Act Four of “Sher Trek: The Mirrored Vow” up now at AO3
The latest installment of Sher Trek: the Mirrored Vow is available at AO3, continuing the series begun as part of @falltvseasonsherlock‘s Miniseries March.
In this episode of the Sher Trek series, Captain John Watson of the Starship Enterprise and his landing party returning from the planet Halka are thrust by a unique Transporter accident into a savage and brutal parallel universe, from which they have only hours to return – or be marooned there forever.
But getting home won’t be simple. Standing between Captain Watson, Doctor Lestrade, Chief Engineer Hudson and Communications Officer Donovan and their way home are a bloodthirsty crew who move up through the ranks through assassination – particularly the wily and dangerous Security Chief Anderson, playing a long game to kill his way into Enterprise’s centre seat. There’s a pretty (but quite deadly) blonde officer sleeping in this Enterprise’s Captain’s quarters, busily advancing an obscure agenda all her own.
All this is bad enough. But the thing that shakes John Watson to the core is finding himself up against an enigmatic Vulcan First Officer who is not his best friend, not (newly) his mind-bonded lover–and under orders to kill John if he fails to willingly commit genocide…
In Act Four:
Sh’lok sat up on the diagnostic bed, swung around with what under the circumstances was frankly surprising speed, and gripped Lestrade’s forearm tight. “The Captain let me live,” he said. “Why did he do that? Explain it to me.”
Greg froze. The ticking clock was on his mind, and also the need not to say or reveal anything to this man that would make it impossible for them all to get home.
Sh’lok shook Greg’s arm as if trying to shake an answer out of him. When one wasn’t immediately forthcoming, he got up off the bed, still gripping Greg’s arm, and step by step forced him back against the Sickbay wall. Caught in that iron grip, Greg couldn’t do a thing except stare in horror as Sh’lok lifted his free hand and carefully placed his fingers against Greg’s face—
Abruptly he found he couldn’t move a muscle, not even his eyes; couldn’t look away from the terrifying intensity of the expression on Sh’lok’s face, moving closer and closer to his. And something else was moving closer too, something dreadful, concentrated on Greg with horrifying single-mindedness… encroaching on him, invading him, inexorably pushing his thoughts, his mind, up against the far walls of his being as his body was pushed up against the wall. Both outside and inside him, a voice that had been familiar but was now simply frightening was saying, “Our minds are merging, Doctor. Our minds are one. I feel what you feel. I know what you know—”
And just as Greg was about to be forced under the dark surface of another being’s will, possibly to drown there, he heard the Sickbay door hiss open. Then someone came hurriedly in, muttering “Dammit Bones, can’t believe I nearly went back out there without a bloody— Oh no you don’t, mister!”
Start at the beginning or pick up where you left off:
Teaser
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
The final part of this fic, Act Five, is scheduled to go up between today and May 21st.
Previously on Sher Trek, at AO3:
Sher Trek Episode 1, “A Study in Darkness”
Sher Trek Episode 2, “The Denevan Problem”
Sher Trek Episode 3, “Sh’lok’s Brain”
Sher Trek Episode 4, “Amok Sign”
Also: Thanks again to the wonderful Reapersun for her terrific TV Guide cover art!
