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The Replacement, Part One

It had been two days since Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Uhura, Commander Scott, and Doctor McCoy had returned from the Empire ruled Mirror Universe.

Two days since Spock had sent the oddly barbaric versions of those same officers back to that universe after determining they were not where they should be.

Spock had learned from Nyota about the atrocities that were the norm for that universe. Mister Scott had shuddered every time he was asked questions about it. Leonard had mentioned he’d likely have nightmare from some of what he’d seen.

Kirk said nothing.

Even Leonard had mumbled something about ‘Jim being radio silent’ and some memory of Earth’ history flashed through Spock’s mind, but he could not quite place the reference.

For those two days, Spock gave him space. Unlike the others, Kirk was relaxed and easy going. He answered questions on every other subject readily and efficiently. He did not radiate the same tension and unease the others had, though admittedly theirs had all lessened and they were nearly back to normal. What passed for normal for each of them anyway.   

If you were not a Kirk watcher you might not know. But they all were. They noticed.

Spock noticed most of all.

Something was not right.

He had intended to seek him out in his quarters after his shift one night only to find he was not there. And though he could wander the ship seeking Kirk’s usual spots, he found that he did not have the heart for it, so he used the computer to pinpoint that Kirk was on the observation deck.

He then also used the computer to determine Kirk was alone.

Spock had no desire to discover Kirk having time with a paramour. At present, he did not think Kirk was seeing a member of the crew, certainly not since Doctor Marcus had departed after their breakup, but Spock did not want to take any chances.

Fortunately it seemed Captain Kirk had no company.

Still Spock hesitated to disturb him.

They were building a good friendship, Spock thought. There were still parts of Jim that he did not share with Spock. He was uncertain if he shared them with anyone, even McCoy.

Spock was not sure they had the friendship the ambassador had alluded to, at least to the extent he’d had with his Kirk, but Spock believed they were back to making progress.

Progress had been stalled right around the time they’d been confronted by Krall and Altamid. When Spock had intended to resign to go to New Vulcan and Kirk had applied for a command position on Yorktown.

Spock did not know what caused the rift between them, but he’d felt it.

Since they had returned to the repaired and rebuilt Enterprise, their friendship had seemed to strengthen.

Until Jim had gone to the mirror universe.

But the only way to learn the truth was to ask his captain to explain just what he had experienced in that universe. So he went to the observation deck to find Kirk.

October 2023 Story Conclusion

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“You’re not going in there, Jim!”

“The hell I’m not,” Jim insisted to Bones, who had grabbed onto him to prevent him from going into the farmhouse after the Klingon.

“I’m your doctor and I forbid it. Now I know Spock did his mumbo jumbo to your head and now you mostly remember, but you were injected with a drug that wasn’t meant for you and you had a bad reaction. I need to thoroughly examine you back on the ship before I clear you for regular duty!”

“This is hardly normal circumstances and I need to…where’s Spock?” Jim looked around the immediate area and sure enough his husband and first office was nowhere to be seen.

But before he could panic too much, the Vulcan appeared carrying the other now unconscious Klingon.

Jim turned to Bones, giving him the stink-eye. “You deliberately distracted me while Spock went in there, didn’t you?”

“You bet I did. I meant every word too.”

“This isn’t over.”

Bones snorted. “Seems over to me. Now let’s get the other one and get back to our time.  And our mess. Let’s leave theirs to them.”

Jim looked back at the farmhouse. The pumpkins and the scarecrows. A much earlier version of the same house he had grown up in.

He suddenly felt such sorrow it nearly brought him to his knees. This had been a happy place once.

“Jim?” Spock spoke softly.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

****

“This is the place?”

“So it would seem.”

Jim eyed Spock. “How do we do that with twiddle dee and dum here? Do we have to go through all five us at once? How is that going to work?”

“I am fairly certain I can carry them through with me, you two just need to keep up.” Spock sounded amused. Jim was anything but.

“Ha ha.”

“Can we speed this up?” Bones asked. “I’m getting nervous. I don’t want this thing to close on us so we can’t go back.”

“Okay, okay. You’re such a weenie,” Jim teased.

“Just call me Doctor…you know what? Never mind. You totally would.”

“Ready?” Spock asked.

“Wait! I can’t leave.”

Bones and Spock gaped at him.

“Not until I find out who shot JR.”

“It was Kristin,” Spock said calmly.

“Kristin? Are you sure?”

“Who’s Kristin?” Bones asked. “Who the hell is JR?”

“Yes, Kristin. Let’s go, Captain.”

“I can’t believe it. I mean I guess it makes some sort of sense,” Jim said, then he said, “Go!”

A moment later they ran back out of the Guardian of Forever.

But there were only three of them. Spock, Bones and Jim.

“Damn! The Klingons!”

“Fear Not,” the booming mechanical voice of the Guardian spoke. “The Klingons have been returned to their Bird of Prey in their sector. They will have no memory of their time in Earth Nineteen Eighty.”

“Are you sure?” Jim asked.

“Yes, Captain Kirk. When you return to your ship, you too will have no memory from your time there. We will see to that.”

“And did I change history? Did they? My ancestor…James Kirk…”

“He is once more alive in Riverside at the farmhouse in 1980.”

That made Jim happy.

“Thanks. Is he okay?”

“He is in good health and has no recollection of any adverse events.”

“You mean of being dead?” Jim asked, dryly. “Did they do that?”

“Your appearance necessitated his temporary removal. Had you remained, he would have ceased to exist as he was known.” There was a long pause. “As would many others. You are responsible for the lives of millions having been saved, Captain Kirk. Do not take that lightly.”

“I don’t.”

“Goodbye.”

And the Guadian went dark.

Still Jim lingered and after a moment he realized he and Spock were alone. Bones had gone off to the beam up point.

“Jim?”

“I’m just…in a lot of ways, I really liked living in 1980.  I liked the house. Decorating for fall. The simplicity. Free of all the complications in my real life. It was…good for a while.”

Spock shook his head and drew Jim into his arms. “I am not certain you would adapt to such a life long term. You are not a sedentary sort who can spend his nights on the couch watching television.”

“But see, Spock, that’s exactly what I did. And I don’t know, for the time I was there, I really wasn’t bored.”

“It was an escape from reality that perhaps you required.” Spock tilted his head. “And Becky?”

Jim smiled. “She was a nice lady but to be honest I don’t even remember that much about her or the time I spent with her. She…never felt right. Not for me.”

“And?”

Jim kissed him. “You’re the only one who’s ever felt right.”

“I am gratified.”

For a long time they just held each other.

“There is no where I would not go to retrieve thee,” Spock said softly in Vulcan.

“I know.” Jim briefly touched their foreheads together.

“Shall we?”

“Mm. Still it would have been nice to remember all that happened there. It’s already fading though.”

“Indeed.”

They started walking away from the Guardian.

“I don’t think she’s right for him either.”

“Becky?”

“Uh-huh. She wants him to move to Colorado. I don’t think he should.”

Spock made a humming sound. Jim looked at him.

“You know something?”

“You are quite correct. He does not go to Colorado with Becky.”

“I knew it! That’s great.”

Spock shook his head, took Jim’s hand, and led him to where Bones stood waiting. Spock handed Jim his communicator.

“Kirk to Enterprise. Energize.”

October 2023 Continuing Story

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Jim tried not to flinch when Spock’s hand rested on his face. He didn’t think Spock would hurt him and he believed that they had melded before. It seemed right. But he couldn’t quite remember so he was apprehensive.

“It does not hurt.”

Jim nodded. “Just…” He waved his hand.

“My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts.” Then there was a pause. “Remember.”

“Bones, come up to the bridge. Lieutenant Gregory’s having some kind of seizure.”

“Hold on to him, damnit!”

“Doctor! You have injected the captain!”

“Jim no!”

The meld abruptly ended as Jim pulled away, Spock’s hand dropping from his face.

“Spock!”

“Jim, you remember?”

“Yes.” He blinked several times and then touched his head. “I’m still a little hazy but yes.”

“Jim—”

“Save it, Bones. I know it was all an accident. I know things got crazy.”

“But—”

“Seriously. We can talk about the circumstances later. We have more important priorities right now.”

“Indeed,” Spock spoke up. “We need to locate his companion, disable him, and the find the Guardian to go through the portal.”

Jim pushed at the Klingon’s leg with the toe of his shoe. “Any ideas where his buddy is?”

“His last known location was at the college where you taught courses.”

He frowned. “Who exactly was I supposed to be? Some of this is still fuzzy.”

Bones stepped closer and put his hand on Jim’s arm. “Near as we can figure, you had an ancestor in the late 1970s Riverside also named James Kirk who taught at the college.”

“And I took on his identity? Where is he?”

“It appears he passed away in late 1979,” Spock replied. “Not a lot of information can be found about how or why, however, you apparently resembled him enough to become him in the eyes of those he knew.”

“Such as Becky.” Jim shook his head. “So this poor bugger croaks and I just take over his life, even his girlfriend?”

Bones snorted. “Looks like it, Jim.”

“And you don’t know how he died? What if he isn’t?”

Spock shrugged. “Evidence suggests he is, however, if he isn’t, presumably he will reappear when we return to our time. This time period lacks a lot of technology to thoroughly investigate matters and our focus has been on you and the Klingons.”

“Yeah okay.” Jim looked down at the still unconscious Klingon. “How long can we keep him like that?”

“I can use an extended method to keep him out for hours. We will leave him in the farmhouse while we look for the other.”

“Okay. So, I have to ask, why were you two lurking outside my house?”

“Lurking?”

“Yeah one night I heard this big crash and there were some other times I swear I saw like glowing red eyes out by the scarecrows.” Jim eyed Bones. “It had to be you. I know it’s October and you have a weird sense of what’s funny.”

“Don’t look at me,” Bones denied it. “I’ll cop to the crash as we were here keeping an eye on your, Spock especially since you were cozying up to that girl but—”

Jim glanced at Spock and winced at his narrowed gaze. “I wasn’t in my right mind. And anyway, we only ever kissed.” He paused. “Maybe.”

“The point is,” Bones interrupted to get Jim’s attention back to him. We don’t have anything to do with glowing red eyes.”

“You were here for several months on your own before we could locate you, are you saying you did not have intercourse with her during that entire time?”

“Time has to move differently here. Don’t you think?”

“You are avoiding answering.”

“Can you two maybe do this later when we’re back on the ship?”

“Yeah, okay,” Jim agreed. “Let’s go get that Klingon.”

Spock suddenly stiffened. “I do not think it will be necessary to go anywhere.”

“What? Why?”

“I believe he is in the farmhouse.”   

October 2023 Continuing Story

“Spock?”

The inside of the barn was dark, shadowy, and it caused Jim to feel very uneasy. He raised the disruptor weapon, his heart thumping hard in his chest.

If he really was a captain of a starship as McCoy said, wouldn’t that make him a badass? He shouldn’t be afraid, right?

It was a lot to take in and even more to believe, but maybe Jim wanted to believe it. Because his life here in Riverside didn’t seem to make sense.

“Here, Captain. Jim.”

He turned slightly to the right and yes, there was Spock within arm’s reach.

“I apologize. I wanted to spend time searching the barn fig signs of our missing Klingon or perhaps instability in the portal we all went through.”

“McCoy told me some of that.” Jim frowned. “And was there? Instability, I mean.”

“None that I could detect. I fear that we are running out of time to make our escape though.”

“By your calculations, assuming I believe any of this is true, how long have I been here?”

“Six months.”

“That long? How long have you been here trying to reach me?”

“We couldn’t calculate the exact month and time you appeared in 1980s Riverside, so we had to estimate. We’ve been here only three months.”

Jim nodded. “So during that time, I what? Established some kind of relationship with Becky. And who am I supposed to be here?”

Spock gestured to the barn entrance. “Let’s return to restrain the Klingon. Then I have an idea that may help both of us reach clarity.”

They exited the barn where McCoy stood next to the still unconscious Klingon. Spock bent down to tie him up and Jim noticed him squeeze his hand next to the Klingon’s neck. Which reminded him of his own bruise.

“How do the Klingons fit into all this?”

“They chased you through the portal,” McCoy answered. “They were on the planet with the Guardian.”

Jim shook his head. “I definitely need to know more.”

Spock straightened. “Yes. I suggest a meld.”

“A meld?”

“Between our minds. We’ve done it many times.”

Jim looked doubtful. “We have? Just what is our relationship?”

“I think you know,” Spock said softly.

“Maybe. I’ve had…dreams.”

Spock came closer until he stood right in front of Jim. He raised his hand toward Jim’s face. “I will not hurt you.”

“Okay. Do it.”

October 2023 Continuing Story

Jim was surprised to realize that he wanted to take Spock’s outstretched hand. So he came around the wood pile, stepped over the…creature or whatever he was lying on the ground…and placed his hand in Spock’s.

He was even more surprised when Spock drew him near and embraced him, holding him close as though he were precious to Spock.

Jim swallowed hard. “That’s not a Halloween costume that guy is wearing, is it?”

“It is not. He is a Klingon.”

Jim drew back to see Spock’s face, but he didn’t pull away entirely. “Klingon. This should all freak me out more, shouldn’t it?”

“I believe you are getting your memories back, though slowly.”

“Memories?”

Spock shook his head. “It is difficult to explain.”

“Try me.”

Spock glanced down at the Klingon. “First we need to secure him before he revives. There is yet one more like him we will need to capture before we can depart.”

Jim did move out of the embrace now. “I think I saw some rope in the barn there. Hang on.”

“Be careful, Jim. We don’t know the location of this one’s companion.”

Which of course made the butterflies in Jim’s stomach take flight, but he walked over to the door of the barn and threw it open.

“You don’t happen to have a flashlight in your arsenal, do you?” Jim asked. “It’s pretty dark in here.”

Spock put his hand on Jim’s arm. “Wait here. I’ll go in since I have a phaser.”

“What if that guy wakes up?”

“He will not. I will be out in a moment.”

Jim watched Spock go inside the barn for the rope. He turned around and crouched down by the Klingon and spotted what looked like some kind of gun.

He lifted it off the unconscious Klingon just as he heard the scuff of a footstep.  He raised the gun.

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m on your side.” McCoy had his hands up. He had obviously come outside to see what was going on. “No hypospray, I promise. Put that disruptor down before you hurt someone. Namely me.”

Jim looked at the weapon in his hand. “A disruptor, you say?”

“Yeah. A Klingon weapon.”

Jim straightened and stood but he didn’t put the disruptor down. He figured it might come in handy if the Klingon woke.

“Where’s Spock?”

“Getting some rope.” Jim eyed McCoy. ”You want to give me your story?”

“Well.” McCoy crossed his arms over his chest and tapped the fingers of his one hand on the other arm. “I was on the bridge—”

“The bridge?”

“You are the captain of a starship.”

Jim laughed. “A what?”

“It’s complicated. Anyway, there was an incident on the bridge with another crew member and when I tried to medicate him there was a scuffle and it ended up being injected into you instead. You had a very bad reaction. You transported  yourself down to this planet—”

“Earth?”

“Not really. A version of past Earth accessed through this portal called Guardian of Forever. Basically you’re on the planet with that portal.” McCoy paused. “I think. Look, I don’t know the science of it or whatever. I just know you somehow got hit on the noggin after the shot and you’ve lost your marbles.”

Jim sighed. “You’re giving me a headache, Bones.”

McCoy whooped. “You just called me Bones!”

“Huh?”

“Your nickname for me.”

Jim suddenly turned and looked toward the barn. “Spock’s been gone a long time looking for rope. I’m going in.”

October 2023 Continuing Story

“That went well,” Leonard said, sarcastically.

“Indeed. And I am quite finished doing things your way.”

“I know you blame me for this and—”

Spock shook his head. “Wherever the blame falls with regard to Jim’s circumstances is irrelevant. If we are not able to retrieve him so that the three of us can return to the Enterprise—”

“We can’t leave Earth in 1980 with Klingons, Spock! That’s going to change history and not for the good.”

Spock sighed. “I am well aware. For now, my task is to retrieve the captain before he does harm to himself or the Klingons do it. Stay here.”

“But—”

“In case Jim returns here. Try to contain your impulse to immediately stick him with a hypospray.”

Spock walked out the back door to look for Jim.

“Jim?”

It was dark and difficult to see with the fog that had appeared in the yard.

“Jim? It is Spock. Please come back. I will attempt to explain everything. You are not in danger from me.”

Spock held his phaser, prepared to eliminate any threats to Jim.

It was unfortunate that when Jim went through the portal of the Guardians of Forever, two Klingons followed directly after him. It had taken Spock and McCoy too long to discover exactly where in Earth’s history Jim ended up and then they realized Jim had no memory of his real life and was living this life of a Kirk ancestor.

Now not only did Spock and McCoy have to help Jim rediscover his true identity so they could leave the portal to return to the Enterprise, but they also had to find a way to get the Klingons out as well.

All because Jim had been injected with a drug that caused madness, temporary as it was supposed to be. It should not be surprising to Spock that Jim would have an extreme reaction.

He turned a corner to go behind the house where Spock knew a path led to the barn in the back that housed some farming equipment.

Spock spotted Jim crouched down behind a stack of firewood, clearly unaware of the Klingon Spock also saw approaching him.

His heart immediately leapt from his side to his mouth. He didn’t call out for fear that would alert the Klingon to his presence who then might take the opportunity to use a weapon on Jim.

Being as quiet as he could, Spock moved closer, as he feared from the distance he had been he wouldn’t get an accurate enough shot to dispatch the Klingon.

Now close enough to take the shot, Spock wasted no time firing his phaser and felling the Klingon.

Jim straightened and stood, eyes wide open to gawk first at Spock and the Klingon now lying face down on the ground.

“Is he dead?” Jim asked in a whisper.

“Stunned,” Spock replied. “However, he will need to be restrained for the duration of our time here.”

He held out his hand toward Jim.

“Please take my hand, T’hy’la.”

October 2023 Continuing Story

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“Jim, are you all right?”

Jim found himself being helped off the floor by the strong arms of his mysterious savior, Spock.

For a moment, Jim found himself gripping Spock’s forearms and clinging to them as he slammed the back door closed with his foot. He peered through the dark window out at the night.

“Jim?”

“Something’s out there.”

“Where?”

Jim pointed with a shaky hand. “Out in the back. I heard it breathing.”

Spock pushed Jim behind him. “Stay here. I will look.”

Jim reached for and grabbed him again. “You aren’t going out there, are you?”

“How else am I to look for the breather?”

“Haven’t you seen Halloween?”

Spock frowned. “Halloween?”

“Yeah. Michael Myers.”

Spock gave him a look and once more pushed Jim away. “I am not afraid. Wait here.”

Spock opened the back door and went outside.

Jim looked around and found his crowbar and then followed Spock outside, crowbar at the ready.

“Spock? Where are you?”

“Here, Jim.”

Spock’s voice came from the side of the house, so Jim made his over there. Spock stood by himself.

“Nothing?”

“Negative. I hear no breathing either.”

Jim frowned. “I heard it. Something or someone was chasing me. Where were you, Spock? I called out.”

“I was in the front yard making certain everything was secure while you slept. I apologize, I did not hear you had risen.”

He blew out a breath and nodded.

Spock encircled Jim’s arm with his hand. “Let’s go back inside. You shouldn’t be running around, exerting yourself after your concussion.”

Jim allowed Spock to draw him back into the house, but he still felt uneasy.

“This isn’t right.”

“Jim?”

He looked around, turning in circles. “I don’t live here. Not like this. This is too…new.”

“New?”

“The house should look older than this.” He stopped turning and put his hand over his face. “Where’s Becky?”

“I do not know Becky.”

Jim lowered his hand and looked at Spock. “I don’t think I do either.”

“Jim—”

“What’s going on here, Spock? Is someone gaslighting me? Are you?”

“I am not.” Spock reached up to the beanie on his head. “However…”

He removed the beanie.

October 2023 Continuing Story

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Jim woke up later, not even remembering falling asleep. He was still in the bed in the farmhouse, but he appeared to be alone and he wasn’t sure if he’d dreamed the whole way too attractive beanie man.

And where had the idea the guy was attractive from? Jim had only ever been interested in women. Right?

But there was that dream.

Jim sat up and looked around. He could see through the window that night had fallen. He turned on the bedside lamp and saw by the clock on the wall it was nearly eight. Why was he sleeping this early?

Perhaps he really had a concussion and the beanie man had been there. There was no sign of a soup bowl or a TV tray though.

He got out of bed and went into the bathroom to pee. With the light on, he looked in the mirror and saw that he did have bruising on his neck above the collarbone.

Not a dream.

Jim headed downstairs then, feeling vaguely woozy.

The light was on in the kitchen and a discarded mug was in the sink.

“Is anyone here? Spock?”

He didn’t know why but the house suddenly felt eerie, and like it didn’t belong to him.

Jim grabbed his windbreaker off the coat tree and went out the back door. He shrugged it on and glanced at the sky. A storm seemed to be approaching as clouds gathered over the moon. It looked spooky like one of those pictures you might see with a witch on a broom flying by the moon.

“Spock? Are you out here?”

He heard the snap of a twig and he swung around to look behind him. But there was nothing. He suddenly wished he had a phaser.

A what?

“Hello? Who’s out here?”

Because he was pretty sure he could hear someone breath. His heart pounded hard in his chest. He walked quickly back toward the house, which suddenly seemed miles away though he hadn’t gone that far.

The breathing he could hear became heavy, like panting, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

He grabbed the handle of the door, but it wouldn’t budge. It was like the door was locked.

Impossible.

Jim turned, pushing his back against the door, but there was nothing and no one there. At least that he could see.

The door suddenly opened and he fell backwards inside.

October 2023 Continuing Story

When Spock returned with the bowl of chicken noodle soup on a tv tray, Jim had a chance to view it with some suspicion.

“You didn’t add poison to it, did you?”

“Why would I  add poison?” Spock seemed genuinely perplexed but Jim thought he could simply be a good actor.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean I don’t actually know you. It’s weird that you knew where I lived. I didn’t tell you, right?”

“I did not obtain the information directly from you today. Do you have poison in your house?”

Jim thought about it. “Not something that actually has a skull and crossbones on it, no.” He put his spoon into the soup and took a tentative taste. He waited a moment, then nodded. “Seems all right. Would you please go into the medicine cabinet in my bathroom and get me a couple of aspirin?”

“I am not certain you should have aspirin.”

Jim smiled. “I have a headache. I want aspirin. It would be nice if you could bring it to me but if not I’ll get it my own damn self.”

Spock arched a brow. A gesture that seemed weirdly familiar. “I will get it.”

Jim continued to eat while Spock retrieved the aspirin along with a glass of water.

“So who was that McCoy guy? Do you know him?”

Spock handed him the aspirin and water. “Why do you ask?”

“He might be trying to kill me.”

Spock sat on the edge of the bed. “Kill you?”

“Weird things have been happening to me the last few days. Noises, lights. I swear someone’s been watching me. And my memory’s getting wonky. All of a sudden the old dean is replaced by this McCoy and just as I was leaving his office he held up this giant needle that he seemed to want to inject into me.”

Spock listened to everything he said without expression. “That is an interesting theory.”

“And you.” Jim waved his spoon. “You just appear out of the blue staring at me.”

“You are an attractive person.”

Jim blinked. “I don’t even know what to do with that. And then today when I’m trying to get away from McCoy, you appear and I lose consciousness.”

“And I take you home,” Spock said. “Were I intending to do you harm, would I do that?”

“I definitely can’t figure out that part. Why do you wear that beanie anyway? Are you bald under there and want to hide it?”

“Something like that.”

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