Naturally, Kirk does not wait for someone from the outpost as the pod's computer suggests, but instead opts to make the trek to the outpost on foot.   The weather is snowy and harsh, and Kirk's progress is further complicated by natural predators that chase him across the snowy hills and ice.  He seeks refuge in a cave, though is followed inside by one of the larger beasts and seems as if he will be lunchmeat, save for the timely arrival of a hooded figure, who wards of the beast with a flare.   That hooded figure is none other than Ambassador Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy.  Ambassador Spock is shocked to find young James Kirk there, wondering how Kirk found him there.  Spock relays his own story via mind meld to Kirk, and we learn that some 129 years in the future, Spock promised aid to the Romulans in regards to a supernova that was threatening the known galaxy.  Spock was en route to the supernova, but the Romulan home world was destroyed in the supernova's path before Spock was able to get there in time.  He was still able to launch an iota of 'Red Matter' which was able to negate the supernova, causing the exploding star to implode in on itself and become a black hole instead.  Unfortunately, the Romulan home world had already been destroyed, even though the rest of civilization had been saved, but that was not sufficient for Nero, who had arrived just in time to witness the destruction of the planet.  Infuriated, he attacked Spock's ship, and the resulting combat sent the two vessels into the newly created black hole, transporting them back in time.  Nero's ship arrived some 25 years before Spock's, even though to Spock, the time difference was only a matter of seconds.  The extra time gave Nero the opportunity to prepare for Spock's arrival, and Nero had captured Spock immediately, confiscating his ship, and then beaming Spock to the surface of Delta Vega, where Spock would be able to watch the destruction of the planet Vulcan, knowing that he was to blame for it. 

After relating this tale, Spock implores to Kirk that Kirk needs to assume command of the Enterprise and stop Nero.  Kirk learns that Nero's arrival has completely altered the reality from which Ambassador Spock had come, and that in Ambassador Spock's reality, Kirk had known his father for many years, and had been inspired to join Starfleet because of him.  He also learns of Spock and Kirk's great friendship, and the destiny that he had before him.  Emboldened by this news, and the destruction that Nero had wrought and would continue to foster upon this time, Kirk accepts Ambassador Spock's instruction, and the two make their way to the Starfleet outpost.  There, they encounter a young engineer Montgomery Scott, who was apparently assigned to this remote installation as a punishment for his wild theories of extreme distance transportation, and the fact that testing those theories resulted in Admiral Archer's prized beagle going MIA.   Those theories, however, also included the possibility of transporting onto a ship while at warp speed, a theory that would actually be discovered/proven by Scott at some point in the future.  Spock speeds up matters by giving Scott the completed calculations, allowing both Scott and Kirk to transport onto the Enterprise which is en route to the Starfleet rendezvous point. 

After transporting onto the ship, Kirk and Scott are brought to the bridge, where Kirk starts the process of trying to incite Spock to show his grief and/or anger at the destruction of the planet Vulcan, thus proving him to be emotionally compromised due to the mission at hand, and unfit for command.   While Kirk's initial attempts relating to the destruction of the planet are not successful, when he addresses Spock's feelings for his now deceased mother, and suggests that Spock never even cared for her at all, Spock is sent into rage and begins to pound Kirk into a pulp, nearly choking him to death before Spock's father speaks up and stops Spock.  Shamed, Spock removes himself from the captainancy, and leaves the bridge.   Kirk then assumes command, as Sulu supports his claim that Pike had indeed made Kirk first officer of the ship.  

Now in command of the Enterprise, Kirk changes course to head to Earth and stop the Romulans.  There is much discussion amongst the bridge crew about how this should be done - but Chekov does some math in his head and determines that the Enterprise can hide behind the magnetic interference of Saturn to sneak up on the Romulan ship.  Though McCoy is distrustful of the 17 yr's olds ideas, Spock makes a timely arrival (after another Vulcan heart-to-heart with his father) and supports Chekov's math.   A plan is formulated where Spock will beam aboard the Romulan ship, stop the drilling, steal the Red Matter, and rescue Captain Pike.    He is the most logical choice, as Vulcans and Romulans share a common ancestry, and Spock also wants to save Earth as he is part human as well and now that's his only home.   Kirk insists on coming with him, and Spock doesn't even try to quote regulation against it, as he knows Kirk will disregard that anyways.

As Kirk and Spock are waiting to be beamed over to the Romulan ship, Uhura gives Spock a rather lengthy and passionate farewell kiss, wishing him luck.   Spock is quite obvious in returning the kiss and embrace at this point, and calls Uhura by her first name, Nyota.  Kirk does a double take at this action, and after Uhura leaves, cannot help but inquire, "So, her first name is..."  but Spock deadpans the response, "I have no comment on the matter, " before the two prepare to beam over.  Scotty (Simon Pegg) has informed them that if he has anticipated the ship's layout correctly, they should be beamed directly into the cargo bay where no one would be around.  Unfortunately, they are instead beamed into what looks to be the command center, where there are tons of people around.  A phaserfight ensues, and Kirk and Spock barely make it out alive.   However, they do, and make their way to Ambassador Spock's ship, which young Spock notes is of much higher order of technology than he was anticipating.  After he speaks, the ship's computer recognizes his voice, and replies, "Welcome Back, Ambassador Spock," to which Kirk tries to disregard, stating, "Gee, that's odd."   But Spock is no dummy, and begins to put the pieces together and realizes that this is his ship from the future.  He inquires why Kirk did not tell him about Spock's future self, and Kirk confesses that the future Spock instructed him not to.   Leaving Spock to pilot the ship, Kirk then sets off to rescue Captain Pike.

Spock is successful in starting up the ship and navigating out from the Romulan's hangar bay, while Kirk searches for Pike, but instead finds none other than Nero.  Kirk aims his phaser at Nero from across the room, making demands for Nero to stop his attack on Earth and to free Pike, but is blindsided by another Romulan who clocks Kirk upside the head.  Nero recognizes Kirk from the history books, and realizes that this is one of the Federations greatest heroes.  Of course, hating the Federation as he does, Nero takes the opportunity to beat the tar out of Kirk, who in this movie is getting a crash course in how to take a good beating.  Nero stops his thrashing of Kirk, however, as he learns of Spock's escape with the Vulcan ship and the Red Matter inside it.   Spock has also used the Vulcan ship to destroy the drill, thereby saving Earth.

Nero leaves Kirk in the hands of one of his underlings, heading off to the bridge/command center to pursue Spock.    Kirk attempts to escape, but is physically overpowered by the Romulan until Kirk manages to get a hold of the Romulan's weapon, firing it at close range to kill the Romulan.  He then resumes his search for Pike, finding the captain still strapped to the interrogation table.  As he is freeing Pike, Spock is charting a collision course back towards the Romulan vessel - the Romulans are firing off every weapon and torpedo that they have, and look to have the upper hand, until the timely arrival of the Enterprise, which is able to stop the torpedoes and mines that are about to decimate Spock's ship.  Spock, Kirk and Pike are then beamed safely aboard the Enterprise seconds before Spock's ship collides with the Romulan vessel, the Red Matter inside causing a HUGE space/time explosion that creates a giant black hole that begins to swallow the Romulan ship.  Kirk offers aid to Nero, but Nero refuses and Kirk then quickens the Romulan's destruction by opening fire on the ship.   As the Romulan ship is destroyed, however, the Enterprise is unable to break free from the gravitational pull of the singularity, and the crew are forced to jettison the warp core, which detonates in the black hole and gives off a sufficient explosion to propel the Enterprise free from the black hole's gravitational pull.    They are saved.

Due to his extreme valor and saving the Earth and stuff, Kirk is awarded the rank of Captain, and is given the Enterprise as his vessel, taking it from the also newly promoted Admiral Pike, who is now in a wheelchair.  Young Spock finally meets up with his elder self, who instructs young Spock to follow his heart and stay in Starfleet, where he has a great destiny as well as a lifelong friendship ahead of him.   Ambassador Spock will assist with the rebuilding of the Vulcan society and culture, and already has found a new world for the survivors to colonize.  The movie ends with Kirk in command of the Enterprise, his familiar bridge crew around him, including Dr. McCoy, and also Command Spock, who offers himself as First Officer, a position to which Kirk readily agrees.  They set off on their first official mission together, set to the narration of Leonard Nimoy quoting the introduction to the original television series....

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