A/N: Here, credit must be given to an actor/bartender in Las Vegas as the
attraction "Star Trek: The Experience" who waited on us in Ten Forward and
asked that his character, Vlarg, be included in my book. He gave me his
character's name written on my cocktail napkin. Shortly thereafter,
Paramount ceased accepting non-commissioned submissions for ST:TNG, so this
is the only credit that poor man will get. Cheers, "Vlarg"! And remember
the Rule of Acquisition number 127: Never begin business negotiations on
an empty stomach.
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Chapter 24
Picard sat alone in his ready room. Thoughts were whirling around in his head that had nothing to do with his current predicament. He needed sleep badly. So did his entire crew, for that matter. No one was moving at top performance at this hour. They'd been dealing with this new problem for more than two days. Fifty hours ago was their first communication with the Neverland. Wesley and Robin had been aboard that ship for just over 21 hours.
The ever-realistic Picard was daydreaming of traveling back in time to just before all this began, back to when he and his top-ranking officers were having a drink in Ten-Forward. He fantasized about hearing the distress call, but turning around and going in the opposite direction as quickly as their nacelles could carry them. Where was a temporal anomaly when you needed one?
He stood and walked to his window. Staring out, he watched stars whistle past at warp nine. He drew a long breath.
"Jean-Luc."
Picard spun around. Jack Crusher was standing there.
He tapped his communicator, "Security, Ready Room." Nothing happened. Oh, of course not. Picard was more irritated than frightened. "You are not Jack Crusher and I'm quite aware of that. You needn't try to fool me, it won't work."
"I'm not trying to fool you. I'm trying to get rid of you."
"What a coincidence," Picard muttered.
"Why won't you go away?" the creature sounded genuinely curious.
"You are holding my officers. I won't leave without them."
"I'm tiring of hearing that. You've got over a thousand people on this ship. We took two. Stop being so selfish."
"People are not a commodity! You cannot take two and expect we won't miss them."
"Leave us alone," the creature approached. Picard stood his ground.
"I want my officers back, or so help me, I'll have the whole of Starfleet upon you."
"If that were true, they'd be here already." The creature had a point. Picard could have Starfleet upon them, but it would take at least another six hours for the first ship to get here. The Hood and the Geneseo were on their way.
The creature stepped around Picard's desk. Picard didn't retreat. He was now nose to nose with his dead best friend.
"You killed me, Jean-Luc."
"I did not kill Jack Crusher and you are not Jack Crusher."
"You left me to die. You knew it would be dangerous, you knew I could be killed, but you let me go anyway."
Picard was silent. He tried to take a step toward the door of his ready room, but the creature blocked his path.
"You took me from my wife and son. You took my life away from me. And as quickly as anything, you have another first officer again. I could kill Will Riker, do you know that? It would be the easiest thing in the universe. I could snap my fingers right now and he'd be gone," the creature snapped.
With lightning reflexes, Picard grabbed the creature's wrist. The creature laughed. "Relax, Jean-Luc. I said I could, but I didn't." The creature yanked its arm away easily.
"You don't understand me, Jean-Luc. You were my best friend, but you don't understand me. You took my life, but you don't stop taking. Now you want my son, you want my son back. What if I want him? He is mine, after all. And you want my wife. Yes, I know it's true. You feel something every time you look at her. You don't know what it is, but I do, Picard. I know it, because I feel it when I look at her too. You killed me, then took my wife and son. I don't know of anything lower."
"Oh, no? What about tricking a mother into believing her son is back safely in her arms?" Picard stood still while the creature circled him, looking him up and down. Picard's jaw tensed and released, his eyes narrowed. He realized that he was at a stiff attention and he felt like a Starfleet Academy cadet being dressed down by his commanding officer.
"And besides that, you're a lousy captain," the creature didn't acknowledge the captain's words. "You can't even get back your own two crew members who are sitting on that ship, practically right outside your window. But they're ours. Yes, they're still alive, are you surprised? Both of them." The creature came around to face Picard again. "Which is more than I can say for you."
* * *
Guinan stood at a wall comm unit trying unsuccessfully to page the captain and tell him that she had that feeling again. For some reason, communication to the captain was going unrecognized. She shook her head and tried Commander Riker.
* * *
In one quick motion, the creature wound back its right arm and landed a fist right in Picard's face. Picard went down. The creature was on top of him in an instant. Picard pulled his knees up to his chest, planted his feet in the center of the creature's stomach and hurled "Jack" over his head. Picard leaped up and vaulted over his desk, running for the door. It wouldn't open. The creature was up and coming at him. Picard stepped away from the wall, giving himself some fighting room. "Jack" threw a punch and Picard dodged. Then the creature ran straight at him, driving its shoulder into Picard's stomach, smashing the captain up against the ready room doors. Picard cried out.
* * *
Riker had just finished speaking on a commlink with Guinan when he heard a thump from inside the captain's ready room. "The creature..." he breathed. He jumped out of his seat and headed for the ready room door, but it didn't open for him. He tried the keypad with similar results.
"Computer! Open this door!" It was as if the computer hadn't heard him. "Data, Worf," Riker gestured to the doors. The Klingon and the android pried open the doors in a matter of seconds.
Riker ran in just in time to see Picard land a punch to... apparently to Jack Crusher's face, and Jack connect a backfist to the side of Picard's head. Picard reeled and fell onto his couch.
"Hold it!" Riker shouted. "Jack" suddenly realized it was surrounded by people. Worf pointed a phaser at it, though he wasn't sure what good it would do.
The creature seemed to decide this was over for now, and disappeared.
"Captain," Riker strode over to his captain, who was slouched on his sofa.
"I'm all right, Number One." But he was holding a hand to his head. He stood slowly. "Wesley and Robin are still alive, according to that... thing. But he apparently changes his story from person to person, depending upon what will have the greater effect. We've got to have them out of there, no matter what condition they are in." Picard was well aware of his euphemism.
Riker stared at his captain. He had just taken the beating of a lifetime and he was headed for the bridge. Amazing. He had bruises on his face and his nose had bled a little. No, he couldn't be on the bridge in this condition. Five minutes in sickbay would have him in proper shape again."
"Captain, maybe you should let Doctor Crusher--"
"I'm fine."
"You look awful, sir."
"Thank you, Number One, but flattery will get you nowhere."
Riker got forceful. Picard tried to keep himself as far from sickbay as possible at all times, he refused to acknowledge illness or pain. "I'll have Doctor Crusher up here in one minute. It'll take her five minutes to have you fixed up. I think I can handle the bridge for six minutes. We won't even be within hailing range of the Neverland for almost thirty minutes."
Picard stared hard at his First Officer, but a slight tensing of the jaw muscles was the only sign of his irritation. He sighed, "Fine."
He wasn't pleased, but he'd get over it.
* * *
They'd been left alone in the cell for hours. Robin, having been in one too many fights and stunned one too many times, was sleeping on the cot. Wes was stretched out on the floor, fingers laced behind his head, thinking.
Wes had stared at Robin for a long moment while she slept, growing angrier at their captors. Robin had a black eye and there was a small spot of blood at the corner of her mouth. As for himself, he had a bruise on his left cheekbone. He felt a bit like Gulliver in a world full of violent little people. Only they weren't all little. A few were even his age.
Essentially, they were in jail. He couldn't get out. He was trapped. There was nothing left he could do, no way to think himself out. At least he'd found Robin. But what good was that when now they were both inescapably confined?
Maybe the Enterprise could find some way to force down their shields. The only way he could think of to do that would be to fire on the Neverland until they blow them out, but then they risk injuring or killing people on board, including himself and Robin. Maybe Data and Geordi would think of something.
If Wes could even find something metal he would try to work out a plan, but they had nothing but themselves and their uniforms. He couldn't even think of an applicable use for their rank pips, Robin's zipper on the back of her one-piece uniform, the buckles on their shoes, he couldn't even believe he'd thought of trying to use them at all! It just goes to show what one will consider when trapped and bored. Wes thought it would be great to return to the Enterprise with stories of how they'd tied together their uniforms and lowered themselves into a vent to escape. But there was no vent, which was just as well. Wes didn't think he could properly concentrate with a disrobed Robin Wallace in such proximity.
He heard the main door at the entrance to the holding cells swish open. He sat up. Robin didn't wake.
Briyen came into view on the other side of the invisible forcefield. Wes didn't make any effort to stand for him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his bent knees and stared at him.
Briyen lowered the forcefield and came into the cell. Wes considered running for it, but quickly dismissed the idea. He'd have to wake Robin and get her out, too. By the time he did that, Briyen could have the field up again. Even if he didn't, there was no way he and Robin could get through the door at the end of the hall in time.
Briyen came in and stood next to Wesley. He didn't raise the forcefield again. Wes stared at him for a long moment, not standing.
"Aren't you afraid I'll escape?" Wes couldn't keep the ice from his voice.
"No. You're too smart for that."
"Thanks." Wes was not flattered.
Briyen shrugged. "You know you wouldn't get far. So, how come you're here?" Briyen sat down next to him on the floor, trying to express a little camaraderie. He lowered his voice to the level of Wes's, in consideration of Robin.
"Didn't your captain tell you?" Wes wasn't warming up just yet.
"No. I didn't even know you were here. I just guessed that if you weren't in your quarters, they'd probably stick you in with her," he hitched his thumb over his shoulder at Robin.
"What will they do with us?"
"I don't know. Why are you in here instead of on Deck 4?"
"They think I attacked your captain."
"They think you tried to kill her?" Briyen's eyebrows went up.
"No..." Wes hesitated to explain it. "They think I tried to..." He couldn't even say it in the first person, it was so awful. And it galled him to know many of the crew of this ship thought that of him. "...that I tried..."
Briyen shook his head. "I understand." Briyen hesitated for a second, then asked, "Did you?"
Wesley's jaw dropped. "No!" He turned and sat cross-legged, looking Briyen directly in the eyes. "You do believe me, don't you?"
"Yes," Briyen answered, needing very little convincing.
"I guess she's angry with me and it was a good way to get back at me."
"Why is she angry with you?"
"I won't try to take you guys back in time anymore, I guess. And I'm getting sick of being trapped here, I guess I'm getting more sarcastic and less accommodating. I guess we're just stepping up the fight."
"Why else?"
Wes was surprised to hear him ask that. "That's not enough to throw me in the brig?" Wes thought for a second. "Probably also because I keep messing with the computers."
"And?"
Wes studied the Neverland commander for a long moment. "Do you know something, Briyen?"
"Just trying to confirm a suspicion."
"Mind telling me that suspicion?"
"Kaelha. She gets this look in her eyes when she looks at you. Yes, it's mostly hope, but there's more. It's like you're... familiar to her or something. Like there's something in you that... that charms her. Or something. Like the look she used to get when she looked at me," Briyen lowered his eyes, sadly.
"What?"
"Maybe she's bored with me. Or maybe it's that you're four years older than me. How can I compete with that?"
"Briyen, are you... are you in love with her?"
"I guess... Well, being with her was my best option."
That made Wes angry at Kaelha. "Out of what options?"
"Stay here, go back with the Ferengi, or find some barely M-class planet with strangers on it and hope for the best."
"Yeah, staying here was definitely the best of those three options. But didn't you ever think you had more than that? What about your homeworld? Did you ever think of trying to go back there?"
"And do what?"
"It depends. Do you have family there?"
Briyen shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think so."
"What about Earth? You'd've been welcome there, you're a Human colonist, aren't you?" Wes asked and Briyen nodded. "Or even any Federation Human colony. Even a ship, like the Enterprise."
Briyen's whole face lit up. "Really? I'd be welcome on the Enterprise?"
"Of course." Wesley didn't know that as fact, but encouragement seemed in order at the moment.
"I guess I never really thought there were other options. And," he looked down again, "and there's nothing really left for me here."
"Briyen, I'm sorry," Wes said when he heard real sadness in the younger boy's voice. "I didn't think that--"
"Almost two years ago," Briyen was about to tell his story, and Wes wasn't about to stop him. "The Neverland crossed the path of the Ferengi ship I was on. I was their slave, they called me Hu-Man. I had been a slave to the Ferengi for almost seven years, on different ships, different captains, all claiming I owed them some debt that I can't remember what I'd done to incur. I hated it there.
"Except for one Ferengi, on the last ship I was on. His name was Vlarg and he worked in a bar on the ship. He talked to me as if I was a friend. He never called me Hu-Man. He taught me about a lot of things. He drew our galaxy on a cocktail napkin and showed me where all the planets were in the Alpha Quadrant. He told me about his planet and their rulers, his friends. As often as he could, he would ask for me to work with him for the day. Those were the best days. But Vlarg transferred to another ship one day and I never saw him again.
"Not two months later, I found out there was a large starcruiser in the area. I rigged up a subspace relay and hailed it. Kaelha beamed me aboard and chased off the Ferengi. Then, I was in her debt. Not for money, but for saving me. My entire life, I've been bound to someone I owed something to. I've never really been free, never had a real choice.
"But being aboard the Neverland was better than I'd ever had it. She immediately made me her first officer, and it was sort of an agreement between the two of us, that we'd watch out for each other and take care of each other. I've never belonged to anyone before as a friend, except Vlarg. Only as property."
Wes interjected here. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
"Sure."
"Did you and Kaelha ever... um..."
"Oh," Briyen caught on. He blushed a little. "No. Though not for lack of trying."
Wesley's jaw dropped. "She...? Were you... you weren't... pressured... into anything. Were you?"
"Heck no! I meant me trying. Look at her, she's beautiful!"
"She's fifty-four, Briyen."
"Not really. It's like... like a Human male and a Selelvian female. They'd be the same relative age when the Human male is about 16 years old and the Selelvian female is about 60."
Wes couldn't really argue with that. Selelvians matured much more quickly. The situation between Briyen and Kaelha was similar. "So you weren't... you didn't feel like you had to, then."
"No, never." Then Briyen lifted his eyebrows questioningly. He seemed almost afraid to ask, "Were you?"
Wes gave a short, derisive laugh. "I'm twice her size, Briyen," but that was the only answer he gave. He stood up and paced away from him, more than a little sick of the conversation.
"Anyway," he rose and began turning something over in his hand. "There's a reason why I'm here."
Wes turned around. He hadn't realized Briyen had brought anything into the cell with him.
"I'm here to help you get home."
Wes glanced around the cell as if he were about to suggest that Briyen be quiet about escaping.
"Don't worry," Briyen said. "I rigged surveillance so they're seeing and hearing a loop. Luckily, neither of you moved much during my clip, so I didn't have to work too hard to match up the ends. I left my communicator in my quarters so the computer can't locate me as being in here with you. Now, what can I do to help you two get out of here?"
Wes stared him down for a few long moments, then asked, "Are you sure you want to get yourself into this?"
"I think of it as getting myself out of this."
"What's that?" Wes pointed at Briyen's closed fist.
He opened his hand. In his palm he held a handful of complex wiring and circuitry. Wes didn't recognize it. He picked it up and turned it over and over, examining it.
"A communicator?" Wes was stunned. Briyen nodded. "Where did you get this?"
"I made it."
"You made it?"
Briyen smiled shyly.
"This is great! Can we send messages, or just signals?"
"Audio messages. But before we use it, we have to disable the shields so the message can get through. It's... well, it's good, but it's not that good. It is kind of thrown together. I've got a PADD that'll hook up to the systems in the Jefferies tubes, and I can tap into the weapons systems." Then he added, "As First Officer, I... pretty much have access to everything."
Wesley was blown away. He'd been the only person he'd ever known to do such things at such a young age. But still... "What's the catch?" one side of Wes's mouth curled upward.
Briyen grinned mischievously. "Yeah, there's one condition. Take me with you."
A slow smile spread on Wes's face. "Done."
"Oh, and we should wake up your girlfriend now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Responses to Reviews:
LaSemeuse: Oh, the science and theory behind time gave me such fits trying to research it! I wanted to go further into Quantum Theory, but the leap would require so much connecting that it would get boring in narration. Glad you're enjoying the story, sorry I've been so lax in getting to the hopefully-not-disappointing conclusion!
Emily - Thanks :) I'm getting there today, I hope. Again, my apologies for being so slow!
DB - Oh no! My most verbal reviewer, what have I done to you! I'm sorry, here, have some chapters! *pets*
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Chapter 24
Picard sat alone in his ready room. Thoughts were whirling around in his head that had nothing to do with his current predicament. He needed sleep badly. So did his entire crew, for that matter. No one was moving at top performance at this hour. They'd been dealing with this new problem for more than two days. Fifty hours ago was their first communication with the Neverland. Wesley and Robin had been aboard that ship for just over 21 hours.
The ever-realistic Picard was daydreaming of traveling back in time to just before all this began, back to when he and his top-ranking officers were having a drink in Ten-Forward. He fantasized about hearing the distress call, but turning around and going in the opposite direction as quickly as their nacelles could carry them. Where was a temporal anomaly when you needed one?
He stood and walked to his window. Staring out, he watched stars whistle past at warp nine. He drew a long breath.
"Jean-Luc."
Picard spun around. Jack Crusher was standing there.
He tapped his communicator, "Security, Ready Room." Nothing happened. Oh, of course not. Picard was more irritated than frightened. "You are not Jack Crusher and I'm quite aware of that. You needn't try to fool me, it won't work."
"I'm not trying to fool you. I'm trying to get rid of you."
"What a coincidence," Picard muttered.
"Why won't you go away?" the creature sounded genuinely curious.
"You are holding my officers. I won't leave without them."
"I'm tiring of hearing that. You've got over a thousand people on this ship. We took two. Stop being so selfish."
"People are not a commodity! You cannot take two and expect we won't miss them."
"Leave us alone," the creature approached. Picard stood his ground.
"I want my officers back, or so help me, I'll have the whole of Starfleet upon you."
"If that were true, they'd be here already." The creature had a point. Picard could have Starfleet upon them, but it would take at least another six hours for the first ship to get here. The Hood and the Geneseo were on their way.
The creature stepped around Picard's desk. Picard didn't retreat. He was now nose to nose with his dead best friend.
"You killed me, Jean-Luc."
"I did not kill Jack Crusher and you are not Jack Crusher."
"You left me to die. You knew it would be dangerous, you knew I could be killed, but you let me go anyway."
Picard was silent. He tried to take a step toward the door of his ready room, but the creature blocked his path.
"You took me from my wife and son. You took my life away from me. And as quickly as anything, you have another first officer again. I could kill Will Riker, do you know that? It would be the easiest thing in the universe. I could snap my fingers right now and he'd be gone," the creature snapped.
With lightning reflexes, Picard grabbed the creature's wrist. The creature laughed. "Relax, Jean-Luc. I said I could, but I didn't." The creature yanked its arm away easily.
"You don't understand me, Jean-Luc. You were my best friend, but you don't understand me. You took my life, but you don't stop taking. Now you want my son, you want my son back. What if I want him? He is mine, after all. And you want my wife. Yes, I know it's true. You feel something every time you look at her. You don't know what it is, but I do, Picard. I know it, because I feel it when I look at her too. You killed me, then took my wife and son. I don't know of anything lower."
"Oh, no? What about tricking a mother into believing her son is back safely in her arms?" Picard stood still while the creature circled him, looking him up and down. Picard's jaw tensed and released, his eyes narrowed. He realized that he was at a stiff attention and he felt like a Starfleet Academy cadet being dressed down by his commanding officer.
"And besides that, you're a lousy captain," the creature didn't acknowledge the captain's words. "You can't even get back your own two crew members who are sitting on that ship, practically right outside your window. But they're ours. Yes, they're still alive, are you surprised? Both of them." The creature came around to face Picard again. "Which is more than I can say for you."
* * *
Guinan stood at a wall comm unit trying unsuccessfully to page the captain and tell him that she had that feeling again. For some reason, communication to the captain was going unrecognized. She shook her head and tried Commander Riker.
* * *
In one quick motion, the creature wound back its right arm and landed a fist right in Picard's face. Picard went down. The creature was on top of him in an instant. Picard pulled his knees up to his chest, planted his feet in the center of the creature's stomach and hurled "Jack" over his head. Picard leaped up and vaulted over his desk, running for the door. It wouldn't open. The creature was up and coming at him. Picard stepped away from the wall, giving himself some fighting room. "Jack" threw a punch and Picard dodged. Then the creature ran straight at him, driving its shoulder into Picard's stomach, smashing the captain up against the ready room doors. Picard cried out.
* * *
Riker had just finished speaking on a commlink with Guinan when he heard a thump from inside the captain's ready room. "The creature..." he breathed. He jumped out of his seat and headed for the ready room door, but it didn't open for him. He tried the keypad with similar results.
"Computer! Open this door!" It was as if the computer hadn't heard him. "Data, Worf," Riker gestured to the doors. The Klingon and the android pried open the doors in a matter of seconds.
Riker ran in just in time to see Picard land a punch to... apparently to Jack Crusher's face, and Jack connect a backfist to the side of Picard's head. Picard reeled and fell onto his couch.
"Hold it!" Riker shouted. "Jack" suddenly realized it was surrounded by people. Worf pointed a phaser at it, though he wasn't sure what good it would do.
The creature seemed to decide this was over for now, and disappeared.
"Captain," Riker strode over to his captain, who was slouched on his sofa.
"I'm all right, Number One." But he was holding a hand to his head. He stood slowly. "Wesley and Robin are still alive, according to that... thing. But he apparently changes his story from person to person, depending upon what will have the greater effect. We've got to have them out of there, no matter what condition they are in." Picard was well aware of his euphemism.
Riker stared at his captain. He had just taken the beating of a lifetime and he was headed for the bridge. Amazing. He had bruises on his face and his nose had bled a little. No, he couldn't be on the bridge in this condition. Five minutes in sickbay would have him in proper shape again."
"Captain, maybe you should let Doctor Crusher--"
"I'm fine."
"You look awful, sir."
"Thank you, Number One, but flattery will get you nowhere."
Riker got forceful. Picard tried to keep himself as far from sickbay as possible at all times, he refused to acknowledge illness or pain. "I'll have Doctor Crusher up here in one minute. It'll take her five minutes to have you fixed up. I think I can handle the bridge for six minutes. We won't even be within hailing range of the Neverland for almost thirty minutes."
Picard stared hard at his First Officer, but a slight tensing of the jaw muscles was the only sign of his irritation. He sighed, "Fine."
He wasn't pleased, but he'd get over it.
* * *
They'd been left alone in the cell for hours. Robin, having been in one too many fights and stunned one too many times, was sleeping on the cot. Wes was stretched out on the floor, fingers laced behind his head, thinking.
Wes had stared at Robin for a long moment while she slept, growing angrier at their captors. Robin had a black eye and there was a small spot of blood at the corner of her mouth. As for himself, he had a bruise on his left cheekbone. He felt a bit like Gulliver in a world full of violent little people. Only they weren't all little. A few were even his age.
Essentially, they were in jail. He couldn't get out. He was trapped. There was nothing left he could do, no way to think himself out. At least he'd found Robin. But what good was that when now they were both inescapably confined?
Maybe the Enterprise could find some way to force down their shields. The only way he could think of to do that would be to fire on the Neverland until they blow them out, but then they risk injuring or killing people on board, including himself and Robin. Maybe Data and Geordi would think of something.
If Wes could even find something metal he would try to work out a plan, but they had nothing but themselves and their uniforms. He couldn't even think of an applicable use for their rank pips, Robin's zipper on the back of her one-piece uniform, the buckles on their shoes, he couldn't even believe he'd thought of trying to use them at all! It just goes to show what one will consider when trapped and bored. Wes thought it would be great to return to the Enterprise with stories of how they'd tied together their uniforms and lowered themselves into a vent to escape. But there was no vent, which was just as well. Wes didn't think he could properly concentrate with a disrobed Robin Wallace in such proximity.
He heard the main door at the entrance to the holding cells swish open. He sat up. Robin didn't wake.
Briyen came into view on the other side of the invisible forcefield. Wes didn't make any effort to stand for him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his bent knees and stared at him.
Briyen lowered the forcefield and came into the cell. Wes considered running for it, but quickly dismissed the idea. He'd have to wake Robin and get her out, too. By the time he did that, Briyen could have the field up again. Even if he didn't, there was no way he and Robin could get through the door at the end of the hall in time.
Briyen came in and stood next to Wesley. He didn't raise the forcefield again. Wes stared at him for a long moment, not standing.
"Aren't you afraid I'll escape?" Wes couldn't keep the ice from his voice.
"No. You're too smart for that."
"Thanks." Wes was not flattered.
Briyen shrugged. "You know you wouldn't get far. So, how come you're here?" Briyen sat down next to him on the floor, trying to express a little camaraderie. He lowered his voice to the level of Wes's, in consideration of Robin.
"Didn't your captain tell you?" Wes wasn't warming up just yet.
"No. I didn't even know you were here. I just guessed that if you weren't in your quarters, they'd probably stick you in with her," he hitched his thumb over his shoulder at Robin.
"What will they do with us?"
"I don't know. Why are you in here instead of on Deck 4?"
"They think I attacked your captain."
"They think you tried to kill her?" Briyen's eyebrows went up.
"No..." Wes hesitated to explain it. "They think I tried to..." He couldn't even say it in the first person, it was so awful. And it galled him to know many of the crew of this ship thought that of him. "...that I tried..."
Briyen shook his head. "I understand." Briyen hesitated for a second, then asked, "Did you?"
Wesley's jaw dropped. "No!" He turned and sat cross-legged, looking Briyen directly in the eyes. "You do believe me, don't you?"
"Yes," Briyen answered, needing very little convincing.
"I guess she's angry with me and it was a good way to get back at me."
"Why is she angry with you?"
"I won't try to take you guys back in time anymore, I guess. And I'm getting sick of being trapped here, I guess I'm getting more sarcastic and less accommodating. I guess we're just stepping up the fight."
"Why else?"
Wes was surprised to hear him ask that. "That's not enough to throw me in the brig?" Wes thought for a second. "Probably also because I keep messing with the computers."
"And?"
Wes studied the Neverland commander for a long moment. "Do you know something, Briyen?"
"Just trying to confirm a suspicion."
"Mind telling me that suspicion?"
"Kaelha. She gets this look in her eyes when she looks at you. Yes, it's mostly hope, but there's more. It's like you're... familiar to her or something. Like there's something in you that... that charms her. Or something. Like the look she used to get when she looked at me," Briyen lowered his eyes, sadly.
"What?"
"Maybe she's bored with me. Or maybe it's that you're four years older than me. How can I compete with that?"
"Briyen, are you... are you in love with her?"
"I guess... Well, being with her was my best option."
That made Wes angry at Kaelha. "Out of what options?"
"Stay here, go back with the Ferengi, or find some barely M-class planet with strangers on it and hope for the best."
"Yeah, staying here was definitely the best of those three options. But didn't you ever think you had more than that? What about your homeworld? Did you ever think of trying to go back there?"
"And do what?"
"It depends. Do you have family there?"
Briyen shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think so."
"What about Earth? You'd've been welcome there, you're a Human colonist, aren't you?" Wes asked and Briyen nodded. "Or even any Federation Human colony. Even a ship, like the Enterprise."
Briyen's whole face lit up. "Really? I'd be welcome on the Enterprise?"
"Of course." Wesley didn't know that as fact, but encouragement seemed in order at the moment.
"I guess I never really thought there were other options. And," he looked down again, "and there's nothing really left for me here."
"Briyen, I'm sorry," Wes said when he heard real sadness in the younger boy's voice. "I didn't think that--"
"Almost two years ago," Briyen was about to tell his story, and Wes wasn't about to stop him. "The Neverland crossed the path of the Ferengi ship I was on. I was their slave, they called me Hu-Man. I had been a slave to the Ferengi for almost seven years, on different ships, different captains, all claiming I owed them some debt that I can't remember what I'd done to incur. I hated it there.
"Except for one Ferengi, on the last ship I was on. His name was Vlarg and he worked in a bar on the ship. He talked to me as if I was a friend. He never called me Hu-Man. He taught me about a lot of things. He drew our galaxy on a cocktail napkin and showed me where all the planets were in the Alpha Quadrant. He told me about his planet and their rulers, his friends. As often as he could, he would ask for me to work with him for the day. Those were the best days. But Vlarg transferred to another ship one day and I never saw him again.
"Not two months later, I found out there was a large starcruiser in the area. I rigged up a subspace relay and hailed it. Kaelha beamed me aboard and chased off the Ferengi. Then, I was in her debt. Not for money, but for saving me. My entire life, I've been bound to someone I owed something to. I've never really been free, never had a real choice.
"But being aboard the Neverland was better than I'd ever had it. She immediately made me her first officer, and it was sort of an agreement between the two of us, that we'd watch out for each other and take care of each other. I've never belonged to anyone before as a friend, except Vlarg. Only as property."
Wes interjected here. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
"Sure."
"Did you and Kaelha ever... um..."
"Oh," Briyen caught on. He blushed a little. "No. Though not for lack of trying."
Wesley's jaw dropped. "She...? Were you... you weren't... pressured... into anything. Were you?"
"Heck no! I meant me trying. Look at her, she's beautiful!"
"She's fifty-four, Briyen."
"Not really. It's like... like a Human male and a Selelvian female. They'd be the same relative age when the Human male is about 16 years old and the Selelvian female is about 60."
Wes couldn't really argue with that. Selelvians matured much more quickly. The situation between Briyen and Kaelha was similar. "So you weren't... you didn't feel like you had to, then."
"No, never." Then Briyen lifted his eyebrows questioningly. He seemed almost afraid to ask, "Were you?"
Wes gave a short, derisive laugh. "I'm twice her size, Briyen," but that was the only answer he gave. He stood up and paced away from him, more than a little sick of the conversation.
"Anyway," he rose and began turning something over in his hand. "There's a reason why I'm here."
Wes turned around. He hadn't realized Briyen had brought anything into the cell with him.
"I'm here to help you get home."
Wes glanced around the cell as if he were about to suggest that Briyen be quiet about escaping.
"Don't worry," Briyen said. "I rigged surveillance so they're seeing and hearing a loop. Luckily, neither of you moved much during my clip, so I didn't have to work too hard to match up the ends. I left my communicator in my quarters so the computer can't locate me as being in here with you. Now, what can I do to help you two get out of here?"
Wes stared him down for a few long moments, then asked, "Are you sure you want to get yourself into this?"
"I think of it as getting myself out of this."
"What's that?" Wes pointed at Briyen's closed fist.
He opened his hand. In his palm he held a handful of complex wiring and circuitry. Wes didn't recognize it. He picked it up and turned it over and over, examining it.
"A communicator?" Wes was stunned. Briyen nodded. "Where did you get this?"
"I made it."
"You made it?"
Briyen smiled shyly.
"This is great! Can we send messages, or just signals?"
"Audio messages. But before we use it, we have to disable the shields so the message can get through. It's... well, it's good, but it's not that good. It is kind of thrown together. I've got a PADD that'll hook up to the systems in the Jefferies tubes, and I can tap into the weapons systems." Then he added, "As First Officer, I... pretty much have access to everything."
Wesley was blown away. He'd been the only person he'd ever known to do such things at such a young age. But still... "What's the catch?" one side of Wes's mouth curled upward.
Briyen grinned mischievously. "Yeah, there's one condition. Take me with you."
A slow smile spread on Wes's face. "Done."
"Oh, and we should wake up your girlfriend now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Responses to Reviews:
LaSemeuse: Oh, the science and theory behind time gave me such fits trying to research it! I wanted to go further into Quantum Theory, but the leap would require so much connecting that it would get boring in narration. Glad you're enjoying the story, sorry I've been so lax in getting to the hopefully-not-disappointing conclusion!
Emily - Thanks :) I'm getting there today, I hope. Again, my apologies for being so slow!
DB - Oh no! My most verbal reviewer, what have I done to you! I'm sorry, here, have some chapters! *pets*