Title: A Time To...
Author: Vesper (Regina)
E-mail: vespertanmer@yahoo.com
Warnings: adult themes, violent themes, character death
Category: ENT, angst, alternate timeline
Codes: Everyone, especially Archer, a smidgen of R/S
Spoilers: The Expanse
Summary: He has nothing but time.
Disclaimer: The almighty Paramount encircled by twenty-two stars
owns this particular show, but I own the story.
Archival: Link to my website, please.
Author's notes and dedication at the end.

*

He has nothing but time. Nothing but time with its dust and
its memories.

He once was what he now despises--an ignorant man, full of
prideful platitudes.

It is an irony that he can still remember.

It is the nature of time that he can.

It is the cruel mercy of time that Archer cannot. He does not
see what is to come, what waits in the expanse, the darkness and
pain.

Each of his crew, whom he loved, more than himself. They all
fell.

T'Pol. The madness took her, along with a half of his crew. Some
survived. She did not.

Tucker. No one could reach through his anger and his vendetta
ended with the Xindi blade that took his head.

Mayweather. His smile no longer shone, until Archer wrested the
knife from him. While Mayweather smiled, Archer wept, his hands
red.

Phlox. He died in agony, the bacteria eating all his flesh. Archer
forced himself to watch from without the glass.

Reed and Sato. Archer found them, after the blast. Reed had
tried to shield her, holding her close. The black char that was
their flesh and bone disintegrated at a single touch.

Porthos.

Earth would never know what they had found, what they had faced.
Did not know that they were helpless in the war.

Archer whispers in his head: all is vanity, all is vanity, that
which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be
done, there is nothing new under the sun.

The Suliban who found him called him Archer. He may bear that
man's face, he may think his thoughts, but he is not Archer. He
will not believe the lies of the past. He knows better.

Time is his, now.

He will use his once enemy.

He will change the future.

He will become the Archer that he needs to be, so that the Archer
he is now will cease.

Then time will pay him what he deserves.

End.

Author's Notes: This grew out of a discussion at the Linguistics
Database Forum, concerning "The Expanse." Paradox proposed that
the shadow figure from the future is Archer. I happened to agree.
So, Paradox, I dedicate this fic to you.

The first title I chose was "Fall-out." Anyone familiar with the
'60's television series "The Prisoner" would understand what my
original intent was, however as I wrote, the intent changed, and
so the title had to change as well.

The phrase "all is vanity" is repeated throughout the book of
Ecclesiastes in the Bible and the specific verse used is
Ecclesiastes 1:9. The title is also a phrase from Ecclesiastes.