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Many thanks to my amazing beta EntAllat.

Music: Monster by Skillet

The next day Reed sent him a message, saying that he'd dealt with his sister's situation. He checked the database and Reed had kept his word. There was nothing to be found about Lizzy's arrest and even when he looked in the database's deleted files by using his own special logarithm, there was no reference to Lizzy. It was as if it had never even happened.

He called Lizzy. It took a couple of seconds before the image became clear on his monitor and his sister's lovely face appeared. She had cut her blond hair short, which he thought was a shame, and she looked clearly annoyed.

"You may not believe this, Charles," Lizzy said, "but some of us don't take everything for granted what the Terran Empire says."

As if he really believed everything the Empress and her power hungry friends said! Early on, Charles had adopted a single policy: do your work and keep your nose clean. He stayed away from the power games everybody seemed to love. All he wanted was to be an engineer, to work and try to live his life.

"Look, sis," he started. "Everything we do is monitored. I don't want you to get in serious trouble."

"But that doesn't give you the right to interfere with my life, Charles," Lizzy interrupted.

So much for gratitude for saving her ass. "I don't care if you hate that I look after you, Liz," he grumbled. "We live in dangerous times and I prefer you alive and well, not dead."

Lizzie's face softened. "I know you mean well, Charles." She sighed. "We must see each other soon, don't you think?"

He knew she meant she wanted to speak to him in private, away from the monitoring cameras, if that was possible. "Good idea," he said.

"You look tired, Charles," Lizzie continued, looking somewhat worried. "Do you have trouble sleeping?"

Lizzie knew of his old problems with sleep.

Last night's nightmares aside, he'd also experienced some strange sensations. He found it hard to describe, but now and then this morning he felt like a wave of emotion washed over him. They felt like anxiety, confusion and shame. But he didn't couldn't figure out why he would feel that. He wasn't ashamed, nor confused, and anxiety and fear had been his companions for so long, had been such a part of him, that he hardly noticed them. But still, even at this moment, there were emotions humming in the back of his mind. Not strong, but they were there and they almost felt if they weren't his, as if they were alien to him.

It was probably lack of sleep. Or the aftermath of T'Pol messing with his mind. Or he was losing his mind.

"I'm fine," he answered Lizzy. "Just a lot on my mind. Work stuff."

"Take care," Lizzy said. He wished her well and ended their conversation.

He checked the work progress of his team and then went straight to Reed. The major had given so many mysterious hints about his new plans, he was curious what he had to tell.

Reed seemed glad to see him, which deepened the mistrust Charles had against the man.

As soon as he sat, Reed handed him a PADD. "I have found a very interesting article about a research program in the database on the Defiant," he started. "It's written by a scientist named Elizabeth McGrath. You've heard about this other universe? According to this study, it's possible to transport someone from that universe to ours by use of a gateway. I noticed from the logs, you also had read it."

Charles had read the piece, but hadn't reported the study. He didn't want any one getting wrong ideas in the name of the Empire. "There were a couple of studies in the Defiant database about the spatial interphase, the gateway you mentioned, between our universe and that so-called other universe. I didn't found it very useful," he answered Reed. "The interphase is a sort of worm-hole. It can be instable and it could have unknown effects on our technology. Even if we're able to scan through this worm-hole, there is still a high risk that if we use our transporter technology in combination with the interphase, we'd kill someone in the process."

Reed shrugged. "McGrath also suggested we can also travel through the spatial interphase."

"I know, but can our ships withstand the enormous pressure in the spatial interphase?"

"What about the Defiant?" Reed suggested, "She's the best ship we have."

"If we enhance the shields, it may work," Charles admitted. "But it's still a great risk. If we travel through, we may not survive." He was impressed that clearly Reed had done his homework, but he still thought the whole plan was madness. In the back of his mind suspicion began to rise. Why would the Major want to travel to other universe? To gain more power himself?

"So this is your new project," Reed ignoring his warning. "Enhance the shields, study the interphase, and make sure we can travel to this other universe. According to the study, traveling to a future universe is not possible or possible only in a distant future," he continued, disappointment dripping in his voice, "But we can start our tests by traveling to a universe in the same time frame. You can make the proper calculations to get us there."

"Does the Empress approve of this plan?" Charles asked, thinking how much Sato had pressured him to finish his current projects and how she always aspired to be in control of every new direction or new plan.

"Totally," Reed confirmed, "Without her permission, we wouldn't be having this discussion."

A thought dawned him. "You want to use the people and the technology of that other universe," he said to Reed, trying to keep his voice neutral. "That's why you ask about transporting people through the worm hole. You and Sato want to kidnap scientists from that other universe."

It was wrong. In spite of his policy of being neutral, in spite of him only wanting to do his job, in spite of the fact that he didn't know these people, this wasn't good.

"You're smarter that I thought," Reed answered with a huge smile. "Think of all the technology we can learn more about, think about all the people we can take and use for the Empire. Think of the people of this universe." He empathized his last sentence, took a PADD and lay it in front of him.

The PADD had a split screen. One showed Lizzie, walking around the university. On the other, T'Pol's cell was to been seen. T'Pol was sitting in a corner, unmoved.

Reed removed the PADD without a word, but his message had been clear. Both Lizzie and T'Pol were monitored, so for both of them, he'd better do as he was told. Think of the people of this universe. He thought about his baby sister, almost happy. He thought about those empty eyes of T'Pol when he had visited her cell. And he made his decision.

"I will make the calculations," he muttered. "Send the information to my desk."

"Will do," Reed answered. "I'll also send you the information on our target, a genius from that other universe. We like to travel to that alternate universe, scan for him, transport him aboard the Defiant and bring him home to us."

Charles walked as quickly as possible to his desk. He was curious who the poor man could be that was the subject of a devious political game and deadly riskily scientific project.

When he opened the file Reed had sent, he gasped. It felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart. Before him was a picture of a young man, smiling. It was his old face, before the accident but it wasn't him. It was Commander Charles Tucker, chief engineer of Enterprise, his counterpart of that other universe.

He breathed deeply and regained control. He shouldn't care. This was not him. He only had to care about himself, not about this stranger.

But deep inside, he felt like the earth had opened and swallowed him. He was in trouble, more than ever before in his life.