If IESB.net is to be believed, then the plot for the next, highly anticipated Star Trek movie will be different and yet familiar. The following is pure rumor thus far, but even if a rumored storyline is more spoiler than you can take, then read no further.

The big question from the very beginning, when it was rumored that J.J. Abrams would be doing a TOS prequel that included younger versions of Kirk, Spock and all the familiar Enterprise NCC-1701 bridge crew, was how will Abrams tell the story without trampling all over the sacred Trek canon? The answer, according to IESB is — Alternate Universe. Yep! If the site is to be trusted, then that old tried and true method of alternate timeline will be used to tell the story for this entry.

Please remember that everything that follows has not been confirmed by any official source from Paramount, the cast, or from Abrams’ office. And, while what follows certainly sounds plausible, treat it all as unsubstantiated rumor at this point.

IESB claims to have two different sources for this one. These are the same sources that gave them the intel on Karl Urban cast as Bones and Chris Hemsworth joining on. Now, they have both given some very juicy tidbits on how this whole time travel/alternate timeline is going down.

First, the most important thing to remember is that writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman are big Trek fans, especially Orci and they both have a great respect for Trek history and canon and do nothing in this script to upset the apple cart in that regard. They did their best to keep the continuity of Trek alive in their script.

Much of the script will be along the lines of the most popular story to ever come out of Trek verse — “The City on the Edge of Forever,” which starred Joan Collins as the pacifist Edith Keeler. Kirk fell in love with her but had to allow her to die in order to keep the timeline in tact.

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For this new film, IESB offers the following plotline:

Romulans from the future, most likely TNG time frame led by a Romulan named Nero, played by Eric Bana, finds the City on the Edge of Forever and uses the Guardian of Forever to go back in time and kill the person who has been the biggest thorn in the Romulan’s side and is crucial to the success of the Federation and Starfleet, James T. Kirk.

Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy in the original timeline, becomes aware of Nero’s plan (not clear on the details of how he knows) and also goes back in time to protect his best friend, James Kirk. This is where the Old Spock (Nimoy) and Young Spock (Quinto) meet.

Old Spock warns young Spock about Nero’s plans and it’s up to them to protect the future Captain Kirk and also help try to protect the timeline and the future of the Federation and Starfleet.

This happens before Kirk and Spock form their life long friendship and bond. We have been told that there is a very cool scene where Old Spock tells the Young Spock about his friendship with Kirk, so while this may sound “illogical” (pun intended) it’s been described as very emotional.

It’s not totally clear, but this film may bring about the death of the older Spock, just as “Star Trek VII: Generations” saw the death of the aging Kirk at the hands of Dr. Soran.

The first time in the film that the audience is introduced to James T. Kirk is while he is taking a certain test that Starfleet cadets are required to take, the Kobayashi Maru. Kirk was the only cadet up to that point in Starfleet history to win the test’s “no win scenario.” Of course, using that Kirk perchant for disobeying the norm, he overcame the “no win scenario” by reprogramming the computer that ran the simulation. He was given a commendation for “original thinking” (“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”).

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So, there you have it in a nutshell. Is this the course Abrams plans on taking for his next film? With the script under very tight wrap, it is hard to say for sure, but with IESB’s track record for accuracy I wouldn’t totally count out the possibility that portions of what you just read might be true. However, until official word comes down from Paramount, it is pure speculation at this point in time.