What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been [Original Universe]
The Orb rotated gently in its case, glowing softly behind the clear windows set into the doors. The light gave Enabran's face an eerie cast in the darkened room; it didn't complement the Cardassian complexion. Then again, neither did the expression of utter misery his friend wore. "Here it is," he said, needlessly.
"Yes," Julian agreed. He reached out and took Enabran's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"Change your mind," Enabran begged softly. "Don't use the Orb. Stay with me." Julian glanced at him, and he smiled sadly. "But I know you won't. Forgive a man for giving voice to his wishes."
Julian returned the smile. "Forgiven," he said. "Is there anything, any message you'd like me to give to Garak or anything?"
"Tell him I love him," Enabran said. "Tell him...he's the most important thing in the universe to me, no matter how it may seem sometimes."
Julian's heart clenched. "I will make sure he knows," he said. Reluctantly, he released Enabran's hand. "I'm going to miss you, Matthew."
Enabran suddenly flung himself at Julian, enveloping him in a hug. "I'll never forget you," he said fiercely. "You've meant so much to me."
Julian tipped his head back, blinking to hold back tears and resisting the temptation to kiss the neck ridges, scant inches from his face. The gesture would be far more intimate than it would with another human, and while he knew Enabran would welcome it, Julian doubted his own ability to ever stop if he were to begin. When they had kissed, he had nearly lost all self-control, and there was no Garak here to interrupt them. "And you to me," he said.
No Garak, except for the adult waiting for him in his own universe. He stepped back reluctantly. It was time. "Goodbye, Enabran," he said. "My dear friend."
"Go," Enabran said. "Before I change my mind and drag you back home." He smiled again to show he wasn't serious.
Julian nodded, slightly shaky, and turned to the Orb. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, and opened the case.
The flash of light blinded him momentarily; he blinked hard against the purple afterimages clouding his vision. When he could see, he took stock of his surroundings and found, to his immense relief, that he was in the science lab, exactly where he'd left from all those months--had it been years?--ago. He nearly broke down, overwhelmed with relief, but the faint hum of station life and the familiarly stark decor spurred an instinct in him, a sense that he was on duty and must behave professionally.
Quickly, he checked to make sure his uniform was in order. He was probably in need of a haircut, but he could deal with that later. He tapped his commbadge, clearing his throat. "Bashir to Captain Sisko," he said, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"Sisko here," came the response, calm and sorely missed.
Julian took a deep breath. "Captain, I need to speak to you. Is now a good time?"
"Certainly, Doctor. I'm in my office."
"On my way, sir," Julian answered, and set off for Ops.
Sisko's office doors slid open at his approach. He entered and stood at attention, uncharacteristically formal.
"Relax. What's on your mind, Doctor?" Sisko asked, and frowned. "You've done something different with your hair."
"Yes, sir," Julian said. "I--I'm not sure how to explain this, but I had an encounter with the Orb of Time--"
Sisko cut him off with a gesture. "Temporal Investigations just left," he said, sotto voce. "Please tell me you didn't cause any permanent damage. I hate dealing with them."
"I don't think so," Julian said. "I was shifted to an alternate universe, as well. Not the mirror universe which you've visited, but another version. I don't believe my actions there can have any impact on our timeline."
"Well, that's a relief," Sisko said. "How long were you gone?"
"Approximately three and a half years," Julian replied.
Sisko whistled lowly. "That explains the hair," he commented.
"Yes, sir," Julian agreed. He shifted his weight to his left foot, then back again.
"How did you spend the time?" Sisko asked. "What were you doing for three and a half years?"
"Most of it was spent on Cardassia Prime, as the guest of Enabran Tain," Julian answered. As Sisko started forward in his seat, alarmed, Julian hastily added, "His willing guest. I was not held prisoner or harmed in any way. He treated me as a member of his family."
"You'll understand if I order you to meet with a counselor anyway," Sisko said.
Julian pressed his lips together and nodded. "I think that's probably wise, sir," he agreed, thinking of the kiss. "The Cardassians were in possession of the Orb of Time in that universe, which is why it took so long for me to return--you know what the bureaucracy's like." Sisko nodded, smiling ruefully. "Sir. You'll have my full report on your desk at 0600 tomorrow, but right now, I need some time off to recover. May I take the rest of the day--?"
"Take the week," Sisko said. "Take your time with the report, as well. If your little adventure had no impact on this universe, I see no need for you to rush."
"Thank you, sir," Julian said earnestly.
"It's good to have you back," Sisko said. "Is there anything else?"
"No, sir," Julian answered.
"Dismissed."
Julian turned on his heel and left the office. As he stepped into the turbolift, he said quietly, "Computer, locate Elim Garak."
"Elim Garak is on the Promenade," the computer said, its calm, feminine voice comfortingly familiar.
"Well, then," Julian said to the turbolift. "Promenade."
"Yes," Julian agreed. He reached out and took Enabran's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"Change your mind," Enabran begged softly. "Don't use the Orb. Stay with me." Julian glanced at him, and he smiled sadly. "But I know you won't. Forgive a man for giving voice to his wishes."
Julian returned the smile. "Forgiven," he said. "Is there anything, any message you'd like me to give to Garak or anything?"
"Tell him I love him," Enabran said. "Tell him...he's the most important thing in the universe to me, no matter how it may seem sometimes."
Julian's heart clenched. "I will make sure he knows," he said. Reluctantly, he released Enabran's hand. "I'm going to miss you, Matthew."
Enabran suddenly flung himself at Julian, enveloping him in a hug. "I'll never forget you," he said fiercely. "You've meant so much to me."
Julian tipped his head back, blinking to hold back tears and resisting the temptation to kiss the neck ridges, scant inches from his face. The gesture would be far more intimate than it would with another human, and while he knew Enabran would welcome it, Julian doubted his own ability to ever stop if he were to begin. When they had kissed, he had nearly lost all self-control, and there was no Garak here to interrupt them. "And you to me," he said.
No Garak, except for the adult waiting for him in his own universe. He stepped back reluctantly. It was time. "Goodbye, Enabran," he said. "My dear friend."
"Go," Enabran said. "Before I change my mind and drag you back home." He smiled again to show he wasn't serious.
Julian nodded, slightly shaky, and turned to the Orb. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, and opened the case.
The flash of light blinded him momentarily; he blinked hard against the purple afterimages clouding his vision. When he could see, he took stock of his surroundings and found, to his immense relief, that he was in the science lab, exactly where he'd left from all those months--had it been years?--ago. He nearly broke down, overwhelmed with relief, but the faint hum of station life and the familiarly stark decor spurred an instinct in him, a sense that he was on duty and must behave professionally.
Quickly, he checked to make sure his uniform was in order. He was probably in need of a haircut, but he could deal with that later. He tapped his commbadge, clearing his throat. "Bashir to Captain Sisko," he said, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"Sisko here," came the response, calm and sorely missed.
Julian took a deep breath. "Captain, I need to speak to you. Is now a good time?"
"Certainly, Doctor. I'm in my office."
"On my way, sir," Julian answered, and set off for Ops.
Sisko's office doors slid open at his approach. He entered and stood at attention, uncharacteristically formal.
"Relax. What's on your mind, Doctor?" Sisko asked, and frowned. "You've done something different with your hair."
"Yes, sir," Julian said. "I--I'm not sure how to explain this, but I had an encounter with the Orb of Time--"
Sisko cut him off with a gesture. "Temporal Investigations just left," he said, sotto voce. "Please tell me you didn't cause any permanent damage. I hate dealing with them."
"I don't think so," Julian said. "I was shifted to an alternate universe, as well. Not the mirror universe which you've visited, but another version. I don't believe my actions there can have any impact on our timeline."
"Well, that's a relief," Sisko said. "How long were you gone?"
"Approximately three and a half years," Julian replied.
Sisko whistled lowly. "That explains the hair," he commented.
"Yes, sir," Julian agreed. He shifted his weight to his left foot, then back again.
"How did you spend the time?" Sisko asked. "What were you doing for three and a half years?"
"Most of it was spent on Cardassia Prime, as the guest of Enabran Tain," Julian answered. As Sisko started forward in his seat, alarmed, Julian hastily added, "His willing guest. I was not held prisoner or harmed in any way. He treated me as a member of his family."
"You'll understand if I order you to meet with a counselor anyway," Sisko said.
Julian pressed his lips together and nodded. "I think that's probably wise, sir," he agreed, thinking of the kiss. "The Cardassians were in possession of the Orb of Time in that universe, which is why it took so long for me to return--you know what the bureaucracy's like." Sisko nodded, smiling ruefully. "Sir. You'll have my full report on your desk at 0600 tomorrow, but right now, I need some time off to recover. May I take the rest of the day--?"
"Take the week," Sisko said. "Take your time with the report, as well. If your little adventure had no impact on this universe, I see no need for you to rush."
"Thank you, sir," Julian said earnestly.
"It's good to have you back," Sisko said. "Is there anything else?"
"No, sir," Julian answered.
"Dismissed."
Julian turned on his heel and left the office. As he stepped into the turbolift, he said quietly, "Computer, locate Elim Garak."
"Elim Garak is on the Promenade," the computer said, its calm, feminine voice comfortingly familiar.
"Well, then," Julian said to the turbolift. "Promenade."