There's No Escape For The Broken Hearted (Part 2)

Posted on Sun Feb 17th, 2019 @ 11:45pm by Ensign Andrew Gervais

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/5
Location: Ensign Copeland's Quarters/Holodeck 2/Gervais' Quarters
Timeline: August 10, 2399 (During/After Fill In The Blanks)

Once Paul finished preparing for his departure to fight off the Shalti and get the rift closed off, he walked the decks of the ship, observing everything and taking in the scenery. Even at Red Alert, everyone here seemed so much more at ease. I suppose when your entire existence wasnt under threat, a Red Alert wasn't the ordeal that it was on the Icarus. He was walking on the Junior Officer decks, nodding at the officers when he noticed the name on one of the quarters... 0242: ENS P COPELAND - ASST FCO

His quarters. Well.. Kind of. Did he dare go in and look? Probably everything was already cleared out, anyway. He pressed the button to open the door, and surprising nobody, it was a mostly empty room, stripped of any character that would have identified it. He walked through the main living area, looking out the window at space. What a much better universe they were in now... And Andrew wanted to waste it? Silly, silly boy. He then saw the panel over by Paul's old desk, and sat down at the console. Everything was probably erased, but he knew he could probably restore the old backups. It would be easy enough and it's not like anyone really would notice anyway...

"Computer, restore all backups to primary save space." Paul said.

"Voice authorization disabled. Please use primary authorization code to reinstate." The computer replied.

What would this Copeland have used? He thought a moment and then grinned...Of course... Andrew's birthday. "Copeland Delta 7376."

"Voice recognized and authorization reinstated. All files transferred back to console." The computer responded.

"Computer, pull up all files referencing myself and Ensign Andrew Gervais." he said as the computer found multiple copies. He spent a few hours before being due to meet Andrew, looking over everything. Photos and videos they took of themselves, personal logs where Paul spoke fondly of Andrew... Maybe that silly boy wasn't so silly after all. It seemed they really did care for each other. But in all the logs he heard, he still noted it was odd that Paul never left any kind of goodbye message for Gervais. He then got to the last one.. June 15th, 2304 hours."

"Personal Log, Ensign Paul Copeland. June 16, 2399 0446 hours. I... I can't believe this day has even happened. The entire senior staff. All gone. Dead. Blown apart in their own shuttle and we don't even know what happened. Lieutenant Holt is dead, and I'm now in charge. Thank god Andrew was off the ship already with the new Commodore on board because he'd have been in there with the Captain. And I'd be writing an entirely different log right now. You know... All this time out here and I've never really entertained the concept of death. I mean yeah, I know it's possible. But I guess I've never worried about it. And all of this... Seeing what I saw today, watching my commanding officers be blown up? It makes me appreciate Andrew even more. It makes me want to just be with him even closer. When this is all over, him and I are stopping at New Earth and renting a holodeck... We'll go to that spot on Mars we always loved and just look up at everything... If something ever happened to me? I hope he'd never forget me, but I also hope he'd carry on. That he'd do the best he could and never stop enjoying life. I hope he wouldn't become sad and so caught up in his grief he forgets that all of this is actually wonderful. I mean... We're the farthest out we've ever been exploring... Voyager took 7 years to get home and we can do it in 3 weeks. There's a lot for him to still live for, and I hope I'm there to share it with him for a long time to come, but man... If I wasn't? I hope he'd never lose sight of that."

At that point, the transmission ended. His final log... He had never asked Gervais how his Paul died... Figured it would be inappropriate, but he could only assume that it happened not long after. Maybe things weren't as rosy here as he thought. And seriously? The entire senior staff? Shit.

====A few hours later====

Andrew nervously approached the Holodeck door... What was he even going to show him? This wasn't his world? None of these places probably meant anything to him... What program could they possibly use? He seemed excited for Risa after he learned it existed still in this universe.... Maybe that?

Paul approached with a single rose, giving Andrew a hug. "For you." he said before kissing him on the cheek.

"Were you stalking my record somehow?" Andrew asked. "I love these roses.. Paul always got this kind for me. It's a breed that grows on Bajor in the more temperate regions... They almost went extinct after the Occupation, but due to reclamation work they were able to salvage them."

"Nice! I also think I have a better idea about what to do for the holodeck. If you'll let me plug something in." Paul replied.

"Sure." Andrew said as Paul cleared the old information out of the console and programmed something new.

"Don't look!" Paul replied. "I want you to be surprised!"

Andrew laughed... "Okay, fine. I won't!"

At that point, the holodeck door opened with that particular view from Mars that the two always enjoyed when together... "What? How did you..." Andrew asked, rather amazed.

"I lied." Paul said. "I did look up some stuff about your Paul. He was going to bring you here when you got to some place called New Earth?"

"The station." Andrew said. "Oh man, I'd have loved this!" he added, a bit delighted and a bit sad at the same time. "Our first shore leave together, we came here... Drank wine, various ales... Just looked out at the settlement. It was so peaceful. Our favourite place to go back in the Alpha Quadrant." He said as he placed his head on Paul's shoulder. "I wish there would be more of this. With you."

"There's no Mars in my universe either, Andrew." Paul said. "Everything you know and take for granted here doesn't exist."

"And you can't stay here?" Andrew asked.

"I wish I could... But... I can't. I can't run away after all this time. I have to see through the end of the Shalti reign of terror. For everyone I loved and everyone I cared about who they killed. Including you."

Andrew nodded, holding Paul tighter as Paul strengthened his embrace. "I guess... that's something my Paul would say too. And he probably wouldn't change his mind."

"You were ambushed in my world. They boarded your ship and killed you before you could even arm your phaser. They killed most of the entire crew that way." Paul replied. "The only thing that comforts me is that you didn't feel any pain. But you also did nothing to them and they just killed you anyway. That's why I have to go back and fight."

"You were checking a nacelle reading with the Chief Engineer. The person in charge of the Marines... They... Found you, wanted to arrest you and when the Chief Engineer objected, he tried to shoot her. You jumped in front and saved her. At least for a few minutes." Andrew said. "I was off the ship. I found out after the fact and aside from your memorial, I never go to say goodbye."

"I see." Paul said. "I guess it makes sense why you thought you'd want to come back with me."

"You're right about me going..." Andrew replied. "It's a pretty stupid idea. I just... I've missed you."

"I miss you too." Paul said, giving Andrew a kiss. "But I have to look out for you. Once I go tomorrow... I want you to listen to this." Paul said, as he gave Andrew a chip with Paul's final log entry. "It's not the goodbye message there, but... It is *your* Paul. Telling you what he wants you to do.. And you know... I think I would ask the same of my Andrew if things had been different."

"I will." Andrew replied as they continued to hold each other. "I loved every minute I had with him."

"I know... He loved every minute he spent with you too." Paul replied. "I guess me coming aboard didn't make things easier for you. I'm sorry for that."

"You didn't know." Andrew replied. "Neither of us knew. Promise me one thing?"

"What, love?" Paul asked.

"That you'll get back at these Shalti bastards for what they did to you." Andrew said. "That if you have to meet your end in your universe, you do it for a reason. Don't just die senselessly."

"I promise." Paul said, engaging in another kiss.

"I love you." Andrew said as he held on watching the sunset.

"Same, I guess." Paul said with a bit of a laugh as Andrew smirked.

===END===

Ensign Andrew Gervais
Adjutant to the TFCO
Starfleet Command

Ensign Paul Copeland
Flight Control
USS Icarus