Chapter 26: Nemesis
-Part 2 - A Future Past
Layla could only remember one time in her life where she felt like she might throw up. She'd been around ten years old and it had been because of the effects of a strange virus vaccine Verity had injected into her system. That had not been a pleasant day for the Augmented human, emphasis on the human part as there were some physiological things even genetics could not change, no matter how much people tried to.
Like the nauseous feeling in her gut as the whirring colours and golden rings disappeared from sight as quickly as they'd come.
Through dizzy eyes she saw the transporter room swim and it was only thanks to her father's grip on her shoulders that she didn't drop to her knees as they and their four other companions materialized completely onto the transporter pad.
"Jim what th' devil are ye doing?" There was the scrambling of feet as a short man with short reddish hair dashed up to the pad, or rather towards Kirk, who was still holding Admiral Lance at phaser point.
"Scotty" he narrowed his eyes down at the man beneath him. "call up a security team to take Admiral Lance to his new quarters in the brig".
"I believe that won't be necessary captain" a familiar emotionless voice called into the room. "As I have already taken the liberty to arrange that"
Everyone looked up to see Spock striding calmly at the head of a small group of red shirts who promptly strode over to the Admiral. Kirk jumped off the man quickly only to stumble into Hawke who almost would've pushed him off had it not been for the fact he caught sight of the gamy booted leg.
"Out of my way! Out of my way!"
Layla almost smirked as Leonard McCoy gruffly made his way past the last of the red shirts, all garbed in his white medical gear and scowling like an angry cat as he caught sight of the younger man and his injury.
"Seriously! I can understand these two kids running off and doing something stupid" he gesticulated between Layla and Hawke before glowering at Kirk "but you just take the cake"
"Well I made it back alive didn't I?" Kirk spluttered in indignation at his C.M.O. as three nurses two male and one female swarmed to him to drag him off the platform.
"Take him to medical bay now!" McCoy droned before turning to Watson and the three Augments "and that goes for you four too"
Hawke opened his mouth to sneer a retort but stopped himself when Khan gave him a sharp look.
Silently the younger man trudged off the transporter pad his face a little green.
Layla couldn't blame him. Not with the way she felt now.
"Right med bay" she rasped as she clumsily stepped off the pad, Khan following her movement's closely with his eyes.
"First time yer've been beamed up lassie?" Scotty raised his eyebrows.
"Yep. Lucky me"
It was only with great force of will that she swallowed down the bile at the back of her throat. She was just glad she hadn't eaten for the past twelve hours, or else she wouldn't have managed.
McCoy gave her an odd look but didn't say anything as he quickly and efficiently led them to the Reliant's sickbay, which was thankfully only a couple of decks above them.
Once they'd arrived she quickly made her way towards the nearest bio bed, which was right next to the one Kirk was being tended to in.
"Wow you look hammered" he chuckled as she promptly fell to hang over it like a limp ragdoll.
"You have no idea" she let her head hang upside down, reveling in the way the blood rushing down to it made her feel nice and light headed.
"Well if you are going to rest at least lie down properly in the bed" McCoy growled as he ran the tricorder over Hawke who had chosen to sit on a bed opposite Layla.
"All clear?" he clipped, his grey eyes stern as the little instrument ran over his face.
"Yes." McCoy rolled his eyes "Whatever Lance gave you it ran it's course some time ago. Now come on kid get up I need to check you over too"
Layla quickly sat up but almost fell backwards as the blood fell away from her forehead like a fast waterfall.
"Woah" she shook her head to clear it as the tricorder came in front of her face.
"That's what you get for hanging like a fruit bat" the doctor sighed, as he looked over the torn sleeves of her suit.
Khan himself almost winced at some of the magnificent red bruises all over them. Well no one could say that she'd not known pain.
Most full grown men would barely be able to move after being hit in all the areas she'd been.
There was the hiss of doors as a small group of four strode into the room, all of them crying out in unison.
"Khan"
Khan barely had time to blink as he was swarmed instantly by his crew members. Damian, Ari and Sierra kept their distance but Ronan grinned and who clapped his brother in law hard on the shoulder.
"It's about bloody time. We were really beginning to worry it wasn't going to work"
Khan returned the gesture but his face remained impassive as always though Kirk was quick to notice as he sat on the sidelines, that the augment's eyes were twinkling slightly.
"What wasn't going to work?" Layla asked curiously.
"The plan, obviously" Sierra added with a small sneer.
Layla rolled her eyes. "Keep that up and you'll get wrinkles old hag"
"What did you just call me?"
"Wow a deaf Augment who'd have thought?"
"Will either of you ever come to a truce and spare us all the pain?" Ari sighed softly, quickly noting his leader's mounting irritation.
"Only if this little-little BRAT does!" Sierra snarled as Khan called over the top of her.
"Enough both of you"
"Oh no father. Let her keep talking" Layla stood up to her feet her eyes glinting maliciously as she smirked "who knows the bimbo might finally say something intelligent for once"
"Says the daughter of that little dumb blonde trophy wife!"
"She couldn't have been that dumb if my father chose her over the likes of you"
"And what would you know about your mother kid?" the woman laughed loudly glaring down at the younger girl. "She dumped you first chance she got. Not that I would blame her. Bearing a six and a half pound weak little worm, even I would be ashamed!"
Everyone in the room froze.
Hawke's eyes widened as he caught sight of Layla's face. He'd thought seeing Khan angry was scary but there was something absolutely terrifying about the ice cold eyes that none of them could escape.
Then…
Layla had hoisted herself off the bed and strode past all of them.
"Oh and a coward too who'd have thought?" Sierra smirked.
As she passed Sierra she paused and turned back to glare at her, though everyone could see that her eyes were much brighter than usual.
"I'm not a coward" Layla's voice shook as she stood up to her full height. It wasn't so impressive due to her shortness but it gave her a regality one would never have guessed she had. "I'm just better than you."
"Oh really? Prove it"
There was a loud cracking sound as bone was snapped and fractured.
Sierra spluttered as Layla's grip around her broken jaw tightened considerably as she tilted her face up towards hers.
"This was me controlling myself." She hissed and with a rough jerk of her arm she flung the older woman into the floor. "Next time you try to pull this stunt with me…you won't be so lucky. And that goes for anyone in this room"
She growled up at the other men who all flinched away as she stalked out of the doors.
Kirk watched her back right till the doors slid shut behind her. It was a pity they couldn't have dramatically slammed shut.
Layla barely thought about what direction she was moving in when she stumbled across a pair of doors opening and closing.
So this is a Rec room huh?
Layla looked around slightly warily as she stepped inside.
Music was wafting through, high and upbeat. Many people, alien and human alike were sitting inside, almost all of them dressed in the typical gold, red and blues of the Starfleet uniform. Some were at a billiards table far off, some were at sofa's reading, many were laughing and sharing jokes around other tables on which an assortment of board games were situated.
One particular game of three dimensional chess caught her eye. She titled her head to the side as she quickly noticed one of it's players who upon feeling her keen gaze looked up to spot her.
"Miss Singh"
"Commander Spock" she quickly nodded walking timidly over as Spock's opponent finally moved a piece and turned to face her.
Layla frowned slightly at the sight of him. It wasn't that he was old or another Vulcan (though the latter certainly was unusual in itself) but it was rather the facial features with which he bore, and the ever so slight puzzled expression they were molded into.
Was it just her or did he look remarkably similar to Spock?
She quickly shrugged off the thought as the younger male addressed her in his usual blank way, though his brow was furrowed ever so slightly.
"Doctor McCoy has released you from his charge already" Spock's eyes travelled over the now yellowing spots on her arms.
"Fast rejuvenation generally means faster check-ups" Layla looked at the chess board levels. "One of you can checkmate if you move your queen piece strait up four spaces"
"Which one of us would that be?"
"Whichever one of you is playing as black" Layla shrugged.
The corners of the older Vulcan's mouth twitched upwards a little as he moved the black queen up four squares so that it captured the bishop.
Spock quickly turned his attention back to the boards with a snap, his brown eyes suddenly alert as he scanned the move, but it was no use. The white king at the mercy of several black pieces that now had him surrounded.
"Very well observed" he murmured glancing up at Layla who smiled apologetically.
If the other Vulcan man could, he probably would have chuckled, instead his eyes only twinkled a little with amusement.
"Perhaps you would like to sit and watch the next round?" he gestured to a chair to the side.
"I-If it's no problem" Layla blinked. That shade of brown…
Bloody hell they're almost identical!
She thought as she sat down.
"Is something troubling you Miss Singh?" Spock asked, not taking his eyes off the chessboard which he was currently resetting for the next game.
"Um…I hope I'm not being rude but…are you two related?"
"In a way yes" the younger one looked to his elder opponent who gave him a tiny nod and quietly announced.
"I am Spock"
Layla stared at them for a good long minute.
"Ok…either I really have gone crazy or I'm missing something very important here"
Layla fiddled with her fingers in her lap as Spock and the old Vulcan exchanged a brief glance that was both amused and intrigued.
"You have heard of the Battle of Earth?" the younger Spock said calmly. For someone who'd just heard that piece of news she was taking it remarkably well.
"Yes I did…or at least a little bit…most of the reports I could find were pretty hazy." Layla tilted her head to the side. "Wasn't there a Romulan Mining vessel from the future or something that was trying to drill into the Earth's core?"
"The Narada" the elder nodded, though his tone was grave "It came through a tear in time and space. I myself am a traveler from such a place, though in my dimension it is the year 2387 and many of the recent events within the past twenty five years has changed due to the Narada's intervention."
"So…You're both a version of the same guy…just from different…dimensions?… Wow…that's really, really freaky but wow. Uh…how did that happen exactly?" Layla blushed a little with embarrassment as younger Spock proceeded to voice his reply.
"The cause singularity of which we speak is known as Red Matter. A highly volatile substance that when exposed to the vacuum of space would create a black hole powerful enough to consume planets and stars. It also has the ability to create wormholes that sometimes lead into other dimensions or time streams. Indeed it is a rather powerful and dangerous material. One which the Narada's captain, Nero was quick to utilize into a weapon of war"
"Utilize…like how Vulcan was…well…" Layla gulped again this time doing her best to avoid Kali's voice in her head going.
Smooth move moron!
But thankfully for her the old Spock patiently nodded and continued.
"Yes indeed it was a fundamental aspect of Vulcan's destruction, as it was almost of Earths. If it hadn't been for the Enterprise's intervention two years ago Humans would indeed become one of the more endangered species of the universe."
"You don't say" Layla snorted though she couldn't help but think
Well they wouldn't be as endangered as Augments are now. Only seventy four of us left and eleven of them are missing already.
"It would deem prudent to commend you on your success with your mission" younger Spock stated and Layla quickly snapped herself back to reality. Both Spock's were now moving their pieces on the three boards quietly and thoughtfully, though both seemed just as interested in her reply.
"Oh…thank you" she blushed.
"Your hand to hand combat skills are quite effective on the bridge of the Nemesis" Old Spock said as he moved his black rook pawn on the queen's side two spaces forwards.
"I'm afraid still have a far way to go with-" but then paused and looked up sharply "Wait…how did you know about what happened on the bridge?"
"Mr. Walters hacking abilities and Ensign Brand's insight into Section 31's inner workings was most insightful." Younger Spock explained as he moved another one of his white pawns forward. "Indeed it was them who arranged the live video feed for Starfleet Command to watch back on Starbase 1, our next destination"
"I myself was on my way to the Starbase for business of my own involving New Vulcan's progress" Old Spock explained "I thought that it would be logical that I meet my younger self and check his progress…especially in these recent days"
"Oh…I see…"
There was silence for a long while whilst the two Vulcan's versed each other in the chess match. It was a difficult game, Layla herself was finding it difficult to keep up with it a couple of times, but it did keep her mind off the earlier events in the Sickbay.
That was until a shadow loomed over her from behind her chair. She quickly stood up and came face to face with Kenina Brand.
Both Spock's looked above her head, the younger of the two quirking a brow.
"Ensign Brand"
"Sorry Commander but Dr McCoy asked me to find Layla and give her this"
Kenina held out a set of three folded blue, red, gold and black clothes just like the ones all the other women were wearing around them.
"Ok…thanks" Layla frowned but nodded anyway before looking and nodding at both Spock's
"And thank you both for allowing me to watch. It was an interesting match"
"You are most welcome Miss Singh. And should you wish to partake in a match I'm sure either I or the Captain would be honored" younger Spock nodded as older Spock raised his hand in a silent Ta'al which she perfectly reciprocated back.
As she walked away the elder Spock dropped his hand as well as his light expression, to give way to something much grimmer.
Younger Spock noticed this and quirked a brow at his older self.
"I trust you understand the complexity of our situation now?"
"I do indeed" Older Spock turned back to the chess board "Alike and yet unlike"
Younger Spock turned back to the board and frowned. "There was a Layla Singh in your timeline?"
"Yes…and like the Khan of my time, she was just as terrible, ruthless but nonetheless one of our most brilliant foes…However she was not in allegiance with him. In fact neither had met nor seemed aware of each other's existence. She'd been brought up by rouges on a ship called the Chimera. I call them rogues though the human term pirate would appear to be a more logical term to describe them. But her name was not Layla then…It was Kali"
Younger Spock's eyes widened for a split second but he quickly composed himself and leant back in his chair.
"Interesting..."
Very interesting indeed...
Ohoho! Bet you didn't see that one coming!
I've been itching to drag Spock Prime into the story somehow. he has a very interesting role to play in future chapters. I hope he and alternate Spock are not too OOC.
So the next chapter will be pretty intense as secrets will be unearthed and many more questions will ensue and maybe some steam will be let off from those characters who need to vent (I think you guys have a pretty good idea of who those would be).
Oh and by the way, which of the uniform colours should Layla choose. she has Gold, Blue or Red (I know I know unlucky red shirt :P)
Keep R&Ring for more :)
