"It is most pleasing to see you, Jim," the older version of her husband said. She doesn't know what possessed her to, but Jayme stepped closer and gave him a hug. He let out a breath as his arms wrapped around her and she had the feeling that wherever he came from, they probably haven't seen each other in a while. "That is quite correct."
"You can read my mind," she muttered. "Of course you can read my mind. I mean, you're Spock. And you're older, which means your telepathy is probably more awesome then it is now. And I'm your t'hy'la. Well, your Jim, wherever you come from, is your t'hy'la. I mean, that is why I can feel you in my mind, right? You and your Jim?"
"Yes, Jim is very much my t'hy'la. Often to the point of annoying Leonard," the old Vulcan said with a smile.
"Wait, you know Bones?" Jayme asked with a smile.
"Leonard and I are almost as close as the two of you. He used to pretend not to like me but has since abandoned the pretense. He last calmed to be too old for such nonsense," Old Spock said.
"Wait until I tell him that there are two Spocks. He's gonna flip," she chuckled.
"Holy shit. It really is him… err, you?" Robbins asked young Spock, who nodded.
"Now, I've seen everything," Pike muttered.
"Not quite, Captain Pike. The universe still holds much for you to explore," the older version of her husband said.
"How are you here?" her Spock asked his older self.
"It is a very long story, Mister Spock," the old Vulcan said.
"I believe we have time… Mister Spock," her husband replied.
"Hopefully. Who knows what that crazy Romulan will do when he figures out that you're here. You do know him, right? Huge Romulan ship dropped out of a similar anomaly twenty-five years ago," Jayme sighed as she was offered a seat.
"His name is Nero, he is a particularly troubled Romulan. I know him and the ship," the older Spock said, sitting next to her. "I fear that this is my fault."
"How?" her Spock asked.
"The Narada, Nero's ship, was a simple mining vessel where I come from," Old Spock said.
"Not anymore. The guns on that thing ripped through one of our ships like tissue paper," Robbins said. "It's a miracle anyone walked away, let alone most of the crew."
"It wasn't a miracle," Pike sighed. "It was a Kirk."
"My father. He sacrificed himself to stop the ship," Jayme sighed. The older version of her husband gave her a look. "That's another conversation for another day. How did the Narada end up here? And with those weapons?"
"One hundred twenty-nine years from now, the star in the Hobus system will go supernova and consume everything in its path. Including Romulus," the old Vulcan told them. "When the star began to show signs of instability, the Romulan Senate called an emergency session. Nero testified that his crew was almost killed and his ship almost destroyed due to the increasing volatile solar flares. As a Federation ambassador who was working towards Vulcan/Romulan unification, I offered my assistance in stopping Hobus from doing more damage than it already had."
"If the Romulan Senate is anything in the future like it is now, they rejected whatever solutions that you offered," Robbins said.
"Actually, they were weaker then than they are now. But you are correct, Captain, they said no," Old Spock said.
"So what did you do?" Jayme asked.
"After the hearing, Nero approached me with an offer to assist me in completing the plan I had outlined to the Senate in order to save his planet. We traveled to the Kimben system to mine decalithium, a rare isotope that was required for my plan, while the USS Enterprise provided defense for the Narada," old Spock said, giving the four Starfleet officers a look.
"My Enterprise?" Pike asked with a smile.
"No. One far more advanced," Old Spock smiled. "After acquiring what we needed, we traveled to Vulcan. Nero and I went before the Vulcan Science Council to request the extraction of the decalithium derivative so that we could inject it into Hobus, creating a black hole and stopping the destruction of everything in it's path."
"They said no," Jayme chuckled. Everyone looked at her. "Anyone who spends as much time on that planet as I did knows that the Vulcan Science Council is a bunch of self-concerned jackasses. No way in hell would they share their knowledge with a Romulan. The half-breed asking for help was probably bad enough. No offense."
"None taken. That is more or less what they said," the old Vulcan chuckled. "Nero, in a show of good faith, transferred the Narada's decalitihum to the Enterprise and left with the hope that the Council would still help, which I convinced them to do. When Nero returned to Romulus, where his pregnant wife was, Hobus went supernova. He barely made it out of the system. The planet was destroyed while I was en route in our fastest ship. I extracted the compound and created a black hole to stop the exploding star from destroying anything else. As I began my return trip, I was intercepted by Nero and in my attempt to escape from him, we were both pulled through."
"What do you wanna bet he's waiting for you somewhere?" Pike sighed.
"I would not be surprised. I was not fast enough and his planet was lost," Old Spock said sadly.
"It's not your fault. Trust me, I blame myself for more than my fair share and it doesn't help. Besides, I think Nero blaming you is bad enough. I'm gonna assume that he got the weapons after Romulus and went on a rampage," Jayme said.
"Indeed," Old Spock said. "In the time between Romulus' destruction and his encounter with me, he outfitted his ship with the most advanced weapon systems the remnants of the Romulan government could give him and he waged war. Destroying every Federation and Klingon ship he encountered."
"Makes sense. With Romulus and his family gone, he's got nothing left to live for. Except vengeance," Robbins sighed. "Now that you're here…"
"If he is as smart as he appeared, I fear what he may have in store for all of you," Old Spock said.
"If he's from the future, won't he already know what we're gonna do?" Jayme asked.
"No," her husband looked at her. "Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history, beginning with the attack on the USS Kelvin. He has created an entirely new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party. Whatever our lives might have been, the time continuum was disrupted and our destinies have changed."
"An alternate reality," Robbins said.
"Precisely, Captain," the younger Spock said.
"So, he's in the dark as much as we are?" Pike asked. "None of us have the advantage."
"That's not entirely true," Jayme said and they all looked at her. "Spock… older Spock had a ship, which is in the shuttle bay of this ship."
"Your point?" Pike gave her a look.
"My ship carries within it the decalithium derivative," Old Spock smiled, catching her line of thought.
"I don't know about you but I think the ability to create black holes is one hell of an advantage," Jayme smiled.
Pike let out a breath, "The brass is just gonna love this."
"You do not need to linger by the door, Jim," Old Spock said. Of course he knew she was standing outside one of the guest rooms in the consulate. He might not be her Spock but he was still Spock.
"Sorry, it's just… sorry," she chuckled. "You've been in with Admirals Barnett and Komack for the last day and a half, then with my Spock. I didn't want to bother you."
"However, as always, you have questions," he smiled. "Come, sit."
Jayme did as she was told, sitting on the couch and pulling her legs under her. "So, you and the other me are really close, huh?"
"Yes. You are very similar, and yet, very different."
"Growing up on Vulcan will do that to a girl."
"Yes. My younger self mentioned that you grew up together but he did not elaborate. Am I to understand that that was a result of your father's death on the Kelvin?"
"Yea. My mom took an assignment at the shipyard in Vulcan's system. When she died, I went to live off planet…"
"On Tarsus Four?" Old Spock asked.
"So, that crap happens no matter what reality I'm in. Good to know, I think," Jayme sighed. "Anyway, after I got back from that mess, I didn't have anywhere to go. Since I was friends with Spock, Amanda and Sarek took me in."
"That sounds like something my mother would convince my father to do," he smiled.
"It was actually Spock's idea," she chuckled. "He can be pretty convincing when he wants to be. But you know that."
"Indeed, I do," the old Vulcan smiled. "You may ask, if you want."
"Well, I'd ask about you and other me but I already have an idea. I guess my question would have to be about George. He died two minutes after I was born, so I'm curious. Did I know him at all?"
"You and your father were very close and you often spoke of him as being your inspiration for joining Starfleet. He lived to see you become captain of the… Well, he saw you become a captain." He was holding back but, since she didn't really want him to tell her how the rest of her life is supposed to look, it was okay. "He was very proud of you, Jim."
"He was proud of his Jim. I'm not that person," Jayme said with a small smile.
"No, you are not. However, your father loved you and he would've been proud of you no matter what," Old Spock said.
"Did you ever meet him?"
"Once. I cannot tell you how."
"Because you'll be telling me about that ship that I captain someday?"
"Exactly," he smiled. "It is a magnificent vessel."
"I'll bet," she chuckled. "Scotty would have it no other way and, if I'm the captain, he's definitely my chief engineer."
"I cannot confirm or deny that," Old Spock said but she could see the ghost of a smile. That was a yes if she ever saw one.
"Did you know that I speak fluent Spock? It's actually better than my Vulcan," Jayme smiled.
"I am aware. Granted, it took your counterpart longer to learn than you."
"Why?"
"Because we were not yet acquainted in my reality. You and my younger self met as children, your t'hy'la bond manifested and grew with you. My Jim and I met when I was assigned… to his ship. We spent decades by each other's side before we realized. As saddened as I am by learning all you lost to my actions, I am grateful that you and my younger self found each other sooner rather than later."
"I used to wonder about that. When he left Vulcan, I thought that I would've been better off if I'd never met him," she shook her head. "I got over it. I'd rather die a very painful death then not know Spock."
"I am quite sure he would not be happy about that," he said.
"I know. Did you leave Vulcan too?"
"Yes. Sarek and I did not speak for eighteen years when I did."
"Ouch. They aren't that bad but it's mostly because me and Amanda force them to interact."
"Ahh, my mother. Where I'm from, she is long deceased. My father is deceased as well."
"Wanna see 'em?" Jayme asked. He gave her a look. "If I knew you were here," she tapped her head, "I bet they do too. I'm pretty sure they're en route and this is gonna turn into the most interesting family reunion ever."
"Of that, I have no doubt."
AN: Red Matter is the lamest name for anything I've ever heard, and from the Vulcans too. I looked though some ST stuff and found that it's listed as being made using a rare isotope and element called decalithium, so that's what I'm calling it until one of my characters gives it a better name.