Tears Not For Myself

[Ian_Syndrx 0]

Meritorious Achievement Award

 

Tears Not For Myself

 

Ian snuck back to his quarters, desperately trying to avoid the stares of his crewmates. He could not believe the news himself. It was one thing to handle the death of a crewmate - but how do you cope with your own death? It was more than Ian could process at the moment.

 

When he reached his quarters the computer cheerfully welcomed him back onboard and informed him that he had one message waiting for him. He set his bag down next to his desk and told the computer to display the message. He was only somewhat surprised to see his face appear on the screen.

 

"Hi Ian. If you found this message, I'm probably dead. I really hope you never see this – not because I'm afraid of my death, but because I have more things to discuss with you then I have time to record.

 

"As you have no doubt realized by now, I am you. To be more specific, I am who you would have been if life had taken you down a different path. Your Manticore shifted to my universe before I came onboard after my temporary assignment at Utopia Planitia. When came onboard I immediately noticed how much everyone had changed. Like T'Prise and Malcolm. Would you believe they are married in my reality? And that they had a son?

 

"A few days after we left my Maturin we found the wreckage of my Manticore. Every person on board was dead. As we investigated the wreckage we discovered the quantum shift and I knew immediately that I did not belong. I realized that no one was acting strangely – they were simply not the people I had known. And I realized that the people I had known were all dead.

 

"T'Prise. Malcolm. Turris. Even my godson Christopher. They were my crewmates, my family – and all of them were dead. And the worst part was that I was still alive. I should have been on that Manticore, not your Manticore. I should have died with them, trying to save the people I loved. But I couldn't. And so I'll take your place here until we return to you. I'll get these people home – and I will die for them if that is what it takes.

 

"I weep for the loss of the Manticore. Tears not for myself, but for the crew of the U.S.S. Manticore. They died in the defense of the Federation. May they not be forgotten."

Edited October 21, 2010 by Ian_Syndrx