He knew that at least certain things were true. Others were up for grabs. That being the case, he decided to establish what he could by saying it all out loud.

"I am The Reverend James T. Kirk. I run Enterprise Ministries, the leading purveyors of Faith not adhering to the Inerrancy Doctrine. I am standing outside the home of my friends, Eric and Annie Camden. I should knock."

So he did. A girl of about 17 answered.

"Are you Reverend Kirk?"

"I sure hope so."

She smiled.

"Mom and Dad are out with the twins. My name is Lucy. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Dad says you're the kind of man who always gets things done, and always gets what he wants. Are you stubborn?"

Kirk laughed.

"I prefer to think of it as standing firm on my principles. Standing up for what I believe in. As to the rest, I have two friends that embody stubborn."

"Standing firm. I like that. I think I like that a lot. Thanks, Reverend Kirk."

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Call me Jim."

"Thanks, Jim."

As she flitted out, she pointed Jim out to an older boy, probably her brother.

"Sir, I'm Matt Camden. I was named after my grandfather. Dad said you were there when he died. Could you tell me about it?"

"Oh, boy...Matt. Ok. There was this Doomsday Cult, with a lot of cells, killing themselves off one by one. It was horrible. Through no fault of his own, your grandfather lost his congregation to this cult. He--was devastated. He died attempting to talk down the cult leader. He was a great man. My teacher. My friend."

"Reverend Kirk, wasn't it you who finally caused that vicious leader to give up?"

"Yes. But it was close. So very, very close. If Deacons Spock and Scott hadn't pulled me out, I would have died, too."

Matt sighed.

"Dad never pulls any punches, but I can tell he doesn't like to talk about that. Its almost as though it happened in another life, like that Hotel he tried to run. Geez, they're late. How long can you stay?"

Jim answered without knowing why.

"Not long, I'm afraid."

"Oh. Well, I gotta go. Reverend, its been a pleasure and an honor, sir."

"The same here, Matt."

From out of the living room came a teenager and a young girl, screaming their lungs out at one another.

“That wasn't funny, Simon. That's my all-time favorite Cartoon Show, and you told me it was cancelled. I missed today's episode cause of you!"

The boy called Simon put his hand on his chest, in a mocking motion at his little sister.

"Gee, I'm so sorry. Wait-No I'm Not. Because, Ruthie, SOMEbody decided that teasing me about the twins was a real good idea."

"It was."

"Save it. I don't know you."

"When are you gonna let that go?"

"Y'know what, Ruthie? 'Let It Go' is a bunch of words invented by someone like you who got in trouble one day, and the whole world fell for it."

"You shut up!"

Kirk was getting a headache.

"The Both Of You Shut Up!"

Wide-eyed, they both looked over at him.

"C'mere, guys. Now, Simon, why did you pick today to pull this prank?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"Ruthie..."

"Because she failed a test, and I knew it would hurt worse if I did it now."

"All right. Ruthie, this...joke about the newborn twins. How did Simon look and feel that day?"

"Nervous, upset, I guess."

Jim smiled.

"My brother Sam and I used to punch, scratch, bite, wrestle and trick each other. We would even kick each other. But we would never, ever do that when the other was down. With brothers--and sisters--its just a matter of timing. Kick each other--just not when you're down."

Simon looked at Ruthie.

"C'mon. I have the stupid show on tape."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to hear about it, so its in the VCR. Just try to hold back on me, once in a while?"

Ruthie looked at Jim.

"Reverend Kirk, I will consider what you have said."

Simon turned on the tape, cleared out, and closed the living room door. Jim heard light clapping. Another teenage girl, younger than Lucy, was the clapper.

"I'm Mary, and you must be a miracle worker. To get those two fiends settled down? You've got The Touch, Reverend."

"Mary, I have to go soon. Where are your parents? I'm not trying to be rude, but...I sense I don't have much time, here."

"I don't know what's keeping them. Listen, you run Enterprise Ministries. They don't exclude anybody from membership. That's cool. But, didn't you yourself drive my Dad out? He likes you, but I think he still feels something about it."

Jim's memories, again a jumble, provided the answer.

"The Federation of Churches asked that I serve as a figurehead, to make the faithful feel that someone stable was in the top rungs. I had been spreading The Word for five good years, touched more souls than I thought possible. Then, they took my own soul away from me. I had to get it back, but I was too prideful, too greedy. I hurt your father, as I took back what I saw as rightfully mine. But he forgave me, as he left to come here. So many strange things, after that. My brother died, or at least I thought he did. My son-was killed by a mugger, trying to protect my brother and his girlfriend. The Genesis OutReach was a complete failure. Sometimes I wonder if the way I took back my ministry didn't lead to disaster down the line."

"My Dad says that God doesn't work that way. He's not sure how God does work, plan-wise, but he's pretty sure its not as simple as one bad moment wrecking a good life forever."

Jim heard a car drive up.

"I wish I could believe that, Mary. Listen, thanks for talking to me."

"Thank me? You're the one who banished the demons!"

As she left, Eric and Annie Camden rushed through the front door, each carrying a baby. Jim smiled to see them.

"Annie! What have you done differently with your hair?"

As she took the other twin from Eric, Annie acknowledged Kirk.

"Easy, Reverend. Last time you saw me, I didn't have any hair."

For some reason, that made perfect sense. Eric walked up and shook Jim's hand.

"Oh, Jim! We were afraid we were gonna miss you. You don't know how good it is to see you. Living all these lives is wonderful, but seeing a familiar face is just--oh, no. He says you have to go. Still, this is how he learns from us, and outside elements are a no-no. I hope I can see you again, Reverend Kirk."

Jim nodded, but regretted this truth.

“Before I go, Eric. I-have to know something. Are You Happy?"

 Eric Camden smiled.

"I said it before, Jim. You have Enterprise--that's right for you. This ----- is right for me."

With that, Kirk exited the house. He took a look at the Camden family car.

"Plymouth Voyager---No, no, not Voyager--V'ger!!!"

Captain James T. Kirk awoke in his quarters on the  Enterprise-A. The shakedown cruise was soon to begin. He got dressed and walked to Sickbay. There he found Leonard McCoy shaking his head at the latest in bio-bed technology.

"Y'know, Jim? I just oughta call Daystrom and have M7 take over my Bay! Cause that's sure as hell where we're headed! God and Man, together again, both excluded from healing."

Sensing Doctor McCoy's words to be rhetorical, Jim asked his own question.

"Bones, you know how you said that if V'ger wanted to find God, he'd be in for one hell of a disappointment?"

"Not my exact words, but, yes?"

"I believe that V'ger and friends may have just made that leap--and, in so doing, gotten all the way up to the Seventh Heaven."