2286: Earth
The Klingon Bird Of Prey hurtled back to the 23rd century from the year nineteen eighty-six. Their voyage home from Vulcan had been rather drastically delayed. Their return pilgrimage was cut short when they discovered that the planet Earth was in terrible danger from an alien probe.
The probe of unknown origin had actually been seeking the extinct species, hump back whales, but its reason was actually quite unknown. By the twenty third century whales of many species were extinct along with many other mammals of sea and land.
The probe had caused a worldwide catastrophe and was destroying the planet in the process. It had paralysed all power and every starship in the quadrant.
The Bounty was the nearest fully functioning ship in the area and so she had journeyed to the past to save the future by retrieving a pair of the very special beings.
The mission had been successful up to the point when they returned back. The captive Klingon ship was paralysed by the alien waves of the probe as soon as she entered into the Sol system.
* * *
Sulu managed to pilot the ship relatively safely through the atmosphere of Earth and approached the city of San Francisco, but then disaster struck as the Klingon Bird of Prey steadily decreased in power as what had happened with all the other ships, great and small.
She fell and fell towards the land, and the city below. Thrusters were inoperative. Sulu managed to alter trajectory for the open sea and the little ship shot through the air accelerating then fell lower and lower towards the grey choppy water.
Below them through the fog the old Golden Gate bridge was steadily growing larger. Everyone feared that the small ship would collide with it and their mission would be futile. The whales were travelling with them and if they were lost then it would be the end of the world, as they knew it.
Sulu triumphantly managed to steer the ship just metres beneath the underside of the old relic with incredible skill, everyone held tight in their seats.
She wrenched forward and was catapulted through the air. Uhura squeezed her eyes tight. She could not bear to watch. Was this their futures end? She thought hopelessly.
Bounty dive bombed straight into the freezing choppy ocean and was sinking fast. They had to get the whales out before they quickly sunk into the sea.
"Blow the hatch," called Jim through the rising panic. Spock activated the hatch and every one climbed out one by one to safety. But what about Scotty, Doctor Gillian Taylor the marine biologist who had returned with them from the past and the whales, George and Gracie? They would surely drown if nothing was done and it was up to Jim Kirk to rescue them.
Everyone had climbed outside and was clinging onto the outer side of the bridge compartment. Inside the craft Jim heaved the bridge doors apart by himself with strength he did not realise he had. He paddled through the soon to be waterlogged corridors towards the cargo bay.
Jim made it to the cargo bay compartment, but discovered that those doors were also jammed tightly shut. On the other side he could hear the desperate cries for help from his friends. Scotty and Jim wrenched the doors apart together.
The inner compartment was virtually underwater. Abruptly the ship lurched violently with agonised creeks of metal buckling under the pressure of the freezing ocean. Jim thought that she was going to completely sink and it would not leave him enough time to save the two whales and the Earth.
He waded into the compartment half drenched and fatigued. Despite his weariness he would continue until he could persevere no more. Scotty and Gillian were drenched and holding on for dear life.
"The whales!!" Jim shouted through the thunderous noise of water poring into the onboard chambers and the deafening pulsating cries of the whale probe above in space.
"Their trapped," said Scotty.
"The whales will drown if we don't get them out," Gillian said with hopelessness. Jim turned to Scott hoping for just a spark of good luck.
"No power to the bay doors," he said with despondency in his voice.
"What about the override?"
"Tis' under water. There is'na any way to reach it."
"You two on ahead," Jim said boldly. He new what he had in mind and nothing, or nobody was going to stop him.
"Admiral you'll be trapped," Scotty warned. Jim removed his jacket and threw it behind him. The Scotsman realised there was no point in arguing with him. There was too much at stake and not enough time.
"Come on lassie," he tried to say enthusiastically. Scotty took her arm and helped her out and along the empty corridor that Jim had just come from.
Kirk only took a moment longer before he took a deep breath and dived into the frozen water and headed towards his destination.
He swam and beneath him layer upon layers of cable and shredded metal was accumulated up on the floor. He had to be careful not to get tangled up in it. He listened and swam deeper into the bowels of the ship. She had turned almost onto her side and more than seventy percent was now under water.
The probes eerie song could be heard in clear clarity now, like sirens calling hypnotised sailors. Gracie's high pitch cries were interspersed with the eerie wail of the probes song.
Jim struggled. He longed to breath, but he had to hold on, hold on a moment longer. He swam past the whales and felt an incredible warmth emanating from them. Jim wasn't sure whether it was physical or mental. He now new what it must have been like for his Vulcan friend who mind melded with the female, Gracie.
Then he saw what he had been seeking. It was, like a shining beacon glowing in front of him. He could see daylight through the other side. Jim pulled himself closer. He could see it clearer now.
With all his might he wrenched the metal bar free. Nothing happened.
In the murky distance he heard metal scraping on metal. The small craft began to vibrate and slowly the great bay doors heaved apart far above him. Jim swam. He swam the hardest he had ever swum in his life.
The whales broke free and swam to safety past the tiny form of the admiral. Kirk broke to the surface and gasped, coughing and spluttering at the same time. He felt Spock's strong arms yank him up and desperately holding on to him.
The ghostly calls of the probe continued. Nothing could be seen because of the sea mist surrounding them. Why aren't the whales responding? Was I too late? Jim thought. Then came the sound. It pierced the air with deafening force.
The pitch of the probe's voice changed. It responded to sounds beneath the water. The whales must have communicated. Something no human being could comprehend.
Above in space the probe moved its position.
Back on Earth George lifted his head and swam closer to the surface then blew. The probe spoke out for one last time then retracted its sensor eye. It turned, apparently satisfied with what had been said and left the Sol system.
The planet began to reform at a dramatic velocity. Clouds began to change and blue skies broke free. The chill began to thaw and with it the oceans calmed and the temperature rose back to normal. Space flight was again possible. The danger was over.
The whales leapt up and flipped their tails as they splashed back down into the water. All was well. Spirits were high. The Enterprise crew were overjoyed and Scotty made a dive into the water.
The others soon followed him, all but Spock who clung onto the sinking ship. Kirk made a wicked grin at him, but before the Vulcan could do anything Jim grabbed him and threw him down into the water.
In the distance a Federation shuttle spiralled towards the bedraggled crew of the late United Starship Enterprise and brought them back to land.
Spock and the others watched out of the window in the shuttle as their prized Klingon craft finally slipped as if unnoticed into the deep blue sea.
The council chamber was a large room. Rather clinically white with silver and a high metallic towering ceiling. The floor was polished black.
Each side of the room were positioned rows in which people of various planet representatives gathered. In front the president of the United Federation of Planets took his place behind a large lectern.
He was a slight man with a balding head and white bushy beard, probably in his late fifties. Admiral Kirk, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, and Uhura now dressed in regulation uniforms crossed the chamber and stood in single file before the president.
Spock also dressed in his new uniform stepped down from the adjacent seating row and took his place next to Admiral Kirk. The president gazed at him a little surprised and addressed him.
"Captain Spock, you do not stand accused."
"I stand with my shipmates," he said. Jim mentally thanked his friend's support even if it was just for morale.
"As you wish," replied the president. "The charges and specifications are seventeen violations of the prime directive." He began. "And are..." The president paused for a second and his gaze fell onto each of them.
"...conspiracy, assault on Federation officers; theft of a Starfleet vessel, sabotage of the Starship Excelsior - Federation property, wilful destruction of the aforementioned USS Enterprise - Federation property, and finally disobeying direct orders of Commander, Starfleet. How do you plead?"
Jim swallowed. "On behalf of all of us Mr President, I am authorised to plead guilty." The crowd suddenly gasped and Jim noticed Doctor Gillian Taylor near the balcony smiling across at him.
"So entered," said the president. He looked down at the papers set out in front of him. "Mitigating circumstances impel the tribunal to dismiss all charges but one." Again the spectators reacted.
"I direct the final charge, disobeying a direct order of a superior officer, solely at Admiral Kirk." The president gazed icily at Jim. "I'm sure that the Admiral will recognise the necessity of discipline in any chain of command?"
"I do sir," Jim said quietly.
"James Kirk you are guilty of the charge put against you. Further more it is the judgement of this court that you be reduced in rank to captain. Admiral James T. Kirk you are relieved of the duties and privileges of flag officer. The tribunal decrees that Captain Kirk return to the duties for which he has repeatedly demonstrated unswerving abilities: the command of a starship."
It had turned out that Kirk had got off better than he had ever thought possible. The crowd was ecstatic, cheering, whooping, and clapping at the same time. People rushed over laughing and shaking hands.
Kirk said goodbye to Gillian Taylor and then she left for training aboard a science vessel.
Everyone else left more or less together until the room was completely empty expect for two security guards positioned at the two turbo lifts and the rear of the large room, Spock, Sarek, and Captain Kirk. Jim leaned against the side rail waiting for his friend to say goodbye to his father, Ambassador Sarek.
Kirk heard the tail end of their conversation. "Do you have a message for your mother?" Said Sarek.
"Yes...tell her I feel fine," replied his son. Sarek raised a brow, bemused at his son's message. Spock had finally regained the human side of his personality. Amanda had been correct and he now completely understood what the final question on the computer had meant. He had passed his examinations with distinction.
Father and son raised their right hands in the traditional Vulcan salute before they finally departed.
"Live long and prosper, father," said Captain Spock.
"And live long and prosper my son," replied his father.
Spock turned towards Captain James T. Kirk and headed towards where he was standing. Jim joined him and they left together. In the opposite direction Sarek stepped into the awaiting turbo lift and was gone.
