The Power of the Q- Ch. 12- The Past Never Dies
"How do you know I'm going to die here?" I said and Q turned around to face me. I maneuvered around the knife and stood up. I walked towards him; we were now 50 centimeters apart, facing each other. "Yeah, yeah, I know that whole 'all-knowing' crap. There will be serious hell to pay if I die married to a woman I don't love. And more hell if I die knowing that I'm cheating on her with someone I do love."
"Oh shut up Romeo." Q snapped.
"What will happen to Sam? She's also married to a man she doesn't love. Will she die, too?" I kept pressing him for answers, trying to make him think about what he was trying to do.
"Yes, in a few minutes." Q smiled.
"You would let a pregnant woman die because you don't feel like saving her even though you can?" Q turned around, not facing me anymore and started to walk away. Then he was about to snap his fingers. "You're a monster letting two people die because you don't feel like snapping your damn fingers."
"You should know how it feels to be a monster, Paris." Q stated, turning around to face me, he looked angry.
I looked up at him oddly. What the hell was he talking about? I thought.
"You killed three people, Paris." He grinned evilly. "And what did you do in their memories? You lied about their deaths."
"That was a mistake!" I shouted. "I regret lying, but that's all in the past now. The future is what I have to think about now."
"The past never dies, Paris!" He kept smiling.
"I know that." I snorted. "But people get over it, I sort of did. Sure there are times when past actions haunt my dreams, but not as often as they used to."
"What about the look on your father's face when you told the court you did it?" Q asked. "The look on his face when he alienated you from your family later on. Do those faces still haunt you? What about the day Jessica died? My, nearly one month ago she died; do you remember her face when you were holding her in your arms? See Tom, the past never dies and it will always haunt you." Q smiled again.
My head was bent downwards looking at the floor while he was saying this, remembering each face.
"How about your mother's face when she fiend out you killed those people, do you remember that one?" Q continued his list. "Oh, I know how about your sisters faces when-"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before I punched him in the nose. Q fell to the ground holding onto his nose. He looked at me; I was standing in front of him holding myself back from punching him again.
"You punched me." He stated.
"It's not the first time." I replied, I wanted shake my hand and try to stop the pain, but that would only show weakness. "You're the 'all-knowing' Q, and you couldn't even tell I was going to punch you?"
"You caught me off guard." Q replied standing up. "Okay Paris," Q's smile had faded long ago, he looked angrier. "time's up, time to die."
"Why?" I asked right when he was about to snap his fingers. "Why did you bring Sam and me here? Of all the different places in all the galaxies, why here and why death?"
"Because," Q started. "I was sent to, I don't know why, Tommyboy, I just do as I'm told."
"Why did you send me here to die and not kill me in my universe?" I asked.
"Both Tom's are going to die." Q's agitation showed in his voice. "The one that's supposed to be in this reality is in your universe is already dead."
"Why are you trying to kill Sam?"
"She was a random choice; we had to make it look like something really happened." He answered.
"But why are we here, Q? Why couldn't you kill us in our universe?" I asked.
"It was a personal choice." Q smiled. Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Not only did he disappear, but time resumed. The alien looked over at me and back at the spot where I was supposed to be lying.
"Interesting trick, but you won't trick me again." The alien snarled and started to run towards me, his knife outstretched.
I turned around and ran away from the alien. I have to find Sam. I thought. I have to save her. At that moment, I heard phaser fire behind me. One stray shot hit the top of my right shoulder; I grabbed onto my shoulder with my left hand and kept running. I stopped running and leaned against a corridor wall, hopefully out of view from the alien.
I started to hear feet hitting the ground; I peeked one of my eyes around the corner and saw the alien coming. It was being chased…by Tuvok and some security guards. I've never been so happy to see Tuvok ever.
When the alien came towards me, I stuck out my foot, maybe once this trick might work. The alien wasn't looking and tripped over my foot and fell to the ground. Its apparent phaser knocked out of its hands and went flying to the alien's right. When Tuvok and the guards come to a halt near me, they turned the alien's body over with their phasers drawn.
The alien had fallen on top of its own knife, what luck. Its purple blood oozed out of its chest. I look at Tuvok and the others; still holding my bleeding shoulder with my left hand.
"I didn't mean to kill him." I said. "Just to trip him, help you guys get the edge."
Tuvok looked at me, "It is all right, Commander. The Captain is looking for you; I suggest you get to Sick bay immediately. We will accompany you."
Tuvok, the guards, and I walked into the turbolift, Tuvok called for sickbay and it started.
"That's weird, before I was in a turbolift with Lieutenant Wildman and it wouldn't start." I said to Tuvok.
"All the turbolifts have been operational throughout the day, Commander Paris." Tuvok replied in his monotone voice. "It is possible the turbolift you entered in was stalled for some unknown reason. I will have Ensign Kim take a look at that incident, sir."
Ahh, even in this universe Harry is still an Ensign, the guy can never get a break, I thought. Wait, did Tuvok just say 'sir'. So that would mean that I'm above Tuvok… hmmm, this can be used to my advantage some day.
"Make sure you do, Lieutenant." I said smiling. The turbolift stopped and we all walked out.
"I should inform you that your wife is in labor." Tuvok said in his way to damn cool, calm voice.
I stopped dead in my tracks. "WHAT?" I yelled.
"Your wife is in labor." Tuvok replied. "The twins will arrive shortly the doctor says."
That was the last thing I remember before dropping to the ground; I had fainted.