A Quiet Corner of Montana
by Rob Morris
At last, the anachronistic man found the escape pod-and destroyed it. Given the all-clear, Kirk, Spock, and Scotty were right behind him. The man liked Scotty-he didn't gush-unlike some Chief Engineers he knew.
"Is it truly gone, Zephram?"
"Yeah, Monty. It's all gone. Got any Scotch?"
His new friend's moustache turned downward.
"Now what kind of fool question is that?"
Scotty pulled out two foldaway glasses and a green-tinted container.
"Well, gentlemen, I see that the crisis-within-a-crisis has passed, and it's time to celebrate."
Cochrane smiled.
"Jim! Spock! Come sit!"
"The Captain may join you, Doctor Cochrane. But I would much prefer to find out that the alien technology has been destroyed."
While Kirk sat and drank, his mind raced back a week to the near nuclear annihilation of the Earth, only a week back. They were all close missions, but nostalgia made this one feel even closer.
"I am of a superior species unknown to you. Hidden among you these 200 years, I have waited for your technology to reach a useable status. That time has come. My own tech has degraded, but your high-yield transceivers will call my people and complete our absorption of you. Give me one, or the ancient nuclear stockpiles scattered all over your world will detonate, as one bomb."
The pile of corpses, going back 200 years, was a disturbing discovery. The alien tech had used and discarded them like clothing. Zen philosophies aside, Kirk found that concept distinctly unappealing.
In the end, the creature's threat was averted in the simplest manner possible. Its tech was so degraded and diluted, that when the Enterprise reflected its own signal back to it, it shut down, feeling its mission complete. But humans had learned yet one more lesson, and the ancient nuclear weapons were finally located and removed--cost be damned.
Then, clean-up became complicated. Massive chronoton particle contamination of the site meant the worst was true-the damned necromotive thing was from the future, and had contaminated the past, or tried to. After Spock had nailed down late 2063 as the origin point, Kirk played a hunch and surreptitiously asked Starfleet to allow him the use of a "Civilian Expert"-Zephram Cochrane.
The Companion had protested, but Cochrane wanted at least a glimpse of his home world, and he also confirmed the long-rumored presence of time-travelers at the Flight Of The Phoenix. So it was that Cochrane could destroy the tech for them, while keeping quiet about both its nature and the nature of those travelers-as he always had. Timeline contamination was thus kept at a minimum.
"I tell you, I feel like a fool. To think, that we never thought to look for it. If those Bo----er, Boys--had gotten here, it would have NOT been good."
"To say the least. Is it really all gone, Spock?"
"All tech in this region is being recycled, Captain. Chronoton particles or no."
"Good. Whatever my reputation on the Physical Prime Directive, I prefer not to violate its Temporal Corollary."
"Unless of course, it's absolutely necessary, Captain. Sorry, sir. Tis' the Scotch talkin' fer me."
"Let it talk, Scotty. If only all our foes could be beaten by your miracle-working, I'd gladly give you my chair--not my old chair, mind you. I just don't like the A's seating."
"Without details, Doctor Cochrane, was this enemy race difficult to defeat for the time travelers?"
"Mister Spock, they were the devil, they are the devil, and they will be the devil."
Kirk was getting a bit tipsy.
"I'd like a crack at bearding that devil."
At that, an arrogant-looking being flashed in, completely out of nowhere.
"Tch, Tsk! Mon Capitan! Time and Space have ears, you know. You should really try to be careful what you wish for!"
In a heartbeat, they were back on the Enterprise. The stars were different. Spock ascertained the situation.
"Captain, we are halfway across our Galaxy---in the Delta Quadrant! Something---is approaching, fast."
100 years later....
"And that, Number One, is yet another version of James T. Kirk's first encounter with the Borg."
Will Riker laughed.
"My favorite part where they imprison the Q entity and use him for a power source---only Montgomery Scott would think of that! Sir, how much of that all do you suppose is true?"
"Oh, who can say, Will? We may never know the full story of that Enterprise's 10-year foray in the Delta Quadrant--anymore than we may ever learn the identity of the time travelers present on the day of First Contact."
