Chapter 25

The King...

He had done it for his parents…so long ago he could hardly remember. He had done it all for them, but somehow now he understood as he looked back, that things had never really been in his control. Now he was ages old. And the Borg still existed, stronger than ever. He had failed his parents.

In the old world he would still be fairly young. But something about this world; something about the incessant killing and dying had aged him far beyond his one hundred and eleven years. He sat on the throne as he always did, staring out onto the battlefield, and waiting for someone to come and challenge him. He waited for someone to take his life, take away his pain, and take his place on the throne as the new king.

Beverly pulled on her lab coat. "I'm not due to go on shift for another hour. Do you have time for breakfast?" She asked hopefully.

Picard walked toward her. "No, I am afraid not," he answered reluctantly. "Just this," he said biting into an apple he had picked up from the table. "We're getting started rather early today, at Tomalak's request." As he munched the apple he stared at the floor distractedly. She could tell by his intense expression that he was thinking about possible strategies for the conference that day.

Beverly reached out to take his hand, and he shifted his attention back to her. "Jean Luc about last night..." she began hesitantly.

He looked embarrassed. "Yes...about that. I'm truly sorry Beverly."

She stared at him unsure if they were thinking the same thing.

"It seemed to be the right time, but then that damned headache interfered." He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Sorry," he said again.

"Then you don't remember?"

His smile faded as he watched her. "I remember we were in the middle of something quite wonderful and suddenly I had that horrible headache again." He paused. "And then after that I must have slept very soundly, because I don't remember a thing."

She tried to keep the sudden intensity of her feelings hidden, to no avail. "Oh", she said, and let go of his hand, barely conscious that she was backing away from him.

All of a sudden he felt his insides were a jumble. He stared at her with growing confusion. "Beverly why are you looking at me like that? Should remember something that I'm not?"

He walked toward her with an outstretched hand and she quickly put her hands in her pockets. "It's nothing," she said.

He stopped and dropped his hands to his sides, shaking his head. "I don't believe you," he said quietly. Why was she lying to him? What had he done? He was almost too afraid to ask her. "Please tell me..." She stayed silent. He watched her for a few moments more and the hurt on his face was apparent.

She tried to smile at him then but it was not sincere. "You're going to be late," she said.
He shook his head again and backed away before walking out the door of his quarters.

"Captain, we think it is worth a try," said Riker. "Troi has assessed the risks." They had just explained to him the plan for establishing a mental link with him to aid in the negotiations, and generally, to help him to fight the Other. Riker had considered Guinan's objections just an hour ago, and they had decided to proceed anyway. Guinan had seemed to think that introducing someone close to Picard into the Other's world could be dangerous, although her explanation as to why was very vague.

"To yourself or to me?" Picard said coldly turning to the Counselor.

"To both of us, Captain," said Troi calmly. She hid her shock at his demeanor. The Captain's mind was not the solid rock of just days ago. Something was turning horribly wrong inside his mind. He was of more than one mind now, and the Picard of old who relied on reason and fairness had been replaced by someone or something brutish and cagey, mistrustful of her and even Riker. And this new personality was fighting for dominance of Picard and now it appeared might be winning.

Picard stood very still watching them both as though he were waiting for them to spring some kind of trap on him. "Whose idea was this?" he demanded.

Riker took a deep breath. "It was Admiral Nechayev's idea, sir. But I take responsibility…it was my call to make—"

"It was not your damn call to make!" he shouted, slamming his hand onto his desk. He circled around his desk to glare at Riker. "You went behind my back and called that-that…." he broke off clutching his hands over his face almost desperately as though trying to force himself to regain his composure. Slowly he dropped his hands and a trickle of blood dribbled down his face. He didn't seem to notice this as he looked from Riker to Troi and back again. "I do not appreciate being undermined on board my own ship," he said with quite anger.

"Sir…everything we have done, we have tried to do in your best interest."

"Best interest…these are terms that are used when someone has lost their mind, Commander," Picard accused. "Do you think I have lost my mind?"

Riker hesitated. "Sir I think that you—"

He walked toward Will. "You think you are capable of taking my command from me, Riker? No more sneaking around then…come and try to take it from me," he dared.

Troi stepped forward to address him. "Captain Picard. This is not you speaking. We know you are still with us," she said firmly.

He glared back at her, but gradually his expression grew more normal. He passed a hand over his eyes, looking down at the floor. "I-I'm sorry," he said. He looked up at them. "I don't know what came over me."

Troi stepped closer. Riker had the urge to reach out and stop her, but didn't. He could tell she was trying to bring the Captain back to their reality, and for the moment it was working. "Captain it was the Other. He is trying to convince you that we are trying to harm you. But he couldn't be more wrong, sir. We are with you," she reassured him.

Picard didn't look up but he nodded slightly. "I know," he said quietly. "But sometimes I look at you—all of you and all I see are enemies surrounding me."

"Captain, would you consider our earlier proposal? To allow me to establish a link with you subconsciously?"

A dark cloud seemed to pass over his eyes again and he backed away. "Not now," he said quickly. "Commander Riker and I have work to do," he said. He turned back to look at her. "But after the negotiations are through today…I will consider it."

"Captain it seems we have reached an impasse," said Tomalak. "Your unwillingness to be forthcoming is disappointing to say the least."

Picard leaned forward intensely. He could feel his composure beginning to crack. What was happening to him? Was there another person inside of him, threatening to emerge? If he let this personality out would he himself be buried? Would he disappear forever? He knew now that the Other was determined to drag him into his world and remake him as he saw fit. In the horrible alternative it seemed the Other would enter Picard's world bent on destroying all that was dear to him. Should he allow himself to be enveloped in the Other's world so that he could spare the world and people he loved? Either way, Picard was beginning to feel helpless to avoid ruin. Even Beverly it seemed no longer trusted him enough to tell him what had really happened the night before. And he could not even remember what he had done to upset her. He could hear Riker shift tensely at his side. Riker…could he still trust this man?

"I am waiting, Captain," said Tomalak.

"I don't know what you mean," Picard said.

Tomalak glared at him. "We have good intelligence that the Federation is building a trilithium weapon to use against the Borg."

Picard scoffed. "That is nonsense-your intelligence is faulty. There has been an intergalactic ban on such weapons for decades."

"And they've only been theoretical designs at that," Riker added.

Traitor….Picard looked down at the table to avoid looking at his First Officer. Thoughts of doubt continuously played in his head.

"Then what an opportune time to make those designs a reality, Commander," Tomalak retorted.

Chancellor K'mpec's body shook with laughter. "Ridiculous!"

Tomalak smiled craftily. "Don't sound so certain, Chancellor. We learned this from a Klingon agent of ours."

"A Klingon!" K'mpec leapt to his feet with his hand on his disruptor. "No Klingon would betray his people to a Romulan!"

"Really," said Tomalak, sounding unimpressed. "You may want to examine your inner circle more closely, Chancellor."

K'mpec's eyes bulged grotesquely. Fuming, he pushed past his own guards angrily and stomped from the room. Confused, the guards followed him out noisily.

Tomalak folded his hands before him in the table almost serenely. "Now Captain, may we have a moment alone without your First Officer, or do you require his assistance…."

Picard's mouth flattened into a thin line. "Please excuse us, Commander," he said, not looking at Riker.

"But sir—"

"That is an order," he snapped, keeping his eyes fixed on the table. Riker stood up, staring down at Picard for another tense moment before exiting the room.

Tomalak smiled at Picard, who glared through him. "Captain, I am pleased to have a moment alone. Because now we can truly speak with honesty."

"Meaning you were lying about the trilithium weapon after all," said Picard flatly.

"Partly," admitted Tomalak. "Because we have no knowledge of such a weapon…but we do have a Klingon operative."

"You said all of that just to clear the room?" Picard asked, appalled. "I should think you would want to keep the identity of your operative secret," he said.

"He has…outlived his usefulness," said Tomalak. "Besides, the Chancellor is so paranoid that he is being poisoned he will execute everyone in his inner circle indiscriminately just based on my suggestions."

Picard stood up quickly. In his mind he pictured himself strangling the Romulan, but kept his palms flat on the table in front of him. "What do you want?"

Tomalak stood up with a smooth smile and began to pace the room, circling around in back of the Captain. Picard straightened, but didn't turn around. He closed his eyes briefly and imagined throwing Tomalak through the wall.

"Captain, if I may make a personal observation, you are clearly unwell. In fact, you have quickly lost control of these negotiations. Your antics at the dinner last night were most revealing. I must say that I was surprised to encounter you in such a state of mind, having heard so many things about your impressive control and presence. On Romulus there are some who even compare your control to that of a Vulcan—which believe me is not always intended as an insult."

Picard looked down at the table and clenched his fists. "Just tell me what you want," he demanded.

Tomalak put his hands behind his back and walked to a corner of the room, facing the wall. "It wasn't until I learned you were under the influence of an alien force, that I decided to broach this subject to you…perhaps it was your vulnerability that caused me to have such pity for you." He turned to regard Picard with a curious smile.

Picard's head whipped up to glare at the Romulan. "What did you say? What alien force?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Tomalak's smile widened. "Why Commander Riker told me following the dinner that you are being influenced by an alien force. What a troubling and unfortunate affliction."

Picard felt a cold fury enter his soul. Riker had betrayed him again. How could he reveal such a thing to someone as treacherous as this Romulan? He was surrounded by traitors.

Tomalak hesitated ever so slightly as he watched a thin cloud of black crawl over Captain Picard's eyes and then disappear again. "We Romulans have a fearsome weapon, Picard. And we are planning to use it against the Borg—in fact it was developed just for them. To wipe them from the universe as though they never existed. Are you interested?"

The Borg. The words echoed through his brain. Picard stared through the Romulan commander. "Why are you telling me this?"

Tomalak walked back toward him. "It's a virus, both synthetic and organic."

"If your weapon is so powerful, why do you even need to tell me?" A weapon to destroy the Borg, the voice whispered to him.

"Perhaps it is not complete," admitted Tomalak. "Perhaps we would like to develop it further." Picard said nothing. "We are willing to share the weapon with the Federation, Picard."

Picard laughed and shook his head. He was having trouble concentrating on Tomalak's strange proposal. Destroy the Borg. Was it even real? He was having trouble determining who was a friend and who was an enemy. "What's the catch?"

"The Klingons…you must break the alliance you have with them," said Tomalak.

Picard blinked, as doubt crept into his brain. "Alliance?" he echoed. There is no alliance, said the voice. You lead the one army, Picard. My army.

Picard's mind was swimming. He had to leave, had to get away. He heard the words come out of his mouth as though they were spoken by someone far away. "We'll reconvene tomorrow," he said weakly, before quickly leaving.

"Beverly," said Deanna gently. "I don't want you to think I am criticizing you, but why didn't you tell him what happened last night?"

They sat in Counselor Troi's office. Beverly twisted her hands in front of her with a look of anguish on her face. "I don't know," she said honestly.

"Are you angry with him?"

"No," said Beverly.

"So you don't regret that it happened?"

"Yes of course I regret it," Beverly said quickly.

"Why? Was it something you did not want to happen?"

Beverly closed her eyes and shook her head. "No it's not like that at all. At the time, yes, I did want it to happen. I wanted him."

"But now?"

"Now… I think that it wasn't him there with me at all. It was someone else—as though they were acting through him—using his body. And I almost can't bear to think of it."

Deanna leaned forward and held her friend's hands in hers. "Beverly, I am glad you are telling me this." She paused. "And I can tell that you feel guilty about not telling Captain Picard. But it is important to think of yourself too, and how you feel about what happened."

"Thank you Deanna, but I'm alright. I just feel as though I should have trusted him enough to tell him this morning."

Deanna squeezed Beverly's hands. "I think you are being too hard on yourself in this situation. This has been such a trying time for you."

The truth was she had been afraid of hurting him. Beverly sighed and tried to sit up straighter. "What do you think happened—I mean, what did it mean?"

Troi tried to smile comfortingly. "I think that you were both used…used by the Other. He was trying to draw Captain Picard back into his world. So I believe that whatever happened between you last night, was part of that. But I also believe that part of him might have been present there with you."

Beverly looked at Troi with a tired but hopeful expression. "I really hope he was, Deanna. I hope that's true."

Picard waited until they had materialized in transporter room one. Riker had tried to speak to him twice prior to transport, but he hadn't given the traitor the satisfaction of answering him. And when he stepped down off the transporter pad once on the Enterprise, Riker had reached his hand out toward Picard. Riker didn't see the first punch coming, and it hit him squarely in the throat. Riker staggered backward wheezing, grasping for his throat. He was too strong for Riker now, too strong for any of them.

But he didn't see O'Brien come from the side, and felt the stun beam several times before it knocked him to one knee. The next shot was more intense and flattened him to the ground. But it didn't matter, for he would get up again, and they would be sorry they betrayed him.