Picard stood in the Reman brig, his communicator pin been removed.
Beyond the security force field a ghoulish medical apparatus is being prepared. A metal chair with laser scalpels, IV tubes and hyposprays connected to it. Reman doctors work over the mysterious chair.
Shinzon entered with the B-9 following. Shinzon stands on the other side of the force field.
Picard notices something immediately. Tiny veins were now visible on Shinzon's face; the faintest sign of an intricate spider-web pattern of pale blue veins.
"Hello, Jean Luc." Shinzo said.
"Why am I here?" he asked.
"I was lonely..." Then he realized Picard was staring at the veins on his face. "Perhaps I'm not aging as well as you did."
He nodded to a guard. The guard deactivated the force field.
A Reman doctor entered and raised a hypospray toward Picard.
"What are you doing?" he asked while he tried to resist.
"I need a sample of your blood. What do your Borg friends say? Resistance is futile." Shinzor said then maniacally laughed.
The Doctor took a quick sample of Picard's blood as he glanced to the B-9.
"Yes. The bait you couldn't refuse. I learned there might be an existing prototype from a Cardassian historian, then went to a great deal of trouble to find it and scatter it about on Kolarus III. I knew it would pique your curiosity and conveniently make the Enterprise the closest ship to Romulus when I contacted Starfleet."
Then the Reman doctor left the cell and the force field is reactivated. The doctor goes to the mysterious medical apparatus and analyzes Picard's blood.
"All of this so you could capture me?"
"Don't be so vain. After we found it, we made a few modifications. An extra memory port, a hidden transponder. Perhaps your eyes will be a bit less confident when you learn I've gained access to Starfleet's communications protocols. I now know the location of your entire fleet..." then he looked at B-9. "...You may go. "
"Where? " he asked.
"Out of my sight."
"Maybe I'll train it to do little tricks for me like your robot does. Or maybe I'll snap its ugly head off." he said while he obediently left the room.
"What's this all about?" Picard asked.
"It's about destiny, Picard. About a Reman outcast who -"
"You're not Reman."
"And I'm not quite human. So what am I? What do you see?" he peers at Picard deeply. "Do you see a life you might have led? Lost youth never to be recaptured?"
"I see a young man trying desperately to deny who he is. I see an old man, set in his ways, afraid to live without a uniform to prop him up and a Starfleet regulation to tell him what to do. I see the man I will never be."
"I won't defend my life to you."
"My life is meaningless as long as you're alive. What am I while you exist? A shadow? An enigma?"
Picard looked at him sternly.
"If your issues are with me... This has nothing to do with my ship and nothing to do with the Federation." he said.
"Oh, but it does. We will no longer bow like slaves before anyone. Not the Romulans and not your mighty Federation. We're a race bred for war. For conquest."
"Think about what you're doing, Shinzon. Are you ready to plunge the entire quadrant into war to satisfy your own personal demons?"
"It amazes me how little you know yourself."
"I'm incapable of such an act, and so are you."
"I think the facts speak for themselves. The same noble Picard blood runs in our veins. Had you lived my life, you'd be doing exactly as I am. Look in the mirror, and see yourself." Then he looked at him deeply. "Consider that, Captain. I can think of no greater torment for you." he continued then turned to leave.
"It's a mirror for you as well... "
Shinzon turned back to him and Picard gazed at him evenly.
Picard's probing gaze made Shinzon a bit uneasy. Then he glanced to the ghoulish medical preparations.
"Not for long, Captain." he said back to Picard. "I'm afraid you won't survive to witness the victory of the echo over the voice."
Then he left.
Back with Wesley,
The Enterprise was now on Red Alert and Worf was standing at tactical, muscles coiled, hungry for action.
"No response to our hails." he said.
Geordi was hard at work at the Science station with Riker standing over him.
Wesley was working on something else. A version of the combadge. This version allows who wears it to travel anywhere without needing help. They can take anyone with them as long as they have a hand on them.
He was looking at it and making adjustments. When he was done he looked at it.
"Let's give this a shot." he said and put it on.
Then he thought about earth and was gone. The next thing he saw he was at Starfleet Academy.
He smiled.
"YES! It worked!"
Then he thought about the Enterprise engineering room and found himself where he was a few minutes ago.
"It worked again!" he said catching everyone's attention.
He turned bright red.
"I, um made an adjustment to a combadge."
"What'd you do with it?" Geordi asked.
"This one can make you travel anywhere without needing to be told engage or anything. It can take more than one person to, as long as they hold onto a part of the person with it on. Come here and you'll see."
Geordi took his hand and Wesley thought about earth again.
When they got there Geordi looked around shocked.
"Whoa." he said.
Wesley smiled and took his hand again. Then they were back.
"Did it work?" Riker asked.
"Yeah! It was cool!" Geordi said smiling wide.
"Jeez, where did you come up with it?" Riker asked.
"I need to wear it so we can find Captain and get him back. I'm the only person that can use it for now."
They nodded.
"So all I have to do is think about Captain and then I can do it."
They nodded again and headed to the main bridge.
When they got to the bridge Wesley told them all what he did and they were shocked.
"Alright, let's go get Captain back." Wesley said.
Then he thought about Captain and was gone.