SECTION 20

With a little bit of searching, you are able to find the drained power supply in the time tunneler vest and, after Reginald helpfully brings you some tools, tie in the Iconian battery.

This time when you power up the controls, the small screen on your wrist flashes to life, displaying an absolute flood of text warning about all of the horrible mishaps that can happen when you travel in time. Once you finally scroll through it all, you are able to click OK and get back to the device’s main screen.

The time tunneler allows you to select both a time and a destination, which is immensely helpful in the current circumstances. Yes, you could have just beamed to Vulcan first through the Section 31 transporter network, but you worried that the transporter might not know what to do with an unknown piece of technology like the time tunneler. The slightest mishap during rematerialization could lead to disaster when you travel back in time.

You can feel the vest almost vibrating your torso, an effect that only builds as you punch in the time and place where you need to go. Soon all that’s left is to activate the time tunneler.

“This is looking like a one-person job from here,” Reginald says with a hint of sadness.

“I’m afraid so,” you reply. “But thank you. You’ve been so helpful when you really didn’t have a reason to believe me.”

“If what you say about the timeline you came from is true, it’s more than worth it. Tell that other me that he’s a lucky man.”

“Oh, I will absolutely be doing that,” you say, flashing Reginald a smile.

You activate the time tunneler.

A sudden blast of electricity courses through you, locking your joints as Reginald and the ship all start warping wildly. Then everything around you rips apart in blast of red energy.

You’re now surrounded by swirling conduits of color, heading off in all directions. The time tunneler itself is screeching and squealing as it yanks you back and forth violently.

It’s almost too much for you to take.

You feel unconsciousness threatening to take you.

No. It can’t. You don’t have time for that.

One more jolt rockets you forward.

And then it’s over.

You are on your knees in red dirt. You quickly pull yourself up and look around. It’s Vulcan. You made it!

But what is that thing off in the distance? Some kind of large metal platform is dangling in the air, suspended from an absolutely massive ship high in the planet’s atmosphere. And the platform is currently firing a beam at the planet below.

The ground beneath you trembles.

That can’t be good.

If you had a bit more time and resources, you would eventually figure out what is going on, but you don’t. So let me skip ahead. That Iconian battery was a wee bit on the strong side and completely overloaded the time tunneler, so much so that you actually ripped through time, space, and realities.

You’re on the right planet, but in the wrong year and in the really wrong timeline.

High above you, a Romulan named Nero, who also isn’t in his correct year or reality, is taking out his revenge on Vulcan. But don’t worry, this reality’s crew of the USS Enterprise will stop him, but not before he blows up this planet.

Bad luck there. Sorry.

BOOOOM!

THE END

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