THE LYNCH-PIN-
Kirk and Spock's efforts continued into the evening. To avoid suspicion, the "Enterprise" had beamed down some rations and they both ate silently in Cabin B-59 as Spock continued to review historical data. Kirk walked out on the Promenade. It was empty as almost all the first-class passengers had gone to dinner in the Saloon. He found it hard to imagine that, in a little more than twenty-four hours, the entire ship and over fifteen hundred people with it would be going down in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. After several hours, after the sun had set, Spock called him from the cabin. "Captain, I believe I have found the answer we've been looking for."
Kirk looked at the tricorder screen. Spock explained. "This is Rose Dawson from a 1920 still photograph from a motion picture that she had a minor role in." The image was clearly Rose DeWitt Bukater, only a few years older, posing with an overweight man identified as "Fatty Arbuckle". "So, Rose Bukater is Rose Dawson," Kirk stated. "And more," Spock replied. "I did a full genealogical trace on her. In 1928, she marries Phillip Calvert and moves to Cedar Rapids, Iowa." "Iowa?" Kirk slightly exclaimed. Spock nods and continues.
"She has three children, two male and one female. The female marries an Edward Donovan of Washington County, Iowa and their daughter in 1987 marries Marcus Aurelius Kirk and together than have one son in 1989." "Edward Constantine Kirk?" the Captain offered. Spock nodded. James Kirk was well aware of his own genealogy back to the early 1900s. "Both being your direct male ancestors." "So Charvon is after me?" Spock shook his head. "I'm afraid it doesn't end there, sir." He pressed another display button. "The youngest male of the Calvert children eventually has a single granddaughter, Elizabeth Calvert. In 1999, she marries a Brock Lovett, an oceanic explorer of some note. Their daughter Rose marries James Grayson of Nantucket, Massachusetts in 2029." Kirk looked at Spock stunned. "Grayson?" "Yes, sir. Their son will be Richard Grayson, my mother's direct male ancestor."
Damn, Kirk thought. "So all she has to do is see to it that Rose Bukater…uh, Dawson…uh, Calvert. Whatever, doesn't survive. And both you and I are eliminated." Spock sighed and presses another display button. "Jim, it goes farther than that." Kirk still reeling looks at another genealogical display. The eldest son of Phillip and Rose Calvert is Thomas Calvert, his great-great grandson will be Gregory Archer." Kirk sank. "You don't mean?" Spock nodded, "The direct male ancestor of Jonathan Archer, captain of the Earth ship 'Enterprise', negotiator of the Coalition of Planets, and the first President of the United Federation of Planets."
Jim Kirk slumped on the bed. Spock continued, even admiringly. "It must have taken months of research of the Federation Genealogical Database, but Charvon found the key 'lynch-pin' of history, for not only your existence and my existence, but the very existence of the Federation as well. All in one young woman on a doomed ship."
They sat there silently for a few moments. "But she's got to realize the harm it may cause even the Romulans?" Kirk asked, "Any of that might result in the destruction of her own existence when Mankind encounters the Romulans, or as D'valak said, destroy the Empire." Spock shook his head. "What does she have to lose, Jim? Her dishonor and dismissal have ruined her permanently in the Romulan Star Navy. From what I learned of the biographical information sent to us, she has no children and no family left." They both went silent again.
"Okay," Kirk said defiantly, "Well, we're not going to let that happen." He packed up his equipment again. "We still have one advantage, sir, "Spock interjected. Kirk turned, "And what is that?" "We know that Rose Bukater will become Rose Dawson…Charvon does not. She can't." Kirk nodded. "No, she couldn't. Or she would have already killed Rose, poisoned her, or thrown her overboard. Hell, shot her with a disruptor pistol, given she's got no concern about temporal interference." Spock nodded as well. "Exactly. Only the fact that we have discovered Jack Dawson's relationship with her and the fact that Dawson failed to be listed on the Ship's Passenger List, and thus himself unknown to history, have kept her safe…thus far."
"We're going to start all over, "Kirk began, "From the very bottom of the ship and work our way up. We've got twenty-four hours before it hits the iceberg and I want Dion Charvon in the brig of the 'Enterprise' or dead well before then. You understand me, Spock?" The Vulcan nodded. They quickly left the cabin and started to make their way into the bowels of the "Titanic".