As the Enterprise falls…
Charlotte pressed her body against the shaking helm console and gripped the edges with all her strength to keep from being thrown forward. The ships rocking had become so intense that she had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.
Save for the screaming klaxon and the rumbling of the ship, there was silence; all on the bridge waited as Data worked his console in an attempt to slow the Enterprise's momentum. It was, Charlotte knew, the difference between life and death, and the tension in his face reflected that. She managed to push herself up far enough to read his shifting expression. It was like focusing in on everyone's emotions: fear, repressed panic, determination, faint hope…
Her mind was almost paralysed with terror as she watched Veridian 3 rushing towards them; this future seemed wrong- impact would pulverise the ship unless something was done to ease it, but how could they all die? In the other universe, everyone was definitely alive. But, her subconscious whispered, mirroring what she had told C2 a while ago, this is an alternate universe. So not everything's the same .Maybe you're supposed to die right here, right now, with everyone else. Maybe all this was meant to happen…
Data looked up from his console at last, and the faint trace of relief on his fear-stricken face gave her an inkling of hope. "I have rerouted auxiliary power to the lateral thrusters," he called to Riker. "Attempting to level our decent!"
Riker clung to the arms of his chair. "All hands, brace for impact!"
Charlotte leaned forward, gravity pinning her head to the console. The shuddering increased until she could no longer think, could scarcely draw breath- could only hold on blankly, mindlessly, as around her consoles erupted into flame. She turned her head towards the viewscreen and stared at the jumble of green and brown…
The jolt started at her feet and spread up to her skull as the ship hit a hill and tilted violently to one side, throwing her out of her chair. Impact, her confuddled mind realised as a larger jolt shook the ship and she skimmed the floor to make contact with the bottom of the console. The air was orange and red, the klaxons still doggedly making their blaring noises, telling them what they already knew. There was only noise- the shaking, shuddering of the ship, sirens, people falling, things exploding, the roar of fire…
And then suddenly something fell on her, something warm. She opened her eyes as Data pushed away the support strut that had landed on him instead on her, and then closed them again as he gathered her close and held her as if he would never let go. Please don't, she thought. Please, Data, never let me go.
"I won't," came his voice, a whisper in her ear, and she realised she had spoken aloud. Her eyes filled with tears as she realised that he spoke the truth- he really would never let her go.
With one final violet lurch forward, the ship came to a stop. Not a sound was to be heard. Then Data sat up, and Charlotte shakily followed. Her head hurt, her back hurt, her arm felt like it was broken, but she was alive. And, and she looked around and saw the others tentatively getting up also, she joyfully realised that she had been wrong. They were not going to die. They were going to live.