Innocence Lost
A/N: First new fanfic since 9th grade (I'm a university student now). I don't own any of the canon characters (or Star Trek, for that matter), but I do own the new characters and the story idea.
I've pitched this idea to the Enterprise Twitterfic group but I'm not sure if we're going to go with the story (seeing that it's a major revelation that affects the universe as a whole). I've been working on it for weeks and I don't want to just throw it away. Reviews are welcome, but no flames. I don't like flames.
I'd like to thank Memory Alpha for their database and information. It's a lifesaver, especially when you're trying to make a backstory to a character that only appears three times in the whole series!
Here's Erika's chronology in this story:
May 2114 – Born in Houston, Texas
January 2134 – Graduates from University of Texas, enters Starfleet as engineer
January 2135 – Switches from Engineering to Intelligence
April 2143 – Commander rank, dates Archer
October 2146 – Breaks up with Archer because of Archer's promotion
February 2148 – Stint on the Republic, XO, Tactical Officer
September 2153 – Promotion to Captain, command of Columbia
Here's a short chronology of the (canonical) events that I'll mention:
April 2152 – "Minefield" – First contact with the Romulans
Nov 2153 – Gareb (the drone's pilot) is captured
Feb 2154 – "Home"
November 12-15, 2154 – The episodes "Babel One", "United", "The Aenar" happen on this date.
November 27, 2154 – Columbia launches
Summary: Hernandez confides to Archer her darkest secret, which will shatter the very core of Archer's beliefs and the very existence of the Coalition itself. Archer/Hernandez.
Warnings: Rated T for violence, cursing. Does NOT follow the canon of Star Trek: Destiny.
First Circle: Limbo
June 2156
The fire was dying, so I threw some more wood into it. Jonathan was next to me, sitting on a log, telling me how Texas had lost to Stanford – again. I wasn't listening to any of it. I hated water polo – but I wasn't going to tell the biggest fan of water polo that.
I felt a hand slide across my waist, and suddenly I was a lot closer to Jonathan. "We're Jonathan and Erika, not Captain Archer and Captain Hernandez," he murmured, kissing my cheek.
I looked at him, with an amused smile crossing my face. "Are you trying to say something, Jon?"
He shrugged, and kissed me again. I replied with a kiss of my own. "How's Enterprise doing in the dock?" We were back on Earth, waiting for our ships to be done with the repairs and retrofits.
He narrowed his eyes. "Erika…" He brushed a few strands of my hair away from my face. "I accepted your invite to a nice horseback ride and hike near your ranch…on the condition that we would not talk about Starfleet matters." He tapped my nose. "Now. What were you saying?"
I smirked. "I just wanted to know if everything's all right with you. Especially after the Vulcan distress call incident." I paused, letting the words sink in. A wave of déjà vu passed over me. Two years ago. I had asked if he was okay after he woke up sweating and panting like he had run a marathon.
"Everything's all right with me, Erika. Thanks." He smiled, poking the fire with a large stick. The wood crackled as he shifted the burning wood around. "What about you? If I remember correctly, you were the one to suspect the Romulans and the drone ship, even though it ended up being something else."
I looked at Jon. The words that I wanted to say were stuck tightly in my throat. This time...this time, I couldn't say that I was alright anymore.
December 2134
The 602 Club was in shambles. The tables were all either tipped over, or broken, jagged edges jutting out into the air. Glass covered some of the floor, covered in various alcohols, and the pretzel bowls were tipped over, their contents splayed everywhere.
Everybody had been lined up, and the ranking officer in the bar – Captain Logan Black – had just finished his lecture on conduct becoming an officer on and off duty. Then he ordered everybody to leave except for the two combatants and myself.
The two Ensigns were both from the Operations division, and had fought over a petty argument about whether or not Engineering was more beneficial than Tactical. Everybody had moved out of their way as they fought. I was sitting at the bar, chatting with another engineer about the new warp 2 drive when the two combatants slammed in the space between us. I stared at the two struggling men, and as I moved away, I felt the urge to go and split them up.
Black was now almost beet red from anger. "You two have sullied the name of Starfleet with this petty brawl! Wearing the uniform commands great respect and you both have just lost it! I'm putting a reprimand in both of your files for this incident, and you will clean up this mess and apologize to the owner of the 602. Dismissed." The two guys left to clean up the mess, and Captain Black turned to me, his blue eyes peering into my own brown ones.
"What's your name?"
"Lieutenant Erika Hernandez, sir."
He raised an eyebrow. "You're the engineering prodigy." He opened his mouth, but I coughed, interrupting him. He blinked, then nodded.
"Sir, respectfully, I'm no prodigy. I just work hard."
He smiled. "Your commander says otherwise. At ease." I put my hands behind my back, and he coughed, the smile disappearing from his face. "Have you ever considered a department change? From what I saw, you could be a very good tactical officer."
"Sir, I'd rather stay where I am."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you know why I'm here, Lieutenant Hernandez?" He pulled out a PADD from his uniform and presented it to me. I took it after a moment, and looked at the screen. I was staring at my file in the database. Lieutenant Erika Hernandez. Born May 9th, 2114. I looked up at the Captain, and he smiled. "I was going to recruit you for Starfleet Intelligence. I looked over your background. You're very suited for this branch of Starfleet." I opened my mouth to protest, but he held a hand up. "Please, Lieutenant, consider the offer before you turn me down."
I nodded. "Yes sir."
The Captain clamped a hand on my shoulder. "You are going to be a good officer someday, Lieutenant Hernandez." He let go of the hand, and stood at attention. "Dismissed, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir." I nodded, and left the 602 Club, taking my jacket on the way out. Night had fallen, and it was getting colder by the minute, so I picked up my pace and hurried back to the small apartment three blocks away.
There was nothing in my file that suggested that I was suitable for Starfleet Intelligence. I was an aeronautic engineer, not an intelligence agent. I had a black belt in various disciplines of martial arts, and I had a habit of slipping away from school when I was younger, but those days were over. I rather create space ships than play Agent 007 to Starfleet.
June 2156
I felt a hand on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. "Erika? You okay?" Archer looked at me, worry etched into his face. "You're shaking."
I looked at him, coughed, and willed myself to stop shaking. "I'm alright. Just…" I sighed, looking into the inferno that sat before me. "Just reminiscing."