Chapter 3: Questions and Answers
T'Mara was relieved when her husband returned from Hinkle's with a paper bag full of merchandise. Getting up, she joined him in the kitchen and looked with concern at the items he had purchased.
"This won't carry us for long," she whispered. "What happens then?"
Placing a hand on the small of her back, he quietly told her, "I did not spend all the money. Perhaps we will find employment tomorrow. T'Mara, we need to trust that God will sustain us. He has already placed Tyrone in our lives, and through him provided us with food and shelter." Drawing even closer, he added, "Remember, we have been put in this timeline for a reason."
T'Mara tried to be optimistic. "Yes…my wise husband. Though we don't yet comprehend the reason, perhaps in time it will come clear."
Wayne took her by the arms and gazed into her eyes. "Earlier, in the car…I wanted to tell you that I love you."
Her heart warmed. "I love you, too," she said, and they shared a brief kiss on the lips.
Wayne returned to the living area and sat down in a chair.
From the kitchen T'Mara called, "T'Naisa, would you like to help me prepare our evening meal?"
"Of course." T'Naisa stood and went to her.
Wayne thought of the words that he had just shared with his wife. Looking over at his double, he wondered about John's part in God's plan. He would have liked to introduce the subject, but not knowing if it would be well-received, he simply engaged in light conversation.
Soon T'Mara said, "Alright gentlemen, dinner is served."
She had placed a platter of stir-fried vegetables and noodles on the table, and everyone sat down.
John looked at T'Mara and her husband, then at his own wife, who nodded. Clearing his throat, he said, "Would anyone object to a blessing?"
T'Mara's eyes widened slightly and she glanced at Wayne, who seemed equally surprised. A blessing? What form might it take?
"By all means," Wayne said, "go ahead. T'Mara and I also follow such a custom." He reached toward his wife. "We usually…hold hands."
"Yes, let's." T'Naisa smiled and took the hand of her husband on one side, and the hand of T'Mara's husband on the other, completing the circle.
John bowed his head and the others followed suit as he said, "O Loving Father, bless us and these gifts which we have received through the Shiav's goodness."
They all let go of each other's hands.
Wayne was caught off guard—not only by his twin's prayer, but also by its nature. It was his turn to clear his throat. "You pray to God as a "loving Father". Who is this "Shiav" you mentioned?"
"T'rel N'hor Yanash, slain for the salvation of all Vulcan," John replied before helping himself to a portion of the stir-fry. "My wife and I are among his followers. In your reality, have you heard of him?"
Holding onto his composure, Wayne carefully said, "Yes, in our reality I read the reports of…of an alleged savior coming to Vulcan. Not just of his arrival, but also dubious stories of a cruel execution and subsequent resurrection. The Vulcan media referred to it as…a most shameful deception."
John's brow rose. "I assure you, it is no deception. Both T'Naisa and I knew Yanash personally and can attest to the veracity of those stories. On Vulcan, the followers of the Way are laboring under such severe restrictions that many have come to Earth. Are we the first Yanashites you have met?"
"We haven't encountered any Yanashites in San Francisco," Wayne answered. "Though my wife and I are Christians, I would be interested to learn more about your Shiav."
John set down his fork and studied his double. "Christians. Yes, that is good to hear. My first wife was a Christian, as is one of my sons. And I have a grown daughter named T'Beth who is exploring the faith." He drew a breath. "Excuse me, but did you say that you live in San Francisco?"
"Yes, we do. Or perhaps I should say that we will."
"What year?" John asked.
Thinking his twin was merely curious, Wayne told him.
T'Naisa and her husband shared a long look. Then John revealed, "That is also the year from which we were taken. In our timeline, San Francisco…and much of the West Coast…no longer exist."
There followed a lively discussion, after which John warned, "If you are able to return, I strongly suggest that you investigate the seismic situation. It may be that the stresses in your timeline are only delayed. Could that be why…" His voice trailed off.
T'Naisa reached over and touched him. "What? What are you saying?"
Rousing himself, he spoke with an unusual measure of excitement. "I am saying that perhaps we were brought together so that I might share this information with you. Thus equipped, you may be able to reduce the tectonic stress and prevent disaster. Since the Big Quake, I have been studying the situation with experts from around the galaxy. I can convey to you their findings, which include one plan in particular that I think is quite feasible."
T'Naisa met T'Mara's eyes and they exchanged a smile. There would be no stopping those two now. After every bit of dinner was consumed, the women cleared off the table and washed the dishes.
"Well," T'Naisa said with her hands full of soapsuds, "since my Spock is talking up a storm, I don't see why I can't tell you a little about Plum Creek. As I was saying, it's in Idaho…way up in the Sawtooth Mountains. We just finished converting the barn into a little retreat center, complete with temple. When—rather, if—we get back there, Spock will give educational lectures."
"And what about you?" T'Mara asked.
"Oh, I don't have his education, but I can give talks about Yanash, since I knew him. Mainly I take care of Jamie from Spock's first marriage...and of course, my commandant."
"Your commandant? Who is that?"
T'Naisa's lips curved into a smile and she tipped one slanted eyebrow toward the living room.
"Oh," T'Mara said. "Commandant of Starfleet Academy?"
"Yes, back when I was a cadet."
"Interesting," T'Mara remarked. "My husband just recently became commandant. And I'm a counselor at the base." Her lovely face saddened. "Or at least that's how it was until this misadventure…"
All four were back in the living room, quietly discussing their temporal difficulties, when the clock on the wall reached midnight. It was time for some rest. John and his wife found fresh sheets and settled in the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Wayne pulled out the bed from the sofa. Fortunately it came with covers already on it, and they appeared to be clean. Turning out the lights, he and T'Mara stripped to their underwear and lay down.
T'Mara snuggled up to him and said, "This foam mattress isn't very soft. And that metal bar in the middle of the frame doesn't help one bit."
"Indeed. But we will likely find it better than the floor."
"I agree." That said, she began kissing a path across his chest, to his neck.
"T'Mara..." His voice came low in the darkness. "Do you think it is wise to initiate such activities with our…uh…counterparts likely to open their door at any moment?"
"Aw," came the reply, "they're probably fast asleep."
She continued enticing him in a way that was hard to ignore, with her hands roaming over his body and kisses intense with passion. At last, giving in to her want, he pulled her tightly to him.
T'Naisa and John were alone at last, in a room that was…almost…dark. Neon signs flashed through the slits in the window blinds. Even at this late hour, traffic could be heard on the street below—engines revving, tires on wet pavement, a siren, a horn.
T'Naisa removed the last of her clothing and would not have bothered with nightclothes, even if she had them. Tonight she needed to be very close to her husband—skin close—and getting under the covers, she found that he had stripped down to his long leg briefs. It would have to do.
Entwining her body with his, she toyed with the hair on his chest as she complained, "Of all the times for this to happen. Look at us; two aliens stuck back before Earth's first contact, and I'm pregnant. What happens if we're still here when the baby comes? What if one of us gets hurt…or sick? And what about Jamie? By now, he's come home from school and found us missing."
"James is fourteen. He would know enough to call for help," John said with assurance. His fingers caressed her cheek and played in her curls. "As for your other concerns, it may be that first contact will come sooner that previously recorded. Try not to worry. Even here, we are not alone…and I am not referring to our counterparts." He gently kissed her forehead and her lips.
In this strange place, on this first day, she did not feel secure enough for deeper intimacies, but they held one another and continued to speak.
"These others," she said. "A bearded Spock with a different wife. How can it be possible?"
"Indeed," he replied. "I suspect they are finding the two of us equally peculiar."
T'Naisa was slipping off to sleep when a noise roused her. Listening, she tipped her head and found her husband's eyes open. "They aren't…" she said. "Are they?"
"T'Naisa, that sofa bed is probably not very comfortable. They are most likely finding an agreeable position."
Creak...creak...squeak...Squeak…SQUEAK…
There was no doubt about it. The noise was getting louder and louder.
T'Naisa huffed. "Finding an agreeable position, my foot. More like positions."
Drawing her a bit closer, John said, "Perhaps tomorrow we will test a few springs of our own."