“Yeah—I did,” Reno says. “And it was fucking grueling to engineer my friends like some—cannibalized, engine parts.”
“But—again—you got to do something to save them,” Shaw says. 1/8
“You didn’t have to see hopelessness in their eyes as you crouched into the escape pod,” Shaw says.
“You tough enough for some straight talk, Captain Dirge?” Reno asks.
Shaw shrugs.
Reno leans forward. “Your friends died—frozen debris forever floating at Wolf 359.” 2/8
“A bit—cold,” Shaw says.
“Literally, my man,” Reno says. “You couldn’t save their asses. But who the hell do you think you are? You took that seat when one of them could’ve. You gonna wallow in the hopelessness of that horrific moment forever?” 3/8
“Tether yourself to death?” Reno asks. “Or are you gonna fucking live?”
“Yeah, sure, get over it,” Shaw says. “Bypass the—memory like a damaged gel pack. Cuz that sounds healthy. Something tells me your secondary specialty at the Academy wasn’t psychology.” 4/8
Reno picks up black licorice, flexing it from end to end. “No, shit, Shaw.”
Shaw’s brow raises.
“I’m a damned good engineer,” Reno says. “I get things done because I remember one thing: for complex systems to work under pressure, flexibility must be built into the design.” 5/8
“I lost—my wife,” Reno says, she bites into the licorice.
Shaw shifts in his chair. “I’m—so sorry.”
“But I’m flexible in grief—allowing myself moments to get flung back to that moment of soul-hollowing loss—but always springing back—to live—for us both.” 6/8
“With as much charisma and sparkling wit as I can manage,” Reno says.
“You manage—a lot,” Shaw says.
“So—Liam,” Reno says. 7/8
“You gonna live as if you’re one of those frozen friends floating in a debris cloud?” Reno asks.
“Ya know what?” Shaw says, standing up. “You’re better than a counselor; you’re an engineer.”
Kirk, McCoy, Spock, a civilian human-Vulcan hybrid, and a civilian man enter the transporter room.
“We’re all set here, Captain,” Scotty says from behind the transporter room console.
“Thank you, Scotty,” Kirk says hesitantly.
1/14
“If you’ll step up on the pad, please,” Kirk says.
The woman cautiously nods and steps up on the pad.
Spock stands on Kirk’s right. McCoy stands on his left, holding a hypospray.
Kirk, with his palm open, says, “Bones.”
McCoy grips the hypospray.
2/14
“Now think about this, Jim,” McCoy says. “Are you really gonna trade one life for another? This—procedure—will end the life of this living, breathing being that you see standing before you.”
Jakira looks up from a console. Worf stands. O’Brien sets his hypospanner down and stands up from an open conduit. Odo folds his arms across his chest.
“Doctor Bashir is waiting for us,” Sisko says.
1/14
“Benjamin,” Jakira says. “You’re not going to do this.”
Sisko steps forward. “You know—I am.”
“You forget that I’ve known you for so long—I know you better than you know yourself,” Jakira claims.
“Benjamin,” Jakira says. “I—can’t just—die. I’m as much Nerys as Jadzia and Dax.”
“And the Major—survives,” Odo says.
Jakira crouches with her fists clenched. “There’s got to be another way. Clone me and split the clone apart—or—the Chief can—trick the transporter to—”
3/14
Picard walks resolutely from his Ready Room onto the bridge and up to the Engineering station.
“Mister Georley,” Picard says quietly. Georley turns from the console. “Yes, Captain?”
“Will you accompany me to Sickbay?” Picard asks.
Georley’s eyes widen.
1/14
“I think—sir—that everyone should know what you’re about to do,” Georley announces to the bridge. Worf, Data, and the other bridge crew look back at him.
Georley approaches Worf. “Worf—my safety is being threatened. As Chief of Security, are you going to let—”
2/14
Georley pauses, noticing the immovable Klingon resolve in Worf’s eyes.
“No, you—wouldn’t disobey the Captain, would you?” Georley says. He then moves down the bridge to Data.
“You, Data! My—uh, I-I mean Geordi’s best friend,” Georley desperately says.
3/14
Kathryn yawns, sets her book down, stretches, and looks out into space.
“What are you reading?” a voice asks from behind.
Kathryn turns abruptly. “Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?”
The man lifts the book, examining its cover.
1/25
“The Odyssey,” the man says, a smile tugging at his lips.
Kathryn eyes him intensely.
“You think you are Odysseus?” the man asks. “Separated from home—wandering alone, but—clever—surviving by your wits.”
Kathryn taps her combadge. It is silent.
“I am Jesus of Nazareth.”
2/25
“There is nothing to fear, Kathryn,” Jesus says.
Kathryn’s brow arcs. “An unusual form to take, I believe.”
“Unusual—form?” Jesus asks. Recognition flashes in his eyes. “Ah, you believe me to be a being of some power merely taking on this form from an ancient religion.”
3/25