As a special bonus…. I'm going to… (more in next chap)

And still don't own star trek

Episode 1-28 The City on the Edge of Forever

Saya didn't quite understand all the science behind what was happening. She did however understand that they were trying to hold orbit and rocking badly. The helm was sluggish and the control circuits were threatening to overload.

Spock was plotting the areas of turbulence and wanted to keep observing. "This is of great scientific importance, Captain. We're actually passing through ripples in time." Spock said. Saya smiled at his constant scientific curiosity. Sulu's console exploded and he laid unconscious on the floor. Kirk immediately called sickbay to come help him.

"Maintain orbit. Open the channel to Starfleet Command. Precautionary measure, Lieutenant. Broadcast to Starfleet Command my past week's log entries, starting with the unusual readings we had on the instruments and how they led us here. Inform Starfleet Command that apparently something or someone down on this planet" Kirk ordered. McCoy made it to the bridge and Kirk directed him to Sulu then finished his orders. "Can effect changes in time, causing turbulent waves of space displacement."

"Some heart flutter. Better risk a few drops of cordrazine." McCoy said and Kirk asked if he wanted to risk but was cut off when McCoy administered it and Sulu opened his eyes. "You were about to make a medical comment, Jim?" Kirk asked 'who me, doctor?' Before asking Spock how the plotting was going.

"All plotted but one, Captain. Coming up on it now. Seems to be fairly heavy displacement." Spock answered. McCoy was putting the hypo away but just as he was about to they hit the turbulence and he injected himself with whatever it was that was in it. Kirk called to him as he hit the floor and ordered everyone else back to their stations as he and Spock moved to help. Spock pulled the hypo out of McCoy's figures and notified Kirk that it was empty.

McCoy's head suddenly shot up and he screamed "Killers! Assassins! I won't let you! I'll kill you first! I won't let you! You won't get me! Murderers! Killers!" Before dashing for the turbolift. Saya tried to position herself between McCoy and the lift doors but he ducked past her before throwing the guy on the lift at Kirk and Spock. Kirk ordered a security alert and Saya wondered why McCoy was not rough with her.

Kirk went to check with medical staff for help and when he returned he told Spock "Continue alert, decks four through eleven. The medical department knows as little as we do. In dosages approaching this, there's some record of wild paranoia."

Spock replied "Confirmed by the library record tapes, Captain. Subjects failed to recognise acquaintances, became hysterically convinced that they were in mortal danger, and were seeking escape at any cost. Extremely dangerous to himself or to anyone else who might." He was cut off by a security alert saying that the transport chief was injured and McCoy had beamed himself down to the planet.

Spock informed Kirk that McCoy had transported to the centre of the time disturbance. Kirk ordered him to arrange a landing party and Spock started rounding up personal. As they walked Saya said "I should go with you guys." At Spock's customary raised eyebrow she explained. "I got between him and the lift yet he only worked to get around me. The man on the lift he forcefully threw at you guys. For whatever reason he was not rough on me. It may help."

Once Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Saya and a security guard were on the transporter they beamed down. Kirk commented that the ruins extended to the horizon and ordered them to begin recording. Uhura and Spock started recording data. Spock informed them that the ruins were around 10,000 centuries old.

Kirk ordered them to fan out and the groups split up to search for McCoy. Suddenly they saw McCoy running back to where Kirk and Spock had stayed examining the strange donut looking rock. They tried to stop him but weren't quick enough. Saya noted the images appearing inside the circle of it as McCoy ran to it shouting "Killers! Killers! I won't let you get me! I'll kill you first! I won't let you get me! Assassins! Murderers! Killers!"

Scotty and the security man managed to grab him and Spock moved up and neck pinched him making him go limp. "Spock! If that is a doorway back through time, could we somehow take Bones back a day in time, then" Kirk started to ask.

"Relive the accident. This time be certain that the hypo accident is avoided. Look at the speed with which the centuries are passing, Captain. To step through on precisely the day we wish" Spock finished and answered. Kirk called out to the guardian and asked if he could alter the speed that time passed. It answered that it could not.

Kirk commented on it being compelling to step through the gate and Spock irritably started to comment "I am a fool. My tricorder is capable of recording even at this speed. I've missed taping centuries of living history which no man before has ever" He was interrupted by McCoy dashing past and into the portal.

As soon as he went into the portal the images stopped. Kirk asked where he was and the guardian answered that he passed into what was. Uhura lost contact with the ship and the guardian told them "Your vessel, your beginning, all that you knew is gone."

It meant McCoy had changed history and they were stranded with no past and no future. Uhura was frightened but Saya was strangely cold. She distantly thought that she was strange when faced with emergency situations but it was irrelevant at that time so she instead concentrated on trying to help in any way she could.

Kirk and Spock determined they would have to go back into time to fix what McCoy had changed. "I should go with you. I have a better understanding of the past than you do and will be helpful in my own way with it." Saya said. She saw the guards strange look at her comment but Spock and Kirk were the ones she was focused on.

"It will be dangerous." Kirk started to tell her and she shrugged with a crooked smile "meh, nothing new at this point. Besides this is one place i truly can help." They agreed and Spock started to look through his recording and discovered that he could approximate when to jump to get them within a month or week if they were lucky from McCoy's entry.

"Make sure we arrive before McCoy got there. It's vital we stop him before he does whatever it was that changed all history. Guardian, if we are successful" Kirk said.

"Then you will be returned. It will be as though none of you had gone." The guardian told them.

Kirk turned to the rest of them and said "Scotty, when you think you've waited long enough. Each of you will have to try it. Even if you fail, at least you'll be alive in some past world somewhere." Saya smiled at the kindness and waited for her cue. Spock said now and the 3 of them jumped through at the same time.

They found themselves in a point of time older than Saya. "This is my grandfather's time. Start of quite a bit. If I'm not mistaken there is a war in progress that America is trying to choose whether to join or not." 2 women passed and give Spock and her a weird look before he covered his ear and she hid behind Kirk. "We need proper clothes for this time. And a beanie would work to cover your ears . I will need to get one as well to cover my hair." Saya added as she looked around.

"This is during what was called the Depression. Circa 1930. Quiet barbaric." Spock commented as they followed Saya as she found an alleyway with clothes lines. "Theft, Captain?" Spock asked as they all looked at the hanging clothes.

"Well, we'll steal from the rich and give back to the poor later." Kirk said as he and Saya quickly scale the escape ladder and start picking clothes for themselves. "I think I'm going to like this century. Simple, easier to manage. We're not going to have any difficulty explaining" Kirk started as they walked away from the alley. Saya was about to point out the lack of reality in that statement when a policeman did it for her.

Saya was caught by the awkward moment for just a second. Enough time for Kirk to try to explain that Spock was chinese. "He got caught in machinery as a child which caused the deformed ears." Saya quickly spoke up.

The policeman didn't seem to be buying it and said "All right, all right. Drop those bundles and put your hands on that wall there! Come on!"

They did as said and the officer started frisking Kirk first who said "Oh, how careless of your wife to let you go out that way."

Saya was slightly confused until Spock pitched in "Oh, yes, it's quite untidy. Here, let me help you." He then moved to neck pinch the officer who collapsed. Saya helped Kirk grab the clothes and they ran. They soon heard the police whistle and managed to duck down an alley and into the basement of a building.

They put the clothing down and sorted them for each as Kirk said "You were actually enjoying my predicament back there. At times, you seem quite human."

Saya smiled and went behind a piece of large furniture to change into her outfit. She heard Spock reply "Captain, I hardly believe that insults are within your prerogative as my commanding officer." Kirk said sorry and Saya came out in a simple dress and looked the men over. She didn't say that they looked good even though they did. Instead she worked to tuck her hair up in her beanie and made sure to hide all the color.

Spock and Kirk discussed time and the fact they were about a week before McCoy but they hopefully where in the same area to be able to do something. "Unless that is true, Captain, we have no hope. Frustrating. Locked in here is the place and moment of his arrival, even the images of what he did. If only I could tie this tricorder in with the ship's computers for just a few moments." Saya just watched as they tucked their shirts in and discussed the problem.

Kirk asked if Spock could build some kind of computer and Saya snorted as Spock pointed out the un technical time they were in. "Yes, well, it would pose an extremely complex problem in logic, . Excuse me. I sometimes expect too much of you." Kirk jabbed and Saya had to fight laughter. It got much easier as the light came on and a woman's voice called down the stairs. Saya handed Spock the beanie and he quickly covered his ears.

A beautiful woman came down the stairs and Kirk tried to explain their presence by the cold and she replied "A lie is a poor way to say hello. It isn't that cold." Kirk then went with the full truth telling her they were chased by police and had stolen the clothes because they had no money. "Well, I could do with some help around here. Doing dishes, sweeping, general cleaning."

"At what rate of payment?" Spock asked and Kirk gave him a weird look. "I need radio tubes and so forth. My hobby." Spock explained. The woman said it would be $0.15 per hour for 10 hours a day and asked their names.

Kirk answered for them. "Mine is Jim Kirk. His is Spock." Saya came into the light and he added "And she is Saya." The lady looked them over surprised slightly by Saya being with them but then introduced herself as Edith Keeler and told them to start cleaning in the basement. Kirk asked where they were and was told 21st Street Mission that Edith ran.

They quickly got to work and even managed to rearrange the furniture to be neater. Saya did her best to work hard with the others and smiled when they moved the furniture keeping her from it. She honestly enjoyed the gentlemanliness. It wasn't in a fashion that indicated they thought she couldn't, it was more that they were more capable and so did. Soon they finished and went upstairs to eat.

they got their bowls and bread and sat together to eat. The man next to Kirk said they would be sorry because they would have to listen to goody 2 shoes. Edith got on the little platform holding a piano and said "Now, as I'm sure somebody out there has said, it's time to pay for the soup." The man commented that she wasn't a bad looking broad but if she really wanted to help a fella in need. Kirk told him to shut up before he could finish the derogatory comment. Saya was glad for it and they listened to what was said.

"Now, let's start by getting one thing straight. I'm not a do-gooder. If you're a bum, if you can't break off of the booze or whatever it is that makes you a bad risk, then get out. Now I don't pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love when every day is just a struggle to survive, but I do insist that you do survive because the days and the years ahead are worth living for. One day soon man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, maybe even the atom. Energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in some sort of spaceship. And the men that reach out into space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give each man hope and a common future, and those are the days worth living for. Our deserts will bloom." Edith continued like that and Saya grinned as Kirk showed signs of interest.

After the meal they helped clean up and Edith stopped Kirk. "Mr. Kirk. You are uncommon workmen. That basement looks like it's been scrubbed and polished." Kirk asked if they could report back for more work in the morning. "Yes. Seven o'clock in the morning. Do you have a flop for the night?" Edith asked. Kirk asked what a flop was and Saya whispered 'place to sleep.' As Edith answered "You really are new at this, aren't you? A flop is a place to sleep."

Edith told them "There's a vacant room at the place where I live for two dollars a week. If you want to I'll take you there." Kirk agreed and Edith got her coat. They started to walk and Saya found it amusing that Kirk and Edith paired up leaving Spock and her to pair up. Edith asked about Saya and Kirk explained that She was his little sister. Once they arranged the room Kirk and Spock took one room to share and Saya the other.

Kirk and Saya returned from getting food for the week to see Spock working on his contraption. The first thing he said was "Captain, I must have some platinum. A small block would be sufficient, five or six pounds. By passing certain circuits through there to be used as a duo dynetic field core."

" , I've brought you some assorted vegetables, baloney in hard rolls for Saya and myself, and I've spent the other nine tenths of our combined salaries for the last three days on filling this order for you. , this bag doesn't contain platinum, silver or gold, nor is it likely to in the near future." Kirk answered slightly irritated.

Spock said that he was asked to work with equipment which hardly very far ahead of stone knives and bearskins but Kirk cut him off. "McCoy will be along in a few days, perhaps sooner. There's no guarantee that these currents in time will bring us together. This has to work."

They started to disagree as Saya started putting things away. A knock was heard at the door and Kirk reminded Spock of his hat. Edith came to tell them "If you can leave immediately, I can get you five hours work at twenty two cents an hour." She spotted Spock's creation and asked "What? What on Earth is that?"

Spock answered "I am endeavouring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins." Saya found it hard not to laugh at his strange but honest reply and Edith's strange look. They quickly grabbed their coats and headed for the promised work. They watched 2 men work on repairing thing and Spock noted the fine detail tools. After some time they went to the basement to borrow the tools. Saya explained how to listen to pick the lock and Spock managed to get it open.

As they stoaked the boiler and Edith came to find them "That toolbox was locked with a combination lock and you opened it like a real pro. Why did you do it?" Spock explained that they needed the tools for his radio work and they would be returned in the morning.

Edith was about to reject them and Saya spoke up. " always keeps his word. It won't harm you to let him borrow them when no one is using them."

Edith contemplated them for a moment before answering "On one condition. Kirk, walk me home? I still have a few questions I'd like to ask about you three. Oh, and don't give me that 'questions about little old us?' look. You know as well as I do how out of place you three are around here."

Spock asked where she would estimate they belonged and she answered. "You? At his side, as if you've always been there and always will." She said to Spock, turning to Kirk she answered "You belong in another place. I don't know where or how. I'll figure it out eventually." She turned to Saya and looked her over a moment before answering "And you? You belong many places but none until you found him." She said indicating Spock.

Spock said he would finish with the furnace and Edith added "Captain. Even when he doesn't say it, he does." Saya smiled as they left.

"I like her. Sad really as we won't be able to help her see the stars. She even can read you . That's an unusual talent." Saya said as she helped with the furnace. Spock worked and watched Saya as he thought. "You know she might have some amazing intuition or insight." Saya added.

Once they finished they walked quietly back to their place. Saya smiled as she looked at the sky and quietly told Spock "You know, when I was little I always loved the night sky. It was peaceful and vast and made me feel like whatever my problem was, it wasn't so bad." With a chuckle she added "I used to get in trouble for taking my blanket out and sleeping on the roof on good nights. Mum always thought I would fall and kill myself in my sleep."

Spock raised an eyebrow and commented that it was quite a dangerous thing to do. "Well, the roof tiles were very rough and so I could sleep on my blanket and any touch of the roof tiles would wake me. I never did fall because I had calculated that." Saya answered with a shrug. Spock observed her a moment more before they walked into their place. Spock started working on the tricorder and by the time he got somewhere Kirk finally returned.

Spock told Kirk that he found the focal point but Kirk might find it distressing. Kirk read "February 23rd, 1936. Six years from now. The President and Edith Keeler conferred for some time today." before they could read more the whole thing went up in flames. Kirk asked how bad it was and Spock answered that it was bad enough. Kirk commented happily "The President and Edith Keeler."

"It would seem unlikely, Jim. A few moments ago, I read a 1930 newspaper article." Spock told him and Kirk held onto the famous and important bit. Spock countered "Or Captain, Edith Keeler will die this year. I saw her obituary. Some sort of traffic accident." Kirk said they couldn't both be true and Spock again answered "Captain, Edith Keeler is the focal point in time we've been looking for, the point that both we and Doctor McCoy have been drawn to."

They determined Edith was the focal point and McCoy the random element. Either they had to stop McCoy from killing her or stop him from saving her. "Captain, suppose we discover that in order to set things straight again, Edith Keeler must die?" Spock asked. He and Saya could easily see the distress in Kirk. Kirk again left presumably to spend time with Edith and Saya helped Spock fix his contraption.

The next few days were spent in hard work trying to get it back to working so they could retrieve the information from the tricorder. Kirk mentioned that McCoy could have been in the city for a week by then and Spock told him that the last bit of information they obtained was at the expense of 30 hours of work in fused and burned circuits. Kirk despairingly said "I must know whether she lives or dies, Spock. I must know what to do."

A few days later Spock finally found the answer. "This is how history went after McCoy changed it. Here, in the late 1930s. A growing pacifist movement whose influence delayed the United States' entry into the Second World War. While peace negotiations dragged on, Germany had time to complete its heavy-water experiments." Saya mentioned that it would let Hitler win world war 2 and Spock nodded.

"Because all this lets them develop the A-bomb first. There's no mistake, Captain. Let me run it again. Edith Keeler. Founder of the peace movement." Spock told Kirk. Saya could see that Spock felt for Kirk and what he would have to go through. Kirk said that she was right and peace was the way and Spock replied "She was right, but at the wrong time. With the A-bomb, and with their V2 rockets to carry them, Germany captured the world. And all this because McCoy came back and somehow kept her from dying in a street accident as she was meant to. We must stop him, Jim."

Kirk asked how and when she dies but Spock couldn't give an exact. Kirk said what everyone was aware of, that he was in love with Edith. "Kirk, no matter how this turns out, we, you can not stay in this time with her. She must die so we can prevent unnamed horrors, genocide and get our future back." Saya said.

A few days later Kirk and Edith went their way and Spock walked with Saya back to their place. Kirk called to them and they stopped. Turning back they met Kirk who gleefully shouted that McCoy was in the mission and right after McCoy came out. Saya watched the enthusiastic greeting with a smile.

They all turned to see Edith crossing the street and the oncoming truck. Spock called out "No, Jim!" And McCoy dashed forward to try and protect her. Kirk stopped him and held on as the truck hit Edith. Saya turned away at the last minute and stayed behind Spock.

McCoy angrily said to Kirk "You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did?" Kirk stumbled to the wall of the building and Saya moved to rub his back in the only form of comfort she could think of as Spock said that Kirk knew.

Suddenly they were leaping back out of the portal in their normal clothes and Scotty asked what happened, letting them know they had just left. The Guardian spoke "Time has resumed its shape. All is as it was before. Many such journeys are possible. Let me be your gateway." Saya saw the haunted look in they eyes of McCoy and Kirk. She wondered how long until it would pass and hoped the answer would be soon.

Uhura notified them that they could beam up and Kirk said "Let's get the hell out of here." As soon as they returned to the ship they resumed stations. Thankfully there was little left in their shift and as soon as it ended Saya excused herself and darted down to sickbay. She entered unaware Spock had followed her and quietly whispered to McCoy "Kirk really liked her… probably more than you. Maybe you should share a drink together and honor her memory to help heal."

Bones nodded and grabbed a bottle leaving sickbay presumably to talk to Kirk. "That was logical." Spock said quietly behind her.

Saya jumped and smiled "I liked Edith, even without that, letting someone die when you can prevent it is hard. The only way to make it through is to remember the reasoning but McCoy and Kirk bonded with her. I can't imagine the pain they are in."

"I would be inclined to disagree with you ." Spock replied and when she quirked an eyebrow he said "You are more than capable of imagining the pain." Saya smiled and they walked to dinner. Spock watched Saya thinking of what Edith had said about her belonging many places but none until Saya had found Spock.

*END*