The Bonds Of Friends And Family
Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.
Warning: For this chapter it's finishing the foreshadowing the results of what could have been if they hadn't discovered the traveler's plans for him. As he goes through the situations leading into his dropping out of the academy. As they go through each scene carefully. And this one is the rest of the trial after the accident that caused him to drop out.
And this from this chapter and forward gives a recap of the last book for the trio as they get caught up, but this story is going to be 90 chapters. As it recounts everything she needs to know from the Game to their future on the squadron. Just before the emergency hits and season 5 starts up after these situations in the aftermath of the episode come to an end, as she learns everything now.
Chapter 37: The Game Recap Part II: The Conspiracy Begins And Data Part II
"Alright who is this Walker you three keep mentioning exactly, Captain?" Josh asked and he explained that. "He was a friend of ours, his parents and me, he was the captain of the Horatio and discovered a plot to infiltrate the federation. But his ship was destroyed and the three of us were on the bridge when it happened. To me and Doctor Crusher it was vengeance by making sure that the aliens that killed him were destroyed now."
"He's coming to the conclusion now, but the first half of the situation started with the polywater virus right now and with that at the moment. Son keep going you know what this was, we taught you to look at past events to make a comparision. And remember, learn from the past to create a better future." he said as they watched him thinking. "Okay patient zero, patient zero, patient zero was the host for the virus here."
"Damn it of course!, alright here's the thing Robin, as I said only two people know enough about Data to do something like this. But here's the fine print as to why now and it's, for an android, they get infected by a human virus, their CPU, once it's been dealt with. Than it's going to see it as a computer virus and they become immune to it, this game is the same as the virus we dealt with."
"That said virus was four years ago and the entire ship got hit by it, I was trying to concentrate as was he. And Commander Riker was the last one standing at the time. The virus raised our body temperatures causing us to break out in a sweat: high body temperature, acting slightly inebriated, loss of control of their reasoning, it's a repeat performance of that virus, it's a long story now."
"But of us back then he was the last one standing and I was trying to concentrate, but now it's in reverse. And maybe there's more going on here than we thought, maybe someone is trying to use these games for something other the pleasure. More along the lines of a foothold situation, whoever gave Riker these when on leave, before he returned is trying to cause an incursion."
"She, or he, is trying to take over the federation." he said and she nodded as she answered him. "Than Data would be a threat to that plan, and only with Data out of the way, would everyone become addicted." she said and he felt his heart lurch at that. "And everyone has, except us, this is no longer just about an attempted incursion into the federation, I know what caused this, it's hitting the sextet."
"They're the ones getting hit hardest right now from it, but deprogramming and they're in a cross between a level IV virus and being possessed. Robin the truth is the reason they and every member you met has acted now. And like they were half of themselves, if you saw a photograph of us. And as a single team now, but this was because of me, to my mother, I'm her only child."
"While the sextet watched me grow up, and the members you met so far: Barnfield, Jenson, O'Brien. And the others, if they all talk about me this much, it's because they watched me grow up. I was part of the crew as a junior crew member, we all were here from the very beginning. And though we had transfers in and out, 70% of the crew was here from the very beginning."
"But this an attempted brainwashing and it's because they lost their concentration, I'm the catalyst I have to break them out of it. Damn it, yes I remember this now, I remember a scenario like this four years ago, it was after the eight of us became a crew. There's two scenarios being played into this: one is a puppet masters notion, that was just before my mother left the ship."
"And the first is the virus we all got infected by, and the symptoms of it are exactly the same, but to explain this to you. Three years ago, today, we got infected by a virus that made us start acting like we're intoxicated. and everyone, including Data got infected by it, back then Commander Riker was it. The last one standing and he, Data and I got the ship back in working order."
"And in time just to avoid an oncoming meteorite, that's as close to this as you can get now, that's the first stage, the other is indoctrination. They're all acting like they're intoxicated, you, me and Data are the ones that have to do this. But if this is a puppet master notion, I have to make sure now. Because I can't trust the sextet right now, let alone mom." he said and she nodded to the news then.
"Puppet master notion, have you been in this position before?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah four years ago, did you ever wonder what happened to the Horatio and why exactly. We had a puppet master style alien infecting the leadership, and the leader was infesting Comander Remmic. And Captain Walker Keel was murdered to prevent that from getting to every one else."
"In the fleet and he told it to Picard and Picard told this to Commander Riker, and Admiral Quinn was one of them. And it took repeated jolts from the stunner to take him down as a result, before Riker infiltrated the incursion at HQ. And it resulted in a shootout at headquarters and they destroyed the mother creature. And by killing her, they destroyed every single one." he told her gently at that.
And she nodded to him at that as she answered him at the remark. "Symptoms, if they match up its a near exact replication?" she asked and he nodded. "Near, but not close, because they were drugged and power hungry." Picard said firmly to that. "High body temper, acting like they're intoxicated, glazed eyes, and loss of higher reasoning. It's every adult over the age of eighteen infected by these things."
"Dad figures that out, and he's going to realize I just caught his being compromised and get one on us. Lal, two mock up copies of the game." he said and two copies appeared as she looked at him gently at that. "What are you doing?" Robin asked and he explained that to her. "They're going to get us to try this eventually, but we just fake the intoxicated looks on our faces when they do."
"Whoever is using these to get a foothold in the ship but they catch you without it on, they're going to realize it in what we're doing. And that we're on to whatever plan their programmer has regarding this." he said and she nodded. "What do you mean by dad exactly?" she asked and he sighed as he answered her softly. "After mom left Commander Riker took over paternal responsibilities."
"And to put it gently if we were 500 years back, he'd be my adoptive father or just my godfather. Though in age, in truth, he's a just short of 15 years older than I am, but to me, he's like a big brother, best friend and father. All rolled into one, it's having a male precense in my life and one. One that understands me that way, while Deanna's my godmother, and the captain my stepfather."
"But the duo are Commander Riker and Counselor Troi, mom put them in charge of taking care of me after she left. And our bonds shifted directions, but the commander is my mentor, and I think of him as a father. But here's the truth now, but the duo are my godparents, Commander La Forge and Data. They're my friends and Lieutenant Worf is my other mentor next to Commander Riker."
"But our bonds are from four years together and with that, it's taking knowing them better then they know themselves. Just to beat whoever it is that programmed them, if that's what's really going on here. And I hope to god I'm wrong right now, regarding that, and it's because the quartet. They are all just short of twenty years older than we are, so acting as surrogate parents."
" And older brothers and sisters. I'm not being put into that position of choosing." he told her and she nodded in understanding at the wording. "Come on, we have to get back to your apartment now, before they figure it out, because they do and we're screwed." she said and he nodded as they left the room. "And that's exactly what it turned into at the moment." Worf said in firm annoyance at that gently.
"That's when he told me the truth of your bonds actually, I also saw the bond of connection between him and Commander Jenson. But until now I never saw you guys together till I watched him with all of you at the moment here." she said and they nodded as they watched them talking as he went over it then as he went further gently. "If it takes playing decoy, we're going to have to do this together now."
"We've dodged once, we got maybe two more chances here at the moment before it gets worse from here. But before you ask what I have in mind to end this. I can't tell you that, it's part of the rules of a situation like this." he said and she nodded as they headed back to his apartment. "Nice thinking, make it look like your playing it to get you by undetected, that's a daring plan at the moment then."
"You're acting in the way the four of us and Jane would if we were our grandparents right now." Commander Teal'C Thomas Martell said and he nodded. "Hey Doctor, did I have it right about your grandmother and and O'neill turning her into a drone. To make her think like they do regarding Commander Jackson's grandfather?" he asked and the quintet crossed their arms as they nodded as Commander, Doctor, Jane Frasier answered him.
"Yes, it's true, after he attacked him twice and both times with witnesses in the room, nothing was changing her mind, that he needed to be under psychological close-up. As her conclusion is when he lost his temper he's dangerous, and to her. It was Daniel was clean: physically" mentally, emotionally and spiritually. To her nothing was changing her mind, John was dangerous, crazy and a loose cannon." she said and he nodded firmly.
"My uncle and Makepeace was beyond jealous that all of Hammond's attention, the president, joint chiefs and IOA, it was focused on our family team and your Johnny's team now as a result. Best of the best, I was a scientist like my grandfather, specializing in astronomy. But the four of together kept pulling off the impossible at the time." Jack added and the young officers nodded as they refocused carefully at that response.
"Alright jump it to us on the bridge, Lal, because she thinks she's got him, when the tables are turned right now." Geordi said and they saw the sextet on the bridge. And watching they saw themselves then standing around at their coordinated spots. On the bridge, and discussing things, regarding the incursion then firmly. And just before Worf, checked and gave the call out to the sextet as Picard crossed his arms gently, smiling.
"If you were clever you'd have gotten us out of our routine spots, when not in sickbay Beverly is with me, along with Deanna. Will and Worf are running security runs through the ship looking for threats, and when not in engineering. Then Geordi is at his department computer, simple common sense, we've been together so long. That you can't change our postures in this job." he said and Beverly finished that remark smiling.
"And secondly once we realized he was sick and injured, the results are we have Worf and Will chasing him down. And which we plan to do, we know each other so well you're never going to win this, if you bring it back to that day right now. Like he said though, he knows us so well that he knew our moves like we know his. You can't beat him when in a battle of wits when we did this exercise already." she said as they watched Worf call out.
"We've reached the designated coordinates Captain. There is a ship bearing three two seven mark one five two on an intercept course." he said and Picard nodded as he answered him. "Advise them of our status, go, replicate what you need, and make sure that the devices are properly distributed." he said and smiled. "Not forgetting Mr. Crusher." he said and they nodded and left the room.
'You shouldn't have told me that Wesley, now I know you're not playing it, but you will.' They heard and Wesley shook his head at that remark, just as he was answering then the intercom went off. "Captain the ship is docked now and they're loading on the seven's stuff along with the trio. Should I just let them load on supplies until we leave again?" Evans called out and he quickly answered him then.
"Yes Lieutenant, update the conputer diagnostics and her and her crew off the ship, once done I want all of those games locked up in the detention cell. That we had her and her crew in, we may need them for a later date, but check to see these they're all disabled." he said and they heard a gentle remark. "Aye Sir." he said and Wesley answered that. "No I won't right now, Lol, I know them." He said as it jumped to his apartment then.
The Crusher's Quarters:
"I spoke to the captain sure, but I saw the game sitting on the desk, behind his work desk, he's compromised as well, but that's the entire senior staff crew, Robin." Wesley said and she nodded. "Anything else?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah those cuts are so clean, only a doctor could perform them, that means mom did it. But it started with the commander, went to Deanna Troi."
and then hit my mother, after that, she called Data in there and they deactivated him, I can fix the damage no problem, but whoever masterminded this, was afraid that once he told us, they were screwed. With the fact they've been after us to try it. The order just went through now, we're next." he said as he slipped his on as she followed suit, and they shifted position on the bed.
As they waited for his mother and whoever was with her to come to the apartment then to check on them. Entering her apartment, Beverly and Worf came in and looked around as she had one of them with her as Worf was carrying the other as they looked around the living room as she called out to him. "Wesley, Wesley?" she said gently and heard his voice answer her. "In here mom." he said and she and Worf look into his room.
And to see him and Robin playing the game and she hid a smile as they left. "Idiots, you should have made sure instead of just assuming right now, you fools. We know our cub and know when when he's faking it, cub does a good job at stage acting." Beverly said as she started laughing at that and he nodded to her with a smile. "Yes, you know that, but she doesn't, but that's strike 2 and here it comes." he said and the sextet nodded to him.
As soon as the door closed, they relaxed. "It worked." Robin said to him and he nodded. "We should keep these mock ups with us. We can't trust anyone anymore, not even the captain." he told her and she nodded. "He's been infected, that's everyone over twenty on the ship. And I'm just saying this now, but if the captain is compromised we can't trust anyone on the ship now." he told her and she nodded to him as she answered him as she grabbed hers thrn at thst remark.
"I'm supposed to be on duty in engineering. I gotta get up there, before Commander La Forge suspects something." she said to him and he nodded in agreement to that as he answered her then. "Alright when you get there, see if you can access the codes for the security tracking system. There's something I want to try, but I'm got something I need to do now." he said and she nodded to him.
As she answered him then. "Wesley, remember law #91: always watch your back." she said and he nodded to her. "You too." he said and she left, but before she could, she gripped his arm as he said it then to her at that gently. "Robin be careful, just distract them, they're going to know you're faking it, so just say I asked you to access the codes for the security tracking system if they get to you next.
"You don't know the team or the sextet the way I do, just leave that to me. I have to do this myself, so if we have got company coming, listen to her and once done this is it. But don't worry I've got a few aces up my sleeve, but 18 months doesn't compare to 4.5 years of friendship in training bonds. And bonds of trust and family, whoever this is, doesn't know them in the way I do."
"But they're all suffering from the same thing, I know what I'm doing right now." he said and she nodded to him. "You're right we were, it's all stemming from us seeing him everywhere we normally saw you. Us not having you around so we can do our day to day activities when not on on duty as we train or play. And you knowing us better then we know ourselves right now in this situation." Geordi said and he nodded to him.
"Lal freeze it there." he said and it paused as he looked at the entire grouping as he swallowed as he told them the truth then. "I should tell you from this scene to when I got the drop on her now, is your area Deanna, you had it right the first time. That's what made me lay into Derek, he wasn't the one who had to risk it. And in destroying his entire life just to save the federation right now at the moment, my life, my family."
"Is you guys, so family, friends and his ship, his home, in the words of the pirate in the book earth is port, the ship is home. I was trying to figuring out a way of the two options and come up with another idea. But his family, his friends and his home, before I get Data back on online, he didn't have to make that choice. It's the realization it's turned into Walker and I had to put an end to it mom, Sir." he said and they all nodded gently.
"Then we have to see this son, to help you heal, we need everything, and with us trapped in that field, we spend those years just deepening our bonds. So show it to us and we see what happened in the first attack, before the manhunt began at the moment." Picard said to him and he nodded to him as he took a deep breath. "What do you need from me so we can get Data back online?" she asked and he sighed then as he said it.
"You're going to have to play the bait, we need to create a diversion in this case, I can't tell you where I got the information regarding this from. Without putting them at risk, just wait till after we're through. You don't have my skill to get around without getting caught for a third time and you don't know them. The sextet in the way I do, so we just use that against her now, whoever it is."
"And as we're both from earth, if this was the third film focused on that mental maniac, you're distracting her. While I get our ally involved and we go from there, but this scenario just went from slightly dangerous. To downright dangerous and I'm not going to kid you right now either. But this is as dangerous as it gets at the moment, just trust me now, Robin, trust me."
"The roles have reverse at the moment but the same exact situation, we need to keep this diversion going on long enough. And that she doesn't realize the ship is about to leave their control and end up in ours. But there's a few things she doesn't know and I know they buried into their minds that are going to become useful here, so don't worry now." he said and she nodded to him gently at that.
"What are we doing here exactly, bait and switch?" she asked and he nodded to her gently at that. "Just tell them I told you to access the codes to the internal security tracking system. But rule #103 in a conspiracy: never tell your team mate where you're going or it's going back fire and rule #104: never separate. In this case we're bending both, because the trap just got reversed on them."
"And whoever is controlling this conspiracy right now, but if the captain is one leader, or lead drone, than the commander is the other right now. And rule #105, in a conspiracy act like everyone else and with that." he said and she nodded to him as she answered him then at the news gentlu. "I've got to get their attention on me and keep it on me till you're finished with what you're doing."
"Yeah okay I get it, and again just be careful and watch your back." she said and he nodded. "Yeah you too, honey." he said and she smiled at the title as he gave her a hug as she left the apartment as he locked the door. "Here comes the facet to the question you guys all asked us and this just made me beyond aggravated at the moment." he said and they all nodded bemused as they watched him say it then.
"God why did we have to choose now to do this at the moment, my body is over reacting to something, I'm suffering the come down off of this stuff. I can't believe this right now, I can't tell her that truth, or I'm screwed?" he said with a growl then and got to work then, before heading for his mother's office then. As they heard him thinking it then and Beverly nodded to that as she said it to him then.
"If this was why you couldn't tell me I get that right now, but berating yourself for not telling us sooner is not a good idea in ear shot. And of every compromised member in the area, then again they're trying to see whether or not you're not using it or you are. But take it easy honey." she said to him then at that. 'If the enemy never gives you enough time to prepare, if this is about to turn into chase down, improvise."
"I have to do it later but first I have to find out who my supposed boogieman is and why they're triggering my nightmares now. Andif those dreams were about to be focused on what's coming now, right now." he said softly as he finished that remark then.'God, if this was part of the plan it was weakening me enough they can use me for a biological weapon and I'm at 3/4's full strength."
"And I promised mom, dad and the captain, that I was going to tell them I wasn't up to it. Damn it, I can't tell them that I'm not up to my best at the moment, I'm exhausted, and I'm feeling like I'm coming down with something right now as well. That's just great, we just figure this out, my body is acting up and we choose now to do this." he said and then sighed as he finisbed his remark.
"Detection avoidance techniques, just trying to get past everyone is one thing, but this is getting ridiculous and it just shifted directions." He said as he finished in annoyance at that remark. "Great, this just gets better and better, we're figuring out the conspiracy, and I'm coming down with something. And we choose this moment to try to end it, if this was part of the operator alien's plan."
"Than it's by draining me of my strength till she takes me as the host, but to my parents, once they're free of it, are not going to take this well." he thought with an annoyed sigh then as he arrived at the elevator then. As he took the turbo lift back up to the engine room, only to find another conditioned victim on board it. "Hey Alyssa." he said to Alyssa gently as he entered the elevator as he looked straight ahead then
In time to see Greyson looking at him as he nodded to him and he nodded to him smiling as he relaxed and went to what Will taught him at that softly. "Hey Greyson, good to see you again." he called out smiling and he nodded at that to him as he looked into his eyes at that gently then as thry heard his gentle remark. 'To get past undetected by others that are compromised, make eye contact, make casual conversation."
"Act like everyone else and just relax yeah the 1st rule to make it pass detection with a conspiracy running loose on my ship are these things. And 2) never tell a possible compromised team mate your plans, otherwise it's going to backfire. I didn't tell her where I was heading that's 1 step ahead, I just got to figure this out.' he thought as he looked at her smiling as she got into conversation with him.
"What level are you on Wesley?" she asked him and he smiled slightly. "I'm on level 10 so far." he said faking the response and she smiled. "I'm on level 42, you know the key right, if you just relax and let go, the game practically plays itself." she said and he nodded as he looked into her eyes. "Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. Any other ideas, because I keep missing shots." he said as the door closed at that.
And he got into conversation. "I see where that is heading you're, just to make it seem like you're really using it, you're asking for tips after you barely got caught. But you're right, by the 10 to 20th dose by the damn thing it had you wired. And it has you acting like this, when in her case right now, but repeatedly missing shots. This is protecting you from the drug effects of that thing." Beverly said and he nodded to her at that softly.
After ten minutes he arrived at the spot he wanted and smiled. "Thanks for the tips Allyssa, I'll see you later." he said smiling and she nodded as he got off as she watched him as he pretended to walk to the holodeck, but as soon as the doors were closed, he immediately switched destinations and headed for sickbay. "If she'd been paying attention here she'd have realized it then that you're about to use my computer."
"Just to start spying on her conversation with the fact her crew mates are now inside us right now. As you did this and there's approximately 300 crew members on her ship, channeling themselves into us and she's channeling herself into Jean Luc. So everyone connected to you as you start freeing us one by one that night." Beverly said and he nodded as he watched as he went to his mother's office, closed and locked the door.
"Lal, put up soundproof shields around Dr. Crusher's officer, programme Crusher one." he said and the room flashed then. "Alright what's going on here exactly anyway, Sir, because if you're acting like this there's a reason for it. The you I know would never try something like this and I'm not losing you to whoever turned you into this, none of you." He said under hs breath then at that.
'You guys unofficially adopted me after mom left second year, you're my family, if it takes risking killing myself just to free you, I'm going to do that now. I love you guys, who's taken you from me exactly.' They heard him thinking as he activated the radio transmission from her office to the bridge then to listen in on whatever conversation they were about to have with whoever it was and waited.
To see what the truth was about to reveal as he activated the visual on the on screen viewer to see what was going on then in the bridge as he angled the camera at the forward viewer. As the words, 'The Bridge' flashed up next, they saw him watching the camera shift position slightly to get a full view of the room. From right over the conference room door, as Worf stood at the security console, he smiled then as he said it.
"The vessel is approaching, Captain." he said and Picard nodded to him as he answered. "Computer, all senior officers report to bridge. On screen." he said and a few minutes later the quintet walked in then as the image of Etana appeared in the viewer then. "Report!" she said and he smiled as he answered her then. "That's the way she looked, when we arrested her dad." Will said and Kyle nodded to him gentlu.
"Welcome Etana, the Enterprise has been secured, await for your further instructions." he said and she nodded. "The expansion will proceed as follows, Commander Riker, you will take a shuttle raft. To the Cleon system, where you will rendezvous with the starship Endeavor. Proceed with distributing the device to that vessel." she told him and he nodded to the orders as she went further then.
"Commander La Forge, Counselor Troi, take a shuttle to Starbase 67, and distribute the device to all starships that are there." She said and they both nodded as Picard answered her at that. "We also have opportunity to introduce the game to the Starfleet academy." he said to her and she nodded as she said it with a cold smile. " Excellent, see to it. The K'tarians commend your efforts, Picard."
"Once the expansion is complete, you and your crew will be rewarded." she said and he nodded as the transmission cut then. As they saw the word sickbay and Beverly's office appear they saw him sitting there in shock. As they watched him turning off the transmission, he leaned back against the chair as he said it shaking. "I was right, this was a foothold situation from the get go, my family has been brainwashed.
"Just like Charlie said, first dad, then Deanna, mom and then Data gets taken out. And then the damn thing starts spreading like a brushfire around here now. They've been tricked and brainwashed and she sieduced him to get that thing on him. The effects of thing before the brainwashing are like the Polywater virus, and this is what it turned into." They heard him say aloud at that remark
"Now it's turned into a video game, Data is out, but why exactly, unless..." he started to think and then looked at a photo of his mother, with Picard, his father and the late Captain Walker Keel and it hit him then as they watched him. "Walker, Walker was murdered to get him out of the way, because he was a threat to Remmick's plan. Walker, Data, Walker, Data, what's the connection here, wait a minute."
"Walker knew about the conspiracy and knew if he got that information to the other ships aside from Picard, he was going to either get turned into one or be executed. He told Captain Picard and he and Commander Riker ended the conspiracy by killing the mother creature, but Walker was murdered to get him out of the way." he said slowly as it hit him then as he said it quickly then.
"They deactivated Data, because he's a threat to her plan, that's it, it's the exact same thing. Expansion, what do they by that exactly unless..., Computer which ships are aboard Stabase 67 right now?" he asked and he read the names of each ship. "The Hood, Calypso, Dauntless, Andromeda, Aries and the Cheyenne. The Endeavor is in the Creon system, and straight to the academy in my case."
"But that thing on earth, oh god, the council, the admirals, not again, there's a summit meeting right now on earth HQ at the moment. The intention is to have it spreading from us to the entire federation. Oh god no, not again, please not again. First Walker and he's murdered, because he knew the most about this and then Data gets taken off line and it's because we got another foothold."
"And one running loose that is about to jump off my ship." they heard and felt their hearts clench. "But why am I the only one realizing this and these things unless..., wait, wait a second those ships all lost their previous captains. During the last foothold when we decontiminated the federation. Before mom left for earth at the time, Walker was murdered when that happened as well too."
"But Walker: Data, me: the cap..., no it's not, it can't be, it's a repeat performance of that and if it is than that means that..." he started to say and then felt his heart lurch as he realized it then as he said it. "It was then that I realized what was coming, hearing that meant I had to keep from getting captured now. Because I did and we had another situation like the puppet masters running loose here now, Sir."
"But at first I didn't realize there were four options, because I was in shock at hearing that information." he said and Picard nodded. "And again if Derek thinks this is easy, this is what my rant at him was really about before the effects hit me. But try being forced into being the one to make a decision that decides the fate of the entire federation. And you're, at first, left with only two options, said options shoot to kill or destroy the ship."
"His ship, his home, his family and friends lets see him try and make this choice that easily, I needed another option, before I did anything." Wesley said shaking and they nodded as the quartet exchanged worried looks. "If I was myself the amount of pain you're in just from realizing this is like someone just stabbed me in the heart. Wesley it's alright, the mission is done, we're here." Deanna said, quickly moving to him at that.
Pulling him into hug he buried his head into her shoulder, as she rocked him as he was shaking in grief at that and he pressed his forehead to hers. Just to show the amount of love he felt to her as an adopted family member and she nodded as Dayton took charge, before Josh and Sito both nodded and Sito said it for both of them at that. "10 minute recess, Captain, if this is like the accident in remembering what happened here."
"But we need to give him a chance to compose himself, before we go further, because for him this is more then just a simple emotional wound, but multiple blows to the heart." Sito said in response and Picard nodded. "Alright freeze it!" Charlie snapped as he turned to look at Wesley. "Wes this was two weeks ago, I understand, but we survived and pulled it off we never lost them, it's okay." he said as they waited then as he relaxed.
"And this us why we said Derek doesn't have a clue to what we put up with here, he's a recently activated cadet, us, we're in the thick of it all the time. We're our own kind, we're on the job basic training ensigns, so why should he understand right now. He hasn't lived our worst nightmare of this right now, of the ship." Jake said and they nodded to him as the quartet went into a line as they heard the next mental remark.
"No it can't be, please no, it can't be, not now please, not now. My exams on the Kobayashi Maru exercise were supposed to be when I got back. But I..., no please, to save the entire federation and keep it from getting off the ship I have to shoot to kill or destroy my ship. No I can't do that, the captain and commander are leading this, but they're under her control."
"No I can't just kill them to stop this I can't do that or destroy my ship, set the auto destruct or shoot to kill, destroying not just my ship. But my friends, my family, no, not my family, I can't do it. I can't make that choice. Shoot to kill or destroy my home, I can't make that choice now. Dear god why are you doing this to me, I can't kill my own crew members, my family, my friends."
"No, give me another option please, I can't do that." he said to himself in agony then as he finished. "Please I can't do it, I can't do that, no win scenario, either I kill in cold blood or I destroy the ship. Killing my family, my friends, the kids I think of as my little brothers and sisters, no, I can't do it." He said as he tried to hold it in, before they heard Picard's voice then in answer to that remark.
'Wesley if it takes saving us, you're going to have to end this yourself, we love you son, you know what you have to do.' They heard Picard say to him, as Picard echoed the words with his recorded memory of himself softly at that and they watched him nod then as Deanna crossed her arms. "Sir what do you want to do, if you were still yourself, what do I do to stop this?" he whispered to that gently in response.
As they heard his gentle voice answer him. 'Remember what we taught you, if your commanders are compromised, thry forget things and the programmer knows the previous year in tactics and training, switch to alternate tactics. Alternate tactics, you know us way too well, like we know you, use that against her now.' They heard his voice say to him softly as they heard a mental sigh at that remark.
'God this is even worse than my dreams right now, I can't take this to, Sir I can't just kill you guys to save the federation. I know I have to protect the federation, but at the expense of destroying our ship or even killing you to do it. I can't do that Sir, I can't, please give me another option, because I can't take a life, and not like that and not you Sir, please don't make me do this."
"I can't just kill you guys, please, let alone destroy my home. It's not the previous incursion, but it's just as bad, Sir. If it takes making sure it doesn't get off the ship I'll do it, but I can't just kill you guys to make sure of that. But please don't make me do that. I just reached that test. And I don't need this right now, Sir please don't make me do this I can't kill in cold blood.
"I never took my phaser off stun, since I started working as an ensign when you appointed me to be a member of the crew. Please, I can't make that choice to sacrifice all of you just to save the federation, I can't do that. I can't make that choice and not without you or Commander Riker leading me like you always had before shoot to kill or set the self destruct, destroy my entire life."
"I can't do that, give me another option.' They heard and they sighed as they heard the response to their conversation of the year before then as he answered him gently at that remark. 'There's no need to kill anyone, remember what we said last year, if they put you into a position like this there's a way out of it. And there is, just put it on stealth and evade capture till Data is finished, listen to me."
"Like the wargames in training we ran simulations just to prepare you for what was coming back then. That's including the wargames now, regarding the Enterprise and the Hathaway. The Kobayashi Maru, my tactic, that was a training exercise, a game, turn this into a chess game. And pit your knowledge and expertise against hers, the longer the game lasts now with this."
"And the more that proves she doesn't understand a thing about earth human ways. Just use every earthborn reference we have, remember, earthborn games, books tactics, of centuries prior to ours. And add them to your Arsenal, test her on this, see what she understands to what she doesn't. The more she doesn't realize or knows, the more you're far more into battle strategy."
"And her annoyance at being shown up by a human teenager is going to start revealing itself. She doesn't know our childhood earth games, so you use both against her now. She doesn't know anything about earth 400 years ago, she doesn't know that on earth we dealt with situations like this before."
"Let alone that we had an escaped soldier on board the ship. Danar's abilities are that of 375 years ago, he avoided capture by going on stealth she doesn't this, because we forgot that information, use that against her now. But last year she's got your training exercise course through us. But change the sequence, now." They heard him say as he heard Will's voice finish that remark gently.
'It's okay son we understand, but trust me, listen to me carefully now. Wes, listen to me, you let your emotions get in the way of what needs to be done and it'll destroy the federation. Listen to me carefully, though these things look like they got only two options, or maybe three, there's always another option now. And you'll see it if you calm down and relax, put yourself into meditation.'
'In these situations they're going to force you into that no win scenario, but there's always a choice in these situations. Sometimes they result in two solutions, others three and four, you pick the best option and go from there, but in order to do that you have to calm down, relax and focus in these situations. This scenario looks like it has two choices to make now, but look deeper.'
'You have to focus and stay clear headed in this, I know that this is the hard part, if it happens, and now it has, but you won't need to hurt anyone Wes. Just get Data back online and go a different route regarding training, you don't have to fight, just don't be in the same place for too long. Remember everything I ever taught you these last four years now, well use it now and with it.'
"And with it remember ways to confuse and remember every scenario that involved a manhunt on board the ship. Four years older and four years wiser in training methods when the time comes now. But the tactics of the year before, that is this year, after you left Wes, are too easy to figure out. And it's because she got the last ten months since you left, through my mind regarding training."
"But not before you left, you have to use that against her, the terminal in and the control room, it's time to activate her added program. But everything from after you left to now was strong, but we forgot where you hid the computer chip. Now she knows that our training at the academy is by non violence and different ways of the last 100 years in training, that's from Kirk to now.'
'But not the 20th century, that century was loaded with good ideas and enough to work out in training now, and you've been using that as a steeping stone ever since the Polywater virus. But she and her faction, they wouldn't know that our back history of the 20th century tactics, you have to use that against them now. And during this situation, son, just focus, focus on our voices like we are now."
"If they hijacked us in this when it starts now and it has happened now. Remember what I taught you, 'he will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight', Wes listen to me, your only chance. Is by turning this into a game, they're going to think they have victory, right now. And it's because everyone of us is compromised, but when or if this happens now."
'And it's taking it into a mental chess game and then deprogramming, but choosing a previous manhunt works too. But they may think they know you in the way we do, to beat them, you must use that against them, switch tactics and combine them with alternate tactics, training from the 20th century. She's the said opponent now, and everything she doesn't know, or that we forgot."
'But that can and could be a weapon against her, you're a technological whiz and computer expert, so just use that against her. A true soldier doesn't go in feet first, they think out their movies, plan ahead and then do it. If they don't give you enough time to prepare: improvise, if you don't want to be found: go to the areas that only the engineering and Maitenance crews ever do
"And finally if they're not from earth a few scare tactics helps in these situations. Use the entire Arsenal if you have to, just don't give up, you can do this, just focus, relax and don't give up, you can do this. That's our only chance to prevent this from getting off our ship, just don't give up.' he heard Will add to him softly and he nodded to his voice as he answered him then.
"I love you Sir, but this is enough I can't leave now when I'm emotionally compromised. Making this choice is enough, but having to kill you in order to protect the entire federation. I can't do that and I won't, this test was a no win scenario. Because they gave you only two options, well I'm making it winnable now. I have to create a third option, but I'm not losing you guys."
"And I won't." he said to him weakly then. "Those tactics were a wargames training scenario, but something from the 20th century works better now here. In fact working it out now, before the fight really gets started is going to be close, but I have to make my point clear with them. God I'd rather kill myself than have to live with the fact that I have to sacrifice my ship, my family."
"My crew, because I'm trapped in a no win scenario here and one that is going to destroy me emotionally. Just to prevent it from making it to earth. I can't do it, I can't make that choice and I won't." he said as he started crying silently as he stared at the picture of himself with the seven. When he was still a part of the senior staff crew looking at the eight of them and Tasha in a photograph sitting on the wall.
And the sextet nodded sighing then they saw the tears start pouring down his face. "First Tasha, then Jaan, and now my entire family has been turned into plants for some god damn invasion. I can't take this right now, no I can't lose you too. Shoot to kill, I never taken my phaser off stun mode and I'm not about to start now, destroying the ship, my home, I can't do that, what choice is left."
"What choice is left, what choice do I have, but to add a third option to the exam." he asked softly as he buried his face in his arms to think it through. "My entire family has been turned into hosts, and Data is out of commission. But she's intending on infiltrating the entire federation. No I can't kill anyone, but maybe I don't have to, but how, how to I break the conditioning on them, how.
"Think, think, how do I do it exactly, 'he will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight.', I don't have to use weapons. I just have to turn this into a game of stealth, and not get taken till the last minute. Game of stealth, game of stealth, we dealt with a couple manhunts, but who do I choose, come on think." he said to himself as he looked at the photograph of the nine of them
When he was fifteen and the second after his mother returned. "No guys, god don't do this, you taught me everything I know these last five years. But you have to fight this, don't leave me, Sirs four years, our bonds are so strong. I'm not giving you up, I stayed up to your birthday Commander. And because I wasn't ready to just leave home, not yet, I'm homesick, I need you guys still."
"No I can't quit, I can't let her take my entire family, I have to stop this, but..., even if it means another injury I'm stopping this now." He said weakly at what he just heard then. The entire sextet had been taken over, Data, I need you friend. Data, me and Robin, if my mate is taken I'm the last human standing now. No, no I'm not getting taken, you want a war Etana you're going to get one now."
"You're not taking my family and you're not going to win, not if I have anything to say about it, you're never taking me alive Etana.' he thought in agony then as he sat there and closed his eyes to focus. "Well she's going to pay for this when I get through with her, physically injured is one thing. But she just barely killed you emotionally and I'd say the four of us can say this with certainty here right now."
"But she's going to jail when we get through with her." Picard said firmly, feeling his anger growing in seeing what the realization was doing to him then. "Yes and it just gets better here, because we set the trap for her, but it's gone physically now. As Data gets one look at me and realizes what's wrong and he takes charge for the five of you." Wesley said and they nodded as Robin took charge at the remark the gently.
"Lal activate my side of the story, because the ambush hit, because the commander was in engineering waiting to hear back from Greyson in there. But from here our plan as the three of us got to work, while Data he was getting Data back on line. And until he got Lal and her added program, but the pranks and redirects started from here." she said and he nodded and it switched and focused on her as the words Engineering Room appeared.
As they saw Robin working on what Wesley suggested, as she was sitting there, they saw Will leaning against the turbolift door watching her carefully. And Greyson walking as as he locked gazes with him and he nodded. 'Come here, but keep your voice down.' They heard and they nodded. "And we didn't realize you just turned the tables on us there that night." Greyson said smiling as he, Worf, Will and Geordi went into a huddle.
"Found Crusher, he's in the turbolift with Nurse Ogawa, he's carrying his, but he's in conversation with her. He also made eye contact with me when I spotted him in the elevator and gave me a nod of hello and called out to me. When I was looking at him, they're talking about the game at the moment, strategies in how to play, but I'm not sure where he got off Sir." he said and he nodded to him gently.
As Worf look at her at that remark. "I saw him and Lefler here playing theirs in his quarters earlier. But if she's acting this nervous around us now..." Worf said to him and he nodded to him and they all looked at her. 'Yes that's right I'm faking it, come on take the bait, make that mistake and get cocky here right now. If my commanders were themselves, they'd say do this right now, come on.'
'You're so focused on success you're not realizing us young recruits have a few aces up our sleeves right now. So just make your move and my soulmate is getting preparing to let you have it hard.' They heard and Picard shook his head amused as Bates started laughing at that. "Kids, come on, I know you're turning this into a case of training games you don't need to be smug at the fact she's made a mistake."
"But this is cutting the acts of doing this by playing games with us just a little too far at the moment." Will said smiling with an amused look on his face. "Yeah and the bonehead possessing you just got a little too cocky here at the moment right now. He didn't realize that 1) I was keeping their attention focused on me just so Wes could fix Data. And 2) that Wes was listening into your conversation with her a bit ago as a result now."
"But yes there are rules regarding conspiracies here, but the best way to beat the players your playing against if their possessing your adult counterparts. And for the resident training ensign that knows said adults better then they know themselves. So we had to break a couple rules here just to make her think it was just us two. And not us and Charlie, before Wes activated Lal's added programming or that ended this too soon."
"But if anything we were like your grandparents regarding the NID, but first it was 2 strikes and strike 3 hit me." Robin told him and he nodded. "After the last conspiracy regarding Remmick, I think he knows this already. But when I was acting compromised that first time, I had to act like everyone else. Till I revealed that I was still myself when we stunned Admiral Aaron at the time, as to that."
"She's acting nervous, not letting her guard down and is not making eye contact with anyone. Not getting into conversation and is letting her behavior give herself away, she's not playing it. Well if that tells me anything she's faking it to get by undetected. For gods sakes, you want to get by undetected, relax, make eye contact and above all act like everyone else." Will said to the quartet at that.
As they nodded to him as he crossed his arms. "That's her first officer saying that." Will said to them and they nodded. "He's gotten by undetected twice Sir, first by dodging me and his mother, and then by doing it with Lieutenant Greyson next. If that tells me anything, he's using everything he learned from you regarding conspiracies at the moment." Worf told him and he nodded in agreement to that
As he answered him gently at that. "We have to be sure of that, but loss of temper is a slight factor he's got a lot on his mind, I'll let that go right now. But whether or not he's faking it is my concern as to that right now to avoid detection he's acting on the rules. If he's getting into conversation with Alyssa right now, than he's using what I taught him regarding conspiracies right now."
"And he's also been serving on the front line, before leaving for the academy at the moment too as a result so with that now in mind. But she's a rookie, and just graduated and joined the crew, alright, he knows what he's doing. But she doesn't and with that, he's acting on everything we ever taught him. But if he's doing that, he probably knows, but she's faking it right now."
"She knows what's going on here, that's why she's so nervous, but we have to get every adult on the ship. So no one realizes what's going on till it's too late now at the federation. If she's getting nervous, it's because she's surrounded by members that are compromised, and without him watching her back. And that's another rule broken: you don't want to get captured and exposed."
"Then never separate from each other." he said and looked at the trio firmly. "We're breaking every rule in the book so they don't realize they're screwed till it's too late. But you don't play chess buster, but the best defense is a good offense. That's simple common sense, you taught me that dad, it's that easy, best defense is a good offense." he said and Will nodded with a bemused smile on his face at that as they watched it.
"Ambush situation, we're letting know she got found out. If it takes doing this in a tag team fashion she's not getting passed us and with that. Wherever he is I bet she knows and once we find out. If he's acting like she is and he's the last one of our ship to get taken now." he said to the trio softly. "Should we just let her give herself away now Sir?" the guard asked and he nodded to him gently at that.
"Yes, we're letting her blow her cover, spread out though, just wait till I tell you to move in on her." He said in a whisper and they nodded as they broke up and he looked at her. 'So you really thought I'd fall for the old 'do as the majority do' ploy here just to escape detection, young lady. If Wesley reported the side effects of the games to the captain, you're the other piece of that."
"You're faking it, but not for long.' he thought as he saw the game sitting next to her. "Yeah we set the sting operation and she fell for it so quickly, we knew we had a chance now, because she now was busy with the trying to find me. And taking to the tunnels in your remark, Geordi." he said and Geordi nodded. "You got into the jeffries tube, you could be anywhere on the ship." he said and Picard smiled at the look on his face then.
"Before we go further I think you should show these characters how good you really are, Wesley, because they were possessing us and not getting everything right now. But the second you told me, and the order goes out to get you two next, you and Charlie. Which explains why everyone that they possessed was coming after you now. Although Charlie was acting the plant all that time." he said and the quintet smiled and nodded at his idea.
"Agreed, alright grab the guys that possessed me, Geordi, Beverly, Deanna and Worf and get them in here, Lal create a set of chair that acts like a straight jacket. Just so they can see the truth here for the next hour till we get them off the ship." Will said and they waited as five chairs appeared and the quintet beamed into the room. As he grabbed her leader of the group and shoved him into wall as he smirked dangerously at him then.
"So you're the guys taking possession of the five of us and she ended up in the captain, uh huh, well, looks like you just got a little too cocky here." Geordi said to them smiling coldly at them. "What are you talking about, if it wasn't for that robot we'd have all of you." said the K'tarian at that. "Guess again pal, because my son and his friends are better then you think, they didn't need Data, this was their first training turned real."
"But as my son said we had a case of teenage mutiny on board the ship, the kids and Data's daughter were working together." Will said sternly and the man he shoved against the wall answered him. "Son?!" he repeated and he and Deanna nodded. "Yes, son, he's our godson mister, as such the fact that you drove him into this crossed a line. To us the fact you did this when he was in no condition for this only makes your situation worse."
"Which of you was possessing each of us exactly, answer me, before I dig into your minds and learn what this little plan you have for my godson is?" Deanna asked and without needing to hear the words then she gave a nod. "Guys in order, Will the one you just grabbed was possessing you, this one that just answered him. He was possessing Geordi, this one had Beverly, this K'tarian had me and that one had Worf right now."
"But did you expect to get away with this right now, we've been training Wesley since he was 15 years old, but you only got the last year. Leading into his leaving the ship gentlemen, everything else was buried. But I'd like you to meet the person that gave him the idea for deprogramming at the moment. I should tell you from here you're not going anywhere until see the truth in how good they are." she said sternly and Beverly nodded.
"You really are an idiot right now, aren't you, you just got way too cocky regarding capturing every adult on the ship right now pal. But why don't you watch this portion of it again and you're seeing the added truth, through my daughter-in-law and son's eyes." Beverly said to them as the sextet shoved them into the chairs and restrained them. "Alright baby, back track it to the start of the conspiracy and leading into now."
"As they hear your remarks here to the truth, you knew all along what this was." Barnfield said and he nodded as he rewound it to when they were talking about the game in ten forward. Watching them, they watched them talking before it activated. "You wouldn't believe whats going on in engineering, Commander La Forge and the others. They're all crazy about some new game." she said and he nodded to her.
"Yeah, what kind of game is it?" he asked and she explained that to him. "Some new Risan gadget that fits around your ear." she said and he nodded to her as he answered her remark then. "Have you played it?" he asked and she shook her head. "Not yet." she said and he nodded. "My mom has one, she keeps trying to get me to play it." he said and she nodded as Beverly crossed her arms at the K'tarian sternly.
"It's everywhere." she said and they looked at a woman. "So tell me if you were polluting my body with drugs, I wouldn't have immediately used that thing. I'm a doctor, I kept my son on a strict regime all his life here at the time. But us scientists and medical personnel know what drugs do to the body, this thing is drug, buster. To my son, it's now time to learn how dangerous a one it is." she said with a growl and she swallowed hard.
"See what I mean." Robin said and he nodded. "Don't you think that's slightly strange, everyone playing it all the time." he said and she nodded. "It's a fad, it's here this week next week we won't even know it existed." she said quoting her remark with her recorded self as he finished that. "And that's before we realized what this thing was, and the side effects are still oncoming." he told Picard and he nodded.
"I wonder how it works." he said and she smiled. "Why don't you try it and find out." she said and he hid a chuckle. "I'd like to know a little more more about it, before I try it." he said and she nodded. "I bet if we worked together, we could figure it out." she said and he smiled at her as he said it to her then gently. "Yeah we could hook it up to one of the computers, the medical program's in the lab."
"We can set it up to emulate human responses." he said and she nodded. "I noticed that it comes with visual interface, we could connect to an optical sensor." she said and he nodded as they left the room then. "Nice thinking if this was our grandparents, we'd be throwing theories back and forth right now. But that's exactly what we and Jane would do." Commander Anna Samantha Carter said to her smiling.
Watching them in the lab gently, they saw her hook it up to a neural processor as he said it to her gently at that. "I've loaded a neuralogical behavior programme, so this sensor pad should display and allow the computer. Time to process whatever information, that the game sends to it." he said and Picard crossed his arms then. "Alright lets see what happens." she said and Pulaski nodded as she answered that.
"I'm lucky you're a jack of all trades honey, because without me here, you have no one but Data to compare medical notes with right now. You need me here to help you end this." she said and he nodded. "Yeah that's why we did your research as a mind control expert for you at the time, but they broke the first rule. Never accept anything unless you know what's in it or what it does first." he said and she nodd in agreement proudly.
"Yes, I knew you should have been more careful, regarding that thing, Will, before you started playing around with it. But this was a very clever idea, before doing anything check the neurological effects, because you never know when something you find. Is actually a mind control devices guys, nicely done, Lal start the point collector. I want to see how they got the points in their skills." she called out and it activated then gently.
"Okay." Wesley said and Robin nodded as she said it. "It's activating the reticular formation." she said and he leaned forward at that. "Thats the neural mental control mechanism, screw around with that and it makes the mind compliable. To mind manipulations, keep it going baby, come on honey." Beverly said as he focused on it. "There's heavy sypnaptic activity all over the place." he said slowly to that remark.
"I wonder what happens after prologued exposure." she asked and he said it firmly. "Speed up the processor and lets find out." he said and Picard nodded. "That's the you I want to see now, a young commander taking charge in his training. And before it gets off the ship, son." he said as they watched it carefully. "The effect seems to be centered around the frontal lobe." she said and he nodded to her at the news.
"Lal, enhance frontal lobe, full spectrum." he said to her and it activated and she looked at him. "She was in the system from the very beginning, before I met her now, because normally you call it out as though it's a it, not a her. You're acting on the notion of working with her, before we really started our mission?" she said and he nodded. "Yeah she was in the computer from the day I put her in there, but they forgot that."
"After I left, they stopped talking to each other." he said and she nodded gently to him. "It's stimulating to septal area." she said and he nodded. "That's the pleasure center of the brain, whatever it does, it must feel pretty good." he said and she nodded. "No wonder it's popular." she said, before his eyes narrowed. "That's an indicator for recreational drugs, but this is just a hunch right now for them."
"That that's why they're wired to it, peer pressure one by one, they want us to try the drug they're addicted to, next question is why." he said and she noded as she activated the next sequence. "Look at this, seratonin levels are way off, let's a run a neurochemical analysis." he said and she nodded. "I'm seeing widespread bonding to neuroreceptors." she said and he nodded as he answered her gently.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that look like a psychotropic reaction." he said slowly and she looked up at him. "Are you saying the games addictive." she asked and he nodded. "What's going on in the prefrontal cortex?" he asked and she nodded. "Doesn't that area control higher reasoning?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah it sure does, I better go talk to the captain." he said and she nodded to him.
"How did he figure it out so fast?!" The K'tarian medic said in shock and he crossed his arms. "It's because I'm trained in medicine by my mother pal, I've been in training since I was 7. As such my parents wanted me to use all my skills, but I'm really a younger version to Commander Jackson." he said and the quintet paled at the news. "Yeah and that's beyond obvious, it's why I came, you need a mentor just like you kiddo."
"Alright stand by, alright kiddo, time to practice, but imagine you have a baseball in your hand, but said ball is made of fire." he said and Wesley nodded to him as he closed his eyes and pictured the said ball, as it appeared it front of him as he opened his eyes and smiled. "Alright good, that's really good, alright, like you lifted up lieutenant Ronson, try to move it around slightly." Daniel said and the ball shifted positions slightly at that.
"Before you guys go for pyro baseball here, do it when we're not in the room with you boys." Frasier said, before he could answer, a blue shield suddenly appeared around the quintet and Robin hid a chuckle to that. "Whoops, yeah I should have mentioned that before, but you lose your temper or lose control of your emotions that suddenly pops up." Daniel said to that and the young man blushed and the quintet chuckled at that.
"Alright just relax kiddo." Anna said in response smiling at that as another ball appeared and she turned around as Wesley shoved it through the wall mentally, before it came back in and it started going back and forth and until Peter smacked his communicator. "Alright whoever's playing around in there, keep the soccer ball in your holodeck, we're a bit busy in here." he said and that ended it as Dayton and Robin started laughing at that.
"What the heck was that about?" Jake asked and they sighed. "Evidently whoever knew we were in here hit the ball too hard and it ended up in here. Because whoever is on the other side of the wall thinks you guys were knocking the ball back and forth till I ended it." he said in response to that and they nodded. "Well that's the first test passed in your training of further exams in conspiracies guys." Will said and the sextet nodded to that.
"Nicely done that was very well thought out in getting to the bottom of it now, so how did you realize that Charlie was up here, as you didn't realize she was here?" Picard asked him and they smiled. "I got a very good look at him after he arrived on the bridge, but it wasn't until that night did I reveal I was here as well. To him, this was a big relief, he needed back up and from here it started getting worse as we realized it then."
"But this was how we found each other, before he busted her, but his temper of over protectiveness regarding her was the alpha male syndrome now. Because she now knew we caught on to her plot and she had to get all of us." he said and they nodded to her him as they watched as he went to the bridge, he heard a gentle call out. "Hey Wes!" They heard and watched him turned around to see Dayton and nodded to him.
And Dayton motioned with his head and he walked over to him then. "You getting as spooked about this as I am?" he whispered to him and he nodded. "Yeah, Robin and I are getting some work done, if you called me over, you better start faking it with them. Because if this is some sort of conspiracy, rule one, act like everyone else. Just be careful..." he started to say and Dayton finished his sentence gently.