EXETERRPG: (18 - 1600) FO Lt(sg) Ailynn Bracken and ACFO Ens (sg) Ronnie Winters

[Mark Howard]

Mission: The flames of purity

Day: 18

Stardate: 2445.09.18

(USS Exeter - Ronnie Winters Personnel Quarters -FO, Lt. SG Ailynn Bracken
and ACFO Ronnie Winters - 1600)

“Thanks for meeting with me Ailynn.” Ronnie said as she poured some tea
into their mugs. She then doctored hers with milk, honey, and sugar.

Ailynn was still in excruciating pain, but smiled anyway. "Ronnie, you're
family I'll always drop everything for you. You know that." Picking up the
small milk jug she added a splash of milk, the tea turning an orange-brown
colour.

“I know you’ve had a rough go, but I really need someone to talk to, and
you’re it. The one I can trust on this.”

She knew there was something bothering Ronnie, the two girls were close,
friendship didn't cover it, family was too nonspecific. Briefly Ailynn
wished she had Ashlyn's gift for words. "Whats up sweetie?"

“I’m never going to exist. In this timeline anyways. Mom and Dad, Ash and
Trip, they’re having a boy. Meaning that the events that led to my
conception, that singular moment in time, it’s not going to happen. But I’m
still here. Still in existence. And I’m wondering what that means.”

Sighing gently and nodding, Ailynn sipped attempts wonderfully strong tea
and then put the cup down, resting her hand on Ronnie's.

"We're into territory that I don't know much about, Dale's the physicist,
but...here's my take." Ailynn frowned in thought.

“Oh?”

"You're only thinking in one direction. Cause and affect. The two Events
inexorably one before the other. However, in your case your present is
occurring before your past, but that doesn't mean that your past won't
happen, because it already has…"

“So what you’re saying is that rather than altering a timeline, I crossed
into a different timeline, a different universe, that this isn’t the
universe I’m from, so my altering events didn’t so much as lead to my
potential nonexistence, but rather, my being here was a needed catalyst so
that this universe, this timeline, could diverge and become its own?”

"Sure yeah. And that I think is what future gran had in mind, you're still
here because either you're from a different universe, a much worse one sent
here to prevent the same happening, or time itself is more forgiving than
those weird movies Trip made us watch tell us."

“You were supposed to die, you know. On the Interceptor, instead of Ryelle.
You died, in my timeline, on that mission.”

"I gave it my best attempt." Ailynn said. "Ryelle cheated."

“I encouraged Ryelle to take Adala’s place figuring that he would be taken
too. Keep you safe. You died from the gas, your Dextrocardia… He was
supposed to keep you alive, he was a doctor. I didn’t think…. I didn’t
think he’d die.”

Ailynn instantly knew where Ronnie's mind was and sat up straighter, closer
to her cousin.

“Is it my fault?”

"Sweetie," Ailynn paused, framing the thought in her mind. "I was dying,
I'd given Ryelle a cocktail of things that would have kept him alive, a lot
of very strong medication, all really carefully balanced in him, but would
have killed me instantly. At the moment of me nearly expiring, Ryelle
prayed, he prayed and he asked to go instead. The Prophets chose to accept
that. It was his choice, not your doing. He went with them, happy and
willingly with his Prophets. Such was the strength of his fate."

“And the strength of his faith.”

"It wasn't you. Perhaps the prophets or whatever entity you want to
consider. Perhaps they maneuvered you too."

“I’m just… it’s guilt I guess. But I know you feel it too. So I guess we
share the burden of the irrational guilt of his death together.”

"Absolutely; and you're correct. I do." Ailynn twisted round slightly,
pulling her cousin into a hug, Ronnie's head rested on her shoulder.
Turning round slightly, Ailynn kissed her gently on the top of the head.
"I'm here for you, with all the breath in my body." She smiled. "Which I
appreciate isn't much at the moment."

“So I guess now that it looks like I won’t poof out of existence once I
correct the timeline, seeing as how this isn’t my, umm universe. I guess it
means I should actually let myself live a normal life. If that makes sense.
Not be afraid to put down roots. Fall in love.”

"Insofar as is possible for us to be normal, yeah. Live...love…" she nudged
Ronnie with her hip.  "Be happy."

“Well I have enough Williams in me to make me more normal than you.” She
said with a chuckle.

"Touche." Ailynn smiled.

“I umm, so there's this guy I like.”

"Oh? Anyone I know?" Ailynn asked.

"You could say that."

"Who is it?" Ailynn asked again, wishing that Ronnie would just spot it
out.to the point

"Well, promise not to laugh?"

"Ronnie...you're being infuriating. Who...is...it?"

"Thing is, he's kind of an ass, but I think he's misunderstood."

"Misunderstood…? Ronnie are we going to get anywhere with this?" She sighed.

"I have a crush on your brother."

Taken by surprise, Ailynn was stunned. "My brother? As in Gabe my brother?
I did not see that coming." She admitted.

"Neither did I."

"Oh Ronnie. Does he feel the same?"

"I don't know. The only visible emotion your brother ever shows regularly
is somewhere between grumpy and pissed off."

"Whatever floats your boat obviously, but you have got to open up about who
you are. That is a massive thing." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "My
cousin has the hots for my half-brother. I'm in far too much pain for
wrapping my head round this. Good job I didn't ask you if he had a cute
sister isn't it."

"Oh, I didn't know Gabe had another sister."

Ailynn laughed, then winced as her ribs creaked. "Cow."

"Are you ok with it?"

"Of course. You don't need my blessing. You have it anyway."

"I mean, he's your half brother, I'm your time traveling cousin from an
alternate future. Kinda weird isn't it."

"More than a little. Just the way it is for some of us."

"Guess I really am a Bracken."

Once more Ailynn smiled, deeply this time, and kissed her gently on the
forehead.

"Yeah you are."

"Should I tell mom and dad, that I'm their daughter?"

Ailynn's face fell serious, and shook her head. "Leave them to me. Not that
I think they'll reject things, it'll just be smoother coming through me."

"Well I guess I can't chicken out if you tell them."

"I'm not forcing you. But Gabe will have to know, and he can't keep that
secret. I'm going to have to do some fast talking to mum as it is. We're
running out of time to reasonably keep this secret I'm afraid."

"I need to be honest though. While it's clear I'm no longer in my timeline,
that I won't be born. Part of me is excited about Mom's pregnancy."

"Oh?"

"I get to be something I never was in my time, a big Sister."

"And a great one you'll be, I'm certain." Ailynn smiled as she once more
gave her cousin a hug, her fears and worries temporarily abating.

(Reply none)

(Posted by will and mark)
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