Into Darkness

[Erich Jaenke 0]

Into Darkness

A log something of Keb and Erich

 

With the weather control system online and the engineering staff managing it, Erich and Keb headed toward their respective quarters for some desperately needed rest. The helm officer found herself walking down the same corridor as the engineering chief, half on purpose. She was worried about him; he still looked shaky. “What did that doctor give you?” she finally asked.

 

"An inhibitor and anti-caffeine medication," Erich said as they walked down a nondescript corridor. "I can't feel anyone; the ship is empty. You,” he gazed upon her face. “You are different." A part of Keb disappeared. He heard her words, but their soul, the thoughts dancing alongside while she spoke...gone. Keb could not understand what his world twisted into. This was Keb’s reality he shuffled through now. A protracted moment passed before he spoke again.

 

"You do not need to follow me around, Keb. I'm just in withdrawals. This is my own damn fault. I did not do myself what I ordered you to do. All I needed was a long nap." Erich could feel a sensation of shaking. Did it manifest itself to others? He did not know. He looked up before rounding a corner.

 

Keb took his arm to steady him; he definitely did not look okay. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’ll sleep better knowing you made it to your quarters. Besides, mine are this direction anyway.”

 

“Really?” he spoke under his breath. Erich squinted as if struggling to remember where he was. “I can’t believe that this idea worked.”

 

Keb smiled, supporting him with her arm wrapped around his. “Hey, it did work, though,” she said in a soft voice. “Everyone on Earth is safe...well, safer. My family’s safe.”

 

“Oh?” Erich perked up. “Where do they live? I can make sure the area is fine. Do they like telepaths?” Why did he ask that? Talk about putting the warp field before the ship.

 

Keb squeezed his arm. “They’re in San Francisco,” she said. “Don’t worry about it now. We got that covered--Starfleet Command was a high priority area anyway.” She wondered about his question regarding telepaths. Sometimes her father had interesting ideas--though he was usually diplomatic about it.

 

“My...father’s an ambassador,” she added after a moment. “Retired admiral.”

 

Erich swallowed hard and coughed. “Admiral?” He looked at the numbers on the door. “Oh, here we are. My quarters.” He waved a hand as if it was the entrance to a grand palace. The door opened and remained so, even as he teetered slightly. “This is my stop I suppose.”

 

Keb didn’t let go of him; in fact, she had to catch him as he wobbled just a little too far. Whatever they’d given him, between the drugs and the exhaustion, he was dead on his feet. “I...” he said as the medicine sedated him further. Something Dr. Scott warned him about.

 

Suddenly Erich collapsed against her; he would have fallen to the floor if not for her support. She leaned against the door to support his weight, and adjusted her hold. “Erich?” she asked, scanning the room beyond to see how difficult it would be to get him to his bed.

 

His accommodations were modest. Keb wondered if this was the broom closet. The bed sat against the far wall, straight ahead. “Mmm,” he murmured. “What happened?” His legs felt rubbery.

 

Keb wasn’t sure how to answer, as she didn’t know. “Lean on me,” she ordered, pulling his arm around her shoulder and wrapping her arm around his back. “Just a couple steps.” Half carrying him like this, she managed to get him to the bed, where she helped him sit down; the effort was equally exhausting for her, and she sat down at the foot of the bed, leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

 

He stared at her in confusion and smiled like it was the first time he laid eyes on her. He blinked. “Commander, what are you doing in my bed? I did not hear you enter.” His head bobbed a bit, his body caught between wake and sleep.

 

“I’m not in your bed, I’m on your bed,” Keb said. “Get your boots off and lie down. You need it.” She closed her own eyes, not moving, using the wall for support.

 

“How are you doing that, keeping your secrets from me?” He felt off his nacelle. Was he dreaming? he asked himself. His own mind did not realize the suppression it was under. “Keb...Kebbers, Kebberly...Uhm.” Erich awoke, his body delivering a parting shot of adrenaline . “I should remove my boots,” he said with a big smile. “Are you awake?”

 

“I’m here,” Keb murmured, shifting slightly against the wall. She didn’t open her eyes; she was barely conscious and hadn’t heard most of his rambling as she’d been slipping in and out of microsleep for the past few moments.

 

After some tugging one boot flew into the air, flipping end over end until it landed with a plop. A thud came from the far side of the bed from Erich’s head hitting his pillow. The world he once knew blackened in sight, sound, and thought. The exhausted engineer made an indistinguishable moan; a body so tired the mind could not get him comfortable. Meanwhile, the sounds had almost no effect on Keb, who had drifted off against the wall without meaning to. Both of them were completely asleep.

 

***

 

When Keb finally woke up, she felt embarrassed to find herself still on the end of Erich’s bed, her hair mussed and matted from shifting against the wall. As she slipped out of his quarters to go to her own for a shower, she passed Ensign Tim Tam, and quickly turned her reddening cheeks away, counting in Klingon under her breath.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Erich Jaenke