Chapter 41
"Wesley, Wesley...it's time to get up. Come on, you're going to be late for school again." He could feel his mother shaking him by the shoulder. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was annoyed and was about to reach the point when she would consider yelling. At that point, he knew she would successfully reason with herself, keeping her voice calm for a few moments more before completely flying off the handle. His mother was often late or on the verge of being late for work herself, and it irked her to no end that Wesley had inherited this same trait.
He knew this, and usually he was able to get up before she reached her patience limit, but for some reason, he was really having trouble getting out of bed this morning. He began to realize the main difficulty was that he had the worst headache he'd possibly ever had in his life. "Ugh, Mom," was all he managed to say, while trying to cover his face. But she had already walked away; apparently satisfied that he was awake now.
"Oh," she said turning back around, not seeming to realize his difficulties. "I almost forgot; remember I've installed a new security system. So don't forget the key, Wes."
Occupied Earth 2367
Worf was back up on the bridge in less than ten minutes, and when he arrived he appeared noticeably relieved. But Picard wasn't looking at him, and instead was focused on the helm and new developments. "Enemy ships incoming," he announced in a voice much calmer than he felt. "Shields up," he snapped.
"Raising shields," said Worf.
"Have the weapons been properly modified, or is it too late to ask?" On Earth Picard and Worf had obtained one of the small spherical singularity weapons from a Malkatan sent to execute a group of survivors in San Francisco. Upon re-taking the Enterprise bridge Picard and Worf had found that another singularity device was being used to control Jellico's mind requiring him to report ship's status to the Malkatans on the surface of the planet. Similar mind-control devices were found on each of the other seven recovered ships.
"Yes, sir. The Malkatan weapon was incompatible with our phaser banks, however we were more successful in fusing our self-guided weapons with their technology. Each of our recovered ships now has one photon torpedo armed with a Malkatan singularity device."
"That will have to do," said Picard.
"Incoming communication, Captain."
"Put it through."
"Picard, this is Jellico. We've got a problem—aside from the fleet of incoming enemy ships."
"Go ahead."
"Assuming we get through this armada alive, the Starfleet officers they've imprisoned down on that island in the South Pacific have some kind of electromagnetic shielding around them. If we fire from up here, we're likely to fry everyone. We need to get in for a closer look and take out the shielding from below the troposphere at least."
"Agreed," said Picard.
"That's not possible," Captain Martens chimed in. "Our ships weren't built to travel for a sustained amount of time in the atmosphere much less to do battle down there. We're too heavy and we've got no maneuverability like we've got up here in space."
"The Enterprise can do it," Jellico objected. "It's the only Galaxy class ship left, but all we need is one with separation capability."
"It's hardly ideal," argued Martens. "And very risky."
"All we've got now is various levels of risk," said Picard. "This plan is as good as any. Picard out." He switched to the ship wide intercom. "This is Captain Picard. Listen carefully civilian passengers. You are to follow Lt. Worf's directions without question and begin evacuation to the star drive section immediately. You will be far safer there. I am taking the saucer section down into the atmosphere."
"Captain," Worf growled. "You must allow me to accompany you, sir."
"Worf, this is no time to argue. Who is going to ensure the safety of our makeshift crew of survivors if not you? No one else on board is trained to command the star drive section or the saucer aside from you and I. It's time we split up. But don't worry, if all goes well, we'll re-connect the ship soon enough."
"But sir—"
Picard finally turned halfway in his seat. "Worf I can operate weapons from the helm, and I am not going to leave these people without warp capability to escape—and the star drive has that. Now proceed with evacuation. We'll separate on my mark."
Worf glared for a moment more and then turned to leave, as the bridge "crew" hurried into the turbo lifts without hesitation. Picard was turning back to his station, when Mary entered the bridge, out of breath. "I just heard the order to evacuate," she said, hurrying down to the command center.
"And so you disobeyed my order and came to the bridge," he observed, busily re-routing weapons controls to the helm.
"You are damn right," she said, sitting down in the captain's chair and folding her arms over her ample chest. Picard said nothing but turned on the forward view screen. If she was going to insist on sitting on the bridge, popcorn or no, she might as well see it all play out on screen.
It was then that his panel it up. There were hundreds of ships approaching. The distinctive spinning wheel of the Malkatan ships should have sent a chill through him, but he was so highly focused now that he felt almost nothing. Almost.
Mary gasped as the view screen flooded with the massive wheel-like ships which were rolling through the upper atmosphere now. "Feel free to reconsider your decision to stay," muttered Picard, keeping his eyes on the helm controls.
"Not a chance," said Mary. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again, until this is all over, young man." She watched him as his body began to shift out of this world again. She was growing used to seeing it, and unfortunately he seemed almost accustomed to it now.
"You have to fight against that sensation, son," she said. "You've got to stay here in the present. You belong here with us."
"I don't know. I don't know where I belong anymore." Picard shut his eyes briefly and saw himself flying not above Earth, but another planet. He saw himself aiming the ship for a sharp descent toward the planet. No…Mary was right; he had to stay in the present. He began to hum a little tune from when he was a child.
"What are you singing, dear?" Mary asked.
He shrugged. "Just a song my Maman used to sing to me. 'Sur le pont d'Avignon, On y danse, on y danse, Sur le pont d'Avignon, On y danse tout en rond.' For some reason it makes me feel connected, when I am beginning to phase. It brings me back."
"Oh, good! I know that one too," she exclaimed. "'On the bridge of Avignon, they are dancing, they are dancing, On the bridge of Avignon, they are dancing all around'."
He laughed in surprise. "Yes, yes that's right." His smile left his face abruptly at the sound of the red alert, and the bridge was awash in red light. "Here they come."
The Aldrin
"Beverly, how are you feeling?" Deanna sat down next to Beverly's bedside. Beverly Crusher was now awake, but she stared at the far wall, as if searching for something or someone. As with Beverly's initial return from 2355, when she learned she was pregnant, her lips moved as though talking to someone only she could see. Troi had argued with Will for the chance to speak to her friend, to try to use her skills help her. Will had been so preoccupied with the trip back to Earth that he had given in easily. If Troi thought she could help, she should go ahead and try. The Aldrin's CMO had been unhappy with the decision, but had now left the two women alone.
Deanna leaned in to try to catch Beverly's gaze. "Beverly?"
Finally her eyes shifted to Troi. "What is it, Deanna?"
Progress, perhaps. And yet, she hadn't asked about her baby for hours, which was troubling. "Beverly, I'm worried about you."
"Why?"
"Well…you've gone through so much. And you have been so quiet. I thought it might be good for you to talk about how you've been feeling."
Beverly suddenly laughed and grabbed Deanna's hand. "Nana, you always want to talk. I know I've been away at the Academy for too long, but you knew I'd come back to visit. I always do."
Deanna tried to keep her expression very even, despite her internal shock. "Yes, Beverly. You always come back."
"And I know you're worried about me, but Mom and Dad wouldn't be. They loved adventure, and you know I think that's why I've decided to become an explorer."
Deanna smiled. "An explorer. In space? How exciting."
"Well… a physician explorer. If I had a ship that could travel to any star system, can you even imagine how many diseases I could cure; people I could help? Not to mention all of the strange people I'd meet. A hospital with warp drive! Much more exciting than Caldos, Nana."
Troi shifted in her seat. "Beverly, I want you to focus on my voice for a moment. Does it sound familiar to you?"
Beverly clasped her hands over her stomach and frowned down at the bed sheet. "I don't know what you mean."
Deanna reached out to take her hand. "Beverly, look at me…it's me, Deanna."
Beverly's lip trembled and she grasped Troi's hand tightly. "Deanna, what's happening to me? One moment I'm here and the next, the next I'm somewhere else."
"It's the time travel, Beverly. It has made it difficult for you to stay in the present. But I'm going to help you."
Beverly nodded, but then her eyes closed and her face changed. When she opened them, it was like looking at a stranger once again. "Nana, I don't need your help. Everything between Jack and me is fine. It really is. I told you, I just want to spend some quality time here with you. And you've seen how much fun Wesley has had this week. It reminds me of what it was like growing up with you here." She laughed as though trying to lighten her own mood. "It's been far too long, I know."
"Oh, Beverly, you're laughing, but I can tell you are so sad."
"I could never tell him," she whispered, and her voice broke. "I never told Jack how my feelings changed. He died before I had the courage to be honest with him." She blinked. "Deanna…we can't waste the time we're given. I know that now."
The Planet Glanau 2366
Don't forget the key, Wes. Slowly his left eye opened, but all he could see was sand, which was hot against the left side of his face. He tried to open his right eye, but it was swollen shut, he realized, although it took him a moment more to recall why. "Bok," he whispered into the sand. The Ferengi had struck him on the opposite side of his head with a rock, and he'd fallen on his side. How could he have been so stupid as to think Bok had changed his ways? It didn't matter. The fact that he was still alive was the important thing. How long had he been out here? The sun was still as hot and bright as it had been when he'd first arrived in this desert, so if he was lucky, he hadn't been out of it too long.
The pain in Wesley's head was so pronounced when he sat up, that he immediately threw up. He felt around in his pocket for the hypo he'd used to knock out the two guards. It was still there and had some of the drug left in it. He wondered if he could just give himself just a little of the medicine to kill the pain enough to stand. Almost simultaneously as he heard the hiss, he knew it was working. Struggling to his feet, he shut his eyes again- the light was blinding. But some of the pain was now masked by the drug. He put the hypo back in his pocket and then checked his small pack. The small phaser was still there, to his relief, but the device needed to remotely manipulate the Pedestal of Time was missing. Bok must have stolen it. "Well," he said to himself, beginning to trudge slowly toward the bar in the distance, "Looks like I'm stuck on this rock until I can find another way home."
