In Command

Chapter 25 : Change of Command

February 2285

Admiral Kirk strode onto the bridge and immediately addressed the full ship's complement, informing them of the change of command because of the emergency situation. He then redirected the ship towards the Space Laboratory at Regula I. He looked around at the stunned faces on the bridge and spoke quietly but firmly. "I know that none of you were expecting this. I'm sorry. I'm going to have to ask you to grow up a little bit sooner than you expected." And then he grinned and told Sulu to go to warp five.

As he exited the bridge, Sulu could be heard to say "So much for the little training cruise." But he didn't sound disappointed.

.

Spock stood behind Nyota's station as she hailed the Lab at Regula I, trying to raise Dr. Carol Marcus. Eventually she gave up in frustration, saying that she could not get a response.

"But no longer jammed." It was not so much a question as a statement.

"No, sir. No nothing!"

He could hear the frustration in her voice, and feel it through the bond. She had made every effort to reach the Lab, but had failed, and she did not like that. He turned and crossed the bridge, descending into the pit to stand beside the command chair, his hands clasped behind his back. When Jim turned toward him, he spoke. "There are two possibilities. They are unable to respond. They are unwilling to respond."

Jim swiveled the command chair around, his gaze unfocused. "How far?"

"Twelve hours forty-three minutes present speed."

Jim leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and began to speak, almost as if to himself. "Give up Genesis, she said. What in God's name does that mean? Give it up to whom?"

"It might help my analysis if I knew what Genesis was, beyond the Biblical reference."

In response to that statement, Jim told Nyota to summon McCoy to his quarters. He turned the com over to Saavik and led the way to his quarters.

When Bones entered his quarters, Jim turned his chair towards the comlink screen on his desk and asked for the Genesis summary. Bones and Spock stood behind him, watching over his shoulders.

Spock immediately recognized Carol Marcus when she appeared to give the summary. And when a pause came in the narrative, and Kirk looked back over his shoulder, he gave his opinion of what he had heard. "Fascinating."

At the end of the summary, he spoke again. "It literally is Genesis."

As they discussed what they had seen, McCoy suddenly gasped and voiced his newly derived fear. "What if this were used where life already exists?"

Spock answered. "It would destroy such life in favor of its new matrix."

"Its new matrix? Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Bones was becoming angry.

Spock sat back calmly, his hands clasped together in his lap, and replied. "I was not attempting to evaluate its moral implications, Doctor. As a matter of cosmic history it has always been easier to destroy than create."

"Not any more! Now we can do both at the same time!" Sarcasm laced his voice as he continued. "The Earth was created in six days according to man. Now watch out, here comes Genesis, we can do it for you in six minutes!"

"Really, Dr McCoy. You must learn to govern your passions. They will be your undoing." He spread his hands slightly, so that the fingertips rested against each other, in one of the common meditation poses.

The conversation quickly descended into a diatribe after that. McCoy was ranting about logic when the intercom announced a message for Jim. There was a vessel in their area, closing fast. It was the Reliant, a StarFleet vessel. The three men rose and headed for the bridge, uncertain as to why that particular vessel was in this area.