Chapter 48

"Jean-Luc!" Walker was calling out to him now from under a makeshift mess hall tent.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Walker shouted. "Are you infected?"

Picard slowed his wobbly gait. "I should be," he admitted. From across the area, he saw the viral version of Beverly waving to him even as he slid into a seat next to his friend.

And now Walker stared at him, as though expecting him to blurt something out. When he didn't, Keel looked off into the forest, spotting Beverly. Slowly he turned back to his friend. "Did you two just...?"

Picard nodded. "Yes. Not that it's anyone's business-"

"Not any one's business, you're out in the open for everyone to see," argued Walker. "And it is my business because you and I and T'Sara are the only three damn people who aren't infected yet, Jean-Luc. You know the virus wants you as an ally because of your Q abilities. What were you thinking?"

"You're giving me a lot of credit to assume I was thinking at all."

Walker sighed and then his gaze shifted. He froze. "Oh no. She's back."

T'Sara looked over her shoulder and could see Picard walking over to join Keel for breakfast. She could also see Dr. Beverly Crusher in the visible distance, waving at him from behind a tree. Picard was somewhat unsteady on his feet yet seemed in good spirits. It wasn't difficult to figure out what had just occurred. She only hoped Picard had not infected himself.

When she turned back to Geordi, she found he'd gotten up, but then located him again, about five meters away. Yar had sat down at one of the tables in her direct line of sight but didn't seem to see T'Sara. Instead, she was looking suspiciously up at the engineer from beneath her hood. He seemed quite happy to see her and was chattering away about something. No doubt, she could tell that he was under the influence of the entities. He took an object from a passerby and then handed it to Yar. It was a bowl of hot oatmeal, and Tasha was apparently so hungry, she began eating it without a second thought. Geordi patted her on the back congenially and then walked away. Yar was so focused, she seemed oblivious to his absence.

T'Sara found that she was mesmerized watching Tasha consume her meal at a frantic pace. Eventually, she finished the bowl and then sat back in her chair and closed her eyes, still oblivious to everyone around her. Eventually, she opened her eyes and met T'Sara's gaze. There was immediate recognition, if not surprise in her expression. Her eyes flicked away, as a tall man swung his leg over the seat across from Yar and plopped down, blocking T'Sara's view.

Riker was carrying his own meal and tossed the plate down on the table carelessly. He pulled up his chair and slid another bowl of some kind of breakfast slop over to Yar. "So glad to see you," he said with a grin, and it sounded sincere.

Tasha took the bowl from him. "Thanks," she said, eyeing him with a curiosity she hadn't felt before. She hadn't exactly been interested in conversing with the virus collective before now; after all, it had been the villain in this particular story before her break from Starfleet. But things were different now. She wasn't on any side at all. She was on her own. Not even a few glimpses of T'Sara could change her mind about this. "You look like you're enjoying being infected again..." She remarked.

Riker shook his head. "Huh? I don't understand what you mean."

"Of course you don't. You're just naturally obsessed with finding Eternity," Yar said, turning back to her meal. She had not eaten properly in days, and while the first bowl of steaming breakfast had been welcome, it now hung like a ball of steel in her gut. She was beginning to feel nauseated. Riker helpfully pulled a bottle from his pocket as if on cue. Were the entities telepathic?

"Water?" he offered, handing her the bottle.

She took it without hesitation, opened it and drank it slowly.

"We are so glad you're here," Will said again.

"Who's 'we'?"

Riker spread his arms, his eyes swimming with tiny green lights. "All of us! You're back," he said leaning forward to speak more softly. "Now you can fulfill your promise. In less than one day we will reach the waterfall, and you know what that means."

Yar looked at him, while she chewed slowly. "Do I?"

"You're back. It means you are ready to fulfill the prophecy and we are ready to share the power of Q."

Tasha crossed her arms, deciding to ignore his mention of the prophecy for the moment. "Where's Caine?"

"Inside his tent, shooting up drugs to keep himself strong. He will be alerted to your presence only when you wish. Then, when you are ready, you must kill him, as promised."

Yar shook her head. "No."

"But that's why you've come back to us!" Riker's wide smile had faded, to be replaced by a fervent, almost desperate look in his eyes.

"I've come to get the answers I need. If that means killing Caine, then I'll do it. But it's going to be on my terms."

Riker squinted at her, his exultant smile returning. "You're the one...you really are."

Yar shrugged noncommittally, then nodded at his plate. "Are you going to finish that?"

Riker winked at her, then got up and slapped her on the back. "Eat up! Save your strength." He sauntered away and she grabbed his plate and pulled it closer, before picking up his fork and slipping it beneath her tunic.

Getting up from the table, she made her way over, still limping and sat down across from T'Sara.

T'Sara could no longer see Tasha so she looked back over her shoulder again. Picard and Keel were now visibly arguing. She considered getting up to join them when she saw Tasha approaching.

Tasha hesitated for a moment, before settling into her seat across from T'Sara.

"You are injured," T'Sara observed. Her eyebrows were knitted together with concern.

Yar shrugged. "I'm still alive."

"I am pleased."

"I didn't know Vulcans could be pleased."

"We have the ability, but we are reluctant to display such feelings."

"So why are you telling me this now?"

"Tasha...I believed you to be dead-"

"I was...but I came back to life...and now I've changed. This place...this planet has changed me."

"You have changed...so you no longer seek revenge against Caine for past wrongs?"

"I didn't say that. No...but, I'm determined to get the answers I need."

"From Caine?"

"From whoever I can," Yar said quickly. "But yes...from Caine." She took a deep breath and pulled out a small datapad with the looping hologram of a young woman. "I know you don't owe me anything, T'Sara, but I have to ask you one last favor. Hold onto this for me."

The counselor took the item from Yar and studied it in silence. The woman was beautiful in a minimalist way. Dressed in a prison uniform, she looked hard and determined despite difficult circumstances. Finally, she looked up at Tasha. "The resemblance is uncanny..."

Yar shrugged. "It might not be her...but if it is, I want to know that someone else knows she is alive, besides me."

"You intend to find her?"

"Not necessarily. She might not ever want to see me again. But I need to know whether she's alive or dead."

"And if she is alive? What then? This holo was taken inside a Federation prison."

"I haven't thought that far ahead. In fact, I don't know if I'm ever going to leave this planet."

T'Sara looked down at the datapad, before placing it in her pocket. Then she looked up at Tasha. "I believe that I have changed as well, Tasha."

"Oh?" She looked at the counselor more closely. "You're not infected are you?"

"No. For some reason, the virus has allowed me to remain free from its influence. Perhaps so that I could meet you as we are doing right now."

"It's hoping that you will somehow convince me to join them...cute. As much as I used to enjoy one-way flirting with you, it's not going to work. I'm different now."

"You have already stated this, with no further explanation."

Yar shook her head and looked away. For some reason, the image of the glowing creature from the lake came to mind and her whole body warmed. She instantly felt stronger. She grabbed T'Sara's hand in hers. "I'm going to let you in on a secret...I can't die."

T'Sara frowned but was unsure of what to say.

"Should have died when I crash-landed, but I didn't. Then, Caine caught me in one of his traps. My leg is injured, but I could have bled out and died-but I didn't. I just passed out, and when I woke up the bleeding had stopped and I felt stronger. I can't even explain the feeling, but the planet is supporting me. It wants me to succeed."

T'Sara pulled her hand away and watched as a strange light flickered in Tasha's eyes. "Everything you say is illogical...which does not make it false."

"I don't even know why I bothered," Yar scoffed and started to get to her feet. This time T'Sara reached out and grabbed her hand, and after another moment of indecision she sat back down slowly.

"Tasha...do you still see images and hear the voice of the other Tasha Yar in your mind?"

Tasha narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand away. "What did Picard tell you?"

"Please answer my question."

"Fine. There is no other Tasha Yar," she snapped. "We're one and the same."

"I do not believe that you are capable of doing what Walker Keel described your counterpart having done."

"Keel? What does he know? Guy's an asshole."

T'Sara continued undeterred. "I do not believe you have the capacity to intentionally cause the deaths of millions... including my sister."

Tasha sat back staring down at her hands. "Your sister?"

"She was with the Vulcan Defense. She was killed in battle."

Tasha covered her face with her palms for a moment-a gesture T'Sara had seen Captain Picard employ many times. Finally, she dropped them and looked directly at her former colleague. "I'm sorry for what happened to your sister. According to the official record, the Vulcans fell to the Borg defending the Sol system."

"That is correct. But the Borg were controlled and guided by an omnipotent being who defeated even the Q entities...your progenitor."

Yar shook her head. "There's no proof of that. You're brainwashed by Picard and his friends."

"There was a time when you counted yourself as one of those friends."

Yar looked on stone-faced.

"Do you hate him now that you know the truth?"

You still don't know the full truth, a voice echoed in Tasha's skull. When she spoke again, her tone was chilly but controlled. "No. I'm done with him. He's nothing to me anymore."

"I do not believe you, Tasha."

"Believe what you want. When you said you'd changed, I didn't know you meant you'd become a starry-eyed optimist."

"I have changed because I now recognize that I have...an emotional feeling for you."

Yar smiled slightly. If there was regret in her eyes, T'Sara could not detect it. "You love me? No, wait-don't say anything more."

"Why not?"

"Because first, I wouldn't believe you; and second...you need to forget about me. How you and I felt before doesn't matter anymore. If you wanted to know how I felt, we should have done that mind-meld. It's too late for that. Besides, when you see what I do to Caine and anyone else who gets in my way, you're not going to want anything else to do with me."

"That may be true."

"What happened to my box of drawings? Did you ask Picard about it?"

"Yes."

"Well, did he take it from you?"

"No. Caine has it."

Yar sat forward with sudden intensity at the mention of Caine. "Did he hurt you?"

T'Sara blinked. "It does not matter."

"Yes, it does." Tasha got to her feet and glanced around her. The place was teeming with infected humanoids and aliens of all kinds. But no Caine. She caught Riker's gaze through the crowd and nodded at him. He gave a half-amused salute and turned to walk away.

"Tasha...Captain Picard still believes you to be capable of helping us to defeat the virus."

"Does he now?"

"Yes. And I also question whether you will be so reckless as to kill Caine, knowing the consequences could be dire."

Yar looked down at the Vulcan woman, as the cold light returned to her eyes. "Tell Picard to stay out of my way, or he'll regret it. Goodbye."

Tasha had returned to her seat alone on a bench and fiddled with her half-empty bowl, keeping her eyes down. Suddenly she sat up straighter. It wasn't that she necessarily heard his footsteps, but she sensed his presence. His evil. She took a quick look over her shoulder and spotted him, before hunkering down again. He was wearing a shiny prosthetic cybernetic eye over his usual eyepatch and was covered in weapons of various kinds as he pushed people out of the way, to make his way through the crowds. He knows I'm here somewhere, but he doesn't see me yet.

She gripped the fork underneath her cloak and waited. Gradually every sound except the sound of her breathing and his footsteps ceased. She smiled to herself, before she grabbed the bowl, leaped up and backward slamming the bowl on the bridge of his nose. Caine, covered in bloody oatmeal, pulled a knife swiftly and slashed at her. She evaded and jumping off of a nearby table, stuck the fork into his good eye. Screaming, he batted at her, but she grabbed a holstered gun from his hip and rolled away, quickly shooting him in the leg.

What she didn't expect, was for Jack Crusher and Geordi to converge on her from behind, locking her arms, and removing the gun from her grasp. Their inhuman strength stopped her in her tracks.

She looked across at Caine, who was on his knees, the lense of his robotic eye acutely fixed on her, as two Remans grabbed him roughly, dragging him to his feet.

Riker walked between them and smiled at Yar charmingly. "As I said, we're so glad you're here, Tasha Yar. But there are rules, after all." He pointed to a grassy clearing. "Over there is where you will kill him."