ask. Still it was very tempting.
His older self turned to look at him as he approached.
“You are curious about me,” he said with an amused glint in his eye.
“It is logical to be. It is not everyday one is given the opportunity to meet oneself, especially at such a different stage of life.”
“Of course. You may ask what you wish and I will answer what I can.”
“You are very different with him than you are with me,” he said, speaking of the younger Spock they had both worked with.
“Because he is different from us, certain experiences that we did not have, have shaped him into being someone else.”
“He appears in many ways to be uneasy with himself, as we were once.”
“He has suffered and lost much…and he is like that because I failed,” his head dropped for a moment before he regained his composure. “It is not unlike raising a son. He is not the same and yet you know he will still go through so many things that you know he must go through. To determine what to influence and what to let go is a difficult balance. Pushing too hard for my own goals will strain the relationship as you well know.”
“Indeed, will that relationship improve?”
“Unfortunately that relationship in many respects must remain as it is, but he will come to see us as his son again.”
“Most fortunate, will there be children?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“In a manner of speaking.”
At that Spock’s thoughts turned to who those potential children might be with.
“You are still close to Jim.”
“Yes,” the older Spcok answered, and clutched his hand around a small pendent he had around his neck. “I cannot reveal all the details of that of course, but I do encourage you to stay with him and to enjoy his company.”
“At times it is difficult to believe I shall survive another standard week with him with all we deal with and yet to see you here, to know that there is so much more to come; it is pleasing.”
“Your life will indeed be full of many things and I do have to say that overall I have no regrets.”
Spock raised an eyebrow as his older self began to depart.
“That is a human idiom.”
“Exactly.”
***
The next day James checked in to assess damage control.
“Scotty, how are we doing?”
“Give us another two hours captain and we’ll be ready.”
With that announcement Spock went up to James, leaned in, and whispered, “go to him, Jim, I know you wish to and you will never get another chance to do so.”
James nodded and went to the turbolift as the doors opened he turned back.
“Mr. Spock, you have my permission to go aboard as well.”
“Acknowledged, captain.”
***
Jim opened the door to his quarters and was surprised to find his counter-part standing in the hallway.
“I thought I was creepy,” Jim said to the young man before him.
“I’m sorry about that and actually now that the shock has worn off I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“Depends on what it is.”
James stepped inside the room wanting to keep the following conversation private. “Tell me about our father.”
“Our father?”
“In my timeline he died when I was born, but I know that you knew him.”
“You’re serious?”
James nodded. “I’ve been told he was a great man.”
“More than that he was a great family man. Always ready to help me and Sam with anything we needed. Taking us to the Blackhills on trips every time he was on shore leave." Jim smiled. "Even Sam use to take his kids there every summer.”
James looked at his other self quizzically. “Use to? But he loves doing it. He wants to do it like two months from now, why would he stop?”
Jim quickly realized his mistake. “I…I’ve said too much. I forgot the age difference. I had assumed-”
“Assumed what? Did, did something happen?”
“I can’t say.”
“You have to! If there’s something wrong with him I want to know, for god sakes his third kid is due any day now!”
“I know how you feel Sam was-”
“Was, what do you mean was!?”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“What happened, dammit! What happened to my brother!?”
Jim just looked at the young man, his eyes hollow. “We can’t change anything.”
“My timeline has been changed for the worse already if I can change it for the better, even if it’s just one extra person who gets to live, I want to.”
Jim let himself smile again at that assertion. “Then we are not so different after all.”
Jim sat down at his desk and motioned for his other self to join him.
“On the stardate 3287.2 there will be an attack on the colony at Deneva by creatures known as neural parasites. In my timeline Sam and his wife died before we could defeat them.”
“But you know how to defeat them now, don't you?”
“Yes the parasites can be destroyed be high intensity ultra-violet, I repeat non-visible ultra-violet light. Perhaps if you can get there early enough even more lives than just those on Deneva could be saved.”
James looked at the other man so sorry for what he had lost and so grateful that now he could prevent from happening to his own family.
“Thank you, you don’t know what this means to me.”
“Yes, yes I do.”
***
The door buzzer rang and Spock turned off his computer.
“Come.”
He saw his younger counter-part step into the room. “I seek something of a personal nature.”
“If I can aid you I shall.”
“Do you speak with our mother?”
“Not recently. Circumstances have made such communication difficult, why do you ask?”
There was no need to exaggerate. “Curiosity.”
Spock sat back in thought. It was a strange subject of conversation, until he remembered the words of the other one. That that Spock had lost much, but surly he could not-but yes he must have there would be no logical reason to seek out something they both would have unless he no longer did.
“What do you wish to know of her?”
“Is she happy?”
“She is content.”
“Is she proud of us?”
“She is human and so I suppose she does express such emotions for us.”
The younger Spock nodded, that was good. Then he spotted a picture on the man's dresser. He looked at it, it didn’t seem, at first, that it should be her, but then he remembered that she would all ready by ten years older than when he had lost her. He carefully picked it up and clutched the small photo of her in hands.
“May I keep this?”
Spock nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Captain Kirk to Mr. Spock.”
“Spock here.”
“Are…both of the other yous with you?”
“Only one.”
“Well the other ship is ready to depart we’ll track down the other one and meet you in the transporter room.”
“Affirmative,” he answered, and the screen went blank.
“Is there a reason he addressed you while half-naked?” Spock asked, as they left his other self’s quarters.
“There are many facets of human behaviour I have yet to fully understand, that is one of them.”
***
Eventually the main group was assembled in the transporter room, and after double checking twice that each ship only had the crew members it was supposed to have, they got on the pad ready to leave. McCoy winked as his counter-part, who tucked a recipe for mint juleps further into his pocket
“Well I must say I’m rather sorry to see you all go. It has been an…enlightening experience,” Jim said.
As the transporter started up James let the rebel in him come out, wishing to enlighten his other self one more time, as he pulled Spock close and kissed him hard. Spock frowned in disapproval at his actions, a feeling that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“You could not resist could you?”
Jim, his jaw dropped in shock, glanced up at the older Spock who merely rolled his eyes at the display.
“I have no comment on the matter.”
With that the crew transported back to their own ship, that quickly warped away to its proper reality.
McCoy looked between the captain and the first officer with a cocky grin on his face. Spock excused himself and left the room. He felt a desire to contact his mother. Still the image of that Jim and another version of himself together openly it was-. Spock quickly refocused his thoughts. It did not matter it was a different universe, another life, just because that version of his captain had been so bold did not set in stone events here.
As he entered his quarters he looked at his desk to notice a tape he didn’t recall leaving there. Curious he put it into the computer.
“Voice recognition required.”
“Lieutenant Commander Spock.”
“Acknowledged.”
Spock watched intently as his older self appeared on the screen. “I apologize for the secrecy, but this message is for you alone. After careful thought I have found that I do have one regret that I wish to rectify if I can. No doubt our doctor McCoy would take great delight in my performing an action purely from an emotional base, but I feel I must. Even if this creates another divergence then at least one of us will be content. On the stardate 9715.5 Jim will come into contact with a force called the Nexus…”
***
In another universe the crew made it back to their proper time and place without further incident. There were no changes that anyone immediately noticed, but as the days went by Spock saw that their experience with his old crew had left a lasting impression. He watched Uhura go down to engineering with a bag of chips after each of her shifts. He spotted Jim asking to borrow an antique book from Lieutenant Riley and researching the colony of Deneva and its surrounding systems. Also Chekov and Sulu seemed to be on a mission to find every secluded closet and dark corner on the ship and claim it for their own purposes.
When his assignment was over he returned to New Vulcan. Coming to his home he noted the silence and that everything was just as he had left it. So nothing had changed after all. It had been foolishly human to hope. He ran his hand along the few small possessions of that other life that were left to him now, a locket that contained Jim’s last message to him still around his neck. A ring from doctor McCoy lie on a shelf, and next to it the book he had given Jim on his fiftieth birthday…a book that he had not brought with him to this universe. Spock turned as he heard footsteps approaching from another room.
“Hello, old friend.”
The End
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kirk/Spock, Kirk Prime/Spock Prime, Scotty/Uhura, Sulu/Chekov
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Star Trek.
Written for the kink meme prompt: nu!Enterprise inadvertently travels to TOS!verse. Cue Kirks confusedly trying to figure out what's going on, Spock contemplating his multiple future selves (bonus points if Spock Prime is on the ship, making 3 Spocks in the area), Uhura Prime trying to convince Nu!Uhura that Scotty's the hottest thing ever (I'm like 90% sure they ended up together after one of the movies), and the McCoys drinking together.
Also: Sulus debating hobbies, Chekovs giggling over advanced mathematics, and Scotty Prime introducing nu!Scotty to tribble breeding.
The Point of No Return
Despite a lot of bickering, deranged yelling, and nearly starting an intergalactic war the mission had been…well successful was not the correct word to use, not a complete disaster was more appropriate. They had managed to get the captain back on board, fired up the ship, and escaped the Tholian Web just in time. It all would have been wonderful really, if a ship hadn’t already been occupying the sector of space that they were thrown into.
James T. Kirk practically fell out of the turbolift onto the bridge as the shaking stopped.
“Report! What did we hit?”
“Scanning now.”
Before Spock could give a full report the view-screen came back up and the bridge crew stood there with their jaws on the floor at the sight in front of them.
“It is the Enterprise, captain,” Chekov announced belatedly.
“Spock, are…are we all just seeing things?”
“The hull appears to be made of more reflective material, but all readings do indicate it is.”
“How, how can that be?”
“Unknown. It is possible that this space has allowed it to be here. Whatever the case it is here and obviously it is solid.”
“Any life form readings?”
“Several, captain, but they don’t appear to be moving very much and many more are not moving at all.”
“Uhura, open a channel.”
“I have, sir, I’m getting no-”
Just then a static filled message came through.
“Is anyone out there?”
“This is Lieutenant Uhura please respond.”
“Who?”
“Lieutenant Uhura of the USS Enterprise.”
“U-Uhura?”
“Yes, what is your status?”
“Then the next question I have for you is, when are we?”
Uhura tried to clear the static and then the line went dead.
“Please respond.”
She received only silence and turned to face Jim.
“Nothing, captain.”
“Can we get visual on their bridge?”
“Negative, captain,” Spock said, coming over to him.
“All right, Scotty, prepare to beam us over there. Bones, you’re coming too they may need medical assistance.”
***
On the other Enterprise Spock picked himself up off the floor with the aid of his captain. Despite obvious damage to the ship Mr. Scott was still with them as they had auxiliary power. As he began to scan for further problems he was distracted when the turbolift opened and three familiar men walked out. Spock stood there staring at what appeared to be a rescue party, or more specifically at the man who stood to the right of his captain.
“I cannot bring myself to be surprised.”
“Well I can, what the hell is going on here?” James Kirk asked.
“That is something we would all like to know Mr…?”
“Kirk.”
Jim flinched. “I had hoped we’d be wrong. May I call you, James?”
“Sure, whatever.”
Before anyone needed to explain further impulse power came on as well and a ship came up on the view-screen.
“Oh, shit.”
Quickly James went over to his chair and hit the com.
“Bones, you still alive?”
“For now, and I’d be around a lot longer if you’d stop shaking the ship all around the quadrant.”
“Come to the briefing room...and bring the ambassador with you he’s probably familiar with this sort of crap by now.”
***
Spock Prime resisted the temptation to roll his eyes as McCoy ran his tricorder over him for the third time, as they made their way to the briefing room.
“I assure you, doctor, I am in fine physical condition.”
“Don’t stop me from doing my job, sir! I get enough of that from the other green-blooded hobgoblin.”
McCoy stopped short as he saw the other group coming down the hallway.
“Oh, dear god he’s multiplied.”
As the Vulcan’s eyebrows went up McCoy Prime glared at his Spock.
“Spock, don’t you dare say it’s fascinating.”
“I shall not. Still it is quite remarkable. An ambassador he called you.”
“That is correct,” the ambassador responded.
“Most interesting.”
“All will be explained in good time I’m sure, shall we?”
They went into the briefing room and spent the next several minutes sitting around the table, mostly staring at everybody else, while slowly trying to explain the events that had lead them to crossing paths.
“So, you were attempting to escape a gravitational pull and ended up here?”
“I guess so, is that possible?” James asked the ambassador.
“It is. Whiplash can propel us backwards, but it should have pushed us to a past in your timeline not this one.”
“You are not native to their timeline?” Spock asked.
“No, in all respects I am you. Their dimension is an off-shoot from this one. Its creation and my being in it cannot be disclosed, but the arrangement is permanent.”
Spock nodded as if he’d merely been told the statistics of bumblebee mating habits. “We do know that this area of space is unstable. You could have been brought here when we escaped the Tholians. You’re advanced age indicates that our universe is ahead of yours within the time stream, and so when you went back in time you crossed over to our dimension, to what is an earlier era.”
“It is possible.”
“So, exactly how much can we change?” James asked the eldest Spock.
“Nothing.”
“Wait, why can’t we screw around with shit? It’s not our universe you guys just said so.”
“Because if as you say ‘we screw around with shit.’ That affects my timeline and any changes to me may affect my future which is now, for better or worse, directly tied to your universe.”
“And if we do anything here we could fuck up our timeline more than it already is. Jesus this sucks.”
“Your uh…dialect is quite different from mine. Is that normal where you’re from?” Jim asked, not quite sure what to think about the young captain who was him and yet not him.
“No, it is a bad habit we are trying to break him of, captain. I apologize for my superior’s rough tone.”
“Hey, I like being expressive.”
“Need I remind you of the incident with the beryllium ambassador?”
“He was asking for it, Spock, and how was I supposed to know that he could take the term ‘go fuck yourself’ literally?”
“Gentlemen, this is really not the time. If you truly wish to have a debate on the benefits of profanity I can supply you with a detailed and itemized list of colourful metaphors to be discussed at a later date.”
Jim couldn’t help, but chuckle. “Why, Mr. Spock, are you teasing them?”
“When one reaches my age, Jim, one must find new ways of interaction to fill one’s days.”
McCoy's blue eyes practically lit up at those words. “Well I can’t believe it the computer actually lightens up.”
“Doctor, computers maintain a constant spectro frequency and as such cannot lighten up,” young Spock announced with certainty from the other side of the table.
McCoy leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Well one out of three is better than nothing.”
“All right let me see if I understand this correctly. You,” Jim said, pointing at the elder Spock, “are our Spock from the future.”
“Indeed, Jim.”
“And through some future events that we cannot be aware of you travelled back in time, but because of other unspecified events the timeline had already been irreversibly changed when you arrived causing an alternate universe. That’s why there are two of you.”
Both Spock and the elder Spock nodded.
“Now all of you have travelled back in time, perhaps hopping dimensions along the way, and we have to get you back to your proper time and space, or we all have the potential to blink out of existence at any time.”
“I believe that is an adequate summation of the situation, captain.”
Jim rubbed a hand against his temple.
“I think I’m getting a migraine.”
“I think I need a drink.”
Spock crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair in thought. “Actually, captain, this opens up intriguing possibilities. We have always worked on the assumption that things must be set right in order for the time stream to remain stable. Them being here offers the theoretical possibility that should an event not be corrected a new universe shall grow to accommodate it while the other remains intact as far as we know. After a certain pivotal threshold, past the point of no return if you will, and when that point is, is unknown.”
“We could be working in one right now. One in which we have crossed paths and somewhere there is another that has not.”
“There could be dozens of them.”
All three Spocks raised an eyebrow in unison.
“Fascinating.”
“Okay now I know I need a drink,” blue-eyed McCoy said, getting up from his chair.
“I’d like to join you, what do you have?” Bones asked his older counter-part.
“Saurian Brandy.”
Bones smiled. “I think I’m going to like this universe after all.”
“Bones, is that truly…the most constructive use of your time?” Jim asked looking at his CMO in disbelief.
“I’m merely a doctor, untangling a string of universes is not my department,” he announced, and left.
The other McCoy merely shrugged and followed his counter-part out the door.
“Well despite our doctors not wishing to give aid the first thing we have to do is repair the ships. I propose we start with mine and then yours as mine, hopefully, has less damage. Then we have to find someway to get you home.”
“Of course, and-oh look I’m sorry, but this is just really creepy! I don’t know how you two stand it!”
“One adjusts,” the Spocks answered.
“Well since you two are comfortable with each other you won’t mind working with our Spock to get you home.”
“Of course, Jim.”
Jim twitched slightly at the use of his name. Not that he minded really it was just strange to hear it so frequently from him. That elder Spock was so, so human, how was his Spock ever supposed to be that? Well at the moment it didn’t matter and he knew he wouldn’t get an answer even if he asked. He needed to focus on other issues.
“Kirk to Enterprise.”
“Scott here, sir.”
“Scotty, how much damage?”
“We blew a lot of circuitry in the collision, captain, repairs will be tricky.”
“Well luckily we have the perfect person to help you.”
***
“You’re really okay with this, laddie?”
“I’ve already dealt with people from the future it’s nothing new, sir,” Scotty answered as he rummaged through a drawer, until the drawer gave a squeak. The older Scotty came over quickly and slammed the drawer closed.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
“Now come on you can’t hide things from yourself.”
“I’d be willingly to show if you do not tell the captain, either of them.”
The slightly younger man nodded and Scotty opened the desk drawer again and pulled out a small brown ball of fur from it.
“It’s a tribble,” the younger Scotty practically squealed with delight.
“Mind now you don’t feed it or you’ll have an infestation of your hands.”
“I haven’t seen one of these in a long time, may I hold it?”
***
Jim entered the science bay as the day drew to a close. “Mr. Spock.”
“Yes,” all three responded, not looking up from the myriad of tapes and PADDs spread out before them on a table.
“My Spock specifically.”
That Spock left the table and approached him.
“Dare I ask how you three are progressing?”
“Our work has been quite satisfactory. We have been able to calculate back their route through time and tomorrow we can simulate a flight pattern to test our hypothesis. If it is successful they will get home safely within in twenty-four hours, assuming of course that all repairs have been made to the ship.”
The youngest Spock now left the table. “Then if we have reached our work quota for the day, gentlemen, I shall check back with my captain. Will you be coming?”
The eldest Spock shook his head. “I wish to remain here, with your permission of course, Jim.”
“If that is what you want, Spock, you’re more than welcome to.”
The youngest Spock nodded, bid his counterparts goodnight, and left.
***
Spock found as moved down the hallways that he was content. As odd as the situation had started out to be things were moving along swiftly, they had calculated the proper cold warp formula needed to get them home, hopefully testing would bear that out tomorrow, and the repairs, on both ships now, were progressing smoothly. As Spock headed back to his own Enterprise he found Chekov seated at the transporter console earnestly babbling away in Russian any mathematical equation he could think up with the younger Chekov.
Once back on his Enterprise he was informed that both Sulus had confined themselves to the gym to debate the advantages of fencing blades, while Uhura for some reason was telling Nyota all about Mr. Scott’s favourite types of food and preferred alcoholic beverages.
He arrived at their quarters and now, in private, he wished to indulge fully. He leaned over the desk, where James was working, and kissed him soundly. James responded eagerly, pulling himself out of the chair, and letting his hands move underneath Spock’s shirt.
“Nice to see you too.”
“You are tense,” Spock noted, “Have I offended you, Jim?”
“No, but you haven’t been within two feet of me for the whole day either I was beginning to think I’d pissed you off.”
“Not at all, Jim, I merely felt that the depth of our feelings should not be shown to the other captain.”
“Why not?”
“My elder self calls him Jim regularly. Your counter-part and mine appear surprised at this constant use of endearment indicating that they have not reached the point in the relationship that we have. Therefore it is best that we do not display public affection least we alter events in the past.”
James frowned, all these restrictions were really starting to annoy him. Everyone got to wreck havoc on the time stream but him. “You owe me for this.”
“Do you wish to make my debt a written contract?”
“Yeah, in hot fudge sauce,” James said, and practically threw Spock onto their bed.
***
Spock observed his elder self as he wandered onto the observation deck. He had chosen to remain on this Enterprise rather than going back to his own. He had been unable to determine a motive for this. Nostalgia perhaps, the man was more emotional that much was plainly obvious. Spock calculated that there was a minimum a century of age between them and he appeared even more comfortable in his skin than he was now, how intriguing. He wondered what life experiences he would have that would bring about such a shift in personality, but he knew better than to ask. Still it was very tempting.
His older self turned to look at him as he approached.
“You are curious about me,” he said with an amused glint in his eye.
“It is logical to be. It is not everyday one is given the opportunity to meet oneself, especially at such a different stage of life.”
“Of course. You may ask what you wish and I will answer what I can.”
“You are very different with him than you are with me,” he said, speaking of the younger Spock they had both worked with.
“Because he is different from us, certain experiences that we did not have, have shaped him into being someone else.”
“He appears in many ways to be uneasy with himself, as we were once.”
“He has suffered and lost much…and he is like that because I failed,” his head dropped for a moment before he regained his composure. “It is not unlike raising a son. He is not the same and yet you know he will still go through so many things that you know he must go through. To determine what to influence and what to let go is a difficult balance. Pushing too hard for my own goals will strain the relationship as you well know.”
“Indeed, will that relationship improve?”
“Unfortunately that relationship in many respects must remain as it is, but he will come to see us as his son again.”
“Most fortunate, will there be children?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“In a manner of speaking.”
At that Spock’s thoughts turned to who those potential children might be with.
“You are still close to Jim.”
“Yes,” the older Spcok answered, and clutched his hand around a small pendent he had around his neck. “I cannot reveal all the details of that of course, but I do encourage you to stay with him and to enjoy his company.”
“At times it is difficult to believe I shall survive another standard week with him with all we deal with and yet to see you here, to know that there is so much more to come; it is pleasing.”
“Your life will indeed be full of many things and I do have to say that overall I have no regrets.”
Spock raised an eyebrow as his older self began to depart.
“That is a human idiom.”
“Exactly.”
***
The next day James checked in to assess damage control.
“Scotty, how are we doing?”
“Give us another two hours captain and we’ll be ready.”
With that announcement Spock went up to James, leaned in, and whispered, “go to him, Jim, I know you wish to and you will never get another chance to do so.”
James nodded and went to the turbolift as the doors opened he turned back.
“Mr. Spock, you have my permission to go aboard as well.”
“Acknowledged, captain.”
***
Jim opened the door to his quarters and was surprised to find his counter-part standing in the hallway.
“I thought I was creepy,” Jim said to the young man before him.
“I’m sorry about that and actually now that the shock has worn off I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“Depends on what it is.”
James stepped inside the room wanting to keep the following conversation private. “Tell me about our father.”
“Our father?”
“In my timeline he died when I was born, but I know that you knew him.”
“You’re serious?”
James nodded. “I’ve been told he was a great man.”
“More than that he was a great family man. Always ready to help me and Sam with anything we needed. Taking us to the Blackhills on trips every time he was on shore leave." Jim smiled. "Even Sam use to take his kids there every summer.”
James looked at his other self quizzically. “Use to? But he loves doing it. He wants to do it like two months from now, why would he stop?”
Jim quickly realized his mistake. “I…I’ve said too much. I forgot the age difference. I had assumed-”
“Assumed what? Did, did something happen?”
“I can’t say.”
“You have to! If there’s something wrong with him I want to know, for god sakes his third kid is due any day now!”
“I know how you feel Sam was-”
“Was, what do you mean was!?”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“What happened, dammit! What happened to my brother!?”
Jim just looked at the young man, his eyes hollow. “We can’t change anything.”
“My timeline has been changed for the worse already if I can change it for the better, even if it’s just one extra person who gets to live, I want to.”
Jim let himself smile again at that assertion. “Then we are not so different after all.”
Jim sat down at his desk and motioned for his other self to join him.
“On the stardate 3287.2 there will be an attack on the colony at Deneva by creatures known as neural parasites. In my timeline Sam and his wife died before we could defeat them.”
“But you know how to defeat them now, don't you?”
“Yes the parasites can be destroyed be high intensity ultra-violet, I repeat non-visible ultra-violet light. Perhaps if you can get there early enough even more lives than just those on Deneva could be saved.”
James looked at the other man so sorry for what he had lost and so grateful that now he could prevent from happening to his own family.
“Thank you, you don’t know what this means to me.”
“Yes, yes I do.”
***
The door buzzer rang and Spock turned off his computer.
“Come.”
He saw his younger counter-part step into the room. “I seek something of a personal nature.”
“If I can aid you I shall.”
“Do you speak with our mother?”
“Not recently. Circumstances have made such communication difficult, why do you ask?”
There was no need to exaggerate. “Curiosity.”
Spock sat back in thought. It was a strange subject of conversation, until he remembered the words of the other one. That that Spock had lost much, but surly he could not-but yes he must have there would be no logical reason to seek out something they both would have unless he no longer did.
“What do you wish to know of her?”
“Is she happy?”
“She is content.”
“Is she proud of us?”
“She is human and so I suppose she does express such emotions for us.”
The younger Spock nodded, that was good. Then he spotted a picture on the man's dresser. He looked at it, it didn’t seem, at first, that it should be her, but then he remembered that she would all ready by ten years older than when he had lost her. He carefully picked it up and clutched the small photo of her in hands.
“May I keep this?”
Spock nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Captain Kirk to Mr. Spock.”
“Spock here.”
“Are…both of the other yous with you?”
“Only one.”
“Well the other ship is ready to depart we’ll track down the other one and meet you in the transporter room.”
“Affirmative,” he answered, and the screen went blank.
“Is there a reason he addressed you while half-naked?” Spock asked, as they left his other self’s quarters.
“There are many facets of human behaviour I have yet to fully understand, that is one of them.”
***
Eventually the main group was assembled in the transporter room, and after double checking twice that each ship only had the crew members it was supposed to have, they got on the pad ready to leave. McCoy winked as his counter-part, who tucked a recipe for mint juleps further into his pocket
“Well I must say I’m rather sorry to see you all go. It has been an…enlightening experience,” Jim said.
As the transporter started up James let the rebel in him come out, wishing to enlighten his other self one more time, as he pulled Spock close and kissed him hard. Spock frowned in disapproval at his actions, a feeling that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“You could not resist could you?”
Jim, his jaw dropped in shock, glanced up at the older Spock who merely rolled his eyes at the display.
“I have no comment on the matter.”
With that the crew transported back to their own ship, that quickly warped away to its proper reality.
McCoy looked between the captain and the first officer with a cocky grin on his face. Spock excused himself and left the room. He felt a desire to contact his mother. Still the image of that Jim and another version of himself together openly it was-. Spock quickly refocused his thoughts. It did not matter it was a different universe, another life, just because that version of his captain had been so bold did not set in stone events here.
As he entered his quarters he looked at his desk to notice a tape he didn’t recall leaving there. Curious he put it into the computer.
“Voice recognition required.”
“Lieutenant Commander Spock.”
“Acknowledged.”
Spock watched intently as his older self appeared on the screen. “I apologize for the secrecy, but this message is for you alone. After careful thought I have found that I do have one regret that I wish to rectify if I can. No doubt our doctor McCoy would take great delight in my performing an action purely from an emotional base, but I feel I must. Even if this creates another divergence then at least one of us will be content. On the stardate 9715.5 Jim will come into contact with a force called the Nexus…”
***
In another universe the crew made it back to their proper time and place without further incident. There were no changes that anyone immediately noticed, but as the days went by Spock saw that their experience with his old crew had left a lasting impression. He watched Uhura go down to engineering with a bag of chips after each of her shifts. He spotted Jim asking to borrow an antique book from Lieutenant Riley and researching the colony of Deneva and its surrounding systems. Also Chekov and Sulu seemed to be on a mission to find every secluded closet and dark corner on the ship and claim it for their own purposes.
When his assignment was over he returned to New Vulcan. Coming to his home he noted the silence and that everything was just as he had left it. So nothing had changed after all. It had been foolishly human to hope. He ran his hand along the few small possessions of that other life that were left to him now, a locket that contained Jim’s last message to him still around his neck. A ring from doctor McCoy lie on a shelf, and next to it the book he had given Jim on his fiftieth birthday…a book that he had not brought with him to this universe. Spock turned as he heard footsteps approaching from another room.
“Hello, old friend.”
The End