Star Trek - The Forgiven

8/14/2019 Star Trek - The Forgiven

1/11

Star Trek The Forgiven

The bright sun was beating down upon the near burnt chest of Jim Kirk as

he watched another group of barely clothed women walk by him on the hot

Hawaiian beach. One of the young girls gave him a beautiful smile from cheek

to cheek that almost made the future Captain blush. He did manage to smile

back which only irritated his beach mate, his best friend Gary Mitchell, all

the more. Mitchell shook his head from side to side in reaction.

Kirk, still smiling, turned to Mitchell to question him. What?

Mitchell tried not to smile himself but found it was hard to do. It

doesnt matter where we go. The women just love you, dont they?

And that is a bad thing, how? asked Kirk.

Mitchell leaned back in his beach chair to take in some more sun. Be

nice if theyd smile my way once in a while

Come on now Gary, Ill find you a woman. The next one that passes, I

promise, she yours

Mitchell was already beginning to doze off until he heard the faint

whispers of several voices. He sat up in his seat and took a look around to

see if someone was trying to speak with him. He could see no one and his

attention returned to Kirk. How generous of you, Lieutenant.

Kirk leaned back in his own seat. I know one thing, if I stay out here

any longer Im going to look like a fried egg.

Again Mitchell heard someone or some people and he was sure this time he

heard his name. Still there was no one there and thought he might be going

just a bit insane. Kirk was looking at him now wondering what was happening.

What is it?

Mitchell sat right up in his seat and turned to Kirk. Did you hear

someone speaking?

A smaller smile appeared on the Lieutenants face. No, I never heard

anyone. You hearing little voices are you?

Mitchell was not smiling. He again leaned back in the chair. Why dont

you go to the bar and get us a couple more drinks

Kirk arose from his chair to stand in the near blistering hot sand.

Before he could ask Mitchell what he wanted the smiling girl had returned.

Mitchell took notice of her bright blonde hair, tight frame and other notable

attributes. We were wondering if the two of you wanted to play in a game of

volleyball with us.

Before either of them could respond the voices were back and this time

they only grew louder. At first Mitchell could not make out what they were

saying, but then they cleared. Someone or something was attempting to

communicate with him. The words then provoked something else. It was a

feeling and Mitchell suddenly felt an undeniable urge to finally leave this

place. The message was calling him away from Delta Vega and back into space.

With a wave of his hand, the fake Kirk, the fake sun, the fake water and the

1


2/11


fake beach were all gone and he now stood amongst the rising dust winds of the

barren planet where he had lived for the past eighty years.

Doctor Julian Bashir quickened his pace along Deep Space Nines Promenade

as he made his way towards Quark's Bar to meet Chief Miles Obrien for their

weekly game of darts. He was late, and he knew that this would make Miles a

bit cranky, but he hoped showing up late was better than not showing up at all.

He was trying to squeeze by the numerous people from the recently arrived ships

when a face caught his attention. At first the Doctor could not remember where

he had seen the face, but then his biologically engineered mind put a name to

it.

It was an individual from a medical journal he had studied back at

Starfleet Academy, but it was from a case that occurred over eighty years

before. The man he was looking at was the former Lieutenant Gary Mitchell, a

man who had been physically and mentally altered because of an encounter with

the mysterious barrier near the edge of the galaxy. Mitchell had developed

abilities unlike any human before him which included mental telepathy, vastly

enhanced strength, an imperviousness to weapons fire and other powers of the

mind and body that humankind had not yet evolved to accommodate. As he had

described himself, Mitchell had essentially become a god.

Bashir was speechless, but he knew better than to second-guess even his

own memories. It was definitely Gary Mitchell, or at the very least someone

impersonating him, and without another thought, Bashir turned around and headed

in the direction of Ops. Thirty seconds later, a disgruntled looking Chief

Obrien marched along the exact same route but for a much different reason.

Doctor Bashir stood at the entranceway to Captain Sisko's office before

being welcomed in and taking a seat at his commanding officers desk. Bashir

glanced across the desk and noticed that Sisko was busy dealing with the

growing war with the Dominion, but he knew something needed to be said.

"What brings you here on your day off Doctor?" asked Sisko as he leaned

back in his seat seeming to welcome the break from the bleak business of

combat.

"Well sir, I don't know if this is really a problem, but I just saw

something I find a bit odd..."

Sisko straightened his position. "What is it?"

"Well, I was headed to Quark's and along the Promenade I noticed an

individual I remembered seeing from an old Academy textbook. This man is

supposed to be dead, Captain. He was supposed to have died over eighty years

ago, but I just saw him on the Promenade not looking older than thirty-five."

Sisko rubbed his hands together. "Hmmm... I have to admit that does

sound interesting... But why was he important enough to be in a medical

textbook in the first place?"

2


3/11


"His name is Gary Mitchell, and he was an officer aboard the original

U.S.S Enterprise under Captain Kirk. The Enterprise was on a mission to study

the galactic barrier near the edge of the galaxy. When they entered the

barrier Mitchell was radically transformed and soon developed enhanced ESP and

psychokinetic powers. He later tried to kill Kirk and crew and was presumed

killed by Kirk himself on planet Delta Vega."

"Obviously only a presumption, if it really is him here now..." Sisko

arose from his seat and moved to the other side of his desk. "If it is

Mitchell, whatever happened to him, has kept him young all of these years..."

Bashir was quick with a question. "Are you going to arrest him sir?"

Sisko pondered the thought. "I'll tell Odo to bring him in... I want to

talk to this man personally and find out why he's here..."

Captain Sisko slowly approached Constable Odo outside the Security

Chief's office. He glanced through the glass doors and could see Gary Mitchell

sitting with his back towards him. Suddenly Mitchells head slowly turned

around and he looked to the Captain with his glowing white eyes. For several

seconds the two of them were locked, almost in a trance-like fashion until

Odo's words finally broke it.

"Captain? Captain, are you alright?

Sisko blinked several times and finally turned away from the window.

"Was there any trouble bringing him in?"

"None... I never had the opportunity to leave my office... He came to

me..."

A confused expression crossed the Captains face. "To you?"

Odo folded his arms. "He said he knew you wanted to talk with him..."

Sisko turned back to the window and took another look before entering.

Odo moved to his seat behind his desk while the Captain remained standing above

Mitchell. Mitchell smiled and then opened his mouth to speak. "Captain, you

wished to see me?"

Sisko placed his hands upon his hips. "Yes, Mr. Mitchell I did..."

"Well then, perhaps I can answer your questions... Yes, I am Gary

Mitchell... Im not a Changeling here like you Security Chief or someone

trying to look like a man who should have died a long time ago. I am the real

person.

Sisko could feel Mitchell already sifting through the thoughts in his

mind and it was something he did not enjoy or appreciate. "Stop it!" Sisko's

raised voice startled Odo who was not exactly sure what had happened. The

Constable remained seated and ignored the outburst.

"Captain? Stop what?" asked Mitchell.

Sisko quickly calmed himself down. "Stop reading my mind"

3


4/11


Mitchell looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it's been a long time

since I've talked with anyone, anyone real at least... Ive been more or less

living in my own mind these past eight decades."

Sisko continued on. "Why are you here on Deep Space Nine?"

"Im not really sure... The best way, the only way, I can really

describe it is that something called me here..."

Sisko was understandably confused. "Called you here?"

Mitchell attempted to put his words together. "I don't know how else to

explain it... I've been on Delta Vega for the past eighty years, living in a

sort of mental prison I constructed for myself. I decided that after what had

happened between Jim Kirk and I that I could never leave. Humanity was not

ready for what I had become, I myself was not ready. Aside from that, I didn't

deserve to leave because of the things I had done..."

Mitchell turned away. Eighty years had passed and the situation that

occurred between himself and Kirk still bothered him greatly. Even with all of

his powers and abilities, Gary Mitchell could not hide his pain. He lifted his

head to look at Sisko and continue. "Something from this place has

telepathically communicated with me... I don't know who or what it is, but it

has brought me here..."

Sisko rubbed the beard on his chin. "Perhaps this is something we should

investigate. For the sake of safety, maybe you should remain here..."

Mitchell smiled. "Unless you plan on charging me with the crimes I

committed Captain, I need to do this alone... I mean no disrespect, but I

really dont know what kind of help you could offer

Sisko paused and looked to Odo who in his silence would not offer any

suggestions. With this being an internal Starfleet situation Sisko knew the

decision of what to do with Mitchell was ultimately his. He was running what

he knew of the situation through his mind and came to the realization that this

was something that occurred so many years ago and most, maybe all, who were

involved were dead, including Kirk himself. What could he really do?

"There will be no charges Mr. Mitchell... It was a long time ago and I

think you've lived with your pain long enough... What I am concerned about

however, are your powers Before

Mitchell interrupted him. "You need not worry, Captain. I've lived with

these powers for what seems to me to be an eternity. I have mastered them and

I will cause no harm. Please believe me..."

Sisko took a deep breath to ponder the thought. "All right, but I want

you gone in one week..."

Mitchell arose from his seat. "Thank you..."

The Captain could tell that Odo was bothered by his decision, but he

never gave the Constable the time to argue with him. He immediately turned and

left the room, and although Sisko was already second-guessing himself, another

4


5/11


voice was telling him to let Mitchell go, and to do as he wished. At first

Sisko thought it might be Mitchell himself trying to manipulate his mind, but

he soon realized it was not and whether it was his conscience or something

else, he was going to let it be.

Mitchell walked along the upper level on the Promenade staring out a

window at the bright stars on the other side. He stopped to watch the

spectacular view before him. Mitchell could not hear the voices now, not since

leaving the surface of Delta Vega, and he was beginning to question his sanity.

Had the powers that he once considered a disease finally pushed his mind too

far? He could however hear the many voices of the station inhabitants and its

visitors that surrounded him. He tried to ignore them, but it was talking much

of his power to block them out. A few continued to slip through.

Mitchell looked back to the darkness and the wormhole suddenly opened

releasing its dark blue gases that stretched out towards the station.

Mitchells captivated eyes opened wide by the amazing sight and he suddenly

realized that it was not something or someone from the station calling him, but

something from inside the wormhole. Suddenly the voices were back, now

sounding as clear as they could be and speaking just one word to which Mitchell

repeated. Come

Captain Sisko turned around in his seat to notice Gary Mitchell standing

outside his office doors. He opened the doors, and Mitchell slowly entered to

stand before him. Mitchells face was completely calm and emotionless. Sisko

knew, since he learned Mitchell was on Deep Space Nine, that his visitor had

some kind of goal to fulfill but was not sure what it was. Without any special

powers of his own, the Captain also knew that Mitchell was here for one reason,

he needed him.

"What can I do for you Mr. Mitchell?

"Please Captain, I would prefer you call me Gary..."

The Captain slightly nodded his head. "Very well..."

Mitchell had no intention of wasting anymore of either his or Siskos

time. "Earlier you offered me some assistance, and well, I need your help..."

Sisko almost did not want to know. "Help for what exactly?"

Mitchell decided to just jump in. "I need one of your runabouts..."

"A runabout? For what purpose?"

"I was wrong when I told you that something from Deep Space Nine was

calling me... It's the wormhole... Whatever creatures exist within it, they

are the ones calling me..."

"You're certain it's the wormhole." Sisko rose from his seat and moved

to the window at the rear of his office.

Mitchell was quick to respond. "Completely..."

5


6/11


"Do you know for what purpose?" asked the Captain.

"All I know for sure Captain, is that is has something to do with not

only my destiny, but yours as well..."

"My destiny?" Sisko's head quickly swung around and a confused

expression crossed his face.

"I can't explain it, but back on Delta Vega, the one sentence the voices

repeated to me over and over again was that the Emissary must be preserved. I

didn't want to alarm you when we spoke earlier until I realized what exactly

was going on, but yes, you are somehow involved in all of this. Im not sure

how or even why, but I do know our answers lie in the wormhole..."

Sisko said nothing and turned back to the stars outside. He still was

not sure he could trust Mitchell, but he was intrigued as to what kind of role

Mitchell could play in his own future. The one thing he knew for sure however,

was that to not listen to the Prophets was to invite danger and possible

disaster. After a quiet minute the Captain turned to Mitchell, but his visitor

already knew what he was going to say.

The runabout Danube had just entered the wormhole and was shaking

violently. Mitchell looked over the controls attempting to stabilize its

movement. Although he had a great amount on his mind, Mitchell could not help

but think how much Federation technology had changed in the last eighty years.

He barely had to lift a finger to fly the craft. Voice commands alone were

nearly sufficient. As the small vessel bounced about he hoped it would not

tear itself apart.

Perhaps if the ship was destroyed, it might not be that bad, he told

himself. Maybe the pain would finally be over, but after he thought about it

for a moment he found it hard to believe the Prophets would call to him half

way across the quadrant to just let him die so meaninglessly. Mitchell had no

more time to contemplate the thought. Seconds later he was gone from the

Danube and he found himself in a place that he could only describe as pure

nothingness. It was a bright white fog-like substance, and he was all alone

with nothing around him. For a moment there was complete silence until finally

Mitchell detected a voice. It was Jim Kirk.

Suddenly the nothingness was gone and Mitchell found himself on the

bridge of the first Federation starship Enterprise and standing before him were

what he could only imagine being representations of Kirk, Spock and Dr.

Elizabeth Dehner.

The creature in the form of Kirk spoke. "The Mitchell has come... The

events need to be set in motion..."

"Are you the Prophets?" Mitchell was asking a question he already knew

the answer to.

6


7/11


The Prophet in the form of Spock stepped forward. "He has lived a long

time with his pain... He needs to be free of it..."

Dr. Dehner then added in. "The physical changes to his body have

affected his mental stability... This was not originally conceived..."

Kirk again spoke. "He can still complete the task... His pain will be

gone and the Sisko will still have existed..." As Mitchell watched the Prophet

who had taken Jim Kirk's form he could see the alien almost having his former

friends facial expressions. "The changes to the Mitchell's body were

necessary. Without the changes his existence would have ceased."

"What are you talking about? What do you know about the changes I

experienced?" Mitchell was confused and desperately wanted to know what was

going on.

Spock shook his head. "The Mitchell does not understand... He is

completely unaware..."

Dehner added some clarification. "The barrier was us... It is us...

The changes you experienced because of it were because of us..."

Mitchell could not believe what he was hearing. "But why? Why would you

do this to me? Do you realize what I have become? Do you know what I have

done? Mitchell grew angrier by the moment now and was becoming very upset.

His voice was rising as a result. "I tried to kill my friend... My best

friend!"

The unemotional figures around him waited several seconds before speaking

once again. Although this reaction of Mitchells puzzled them, as did all

human emotions, they allowed him time to regain his composure. Again the Kirk

Prophet spoke. "It was necessary... The changes were needed for your mission

to come and they were also required because your life would have expired long

before the Emissary's discovery of us...

Dehner continued the explanation. The discovery was required before we

could communicate with you and that is why we made you wait in your linear

existence until now. We have our enemies and we needed to remain hidden until

the Emissary found us. Now that we can safely communicate we called you here

to fulfill your destiny and that of the Emissary himself..."

"But, but how? Why?" asked Mitchell.

"The Kirk must live so the Sisko can live... You must maintain the

Kirk's existence."

Mitchell was still confused. "Jim has been dead for several years now...

I don't understand..." Suddenly on the viewer before him was the massive

planet killing vessel that would later be termed the Doomsday Machine that

had once been rampaging through the galaxy's solar systems. Captain Kirk had

destroyed the craft but for some strange reason the Prophets were showing it to

him. "Why are you showing me this?" he asked.

7


8/11


Spock stepped forward. "Save the Kirk so that the Sisko may fulfill his

destiny."

"But Jim lived through this. He destroyed that machine.

"Without the Kirk, there will be no Federation... With no Federation

there will be no Sisko..."

Mitchell again looked to the view screen and this time he saw a different

vessel. It was a huge alien ship and it approached a planet he quickly

realized as Earth. The Vger will destroy the Emissarys homeworld without

the help of the Kirk. The Kirk must live so that he may stop the Vger

Complete your mission and save the Kirk

Suddenly Gary Mitchell was back on the runabout which was still within

the wormhole. The slow moving craft then emerged back into normal space but

Deep Space Nine was nowhere to be seen. Mitchell brought the Danube to a stop

to check his instruments. "Computer, locate Deep Space Nine..."

The computer took a fraction of a second to examine the area. "Deep

Space Nine is not within scanner range..."

Mitchell rubbed his chin. "Not within scanner range... Computer, scan

planet Bajor..."

Mitchell looked down at the emerging information upon the screen and was

quickly beginning to realize what was going on. "They've sent me into the

past..." He sat back within his seat to ponder the thought. He calculated

that it was approximately eighty years earlier from the date he came from.

What purpose would the Prophets have in doing this?

He then remembered what they showed them. In his altered mind he could

see the Enterprise and the massive Doomsday machine battling one another and

Mitchell understood the Prophets must have had a reason for showing him this.

He then looked at the date, the exact date, and realized that it was on this

day that Kirk destroyed the planet eater. He knew right then there was some

kind of connection.

"Computer, set a course for solar system L-374 and engage at best

possible speed..."

The Danube jumped to warp speed and headed in the direction of the

classic battle. Mitchell tried to calm his mind to use his enhanced mental

abilities. Perhaps he could sense what was going on, or somehow retrieve a

feeling or a message from the Prophets who could tell him what he had to do.

All he could hear however was complete and utter silence. Suddenly through the

darkness behind his closed eyes he could see Jim Kirk.

Kirk was aboard the U.S.S Constellation and was preparing to maneuver the

massive starship down the center of the Doomsday machine. He could also see

the Enterprise's Chief Engineer frantically trying to repair his ship's damaged

transporter to beam his Captain back to safety. The Constellation had already

8


9/11


begun its fatal journey, but Kirk was still aboard. Finally, even with Chief

Engineer Scott's frantic but skilled efforts, nothing could be done. The alien

device was destroyed, but Captain James T. Kirk was dead.

Mitchell opened his eyes, and whether it was by his own power or that of

the Prophets, he had witnessed what was to come. It was an outcome that

contradicted what he remembered, what he knew to be fact. Mitchell finally

realized that if his friend was to die with the Constellation, then he would

have to interfere, and perhaps all along this was how it was supposed to be.

He understood now that his destiny was to save James Kirk from death so that he

may one day preserve the Federation, so that Benjamin Sisko may be born and

become a leader in a great war and an Emissary of an entire race of people.

There was one thing that still bothered him. It was the torment and

despair he suffered for eighty years only to be sent back into the past when he

could have saved Kirk when the event originally occurred. The Prophets briefly

spoke about an enemy of theirs and communicating with him at that time may have

for some reason created a conflict or revealed their location. Still, it

angered Mitchell greatly. He was slowly beginning to accept the reasons the

Prophets altered his body, but to make him wait eight years without reason and

purpose was almost unacceptable regardless of their own problems. It would be

something Mitchell would have to learn to live with. It was a problem he would

have to think about later. There were other matters to attend to now.

Scotty desperately tried to repair the damaged transporter and even

though he was known as the "Miracle Worker" by the rest of the crew he did not

know how he was going to pull this one off. Spock, who had taken command of

the Enterprise, was calling for him, but Scotty had no time to report on the

situation. He had overloaded relays and burned out fuses to attend to or

Captain Kirk would die within the gullet of the massive and deadly planet

killer, which was preparing to swallow the U.S.S Constellation.

Scotty's hands were pulling and twisting as he tried to somehow rig the

system to work, even if only momentarily, but he knew that there was just no

way he could do it. Every time he tried to bypass one routine, another would

fail. There was just no way to get the transporters operational. Unbeknownst

to the Chief Engineer other things were occurring deep within the Enterprise's

transporter system.

Scotty continued to make adjustments that he himself was beginning to

believe were in vain, until noticing that a relay suddenly became active and

could support the transporter if only for several seconds. He did not know how

exactly this came to be, but he had little time to figure out how it occurred.

He jumped down from the Jefferies tube and to the Enterprise deck floor. He

told the transporter chief to try once again to beam the Captain off the

Constellation. If this did not work, Scotty knew that Kirk was dead. He could

9


10/11


hear Sulu counting down as the Constellation entered the planet killer's

domain, but he then heard something great. Kirk was alive. The transporter

had worked.

It was hours later, and after a brief celebration following the planet

killer's destruction, Scotty returned to the Jefferies tube. He drank a bit

too much Scotch, but he needed to know how that transporter worked. How that

relay was repaired. He managed to climb backup into the tube to examine the

relays, wires and switches he had tried to repair earlier. Scotty looked

closely at the relay and to his surprise, it was inactive again and damaged

beyond repair. He had to ask himself if he really was that drunk, but finally

came to the conclusion that although something strange had indeed occurred,

Captain Kirk was alive, and he would gladly leave it at that.

It was now late at night aboard the Enterprise. All essential personnel

had turned themselves in for the night, and this included Captain Kirk. It had

been such a long day, and although it saddened him greatly that his good friend

Matt Decker had died, the planet killer had been stopped, and literally

trillions of lives had been saved. Kirk smiled as he rested his head upon the

pillow realizing that in the end it was just another day at the office. An

office in the world of James T. Kirk.

His attention then went to his friend who had sacrificed his life to

prove a theory, which ultimately led to the machine's destruction. It was not

very long before he fell fast asleep. He was completely exhausted from the

days events, and he had barely managed to stay at the celebration long enough

to watch Scotty show off his ability to consume great amounts of alcohol and

still be able to only talk of the Enterprise's engines and how he would improve

them. Kirk dreamt of Decker, his friend, and their time at the Academy, the

fun they had, and the sight of Matt when he learned his wife had just given

birth to a baby boy that they named Wil. Then another image appeared.

It was Gary Mitchell, another lost friend. Mitchell was standing there

atop a high grassy hill, and behind him was a bright blue sky filled with puffy

white clouds. As Kirk slowly walked towards him he noticed Mitchell wearing

the same Lieutenant uniform he had been in the last time they had seen each

other, and something else, Mitchells eyes were normal. The bright, crystal

like glow they emitted when he was transformed was gone. It was the Gary he

always wanted to remember.

"Gary..."

A smile appeared across Gary Mitchell's face. "Hello Jim... It's been a

long time..."

"Your eyes?"

"I know Jim... That's why I'm here... I came here to ask for your

forgiveness... I've lived with the pain of hurting you for a long time, and

10


11/11


I've come here to say that I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything..." Gary's

smile vanished, and now only an expression of shame crossed his face.

"I forgave you a long time ago Gary... I know it wasn't your fault...

It wasn't any of our faults..."

"I know Jim, but I tried to hurt you... Dammit, I tried to kill you...

Even though the person I became was different, it was still me... It was still

my soul... Only after years of living with this power have I finally been able

to control it. I can now suppress it, and not let it consume me... I now

realize that it was a gift... A gift I am going to use... I just needed to

tell you that I was sorry... You've done more for me than anyone I ever knew,

and I owe you my life more times than I can count. Maybe now, I repaid you

just a bit... Goodbye Jim..."

A confused expression appeared across Kirk's face. "You? You saved me

from the planet killer?"

Mitchell said nothing and turned and walked away. As he continue to move

his body began to slowly vanish until he was no more. Kirk awoke in his bed as

if he had just experienced a nightmare and quickly sat up. He asked himself if

it really was just all a dream or if perhaps somehow, someway, Gary really was

talking to him. Either way, Kirk knew it was no nightmare, and he felt better

than before he went to sleep. Maybe he really had reconciled with his old

friend.

Gary Mitchell's runabout approached the wormhole, and he slowed his speed

to gaze at the swirling blue gases as they spread out into space near its

entrance. "It is time..." said a voice in his head. Mitchell entered the

coordinates into the Danube's helm and it moved forward into the wormhole. The

craft vanished and the wormhole closed behind him. His destiny had yet to be

fulfilled.

The End

11

Documents

Star Trek - The Forgiven