The darkness slowly gave way to a growing light, along with an incessant beeping noise. I squinted at a bright spot in the distance, trying to hold up my hand to ward it off, but I found my body would no longer respond. While this should have engendered panic or at minimum, some sort of concern, I found it oddly reassuring. It meant that I was finally being extracted from the Reality Lens. As the light grew closer, I could hear something beyond the beeping, something muffled at first, but getting clearer by the second.

"...mander?" It called out to me. "Admiral Buckmaster, can you hear me? Max?"

I blinked, squinting as the harsh light resolved itself into the fluorescent lighting of the Sea of Stars' Reality Lens interface chamber. "Yeah," I croak, my throat suddenly parched and painfully dry. "Water," I managed to rasp as I slowly began to sit up. Everything was still blurry, but I could make out the silhouettes of three people around me, one with blue hair, one with pink hair, and one with light lavender hair.

"Here, Commander, drink." One of them thrust a water bottle into one of my hands while grabbing the other one, taking my pulse as I drank the entire thing in one go. Another few blinks of my eyes and everything finally swam into focus, revealing Vestal, Memphis, and Helena, all of them looking at me with a mixture of relief and concern. Vestal finished taking my pulse before she checked the readouts on the monitor behind us. "Vital check complete," she announced, no small amount of relief in her voice. "The Commander's mind and body seem to be in perfect shape."

"Oh, this is wonderful news," Helena smiled. "Welcome home, Commander."

"Thanks," I gasped as I finished chugging the water bottle. "Nice to be back. How's Anchorage?"

"She's fine," Memphis answered. "She woke up before you and is doing perfectly fine. The aberrant data in her hull is all gone now too. But seriously, when are you going to worry about yourself before you worry about other people?"

"When I'm dead and not a minute sooner," I quipped.

Memphis scowled, and it looked like I had a lecture incoming, but Vestal quickly spoke up to keep the conversation on track. "A lot has happened here while you were in the Reality Lens, Commander. Someone gave Helena the access code to the Sea of Stars, allowing us to halt the Reality Lens."

"Helena META, right?"

They all looked at me in shock, and I was somewhat surprised by their reaction. "We met in there," I explained. When they continued to stare at me, I asked, "Weren't you guys monitoring?"

The three of them shared a nervous look before Memphis sheepishly answered. "We…ah…we weren't able to monitor it after you encountered Recorder. There was a time dilation effect and it was moving just too fast. It's all there," she quickly added, "but it was going by too quickly to make sense of it and we haven't had time to review it."

"Don't worry about it," I said with a tired smile. "We'll worry about that later. How long was I out?"

"About 4 hours," Vestal replied. "How much time had passed for you in the Reality Lens?"

I gave it some thought before I shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe two days. But as crazy and as perilous as that trip was, I think it was worth it because…" My voice trailed off as my hand went to grab my phone from my lab coat, only to find it was gone. In fact, my entire outfit had changed, and I was wearing my regular uniform once more. "Oh no…"I gasped as I began frantically searching for the phone, not wanting to accept what I immediately knew. The phone had been a part of the Reality Lens, and when I woke up, it was lost. "No no nononononononononoNO!"

My sudden, frantic outburst started the trio of shipgirls, who all took a step back. "Commander, what's wrong?" Vestal asked, a concerned expression on her face as I leaned back against the wall and tried not to weep.

"I found it, Vestal," I groaned. "I found a way to save Yorktown. I saw it with my own two eyes, I stole it and put it on my phone. But it was the phone the Reality Lens gave me, and now it's gone!" I couldn't believe it. I had it in my hands and now it was lost! If only I figured out some other way to record- Inspiration struck light lightning as I straightened back up and shouted excitedly up at the ceiling. "TB! TB! Are you there?"

There was a brief electronic chirp and her hologram flickered to life beside us. "Online."

"Memphis said we had recordings of my time in the Reality Lens, is that correct?"

"Correct."

"Do you have anything on Type-II riggings?"

"Searching. One moment."

I leaned forward, my heart in my throat as I waited for an answer.

"Found analyzed data regarding Type II rigging. The data is broken up into five blocks based on the current naming schemes: Yorktown, Hornet, Langley, Northampton, and Hammann."

Elation flooded over me as I let out a long peal of laughter and punched the air with my fist. "TB, you're so goddamn awesome I could kiss you!"

"That would be inadvisable as well as impossible, given my entirely virtual nature," the AI flatly stated, the emotion going straight over her head.

"Never stop keeping me grounded," I grinned. "Send a copy of the designs to the briefing room." She nodded dutifully, and her form dissipated as she got to work. I turned excitedly to the trio once more, a broad, almost manic smile on my face. "Helena, get on the radio and have Saratoga bring Yorktown and Lexington here as fast as possible, priority one. And then begin making arrangements for Hornet, Northampton, Langley, and Hammann to arrive as well. Vestal, Memphis, you two will accompany me to the briefing room."

All three of them were still looking at me as if I'd completely lost my marbles, but Helena complied, nodding slightly as she hurried from the room. After a second, Memphis spoke up, "Commander…what's a Type-II rigging?"

I hopped off the table and began removing the sensor inputs from my body as I said, "It's how we're going to save Yorktown and Lexington. I'll explain in the briefing room, c'mon."


"Fascinating," Vestal mused as she walked around the hologram, studying the designs from all angles. "Power output seems greatly increased across all sectors. And the reinforcement would allow it to bypass the damaged sections of Yorktown's rigging…While this doesn't look like a full cure, at the very least, it will get her back on her feet."

"How quickly can we get this on her?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.

Vestal peered at the designs for a bit longer before she answered. "With Memphis' help, I should be able to have something ready by the time she arrives."

"Good." I paused, then took a deep breath. What I was about to suggest was highly irregular, against every known medical and repair procedure in the regulations, and I knew Vestal likely wasn't going to take this very well. "This could also permanently cure Yorktown. But there's a catch."

She looked over at me, a hopeful note to her question. "How?"

I took a deep breath and tried to explain it as best I could. "According to Doctor Aoste, this could repair her Wisdom Cube, but it would take, and I quote, 'a miracle and enough Wisdom Cube resonance'. I dunno about miracles, but I know I've got the most Wisdom Cube resonance here, so…I think I have to be the one to finish the rigging installation."

Vestal glanced over at Memphis, who simply shrugged helplessly, and stared at me for a long time. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she weighed the possibilities. "Alright. When the time comes, I'll let you put the last cube in. But there are conditions." She fixed me with a stern glare that left no doubt that she was being deadly serious about this. "One: Until we need you, you'll wait just outside. Two: Once we call you in, follow my directions to the letter. And three: Get some rest beforehand." Her expression softened and she gave me a soft smile. "I know this is going to be stressful, and I can't even begin to imagine what you just came through but you need to get some rest before you do this. It won't help anyone if we make a mistake because of exhaustion."

I could see there was no arguing with her on this, and to be honest, I was feeling a bit run-down, despite all the good news. "Done. How long until she gets here?"

Memphis glanced down at her tablet and answered. "Five hours."

"Alright," I clapped my hands together once and nodded. "I'll be in my quarters, come get me when you're ready."


Despite how tired I was beginning to feel, I doubted I was going to be able to sleep with the prospect of Yorktown's recovery on the horizon. But I resolved to at least try, and to my surprise, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light. The next thing I knew, Memphis was gently shaking me. "Commander, it's time."

I was immediately wide awake, throwing the covers off and swinging my legs out of bed. "Alright, gimme a minute to get dressed and splash some water on my face. How's it going so far?"

Memphis nodded as she took a step back to give me room to get up. "Rigging's ready to go, and it looks like it's fully compatible with Yorktown's existing rigging, even in its damaged state. Once you're ready, head to the surgical and repair suite."

"See you there."

Five minutes later, I was standing in the antechamber to the surgical and repair suite, waiting for Vestal and Memphis to call me in. I had scrubbed up, and I had put a hazmat suit over my uniform just to be safe. I'll never forget how nervous I was at that moment, staring at the bulkhead as my mind raced with questions. Would this work? How well would this work? Would Yorktown still be the same person afterward, or would this fundamentally change her? Was this just the first step in a long road to recovery, or would this be the only solution needed?

"Commander?" Memphis's voice snapped me out of my reverie. "You can come in now."

I nodded and followed her through the door and into the suite. My blood thundered in my ears, and I felt as though every breath was a ragged gasp. Yorktown lay on the table, her eyes closed and a sheet was draped over her body. She looked peaceful, at least, and I resisted the urge to reach out and caress her hair, to tell her it was all going to be okay. Her new rigging dominated the room, even in its unfinished state, and I wondered how I was going to get around it if I needed to. If I felt the weight of this moment in the antechamber, it was nearly crushing me now. Someone placed their hand on my forearm and I nearly jumped out of my skin, my head whipping around to find Vestal there, looking up at me.

"Relax," she said, patting me on the forearm. "You're going to do fine. Memphis and I are here with you every step of the way. First things first, though. Take this." Vestal held out the final Wisdom Cube.

I numbly stared at it for half a second before I reached out to take it from her with a trembling hand. It was lighter than I imagined it would be, and I held it up to my face, watching the dancing energy vortex inside before I turned to Vestal. "A-and where do I put this?"

Behind her mask, I could see Vestal smile warmly as she gestured to an empty slot on Yorktown's rigging. "Right there. Just fit it in and the rigging will do the rest."

"Plug and play, got it." I took a deep, calming breath, and said a quiet prayer as I prepared to insert the Wisdom Cube. "God, I know our conversations haven't been…pleasant lately, but if you're up there, we could really use a miracle right about now…"

It was now or never. I slotted the glowing cube into place. And then all hell suddenly broke loose. Alarms began blaring as Memphis rushed over to the monitors. "The rigging's reacting to the resonance," she shouted as more alarms began to blare. "Something's going on, power levels are going off-scale!"

Yorktown still looked as though she was simply slumbering peacefully as her rigging began to glow with a brilliant blue-white light. It filled the small space, blinding us with its intensity. "Commander, we need-" Vestal began, but I cut her off. I couldn't be accused of disobeying her order if she never got the chance to finish it.

"I'm not leaving her!" I barked over the increasing number of alarms echoing throughout the space. I wouldn't leave her again. Not now, not ever. This was it, one way or the other. "She's got this, I know it!"


Meanwhile, deep in Yorktown's consciousness…

I had a long dream.

A very...

Very...

Very...

Very...

Very...

Long dream.

In the dream, I saw Enterprise and Max, giving it their all.

They fell again and again, but stood back up each time.

Even when they were covered with wounds, even when they were exhausted and at the edge of despair.

Yet, all I could do was watch.

There was nothing I could do for them.

How did it end up this way?

If only I could wake up again. If only I had one more chance.

Wait…what's that light? N-no…I'm not ready to go…

Hornet

.Enterprise

Max


"How's she doing?"

Vestal glanced over at me and gave me a comforting smile. "Everything looks like it went well. We'll need to see how she's doing when she's awake, but she'll be alright. Just need to wait for the drugs to wear off. And how are you holding up, Max?"

If I was being honest, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. The stress of the past few days, of the past few months, really, left me feeling drained. "A little out of it," I admitted. "Are surgeries always this dramatic and stressful?"

Vestal laughed as she finished checking Yorktown's vitals. "Dramatic? No. Stressful?" She shrugged. "Admittedly, this one was more stressful than most, but it's never just a routine procedure." She peered at me a little bit longer. "Maybe you should go get some rest, lie down for a bit. We can come get you the second she's up."

I emphatically shook my head as I took Yorktown's hand in mine. "No. I want to be here for her when she wakes up."

When Vestal replied, her voice was soft and empathetic. "Alright," she smiled. "I'll be back to check on both of you in a little bit. If she wakes up before I get back, let me know immediately."

"Absolutely," I smiled. "And Vestal?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For everything."

Vestal's smile grew a little bit brighter. "Always happy to help, Commander. I'll be back in a bit."

I nodded as she left the room, gently shutting the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, I turned my attention back to Yorktown, who still slumbered peacefully. "I'm here," I said softly. "And I'm not going anywhere."

It had only been a few minutes before I felt my eyelids growing heavy. I tried to stave off the exhaustion, but no matter what I did, I felt sleep beginning to claim me. I looked over at Yorktown, her hand still in mine as I finally lost the fight and succumbed to sleep…


My dreamless slumber was interrupted by someone calling my name. "...Max?" the voice softly called to me. I was vaguely aware of the amused tone as she said, "Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

I was so tired, all I wanted to do was sleep, but the voice…something about it was familiar, important. It compelled me for reasons my unconscious mind didn't quite grasp. My eyelids flickered open and I looked up to see Yorktown, in that same angelic outfit she'd worn in the Reality Lens, standing before me, that blissful smile on her face. I gasped as I stared up at her, dumbstruck. "I-is…is it really you? Am I still dreaming?"

She reached down and cupped my cheek in her hands as her clear blue eyes gazed into mine. "Even the darkest night must always give way to the resplendent dawn of happiness," she smiled. "It's me, Yorktown, the same Yorktown you've always known. I'm back."

The joy, the relief, the elation, it was nearly too much. My heart felt as though it would burst as I all but leapt from my seat and wrapped my arms around her, holding on tight. "I missed you so much," I whispered as the tears, held back over the past few months, came out in a flood. "You have no idea how glad I am to have you back."

"It's okay, Max," she soothed, returning my fierce embrace with one of her own. "I missed you, too. It feels like it's been so long since I was awake. I kept having a horrible dream of you and Enterprise struggling without me. I'm sorry I wasn't there to be with you."

"It's alright," I whispered, sniffling softly. "You were always in our thoughts and in our hearts. Getting you back makes all the struggles worthwhile."

"Thank you." There was a pause as Yorktown stiffened slightly, bracing for the bad news. "How…how long was I asleep?"

We released one another and dried our tears as I took a deep breath. "About four months," I answered softly as the guilt roiled inside me once again. "I'm sorry I-"

"Hush," she smiled as she placed a finger to my lips. "I know you did all that you could as fast as you could. And in the end, four months is a small price to pay for a lifetime of happiness with you, wouldn't you say?"

Words failed me, and try as I might, I couldn't find the right ones to describe exactly how I was feeling. Instead, I simply smiled and nodded. "I would indeed. I love you, Yorktown."

"I love you, Max," she smiled back. And in that smile, I saw no pain, no regret, no timid reluctance nor grief, only the resplendent dawn of happiness. Yorktown had not just returned, she had been reborn. A new chapter in both our lives was about to begin…

A/N-SHE'S BACK! Until next time, fair winds and following seas!