The Bonds Of Family And Friends Season 5 Part I: The Game

by BazzCatgirl03

The events of the game have left an added side effect as the senior staff of the enterprise realizes when they find out that Wesley Crusher, has pushed himself to the point of collapse. As they dig into it they realize there's more than involved then they thought and it involved a piece of Picard's past and one that has now turned it sights on Wesley. Alternate of season 5

1. 1: The Conspiracy And The Mission

The Bonds Of Family And Friends

Characters: Wesley Crusher, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Jean Luc Picard, Geordi La Forge, Data, Deanna Troi, Worf, Miles O'Brian, Robin Lefler, Guinan

Timeline: alternate Season Five: The Game/The examination of Data

Sypnopsis: After realizing his friends has been taken by the programming of the game as well, Wesley works at evading his mother and his friends, the away team, but during this he doesn't realize that he too is being controlled till after he ends it and the team decide to end it by finishing the added deprogramming.

Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and everything else belongs to the movie company and the creator.

Warnings: This story is going to be alternate reality from the end of this episode and forward, as what if the game had far reaching consequences than they were expecting and as time went on the bonds between him and the sextet had deepened even further, as this reaches season seven and his future.

If he'd been part of the enterprise for a following few months and the repeated traumas effect him enough he's choosing to stay longer. But in this story Journey's End to Nemesis never happens and the stories leading into Nemesis never happen and he, the O'briens, Riker, Worf and Deanna never transfer off the enterprise as they stay with the crew and Starfleet after things end.

All characters named that were not in the show, are members of the un-named members of the crew in each episode, but the ones named the most are part of the engineering crew and Geordi's team and the ones Wesley spent the most time with. Aside from a guest appearance from the duo in 'The Naked Now.', and the duo that are his age, next to Robin Lefler.

Chapter 1: The Conspiracy And Teamwork

Knowing something was very wrong in this situation, Wesley Crusher decided to run a test on his commander, Captain Jean Luc Picard, and knowing if his guess was proven correct, he and his friend Robin Lefler were going to have to have to pull an intervention then. As he went to the bridge, he heard a gentle call out. "Hey Wes!" he heard and turned around to see a boy his age and nodded to him gently.

And the boy motioned with his head and he walked over to him then. "You getting as spooked about this as I am?" he whispered to him and he nodded. "Yeah, Robin and I are getting some work done, if you called me over, you better start faking it with them. Because if this is some sort of conspiracy, rule one, act like everyone else. Just be careful..." he started to say and the other boy finished his sentence.

"Charlie, Charlie Dayton, if the three of us had been together at the time you got into the academy, four years ago, we'd have kept you away from Locarno and before you say it. It's because the last time you saw me, you looked like, for the last month had you looking like your systems were getting worse and you wanted to be a regular student again. It's going to be a very long night if this turns into what I think though."

"I'm going to have to tell your parents a small bit of it, but you don't have to tell me why you look like this. I already know, but Nova is no team at all, it's a pack, a gang, and you're the youngest wolf to join the pack. To get you off that team to recover, I have to tell her the truth and it's we already know each other. I am, or I was, on Gamma squadron, C.A.D. leader of the opposing Squadron." he said and Wesley nodded to him.

"Wes, remember, just before I graduated Nick chose you, before I could tell you Kate and I got the others to agree to let you into Gamma. I became your best friend, before Nick screwed it up, but the tavern, we saw the guys get into it. Before Peter shot the ball right off the table." he said and Wesley smiled at the memory as he quickly answered him. "Charlie, Charlie Dayton?" he said and and the other boy nodded to him smiling.

"Charlie Andrew Dayton, I didn't think I'd ever see you again, so you and Robin got stationed here, nice timing. If Brand chose this as a surprise for me, it's working, I'm glad I got you back buddy, you were my best friend before he came into the picture." he said smiling and Dayton nodded him as he answered him. "I know, I missed you too buddy, you can tell me regarding Nick later, but at the moment we have to focus here."

"If this situation is what we think right now, you better pull the added reverse psychology. Because if whoever this is, doesn't realized that on earth we see this all the time we use that against her, but once you're done with this, get yourself checked out in a self diagnostic. Wes is there a reason you're trying to remain inconspicuous here." he asked and he sighed as he dropped his voice so low nobody else could hear it.

"Whatever reason they're trying to push me into playing it's always when I'm just returning to my quarters, mom's always in the living room. If this means what I think whoever this programmer is, is trying to catch me in the act." he told him and and he nodded. "Well if this was some sort of trap, it's by whatever's in your system is going to hit you sooner or later, activating her only chance at getting her hands on you."

"You may not be up to this, but you don't have a choice right now, she just forced your hand and mine, we don't have a choice but to push forward here. But listen to me carefully, once undercover, if it takes heading back to your apartment. Get medical kit and take a break there, while you're getting a survival kit, but I can't leave the bridge right now or they're going to bust me next and I'm trying to help you."

"I'm doing night duty tonight so I can watch and see what happens here, but we have to do this together, if Data is out, it's us four together, but I'm working undercover Wes. If you're about to do what I think here, watch yourself. I can't confirm without giving myself away to them, so you have to turn on the damn camera in the doctor's office once she gets up here. And it's because our course is taking us somewhere and probably right to the mastermind if this is a conspiracy, so stand by and make it quick."

"But this started just after the commander got back, it hit Counselor Troi next and then after you got back. It hit your mother, if she's the doctor, and it's either Data got deactivated or he collapsed on the job, but from there it started spreading through the ship like a brushfire. But every adult, our age and up is affected by this thing." he said with his tone so low that the other adults in the room couldn't hear their conversation.

"Yeah alright thanks for telling me that, stand by, and whatever you do make it as hard as you can on them. Listen to me, I know exactly what's going on here, and it's because there were two situations involved in this, one that was the reason the Horatio was destroyed and the other the catalyst for the rumors that Derek. If he's still around made up about me here, but to go over the first and that's where you come in now."

"The mission regarding the foothold four years ago, the people that did it were the captain, commander and my mother. Mom figured out a way to break the control and then invented a way for the commander to infiltrate the meeting. The commander was the plant, acting the part so easily it was tough to realize he was actually faking it while the captain was the decoy and with that in mind, we just hit it now."

"Robin and I are finished with studying the damn thing, but we're running a test on the captain. But to them, once back to normal, they'd consider this as a case of teenage mutiny right now on board the ship when three of however many training ensign's they have. Are now taking matters into their own hands right now and one of them is possibly in need of medical attention and with those words in mind right now."

"Mom was the scientist, the commander the plant and the captain decoy, we're going to stealth training. But the duo, and the sextet training you, were the ones who trained me, but that's the fatal flaw, if they're being programmed, the mastermind has my training course. This one is make it up as I go and they're not going to realize it till after I got them, whoever we're heading to meet. But I can't tell you everything right now."

"Robin for sure, but if she gets it, I'm you have to pretend fir a while that you're under their control. Whoever it might be, but that computer program, I created was for this reason exactly, so stand by when I activate it. But I know enough about Daya to get him going again, but with Robin next, it's you me and Data after that and we go from there, but I've been on this ship so long I know their the sextet better then 'they' do."

"And without it putting you at risk, so with that, just wait till I reverse the ambush and we go from there. Because if I'm the primary target on the ship, with my being at the academy, it's making sure this lasts all night and into when we get reinforcements up here. So I'm got a few tricks up my sleeve, you just do your part and irritate them as much as you can man, tonight, because it's going on 8 p.m. right now."

"Just act like you're compromised bro, but I'm leaving a way for you to tell me what's going on. And it's because with both of us having parents that are M.D.'s than it's acting like we've had further problems, but you're my equal. And we have to do this together, so you act like you're compromised." he said and Dayton nodded to the orders softly and he patted him on the shoulder gently then as he straightened up.

And went to Picard's office and activated the door alarm. "Come." he heard from the captain and walked in. "Sorry to bother you, Sir." he said and Picard smiled at him gently. "It's no bother bother Wesley, please sit down." he said and Wesley nodded. "Thanks." he said as he answered him as he watched him carefully as he asked the next question, and knowing this was likely a trap, he decided to reverse the mental standoff then as he tried to keep his gaze locked with him then as he thought to himself.

'Nice try sir, but this is not going to work. I can see the device over your shoulder, you're playing the game, you're compromised.' He thought as Picard went to an alibi. "How are the preparations for the survey going?" he asked him and he smiled gently. "They're coming along fine, but that's not what I came to talk to you about." he said and Picard nodded. "What then?" he asked and Wesley got started as he said it to him.

"There's a game going around. It's one that Commander Riker brought back from Risa, it hooks around the ears." he said and Picard nodded. "Yes, I've seen it." he said and Wesley watching him carefully, saw him try not to shift position then. 'Yes just give yourself away Sir, you are compromised.' he thought as he answered him. "I did some preliminary tests on the game and what I found leads me to believe."

"That it may have some harmful side effects. Specifically sir, I think it's psychotropically addictive." he said and he watched him lean forward at thst. "Addictive, what have you discovered?" he asked him and he explained that as he locked gazes with him as he saw the fear in his eyes then of whoever had programmed him then. 'Blast it, if he and whoever he was fraternizing with knows, I must stop this from getting out.'

'Or my plan will never work.' he saw in the eyes of his captain, and knowing it was the inner thoughts of his programmer and answered that mental remark firmly. 'Whoever you are, if this means what I think, I'm making sure that your plan fails before it gets off this ship.' he thought as he answered him. "The game initiates a seratonin cascade in the frontal lobe of the brain, now I know that's nothing conclusive."

"But it could explain why everyone is so attracted to it. And at the same time it stimulates the brain's reasoning center. I don't know what that's all about." he said and Pixard nodded. "I'll start an investigation immediately. Thank you Mister Crusher." he said and Wesley nodded. 'Strike two, he doesn't always call me that, he calls me by name, whoever you are, as does the quartet and everyone else, they call me by name.'

'Well if you hit the third strike regarding this, and your plan is over before it even begins, because my family is is not getting taken away from me. And not by some power hungry sycophant, whoever you are.' he thought firmly as he answered him. "Thank you, Sir." he said and got up to leave. "Wesley, it's good to have you back again." he said and Wesley nodded as he left, knowing the older man had just put it on.

'Well you're screwed now, because you just committed three mistakes in ten minutes, and with it, trying to correct a slip up doesn't work either.' he thought to himself as he headed for sickbay. 'Charlie's right, I have to check myself out, because if the gets any worse, I've got to correct the imbalance just so I can heal.' he thought as he entered Sickbay and walked up to the male medical technician gently.

"Ensign Danis, I'm just going into the medical exam diagnostics room, I have to check on something." Wesley Crusher said and the nurse nodded to him as he entered his mother's medical diagnosis chambers. "Computer, run diagnostics on me, heart rate, blood pressure, the full work up. And volume level to 2.5 decibels please." he said and the computer scanned him, and after five minutes he got the diagnosis then.

"Heart rate: 130/90, blood pressure: pre-hypertension from stress, body temperature: 102' degrees, weight: 110lbs, blood sugar level: 305/caffeine level: 475, serotonin/melatonin level: 475/585. And slight indication of foreign chemicals in blood stream still. Diagnosis: extreme exhaustion, stress, weight loss from malnutrition, mild fever from possible virus and acute substance abuse recovery." he heard and nodded with a sigh then as he said it to himself gently.

"I'm suffering dizzy spells and muscle spasms, I've had got to be suffering several mineral deficiencies right now, but what. Alright computer, what vitamins and minerals from my diet am I missing and which ones are dangerously low and I need to revitalize?" he asked and it named them all off and he felt his concern shoot through him then, knowing his mother and the trio were gong to kill the ones responsible then.

"Key nutrients missing are calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, K, potassium, Chronium and magnesium. All nutrient levels are dangerously low. Vitamins C, D, and K, potassium, iron, magnesium and Chronium. Levels are in the dangerously low and need to be replenished immediately. Patient is endanger of severe muscle spasms and severe case of anemia. Calcium and vitamin D are needed immediately as well." it said and he nodded with a sigh at that.

"Damn it, Charlie was right, I'm in no condition for this right now, and thanks to us being on a short time limit, I've got no choice. Sorry dad, I've got no choice, I know you made me promise to tell you if I wasn't up to this automatically but this time, I don't have a choice. Not with all of you compromised, it's draining every ounce of energy and strength I've got to prevent that thing from getting off the ship."

"I've lost my entire regime, mom had me on a specific health regime from the time I was four and I've never broken it. And before I left for the academy, I stuck to it not easing up till I started at the academy, and thanks to the nightmares and being on the squadron. I've had just landed myself in seven months to eighteen in recovery, and this just added on to it." he thought to himself out loud softly as he finished that.

"That's what I was afraid of, hanging around with the trio has cost me two things my body needs and it's rest and the real food my body needs right now. Mom is going to kill the trio when she hears this later here, she had me on a normal diet all my life and now the trio have just about landed me in the hospital. One decision makes all the difference, but I want out of the squadron for a while after this, dang it why didn't I join Gamma."

"Well too late now and with that, though once my folks hear why I look like this, let alone the trio and Geordi's team and the security members I'm friends with. But once they hear this they're going to kill when they're free of the programming if there's more to this than that." he said in an undertone then as he sighed as he finished to himself. "And it's not substance abuse, but over use of the damn caffeine, and my sugar and caffeine levels are ridiculous right now, I need real food and I have to lay off this stuff."

"I've lost weight and my serotonin/melatonin levels are spiking, from lack of rest. God, dad is going to kill me if this turns into what I think it's going to and I have to get reckless in evading capture if this is what I think it is." he said sighing in exasperation then as he hid the printout in his data pad. 'Once they hear what ten months separation is doing to me right now they're going to be pissed right now at this.'

'Why'd I even bother leaving home, I was happier up here, I'm was in much better shape up here, I'm not a cadet. I'm an ensign serving among the stars, why can't you idiots get that right now. I'm not a damn cadet, I'm an ensign, the only reason I came to the academy is to get my training done, and return to my ship, my home. And you're sabotaging me by trying to get me to act like you. Mom, dad, I need you guys, and whatever is going on with you, I'm reversing right now, whatever it might be now.'

'Dad, just what the heck is going on with you guys, I've never seen you like this before. It's like you're drugged, what is going on with you.' he said softly to his surrogate father and mentor, Commander William Riker, mentally. 'Love you Sir and if this is any type of scenario that I'm hoping to god I'm wrong regarding it, I'm doing whatever it takes to get you back. Though if it is, I'm not doing that portion of it.' he said to him softly then as he left the room and tried to get passed the members that had the headset on.

After getting stopped twice in the hall he made it to ten forward finally and walked up to his friend Ensign Robin Lefler. "Robin." he said to her and she quickly looked up. "Where have you been, everyone's been after me to try it?!" she asked in a whispered undertone and he nodded as he knew she was spooked by the behavior of the adult crew. "I know, me too, I got stopped in the corridor twice. I spoke to the captain, he's going to look into it." he told her and she nodded as she answered him at that.

"Well I hope he makes a ship wide announcement or something. Because this is really beginning to give me the creeps." she said and he nodded, before he could answer an ensign walked up to them. "Did you forget your games?" she asked and Robin smiled forcefully. "We left them in our quarters, wanted a night out together." she told her and she took hers off at that. "Well then, use mine." she said and Robin shook her head.

"No thanks." she said and when that didn't get rid of her, the woman tried again. "Try it." she said and he stood up. 'Alright that's it.' he thought as he answered her. "She said no thanks Ensign, now stop fooling around and get back to work." he sternly and he grabbed Robin's hand and they left the table. "Was that really necessary, if this is a conspiracy, you're going to have the entire ship after us to get us to try it next."

"Look I get you're stressed out, but loosing your temper out on them is not going to help right now, Wes." She said to him softly and he sighed. "The entire crew is addicted to that device. You know what else is strange, if this game is so addictive. There's only one person on board we can be sure of that wouldn't be affected by it." he said to her and she nodded. "Data." she said and he nodded to her as he said it.

"Right, and he manages to get injured right when the game is brought on board. We better have a look at him." he said as they left the room. Not noticing they were being watched or that the rest of the room were looking at them with neutral looks then. 'You evaded us once, but it won't last long children.' The group was all thinking as they waited for their orders from their programmer then.

Sickbay:

Looking at Data, Wesley quickly said it to her. "Maybe you should look again." he told her and she went back to check, before returning to him. "The nurse is still playing the game." she told him and he nodded. "I don't know what to make of this right now. There's brain activity, all of his systems are working." he told her and she looked at him in disbelief. "How could that be, he's unconscious?!" she said in shock and he nodded.

"Maybe there's a signal breach between his brain and body. Let's map his nervous system and see if we can find the weak link." he said as he pulled a scanner out and ran it across his spinal cord then. "Patch the neural output to that station." he added, before his tricorder beeped and he quickly said it. "Here!, the signal stops just below his cortex processor. There's some damage." he said finished as his eyes narrowed.

"It's almost undetectable, let's get a closer look. Bring it up on the viewer." he said and she activated the computer. "Wesley look at that." she said and he nodded. "It looks like some of his positronic links have been severed." he said and she nodded. "The cuts are so precise, look at how clean the edges are. Computer increase magnification factor four." she said and it zoomed in then and he thought it over carefully.

"There are only tw people who know enough about Data to do something like this, Commander La Forge and my mother." he told her and she looked at him in disbelief. "But why would one them do this to him?" she asked and he sighed. "There's a reason for it, but it's not just to prevent it from getting out of the ship, there's a conspiracy going on here, but of what kind and why Data is out is beyond me."

"You've been exposed to repeated computer viruses buddy, why would they take you off line, just what is the big secret. Is this for fun or is there something more sinister than this going on right now." he asked him gently, as he checked it out then thought it over. "It happens right when I come home, my entire group is compromised, my friends, my surrogate family, and Data is disabled and why is that?" he asked as he thought it over.

Looking at it from a new look, Wesley felt his heart start pounding as he looked at his friend and fellow Conn officer, Lieutenant Commander Data as he said his thoughts out loud then. 'Oh dear god no it can't, please it can't be, not again, Walker, if you're legacy just make a come back. I'm ensuring that this time your legacy lives on and your sacrifice was not in vain.' He said to himself then as he thought it over then.

"Data, why Data, come on remember there were two situations that year that would cover something like this, the insistence in their voices, the fooling around too much. Alright back to year one: six weeks after we shipped out, I was just beginning to adjust to things and being around the captain as we got used to each other. The nine of us, we were just beginning to get used to being a crew now at the time, we come across one of our ships and then we also all get infected by a..." he started to say and it hit him then.

"Damn it of course! Alright here's the thing Robin, as I said only two people know enough about Data to do something like this. But here's the fine print as to why now and it's, for an android, they get infected by a human virus, their CPU, once it's been dealt with. Than it's going to see it as a computer virus and they become immune to it, this game is the same as the virus we dealt with, that said virus was four years ago."

"And the entire ship got hit by it, I was trying to concentrate as was he and Commander Riker was the last one standing at the time. The virus raised our body temperatures causing us to break out in a sweat: high body temperature, acting slightly inebriated, loss of control of their reasoning, it's a repeat performance of that virus. Back then he was the last one standing and I was trying to concentrate, but now it's in reverse."

"And maybe there's more going on here than we thought, maybe someone is trying to use these games for something other the pleasure. More along the lines of a foothold situation, whoever gave Riker these is trying to cause an incursion, she, or he, is trying to take over the federation." he said and she nodded as she answered him. "Than Data would be a threat to that plan, and only with Data out of the way."

"Would everyone become addicted." she said and he felt his heart lurch at that. "And everyone has, except us. This is no longer just about an attempted incursion into the federation, I know what caused this, it's hitting the sextet hardest right now. Robin the truth is the reason they and every member you met has acted like they were half of themselves now, if you saw a photograph of us, as a single team now."

"This was because of me, to my mother, I'm her only child, while the sextet watched me grow up. The members you met so far: Barnfield, Jenson, O'Brian, and the others, if they all talk about me this much, it's because they watched me grow up. I was part of the crew as a junior crew member, we all were here from the very beginning, and though we had transfers in and out, 70% of the crew was here from the very beginning."

"But this an attempted brainwashing and it's because they lost their concentration, I'm the catalyst I have to break them out of it. Damn it, yes I remember this now, I remember a scenario like this four years ago, it was after the eight of us became a crew. There's two scenarios being played into this: one is a puppet masters notion, that was just before my mother left the ship and the first is the virus we all got infected by."

"And the symptoms of it are exactly the same, but to explain this to you, we got infected by a virus that made us start acting like we're intoxicated, and everyone, including Data got infected by it. Back then Commander Riker was the last one standing and he, Data and I got the ship back in working order, just to avoid an oncoming meteorite, that's as close to this as you can get now, that's the first stage, the other is indoctrination."

"They're all acting like they're intoxicated, you, me and Data are the ones that have to do this. But if this is a puppet master notion, I have to make sure now, because I can't trust the sextet right now, let alone mom." he said and she nodded. "Puppet master notion, have you been in this position before?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah four years ago, did you ever wonder what happened to the Horatio and why exactly."

"We had a puppet master style alien infecting the leadership, and the leader was infesting Comander Remmick and Captain Walker Keel was murdered to prevent that from getting to every one else in the fleet. And he told it to Picard and Picard told this to Commander Riker. Admiral Quinn was one of them and it took repeated jolts from the stunner to take him down as a result, before Riker infiltrated the incursion at HQ."

"And it resulted in a shootout at headquarters and they destroyed the mother creature and by killing her, they destroyed every single one." he told her and she nodded to him at that. "Symptoms, if they match up its a near exact replication?" she asked and he nodded. "High body temper, acting like they're intoxicated, glazed eyes, and loss of higher reasoning. It's every adult over the age of eighteen infected by these things."

"Dad figures that out, and he's going to realize I just caught his being compromised and get one on us. Computer, two mock up copies of the game." he said and two copies appeared then. "What are you doing?" Robin Lefler asked and he quickly explained that to her. "They're going to get us to try this eventually, but we just fake the intoxicated looks on our faces when they do. Whoever is using these to get a foothold in the ship."

"But they catch you without it on, they're going to realize what we're doing and that we're on to whatever plan their programmer has regarding this." he said and she nodded. "What do you mean by dad exactly?" she asked and he sighed as he answered her. "After mom left Commander Riker took over paternal responsibilities, if we were 500 years back, he'd be my adoptive father or just my godfather."

"Though in age, in truth, he's a just short of fifteen years older than I am, but to me, he's like a big brother and father rolled into one, it's having a male precense in my life and one that understands me that way. Deanna my godmother, and the captain my stepfather. Mom put them in charge of taking care of me after she left, and our bonds shifted directions, but the commander is my mentor, and I think of him as a father."

"But here's the truth now, but the duo are my godparents, Commander La Forge and Data are my friend and Lieutenant Worf is my other mentor next to Commander Riker. But our bonds are from four years together and with that, it's taking knowing them better then they know themselves to beat whoever it is that programmed them. If that's what's really going on here and I hope to god I'm wrong right now, regarding that."

"And it's because the quartet are all just short of twenty years older than we are, so acting as surrogate parents and older brothers and sisters. I'm not being put into that position of choosing." he told her and she nodded in understanding at the wording then. "Come on, we have to get back to your apartment now, before they figure it out, because they do and we're screwed." she said and he nodded as they both left the room.

"If it takes playing decoy, we're going to have to do this together now. We've dodged once, we got maybe two more chances. But before you ask what I have in mind to end this. I can't tell you that, it's part of the rules of a situation like this." he said and she nodded as they headed back to his apartment then.

Bridge:

On the bridge, the group in question were discussing things, before Lieutenant Worf gave the call out to the sextet. "We've reached the designated coordinates Captain. There is a ship bearing three two seven mark one five two on an intercept course." he said and Captain Jean Luc Picard nodded as he answered him.

"Advise them of our status. Go, replicate what you need, and make sure that the devices are properly distributed." he said and smiled. "Not forgetting Mr. Crusher." he said and they nodded and left the room. 'You shouldn't have told me that Wesley, now I know you're not playing it, but you will.' he thought to himself as he waited.

The Crusher's Quarters:

"I spoke to the captain sure, but I saw the game sitting on the desk, he's compromised as well, but that's the entire senior staff crew, Robin." Wesley said and she nodded. "Anything else?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah those cuts are so clean, only a doctor could perform them, that means mom did it. But it started with the commander, went to Deanna Troi and then hit my mother, after that, she called Data in there."

"And they deactivated him, I can fix the damage no problem, but whoever masterminded this, was afraid that once he told us, they were screwed. With the fact they've been after us to try it. The order just went through now, we're next." he said as he slipped his on as she followed suit, and they shifted position on the bed as they waited for his mother and whoever was with her to come to the apartment then to check on them.

Entering her apartment, Beverly Crusher and Worf came in and looked around as she had one of them with her then as Worf was carrying the other as they looked around the living room as she called out to him. "Wesley, Wesley?" she said gently and heard his voice answer her. "In here mom." he said and she and Worf look into his room to see him and Robin playing the game and she hid a smile as they left.

As soon as the door closed, they relaxed. "It worked." Robin said to him and he nodded. "We should keep these mock ups with us. We can't trust anyone anymore, not even the captain." he told her and she nodded. "He's been infected, that's everyone over twenty on the ship. And I'm just saying this now, but if the captain is compromised we can't trust anyone on the ship now." he told her and she nodded to him as she answered him.

"I'm supposed to be on duty in engineering. I gotta get up there, before Commander La Forge suspects something." she said to him and he nodded in agreement to that as he answered her. "Alright when you get there, see if you can access the codes for the security tracking system. There's something I want to try, but I'm got something I need to do now." he said and she nodded as she answered him then.

"Wesley, remember law #91: always watch your back." she said and he nodded. "You too." he said and she left, but before she could, she gripped his arm. "Robin be careful, just distract them, they're going to know you're faking it, so just say I asked you to access the codes for the security tracking system if they get to you next. You don't know the team or the sextet the way I do, just leave that to me."

"I have to do this myself, so if we have got company coming, listen to her and once done this is it. But don't worry I've got a few aces up my sleeve, but 18 months doesn't compare to 4.5 years of friendship in training bonds and bonds of trust and family. Whoever this is, doesn't know them in the way I do, but they're all suffering from the same thing, I know what I'm doing right now." he said and she nodded to him gently.

"What do you need from me so we can get Data back online?" she asked and he sighed. "You're going to have to play the bait, we need to create a diversion in this case, I can't tell you where I got the information regarding this from, without putting them at risk, just wait till after we're through. You don't have my skill to get around without getting caught for a third time and you don't know the sextet in the way I do."

"So we just use that against her now, we're both from earth, if this was the third film focused on that mental maniac, you're distracting her. While I get our ally involved and we go from there, but this scenario just went from slightly dangerous to downright dangerous and I'm not going to kid you right now either. But this is as dangerous as it gets at the moment, just trust me now, the roles have reverse at the moment."

"But the same exact situation, we need to keep this diversion going on long enough that she doesn't realize the ship is about to leave their control and end up in ours. But there's a few things she doesn't know and I know they buried into their minds that are going to become useful here, so don't worry now." he said and she nodded to him. "What are we doing here exactly, bait and switch?" she asked and he nodded to her gently.

"Just tell them I told you to access the codes to the internal security tracking system. But rule #103 in a conspiracy: never tell your team mate where you're going or it's going back fire and rule #104: never separate. In this case we're bending both, because the trap just got reversed on them, whoever is controlling this conspiracy right now. But if the captain is one leader, or lead drone, than the commander is the other right now."

"And rule #105, in a conspiracy act like everyone else. And with that." he said and she nodded to him. "I've got to get their attention on me and keep it on me till you're finished with what you're doing. Yeah okay I get it, and again just be careful and watch your back." she said and he nodded. "Yeah you too, honey." he said and she smiled at the title as he gave her a hug as she left the apartment as he locked the door.

"God why did we have to choose now to do this at the moment, my body is over reacting to something, I'm suffering the come down off of this stuff. I can't believe this right now. I can't tell her that truth, or I'm screwed?" he said with a growl then and got to work then, before heading for his mother's office then. 'If the enemy never gives you enough time to prepare, if this is about to turn into chase down, improvise, I have to do it later."

"But first I have to find out who my supposed boogieman is and why they're triggering my nightmares now, if those dreams were about to be focused on what's coming now, right now." he said softly as he finished that remark then. 'God, if this was part of the plan it was weakening me enough they can use me for a biological weapon and I'm at 3/4's full strength, and I promised I was going to tell them I wasn't up to it."

"Damn it, I can't tell them that I'm not up to my best at the moment, I'm exhausted, and I'm feeling like I'm coming down with something right now as well. That's just great, we just figure this out, my body is acting up and we choose now to do this. Detection avoidance techniques, just trying to get past everyone is one thing, but this is getting ridiculous and it just shifted directions." He said as he finished in annoyance.

"Great, this just gets better and better, we're figuring out the conspiracy, and I'm coming down with something and we choose this moment to try to end it. If this was part of the operator alien's plan. Than it's by draining me of my strength till she takes me as the host, but to my parents, once they're free of it, are not going to take this well." he thought with an annoyed sigh then as he arrived at the elevator then.

As he took the turbo lift back up to the engine room, only to find another conditioned victim on board it. "Hey Alyssa." he said to Nurse Alyssa Ogawa as he entered the elevator as he looked straight ahead to see the second security team leader looking at him as he nodded to him and he nodded to him smiling as he relaxed and went to what Will taught him then. "Hey Greyson, good to see you again." he called out smiling and he nodded at that to him as he looked into his eyes then.

'To get past undetected by others that are compromised, make eye contact, make casual conversation, act like everyone else and just relax. Yeah the first rule to make it pass detection with a conspiracy running loose on my ship are these things. And two never tell a possible compromised team mate your plans, otherwise it's going to backfire. I didn't tell her where I was heading that's one step ahead, I just got to figure this out.' he thought as he looked at her smiling as she got into conversation with him.

"What level are you on Wesley?" she asked him and he smiled slightly. "I'm on level ten so far." he said faking the response and she smiled. "I'm on level 42, you know the key right, if you just relax and let go, the game practically plays itself." she said and he nodded as he looked into her eyes then. "Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. Any other ideas, because I keep missing shots." he said as the door closed and he got into conversation.

After ten minutes he arrived at the spot he wanted and smiled. "Thanks for the tips Allyssa, I'll see you later." he said smiling and she nodded as he got off as she watched him as he pretended to walk to the holodeck, but as soon as the doors were closed, he immediately switched destinations and headed for sickbay and to his mother's office, closed and locked the door. "Computer, put up soundproof shields around Dr. Crusher's officer, programme Crusher one." he said and the room flashed then.

"Alright what's going on here exactly anyway, Sir, because if you're acting like this there's a reason for it. The you I know would never try something like this and I'm not losing you to whoever turned you into this, none of you." He said under hs breath then. 'You guys unofficially adopted me after mom left second year, you're my family, if it takes risking killing myself just to free you, I'm going to do that now."

"I love you guys, who's taken you from me exactly.' He thought softly as he activated the radio transmission from her office to the bridge then to listen in on whatever conversation they were about to have with whoever it was and waited to see what the truth was about to reveal as he activated the visual miniature on screen viewer to see what was going on then in the bridge as he angled the camera at the forward viewer.

The Bridge:

As Worf stood at the security console, he smiled as he said it. "The vessel is approaching, Captain." he said and Picard nodded to him as he answered. "Computer, all senior officers report to bridge. On screen." he said and a few minutes later the quintet walked in then as the image of a K'tarian woman appeared in the viewer then. "Report!" she said and he smiled as he answered her then.

"Welcome Etana, the Enterprise has been secured, await for your further instructions." he said and she nodded. "The expansion will proceed as follows, Commander Riker, you will take a shuttle raft to the Cleon system where you will rendezvous with the starship Endeavor. Proceed with distributing the device to that vessel." she told him and he nodded to the orders as she went further then.

"Commander La Forge, Counselor Troi, take a shuttle to Starbase 67, and distribute the device to all starships that are there." She said and they both nodded as Picard answered her at that. "We also have opportunity to introduce the game to the Starfleet academy." he said to her and she nodded as she said it with a cold smile. " Excellent, see to it. The K'tarians commend your efforts, Picard."

"Once the expansion is complete, you and your crew will be rewarded." she said and he nodded as the transmission cut then.

Sickbay, Crusher's office:

Turning off the transmission, he leaned back against the chair. "I was right, this was a foothold situation from the get go, my family has been brainwashed. Just like Charlie said, first the commander, then Deanna, mom and then Data gets taken out, and then the damn thing starts spreading like a brushfire around here right now. They've been tricked and brainwashed and she sieduced him to get that thing on him."

"The effects of thing before the brainwashing are like the Polywater virus, and this is what it turned into now, it's turned into a video game. Data is out, but why exactly, unless..." he started to think and then looked at a photo of his mother, with Picard, his father and the late Captain Walker Keel and it hit him then. "Walker, Walker was murdered to get him out of the way, because he was a threat to Remmick's plan."

"Walker, Data, Walker, Data, what's the connection here..., wait a minute, Walker knew about the conspiracy and knew if he got that information to the other ships aside from Picard, he was going to either get turned into one or be executed. He told Captain Picard and he and Commander Riker ended the conspiracy by killing the mother creature, but Walker was murdered to get him out of the way." he said slowly as it hit him then.

"They deactivated Data, because he's a threat to her plan, that's it, it's the exact same thing. Expansion, what do they by that exactly unless..., Computer which ships are aboard Stabase 67 right now?" he asked and he read the names. "The Hood, Calypso, Dauntless, Andromeda, Aries and the Cheyenne. The Endeavor is in the Creon system. And straight to the academy in my case, but that thing on earth."

"Oh god, the council, the admirals, not again, there's a summit meeting right now on earth HQ at the moment. The intention is to have it spreading from us to the entire federation. Oh god no, not again, please not again. First Walker and he's murdered because he knew the most about this and then Data gets taken off line and it's because we got another foothold running loose that is about to jump off my ship."

"But why am I the only one realizing this and these things unless..., wait, wait a second those ships all lost their previous captains during the last foothold when we decontiminated the federation before mom left for earth at the time. Walker was murdered when that happened as well too, Walker: Data, me: the cap..., no it's not, it can't be, it's a repeat performance of that and if it is than that means that..." he started to say and then felt his heart lurch as he realized it then as he said it.

"No it can't be, please no, it can't be, not now please, not now. My exams on the Kobayashi Maru exercise were supposed on be when I got back. But I..., no please, to save the entire federation and keep it from getting off the ship I have to shoot to kill or destroy my ship. No I can't do that, the captain and commander are leading this, but they're under her control, no I can't just kill them to stop this."

"I can't do that or destroy my ship, set the auto destruct or shoot to kill, destroying not my ship, my friends, my family, no, not my family, I can't do it. I can't make that choice. Shoot to kill or destroy my home, I can't make that choice now. Dear god why are you doing this to me, I can't kill my own crew members, my family, no, give me another option please, I can't do that." he said to himself in agony then as he finished.

"Please I can't do it, I can't do that, no win scenario, either I kill in cold blood or I destroy the ship. Killing my family, my friends, the kids I think of as my little brothers and sisters, no, I can't do it." He said as he tried to hold it in, before he heard his mentor's voice then mentally. 'Wesley if it takes saving us, you're going to have to end this yourself, we love you son, you know what you have to do.' he heard Picard say to him and he nodded as he felt the pain in his heart growing by the minute.

"Sir what do you want to do, if you were still yourself, what do I do to stop this?" he whispered and he heard his gentle voice answer him. 'Remember what we taught you, if your commanders are compromised and the programmer knows the previous year in tactics and training, switch to alternate tactics. Alternate tactics, you know us way too well, like we know you, use that against her now.' he heard his voice say to him softly and he swallowed at that.

'God this is even worse than my dreams right now, I can't take this to. Sir I can't just kill you guys to save the federation. I know I have to protect the federation, but at the expense of destroying our ship or even killing you to do it. I can't do that Sir, give me another option, because I can't take a life, not like that. And not you Sir, please don't make me do this, I can't just kill you guys, please, let alone destroy my home.'

'It's not the previous incursion, but it's just as bad, Sir. If it takes making sure it doesn't get off the ship I'll do it, but I can't just kill you guys to make sure of that, please don't make me do that. I just reached that test and I don't need this right now, Sir please don't make me do this. I can't kill in cold blood, I never took my phaser off stun, since I started working as an ensign when you appointed me to be a member of the crew."

"Please, I can't make that choice to sacrifice all of you just to save the federation, I can't do that. I can't make that choice and not without you or Commander Riker leading me like you always had before. Shoot to kill or set the self destruct, destroy my entire life, I can't do that, give me another option.' he said weakly, feeling the pain in his heart growing by the minute as he heard him sigh gently as he said it, his tone gentle.

'There's no need to kill anyone, remember what we said last year, if they put you into a position like this there's a way out of it. And there is, just put it on stealth and evade capture till Data is finished, listen to me. Like the wargames in training we ran simulations just to prepare you for what was coming back then, including the wargames regarding the Enterprise and the Hathaway.'

'The Kobayashi Maru, my tactic, that was a training exercise, a game, turn this into a chess game, and pit your knowledge and expertise against hers, the longer the game lasts. Just use every earthborn reference we have, remember, earthborn games, books tactics, of centuries prior to ours. And add them to your Arsenal, test her on this, see what she understands to what she doesn't.'

'The more she doesn't realize or knows, the more you're far more into battle strategy. And her annoyance at being shown up by a human teenager is going to start revealing itself. She doesn't know our childhood earth games, so you use both against her now. She doesn't know anything about earth 400 years ago, she doesn't know that on earth we dealt with situations like this before."

"Let alone that we had an escaped soldier on board the ship. Danar's abilities are that of 375 years ago, he avoided capture by going on stealth she doesn't this, because we forgot that information, use that against her now. But last year she's got your training exercise course through us. But change the sequence, now." he heard him say as he heard Will's voice finish that remark.

'It's okay son we understand, but trust me, listen to me carefully now. Wes, listen to me, you let your emotions get in the way of what needs to be done and it'll destroy the federation. Listen to me carefully, though these things look like they got only two options, or maybe three, there's always another option now. And you'll see it if you calm down and relax, put yourself into meditation.'

'In these situations they're going to force you into that no win scenario, but there's always a choice in these situations. Sometimes they result in two solutions, others three and four, you pick the best option and go from there, but in order to do that you have to calm down, relax and focus in these situations. This scenario looks like it has two choices to make now, but look deeper.'

'You have to focus and stay clear headed in this, I know that this is the hard part, if it happens, and now it has, but you won't need to hurt anyone Wes. Just get Data back online and go a different route regarding training, you don't have to fight, just don't be in the same place for too long. Remember everything I taught you these last four years now, use it and with it remember every scenario that involved a manhunt on board the ship.'

'Four years older and four years wiser in training methods when the time comes now. But the tactics of the year before, that is this year, after you left Wes, are too easy to figure out because she got the last ten months since you left, through my mind. But not before you left, you have to use that against her. Now she knows that our training at the academy is by non violence and different ways of the last 100 years in training, that's from Kirk to now.'

'But not the 20th century, that century was loaded with good ideas and enough to work out in training now, and you've been using that as a steeping stone ever since the Polywater virus. But she and her faction, they wouldn't know that our back history of the 20th century tactics, you have to use that against them now during this situation, son. Just focus, focus on our voices like we are now, if they hijacked us in this when it starts now and it has.'

'Remember what I taught you, 'he will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight', Wes listen to me, your only chance is by turning this into a game, they're going to think they have victory, because everyone of us is compromised. But when or if this happens now, it's taking it into a mental chess game and then deprogramming, but choosing a previous manhunt works too."

"But they may think they know you in the way we do, to beat them, you must use that against them, switch tactics and combine them with alternate tactics, training from the 20th century. She's the said opponent now, and everything she doesn't know, or that we forgot, can be a weapon against her. You're a technological whiz and computer expert, so just use that against her.'

'A true soldier doesn't go in feet first, they think out their movies, plan ahead and then do it. If they don't give you enough time to prepare: improvise, if you don't want to be found: go to the areas that only the engineering and Maitenance crews ever do and finally if they're not from earth a few scare tactics helps in these situations. Use the entire Arsenal if you have to, just don't give up, you can do this, just focus, relax and don't give up, you can do this.'

'That's our only chance to prevent this from getting off our ship, just don't give up.' he heard Will add to him softly and he nodded to his voice as he answered him then. "I love you Sir, but this is enough I can't leave now when I'm emotionally compromised. Making this choice is enough, but having to kill you in order to protect the entire federation. I can't do that and I won't, this test was a no win scenario."

"Because they gave you only two options, well I'm making it winnable now. I have to create a third option, but I'm not losing you guys and I won't." he said to him weakly then. "Those tactics were a wargames training scenario, but something from the 20th century works better now here. In fact working it out now, before the fight really gets started is going to be close, but I have to make my point clear with them."

"God I'd rather kill myself than have to live with the fact that I have to sacrifice my ship, my family, my crew, because I'm trapped in a no win scenario here. And one that is going to destroy me emotionally just to prevent it from making it to earth. I can't do it, I can't make that choice and I won't." he said as he started crying silently as he stared at the picture of himself with the seven when he was still a part of the senior staff.

Looking at the eight of them and Tasha in a photograph sitting on the wall then he felt the tears start pouring down his face. "First Tasha, then Jaan, and now my entire family has been turned into plants for some god damn invasion. I can't take this right now, no I can't lose you too. Shoot to kill, I never taken my phaser off stun mode and I'm not about to start now, destroying the ship, my home, I can't do that, what choice is left."

"What choice is left, what choice do I have, but to add a third option to the exam." he asked softly as he buried his face in his arms to think it through. "My entire family has been turned into hosts, and Data is out of commission she's intending on infiltrating the entire federation. No I can't kill anyone, but maybe I don't have to, but how, how to I break the conditioning on them, how. Think, think, how do I do it exactly."

'He will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight.', I don't have to use weapons. I just have to turn this into a game of stealth, and not get taken till the last minute. Game of stealth, game of stealth, we dealt with a couple manhunts, but who do I choose, come on think." he said to himself as he looked at the photograph of the nine of them when he was fifteeen and the second after his mother returned. "No guys, god don't do this, you taught me everything I know these last five years."

"But you have to fight this, don't leave me. Sirs four years, our bonds are so strong, I'm not giving you up. I stayed up to your birthday Commander, because I wasn't ready to just leave home, not yet, I'm homesick, I need you guys still. No I can't quit, I can't let her take my entire family, I have to stop this, but..., even if it means another injury I'm stopping this now." He said weakly feeling his heart tear at what he just heard then.

'The entire sextet had been taken over, Data, I need you friend. Data, me and Robin, if my mate is taken I'm the last human standing now. No, no I'm not getting taken, you want a war Etana you're going to get one now. You're not taking my family and you're not going to win, not if I have anything to say about it, you're never taking me alive Etana.' he thought in agony then as he sat there and closed his eyes to focus.

The Engine Room:

Robin, working on what Wesley suggested, was sitting there, not realizing she was being watched. Watching her from behind, William Riker nodded as a security guard walked into the room and nodded to her as he looked at him. 'Come here, but keep your voice down.' He said to him with his eyes then and he nodded to him as he walked to him and he, Worf and lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge went into a huddle then.

"Found Crusher, he's in the turbolift with Nurse Ogawa, he's carrying his, but he's in conversation with her. He also made eye contact with me when I spotted him in the elevator and gave me a nod of hello and called out to me when I was looking at him. They're talking about the game at the moment, strategies in how to play, but I'm not sure where he got off Sir." he said and he nodded as Worf look at her at that remark.

"I saw him and Lefler here playing theirs in his quarters earlier. But if she's acting this nervous around us now..." Worf said to him and he nodded to him and they all looked at her. "After the last conspiracy regarding Remmick, I think he knows this already, but when I was acting compromised that first time I had to act like everyone else. Till I revealed that I was still myself when we stunned Admiral Aaron at the time, as to that."

"She's acting nervous, not letting her guard down and is not making eye contact with anyone, not getting into conversation and is letting her behavior give herself away, she's not playing it. Well if that tells me anything she's faking it to get by undetected. For gods sakes, you want to get by undetected, relax, make eye contact and above all act like everyone else." Will said and they nodded in agreement as he crossed his arms at this.

"He's gotten by undetected twice Sir, first by dodging me and his mother, and then by doing it with Lieutenant Greyson next. If that tells me anything, he's using everything he learned from you regarding conspiracies at the moment." Worf told him and he nodded in agreement as he answered him. "We have to be sure of that, but loss of temper is a slight factor he's got a lot on his mind, I'll let that go right now, but whether or not he's faking it is my concern as to that right now. To avoid detection he's acting on the rules."

"If he's getting into conversation with Alyssa right now, than he's using what I taught him regarding conspiracies right now, he's also been serving on the front line, before leaving for the academy. But she's a rookie, and just graduated and joined the crew, alright, he knows what he's doing, but she doesn't and with that, he's acting on everything we ever taught him, but if he's doing that, he probably knows, but she's faking it right now."

"She knows what's going on here, that's why she's so nervous, but we have to get every adult on the ship so no one realizes what's going on till it's too late now. If she's getting nervous, it's because she's surrounded by members that are compromised, and without him watching her back. And that's another rule broken: you don't want to get captured and exposed, never separate from each other." he said and looked at the trio firmly.

"Ambush situation, we're letting know she got found out. If it takes doing this in a tag team fashion she's not getting passed us and with that. Wherever he is I bet she knows and once we find out. If he's acting like she is and he's the last one of our ship to get taken now." he said to the trio softly. "Should we just let her give herself away now Sir?" the guard asked and he nodded to him. "Yes, we're letting her blow her cover."

"Spread out though, just wait till I tell you to move in on her." He said in a whisper and they nodded as they broke up and he looked at her. 'So you really thought I'd fall for the old 'do as the majority do' ploy here just to escape detection, young lady. If Wesley reported the side effects of the games to the captain, you're the other piece of that. You're faking it, but not for long.' he thought as he saw the game sitting next to her.

And nodded, knowing she was trying to act like them, but her nervousness spoke volumes to him and he hid a knowing smile. 'Thats the catch, everyone playing the game is too busy playing and not working on their responsibilities right now. But you are, your evasiveness, your nervousness about being around the rest of us. You're faking it and not making eye contact with the rest of us. You just gave yourself away.'

'You're first and once done you're telling me what he has planned now.' he thought as he gestured to Worf and Geordi then. Hiding a smile, Robin knew their programmer had taken the bait then. 'Yeah that's right, I'm on to your plans right now, but unfortunately for you he never told me where he was, what his plans are and whether or not he can get Data back on line and we're always three steps ahead of you.'

'You screwed up, if the captain is one, then you, commander, are the other and the entire sextet is compromised. It's too late, whoever you are, we know your plans and though I'm the sheep leading you in, the primary target is going to free me long before that virus of yours gets off this ship.' she thought as she kept up the nervous reaction as she felt their eyes on her as she waited for them to call her bluff then.

Trying to concentrate, she felt her senses go on the alert, before feeling someone catching her by the arm. 'Times up Wes, I'm taken, I'm compromised now. Honey just hurry up now, the games have begun.' she thought as she looked into his eyes as she saw the icy smirk of his programmer in them. "You really thought we wouldn't figure it out Lefler?" Will asked her firmly as he went on. "Here's a piece of advice: you want to keep from getting figured out, act like everyone else and make eye contact with them."

"Because in situations like this there's two pieces to it so rule one in evading capture: you want to escape detection, don't tell the person running the show you figured it out and two. Act like everyone else: make eye contact, get into casual conversation and relax, because you don't and you gave yourself away. You just graduated from the academy and you're still unexperienced in working on missions."

"I know him too well and I know how he thinks, as he does in my case and theirs, but you. You haven't been here long enough to learn these things or learn that much about us. Since the rendezvous I've had security teams watching you two, and of the two of you, Wesley knows how to avoid detection till the last minute and with those words." he said as he smiled coldly at her then and she said it with a cold look of defiance then.

"And ones that require you to know these things. You see I've known Wesley all his teenage life since we met and I know how he thinks. As to how and why, it's because I've trained him for three years, before he joined you at the academy. I know him too well and I know how he thinks, as he does in my case and theirs, but you, you haven't been here long enough to learn these things or learn that much about us."

"Whatever you plan to do it won't work, whoever your leader is, we know this is an attempted incursion, 'Sirs'. But your plan only succeeds if you get everyone on the ship, well you may say you know him. And by use of your hosts, but you don't, but you already made 8 mistakes. He knows you possessed his friends and his mother, you're screwed here." she snapped back at him, and he smirked at that as he answered Her.

"You just gave yourself away, you two are the only ones left young lady, you're first." he said and hearing that she struggled to get away from them as they got hold of her. "No, let me go!" she shouted, faking the reaction as they held her still as he got it on her. 'Wesley help, let me go, let me go, Wesley help!' she screamed out mentally, as she stood up stood up and tried to bolt, before they caught her and got her back in the chair.

As Worf caught her shoulders to keep him in the chair. "Hold her steady." Will said and he gently caught her neck and hold her head still then. 'No, no, don't do this, let me go, don't do this, fight them, Sirs, Mam, fight it, don't do this fight them." She thought desperately at that remark. 'I know I'm faking this for for training sake, and making it clear this is about to turning into a survival and stealth game until he's done.'

"But this is too much, guys fight it, fight her, don't do this.' she thought to them quickly. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, you'll like it I promise you." Barnfield said to her soothingly and she swallowed hard at that as she looked at the sextet, as she answered that remark. 'Not if it destroys you, turns you into drones, you'd never do this if you're yourselves, I know you're in there. Guys, please, don't do this, fight her, come back to us, fight her.'

'I know I'm stage acting here, regarding being the bait for them, but seeing my friends and crew mates like this, this is too much right now, guys don't do this. I know you, our you, is getting stronger every minute, fight her, fight her, I know you missed him since he left. But for him, for me, you have to fight this, fight them, whoever they are.' she thought to herself in a add on tonyhat remark as she looked at him in fear.

Feeling them get it into position around her head and seeing her friends like this she felt her fear getting stronger in that moment. And getting worse by the minute as she closed her eyes. As they heard the character's next orders knowing they were about to force her to start playing it. "No!" she said desperately as she tried to get free. "Her eyes." she heard from Will, as she felt someone open her eyes as the game played it self out out.

'Miss the shots, I do that whatever this is can't infect me, if it only works by scoring the shots into those cones, I have to miss as many as possible.' she was thinking quickly before she saw it. 'Oh no, how am I so to miss with the added cones, alright don't panic, just start chucking them everywhere, but the cones.' she thought to herself then as she started throwing the frisbees in different directions then at that.

Before, to her shock, the cones zoomed into place to catch the first as she jerked, before she tried it again. And the one just behind it moved into place to catch the second as she got hit again. 'No I'm not giving in.' she thought quickly, just as the effects of the game were hitting her. "No!" she said weakly as the effects started getting to her. As she tried to throw it over the cones and one of them backed up to catch it then.

'No hang on Wesley, they don't realize we fixed Data, or that Charlie and we are doing this together, hang on my love, hang on don't quit on us just keep fighting. You never taking us all alive I promise you, you bitch.' she said fighting it hard as dose, after dose, kept going into her system draining her resistence to the effects. As she felt someone pushing hard to get into her heard as she kept trying to fight it of thrn

As she heard Barnfield say it gently to her. "That's it, just let yourself go." she said as she was trying to fight the effects as her will got weaker. Before she threw one last one and it caught it as she jerked for a final time, as whoever was on the opposite end shoved their way into her mind. And fell forward at that, before standing up at that. "Report, what's going on here exactly!" he asked her sharply and she explained it to him then.

"He knows you're all compromised and you turned off Data, I'm not entirely sure where he is or what he's planning, but he asked me to access the codes for the security tracking mainframe." she told him and he nodded firmly. "I think he was watching the conversation, but through the camera, he possibly knows we're compromised. But we can't let that information get off the ship." Worf told him and he nodded in agreement.