Open Writing

The two most senior officers on the Enterprise exited the turbolift on to the bridge. Spock went straight to the science station, while Kirk dropped into the captain’s chair.

“Status, Mr. Sulu?”

“On course, captain. Heading across the galactic plane and skirting the Great Barrier. Speed, warp two.”

Behind Kirk, the doors opened again, and McCoy walked on to the bridge. Kirk turned in his chair.

“Change your mind, doctor?”

McCoy grunted irritably. “Yes, I changed my mind. I decided I wasn’t going to be the only one to miss this momentous occasion, so I gave myself a large shot of vitamin B. Have I missed anything?”

Kirk smiled. “No, we were waiting just for you.” He touched one of the controls on the arm of his chair. “Mr. Scott, report status.”

The familiar burr came over the intercom. “Engineering, aye. Trans-warp drive available at your discretion, captain.”

Kirk nodded. “Thank you, Scotty. Mr. Sulu, I think we’ll just try it on its minimum setting at first.”

“Aye, sir,” replied Sulu. “That will still put us at about warp fifteen on the old scale.”

There were a few gasps around the bridge, and Kirk nodded, impressed. “Warp fifteen? I see. Very well, Mr. Sulu. If we’re all ready?” He looked around the bridge once more, then said, “Then ahead Trans-warp one, helmsman. And may fortune grant us deep water under our keel.”

Sulu grinned. “Aye, aye, sir. Trans-warp one, engaging.”

On the forward viewer, the blackness of space flared white for a moment, and then the elongated stars of standard warp drive morphed into a solid flare of light. Although the warp field encompassed the entire ship, and the inertial dampening field ensured that no acceleration could be noticed by the crew, there were some on board who later swore they almost felt something as the drive was engaged.

In the engine room, Scotty watched the columns of azure fire intently, alert to the slightest anomaly, but he could find nothing amiss. Slowly he relaxed as the anti-matter and the Dilithium/Trilithium crystals worked their magic, and the Enterprise transcended any speed she had ever reached in her career.

On the bridge, all eyes were on the forward viewer. Without taking his eyes from the sight, Kirk said, “Uhura, give me a wide-angle, long-range view of the way ahead.”

“Aye, sir,” said the communications officer, and the scene on the screen changed; now, they saw the full scope of what they were doing, and where they were going. Ahead, above and below, lay the majestic sweep of the galaxy, its whorls and spirals, its clustered heart pulsing with unimaginable energies and forces.

Beside Kirk, McCoy spoke in hushed tones. “My God, Jim. What are we doing?”

“Going where no one has gone before, Bones,” replied Kirk. Then, more softly, “And riding the fastest shooting star that’s ever existed.” They were silent for a moment, watching the awesome scene, and then Kirk turned towards the science station. “Status, Mr. Spock?”

The Vulcan answered without looking up from his instruments. “All systems functioning within acceptable parameters, captain.” Coming from Spock, this meant that the ship was performing as near to perfect as made no difference, and Kirk breathed a silent prayer. Thank you, girl. Aloud, he said, “Mr. Sulu, increase speed to a factor of fifty percent of Trans-warp.”

“Aye, sir.”

Again, any sensation of acceleration was imaginary as the great ship surged ahead. Then the Asian spoke again.

“Trans-warp five, captain. On course.”

Kirk nodded. “Very good. We’ll leave her there for a while until all the status checks are in.” He rose from his chair and headed for the turbolift. “I’ll be in my cabin. Mr. Spock, you have the con.”

Spock moved to the captain’s chair as Kirk left the bridge, followed by McCoy. They didn’t speak in the lift; when they exited, McCoy headed for sick bay and Kirk to his cabin. The journey would take three months; there would be plenty of time to talk and enjoy each other’s company, perhaps too much time. This was going to be the longest non-stop voyage they had ever made, and even the best of friends could tire of seeing the same faces day after day.

*

An hour later, Kirk ordered their speed increased to Trans-warp six. Then, as he was settling down to sleep, Sulu interrupted him on the intercom.

“Captain?”

“Yes, Sulu, what is it?”

“I just thought you might like to know, sir. We’ve passed the old record set during the trials. We are now at warp eighty-two on the old scale.”

Kirk noted the tone of awed satisfaction in the Asian’s voice and smiled to himself. “Very well, Mr. Sulu. Steady as she goes. Kirk out.”

Then he instructed the computer to dim the lights in his cabin, and was asleep in moments.

James Kirk stands upon a rocky hillside on an unfamiliar world, looking down as two figures battle a third at the base of a platform, on which a missile is aimed at the overhead sun. One of the figures is familiar, and he realizes that it is himself; older, grayer, a little heavier perhaps, but still fit and easily recognizable. The one with whom he seems to be allied is dressed in what appears to be a Star Fleet uniform, although not of any design that he has ever seen. The man is strong and fit-looking, a little younger than Kirk, although his lack of hair makes him seem older than he really is. Kirk notes his presence, his air of authority, his personal charisma, and hardly needs to see the insignia on his uniform collar to know that this is a starship captain.

The older version of himself is also dressed in uniform, this one more recognizable, and together they pursue the third man, who is clad all in black. Kirk’s double and the man struggle, and the man in black is knocked to the ground. Kirk’s companion goes to the missile in an attempt to prevent its launch, while his older self steps on to a sagging bridge to retrieve something that Kirk senses they need. He is near his goal when the bridge collapses, and both it and he crash to the bottom of a shallow ravine.

Kirk feels the man’s moment of pain, then nothing. Then the other captain is there, saying that they made a difference. As Kirk watches, his older, future self (for he instinctively knows that this is what he is seeing) speaks once, then dies.

The scene quickly fades, and Kirk is in another place, a place where there is no light, no sound, nothing at all. Then, slowly, images begin to resolve themselves, growing out of the darkness until he is suddenly standing beside a familiar log cabin in a wood, a long-handled axe in his hands. There is a log of wood on a chopping block, and Kirk swings the axe and splits it. He is about to repeat the action when he hears a sound behind him. He turns…

…and wakes in his cabin on board the Enterprise. The dream is already fading, and he cannot hold on to it. In a moment, before he is even fully awake, it is gone.

***