Disclaimer: Me no own.

AN: Yay! We're done! I hope you had as much fun reading this story as I did writing it. I wrote this epilogue to tie things up - I had a clear picture in my mind of what was going on during the story, but I realise there are some details that are...obscure. Hopefully everything will make sense after this. If not, use your imagination to tie up the loose threads. :)

By the way, I'm not a hardcore Reed/Sato shipper. I don't know how those bits sneaked in. I guess they showed up when I wasn't looking...I'll leave it to you to decide what Hoshi's true motives were.

After considerable study and discussion, we have compiled an analysis of the events experienced by the Enterprise and Lieutenant Reed, as detailed above, based on the research we performed with the information and instrumentation available to us. However, we have enclosed the full sensor logs of the Enterprise and both shuttlepods, as well as all our scans of the Anachron System, a schematic of the modifications to our weapons systems, all the available data on the drug found in Lieutenant Reed and Commander Tucker (Cyprexian), and the full reports from Sub-Commander T'Pol, Commander Tucker, Lieutenant Reed, and Doctor Phlox for further study. I believe that we may never fully understand what we now refer to as "The Anachron Incident." However, we have attempted to explain the phenomenon to the best of our ability.

Prior to his away mission on the Zytexian science vessel, Lieutenant Reed was administered a delayed-release dosage of the antihistamine medication Cyproheptadine as a preventative measure against possible allergies. While on the away mission, both Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed were exposed to several previously-unknown chemicals found in perfumes used by Zytexians. One of these substances accumulated in both Tucker and Reed over the 48-hour period while they were on the ship, as a result of repeated exposure. This chemical bonded with the Cyproheptadine in Lieutenant Reed's body to form a compound which Doctor Phlox has named Cyprexian in tongue-in-cheek reference to the names of the antihistamine and the alien species. Cyprexian is a powerful narcotic with hallucinogenic effects; in addition, it appears to have a dampening effect on tachyon radiation, which allowed Lieutenant Reed and later Commander Tucker to withstand temporal reversals while retaining memory of previous timelines. Interestingly, the reverse seems to be true; a single exposure to tachyon radiation caused the cessation of the hallucinogenic symptoms of Cyprexian experienced by both Tucker and Reed. Neither of them suffered hallucinations after the first reversal following their exposure to the drug. Lieutenant Reed reports experiencing a headache, but it is unclear whether this was a symptom of the Cyprexian or caused by fatigue. The enclosed report written by Sub-Commander T'Pol and Doctor Phlox describes the properties of Cyprexian that may contribute to its dampening effects on tachyon radiation, as well as examining the possible uses for this substance.

Although Lieutenant Reed came to the conclusion that the presence of this drug was in some way responsible for the temporal reversals, we believe that this deduction was erroneous. According to Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker, the combination of warp plasma with elevated levels of tachyons was more likely the cause. The destruction of the Enterprise's warp core with tachyon-based weapons appears to have triggered a rip or fissure in space-time. The delay between this explosion and the temporal reversals, as experienced by Lieutenant Reed, remains unexplained. Commander Tucker points out that "we are dealing with a temporal anomaly; why shouldn't there be extra chunks of time as well as missing portions?" and I find myself inclined to agree with his perspective. By preventing the destruction of our warp core, therefore, Lieutenant Reed was able to end – or rather, paradoxically, prevent – the temporal anomaly.

It is somewhat unclear why the temporal reversals began at 2058. However, Doctor Phlox has suggested that they did not begin at this time. He believes that this is the time at which the Cyprexian in Lieutenant Reed's bloodstream began to affect him; therefore, the temporal reversals may have begun much earlier, and Lieutenant Reed may simply not remember anything before this point because his memory was not preserved by the drug until 2058 hours. If this is the case, each "iteration" of the timeline may have begun long before Lieutenant Reed was aware of it – perhaps even before we reached the Anachron System. We cannot draw any definite conclusions on this account due to lack of information, and it seems pointless to delve into purely hypothetical discussion.

As for Commander Tucker's disappearance and subsequent reappearance…all we know with certainty is that as of 2104 hours in the current timeline, internal sensors showed that he was not aboard the Enterprise. A brief search of the ship confirmed this. Approximately thirty seconds after the destruction of the enemy ship, Tucker hailed the bridge to ask what was happening. He woke in his quarters with no memory of being missing or, indeed, of anything after his apparent death in a previous timeline. We suspect that the destruction of the other ship somehow triggered a reversal of the events it had caused, including Tucker's disappearance or "death." Possibly, the explosion of our plutonium torpedo created another temporal anomaly that engulfed the ship and erased its effects in our timeline.

Lastly, and perhaps most simply, is the question of the enemy vessel itself. We have been unable to determine its origin or the species to which it belongs. Sub-Commander T'Pol notes that the Romulan Star Empire has been known to employ tachyon-based cloaking technology; however, we have been unable to link the ship in any other way to the Empire. Sub-Commander T'Pol believes that this ship belongs to a species we have not previously encountered. Its design, certainly, was unlike any Romulan ship we have knowledge of. Additionally, the cloaking technology emitted high levels of Cherenkov radiation into subspace, unlike Romulan cloaking devices. Finally, its weapons seems well advanced beyond that of the Romulans we have encountered.

Why this ship was present in the Anachron System and when it entered, as well as its reasons for attacking us, remain unknown. Lieutenant Reed reports that on certain occasions the Enterprise's sensors detected a ship entering the Anachron System at 2344 hours, which he initially assumed was the aggressor; however, he later discovered that the cloaked "Anachron ship" was in the system well prior to this time. As the ship detected at 2344 hours was not picked up on sensors in the current timeline after the Anachron ship was destroyed, we believe that this was a sensor illusion generated by the cloaked ship. (See Lieutenant Reed's report for further details.)

We have remained vigilant in scanning for elevated Cherenkov radiation, but so far we have found no sign of other tachyon-cloaked vessels within scanning range. Sub-Commander T'Pol, Commander Tucker, and Lieutenant Reed, however, are adamant that tachyon scans should be instituted as standard protocol on th Enterprise, and I have authorised their request. I would recommend this as a protocol to our Vulcan allies, also, as a precaution against any encounters with this species.

As a side note, Sub-Commander T'Pol wishes me to add that the Vulcan Science Directorate has determined that time travel is impossible. In light of our recent discoveries, I would like to submit an official recommendation that this conclusion be revisited. Sub-Commander T'Pol, albeit reluctantly, agrees that the issue of time travel may need "reinvestigation."

Further speculation on my part regarding this incident would delve into the theoretical and unprovable; I believe it is best to yield continued conjecture to the Starfleet scientists who will examine the data enclosed with this report. Therefore, I will end my own suppositions by saying that whatever the scientific explanations behind this phenomenon, it is a fact that Commander Tucker and especially Lieutenant Reed displayed exemplary courage, determination, and coolness in the face of extraordinary opposition. I hereby nominate Lieutenant Reed to be considered for the Starfleet Medal of Valour for his actions above and beyond the call of duty in the "Anachron Incident." I have attached my letter of recommendation along with this report.

Captain Jonathan Archer, Enterprise NX-01

Reed was smiling slightly as he finished reading Captain Archer's report and set the padd aside on his desk. When he'd finally gotten around to thinking about ordinary, everyday necessities like writing arduous reports, he had been reluctant to include everything that had happened, given that it included two attempted mutinies, an attack on Doctor Phlox, and an accidental suicide among other questionable actions. After considerable thought and discomfort, he'd finally gone to Archer and poured out the whole story, leaving it in the Captain's hands to decide what he should report. Archer had been amazingly understanding about the whole story – granted, hearing about a mutiny was very different from experiencing it, but still, he'd been remarkably calm – and had recommended that Reed include everything he could remember.

"After all," Archer had said with a wry grin, "they can't do anything about it, because it technically never happened to anyone except you. Even if Starfleet tried to court-martial you, they couldn't convict you without witnesses." He'd gone serious then. "I don't think they'll give you a hard time about it, Malcolm, given the circumstances. And if they do, I'll go to bat for you one hundred percent. Personally, I think you deserve nothing less than the Medal of Valour."

In the end, Reed had not received the Medal of Valour – ironically, for the same reason that he hadn't been court-martialled for his attempted mutiny. While Starfleet brass acknowledged that Reed had demonstrated extraordinary valour, they felt that the Medal could not be awarded because – again, technically speaking – the events for which Reed was being commended had never actually happened. Reed had not been bothered by this, as he didn't feel he deserved the Medal anyway, but Tucker had been furious.

"What they mean," he'd raged, "is that they don' want t' give yew a medal fer somethin' they can't publicize. An' they're too afraid of offendin' the Vulcans t' say fer sure that time travel is real."

Tucker's indignation on his behalf had been appreciated, but on the whole Reed was glad that the incident had not been widely publicized. It had taken him a while to come to terms with his own actions, some of which had seemed justifiable at the time but in retrospect appeared to be crimes of the most inexcusable magnitude. He'd had plenty of time for that, though; Phlox had taken him off duty for medical reasons, despite Reed's explanations and insistence that his attempted suicide had been only due to the belief that his own death was necessary to end the temporal anomaly. Tucker had been allowed to return to duty after only two days, but Phlox had not even released Reed to quarters for almost four days. Part of that, admittedly, was a result of the injuries he'd sustained while piloting the shuttlepod – a mild concussion from when his head collided with the control panel and moderate burns on his arms where they'd touched the hot metal, in addition to heat exhaustion, severe dehydration, and slight retinal damage from overexposure to the star's brightness. However, Phlox had kept him off duty for much longer than Reed considered physically necessary.

"Take some time to recover, hm?" Phlox had told Reed when he complained. "You've been through a traumatic experience. That's not something to bounce back from in a day, Mr. Reed."

Reed had drawn the line when Phlox suggested that he speak with a counsellor. "I don't need therapy, Doctor!" However, he had reluctantly agreed to two weeks off-duty, with daily check-ups in Sickbay, when it became clear that Phlox was perfectly willing to appeal to the Captain. Reed guessed that the two weeks were more of an excuse for the Doctor to observe him than a period of necessary rest. Phlox, Reed suspected, had been understandably concerned by his emotional outburst upon seeing Tucker when he woke up in Sickbay. Thankfully the Denobulan had never mentioned this, if it was the case – after twelve or fourteen hours of sleep, Reed had awoken appalled at his behaviour. To his gratitude, both Tucker and Phlox had the good sense not to mention the episode. And apparently he'd passed inspections on the mental health score, because Phlox had approved him to return to duty effective today.

Archer had been relieved to find that Reed's attempt to fly Shuttlepod Two into a star had had a rational explanation not related to mental illness or a rash, stupid decision. He had not been pleased, on the other hand, that Reed considered a crew member – any crew member – an acceptable sacrifice. He'd showed up in Sickbay after Reed had slept almost a day and woken much more himself, and lectured Reed for a good ten minutes. His monologue had been without heat, however; he'd been concerned more than angry.

"You nearly lost me a perfectly good shuttlepod," Archer had finished, scowling. "And you know what else you almost lost me? A damn fine Tactical Officer, that's what. I won't tolerate that, Lieutenant, not even from you."

Sheepishly, Reed had agreed that he'd be more careful in future. "Provided the future stays where it ought to be, sir," he'd added in a moment of daring. That had made Archer laugh, breaking the tension of the moment. The Captain had shaken his hand and completed Reed's embarrassment by gravely and eloquently praising his bravery and thanking him for the "exemplary service" he had rendered to the Enterprise and her crew. Despite being embarrassing, the Captain's glowing commendation had left Reed warm with pleased pride.

All in all, Reed was of the opinion that things might have worked out much worse. Even if he was disgusted by his own incompetence, a chunk of his self-respect was a small price to pay to have his crew alive: Archer, T'Pol, Phlox, Mayweather, Tucker, Sato…

Reed considered Sato with the slightest hint of warmth in his cheeks. He could still remember – vividly – her kiss, while he was injured and almost ready to give up.

Rationally, Reed knew that her kiss had been the product of desperation on her part. She'd seen that he wanted to quit; she'd been trying in the only way she had left to force him to keep trying. Sato was intelligent, too, and she'd have known that she would not remember kissing him. Sato knew him well enough to have known that he would never tell her what she'd done. As far as she had been concerned, the kiss would never have happened. It had been her way of pushing him onward when he was ready to stop trying. For those reasons, it had been the one thing he'd left out of his report to Starfleet.

It meant nothing, he told himself firmly.

He wondered absently how she would react if he asked her to go to Movie Night with him.

Reed's door chime chirped, pulling him from his wandering thoughts with a start. "Come in." He swivelled the chair around as Tucker entered.

"Hey, Malcolm."

"Commander." He started to rise, but Tucker waved him back down.

"Don' bother. How was yer first day back?"

It had been rather odd, after so long off-duty. Reed's armoury staff had caught wind of the fact that he was returning and had shown up en mass to give him a standing ovation. All of the armoury personnel and MACOs, even those off duty, had been there. Reed had been touched, though he hadn't admitted it.

"It was…" he searched for an adequate word to put to the day. It had been wonderful to be back, and though he was eagerly anticipating some action sooner or later, he'd been inordinately pleased that the ship had run across nothing more exciting during the course of the day than a small, uninhabited Minshara-class planet, which they'd stopped to scan. "…uneventful," he finished after a moment's reflection, allowing a small, blissful grin to spread over his face.

"Sounds good t' me," Trip grinned back at him.

"And do you know what the best part was, Commander?" Reed queried.

"What's that, Loo-tenant?"

"It only happened once."