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Subject: NEW:  TOS, AU, PG, K/S:  WIP Home is the Heart sequel by Rae Trail, Part 4 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 Four of Four
=20
By Rae Trail
=20
Continued
=20
Kirk felt much calmer when he and Spock walked into Nogura=E2=80=99s office=
 almost=20
five days later. He hadn=E2=80=99t had any contact with anyone other than S=
pock =E2=80=93 even=20
the joggers on the track had left him alone and he hadn=E2=80=99t been sorr=
y.
=20
Spock=E2=80=99s strange revelation had occupied most of his waking time. He=
 had been=20
busy, very busy, learning all he could about his day-to-day contemporary=20
reality.  Hours on the internet, with current biographies and even popular =
fiction,=20
with planetary and Federation news stations, with easily accessible history=
=20
books.
=20
He had come to the conclusion that Spock was right. This universe was very=
=20
different. He had also concluded that the differences went much further bac=
k=20
than his interference in the fist fight that would have killed Pete Redding=
,=20
those centuries back, or Spock=E2=80=99s inadvertent introduction of sub-sp=
ace to the=20
clever designer. He remembered Spock=E2=80=99s recitation of the difference=
s that evening=20
in the apartment; the avoidance of the Eugenics war, strong global governme=
nt,=20
the existence at that time of a moon base.
=20
Very different indeed.
=20
One of the most illuminating things he had encountered was a clipping servi=
ce=20
that provided him with the public information about the Enterprise=E2=80=99=
s first=20
five year exploratory mission
=20
He could trace the difference between the two universes to a single date an=
d=20
time and incident now. He wondered if part of the reason he and Spock had b=
een=20
kept so busy during their first year here had been to keep him from doing=20
just that. He wasn=E2=80=99t exactly sure how he felt about it, but realize=
d it didn=E2=80=99t=20
matter.
=20
Nogura was alone in his office when they entered, but stood up the instant=
=20
they walked in and nodded toward the next-door conference room.
=20
=E2=80=9CIn here, gentlemen.=E2=80=9D
=20
He opened the door and the pair preceded him into the room. Around the larg=
e=20
conference table, several people were gathered, all standing up as Nogura=20
entered the room. Jim was pleased to see Pete, Waleed, and Uhura all there,=
 as=20
well as the local version of Montgomery Scott. He also recognized Commodore=
 Matt=20
Decker, and was glad he had known the man wasn=E2=80=99t dead in this unive=
rse, so=20
that he wasn=E2=80=99t shocked now. In addition, there was a rather young l=
ooking Vulcan=20
male, and two women whose rank insignia identified them as Vice-Admirals be=
low=20
Nogura.
=20
Introductions were made; the Vulcan was Saven, of the VSA, the two women we=
re=20
Lori Ciani, in charge of the Explorer project, and Miriam Al Shehi, in char=
ge=20
of Fleet Maintenance.
=20
=E2=80=9CPleasure to meet you,=E2=80=9D Kirk said, accepting greetings for =
both himself and=20
his partner, as they took seats near the top of the table beside Nogura.
=20
=E2=80=9CJim,=E2=80=9D Nogura said, =E2=80=9CI have been monitoring your re=
search for the last few=20
days.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m not surprised,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied, feeling no resen=
tment for the invasion of=20
his privacy. He had come to realize very shortly after their arrival on thi=
s=20
Earth that privacy was not something he could expect, except in the warmth =
of=20
his bond. =E2=80=9CHave you reached any conclusions?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99d like to hear what you found the most interesting. Don=
=E2=80=99t worry about=20
confidentiality. Everyone in this room is cleared, henceforth, to hear what=
ever=20
you have to say.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk nodded and glanced at Spock. =E2=80=9CFirst of all =E2=80=93 is it gen=
erally accepted=20
that my bond mate didn=E2=80=99t break any regulations in determining the p=
roblem with=20
the transwarp equations?=E2=80=9D
=20
Ciani nodded. =E2=80=9CIt is. We were a bit shocked by how quickly and bril=
liantly=20
you discovered the problem, Mister Spock. We all agree that you arrived at =
your=20
conclusions on your own, from material that is in the public domain.=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAye,=E2=80=9D Scott said, grinning widely. =E2=80=9CI traced enoug=
h sources to confirm that=20
another mathematician of your ability could do the same.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAnd Mister Saven, given that material without any other informatio=
n,=20
inferred transwarp within a matter of hours. Although, he did fail to make =
the=20
connection that you made and find the error in the equations.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI am gratified to be exonerated. As a Vulcan, I find the idea of b=
eing=20
suspected of lying to be repugnant,=E2=80=9D Spock said. =E2=80=9CAre steps=
 being taken to correct=20
the problem in the equations?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThey are,=E2=80=9D Ciani replied.
=20
=E2=80=9CGood,=E2=80=9D Kirk said. =E2=80=9CThen I will gladly tell you wha=
t I found most=20
interesting in my research over the last few days. Reading the public versi=
on of the=20
logs from the first two years of your voyage on Enterprise,=E2=80=9D he sai=
d, nodding=20
toward Uhura and then Scott, =E2=80=9CI found myself curious about an incid=
ent that couldn
=E2=80=99t be reported there. An incident regarding a being or artefact tha=
t called=20
itself the Guardian of Forever.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAh.=E2=80=9D Nogura nodded. =E2=80=9CGo on.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CLooking into local history, I found the name of a woman who was de=
emed=20
almost single-handedly responsible for the development of world-wide democr=
acy. In=20
our universe, that woman was killed before she could begin her important li=
fe=E2=80=99
s work. In our universe, she was not a democratic allied with powerful=20
democrats, however, but a pacifist aligned with fascists. In our world, Edi=
th Keeler=20
died young. In fact, we were directly responsible for her death.=E2=80=9D
=20
The body language of those around the table told Kirk all he needed to know=
.=20
They were all aware of that important difference =E2=80=93 they had all won=
dered what=20
he would make of the information once he discovered it.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CYou have questions for me?=E2=80=9D Nogura said.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CDid Kirk, Spock, and McCoy go through the Guardian, here?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThey did not. There was no need. The accident with the cordrazine =
didn=E2=80=99t=20
occur.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk nodded in satisfaction. =E2=80=9CHas any use been made of the Guardian=
?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CNo. It is deemed far too dangerous. In light of the three instance=
s we had=20
seen in which you two were involved, affecting the life or death of a singl=
e=20
individual in history, our Temporal Directives have been made very strict,=
=20
stricter than they were already, and that=E2=80=99s saying something. In fa=
ct, it took over=20
a week of intense debate to decide to go back in time for you two. The=20
Guardian is carefully interdicted. We don=E2=80=99t even keep a research st=
ation there.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CSensible. The temptation to use it=E2=80=A6 It would be difficult =
for some people=20
to resist.=E2=80=9D
=20
Silence fell for a few moments.  Nogura finally leaned forward and addresse=
d=20
Kirk again. =E2=80=9CWhy do you find that the most interesting thing?=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CIt leads to everything else. It leads, finally, to why Jim Kirk in=
 this day=20
and universe is a different man to me. Sure, he cheated on the Kobiyashi Ma=
ru.=20
That=E2=80=99s the kind of guy we are =E2=80=93 we don=E2=80=99t take =E2=
=80=98no=E2=80=99 for an answer, we don=E2=80=99t=20
allow death to win if we can find any way of allowing life. But your Kirk w=
as=20
raised without the same bloody history that I, and my universe, had. And hi=
s=20
voyage had a different tone and texture because of it. It also was differen=
t,=20
because he didn=E2=80=99t meet all the same people we did, visit all the sa=
me planets,=20
encounter all the same dangers. Furthermore, the technology of this time=20
ensured that many of the dangers he did encounter simply weren=E2=80=99t as=
 dangerous to=20
him and his ship and his crew as they would have been to me and mine.=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAll true. Go on.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI have no doubt that he is a=E2=80=A6 good commander. I am a good =
commander, and=20
you don=E2=80=99t give your flagship to someone you don=E2=80=99t trust abs=
olutely. However, I=20
venture to say that I am a great commander. Something he can=E2=80=99t be, =
simply=20
because he didn=E2=80=99t develop the personality for it by meeting the cha=
llenges that I,=20
that we, met, and overcame, just to survive during our voyage.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m glad that your ego quotient is well known, Jim,=E2=80=
=9D Pete said dryly, =E2=80=9Cor=20
I would have to accuse you of megalomania. As it is, I, and the rest of the=
se=20
folks and others who have been keeping an eye on you two for the last year,=
=20
are convinced that you are what you appear to be; a well integrated genius =
who=20
is aware of his abilities and isn=E2=80=99t shy about using them.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk sat back and grinned. =E2=80=9CWell, thanks, Doctor! Does that mean yo=
u=E2=80=99re a=20
shrink, as well?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAny CMO on a starship is especially trained in the maintenance of =
the mind=20
of the man in the centre seat. In deep space, if you lose him, you generall=
y=20
lose the ship.=E2=80=9D
=20
With a tossing nod of acknowledgement, Kirk asked; =E2=80=9CWhat worried yo=
u most,=20
this last year?=E2=80=9D
=20
Redding sat forward and laced his fingers together, elbows resting=20
comfortably on the big table. =E2=80=9CI was concerned that you were isolat=
ing yourself. Apart=20
from you bond, you had very few social interactions. Of course, we didn=E2=
=80=99t=20
exactly provide you with an environment in which you could easily make frie=
nds. The=20
instant we did, last week, I finally got a first hand look at the famous Ki=
rk=20
charisma. Oh, don=E2=80=99t look like that. It wasn=E2=80=99t all an act on=
 my part, either.=20
Uhura warned me that I=E2=80=99d like you immediately, once I was able to c=
hat with=20
you in person and not just watch you on the holos and read other doctors=E2=
=80=99=20
reports. She was right. I hope=E2=80=A6 well, I wouldn=E2=80=99t mind at al=
l, having you for a=20
friend.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThanks, Pete. The feeling is mutual. Did they pick you because of =
your name?=20
Are you really descended from the Pete Redding we met?=E2=80=9D
=20
There was laughter all around that table at that, and a broad grin from=20
Scotty. Of course, Kirk realized Scott was probably the only contemporary a=
t the=20
table who had met the discoverer of sub-space in this universe. Doctor Redd=
ing=20
smiled acknowledgement and settled back in his chair.
=20
=E2=80=9CI am, but that=E2=80=99s not why they chose me. I was James Kirk=
=E2=80=99s physician during=20
his tenure on the Farragut. Saw him go from Lieutenant JG to full Commander=
=20
in ten years. No mean feat, by the way. I treated him for everything from a=
=20
near-amputation by sword, to the clap, and knew him pretty well. They wante=
d=20
McCoy, but he wouldn=E2=80=99t leave the Enterprise.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CGood old Bones,=E2=80=9D Kirk replied, grinning. =E2=80=9CWhat abo=
ut you, Waleed?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHell, I=E2=80=99ve been lobbying to meet you in person since I sta=
rted analyzing=20
your mission reports, ten months ago. But =E2=80=98wait=E2=80=99, that was =
all they said. =E2=80=98
Wait, see what they do.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CSo, you are the people who have been watching us this year? Uhura,=
 were we=20
your =E2=80=98special project=E2=80=99?=E2=80=9D
=20
She nodded, smiling. =E2=80=9CYou were. They wanted a communications expert=
 who was=20
familiar with the relationship and interactions between the contemporary Ki=
rk=20
and Spock. And I must say that I agree with your assessment. While I admire=
 and=20
respect the Captain James Kirk under whom I served for five years, I have a=
=20
soft spot for swashbucklers, and he isn=E2=80=99t one. My Jim, however, is =
a much=20
better diplomat than you will ever hope to be.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI won=E2=80=99t argue with that. I always find the best diplomacy =
for me is in=20
action, not words.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou have, however, a remarkable way with words,=E2=80=9D Spock sai=
d in his driest=20
Vulcan voice. =E2=80=9CI have a question.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CPlease go ahead, Mister Spock.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CCommodore Decker, what happened in this universe with the planet k=
iller?=E2=80=9D
=20
Decker shook his head. =E2=80=9CWe never encountered any such device, thank=
 god. When=20
I heard what happened to my ship, and to me, in your universe, I was=20
physically ill. I=E2=80=99m glad, though, that I know what to do if or when=
 we encounter such=20
a device.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAh. Another question, if I may?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CFire away,=E2=80=9D Nogura said.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CWill you now give us access to the logs of the Enterprise for the =
first=20
voyage she undertook?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CFull access, yes. We=E2=80=99re curious about your feedback on the=
m, when you have=20
time to provide it. You=E2=80=99ll be interested to know that part of the E=
nterprise=E2=80=99
s mission on her current voyage is to visit some of the places you went tha=
t=20
they didn=E2=80=99t the first time out. They have sent back some very inter=
esting logs =E2=80=93
 you can see those as well. When you have time.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CSo you are intending to commission us,=E2=80=9D Kirk said with sat=
isfaction,=20
settling back and crossing his arms over his chest. He half-caught a wink f=
rom=20
Uhura, and winked back, earning a stifled laugh.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CTo offer you a commission, yes,=E2=80=9D Nogura replied. =E2=80=9C=
Admiral Ciani? Would you=20
care to do the honours?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CThank you, sir, but it was your idea and your project to begin wit=
h. I don=E2=80=99
t want to steal your thunder.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re a gem, Lori. Jim, Spock=E2=80=A6 because of your in=
terference, your very=20
timely interference, the Explorer project has been set back by several mont=
hs. We=20
estimate that crewed trials of the re-built system will begin early next=20
year. Commanders Scott and McKenzie were the chief engineers on the prototy=
pe=20
engines, and they are preparing to begin building the actual ship.=E2=80=9D=
 He drummed his=20
fingers and referred to a padd on the table in front of him. =E2=80=9CI hav=
e an=20
estimate that we will need a crew of 87 persons when we launch her. I=E2=80=
=99d like you to=20
undertake the staffing. We need people who won=E2=80=99t fall apart when th=
ey=E2=80=99re=20
attacked by aggressive inter-stellar probes 6000 light years from the neare=
st=20
Starbase, and come running back via transwarp to report every lost light bu=
lb or=20
deranged god-figure they encounter.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWouldn=E2=80=99t someone more familiar with personnel=E2=80=A6=E2=
=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99d be working with Pete. He=E2=80=99s the best assessor=
 we have.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk sat back, nonplussed. =E2=80=9CWell, frankly, I think that=E2=80=99s a=
 job for Pete and=20
whoever the ship=E2=80=99s captain is going to be.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CWhy the hell do you think I=E2=80=99m asking you to do it?=E2=80=
=9D
=20
In the ensuing silence, Jim could hear his own heart thudding loudly in his=
=20
chest. =E2=80=9CMe?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CYou, Captain James T. Kirk! Mister Spock, we would like you to ass=
ume the=20
dual role of First Officer and Chief of the Science Departments, at the ran=
k of=20
full Commander=E2=80=A6 Captain Kirk, are you going to faint on me?=E2=80=
=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CHell no!=E2=80=9D Kirk felt the blood washing back into his face a=
nd took a deep=20
breath, and as he drew it in he could feel joy starting to swell in his che=
st. =E2=80=9C
What=E2=80=99s she to be called? What=E2=80=99s her name?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CIn honour of a great journey, she=E2=80=99ll be christened the Ody=
ssey. If that=20
meets with your approval,=E2=80=9D he added sarcastically. =E2=80=9CWe figu=
re a little thing=20
like folding the multiverse isn=E2=80=99t gonna scare a couple of old adven=
turers like=20
you two. You=E2=80=99ll take Waleed and Scotty with you, and Uhura, of cour=
se. Saven=20
wants to be considered for the head of the Astrophysics department, under S=
pock.=20
Otherwise=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CAnd me, Hiro,=E2=80=9D Pete said. =E2=80=9CThey=E2=80=99re not goi=
ng without me.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9COf course we=E2=80=99re not,=E2=80=9D Jim replied. =E2=80=9COdysse=
y. Good name. I approve. Spock?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI concur. A name of good omen, even from a Vulcan point of view.=
=E2=80=9D He=20
steepled his fingers again, and nodded. =E2=80=9CI am reminded of the Odyss=
ey that was the=20
Command Service Module of the Apollo 13 mission, in our history. Despite a=
=20
disastrous setback during the mission, that ship brought her crew safely ho=
me=20
under conditions that would be challenging to overcome even today.=E2=80=9D
=20
Eyebrows went up around the table. =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99d like to hear that s=
tory,=E2=80=9D Scotty=20
said. =E2=80=9COur Apollo 13 mission went off without a hitch. What happene=
d?=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CLater, Commander,=E2=80=9D Nogura said, rubbing his hands together=
. He picked a=20
pair of data chips off of the table and handed them across, one to Kirk and=
 one=20
to Spock. =E2=80=9CThose ID=E2=80=99s reflect your official ranks, and prov=
ide credit access.=20
We put a bit of money in the bank for you, equivalent to an advance on your=
=20
year=E2=80=99s pay. Oh, and there=E2=80=99s an apartment for you in the Off=
icers=E2=80=99 Quarters. You=20
still have a week of leave =E2=80=93 I suggest you move in and find yoursel=
ves some=20
furniture and so on. You=E2=80=99ll be stuck on Earth for another year, at =
least.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=A6.=E2=80=9D He took another deep breath and looked at Spo=
ck. /Love? Will we go to=20
space again together?/
=20
/To the ends of the galaxy, if that be thy wish,/ Spock responded. He looke=
d=20
up at Nogura and nodded. =E2=80=9CWe accept, with thanks.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CGood. Uhura, take them home and get them changed. I expect to meet=
 all of=20
you in the main Officers=E2=80=99 Wardroom in one hour, to toast this new u=
ndertaking.=20
Oh, I took the liberty of moving your things out of the dorm when you left =
it=20
this morning =E2=80=93 say, that=E2=80=99s one thing that really surprised =
us all.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CReally? What was that?=E2=80=9D
=20
Nogura stood up as he spoke, and so did the others around the table. =E2=80=
=9CNot one=20
word of complaint, all year, about that cramped little room we put you in.=
=20
Why? We had already decided to move you somewhere decent if you did complai=
n.=E2=80=9D
=20
Kirk grinned and shook his head. =E2=80=9CWe were far too busy to worry abo=
ut=20
something like that, Hiro. Besides, small spaces have their charm.=E2=80=9D=
=20
=20
Finis, WIP, Rae
=20
End Part Four


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