One hundred twenty-four years since Lazarus first met Commander Peter Taggart. He was often times illogical and irrational, which seemed to rub off on Lazarus on notable occasions. Sole survivor of a genocide left stranded in a time he does not belong: his race intact, alive, even! The genocide had not happened nor had it occurred due to Weo's intervention by eliminating the Meechans homeworld and ditching him on his home world populated by Mak'Tar.
And then Weo went to destroy Earth, the planet his 'mate' hailed from, only to be stopped by Cadet Peter Taggart and Commander Lazarus.
Lazarus looked down toward the photo in his hands sitting down in a chair. He had drawn a image of his old friend, his mate, and commanding officer in the two years he spent on this world. Tawny had been there to tell Lazarus that Taggart was lost, hopelessly, and that she 'grieved with him' for the loss of their old friend. Lazarus closed his eyes taking himself back to the heartbreaking last conversation he shared with his captain. His admiral. His . . . His everything. They had a argument. Taggart left for a visit to the NTE-3120 NSEA Protector-B.
A tear landed on the frame.
Lazarus had a bad feeling all along about that ship.
Lazarus had told his mate about this feeling, and apparently, Taggart thought Lazarus was jealous because he was an Ambassador who's very busy in fact too busy to visit the ship he served on for five plus years. He walked out believing his mate had some unresolved issues with the ship because of the numerous times his lab was destroyed and Taggart had to painstakingly repair it with the help of the digital conveyor Tech Sargent Chen. Chen was stuck, for seventy-five years, in the digital conveyor until the NTE-3120 NSEA Protector-D along with John De Lancie, tech sergeant, and Commander Johnny Jacobs Striker under the command of Captain Jake Vickerd rescued him.
Lazarus opened his eyes.
He had failed to save the planet of Klonus, homeworld of Klonuns, from a rogue super nova.
Earth was spared of a terrible fate.
"I miss you, old friend." Lazarus said.
Tawny Madison died at the age of a hundred twenty surrounded by her loved ones. Lazarus, on the other hand, chose to raise the two children he had with Taggart after the man's supposed death. He could feel, somewhere, in his gut, that Taggart was still alive out there. Bob and Sarah, the children, grew up hearing the stories of their other father. Sarah Taggart reminded Lazarus strongly of her father. Bob? He just reminded Lazarus of himself. He chose the Mak'Tar way over the human way. Reptile, who ate living insects. It disgusted his sister Sarah.
Now, here he was, far away from his grand children and his children.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Lazarus put the photograph on the table then he walked into the room, his hands behind his back military style, and he made his slow stride to the communications room. With a mutter, the screen glowed to life to display a youthful and very young Captain Peter Taggart of the Alternate Original Timeline. He had a grin from ear to ear. He was twenty-seven at this time. His eyes were hazel instead of blue. Lazarus felt a smile trying to come out on his face at the sight of the younger man. He called this version 'Alternate Taggart' in his perspective. Alternate Taggart had his hands on the arm of the chair.
"Hey old Lazarus!" Alternate Taggart said. "We are making a quick visit."
Lazarus raised an eyebrow.
"So soon?" Lazarus asked.
"We visited you last year on June 1st," Alternate Taggart said. "It is May 31st. We have a big surprise for you."
Lazarus lowered his eyebrow.
"Is it going to be another birthday party that isn't a surprise?" Lazarus asked.
Alternate Taggart folded his arms with a frown.
"Why you got me, old man!" Alternate Taggart said. "Actually, we just want to visit you."
"Captain-" Alternate Lazarus started to say.
"Shhh!" Alternate Taggart said, darting his eyes in the direction of Alternate Lazarus.
Lazarus raised an eyebrow.
"It seems my other self is having difficulty concealing this secret." Lazarus said.
L. . . L. . .
"Of course, we do," Alternate Taggart said, lowering his hand down. "You should have an award not just a silly old house for doing what you did and we are going to give you one!" He clasped his hands together. "You are going to be happy when you see our big surprise."
Eighty-five years later after being told by Tawny, Lazarus was told by Jake Vikard that he had seen his friend fall into a void, stabbed in the back, by a mad scientist. He did not feel Taggart's death. He should have felt that. Their connection was strong. He had, at one point, felt their connection snap after that radiation trap had brought him to Grabthar's door. His body was sent into a torpedo that crashed on a planet named Hell. It was like hell, quite literately, and his body began to regrow starting from infancy. With a mind. He had spoken to Taggart telepathically, difficulty though, learning it had been months since his death and his mate had become depressed and lost the light that defined him as a person. He had all his memories. Re-configuring their connection was easy and it brought them closer as a couple.
Laz . . .
"I anticipate your arrival, captain." Lazarus said.
Alternate Taggart smiled.
"See you at the landing pad!" Taggart said, with a wave.
The screen turned off.
Lazarus should have felt Taggart's death.
. . . June 1st. . .
. . . Tev'Meck . . .
There were Mak'Tar who respected Lazarus and his achievements, some were paranoid that he knew too much, some squirmed at his presence, and most of all everyone had mixed reactions. Some were over joyed that he had not saved a entire planet and lead to their continued survival. Lazarus was left with the reminder that he was trully alone in this world thanks to Weo ditching him. It was Weo's intentions that Lazarus suffer.
La . . . La. . . Lazar. . . Lazarus.
Lazarus was in fact suffering long before he met Weo.
And he was suffering even more.
Lazarus looked over, stunned, to hear a voice from the past. There were Mak'Tars sitting by a fountain, their middle fingers meeting each other and their eyes stuck on one another. Their organic frill on the back of their heads made a unique sound by going upwards and allowing illogical air to come out. He was part of a logical species with illogical body parts. Taggart joked that the only one who could get pregnant in their relationship was Lazarus because he had his mothers egg inside prepared for his mating season. They had Sarah and Bob, five years apart.
Lazarus shook his head and resumed his pace.
Lazarus!
This was illogical.
He could see there being a digital conveyor landing building. The Protector had her own specific landing digital conveyor landing pad. True, Lazarus felt happy that his race was alive in this timeline. But he wasn't truly happy without his mate. Peter Quincy Taggart. Taggart hated it when Lazarus called him by his middle name. It was a name Lazarus would tease Taggart with in private. Lazarus walked slowly into the building past the other Mak'Tars. He didn't need the cane to walk. Mak'Tars were reptile like, they could move freely and quickly even in their old age. He could feel the bonds of the other Mak'Tars jolting with life freely and full of energy, joy, and happiness. He came to the Protector's assigned conveyor (one that Alternate Taggart bought out using NSEA currency much to NSEA's dismay) then the door opened for him widely even though it was shaped like a rounded circular door ripped out of A Hobbit movieverse.
Lazarus walked into the room that had a circular pad.
Lazarus had his hands behind his back and he waited.
Lazarus watched two figures digitally appear, their pixels appearing and coming into focus turning into solid three dimensional beings. Alternate Taggart reminded Lazarus greatly of his mate. The one he had lost. Lazarus had gotten these two together with much work on his part. He had to search out the man ditched on a tropical planet with hot ass chicks and danger free. It annoyed Lazarus that this never happened when he marooned Taggart when he went insane because he not been enforced on shore leave. It took some convincing but he did it and worked where he met Chen on the same planet. It made the old Mak'Tar smile seeing the much younger friend still working on 'digital conveyor jump string' which his other self had accomplished a hundred years later. It didn't hurt to help.
Alternate Taggart was grinning, his hair freshly combed, and his hands were to his side.
"Hello, captain," Lazarus said, then he had a nod toward his younger counterpart. "Commander."
"May we now?" Alternate Lazarus asked.
Lazarus?
"Now." Alternate Taggart said.
The two stepped aside to reveal a familiar face. He still looked quite young, his brown hair was still engaging in a long term fight with the grayness coming from the side, and his blue eyes stood out to the old Mak'Tar. He was still in the uniform he walked out in in the communication video Lazarus shared with Taggart. A smile grew on the man's face and he came over to the Mak'Tar who was stunned.
"Ooh my god, you look so old." Taggart said, putting one hand on the side of the Mak'Tar's face.
Alternate Taggart looked over toward his Lazarus with his face saying, 'Hey, why is he touching you? You never let anyone touch you.' mixed with disbelief, confusion, and shock. Taggart's hand slid off the reptilian man's face. There was that glow about Taggart's face. Something that was endearing, trust worthy, and that of a partner. The words were slipping out of the Mak'Tar's mouth.
"I wa. . . I was . . . was told you died." Lazarus said.
"Since when? I fell into a void after getting Chen out of the technology section. You don't know how boring it gets floating in a space that has the same dull purple-blue atmosphere, and then, these kids found me!" He pointed over to the two using his thumb. "They called it the Texum. I was inside the Texum! And it was the most boring uneventful thing I ever been in!"
Lazarus put a hand on the side of Taggart's face.
After a few moments, Lazarus eyes were full of tears, and his stoic demeanor fell as he slid his hand down to his side.
"It is really. . . really you," Lazarus said. "My mate."
Taggart's middle finger brushed on Lazarus's middle finger.
"Who wouldn't I be?" Taggart asked.
Lazarus wrapped his arms around his mate and cried into his shoulder, sobbing, "I have missed you,Peter!" Taggart closed his eyes as he could feel their bond repairing itself. Lazarus, I am here,Taggart mentally thought, and I am never going to leave your side again. I was wrong. So very wrong. Lazarus's green eyes stood out as the tears were coming out.
They're all dead, Lazarus thought, you and I are all that remains of the crew.
Lazarus closed his eyes, clutching onto Taggart as though they may be separated again.
Lazarus, we have a lot to catch up on, Taggart replied.
Alternate Taggart flipped out his Vox.
"Prepare to digitize us up, Chen." Alternate Taggart said.
"Yes, captain!" Came Alternate Chen over the item.
Alternate Taggart and Alternate Lazarus share a glance as they were being digitized in a haze of blue. Alternate Taggart had a smug smile about his face and Alternate Lazarus had a 'why is he smiling?' with a raised eyebrow as they were disappearing before the prime versions of themselves now on their knees both at once crying. Lazarus's green eyes opened watching the two vanish before his eyes.
The captain and the doctor, just the way it should be.
The End.