Star Trek: Forever Beyond
Historians note: This story takes place a few months after the events in the movie, Star Trek Beyond.
The Enterprise 1701-A had barely cleared Yorktown Base, before the Romulans had a fleet on the Neutral Zone. Claiming the base, a base where warships could be built, was an act of war and a threat to remote regions of their empire.
Now, instead of exploring, the Enterprise, along with several other ships, were patrolling and maintaining a defensive net along some of the most distant and remote sections of the Neutral Zone. For nearly six months all the ships had endured long, monotonous days, with brief moments of panic.
Spock, although no one could tell, was especially hard hit. Every night he relived the destruction of Vulcan, and heard the screams of his people. For three nights in a row, the dream centered around the box containing Ambassador Spock's personal affects.
After awakening from the dream on the fourth night. Spock retrieved the box from the drawer where he had stowed it. This was the first time in months he had looked at it. He went through the contents again. Why did the box seem to call out to him in his dream? He noticed a slight bulge at the bottom, he pulled the lining away and found a computer disk.
He put it in his computer, a weak, haggard Ambassador Spock appeared on screen.
"Greetings Commander Spock," he began, "I have little time left. A virus, indigenous to New Vulcan, is sweeping through our people. It is rendering men impotent, already birth rates are dangerously low. It is estimated that in two to three generations, the Vulcan race will become extinct. A cure is unlikely, the Science Academy in its wisdom, has decided to keep this a secret from outworlders. There is, however, one alternative, potentially dangerous, but one only you can achieve. Listen carefully..."
"Spock," Kirk said, sitting up in his bed where he had been awakened moments earlier by Spock, "it's zero dark thirty, that means I should be asleep. And you're asking me to what? Pull out of the defense grid, and go warping into uncharted space, find an unexplored planet that has a cure for a virus on New Vulcan?"
"I have the coordinates, they were provided by Ambassador Spock. At warp 9 we can reach the planet in only 96.633 hours."
"Ninety six point six three..."
"Three hours." Spock finished.
"Spock, I've disobeyed orders before, hell, I enjoy it. But now, no. Look what happened last week when Potemkin lost power for forty five minutes."
"Jim, my race may be dying."
Jim rubbed his face. He wanted to do what his friend requested. But this time the stakes were too high. "I'll send a message to Adm. Paris at Yorktown Base. Maybe she can rotate another ship in here for a few days."
"Jim, that may take to long. Jim, we have to leave..."
"No, wait for me to contact Adm. Paris. Now go back to sleep, we have another exciting day ahead of us." Kirk lay back down. "That's an order."
0830
Kirk was on his third cup of coffee, still blurry eyed after Spock's visit. Spock was at the science station, other than reporting the occasional routine short range scan, he had remained very quiet. Kirk noticed that Lt. Sulu was frantically working the helm control and exchanging nervous glances with Chekov.
Kirk leaned in. "Gentlemen, is there a problem?"
"Sir, the helm's not responding." Sulu said.
Chekov added, "Someone has entered a new course heading, I can't clear it from the nav. computer."
Suddenly, the stars on the view screen changed directions and the Enterprise jumped to warp.
Kirk hit the com on his arm rest and screamed, "Bridge to engineering, Scotty what's going on?"
"I wish I knew sir." Came the Scottsman's reply. "Everythings haywire, the warp engines aren't responding."
"Can you drop us out of warp?"
"Aye, I'll have to do it manually, it'll be a rough ride."
"Do it." Kirk said.
"Belay that order." Spock said. "Any attempt to tamper with the warp engines will result in an anti-matter explosion."
"Sir," Uhuru said, "Adm. Paris from Yorktown Base, wants to know what's going on?"
"Tell her I'll get back to her. Spock, are you behind this?"
"You left me no alternative. I must find the cure to the New Vulcan virus. This is solely my responsibility, and I am prepared to face the consequences."
"Well, you'll be out of Starfleet for sure. I hope this is worth it."
"It will be, if I'm successful. After we arrive at our destination, I will return control of the ship."
With that, Spock left the bridge.
Kirk sat down in the command chair and said to no one in particular, "Well, let's enjoy the ride."
96.633 Hours Later
The Enterprise dropped out of warp and slipped into orbit around an ugly, barren planet, orbiting a star that was not much more than a stellar corpse. Spock entered the transporter room and handed a data pad to the transporter chief.
"Set for these coordinates." Was all he said, he then stepped onto the transporter pad.
The doors opened and Kirk entered, and joined Spock on the transporter pad. "You're not getting away that easy."
"Captain, this is something I must do alone."
"You just hi-jacked my ship and took it half way across the galaxy. I'm going, end of argument. Energize."
"We hardly went half way across the galaxy." Spock said as the transporter effect took over.
The two materialized in what looked like the ruins of the Roman Forum. Columns toppled and partial columns still standing as far as the eye could see.
Spock lifted his tricorder, "This way."
He led the way over a pile of debris and through a crumbling wall into what millennia ago may have been a plaza. Spock walked straight to an archway that looked to Kirk like a giant misshaped donut.
"This is it." Spock said.
"This?" Kirk asked. He scanned it with his own tricorder. "It's nothing but common rock. Looks like an ancient memorial to Homer Simpson."
Spock gave him a quick look, that only Kirk would know as Spock's "What are you talking about look?"
"You know? "The Simpsons", longest running cartoon in television history? Ran for seventy nine seasons, and then was later re-booted in...Well, nevermind."
Spock walked to the archway and placed his hands on it.
"Are you mind melding?" Kirk asked. "Spock, it's nothing but rock."
Smoke began billowing in the opening and the archway began to glow. Spock stepped back and resumed scanning.
"Spock, what's it doing?"
With no warning, Spock took two quick steps, leaped into the opening. And disappeared.
Romulus
Spock found himself in a very dark lava tube, a faint light at one end of the tube indicated what direction he needed to go. When he reached the light, he was at a junction with another tube. He lifted his tricorder, but all he got was static. As he was making adjustments, he suddenly felt something sharp poke him in the ribs very near his heart.
"Tvat, don't move." Spock turned his head slightly and saw a Romulan boy, maybe fifteen, holding a dagger just above his heart. "Who are you? And how did you get here? That tunnel is a dead end."
"I am from Starfleet," Spock said, "I have an urgent message from Capt. Picard, I must see Ambassador Spock immediately."
"You lie, I met Picard and Data when I was younger, that is not a Starfleet uniform. You are Tal'shiar, I should kill you right here."
"I believe the Ambassador would be very distressed if you were to do that."
"Very well," the youth said, he reached over and yanked the tricorder away, breaking its strap, "I will take you to see the Ambassador, but be warned, he has killed many Tal'shiar, most bare handed. Now move."
"I sincerely doubt that." Spock said, as he began walking in the direction the youth indicated.
They entered a larger chamber, a meeting was taking place between Ambassador Spock and several members of his Reunification cell. The room fell silent as Commander Spock was shoved to the middle of the room by the youth. Ambassador Spock approached the stranger, looked him up and down. Looked to the youth and said.
"Explain."
"I caught this v'rool coming out of one of the dead end tunnels. He says he's Starfleet and has a message from Capt. Picard. But that is no Starfleet uniform, he must be Tal'shiar. He must have beamed in."
"Indeed." The Ambassador said, "This is a Starfleet uniform, but it was phased out over a century ago. The sileenium content of the rock here prevents beaming or scanning, that's why we use these caverns. Perhaps, we should let our guest explain himself."
"Ambassador Spock," the stranger said, "I need to speak to you, alone."
"No, I keep no secrets from my followers. Anything you say, you will say to them."
"Very well. Are you familiar with the star Moahb?"
"Somewhat, it is a blue sub-giant star, three light days from Romulus, the brightest object in the night sky here. Why?"
"It is going to supernova in six months, and destroy Romulus, there will be little warning. And you are the only one who can save Romulas."
"He doesn't know what he's talking about." A young woman said. She got up and stood beside the Ambassador.
"This is Tayneht. A Physics student at a local university."
"Our astrophysics has determined the core of Moahb is very stable, there is no danger of a supernova for millions of years."
"They obviously have missed something." The stranger said.
"Young man, "the Ambassador said, "you come here in a century old uniform, and made an extraordinary claim. Are you familiar with the phrase: Extra ordinary claims, require..."
"Extra ordinary evidence. Yes. I have none, except, my memories."
The ambassador was in deep thought for several seconds. "Perhaps, a mind meld is in order."
"No" the youth said. His dagger again pointed at the strangers heart. "It's a trick."
"The danger is minimal." The Ambassador said, "If he is Vulcan, and speaks the truth, he will open his thoughts. If he is Romulan, he will not be able to resist."
The Ambassador approached, he reached up and his finger tips found the pressure points on the temples. Both men began to speak in Vulcan. The youth, his dagger at the ready leaned in. He had studied Vulcan, was far from fluent but was able to pick a word out, here and there. "A Romulan miner named Nero, red matter, the academy's ship, red matter, a guard of forever?"
The Ambassador broke off the meld. And for the first time realized he was staring into his own eyes.
"He speaks the truth. Krenak," he turned and addressed a middle aged Romulan, "The Orion freighter?"
"Still at the space port." He said, "They'll will be leaving in the morning."
"Quick," The Ambassador said, "we have little time. I must be on that freighter. The Vulcan Science Academy has the means to save Romulus. D'luut," The Ambassador addressed the youth with the dagger. "Escort Commander S.. our friend back to where you found him."
"And kill him?"
"Most definitely not. Release him, he can find his way back to where he belongs. And D'luut, quit thinking so much like a Romulan."
The Ambassador and Krenak turned towards another tunnel. "Ambassador," Spock said. The Ambassador turned around. "This may be a bit self serving." He raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan greeting, and said, "Good luck."
"And good luck to you." The Ambassador also returned the gesture and disappeared down the tunnel.
A few minutes later, D'luut had returned Spock to the mouth of the tunnel where they first met.
"I still don't trust you. I believe the Ambassador is walking into a trap." He drew his arm back, angled the dagger towards the strangers heart and began his strike. There was a flash of blue, D'luut looked down his dagger was gone. He looked up, the stranger held it and was examining the handle.
"Fascinating," he said, "this knife is of recent manufacture, but the markings are ancient Vulcan."
"M..my grandfather makes them."
"Interesting, he is a fine craftsman. If I were Tal'shiar, I could have disarmed you at anytime. If I were Tal'shiar, I would not do this." He handed the knife back to D'luut. Raised his hand in the Vulcan salute and said.
"Live long and prosper, for I believe I will see you again." D'luut's jaw dropped, smoke was streaming down from the roof of the tunnel, the stranger took a couple of steps, and was gone.
The Return
Spock's second trip through the portal was more disconcerting than his first. Memories began flooding his mind, faster than even a Vulcan could comprehend. Some familiar, some were new. Arguing with his father about joining Starfleet, his mother walking in their garden, looking into an empty sky, years of serving with Capt. Pike on the Enterprise, then a new captain, young and cocky, but the cockiness, had been tempered by the steady hand of a father.
More images, New York City, a soup kitchen, a young woman, speaking of the future, McCoy, the young woman, dead in the street, "Do you know what you just did?" "He knows, Doctor, he knows."
Spock and Kirk emerged from the Guardian of Forever. Scotty, Uhura, Security officers Baldwin and Albright were there.
"Sir," Scotty asked, "what happened? You were only gone a moment."
McCoy came out next.
Kirks eyes were full of sorrow, so Spock spoke, "We were successful."
The Guardian spoke, "Time has resumed its shape. All is as it was before. Many such journeys are possible let me be your gateway."
"Captain, the Enterprise is up there." Uhuru said, "They're asking if we want to beam up?"
Kirk drew a breath.
"Let's get the hell out of here."
They gathered around their Captain. A moment later the transporter beam left the planet in its cold, desolation.