Stasis pod door has been activated.
Woosh went the door opening.
Stasis pod systems are deactivated.
Bright white light shot through the eyelid making the doctor fully begin to awake.
"Bones?" Came a familiar voice.
McCoy's eyes opened, blinking, to see two figures looming over the pod. They were young, easily recognizable, and their faces were the second thing he had seen asides to the light. A smile grew on the doctor's face as he lunged forward, "Jim! Spock!" grabbing the two men into a hug. Least that could be said is that Spock did not like the hug.
"Doctor McCoy, I do not permit hugging." Spock said.
"Why you hugged your mother." Jim said.
"That is a different story, captain." Spock said.
"Bones, you are squeezing me!" Jim said.
Bones let go of the two men with tears in his eyes.
"Damn, you look youn' again! Did I finally die and go to heaven? I have been waitin' over eighty-five years to die."
The two men appeared to be alarmed.
"Bones, how long has it been for you?" Jim asked, after a beat
"One hundred years." McCoy said.
The Vulcan's right eyebrow raised up.
"Doctor McCoy, you were in a stasis pod for two hundred thirty-two years, six months, three weeks,two days,three hours, and ten minutes," Spock explained. "You were unable to join us in the return to the future due to a attack launched by a fierce group of human beings bent on getting a scientist who could have changed the future of our technology in various ways but he was killed in the crossfire. You were grazed at the head by a bullet and fell into the pod, that was set to a specific date on Sniplon. Any attempts to open it would have resulted in your death. And so we did the previous form of time travel back into our standard time, met up with Ambassador Kasich, and gave him a part of history that he was attempting to find prior to joining Star Fleet."
"But. . . but. . . but . . ." McCoy placed one hand on the side of his forehead where he felt a sharp pain then lowered his hand to see there wasn't any blood. Jim helped the doctor out of the pod then back onto his feet."I remember every day, specifically, we never went to Sniplon! In fact I never heard of it until today!" McCoy faced in the direction of Spock. "You went to Gol,participated in Kolinahr, then came back due to a alien starship made from Voyager and Borg that threatened Earth because it called out to you." Spock's eyebrow rose in surprise. McCoy turned in the direction of Jim. "You accepted the promotion to be admiral, was rather unhappy about your decision for three years, returned because of the threat that star fleet classified as 'dangerous enough to use the Enterprise to stop it'. A decade later, Khan returned, got Spock killed, who put his damn katra in my skull,"-The doctor pointed to the side of his head- "was out of my mind for a good day, went to Vulcan, got my mind back and yours back into your rejuvenated body. Went back into the late 20th century to fetch two whales to communicate with a probe that was vaporizin' Earth's oceans. Brought back a humpback whale expert. Then we dealt with a entity claimin' to be god and manipulated Spock's brother Sybok and Sybok ended up sacrificin' his life to stop the entity. We also had to prevent the assassination of a representative in a Klingon-Star Fleet treaty. Three months later you got trapped in a place called the Nexus for EIGHT-FIVE YEARS, then you died, savin' a entire system no body gave a crap about helpin' another captain of the Enterprise. Spock was bein' his Vulcan stubborn self tryin' to unify Vulcans and Romulans together, in 2387 he vanished along with the Narada into a alternate universe! I remember that because I died and was reincarnated into another self. Now that was one screwed up universe. Spock didn't have eyeliner, Jim was headed to a self destructive path with bright blue eyes, Jim's father died twenty-five years prior savin' 800 lives in eleven minutes,Vulcan was obliterated, Spock's mother died in the evacuation," Spock's eyebrow rose up, further. "Khan appeared earlier because Star Fleet couldn't handle ONE THREAT! They used him to advance their starships and weapons. And oh, Jim died again because of it by goin' into the warp core just like Spock did to save the ship. Jim came back to life due to Khan's regenerative properties in his blood. Then there was these space pirates called the Krall attemptin' to take down Star Fleet but with the USS Franklin that man and his kind was stopped along with a woman. I was about to make you two admit that you had feelin's with one another when I suddenly 'died' and woke up."
"I do not have a brother," Spock said. "And purging my human half is illogical."
"There is no such thing as the Nexus." Jim said.
"And humpback whales?" McCoy asked.
"They still exist to this day." Both men said.
"Then why the hell do I remember thin's differently?" McCoy asked.
"I theorize your brain was processing what had happened after being shot at," Spock explained. "The stasis pod did most of the medical treatment after your landing and the door automatically closed. This pod froze your aging, much like chronostasisid pods, except it aided in treatment removing the bullet in your head. The pain you suffer is phantom pain from what had been in your head for the first day. You made a excuse up, in your mind, that you had not fallen into a pod because you had not visited this planet. Therefor, there is very good reason that your dream was very illogical. To make up for the illogicality in it, your brain made references to work you were aware of as you tried to make sense. Music, perhaps, could have been misconstrued."
McCoy gasped, in realization, as it occurred to him (and his real memories came to) that Spock was right.
"No wonder everyone was quoting Shakespeare and literature works." McCoy said.
Jim flipped out his communicator.
"I take it I did some quoting of my own?" Jim asked.
"I rather not say," McCoy said. "But me randomly blurtin' out a verse? I felt like I was in a musical."
"Doctor McCoy," Spock said. "For your information, there was already a treaty done with Klingons and Star Fleet three months, two days, four hours, and nine minutes ago. Klingons are part of Star Fleet." The Vulcan had his arms behind his back, a familiar pose, contrasting with the blue shirt and black pair of pants with the tricorder along his shoulder. "It is logical to assume your dream must have . . . screwed up your perception."
"Oh and you were the one who volunteered us to ensure the treaty went smoothly! And Jim didn't like it at first. Because of what they took away . . ." The doctor had a long, sad look on his face. "Then Jim was framed for murder, alon' with me, for killin' Klingons that we didn't kill. If we killed Klingons no one would ever know about it! I wouldn't leave a trace if I murdered one of you not come back to the scene and attempt to save the life of the one I attempted to kill!"
"Scotty, three to beam up." Jim said.
"I take it you found the doctor?" Scotty asked.
"The lon' way round." McCoy said.
"Bones, what are the Borg?" Jim asked.
"Terrible, terrible machines." McCoy said, as their surroundings changed to the transporter room in a familiar melody.
McCoy could feel delight at seeing Scotty behind the console, hair brown, but a growing mustache no less-so that is where the mustache came from, McCoy noted-under his nose and he noticeably lacked a middle finger. The Scotsman looked up from the console with his trade mark, happy, cheerful smile. The Scotty he knew inside and out in the dreamworld loved the Enterprise. Probably more than the captain did. The real Scotty shared the same love towards her in how he operated her. Like she was a person.
"Welcome back, doctor!" Scotty said, gleefuly.
The two men got off the transporter pad as the doctor looked around.
"This one doesn't have a caution sign." McCoy said.
"That is . . most illogical to have a caution sign." Spock noted.
"I am not surprised the transporter in your dream world had one, Bones." Jim patted the backside of his friend then he left.
McCoy could feel the Vulcan's eyes were on him.
At least that did not feel different and was not different.
"Doctor McCoy," Spock said. "What are you holding back?"
McCoy looked over toward the Vulcan.
"He had a son, Spock," McCoy said. "Klingon killed him. He died saving a Vulcan woman. And his name was David."
Spock paused.
"I understand," Spock said. "You rather not see him be emotionally hurt like that again."
McCoy stared at Spock, half wondering if he was still dreaming, as Spock stared back at him.
"And I never told you how much that hurt." McCoy said.
"We both know the captain well enough to know how he would react to the knowledge of his son's passing by a Klingon." Spock said.
The doctor had a relieved sigh at the point made by the Vulcan.
"Yes, that we do." McCoy agreed.
"And what if he does have a son?" Spock asked.
McCoy looked long and hard at the Vulcan.
"Personally?" McCoy said. "I do not want to find out. The day I found out, you died the same day, Spock!"
McCoy went out the doors leaving the Vulcan briefly in the room.
"Fascinating." Spock said, then he exited the transporter room leaving dear old Scotty behind installing something new into the transporter right now underneath the transporter console with a female technician sitting by his side.
"Miss Marcus," Scotty said, holding his hand out. "Hand me the wrench."
Carol Marcus handed the wrench to the Scotsman.
"Thank you, lass." Scotty said.
"You are welcome, Mr Scott." Carol said, her mind far off to the idea of having a relationship with the captain.
But would Captain Kirk ever notice her over the Vulcan? No. The captain was head over heels for the Vulcan. Everyone aboard the ship knew it! How much he adored the Vulcan. He planned to command another starship after their five year mission was over. She could just play out their 'what if' potential together in her minds eye. . . Oh the chances she could have had with him during her academy years when Gary introduced her to him. He had been so busy getting himself prepared for becoming a Star Fleet officer. Truth to be told he acted for the part with that attitude, that swag of his, and bravado. How he did everything claiming he didn't believe in no-win scenarios. The only captain in the fleet to beat the Kobyashi Maru.
And she could not have him.
The End.
