Star Trek: Before Destruction - Prologue
*** PROLOGUE ***
Captain James Tiberius Kirk, of the Starship Enterprise, yielded finally to the merciful, if often elusive, hand of sleep. Dr. Lenard McCoy had helped him on his way. His cabin was darkened as he sat behind his desk with his head down atop folded arms. The sleeves of his gold and black Captain's uniform were still moist from the tears he was unable to hold back any longer. Though asleep, he was neither at rest nor at peace. Phantasms of his tormented heart were there to greet him as he entered the place of his dreams.
Behind him, like a chiselled monolithic sentinel, stood the Vulcanian Science Officer, Spock. He looked upon his Captain, moved with a compassion he had never experienced before. Not expressed on his face, nor seen in the fathomless depths of his eyes, the emotion drove him, forcing him to a decision. His logical mind did what it could to prevent him from acting, but the force from his half-human heart was irresistible. The pain of his Captain was now inexplicably yet undeniably his own. And then the decision was made.
Spock, the man, moved towards his Captain, and gently placed his fingers upon the troubled brow of his friend. He closed his own eyes and concentrated. "Forget," he spoke to the heart of his Captain, "Forget..."
* * *
"They will be coming..." the voice spoke out prophetically.
"How many?" came a second voice with a strange sadness in it.
"Two ships, one from either side. But only one of their 'landing parties' will descend," answered the first voice.
"Should we prevent them from approaching?" came a third voice.
"No," said the second, "It must be."
"They are fearful. They believe we have answers to their fear," said the first.
"Perhaps they are correct but they may not wish to hear what we have to say. For they have heard the truth from the beginning, and are still willingly ignorant of it. The pride of their vain imagination, their love of 'self', these are points of their blindness. Nevertheless, we are merely messengers of the truth, not creators of it... Let them come," spoke the second voice.
"Let them come," agreed the third voice.
"They shall come..." prophesied the first.
