Episode 53. A Life Out of Time
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Thursday, August 1, 2024 - 10:03
- Location
-
- Space
- Lunar Orbit
- NATO Starbase
- USS Enterprise
- Gym
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
Still shaken by Tarsi's revelations and Admiral Michaux's lies, Captain Agnes Rodriguez sinks into a black rage. Back on the Enterprise, she challenges the Andorian to a duel in the gym, trying to vent her fury as much as test the truthfulness of this strange traveler from the future. But Tarsi refuses violence, dodges the blows, and finally disarms Agnes with calm and truth: she does not come from the 26th century... but from the 23rd.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Tarsi | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Commander | Andorian | Prime Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked at the NATO Starbase |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical | Eric Corda Charlene Savea |
| Science | N/A |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers | Tarsi (Confidential) |
TL;DR
The fight between Agnes and Tarsi turns into a conversation. Between measured exchanges, the Andorian finally tells her story: born in the 23rd century, she served aboard the USS Pioneer before being saved at the last second from certain death by the Temporal Division of the 26th century. Transposed into a distant era, she joined Starfleet's ranks to repair temporal anomalies, until she found herself trapped in this altered reality. Faced with this account, Agnes's anger subsides. In the ring, the blows become choreographic, almost symbolic: trust replaces mistrust.
Story
After a few seconds of pause, we resume the fight in a calmer way. The exchanges of blows are less aggressive, more measured, as if a new understanding has settled between us.
The traditional verbal protocols are set aside as the movements flow one after another... Only gestures remain, breath, and the truth trying to find a way through.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I do not understand anymore.
During first contact, you claimed you came from the 26th century.
And now you are telling me you are from the 23rd.
What kind of mess is this?
Cmdr. Tarsi
I do come from the year 2554.
But I was born in 2247.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Wait... two seconds.
Two thousand five hundred fifty-four minus two thousand two hundred forty-seven...
That makes... three hundred and seven years.
Cmdr. Tarsi
Your calculation is correct.
But I am not that old.
I am thirty.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
All right...
Then I have clearly missed several episodes.
Cmdr. Tarsi
Yes.
And I did not help you by keeping them quiet.
After my training at Starfleet Academy, I was promoted to ensign in 2269 and specialized in tactical operations.
The following year, I was assigned aboard the USS Pioneer, under the command of Captain Garret.
But in 2270, while we were on an exploration mission near Klingon space, the ship fell into an ambush set by Kor's fleet.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Slow down.
I am not sure I am following all of this.
What does "Klingon" mean... and Kor?
Cmdr. Tarsi
The Klingons are a warrior species.
At that time, they were frequently in conflict with the Federation.
Kor was one of their captains.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
All right.
Go on.
Cmdr. Tarsi
After the ambush, the situation quickly became desperate.
Despite fierce resistance, the Pioneer was destroyed... with her entire crew.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
So...
You are supposed to be dead?
Cmdr. Tarsi
Exactly.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
...
And?
Cmdr. Tarsi
That is when the Temporal Division of the 26th century intervened.
A few seconds before the Pioneer exploded, I was transported, along with the rest of the crew, into the future, in 2547.
Starfleet was offering us a chance to survive... and to continue our careers in a new era.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
But why?
Why did the Temporal Division tear you away from that death?
Cmdr. Tarsi
In the 26th century, Starfleet is facing a temporal cold war.
The Pioneer's crew held crucial information about a terrorist faction operating in that era.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Myeah...
In short, they did not save you out of altruism.
They needed you.
Cmdr. Tarsi
What can I say... nothing is ever perfect.
After that, I joined the Temporal Division.
We try to repair anomalies and preserve the integrity of the continuum.
But sometimes... mistakes happen.
And some of them give birth to altered realities.
Like the one we are in today.
I keep listening to Tarsi, attentive to every detail. The emotional storm consuming me gradually calms, leaving room for something unexpected: empathy.
She was torn from her era.
Thrown into a future that was not hers.
Then trapped in a reality she does not recognize.
The fight continues, but its nature has changed.
The blows become slower, more fluid. Almost choreographed.
Violence fades, replaced by a controlled exchange, as if our bodies were continuing a dialogue our minds have finally begun to understand.