The roads now taken
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. I just borrowed Spock, Uhura & Co.
Author's Note: I wrote this story back in 2009. Recently, I was rewatching the Kelvin timeline movies, decided to pick up writing again, but als revise my old Star Trek fanfiction. In this story I changed several things, because I wanted to bring out differences between the timelines... English isn't my first language. So there might be mistakes or clumsy/bumpy expressions. I hope you enjoy the story anyway.
Prologue
Captain Data was gazing out of this ready room's windows when there was a beep and two men walked in without waiting for his permission.
"The Agents Dulmer and Lucsly from the Department of temporal investigation, I suppose."
They nodded.
"We're here about the disappearance of Ambassador Spock", Lucsly went straight to the topic.
"So you think there are temporal alterations?" Data gestured them to have a seat and settled in his chair behind the desk.
"Well, the thing is…" Dulmer started.
"… that the Ambassador", continued Lucsly, "disappeared into a black hole which was linked with a temporal anonaly… or rather caused one. But strangely we cannot detect any changes in the timeline."
"It's a riddle", Dulmer added.
"And you are here because...?" Data asked.
"Well, we have to investigate this. A certain disturbance was measurable. No changes in time, but Spock is missing. Doesn't fit together."
"The ambassador knows about the time directive", Data replied. "It is very probable that he would do nothing to change the order of historical events."
"Yes, well…" Dulmer looked very skeptical. "The thing is that… he is Spock."
Data blinked. "I do not understand."
"Spock. As in best fried of James T. Kirk. Former crewmember of the Enterprise and Enterprise-A."
"I still do not understand."
"Yeah, maybe because you don't work in our department…" Lucsly sighed.
"Kirk…" Dulmer shook his head. "Seventeen separate temporal violations. The biggest on record. That man was a menace. A temporal nightmare…"
„The Ambassador is Vulcan. I can assure you – he would never change the history intentionally."
"Well, he actually did when he and Kirk took a Klingon warbird back in time", Dulmer answered.
"Ah, yes, I am familiar with that incident."
"See?"
"But you say yourself that there are no alterations in the past", Data replied. "So I do not see any problem."
"There might be a predestined paradox", Lucsly explained.
"That he was meant to go back in time and act in a certain manner", Dulmer elaborated needlessly.
"Yes", Lucsly nodded.
"We hate that", Dulmer added.
"No", Data said categorical. "You would have detect a paradox. But… there is a very likely scenario."
"You mean he could be dead? And Nero as well?" Lucsly presumed.
"Even two scenarios then", Data corrected himself. "No, I mean that he could have gone back in time, but the extraordinary combination of red matter and the supernova in connection with the warp field of Spocks and Neros ships might have sent him not only into another time, but thereby opened the door to a parallel reality… Or even more likely created in that precise moment an alternative timeline in which the Ambassador is stuck now. This alternative reality would be similar to our own up to the moment of the ship's arrival and then develop differently… After all, I do not think Nero would feel bound to some Starfleet-made temporal directive. Do you not think? ... Also, you have not considered a travel into the future, although this would be very improbable under the circumstances of Spock's disappearance."
"Interesting", was all Lucsly managed to say and shared a look with his fellow agent.
"Of course we would detect a certain amount of disturbances concerning the future timeline", Dulmer finally said. "We wouldn't know what the difference is, but our sensors would detect a fluctuation."
"And none of all of these possibilities is the case?"
They nodded.
"So you are here because…?" Data picked up his earlier question.
"As I said – it's our job to investigate incidents like this one", Luscly said.
Data rose and both agents followed him to the door. "I hope, I was able to be of some assistance to you."
"Well, we'll close the file, I guess", Dulmer answered. "Our investigation seems to be at a dead end. No Spock, no temporal changes. We will add your theories to our findings."
"By the way, Captain", Lucsly added while leaving the room. "The Enterprise under the command of Jean-Luc Picard can almost compete with Kirk's temporal record… Zefram Cochrane… unbelievable… so stupid… so dangerous… screw the Borg…"
Data raised an eyebrow. The door closed.