Disclaimer: I do not own Star trek.
Chapter Ten:
"James!" Jennifer yelled up the stairs. "Get up, you're going to be late!"
Jennifer couldn't help but smile as she heard James groan and stagger out of bed.
"What did you do to him yesterday?" Jennifer asked her husband, as she enters the kitchen. "I've never had to call up to him before, he usually rises with the sun."
Chris smiled at his wife over his paper, as she started making James some breakfast. "One of the tractors out in the field lost an engine. I asked James to go over there and replace it."
"He carried it?!" Jennifer exclaimed.
Chris laughed. "No, I attached a trailer to his bike and he cycled there. He replaced the engine and bought the broken one back. It's the first job on my list today, repair the engine if possible, or scrap it for parts."
Jennifer shook her head. "Sometimes I think you're going too hard on him, he's only thirteen for crying out loud!"
"If I didn't think he could manage it, I wouldn't make him do it." Chris answered. "He's a strong kid, intelligent too."
"I know," Jennifer replied. "Doctor Hopkins wants to take him on as an apprentice in next year"
"Is that a good idea?" Chris questioned, lowering his paper. "Doctor Hopkins runs the hospital. As he has been working alongside you, thankfully James hasn't been exposed to any deaths. But if he became Doctor Hopkins apprentice it could be a whole different story."
"I know," Jennifer sighed, as she set down a plate with a couple of slices of toast on it. "But Doctor Hopkins thinks James is ready."
"But what do you think?" Chris asked.
"I don't know," She answered. "The first time I dealt with a death as a nurse, I thought I was ready for it, but when it happened… I almost didn't turn up for my next shift. I cried for days afterwards."
Chris nodded. "It's just one of those things, you don't know how you'll react until happens."
"Yeah," Jennifer smiles sadly. "I can still remember the first person I lost. I don't think I'll ever forget them."
Chris reached across the table and gripped Jennifer's hand lovingly. "You can't save everyone, no matter how hard you try."
Jennifer nodded and smiled, gripping Chris's hand tighter in return.
"Morning!" James greeted, as he walked into the kitchen, still pulling his top on.
Jennifer smiled and shook her head slightly.
"Breakfast!" Jennifer suddenly yells, as James grabbed his bag and headed towards the door.
James rolled his eyes. He turned around grabbed the slices of toast, kissed his aunts cheek and hugged his uncle.
"See you later!" James yelled over his shoulder as he ran out the door.
Jennifer shook her head with a fond smile.
Taurus IV had been good to James, he seemed truly at home for once in his life. Jennifer also liked to think, he had a true family for the first time as well. He had friends, everyone knew James and for the first time in a long time he was truly appreciated.
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Jim sat at his desk in the ready room, staring blankly at the screen of the computer. He'd just looked at everything Tom had sent to him and Tom was right. Kodos was alive, if Tom was dead like Jim believed, then he and Kevin were the only two of the Taurus nine left alive. The six who had died, had appeared to have died in accidents, but Tom's research and evidence clearly shows, each death wasn't.
Leaning backwards in his chair, Jim ran a hand over his face and sighed. He been sure it was all in the past, he knew it would come back to haunt him one day, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect it to happen like this. He and Kevin were both in danger… the entire crew could be in danger, but this wasn't just something Jim could call a meeting about to explain.
He had gone to great lengths to keep this name out the official reports and only a select few knew who he really was, even some of the admirals didn't have clearance to see those files.
Jim frowns as he sits forward, never before had he questioned why those files were so carefully guarded. Why did they need to be protected? Why didn't Starfleet want what happened on Taurus IV to be common knowledge?
Old Spock had contacted him the one the first anniversary of the massacre after he'd become captain. From what he had gathered, what happened on Taurus IV was common knowledge in his reality. Old Spock even had access to the list of who the Taurus nine were. Jim knew for a fact his first officer didn't have a high enough clearance level and neither did his chief medical officer.
Jim let out a sigh. He could hack into Starfleet's records later and see if he could find anything that wasn't on the report, but right now he had to find a way to keep Kevin his crew safe. He knew security was still on high alert, but if the intruders could beam aboard, they could no doubt keep themselves hidden. Meaning it was only a matter of time until they made their move.
Jim doubted they'd do anything while the ship was on such high alert, if it was him he'd wait a day or two, let the heat die down and then strike. He knew for a fact he and Kevin would be the targets, but if they failed to kill them, the destroying the ship would be one sure way to ensure they died.
But then Kodos had never been known for his forward thinking or ingenious plan making, he might just destroy the ship and be done with it. Speaking of Kodos, Jim still had find any leads he could on his current location, he had to find him. The families of those who died, the survivors and the dead could finally find some peace.
Jim stares at the computer for a moment, before switching it on.
"Computer," Jim starts. "Access history files."
"History files accessed." The computer answers, in its toneless voice.
"Subject: Background check on Anton Karidian." Jim shuts his eyes for a moment. Anton Karidian was the name Tom believed Kodos has been using since he faked his death on Taurus IV.
"No identification records available on Anton Karidian." The computer responds.
Jim frowns slightly. "Search for: information on Anton Karidian prior to 2246."
"No information or records on Anton Karidian prior to 2246." The computer replies.
Reaching forward Jim switches on the screen. "Photograph: Anton Karidian."
An image appears on the screen and for a moment Jim's heart stops. There was no denying it now, it was Kodos and he was still alive.
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James skidded to a halt, as his bike braked on the sand like path just outside of the colony entrance. Glancing across the fields, James watched the farmers work. It was late summer and they were checking the crops ready for the harvest in a months' time. It was common knowledge there was a shortage of crops this year, but there was enough to last them and Starfleet had only just dropped off some supplies a few weeks ago.
However, James couldn't help but think something was going on, something the governor wasn't telling them about. He and Tom had, after getting bored one day, gone off exploring. But instead of heading towards the mountains like they usually did, they went the opposite way. For miles it was nothing but farm land.
They had taken their bikes and had cycled nonstop until midday. They had covered miles in that time, when they looked back they couldn't even see the colony and it would take at least three hours of walking until it came back into sight. The only reason they had stopped was because they had reached a wood. Tom had known there was a wood this far out, but it was common knowledge not to go near it, everyone knew how dangerous it was.
There was the problem. The wood was dead. Not a single tree, plant or animal were alive, everything was dead and rotting. James had an empty bottle at the time, so the two of them took a couple of samples. Later that night, after they had returned home, they broke into the school and tested the samples they had taken.
They soon worked out a fungus of some kind had killed all the plants and the animals that had eaten the infected plants, had also died as a result. They had shown what they found to Kodos' men, who simply told them the situation was already being taken care of. A couple of days later, a new law was put in place. 'No one was to go near the wood', as it was now classed as a biohazard.
"James!" A cheerful voice greeted him.
James looked around and grinned. "Lenore."
"You ready?" Lenore questions, getting herself ready as she pulls her bike up alongside him.
"Yeah," James answers. "Race you there!"
James kicks off and grips the handle bars as he rises from the saddle. He lent forward and peddled as hard as he could.
"That's not fair!" Lenore shrieked behind him, as she races after James.
James laughed and glanced over his shoulder. "You should know me by now, Lenore!"
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Hey, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'll try and get the next chapter up soon.
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.