Faith

Posted on Sun Mar 15th, 2026 @ 7:12am by Lieutenant JG Abrasax & Ilyas Horn

1,380 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 9: Across Time
Location: Sempok Nor
Timeline: 20 years ago

On

Ilyas felt like he'd been crawling through the tubes for hours. The teenage boy was exhausted with fear as he paused frequently to get his bearings and listen for others. The cloak he'd been given did obscure his features well enough, but it was so long he got his legs caught in the fabric a great many times.

Along the way he discovered he had lost his commbadge, but fear drove him onwards. He had to get to the workers as he'd been promised they'd keep him safe. Finally, a great many paused later, he tumbled from the hatch and landed in a tangled heap.

Maron Ruka strolled along the corridor, the Bajoran woman sighed as she'd somehow been put on Laundry duty. Thankfully she was on her way back to the clean pickup point when something flashed past her vision into her cart.

A scream escaped her lips in surprise more than fright. Ruka had withdrawn a step and put her dominate right side towards the cart in defense. Her right leg up and right hand covered both her chest, neck and face in a brace for hit position.

Zeymar's training had been automatic which she smiled at as she waited for a few heartbeats. When nothing attempted to hurt her, Ruka slowly returned to a normal stance before easing forward to peer into the cart.

A child lay there, maybe 9 years old she guessed. "Hello?" She tested in Bajoran, though she could see the child is Vulcan by their ears. Ruka frowned as she didn't know any Vulcan and she'd forgotten her UT clip back in her room.

Unfortunately, the boy's language skills were restricted to Vulcan, Terran Standard and a handful of Rihannsu. He stared up at the young woman with fearful eyes, not sure if this was the one Zeymar had told him to find. A trembling finger pointed at her. "Ruka?" He asked, then pointed up the tube. "Zeymar told me to find you." He gestured at himself, then at her, before tapping his chest. "I'm Ilyas, and I'm lost."

No matter how you cut it, names will always be names no matter what language one speaks. Ruka grinned and nodded. "Maron Ruka," she answered as she gestured to herself.

Her grin evolved into a blushed smile at the mention of the man she liked came from the boy's mouth. "Zeymar," Ruka nodded, she gestured to the way she was headed. "Come," though she knew he wouldn't understand and began pushing the cart forward again with Ilyas in it.

< Workers' Sector >

After two close calls with Cardassian soldiers, Ruka made her way to her quarters. Once inside she grabbed her UT clip and put it on.

"Okay that's better," Ruka sighed in relief. "Zeymar should be here soon Ilyas, and the Cardassians rarely check quarters. One saving grace we are given." She left the laundry cart outside her quarters for the other workers knew she'd do that. The two were inside her quarters' living area.

"Have a seat son," Ruka said and gestured to the chair opposite her.

The boy pulled the cloak he's been given closer around his small frame. "I don't belong here," he whispered, "I don't know why I was sent here....all I wanted was to spend some time with my dad. I don't know how to get home..." He was clearly frightened, and it was painfully obvious that he didn't belong here.

“Why do you think you were sent here? What were you doing?” Ruka asked, not quite understanding the boy’s situation.

Ilyas squirmed nervously, twisting the fabric of his cloak between his hands. "I don't know...there was this glowing thing in the room, sort of ab orb but not quite. Dad and a few others were looking at it and it looked strange so I got closer. I touched it, and then I was in the lab here." He bit his lip, tucking a stray strand of his hair behind a slightly pointed ear, the hood falling back to fully reveal his alien features. "Your friend said there's no Starfleet here...and that it's twenty years in my past... I'm not even born yet in your time."

Well this was new for Ruka, time travel. The door chimed a specific tune and Zeymar entered, Ruka in her excitement got to her feet and rushed over to Zeymar who embraced her. “Hey!” Her affectionate tone made Zeymar smile as he did his customary hand against her face hold.

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead before guiding her back to Ilyas. “I’m glad you found her Ilyas.” Zeymar turned to Ruka, “thanks for taking him in love, I’m most grateful, I’d hate to see him hurt by my people for not being one of us.”

Ruka blushed at the word love and nodded.

“Well I suppose we have to find a way to get you back, considering this station is a research one for the area,” he sounded hopeful. “Yet, you must be prepared for the eventuality that nothing may be done. Central Command to my knowledge hasn’t had much interaction with time travel or temporal technology.” He placed a hand on Ilyas’ shoulder, “think about what you might have to do if you cannot return but equally don’t give up. We might be able to get you back to the Federation, there are freighters that pass us irregularly.”

He waited for that to sink in. “There is actually one scheduled for tomorrow. It will be here for 2 days.” Zeymar explained and he was already thinking of how’d they smuggle Ilyas and others aboard.

The boy listened intently but his expression spoke volumes. He could sense their sincerity and it allowed him to trust them. "What would I do, where would I go. I'm not even born yet in this time. I don't exist, I can't just go home in this time." But he would be safer in the federation than here, that much was a fact. "Are you coming too?"

Zeymar and Ruka shared a long glance with each other as if the idea of stowing away on a freighter never occurred to them. They laughed but soon it died as Ruka frowned. “I have several friends that rely on me here, I can’t just leave them and I’d need more time to get them organized to leave,” she explained, both of their gazes returned to Ilyas.

“Not to mention, I’d be branded a traitor for abandoning my post.” Zeymar glanced side-long at Ruka and smiled. “But I’d leave it all for you, when you escape this station.”

Ruka blushed, “aww”, but Zeymar continued as he focused on the boy again.

“Yet we can’t leave you alone for the trip, maybe we can pay someone to look after you. That freighter that’s coming has fairly trustworthy people onboard.” Zeymar grinned, “they haven’t failed our personal requests so far, I better contact them to make arrangements.” He went to Ruka. “Can you host him, my love?”

“Not for long, but yes.” Ruka replied as she was pulled into Zeymar’s embrace.

“Thank you, I will arrange some cover for Ilyas to get to the freighter but I must go now to get as much time for it.” Zeymar quickly planted a kiss on Ruka’s lips and then came to Ilyas. He bent down to one knee.

“Can you help Ruka with what she needs and we’ll help you with everything up til you leave?” Zeymar asked, little did he know that the same freighter was bringing the man they needed to send Ilyas home but get some of the workers their freedom.

"Yes sir," Ilyas answered smartly, "I won't do anything to draw attention, I promise." It was a hard promise to make but these people were risking a lot by helping him. That much he did sense.

“Good man, and thank you,” Zeymar smiled, he saluted the human boy and quickly excused himself to get some of what he had to do done.

Off

Gil Zeymar Trassid played by Abrasax
Cardassian Union Security Officer
Sempok Nor

Maron Ruka played by Abrasax
Bajoran Worker
Sempok Nor

Ilyas Horn

 

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