Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!elnk-pas-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!pd7cy1no!pd7cy2so!shaw.ca!feed.cgocable.net!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!hermod.ttsg.com!newsread.com!newsstand.newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: <7d.577d84c5.2e6dee16@aol.com> From: JennaSTS@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: TOS, AU, PG, K/S: WIP Home is the Heart sequel by Rae Trail, Part 1 of 4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 604 Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:55:06 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1094604906 209.198.142.218 (Tue, 07 Sep 2004 20:55:06 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 20:55:06 EDT Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:84113 X-Received-Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:55:17 PDT (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) I'm posting this for Rae Trail at her request.=20 Jenna NEW:Home is the Heart =E2=80=93 Chapter two (TOS:A/U:K/S:PG) By Rae Trail Archive: okay Feedback; none Warnings: none Summary: a year after finding themselves in an alternate universe, the boys= get a new lease on life. Notes: This is about the first quarter of the story =E2=80=93 I hope to sen= d you all=20 the rest over the next few months. I have asked Jenna to post it on my beha= lf.=20 I can neither receive nor respond to comments, though I wish I could. No, I= =E2=80=99m=20 not in jail, LOL! Just in a country that doesn=E2=80=99t support this kind = of art. =20 Home is the Heart =E2=80=93 Another Universe, Another Time Part One of a Work in Progress Part One of Four =20 By Rae Trail =20 =20 =E2=80=9CCaptain Kirk,=E2=80=9D the Klingon Commander said, =E2=80=9Cit has= been an honour and a=20 privilege to assist the Federation=E2=80=99s most illustrious commander.=E2= =80=9D =20 Kirk nodded his head. =E2=80=9CYour help was appreciated, Commander Kothor,= =E2=80=9D he=20 replied politely but firmly. =E2=80=9CI hope that this incident will open u= p a new era of=20 peace between our people.=E2=80=9D =20 The Klingon bowed slightly. Kirk indicated to the astonished Communications= =20 Officer that he should cut the feed, and then sat down again in his chair. = The=20 image that appeared on the screen, five Klingon War Birds in battle posture= ,=20 was somewhat disconcerting. =E2=80=9CHelm, set a course for Starbase 10. I = want to get=20 some room between us and the Neutral Zone =E2=80=93 best possible towing sp= eed.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, sir.=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk stabbed a button on the arm of his chair and was about to call Sickbay= =20 to check on the condition of the Kobiyashi Maru survivors, when the lights = on=20 the bridge suddenly flickered. He felt a shaft of alarm run through him, an= d=20 exchanged a look with Spock, seated up at the science station. /Here it com= es!/=20 he thought, and saw the Vulcan=E2=80=99s almost imperceptible nod. =20 The side wall of the bridge vanished. =20 Admiral Nogura himself stood there. The officers and officer-cadets in the= =20 simulator all rose to attention as Kirk announced, =E2=80=9CAdmiral on deck= .=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CAt ease,=E2=80=9D Nogura said. Behind him, half a dozen simulator = operators were=20 huddled around the main computer banks. Kirk couldn=E2=80=99t read Nogura= =E2=80=99s expression,=20 even though his eyes were boring into Kirk=E2=80=99s own. =E2=80=9CCadet Ki= rk.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CSir.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CDebriefing room one. Immediately.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, sir.=E2=80=9D Kirk turned and jogged up the steps to the door= . He felt Spock=E2=80=99s=20 interrogative mind touch an instant before Nogura called his name, too. =20 =E2=80=9CMister Spock, right now.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, sir.=E2=80=9D =20 Debriefing was directly across the corridor. Kirk entered it and stood at=20 relaxed attention, Spock joining him a moment later. He shot a grin at the= =20 Vulcan, and then turned his eyes front as Nogura entered the room. =20 The Admiral paced once around the perimeter, then stopped across the table= =20 from them and skewered Kirk in place with a look. =E2=80=9CHow?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CSir?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CDon=E2=80=99t give me that bullshit, Kirk. I have had both of you = watched leading=20 up to this simulation. All of your computer access has been monitored. Your= =20 movements. Your communications. There is absolutely not one second of one d= ay in=20 which you could have reprogrammed the simulator. I want to know how you did= =20 it. Exactly. In detail.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CActually, Hiro=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CThat=E2=80=99s Admiral Nogura, Cadet!=E2=80=9D Kirk didn=E2=80=99t= flinch. Heihachiro hadn=E2=80=99t=20 intimidated him in years. =20 =E2=80=9CAdmiral. It was Captain Kirk who changed the simulation. 16 years = ago, in=20 this universe.=E2=80=9D =20 Nogura stood up straight, looking nonplussed. =E2=80=9CBut that program was= deleted=20 immediately after Kirk=E2=80=99s cheating was discovered.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CTechnically sir, you=E2=80=99ll recall that it was ruled as being = fair tactics=20 under Academy=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CDon=E2=80=99t give me any history lessons, Kirk! Tell me what you = did today. How=20 did you hack it? It was exactly the same scenario=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CIt was=E2=80=A6 it is a sleeping mirror, sir. The complete progra= m is duplicated=20 several times in other portions of the main Academy computer, though it can= =20 only be activated during the Kobiyashi Maru simulation. When the simulation= runs,=20 if the computer receives the activation code under my voice print=E2=80=A6= =E2=80=9D He=20 shrugged. =E2=80=9CIt starts.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CThe code was?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s when I say my name and tell them either to assist me,= or prepare to=20 die.=E2=80=9D He found it hard to contain the snort of laughter that threat= ened him at=20 the memory, but struggled and mastered it. =20 =E2=80=9CAh. And then it automatically retrieved a mirror that has been dor= mant for=20 almost 17 years, despite considerable upgrades and=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D Nogura= stopped and shook=20 his head.=20 =20 Kirk nodded. =E2=80=9CI didn=E2=80=99t actually know if it would still work= , Hiro. But I=20 wanted to try. After all, it was fun the first time.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CAnd if it hadn=E2=80=99t worked?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI was going to destroy the ship in an anti-matter explosion and ta= ke all the=20 Klingons with me. I figured that would give me at least a week of psych=20 evaluations, which would also be fun. The game=E2=80=99s rigged, Hiro, and = you knew that I=20 knew it! I just =E2=80=93 re-rigged it.=E2=80=9D =20 The Admiral=E2=80=99s eyes narrowed. =E2=80=9CSpock, did you have anything = to do with this?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, sir. Abetting through silence, sir. I knew what Cadet Kirk wa= s planning=20 and did not report it. However=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, yes, never mind.=E2=80=9D Nogura sighed, then shook his head = and sat down. =E2=80=9CAt=20 ease. Sit down, both of you. You give me a headache.=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk grinned openly at Spock, and reached for a chair. =E2=80=9CYou must ha= ve been=20 expecting something, Hiro. I mean, why else would the Chief of Operations b= e=20 watching a cadet simulation?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI did wonder how you would beat it this time, but I=E2=80=99ll adm= it you still=20 managed to surprise me. Imagine the program staying intact through all the = refits=20 and upgrades, it tells me that we need some new technicians. Someone should= =20 have noticed it,=E2=80=9D he replied, then drummed his fingers briefly on t= he table top.=20 =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s been a tough 14 months for you two.=E2=80=9D =20 The subject change sobered Kirk. Spock had slid into the chair beside him,= =20 and he pressed his knee lightly against the Vulcan=E2=80=99s. The unspoken = support that=20 came back soothed him.=20 =20 =E2=80=9CNot so bad, Hiro. Busy. Irritating, sometimes. Compressing the tri= als and=20 exams of 4 Academy years, including survival training and everything, into = just=20 over one year=E2=80=A6 a bit tiring. Then there=E2=80=99s all the extra tec= hnology we=E2=80=99ve had=20 to learn. Not to mention the hours and hours of historical debriefing and=20 mission debriefing from our own two years on our Enterprise. For Spock, wor= se,=20 with all of the extra academics. But=E2=80=A6 interesting.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CIt has been interesting to watch, as well,=E2=80=9D Nogura replied= . =E2=80=9CHow do you=20 think you=E2=80=99ve done?=E2=80=9D =20 It was a sore spot with both of them. StarFleet had suppressed all of their= =20 results. They hadn=E2=80=99t seen a single exam result, nor had any written= or oral=20 feedback on any simulation or training exercise. No grades, no marks, not e= ven a =E2=80=98 pass=E2=80=99 or =E2=80=98fail=E2=80=99. And not a word about possible futu= res. Kirk glanced at=20 Spock, and both shook their heads. =20 =E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re not even speculating,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied. =E2=80= =9CWe have known from the=20 beginning that it would be=E2=80=A6 that the decision about our future in S= tarFleet wouldn=E2=80=99t=20 have much to do with the results of our exams. If it did, you could have ju= st=20 sent us into space =E2=80=93 our counterparts here passed everything, after= all. We=20 knew we would do much better than that, having so many years experience in = the=20 field. Your decision would rest more on our actions than our results. So we= =20 decided quite early on, perhaps after the fourth time a result was refused = us,=20 not to speculate about it. We deduced that the withholding of results was=20 probably part of the test itself. Our decision was simply to do our best.= =E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CAh.=E2=80=9D Nogura nodded. =E2=80=9CSensible. Well, I don=E2=80= =99t have any news for you today=20 either, I=E2=80=99m sorry to say. However, you have earned, along with the = rest of the=20 fourth year cadets, two weeks of leave before postings come out.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CPostings?=E2=80=9D Kirk sat forward. =20 =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99d advise you to continue in your course of refusing to s= peculate, James=20 T. Kirk the Younger. In the meantime, you both have two weeks=E2=80=99 holi= day.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CGreat, two weeks in our room with nothing to do, after months of n= ot having=20 a moment to stop? Hiro, I=E2=80=99ll go nuts.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CWhy stay in your rooms?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CWell, mainly because the allowance you paid us was just about enou= gh to=20 restock our wardrobes and buy a decent quantum computer for Spock, plus get= us as=20 much FedNet time as he needed for his research. We=E2=80=99re used to unlim= ited access=20 to the greatest computer system in the Federation, Hiro. Do you know how=20 expensive extra-planetary =E2=80=98Net time is for non-coms? There=E2=80=99= s not a great deal=20 left over for holidays.=E2=80=9D Kirk didn=E2=80=99t mention the money that= they both received=20 automatically from Vulcan. It was going into a contingency fund in Shi=E2= =80=99Kahr,=20 that Sarek was managing, and they had decided that it was off limits until = their=20 future was more secure. He sighed. =E2=80=9COh well, there=E2=80=99s always= the simulators.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CNot during term break,=E2=80=9D Hiro replied. =E2=80=9CNot for a n= otorious hacker like=20 yourself, who just completely confused our most advanced simulator programm= ing=20 experts. I was going to force you to find and delete the program yourself, = but I=20 think it would be best to keep you away from our computer department for a= =20 time, or I couldn=E2=80=99t guarantee your safety. No, maybe you=E2=80=99ll= just have to do a=20 bit of sight-seeing around the Bay area.=E2=80=9D He stood up and both Kirk= and Spock=20 followed suit. =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99ll hear from me in 2 weeks.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, sir,=E2=80=9D they both replied. Then Kirk smiled and cocked = his head. =E2=80=9CSir?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CHow do you think we=E2=80=99ve done?=E2=80=9D =20 Nogura didn=E2=80=99t smile, but he didn=E2=80=99t frown either. =E2=80=9CP= ut it this way. Do you=20 know that there are pools among the senior officers every time the Kobyashi= Maru=20 is run? We bet on how long the individual cadet will last before they get t= he=20 ship destroyed. Last time a Kirk was in there, we had to pay back all bets.= =E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CAnd this time?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CMost people bet you would use the self-destruct, just to get it ov= er with.=20 However, I won the entire pot,=E2=80=9D Hiro replied, smiling slightly, but= with=20 narrowed eyes. =E2=80=9CAnd, as you might imagine, the odds against you wer= e very, very long. =E2=80=9D =20 * =20 They walked back across the Quad to their building, shoulder to shoulder bu= t=20 not touching. /That was very unsatisfactory/ Spock sent at last. =20 Kirk nodded. /But doing the simulation was fun. Two weeks! What are we goin= g=20 to do for two weeks?/ He sighed and stopped beside a fountain in their=20 residence=E2=80=99s forecourt, watching the water droplets patterning the s= urface. /I didn=E2=80=99t=20 realize how much I was counting on finding something out today./ =20 Spock didn=E2=80=99t respond. After a moment Kirk turned to look at him. = =E2=80=9CWhat?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI am thinking,=E2=80=9D he replied. =E2=80=9CI would have no diffi= culty continuing my=20 studies for two weeks. In fact, I would welcome the uninterrupted time to c= omplete=20 some enquiries I have been making into a new field of research here, regard= ing=20 the intersection of normal space and tachyon space with the multiverse.=20 However, it would be patently unfair of me to do so.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CSpock.=E2=80=9D Kirk smiled and touched his mate=E2=80=99s chest l= ightly, then let his hand=20 drop. =E2=80=9CI was the one being selfish. Of course, you can continue you= r=20 research. I=E2=80=99ll find some way to amuse myself.=E2=80=9D =20 /You have made no friends here,/ Spock replied. Kirk felt his face slowly=20 fall. It was true. He had been too busy, too caught up in the process, and = the=20 cadets were all so young and inexperienced. The more senior officers, those= =20 closer to his age, couldn=E2=80=99t socialize with him while he was still, = technically, a=20 cadet. /Normally you would go away with McCoy or Scott./ =20 /There is no =E2=80=98normally=E2=80=99 here, not yet/ Kirk replied. He swu= ng around and=20 felt Spock falling into step beside him. /Besides, we=E2=80=99re still bein= g treated like=20 curiosities./ =20 /You have handled it very well./ The door of the building slid open before= =20 them and he walked through at Kirk=E2=80=99s side. =E2=80=9CPerhaps a compr= omise is in order.=20 We will allot a certain number of hours each day for mutual sight-seeing an= d re laxation. I can work for four of the seven hours that you normally like to= =20 sleep, and in the extra hours during the day.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CThat sounds like a good plan,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied, though he kne= w Spock could=20 feel his little stab of frustration. =E2=80=9CWish McCoy was here. I deserv= e a good =E2=80=98 drunk=E2=80=99.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CPerhaps you might use these two weeks to seek out some new acquain= tances,=20 with whom to indulge in that peculiar pastime.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9COh, great idea. Right before I am due to get my first real posting= in this=20 universe, I=E2=80=99ll go out and get drunk with a near-stranger and ruin m= y record.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CDid you and Gary Mitchell not do that during your two week leave b= efore your=20 first posting after graduating, last time?=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk laughed. =E2=80=9CYeah. But then, I was young and stupid.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI have no comment to make to that.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CSmart man.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI know that.=E2=80=9D =20 * =20 The sun was barely up, not yet strong enough to lift the dew sparkling on t= he=20 grass of the playing field. Barely 0500 =E2=80=93 during the last year Jim = had=20 grabbed exercise time when he could, but for these last two days he had bee= n up with=20 the birds, with nothing to do. He was surprised the first day that he wasn= =E2=80=99t=20 alone at that hour; a dozen others, anonymous in their track suits, were=20 taking their exercise as well. It was no different today, and as he pounded= up to=20 the bleachers after his fifth and final kilometre of the morning he exchang= ed=20 a grin with another man who had arrived there just ahead of him. =20 =E2=80=9CFive klicks?=E2=80=9D=20 =20 =E2=80=9CYeah. You too?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYeah.=E2=80=9D Neither of them was blowing hard. The other was tow= elling the sweat=20 from his neck as Jim reached for his own towel. Jim inspected him=20 surreptitiously as he wiped the sweat from his own head. Probably around th= e same age, he=20 decided, though it was hard to tell. The other man had quite dark skin, and= =20 Jim had always had difficulty pinpointing the ages of other humans with=20 different racial characteristics. The man caught his eye and blinked, then = smiled. =20 =E2=80=9CYou teach here?=E2=80=9D Jim asked. He didn=E2=80=99t remember see= ing him before. =20 =E2=80=9CNaw, but the officers=E2=80=99 quarters at the main HQ building ar= e full. Lots of=20 ships in orbit, waiting for crew reassignments right now, all getting refit= s.=20 They put the overflow here, because there=E2=80=99s so much space during te= rm break.=20 Saves on hotel rooms,=E2=80=9D the darker man responded. He straightened up= and offered=20 his hand. =E2=80=9CLieutenant Commander Pete Redding.=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk took a step back and stared, suddenly angry. =E2=80=9CIs this some kin= d of a=20 joke?=E2=80=9D =20 The other blinked, and dropped his hand. =E2=80=9CWhat? Hell, I was just tr= ying to be=20 friendly. What the hell is your problem?=E2=80=9D He snapped the towel back= around=20 his neck angrily and began to walk away. =20 Confused, Kirk followed. =E2=80=9CNow wait a minute=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CLook, buddy, I don=E2=80=99t see any pointed ears, so if you have = some other reason=20 for refusing to shake my hand, I don=E2=80=99t want to know, okay?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re name is Pete Redding? It really is, you=E2=80=99re = not joking with me?=E2=80=9D=20 =20 The other man stopped and sighed. =E2=80=9COh, so that=E2=80=99s it. Yes, i= t is, and yes, he=20 was, and no, I don=E2=80=99t know anything about him that isn=E2=80=99t in = the history=20 books. There, does that make you happy?=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk shook his head. =E2=80=9CHis descendent? That=E2=80=A6 I=E2=80=99m sor= ry, that didn=E2=80=99t occur to=20 me. Look, I didn=E2=80=99t mean to be rude. I apologize. You must get that = all the=20 time, the =E2=80=98are you related to=E2=80=99 thing.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CIn fact, I do. But most people don=E2=80=99t draw back like they= =E2=80=99ve seen a=20 poisonous snake.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CSorry. It=E2=80=99s just, I never know what to expect around here.= =E2=80=9D Kirk smiled his=20 most rueful, boyish grin and shrugged. =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m Jim. Jim Kirk.= =E2=80=9D =20 The other man stared, and then suddenly he relaxed. =E2=80=9CShit. Well, th= at=20 explains that.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYou know then? About me?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYeah, everyone knows. I=E2=80=99m surprised I didn=E2=80=99t recog= nize you =E2=80=93 I=E2=80=99ve seen=20 your local doppelganger around enough times. But you know, you do look youn= ger.=20 And thinner.=E2=80=9D He held out his hand again, and this time Kirk shook = it firmly. =E2=80=9C Let=E2=80=99s start again. I=E2=80=99m Pete Redding. I hear you knew my ump= teen-times great=20 grand-dad.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CKnew him briefly, liked him a lot. Glad to meet you. So, you=E2=80= =99re shipping=20 soon? What=E2=80=99s your department?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CChief Medical. I=E2=80=99m a doctor and surgeon. Hey=E2=80=A6=E2= =80=9D he began, and then shook=20 his head. =E2=80=9CNo, that=E2=80=99s as bad as everyone asking me if I=E2= =80=99m related to him all=20 the time.=E2=80=9D =20 With a stab of intuition, Jim knew what the man had been going to ask. =E2= =80=9CYou=20 want to hear about him.=E2=80=9D =20 The other man shrugged, and started walking again. Kirk fell into step besi= de=20 him. =E2=80=9CAll I know is that you met him. I=E2=80=99d like to hear more= about him. Wouldn =E2=80=99t you, if you were me?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYes, I would. And I=E2=80=99d like to tell you about him. But I=E2= =80=99d have to get=20 clearance, I=E2=80=99m afraid. Most of the story is still classified inform= ation. Temporal=20 directives. You know.=E2=80=9D =20 Redding nodded. =E2=80=9CI understand. I wasn=E2=80=99t really expecting an= ything. What are=20 you doing here?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CWaiting,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied. =E2=80=9CSpock and I have been bus= y since we arrived,=20 catching up with your=E2=80=A6 with our new universe. We=E2=80=99re hoping = for some kind of=20 StarFleet assignment next week, but Nogura=E2=80=99s a tight-lipped bastard= . So for the next=20 few days, I=E2=80=99m jogging and watching the grass grow.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CGood for your soul,=E2=80=9D Redding replied, laughing. =E2=80=9CW= ell, I=E2=80=99m cooling my=20 heels, too, this week. Can I invite you and your partner out for a drink? I= =20 promise not to ask about my illustrious ancestor.=E2=80=9D =20 Kirk shook his head with a wry smile. =E2=80=9CI wish I could accept, Comma= nder, but=20 unfortunately that would be against regs. Technically, we=E2=80=99re still = cadets.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re joking.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CI wish I was,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied with a laugh of his own.=20 =20 =E2=80=9CHuh.=E2=80=9D They walked along in silence for a moment, then Pete= glanced at him=20 sideways. =E2=80=9CWell, if you just accidentally happened to run into a fe= w officers=20 at a nice little harbour-front bar and grill, and they invited you to sit d= own,=20 you=E2=80=99d pretty much have to do it, wouldn=E2=80=99t you? I mean, as a= cadet, how can=20 you refuse?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CAs an ordinary cadet, of course I couldn=E2=80=99t. But as=E2=80= =A6 as me, I=E2=80=99m afraid I=E2=80=99d=20 have to plead a previous engagement and politely decline, Commander. I=E2= =80=99m=20 afraid I=E2=80=99m rather under the microscope here. Though thanks for the = offer.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CUnderstood.=E2=80=9D The path split, and they stopped. =E2=80=9CIf= you are feeling less=20 virtuous tonight, a bunch of us will be doing the joints between Ogilvy=E2= =80=99s and the=20 Wharf from 20 hundred until we can=E2=80=99t see. Otherwise=E2=80=A6 see yo= u on the track=20 tomorrow?=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CThanks. Tomorrow then.=E2=80=9D He held out his hand again, and Re= dding shook it=20 warmly. =E2=80=9CGlad to have met you, Commander,=E2=80=9D Kirk said. =20 =E2=80=9CI prefer =E2=80=98Doctor=E2=80=99, but you can call me Pete. We=E2= =80=99re practically related.=E2=80=9D =20 =E2=80=9CUntil tomorrow, Pete.=E2=80=9D =20 *** End Part One [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: