Chapter 40: Transport

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. . .2370 . . .

. . Enterprise . . . June 6th . . .

"Are you ready to go, miss Bell?" Miles asked.

Q was not yet the man I knew so long ago seven years ago. The strange man who played in the Cippallon prison cell telling me that the melody was my life. He still has a lot of years to go, really, before I see him again. He might find it hard to see me as Carly Bell. He said it himself. I mentioned those keywords. There is no seeing me again.

I turned my head toward Miles with a short nod.

"I will beam your luggage first." Miles said.

I watched my luggage be beamed first to the USS Unicorn.

"Hey mom!" Kevin said, walking in holding Data's hand.

The Unicorn was a Olympic class hospital ship.

Kevin let go of Data's hand then he ran over to me. I knelt down to his level and allowed him to give me a hug. I hoped he would grow up to be the man I saw seven years ago. He was growing, getting taller every day, learning, and growing stronger every day. He was a gem to raise, to hold in my arms, to reassure, to teach life lessons then and now. Barb did not exist. But Bailson did. Bailson went on to another ship becoming a second officer randomly in the seven years that passed. Bay? Bay is currently serving as Chief Engineer for another ship.

The little hug between him and I ended.

"Mom, can you make sure to send messages?" Kevin asked.

"I promise," I said. "I will."

I have already spoken to Geordi regarding my departure and had our moment together before I started packing. I told him I would see him again but that was a lie. Geordi told me he knew I was lying. I told him, "I want you to believe in this lie, Geordi, because there will be a time when we do see each other." I stood upright seeing the golden tinted android staring at me.

"Take care of Kevin,Data." I said.

"I will." Data said.

"Data," I said, holding my hand out. "Thank you for being my friend."

"You are welcome, Carly." Data said, shaking my hand.

I had redone the message for Picard two years ago with Data as my eyewitness and recording. I had only told him it was a message to be delivered shortly after the departure of a little girl in 2371. I had to be very specific about this little girl. Data didn't ask any questions as to why I knew about this little girl. He must have assumed she was my sister and she was accidentally sent into the future. But there have been weird stuff that has happened around me. I guess weird is part of the job and I am over thinking this.

We stopped shaking hands.

"I will miss you,mom." Kevin said.

No one remembers those incorrect years except for me and partially Kevin.

"I will miss you more." I said.

I walk aboard the transporter.

Seven years ago I was right here in a rocking chair.

Seven years I made a lot of friends that I otherwise wouldn't have made if I were a young girl out of their time. I have had the luck to interact with so many people. There were a few times where I went to Deanna Troi for advice before handling the problem myself and sometimes I discovered something new about myself through her. These emotions were so new to me. They were alien. they were strange, they were maddening, they were baffling, and caused some self doubt. I will miss being aboard the Enterprise.

I had my few times being stuck on a planet with some other crew members because of a shuttle malfunction.

It happened a couple times that Star Fleet declared me dead.

The first time we were missing for five months.

In that time I put my medical skills and knowledge to use.

I saw a flash of white light to where at the corner of the room appeared Q2.

I shared a small respectful nod toward him.

"Energize." I said.

Q2 vanished and Data gave back that same nod.

"Energizing." Miles said.

Then my surroundings changed. At first I thought I saw another quantum reality (That Worf once described to me about being CMO and being friends with mostly everyone) where most of the senior officers were there in the transport room. It made me get teary. It reminded me that I was leaving behind a starship full of endless possibilities. But there are others starships that have the same stigma. Endless possibilities.

But why would they be there?

All of them.

Unless. . . I was seeing a reality where I was dead and placed inside a torpedo.

That is quite logical.

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