Time's Keeper - Nexus of Decision
Ma Anders
Author's Note:This story represents a fork in my universe. Until this piece, all of my writing inhabits a single universe anchored by my story "Ti(m)es That Bond" (to be published Fall/Winter 2013) and "Adaptation". Read them first for context.
This story forks me out of that universe and creates an alternate-alternate universe.
All non-original characters belong to their respective owners. Story concept, settings and plot belong to the author in whole or in part. No portion of this material may be reproduced, transmitted, used or modified in any matter on any media without the author's and/or owners' express written permission. Portions copyrighted.
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"Scotty! Get us out of here!" he shouted into the communicator.
That familiar disassembling that accompanied all transporter beaming came over her. They'd be alright. Again.
I hope we never get our asses kicked when the transporter is down for maintenance Uhura thought.
Her scattered atoms, still cognizant of what was happening, became impatient then irritated at the lengthy time to reassembly.
Bad time for the transporter to screw up. Come on, Scotty! I need to get dinner on before Grayson's school play starts. Get your ass in gear.
On the verge of genuine anger at her continued state on non-being she missed his entrance out of... the ether? Tall and wearing a jumpsuit out of Liberace's closet he walked directly to her and reached out for her... hand? with his.
The bluish tint to his skin didn't faze her; her Orion roommate at the Academy had been a vibrant green all over. His fused digits did cause a raised eyebrow, the pinky and ring fingers sharing skin as did the index and middle. Despite this she took the proffered hand and was pleased to see a corporeal representation of herself appear next to him.
Okay. I know I got hit by some kind of weapon. I wasn't unconscious when they energized the transporter. Might be hallucinating. Damn! McCoy will put me back on medical leave if he finds out. Chauvinist; he never puts the other bridge crew on leave. Len and I are gonna have to discuss this when I get... Hmm... My imagination seems to be waiting to talk to me.
Her eyes caught the quiet attention being paid by her imaginary companion. When her mind returned to the present - whatever that meant in her hallucination - she felt a tug on her hand, intended to move her in a direction. Her instinctive reaction was resistance; no man.. no male was going to take her anywhere against her will.
Cutting cat-like slits at him, her escort surprised her by inviting her to accompany him with the simple word "Come" in the most soothing tenor voice she'd heard in a while.
It's a hallucination. What can go wrong? Of course, I've said that same thing about countless away missions and look where I am... *sigh... Mental note: set up training classes to teach my ENTIRE communications department all the languages I already know.
"Lead, on." she said, sweeping her free hand palm up to indicate her readiness to accompany him.
As they walked the glittery gray fog she always associated with being in-between atomic and composite states began to darken and solidify. They walked into a starless night with no discernible or identifiable destination, but his direction remained certain and his pace never slowed.
The feeling of vertigo prompted her to look down.
Beneath her feet lay a map, similar to those used for communications topologies or commercial aviation routing maps in the past. Light beams moved in direct lines in and out of circular nodes. The light shimmered and pulsed giving the impression of movement; her vertigo and nausea stemmed from her attempt to determine her balance point in the dark, to avoid falling towards the map under the transparent flooring. They walked on glass in a place with no horizon to calibrate on. Her guide placed his other hand over hers in the hand he held. Her stomach gently quieted.
Why is it always my gut? Every time something happens, my stomach takes it seriously...
Because, Nyota Uhura, you are different than your family and peers.
The voice startled her; she gave serious scrutiny to this individual for the first time since the hallucination created him.
Sensing her unease with telepathic communications in this situation, her mind-created alien resorted to spoken word to allay her fears.
"What you see before you are strands of time. Each hub represents a major and necessary event in the time-space reality to avoid time's end."
She thought about this for a moment before responding.
"That makes no sense. Multiple paths exist to some and others seem to go off into nothing."
"That is indeed how time works. Some paths have unique, defining events. Others come together along alternate routes that still arrive at a common key event. And some disappear."
For the first time she considers that she is losing her mind, that the transporter pattern buffer is losing her continuity and this is what it means to die in a transporter accident. Being who she is/was, she asks a question, and that is the beginning of everything.
"Who are you?"
"In your world, I am called a Traveler. We are guardians of time, we ensure its continuity by encouraging those like yourself."
"Explain yourself." she commands, directing that no-nonsense stare of hers at him. His Buddha-like smile moves imperceptibly - unless you're bonded to a half-Vulcan, then it moves noticeably.
"You are the culmination of many timelines converging. You are a time catalyst; the choices you make change this map. You have the ability to add, adjust or delete what events will become anchor points in time."
She allowed herself a genuine laugh until she realized he was serious. His expression told her this was more than Death-By-Pattern-Buffer or an injury-induced hallucination. Trouble was, she didn't understand *why* she knew this was real.
"You see it, do you not? You know this experience is real, that you stand outside time and space as humans understand it."
The human comment pissed her off.
"I'm human. I have a half-human husband and son to prove it."
"Forgive me. I spoke imprecisely. You are more than human. As are your progeny."
My children; he's talking about children Spock and I will have in the future. Wonder what the future means in this case...
"You see. Already you think about the parallel streams simultaneously. But we must move on as your shipmates will soon undo the modification I made in the transporter to meet with you.
"Nero -" and he waves his hand over the map. Lines within the map changed color to a sickly blood red. This color infects some of the events - the time nexus anchor discs - in the map, discoloring them in a variety of ways.
"- damaged the time map in many ways. Selek - you know him as Spock Prime, the older instance of your Vulcan bond mate - attempted to prevent this disruption through use of red matter without understanding its dangers. His efforts created the changes you see here."
The map changed again, rust color spreading over the map, sometimes joining the Nero red, sometimes impacting other paths and circles.
Considering this for some time she provided the answer, exasperation dripping from every phrase.
"Look. If you know this and understand the consequences, just fix it. Either put Vulcan back in the past or save Romulus in the future. This isn't rocket science if you can control time."
For the first time his placid expression changes, becoming one of compassionate sadness.
"Unfortunately Travelers cannot change time. Only those gifted as you and Grayson are and as all your children will be can do so."
All of a sudden, she figures some of it out.
"That's why there are multiple paths! Something unexpected, unplanned happens leading away from a needed event in time - like if Zephraim Cochran had been killed before achieving warp - and these time catalysts get it back on track."
His smile brightens a bit. She's working her way through the logic. Like they all ultimately do.
"Multiple lines means I can't change what's happened. If I could the divergent paths would get clipped. I can only influence the future. How?"
"I have visited many of your people. I am amazed each time I experience your talents. You are truly remarkable."
"So how do I fix this?" she asks, all Star Fleet officer now.
"The two conjunction points you see here and here -" he points to two discs that have changed color to grey. They sit along paths parallel to those affected by Nero and Spock Prime. No full connections exist between these discs and the map at-large. Tentative connections send occasional pulses but clearly something is broken.
"- these cannot co-exist. For these impacts to resolve only one of the grey discs, one of the outcomes, can occur."
"So what are they?"
"In one, Romulus and the Vulcan remnant reunify leading to discussion between the Federation and the Romulan Empire. In the other, Vulcan's remnant expands prodigiously, expanding Federation influence."
He's too calm and she's not that young any more. There have to be consequences; there are always consequences.
"So what's the catch?"
"In one the Vulcan gene pool will disappear as a separate race of people. In the other Romulans will disappear as a separate race of people. Their uniqueness will be expressed through those that carry the root DNA, like yourself and Grayson."
She thinks she can hear Scotty, cursing in Scottish and Irish Gaelic interchangeably. They're close to bringing her back.
"You must hurry. Your decision, either way, will resolve these alternate ripples to this -" and with a hand wave she sees the red and rust disappear as a new light path leads on to the future.
"I can't make that choice! My husband and son are Vulcan, for God's sake!"
"You were conceived for this choice, Nyota Uhura. Without it, this happens -" and for the last time, he waves his arm and blood seeps across uncountable timelines and events. Nero - and Spock Prime, if she's honest - have seriously jacked up the time-space continuum.
"I have a question -" she starts.
"Hurry! This opportunity is passing..."
"Dammit, you owe me this. Will I remember this choice - will I know what I did?"
"If you wish to. They are bringing you back. Will you repair time?"
"Yes! Save the Vulcan race!"