EPISODE 2: Yesterday is Tomorrow

"Keptin…" started Chekov when the ship was hurled out through the other end of the wormhole. "Vere are ve?"

Spock answered for him, having already begun working on interpreting the data coming in from the area and cross-referencing it with registered star charts. "It appears, Captain, that we have not in fact moved."

Kirk stood as if to verify that the planet that should have been there was really as gone as it appeared to be, then looked confusedly at his first officer. "Then where did the planet go?"

"Evidently it has continued in its revolution around its sun, but I cannot estimate how many times this has taken place."

"Uh…" Sulu answered. "I think I can." He directed everyone's attention to the chronometer, which was only now slowing down to a normal speed. "It's moving forward!" he exclaimed.

Spock stood to look at him. "Given that that is the usual course of things, may I presume that it is doing so at an unusual rate?"

Kirk glared. "Spock, this is serious."

The science officer moved down the steps to join him beside Sulu's station, all three watching the chronometer. "Of course, Captain. However, I can find no reason for alarm. We can simply return to our time in the same fashion in which we have explored the past, as we have have only been launched forward approximately 1.685 centuries."

"Only?!"

The intercom chirped before the captain had a chance to answer.

"Kirk here."

"Cap'n, we have a problem." It was Mr. Scott - with bad news, no doubt.

"What is it, Scotty?"

"Is' the dilithium crystals, sir. They've been burnt out."

"What, all of them?"

"All 'cept one, sir. An' it's barely holdin' up as it is. We shouldn' try for more than warp two until we get a replacement."

The captain sighed. "Acknowledged. Kirk out."

"Captain Kirk, there's a ship approaching!" Uhura alerted him.

"Have they seen us?"

"Not according to their transmissions."

"Sulu, take evasive action. When they're out of range, try and tail them at warp two."

"Captain?"

He grimaced. "That ship there is the only source of dilithium in this sector. Let's just hope they're heading for that planet, otherwise we'll never catch up."

"Theft, Captain?" Spock asked quietly as they watched and waited, following what they could now see was a Starfleet ship remarkably similar to their own.

Kirk turned to look at him; he did not appear so much perturbed by the prospect as curious.

"I'm all out of poker ideas," Kirk admitted. "Sorry to disappoint."

"No," he agreed. "I believe we have now moved on to the realm of sports."

"Take us into orbit around that moon, Navigator."

"Yes, sir."

"At this rate, we should stay out of that ship's scanning range, but keep an eye on it and make sure we stay on the dark side, got it? And, you have the conn."

"Captain?" Sulu turned as Kirk and Spock entered the turbolift.

"We're gonna beam onto that ship right after their landing party returns so they won't notice us, and we need Scotty to come with us so he can get one of their crystals."

"Acknowledged, sir."

"Don't break my ship!"

Captain and First Officer entered the transporter room to find Scotty talking to Uhura via intercom. "Got it, thanks. How much longer?"

"The landing party just said they needed ten more minutes."

"A'right. Scott out."

"There y'are!" Scott greeted them. He was sporting a one-piece garment with a hint of a collar, which astonished Kirk more as a result of its yellow color than its odd design. "Starfleet changed the uniforms - Uhura saw them over a visual, she programmed 'em into the replicators and had 'em sent down 'ere."

With this, he handed over a red and a blue version of this, which Kirk and Spock pulled over their black underclothes.

"Ye get used to it," Scotty assured them. "A get the feeling I won' want to change back when we're done!"

The other two exchanged raised eyebrows before moving onto the transporter pads.

Kirk flipped open his communicator. "Tell us when, Uhura."

"They're getting into formation," she warned. "And… now!"

"Energize!"

"Did you see something, Captain?" asked the science officer of the U.S.S. Vega.

"Like what?"

"No… I think it was just a transporter echo."

"I'd better check anyway."

Click. "Transporter room? This is the Captain."

"Transporter technician here, Captain," Kirk replied as soon as Spock had nerve-pinched the actual technician. "What is it, sir?"

"Science officer reported a transporter echo. I need you to check for malfunctions."

Kirk pressed a few buttons before replying, "He was right, sir. Looks to be an echo."

"Good. Carry on."

Scotty was in silent jubilation.

"Come on," Kirk grinned, "let's get in and out of here."

"Captain, may I suggest a preventative measure?" Spock lifted the man over his shoulders.

"Good idea, let's put him somewhere."

Kirk quickly scouted for an empty room out in the hall before returning. "Empty conference room two doors down. Can you make him think he fell asleep or something?"

The three dashed down to the room in question before Spock replied, "Unnecessary. He will assume so when he wakes, as he will have lost up to fifteen seconds of memory."

Kirk nodded. "Okay, let's go. Scotty, do you know where engineering is?"

"Aye, Captain. The layout's similar to the Enterprise, so we should ha' no problem atall."

They all attempted to appear as nonchalant as possible, walking briskly but not hurriedly down the hall, but only Kirk quite appeared to be exactly where he belonged. Many people passed, none of whom gave them a second glance as they rounded a few corners, and entered the turbolift.

"Where're the handles?" Scotty whispered loudly as they all looked about for a means to operate the lift.

Fortunately, a young Andorian woman entered and requested of the room in general, "Deck Five."

Hoping that this ship matched the layout of the Enterprise, they all exited on the same floor, Scotty looking this way and that like a bloodhound sniffing out its target.

"This way," he said. Kirk shrugged blankly at Spock.

"Greetings," said someone to the left, arresting their course.

They all looked to see a young Vulcan man with hair slightly longer and blacker than Spock's, a darker complexion, and similar but squarer features.

"Hello," Kirk answered for all three.

"I do not wish to detain you," the man said, "but I must confess I was interested by your presence here, son of Vulcan. I was not aware there were any others of our race aboard. You have arrived with the newcomers, no doubt?"

"Affirmative," Spock replied. "I, too, was unaware of your presence."

The man held up the ta'al. "Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Vega. My name is Spock."

Kirk and Scotty practically gaped at their friend, who gave no sign that he recognized the name. "Thank you, Spock. I am Selek."

'Spock' then turned to the captain and Mr. Scott. "Welcome, gentlemen. I presume you must be on your ways; I expect we will cross paths in the future. Peace and long life."

"Live long and prosper," Spock replied, before continuing in the direction of Mr. Scott's previous trajectory.

"Are we not gonna talk about that?" Kirk asked when he caught up.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I do not understand. Do you believe I know this man?"

"Well he's got to be one of your relatives or something."

"Ach!" exclaimed Scotty. "Is 'e your future son?"

Spock was not amused. "While he may be a relative who has not yet been born in our timeline - a conclusion that I am not prepared to make at this time - I would certainly not name a child after myself, so I believe I am justified in assuming that, no, he is not."

Scotty had already stopped listening. "We're 'ere, Captain!"

They entered, but were quickly stopped by a yellow-clad human. "I don't know you. What's your business here?"

"New recruits," Kirk offered. "We were just showing our friend here to his new post."

"New post?" The man looked Scotty up and down absently. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Scott, sir. … Scott Aberdeen."

"Sounds familiar… Are you that guy who studied old ships' engines?"

Scotty looked pleased at this. "Ye could certainly say tha', sir."

The man nodded. "Alright then, come on. You two, scram. I'm sure you've got stuff to do."

He did not move, however, and was staring at Kirk, who shot a worried look at Spock.

"You know," he said after a second, "you're a dead ringer for Jim Kirk. Who're you?"

Kirk hesitated. "J- …Lieutenant George."

"Huh. Alright then, go ahead. I'll be seein' you."

"Yes, sir."

Outside in the much less crowded corridor, the two of them stood momentarily. "They know who I am," Kirk remarked with a mixture of surprise and pride.

"Yes," noted Spock. "Perhaps it was unwise for you to beam aboard."

Kirk flipped the communicator open. "Nah, just one guy. I wouldn't worry about it. Scotty? Are you there?"

"Aye, Captain," came a hushed voice.

"Can you get to it?"

"Nae, way too many people. I'm gonna need a diversion o' some sort."

"Comin' right up!" Kirk beamed at the prospect. "Just keep blending in until we can think of something."

"Captain!" came the reply, mildly outraged at the implication.

"K- George out."

"Who is Lieutenant George?" Spock asked when Kirk stowed the communicator away.

"Huh? Oh, nobody. George is my brother's name - I had to think of something."

"Fascinating."

"Not really. Why, don't you have a brother or something?"

"Negative," Spock replied. Technically, it was true. "Although there was a relative who lived with us when I was a child, close to my age. I suppose I could have assumed his identity."

Kirk looked sidelong at him as they moved down the hall so as to act as if they were on their way to something.

"Really? I didn't know that. Older?"

"By a few years."

"You looked up to him, didn't you?"

Spock raised an eyebrow.

"I respected him, I suppose. However, he was not overly fond of me."

"Fond?"

"A terran-ism. He did not think highly of me."

Kirk was still considering when Spock continued, "Your diversion, Captain?"

He frowned as if deep in thought.

"Brothers!" he practically shouted.

Spock clearly did not know what he was getting at. "Am I to understand that you have formulated a plan?"

For answer the captain began running back towards engineering. "What do brothers do, Spock?"

"They…"

"They fight!"

Scotty came running around the corner as soon as he heard the pandemonium from the entrance to engineering.

"What the bloody-"

Shouting people were already beginning to mill about the two crewmen engaged in some sort of brawl, attempting to wrest them apart.

Upon approaching, he realized that it was Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, and momentarily gaped before realizing that it was meant to be his diversion.

Aye, that'd do it.

When the crowd began to succeed in their attempts to break it up, Scotty had already managed to remove one of the dilithium crystals from the warp core, slipping out among a swarm of crewmen in the commotion. He makes for the transporter room as fast as he can without running and drawing further attention, praying that there was no one there. If he could just make it to the planet's surface, the Enterprise could beam him up and they could all set about rescuing the captain and Mr. Spock, who were certainly being escorted to the brig by now.

"Here comes security."
"We've got 'em held down, Commander Spock!"

Kirk craned his head to the side, off the floor, in an attempt to see their approaching captors. Great, it's him again.

'Spock', who was evidently Chief of Security, followed up the convoy that led Kirk and Spock towards the brig. There were also two guards in front and one on each side, all armed with phasers. They would have to make their escape once inside their cells.

"How could a follower of Surak resort to such measures?" asked 'Spock', sounding almost disappointed.

"My friend is plainly unharmed," Spock observed simply.

"'Your friend' - this was a ploy, then?"

"A diversion."

Kirk rounded on him. "Sp- Selek! Why'd you tell him that?!"

Both men looked at him and said simultaneously, "Vulcans cannot lie." Their resemblance was suddenly uncanny. Kirk rolled his eyes.

"I guess it doesn't matter anyway. He's already gone by now."

"There is another!" 'Spock' called to the men in front. "Collect reinforcements and attempt to locate him. More details shall be provided later."

They complied; three left.

"Who is gone?"

"Our friend. He took a dilithium crystal," Kirk answered, now resigned to the admission.

'Spock' seemed more curious than hostile. "The loss of one will not harm the function of this ship; it will simply require that we obtain more in the near future."

"We are aware of this," Spock answered. "This was not an attempt at sabotage."

They reached the cell block, and Spock was ushered into one while Kirk continued two rooms down. The other Spock stayed with the more forthcoming of the two. "Are you even members of Starfleet?" he asked.

"We are," replied Spock. "These are strange circumstances, but that much is true."

"It is still fairly unusual to see Vulcan officers," 'Spock' reflected, "although it is more common than it once was."

"Indeed. You also follow Surak, so why, might I ask, are you here?"

The other seemed ready enough to oblige as he waited for the other guard to return, sensing no threat in his telepathic sweep.

"My father encouraged me to join," he answered. "In fact, he told me that the most loyal follower he knew was a member of Starfleet."

"'Encouraged'," Spock mused. "An odd term for a Vulcan."

"My father was an odd man."

"I see. Who was he?"

'Spock' straightened. "Sybok, son of Sarek."

He seemed almost honored by his ancestry. "Peace, and long life, Selek. The captain shall be here momentarily."

Another guard returned to guard Spock's cell, and the security chief turned to go as Spock answered with the customary "Live long and prosper" and returned the ta'al.

He quickly gathered his thoughts before attempting to reach the mind of the security officer outside. He's escaped. Check and make sure he's still there.

The barrier turned off.

"Spock!" exclaimed the captain when the guard fell to the floor. "Boy, am I glad to see you. What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Captain, we must reach the transporter room before the captain of this ship arrives to interrogate us."

"Right, right."

The desert planet below was almost reminiscent of his homeworld, of the land where he had known his brother.

"Beam us aboard, Scotty!"