Saratoga Bridge
1:48 PM

"Is this some kind of joke?' Kirk demanded.

On the screen, on the bridge of the Enterprise….James T Kirk responded. "I was about to ask you the same thing.
Not exactly in the same words, maybe. But close enough."

Kirk stared at his double. "You're James Tiberius Kirk?"

"Yes," the other Kirk replied calmly. "And you are too?"

"You're from Iowa? Born on Kelvin medical shuttle 37, Stardate 2233.0.4? Parents, George and Winona Kirk?
Brother, George Samuel Kirk?"

"Bingo, on all counts. And you're Captain of…" the other Kirk's eyebrow raised, "the USS Saratoga?"

"And you, " Kirk said quietly; "are still Captain of the USS Enterprise."

He looked past his double to the Enterprise bridge; seeing several familiar faces not seen for three years.

Spock…

Uhura…

Sulu…

Chekov…

And somewhere down in that other ship's Engineering...Scotty.

His first crew. The ones who had…

Suppressing a shudder he stepped back and turned to his First Officer who was standing close behind him.

"Thelin," he managed weakly; "are you seeing this?"

"I am, Captain," the Andorian said quietly.

He looked over at McCoy, never more grateful for his best friend's presence than now. "This isn't a
hallucination is it, Bones?"

McCoy had his instruments out. "All of our brains are in perfect working order."

Thelin spoke again. "It would appear, Captain, that we are encountering an Enterprise… from another reality."

Kirk's voice dropped to a whisper. "An Enterprise where I wasn't...where the crew didn't…"

He glanced again at the Enterprise Bridge. Standing beside the other Kirk was Spock and another Bones.
His double was talking to them both now and he could faintly hear the Vulcan say; 'Fascinating,'- before
launching into a logical observation about the situation.

One could always trust Spock to be logical, even when he was being as cold as Delta Vega.

Over the years he had become adept at reading people and noticing small details. And there was something
about his double and his Spock that he right away noticed.

There was a closeness between the two of them. His double and his Spock were close friends.

Like Ambassador Spock and his Kirk had been.

Like he and his Spock could have been.

One could always trust Spock to be logical. Even when he was being as cold as Delta Vega.

Over the years he had become adept at reading people and noticing small details. And as he watched
the viewscreen there was something about his double and his Spock that he right away noticed.

There was a closeness between the two of them.

His double and his Spock were close friends.

Like Ambassador Spock and his Kirk had been.

Like he and his Spock could have been.

"You will have a friendship that will define you both."

"My Jim's first best destiny was as a Starfleet Captain. Mine was to serve at his side."

"The crew of the Enterprise...were extraordinary."

He was looking at what might have been. What could have been if...

Well, looks like someone had a wee of a night eh?

"Can't you at least keep these things off duty? Captain?"

"With all do respect, Captain, I believe that your personal affairs should remain exactly that…personal."

"Serves him right."

"Sorry Captain but I'm a wee bit busy here.

"Sorry, sir, but there's this experiment we have running at the botany labs…"

"Excuse me, Keptin, but I have several things to do at ze astrolabs…" "

Doesn't he get that people just aren't interested?'

"This crew and I...we're done."

Ancient wounds began to reopen.

Focus, Kirk! he told himself.This situation needs to be dealt with.

He took a deep breath and once again approached the viewscreen. "I think, Captain, that we should continue
this conversation in our Ready Rooms."

Enterprise Bridge

As their Captain exited the bridge, McCoy turned to Spock. "So what exactly is Starfleet protocol here?
Do we invite the other Kirk over for a drink?"