Chapter 7

And that was the start of the beginning of the end.

Kevin's pumpkin was just the beginning.

Jim wrapped his arms around the little boy. He gave him a tissue to blow his nose with. Kevin's eyes were still red. There were still long trails of tears that ran down the side of his face.

"Can I see?" Jim asked.

Kevin nodded his head miserably. For once, Kevin wasn't bouncing along as they made the long trek to the fields outside the settlement. Kevin dragged his feet along. He kicked up a storm of dust in his wake.

The sight of the fields surprised Jim. Since his apprenticeship with Kodos, he hadn't been working in the fields. What had once been a field of green, strong plants was now a sea of yellow and brown with sparse traces of green. Everything looked to be in varying degrees of wilting or dying, and Jim was positive it wasn't due to a lack of rain.

He remembered that one year, years ago when a plague hit the Kirk farm in Iowa. His mother was off world then. It was just him, Sam and their ranch hands. They thought they would lose the whole harvest. It had taken a miracle concoction to save the harvest. That was also the first time Sam showed interest in microbiology. Sam had shadowed the whole process. He spent hours in the makeshift laboratory located in the back of the barn. He hadn't seen Sam for days. He had also never seen Sam so proud before than when the harvest became healthy again. Jim suddenly wished Sam was with him. He hadn't thought about his brother in a long time.

Kevin led him to his prized pumpkin. Jim drew a breath. Since he had been on Tarsus, he was positive he had never seen the pumpkin this small before. It wasn't even half the size it had been at the beginning of summer. Its normally green leaves were curled in on itself. Its once lush orange tone now looked like week old burnt wax.

Jim set his hand on Kevin's shoulder. Kevin curled his fingers around Jim's shirt. They stood there for a long time looking at the sick pumpkin.

It was a long time later that Kevin tugged on his shirt. "Jane?"

"Hmm," Jim whispered. He looked down at the little boy. Kevin stared up at him with his large, chocolate brown eyes.

"Do you think Governor Kodos could help?"

Kodos… Kodos with his library of books filled with knowledge of the ages… Kodos who was breeding him to talk over someday… Kodos who saw him as something worth wide. Kodos who knew some of the smartest scientists in the Federation. Jim smiled. "Of course." Jim nodded. Kodos had to care about the settlement.

However the next day when he arrived at Kodos' office for his lesson, his aide, it was a different aide than the one he had met at the party, told him Kodos was away and would be away for at least a week or two. The aide handed Jim a PADD and showed him out the door.

It wasn't until a week later that the effects became apparent. It started off as small changes. They were barely noticeable. There were fewer choices during the daily ration allocation. Instead of different vegetables for lunch and dinner, it became the same vegetable.

However it wasn't until Kevin muttered, "Why we have to eat lettuce again," that Jim realized. He had used to very little variety growing up. There were only so many dishes that the food synthesizer on the ranch could make and even less that were actually functioning. He was used to eating the same meals for days on end. He had been surprised the first time Joan set dishes with varying taste and a wide variety of spices in front of him.

"Eat your greens, Son," Thomas muttered.

Jim had to stifle back a smile when Kevin stuck out his tongue in disgust. "I hate lettuce," he muttered under his breath.

It was two weeks later. He had already dozed off when he felt a warm body entangle himself around his waist. Jim immediately snapped opened his eyes, and his breath quickened. He wasn't used to physical contact. His heart stopped pounding as fast when he realized it was Kevin. The little boy had curled himself against Jim.

"Kevin?" He said. His words slurred from being pulled from sleep.

"Jane, I'm hungry," Kevin whispered.

Jim could feel and hear his own stomach grumble. "You'll be less hungry when you're asleep," Jim muttered back.

Kevin shook his head. "No, I just start dreaming about blueberry pie." Kevin whispered back. "Mommy makes the best blueberry pie," Kevin added as if it was an after though.

"Hmm," Jim whispered. He was already starting to slip back to sleep. He felt Kevin grab his pajama top and gently shake it. Jim reached up and lightly rested his hand on Kevin's. "Hmm," he muttered again.

"I hungry, tell me a story," Kevin whined again.

"Ok," Jim muttered, he was still towering between sleep and wakefulness. "Have you heard the story about stone soup?"

"Stone soup?" Kevin blew a raspberry. "That sounds gross."

Jim laughed. "No, it's really the best soup ever."

"Better than Mommy's?"

Jim laughed. "Hmm, that's hard. Probably…"

Kevin pulled on his sleeve. "Tell the story, Jane. Please."

Jim laughed. "Okay, once upon a time…"

Kevin sat up and crossed his arms.

"What?" Jim asked.

"This isn't a girly story, right?"

"Huh?"

"Only girly stories start with 'once upon a time'."

Jim laughed and gently punched him in the shoulder. "No, Kevin, it's not a 'girly' story." He felt himself air quoting as he said the words 'girly'. He rolled his eyes. "Now, do you want to hear or not? If not, I'm going back to sleep." Jim feigned pulling his blanket up. Kevin immediately grabbed his arm.

"Please tell me the story."

Jim pretended to sigh in defeat. "Okay. Like I was saying before I was soo rudely interrupted." He rolled his eyes at Kevin. He looked back at Jim guiltily. Jim patted the space next to him. It was a small cot, but both he and Kevin were small and skinny. They both easily fit. Kevin immediately climbed under the sheets and lay down. "Once upon a time there was a wandering traveler…"

"… The traveler smiled as he filled his bowl with another helping of stone soup. He knew every one in the village was thinking the same thing. It was the best soup they had ever tasted," Jim whispered. He looked over at Kevin. He could tell from his shallow breathing that he had long fallen asleep. There was a smile on his face as he clenched the hem of Jim's t-shirt.

He hoped Kevin was having happy dreams. Tomorrow… tomorrow Kodos was returning. He was going to tell Kodos that the villagers were hungry and to redistribute the rations.

The next morning, Jim received a message on his PADD from Kodos telling him to keep up his reading and music. He had finished the reading weeks ago and as for music… well Jim… his piano skills weren't anything to be proud of.

Kodos had been back for a month.

In that time, it seemed the portions were getting smaller, and the options were became a thing of the past. Soon breakfast, lunch and dinner all consisted to rice, lettuce and a small serving of meat. The meat was never recognizable.

"It's dog," Jack stated. It had been a long time since Jim saw his friends. They had all been working long hours in the fields. The fields were getting sicker and sicker by the day. However they still tried.

He heard Kevin draw a long breath. Kevin had been following Jim around lately. His mother was working longer and longer hours at the laboratory. She and two other biologist sent by Starfleet were still attempting to find the all allusive cure. While his father was in daily meetings, meetings which Jim was banned from attending.

"That's stupid," Eli retorted. "There is no way we are eating dog."

"Well it sure ain't cow or pork." Jack poked at his sandwich.

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Well, if you don't want it give it here." He stuck out his hand expectedly.

"I never said I didn't want it," Jack said hurriedly. "I was just commenting."

"Well, we don't want to hear your stupidity," Jennifer bristled.

"Yeah, it could be…people!" Thomas yelled.

Kevin screamed and buried himself into Jim's chest. Jim glared at Thomas.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Kevin tugged at his t-shirt. Jim looked down. "It's not really people, is it?" Kevin whispered back. Kevin wasn't good at whispering, so he was sure his friends heard. He saw how both Thomas and Jack's lips twitch. At least they were decent enough not to laugh.

"No, of course," Jim stated. There was no way Kodos was going to feed them people but most importantly it wasn't like people were missing or dying in the settlement yet.

"Well, whatever it is. It tastes funny," Jack added. He fiddled with his sandwich.

"Everything tastes funny to you." Eli rolled his eyes.

"When you going to see Gov. Kodos again Jane?" Jennifer stated.

"Hopefully tomorrow. He's been really busy. They are probably trying to find a way to fix it."

"Mommy says it's a virus," Kevin added helpfully. "She says she's never seen such a vir… vir…."

"Virulent?" Aiko supplied. She was always good at vocabulary. There were words that she knew that Jim had never even seen before.

"Yeah that," Kevin nodded. "Virulent strand."

Eli punched Jack in the arm. "See, I told you the government will help us."

Jack just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. My uncle says we should abandon the settlement and contact the Federation for help."

"Gov. Kodos is Federation," Eli retorted.

"More useful Federation," Jack replied. "It ain't right. They should have sent Starfleet by now."

"Gov. Kodos will fix it. We got to show the Federation we can be independent and self sufficient."

Thomas laughed. "Where'd you hear such nonsense from?"

"Sensible people," Jack stated.

Maybe that day Jack was right. Maybe they should have all started wondering why Starfleet hadn't been called in for evacuation or at least sent relief forces. However, human nature rarely works in such a way. Even after hundreds of years of evolution and social change, there were some things that were even harder to change than racial and social prejudices.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kevin turned eight at the beginning of October. It had been two months since the day Jim found Kevin crying about his sick pumpkin. It had been two months since he last saw Governor Kodos. Jack was insistent that something was wrong, that the federation should have came by now.

When the food rations plummeted further by the end of September even Eli's firm belief that Kodos was going to save them was slipping.

Jim wasn't sure he had ever been so hungry. Every night he went to the bed with a half empty stomach. Initially he thought that Joan and Tom would stop feeding him as well to save for Kevin. Frank would have, but for himself, but they never did. They gave him fair portions.

However Kevin was a growing boy who always got seconds and third helpings. Jim was used to going to bed hungry growing up with frank. There were many days when Frank would refuse to let him get food out of the food synthesizer.

Thus, Jim frequently found himself breaking his bread in half and slipping half onto Kevin's plate. The first time he did it. Kevin looked at him with wide eyes. Jim just winked and mouthed 'secret'.

Kevin shook his head and refused to eat it. Jim was certain Joan or Tom would scold him. However they both seemed tired. Their minds were deep in thought. In the end, Jim took it back. However he didn't eat it. He slipped it into his pants pocket and that night when Kevin slipped into his bed; Jim gave it to him. This time he ate it willingly.

It had become an almost nightly ritual after that night Jim told him the story of stone soup. Sometimes Jim would tell him a story while other times he was sing ancient lullabies. They were the only ones he knew. Their android nursemaid had been programmed with only ancient music. Jim guessed that attributed to his love for century music and stories.

The only positive factor Jim found from never eating enough was he had stopped his monthly bleeding. It was a horrible silver lining but a silver lining never the less. It was the first time since his thirteenth birthday when he didn't have to feel a uterus he wasn't even supposed to have contract. It wasn't like he was ever going to use it. He had already decided he was never going to have children. His genes were defected. He never wanted to subjugate anyone to them.

The morning of Kevin's eighth birthday, Jim found Joan in the kitchen. He smelt something heavenly, and he almost thought that the last two months had been a horrible nightmare or that Kodos or even the rest of the Federation had brought deliverance.

When he walked into his kitchen, he almost backed away. He hoped she didn't see him. He doubted he would ever forget the image before him as long as he lived. The only thought which ran through his mind was... 'Fuck Jack was right. Jack had been right.'

He found himself heaving out bile, stomach acid, and salvia into the sand behind the house. Kodos... He had to see Kodos. There was no way Kodos knew. He couldn't know, or he would have done something... anything.

"Jane?"

Jim looked up. It was Kevin. He was still dressed in his pajamas. He was calling from the bedroom window. That meant he hadn't left the room. He hadn't seen his mother in the kitchen... Cooking... Jim felt his stomach churn again.

"Jane?" Kevin asked again. He was worried. He looked worried.

Jim wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist. He forced a smile on his face. "'Morning birthday boy."

A smile appeared on Kevin's face. "Mommy promised a big cake and a party."

Jim tried to smile. Sometimes... Sometimes ignorance really was bliss. "That's nice."

Despite the lack of food and the cake that Jim couldn't bring himself to eat, this was the best birthday party he had ever been to. His birthdays had always been a sad day for his mother. When he was younger, she used lock herself in her bedroom. Once he had opened the door and saw her sobbing into a PADD containing the picture of his father. He heard her whispering, "I'm sorry George. I'm so sorry." He never could figure out what she was sorry for. Sam's birthdays were better and actually celebrated. However his mother never baked even Sam a birthday cake in his living memory, maybe she had when Sam was younger.

In place of lavish food, they played many old games: charades, pin the tail on the donkey, and even break the piñata which wasn't filled with candy.

After the guests left and it was just Jim, Kevin, Joan and Tom, they sat on the porch each nursing glasses of water. Water was the only commodity that there was still plenty of it. It was ironic. On a desert planet, the only abundance left was water. Tom handed Kevin his birthday present. Kevin took it excitedly. It was wrapped in brown parchment paper. It was a small package unlike some of the other gifts Kevin had received. The biggest was the newest model of the hover bike. Kevin had already extracted promises from both Tom and Jim to teach him to ride without training wheels. He was a big boy now. He was eight-years-old.

He tore the wrapping paper with gusto. It was a small box. It looked like a jewelry box. When Kevin flipped open the box, it revealed an old pocket watch. Jim had only read about them in books and old holo videos he used to watch. Even Kodos with his love of antiques didn't have one in his vast collection.

Kevin looked at it quizzically. He shook it. Jim cringed when he heard its inner workings rattle around. Luckily Tom reached over and placed his hand over his son's.

"Careful Sport. You'll break it."

"It already sounds broken."

Tom laughed. Jim could see laugh lines appear around his eye lids. "It's a pocket watch. It helps you tell time."

Tom reached around Kevin's waist and flipped open the lid. Jim immediately recognized that the face of the watch was made from mother of pearl. The numbers were engraved in gold lettering. The hands were made from sheets of gold. Even though in present day, gold was no longer a rare commodity. Hell the Ferengi even enclosed their prized latinum in it. Jim knew in the year it was made that gold was expensive and precious though.

There was an old, nearly faded picture of a young woman on the side of the watch. She was pretty especially by past standards. Her fiery red hair was knotted onto a bun. She had large chocolate brown eyes.

"Who's that?" Kevin asked.

"She's your great, great, great, great grandmother. Your grandfather carried his watch with him during the Great War. He believed as long as this watch ticked, he would come home to her."

Kevin made a face. "That sounds like one of Jane's stories."

Both Tom and Joan laughed. It really did.

That was the last good night they had together. The next morning Jim and Kevin woke up to discover the doctor in Joan and Tom's bedroom.

Jim saw her figure thru the doorway of the master bedroom. She looked so pale and frail lying in a sea of blankets and pillows. Her night gown hung loose on her body. He saw a bowl by the foot of the bed. It contained bloody sheets and bloody clothes. Jim knew what it meant. He had seen it many times in the first two years of his mother's marriage to Frank.

The doctor must have seen the recogniation in his eyes. It was rare to nonexistent in this era of modern medical advancements. In some ways, it made become more of an embarrassment when it did occur than ever before.

Jim drew Kevin close to his chest before pulling the door shut. Jim and Kevin sat on the doorstep. Jim drew circles in the sand with a stick. Kevin sat next to him. It looked so miserable.

"Jane," his voice sounded so strained. Jim could see the tear stains on his cheeks. At that moment Jim wondered if he would be as sad if it was his mother.

"Hmm."

"What happened to your parents?"

It wasn't the question Jim was expecting. Nobody had asked about his parents since he arrived, and he never offered to tell them.

"My mom is out sailing thru in the stars. She's an officer on starship."

"My uncle is in Starfleet too. Daddy says it makes my aunt sad."

"Yes, Starfleet does break many families."

Kevin placed his hand on his knee. "What about your daddy?"

Jim sighed. Nobody asked his dad. The whole Federation knew his story. Jim was tempted to say so, but Kevin didn't know who he really was. Here, here he wasn't Jim Kirk, son of a Federation hero. "My dad died a long time ago," Jim answered simply.

"Will my mommy die?"

"No," Jim stated. "Not today. If that doctor can't help her, then..."

At that moment the door opened. Both Jim and Kevin bolted upwards. The doctor stepped out. He didn't make eye contact with either of them.

Tom was leaning against the door. His arms were behind his back. Kevin ran to him. Tom wrapped his arms around his son. "Mommy?"

"She'll be fine, Kevin. The doctor said she'll be fine."

Jim heard him draw a breath. Jim didn't follow when Tom drew his son back into the house. Despite the Riley's welcoming him into their home, in some ways they treated him more like their own than his mother ever had. However, he was still an outsider. He would always be an outsider. However, this… this he could do to return the kindness.

He ran to Kodos' mansion. He had to know. He had to call for help. Jack was right. Whatever the government was doing, it wasn't helping. It was too big for them. They were starving. They were starving in a world where food synthesizers existed... where starvation had long been solved.

He crashed through Kodos' house. He pushed through the door man who chased him through the hallways. He had always been fast. Living with Frank taught him how to be fast.

Kodos was sitting in his study. He was reading one of his books. His expression didn't even change to show concern or surprise at Jim's unexpected entrance. "In heavens name child, what is wrong?"

Jim collapsed onto Kodos' desk. He let out large rasping breaths. He wasn't used to running so fast anymore. There was no Frank to run away from anymore. "Please, please call Starfleet. Everyone is starving." He felt like he was ranting and raving.

Kodos stood up. He placed his book on the desk. There was a picture of Napoleon on the cover. He wrapped his arms around him. "Leave us."

Jim heard the door man back away and pulled the door shut.

"Little Jane," Kodos stated. He rubbed his fingers thru his cheeks. Jim flinched. "There is nothing to fear."

"But... Kevin's mom just lost her baby."

"Joan Riley?"

"Yes." Jim nodded.

"Oh child. That is a horrible thing to see." He patted his head. He smoothed his bangs. His hair was getting longer. "There is nothing to fear. We have plan. A new era starts soon..."

Because Jim was so hungry, and at thirteen he really couldn't rationalize all the horrors of the world, Jim believed. He believed the words Kodos told him.