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Subject: TOS, AU, PG, K/S:  WIP Home is the Heart sequel by Rae Trail, Part 2 of 4
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Home is the Heart =E2=80=93 Another Universe, Another Time
Part One of a Work in Progress
Part Two of Four
=20
By Rae Trail
=20
Continued
=20
The ordinary interaction with another Human, someone near his age who hadn=
=E2=80=99t=20
treated him like a strange science experiment, left Kirk feeling slightly=20
elated all day. Spock, intrigued both by the meeting and Kirk=E2=80=99s moo=
d, was=20
speculating about it as they walked along the beach near the ancient walls =
of the=20
Presidio late that evening.
=20
/I didn=E2=80=99t realize how depressed you had become. It was a gradual ch=
ange./
=20
/I=E2=80=99m not depressed./
=20
/Not at this moment, no. But you are a very social creature. You have=20
sublimated your need for multiple companions during this difficult transiti=
on time=20
into =E2=80=98teamwork=E2=80=99 and=E2=80=A6/
=20
=E2=80=9CHold on, Mister! Multiple companions?=E2=80=9D
=20
Spock nearly smiled. Instead he took Kirk=E2=80=99s hand and squeezed it. =
=E2=80=9CI did not=20
mean =E2=80=98multiple partners=E2=80=99, Jim. I meant a group of friends. =
You have always=20
had a small group of Human friends, who give you something I simply cannot.=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou give me everything,=E2=80=9D Kirk responded loyally.
=20
=E2=80=9CNo. I do not. Nor do I aspire to, or even wish to. I do, however, =
wish you=20
to be happy. I am glad you met Doctor Redding. It shows both of us a need t=
hat=20
you have to fill.=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim squeezed Spock=E2=80=99s hand back, and then sat down on the cool sand,=
 pulling=20
Spock down beside him. =E2=80=9CI love you.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI know that. And no, I will not make love with you on this beach.=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHell, I know that!=E2=80=9D Kirk pressed up against Spock=E2=80=99=
s side. =E2=80=9CWhy don=E2=80=99t you=20
come out to the track tomorrow morning and meet him too? You=E2=80=99d like=
 him.=E2=80=9D
=20
He could feel the black eyes on him in the dark. The sigh he half expected=
=20
didn=E2=80=99t come. Instead, Spock nodded. =E2=80=9CVery well. I will.=E2=
=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CGood.=E2=80=9D Kirk looked over at him. =E2=80=9CWhy?=E2=80=9D
=20
Spock smiled. =E2=80=9CDoes it not strike you as peculiar that you have nev=
er heard=20
of a Pete Redding of that rank and position in our own fleet? Most ship=E2=
=80=99s=20
doctors=E2=80=99 ranks are ornaments, few bother with the command courses t=
hat would raise=20
them above Second Lieutenant, fewer still achieve the field work and=20
decorations necessary for the rank of Commander, even Lieutenant Commander.=
 Yet, Doctor=20
Redding stated that he had =E2=80=98seen your local doppelganger a few time=
s.=E2=80=99 There=20
are only 17 ships in our universe which would have had a position for a=20
doctor and surgeon of such a high rank, and I believe that you would recogn=
ize the=20
names of all of them.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWould I?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CCertainly you would, even if you cannot call them to mind at the p=
resent=20
time. Presented with a printed list, you would acknowledge the truth of thi=
s.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk mulled that over for a moment and then saw the flaw in the argument. =
=E2=80=9C
There are over four times as many ships flying under the flag in this unive=
rse,=20
Spock, thanks to their longer time in space. Talent gets promoted. No doubt=
 he=20
was serving elsewhere in our=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D he trailed off. =E2=80=9CBut=
 there aren=E2=80=99t that many=20
more ships that are flying deep space exploratory missions, with hundreds o=
f=20
crew, and large sickbays, and the need for command rank Chiefs. Not that ma=
ny=20
who would run into the local =E2=80=98me=E2=80=99. He really should have be=
en killed that=20
night, shouldn=E2=80=99t he? In our universe, this Pete Redding couldn=E2=
=80=99t exist.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI don=E2=80=99t know. We cannot know. There may be no real relatio=
nship, just=20
wishful thinking on the part of this Pete Redding=E2=80=99s family. It was,=
 after all,=20
rather difficult for a homosexual man in that time to have children that bo=
re his=20
name.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI guess.=E2=80=9D Kirk lobbed a stone into the bay, thinking back =
to Spock=E2=80=99s=20
statement about =E2=80=98multiple companions=E2=80=99. =E2=80=9CIt has been=
 difficult. I mean, I knew more=20
than half of the instructors and doctors and examiners this year. They were=
 so=20
like their old counterparts =E2=80=93 men and women and others that I used =
to=20
socialize with, that I had so much in common with. Stolsky, in tactics =E2=
=80=93 that was=20
tough. I liked that old bastard! We were friends after I graduated, and I=20
guest-lectured for him. I=E2=80=99ve been to his house, I=E2=80=99ve met hi=
s wife. Hell, I dated his=20
daughter!=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYes. I am surprised he made no overtures of friendship.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CSome of them though =E2=80=93 I felt like I should have heard of t=
hem before,=20
should have known their records. This fleet is huge compared to ours. Thoug=
h=20
Enterprise is still the flagship.=E2=80=9D He grinned. =E2=80=9CAnd some ve=
rsion of me is still her=20
captain!=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CTalent gets promoted,=E2=80=9D Spock echoed. =E2=80=9CDid you know=
 that there are 43=20
Vulcans serving on inter-racial ships here?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHow did you discover that?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI asked,=E2=80=9D he said simply.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CYou would.=E2=80=9D Kirk thought that over for a moment. =E2=80=9C=
Were you still the first?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI was.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9COf course you were, my Spock, always leading the way in any univer=
se. Are=20
most of the others serving in the sciences?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9C31 are in sciences. 10 are strictly involved in computational engi=
neering.=20
One is a helmsperson. And one, to my surprise, is a security and weapons=20
officer.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThat is shocking.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CIt most certainly is.=E2=80=9D Spock rose and dusted the sand from=
 his trousers. =E2=80=9CI=20
am cold.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThen let=E2=80=99s go home, and I will warm you up.=E2=80=9D
=20
*
=20
The next morning it seemed that Pete Redding had been struck with a similar=
=20
impulse as Jim Kirk, for he was jogging in tandem with another man, and bot=
h=20
waved when they saw Jim and Spock at the bleachers.
=20
=E2=80=9CWonder if that=E2=80=99s his partner?=E2=80=9D Kirk asked, droppin=
g his towel and beginning=20
to stretch. Spock raised an eyebrow, but didn=E2=80=99t bother to answer th=
e useless=20
speculation. Instead, he folded himself onto a bench seat and activated the=
=20
padd he had brought with him. Taking the hint, Kirk lopped away onto the tr=
ack.
=20
Redding completed his five kilometres one lap ahead of Kirk, but Jim didn=
=E2=80=99t=20
bother to join them immediately. Instead, he tuned Spock in and continued w=
ith=20
his final lap. /Greet him for me, will you, love? I don=E2=80=99t want to c=
ut short my=20
exercise/.
=20
Acquiescence. Through the bond, Jim followed the conversation. He noticed=20
that the man with Redding was panting, though not heavily.
=20
=E2=80=9CDoctor Redding,=E2=80=9D Spock said, rising from his seat, as the =
two men=20
approached. =E2=80=9CJim is nearly finished his allotted number of laps, an=
d says he will join=20
us then. I believe he wishes to exchange greetings in person.=E2=80=9D
=20
/That was just sooooo Vulcan, Spock! Couldn=E2=80=99t you just say =E2=80=
=98hi, I=E2=80=99m Spock=E2=80=99?/
=20
/No, I could not./
=20
=E2=80=9CI am Spock,=E2=80=9D he added, belatedly. Jim couldn=E2=80=99t see=
 the exchange, as he was=20
rounding the near end of the track and had his back to the three of them.
=20
=E2=80=9CSpock. A pleasure to meet you,=E2=80=9D he heard through Spock=E2=
=80=99s ears, always an=20
interesting sensation. =E2=80=9CThis is a friend and erstwhile ship-mate, W=
aleed=20
McKenzie.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CLong life and prosperity,=E2=80=9D the second man said, and Kirk w=
as surprised by=20
his accent. A mixture of Damascus and Glasgow, he thought. Through Spock=E2=
=80=99s eyes=20
he got a picture; short, well-trimmed beard, short black hair, olive=20
complexion, large, hooked nose and surprisingly bright lips. A twinkle in h=
is dark=20
brown eyes. Handsome, in a jagged kind of way. Perhaps forty years old. Fit=
,=20
though less so than Pete. He jogged into the backstretch, and watched as th=
e=20
little group settled on the bleachers.
=20
=E2=80=9CYou two have served together before, then? On which ship, if that =
is not too=20
bold?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CNot at all, Mister Spock,=E2=80=9D McKenzie responded. =E2=80=9CWe=
 were on the Bucephalus=20
together as ensigns, a million years ago, and most recently served three ye=
ars=20
together on the Gallant.  I=E2=80=99m in engineering, but Pete warned me no=
t to=20
divulge my rank.=E2=80=9D
=20
Even though he couldn=E2=80=99t see it, he could feel Spock=E2=80=99s eyebr=
ow climbing. =E2=80=9CMay=20
one=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CPlease don=E2=80=99t, Mister Spock,=E2=80=9D Redding over-rode smo=
othly. =E2=80=9CRight now, we=E2=80=99re=20
both between ships, and wondering if we=E2=80=99re going to be posted toget=
her again.=20
You two are pretty much in the same position, aren=E2=80=99t you? So rank d=
oesn=E2=80=99t=20
really matter, does it?=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim slowed his pace to cool down in the last 50 metres. It appeared that a=
=20
second invitation, more easily acceptable, might be in the offing. He took =
the=20
few moments he had to consider it, still listening.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CI hope we didn=E2=80=99t interrupt anything,=E2=80=9D McKenzie was=
 saying.
=20
=E2=80=9CNegative. A review of charm and strange anti-quark behaviour in no=
n-space. I=20
am doing some advanced research, and realized that I had learned one of the=
=20
fundamental building blocks of chaos theory at such a young age that I had=
=20
better be sure I understood it correctly, as they appear to be applying the=
=20
calculations differently than I expected.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re reviewing basic chaos at five in the morning?=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThat=E2=80=99s my Spock,=E2=80=9D Jim said, slowing to stop a few =
feet away. =E2=80=9CThough I=20
doubt you=E2=80=99ll find that you=E2=80=99ve misunderstood it, Spock. It s=
eems far more likely=20
that the current batch of scientists are applying it improperly.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9COne always checks one=E2=80=99s facts before challenging another=
=E2=80=99s. Jim, this is=20
Mister Waleed McKenzie, of unspecified rank and unknown posting,=E2=80=9D h=
e finished,=20
as he handed Jim his towel.
=20
Jim took it and dried his hands, then held out his right hand to McKenzie,=
=20
who shook it firmly. Jim noticed heavy calluses on the palm, and thought =
=E2=80=93 chief=20
engineer. =E2=80=9CMister McKenzie, I=E2=80=99m Jim Kirk. Nice to meet you.=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou too, Mister Kirk.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CJust Jim, please. Good morning, Pete! How was the pub crawl last n=
ight?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAs expected. We got asked to vacate Molly=E2=80=99s at about midni=
ght, and Waleed=20
and I had the sense to go home then. The rest may be sleeping on the wharf =
for=20
all I know.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CTypical shore leave.=E2=80=9D He slung the towel around his neck a=
nd sat down=20
sideways so that he could see all three men easily, one knee barely touchin=
g Spock=E2=80=99
s thigh. =E2=80=9CSo you=E2=80=99re both between ships, then? Any hopes?=E2=
=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWell=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D McKenzie frowned. =E2=80=9CI don=E2=80=99t =
see any rank insignia here, so I=E2=80=99m=20
gonna assume that you two can keep your mouths shut. You, and your counterp=
arts=20
here, have a reputation that says so.=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim blinked. =E2=80=9CYour choice, but thanks for the compliment.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s this new Explorer class transwarp ship. Rumour has it=
 that she=E2=80=99s going=20
through final design approval, and I=E2=80=99d like to get my hands on her =
again. She=E2=80=99
s a little beauty.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CTranswarp!=E2=80=9D Jim=E2=80=99s surprise was mirrored in Spock=
=E2=80=99s raised eyebrows. =E2=80=9CThat=20
was on the books as a pure experiment, where we come from. Transwarp was=20
considered years in the future, if practical at all. They were still using=
=20
experimentals.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWell, I hope they don=E2=80=99t use many manned experimentals,=E2=
=80=9D McKenzie replied=20
dryly. =E2=80=9CNot to say that transwarp doesn=E2=80=99t work, in a very p=
eculiar way. We=20
fussed with it for years, before we realized that the very act of crossing =
the=20
warp barrier was creating the same kind of instability in the multiverse th=
at=20
brought you two here. Our models kept achieving the expected relativity. Th=
ey=E2=80=99d=20
be fine for two or three runs. Then=E2=80=A6 poof.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CGone?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CCompletely. We finally figured out that they were crossing into th=
e=20
multiverse and not finding their way back. Ridiculous=E2=80=A6 we should ha=
ve figured it out.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHow?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWell, at that level of relative chaos, you=E2=80=99re dealing with=
 improbabilities=20
that are very difficult to calculate. The larger the mass you are trying to=
=20
move, the more improbable a predictable result is. So, when we tried to mov=
e a=20
large ship, it became highly improbable that it would behave in the way we=
=20
forecast, based on models of smaller dimensions. The more mass, the more=20
particles, the less predictability, you see? Also, the further we tried to =
move the=20
mass, the more improbable it became, so long or repeated runs altered the n=
ature=20
of reality just enough to tip the mass over into another aspect of the=20
multiverse, but not tip it back to the right one again.=E2=80=9D He gazed a=
cross the playing=20
field. =E2=80=9CI can imagine there are some rather startled folks in other=
 universes=20
trying to figure out where our ships came from=E2=80=A6 that is, if any of =
them got=20
anywhere useful.=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim checked to make sure that Spock, at least, had understood, and relaxed=
=20
when he got an affirmative. =E2=80=9CBut we have such a ship designed now?=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CA different sort of application. We discovered that if we make onl=
y one=20
short run through the multiverse, we can return to our point of origin with=
out=20
disrupting reality to the point that the return becomes too improbable. Now=
, a=20
short run in the multiverse is relative as well, because it can mean a very=
 long=20
distance in real space. The runs, or hops, tend to average between 3000 and=
=20
6000 simultaneous light years.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CGood lord!=E2=80=9D Jim got off the bench and paced away, then bac=
k. =E2=80=9CBut you can=20
only do it once, before improbability becomes too great to allow a return?=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CActually, our limit seems to be 3 hops out, three hops back, at th=
e size of=20
ship we are using. Were using. They may have improved it. Of course, after=
=20
those 3 hops the ship has to exist in real space for an extremely long time=
=20
before its probability of existence returns to normal enough numbers for it=
 to=20
venture out again.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAnd if you stick to one hop out, one hop back?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CShe outbounds to a space and returns with enough inherent reality =
to make=20
any number of trips without disturbing the multiverse.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CIn any direction from the starting point?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThat=E2=80=99s the theory,=E2=80=9D McKenzie said, rubbing his han=
ds together. =E2=80=9CYou can=20
hop out, engage normal warp drive capability wherever you arrive, and cruis=
e=20
until you want to return. Re-engage, and Bingo! You=E2=80=99re back.=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CFrom a different outbound position, achieved at normal warp speed?=
=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CExactly. Point of departure never varies from point of return, no =
matter how=20
many light years travel occurs past the outward point.=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim sat down and stared across the field. =E2=80=9CThat is really something=
. That=20
means we could begin new explorations immediately from the very edge of kno=
wn=20
space! But the ships are small, you say?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9COh, small is relative. The Constellation class is far too big, but=
 the=20
Explorer class will carry between 80 and 100 people, depending on species=
=E2=80=99=20
requirements. The design is lovely. They say she=E2=80=99ll do warp nine in=
 normal warp space=20
for extended runs, though she cruises best around warp six and below. There=
=E2=80=99s=20
your exploratory vessel of tomorrow, gentlemen!=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CNo kidding,=E2=80=9D Jim muttered. He looked up at McKenzie. =E2=
=80=9CAny chance of seeing=20
the math? I know that seeing the plans is out of the question.=E2=80=9D
=20
The other two humans exchanged looks, and then McKenzie sighed. =E2=80=9CWe=
ll,=20
talking about it is one thing, but actually showing the numbers=E2=80=A6 th=
at=E2=80=99s quite=20
different, isn=E2=80=99t it? Everyone in the galaxy knows we=E2=80=99ve bee=
n working on it, so I=20
don=E2=80=99t think I=E2=80=99ve gone over any lines yet. But=E2=80=A6=E2=
=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CNo problem.=E2=80=9D He managed a smile. =E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re no=
t even cleared to see the logs=20
of the present Enterprise for the two years that coincide with our voyage o=
n=20
her, so I know that we wouldn=E2=80=99t be cleared for this. Thanks for the=
 overview=20
though, Mister McKenzie. It=E2=80=99s nice to know that progress is being m=
ade in the=20
field, even if I never get to see it.=E2=80=9D
=20
The four men stood up, and handshakes were exchanged again. Pete lifted his=
=20
towel, and said casually, =E2=80=9Cwe were planning to go out to the Wharf =
for dinner=20
tonight. Strictly out of uniform and off the record, of course. We are all =
on=20
leave. Nineteen-hundred. Hope to see you there, both of you.=E2=80=9D
=20
They sauntered away across the track, and Jim exchanged a look with Spock. =
=E2=80=9C
Are we being set up?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CMost assuredly. Though I cannot say for what.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHmmm. Let=E2=80=99s go. I need a shower.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI know that.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CSmart ass.=E2=80=9D
=20
They turned and walked together toward their building. Spock waited serenel=
y=20
while Kirk=E2=80=99s mind churned over the new information he had received,=
 and then=20
was quietly pleased when Kirk came up with an appropriate question.
=20
=E2=80=9CThis is what you=E2=80=99re investigating, isn=E2=80=99t it? You f=
ound the math somewhere,=20
interpolated the application, and now you=E2=80=99ve found something unusua=
l in the=20
equations.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou are a very smart man, James T. Kirk.=E2=80=9D
=20
Jim grinned at him. =E2=80=9CI know that.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI will explain it all to you via a meld when you are clean again. =
Perhaps=20
your non-linear mode of thinking will help to clarify the difficulty I see =
in=20
the figures. According to what I understand, the improbabilities continue t=
o=20
multiple over relative time, until the multiverse shifts realities, regardl=
ess of=20
the length and number of the jumps, or the amount of time the vehicle spend=
s=20
in normal space. Eventually, a device of any size predicated on these=20
equations must fail to return to its point of origin.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHow do you figure that?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI will tell you in the meld. It is far too complex to communicate =
without=20
the correct math and models.=E2=80=9D
=20
***
End Part Two


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