The Hand of the Continuum – We Weren’t in Control – Star Trek Fanfiction (Red Directive #10)

I reached out desperately, trying to feel for something in the blinding white light, knowing deep down I wasn’t going to find anything.

The same explosions from my dream began echoing around me as the ship started to shake violently. Heat surged through the bridge just as fast as it had in my nightmare.

Then—

I felt it.

A soft hand.

Someone I felt like I had known an entire lifetime.

His hand was warm. Gentle.

In that moment, with everything falling apart around me, I had never felt safer in my life.

I looked up to see who was trying to save me… wondering if we were even going to make it.

Then—

The universe froze.

The alarms cut off mid-wail.

The blinding white light vanished completely.

Sparks hanging in the air above the bridge froze in place.

On the viewscreen, the shattered hull of the USS Saratoga hung motionless in the temporal storm like a ghost trapped between seconds.

I sat on the floor of the bridge in complete shock.

Then I remembered.

I had felt someone with me.

Then I heard it.

Someone started clapping slowly behind me.

“Well… this is awkward.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

Of course.

When I turned, Q stood casually beside the captain’s chair, inspecting the bridge as if he were touring a museum exhibit.

He sighed dramatically.

“You humans really do have a remarkable talent for driving directly into cosmic disasters.”

“Did you cause this?” I asked.

Q looked almost offended.

“Please. If I were responsible, the anomaly would at least be interesting.”

He stepped toward the viewscreen, examining the frozen Saratoga.

“Temporal fractures are dreadfully messy things. Someone — or something — has been poking holes in spacetime again.”

He glanced back at me.

“And naturally, you chose to fly straight through it.”

I crossed my arms.

“You offered help earlier.”

“And you refused.”

“Yes. We had a solid plan.”

Q smiled slightly.

“Which is precisely why you’re still alive.”

He snapped his fingers.

The stars outside the viewscreen began moving backwards.

The Saratoga reversed its motion, sliding away through the anomaly as though the universe itself had begun rewinding.

The swirling temporal storm collapsed inward.

Stars shifted.

The bridge lighting flickered.

For a brief moment the entire ship felt as if it were falling through time itself.

Then—

Reality slammed back into place.

Only I wasn’t lying on the bridge anymore.

I was lying on the floor in front of the briefing table.

My entire senior staff stood around me.

Lieutenant Darak was running a tricorder slowly over my body while the Emergency Medical Hologram shouted from the small viewscreen embedded in the briefing table.

“Her vitals appear normal!”

“Do not move her until all scans are complete! Captain, report to sickbay immediately when you are able.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

I wondered if he was aware of my sarcasm yet.

I sat up slowly while Darak continued scanning.

Commander T’Varen looked concerned.

“Captain… are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

I glanced up at the briefing room display.

It now showed nothing but empty space.

“What happened to the anomaly?”

Commander Pelia tapped on her PADD, clearly perplexed.

“It just vanished, Captain. Completely. We can’t explain it. It’s like the darn thing never existed.”

A Lathanite without an explanation was never a good thing.

Lieutenant Darak’s tricorder emitted a familiar confirming beep before he closed it.

“Right when you lost consciousness, actually. Oddly convenient. All readings now appear normal.”

He smiled slightly and stepped back.

Before I could respond, Commander T’Varen and Aura helped me to my feet.

T’Varen spoke calmly.

“Long-range sensors detect no vessels, anomalies, or artificial transmissions within scanning range.”

I brushed myself off as if none of this bothered me.

Even though inside, a million questions were racing through my mind.

I studied my senior staff.

They all seemed only mildly concerned considering what had just happened.

Wait.

Had they been through it?

“I believe we were all on our off-duty rotations except Commander T’Varen,” I said calmly.

“Everyone dismissed.”

They each offered either a respectful nod, a salute, or a small smile before leaving the briefing room.

The EMH began shouting something else from the tiny screen.

I quickly tapped a few controls and shut him off before he could finish.

Just as Commander T’Varen reached the doorway, I hurried over and gently grabbed her arm near the wrist.

She turned quickly.

I raised a finger to my lips, signaling for silence.

She nodded in understanding.

Once the corridor was clear, she spoke again.

“Captain… I will ask again. Are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“What happened right before I fell?”

T’Varen answered calmly.

“We were seated around the briefing table discussing the anomaly. The lights flickered… and suddenly you were on the floor. At that same moment, the anomaly disappeared.”

That was exactly when Q had arrived.

Which meant…

I was the only one who had experienced the temporal event.

“Why do you ask, Captain?” she said.

I clasped my hands behind my back casually.

“Just making sure I have my facts straight for my Captain’s Log.”

She gave me a long, questioning look before stepping into the corridor.

The briefing room doors hissed closed.

I let out a slow sigh of relief.

I had a feeling she would want to continue that conversation, and I wasn’t ready for that yet.

I might be able to explain the anomaly.

Definitely not my dream that turned into a vision.

And absolutely not Q erasing the anomaly from existence.

I decided to examine the sensor logs myself before finally admitting defeat and attempting to get a few hours of sleep.

I turned slowly toward the display.

And nearly jumped out of my skin.

Q was leaning casually against the computer screen with his hands folded behind his back.

Amused expression as always.

“Try not to destroy the timeline before our next meeting, Captain.”

I stepped toward him, trying not to show how confused I actually was.

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

For a brief moment, his expression softened.

“Oh, I think you already know.”

He straightened slightly.

A faint smile appeared.

“The Continuum finds you… interesting.”

He snapped his fingers.

And he was gone.

Again.

My eyes rolled back in frustration.

I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind.

Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations.

But Q?

And the sudden disappearance of a three-hundred-kilometer anomaly?

No.

Impossible.

Illogical.

I closed my eyes and thought again about that safe feeling.

That soft hand reaching for me in the blinding white light when the anomaly was about to destroy the USS Cairo.

How could something like that feel so… familiar?

Was it Q’s hand?

It had to be.

But why would it feel safe?

I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away.

I wasn’t sure it worked.

Eventually I gave up on the sensor logs and left the briefing room.

I headed straight for my quarters.

Thankfully I didn’t need to use the turbolift for once.

I tapped my access code on the panel a little too fast.

It failed.

I sighed.

Another reminder of how exhausted I was.

The second attempt worked.

I stepped inside.

The lights were already dim from the night cycle.

I walked slowly toward the bed.

I wasn’t even sure how much of the night cycle remained.

As I reached down to change out of my captain’s uniform, I realized something.

I was still wearing my loungewear.

Which meant the crew definitely never saw Q.

He had appeared before Aura had given me the uniform.

I exhaled in relief and collapsed onto the bed.

“Computer, restrict access to my quarters unless it is a dire emergency. Lights at zero percent for the next six hours.”

“Captain’s quarters restricted for six hours. Initiating now.”

The lights faded to complete darkness.

As sleep finally began to take over, the only sound left in the room was the quiet hum of the Cairo’s engines.

Leaving me to wonder…

If six hours would be enough time to avoid the next disaster waiting somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant.