{"id":4039,"date":"2007-04-12T13:03:37","date_gmt":"2007-04-12T17:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4039"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:11:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:11:32","slug":"a-jump-through-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4039","title":{"rendered":"A Jump Through Time (by ViveAdam)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0<\/span>Adam is accidentally transferred in Captain Kirk’s starship Enterprise, during the 23rd century<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a09200<\/span><\/p>\n

A Jump Through Time<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
“What is your diagnosis, Bones\u00a0?\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

\u00a0\u201cAurichalchiemy, Jim, a specific Vulcan disease, and it\u2019s mortal if not treated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you can cure it, can\u2019t you, Bones?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Mc Coy remaining silent, Mr. Spock took the floor to say\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s indeed a cure, Captain, and very simple. The patient just needs to drink a water rich in aurichalchium. We have several springs, on Vulcan, giving such a water, but apparently, this water presently, is not to be found elsewhere. Vulcan was provided in aurichalchium by a comet that hit the planet, millions years ago and the grade in aurichalchium wasn\u2019t altered by the petroleum pollution. Aurichalchium is a very fragile mineral and disappears if it gets in contact with some substances as\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Mr Spock\u201d, the Captain interrupted, \u201cdon\u2019t give me a lecture. Are you trying to say that we have to go back to Vulcan\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Captain, it would be ineffective. I have to be treated within three days or I\u2019ll die and Vulcan can\u2019t be reached in less that ten days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what ? Don\u2019t tell me you haven\u2019t any solution? Bones, you can\u2019t leave Mr Spock die without trying anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Kirk was shaking frantically poor Dr Mc Coy: \u201cStop it, Jim. You\u2019d better listen to Spock, he\u2019s found something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk turned back to Spock.\u00a0\u201cAs a matter of fact, Captain, I found in the library that there was aurichalchium, in bygone days, in one place on Earth, Lake Tahoe. It came from a very ancient comet but it was destroyed by the 20th century\u2019s pollution. The only solution for us is to go back in time. This will not be the first time for the Enterprise to attempt such a travel and I\u2019m confident in our capacity in succeeding. I pointed year 1860 as the best date to realize our project. Earlier, the place would be too wild\u00a0; later, there is a risk. The destructive process on aurichalchium could have started.\u201d<\/p>\n

****************************************************************************************************************<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Captain\u2019s log, Stardate 3169.12. We are presently entering into Earth orbit. We were in our way to planet 5 of Ursa Major when we had to change our course. Our First Officer, Mr Spock, contracted a Vulcan disease that has to be treated with a specific water containing aurichalchium, a very rare mineral, only to be found on Vulcan or on Earth before the petroleum pollution period. We\u2019re attempting a travel back in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Captain\u2019s log, Stardate 3169.13. I\u2019m beaming down with Mr Spock, Dr Mc Coy, two crewmen and a bucket. It\u2019s seven a.m. on Earth, so we don\u2019t expect to meet anybody, but, as a precautionary measure, we\u2019ve dressed up in cow-boy\u2019s clothes. Mr Spock wears a Mexican poncho and a wide sombrero to hide his ears. As for Mc Coy, he\u2019s so credible that you could swear to have watched him in an old western movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFive to beam down, Scotty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I rematerialize, I feel that something is awfully wrong. Contrary to our expectations, we\u2019re not alone on the Lake Tahoe\u2019s banks. Not at all. There are three men riding beautiful horses and heading to the very place we spotted and they\u2019re taking out their guns. It\u2019s going to be difficult to explain our presence.\u201d<\/p>\n

****************************************************************<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Hoss, look at these strange men. What do you think they\u2019re doing\u00a0? Where are their horses\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno, Joe, but we\u2019ll soon find out. Keep ready with your guns, they might be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having said so, Adam dismounted and approached the weird group\u00a0: there was a man dressed as a Mexican but Adam could have sworn he was an Indian with his yellow\/green complexion. The leader was obviously this man dressed in blue who, strangely, wasn\u2019t wearing a hat. He was smiling at him and raising his left hand :\u00a0\u201cHello\u201d, he tried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you\u00a0?\u201d, Adam answered abruptly, \u201cwhat are you doing on the Ponderosa\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Mister, what is the Ponderosa\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the place where you are and it\u2019s our land. If you don\u2019t know it, it\u2019s a private property.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe apologize. We\u2019re just passing through, we just want a bucket of water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned. A bucket of water\u2026 Sounded like gold diggers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no gold to be found in the lake. And what are you holding in your hands. Show me.\u201d And he pointed his gun in a threatening way.<\/p>\n

Wanting to show his goodwill, Kirk held out his phaser. Just at this moment, the phaser sizzled. Intrigued Adam caught the object so quickly that Kirk hadn\u2019t the time to prevent it.\u00a0Suddenly, a voice sounded out from the strange object.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnterprise to Captain. Anything wrong\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Startled, Adam looked at the little black box. Anticipating his reaction, Kirk shouted\u00a0: \u201cdon\u2019t touch this buttons, Mister, it\u2019s\u2026\u201d\u00a0He hadn\u2019t the time to finish. Adam\u2019s figure was suddenly hidden under a sparkling curtain and disappeared under his brothers\u2019 horrified eyes.<\/p>\n

Taking advantage of their surprise, Kirk ordered\u00a0: \u201cPhasers on stun\u201d. The two crewmen shot : Hoss and Joe fell silently on the ground.\u00a0Seizing Mc Coy\u2019s phaser, Kirk called the ship\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cScotty ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHearing you, Captain\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the transporter room, Captain\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, as you can certainly notice, we have an unwanted guest on the Enterprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, Captain\u00a0! Come down, Mister\u00a0\u00bb, Scotty addressed to Adam who staid, paralyzed, on the transporter\u2019s spot, staring wide-eyed, \u201cwe need the transporter to be freed\u201d.<\/p>\n

And as the young man\u2019s didn\u2019t react, he sent a crewman who took Adam\u2019s hand and pulled him out of the spot. Thirty seconds after, the transporter glittered and five men appeared. The man that had been called Captain jumped alertly down and approached Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I welcome you on the Enterprise\u00a0? My name is James T. Kirk and I\u2019m the captain of this ship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShip\u00a0?\u201d This was the only thing Adam managed to mumble.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, it would be very long to explain and, for the moment, I\u2019m quite busy. What you need to know, at present, is that you are in your future. The year, in accordance with Earth\u2019s dating system, is 2\u00a0263 and you\u2019re aboard a spaceship. Bones, take Mister, Mister\u2026\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwright, Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery pleased.\u201d Then, turning to Dr Mc Coy, he added\u00a0: \u201cTake Mr Cartwright with you to sickbay and keep him there. No trespassing on the rest of the ship. And don\u2019t forget Mr Spock. Mr Spock, I\u2019ll see you on the bridge as soon as Dr Mc Coy will have released you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whereupon, he strode out followed by the two crewmen.<\/p>\n

******************************************************************<\/p>\n

At the same moment, Hoss and Joe were rousing from their short lethargy. Immediately, they ran their eyes around them, looking for their brother and for the strangers who had sent them out.\u00a0Very quickly, they had to yield to facts, they were alone, with their horses, on the lake Tahoe\u2019s banks. Sport was there, wandering around with Chubb and Cochise.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long did we stay unconscious\u00a0?\u201d, Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno, I\u2019ve no watch, but looking at the sun, not a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, we have a chance to catch them. Come on Joe, we have to find their trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Half an hour after, they were looking at each other, completely puzzled. They had spotted the boots traces, including Adam\u2019s ones, at the place where the strangers had stood but no other tracks. If the men had moved, they had left no trail. Joe and Hoss had no indication about the direction they could have taken.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you suggest\u00a0?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go back to the Ponderosa, inform Pa and come back as soon as possible with enough hands to cover the surroundings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Hoss\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do with Sport\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take it with us, you don\u2019t want to leave it behind, do you\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if Adam is hidden somewhere and needs his horse\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, Adam is with our assailants, he\u2019s been abducted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDadburnit, Joe, can\u2019t you reason\u00a0? Adam was riding with us, we meet a group of suspects, they knock us out and when we wake up we find no one. It\u2019s obvious they have been flying away carrying Adam with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem is that, in my remembrance, things didn\u2019t happen this way. Adam disappeared mysteriously and I still don\u2019t know how they managed to knock us out, they didn\u2019t touch us, they didn\u2019t shoot us, they had no guns\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Joe, I\u2019d the same impression as you but sure, it must be the concussion. If not, it makes no sense\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right\u00a0! Hurry up, Hoss, every minute lost gives them more chances to escape.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

Since the moment he had given his name to Captain Kirk, Adam hadn\u2019t pronounced a word. His brain was bubbling. He had been led across wide corridors the surfaces of which were made of an unknown material. He had touched it under the quizzical eye of Mr Spock. He couldn\u2019t determine where the light came from. They bumped into people strangely dressed, the men wearing black pants and curious shirts deprived of buttons, some were blue, others red. As for the women, they wore similar shirts but, his eyes got wider if it was possible, their skirts were so short that they hardly hide their bottom. Not that he found the sight unpleasant (most of the women he had seen were young and well shaped) but he couldn\u2019t help feeling ill at ease.\u00a0When they reached sickbay, Dr Mc Coy turned to him and Spock and said\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cNow, we all take a shower and change our clothes. Afterwards, I\u2019ll first take care of you, Spock and then, I\u2019ll examine you, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me\u201d Adam replied, \u201cbut, first, what is a \u201cshower\u201d and, second, why do you have to examine me\u00a0? I\u2019m not sick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

It struck Spock and Mc Coy at the same time\u00a0: in 1860, they didn\u2019t have showers.<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating\u201d, started Spock. \u201cI\u2019d overlooked that\u00a0: at this time, they used to wash standing up in front of a basin or to have a bath from time to time. Most of the families had a bath once a month and it was the same tub for the whole family. The father started, then the mother, then\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Spock\u201d, Mc Coy, interrupted, \u201cstop it, I\u2019ll read the following episode of your historical report in my computer before going to bed. We\u2019d better answer Mr Cartwright\u2019s questions. A shower, is the modern way of cleaning, the water comes down on your body from\u2026 a kind of watering can. Help me Spock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we could say that the most approaching situation is a passage under a waterfall. The best way for full understanding is just to do it. There is a shower room, Mister, get into, strip off and press the button. The thermostat is set on the appropriate temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bewildered, Adam obeyed. At this point, he was unable to think anymore.\u00a0Adam enjoyed the shower. His restless mind, immediately, began to think about the best way to settle such a mechanism at the Ponderosa. Then, he held out his hand towards the place he had laid his clothes and found nothing except a black long-legs underwear, a black cotton undershirt and black socks. Having no choice, he put on what he had and went out of the shower room.\u00a0The place was desert but he could hear the now familiar voices of Mr Spock and Dr Mc Coy in the next room so he pushed the door and entered. Mr Spock was lying on a very narrow bed and Dr Mc Coy was flying over Mr Spock\u2019s body a small and buzzing device. Above Spock\u2019s head, there was a panel with red spots going up and down or flickering. It lasted thirty seconds and then Dr Mc Coy allowed him to get up, saying\u00a0: \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Spock, the indicators are normal. The Lake Tahoe\u2019s water was effectively containing enough aurichalchium to cure you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then turning to Adam, he called out\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cCome on, Mr Cartwright, the place is warm thanks to this green blooded, pointed eared Vulcan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave up the idea of resisting and lied down but not without asking\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cI have two questions\u00a0: first, where are my clothes and my gun, second, what is a green-blooded, pointed eared Vulcan\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery relevant questions\u201d, Spock noticed. \u201cAs you surely already understood, I\u2019m the green-blooded, pointed eared Vulcan. I\u2019m not human. My species lives on a planet called Vulcan, located in this galaxy but out of the Milky Way, ten days from there at warp speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWarp speed\u00a0?”<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ship can travel faster than light. We call that \u201cwarp speed\u201d. But I think you could be interested to cover the gap between your century and ours. Doctor, do you think Miss Chapel could show Mr Cartwright how to use the computer\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure\u00a0! While you were declaiming, I had the time to make my check-up. You\u2019re in perfect health Mr Cartwright. Just open your mouth, I have to control your teeth.\u201d\u00a0Obediently, Adam showed his dentition.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect\u201d, Mc Coy mumbled, \u201cjust a little scaling to do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wriggled\u00a0: \u201cWhat is this, now\u00a0? Can\u2019t you leave me alone and give me back my belongings\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing. Needs thirty seconds and it\u2019s not painful. It will help you to keep your teeth until the end of your life. Miss Chapel\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

A middle-aged woman, blue eyed and fair haired, with a curious hair dressing (it looked like a Babel tower laid on the top of her head, came in. She looked very gentle.\u00a0At this moment, a whistling noise was heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cBridge to sickbay, bridge to sickbay\u201d.<\/p>\n

Adam recognized the captain\u2019s voice but however much he looked everywhere around the room, he couldn\u2019t see anybody. Now prepared to believe what would have been unbelievable in his time, he guessed that the voice was coming from elsewhere. It reminded him of books he had read about ancient Egypt and the way priests used acoustic phenomenons to trick credulous people.\u00a0Meanwhile, Mc Coy answered: \u201cHearing you, Jim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt last, Bones. Are you ready\u00a0? I\u2019m meeting you and Mr Spock in the conference room within three minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn our way, Jim. Miss Chapel, I\u2019m leaving Mr Cartwright to your cares. Make him a scaling and after, show him the computer\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYessir\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

Ben poured himself a new cup of fresh coffee. He was in a delightful mood. Sometimes, it was good to be home alone. Last night, his boys had voiced the idea of getting up early and go to the lake for a diving and a fishing party and he had been happy to be able to give them a morning off.\u00a0He had planned to turn to good account his own morning by tidying his desk. He was just wondering what he would do first when he heard a horses gallop. He opened the door, went out and turned pale\u00a0: Hoss and Joe were rushing to him, pulling Sport behind them.\u00a0He immediately knew that something dreadful had happened to Adam.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0It doesn\u2019t make sense\u00a0!\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n

For the third time, Ben was repeating the same sentence. He had spent a quarter of an hour questioning Hoss and Joe, crossing the information and trying to understand what could have happened, but after all this talking, the mystery was still as opaque as before.\u00a0So he had decided to saddle Buck and go himself to the lake, hoping he would be able to find out some indications that Hoss and Joe would have overlooked. Not that he distrusted his second son : he knew that Hoss was quite as good at tracking as a Shoshone or a Paiute. But he had come back without an explanation and it had to be one. Joe and Hoss had followed him. At this stage, he didn\u2019t think useful to get a posse.<\/p>\n

They had been turning around the lake for hours without noticing anything else but the tracks of the men at the spot where Adam had disappeared.\u00a0Standing up at the meeting point, Ben stared at Joe dismounting and shaking his head, which meant he hadn\u2019t found anything. The gesture reminded him of another time, when they had been looking for Adam in the Mountain of the Dead\u00a0: they had been searching unsuccessfully for three days but, at last, they had discovered him, wounded but alive. Remembering that, he regained hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s try again\u201d, he said, \u201cthis time, Hoss, you go\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at him, Captain\u201d\u00a0Captain Kirk, Dr Mc Coy, Lieutenant de Salle and Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott had gathered around a giant screen in the conference room and were following Adam\u2019s slightest actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, Mr Spock and the more I watch him, the more I get the impression that I\u2019ve already met him although I\u2019m aware it\u2019s impossible\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept if he\u2019s to become famous, so you would have seen his portrait in some archives. But it\u2019s very unlikely since I can\u2019t remember an Adam Cartwright appearing in Earth\u2019s history. Anyway, we will soon be enlightened about that \u00a0: I charged Mr Chekov to make a check about him. But I wanted to point that this man is a very amazing human. He almost acts as logically as a Vulcan would. \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you illustrate this surprising remark\u00a0?\u201d, Mc Coy asked, sarcastically.<\/p>\n

Apparently not noticing the hint\u00a0 of mockery, Spock answered\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cFirst, when nurse Chapel explained to him that he couldn\u2019t wear his clothes, because they had to be disinfected, and offered him a tee-shirt, he asked for the meaning of the colours which demonstrates he\u2019s smart enough to assume alone that the colours signify something. Then, he chose the blue when learning it was the one for scientific officers which proves he makes science more worthwhile than action or commanding. And he understood immediately the computer\u2019s proper working.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Spock, that isn\u2019t a feast. You speak of him as if he came from a time in which people were writing with goose feathers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c1860 isn\u2019t so far from the goose feathers time, doctor\u201d Spock answered very seriously. \u201cDon\u2019t you know that the first typewriter, if you except a test by Beach, in 1857, was invented by Shole and Densmore and became a success, in 1872, thanks to Remington\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGentlemen\u201d, Kirk interrupted, \u201cplease stop arguing, we\u2019ve got no time for that. What is your point, Spock\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think, Captain, that with a short training, we could adapt this man to our time. Just consider that : knowing he had a short time, he started by a summary of Earth history from 1860 to nowadays then he moved to Sciences history and he\u2019s just asking the computer about travel in time. Rather logical\u00a0! I would willingly recruit him in my team\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNegative, Spock, and you know why\u00a0: there were two other men with him when we picked him up and they saw him disappear. We can\u2019t interfere with the past, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is nothing important, Captain, they will never find out what happened, so there will be no interference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not human, Spock, this man has probably a family, a wife, maybe children. We can\u2019t keep him. We have to bring him back to his time\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what about the knowledge he\u2019s presently absorbing\u00a0?\u201d, De Salle asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not the first time we have this problem, Lieutenant\u201d, Kirk answered. \u201cIt happened previously with a man from the 20th century. We just brought him back a second before the moment we had picked him up and it cancelled in his mind all what he had seen and learnt, just as if it hadn\u2019t existed.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this point, engineer Scott coughed\u00a0: \u201cDo you mean, Captain, that you intend to bring back this lad in his time, a few seconds before his arrival in the Enterprise\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely, Scotty. Any worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Captain, it needs a very delicate adjustment. We don\u2019t master perfectly the travel back in time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Scotty, you did it before\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYessir.\u201d\u00a0\u201cSo, you can do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Captain, but I need three days to set the reversing device.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I suggested to keep Mr Cartwright with us\u201d said Spock, arching a brow. \u201cYou know, Captain that we use a lot of energy to stay invisible and that travelling back in time is also very costly in dilithium. We will exhaust our stock if we have to stay in the 19th century for three days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk glanced at him and then, pressed a button\u00a0: \u201cMr Chekov\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHearrring you Captain\u201d\u00a0\u201cHave you completed your research\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Captain\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what\u2019s the result\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI send it on yourrr scrrreen, Captain. Mr Adam Cartwrrright didn\u2019t play a leading part in his centurrry but he\u2019s the ancestorrr of a verrry imporrrtant perrrson \u201d.<\/p>\n

At this moment, a picture appeared : a woman who looked like Adam as if she were his twin sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary Highstrong\u201d, Kirk mumbled, \u201cthat\u2019s why I had the feeling that I knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Canadian philosopher\u201d Spock added, thinking aloud.<\/p>\n

\u201cBorrrn in 1865\u201d, Chekov went on commenting with this indestructible Russian accent of his , \u201cClarrra Cartwrrright, Adam Cartwrrright\u2019s daughter, marrried Mr Donat frrrom which Carrrol was borrrn in 1890. Carrrol Donat marrried Lewis Habe in 1910 and had to wait eleven yearrrs beforrre having a son, Michael, borrrn in 1921. Michael Habe had a daughter, Marrry, in 1947. Her grrrand-grrrand-grrand-grrand daughter, Marrry Highstrrrong, borrrn in 2090, wrrrote in 2146 the famous trrreaty about galaxisation, that launched the prrrocess leading to the Federrration\u2019s foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr Chekov\u201d, said Kirk, switching off the contact. Then turning towards Spock and Scotty, he declared\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cThen, now, gentlemen, we have no choice\u00a0: we have to bring back Adam Cartwright in his time to let him beget Clara Cartwright. If not, Mary Highstrong will not write her treaty and, changing the course of history, we disappear. You have to find a way to send him back to 1860, even if it\u2019s not as precise as you could wish, and to reduce the deadline. I go back to the bridge. Bones, send Adam Cartwright there, I have to speak with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam widened his eyes when, escorted by Mc Coy, he entered the Enterprise\u2019s bridge. It was a circle-shaped platform. The Captain was sitting, in the centre, on a raised sit. At his right side, he caught sight of a beautiful black woman wearing a red and very short dress that allowed her thighs to appear while the part of her legs under the knee was hidden by high boots. \u201cStrange suit\u201d, he thought, \u201cbut not unpleasant\u201d. She was manipulating wires, had a button in her ears and was repeating weird words: \u201cHailing frequencies opened.\u201d She had one golden stripe on each sleeves, from what Adam deducted she was an officer.\u00a0In front of the Captain but turning their back on him, were two men with yellow shirts and black collars, looking over a panel of buttons. Adam couldn\u2019t see their faces.\u00a0The Captain was himself wearing a yellow shirt with three leafy golden stripes on his sleeves.<\/p>\n

Turning towards Adam, he noticed how much he was impressed by the young lady at the broadcasting station and smiled\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cMay I introduce you to Lieutenant Uhura, our transmissions officer, Mr Cartwright\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Uhura, simultaneously, gave a slight bow, then Adam approached the Captain who was carrying on with introductions. Indicating a tall man next to Uhura, he said \u201cLieutenant de Salle\u201d and then, he pointed out the two men before him who turned their heads to greet the newcomer. One was as yellow faced as Hop-Sing but, somehow, Adam could feel he wasn\u2019t Chinese\u00a0: \u201cLieutenant Sulu\u201d, Kirk introduced. The second one had bushy hair hiding his forehead : \u201cEnsign Chekov\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome here, Mr Cartwright\u201d, Kirk invited the young man, \u201cand have a look.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pressed a button on his armrest and a large screen in front of them, enlightened. The picture that appeared was amazing for Adam : the fund was black dotted with small lights, a star spangled sky, and in the middle, he could watch a giant glob,<\/p>\n

\u201cEarth\u00a0!\u201d he whispered, startled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Mr Cartwright, Earth, just as it is in 1860. It\u2019s not a representation, it\u2019s the real world, and you were, a few hours ago, in a microscopic point of this continent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t wait longer :\u00a0\u201cAnd why am I here instead of there\u00a0?\u201d he asked, abruptly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to apologize, you shouldn\u2019t be here. We needed, in order to cure Mr Spock, a substance that can\u2019t be found on Earth in the twenty-third century but is present in Lake Tahoe water, in your own century. We just wanted to draw a bucket of this water, and we got down at seven on the morning, thinking nobody would be there so early\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we were there, my brothers and I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you touched my communicator, without knowing it, you pressed a button that connected me to my ship and the officer in charge thought he had to beam us up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeam ?\u201d\u00a0Kirk frowned, wondering how he could explain the thing.\u00a0\u201cWe use, to travel from our ship to a planet, or the contrary, a device that functions with a beam of \u2026 kind of electricity\u2026 do you know what electricity is ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I read Amp\u00e8re\u2019s works.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Captain smiled\u00a0: he had been lucky, in his misfortune, to pick up a man who had a good education. It could have been worse\u2026 He went on in his explanation.\u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s say that this electricity beam\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShares our body in particles to cross Space and gathers them again when they meet their landing point, which, when you give a thought to it, is quite disturbing\u201d Mc Coy ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cBones, please, don\u2019t destabilize Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat beats everything ! I\u2019m the one who destabilizes Mr Cartwright !\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled\u00a0: \u201cSpeaking of \u201cbeam\u201d, seems Captain, that you see the mote in your neighbour\u2019s eye but not the beam in your own. That, of course, is what Dr Mc Coy is thinking, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk grinned, amused by Adam\u2019s wit and admiring his ability to joke in such a situation. Just as he was noticing that, he saw Adam\u2019s face turning serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now, Captain, can you tell me what you intend to do\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this isn\u2019t simple, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can call me Adam. It\u2019s a real mouthful, this Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Adam. We have to take you back to your land.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Adam\u2019s turn to grin\u00a0: \u201cGood ! Could you order your men to give me back my clothes and\u2026 beam me down as soon as possible\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute. We can\u2019t do it like that. If we just send you back now, you will remind what you\u2019ve seen and learnt and you must not be allowed to do that. Knowing what you know, you could reverse the course of time and we would all disappear. To give you a slight idea of the problem, Mr Chekov, here present, made a research about your life to see if you had done something significant in history\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t but you\u2019re the ancestor of a very important person.\u201d Saying that, Kirk pressed another button. Mary Highstrong appeared.\u00a0Adam gasped. It seemed to him that he was watching a mirror although his features were feminine and not masculine.\u00a0\u201cYour descendant\u201d Kirk commented. \u201cHer name is Mary Highstrong and she\u2019s to write a philosophic treaty about The emergency of Galaxisation, in 2146, that will popularize the idea of federating the planets in order to reach to peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I learnt in your computer, it was a success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk smirked\u00a0: \u201cYou\u2019re a good student, Mr huh, Adam. So you can see that we have no choice, we must bring you back because Mary Highstrong\u2019s ancestor is your own daughter, Clara Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face brightened : \u201cI\u2019m going to have a daughter\u2026 I\u2019m going to become a father\u201d. He hardly resisted the fancy of jumping up. Then, he came back to the present :\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s your plan ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to send you back a few seconds before your beaming up. So, what happened will be erased from your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thinking of that, Adam felt a twinge of regret but very quickly, he overcame his disappointment. Better to come back home as ignorant as he was when he left, than to stay there and become a scientist. Now that he knew he would have a child, he thought that this child would have a mother and he was certain that he couldn\u2019t make a child without being deeply in love with the mother. He felt very excited at this expectation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in a hurry to go back, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019ll have to be patient, Adam, my chief engineer, Mr Scott, declared that he needed three days to adjust the reverse time device.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree days\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, easy. We can\u2019t wait three days, otherwise, we\u2019ll be short of energy and I\u2019ve got to go to Ursa Major to make a new stock of dilithium, our source of energy. So they\u2019re working on a way of doing what is needed in a shorter time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there no dilithium on Earth in the twenty-third century.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no dilithium extracted from Earth but, of course, we have supplies.\u201d\u00a0\u201cSo, why don\u2019t you go back to your century first, get enough dilithium and come back to my century.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s face lighted up. \u201cYou\u2019re right, Adam, why didn\u2019t I think of that myself.\u201d He pressed a new button. \u201cBridge to engine room. Mr Spock ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you find a solution ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes Captain. We\u2019re going back to our own century first, then\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk interrupted\u00a0: \u201cAll right, Spock, I know what you\u2019re planning, Adam Cartwright had the same idea .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you, Captain, this man was very brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam touched Kirk\u2019s hand to prevent him from switching off. \u201cOne moment, Captain, I have a request.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you have a solution about the energy\u2019s supplies, I would like Mr Scott and Mr Spock to try to accelerate the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy ? You can spend three days enjoying yourself and learning a lot. I\u2019ll give you a new teacher, more accurate than Christine Chapel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut during this time, my family is worrying and suffering\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will not remember anything\u201d Spock answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, at this very moment they are living a nightmare.\u00a0 I know my father and brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk had this smile that, in accordance to Mc Coy, \u201ccould have melt the North Pole.\u201d\u00a0\u201cYou may be as logical as a Vulcan, Adam, but you\u2019re definitely a Human. Scotty, Spock, do your best to go faster. And now, Adam, aren\u2019t you hungry ?\u201d<\/p>\n

******************************************************************<\/p>\n

Ben was slumped in the red chair, his rimmed eyes staring at nothing.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Pa,\u201d Joe implored, \u201cplease, do eat something, you can\u2019t stay so long without eating\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa, there\u2019s no point in it\u201d, Hoss added, \u201cyou need to keep your strength. Hop-Sing is preparing a meal and you\u2019d better take a bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done all what we could, we\u2019ve gone through the whereabouts with a fine-tooth comb, we\u2019ve asked for Roy\u2019s help, we\u2019ve scoured all the caverns\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised his head towards Joe, his eyes blackening\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not enough\u00a0! Do you hear me, son, it\u2019s not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat more can we do, Pa\u00a0?, Hoss commented, thinking aloud.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can go back to the lake to-morrow and start again what we did to-day but I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll be of some use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood up : \u201cListen to me Hoss. You too, Joe. I swear an oath to find Adam, dead or alive, but I\u2019ll find him. To-morrow, I\u2019ll go to town and send a telegram. I\u2019m hiring the best detective in San Francisco. A man doesn\u2019t disappear like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And suddenly, he sank down again in the red chair, hid his head in his hands and began to weep. Joe and Hoss were at a loss to console him, especially since they were in the same sorrow as him. \u00a0After a while, Ben regained his self-control. Smiling across his tears, he apologized for his weakness and said\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have lost my composure in front of you\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Pa, we understand\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, you find relief in crying\u2026\u201d\u00a0Ben smiled more frankly.\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re both were right. It\u2019s stupid to starve. Let\u2019s have our dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

******************************************************************<\/p>\n

The object of so much turmoil and tears was himself having dinner in the Enterprise\u2019s dining-room, with Captain Kirk, Dr Mc Coy and Lieutenant Uhura. Kirk had left the con to Lieutenant De Salle.\u00a0Adam surveyed the room : where did the food come from\u00a0?<\/p>\n

Mc Coy led him to a panel and press a button : a screen appeared : \u201cNow\u201d, he explained, \u201cyou can see a list of the courses available. Select human food, you\u2019d better not eat Vulcan food, you could not digest it. What would you like, meat, vegetables, fish, seafood\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeafood ? You have seafood on a spaceship ? You can\u2019t have seafood if you aren\u2019t next to the sea\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact, we can. All the food aboard is deep-frozen or dried so you can keep it for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this\u2026 deep-frozen or dried food is tasting good ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mc Coy had this crooked smile that was familiar to him\u00a0: \u201cJust try.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of courses, some words I don\u2019t know. What is ratatouille\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMixed vegetables, aubergines, onions, tomatoes, zucchinis and red peppers fried together in olive oil. It\u2019s a French recipe. Not bad at all \u201d<\/p>\n

Adam opted for grilled lobster, fried potatoes, ratatouille (just to see) and a pineapple pie. Carrying it on a tray, he went to the table where the Captain was waiting for him. Mc Coy joined them and related Adam\u2019s surprise at seeing seafood on a spaceship.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Adam, what do you think ?\u201d, the Captain asked,\u00a0 after the first mouthful.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I be frank ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not, you must\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, Captain, if this is the only kind of lobster you\u2019ve been eating, you don\u2019t know the real taste and consistency of lobster. Sometimes, when I go to San Francisco, I give myself a treat and I order lobster. It\u2019s far better than this, even if this is eatable; but it\u2019s not lobster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mc Coy gave him a piece of his roast beef : \u201cAnd what do you think of our meat\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tested\u00a0: \u201cSame answer\u00a0: you don \u2018t know what beef can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uhura\u2019s gentle voice raised \u00a0: \u201cSo, we would have lost as much as we suspected. Captain, since we have to go back to nineteenth century, couldn\u2019t we catch some of this tasty food for us to get an idea\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned\u00a0: \u201cI would be very pleased to offer you a choice of our products, steaks from our cattle, ham, eggs, milk, vegetables from our farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

A whistle sounded\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cBridge to Captain\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKirk here. Listening to you, Lieutenant\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCommander Spock and Lieutenant-commander Scott are ready for the jump to twenty-third century, Captain. They\u2019re just waiting for your order.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my way, Lieutenant. Put the ship under yellow alert. Come with us, Adam, it will be interesting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Followed by Adam and Lieutenant Uhura, he headed for the lift.\u00a0The yellow alert had set the ship in a turmoil of excitement. Crewmen and crewwomen had broken into a run and Adam was wondering where they were rushing to.\u00a0On the bridge, on the contrary, the officers kept calm. Mr Spock was back to his post. Uhura reached her seat and made a sign to Adam for him to sit down beside her. \u201cHold the armrests\u201d, she said, \u201chold it tight.\u201d Just as she was saying that, Kirk pressed a button on his own armrest and asked : \u201cReady Scotty ?\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady, Captain\u201d, the chief engineer\u2019s nasal voice answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed alert\u201d said Kirk and immediately, an air-raid siren began to sound. \u201cGo\u201d cried the Captain.\u00a0The ship was suddenly shaken with strong vibrations. Uhura passed out, Adam struggled a while and then passed out himself. When he came back to life, he saw the Captain straightening up and helping Chekov to do the same.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Uhura\u2019s devices whistle \u201cEnterprise, identify\u201d, Adam heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cHailing frequencies opened\u201d, Uhura informed . \u201cCaptain, Admiral Anderson on line\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn screen, Lieutenant\u201d, Kirk answered. And a bewildered Adam looking at the screen where, previously, Earth and Space could be seen, saw a giant black man appear and fill the window. He wore a red uniform and his sleeves were covered with golden stripes from the wrist to the elbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnterprise, what are you doing here, you were meant to be on Ursa Major\u2019s fifth planet\u2019s orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk explained his presence and the necessity he was to stock up again in dilithium.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right\u201d, the Admiral said, \u201cbut after, you change your course and go immediately to Neutral Zone. Romulans are threatening again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, sir, I\u2019ve got to go back to nineteenth century before in order to bring back Mr Cartwright to his time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it an absolute necessity\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir\u00a0! Mr Cartwright is Mary Highstrong\u2019s ancestor and he still hasn\u2019t begot any child. His daughter who is to become Mary Highstrong\u2019s great-great-great and so on grandmother will be born on 1865 and we picked him up in 1860. Besides, as soon as we will have done it, we can come back at this very minute here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are your odds of success\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blemished. Unconsciously, he had taken for granted that there was no risk of failure.<\/p>\n

Kirk turned to Spock who answered : \u201cApproximately, 843.57 on 882, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, proceed. I\u2019ll give you your instructions when you come back, Jim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u00a0 Sir\u201d<\/p>\n

The screen came back to black and Earth appeared again. \u201cDo you want to have a look on your country, Adam\u201d, the Captain asked.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. Uhura made a zoom and the Glob came closer as if it was on the verge of colliding with the ship. The zoom went on and as if she was using a giant magnifying glass, Uhura pointed on America.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, Adam\u201d, the captain said, \u201con this bridge, you and I, we come from the same region, we\u2019re American.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean we come from the same country\u201d, Adam corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. In our time, our country is Earth. The previous countries are nowadays regions. Chekov is an Earther as you and me, Uhura and De Salle too. But Uhura\u2019s region is East Africa, Chekov\u2019s one is Russia, De Salle\u2019s one is Western Europ. The only foreigner, here is Mr Spock who\u2019s coming from another planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The picture of America, now was big enough to distinguish the States. \u201cThis is Iowa, my birth place\u201d, Kirk went on, \u201cbut my roots are in Texas. My grandfather was a Texan and he used to say that our ancestors pioneered the American frontier. Now, here is your State, Nevada. The big town, here is Reno and twenty-three miles on the South is Virginia City. You\u2019re lucky, since it\u2019s a tourist place, it has been preserved from modern buildings and towers \u201d<\/p>\n

Adam kept silent. He had assumed that his country would have been different four centuries later but he could not say he was charmed by the sight of this urbanized countryside. \u201cNot enough trees, not enough grass, too many roads\u201d, he thought. The sky was crowded with flying vehicles looking like giant ladybirds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in a hurry to go back home\u201d, he whispered.<\/p>\n

Kirk heard him and looked at the man with some compassion. It had been a very hard day. \u201cWould you like to have a rest, Adam\u00a0?\u201d And, without waiting the answer, he turned to Uhura\u00a0:\u00a0\u201cLieutenant, would you agree to take Adam to his quarters\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

The gracious Bantu young woman stood up and, with a delightful smile: \u201cCome on Adam\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

Adam bowed to the Captain. Their eyes met and a mutual comprehension could be read in both gazes. The Captain\u2019s glance seemed to tell : \u201cI noticed your interest for Nyota Uhura. Don\u2019t know the nature of this interest, intellectual or physical or both, but I give you an opportunity to have a conversation with her.\u201d\u00a0Adam\u2019s gaze was saying\u00a0: \u201cI need an hour or two for relaxing and having a quiet conversation with a person educated enough to answer all my questions and I\u2019m intrigued by this black woman who is a starship officer and carries on being attractive to the male I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and his companion headed for the lift and disappeared from the bridge\u00a0As he was following Uhura across the ship\u2019s corridors, Adam was discovering the spaceship was as broad as a village and it occurred to him that he was far from seeing all the treasures she was concealing. He wondered how his father or his brothers would have reacted if they had beamed up the Enterprise instead of him. Sure, Joe would have been very excited. He would have tried all what he could, would have spoken to any woman he could have caught, more interested in people or devices than in the computers\u2019 information. Hoss would have felt quickly very unhappy\u00a0: no animals (maybe there were some but Adam hadn\u2019t seen them), no tasty food, nothing familiar\u2026\u00a0As for Ben, Adam thought he would have appreciated Dr Mc Coy\u00a0: this one was exactly the kind of man that Ben could chose as a friend. Gruffly but thoughtful, freethinker but efficient and trustworthy in his job. Probably, the sailor he had been would have respected the Captain but he wouldn\u2019t have understood Mr Spock. As for Uhura\u2026<\/p>\n

His thoughts came back to his pretty companion as she stopped in front of a door. She just touched a square designed on the wall and the door opened alone. Adam asked her about the functioning.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagnetism\u201d she just answered.<\/p>\n

The room they came into was big enough to contain a bed, behind a partition, four seats and a round table. All along the walls, a low cupboard was running, on top of which several objects were laid down, a computer, a communicator, a vase with flowers that looked authentic (but he would soon find out that they were false), a box full of paper handkerchiefs, a writing pad and a pair of strange pens. In a corner, Uhura showed him a panel with several buttons.\u00a0\u201cOne button per category\u201d, she said, \u201cone for food, one for drinks, one for clothes, one for toilet or beauty articles, one for leisure. Let\u2019s have a drink. What do you want\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I have a beer\u00a0?\u201d Adam ventured.<\/p>\n

\u201cAndorian, Romulan, Aldorian ale ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t you just\u2026 Earth beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, we have, Irish, Belgian, Chinese\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn Irish one will do\u201d.<\/p>\n

Uhura ordered Adam\u2019s beer and took a blue beverage for herself. Then, they sat down around the table. They staid a while just sipping, then Adam broke the silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, in your century, black people have the same rights as the white\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

She grinned\u00a0: \u201cI suspected you would be surprised with that, as you must be, seeing a woman in an officer\u2019s rank in Spacefleet.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded and added\u00a0: \u201cYou can\u2019t imagine how glad I am to learn that, at last, racism is over. In my century, there\u2019s a lot of segregation, towards Indian people, towards black people. We\u2019re on the verge of starting a civil war, I checked it on the computer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Secession war, I know. This is finished, nowadays, because Earthers have met people far more different from them. There\u2019s no longer racism between Humans, we don\u2019t bother anymore about the colour of the skin but there\u2019s still racism. A few weeks ago, Captain Kirk had to move an officer because he proved to have mean feelings towards Mr Spock. Vulcans are extremely civilized, on some fields, far more than Humans, but they look very much like Romulans. Romulans are warriors and believe in strength and violence. Vulcans were similar, five thousand years ago but they worked on themselves until they became able to control all their emotions. Now, they\u2019re driven only by logic, except once every seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was intrigued : \u201cWhat happens, every seven years?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to mate and they lose their control. I can\u2019t tell a lot about it because I just saw once Mr Spock in this state and I wasn\u2019t invited on Vulcan to attend the\u2026 wedding. Captain Kirk and Dr Mc Coy were the only ones to be allowed to beam down and they kept very discreet about what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

She giggled : \u201cI don\u2019t know how we managed to come to such a subject. Better you tell me about you, your life, your family\u2026 Are you married ?\u201d<\/p>\n

They went on talking friendly for two hours, unconscious of the time passing when they heard a whistle<\/p>\n

\u201cLieutenant Uhura. Report to bridge\u201d<\/p>\n

She answered the Captain request and then turned back to Adam\u00a0: \u201cSorry, my duty\u2019s calling me. Take advantage of it to have a rest. But you told me you were fond of opera. Before leaving, I want to program one for you.\u201d She pushed a button and a wide screen appeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me you heard about a new composer, new for you, Verdi.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Five years ago, I read an article about his opus, Rigoletto, that was performed in New-York. The article spoke very highly of it. I\u2019m waiting for San Francisco\u2019s Opera House to do a production of it but it still hasn\u2019t come to this part of the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, this evening, you will be able to watch Rigoletto. I\u2019ll chose for you my favourite version. It\u2019s a recording of a performance in the Roman theatre of Verone, in Italy, in the beginning of the twenty-first century. To me, nobody has outdone this performance. Leo Nucci is Rigoletto and Inva Mula is Gilda. Here is the libretto. Watch and enjoy it. See you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

A delighted Adam discovered the charm of video. He was so enthusiastic with the show that he found himself clapping as if he was, in flesh, on the theatre\u2019s tiers, when he heard a buzz at the door. He immediately understood that this noise had replaced the knocking and, not knowing how to open the door, he shouted\u00a0: \u201cCome in !\u201d<\/p>\n

Entered Mc Coy\u00a0: \u201cHey, you\u2019re watching Rigoletto ? Nice stuff. It\u2019s nearly finished. I came to suggest to you taking some exercise in our gymnasium. Unless you prefer to beam down on Earth in a place where you could ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam made a denial sign : \u201cI think it will be enough for me to beam down only once, when you\u2019ll send me home. But yes, I\u2019m not against the idea of moving my limbs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right\u00a0! Come with me and after, I\u2019ll take you to the dining-room. No lobster, no beef, I just want you to taste some fried chicken, a recipe from Maryland. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just before leaving the room, Adam put his hand on Mc Coy\u2019s arm : \u201cDoctor, do you think they\u2019re really able to send me back to my time\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mc Coy stared at Adam with his sparkling beautiful blue eyes\u00a0: \u201cListen to me, Adam\u00a0: when Jim Kirk says he will do something, he always does it, whatever the cost can be. Besides, he\u2019s just found another good reason to succeed in sending you back. Chekov, who is young and inexperienced, overlooked another part of your lineage. You\u2019re not only Mary Highstrong ancestor, you\u2019re also James Tiberius Kirk\u2019s ancestor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re second daughter, Elizabeth, will marry a Texan who\u2019s Jim\u2019s forefather. He\u2019s just learned it and will surely join us as soon as possible to present you his respects\u201d, Mc Coy concluded, laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you come now\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYessir.\u201d, a thoughtful Adam answered.<\/p>\n

Jim Kirk joined Adam and Mc Coy for dinner, obviously very excited now that he knew he was a direct descendant of the young Cartwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old are you, Adam, huh, Grand-Pa\u00a0?\u201d\u00a0Adam smirked: \u201cPlease, keep calling me Adam. I\u2019m just thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m thirty-eight\u00a0! Don\u2019t you think it\u2019s funny\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I do, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk smiled at him: \u201cTell me about my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam spoke a long time, having a lot to say, specially about Ben\u00a0: \u201cHe\u2019s your forefather too and, if you\u2019re a Captain, the fact you have Ben Cartwright\u2019 blood flowing in your veins could have something to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk was agreeing when Spock and Scotty appeared in the dining-room.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood news, Sir\u201d, the latter said. \u201cI think we\u2019ll be able to go back to nineteenth century, to-morrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed with relief. Not letting Kirk answer he shouted\u00a0: \u201cOh, thank you Mr Scott. I think I\u2019ll sleep better knowing that.\u201d Then, he realized he should have left the word to the Captain and blushed\u00a0: \u201cSorry, Captain\u201d, he said sheepishly.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Adam\u00a0! Go to bed, now, seems to me you deserve it. See you to-morrow before the big dive.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

Ben finished hastily his chores and headed home. In the dining-room, Joe was waiting for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside\u00a0? But I didn\u2019t see him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned green. Striding towards Joe, he said, his voice trembling\u00a0: \u201cDon\u2019t tell me he disappeared too\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCalm down, Pa, he just rode to Paul Martin\u2019s, in order to buy a potion that will help you to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t ask for anything of the kind\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you didn\u2019t but we think you can use a bit of it, and Hoss and me too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat down in front of the fire\u00a0: \u201cYou\u2019re probably right. I feel exhausted, Joe, and yet, I\u2019m not sure I could sleep. Hope your brother will not be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

A whistle pierced Adam\u2019s ears, awaking him. Uhura\u2019s voice came to him\u00a0: \u201cTime to get up, Mr Cartwright, the Captain is expecting you on bridge within thirty minutes. Press the button \u201cclothes\u201d, your clothes are waiting for you\u201d<\/p>\n

Happy to find his casual clothes again, Adam hurried to be ready on time. It was nine o\u2019clock when he appeared on the bridge. Spock and Mc Coy were there, speaking with the Captain, Lieutenant Uhura was sitting at her place, opening or switching the buttons on her panel. She glanced at him with a lovely smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Adam\u201d, the Captain greeted him. \u201cI just wanted to say good-bye, we\u2019re going back to your time at nine thirty and you\u2019ll beam down at ten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill I really forget everything I saw, heard or touched\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConsciously, yes\u201d, Mc Coy answered, \u201cbut in your subconscious, you\u2019ll keep some sounds, some pictures. For example, if ever you can hear again Rigoletto, you\u2019ll probably\u00a0 have the feeling of having heard that before. You could be able to understand spontaneously a scientific phenomenon unknown in your time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face enlightened : \u201cGood\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

A new whistle\u00a0: \u201cEngineer-chief to bridge\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Scotty\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ready, sir\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, red alert\u201d<\/p>\n

The air-raid siren sounded. Spock turned to Adam : \u201cSit down next to Lieutenant Uhura, Mr Cartwright and look at this red light, on the screen. When it will turn green, hold on your chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I remember what it\u2019s like\u201d, Adam answered, taking his seat.<\/p>\n

When the travel in time was over, Kirk shook Adam\u2019s hand\u00a0: \u201cGood-bye, Grand-Pa\u201d, he could not stop himself from saying. \u201cBe a happy husband and a happy father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood-bye, son, try to be happy too and remember that work and career aren\u2019t the only valuable things in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow right!\u201d said Mc Coy.<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating\u00a0! So human\u00a0! For me, this advice is irrelevant\u2026\u201d Spock commented, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobots can\u2019t understand everything, Spock\u201d Mc Coy said, derisively.<\/p>\n

Kirk had a broad smile\u00a0: \u201cAs you see, Adam, nothing changes.\u201d Then, he nodded\u00a0: \u201c I\u2019ll remember. Lieutenant Uhura, take my ancestor to the transporter room.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gracious Bantu jumped out of her seat\u00a0: \u201cFollow me, Adam\u201d<\/p>\n

They reached quickly the transporter room\u00a0: \u201cI think we have a quarter of an hour spared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think the Captain did it on purpose, just to let us a little time to say farewell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow does a gentleman say farewell to a lady, in the nineteenth century ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget about the nineteenth century. Let\u2019 s do it in the twenty-third century way. I guess I\u2019m allowed to more boldness\u201d<\/p>\n

And without waiting for the answer, he put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her lightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that all right for the twenty-third century way\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little shy\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do better\u201d and the second kiss was deeper.\u00a0Then, he withdrew. \u201cI think it\u2019s enough. At least, you, you\u2019ll remember it and I hope it will be a good memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked intensely at him\u00a0: \u201cIt will, Adam. I will cherish it. In other circumstances, we could have been very good friends\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c Only friends\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

She had a light smile\u00a0: \u201cMaybe more. Farewell, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFarewell, pretty woman\u201d and he jumped on the transporter.\u00a0Just at this moment, Scotty appeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady, sir\u00a0?\u201d\u00a0Scotty went to the checkpoint. He activated some gear levers and started to count\u00a0: \u201cten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, energize.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****************************************************************<\/p>\n

Adam, Hoss and Joe were riding merrily. They enjoyed the morning air. A lovely day was starting and it was half a day-off. Approaching the lake, they got the impression that they heard somebody talking not far from them. \u00a0Joe went ahead, Adam following him. Hoss, behind them, suddenly caught sight of a glittering around his elder brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam, what\u2019s happening to you\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening to me ? Nothing. Why do you ask\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was confused\u00a0: \u201cNever mind\u00a0! I thought I\u2019d seen something, kind of a light. Probably the sun\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed\u00a0: \u201cHurry up, Hoss, you need your bath. Some fresh water will help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam interrupted\u00a0: \u201cInstead of diving in the lake, why should we not climb up the mountain and find a waterfall. I feel like having water flowing on my body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you hear that, Hoss, big brother wants to have water flowing on his body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust that ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can help him, don\u2018t you Joe\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing Joe winking, Adam understood he\u2019d better fly away. He kicked Sport\u2019s sides and broke into a gallop.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ben was pouring himself a new cup of fresh coffee. He was in a delightful mood. Sometimes, it was good to be home alone. Last night, his boys had voiced the idea of getting up early and go to the lake for a diving and a fishing party and he had been happy to be able to give them a morning off. He had planned to turn to good account his own morning by tidying his desk and nothing would prevent him from doing it.<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0Adam is accidentally transferred in Captain Kirk’s starship Enterprise, during the 23rd century<\/p>\n

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