Chapter 19
When they reappeared in the transporter room, Vicki Ann couldn't help but gasp. This
wasn't her ship. The transporter room was different. She was about to grab her phaser
and point it at Riker when someone grabbed her from behind. They attached something to
her wrist. She struggled and ran her heel down the shin of her attacker. He jumped back in
pain. Vicki Ann started to run, but Riker grabbed her. He held her arms behind her. He
leaned his face toward her face. "Don't even think about it. You're not going anywhere,"
he whispered in her ear.
The doors of the room opened and a woman entered. She had dark curly hair and stood
proud and tall. She smiled at Vicki Ann. "Welcome, Victorianna. We've been expecting
you."
Vicki Ann tried to free herself from Riker, but the second she moved, Deanna pressed a
button on something on her wrist. Vicki Ann began to shake with convulsions. Then, just
as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
"Every time you try to resist us, I will activate your wrist band and what just happened
will happen again. And each time it will get worse."
"What do you want with me?" Vicki Ann asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," Deanna replied.
Vicki Ann found herself strapped in some sort of booth. In front of her was Deanna, Riker
and a few other officers. Deanna pressed a button which activated the booth.
"Now, we're going to ask you some questions. If you tell us what we want to know, you
will not be harmed. If not, I will press this button and what happened in the transporter
room, will happen again," Deanna told her. "We'll start off with an easy question. What is
your name and rank?"
Vicki Ann didn't say a word.
Deanna pressed the button.
Vicki Ann made fists with her hands and remained silent.
"I'll give you another chance. Answer the question."
Vicki Ann kept her mouth shut.
Deanna pressed the button again. When Vicki Ann didn't open her mouth, Deanna said,
"We'll try another question. What is your ship's current mission?"
Vicki Ann still remained silent.
And yet again, Deanna pressed the button.
Vicki Ann let out no sound.
Deanna grew angry. She raised the setting and pressed the button.
Vicki Ann began to lose consciousness.
"Get her out of there. She's of no use to me now. We'll keep her in the brig until we
receive our directive from Q."
"I would like to try and get the information out of her, "Riker replied.
"Very well. Just keep her alive," Deanna replied as she walked away.
Riker picked up Vicki Ann just as she lost consciousness and carried her away.
Vicki Ann awoke in a set of crew quarters. Not hers, but very familiar. She was in one of
the extra bedrooms in an officer's quarters. The room was adequately furnished, containing
a bed, a dresser, a night table and bathroom in a small room off the one side. She was
wearing a uniform very similar to the one Deanna had been wearing, minus the
communicator and the skirt was much shorter, only going about six inches below the hips.
On her feet were black, high- cut boots that went to the knee. She stood up and looked
down at herself. "Arrgh! This is awful!"
"I think it looks rather nice. It rather emphasizes your shapely figure," a voice behind her
said.
Vicki Ann spun around to see who it was, but was caught by the intruder. She looked up,
right into the eyes of Riker. She tried to wiggle free, but this Riker was much stronger than
her Riker. "Let me go!"
"Sorry, my dear, but until Q decides what you're worth, you're mine. As a matter of fact, I
do believe that Q will have you executed, but I'm prepared to bargain for you life."
"What's in it for you?"
"The company of a very beautiful woman," he replied, running his hands along the curves
of her body.
"Really?" she asked, her voice soft and raspy. "That sounds rather. . . . . ."
Riker smiled when he saw her change of attitude.
She finished her sentence. "Repulsive!" She rammed her heel onto his foot.
He screamed and grabbed her arm as she tried to run away. He pulled her to him and
wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from getting away. "I wouldn't try anything
like that again or you might find yourself staring at the barrel of a disruptor."
"I would rather die than-."
He turned her around to face him. "Would you?" He pulled his knife from his side. "Alright
then." He held the knife up to her throat. "Accept my proposition or I'll slit your throat."
Vicki Ann remained motionless.
He pushed her across the room. She hit the wall and sunk to the floor. "I'll give you one
more chance. I'll let you have some time to consider your decision."
When Riker arrived at the bridge, he turned to one of the officers on duty and barked,
"Find out everything about our guest. I want to know everything. If she has friends, find
out who they are. If she has a lover, find out. Alert me when you have the information."
"Found a new friend?" Troi asked, teasingly.
"More like your replacement."
That night, Riker returned to his quarters with an some useful information on Vicki Ann. He
entered his quarters and then the forcefield protected room that usually held his prisoners.
Vicki Ann was still unconscious on the floor and there was blood coming from the back of
her head. He shook her until she woke up.
She sat up and glared at him. She felt the back of her head. When she removed her hand,
it was covered with blood.
Riker handed her a med kit. "Fix it."
Vicki Ann obeyed and then handed Riker the med kit.
He gave it back to her. "Keep it. You'll probably need it again." He paced a bit. "Have you
thought about my proposition?"
She ignored him.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him. "I wouldn't play games. If you do, I can
make life very difficult for you."
"I'm shaking in my boots."
He laughed. "I've seen your type before. Beautiful and strong. And stubborn as hell. They
usually don't last longer than a few days, a week at the most. Once I start to make things
difficult for them, they either force me to kill them or they commit suicide."
"I've already been through hell. I think I can take a little more."
"Really? We'll see about that."
"I already told you that I would rather die than accept your proposition."
"The day is young. I will be kind and give you some more time to think. In the mean time, I
would like to ask you a question. On the planet, you seemed to sense that something was
wrong. How?"
"Magic."
"Answer the question!" he roared at her.
"I was fortunate enough to have had some genetic meddling done to me before my birth.
It included advanced telepathy and empathic abilities far beyond those I originally had."
When Riker gave her a confused look, she smiled. "That's right. I already had empathic
abilities. But, that's all."
"How?"
"My father was human, but my mother was Betazoid. Sound familiar?"
Just like Deanna, Riker thought to himself.
"Exactly."
Riker glanced at the PADD he had been given. He scrolled down the page and there it was.
Her real name was Victorianna Troi. She had been taken from her parents before birth for
some kind of experiment. He had missed it when he had read over it. So that means that
she is- "Deanna's sister," he finished.
Vicki Ann nodded. She hoped she could use this to her advantage. "Do you know what
that means? It means the jig is up. I can read your mind. I know what you're planning so
you might as well let me go. I'm of absolutely no use to you."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. As a matter of fact, this information will be very useful.
Instead of slitting your throat, how about your sister's? Or your best friend, my alternate?"
He saw the fear begin to show in her eyes. "Or better yet, what about your beloved
doctor? One Julian Bashir."
Vicki Ann gasped.
"It would be such a shame if the doctor had an accident, wouldn't it?"
"No," she whispered.
"What did you say?"
"No."
"No? And what will you do in return for me sparing the doctor's life?"
"Anything."
"Anything?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to less than an inch away from
his and whispered, "I'll do anything you want."
Picard sat on the bridge, watching the viewscreen. They had been at Time Planet for over
a week and there was no sign of Vicki Ann. He suspected that if they didn't get any clues
soon, Starfleet would sent them elsewhere. He glanced over at Deanna. Outwardly, she
seemed to be taking things well, but he knew she was just putting up a front. As for Riker,
his worry showed, despite his efforts to the contrary. He and Data were attempting to
analyze the readings from the Guardian. Though his face was fixed with concentration, his
eyebrows furrowed with concern. Just like the rest of the crew, he had dark circles under
his eyes, both out of overwork and worry. The rest of the senior staff, Picard guessed,
was the same. He hadn't seen much of Beverly lately, but with Vicki Ann gone, she was
swamped in sickbay and that gave her an outlet for her feelings.
It was amazing how the loss of one officer could throw everyone off. What was strange
about this was that out of all of them, Vicki Ann had been with them the shortest amount
of time. And yet, they had all become attached to and so dependant on her being there.
She had a way of getting under skin and straight to your heart, so that you couldn't
imagine life without her. It was that quality and the fact that they'd been through so
much together in the time since she'd come aboard. The situaiton with the Q and most
recently, the situation with Riker's duplicate, had brought them together so that they were
like family.
No, they were family. Vicki Ann had confided in him once that although she loved her
adopted family and they loved her, she had always felt disconnected from them in a way.
Like she wasn't a part of them. Therefore, he belived, she searched for a place to which
she could beong, a place that felt like home. The Enterprise had become that place. And
that was the reason they were still hoping, still waiting. Because you don't give up on
family.
Q stared straight ahead. He was still waiting for some sign that she was okay. Then he got
it. He saw the prophecy before him in a jumble of images. He saw Vicki Ann and Riker, or
someone who looked like him. He saw men in black uniforms, a man in a Starfleet uniform
and a child. A child that shouldn't exist yet. A child that must be destroyed or he would
destroy them all. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was enough. He snapped his fingers and
appeared on the bridge. "She's gone."
"What?" Riker asked, snapping out of his daze.
"She's gone. She's not in 21st century San Francisco anymore."
"Where is she then?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No, I don't."
"I thought you knew everything," Riker snapped.
"Look, Riker, just because you miss your mistress, doesn't mean that you have to take it
out on me!"
"ENOUGH!" Picard roared.
The bridge crew, as well as Q, looked at him wide-eyed.
"Now that I have your attention, we can't be arguing like children if we're actually going to
get anywhere with this search."
"You're not going to get anywhere," Q replied, crossing his arms across his chest,
annoyed.
"And why not?"
"Because you're not supposed to? Don't you understand? We're not supposed to interfere!
With the possible exception of one person, and for him, it wouldn't be interfering, helping
to fulfill the prophecy."
"So again, we have to sit back and do nothing?" Riker asked.
"As hard as it is, yes! Do you think that I want to stand by and let this thing play out? Do
you think that I want to see her get hurt anymore? I would love nothing more than to go
running after her and make sure that she's protected from any further harm! But I can't do
that and neither can you! Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry, Q, but your speeches don't impress me at all. I don't believe a thing you say.
After all you did for Vicki Ann, I still believe that you did it because you got some thing out
of it."
Picard nodded. "We understand, Q. And we promise not to interfere."
"Thank you , Mon capitaine."
Q went back to Vicki Ann's quarters. Had Vicki Ann not had an attachment to that
insufferable Riker, Q might have turned him into a Betazoid flea and stepped on him. What
was it Vicki Ann had said about the two of them? He remembered now. She'd said the
reason they hated each other was because they were too much alike; arrogant, both
always wanting to be in control, neither wanting to be questioned.. Q laughed to himself.
She was right. He couldn't hide from her, not matter how hard he tried. And he loved it.
When they reappeared in the transporter room, Vicki Ann couldn't help but gasp. This
wasn't her ship. The transporter room was different. She was about to grab her phaser
and point it at Riker when someone grabbed her from behind. They attached something to
her wrist. She struggled and ran her heel down the shin of her attacker. He jumped back in
pain. Vicki Ann started to run, but Riker grabbed her. He held her arms behind her. He
leaned his face toward her face. "Don't even think about it. You're not going anywhere,"
he whispered in her ear.
The doors of the room opened and a woman entered. She had dark curly hair and stood
proud and tall. She smiled at Vicki Ann. "Welcome, Victorianna. We've been expecting
you."
Vicki Ann tried to free herself from Riker, but the second she moved, Deanna pressed a
button on something on her wrist. Vicki Ann began to shake with convulsions. Then, just
as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
"Every time you try to resist us, I will activate your wrist band and what just happened
will happen again. And each time it will get worse."
"What do you want with me?" Vicki Ann asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," Deanna replied.
Vicki Ann found herself strapped in some sort of booth. In front of her was Deanna, Riker
and a few other officers. Deanna pressed a button which activated the booth.
"Now, we're going to ask you some questions. If you tell us what we want to know, you
will not be harmed. If not, I will press this button and what happened in the transporter
room, will happen again," Deanna told her. "We'll start off with an easy question. What is
your name and rank?"
Vicki Ann didn't say a word.
Deanna pressed the button.
Vicki Ann made fists with her hands and remained silent.
"I'll give you another chance. Answer the question."
Vicki Ann kept her mouth shut.
Deanna pressed the button again. When Vicki Ann didn't open her mouth, Deanna said,
"We'll try another question. What is your ship's current mission?"
Vicki Ann still remained silent.
And yet again, Deanna pressed the button.
Vicki Ann let out no sound.
Deanna grew angry. She raised the setting and pressed the button.
Vicki Ann began to lose consciousness.
"Get her out of there. She's of no use to me now. We'll keep her in the brig until we
receive our directive from Q."
"I would like to try and get the information out of her, "Riker replied.
"Very well. Just keep her alive," Deanna replied as she walked away.
Riker picked up Vicki Ann just as she lost consciousness and carried her away.
Vicki Ann awoke in a set of crew quarters. Not hers, but very familiar. She was in one of
the extra bedrooms in an officer's quarters. The room was adequately furnished, containing
a bed, a dresser, a night table and bathroom in a small room off the one side. She was
wearing a uniform very similar to the one Deanna had been wearing, minus the
communicator and the skirt was much shorter, only going about six inches below the hips.
On her feet were black, high- cut boots that went to the knee. She stood up and looked
down at herself. "Arrgh! This is awful!"
"I think it looks rather nice. It rather emphasizes your shapely figure," a voice behind her
said.
Vicki Ann spun around to see who it was, but was caught by the intruder. She looked up,
right into the eyes of Riker. She tried to wiggle free, but this Riker was much stronger than
her Riker. "Let me go!"
"Sorry, my dear, but until Q decides what you're worth, you're mine. As a matter of fact, I
do believe that Q will have you executed, but I'm prepared to bargain for you life."
"What's in it for you?"
"The company of a very beautiful woman," he replied, running his hands along the curves
of her body.
"Really?" she asked, her voice soft and raspy. "That sounds rather. . . . . ."
Riker smiled when he saw her change of attitude.
She finished her sentence. "Repulsive!" She rammed her heel onto his foot.
He screamed and grabbed her arm as she tried to run away. He pulled her to him and
wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from getting away. "I wouldn't try anything
like that again or you might find yourself staring at the barrel of a disruptor."
"I would rather die than-."
He turned her around to face him. "Would you?" He pulled his knife from his side. "Alright
then." He held the knife up to her throat. "Accept my proposition or I'll slit your throat."
Vicki Ann remained motionless.
He pushed her across the room. She hit the wall and sunk to the floor. "I'll give you one
more chance. I'll let you have some time to consider your decision."
When Riker arrived at the bridge, he turned to one of the officers on duty and barked,
"Find out everything about our guest. I want to know everything. If she has friends, find
out who they are. If she has a lover, find out. Alert me when you have the information."
"Found a new friend?" Troi asked, teasingly.
"More like your replacement."
That night, Riker returned to his quarters with an some useful information on Vicki Ann. He
entered his quarters and then the forcefield protected room that usually held his prisoners.
Vicki Ann was still unconscious on the floor and there was blood coming from the back of
her head. He shook her until she woke up.
She sat up and glared at him. She felt the back of her head. When she removed her hand,
it was covered with blood.
Riker handed her a med kit. "Fix it."
Vicki Ann obeyed and then handed Riker the med kit.
He gave it back to her. "Keep it. You'll probably need it again." He paced a bit. "Have you
thought about my proposition?"
She ignored him.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him. "I wouldn't play games. If you do, I can
make life very difficult for you."
"I'm shaking in my boots."
He laughed. "I've seen your type before. Beautiful and strong. And stubborn as hell. They
usually don't last longer than a few days, a week at the most. Once I start to make things
difficult for them, they either force me to kill them or they commit suicide."
"I've already been through hell. I think I can take a little more."
"Really? We'll see about that."
"I already told you that I would rather die than accept your proposition."
"The day is young. I will be kind and give you some more time to think. In the mean time, I
would like to ask you a question. On the planet, you seemed to sense that something was
wrong. How?"
"Magic."
"Answer the question!" he roared at her.
"I was fortunate enough to have had some genetic meddling done to me before my birth.
It included advanced telepathy and empathic abilities far beyond those I originally had."
When Riker gave her a confused look, she smiled. "That's right. I already had empathic
abilities. But, that's all."
"How?"
"My father was human, but my mother was Betazoid. Sound familiar?"
Just like Deanna, Riker thought to himself.
"Exactly."
Riker glanced at the PADD he had been given. He scrolled down the page and there it was.
Her real name was Victorianna Troi. She had been taken from her parents before birth for
some kind of experiment. He had missed it when he had read over it. So that means that
she is- "Deanna's sister," he finished.
Vicki Ann nodded. She hoped she could use this to her advantage. "Do you know what
that means? It means the jig is up. I can read your mind. I know what you're planning so
you might as well let me go. I'm of absolutely no use to you."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. As a matter of fact, this information will be very useful.
Instead of slitting your throat, how about your sister's? Or your best friend, my alternate?"
He saw the fear begin to show in her eyes. "Or better yet, what about your beloved
doctor? One Julian Bashir."
Vicki Ann gasped.
"It would be such a shame if the doctor had an accident, wouldn't it?"
"No," she whispered.
"What did you say?"
"No."
"No? And what will you do in return for me sparing the doctor's life?"
"Anything."
"Anything?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to less than an inch away from
his and whispered, "I'll do anything you want."
Picard sat on the bridge, watching the viewscreen. They had been at Time Planet for over
a week and there was no sign of Vicki Ann. He suspected that if they didn't get any clues
soon, Starfleet would sent them elsewhere. He glanced over at Deanna. Outwardly, she
seemed to be taking things well, but he knew she was just putting up a front. As for Riker,
his worry showed, despite his efforts to the contrary. He and Data were attempting to
analyze the readings from the Guardian. Though his face was fixed with concentration, his
eyebrows furrowed with concern. Just like the rest of the crew, he had dark circles under
his eyes, both out of overwork and worry. The rest of the senior staff, Picard guessed,
was the same. He hadn't seen much of Beverly lately, but with Vicki Ann gone, she was
swamped in sickbay and that gave her an outlet for her feelings.
It was amazing how the loss of one officer could throw everyone off. What was strange
about this was that out of all of them, Vicki Ann had been with them the shortest amount
of time. And yet, they had all become attached to and so dependant on her being there.
She had a way of getting under skin and straight to your heart, so that you couldn't
imagine life without her. It was that quality and the fact that they'd been through so
much together in the time since she'd come aboard. The situaiton with the Q and most
recently, the situation with Riker's duplicate, had brought them together so that they were
like family.
No, they were family. Vicki Ann had confided in him once that although she loved her
adopted family and they loved her, she had always felt disconnected from them in a way.
Like she wasn't a part of them. Therefore, he belived, she searched for a place to which
she could beong, a place that felt like home. The Enterprise had become that place. And
that was the reason they were still hoping, still waiting. Because you don't give up on
family.
Q stared straight ahead. He was still waiting for some sign that she was okay. Then he got
it. He saw the prophecy before him in a jumble of images. He saw Vicki Ann and Riker, or
someone who looked like him. He saw men in black uniforms, a man in a Starfleet uniform
and a child. A child that shouldn't exist yet. A child that must be destroyed or he would
destroy them all. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was enough. He snapped his fingers and
appeared on the bridge. "She's gone."
"What?" Riker asked, snapping out of his daze.
"She's gone. She's not in 21st century San Francisco anymore."
"Where is she then?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No, I don't."
"I thought you knew everything," Riker snapped.
"Look, Riker, just because you miss your mistress, doesn't mean that you have to take it
out on me!"
"ENOUGH!" Picard roared.
The bridge crew, as well as Q, looked at him wide-eyed.
"Now that I have your attention, we can't be arguing like children if we're actually going to
get anywhere with this search."
"You're not going to get anywhere," Q replied, crossing his arms across his chest,
annoyed.
"And why not?"
"Because you're not supposed to? Don't you understand? We're not supposed to interfere!
With the possible exception of one person, and for him, it wouldn't be interfering, helping
to fulfill the prophecy."
"So again, we have to sit back and do nothing?" Riker asked.
"As hard as it is, yes! Do you think that I want to stand by and let this thing play out? Do
you think that I want to see her get hurt anymore? I would love nothing more than to go
running after her and make sure that she's protected from any further harm! But I can't do
that and neither can you! Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry, Q, but your speeches don't impress me at all. I don't believe a thing you say.
After all you did for Vicki Ann, I still believe that you did it because you got some thing out
of it."
Picard nodded. "We understand, Q. And we promise not to interfere."
"Thank you , Mon capitaine."
Q went back to Vicki Ann's quarters. Had Vicki Ann not had an attachment to that
insufferable Riker, Q might have turned him into a Betazoid flea and stepped on him. What
was it Vicki Ann had said about the two of them? He remembered now. She'd said the
reason they hated each other was because they were too much alike; arrogant, both
always wanting to be in control, neither wanting to be questioned.. Q laughed to himself.
She was right. He couldn't hide from her, not matter how hard he tried. And he loved it.