Whatever Remains
Posted on Mon Feb 2nd, 2026 @ 8:12pm by Commander Kevin Lance
1,354 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Into the mirror
Location: Mirror Universe
Timeline: Current
on:
{Somewhere in the Mirror Universe}
Consciousness returned slowly to him. The soft hum of electronics slowly penetrated the haze in his mind, rising in volume as the sounds became more distinct and differentiated from each other. Voices began to separate themselves from the background noise but he couldn’t piece together the meaning of the words.
He became aware of his fingers and toes responding to his mind’s commands, wiggling and flexing as sensation returned. He tries to lift an arm to his face but was resisted and quickly he decided that the effort was not worth the desire to touch his face.
His eyelids fluttered and he tried to discern his surroundings. His vision was blurry but he still lacked sufficient motivation to bring his hand to his eyes to rub them into better focus. For now he would need to interpret the indistinct reddish haze without assistance. Then he decided that it was all too much and closed his eyes again.
Kevin lay on his back collecting himself as his mind reconnected with his senses. The antiseptic smell that wafted on the air suggested a medicinal environment but he felt no pain beyond a stiffness in his joints. Again, he tried to move his hand but was prevented from doing so by a restraint on his wrist. There was a second restraint on his other wrist and his ankles were similarly bound.
Awareness of thirst and hunger were the next sensations that assaulted. He smacked is lips and swallowed in an effort to jump start his saliva glands. His restrained movements must have caught someone’s attention because he heard, “Alert the Captain. Our guest is awakening.”
The person that came to stand over Kevin was human, dressed in what appears to be a sleeveless version of the sceinces section duty uniform. The chest emblem was a long blade with quillons thrust downward through a planet. A short gold sash was tied around his waist with a dagger attached on one hip. The man, whom Kevin did not recognize, manipulated the controls for the bio-bed to bring Kevin to a seated position before offering a cup with a straw.
Kevin’s eyes burned into the man as he tried to pull his arms out of the restraints. The man blandly observed him and barely flinched as Kevin struggled. “You must be very thirsty, Commander,” the man reasoned, “but please take short sips. I don’t want to have to clean up your vomit.”
Kevin ceased his futile struggles and eyed the straw suspiciously. Sensing his doubt, the man offered, “Had we wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.”
The claim had much merit and he was very thirsty. Kevin opened his mouth enough to accept the straw and the man placed it in easy reach. The relief he experienced when the cool liquid spread into his mouth as he sucked on the straw palpable. As he drank, he had time to observe his surroundings in greater detail.
He was in a small medical bay of Star Fleet design but with noticeble differences. The lighting was muted, tending towards the infrared end of the color spectrum. Everything was neat and orderly as though the room had seen little recent use. A larger depiction of the medical officer’s insignia dominated the wall opposite his biobed. Kevin and the man were the only occupants.
“Any chance you want to release me,” Kevin asked keeping his eyes away from the man’s dagger.
The man smiled coldly, “No. I doubt that doing so would contribute to my life longevity.”
You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take, Kevin thought.
“And it would be a violation of his Captain’s orders,” a new voice said from the doorway.
Kevin didn’t miss the flash of fear in the medical officer’s eyes as he quickly withdrew. The newcomer was a tall blonde woman in a variation of the Star Fleet command uniform. This one had below the elbow length sleeves but exposed a vast expansion of the woman’s midrift. A gold slash encompassed her waist with angle-cut ends and gold fringe that draped to just above her knee.
Kevin recognized her immediately.
“Gretta?” he asked unbelievingly.
The woman stiffed immediately. She turned to the medical officer and said, “Leave us.”
The phrase was cold and unemotional but the effect on the man was instantaneous. He bolted through the door without objections or a second glance at Kevin.
When the door was closed, Kevin continued, “Gretta, what’s going on? You have to get me out of here.” He pulled against the restraints to emphasize his point.
Gretta leaped at Kevin grabbing him around the throat. “Do not use that name,” she hissed as she squeezed hard, “I am Captain Nachthauser or I will kill you despite the Emperor’s orders.”
Kevin tightened his neck muscles in a valiant attempt to prevent her from choking him out but it was a lost cause. She held her grip until he started convulsing, then released her hold without comment. Kevin coughed and attempted to suck air into his lungs.
“The resemblance is remarkable,” she commented as he coughed, “When the Emperor told me about an alternate universe, I thought that he had gone insane....Well, more insane”
Alternate universe? So what Roderick had told him was true.
Once he was recovered enough to talk, Kevin rasped, “Alright Captain. The original question remains. What’s going on?”
The woman was thoughtful for a moment, as if she was deciding what to reveal, then she said, “The Emperor is on the verge of ascension. He has completed all of the prerequisite tasks. At least, all of the ones that the general public is aware of. He needs to do something with you. I am charged with taking you to him.”
“What does want from me?” Kevin asked.
“The Emperor did not confide in me,” she answered.
Kevin fell silent. It wasn’t a lot of information to process but the implications were huge. He started reconstructing his big board in his head when the female captain interrupted.
“You recognized me,” she said, "Called me by a name few know. How?”
Now it was Kevin’s turn to consider what to reveal. This wasn’t Gretta but it also was. If he was in an alternate universe, maybe this woman was the version of the Gretta he did know. If so, how much of his Gretta was in this one?
“We were teammates at the Academy,” Kevin explained, “Friends even. Or as much as either of us were capable of making friends. Even came to my wedding.”
“What do you mean by teammates,” alternate Gretta demanded.
Kevin shrugged as much as his restraints would allow. “We worked to a common goal in a cooperative group.”
“Not that,” she replied with irritation, “How were we on the same team?”
“We played thrusterball for the Academy,” he answered, “You were goalie and I was a striker.”
The captain blinked several times. If the terms had any meaning to her, she didn’t reveal it. “The Emperor and I were opponents in the arena. Although there were many times that we worked towards the same goal. Perhaps we were teammates as well.”
She was silent for a moment, then shook her head and turned back towards the door she had entered through. “Hey,” Kevin interjected, “What is happening. I shared, now spill!”
“We are a day and a half from Orion,” Captain Nachthauser explained, “The Emperor has declared that you are to be delivered healthy and whole. You were awaken from the medically induced coma to prepare you. You will be fed and cared for. I suggest that you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Then she exited.
The Emperor and I were opponents, she had said. She had been comparing herself to Kevin’s version of Gretta. Did that mean that her version of Kevin was the Emperor?
Whatever remains must be the truth.
:off
Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris
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