Leap of Faith (Part 6)

Posted on Sat Oct 31, 2020 @ 9:36am by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings

385 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: The Binary Suns
Location: Kansas, Earth
Timeline: 14ish years from now

“And so I have been,” Richard said, standing on the attic ladder, watching them, his sudden interruption making both of them jump in surprise.”

“How long have you been eavesdropping on us?” Cassandra said, somewhat accusingly.

Richard finished his ascent and walked over to them, sitting next to Darla and putting an arm around her, giving her a squeeze. “Long enough to remember how hellish that moonwalk was,” he said.

Cassandra gave him a smile and shook her head, closing the book.

“But...wait,” Darla said. “How does it end?”

“Happily ever after,” Richard said, kissing her head.

“Yes, Daddy, obviously,” Darla said, imitating her godmother's eyeroll. “But did you ever catch who uploaded the file? How did you convince Starfleet you weren’t traitors?”

“Your father and I went and tracked down your Aunt Amber and the rest of the away team,” Cassandra said. “We helped stop the security team pinning them down and they were able to trace the source of the file. It turns out it came from a computer station in one of the old ice mines under the Lunar surface. Evidently it was part of a planned incursion from the Alternate Universe that never came to fruition, thanks to our Alan Markus.”

“It took a few debriefings with Starfleet security, and a lot of dissembling when we had to explain ourselves back at work,” Richard said, “but after a few days we were back home in San Francisco and trying to move on.”

“And it’s been an adventure ever since,” Cassandra said, smiling at her husband.

Richard gave her a smile back and sighed. “Sometimes a terrifying one, but always a worthwhile one. And that’s the leap of faith I took: that whatever happened, it was worth being with the woman I loved.”

Darla snuggled into him and smiled, but it turned to a frown as a thought occurred to her. “My science teacher said that there are infinite multiple realities,” she said, “and they’re all created by the choices we make. Do you think there’s a reality out there where you didn’t take that leap?” She looked up at her dad.

Richard gave a small shrug and looked at her, then at his wife. “Perhaps, but I hope not, for that Richard’s sake.”

 

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