Sorry for all the problems with formatting this chapter. Hopefully it will be okay now!

Disclaimer: Sorry, not mine. Never were. Never will be.

Rimmer's Decision


Rimmer lay in his bunk, staring off into empty space. He knew what he had to do, or rather, he knew what he should do. But the idea of leaving Starbug forever to pursue a life of danger, intrigue and heroism made him quake in his highly-polished boots. He didn't want to go. He didn't have to, after all. Lister was the only person who knew and he would understand. Surely. Yes.

He closed his eyes and settled down against the pillow. He'd have a quiet word with Lister tomorrow and they'd sort it out somehow. He wouldn't have to leave.

He was just dropping off to sleep when suddenly, a great white light flooded the room. He groaned and screwed his eyes up tighter, "Lister, turn the smegging light off!"
"ARNOLD RIMMER." a great voice that was most certainly not Lister's boomed his name and he bolted upright in bed. "What the smeg is going on!"
"YOU MUST LISTEN TO ME. THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME."
"Smeg off."; said Rimmer, "You should have come earlier. And where are you anyway?"
"I AM EVERYWHERE."
Rimmer swallowed hard, "Um. You're not God, are you?" he asked nervously.
"NO. NOT AS SUCH. BUT I AM...SOMETHING. NOW LISTEN TO ME. YOU MUST LEAVE STARBUG AND TAKE UP YOUR DESTINY AS ACE."
"But I don't want to!"
"IT MUST BE."
"Why?"

"THE FATE OF MUCH AND MANY RESTS UPON IT. I CANNOT TELL YOU EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS: IF YOU DO NOT GO, IT MAY SPELL THE END OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF."
"Oh bugger." said Rimmer in a very small voice.
"INDEED." The voice agreed.
"But,"Rimmer protested, "I don't know how to be Ace! I was crap at all the training! I can't get the wig to sit straight! And I'm a coward!"
"NONETHELESS, IT MUST BE DONE. AND IF ALL GOES AS IT SHOULD, YOU SHALL BE THE GREATEST ACE RIMMER OF ALL."

"And you're sure you haven't got the wrong dimension or something?" Rimmer asked, "Perhaps a slight miscalculation in timing? A little temporal fault?"
"NO. NOW STOP TRYING TO SQUIRM OUT OF IT. YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO. IF NOT FOR YOURSELF, THEN DO IT FOR THEM."

Within the blazing light, Rimmer saw the images of his sleeping crewmates. "Are they really that desperate to get rid of me?" he asked.
"NO. WELL...NOT ALL OF THEM. BUT IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE THEM NOW IT MAY BRING DISASTER FOR THEM AS WELL AS YOU AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS UNIVERSE."
Rimmer gazed at the sleeping figures, one in particular. "If I go," he said softly, "I'll never see him...I mean them...any of them...again. Will I?" At his words, the voice became more kindly. "THIS MUCH I THINK IT IS SAFE TO TELL YOU. YOU WILL SEE THEM AGAIN. SOON, IF THINGS WORK OUT. LISTER HAS HIS OWN DESTINY TO FULFILL AND BEFORE THE END YOUR TWO DESTINIES WILL INTERWEAVE. YES. YOU WILL SEE HIM AGAIN." There was a pause to let this sink in. "NOW HOP TO IT!"

The light faded and left Rimmer alone once again in his darkened quarters.