By Beyondtoday/Laurie Howard
Author’s Note: This is what happened in my world. Lucas Kirk, son of Capt. Kirk, and Spock Jr. (SJ), son of Spock met years ago at the Starfleet Academy. The Captain and Lucas’s mother are divorced. Mr. Spock married a Human, but she died when Spock Jr. was young. Lucas and SJ are serving their first year on the Enterprise. Brothers come into our lives in many ways.
Ensign Lucas Kirk was sitting in his friend’s cabin, bouncing a handball off his wall while they talked.
Lucas grinned at SJ and said, “I know this annoys you, that’s why I do it.”
SJ caught the ball midair, tossed it into the recycler and grinned back at his friend. Being three-quarters human and one part Vulcan gave him more leeway to express himself.
Lucas laughed out loud and said, “I better go. I haven’t spoken to my dad for almost a month, and I’d like to see him before we go for shore leave.”
“Yes, I have an appointment with my father in three minutes. We had a misunderstanding the other day and I feel I owe him an apology. I will meet you, David, and Mick in the transporter room in thirty-three minutes.”
Lucas shook his head at his almost awkward level of accuracy and waved on his way out of the room. He took the lift from the bowels of the ship up to level five. He straightened his uniform and buzzed the bell.
“Come.”
The door swooshed open. “Dad, do you have a few minutes?”
Captain Kirk looked up from his desk. He had PADD’s spread out in front of his own computer, with two old cups of coffee near his elbow.
“Yes, come on in, I need a break. Have a seat if you can find one.”
Lucas pulled out the chair and moved his father’s jacket. “Going somewhere cold, Dad?”
“Uh, no, I was sorting out some things and forgot to put it back. What can I help you with?”
“Nothing much; it’s just that with me working gamma shift, I haven’t seen much of you, and I’ll be going on shore leave in half an hour. I just wanted to touch base and make sure we’re okay.”
“Why, what have you done that I haven’t heard about yet?”
Looking hurt and stunned, Lucas pointed to himself with half a smile and said, “Father, forgive me, for I have done nothing this month to disappoint you.”
Jim Kirk laughed out loud and said, “I’m not sure if I believe that, but your evaluation reports are all coming in with good reviews.”
“That’s good. Sometimes Lt. Cia on gamma shift is a little demanding on the bridge.”
“She just wants you to learn the helm correctly, not only what they teach you at the academy.”
“Yes, sir, I have learned a lot from her, but she’s hard to read sometimes and I don’t think she appreciates my sense of humor.”
“Then perhaps that is a hint to not mess around on the bridge.”
“Well, on that happy note, Dad, I shall take my leave.” He stood and reached across the desk to shake his father’s hand. “When are you taking leave, Dad?”
“Dr. McCoy is making me take one with him tomorrow, even though I’m buried in paper work. Remember, no trouble down there; the space station is well-covered by the security force and they’re always watching the crews coming down for leave.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll keep that in mind. See you later, Dad.” Lucas waved as he went out the door.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SJ buzzed his father’s door at exactly on the hour.
“Come,” Mr. Spock called.
SJ stepped through the now-open doorway. “Father, I hope I am not interfering with anything.”
“No, sit down, Spock.”
SJ sat stiffly across the table from his father. He looked at his father’s dark brown eyes and received a look of encouragement.
“Go ahead, Son. What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?”
“Father, I want to apologize for my anger toward you the other day. I know now that you were not criticizing me, you were trying to teach me something. I mistook the tone of your voice and I will in the future try not to make the same mistake.”
“Apologizing is not necessary, but I am glad that you have had time to think this through. Do you have any other questions?”
SJ took that as his dismissal and almost stood up to leave. Then he leaned forward on the table and in a whisper said, “I don’t want to have this deep divide between us anymore.”
Mr. Spock raised his eyebrow and said, “I was not aware of any deep divide. Have I misinterpreted something?”
“Father, when I’m on the bridge or within the ship, you are my commanding officer and I respect that, but one on one, you are my father.”
He nodded and said, “Yes, Son, I must agree.” Mr. Spock paused and stood up. He walked around the table and pulled his chair in front of SJ. “I believe I am aware of what you are trying to say. I have had numerous subspace communications from your grandmother. She is concerned that I am not treating you as you need to be treated. She has adamantly reminded me that you are more human in your feelings, reactions and thought processes. I assured her that I am aware of your makeup and that we continue to work on our relationship, however, I am not sure that I have convinced her of our progress.”
Mr. Spock leaned back in his chair and studied his son’s face. “And, I sense that perhaps you are not convinced, either.” He paused and said, “May I bond with you?”
Surprised, SJ looked up and nodded yes. They both steepled their hands and took a deep breath. Mr. Spock placed his hands on the meld points and began.
SJ was startled by the force of the meld, and his father slowly adjusted his search. In his mind he heard his father say, “Relax and be as one.” For fifteen minutes they searched and learned of their true feelings for each other. SJ had doubted that his father approved of his behavior at times, and he was reassured tenfold that he was loved and had his approval. Spock showed SJ, that due to his and Sarek’s relationship, he found that he was reluctant to show SJ his affection, but he was working on that and found fulfillment in his human ability to enjoy, yes enjoy his son and all that he was.
Mr. Spock slowly pulled away and they returned into themselves. SJ leaned towards his father’s shoulder, tears dripping from his face. Mr. Spock experienced a tear of his own as he allowed him to rest there.
“Father, I thank thee.”
“You are welcome, my son, and never think that I do not approve of your human side. I encourage you to be more human than I, because that is your nature.”
SJ sat up and nodded. “I must leave now, Father, but may I use your restroom?”
Spock wiped the tear from SJ’s face and said, “Go, my son.”
SJ splashed cold water on his face and combed his hair. He straightened his uniform and breathed in deeply. The mind meld had been powerful and cleansing for both of them.
Mr. Spock walked him to the door and gave him the Vulcan Ta’al hand greeting. “Live long and prosper my son.”
“And may your life be long and happy, my father.”
The swish of the door closing left Spock to settle his mind and plan for a future with his only offspring.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SJ was among four ensigns who met in the transporter room and made quick plans as they waited their turn.
Mick Cooley said in his Irish brogue, “Now lads, just follow my lead and we’ll meet the most beautiful women on the space station.”
Lucas rolled his eyes at his friend. Mick was quite the ladies’ man, and David Esper always followed him. “You guys have been warned of the security force just waiting for trouble to start, so be careful.”
“Now, my friend, there’ll be no trouble a’ tall. You’ll not have to be worryin’ about explaining to your dear da what happened on shore leave.”
“Let’s make sure, Mick. David, you are in charge of him.”
David moaned and looked at Lucas. “But he never listens to me.”
“It is your turn this time.”
“I’m aghast at your insinuating that I cannot act like a gentleman,” Mick said.
“Come on, lads, hop on, it’s your turn, and be on your best behavior down there,” Mr. Scott said.
“Aye, sir,” they all responded.
Space station 12 was always a favorite. It was one of the most modern and held an eclectic variety of species from other planets. Their first choice was a home-cooked meal in one of the restaurants that did not serve replicated food. The laughter at their table showed the camaraderie they enjoyed.
Mick stood and said, “Alright, lads, ‘tis time to quench our thirsts and seek out the opposite sex.”
The four found the first two bars too crowded, but the third was a larger bar and was just beginning to fill up. They chose a booth in the center of the room. The waitress served up their drinks.
Mick said, “A toast to all those who chose not to be with us on this shore leave. May they come back to the ship, sober and without a promise of love being whispered in their ears.”
The three laughed and drank down their pints. It didn’t take long for Mick and David to leave the table and begin working the room. The volume in the room increased and Lucas knew that SJ’s sensitive ears were having trouble blocking out the sound.
“SJ, have you ever seen so many women in one spot? Hey look, there’s a young Vulcan lady eyeing you from the bar.”
SJ glanced her way and recognized her from the class above them at the academy. Then he saw something else. “Uh oh, Lucas, here come two ladies.”
Lucas looked up and before they knew it, the two ladies sat themselves next to them in their booth.
“Well, gents, we saw your companions leave and we thought you looked lonely. I am Sasha and this is Madeline. Which ship are you from?”
The four began a conversation, but Lucas was not impressed. He was feeling more uneasy as time went on. He kept a close hand near his wallet and gave SJ a sign that it was time to leave.
“I’m sorry to cut this conversation short,” he said, “but we have promised to meet my sister and her friends. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Lucas stood and the girls slowly slid out of the booth. The ensigns left, and once they were out in the hallway, SJ stopped him.
“Your sister?”
“I had to think fast. I had a feeling my wallet was going to be lifted or her hand was after something else.”
SJ laughed and said, “Okay, where to now? But please, someplace not so loud.”
“How about a turn on the climbing wall?”
“Good idea.”
They rode a lift to the climbing area and got suited up in the harnesses. They chose the most advanced wall.
“First to the top, buys the next drink,” Lucas said.
“You’re on, my friend.”
Halfway up the wall, both slipped and fell away. They were lowered down and allowed one more try.
“Come on, SJ, we can do better.”
“You’re right. I’ll see you at the top.”
SJ did reach the top first and peered over the side to encourage Lucas up the last fifteen feet. After Lucas pulled himself up over the edge, they both jumped off to repel down to the bottom.
Sweating and tired, they left the area in search of a quiet bar, but they passed by a rock and mineral museum.
“Oh, look, Lucas, this is amazing. There are two floors of specimens.”
“Okay, Mr. Scientist, always looking for something to learn. Let’s go take a look.”
Lucas found the lighting on the displays made the stones and minerals show off their best qualities. He had no idea what most of them were, but he enjoyed watching his friend go from display to display.
“Look at this meseurite from Saturn’s ring in your home galaxy! It must have circled the planet for thousands of years and then was disrupted by something that spewed it into space, where it was picked up by the Saturn Day Mining ship. It’s beautiful, Lucas.”
Lucas looked through the glass and raised his eyebrow and tried not to laugh at SJ’s excitement. “It is a fine specimen, if I don’t say so myself.”
SJ turned to him and smirked, “You’re an idiot, Kirk.”
“Yes, you’ve told me that before.”
After another hour of roaming through the museum, SJ was content to leave.
“Boy, wait until the guys hear how we spent our shore leave,” Lucas said, teasing.
SJ responded by shoving Lucas into a wall.
“Ow, be careful.”
“Sorry, I forgot how weak and fragile you humans can be.”
“Touche’.”
The two left the museum and wandered the deck, looking out into space and watching the comings and goings of other ships as they docked or left the ports. Both were subdued and quiet.
Lucas finally led the way into an alcove with fresh flowers growing and plants that reached to the high ceiling.
“Mr. Sulu would love this place,” SJ said.
They took seats and enjoyed the fresh aroma of the plants and the soil. Memories of home came to both of them.
“Lucas, you seem very quiet.”
“Just thinking of home. I’ve tried to reach Joanna, but so far we’ve only had written messages.”
“Has Dr. McCoy talked with her?”
“I try not to go into sick bay if I’m not sick. He scares me sometimes, SJ. I’m never sure if he likes me or not or if he’s just keeping me wondering. By now, he should know Jo and I are pretty serious.”
“Give him time, Lucas.”
“Yeah,” he answered. He leaned his elbows on his knees and sighed.
“SJ, can I ask you a personal question?”
“You may ask, but I may not answer.”
“Okay, here goes. How do you control yourself?”
Confused, SJ asked, “How do I control myself with what?”
“Didn’t you notice all the pretty women in the bar today? I mean how do you, ya know, keep from wanting, er acting out your desires.”
SJ’s eyebrows reached his bangs and said, “Are you asking how I refrain from acting out my sexual urges?”
Lucas sat up straight and said, “Yes, I mean, everywhere I turn on the ship there are girls, and I only have to think of Jo and I can usually let it all pass, but there are times I find it very difficult to remain pure for her.”
“Vulcans are taught, through meditation, how to control ourselves, but that does not mean we do not, you know…”
Lucas looked at his face turning a lighter shade of yellow-green and said, “Well, what about when you were dating that young princess thing back at the academy? Didn’t you…you know?”
“Lucas, that is highly personal.”
“I’m sorry. I made a promise to myself a long time ago to not take advantage of any woman for my own pleasure. It’s not fair to her, nor to me, either.”
“But, Lucas, if the woman is willing, what is the problem?”
“We’re not animals that can’t control ourselves. Remember the story I told you about how I first met Joanna and I ruined the party by getting some guys and myself drunk?”
“Oh yes, the summer of your discontent.”
“Well, it was more than a summer, but I never told you what else happened.”
“Do tell, my friend.”
“Well, when Dad came into town for those three days unannounced, and he had to get me out of juvenile jail, he was more than furious. Then when I got into trouble at Dr. McCoy’s house and pretty much brought their party to an end, Dad was beyond angry. But the last day of his visit, we made a quick trip to the Enterprise. It was in space dock for repairs and I got to meet Capt. Pike.”
“Did you meet my father there, too?”
“No, he was either land-side…”
“I doubt it.”
“…or working on a project,”
“Probably true,” SJ replied.
“Well, we took a quick tour and some crewmen that Dad once served with were talking with him. I went into an observation deck and had the most magnificent view of the galaxy. I was facing the side of the ship with hardly any repairs going on, and the stars were so bright that I just fell in love with it. I was standing there watching one very bright star when all of a sudden it exploded. I, I fell to my knees, but I had the most peaceful sensation come over me. Then, I heard and I felt this voice in my mind and in my soul.” He paused and swallowed.
SJ asked quietly, “What happened?”
“The voice, the most calming voice I have ever sensed said, ‘Come back to me, my son.’ For a millisecond I thought it was my Dad calling me, but I knew it wasn’t. SJ, it was the voice of God. God the creator of the universe and all that is in it.” He looked at SJ and said, “You must think I’m nuts?”
“No, no, I am just trying to fathom such a strong feeling. I can see this was a moving moment for you. What did you do?”
“I finally stood up. I was shaking and looking around, but the star was gone, I’m not even sure it was there to begin with. It was so scary, beautiful, and calming all at the same time. Then my Dad came back and we shuttled to Earth. He kept asking me if I was okay. I guess I was quiet. I don’t remember.”
“Did you ever tell him about it?”
Lucas stared at the wall in front of him and shook his head no. “There’s more. That summer, Dad sent me to Grandpa Jack’s on the ranch. He told me I had this summer to grow up because the police had my name on a list to watch and I was older and would be put in jail if I kept acting the way I was. I worked hard at the ranch. I kinda forgot about the incident on the Enterprise, until one time I wanted to spend a night out camping by myself. Remember that little flat area I took you to, to camp and watch the sky at night?”
“Yes, I do. It’s a great place to see the constellations.”
“Yes, Grandma made me a saddlebag full of food to take. I grabbed my gear and rode up there about the tenth of August. It was supposed to be the best night of the year for the Perseid shower. I set up camp and the sun set. It was cool that night, with no clouds. I sat on the tree stump with my back to the fire. It was a magnificent show, but I was watching one particular star with a long tail. It looked like it was heading towards me where all the others were flowing to my left. I wanted to look away, but I was compelled to follow its trail. It flashed in front of me and I fell to my knees. The same peaceful feeling came over me again. I was scared at first but that went away quickly, and then I heard and felt the same powerful voice in my head and I think in my soul. He said, ‘Come back to me, my son.’” Lucas paused to try and control himself, but his lip trembled, his body shook and his tears fell freely from his eyes.
He tried speaking, but couldn’t. He leaned forward and shook his head. He cleared his throat and swallowed. “SJ, it was God asking me to come back to him. I knelt on the ground for a long time, and I told him all about my sins. It was like this wave of forgiveness washed over me. I knew, I knew, I was forgiven and that He was expecting better things from me.”
SJ let him take his time telling him his story.
“I finally felt a release. It felt so good. I stood and stared at the heavens and I knew that I would follow my father into space. I crawled into my tent and I slept until the sun came up. Grandpa Jack and Grandma are Catholic. When I came home the next day, they both said I looked more relaxed. I was being sent back to my Mom and stepdad’s place in a few days, but I asked them tons of questions about their faith. They taught me not just what the Bible teaches, but about the wonderful traditions of the Catholic faith. They gave me a list of books to read and study. When I got home, I started my senior year in school and I studied like a wild man. My mom even called Dad and said that whatever threat he put on me had finally worked. But it wasn’t what Dad did as much as my two experiences with God. That’s why I want to remain pure until I’m married. I had made a lot of bad choices and I promised God that night that I would change.” Tears still filled his eyes and they slowly fell down his face. SJ reached over and hugged him. More tears came and fell.
Lucas finally pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his face. “Jeez, SJ, if anyone saw us, they’d be starting rumors. Thanks, buddy.”
“Lucas, we are brothers. You are my t’hy’la.”
“From this t’hy’la to my t’hy’la, I’m glad we’re friends.