Author: Mila
Code: G
Author's Note: If you don't understand the title, listen to the first two verses of Lynard Skynard's song Free Bird.
"Say, Jim, what do you think about death?"
Jim Kirk looked up at his friend at the sound of the question. "What do you mean by that, Bones?" he asked suspiciously.
The two were sitting in the living room of Kirk's country cabin drinking Kentucky bourbon. He had bought the cabin, thinking of retirement.
McCoy leaned forward and peered intently at Kirk and replied, "Well, are you scared of it or somethin'? I know you don't want to die; no one does. But what's your reaction to it?"
"Why are you asking now?"
"I don't know. I just thought of it last night, and decided to ask you today."
Kirk thought a little before replying. "I don't quite know for sure," he replied. "I love to travel, but I can't. I'm old. I feel old. I feel death. It's closer than it's been before. In a way, life and old age are holding me back. I need to see something new, but, well, it's hard. You know what I'm scared of, Bones? I'm scared that the future generation's will forget about James Kirk and Chris Pike and their crews. It always works that way. We get buried in history when people take what we did for granted. Anway, why don't you ask me that question tomorrow, after I get back from my tour of the Enterprise-B?"
"All right, but you better have an answer, or I'm calling in Spock to do a mind meld."
"Like he'd agree."
"Shut up." McCoy stood up, and set his glass on the wooden table. Walking over to where his coat hung on the wall, he put it on and opened the door. Before leaving, he looked one last time at Kirk and said, "Now don't you forget, Jim. See ya."
After McCoy had left, Kirk sat in pensive silence for a long time. What would it be like to die?
The Next Day
McCoy's Office
Starfleet HQ, San Francisco
Commodore McCoy saw the light flashing on his communications console. Depressing a button, he said, "McCoy here."
Pavel Chekov's face blinked into existence in McCoy's personal viewer. The Russian looked terrible. He looked tired, exhausted, dirty, and . . . sad? McCoy frowned. Why did he look sad? "Pavel? What is it?" asked McCoy.
"The Keptin is . . . is . . . ."
"On the Enterprise-B. I know. What's wrong?" The Doctor was puzzled.
On the viewer, Chekov took a deep breath and seemed to pull himself together. Then he replied, "Vell, doctor, there vas an accident. An energy ribbon. It hit the . . . the torpedo room. There was one fatality. Only one."
The Doctor's eyes widened and he sat up straight with shock. " . . . Jim?" he whispered, fearing the answer.
"Dead, doctor. Sucked into space by ze energy ribbon. I'm sorry."
"Thanks for telling me, Pavel. Good Lord." McCoy rubbed his brow with one hand. He suddenly felt, well, old. "Have you told Spock or Sulu or Uhura yet?"
"Nyet. I vos, but I thought it vould be best if you knew first and not over ze public comm channels...." A tear rolled down Chekov's face as he was saying this, and he didn't bother to wipe it away.
"Thanks, Pavel. Take care o' Scotty will ya? He's older and it'll hit him harder."
McCoy terminated the communication, then buried his head in his hands and sobbed. Good Lord, Jim. Why? Why now? You should've at least answered my question....
The terminal beeped quietly again. McCoy raised his head and hit the
button. A public comm channel opened and a report appeared on the screen.
The Enterprise-B was launched today from Utopia Planitia
Fleet Yards on Mars. This ship, the third to carry the name "Enterprise"
made its maiden run with three Guests of Honor onboard. Captain James T.
Kirk of the previous two Enterprises was in attendance, along with
Captain Montgomery Scott (chief engineer aboard the previous Enterprises)
and Commander Pavel Chekov (navigator and security chief, respectively,
of the previous Enterprises).
During a routine scouting mission which had been assigned in order to test the new ship's capabilities, the Enterprise detected a mysterious energy ribbon. Two unarmed ships were trapped inside. During the rescue mission, the ribbon came in contact with the ship. Serious damage was inflicted, but there was one casualty.
The body of Captain James T. Kirk remains to be found. Scott himself said, "There was nothin' left. Th' ribbon had jus' ripped the compartment away. All y'could see were stars." The two ships were destroyed in the ribbon, but there were an undisclosed number of survivors. This concludes tonight's report.
Kirk's Grave
Veridian III
Fleet Admiral Leonard McCoy walked the rocky outcrops of Veridian III. He knew he should be in his biochair, but the chair wouldn't be able to come through all of the rocks. He would have had to have brought someone else along, and this was private business. So he had injected himself with a few Klingon drugs he had bartered for years before and a few pain killers and had beamed down. OK, so he'd be on his back and recuperating for a few weeks later on, but it was worth it, right?
Approaching the mound of rocks that served as a resting place McCoy
suddenly felt younger, as if he was still serving on the Enterprise.
He could do anything. Placing one hand on the rocks, McCoy suddenly remembered
the day before Kirk had left for the final time . . . .
"You know what I'm scared of, Bones? I'm scared that the
future generation's will forget about James Kirk and Chris Pike and their
crews. It always works that way. We get buried in history when people take
what we did for granted."
As he felt tears forming in his eyes, he murmered aloud, "Don't
worry, Jim. No one's forgotten you. And they're not going to, for a whole
long time." Then, with that same youthful vigor in his step, McCoy turned
and walked back over the outcrops and to the future, leaving Kirk at peace
for good.
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I'm a speedy traveler traveling on
Cus there's too many places I've got to see
Cus I'm as free as a bird now
- From "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd