Chapter 46
Wesley bent low, hugging his wrist to his abdomen protectively. He was furious that the Traveler had again left him alone to figure out what continued to seem indecipherable...unsolvable. The harsh wind whistled past his face and lodged in his hair eyes, nose and mouth. He wrapped his thin jacket around his head in a makeshift hat. Wes glanced backward at the Galactic Oasis which now sat far away in the distance. He'd used the hover bike to get out this far before Mayer had ambushed him again. The bike now lay not too far away from him on the ground.
Walking over to it, he took a cursory look at it, and decided it was repairable. He knew he could go inside the bar out of the howling wind and sand, but what was the point? He could also work on the bike so that he would have some kind of advantage if Mayer returned, now that he was injured. Either way, the sun was setting. And either way, Mayer would be back for him. Or would he? It suddenly occurred to him that in the scheme of things, he was probably inconsequential to Mayer. Gritting his teeth Wesley sat down cross-legged on the side of a small sand dune and began working on the bike with his good hand.
Captain William T. Riker stared with rapt attention at the forward view screen just minutes after the Aldrin's CASU unit was unleashed on the Malkatan fleet. CASU maneuvered almost like a small fighting ship, evading the enemy and then attacking with precision. "Well I'll be damned," Riker said under his breath, as he watched the spectacle.
He turned and walked back to the command center. "Congratulations, Doctor," he said to Dr. Mayer who along with the rest of the crew had been watching her creation bring destruction to the Malkatans. "Your plan to use the neutralizer technology worked. CASU's bought us a few minutes of relief at least."
"I couldn't have done it without Geordi and Data," she said, but she also looked, he noted almost like a proud parent. For someone who had once said she held no emotional attachment to her robotic creation, this appeared to be a turning point.
"Captain, the CASU unit has destroyed seven of the Malkatan vessels," reported Kashirin from tactical.
"Yes, I saw that, Lieutenant."
"But sir, now it's just hanging there."
Obi frowned, walking forward. "On screen and magnify."
"What the hell?" Riker turned to look at Doctor Mayer. "What's happening, Doctor. Why is CASU just hanging there?"
Mayer shook her head. "I don't know. If I can establish a link with CASU from the launch bay controls, it may help to find out what the problem is."
"Data," Riker said hitting his communicator. "Doctor Mayer is about to join you down in the torpedo launch bay. There seems to be a problem with the CASU unit."
"Noted, Captain. CASU'S communications link appears to have been damaged during battle. Without communication, it is not possible to know why CASU is now inert."
"Isn't CASU at risk of being destroyed, just floating in one place?" Obi questioned Johanna Mayer.
"Its shields are still intact," she said, pointing at the view screen. "See? All I need to do is to establish the link." She moved to walk around him, when Obi caught her arm. She gave him a surprised look.
"Please be careful," he urged her with quiet intensity.
She allowed him a rare smile before exiting the bridge.
Riker crossed his arms and glanced at his second in command. "I know how you feel, Patrick...our time with each other might be far briefer than any of us would have hoped. But we all still have to do our part."
"Aye sir," Obi said quietly taking a step backward.
"Captain, we've sustained massive damage to the secondary hull that must be repaired, if we are to sustain integrity," Lt. Commander Meeta reported from ops. "I recommend deploying robotic hull repair units, Captain."
"Do it," Riker agreed.
"Incoming message from the USS Sentinel, Captain."
"Patch it through."
"Captain Riker this is Captain Jellico here."
"Captain...what can I do for you?"
"After serving four years together Number One, and under these circumstances, that's the best you have for me?"
Riker's first reaction was to ask Jellico what the hell he was talking about, but then remembered that in this altered universe, he had served under Edward Jellico for several years. But in Riker's own reality, he couldn't recall having met the man. "Sorry, Captain Jellico. I'm a little distracted here..."
"No hard feelings, Will. Listen I am just letting you know about our little plan, so you won't be surprised in about one minute when the Enterprise saucer section separates and descends into the atmosphere."
"What?"
"Given the...exigent circumstances, I had to give my command up to an odd, but capable fellow."
"Captain Picard?"
"He certainly is determined to have us believe he's Picard. But Jean-Luc Picard has been been missing since-"
"Trust me, Jellico...that's Captain Picard."
"I don't have time to argue with you, Riker."
"Good. So then what exactly is this plan?"
"He's separating the saucer from the star drive. Worf is in command of the star drive, and will continue to fight the Malkatans with us, here in orbit. Picard is taking the saucer section below the atmosphere."
"Why? The ship might not make it back out...you know that, Jellico! Why are you letting him go down there?"
"What's left of our Starfleet officers are down on some South Pacific island, Riker, and the Malkatans have them guarded by an electro-magnetic field."
"And we can't beam them out until it's down," said Riker. "I get it." He rubbed his chin anxiously. "What can I do to help?"
"Just keep your communications line open and your transporters ready. Our ships are full of refugees from the surface, so it's going to be on the Aldrin to take on any of those officers once the shield is down."
Wesley shivered. It was growing dark in the alien desert and his right forearm was so swollen now that the skin felt tight. He tried to remember what his mother would have said, but thinking about his mother was counterproductive, because he became unexpectedly emotional. There was no use worrying about his mother or the baby, because he'd made a foolish decision to embark on a journey with Bok. Now Bok was dead, and Wesley would have to do his best to try and finish what he had started.
He couldn't move his wrist anymore without extreme pain, so he just let it sit there on his leg, while he continued the slow repair of the hover bike with his left hand. He was getting very thirsty, and glanced over toward the bar Galactic Oasis again, considering going in for a drink of water. Not going to happen, I need to wait here for Mayer.
Sighing with the minor satisfaction of realizing the bike was now as good as he could make it, he unfolded his stiff legs and lay back against the dune, resting his head. The temperature had dropped considerably, but the sand dune continued to radiate heat up into his body, keeping him warm. The wind had died down, and he had actually begun to drift off to sleep. At the edge of a dream-like state he began to remember what had originally happened on board the Enterprise before the star drive had been lost. Now Wesley understood that the captain must have somehow sensed that the Enterprise had passed the Singularity Net, and something had compelled him to return, despite the danger. Commander Riker had questioned how the captain could have seen something that wasn't even there. But something had been there...Data had confirmed trace amounts of graviton particles...virtually undetectable by the ship's sensors. Wesley covered his eyes with his left arm and tried to calm his thoughts. What if the Captain had remembered what he had done in 2355? That he had destroyed the Stargazer inside the Singularity Net. What if he was somehow caught in a time loop, doomed to carry out the same futile actions over and over?
Suddenly it occurred to him that the neutralizer technology-this key to everything had been central in 2355, and in the altered universe of 2367 as well, the one he'd just left. But it had been unknown to all involved prior to the loss of the Enterprise. What would have happened if Picard had been able to use the neutralizer that day? Would he have succeeded in whatever he was trying to do?
He was about to drift deeper into sleep, when there was a strange slow ripping sound like a pocket unzipping. Wes jerked awake, sitting up and leaned on his left elbow, trying to determine what had just happened.
He recoiled in horror as a face half the size of his own body descended from the night sky. At first, he believed it was Mayer, because the mouth was wide and toothless, but then as the grey face approached closer, it grew even more alien to him. He tried to crawl away, but an enormous hand reached out and grabbed him around the middle. Wesley screamed into the darkness, but the alien pulled him closer. Its words penetrated his mind. Where is my key, thief? It was here on this planet, and now it is gone. Where is it?
Wesley found himself completely unable to speak as the giant hand closed around him. It lifted him into the air, and he soon found himself staring into that frightening mouth. "I...I don't have it! Mayer does."
The creature squinted its eyes at him and brought him closer. "I must have my prison returned to its proper place. It has been dispersed and it must be found and returned," the creature said in a booming voice.
"Do you-do you know the Traveler?"
The creature's eyes narrowed again and suddenly it dropped him to the ground. "Where is this Mayer?"
"I-don't know," Wesley said, scrambling backward.
"Then you will perish!"
Wesley covered his face, aware that he was about to die, but he heard the ripping sound again and when he dared look the Jailor was gone.
Rolling over on his stomach, Wesley spotted a familiar figure in the distance. It was Mayer. Grabbing the handlebars of the hover bike he righted it and hopped on, now oblivious to the danger.
Grand Chancellor Unh sat comfortably in his command chair. For the most part the battle was still going in favor of his people, but the clever humans had unleashed a strange robotic weapon which had destroyed several of his best ships. Now he was focused on Picard, who was in the saucer-shaped vessel.
"He appears to be headed for the planet's surface," General Razul said.
"Follow him," Unh urged them, getting up from his chair.
Suddenly the ship wobbled unsteadily. "Have we been hit?" Unh demanded.
"No," said his weapons officer sounding confused. Suddenly he looked up from his post in horror. "Chancellor, I don't...I don't understand my console!"
"Relieve him!" Unh screamed furiously.
Razul rushed forward throwing the weapons officer from his post, and glared down at the controls. Shocked he turned to address the Chancellor. "He is right my lord, the controls make no sense. There was a growing murmur around the bridge as all of his officers began to express frustration related to their posts.
Outraged, Unh rushed forward and grabbed the helm away from a bemused crewman. Slamming his fist into the controls, the ship began to descend.
"Captain!"
Riker turned to look sharply at Lieutenant Kashirin at tactical. "Report, Lieutenant."
"Sir the Malkatan ships are beginning to fly erratically sir."
"Some kind of system-wide malfunction?" Obi asked.
"Unknown, sir."
"Captain we have an incoming enemy ship, coming in at full speed. It's out of control, sir!"
"Evasive action, full power to shields," Riker shouted.
"Brace for impact!"
The Enterprise
"Why is the ship shaking like this?" Mary yelled over the sound of the vibrating instruments.
"I told you...a starship wasn't designed to enter a planet's atmosphere; at least not for long," Picard shouted back to her. "It's not going to get any better than this, so hang on."
"We're being followed," Mary warned him.
"Let them come," Picard said.
