Cascading Echoes

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The door to Ash Tyler's cabin slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the dimly lit interior of his personal quarters. Michael Burnham stepped inside cautiously, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for something she couldn't quite name. The atmosphere was unnervingly quiet, and as the door sealed shut behind her, she realized why. The usual hum of the ship's systems, the ever-present reminder of life aboard Discovery, was absent here. No ship sensors, no surveillance. This room was cut off—completely secure.

"Why so much secrecy, Ash?" Michael asked, turning to face him. Her voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of caution beneath her words. She had come to him with questions, with concerns that had been gnawing at her ever since the Cascade Experiment. Something was wrong aboard Discovery, and Ash, she suspected, might know more than he was letting on.

Ash met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "It's just protocol," he replied, his voice calm. "You know how Section 31 operates. We can't take chances with information this sensitive." He motioned for her to sit, but Michael remained standing, arms crossed.

"Protocol?" Michael echoed, her eyes narrowing. "Or is it about keeping secrets? You've been different since we returned from Galorndon Core. More distant. And now, I find out you're completely isolated from the ship's systems? What are you and Section 31 hiding?"

Ash sighed, turning away, his hands resting on his hips. "Michael, you've been through a lot. Hell, we've all been through a lot—the Cascade Experiment, the stress of command, losing crew members... it's taken a toll. You need to trust me. I'm not hiding anything from you that could hurt you. But I think you're starting to see things that aren't really there."

Michael felt a chill at his words, the suggestion hanging in the air like a heavy weight. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quieter now, more guarded.

"This Kuma Thompson." Ash spoke the name carefully, watching her reaction. "You mentioned him earlier. But Michael... there's no record of him. There never has been. He wasn't part of your away team, and there's no sign he ever served aboard Discovery."

Michael's heart sank. "I know," she replied, shaking her head. "But I remember him. He was real. He—"

"He wasn't," Ash interrupted, his voice soft but firm. "Michael, it's the aftereffects of the matrix. The experiment altered our perceptions. You're remembering things that didn't happen, people who never existed. It's a known side effect of this kind of dimensional phasing. Your mind is trying to fill in the gaps."

Michael stared at him, her breath quickening as his words washed over her. Was he right? Was her memory playing tricks on her? She had been so sure... but now, doubt crept in, sowing confusion in her already overwhelmed mind.

Ash stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Let me help you," he said softly. "You don't have to go through this alone. You've been carrying so much, and I know how hard that is. You're not imagining this... your mind is simply adjusting. You're tired, Michael. Let's work through it together."

For a moment, Michael let herself lean into his touch, her defenses weakening under the weight of everything she had been carrying. The loss, the questions, the endless uncertainty. Ash's warmth was comforting, familiar in a way that eased her confusion, if only for a moment.

They shared a brief, intimate silence before Michael nodded, her resolve seemingly faltering. "Maybe you're right," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ash moved closer, reaching out to gently cup her face in his hands. "I'm here," he said softly. "Whatever you need, I'm here."

Michael closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. The anxiety and doubt that had been building inside her seemed to melt away in his presence. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, her gaze filled with a mixture of longing and vulnerability. Without another word, Ash leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle at first, a tender exploration of each other's emotions. But as the seconds passed, it deepened, becoming more urgent, more passionate. Michael wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she lost herself in the moment.

Lifting her off the floor, Ash carried her to the bed. Michael gave herself permission to forget all the concerns around her—what she had lost, what she couldn't change. In the privacy of Ash's cabin, they allowed themselves to be selfish, surrendering to the moment.

Hours later, as Ash slept beside her, Michael lay awake, her mind racing once more. Despite Ash's reassurances, there was a nagging sensation deep in her gut, a voice that refused to be silenced. Combating her thoughts, Michael carefully slid out of bed, her movements slow and deliberate, not wanting to wake him.

Walking to the replicator, quietly requesting a glass of cold water, she tried to slow her thoughts. Her eyes darted toward Ash's workstation; the sleek console dimly illuminated in the low light of the room. She couldn't leave without knowing for sure. If what Ash had said was true—if the matrix had somehow affected her perception—then there would be records to support his claims. But if not... then Ash was hiding something. And she needed to find out what.

With a quick glance at Ash to make sure he was still asleep, Michael quietly approached the console, her fingers hovering over the interface. The system was heavily encrypted, but she had learned a thing or two about Section 31's security protocols. She began inputting commands, bypassing the initial firewall with ease, recalling passwords connected to Ash's past.

It didn't take long before she found it.

A series of low-level logs, communications, and surveillance reports—files that detailed Section 31's monitoring of the crew aboard Discovery, including her, Pike, and Saru. Michael's heart pounded as she read further, her eyes scanning through the lines of text. They had been watching her. Watching everyone. And Ash... Ash had been manipulating her from the start, using their past to push her toward doubt, gaslighting her into questioning her sanity.

Her stomach turned. She had trusted him. She had let him in, only to discover that he was using her as leverage for Section 31's agenda. Her hands trembled as she quickly copied the data onto her personal device. She couldn't stay here. She had to get out, had to figure out her next move.

But as she turned to leave, she heard the soft rustle of sheets behind her. Ash stirred, his eyes slowly opening, and for a brief moment, they locked onto hers.

"Michael?" His voice was thick with sleep, but there was no hint of suspicion in his tone.

Her pulse quickened. She couldn't stay. "I needed a drink," she began, lifting the glass of water.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, his eyes studying her.

"I should go; Dr. Culber has scheduled an examination for me," Michael lied. "I'll need a shower and a change of clothes," she continued, keeping her voice as steady as she could.

Sitting up in bed, Ash's gaze lingered on her. "Will I see you later?" he asked, his tone filled with concern.

Hesitating, Michael dressed quickly, feeling Ash's eyes on her. Her voice faltered as she finally replied, "Let's take this slow, okay?"

She kissed him without another word, her mind already racing as she left the room. Once the door slid shut behind her, Michael bolted down the corridor, her heart racing. Anger, betrayal, fear—all churned inside her as she escaped into the safety of the ship's hallways.

The man she had trusted had turned out to be her enemy. And now, she was a target.

She had to warn someone. Captain Pike? No... not yet. She needed more proof. For now, she would keep what she had discovered to herself. But one thing was clear: Section 31 was not done with Discovery, and Ash was their weapon.

As she reached the nearest turbolift, Michael's heart pounded with urgency. She didn't know what was coming next, but she knew one thing for sure: she couldn't trust anyone, not even the man she thought she knew.

As the doors slid shut, Michael breathed heavily, feeling the walls close in. She wasn't losing her mind—Kuma had been real. And now, she had to find out what had truly happened to him. What Section 31 wanted with her... before it was too late.