This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Look for STAR TREK fiction from Pocket Books
For Jim and Wendy and Diane
Acknowledgments
To:
Wendy for listening to hours of writing, re-writes, and so on, not to mention constant support & belief that it could work.
Jim for first saying, "You really should think about submitting Killing Timeprofessionally."
Diane for support and for carrying on with the madness. We'll find that answer!
Gene Roddenberry for looking into the future to bring a vision to a world that needs visions desperately.
William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy for breathing life into two legends.
Anyone connected with STAR TREK for keeping that legend alive.
Mimi Panitch for putting the wheels into motion and for suggestions which made it all work.
Karen Haas for seeing everything through to its conclusion and for all the time and energy necessary to put all the pieces together.
Mom … for having the insight to set me down in front of an antiquated manual typewriter at an early age.
Cynthia … for perseverance above & beyond the call of duty, and for dealing calmly and warmly with a slightly edgy writer. It's appreciated more than you can know!
Chapter One
FOR THE THIRD consecutive night, Captain James T. Kirk awoke with a gasp of surprise and something akin to fear clinging to the side of his throat. He blinked once, then struggled to sit up, leaning against the head of the bed as his eyes scanned the dark room. Reality returned and his gaze settled on the chronometer. It was shortly after 3 A.M., Ship Standard Time, but he was wide awake and knew he would have little hope of getting back to sleep before the alarm demanded his attention at six.
Releasing the breath he'd been holding, he replayed the recurring dream in his mind, wondering why it should have disturbed him so deeply … and so often.
After discovering no logical explanation for its cause or its unprecedented effect on him, he tried passing it off to the fact that the Enterprisehad been on routine patrol of the Romulan Neutral Zone for nearly two months—an inexcusably boring mission. But with Romulan Fleet activity increased for no apparent reason, he accepted the fact that he was bound to be a little edgy.
After another deep breath and a shake of his tousled hair, he slowly lowered himself back into the warm nest of covers, and closed his eyes; but as expected, he was only pretending to sleep when the First Shift duty alarm sounded less than three hours later.
Stifling a yawn, Kirk entered the Deck 5 turbolift to discover the ship's first officer studying him with a lifted eyebrow.
"Morning, Spock," Kirk said with a sheepish grin, wishing he'd taken the time for a cup of coffee before presenting himself publicly.
The Vulcan's head inclined in greeting. "Captain," he said formally. The doors closed and the lift began its familiar horizontal motion, but the Vulcan continued to study his friend. "Is everything all right, Captain?" he inquired presently.
"Just fine, Mister Spock," Kirk replied. "Why do you ask?" He wondered if his eyes were a trifle more red than they'd appeared in the mirror.
The eyebrow climbed higher beneath the long black bangs. "You seem … unusually distracted," Spock observed after a questioning moment of silence.
So much for dismissing the matter, Kirk thought. Spock's scrutiny was never escaped easily. "Would you believe me if I told you that the invincible Captain Kirk has insomnia?" he asked with a smile.
"Indeed," Spock murmured. Kirk was normally a very private individual; but now the hazel eyes seemed alight with a combination of embarrassment and mischief. The Vulcan decided not to mention that he himself had been having disturbing dreams for at least a week. "I trust you have not sought relief from Doctor McCoy?"
Kirk shook his head. "For a few hours of lost sleep?" But the twinkle left his eyes as a frown found its way to his face. "I don't know why it should bother me at all," he said, feeling some need to explain himself. "But … never mind, Spock," he added as the nocturnal images returned to haunt him. "It was … just a dream." Trying to change the subject, the smile returned to his face. "Another human shortcoming, eh, Spock?"