Chapter 47

Riker cleared his throat uncomfortably and nodded toward the door. Worf and Kehleyr escorted Doulos past them and out the door. His head was bowed; his posture broken and defeated, a far cry from the fearsome warrior he had been so recently.

"Data has the bridge been secured?" Riker asked, noticing Data was observing the tense interaction and conversation between Picard and Crusher with rapt attention.

Data nodded. "Yes Commander. All hostile forces have now been subdued," he said and returned his attention to the Captain and Doctor.

"I don't trust it Data. That was much easier than it should have been. Even with Captain Picard's…temporary abilities, we should have encountered more resistance."

"Agreed," Data said simply.

"Jean-Luc, I need to know what is happening," Crusher was saying. "In fact think I deserve to know why you're saying this now."

"Come on Data," Riker said gesturing his intention to leave. But Data remained with his curious gaze fixed on the other two officers in the room.

"I am curious to hear the answer to Doctor Crusher's question, Commander."

Riker lowered his voice. "Data..."

Data raised his index finger as if he was about to propound a novel theory.

Riker shook his head quickly. "Not now, Data," He said, grabbing the android by the arm and yanking him toward the door.

Beverly hardly noticed them leave. "Jean Luc, I'm still waiting for an answer from you," she repeated.

He turned his distant smile back to her. "There is only one way left to stop the Other, Beverly. I am sure if you search your heart you will understand."

"Jean-Luc…I am trying to search my heart but all I find is pain and confusion. Now tell me what to do."

He smiled at her. "Do not be in pain… do not be confused. Everything is now as Orla has willed it."

Beverly slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "What are you talking about? You sound like a completely different person! Has she taken control of you?"

He began to laugh. "Yes, and it is a wonderful feeling."

She grabbed his hand. "Not for me it isn't," she protested. His expression sobered somewhat, but the faraway look in his eyes returned.

"Jean-Luc…please look at me." His gaze shifted again to hers. She moved closer to him and looked into his face. "Are you even in there anymore?"

He smiled. "Of course I am," he said.

She touched his face where the strange purple shimmer was still present. "We might not make it out of this alive. I need to know whether you still love me," she whispered.

"Yes," he said in a calm voice. "I do love you."

"Then you need to try and pull away from Orla, Jean-Luc. She has taken over your mind."

"Orla will still let you have my body, Beverly. She won't stop you."

"What? She'll let me have you? Do you even hear what you are saying? Q was right, Jean-Luc."

"Q?"

"Yes, Q. All of this was some kind of plan she had to fulfill her dream of finding love. Well maybe she can't love like we can—maybe she wasn't meant to. Instead she is hurting us mere mortals. She can call it love all she wants, but she's hurting us, Jean-Luc."

Riker stared up and out of the skylight at the top of the bridge. It was the one recognizable feature of the old bridge that was left amidst all of the stone. But right now all that he could focus on was the incredible view outside in space. A purple cloud shaped like an hourglass hung amongst the stars.

"It's some kind of nebula," said Riker. "But the shape is…strange."

"It's Orla," said a voice behind him. He turned to find Guinan standing there. He looked at Guinan in surprise, and then glanced up out of the skylight again. He then turned slowly to look at her again, noting that she was wearing one of her customary large floppy brimmed hats.

Riker's mouth dropped open slightly. He pointed at her hat, and then glanced out the window. "You…."

"What?" she asked, touching her hat lightly. "You thought this was just my strange sense of fashion?"

Riker shrugged and laughed. "To be honest…yes. But now I see it is actually a tribute to Orla."

"You could say that," said Guinan easily. "But I've got more than hats on my mind—so to speak, Mr. Riker. In fact, I've been wondering for some time," said Guinan, leaning against the large stone throne where Doulos had recently sat. "Why Orla didn't mind so much that the Other was on his way to confront her. After all, there is the potential that she could be destroyed. I thought before that it was that she was simply convinced of her ability to finally defeat him just as she had all those years ago on El Auria."

Riker's eyes widened. "And now you've come to some kind of different conclusion now?"

She nodded. "I think I know now how Orla defeated the Other all those years ago. Something Q never quite figured out."

"Oh? How?"

"She never actually defeated him."

Riker squinted his eyes. "What?"

"She was so assured of her ability to use love to conquer the Other that she didn't recognize that he actually won that day."

"But I thought his body was dispersed around the universe."

"Yes, but he wasn't destroyed. I believe now that something of him must have immersed itself within her—like a parasite or a virus, incubating for eons. She's believed since then that she could stop him by gathering all of the pieces of his body—our religion was built around this concept."

"So you're saying she only wanted you to collect the pieces of the Other and bring them to her because that is what the Other wanted? That he was somehow influencing her just as he has been able to influence Captain Picard, and Doulos…really anyone he wants?"

She shrugged again. "It's only a theory," she admitted. "Meanwhile, once he arrives to confront Orla—bringing us all along with him, he will reunite all of the pieces of his body and destroy Orla. That is his plan."

"So," said Riker slowly. "If she's under the Other's influence we shouldn't be doing anything she tells us. Because it is only feeding his desire to kill her."

Guinan smiled slightly. "No, I believe she is doing her best to resist him now. Though her methods may be confusing, Orla at her core still wants to do only good. In fact I think it is safe to say that she now realizes she has been playing into the Other's trap now for years. So I don't believe her recent control over Picard is malevolent. I believe she thinks that if she joins with Picard she will somehow be able to defeat the Other."

"Why the Captain?"

"Because she loves him—or thinks she does."

"Will it work? Is she right?"

"If she's not, what alternative do we have? Unless we find a way to help Orla fight the Other we are all going to die. And with Orla gone there will be nothing to stop the Other from unleashing himself on the rest of the universe as we know it."

"You say that you still love me, but you also say you're going to leave me?" Beverly stood face to face with Jean-Luc.

"I must join with Orla to prevent the Other from prevailing, Beverly."

"No, there has to be another way, Jean-Luc. We've been through so much in our lives living apart, always knowing that we could be together—always dreaming about what it would be like. Well now we finally have the chance to realize that dream, Jean-Luc. Are you just going to give that up now?"

Some kind of recognition shone in his eyes at that moment. "No," he said, but still sounded as though he was in a trance.

"Orla thinks she can placate me by allowing you to be with me physically. But that's not enough," insisted Beverly. "I want to be with you—all of you. I'm not letting you go. Do you understand that?" She gripped him by the arms and drew him toward her. He didn't answer, but leaned in and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist when she responded. At least for a few moments, things were as they should be.