Rev looked around. He could only see a great white expanse in all directions. He called out to anyone who might be listening, "Did I make it? Or is this the home of the Divine?"
"You survived," A voice responded, seemingly from nowhere.
Rev continued to look around as he spoke, "Are you the Guardian on the Edge of Forever?"
"Yes."
"No one told me that it would be like this," Rev responded.
"How I interact changes with each person. For you, this setting and this form of communication was most appropriate."
"Thank you for trying to make me more comfortable, but I have a request."
"You want to change history. I cannot do that," The Guardian paused for a moment, "But you can."
"How?" Rev asked.
"I will show you how to keep the Borg from gaining the vortex technology, but only you can carry it out."
"This ought to be worth watching," Another voice stated from behind Rev.
Rev spun around, "How did you get here?"
"How did I get here? I'm Q; I'm wherever I want to be. You didn't really think I'd just ignore the big finish did you?"
"Why are you here?" Rev asked, already feeling annoyance at Q's mannerisms.
"Like I told you when we first met, I'm just here to observe. Just think of me as a fly on the wall."
"It is time to go," The Guardian stated, and Rev was instantly transported to a distant place and time. The small room was like nothing he had ever seen before. Nothing moved, not even the bizarre alien in the corner of the room.
"Where am I?"
"This is the main research complex of the ones you call Species 8475. The creature standing before you will eventually invent the Vortex technology. If you wish to prevent the decimation of the universe by the Borg, you must kill him."
"I can't," Rev responded, "I can't kill an innocent being in cold blood."
"Are you aware of the number of creatures killed by Species 8475?" The Guardian asked, "They have decimated entire planets solely for malice."
"But…" Rev paused, "This is not a soldier. Did he have a part in deciding to attack those planets?"
"Those decisions were not his to make."
"He is innocent," Rev concluded, "I cannot hold him responsible for the actions of his people."
"You must do this, for the greater good."
"How can something that is good come from an evil action?" Rev demanded, "The Divine would not force me to comit murder to accomplish His goals."
"Doesn't the Divine work in mysterious ways? If only evil can come from evil, then your entire life must have been the pinacle of wickedness."
"I… do not believe that he would use such means…"
"Are you certain of that?"
Before Rev could respond, Q appeared next to him, "Remember what I told you before. This is the moment when you have to choose between the good of the one, and the good of the many."
"I do remember what you told me," Rev shot back, his beliefs suddenly as firm as iron, "You told me that the Magog hordes are only doing what they must to survive. But I will not sink to that level. I will not commit this evil because it looks like the best option in my limited sight. I put my trust in the Divine."
"I knew you could do it," Q smiled, "You won't remember any of this, but I'll be watching you. You've got a lot of promise."
"You… were on my side?" Rev asked.
"Well, I couldn't just tell you what to do, but it looks like playing devil's advocate did just as well."
"What about the Borg?"
"When you last visited me, you made a very different choice with very serious consequences," The Guardian answered, "I will not describe how you came to find me, except that you and the Andromeda were involved in numerous battles with Species 8475. You witnessed them destroying entire fleets, decimating planets, and forcing sentients into slavery. You were alone then, too. When you were given the option of killing that scientist, you did, to keep Species 8475 from attacking other universes. Unfortunately, without the guidance of this visonary, Species 8475 continued to be malevolent and aggressive. Eventually, their war with the Borg allowed one of them to be assimilated, and that is what caused all of this tragedy to take place. However, this time you have erred on the side of hope, and for that, the universe is forever in your debt."
***
Rev tried to pick up the fallen plant, but the metal pot clattered to the ground, causing dirt to cascade across the floor. He looked at the mess for a moment, then slowly walked off to find some way of cleaning it up.
'Why must I have hands like these?' He thought, 'I can't shake hands as humans do, and I can barely hold small things like the plant. These claws, they are only good for thing: Killing. How can the Divine create creatures like me?"
"Rev, what are you doing?" The young voice asked.
"Trance," Rev turned, "I'm sorry, but I seem to have dropped one of your planets. I know how much they mean to you…"
"You mean Alice?" Trance asked, "I noticed. But it's ok, she doesn't get out enough anyway."
"Thank you," Rev smiled, "It makes me feel better when you say things like that."
"Come on," Trance said, "Let's go put Alice in bed six."
Rev chuckled under his breath as she led him over to the sixth plant bed in hydroponics. It was so pleasant to be around her. She always had faith that things would turn out well, even when Rev didn't. He was glad that he didn't have to go through the difficult times without her.
--- Epilogue
"So, how did it go?"
"Better than I expected," Ishan answered, "Everything seems to be fixed. No one remembers anything, except for the Q and the rest of the super-sentient species."
"The temporal shields weren't a problem?"
"You know the Guardian. He wouldn't let something like that get in his way."
The director of the organization laughed slighty, "I have been meaning to talk to him again one of these days, though I hear the Federation have been keeping him pretty good company."
"I'm going down there tomarrow for some follow-up. You should come along."
"I can't," The director smiled, "The Q Continuum is still pretty upset about the whole thing, and I'll have to go down there in person to get everything settled down. In fact, I've got more work now than I did during the actual invasion. Once I'm through with the Continuum, I have to drop by and see the Douwd. One of them was almost assimilated, after all. Then, I'm off to see the Master of the Force, and well… you get the picture."
"You are swamped," Ishan observed, "Just forget about that promotion I've been wanting. All the case studies in the multiverse and worth that kind of trouble."
"How are the humans, by the way?"
"I was pretty impressed by them through the whole ordeal. They're pretty tough, for sentients."
"You survived," A voice responded, seemingly from nowhere.
Rev continued to look around as he spoke, "Are you the Guardian on the Edge of Forever?"
"Yes."
"No one told me that it would be like this," Rev responded.
"How I interact changes with each person. For you, this setting and this form of communication was most appropriate."
"Thank you for trying to make me more comfortable, but I have a request."
"You want to change history. I cannot do that," The Guardian paused for a moment, "But you can."
"How?" Rev asked.
"I will show you how to keep the Borg from gaining the vortex technology, but only you can carry it out."
"This ought to be worth watching," Another voice stated from behind Rev.
Rev spun around, "How did you get here?"
"How did I get here? I'm Q; I'm wherever I want to be. You didn't really think I'd just ignore the big finish did you?"
"Why are you here?" Rev asked, already feeling annoyance at Q's mannerisms.
"Like I told you when we first met, I'm just here to observe. Just think of me as a fly on the wall."
"It is time to go," The Guardian stated, and Rev was instantly transported to a distant place and time. The small room was like nothing he had ever seen before. Nothing moved, not even the bizarre alien in the corner of the room.
"Where am I?"
"This is the main research complex of the ones you call Species 8475. The creature standing before you will eventually invent the Vortex technology. If you wish to prevent the decimation of the universe by the Borg, you must kill him."
"I can't," Rev responded, "I can't kill an innocent being in cold blood."
"Are you aware of the number of creatures killed by Species 8475?" The Guardian asked, "They have decimated entire planets solely for malice."
"But…" Rev paused, "This is not a soldier. Did he have a part in deciding to attack those planets?"
"Those decisions were not his to make."
"He is innocent," Rev concluded, "I cannot hold him responsible for the actions of his people."
"You must do this, for the greater good."
"How can something that is good come from an evil action?" Rev demanded, "The Divine would not force me to comit murder to accomplish His goals."
"Doesn't the Divine work in mysterious ways? If only evil can come from evil, then your entire life must have been the pinacle of wickedness."
"I… do not believe that he would use such means…"
"Are you certain of that?"
Before Rev could respond, Q appeared next to him, "Remember what I told you before. This is the moment when you have to choose between the good of the one, and the good of the many."
"I do remember what you told me," Rev shot back, his beliefs suddenly as firm as iron, "You told me that the Magog hordes are only doing what they must to survive. But I will not sink to that level. I will not commit this evil because it looks like the best option in my limited sight. I put my trust in the Divine."
"I knew you could do it," Q smiled, "You won't remember any of this, but I'll be watching you. You've got a lot of promise."
"You… were on my side?" Rev asked.
"Well, I couldn't just tell you what to do, but it looks like playing devil's advocate did just as well."
"What about the Borg?"
"When you last visited me, you made a very different choice with very serious consequences," The Guardian answered, "I will not describe how you came to find me, except that you and the Andromeda were involved in numerous battles with Species 8475. You witnessed them destroying entire fleets, decimating planets, and forcing sentients into slavery. You were alone then, too. When you were given the option of killing that scientist, you did, to keep Species 8475 from attacking other universes. Unfortunately, without the guidance of this visonary, Species 8475 continued to be malevolent and aggressive. Eventually, their war with the Borg allowed one of them to be assimilated, and that is what caused all of this tragedy to take place. However, this time you have erred on the side of hope, and for that, the universe is forever in your debt."
***
Rev tried to pick up the fallen plant, but the metal pot clattered to the ground, causing dirt to cascade across the floor. He looked at the mess for a moment, then slowly walked off to find some way of cleaning it up.
'Why must I have hands like these?' He thought, 'I can't shake hands as humans do, and I can barely hold small things like the plant. These claws, they are only good for thing: Killing. How can the Divine create creatures like me?"
"Rev, what are you doing?" The young voice asked.
"Trance," Rev turned, "I'm sorry, but I seem to have dropped one of your planets. I know how much they mean to you…"
"You mean Alice?" Trance asked, "I noticed. But it's ok, she doesn't get out enough anyway."
"Thank you," Rev smiled, "It makes me feel better when you say things like that."
"Come on," Trance said, "Let's go put Alice in bed six."
Rev chuckled under his breath as she led him over to the sixth plant bed in hydroponics. It was so pleasant to be around her. She always had faith that things would turn out well, even when Rev didn't. He was glad that he didn't have to go through the difficult times without her.
--- Epilogue
"So, how did it go?"
"Better than I expected," Ishan answered, "Everything seems to be fixed. No one remembers anything, except for the Q and the rest of the super-sentient species."
"The temporal shields weren't a problem?"
"You know the Guardian. He wouldn't let something like that get in his way."
The director of the organization laughed slighty, "I have been meaning to talk to him again one of these days, though I hear the Federation have been keeping him pretty good company."
"I'm going down there tomarrow for some follow-up. You should come along."
"I can't," The director smiled, "The Q Continuum is still pretty upset about the whole thing, and I'll have to go down there in person to get everything settled down. In fact, I've got more work now than I did during the actual invasion. Once I'm through with the Continuum, I have to drop by and see the Douwd. One of them was almost assimilated, after all. Then, I'm off to see the Master of the Force, and well… you get the picture."
"You are swamped," Ishan observed, "Just forget about that promotion I've been wanting. All the case studies in the multiverse and worth that kind of trouble."
"How are the humans, by the way?"
"I was pretty impressed by them through the whole ordeal. They're pretty tough, for sentients."