Chapter Four: Rude Awakening
Kira wakes groggily in her bed.
Odo…
The last image of her dream was of Odo. Kira's face warps with sorrow; Odo and the white expanse of her dream are gone. She is thankful for the familiar comfort of her bed and embrace of soft sheets, but they're not enough to shake the dream.
I've dreamt of him before, but this… this was different.
Slowly, Kira pries her eyes open. Confusion intrudes upon sadness.
It… shouldn't be this dark.
Kira finds herself almost completely blind despite gentle starlight from the windows in her bedroom. The real and perplexing effect of a dream's bright light constricting her pupils prompts her heartrate to quicken.
It wasn't a dream. I was in the Celestial Temple!
Lying on her side, Kira blinks in astonishment at an unseen wall she could practically touch if she chose to. As the fog of sleep lifts, she fights to recall details of her vision. Odo was there, but she remembers now that it wasn't really Odo.
It was a Prophet! A Prophet spoke to me! And… there were others.
Kira recalls Williams and Winn appearing in her dream. She relives the guilt that accompanied their presence—until she remembers the context.
They weren't judging me; they… I think they were delivering a message from the Emissary! What was it they said?
Kira is frustrated by her blindness and the fogginess of her memory. She closes her eyes to pursue elusive images.
The Emissary wants me to help someone adapt? Help who? Adapt to what?
Kira's brow furrows as she tries to remember more.
Someone was lost? Lost how? Did the Prophets say how to find them?
Kira's furrowed brow raises as another detail resurfaces.
I don't have to find them; the Prophets are sending them to me! When? Who?
As her memories solidify and she gains confidence in her recollection of the Prophets' message, Kira tries to imagine the possible nature of her soon-to-be guest. Will it be an alien ambassador from a far corner of the galaxy? Will it be someone from Bajor's past like the poet, Akorem Laan? Perhaps it could be a Kai from the distant future—space and time mean little to the Prophets.
Who are they sending?
Kira knows the possibilities are endless but, because the Emissary and Prophets are involved, she's convinced she's destined to meet a figure of great importance.
They'll need my help? Me? The Prophets said they 'prepared' them; what more can I offer?
Anxiety replaces Kira's awe of having spoken with the Prophets. She recalls their answers to her questions in the guise of Odo: "With knowledge. Soon. It knows you."
What knowledge did they give this person? What is "soon" to a Prophet? It 'knows' me?
The last point twists Kira's stomach. This undoubtedly regal guest of the Prophets could only learn of her from the Prophets themselves. She finds the idea of their words preceding her… unsettling.
How will I know what to do? What expectations will this 'visitor' have? What expectations do the Prophets have?
Kira opens her eyes to find they've begun to adjust. The dim starlight entering the windows at the far end of the room now reveals her missing bedroom wall. With renewed sight, her anxious gaze drifts to the strong symbol of comfort not far from the foot of the bed: Odo's bucket.
He'd remind me that I've been through much worse than fretting over an unexpected guest.
Thoughts of Odo quickly diffuse Kira's anxiety but at the cost of drifting back into sorrow. It was hard to see Odo appear so close, so real. She'd wanted to embrace him but resisted, knowing it was truly a Prophet that stood before her. All told, the experience created an uncomfortable mix of reverence and angst.
Now, staring at his bucket, Kira dwells on powerful memories that she and the real Odo formed together over the last few years. A tear slides down her cheek as she lingers on their poignant goodbye. Before she can move to wipe it from her face, Kira hears a rustling sound behind her. She freezes.
What was that?
Kira is immediately alert; her eyes open wide. The faint sound against absolute silence has pushed her conversation with the Prophets, even the sight of Odo, to distant corners of her mind. Her heart races. She listens. She hears nothing further for several eternal seconds.
Did I imagine it?
Very slowly, Kira rolls onto her back and turns her head. She is not alone.
What the…?
What Kira finds is not some fantastic alien or Bajoran in holy robes—nothing at all resembling a grand guest of the Prophets. Instead, she finds an ordinary-looking human male—fast asleep beside her.
Who the hell is this?!
Kira contemplates the level of perception she may have had while communing with the Prophets.
Did this man break in during my vision? Did he beam in? Would I have heard anything?
The sleeping man is on his back; his chest is bare. Kira blinks in shock as this elicits a repulsive suspicion. She lifts the sheet gently and, squinting in the low light, confirms it. Her jaw drops. Her brows, previously raised in alarm, bear down on the man like sharpened horns.
You sir, are a dead man!
Kira lowers the sheet as swiftly as she dares. She doesn't want to wake this bare intruder while still in a vulnerable position.
He could have a weapon—somewhere. It's dark, and he's…
Kira is disgusted by the obscene distraction and buries the thought with a soft growl. Slipping out of bed in a nightgown, she clenches her jaw and wraps herself in a robe. She plucks her phaser and combadge from the nightstand, tapping the latter as soon as the former is trained on her target.
"Kira to Security," her voice shakes with rage. She's no longer concerned with waking the man now that she's gripping a weapon.
"Yes, Colonel?" a voice answers over the comm.
"There's an intruder in my quarters. Send a team to my section and wait for further orders."
"Should we go to red alert? Do you need me to notify medical?"
Kira grunts in frustration. "Just send the damn team."
"Of course," the voice responds meekly. "They'll be there shortly."
Wiping remnants of sorrowful thoughts from her cheek, Kira's fury grows as the intruder stirs.
Chris wakes to excited voices. The heavy fog of a lengthy and unnatural sleep shrouds its source and true nature.
Geeze. Again? Go inside your apartment to fight for chrissake.
After his nightmares of white, Chris is relieved to wake to relative darkness. A soft glow from beyond the foot of the bed draws his attention.
Damn. They fix a street light or something? Room-darkening blinds my ass.
Oblivious to the immediate threat, Chris opens his mouth for a cavernous yawn. He stretches his arms wide with his hands in tight fists. When his ears pop, he hears something unexpected.
Is that… breathing?
To Chris, the room is but vague shades of black as his eyes have yet to adjust to the glow from outside. He turns to the sound from his right, fully expecting to find that radio static from his alarm clock has fooled his imagination. Instead, he finds a dark form looming beside the bed.
The hell is that?
Already upset with the presence of a naked man in her bed, Kira is sickened by his causal rousing. "Who are you?!" she yells as he turns to face her.
The man cries out and scrambles away in fright. His panicked flailing reaches the edge of the bed and he tumbles to the floor.
"Lights!" Kira commands as she furiously rolls her eyes. The man's panic and clumsy display only add insult to the intrusion. She aims her phaser at the edge of the bed. "I said: who are you?!"
Chris is terrified.
Shit! Someone broke in! If… if I can get to the closet and…
Before Chris can formulate a plan, a simple command from the intruder floods the room with light. Squinting and shielding his eyes, the first thing he notices is that this is not his bedroom. A close second is that he's completely naked.
What the…? Where are my pajamas?!
As Chris assesses his jumbled position on the floor, he realizes that the body occupying the space between the bed and nearby wall is not his own.
"Oh my god! What happened to me?!"
The angry voice yells in response. "What happened to you?! Mister, I don't know what you're talking about, but I can tell you exactly what's going to happen if you don't tell me who you are and what you've done!"
"What I've done?" Chris replies in shock. "But I haven't…"
After a delay, and with more words to digest, Chris feels a tinge of familiarity in the attacker's voice.
"Wait…"
Chris yanks the sheet from the bed and covers himself as he peeks over the mattress. He finds himself looking upon someone he has no logical explanation for being face to face with.
"…you're…"
Chris has a hard time speaking as he can't believe who he sees.
"…Nana Visitor?"
Kira draws a bead on the intruder's head as soon as he exposes it. His unusual address stays her trigger finger.
"What?!" Kira asks sharply.
"Miss Visitor?" the frightened man addresses her again.
He's saying 'visitor' like it's my damn name. The Prophets said their guest would know me but…
Kira stares at the man, dumbfounded by the bizarre exchange. There's a hint of recognition in his eyes, but she's too livid to believe he's anything more than an intrusive pervert.
…there's no way in hell they sent this man!
The man's expression changes. His cheeks flush with embarrassment as he glances down.
"Why am I…?"
"Naked?" Kira fumes. "I find you in my bed like that and you're going to pretend you don't know why?! I want answers, dammit! And if I don't like what I hear, I'm stunning your sorry ass! Now… how'd you get in here?!"
The man recoils at Kira's threat. He looks confused as he nods to her weapon. "But… but that's not really…"
Kira shifts her aim and pulls the trigger. A phaser blast hits the wall not half a meter from the intruder's head.
"Holy shit!" the man exclaims as he ducks behind the bed.
"Answer me, you bastard!" Kira yells. "This phaser's fully charged. If you've touched me, I will drain it on you!"
Chris cowers on the floor behind the bed. He's too stunned by the blast to register the woman's accusation.
That can't be real! Phasers aren't real!
Chris looks up at the smoking scar on the wall.
How can this be?!
"Security to Kira!" an excited voice that emanates from the ceiling exclaims.
"Go ahead," the woman replies with palpable anger.
Who the hell is she talking to? Did he just call her 'Kira'?
"Are you alright?" the urgent voice asks. "We detected phaser fire."
"That was me; I'm fine," the woman responds dismissively.
"And the intruder?"
"I've got him pinned down. I'll be hauling him in soon—to the infirmary."
The woman's final statement is emphasized and projected at Chris, still huddled behind the bed.
Wait… I'm the intruder?
"And the security team?" the voice asks.
"They can stand down. I'll fill you in later."
"Understood, colonel."
Chris blinks at the wall with wide eyes.
Who can stand down? Colonel?
Chris turns to peek at the woman again.
She's wearing the Bajoran nose-thing and earring, alright. Crazy thing is she looks exactly like she did on the TV show. But that was twenty years ago!
"This can't be," Chris says in shock. "You can't really be…"
"Shut up!" the woman snaps. "I'm not nah… nah… whatever. And I'm still waiting! If you've laid a finger on me, I'll…"
"What?! What are you talking about? I haven't…"
"That's it, pal. Lights out. I'll let security sort it out."
Chris ducks quickly when the woman takes a more deliberate aim. His respite is brief as the sound of angry footfalls travel around the bed.
This doesn't make any sense! She believes she's Kira Nerys! She looks like Kira Nerys!
Chris is out of time. The woman comes into view beyond the foot of the bed and raises her weapon.
Chris cries out in panic. "Don't shoot, Kira!"
As Kira rounds the bed and takes aim, she halts at the intruder's cry. Despite her rage, what may have been the distressed utterance of her name reminds her of the Prophets' claim that their guest would know her. Instead of squeezing the trigger, she clenches her jaw. "What did you say?"
"Please don't shoot," the man pleads with his arms crossed in front of his face.
Kira glares at the man wrapped in her bedsheet—frustrated that he didn't respond to the intent of her question. "Do you know who I am?!"
"This is crazy," the man sobs as he tucks an elbow over his eyes and extends his other hand in a pleading gesture.
"Oh, screw this," Kira says as her patience runs out. She takes aim once again.
"Kira Nerys isn't real," the man adds after finishing a deep, sniffling breath.
Kira jerks her head back and blinks. Not only does the intruder demonstrate clear knowledge of who she is, but he refers to her in the third person—as a figment of his imagination. "What?"
The man hesitantly lowers his arm to look Kira in her eyes. The fearful gaze unsettles her.
"You're right out of a TV show they don't even make anymore. You… can't be real."
"What are you talking about? Are you insane?"
"Insane?" the man blinks as if considering the possibility. "No, this… this has to be some kinky dream gone wrong."
"Excuse me?!" Kira's eyes ignite.
"My clothes are gone and you're… well…" The man gestures to Kira's bedclothes. "And now you're trying to kill me."
Kira pulls her robe closed without sacrificing her aim. "You demented son of a bitch. Have you…?"
"And I'm…" the man rambles on. "I'm not even me! I must be dreaming. Maybe… maybe I'm Lee Adama. Do I look like Lee Adama?"
Kira blinks furiously at the bizarre question. "Who?!"
The man points at Kira with suspicion. "Do you really not know, or are you pretending to not know since they're characters from two different shows? Maybe you really don't know and I'm..." The man frantically explores his face with his hands. "I can't tell! Am I me? Am I…?"
"Shut up!" Kira yells and thrusts the phaser forward. "Shut. Up! Just… just stop for a minute!"
The man falls silent at the emphatic threat.
Kira closes her eyes and rubs her forehead. "I-I need to think."
The woman's outburst and threatening gesture pulls Chris from his spiraling thoughts. With the chaotic conversation at a pause, he attempts to collect himself and take inventory of the situation.
I'm me. Who else would I be? And… this isn't a dream. Everything's too damn real. That phaser is definitely real, and she's…
Chris examines the woman closely. Her chest heaves and nostrils flare with angered breathing. Her jaw is clenched tight and the fingers rubbing her forehead are pressed against it so forcefully that they leave discolorations where the blood has been pushed from her skin.
She's flippin' real. She's dressed for bed and I'm… oh shit.
Chris gulps after reconsidering this scenario from the woman's perspective. She'd come to bed to find a naked man already there. The burn mark on the wall could've easily been a hole in his chest.
I might not've woken up at all!
As Chris stares at her in shock, the woman's mannerisms gradually become less agitated. The aggressive rubbing of her forehead slows and she takes slower, deeper breaths. The phaser directed at him slowly lowers, though he dare not move all the same.
Chris takes a slow, deep breath of his own as the immediacy of the threat wanes.
What the hell is going on?
Chris tries to think back to what happened before waking up in this fictional place.
I was on my way to meet Mike for lunch. A stoplight turned green and...
Kira focuses on taking deep breaths to calm herself.
Ease up, Nerys. The man's terrified. He's no guest of the Prophets, and he's obviously lost his mind, but maybe he didn't…
Kira's eyes pop open as the man breaks his silence.
"Oh… my… god," the man says with extreme awe.
Not only is the man no longer silent, but he's no longer on the floor—he's risen half-way to his feet. Kira raises her weapon, but the man doesn't flinch.
"Hey!" Kira says with renewed anger. "You sit yourself right back down."
The man still doesn't react. He's so consumed with something behind Kira that he almost fails to lift the concealing sheet as he stands.
"Oh, for the love of…" Kira huffs. "Seriously?"
The man half-heartedly adjusts his makeshift robe. As he does, Kira turns her head to steal a quick glance over her shoulder. She does a double-take when she sees the wormhole beyond her window.
"What the hell?" Kira says aloud as she stares beyond the window. "I shouldn't be able to…"
Suddenly remembering herself, Kira snaps her head back to the intruder. She finds that he's significantly closed the distance between them. Her aim never faltering, she steps backwards and out of his way as he slowly approaches one of the windows. She taps her combadge.
"Kira to Ops," Kira says while looking between the man and the wormhole with wide eyes. She doesn't wait for acknowledgement. "How is it I'm seeing the wormhole?"
An uncertain voice responds. "I'm sorry, colonel?"
"The wormhole is the home of my gods, Ensign Sharpe. I know what days I should and shouldn't be able to see it from my quarters."
There's a delay in the ensign's response. "Uh… sir? It seems the station's rotation is currently out of spec."
"Out of spec?" Kira's anger at the intruder leaves little patience for the ensign.
"Sisko…" the man says as he nears the window.
"Excuse me?" the ensign responds to the unexpected voice.
"The Emissary?" Kira blinks at the intruder with sudden curiosity. "Just… forget it Sharpe."
"Colonel," the ensign adds, "we've not detected any ships entering or exiting the wormhole. We don't know why it's open."
Kira steps to the second window in the room to get a better look at the man's expression while keeping an eye on the wormhole herself. "I… I think I might. Kira out."
As the man stares at the wormhole with anxious disbelief, the vision of Odo rushes to the forefront of Kira's memory. The Prophet's words about their visitor replay in her mind.
"Who… are you?" Kira asks.
Chris hears chatter around him but the sound is distant. He makes no effort to decipher the words. All he can focus on is the swirl of blue and rose beyond the window. Memories of his time within the Celestial Temple overwhelm him.
White. That damned white. And pain—pain like I've never felt before. There was a face…
"Sisko…"
Chris tries to rectify the terror he felt at seeing Benjamin Sisko's face in his dream given his familiarity with the character from the TV show.
It's like he was a stranger, but… he was in the show. I remember the show. Then again… I don't remember the show.
Chris may not remember each one clearly, but he knows he's watched every episode of Deep Space Nine at one time or another. He's seen the cast names in the opening credits nearly two hundred times. However, something about his memories is off.
I don't have any of the stuff. I've never met any of the actors.
Chris considers his vast collection of signed memorabilia that's crammed into his tiny apartment—not a shred of it from Star Trek. Not once has he seen any member of the Deep Space Nine cast at a convention. And surely, given the number of them he's attended, he would've seen at least one person wear a Starfleet uniform or cosplay as a Klingon.
There can't have been a show. So what the hell?
Chris remembers Mike's words from his dream: "We've done all we can to prepare you."
They made me remember it. There wasn't a show. The Prophets, they… they made it all up! It's real. Holy shit, it's real!
The man doesn't respond to Kira's simple question, but excitement replaces the troubled expression on his face. Standing a little taller, he turns to her with a wide smile.
The degree of change, the happiness and wonder in the man's eyes, surprises Kira. The terror from moments before is gone. His eyes now convey the power of an epiphany and the full weight of recognition.
"You really are Kira Nerys," the man says in awe.
"I am," Kira nods cautiously in return. "And you are…?"
"I'm…" The man's smile falters as he eyes the phaser aimed at his chest. "That… makes me nervous."
"Nervous?" The man's comment about the weapon reminds Kira of the immense anger and disgust that led to her holding it. His reaction to the wormhole and mention of the Emissary isn't nearly enough to absolve him of his offense. Angry lines retake her brow. "You were in my bed."
The man's face flushes with embarrassment as he points to the other end of the room. "I don't know how I got there—I swear."
"I was in my bed." Kira pushes the phaser forward to emphasize the point.
The man blinks in surprise. "But… the first thing I remember is…"
Kira glares in response to being questioned.
The man holds up a hand. "Shit; I'm sorry. I-I can't explain that."
Kira taps the window beside her. "You expect me to believe they put you there?"
"I didn't say that," the man says as he looks at Kira curiously before turning back to the window, "but… nothing else makes sense."
Kira stares at the man as her thoughts battle over what to believe. She can't shake the anger and repulsion of finding him beside her, but she can't deny the growing suspicion that he's right.
I still want to shoot him.
Chris has never felt so awkward than under the prolonged scrutiny of a very real Kira Nerys. He's been in the company of celebrities during his convention experiences but never has he commanded their attention—much less be the target of their wrath.
She's just… staring at me.
To make matters worse, Chris is still wearing only in a bedsheet. He readjusts it as best he can.
"Uh…" Chris fidgets nervously after he can bear Kira's stare no longer. "Could I… get some clothes please?"
Kira blinks rapidly as if breaking out of a trance. "What?"
"Clothes?" Chris abbreviates his request. "I, uh…"
Kira narrows her eyes and huffs. "I've been trying to decide whether I shoot you for not having any."
Chris blinks widened eyes as Kira's scowl gives way to a slow eye roll.
"Fine," Kira says. "I'm tired of seeing you like this anyway. Computer, scan the human male in the room. Replicate a full set of casual clothes."
Chris hears the sound of what must be the replicator from the next room while Kira backs towards the door.
"Don't move. I won't be gone but two seconds." Kira briefly directs her eyes to the phaser as if any reminder is needed as to the penalty for disobedience.
Chris stands perfectly still as Kira ducks around the corner. She quickly reappears with a stack of folded clothes and a pair of shoes. After tossing them into a nearby chair, she aims a squinting stare into his eyes.
Chris nervously clears his throat. "Some, uh… privacy please?"
Kira's expression softens with a hint of embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm just… I'm still trying to wrap my head around this."
"That makes two of us," Chris says as he glances at the wormhole.
"Don't try anything funny," Kira says as she lowers the weapon, points, and backs out of the room again. "I don't trust you."
Chris takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh. He's relieved to have space to think without being subjected to the accusatory stare of a TV show character.
This is so weird! It's like…
Chris catches sight of Kira's shoulder. She's leaned herself against the wall just outside the door.
"You really need to hover that close to the door?" Chris sighs. "I'd feel better with it closed."
"I have no intention of leaving you to your own devices," Kira replies. "I'll be right here—listening. Besides, I might have some questions for you."
"I've got a million questions, but I'd rather get dressed first."
"Then get to it."
As Chris begins to dress, he once again realizes he's trapped in another man's body. It isn't quite reminiscent of his ideal futuristic space hero, Lee Adama, but it shatters the target of his New Year's resolution.
The Prophets must have done this… but why?
Chris can't dwell on his new physique as Kira Nerys is impatiently waiting just outside the room. His thoughts instead turn to memories he inexplicably has of her. To him it was just a TV show, but he begins to wonder if everything he 'remembers' really happened here.
"Can I ask you something?" Chris cautiously asks Kira's shoulder.
"Does that mean you're dressed already?" Kira fires back.
"Of course not, but… I have a lot of memories I can't explain. I think the Prophets gave them to me."
Chris watches Kira move to enter the room but stop herself short.
"With knowledge," Kira utters quietly to herself as she settles back against the wall.
"What?"
"Nothing," Kira replies shortly. "That wasn't even a question."
"Well, I…" Chris hesitates as he's confronted with the odd experience of scanning memories that he knows aren't his own. "Did you really see your own grave?"
"I… I did," Kira sounds surprised. "But I didn't think anyone…"
"That must've been strange."
"It was. How do you…?"
"Oh, they've shown me a ton of stuff! They made me remember all of it like a TV show."
"What the hell is a…?"
"Oh! One of them even possessed you once! What was that like?"
"Numinous," Kira answers with frustration. "Do you always interrupt people this often?"
"What does numinous even…? Uh, no, I'm just…" Chris pauses as he notices Odo's bucket by the door.
"Good, because it's very…"
"Did you really not know he loved you all those years?"
"Excuse me?"
"Odo. Did you really not know? I mean… it was pretty obvious by season three."
"Season?"
"It was the episode where you saw your own grave. The old Odo told you how he—and the young him—felt about you."
"Episode? What are you…?
"But the dance in the holosuite… and your first kiss? Classic! It was wonderful to see the two of you finally…"
"Alright stop," Kira commands as she spins into the room with her phaser raised.
"Huh?" Chris finishes pulling his shirt into place and looks up to see Kira's scowl. Having just been the victim of her true anger, he can tell something's different. It takes him too long to realize he's hit a sensitive subject.
"I'm…I'm sorry," Chris says as he points to the bucket. "I saw that and simply… remembered. I didn't mean to upset you."
"You think I'm upset?" Kira says as she blows out a short breath.
"Yes; I'm sorry."
"You can't just go around telling strangers what they're feeling."
"Kira," Chris says, then hesitates. "I have memories of you spanning seven years. You're not a stranger to me; I know you."
He knows you.
The nearly verbatim echo of words spoken by the Prophet appearing as Odo stuns Kira. Her frustration with this man's curious banter fades instantly. She lets her hand holding the phaser drop to her side.
"The Prophets really did send you here."
The man nods but quickly turns his head to the window. Kira turns to see what caught his attention and catches the tail end of the wormhole closing.
"I guess they made their point," the man states quietly.
Kira stares at the void where the wormhole was. "I… didn't catch your name."
"My name's Chris."
"I'm sorry I shot at you, Chris," Kira says, only shooting him a sideways glance.
"It was on stun, right?"
Kira nods.
"Then… I understand—given the circumstances."
"I appreciate that you do. And Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"Your pants are on backwards."