Chapter 28

"Counselor Troi," said Data into his communicator. "What is your progress?"

"Data, I am going to attempt to establish contact with Captain Picard," came Troi's reply.

"Is Doctor Crusher present to monitor your vital signs?"

"I'm here, Data," was Crusher's reply.

"As agreed, neither of you are to cross the energy barrier in Captain Picard's cell," said Data.

"Understood," said Troi. "My hope is that I won't need to touch him physically to connect with him."

"Very well, please proceed," said Data.


South Dakota, late summer 1881

It was much warmer the next day, and they slowed their pace to give the horses some much needed rest. Pritchard, again deep in thought was quiet for most of the day. As the afternoon wore on she periodically would glance over at him and find him gazing at her curiously.

Finally, somewhat annoyed she turned to him sharply. "What?"

He shrugged and gave her a strange smile. "We're making good time, and as long as we don't run into trouble...we should reach your destination soon enough-'bout a week or so..."

She stared at him. "And? So?"

"And I'm just wondering what exactly it is you expect to find up in those hills."

"Telling you exactly what I'm looking for wasn't part of our deal, Pritchard," she reminded him.

He shrugged again and stared ahead into the distance. "Oh…well, Suit yourself," he said easily. "I'll figure it out, whether you tell me or not," he added.

"I highly doubt that," she said.

He squinted at her in the sunlight. "You think I'm dumb, huh?"

"Of course not," she scoffed.

"Well, I may know more about you than you guess," he said again with a curious expression on his face. She recalled a similar expression on his face when he had watched her talking to the Ulysses the horse in El-Aurian, and how somehow he had seemed to understand, or at least recognize the language she used.

She pulled at the reigns, slowing Peaches to a stop. "Whoa," she said patting the horse on her muscular neck. She turned to look at Pritchard. "Go ahead Pritchard…what exactly do you think you know about me?"

He laughed, but something in his eyes seemed almost fearful as he watched her. "I've known many black folk in my years, and you ain't like any I've encountered…"

She was unable to prevent herself from giving him a superior look. "Is that what you think I am, Pritchard? 'Black folk'? Tell me…what does that even mean?"

His smiled faded and he looked down looking almost ashamed. "Alright…well you ain't like any person I've ever met…except one that is."

"Who?"

He cleared his throat and looked away. "I've heard that little lullaby you were singing to Ulysses. I've heard it before… because my wife used to sing it to our son."

Guinan's blood seemed to pause momentarily before running through her veins again. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that I know you ain't from Louisiana."


Beverly Crusher laid a supportive hand on Deanna Troi's shoulder before stepping to the side. Worf stood nearby silently. She couldn't tell if he was skeptical of Troi's ability to reach the Captain, but at least he remained nearby. Right now she would take any comfort available, however slight.

Troi sat in a chair facing Captain Picard, who lay on the floor inside his cell with his back to them. He was very still, and Beverly had to struggle to retain her composure. She knew why Data had ordered them not to lower the energy barrier to the cell. But even if Jean-Luc hadn't been her dear friend…even if she hadn't been in love with him, she would have struggled, because it was her duty to aid those were ill. And Jean-Luc was very ill. And it seemed there was nothing she could do to help him. Nothing except wait.

Deanna settled back in the chair and closed her eyes. She would attempt to bridge a gap that existed between her mind and that of Picard. And if she succeeded, what would she find? One moment there was nothing, only blackness, and then suddenly she saw in front of her a large chasm. On the other side was Picard, standing head bowed and listless. He was prepared to walk into the chasm; to disappear into it. She called him by name, and to her surprise he looked up. But he was so far away.

Suddenly a dark and immense hooded figure rose from the chasm. His arms were outstretched cradling a black globe in his hands. She watched him mesmerized, and heard a whisper that seemed ancient emerge from the dark faceless hood.

Suddenly the figure was in front of her. "You dare to enter my world? Did you consider when you chose to come here that you would never be permitted to leave?"

Troi opened her mouth but she could not speak. A strange black wisp of smoke emerged from the globe and entered her lips and nose. The hooded figure began to laugh in a booming voice from which there was no escape. He reached out a huge three-fingered hand and lowered it over her head. "You have a strong mind…you may be of use to me," boomed the voice.

Crusher's tricorder was beeping incessantly. Worf glanced at her. "What is happening?"

"Troi's heart rate is erratic and her brainwave activity is off the charts," said Crusher, tapping her tricorder.

"And Captain Picard?" asked Worf.

Crusher licked her lips tensely, glancing at the still form of Picard briefly. "No change from before."

Troi suddenly cried out and then fell to the floor with her limbs jerking, before her eyes rolled up in her head and she grew still. Crusher fell to her knees, doing what she could to revive her friend. "She's unconscious," she said. "I have to get her to sick bay."

"Ptagh!" shouted Worf suddenly. Instinctively Beverly looked up again at the cell, as Worf rushed toward the barrier and lowered it. She got to her feet slowly. Jean-Luc was gone. She turned way as though the world had slowed down, and when she looked up again with tears in her eyes she saw that Guinan stood in the doorway.

Beverly erupted with anger. "Well? Don't just stand there! You see he's gone now," she said flinging her arm toward the detention cell. "And now Deanna's unresponsive. Do you know what to do or not, Guinan? Now what?"

Guinan stared past her at the empty cell. "Now, we fight back," she said simply.


Geordi LaForge and Sub-Commander Saris had found themselves investigating an explosion on Holodeck One, and at the same time investigating the disappearance of Commander Korok. Somehow Geordi, though not by nature a suspicious person, knew these two events were not coincidental. Data contacting him had been an additional distraction. And now discovering that the explosion had caused a malfunction on the holodeck—specifically that they could not exit the holodeck or end the program—caused Geordi's spirits to plummet even further. The static-filled connection with Data continued to fade, when both he and Saris turned at the sound of a low shuffle. "Saris, what was that?" he questioned, feeling the hair on his forearms perk up. "Hey!" A form moved quickly away from them in the shadows.

Geordi pulled his phaser and started in the direction of the moving figure. Saris grabbed his bicep and her vice-like grip. She was much stronger than he was. He turned to look at her.

"Do not be a fool…" she hissed. "That Klingon has nothing to lose and will kill you if he sees fit."

"Ow! Man!" Geordi said, pulling his arm from her grip. Still looking at her he massaged where he imagined there were now permanent fingerprints. "How do you know?" he asked glancing back off into the darkness.

To his surprise she looked confused, and even frightened. "The integrity of these negotiations has been compromised by the introduction of a spy…Korok is a traitor to his own people."

LaForge raised his eyebrows. "A spy? Working for who?"

Saris clenched her jaw angrily. "The Romulans."

Geordi backed away from her. "What? Did you know about this?"

"No," she said. "However I did suspect…." She trailed off. Tomalak is to blame, she thought.

Geordi poked a finger in her face. "Well you know what I think—"

"LaForge!" Saris shouted a warning, as the Klingon quickly descended from the catwalk above. He slammed down heavily upon Geordi's shoulder, spinning the engineer out of the way. Geordi fell to the deck and skidded backward, firing his phaser at Korok. But he was so off balance that the shot went wide. Saris leapt toward Korok and spun quickly kicking him into the railing. Korok shouted, tumbling over the railing, just grabbing it to hold on with one arm. He growled and with an impressive show of strength yanked himself back up and over the railing.

Spinning again, Saris slammed her fist into the side of Korok's head. Laughing, he grabbed her wrist and folded it into a locked position. She cried out and kicked him in the side of his knee, causing him to growl and drop to one knee. Freeing her arm she moved back as Geordi fired his phaser on heavy stun again. Korok fell to all fours and Geordi used his own crouched stance to throw himself into the Klingon's side. He groaned as he felt his shoulder give against the thick armor.

"LaForge!" Saris yelled again before planting a heavy kick to the side of Korok's face. Geordi tried desperately to apply a choke hold, but Korok reached up and around and grabbed Geordi by the neck, forcing him to drop the phaser. Instead he held onto Korok's back. Growling, the Klingon got up, swiftly kicking the phaser over the edge of the deck into simulated nothingness.

Still holding the piggy-backed LaForge by the neck, Korok slowly rose to his feet and kicked at Saris, keeping her at bay before he threw himself backward into the railing, knocking Geordi cold. Breathing heavily he drew his disruptor and aimed it at Saris. With the other hand he reached down and pulled the unconscious LaForge up by the collar. "Now," said Korok, gasping for breath. "I want to talk to someone who can get me off of this ship and away from Kronos," he snarled.

Saris narrowed her eyes. "Your own people will kill you as soon as you leave this ship," she said. "If I do not kill you myself first…." she added tilting her head dangerously at him.

"With what?" he challenged.

She circled him. "We Romulans are quite ingenious. Perhaps I will kill you with your own disruptor...or perhaps I will use just the little finger of my right hand. And we Romulans do not mind seeing our victims suffer. In fact, I would personally enjoy seeing you suffer, Korok," Saris felt the need to clarify.

Korok yanked the limp engineer upward, gripping him around the chest and bringing the disruptor to Geordi's temple. "The only one who will suffer is this Human, if my terms are not met."


He stood outside the great hall of the palace of the Old King. He had killed many enemies to gain entrance to the King's most inner chamber. Now he paced back and forth, within meters of his prey on the other side of a heavy wooden door…but something inside his brain was no longer certain. He heard her voice inside his head echoing. He even heard her laughter. She had told him that she loved him and would not let anything happen to him. She was suffering for fear of losing him. He did not want her to suffer any longer.

He looked down at his arms, which were covered in tattoos. Even his own skin was no longer familiar to him. Sometimes, when he thought about her above all else, he saw the tattoos fade and the familiar material of his red uniform sleeve replaced the warrior's skin. This is what happened now, and it reminded him that he was still himself, even though he was inside a strange and frightening world. He did not want to kill the Old King—he did not want to kill anyone anymore, he just wanted to be free. But how?

A booming laughter interrupted his thoughts of escape.

"The killing was not enough for you. So I gave you a counterpart. Was she not enough to keep you interested in this world?"

"No, I don't love her. And I do not want to be a part of this cruel game you have created. This is not a way to live," shouted Picard.

"You are wrong," said the Other, looming over him. "There are many ways to live, and this is as good as any."

"No, it is not," said Picard firmly.

"If you are too weak to rise as king of my world, then Doulos will enter your world to rule as overlord."

"Who is Doulos?" Picard asked the hooded figure.

The booming laughter came closer. "Who is Doulos?" the voice mocked him. An immense forearm the color of the space that exists between the stars reached into his abdomen, and as he screamed, a long trail of black was pulled outward. Staggering forward, but still on his feet, he watched as the black substance formed into a figure, slowly becoming more defined. Finally, the figure that stood before him was the menacing tattooed warrior.

"This is Doulos," said the Other. "The perfect servant that you could not be; that you refuse to be. He resembles you, does he not? He is part of you, but in my eyes, he is much better than you."

"Then why don't you have Doulos kill the Old King?" Picard demanded.

The figure withdrew slowly. "The Old King is useless now. Many years ago, this world was built around him from a small piece of my body, to satisfy both our needs. The King has forgotten his vengeance, but I still have my needs. Why kill him now, when the very destruction of this world will destroy him, be his undoing? He cannot exist without the world I have kept for him."

"My needs and wants can be satisfied in your world now. Despite your stubborn efforts to defy me, you have done enough, Picard. Using this other precious piece of my body you have bridged the gap between our two worlds. Now Doulos will prepare the way for my rule. But first he will kill you…."


When Orla departed Guinan's quarters, a small purple orb continued float in mid-air. It had remained there for several hours now. Should she choose to accept Orla's challenge of saving the Old King, Guinan knew she would have only to touch the orb and she would be transported to where she needed to go; where Orla directed her. She also knew that she would need to be brave.

And now that Picard was missing from this world, she had no doubt that he was inside the Other's. If she located Picard inside the Other's world, what would she do? She should expect him to be hostile. What if he refused to return with her, or worse, was still bent on killing the Old King? And the Old King…if he was still alive? She would have no choice but to drag them both back into the world in which they belonged.