Captain Picard sat on the edge of his chair on the bridge. No sign of Q's meddling had shown up so far, but he was not one to be caught unawares. He had ordered a security team keeping watch outside Ensign Bell's quarters in case any trouble should start. Yet still the entire ship hummed with apprehension, for it seemed that not a single soul could predict what Q could and would do to further his ends. Despite this tension, the bridge had been reasonably quiet for the past few hours.
"Systems status," requested the captain, drumming his hand on his beige armrest.
"All running smoothly, sir," said Geordi LaForge from his station. "Warp drive, sensors, helm, everything."
"Q might try any angle," Picard reminded him. "Check anything that might go wrong. Mr. Data, report."
"All's well at my station, sir," said the android, golden eyes blinking. Then suddenly he glanced back at his console. "Correction, Captain. We appear to be coming to a complete stop."
"He's right," said Geordi urgently, hands flying over the controls. "Warp drive is shutting down. No response from either the warp core or impulse power."
"It has to be Q," growled Worf. "That worm should be made into gagh."
"Q," said Picard, standing up and glaring at the viewscreen, "explain this now. I know you can hear me."
"I can hear you, Captain," came a dark female voice. It seemed to come from all around the room, echoing slightly. "But Q is not whom you seek."
"Who are you?" asked the captain. "Why have you halted our ship?"
A figure appeared on the bridge in front of the viewscreen. It was Ensign Bell, but different. Her blond hair was flying free and her uniform was replaced by a long white robe. But these were simple differences compared to her face. Her expression was twisted into Medusa's fury, her mouth blood red and set into a hard, cruel line. Her black eyes burned like hellfire in shadow and seemed to spit sparks at her former superiors. While the Q could be compared to gods, Bell had become a demon.
"The stopping of the Enterprise was my will," she began, voice deepening. "I have been granted the power of the Q and will use it as I please. You have no more jurisdiction over me, Captain. Not you, not your Chief Engineer. Not anymore." Her voice became black iron. "I will crush this ship and all aboard her. You held me back, scorned me for being superior to you. Now you will see who is truly scorned."
"Deidra," said Picard, reaching out with a hand, "I understand your anger towards myself and perhaps your coworkers. But there are hundreds of innocent civilians who showed you nothing but kindness and consideration."
"Mere humans," Bell dismissed them. "Insects compared to me now. Would you be against killing insects?"
Counselor Troi rose from her seat, saying in a low voice, "Think of your parents, Deidra. They were doctors, healers. Would they let hundreds die for nothing?"
"My parents are gone," said Bell harshly. "They cannot give opinions any longer."
"Yet you still love them," Picard interjected. "You understand what that means, don't you? Love is a human trait, an emotion you can no longer generate thanks to your hateful power. There are people aboard who love you whether you know it or not. Counselor Troi has cared for you emotionally for weeks. Commander LaForge has tried to help you by talking your fellow engineers into working better to accept you. What about when you broke your ankle? Doctor Crusher stayed up with you half the night just because you were frightened. Do you understand what it means to love anymore?"
"Captain Picard," said Bell, voice trembling slightly, "you sound more like my father than anyone else." Tears ran down from her fevered eyes and her thin body shook with sobs.
The captain stepped down and gently embraced the girl. Counselor Troi rested a hand on her shoulder and Geordi clasped the other.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, breaking away from them. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have listened to Q."
"Q thrives on antagonism," said Picard. "He's caused quite enough just within you."
"Oh, really?" came Q's voice as he appeared before them. "I offered the child what she wanted: power. I never assumed it would lead to antagonism."
Bell turned to him. "You slime," she said, dripping contempt. "You knew this would happen. You knew I would cause chaos in the universe. Then you would just sit back and watch the show, never getting in trouble with the rest of the Continuum." She reached out and slapped him smartly across the face. "Get off this ship," she ordered him as he gazed at her in surprise. "You know I can make you myself."
Q retorted, "Love is humanity's greatest flaw. It holds you back, keeps you from being the best."
"It also keeps us from overreaching ourselves," said Picard. "Without love, humanity would have torn itself apart eons ago. It keeps us the way we should be. You have no right to challenge or judge what love makes us."
"It makes us human," said Bell, smiling at the captain. "And I desire no more than to be human again. Take back your power, Q. I don't want it anymore."
"As you wish," he sneered, grabbing her wrist. Bell had the horrible sensation of being drained until, at last, he released her.
"Sayonara," he said. "My cohorts will want to hear of your exploits. Unfortunately, you were thwarted before you could exploit anyone." He vanished on the spot.
"Well, Deidra," said Counselor Troi. "What do you say to you and me having a talk in my office? After this experience you may need it."
"That sounds better than anything I ever heard from Q," said Bell. Deanna put an arm around her shoulders.
"Hey, Deidra," Geordi cut in. "Do you want to join us for a poker game tonight?"
"I'd love to," she answered happily.
"Are you interested in the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle?" asked Data. "I could lend you several Sherlock Holmes novels if you wish."
"Yes, they're some of my favorites," she exclaimed, surprised at the android's taste.
"Ensign, I think you are well on your way to having some good, long-lasting friendships," said Captain Picard.
"And that," she said, "is the real power."
The End