2:17 PM, 7th February 2258
Starfleet Academy
(3rd Person POV)
"The current graduating class is above the Federation average," Spock observed in his usual measured tone, calmly reviewing a succession of personnel files displayed upon a translucent holographic screen. "Seventeen cadets have achieved distinction in multiple disciplines. Twenty-nine others have demonstrated above-average aptitude in their chosen fields."
Pike smiled faintly from across the table. "So, in Vulcan terms..."
"They are adequate."
A chuckle escaped Pike. "I was hoping for slightly higher praise than that."
Spock looked up from the display. "Several individuals do seem to possess considerable potential."
"Now we're getting somewhere," Pike said, leaning back into his chair. "Let's hear them."
Spock expanded the first record.
"Cadet Nyota Uhura. Primary specialization: xenolinguistics. Fluent in thirty-seven Federation and non-Federation languages and dialects, with exceptional aptitude in pattern recognition and cryptographic analysis."
"I've heard about her," Pike said, reading through the evaluation. "One of the instructors told me she corrected a senior lecturer's translation during a guest seminar."
"The instructor's translation was incorrect."
"I gathered that."
"Cadet Hikaru Sulu. Astrophysics, advanced astrogation, and flight control. His simulator scores consistently rank among the highest recorded during the past decade."
Pike nodded appreciatively.
Another file appeared.
"Cadet Leonard McCoy."
Pike raised an eyebrow. "I thought Doctor McCoy had already graduated."
"He has. However, his accelerated Academy programme formally concludes next month."
"I'll have to congratulate him."
Several more files followed in succession. A handful of promising engineers. Several tactical specialists. Pike committed more than one name to memory.
Eventually, Spock paused before opening another personnel record. "There is one additional cadet whose record may interest you."
Pike noticed the subtle hesitation. "Oh?"
"Third-year cadet James Tiberius Kirk." Spock shifted the holographic display. "His academic performance is... inconsistent."
Pike leaned slightly closer. "Inconsistent how?"
"When sufficiently motivated, Cadet Kirk demonstrates exceptional intelligence, initiative, and tactical creativity. However, those qualities are frequently accompanied by impulsiveness, disregard for established procedure, and repeated disciplinary action."
Pike couldn't suppress a smile. "So he's either brilliant or a headache."
"The available evidence suggests both conclusions are simultaneously correct." After a brief pause, he added, "Cadet Kirk has also registered to retake the Kobayashi Maru simulation tomorrow morning."
Pike looked up. "Retake it?"
"Correct. This will be his third attempt."
Pike laughed. "I've never heard of anyone voluntarily going back for a third time."
Before Spock could respond, the office door chimed.
"Enter."
The doors slid open to admit Admiral Richard Barnett, a broad-shouldered man in his early sixties with four stars displayed upon his uniform collar. The easy familiarity in his expression suggested he'd known Pike for many years.
"Chris."
"Richard."
Pike crossed the room with a welcoming smile and shook the admiral's hand. "I wasn't expecting you."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Not at all."
Pike gestured toward the seating area near the windows. "Commander Spock and I were just going through this year's crop to see if there are any promising ensigns I'd like to steal for the Enterprise before another captain gets there first."
The admiral lowered himself into one of the chairs and laughed. "You know, Chris, there comes a point in every captain's career when he's supposed to stop babysitting fresh-faced cadets."
Pike sat opposite him, unable to hide his amusement. "I wasn't aware there was an official regulation."
"There isn't. But there should be," the admiral smiled, before his expression became more serious. "Two years ago, I offered you the rank of Commodore."
"I remember."
"You turned me down."
"I did."
Barnett leaned forward, resting his forearms upon his knees. "Well, this time I'm raising the ante. Senior Command has authorised me to offer you promotion to Rear Admiral."
The room went quiet. Spock looked from Barnett to Pike.
"The position's yours if you want it," Barnett smiled. "You've earned it, Chris. Strategic Command, fleet planning, policy development... fewer plasma torpedoes trying to kill you."
"And more committee meetings," Pike added dryly.
The admiral laughed. "That's the price of success."
Pike rose from his chair and wandered toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of his Academy office. Below, cadets continued crossing the Academy grounds completely unaware that one conversation inside the building might alter the course of his career.
He stood there for several moments before speaking. "I'm honoured. Truly."
Barnett said nothing. After knowing Pike for nearly twenty years, he already knew what was coming.
"But I'm not ready yet." Pike turned around to look at Barnett. "I'm the captain of the USS Enterprise. And every morning I wake up looking forward to sitting in that chair. I still want to be the one taking my ship into the unknown, rather than reading reports about someone else doing it."
The admiral studied his old friend before finally nodding. "Well, I can't say I didn't expect this."
Pike gave a conciliatory smile. "Give me another couple of years. If the offer's still on the table then...I'll take you up on it."
Barnett stood and extended his hand once more. "I'll hold you to that."
Before Pike could answer, his communicator chirped. He flipped it open.
"Pike."
A young woman's voice came through. "Captain, this is Academy Reception. I apologise for interrupting you, sir, but I have an... unusual visitor requesting to see you."
Pike exchanged an amused glance with Barnett. "Define unusual."
"He says his name is Benjamin Carter and he asked me to tell you that he is here to help prevent the imminent destruction of Vulcan, the loss of seven Federation starships, and the deaths of billions of innocent lives."
The easy atmosphere inside the office evaporated instantly. Pike's grin vanished. Barnett's expression hardened. Spock sat up straight, which for a Vulcan was the human equivalent of jumping to one's feet.
The receptionist continued. "He also asked me to include two more phrases in my message to you, sir."
"I'm listening."
"The USS Kelvin."
Pike's eyes narrowed.
"A lightning storm in space."
Barnett looked sharply toward him. Spock's expression remained composed, but his eyes betrayed clear interest.
Pike finally spoke. "Where is Mr. Carter now?"
"He's still here in the reception hall, Captain." A brief pause followed. "He's speaking with one of our cadets."
Pike frowned. "Which cadet?"
The receptionist glanced across the hall before replying. "James T. Kirk, sir."
Pike looked first at Spock, then at Barnett. "Keep him there. I'll be down in a moment. And have the computer pull together everything it can find on Mr Carter. I want it waiting for me by the time I arrive."
"Yes, Captain."
Pike closed the communicator.
"I hope you won't mind if I accompany you, captain," Spock said at once, standing up.
"I too, am curious to see how this plays out," said the admiral.
"So be it," Pike said, putting on his jacket. "I don't know who this man is, but anyone who walks into Starfleet Academy making claims like that deserves at least five minutes of my time."
The three officers left the office together, each silently wondering the same thing.
Who exactly was this Benjamin Carter?
---
2:16 PM, 7th February 2258
Starfleet Academy
(Ben's First Person POV)
"I was hoping you would ask."
James Kirk stood only a few feet away, studying me with narrowed eyes. I could practically see the questions racing through his mind. Behind him, Doctor McCoy looked as though he'd already decided this entire situation was destined to end badly.
The cadets who had followed me inside had abandoned even the pretence of minding their own business. They stood in small groups, whispering among themselves, but every pair of eyes remained fixed on us. Even the receptionist seemed to have forgotten about the terminal hovering above her desk.
I took a few unhurried steps toward Kirk and stopped within arm's reach.
"Benjamin Carter," I said, offering my hand.
He regarded my hand for a brief moment before taking it.
"Jim Kirk."
I smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jim."
His grip was confident, though I noticed his eyes never left mine.
"So...what exactly did you mean about the Kelvin?"
I slipped my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket. "I might have a few things to tell you about history... about your history."
A flicker of confusion crossed Jim's face.
"But first..." I glanced around the spacious reception hall before looking back at him. "Since I'm technically a guest here, how about giving me a tour of Starfleet Academy? The non-classified parts, of course."
Before he could answer, the receptionist called out from behind her desk. "Mr. Carter?"
I turned.
"Captain Pike is on his way down, sir. He asked that you remain here in the reception hall."
"That's fine," I said with a reassuring smile. "I'm not leaving the building." I gestured toward Kirk. "I'll be escorted by one of your cadets."
Then I looked back at Jim. "So... how about it?"
He stared at me for another moment before shrugging. "Sure. Why not?"
He gave McCoy a brief look and then the two of us left the reception hall while dozens of disappointed cadets watched us disappear into the Academy.
Starfleet Academy was even more impressive from the inside. The corridors were wide and filled with natural light pouring through enormous walls of transparent aluminium. Living plants grew in carefully designed alcoves between classrooms, while sculptures, paintings and historical displays celebrated humanity's journey from primitive spaceflight to the Federation's exploration of the stars.
Jim led the way at an easy pace, occasionally pointing out different lecture theatres, engineering laboratories, and administrative offices as we passed.
"So..." He glanced sideways at me. "Where are you from?"
"Well, I was born on Earth."
He waited for me to continue. I didn't.
"And?"
I smiled. "I've been around since then."
He chuckled. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
"Probably not. What about you?"
"I grew up in Riverside, Iowa." He smiled faintly. "Though I wasn't actually born there."
"I know. Not many people are born aboard an escaping medical shuttle."
Jim stopped walking. "...How do you know that?"
"We'll talk when Captain Pike gets here."
He searched my face for a long moment before reluctantly accepting the answer.
"...Fine."
We resumed walking. A minute later he spoke again.
"The stuff you said back there..." He hesitated. "About Vulcan. Is it really in danger?"
I met his eyes. "More than you know."
The easy-going look disappeared from his face. For the first time since we'd met, he looked genuinely unsettled.
We turned a corner and entered one of the Academy's scientific wings.
Large observation windows overlooked spacious training laboratories where cadets worked around elaborate holographic displays suspended in midair. Entire sectors of Federation space floated above circular consoles in breathtaking three-dimensional detail. Stars burned like tiny jewels while planets orbited in accelerated time, their trajectories continuously updating as students manipulated stellar cartography data with graceful hand gestures.
Another laboratory housed future navigators learning advanced astrogation. Complex gravitational models shifted continuously as instructors demonstrated how warp trajectories could be optimized by accounting for stellar mass, subspace density, and local gravitational distortions.
I slowed almost without realizing it. "...Wow."
Jim noticed. "You like this sort of thing?"
"I love this sort of thing."
I watched a cadet effortlessly rotate an entire star cluster before zooming into an individual system with nothing more than a flick of her fingers.
"I've only ever seen things like this on a screen. In person..." I shook my head. "...it's something else."
Jim folded his arms. "You ever think about joining Starfleet?"
I laughed softly. "More than anything. What wouldn't I give to spend my life travelling across the stars? Planet to planet. Spaceport to spaceport. Boldly going where no one has gone before."
"But..." I shook my head. "I've got too much on my plate. I can't just disappear into deep space for years."
"That's a shame."
"It is." I nodded. "But at least I'm not wasting my life. The work I do matters."
Jim looked at me curiously. "Like right now?"
"Exactly."
We continued deeper into the Academy until Jim pressed his hand against a control panel and opened a pair of sliding doors.
"This is one of our simulation rooms," he explained as we stepped inside. "We run tactical exercises, emergency scenarios, navigation drills... pretty much anything that can be simulated."
The room itself was large and mostly empty, with bulky holographic emitters mounted high along the walls and ceiling. Observation windows overlooked the training floor from an elevated control room.
I slowly turned in a circle, studying the equipment. "It's nice," I admitted. "But it's no holodeck."
Jim frowned. "A what?"
"A holodeck. Imagine combining holograms, force fields and replicator technology inside an enclosed room. Instead of simply looking at a simulation, you can touch it, smell it, taste it. It becomes a fully interactive reality."
He stared at me. "...You're kidding."
"Not at all." I smiled. "Don't worry. You'll invent it in a few decades."
"And how exactly do you know that?" A calm voice came from the doorway.
Jim and I turned simultaneously.
Standing there were Captain Christopher Pike, Commander Spock and another senior Starfleet officer, who if memory served right, would have chaired the disciplinary tribunal against Kirk for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test... only to present him with Starfleet's highest commendation a few days later after he saved Earth from Nero.
All three men regarded me with open curiosity.
"Captain Pike." A smile spread across my face as I stepped forward and offered my hand. "We meet at last. It's an honour."
Christopher Pike accepted the handshake without hesitation. His grip was firm and confident, the handshake of a man who had spent his life commanding starships rather than sitting behind a desk.
Releasing his hand, I turned to the Vulcan standing beside him. "Commander Spock."
He acknowledged me with the slightest inclination of his head. "Mr. Carter."
I returned the nod before shifting my attention to the older officer beside him. "I'm afraid I am not familiar with who you are, sir."
Pike gestured toward him. "This is Admiral Richard Barnett."
I offered my hand once more. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Admiral."
Barnett shook it with an easy smile. "Likewise."
The introductions concluded, Pike turned his attention toward Jim. "We've got things from here, Kirk. You can get back to your work."
Before Jim had a chance to protest, I spoke.
"With all due respect, Captain, I'd prefer it if Mr. Kirk stayed. What I have to say involves him as well."
Pike looked at me, then at Jim, before glancing toward Barnett. Finally, he nodded. "Very well."
He folded his arms across his chest and regarded me with a calm, appraising expression. "You made quite a few unbelievable assertions in your message, Mr. Carter. The destruction of Vulcan. Of seven Federation starships. The loss of billions of innocent lives."
He paused, his gaze never leaving mine. "If it's attention you wanted, congratulations—you've certainly got it. But that's not all."
He took a slow step forward. "I asked the Academy computer to find everything it could on Benjamin Carter. It couldn't find a single trace of you anywhere in the Federation. No birth records. No education records. No citizenship files. No transport logs. No financial transactions. Nothing."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "The first time your name appears anywhere in our databases is six days ago, when you checked into the Bay Horizon Grand Hotel."
Silence settled over the simulation room.
"You are," Pike concluded, "a person of considerable interest."
I nodded. "I know you have a lot of questions," I said. "And I'll do my best to answer them."
I looked from Pike to Spock, then to Barnett.
"But before we get into who I am, there's one thing you need to know. Everything I told your receptionist is true. Vulcan really is in grave danger. And so is the Federation."
I let the words hang in the air before continuing. "The good news is that I believe there's a way through what's coming. Maybe even a way to get to the other side without losing everything."
"And you're prepared to share what you know?" Pike asked.
"Of course. That's why I'm here." I smiled faintly. "I only need a few minutes of your time."
Pike studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded.
"My office. We'll talk there," he said, turning toward the doorway.
"Your office?" I asked.
He looked back. "Yes. It's just a few floors up."
I grinned. "Why don't we take a shortcut, then?"
Before anyone could ask what I meant, I casually raised my right hand.
Reality folded inward with the familiar fluidity of water circling a drain. Wisps of smoky blue mist spiralled outward as a perfect ring of sapphire light expanded into existence before us. Crackling arcs of energy danced continuously around its circumference, illuminating the simulation room with an ethereal glow.
On the other side lay Captain Pike's office, exactly as he'd left it only minutes earlier.
Nobody spoke.
Pike simply stared. Beside him, Spock remained outwardly composed, though one elegantly arched eyebrow climbed noticeably higher than usual. Jim's mouth slowly fell open, while Admiral Barnett blinked once, then twice, as though trying to convince himself his eyes weren't deceiving him.
Wearing a Cheshire grin, I stepped through the portal as casually as though I were crossing an ordinary doorway. Emerging inside Pike's office, I turned back to face the four Starfleet officers still standing in the simulation suite.
"Shall we begin?"
Spock stepped closer to the shimmering portal, his eyes following the swirling patterns of blue energy with intense scientific interest. "Fascinating. The aperture appears to be a stable, traversable wormhole. According to our current understanding of physics, such a construct should require an enormous amount of exotic energy merely to remain open. Yet I detect no measurable subspace instability whatsoever."
After a moment, he turned toward me, one eyebrow slightly raised. "How is that possible?"
"To understand how I opened this portal, or miniature wormhole as you might call it, you need to know who I am and where I come from," I replied with a small smile. "Something I'd be happy to explain once we're no longer standing on two different floors of the same building."
Spock regarded me for a moment before apparently deciding that further questioning could wait. Without another word, he stepped through the portal and emerged into Captain Pike's office.
Pike followed, then Barnett and finally Jim, each of them looking far less casual about walking through what was, from their perspective, an impossible hole in space. They turned back toward the portal almost simultaneously. The shimmering aperture remained open for another second before the blue mist began drawing inward, finally collapsing into a tiny point of light and disappearing altogether.
I turned toward Pike. "Captain Pike, before we begin, I'd like to request that you turn off all recording and surveillance devices in your office."
Pike frowned slightly. "Why is that?"
"The matters we're about to discuss don't just concern the present. They concern the future of this galaxy as well. There are certain temporal elements involved here, and I'd rather keep them strictly on a need-to-know basis."
Pike studied me carefully. "You're asking us to take a lot on faith here, Mr. Carter."
"I understand that, Captain." I leaned against the edge of the table. "But trust me when I say this—what I'm about to tell you is information you really don't want making its way into Klingon hands, and definitely not into Romulan hands. A little extra precaution never hurt anyone."
I didn't mention that, personally, I was far more worried about Section 31 than either of those two distant powers.
Pike exchanged a brief look with Spock and Barnett before turning toward his desk. "Very well."
He reached the console and spoke clearly. "Computer, suspend all audio and visual recording within this office. No internal monitoring, no remote surveillance. Keep essential environmental and security systems active."
The computer responded immediately. "All recording and surveillance functions are to be shut down. Confirm."
"Confirmed."
There was a brief pause.
"All recording and surveillance functions are now offline."
I waited until Pike turned back toward us before raising my hands. "I hope you don't mind if I make an addition of my own."
A golden spell matrix began to blossom in the air between us. Intricate runes and geometric patterns appeared within the glowing structure, rotating slowly as the matrix expanded outward. It spread across the room like an invisible dome made visible for a few seconds, washing over the walls, ceiling, floor, and even the windows before dissolving into a shower of fading golden sparks.
Barnett stared at the spot where the spell had vanished. "What was that?"
I walked over to the seating area and dropped casually into one of the chairs. "A counter-surveillance spell."
Pike sat down opposite me, while Spock, Kirk, and Barnett took the remaining seats. Pike looked at me with an expression that was somewhere between scepticism and fascination. "A spell?" he asked. "As in magic?"
"Exactly," I smiled, leaning back in my chair. "Allow me to explain. To begin with, the reason you couldn't find me in your databases is because I'm not a citizen of the Federation. Nor do I come from an independent planet anywhere in this galaxy." I paused. "I come from a late twentieth-century Earth in a parallel universe."
Spock's expression changed almost imperceptibly. "A parallel universe? You are suggesting the existence of a multiverse?"
"Precisely. On my Earth, the current year is 1995," I continued. "There are several points of difference between the histories of our worlds, the chiefest among them being the existence of Augments. The genetic experimentation that led to the development of Augments in your world never took place on my Earth. Consequently, we never had to experience them or the horrors they perpetrated here."
Pike's expression softened slightly. "Well, that sounds like good news. But it still doesn't explain how you came to be here."
"I was getting to that." I shifted slightly in my chair. "Now, just because we don't have Augments on my Earth doesn't mean we're a boring planet. Quite the opposite, actually. You see, thousands of years ago, for reasons that remain unknown, certain subsets of humanity began being born with the ability to interact with and manipulate a strange form of energy. The closest theoretical analogue your scientists have is what you call dark energy. Whether they're actually the same phenomenon is another question."
I raised one hand. A small flame appeared above my palm. It danced there for a moment before collapsing inward and transforming into a swirling sphere of water. The sphere rotated lazily before suddenly crackling with electricity, brilliant blue-white sparks dancing across its surface.
"We can transform energy into different forms."
I closed my fingers. The energy vanished. Then I waved my hand toward Pike's desk. A miniature wooden sailing ship materialized above its polished surface. It was about twenty centimetres long, complete with tiny masts, sails, rigging, and an almost absurd amount of detail.
"We can conjure matter, although usually for a limited period of time."
I waved my hand again. The ship's wooden hull twisted and contracted, the sails disappearing as fur and four legs emerged from what had once been the bow. A moment later, a small golden-brown puppy stood on Pike's desk, blinking in confusion. It looked around the room. Then its tail began wagging.
Everyone stared. Spock's eyes widened ever so slightly as he stared at the puppy.
"We can transfigure matter into different forms."
I raised my hand. The puppy began floating a few inches into the air. Then the table beneath it lifted as well.
Jim grabbed the arms of his chair, the others following suit as they too began floating off the ground. The objects scattered around the room began drifting upward as though gravity itself had simply decided to take the afternoon off.
The puppy, meanwhile, seemed delighted by the entire experience. Its legs paddled through the air as its tail wagged furiously.
I chuckled. "We can control gravity."
I lowered my hand. Everything gently settled back onto the floor.
"We can open stable wormholes across the known universe. We can create enchanted artefacts that would make the greatest scientific minds in your civilization question everything they thought they knew about physics. We can repair damage and heal injuries that most people would consider fatal. And those of us with the talent for it, can even glimpse across time and space."
For several seconds, nobody spoke. Pike finally broke the silence.
"Well... I think it's safe to say none of us were expecting... all that."
He looked at the puppy, which had begun sniffing the edge of his desk. Then his eyes returned to me. "How exactly does your society function, Mr. Carter?"
I shrugged. "We learned a long time ago that Muggles—non-magical people, that is—don't get along with us very well. It usually works out for a while. Then one of two things happens. They either start relying on us to solve all their problems, or they decide they should control us and use our abilities for their own purposes. Neither tends to end particularly well."
"So, a few hundred years ago, magical leaders from different parts of the world came together and created several extradimensional spaces—entire towns and settlements located inside pocket dimensions tethered to Earth. We gradually retreated into those spaces."
Barnett leaned forward, listening carefully.
"Most magical people now live in thriving communities inside these extradimensional settlements, although some choose to live among Muggles. With the exception of certain government leaders and individuals who happen to know about us, Muggles are generally unaware that we exist. We try not to interfere in their affairs unless there's a very good reason to do so."
Barnett considered that for a moment before asking, "How many of you are there?"
"Worldwide? Millions." I glanced around the room. "We call ourselves Witches and Wizards. We have our own schools, sports, workplaces, governments, laws, and communities. Magic is usually inherited, so magical families tend to produce magical children, but every year there are also first-generation Witches and Wizards born to Muggle parents. And when we reach the age of eleven, we are given the opportunity to learn how to properly control our abilities at one of the many Wizarding schools around the world."
"Students are educated in these schools for free. While parents may choose to educate their wards at home, almost all Wizarding children receive their education in one of these magical academies. I myself am a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So is my sister."
Pike's eyebrows rose slightly, and a faint smirk appeared on his face. "Hogwarts? That's quite a... whimsical name."
I shrugged. "It is what it is. Anyway, the professors in these academies are usually the very best in their fields, and almost every school contains some manner of powerful artefact or the other. For instance, Hogwarts possesses an artefact called the Anywhere Door. It allows one to safely navigate across dimensions, even universes."
Jim, who had been listening intently for the past several minutes, leaned forward. "How does it work?"
I looked at him. "The Door is a conceptual artefact. Years ago, there was a wizard who was born with the ability to see across time and space. He observed various alternate and parallel realities, learning much from them and, in time, became quite powerful. However, he was also saddened to see a lot of tragedies happening in those universes. Kind, innocent and good people dying—or about to die—through no fault of their own."
"It bothered him so much that he decided to create an artefact that would allow him and others to travel to those universes and render help where help was needed. That artefact, the Anywhere Door, currently resides at Hogwarts, and it is through it that I came to be here—to prevent a calamity that would obliterate billions of innocent lives."
Barnett's expression hardened. "Yes, you mentioned that earlier. I think it's time you tell us exactly what calamity you're talking about."
I nodded. "I'll start from the beginning... and to do that, I must go forward 129 years into the future."
Pike frowned. "129 years into the future? I thought we were talking about an imminent threat?"
"We are. However, the more we learn, the more we realise that the past, present and future aren't separate things. They're interconnected. In this case, to understand what is happening—and what has already happened—we must first understand what will happen one day."
I reached into the inner pocket of my leather jacket and pulled out a small cube. It was roughly an inch tall, made from processed Vibranium. To the four men around the table, it probably looked like a sophisticated piece of technology. To me, it was simply a convenient information storage and projection device.
As I placed the cube on the table, the puppy became interested and started sniffing it. I tousled its head for a moment, before tapping the top of the cube. A soft hum sounded, followed by a burst of light as a three-dimensional image of a star appeared in front of us.
"129 years from now, a star in the Beta Quadrant will go supernova, threatening to destroy Romulus, the homeworld of the Romulans."
The image shifted, showing Vulcan scientists working on a solution before displaying a sleek, uniquely designed Vulcan vessel—the Jellyfish.
"The Vulcan Science Academy devised a plan to prevent this. They equipped their fastest ship with a substance called Red Matter, capable of creating an artificial black hole powerful enough to consume the supernova."
A floating sphere of dark red material appeared inside a containment chamber.
The image changed. The cockpit of the Jellyfish appeared. An elderly Vulcan sat at the controls. The moment Spock saw the image, one of his eyebrows rose slightly.
"Knowing that return from this mission would be unlikely, Spock—now 157 years old—volunteered to pilot the ship."
Jim slowly turned toward Spock. Pike did the same. Barnett's eyes remained fixed on the projection before shifting toward the Vulcan sitting beside him.
Spock himself was staring at his older counterpart. His expression was controlled, but the furrow that had appeared between his eyebrows betrayed his thoughts.
I let him absorb it for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately, while he was en route, the unthinkable happened."
The projection changed. Romulus appeared. Then the star exploded. A wave of stellar energy swept across the planet, consuming it.
"The supernova destroyed Romulus."
Pike's jaw tightened. Barnett looked grim. Spock remained silent.
I continued. "Spock managed to deploy the Red Matter, creating a black hole that consumed the supernova."
A tiny drop of Red Matter entered the launch mechanism. It was fired into the expanding stellar explosion. A black hole formed. The supernova was drawn inward, consumed by the artificial singularity.
"As he began his return trip, however, Spock was intercepted...by Nero."
The image zoomed toward the enormous Romulan mining vessel. Nero's face appeared on Spock's viewscreen, fury written across his features.
"Nero and his crew had been away from Romulus on a mining expedition when the supernova occurred. Nero held Spock responsible for the destruction of his homeworld."
The projection showed the two ships manoeuvring through space.
"He gave chase, and in the ensuing confrontation, both ships were pulled into the black hole."
The Narada and Jellyfish disappeared into the singularity.
"Neither of them realised what the consequences of that would be."
The projection shifted again. The USS Kelvin appeared. Kirk leaned forward, eyes fixed on the screen.
"Nero went through first. He was the first to arrive. In 2233."
The Narada emerged from the singularity, which looked from the outside like a gigantic storm of lightning tearing across space. The massive Romulan vessel utterly dwarfed the Federation starship.
The first attack followed. The Kelvin shuddered under the impact. Explosions erupted across its hull.
Jim's expression darkened. His fists clenched. His jaw tightened. He knew exactly what he was watching. The destruction of his father's ship.
The Kelvin attempted to fight back, but it was hopeless. The Narada's overwhelming technological superiority became painfully obvious as the Federation vessel struggled against a ship more than a century ahead of its time. Ultimately, George Kirk had no choice but to put the Kelvin on a collision course with the Narada, sacrificing himself to buy time for the crew to escape.
Pike watched in grim silence. Spock's eyes remained fixed on the projection. Barnett looked increasingly disturbed.
"Nero has spent the last twenty-five years waiting for Spock Prime to arrive." I allowed the image of the Narada to remain suspended in the air for another second, before tapping the cube. The projection vanished. "And now...his wait is about to end."