The Bonds Of Family And Friends
Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and everything else belongs to the movie company and the creator.
Warnings: This story is going to be alternate reality from the end of this episode and forward, as what if the game had far reaching consequences than they were expecting and as time went on the bonds between him and the sextet had deepened even further, as this reaches season seven and his future.
If he'd been part of the enterprise for a following few months and the repeated traumas effect him enough he's choosing to stay longer. But in this story Journey's End to Nemesis never happens and the stories leading into Nemesis never happen and he, the O'briens, Riker, Worf and Deanna never transfer off the enterprise as they stay with the crew and Starfleet after things end.
All characters named that were not in the show, are members of the un-named members of the crew in each episode, but the ones named the most are part of the engineering crew and Geordi's team and the ones Wesley spent the most time with. Aside from a guest appearance from the duo in 'The Naked Now.', and the duo that are his age, next to Robin Lefler.
Chapter 3: Gamma Squadron And Medical Truths
"If that's one side of it, than what's the other exactly Charlie, if you're getting that overly protective of him, who was your rival in school. When you started there four years ago, if he's the reason my son looks like this. Because it's enough with what we know on this?" she asked him and he sighed as he answered her question. "I was part of the Gamma squadron, leader of it, but my rival was another cadet, but to put this gently."
"And he's telling you his name later, but my rival, intellectually, who was thinking in romance as well. Was just as good as I was, but he was a hotshot, and he was the leader of Wes's squadron at the current moment. And to answer the unasked question, his name is Nicholas Locarno, he's a first year cadet on the edge of graduating and he's the leader of Nova squadron at the current moment here right now."
"But we were together for six months and the last two, before we left, we're now the reason he's in this situation at the moment. But Wes had been there for about five months when Nick decided to give him a shot, but that's not the only reason. But there were fifty other first year cadets who were wanting a chance to be on Nova. And Nick just picked him out of the entire group at the time, 50 first years and he's it."
"Wes never wanted to be in the team and at the time he and I were spending time together, but after that Nick segregated him from me after that. But to put this bluntly and here's where you really going to be ticked, Sir. Because like Wes, Captain, we already respect you enough in the way that everyone has labeled Nick, and whatever Boothby tells you Sir, is so off the bat it's not even funny at the moment."
"But to quote whatever he tells you, if there's trouble later, is 'He watches out for them, he keeps them together. Nick is what made the team special, he's their coach, surrogate father, and best friend all rolled into one. A natural leader, the members of the team, they love him and would do anything he asked them to do, even following him right over a cliff.' But that's how everyone else seems him at the moment."
"Everyone thinks he's the golden child, but to kids like me or Wes, he's acting like the obsessive team captain, like the kid in that teen wizarding book series. To us, he's just a master manipulator and whatever you told him last year. But everything everyone is portraying him as, we already have it, with you and Commander Riker. As to that, it's if he goes back now, this is either going to land him in the emergency room."
"Or it's going to result in his getting caught in some sort of scandal that could destroy his career and your trust in him. Your trust and respect mean more to him than you think. It's the same for me, but as I got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, it's getting passed everything they branded me with and him, not losing your trust. So again, to prevent him, or rather them, from destroying your trust and respect in him."
"And I agree with his train of thought here, but as my team mate caused me to get in trouble, and that was Damian Carter, he instigated the fight and I got caught in the wrong place at the time. But its best he stays home, you build the bonds even stronger and he has me and that solves the problem, and before it even starts." Dayton said and they all nodded as Picard turned to Data at that as he said it firmly.
Before he could though, Dayton sighed as he finished it. "But here's the rest of it, you recall the other Heinlein novel they turned into a movie, in the mid to late 90's of the 20th century. The narrator ended up in the marines, his ex-girlfriend in the Air Force, and he created a new quartet with his bunk-mates?" he asked and they nodded and he finished explaining it to them gently, knowing they were going to be furious at this.
"That's this scenario all over, Wes is him at the pinnacle up his high school career, Nick him after he got made squadron leader, and he's so smug about it. That he doesn't see what's coming now as his ex girlfriend sends him a dear john letter and his life and heart comes crashing down. Two weeks later his choices in training get his team mate killed and the other is so loaded with guilt, that she drops out of basic training at the time."
"Robin was his ex girlfriend, I'm her brother, but she chose Wes the second she laid eyes on him up here. But the human girl on his squadron is the epitome of his ex girlfriend, stringing him along till she decides to go career, sends him a dear john letter. And he makes the biggest mistake of his career. Whoever the lost team mate was, that I don't know and frankly I don't want to find out either at the moment."
"But Nick is going to try and save the team in only one way and it's by lying to you and the committee. Peer pressure, and frankly I'm not having his career and life destroyed, because Nick never learned his lesson regarding Robin at the time. Makes another mistake and it kills a team mate while Wes is the cadet so stricken with guilt that he drops out of the academy, he's going to say the same thing."
"So best to nip this in the bud right now, by him building the bonds even deeper with you, the four us. Including Jake, have our own squadron up here and that takes care of of it. Because if we add Josh to the squadron here on the ship, that's enough that Nick is ending being the one getting expelled. For every charge in the books, right now, but if we switch cadets and get Josh and Kate up he, and drop Hanson and Farley."
"Well that should help now as us Gamms plan out our movie, as these guys never play chess, and while Wes takes charge as the new team leader after that." he said and Picard nodded sternly at that. "Or I'm looking at it being something else entirely, said something else, is, he dragged up his ability to become more gifted then Mozart. And that results in singling him out right now, but we just hit the result of the situation."
"But our plan is just about to get worse here if we don't prevent him from returning after this situation is over right now. The accident if there was a show based off us and then it hits whoever of the rest of the team ended up on the ship before the finale in his journey. Alright I'm pulling the plug right now, we have to get Daniel on board the ship, and before that happens, Daniel was an ancient prodigy, we don't understand him."
"By that I mean Wesley himself, because the results had you more then concerned ever since the traveler turned the spotlight on him. And he wants to be treated as he's normal, but the added gift sets him apart from everyone else right now. And he's reached the limit where he's getting tired of living up to everyone's expectations. This keeps up and the results are going to be Wes wants out, Captain.
"But at the moment the internal thoughts are focused on that kid who was just as gifted as he was when he was no older then he was in the moment. But the character that got turned into his alter ego chose the easy way and joined the darkside. And he loses everything, but the venting that Nick read out to you now last year. Which is what he's thinking right now, and three years down the line, it's going to result in his choice."
"Said choice to drop out of the academy and join this character thst put the spotlight on him. If something happens at the academy they're switching to what he was thinking, before he gave into a lust for power and turned into his alter ego. We have to take charge and only one option to do it now, we get someone as equally as gifted as he is. When on board the ship and I discovered something else when doing the research."
"But some of the pieces from his ascension resulted in going into his male heirs and if it went into Daniel, our Daniel. But Daniel can help him by helping him to train and start using his abilities, as he's becoming more like what we wanted, as he drops the stres. Because I think his grandfather was ancient descent, but we do this long after the aftermath of the ends and that solves that and can right now Captain, Doctor."
"And it's because with the fact he's this gifted, so the solution is we get him matched up to an adult version of himself. And cut all access this traveler has to screwing around with his future right now." They heard and looked up to see see Sarah Hailey and Erica Michaels added and he nodded. "I think there's one chance to prove that now, hang on." Will said as he went to the computer and headed for his friend's family background.
"God Nick, why didn't you tell me you had the abilities of the ancient's, did you think that was going to change things between us. Well we need your help buddy, it's time to recall the entire squad, because we have work to do, bro. We have my young cadet, he's just like you, he needs both of us now. But he needs help emotionally right now and you're his one chance right now brother." he said under his breath as he looked at them at that.
"She's right, the reason he was this good and decided on a few things was that though he was gifted, the committee treated him as though he was normal. In fact he was just like Wes, the best at every section in every department in Starfleet. But to the committee, they considered him their best man to get the job, our job, done easily. And the fact that he's anancient, a human ancient, only made that more valuable to them."
"And his powers, they used them to prevent mass casualties and in certain severe campaigns until he dropped the truth. In regarding what Sarah told us last year, as each generation came into the picture and they kept getting stronger. And Nick's the strongest of the Jackson line, so with that in mind right now, he's our only chance here. We bring him in like two months, after the aftermath to this ends and he's training him."
"And the ending results are he's going to become that character she mentioned if they ended that when he was Wes's age. As they barred the person that called their attention to the amount of power he had. Even before this character tried and the fact he was this gifted as he becomes a very gifted officer and that solves it. First things first, we're saying what we should have said to the traveler, when he brought it to your attention."
"His abilities are our business, so stay out of our family business, you're off limits . Though in this case, I think the four of us came to the same decision right now and to the same decision regarding him and stay the hell away from him, as of this moment. You're off limits." He said and Picard nodded in agreement as he answered her then as he looked at Beverly and he said it to her and she said it firmly as she looked at Wesley.
"Agreed, if we don't get that weight off his shoulders the stress of trying to keep this up. And that stress is going to have him start lashing out now that he's sick of living up to our expectations and the results. But yes he's a very gifted junior officer, but frankly he's taken on one too many responsibilities, he should be acting 19. Not as though he's the one the future of the galaxy rests on." Michaels said and Hailey finished that remark.
"Because if this continues and it's going to result in things changing a course and the accident, if there is one, is the final straw as he lost what matters most to him, our trust. And if we don't do something right now, and this is going to result in him dropping out of the academy, even though he was trying to keep up appearances to make us happy, Jean Luc, so that's enough of this right now." She said and Picard nodded to her firmly then.
"If that's what he's thinking I'm not thinking twice about it right now, Beverly, we're yanking that card. This boy is still just a cadet, we're officers and at the moment he's on vacation right now. But as we just gained another demonstration to his abilities and as a result. If there is an ulterior motive in mind, it's ending this little plot of his, so with that in mind, we're yanking the command/medical/parental card at the moment here."
"And just to prevent our bonds from never being destroyed now." he said as he felt his anger growing by the minute as she and Will nodded to his thoughts in agreement. "Whatever our double's pulled in the 20th century we got to view those tapes, because we already had this conversation. To keep our bonds and trust the way they are, he has to tell us the truth, regarding what happened up there." Will said and he nodded to him.
As he felt his anger growing at what his student had been driven into then. "Whatever drove him into this now is getting addressed. But if he was at 75% before he came home last week, than last night and this entire morning just drained a third of that now and if that's the case, it's a no choice necessary right now. He's getting put on sabbatical and I'm reactivating his on the job training up here while he's in recovery from this."
"Commander what's the time, because this started after the rendezvous with Etana?" Picard asked and Data looked at him. "It's 1845 hours in the afternoon, Captain." he said and they looked at him in shock at that. "He's spent 20 hours on the go, after they separated and it's enough he got six hours after he reset the clock to rest and then the alarms started going off until 1130 hours this morning, and the afternoon."
"But four stops and all in human areas, because he needed time to work it out, plan out the attack and escape plan and from there he's yanking his survival training here." Geordi said and he nodded as Will answered him. "At the moment I think the act of the stage acting went a little too far last night, her trying to stage act things when we were always around him, in training and everything else has just crossed a line last night."
"As to why I'm saying this its because I never would have expected her trying to use me to get to him would result in his losing his temper that much. He knew that wasn't us doing the talking, but her, and the act of trying to use our bond, me and him. But to me he's like my son and the act of her trying to use that term for him, in my voice. That was enough to completely tick him off, aside from that we did say if this ever happened."
"Ignore everything we say to him if we're not ourselves." he said and Picard nodded in agreement to that. "I think he took our advice in everything seriously, but radio pranks and several other pranks of playing with the sensors, if that's not enough to aggravate her nothing is right now. But when as ourselves the testing turned a bit humorous as you went looking for him, because it was a game." he said and Will nodded as he said it.
"You kids maybe skilled junior officers, but at times you still act like high school students in prank phone calls, and radio pranks. But if that's not enough to annoy the opposition by tying up the line when we need to keep the channel clear nothing ever does, Charlie. But that's another way to annoy the opposition, by prank phones call, radio pranks and several, dozen others way to annoy us." Evans said as he started laughing at that.
"Too late right now, I should have known you guys were acting like me and Nick, and Derek like Jack, but that's going a little too far. Where working in this situations concerned in screwing around with the communications net right now, Charlie. But the argument over the radio was one too far when we had to keep the channel clear right now." Will said and Data answered that as he hid a chuckle to his remark then gently.
"Sirs, the entire intention was getting that into the federation, but it's a repeat of that alien that you destroyed four years ago. The one that infected the entire group at the time and killed Captain Keel. But it's both that and the polywater virus, connecting both together, he decided to reactivate most, if not all the situations that involved him. Case in point is when you guys got a look at his skills during that virus three years ago."
"But he was the piece meant to get it into the academy, and he was watching the entire conversation between you and Etana last night Captain." Dayton told him and he felt his heart lurch at the news. "Great that's the thing we don't need right now, his realizing he's the last person standing and the people that got infected had to be us. To prevent that from getting off the ship he risked draining himself completely now at the moment."
"If Porter answered like that and he wasn't with Greyson and Bates after we got it, then..., he's the first pocket cell. Porter was ordered to guard the Crusher's apartment, and from inside the apartment this time. Wesley ordered Data there first, and they activated the code frequency to create the added lock down in the apartment. And piece by piece the rest of the teams, aside from the quartet and MacGregor's team."
"But Data how many were freed before he got the trio out of the search and she nearly cornered him in the extension shaft?" Worf asked and he explained that. "All of the public areas, Porter, his team mate and and the engineering crew. And sickbay, but Lal was working due process keeping track of things, watching his back. And helping me out with decontamination protocols, but in total 400." he said and they nodded to him gently.
"Well that's explains the lock down last night, he was locking us into our spots, giving you time to hit every ambush party on the ship. And as you do this, you debrief them, Lal activates the emergency supplies and they're safe until it's safe to unlock the doors." Geordi said and Will nodded in agreement. "That's also the reason why I was checking on Derek in case he broke orders, which he did." Data said and they sighed as she said it.
"He did it again, didn't he, damn it Derek, just how many times do we have to do this, your body can't handle the abuse of repeated withdrawal and recovery here." Beverly said in aggravation to that. "Said the same thing Beverly, after he checked on Eli, he told us that he arrested him and Derek did it a second time. But we decided that though compromised, to follow your orders, Sir." Michaels said and Picard nodded to her at that.
"Were now being released from her control, one by one now, followed by every pocket in the public areas last night. And the added function to his program kicked in now as well. Said function was to lock the rooms down and give them emergency supplies until the programming was destroyed and everyone was back to normal. But give off the emergency medical supplies in case there was a secondary code added to it."
"And they arrested whoever had the secondary as a result, Eli then gave off the added emergency medical code with me still compromised, and that's it." Will said and Dayton nodded to him as the duo at the helm and operations console thought it over and the Lieutanant started laughing. "Would two of those names when we did this regarding the Turbolifts be Worf and Data by any chance?" he asked and he nodded to him gently.
"Yes, why exactly?" he asked and he smiled. "Because with Data supposed disabled and Worf in the engineering room with you. Then who does that leave at the operations console and the man waiting for him when the elevator arrived on deck 36, section 25 exactly?" he asked and Will nodded bemused. "You're the one sitting at the operations console and Pearson was waiting for him." he said and the other man nodded to him.
"Your remark, or rather her remark, about not checking Worf's quarters if the alarm went off in there a second time just came back to haunt her right now." The operations console technician said smiling and Will looked at him. "Why do you say that exactly?" Picard asked and Dayton started laughing as he answered him. "Because I think he created seven instead of six of those bags, if the alarm went off for a fifth time."
"This morning in there, because, to throw her off, I'd do the same, by listening in on your conversation and then, once she decided to ignore the frequent false alarms, use that against her. If you taught him this, it's a case of misdirection and with the fact she decided she wasn't falling for it again. He decided to use that against her in the same way I would." he said and they nodded as he answered him with a bemused smile.
"I'd say you boys are two sides of the same coin if you're reading each other's minds this easily right now Charlie, but this is getting ridiculous. Alright what else would you do if you were him, in this situation, because so far. I've seen several direct demonstrations of that, including when Derek Hanson landed you in the emergency room last month." he said and he smiled as he answered him as he explained that to him gently.
"Well for starters, it's after escaping custody, get under cover and remove the badge, and get to work on reworking my tricorder. And turning it into a walkie talkie and then create the simulation overload chips for the staffs and the phasers, rewire the converter in the maintenance room. And then get the chief out of transporter room four, knowing he was waiting to ambush me in there and then go about regarding the decoys."
"As I know all of you so well, she'd never find me, because she's attempting to dig up anything she can on me and our bonds. And once realizing there was more than three options in this situation, I choose the one least likely to end in failure and it's by use of my survival training skills. Though instead of dealing with repeated back tracks once she thinks she's got me, I create my survival kit by heading back to my quarters."
"Deactivate the alarm from the inside, turn off the A/V mode in there and activate the computer program I created." he said and they smiled at that. "Well that definitely makes it more clear now, but you two are so much alike. I can see that the training is going to get out of hand if we have you guys doing this together. Though if you and Jake are the half and half members of my junior crew, it's turning into a contest now."
"But I think Hanson has turned into those little brats that landed him in sickbay when his system crashed. As to that, it's pitting you four against him and 3 of his friends as we run this test for real. But we're doing it when we have a lull and he's fully recovered, but the rule is the phasers are on medium stun and in your case. As you won this game with just out-thinking her all the way to the end." he said and Dayton nodded with a smile.
"Have the weapon and not need it, or need the weapon and be without, but why need the weapon when you can use your mind and with that in mind right now. We plan our attack as carefully as possible and then get to work, though this test lasts longer than a week it's creating several of our kits and we got enough food between us to last two months. But rule one regarding that, only take that which you can carry."
"And leave the rest and come back for it later." he said and Will smiled as he shook his head. "Well with two of you, I can see that these games are going to get even more out of hand than what we dealt with last night and today. But do me a favor and try to keep the reckless stunts out of the test would you please. As to why because one cub pulling a stunt like this is enough, two and I'm not going to make it to my next birthday."
"If you pull what he did in the extension shaft earlier, so just take it easy on me alright Charlie." he said and Dayton nodded with a chuckle at his remark. "I think they heard that in sickbay actually." he said and Geordi answered that with a bemused look. "With metal catwalks and flooring in the bowels of the ship and the Jeffries tubes. The noise is loud enough to be heard no matter where you are on the ship, on this side of it."
"But I think the hide got a bit too loud after we heard that clang, but that was ridiculous right now." he said and Will nodded in agreement. "The intention was to over ride the programming, but if the decoys and his staged injury didn't do it. Then the reckless actions from jumping into the extension shaft would have here. Because the engineering and security crew all had the same reaction to that clang you heard on the shaft floor."
"But that explains the sudden clang you heard in there after he split you guys up." Dayton said and they nodded in concerned aggravation. "Yeah well I heard the clang right through the tube door in the extension tube I was in down there." he said and Worf nodded in agreement to that. "As did I, but the realization was enough to get my attention and I tried to catch him in the tube I was in, before he could try it twice."
"But whatever floor he did it from is enough to cause heart failure, because we never allowed him more than 20 feet in the jump during training. And wherever he did it from is enough to scare us, as his mentors, out of our minds after one too many close calls these last four years. Then again, he keeps this up and the entire group close to him is not going to make it to our next birthdays if he pulls anymore daredevil stunts here."
"Because he just barely gave me a coronary when I realized what he pulled in there." he said and the trio nodded in agreement. "You're not the only one right now, Derek said the same thing when they heard that clang with the reactor that close to the Jeffries entrance shaft in engineering." Hailey said to him and he nodded bemused as Picard switched subjects as he tried to get his mind of that firmly as he said it to her.
"Well the next question is why the hologram exactly right now too, unless..., he wasn't just delaying for Data. But he got whoever our guests are that boarded us when he signaled he was awake this morning. On without them being seen, and then had several mock-up headsets for the whoever it was that arrived ready and waiting. But who is the next question here and why would he go to that drastic of choices in wargames."
"Lieutenant, check the pilot's identification on that shuttle that just arrived, if the alarms didn't go off when it did. Because if he knew they were coming, he was preventing her from realizing that her plan just backfired." Picard said and Worf nodded as he checked the serial number and looked up in shock. "It's Doctor Pulaski and your father, Commander, the federation was sending them, regarding whatever conspiracy this is."
"Wesley disabled the tracking sensors, so they could get in without being detected. Your father's the pilot that got them here. And he knew they were coming, he was busy playing decoy so we didn't check the route that the duo were going to be arriving from." he said and Will looked up in shock. "Dad, he's here." he said and decided to double check that as he quickly slammed his hand on his communicator then.
"Riker to sickbay, you read, dad, you there?" he asked and he heard an older version of his voice answer that. "Yeah son, we're here, we've been here since 0730 this morning, as Data was decontaminating the major hotspots on board the ship. Wesley already had an audience with Kate right after she and Data did the engine room and he debriefed her and got her passed the security teams."
"He was keeping up decoy to protect her and she filled me in already of what the heck was going on here on the ship. But that's why he was working over time this morning, just after that chase ended up in the wall." he said and they all nodded to that as Beverly sighed as she answered that remark. "If my department is clean, get Eli up here, so I know why the hell he looks like this and what's causing it."
"We'll see you in a bit, but we've got to go over this, Kyle." she said and he heard an amused tone in his father's voice as he answered her, his tone holding a bemused smile then ad he answered her. "Got it, but trust me, what you just deal with doesn't even scratch surface right now. What he told her regarding there being company coming this morning wasn't a bluff but a fact as to why."
"And at the same time we were coming, he yanked the added Talupian maneuver out, which explains why your sensors were blind, he pulled whatever training maneuevers you used for those wargames after Korami was here and employed it into his tactics. But that sums up how he got us aboard, before things started a second time and before Data got to you."
"But he over rode the sensor code on external sensors to keep you busy, while we came into the shuttle bay. But there's more to this conspiracy than you think, it's why we were told to come check on you and help out. Though considering Wes's physical condition it's only more necessary right now, but I'll be up there in thirty minutes." he said and they all nodded to that, bemused.
"Holographic games and playing around with the holodecks, I knew he was good, but I didn't think he was that good." The second conn officer said and they chuckled. "You remember the concept two heads are bette then one Lieutenant?" Dayton asked and he nodded. "The four of us had this planned out in advance right now at the moment, but he was bouncing idea off me last night and vice versa this morning regarding this."
"But what you saw regarding us, you're seeing the very tip of the iceberg, because that's us just getting started right now." he said and Picard shook his head smiling as he said it. "What you saw last night and this morning doesn't even come close Daniel, at the start of our deployment his equipment. It managed to get us out of the path of an oncoming meteor, just as the sun was getting ready to go supernova, four years ago."
"But his comming us like that was part of it, but that's one piece of it and the forcefield blocking the control room and the environmental was another. But he knew she just tore that out of our heads, but what you heard between us last night was when we started. That's our reaction to his trying to prevent anyone from doing anything idiotic here and everything he did, regarding the viewers was involved in that and was a piece to it."
"As its part of our history with each other at the time, the beginnings of a bond that would result in our acting like his extended family members here on the enterprise. She didn't understand why he was suddenly comming us when he was in hiding last night. Because it was dating back to a time just before we had the chance to get to know him now, and everything else after that was during the entire three years at the time."
"Before he left, to name a few was the Klingon ceremony, and the Anbo Jysitsu uniforms and equipment, that was when the commander's father came to visit. The fire in cargobay 7 was when we had a group of old country colonists by the name of the Bringloidi here. And we encountered another group that were clones by the name of Mariposans, the holographic games were the Hathaway at the time."
"As for this three fold situation it was based on the fact we had a puppet master notion running loose at command headquarters four years ago. And the effects of those devices, before the mind control kick was the effects of our initiation stage. And we got infected by the Polywater virus, but that stunt with the radio and the control room forcefield was connected to that at the time." Geordi said to him and he nodded to him at that
As he looked between the seven and the proud looks on their faces at Wesley. "So he chose the best memories to focus on when doing deprogramming here, everything that he was involved, he chose that?" The other man asked and they nodded. "Yeah as he said it was the act of the first born cub leaving the nest, and letting him go after close to four years together was hitting us hard." Will said and he nodded as his friend said it.
"How did he do that exactly?" The lieutenant asked and Picard smiled proudly as he answered him. "Someone gave him the sensors codes to over ride ours and hers and he decided to play a few holographic games with us. The commander pulled the same stunt when we wre doing wargames with the Hathaway two years ago. As he chose Wesley as a member of the crew on the Hathaway and this was a training game for him."
"And just before Beverly returned to the ship at the time, but we spent the entire year together as this one was 'if you don't have what you need, improvise'. But this was a move they chose when Will was on the Hathaway, and it's by over riding the sensor codes. And playing holographic games, before they used the next ploy and simulation damage was going to 4 days to fix." he said and finished a chuckle as he said it, smiling.
"He chose every good memory that was needed in the first three years at the time, to make it last this long. But I recognize that maneuever now that I back to being myself again. But when during the wargames I chose the Kumeh maneuver and the commander chose to counter with the Talupian manuever, but Worf decided on a little add on to that. And we got the shock of our lives when we got attacked by a Romulan warbird."
"But the best parts of his training, that one year when he decided to stay and I promised Beverly we'd take care of him changed things and he and I grew closer at the time. It was like having his father back with me and everything that he chose in added activities, with me. Was what his father and I did together leading up to the accident at the time, but I had him for one year, his mother and him the next year and our bond developed."
"Even stronger, our bond was that of a mentor/student bond and leading into when he left last year. But he was right, letting him go last year was even harder than I expected, because I watched him grow into who he was and its letting go. That's the hardest part of being a mentor, or a parent, he's my surrogate son, Will's his godfather." Picard told him and he nodded as he looked at Wesley at that in amazement as Dayton hid a smile.
"Talupian maneuver, what's that exactly?" Dayton asked and Wil chuckled. "Worf used that to throw the captain off guard during our wargames regarding the Hathaway. Wes was giving dad enough lead time to get on board, because the hologram was blocking them, so while we, and Etana, had our sensors blinded regarding this. And thinking we're being attacked, my father and Kate Pulaski get on board, before the final catch."
"But this last maneuever he used was by an old acquaintance, everything starting from when he did that site to site was by an old friend from a mission two years ago. Said friend had given him an idea of how to blind himself from the sensors, but everything from years 1-3 he used. And with you guys bouncing ideas off each other, though mentally, it was still enough that he could do this easily, but evidently this wasn't in it."
"The ability to actually work together like this, the mental connection you have to talk to each other like this, only comes from understanding each other. But if you guys were able to do it this easily then the connection has snapped into place, if we were back in 20th century, and you both took martial arts. It's you've become soul bonded blood brothers now." he said and Dayton nodded in shock to that information.
"One night together and the connection has snapped into place so easily, that while working his position here on the bridge. That he's reading my mind and running things in whatever way I would have suggested had we been been planning this out in advance. Had I had his back, I didn't think that just seeing each other a few times, before I arrived and last nights conversation would result in us connecting that easily."
"But if this was meant to happen..., Doctor, did you know my father when you were younger, if he and I connected this easily?" he asked and she nodded. "I did, in fact he was part of my med school class. But Joe is going to get a shock when he hears you've guys have just connected to the point you can read each other's minds now." she said and he nodded as Will looked at him gently as he said it to him.
"During the course of that year I taught him to improvise in battle strategy, with you being just like him I can teach you the exact same thing, but with both of you together. The training is going to get a little out of hand now, if you're this much like him, and like me. Just try not to pull any reckless stunts, because I just had the life scared out of me when I realized which deck level he let go from." he said and Dayton nodded to him.
"Looks like he read my mind about playing holographic games with her, because I couldn't do that without getting caught by you guys, but he read my mind about pulling this particular rabbit out of the hat." he said and they chuckled. "I think that was the program that we had left over in the computer system if the wargames that year reactivated this morning, but that was a perfect case of distraction this morning."
"But than, as a computer genius he was really good at remembering what sensor codes to over ride in our sensors. But that program he used was a little surprise Worf created. Ensign Nagel agreed with it and she and Worf downloaded it into the computer on the Hathaway, but it blinded our, the enterprise's, sensors and the results were. That while the bridge crew here were thinking they were being attacked, at the time here."
"But it was we scored several simulated hits on the aft deck in that." he said and the young man started laughing at that. "Holographic games and winding up in the arcade on board the ship, that was great, looks like we came to the same choice this morning. Especially if he did my job for me while I was piloting the ship, I didn't suggest this over our mental link, but he read my mind enough to decide in over riding the sensors codes.
"And if he blinded us to the fact that your father and former C.M.O. were coming, he then created the hologram just outside the ship. But he said he was way ahead of me when he was preparing for that and I think he called Sarah and Tom. And it's because they were both in ten forward last night, along with Sarah's entire squadron and Jake." he said and Will nodded in agreement to that as he smiled at him as he answered him.
"But that was a really good choice in decision tactics, make your opponent think they're being attacked, that's a good one, son. If you're not going for full attack methods make your opponent think they're being attacked." Will said and he smiled. "Well that makes fifty reminders of the entire three years before he left. Just how much did he learn from you guys if he's that good?" Evans asked and they chuckled as Picard answered that.
"A lot, I had him in training from the time he was fifteen, but he was just beginning his full first year the year Dr. Pulaski was here. Three years and as he said when separated for a while you sometimes forget your own student's abilities. But seeing the trio work as one is even better, but I don't think it was just them if we heard Lal finally last night. As to why she was covering his back with Robin and Jacob now compromised."
"And Charlie was a plant last night and this afternoon, because, if we were ourselves, this just made the game more fun. And it's because it's like the wargames we did on the Hathaway, as severe training him that year. But that was a nicely thought way to handle this now at the moment." he said and he nodded to him. "Yes Sir, well, we were working out the best way to do this together." he said and thry nodded as Evan looked at him.
"But that access code he used, that one I don't get, where did he get it from, if he's not the one sounding like you guys, than who did." Evans said and Data answered that as he said it him, as he imitated Picard's voice. "Computer, establish a security code." he said and the lieutenant nodded. "After I met Captain Picard, I demonstrated my added function, and we decided to use this as part of the back up plan in case this happened."
"That was the access code I used to over ride control after the homing beacon caused my memory to start going haywire, Lieutenant. My father, Dr. Soong, implanted a homing beacon into my memory and it caused me to hijack the ship. But with this ability I could effectively over rode any orders given to the computer by the crew. And Wes decided to add this to his back up plan, the only ones who knew were the sextet."
"Chief O'Brien, and the members on the bridge when he offered this suggestion that day when he created it last year at the time, when he created the chip. But I got hijacked and had no control over my behavior, because Dr. Soong assumed that we had no emergency, but we did. Because Jacob Potts pulled a practical joke on his little brother that nearly resulted in a deadly conclusion and we were enroute to 416 at the time."
"After he cracked it, we decided to add this to the sentient program he created, but with one of our crew planetside, we, or rather they forgot a few things, as did Chief O'Brien, he's second in command of the engine crew. Everything used was focused on the entire three years, but to switch subjects, captain with there being a possible runs two in this. But I recommend leaving that security code active right now, we may need it right now."
"As to why, if our final piece to this conspiracy is still on board, alright hold on, computer deativate audio/visual on the bridge." Data said and the lights flashed. "Why do that exactly?" Dayton asked and he explained that. "Because your conversation a bit ago just came into it. It's not over yet right now at the moment, as to why though I deactivated the programming in a couple of spots last night, the secondary programming kicked in."
"We had two nervous reactions the time last night after he commed you, I dealt with sickbay first and then hit ten forward, followed by the lounges, freeing half of the five teams that knew him best. But there's a select few now trying to turn him and you into a host, along with Robin a second time, to get these things off the ship." he said and Picard said it sharply at that news as he looked at Wesley concerned at that remark then.
"So the quintet just won the first battle in this war to get these off the ship, and now it's going to a retaliation next. And if she targeted him specifically, it means she's trying to make it easier to get that off the ship. And by making him to sick to focus on the fact that he and you just deactivated the program and the four of you did this together. And the trio are now the required targets here?" Picard said sharply and Data nodded to him.
"Great, the boogieman under the bed or in the basement remark just make a come back, we had three arrested so far, but with the ones about to suffer that secondary we got to protect the quartet now, guys. Especially with him this weak at the moment, though he gets any worse or his system crashes. And that fear is enough we're going to have to catch him, before he hurts himself, after he already sprained his ankle a bit ago."
"Because by that point we know he's not thinking clearly right now, and if it takes reversing these situations now. It's going to be a combination of a few things just to head it off, because as he said when as ourselves we know him better than he knows himself. Our bonds are the only thing that are going to beat her at this game, but nearly killing him in the process is going to far at the moment, especially with him this weak."
"But if he thinks that the programming reactivated in us, it's either the effects of the trip or just the delirium that's going to mean we have to catch him, before he hurts himself now." Will said and he nodded to him in agreement. "Question is whether or not being on light duty would do it, if he's working over time. Even though it's been whatever duration it is, it's going to a mental chess game to do this." Picard said and they nodded to him.
"She crosses that line and nothing is saving her from ending up in jail for three counts of child abuse and two of attempted murder, but if we have a plant on board this ship. And they're the ones that are ending up in the E.R., when we get through with them, if it's a man. And if they interfere and they're ending up dead, if that chase down ends up back in the extension shaft, because once was enough right now at the moment."
"Though this time I'm staying in the shadows so I can catch him off guard, because if he collapses on the floor there's no going anywhere after that. Our bond is the only thing that could work to break through that delirium now. And with his being this weak, and outnumbered there's no going anywhere after we get him to the floor." Will said sharply as he ran a hand through Wesley's hair at the back of his head as he leaned into him.
Watching him bury his head into his side he heard a gentle thought to that. 'Papa bear.' he saw him thinking and hid a smile at that. 'God, this kid is going to give me a heart attack if he keeps this up right now. I know I've been acting as his father ever since year two, before he left. But now it's gone to making sure he doesn't land himself back in sickbay right now.' he thought as he looked at him as he said it gently to him then.
Looking at the teenager, as he laid his head against his side, he sighed as he thought it. 'For god sakes cub, how many times have we got to go over this right now, I know you're trying to keep from losing me, but going about it like this is going too far. I'm not leaving you, it's going to be okay, you took care of us. And now it's time to take care of you, you're staying home till further notice.' he said to him softly as he felt his anger growing.
'Sorry papa bear, but no choice, she left me no choice, to get you back to normal, I had to push it to the limit.' he heard in answer to that thought and Will hid a sigh as he answered him. 'Well you're staying home till further notice after you just ran yourself ragged, again, but you took care of us. And now it's time to take care of you at the moment, it's okay son.' he said in answer to that thought as he watched him gently.
As he watched him bury his head into his side and nodded as he rubbed his back gently as he said it with a bemused look to his former mate. "Well our cub knows he's in big trouble with us right now for this. And though we already had this conversation last year at the time, I can't believe it ended up turning into exactly that right now." he said to Deanna and she nodded in agreement to that as she answered him.
"I'll say, we've gone over this 50 times since he recovered from the flu and another 100 for the following 18 months before he left, but this is going too far right now at the moment. But if she didn't get it right once she's going to try again, but it means the second or third try. She's going to try and get him off the ship in the way we pulled his stealth training scenario, and his camping on the holodeck, during his training."
"By his trying to get to one of his caches and getting to the shuttlebay,, though that happened and it's going to go into one of three things and to name them off now. 1) make him think it's time to return to the academy now, and he's running late to return to the academy. And since the ship's don't have the added replicators, he's got his supplies with him, and possibly one or both are still in the tunnels, the extension shaft."
"So either he's being kidnapped by the Aldeans with MacGregor on board, the fact he's running late to return to the academy, or number three. And that's the possibility that the programming reactivated in us, and with it now. Is the fact his system may have crashed by that point, it's preventing his getting off the ship through either the transporter room system or the shuttlebays." Deanna said and they nodded to her.
"Yeah and if it's one or both, just trying to keep MacGregor out of it is the next problem if he panicked and locked the door into the entrance tubes. Best guess is to him, it's like having Radue on board and he and the sextet are scared he's here to kidnap them." Will said and Geordi nodded in agreement to that. "The nightmares regarding that started a second time, Commander." Data said and they all nodded with a furious look at that.
"Great, if his system crashes and the delirium is going to have him thinking Radue is on board the Enterprise and with him, his guards. He sees him and he's going to bolt, before we can catch him." Geordi said sharply and they nodded in agreement as Dayton switched subjects. "I take it there's more to your relationship with you than I know, if you and the lieutenant decide to deal with this yourself than leave it to the sextet."
"The way he was talking about you last night, made it clear he was sounding like a son to his father and mother regarding you and the counselor, Sir?" Dayton asked and they both nodded. "Yes he's our godson, in our cases, with his mother gone, he turned to us that year and we gave him the parental support he needed, and he's the surrogate son in theirs and the sextet, the engineering team and the sextet you met when you arrived."
"The sextet who started surrounding you and Robin, if MacGregor was around at the time. They're the ones the he looked after, and if he told you this already. The seven of them were kidnapped by the Aldeans four years ago, and it was because they were suffering a severe case of radiation poisoning and sterility was the latest symptom. We managed to get them back, but the ending results were he's been having nightmares."
"Ever since that experience, and with it, like a few weeks later, was the entrance exam to get into the academy. But he failed to get in, because of the no winner, that was his biggest fear, and Tasha only made it worse at the time. But to him, he had family on board the ship, but real and adopted family members. With us involved it's now resulting in the case of us his worst nightmare as we're the reason, the main reason now."
"That he pushed himself into a collapse again at the moment, though I doubt anyone used that nickname this week. Just before the virus started running amok, it's still enough that he's let their jibes push him into a collapse and possible relapse." Deanna said and he nodded as Geordi said it. "At the moment with you being a combination of father/older brother to him you're the only who could possibly break that delirium, Sir."
"Because I think, during his last escape, before we found him finally, he ended up in your apartment. The bond you have is our only chance, and we have to use that against her, if her third attempt is focused on him. What was it he said, five hours theory and two days practical for guys like Marks. Though he gets arrested and it's game over, though whoever did ended up getting arrested by Data for reckless endangerment last night."
"And you can tell us who in a bit buddy, because if it was a junior crew member and they're in trouble. But, 30 minutes to 1 hour theory for him and whoever's with him and just short of a day in practical. Well I'd say he beat the record of the longest running manhunt in a training turned real exercise on board a galaxy class ship. And with it scored highest in every portion of the test, though not single handedly, but close to it."
"Though now that we know he wasn't alone, I'd say Robin was involved in this as well, and they beat the odds of winning against a ship full of trained officers and they were treating this like a training game till the last thirty minutes of the test." Geordi said and he nodded. "There a reason he keeps doing that." The second lieutenant said with a gentle smile as he saw Wesley had buried his head into Will's side and the trio nodded.
"It's when he's too tired to think straight or he's sick, and he kept doing that with me after the knack hit him. I'm his godfather like I said, but now it's turned into a case of a serious attachment and he doesn't want to let go. Though in the case of being the parent it's the act of your adoptive cub too worn out to act his age. And he's acting younger than he really is, as a result, but I think it's both his exhaustion and the other."
"Etana and MacGregor just caused him to revert three years emotionally, because this is what he was like during a case of separation anxiety. And when Beverly named us his guardian with her planetside when he was sick and just beginning to get over it. Though that's one mistake and I'm not making the same mistake twice regarding his health here." Will said to him and he nodded as the first Lieutenant went to the next question.
"Was he serious that there was shrapnel left over in that tunnel from two years ago?" Evans asked quickly and Geordi sighed. "Yeah he was, like he said Roga blew the terminal and there was shrapnel all over the place. My team got half of it but evidently there were pieces we didn't see if he had to go to surgery on his leg. Let alone wrapping him hand, before he used her equipment, but here's the thing most family doctors."
"Most of them, if they're the type to keep a supply of equipment on hand at home, usually kept in the office in their apartment, if they're on a ship. But rule 1, if the enemy has control of sickbay: if you're parent is a doctor, and sickbay is in the hands of the enemy. Then use what said parent had on hand when you were still a kid, which is exactly what he did, and as to why right now, no half and half would get reckles."
"Though I'm willing to take a guess since us half and half soldier members on the ship would do what he did if this was a training turned real it's heading for the act of making it look like he was really hurt. But if there was more to this its stage acting these things, but if he found that shard that was left on the table, it's enough I see this as if he was too exhausted to keep moving and crouched on the floor and picked it up."
"But as to the reason he did that it's because if he hadn't paused then and with him that exhausted before he got himself a recharge. And something to eat so he could keep himself awake long enough till he got into Data's quarters for the night. It was enough that he barely missed landing on that one and the one lying on the table next to it. For real and if he had an infection would be there by the time we caught up with him finally."
"But tetanus shot, and he was likely do for his booster and this gave him a reason, now and used the vaccine for real to prevent that. But if he was stage acting these injuries we're finding the scars left over after we get him in sickbay later. But the indicator and we already discussed this, but getting our parental instincts regarding him. And causing them to start going crazy, is going too far here at the moment and as to why."
"But making it look like he had sliced his hand and it got him in the leg, to us, we know things things were faked. So though he possibly has the scar on his hand and leg, he did the the second and third of the 3, but skin knitter and laceration healer. But to her, she's seeing this as it was real, and he hid the first bag in the recycle bin, but left the second lying on the table." he said and they nodded in concerned annoyance at that information.
"Damn it kid you keep this up I'm not going to make it to my next birthday here at the moment, because this is going too far." Evans said in annoyance with an irritated paternal look on his face as Will answered that. "No kidding, now you know how I feel right now, my cub had to take things a little too far to throw her off. And the thing that lays him out is not a case of loss of blood, but a sprained ankle and muscle spasms."
"And again you Cubs get it together, once with him is enough, twice and with both of you and I'm not going to make it to my next birthday. Because you're coming very close to scaring me into a heart attack here Charlie." he said and Dayton nodded as he further then as he said it to him with a bemused look. "And it's enough she could have killed him, and at the moment she, Etana, crossed the line and I'm beyond furious right now."
"Our cub was forced to run himself ragged, again, just to prevent that piece of junk from getting off of this ship. He's so exhausted that he's acting like he did when he had the flu, alright we don't have a choice. But until we finish making sure the virus is contained on board the ship and we deal with here. And the possibility his system is about to crash, again, he's not going to back to academy and he's on sabbatical as of now."
"And with it, at the moment my Cubs, the trio, as well as Jake, have been so traumatized that this turned them 3 to 4 years younger than their real age. For the boys and regarding the duo, they're about to suffer the psychological side effects of getting turned into a host at the moment. But if we had several secondaries it's the fear that virus reactivated on the ship and its going to have them beyond paranoid at the moment."
"To the point that if we have to run that field test, if his activates, and the reaction is possibly going to be the third one. And if he has a relapse, it's turned him twice that now, till he's, mentally, a 10 to an 11 year old and it's taking acting like his father to break him out of the effects of that trip. Because if it's the third, it's going to be what she tried to class last night and this morning as." Will said with a furious growl at that.
"That's what I'm worried about right now, if he's drained 3/4's of his strength, the effects of his system impacting and crashing again are very serious right now. But whatever causes that to start a second time, if these pills have more than caffeine in them, hit him and he's starts suffering a trip it means going to medical arrest for real this time. Because it's going to take two cases of resistance, regarding this in this case."
"And before the effects wear off completely, at the moment regarding if that fever turns him back into kid younger than his real age. It's taking your bond to get him to calm down, if this results in the same reaction we had two years ago after the knack hit him." Beverly said as she looked at Wesley, before crouching in front of him as she ran her hand through his hair and in response he rested his head against her shoulder.