Chapter 6 - Those Questions Which You Failed To Ask....In a completely equal and open society, would there be any room for hate or bigotry? 20th Century Terrans, who had not achieved that goal, could yet tell their 23rd Century descendants much on that subject.
By the end of the 20th Century, they had learned well how the dedicated bigots stopped shouting, and started talking about their twisted beliefs so very matter-of-factly that they seemed to almost make sense. When that failed, they would merely teach their children in private, especially about how to disguise what they held in their hearts.
But that, then, was the 20th Century, a time of polar opposites. Roosevelt vs. Hitler. Pierce vs. Singh. King vs. Hate. All evils that were absolutely defeated by bold, heroic figures. This, however, was too simplistic a view. Such a view ignores the rampant Neo-Nazi movements that persisted through First Contact. Such a view ignores Khan's survival and near seizure of a starship. Lastly, such a view ignores the sacrifice that Dr. King was forced to make for continually confronting that quite unashamed evil.
For, with hate, one may not presume that, absent grim talk, it has been eradicated. Like a virus, it hides and waits for defenses to be relaxed. 23rd Century Earth was a very relaxed place, where hate had been defeated, and all talk of a xenophobic, demon-worshipping cult was fodder for Virtu-Sim Novels. It was the perfect future, to be sure, and in such a world, who believed in Ghidorah?
Two people with no use for any such talk were residents of Earth's fabled San Fernando Valley in what was once California State. As if to prove a stereotype, these two young women did sport the galactically- known 'Valley Girl' accent. Going into a Brobdingnagian Mall with goods from 150 words, they talked of weighty matters. Taveena first.
"So, my bro chants on to his buds, that, he like, mated with you. Wahl, I punched his mouth, and he went teary to Ma-ther. So? Did the deed occur? Did he Kirk you?"
Andia shook her head, her ponytail moving with her as she did.
"Belt him one again if he keeps on! No wa-hay did he Kirk me. It was second, only. He grabbed some of third, so I threw him outie there! Told him if he wanted to Kirk someone, go find the green wench!"
Taveena nodded.
"So when do you think ya might? I mean, he wants you, and I know he was on third a little longer than you said, girlie. Even Ma-ther says you're of a better grade than most of his would-be's."
"She did? Oh, your ma-ther is like that, ya know. Mine is stuck in Bordeaux with the cave paintings. Didja hear bout Paris?"
"That cadet from the Academy? Yummers, that's all I can say. Beam us up, and filter out the non-organic material."
"Like, no, dim star. I meant the City, in Francais! They, like, pushed the Grand Geek out his office windows, and some StarFleet-per-sahn is Federation Prez. My Dod says he's issuing some kind of weird orders, and it's all cause of somebody named Guy Drah. We're supposed to be concerned, or something. Ya know anything bout this sitcheation?"
Taveena frowned and then shot off a classic smile that said she couldn't possibly care less.
"Does someone with MY social calendar have time to worry about pahl-a-tics? Ho, look, Andia. Here comes Jimmy in his new uniform. Is that a gun he's carrying, or is he just really glad to see you?"
"Nah. It's a gun. Sides, his gladness is astonishingly short in duration, ya know?"
"Oh, Andia. What about my brother? He's like, got a shrine to you and junk."
"Your bro will still be first. Jimmy doesn't count - well, not completely."
They both laughed, while the young man known as Jimmy walked over. As he did, he raised his phaser pistol and pointed it at them. They stared at him, uncomprehending.
"Jimmy, like, what goes on? You don't even like pistols."
The young tough shook, but maintained his grip on his new friend.
"You two are alien scum that pollutes humanity's nest! Soon, your worlds will fall before Lord Ghidorah! Here on Earth, Purification has been proclaimed, in the name of the Order of the Ancient Destroyer!"
Taveena and Andia stared at their suddenly un-timid friend. Taveena pushed him in the chest, quite angry.
"Aliens? Jimmy, you're from Deneb 4! Me and my bud Andia were totally born here."
Squeezing his trigger, Jimmy performed the duty he had been told was necessary.
"Then this brings your lives full circle."
A witness who knew all 3 children called the authorities shortly thereafter.
"Yes? I'd like to report two murders. Two girls, killed by one of those bigots that the new government is arming. Yes, Officer, I know the whole Federation is like this, right now. But I knew these kids since they were...Species? Well, Taveena was Tellarite, and Andia...yes, she was an Andorian. Sweet girls. I know what they say about Andorians and Tellarites getting along - but they were the best of friends."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
On board the Enterprise, Commander Uhura was taking in reports of bigoted clashes from all over the Quadrant. As Captain Kirk had said, the fanatics were few in number, but yet they were fanatics. Looking over at her as she encoded each horrid transmission was one of her very oldest friends. He saw her ever-steady hands start to shake.
"Nyota?"
"Yes, Hikaru?"
"I - can't handle the helm, right now. Mind if we switch places? It'd be a real favor to me."
Her beautiful face seemed drained of life, but she nodded yes.
"Anything for a friend, Captain Sulu."
"Stop that, Uhura. I lost my Command."
"Captain Sulu was placed in an untenable situation-in short, he was set up to fail by micromanagement from Admiralty Hall. The Tholian situation was unsalvageable, as they damned well know. A good man ought not to be destroyed to cover the failure of others."
Sulu shook his head, dismissing Uhura's words.
"Nice speech. Cornball as they come. What moron came up with that garbage?"
Indignant, Uhura did not respond verbally. Rather, Sulu watched as she sat in the empty chair at the Center Of the Bridge. Sulu gulped.
"Heh. Oh, THAT moron."
"A man you once called the finest moron StarFleet would ever produce. Tell me, how is the taste of crow, Hikaru?"
"I'll let you know as I sit with that thing in my ear for 3 hours."
As they switched stations, each had a good chuckle. They just didn't have it for very long. Sulu received an encoded transmission. He showed it to Uhura, who then hurriedly called Captain Kirk. Afterwards, Sulu asked her a question.
"Nyota, what does 'Fed Minus 87' mean?"
Uhura hesitated. She had only delivered 'FM87' in sims. The thought of saying it in real life was mind-boggling.
"Hikaru, it's very bad. Code 1 - War - would be preferable to this. I think that perhaps, with this, Ghidorah has won."
"Then I won't ask. But hey, is there something else bothering you?"
Uhura seemed to almost smile.
"Well, sure there is. After all, I did just find out that the little boy who followed me around for a month with a googly-eyed crush is going to become a Father. Peter and Saavik have re-bonded, Sulu - and they're expecting! Can you say 'Captain James T. Grandpa'?"
As Uhura re-took the helm, Sulu suddenly thought of Demora's growth rate, and his heart began to palpitate, realizing his daughter had a crush on the man who he played catch with when Peter was a boy. Even more strange was his instinct that said, Peter's words to the contrary, that the young Kirk was the key to ending all this madness.
"Uhura?"
"Yes, Sulu?"
"I feel old."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In his new quarters, having dinner with his uncle, now revealed as his biological father, was the young married making Sulu and Uhura feel so very old. Peter Kirk looked at a holo-vid of Sam Kirk, Jim's brother and Peter's legal father, Aurelan, Peter's mother, and his baby brother Mark a year before the Ghidoran spores destroyed Deneva. Peter stared particularly hard at George Samuel "Sam" Kirk, and felt anger once again.
"He was the only father I ever knew, Captain. I love calling you Dad, but I feel like I'm betraying Sam by doing so. Do you think he would be upset with me?"
Jim dismissed such a thought with a wave of his hands.
"Peter, do you have any idea how much he and Aurelan wanted you? Go on, ask me. I mean it."
"All right. I'm asking. How much did they want children?"
"Your mother had a number of deeply held beliefs, as you well know. Some philosophical, some religious, but all hers, and all unalterable. Among those beliefs was that artificial insemination was a denial of the rule of physical contact she felt Creation demanded of us. Now, do the math, sonny."
Peter's eyes went wide.
"You - and Aurelan... wait, what about my little brother?"
"Let's just say that I drew the line after they learned they were expecting Mark. A brother's love can only go so far."
Despite the awkwardness, Peter found himself laughing, and Jim with him. His family could still surprise him, it seemed. That was to prove ever more true as the evening went on.
"They wanted a child THAT badly. To think, when I was five, I didn't completely understand the 'big favor' Uncle Jim had done for me. Feel like doing another?"
Jim sipped his drink, then spoke in a mock-angry tone.
"Boy, ya give a kid life, and he wants to walk all over you. Well, okay. What is it?"
"Why was I never told that I have Romulan blood? Doctor McCoy gave my DNA a scan after Saavik's pregnancy was detected. Dad, I'm 25% Romulan. How? You? Granpa George? Grandma Bri? I mean, I was wondering how Saavik and I managed this. Sarek and Amanda had to jump through razored fire- hoops to have Spock. I mean, it's bad enough my wife can't be acknowledged, even if her DNA mix is a dead giveaway. But me? No wonder I succumbed to Plak Tow like that. Now, do you know who the Rihannsu in the family is? My God, I just witnessed the deaths of people I'm related to. Ghidorah killed yet more of my family when he destroyed Romulus. Please, tell me."
Kirk looked into his son's eyes, and saw the time for lies was done. Still, he chose his words carefully.
"George, your grandfather, was on a shakedown cruise for this ship before it had a name. I mean, it was fresh out of the docks, back in '35. Primitive. Skin-of-your-teeth kind of ride. On his 1st away mission, he and Captain April rescued a Vulcan diplomat from marauders. Only, the man wasn't a Vulcan, and they weren't marauders. Remember, we didn't know what Romulans looked like, back then. So, he quietly defected, and underwent plastic surgery to hide who he was. Tasorel became..."
"Dr. Thomas Sorel - Granpa Tom! I wondered why my Mom's proper name was Taurelan. Were she and I surgically altered?"
"She was, at birth. You and Mark never showed any physical signs. We managed to fudge any other records. I'm sorry, Peter. But Tom never expected to meet and fall in love with Aurelan's mother, and Aurelan herself was an odds-defier, just in being born. Kind of like her son is at fighting three-headed dragons. To Sam, you were everything. But Peter, my big brother is gone. We have each other. For whatever time the universe has remaining, let us be Father and Son, at long last."
Peter ran into his father's arms, and there felt a safety he felt only with his beloved wife, who then entered their new quarters, her shift in Engineering ended. As the saying goes, there was not a dry-eye in the house. Jim laughed as he wiped his face.
"We're a fine bunch. Tough Captain, brave son, Vulcan daughter-in-law, and we're all bawling so much that we'll surely confuse the baby."
Saavik stared at her Captain and new Father-In-Law, then took his hand and placed it on her stomach. After a minute, Jim felt a kick. His stomach did flips, and his vision went momentarily blurry. Smiling, he kissed Saavik on the cheek.
"That... was my grandso- grandchild!"
In that simple statement, Jim Kirk felt the power to gut a billion Ghidorahs. But Saavik's words brought him back down.
"Your Grandchild, sir, and the grandchild of another. Please speak to him, sir. Have him acknowledge me - acknowledge this baby, the uniting of two great families. I don't care what they did to him. I just want him here, as my father, when I become a mother. Will you do that, sir?"
Jim nodded slowly.
"No promises, except that I will try, Mister Saavik."
"Thank You, Sir."
"Saavik?"
"Yes?"
"Call me Pop."
"I shall - Pop."
Just as Peter was about to make a comment about overdosing on sugary emotion, Uhura's urgent voice brought the hard realities of the current disaster back to the new family.
"Captain Kirk! Respond please!"
"Kirk here, Commander. I'll presume you have good news, about the chaos on Earth? Is the President alive?"
"Still unconfirmed, Captain. And, as of now, a moot point. Sir, I quote 'In response to the new Earth Government's Neo-Fascist, Xenophobic agenda, plainly stated in their 'Humanity First' amendment, the proposal is made, and the vote taken. The result being final, we declare clause FM87 to be in effect, pending decisions about StarFleet's future.' I'm sorry, Capt - I'm sorry, Jim."
Kirk looked back to Peter and Saavik, but all the hope of the previous few hours felt very distant indeed.
"I'm sorry, too, Nyota. Who's on the bridge with you?"
"Just me, Captain. Skeleton shift, so other crew members can spend time with and calm their children, in light of recent developments."
"Very good, Captain Sulu. You two are among my oldest, dearest friends. So hear me as both your friend and your Captain. Delete that message, and do not tell the crew - for now. We don't need another source of panic. Kirk out."
Peter did not intrude upon his father's thoughts, despite his power. But he said what both he and his wife were thinking.
"Dad, what is clause FM87? Uhura sounded like Ghidorah was in the rec den with the children."
Kirk headed out, but then came back in.
"Lieutenants Kirk - and, er, Kirk, I suppose - you are ordered to strictest silence. Say anything about FM87, and my grandchild will be a brig-baby. Now, as to FM87, it is quite simple. 87 Federation Member Worlds having withdrawn, the 2/3 majority is known to be exceeded. As of right now - as-of-right-now... The United Federation Of Planets no longer exists."
As the stunned couple held one another for comfort, Jim left. His world had been shattered by news today, both good and bad. At long last, the posterity and stability - the family he secretly prayed for - was his. But in the same heartbeat, everything he had worked for had flown apart because of a disease that everyone assumed was dead-the disease of true hate. He kept a Captain's face as he walked towards his quarters, using worries about Qo'noS to stabilize his current fears about everything else. Was Ghidorah there yet? Jim simply didn't know. He simply and plainly knew that he had to send that obscenity back to hell, no matter what the cost. The line of blood was already far too long.
Entering his quarters, Jim undressed and changed for bed. Getting in his bed, he suddenly felt someone next to him. In this case, another man. Kirk jumped out, expecting an attack. But all he heard was familiar, mocking laughter.
"C'mon, Mon Capitain! Give us a kiss! Don't you know anything about Slash? No, I suppose you don't. Ah, Jim, you've always been so boring, and predictable. Still can't believe you went with the green...oh, never mind. Well, aren't you going to scream my name, so we can start?"
Kirk had dealt with this cosmic trickster on many occasions, and had liked none of them. Not when he was known as Trelane, the Squire Of Gothos, and not when he assumed a different form, and merely identified himself by a single letter of the Alphabet. Jim never had patience for him, and he certainly didn't have it right then. He asked his question bluntly, avoiding their usual initial banter.
"What do you want this time...Q!?"
"Ohhh. Is that any way to talk to an old frere-in-arms? Jim, James - Jacob - Tiberius - I just want to help you."
"Help me how, Q? And please, no riddles this time."
"Oh, Jimmy! Didn't your son tell you, or was he too busy grabbing his wife's ample behind?"
Before Kirk could react, Q morphed himself to look like a 20th Century crooner by the name of Francis Albert Sinatra, circa 1955. Kirk had once seen posters of this man in a museum. With swagger and style, Q turned right into Jim, and looked him straight in the eye.
"You, my friend, have a BIG problem. For you see, Ol' Six-Eyes Is Back! And this time, he's looking to break the bank, and bring the house down-for good."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Just out past the Klingon/Federation Neutral Zone on the Federation side sat the Ambassador to Qo'noS, who at this time did not know any of what had transpired. He only knew that the Klingon authorities had told him to stop his half-brother Sybok from entering their space again.
"Ambassador's Personal Log. My shuttle is on an intercept course with Sybok's ship. His pilgrimages into Klingon-held territory are becoming more and more bold, as though he were waiting for something to happen. Despite Sarek's ban, Sybok is still my brother, and I must and will protect him from his own folly. End Log Entry."
Spock turned then, hearing the whine of a transporter beam. It was Sybok, having beamed a considerable distance. Beside him were armed followers.
"Qual se tu, Spock?"
"It is I, Sybok. You do not need those weapons. I am merely here to request that you leave Klingon space to the Klingons. On this subject, they are most insistent."
"I regret this, Spock. Truly I do. But, brother, you are most persistent. I regret the weapons - almost as much as I regret this. Forgive me - for everything."
Sybok touched Spock's face in such a way as Spock new that his brother was using his ability to awaken repressed memories. But it was bringing Spock no release. Sybok left him with the memory, instead of carrying him through it. Spock, in order to maintain his dignity, waited until all three had beamed out before yelling out in pain. This held-back memory was of the worst thing that ever happened to Spock, and what he did in response. Back on the Enterprise, while Peter slept, Saavik stirred without knowing why.
Aboard his ship, Sybok addressed his followers. He was ecstatic, magnetic, charismatic and perhaps just a little mad.
"Now, my children! We go to find the God of Sha Ka Ree. He waits for us, by Qo'noS-though he has chosen the disguised form of Ghidorah, the Ancient Destroyer. His ways are not for us to know, his works all sublime. We shall go to him, though, and through him know true, lasting, eternal peace."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In Qo'noS home-sector, Kang, Kor, and Koloth watched Ghidorah from their ships. The monster hovered right outside the sector, not killing, not moving forward, simply still, though it was definitely alive. Each Captain cursed Kruge for his madness that had them warned so late, costing the Empire seven outposts and the men who ran them. Koloth commented on the creature's inactivity.
"Kahless had a saying, to describe such duty as we are bound to, now."
Kor nodded.
"Yes, but I can never remember it completely. Kang, do you?"
"Of course. Colonel Worf is fond of that saying, and has quoted it to me constantly. Kahless said: In battle, you may look to your faith, or to your warrior's heart, but the waiting, then, is the hardest part."
But as all Klingons gazed out at the monster, they could not help wondering what Ghidorah was waiting for. As terrible as the wait was, though, it was merely prelude. Hell lay ahead.