Author's Note: This is an alternate ending I wrote to "The Death of Captain Christopher Pike" for submission to Strange New Worlds V. They don't allow you to kill off any main characters (I know, I killed Vina, but hopefully she is minor enough of a character that they let it slide.), so I had to change the ending and the title. The story picks up with Pike leaving the Enterprise on the shuttle. Please E-Mail me and tell me which one you like better. ******************** STAR TREK THE ORIGINAL SERIES: THE LIBERATION OF CHRISTOPHER PIKE "Bay doors open, now!" Pike ordered as he hit what he hoped was the comm button. He then carefully lifted the shuttle off the floor, and pointed it towards the opening bay doors. I guess I haven't forgotten how to fly one of these, he thought to himself as the shuttle left the ship. Let's hope I still remember how to save lives. His thoughts were cut short by Kirk's voice. "Shuttlecraft Roosevelt, what are you doing?" "I'm going to cut off the nacelle with the phasers, Jim. Then I'll put a tractor beam on it, and warp it the hell out of here." "Chris? Is that you?" asked a surprised Kirk. "Yes, it is, Captain." "I can't let you do it, Chris. I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself to save us. Not after you have just gotten your life back." "I don't plan on sacrificing myself," proclaimed Pike. "I'm going to set the auto pilot on a two second delay before it goes to warp. You'll have to beam me back within those two seconds." There was a moment of silence. Pike took that as a good sign. Captain Kirk was not going to try to stop him. "There is only one minute and six seconds before the Enterprise is destroyed, Captain," stated Spock. "I can do it," responded a confident Pike. He then brought the shuttle about and began to cut the nacelle using a narrow phaser beam. The job was tedious, and the precious seconds were ticking by. Pike had beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his lips were dry, and he was loving every moment of it. Finally he remembered what it felt like to have a purpose, to be alive. With about ten seconds left, the nacelle was free. Pike wasted no time in getting a tractor beam on it, then he set the auto pilot. "Enterprise, now!" Pike felt the transporter beam grip him just as the shuttle jumped to warp. The next thing he saw was Mister Scott behind the controls inside of the transporter room. "I've got him, Captain," said Scott. It was then that the ship was massively jolted. The nacelle had exploded, and the shock wave knocked Pike off his feet. As he hit the ground he closed his eyes, and kept them closed for a few seconds. He thought he might be dead, but he then heard Captain Kirk's voice over the comm. "You did it, Chris! You saved us all!" The ship was still in one piece. Pike was so overwhelmed that he almost could not breathe. He opened his eyes and got up as quickly as he could, but Mister Scott was no longer behind the transporter controls. It was the Keeper. "I'm glad to see that you did so well, Christopher," telepathically said the Talosian. An angry Pike could not believe his eyes. He wanted to hit the man, but thought better of it. "This wasn't real," he roughly spit out. "Your anger towards me is valid, but allow me to explain," replied the Keeper. All of a sudden the illusion that was the Enterprise disappeared around the two men, and was replaced with the illusion of Vina's grave sight along the river bank. Pike was literally in shock, almost to the point of tears. He was so stunned that he did not notice that his youthful appearance was restored. "Why would you do this?" he asked. "From the death of Vina we have learned first hand how finite life can be," said the Keeper. "No moments should be wasted." "Is she really dead?" asked a desperate Pike. "Was she real? Tell me that at least she was real." "She was real, Christopher, and so was her death. We could give her the illusion of beauty, and of health, but we could not stop the deterioration of her body... And the same goes for you." "Are you saying that I am dying?" The anger gone from Pike's voice. "We are all dying, Christopher. At anytime anyone of us can be taken from this realm. It was Vina and yourself that taught us this, and it is why we made you think that you were aboard your former ship." He really didn't answer Pike's question, but the human began to realize what he was getting at. "We could tell that you were extremely saddened by Vina's death," continued the Keeper, "so we decided to let you experience the excitement of your former life one more time." "And to make it believable you had to put on this whole charade," added Pike. "It was the only way, Christopher." Pike's voice was stern. "It may have been for the right reasons, but what you did was cruel. A human's emotions can not be toyed with like that." "For that we are truly sorry," said the Keeper, "but you must admit that you did take enjoyment from saving your friends lives." "That still doesn't make it right." "Is there a way we can make your life more enjoyable, Christopher?" asked the Talosian. "Is there anyway we can relieve your bitterness, and make you feel as though you are not stranded in a cage.?" "I don't know," was Pike's honest answer. "But you are right about one thing. We don't really know when we are going to die, so we better not waste anytime with nonsense such as wallowing in your own self pity. There has to be a way I can enjoy this life now that Vina is gone. The alternative is simply unthinkable." "It appears we both have some difficult work ahead of us," stated the Keeper. "We do," replied Pike, "but there can not be any more of these deceitful games. Emotionally I just can't take it." The Keeper nodded his head. "You have my word, Christopher." Pike then looked up and noticed the sun shining, then he looked down at Vina's grave. "If you don't mind," he told the Keeper, "I would like to be alone with Vina now." "Of course," replied the Talosian. He then quietly faded away. "How do I go on with this life?" Pike asked of Vina as he knelt before her tombstone. "Part of the reason why I enjoyed myself so much on that shuttle was because, if I did die, it wouldn't be that bad. I would be with you." Pike then stopped for a moment to gather himself emotionally. "Maybe losing a loved one on Talos IV is not that different than losing a loved one in the real world. At first we don't want to go on. Then we discover that we have to. Life, no matter how painful, must go on for the living." He then gestured to the area around him as though she could see. "This place doesn't have to be some sort of prison, or a menagerie, unless I allow it to be... I guess the Talosians managed to teach me something after all." Pike then rose to his feet and began to walk along the river bank. He was about to start a new life, again. |
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