Part 19 (2/2)
”So this changes all our histories, or what?” McCoy began. ”Does it change the general thread of history and not personal pasts, or does everything change?” He looked down at himself. ”Do we change physically, too? I kind of like the way I am.” His gaze narrowed as he regarded the new captain. ”If we alter the future so that everyone has to do transwarp beaming, I'm not sure I want to go there.”
”Our history is only altered,” Sulu was saying, ”if you think of time as a single thread.”
”Then possibly it's more like we're living out a parallel strand than an alternate one,” Uhura speculated aloud. ”If you believe that the future is immutable and that it already exists, what we're doing is only changing the past. That same future, or if you prefer, parallel one, will continue on whatever plane it exists. Only ours, only this one here and now, will be altered.”
”Parallel?” McCoy stared at her. ”How many d.a.m.n universes are are there?” there?”
”If this one is changed,” Sulu continued, ”does it only affect this one, or are all the others affected as well?”
”A ripple effect across the entire continuum.” Chekov was clearly excited by the possibilities, however theoretical they might remain. ”But can such a ripple affect only parallel existences, or, if it is strong enough, can it also affect a future that has already happened?”
Turning away from the animated and slightly chaotic discussion, McCoy put his hands over his ears. ”Kentucky,” he told himself solemnly. ”Think bluegra.s.s. Quiet caves. Real food. Not parallel food.”
Kirk eventually called for silence. ”Look,” ”Look,” he told them, ”I'm not sure what it means or if we can even make things go back to the way they were-the way they're he told them, ”I'm not sure what it means or if we can even make things go back to the way they were-the way they're supposed supposed to be. Our task to be. Our task right now right now is to try and save Earth and the Federation from someone who doesn't care about the future of either. We have enough to worry about trying to save the present, without tying ourselves in mental knots wondering if we can save the future. One thing I do know for certain-if we don't save the present then there'll is to try and save Earth and the Federation from someone who doesn't care about the future of either. We have enough to worry about trying to save the present, without tying ourselves in mental knots wondering if we can save the future. One thing I do know for certain-if we don't save the present then there'll be be no future. At least, not for the Federation.” He tried to meet each of their stares in turn. no future. At least, not for the Federation.” He tried to meet each of their stares in turn.
”Maybe if this s.h.i.+p was crewed by Einstein, Rutherford, Bohr, Planck, Hawking, Ashford, T'mer, and Lal-kang instead of us us they'd be able to come up with some answers to questions that we can barely formulate. But it isn't. There's just us. And if we want our descendants to have any kind of future, then it's up to us to see that it comes to pa.s.s. All I know is, we can't tell Spock-our Spock, the present-day Spock-any of this.” they'd be able to come up with some answers to questions that we can barely formulate. But it isn't. There's just us. And if we want our descendants to have any kind of future, then it's up to us to see that it comes to pa.s.s. All I know is, we can't tell Spock-our Spock, the present-day Spock-any of this.”
Evidently, McCoy's hands were not pressed tightly enough over his ears, because he turned to frown at the command chair. ”Why the h.e.l.l not?”
”Because I promised him,” Kirk explained.
Uhura looked baffled. ”Promised who who?”
”Spock.” Kirk struggled for clarity-and feared he was losing the fight. ”The Kirk struggled for clarity-and feared he was losing the fight. ”The other other one-the other Spock. The one from the future. I promised him that I wouldn't tell him in the present about him from the future because him from the future made me promise.” His voice rose. one-the other Spock. The one from the future. I promised him that I wouldn't tell him in the present about him from the future because him from the future made me promise.” His voice rose. ”Dammit, are you gonna trust me or not?” ”Dammit, are you gonna trust me or not?”
In response to his manifestly frustrated appeal, silence once more settled over the bridge. But not comprehension.
No one bothered him as he stood in the transporter room, staring at the pad where his mother should have rematerialized. He was unspeakably grateful for the privacy. No one intruded on his personal s.p.a.ce to try and comfort him, or to sympathize, or to offer insipid uplifting homilies. He was not in the mood for any such well-meaning plat.i.tudes. All he required, all he wished for, was to be left alone. Had anyone come and tried to access his solitude he would have turned them away, politely but firmly. Upon resigning command he had clearly and unequivocally stipulated that he should be left alone. It was a demand no one would rebuff. Save one.
His father.
Sarek, child of Skon, child of Solkar, entered the main transporter room and stared at his son in silence. On the Council of the Vulcan Academy of Sciences he had always known what to say. Acting as an amba.s.sador for his people he had rarely been at a loss for the necessary words to make Vulcan's case before the Federation. As a husband wed to a woman of another species he had never...he had never...
That was one place too painful now for even Sarek to go. Instead, he concentrated on a destination still within reach. It finally caused him to break the respectful silence that had been in place between them for over an hour now. It had taken that long to settle on the right words.
”You must not punish yourself.”
Hands folded in front of him, Spock looked over at his remaining parent. ”I require seclusion. I ask that you respect my wishes and leave.”
At least, Sarek thought to himself, Sarek thought to himself, he has not retreated permanently into silence. he has not retreated permanently into silence. It was a hopeful sign. ”How many times since you were born have I heard those same words, albeit voiced by a child and subsequently an adolescent in command of far less gravity? I remain because I wish you to speak your mind, Spock.” It was a hopeful sign. ”How many times since you were born have I heard those same words, albeit voiced by a child and subsequently an adolescent in command of far less gravity? I remain because I wish you to speak your mind, Spock.”
The younger man looked away. ”That would be unwise.”
”What is necessary is always wise, my son. If I did not feel it necessary for you to speak of what is inside you, then I would not wish for it. It is true that logic is often its own reward-but it is a reward best shared with others. That which is beautiful is magnified by being shared with others. That which is painful is often moderated by being shared. Both approaches are equally logical.”
Spock hesitated, then let out a little of what was clearly seething inside him. ”I feel as conflicted as I once was. Like a child. Have I made so little progress that I cannot contain myself even when entrusted with the position of stars.h.i.+p captain? If that is so, then I am truly not fit for such duty.”
”You will always be a child of two worlds, Spock,” Sarek replied gently. ”As such, you will forever be forced to make decisions that partake of both. You must not castigate yourself for failing to be wholly Vulcan because you cannot be so. Instead of viewing your heritage as potentially embracing the worst of one world or the other, try to extrapolate the best of both. Even if ultimately only made possible by biological manipulation, your birthright, Spock, should be as much a wonderment to you as it is to me. I am grateful for it. And for you.” He found himself pausing once more. ”And not only because you are all I have left of-her.”
As the science officer turned to his father he did not become emotional-but he came undeniably close.
”I feel such-anger. For the one who took her life. Illogical as it may be, I cannot escape it. It troubles me every moment I am awake, like an equation whose components are all present but that still cannot be solved. It is an anger I cannot stop.”
Sarek nodded understandingly. ”It is not how I would react, of course, but I believe she she would say-do not try to.” would say-do not try to.”
Their eyes met-and this time, held.
”You asked me once,” Sarek continued, ”why I married your mother. I married her-because I loved her.”
Nothing more was said, but for Spock, child of Sarek, child of Grayson, something important had clearly been resolved.
XVI
On the bridge a strategy session was in full swing. Having no particular plan of his own other than to catch up to the homicidal Romulan called Nero and somehow stop him, Kirk was willing to listen to suggestions no matter how outrageous or who their source. Had a coterie of the Enterprise' Enterprise's maintenance crew come before him with an idea, he would have listened to it with as much respect as he gave the thoughts of Chekov and the rest of the s.h.i.+p's tactical team.
But first they had to find some way to resolve the small matter of the distance separating them from the Narada. Narada.
”Can we catch up?” Kirk finally asked the question that could not be avoided. we catch up?” Kirk finally asked the question that could not be avoided.
Sulu had already run the simulation half a dozen times, each time factoring in different options that represented wishful thinking more than they did solid physics. His response this time was identical to the previous six.
”Not a chance. I've run every option, Captain. They're going to be in geosynchronous...o...b..t around Earth in eight minutes. We'll never make it.”
”Even if we could,” McCoy pointed out, ”you can't go in with guns blazing.”
”The doctor is correct, Keptin.” As chief tactical officer it was Chekov's job to antic.i.p.ate an enemy's moves, to put himself in their position-however distasteful the mental transposition. ”First of all, they'll have their own defenses up. They'll be looking for remnants of the fleet as well as local defenses to strike out at them. Ground-based aircraft and missiles won't have a chance of penetrating their s.h.i.+elds. Any s.h.i.+p of stars.h.i.+p size that drops out of warp near Earth will get pulverized before it has a chance to respond. And we already know that this Narada Narada from the future is far more powerful than any Federation vessel.” He shook his head dolefully. ”The only chance we might have of inflicting any significant damage is to take them completely by surprise.” Tactical chief and helmsman exchanged a knowing glance. from the future is far more powerful than any Federation vessel.” He shook his head dolefully. ”The only chance we might have of inflicting any significant damage is to take them completely by surprise.” Tactical chief and helmsman exchanged a knowing glance.
”There's no way we can drop out of warp within effective attack range without them detecting our presence and responding,” Sulu added. ”They'll be scanning everything inside the orbit of Mars. If we emerge outside detection range it's even worse: they'll have plenty of time to see us coming if we try to engage on impulse power.”
Kirk considered. ”Then we have to find a way to get on that s.h.i.+p and steal the device from under them.”
”Don't you mean 'destroy' the device, Keptin?” Chekov asked.
Kirk sighed. ”And how do you propose destroying it, Mister Chekov? If you destroy its dual containment fields, then you end up releasing the contents.” He smiled thinly. ”That's just what we want-a bunch of Red Matter floating around the solar system. We have to capture the device in one piece. Then we can utilize it, dispose of it-whatever Starfleet decides to do.”
”As far as getting on board the Romulan vessel, ye can forget transwarp.” Scott was emphatic. ”Beaming from a fixed point on a planetary surface to a s.h.i.+p travelin' in subs.p.a.ce is one thing. Tryin' to beam from a s.h.i.+p travelin' travelin' through subs.p.a.ce onto another travelin' through subs.p.a.ce boggles the calculus.” He looked at Kirk. ”Hittin' a bullet with another bullet is hard enough. Imagine if both guns are in motion.” through subs.p.a.ce onto another travelin' through subs.p.a.ce boggles the calculus.” He looked at Kirk. ”Hittin' a bullet with another bullet is hard enough. Imagine if both guns are in motion.”
More hopeful than realistic, Kirk glanced toward communications. ”Anything from Captain Pike? At this point I'd be happy to hear him acting as intermediary for terms of surrender-anything to indicate he's still alive.”
”I'm sorry, sir,” Uhura reported gravely. ”I've been monitoring all channels including the original reception frequency from the Narada. Narada. There's been nothing.” There's been nothing.”
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