Dr. Marr, a xenologist who was studying the entity, destroyed it almost four years ago. Her son had been killed on the attack by the entity on Omicron Theta. She and Data had rigged up a graviton pulse to communicate with the entity. Before they had succeeded, though, Dr. Marr destroyed the entity with a resonant frequency. They had tried to shut down the pulse but she had locked out the controls. Picard had regretted not being able to establish communication with the entity. "On screen," Picard said as he sat down in his chair.
Just then Riker and Troi came onto the bridge.
Vicki Ann, who was in the turbolift with them, glanced at the viewscreen. She seemed to be transfixed. The door almost shut on her, but she quickly came onto the bridge. Looking hypnotized, she walked toward the viewscreen.
Data, who was at Ops, said, "Lieutenant, that is the infamous Crystalline Entity, have you heard of it?"
Vicki Ann nodded slowly, her eyes glazed over.
Riker stood up and went over to Vicki Ann, "Are you all right, Lieutenant?"
Vicki Ann looked at him, shaking her head. "That's not the Crystalline Entity. That," she said, pointing to the viewscreen, " is it's child."
"What?!" everyone chorused.
Just as shocked, Vicki Ann said, "It wants to know why we killed its mother."
Picard sighed, "We didn't kill the Crystalline Entity. Dr. Kila Marr, a xenologist who was studying the entity, did. We tried to stop her, but you we were unable to." Picard then told Vicki Ann the entire story.
Vicki Ann relayed the message to the entity, who responded with a burst of energy aimed at the ship.
"I don't think it believes us," Riker said to the captain. "Shields up!"
The ship rocked from the impact of the energy beam as Picard requested, "Damage report!"
Worf responded, "Minimal damage to the primary systems. Shields down to 80%"
Another beam shot out from the entity only this time it went straight toward Vicki Ann. The blood-curdling scream that escaped from her throat could be heard throughout the entire multiverse. The beam tossed her through the air and into the consoles behind the captain's chair as if she was a rag doll.
Riker, still somewhat stunned by what he had just seen, tapped his comm badge and said, "Medical emergency on the bridge. Dr. Crusher report here immediately."
Picard leaned toward his first officer, "Well, this certainly brings up an interesting question. Do we dare oppose an entity like that and try to fight back? Or do we communicate further and make up for the chance we lost last time?"
Riker shrugged, "I don't know. I just hope this doesn't start a war between the entity and the Federation."
At that moment, Dr. Beverly Crusher walked onto the bridge with her emergency medical team. She immediately ran over to Vicki Ann and scanned her with a medical tricorder. Shrugging, she walked over to the captain. "I don't know what's wrong with her. Nothing showed up on the scans."
Just then, Vicki Ann sat up and opened her eyes.
Everyone on the bridge gasped.
Her eyes were now black and cold as ice. Her face was hard and shot daggers at everyone in the room.
Riker took a hesitant step forward. "Are you okay, Lieutenant?"
Vicki Ann raised an arm and Riker froze. It was as if time had stopped for him and only him. As she stood up, Worf, sensing danger, drew his phaser. Vicki Ann raised her arm again and this time, Worf was thrown into a bulkhead.
Picard held up his hand. "Everybody freeze! Learn from your crewmates' mistakes." Then he turned toward 'Vicki Ann'. "Lieutenant--", he started, but was interrupted by 'Vicki Ann.'
In a deep voice that was not her own and sounded like pure evil, she said, "Stop calling me that! The body you see is....'your Vicki Ann', but the mind is of what you call 'the Crystalline Entity.' I have taken over her mind to communicate my intentions. I intend to execute this crew for the death of my mother, starting with your captain." 'Vicki Ann' raised an arm and released another energy beam toward the captain, but the beam shot back to her as if someone had held a mirror to it.
The captain turned around and said a forced, "Thank you, Q."
Q bowed and replied, "Anytime, mon capitaine." Then, glancing at Riker, he snapped his fingers and Riker unfroze. He shook his head and said, "Tsk, Tsk. What did you do now, Riker?"
Riker ignored the comment and glanced toward Vicki Ann. "Look captain!" he said pointing to Vicki Ann.
She was glowing as if she had absorbed the energy beam. The energy sizzled and a scream escaped her throat. It started out soft and it gradually rose until it was so high it could have shattered glass. Suddenly, the scream ended and the body of Victorianna Leonard Troi lit up like a supernova. Then she collapsed.
Riker motioned to Dr. Crusher.
Beverly scanned her. "Well, at least this time I got something I can work with. She's in a coma similar to the one Lwaxana was in a few years ago after the incident with the Cairn."
Picard nodded. "Get her to sickbay. As soon as she wakes up, let me know. I want a report on her condition and possible treatment as soon as you can get them to me."
Q, who had been somewhat silent until them, spoke up. "She's only been an Enterprise crew member for a day and she's already been unconscious three times already!"
Vicki Ann as in a telepathic dungeon. Neither she nor the entity had control. She glanced around and she saw a green, lush planet turn to a barren wasteland. People around her screamed as beams of light swept over the planet, vaporizing everything alive in sight. Some of the people looked slightly familiar to her. Then, someone was in front of her. The winds and beams of light swept over him, but he remained, despite it all. She got a better look at him once the light passed over him. He seemed to be getting some kind of pleasure out of the destruction around him. As he leered, not at her, but through her, she felt as if she knew him. Then it hit her. The twisted, evil man in front of her was.... Data!
That was impossible, Data wasn't evil; he wouldn't hurt a fly. It must be his brother Lore. Wait, Lore was involved in the attack on Omicron Theta. He was suspected to have helped the entity to Omicron Theta. The planet was now the way it looked when she crashed on it. Someone came up behind Lore. It was.... Q! As she listened to Q and Lore conferring, she also heard the shrieking screams of the people of Omicron Theta. Vicki Ann covered her ears with her hands and screamed, "NO! I don't want to know anymore!"
A familiar voice whispered in her ear, "Yes, you must know! Someone must know what I've done!"
Vicki Ann decided to try the psychiatric approach. "Who are you? What have you done? You'll feel better if you talk about it."
A flash of red and black shot in front of her. When her vision cleared, Q was glaring at her. "Don't try that psychology stuff on me. I'm a Q. My mind is just fine, thank you very much."
Vicki Ann almost smiled at the comic relief. Instead, she decided to probe Q. He was completely open to her, almost as if he wanted her to read his mind. Beneath the usual facade of arrogance, was his true state of mind. There it was again, the intense guilt. She probed his memory and had to force herself not to gasp in shock. The Q had wanted to test humanity, yet again, and had decided on someone from the Q arranging for the Crystalline Entity to attack a Federation colony. They chose Omicron Theta when they heard about Lore and his 'problems' with the colonists. They figured Lore could be their scapegoat.
Q suggested the idea to Lore, minus the part about the scapegoat. Lore agreed and the attack was made. Q himself had thought that Captain Picard and the Enterprise could handle the entity and make first communication with it. He did not expect Dr. Marr to intervene. So that was where the guilt was coming from. Q had created a new Crystalline Entity to threaten the Enterprise so that he could look like a hero, even though he was the cause of the entire mess before with the Crystalline Entity in the first place.
He wanted to tell someone what happened to get rid of his guilt, so he had the new entity take over her mind. Then, he would appear in her mind and allow her to find out the truth. But there was something else. Something he was hiding from her. She tried to dig deeper, but she had grown weak from probing such a powerful mind. She slowly constructed barriers in her mind so that she could not sense even the tiniest fragment of an emotion from Q. His emotions came to her sometimes, kind of like with Deanna or Will. But since Q is of such a complex race, just sensing his emotions wore her out.
Q bent down, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up. He pulled her toward him until their faces were about an inch apart. His voice barely above a whisper, he asked her, "What's it like probing the mind of a Q?"
There was a flash of light and Vicki Ann awoke on a biobed in sickbay. She sat up, a bit disoriented, breathing heavily as if she had just ran a marathon. Dr. Crusher, seeing that Vicki Ann had just woken up, rushed over to her and scanned her with a tricorder. She shook her head, "I don't know what I'm going to tell him, but I'm going to have to call the captain." Beverly tapped her comm badge, "Crusher to Picard. Vicki Ann is awake."
Picard gave Riker the conn and proceeded to sickbay. He hoped Lieutenant Troi could tell him more about the Crystalline Entity. Vicki Ann had decided to change her last name to Troi since she was a Troi. He was relieved to have Q gone, but he was not glad to have the entity back. At least you could reason with Q. Well, maybe not reason with him, but Q usually had a reason for his antics. The Crystalline Entity doesn't seem to have a reason for its actions except maybe sustenance. Vicki Ann was going to be an asset. Having an officer that could probe a Q's mind would prove to be invaluable. Now he could know Q's reasons for harassing his crew. The turbolift stopped and Picard walked down the corridor to sickbay. As he stepped in he noticed Beverly was giving Vicki Ann a hypospray. "Lieutenant Troi, glad to see you're better. Now is there anything more you can tell me about the Crystalline Entity?" Picard asked her.
Vicki Ann smiled, "Plenty."
Picard turned toward Dr. Crusher, "Doctor, is she well enough to attend a briefing?"
Beverly nodded, "She suffered a bit of exhaustion, but I gave her a hypospray. I still don't like the idea of not knowing what caused the coma but, she should be fine."
Vicki Ann turned toward Beverly, "If you would attend the briefing, you may find a reason. I would tell you now, but if I did, I would be here all day."
Beverly nodded. "I'll be there shortly."
"Why would Q go through all this? What's his motive? You don't expect me to believe he told you all this because he feels guilty, do you?" Riker asked, as he, Picard and the other senior officers sat in the conference lounge talking with Vicki Ann.
icki Ann shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just telling you what I sensed. If it was all an act, it was a pretty good one. Besides, he was hiding something from me. That could prove to be the reason for all of this."
There was a flash of light and Q appeared. He bowed to Vicki Ann. "Mademoiselle Victorianna, I have been sent from the Continuum to test your powers. It was too easy for you to read my mind, too easy for a mortal. We must test the full extent of your powers to see if you are a threat."
Vicki Ann raised her eyebrows skeptically, "Is this some kind of a joke?"
Q shook his head. "Sorry, as much as I wish it were, it's not." He walked over to the captain. "I'm sorry Jean-Luc, but I'm going to have to steal your new officer for a short time. Hopefully, it shouldn't take very long. I don't want to waste any time here, when I could be...well, doing almost anything else." He snapped his fingers and both he and Vicki Ann disappeared.
The captain turned toward the senior officers, "How did he expect me to stop him?"
Chapter 3
Vicki Ann and Q were in her quarters. Q was trying to get Vicki Ann to perform some amazing feats for him, but she insisted on information about the Q. When he refused to answer, she decided to try another question. "What happened to my father? When I asked my mother, she never answered. Do you know?"
Q sighed. "How about seeing what he looked like first? All you have to do is call up his image."
Vicki Ann scoffed at the remark. "Okay, oh great and powerful Q, tell me how to do that. I am but a mere mortal and I do not posses the vast array of knowledge that you do."
Q, who would have turned her into an amorphous entity if it had been anyone else, forced a smile. Stubbornness and sarcasm were essential elements of the Q. He snapped his fingers and opened up his other hand. In it was a purple pyramid shaped stone on a silver chain. He handed it to Vicki Ann. "Here, this is a Q Concentration Stone. When I was a young Q, I had trouble harnessing my powers. My mentor gave me this Q Concentration Stone. It'll help you harness and control her powers. Just concentrate on your father while holding the stone. I know it sounds crazy, but just humor me."
Vicki Ann sighed, put the necklace around her neck and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, the image of Ian Andrew Troi appeared in front of Vicki Ann. He was holding Deanna as a baby and singing her a lullaby.
Q leaned toward her and whispered, "Open your eyes."
She opened her eyes and gasped. "Is that really my father?" she asked Q.
Q nodded, "Yes, it is." Q snapped his fingers and the image changed.
The image was now of a seven-year-old Deanna tugging on her mother's black dress, asking where her father was. As Lwaxana wiped away the tears, she told Deanna, "Daddy's in heaven, Little One." Starfleet officers in dress uniform offered their condolences. As Lwaxana and Deanna left, Vicki Ann saw the words engraved on the casket. It said:
"Commander Ian Andrew Troi, an excellent Starfleet officer, father, husband, and son, was killed in the line of duty while serving the United Federation of Planets. He affected the lives of many. All those whose lives he touched, will mourn his death."
Q glanced at Vicki Ann. He could tell she was holding back tears. He hated having to be the bearer of such bad news. Q closed his eyes and shut off the image. He whispered, "I'm sorry. But you had to know, you wanted to know. You can see him anytime you want. Well, his image anyway. Between you and me, the Q aren't allowed to bring back the dead."
Vicki Ann glared at him. "You! This is all your fault! If the Q hadn't interfered in my life and taken me from my mother before I was born, I would have known my father instead of having to call up his image." Vicki Ann wished Q would teleport himself to the Delta Quadrant. Then she got an idea. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Q while holding the stone. Suddenly, Q vanished in a flash of light.
Laughing, Vicki Ann decided to go see if she was needed on the bridge. She was at the turbolift when her comm badge beeped. "Lieutenant Troi, please report to Counselor Troi's quarters immediately," the captain said.
"Deck 8," Vicki Ann said as she stepped into the turbolift.
Victorianna Leonard Troi stepped off the turbolift and walked down the corridor to her sister's quarters. As she stepped in, she heard the captain say, "We're in here." Vicki Ann turned the corner there was Deanna, Riker, and Captain Picard standing around Deanna's bathtub, in which a soaking wet Q was. Vicki Ann took one glance and she erupted into laughter.
Once she started, everyone else joined in, except Picard; he just smiled.
Q glared at Picard, "Jean-Luc, you really do have a dry sense of humor."
Riker replied, "You don't at the moment."
Q turned his glare toward Vicki Ann.
Vicki Ann, sensing his anger, shouted, "Q! NO!" She disappeared and reappeared, face down, in the bathtub. She sat up and shot daggers at Q.
Q was too busy laughing hysterically to notice.
Vicki Ann was about to snap her fingers when Q shouted, "NO! Okay, okay. I'm sorry. You'll probably turn me into a sehlat or something like that." He snapped his fingers and the two of them appeared by Deanna, Riker, and Picard, dry as a bone. Q brushed some invisible dust off his uniform. Then he turned to Picard, "Well, she's as much a Q as I am. How? I have no clue. All I know is that Vicki Ann has all the powers of the Q except immortality. You'd better hope it doesn't go to her head." With those last words, he vanished.
Picard shook his head. "He always has to have the last word, doesn't he?" Then he turned toward Vicki Ann. "Lieutenant, if you're up to it, you can start back to work tomorrow morning."
Vicki Ann nodded.
"Until then, I would rest if I were you," the captain said as he turned and left the room.
Riker followed suit.
As Picard and Riker walked down the corridor, Riker asked, "What's a sehlat?"
Picard replied, ""A Vulcan teddy bear with six inch fangs."
Vicki Ann collapsed on her bed. "What a day!" she said to herself as she got ready for bed. She went to the mirror to brush her hair when she saw a flash of light behind her. With a feeling of dread, she turned around. Q had made himself comfortable on her bed.
Vicki Ann heaved a long sigh. "Q, what are you doing here? Please, I'm exhausted. I want to sleep. I don't feel like playing your games right now."
He raised his eyebrow as if he had no clue what she was talking about. "Games? What kind of games?" he asked coyly. Ignoring his comment, Vicki Ann tried to shove him off, but had no luck. She decided to try something else. She grabbed her robe off the chair, put it on and curled up on the edge of the bed.
Q, obviously surprised, said, "Most people would have opted for the couch."
Vicki Ann turned around to face him, "These are my quarters and I'm not going to let some arrogant little twirp chase me off of my bed."
Q's eyes grew as big as saucers.
Vicki Ann curled back in her spot.
Q vanished with a smile on his face.
Just before she went to sleep, a familiar voice whispered in her ear, "You passed your first test."
Vicki Ann asked, "What test?"
The voice of Q replied, "Standing up to me."
Vicki Ann smiled and fell asleep.
Q sat atop the saucer section of the Enterprise, starring at the passing stars. The ship was at about warp three, but Q would've thought it was standing still. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a tall, thin, blond man appeared beside him. The man immediately asked, "Is she a threat?"
Q laughed. "To me, yeah. To the Continuum, I haven't decided yet. She teleported me into her sister's bathtub by mistake."
The other Q laughed. "Kind of like Trelane, huh?"
Q shook his head. "Don't remind me about that." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Q2, she actually stood up to me."
Q2 laughed. "How dare she!"
Q shot him a look and then told him about what had just happened. Then he said thoughtfully, "She's so much like her mother, but at the same time, she's so different."
Q2 waved his hands. "NO! Let's not start that again. First Lwaxana, then Vash. You have to stop this. They always get hurt. Besides, you usually get hurt in the whole process anyway and a scorned Q is worse than a Klingon defending his honor. You ought to just go back to Q. That is, if she'd take you back. She was pretty upset over the whole 'partnership' with Vash. Especially when you wouldn't let go."
Q paced a bit, ignoring the comment. "Q is too overbearing. Constant nagging."
Q2 laughed. "That's why I'm staying single." Then he grew serious. "You'd better get this all figured out soon. The last thing we need now is an inexperienced Q running around the multiverse. Besides if you don't, you know he'll just get rid of her in his own way."
Q glanced at Q2 and nodded. Then, they both disappeared.
Vicki Ann jerked awake. Beads of sweat were running down her forehead, and she was gasping for air. Her heart pounding, she stammered, "Computer, lights." As the lights flickered on, she stood up and grabbed her robe. She was sweating, but she shivered as if she was freezing. She wrapped herself up in her robe and walked over to the replicator. She wanted something to calm her nerves, but what she really wanted, a Raspberry Hot Chocolate, would keep her awake. Of course, she could get it decaffeinated, but it didn't taste the same to her. Although, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to sleep. She opted for the hot chocolate. As she sunk into her favorite chair, right beside the replicator, she tried to analyze her dream.
Vicki Ann had been in a dimly lit room that she had never seen before. The lighting cast shadows that covered most of the room so she couldn't see much. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming toward. She glanced around, looking for a place to run, but she was backed up against a wall. Then an unfamiliar male voice said, "You thought you could run. You thought you could hide. But I've been watching you." The man began to step toward her and she became terror-stricken. She had no idea who this man was, but for some reason he was out to get her. As he stepped into the light, she awoke, without seeing his face.
None of her conclusions seemed to fit. There couldn't have been any subconscious symbolism in her dream. As a doctor, she was clueless. As a half-human\half-Betazoid, she knew it had to be some kind of premonition and that scared her out of her wits.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Picard had just arrived on the bridge and Worf told him, "Starfleet Command is hailing us, sir."
"I'll take it in my ready room," the captain replied, changing his course. Picard sensed that something was seriously wrong and that this communique was just the beginning.
Admiral Blackwell appeared on Picard's desktop viewer and she did not look happy. "The Leonards' contacted me and I accessed your log. Now what is this about Victorianna Leonard, now Troi, being a Q?"
Picard sighed. "I had hoped you'd let me handle this myself, after all, I do have the most experience with the Q."
Blackwell shook her head. "Picard, it would have been fine if it was just Q being his usual annoying self, but one of the most promising young officers in Starfleet being an ally of the Q? I'm sorry, Jean-Luc, but it just won't work. We're sending someone to check her out, to see what side she's really on. You're to rendezvous with the Shakespeare in twenty-four hours. Commander Quinn will be aboard. He has studied all interactions with Q and is Starfleet Command's expert on the subject. Once he has made a report to me, I will contact you again. Blackwell out."
Picard sighed and tapped the comm panel on his desktop. "All senior officers report to the conference lounge immediately."
Picard explained the situation.
"It sounds to me like she's a bit paranoid about traitors," Vicki Ann commented.
Picard nodded. "Ever since the almost extragalactic takeover in 2364, many high officials have been a bit paranoid. I'm sure it's nothing against you personally Vicki Ann. It's probably just Admiral Blackwell being as careful as usual."
The remark drew laughter from the officers, which was interrupted by Lt. Tvrdovski's cry over the comm system, "Captain, Gerard has escaped! Somehow he has bypassed the security lock and attacked the guard watching him. Sensors are off-line and locked with some kind of encryption."
"Mr. Worf, have your security teams search the ship. I want him found. We can't have a madman running around the ship with Commander Quinn coming, we're in enough trouble as it is," the captain barked.
Vicki Ann turned to the captain. "I might be able to find him."
"How?"
"If he's escaped, he's probably frantic and I would be able to sense his strong emotions from a distance," she replied.
Picard concerned, asked her, "Would you be all right?"
Vicki Ann, not exactly sure herself, replied, "Yes."
"Make it so," the captain replied.
Vicki Ann turned to leave when she heard Riker request to accompany her. She heaved a sigh of relief when the captain allowed it. She turned and waited for Riker to catch up to her. "Let's start at the brig," she said as they stepped into the turbolift.
Riker and Vicki Ann were in Jefferies tube 16. They had arrived at the 12th intersect when Vicki Ann was stuck. She shook her head. "He could be either direction. He must be clouding my telepathy somehow."
Just then the doors above them opened and Gerard leapt out and tackled Vicki Ann.
Riker pointed his phaser at them but couldn't get a clear shot at Gerard.
Gerard managed to grab Vicki Ann's shoulders and knock her head against the bulkhead. Taking advantage of her temporary confusion, he moved to Riker.
Normally Riker would have had no trouble handling Gerard. This time Gerard invaded Riker's mind. He drove Riker's hatred of Q to complete insanity and forced Riker to think that instead of Gerard being obsessed with causing Vicki Ann pain, that it was Q. Gerard drove Riker to the edge and pushed him off. Riker collapsed.
Gerard laughed.
Vicki Ann, still a little groggy, aimed her phaser at Gerard and fired.
Gerard, his laugh still echoing around them, fell unconscious onto the floor.
Vicki Ann tapped her comm badge, "Medical emergency in Jefferies tube 16, intersect 12. Two unconscious." Then she called the bridge, "Captain, we've found Gerard."
That evening, Vicki Ann sat in her quarters. Riker had been taken to sickbay. The captain had temporarily promoted her from lieutenant commander to commander, not wanting to be without a first officer when Commander Quinn arrived. Vicki Ann still couldn't believe what Gerard had done to Will. Riker was completely hysterical, ranting and raving about Q plotting to hurt Vicki Ann. His emotions had torn through her and physically weakened her. She sensed everyone's apprehension about Will's condition, even when she was alone in her quarters.
She needed to relax, to reconstruct the barriers that Gerard had torn down. She dimmed the lights, turned on some soft, soothing music, lit a vanilla candle, and sat down on the floor in the center of the main room. She had just begun meditating when there was a flash of light and Q appeared beside her. She sighed. "Q, what do you want?"
"How's my little protegee?"
"Exhausted," she replied. "And I'd like to be alone."
Q glanced at her. "Well, pardon moi!" He shook his head as if he was genuinely insulted. "I try to be nice and see how these powers are working out, and what do I get for it?" He would have continued to babble, but Vicki Ann interrupted him.
"I'm sorry Q, but it's been an awful day. Starfleet thinks I'm a traitor and Gerard escaped and drove Will insane."
"Starfleet thinks you're a traitor? Why?"
"Because all of a sudden, I'm Q. They think the Q are trying to infiltrate Starfleet."
Q laughed. "How ludicrous!"
Vicki Ann nodded. "Now, would you please leave. I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm trying to relax."
Q smiled. "I have an idea," he said, standing up. He grabbed Vicki Ann's hand and pulled her up. He snapped his fingers and they were atop the Enterprise.
Vicki Ann glanced at Q. "I should be dead, after all, I'm in the vacuum of space, but I'm not. Why not?"
Q laughed. "Because I don't want you to be dead."
She smiled. "It's amazing, being out here and not floating away or suffocating. It's beautiful, isn't it."
Q smiled. He hadn't seen anyone look upon the universe with wonder since he had been with Vash.
Vicki Ann turned around, slowly, looking confused. She heard the music that had been on in her quarters. "Where's that music coming from?"
Q shrugged. "Everywhere and anywhere."
Vicki Ann laughed.
Q bowed and took Vicki Ann's hand. "May I have this dance, mademoiselle?"
Vicki Ann blushed slightly. "You dance?"
"Of course, I'm Q. I can do anything."
Hesitantly, Vicki Ann took Q's arm and danced with him, amongst the stars and never felt more content.
Beverly Crusher had Commander Riker in sickbay and under the watchful eyes of Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Worf. Gerard had ransacked through Riker's mind, looking for his weakness. He had discovered Riker's hatred of Q and his concern for Vicki Ann's welfare. Gerard had planted ideas into Riker's subconscious, which made him assume they were premonitions. This led to paranoia, which in turn drove him insane. Dr. Crusher hoped that with Deanna's help she could repair the damage so that Riker would not be placed in some hospital on Earth somewhere. She just hoped she could figure out how.
Vicki Ann was exhausted. She had been dancing with Q for what seemed like only a few minutes, but judging by how far the ship had traveled, it was hours. Q had definitely succeeded in cheering her up, that is if that is what he was trying to do.
Q glanced at her. "Feeling better?"
She smiled. "Yes. Thank you. But, one question first, why?'
Q smiled. "Why not?"
She looked at him carefully. "I don't know whether I should believe you."
"Why not?"
She laughed. "Is that all you can say?"
"No."
"Can we sit down? I'm exhausted." They sat down. Vicki Ann glanced ahead. The ship was approaching a planetary nebula. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Q looked at the nebula and then at Vicki Ann. "I guess if you've never seen one before."
Vicki Ann laughed. "I must have seen a million of these things, but each one is unique and has its own beauty."
Q laughed. "It amazes me how you humans never get bored with seeing these things over and over, but then again, you've only been seeing them for a couple of hundred years. I've been seeing them since the beginning of time." He looked at her closely. "What's it like being amazed?"
"I don't know. No one has ever asked me that before."
Suddenly, Vicki Ann screamed. Her nightmares flashed in her mind and she became terror-stricken.
"Vicki Ann! Are you all right?"
She didn't answer. She simply collapsed on the hull of the Enterprise.
Q touched his hand to her face, letting his index finger rest on her temple. He went into her mind to see what had happened. Someone.... or something was causing Vicki Ann's dream and was in effect, threatening her. Whoever it was, he or she was also causing her to have flashbacks of the dreams, adding to her insanity. Q thought to himself. The only person he could think of was Gerard, but that was impossible. Gerard couldn't have done this, not without a mind-meld anyway. Q had no choice but to use the Vincire, the Q equivalent of a Vulcan mind-meld. His mind combined with hers and strengthened the barriers of her mind so that no one could penetrate them and harm her. He was then finally able to coax Vicki Ann out of her trance.
Vicki Ann, still weak from the attack, whispered, "Thank you. What happened? I know I had a flashback, but how did that cause me to space out like that?"
"I don't know who, but someone has set out to hurt you, possibly Gerard. Whoever it is, he or she seems to be trying to scare you and possibly trying to drive you insane," Q told her. "Whoever...or whatever it is must be very powerful."
Vicki Ann cringed. "Is there anyway to stop it?"
"We can try."
"We?"
"During your flashback, I was forced to use the Q Vincire, the Q equivalent of the Vulcan mind-meld. Do you know about the Vulcan mind-meld?"
She nodded.
"Well, do you understand how after a mind-meld the two participants are connected telepathically for life? Well, like I said, the Vincire is the Q equivalent of a mind-meld, so therefore I will always be a part of you and you will always be a part of me."
Vicki Ann sighed. "Great! Why can't I ever get away from this Q business?"
Q looked her straight in the eye. "Would you rather be in sickbay in a coma? Or better yet, dead?"
Vicki Ann shook her head. "No, I guess not. But...."
"But what? But you would rather not have any connection to an arrogant, inconsiderate, immoral being like me?"
He was genuinely insulted. Maybe her humanity was rubbing off on him. "No, it's not that."
"Then, what is it?"
Vicki Ann sighed and put her hand to her head as if she had a headache. "Q! I don't know. It's like I'm two different people and one wants to do one thing and the other wants to do the opposite. I'm fighting myself!"
"About what?" Frustrated, Vicki Ann replied, "That's it, Q, I don't know what it is! It's this strange feeling I've never felt before. It's invigorating and intoxicating, but at the same time part of me despises the idea of it. I don't understand it!"
Q looked at her, his face showing genuine concern. He looked into her eyes and Vicki Ann understood.
She loved Q and the rational side of her said it was crazy but her heart said 'why not?' Her link with Q amplified the emotion and then she realized that he loved her back. She smiled. "That's it?"
"That's it. You, Victorianna Leonard Troi are unlike any human I've encountered. Your compassion and innocence far surpass that of any other human I've met. "
Vicki Ann smiled.
Q sat atop the Enterprise, again, contemplating his situation. He had taken Vicki Ann to her quarters where she had gone to bed. The ship was nearing the star Alpha Zeta, a blue-white star. He concentrated on it hoping it would take his mind off of his problem. Instead, it reminded him of her. The bluish color of the star matched her eyes and its brightness couldn't even compare to how her eyes shone when she smiled. He watched the star fade as the ship passed the star. There was something between them, something intense and intoxicating. Q had no idea how he was going to report to the Continuum if he couldn't remain objective. His mind began to wander when a flash of light beside him interrupted him.
A familiar voice said, "Thought I'd find you here. So how is sweet little Victorianna?"
Q frowned. "Don't ask." He sighed.
It was Q2's turn to frown. "Oh, no. Don't tell me. You think you love her, don't you? I'll bet it's because she's so much like her mother. Give it up! There is no way that she feels the same!"
Q looked at his companion. "I know that I care for her and I know that she cares for me."
Q2 replied, "Prove it. Prove that she loves you."
Q snapped his fingers and he and Q2 appeared in Vicki Ann's quarters. She was getting ready for bed. Obviously, they were invisible to her. She was about to blow out the candle beside her bed and curl up under the covers. As she leaned over, the Q Concentration Stone dangled from her neck. She touched the stone and leaned back into bed. The candle went out and she fell asleep.
Q2 whispered, "What did that prove?"
Q pointed to Vicki Ann. "Watch her dreams."
Q2 was hesitant, but he probed her mind. She was reliving the time she'd been on the Enterprise; from the screaming and animosity between her and Q to the rare, intense moments when electricity seemed to flow between them. As she relived the day that she made Q reappear in Deanna's bathtub, instead of being exasperated with him, she was almost attracted to him.
Q turned Q2, his arms crossed across his chest, an all-knowing expression on his face.
The other Q shrugged. "I know that she's smarter than that. But if the Cosmos insist, who am I to argue?"
Q smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way. Besides, somebody has to make sure that he doesn't try to hurt her. I'm sure he isn't very happy about the Omicron Theta incident."
Q2 nodded. "You're right. She does need protection. Even though she is Q, his power is most likely greater than hers. He'd prey on the fact that being Q is exhausting for her." Q2 sighed. "For the moment, just continue to observe he talents and make sure that she's okay. I have to be getting back to the Continuum now. Good luck."
Q chuckled and vanished right after Q2 did.
Vicki Ann woke up suddenly. She felt like someone had been watching her. Quickly, her worries vanished as she remembered her dreams. She smiled; she'd dreamt of Q. There were times that she was so infuriated with him, but at the same time she was strangely attracted to him. Vicki Ann shook her head. she thought to herself.
Then, she remembered the guilt she had felt in him before and the time he had consoled her when she had found out about her father. He wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be. Most of the things he had done in the past, he'd done for a reason: to prove a point. But he could be antagonizing; at times she wished he would just disappear, but she usually remedied that by snapping her fingers. And if she continued to see him that is exactly what she would do.
Lwaxana Troi was in her quarters, discussing Vicki Ann being a Q with her valet, Mr. Homm. Not discussing, more like, telling. Lwaxana was doing most, actually all, of the talking. "How did this happen. Who did this to her? It had to be Q! He did this to get back at me for showing him up. I'll fix him. I don't care if that pipsqueak is omnipotent. I am Lwaxana Troi, heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx!"
The door chimed, interrupting her thoughts of revenge. "Come in." The doors opened and in walked Deanna. "Mother, we have to talk." Lwaxana smiled and nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing."
Vicki Ann sat on her bed, her legs crossed, trying to convince herself that she didn't need Q. He was merely a being who just happened know about her newfound powers. She felt herself becoming attached to him and she knew how dangerous that could be. Her mother had warned her as had half of the crew, but that wasn't why she hesitated. She hesitated because of Gerard; after all he was her first 'relationship'. That is if you can call it that.
But there were times when Q was helping her with her powers that he showed genuine emotion. Not a facade of arrogance or contempt, but occasionally she felt this outpouring of sorrow and sometimes a rare burst of joy. Something had happened to him and he had been hurt, possibly scarring him deep beneath the surface. She decided she would find out. Getting up, she drew in a breath. She called to him and asked him to come. She would lie and say her questions were about the Continuum. She would then probe his mind in hopes of discovering his secret.
Q had been wandering the Delta Quadrant, debating whether or not to harass Katherine. He thought it would take his mind off of her, but before he had decided, Vicki Ann summoned him. He sighed, dreading the moment he appeared in her quarters. He knew he couldn't hide his secret forever, especially from such a powerful telepath and empath. He knew he had to go. Q snapped his fingers and with a heavy heart, he vanished.
Suddenly, Vicki Ann's comm badge beeped and interrupted them.
"Dr. Troi here," she replied.
"Vicki Ann, this is Dr. Crusher. Starfleet would like you to have another physical. I know you just had one, but orders are orders. Can you come down now?" Crusher said over the comm system.
Vicki Ann glanced at Q. "Sure. I'll be down in a sec." Taking a gamble, Vicki Ann kissed Q on the lips and whispered, "Goodbye."
Q's jaw dropped in shocked in shock. After she left, he touched his fingers to his lips had smiled. Never before had he been so moved by a physical aspect of a relationship. He had never been physical with Vash and he had only danced with Lwaxana. Obviously other women had kissed him, a man of his charm and good looks, but he had always felt repulsed or felt nothing at all. This time he felt pleasure, love. He wanted to grab her into his arms and never let her go.
Vicki Ann didn't realize it, but she was whistling as she walked into sickbay. And all the way from her quarters to the turbolift and from the turbolift to sickbay. Nurse Ogawa gave Crusher a strange look as Vicki Ann sauntered into sickbay.
Crusher, who was sitting in her office, smiled and walked over to Vicki Ann. She motioned for Vicki Ann to sit on a biobed. "I've seen this before. So tell me, who is it? Who is it that has your heart all a flutter?"
Vicki Ann laughed. "I'm not telling you. You'd never believe it. Besides, you hate him."
Beverly looked perplexed. "I couldn't hate him that much. Unless it was Q and that is preposterous!" She burst into laughter, not realizing that she had just hit the nail right on the head.
Vicki Ann laughed. "I know, isn't it?" Vicki Ann stopped laughing. "Actually, it's not." She thought for a moment, knowing she had to choose her next words carefully. Finally she decided to blurt it out. "It is Q." She grimaced, prepared for Beverly's reaction.
Crusher just stared at her. "You're kidding, right? This is a joke."
Vicki Ann shook her head.
Beverly's jaw dropped. "Are you nuts? You have to be completely out of your mind. Q isn't capable of love, only arrogance, deception, and contempt. You know what he's doing; he's studying you to watch your reaction. You're a guinea pig!"
Vicki Ann shook her head. "No, Beverly. He really does care for me. You should've seen him, felt him. He didn't want me to find out. He was actually nervous about the thought of me finding out. Beverly, I know what I'm getting myself into. I can take care of myself. Now, if I didn't have the power of the Q, that would be a different story."
Beverly sighed. "You're glutton for punishment, aren't you?"
Vicki Ann smiled and nodded. "Yep."
Beverly shook her head and went on with the physical.
Chapter 5
Q sat atop the Enterprise, yet again. It was one of his favorite places to think. What was he thinking? Better yet, what was he going to tell the Continuum? That he had fallen in love with the woman he was supposed to be observing? That he had fallen in love with yet another human? He bet that Quinn, wherever he was, heaven or hell, was watching him and thinking, "There goes the irrepressible Q." Irrepressible, ha! Q was too chicken to be truly irrepressible; to commit suicide like Quinn had. Besides, where would Picard be without him? Probably Borg. Also, now he had so much responsibility in the Continuum now. Q was brave, but not that much. Besides, he wasn't Vulcan; Q suicide is anything but respectable. But then again, so was Q.
Picard sat at his desk in his ready room, trying to decide what to say to Vicki Ann. Beverly had come to him, clearly concerned about Vicki Ann. She had said that Vicki Ann had told her that she was, for lack of a better term, dating Q. Beverly pleaded with the captain to talk to Vicki Ann about it. He had insisted that it was none of his business. He had never been good at saying no to Beverly. He had no idea what to tell Vicki Ann and he wanted to have some idea before he called her in. He knew he would never find the right words, so he decided to wing it. He tapped his comm badge. "Vicki Ann, could you please report to my ready room?" He waited for the reply, "Yes, sir"
The doors hissed open and Vicki Ann entered. "Yes, sir?"
Picard motioned for her to sit down. "Dr. Crusher came to see me earlier and she was rather concerned about your uh-," he paused.
Vicki Ann finished the sentence. "My relationship with Q." She smiled. "I wondered how long Beverly could keep it a secret. She kept it longer than I thought she would."
Picard smiled at her. "I want you to know that I don't make a habit of sticking my nose into the business of the members of my crew. If you have a relationship with Q, that is entirely your business. I would like you to know that Q hasn't been exactly honest in his past "relationships" with female mortals."
Vicki Ann nodded. "I know that Q has never been totally honest with anyone. He has to with me. Unless of course it's a secret of the universe. As I told Beverly, I can take care of myself. After all, I do have the power of the Q. He isn't lying, Captain."
Picard sighed. "I can't say that you have my blessing, but I hope you don't get hurt. Good luck. Now, we have to get to the transporter room to meet Commander Quinn."
They stood and walked to transporter room.
Lt. Heintz was working in transporter room one.
The captain entered and nodded to the lieutenant. "Energize."
A tall, thin, aging man with blond hair in a Starfleet uniform appeared on the transporter padd. He glanced skeptically at Vicki Ann. "You're not William Riker." He turned to Picard. "Where is your first officer?"
Picard cleared his throat. "Commander Riker is ill. I asked Vicki Ann to be my first officer until he is well."
Quinn glared at Vicki Ann. "Are you the Q?"
Picard swallowed. "Vicki Ann does have the power of the Q, but it was given
to her by someone without her knowledge. It is against all our principles if we blame her for something that someone else did to her. It would be like blaming the Klingons for the Khitomer massacre instead of blaming the Romulans."
Quinn nodded. "I see your point, but the Q are powerful and capable of controlling minds if they wanted to and that could be what she has done."
Vicki Ann sighed. "May I speak in my own defense? I did not lie to Starfleet and until Q told me, I had no idea that I was Q."
Quinn shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't believe you. For all I know, you could be controlling my mind." He turned back to Picard. "We'll meet in the conference lounge tomorrow morning at 800 hours. I would like to get unpacked and get a good night's sleep before starting the investigation."
Picard nodded.
After Quinn left, Vicki Ann sighed. "I feel like it's the 17th century Salem and I've been accused of being a witch."
Picard nodded. "Care for a cup of tea before you go on trial?"
Vicki Ann arrived at Ten-Forward to meet Beverly and Deanna for dinner, after having a quick cup of tea with Picard. The last thing on her mind was Q, but there he was sitting with Deanna and Beverly. Beverly looked annoyed by his chatter, but Deanna seemed to be enjoying herself. Vicki Ann slumped down beside Q.
"Hello, darling," he drawled.
Vicki Ann glanced at him. "Don't start. Commander Quinn thinks I'm a witch."
Beverly and Deanna echoed, "What?"
Vicki Ann laughed. "I told the captain that I felt like it was the Salem Witch Trials. I don't understand why they don't believe me. I haven't done anything to threaten the security of the Federation. Besides, what does an omnipotent race need with spies?"
Beverly laughed and almost choked on her dinner. "Well, with Q as an example of Q behavior, it's no wonder Admiral Blackwell doesn't trust you."
Q acted shocked. "Why, Crusher, if I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't like me."
Beverly chose to ignore him.
Vicki Ann ordered a salad.
"Is that all you're going to eat?" Deanna asked her.
Vicki Ann nodded. "I'm a little nervous about tomorrow."
Deanna smiled. "Let me ask you something. Were you nervous before you took the entry exam?"
Vicki Ann shook her head. "Yes."
"What about the Kobayashi Maru?"
"Yes."
"Final question, what about the Psyche test?"
Vicki Ann replied, "Yes."
Deanna smiled. "It's normal. This is another test to prove to Starfleet that you have what it takes. You can handle it."
Beverly nodded. "She's right."
Vicki Ann smiled. "Thanks. It really means a lot that you have faith in me."
Q put his arm around her and whispered in her ear, "You're Q; you can do anything."
Commander Quinn walked into Ten-Forward and he glanced at Vicki Ann and Q. He smiled wickedly. Then he thought to himself,
Suddenly, both Vicki Ann and Q felt a rush of fear; Q's fear. He felt a presence, one that he knew, but yet, didn't. It terrified him. He sensed trouble. He knew that the Continuum knew what he had done and were coming for him. "Uh-I have to go," he blurted out. He quickly kissed Vicki Ann on the cheek and vanished.
"What was that all about?" Deanna asked.
"Something scared him," Vicki Ann replied.
Guinan felt a presence, one that was unfamiliar but yet familiar. It wasn't Q or any other Q she had met before. But whoever it was, they were up to something and they weren't who they seemed to be.
In the brig, Gerard was pacing. He'd heard through the grapevine about Vicki Ann's "amazing" powers. Supposedly, she was a mix of Q, Betazoid, and human. She wasn't immortal though. Or at least that's what they said. he thought to himself. Gerard knew she was Q, but he had no clue how or why. He made up his mind to find out. Just then Q appeared in front of the brig and Gerard thought to himself,
Q held up his hand. "Don't worry, Worf. I just want to speak to him."
Worf frowned, knowing that may not be the best thing, but how could he stop Q?
Q walked over to the cell until he was almost against the forcefield. "So, Gerard, how are you enjoying your imprisonment?"
"I never want to leave," Gerard said, sarcastically. "I know why you're here. I made you come. I have a few questions for you." He walked toward Q until only the forcefield was between them. "How did the 'amazing and dangerous Victorianna Leonard Troi' become a Q?"
Q showed no indication of knowing what Gerard was talking about. "She's not Q, well not completely. She's still mortal after all."
Gerard smiled. "No, she's not. She's Q and you know it."
Q shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. If she's Q, then how did she get injured in the shuttle crash?"
Gerard replied, "Stop it! You know she wasn't Q until after the crash." Gerard closed his eyes and concentrated on Q.
Q winced in pain. Gerard was invading his mind, stripping away the barriers that protected his secrets. The door that had been closed to Vicki Ann was wide open for Gerard and Q could do nothing to stop it.
Gerard laughed quietly because he'd figured out Q's secret. He now had a weapon against Q. One he would not be afraid to use.
Q, who had been clutching his head, screamed. It was a terrifying sound and it seemed to echo throughout the ship. It was a sound that if one did not know what it was, one would think it was the threads of the multiverse being ripped apart.
Captain Picard's comm badge chimed. He glanced at Riker. They had only been on duty five minutes and already they were needed. The captain replied, "Picard here."
"Captain, this is Lieutenant Worf. Something is wrong with.... Q. He came to see Gerard and now Q appears to be in pain, inflicted by Gerard."
Picard, shocked, replied, "We're on our way." Then he turned toward Riker again. "I'm not sure what we can do, but we might as well try." Riker shook his head. "That may not be the best thing, sir. Remember what he did last time he was in our debt?"
Picard nodded. "How could I forget?"
Q's scream continued to echo. As a matter of fact, Worf had covered his ears. Q's mind shattered into a million pieces and he collapsed. He was in the Q equivalent of a coma. He was powerless and he couldn't have shifted form to save his life.
Picard rushed in, with Riker and Doctor Crusher in tow.
Beverly scanned Q. "Well, I'm not sure what's wrong so I really can't be sure if I can fix it. There seems to be some cerebral damage. I suggest we talk to Vicki Ann."
Picard summoned Vicki Ann to the brig. Once she arrived, she probed Q's mind. Her conclusion was similar to Crusher's. "Can you fix it?" Picard asked.
Vicki Ann sighed. "I don't know. I haven't known about these powers long. I don't know their extent. I can certainly try." She closed her eyes, concentrated and then snapped her fingers. Q's body shimmered and disappeared. "He's in sickbay," she said to Beverly. Vicki Ann snapped her fingers again and she disappeared.
Picard glanced around. "Well, I guess we should follow," he said, heading out the door.
Vicki Ann sat a Q's bedside. Being herself, she couldn't help but be concerned. After all, Q was a life form and he wasn't all that bad. Well, not always. Sure, Q could be antagonizing, but he did have somewhat of a conscience, after all he made sure the Enterprise made it to Omicron Theta to rescue her. Besides, he did feel guilty about what he and the Q had done to her and her family. His guilt almost consumed him sometimes. She closed her eyes and decided to find the reason for Q's coma. She probed his mind and unlocked the doors that Gerard had put up so that she would not find the truth. Fortunately, since it was Q's mind and not Gerard's and since Q was incapacitated, the doors were easy to get through. Gerard had searched Q's mind for a secret and Q had tried desperately to keep it a secret. Q's desperate attempts to cover his tracks and Gerard's attack led to Q's mind collapsing in on itself for protection.
She wished she could fix it all at once, but that would most likely increase the damage. His mind was like a giant jigsaw puzzle, except it wasn't that easy. It was like trying to put together a puzzle that was a picture of a million stars that all looked the same. Vicki Ann tried to work as fast as she could, but she only got a small portion pieced together before exhaustion overcame her. She waved to Doctor Crusher and went to her quarters where she collapsed in her uniform. Unfortunately, instead of rest, the nightmares of the previous night returned.
First part of Chapter 6
Captain Picard couldn't sleep. He was worrying about the situation with Q. Vicki Ann was a fine officer and he would hate it if she had to go to the Continuum like Amanda Rogers. Even though Amanda was a full Q, where Vicki Ann is only part Q, if that. Victorianna Leonard, now Troi, was one of the most promising officers in Starfleet. If she played her cards right, she could get a captaincy in a few short years. Now, all of that was in jeopardy because of a careless, thoughtless, and heartless act of the Q. At times Q himself seemed to resent his position of authority in the Continuum; he seemed to despise job of harassing humanity. But now the old condescending arrogance was back.
Vicki Ann spent days trying to glue Q back together. Each day she progressed only a small amount. One day, when she was having more than the usual amount of trouble, she slammed her fist down on the side of the biobed.
Beverly came over and put her hand on her shoulder.
Vicki Ann sighed. "I don't know what to do. I've tried everything and nothing is working."
Beverly nodded. "I know how you feel. I hate being able to do nothing about someone's condition." She smiled. "Why don't you go get some rest?"
Vicki Ann nodded. "Okay. Maybe a power nap will help." She waved and walked out the door.
Vicki Ann was glad for some rest. In her dreams, the answer she had been waiting for came. She was concentrating too much the act of fixing Q's mind. She needed to concentrate more on the result. She immediately woke up and ran to sickbay.
Vicki Ann had patched up Q's mind. He was still in a coma, but it wouldn't be long until he woke up. Vicki Ann, exhausted, laid her head on the edge of the biobed and fell asleep.
Q awoke and glanced around. He was in sickbay; Gerard's meddling must have been too much for him. Who had repaired the damage? He glanced up and saw Vicki Ann, sound asleep. He smiled. She was so kind. Who else would have helped him? He tapped her gently on the shoulder. She glanced up at him. "It worked! Thank God! Now things can finally get back to normal."
Beverly came over and scanned him. "You've made a remarkable recovery, Q."
He shrugged. "Of course. I must be getting back to the Continuum to see what I've missed."
Q had to find Gerard. Gerard was the one who had put him in that coma in the first place. He knew about Vicki Ann's powers and where she got them and therefore he was dangerous. If anyone found out, the Continuum would be doomed. Q thought for a moment. Q was right. Gerard was in Riker's psyche. "Gerard, release Riker this instant!"
Gerard laughed. "No, but I will show myself." Gerard took corporeal form.
"How did you find out?" Q asked.
"Q, did you really think that you would get away without being punished for your crimes? Since I got punished, so should you."
"I didn't do anything! All I did was put things into motion so that she would be protected from him. He wants to punish her for what we did. She didn't chose to be stolen form her parents, but we did that anyway. She didn't ask for non-human parents, but we gave them to her anyway," Q insisted.
"Oh, and I suppose your feelings for her had nothing to do with it," Gerard said mockingly.
"I didn't have feelings for her until after the accident. True, when I saw her, I was taken by her beauty, but I didn't love her. That happened after I got to know her. Besides, what does the Continuum care about my love life for anyway?"
"They don't, but they do care about mortals being given the power of the Q."
Q sighed. " Somehow she was born with all of the powers, how she got them, I have no idea. All I gave her was immortality to protect her from the Continuum."
"She died on Omicron Theta, it was too late. You messed up the timeline."
"I did no such thing!" Q screamed. "She wasn't supposed to die in the first place! If was supposed to die, I never would have found out about the execution until after it was too late."
Gerard laughed. "Excuses, excuses. You are going to get punished and so is she." He disappeared.
Q sighed and gave Riker the power to fight Gerard and maintain his sanity. Then he went to find Picard so that he could alert him of Riker's condition.
Vicki Ann swirled the ice in her iced tea with her straw. She watched the liquid splash on the side of the glass. She sighed. Commander Quinn seemed to agree with the post-tomic horror view of 'guilty until proven innocent'. It seemed like she had no chance at all. What would happen if Starfleet Command decided she was a traitor? Would she be court-marshaled or would she be reduced in rank or would she be permanently suspended? Just then the captain entered and Vicki Ann glanced up. The captain walked over to the bar and spoke with Guinan. Suddenly Vicki Ann felt Gerard. He was coming. The doors opened and he entered. Vicki Ann stood up, knocking over her glass. Everyone glanced at Gerard and the entire room grew silent because Gerard was carrying a phaser.
He smiled and Vicki Ann shivered. "Captain, I'm glad you're here," Gerard said. "It'll save me some time. I thought you should know, but your acting first officer, Vicki Ann is a Q!"
Picard nodded. "I all ready know that."
Gerard grew angry. "You humans are so thick!" He waved the phaser around, gesturing with it. "Do you humans think I would concern myself with something your puny minds can comprehend within minutes? Obviously, she has the powers of the Q, but she's still mortal isn't she? That's what you think." He pointed the phaser at her and was about to fire when. . .
Q appeared. "Gerard, no!"
Gerard fired and Q quickly moved in front of Vicki Ann. The phaser fire struck him in the middle of the chest and he fell back. It startled him more than it hurt him. Vicki Ann knelt over him. "Are you okay?"
Gerard took that opportunity to fire at Vicki Ann again. She screamed. Her scream grew louder as she glanced down at her stomach and the phaser beam went straight through her. Her scream ended and she fainted.
Q, who had gotten up, caught her.
Worf tackled Gerard and grabbed his phaser.
Lieutenant Shaffer apprehended Gerard and hauled him to the brig.
Worf handed the phaser to the captain.
Picard looked at the phaser grimly. It had been set on kill.
Once again, Vicki Ann awoke in sickbay. She sighed. "I think I'm going to set up permanent residence here." She looked at Beverly. "What happened?"
Dr. Crusher sighed. "Well, the phaser did completely go through you. But it didn't damage anything. You're perfectly fine. I'm completely overwhelmed."
Q appeared.
Beverly sighed. "I've seen you too many times today!"
Q replied, "The feeling is more than mutual." He turned to Vicki Ann. "It appears you are indeed a full-fledged Q."
Vicki Ann, perplexed, replied, "How?"
Q shrugged.
Vicki Ann asked, "What exactly does being a full-fledged Q mean?"
"Allow me to demonstrate." Q picked up one of Beverly's surgical tools. He made a small incision in Vicki Ann's arm. The cut automatically sealed up. "Amongst other things, you're immortal."
Riker, who was in a biobed surrounded by a forcefield across the room, sat up.
Beverly scanned Vicki Ann. "You're perfectly fine. A little exhausted, which is no surprise after the week you've had." She walked over to Riker and scanned him.
Q sighed. "He's fine. I strengthened his mind so that he can handle Gerard. After a day or so of rest, he can return to duty."
"If you don't mind, I am the doctor on duty," Beverly replied.
Q sighed and released the forcefield.
Worf aimed his phaser at Riker.
"Mr. Worf, what are you doing?" Riker asked, obviously confused.
Picard walked over to Riker. "You don't remember what happened?"
"The last thing I remember is looking for Gerard. He was above us and he leapt out and tackled Vicki Ann. Then, he came after me. He did something to my thoughts. He made me see things that weren't real," Riker replied.
Beverly nodded. "He planted false images into your subconscious and you believed they were premonitions. In the process, he controlled you. Basically, you were a pawn in his plot for revenge."
"Why me?" Riker asked.
Vicki Ann slid off the biobed. "He knew how much you hated Q and how concerned you were for my welfare. He used you to try to get revenge on me and Q."
Riker sighed. "How did you stop him?"
"Well, he came after me in Ten-Forward, claiming I was a full Q, immortal and all. He shot me with a phaser to prove his theory. He's in the brig now. As for his control over you, Q stopped him," Vicki Ann told him.
Riker, obviously stunned, mumbled, "Thank you, Q."
Q nodded.
Picard nodded. "Yes, thank you, Q." He turned to Riker. "Q assures us that after a few days of rest, you'll be fine. For the moment, Vicki Ann is filling in for you." Then, he turned to Crusher. "Doctor, could you brief Will on the current situation?"
The doctor nodded.
Picard turned to Vicki Ann. "It's going to be hard to keep this from Commander Quinn."
"Keep what from me?"
Picard turned. Commander Quinn was standing in the doorway. Picard sighed. "Commander Riker is well, thanks to Q."
Vicki Ann quickly glanced at the captain who winked. "Yes, Commander, in a few days, Commander Riker can return to work."
Quinn clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. "Hmmm. I'm glad to hear you're better, Commander." He turned to Q. "Why?"
Q replied, "Why not?" Suddenly, Q felt that intense fear again. He felt it every time he saw Quinn. Why? Wait a minute, it couldn't be. Quinn wasn't, Quinn couldn't be his...and Q vanished. Quinn, ignoring Q's sudden disappearance, said to Vicki Ann, "Commander, I believe we should start the tests immediately. I think the Q are plotting an invasion."
Vicki Ann, not mentioning that she thought that Quinn was off his rocker, said, "But, I thought you wanted to rest first."
"I believe the longer we wait, the more dangerous the situation will become, not only for you, but for the entire Federation," Quinn replied. "Follow me to the bridge."
The bridge? Picard thought. "Commander Quinn, what will you be doing on the bridge?"
Quinn replied, "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, captain." He motioned for Vicki Ann to follow him.
Vicki Ann shrugged at the captain and followed.
"Please, Commander, I'm exhausted. I've taken a thousand IQ, psychic and teleportation tests. I've piloted the ship without looking at the console. May we please finish the tests for today?" Vicki Ann pleaded.
Quinn nodded. "Yes, you may. Your next test won't be for a few days. I need to study the information I've gathered in the past few hours."
Vicki Ann smiled. "Thank you, sir." She saluted him and left.
A few days later, Commander Riker returned to bridge duty, alternating with Vicki Ann until all his strength returned. She was at the Conn when Data, at Ops, picked up a disturbance ahead of the ship. "Captain, there is a spatial anomaly ahead, bearing 000 mark 0," Data told the captain.
"On screen," the captain replied.
The view screen flashed on and showed what looked like a black hole.
"Is that a black hole?" the captain asked.
Data checked the sensors. "I can't get an accurate reading. As a matter of fact, I can't get any readings."
Suddenly, Vicki Ann screamed, "Captain! We're being pulled in!"
"Full about! Get us out of here!" the captain shouted.
"No effect, sir!"
"Full reverse!"
"Still no effect!"
"Shields up! Mr. LaForge, divert all power to the shields!" the captain ordered.
Vicki Ann watched as they were pulled into the spinning vortex. It took all her strength and training not to scream. Suddenly, the ship jolted forward and the crew was thrown from their stations. Lt. Anderson, who had been at the science station flew by her and landed on the floor with a thud. Vicki Ann winced as she pulled herself back up. "Captain, we're still not through. The gravitational pull is greater ahead. I'd say we're in for an even bigger jolt than before. Plus, the containment field is failing and we can't fix it."
"All hands, brace for impact!" Riker shouted
The ship continued to rock as it was pulled through the black hole.
"Vicki Ann, do you have any navigational control?" the captain asked.
"Helm not responding sir. The hole must be affecting the systems. Sir, we're about to be pushed out of the black hole sir," Vicki Ann replied.
The ship jolted forward again, and this time, Vicki Ann flew over her console and hit her head. Smoke was everywhere. There must be a leak. Her head was throbbing. She checked herself over to make sure she didn't have any serious injuries. Her ankle hurt and she has some cuts and bruises. She managed to get up and limp back to her console. She saw someone standing in front of her.
"Vicki Ann!" someone shouted.
She let out a sigh of relief. Will was okay. "Will! I'm right in front of you!" She limped toward him.
He smiled at her through the billowing smoke. "Are you okay?"
"A little sore and I think my ankle's broken. That's all."
"Your ankle is broken? How is that possible? I thought you were supposed to be immortal."
Vicki Ann shook her head. "Maybe that was an illusion. Are you okay?"
"I think I am."
"How's the captain?"
"I'm fine," he said getting up off of the floor.
Riker ran back to Worf. "Lt. Worf is fine, just a little dazed."
"Lt. Anderson is unconscious. He has been since the first jolt," Vicki Ann replied.
"Data, what happened?" the captain asked.
"We were pulled in by a black hole which was linked to a white hole by a wormhole. Black holes pull in all matter, while white holes expel matter. Wormholes as you know, link two points in space, often white and black wholes," the android explained.
"See if you can get the systems online, Vicki Ann. Where are you, Data?" the captain squinted, looking for the android.
"Right here, captain," the android replied, walking through the smoke.
"Mr. Data, come with me to Engineering to see if we can fix the containment field," the captain said to Data.
Data nodded.
"Number One, you and Vicki Ann stay here and attend to Lt. Anderson and try to get the systems up and running," the captain said.
Riker, knowing it was a bad time to question the captain, nodded.
Vicki Ann reached under the captain's chair for the emergency medical kit. She limped over to Anderson and scanned him. "He's got a broken arm, and some internal injuries. I don't know how long he'll last." She activated a portable stasis unit around Anderson. "Computer, activate Emergency Procedure Alpha 2."
The computer responded, "Emergency Procedure Alpha 2 activated."
She grabbed the tricorder and linked it to the Conn. She used the manual override to get some of the systems online. "I've got navigation, engineering, and tactical. Communications are still out and life support is on auxiliary power." She crawled out from under the console.
Worf spoke up from behind her. "Intership communications are still out, but subspace is back on line."
"There isn't much we can do here but wait for everyone to return," Riker said, sitting down in his chair.
"Commander, a ship is approaching. Bearing 000, mark 0." Worf told Riker.
Riker smiled at Vicki Ann. "Why don't you handle it, Lieutenant. It's probably nothing."
Vicki Ann glanced at Riker.
"Go ahead, sit down," Riker said, motioning to the captain's chair.
Vicki Ann sat down and glanced at Worf.
"The ship is now in visual range, sir," Worf replied.
"On screen," Vicki Ann said, glancing at Riker.
The viewscreen flashed on and revealed a cubical, metallic ship and Vicki Ann gasped. "The Borg?"
"Red alert!" Riker ordered.
"Commander, we are being hailed by the Borg vessel," Worf told them.
Riker turned to Vicki Ann. "You have the honors, Lieutenant. You need the practice."
"Answer them," Vicki Ann replied, taking a deep breath. "Let's see what they want."
The viewscreen flickered on and showed the inside of the Borg ship. The mechanical hum of the ship assaulted the ears of the bridge crew.
Vicki Ann forced herself not to shudder. Collecting all of her strength, she pushed all of her fear and anger into the back of her mind and locked it away. She surrounded herself with her strength and individuality. She would fight them with her weapon. She wouldn't let them use her fear and anger against her. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak. "I am Lieutenant Commander Troi. This ship-." She was interrupted by the monotonous, monotone voice of the Collective. Their hypnotic voices drummed into Vicki Ann's thoughts. She could barely maintain her composure.
"We are Borg of the All-Powerful New Order. We have come for the 'Victorianna Troi.' You will lower your shields and allow for transport. If you resist, you will be destroyed."
Vicki Ann could feel the fear returning and she closed her eyes to calm herself. She heard a voice in her mind,