My heart is absolutely broken..
The way he went is absolutely fucked up. May Anton Yelchin, our sweet Chekov, rest in peace.
LONDON
2259.55
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A hand slams onto the blaring alarm clock effectively shutting it off. A dog jumps onto the couple in bed. Only the man gets up as the woman stares with a melancholy daze.
l**l
The couple's drive to the nearby hospital facility is solemn. Their daughter was born sick; only expected to live a few days. But she surprised them all by living nine years. However, her health began rapidly declining over the past month. Doctors estimate she doesn't have long left.
As they made their way to her bedside, they were told she had fallen into a coma. The only thing Lucille's mother could do was give the girl her stuffed rabbit and cry by her side.
Her father, Starfleet Officer Henry Harewood, could only look on with disdain. He was ashamed and angry he couldn't help his little girl. Too filled with emotion, he left to get some fresh air.
As his mind began to clear, a voice from behind addressed him. "I can save her."
Henry turns around dumbfounded. "What did you say?"
"Your daughter," the English-accented voice replies, "I can save her".
He can't believe it.
"Who are you?"
SAN FRANCISCO
STARFLEET HQ
"Spock, I'm telling you, this is why he called. I can feel it."
"Your feeling aside, I consider it highly unlikely that we will be selected for the new program."
The ever bashful Captain Kirk walked along side Spock, his First Officer. They were finely dressed in their gray officer uniforms heading to the office of Admiral Pike.
"Why else would Pike want to see us," Kirk pushed, "forget about seniority. They gave us the newest ship in the fleet. I mean, who else are they gonna send out?"
"I can think of numerous possibilities," replied the Vulcan.
Kirk was too excited to pay mind to Spock's reasonable negativity. "A five-year mission, Spock! That's deep space! That's uncharted territory! Think how incredible that's gonna be." Just then a pair of women walked past, momentarily distracting him.
"Hey, ladies. Jim Kirk."
l**l
Both men readily stood in front of Christopher Pike.
"Uneventful," he began.
Jim was slightly confused. "Admiral?"
"It's the way you described the survey of Nibiru in your Captain's log."
"Yes, sir, I didn't want to waste your time going over the details."
"Tell me more about this volcano. Data says it was highly volatile. If it were to erupt, it would wipe out the planet."
"Let's hope it doesn't, sir," Kirk dutifully replies.
"Something tells me it won't," the Admiral sends a look over to Spock who then glances over to Kirk.
Spock finally sees where this is going.
"Well, sir, volatile is all relative," the blonde responds still managing to play it off smoothly, "maybe our data was off."
"Or maybe it didn't erupt because Mr. Spock detonated a cold fusion device inside it right after a civilization that's BARELY invented the WHEEL happened to see a STARSHIP rising out of their ocean!" Pike could no longer contain his anger and disappointment towards the captain. "That pretty much is how you described it, is it not?" he shoots off at Spock.
"Admiral-" Spock began addressing the Admiral when he was abruptly cut off by Jim.
"You filed a report?" Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing, "why didn't you tell me?"
"I incorrectly assumed that you would be truthful in your Captain's log."
"Yeah, I would have been if I didn't have to save your life."
"A fact for which I am immeasurably grateful and the very reason I felt it necessary to take responsibility for the actions-"
Jim couldn't help but scoff at his words, "take responsibility, yeah. That'd be so noble, pointy, if you weren't also throwing me under the bus."
"Pointy? Is that a derogatory reference to-"
"Gentlemen," the aged man rose from his seat behind the desk and slowly made his way in front of the two men, "Starfleet's mandate is to explore and observe, not to interfere."
"Had the mission gone according to plan, Admiral, the indigenous species would never have been aware of our interference," sharply responds Spock.
"That's a technicality."
"I am Vulcan, sir. We embrace technicality."
"Are you giving me attitude, Spock?"
"I'm expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously, sir. To which are you referring?"
"Out," Pike just can't deal with the Vulcan right now, "you're dismissed, Commander."
With one last look to his Captain, Spock makes his leave out the door.
"You have any idea what a pain in the ass you are," rhetorically questions the Admiral.
"I think so, sir." James Kirk continues to stand at attention speaking in a stoic tone.
"So tell me what you did wrong. What's the lesson to be learned here?"
"Never trust a Vulcan."
Christopher Pike's anger is reignited as he continues on. "Now, see, you can't even answer the question. You lied. On an official report, you lied. You think the rules don't apply to you 'cause you disagree with them."
James still doesn't face the Admiral. "That's why you talked me into signing up in the first place. That's why you gave me your ship."
"I gave you my ship because I saw greatness in you," he's silent for a moment before resuming, "and now, I see you haven't got an ounce of humility."
Blue eyes finally met blue.
"What was I supposed to do, let Spock die?" Kirk asserts.
"You're missing the point."
"I don't think I am, sir. What would you have done?"
"I wouldn't have risked my First Officer's life in the first place! You were supposed to survey a planet, not alter it's destiny! You violated a dozen Starfleet regulations and almost got everyone under your command killed."
"Except I didn't!" Jim fiercely argues back, "You know how many crew members I've lost? Not one!"
"That's your problem," he exclaims with the same ferocity, "you think you're infallible! You think you can't make a mistake. It's a pattern with you! That the rules are for other people-"
"Some should be."
"And what's worse is you using BLIND luck to JUSTIFY your playing God!" In a much solemn tone he adds, "given the circumstances, this has been brought to Admiral Marcus's attention. He convened a special tribunal, to which I was not invited. You understand what Starfleet regulations mandate be done at this point. They've taken the Enterprise away from you," the air seemed to freeze at that moment, "they're sending you back to the Academy."
This can't be happening to him. "Admiral, listen-"
"No, I'm not going to listen."
"I can justify-"
"Why should I listen? I'm not going to listen. You don't listen to anybody but yourself!"
Jim was trying hard to get his claim across. "I understand regulation, but every decision I've made-"
"No! I can't listen! You don't comply with the rules, you don't take responsibility for anything, and you don't respect the chair. You know why? Because you're not ready for it."
James Kirk was stunned to say the least. He looked onto Christopher Pike, the man who picked him up at an Iowa bar after getting his ass handed to him. The man who believed in him and gave him hope for a future filled with endless possibilities.
To hear him say all that was a blow to the gut.
LONDON
Officer Harewood stands over his sickly daughter. He opens a small canister and takes out a vile filled with blood. He carefully places it in her dialysis machine and watches as crimson flows into her IV. Henry stares at his daughter's chart as her vitals go up and her body begins to heal. Tears stream down his face as he's overcome with joy. My little girl will live..
l**l
Anxiety fills Henry as he approaches the Kelvin Memorial Archive. He sends one last look across the street to the man who saved Lucille's life before entering the building. His stoic composure disappeared as he entered an elevator and pushed the button for his destination. Thoughts of what he was about to do rummage throughout his mind.
He exits and maneuvers his way to a computer then sends a quickly made e-mail to Admiral Marcus. Henry looks down at the cup of water in front of him, tears stain his cheeks, and drops the ring the man had given him. It sizzled for a moment before exploding into a fiery blaze, destroying the entire building.
When depressed, his go-to destination was always a bar.
And that's where Jim found himself currently, downing another round of whiskey.
Just as he was about to make a pass at a lovely lady beside him, Pike showed up unexpectedly, thoroughly cock-blocking him. "How did you find me," Kirk sighs.
"I know you better than you think," Chris replies. "The first time I found you was in a dive like this. Remember that? You got your ass handed to you."
"No, I didn't."
"You don't?"
"No, that's not what happened."
"That was an epic beating."
"No it wasn't."
"You had napkins hanging out of your nose," both men couldn't help the chuckles that escaped from their mouths, "did you not?"
Kirk couldn't help but be amused by the memory of a simpler, yet hopeless time of his life. "Yeah, that was a good fight."
"A good fight. I think that's your problem right there." Christopher gave a stern, yet gentle look to James, "they gave her back to me. The Enterprise."
The true gravity of the situation finally seemed to hit Jim. "Congratulations. Watch your back with that First Officer, though."
"Spock's not going to be working with me," he quickly dismisses, "he's been transferred. U.S.S. Bradbury."
James couldn't help but be slightly surprised by this.
"You're going to be my First Officer," Pike's eyes held secret contentment as he continued, "yeah, Marcus took some convincing. But every now and then I can make a good case."
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth. That I believe in you. That if anybody deserves a second chance, it's Jim Kirk."
"I don't know what to say.."
"That is a first," a gentle smiled graced the Admiral's lips, "it's going to be okay, son."
Pike really was the father he never got to have.
At the sound of a beep, Christopher flips open his communicator to see a newly received alert. "Emergency session, Daystrom. That's us."
"Yeah."
He makes his way off the stool and endearingly nudges Kirk, "Suit up."
l**l
Starfleet head quarters was busy as usual. Personnel roamed the building coming from all directions.
James Kirk was currently making his way up to the meeting room. Annoyingly enough, so was Spock.
"Captain," the Vulcan called.
Kirk was obviously still upset by the whole ordeal. "Not anymore, Spock. I was demoted and you were reassigned." Both entered the elevator and made their way up.
"It is fortunate that the consequences were not more severe."
"You've got to be kidding me," Kirk sighs.
"Captain, it was never my intention-"
"Not Captain. I saved your life, Spock. You wrote a report, I lost my ship." The elevator doors opened and they made their way into the room, Spock slightly lagging behind.
For whatever reason (the Vulcan was having difficulty ascertaining his different emotions), Spock didn't want his Captain to be mad him. "Commander, I see now I should have alerted you to the fact that I submitted the report."
"No, I'm familiar with your compulsion to follow the rules," as they entered the room, Kirk stopped to face the pointy-eared man, "but you see, I can't do that. Where I come from, if someone saves your life, you don't stab him in the back."
"Vulcans cannot lie," he duly notes.
"Then I'm talking to the half-human part of you. All right? Do you understand why I went back for you?"
Just then a dark-skinned man interrupted their little moment. "Commander Spock? Frank Abbot, U.S.S. Bradbury. Guess you're with me."
Spock gives a quick glance over to Jim before giving a curt nod, "Yes, Captain." They watched him leave for a moment before turning back to each other.
"The truth is," James starts, "I'm going to miss you." Spock opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't seemed to find any words. He was actually rendered speechless.
Jim waited expectantly for his reply, but when he realized he wasn't going to get one, he left with a frustrated sigh. Spock could only look on feeling slightly bewildered.
i think i'm gonna awkwardly leave it here..i don't wanna overwhelm anyone with a super long chap (over 2,200 words..hehe)
to anyone (if there even IS anyone) who remotely cares, next post will be in 3-5 days.