Living in Chaos

Posted on 18 Aug 2026 @ 1:59am by Lieutenant Ryan Collingway
Edited on on 18 Aug 2026 @ 4:37am

500 words; about a 3 minute read

///Feline Care Community Center///

Ryan entered the community center, holding a toolbox. There weren't many officers off the ship for the moment, and as a result there weren't too many cats around. He was dressed in his usual clothes-a striped white t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Hello, Lieutenant," the receptionist asked. "How can I help you?"

Ryan lifted his toolbox. "Just fixing a light. That's all. Been putting it off for a while. Sorry."

"No problem. It's just right over there," she pointed.

"Thank you." As Ryan started to work, he noticed something rubbing against his leg. A black cat with golden eyes. He bent down to scratch her. She plopped down and showed her tummy.

"That's a trap, Lieutenant," the receptionist laughed.

"Eh, she's all right," Ryan said, avoiding her claws. "What's her name?"

The receptionist glanced at him. "Sunny."

Ryan frowned. "What?"

Suddenly, the lights plunged out, making everything pitch-black. Ryan couldn't see anything. He felt in his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He studied it as he flipped it on.

No....this wasn't right. The lighter was the same one he had from 1984. How could he have this? Why was he wearing the same clothes?

Panic gripped him. He was back. Back in 1984. The feline care community was gone. So was the ship. He didn't know where he was. The air was stale. There was a familiar, rhythmic sound. He had heard it before. It knawed at the edge of his mind.

He could see someone standing at the end of a rocky passageway. Someone wearing a Starfleet uniform. "Hello? Is someone there?"

"That's a trap, Lieutenant," the receptionist laughed behind him.

Ryan ignored her and approached closer. With a shaky hand he reached forwards. "I need help-"

The man turned around. His own father was staring back at him. He was thin, much too thin. His eyes were white and looked at him lifelessly. "You knew she was too good for you, Ryan."

Behind his father a console lit up, followed by a buzzing noise. A red alert.

The red alert didn't stop. If anything, it grew louder. Until....

///Crew Quarters////

Ryan's eyes jerked awake as the alarm went off. Quickly he turned it off and rubbed his head. "Ugh...that was trippy." He had fallen asleep after working through the first few modules. So far he was passing them, but introductary courses were usually easier than the rest.

With a sigh he checked his messages for the day. Unknown phenomena detected. Specialized probes needed. Coordinate with Operations on that. After he was done for the day, training scheduled in the holodeck.

Maybe he was pushing himself too hard.

Or maybe he needed to. Maybe he thrived better while being busy, or in chaos. Less chance to think about things.

Though right now his brain seemed to disagree.

With a shrug, Ryan mentally shook off the rest of the dream and started to get ready for the day.

Lieutenant Ryan Collingway
Acting Chief Engineer
USS Arawyn

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