Author's Notes: Well, what do you think so far? Neat idea, huh? Hopefully, with hard work, this story will span from Star Trek 2 all the way to Generations. Won't it be fascinating to see what the missions could have turned out like had Kirk been changed by Genesis?
Kirk leaned back into his couch, feeling rather relaxed and content. Not too long ago, it had been his birthday. On that day, he had been feeling "old and worn-out," as he put it. Now he had twenty more years worth of experience, and the same youthful energy he had on his first five-year mission.
McCoy watched his friend closely. "You seem awfully happy about all this, Jim."
"Who wouldn't be?" the admiral countered. "It's not everyday you get a second chance at life and become younger at the same time."
"Not with you." Both were silent for a few minutes, then McCoy practically exploded. "Dammit Jim, don't you EVER do that to us again!"
Startled by the doctor's sudden outburst, Kirk jumped a good three feet in the air. After a moment, he asked, "Never do what?"
"What do you think? Die, of course!" McCoy was practically yelling. "You wouldn't even respond until Spock came charging down there like a fleet of Romulans were chasing him."
Kirk blinked in confusion. "What?"
"When you were dying, you wouldn't even speak to me or Scotty!" McCoy continued, not having noticed the admiral's puzzlement. "And all you cared about was making sure the ship was okay. That was a damn stupid risk you took in there, Jim."
"Bones..."
"WHAT?!" The doctor leaped to his feet, glaring at Kirk. Then, and only then, did he realize Kirk was staring at him in complete inconprehension. "You don't remember that, do you?"
Kirk stared back. "No, I don't. It's the one thing that hasn't come back yet. I know I died, but I don't know exactly how or why. And I sure as hell don't remember being dead."
"Are you really sure you want to know?" McCoy asked, slowly sitting down. The look on his face gave Kirk the impression that he had died rather horribly. "Dying happens to be rather painful process, from what I've heard."
"It's not like I haven't done that before," Kirk said, a haunted look coming across his face. He recalled Sargon, the Romulans, a specific incident on Vulcan, the Tholian Web...but the last incident was elusive, hiding in the shadows of his mind. He could not recall anything past the Enterprise's entry into the nebula, Khan's ship following with intent to kill. "Bones...I want to know. I need to know. Even if I have to mind-meld with Spock."
"That's probably what it'll take," McCoy said. "After all, you died right in front of his very eyes. You should've seen him, Jim. Once you...you know, he was crying. He wouldn't talk to anyone for hours, and he wouldn't let anyone carry you out of there but him. Kept muttering something about a 'katra' or something like that."
Kirk abruptly stood up, startling McCoy. "Bones...that's it! That's what's been missing!"
"Jim...?"
"Bones, do you know what a katra is?" Kirk asked. When the doctor merely stared at him blankly, he continued. "When a Vulcan dies, they mind-meld with someone close to them. They transfer their living spirit, called a katra, into the living person. After the Vulcan's death, if the keeper of the katra and its source are taken to Vulcan then they can be reunited and the Vulcan will live again."
McCoy still looked blank. "So what's your point?"
"For the past few hours, ever since I awoke..." Kirk said, pacing his quarters, "I've felt like something is missing. Like a part of me is gone. Not deleted, just left behind someplace." He spun around to face his friend. "Bones, what if the Vulcans aren't the only ones who have katras? What if humans do too?"
"Jim, humans can't mind-meld with other humans! It just doesn't work that way!" McCoy exclaimed.
"But remember: Spock is only half human," Kirk reminded him. "And he was very near me when I...died, is that true?"
McCoy stopped his tirade and thought hard about that. "It's possible...can Vulcans mind-meld through transparent aluminum?"
"Let's find out," Kirk said, heading over to his comm switch. He flicked it on. "Kirk to Captain Spock."
"Spock here, Admiral."
"Spock, I'd like to see you in my quarters. A matter of the utmost importance has arisen, and I need your input," Kirk said, choosing his words carefully. "It has to do with the situation on Genesis...and it has to do with me."
There was silence for a moment. "Understood, Admiral. Spock out."
Kirk turned back to McCoy. "Well, the answer's on his way. You care to stick around?"
"I can't see why not," McCoy said. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on you. I swear, you run into more damn problems in a week than most men face in a lifetime. For all I know, you might decide to go fight some Klingons just for the hell of it."
"Trust me Bones, that thought was the farthest from my mind but thanks for the idea. I'll be sure to do that some time."
"Jim..."
"Can't you take a joke?"
"It wasn't very damn funny."
"Becoming a Vulcan yourself, Doctor?"
"Aw, shut up."
Kirk leaned back into his couch, feeling rather relaxed and content. Not too long ago, it had been his birthday. On that day, he had been feeling "old and worn-out," as he put it. Now he had twenty more years worth of experience, and the same youthful energy he had on his first five-year mission.
McCoy watched his friend closely. "You seem awfully happy about all this, Jim."
"Who wouldn't be?" the admiral countered. "It's not everyday you get a second chance at life and become younger at the same time."
"Not with you." Both were silent for a few minutes, then McCoy practically exploded. "Dammit Jim, don't you EVER do that to us again!"
Startled by the doctor's sudden outburst, Kirk jumped a good three feet in the air. After a moment, he asked, "Never do what?"
"What do you think? Die, of course!" McCoy was practically yelling. "You wouldn't even respond until Spock came charging down there like a fleet of Romulans were chasing him."
Kirk blinked in confusion. "What?"
"When you were dying, you wouldn't even speak to me or Scotty!" McCoy continued, not having noticed the admiral's puzzlement. "And all you cared about was making sure the ship was okay. That was a damn stupid risk you took in there, Jim."
"Bones..."
"WHAT?!" The doctor leaped to his feet, glaring at Kirk. Then, and only then, did he realize Kirk was staring at him in complete inconprehension. "You don't remember that, do you?"
Kirk stared back. "No, I don't. It's the one thing that hasn't come back yet. I know I died, but I don't know exactly how or why. And I sure as hell don't remember being dead."
"Are you really sure you want to know?" McCoy asked, slowly sitting down. The look on his face gave Kirk the impression that he had died rather horribly. "Dying happens to be rather painful process, from what I've heard."
"It's not like I haven't done that before," Kirk said, a haunted look coming across his face. He recalled Sargon, the Romulans, a specific incident on Vulcan, the Tholian Web...but the last incident was elusive, hiding in the shadows of his mind. He could not recall anything past the Enterprise's entry into the nebula, Khan's ship following with intent to kill. "Bones...I want to know. I need to know. Even if I have to mind-meld with Spock."
"That's probably what it'll take," McCoy said. "After all, you died right in front of his very eyes. You should've seen him, Jim. Once you...you know, he was crying. He wouldn't talk to anyone for hours, and he wouldn't let anyone carry you out of there but him. Kept muttering something about a 'katra' or something like that."
Kirk abruptly stood up, startling McCoy. "Bones...that's it! That's what's been missing!"
"Jim...?"
"Bones, do you know what a katra is?" Kirk asked. When the doctor merely stared at him blankly, he continued. "When a Vulcan dies, they mind-meld with someone close to them. They transfer their living spirit, called a katra, into the living person. After the Vulcan's death, if the keeper of the katra and its source are taken to Vulcan then they can be reunited and the Vulcan will live again."
McCoy still looked blank. "So what's your point?"
"For the past few hours, ever since I awoke..." Kirk said, pacing his quarters, "I've felt like something is missing. Like a part of me is gone. Not deleted, just left behind someplace." He spun around to face his friend. "Bones, what if the Vulcans aren't the only ones who have katras? What if humans do too?"
"Jim, humans can't mind-meld with other humans! It just doesn't work that way!" McCoy exclaimed.
"But remember: Spock is only half human," Kirk reminded him. "And he was very near me when I...died, is that true?"
McCoy stopped his tirade and thought hard about that. "It's possible...can Vulcans mind-meld through transparent aluminum?"
"Let's find out," Kirk said, heading over to his comm switch. He flicked it on. "Kirk to Captain Spock."
"Spock here, Admiral."
"Spock, I'd like to see you in my quarters. A matter of the utmost importance has arisen, and I need your input," Kirk said, choosing his words carefully. "It has to do with the situation on Genesis...and it has to do with me."
There was silence for a moment. "Understood, Admiral. Spock out."
Kirk turned back to McCoy. "Well, the answer's on his way. You care to stick around?"
"I can't see why not," McCoy said. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on you. I swear, you run into more damn problems in a week than most men face in a lifetime. For all I know, you might decide to go fight some Klingons just for the hell of it."
"Trust me Bones, that thought was the farthest from my mind but thanks for the idea. I'll be sure to do that some time."
"Jim..."
"Can't you take a joke?"
"It wasn't very damn funny."
"Becoming a Vulcan yourself, Doctor?"
"Aw, shut up."