No More Hiding - A Spock (Star Trek) Fanfiction

Chapter 15: Khan

 Kirk, Spock and I walked into Medbay. Bones and Dr. Marcus had a large cryo tube on the table, which contained the man.

 "What have we got?" Kirk asked as we approached them.

 "It's quite clever actually. This fuel container's been removed from the torpedo and retrofitted to hide this cryo tube," Carol replied.

 "Is he alive?" Kirk asked in astonishment.

 "He's alive. But if we try to revive him without the proper sequencing, it could kill him. This technology's beyond me," Bones replied.

 "How advanced, Doctor?" Spock asked.

 "It's not advanced. That cryo tube is ancient," Carol answered.

  Bones looked up at Kirk. "We haven't needed to freeze anyone since we developed warp capability, which explains the most interesting thing about our friend here. He's 300 years old."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Kirk, Spock and I literally jogged down to the Brig. We stopped in front of the window and glared inside.

 "Why is there a man in that torpedo?" Kirk asked with a growl.

 Harrison looked up calmly from his seat. "There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain. I put them there."

 Kirk and Spock shared a glance. "Who the hell are you?" Kirk asked.

 Harrison looked out into the distance. "A remnant of the time long passed. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping that when we awoke things would be different," Harrison explained. He then turned to glare at Spock with defiance. "But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan, your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived," Harrison spat out. The way he used the word "Vulcan" filled me with disgust. He said it with such hatred.

 "I looked up "John Harrison". Until a year ago, he didn't exist," Kirk said with a half-smug look on his face.

 "John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause," Harrison said as a stood up. "A smokescreen to conceal my true identity. My name is Khan."

 Lights turned on. My eyes widened. Everything was coming together. I remembered where I recognized him from. Mother...

 "Khan?" I asked. "Khan... you-you're Khan!"

 Khan looked at me and raised an eyebrow. Kirk turned around with a confused look, and Spock turned to me with furrowed eyebrows.

 "Penny...," Khan seemingly purred. "I thought I recognized you... my, how you have grown."

 I shook my head in defiance. "How the- what the- why??? This doesn't make any sense! You said you were awoken when Vulcan was destroyed! How were you... there?"

 "Whoa, whoa," Kirk said, his hands reaching out to me. "You know him?!"

 "Yes! Yes, I know him! He dated my mother!" I yelled.

 Spock stood back, watching the scene with wide eyes. His eyes flashed from one person to another, depending on who was speaking.

 Khan let out a chuckle. "Yes, you could say we... dated."

  I was so upset, I could not control myself. "YES, DATED. WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING YOU SON OF A-"

 "Penny," Spock interrupted. "Please, try to calm yourself."

 I turned sharply at him "HOW??? HOW CAN I, SPOCK??"

 "I..." Spock was about to say more, but he quickly shut his mouth. Good idea.

 "Penny," Khan said. "I believe there is something that I should say, but I would like for you to figure it out. It gives me... satisfaction... to see someone else discover their own misery."

 I whirled around and glared at Khan.

 "Your mother and I were quite close. Perhaps... closer than you would care to know," Khan said coolly.

 I calmed myself down a bit more. "What are you talking about?" I growled. "My mother told me you two started dating when I was little. That my real father went away because Mother was too human."

 "Did she?" Khan said, furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought Vulcans didn't lie...," he mumbled.

 "She was half-human...," I grumbled.

 "Then she never told you the truth," Khan said.

 I stared at him. What was he saying?

 "Your mother and I were together before your birth, my dear," he said with a smile.

 I shook my head. "Mother wouldn't lie about that."

 "Penny, think about it. Why is it that you are so strong?" He said.

 I froze. He was right. I was strong, sometimes too strong for a Vulcan. I mean, I never showed it since I began Starfleet, but when I was younger I was really strong...

 "NO! My mother would tell me if...," I trailed off.

 "Your mother was a traitor to her own kind. Showing so much emotion, lying to her own daughter, even giving her away! When she died in the destruction of Vulcan, she got what she deserved!" He spat.

 I let out a yell and smashed my hands against the glass separating us. My breath came heavy as I looked at the spider webs spreading throughout the glass.

 "You are incredibly strong, daughter," Khan said.

 I drew my hands away, staring at him. Tears fell freely from my eyes. I was suddenly very afraid. Afraid of Khan, Kirk, even Spock. I looked around me frantically, the concerned faces of Kirk and Spock looking at me. I started to back away when Sulu's voice came over the room.

 "Proximity alert, sir! There's a ship at warp heading straight for us," Sulu said.

 Kirk snapped out of the trance he was in. "Klingons?" He asked.

 "At warp? No, Kirk. We both know who it is," Khan said.

 "I don't think so. It's not coming from Kronos," Sulu said.

 Kirk stared at Khan for only moments longer. He turned and started to jog away. "Lieutenant, move Khan to Medbay. Post 6 security officers on him," Kirk said to the security guard.

 I stood there, glaring at him with all the hatred I could summon up. Spock gently grabbed me by the shoulders, trying to move me away. I glared for a few seconds longer until I finally gave in and walked away. Tears were still pouring from my face. I could feel Spock's judgment on me, even though he would never admit it. I felt hated. He looked down at me with pitiful eyes. I couldn't make up the courage to look at him. Everything I stood for was shattered. Khan was my father.