Chapter 15

Beverly and Seth stood side by side, staring up at Starfleet Medical Headquarters. Beverly sighed and put her arm around Seth's shoulders. Marca waited patiently, leaning her weight against his legs. "Are you sure you want to come in with me?" She had decided she couldn't leave Earth without seeing one of her dearest friends.

"Of course."

Beverly cleared her throat. "Seth...I don't know how much Marco told you about his past, but-"

"Beverly...it's okay. I know Walker Keel is my grandfather. Marco told me all about him...it's just kind of weird that by the time I found out we were related, he was in a coma."

Beverly squeezed her son's shoulder. And now that Walker's awake? What now? I can't tell him about Jean-Luc. I just can't.

USS Hood

Riker swung his leg over the back of his chair and sat down, facing the man across the table. He leaned forward on his elbows and sniffed in. "Wow. You need a shower, Q."

Q's eyebrows twitched. He still had yet to understand the standards for acceptable human hygiene. "Perhaps you're right, Riker. But I have important information to share."

"It had better be important if I have to sit in here with you...just how long were you hiding in the Jeffries tube?"

"Since we left spacedock. I don't appreciate being hunted by your Starfleet Command like some...some lower species."

Riker grinned. "Ah...but you are a lower species, Q. Didn't I hear that you're one of us now?"

"A temporary setback..."

Riker smiled. He found it difficult not to take some pleasure from Q's troubles. He had never liked Q, despite Jean-Luc's long-standing complicated friendship with the entity. He could never shake the feeling that Q was responsible for all of their collective troubles ever since Picard had returned to humanity. Picard's unexplained disappearance a year and a half ago, the impromptu investigation recently, and Q's shady behavior only added to his suspicions.

"So, what exactly did you do to get booted out by the Continuum? Must have been something pretty hardcore, considering all of the other amoral, suspect shit you've done over the years."

Q watched Riker carefully. Was this residual anger over Picard's disappearance? Was it jealousy? Q struggled to decipher human responses now more than ever. The Continuum had "booted" him out because of his involvement with the Yar controversy, and his tampering with Caine in Yar's resurrected timeline. If Riker or anyone else became aware that it was he who had injected Caine into Yar's life with the hope that Caine would kill her, he would be an outcast from humanity as well. He might not survive that kind of rejection twice. These humans would never understand the pressure he was under at the time or the weight of the decisions he had to make.

"It's complicated," Q said, believing that to be the most honest, yet completely vague answer he could provide.

Riker looked unsatisfied, but glanced at the clock, signaling his impatience. "Well, before I order security to find you a bathtub, let's hear what was so important that you had to stowaway on my ship. I happen to be in the middle of a mission right now."

Q scoffed. "A mission...what could be more important than saving the galaxy as we know it?"

"Let's get on with it, Q."

Q leaned forward as if suggesting a conspiracy. "After Picard disappeared, I went to his ancestral home."

"In France?"

"Does he have a different ancestral home I should know about? Such things just weren't a consideration when I was a Q."

Riker closed his eyes for a moment, trying to exercise patience. "Why did you go there?"

"Why I went is less important than what I found when I arrived there. The walls of his childhood bedroom were covered with pictures that he had drawn recently, mathematical equations and very strange words." Q took out a small datapad from under his shirt. "Here...I recorded it on one of your primitive devices."

Riker felt the hair stand up on his skin, as he looked at the eerie graffiti. "What does it all mean?"

"Picard was attempting in his limited way to predict the future, and based on what is happening now, he seems to have been correct."

"Damn it! Stop talking in riddles, Q."

"The fabric of this galaxy is fraying at its weakest points, Riker. And it will continue to tear itself apart with us in it unless we do something to reverse it."

"How do you suggest we reverse something that no one seems to understand?"

Q shook his head and said something he had never said before. "I don't know. That's why we need to find Jean-Luc so that he can explain the source of this crisis."

"Do you honestly think I believe that you don't know more than you are saying?"

"Believe what you want, Riker. If I knew more, wouldn't I use that knowledge?"

Riker lowered his voice and had to restrain himself from reaching across the table to throttle Q. "You would use it for your own ends. You've shown me absolutely nothing to convince me that you would do a damn thing to help us if your own ass wasn't on the line!"

Q looked on placidly. "Find Jean-Luc."

Riker sighed and put his head into his hands and groaned. "How the hell do I find someone who doesn't want to be found?" Rubbing his eyes he sat back in his chair. "Look Q, you haven't actually given me any information that I can use...aside from these strange drawings. Now, you can stay on the Hood until Command says you need to leave. It's the best I can do."

"Riker, you can't just toss me aside like unwanted space garbage. Find Picard and we'll have the answers we need to survive."

Riker slapped his palm on the table. "Security, please escort Mr. Q to some guest quarters. Keep me apprised of his whereabouts at all times. And make sure his quarters have a working shower," he added. He watched as the security guards walked patiently next to Q and exited the room.

"Troi to Riker."

Just the sound of his wife's voice improved his mood. "Yes?"

"Will...have you seen the news reports?"

"No. It's been a little busy up here. What's going on?"

"I think I need to come and see you in person. It's about Jean-Luc."

And just like that, his mood was down again.

USS Enterprise-Cardassian Space

All of the recent messages that were marked "personal" were from his mother and Jack. He hesitated before opening the ones from his mother.

"Hello, Wesley. First of all, I didn't expect you to answer. We haven't spoken in months. But, the more I have gone without speaking to you, the more I realize I need you in my life. Please...call me."

The next message was accompanied by a video of his mother staring forlornly into the screen.

"As I know you have already heard, your father has been reported dead." Beverly paused and looked away from the screen for a few moments. "But you and I know that this is a lie, Wesley. Your father left for the Q Continuum, and there is nothing that could convince me otherwise. I know that you are angry, and you have a right to be. But I'm still here...I'm still your mother. Jean-Luc did what he did, and only he is to blame for his actions. I know in my heart that he didn't mean to hurt us, but even if he did, there is nothing we can do to change what happened. We have to move on, son."

The next message displayed his mother at her angriest.

"Wes...this man Talbot; who is he? Whoever he is, he is not a good man. I swear he took some kind of sick pleasure in telling us that Jean-Luc is-well, I'm not going to say it again because I don't believe it. But, I need to know...Jack said it was your idea to run this investigation, but why? To hurt us? Wesley, we don't know where your father is. If I knew, I would tell you, don't you believe me? Please tell me you are not working with Talbot-"

He snapped off the recording. Eventually, he would talk to his mother. He would. But for the moment, he needed to attend to some business.

Travel into the neighboring Andromeda galaxy using an apparently abandoned Borg transwarp conduit had been Wesley's idea. An escape from a shrinking galaxy. All the great powers recognized that for unexplained reasons, the galaxy seemed to be in the process of destroying itself. Escape to a new home was one option, but finding out the reasons for this crisis was another. If the problem could be solved, the galaxy could be saved along with its inhabitants. Q had led Starfleet Intel and the leaders of the Federation down a mysterious path, implying but never saying that the disappearing areas of space were related to the Q, and in particular, Jean-Luc Picard. Then Q disappeared. At one point, all hopes had been placed on finding Wesley's father, but it had now been made public that he was dead.

The Enterprise could make the test run, but his superiors wouldn't allow it. So Wesley had been forced to grovel to the Cardassians."We need a ship other than the Enterprise to go through the transwarp conduit," said Wesley. He had rehearsed this speech overnight, and yet he didn't feel right saying it. The alien sitting across from him at the conference table seemed to enjoy Wesley's discomfort.

The long tendons on either side of the alien commander's neck stood out, enhancing his sinister qualities. "And you expect us to allow you to take a Cardassian ship through on a test run?" Gul Dukat's dark eyes narrowed.

Wesley straightened. "Yes. Federation reinforcements will be here in a few days, but-"

"Use one of your shuttles...something dispensable."

"No, we need a ship with comparable dimensions, not a shuttlecraft," Wesley insisted, feeling the heat rise beneath his collar. "I already told you that we can provide you with a subspace generator for the structural integrity field we've constructed."

"Designed by who? You?"

"Yes." Wesley was having trouble containing his growing rage. "This was the deal you agreed to, Dukat. Now, I need you to follow through on your promise."

Gul Dukat stood up quickly, and for a second, Wesley thought he was going to reach for a weapon. "You need many things, young human. You need humility...but not least of all, you need my permission to use the transwarp conduit."

Wesley stood up to regain some ground. "The Borg conduit doesn't belong to the Cardassians any more than it belongs to the Federation."

"And yet Starfleet sent a sniveling child to secure it. The so-called deal is off!" He stormed quickly from the room, but Wesley called after him.

"We're all going to die, do you understand me? Unless we work together!"

Dukat turned with a sly smile. "The age of Federation dominance through trickery is coming to a close. I have made another deal, Crusher. If you want the conduit, you will have to take it by force. But, I wouldn't recommend trying."

Natal Star System inside the Anomaly

Captain Data sat very still. There was no need for any sudden movements. He had re-routed most of the USS Jemison's operational controls to his command center. His right index finger rested lightly on a touchpad, providing him with the information he needed to ensure that the ship remained intact. "Shields are holding at 25 percent," he said to a deathly quiet bridge. All that could be heard was the hum of the ship's systems. There was only one other officer who was conscious, and he was by nature, quiet anyway.

Lieutenant Commander Sovol, the ship's science officer, stood at a science station adjacent to the command center. He wore an environmental suit, a precaution as all humans on the bridge, and on the ship, it was presumed, were currently unconscious. The cause of this shipwide problem was somehow related to the anomaly the ship was currently trying to exit. Unfortunately, not only was the ship not following the course set, the shields were being steadily depleted.

Data himself was for the time being operational and doing his best to remove the ship from its current predicament.

"Intruder alert, Intruder alert."

There was a brief shimmer before a sleek humanoid shape coalesced on the bridge. The being was entirely clothed in black form-fitting armor. Glancing around the bridge quickly, the intruder quickly walked toward Sovol's station. Without a word, the person shoved the Vulcan out of the way. Sovol quickly reached out to try and neutralize the attacker, who merely shrugged him off.

"Stay out of my way if you want to live," came the robotic voice.

Sovol grabbed for a utility phaser from underneath the tactical station and fired on stun. The phasic energy hit the intruder directly, but it appeared to slow and then was absorbed into the being's armor, without any obvious disabling effects to the stranger.

"Don't try that again," the being warned, still focused on the science station.

Data now stood watching the person. "Identify yourself and step away from the ship's systems," he said, holding a phaser trained on the intruder.

"Are they all asleep?" asked the black-clothed individual, not bothering to look up.

Data glanced at his security chief, Ashley Howell, who lay on the deck, where she had collapsed.

Aware that telling this person anything could be dangerous, he weighed the odds and answered honestly. "Yes." He walked closer, taking a closer look at the stranger. As he neared, the material of the black suit seemed to shift and his visual processors had difficulty capturing the figure. Whether it was a personal cloaking device or some kid, a shield, or some other technology, he could not be certain.

"Good. There is a still a consciousness at work here, or believe me, every single one of you would be dead." The black helmet raised and fixed on him for a moment. "Even the Vulcan...even you, Data."

"You know me, however, I believe I am unfamiliar with you. Stand away from the controls. If you are familiar with me, then you can confirm that my phaser is set to kill. You appear to be humanoid."

The figure remained silent, its hands flying over the tactical controls now.

"Captain, shields are down," Sovol insisted. "The ship is at risk of imminent-"

The intruder spun and punched the Vulcan in the side of his helmet, sending him flying into the station behind him.

Data started to move to Sovol's aid, but the saboteur walked quickly to meet him and raised a palm. "Don't come any closer. He'll be fine. Vulcans are resilient. The shields are down because I lowered them."

"By lowering our shields you have compromised the ship's hull," said Data. "Why?"

The person gave a short laugh. "The ship is free to go now, you'll see. Next time, don't send humans into one of these. It's not a good idea."

"How is this anomaly connected to the sudden changes in this galaxy? If you have information that could help us-"

"Help yourselves," said the stranger. "Or die."

Data watched as the strange shimmer took hold again, and the being disappeared.

Data moved to help his science officer to his feet. Sovol attempted to shake off his dizziness, before allowing for a grateful nod. He remained silent as he moved back to tactical. He frowned, pointing beneath his console at an object the size of his thumb. "Sir, this device was not here before."

"Please stand aside." Data ran his tricorder near the device, cautiously. "It appears to be harmless..." he glanced up at Sovol. "It is a tracking device."

Captain's Log Stardate. Approximately 1.3 solar hours ago an unidentified being of humanoid appearance transported onto the bridge of the USS Jemison while we were inside the Natal anomaly. As previously reported, at least 80% of the ship's crew complement was unconscious at that time, for reasons not yet explained. After attacking the ship's science officer with non-lethal force, the intruder lowered the Jemison's shields. After transporting away from the ship, the ship's controls returned to full operation and we exited the anomaly into normal space. At this time, nearly half of the crew remains in a comatose state. Our medical personnel are caring for the injured crew while we await further orders.

USS Excelsior in Spacedock

"With all due respect Admiral, you never said anything about coming along for the ride," said Jack Crusher. He had just confirmed that his crew complement included Beverly Howard, who had just been appointed second CMO of the Excelsior. Still reeling from the announcement of Jean-Luc's death, he knew that as much as he wanted to be near Beverly, their relationship had become destructive. She had been shocked to find that he was commanding the Excelsior, and now he knew why. There was no going back now, but he had to put duty before his personal life.

Admiral Nechayev put her second cup of coffee down on the table and looked up at him. "Jack, I know you...you're territorial. You might not have accepted my invitation to command this ship if I had been completely honest. Besides, I hadn't really considered leaving my post on Earth until I became aware of recent events."

Jack squeezed his hand into a fist on the tabletop. "If you're talking about Jean-Luc, I would appreciate it if you would just come out and say it," he said with forced control. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, thinking about his friend dying alone somewhere. Meanwhile, Chancellor Makon's sham of an investigation into Jean-Luc's disappearance wasted everyone's time and dredged up emotional trauma that it seemed would never be allowed to heal.

Nechayev narrowed her eyes. "Jack...I don't believe that he's dead."

"If you have intel on this, please share, Admiral. If not as a professional courtesy, then as a friend."

"Yesterday, I received a subspace message from Gilda Stern."

"What? Stern disappeared around the same time as Jean-Luc. I assumed she returned to the Q Continuum."

"So did I. And good riddance...however, that doesn't seem to be the case. She has asked to meet with me. And so as you mentioned, Jack, you are my ride."

"Does anyone at Command know you are doing this?"

"No."

"I have orders to rendevous with Data's ship the Jemison," said Jack. "Now that they've made it out of Natal alive, they have information that may help us explain our missing colonies."

"Good news about the Jemison, and I am sure reconnecting with Data will be very fruitful. But, Jack...I know that Stern has information about Jean-Luc. And if she does, that could mean that we can solve the current crisis facing our galaxy. Just this morning, an entire sector of Orion space went missing, just like that. Six planets and one yellow giant star. Tomorrow it could be our own solar system. Stern is a Q. She has knowledge that can potentially help us."

"Q supposedly had that knowledge too, but then he disappeared before he could be any use. Do we need any more evidence that the Q can't be trusted?"

"Do we have a choice anymore, Jack? We're partnering with the Cardassians, for god's sake. These are desperate times!"

The door signal chimed and before Jack could speak, Alison Igby stepped inside the room briskly. To Jack's delight, she had requested a posting on board the Excelsior. The problem was, he didn't know exactly where to place her. She'd graduated from the Academy but had little to no actual experience in space. For now, she would hold the rank of Acting Ensign until he could find something more permanent for her. Alison had remained loyal to him throughout the Federation's sham investigation into Jean-Luc's appearance, and he intended to repay her loyalty.

Nechayev stood up, looking rather annoyed. "What is she doing here?"

Alison snapped to attention but said nothing.

Jack took a deep breath. "Ah yes...you two became acquainted during the hearings. Well, Admiral, Ensign Igby has come aboard to assist me with, uh...communications matters."

The Admiral looked unimpressed. "I see. Cashed in some loyalty points no doubt, Ms. Igby? Well, just make sure that you know your loyalty should be to Starfleet only. I don't allow for politics in my Fleet."

Igby appeared terrified. "Understood, Admiral."

Nechayev eyed Jack. "I would guess this is going to be a very enlightening journey, Captain Crusher. I will be in my quarters until further notice."