A needle piercing his skin was the first thing Jim felt as his eyes opened; everything was blurry, but he could feel something cold underneath his bare back. He tried to move, but he was strapped down.

"This procedure will be short," Jim suddenly heard Carol say. "Activate the isotropic restraint."

Jim groaned as a frame suddenly slid over him and jammed needles into his chest, "What are you doing?" he asked in a groggy voice as his vision suddenly focused and he could see Carol above him.

"Granting Jeris the gift of posterity," Carol replied in a determined voice as she walked away from him and over to a nearby console. "Jeris wants you relatively unharmed until the ship arrives at Romulus and although I disagree with leaving you unharmed, Jeris is my Captain and my beloved, so I will obey him."

Jim was silent and immediately winced as he felt the needles vibrate in his body, "The needles will extract enough DNA to create a life," Carol explained. "Romulan DNA will be added to what is collected from you and then I will carry a child to term for Jeris. The James Kirk of the future was responsible for the death of my only son and now you will provide what your future self robbed me of; happiness."

Pain suddenly shot down his back and Jim winced through gritted teeth, "Oh, do you need something to forget what I'm going to do to you?" Carol asked as she walked over to him with a large hypodermic needle in her hand. "You'll never be able to forget this, but I am going to give you a little something; something that will keep you from fighting back. This needle contains a drug called kayolane, James."

"Bite me," Jim hissed as she touched the needle against the tip of his arm. "I'm probably allergic..."

Carol chuckled as she injected the needle into his arm, "Well, at least I will have what I need from you if you ARE allergic to it," she replied in an amused voice. "When you start to feel sleepy, don't fight it."

Jim suddenly groaned as he felt his eyelids becoming heavy, "I never wanted things to end this way for you, Jim," he heard Carol say as he drifted into unconsciousness. "You brought this all on yourself."

Spock and a Security officer entered the transporter room just in time to see Scotty program the final command into the console, "Energizing now," Scotty said in a tired, yet very efficient voice.

Light swirled around and a battered, yet very much alive Dr. M'Benga suddenly materialized on the transporter pad in ragged clothes. He looked around and his gaze rested on Spock and Scotty for a moment before he sank to his knees and gazed at the transporter pad in absolute silence.

"Doctor M'Benga!" Scotty exclaimed as he deactivated the forcefield. "Scotty to Sickbay!"

Spock quickly hurried over to the transporter pad and knelt down, "I'm all right," Dr. M'Benga said in a faint voice as he looked at Spock. "I'm just very tired and I would like to go rest in my quarters."

"I am certain that Doctor Phlox would like to check you over in Sickbay," Spock replied in a cautious tone, as he was very curious if M'Benga had suffered bad injuries. "Mister Scott has summoned medics."

Dr. M'Benga shook his head and winced, "I am perfectly capable of treating my own injuries," he replied in an anxious voice. "As for the emotional trauma, I can take care of that with rest and a bit of alcohol."

"Emotional trauma of being a hostage?" Scotty asked in a curious voice. "I assume it was hard, lad."

Dr. M'Benga scowled and slowly got to his feet, "Of course it was hard," he replied in a toneless voice as he slowly stepped off the transporter pad. "Commander Spock, with all due respect, I am in no need of Sickbay and you cannot force me to go unless I am incapable of making my own medical decisions."

Spock was silent for a moment and then sighed, "You are right, of course," he replied. "You do not, however, have the option on foregoing the standard debriefing that is considered protocol."

"I know," Dr. M'Benga replied in a tired voice. "I will meet with President Pike at 0500 tomorrow."

Spock nodded, "I trust you will have no objection to this Security officer providing you with an escort to your quarters as a mere precaution?" he asked. "I will, of course, inform President Pike of your arrival."

"May I go now?" Dr. M'Benga asked in a tired voice. "I am, of course, very exhausted."

Spock raised an eyebrow, but remained silent as Dr. M'Benga and the Security officer left, "Shouldn't ye worry about getting some sleep yourself, Spock?" Scotty asked, noticing the fatigue in Spock's face.

"I must now inform President Pike of Doctor M'Benga's arrival before I return to Sickbay to keep an eye on Doctor McCoy and on Lorian," Spock replied. "Besides, I would get no proper sleep in my quarters because Nyota would want to talk about why we are here; she is very angry that we even came."

Scotty nodded, "Commander, Lorian was released not long after he got there," he replied. "I took the lad and his wee brother tae President Pike so they could be looked after for the rest of the night."

Spock nodded and Scotty silently watched as Spock left the room, "Scotty to Chekov," he whispered as he tapped in the code to Chekov's private comm-link. "We need tae have a serious discussion, laddie."

Chris Pike considered himself a man of strength, courage, and of stable emotions under normal circumstances; however, the current situation was anything but normal and he was at a loss for what to do to make himself feel anything but guilt and sorrow over it. Two valued members of the Enterprise…

No, Jim and Arianne were not just valued members of the Enterprise crew who happened to hold the titles of Captain and First Officer; they were his family, his children, and they had been captured.

Nero was bad enough to him and he had only been paralyzed from the waist down, Chris thought with a shudder as he picked up a PADD that had been found in Jim's box of personal things; there were several others, but this particular PADD had been addressed to him. Had Jim known what was going to happen?

"Chris, are you still awake?" Kathryn's voice suddenly filtered into his ear. "We have company."

Chris sighed and looked up to see Kathryn enter the living room of their quarters with a very pale and tired looking Lorian at her side. George was asleep in Kathryn's arms and Kathryn looked worried.

"Lorian and George will be staying with us for the time being," Kathryn stated in a calm voice as she carried George over to the crib that Jim had thought to leave in their quarters the morning before the mission. "Lorian, I want you to have some of what Doctor Phlox gave you and then go to bed."

Lorian opened his hand, revealing that he was carrying wrapped teabags, "I do not understand how lemon tea will help with what I experienced tonight," he stated in a tired voice. "It will not make me able to forget what I saw, nor will it free my father and Commander McCoy from their captivity…"

"It will relax you enough so you can get some rest," Kathryn explained as she settled George in the crib and turned back to Lorian and Chris. "Your father's capture has already taken such a toll on you."

Chris frowned, "How did you and George wind up here, Lorian?" he asked in a very concerned voice.

"Mister Scott escorted them here from Sickbay," Kathryn replied, immediately noticing that Lorian looked very uncomfortable about being there. "Lorian, give that tea here and sit on the couch."

Lorian immediately handed the teabags over and quickly moved to the couch. He, however, did not sit like he had been told to do, but removed his boots and lay down, resting his head on the flat pillow.

"Might I be permitted to rest my eyes while the tea is prepared?" Lorian asked as he crossed his arms over the chest of the pantsuit he was wearing. "The different lights throughout the ship have irritated them and they are in need of a break. I have had difficulty with my eyes in more recent months…"

Chris sighed, "Of course you may, Lorian," he replied gently. "Rest your eyes as long as you like."

Lorian closed his eyes and his body suddenly relaxed, "He's turning into a mini-Jim," Chris commented quietly, an amused smile on his lips. "Kathryn, why don't you grab a blanket off our bed and cover Lorian with it so he won't wake up cold later on? After that, we can both feed George and check on the…"

The word 'children' was lost on his lips as Charlie suddenly came walking out of the bedroom that he, Zachary, Kathryn, and Michael had been allotted during their stay, "You're supposed to be in bed, Charlie," Chris commented in a kind voice. "Are you having trouble sleeping tonight, kiddo?"

"I was thinking about my daddy," Charlie replied in a sad voice. "He's so far away."

Chris and Kathryn exchanged a look, "Charlie, your daddy died when you were three," Kathryn replied in a soft voice, ignoring the fact that Chris had suddenly gone very quiet and pale. "He died being a hero."

"I didn't like Jonathan Archer," Charlie suddenly said in an upset voice. "He wasn't nice to me at all."

Chris frowned, but decided that such a conversation wasn't appropriate for so late at night, "Charlie, why don't you head on back to bed and try to get some sleep?" he suggested in a kind voice, now intending to search for whatever he could on the time Jonathan and Arianne spent on Voyager with Charles and Kathryn to see what Charlie meant by that. "There's school tomorrow, remember?"

Charlie nodded and silently returned to his bedroom. Before Chris could speak, the door chime rang.

"Who on earth needs to see you at this hour?" Kathryn asked in an irritated voice as she hurried over to the door and opened it, only to see that Spock was standing in the hallway. "Commander Spock?"

Chris frowned and wheeled closer to the door, "Spock, what can I do for you?" he asked kindly.

"Doctor M'Benga has returned to the Enterprise in an escape pod," Spock replied in a toneless voice as he got on one knee to be at eye level with President Pike. "He is bruised, but refused any sort of treatment in Sickbay. As a precaution, I ordered Security to escort him to his personal quarters and he says that he wishes to meet with you for a debriefing at 0500 tomorrow. Is that agreeable to you?"

Chris nodded, "That's fine, Spock," he replied tonelessly. "Spock, I am concerned about Lorian…"

Spock's gaze shifted to the half-Vulcan child asleep on the couch, "Indeed," he replied. "He seems to have some sort of mental connection to Jim even though they are not biologically related."

"More like a love like a son has for his father," Chris replied in an intrigued voice. "Jim's the only father figure that Lorian has ever known, Spock. It's not normal, however, for Lorian to collapse from love."

Spock nodded, "After Lorian has rested, I will speak to him about that," he replied, knowing that it was a problem that only a Vulcan could assist with. "My intention now is to return to Sickbay for the night."

Kathryn smiled at Spock and promptly went into the master bedroom to get the blanket for Lorian so that Chris and Spock could talk alone, "Spock, right before you arrived, I got a comm from Mister Scott and he said that Ensign Chekov will be spending the night in Sickbay at Doctor McCoy's bedside so that you can retire to your family quarters and spend time in the care of your wife, daughter, and father."

"Doctor McCoy is my responsibility," Spock replied softly. "I made a promise to Commander McCoy…"

Chris sighed, "Doctor McCoy is in good hands, Spock," he stated firmly. "What I need from you is an able bodied officer who can shoulder the duties of command that I am unable to attend to in this wheelchair and you will not be able bodied unless you have food, rest, and time spent with your loved ones."

"Your logic is sound," Spock replied, knowing that Chris was right and he needed to retire for the night.

Just then, Kathryn returned with a large blanket under her arm, "I checked in on Charlie, Kathryn, Zachary, and Michael briefly and it seems Porthos has taken to sleeping with Charlie," she explained in an amused voice as she carefully covered Lorian with the blanket. "He stowed the dog on the ship."

"It's fine," Chris replied in an amused voice. "Spock was just leaving and then we can work on taking care of George. I will, of course, see you for the briefing with Doctor M'Benga at 0500, Spock."

Understanding himself to be dismissed, Spock nodded and quickly left. Kathryn hurried over to the crib and scooped George up into her arms, causing the tiny half-Vulcan to coo and cuddle against her.

"I think Jim mentioned something about George not liking milk when he visited my educational center," Kathryn stated as she cuddled George close. "No matter; there are plenty of lactose free baby foods."

Chris chuckled and held his arms out, "You prepare his food, Kathryn dear," he said in a gentle voice. "I wouldn't know what to program for him. I had enough trouble trying to prepare Arianne's…"

The smile on Christopher's face suddenly faded as he thought about his missing daughter and the young man whom he saw as the son he never had; how dare he even be happy when they were missing?

"Chris, don't be afraid to talk about Arianne or Jim," Kathryn said as she handed George to him. "She and Jim are most likely together wherever they are and we mustn't act as if they are dead and gone."

Chris sighed, "I know," he replied softly as he looked down at George. "We mustn't give up hope."

The doors slid closed and Geoff M'Benga finally felt free to breathe; the first moment since returning to the Enterprise that he was able to be alone with his many thoughts. He was both relieved and terrified to be back on the Enterprise, as he had interacted with Jim and Arianne and it felt like a dirty secret.

Heaven help him if Spock actually found out that he had been working for Jeris since before his transfer to the Enterprise when they were still on Earth, M'Benga thought as he removed his tattered clothes and quickly changed into a clean pair of clothes that he had left folded on the bed that morning.

Dr. M'Benga sighed and sank on to his bed; he was so sick of trying to pretend that he actually cared about being loyal to Starfleet or being loyal to Jeris. He was just a human doctor from Earth who had been held at gunpoint by some crazy Romulan and he was just tired of having to be a servant.

At least Jeris will be busy enough with his prisoners for a while and he'll leave me be. Dr. M'Benga thought as he crawled up the comforter and snuggled beneath the blankets. The only thing he missed about the Veritas Nero was Carol's warm humor and the natural chemistry they had once shared.

Letting out a deep sigh, Geoff curled into a ball and thought about what he would actually do now that he was back on the Enterprise; would he actually follow his orders or confess to working for Jeris?

All was quiet, or at least as far as Arianne and Ambassador Spock could hear, and it was now time to act.

"I insist you keep my cloak," Ambassador Spock said as he removed his large winter cloak and placed it on the floor in front of Arianne. "It is not cold on this ship and when Jim is returned to the cell, he will no doubt need someplace comfortable to rest. I may not return to the cell after what I plan to do is done."

For a moment, Arianne was quiet and then nodded slowly, "Are you sure that I cannot come with you to try and find Jim?" she asked in a somber voice as she gazed up at the aged Vulcan. "I am a very skilled Starfleet officer and I could no doubt be helpful to your quest in destroying the brainwashing machine."

"I have no doubt that you could be helpful," Ambassador Spock explained in a gravelly voice. "However, everyone has their destiny and accompanying me on my task is not yours. You have a very long life and intense happiness ahead of you, dearest Arianne. You and Jim will both have lives beyond this imprisonment and my task will help others be able to assist the Enterprise in locating both of you."

Arianne swallowed hard, "Take courage in what I have shared with you through the meld," Ambassador Spock continued in the same gravelly voice, noticing that Arianne looked nearly ready to cry. "You must be strong for Jim and for the futures both of you will have. You and I are very similar in that we came to this timeline under extenuating circumstances and also in our special connection to Jim; we have both helped him to find his worth and purpose in this universe. My time is growing short, however…"

"I feel like I am going to lose much before we are rescued by the Enterprise crew," Arianne replied in a soft voice as she slowly edged towards the coat. "Ever since we were brought on to this ship, I've felt too weak to do anything useful to help you or Jim and I cannot help but feel guilt over his torture."

Ambassador Spock frowned and carefully helped Arianne to get on to the coat, "You will have the opportunity to be of help later on," he commented as she lay there looking up at him. "For now, you need to rest, eat something, and conserve your health and the health of your unborn child."

"How did you know?" Arianne asked in a tired voice. "It's too soon for me to even be showing."

Ambassador Spock smiled as Arianne closed her eyes, "There is a glow about pregnant women that not even old eyes like mine can miss," he whispered as he walked towards the door and his destiny.

"Any change, Ensign Chekov?" Chakotay asked in a concerned voice as he came into the patient bay and saw Chekov sitting on a stool at Dr. McCoy's bedside. "Sulu mentioned that you were keeping a vigil."

Chekov nodded, "Da, I am keeping a vatch on ze doctor so ozzers can get some sleep," he replied in a toneless voice as he continued to watch Leonard sleep. "Spock was vearing himself down too badly."

Chakotay nodded, but before he could reply, Leonard's eyes suddenly fluttered open and immediately focused on Chekov and Chakotay. Leonard tried to speak, but he was muffled by the oxygen mask.

"Get ze doctor," Pavel said in a worried voice as he watched Leonard try to swallow and wince.

There was silence and then footsteps, "There's nothing to worry about, Ensign Chekov," Phlox said as he quickly walked over to the biobed pulling a large IV stand that held a bag of liquid and a small hose-like contraption that almost looked like a very long straw. "Doctor McCoy's throat is dry from the oxygen."

"So, he haz difficulty swallowing?" Chekov asked in a curious voice as he watched Phlox move the apparatus as close to the bed as he could and then carefully remove the mask from Leonard's face.

Phlox nodded and carefully put the straw in Leonard's mouth, "Drink slowly and only a little bit," he gently instructed the recovering man. Leonard blinked, sighed, and slowly took a small drink.

"All right, now, that's enough," Phlox replied, seeing that Leonard was starting to hurt from exerting himself just to drink some water. He carefully removed the straw from Leonard's mouth.

Leonard sighed, "Thanks," he said in a voice no louder than a whisper. "Chekov and Chakotay?"

"Kommander Spock vas ordered to get some rest," Chekov replied. "I vill be here all night wiz you."

Leonard's eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to figure out what Spock had been doing in Sickbay and why Chekov and Chakotay were here now, "What time is it?" he finally asked in the same weak voice.

"Nearly 2300 hours," Phlox replied in a calm voice. "How are you feeling, Doctor McCoy?"

His body hurt immensely, but Leonard fought to keep a neutral expression on his face, "I'm still alive," he whispered in a tired voice. "I suppose I should be grateful that I didn't die after being shot."

"You'll be in Sickbay for about a week and on antibiotics," Phlox explained, feeling as if he had better get to the point while Leonard was still awake. "I want you to lie as still as you possibly can because of your healing organs and the tubes in your chest. If all goes well, I can take the tubes out in four or five days."

Leonard nodded, "I'm sorry to be bad company," he replied weakly. "I can't keep myself awake."

"You don't have to," Phlox stated gently. "Serious injuries like yours require a lot of serious rest."

Leonard sighed, "Is someone looking after Charlie, Kathryn, and Zachary?" he asked in a sleepy voice as he struggled to keep his eyes from closing. "They're just kids; they shouldn't have to deal with this."

"Prezident Pike and his vife are tending them," Chekov replied calmly. "You need to sleep."

Too exhausted to argue, Leonard closed his eyes, "Doctor Phlox, I was wondering if there had been any change in B'Elanna's condition?" Chakotay asked as he watched Leonard relax. "I'm worried about her."

"Lieutenant Paris is also worried about her," Phlox replied in a soft voice. "He and Miral are back in the isolation area visiting her right now, in fact. He comes in here every night with her to try and see if B'Elanna will respond in a positive way to their presence. She says nothing to them, however."

Chakotay nodded, concerned that B'Elanna still wasn't acting like her usual self.

The corridors of the Veritas Nero were quiet and Ambassador Spock supposed it was because even Romulan guards needed rest in order to be effective at their posts. He, however, could care less about the Romulan guards at that moment, as he crept down the corridor towards the 'special lab.'

With each step he took, Ambassador Spock sighed; he knew that Jeris would not kill him until after the trial on Romulus, as the insane Romulan commander had promised the Romulan Senate three prisoners and to deliver anything less would mean trouble. The three of them might end up separated, however.

"Ambassador, where are all the guards?" a faint, yet very determined voice suddenly asked him.

Ambassador Spock turned and saw a very tired, but very determined looking Arianne coming up behind him with the cloak over one arm and the medkit in her other hand, "You should remain in the cell to conserve your energy," he said in a semi-concerned voice. "You take a great risk in following me."

"We're all in danger wherever we are on this ship," Arianne replied sharply. "Life is about risk."

Ambassador Spock sighed and nodded, "I see now why Jim sees you as a sister and why Doctor McCoy fell in love with you," he commented in an amused tone. "You are very passionately protective over those who matter the most to you. You are aware, of course, that you put your unborn at risk?"

"Again, no place on this ship is safe," Arianne replied gravely. "Don't try and talk me out of helping."

Ambassador Spock raised an eyebrow, but allowed her to follow him to a large steel door that was at the end of the quiet hallway, "My instincts tell me that this is where the brainwashing apparatus is and if it is destroyed, all of those who were brainwashed by Jeris will be able to think for themselves again."

"How are we going to destroy it?" Arianne asked in a quiet voice. "We haven't got any weapons."

Ambassador Spock nodded, "True, but I am sure that it has a self-destruct sequence within its programming that can be easily triggered," he replied. "However, I will be destroying the machine alone, Commander McCoy. There is a science lab in the next room and I believe Jim is being held there."

"What would Jim be doing in a science lab?" Arianne asked in a worried voice. "Wait…that woman…"

Ambassador Spock gave Arianne a concerned look, "The Jim Kirk and Carol Marcus of my existence shared love, a son, and many memories that brought them pain," he explained. "It is safe to say that Jeris has kidnapped Carol from the future and her hate for Jim has not died even with time travel."

"If I had the strength, I'd kill Carol Marcus right now," Arianne whispered in a clipped tone. "I hate her."

Ambassador Spock nodded, "Do not let your hate cloud your judgment," he replied. "Focus."

Arianne gazed down the corridor towards the door that she assumed led to the Science Lab, "How will I know if you were successful?" she asked in an anxious voice. "Are we going to meet up later?"

"Jim will know," was all Ambassador Spock would say as he pressed the button that opened the door to the massive room where several machines were kept. "When it is done, you will feel it; both of you."

Too shocked to speak, Arianne watched silently as Spock disappeared into the large room and allowed the door to slide shut behind him. She then summoned her courage and headed for the other door.

"...Jeris, I left Kirk in the lab to sleep in misery," Carol said as she entered the private quarters she and Jeris shared and saw Jeris lingering by the only window in the room. "A guard told me that Ambassador Spock and Kirk's wife aren't in their cell, though. Should I order the crew to put the ship at Red Alert?"

Jeris chuckled, "No need," he replied smoothly. "Let the old Vulcan and Kirk's wife have their fun while they can. I don't really need the aliens I left behind on New Vulcan anymore and when we get to Romulus, I won't have any need for Kirk, his wife, or that useless being called Spock anymore either."

"I got the DNA from Kirk," Carol stated in an amused voice. "We will soon be able to proceed."

Jeris silently turned towards Carol with a smile on his lips, "Excellent," he replied in an amused voice.

"Do we have to be present during the trial?" Carol asked as she came closer to him. "It scares me."

Jeris gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "I must be there to receive my honor for delivering criminals to Romulus, but you can seek safety in our mansion," he replied softly. "You can rest now."

Carol nodded and quietly got into bed, "I will go and greet our guests," Jeris said. "No doubt they will almost be done having their fun and will need safe escort back to their cell. Rest now, Carol, my love."

As Carol drifted off to sleep underneath the warm blankets, Jeris quietly left their private quarters.

Arianne silently entered the lab and immediately saw Jim's very still form lying on an examination table with some sort of apparatus over his body. His gold command shirt and black undershirt were on the floor in the corner of the room. She quietly crept over to the head of the table and gazed down at Jim.

"…so cold," Jim whispered in a groggy voice even though his eyes remained closed. "…help…"

Swallowing hard, Arianne moved over to the nearest console and studied the buttons carefully, hoping that one of them could lift whatever was holding Jim to the table. She suddenly saw a light flashing on the screen 'Isotropic restraint activated' and it was then she knew; Jim had undergone serious torture.

"Deactivate isotropic restraint," Arianne said, hoping that maybe some magic words would work.

To Arianne's shock, the restraint lifted off of Jim, leaving several small, bleeding scars on the young man's already frail body. Jim began to cough and shiver violently, but his eyes remained firmly shut.

Arianne quickly covered Jim with Ambassador Spock's cloak to keep him from going into shock, "I've got you, James," she said in a gentle voice as she gently stroked his pale face. "C'mon, Jim, wake up."

"He won't wake for several hours," a dark voice suddenly said from the doorway. "He can't wake."

Arianne turned and saw Jeris standing in the doorway looking unamused, "Arianne Pike-McCoy, am I right?" Jeris asked as he walked towards Arianne. "I know with a certainty that you aren't married to Kirk because he got bonded to some crazy Vulcan while he was still in the Academy. I also remember that you and Doctor Leonard McCoy spent three months on Delta Vega together and I seriously do not believe that you didn't develop romantic feelings for one another. Am I right, Commander McCoy?"

"What do you want?" Arianne asked in a tight voice. "Have you come to execute Jim and I?"

Jeris chuckled, "No, I have come to escort you, Ambassador Spock, and Captain Kirk back to your cell," he replied. "I am very much aware of what you and Ambassador Spock are doing, but I do not care about it. If I actually had a problem with it, I could have dealt with it. As is it is, you three will have a much tougher road ahead of you once we arrive at Romulus and you all face trial for your crimes."

Jim groaned softly, but didn't wake, "Why can't he wake up?" Arianne asked in a worried voice.

"Kayolane is a very powerful sedation drug, Commander McCoy," Jeris replied as he walked over to the other side of the table. "Carol mentioned that she was going to use it to keep Kirk quiet."

Arianne nodded, "How am I supposed to get Jim back to the cell without hurting him?" she asked in a worried voice, knowing Jim couldn't lie on that cold metal slab forever. "I can't carry him by myself."

"On this ship, there is site to site transport, my dear," Jeris replied smoothly as he walked over to a small transporter console. "This ship is from the future and it's a bit rusty, but it still has nice tricks in her."

Even though she didn't trust Jeris, Arianne clung to Jim, "Don't forget Captain Kirk's shirts," Jeris snapped as he picked up the clothes and threw them at Arianne and Jim. "It's very cold in space."

Jeris quickly tapped in the proper coordinates and tapped a button, "Energize," he said darkly.

As Jim and Arianne vanished, Jeris stepped away from the console and walked over to where Carol had stored whatever DNA she had collected from Jim; soon, very soon, the future would be very secure.

Agony ripped through Ambassador Spock's heart and mind as he keyed in the final sequence that would not only shut down the brainwashing machine, but destroy it. Although Jeris would not kill him, the aged Vulcan Ambassador knew that there would be a price to pay mentally for this act of defiance.

Even though Jeris was only half-Vulcan, he had learned and mastered some sort of telepathy that would only work on him and possibly on Jim as well. Ambassador Spock sighed; he too had been a victim of the gift of telepathy that Jeris possessed and in more ways than one, Jeris was just as bad, if not worse than Nero in both his desire and ability to inflict misery. There was no such thing as safety with Jeris.

"Are you finished yet, you old fool?" the menacing voice of Jeris suddenly spoke in Ambassador Spock's tired mind, causing the aged Vulcan to cringe as he slowly inputted the final destruction sequence.

"It is finished," Ambassador Spock whispered as he pressed the 'ENGAGE' button and the machine suddenly began to whirr quickly and count down from ten; at zero, the machine would explode.

Fighting the urge to release his pent-up emotions, Ambassador Spock gripped the console and was suddenly surprised as he was transported out of the room right before the machine exploded.

"Tom!"

B'Elanna Torres-Paris opened her eyes and was both shocked and relieved to see Tom standing beside her bed holding Miral in his arms, "Tom, where am I?" she asked in an anxious voice. "Where are we?"

"B'Elanna, what's the last thing you remember?" Tom asked in a scared voice, suddenly cut off when Phlox came into the isolation area. "You…you were kidnapped and brought to the past by Jeris."

B'Elanna's eyes widened, "The past?" she asked, suddenly thinking hard. "Are we on the Enterprise?"

"Yes, you are on the Enterprise," Phlox cut in as he checked the overhead monitor. "How do you feel?"

B'Elanna sighed, "Like I want to talk to Arianne," she replied, frowning as Tom's face suddenly fell.

"Arianne's not here right now," Tom said in a nervous voice. "I know she's your best friend…"

Phlox quickly cleared his throat, "I want to conduct a full examination of Lieutenant Torres, Lieutenant Paris," he said in a 'don't argue with me' tone. "You and Miral should go and get some rest now."

Tom nodded and held Miral close as he quietly left the isolation area, "I want you just to relax, Lieutenant Torres," Phlox said in a calming tone. "Everything will turn out all right; I promise you."

Jim grunted, but didn't wake up as Arianne lifted his thin frame and carefully slid his black shirt over his pale torso. He could feel her dressing him, but the drug Carol gave him wouldn't allow him to wake up.

Arianne sighed as she struggled to hold Jim up so she could put his gold command shirt over his black undershirt so he'd be warm; she had already used antiseptic and bandages from the medkit to treat the many injuries on his chest and arms. Ambassador Spock's cloak lay on the floor for Jim to sleep in.

Once she had pulled the gold shirt over Jim's body, Arianne carefully laid Jim on his side on top of Ambassador Spock's cloak so that he'd be comfortable and then covered him up with the cloak.

Jim merely let out a weak groan, which Arianne took as his way of thanking her. She then huddled close to him and gently stroked his hair to keep him feeling safe, blatantly ignoring her sudden cramps.

A loud noise suddenly prompted Arianne to look up from Jim and she was shocked to see an exhausted looking Ambassador Spock standing mere feet away from them, "It is done," Ambassador Spock said in a very tired voice. "I am assuming Jeris wants us to live for now so he can claim glory on Romulus."

"What is going to happen after the trial?" Arianne asked in a weak voice. "Will we be separated?"

Ambassador Spock sighed, "I do not know what will happen to you and Jim after the trial on Romulus," he replied in a very somber voice as he walked over to them and sat on the floor beside them.

For a moment, Arianne processed what the Ambassador had said and then realized that he had subtly told her that he would most likely be killed after the trial on Romulus. His look of utter exhaustion, however, told her it was better to keep quiet about it. As she lay down to sleep, Arianne wept quietly.

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