Finding Answers in the Dark

Posted on 09 Jul 2026 @ 12:41pm by Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD & Lieutenant Commander Steven Remington & Lieutenant Ryan Collingway

1,143 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: On the Streets of Sherman Oaks

///Sherman Oaks///

The four of them slowly walked towards Lieutenant Flammia's location, Commander Batenburg slightly ahead to get updates from the Chief of Security. Ryan glanced at Steve and Riah. It might have been his imagination, but he thought the two had a moment of familiarity. Maybe they were friends? Good friends?

He shook his head, uncertain. He was tired. He would kill for a cup of coffee right now. A sudden alarm bell went off in his head. "You still have coffee in 2425, right?" he asked, a tad worried.

Riah chuffed a laugh. “You bet. Available hot and fresh 24 hours a day; at your fingertips.”

“That’s good. I could use a cup about now,” admitted Steve.

“Sorry, can’t help you there,” replied Riah. “What happened to you in 1984?”

“It was different from where we were before, from what I remember of visit in 2425,” Steve said. "It was a calm California afternoon. No ships in the air, no screaming people. We were on a college campus, in a park. I woke just sort of knowing I was a biology grad student at the college. I didn’t quite understand how I gotten to the park, but figured alcohol was involved. I didn’t know Ryan at that point. I was feeling really nauseous, like a terrible hangover, and a generous tree was holding me up in a seated position when Ryan came along. Is that how you remember it too, Ryan? Now that part of my life is feeling a little fuzzy too.”

"Kind of," Ryan said. "I woke up in my car, and for the first few minutes at least I genuinely believed that I was a college student. I was angry at my dad. I listened to a weather report, and then I went to the park to study. Things started to unravel when I found my communicator, and read my Arwayn college textbook. Then I saw you. I didn't feel too nauseous though. Maybe the wave just hit our brain chemistry differently."

"It's weird to say but...I miss my car," Ryan said. "The police took my keys away when I was in prison. Safe to say it's long gone."

“Prison?” asked Riah. “You said you were in jail. It was prison?"

Ryan could understand her confusion. "Technically a jail, but the chief of police said there would be no 'end date' for my incarceration, so I guess I considered it a prison as well." He explained. "I'm glad Steve got me out of there. I don't know if Starfleet awards bonuses, but he definitely deserves one for what he did in that place."

He shook his head. "I can't believe it's only been an hour here. We could have been gone days, maybe even weeks before you had any idea where to find us. I have to wonder why this kid did this to us.”

“That’s what we are here to figure out. Hopefully, LT Flammia is able to do that the easy way, by asking,” replied Riah.

They walked in silence. "Hey doctor, I know this isn't mission critical, but I'm just curious. Is there someone named Alura on board?" He hoped her name was unique enough there weren't multiple people.

“Indeed there is,” said Riah looking at Ryan with a smile. "Alura is our moral officer. She’s a civilian who is in charge of recreational activities on board, our MWR Director. She will be warmly interested that you remember her.” She caught his eye and winked. “Oh yes. I’ve seen the two of you together. You just think you’re a secret."

Ryan couldn't help but smile back a little. "That sounds like something I would do. It's a small miracle that my alternate memories do not include any other partners. Guess I was too focused on studying things that are four hundred years out of date. But if you ever need a television built out of vacuum tubes, I'm your guy."

His smile dropped slightly as another memory came to mind. Alura had been estatic at the time. She had named something they had made together, but that memory was hazy. She had named it Sonny? Or something like that?

Was he a father?

No, Riah said they were keeping there relationship a secret. They couldn't have exactly hidden a pregnancy. It felt too awkward to ask. He quickly cleared his throat. "Anything more you want to ask us?" he said instead. "I feel like we might have broken some 'away mission rules' by accident during this.”

“I’m pretty sure we did,” replied Steve, “But there were no away mission rules in 1984, so I’m not too concerned. We didn’t kill anybody. And we knew we were different and didn’t exactly share our secret with anyone.”

“And if it was all a fabricated construct on the part of an advanced race or civilization, you were not really mingling with a pre-warp culture, so the Prime Directive was not violated,” added Amberlyn.

“The Prime Directive. Yeah, that’s what it’s called. Where you don’t interfere with other cultures. I remember that now. Warp. Warp speed. Your ...our ship exceeds warp speed, doesn’t it?” asked Steve.

“Indeed it does, and Lieutenant Collingway here knows a lot about that,” said Riah. "When he remembers. I’m interested to see how that plays out. The restoration of your memory., I mean. That you maintain memories of both places indicates the override was not complete by any means. Your scans indicate residual evidence of the overlay, but they are transient indicators.” She called ahead. “Commander Batenburg. Can we stop for a moment. I’d like to run another scan on Collingway and Remington, to get another reading on the memory overlay.”

“Certainly.”

This time, the doctor only waved the medical wand over their heads and shoulders. “Good,” she said enthusiastically. “Declining. I think over time, you will make a full recovery. How long is still to be seen. I’ll do a couple more scans while we’re here and the computer will be able to extrapolate a probable timetable. We can move on,” she advised Batenburg.

Steve was extremely glad to hear this good news and started to clap Ryan on the shoulder but stopped short. “Ooops, sorry. Don’t wanna jostle you in case there's still pain.”

"I'm okay," he assured him with a smile. "That's good to hear, Doctor." But his smile didn't last long.

Because they were soon about to face a boy who had put them in this situation to begin with. A boy who seemed to have unimaginable power.

How were any of them supposed to deal with that?

Lieutenant Commander Steve Remington
Chief Science Officer
USS Arawyn

Doctor Riah Amberlyn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn

Lieutenant Ryan Collingway
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Arawyn

 

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