The Guardian.
Prologue.
The Guardian of Forever had stood for over 4 billion years. It remembered all the beings that had visited its planet over the millennia. They had come and tried to fathom its secrets but none could. After what seemed like a few moments for the Guardian but in reality was years for the other beings they had left, having learned nothing from the Guardian it did not want them to know. Now a group of Humans from a planet called Earth had set up a base, trying to unlock the Guardians mysteries. The Guardian knew that an entire human lifespan would not be enough to learn about its existence. It would take an almost immortal being to do that…..
Part one
Captains Log stardate 2094.1
The Enterprise is on patrol in Sector 197 of Federation space. We are in a shakedown mode after our visit to Starbase 24 following two weeks of repairs after our encounter with the Doomsday weapon that claimed the Constellation and my friend Matt Decker. The Enterprise has had a long needed overhaul and she seems better than ever.
Captain James T Kirk shut down his computer and leaned back into the chair in his quarters. He rubbed his eyes. The Enterprise might have had a refit and be good as new but her Captain still felt the loss of his friend keenly. He still had nightmares about pleading with Matt Decker not to fly his stolen shuttle into the hellish maw of that dreadful machine. It was touch and go whether Kirk himself was going to be the machines next victim until the Enterprise'stransporters whisked him to safety. Kirk sat in silence, listening to the deep comforting hum coming from the ship. He then thought of all the lives that had been saved by the destruction of the doomsday machine and felt that Matt Decker could not have had a better epitaph.
The comm whistle chirped on Kirks desk.
"Kirk here"
First Officer Spock's voice filtered through the speaker.
"Captain we are receiving a distress call from a Starfleet research base two light years away. They state that they are under attack and are in need of immediate assistance" Spock hesitated "It is the Forever base on the Guardians' world"
Kirk stiffened, a ghostly face of a woman flashed across his mind.
Spock spoke again. "I have checked Captain and we are the closest vessel"
Kirk heard the faint tone of regret in Spock's tone.
"Set course and engage at Warp six, tell Mr Scott to go to Warp eight as soon as possible. I'm on my way" Kirk stood, then stopped "Thank you Mr Spock"
"Acknowledged Captain"
Kirk left his quarters and made his way to the nearest turbolift. It sped him up five decks and the doors opened onto the red and black bridge.
He saw his prime crew at their stations, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura. Mr Scott was at the engineering station to the left and Spock was in the centre seat. As Kirk descended Spock stood and vacated the seat. Kirk sat down, a feeling of security and confidence alive in him, as he always felt when in this chair.
"Status?" Kirk asked.
"We are on course Captain, currently at Warp seven point eight and accelerating" Spock said "Eta at Forever base nineteen point two hours"
Kirk looked over to his left.
"Scotty, can we hold speed for that long?"
"Aye Sir, but she'll be straining" Came the engineers reply.
"Thank you Mr Scott" Kirk said "Lt Uhura, any more from Forever base?"
The beautiful communications officer pressed a button.
"No sir, they reported that they were under attack from an unknown vessel, nothing since. I am continuing attempts to raise them"
"Very good Lt" Kirk said. He saw that Spock had moved to his science station. Kirk stood and joined him.
"Anything on sensors?" Kirk asked.
"We will not be in sensor range for another two hours" Spock said. Kirk turned as the turbolift doors hissed open and Dr Leonard McCoy walked onto the bridge. He made his way to Kirk and Spock.
"Jim, what's going on?" He asked.
"Forever base is under attack Bones, that's all we know" Kirk said.
McCoy's brow furrowed in concern and he flashed a look at Kirk.
"How many personnel on the base?" He asked.
Spock answered immediately
"Eighty researchers and scientists currently stationed there, along with a large security contingent and the USS Ajax in orbit" Spock didn't have to say why. The Guardian had the potential to be a devastating weapon.
Kirk knew the Ajax. She was a Trojan class destroyer, fast and well armed.
"Jim….Are you sure..."McCoy began.
Kirk cut him off. "We have a job to do Doctor" making it clear that the bridge was not the place for this discussion.
Kirk moved back to his chair and sat down. McCoy moved down next to him.
"I'll be in sickbay" Meaning that's where I'll be if you want to talk, Jim. He left the bridge.
Kirk stared at the view screen as stars blazed past the starship. His thoughts kept drifting to events from six months ago. How the Enterprise had picked up what amounted to ripples in time coming from a planet. While in orbit an accident with a hypospray had turned McCoy into a raving paranoid, convinced that everyone was out to kill him. He escaped the ship and beamed to the planet surface. Kirk, Spock and a landing party had followed to find him. Instead they discovered the Guardian of Forever, a portal that could take them to point in Earths history. As they watched images from the Guardian McCoy had jumped through and altered the past. There was no Starship Enterprise, no Starfleet. Kirk's only option was for him and Spock to follow and try put things right. They had found a focal point in time in 1920's America around a social worker called Edith Keeler. Kirk fell deeply in lover with her but cruel fate meant that Keeler had become a voice for peace at the start of World War Two, delaying the US entry into the war and meaning Nazi Germany was able to develop the atom bomb and conquer the world. To prevent this Kirk had to stand by and allow Keeler to be killed in a road accident, stopping McCoy from saving her. Kirk, Spock and McCoy returned to the present to find things were as they should be. But Kirk was left shattered and now six months later he was going to have to return to the Guardian again.
Lt Uhura's voice broke Kirk out of his memory.
"Captain! I have Forever base on audio"
"On speakers!" Kirk ordered.
A crackly voice came out of the speakers.
"To any vessel…..we require urgent assistance….we are under heavy attack…." There was a hiss of static…"Unknown vessel…disc shaped….heavy casualties….our shields are failing….Ajax gone!"
"Lt, tie me in!" Kirk said.
"Go ahead sir"
"This is Captain Kirk of the Enterprise. We are enroute. Can you identify your attacker?"
There was more static.
"Enterprise. This is Commander Reynolds. No identity on attacker….."The voice faltered as if in pain. "No warning…..NO!... They're firing aga…." The transmission was cut off abruptly.
Kirk turned and looked at Uhura. She pushed a few buttons.
"Sorry Captain, contact lost". A silence fell over the bridge.
Kirk turned to Scott.
"Aye Captain. I'll get more speed" Scott left the bridge.
A few minutes later Sulu said.
"Sir our speed has increased to Warp eight point three….point four….point six…Holding at that".
Kirk pushed a button on his chair.
"Kirk to Engineering. Well done Mr Scott"
"Aye Captain but she can't give any more".
"Understood, Kirk out. Mr Chekov, what's our new ETA?"
"Eight hours Captain".
Kirk glanced over at Spock. Both knew that they would probably arrive to find a graveyard.
"Sir, we are now within Sensor range" Spock said twenty minutes later. He stood and gazed into his scope, the blue light reflecting off his face. Kirk heard the familiar pulse sound coming from the scanner. "I am detecting an unknown vessel in orbit around the planet. It is of a configuration unknown to us" He paused "Shape is a disc, roughly five hundred meters in diameter. I am detecting high energy readings of a type never before encountered"
Kirk leaned forward in his chair
"Are they still attacking the base?"
"I am not detecting any weapons fire, but I am now detecting smaller vessels moving between the larger vessel and the planet."
"A landing force!" Kirk said. "Lt Uhura, hail that ship!"
"Frequencies open Captain"
"This is Captain James T Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. You have committed an act of aggression against the Federation of Planets. Identify yourselves"
There was silence and then a harsh grating voice boomed over the bridge.
"We are the Daleks! You will be exterminated!"
"Captain the vessel is breaking orbit and moving to intercept us." Spock said.
"They are moving at high warp and will reach us in twenty minutes"
"Twenty minutes Spock?" Kirk was shocked. He saw Sulu and Chekov exchange a glance. "How fast are they going?"
"At least warp twelve" Spock said.
"Red alert! Battle stations" Kirk ordered. The siren wail reverberated through the great ship, her crew hurrying to stations in preparation for battle. On the bridge Kirk stared at the view screen. He was aware of reports coming in form the helm.
"Shields up Captain, phasers and photon torpedoes on line" Sulu said.
"Enemy vessel heading in 000 mark 0" Chekov said. This meant a head on meeting.
"Sir I am reading power surges in the vessel. They are powering weapons" Spock reported.
"All hands at battle stations "Uhura said "Engineering reports full emergency power available"
The Enterprise, fully angered, sped towards her meeting.
"Vessel within visual range" Spock said.
"On screen" Kirk said.
The viewscreen flickered and a ship appeared. It was disc shaped with a large central dome on top and smaller domes ringing the lower surface. It was a burnished bronze colour.
"They are reducing speed to sublight Captain" Sulu said.
"Slow to impulse. Lt Uhura, hail them" Kirk said.
"Channel open"
"This is Captain Kirk of…." Kirk was cut off. "We are the Daleks! You will be exterminated!"
"Single minded aren't they Spock?" Kirk said. Spock's reply was never heard as the Enterprise rocked as she was hit by multiple weapons impacts.
Kirk hung on grimly till the shaking stopped.
"Sulu return fire! Full phasers!"
Blue beams of energy lanced out from the starship and struck the Dalek ship.
Spock called out.
"Shields down by ten percent. Minimal damage to enemy vessel" The Enterprisebucked again as she was hit.
"Sulu! Course 145 mark 30, full impulse! Fire!" Kirk said.
Phasers lashed out again.
"What are they using Spock?"
"Some form of disruptor Captain, but more powerful that anything we've ever seen"
The Enterpriseshook again as she was pummelled by the Dalek ship.
"Evasive manoeuvres!" Kirk ordered "Fire!"
The Dalek ship was illuminated by the blue energy but kept firing.
"Our shields are down to forty percent" Spock reported.
"Lock on photos torpedoes" Kirk said.
"Torpedoes locked on." Sulu replied.
"Fire!"
Fiery balls in incandescent energy rocketed from the starship and slammed into the bronze disc. Explosions erupted into space. Kirk allowed himself a small smile. At least we can hurt them somehow, he thought.
"Dalek vessel shields down by twenty percent" Spock reported. He looked at Kirk and there was unspoken communication between them. Although the photons had damaged her opponent the Enterprise was still outgunned and her shields were failing rapidly. At this rate the starship would be destroyed before she could batter through the Dalek shields. As if to enforce this point the ship heeled over to port as she was struck hard. Sparks flew from a side console as it overloaded.
"Captain shields down to ten percent! We have damage to decks twenty and twenty one. Another hit and our shields will fail". Spock reported.
The Enterpriserockedas she was battered again and again. Lights failed on the bridge and Kirk knew his ship had been hurt.
"Shields are down! We have a hull breach on deck seven. Engineering reports damage to forward phaser banks and torpedo tube!" Spock said.
Kirk saw Sulu and Chekov hanging onto the helm for grim death.
"Sulu! One hundred and eighty degrees about! Ahead maximum warp!" Kirk's hand slammed down onto his comm button.
"Kirk to engineering!"
"Lt Cook here sir, Mr Scott has been taken to sickbay"
Kirk stiffened in his seat.
"Understood. Lt I want all auxiliary power to the aft shields! Give us maximum speed!.
"Aye sir, but we've taken damage to the engines; I don't know how long we can maintain top speed"
"Noted, Kirk out".
"Our speed is warp eight Captain" Sulu reported.
Kirk looked over to Spock who was bent over his scanner. After a few seconds he looked up.
"They are pursuing".
The Enterprisezoomed through space at hundreds of times the speed of light trying to outrun death. Inside her crew worked frantically to repair her.
In his command chair Captain Kirk turned to his first officer.
"Time to intercept?"
"The enemy vessel has accelerated to warp point eight point zero one. They will intercept in thirty six minutes" Spock said "Fascinating"
Chekov spoke up.
"Why aren't they going faster? We know they can?"
"That is an excellent question Ensign" Spock turned to Kirk.
"There are two possibilities. Either we have caused more damage than we suspect or…."
"….Or they enjoy seeing us running for our lives" Kirk finished.
"I would prefer the former" Spock said.
"Why is that Mr Spock?" Uhura said.
"If it is the latter then we are dealing with creatures that have the capacity for cruelty. In that case we should expect no mercy"
"They haven't caught us yet!" Kirk said, defiantly, determined not to allow a creeping panic set in on the bridge.
His chair comm whistled.
"Sickbay to Captain Kirk". McCoy's voice sounded.
"Go ahead Bones"
"We have twenty injured "He paused "With two killed"
Kirk was silent.
"But Scotty has been released and is back in engineering". McCoy continued.
"Thank you Doctor" Kirk said
"Jim…." McCoy began.
"I'll be down when I can. Kirk out"
Kirk was aware that Spock had moved silently to stand next to him. As was his custom when he wanted to speak informally Spock faced away from the viewscreen.
"Jim, there was not anything you could have done".
"What's our status Mr Spock?" Kirk was in no mood to talk about how he had failed at the moment.
"Our damage is under repair but engineering reports it will be at least two hours before phasers and photon torpedoes are in working order. Our shields have totally failed and will need several hours to restore""
"Is there any good news Mr Spock?"
"We are alive"
The comm whistled
"Scott here Captain. Our engines are straining, with the damage I can only hold speed for another half-hour"
"Understood Mr Scott…Do what you can" Kirk said. He sat down and rubbed a hand across his chin, deep in thought as the Dalek ship slowly and relentlessly closed on her pray.
Deep in the Enterprise was a lovely arboretum, a room filled with trees and plants from Earth. Starfleet designers had recognised the need for the crew to have a lush garden to walk in. A mysterious wind started to blow and a deep grinding noise reverberated through the area. An object started to appear beneath a large oak in the centre of the arboretum. The object solidified into a large blue box, with a flashing lamp on the top. Writing on the object spelled out "Police Box". With a thump the sound stopped. A few seconds later a door opened and a tall young man wearing a long light brown coat strode out, hands in his pockets. He was known only as the Doctor.
"Hmm. That was a bit bumpy old girl" He complained "Trees, soil" He took a deep breath "But a definite hint of artificial atmosphere. So not a forest"
He bent down and put a hand on the floor and felt a vibration.
"That is caused by faster than light engines being pushed hard". He stated to himself. "So that means a ship"
The Doctor walked along a path and came to a bulkhead with bright red doors set into an alcove. As they approached the doors opened with a loud hish sound. The Doctor walked out into a wide, brightly lit corridor. It had doors spaced along each side, all in the same bright red.
"This seems very familiar" He said.
He walked and past a red flashing panel near the ceiling and rounded a corner and almost bumped into a young woman in a very short blue dress.
"Who the hell are you?" She demanded after a second.
"Hello! I'm the Doctor" The Doctor said.
The young woman in the mini skirt moved to a wall and pushed white button.
"Intruder alert! Intruders on deck eight!"
"Now why did she have to do that?" The Doctor muttered.
On the bridge Uhura spoke rapidly to Kirk.
"Intruder alert on deck eight Captain, near section 12"
"Security on the double! Spock" Kirk and Spock headed for the turbolift.
They raced down to deck eight to find security were there pointing phasers at a tall man in a brown coat
He started grinning as soon as he saw Kirk and Spock.
"Oh this is GREAT!" He almost shouted.
Kirk walked up to him.
"Perhaps you'll tell me why it's great, who you are and how you got aboard my ship?" He said.
The tall man grabbed Kirks hand and began shaking it furiously.
"Oh, this is fantastic"
Kirk pulled his hand back.
"Who are you" he said angrily.
"Oh sorry! I'm the Doctor" The Doctor said.
"How did you get aboard?" Kirk asked.
"Ah...well…I just sort of popped in…by mistake really"
"Really?" Kirk put his hands on his hips. He looked at the security officers.
"Take them to the brig" The guards began moving the Doctor away
The Doctor was still grinning happily at the situation. Kirk and Spock watched them move round the corner. "Perhaps he is linked to the Dalek ship" Spock suggested to Kirk. Kirk opened his mouth to answer but the sound of running feet and shouting stopped him. The Doctor came pounding round the corner and raced up to them. Both officers tensed themselves for an attack but the tall man stopped less than a metre from them and said, forcefully.
"Daleks? Here?"
"What do you know about Daleks?" Kirk asked.
"Everything" The Doctor said, sadly.
Five minutes later the Doctor was in the brig and Kirk was back on the bridge.
"Status?"
"We are at warp eight point six. The Dalek ship has accelerated to eight point seven. Intercept in ten minutes" Sulu said.
"Uhura, send out an assistance call to any starships" Kirk said, he then called engineering.
"Scotty, how are the shields?"
"We still need another thirty minutes to get even partial shielding" Came the answer.
"Understood" Kirk said. "Spock, scan the alien ship for damage." Spock worked his console for a minute.
"I have scanned the vessel and they have some minor damage to their outer hull. It is made of a substance unknown to us that appears to be very durable, certainly stronger that our own duranium hull"
"How many torpedoes would it take to stop them?" Kirk asked.
"It is impossible to be certain without a full metallurgical analysis of the enemy's hull" Spock said.
"Can you guess?" Kirk asked.
Spock looked slightly uncomfortable.
"I will attempt estimation" He conceded. A few seconds later he spoke again.
"At least twenty set at full yield, all impacting at the same time"
Kirk knew that the ship's launching system wouldn't be repaired in time and even if it were would not be able to launch that many torpedoes fast enough. He thought for a second that punched his intercom.
"Scotty!"
"Aye sir"
"I need twenty torpedoes in the hanger deck set for proximity detonation on the double!"
"Sir?!" Scott asked, confused.
"No time to explain Mr Scott, on the double"
"Aye sir"
Kirk looked at Spock. Even with their resident miracle worker on the job it would be touch and go whether the torpedoes were ready before the Daleks caught up.
In the brig the Doctor paced back and forth. Every now and then he looked at the white glowing forcefield holding them in and the large security guard outside. He was talking to himself
"So Doctor! You've ended up in Star Trek, but how?" He paced and thought
"The multiverse theory? The idea that anything that can happen does happen? But that would mean I'm not in my universe"
A dark look came over his face "But that means neither are the Daleks. The bumpy ride in the TARDIS" He smacked his forehead "A dimensional rip! They opened one! But what are they after?" He moved to the entrance. "Guard! I need to speak to the Captain! It's urgent!"
"Sorry, the Captain is a bit busy at the moment. Your friends are doing their best to blow us to bits" The guard said.
The Doctor leaned in and in a voice barely more that a hiss said.
"The Daleks are not my friends!"
On the bridge Spock said "Twelve minutes to intercept"
"Kirk to Scott, progress?" Kirk called.
"All twenty are in the hanger deck and set for proximity detonation" Came the answer. "But Captain if your planning what I think ye are, it wilna work. The hanger doors are too slow. When they open the decompression will suck the torpedoes into the doors".
"I know Mr Scott, Power up both shuttlecrafts. Spock with me" Kirk got up and made for the turbolift. Spock followed him.
"Hanger deck!" Kirk said.
"Captain I am most curious as to what you are planning" Spock said.
"We need to launch all those torpedoes at the same time and as quickly as possible. As Mr Scott said the doors open too slowly. But what it the doors weren't there? Kirk asked.
"The shuttle phasers" Spock said.
"Plus the shuttle, Mr Spock"
The turbolift doors opened and Kirk and Spock sprinted to the hanger deck entrance. Inside Mr Scott was stood with a team of engineers. The shuttlecraft Columbus stood behind them ready for launch. Between the shuttle and the hanger doors were twenty black rounded oblong shapes.
"I dinna know what ye have in mind Captain" Scott said.
"Scotty are theshuttles ready?"
"Aye sir both powered and ready for launch"
"Thanks Scotty. Clear the deck".
"Captain I do not believe the shuttles phasers will be strong enough the breach the hanger doors" Spock said.
"Breach the what…..?" Scott said.
Kirk ignored him.
"I know Spock but they will be enough to weaken them. I doubt they could then stand the impact of a shuttle at full speed."
"Are ye mad?!" Scott protested, then added "Sir"
"We don't have a lot of choice Scotty."
"Aye sir" Scott said tiredly. He called his team and told them to leave. He stayed with Kirk and Spock.
"Are you planning to use the auto pilot?" Spock asked.
"No Mr Spock. After the phasers are fired the shuttle will need to be aimed at a specific spot"
"Jim, the shuttle is likely to be destroyed" Spock pointed out.
"Scotty I want you on the cargo transporter" Kirk said.
"But Captain the cargo transporter will bring you back here, onto this deck. You'll be blown out into space" Scotty said.
"How good is you aim Mr Scott?" Kirk asked, and pointed across the bay
The shuttlecraft Galileo stood there on standby.
Scotty grinned as realisation dawned.
"It'll be perfect Captain".
The engineer and Spock left the deck and made their way to the hanger control gantry. Scott went to the transporter controls and Spock checked a reading. He pushed a comm button.
"Captain, Intercept in six minutes"
"Ok Spock, stand by!"
Kirk entered the shuttle and sat in the pilot's chair. He activated the ion drive and put it into slow astern. The shuttle moved slowly backwards until an alarm told Kirk he was only a metre from the rear bulkhead. He powered up the phasers and aimed for a point in the middle of the clamshell doors.
"A contact of twenty seconds as full power should be sufficient" Spock's voice said.
"Thank you Spock. Stand by to transport on my mark"
"Standing by Sir"
Kirk blew out a breath and pushed the firing button. Two beams lanced out and struck the hanger doors. They were unchanged for a few seconds then started to glow a deep red. A shrieking noise started as if the Enterprise were screaming in pain. The doors glowed brighter and brighter.
Spock's voice started a countdown.
"Five….four….three…two….one!"
Kirk snapped off the Phasers and, aiming at the centre of the red spot, punched in full power. The shuttle leapt forward.
"Now Scotty!" Kirk shouted.
He saw the huge doors get closer and closer and then felt the tingle of the transporter beam. He closed his eyes.
In the gantry Spock saw Scott activate the controls and watched as the Columbusstruck the centre of the glow, and burst through, destroying most of the doors. He saw the torpedoes whipped up and out of the hole and into space.
"Spock to Captain Kirk" He called the Galileo.
"Kirk here. I assume it worked"
"Yes Sir. Torpedoes away". Spock moved to a nearby scanner display
"How long?"
The enemy ship should reach them…now" Spock said. "All torpedoes detonated….I am reading large secondary explosions…the enemy ship has been disabled"
"Thank you Mr Spock. But the next last second beam out is yours. Two is enough for me!" Kirk said, collapsing into the pilot's chair.
The Enterpriseslowed to full stop and hung in space, as if resting. The problem of getting Kirk out of the depressurised shuttle bay was solved by Kirk piloting the Galileo out into space, being beamed back and the shuttlecraft pulled back in by the hanger bay tractor beams. He was soon back in his chair on the bridge.
"Sulu set course for the enemy vessel, warp two" Scott has said that this would be the safest maximum speed for a while.
The starship turned and jumped to warp.
"Captain" Spock said. "I am heavy damage and low power levels on the enemy ship. They are, however still functioning, but barely" He warned.
Kirk was reminded of his tactics against the Romulan ship in the battle of Icarus IV.
"They could be playing possum Mr Spock?"
"A possibility Captain".
"Mr Chekov, time to intercept?"
"Twenty six hours"
"Plenty of time to get us patched up, Mr Spock" Kirks mind shifted to his other problem. "For right now, let go see our guests".
The Doctor and was ushered to the briefing room on deck two. The doctor seemed entranced by his surroundings, smiling and pointing at things.
When they were in the turbolift he looked at the guard with him.
"Have you ever heard of Gene Roddenberry?" He asked.
"No, I haven't" The guard said
"Didn't think so…But just so you know…"
He pointed to the white flashes in the wall, indicating decks.
"…..That was my idea!" he whispered.
He was taken into the briefing room and two security officers with phasers stood watch over him.
A few minutes later Captain Kirk and Mr Spock arrived, followed by another, slightly older male in a short sleeved blue top.
"Bones!" The Doctor cried out, eliciting frowns from everyone
Kirk, Spock and McCoy took their seat, Spock by the computer as usual.
"Now" Kirk began "I'd like some answers, who are you? How did you get here? And what is that blue box on deck eight?"
The Doctor's face went from playful enjoyment to deadly serious.
"Captain, I am a Time Lord from the Planet Gallifrey, That blue box is my ship, my TARDIS. It allows me to travel to any point in time and space."
Kirk was taken aback Spock arched an eyebrow.
"I've never heard of Gallifrey or Time Lords. Where are you planet?"
"In the constellation Kastourborus, many many light years from here"
Spock activated his computer.
""Why are you here?" Kirk asked.
"I came here by accident" The Doctor said
Spock glanced over and caught his Captain's eye. Kirk knew this was a signal that Spock had information and wished to make it known.
"Doctor I have reviewed our long range scans and have found that we have no records of any planets in the constellation you mentioned. In fact we have evidence of a star going supernova there several million years ago"
"So Rassilon and Omega failed in this universe" The Doctor muttered.
"Can you explain that Doctor?" Kirk asked.
"Well there is or was a Gallifrey where we come from" The Doctor said
"Was?" McCoy spoke up. Kirk knew that his chief medical officer had good instincts and had picked up on something Kirk had missed.
The Doctor looked down.
"My planet was involved in a war…a time war….one that means Gallifrey will never be seen again"
"It was destroyed?" Spock asked.
"No…." The Doctor said "…..It was placed in a time lock. Trapped in a second of time that no one can enter or leave".
"I do not see how that would be possible" Spock said.
The Doctor smiled.
"We weren't called Time Lords for nothing"
Spock looked at Kirk.
"Captain. I suggest that the Doctor and his companion are from a different universe to us"
The Doctor jumped up.
"Awww…you guys are just as good as I hoped!" He cried.
"Yes we are from a different universe but more importantly so are the Daleks"
Kirk frowned.
"Did they get here the same way as you?"
"Yes, well….we came the same as them….The Daleks have opened a dimensional rip, a doorway from our universe to yours"
"We've experienced them" Kirk said.
The Doctor smiled "Of course, Lazarus!"
"How do you know about that?" Kirk demanded.
"Umm…..my ship scanned your computer…sorry" The Doctor lied.
"You know the Daleks" Kirk asked.
"Oh yes….I know them very well…."The Doctor said.
"Were they the enemy in your time war?" McCoy asked.
"Yes…..they are the most evil creatures in I've ever encountered….If they are here your entire universe is at risk".
"But why would they be here?" Kirk asked.
"I don't know" The Doctor said. "Captain, May I ask what the Daleks were doing when you ran into them?"
Kirk hesitated, wondering what he should divulge. But there was something about the Doctor that indicated he could be trusted. Kirk relied on his intuition instincts as a starship captain and he listened to them now.
"They were attacking a Starfleet research base, on a planet a few light years from here."
"Why that base I wonder?" The Doctor said.
"It is the site of a unique discovery called the guardian of forever" Spock said.
The Doctors face paled and he almost collapsed into a chair.
"No! It can't be…not here!"
"You know it Doctor?" Kirk asked
"Yes…but it's in my universe. I don't see how that can be…unless…The Doctor stopped. "Captain this could be worse than I thought…"
"In what way Doctor? We know that the Guardian has the ability to open a portal to any point in a planets history. But if the Daleks rival your technology they can already do that surely" Kirk said.
"Captain…In my Universe the Guardians planet was set off limits by the Time Lords centuries ago…Mainly to preserve out mastery over time to be honest" The Doctor said. "We were amazed when it was discovered. The Time Lords were never able to find out who built it. But here….well there's no one to stop the Daleks finding it and using it"
"Using it for what? To change history? But that would only effect our universe" McCoy said.
The Doctor looked at him.
"No Dr McCoy. In every Universe"
"What are you suggesting Doctor?" Kirk said, as realisation dawned. He could see that Spock had figured it out as well.
"That the Guardian in your universe is the same one that's in my universe and the same one that's probably in every universe. It can send you to any point in space and time in any universe!"
"My god" McCoy whispered.