Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

“Computer, lights.”

The Andorian sat up in his bunk and put his feet on the deck, pinching the bridge of his nose as his antennae curled in agitation. He didn’t check the time. He knew it was still several hours until his shift began. It had been the same dream, or at least one so similar he couldn’t tell the difference anymore. So many faces. So much blood.

He stood and walked to the replicator, the dimmed lighting of his quarters giving the room a gloomy feel. That was comforting at least. Tolar pushed the thought of home back into the depths of his mind. No sense in that… Going back would only cause problems and there were enough of those here and now.

“Water, boiling.” He punched a button with one blue finger, then opened the dusky colored wooden box on the shelf next to the replicator and considered for a moment before selecting a handful of loose tea leaves, dried and cracking, which he immediately dropped into the mug of hot water when it appeared. He waited a long moment for the tea to steep.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

Tolar took a long sip, enjoying the heat on his tongue before swallowing. In a moment he’d dress in strange clothes, pull on a leather coat and walk the corridor a while. Not having the uniform felt strange, but all of the rest felt all too familiar. He wondered what Ryley was doing. Perhaps it’d settle his mind to trade barbs with his old friend. That didn’t sound like a bad idea. This whole mission was a bad idea. Tolar didn’t miss the knot in his guts that he couldn’t seem to shake lately. Dirty work always felt that way. Exactly why he’d left that work behind. Except… He hadn’t left it behind, had he?

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

“Shit.” The Andorian muttered.

He stepped to the door and paused as it slid open before him.

“Computer, lights off.”

Then he walked out into the corridor.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Zarath, CSO