Generations

[A l t e r E g o 9]

The Legendary Captain hung on for dear life as the twisted remains of the bridge he clung to, suspended out over the gorge bucked and swayed like an unbroken Philly.

 

He thought heard a whisper in his ear say, "You will not get away this time".

"Damn old age", he thought, "now I know I'm getting senile".

 

He looked up at the bolts securing the bridge into the rock face. An invisible hand seemed to be tugging at it or was that his imagination? He wasn't sure.

 

He could see the anchor plate bulging in and out. He wondered how long it would be before the screw caps popped and would he have time to climb the 30 feet to safety. But climbing was not an option. It was all he could do to hang with both hands, letting go with one hand would have meant certain death with the bridge quaking the way it was.

 

"Oh how long I've waited to see you again" said the voice.

 

Kirk glanced over his shoulder to see how far away the rock face, his end of the bridge once connected to was, and perhaps he could make jump for it.

 

An anchor bolt popped and the bridge dipped suddenly making Kirk forget is newly formed escape plan.

 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA".

 

Kirk resolved the only option was to try to climb up enough to get a foothold on the bridge. Despite the danger he let go with his left hand and reached it up to grab a mangled rod that, once was part of the handrail support. The bridge bucked again in protest but with a surge of legendary experience with such matters he reached it! He now brought up a foot and caught the very end of the bride.

 

Driven with newfound determination to survive this ordeal he soon found himself with all four limbs secured, spread eagle on to the bridge. The bridge was not happy about that. "NOOOOOOOOOOO", Kirk thought he heard the bridge say.

 

Kirk, who now began to believe he was going to live to see Fate cheated again, only smiled and began looking for his next place to grab.

 

Now the bridge began to protest his efforts as never before. It began twisting in a circle, back and forth to more quickly weaken the steel. Kirk had to forego his climb and make sure he stayed secure to the bride to keep from falling off during the times it was almost upside down.

 

Kirk watched the metal at the anchor bolt reach the breaking point. "This is it, he thought, "here we go" and go it did. With a final screech the bolts let go and the twisting forces that had been acting on the bridge caused it to fall with a spinning motion. Kirks mind raced as he realized his only chance would be if he lands with the bridge below him... If only he could get lucky one more time...

 

No such luck, luck had run out and it was time to pay the piper. Kirk hit the ground first; the weight of the bridge members above him dealt a crushing blow to his vital organs. It was a fatal blow. On a rock thousands of light years away from Bones and Spock, Kirk knew this was the end.

 

That is when he realized that in order to know anything he must still be alive. "I win again!" he laughed to himself. He felt and basked in the sunshine falling on his face, a steady smile upon his face.

 

Something was approaching. Whatever it was it eventually aligned it's self with and began blocking the warm rays of this planets sun from reaching him. After a moment Kirk recognized the form as that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the man who had giving him this final chance at making a difference. Kirk, still smiling asked of him "Did we make a difference?"

 

Picard was amazed the scene before him. He was looking at the legendary James T. Kirk embraced in a tomb of steel, the mans innards from the chest down were sprayed across the scene in a display of gore the likes of which Picard had not seen since he watched a man named Remick explode from combined phaser fire to destroy an evil alien that had possessed his body and yet, Kirk was smiling like schoolboy after getting his first kiss.

 

"Oh yes, we made a difference" he said to Kirk. Kirks smile broadened until it threatened to consume his entire face.

 

Kirk looked up at the Starfleet Captain standing above him and he knew all was going to be ok. He could let go without fearing the universe would not go on without him to come to its rescue so he began to do just that, let go.

 

The bright light of Viridian 3 began to give way to darkness; Kirk watched the silhouette of Picard fill in with darkness.

 

In the growing darkness, Picards features began to metamorphose into the features of someone else, someone ... familiar.

 

The Voice returned, "At last Admiral, we meet again."

 

Kirk could not yet make out or distinguish whom it was but the voice was from the distant past. As the darkness grew so did the resolution of the person Picard was evolving into, beginning to come into sharper focus.

 

Kirk searched his memory and the face trying to make a match for the voice he knew he recognized.

 

"Come now Admiral, do not tell me you have forgotten me after all these years?"

 

Then Kirk remembered. It was Khan. Kirk breathed his last, words, "Uh-oh", and passed on into infinity.

[KayTroi 0]

This was a great ending. I never would have thought of that. Keep up the good work.