Chapter 14 - And Graves Yield Up.....Inside the necropolis that occupied part of her husband's mind, Saavik talked with the spirit-image of her mother-in-law, Aurelan Kirk. Just as in the real world, Peter was asleep, having suffered a nervous breakdown. To Saavik's surprise, Aurelan's spirit image looked much as it would have had the woman not been surgically altered in early life. Aurelan, like Saavik, had been half-Romulan. She looked over at her sleeping son.
"He really does love you, you know."
Saavik nodded.
"I love him as well. I think that our love may even have occurred at first sight."
Aurelan bit back a bit of motherly humor about her son's state of undress when Saavik rescued him.
"We've seen him here before, but Peter never actually entered the city til now."
"Aurelan, what is this place? I can sense untold numbers of katras. How can Peter contain so many and not lose his mind?"
"All I can say, Saavik, is that it's a place of waiting. After our deaths, we all woke up here. There were already so many souls. More would show up on occasion. But they were always a trickle til now. Poor Janice Rand is here. These two charming but annoying Valley Girls arrived during the chaos on Earth. More Romulans are still arriving, as some of the innermost colonies are freezing. The debris from Romulus is blocking off their sun's light. You noticed all the Klingons, I take it."
Saavik shook her head.
"Ghidorah has destroyed the Klingon Fleet?"
From the ether, Aurelan somehow formed a magni-scope, and gave it to Saavik. She bade her look far in the distance.
"More Klingons! Many more - he's destroyed Qo'noS, hasn't he?"
Aurelan looked out.
"The warriors always take it hardest. They did everything they were supposed to, everything they could. But the only ones who can stop Ghidorah are you two."
"Aurelan, I am not mentioned in the prophecy. Only Peter is."
Aurelan smiled at her daughter-in-law.
"Here's a little secret about prophecies, Saavik. They're written by men. At least interpreted by them. Or do you mean to tell me that you intend to let my boy face that monster alone?"
An awakened voice.
"Saavik and I are never alone, Mom."
Saavik ran to Peter, and held his hand.
"Are you well?"
"I guess. Sorry to run off like that. I see my Rihannsu beauties have met."
Aurelan folded her arms.
"Don't be a wise-ass, Peter."
Their exchange was so natural, like that of Saavik to Amanda. She suddenly realized she had yet to tell her grandparents that she knew who they were and that she was expecting a child. But all was happening so quickly. To her surprise, she noticed someone sleeping by Peter. It was a small, blond-haired male toddler. Peter picked him up and held him tenderly.
"Saavik-kam, this is my little brother, Marcus Aurelian Kirk. Wake up, big guy. Say hello to your sister-in-law."
The unreal scene was beautiful to Saavik. The look in the little boy's eyes at seeing his older brother again was heart-warming. She knew, then. Knew the reason why Peter was able to take in all those souls. A heart as big as his simply had more room.
"Pita! See's Booful!"
Peter reached out and took his wife's hand.
"Yeah, Mark, she is beautiful. But we gotta go now, and be with Uncle Jim. Will you take care of Mommy and Daddy for me, til I can come back?"
The boy wrapped himself around Peter's neck, and held on for dear life.
"No! Pita stay! Always."
Despite Aurelan's urging, Peter's departure was going to cause an ugly scene. But Saavik saw a solution. She opened her arms wide to the little boy, who ran into them.
"Marcus, you must let Peter go... or else."
"Else what?"
"Oh... consequences... like... tickling!"
To Peter's amazement, Mark giggled wildly while a smiling Saavik followed through on her threat, then handed him back to Aurelan.
"Saavik, you've got the touch. Peter - your father and I love you. So stop worrying. He told me to tell you that if you and Jim want to be Father and Son, he more than understands - he wants it to happen. Remember, Jim is to Sam what Mark is to you. Just so long as you're Both - so long as you're all happy."
The young couple left, and started back to reality. As Saavik saw her husband's lightened face, she felt true joy. This trip had done something for them both. If she ever saw Spock again, she would now have one more thing to tell him. Peter spoke.
"I guess you'd like to know why I fell apart like that."
"It is of interest to me. But I think I know the answer, Husband. I know you too well not to."
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Back in physical reality, the reason for Peter's breakdown was also a subject for discussion. Still using Saavik's body, Sam Kirk explained what he knew.
"Our boy's been through a lot, Jim. I know that goes without saying. But they raped him, used him for their sick experiments. He had to get through, somehow. So he found a coping mechanism. One which just failed on him. You see, til now, Peter didn't believe Ghidorah was real."
Jim shook his head.
"Sam, that's ridiculous. Peter told me about the monster. Was afraid I wouldn't believe him. Plus, the thing's been in his head for twenty years. He was imprisoned by its followers for ten. How could he not believe in Ghidorah?"
"Len, please help me here. I've been inside Peter's head, and its still difficult to say it right."
McCoy agreed, though he was still clearly unnerved by the risen spirit.
"Jim, if I'm not mistaken, what Sam is saying is that Peter told himself a comforting lie - yes, the conspiracy existed, but his captors were obviously all mad people. So he protected himself by buying into their 'delusions' about Ghidorah's existence. Likely, he was certain that it would all prove to be a hoax of some kind, and then he could stop acting 'crazy'. Even though, all along, some part of him knew that he wasn't crazy, and that Ghidorah was real. A labyrinth of lies and half-truths meant to keep a young man from cracking wide open."
"So, Bones, Sam - Peter kept himself from going crazy by - by convincing himself he was already crazy?"
"Sam" nodded.
"It's brilliant, actually. Peter takes the more comfortable of two grim realities to see him through. What's worse, after all? The world of the Ancient Destroyer or an eventual stay at a mental rehab colony, where he'd be fixed up. He's always been like you, Jim. And this is exactly what you would do, to keep from going under."
Jim shook his finger.
"The coping mechanism was no longer needed. But like an unused weapon, it stuck around, because it was never dismantled. It grew rotten."
McCoy checked Peter's vitals.
"I think they're coming back. Jim, this probably won't happen again. Peter was just exhausted and had trouble dealing with the internal contradiction. Presented with concrete proof of Ghidorah's existence via feed from Qo'noS, that part of him that still held on to a comforting delusion of, well, delusion, just collapsed."
Peter's eyes opened.
"Ghidorah's real, Doctor. But you're right, I had to believe he wasn't at one time. Dad, was that day real?"
Preparing to depart, Sam looked at his son. Biology be damned, he was proud.
"Oh, it was real. Jim, while those slimeball Admirals held him, Peter found us, while hiding from their neuron probers inside his mind. We even saw each other. But Peter wouldn't enter. He was afraid of letting those scum know we were there. He protected us all. The cost, as they say, was high."
Peter blushed, a little.
"Dad - it wasn't all that great. It was actually selfishness. They had taken everything else I had. God knows what they would have done if they had found you all. I couldn't save you, before. So I did what I could, then."
Rather than go on anymore, Sam leapt back into Peter's mind, saying one last thing as he did.
"From now on, you two are father and son, with my blessing. Little brother, Peter - I love you. We'll be ready when the time comes."
Before a revived Peter or Saavik could get up, McCoy hypoed them both unconscious. Jim stared.
"Bones, why did you do that?"
"They need rest, Jim."
"Why not just send them back to their quarters?"
Now McCoy stared.
"Ok, Doctor, I admit it, dumb question."
As Jim walked out, he saw Uhura motion to him.
"What is it, Commander?"
"In Private, sir. This - is bad."
Once at her quarters, Uhura locked the door, and inserted the card into a view-only terminal she had set up. She had not lied. This was indeed very bad news. News the Captain had no idea how he was going to deliver.
As he tortured himself, Uhura again took note of how much his pain had always been hers, and vice-versa. If and when the time became right, she determined to say something to Jim Kirk. Something big. But now, with this hideous news, was not that time. So she sat across from him, and they discussed the best way to deliver some of the very worst news their crew had ever received. There was no love-making this time, no 'night that didn't count'. But presences are their own comfort, when they are the right ones.
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Aboard his private shuttle, heading for the Reliant, Ambassador Spock saw a continually disconcerting sight. The Klingon, Colonel Worf, was as quiet as the grave. No rage, no berserk fury. Just quiet. Spock finally decided to speak.
"They fought as true warriors, with all honor. They died well."
Worf spoke, but softly.
"He will die poorly. There will be vengeance. Mark me on this."
Then, the quiet resumed.
SHOCKWAVE FROM QO'NOS: MINUS 6 HOURS AND COUNTING