It was the last day of Spock's leave.
The crew were sad to go. They had fun playing with Vi's kids, and they knew how much Vi and Spock missed each other.
"Come home safe." Vi gave him one last tight hug.
He drew his hand reluctantly out of hers. "I will try to return safely."
A blaring siren rang out overhead. People came running towards the Enterprise.
"What's happening!" Vi grabbed a passerby, a purple haired woman.
"There's some kind of problem with one of the sky trains. It's carrying red matter and it's out of control. When it crashes this whole planet's gonna go up!" The woman struggled to get away and kept running.
"Where!" Vi shouted over the din. All the screaming ones were off worlders.
"The seventh line." A Vulcan elder said calmly.
Vi worked out the distance in her mind. "How long until it's supposed to crash?"
"The expected derail point is the Canyon pass. It has an unusually sharp curve, and the train's high speed renders it's statistical likelihood of making the turn extremely low."
"But hasn't anyone tried to stop the train?"
"I believe that a few did. All attempts were unsuccessful, so the next logical step was to evacuate."
Vi turned to Spock. "I can't let your planet die again."
"What exactly do you intend to do?" Spock said worriedly.
"I'm going to stop the train. If no one stops the train then this whole planet's doomed. The Enterprise is the only Federation vessel here and it can't fit all these people. The future of Vulcan is here. And it needs protection." Vi said determinedly.
"I refuse to let you undertake such a mission." Spock grabbed her hand. "You will come onto the Enterprise where your safety is garunteed."
"I'm sorry. You know I'm right. Get Bones to take the kids. If that train crashes thousands will die. Children just like ours. No one else is suited for this."
"Explain to me why you alone are capable of this mission?"
"Because it's line seven Spock. I've taken that train. I helped build part of the line. I'm good with machines. I can fix it. And I'm expendable. The future of Vulcan lies with you." It was as if no one else existed except her and Spock.
He gazed at her as the throng of people dashing for the ship got thicker and louder.
She squeezed his hand and dropped it. Vi ran for line seven.
Spock flicked open his communicator. "Jim I require a favor."
Two seconds later Jim had Bones holding the triplets as he and Spock dashed after Vi.
"Dammit Jim I'm a doctor not a nanny!" Bones hollered after them.
Vi had reached the line. She climbed on to a platform to wait. She could see the train as a speck in the distance, rapidly approaching.
She tapped on the computer. The train was going a rapid 345 vulcajewels a second. It was piloted, but Vi was certain that the pilot must not be conscious if he was even still on board.
The train came closer and closer. Spock and Kirk came running onto the platform.
"What are you doing here?"
"Clearly, we are assisting you." Spock said, poised to jump on the train.
All three jumped as the train hurtled by.
Vi landed properly, as did Spock but Kirk had just missed the handle, and was now clinging to the edge, his arms almost ripped out of their sockets.
"Jim!" Spock gasped, lunging for one his flailing legs.
Vi grabbed Kirk's arm and pulled. Together they pulled him up.
"I'm heading for the cockpit! See if you can disconnect the cargo link!" Vi shouted over the howl of the wind as the train continued at it's insane speed.
Spock nodded and he and Kirk turned around and made their way towards the end.
Vi dropped into the cockpit. The pilot was knocked out on the floor.
Vi wheeled around to see none other than the green faced man. He was clapping slowly. "I'm impressed. I genuinely thought you were on the Enterprise."
"Well you thought wrong. What are you doing?"
"I'm finishing what I started that long time ago when I sent a little missile after your companion." He smiled pleasantly.
"Why? Why are you going after Vulcan?" Vi felt the train rocking from side to side.
"I'm an old acquaintance. Not of the Commander personally, but an acquaintance none the less."
"Fine. If this train crashes then you'll die as well. You do know what's in this right?" Vi kept her eyes trained on his.
"If I didn't I wouldn't be here. Now, I would thank you kindly to either throw yourself off the train or else I will be forced to take stronger measures." He cracked his knuckles.
"Like what? Will you bash me on the back of the head like you did him?" Vi nodded to the passed out Vulcan sprawled on the floor.
"No no. I would like you to watch this planet tear itself apart." He pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
Vi backed away in the small space. "Who are you?"
"I'm glad you asked. You may call me Olympus, for from me will come gods."
"Not full of yourself are you." Vi snorted.
He snarled and lunged forward with the cuffs. She dodged and jumped for the opening that she had come through.
He grabbed her leg and handcuffed her ankle to the ladder.
She now had her elbows on the train roof and her ankle shackled to the strong ladder. Vi knew this was bad.
"The pass is in five minutes. I will leave now." Olympus said calmly. He teleported out.
"Spock!" Vi screamed.
She could see him and Kirk. They were running back towards her.
"I can't unhook it!" Kirk yelled.
"I'm trapped!"
Spock had now made it to the opening. He could see now see the full extent of Vi's predicament.
The opening was only big enough for one, and Vi had filled the space. But she couldn't go up or down due to where her ankle was locked.
"This train's going to derail in five minutes!" Vi looked through blowing strands of her black hair.
"What do we do?" Kirk had now caught up to them.
Spock pulled on her arm desperately. "I cannot get you free!"
"The pilot was knocked out. The red matter will make the planet implode! You have to do something!" Vi's arms were beginning to ache from holding up her weight.
"I could get Scotty to hack into the mainframe and throw on the brakes!" Kirk flipped open his communicator.
"I'll try to kick the train onto autopilot. Otherwise he won't be able to." Vi eased herself a bit further down the ladder.
"Be careful!" Spock called down.
Vi couldn't quite touch the floor with her ankle shackled about halfway up the ladder. She stretched carefully and just managed to reach the button.
"How we doing Scotty?" Kirk shouted into the communicator.
"You've got three minutes until the curve sir! Our ship is jam packed with people. But I'm doing the best I can!"
Vi pulled herself back up to the roof. "How are the kids?"
"Aye they're fine lass. You just worry about coming home safe to them you hear?"
"I'm trying Scotty. It's not working!" Vi yelled.
"You have a teleport beacon in your bracelet do you not?" Spock lay on his stomach, holding up Vi as her arms splayed out on the roof, exhausted.
"I don't have it on. T'sing pulled it off earlier."
The train was screeching as the brakes engaged. "The pass is coming Captain! You have to try and remove the red matter as soon as possible! The train won't stop in time!"
Kirk ran to the cargo and pulled out syringes to remove the stuff.
He filled three before poking his head out the top. "Spock I need you!"
Spock was still holding up Vi. The pass was now visible. The train was slowing but it was still going much too fast for the turn.
"Spock I need a pin or something!"
"Here." Spock passed her a slim metal bar.
Vi slipped down again painfully, and started to pick the lock on her cuffs. "Go Spock! I'll be fine!"
He went. He and Kirk managed to siphon all the red matter into massive syringes. They loaded up their arms with them.
"We'll have to jump. I radioed for Chekov to come with something to land on." Kirk yelled to Spock as they crouched on the edge of the speeding train.
Chekov came up on a fast hovercar with a massive floating shock blanket in tow. "Jump Captain!"
He jumped. Only Spock was left. "Take them Jim!" He threw the syringes carefully.
"Go get her Spock!" Kirk shouted as Spock turned and ran along the train to his wife.
Vi had freed herself and was now heaving up the unconscious pilot. "Here!"
Spock took him and pulled him onto the roof.
Chekov was still speeding along. "I only have room for two more passengers!"
Vi stood on the roof, feeling the wind on her face. Spock had the pilot slung over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
"Logically I would stay and you and the injured pilot would jump!" He shouted to her.
"Logic can go stuff itself. I love you." Vi squeezed his hand and shoved him.
His face was frozen in shock as he fell with the pilot into the shock blanket with Kirk, who was carefully shielding the syringes.
The train sped towards the corner. Vi slid down the length of the train, feeling for a handhold. She found one on the rear rails, clinging to the back.
"This is wrong!" Spock yelled hoarsely as Chekov braked, watching as the train sped past.
"Maybe so. But the world needs S'chn T'gai Spock!" Vi shouted back to him as the train flew around the sharp bend.
It groaned and shook, slowly over balancing and toppling. Vi gripped the rail hard as the train crashed on it's side, sliding and sparking and screeching.
A great cloud of dust and smoke billowed out behind it in it's death throes. A slight figure screamed and fell off the back, disappearing into the canyon valley.
Spock couldn't feel Kirk gripping his shoulder. All he could hear was the blood whooshing in his ears, his heart thudding.
He jumped off the blanket and ran for the edge of the cliff. He peered down. There was nothing. Just a chasm. She was dead.
"Why does it always end this way Jim?" He asked brokenly. "She always sacrifices herself for me."
Kirk stared at the wreckage. "She loves you Spock. She died for you because she loves you."
Spock watched the smoke continue to rise. "I love her Jim. I don't think I ever told her so directly. I assumed that was clear. But now I wish I had told her before" His voice cracked and he couldn't continue his sentence.
"I am so sorry sir." Chekov said in his soft Russian accent.
They drove back in silence. Nothing could be seen off the cliff edge. The drop was hundreds of feet. No one could have survived such a fall.
The people were thrilled to be saved and showered the Enterprise crew with their gratitude.
Spock walked to the ship like a ghost. Bones came out with the triplets, mumbling about babysitting. He stopped when he saw Spock's face.
"I'm sorry." Bones said simply.
Spock nodded slightly. He didn't make a sound and he didn't cry, but his heart was breaking and screaming in agony.
The only sign he gave was his voice was unusually high and kept breaking. "I would like to have a moment of solitude with my children if I may doctor."
"Of course." Bones handed him S'trk and Sakkav and T'sing.
Spock took them gently and walked away with a slight tremble in his shoulders.