AN: I own nothing. I'm just a fan trying to throw something together that came to her head.

Enjoy!

Falling.

They were falling.

Some part of her had always feared this would happen if she joined up. Bad career change. Bad choices all around, really, disguised as good ones. She never made truly good decisions, anyway.

The woman clad in blue ran through the ship, even as its corridors and walkways twisted, slanted. She hoped that they wouldn't flip entirely upside down. She ran right through to the transporter room, while her head ran through the basics of the control panel. Required that all personnel have a general knowledge. She was glad she'd paid attention in training.

Fingers flew over the screens and their buttons. Another blast. She lost her balance, had to grab the console to keep her feet under her.

"Computer!" The ship's AI replied to her call with a twittering sound. "Set Escape Shuttle Coordinates! All pods!" She listed a string of numbers, hoping she didn't stumble on a single one.

"Confirmed coordinates. Coordinates set on all available escape shuttles."

"How many Escape pods, Computer? How many left!" She yelped as a panel behind her sparked. She'd felt the heat of the over-heating circuitry lick at her back. Never mind it! She had a job to do. She was the only one left thinking of the mission.

"Nineteen escape shuttles remain operational."

She thought that over. "Four per pod should do it."

The ship rocked again, and tilted. She gripped the edges of the console again and shrieked. They were flipping over! Dear God, they were going to flip over!

The ship shook violently and righted itself again. The computer's voice rang out.

"Eighteen escape shuttles remain."

She had to rethink that one… Well, she could compensate. She shook her head, fringe of her curly redish-brown hair getting in her eyes. No matter. She locked on to the escape pods and transported their cargo to them. Every single one. Then she pressed the keys and ran to the transporter platform.

"Computer! One to Escape Shuttle Bay Ten, now!"

"Confirmed."

She was surrounded by the bright swirling lights as her molecules and atoms were transported across the ship. When she vanished, the Transporter Room exploded in light.

There was no Transporter Room now.

When she landed, the young woman ran for the nearest pod doors. She tripped. Looked at what she'd fallen on.

Ensign Green. His skull was cracked. Red liquid oozing with bits of brain matter…

"Oh God," she covered her mouth to keep from vomiting. No! No, focus. Remember what the Captain said.

"Whatever happens," he had admonished, "Whatever these fucking Klingons do, don't let them get the cargo. Get this ship to her destination- we have to make sure every single one of those things makes it out and isn't found. Do you understand?"

She climbed to her feet. Stepped in the goo coming from her former ship-mate's head.

"You can do this Lieutenant," she said as she got to the closest shuttle and opened the door. She climbed in, looked around. Three tubes in this one. Excess then. Enough room for her. Just barely.

She walked over to the controls and she pressed a button. "Computer, jettison. Deploy all escape shuttles to coordinates, now!"

"Deploying all escape shuttles."

Were there other survivors? She'd seen so many running around, she hadn't thought, really. Hadn't cared, honestly, about them. The Captain was dead, their Second Officer. Most of the bridge had gone up in the second attack. She knew the ship had had over fifty escape pods. Maybe they escaped… maybe the Klingons had picked them all off before they had gotten very far, certain their prey was no longer a threat.

She felt the pod jar slightly, and then looked out the viewing screen. The shuttle was shot from the ship and within minutes it was going through the black ink of space. She ran to look through a small window. Saw the ship, now distant. It flared as more of it went up in flames, while it fell to a planet- violet colored she noted- below. If anyone had still been on board, they were gone now.

Farewell, U.S.S Eden. Goodbye Captain Harlan.

Her fingers trailing on the glass, she turned away. Better see who she was traveling with, then. She walked to the nearest tube inside the cramped space and she cleaned off the glass. The face that looked up from it, frost clinging to the edges, made her laugh.

"Well, of course it'd be you, wouldn't it?" she said to the face. She checked the vitals on the tube. Still breathing. Brain functions normal. Steady. All good.

"You know," she said out loud, "You and I, we need to stop meeting like this." She checked the other pods. A woman. Another man. Both alive, still. Both deep asleep. All frozen in cryogenic slumber. She returned to the first tub, and leaned in. Placed her hands on the surface, careful not to touch anything that might disturb the sleeping man inside.

"It's enough to make a girl fall in love," her voice was soft as her brown eyes flicked over the prominent cheeks and the strong nose, the dark, slicked back hair of the man inside. She knew who he was. She'd be piss-poor at her job if she didn't. He was Khan Noonien Singh; former dictator, convicted terrorist, and singularly one of the most infamous men of all time. She knew what everyone in all the cryo-tubes were, and why the Eden had had to take them. It didn't matter, honestly. He'd drawn her attention from the moment she saw their charges loaded in to the cargo bay.

She smiled, "Well, Khan… Don't worry. I'll make sure your people get to safety…" She sat back, and looked for the control panel. Typed in a few commands and a screen rose up. She brushed her hair with her hand, attempting some vain, very poor attempt to look less like she'd been through Hell, but well, that wasn't going to work now, was it? Then, she began to record.

"This is Lieutenant Marla McGivers, formerly of the U. S. S. Eden. Whoever receives this message, know this: Captain Archibald Harlan valiantly went down with his ship. His mission was carried out. And if you ever find this shuttle or my body, don't worry. I chose this. I chose to risk everything. I chose to follow the mission to the last. I choose to follow these people in to the depths."

She paused. What else to say? What else could she say?

"Goodbye."