Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did, but I don't. Que Sera Sera.
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Stardate: 46525.6
Captain Jean-Luc Picard walked the corridors making his way to the sick bay. Having just stepped out of the turbolift, he minded the crew members he passed as he looked down, reading the data pad he held in his hand. Half an hour ago, the bridge crew had an encounter with the ever annoying omnipotent stellar being known as "Q". He had paid the crew of the Enterprise D an unexpected and unwelcome visit, depositing some travelers upon his departure.
Stardate:46525.6 14:00hrs
Sitting in his chair, Captain Jean-Luc was about to tell Lieutenant Data to bring the ship to warp 4, heading for Starbase 152. Suddenly, as was his custom, "Q" appeared out of nowhere.
"Bonjour, Mon Capitan." Q greeted in his typical fashion
"Q, we have no time for your games. What do you want?" Picard asked, agitated
"I was passing through the early part of the 21st century and became intrigued by a certain group of humans. I've brought them with me; to see how they fair in this century." Q replied
With a snap of his fingers and a flick of his wrist, Q's guests appeared out of thin air. As if they had been plucked out of thin air, which they had been, Grissom, Catherine, Greg, Nick, Warrick, Sara and Jim Brass stood before the captain and his crew; stunned and speechless.
Grissom was the first to get his bearings and as he looked at his surroundings, his eyes settled on the captain. The other team members, still in awe, just stood and watched as Picard and Q had their exchange.
"Q, you cannot just deposit these people here. Return them to their time." Picard ordered
"Oh, I can and I will, Jean Luc." Q replied
As soon as he had appeared, Q left, leaving Grissom et al to stand, clueless and curious. Sizing the group up, Picard directed Lieutenant Worf to escort them to sick bay. As one, the entire group turned to see the large Klingon approach them and as he neared them, Warrick checked his weapon. Sensing this, Jim placed a hand on his forearm and gestured for him to leave it be.
Worf motioned to turbolift 1 and as the doors slid open, everyone entered, followed by Worf. As the door closed in front of him, Worf directed the voice command module to take them to sick bay.
"Deck 12" Worf stated
The lift began to move and Sara put her hands out against the walls, bracing herself. As the lift sank deeper and deeper into the bowels of the ship, Grissom could not help but think that this seemed like a roller coaster that he had ridden at the promenade. The computer's voice signaled that they had arrived on deck 12 and as the doors opened, Worf turned to the awe struck group and instructed them to follow him.
"Follow me. Keep up." he directed
Walking through the corridors, Nick took time to view the crew members of various species and genders. As they passed a Bolian, Catherine commented on the similarity of the man's skin to that of Grissom's eyes.
"Hey, Gil, his skin is the same colour as your eyes."
"Catherine, I think it best that we keep our collective mouths closed until we figure out what's going on." he commented
Stardate:46525.6 14:30hrs
Rounding a corner and nearly to sick bay, Picard was met by Counselor Troi. Since she was not on the bridge at the time of Q's arrival and subsequent departure, Jean Luc briefed her on the events.
"Half an hour ago, we were paid a visit by Q and now it would seem as though we've got some unexpected guests; 7 of them. Apparently, they're from the early part of the 21st century and for some reason, Q found them intriguing. I've had them taken to sick bay for physical, so when they're finished, I'd like you to interview then, either individually or collectively, whichever you find more convenient." Picard explained
"Well, after they're medically cleared, we'll run their DNA through the Starfleet historical archives and pull up their profiles. That would give us a better idea as to who we're dealing with. If they're from the 21st century, no doubt, they're confused and very curious. I'll see what I can do." she replied
Passing through the doors to sick bay, Picard and Troi found the team seated on various Bio-beds being tended to by the sick bay personnel. Scanning the room and determining that Grissom was the one in charge, Picard approached him and addressed him.
"I am Captain Jean Luc Picard. You are aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise. I realize that you and your friends must have many questions, but I assure you that after your exams, we will make every attempt to answer them to the best of our ability. Now, might I ask your names, or how would you like to be addressed?" he asked
Grissom took a moment to process what the captain had just said and as he organized his thoughts, he glanced over to Jim, who was being scanned by Ensign Leroux. Jim nodded the affirmative to Gil and he responded to the captain.
"I am Gil Grissom, Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigations and these are my colleagues; Catherine Willows, Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown, Sara Sidle, Greg Sanders and Jim Brass. Where and when, might I ask, are we?" Grissom replied, gesturing to his team
"As I said, you're on the Federation Starship Enterprise. At present, we're in the Golar Nebula; en route to Starbase 152 for routine maintenance. As to when you are, the nearest correlation to your place in time is the year 2400, approximately 400 years from where you're from. Now, when your exams have been finished, you will be shown to your quarters." Picard explained
Not saying anything, but only nodding in understanding, Grissom looked at Picard and forgoing a verbal response, Picard turned and left, leaving the team to Dr. Crusher. For her part, Dr. Crusher had been very busy with the team's examinations, and going back to Grissom, she searched her data pad.
"Mr. Grissom, are you aware that you have a hearing deficiency called Otosclerosis?" she asked
"Yes, although I had it corrected some years ago." he replied "Apparently, you're showing signs that it has, in fact, resurfaced. Would you like me to correct it for you?" Crusher asked
Thinking to himself, Grissom battled internally, as to whether or not he should have the procedure done. When he thought that he had been cured, he was very glad, ecstatic, even, but now that there were signs that it had not been dealt with, he was unsure if he wanted Crusher to help him. He elected not to reply to her question, but only stare into space. Jim, Gil, Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Greg and Sara stood in the conference lounge, talking amongst themselves. Jim was standing, staring out one of the portals, gazing at the stars in the heavens. He leaned forward, hands firmly pressed against the inner hull and watched stars and planets pass him by. Listening to the group bicker as to why they were here and how they could get back, Jim tired of the quarreling and spoke up.
"I can't believe you guys. We've been given something great here and you want to just turn around and go back home. Well, I've got a newsflash for you guys, we're 400 years from home and truth be told, I'm not sure I want to go back. Look at all we can do and learn from our time here." Jim growled at the others
Standing in disbelief at what Jim had just said, Catherine walked up to him and smacked him on the shoulder. Usually, Jim was the voice of reason, but now, it seemed, he needed to be set straight. Squaring her shoulders and standing firm, she glared at him.
"Jim, what are you talking about? Are you honestly telling us that you'd rather stay here than go back home, that is if we can even get back home. What about Ellie, huh? What about everyone you know and love, hmm?" Catherine prodded
Glaring back at the strawberry blonde woman, Jim fired back at her.
"FYI, quite literally, all my friends and loved ones are here, in this room, right now."
"Well, forgive me for having a life. What's Lindsay going to think when I never come home? Huh? Who's gonna explain to her where I am?" Catherine spat at him
Not wanting to continue with this line of questioning, Jim turned away from Catherine and went back to looking out the portal. Throwing her hands up in frustration, she returned to the group and left Jim to himself. Sara, feeling similar to Jim, walked up to him and nudged him in the ribs.
"You know, you've got a point. Just think about all the advances that have been made in medicine and mathematics; there's no end to what we can learn." she commented
"This is the kind of stuff I used to dream about as a kid and now I'm in a position to act on my dreams. Call me crazy, but I'm not going to pass this up." he replied, smiling slightly
Greg had been standing between Jim and Sara and the others, but when Jim cited his reasons for wanting to stay, he had to admit that his curiosity had been piqued. So, slowly and casually making his way over to the two, he cleared his throat and when Jim and Sara turned to face him,
he smiled.
"I think you two have a definite point, here. I mean, how many people ever get anywhere close to this chance? To see and experience things that no other person from our time have the opportunity to is a chance that cannot, in all good conscience, be passed up." he commented
Jim and Sara nodded their agreement and though no one said anything, they all knew that they were thinking the same thing.
17:00hrs
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Counselor Deanna Troi walked the corridors towards the main bridge and as she neared the conference lounge, she looked down at her data pad and skimmed the information displayed. On screen, she had thumbnails and profiles of the entire team, and singling out Gil, she read as she walked. As she approached the lounge, she passed the posted security guard and pressed the entry button.
The doors slid open and as Troi entered, she saw that their guests had separated themselves into two groups, one of which was staring, awe struck, out the portals and the others, closely huddled together, were bickering amongst themselves about their obvious displeasure with their predicament and theorizing as to how they might return home. Unbeknownst to the team, their conversation had been monitored and when Counselor Troi saw the divergence between the colleagues, she approached Jim, Sara and Greg, asking them to follow her. Looking at her data pad, she addressed the three.
"Mr. Brass, Miss Sidle and Mr. Sanders, would you please accompany me?" she asked kindly
Without a word, Jim, Sara and Greg followed Troi and as Grissom and the rest watched them leave the room, they glanced at each other questioningly. Being one to speak his mind, Grissom spoke up.
"It would seem as though we've established clans, as it were; the ones that want to stay and those of us that want to go back home. We do want to go back home, don't we?"
Taking a moment to nod in agreement, Nick, Warrick, Catherine and Gil all seated themselves around the conference table and spent the rest of the time in contemplative silence.
Seated in Troi's quarters, Jim, Sara and Greg looked around and seeing the sterile nature of the room, surmised that they were in an office of some sort. Choosing her words carefully, Troi looked from one person to the next, to the next. Settling on Greg, she offered a smile and sighed.
"Mr. Sanders, my name is Deanna Troi, ship's counselor. I'm here to offer any assistance you and your colleagues might need. So, please, if there are any questions you have, I'll do my best to answer them."
Greg turned to Jim and Sara and raised an eyebrow. Sighing, he asked the obvious.
"Ok, for starters, who was that guy and how did we get here?"
Without giving too much info, Troi responded to Greg.
"That "guy" as you called him, is one of the continuum, named "Q". We have seen him several times and he's got a propensity for being less than mature, leaning more toward the childish." she replied
"Why did he do this, I mean, bring us here?" Greg asked
"One thing we've learned about "Q" is that often times, his reasons for actions are usually for his own sense of self gratification. He likes to stir things up, as you might say."
Jim looked over at Sara and almost as though he read her mind, he looked over at Troi and scratched his chin.
"So, this twisted demi-god travels throughout the galaxy wreaking havoc on people's lives with no regard for the well being for those he comes in contact with?" he asked in an assertive tone
"Yes, I guess you could say that sums him up." Troi replied
Sara, for herself, had a slightly more intense question and as she considered her words, Troi gazed past her and out the portal.
"Can you get us home, I mean, home to our time?"
"Not as such. We, that is the human race, has not mastered the concept of time travel. Your return home, most assuredly, rests in the hands of Q, and if he brought you here, he had a reason. We're trying to figure that out."
"So, what you're saying is that we're stuck here, in this time until this guy decides to return us back home?" Greg asked
"It would seem that way. Now, considering your situation, is there anything else I can do for you?" Troi enquired
The three friends looked at each other and a look of resignation presented itself on all their faces. Realizing that they were going to be there for quite some time, Sara spoke up.
"Given that we're going to be here for a while, at best, is there any way we can help ourselves, meaning, how can we learn about the past 400 years? I'm sure we're ignorant to a lot of things like cultural customs, education and the like. Do you have any literature for us to read?"
Troi was not caught off guard by Sara's question, so she stated that after they all had been shown to their quarters, she would provide several data pads for them to peruse. Their session having ended, Troi offered her services for further questions in the future.
"If there's anything else I can do for you, please, don't hesitate to ask for me." she stated "Now, if there's nothing further, let me show you to your quarters."
Jim, Sara and Greg stood and followed Troi out into the corridor and down to the turbo lift. Their quarters were to be on deck 20, so as the lift brought them closer to their new homes, Jim and Greg looked at each other. Clearing his throat and getting Troi's attention, Greg spoke up.
"Um, excuse me, but will we be bunking together or will we have individual quarters?"
"If you'd like, we can arrange for group assignments or you can have a personal room. Which would you prefer?" she asked
They all turned to look at each other with expectant gazes. They did not want to be separated, so, speaking for the lot of them, Jim requested group quarters. Stepping out of the lift, they followed Troi to their room assignment. Stopping outside the door, Troi turned to them and gestured to the com-pad on the wall.
"This is for entry." she said pressing the button on the pad
As the doors swooshed open, Jim, Sara and Greg passed through the threshold and they stepped inside. Directly in front of them were a series of portals and to their right was the food replicator and data screen. En masse, they stepped farther inside and to their left, they could see the bunks against the inside wall as well as the lavatory against the outer wall. The room appeared to be comfortable enough, having a table that seated 4 near the outside wall near the portals and a couch against the outer wall, just underneath them. Surveying their new digs, Jim asked Troi one last question.
"Will clothing be made available to us?"
"Yes, as will the data pads you requested. Someone will be by directly to deliver them." she stated
Jim, Sara and Greg thanked her and as she left them, she mentioned one last thing.
"I'll have to request that you stay here, until the captain can have a chance to meet with you. Please, there's more than enough to keep you occupied." she stated gesturing to the replicator and data screen.
"All you have to do is speak to it and it will produce your wants. I recommend the potato casserole, its really quite good."
Troi stepped out into the corridors and headed back to the conference lounge. Inside, the three got themselves acquainted with their new housing assignments and toyed with the replicator, ordering vegetable stir-fry, chili and beef stew, not knowing that everything they ordered was vegetarian.
Still seated and waiting for Troi's return, Grissom et al exchanged a series of looks and facial expressions. Just as Nick got himself comfortable, the doors slid open and in walked Troi, data pad in hand. Having just finished with Jim, Sara and Greg and seeing that they wanted to stay, Deanna could only conclude that this group was on the opposite end of the spectrum, and wanting to leave. So, seating herself near the end of the table, she waited for Picard to join her.
After a couple of moments of staring, Jean Luc entered and sat the head of the table. Seeing the obvious displeasure on the faces of his new guests, Picard offered an apology.
"I apologize for keeping you." he said
Troi turned to Picard and slid the data pad to him and as he read it, he concluded that this portion of his new guests were not as willing as the ones he faced right now. All of them had bitter expressions on their features and as the captain perused the data pad, he looked up at Grissom.
"So, you would appear to be the one in charge of your group, are you not?" he asked
"Yes, I guess you could say that." he replied
"You, no doubt, have many questions and I will try to answer them all." he stated
Not bothering to look at his colleagues, Grissom spoke up.
"Where are the others, the three that followed her out of here?" Gil asked, motioning to Troi
"They have been shown their quarters. I assure you, they're fine." Troi replied
Not sure whether or not to trust her, Catherine questioned the captain.
"Um, Captain, is it? Why have we been separated?"
Troi, knowing the answer to this question, explained the reasons for the split.
"It appeared as though you had already separated yourselves by the time I arrived, so, I interviewed the smallest group first. You will see your friends soon, I assure you." she explained
This did little to impress any of the CSI's, but Grissom continued his line of questioning.
"When can we go home?"
"At present, it is not possible for us to return you to your time, the best we can do as of now, is to make you as comfortable as we can. Now, is there anything you need , food, clothing or anything of the sort?" he asked
No one said a thing in response, so, Troi stood up and gestured for them to follow her out into the corridors to their housing assignments. The captain left them and returned to the bridge while Troi and the rest of the team went to their rooms.
Standing in the lift, Grissom tapped Troi on the shoulder and asked to see Jim, Sara and Greg. Sensing his mistrust, she accommodated his wish and as they stepped off the lift on deck 20, she gestured to the fourth door on their left. Pressing the call button on the wall, she announced her presence to the three and as the doors slid open, they all entered. Seated on the couch against the wall, were Jim and Greg, talking about the moon and the stars, while Sara was at the replicator teaching herself how to use it. On the table beside her were several dishes varying from vegetable stir fry and chili to Andorian ale and rokeg blood pie.
Seeing that their colleagues were, in fact well, Grissom untensed a bit and walked over to Sara by the replicator. Lowering his voice and placing a hand on her shoulder, he addressed her.
"Sara, can you possibly want to stay here and not return home?" he asked
"Grissom, in case you haven't noticed, I've got no family or friends other than you all, here." she said motioning to the rest of the team
Seeing the truth in her statement, Grissom walked back to Nick and Co., throwing his hands up in frustration. On the couch, Jim looked over to Troi and asked about the data pads.
"Lieutenant Commander Data will bring those shortly. A lot has happened in the last 400 years. Is there anything else you need?"
"Well, I was wondering what you guys do for exercise around here?"
"Commander Data will answer that for you when he arrives. He'll be your liaison while you're with us." Troi explained
Not saying anything in response to Jim's query, Nick asked Troi about their quarters.
"You'll be staying across the hall. Let me show you." she replied, motioning to the doors
Following Deanna across the hall, Grissom and friends entered their room as the doors slid open. Inside, there were two sets of bunk beds and a very similar set up as the other room, save for a larger table and couch.
"Is there anything you need before Commander Data arrives?" Troi asked
No one said a thing and as counselor Troi left them, Nick walked to the bunks and laid down on the bottom bunk, his hands laced behind his head.
Stardate 46526.6
It had been roughly a week since the CSI's had arrived on board the Enterprise and some were making a better time of it than others. While Jim, Sara and Greg had accepted the reality of their situation by studying up on Earth's history and the numerous advances that had occurred, Grissom and Co. were content to just sit back and fester in their own crepulance, neither contributing nor learning anything.
Today, Jim was to be shown the holodecks on deck 11. The three of them had been spending many hours a day under the tutelage of Lieutenant Commander Data, learning from each other; Data about the 20th century and Sara, Greg and Jim about the vast changes having happened over the past 400 years.
Looking at his watch, Jim paced back and fourth waiting for Data to arrive and when he did, Jim virtually jumped out of his seat and rushed to the door.
"Ah, Data. Good, let's get out of here, I'm going stir crazy." he stated "Stir crazy?" Data asked
"Yeah, its a term meaning that I've got all this pent up energy and I need to release it." Jim explained
"I see; curious." he replied "Would either of you like to join us?"
Sara and Greg had their respective noses buried in data pads and just waived Data off. Turning to Jim, the two of the left and made their way to the lift. Stepping in, Jim asked the location of the holodecks.
"They are on deck 10." Data replied
"Deck 10." Jim said, grinning
"Hey, if I'm gonna be here for a while, I'd better learn how to use these things. " he explained
"A very wise decision." Data commented
The lift stopped and as Data and Jim stepped out, they passed a crewman heading away from holodeck 4. She was dressed in full regulation padding for ice hockey and Jim stared as they passed each other in the corridor. She held her helmet in the crook of her arm and as Jim gazed into her blue/green eyes, she smiled at him. Watching as the crewman entered the lift, Jim began to drool. Turning to Data, he sighed.
"You have ice hockey programs on these decks?" he asked
"Yes, we do, but it is not among the more popular programs. It is archaic and violent, so many steer clear of those types of programs." he explained
"Well, if its so archaic and violent, then how did that crewman get the equipment?" Jim inquired "It is created by the replicators. If that is what you would like to do on the holodeck, we can arrange some equipment for you." Data offered
"Yeah, I'd like that. How can I get in contact with that woman we just passed, maybe she'd be willing to do a little one on one some time." he asked
"That was Lieutenant Junior Grade Drae Spacey. If you like, I can let her know of your interest." Data offered
As they approached the holodeck, Jim, decided to forgo hockey due to his lack of preparation. However, he did sample some of the other programs such as rock climbing, racquetball and various types of hand to hand combat. For the better part of an hour, Jim was familiarizing himself with the workings of the holodeck, while Greg and Sara were holed up in their quarters reading up on some of the very many changes in the last 400 years.
TBC?--