I do not own any of the incarnations of Star Trek. I am just a fan.
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Introduction
Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the U.S.S Enterprise, was relaxing. He was a man who rarely got the opportunity to do so, but he was making time now. He was in his quarters, listening to a composition of his own making, and playing his flute along with it. He still wasn't entirely satisfied with the way it was coming out. The feeling just wasn't quite right. He was trying to get the dynamics polished in one phrase, and it just wouldn't be done!
He shook his head and muttered, then put his flute back up to his lips. As he did so, his quarters wavered around him, as if someone had changed a holodeck program.
He looked up, and saw that he was no longer in his quarters. He was on the surface of a planet. The air was hot and there seemed to be almost zero humidity. He was still holding his flute, and dressed in his red and black uniform, but that was about the only thing that seemed to be the same. He was seated on a rock, and was not at all comfortable. He stood, and assessed his surroundings. In front of him was a small hill. There was a path leading up to an opening of some kind. It almost seemed like the top of the hill had been blown away sometime in the past. He started in that direction, then stopped, cocked his head, and listened. There was a kind of music faintly being carried on the soft breeze that had just stirred up. He turned around and went to investigate.
Around a bend in the path, he saw a plant. Its leaves were vibrating, and he walked over to it. Very gingerly, as if it might bite, he touched one of the leaves. Part of the chord stopped. "Interesting," he thought, "however, I need to find out where I am." He turned back toward the hill, and saw that there seemed to be some activity in the opening. A being was rising up inside it, as if by a lift, and when it reached the top, the person stepped out.
The individual was short and wearing a flowing robe of some sort of metallic fabric. He (at least Picard assumed that it was a he: the facial features were quite soft and almost feminine) had a very large, bald head, and Picard could see veins pulsing underneath the skin that covered the cranium.
The person started down the path which lead down the hill, and when he reached the bottom, he held Picard in a long, searching gaze. He seemed to be sizing him up, and Picard was distinctly uncomfortable.
Finally the being spoke.
"Welcome to Talos IV, Captain Picard. What you see around you is an illusion transmitted to you from my thoughts. I am the Keeper, and I am the last of my race. Would you please convey a message to Ambassador Spock for me?"
"Ambassador Spock?" Picard finally managed to get out. Talos IV? He couldn't believe what he was hearing!
"Yes," the Keeper affirmed. "Please tell him that Captain Pike is dead."
With that, the image of the planet dissolved around Picard, and he found himself standing in his quarters. He very gently put down his flute and started toward sickbay. He needed to find Beverly Crusher. He needed to know he was not hallucinating before he called a briefing for this!