Chapter XXV

The cup of tea sat on his desk, rapidly growing cold; yet Captain Jean-Luc Picard paid it no heed. His attention was focused instead on the window, contemplating what he'd learned.

He had been able to keep his inquiries discreet, limiting it to merely his senior staff. Nevertheless, Picard could not argue with the fact that they all shared similar stories which diverged little from his own recollections.

"I never did understand how you could drink this stuff," a familiar voice remarked and he faced his adversary, ready to wrest the truth from his visitor by any means necessary. "Is that a hint of anger I see in your eyes, mon capitan? And I was expecting you to be grateful," Q observed. "So, it did happen," Jean-Luc commented.

"And you did it all on your own too, with only the slightest bit of help from yours truly," the annoying super-being added. "There's only one thing I want to know. Will it ever occur again?" the Captain wondered. "Haven't you grasped the nature of the paradox? Micro-brain even seemed to have a glimmer of understanding at the end," Q noted.

"You mean, on some other plane of existence; it is taking place right now?" Picard asked.

"The nature of the multiple realities which make up your understanding is such that you're both right and wrong. Things could have gone any number of ways. Perhaps the universe only lasted for a fraction of a second or the end came just before entropy won out. What truly matters is the fact that these possibilities were given a chance to be real in the first place," his visitor explained.

He frowned, then said, "You told me that # feeds off of temporal anomalies."

Q nodded, evidently desiring for him to finish his train of thought. "From what Data described, Worf tried to get the Prophets to aid him and failed. But when he accelerated the degradation which was already surrounding him, why didn't it destroy us all?" he wondered. "But it did! It is doing so now and will continue to," the super-being said.

"You're talking about a closed temporal loop," Jean-Luc realized. "If that makes it easier for you to understand what I'm saying. Without a version of reality in which to feed itself, # ceased to exist as well. Therefore, the chain of events which it created no longer brought about the dissolution of the universe; so it still lurks somewhere. Yet it is still trapped there, in that instant before nonexistence; feeding its own hunger. All that has been, is or will be possible taking place at once. Why would # want to leave?" Q observed.

"Does this mean that we are in danger?" Picard wondered. "You don't exactly lead the most sedate life, mon capitan. Whether it is the Borg or the Dominion, your Federation is destined to run afoul of forces which seek its destruction. I know quite well that you've regarded me in a similar fashion," his adversary pointed out. "That still doesn't answer my question," he stated.

"Jean-Luc, it has already begun and shall never take place. I've permitted you to retain a glimpse of the infinite; the possibilities which the actions of all have brought into being. I must say that I expected you to be far more grateful," Q informed him. "I see… then what you're telling me is that anything is possible," Picard declared.

"Precisely, but the simple fact is that most beings like yourself are unaware of this titanic struggle; this culmination of all which could be. After all, do you remember the events which stranded your first security officer in the past?" the super-being asked. He nodded, recalling how they had run into a Romulan who had claimed to be her daughter. He had been advised to believe her claims, despite the fact that there was no evidence to back it up. From what Q was saying, what they had witnessed would never be repeated. At least, as far as we know, he mused. "What about the others who were involved?" Jean-Luc wondered.

"Those who survived have returned where they belong, under their own power or with a little help. Some of them might have an inkling of what took place, but the effect upon your precious timeline will be minimal," his visitor assured him.

"I suppose you're not going to tell me which ones were from my universe," Picard said. "Sorry, but I have a lot of work to do. Destroying the very nature of existence is a messy business. You're fortunate that I stopped by to visit at all," Q remarked, starting to raise his hand; but he gestured to halt the super-being's departure.

"The next time you feel like teaching us a lesson, please don't," the Captain requested. "I can't make any promises. There are, after all; things which even I won't attempt to prevent from occurring," his adversary observed, then snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of light. Picard disposed of his cup, considering whether or not he should tell his crew about what he'd learned. On the one hand, Starfleet should be aware of the threat in case it ever surfaces again, he mused.

But then again, if Q wasn't lying; then it is a part of the nature of things which cannot be altered, Jean-Luc thought. A part of him wished to learn more about the nature of the mysterious entity which had done so much damage; yet he felt somehow glad that he would never have the opportunity. Walking onto the bridge, he nodded to Riker as he took his seat.

"We've received new orders from Starfleet," Will reported, then explained, "We've been assigned to patrol the Cardassian Border while their new government makes up its mind about how to handle relations with the rest of the galaxy."

Feeling somewhat bemused, Picard ordered, "Set a course, warp 5." As his crew carried out his instruction, Deanna leaned over and whispered, "I couldn't help but sense your reaction to our assignment. Does this have anything to do with what we discussed?" "Let us just say that I've been given a new perspective from which to examine things," the Captain answered. Troi nodded, clearly desiring for him to explain further. However, Jean-Luc knew that there was little he could do to ease her concerns. We cannot change what has been, is or will be; unless it never happens, he mused. The stars swept by the viewscreen, signaling the rapidity of their flight.

Transitory though our lives might be, we are all in a way; part of something far grander than any of us can imagine, Picard mused. Ahead of us lies a course which is unlimited, yet the same could be said of the path available to them on all sides, he thought. Perhaps one day, we shall have a greater understanding and be able to explore those realms as well, Jean-Luc decided. But for here and now, the Captain and crew of the Enterprise had a mission to perform and nothing else mattered.