Chapter Title: Time and Time Again

Chapter Synapses: A temporal anomaly encountered on an away mission leaves the crew experiencing the same day over and over again, and only Winters and Collins remember each loop.

Written by: Seraph Koji

"What do you think it is, Watson?" Commander Dorian Collins handed Hyperion's chief science officer, Lieutenant Watson, a small device as they and three other Hyperion officers stood in the ruins of a city on an M-Class planet.

"I'm not sure." Watson stared at the device.

Winters walked over the two, "Ma'am, Commander VonBach is returning to the transport site, he wants to know if you're ready."

"I still need to collect samples of the produce." Watson handed the device back to Collins and walked off.

"Wait for him." Collins ordered, toying with the device in her hand.

Winters poked the device, "What is it."

"We don't know." Collins replied.

Winters poked it again, pressing a button accidentally. A light shined from the device and the world around Winters and Collins turned dark.

Sen stood above them in Hyperion's Sick Bay when they awoke. "Looks like you two had a rather nasty encounter with a weapon of some sort. It rendered you unconscious, but you're otherwise fine."

"Thanks, Doc." Collins hopped to her feet and left, followed by Winters.

Time passed and Collins found herself writing a report on the findings. "So, all we were able to conclude is that the Orilians were decimated rather quickly, and damage to plant life suggests a mild metagenic weapon." She paused, "Judging by an artifact we found on the planet surface, efforts were made by the people at any possible juncture to prevent loss of life in day-to-day activities."

Winters held an ancient Terran Excalibur in a holographic training simulation designed by VonBach, who stood opposite her with a Klingon Bat'Leth.

"Just switch to a Bat'Leth, Sarah. Terran weapons are useless against Klingon weapons." VonBach taunted.

Winters pointed her blade at VonBach, "Maybe this comes from having fought against Klingons many rimes, but I hate their weapons. So exaggerated. The Excalibur from Earth mythology perfectly blends style and functionality." She lunged at VonBach, who blocked her attack with his weapon, and went back at her. She dodged it, and went at his side, striking him.

"Not bad… for a girl." VonBach regained his balance.

Winter gritted her teeth, "Oh, that's it!" Their weapons clashed.

"Knocked out by some alien toy." VonBach pushed his weapon against hers. "How did your side ever win that war with you on Enterprise?"

Winters slid her blade quickly away from his Bat'Leth, causing him to stumble forwars, where she beat him over the head with the base of her sward. VonBach fell to the ground. "Or with you on the Destiny?"

"Style and functionality." VonBach scoffed, using his Bat'Leth to trip her. He then jumped to his fee and put one of his blade's points to Winters' throat.

"Collins to VonBach, I need your team's report from the away mission! You're late giving that to me!" his comm.. badge chirped.

"It was close, Sarah, but I win." VonBach threw his Bat'Leth aside, "Computer, exit."

More time passed, and Collins, sitting in her quarters painting, put her paints down and laid down in her bed. Soon enough, she awoke with a start, Sen standing above her in Sick Bay. "Looks like you two had a rather nasty encounter with a weapon of some sort. It rendered you unconscious, but you're otherwise fine."

"Asim, what happened?" Collins asked.

"You were found unconscious on the planet surface. VonBach had you beamed directly here, and you woke up." Sen explained.

Collins looked confused. She looked over at Winters, who looked as confused as Collins, "Doctor, that happened yesterday."

"A dream." Sen replied, "Check the stardate if you must."

"No…" Collins stood and tapped her badge, "Collins to engineering, I want a full analysis of the device. I want a chronometric analysis in my hands in two hours."

Time passed and winters found herself in the combat simulation again. Winters held the Excalibur against VonBach with a Klingon Bat'Leth.

"Just switch to a Bat'Leth, Sarah. Terran weapons are useless against Klingon weapons." VonBach taunted.

Winters pointed her blade at VonBach, "Maybe this comes from having fought against Klingons many rimes, but I hate their weapons. So exaggerated. The Excalibur from Earth mythology perfectly blends style and functionality." She lunged at VonBach, who blocked her attack with his weapon, and went back at her. She dodged it, and went at his side, striking him.

"Not bad… for a girl." VonBach regained his balance.

Winter gritted her teeth, "Oh, that's it!" Their weapons clashed. Winters slowly realized how similar this was to the battle before…

"Knocked out by some alien toy." VonBach pushed his weapon against hers. "How did your side ever win that war with you on Enterprise?"

Winters slid her blade quickly away from his Bat'Leth, causing him to stumble forward, where she beat him over the head with the base of her sward. VonBach fell to the ground. "Or with you on the Destiny?"

"Style and functionality." VonBach scoffed, trying to use his Bat'Leth to trip her, but she jumped aside and put the point of her blade to the back of his neck.

"I win." Winters smiled.

"Collins to VonBach, I need your team's report from the away mission! You're late giving that to me!" his comm.. badge chirped.

"How could you…" VonBach threw his Bat'Leth aside, struggling to his feet, "Computer, exit."

Winters' smile faded, "Winters to Captain Starwind."

"So you had a prophetic dream?" Starwind asked Collins and Winters.

"No, I don't think so." Winters shook her head.

"I think we're in a loop. And only the two of us retain memory. Maybe we keep traveling back or maybe Hyperion itself does… but I think that device was a time-travel device." Collins handed the analysis to Starwind, "Next loop we'll start looking for a way to get out."

And so a number of 'next loop's came. Each time, a meager amount of headway was made, but after a while, Winters and Collins grew annoyed, some loops just sitting in their quarters, lying in bed all day. Winters had her fight with VonBach down to a science, so every one of his strikes was blocked and he was done in minutes. Eventually, Collins asked Sen to scan her for residual chronoton particles left over from time travel, the hope being to get the phase variance of the particles.

"I admire you, Commander." Sen said, his scan underway.

"Why?" Collins asked.

"Your work ethic." Sen felt a need to elaborate, "You can do, theoretically, whatever you want without fear of consequences."

The next loop was fun.

Collins hit a gulf ball onto the transporter, "Energize!" The ball dematerialized, "Where'd it go?"

"I modified it so Federation communications beacons would carry the patters… It will materialize in the office of the Federation ambassador to New Talax in the Delta Quadrant."

"That's gotta be a record…" Collins smiled, "My first time playing golf, too."

As was the next loop, at least for Collins…

Collins entered Starwind's ready room, "Captain, I wish to resign my commission." She handed him a padd.

"All right, Dorian, but can I ask why?" Starwind asked.

Collins smiled, "So this is a hell of a lot less uncomfortable." She smiled innocently walking over to him, "Victor…" She paused, "What the hell, you're not my superior officer anymore!" She kissed him passionately.

And after that…

"Computer, activate auto-destruct sequence, Authorization Collins, Dorian, First Officer, Epsilon-Three-Mark-Five-Delta-Echo-Destruct." Collins stood on the bridge, devoid of all crew outside her and Winters.

"Confirm," Winters sat in the Captain's chair, "Authorization Winters, Sarah, Chief Operation's Officer, Zero-Zero-Zero-Mark-Gamma-Charlie-Destruct."

"Twenty-Four hours, silent countdown. Disable all escape pods, shuttle bays, and transporters." Collins sighed, "Not like we'll be here to see it… for that matter, neither will they."

"Still scares the crap out of them." Winters smiled.

And the next loop…

"Energize!" Winters ordered, watching a monitor from the transporter room allowing her to view a section of space soon occupied by Commander VonBach,

Collins looked from the transporter controls to Winters, who looked refreshed. "Having a good time?"

Winters nodded, "It's the simple things in life you treasure."

Collins shrugged, "I suppose."

"Can we do Talara next?" Winters grew excited.

After a few more fun loops, work resumed.

"The phase variance of the chronoton particles on me is point zero three seven microns." Winters reported.

"Same here." Collins sighed, "So how do we phase-shift back into the proper time-stream? We already tried the device, it won't activate."

"Maybe if we bombard ourselves with chronoton particles… but we'd need some sort of energy charge to activate the new particles…" Winters tried formulating an idea.

"Transporters." Collins suggested.

Winters snapped her fingers, "That might do it. We'd need to make the phase variance of the new particles the opposite of what's shifting us now. Hopefully we woke up in Sick Bay for the last time! Meet me in transporter bay two in fifteen minutes."

Collins turned to leave, "Winters, those loops we messed around, absent-mindedly omit them from your report."

"I won't tell the Captain about that loop, don't worry." Winters smiled.

So fifteen minutes passed, and Winters injected herself and Collins with a hypospray, "That should do it, Commander."

Collins nodded to the transporter operator, "Energize," The two officers dematerialized and rematerialized.

Winters took a deep breath, "I hope that does it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Chief of Security to best in a combat training simulation."

Collins nodded, "And I have a painting of Hyperion to finish."

"First Officer's log. I have spent what felt like months reliving the same day. I've made entries like this several times. But my hope is that tonight, when I fall asleep, I'll wake up to a new day on the Hyperion. I should explain, but I intend to write a full report for Starfleet Command soon enough. Time to sleep, and find out what lies tomorrow."

Collins sat in Starwind's ready room with him across the table, "We activated the device accidently, as you know, and spent what seems like a good half a year reliving yesterday."

"I read your report, as well as Lieutenant Winters'. I realize you yourself probably don't remember each loop… but is there anything significant you left out?" Starwind asked.

Collins paused a moment. "Not really."

Starwind nodded, "It's good to know that such diligent crew members are under my command. Some people would have just given up after a month. You say you lasted almost six?"

"Yes, Captain." Collins responded.

"Good work, Commander." Starwind smiled, "Dismissed."