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 13: Rivalries, Test Results And Bonds
"Is that an insult Crusher?" Hanson snapped and Will said it sternly as he looked at him. "No it's a fact young man and it's one I'd never consider here regarding kids your age anyway. I can see that adding you to the ship crew at the same time we added him, if you'd started here two years ago would be a mistake. But your problem and fatal flaw here, is because you're too reckless and volatile right now to focus."
"And he's right, it would take knowing your quarry's thought patterns and being connected to them on a bond. And no one younger then four years understands that portion of it. Which the five of us and every department head in this room are of longer than four years and we understand exactly what he's trying to tell us. And with those words in mind now, we all knew you're jealous since year 2 when you saw him with us."
"And he was giving us a hand in work, the added act of trust, with his mother planet side, she left us responsible in taking care of him. And I don't give a damn why you were so jealous anyway, you're showing your jealousy your emotions over being second best. So clearly everyone that was here from year one to year four could see it. And your trying to discredit him is saying that loud and clear even more right now at the moment."
"But disobeying direct orders, reckless endangerment, speedballing, attempted murder, insubordination, and the list just keeps getting worse by the minute from there in your case. And that attitude of yours disqualifies you from a promotion on this ship, when I'm second in command of this ship. And I already had this conversation with your adult version, but highest grade in every class, every award taken already and with it now."
"And I see the envy in your eyes and the jealousy, but you feel like we're comparing you to the boys in our eyes you can't measure up to the experience. Well that jealousy needs to come to an end, because that very well could be your self destruction. What took four years in training to work in simulation only takes two years. If you lived on a ship all your life and said ship the one you grew up on since you were in your mid teens as well."
"As for that remark, in his case regarding him being found by us and us tracking Danar here at the moment, the reason he knows is because he was tracking him as well. And he's right, if that was Wesley or Data that you ran into in the hall last night. Then you'd be setting yourself up to becoming a hostage, at the time as last night shows. Especially if you'd been active when we had Roga on board when this happened, in training."
"A season officer or training ensign knows, that when it comes to things like that it's best to take your time now instead of jumping in. And let alone you never did four years of training to being able to handle this. And last night basically proved this to us at the time, if you, your friends or even Marks and his clique tried this when Danar was on board, you wouldn't have the patience or experience in this to not get taken."
"And till the very last minute and we'd have to talk him down before he killed you or was using you as way to get off the ship if you had tried that. Sure you're just beginning your training, but you're still a rookie on board a ship full seasoned career officers. And he's acting as a career one himself and that's suicide with your temper like it is right now. And you're still in our eyes, just a child, and we're adults and with that in mind here."
"Until you get over this attitude of being second best in the eyes of the adult crew, you're staying at the level till further notice and I'm not getting into a debate. So you're a basic training ensign, I'm commander, I'm five ranks above you and you're just a child. Wesley was here first, he earned that rank of ensign, and now full lieutenant simply by original thinking, loyalty, courage, dedication and going above and beyond the call of duty."
"And this when you're not even up to it physically is another point given, despite his not being up to this. He still, with the help of Charlie, finished the mission, and it's because they're both smart dedicated junior crew members. They all grew up on ships, exact same lessons in the exact same ways, by me and my counterparts and they proved the point to what we keep trying to tell you in this and with that in mind right, young man."
"In what took four years in simulation for you to gain your rank of ensign, training ensign, which I might add is going to take that. He earned it in one year, simply by hands on training on board the ship and its by doing it for real. That makes the difference, and living on the ship in question, knowing your superiors. And this well and easily to counteract it, you'd have never survived what was coming, in this situation."
"And it's because once you got caught, and the games are done that was it and the expansion goes underway. Wesley knows this and knew how to get around us and it's by stealth, but to out think your opponent when you're the last one standing is even harder. So it means knowing your commanders and the rest of the crew by what you've seen and dealt with together, Wesley has spent 70% of his time with us since he started."
"We watched him grow into his potential and the point that's why he was determined to get us back to normal today, because we're adopted family to each other. You haven't been around us long enough to know these things, everything about us. And it's because you're never getting into real conversation with us, and not spending more. And not more then a few minutes conversation with us instead the way you have been lately."
"And he has, and it's by just getting into conversation with me, with us, acting like a student and son to his mentor and adoptive or surrogate parents. And it's that bond that had him beat the opposition, because we're close, though he had his mother on board. We practically raised him ourselves with us acting as his mentors and his guardians all this time, I spent our first six months together regarding this and training began."
"Before the second encounter with Q, and having him wind up in the middle of that, it felt like someone stabbed me in the heart. Because I was already feeling that bond growing every day, and he means a lot to me. As for why exactly, it's the act of needing a male precense in his life and with that, that's why he's acting like this around me. I'm his godfather and to him, he's not giving me up and it's the same for everyone else."
"He's been through one too many traumas the last five years and this is one I'm not taking lightly at all here right now. Because we were going over this last year after Data was hijacked and I heard the added fears in that regarding that. With him having one trauma that he still can't get over right now, because of those rumors. It's the added emotional recovery in this with being forced into a situation he never should've been in."
"As such it's why, Dr. Pulaski came back now, in addition to bringing whatever information she has to tell us at the moment." he said to him, at that with a stern tone. "And he's right young man, thanks to these rumors you made up, you have him working over time to prove himself. I've got to deal with a trauma he still can't get over, and he's working himself into exhaustion as a result." Pulaski said to him sternly at that remark.
"I'm glad you came back Kate, with this situation the added nightmares regarding Radue started a second time. And I'm not entirely sure here, but I think the knack is still affecting him, though Devin is gone now, if he pushed it this far." he told her and she nodded. "I take it you explained to Beverly what happened after he let it go regarding Jack, Jean Luc?" she asked and he nodded with a sigh as he answered her gently.
"Yes, and we got another situation just like it at the moment." he said and Wesley covered his eyes." Jeremy, it's been two years and where is he at right now exactly, because it took admitting to you. That I was furious he never came back at the time, and you did, and he decided his career mattered more than his family." he said, before they heard and angry shout at that as he looked around the room as he saw the boy.
Looking at the boy, his younger sister, Katie, quickly said it to him. "He's still in stage two Wes, but it's whatever triggered this, and at the moment. The seven of us are still dealing with it right now, but he and Jake got into a fight and he barely broke his wrist on the holodeck." she said and he nodded. "Jake, Jake Potts?" he repeated and the boy's mother crossed her arms then add that remark as she said it to him.
"Unfortunately yes, but practical jokes are one thing, it's my son hasn't learned his lesson in being a wiseacre right now, Wes. As to that, the fight was the result of turning the holodeck into another version of that cave and the added side effects are he insulted his mother." she said and he nodded as he looked at Kate. "What caused the fight Katie?" he asked and Harry Bernard Jr. answered that one with a sigh as he said it to him.
"He insulted Dr. Aster's intelligence, regarding her going into a cave that was unstable and he let him have it. Before Commander Wilcox and Lieutenant Worf pulled them apart, look we get that you're still furious at this Jeremy. But do you want to get in trouble for a fight breaking out we're no older the 12, at that age. The hormones are slightly out of whack with us about to go into puberty next at the moment here."
"Though with that in mind I'm not surprised that was 2 years ago and you're suffering the amount of pain that took 10 years to get rid of right now in his case. But you hold it in like that could destroy you right now." he said to him then gently and he sighed. "Jeremy he's right at the moment, that's why my alter ego nearly killed our version of the captain, he convinced himself that it was the captain's fault at the time here."
"Well there's the next one I have to deal with as I'm your guys' big brother and with it now. Jeremy listen to me, you let this anger continue to grow the traumas are only going to get worse, when you're trying everything you can think to save someone else. But did you ever wonder why she and Counselor Troi was so concerned when Jaan Devin was here two years ago?" Wesley asked and he shook his head and Wesley sighed gently.
"The year before the added pressure of having my abilities yanked into the spotlight at the time resulted in guys like Derek Hanson to brand me with a nickname. Just because I could think our way out of trouble, till I learned that Jaan Devin was suffering from a disease his race suffered from. But added effect here was he lost control of his mind control ploy and I was worked until I finally collapsed, so listen to me carefully."
"If you allow kids like Derek to start this and allow their jibes to push you into over doing it, that need is going to result in a trauma you still can't get over. I understand, believe me I do, but you can't allow your grief to control you or it's going to do more damage then necessary here." he said and he watched him nod with a sigh as Pulaski said it then as she looked at him then as she said it to Will at the remark as she went over it
"And I haven't bothered to let that go since Jaan Devin pulled that plot at the time, did you find the trio that started this, if you just busted Hanson in the process, Will?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah we did, and they didn't think this would blow up it into such a big deal at the time. But then the stupid idiots never took into account the ship gossip channel and what it does to the career of a teenage officer now either at the moment."
"And now he's trying to do it with Charlie here and Wes just broke that truth to him, and the new trio that just arrived. But the stupid idiots that caused it to get worse at the moment in regarding this, because the little brats are jealous we pay more attention to Wes, Charlie and Jake then we do them. Were and are Marks and his clique and we just cracked down on the reason, but thanks to the traveler we had on board at the time."
"He's had that hanging over his head ever since at the moment." he told her and she nodded. "I knew we shouldn't have allowed Kosinski on board the ship three years ago if this was the result. Son, if this was why he just vented that frustration to you, again, I'm guessing that's why you declined the promotion, huh?" Kyle Riker asked and he nodded. "Yeah it is, and it's because with Beverly planetside at the time back then."
"And with Tasha gone, I wasn't risking making it any worse at the time, he needs me more at the moment and frankly right now. It's the added act of dealing with Shelby, after seeing Wes collapse twice out of exhaustion. And was recovering, emotionally from Devin and when he used the knack on him, I wasn't chancing it anymore. And she went behind my back regarding an idea of hers, before I laid into her, in the turbolift."
"And when I'm a rank above her, to which she popped off at me, but to quote your remark, Sir, is it possible you don't it make captain, or admiral without knowing the dangers of the big decisions and I knew them as I was space bound for 14 years now. And up until then, she's never left earth, but she erred twice and went behind my back to you, despite the fact I said would discuss her idea with you and that did it finally."
"I didn't have to hear the added rant, because she's a female version of Derek here and Wes was like me in regarding decisions at the time. So yes I was standing in her way and because I know the dangers in making these choices and big decisions. And with it, though I'm ready mentally to which I did and I was, and have we children on board this ship, so any choice I make could affect them too." he said as he finished it with a sigh.
"But emotionally now, I was just reunited with my girlfriend, I made some new friends now and I had a son to think about and then there's you. Our bond was that student and mentor, as well as father and son. You're my captain and frankly I'm not ready to leave your side just yet at the moment. Though in this case at the moment, you're still recovering physically from getting turned into a Borg at the moment here."
"And last year was enough to shake us all up as a result of several incidents and very close calls to the point I decided screw it. I'm not leaving, not when you still needed me right now especially when we got a bunch of hotshots trying to pass the limit here and here's the result. I knew there was going to trouble, but when and where, I didn't know that until Wes came home." he said and they nodded as Picard nodded gently to him.
"And as it turned said trouble is just after I get turned into an assssin, we have Ro join the crew and the kids, after you meet Etana, have to do our jobs for us now. And I'm guessing that the added reason for you and Kate came back, Kyle is that why. That you needed to report some sort of conspiracy running loose?" Geordi asked and Kyle nodded. "Yeah you're right son and I knew you were going to get the message at the time."
"And when you heard my report to the captain, but that's why we came, in fact, Wes's report on the conclusion of this expansion. And it's connected to either the Ferengi or the Cardassians, Haden, Morrison and Quinn sent us with medical and an added intel regarding it. But we weren't expecting to wind up in the middle of a manhunt when she's trying to get that thing to earth." Kyle said and the duo both nodded to the news then.
"Dad, that's actually the reason I didn't want to leave, when I was given that promotion, when you showed up. But 1) I was just reunited with my girlfriend, 2) I had made some new friends and 3) the person that needs me more happens to be my godson. He's just getting over the side effects of his father's decision and second we added another trauma to it, so never mind leaving, he needs me more." Will said and Kyle nodded to him then.
"Then I'm lucky a family friend ended up being CMO that year at the time, because I wasn't expecting to find Kate here whatsoever. But Wes is you at 19 years old and you're me dealing with your surrogate cub and to any parent or medic connected to said parent. Having said cub pull stunts like this is enough cause a heart attack in the middle of an emergency situation right now." he said and he nodded as Wesley gave nod to that.
"Yeah and like any woman with ulterior motives, it's always playing with the heart, before she turns them into a drone. But if this was that tv show, she's the alien queen who seduces the second male lead, just to infest earth with more of her kind. And it has every male soldier acting like they're intoxicated, but here's the bad news. That tv show was really our grandparents lives in the program, show number two now."
"Well that's where we came in now, but everyone we haven't lost happens to be the grand children of the personnel list on Atlantis. And speaking of which, hey Lal, I need the surnames to everyone that was on board that ship at the moment." he said and piece of paper appeared on the bed next to him as he read out the first. "Emmagan." he said and a young woman no older the Deanna nodded to him and he went further.
"Dex?" he asked and a young man lifted his hand. "Zelenka?" he asked and a technician lifted his hand. "McKay?" he said and another man did the same. "I think 80% of us in our families, the members being the ones showing up the most on season 1. And of the tv show ended up on that list Wes, and if that's the case we got a problem right now." Johnny Sheppard said as he, Dex, Emmagan and McKay tried to keep from laughing.
"Yeah and somehow that doesn't surprise me you wiseacres, you guys are not much older then Chris and Luke right now. And we're not having another pillow fight breaking out in here, so get it together guys, and I'm not kidding." Will said in answer to that with a bemused smile as he looked at the new version of his brother's original team then. "Who left that lying around, what the heck, hey guys check this out right now."
"I found a patch for our grandparents department, this has the initials SGA-1." Weir said to the quartet as she moved to sit next Dex and Sheppard and Sheppard took a look at it then. "That's my unit number if we were our grandparents." he said and David Lorne looked at him. "Yeah and you're not the only one, I have one as well, but my unit number is team 4." he said and they shook their heads at that remark then gently.
"Great first alien devices and now patches of our past lives we're suddenly finding this soon after we're discussing this right now. Coincidence I think not, it's a clue, and it means that with the fact that we know the past, we have to prevent what's coming in your case Wes." Bradley Elliot said and he nodded. "To get back to it is what she did to you dad, though if anything, if she turns into one of the alien leaders, next now."
"Said leader was the one fooling around biogenetics at the moment, but if it combines two pieces of it here we're looking at the same problem. And to you we're your biggest weakness, but we're looking at a combination of the puppet masters. And the episode focused on the doctor's adoptive daughter after whatever that parasite. The scientist, did to her, though if she didn't get us once, she's going to try again or maybe twice more."
"But the girls: Robin and Deanna, the duo and me as we're your Cubs and soulmate, though if I'm the primary target and I saw her plan in her eyes, but you were the bait. I'm the primary target and she's planning on using me for something, but if the Aldean, the Ktarians and Cardassians are in this together. It's making sure that whatever these are cut with, if they're the trigger, it's being deactivated." Wesley said and he nodded.
"Yeah and that's the understatement of the century, she's already ticked me off enough regarding you guys. And if she crosses that line and you're the target and her lieutenant or general is still on board the Enterprise. Then nothing is saving him from ending up in here himself, if this ends up back in the tunnels. And you get hurt, especially when your system crashes, but to get back it, but close to two years in training at the time."
"And you were seventeen, and just getting started on your second year as a flight deck officer, to us older officers, in this situation. Then it would take someone with more combat experience and training to deal with him." Will said gently and she looked at him. "As if that's not enough it's switching from basic weapons to hand to hand till you get him to the floor and than keep him restrained till he drains himself completely."
"Which, if we were back 375 years ago, would be like trying to arrest a mental patient and in those areas it's taking four to five on one and getting them to the floor, before you get them in isolation. Though that area is where I leave it to the male medical doctors, because for a woman, it's asking to get hurt if you get involved, and your patient is three times stronger than you are." Beverly added and he nodded in agreement to that.
"Yeah and that's why I wasn't having you get involved or he could have hurt you and with that it takes someone with the build of a football player just to take these maniacs down. And more than one no less as well." Will said to her and she nodded. "Where a teenager or a woman is concerned it's not as serious, but hallucinating for real, if you're delirious it means making sure they can't hurt themselves in the struggle."
"A skilled soldier of this caliber is far more dangerous, and just what the heck kind of soldier was he, if you used his ideas honey?" she asked and he explained that. "On earth, if we'd been back in the 20th or 21st century he'd be in spec ops mom. You know what I mean, army Rangers, spec ops or black ops in the Air Force, marines or even the Navy Seals. They're trained in covert and stealth missions and decoy attempts as well."
"Soldiers like this are hard to take down, but upon figuring this out I realized if he was that good at avoiding capture. With them blocking his heat signature and his life signs, which explains why we weren't picking him on the sensors till the chief beamed him up here. It meant that the tracking beacon they put into him was blocking all life signs, so if picking him up on by his life signs doesn't work, it's by our equipment activity."
"By that I mean you got to do it by the equipment activity, like tracking him by screwing with the Turbolifts, the transporters and the terminals. Which is where, if you'd shut down one turbolift, but left another open like when he took the bait when trying to get off the ship that day and did. That's the only way to go if their life signs and heat signature are undetectable by the ship life signs detector and it's reprogramming things."
"Just to find him, he didn't have our shield communicators and those have a tracking beacon on them as well. But his personality was the result of extended P.T.S.D. and with that, you get a P.T.S.D. patient in these cases. Then expect him to flip once you get him surrounded by the men trying to subdue him here, because he's suffering a flashback during the capture." Wesley told her and she nodded as Will sighed at that remark.
"He must have been captured by some nutcase and was a prisoner of war, if he reacted to being shot at and it took shifting from the phasers to hand to hand, before we got him to the floor finally." he said and Robin looked at him at that. "I take it this maniac was dangerous if you're saying that?" she asked and they nodded as she looked at him. "Yes, it took five to six of us to take him down, the first time just before the manhunt."
"What happened was that during the capture we had him in stasis and then had only two guards in the room with Miles here, before they made the mistake of shooting him. And he started acting like an escaped mental patient, before Derek Greyson and his team mate dragged him into the hall. Just as I was arriving he took a shot at us and Worf pushed me out of the way as it hit the wall, next to us as we heard a struggle."
"When Anthony got a hold of him from behind, checking to see, Worf knew he wasn't taking a second shot at us and charged at him, just as the fight caused him. Anthony I mean, to lose his footing in the middle of it and we went to give him a hand. And we arrived as he threw him off of him, before Worf tackled him. And I was trying to yank his arm behind his back before he threw me over them and Worf rolled him over."
"Once he did that I got hold of him and pinned his arms to the floor after that, while the duo were holding his legs down and Worf was sitting on top of him. But it took the five of us to get him under control." Will told her gently and she nodded as she got it. As, looking at her, Greyson said it gently to her. "To answer the unasked question here is I'm Derek Greyson." the greying haired 48 year old man standing next to Bates said to her.
As Wesley looked at them smiling and the trio smiled back at him. "Long story short here that corridor I chose was connected to that memory actually and as I said. I didn't have to see the fight to know it got that tense down there because when the Commander's under pressure. Then his temper is enough to get everyone acting on orders without thinking about it, and this fight was it." he said and she nodded as she looked at them.
"I take it he chose that corridor and transporter room on purpose if you two came to investigate that, and with the chief hiding in that room?" she asked and they nodded. "Yes, when we got him on board the captain ordered transporter room 4 to be the one to bring him on board. That was my department actually, aside from being transporter chief I'm also a technician, but room 4 was my transporter room command at the time."
"Anthony and Derek were ordered to my department and I had Danar in stasis until the guys came to join me. But the beam disabled his gun and he pointed his weapon directly at us. Before the fight started, and seeing how strong he was, I quickly gave them a hand after calling for back up and they got him out of the room. Just as the commander arrived, but the hall just outside of the room was deck 6, section 25 in this case."
"So he chose a memory that, once we were back to being ourselves again was another reminder, but every move in this manhunt last night, and this morning was Danar. So though he didn't see the fight or was not physically involved in that manhunt. He knew what Danar did and replicated it, just without the real damage to the ship." he said and she nodded as he looked at the teenager with a gentle smile at his skills.
As Wesley looked at him smiling in relief as he looked between the sextet of guards that had trained him as Porter looked at him smiling gently. 'Just relax son, we're back, you got us back, kiddo.' he said softly and Wesley nodded to him gently. "Are you veterans on the ship?" she asked and they both nodded. "Yes, 80% of the staff is senior officers, Wesley called out to me specifically by name because he knew me, as to how and why."
"I was one of the security guards involved in his training, and with me was Jack and Eric here. The reason he chose that hallway was because I'm the officer that tried to arrest Danar, and with me was Anthony Perkins, as to why he was trying to jog my memory at the time of it. It was because I was here from the time he was fifteen, but we were waiting for him to come home as well as a result, since we were looking forward to this."
"As was Jack, our teams are four years old now, so we were here from the time he was a kid. After Worf was assigned to security detail he assigned teams during second year, I was in charge of team number two, Jack number one and Dillon McCallister of team number three. MacGregor got added barely a month to 7 months ago and it's the same for his team, while Eric Porter was just short of nine months before he left."
"So best to have the ones knowing him this well get involved in looking for him at the time. The ten of us were here in the very beginning, but the crew was 70% senior crew of longer then four years, and 30% of less then eighteen months at the moment, which is why the captain had us looking for him. Because we know how he thinks at the moment, but in this case when knowing each other for close to five years now."
"Than its best to switch tactics and turn it into a game of stealth and intelligence here. But unfortunately for her this was something we taught him when he was sixteen, but if your friends and comrades are compromised and they trained you in stealth techniques, switch tactics to another time and you'll never be found. I just never expected that advice would result in bringing back a previous manhunt at the moment here."
"At the moment though I'm glad he never got into the academy four years ago, otherwise this wouldn't have worked. As to why at the moment he's been been working on the bridge and the engine room for 3 years. And his computer program is the reason we won this round at the time. But I was involved when he downloaded that program into the computer." Greyson said to her smiling gently as Bates finished his sentence.
"With being around the engineering and equipment all the time, us members of the engineering security there in. Its they give off a heat signature, so you want to mask yours, just move closer to the thing, because they give a thermal signatures and you lose resolution from there. Also to block your location, if you're a member of the crew, remove the communication badge and you're invisible to the ship's tracking signature."
"Though I'm dressed in the uniform of a security guard, I'm also an engineer and scientist here, but this was something I taught him, and it was me, Derek, Worf, Geordi and Commander Riker who trained him during those years. As to that, the reason we didn't pick him up was because the Jeffries tubes, leading into the engineering room, were absorbing the heat from the reactor and blocking his heat signature from us."
"And secondly was because once you stop moving, you become invisible on the tracking sensors, if you don't have your communicator. But that's the fatal weakness in our communication badges, and he knew this, so standing stationary he's a dot hiding among 1,500 people. Which was what he was explaning to her last night after he got to Data's quarters, but holding still he's a dot hiding amongst 1,445 more sitting dots."
"And remove it and he vanishes right off the sensors, so this was a key flaw she never looked into. When she took control of us, and only a skilled technician knows this when you know the ship you're living and working on better then the opponent does. So on, you're a dot, but take it off and you're invisible to the tracking sensors, and without the heat sensors, it's trying to differientiate between you and close to 1,500 others."
"Or at least till you start screwing around with the terminals and equipment." Bates added smiling and she nodded as he looked at him. "Like I said with the communicator I'm a sitting dot, hiding among 1,445 other sitting dots. Without, and I disappear right off the thermal sensors and tracking systems." Wesley said and they chuckled. "Yeah and nice work, as that's the fatal flaw in our communicators and with that in mind."
"That's another piece to take advantage of when dealing with the tracking systems, unless you turn it into an oversized life signs detector and localize it to a single signature." Jenson said, smiling to him. "And speaking of which where were you when we heard that crash last night, because I could hear in Charlie's voice that he was trying to keep from laughing after Evans asked that question?" Will asked and he said it smiling.
"The noise you heard was in the ventilation shaft, as you know, any noise in the shafts are going to be heard through out the Jeffries tubes and wherever your stationed and I decided on the last act, of punctuating the captain's remark when he asked that question. So sound effects for her benefit, just to annoy her even more while the duo, Charlie and Robin were finding that the game was now turning humorous in this case."
"With Robin back to normal I knew she was going to find it funny after the rhetorical remarks getting drawn into the conversation last night and this afternoon. Before she was back to normal and I knew he was holding it in. But as I explained it last year, every time you start getting rhetorical she starts driving up the distraction and division ploy further." he said and they nodded, bemused as Dayton chuckled as he finished that.
"Like I said, you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer, so with that you better cool it with the rhetorical questions, before he decides on the added punchlines for it." Dayton added as he started laughing at that and the adult crew nodded as Will shook his head smiling. "Alright you two, tell me is that going to be the last indicator of this game, regarding your training games or do we have anything else coming up, in this."
"Before you call is quits finally you three." Worf asked and just as he was answering they heard a loud clang ring out from the wall in answer to that question and Will covered his eyes at that as he tried to keep from laughing. "I thought you turned that off already?" Evans asked and he smiled. "I did, but that's the added catch, she's deciding to keep it up with the ploy, so now might a good time to stop asking questions now."
"But this is what Charlie meant, you keep it up and she's going to continue with that." he said and Robin and the duo started laughing at that. As she repeated Dayton's remark then with a a chuckle at that. "You had to ask, does that answer your question right now, Lieutenant. You know, if you keep that up he's going to be going for the ' you ask the stupid question, you get a stupid answer' phase here at the moment."
"And we don't need this getting even more out of hand than it has already right now." Robin added as she started laughing at that as Jenson answered her bemused. "Yes well that's a trio of Cubs for you right now young lady. I should have realized we've been out maneuvered by our own students last night and this morning. But turning this into a chess game with several other childhood earth games was going a bit too far last night."
"And you three are acting like you're thirteen years old when it comes to these games. What was this, suddenly getting playful to drive us up a wall while we're trying to track you down young man." Jenson said in answer to that with a bemused smile. "If I was human, I'd be no older than you guys Charlie, as to that at the moment. That's why he activated my added programming last night, so though I'm the A.I."
"That's controlling the ship, it doesn't change the fact he had me at his back, with you working as a plant and the duo compromised. But Data was leading the four us last night until everyone was back to normal. The playing with the sensors on instrument sighting was from the wargames, Specialist Kolrami was here, but that was a distraction and division." he said before they heard a a female voice get involved in the conversation.
"Keep the entire crew, but the cleared hotspots, busy just before Doctor Pulaski returned and with her, was Specialist Riker. But running through every scenario there was with you working as a plant, I was helping Wes. And doing it by getting everything he needed for his supplies. As I just checked the self diagnosis report, before he got to their apartment to take a break now."
"But all in all, with the fact my father had a cat now, I decided to sit with him, but watching him from the computer monitor as he slept. But he was right, to our parents when you're doing this and when you're not up to it. The adult crew is going to kill the person responsible." Lal said to them and the group nodded to that. "Yes and that's the understatement of the century right now as well kiddo."
"Because after 11 months, we forgot you were still in the system, till we realized, once back to normal that you're still in the system at the current moment. I'm just relieved that though working as the A.I., running the ship. That I had you watching over my son, honey, but it's good to hear your voice again. But we got a shot to take care of a few things ." Beverly said and they heard a smile in her time as she answered her.
"Yes and you as well Aunt Beverly, hey guys though I'm in the computer think of it this as with three boys and two girls. It's we just created our own squadron right now at the moment here, but you're right though Charlie. We just add three more members and I'd bet that if we can show Sito. Just what the results would be we can save her career as well, regarding that cover up."
"But at least this way we got her, Kate and Josh her, and change out three more members as we send Derek to join them. As we see what this would fit the results here at the moment." she said and they nodded. "Before we do that, it's dealing with the stage two side effects here." Wesley said and they smiled. "Nice touch, an android teenager to young adult, as a member of the junior crew now finally."
"Well if we're working as a team, then we have three boys and two girls, though you're in the computer mainframe, but you're still a member of our junior crew, Lal." Jake said smiling, before her avatar appeared in front of them with a smile on her face. "Hey guys good to see you again, and hello you two, I'm Lal, Commander Data's daughter." she said smiling and they nodded to her as Jenson looked at her gently.
"I don't suppose you were trying to annoy us on purpose by playing with the system right, because three of those situations were all before you father created you. But your personality switched courses and you sound like a normal teenager right now." Geordi said to her and she smiled. "I know, I've been watching some of the old tv shows, so that helps right now, but the added playful touch was I'm 19 years old."
"In human years, though combined with four other teenagers you got us acting like a normal group of college students now." she said and Picard chuckled. "Yes and you took that just a little too far kids." He said and Wesley smiled at him. "Hey you wanted us pull the least likely maneuver when trying to shake off your opponent. And we did that, but adding the added misdirection and then throwing in the sound effects."
"And just so we had to throw you off last night works too last night. I did this all the time with Commander Jackson. And he didn't mind it turning slightly playful at the time when I was a kid to thirteen years old." Dayton said smiling in answer to that and they hid a smile. "Yeah well I think you took the sound effects a little too far, because if we had been ourselves then every member that hadn't been here longer than two years."
"They would all would be finding that funny right now. Though for us, it's gone from playing to playing practical jokes on your adult counterparts." Guinan said to him with a bemused smile on her face at that remark. "Like we said, you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer." Jake said as he started laughing at that as Picard answered that with a slightly bemused look on his face as he answered them with bemused tone.
" I knew I shouldn't have said anything, after the alarm went off when you moved locations, but the added punchlines to our remarks was going a little too far Wesley." Picard said with a chuckle at that. "Yes sir, but that was too annoy her even more more, though I knew when as yourselves. Then you'd find that funny and Charlie was going to be enjoying that touch as well." He said and Greyson chuckled at that remark gently.
"If we were ourselves, yes we'd be finding that funny right now, but still frequent misdirection's, practical jokes. And several other ploys with the sensors and radio was going a little too far last night kiddo." he said to him and he smiled. "Just wanted to make the game react like our testing game, to the point that it resulted in you realizing. Just what I was up to last night, but it took her all night to dig through your memories."
"Just to figure out which clue matched what memory, since I did the same thing in survival training, Sir." he said and Perkins answered him. "Maybe, but sudden switches and repeated crashes, playing with the radio, the sensors, that's taking the games way too far when it goes from practice to real kid, so take it down a notch alright." He said and he smiled as Wes gave him a shove and he ruffled his hair as he ducked it.
"I think the act of us being back to normal is now causing him to act like we used to on the holodeck in training now, and again, watch it kiddo, or you're getting now, pal." Greyson said with a chuckle at that as he rested his hand on his shoulder smiling. "He started it." Wesley answered and Bates looked at him with bemused smile at his remark. "Alright buddy, we're not going into this right now, and you keep that up."
"And I'm really letting you have it, now watch it buddy." Greyson said to him with a playful warning smile on his face at that. "Alright watch it pal, or you're getting it now." Bates adding smiling at him and he looked at him playfully and he held back a chuckle at the look on his face then as he went for the underside of his leg and he started laughing as he sat there as he nearly fell sideways as the guard tickled him
As the duo were standing in front of him "No alright, you win, you win, I give up." He said to him laughing and Bates nodded with a smile as Greyson answered him. "That's a warning young man so you better watch it now pal." Greyson said with a playful warning smile at him and he nodded to him as he moved his right hand to his side as he tried to back away from his hand as he was using his left to tickle him as he said it to him.
"Yes sir, I get it, I get it, you don't have to do anything else, you win. Just not both, please, I'll stop playing around, but no more." he said through his giggling as the man lightly tickled him in the side gently. "I guess the training resulted in you acting like this with each other?" she asked smiling at the playfulness between him and the duo and they nodded as Wesley answered him her smiling as he said it gently then.
"They're right the last three years since mom was recalled back to earth the connection between us, in training, had doubled and then tripled in strength by the time I left for the academy and those three years before I did, were enough to create the bond she found so dangerous now and as to why, it's because they're more than just my mentors. But friends as well, like he said they watched me grow up at the time here."
"But the night of the riot, it was Greyson and Perkins I called first and this was why and the bonds were really strong and still are. But she thought she knew me in the way they do and the fact is she doesn't. Because our connection is stronger than she would expect, I know their thinking strategies and where to counteract them. But know your opponent and you know yourself and we know everything about each other in this case."
"But we ran a bonding test last year, father/son camping trip, if we were on earth and this was part of it, but though they didn't understand what I was telling her before. She didn't understand what I was telling them when she has control of them, but to them. And between us when they're themselves, they got everything in the clues I left to them. When I left the those markers out to them as to why, the bonding test was to see that."
"And Eric Porter was the latest arrival when we did that test and leading into when I left he became part of my training as our areas switched from basic. And into advanced and this was part of the scenario, because it shifted from the holodeck and going real. And in the Jeffries tubes and tunnels before the commander's birthday last year. In fact just before I left we ran this test for real and things were going into the Jeffries tubes."
"The extension tunnels and the maintenance shafts at the time. So every place they thought they traced me, was actually one that wasn't in my training exams when we did this. In fact the spots she yanked out of their heads were the ones I used in the exams last year, and I took a different route to throw her off make it last this long. She had taken my training course out of their heads, but rule #1 in manhunts now."
"If the people in question are the ones that trained you and figure they know your course, then change it up and you're never going to get caught. So they were thinking over my training course ever since I left and when it came time for the manhunt. It wasn't my training course I used, it was make it up as I go. So if we have to do this again, she's going to be digging into my head and use the same route I took last night."
"And this morning, in trying to get it right but then, after 4 years together now, it's the added act now of knowing your own student better then they know themselves. Because after that bonding test they know my thinking strategies better then she does. And with it, where to counteract, so if she causes a blackout in my memory. And the programming activates in my case, if there is any and at the same time we have further problems."
"In the next one and with the thirteen of them, by that I mean the quartet and the nine are going to be following me around, so trying to get me off the ship with that thing is not going to work, they know me too well. But Greyson and Perkins were the ones were involved in that, as was Bates and Watkins, but that sums it up. The trio were involved for four years in the case of the quartet and ten months before I left in the duo's case."
"Especially with Dr. Pulaski here, she's an expert in mind control, cloning and a few other things and she saw what the knack did to me and with that. If this continues and goes in the same direction as I described to them last year when I created that program. You're just asking for trouble in this case, which is why the only security teams involved. In that are going to be the twelve, as well as the chief and the quartet at the moment."
"Which explains the photograph that Porter found of the five of us sitting on the table in my living room last night. We had that taken in the middle of my training when we were going over stealth and survival training. The sextet and the quintet wee the ones training me and involved in the added tests that lasted longer than a week, but last night was an alteration to my training and survival test on the holodeck, at the time last year."
"And before it went from training and it it turned into a live test at the time, but this was like the wargame set up when we were dealing with the Borg. And the exams were, 'what do you do when your crew is compromised and you're the subject of a ship wide manhunt.'. But that was preparation for this in case it happened for real and our entire conversation covered this and I scored a full 100% on each one when doing it."
"But here's the next piece, but know your opponent and know yourself and you will win 100 battles without disaster, I spent 18 months training for this, before and after mom came home. And that's around the time I created to the program, and after we got boarded by Riley's double, to answer the unasked question. We had our own encounter with the mirror image universe last year, as if was the same issue completely."
"Just advanced 100 years and a heck of a lot more dangerous as well and I created the computer program in case it happened again. But the reason I created it was for several purposes, but one was in case the ship got hijacked by another character like Soong or Lore and I'll explained that in a minute. Two was in case we had an internal pest problem we had to deal with case in point was the Nanites that infested the computer system"
"Three was we had another conspiracy like the one that destroyed the Horatio and killed captain Keel, or another virus like the Polywater virus. And I had to take the computer out of their hands. Which as it turned out was a much needed program when this happened as we decided to reactivate the program last night. But the lieutenant here was involved in the entire thing, when I showed them what it did and they gave her specific orders."
"So the route she plans to duplicate next, through me is getting circumvented by them when it happens. As to why the route being taken is getting duplicated from last night and this morning. So though she's got it, supposedly, it's trying to yank it in the same direction and this time with the group back to being themselves again. So she tries it, but there's no getting off the ship now, with us docked at the Starbase, later."
"Because though the internal security intend to get involved the fourteen are telling them leave that to them, because they know me better than I know myself. Especially when she's got me and we've proven that twice in one year, and there's no doubt it's going to be third times the charm here if she's going two out of three now." Wesley said and she nodded as she saw the paternal love in the guard's eyes as he looked at Wesley then.
"You guys are that close?" Dayton asked him and they nodded. "Being a crew meant being a team and being a team meant family now. And though we already have a family, once deployed at our next post our friends and fellow crew members become our family after that. Which is why, in essence, the sextet and the ones I'm closest to take it so seriously with me right now, at the time and with it now, prior to you arriving."
"I'm their star pupil and and with several traumas over the last three years, they get overly protective. But I was actually forcing them to focus and break through her conditioning so they could remember what we were like together at the time. With you in training up here and about to become my best friend now in this. Now it's the act of finding my own circle and in this case, my squadron and we have each other, Charlie."
"You were right when you said that Nick was no team later, but acting like the alpha, in retrospect here it's being the youngest member of a werewolf pack. And he's dictating everything regarding this, I want to be free of that, and be my own person. And now with you and Robin, as well as Jake, I have that chance with mom removing me from the academy for the next eighteen months now." he said and the duo nodded, smiling.
"Eighteen months, you need that much time to recover from this situation honey?" Beverly repeated and he nodded. "Yeah and this way we actually have a chance to make sure nothing else is screwing with our bonds. But if you remember what you told me regarding a possible accident and cover up in this case. I've never lied to you guys and I'm not about to start now and to keep that from happening at all, in this case."
"Now it's out of school attendance and you're the ones training me, Sir and I'm back to working on things for real, with the duo at my side now here." he said and she, Deanna and Will all nodded to that remark as Dayton answered him. "One good thing at least with me here you have someone who can keep up with you, but training in these scenarios is about to get out of hand when we're doing this and like the lieutenant said."
"It's once you're 3/4's healed the four of us can run this scenario a second time and we're correcting these mistakes later." he said to him and Wesley grinned at that. "Yeah well this time with the fact that if it was the three of us, it's a combination of everything. That we talked about, but this time it's making sure those headsets are completely deactivated, before we do this again and getting our secondary host off if this ship next."
"But we can pull this training scenario for real if we get boarded and there's added trouble. But I'm creating fifteen to eighteen bags and the three of us are working as one. But to escape custody, we both have to pull it at the exact same time here Charlie." he said and the group hid a chuckle at the conversation at that as Greyson smiled at him. "I get that boys, but this time leave the practical jokes out of it, would you please."
"Because technically the movements were like a steady rhythm regarding knowing what he was trying to do. And our counter movements were a match up to what we dealt with regarding Roga that day were coming to the fore. But the added fact is its, now, that it's making sure our youngest team mate didn't collapse was the serious part now as to why exactly, it's running on adrenaline for six hours is enough of a concern."
"Though the six hours switched to an alnighter regarding this scenario, and I'm glad you actually got some rest last night. And before this started a second time this morning, but the alarms going off repeatedly were beginning to get annoying every time. And you had her going in the run around, but that's ridiculous at the moment." Greyson said to him and Wesley looked at the older man with a slight smile on his face at that.
"Yeah but they're trained on stealth Sirs, but that's where I got the idea from, with you encountering this guy when we arrested him. I knew you'd remember where and when you saw the tactics. But for her, frustrating her was the plan till she gave up and Data was done with the beacon, but I reversed the sequence to annoy her at the time. Though trying to get your attention focused was the key, in this situation last night and today."
"So I knew you were likely to be the ones ending up in the hallway next considering the memory was resurfacing, lieutenant. Though in your case it's ending up in the main hall right outside the cargo hold. And she had you unconsciously mimicking your reactions during the manhunt regarding Roga at the time. Because the first ended up in the hall just outside of transporter room 4 and the second ended up in the turbolift he took."
"And I got the unspoken message you were trying to tell me though regarding this, because somehow, though suppressed your voices were telling me things and giving me advice that entire time. I wasn't trying to drive you nuts with that, but keep her busy till she gave up. But from behind you can't tell who it is you're playing against till your opponent turns around and you see their face, or faces, if there's more than one."
"And I was waiting for you turn around so I could see you and then get you to remember, but four of five were focused on year two, several on year three and a few others on year one, but 3.5 years together, as you're my training instructors just pulled off the impossible now. Though we keep this up and it's back to playing around on the holodeck here, in training at the moment here after I'm slightly recovered from this."
"But hands on training and the added extensive training this way, in case we have another foothold/hostage situation take hold. And whoever is next, is doing this by being the ones who are able to get the job done. With you guys and the adult crew keeping them busy, the 4 of us can head off their attempt by working up another idea." Wesley told him as the man left his hand on his shoulder and Greyson nodded and smiled.
"Did this just turn you back into your sixteen year old self again you wiseacre, if you're getting smart with us right now?" Bates asked him smiling. "Maybe and maybe not." he said smiling and they looked at him as Will hid a chuckle at that as Perkins said it for him at that. "Alright wise guy don't push it right now, we've gone through several pranks and redirects here on the holodeck during your training when we did this test last year."
"And then it starts getting out of hand last night with the amount of pranks you pulled, along with it at the time. And doing it like that with having us guessing and second guessing orders was going way too far last night. I never would have expected that reaction with training last year but having the cascade field starting and stopping repeatedly when we're trying to chase you down is one thing at the time."
"And that was going a little too far last night along with several others. But you start getting smart with us again and you know the penalty here pal." Perkins said to him with a bemused smile on his face at that. "I think the training took on a life of its own last night Sir, but at the rate this is going I'm looking forward to advanced training with you guys. Eighteen months at home, and the training is going to get even more interesting."
"Though with the fact I passed this particularly test now, it's not a problem." he said in answer to that smiling. "Yes well you start getting smart with us again and you know the penalty here buster, and watch it right now. Though you keep giving me the wise guy remarks and you're getting the full thing for it buddy." Greyson said in answer to that smiling as he looked at him, as he ruffled his hair and he ducked his head smiling.
Watching him he felt paternal bond shift and he hid a smile as he decided to let him have it. 'I do believe we've gone over this before kiddo, and you trying to escape me never worked before when in training, I know you're ticklish. But with the fact that, you're getting smart with me now, you're busted here pal. And you keep it up in training and I'm really going to let you have it.' he thought smiling as he moved his hand to his side.
'Uh oh, now he's really done it, we did this maybe twenty times during training and his getting smart with us, just resulted in another. And with him this exhausted, he's not going to get away that easily this time, and watch it pal or you're getting it tonight.' Will thought, seeing the look on his face as he looked at him and then turned his eyes to Wesley and he hid a nod as he tried to keep the smile off his face then.
As Greyson looked at Wesley as he shifted position to get ready to catch him. "Were you trying to test me by reminding me of this and running it into a chess game?" he asked him smiling and Wesley caught the look. 'Oh no, not again.' he thought as he tried to move away from him as he caught him and pulled him into his arms. "Ahh, don't think so pal." he said smiling as he hold him as he squirmed as he said it to him.
"No wait, I wasn't getting smart. Come on you win." he said through his laughter as the guard got him in the side and he started laughing as he lightly tickled him. 'Oh no, not again, come on guys, ease up alright.' he thought through his laughter as he tried to move away from his hand as he answered him then. Though just as he did Greyson dug his hand into his side and he broke completely as he thought it to himself.
'No not there, not there, I give up you win, sir, stop, I give up, I give up. I give up, I give up, you win, lieutenant I give up.' he thought through his laughter as the older man kept it up on his side. "No, no Sir, I wasn't, but you win, you win, I give up." He said through his laughter as he went further then. "But to answer your question regarding that at the time." he said smiling as he looked up at him as Greysom was looking at him.
As he ran his hand through the hair at the back of his head smiling gently at him and in answer to that he rested his head against his shoulder and the guard smiled gently at that. 'It's okay son, I'm back, you got me back, it's okay.' he thought softly, knowing the teenager still needed them in training and this just triggered another emotional set back for his young friend then, and knowing he needed that 18 months with them.
'He's beyond exhausted now at the moment, and that's why he's acting like this around me, though at the current moment just trying to take care of him is going to be one thing. But it's gone from intermediate to advanced training now and he still needs us in this way too. It's alright kiddo just rest, save your strength, it's okay.' The security guard thought gently as he looked at him leaning against him then
As he sat there on the exam table as they talked it over then. Looking at him the older man felt the relief and love shoot through him as he felt his relief that he was free of the conditioning and that their bond was still in place. "Hey guys, what do you say we make it official with my being home for the year. The junior crew gets recreated into the ship version of Nova's biggest rivals?" Wesley asked and the trio grinned at the idea gently.