LUKE CAGE ON DEEP SPACE NINE

Disclaimers/author's notes:

This was written for fun and games. I do not own the copyrights. I do not intend to make money from this. Reviews are welcome.

Nothing is spoiled for anyone here.

I tried to keep everyone in character. Maybe character breaks. It happens. It's a fanfic.

CHAPTER ONE

Captain's Log, Stardate 50018.3. The conflict with the Dominion is escalating. There are more and more casualties. There is a lot to plan. A lot to deal with. However, apparently, there wasn't enough on everyone's plate. A singularity within the wormhole has caused an unexpected incident. After a bolt of energy struck Deep Space Nine, a man has materialized on the Promenade, unconscious. Odo and I will join Doctor Bashir in the infirmary to try to make sense of this.

''Run that by me again, doctor,'' Captain Sisko said.

''This man's skin has…abnormal density, Captain,'' doctor Bashir said, ''We had to modify our instruments to obtain proper readings.''

''Is he human?'' Odo asked.

''By all accounts, yes,'' Bashir said, ''His organs, his genetic markers…Everything indicates he is human, like you and I. He's just seems to be made of…sterner stuff than most. Everything about him seems reinforced. Muscles, tissue, bones. Getting a blood sample was quite a challenge. As far as we know, he has no injuries, no trauma of any kind.''

''Genetic experiments have been outlawed centuries ago, but he seems to be an Augment,''Sisko said.

''I honestly have no idea, sir,'' Bashir said.

''Those are not words we are accustomed to hear from you, doctor,'' Odo said.

Bashir exhaled, making a sound halfway between a sigh and a chuckle and went on:

''Until he gains consciousness, I have nothing more…''

As if on cue, they heard a grunt coming from the patient.

''Take it easy, '' Bashir told the man.

''Where…where the Hell am I,'' the man asked.

''You are aboard Deep Space Nine. I am Captain Benjamin Sisko, commander of this facilty. This is Doctor Julian Bashir, chief medical officer. And Constable Odo is in charge of security.''

The man froze.

''Wanna say that again?'' he said.

''Why don't we start with your name, Mister…''

''Luke Cage. I was…''

He looked around. His gaze spent an extra moment on Odo. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

''What year is this?'' Cage asked.

''Well,'' Sisko said, ''On Earth, it would be 2374.''

Cage's eyes snapped open before asking:

''2374. As in…24th century?''

''Yes,'' Bashir said.

''Okay…This make sense. Kinda. I'm from 21st century Earth.''

''You are a long way from home, Mister Cage,'' Sisko said.

''Seems that way,'' Cage said.

''What is the last thing you remember, Mister Cage,'' Odo asked.

''Back home, I'm a super-hero,'' Cage said.

''A what?'' Odo asked.

''Of course,'' Bashir said, ''Super-heroes. Human beings who had extraordinary abilities due to genetic mutation or scientific experiments.''

''Yes,'' Sisko said, ''At the Academy, we'd learned about such a group, also time displaced. The X-Men. They encountered Kirk and Picard on separate occasions.''

''Right,'' Cage said, ''I was with two other groups, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.''

''The…Fantastic…Four,'' Odo said.

''Yeah,'' Cage said.

''Go on, Mister Cage,'' Sisko said.

''We were fighting Kang The Conqueror,'' Cage said.

Odo was about to say something but a silent glare from the Captain advised him to do otherwise. Cage went on:

''Kang's this guy who mastered time travel and interdimensional stuff…There was a big fight, I got hit with some weird-ass energy blast…and now, I'm here…In the future. Probably not in the same dimension either.''

Cage stood up.

''Easy, Mister Cage,'' Bashir said.

''Anything wrong with me, Doc?'' Cage said.

''Well, no, but…'' Bashir said.

''That's debatable,'' Odo said.

''Constable,'' Sisko said.

''Nah, it's all good, Cap, it's cool,'' Cage said, ''If I were him, I'd call bullshit on this too.''

''Mister Cage, it is in the Constable's nature to be skeptical. While time jumps and interdimensional travels are not a daily occurrence, we have experienced them quite a few times. I, for one, am willing to believe you.''

''Thanks, brother.''

''As I was saying, Mister Cage,'' Bashir said, ''No traces of injury or trauma. No virus. No exceptional neurological patterns. You seem perfectly fine.''

''I ain't gotta stay here, then,'' Cage said, ''Never liked hospitals. Even nice, futuristic ones. No offense, Doc.''

''None taken,'' Bashir said with a pleasant smile.

''Y'all have a time portal or somethin' up in here?'' Cage asked.

''I'm afraid not, Mister Cage,'' Sisko said.

Cage nodded.

''I'm probably gonna be stuck here a while,'' Cage said.

''For a man stranded in an unknown time line, you're taking things remarkably well,'' Sisko said.

''Like you said earlier, Cap. I deal with all sorts of crazy shit too. No use freaking out over stuff I can't change.''

''Until we sort this out, allow me to escort you to some quarters,'' Sisko said.

''Captain,'' Odo said, ''Are you sure it's wise…''

''It's quite all right, Constable,'' Sisko said, ''I'll take it from here.''

Odo nodded once and said nothing.

Sisko and Cage were walking in the hallways.

''You know, Cap,'' Cage said, ''Back home, growin' up, weren't that many brothers out in space. Out here you're a captain.''

''I think I know what you mean. In our time, discrimination between humans, based on ethnicity or gender, or any other factor, is non-existant. People have made some progress in how they treat the Earth and each other. Much of the damage done to our home planet has been repaired through science. We have gone past the pursuit of financial gain.''

''Damn. Sounds…I don't know. I guess you guys have an utopia here, now.''

''We have solved many problems back home. Out here, however, it's a different story.''

"You still gotta deal with war and all that, right?''

''We do.''

''Some things never change.''

''Indeed. There'll be time to discuss that later. Here are your quarters. Rest a while. I'll have someone show you around. If you're hungry, just ask your food replicator to prepare something.''

''Food replicator?''

''Yes. Just ask, and the food will appear, almost exactly as you want it.''

''For real? Anything?''

''It's not perfect, but, yes.''

''Okay, that…That's pretty cool. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks, Cap.''

Sisko nodded and smiled. And left.

Cage went into his quarters.

He sat on his bed.

He thought to himself: ''So this is what Steve feels like all the time. Out of his time. Obsolete. No idea about anything. Almost everything and everyone he knew, gone. I get it now, man. I do. All right. Until I get home, I gotta hang tight and keep my head on straight. Can't lose my shit. Gotta stay cool. One step at a time.''

He was famished. He went to the food replicator. Ordered a cheeseburger with fries. He was as precise as possible. And they appeared. Not bad. Ain't perfect, like Sisko said. But pretty good.

One step at a time.