Star Trek: Erin

Part 14: Nothing Happened and Everything is Fine

     My entrance back to our home dimension wasn't explosive, so yay. I found myself with Tetra, Nowak, and Sprite in Munitions, warm lighting and all. Glasgow joined us. The sparkly portal narrowed to a pinprick and popped. Glasgow smirked at me, becoming a shimmer then nothing as he teleported out. I scowled at where he'd been. "Of course."

     "Understandable," said Sprite, looking like he wanted to teleport away from me too.

     "About time you arrived." Tetra was tapping her foot by the only exit. "Door's locked." Sprite and the alternate-dimension version of his mentor looked to Nowak and me expectantly.

     We shifted. Exchanged an awkward glance. "Uh, we don't have a key," I said. "We could knock until someo—oh." I whipped out my communicator. "Forgot it's the future. Lieutenant Marple, this is Ensigns Cobos and Nowak. We're back. Over."

     The door WHOOSHED open. "What the hell happened?"

     "Awww, he was waiting for us," I whispered to Nowak. "He really does care."

     "Sir, we were in another—"

     "And Lieutenant Tetra, what are you doing here?"

     Evidently the redshirt was long dead or something in the evil dimension, because I saw confusion flash through her eyes. When she responded her voice was even. "As the ensign was trying to tell you, we were transported to another dimension, but we've returned."

     Marple stared at us. Finally, he ran a weary hand through his hair. "Fine, I expect a debrief, lieutenant. And full reports from you, Nowak and Cobos."

     I saluted him, deciding it was about time I showed the proper respect. "Yes, sir."

     There's not much to say about the consequences or lack thereof. They thought about demoting us (or promoting us, depending on who's telling the story), but in the end, nothing had happened. No evidence. None of us talked about the Lieutenant Tetra that was swept up with the debris on the floor of Engines. Not a word about the un-missing bomb. The evil dimension became a belowdecks myth, whispered about, then joked about, and then forgotten.

     There is one consequence however that rippled into our futures, crossing our paths again and again. I met Sprite during my next guarding shift in front of Munitions. He said nothing as he arrived, but his eyes were tired.

     I folded my arms. "You know what I want to talk about."

     "Tetra."

     "Lieutenant Tetra," I said. "And how you killed her."

     "Yes."

     "Don't you understand how that was wrong?" Even as I said it, I sounded conceited. But he didn't get to be judge and executioner. We're Starfleet, not Klingons or that murderous dimension.

     The tired look burned from his eyes. "You don't know what Section 31 has done. What she did."

     "Then enlighten me, asshole."

     "You wouldn't understand."

     "Oh, and you do?" I snarled. "No one ever has the whole picture. If you truly believe that what life-changing pieces you know are worth going against everything Starfleet stands for, I'll make sure you never become a captain."

     "It isn't like you could stop me."

     For the briefest of moments, he smiled, and it was that same smile from my first day on the Enterprise. It hurt more than all the scowls and wary glances combined. My voice was flat when I spoke. "Get away from me, Ensign Sprite."

     "With pleasure, Ensign Cobos."