[Open] Observations

[mirroredcommand]

After his departure from the gym, Pike silently made his way up towards where he knew the observation deck was on his own Enterprise. He ignored the looks he was given as he walked in calm measured steps, but listened carefully to the murmurs when they believed him to have passed.

It was interesting how lax the security was, or someone had finally decided that he was allowed to walk the ship and had informed security of it. It was swiftly decided that the former seemed more likely considering the universe. Pike was fine with it, for now, if for no other reason then it allowed him to make it up to the deck without being bothered along the way.

There were only two other people on the deck when he appeared. They were sitting on a sofa, tucked up against each other, looking up at the stars. Lovers, presumably. Pike gave them a wide berth in the large area and walked with silent, almost formal steps up to the clear, thick material that separated himself from the cold silence of space.

The system did not immediately leap to mind a name from memory as he gazed out across constellations and planets. There was a planet nearby, something close enough to look as large as the full moon did from Earth. He watched its topography for several minutes, attempting to discern, but could not place it.

Pike glanced behind himself, noting the arrangement of furniture for the room. The little differences were the ones that stood out to him the most, such as the design of the furniture. They were designed to be immensely comfortable but were of such a condition that they were mass produced. He walked over and gathered one, turning it to face directly outward, and settled his body into the soft cushioning.

He let his thoughts drift without concern for some time, listening to the silence of the room and grateful for it. It allowed him to concentrate on raising his mental shields, carefully, to leave him alone in his mind. Never separated from Spock, could never be, but a clear mental silence that would allow him to think.

There was a brief swish, and Pike glanced over in time to watch the couple leave the room, leaving him alone. There was a part of him that relaxed further, the part on constant watch for assassins. It was a curious side-effect of this universe, that he found himself able to actually relaxed. It felt rather like being within the boundaries of his Mojave home, which was protected by the latest in technology programmed to himself alone. Not only that, but the pack of creatures unlike anything Earth had ever seen. They were discovered very late in a long-passed five year mission, and despite orders, he had taken two of them with him.

Pike smirked as he thought of the two. They were canine in shape but reptilian as well, fierce as a wolverine with the loyalty of a dog. The two young pups had bonded to him as if they had been given birth from him, and now their own pups did the same as well. The only person that could be near the hounds without being torn apart was Spock.

What would happen if he was unable to return home? They lived on his large acreage as a pack, a den dug into the ground, without his aid. Perhaps they would continue to breed and spread.

A frown crossed his features as Pike realized what he was thinking. They would return back to their universe, they had to. He would not abandon his ship, which with the nanoprobes infesting its circuitry, was truly abandoned behind measure. Though... Scotty was still on the ship, and provided the man was not drunk beyond the ability to see, he was a genius. Perhaps, given enough time, he would discover the problem and be able to find a way to re-program the nanoprobes to respond to himself or another. Maybe, but it was a long shot.

The more time he spent in this universe, the larger the chance that there would be no ship to return to. While never fully helpless, the Enterprise would be in a grave danger without a captain at her helm and without a ship that would respond to another's command. A part of him wanted to call Spock foolish for having endangered the ship so, but another part of him countered that easily by understanding exactly why Spock had done so.

Spock. In his mind, Pike replayed the scene down in the gym as well as the one from previous in the day. Spock was reacting in almost a humble sort of fashion under the glare of the young nurse. Changing, Pike's mind told him. They were both changing. Not quickly in many ways, as Pike had known what Spock's reaction to being touched unknowingly would be, but more swiftly then he would have guessed in others. Spock was not the type to so easily follow another person's commands, unless that other person happened to be McCoy, whom Spock was still very wary of, and even then Pike would have been hesitant to say so.

Would they continue to change, more and more each day, while in this universe? Was it an effect of the universe itself or one that came from having changed between two universes? The idea of that happening was off-putting, to say the least. Would he become like this weak-minded fools that currently ran the ship he was on? He thought of the child-Captain, and mentally winced at the mere thought of it. He knew that his hand was often harsh in his methods, and it had to be if he wanted to not only command some of the most brilliant and dangerous people in Starfleet's command but to remain alive to do so, but he planned his missions well. People like Chapel were welcomed additions to any mission, as she was a fierce fighter as well as a medic. Because she was a medic, people would often underestimate her.

The woman had an affection for blood, so anyone who would underestimate her was soon to discover.

He even found small changes occurring in himself, found himself restraining his natural urge to not only threaten, but allow things to happen. Thinking again over the small incident in the gym, it startled him to realize that previously he would have allowed the person foolish enough to try and touch Spock do so. The pain would have been their warning never to do it again. Instead, he had seen it coming, and had stopped it. Was this universe making him grow soft? He had thought similar things after Jim and his Spock had been there in their small cell-room, playing a physical and verbal game of chess.

A thought that had only brief occurred there cropped up again. What if it was true that they could not return? What would be their place? His methods, he was quite sure, were too different from this universe's to be allowed to be captain of one of their ships, but then again, their methods seemed incredibly idiotic to his eyes thus far. He would not want to captain a ship under such methods. There were other things they could do, but the small, simple idea that he would be forced to chose something new after so many long years of being in command...

I'm too old for such things. Pike mused to himself, smirking at his faint reflection in the material in front of him. It was a joke to himself as he never really thought of himself as old.

No matter what, he would continue to return to his universe. Pike could not help but wonder, though, how different he, and Spock, would become before he returned there.

Comments

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Pike's brows lifted immediately, and internally, every bit of his mind registered defense. Externally only the smile fell from his lips. He studied this James T. Kirk, but could find no discernible difference between the one he knew and this one.

"I am Captain Pike." Pike rumbled, unmoving from his position. The golden sash around his waist stood out vividly from the otherwise black materials. "But I believe not the one you know."

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

The man before him was subtle. But Kirk was aware of that subtlety--even from another universe, it was probably that he was right about Pike being somewhat wary.

And he still didn't know if this was his or not. He'd said something about Spock. There had been rumors--enough to make sure the Vulcan was out of the way when Kirk needed Pike alone. And the uniform... If it was his Pike, there was time travel involved as well.

It was more than he was going to be able to figure out himself, at this moment.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "The uniform's different, for one. Are you one of these people I've heard about? Like me?"

His mind worked furiously--if this was his Pike, he might be able to get to him as he had before. He was not entirely immune to Kirk's charm. It also meant that this world had a curious relationship to the Terran Empire. What else it might mean, he didn't know, but was determined to remain affable if at all possible. It was not his natural state.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

"It depends entirely on what you've heard." Pike countered lightly. If this was a James T. Kirk from another universe, there was no knowing what the man's mind was truly like. Even the one he had met before had a cunning, strong mind.

"I hadn't heard of a new comer to the ship." He remarked in a calm tone, wanting to find out information on this stranger wearing a familiar face. "When did you appear here?"

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

"Not much," Kirk said openly. "I only got here yesterday. Long enough to be told there was something important going on and given something to wear. I'm afraid no one's told me much of anything, aside from the fact this sort of thing keeps happening. I thought I'd keep myself out of trouble and see what I could of the ship."

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Yesterday? It seemed strange that he had heard nothing at all about someone new on the ship, but if this version of Kirk had arrived during the madness of the previous day, maybe it was to expected. "I can only assume the Captain will speak with you when he finds the time. He seems to greet anyone new to the ship."

Just how much were people telling new comers to the ship? Would he have been informed that the true captain was lying injured in sickbay?

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

How much did this man know? Thus far, it was difficult to tell if he was the Pike Kirk knew--his instincts said yes, but the man's behavior was slightly off. Everything here was.

Did he know the captain had required rescue? He had assumed him to be his lookalike, of that Kirk was certain. So either they were back, or this man did not know they had gone.

He smiled. "He sounds most accommodating. I heard he's a younger version of me. What's he like?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

A tricky question to answer, because any possibly answer could reveal much. Pike knew some about the young man that acted as captain of the ship, but had not yet met him face to face. He was looking forward to it, though.

"I haven't had the chance to speak to him often, but he is the youngest captain in Starfleet's history. Should be worth something." A lie, as that 'title' meant little in Pike's opinion, if the boy won it through a brief display of power and cunning but had nothing to back it up.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Youngest captain in the Terran Empire's history. That had been true of Kirk, thanks to his dispatch of Pike. He was still struggling with the evidence--the uniform looked Terran, but the conversation seemed to be that of a man who was naturally suspicious but not of him. So when was he from? What was he hiding?

The gloves. He didn't recognize the gloves.

Kirk grinned. "Well, that is something," he said. He looked at Pike for a moment, then shook his head. "Sorry, sir," he said finally. "I just keep thinking you're my captain."

He'd tried threats, and bribes, and they hadn't worked. As much as it pained him--as much as it went against everything he'd fought and killed for these past years--Kirk understood survival.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

There was something that his old instincts were warning him about, but Pike could not put his finger on it, felt like an itch he could not scratch. While normally his reaction would have been to demand information from this person who was not Jim, he took a moment to carefully temper his next words, "Have a seat, if you're looking to stay out of trouble. Tell me about your universe."

It was calm, polite almost. It was the one he used when dealing with an unknown race in the beginning, before demands were made. He had had time to learn how to survive in this universe, in a basic sense if nothing more, and would use it well to gain information in another fashion.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

"Staying out of trouble" wasn't exactly a natural state for Kirk. But while his instincts, too, were warning him, it wasn't natural for him to run from an opportunity. And it would look suspicious. So he sat.

"That's a pretty open-ended question," he said. "I'm also on the Enterprise, though the uniforms don't look like these. Tactical. You--I mean, there's a Captain Pike in command. I was a little surprised to find out this other version of me had done quite so well for himself. Is there a Jim Kirk on your ship?"

He spoke in a friendly enough manner, but there was something of an edge to it, something not quite settled about him. His tone was a little too bright, for all he bluffed like a natural.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

When he had left, there had been a James T. Kirk on his ship. According to Spock, said Kirk was residing in the brig, possibly dying. It would serve him right. Pike thought with a vague amusement. He made sure that any would-be assassin was made a public example of, but it would be annoying to lose a very skilled tactical officer.

It seemed to be a trend among Kirks, Pike was quickly noticing. He studied the other man, taking in guesses of his possible age. His own Kirk was a younger man, in his early thirties, and it seemed that this Kirk could be about that age as well. It was, therefore, at least plausible that another Captain Pike would remain so, but it did not fit the trend. Even in his own universe, however briefly, Kirk had been captain. In this universe, and in the one Jim came from, Kirk was captain.

It was a trend he severely disliked, though with a possible exception for Jim. "There is." No reason to not tell the truth, "Though he looks different from you."

There was a small nudge of curiosity within him, so Pike asked as well, "And your Captain Pike, did he look like me?"

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Kirk tilted his head, as if studying Pike.

"He's younger," he said slowly. "And... well, I guess you look a little different. But I knew you right away." He smiled, as if his relationship with his Pike were a fond one.

Different how? he wondered.

"I guess they're busy figuring out a way to get us back where we belong, huh?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Younger? That surprised Pike, though he kept the emotion from his face. Quickly he attempted to do some math, calculating dates and times. "What year did you leave?" Pike questioned with the slightest tilt of his head.

He folded his fingers together, lacing them as he leaned forward. Pike realized that Spock would have been fascinated to meet this other Kirk, or angry. One or the other, did not make a difference to him.

The question was what made this Kirk different then Jim. Was it his station, as tactical, not captain, alone, or something more? Yet after meeting Jim and knowing the one of his own universe, Pike knew to be wary of how well a Kirk could play with words.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

[[OOC - Shoot, this is my bad, didn't actually check your timeline until now and was mistaken. Ah well.]]

Jim's brows knitted. "2264," he said. "Why, what year is it here?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Do not worry about it! As I figure, in character, our characters would not know the other's dates any way, so it is perfectly fine to be confused.]

"The year I left was 2263. Here, on the other hand, it is 2258." Pike studied Kirk closely, wanting to see how the man took the information.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

[OOC - Not to mention I've NO idea how to play mKirk, haha.]

"2258," Kirk repeated, with some degree of awe. No rhyme or reason to any of it--to where they were from or when. "Any idea what's doing it?"

He might as well have been asking "who," but thus far he'd gotten precious little information.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

[OOC: I think you are doing splendidly!]

"Little, but it seems to be how much anyone understands of it." His smile was as sharp as a dagger, "An unknown phenomena. There are maybe," It took a moment to calculate, "A dozen or more transplanted people, from what I've seen."

Interesting, that Kirk had mentioned being told at least in brief what was going on, but did not have even the basic information Pike had just provided.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Kirk knew that smile. He was being examined. Pike was sharp--Kirk had never known just how much he'd suspected, though of course he'd gotten to him in the end.

"Everyone's been very understanding, so far," he said, "but they don't seem to have much idea what's going on. I suppose it could be worse. How long have you been here?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

"A month or so." Pike said after a moment of thought on the subject. "Far too long, but it seems that getting back to one's true universe might be impossible." Which was not true, or at least not fully a lie, as Spock had managed to cross the barrier between the universes.

"Tell me about your universe." It held a subtle play of command, seeing how this Kirk would play it.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Impossible.

Kirk would not submit to that, nor did he think a man like Pike--in any universe--would do so, either. Why would he want to dissuade hope in a man he had, thus far, pretended civility towards? This Pike, with his sash and his steely eyes, was not a man to give up his captaincy.

The note of command was difficult to swallow, and Kirk wanted to rail against it, to strike out and show this man what he was. Under other circumstances, he might. But he knew better, now. And he'd chafed under that yoke before.

"What would you like to know?" he asked earnestly. "I don't have much to compare it to, yet. My Enterprise is smaller, I think. Less... shiny. But I really haven't seen much of this one to know."

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

It was intriguing that the first thing Kirk decided to speak about, difference wise, was the Enterprise itself. Jim had spoken of his own Enterprise in the same fashion, as the very first thing.

"What is your Starfleet like?" Pike kept his tone calm, though his eyes never lost their very sharp focus. There was something almost itching at the back of his neck, a puzzle with a few key pieces missing, yet for the life of him he could not place it.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Kirk had done a little reading, at least. A very little.

"Starfleet? A lot like this one, from what I can see. Exploration and peacekeeping. The uniforms are less flattering, though." Kirk grinned winningly. "Why, is yours different?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

"Somewhat." Pike said vaguely, "This is a far cry from my universe." Strange, in some ways, that while names and appearances transferred, it was not uniform in any fashion. Here was a Kirk that resembled Jim, and possibly from the sound of it, came from a similar universe.

Despite the generally look of them being about the same age, though, this was a Kirk who was not yet Captain and still served beneath another Pike. I need to ask James T. Kirk, His mind, it seemed, had adopted his mate's way of thinking about that Kirk, about the Christopher Pike of his universe. It was unusual to think of one's self in the third person.

Yet how subtle must the differences be between two universes to call them separate? If theory's true, then it could be any small change in choice that could cause one universe to become two, or does it have to be something more major then that? A debate that had a better time and place to think over.

Something nudged at his mind, a thought cropping up out of no where. If he had the ability to go where he pleased on the ship, or at least no one had yet decided to take that ability away, if there wasn't something he could manage to do in light of his and his mate's annoyance at their current residence on the ship.

[gold-ambition.livejournal.com]

Kirk's face demonstrated intense curiosity.

"Really?" he asked. He knew this, of course, from the sash. "How so, sir?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Something was nudging harder at his instincts, then suddenly, it clicked. Kirk was answering very little, never fully enough to satisfy his need to know, and asking questions of his own that would urge any normal person into revealing as much as possible. It was a trick of his own, to let someone ramble and babble while he learned everything he needed.

Those instincts told him that more so then Jim, this would be a Kirk to keep his eyes on. He turned his gaze away, only partially, never quite leaving Kirk. "Things are much more peaceful in this universe. Far more."