A/N: I apologize for the varying length of chapters, some are quite short
and others - this one, particularly - are very long!
And, for those to whom I promised Cheese Whiz. voilà.
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Chapter 13
The next morning when Beverly woke up, she heard Deanna moving around outside. She got out of bed and walked out into the front room. Deanna was folding the blanket she had slept under last night.
"How long have you been awake?" Beverly stretched and walked out the doorway toward Deanna.
"Only a few minutes," Deanna was still in her uniform. She had slept in it on the Crushers' couch. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"You didn't," Beverly started towards Wesley's door to drag him out of bed. She halted in the doorway. "Deanna!" she called, frantic. "Wesley's gone!"
Deanna rushed over and looked around the room, then sighed with relief. "Beverly, do you think he would have stopped to make his bed if he were being abducted?"
Beverly took a breath. "Maybe they did that, to make it look like he was still here." Now she was being ridiculous. "Computer, locate Ensign Wesley Crusher."
"Ensign Crusher is in Holodeck C."
Beverly sighed with relief, but Deanna could feel the annoyance that was still underneath.
"Well, he shouldn't go running off without telling me where he's going when we're trying to prevent him from being abducted!"
"We must have been asleep when he got up."
"Well, he could have left a message," Beverly pointed to the recorder, and its little red light was lit. He had left a message. She pressed the button.
"Hi, Mom. I'm just going down to one of the holodecks, probably B or C, whichever one's open. Don't worry, I'm having security escort me down and stay outside the door, and I'm going to try to find Robin or somebody to go in with, so I won't be alone. I'm going to do a little target practice before my shift. I'll see you later."
"Oh," Beverly said in a very small voice.
"Maybe Wes has the right idea, Beverly. Maybe you need a holodeck, too."
"I don't have time for a holodeck. I have to be down in sickbay in forty-five minutes," she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, "and I look horrid!" she exclaimed. Beverly, who looked radiant even without makeup or neatly combed hair, pouted at her reflection. Deanna sighed, crossed her arms and curled neatly manicured fingers around them.
* * *
Two figures labored in the glaring sun of a white-hot sky. Droplets of water rolled from tropical leaves large enough to be umbrellas. Not even the slightest breeze stirred the hanging vines. Strange bird calls sounded and died in an echoless plaint. The land was flat for as far as one could see. The young man stood at the edge of the rainforest near the horrible contrast of the barren desert. He studied the underbrush not a hundred feet away where the enemy lurked, waiting.
"No, you have to hold it tightly so the site doesn't kick off target when you fire," Wesley bent Karen Nolan's fingertips around a holo-produced phaser.
"Like this?" Karen gripped the phaser, closed one eye tightly and aimed across the clearing.
"Yeah." Wes breathed, staring over her shoulder in anticipation at the rustling bushes. His inadvertent whisper near her ear threw Karen's concentration.
Karen had caught up with Wes on his way to the holodeck and asked to come along. Robin was not around, and Wes wasn't allowed to be alone. What could he say?
Suddenly, an alien like Wesley had never encountered before leapt out of the bushes, growling, and it headed for them, phaser drawn.
"Now!" Wesley hissed. Karen pulled off a wild shot that missed the alien by feet. The next one went over his head. Wes drew his own phaser and fired a warning shot past the alien's nose, trying to lure its fire away from Karen so she could get a clear, uninterrupted shot. He ran around the alien's left, straifing and firing around it the whole time. He wanted poor Karen to be the one to actually hit the alien.
Wes saw a streak of light fly past his nose. Quickly, he shot the alien dead. "Freeze program," he called and started walking back toward Karen. Karen stood, humiliated. She had almost stunned Wesley in the face.
Wes held out his hand. Karen sheepishly relinquished the holo-phaser set to stun. "Holodeck" stun is nowhere near as painful as real stun, but it would be like getting a slushball in the face at 30 miles per hour. Wes had no desire for a big bruise across his nose. He couldn't blame Karen, though. Not totally.
"I guess I shouldn't have let you try this yet," Wes put their phasers on the ground by a tree.
"No, it's not your fault," Karen said. "I... I didn't hit you, did I?"
"No," Wes half-laughed and looked at the ground. "But you came closer to me than you did to that alien."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I designed this program to be really challenging for me, and I'm crew. You're not trained in this."
Karen laughed an embarrassed little laugh. After an appropriate pause, she asked, "Did you get all that work done last night?"
"What wo-- Oh yeah. Yeah, it was a snap."
"Really? It sounded so hard!" she said in awe again. Wesley hated when she was in awe. She really wasn't such a bad kid. She could probably get any boy her own age. She just had to shake all this hero-worship stuff.
"Well," Wes decided to fault himself a little in her eyes. It couldn't hurt to let her know he was only Human. "I messed up the first configuration, but Data helped me," he lied.
"Oh," Karen was reminded that Wesley was not Hephaestus. She suddenly looked startled. "I'm supposed to meet Jennifer at her quarters at 900. What time is it?"
Wes checked his chronometer. "It's 0913."
"Oh no! I better run. Bye, Wesley! And, thank you!" she ran out. Wes watched her go, then took a deep breath. It was hard work being around her.
He turned back to the program. He picked up a phaser and ducked behind a tree.
"Computer, resume program!" he shouted. Three aliens jumped into view, searching for the murderer of their slain cohort. Wesley fired out from behind the tree, then straifed around the edge of the forest, and managed to take out all three aliens in less than thirty seconds. After they all lay "dead" on the ground, he stepped out into the open. He knew there would be no more aliens in this scenario because he had written the program himself.
All of a sudden, Wes felt a phaser blast slam into his chest. He toppled over backwards and his head thunked on the ground. The trees spun above him. He tried to sort out in his mind what had happened.
Four aliens... only four... one with Karen... I got three... who just shot me?
He tried to sit up and clear his head when another shot hit him, same spot, and he fell back. He heard footsteps approaching.
"Computer," he groaned weakly, "freeze program." The program froze. The bird calls stopped, the water stopped dripping, the heat of the sun faded. The footsteps continued. Wes's head was still spinning and he couldn't lift it.
"You're dead, Orange," a voice called.
Orange???
Clear head or not, Wesley sat bolt upright, eyes wide with surprise. A very tall, very thin, very attractive young Humanoid male stood before him, smirking, and blew across the end of his phaser as if it were a 19th century revolver still smoking.
"Jaan?" Wes stood and retreated a few steps to lean against a tree. He was squinting against dizziness.
Jaan, a Selelvian (the race nicknamed "Elves") friend of Wesley's had died of a phaser blast in the hands of an enemy on the bridge of the Enterprise not a full year earlier. Wesley couldn't handle this ghost. He'd investigated Lynn's death. He mourned Tasha's death. He missed his father every day of his life. But he felt RESPONSIBLE for Jaan's death.
An Elf lives to be about 250 years old, so Jaan was relatively Wes's age, and his best friend. As an Elf, Jaan looked like a Human being, only taller, thinner and more graceful. His eyes were large and almond-shaped, fringed with beautiful eyelashes. His hair was deep brown. His skin was olive-bronze. Elves were among the most beautiful beings in the known galaxy. No wonder they had an ability they called The Knack that allowed them to bend almost any being to their will. How could you not obey such a charming creature?
Once, Jaan had collapsed in Ten-Forward, and was horrified to discover he was dying of an incurable disease. Jaan had about a month to live and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it.
Wes found this unacceptable. He had taken it upon himself to find a cure for Jaan's sickness. But just when Wes was closest, Jaan was killed by another means: a phaser. Right on the bridge of the Enterprise with the crew all around.
Wesley had not been there. Wes had spent a week without food or sleep researching a possible cure for Jaan with no success, wasting away to nothing and going a little bit off his rocker. He had lost thirteen pounds and grown five days worth of stubble before Picard told him Jaan was dead. Wes had cried himself out in Picard's arms, for Jaan and, for the first time in eight years, for his father.
Wes had not found a cure. He had not been good enough, quick enough, thorough enough. He had let his friend die. At least, that's how Wes felt about it.
He couldn't handle this ghost. Not this one.
"You never could beat me, Orange. You're just not quick enough!" Jaan smiled charmingly.
"You're not Jaan..."
Jaan stared, confused, then laughed. "You're just saying that because I beat you again!" Jaan stepped towards Wesley, who pressed his back up against the tree, recoiling from Jaan. "Hey, what's wrong?" Jaan looked puzzled. He and Wes were best friends. Why was he backing away? "Orange?"
Jaan had always called Wes "Orange" because his last name was like the name of an old Earth drink "Orange Crush" that Jaan had found in some of the old replicator files. Wesley wondered how the creature knew this. Then he realized he would have to keep reminding himself that this was not Jaan.
Somehow, Wes thought, I don't think this is going to be so easy...
"Orange, you okay?" Jaan reached out a hand to help him, "you look like you've seen a ghost of something."
"I have." Wes corrected himself, "I mean, I am."
"What?" Jaan glanced around the holodeck. "You're acting weird, Wes. Are you sure you're okay? Did I blast you too hard or something?" Jaan checked the setting on his phaser.
The back of Wesley's mind was still asking why Jaan appeared so real and how Jaan would know if Wes were acting weird if the creature never knew Wes to begin with. And how would the creature know about "Orange"? And how would it know that Jaan always beat Wes at Phaser Tag?
"Uh-huh. I mean, no. I'm fine."
"Good," Jaan said, disregarding the fact that Wesley sounded unconvincing. "Hey, who was that girl that was in here before? She likes you."
Wes was beginning to forget to wonder how he knew all these things. He was starting to believe he was with his friend again. "Billy Nolan's little cousin Karen. She... thinks I'm something else, I guess..." Wes was feeling awfully confused.
"Well, you impress her. That mind of yours," Jaan smirked. "Told ya that would get you far with the ladies. Best thing next to the Knack."
"She's just a kid, Jaan."
"She can't be all that much younger than you, is she? I was in an interesting tangle with Deanna Troi, and she's a whole lot younger than I am!"
"That different, Jaan," Wes found himself smiling. "Relatively, you're younger than her. You'll outlive her by half a century."
"You don't know that."
"Huh?" the thought that this was the creature and not Jaan worked its way to the forefront of Wesley's mind. He tried for a loophole, more as a test of curiosity than a self-defense tactic. Wes was not feeling threatened currently. "Of course. You died earlier this year."
"I what?" Jaan laughed. "Oh, that's rich, Orange. Are you counting that one single time you actually got a shot home on me in Phaser Tag? I still say it's not fair, you snuck up on me!"
Wes was too confused to comment.
"I meant that you don't know how long Deanna's going to live. She won't outlive Ambassador Sarek."
"What? Why do you say that?"
"I've become psychic in my old age."
Wes narrowed his eyes at him, searching for truth in what should have been an obviously sarcastic statement.
"Wait," Jaan closed his eyes and touched his temples, "I'm getting a vision. It's... I'm seeing... I'm seeing a note... for me, from Deanna... she just couldn't go on without me..." Jaan opened one eye to see Wes's deadpan face.
Then Wes cracked a smile. "You're pulling my leg."
Jaan punched Wes's arm, "Damn straight. You need to lighten up. Must be all those dead people I hear have been chasing you around."
Wesley was suddenly reminded again that Jaan was one of the dead people. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Wes!" Jaan laughed, exasperated. "All right, fine! My name is Jaan of the Selevians. My mission is to find out what has suddenly driven Orange Crush crazy."
"Jaan is dead."
"Orange is loopy," Jaan imitated his friend's cold tone, but started to look worried. "Orange, are you mad at me or something?"
"No!" Wes didn't want to do anything to hurt his friend. But this wasn't his friend. Was it? No, Jaan was dead. Wasn't he? Then who was this? Wes wasn't quite thinking clearly. It was a sensation very similar to being Knacked.
"Then why are you acting like this? You keep saying I'm dead. What does that mean, that I'm dead to you? Look, Wes, whatever I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's not worth our friendship."
"No, Jaan, it's not you. There's this creature that's after me that takes on the forms of people close to me who have died."
"Whoa, like your father?" Jaan's large, almond-shaped eyes went round with surprise and concern.
"Yes, and Tasha. And Doctor Costa."
"Who?"
"Lynn Costa, she was one of the top scientists with the Microcontamination project. She was transferred onto the ship about two months after you..." Wesley trailed off. "Died."
Jaan became angry. "Crusher, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Jaan, don't you remember your sickness?"
"Yes! And don't I remember your cure! You saved my life. I owe everything to you."
"What cure? I never found a--"
"The one you worked for a week on! Wes, I never had such a good friend."
"What was the name of the cure?"
"You think I can pronounce it? It had a lot of letters. I don't remember. Oh, who cares? It worked! I'm alive, obviously."
Wes poked Jaan in the shoulder. Jaan looked at his shoulder, then back at Wes and laughed a short laugh. "Testing to see if I'm real?"
"If you're alive," Wes began suspiciously, "where have you been for almost a year?"
"Wes, I had to go back to my people. You knew that. I was here to document the Federation. And to write."
"But what about the shoot-out on the bridge?"
"Yeah, I sure was lucky, wasn't I?"
"Lucky???"
"Yeah, that my ship beamed me out of there just as this big old phaser beam was coming straight at me, set to kill!"
"Beamed you out?"
"Yeah. They sent me a communiqué the day before to tell me they were coming, and I'd told them I was in some trouble and needed out as soon as possible. They got me as quickly as possible -- not a moment too soon!"
"Do you realize that every single person on this ship thinks you're dead?"
"They think I'm dead?"
"Yes!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really!"
"Did Deanna cry?"
"Jaan!"
"Well, did she?"
"Everyone did. It wasn't fair."
"Even you?"
"Especially me!"
"And they still think I'm dead?"
"Yes! They saw you get shot on the bridge! And if you lived, you would have died of the Rot anyway."
"No I wouldn't've. Wes, don't you remember that chemical compound you came up with that was so close to right?"
"Yeah."
"Well it worked."
"I never gave it to you. I never got the chance."
Jaan shuffled his feet. "I sort of... took it."
"Out of my room?" Wesley's eyebrows shot up.
"Well, yeah. I mean, you were going to give it to me anyway, right?"
Wes became somber again. "Jaan, why did you betray the Federation like that?"
"Oh, man, Orange, do we have to talk about that?" Jaan tried to keep his attitude light with little success. Wes stared at him. "I was desperate, Orange," Jaan's voice softened and his pleasant expression fell away. "I was dying. They offered me a way to live. I committed a minor infraction for that, but they said it wasn't enough. They said there was no turning back. They said if I didn't help them, they'd rat on me, and if I didn't keep helping them, I'd never get the cure. By the time I had your cure in my hands, it was too late to free myself from them."
"Jaan..."
"I never meant to become a traitor, Wes, you've got to believe me. If everyone on this ship thinks I'm dead, ...well, I'd like to keep it that way. They all hate me anyway."
"No, they don't."
"Humans just don't understand. It's not the same. It's like as if a Human died at age fourteen. It's not right."
"I understand."
"I know," Jaan looked into Wesley's eyes. He had him. Wesley had completely forgotten about the creature. Now to move in for the kill. "I had to come back and show this to you," Jaan held out a computer PADD. "My work. I finished it. You won't believe what's happened since I last saw you, Orange. I'm married and I'm writing for a living now. And this," he further extended the PADD to Wes, "will keep me alive long after I'm gone. My writing."
Wes looked at the PADD but did not take it. "How did you get aboard?"
"I had them transport me right to your exact location! They've got some incredible technology, Wes, you'd love to see it. Maybe I could--"
"Who's they?"
"The B'Safrans, of course. My home planet is too far away for me to be just passing through. I hitched a ride. Actually, I stowed away..."
"Who are the B'Safrans?"
"On the Neverland! Geez, Orange, you usually know more about the ships you rendezvous with."
"The children?"
"I thought they looked young. Even for Humanoids."
"You hitched a ride across half the quadrant on that ship and nobody noticed you?"
"I didn't say no one noticed," Jaan winked, "it's just that no one seemed inclined to rat me out!"
"Jaan," Wesley was intense now, ignoring the Elf's light-hearted jokes. He took Jaan by both shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "You've got to tell me absolutely everything you know about those children and the ship you were on."
"They're kids. I don't know. I didn't pay attention."
"Jaan! Everything!"
"Okay! All right!" Jaan was miffed. "Come all this way to show you my work and tell you about my wife and work and all you want to know about is the barge I shipped over on," he muttered.
"I'm sorry, Jaan. It's wonderful about your writing and your marriage. But right now, my life is in serious danger."
"Your life is in danger? From those kids? But... But they were the most peaceful life forms I've ever met!"
"Peaceful! They fired on the Enterprise and almost ripped it in half!"
"What? While I was on board? I didn't hear anything about firing on the Enterprise!"
"Did you hear anything about their ship being in distress?"
"No. I heard they were expecting a delegate from the Enterprise at any moment. I guess they have business with you guys."
"The only business they have with us is either stealing our ship or destroying it."
"Not a chance. The Enterprise? They'd get ruined. The Enterprise is the most heavily armed ship I've ever been on."
"The Neverland is the most heavily armed ship you've ever been on. They blew out 88% of our shields with a single shot. And they want to negotiate with me alone."
Jaan burst out laughing.
"Hey!" Wes was not really insulted.
"Man, Wes, you should come back over there with me. With your brain and my expert ability to convince people, we'd be a huge success. I'd Knack 'em so fast they'd be giving you their ship!"
"Wait. Jaan, you're on good terms with these children?"
"Wes. It's me you're talking to. I'm on good terms with everybody."
"How about officers?"
"I'm kinda tight with the captain."
"Kaelha?"
"Yep."
Wes thought for a second. "We could use you. Let me talk to Captain Picard about you coming over there with me."
"Ohhh no! Not in this lifetime! He hates me! There's no way I'm going to see him, or any other officer on this ship. I'm not crazy."
"That's debatable," Wes grinned. "You hitchhiked over here to tell me in person, risking your life on both ships, what a communiqué could have told me just as well, and you could have sent me a holophoto of your wife."
"I'll show you a picture later. I'll wait here, you go talk to Captain What's-His-Name."
"Picard."
"Yeah, him. I'll just wait here where no one can kill me."
"And where you can't Knack any of the women."
Jaan had a dawning. "Wait, maybe I should come with you, in case any of the Starfleet women need my help, right?"
"You'll stay here. I'll leave the program on and running, so no one will come in." Wes turned to leave, then stopped. He turned back to Jaan, a very small smile on his face. "I'm glad you're back. You have no idea how much I missed you."
Jaan stood silent for a moment, then stepped toward Wesley, "Aw, c'mere ya big lug!" and powerfully embraced him.
"Hey! You're gonna break me!"
"Sorry, Orange." A strained expression crossed Jaan's delciate features, one of someone reigning control back over themselves.
"It's okay. I... I thought you were dead. And now you're back."
"Don't get used to it, Orange, this place gives me the creeps. I'm leaving as soon as I can."
"But not till I get back!" Wesley pointed an index finger at him, then strode out the door.
Once Wes was gone, the creature broke into an evil grin. I should try this Selevian Knack thing more often. The Human boy bought my story with no questions asked. But now the difficult part -- taking on the form of a living person.
Then Jaan's form disappeared so the creature could materialize again to emerge from the turbolift onto the bridge.
Chapter 13
The next morning when Beverly woke up, she heard Deanna moving around outside. She got out of bed and walked out into the front room. Deanna was folding the blanket she had slept under last night.
"How long have you been awake?" Beverly stretched and walked out the doorway toward Deanna.
"Only a few minutes," Deanna was still in her uniform. She had slept in it on the Crushers' couch. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"You didn't," Beverly started towards Wesley's door to drag him out of bed. She halted in the doorway. "Deanna!" she called, frantic. "Wesley's gone!"
Deanna rushed over and looked around the room, then sighed with relief. "Beverly, do you think he would have stopped to make his bed if he were being abducted?"
Beverly took a breath. "Maybe they did that, to make it look like he was still here." Now she was being ridiculous. "Computer, locate Ensign Wesley Crusher."
"Ensign Crusher is in Holodeck C."
Beverly sighed with relief, but Deanna could feel the annoyance that was still underneath.
"Well, he shouldn't go running off without telling me where he's going when we're trying to prevent him from being abducted!"
"We must have been asleep when he got up."
"Well, he could have left a message," Beverly pointed to the recorder, and its little red light was lit. He had left a message. She pressed the button.
"Hi, Mom. I'm just going down to one of the holodecks, probably B or C, whichever one's open. Don't worry, I'm having security escort me down and stay outside the door, and I'm going to try to find Robin or somebody to go in with, so I won't be alone. I'm going to do a little target practice before my shift. I'll see you later."
"Oh," Beverly said in a very small voice.
"Maybe Wes has the right idea, Beverly. Maybe you need a holodeck, too."
"I don't have time for a holodeck. I have to be down in sickbay in forty-five minutes," she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, "and I look horrid!" she exclaimed. Beverly, who looked radiant even without makeup or neatly combed hair, pouted at her reflection. Deanna sighed, crossed her arms and curled neatly manicured fingers around them.
* * *
Two figures labored in the glaring sun of a white-hot sky. Droplets of water rolled from tropical leaves large enough to be umbrellas. Not even the slightest breeze stirred the hanging vines. Strange bird calls sounded and died in an echoless plaint. The land was flat for as far as one could see. The young man stood at the edge of the rainforest near the horrible contrast of the barren desert. He studied the underbrush not a hundred feet away where the enemy lurked, waiting.
"No, you have to hold it tightly so the site doesn't kick off target when you fire," Wesley bent Karen Nolan's fingertips around a holo-produced phaser.
"Like this?" Karen gripped the phaser, closed one eye tightly and aimed across the clearing.
"Yeah." Wes breathed, staring over her shoulder in anticipation at the rustling bushes. His inadvertent whisper near her ear threw Karen's concentration.
Karen had caught up with Wes on his way to the holodeck and asked to come along. Robin was not around, and Wes wasn't allowed to be alone. What could he say?
Suddenly, an alien like Wesley had never encountered before leapt out of the bushes, growling, and it headed for them, phaser drawn.
"Now!" Wesley hissed. Karen pulled off a wild shot that missed the alien by feet. The next one went over his head. Wes drew his own phaser and fired a warning shot past the alien's nose, trying to lure its fire away from Karen so she could get a clear, uninterrupted shot. He ran around the alien's left, straifing and firing around it the whole time. He wanted poor Karen to be the one to actually hit the alien.
Wes saw a streak of light fly past his nose. Quickly, he shot the alien dead. "Freeze program," he called and started walking back toward Karen. Karen stood, humiliated. She had almost stunned Wesley in the face.
Wes held out his hand. Karen sheepishly relinquished the holo-phaser set to stun. "Holodeck" stun is nowhere near as painful as real stun, but it would be like getting a slushball in the face at 30 miles per hour. Wes had no desire for a big bruise across his nose. He couldn't blame Karen, though. Not totally.
"I guess I shouldn't have let you try this yet," Wes put their phasers on the ground by a tree.
"No, it's not your fault," Karen said. "I... I didn't hit you, did I?"
"No," Wes half-laughed and looked at the ground. "But you came closer to me than you did to that alien."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I designed this program to be really challenging for me, and I'm crew. You're not trained in this."
Karen laughed an embarrassed little laugh. After an appropriate pause, she asked, "Did you get all that work done last night?"
"What wo-- Oh yeah. Yeah, it was a snap."
"Really? It sounded so hard!" she said in awe again. Wesley hated when she was in awe. She really wasn't such a bad kid. She could probably get any boy her own age. She just had to shake all this hero-worship stuff.
"Well," Wes decided to fault himself a little in her eyes. It couldn't hurt to let her know he was only Human. "I messed up the first configuration, but Data helped me," he lied.
"Oh," Karen was reminded that Wesley was not Hephaestus. She suddenly looked startled. "I'm supposed to meet Jennifer at her quarters at 900. What time is it?"
Wes checked his chronometer. "It's 0913."
"Oh no! I better run. Bye, Wesley! And, thank you!" she ran out. Wes watched her go, then took a deep breath. It was hard work being around her.
He turned back to the program. He picked up a phaser and ducked behind a tree.
"Computer, resume program!" he shouted. Three aliens jumped into view, searching for the murderer of their slain cohort. Wesley fired out from behind the tree, then straifed around the edge of the forest, and managed to take out all three aliens in less than thirty seconds. After they all lay "dead" on the ground, he stepped out into the open. He knew there would be no more aliens in this scenario because he had written the program himself.
All of a sudden, Wes felt a phaser blast slam into his chest. He toppled over backwards and his head thunked on the ground. The trees spun above him. He tried to sort out in his mind what had happened.
Four aliens... only four... one with Karen... I got three... who just shot me?
He tried to sit up and clear his head when another shot hit him, same spot, and he fell back. He heard footsteps approaching.
"Computer," he groaned weakly, "freeze program." The program froze. The bird calls stopped, the water stopped dripping, the heat of the sun faded. The footsteps continued. Wes's head was still spinning and he couldn't lift it.
"You're dead, Orange," a voice called.
Orange???
Clear head or not, Wesley sat bolt upright, eyes wide with surprise. A very tall, very thin, very attractive young Humanoid male stood before him, smirking, and blew across the end of his phaser as if it were a 19th century revolver still smoking.
"Jaan?" Wes stood and retreated a few steps to lean against a tree. He was squinting against dizziness.
Jaan, a Selelvian (the race nicknamed "Elves") friend of Wesley's had died of a phaser blast in the hands of an enemy on the bridge of the Enterprise not a full year earlier. Wesley couldn't handle this ghost. He'd investigated Lynn's death. He mourned Tasha's death. He missed his father every day of his life. But he felt RESPONSIBLE for Jaan's death.
An Elf lives to be about 250 years old, so Jaan was relatively Wes's age, and his best friend. As an Elf, Jaan looked like a Human being, only taller, thinner and more graceful. His eyes were large and almond-shaped, fringed with beautiful eyelashes. His hair was deep brown. His skin was olive-bronze. Elves were among the most beautiful beings in the known galaxy. No wonder they had an ability they called The Knack that allowed them to bend almost any being to their will. How could you not obey such a charming creature?
Once, Jaan had collapsed in Ten-Forward, and was horrified to discover he was dying of an incurable disease. Jaan had about a month to live and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it.
Wes found this unacceptable. He had taken it upon himself to find a cure for Jaan's sickness. But just when Wes was closest, Jaan was killed by another means: a phaser. Right on the bridge of the Enterprise with the crew all around.
Wesley had not been there. Wes had spent a week without food or sleep researching a possible cure for Jaan with no success, wasting away to nothing and going a little bit off his rocker. He had lost thirteen pounds and grown five days worth of stubble before Picard told him Jaan was dead. Wes had cried himself out in Picard's arms, for Jaan and, for the first time in eight years, for his father.
Wes had not found a cure. He had not been good enough, quick enough, thorough enough. He had let his friend die. At least, that's how Wes felt about it.
He couldn't handle this ghost. Not this one.
"You never could beat me, Orange. You're just not quick enough!" Jaan smiled charmingly.
"You're not Jaan..."
Jaan stared, confused, then laughed. "You're just saying that because I beat you again!" Jaan stepped towards Wesley, who pressed his back up against the tree, recoiling from Jaan. "Hey, what's wrong?" Jaan looked puzzled. He and Wes were best friends. Why was he backing away? "Orange?"
Jaan had always called Wes "Orange" because his last name was like the name of an old Earth drink "Orange Crush" that Jaan had found in some of the old replicator files. Wesley wondered how the creature knew this. Then he realized he would have to keep reminding himself that this was not Jaan.
Somehow, Wes thought, I don't think this is going to be so easy...
"Orange, you okay?" Jaan reached out a hand to help him, "you look like you've seen a ghost of something."
"I have." Wes corrected himself, "I mean, I am."
"What?" Jaan glanced around the holodeck. "You're acting weird, Wes. Are you sure you're okay? Did I blast you too hard or something?" Jaan checked the setting on his phaser.
The back of Wesley's mind was still asking why Jaan appeared so real and how Jaan would know if Wes were acting weird if the creature never knew Wes to begin with. And how would the creature know about "Orange"? And how would it know that Jaan always beat Wes at Phaser Tag?
"Uh-huh. I mean, no. I'm fine."
"Good," Jaan said, disregarding the fact that Wesley sounded unconvincing. "Hey, who was that girl that was in here before? She likes you."
Wes was beginning to forget to wonder how he knew all these things. He was starting to believe he was with his friend again. "Billy Nolan's little cousin Karen. She... thinks I'm something else, I guess..." Wes was feeling awfully confused.
"Well, you impress her. That mind of yours," Jaan smirked. "Told ya that would get you far with the ladies. Best thing next to the Knack."
"She's just a kid, Jaan."
"She can't be all that much younger than you, is she? I was in an interesting tangle with Deanna Troi, and she's a whole lot younger than I am!"
"That different, Jaan," Wes found himself smiling. "Relatively, you're younger than her. You'll outlive her by half a century."
"You don't know that."
"Huh?" the thought that this was the creature and not Jaan worked its way to the forefront of Wesley's mind. He tried for a loophole, more as a test of curiosity than a self-defense tactic. Wes was not feeling threatened currently. "Of course. You died earlier this year."
"I what?" Jaan laughed. "Oh, that's rich, Orange. Are you counting that one single time you actually got a shot home on me in Phaser Tag? I still say it's not fair, you snuck up on me!"
Wes was too confused to comment.
"I meant that you don't know how long Deanna's going to live. She won't outlive Ambassador Sarek."
"What? Why do you say that?"
"I've become psychic in my old age."
Wes narrowed his eyes at him, searching for truth in what should have been an obviously sarcastic statement.
"Wait," Jaan closed his eyes and touched his temples, "I'm getting a vision. It's... I'm seeing... I'm seeing a note... for me, from Deanna... she just couldn't go on without me..." Jaan opened one eye to see Wes's deadpan face.
Then Wes cracked a smile. "You're pulling my leg."
Jaan punched Wes's arm, "Damn straight. You need to lighten up. Must be all those dead people I hear have been chasing you around."
Wesley was suddenly reminded again that Jaan was one of the dead people. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Wes!" Jaan laughed, exasperated. "All right, fine! My name is Jaan of the Selevians. My mission is to find out what has suddenly driven Orange Crush crazy."
"Jaan is dead."
"Orange is loopy," Jaan imitated his friend's cold tone, but started to look worried. "Orange, are you mad at me or something?"
"No!" Wes didn't want to do anything to hurt his friend. But this wasn't his friend. Was it? No, Jaan was dead. Wasn't he? Then who was this? Wes wasn't quite thinking clearly. It was a sensation very similar to being Knacked.
"Then why are you acting like this? You keep saying I'm dead. What does that mean, that I'm dead to you? Look, Wes, whatever I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's not worth our friendship."
"No, Jaan, it's not you. There's this creature that's after me that takes on the forms of people close to me who have died."
"Whoa, like your father?" Jaan's large, almond-shaped eyes went round with surprise and concern.
"Yes, and Tasha. And Doctor Costa."
"Who?"
"Lynn Costa, she was one of the top scientists with the Microcontamination project. She was transferred onto the ship about two months after you..." Wesley trailed off. "Died."
Jaan became angry. "Crusher, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Jaan, don't you remember your sickness?"
"Yes! And don't I remember your cure! You saved my life. I owe everything to you."
"What cure? I never found a--"
"The one you worked for a week on! Wes, I never had such a good friend."
"What was the name of the cure?"
"You think I can pronounce it? It had a lot of letters. I don't remember. Oh, who cares? It worked! I'm alive, obviously."
Wes poked Jaan in the shoulder. Jaan looked at his shoulder, then back at Wes and laughed a short laugh. "Testing to see if I'm real?"
"If you're alive," Wes began suspiciously, "where have you been for almost a year?"
"Wes, I had to go back to my people. You knew that. I was here to document the Federation. And to write."
"But what about the shoot-out on the bridge?"
"Yeah, I sure was lucky, wasn't I?"
"Lucky???"
"Yeah, that my ship beamed me out of there just as this big old phaser beam was coming straight at me, set to kill!"
"Beamed you out?"
"Yeah. They sent me a communiqué the day before to tell me they were coming, and I'd told them I was in some trouble and needed out as soon as possible. They got me as quickly as possible -- not a moment too soon!"
"Do you realize that every single person on this ship thinks you're dead?"
"They think I'm dead?"
"Yes!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really!"
"Did Deanna cry?"
"Jaan!"
"Well, did she?"
"Everyone did. It wasn't fair."
"Even you?"
"Especially me!"
"And they still think I'm dead?"
"Yes! They saw you get shot on the bridge! And if you lived, you would have died of the Rot anyway."
"No I wouldn't've. Wes, don't you remember that chemical compound you came up with that was so close to right?"
"Yeah."
"Well it worked."
"I never gave it to you. I never got the chance."
Jaan shuffled his feet. "I sort of... took it."
"Out of my room?" Wesley's eyebrows shot up.
"Well, yeah. I mean, you were going to give it to me anyway, right?"
Wes became somber again. "Jaan, why did you betray the Federation like that?"
"Oh, man, Orange, do we have to talk about that?" Jaan tried to keep his attitude light with little success. Wes stared at him. "I was desperate, Orange," Jaan's voice softened and his pleasant expression fell away. "I was dying. They offered me a way to live. I committed a minor infraction for that, but they said it wasn't enough. They said there was no turning back. They said if I didn't help them, they'd rat on me, and if I didn't keep helping them, I'd never get the cure. By the time I had your cure in my hands, it was too late to free myself from them."
"Jaan..."
"I never meant to become a traitor, Wes, you've got to believe me. If everyone on this ship thinks I'm dead, ...well, I'd like to keep it that way. They all hate me anyway."
"No, they don't."
"Humans just don't understand. It's not the same. It's like as if a Human died at age fourteen. It's not right."
"I understand."
"I know," Jaan looked into Wesley's eyes. He had him. Wesley had completely forgotten about the creature. Now to move in for the kill. "I had to come back and show this to you," Jaan held out a computer PADD. "My work. I finished it. You won't believe what's happened since I last saw you, Orange. I'm married and I'm writing for a living now. And this," he further extended the PADD to Wes, "will keep me alive long after I'm gone. My writing."
Wes looked at the PADD but did not take it. "How did you get aboard?"
"I had them transport me right to your exact location! They've got some incredible technology, Wes, you'd love to see it. Maybe I could--"
"Who's they?"
"The B'Safrans, of course. My home planet is too far away for me to be just passing through. I hitched a ride. Actually, I stowed away..."
"Who are the B'Safrans?"
"On the Neverland! Geez, Orange, you usually know more about the ships you rendezvous with."
"The children?"
"I thought they looked young. Even for Humanoids."
"You hitched a ride across half the quadrant on that ship and nobody noticed you?"
"I didn't say no one noticed," Jaan winked, "it's just that no one seemed inclined to rat me out!"
"Jaan," Wesley was intense now, ignoring the Elf's light-hearted jokes. He took Jaan by both shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "You've got to tell me absolutely everything you know about those children and the ship you were on."
"They're kids. I don't know. I didn't pay attention."
"Jaan! Everything!"
"Okay! All right!" Jaan was miffed. "Come all this way to show you my work and tell you about my wife and work and all you want to know about is the barge I shipped over on," he muttered.
"I'm sorry, Jaan. It's wonderful about your writing and your marriage. But right now, my life is in serious danger."
"Your life is in danger? From those kids? But... But they were the most peaceful life forms I've ever met!"
"Peaceful! They fired on the Enterprise and almost ripped it in half!"
"What? While I was on board? I didn't hear anything about firing on the Enterprise!"
"Did you hear anything about their ship being in distress?"
"No. I heard they were expecting a delegate from the Enterprise at any moment. I guess they have business with you guys."
"The only business they have with us is either stealing our ship or destroying it."
"Not a chance. The Enterprise? They'd get ruined. The Enterprise is the most heavily armed ship I've ever been on."
"The Neverland is the most heavily armed ship you've ever been on. They blew out 88% of our shields with a single shot. And they want to negotiate with me alone."
Jaan burst out laughing.
"Hey!" Wes was not really insulted.
"Man, Wes, you should come back over there with me. With your brain and my expert ability to convince people, we'd be a huge success. I'd Knack 'em so fast they'd be giving you their ship!"
"Wait. Jaan, you're on good terms with these children?"
"Wes. It's me you're talking to. I'm on good terms with everybody."
"How about officers?"
"I'm kinda tight with the captain."
"Kaelha?"
"Yep."
Wes thought for a second. "We could use you. Let me talk to Captain Picard about you coming over there with me."
"Ohhh no! Not in this lifetime! He hates me! There's no way I'm going to see him, or any other officer on this ship. I'm not crazy."
"That's debatable," Wes grinned. "You hitchhiked over here to tell me in person, risking your life on both ships, what a communiqué could have told me just as well, and you could have sent me a holophoto of your wife."
"I'll show you a picture later. I'll wait here, you go talk to Captain What's-His-Name."
"Picard."
"Yeah, him. I'll just wait here where no one can kill me."
"And where you can't Knack any of the women."
Jaan had a dawning. "Wait, maybe I should come with you, in case any of the Starfleet women need my help, right?"
"You'll stay here. I'll leave the program on and running, so no one will come in." Wes turned to leave, then stopped. He turned back to Jaan, a very small smile on his face. "I'm glad you're back. You have no idea how much I missed you."
Jaan stood silent for a moment, then stepped toward Wesley, "Aw, c'mere ya big lug!" and powerfully embraced him.
"Hey! You're gonna break me!"
"Sorry, Orange." A strained expression crossed Jaan's delciate features, one of someone reigning control back over themselves.
"It's okay. I... I thought you were dead. And now you're back."
"Don't get used to it, Orange, this place gives me the creeps. I'm leaving as soon as I can."
"But not till I get back!" Wesley pointed an index finger at him, then strode out the door.
Once Wes was gone, the creature broke into an evil grin. I should try this Selevian Knack thing more often. The Human boy bought my story with no questions asked. But now the difficult part -- taking on the form of a living person.
Then Jaan's form disappeared so the creature could materialize again to emerge from the turbolift onto the bridge.