Red 14

Kirk was someone she could easily see herself falling for. That's why he was so dangerous because truthfully she wanted to fall for someone. She was honestly tired of being alone. The station filled with the hum again and the car came to a stop in front of them. Kirk guided her into the car and showed her where to stow her bag.

She took the seat below where she had stuffed her luggage and kirk sat down next to her. He grabbed the safety harness and pulled it over her shoulders. Then did the same with his. The harness reminded her of one of those harnesses you see on a roller coaster. The door slid shut and suddenly she was pressed back in the seat as the car rocketed through the tube.

She felt as if something was sitting on her chest and just when she thought she was going to hurl the car slowed to a stop. Kirk unlatched his harness and released Sam's. He grabbed his bag and thrust Sam's bag into her numb fingers as he guided her out of the car.

He ushered her towards the exit and the next group of people loaded into their vacated car. Kirk guided her towards the outer doors of the station and right into the blinding sun. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust and she stared in shock. The station had been adjacent to what looked like the Luxor or at least she was pretty sure it had been at one time. Now it was a ruin of broken glass and exposed girders.

Kirk was frowning as they slowly made their way down the station stairs. Sam looked around all of the casinos were in a state of disrepair some even looked like something had shot them up. Cars still went down Las Vegas Boulevard but they all appeared to be driven by old people.

"what the hell?" said Sam

Kirk frowned and walked towards the public transport pulling up to the curb. It looked somewhat like a light rail except it floated a foot or two off the ground. Kirk climbed aboard and Sam dazedly followed. "the war most likely" said kirk

"What war?" said Sam

Kirk sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"The eugenics war, this area was hit especially hard for some reason most of the buildings on this end of the strip are abandoned until you hit the red light district" said kirk

He gave Sam a look and then turned away.

"You knew about this the whole time didn't you?" said Sam

Kirk nodded and Sam was starting to get pissed. She opened her mouth to tear him a new one and he held up his hand.

"Just hear me out okay" said kirk

She frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I heard you talking to your roommate about this place and that you had been intending to come here instead of staying in star fleet. I knew you must have been thinking about the way it used to be or at least I hoped you were." said kirk

He gave her a worried look.

"The casinos are all shut down now except for a few that cater to nostalgic off-worlders. The rest is red light district and retirees, peppered liberally with dealers of illegal substances. Now do you see why I didn't want to come here?" said Kirk

He left unsaid that he didn't want her to come here either. Sam's mouth dropped open in shock as they passed ruin after ruin. The street began to subtly change the casinos looked like they were used as hotels at least and signs cropped up in Vegas neon for services she had never heard of, followed quickly by ones she had heard of. They passed a burnt building and Sam caught a glimpse of the sign amongst the ruins. It was the club she had been heading to Vegas to work at.

"when did that burn?" said Sam

Kirk glanced over at the burnt building and shrugged.

"I have no idea" said kirk

"The war" said a cracking voice

Sam turned to find an old woman sitting next to her.

"the eugenics war?" said Sam

The woman nodded

"My great, great grandmother used to work there back in the day, she told my grandmother what had happened that day" said the woman

Sam frowned she wanted to hear more but she was uncomfortably reminded that she should look older than this woman did.

"Why, what happened?" said kirk

"It was just an ordinary day until he swept in, started killing people when they wouldn't answer his questions. My great grandmother fled out the back door and watched from an alley as he burned the place" said the woman

"What were the questions?" said Sam

The old woman looked lost in thought for a moment.

"She said he was looking for someone, a girl I think. She said something about the girl was supposed to start working there but never made it in" said the woman

Sam's insides went cold and she had the unmistakable urge to throw up. It must have shown on her face because Kirk looked worried.

"He who?" said Kirk

"The news said his name was Khan after he had already destroyed most of Vegas by then" said the woman

The train slowed to a stop and the old woman rose to get off.

"Wait your great grandmother what was her name?" said Sam

The woman turned and frowned at Sam

"Her name was Kayla why?" said the old woman

Sam's mouth dropped open in shock.

"No reason, thanks" said kirk

The woman nodded and got off the train before it pulled away. Sam was shaking so she grabbed the support bar.

"Sam are you all right?" said Kirk

He looked and sounded worried about her. Sam wanted to shout no, she wasn't all right at the top of her lungs, because Kayla had been the name of her friend that had gotten her the job at the club. The job she never made it to. A job that had been burnt to the ground by a man who bore the same name as the man in her dreams. There was no way he could have been real, could he?

"Sam, talk to me your scaring me" said kirk

When she didn't immediately answer he reached for his com intent on calling bones. As soon as there was an empty seat kirk guided her into it.

"Talk to me Samantha, what's wrong?" said kirk

"That woman, I….I knew her great grandmother... She... oh crap I'm going to hurl" said Sam

The train was slowing to a stop so Sam ran for the door. Kirk followed her out and stood awkwardly by while she emptied her stomach into the dirt next to some dead plants. Kirk reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want to leave?" said kirk

Sam nodded yes, this was definitely not the fun week she had envisioned.

"She's the one that got you that job didn't she?" said Kirk

Sam nodded yes and slowly stood up. She felt less nauseous now.

"That was what you were going to do for a living?" said Kirk

She was still bent double so she had to look up at him. He sounded upset.

"Yes, why?' said Sam kirk let out a string of curse words and paced briefly.

"Have you no self-respect?" said Kirk

Sam was starting to get angry now.

"I needed the money and yes for your information I do have some self-respect, it was a long time ago and I had no useful job skills, so lay off!" said Sam

Kirk ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Look I'm sorry, I've just been trying to figure this whole thing out. It just doesn't make any sense" said Kirk

He looked at her pointedly. No Sam admitted it didn't make any sense if you looked at the facts out of context. She wasn't sure she wanted to share the rest of the content with Kirk or anyone.

"Why would some super human dictator even bother with a place like Vegas? Who was he searching for so bad? Too bad she couldn't remember the name" said Kirk

"We never asked" said Sam

It was true they never did ask who he was looking for because Sam had been afraid of the answer.

"You thought it was you didn't you?" said Kirk

Sam nodded yes because more than likely that answer was accurate.

"Not that it matters now but how did you know a super human dictator slash criminal?" said Kirk

Sam shook her head no. She did not want to go there but Kirk was pulling her down that path, damn him.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" said Sam

Kirk grabbed her arms and looked her dead in the face.

"Try me" said Kirk

She eyed him warily.

"That depends do I have your word that you won't share this with anyone?" said Sam

Kirk seemed to be thinking about it for a moment. He had been about to reply when a woman walked up to Kirk.

"If you're looking for a better time honey look no further" said the woman

Sam gave her a once over and immediately thought hooker.

"Get lost lady I'm not interested" said Kirk

The woman gasped in shock then trounced away. Kirk looped his arm around Sam's waist and led her back to the tram stop this time on the side leaving the district. The station was deserted on this side so Kirk turned back to her.

"You have my word, nothing you say here will pass my lips again" said Kirk

He looked completely serious so Sam believed him.

"I used to have these dreams when I was a child, incredibly vivid dreams. So vivid that the sights and smells followed me out of the dreams sometimes" said Sam

Kirk frowned but nodded at her to continue.

"One day this boy started appearing in my dreams, he was in some sort of lab or medical facility. I made friends with him and we sort of grew up together, his name was Khan" said Sam

Kirks eyes widened in shock but he didn't interrupt.

"One day I showed up in the lab like I always did and something was different, they weren't where they normally were. So I looked for them" said Sam

"They?" said Kirk

"Yeah they there was about eighty of them but I only really talked to Khan, we got close and sort of bonded. Well anyways, they weren't where they were supposed to be so I went looking. I found them in a gas chamber slowly being poisoned to death while the scientists that raised them had a party"' said Sam

She could hear the anger creeping into her tone but she didn't care.

"What did you do?" said Kirk

It didn't sound accusing just curious so that calmed her down.

"I let them out of the chamber and they started killing people so I fled. Except some of the smoke followed me and my father thought I was doing drugs so he kicked me out" said Sam

Kirk was staring at her in shock.

"You let him out?' said Kirk

"Yes he was my friend even if I only thought he was in my dreams he didn't deserve to die that way" said Sam

Kirk rocked back on his heels and rubbed his hand down his face.

"He was real obviously" said Kirk

He nodded in the burnt clubs direction. Sam looked away.

"I thought he was a dream" said Sam

Kirk nodded in understanding

"It scarce matters now anyways, he's long since dead" said Sam

Kirk nodded yes but didn't look all that certain to her eyes. It was obvious to her that Kirk was looking at her own miraculous survival and wondering if Khan had been similarly frozen.

"We should leave" said Kirk

Sam nodded yes that was a primo suggestion there was no way she was staying here now, not after what he had done. Her eyes fell on the ruined Vegas skyline. He must have been seriously angry to do this level of damage, was it because he couldn't find her? The tram pulled up and they climbed on board. They were heading back to the maglev station. Suddenly Vegas didn't seem all that fun anymore.