Chapter 13 - The Man Who Could Stop Ghidorah"But know, that the Universe will not abide this violation forever. Whole Galaxies are gnashed between those mighty teeth. But the Ancient Destroyer will come upon The Rock. Though he marks this Rock, it shall not be his. This Rock shall stand before Ghidorah, and upon him shall those mighty teeth shatter like glass. Toothless, Ghidorah will be as us. Though still mighty, then can he be slain. Slain, King Death will learn of other Kings and Of the First Rule Of Strength." PROPHECY OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
His name was Peter Kirk. Currently, he lay unconscious in the Sick Bay Of the USS Enterprise. But he couldn't be permitted to rest, right now. For if what Q told Captain Kirk was true, the young man was destined to fight Ghidorah. Peter, you see, was Latin for "The Rock". Jim knew his son bore a terrible burden in this. But there were unguessed levels to this burden. This was what the young woman inside his mind saw for the first time.
She was Saavik, as-yet-unacknowledged daughter of Ambassador Spock. She was also Peter's wife, bonded to him twice-over. Despite the depths of their love, there were things Peter had seen that knew no transmission. What Saavik Kirk saw before her, then, was quite startling.
As her physical body was occupied by an unexpected friendly visitor, Saavik waded through a mix of Peter's memories. She saw the boy, Peter, and the joys of growing up on Deneva. Again, she regarded her husband as stronger than she. How much worse to live in Paradise and then be cast into hell? Hellguard had been all she knew. She saw the Ghidoran spores come, and destroy the populace. She saw Peter beg his 'uncle' to let him remain aboard Enterprise. Once, as a Birthday Gift to her, Peter had given Saavik a story he had written where they both came aboard Enterprise as children, to share the adventures. It was written in the style of children's books. She was glad that Peter liked children. Especially now.
Saavik carried life inside of her. The grandchild of James T. Kirk and his old friend Spock. She cried when McCoy told her the news. She was giddy, and very nervous. Even though T'Pau had dissolved their first bond, she and Peter were together frequently. They had used no protection, for what worries did an inter-species couple have? Genetic incompatibility was the best contraceptive of all. So it seemed. But Peter hadn't known his mother Aurelan had been half-Romulan. Saavik had only just confirmed the half-human Spock was her father. So it was that yet another arrogant young couple were reminded of the first rule of sex: It only takes one time.
But now Saavik was past Peter's memories and she saw where his spirit had fled. Her mind reeled. It was so logical, and she knew he had tried to tell her, but had failed to find a way. She couldn't blame him.
"Peter? Husband, where are you?"
Ironically, what some would view as a sign of coldness - the couple's frequent use of 'Husband' and 'Wife' in addressing one another - was to them simply a couple of 'pet names.' That they should be married and expecting a child was beyond their wildest dreams.
It was a magnificent city she walked in. Huge beyond imagining, members of every race she had ever heard of and many she never had walked among its streets. Saavik saw Klingons starting to pop in by the thousands, and wondered what that meant. They appeared dazed.
Then she felt him. Entering a house, Saavik saw a Vulcanoid woman putting the sleeping Peter to bed.
"I mean no offense, Madam, but I must ask you by what right do you handle my husband so casually?"
The woman laughed.
"Relax, Saavik. I'm not the competition. I'm much worse than that. In fact, I'm even worse than Ghidorah."
Saavik shook her head.
"Worse? How can you be worse?"
"Easy. I'm your Mother-In-Law."
Saavik sat down.
"Aurelan Kirk?"
Gently, Saavik's new friend reached through her stomach. Saavik saw Aurelan holding a glowing blue light, which caressed her face. Then she replaced it, and patted Saavik's belly.
"Grandma loves you too, sweetheart. She loves you, your daddy..."
Aurelan stared at Saavik.
"And your Mommy, too."
Saavik allowed a tear.
"I have your approval?"
"More importantly, you have his."
"Why do you look Vulcan? What is this place?"
"I look this way because I should have looked this way, in life. As to this place -"
Back in the physical world, Leonard McCoy was tired. He said so, loudly, to the person inhabiting Saavik's body.
"Listen, up, Sam. First off, I never thought your jokes were that funny. Second, I don't know about you, but the dead rising is not exactly a sign of good things to me."
Still flabbergasted that the spirit of Sam Kirk, his dead brother, was seemingly using the body of his pregnant daughter-in-law to speak again, Jim Kirk sat down and asked his questions.
"Sam - if it is you, then why are you here? How did you get here?"
The mannerisms Saavik used told Jim the truth as "he" spoke.
"It's a long story, Jim. But it boils down to this: Unless you're out-and-out damned, anyone who falls to Ghidorah's evil waits for the creature to be defeated. They wait - inside Peter's mind. Not one, or ten, but many hundreds of trillions of souls. Our boy is braver than you know, Jim. He could push us all out. It would help to keep him from cracking. But he won't."
Both Captain and Doctor were sitting down. Sam looked at them with sympathy.
"I'm sorry. But guys - there's more."
Indeed there was. So as the dead walked in the Federation, a primordial roar said everything elsewhere. This was war.