PAST MORTUM

Jean-Luc Picard had been looking at the envelope that lay on the table in his quarters. For weeks, he had avoided opening it. There was no name on the envelope, but Picard knew who it was from.

Finally, Picard sighed. It was little use to argue with a ghost, he thought. He opened the envelope, taking out a sheet of paper-authentic paper, not replicated-with a few paragraphs of writing, in carefully penned script, on it. He began to read:

Dear Jean-Luc. I trust that this finds you as intended. Logic dictates that it should have reached Enterprise by now, however in the event that it does not, I have created other messages that should explain the circumstances of my disappearance in greater detail.

I am well, and still in the service of the Federation-but the Federation as it was after its history was altered by the arrival of Nero in the year 2258. As I write this, it is the year 2261…

Picard rubbed his forehead. 2261-more than a hundred years in the past? He tried not to think about paradox as he continued to read:

In this timeline Nero was ultimately defeated, but not without great cost. My own world bore the greatest of that cost, but logic dictates that we will survive. My concern now, however, is not for the pat but the future. I have managed to covertly integrate myself into this era, but I am still out of time and place.

Picard nodded. He knew what that felt like, having lived another man's life on a long-dead world thousands of years in the past. The letter continued:

I have been in contact with some surviving members of the Vulcan Science Academy. We have formulated a theory that, if proven, should resolve the contradictions of my arrival in the past. I have already embarked on a plan with the aid of this time period's Enterprise to test the theory. By the time you read this, the test will have been completed, and you should see the result…

Picard put the letter down. See the result? What did that mean?

"Bridge to Picard." Data's voice came through the comm.

"Picard here."

"Sir, we have detected a small vessel on an intercept course with us." There was a moment's pause. "It appears to be…the Jellyfish. Ambassador Spock's vessel. I am at a loss, however, to explain this."

"I'm on my way." Picard put the letter back in its envelope. "As for an explanation…I may have a rather unusual one for you…"

THE END