Chaptre 1 - This is completely AU to my other stories.
I am a Q, one of a race of omnipotent beings that watch, and regulate the multiverse. At this point in 'time', and I use that word very loosely, I was very very bored. One of my fellow Q had reported the birth of another universe a few billion years ago, and it was nothing out of the ordinary. Other than that, no other fellows had been there. This was too good a chance to pass up. Influence a whole universe without my fellows to interfere. Off I went in a Q flash.
I, Q floated and watched the battle scene before me with boredom. One spaceship is like any other. The Ori battleships had just come through a huge wormhole. They were quite easily destroying their enemies, the few Jaffa ships, earth X-103's, and an Asgard battleship. So far the Ori ships had not received any damage through their shields.
Within a few minutes all were dead. I felt the Ori seek out an individual, an extinguished consciousness, and revive him. I watched and used my senses to understand what interested these ascended beings in a lower lifeform. I quickly realised this being, Daniel Jackson, had twice been ascended and chose to return to normal three dimensional space. Most interesting indeed.
They, Daniel & the Ori, were currently not in normal space; but a small 'subspace dimension' outside but still attached to this universe. The Ori appeared to be a huge column of flames, each flame a separate life in itself.
"We are the Ori" they said, "we are true gods. We will make you our emissary to your people showing that even in death there is no release" they intoned. Such drama queens honestly!
It is probably useful here if I mention a few facts. Ascended beings have delusions of grandeur, and have transcended 'normal space-time'. They have managed to occupy the fourth dimension, and are currently in the process of reaching into the fifth dimension; giving them access to wonders beyond their imagination. They have no idea what they will encounter, really they haven't. For some reason they seem to think they are the only ones to have done this. To the Q, this is quite, erm; limited.
We are omnipotent, and occupy all eleven dimensions, and a few other besides-so there! I appeared in my usual flash of light, in a Starfleet uniform, rank- Admiral. Would you expect any less?
"Hello Daniel" I said in tones meant to instill fear. He looked at me, adjusting his glasses "You are quite dead" I replied quite cheerfully.
"Who are you" he replied.
"The Ancients have no right in this galaxy. We will destroy you" the Ori stated. How two dimensional is that? You can see what I mean about delusions?
"I was talking to the human" I replied, using the latter word like it was a disease. The Ori were getting quite restless, and thought I was one of those boring ascended types in the Milky Way that sat about and contemplated their 4th dimensional testicles. Such limited beings.
To understand the attitude of Q superiority is easy. We refer to those that exist in three dimensional space as lower lifeforms, quite simply, because you are. It took us around one galactic rotation to agree you were alive, and a further two galactic rotations that you were intelligent. To the Q you are of no consequence. There you are I've said, hope you aren't offended? Do I care? Not one jot. The best analogy would be a goldfish in bowl, opening and closing it's mouth all the time with nothing intelligible coming out. That is how you appear to us; and that's giving the goldfish far too much credit.
"You're not an Ori are you" Daniel asked. For a human he was quite bright, nah only kidding. I could feel the Ori draw their collective 4th dimensional powers, and would at any minute be ready to attack.
"I am Q" I answered helpfully. To the intelligent that would explain everything, as it was….well?
"Isn't that a letter in the alphabet?" Gee, like I've not heard that one before. It's a bit like the comment to a doorman "I thought you be bigger".
"Yes it is also the my name and the name of my species"
"What about others in your race"
"All called Q. But don't fooled, my name is four light years long". It was at this point Daniel made like a goldfish. Open, close. Open & close. Looked almost like an exercise routine.
"Four light years, you're joking?"
"Actually I wasn't" I replied. It was at this point the Ori collective might hit me. To Daniel's limited senses the air around me would appear to shimmer with heat. For my for part I just looked at my fingernails in boredom. I turned my attention toward the Ori.
"You do realise that you resemble part Organian, and part Dowud" I began. It's actually pronounced Dowood, but I digress. I paused to take a breath; which was really a complete affectation on my part and continued "and the look doesn't suit you" I finished and snapped my fingers. One flame vanished in a Q flash.
"What just happened" inquired Daniel. Obviously a keen observer.
"Where is our fellow Ori?" they asked. I stood there and carried on contemplating my nails for a second. How to explain to the limited beings that it was as though that particular Ori had never existed, only ascended and those on the cusp of existence would remember anything, that's Daniel by the way.
"Gone" I started to explain, and decided on "just gone, forever. Poof" I explained blowing on my fingers as I flexed them. That is until I or another Q decided to undo my actions but they didn't know that.
"Where has it, he gone to?" asked Daniel. The Ori were looking worried, although to Daniel's metaphysical eyes would not see it.
"Wiped away as though it never existed" I said starting to get annoyed.
"You can't do that" Daniel started to protest my actions.
"I can do anything I like" I said this with menace again, and waved my hand like I was swatting a flying insect away from me. The Ori vanished as I sent them to a distant part of the universe. I didn't really care where, just away from me. Honest!
"What happened? Did you destroy all of them" inquired Daniel.
"Just sent them away"
"Where?"
"Somewhere else" I replied.
"Their lives, no matter how insignificant to you, they don't deserve that" Daniel began to lecture me. Me a Q! If he thought this was game he had no idea.
Incidentally, the last few 'games' I had played with the Federation, namely Jean-Luc, and Kathy were very amusing. Making Picard realise the temporal paradox, it surely addled his French brain. Convincing Kathy that there had been a Q civil war, and even better that I had a son, ingenious! The son was obviously me in disguise.
The Q Continuum exists in the cusp between moments, we could sit there an eternity and no time would pass in the multiverse. There is a reason we did this. Even the Q fear the final implosion of the multiverse, when it will 'tick' no longer, when even our Immortal existence will be wiped away. Hence living in between moments means for us this will never happen unless we travel far enough into the 'future'.
Anyway back to the matter in hand. They would need help here to defeat the Ori, and I knew just the people who could help. I clicked my fingers, and sent Daniel's consciousness back one month.