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Spock decided not to wait for Nyota’s class as he was too curious about James T. Kirk to adopt his usual amount of patience.
He tried to pretend to himself it had nothing to do with how uncommonly attractive Kirk had been. At least in Spock’s opinion.
And there was the added fact that Bombay’s eye color seemed to be an exact match for Kirk’s. A coincidence of course but it made Spock all the more curious.
After doing some preliminary research, Spock decided to contact George Samuel Kirk, the older brother and seeming spokesperson for the family. He requested communication with him if it was permitted.
It was a few hours later when Jim Kirk’s brother contacted him.
George Samuel Kirk, he told Spock the family called him Sam to distinguish him from George Kirk, resembled George Kirk more than he did his younger brother, Spock thought.
Sam leaned back in a rocking chair and stared rather sourly at Spock.
“What is it you want exactly?”
“To make inquiries about your brother’s disappearance.”
“Don’t you mean death?”
Spock shook his head.
“Your Starfleet has declared him dead.”
“I am sorry. But you and your family have doubts.”
Sam snorted. “You bet we do. They never found a body in the wreckage. Nothing like that.”
“What did they find?”
“It’s all a matter of record,” Sam said with no hidden disdain. “They found the burned out crashed shuttlecraft and the remains of Doctor Helen Moore, and her two medical assistants, Ensign Allen Luras and Ensign Inid Harr. The door of the shuttle was inoperable and there was no sign it was ever opened after the crash. They found no trace of Jim’s remains, though there was evidence someone had used the seatbelt in the co-pilot’s seat beside Helen Moore.”
“And they are certain Commander Kirk was on the shuttlecraft when it left the Endeavor?”
“Yes.”
Spock nodded. “Do you have any theories?”
Sam hesitated, then slowly shook his head. “Other than someone must have abducted Jim. That’s always been our belief.”
“For what purpose?”
“How should I know?”
“And how would they have done so when the door was inoperable?”
Sam’s lips thinned. “There was a hole in the door.”
“How large?”
“Large enough for Jim,” Sam insisted. “But there was no sign of him on the planet anywhere. Or so they said.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“No, I don’t. Jim’s alive. I can feel it. And someone has him. I don’t know why they haven’t come forward. But my family hasn’t given up no matter what they tell you. Starfleet may have decided Jim’s dead, but he’s alive.” Sam frowned. “I gotta go.”
And then the screen winked out and Spock was left staring at nothing. HE couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Sam was not telling him. Some elusive clue.