The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Book Two

Chapter 1

Earth

Walker Keel walked down a hallway located deep in the innards of Starfleet Intelligence. The sound of his footsteps were amplified by the near emptiness of the corridor. As he slowed his pace, the guard on post nodded at him respectfully. He had no current title, but he didn't need one for the guard to know that he was of some importance.

"Status?" he asked with the same easy tone he used for almost every question he posed.

"The prisoner mostly just sits there, sir. He doesn't ask for food or anything."

"Hmm. You would think he would be more concerned for his own welfare. Have you lowered the security field?"

The guard knew the question was a test. "No sir. I'm under strict orders not to touch him. If I lower the field, there's too much risk of physical contact."

He sounds like he's quoting from a security manual. "Very good officer..."

"Jones, sir."

"Very good Jones...now get me two way visual and audio. I want to talk to the prisoner."

Jones didn't hesitate, moving to the wall panel to enter the desired code. Walker slipped the hypo out of his sleeve and lightly touched the young man on the side of his neck. As Jones slumped over unconscious, Walker caught him under his armpits and gently lowered him to the floor.

Standing up again, Walker tapped a code into the wall panel and the field was lowered. The cell's occupant, his subordinate Agent Finn sat impassively on a narrow bench. Walker pulled out his phaser and pointed it at the prisoner. He had no intention of harming Finn, unless he had too, but had to take precautions. "Have you thought about my earlier proposal?"

Finn blinked and looked up at him. "I need to find my people."

"So you've said. And I have said, I can help you find your people, but I need you to agree to release Marco to me in return. I need him alive."

"I cannot promise anything. Marco is no more important than I am. But the Leader must be recovered and protected, so that we can all reach our full potential."

Walker gritted his teeth. "We're both running out of time, Finn. We can continue this conversation on board the ship."

"Ship?"

"How exactly do you think you're going to find your people? Not by walking..."

Finn nodded slowly, and his once brown eyes now glinted a vibrant emerald green. "Very well, Walker. I will accompany you on board your ship."

Walker tapped his communicator. "Keel to Crusher. Is everything set?"

"Walker, your ship is ready. Lucky for you a diplomatic transport was available...or at least, it is now."

"Thank you, Jack. I'll be forever in your debt."

"Not a problem, Walker. I'll see you on board. In fact, I'm here already."

"What?!"

"After what you told me, Walker, did you think I was going to leave Beverly and Wesley at risk? I'm coming with you, old friend."

Enterprise

Beverly got up from her seat as Felix Farmer exited the surgical area. She wasn't used to being the one who was waiting to hear news about a recovering loved one, and she was anxious. But something still kept her from asking the question.

Felix pulled off his surgical mask and grinned, shaking his head. "He's okay," he said, sounding almost as relieved as she felt. She sighed and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as he continued to speak. "In fact, he is doing very well," Dr. Farmer said, running his hand over his head. "But, Beverly, the most remarkable thing is that there is absolutely no trace of that mysterious virus. By all accounts, and according to all of our instruments Seth is cured."

Beverly just stared at him in disbelief. "And the...manganese capsule?"

"Intact, and it is back in the exact spot we removed it from."

That means he has some kind of sentient dangerous virus hibernating inside his neck. "I'm going to have to keep him monitored 24/7 until we can find a way to safely remove this thing without triggering the viral effect again."

Wesley blinked once in the glare of the sun. He was standing with Q in a narrow path, flanked by vegetation on either side. The air was dry and dust swirled around his boots. Soon enough Wesley came to recognize that he was standing among rows and rows of grapevines. He was at his father's family home in LaBarre on earth. He turned around in place and shielded his eyes from the sun. He could see no one else in the fields besides Q and him.

He turned to Q. "Why did you bring me here?"

"You were feeling sorry for yourself; neglected by your dear old dad."

Q smiled down at him. "So I decided to show you another life Picard could have had-perhaps if he had never met the Q. And one in which the arrogant Picard does not exist. " He raised his hand and there was another flash of light. Wesley glanced up at Q and then took in the new surroundings. He was in the dining room he had been in just three months earlier, when the family had reunited following Yar's defeat, and everyone had simply been happy.

Now the room was quiet and dusty. At the table sat his father. He was holding a half empty bottle of wine in his hand, and staring at the label, as if studying it for imperfections. A deactivated computer terminal sat in front of him. His shoulders slouched, but he didn't look ill, in fact he looked very tan and healthy. His head was almost completely bald, which for some reason looked very natural on him. At his elbow sat an empty wine glass.

"He can't see or hear us," Wesley said mostly to himself, as he circled around in front of his father.

"No, he can't." Q crouched down and stared up into Picard's face which was clearly pensive.

Wesley stepped backward as his father pulled the cork out of the bottle of wine and filled the glass next to him. His eyes fixed on something further down the table. Wesley followed Picard's gaze to an oblong metallic container. Picard raised his glass as if to salute the container.

Wesley looked up at Q. "Is that..."

"Your grandfather's urn? Yes, in fact you are correct," said Q.

"I did everything you told me to. Everything you asked," Picard said quietly to the urn. "But you were never satisfied, were you?" he took a drink and then put it down on the table. He waved his hand over the small computer screen next to him. He typed in a quick code and then took another sip from his glass while waiting.

Finally the image of a relaxed, but distant looking older man blinked onto the screen. "Well look who it is," said Robert.

"Don't act so surprised, brother," Jean-Luc said. "You've been avoiding my calls for days now."

Robert shrugged. "I'm busy. Marie and I are having a child. Some of us have to move on with our lives, Jean-Luc. I told you years ago I wouldn't be tied to the vineyard."

Jean-Luc tapped the rim of his glass. "Congratulations," was all he could think to say.

"Jean-Luc just leave him, will you? You gave up the Academy...you've never even had a relationship with a woman that lasted more than a month-"

Jean-Luc slammed his fist on the table. "I gave up nothing, Robert. Events happened and I made the choices you didn't want to. Instead you ran away. Our mother died, and our father fell apart and lost his mind. Instead of staying home to support him you ran away like a little boy."

"You always had to be the adult, even when you were a boy, Jean-Luc. Well I don't want to listen to your lecturing anymore. You sound just like him."

"He's dead," Jean-Luc announced.

"What?"

"Robert, our father...has died," he repeated.

Wesley turned to Q. "Q, what is the purpose of this? And how can this even be him, he's so different?"

"This Picard is just one of many possibilities which might have occurred, had he never encountered the Q. He made certain choices when he was younger than you are now-simply following the wishes of his father to stay longer with his brother in the fields than to pursue his daydreams in the woods alone with his little dog."

Wesley gritted his teeth. "He told me about that. His dog died because my father saw your light and was drawn to you...and then years later you trapped him so that you could study him. You're no better than the Borg," Wesley accused.

"That is a very human way to look at it," Q observed mildly. "However, the way I see it is that Picard gained much more that day than he lost."

Q snapped his fingers and they were suddenly back in the same corridor they'd been in before.

Wesley paced away from Q and then turned to face him. "Was that supposed to convince me that if my father hadn't met you, he never would have left Labarre, never would have attended Starfleet Academy, and never would have met my mother?"

"And never would have had you, Wesley. Yes, must I spell it out for you?"

"I don't believe you. He's more than what you turned him into. You said it yourself-he made choices, choices that made him a great person. And he would have been great without you, Q!"

"Ha," Q scoffed. "Doubtful. But in any case-he is now who he is."

Wesley's eyes narrowed. "Why do you care so much?"

Q blinked. "Care?" he asked as though the concept was alien to him; which it was...

"You want him back with the Q...don't you? You want us to reject him so that he won't have anywhere else to go but back to you!"

Q's brow furrowed and Wesley saw for the first time a real emotion in the entity's human face, which was of course just a mask covering his real face-which was not a face at all. Q's eyes seemed to light up with fury, and then Wesley realized: Q was jealous.

"Eventually you will see, young human. Picard is not meant to be with humanity any longer. In fact, his potential is wasted among your kind. Just don't come crying to me later and tell me I didn't warn you." He waved his hand carelessly and was gone in another flash of light.

Beverly stepped into Jean-Luc's quarters with Seth at her side. She kissed him on the top of his head. "Seth, you need to rest...I can tell you're tired. Do you want to lay down out here on the couch, or do you want to lay down in your bedroom?"

Seth yawned and pointed tiredly toward his room. He had insisted on walking back-he was so light and she could have carried him. But now that they were in the quiet and comfort of his quarters, the exhaustion was taking over. "Okay, come on," she said and lifted him up into her arms. Once she had him settled, she turned to leave, and looked back from the doorway, seeing that he had already fallen asleep.

She exited to the living room, and was considering making herself a cup of tea when Jean-Luc walked in. She tried to keep her voice calm. "Where did you go?"

He halted, unsure of what to do or say next. "I had duties on the bridge," he said carefully.

"You have duties to your family."

He stepped toward her. "I know that, Beverly, but things in sick bay were...they were beyond me, and I had to leave."

"They didn't seem to be beyond you when you first came in. Jean-Luc you were going to use your power to save Seth. I would say that's taking things into your own hands."

He ran his hand along the edge of his desk before looking up at her. "Is he alright now?"

She took his hand briefly. "Yes, we completed the surgery, and the virus simply disappeared or has been contained inside what the virus referred to as its 'hibernation chamber'."

He frowned. "We have to find a way to extract it without re-releasing the virus."

She looked down and crossed her arms. "Yes. But right now, he's resting. Trust me, I'm monitoring him carefully."

He nodded in agreement. "I know. I was wrong to overstep. I should have allowed you and your staff to handle it."

Beverly tossed her hands up. "Jean-Luc, it's not about right or wrong. I know your intentions were good. You wanted to help. But what were you thinking? If the crew is exposed to the fact that you have super-human powers, you could face losing your command."

"You're right. I must be more careful in the future."

"Are you just going to keep agreeing with me? Because you're not convincing me that we're communicating here."

He stepped closer to her, but she backed up. "I sent Wesley to find you. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't his responsibility. You are not his responsibility," she said firmly.

He stared at her completely confused. "Beverly, I made a mistake and I apologized. Why are you still angry with me?"

"I need to be able to rely on you, Jean-Luc."

"You can," he said gently. "I was trying to protect my family the way that I know how."

He reached out to put his palm lightly on the back of her neck, pulling her toward him in a kiss. At first she responded, despite her anger, and kissed him back, but then she pushed him away.

"Jean-Luc...you can protect us without your power. You are capable of so much just as a human being. I know, because I've seen it with my own eyes. Sometimes I think you forget the person you used to be."

He turned halfway from her. "So. You don't like the way I am now," he said simply. "Beverly, you keep talking about the Power as if it is something separate from me."

"Isn't it?" she asked incredulously.

He shook his head. "It's part of me." He reached out for her hand. "I thought you liked the way I am now. I'm trying, Beverly."

"I know," she said. "It's not about liking how you are. I love you. But this power of yours worries me, Jean-Luc. It's too much responsibility for a human being who already has so much worry in his life. We're going into a dangerous situation and-"

"And you think I will make a rash decision," he said with a small smile. "I'm not going to to anything to jeopardize the safety of the people I love, Beverly. It's that simple." He tugged her arms gently toward him, until she acquiesced and embraced him. Her arms tightened around his mid-section and he felt the warmth of her skin as she rested her forehead against his neck. Suddenly she looked up. "Where is Wesley?"

"Right here."

They both turned in surprise to see Wesley standing next to the door. "Hi," he said.