Resurrection Part II
Posted on Fri Aug 8th, 2025 @ 11:25pm by Captain Thorrin & Commander Marisa Sandoval & Lieutenant Sivek & Major Hastios Eilfaren
Edited on on Fri Aug 8th, 2025 @ 11:31pm
2,754 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
In The Nick Of Time
Location: Vulcan Prison Colony Limonu
Timeline: MD004 1600 hrs
Somewhere on the surface of this dwarf planet, the sky was ash-coloured and the wind kicked up plumes of fine dust. He had never laid eyes upon any of it since no one was permitted aboveground.
The silence deepened, not with menace, but with gravity. He sensed that something had shifted.
Someone was coming.
About fifteen minutes ago the transporter effect had resolved and Thorrin met one of the prison guards after informing the guard of their orders and with some convincing of the legitimacy of the orders they now proceeding down a corridor to a cell.
"You know Captain this is just highly irregular. I find it curious that the orders were not sent here ahead of you." The Vulcan guard stated with a raise of his eyebrow.
"Indeed. These are interesting times in which we live. However, I assure you that the orders are indeed correct. We must take the prisoner and be on our way." Thorrin slightly miscalculated the suspicious nature of the logical Vulcans.
Hastios stepped in beside Thorrin, arms folded, voice calm but edged with quiet pressure.
“Lieutenant, if this visit weren’t authorised, we wouldn’t be standing here.”
His gaze held firm, unreadable. “The timing may be irregular, but the orders came through proper channels. That’s all you need to concern yourself with.”
A slight pause. Measured. Pressing.
“Now, let us proceed.” Then, with just enough dryness to carry weight:
“Or you can hold things up and invite someone higher up to start asking why.”
Marisa continued to stare with Vulcan superiority. "It would be highly illogical for us to come here without authorization, would it not?"
The guard turned to Marisa. "Indeed it would be. However, irregularities are also illogical." Having no further arguments to stop them the guard led them down the corridor in silence. He arrived at the literal end of the hall and a large sealed door. "This is the cell for the one that is called Sivek. In light of his crimes I must ask that there be no technology present during your conversation."
Thorrin nodded in agreement. "Of course my dear man, of course. Everything by the book." Pity no one searched us when we arrived. he thought. With deft fingers the guard tapped in a security code and the door unlocked with an audible thud. "Here you go. When you are ready to leave please summon me and I will escort you out." The guard turned on his heel and left.
"Well I suggest we enter, have a chat with Sivek, make our decision and leave. Shall we say ten minutes to get this all done?" Thorrin turned to his XO and Security Chief as he spoke.
"Ten minutes?" Marisa wasn't so sure. Not unless she did a mind meld, and that wasn't going to happen. She looked at Hastios. "We can try."
Hastios gave a slight nod as the lock disengaged, his eyes lingering on the reinforced seal.
“Ten minutes is tight, but workable.” His tone was even, practical. “Depends how much he wants to posture before getting to the point.”
He looked to Marisa, not questioning—just aligning.
“If he stalls, we pivot. I’ve dealt with his type before—smart, controlled, thinks he’s already won.” Hastios paused. “He’ll test the room first. Let him.”
His gaze returned to the door. “We stay sharp. No tech, no leverage. We make the time count.” He adjusted his stance slightly, not tense, but ready. “Whenever you’re set, Captain.”
Marisa agreed with Hastios. She wasn't comfortable with this, but Thorrin was. She just hoped he wasn't letting his curiosity about the man and his temporal prowess override his logic. They already had a problem with one engineer. She hoped they wouldn't have to deal with another. Outwardly, though, she remained calm.
Thorrin admired the cautiousness of his XO and Security Chief. Fact was this in a way was test for them as much as it was for Sivek. He wanted to see if his officers could reel him in if they felt they had to. "Very well then lets see what we have here." Thorrin said as he stepped through the now unlocked door. He saw what he expected upon stepping in. A stoic Vulcan stood facing the door with his hands behind his back. As if he expected someone. "Lieutenant Sivek of Vulcan. I am Captain Thorrin of the USS Herodotus. This is my XO, and Chief of Security." Thorrin purposefully left their names out. No need to reveal too much, at least not until the timing was right.
Marisa inclined her head in greeting, but otherwise remained silent and stoic.
Sivek had not needed the names. He had already deduced their ranks by the way they had entered: who led, who observed, who guarded the doorway like a well-oiled hinge.
He inclined his head toward the balding male, but only flicked his eyes toward the Vulcan female. His eyes landed briefly at the second male--tall, muscled, and soldier-like, before returning to the one in command. This one also carried himself like a soldier, but there was something else about him that seemed calmer, wiser.
"You are not carrying a PADD," he observed, his voice low and wobbly as though he hadn't used it in years. "Therefore this is not a legal matter. Nor a courtesy call."
Marisa raised an eyebrow. He was observant, which was a positive sign. Although he should be aware that electronic equipment was not allowed.
"No. We do not carry PADDs," Marisa replied.
"You are not carrying a PADD," Sivek said again, more softly this time, as though he were testing his own voice against the dry air.
Hastios remained by the door, posture still, eyes steady on the prisoner. When Sivek repeated the line again, more softly this time, the silence that followed stretched just a little too long.
“Observation noted,” he said, evenly. Not mocking, not dismissive—just factual. “You’ll find this conversation’s more direct than documented.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t shift weight or cross arms. Just held his ground and waited—watchful, composed.
Thorrin had decided that the best way to handle this was to simply come out and tell the Vulcan what was what. If things did not go Thorrin's way he could simply have a neural transceiver beamed into the room and take care of Sivek's mind. But first he had to satisfy his team. "Lieutenant before I tell you why we are here. I would like you to answer a question. I am sure you can see the logic in being as direct as possible. So, if you were given the opportunity would you save your mother or would you adhere to the temporal prime directive?"
Sivek's eyes narrowed just a little, the faintest of creases forming across his brow. The question was not new, but it was a trap nonetheless--a wire stretched taut between one's duty and one's desire.
He folded his hands behind his back, as though weighing an impossible equation.
"Logic dictates adherence," he answered softly. "The Temporal Prime Directive is not a suggestion. It is a boundary."
He turned just enough to glance at the bare floor, then back to the captain. "But... logic alone cannot measure the depth of a mother's absence. It is not the same equation."
It may not be the same equation, but was it the answer? Marisa wondered. Did this mean he would try again if given the opportunity, or would he be able to accept her loss if that was what had to happen?
"Yes of course... Logic cannot measure loss in any way. However, that loss could simply be what is needed for the timeline, for the galaxy." Thorrin began is accent seeming to lose some of its usual honey as he spoke. "Lets cut to the proverbial chase here. Shall we? All three of us serve on the Federation's one and only timeship. I want you as the Chief Engineer. My crew here believes that may be an error in my judgement as you may use the technology now at your fingertips to do something untoward to the timeline. Such as bring your mother back. Now on the one hand you can stay here and I will make sure you forget we exist, and on the other hand you can come with us, get out of this prison and return to make a difference in this galaxy of ours. So, now tell me what your logic says."
Sivek did not answer right away.
The silence stretched on, as weighty as stone. The three officers waited, motionless, almost aware it had become a venerated moment.
"There is another timeline," he said quietly, "in which she survived. In which I never grieved. In which I remained whole."
His eyes dropped to the floor, seeing the starkness of shadow and light. "But I do not live in that timeline. I live here."
He exhaled slowly. "I used to believe I could correct what was broken. The loss of my mother. The lives of those starship crews. Their deaths--my responsibility." He found Thorrin's gaze once more, then meandered to Hastios, then Marisa.
"But I see now. In trying to fix time, I became the error. A paradox in flesh." He paused, searching for the right words. "I do not ask forgiveness. I will carry those lives with me until the day I expire. But I vow this: I will not alter the past again."
He lifted his chin, his voice suddenly finding its volume. "You have my word. I accept your offer."
"In accepting this offer as far as this timeline is concerned you would have been put on special assignment with the USS Herodotus. I have those orders. However, you will perish during that assignment never to be heard from again. You will become lost to time, living assumed identities as we all do. Evaluate and make sure that you are okay with this kind of existence." Thorrin did not flinch, did not blink while he explained this. This was a point that he wanted the Vulcan to understand was non negotiable.
Marisa watched Sivek, her face showing none of her thoughts. He was still a risk, but she believed his words. She just hoped he would still think the same way once they were back on the Herodotus. But if not, there was Hastios and Thorrin to keep an eye on him. As would she, until she could trust him.
Hastios hadn’t moved from his position near the door, but his focus never wavered—not from Sivek, and not from the undercurrent of the room.
He had heard similar words before. Regret packaged in logic. Resolution wrapped in restraint. It was never easy to trust someone who’d danced with time and come back bent but breathing. Still, there had been truth in the way Sivek delivered his vow—not in what he said, but in what he didn’t try to hide.
The silence that followed Thorrin’s warning was brief but leaden. Hastios finally stepped forward, just a pace or two, gaze still locked on the Vulcan.
“You’ve made your choice,” he said, voice low. “Just remember—on the Herodotus, we don’t get to unmake them.”
He left it there. Not a threat. Not even a warning. Just a fact. The kind that stuck with a man when time got slippery.
Sivek did not nod. He did not offer gratitude or supplication. That would only have cheapened the vow, making it less true and more ornamental.
Instead, he turned to the wall. Not to look at it--he had studied every grain in that composite surface a million times--but because it helped to speak without facing them. Some things were just easier that way.
"I understand the terms. I accept them not as compromise, but as course correction." He paused before turning back to Thorrin. He continued, "I have already been forgotten by the timeline. The only difference now is that I will forget myself more usefully."
He took one step closer to the captain, stopping just within arm's reach.
"I am ready."
Marisa wondered if he would truly forget himself. Or if he would be able to find himself again.
Thorrin exchanged looks with his officers. It was a silent communication that told him they were satisfied at the moment with Sivek's answers. "Very well then let us proceed." Thorrin said to Sivek and then knocked on the door. "Jailer. Oh Jailer if you please." He called out as he knocked. A moment or two later the guard arrived and opened the door. As soon as he walked in Thorrin produced a PADD and handed it to the guard. "These orders are confirmed and come directly from Rear Admiral Timothy Rice on behalf of the Federation Science Council. Lieutenant Sivek here is to be released into my custody as he is being placed on special assignment with the USS Herodotus. Do confirm the orders and check with your superiors if you wish. You have until we reach the entrance of course. Now if you would kindly step aside."
The guard was unsure if it was his genteel accent or the speed in which he spoke. But the Vulcan stood slackjawed for the moment and stepped aside without a word. "This is illogical. I will make sure this is accurate." He stammered or as close to a stammer as a Vulcan could get. "You do that in the meantime, we will proceed down the corridor. Follow me Lieutenant." Thorrin said with a hand motion toward Sivek.
Sivek fell into step behind Thorrin, his hands remaining clasped firmly behind his back.
Hastios said nothing as they turned back down the corridor, but his boots were moving before the words had even finished leaving Thorrin’s mouth. He settled into position at the rear, a quiet presence just behind Sivek, keeping one eye on the ex-prisoner and the other on the path ahead.
The guard’s slack-jawed hesitation didn’t earn so much as a glance. Not worth the time. There were enough variables in play already—no need to get distracted by one more man caught off guard.
He let the silence ride for a few steps before finally speaking, voice low but not cold.
“Feels strange walking someone out of a place like this,” he said, mostly to the corridor. “Usually when I’m in a room like that, it ends with me dragging them out in cuffs. Not welcoming them aboard.”
He didn’t say it with judgment. Just honesty. A small truth to break the tension.
“Let’s hope your new chapter reads better than your last,” he added, barely louder than the hum of their footsteps. Then the silence returned, and he let it. Some moments didn’t need more than that.
Sivek didn't look back at Hastios. He didn't need to. The man's voice carried the sort of steadiness that came from surviving too much and trusting too little.
"Then consider this," Sivek said softly, "a statistical anomaly."
There was nothing for Marisa to add, so she remained silent. A comment to the guard might bring his focus back on them instead of the orders. She fell in line, keeping her eyes forward. At the same time, she was keenly aware of the others, just in case.
As the group cleared the prison. Thorrin tapped his comm badge. "Four to return to the present." A swirl of light and green energy swirled around the group as the temporal transporter took hold. This transport was the beginning of a new life for Sivek of Vulcan.
A Joint Post By
Major Hastios Eilfaren
Chief Security & Tactical Officer
Second Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Commander Marisa Sandoval
Executive Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Sivek
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Captain Thorrin
Commanding Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
RSS Feed