Refractions: All Aboard (1/4)
“What is the central assumption of quantum cosmology?”
“Everything that can happen does happen in equal and parallel universes.”
-Young Spock answering computer, Star Trek movie novelization
Part I: All Aboard
Track A
"Captain, we're being hailed by Admiral Pike."
"Put him on screen," Jim said. Admiral Pike filled the viewer, just as robust as Jim remembered from their last communication a year ago. It was a shame they didn't talk more, and he swore to himself that they would get together for a long-overdue drink one of these days.
"Captain, it's good to see you."
"Likewise, Admiral."
"I have a potentially urgent matter to discuss with you. A team of researchers at the Vulcan Science Academy have discovered a strange anomaly centered around an unknown planet in the Beta Quadrant."
"Strange anomaly?"
"We've lost contact with two ships in the vicinity of this planet thus far. What's more, the Vulcan research team has detected an ion storm that's been growing progressively." Jim heard 'ion storm' and was immediately intrigued. Lightning storms in space seemed to follow him like the proverbial rain cloud, pun intended. "They've also hinted that they have information from an unnamed source that there's a sort of time portal on this planet."
Jim raised an eyebrow in surprise. "'An unnamed source?' That doesn't sound very Vulcan."
"The Vulcans themselves aren't sure who sent the information, but they believe it's a valid explanation for the strange activity. Just before the last ship disappeared from contact, there was a garbled message in which we believe the captain mentioned something about 'ripples in time.'"
"And your reason for contacting the Enterprise, Admiral?" Jim asked.
"The phenomenon seems to be at an early stage and we were given a choice of who to send. Naturally, your name was one of the first to come up. It's entirely your choice if you want to accept or not."
"I'll meet with my commanding officers and then contact you shortly with a decision."
Pike nodded and ended the transmission. Jim pressed the ship-wide intercom button.
"This is the captain. I need Commander Stiles, Dr. McCoy, and Commander Scott to report to the briefing room for a short conference. Send Ensign Roberts to take the helm. Kirk out." He turned off the intercom and said, "Chekov, you have the conn. Sulu, wait for your relief then report to the meeting."
Jim left the captain's chair and entered the turbolift. As soon as the doors closed, he placed a hand on the back of his neck, massaging the dull ache that had been bothering him all day. He should take a couple of days of shore leave along with the rest of the crew when the time came, but there was just so much work to do that he wouldn't dream of leaving it in the hands of his subordinates. He was the youngest captain in Starfleet's history, and there was little time for rest when he was busy showing everyone that he deserved the title. It was days like this that he pined for the early years when he'd served as first officer under Captain Pike aboard the USS Farragut. The two of them had made a great team, equally sharing the workload and relying on the other. It made him deeply nostalgic.
Jim's current first officer was the third first officer on the Enterprise since he'd made captain. This was another record for Jim Kirk, though a much less distinguished one. His initial first officer had been killed exactly one month into service on an uncharted planet-slain by a deadly fungus, of all things. He'd chosen his next one based on the idea that a commander skilled in science might be a better choice, given that their five-year mission emphasized exploring strange new worlds. She'd lasted longer, but resigned for personal reasons. "Personal" being that she'd always secretly resented the fact that Jim rarely took her on away missions and had claimed it was because he was sexist. It had been a ridiculous assertion; everyone knew that Starfleet recommended that either the first officer or the captain should stay aboard while the other was away on an uncharted world. He wouldn't have minded taking her more or letting her lead missions herself if she'd done more than get herself kidnapped every time she'd been included in the landing party.
His new first officer, Stiles, was forthright, intelligent, and managed to actually help his captain on away missions rather than compromising them. Yet despite his obvious merits, Jim didn't get along with Stiles personally. He was boring, always going on and on about history-not in an interesting or insightful way, but condescendingly, as if he knew everything there was to know and could provide the best insight into any event that had ever occurred. Furthermore, he was prejudiced. He had once pissed Jim off to the point of having to dress him down right on the bridge for remarking that Ambassador Sarek might as well be a Romulan, since he chose to engage in peace talks with them. It wasn't the Romulans' fault that one of them from the future decided to try and take revenge for something that had yet to happen, and it certainly wasn't their fault that Stiles was fixated on hating them for a war involving his ancestors more than a hundred years ago. There was no room for bigotry on Jim's ship, especially when it didn't even pertain to the present.
When Jim arrived, everyone but Sulu was assembled already, and Jim was pleased. It was a point of pride that his crew was ready before he was; a fine-oiled machine, respectful. He sat next to Dr. McCoy, offering him a small, friendly smile. They'd met on board the Enterprise when McCoy took over the position of chief medical officer the day Vulcan had almost been destroyed. He was a smart, warm, sharp-tongued country doctor with a tendency to question his captain, but he always knew where the line was and trusted in Jim's judgment. He was probably the closest thing Jim had to an actual friend.
Stiles sat down on Jim's left, nodding at him in acknowledgment. Jim tensed, trying not to show his reflexive irritation, and nodded back.
When Sulu arrived, Jim opened by reiterating Pike's missive.
"I haven't given him an answer yet. I realize that the crew was about to embark on a much-belated shore leave. I wanted to confer with all of you before making the final decision. Thoughts? Opinions?"
"We can always resume shore leave after completing the mission," Lt. Sulu said.
"Keep in mind that this is the first shore leave the crew's had in a year," McCoy said. "Some of the crew members have shown early signs of fatigue and restlessness. Missions become more dangerous when the crew is distracted."
"Both of these are true. What do you think, Mr. Stiles?" Jim asked.
"This sounds like an interesting mission. It would be good to take on it on for the betterment of the crew." Translation: It would look good on our resumes. God, what Kirk wouldn't give for a first officer who actually contributed something worthwhile and not glaringly obvious tripe.
"Doctor, your objections have been noted and recorded." Jim stood up and pressed the intercom button. "Lt. Uhura, please contact Admiral Pike and patch him through to the briefing room."
"Yes sir," she answered, and a minute later Pike was connected.
"We go only on the condition that there is not to be another mission assigned to the Enterprise after this one. Barring any galactic emergencies, of course."
"Of course, Captain. We would suggest that you to first go to Vulcan and pick up the research team who discovered the phenomenon and have been tracking its progress since the beginning. They'll be indispensable in sussing out the cause of this anomaly and coming up with a plan of action."
"That would be highly advisable," said Jim. "Who should I contact upon arrival?"
"Director Spock, head of the quantum physics department."
Track change:
Track B
Jim’s flip-flops smacked purposefully as he strode onto the bridge and sat in the captain’s chair with a flourish. The intercom chirruped; it was Bones, clearly in a snit.
“I volunteered to stay on board for the last shore leave, and when it’s finally my turn to enjoy a little rest and relaxation, we get an order to haul ass dozens of light years away to look at space weather. Only half of my body is tanned, Jim!”
“Now Bones,” Jim said, placating. He sipped from the straw of a fuzzy glass that he'd smuggled back from their hastily-canceled shore leave, the little green umbrella tickling his nose. “You know it's our duty to investigate any strange phenomena, especially if there have been reports of crazy stuff happening.”
“Tell that to the not one, but two women who invited me to a private party tonight at their beach house.”
"Well hopefully you had enough sense to leave your contact information. Kirk out." Jim leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Spock!"
"Yes, Captain," he heard from over his shoulder. Jim swiveled around to face his first officer, mouth steadily sucking down his well-deserved fruit smoothie. Spock, of course, was one of the few still dressed in uniform. Most everyone else still had beach gear on. Uhura looked especially fetching in a see-through shirt that tried (and failed) to cover her black bikini, much to Jim's delight.
"Report," Jim said around the straw.
"Admiral Pike should contact us soon with more details, but from the information that was given to us from Starfleet command, it seems that several ships have gone missing near an uncharted planet in the Beta quadrant. There is an ionic storm around the planet and all available Federation ships have been called to investigate the disturbance."
"Ah, shit. You know, I'm really sick of storms in space," Jim whined, his chagrin only magnified when he reached the end of his smoothie and his straw made loud, empty sucking sounds.
"I assume you mean 'sick' metaphorically, as I am certain that you do not wish to bother Dr. McCoy for any reason at present."
Jim smirked. "Yeah, he's sure got his panties in a twist. Totally not my fault this time."
Jim passed his empty glass to a yeoman and straightened. "Chekov, plot a course for the planet. When everyone's been beamed aboard, I want this ship en route to the Bermuda Triangle."
"Course already plotted, Keptain," Chekov announced.
"Captain," Spock began, and Jim smiled. He loved messing with Spock's Vulcan head, especially when he damn well knew that Spock was just playing along and only feigned ignorance most of the time. "Correct me if my information is erroneous, but I believe that the Bermuda Triangle is an Earth phenomenon, and therefore well away from the mission at hand."
"Metaphor, Spock. Also, next time you're beaming down for shore leave as well."
"I have expounded my view on shore leave to you many times."
Jim twirled his hand in the air, rolling his eyes as he quoted Spock's argument. "It's not rest if you're running around doing things and wearing yourself out partying. But I mean, it's not like you're against it, right?"
"My highest concern is that it would remove me unnecessarily from duty when I could use my time in a more sufficient manner and engage in peaceful meditation to renew energy."
"Come on, all you do is sit around in your room with that sexy incense and make up things to do, like fine-tune the food replicators. You may as well humor me and come down next time. Look, I even bought you a shirt," he said, leaning over and picking up the shopping bag he had walked in with. He handed the bag to Spock, who took it and glanced inside.
"Pineapples, sir?"
"It's awesome, I'm aware. And look, we coordinate," he said, presenting his chest, which was covered in palm trees. Spock had that tolerant expression on his face that meant he was laughing on the inside. Jim winked at him and returned his attention to the ship, which was still not going anywhere. "Is everyone on board yet?"
"Not everyone," Uhura said, hands moving over the communications controls as she listened intently to her headset. Spock went over and put on a headset as well.
"It appears that we have two ensigns who are having difficulty beaming aboard," Uhura said, frowning.
"Are the transporters malfunctioning?" Jim asked, because of course they never seemed to work when it was imperative that they do.
"The transporters are in prime condition," Spock said, fingers deftly moving over an information screen behind Uhura to double-check his own statement. "It appears that this is more of a personal matter."
"Personal?"
Uhura blushed and Spock raised an eyebrow, both having heard something quite interesting. Jim walked over so they could speak in confidence.
"Uhura, what is it?" Jim asked. She refused to answer, tightening her lips, daring him to make that an order. "Spock?"
Spock leaned over to speak quietly to Jim. "It appears that the ensigns are engaged in coitus and have adamantly refused to stop."
"I don't care if we have to beam them up and have them finish on the transporter pad, get them up here or we leave them."
Spock nodded. "Please make yourselves presentable to be beamed up immediately, by Captain's order," he said into the communicator.
"I swear, what the heck has this ship come down to?" Jim asked the bridge.
"Those two are always making off somewhere. It'd serve them right to be left behind," Sulu said, removing a couple of leis from his neck. Chekov nodded vigorously, his straw hat almost tottering off his head.
"If it helps plead their case against outright mutiny, there are indications that they are using recreational pharmaceuticals and are thus impaired in their decision-making facilities," Spock added.
"Oh god, forget this," said Jim. "Leave them and let them know they're on immediate suspension. Sulu, take us out, warp factor three."
Jim walked back to his chair, annoyed. He encouraged his crew to relax and have fun while on leave, but, good god, give some people an inch and they take a light year.
"Captain, I'm receiving a transmission from Starfleet," Uhura said.
"Patch 'em through," Jim said.
As he settled, Pike swerved into focus on the view screen.
"Captain," Pike greeted warmly.
"Pike, it's Jim. There's no need for formalities when I'm one ukulele away from being a civilian."
"Jim," Pike corrected, smiling a little, and that was definitely a win since Pike looked harried and troubled, not a good sign at all.
"What's the emergency?" Jim asked, falling serious.
"There have been reports of several ships going missing around an uncharted planet in the Beta quadrant. I spoke with the Ambassador," Jim smirked, recognizing their ambiguous title for the elder Spock, "And he said that the planet hosts a long-forgotten alien construction called the Guardian of Forever."
"Lame title."
"It called itself that."
"What kind of structure calls itself anything?"
"Obviously that one, Captain," Spock interjected from his immediate right, and Jim congratulated himself on not flinching. Jesus, the guy could sneak up on himself. He spared Spock a wry glance.
"I was merely being philosophical, my dear Commander. Now as for this...thing, is it causing the ships to disappear?"
"It's unclear, as something like this has never happened," Pike said, and Jim heard the unspoken in either of our realities, "but from what I could glean from the Ambassador's reluctant description, the Guardian of Forever had the ability to send a person to any time period."
"So the ships may not be destroyed, just somewhere else in time?"
"Precisely. That's not the reason for the emergency protocol, however." Pike sighed as he leaned forward, a weight on his shoulders. "The ion storm around the planet has increased exponentially since we first cataloged it hours ago. At this rate, a local planet that we've classified as an early Class M will be consumed, and who knows what will happen to it and its lifeforms. From there, if it continues at this rate of growth, it will spread and begin to make a whole lot more disappear."
Jim looked toward Spock, seeing the echo of his own concern there. "Glad we left those two idiots behind, this is about to get serious. Sulu, move to warp factor five."
"Yes sir."
Track change:
Track A
Jim had spent the past week bouncing around the ship, making sure all departments were running smoothly, resolving crises as they occurred. The ionic energy field around what they now termed the time vortex planet had grown, forcing them to retreat several times. Despite their retreats, the unknown energy radiating from the planet kept the ship on constant alert status, malfunctions cropping up all over due to unexpected bombardments. A couple of other Federation starships had arrived mid-week to help, but with communications and the transporter malfunctioning, they may as well have not been there at all. Their current concern was for a planet nearby, an early Class M, which had no intelligent life but bore a plethora of lifeforms. It was important to preserve this planet, as it was much like Earth in its youth.
At the moment Jim was in the mess hall, a place he normally did not frequent (as he took his meals alone), nursing a cup of coffee in the relative quiet of mid-afternoon.
"Captain, may I speak with you?" Lt. Uhura asked, and Jim looked up at her, nodding once. She sat across from him, comfortable, even though they rarely talked outside of the bridge.
"The crew has been noticing some odd things."
"Have they been reported and logged?"
"It's nothing concrete or dangerous, just little things. Mr. Chekov thought one of his shirts had gone missing, only to turn around and find it in the last place he left it. Ensign Moore swore that the tile in his bathroom was a different pattern before realizing that it had never changed. Gaila returned to our quarters yesterday to find someone else's belongings in her side of the room. We thought it was a prank, but if it was, it was a hastily-executed one. We were only gone for an hour to look for the person who did it, and when we returned, everything was back in place."
"Those are very odd occurrences. I have to disagree on them being classified as something that isn't dangerous. Please log these events. I'll confer with the Vulcan research team about it."
"Yes, sir." He made to stand. "Captain, I have one other matter to discuss."
"Name it."
"It's about you, sir. Myself and the other officers are concerned about your health."
"My health?"
"You've been working so hard, with little rest-"
"I assure you, Lieutenant, I'm fully capable of performing my duties," Jim said, bristling. He knew she was just showing concern, but it still annoyed him that she was implying that he was unfit for duty.
"That was never in question, sir," she said, somehow managing to sound both contrite and long-suffering. "Your efforts are commendable and we all strive to match it. Our concern is for you as a person. This mission is top priority right now, but once the mission is complete, I respectfully suggest that you take shore leave along with the rest of the crew. You deserve a break."
Jim listened, knowing that what she said was right. He sighed and smiled at her slightly. "I'm lucky to have you in my crew. You could command a starship yourself one day, you know."
Uhura blushed, and Jim felt his face warm as well. "I'm happy where I'm at, thank you. I'm glad we had this discussion," she said, leaving the table.
Jim stayed in the mess hall for a few more minutes, his thoughts returning to the state of his ship. He soon grew restless, however, and left to report the discrepancies to the science labs. The turbolift stopped to let in another occupant; Jim was mildly surprised to see that it was Director Spock. The man was reclusive, as Vulcans were generally wont to be. Jim had only spoken to him once, when they had picked up him and his team of researchers on Vulcan.
Jim cleared his throat after the lift moved and deposited them at the same destination.
“Director-may I call you Mr. Spock?” he asked, walking alongside the Vulcan.
“The proper protocol of a Federation captain is to address his crewmen by their title and any civilians with their preferred title. I have no preference for a particular appellation, therefore it follows that how you address me is to your discretion.”
Jim looked at him. What a strange guy. “Mr. Spock, there have been some minor curiosities that have manifested recently, and I believe that they may be a result of this ionic storm."
"If you are referring to the small minutiae of changed elements on this ship, then you are quite correct. These have been observed and recorded by our team. It has not been unusual for pieces of science equipment in the laboratories to be found missing momentarily or in a different location."
"You are certainly on top of things, Mr. Spock."
"Vulcans as a race tend to be more observant and more prone to routine and habit than humans. Therefore it follows that these events would be noticed at an accelerated rate by my team."
"Indeed," said Jim, amused. Spoken by a human, the director's words would have been outright bragging.
They walked quietly for a minute, and even though he technically had no further business with Director Spock or on this deck, Jim felt oddly peaceful as they passed a couple of Vulcans in private conference. Their logical, serene minds intrigued Jim; he felt that, of anyone on the ship, the Vulcans would judge his character without lying and without the influence of emotions.
"Director, may I make a suggestion?"
Director Spock stopped walking and faced him, open and expressionless, an obvious master of self-discipline-probably more so than most Vulcans Jim had encountered in his travels. "You may."
"When we have guest workers on the ship, it is our custom to let them dress in Starfleet uniforms as a sign of respect and inclusion. It's not a requirement or a rule, but we offer the option to you and your team, if you desire it."
Another tendril of respect filled Jim as Spock waited and thought before answering. "The feeling of inclusion and camaraderie is not a part of our understanding, so in that regard, wearing the uniforms would be illogical. However, even if it is not a requirement, it is of cultural significance to your species. Respect for all cultures is intrinsic to the Vulcan heritage. We will wear your uniforms, Captain."
Jim smiled. "I'll inform storage," he said. Director Spock nodded. Jim was content to go check out the science labs anyway, just to see how they were operating while he was in the area, but was almost thrown off his feet as the ship quaked beneath another of those damn waves. The director grabbed Jim's upper arm and kept him on balance, letting him go as soon as he was stable; the guy had phenomenal reflexes. Jim nodded a quick thanks and found the nearest intercom to check in with engineering. After hearing that all was well from all major parts of the ship, he went to take a fifteen minute nap in his room before another disaster kept him up.
Tracks B & A
Spock opened another drawer, baffled as to why, instead of his spare Starfleet blue uniform shirts, there were instead three sets of gold commander uniform shirts that were not his size. Furthermore, all of his civilian clothing, nightwear, and formal attire were missing, replaced by unfamiliar clothing designed, if he was not mistaken, according to Terran fashion.
Even after spending years among Humans and even becoming somewhat romantically involved with one, the complexity of human pranks still escaped him. There were only three people who could have entered into his room to do this. He would have immediately assumed it had been the captain, but they were now on red alert status after experiencing several tremors upon entering the vicinity of the alien planet, and whatever else Jim Kirk took lightly, he would hardly take time out from an emergency situation on the Enterprise to prank his first officer. There was always Mr. Scott, but for the same reason as the captain, Mr. Scott would certainly be reluctant to leave the Enterprise alone when it was being threatened. The only other possible choice was Dr. McCoy, and even if they were still on shore leave, McCoy would be an unlikely person to engage in pranks of any sort. There must be a factor he was not considering.
The situation was odd enough that he decided to seek out the captain. He went to the first logical location, the captain's quarters, as they were just 20.3 meters away from his own. He pressed the door buzzer, and was satisfied when the door opened, allowing him admittance. He had not been here since their chess game two nights ago while en route to this planet, but even so he was momentarily surprised to see that it was more orderly than usual and there were a couple of personal items missing from the decor, most noticeably a hoverboard and the captain's collection of drinking glasses from other worlds. He must have finally heeded Spock's insistence that they be stored instead of being displayed in such a unprofessional manner. The captain himself was sitting on the edge of his bed, tugging on a boot. He looked up to see Spock and surprise flitted across his face.
"You certainly waste no time when you've made a decision, Mr. Spock."
Spock tilted his head, perplexed by this non sequitur.
"To what are you referring, Captain?"
Jim shook his head slightly. "It's nothing, just an observation. Also, storage seems to have goofed up your uniform."
"My uniform?"
"Yes. Starfleet uniforms reflect rank by using wrist bands, and so your uniform is actually a commander's uniform."
"I am quite aware of uniform rank designations. What I do not understand is why my uniform is, as you put it, 'goofed up.'"
Jim opened his mouth in preparation to answer, but then closed it. "Know what? It doesn't matter. I've been rude, and you're obviously here with a purpose."
"Indeed, I am," Spock agreed. The captain was behaving in a strange manner, polite and almost subdued. "I am here to inform you that the clothing in my quarters is not my own. Somehow all the contents of my wardrobe have been replaced or exchanged with those of someone else."
"Well, there you are, a reliable first-hand account of this continuing oddity."
"'Continuing oddity,' Captain? I was unaware that there had been more instances of this occurring."
"Not since we last spoke, that is true."
Spock was about to disagree, because the last time they had spoken had been on the bridge when the captain had shouted orders on the bridge and given Spock the conn while he went to engineering to resolve a circuit overload, when the captain's doors shushed open and Dr. McCoy entered, wearing a pair of reading glasses. Spock had been unaware that the doctor needed them.
"Captain, half of my medical supplies are out of order or missing."
Spock furrowed his eyebrows; Dr. McCoy's tone had been only mildly irritated (as opposed to his customary blustery nature). The doctor had also called Jim "Captain," which he usually only called him in more formal settings or when he was being sarcastic.
Jim looked at Spock, an eyebrow raised. "Yet another mystery to add to the ever-growing list. Doctor, we seem to be having the same problem throughout the ship. Unless people begin to go missing, it will have to be relegated to a secondary concern."
"Of course. This mission can't end sooner; I'm starting to feel spacesick."
Jim placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's long overdue. I think we'll take shore leave on Earth. I know you'd like to see your daughter."
"Did I tell you that Joanna wants to become a nurse?" McCoy said, smiling. "My ex-wife sent me pictures of her bandaging her friends."
Jim chuckled. "Let's hope she doesn't grow out of it, if she'll be half as good as you."
Spock stood there and listened, choosing not to barrage either of these men with all the questions he had. He was beginning to suspect that he himself was out of place, even if both of the men were currently behaving contrary to their natures. The sound of the intercom interrupted the strange moment.
"Bridge to Captain Kirk," Uhura said. The captain walked over and pressed his desk's intercom button.
"Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?"
"Yeoman Rand has fainted on the bridge."
"I'm on my way," McCoy said, leaving the captain's quarters.
"Do you know the reason why the yeoman has fainted?" Spock asked Uhura.
"Who is this?" Uhura asked. Spock felt a pang in his gut.
"Spock," he answered.
Uhura sounded confused. "We do not have an obvious reason for her fainting, no."
"Uhura, I'll be there in a minute," the captain said before turning off the intercom. He turned to Spock, face intent.
"I don't know what's going on with my ship, but it stops now. I appreciate your straightforward reasoning, and I want you and your team to find out what's going on."
He assumed the captain meant the science department, so he nodded shortly. At the very least he wasn't a complete stranger to the captain. Yet he was unequivocally aware that there was a great deal of distance in how everyone reacted to him. Wildly so. The captain left and Spock followed him to the nearest turbolift. When they reached the bridge, Spock tried to follow the captain but was stopped by a hand on his chest. It retracted almost immediately, as if the captain had forgotten himself. "I'm sorry, but civilians aren't allowed on the bridge."
Spock nodded, suspicions confirmed. "Of course, Captain."
Two security officers were staring at Spock suspiciously. Yeoman Rand was unconscious near the communications station, Dr. McCoy hovering over her with a medical tricorder. Spock stepped back into the lift. Sulu followed.
Spock pressed the button to return to his quarters, but as soon as the turbolift started to move, Sulu reached over and stopped it. Spock immediately tensed. Sulu looked at him, wary.
"Commander Spock?" Sulu asked, eyes searching his face. Spock was unsure whether to tell the truth or to prevaricate, as he was unsure how either response would come across.
"Yes," he answered. Sulu sagged in relief, the suspicion clearing from his eyes.
"Sir, what's going on?" he asked, anxious. "Everyone's acting really weird, and the captain told me to take orders from this guy named Stiles that I've never even met."
"Was he wearing command gold?
"Yeah, actually he was. What the hell is going on?" he asked again. Spock was about to answer when he saw, to his great astonishment, that the lieutenant appeared to be fading. Sulu noticed as well, looking at Spock wildly. "Sir! You're fading!" Even Sulu's voice was diminishing. A moment later he had completely vanished
Spock blinked and started the turbolift.
Track change:
Track B
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Jim said. He knew the shopping bag hadn't been there a second ago. He grabbed it and looked inside, just in case there might be an explosive or a tentacle monster or something else fucking strange. After what he'd seen a few minutes ago, he was ready to believe anything. He walked over to Spock's desk and hit the intercom button with his fist, glaring at the weird Vulcan statue of some god with a name he had no hope of ever pronouncing. "Kirk here. I need a security team to the bridge if they're not already there. Send some security to find Spock and send him to his quarters immediately."
"Captain," Spock said from behind him. Jim flung himself around.
"Disregard that last order, first officer found." Jim punched the button behind him.
"I admit that I am relieved to see you, Jim," Spock said.
"Where the hell have you been, Spock?" Jim asked, brandishing the shopping bag at Spock in annoyance. "Sulu and Scotty disappeared from the bridge and I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find them and you."
"I have been engaged with another Jim Kirk," Spock said, eyebrow arched.
"What?" Jim asked.
"For approximately the last twenty minutes I have been in contact with a similar but wholly different Jim Kirk, Leonard McCoy, and Nyota Uhura."
"Oh, so now you admit that her first name is Nyota."
Spock's lip twitched. "I am now certain beyond any doubt that I am speaking to the correct James T. Kirk."
The intercom came on and Bones' deep growl filled the room. "Jim, I've got around thirty people in here who claim that either someone disappeared, furniture was rearranged, or they saw themselves."
"Themselves? That's something new," Jim said.
"I don't know what the hell is going on out there, but they're clogging up sickbay and I've got four people who've suffered injuries."
"What is the nature of their injuries?" Spock asked.
"One engineer with a broken arm from a long fall, two people who fainted, and one person who's currently puking all over my biobed. Damn it Nurse, put his head in a bedpan and keep it there!"
"I guess we've all got our hands full, Bones. Send anyone who's physically fit back to their positions. No one's clinically insane when it's all real."
"Carrying out your orders gladly, Captain."
Jim dropped the shopping bag and leaned on Spock's desk with both hands. "Your opinion, Mr. Spock?"
"From what I have ascertained, we are experiencing strange phenomena that include crewmen either disappearing or encountering their doubles."
"That I got, thanks for the recap. Now your opinion, Spock."
"It stands to reason that these events are linked to the physical disturbances that have been besieging the ship. Given what we already know, the source of this disturbance is from the planet's surface, most probably the alien structure Admiral Pike mentioned."
"The Guardian of Forever," Jim said. "What do we know about this thing?"
"We know that it can send a person to any time period in history."
"Well that explains the 'ripples in time.'"
"Unfortunately, it does not explain why the doubles seem to have different memories."
"Different memories?" Jim asked. "How so?"
"When I was with the other captain and Dr. McCoy, they did not recognize me as the first officer, but as a civilian aboard the ship. Lt. Sulu, however, recognized me as first officer and sought me out, only to disappear shortly thereafter. I believe that I was speaking with the correct Sulu, but now I am uncertain where he is."
"That...is insane. That's not just us being jostled around at different points in time."
"Indeed. It is almost like they were in a separate reality."
"You don't think we've encountered the prime reality that your other self came from, do you?" Jim asked. This was starting to go from confusing to holy fucking shit in the space of a few seconds.
"It is unlikely, given that even in the prime reality I was still in Starfleet."
"So what, another-" Someone buzzed at the door. Jim pressed the entrance button.
It was Uhura, panic-stricken. She surged forward and embraced Spock, and Spock put his arms around her, closing his eyes. Jim suddenly felt like he was intruding, and it inexplicably made him want to march out of there with Spock's shirt.
"I saw Gaila," Uhura said into Spock's chest. That caused both Spock's eyes and Jim's mouth to open.
"Gaila?" Jim asked. She had died on the USS Farragut.
"Yes. What's going on?" she said, somehow managing to sound commanding even while she was shaking against Spock's chest.
"That's what we're trying to figure out, Lieutenant," Jim said. They were still hugging and Jim watched, irritated. Uhura broke away after a few more moments, her shaking all but stopped.
"We have few options in which to consider," Spock said. "While nothing of serious consequence has yet occurred, it is likely that these events will continue at the same rate or with even more frequency. We could move further away from the planet, but it would make solving this current crisis even more difficult."
"Look, we know it's something on that planet. Maybe we should fix this at the source?" Jim said.
"Given the unpredictable nature of the ion storm and the virtually unknown state of the surface of the planet, that would be highly inadvisable."
"So, what, we sit here with our thumbs up our asses?"
"I assume you mean that we do nothing," Spock said. "It appears that we must, as we do not yet know for certain what the nature of this phenomenon is."
"Well then let's brainstorm some working hypotheses. One, we know that this Guardian of Forever thing can take you to any place in time. Two, this would explain why things are getting moved around. Three, it does not explain why people are seeing doubles and are vanishing. One, two, three, shit up a creek."
Spock's eyebrows twitched in confusion at that last part. Uhura took it upon herself to translate.
"There is no explanation apparent for what's happening."
Spock moved toward the window in his quarters, looking out at the planet in the distance. "There may be one possibility that we have only touched on. Captain, you mentioned the possibility of us interacting with the prime reality. While that assessment was proven erroneous, there is still a great logic in your conclusions. If this Guardian of Forever can indeed take one to any point in time, it may also be true that it has the ability to transport one to an alternate timeline."
Jim's eyes widened, but he remained skeptical. "How so?"
"In theory, the universe can be thought of as a multiverse. The universe, being infinite, can be seen as having an infinite number of volumes. New volumes can be created or old ones destroyed, each volume a reality to itself. This could very well explain why history can be altered at all. Instead of chaos and the future changed irrevocably, a new volume is simply formed within the universe to compensate for the change. As we ourselves are currently existing in a known alternate timeline, it does not seem unreasonable to believe that, in what we term the 'prime' timeline, Romulus is still destroyed and my counterpart is still missing."
"Your counterpart?" Uhura asked.
"We'll have to fill you in on that one later," Jim said, mind spinning. Another alternate dimension, apparently similar enough to theirs that they could physically pass for the other and yet different enough that Gaila was alive and Spock was a civilian.
"I suppose we could wear name tags," Uhura said, the joke coming off weak. Jim appreciated the effort anyway.
"Let's just hope it doesn't get much weirder than this," Jim said.
Next
“Everything that can happen does happen in equal and parallel universes.”
-Young Spock answering computer, Star Trek movie novelization
Part I: All Aboard
Track A
"Captain, we're being hailed by Admiral Pike."
"Put him on screen," Jim said. Admiral Pike filled the viewer, just as robust as Jim remembered from their last communication a year ago. It was a shame they didn't talk more, and he swore to himself that they would get together for a long-overdue drink one of these days.
"Captain, it's good to see you."
"Likewise, Admiral."
"I have a potentially urgent matter to discuss with you. A team of researchers at the Vulcan Science Academy have discovered a strange anomaly centered around an unknown planet in the Beta Quadrant."
"Strange anomaly?"
"We've lost contact with two ships in the vicinity of this planet thus far. What's more, the Vulcan research team has detected an ion storm that's been growing progressively." Jim heard 'ion storm' and was immediately intrigued. Lightning storms in space seemed to follow him like the proverbial rain cloud, pun intended. "They've also hinted that they have information from an unnamed source that there's a sort of time portal on this planet."
Jim raised an eyebrow in surprise. "'An unnamed source?' That doesn't sound very Vulcan."
"The Vulcans themselves aren't sure who sent the information, but they believe it's a valid explanation for the strange activity. Just before the last ship disappeared from contact, there was a garbled message in which we believe the captain mentioned something about 'ripples in time.'"
"And your reason for contacting the Enterprise, Admiral?" Jim asked.
"The phenomenon seems to be at an early stage and we were given a choice of who to send. Naturally, your name was one of the first to come up. It's entirely your choice if you want to accept or not."
"I'll meet with my commanding officers and then contact you shortly with a decision."
Pike nodded and ended the transmission. Jim pressed the ship-wide intercom button.
"This is the captain. I need Commander Stiles, Dr. McCoy, and Commander Scott to report to the briefing room for a short conference. Send Ensign Roberts to take the helm. Kirk out." He turned off the intercom and said, "Chekov, you have the conn. Sulu, wait for your relief then report to the meeting."
Jim left the captain's chair and entered the turbolift. As soon as the doors closed, he placed a hand on the back of his neck, massaging the dull ache that had been bothering him all day. He should take a couple of days of shore leave along with the rest of the crew when the time came, but there was just so much work to do that he wouldn't dream of leaving it in the hands of his subordinates. He was the youngest captain in Starfleet's history, and there was little time for rest when he was busy showing everyone that he deserved the title. It was days like this that he pined for the early years when he'd served as first officer under Captain Pike aboard the USS Farragut. The two of them had made a great team, equally sharing the workload and relying on the other. It made him deeply nostalgic.
Jim's current first officer was the third first officer on the Enterprise since he'd made captain. This was another record for Jim Kirk, though a much less distinguished one. His initial first officer had been killed exactly one month into service on an uncharted planet-slain by a deadly fungus, of all things. He'd chosen his next one based on the idea that a commander skilled in science might be a better choice, given that their five-year mission emphasized exploring strange new worlds. She'd lasted longer, but resigned for personal reasons. "Personal" being that she'd always secretly resented the fact that Jim rarely took her on away missions and had claimed it was because he was sexist. It had been a ridiculous assertion; everyone knew that Starfleet recommended that either the first officer or the captain should stay aboard while the other was away on an uncharted world. He wouldn't have minded taking her more or letting her lead missions herself if she'd done more than get herself kidnapped every time she'd been included in the landing party.
His new first officer, Stiles, was forthright, intelligent, and managed to actually help his captain on away missions rather than compromising them. Yet despite his obvious merits, Jim didn't get along with Stiles personally. He was boring, always going on and on about history-not in an interesting or insightful way, but condescendingly, as if he knew everything there was to know and could provide the best insight into any event that had ever occurred. Furthermore, he was prejudiced. He had once pissed Jim off to the point of having to dress him down right on the bridge for remarking that Ambassador Sarek might as well be a Romulan, since he chose to engage in peace talks with them. It wasn't the Romulans' fault that one of them from the future decided to try and take revenge for something that had yet to happen, and it certainly wasn't their fault that Stiles was fixated on hating them for a war involving his ancestors more than a hundred years ago. There was no room for bigotry on Jim's ship, especially when it didn't even pertain to the present.
When Jim arrived, everyone but Sulu was assembled already, and Jim was pleased. It was a point of pride that his crew was ready before he was; a fine-oiled machine, respectful. He sat next to Dr. McCoy, offering him a small, friendly smile. They'd met on board the Enterprise when McCoy took over the position of chief medical officer the day Vulcan had almost been destroyed. He was a smart, warm, sharp-tongued country doctor with a tendency to question his captain, but he always knew where the line was and trusted in Jim's judgment. He was probably the closest thing Jim had to an actual friend.
Stiles sat down on Jim's left, nodding at him in acknowledgment. Jim tensed, trying not to show his reflexive irritation, and nodded back.
When Sulu arrived, Jim opened by reiterating Pike's missive.
"I haven't given him an answer yet. I realize that the crew was about to embark on a much-belated shore leave. I wanted to confer with all of you before making the final decision. Thoughts? Opinions?"
"We can always resume shore leave after completing the mission," Lt. Sulu said.
"Keep in mind that this is the first shore leave the crew's had in a year," McCoy said. "Some of the crew members have shown early signs of fatigue and restlessness. Missions become more dangerous when the crew is distracted."
"Both of these are true. What do you think, Mr. Stiles?" Jim asked.
"This sounds like an interesting mission. It would be good to take on it on for the betterment of the crew." Translation: It would look good on our resumes. God, what Kirk wouldn't give for a first officer who actually contributed something worthwhile and not glaringly obvious tripe.
"Doctor, your objections have been noted and recorded." Jim stood up and pressed the intercom button. "Lt. Uhura, please contact Admiral Pike and patch him through to the briefing room."
"Yes sir," she answered, and a minute later Pike was connected.
"We go only on the condition that there is not to be another mission assigned to the Enterprise after this one. Barring any galactic emergencies, of course."
"Of course, Captain. We would suggest that you to first go to Vulcan and pick up the research team who discovered the phenomenon and have been tracking its progress since the beginning. They'll be indispensable in sussing out the cause of this anomaly and coming up with a plan of action."
"That would be highly advisable," said Jim. "Who should I contact upon arrival?"
"Director Spock, head of the quantum physics department."
Track change:
Track B
Jim’s flip-flops smacked purposefully as he strode onto the bridge and sat in the captain’s chair with a flourish. The intercom chirruped; it was Bones, clearly in a snit.
“I volunteered to stay on board for the last shore leave, and when it’s finally my turn to enjoy a little rest and relaxation, we get an order to haul ass dozens of light years away to look at space weather. Only half of my body is tanned, Jim!”
“Now Bones,” Jim said, placating. He sipped from the straw of a fuzzy glass that he'd smuggled back from their hastily-canceled shore leave, the little green umbrella tickling his nose. “You know it's our duty to investigate any strange phenomena, especially if there have been reports of crazy stuff happening.”
“Tell that to the not one, but two women who invited me to a private party tonight at their beach house.”
"Well hopefully you had enough sense to leave your contact information. Kirk out." Jim leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Spock!"
"Yes, Captain," he heard from over his shoulder. Jim swiveled around to face his first officer, mouth steadily sucking down his well-deserved fruit smoothie. Spock, of course, was one of the few still dressed in uniform. Most everyone else still had beach gear on. Uhura looked especially fetching in a see-through shirt that tried (and failed) to cover her black bikini, much to Jim's delight.
"Report," Jim said around the straw.
"Admiral Pike should contact us soon with more details, but from the information that was given to us from Starfleet command, it seems that several ships have gone missing near an uncharted planet in the Beta quadrant. There is an ionic storm around the planet and all available Federation ships have been called to investigate the disturbance."
"Ah, shit. You know, I'm really sick of storms in space," Jim whined, his chagrin only magnified when he reached the end of his smoothie and his straw made loud, empty sucking sounds.
"I assume you mean 'sick' metaphorically, as I am certain that you do not wish to bother Dr. McCoy for any reason at present."
Jim smirked. "Yeah, he's sure got his panties in a twist. Totally not my fault this time."
Jim passed his empty glass to a yeoman and straightened. "Chekov, plot a course for the planet. When everyone's been beamed aboard, I want this ship en route to the Bermuda Triangle."
"Course already plotted, Keptain," Chekov announced.
"Captain," Spock began, and Jim smiled. He loved messing with Spock's Vulcan head, especially when he damn well knew that Spock was just playing along and only feigned ignorance most of the time. "Correct me if my information is erroneous, but I believe that the Bermuda Triangle is an Earth phenomenon, and therefore well away from the mission at hand."
"Metaphor, Spock. Also, next time you're beaming down for shore leave as well."
"I have expounded my view on shore leave to you many times."
Jim twirled his hand in the air, rolling his eyes as he quoted Spock's argument. "It's not rest if you're running around doing things and wearing yourself out partying. But I mean, it's not like you're against it, right?"
"My highest concern is that it would remove me unnecessarily from duty when I could use my time in a more sufficient manner and engage in peaceful meditation to renew energy."
"Come on, all you do is sit around in your room with that sexy incense and make up things to do, like fine-tune the food replicators. You may as well humor me and come down next time. Look, I even bought you a shirt," he said, leaning over and picking up the shopping bag he had walked in with. He handed the bag to Spock, who took it and glanced inside.
"Pineapples, sir?"
"It's awesome, I'm aware. And look, we coordinate," he said, presenting his chest, which was covered in palm trees. Spock had that tolerant expression on his face that meant he was laughing on the inside. Jim winked at him and returned his attention to the ship, which was still not going anywhere. "Is everyone on board yet?"
"Not everyone," Uhura said, hands moving over the communications controls as she listened intently to her headset. Spock went over and put on a headset as well.
"It appears that we have two ensigns who are having difficulty beaming aboard," Uhura said, frowning.
"Are the transporters malfunctioning?" Jim asked, because of course they never seemed to work when it was imperative that they do.
"The transporters are in prime condition," Spock said, fingers deftly moving over an information screen behind Uhura to double-check his own statement. "It appears that this is more of a personal matter."
"Personal?"
Uhura blushed and Spock raised an eyebrow, both having heard something quite interesting. Jim walked over so they could speak in confidence.
"Uhura, what is it?" Jim asked. She refused to answer, tightening her lips, daring him to make that an order. "Spock?"
Spock leaned over to speak quietly to Jim. "It appears that the ensigns are engaged in coitus and have adamantly refused to stop."
"I don't care if we have to beam them up and have them finish on the transporter pad, get them up here or we leave them."
Spock nodded. "Please make yourselves presentable to be beamed up immediately, by Captain's order," he said into the communicator.
"I swear, what the heck has this ship come down to?" Jim asked the bridge.
"Those two are always making off somewhere. It'd serve them right to be left behind," Sulu said, removing a couple of leis from his neck. Chekov nodded vigorously, his straw hat almost tottering off his head.
"If it helps plead their case against outright mutiny, there are indications that they are using recreational pharmaceuticals and are thus impaired in their decision-making facilities," Spock added.
"Oh god, forget this," said Jim. "Leave them and let them know they're on immediate suspension. Sulu, take us out, warp factor three."
Jim walked back to his chair, annoyed. He encouraged his crew to relax and have fun while on leave, but, good god, give some people an inch and they take a light year.
"Captain, I'm receiving a transmission from Starfleet," Uhura said.
"Patch 'em through," Jim said.
As he settled, Pike swerved into focus on the view screen.
"Captain," Pike greeted warmly.
"Pike, it's Jim. There's no need for formalities when I'm one ukulele away from being a civilian."
"Jim," Pike corrected, smiling a little, and that was definitely a win since Pike looked harried and troubled, not a good sign at all.
"What's the emergency?" Jim asked, falling serious.
"There have been reports of several ships going missing around an uncharted planet in the Beta quadrant. I spoke with the Ambassador," Jim smirked, recognizing their ambiguous title for the elder Spock, "And he said that the planet hosts a long-forgotten alien construction called the Guardian of Forever."
"Lame title."
"It called itself that."
"What kind of structure calls itself anything?"
"Obviously that one, Captain," Spock interjected from his immediate right, and Jim congratulated himself on not flinching. Jesus, the guy could sneak up on himself. He spared Spock a wry glance.
"I was merely being philosophical, my dear Commander. Now as for this...thing, is it causing the ships to disappear?"
"It's unclear, as something like this has never happened," Pike said, and Jim heard the unspoken in either of our realities, "but from what I could glean from the Ambassador's reluctant description, the Guardian of Forever had the ability to send a person to any time period."
"So the ships may not be destroyed, just somewhere else in time?"
"Precisely. That's not the reason for the emergency protocol, however." Pike sighed as he leaned forward, a weight on his shoulders. "The ion storm around the planet has increased exponentially since we first cataloged it hours ago. At this rate, a local planet that we've classified as an early Class M will be consumed, and who knows what will happen to it and its lifeforms. From there, if it continues at this rate of growth, it will spread and begin to make a whole lot more disappear."
Jim looked toward Spock, seeing the echo of his own concern there. "Glad we left those two idiots behind, this is about to get serious. Sulu, move to warp factor five."
"Yes sir."
Track change:
Track A
Jim had spent the past week bouncing around the ship, making sure all departments were running smoothly, resolving crises as they occurred. The ionic energy field around what they now termed the time vortex planet had grown, forcing them to retreat several times. Despite their retreats, the unknown energy radiating from the planet kept the ship on constant alert status, malfunctions cropping up all over due to unexpected bombardments. A couple of other Federation starships had arrived mid-week to help, but with communications and the transporter malfunctioning, they may as well have not been there at all. Their current concern was for a planet nearby, an early Class M, which had no intelligent life but bore a plethora of lifeforms. It was important to preserve this planet, as it was much like Earth in its youth.
At the moment Jim was in the mess hall, a place he normally did not frequent (as he took his meals alone), nursing a cup of coffee in the relative quiet of mid-afternoon.
"Captain, may I speak with you?" Lt. Uhura asked, and Jim looked up at her, nodding once. She sat across from him, comfortable, even though they rarely talked outside of the bridge.
"The crew has been noticing some odd things."
"Have they been reported and logged?"
"It's nothing concrete or dangerous, just little things. Mr. Chekov thought one of his shirts had gone missing, only to turn around and find it in the last place he left it. Ensign Moore swore that the tile in his bathroom was a different pattern before realizing that it had never changed. Gaila returned to our quarters yesterday to find someone else's belongings in her side of the room. We thought it was a prank, but if it was, it was a hastily-executed one. We were only gone for an hour to look for the person who did it, and when we returned, everything was back in place."
"Those are very odd occurrences. I have to disagree on them being classified as something that isn't dangerous. Please log these events. I'll confer with the Vulcan research team about it."
"Yes, sir." He made to stand. "Captain, I have one other matter to discuss."
"Name it."
"It's about you, sir. Myself and the other officers are concerned about your health."
"My health?"
"You've been working so hard, with little rest-"
"I assure you, Lieutenant, I'm fully capable of performing my duties," Jim said, bristling. He knew she was just showing concern, but it still annoyed him that she was implying that he was unfit for duty.
"That was never in question, sir," she said, somehow managing to sound both contrite and long-suffering. "Your efforts are commendable and we all strive to match it. Our concern is for you as a person. This mission is top priority right now, but once the mission is complete, I respectfully suggest that you take shore leave along with the rest of the crew. You deserve a break."
Jim listened, knowing that what she said was right. He sighed and smiled at her slightly. "I'm lucky to have you in my crew. You could command a starship yourself one day, you know."
Uhura blushed, and Jim felt his face warm as well. "I'm happy where I'm at, thank you. I'm glad we had this discussion," she said, leaving the table.
Jim stayed in the mess hall for a few more minutes, his thoughts returning to the state of his ship. He soon grew restless, however, and left to report the discrepancies to the science labs. The turbolift stopped to let in another occupant; Jim was mildly surprised to see that it was Director Spock. The man was reclusive, as Vulcans were generally wont to be. Jim had only spoken to him once, when they had picked up him and his team of researchers on Vulcan.
Jim cleared his throat after the lift moved and deposited them at the same destination.
“Director-may I call you Mr. Spock?” he asked, walking alongside the Vulcan.
“The proper protocol of a Federation captain is to address his crewmen by their title and any civilians with their preferred title. I have no preference for a particular appellation, therefore it follows that how you address me is to your discretion.”
Jim looked at him. What a strange guy. “Mr. Spock, there have been some minor curiosities that have manifested recently, and I believe that they may be a result of this ionic storm."
"If you are referring to the small minutiae of changed elements on this ship, then you are quite correct. These have been observed and recorded by our team. It has not been unusual for pieces of science equipment in the laboratories to be found missing momentarily or in a different location."
"You are certainly on top of things, Mr. Spock."
"Vulcans as a race tend to be more observant and more prone to routine and habit than humans. Therefore it follows that these events would be noticed at an accelerated rate by my team."
"Indeed," said Jim, amused. Spoken by a human, the director's words would have been outright bragging.
They walked quietly for a minute, and even though he technically had no further business with Director Spock or on this deck, Jim felt oddly peaceful as they passed a couple of Vulcans in private conference. Their logical, serene minds intrigued Jim; he felt that, of anyone on the ship, the Vulcans would judge his character without lying and without the influence of emotions.
"Director, may I make a suggestion?"
Director Spock stopped walking and faced him, open and expressionless, an obvious master of self-discipline-probably more so than most Vulcans Jim had encountered in his travels. "You may."
"When we have guest workers on the ship, it is our custom to let them dress in Starfleet uniforms as a sign of respect and inclusion. It's not a requirement or a rule, but we offer the option to you and your team, if you desire it."
Another tendril of respect filled Jim as Spock waited and thought before answering. "The feeling of inclusion and camaraderie is not a part of our understanding, so in that regard, wearing the uniforms would be illogical. However, even if it is not a requirement, it is of cultural significance to your species. Respect for all cultures is intrinsic to the Vulcan heritage. We will wear your uniforms, Captain."
Jim smiled. "I'll inform storage," he said. Director Spock nodded. Jim was content to go check out the science labs anyway, just to see how they were operating while he was in the area, but was almost thrown off his feet as the ship quaked beneath another of those damn waves. The director grabbed Jim's upper arm and kept him on balance, letting him go as soon as he was stable; the guy had phenomenal reflexes. Jim nodded a quick thanks and found the nearest intercom to check in with engineering. After hearing that all was well from all major parts of the ship, he went to take a fifteen minute nap in his room before another disaster kept him up.
Tracks B & A
Spock opened another drawer, baffled as to why, instead of his spare Starfleet blue uniform shirts, there were instead three sets of gold commander uniform shirts that were not his size. Furthermore, all of his civilian clothing, nightwear, and formal attire were missing, replaced by unfamiliar clothing designed, if he was not mistaken, according to Terran fashion.
Even after spending years among Humans and even becoming somewhat romantically involved with one, the complexity of human pranks still escaped him. There were only three people who could have entered into his room to do this. He would have immediately assumed it had been the captain, but they were now on red alert status after experiencing several tremors upon entering the vicinity of the alien planet, and whatever else Jim Kirk took lightly, he would hardly take time out from an emergency situation on the Enterprise to prank his first officer. There was always Mr. Scott, but for the same reason as the captain, Mr. Scott would certainly be reluctant to leave the Enterprise alone when it was being threatened. The only other possible choice was Dr. McCoy, and even if they were still on shore leave, McCoy would be an unlikely person to engage in pranks of any sort. There must be a factor he was not considering.
The situation was odd enough that he decided to seek out the captain. He went to the first logical location, the captain's quarters, as they were just 20.3 meters away from his own. He pressed the door buzzer, and was satisfied when the door opened, allowing him admittance. He had not been here since their chess game two nights ago while en route to this planet, but even so he was momentarily surprised to see that it was more orderly than usual and there were a couple of personal items missing from the decor, most noticeably a hoverboard and the captain's collection of drinking glasses from other worlds. He must have finally heeded Spock's insistence that they be stored instead of being displayed in such a unprofessional manner. The captain himself was sitting on the edge of his bed, tugging on a boot. He looked up to see Spock and surprise flitted across his face.
"You certainly waste no time when you've made a decision, Mr. Spock."
Spock tilted his head, perplexed by this non sequitur.
"To what are you referring, Captain?"
Jim shook his head slightly. "It's nothing, just an observation. Also, storage seems to have goofed up your uniform."
"My uniform?"
"Yes. Starfleet uniforms reflect rank by using wrist bands, and so your uniform is actually a commander's uniform."
"I am quite aware of uniform rank designations. What I do not understand is why my uniform is, as you put it, 'goofed up.'"
Jim opened his mouth in preparation to answer, but then closed it. "Know what? It doesn't matter. I've been rude, and you're obviously here with a purpose."
"Indeed, I am," Spock agreed. The captain was behaving in a strange manner, polite and almost subdued. "I am here to inform you that the clothing in my quarters is not my own. Somehow all the contents of my wardrobe have been replaced or exchanged with those of someone else."
"Well, there you are, a reliable first-hand account of this continuing oddity."
"'Continuing oddity,' Captain? I was unaware that there had been more instances of this occurring."
"Not since we last spoke, that is true."
Spock was about to disagree, because the last time they had spoken had been on the bridge when the captain had shouted orders on the bridge and given Spock the conn while he went to engineering to resolve a circuit overload, when the captain's doors shushed open and Dr. McCoy entered, wearing a pair of reading glasses. Spock had been unaware that the doctor needed them.
"Captain, half of my medical supplies are out of order or missing."
Spock furrowed his eyebrows; Dr. McCoy's tone had been only mildly irritated (as opposed to his customary blustery nature). The doctor had also called Jim "Captain," which he usually only called him in more formal settings or when he was being sarcastic.
Jim looked at Spock, an eyebrow raised. "Yet another mystery to add to the ever-growing list. Doctor, we seem to be having the same problem throughout the ship. Unless people begin to go missing, it will have to be relegated to a secondary concern."
"Of course. This mission can't end sooner; I'm starting to feel spacesick."
Jim placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's long overdue. I think we'll take shore leave on Earth. I know you'd like to see your daughter."
"Did I tell you that Joanna wants to become a nurse?" McCoy said, smiling. "My ex-wife sent me pictures of her bandaging her friends."
Jim chuckled. "Let's hope she doesn't grow out of it, if she'll be half as good as you."
Spock stood there and listened, choosing not to barrage either of these men with all the questions he had. He was beginning to suspect that he himself was out of place, even if both of the men were currently behaving contrary to their natures. The sound of the intercom interrupted the strange moment.
"Bridge to Captain Kirk," Uhura said. The captain walked over and pressed his desk's intercom button.
"Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?"
"Yeoman Rand has fainted on the bridge."
"I'm on my way," McCoy said, leaving the captain's quarters.
"Do you know the reason why the yeoman has fainted?" Spock asked Uhura.
"Who is this?" Uhura asked. Spock felt a pang in his gut.
"Spock," he answered.
Uhura sounded confused. "We do not have an obvious reason for her fainting, no."
"Uhura, I'll be there in a minute," the captain said before turning off the intercom. He turned to Spock, face intent.
"I don't know what's going on with my ship, but it stops now. I appreciate your straightforward reasoning, and I want you and your team to find out what's going on."
He assumed the captain meant the science department, so he nodded shortly. At the very least he wasn't a complete stranger to the captain. Yet he was unequivocally aware that there was a great deal of distance in how everyone reacted to him. Wildly so. The captain left and Spock followed him to the nearest turbolift. When they reached the bridge, Spock tried to follow the captain but was stopped by a hand on his chest. It retracted almost immediately, as if the captain had forgotten himself. "I'm sorry, but civilians aren't allowed on the bridge."
Spock nodded, suspicions confirmed. "Of course, Captain."
Two security officers were staring at Spock suspiciously. Yeoman Rand was unconscious near the communications station, Dr. McCoy hovering over her with a medical tricorder. Spock stepped back into the lift. Sulu followed.
Spock pressed the button to return to his quarters, but as soon as the turbolift started to move, Sulu reached over and stopped it. Spock immediately tensed. Sulu looked at him, wary.
"Commander Spock?" Sulu asked, eyes searching his face. Spock was unsure whether to tell the truth or to prevaricate, as he was unsure how either response would come across.
"Yes," he answered. Sulu sagged in relief, the suspicion clearing from his eyes.
"Sir, what's going on?" he asked, anxious. "Everyone's acting really weird, and the captain told me to take orders from this guy named Stiles that I've never even met."
"Was he wearing command gold?
"Yeah, actually he was. What the hell is going on?" he asked again. Spock was about to answer when he saw, to his great astonishment, that the lieutenant appeared to be fading. Sulu noticed as well, looking at Spock wildly. "Sir! You're fading!" Even Sulu's voice was diminishing. A moment later he had completely vanished
Spock blinked and started the turbolift.
Track change:
Track B
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Jim said. He knew the shopping bag hadn't been there a second ago. He grabbed it and looked inside, just in case there might be an explosive or a tentacle monster or something else fucking strange. After what he'd seen a few minutes ago, he was ready to believe anything. He walked over to Spock's desk and hit the intercom button with his fist, glaring at the weird Vulcan statue of some god with a name he had no hope of ever pronouncing. "Kirk here. I need a security team to the bridge if they're not already there. Send some security to find Spock and send him to his quarters immediately."
"Captain," Spock said from behind him. Jim flung himself around.
"Disregard that last order, first officer found." Jim punched the button behind him.
"I admit that I am relieved to see you, Jim," Spock said.
"Where the hell have you been, Spock?" Jim asked, brandishing the shopping bag at Spock in annoyance. "Sulu and Scotty disappeared from the bridge and I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find them and you."
"I have been engaged with another Jim Kirk," Spock said, eyebrow arched.
"What?" Jim asked.
"For approximately the last twenty minutes I have been in contact with a similar but wholly different Jim Kirk, Leonard McCoy, and Nyota Uhura."
"Oh, so now you admit that her first name is Nyota."
Spock's lip twitched. "I am now certain beyond any doubt that I am speaking to the correct James T. Kirk."
The intercom came on and Bones' deep growl filled the room. "Jim, I've got around thirty people in here who claim that either someone disappeared, furniture was rearranged, or they saw themselves."
"Themselves? That's something new," Jim said.
"I don't know what the hell is going on out there, but they're clogging up sickbay and I've got four people who've suffered injuries."
"What is the nature of their injuries?" Spock asked.
"One engineer with a broken arm from a long fall, two people who fainted, and one person who's currently puking all over my biobed. Damn it Nurse, put his head in a bedpan and keep it there!"
"I guess we've all got our hands full, Bones. Send anyone who's physically fit back to their positions. No one's clinically insane when it's all real."
"Carrying out your orders gladly, Captain."
Jim dropped the shopping bag and leaned on Spock's desk with both hands. "Your opinion, Mr. Spock?"
"From what I have ascertained, we are experiencing strange phenomena that include crewmen either disappearing or encountering their doubles."
"That I got, thanks for the recap. Now your opinion, Spock."
"It stands to reason that these events are linked to the physical disturbances that have been besieging the ship. Given what we already know, the source of this disturbance is from the planet's surface, most probably the alien structure Admiral Pike mentioned."
"The Guardian of Forever," Jim said. "What do we know about this thing?"
"We know that it can send a person to any time period in history."
"Well that explains the 'ripples in time.'"
"Unfortunately, it does not explain why the doubles seem to have different memories."
"Different memories?" Jim asked. "How so?"
"When I was with the other captain and Dr. McCoy, they did not recognize me as the first officer, but as a civilian aboard the ship. Lt. Sulu, however, recognized me as first officer and sought me out, only to disappear shortly thereafter. I believe that I was speaking with the correct Sulu, but now I am uncertain where he is."
"That...is insane. That's not just us being jostled around at different points in time."
"Indeed. It is almost like they were in a separate reality."
"You don't think we've encountered the prime reality that your other self came from, do you?" Jim asked. This was starting to go from confusing to holy fucking shit in the space of a few seconds.
"It is unlikely, given that even in the prime reality I was still in Starfleet."
"So what, another-" Someone buzzed at the door. Jim pressed the entrance button.
It was Uhura, panic-stricken. She surged forward and embraced Spock, and Spock put his arms around her, closing his eyes. Jim suddenly felt like he was intruding, and it inexplicably made him want to march out of there with Spock's shirt.
"I saw Gaila," Uhura said into Spock's chest. That caused both Spock's eyes and Jim's mouth to open.
"Gaila?" Jim asked. She had died on the USS Farragut.
"Yes. What's going on?" she said, somehow managing to sound commanding even while she was shaking against Spock's chest.
"That's what we're trying to figure out, Lieutenant," Jim said. They were still hugging and Jim watched, irritated. Uhura broke away after a few more moments, her shaking all but stopped.
"We have few options in which to consider," Spock said. "While nothing of serious consequence has yet occurred, it is likely that these events will continue at the same rate or with even more frequency. We could move further away from the planet, but it would make solving this current crisis even more difficult."
"Look, we know it's something on that planet. Maybe we should fix this at the source?" Jim said.
"Given the unpredictable nature of the ion storm and the virtually unknown state of the surface of the planet, that would be highly inadvisable."
"So, what, we sit here with our thumbs up our asses?"
"I assume you mean that we do nothing," Spock said. "It appears that we must, as we do not yet know for certain what the nature of this phenomenon is."
"Well then let's brainstorm some working hypotheses. One, we know that this Guardian of Forever thing can take you to any place in time. Two, this would explain why things are getting moved around. Three, it does not explain why people are seeing doubles and are vanishing. One, two, three, shit up a creek."
Spock's eyebrows twitched in confusion at that last part. Uhura took it upon herself to translate.
"There is no explanation apparent for what's happening."
Spock moved toward the window in his quarters, looking out at the planet in the distance. "There may be one possibility that we have only touched on. Captain, you mentioned the possibility of us interacting with the prime reality. While that assessment was proven erroneous, there is still a great logic in your conclusions. If this Guardian of Forever can indeed take one to any point in time, it may also be true that it has the ability to transport one to an alternate timeline."
Jim's eyes widened, but he remained skeptical. "How so?"
"In theory, the universe can be thought of as a multiverse. The universe, being infinite, can be seen as having an infinite number of volumes. New volumes can be created or old ones destroyed, each volume a reality to itself. This could very well explain why history can be altered at all. Instead of chaos and the future changed irrevocably, a new volume is simply formed within the universe to compensate for the change. As we ourselves are currently existing in a known alternate timeline, it does not seem unreasonable to believe that, in what we term the 'prime' timeline, Romulus is still destroyed and my counterpart is still missing."
"Your counterpart?" Uhura asked.
"We'll have to fill you in on that one later," Jim said, mind spinning. Another alternate dimension, apparently similar enough to theirs that they could physically pass for the other and yet different enough that Gaila was alive and Spock was a civilian.
"I suppose we could wear name tags," Uhura said, the joke coming off weak. Jim appreciated the effort anyway.
"Let's just hope it doesn't get much weirder than this," Jim said.
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