Second Circle: From the Light, Into the Abyss

January 2135

I opened my eyes. My head throbbed from something, and my head was covered in something black. I was sitting on something hard (it felt like leather, but I wasn't too sure at this point), my hands were tied up, and I was being jostled around. I surmised that I was in a vehicle of some sort, moving to some unknown destination.

It crossed my mind that in the close to three minutes that I had come to, I had never once thought of screaming. Then it dawned on me that screaming would be the worst thing to do. I could be knocked out again…or worse, killed.

A week ago, I had transferred to Intelligence. A few days ago, I was tasked with researching ways to improve Intelligence's evidence collecting. And when I came to work today, with new ideas, I was knocked out with a blow to the back of my head.

Joining Intelligence was a bad idea. If I had stayed in Engineering, I wouldn't be in this car going to who knows where.

The car stopped, and I suddenly lurched forward a bit, stopped by something that I knew to be a person's arm. So there was someone in the car with me…besides the driver, that is. Although it could've been an automated vehicle. A part of me was telling me that this was all a dream of some sort- that I would wake up on the floor of the department looking like a fool. I told it to shut up.

I suddenly was pulled to one side, and something cold pressed against my neck. The last thing I felt was the black bag being pulled from my head, and heat from the bright sun shining on my face.

June 2156

I woke up to find Archer leaning over me, close to kissing my lips. My eyes widened at how close his face was, and he moved away a bit, giving me some needed space. "You were shaking, Erika. Are you okay?"

I wiped the sweat beading on my forehead, and ran a hand through my hair. It was damp with sweat, sticking to my scalp. My mouth was dry, and I felt sick to my stomach. "I just had a nightmare, Jonathan."

He gave me a wary look. "That was no ordinary nightmare." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm here for you, Erika. Do you want to talk about it?"

I blinked, and smirked. "I have this case of déjà vu." Jonathan smiled at that quip. I sat up, and got out of the sleeping bag. The fire was gone, and all that was left were ashes, like snow in winter. I reached for my water bottle, and took a big gulp of it, feeling some of the drops fall onto my shirt. I wiped my lips and screwed the top back on, and sighed. I looked at him. "It's funny…we're in this off and on relationship…and I've been keeping secrets from the one I love most."

"Erika, we all keep secrets. Remember the first time we met? You were obviously drunk…and you had spilled your drink all over me, then proceeded to pass out in my lap."

I chuckled at that simple memory. I had searched his name and address in the Starfleet database, and went to apologize at his own apartment the next day. Instead of getting angry at me, he invited me to dinner at a seafood restaurant that same night. "How could I not remember?"

"Well…" He looked sheepish. "I hated your guts. You had ruined my night with the guys and I didn't want to ever see your face again for the rest of my life! But when you came to my door, and apologized to me…all those feelings melted away. You know the rest of the story."

I sighed. "Do you want to know why I never want to talk about my past?" It was something that Jonathan had avoided after I had gotten angry at him for asking about my father.

My father was almost a taboo subject at the Hernandez household. My mother never was willing to speak in detail about my father. Whenever I asked, it was always brushed off with "Here, Erika, have a piece of tres leches" or "Erika, not now, I'm busy" or "Erika, papa's doing something important. He has his reasons." My brother never asked either, even though he was five years older than I and probably remembered my father. The one time I asked him, he had smacked me in the forehead with a coarse brush and told me to pay attention to the ponies.

Archer smirked at the question. "So now you're going to tell me."

It's only because if I do, maybe the nightmares will go away. Maybe I can come to grips with my past. Maybe I can be forgiven for what I've done. "It might take a while," I replied softly.

Jonathan grinned. "We have all the time in the world."

January 2135

I opened my eyes and groaned. The pain in my body was dull and aching and probably from sitting with my hands tied in front of me on a hard, wooden chair. My legs were tied to the chair, to prevent escape. A single light hung from the ceiling (which I couldn't see at all), and I could see figures shift in the darkness. Or what I thought to be figures.

A booming voice echoed in the room. "Erika Hernandez. Born 2114, graduated magna cum laude at the University of Texas in 2134, entered Starfleet immediately afterwards. Entered as an ensign, promoted six months later to Lieutenant." I heard the snap of a book or portfolio, which echoed in the endless abyss. "Do you know who we are?"

I smirked. "A group of idiots that decided to knock me out in front of security cameras and drag me to a room with a single light." I winced, expecting someone to come out and punch me in the face, but instead I heard footsteps, and my eyes widened at the man who had stepped forward. "Sir! Do you know these people? I demand that they release me!"

Captain Black just smiled, but it was not one of reassurance. It was one of malice and hidden secrets. How…how could…I realized that I had walked into a trap that fateful night in the 602. "Not until we explain everything, Lieutenant Hernandez."

I frowned. The story of my life, I thought bitterly. People hiding things from me…either to protect me from the bitter truth, or just to torture my head even more. "You better hurry before I lose my temper, Captain. If that's who you really are."

He smirked. "I am a captain in the Earth Starfleet, but also an agent for Section 31."