Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek


The first to return was breathing.

Warmth beginning to spread through the body as blood began to flow regularly once more.

Then the awareness of nothing.

Then came the voices.

"Easy now, gotta bring them out slowly. Don't raise the temperatures too fast. Good. We'll raise it again in a few hours. Doing good your first day kid."

Darkness once more.

Again the voices.

"Alright then. We've been raising their temperatures slowly overnight. Blood was restored earlier. They should start waking up soon if they already haven't. Go get the support staff around and their personal effects. The welcome wagon will be happy to see this lot, that's for sure."

Welcome Wagon.

Personal effects.

Blood?

What?

Awareness began. Cold, hard surface. Warm breath bouncing back into the face. Encased?

Wait.

Wake up.

Open your eyes.

DO IT.

"SIR! WE GOT ONE." The young assistant stumbled over to the cryogenic chamber. His hands fumbled as the woman stared at him, panic beginning to set in.

She looked around, panicked. Movement hurt. Muscles were not reacting. Her hands felt at the inner latch and frantically pushed, pulled and twisted it.

"I NEED HELP HERE! IT'S RUSTED SHUT!"

"MOVE!" Another assistant grabbed a wrench and swung at the handle. The handle twisted down and opened. The young woman fell into the arms of the younger, body numb. She inhaled the fresh air, her lungs hurting from the disuse.

"Welcome to the year 2258, Marlena McGivers."

"Marla." She managed hoarsely. "Call me Marla."

An elderly man stepped forward, an electronic clipboard firmly in hand. He smiled down on the auburn haired woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but what did you say?" She looked up at him.

"Confusion is a common side effect of being cryonically frozen Miss McGivers. My name is Doctor Eli Dragoon."

His eyes beheld the sight. The woman, barely in her late twenties, her chart said twenty-six, was staring up at him with a stony face. Clearly, she was not dressed properly. A ratty, oversized, old zipped up hooded sweatshirt, what he believed to be referred to as 'yoga pants' back in her day and what appeared to be some form of sneakers. Her auburn hair carelessly thrown up in a pony-tail. No traces of makeup found. Her dark brown eyes showed nothing but horror. Then again, being frozen since 2013 would certainly have that effect on people.

"So…you're meaning to tell me TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTY FIVE YEARS?" Her voice cracked. She looked around at the room she was in.

Fifty metal and glass cylinders lined the walls. There were no windows in the immaculate room. She could see some beginning to stir and the assistants rushed forward with floating chairs. She stared, wondering how they stayed aloft. Machines were attached to each one. The technology looked like what she would have expected from a science-fiction movie.

"The circumstances surrounding your volunteering for this experiment are not clear, Miss McGivers. It was illegal in the day to do without your consent and without you dying first since there was no way to reawaken you. Now, we are going to move you to physical therapy in our medical ward to get your muscles moving again, fix tissue damages, etcetera with Doctor Marcus. From there, you will move to a counseling session."

"I DIED?"

"Miss McGivers, all this will be covered in your counseling session. Your counselor will be assisting you in a job search. Looking at your charts, it is likely you will be placed at Starfleet. They are looking for historians."

As the distinguished man spoke, two assistants lifted her into a chair.

"We also offer Cryonic Support groups. They meet on Wednesdays. Good luck Miss McGivers."

An assistant started pushing the chair down the hall.

"If I've been frozen for nearly two hundred and fifty years, why don't I have to pee?" She voiced as the hall rushed by. She attempted to calm her nerves after seeing various alien species roaming around the halls. Granted, alien contact had only been established the week she remembered before nothing.

"Your system voided at death."

"So my pants are covered in…"

"No. It seems you were redressed."

Floating hospital beds passed by. Marla began to flex her hands and forearms, mild pain shooting through, slowly beginning to subside.

"WAIT!" They stopped in front of a window. She pushed herself up and lunged forward, hands clasping at the ledge despite loud protests from the assistant.

Her legs shook, barely supporting her weight.

"It looks almost the same."

"You're looking at buildings. We're on the fifteenth floor. I promise the view is better downstairs. Back in the chair."

"Can I walk?"

"No, without a walker, you're not. Back in the chair."

Marla fell back.

"So who is Dr. Dragoon?"

"He is head of Cryogenics for Starfleet. We are in the hospital near Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. His lab is here as are the cryonically frozen patients. By the way, my name is Jay."

"Hi Jay."

"Are you single?"

"Excuse me?" Marla attempted to turn around in her chair.

"Never mind, " He quickly began running towards a door. "Here we are. This is your new Doctor, bye!"

Marla looked up into the blue eyes of the middle aged woman in front of her.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Marcus." She spoke sternly. "You must be…" She looked at the transparent pad in her arms and began sliding her finger across it. "Marlena McGivers."

"Please, Marla. Nobody calls me Marlena." Marla groaned. She observed the woman in front of her. Middle aged, with her blonde hair beginning to fade and grey, neatly tucked into a bun. Her white lab coat had a symbol on it that she had noticed on Doctor Dragoon. Her blue eyes studied her from behind a pair of reading glasses perched on the end of her nose.

"Are you with Starfleet too?"

Dr. Marcus looked slightly startled.

"Yes. My husband is Admiral Marcus. We met on the job. My daughter Carol is in the Academy right now. Tell me, Starfleet was founded years after you were frozen, how do you know about it?"

"Jay."

"Oh." She shook her head and pulled a device out of her pocket which began whistling as she began running it around Marla. "Vitals are looking good. Alright, lets get you on a table so we can start getting you moving again."

A half hour later, Marla was on her feet and steady.

"Good."

"Does that chart say how I died?" She ventured. She was starting to become uncomfortably warm in her jacket and she began to unzip it. She felt a necklace chain around her neck. At least something made the trip.

"Motorcycle accident. You were thrown from the bike while you were speeding. I believe if you remove your jacket, you'll see the hole where a broken road sign punctured your neck and partially severed your spinal cord and you can feel the scar on the back of your neck."

"WHAT? How am I walking then?"

"Stem cells were used to rebuild. Your parents signed the release to the military to use you in the cryonics experiments when it was clear they weren't sure if you would wake up from the coma."

Marla was silent. An accident? The last thing she remembered was fighting with Lee and breaking up. It was entirely possible she sped home on the bike. It wouldn't be the first time.

"So it says on your file you have a degree in History. You know, Starfleet is looking for historians. The popular belief is that degrees in history are pointless. Both you and I know that isn't true. It's difficult to get jobs, but the jobs you find are generally decent ones." Dr. Marcus typed on a tablet.

"I moonlighted as a stripper a year after college. Trust me, I know all about difficulties in finding jobs." Marla cringed.

"I see. Well, I will pass the information on to your counselor about the Starfleet openings. Perhaps you could start as a secretary and work your way up?"

"What is Starfleet?" Marla burst out.

"Starfleet is our peacekeeping corps. We, as in Earth, are part of the United Federation of Planets. Starfleet is used to maintain vital relationships between planets, keep the peace, and explore space." Dr. Marcus swiveled her stool around to face her, removing her reading glasses.

"Would I need to go to training?"

"Well, if you're starting out as a secretary or assistant, you would need to be trained first on modern technology. Other than that, you already have a degree, so you would just need to read up on the past two hundred and fifty years. I see no need to go to the Academy. You get benefits, medical…Starfleet is a very good and secure job."

"Alright, I'll discuss it with my counselor then."

"Good. I'll tell my husband to keep an eye out for your application. Perhaps he knows some historians who need some assistance. Before you go to your counselor, drink." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a bottle of water. "Eat." She threw a pack of crackers out. "This is my phone number call me and let me know when you pass gas, urinate and when you have a bowel movement for the first time. That way I will know your intestines are working."

"I don't have a phone."

"Your counselor will provide one."

"Oh."

"Now go. You will be seeing Dr. Sharp. His office is on the fourth floor. Go out the door. Turn right. You will see the north elevators. Say floor four. The elevator will pick it up and take you there. His office is room 4203. You be sure to call me."

"Thank you Dr. Marcus." Marla slid off the table and walked out, taking her jacket with her.

Marla was suddenly very self conscious. She glanced at her reflection in a window and attempted to sort things out with her hair. She cringed. She was in the old beater and pants she wore to the gym before going to Lee's. The ratty jacket, her father's. The realization that she would never see her family again hit. Her friends, her family…dead. All dead. She rushed to the elevator.

"Floor Four." She managed to get out before burying her face in the jacket and inhaling deeply. She smelled nothing but ice. Even the smell was gone. Marla felt tears begin to run down her face as the doors opened. She quickly wiped them away. There would be a time for grief later.

4203 was right outside the elevator doors to her relief..

She inhaled deeply before she knocked.

"Come in Miss McGivers."

She opened the doors to reveal a very simple office. The walls painted a green that reminded her of bamboo plants. There were no bright lights. Everything was very calm. Dr. Sharp was another older gentleman. His salt and pepper hair was neatly trimmed to perfection, lines gracing his face with crows feet around his grey eyes.

"Sit." He motioned to the rather comfortable looking leather chair in front of the desk.

"So. Welcome." He motioned with his arms and smiled. "I trust you had a good nap. Now I'll keep it short. We'll have sessions weekly until you feel you're ready to stop. We are going to get you set up with a job, we have an apartment for you along with all our cryo-patients. I'm going to keep this short so you can get moved in and settled with your apartment before group tonight. Yes, it is a Wednesday and the first session is mandatory. It is currently March 1, 2258." He paused, waiting to see if there was a reaction.

"We have a bag of your things here." He motioned to a suitcase in the corner. "I recommend going to a store soon and updating your wardrobe a bit, that is up to you entirely. The contents of your music player has been transfigured and uploaded to a new one, I have a book here for you to understand the apartment, money, systems, etcetera. Okay, so banking is pretty much the same. I have a card for you, a bank account has been set up. Your money from before, that's in there. It has grown in value the past two hundred odd years and adds up to a decent start. We also are giving you one thousand to start. After we get you a job, you're on your own. Questions?"

"Yes, lots. But I have no idea where to start Dr. Sharp."

"Just call me Leon. They'll come with time."

"I have one though. Dr. Dragoon and Marcus both mentioned job openings for historians at Starfleet?"

"Ah, yes. Well, if you want, I can get you set up with some history books, then we can see if we can get you an interview."

"I think that's all I have for right now."

"Alright. The apartments are across the street. There are lights, crosswalks, everything you remember. Traffic laws are about the same. Here is your key. There will be someone there to assist you. It is currently eleven in the morning. Group is at seven tonight. There is a grocery store around the corner along with cafes, stores, all you want. We picked a damn good location here. I'll teach you how to use the phone before you leave. Now, let's get into how you're feeling today."

An hour later, Marla was in the apartment.

The fridge was stocked, the book on the table, her bag spilled open around the bedroom. The phone sat neglected on the nightstand. Marla herself was curled under the covers, crying. For right now, she was truly alone.


Admiral Alexander Marcus opened the door to his office. He paused as he observed the black haired man lounging in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"What are you doing in here? You're supposed to be in your office." He snapped.

The pale man turned around, blue-green eyes flashing with pure hatred.

"The chair broke and I merely came to request a new one." He spat.

"Khan, that's the third one this month."

"Perhaps you need sturdier chairs instead of the flimsy ones Starfleet provides."

The Admiral sighed and put his face in his hand before looking at the ceiling, desperate for patience or an idea on how to keep Khan Noonien Singh from becoming increasingly destructive.

"As John Harrison, you need to go make friends. I hear people starting to talk about how…off you are. Go interact. Socialize. Blend in for gods sake instead of being the weird guy who keeps to himself. Go relax."

"I have no desire to. I only desire to get this over with and have my crew returned to me. I am not here to make friends."

"Do it for the sake of your crew then, Harrison. And stop breaking my damn chairs! I'll have a new one sent down. Now go out to the bar or something. Go to a coffee shop. Just go take the afternoon off, relax and go socialize. I guarantee the safety of your crew for a month. Learn how to be human again, won't you? Just go."

Khan's lip curled in contempt before he got up and stalked out, the door slamming hard behind him and rattling the solid glass wall.

Admiral Marcus sighed. At least he didn't break it this time.

Khan stormed down the hall, reaching the elevators and punching the button so hard, he dented the metal.

Socialize.

He wanted all of this to be done. He wanted his crew back, he wanted to just GO. The door opened two floors above his.

"Afternoon Harrison." The man who entered with a bag of lunch grunted.

"Afternoon Lakewood." He replied stiffly. Commander Adam Lakewood. Worked on his floor. Didn't really think too much of him. The man was crude and loud and inarticulate. Inferior. He had no idea how this man even graduated high school, let alone finished Starfleet Academy.

"Nice weather we're having, eh? Not too bad." He opened the bag and reached in. "Ugh I didn't want this extra sandwich. Here, have a sandwich." He held it out to Khan who stared at it.

Socialize.

"Thank you." He took the sandwich and opened it to see what was on it. Roast beef, cheese, lettuce, onions, tomatoes. Not too bad for an extra sandwich.

"Say John, you're new. You haven't really met too may people yet, have you?" Lakewood asked through a mouthful of a ham sandwich. "A group of us are going to the a bar tonight to watch the Parrises Squares game. Come with us, it'll be fun. Get to meet people, maybe get laid with some barfly. You're single, right?"

Socialize.

"Yes. I am. I don't drink." Khan replied shortly as they left the elevator.

"Oh come on. It will be a good time, get to socialize and get acquainted."

There that word was again. Socialize. Do it for the crew.

"Fine." Khan grunted.

"Good man! We're going to Aftermath. It's a bit of a icicle hot spot, but the food's good, the girls hot and the beer cold."

"Icicle?"

"Yeah, you know, the cryonics. The hospital's got about nine hundred of them they've been storing and unfreezing the past twenty years or so. New York's got more though. You get new ones in about once a month, drinking themselves to death to deal with this world. Makes for some loose and desperate women."

Khan snorted derisively.

"Oh come on, John. It was a joke. Well, see you tonight,. Be there at eight. It's a block away from the hospital. You're going to come, you're going to have a good time whether you like it or not." Lakewood clapped him on the shoulder and proceeded to his office.

Khan entered the various passcodes into the computer before the door fwooshed open into the private lab. Plans, blueprints, various equations were pinned up on the walls. Papers spread out over a desk and a computer sat ignored in the corner. He avoided it like the plague and used it only to test out his theories in a program designed by Starfleet. He knew eventually he was going to have to use it for more than that.

Khan kicked the shattered remains of the chair aside and began gathering his papers. He was not here to make friends. He was here to get his crew, his family, out of jeopardy and to a safe planet to start reorganizing and reforming a plan even if that plan meant avoiding Earth for a good period of time, which he admitted he would gladly do after all this.

But if it would put him in good graces with Admiral, then he'd suffer through Lakewood's boorish, asinine boy's night. Perhaps it would allow him to be able to go at least get a visit in with the frozen bodies of his crew. To see and inspect and make sure everything was in working order so the bodies didn't start to thaw out and rot before the proper awakening began.

Then again, this was one day he was given off. One day he had been told go and relax and one day his crew's safety was guaranteed. Granted, he was grateful for the safety being guaranteed, but he did not know how the Admiral possibly expected him to just relax. To forget why he was here.

His dreams were often plagued with nightmares. He knew one thing though, it was very possible that the Admiral did not intend to let them go, but have him keep working on projects until he got frustrated enough and snapped. He was a warrior by birth, but right now, this warrior wanted to just retreat with his crew and regroup.

He snapped the briefcase shut and he heard the quiet whirring that meant it locked. Khan threw his black coat over his shoulder and punched in the exit codes.

He decided to drop his belongings off at the apartment first. He ripped into the sandwich Lakewood had given him. Not the best, but certainly not the worst. He made for the bus that would take him to the street to the subway platform across to take him home. Then he would reluctantly follow orders and go 'socialize'.


Marla sat on the edge of the bed, face red. She felt emotionally ravaged. She glanced at the clock. Noon.

Gripping the edge of the mattress, she inhaled raggedly, her breathing labored from the amount of crying she had done.

"Enough. We're here. We are ALIVE." She breathed to herself. "Pull it together Marlena. You are a historian, so let's go see what's happened in history since we've been dead."

She stood up and walked to the window. Pulling the curtains apart, she winced from the light as she looked out. The Golden Gate was still in place. The buildings were so shiny, so new. She marveled at the designs. Glancing down, she watched the people on the busy street below. Their clothing didn't look too remarkably different from her time period from what she could make out.

Little people, so many places to go, so little time to get there. She smiled a tiny knowing smile to herself as she leaned on her elbows on the sill. The cars hovered before lowering themselves to park, buses appeared to still be in use. She wondered if the underground trains still ran.

So glanced at her pile of clothes and dug out what she thought would be closest to the fashion of the day. First thing she had in mind was going to that street. She hesitated as she caught her reflection in the mirror. Alright, bathing first. If she was going to brave this new world, she might as well be clean while she did it.

She walked to the bathroom and searched for the light switch. Before she could find one, the light came on. Motion activated.

The shower thankfully wasn't too difficult to figure out. She quickly dried off, pinned up her hair carefully, and got dressed. She located her keys, wrote down the apartment's location and zipped up her boots. The box Leon had given her contained cash, a card for the public transportation system and instructions how to work navigation on the phone.

She shoved things in her pockets and zipped them up and grabbing a bottle of water from the counter before exiting and locking the door.

As Marla's feet hit the pavement, she stared up in wonder at the city around her. Noise, cars humming by, the speeding metal receptacles zooming around in the air.

The air smelled different. She couldn't place it. It didn't quite smell like city, but not quite like completely clean air. It was definitely different from the San Francisco haze she knew.

Marla noticed various people glaring at her as they walked around her and she realized she was blocking the sidewalk. She sheepishly moved along, staring up at everything. She wondered if the hills were still there outside the city. She wondered if the old Victorians still stood on the sloping streets or even if the streets still climbed at tiring angles. Whether or not the sea lions still lazed in Fisherman's Wharf or if Alcatraz still stood.

She was very pleasantly surprised to find the underground working. She decided to head towards the Golden Gate and see what was new.

The moment she got to the platform, she realized this was probably not a good idea. Marla began feeling faint. Her stomach let loose a terrific roar, earning a glance from the old woman sitting next to her.

"Hungry?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It feels like I haven't eaten in two hundred and fifty years." Marla grumbled. "Literally."

"Icicle?"

"What?"

"Cryonic? You just woke up today. I see your hospital bracelet. No worries. My husband was one. Here, have a sandwich." With that the old woman produced a wrapped sub sandwich out of her bag and opened the wrapping, offering Marla half.

"I can't, I'd feel awful about-"

"No. You are eating this missy. When were you frozen?" The old woman shoved the food in Marla's hand.

"2013."

"My husband was 2000. He passed last year. We had a good ten years together. What's your name?"

"Marla."

"Well Marla, I'm Amanda Sayes. Old fashioned name it is, Amanda."

Marla had a mild moment of feeling old as she tore into the sandwich, devouring it with great speed. The train whooshed by before slowing down to a halt. It was seek, like a bullet. The doors curved in with the round design.

"Train's here. Help me on, Marla. Are you going to the support meeting tonight? Paul used to go to those every week. Said it helped him to have people surrounding him that understood what he was going through."

The pair sat on the hard seats and the train lurched forward.

"This is so much faster than it used to be!" Marla clenched the water bottle in her hand so hard, she thought it would snap.

"You'll get used to it. I take this train every Wednesday morning, ride with all the Starfleet workers while on my way to market and errands and visiting the hospital. I'm a volunteer you know in the children's ward. This stop is the Starfleet stop right here."

"Doors opening." A woman's voice spoke softly as the doors slid open.

"Well there, Commander John Harrison. You're off early. Not feeling well, dearie?"

Marla's eyes snapped up to see a tall man, pale, black hair combed back, piercing blue eyes getting on the train. He looked visibly disgruntled.

"No, Ms. Sayes. Simply not needed today." He growled in a very English, baritone voice. His long pale fingers grasped a handle on the other side of the aisle as the door closed and the train began moving. He fixed his eyes on the front of the car, his jacket dangling from his free arm.

"Johnny's my morning buddy. We ride together in the morning." Amanda turned to Marla. "Johnny, this is Marla. She's my new afternoon buddy. Just unfrozen today from the ice tubes."

John Harrison grunted, not looking over.

"Oh don't be rude, Johnny." Amanda scolded. "You're new too, from across the world."

"Fine, here's some advice." He stated coldly, still not looking over. "Don't die."

Marla felt distinctly uncomfortable. The train slowed.

"Doors opening."

"Well, nice to meet you Ms. Sayes, thank you for the food, but I'll be getting off now."

"If you need me, you know where to find me, Hospital most mornings. Feel free to drop by for a chat or if you need a friend."

"Thank you." Marla quickly got off, avoiding eye contact with John Harrison.

As soon as the train started moving again, Khan moved to sit down next to Amanda.

"Ah, ah ah! I don't want rude people sitting next to me! Now Johnny, that lady was perfectly nice and very sweet!" Amanda admonished.

"My apologies, Ms. Sayes. I am not in a very pleasant mood." Khan grumbled.

"She was just woken up today, she's lonely and needs a friend and you just ran her off this train!"

People glanced over.

"She'll be fine, Amanda." He hissed.

"Yes, she will because I'm going to that support group tonight to make sure."

"What support group?" Khan looked at the old woman as he pulled his leg up on his knee.

"That icicle support group Paul used to go to. First one is always mandatory to make sure they haven't killed themselves."

"Why does everyone call them that?" Khan was getting mildly irritated with the term that currently applied to his entire crew and self.

"Because they're like little popsicles for hundreds of years in dark rooms. Like little icicles in a cave."

Khan was silent.

"You need to be nicer to people."

"It is not my fault that some people are lacking in the intellect department."

"AH! Arrogance. You need to work on that too."


Marla no longer felt like exploring. She crossed to the other side of the platform to go home. She cursed herself for allowing a rude stranger to completely spoil her mood and afternoon. After meeting Amanda, she felt very alone. Everyone felt distant. She pulled her jacket around her tighter, suddenly feeling a bit cold.

She couldn't wait for that support group meeting.


Khan entered his apartment and threw everything on the couch while stripping off his clothes, leaving a trail behind him on the way to his shower. He didn't have time in the morning as he opted to go back to bed after a late night in the lab.

He felt a tiny bit guilty about being rude to someone who was completely new to this strange new world as he was. But she had to learn that people in this time were no kinder than the last life. He turned the shower on and adjusted the temperature on the little pad. He did miss the simple knobs. But yes, she needed to learn. Especially with a pretty face like hers. Besides, she had barely said a damn word herself.

He scowled. He was not here to ogle women. A tiny part of his mind told him it was perfectly fine to look and appreciate. He found the washcloth and bar of soap on the rack and began washing himself. He vaguely wondered what her hair would look like down. He bet it looked very nice. He hated it when women did their hair up in elaborate, uncomfortable looking styles. He just didn't see how it was practical or comfortable. He bet she had long hair. Simple, soft.

His hand found his cock, he leaned back against the shower wall and closed his eyes, mind wandering to a faceless woman as he relieved himself of his tensions of work, hand working his shaft. He sank into the feel of pleasure, reveling in the delicious friction.

He finished and let the water clean up.

He shampooed and thought about his free day and night ahead. He really did not want to go to this bar. He had never heard of Parrises Squares. To him, bars were like Tribbles. They served only for pleasure and reproduction and were dangerous in high numbers. Perhaps he would just have a beer and leave. That is, if Lakewood would allow him to sneak out.

God, the second he regained control, Lakewood would be one of the first to go. He was a leader, and right now they needed a new leader. One who was not going to stupidly initiate wars with other planets just because they had some tension issues. He had always viewed himself to be the most peaceful of the Augments. There were some who had called him a tyrant, evil. Despotic.

If keeping a peaceful control of a territory made him that, then so be it. There were no massacres or wars under his control. He had been planning on allowing them more, little freedoms once they had gotten used to him as their leader, stopped fighting him. He had let them have their little festivals under immense supervision. Go the way of Alexander the Great. Allow them to resume their lives, their customs. Immediately execute anyone who dared cross him. His plan was not to initiate genocide like the others suggested and had started doing, but start interbreeding with the least inferior, sterilize the most inferior and start building from there to elevate up to their level over generations, allowing there to be some leveling of the playing field. A new Earth. A new breed of humanity. Get everyone on the same level.

But right now, he was not a leader. He was a servant to a nightmare. Right now, he was being forced to be a normal human. And a normal human life he was becoming accustomed to. He did not like that. He did not like the idea of this being normalcy. He did not like that he was becoming used to this and started feeling slightly content with this apartment. But right now, this was the only option. Blend in.

As to the afternoon, he figured he probably should go get groceries. Maybe he should get some condoms in case he did decide to take some drunk home. He admitted it had been awhile. Since before he was frozen. As he recalled it was one of his followers, he couldn't remember her name or what she looked like. He couldn't remember if she had told him it or not. She was killed a week later anyways by an assassin looking to kill him.

He hated the idea of picking up women from as filthy a place as a bar, but right now, it seemed it was one of his only options. Then again, he probably wouldn't want to touch half the women there.

He finished up and shut off the water. He decided against it. The women who were to be likely hanging around the group tonight were going to be disgusting and loose. After all, that did seem the type of woman Lakewood had a tendency to attract. Attractive women, yes. But complete cesspools of sexual diseases.

Khan decided to figure it out later. Groceries were first.


Marla smiled with delight at the furry little purring ball in her hand. She nearly giggled when she felt it snuggle down into her palm.

"It's called a Tribble." The middle aged man named Samuel Kim leaned back in the hard plastic chair next to her in the giant circle of people. "People love these things as pets, so long as they're sterilized, that is. They're asexual. Reproduce by itself. They give birth to litters every few hours or so. I sterilize and sell them. If someone has a tribble issue, they call me and I come sterilize and take them to sell as pets. They're perfectly harmless, just gotta keep your eye on them when you're eating or if there's food out."

Group had started ten minutes prior and they were in the process of everyone introducing themselves. She had counted twenty people in the room. From what she knew from his introduction, he was Korean-Irish, defrosted fifteen years ago and ran his own pest control slash Tribble pet business. Samuel had seen her staring at the furry creature in his hand.

"This one this young woman has is Baxter. The first tribble I successfully sterilized. People ask me all the time what the secret is and I just tell them, it's simple and they can figure it out for themselves. Gotta keep myself in business! By the way, here's my card if anyone needs me for anything." He handed a stack of cards to Marla to pass around. She took one and tucked it in her boot with her free hand.

"Alright, your turn dear. Last, but not least. Looks like you're a right Tribble lover." Samuel grinned at her.

"My name is Marla McGivers. I am twenty-six years old. I was unfrozen today. Before I was a historian and before that I was a Lieutenant in the United States Army, honorably discharged after four years. They paid for my university classes and I paid them back with my service. And yes, Samuel, I do think I love Tribbles. Here take him back before I steal him."

"You won't love them so much when they eat you out of house and home." One of the other members named Scarlett grumbled. Scarlett Honda, forty years old. The Japanese woman had black and white dyed hair that was cut short into a severely angled bob. She was impeccably dressed and currently sat with her arms and legs crossed.

"I sterilized them, didn't I?" Samuel snapped.

"After they ate EVERYTHING." She snapped back. "THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE ALL MY FOOD."

"Alright, let's refocus." Dr. Burton interrupted. Of course, a psychologist, Dr. Jane Burton was in charge of overseeing the support group. She had seen many come and go, other stay. But at the end of the day, she admitted she could find no other group they hosted at the hospital quite as close knit as the Cryonic Support Group. They went out for drinks after their meetings and usually found company and occasionally romance with each other. They called each other, messaged, went out as a group…the list went on.

"Marla, how are you feeling today?"

"Erm…"

"Be honest, we ain't here to judge. We all been there." Tyrone fidgeted with his hat in his hands as he sat slumped in his seat. Tyrone Jenkins, Marla noted was unfrozen a few years ago. Relatively young. She thought he said he was twenty-two. Of course the procedure was available only to those over the age of eighteen, Tyrone was frozen at age nineteen.

"Um…at first I was scared. I was excited about it and now I feel very alone. I found a friend earlier though on the subway. But I still feel very alone."

"You're not alone now." Marie beside her touched her hand. Marie Fireblood, another young one. Also twenty-two. Marie's black hair partially covered the scars across her olive skinned neck. "You have us." She gave a reassuring smile.

'Yeah, most of us are a bunch of old coots, but honey, we are here for you and for all of you new folks. José, Marla, Andrea, Mario, Tom." Scarlett uncrossed her arms.

"Are you experiencing any suicidal thoughts?" Dr. Burton pressed on.

"No."

"Good. That's good."

"Am I late?" Marla's face lit up to see Amanda Sayes shuffle in.

"Ms. Sayes?" Dr. Burton looked at her.

"What? Am I not allowed to come help support my late husband's friends? Am I not allowed to come and help the defrosts understand things going on in the world now?"

"Of course you are." Rodger grunted. Rodger Kaiser, in his sixies. Marla glanced at him. "You're one of us now, Amanda. Paul loved it when you came with him and I'm sure they will gain knowledge from you." He gestured to the group.

"Hell yeah." Tyrone murmured. "Grammy Amanda is the baddest granny ever."

"Tyrone, are we still on for lunch tomorrow?" Amanda turned to glance at him

"You bet Grammy. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Miss Marla. It is so good to see you here."

"Ah, so is Amanda your friend from earlier, Marla?"

"Yes." Marla nodded.

"I'm sorry for Johnny. He's under a lot of pressure at work. He's usually not like that." Amanda smiled sweetly.

"It's okay." Marla forced an awkward smile.

Amanda shuffled towards an empty chair and the circle opened to allow her to sit.

"Amanda is a collector of lost souls in a way." Samuel leaned over and tipped the tribble back in Marla's hands. "Here, you look like you need some Baxter trills. Anyways, she makes everyone feel more comfortable. She's a right angel."

"Samuel, you're going to make me addicted to this tribble." Marla turned to him and stated sternly as she petted Baxter.

"Samuel, you're still bringing those things to meetings?" Amanda sighed.

"They're good therapy pets! Marie, you agree with me?"

"Quite. I own one of Samuel's tribbles. I sneak it into work with me." Marie admitted sheepishly. She reached out her hand to Marla who passed her the tribble. "They're so adorable, I can't help it and my job is so stressful!" She nuzzled the fluffy grey ball of fur and received a cascade of affectionate trills in response.

"So, José. What are you making of all this?"

José Hernandez, Thirty-two. Mexican-American. Woke up around three.

"Qué?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh, I think the tribbles are cute. Mi hija would have loved them."

"Not the Tribbles, your situation."

"Oh. It's scary. Didn't leave the hospital all evening."

"Tell me, why is it scary?"

"Because, lady! I'm here, in the future! My family is gone! I'm alone! I don't know how this world works! It's loco out there!" José's voice went higher and tears started running down his face. Tyrone reached out and patted him on the back. "Don't look at me, man." José buried his face in his hands.

"It's gonna be a-ight."

"Yeah, it's going to be fine, José." Tina started rubbing his back. Tina Marlowe, Fifty-five.

"José, are you feeling suicidal?" Dr. Burton asked quietly.

"Hell yeah."

"Alright, I want you to stay here tonight."

"Qué?"

"You're going to stay here tonight in the hospital."

"He can come stay with me if he wants." Amanda piped up. "I got a bed, some cats and a bunch of old antique appliances of Paul's I never threw out. Will make the transition a bit easier."

"Would you like that José?" Tina asked.

José nodded hard.

"Alright."

"José, you want to come out to the bar with us first for a little while man?" Tyrone asked.

"No."

"Okay. It's going to be okay. Man, if I can do it, you can do it. You're strong. You hear me? You strong."

Marla looked around the room, Andrea was clearly fighting back tears, lips tight and eyes closed.

Andrea Penner. Twenty. The youngest. The baby of the group. Marla got up and walked over and started rubbing her back gently.

"It's going to be okay."

Andrea shook her head violently, blonde curls bouncing.

"Yes it is. We're going to do this together, Andrea." Mario finally spoke.

Mario Giacanni. The elderly Italian man.

"You remind me so much of my granddaughter. She was so strong and you are too. Here, hold this little guy." He reached out to Marie who handed him Baxter. Baxter cooed and trilled as he was placed in Andrea's hands. She gave a little laugh.

"He's so soft. Like a little rabbit."

Dr. Burton sat silent. This is what the support group was about.

The rest of the hour passed, mostly discussing coping and how transportation worked.

Marla had decided she wanted another motorbike and to avoid public transit. Except Wednesday afternoons. She decided to embrace her role as Amanda Sayes's new afternoon subway buddy. At least until she got a job.

"Does anyone know where I can learn the new motorcycles?"

"Miss McGivers, you are not serious, are you?" Dr. Burton replied sharply.

"Why yes, I am."

"The last time you drove a motorcycle, you died."

"Gotta get back up on the horse." Marla responded.

"I like your attitude." Rodger grunted.

"There's a place down a few blocks." Amanda piped up.

"Thank you."

"I'll take you there tomorrow after I take you and whomever else wants to do their drivers exams again." Amanda leaned back.

"Thank you, Amanda."

"Alright, let's head out to the bar. You new guys coming?" Samuel stood up and stretched.

"Bar?" Tom looked up.

Tom Shields. Thirty-five. No wife or children. Just a dog that was most certainly dead.

"Yeah, after session we always go to Aftermath. There's a Parrises Squares game on tonight and they'll be having it on. Always a fun time." Fred grinned.

Fred Kraft. Twenty-four. Worked at Starfleet. Marla noted to keep an eye out for him if she got placed there.

"What's Parrises Squares?"

"It's a violent game. Kinda above the hockey-fights level of violent."

"I see."

"Come on, it will be fun."

"Alright." Mario grumbled.


Khan sat at the table with the group of men. He was correct in his assumption that it was going to be a wild boy's night. Already Lakewood and McGivers had had three beers and two shots of whiskey each, Coore had pounded back a gin and tonic, Thoms, Potter and Maloney were on their second beer. Meanwhile, Khan was still slowly sipping the beer he had. He was determined to not get drunk with this rowdy group.

Parrises Squares was turning out to be quite a savage game. The thought passed through his head that Augments were probably suited to this game and would make it far more interesting and vicious than it already was, which was hard to imagine.

"Drink up, Harrison. Next round's on me." Coore elbowed him. "Don't be shy, chug it."

Khan turned and gave him a dirty look.

"Who's chugging what?" McGivers turned around. His red hair looked almost blonde in the poor lighting of the bar.

"I'm trying to get John to finish his damn beer so I can buy him another one." Coore laughed.

"Come on John, the point of tonight is male bonding. You know, getting drunk and watching the game with your co-workers. Didn't you guys do anything like this back in London? Just down it." McGivers slapped him on the back.

"Why do you always come to this bar?" Khan asked him.

"For one, we like it here. Yeah it's an 'icicle' bar, but I'm an icicle myself." McGivers shrugged. The tall red head winced and cracked his shoulder.

"What?"

"Yeah, I was unfrozen a few years ago. My baby sister is still frozen. She died before I did and our family decided to freeze me as well. Don't know why they woke me up before her, but I like to come here and see if she's here. The support group comes here every Wednesday. I don't go anymore though. I should, but I don't. I got these guys now!"

"How did she die anyways Andrew, if you mind my asking?" Coore leaned over. "You've never said."

"Motorcycle accident. Her and that damn cycle. Her fiancé was sleeping with some bitch she used to work with and she broke off the engagement. She was speeding home from his place when she apparently swerved to avoid something in the road and was thrown off the bike."

"Sorry Drew. That's rough." Adam shook his head.

McGivers laughed. "Man, the neighbor kids used to call her 'Firebird' because she used to ride without her damn helmet and her hair would just fly everywhere. Did until she got pulled over and slapped with a huge fine. I hope she wakes up soon."

"Hope so too. Would love to meet her." Thoms passed him his beer. "Alright, let's get off this depressing shit. This is supposed to be male bonding. Now back to you, John. Finish the damn thing."

Khan rolled his eyes. If it would get them to shut up, then so be it. He tipped back the glass and drained it, earning a cheer of approval from the men around him.

"Joe! Another!" Coore yelled to the bartender. "You know what, actually, we're going get you slammed tonight, Harrison. Joe, get me a round of tequila shots with that beer."

Khan screamed internally. What had possessed him to agree to this? Even though he was genetically advanced, genetic engineering had not taken alcohol tolerance into account when upgrading everything. Superior in every other way except for getting drunk, he was on the same tolerance level as these Neanderthals.

"Just do it John, we're your friends. We're not going to let you drive drunk or anything." Potter grinned. Friends. His friends were his crew members. They were merely his coworkers.

'Don't be an asshole, Johnny.' Amanda Sayes's voice echoed in his head from their conversation earlier. 'Open your horizons. These guys might end up being some of your best friends.'

"I don't drive."

"Good! We'll make sure you get home alright."

Joe came over and set down the tequila shots and beer.

He sighed. Fine. He'd listen to advice this once and keep an open mind. Maybe it would do him good to get down on their intellect level for once. See how they saw the world.

"You know how to do this, John?" Maloney goaded.

"Not really."

'Breathe in, knock it back, chug the beer. Simple."

"You can do it." Lakewood encouraged.

Khan had never really felt much peer pressure as a teenager. But for some reason he was feeling like one again, sitting in a back room of the lab with the other Augments, sneaking alcohol.

"Bottoms up, motherfuckers." McGivers grabbed a shot as the others quickly followed.

Khan could not even describe the sensation of the tequila hitting his throat and senses. He quickly downed the beer, attempting to negate it.

"Damn, look how red Harrison's face is! Good God man!" Lakewood slapped him on the back while laughing.

Khan coughed violently.

The door opened, sending in a stream of cold air from off the Bay.

"Looks like the group's here, Andrew. Got some new people I see." Potter nudged McGivers. "You going to go say hi? Hey, Earth to Commander Andrew McGivers. You alright?"

McGivers' glass fell from his grip and shattered on the floor. Khan looked up to see what exactly he was staring at. McGivers stood slowly.

"Andrew, are you alright, speak, man! Did that tequila cause a stroke?"

Khan's eyes landed on her. The woman from the train that morning. Her eyes were locked on Andrew. What did Amanda say her name was? Marla?

"Marla." Andrew whispered, his voice shaking.

Marla's mind was numb with shock as she stared. Andrew? Her mind raced. He died. If he had died young, perhaps her family had decided to freeze him too. Her entire body shook.

"Andrew?" She mouthed, her voice not working. Her hand went to her mouth.

"MARLENA!" Andrew bellowed and tore across the bar, knocking Khan over in the process, shoving people out of his way before scooping up his sister in his arms and swinging her around.

"Well, guess guy's night is over." Lakewood commented dryly.

"Shut up Lakewood. This might be the tequila talking, but this is beautiful." Maloney shoved him off the chair.

Khan stumbled up, tequila starting to make him feel a bit fuzzy. He deduced he really probably should have eaten before going drinking.

"Andrew, we're causing a scene." Marla finally found her voice.

"Wait, THIS is your sister, Andrew?" Samuel interrupted. "I KNEW McGivers sounded familiar."

"Yeah, this is my baby sister, Sam." Andrew petted his sister's hair. "I thought I'd never see you alive again." He choked before embracing her in a bear hug.

"You're drunk and I love you, brother. I didn't tell you that enough growing up." She buried her face in his shirt and inhaled the scent of her brother. Of home. Of memories. Of Family. If she closed her eyes and imagined hard enough, she would be in her Grandmother's living room, surrounded by family for a cousin's birthday and Andrew would have just been walking in the door from the Naval yard.

"Me neither." Tears started going down his face. "Damn, I haven't cried since your memorial service, Marla."

"People are staring, let's go outside."

"Yeah, yeah."

The siblings retreated out to the street.

"Andrew, you're going to have to let go of me."

"No. I'm afraid you're a drunken hallucination and if I let go, I'm going to lose my baby sister all over again. Is that Dad's hoodie?"

"Yeah." Marla nodded, she looked up at her brother who still would not let her go.

"He made them put that on you. He said 'I don't want her to be cold when she wakes up.' It was his idea, he wanted you to be comfortable. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have protected you."

"No! No, no, no, no! It's not your fault, Drew. It was never your fault."

"I should have been a better brother and driven you over to go get your stuff from him when you asked. I'm so sorry Marls."

"Andrew, it's not your fault."

"I'm going to take way better care of you this time, I promise."

"Think we should go after them? I mean, he is drunk and she's probably just unfrozen this week." Coore glanced around the table. "Don't want them both passing out from shock."

"Today, judging by the hospital bracelet."

"Probably." Potter sighed. "Let's give them some privacy first, I can see them through the window. I'll let you know if one of them hits the pavement."

Khan stared, transfixed at the pair, stomach churning. He imagined that would be what it was going to be like when his crew reawakened. The happy glow around the siblings, he wanted that so desperately with his crew, his friends, his family.

"Nah, I want to go meet this sister." Lakewood stood and swayed on the spot. "Damn, I cannot believe that's his sister. Fuck, she's hot."

"Hey! You know the rules, Adam." Maloney pointed at him. "No."

Lakewood ignored him and headed for the door. The others got up quickly and followed him.

"Adam! ADAM!"

Khan merely took another drink of the beer next to him. People started staring at him. He groaned, drained it, stood and followed.

The group of men were surrounding the pair.

"Yeah, Marla, these are the Commanders. They all work on my floor or a few floors above me. Guys, this is my sister, Lt. Marlena McGivers." Andrew beamed. "Marla, this is Jacob Thoms, Will Potter, Kenny Maloney, Thomas Coore, and Adam Lakewood. Oh and there's John Harrison. He's new."

"Oh. We met earlier. On a train."

"What?"

Khan looked up at a lamp post.

"Yes, my apologies."

"What?" Andrew's drunken face showed complete confusion.

"Story for another day."

"Well, I for one am honored to meet you." Lakewood stepped forward and held out his hand. Marla hesitantly took it, expecting a handshake, instead Lakewood brought her hand to his lips and yanked her towards him, catching her off guard. "Marlena, I have heard much about you and I can see why they called you 'Firebird.' You are as beautiful as the Stravinsky Suite."

"Um…thank you?" Marla's eyes darted to Andrew as to say to get this man as far away as possible from her.

"Back up Lakewood, this is my baby sister, not a bar whore." Andrew growled as he moved between them.

"Noted." Adam threw his hands up and backed off.

Khan took a good look at the woman in front of him. She wore an oversized grey hooded zip up sweatshirt, her hair neatly pinned up with the same pants she had on earlier. His earlier noting of her still stood. She was very pretty. Of course, that could also be the alcohol starting to infiltrate his system. Her auburn hair showed its red sheen off the streetlights, the light hitting her eyes at just the right angle to light her brown irises.

If he were artistic, he would have wanted to take a photograph of this woman, staring boldly, almost angrily at them at them from slightly behind her brother. He almost immediately recognized the tiniest flicker of fear. After all, she had just awoken from death itself and now there was her brother whom she expected to be dead in front of her, shielding her from a group of drunk men.

It was very, very clear a boundary was being set by Andrew. Touch her beyond a handshake and incur his wrath. Touch his sister and he would rip your throat out. He could also see that Lakewood intended fully to violate it the very second he could find an opportunity. This wordless social situation was far more interesting than Parrises Squares.

"Drew. I'm going back inside with the group. Come here." McGivers bend down to the female McGivers as she muttered something in his ear, back turned towards them. Khan noted Lakewood was staring intently at her ass.

"What's the apartment number?" He muttered and she continued to speak to him.

"Andrew, you are drunk. You need to go home and sleep it off because I am sure you have work in the morning."

"I'm not drunk." He argued.

"Yes, you are. I don't want to talk to you while you're drunk. Go home. I promise I'll still be here. We'll catch up on your day off. Go back and be with your friends."

"They're my co-workers."

"Go home, Andrew."

"No, who's gonna take care of you?"

Marla grabbed his face.

"Me. Now go before you start something. I know what you're like drunk. Go home." Her eyes drifted to the reflection in the shop window across the street.

"You can stop staring at my ass, I can see your reflection." She raised her voice. Lakewood turned red and coughed.

"Okay Marls. I'll be by tomorrow, I promise." He turned and walked back towards his co-workers. He turned back around. "Love you Marla."

"Love you too, Drew. GO HOME."

"Dead for two hundred years and still bossy." He grumbled.

"Come on, let's go." Coore grabbed Andrew's arm and jerked his head towards the subway. "You too." He yanked Lakewood back from attempting to approach Marla again.

Marla watched them leave, her eyes locked with John Harrison's icy blue ones and her breath hitched.

"Harrison, you coming?"

They seemed to freeze her very soul before he turned his head and continued on his way. He was slightly confused. They were happy about seeing each other and she sent her brother away. He did not understand. It was the alcohol, it had to be by this time.

"Nothing can ruin this night." McGivers looked at the ceiling of the train. He shut his eyes and leaned back in the seat. "But why would she send me away?"

"Because she needs some time to process." Coore responded. Coore was definitely the most sober of the group at this point and was continuing to sober up pretty fast. "Let her come to you."

"No!" McGivers whined.

"Andrew, you are drunk. Shut up. She needs time. Today has probably been a rough fucking day."

Lakewood giggled.

"I swear, you act like you're a teenager when you're drunk, Lakewood." Maloney groaned.

"Harrison, you still alive over there?"

"Affirmative." His mind was definitely fuzzy now, the last beer beginning to take effect.

"You need to come drinking with us more. Things happen when you come drink with us." Lakewood slurred as he reached over to grab his shoulder and felt around the air before giving up.

"Tomorrow is going to be hell." Potter sighed. "I'm not twenty anymore, that's for sure."

"Pike will have our asses if we show up hung over."

"Should have thought of that before doing tequila shots." Coore shot at the group.

"Harrison, are you drunk?" Maloney looked over at him.

Khan remembered he needed to get off at this stop. He stood and swayed.

"Easy there, John."

"I bid you all adieu."

He hoped to hell his body would cycle through the alcohol quickly as he leaned against the wall in the elevator.

He headed straight for his bed the second he entered the apartment, burying his face in his pillow. He closed his eyes, the image of the woman standing in front of him, eyes blazing clear as day in his mind. He knew at this moment if Lakewood was home, he was probably masturbating himself into a coma, the inferior twit. He would be whining in the elevator in the morning about a sore shoulder and a hangover.

Already he felt himself beginning to sober up. Good. That was his last though before fading off into sleep.