AN/ I was really surprised that I got a review after the first chapter only being up for a few hours ^^ I really appreciate it if I get some kind of input on my story, such as how to make it better. So if you read the story I'd really be happy if you let me know what you think! So this chapter is dedicated to stargirl0507 for being my first reviewer! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of the characters. I only own Evie.
Evie found herself with a mouthful of water when she rematerialized. Some had gotten into her lungs, and she was starting to get drowsy. Her eyes closed, and she drifted off.
When she next awoke, she saw Kirk hovering above her as she coughed up the water. He seemed relieved. She was cold, she knew that. She shivered, but sat up.
"You okay, doll?" He asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She coughed loudly and deeply, but nodded. "— Doll?" She asked after a painful hack.
"You're just a girl." He explained his reasoning.
"Haven't played with dolls since…" She had a small fit. "I was around 5 years old."
Before another word was said, security found them, and took each one by the arm before walking out.
Evie did not like the one handling her. She could feel her arm bruising from his grip.
But soon, they had reached the bridge, and she started to shiver again.
Many pairs of eyes had turned to look at them, and it made her uncomfortable. She leaned against Scotty, holding in her coughs. She also noticed that when eyes landed on her and Scotty, they went from shocked to confused, and in a few cases, disgusted.
Although, one seemed more intrigued, but she paid little mind to it.
"Surprise." Kirk said, breaking her train of thought.
A Vulcan looked at Scotty. The man looked familiar. Like Spock, only at Kirk's age.
"Who are you? And who is she?" He demanded.
"They're with me."
Evie turned, and coughed into Scotty's chest. He rubbed her back, as if trying to help. It warmed her, but the coughing continued.
A new man stepped up to her. "Darlin', let me look you over. I'm a doctor." He told her.
Southern, she thought. The coughing hurt her throat, and brought tears to her eyes, so she nodded. He peeled off one of her coats as she listened to the conversation.
"How did you beam yourself aboard this ship while it is traveling at warp speed?" The Vulcan asked.
Kirk just grinned in response. "You're the genius: you figure it out. Why don't you ask the ship's science officer?"
"As captain of this vessel I order you to answer the question."
The argument was getting heated, and suddenly she grew even colder. She gripped Scotty and pulled herself close, trying to keep warm.
"You are a prisoner. There is nowhere for you to go. This question impinges on the very security of Starfleet itself. I assure you that I will utilize whatever authorized methods are at my disposal to convince you to respond to my inquiry."
Kirk shrugged. "Well, I'm not telling."
In any other situation, Evie would've laughed at Kirk's boldness, but right now she was shaking quite visibly.
"Does that frustrate you? My lack of cooperation? Does that make you angry?" Kirk asked.
Spock just turned to Scotty. "You are not a member of this ship's crew. Under penalty of court-martial, I order you to explain how you beamed aboar—"
"Don't answer him, Scotty." Kirk interrupted.
"You will answer me."
Scotty looked between the two before answering. "I'd rather not take sides, if you dinna mind."
When Spock turned to Evie, he could tell she was in no shape to answer. Being the logical person he was, he issued an order. "Escort them to the brig."
Evie felt herself being gripped by that same security officer, and she winced in pain. The doctor pushed him away, saying something about him being too rough with a woman, and one who was injured.
Kirk didn't want to leave. "What is it about you, Spock? Your planet was just destroyed. Your whole civilization was wiped out. Your mother murdered— and you're not even upset?"
This was news to her. Vulcans had been wiped out?
"Your presumption that these experiences interfere with my abilities to command this ship is inaccurate."
"Ha! I mean, did you see that bastard's ship? Did you see what he did?"
"Yes, of course I…"
"So are you angry or not?"
There was a pause, and Evie felt something wrap around her. It was a blanket, which the doctor had had sent up to the bridge. She nodded, her throat still raw.
"I will not— allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion."
Kirk got close to Spock. "Then why don't you stop me?"
The doctor was worried both for Kirk and the lightly shivering girl before him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, which she leaned into.
"Step away from me, Mister Kirk."
"Tell me, Spock. What's it like not to feel? Anger. Or heartbreak. Or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth to you?"
Even from where she stood, Evie could see the vein popping in the Vulcan's neck. "Back away…"
"You must not feel anything. I guess it must not compute for you. When it comes down to it, I guess you must not have loved her at all…"
As Evie gasped at the accusation, a woman stood. "Stop it, you sonofabitch!" She shouted, making her way over, only to be stopped by the doctor. "Let 'em fight."
In a second, Spock had Kirk by the throat. After some hesitation, some of the crew tried to get in the way, only to be tossed aside. Evie wished she could do something, but she was too weak.
"SPOCK."
Everyone but the two involved looked at the elder Vulcan. After a few moments, Spock let go of Kirk, and slowly made his way over to the doctor. Everyone followed with shocked looks.
"Doctor. By order of Starfleet Regulation Six-nineteen I hereby relinquish my command on the grounds that I have been— emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ship's log." With that, he was gone.
A moment of silence swept over the bridge. Then, comically, Scotty broke it.
"I like this ship. It's exciting!"
Evie chuckled a bit, but ended up coughing. The doctor patted her back to help. "Congratulations, Jim. Now we've got no captain— and no goddamn first officer to replace him."
"Yeah we do."
This statement earned confused looks, until one pointed at Kirk. The man was Asian.
"What!?" The doctor blurted out.
Kirk grinned at the doctor lazily. "Thanks for the support, Doc." He said, sitting in the command chair.
"There's a lot I'd like to say— Captain." The woman from before spat. "But I'll save it for another time. Meanwhile, I sure as hell hope you know what you're doing."
"So do I."
As all this happened, the doctor went to check on Kirk, and Evie wrapped Scotty in part of her blanket. He thanked her for it, giving her a soft peck on the head as he stroked her arm. They ignored the report Kirk made over the bridge, talking amongst themselves.
"I want some answers." Evie could tell this woman would not stop anytime soon. "Where the hell did you get transwarp technology?" She motioned to the Scots with a jerk of her head. "Surely not from those vagrants you brought on board with you?"
Evie was obviously offended. "Oi." All eyes suddenly turned to her. She realized that up until this point, she'd refrained from speaking. She glared at the woman.
"'Ere now, lassie, I think that's uncalled for." Scotty agreed with a hurt tone.
Kirk smiled, then winced. "Lieutenant Uhura, those 'vagrants' are Montgomery Scott, an experienced Starfleet engineer of unexpected mental and technical gifts, if possibly dubious character, and his lovely niece, Evelyn Scott, the genius assistant with a sharp tongue. As to the definitive source of the actual physics that were employed to get us onboard, trust me— it's complicated."
The Asian from before turned to look at Kirk. "How about you trust me? I have a doctorate in astrophysics and a master's certificate in interstellar navigation— not to mention having completed a wide assortment of advanced seminars in subspace theory and related disciplines. Whatever explanation you care to propose, I think I can handle it."
"And I also." A Russian voice joined in. "Between Mister Sulu and myself I doubt there's any account you can provide, Mir… Kir— Keptin Kirk— that we will be incapable of dissecting. Or is it that you want us to trust you but you won't trust us?"
Evie grew upset. "Okay, if yer not gonna trust your new Captain, then take my word for it." More shocked looks. Her voice was not what they expected. "When he showed up, I dinna know who he was. And when his friend proposed his theory, I dinna want to believe 'im, either. Speakin' of which, I owe you an apology, Sir." She turned to Kirk. "Yer not full o' month-old haggis." She said.
She got a wave of acceptance, and a look of gratitude from Kirk. But he seemed to be thinking over something. Evie felt eyes on her, and looked over at the doctor, whose eyes were focused on her arm.
"Okay, you want answers? The necessary equations to program a transporter for transwarp beaming came from Spock." Kirk said, causing Evie to slap a hand to her face, and expose her bruised arm.
As looks went across the bridge, the doctor called for something else from the medical bay. He looked at Evie's arm while the explanation continued.
"Not the Spock who just resigned his command of this ship. Not the Spock who just nearly killed me. They came from an older Spock. A much older Spock. One from the future who traveled through a wormhole and is currently residing in our present."
The helmsman just stared. "Okay— I find myself having to amend my previous statement: I'm not sure I can handle it."
"Do you think we're all crazy, Keptin?"
Evie glared at the back of the boy's head, very upset and hurt. She didn't comprehend what Kirk was saying, and felt a cool ooze spread on her arm, but she didn't care. She shied away from the doctor once he was done, and stared at the floor. "Evie…" Scott had pulled her close to him, knowing what was wrong.
"As for transwarp beaming capability, ask him. He's the one who invented it. Spock- the older Spock, the one from the future— just supplied a reminder." Kirk said.
Uhura turned to Scotty and Evie. "Is what he says true, Mister— Scott?"
Scotty nodded, still holding Evie close. "Aye— and me friends call me 'Scotty'." He said softly. "An' once ye all apologize to her, this 'ere is little Evie." He said, pulling her even closer.
All eyes were on Evie, some guilty, such as the Russian boy and the Asian.
"So this changes all our histories, or what? Does it change the general thread of history and not personal pasts, or does everything change?" The doctor looked himself over. "Do we change physically, too? I kind of like the way I am. If we alter the future so that everyone has to do transwarp beaming, I'm not sure I want to go there."
"Our history is only altered, if you think of time as a single thread." The Asian put in.
"Then possibly it's more like we're living out a parallel strand than an alternate one. If you believe that the future is immutable and that it already exists, what we're doing is only changing the past. That same future, or if you prefer, parallel one, will continue on whatever plane it exists. Only ours, only this one here and now, will be altered." Uhura said.
"Parallel? How many damn universes are there?" The doctor demanded, surprised.
"If this one is changed, does it only affect this one, or all the others affected as well?" The Asian asked.
"A ripple effect across the entire continuum." The Russian seemed to be getting excited. "But can such a ripple affect only parallel existences, or, if it is strong enough, can it also affect a future that has already happened?"
The doctor covered his ears childishly. "Kentucky. Think bluegrass. Quiet caves. Real food. Not parallel food." He told himself, causing Evie to tilt her head curiously up at the doctor, quirking an eyebrow.
It seemed the Russian had noticed this, and seemed to feel a bit better seeing her getting close to interacting.
"Look, I'm not sure what it means or if we can even make things go back to the way they were— the way they're supposed to be. Our task right now is to try and save Earth and the Federation from someone who doesn't care about the future of either. We have enough to worry about trying to save the present, without tying ourselves into mental knots wondering if we can save the future. One thing I do know for certain— if we don't save the present then there'll be no future. At least, not for the Federation. Maybe if this ship was crewed by Einstein, Rutherford, Bohr, Planck, Hawking, Ashford, T'mer, and Lal-kang instead of us they'd be able to come up with some answers to questions that we can barely formulate. But it isn't. There's just us. And if we want our descendents to have any kind of future, then it's up to us to see that it comes to pass. All I know is, we can't tell Spock— our Spock, the present-day Spock— any of this." Kirk explained, wanting to get going.
The doctor had obviously not truly covered his ears. "Why the hell not?" He demanded.
Kirk answered simply. "Because I promised him."
"Promised who?" Uhura asked.
"Spock." Kirk was getting impatient. "The other one— the other Spock. The one from the future. I promised him that I wouldn't tell him in the present about him from the future because him from the future made me promise. Dammit, are you gonna trust me or not?" He nearly shouted.
Finally, Evie quietly asked the doctor if they could possibly get some real food, to which he directed them to the mess hall, and asking for a change of clothes for each.