Chapter 15
In orbit around Earth…
For as long as he had known about Starfleet, there had been a Space Dock. An immense, elegant space station; it was the first thing the crew of a returning starship saw, and the last thing the crew of a departing starship saw when it left Earth. It is where Picard remembered the saucer section of the Enterprise had been docked and decommissioned four months earlier after he had done the unthinkable and destroyed the star drive of his own ship. But as he and Worf's rickety shuttle approached the old familiar area, not only was space dock missing, but so was the Enterprise.
"It's not there," he said, unable to bring his gaze from the screen. Picard got to his feet. "It's not there! My ship..." His hands gripped the back of the seat tightly, trying to steady himself because it felt as though his legs had turned to rubber.
As they drew in closer, debris from what had been a massive explosion floated by the viewport, buffeting the shuttle. Picard passed a hand over his eyes. "All of those lives…lost."
Worf said something in Klingon and then glanced at Picard. He had run a scan quickly and there was nothing that would have shown itself to be debris from the Enterprise. "It is…as I suspected, Captain."
Picard turned to him intensely. "All-stop. What are you talking about Worf? What did you suspect? Are you telling me you knew the Enterprise wouldn't be here?"
Worf turned to look up at the Captain. "Before you disappeared Captain, the Enterprise saucer section was in Space Dock. But after you disappeared, as I have explained, time as we know it began to change. The Enterprise in this altered timeline is intact and currently under someone else's command—a Captain Jellico. So I did not anticipate that it would be here."
Picard felt the veins in his neck begin to pulse with anger. "Why didn't you just say so? Why did you let me believe in something that could never be?"
"Captain…several days ago, the remains of the fleet—ten starships were recalled to Earth to defend against the Malkatan attack. One of those starships was the Enterprise. A few days ago it was reported that nine of the ships had gone silent. The tenth ship—the Aldrin under Captain Riker never reported to Earth. I hoped that the Enterprise –the whole ship would be here in orbit. But to be truthful, I did not know what we would find."
Part of what Worf said made sense, but all he could think of was that he had failed Beverly. "Worf, I can't very well take a ship that is under someone else's command," he said, his voice rising. "And is it even here? Do the sensors detect my ship?"
Worf looked down at his console. "I have not been able to pull it up on the sensors yet."
"Worf that was our only chance to find our families…my only chance to reunite with Beverly!"
"Captain-"
"No, Worf…I don't want to hear it," he snapped holding his hand up.
"Perhaps I too was overcome with Human optimism," Worf murmured to himself as Picard stalked angrily to the back of the shuttle.
It was happening again. He was shifting through time. Would he die before he had a chance to see Beverly and tell her in person how much she meant to him? Would he even live to know his child? He felt dizzy and leaned on the interior wall of the small cargo hold. He tensed as he felt a small hand on his back.
"Son? What's wrong?" It was Mary, and although he knew she was trying to comfort him, he didn't want to turn around. He leaned his forehead against the wall.
"I was trying to find a way to get to the woman I love," he said in a low voice. "She is going to have our baby, and I have to see her, before…before I disappear from this time. I don't belong here, Mary."
"Nonsense," she said, rubbing his back. "Of course you do."
He turned around and looked down at her. A wave of nausea came over him and he swallowed and looked away.
She grabbed his hand in hers. "There is always another way, Jean-Luc. If you love this woman…what is her name?"
"Beverly," he said quietly, still looking away.
"If you love Beverly then you will find a way to get to her before it's too late. You got this piece of junk shuttle up and running didn't you?"
He nodded slightly and looked at her again with a faint smile.
She reached her arms around him suddenly and squeezed. "Then cheer up," Mary said firmly. "Things can only get better from here," she reasoned.
He laughed and then closed his eyes, as the world began to steady itself around him once more. He was back in this time—if even temporarily. Mary was right; he could not give up.
They both turned at the sound of a beeping noise coming from the cockpit.
"Captain!"
Picard ran forward still holding Mary's hand in his. His eyes immediately caught on the image on the viewer. "What the hell?" He gestured for Mary to sit down, as all three stared out of the view port. After Captain Picard walked away from him, Worf had resumed orbit of the Earth. And now upon Picard's return to the cockpit, he discovered that Worf had not been completely wrong.
"They are all here, Captain. All nine of the starships…including the Enterprise," Worf added.
As Worf indicated, the starships floated in a line, and between each one was a strange bolt of white plasma energy, seemingly connecting each one to the other. If the Malkatans were present, they were not visible to the eye or to the shuttle's sensors.
"Life forms?" Picard asked.
Worf shook his head. "If anyone is alive on board those ships, our sensors are too weak to read them, Captain. Or else the life signs themselves are too weak."
Picard jumped into the pilot's seat once again. His eyes locked on one familiar looking elegant shape amidst the rest of the ships. "Setting a course for the Enterprise," he said, engaging the thrusters.
The Aldrin
"Come in," Beverly called out.
Riker walked in to the guest quarters, with his most winning smile prepared. But when he saw the anxiety on his friend's face, the smile wouldn't come.
"Wesley just stormed out of here after I refused to change my mind about returning to the past. Actually, he wanted to come with me."
"But you told him no," Riker said, sitting down in a desk chair. Beverly remained standing.
"Of course I did," she said in a practical tone. "I'm not going to risk my son in that way."
Riker's brow creased. "But you're going to risk your baby…."
"I'm not asking anyone for their approval," she said coldly. "Judge me all you want. It's very simple. I have to go."
"Hell…I'm not judging you..." said Riker. He finally grinned at her when she met his gaze. "I'm going with you."
