Author's note: I'm a new trekkie (ever since the Star Trek 2009 was released, at least), so if there's any error or general lack of knowledge regarding ST trivia, please forgive me since I never watched TOS or the others after it. And I've only watched two out of the 10 movies in the prime!universe.
In STXI and STID, the universe was realigning itself to the original timeline. When I watched STID I didn't even know the significance of Carol Marcus' character. Now that I started reading fics in the fandom and learning more about the characters and the original series, I found that Carol is my favourite character. Her character in the new timeline received quite a change of focus, from molecular biology to weapons specialist. So, in effort to make peace with the changes in the new timeline to the old in my mind, I cooked this fic up. All I'm doing is a little switch-a-roo like the STID did with STII: Wrath of Khan.
There was a loud shatter from down below that startled the little girl.
"Shut up! We're done!" A loud masculine voice shouted, then the loud bang of the front door.
Sounds of argument drifted to her ears from downstairs. Carol huddled deeper into her bed and tried to pay more fervor in her reading. Carol Marcus was a gifted child. She realised from a very young age that she can remember with almost perfect clarity. She knew about the precarious status-quo her parents have with each other, and understood enough not to say anything about it, even when she saw less and less of her father.
That night was the last she ever saw her parents together.
Across the planet in a dusty landscape, a boy too angry at life and too smart, narrowly missed losing his life in his first act of rebellion.
Chest heaving from the adrenaline surge, he announced loud and clear to the policeman, "My name is James Tiberius Kirk!"
The school staffs loved Carol. She was well behaved, obedient and remarkably intelligent. She had skipped grades, and still kept up in the top 3% of the school population. At twelve year old, Carol was also easily one of the loveliest. As such, the combination proved to provoke jealousy in her peers.
Carol spent lonely years in the school, distracting herself by burying herself in schoolwork, and getting her hands in everything she can get; biology, chemistry, physics, astrophysics, engineering and programming. Thus, in her years of alienation and self-imposed reclusion, she found that she was years beyond her peers and the gap was only widening.
Carol loved her mother, June Wallace—she had readopted her maiden surname after the divorce, and June clearly loved her daughter. But sometimes, Carol felt as if they weren't communicating in the same plane.
"Carol, can we talk?" That was the first sentence Carol heard from her mother the moment she came back home from school.
June Wallace was a beautiful woman; even in her early forties she still looked young and alluring. Carol had inherited her graceful motions, light golden hair and blue eyes—typical traits of the Londoner high socialites.
"Sure, mum." Carol replied back. Dropping her padd off on the side table, she followed her mother and sat on the loveseat across from the older woman. "What is it, mum?"
The older woman looked uncertain for a moment, before she seemed to steel herself. "Carol, I heard something disturbing from the neighbour, yesterday. She told me that you don't get along with the children at school. At all."
Carol found that she was unable to look at June in the eyes.
"Carol, why didn't you tell me?" June implored.
"It's not a problem, mum. I'm fine." Carol answered.
June looked saddened at her answer. The silence between the two stretched until June finally moved and offered her padd to the young girl. On the screen of the padd was the detail of a highly prestigious school with various specialties.
"Mum?" Carol asked shakily.
"I have made arrangements for your enrolment there. You would fit in better with your peers there, hopefully." June answered, looking at her daughter sadly, "You will depart tomorrow."
"I don't want to leave you, mum." Carol pleaded.
June's smile turned melancholic. "And neither do I want you to leave me." She replied back steadily, "But I believe it is necessary. There, you would work at the standard you are in and work with like-minded people, and maybe even become friends." June's smile widened, "You would be happy there, Carol."
The day after, Carol found herself in the next shuttle bound to Tarsus IV.