Julien's Star Trek Universe: Star Trek: Lexus INTRODUCTION

 About the story:

I lost my hard drive and had to start certain stories over again. This is one of them. I'm happy to start this one over because I didn't like the way the original story began. I've changed things so this is basically a new story for old characters. This story is fanfiction but is also protected. Do not copy and post this story as your own. You will be prosecuted. This is not Star Trek Canon. This is my version of Star Trek where things will be a bit different, and the story takes place on several alternate timelines. I use a special site to calculate stardates. You can access it here. Enjoy the story and let me hear what you think. Flames, of course will be ignored. Donate to Nifty to keep the service free. 

Copyright © 2025 by Julien Gregg 
All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author by email. The link is below.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Star Trek Lexus
By Julien Gregg 



INTRODUCTION
Earth January 4, 2107 San Francisco, California

Sixteen-year-old James Randal Kirk was coming home from his last date with Brian Kirkland, the older Starfleet Pilot on leave from his ship for six months. Brian was tall, at least an inch taller than James. James was six feet tall, so Brian was tall. His dark hair was cut short, buzzed in the back and on the sides, and longer on top. He kept it combed to the left. His azure eyes sparkled in the moonlight. He was physically fit and filled out his uniform very well. 

James, or Jim as he liked to be called, had really enjoyed his time with Brian, but sometimes, the sex between them was a bit more than Jim was comfortable with. It was over now, though. Tomorrow morning at five AM, Brian would report back to his ship for departure to who knew where. Brian hadn't shared his orders with Jim. 

Jim walked up the steps to the porch of the house he'd lived in his whole life. It was a two-story house with off-white clapboard siding and a dark shingled roof. There were two wicker chairs and a small table at the other end of the porch, and a large fern sat in the corner of the porch. The door was dark wood with a large oval window in the center. The glass was frosted so you couldn't see inside. He opened the door and was immediately warmed by the scent of apple pie. 

Kara Kent, his mother, smiled when she saw him standing in the entryway. She came to him, took him into her arms, and held on tight. He loved the smell of her long, dark hair. She laughed. Jim smiled. 

"I finished the holo-novel, Jimmy," she said as she held him. 

"That's great, Mom," he said as he held her back. "Can we go through it?" 

"Sure," she said, letting go of him. She took his hand. "Come on." 

She led him to the backyard to what looked like a metal shed. Inside was a holodeck. They went inside, and she used the command port to program the holodeck to run the holo-novel. Then, for the next two hours, they went through the program. The premise was that a murder had occurred, and you played a detective working alongside a Vulcan detective. There were twists and plot points that amazed Jim as they went through. Two hours later, they had solved the murder, and the program was over. He'd enjoyed himself entirely. 

"It's great, Mom," he said, hugging her again while standing in the yard. "Are you going to publish it?" 

"I've sent my agent a copy of the program," she said. "Come inside and have some pie. Tell me about your day." 

They sat at the table with slices of warm apple pie and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. She talked about how she'd finally finished the holo-novel and then asked him again about his day. 

"We went to the ship simulators again today," he said. "Brian taught me to fly the ship. It was a lot harder than I'd thought it would be. The duty lieutenant told me I was better suited to command than a pilot. I liked hearing that. He took me through a few scenarios where I was a captain or a First Officer. I did really well with those. He told me that I would make a fine captain." 

"Jim, that's great," she said. "Now, if we can figure out how to afford to send you to the academy." 

"There are scholarships," he said. "I don't know if I qualify for one or not. I could take the entrance exam. It's only fifty credits to take it." 

"We'll discuss this with your father when he gets home," she said with a smile. 

Jim went to his room to look through the information on Starfleet Academy. He so hoped to go there. He wanted to be a captain eventually. He knew he'd have to be an ensign and then a lieutenant and work his way up the ranks. He'd enjoy it, though. Sure, he knew it would be hard work and a lot of mental work, but he was ready. He got excellent grades in school and could study like the best of them. He so hoped to go to the Academy.

When his father came home, they spent a little time going through the holo-novel, and then they sat down to dinner. Mark listened to all that his son had to say about taking the entrance exam for the Academy and scholarships to send him there. He smiled at Jim and thought that having him at the Academy and joining Starfleet would be great. Mark had wanted to, but there wasn't enough money to send him through the Academy as a cadet. Sure, his job sent him there to take a course, but that wasn't the same. 

"So you want to take the entrance exam?" Mark asked him. "What about the scholarships?"

"Brian said that the scholarship paperwork can be downloaded from the academy's website," Jim replied. "I've downloaded it and it's on a pad upstairs."

"Would you get it for me?" Mark asked. "I'd like to take a look at it."

Jim left the table and went upstairs to retrieve the pad. He brought it back downstairs to his father. Sitting in his seat, he waited for his dad to review the scholarship program information. Several of them were right up their alley, or so Jim thought. He wanted to go to the Academy so badly. He just hoped his father would find the exemplary scholarship for him and not be worried about accepting a handout. That could slap Jim in the face.

The information that stood out to Mark was the sponsorship program. Admirals could choose to sponsor young men and women for the Academy. If Jim could get a sponsor, that would be all right. The first step was the exam. He agreed that Jim could take the exam, and he'd pay for it. Jim was excited, and Mark could see that. He just hoped the boy didn't get his hopes up too much. Getting a sponsor or qualifying for one of the other scholarships was still the trouble. It was a long shot as far as Mark was concerned.

"You can take the entrance exam," Mark said as he looked at the exam dates. "There's one on Monday, the tenth. That's next Monday. Do you think you're ready for the exam?"

"Yes, Sir," Jim said. "I'm ready."

"Then I'll call them in the morning and get an appointment for you to take the exam," Mark said with a smile. 

Mark was proud of Jim. He didn't like Brian Kirkland, but Jim had said the young pilot was reporting to his ship for a deep-space assignment. That made Mark a bit happier. He knew his son was gay, but Brian was twenty-two years old, and that was much older than sixteen. He'd put no restrictions on the relationship, but it did break the age of consent laws in the Federation. He supposed that now that it was over, Jim would find a young man closer to his age.

Mark thought of their firstborn son, Joshua. He always felt a little off when he thought of Joshua. He'd died so young. He'd had a genetic condition that caused the heart to swell. In Joshua's case, his heart had grown larger than the sack that contained it. The sack had squeezed his heart until it stopped, and Joshua had died. Jim was six when Joshua died. He barely remembered that he'd had a brother. Mark and Kara thought about Joshua a lot. Because of Joshua's death, they'd been a bit more protective of Jim, yet at the same time, they'd let him have his experiences as much as they were comfortable with. Until this little tryst with Brian, Jim hadn't done anything to worry them.

Bright and early Monday morning, Kara had Jim at the Academy to take the entrance exam. She paid the credits and sat in the waiting room to wait for her son. She thought about what it would mean if he went to the Academy. He'd be living on campus. That was one thing she didn't like. He wanted this more than anything, and she liked it for him. She just didn't want him moving out at sixteen. She'd learn to live with it if she had to. For Jim, she'd do just about anything.

Three hours later, Jim came out of the room with a smile. He walked up to her and hugged her. She wondered if this meant he had passed. She thought she'd be losing him if he did. She'd lose him to Starfleet. That didn't sit well with her, but she knew she had to figure out a way to live with it. She had to be happy for him. It was what was needed in this situation. He wasn't moving into an apartment in the towers. He would be moving to the Academy Campus in San Francisco. She knew that's where the Academy was. They were about twelve miles outside of San Francisco. She learn to live with it.

"How'd you do?" she asked.

"I think I did really well," he said. "I won't know until they're graded. We can go and get lunch while we wait for the results."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Where would you like to eat?"

"We can just go to the mess hall," he said. "It won't be long and they'll have our grades."

"Lead the way," she said with another smile.

He talked a mile a minute about the test and what had been on it. He spoke of his time on the shuttle simulator and how he'd done there. They'd let him take a leadership position on the shuttle, and he said he'd done well. She was proud of him. She just couldn't get a word in. He ate rapidly, and she had to tell him to slow down and chew his food twice. Finally, she'd finished her food, and they returned to the testing room. Jim went inside, and she sat down again. He wasn't in there long this time. He came out with a massive grin on his face.

"I passed!" he cried as he came to stand before her.

"Jim, that's great!" she said, smiling again.

"Now I just have to get sponsored or a scholarship," he said with a smile of his own. "Next is the physical."

"The physical?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "We each have to have a physical before going to campus. They don't want one of us infecting the other cadets with anything."

"Well, we'll call the doctor," she said.

"I have to have the physical at Starfleet Medical," Jim said. "It's all in this pad."

"Let me see that," she said, reaching out to take the pad.

"It's all in there," he said as she accessed the information.

"Jim, this says you're a candidate for sponsorship!" she cried. "Yes, you have to have your physical at Starfleet Medical, and then you'll meet the committee so they can decide if you will be sponsored."

"I know," he said. "I'm nervous about that part."

"You shouldn't be," she said. "You have stellar grades in high school, you're first in your class, and you have a great personality. Starfleet Engineers have even said you belong in a leadership role. All of that will be taken into account when they decide. Just think of that." 

They made it home just as Mark was coming in from work. He would start his class at the division of Starfleet Academy right here in town. She had to take Jim to San Francisco to Starfleet Medical for his physical and a meeting with the board. They discussed it over dinner, which was replicated that evening. She hadn't had the time to cook. Mark didn't seem to mind. Jim was too excited to care about where his food had come from.

"The exam was amazing, Dad," he said. "I sailed right through it. Kids struggled with parts of it when I handed mine in."

"That's great, Jimmy," his father replied with a smile. He was proud of his son and called him by his childhood name to show it. He was proud to even think he'd have a son in Starfleet. It had been his dream, but his parents couldn't afford the Academy, and there were no sponsors then. He hadn't qualified for a scholarship. So he'd gone to a regular college. There was no service in his future. He was a mechanical engineer. That was all there was to it.

He'd have given anything to go to San Francisco to be with Jim and Kara for the physical and board meeting. Still, he had to report to their division of Starfleet Academy that morning. Jim was nervous, and Kara was trying to talk him down. She kissed Mark and wished him luck with his day. Then they headed to the transporter pads to be transported to San Francisco. They could have taken the other vehicle in the garage, but Jim wanted to get there now.

"Jim, don't be nervous," she said for the third time since he'd vibrated to the breakfast table this morning.

"I'm not nervous about the physical," he said. "I'm nervous about the board meeting. I want a sponsor so bad."

They were transported to San Francisco, and the transporter room was at the Academy, so they registered for the board meeting and then took the transport to Starfleet Medical, which was in front of the Academy. They checked in, and a doctor named Ramsey took Jim into another room. She was confused when she was called into a meeting with Dr. Ramsey just after the physical, but she sat in his office and waited for what he would say.

"Mrs. Kirk, is there any way we could get your husband here?" the doctor asked. He was a fifty-something-year-old man with dark hair graying at the temples. His dark eyes looked at her with guarded compassion.

"No, I'm sorry, but my husband is in class right now at Starfleet Academy in our hometown," she said. "He can't be interrupted."

"Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you this without your husband," said the doctor. "Jim has tested positive for HIV87. Now there are treatments available to keep him alive longer, but I'm afraid there is no cure. He's not symptomatic at the moment, which is good. He will be sooner or later, and the treatments are essential. His immune system and respiratory system will be paralyzed quickly. Now I've asked him to list all of his sexual partners, and he has listed his only sexual partner as a man named Brian Kirkland, and that Brian is a Lieutenant in Starfleet. Now I've started the paperwork necessary to have Lieutenant Kirkland tested and arrested for breaking the age of consent law. What I want to make sure of is that James has been totally honest with me about his sexual partners. HIV-87 is an epidemic, but prevention is working. I'm sorry that this has happened to your son."

"Are you sure it's 87?" she asked, horrified for Jim.

"Yes," he said. "Now, I'm sorry to tell you that the life expectancy for anyone with HIV-87 is six months to a year. As I said, there is no cure. Still, I will tell you that science officers and medical professionals are searching for better ways to treat and cure the disease. I could lose my commission by giving you this information. Still, if you want your son to have a chance, I recommend Cryogenics. I have some information that I'm going to give you. Now, Starfleet has disavowed all forms of Cryo Stasis. I should tell you that up front. But Cryogenics Incorporated is a company that still offers the service for a fee. My brother is on the medical staff there, so I'm giving you this information. I must make myself clear, though. You did not get this from me if anyone asks you."

"I'll discuss this with my husband," she said as she took the pad he handed her. She couldn't stop crying. Her heart was broken. She'd already lost one son, and it seemed she was going to lose another. What none of them knew at this point was that she was pregnant. She would tell Mark and Jim tonight, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Very well," he said. "Take him home. I've cancelled his appointment with the board, but I haven't told them why. I will not. His medical information is private and protected."

"Thank you," she said as he handed her a second pad.

"This is information on treatments for the disease," he said. "They will help him live a bit longer, but it will be a constant battle."

"I'll discuss all this with my husband," she said. "We'll make this decision as a family."

"Very well, Mrs. Kirk," he said. "James is getting dressed. He was quite distraught when I gave him the news."

"I'd imagine he was," she said, wiping her eyes. She had to be strong for him.

They said nothing as they made their way to the transporter room at the Academy. Jim wasn't even crying. He just looked like a zombie, almost. She tried to keep it together for him, but it was difficult. She got him home, and he went straight to his room. She started making dinner. Her heart was breaking, and she cooked a meal fit for a bad day. She made her famous creamy potato soup. Both Mark and Jim loved it. In truth, so did she. She even baked bread to go with it. She was cleaning up her mess when Mark came in. He came to the kitchen, smelled the aroma, and smiled. He kissed her cheek. Then he went to wash up.

"Where's Jim?" he asked as he left the kitchen.

"He's in his room," she said. "We have something to discuss as a family, Mark."

"Okay," he said. He went up the stairs to their bathroom to wash his face and hands and returned with Jim.

"Have you told him?" Jim asked in a monotone voice.

"No, Sweetheart," she said. "We're going to sit down for dinner and tell him together."

"Let me guess, you got a sponsor for the academy?" Mark asked.

"No," said Jim.

"Mark, just wait a minute," she said. "I'll put the food on the table, and we can talk."

She put the food on the table and dished up bowls of soup. She added baked bread slices to each saucer and put butter on the table. She was putting a carafe of coffee and one of juice on the table when Jim began to cry. Mark looked at her with shock. She shook her head and sat down. He sat down as well. Then they began to eat while Jim continued to cry. She nearly lost the battle herself, but she hung on. Finally, they were done eating, and she sat back. She pulled the information pads out of her pocket and placed them on the table.

"First, let me tell you that our son is sick," she said. "He has HIV-87."

"What?" cried Mark, looking from Jim to Kara and back.

"I have some information to discuss with you," she said. "We both know that without a cure, it's a death sentence. They think they're close. It's only that thought that would make me entertain my next thought. Mark, I want to discuss cryo stasis with you. I want to place Jimmy in the Cryogenics Incorporated program until they discover the cure to this disease. I will not lose another son."

"Another?" Jim asked.

"You don't remember Joshua," she said. "He was twelve when he died, and you were six."

"I had a brother?" Jim asked.

"Yes," she said. "Now let me and your father talk."

"You want to place him in stasis until they find the cure?" Mark asked. "How much does it cost?"

"We'll take a loan against the house and use the money from my holo-novel," she said. "Mark, this is happening. I wanted you to agree with me."

"I do agree with you," he said. "I want him to live, Kara. This is his only shot. I know what this disease does to people."

"So do I," she said. "He'd be in stasis for at least ten years. We'd have to get used to not having him around."

"We'd have to get used to not having him around if he went to the academy," Mark said. "I'll think of it like that."

Mark knew all about HIV-87. His friend had died of the disease just last year. It seemed to him that HIV-87 reared its ugly head as soon as they had cured the first round of HIV and AIDS. Now there was no AIDS. There was only HIV-87, and it was lethal. He stared at his son for a long moment. He wanted to kill Brian Kirkland. He barely heard her when she told him that he was going to be arrested for breaking the age of consent law. He was too busy looking at his son.

Getting the loan against the house was easy. Getting an advance for the holo-novel was difficult. She got it, though, and it just covered the program's expense. They drove to San Francisco in the transport vehicle. They got there in time for their induction appointment. Jim was asked to change into a gown and was placed in a bed. He shared the room with another boy who looked sick. His name, Mark found out, was Chadwin Michael Dodds. His mother, father, and little brother were there visiting him.

"I'm Kimberly, and this is my husband, Grant," said the blonde woman. She put her hands on the shoulders of the younger boy. "This is our youngest son, Carter."

"I'm Mark, and this is my wife, Kara," Mark said. "The one in the bed is our son, James."

"Chad is here because they don't yet have a cure for the type of cancer that he has," Grant said. "They're working on it."

"Jim is here because he contracted HIV-87 and there isn't a cure yet," Mark said. He felt no shame about this. Grant didn't bat an eye.

"Surely they'll have cures for both diseases within ten years," Grant said.

The room was all gray and white. The floor was gray while the walls were white. The gowns were blue, and the bed sheets were blue. They were told that they would be placed in stasis in a week. They had to wait for a ship to be finished and put in orbit for ten years. Mark thought that was crazy, but he said nothing. The fire in Kara's eyes kept him from voicing his opinions. So she came back and forth for a week while he took his class at the Academy.

Over the week, she got to know Kimberly and Grant very well. Mark was there the day that they placed Jim and Chad into the stasis pods. He even saw the ship that would house them and three others in orbit around Earth until the cures were discovered. They signed all of the paperwork and paid the fees. Then they drove back home, and Mark held Kara as she cried.

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