Disclaimer: I own the plot—which has been securely leashed. I also got Bowers, Vovitchey, Marjarvaa and Sajarmaa. Yay me.

Chapter 7: Illusions

"Why, don't you realize?" Sajarmaa's voice was filled with pity.

"The man you are staring at is your father."

"That's impossible!" Bones snarled, stepping forward dangerously.

Marjarvaa chuckled. "Quite the contrary; it was easier than you would think, doctor."

"How?" Bones demanded.

"It is simple, really. All it takes is the right kind of deoxyribonucleic acid."

"DNA…you mean this is all just cloning?" Jim piped in, eyes never leaving the figure of the man standing in front of him. He looked pale, but his voice was firm.

"Not just cloning, Captain. Our technology is the most sophisticated genetic manipulator in the galaxy, I can assure you."

"Cut with the arrogant scientist bullshit and get to the point," Jim shot back, hands suddenly clenched into fists. "How did you get my father's DNA?"

"You, Captain. We technically got it from you," Marjarvaa said. "We bought a vile of your blood off of the black market—it was a high price, I must say."

"They sell blood on the black market?!" Vovitchey exclaimed incredulously. He and Ensign Bowers were standing slightly behind McCoy, watching the scene with something akin to awe.

Rolling his eyes, McCoy responded, "You can get anything on the black market, kid."

"Who sold it to you?" Jim asked, turning a flinty glare on the scientist.

"I'm afraid I am unable to divulge such information," Marjarvaa replied. "As you know, DNA contains the hereditary characteristics of living organisms. Using merely a strand of your DNA and our powerful computer, we were able to locate and isolate your father's genetic chromosomes. We then implanted the resulting DNA into a human egg—"

"Lemme guess, the egg was bought on the black market as well?" Bones suggested dryly.

"Of course," answered Marjarvaa. "We then placed the egg in our replicator, a computerized machine which reproduces cell at a highly accelerated rate."

"Meaning you aged him, really fast," Bones inserted.

Marjarvaa gave him an unmistakable look of annoyance before continuing. "The entire process took only a matter of months, followed by several more months of intense programming."

"Programming?" Jim's eyes narrowed.

"Why yes," Marjarvaa replied, his voice betraying his irritation at all the questions. "Of course we had to program him."

"You brainwashed him!" Jim snapped, furious.

"Captain Kirk, I do not understand. Are you not pleased with our gift?"

Within seconds, and before anyone had time to react, Jim had Marjarvaa pinned against the wall; his left hand fisting the collar of the Thay'arian's robe while his right elbow pressed into his boney chest.

Sajarmaa had jumped aside, and now hovered nearby, eyeing the scene with trepidation.

The Captain's teeth were grit together as he forced out, "No, Marjarvaa, I do not like your gift, and quite frankly, I don't like you either!"

"Jim," a gentle voice called.

It was not Bones' voice.

Momentarily, Jim's eyes squinted shut, head tilting toward his chest. It was his voice.

Jim had memorized that voice. His father's last recording to his mother on the fateful day of his birth had been preserved in a classified Starfleet file on the U.S.S. Kelvin disaster.

Once at the academy, Jim had easily hacked into the system. He'd downloaded the file and listened to the recording over and over again.

He knew his father's voice. And to hear it in person felt like a knife twisting in his chest. Jim let go of Marjarvaa and slowly turned, his knees suddenly feeling weak beneath him.

"Jim, it's me. It's dad."

Jim shook his head emphatically. "No. You're not."

'Please don't. I can't do this,' he thought despairingly.

"I'm flesh and blood kid, see for yourself." He slowly began walking toward Jim, hand outstretched.

"I read about you, son. A starship Captain at the age of 25—you sure did one-up your old man."

"Stop it," Jim warned, tone suddenly tremulous. He couldn't take this. Surely he would break in two.

"Jim please. I know…I know that this seems crazy but…I am real. And God…to see you," his voice filled with emotion. "Son…it's so good to see you."

He reached out then, lightly touching Jim's sleeve, but the younger man violently flinched away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed, suddenly and maliciously angry.

"Jim…I—I'm your father…."

"No you're not. You just think you are." Jim countered, his expression raw. "My father died on the U.S.S. Kelvin, on the day of my birth. He was a hero. You're just a cheap imitation."

Turning sharply, he began walking toward the hallway.

"Jim? Where're you going?" McCoy asked, grabbing his arm. Jim shook him off, averting the doctor's gaze.

"We're leaving," was all he said.

"Leaving?!" Marjarvaa cried, rushing forward to block the Captain's exit. "You can't leave!"

"Marjarvaa, you're lucky I don't blow your damn little project to bits. Now get out of my way," Jim threatened.

"No, this—it wasn't supposed to go like this!" the Thay'arian insisted, almost pleading. "I gave you a gift!"

"Look, what do you want me say?" Jim exploded. "You want me to say that I appreciate the fact that you cloned my father; that you brainwashed that poor man into believing I was his son? Do you not understand how sick that is?! You can't play 'God'!"

"I apologize, Captain; believe me, I did not intend to offend you," Marjarvaa replied earnestly. "In our culture, your father is a highly revered man. We cloned him, just as we cloned other such great men. However, this is the first time we have attempted to…part…with one of our experiments."

Behind him, McCoy grunted at the word 'experiments'.

"Yeah, well thanks but no thanks," Jim said tonelessly, pushing past the Thay'arian and out into the corridor.

Suddenly, he was hit with a severe bout of vertigo. Stumbling against the wall, he frowned. Forcing his sluggish body around, he looked behind him.

"Bones?"

The doctor was slumped over on the ground, seemingly unconscious. Behind him lay both Ensigns, out cold.

Jim too was fighting his body's sudden listlessness. "Heyy wass goin' nnn?" He slurred as his legs gave out.

The last thing Jim heard as blackness encroached on his vision, was the solemn voice of Marjarvaa, saying,

"I'm sorry, Captain; but we cannot allow you to leave."

A/N: Don't forget to hit that little green button—tell me what you think. Also, I know very little about DNA. So all mistakes are mine, obviously. TBC…