Note: Ever since I first heard about Kirk's death in Star Trek: Generations I've had plans to fix it, and now that I've finally seen the movie (and some of Star Trek: The Next Generation), I've finally been able to put those plans onto paper. Without further ado, I give you my version of what happens if Kirk simply doesn't die at the end of Star Trek: Generations.

If you're not interested in the crew of The Next Generation and their interactions with The Original Series characters, I've also put together an abridged version of this story, "A Long Awaited Reunion," that just focuses on the characters from The Original Series and Kirk and Spock's relationship.

Captain James Kirk struggled into awareness with a groan. Everything felt fuzzy and distant; the over-bright lights, the dull ache that permeated his entire body - what had he gotten into? Even his bond with Spock had faded away so much he could barely feel it. He struggled to remember where he was and what was going on. He'd had the strangest dream, and before that… Was he still on the Enterprise-B, in their sickbay?

He tried to reach out to Spock, for some semblance of order in all the uncertainty, but there was nothing. His heart leaped into his throat, suddenly beating much faster. Spock couldn't be dead, he would feel it.

He forced his heavy eyelids open despite the searing bright light.

"Captain Kirk, you're finally awake," a woman said from just on the edge of his vision.

He tried to prop himself up on an unsteady arm to get a better look at her. She was attractive, with bright orange hair, in her forties, if he had to guess, watching him with a worried, almost nervous expression. She looked like a doctor or nurse in scrubs over a strange uniform that he recognized from somewhere, but on her chest was a pin with the Starfleet insignia. His first thought was an alternate universe, but somehow that didn't quite sit right.

"Not so fast, Captain," she cautioned, her hands out to help him lie back down.

Despite his protesting muscles, he still had a little pride, enough to carefully lower himself onto his back without any assistance. Her exasperated expression suggested he was hardly her first stubborn patient, but she didn't interfere. Once he was settled, she stood next to him so he could see her clearly without straining his neck.

"I wouldn't be on the starship Enterprise, would I?" Kirk asked, not entirely serious just in case.

She answered with a faintly bemused smile of her own, "Not quite. This is the United Starship Farragut. I'm Dr. Beverly Crusher."

Kirk's eyes widened a little in surprise. It was quite the coincidence - if it was one - waking up on a ship that shared its name with the first starship he'd ever served on, whose crew had been ravaged by a sentient gaseous cloud that Kirk, as a young Lieutenant, had been unable to stop.

"I see," he remarked at last, as lightly as he could.

"How much do you remember?" the doctor asked gently.

"Other than waking up in the nicest sickbay in the Federation?"

Dr. Crusher seemed amused if not convinced. "Your reputation precedes you, Captain."

"All good, I hope. And you can call me Jim." A little more darkly, he added, "I'm retired now anyway."

Her expression quickly changed from exaggerated annoyance at his teasing to something more serious, almost pitying. "You've traveled a long way in what must seem to you like a very short time. It may come as a bit of a shock."

He nodded for her to continue.

"Do you remember the launch of the Enterprise-B?"

"Yes."

When she continued, she spoke very carefully, "According to our historical records you died saving the ship from a gravimetric distortion."

"But I take it I'm not dead," he said with just a touch of mischief.

"Yes." She gave him a somewhat weak smile. "According to Captain Picard, you were stuck in a 'temporal nexus.' To you it may have seemed like just minutes, but" - she hesitated - "You were in there for almost 80 years."

Kirk nodded along almost blindly. It hadn't been a dream, then. He remembered Captain Picard and an incredible place that wasn't quite real. Maybe that could even explain whatever had happened to his bond with Spock, he only hoped it hadn't broken. Just a few years after Spock's death had almost been enough to drive him mad, he couldn't imagine what eighty years would do, even to a Vulcan.

"It's 2371 now," Dr. Crusher said.

That was about 80 years. "I guess I have a lot of catching up to do," he said with half a smile.

"Let's worry about getting you a clean bill of health first. You took a bad fall while fighting Soran" - she glanced at him to check if the name was familiar.

He nodded. He could remember the man Picard had taken him out of the Nexus to fight, who had been desperate to return to it.

"Your bones are mostly healed," the doctor continued, "But you should take it easy for a little while, which shouldn't be too hard. Right now, the Farragut is just taking the crew of the Enterprise back to Earth, since our ship was destroyed in the attempt to stop Soran."

Kirk couldn't help but smile a little at the coincidence that another starship called Enterprise had been destroyed in exchange for the life of another old captain. "It wasn't the Klingons, was it?"

"Strangely enough, yes, the Duras sisters" - she attempted to clarify, "Rebels against the Empire." At last she said sympathetically, "A lot has changed in eighty years."

Kirk nodded. "I'm sure it has."

"If you need anything or have any questions, just ask," Dr. Crusher said, a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I don't suppose I could have a computer terminal?"

"Of course. You must have a lot of questions."

Dr. Crusher soon returned with a PADD, much sleeker than the ones from his time on the Enterprise. "You can use this to access the computer library. I also noticed your record says you're allergic to Retnax, so I replicated these for you." She handed him a pair of standard reading glasses.

He accepted the glasses much more reluctantly than the PADD, but he thanked her with a smile all the same.

Once Dr. Crusher had moved on to her next patient, Kirk put on the glasses and turned to the PADD. "Computer, status of Captain Spock."

"Did you mean Ambassador Spock?" it replied with the same feminine voice the computer had when he started as a captain.

Kirk smiled. He couldn't say he was surprised by Spock's promotion. He wondered if the Federation wasn't also at peace with the Romulans now that Spock had something to say about it.

"Yes," Kirk said. "Status of Ambassador Spock."

He was alive - Kirk let out a breath of relief. The computer listed pages and pages of accomplishments; conferences and treaties, but no mention of what he was currently doing.

"Current location of Ambassador Spock," Kirk attempted, but it turned up no answers.

Spock couldn't be dead, he would feel it - wouldn't he? Maybe Spock was missing like Kirk had been for all those years - eighty years - or on some classified mission. Kirk would find out one way or another, if only he could somehow let Spock know he was back.

The computer, at least, seemed to hold no answers. So, instead, he alternated between sleeping - he was still recovering after all - and looking into who else was still around.

Dr. McCoy had retired to Georgia and was still living there today, if his Starfleet record was to be believed. Living to 140 wasn't the strangest thing listed, and Kirk had been there for a lot of the other things, so maybe it wasn't so surprising he'd lived so long. He would be surprised to see Kirk again.

Scotty, as it turned out, had disappeared like Kirk had, in his case due to a transporter malfunction not long after the launch of the Enterprise-B, and had also been rescued by the Enterprise-D just a few years ago. Apparently, he'd hardly aged either. Now, he was travelling the galaxy in a modified shuttlecraft.

Kirk was reading through Scotty's reports - including plenty of commentary, of course - on all the places he had visited when he was interrupted by Captain Picard.

"Captain Kirk, Beverly told me you were awake," the captain said as he stepped over to Kirk's bed.

Kirk put down the PADD and pushed himself upright. His body was still sore, but he was feeling much better. "Please, call me Jim," he said, once he was comfortable.

"If you're certain." A little less awkwardly, Picard asked, "How are you doing?"

"Good for a man who was last reported dead," Kirk said with a grin. "I see you rescued my chief engineer from a similar predicament."

"Your chief engineer?" Picard asked. His eyes widened as it dawned on him. "You mean Montgomery Scott? I forgot he served on the Enterprise at the same time you were there. And you both..." he trailed off. "It's an incredible coincidence."

"I'd say, but stranger things happen in space."

Picard shook his head in bewilderment.

"I don't suppose you've had a chance to meet Ambassador Spock too?" Kirk asked as lightly as he could.

"Oh, yes, he was your First Officer, wasn't he?"

Kirk nodded. "Do you know where he is?"

Picard's face fell. "I'm sorry, that's classified information. I would have to check with an admiral."

Kirk waved it off - he was sure he'd have a chance to ask for himself.

Picard hesitated before changing the topic - "Do you know if Antonia…?" He left the question hanging.

"Antonia?" Kirk asked, frantically trying to remember the woman that belonged to the name.

Picard looked dumbfounded, as though it should have been obvious and the name sounded familiar, like something from a dream… And then it clicked and Kirk couldn't help but give a silent chuckle.

"I never really knew an Antonia," Kirk said at last.

"But you said you almost married her," Picard protested.

Kirk shook his head. "I might have married Edith or Ruth, or maybe even Carol, and I even spent a month married to Miramanee, but I never knew an Antonia."

Picard hesitated again. At last he admitted, "What I saw in the Nexus wasn't real either."

Kirk nodded. After a moment's pause he smiled and said, "Thank you for getting me out of there. I wouldn't have thought to try and free myself."

"I needed your help more than you needed mine. I wouldn't have been able to defeat Soran on my own, so thank you."

"We can call it even," Kirk suggested.

Picard nodded in agreement. "You really put up a fight out there."

"It's all in the swing," Kirk suggested with a wry smile.

"I think I'll stay on the bridge, if it's all the same."

Kirk let out a sigh and leaned back a little against the pillows he was using to prop himself up. "There's nowhere better."

"Captain Kirk." A beautiful young woman who he had seen making the rounds through sickbay stopped by Kirk's bed. She had a pleasant accent, though he couldn't place it. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Counselor Troi."

Kirk removed his reading glasses, set aside the PADD, and sat up a little taller to face her properly. "Nice to meet you, Counselor, what can I do for you?"

"I just want to see how you're settling in. You've been through a lot in what may feel like a very short time," she said, as though in an attempt to pacify him.

Kirk nodded, but gave nothing away.

She continued, undeterred, "I am also half Betazoid and therefore have some empathic abilities. I can sense that you're uncomfortable about something."

An empathic counselor, that sounded almost as annoying as a Vulcan, and at least a little intriguing. For an instant, Counselor Troi detected what seemed to be a clumsy attempt at a telepathic broadcast of mischief and affection underlaid with a mess of other emotions that she didn't have time to analyze, all coming from the old captain. It didn't seem to be directed at her, but she couldn't detect its intended recipient. And then it was gone.

Kirk shook his head and gave her a smile. "Those abilities must come in handy as ship's counselor," he remarked.

"They are very useful," she acknowledged, "But there's a lot more to the job." She turned her attention back to Kirk's psyche; "Eighty years is a long time. How do you feel about this sudden disruption in your life?"

"What is, is, what will be will be."

Troi could sense that it was like a familiar joke that he was using to deflect her questions. It was a strange use of Vulcan philosophy, though that would explain the attempted telepathy.

"You have an interest in Vulcan philosophy?" she asked.

"A little. Mostly just a good friend who happens to be half-Vulcan." He smiled to himself at the thought and Troi felt a wave of affection.

"You are referring to Ambassador Spock?"

Kirk nodded.

"You seem to care very much for him," she stated the obvious. "How do you feel about having been away for so long?"

"I would feel better if I knew where he was," Kirk replied with a pointed look.

"I sense you are concerned," she said, clearly intending him to elaborate.

However, he took an alternative, "I'm not very familiar with Betazoid telepathy. You can sense all the emotions of everyone in this room?"

She nodded. "It's similar to your sense of hearing. The closer someone is and the stronger the emotion, the more it affects me."

"You experience it too?"

She nodded. "Yes. Do you have a particular interest in telepathy?"

"It's a useful ability," he said, avoiding his primary interest altogether.

"It is." After a moment's consideration, she said "It was nice meeting you, Captain Kirk," and held out a hand to shake.

"Likewise, Counselor," Kirk said with a smile.

"I look forward to talking with you again," she said and moved on to the next patient.

"You're all clear," Dr. Crusher declared, finally allowing Kirk to sit up and slide off the examination table.

"Thank you, doctor," he said, though he was too stubborn to accept the proffered arm. "It's been a pleasure."

She gave him a look, but the trace of a smile ruined the effect. "You're free to walk around, but be careful, your bones are still fragile while they finish healing. No strenuous activity for a few weeks at least. And I want you to come in here at the first sign of any trouble. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Kirk said.

"Good, then you're clear to go."

Kirk had just one more question; "I don't suppose you know anyone who could give me a tour of the ship?"

She smiled. "I think I know just the person." She pressed the Starfleet insignia on her chest, that also served as a communicator. "Dr. Crusher to Data, are you busy right now?"

"No, I am not doing anything urgent at present," a somewhat stilted male voice replied over the intercom.

Data turned out to be a humanoid, with unnaturally white, almost grey skin and bright yellow eyes. His hair was as even as a Vulcan's, but more closely cropped.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I reviewed your record in preparation for giving you a tour," Data said as he led Kirk away from sickbay, down a long brightly lit corridor, with white walls lined with black and brown panels. Data spoke in a very matter of fact way. Kirk may have even been able to believe he wasn't capable of lying, if he thought it was possible.

"Nice to meet you." Kirk held out a hand and Data took it with a firm, almost cold grip. "You can call me Jim."

"Very well, Jim," Data replied awkwardly, but his voice did not drop despite his hesitation.

"So you're an android?" Kirk asked as they continued down the hall.

"Yes," Data said. "I was created by Dr. Noonien Soong."

Kirk froze, his eyes wide. "Dr. Noonien Singh? Khan?" He readied for a fight he knew he could not win.

"No, Dr. Noonien Soong," Data replied, as though it was a simple misunderstanding, "A famous cyberneticist of this century. I assume you are referring to the infamous tyrant from 20th century Earth who, similar to yourself, fell into a stasis and was reawakened in the 23rd century?"

Kirk could still picture Spock trapped behind the glass, dying before his eyes while he could do nothing to stop it. Spock had come back, he'd made sure of it, and they had renewed their bond years ago, but without Spock's reassuring presence in his mind…

Kirk swallowed and forced himself back to the present.

"No relation?" he confirmed.

"None," Data said. More hesitantly he continued, "I am sorry if I caused offense."

Kirk waved it off. "My compliments to Dr. Soong. Are there many other androids in Starfleet?"

"No," Data replied sadly. "I am the only one."

Kirk gave a sympathetic nod. "Stuck on a ship full of illogical humans?"

"Illogical?" Data asked, his head cocked to the side in confusion. "I do not find my colleagues' behavior particularly illogical, human or otherwise. Rather, I admire the human capacity for emotion."

"Do you?" Kirk asked, his eyebrows rose in surprise. "You don't seem to be lacking any emotions yourself."

Data grinned as though it was a great compliment. "Thank you, sir- Jim. I have been trying to be more human for many years, but I only recently installed a chip, which has allowed me to experience human emotions."

"How are you liking them?"

"They are very inconvenient at times," Data acknowledged, "But I believe I am beginning to master them."

"Really?" Kirk said with a wry smile. "You're doing better than most humans already."

"No, I still have much to learn," Data insisted.

Kirk nodded in understanding - they all had a lot to learn.

Meanwhile, Data had led Kirk onto a turbolift, which opened on the bridge. Dark metal had been replaced by soft light browns, and the whole room looked larger, crowned with a bright domed ceiling, but for all the changes, it was unmistakable. They stayed to the side by the lift as not to disturb the officers at their stations. It looked like a shift of younger officers had replaced the normal bridge crew for the time being. They all stood as Kirk entered, but he hastily waved them back into their seats and they obliged.

His eyes wandered from station to station as he tried to take in the whole room, but his gaze was inexorably drawn to the con. It was a larger drop than he remembered between what had once been the science station and the central dias - it would have been harder to glance over his shoulder for a silent conversation with Spock. But in the center, there was not one chair, but three, with sitting space for more.

"How many captains can one ship have?" Kirk mused, his voice low enough that if Data was human, he would have barely been able to hear.

"Typically, only one," Data replied, clearly confused by Kirk's question.

Kirk just waved it off. He let out a sigh as his attention shifted from the unfamiliar trio of overly comfortable chairs in the center, to the viewscreen ahead. The stars raced by as they traveled incredible distances at an unfathomable speed. His heart seemed to soar, as though trying to escape his chest in a desperate bid for freedom before he was trapped back on Earth, even if it was by his own design.

The view seemed to hold him, preventing him from turning away and continuing on the tour. But he had retired years ago - it was already too late. It wasn't his.

Finally, he tore himself away and forced himself to return to the turbolift, Data at his heels.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Data asked as the doors closed behind them.

Kirk sighed again and shook his head. "It brings back memories," he said at last.

"You did not like serving aboard starships?"

"No," Kirk said with half a smile, "The opposite."

"You are unhappy because you were reminded of something you enjoyed?" Data clarified, dubious of the whole train of logic.

Kirk nodded. "Do you have any regrets, Mr. Data?" he asked as lightly as he could, with an almost challenging lilt.

Data seemed to consider the matter as the turbolift came to a stop, and they stepped out into another corridor. "I regret not stopping Soran from taking Geordi," he admitted at last. "I regret pushing Dr. Crusher into the water and generally not understanding my crewmates' jokes. I regret not feeding Spot promptly."

"Spot?" Kirk interrupted Data as he began to ramble.

"My cat," Data said.

"You had your cat with you on the Enterprise?" Kirk's eyebrows rose a little in disbelief.

"Yes. I was very happy to see that she had survived the crash. She is currently in my quarters here, on the Farragut."

Kirk grinned. He wondered if Spock would have wanted a cat if regulation had allowed it - of course, he got no answer. "Why a cat?" he asked aloud.

"They are common pets among the families that lived on the Enterprise, and I concluded that caring for a pet might enable me to become more human."

"There were families on the Enterprise?" Kirk could hardly imagine it, let alone understand why with all the dangers they encountered exploring the galaxy, even without going into combat. As though to prove it, the Enterprise had just been destroyed, no doubt killing dozens of civilians, if not more.

"Yes," Data replied, as though it was perfectly logical. "According to Starfleet records, that was not the case on the first USS Enterprise or the Enterprise-A."

Kirk shook his head. Maybe things had calmed down in the intervening century, but he doubted it. Still, it wasn't his place to argue, instead he asked, "What has having a pet cat taught you about humanity?"

"I have learned many things from caring for Spot, and Spot herself has proven to be an able teacher at times. Ever since installing the emotion chip, she has evoked in me a wide variety of feelings; joy, annoyance, even fear for her wellbeing."

Kirk couldn't help but ask, "And you never considered getting a dog?"

"No, It would be impractical to keep one on a starship."

"I suppose you're right," Kirk acknowledged a little reluctantly.

"You prefer dogs to cats?"

Kirk nodded.

"I have noticed that my human colleagues occasionally engage in a debate as to which is a superior pet. I have never understood the reasoning" - Data paused in consideration - "Though I now find that I am inclined to favor cats on a purely emotional basis."

"It's probably just that, for the most part," Kirk admitted with a smile. "When I was growing up, we had a dog - Butler was his name - and I couldn't imagine a better pet." He shook his head. He could only wonder why he had gotten so nostalgic all of a sudden.

"I see…" Data seemed to consider the information. "I will have to examine these feelings further."

Data soon led Kirk through another doorway, into long, low room, lined with computer terminals, plus a large table in the center for more, all displaying ship's specifications. At the far end of the room was a giant glowing column that could only have been the warp core.

"Welcome to Engineering!" a young man declared, with a broad gesture at the room around him. He had a visor over his eyes that Kirk could only assume was like a tricorder that left his hands free to work. "So, that's where you've been, Data." He grinned at the android and then turned to Kirk. "It's an honor to meet you, Captain Kirk, I'm Geordi La Forge, Chief of Engineering of the USS Enterprise."

"Nice to meet you," Kirk said, and they shook hands.

"What brings you down to engineering, sir?" La Forge asked.

Kirk waved it off. "You can call me Jim. Mr. Data was just giving me a tour of the Farragut."

"I take it you've already been to the bridge."

Data gave a sharp nod.

"What about Ten-Forward?" La Forge suggested. "Or whatever they call it here. Riker said he might check it out since he doesn't have much to do."

"What's 'Ten-Forward'?" Kirk asked.

"Sorry, sir," La Forge said. "That's just what we call the ship's bar - it's on the tip of the saucer, deck ten."

"The ship has a bar? A lot has changed in eighty years."

"Oh yeah, the old Constitution-class ships were a lot more minimalist, weren't they? We studied them in engineering track at the academy."

Kirk smiled. "They were nice ships, but you're right, they weren't made for comfort."

"Geordi, would you care to join us?" Data asked.

"Sure," La Forge said. He led the way out of engineering without taking off the visor. "They don't really need me here, I've just been hanging around since I don't have anywhere else to be. I'll be glad to be back on duty, that's for sure."

Kirk nodded in understanding. "It's never the same being on someone else's ship."

"I didn't think I'd miss the Enterprise so much, but now that she's gone…" La Forge trailed off.

"I have also developed some affection for our late starship" - Data seemed a little surprised by the realization. "Perhaps that is why there have been so many starships with the name Enterprise."

"I wouldn't command another," Kirk said.

"With all due respect," La Forge said with a smile, "Captain Picard would give you a run for your money."

Kirk shook his head. "He doesn't have to. I'm retired now."

"Funny thing, I met Captain Montgomery Scott - you knew him right?"

"He was my chief engineer," Kirk said with a touch of pride.

"Well, that's what he said too; that he was too old," La Forge continued. "Did everyone in your time retire so young?"

Kirk shrugged. "Eventually you have to step out of the way and let the younger generation take over. One day you'll understand."

La Forge just shook his head. After a moment's thought, he redirected the conversation with a grin, "Did he really say everything would take longer than he actually needed?"

"He told you about that, did he?" Kirk said, his lips pursed in mock annoyance. "To be fair, I always needed things done in half the time, so it probably evened out."

"I do not understand why it would not be better to have the accurate times." Data's forehead was scrunched up in confusion.

Kirk smiled at him. "As Spock would say, it's just an example of human illogic."

To his surprise, Data exclaimed, "Why does Ambassador Spock reject the humanity that I seek? It frustrates me."

"Why do you want to be human?" Kirk countered gently.

"As an android, my purpose is to be an artificial human," Data explained.

"If Dr. Soong wanted to create another human, there's a much easier way," Kirk remarked with a wry smile.

"There's something in the challenge of it - Dr. Soong was a scientist, wasn't he?" La Forge suggested. "And I think he succeeded pretty well."

"Thank you Geordi, that is very kind, but even with the emotion chip, there is still much I do not understand about human behavior," Data said.

"There's a lot we humans don't understand about ourselves," Kirk said.

Before the conversation could continue, they came upon a pair of double doors that opened into a dimly lit room, crowded with Farragut officers on their off shift and Enterprise crew members with nowhere else to be. Against the near wall was a bustling bar. One of the bartenders, a woman dressed like no Starfleet officer Kirk had ever seen, in a brightly colored dress with a wide disk of a hat, was watching him with a piercing gaze that made him wonder if she was telepathic. But at last she turned away.

Kirk shook off the peculiar feeling and let his eyes wander around the room. Amidst the crowd of standing officers, he could make out a few square tables where the lucky - or high ranked - were sitting. A young man at a nearby table glanced over and jumped up to greet them with an eager, almost wry grin. He had an easy confidence that almost reminded Kirk of himself when he was in his prime, but for some unfathomable reason, he had elected to grow a beard and moustache - Kirk could only assume it was the fashion of the times.

"Data! Geordi!" the young man exclaimed as they waded their way through the crowd to meet him in the middle. He was significantly taller than Kirk had expected. "And you must be Captain Kirk," he concluded once they arrived, and held out a hand to the captain.

"You have me at a disadvantage," Kirk said as they shook hands.

"Commander William Riker, First Officer of the USS Enterprise-D, at your service, sir. I've read about all your adventures, and I'm sure there are plenty that didn't make it into the history books." He flashed Kirk a knowing smile.

Commander Riker waved Kirk over to the table, where he had been sitting with, of all things, a Klingon in a Starfleet uniform. Riker introduced him with a wave - "Lieutenant Commander Worf."

Worf stood and Kirk shook his hand as well.

"Worf…" Kirk trailed off - the name was familiar from somewhere. Suddenly, he remembered. "I didn't realize Klingons lived so long - you don't look like you've aged a day," Kirk exclaimed. "I don't think I ever got a chance to thank you for defending Dr. McCoy and I in that trial, though I know it was really just for show."

"Sir?" Worf asked, in a very low, gruff voice.

Kirk's face fell. "The trial over the death of Chancellor Gorkon right before the Khitomer Conference. I could have sworn we were defended by a Colonel Worf."

"Colonel Worf was my grandfather," the lieutenant commander explained, unamused.

"I can see the family resemblance," Kirk attempted with a somewhat sheepish grin.

"Thank you, sir," Worf said, still completely straight-faced. "I have been told that my grandfather was an honorable man."

Vulcans were known for their stoicism, but Kirk could swear many of them hid a sharp sense of humor behind their logical mask. This Klingon, however, seemed entirely humorless, even more so than any of the other Klingons that Kirk had met over the years, but Kirk was hardly an expert in reading them.

Once Kirk had been properly introduced, Riker ushered him into a chair despite his protests. The others crowded around the table, and he caught several other officers watching him with eager, wide eyes. They all looked remarkably young, or maybe Kirk had just gotten old.

Suddenly, a young woman who must have been an ensign piped up - she somehow reminded him of Chekov, though there wasn't really any resemblance - "Did you really kill God by crashing the first Enterprise in the center of the galaxy?"

Kirk took a moment to process the question while all the officers tittered eagerly around him.

"It's about time you humans did away with your gods," Worf remarked, "We Klingons slew ours eons ago." Kirk had no way of telling if he was serious, but his tone remained unchanged.

"No," Kirk said at last, "We didn't really kill God, and we certainly didn't do it by crashing the Enterprise in the center of the galaxy."

"You did destroy the first Enterprise though, didn't you?" La Forge asked.

"There is record of a court case-" Data began to explain.

"And according to the reports, you encountered some sort of god in the center of the galaxy," Riker cut in.

Kirk carefully chose which question to answer. "It called itself god. But it only took a few disrupter blasts to destroy it, so it can't have been that all-powerful."

"Your 'god' is even weaker than that nuisance, Q," Worf proclaimed.

"Don't get me started on Q." Riker leaned back in his chair and explained to the confused captain, "He's an 'all powerful' alien from something called the Q Continuum who drops by every so often to play his tricks on us. He's not that different from some of the things you encountered."

Kirk recognized the description - "Like Trelane? He could manipulate matter and energy at will and used it to dress up as an 18th century squire and toy with my crew until his parents put a stop to it."

"Unfortunately, Q doesn't seem to have any parents to speak of," Riker said. "The Continuum took his powers away once, but it didn't last."

"You also met the ancient earth deity, Apollo, is that correct?" Data asked.

"Yes, apparently the ancient Greek gods came from outer space," Kirk said with a grin.

Worf crossed his arms over his chest. "You humans have too many gods."

"At least Apollo wasn't much harder to beat than the thing at the center of the galaxy. We just had to hit him in the right place to knock out his power source," Kirk said.

"But then when did you crash the Enterprise?" La Forge asked, trying to go through the years in his head.

Kirk sighed. "That's another story."

The ensign took the opportunity to ask, "What about that old NASA probe that tried to destroy Earth? Didn't you get rid of it by stealing whales from the Klingons?"

"Such weak animals would not survive long on Qo'nos," Worf declared.

"Old NASA probe?" Kirk asked. "You mean V'Ger - Voyager?"

The ensign nodded.

"It was a different probe that wanted to talk to the whales, from another galaxy, I think. And we got the whales by going back in time, not asking the Klingons."

"Can you really go back in time by sling-shotting around a star?" La Forge asked.

Kirk nodded. "It's a little risky, but it does the trick."

"Intentional time travel is also against Starfleet regulation," Data said pointedly.

"Just hypothetically," La Forge insisted.

"You've never gone back in time?" Kirk asked with a grin.

La Forge shook his head. "I know the theory, but I've never had the chance to try it."

"We have entered into multiple time loops," Data corrected him.

"Naturally occuring?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," Data replied, "One of which produced an alternate universe."

"I take it that's why time travel is against regulation? Though there are other ways to get stuck in alternate universes."

"I thought that was just a rumor that the old transporters could drop you in another universe," La Forge exclaimed.

"Just under the right conditions," Kirk said. "They could also split a person into their good side and their bad side if you were caught in the wrong storm."

La Forge shook his head in disbelief.

"It is not quite the same phenomenon, but we entered a space where thought and reality combined," Data remarked.

"Did you really meet President Abraham Lincoln?" Riker cut in.

"No," Kirk said, a tad regretfully, "Not the real one. We did get to meet Jack the Ripper on Argelius II - he tried to frame my chief engineer for murder."

"What was he doing there?" Riker asked.

"Apparently he was actually an alien ghost that fed on fear," Kirk explained.

Riker grinned. "I was going to offer to show you the holodeck, but you've seen it all."

"There's always more to explore," Kirk said with a glance toward the wall of windows, looking out on outer space.

"Anyway, you have to be careful with the holodeck," La Forge said. "The holograms can be pretty real."

"Especially if something goes wrong," Riker added.

Before anyone else had the chance to speak, the Starfleet insignia on Riker's chest beeped and he pressed it to pick up a call.

"Picard to Commander Riker," the captain's voice sounded over the communicator, "Admiral Brackett is on the line from Starfleet command. I want all the senior officers and Captain Kirk in the conference room as soon as possible."

"We're on our way, Riker out." He pressed the insignia again and the communicator turned off with a beep.