Star Trek: Nova Journey, Vol. 2:

Intergalactic

Chapter 1: Whirlwind Future

USS Firefly, Stardate 2421.504

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Now, Ari. Is that any way to greet your godfather?"

"You are not my godfather, Q."

The devious omnipotent being smiled a manipulating smile as he plopped down on the couch.

"You wound me, Mademoiselle." He remarked. "Letting your father's bitter attitude influence your right mind of thinking."

"And what do you know about 'the right mind of thinking'? Arielle Tasha Soong sneered.

"To be honest, absolutely nothing." Q replied. "But I do know a thing or two about the universe. And I can tell you this, with all the most sincere of honesty, it is in grave danger."

"What kind of danger?" Jayden Soong inquired.

"The very danger my son and your cousin warned you about!"

Arielle looked at her cousin, Gabriel Soong, in disbelief.

"You were right?"

"Duh!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you for the past hour!" QJ added.

"Given your…reputations, do you really expect us to believe anything that comes out of your mouths?" K'Jai Hathaway said.

QJ gave the Vulcan a narrowing look. Then he turned to his father.

"Can I please turn her into a parrot?" He asked.

"I deeply sympathize for you, Junior." Q replied. "But, unfortunately, we did not come here to start a fight." He got up from the couch and came over to Arielle. The look on his face was nothing more than serious dread. That was a look Arielle had never seen in this eccentric immortal before.

"The Continuum considers this a matter of high priority," He informed. "Clans of robot-like zombies have been through different universes, causing havoc."

"Robot Zombies?" Arielle repeated.

"They're called the ZERO." Mimi Soong informed. "And they've been causing destruction to several universes in the past 10 years."

"Ten years," Roxanne Yar repeated. "That was about the same time The Siege occurred."

"You think these 'ZERO' people have something to do with the Siege?" Jude Six of Thirteen asked.

"We don't think," QJ answered. "We know."

Arielle didn't say anything for a brief moment. She knew that The Siege was no crazy act. It was planned. And if it was planned, there was a way to stop it from happening.

"So, what do you want me to do?" She asked.

Q smiled triumphantly. "I knew you couldn't stay away, Soong. You have too much of your mother inside you to back down."

"Just tell us, Q." Jayden said, annoyed.

Q sat back down on the couch, looking relaxed.

"You need to travel to the Black Limbo."

"Black Limbo?" Arielle repeated. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack," Q confirmed. "The Timebrokers have agreed to work together with the Q Continuum. Vicki has recruited a Reality-Hopping team called The Exiles and I have recruited you."

"So, you want my sister to work with a bunch of strangers?" Jayden repeated.

"Of course; what other way is there?"

"You can't expect me to do this by myself." Arielle reasoned. "If the ZERO are as bad as you say…."

"Relax, Arielle." Gabriel reassured. "Don't get your circuits in a bunch. QJ, Mimi and I are going with you."

"Well, we're going too." Jayden spoke up.

Q came over to Jayden. "I don't know, Jayden." He said. "This mission is already dangerous enough as it is and I don't want Arielle to lose one more member of your family."

"Arielle is my sister; I'm going with her to protect her. Besides, she's not the only one who lost someone important."

Q shrugged. He almost forgot that Jayden's fiancée, Nikolai Xanatos, was missing during the Siege. To him, this was personal. Q turned to K'Jai, Jude, and Roxi. All of them had those 'We work together or not at all' looks.

"I supposed you three would like to join this little adventure as well?"

"What gave it away?" Roxi smiled.

Q laughed. "All right. I didn't expect a whole team but the more, the merrier."

"What about Dad?" Arielle asked. She was so wrapped up in Q's unexpected visit and this mission, she forgot about how Data would react.

"Let your uncle worry about the Android Admiral." Q replied. "Right now, we have a universe to save."

And with a snap of his fingers, Q transported Arielle Soong and her friends to Black Limbo, where the mission of their lives awaits them.