Chapter II
0700 hours, Tuesday morning. Jean-Luc Picard stepped out of the turbolift and suddenly realised that the number of times that he performed that simple action was coming to an end.
He had informed Starfleet Command of his intention to retire at the end of the year. Admiral Paris had spoken to him at length that night, trying to persuade him to reconsider and then, seeing that he could not, trying to ascertain his reasons for doing so. Picard had not disclosed the reasons for doing so, mainly because he had to decide for himself what he was going to tell the crew today. He had decided to announce it when the whole day shift was in full swing, telling them that he had decided to retire, and let Commander Riker take command.
Fortunately, Starfleet had agreed with all of his recommendations, so the changeover would be mercifully smooth. Once they had accepted the fact that he was leaving, Starfleet had practically fallen over themselves to make Riker captain. Despite what had been said each time that he had refused his own command in the past, Starfleet still regarded Riker highly enough to give him his first command as captain of the flagship.
Picard took his seat in the command chair, and brought up a display of status reports from the night shift on his chair-arm viewer. Scanning through them, he waited for the rest of his senior staff to arrive.
A few minutes later, they did so. Riker entered first from the forward turbolift. He glanced at Picard, and his expression clouded for a moment, before he took his place at his captain's right hand. 'Good morning, sir,' he said perfunctorily.
'Good morning, Number One,' Picard replied, his mood still good. 'Sleep well?'
'I suppose so, sir,' said Riker, his tone neutral.
Picard refused to take offence, knowing his friend's reasons. He glanced up as the forward turbolift slid open and admitted Data, who nodded to the captain and took his place at Ops. Picard did frown this time, not understanding why his entire senior staff appeared to take exception to his presence.
Troi walked in from the other side of the bridge, and Picard turned, expecting a civil greeting from his ship's counsellor. No such luck however. She merely inclined her head and sat down. Picard abruptly realised what Riker had done. And he knew that by telling them all, he had made his captain's job that much harder. By assuming that Riker would be pleased to see him go, Picard realised that he had misjudged Riker's, and indeed, his entire senior staff's, loyalty to him.
Still, Picard had made his decision and he was determined to go through with it.
Picard stood. 'Before we begin this morning,' he said, making his voice heard and getting his crew's attention, 'I have something to say to you all.'
Before him, Data tensed slightly. Ensign Bridges turned to face her captain. He glanced at Riker and Troi, both of whom carried expressions of foreboding. He could sense Hedly standing almost at attention behind him, in her style that reminded him so much of Tasha.
'I have served Starfleet faithfully my entire career: first aboard the Stargazer, then the Enterprise in both her incarnations. I have fought on its behalf and I have explored on its behalf. I have now come to a stage when I find that it is no more what I wish to do. And it is with heavy heart that I announce my decision to retire at the end of the year, stardate 51162. For those of you who may still be used to an Earth calendar, I will step down as Captain of the Enterprise in three weeks from now. In my place will be Commander Riker.' He glanced down at his Number One, who had covered his face in his hands. 'I hope that he will be as successful with this crew as I have reputedly been. For those of you who have served under my command on the Enterprise-D, I give you my gratitude and heartfelt thanks. To those of you who have only served on this Enterprise, I wish you the best of luck for the future and hope that you will serve Commander Riker as well as you have served me. That is all.' He glanced back at Hedly who stood as if rooted to the deck, looking as if she could be knocked over with a feather. 'Lieutenant, will you join me in my ready room in five minutes?'
Hedly nodded stiffly, face pale. Picard stepped down from the slight dais upon which his chair sat, and looked around the bridge. 'Carry on.' He entered his ready room, glancing once at the group of shocked, pale faces.
And behind him, the bridge nearly exploded.
'Retire!' said Riker explosively, at last letting his pent-up tension out in one breath. 'What the hell for?'
'Unknown, sir,' said Data stiffly, his emotion chip obviously inactive. He gave the lie to this assumption by adding, 'It is possible that he has gone stark raving mad, however.'
Hedly had gone totally slack-jawed. 'Lieutenant!' said Riker.
'Y – Yes, sir?' said Hedly, obviously stunned.
'The captain wanted to see you,' said Riker less roughly.
'Yes, sir,' repeated Hedly. She made no effort to move. Riker sighed.
'Now, lieutenant!'
Hedly jerked once and abruptly recovered herself. She walked down from the tactical console and entered the ready room.
'Come.' Picard glanced up as Hedly entered. 'Ah, lieutenant. Would you like to take a seat?'
Hedly sat, her long body obviously uncomfortable, her eyes the only part of her that displayed real emotion.
Picard gazed at her for a moment. He had come to like and trust his new Chief of Security. She reminded him of Tasha Yar in so many ways, but also of Worf. In her own style, she combined the best of both of them, but had her own methods as well. 'Lieutenant,' he began, 'I have been impressed with your record in Starfleet, as well as your time onboard the Enterprise.'
'Thank you, sir,' she answered stiffly.
'I won't beat about the bush. I hereby promote you to Lieutenant Commander.'
Hedly fought to hide a smile, but failed. 'Thank you very much, sir. Will there be any change in my duties?'
'Not unless Commander Riker wishes there to be so.' Hedly was brought immediately back to the present, and her pleasure vanished in a moment, to be replaced by simmering anger. Picard ignored it.
'If that is all, then sir, I would like to return to my duties,' she said.
'Very well, Lieutenant Commander. Carry on.'
Without a further word, Hedly stood up gracefully, and left the ready room. Picard leant back in his chair, rubbing his temples. Obviously, he had misjudged his entire crew's reaction. He abruptly realised that he had one other thing to do. He leant forward and pressed the intercom.
Deanna Troi nudged Riker a few minutes later. 'Look who's here,' she whispered, mischief written over her face and into her tone.
Riker looked up to see Lieutenant Thames entering the captain's ready room. 'She's got a lot to answer for,' he said quietly.
'It's not her fault the captain's decided to retire,' retorted Troi, equally quietly.
'I can't think of a single bigger reason,' replied Riker, his tone indicating that the conversation was at an end. He glanced back at the padd he was reading.
Troi didn't need her empathic powers to see that Will was deeply angry, upset and hurt by Picard's decision. She could detect Hedly's mixed shock and pleasure at her promotion. She could not sense Data's feelings, but tension was inscribed in every movement of his body. She could sense the turmoil in the crew as it slowly rippled outwards like waves in a pool of water.
As for herself, she was also upset, but also concerned for the captain. She knew that like all Imzadi, once he left the Enterprise and tried to settle down, away from Thames, he would be possessed with the desire to find her again. She suspected his reasons behind his retirement, but she also knew that taking this course of action would be the worst possible thing that he could do.
Picard looked up as Thames walked in and, as always in her presence, a feeling of closeness entered his body. 'You wished to see me, Captain?' she said, her voice a shower of musical cadences.
'Yes, Lieutenant.' He would never know how he managed to keep his voice level when she was near. He leant back and watched her for a moment. 'I wished to speak with you about your future.'
'My future, sir?' echoed Thames.
'Yes.' Picard suddenly noticed an unaccustomed sensation – he was fidgeting! He quickly put his hands on the arms of his chair. 'Where do you see yourself in five years, Lieutenant?'
'In five years, sir? I would hope to be a regular bridge officer, possibly Lieutenant Commander by that time.'
Thames looked back at the man she loved, suddenly realising that she knew what he was about to say. 'To answer your next question, sir, I do hope to enter into command training.'
Judging from Picard's expression, she had been correct in her suspicion.
'I'm glad to see that you have ambition, Lieutenant.' Picard glanced down for a second, and then gazed into her eyes. 'You may not yet know this, but I have decided to retire.'
Thames stared at him in total disbelief for a brief moment. 'R- retire, sir?'
'Yes, Lieutenant. In three weeks.' Utter panic washed over her, followed by worry, horror, pain, anger, and finally despair, all compounded by the feeling that she would never see him again.
'I don't know what to say, sir.' Oh yes you do! screamed her mind. Tell him you love him and that you don't want to be apart from him ever! 'Are you sure it's the right decision?' Picard's sharp glance told Thames that she had gone right to the heart of the matter, as if she could read his mind.
'I believe so, yes,' replied Picard eventually, after scrutinising her for a moment.
'Then it would not be my right to argue, sir,' replied Thames, misery creeping through her mind. 'May I go now?'
Picard nearly – nearly raised his hand as if he had something else to say, and then he lowered it. 'There is one other thing, Lieutenant Thames.'
Hope rose. 'Sir?'
'I have recommended that you be moved to Ops to become Mr. Data's understudy. When I retire, he will become first officer, and so I wish to have someone capable there to replace him. I believe that you will be eminently suitable.'
So crushing was the sense of disappointment and loss that Thames barely registered Picard's words. 'Thank you, sir. I'll do my best. May I go now?' she asked again.
'Very well, Lieutenant. Carry on.' Thames turned as best she could, and left the ready room.
Riker glanced up as Picard's ready room door hissed open and Thames left. As she entered the turbolift, her hand went to her eyes and the lift doors slid shut, hiding her crying from the crew. Riker glanced at Troi. 'I wonder what he said to her.'
'The truth, I expect.'
'About his retirement?'
'Yes, Will,' said Troi. 'Not the other thing. I doubt she would have been that upset if he had confessed.'
'No,' said Riker thoughtfully.
Thames rushed to her quarters, hiding her tears of shame and sorrow. She got behind the cover of the door and locked it, listening to the sound of her heart beating. She had never known full-blown horror and despair before today, but it seemed as if a flame inside her had faded and died when Picard told her he was retiring. She swallowed a sob, and then remembered his face when he had told her.
She burst into tears.
Picard sat, his head in his hands when the door bleeped. For a moment, he ignored it, hoping that the intruder upon his anguish would simply go away. When the door bleeped insistently, however, he looked up, blinking back tears. 'Come in.' His voice was raw, he noted almost automatically.
Counsellor Troi entered, and from her face, she had noticed that there was a problem. 'Should I come back later?' she inquired cautiously.
Picard straightened. 'No, Counsellor. Come in and have a seat.'
'Captain, what did you tell Lieutenant Thames?' asked Troi, getting right to the point.
'Is it –'
'Yes, it is my business!' Troi cut him off sternly. 'I have reason to believe that your emotional state is getting in the way of your command effectiveness, Captain!'
Picard stared at her, and slowly, almost unbidden, a small smile crept onto his face. 'Thank you for putting me in my place, Counsellor.'
Troi smiled. 'As I said before, Captain; my pleasure.' Her smile disappeared. 'However, I do think that your feelings for Lieutenant Thames are disrupting your ability to think clearly and also disrupting the crew's mood.' She sighed. 'Your sudden decision to retire has upset the entire crew. I am afraid that you may have misjudged their reaction.'
Picard looked apologetic. 'I thought they would be glad to see the back of me,' he said quietly.
'No, sir. Never.' Troi's voice was quiet but intense. 'We all care deeply for you. Will's not an ambitious exec always ready to stab his captain in the back and to take his place. We've all been in the same position for nearly ten years now, and we've all become accustomed to our place in the system. I'm not saying that we're resistant to change, but that any change mustn't be sudden and wrenching like you've made it.'
'The crew will adjust –'
'Yes, but just dropping out like this will create a situation in which Will Riker will find it difficult to carry the crew across the transition period. If you had built up to it, possibly it would have been a lot easier. As it is, you've hurt a lot of people's feelings; including Lieutenant Thames.'
The captain jerked as if stung. 'What do you mean?'
'When she left your ready room, she looked in a bad state, sir. I've decided to go and see her after I've left here, but I recommend that you discuss your feelings.'
'With whom?'
'Me first. After a few meetings on a professional basis, we will go on from there.'
Picard nodded and then he did something that caught Deanna completely by surprise. He sniffed. 'Understood. Send the details here as soon as you wish.'
'Yes, Captain. I would like to start on Thursday at 1500, if I may.'
Picard mustered a smile. 'I'll be there.'
Riker sat back in the captain's chair, attempting to get used to it, when he noticed Troi leaving the ready room. 'Deanna!' he called, but she disappeared into the turbolift.
A moment later, Picard's voice sounded. 'Number One, will you join me in my ready room for a moment, please?'
'On my way, sir,' replied Riker, grimacing only slightly.
Inside the turbolift, Deanna rehearsed what she was going to say to an obviously distraught Lieutenant Thames.
At deck thirteen, the turbolift slowed to a halt, and Deanna stepped out. She walked along the corridor until she reached Thames' quarters. Knocking on the door, she listened intently. There was a sound of things being moved, and then Thames' voice. 'Go away.'
'It's Counsellor Troi, Lieutenant,' said Deanna. 'I would like to talk. I think you might want to as well.'
There was a silent pause, and then Thames opened the door. Troi looked at her. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were puffy with crying. Troi knew that if Picard had seen her like this, he would never have forgiven himself.
She stepped quickly into the room, allowing the door to close behind her. Thames forced a smile and gestured to a seat. 'Won't you sit down, Counsellor?'
Deanna nodded. 'After you.' Thames sat quickly, as if her legs were about to give way. Deanna sat opposite her, and tried to assess her emotional state. 'Lieutenant, what's the matter?' As if I didn't know!
'Nothing's wrong, Counsellor,' said Thames, nearly assuredly. 'What makes you think that there is?'
'Do I get three guesses?' replied Troi acidly.
Thames glanced down for a second. 'Sorry, Counsellor.'
'Call me Deanna. It'll be much easier.'
'I think that I just got a bit surprised by what Captain Picard said to me.'
'What did he say?' asked Troi, knowing that she had to get the root of the problem.
'He told me that I was going to be Mr Data's understudy until he became first officer. Then I'd go to Ops permanently.'
'Why is Mr. Data becoming first officer?'
Thames sniffed. 'Because Commander Riker's becoming the captain.'
'And why –'
'Because Jean-Luc's retiring!' Thames dissolved into tears again.
Deanna, if she had not known it was coming, would have been surprised that Thames thought of him so familiarly. But, she thought as she reached out to Thames, it was the only natural way that she thought of him. She wrapped her arms round the other woman, letting her anguish soak away.
And, she swore, she would get these two together, or she would resign herself.
Riker strode into Picard's ready room, expecting to be handed another batch of crew reassignments and to be dismissed peremptorily. And, he admitted freely, he would deserve it. Picard would be angry at his behaviour this morning.
However, thought the first officer, for the way his captain had been behaving lately, Picard needed to be brought around by something.
To Riker's surprise though, he was given neither a stern lecture (which he would have summarily ignored), any more crew assignments (with which he would have performed his duty with bad grace) or a summary dismissal. Picard was looking out at the stars when Riker entered.
'You wanted to see me, Captain?' said Riker, still annoyed.
'Yes, Number One,' replied Picard, turning and facing his first officer. 'I wish to apologise for my behaviour yesterday.'
If someone had told Riker that a Vorta was playing poker on the hull of the Enterprise with a Klingon and two Breen, he would have been less surprised. 'Apologise, sir?'
'Yes, Will. I'm afraid that I misjudged you quite badly. I assumed you would be pleased to have a command of your own, especially the Enterprise.'
Riker was still in a state of shock. 'I would certainly be pleased, sir, but-'
'I'm also afraid,' added Picard, perhaps assuming that Riker would embarrass himself, 'that I behaved in a melodramatic fashion. I believe that my emotions have been taking hold on me recently.'
Riker couldn't stop himself. 'Counsellor Troi mentioned it, sir.'
Picard glanced at him, a half-smile on his lips. 'I thought she might have.' He sighed and sat down. Riker followed suit. 'I apologise for myself over the last two days. I could have handled this situation far better than I have.'
'Yes, sir,' replied Riker, almost acidly. 'Does this mean you've reversed your decision?'
Picard shook his head. 'No, Number One. I've been here too long.' He tapped the arms of his chair to emphasise his point.
Riker leaned forward. 'The crew is on edge, sir. They're going to have to get used to quite a serious change.'
Picard nodded knowingly. 'I understand that, Will. However, they have had to get used to worse things than losing their captain before. You'll pull them through. I have every confidence in you.'
There was a pause for a moment, and then Riker suddenly saw the way forward. 'Sir, in order to make a full report to Starfleet, I need to know your reasons for your decisions.'
Picard looked at him. 'I've already –' For the second time that day, Picard was cut off in mid-sentence.
'I mean the truth, sir. Not the phoney reasons you've made up to protect yourself –' He broke off, barely stopping himself from adding and Lieutenant Thames.
Picard barely registered, concentrating on something else. 'I suppose that you of all people have deserved a right to hear the truth.'
He stood again, and gazed out at the passing stars. 'You remember the reports from Captain Kirk's log and Captain Sisko's own reports of a mirror universe?'
Riker nodded, somewhat mystified. Picard could obviously see his first officer's reflection, because he smiled briefly. 'In these alternate universes, we all have copies – alternates that reflect where we took different courses with our lives. Somewhere, there's a Will Riker; probably living happily married to Deanna Troi on Betazed. Somewhere, there is a normally sighted Geordi La Forge. Somewhere –' He stopped and looked at Riker. 'I think that you get the idea.'
'Yes, sir,' said Riker. 'But what does this have to do with our situation?'
'There is a copy of each one of you, Will. Of you.'
Riker grasped the point. 'Do you mean that you are an exception to the rule?'
Picard nodded. 'Q told me this on my last day in the alternate reality. I am, apparently, the one and only Jean-Luc Picard in the – oh, what did he call it?' He snapped his fingers. 'The multiverse, that's it.'
'What difference does that make, sir?'
Picard whirled, a blaze of movement that caught Riker by surprise. The anguish in his eyes was undeniable. 'Don't you see, Will? If you remember the course at the Academy on Comparative Realities, then you'll know that every decision you take is reversed in another reality. You go one way –'
'And another Will Riker goes in the opposite direction. Yes, I remember it,' answered Riker.
'In my case, that doesn't happen. Everything I do means that my specific timestream goes in one direction. I stay on one course. I determine the fate of universes every time I decide to blow my nose, for heaven's sake!' The flame in his eyes backed up the intensity in his voice. 'One man can't wield this sort of power, Will. I've got to get out of the way.'
'You believe that by retiring, you'll be allowing time to go on it's own sweet way,' said Riker, finally understanding.
'Exactly!' said Picard, pointing a finger at Riker and then turning back to the stars. Riker had never seen him this animated before. 'I can't be allowed to determine the fate of so much on my own. Look at what I'm already responsible for; Wolf 359, -'
Riker had been ready for this, and jumped in with '- and it wasn't your fault, sir. Nothing I can recall that you have done has ever turned out to be bad.'
Picard glared at him, clearly angry at having his self-loathing interrupted by an injection of truth. 'It is a moot point, Number One. Whatever happens now, I will not be diverted.'
'What about Lieutenant Thames, Captain?' said Riker and instantly regretted it. Picard became stone again and looked out of the window.
'She will be better off without me,' he said quietly, and Riker knew the conversation was over.
Thames dried her eyes again, and smiled sadly at Troi. 'I promised I wouldn't do this. I'm sorry, Counsellor.'
'If I had a strip of gold-pressed latinum for every person who's said that after they've had a crying fit in front of me, I could buy the entire Ferengi race,' replied Troi, a smile on her face.
'It's just so hard to face going back there and knowing I'm not going to see him again,' said Thames, her voice distressed. 'I always feel right when he's near.'
Deanna nodded, remembering her time with Riker. 'I know exactly what you mean.'
'It's as if there's a part of me being torn away,' continued Thames. 'But, I mean, he's the captain and what would he see in a lowly lieutenant like me?' She glanced at Troi, pain in her eyes again.
Deanna gazed straight into her eyes. 'Why don't you tell the captain how you feel?'
From Thames came an answer that revived a memory of Jean-Luc Picard's words. 'I couldn't burden him with my feelings. He has his own life to live. It would be wrong of me.'
Deanna gazed in utter shock at Thames, who had no idea of the way in which her words had echoed those of the man she loved.
Activating the charge, she stepped back a pace and admired her handiwork. Crude, she knew, but effective, the mass of roiling wires and rigged boxes was attached to one of the primary power conduits under Starfleet Academy.
She knew that, once this bomb went off, her cover would be gone. It might take a few days, but her tracks would be uncovered. Fortunately, her host had leave coming up shortly, and so, her absence from Starfleet Headquarters would not be suspicious until the bomb detonated.
However, that was unimportant. By the time they tracked her whereabouts, she would already have returned home to her own dimension, and brought her fellows back.
To gain their final revenge.