Chapter Text
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Part I
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There was so much unknown in the universe. This had been readily apparent since before the first ever space flight and continued to be true even after decade after decade of exploration, and generations of first contacts, strange new worlds, and an ever expanding cosmos. There was still so much they just didn’t know.
Right now, though, he really didn’t know what he was looking at.
Somewhere in the back of his head, a familiar voice rang out, but as the world narrowed and started to go black, all he could think was...
“Interesting…”
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Christopher Pike sat in the captain’s quarters of the U.S.S. Enterprise and poured himself a bourbon. Not his usual drink of choice after a long… everything… but when in Rome, as that one saying goes.
A body stirred at the other end of the room, interrupting his thoughts for a moment. He smiled to himself. The quiet he'd been allowed had been nice, a reprieve from the constant up and down, left and right, past and future of space travel.
But now, to have another to talk to, someone to relate to… well, he would never take that for granted in the vast vacuum beyond the bulkheads that constantly tried to kill them all.
Again, the other presence in the room made itself known and Pike stood to go and grab another glass. He set it next to his and poured a generous amount in preparation.
“Wakey, wakey…" he said more to himself than anything.
A groan from the ground told him it was more than just restlessness. It was slowly becoming awareness.
The other person finally roused themselves enough to push themselves up to their hands and knees. Pike sat down again, this time placing a phaser next to his glass. When the other person finally blinked and looked over at him, he smiled and toasted him quickly before taking another sip.
“Welcome back to the world,” he grinned, an ironic twist to his lips.
Captain Christopher Pike stared back at him, dressed in his boy scout gold, with a frown.
“What in the hell…?”
Pike just laughed, tipping back the rest of the bourbon before setting his glass down and picking up the phaser.
“I knew you’d say that.”
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The world slowly came back into focus again as he stared at… himself.
Having been on the receiving end of a self visit just recently, he stood up and tried to get his bearings – shaking off the images of silent screams in a melting face…
“Did you STUN me?” he asked, already knowing the answer. The after effects of a stun, even if they hadn’t been required to go through it at the academy as cadets, were already very well known to him. Multiple mission logs corroborated that.
The other 'him' laughed.
“Seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“No ‘seems’ about it.” Chris stood up, a hand to the side of his head. “That never gets any easier.”
The other him used the phaser in his hand to push the glass of bourbon towards him, and Chris just raised a eyebrow at him. “And that won’t make it any better.”
“Suit yourself.” The other him grinned again, picked up the tumbler, and downed the drink in one go.
“So…” Chris started. “Are you here to kill me? Warn me? Take over the Enterprise? Who are you and where are you from?” This version of Christopher Pike didn’t seem any older or more battle worn. He didn’t seem younger or more naïve that he likely already was.
Other him just shrugged as he straightened the sleeves of his non-Federation leather jacket as he relaxed back against the couch. “I’m sure you probably already know the answer to that…”
I’m Terran by the way… from your mirror universe… A memory and that familiar voice suddenly connected those elusive dots for him.
“So what could you possibly want from the Prime Universe?” Chris asked. The other him just shook his head and chuckled.
“From our side of the looking glass, we are the Prime Universe,” he chided. Chris just crossed his arms and looked expectantly at the other man.
He just sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Let’s just say… my future doesn’t quite look so rosy from where I’m from. I figured, perhaps, that the grass was slightly greener here.”
“Hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to get the chance to find out…” Chris told him before calling out to the computer. “Pike to security…” The other him just smirked and tossed a small device onto the coffee table.
“Comm scrambler. Don’t make me use the phaser again,” he warned good naturedly with a wink, dangling said device casually. Chris sighed, he didn’t even know where his phaser was. Or how long he had been out. The dim lighting in his quarters told him nothing. And who knows what else his visitor adjusted to make himself more comfortable.
“Alright then. We now have ourselves an unconventional standoff. What next?”
The other man shrugged slightly before letting his arms drape over the back of the couch, bringing an ankle up to the other knee. He was in control here, and he had no problem showing off just how unconcerned he was about being overtaken or discovered.
“We could sit here, drink some bourbon, get to know ourselves…” he smiled. “… a bit better. Or, I could kill you as you stand. I don’t know, haven’t decided yet.”
“How did you get here?” Chris asked, finally. It was starting to feel a bit disturbing to see his own smile directed back at him.
“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll tell you. Maybe I won’t.”
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TBC