Into Darkness And Back | Star Trek

Chapter 2

When Caro opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that she was moving. She turned her head. Clouds and a grey sky flew by, and then suddenly she remembered everything.
"I'm sitting on a plane. Flying back home. Because my father died."
Her heart tightened and for a moment Carolyn didn't know how to breathe.Then she took a deep breath. But the pain didn't want to go away.
'Dead."
It's been four months since she left for the university in New Mexico. Four months since she thought that her life was finally going for the right direction.
And then, half a week ago her mother had called her. Carolyn remembered everything. She was studying for her next exam, when the phone went off and her mother told her with slow, flat voice, that her father had been hit by a car. Deadly.
That was the moment when Carolyn's world collapsed. Suddenly everything was gone. She literally saw her future falling apart in front of her eyes. It didn't take her longer than two days to pack her stuff, submit the papers at university and give the keys of her apartment back to the landlord. To study art construction and design had been both her and her father's dream. He was the one who had inspired her to go and actually do it. Without him...it didn't feel right to continue dreaming it.
"We will reach Sanford in a few minutes", said a female voice via speaker. "Please don't get up until the ship has landed. Thank you."
The ship was relatively small, but big enough to carry at least 30 passengers. Carolyn looked around. Next to her sat a skinny woman with closed eyes, who seemed to be in her mid-forties. At least, her hands looked that way, but her skin was smooth, without any wrinkles. Carolyn decided her hair colour was a mix of blue and lilac before she looked away again. She didn't want to be caught staring at her; the woman could wake up any second.
The landing was gentle, there wasn't even a jolt going through the transporter. But Caro did notice the hiss the anti-gravity stabilizers made when their power prevented the ship from touching the ground. She sighed, taking her bag from under her seat. The doors opened without making a sound and a cold wind hit Carolyn as she stepped out of the transporter. She looked around and saw her mum waiting for her at the edge of the landing place. Slowly, Caro walked towards her. There was a lump in her throat which didn't want to go away. Her mother looked much older than when Carolyn last saw her. Alice Westfold had blonde hair and blue eyes. She must have been really pretty in her youth, but now her skin was dry and her eyes were red.
"Hi, mum", said Caro with a whisper, then she dropped her stuff and fell into her mother's arms. Finally, she allowed herself to cry. Silent tears ran down Caro's cheek and wet the striped shirt her mother wore. Carolyn remembered that her father gave it to her on her 40th birthday. She closed her eyes.
"Why, why, why?", her mind screamed. "Why did he have to die? It wasn't his time yet! He didn't deserve it!"
"Come on", her mother said quietly and took up Carolyn's bag from the ground. "Let's go home."
When Carolyn entered their house, she didn't recognize it at first. The walls of the entrance hall, which once had been full of photographs and pictures, were bare and cold now. All around the ground were boxes, full with things which belonged to her father.
"But mum..." Carolyn turned around, facing her mother. "That's dad's stuff! His clothes..."
"Please", her mother interrupted her. She sounded tired. "Don't make it worse. I couldn't bare to see them any longer."
"But...", Carolyn wanted to say, but her mother interrupted her again. "Do you think it's been easy for me?!", she shouted. "For Marc? We all loved him!"
Then she started to cry and Carolyn stood there helpless, not knowing what to do.
"Mum, please, don't cry, otherwise Marc will wake up, please", Caro begged. "He already is in bed, is he?" Alice nodded and started to wipe away her tears. "Then come on", said Caro and led them both to the kitchen. "I will make some tea."
The first thing Caro noticed when she entered the room was a pad, projecting a shimmering blue hologram. Some apps blinked at the bottom, showing 12 unread messages, but the only thing Carolyn could concentrate on, was the headline of the local news.
"Edgar Westfold, 49 years old, hit by a car driven by an elderly man..."
Carolyn threw the pad against the wall. It made one last dizz, then it went off.
"Way better", Carolyn thought and made her mum sit down on one of the kitchen chairs. "Drink this." She handed her a cup of tea. "Thanks darling", her mother said and had a sip of the warm liquid. Caro took herself a chair and sat down at the table.
"What are you going to do now?" asked Alice and looked at her daughter. Carolyn bit her lip. She knew that her mother would ask this.
"Of course, she's my mother after all. And apparently there is no better topic to talk about than my future life."
"You know I can't go back", said Carolyn slowly, drawing circles on the desk.
"I understand", said her mother with pain in her eyes. Carolyn took a deep breath.
"We; I never thought that I would have to do anything else one day, but now... You and Marc, you'll need money. I know you don't earn much. So I thought about joining Starfleet." Carolyn paused. "I know, I never wanted to go there and it's so far away from here, but it would distract me. Maybe. And Kayla said that they always need physicians. I could do it in three to four years you know. Maybe that will be my future." Her laugh was humourless. "Maybe I will even like it one day. Hopping across the galaxy."
Her mother looked at her doubtingly.
But it was too late now. Carolyn had already made her decision. And deep in her heart she knew it was the best thing to do.
"Maybe this will be the biggest mistake of my life. But there is nothing which keeps me here anymore."
"What about Marc?", asked her mother not commenting Caro's speech. It broke Carolyn's heart thinking about leaving her brother. Her little sunshine. And this time for three, maybe even more years. She shook her head.
"I have to go, mum. Don't you see? Now that Dad is gone, it doesn't make sense any more. It feels like my life suddenly stopped. I don't want this to stop. My world. But I can't make it happen here. I want to start new, you know?" Her voice broke.
"I will miss you", her mother said, taking Caro's hands in hers.
"It's not another continent, you know?" Carolyn was fighting her tears. "It's only three years. Then I will come back. I promise".