And now we continue….

Jim looked in the rearview of the hover car at his mother.

“What the hell happened back there?”

“It didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.”

“No kidding. What the hell, Mom. What aren’t you telling me about all this?”

His mother sighed. “Not now. Not in front of them.”

Jim could see wide, frightened eyes staring back at him. From what he could tell they were wearing sleep attire. His mother had literally snatched them from their beds. He didn’t like the sound of that.

A muscle in his jaw clenched and he tried to concentrate on getting away from whatever they’d just left behind. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. He was getting a pretty bad headache and he noticed Spock glance at him.

“What?” he demanded.

“Turn right up ahead,” was all Spock said though Jim could not shake the feeling he had much more he wanted to say.

And Jim was right there with him. What was Spock doing there anyway?

He guessed he could sort of see the need for private conversations because of these kids, but he hated being in the position where he had to clam up and not say what was on his mind. His mother had hid vital information from him, he was sure of it.

Jim made the right turn, conscious of dark, dismal road they seemed to be travelling on. He didn’t like any of this. His long ago time on one of the Orion colonies had been quick and fun. But that was another life, mostly, and he’s been through plenty of shit since then.

“Who would you choose to die between Leonard McCoy and Spock, Captain Kirk?”

“Or to put it another way, Captain, who would you choose to live?”

“Me. I would choose me!”

“Wrong choice, Captain. Now we will kill both.”

“Jim?”

Jim blinked, pushing away the memory, disturbing his dreams still, though he tried not to let it. He glanced at Spock who was looking at him with a great deal of Vulcan concern.

“Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m okay.”

Spock watched him a moment longer, than said, “Turn left, then straight. The shuttle is waiting.”