Chapter 7

Kirk strode two steps toward the portal and took a firm stance. With as much authority as he possessed, he addressed the rock. "Guardian, I am Captain James T. Kirk. Why have you summoned me here?"

The image faded until those who faced it clearly saw the ruins on the other side. The mist roiled around the rock, and as its internal lights began to flash, it spoke. "Captain Kirk, history has been altered! Only you can repair it! Come to me and I will guide you! You must hurry, Captain Kirk, the timeline must be made right."

"Yes, Guardian. I will make the timeline right again. What planets have been affected by the altered timeline?"

The deep voice answered enigmatically, "Many planets have been affected. Many which once were are no more. Many beings who should be never were and many who are should not be. Which planet do you seek?"

"Earth," stated Kirk, "I seek the history of Earth, the third planet in the Sol system. Will you show me?" Kirk glanced back at Highfield, who aimed a recording device at the portal just as the mists parted and scenes from Earth's history flashed by faster than the eye could perceive them. When the last image cleared, Kirk turned to the elder historian. "Doctor Stafford, I assume you have a previous recording of Earth's history. Is there any way we can compare it to the one we just made?"

Highfield took the recording disc from the machine and handed it to Stafford. The historian replied, "Oh, yes, Captain. We can run them simultaneously and let the computer find the exact point of the differentiation."

The Enterprise officers sat in relative comfort in the research team's small dining room, sipping coffee and munching on homemade cookies. In another room, the team was busy pouring over the historical data. Nearly three hours had passed since they had confronted the Guardian. Finally, Dr. Highfield entered the room and beckoned them to follow him. They were taken to a conference room set up with a large viewscreen on the far wall. Seated at the table were Dr. Stafford and a beautiful blonde woman with the most amazing green eyes. Kirk couldn't help but smile charmingly in her direction.

"Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, if you would." Stafford gestured to the empty chairs, then to the woman next to him. "May I introduce my wife, Britta. She's a journalistic archeologist." Kirk's smile dimmed somewhat at the word 'wife.'

"A what?" asked McCoy.

Britta smiled. "Fancy title, isn't it? It means I study old newspapers."

Stafford smiled fondly at his wife, "It was discovered early on that the Guardian employs the use of newspapers in its historical record keeping; a great deal of information in a relatively small space. That's why Britta and I were assigned to this facility,"

His wife added, "Every page of every newspaper ever written is in these archives."

"Really?" McCoy queried. Kirk only sighed as he remembered a newspaper photo of Edith Keeler with the caption 'Local Humanitarian Dies in Traffic Accident.'

"Now then," the journalistic archeologist started, "we programmed the computer to compare the two tapes and flag any discrepancies in major historical events. Then we worked backward to find the causes leading up to the event to see how history has been altered. And this is what we came up with." She pressed a button on the console in front of her. "Tim, would you get the lights?"

Highfield did as she asked, and a pair of images appeared on the viewscreen. She began to describe them. "The article on the right is from the New York Times and describes the driving of the 'Golden Spike,' the last spike driven at the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869. This is the history that we remember. The image on the left is from the same newspaper, on the same day, in this altered version of history." It was a story about how two ships had collided in New York Harbor.

Britta continued, "Now, the two ships actually did collide, but the article appeared on page two of the newspaper1. The point is, the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad is not on the front page, meaning, it never happened." She paused to let that sink in. "So now we have a key reference point, and we can look at events leading up to this point. The reason for building the Transcontinental Railroad in the first place was the influx of people traveling west over a twenty year span, mainly because of the California Gold Rush of 1849. This led to the development of cities along the trail. History now shows that many of these cities developed much later, and some of them never existed at all. It seems there was no mad rush to California in the mid nineteenth century. So we focused on the Gold Rush itself, and here's what we found."

Another pair of newspaper images appeared on the screen. This time it was from the Boston Herald. The one on the right bore the headline:

GOLD DISCOVERED IN CALIFORNIA

The one on the left read:

BOSTON MAYOR OPENS NEW PARK

"So, concluded Britta, "by following the logic of our earlier example, the Gold Rush never happened."

"What do you know about the Gold Rush?" asked Kirk.

Stafford consulted his ever-present padd and began, "History tells us that gold was discovered by James Marshall on January 24, 1848, at the site of Sutter's Mill, near the town of Coloma, California. Marshall was a friend of John Sutter, and construction foreman for the sawmill that Sutter financed."

His wife took over. "We did find one reference to James Marshall in the newspapers of the current timeline." Another newspaper appeared on the left side of the screen:

SUTTER EMPIRE CRUMBLES AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

OF BUSINESS PARTNER JAMES MARSHALL.

Kirk and McCoy read the article, which described how Marshall had disappeared shortly after receiving a large amount of money to purchase supplies and equipment for the new mill. Also missing were the construction plans and the surveys of the proposed area.

The Captain considered this information, then asked "When was this?"

"The paper is dated July 17, 1847," Stafford answered. "Captain, history records that James Marshall returned to his ranch in the Sacramento Valley in early 1847, after participating in the Mexican-American war. He found his cattle had vanished, sending him into financial ruin. He went to Sutter for help and was given the job of constructing the mill."

"So, sometime during those six months he disappeared," Kirk commented. "And the gold?"

Britta answered this time. "We found an article from 2158 that described experiments that were being conducted on new sensor technology in the Sacramento Valley. The scientists found numerous pockets and connecting 'veins' in the bedrock. The pockets were empty, but held residual traces of gold. They said it was as if the rock had been full of gold that had been sucked out about three centuries earlier2.

"That sounds like modern mining technology!" Kirk interjected.

"Yes," she continued. "The question is, how did twenty-third century mining technology get to the nineteenth century?"

McCoy gasped, "The Klingons! The Klingons went back in time and used modern mining equipment to remove the gold. That's how they financed their new empire!"

"I think you're right, Bones. Then they got rid of Marshall because he knew where the mill was being constructed."

"But how did they go back in time, Captain?" Stafford asked. "I can assure you they didn't go through the portal!

"There are other ways to travel through time, Doctor Stafford," said Kirk dispassionately. "And Spock knows just how to do it," he added in a whisper meant for Dr. McCoy's ears only.

"The slingshot! Jim, I can't believe Spock would willing show them how to do that!"

"Not willingly, Bones. We are talking about the Klingons here."

"Oh, Lord. I hope he's still alive."

"So do I Bones. So do I."

Stafford considered the pair of officers. "What do you propose to do, Captain?'

Kirk exhaled loudly through his nose, but remained quiet, his eyes rolled up and blinking rapidly while he strategized. Finally, he spoke, "Doctor McCoy and I will go through the portal to 'early' 1947 and find this James Marshall. We'll keep an eye on him and see if we can catch ourselves a Klingon. So, where can we find him?"

The padd once again provided the answers. "The best place to start would be Sutter's Fort, located at the junction of the Sacramento and American Rivers," Stafford replied. "My team will outfit you and provide you with cover stories."

oooooOOOOOooooo

Spock and Christine's days began to run together as they took their meals in the fort's dining hall, slept side by side in the same bed, and worked long hours for Mr. Sutter. They had paid off their debt to him and were now residing in one of the small one-room houses outside the fort. In order to maintain their story of being husband and wife, they elected to continue living the way they had in the fort's guest quarters. By now, two weeks after their arrival, they were used to the arrangement. Spock continued to work at the blacksmith shop or in the vast fruit orchards, while Christine, having finished Sutter's inventory, helped out wherever she was needed – working in the kitchen preparing meals, helping customers at the General Store, or assisting Sutter with his correspondence.

Today she was working in the General Store, sweeping floors and dusting shelves. She barely noticed as two strange men, dressed in buckskins, walked in and began talking to Bartholomew. "Christine!" he called, and she set aside her broom and hurried to the counter.

"Christine!" both the visitors cried upon seeing her.

She stood flabbergasted, staring at them. When she found her voice again, she squeaked out, "Len! Cap…Jim! What are you doing here?" Kirk shot her a look that clearly said, Later.

The clerk gaped at her. "Christine, do you know these gentlemen?"

"Yes, Sir. They're old friends." She smiled, still staring at the newcomers, and still not believing her eyes.

"Christine, go get Mister Sutter, and tell him we have visitors," Bartholomew ordered.

She faltered a moment, then acknowledged him and ran out the door and across the compound. She returned a few minutes later with a white-haired man that looked as though he owned the place. Kirk and McCoy soon found out that he did.

"Welcome gentlemen, I'm John Sutter." He shook hands with both of them, as he took in their attire. "You men appear to be trappers. Are those your pelts stacked outside?"

Jim Kirk assumed his friendly smile and stance. "Yes, Sir, we are. We'd like to trade them for room and board for a few days."

"Absolutely, my good man," Sutter smiled magnanimously at them, then frowned. "Ah, but my guest rooms are full at the moment."

Christine broke in, "Sir, the house next to our is vacant, they could stay there."

"Of course, Mrs. Chapel. Why didn't I think of that? That's why I keep you around, my dear. Will you please show these gentlemen to their quarters and help them get settled? I'll see you all at suppertime." And with that, he turned and exited the store. Christine beckon her two superior officers to follow her.

"Mrs. Chapel?" inquired McCoy as they passed through the doors.

"It's a long story," she replied turning toward the main gate.

McCoy peppered her with questions. "How'd you get here? How long have you been here? Why is that Sutter fella so taken with you?"

"Hold it," Kirk ordered. Both turned automatically to look at him. "First question; is Spock here?"

"Yes, Captain, he's here," Christine answered. "He's working in the orchards today and will be in at sundown. And I'm sorry for the disrespect back there, Sir. Calling you Captain would have created problems."

Kirk, smiled, both relieved that Spock was present, and amused at her apology. "That's all right, Christine. You have my permission to be disrespectful until we get out of this mess."

McCoy asked what Jim didn't, "Is Spock okay?"

"He's fine," replied Christine. "Mostly."

"Mostly!" exclaimed the Doctor. "What do you mean by 'mostly'?"

A man walked by them at that moment and stopped, tipping his hat to Christine. "Hello, Mrs. Chapel. It's good to see you, again," he said.

"Hello, Mr. Archer," she returned. "How are Jennifer and Suzanne?"

"Oh, they're fine. I left 'em at home this trip. Jennifer's expectin' again, so she didn't feel like travellin'. I'll tell 'em you asked after 'em."

"You do that, Mr. Archer. Bye now."

"Bye, Ma'am. Say 'hello' to yer husband for me!"

Kirk and McCoy had stood by, dumbfounded, during the exchange. "What was that all about? What husband?" McCoy asked once the man entered the General Store.

Christine started walking again. "Come on, I'll explain it all when we get to the house." She led them out the main gate and down a small lane between box-like houses. "We live here," she said as they passed the third house on the left. She stopped at the next house and opened the door. "This one's yours."

Kirk exercised his Captain's authority and entered first, while McCoy played the gentleman and let Christine enter ahead of him. He took in the cabin's interior in a quick glance. "You say you and Spock live in one of these?" he asked. He smiled suggestively at his Sickbay assistant. "With only one bed?"

Christine closed her eyes and made a sound of resignation. "Yes Leonard, we do. Because we have to. Everyone here thinks we're married, because that's what I told them, starting with that man I talked to at the store. He's the one who found us and brought us here." She sat down on the bed and told them everything – about the Klingon ship, Spock's beatings and memory loss, their waking up outside the fort, and their two weeks of living under Sutter's authority. She also explained her theory regarding Spock's memory being wiped.

"And you say he doesn't remember anything?" asked Kirk.

"No, Sir. I told him a lot of it. But he doesn't remember. The strange thing is, he's still Spock; cool, logical, and even a vegetarian. He still acts like Spock and talks like Spock, he can even speak Vulcan. I don't understand it." She sighed wearily.

McCoy sat next to her and slid an arm around her shoulder. "Did you tell him about what happened on the Klingon ship?" he asked.

Christine leaned heavily on his shoulder, suddenly very tired. "No. I didn't want to cause him any trauma. I thought it would be better if he remembered for himself."

McCoy pulled her tighter. "You did the right thing," he encouraged.

"Oh, I need to get back to work," Christine realized, jumping up. "Bartholomew's probably wondering what happened to me." She headed for the door, then turned back. "You can tell both of us your side over dinner. Spock won't understand a bit of it, but he'll be 'fascinated' to hear it. Meet us at the main building at sunset." Then she was gone.

Kirk paced the small room. "To quote one of Spock's favorite sayings, 'Curiouser and curiouser.'"

"You got that right, Jim," McCoy agreed.

oooooOOOOOooooo

James Marshall stopped at a stream to let his horse and pack mule drink. It had been a long, weary journey. He patted the horse's neck affectionately. "Not much further, Cabby, and we'll be home." The Mexican he had purchase the horse from a week ago had referred to it only as el caballo. Marshall had shortened it to Cabby. The horse finished drinking and raised its head, water dripping from its muzzle. Marshall pressed his heels into its side. The mule gave a snort of protest as her rope was pulled taut by the moving horse, but she obediently followed her master out of the stream and along the trail.

When they reached the top of the butte, Marshall gazed down on his beloved home. He'd been gone a long time, fighting in the war for independence and helping Captain Fremont set up the government for the future state of California. Now he was looking forward to resuming work on his ranch. But as he took in the sight below, he realized all was not right. His cattle, his sole source of income, were missing.3

1. The ships colliding in the harbor is made up. But it could have happened.

2. I promise, I never even thought about the movie "Cowboys and Aliens" when I came up with this idea! If you haven't seen it, do. It's great!

3. Wikipedia strikes again!