Chapter 47

"We're missing twenty-five people, Captain. As important as those people are to us, it's your job to ensure the safety of the remaining one thousand occupants of this crew."

Data observed the woman in front of him. Despite the fact that she was holding a small baby in her arms, or maybe because of this, she appeared very strong in her convictions. "I am aware of that, Counselor Troi. So far, the Remans have shown little interest in the majority of our crew, as long as we stay inside the energy barrier."

Deanna Troi needed something to take her mind off the fact that her husband had again been swept away from her by a relentless alien life form. "That's right...they have little interest in us, and don't even perceive us as a threat tp achieving their goal. So that begs the question, why have they remained here, while their compatriots travel into that jungle? Surely they serve a purpose."

Data hesitated. "It is likely that they intend to take the Enterprise saucer for themselves, now that both the Eureka and the Reman vessel are destroyed."

"But the saucer isn't even operational, is it?"

"I have been assisting our engineers to regain full impulse power, and more importantly to repair our damaged hull. The odds remain against us, however, at 120 to 1 that we will be able to achieve spaceflight safely."

"I can imagine that our odds are much worse without Geordi on our side."

"Geordi's absence is certainly a negative factor, Counselor."

"In more ways than one, Data. I know he's a good friend to you." She touched his forearm lightly, and to her surprise he appeared more receptive to her offer of support than many of her non-synthetic clients typically were.

"Thank you, Counselor."

She sighed. "So where do we go from here, Captain Data?"

"Your theory that the entities intend to capture the ship may be correct. Perhaps we should explore it further."

"So far we've seen that they are capable of infecting almost anyone, with no clear method of transmission. That means that when they are ready, they may use our crew against us, rather than just take the ship by military force."

"That is correct, Counselor. Our efforts to repair the ship could work against us." Data glanced at the Reman troops still wandering the perimeter of the energy field that had erected around the ship.

Troi hugged Iana to her, as the baby began to stir. Again, she thought of Will. "Data, I've been able to glimpse the entities' collective thoughts. Despite being many, they are very unified. However, there are variations, and doubts among those who have been removed from the lead group."

"You refer to these Reman guards," said Data.

"Yes. What if there were a way to...to sow division among these weak links? Perhaps we could make them doubt their mission, or distract them enough to allow us to repair the Enterprise in peace?"

Data raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Are you capable of achieving such a goal through telepathy?"

"I'll talk to my mother. I know she will help if she can."

Picard eyed the bag Val was clutching in his manicured hand one more moment, before grabbing it. He opened the bag to find it was full of various foods that the Ferengi had apparently gathered as a peace offering. He tossed T'Sara an unidentified oval fruit, which she caught deftly. "What kind of wager?" he asked, turning back to the Ferengi.

"I need to know first whether I'll have your protection, Picard."

"My protection? Val... we are the prisoners, while you seem to have fallen in with Marco and his gang. What do you need us for?"

"And why have we stopped?" T'Sara demanded.

Val did not hide his glee at being found suddenly useful. "Caine just returned from one of his hunting trips. He claims he's been successful."

"Huh?"

"Yar," Val clarified. "Caine is hunting Yar...and he's convinced she's stepped on one of his traps."

Jean-Luc glanced at T'Sara. He could almost feel the woman's stress level increase, although her expression remained eerily calm. He himself was immediately pleased to hear that Yar was alive, but for now, he also kept his feelings to himself.

"Where the hell is she then?" Walker demanded.

"He claims not to know...says she's escaped, but Caine is just trying to provoke her. He wants her to come to us."

"If she is alive," said T'Sara carefully, "it is a logical strategy to play upon her emotions. She is easily provoked when it comes to Caine."

"And the virus is just looking for a showdown," agreed Jean-Luc. "As is Caine. But that doesn't explain why you are relaying this information to us, Ferengi."

Val's black eyes glittered in the evening light, making him appear almost dangerous. "Because I want a cut Picard. Isn't that obvious?"

"A cut of what?"

"Do you know how many Ferengi I've convinced to follow me if I can bring back golden treasures of unlimited wealth from this planet?"

"Would those be the same Ferengi you murdered by depressurizing your ship?" T'Sara questioned.

Val shook his index finger at her. "No, no, these are different ones. Still living and very influential Ferengi of the highest order-"

"You're beginning to bore us, Val," Picard interrupted, returning his attention to the bag, reaching in to grab at random. "Or should I say, you are continuing to bore us...thanks for the food, though." He took a bite of something soft and sweet. Was it fruit, or some confection the entities thought humans would appreciate? He was beyond caring at this point, as long as he could manage to regain some necessary energy. He handed the bag to Walker and wiped his hands on his shirt. "Out with it, Val. What are you up to?"

"As you said, a battle is brewing. I've heard more than I need to at this point, and they don't seem to mind that I am immune to their powers," he said with more than a hint of pride.

"For now," Picard smiled thinly. He wondered, not for the first time if he too would be susceptible to the virus, now that he was unable to wield the power of the Q. Being unable to use the power, didn't mean that he wasn't still under its protection, however. Everything came down to the intent of this planet, and what it wanted from the visitors to it, because he knew better than anyone else that it did have intent.

Val continued. "The virals seem only to be careful discussing their plans around Caine, but he knows he is a wanted man. Perhaps he doesn't know exactly why, but who really does?"

Val paused to glare probingly at Picard, who shrugged, keeping his face blank.

"Who wins will determine who gains control of the power of Q," continued Val. "The virals keep whispering about Yar killing Caine. Yar kills Caine with her special powers, the virus wins-am I not correct? But if Caine survives, the virus is obliterated, right?" Val's eyes were practically popping from his head from the intensity of his theories.

"Despite her formidable nature, Lieutenant Yar is a human being. She has no special powers," maintained T'Sara.

Picard felt Walker's eyes boring into the side of his head, but he ignored his friend.

"How sure are you of that statement, Vulcan? The virus seems to think Yar is an omnipotent being." Val's eyes bulged and he stamped his feet in the dirt for emphasis.

"I have no reason to rely on statements from a group of entities that have proven to operate based on deception. In addition, you killed your own crew to achieve your dubious ends. Therefore, logic would caution us not to trust you at all, Daimon Val."

"This is why I don't even bother with Vulcans," Val sneered. "But thanks for at least using my correct title," he added with a syrupy smile that was wasted on T'Sara.

Walker crossed his arms impatiently. "What's the wager, Val?"

"Right now I'm betting on Caine to kill Yar...but I'd be willing to switch sides if I knew you had something up your sleeve, Picard. If only I knew what you know."

Picard moved like lightning and grabbed the Ferengi by his earlobes, lifting him off of the ground. "There is no way that I am going to make a bet with you when the people I most care about are at stake. Are you really that stupid, or did you come here for some other reason, Val?"

"Stop, stop! Caine sent me to you," the dangling Val screeched.

Picard shook him again. "Why?"

"Captain..." T'Sara had moved behind him to put a hand on his shoulder, and although not a full nerve pinch, he felt his muscles relax almost instantly, and he dropped Val to the ground.

He turned on her angrily. "Don't call me that. I'm not your captain anymore."

"Very well," she said, hands clasped tensely. "Then is it the case that we cannot expect you to continue to adhere to Starfleet principles any longer?"

"Yes, that's correct," he breathed, glancing back down at the Ferengi. "But don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him. I just want to hear from him why he's just now gracing us with his presence after so easily siding with the enemy."

"I told you," Val protested. "Caine sent me...he wants information."

"Well, I'll give you some information to relay to Caine," Picard leaned down and put his arm around Val's tiny shoulders. "Tell him...tell him I won't kill him if he lets the Enterprise crew go free."

Val let out an uncontrolled snort. "What? That's what you want him to know? You can't be serious!"

"We won't be used, Val," said Walker. "Not by Caine, not by this virus, and certainly not by you."

Val turned and looked over his earlobe at the sound of approaching voices. He turned back to Picard and grabbed his leg. "Please! Protect me from Caine," he hissed. "He is a detonator waiting to be struck, and when he goes, he'll destroy us all with him."

Somehow Caine had managed to find a clearing in the thickening jungle and soon after, T'Sara, Picard, and Walker had been shoved to the ground, where they now sat together. Blindfolds had been pulled down roughly over their eyes, but their hands and feet were still free. Staring into the pitch black, Picard could hear the clamor of equipment being set up. It sounded as though they would be staying there for more than just the night. He stretched out his legs and found no one was immediately in front of him. He could hear T'Sara breathing regularly and guessed that she was sleeping. Meanwhile, Walker, who sat nearby, mumbled to himself every now and then but hadn't spoken to Picard in a while.

According to Val, unspoken tensions were building between Caine and those infected by the viral entities. The re-introduction of Yar could spell disaster for them all, but there was also the potential for improvement in their collective situation. After all, Jean-Luc reassured himself, it was for this reason primarily that he had told Tasha anything at all about her history. As much as he also believed she deserved to know, he doubted that he would have revealed such secrets unless he had believed she could make a positive impact with this new self-knowledge. It remained to be seen if he would prove correct.

Apparently Jean-Luc was not the only one thinking about this subject, because eventually, Walker brought up the subject again.

"We can talk now, she's asleep," Walker whispered.

"Why does that matter?" Picard asked. "We're all on the same side, aren't we?"

"Ha. I'm beginning to wonder, Jean-Luc. You're acting as though you are making decisions only for yourself."

"Perhaps I am."

Walker grew quiet, and for a few moments, Jean-Luc hoped that his friend had given up reminding him how much he had changed since his time before the Q. Eventually, Walker changed the subject, but only slightly.

"Do you think that Val was telling the truth about Caine sending him here to ply us for information?"

"Caine's a psychopath, and Val's a liar. Who knows?"

"Val's not the only one with an honesty problem. How long are you going to keep T'Sara in the dark, Jean-Luc? If Yar means something to her, it's not fair to her."

"Keep me in the dark about what?"

Picard elbowed Walker as viciously as possible from the odd angle they were sitting. "He just meant-"

"I am familiar enough with Human metaphors to know that you are talking about a lie, Captain."

"See Jean-Luc? She does understand the concept of bullshit."

Picard turned, realized he was still unable to see anything, let alone T'Sara's expression and then made a face. "You deserve to know the truth," he decided. He slapped Keel on the back. "That's why Walker is going to tell you."

"What!?"

"Walker, I'm so tired of confessions-I'm tired of making them and hearing them. But, you're right. So please just tell her the truth...as you experienced it."

"Jean-Luc, I-"

Picard turned away from his friend's protests and stared into the blackness of his blindfold, beyond which was an equally black night. He lay down and rolled onto his side, resting his cheek in what he hoped was just mud.

In the morning, he awoke to find that his blindfold was gone, and so was Walker. He rose to a cross-legged position and glanced over at T'Sara, who looked back at him with a frankness that seemed appropriate after what Walker had spent half the night telling her.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Vulcan logic and superior emotional control aside, you don't look as angry as I expected."

"I am not angry, Captain."

He hugged his knees to his chest. "If Yar is alive, she might feel differently. She might even decide that what I did warrants revenge of some kind. She might be right. I should have listened to Beverly instead of my ego."

T'Sara got to her feet and reached down to offer him a hand up. When he got to his feet, they stood eye to eye. "That is very possible. However, I find that to fairly judge your actions is difficult. None of us have had the ability you have had to change time and space. The child who was Tasha Yar was both a casualty and beneficiary of that decision, and I would surmise that she was not the only soul affected by your decisions, Captain. However, it cannot be denied that what you did likely saved the known universe. If Tasha is alive, she will come to understand that."

Picard could not hide his surprise at her optimistic viewpoint. "You still have faith in her, then?"

"Yes. As do you. That has been obvious from the start of our journey. It was obvious to Tasha as well."

He crossed his arms and looked down at his muddy boots. "T'Sara, it's important for you to understand that she may never be the same person that she was before I told her everything. Her counterpart was a frightening and heartless person, intent only on gathering unlimited power."

"I understand."

He looked into her eyes. "Then you will be able to set aside any feelings you have for her if she can no longer be trusted...you realize that's what Walker has been insinuating for so long?"

The Vulcan woman took a step backward. "When Mr. Keel told me about Tasha's counterpart, it... amplified memories I have. Memories of my sister."

"What do you mean?"

"My sister, Tavek led the Vulcan Defense Force at Mars Planitia. Her ships were destroyed by the Borg. The Borg controlled by Tasha's... other self."

"I am so sorry, T'Sara. The Vulcan forces fought incredibly bravely."

She looked at him with honesty he was now used to, but he could see the pain in her eyes. "She was my twin. Until now, her murderers were merely faceless automatons in my mind's eye. Now, when I imagine her death, I will see only the face of Tasha Yar."

"But...it wasn't the Tasha you know."

T'Sara looked off into the distance for a few moments before returning his gaze. "I respect Mr. Keel for telling me the truth, Captain. But the truth is not always comfortable...or desirable." She placed her hands behind her back and lifted her chin. "As for any feelings I might have, they are irrelevant to preventing this virus from infecting our galaxy. When needed, you can rely on me to conduct myself accordingly."

Jean-Luc watched T'Sara walk away, and fought an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The feeling that he would never quite be human again, even if he wanted it, returned in full force. He was alone in resolving a problem that he had created. Granted, the Q were to blame, if blame could be placed, it would first rest squarely on the omnipotent beings who had chosen to toy with humankind in the first place. But the Q could not be counted on to help. They were too far removed to have any stake in what was about to happen. At least, so he had been lead to believe.

T'Sara could be counted on, but could he? Everyone was expecting him to figure this predicament out, but so far, he'd been unsuccessful. The truth was, he was lost without Beverly, Wesley, and Seth...even Jack. They were the people who grounded him and always reminded him of the right thing to do when it seemed it wasn't so easy for him to know what the right thing was anymore.

He looked around him, still watching T'Sara. The sun was now shining brightly through towering trees and the heavy fog around them was lifting. She had spotted Walker Keel, and the two of them were now regarding what seemed to be a large, outdoor temporary mess hall, constructed by the infected masses. He spotted among Marco's diverse crew, multiple Starfleet uniforms weaving in and out of the crowded area. There was a lot of laughter, indicating the entities were feeling confident, even joyous as they neared Eternity.

Whatever was being cooked for breakfast smelled appetizing enough. Sniffing the air caused his stomach to rumble. "Food," he said aloud, before walking in the direction of the crowd.

As he walked, something caught the corner of his vision.

"Psst!"

He whirled to find Beverly waving to him from behind a tree.

"Jean-Luc, come here," she beckoned. She disappeared again and he heard her giggling. He glanced around him, but everyone else, including Walker and T'Sara seemed focused on breakfast. Jean-Luc was now focused on something else entirely.

"Come on!" She called out to him, waving him closer.

Unable to resist the thought of contact with her, he jogged over, at the same time, completely aware of the potential danger an encounter with her could bring. The last time he had seen her up close, she had hauled off and kicked him in the face. As soon as he was close enough, she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer. Before he could readjust and gain his footing, she had grabbed his face and was kissing him.

"Finally," she breathed. "Alone at last."

"Buh-Beverly," he mumbled, trying to pull his bottom lip from her teeth. "We can't! You're infected."

She loosened her grip on his face and looked at him. "Infected? I don't know what you're talking Jean-Luc, but...I do have something I want to give you."

He leaned his head back into the tree and shut his eyes tightly. "Oh...oh no..."

"Oh, yes," she insisted in a husky whisper and began to remove her clothing. He found he could not look away.

"Remember that utility closet on Betazed?" she reminded him, now tugging at his waistband. He had to grab ahold of the tree, as she slipped between him and the rough bark.

"M-hmm," he murmured, now trying to control his breathing.

"Let's do it again," she declared, raking her hands over his back. Normally he would have objected to such an assault, but all sensation had raced to his groin and he felt no pain.

Afterward, when he was brushing leaves from his hair and clumsily pulling his pants back up, he felt Beverly watching him closely. There was something slightly predatory in her gaze.

"Well?" She finally asked.

He looked at her blankly, still dazed. "What?"

"Are you going to come with me, now?'

He smiled. "I just did. But give me a few more minutes to recharge-"

"I meant are you going to come with us? To Eternity..." Her eyes glowed with tiny green specks as she continued to wait for his answer.

"So is that what this was for? The virus sent you to infect me?"

"Infect you? Don't insult me with that kind of language..."

He pulled his shirt back over his head. "Or what? Are you going to kick me in the face again?"

"This time, I'll aim for your balls, Jean-Luc."

He peaked out at her. "You wouldn't..."

She walked toward him and grabbed him under his chin. "Don't underestimate us, Jean-Luc. You had better choose sides soon, and wisely. You think the universe is in danger from us? Think again. It is Caine who is the disease."

LaForge sat down next to T'sara on the bench. "Hey...how are you?"

T'Sara turned to look at her friend. Gone was his Visor, and instead, his irises were an emerald green she now knew was indicative of viral infection. He was gazing at her calmly, with a fixed smile on his face.

She pushed away her bowl of oatmeal and steepled her fingers together. "With whom am I speaking?"

"It's me," Geordi said with a grin. "And all of us."

"What do you want?"

"Just your cooperation. Natasha Yar will be here soon. We need you to convince her to listen to us. To destroy Caine and fulfill the prophecy."

"No," said T'Sara, returning her spoon to her bowl. That was when she looked up and over the Geordi entity's shoulder and saw an unexpected figure moving through the crowd, head down and hooded. Tasha was limping, but everything else about her exuded confidence.

She felt both strangely compelled to shout to Tasha and also inspired to run in the other direction. There was something so purposeful about Yar's approach that she knew something very bad was about to occur.