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There were ten Farrezzi closing in on them. On the elevator platform they’d be sitting ducks until they’d gone through the hole in the ceiling.

“Watch out,” Tra said, “there’s two of them on the left.” Seven Deers strained to see in the gloom, only briefly improved by phaser fire and bursts from the Farrezzi weapons. Two attackers were trying to sneak up on them.

“I see ’em,” Seven Deers said. Of her two shots, only one hit its mark, making the leftmost Farrezzi stumble and then collapse. The other continued unaffected—until Tra fired.

“Got ’im,” Tra barked. The Farrezzi staggered, dropping its weapon.

“Onto the platform!” Tra shouted.

Seven Deers wasted no time and raced to the elevator. Rawlins followed right after her. Tra held off the Farrezzi with wide sweeps of phaser fire. Once on the platform, Seven Deers turned to see they were all still approaching.

Rawlins was close enough to grab the elevator’s metal cage, but then he screamed and let go. He slid down, clutching his right shoulder. Blood seeped out between his fingers. The ensign knelt down and pulled him onto the platform. There was no time to examine his wound. From Rawlins’s contorted expression, it must be pretty bad.

Five of their attackers were still standing. Hiding behind the cryopods, they were firing rapid shots at the Starfleet party.

“Get on!” Seven Deers yelled, straining to make herself heard. Tra stayed where he was, as if he hadn’t heard her. “Crewman, get the hell on the platform!”

“You need somebody to draw their fire!” Tra shouted back. “I’ll keep them distracted.”

“Don’t be dumb! Rawlins has been hit. That’s an order!”

His phaser in his left hand, Tra stretched out his right arm behind him to feel for the cage. He took another Farrezzi down. The return fire showered the elevator in sparks. Seven Deers felt something hot on her forehead, a burning sensation that wouldn’t go away. She put her hand to it but yanked it away when the pain got worse. Her fingers glistened.

The air was smoky from the Farrezzi weapons. But Tra was on the platform.

“Hold on,” Seven Deers said, getting up from her crouch to crank the lever upward. Her head began to swim, and a wave of nausea engulfed her. The elevator began to move, rumbling strangely. It hadn’t made that noise before. Unconcerned about the weapons fire, Seven Deers slumped to the floor of the cage and began to consider problems that could have caused the irregularity. It was hard to focus.

All she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep.

She closed her eyes.

NINE

Sixteen Years Ago

The next year of Leonard’s medical studies starts well. But things gradually deteriorate as his work begins to overwhelm him again. He spends less and less time studying in the apartment, doing his work in Bradley’s, a café near campus. This reduces the friction between Jocelyn and him, but whole days go by where the only time he spends with Jocelyn is when they’re asleep.

As his clinical work wraps up, Leonard begins planning for his internship. “We’ll have more time together, then,” Jocelyn says one evening when he comes home early. He falls straight into bed, clothes still on, worn out from a grueling day. She sits on the edge of the bed—it’s the first conversation they’ve had all week.

“I don’t know about that,” Leonard says. “I’ve been talking to Armstrong, and when he did his, he—”

Jocelyn interrupts him. She wants a baby. Having a child will bring them closer together. Lying there on the bed, holding her, Leonard can’t think of anything he wants more. They begin trying the day he graduates from medical school.

After four months, they succeed. Leonard isn’t able to spend as much time with Jocelyn as he’d like to—he’s hip-deep in his internship—but they’re spending more time together than they have before, and things are better.

Joanna is born as Leonard’s internship ends, and she’s wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous. Leonard is absolutely in love with her. He and Jocelyn have decided that it’s best for him to wait a year before beginning his residency so that he can help with the baby. He