AN: This story is based on the fairy tale written by Charles Perrault entitled 'The Ludicrous Wishes'.
- Science Lab I -
Stardate 58432.9
The woman's vision had blurred some time ago. It was a normal problem when she was becoming overly tired, or her eyes were strained. Now, it was most likely a combination of both. She had been at her current task for the last twelve hours. Her feet had painfully swollen to the point she had to slip off her shoes and put her feet up on a chair. She was about to call it a day when the tricorder beeped as she scanned what resembled a bird's talon. It appeared to be a golden claw studded with colorful gemstones and studied it. "Computer run a scan on item identified as Mayus 127, identify the organic compound."
"Deoxyribonucleic acid."
She suddenly, felt very much revived and jumped as much as her expanding body would allow. She certainly was alert with the news this was at one time a living breathing being. The first sign actual one they had found on the planet. They had just made their first forward step in establishing an understanding of a world that had suffered planetary wide extinction some seventy thousand years ago, "DNA. Data, let me take this to the med labs to do further study. We might be able to extrapolate enough of the genetic information to create a holographic image of what this life form might have looked like. In the mean time, keep working on breaking that hieroglyphic code."
"Understood Doctor," he said as he continued to catalog the remainder of the away team's findings.
Beverly carefully packed the claw back into the stasis container they had removed it from to study it. "Good luck, Data."
She left the room before he could reply. No sooner had the doors closed then she heard the velvety voice of the ship's Captain. "Picard to Dr. Crusher."
"Crusher here."
"Doctor, I have been informed you have been working far too long. You've failed to take in meals as promised; as such you're hereby relieved of duty for the next twenty-four hours."
Beverly sighed and looked down the corridor, towards the medical section. "May, I at least drop something off at the medical lab first?"
"Dr. Crusher, relieved of duty means no visits to medical labs. You are to report straight to quarters. If you fail to do so, I will send security to escort you." His tone was stern.
"Aye, Sir." She replied. Her study of the claw would have to wait.
- Outside Holodeck Four -
(Less than twelve hours later)
The cryptic message Jean-Luc had received from Beverly to meet her on the holodeck intrigued him. At first he thought perhaps she had found a way to circumvent his order to stay away from ship duty. Especially, after she had declined to speak to him after he had done what he felt was in the best interest for both his child and the woman who was carrying him. Now here he stood, in front of a holodeck door, instead of being on the Bridge as they navigated the Tartarus Drift, wearing Dixon Hill's trademark trench coat, fedora hat, and an umbrella. He would not make the mistake of entering the holodeck in his uniform again. Picard fully intended to pull his wife off the holodeck even if he did so kicking and screaming. Playing in one of the holodeck adventures was not the safest place to be as they navigated through the drift. "Computer, identify program in progress and occupants on the holodeck."
"The Parrot's Claw, Chapter Six is currently running and the sole occupant is Dr. Beverly Crusher."
The captain thought a moment about the scene that would be unfolding within the holodeck. Dixon Hill would be arriving back at his office after giving testimony at the trial of Jimmy Cuzzo. That would mean Judy would be in his office waiting for him, with very interesting news. It left him to wonder if Crusher had taken on the role of Judith Wallace. There was only one way to find out, "Computer open doors to holodeck."
"Acknowledged," when the doors parted, they revealed the rain that fell on the streets of San Francisco just outside his office.
Jean-Luc opened the umbrella before he stepped through curious as to the scene.
- Dixon Hill: The Parrot's Claw-Office -
Dix had to wait for an oncoming cable car to pass before he could cross the street to the building his office was located. As soon as he reached the building he closed up the umbrella that had protected him, and shook off the water.
As soon as Dixon Hill arrived at his office and entered, Madeline told him, "That classy looking lady friend of yours is in your office Dix, and she don't look none to happy."
"Lady?"
"Well, it's been a while since I seen her last, but she's a member of the pudding club."
"Pudding club?"
"She's in the family way, Dix."
"Ahhh."
Dixon Hill opened the door to his inner office all he saw were legs. The legs were attached to a body that had perched itself on the side of his desk. They started at a pair of shinny black shoes and ducked under the hem of a deep blue pleated maternity dress. As his eyes traveled up, he smiled. The delicate rounded bump was even more revealed by her pose on the desk. He had to clear the lump in his throat at the sight. The purpose for his being here lost to the moment.
"Mr. Hill, I require your help. I believe my husband was murdered."
Perhaps a few moments wouldn't hurt, the Bridge would no doubt inform him of any problems, and he had full confidence in his First Officer. Jean-Luc put the umbrella on the coat tree, near his door. He peeled off his trench coat without taking his eyes off the woman at his desk, and added it to the tree as well. "What makes you think he was murdered?"
"I think someone was looking for this." She dug in her purse and pulled out what looked to be a bird's claw. More to the point it was a golden claw encrusted with precious stones.
"And the item is?" He asked as he made his way around the desk and sat down still watching her and it. Picard no longer had any doubt as to whom the woman was, she was indeed Judith Wallace, whose husband had been Federal Judge Richard Wallace.
"A parrot's claw," she told him then she added, "The claw is a priceless Mayan artifact. It had been a valued part of my husband's collection."
"Who do you think would be after it?"
"My husband had a number of enemies."
- Class Five Ion Storm-
As the Enterprise travelled through an area of space known as simply the Tartarus Drift, a turbulent region of space between Jouret IV and Arkaria, they encountered an ionic disruption in the form of a Class Five ion storm. It came upon them before they were able to compensate and make course alterations to circumvent the storm that could potentially rip the galaxy class vessel to pieces.
Within seconds their impulse engines disengaged and the Enterprise came to a screeching halt with many of the ship's systems going off line. As the ship was tossed by the disturbances of the storm its occupants were tossed from their positions as the inertial dampers automatically bypassed the disabled systems.
- Dixon Hill: The Parrot's Claw-Office -
Before Jean-Luc could respond to Beverly's statement the entire room shook violently, throwing them both to the floor. Beverly hit her head on the side of the desk and Picard had been leveled by a bookcase that crashed into him.
When he awoke and saw Beverly out of it still, he was around the desk, swiftly and at her side looking at her in concern. He lightly hit her face to rouse her. "Beverly? Are you both alright?" Inwardly, he was cursing himself for not stopping this as he had intended to.
She smiled and nodded at him, as their son gave her a swift kick. "Yes, but sometimes I wish reality was just this simple." She told him as she gently moved the boy's foot from her ribcage. Beverly set down the claw and rubbed her bruised posterior. "What do you think that was."
"Turbulence in the Tartarus Drift."
The lighting flickered a second leaving them in darkness for that brief moment.
Unbeknown to the pair of them one of the four talons on the claw closed. Jean-Luc offered his hand. "Picard to Bridge."
There was no response.
"Computer, end program."
Again no reply came.
"Jean-Luc?" Beverly was no longer interested in their role-play session on the holodeck.
He couldn't help but to remember the last time the Enterprise had a violent shudder like this one. He had ended up with a broken ankle and in the company of three kids. Now, his wife was now almost nine months pregnant.
"We haven't lost power this time. If we had the holodeck would have been deactivated." He told her. "And life support is clearly online."
"Jean-Luc, I hope you don't take offence to this, but I think this is the last Dixon Hill program I do. Honestly, I think your beloved Dixon Hill is bad luck."
"The effect would be the same if we would have done your moonlit beach stroll."
"Really Jean-Luc, on a secluded moon lit beach, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have to worry about getting, thrown off a desk or shot at by some crazed man out to kill my character."
He let out an exasperated sigh, though he did understand her point. The last time they were in a Dixon Hill program together and the holodeck acted up, Mr. Whalen was shot by Leech. With Judith Wallace dying in Dixon Hill's arms at the end of this particular Holonovel, he had to get Beverly off the holodeck.
"Let's just try to find the door so we can get out of here, Doctor." Jean-Luc had reverted to his Captain's persona to keep them both from allowing panic to set in.
"Sounds good to me, Captain," Beverly collected her handbag and the claw, returning it back into the purse.
He collected his trench coat and the umbrella.
Neither of them noticed a digit on the claw had closed up.
Together they walked out into the outer office to see Madeline standing braced in the doorway. "That was a hard one, Dix," the woman said looking at the pair.
Jean-Luc looked at her confused, "Hard one?"
"The tremor."
"An earthquake?" Beverly asked.
In the days of seismic regulators earthquakes were very few and far between.
Jean-Luc looked at Beverly then Madeline puzzled. "There were no earthquakes in The Parrot's Claw."
The only quake he could remember in the series was during The Long Dark Tunnel, where Dixon Hill had become trapped in the Stockton tunnel, while on a streetcar, under the city, during an earthquake. Ironically, it had been being trapped that lead him to solving the mystery of the robbery of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank of 1919, the same year the Stockton tunnel was being built.
"Dix, I lived in the city all my life. I think I know a quake." Madeline told him in no uncertain terms.
"Right of course," he replied, before adding, "Why don't you call it a day? I have some business to attend that will take the rest of the day."
"I do want to make sure my fella is alright."
"And I need to see Mrs. Wallace safely home." He replied to the secretary.
Jean-Luc then turned to Beverly, "if you're ready?"
"More than ready."
When Madeline moved away from the door and back to the desk to retrieve her purse from it, she called out, "Dix, you might need this."
He turned and looked at her. She was holding his revolver. With a snap of the fingers he chuckles, "how could I forget that?"
Jean-Luc moved to Madeline to take the weapon.
When he returned to Beverly he noted her look, "I'd rather be safe then sorry, Doctor."
"Of course," she said as he tucked the gun in the hidden holster under his coat.
He opened and held the door for her, taking a moment to enjoy her retreating form, before following her out of his office.
When they got to the main door Beverly said, "Computer, exit."
Nothing happen.
"I guess the Holodeck controls are still offline."
"We will have to go on that assumption for a while." He hoped it wouldn't be too long, he really didn't want to risk her being shot by one of Jimmy Cuzzo's henchmen. Until they could be rescued, however they would have to play the scenario out.
Jean-Luc opened the building's doors to find the city streets were wet and a mess from the earthquake. "Now providing this is a holodeck we should not have to worry about aftershocks."
"Maybe not but what about flying bullets?" Beverly said rhetorically, with a bit of sarcasm.
"Let's just hope that doesn't happen."
"So what you propose we do Jean-Luc? Just keep playing along?"
"Until, they find a way to get us out of here that is our only option. Perhaps we would be better off staying within the scope of the story."
"You had to say that."
He took her hand and lightly squeezed it. No matter what they may not be, she was still his best friend. Nothing in any universe could change that. "Beverly, I am not going to let anything happen to you, or our son."
She smiled a bit at him as she allowed her thumb to rub his hand where it connected with hers. "Then I guess we need to go to Judith's house so you can look for clues?"
"That would be the most logical place to begin."
"Oh now I am on a date with Data." She sighed.
He looked at her then down the street to see the cable car coming. "Come on."
"Are we getting on that?"
"Unless you know how to drive that," He pointed to the automobile parked on the street. "It belongs to Judith."
Beverly looked at the automobile in question and smiled. The body was what she knew to be candy apple red and had a white cloth like top that was up. Taking a closer look, she ran her hand along the side and noted, "Only one seat."
- Enterprise Bridge -
Commander Worf had been in command of the ship, when they hit the ion storm. The entire ship had been rocked hard and most computer systems were off line. Even the Bridge was lit up by emergency lighting. Counsels were smoking.
The Commander lifted himself off the ground and looked to the Operations officer on duty, Lt. Torres. "Report, Lieutenant."
"Life support is functioning; however, communications, sensors, and the plasma conversion sensor are all offline."
With the plasma conversion sensor offline, and the warp drive disengaged as they navigated the Tartarus Drift, the warp core would automatically be shut down, to prevent a warp core breach. The ship was at all stop, and they still had no idea what they had hit.
Lieutenant Choudhury mumbled, "We're dead in the water."
"However right your statement might be, keep such thoughts to yourself." The Klingon told her as he turned his head back to look at her.
"Aye, Sir."
"Now anyone care to speculate why we have suddenly come to a stop and lost so many systems?"
"Sir, we are unable to form a reasonable postulate without ship's sensors being on line."
"I am aware of this lieutenant, how about we try to take a few educated guesses." Worf said as he rose from the center seat and moved to the Ops station, standing between it and Flight Control. He allowed his left hand to rest upon the lieutenant's shoulder. "And Rayve, I trust any guesses you might have to offer."
"Thank you, Sir." He said as he thought of the possibilities. "We had entered the Tartarus Drift, which causes erroneous sensor readings as it is. However, we picked up 253 millielectron volts in the surrounding space. Outside of the Tartarus Rift, I would say we flew into an ion storm."
Ensign Elbrun turned from her station. "Then why aren't we being tossed around like bouncing balls?" the young Caitians Science Officer's ears perked up as she questioned, from her post at Medical I.
"Gravimetric controls and the inertial dampers are bypassed into a secondary emergency system to keep the ship stabilized." Lieutenant Rayve quickly supplied.
The Ensign brushed off her uniform as a sudden thought came to her. "Is there anyway of knowing if the holodecks are offline?"
"Negative, Ensign," Torres told her.
"Why are you concerned with the holodecks? We have 834 people on board this vessel and you are worried about the holodecks being online?" Worf asked as he looked at the Ensign.
"One of the things this station has been assigned lately is to monitor the readings of the Captain and Dr. Crusher's unborn fetus. The monitor was on an independent system, but has…well stopped functioning."
The First Officer's brow shot up in alarm. At times like this he wished Data and he shared more of the same shifts. But today, the Second Officer was busy in the science labs working on a project from and archeological expedition on Arkaria.
"Lt. Torres let's get to work at getting inner ship communications back on line. It's the only way we are going to know what we are dealing with internally. Ensign Elbrun, can I see you in the Ready Room a moment."
"Aye, Sir."
- Science Lab I -
Data had been in the middle of scanning all but one of the artifacts when the ship hit the ion storm. Doctor Crusher was going to do a DNA anallysis of the bird's claw since it seemed to have organic properties. He had been able to date the objects back to the Zoleth Period in the planet's history. Hopefully, once the computers came back online he could finish his investigation. For now he carefully placed each item back in the storage unit.
He tapped his commbadge, "Data to Bridge."
When he got no immedate responce he made his way to the doors finding them sealed. Utilizing his strength he pushed the doors apart and computed the place he would be the most useful. Data turned towards the Jefferies tube that would led him to Deck Nine and the computer access room. From there he should be able to interface with the main computer and correct any malfunctions the jolts from the ion storm might have caused.
- Dixon Hill: The Parrot's Claw-Adventures in Driving -
Before going anywhere Beverly had spent a few minutes figuring out exactly how to retract the cloth top, which upon touch felt more like a canvas. Her Nana had owned an antique automobile from the early twentieth century. However, that one was nothing like this one. Nana's had a hard top and this one allowed for the open air.
Fortunately, the area Judith Wallace was supposed to live was located in the same area of San Francisco where Beverly had lived with Jack. A neighborhood still called Presidio Heights which was just south of where Starfleet now stood.
One thing Beverly had not counted on when taking on the driver's seat of the car were the steep hills of San Francisco she would have to maneuver. The limited times she had driven her Nana's car were on smooth flat surfaces. So the idea of having to come to a stop and resume driving up a steep incline was knuckle gripping, if not so much for herself, but for her passenger. It didn't help the holodeck was clearly malfunctioning.
During the most recent stop, Beverly hadn't timed the release of the break and clutch along with stepping on the gas right and the car rolled backwards. She found the experience exhilarating, but the pasty completion of her passenger told her he didn't find it so thrilling.
"COMPUTER END PROGRAM!" Jean-Luc said in a very panic stricken voice, with his fingernails digging into a seat that had no lap restraints, as Beverly laughed.
Still the computer failed to respond to his command.
She didn't see the seriousness of their backwards descent down Hyde Street as they edged closer to the docks of the bay.
The vehicle began to pick up speed from the inertia caused by the steepness of the hill.
"Beverly this is not funny. Have you forgotten what happen to Whalen?"
When he mentioned Whalen, Beverly took action. She slammed on the brakes as the car finally slowed till it came to a stop after going backwards almost a full two blocks. The stop pushed them both into the back of the seat. "Jean-Luc, you can open your eyes now." She said as she took her eyes off the road and looked over at him.
"I think I prefer it this way."
"Oh the mighty Captain Picard, the man who took on the Borg and won, is afraid of a simple drive on a holodeck." Beverly teased.
"Enough Beverly," he said. His hand tightly gripped the seat and glared in her direction. "I don't understand why you don't see the seriousness of the situation. What were to happen if we crashed? Are you really willing to put our son at risk?"
"Jean-Luc if I thought for one minute I was putting him at any risk, I would not have done this." She told him, besides their son's neonatal vitals were carefully monitored by both Doctor Tropp and Medical I on the Bridge, thanks to the biomonitor implant.
Beverly sighed and as a way to at least help to calm him she told him, "Why don't you turn some music on."
"Music? Ah, yes the radio." He said as he opened his eyes a moment, and looked for what should be a radio. He flipped a switch up on the front panel and the sound of an orchestra filled the open aired vehicle.
After a minute a voice came on, "And that was Artie Shaw's newest song, Dancing in the Dark, now for something for all those women waiting for their fellas."
A trumpet with an orchestra accompaniment began to play and soon Beverly's soft voice was singing along with the melody in perfect harmony.
"You made me love you I didn't wanna do it I didn't
wanna do it. You made me love you and all the time
you knew it. I guess you always knew it. You made me
happy sometimes you made me glad. But there were
times when you made me feel so bad.
You made me sigh cause I didn't wanna tell you. I
didn't wanna tell you. I need somelovethat's true
yes I do indeed I do you know I do. Gimme gimme
gimme gimme what I cry for. You know you got the
kindof kisses that I'd die for. You know you made
me love you
You made me sigh for. I didn't wanna tell you. I
didn't wanna tell you. I need some love that's
true yes I do indeed I do you know I do. Gimme
gimme gimme gimme... You know you made me love you."
When she stopped singing she noticed Jean-Luc staring at her. "What?"
"I didn't realize you knew such old songs." He had never heard her sing to songs from this time period before.
Beverly gave him a cocky smile. "If you knew every detail about me, how would I keep surprising you?"
- Ready Room -
Worf took a seat behind the Captain's desk as he looked at the young Ensign. "Explain."
The Caitain ensign tried not to let her nervousness show, as she spoke. "The computer last logged Doctor Crusher and the Captain on Holodeck Four."
That much Worf did know, Captain Picard had informed him, he would report to the Bridge right after he extracted the ship's CMO out of the holodeck. "You mentioned the neonatal unit with the doctor is no longer functioning?"
"Yes, Sir, it is sent via separate signal, independent of the ship main systems. Commander Data set it up."
"What is the range of the signal?"
"It completely loses signal within point two parsecs from the Enterprise."
"We must figure out what's going on, and in order to do so this ship must be back in working order. Ensign, I can't leave the Bridge, so you're going to have to make your way to Computer Access Room. Commander La Forge should be there, he was going to keep an eye on the computers while were traveled through the drift. Tell him to get a person to work on the holodecks, and work on the sensors I need to know if someone might have beamed the doctor off the ship." If the Doctor was gone, then naturally, he would have to assume the Captain had vanished as well.
The Klingon couldn't help but to wonder if this was all Q's doing.
"Sir, even if they were beamed away the signal would have dissipated slowly as they moved away. It's more like it doesn't exist."
Worf rubbed his hairy chin, in thought. "Let's make it a point to find them, Ensign, dismissed." He stood up to make his way back to the Bridge.
- Deck Nine-Computer Access Room -
When Data finally arrived on Deck Nine he made his way to the computer access room. Geordi was already doing what he could to get the Enterprise back on line. The dark man looked over to Data. He was bent over Computer Access Room's interface. He waved the android over with a magneton scanner in his hand. "Perfect, just the man I need."
Data walked over to his friend with his hands clasped behind his back. His golden features took on what could be thought of as an inquisitive expression as he leaned in towards the screen his friend was looking at. "How can I be of assistance, Geordi?"
The Engineer pointed to the KLS stabilizer output display. There was a negative spike in the electromagnetism signature. "Something caused the stabilizer to reverse polarity. I could see the change in the flux of the magnetic signature as it happened. What I can't figure out is what caused it to happen and why."
The ship's latest overhaul had been a month ago, during their visit to Arkaria. A Baryon sweep had been performed at that time. After which the Enterprise's Computer Core had undergone an upgrade, which had run smoothly. Everything had check out with in acceptable safety parameters. This was right after their planetary exploration of the long dead planet Mayus Prime.
"Perhaps I can use my onboard diagnostic program to interface with the computer core in order to find the exact nature of the problem." It had been his reason for coming here in the first place.
- Dixon Hill: The Parrot's Claw-Judith's Home -
"Really, Jean-Luc, couldn't we at least go somewhere more entertaining?" Beverly asked as she watched him looking around the plush Presidio Height's home. His investigation was boring her. Somehow this wasn't how she pictured this game of cat and mouse being played out.
"Beverly, we have to stay within the paramators of the story."
"What about the nightclub?"
"You mean the Shangri-La?"
"It's your holonovel."
"And you're the one who started the program."
"I just thought it would work with something."
"Something?" He stopped what he was doing and gave her his full attention.
She gave an almost guilty smile and walked over to the handbag she had put on the table nearest the door. Frome the bag she took out the bird's claw. "I borrowed this from Data to run some tests on. The tricorder picked up genetic material in it."
"Beverly, please don't tell me that is one of the artifacts from Mayus Prime."
She remained quiet.
"Beverly."
"I..."
He didn't allow her to finish her statement. "Damn it Beverly, this is a priceless artifact...not some stage prop."
If he was right, this little artifact was one of those fabled to belong to the Broxa. It was said that the Broxa had the ability to grant wishes.
She let out a sigh and in hushed tones said, "I wish..."
Before Beverly could get any words out the front door flew open. A tall man with a long scar that ran down the left side of his face entered the room. He had a Tommy gun leveled at Beverly's midsection. "Hand the claw over nice and easy like and no one will get hurt."
"Don't do it Beverly."
Before Beverly could make any form of reply the thug pointed the Tommy gun at Jean-Luc. A barrage of bullets and smoke left the gun as his body jerked backwards and dotted with increasing stains of red.
Beverly let out an involuntary scream as she watched Jean-Luc fall to the floor in a pool of red blood.
The thug moved ever closer to Beverly. He leveled the gun back on her head. "Now hows about you hand over the claw nice an easy like."
Beverly had shut out every thing but the man she loved dying in front of her. His blood pooled around her dress, and soaked into it. She had seen this all as nothing more than a game until now, especially since she found herself in her worst nightmare. A shaky hand felt for a pulse on her husband as she quietly said. "I wish we never came to this house," her fingers of the left hand clutched the claw tightly.
A second talon on the claw coiled inward.
- Jefferies Tubes -
After the tiresome downward climb, even for her felinoid physiology, from the Bridge towards the computer access room Ensign Elbrun finally reached deck nine. Now all she had to do was to travel through the Jefferies tubes to the area she wanted. It was a time she was grateful she was among the Bridge staff. Though she still didn't have access to the most sensitive areas of the ship, some day she mused.
She paused a moment to catch her breath as she looked down the long Jefferies tube that would lead to the computer access room. Elbrun could only hope whatever was going on with the Captain and doctor that they were together and safe. "What happened anyway?"
The Ensign could get her answers once the computer was back on line. Something told her, it would hold some clue to this mystery.
- Dixon Hill: The Parrot's Claw-Rooming House-
Jean-Luc opened the door to Dixon Hill's room in the rooming house where Dixon Hill lived. Beverly's eyes scanned the room; it was dingy and by her standards, a mess. Her nose scrunched slightly as her lips gave off a coy smile at the sight. It was a clear contrast to the stoic Captain she knew. The bed appeared to not have been made and there was a woman's brassiere coming out from under the pillow. Bottles of drained scotch littered the floor. On the nightstand an ash tray was filled with used cigarette butts. The distinctive aroma of stale smoke hung in the air.
Beverly stepped over the empty bottles, and over to the bed where she picked up the bra.
"Someone had an interesting night." Her face took on one of her teasing looks, eyes sparkling and lips turned slightly upward in the form of a smirk.
Quickly he snatched away the femine undergarment, then cleared his throat. "Dixon Hill might have. I, however, am quite happy with the bed partner I already have."
"Why are we here anyways? I could have sworn we were going to Judith's home."
Picard put the bra in the nightstand with a bottle of unopened scotch. "Because, I couldn't handle anymore of your driving, now I suggest we make ourselves comfortable and wait this out."
"More comfortable…would have been in that nightclub."
"Nightclub? You mean the Shangri-La?"
"It's your holonovel."
"And you're the one who started the program."
"I just thought it would work with something."
Jean-Luc had the odd sense of déjà-vu come over him. He looked around the dingy room for signs of a particular being that relished in making his life, his personal playground. But this wasn't quite Q's style. He would have showed himself long before now. There had to be another answer to the puzzle. Jean-Luc put his thumb to his lower lip in contemplation.
"Beverly something doesn't feel right here. It hasn't since we started this whole thing." First it had been the weird shaking that caused everything to go awry in the first place. Then there was the driving, it felt all too real, and he could have sworn at one point he actually swallowed some sort of flying insect. The thought of it left him revolted. Lastly, was the odd sense of déjà-vu that had washed over him. He had felt as though he had been here before. Not necessarily here but the words that had spoken were all too familiar.
"Beverly that claw you had, may I see it?"
He held out his hand to her.
Beverly looked at him and the hand confused. "What? Why?"
"Please Beverly…" he gestured his hand, so she would hopefully gave it to him.
"What's wrong?"
His tone reverted back into his command persona. "I merely have the feeling this is all too real; now let me see the claw."
Crusher reached into her handbag and pulled out the golden claw and gave it to her husband to inspect.
Jean-Luc took the claw only two of the toes were open. When she had first presented him with the claw they had all been splayed. "This is not the way I first saw this."
The doctor's eyebrow rose as she studied the claw. "This isn't how it was in the science lab. All of the toes on the claw were in a splayed position; in a manner that would allow it to support the rest of the claw on a surface."
"The science lab? Beverly, explain." He pulled over a chair and motioned for her to sit on it as he sat on the rumbled bed.
She took the seat and gave a momentary pause before she answered him, "It's one of the artifact samples we recovered from Mayus Prime to catalog for the University of Alpha Centauri."
There had been something in his memories, something about the mythology of Mayus Prime that he recalled coming across during his doctorial studies at the University of Alpha Centauri. It was about a native fowl that had the ability to grant wishes. Picard knew all too well, some myths had a foothold in reality. What was the name of that particular fowl? Ah yes, the Broxa, but if there was any truth to the myth and this could possibly be a claw of such a creature, was it possible they were somewhere other than the Enterprise like San Francisco in the 1940's?
His eyes took on a distant look for a moment as his fist moved up to his mouth with the thumb resting under his chin contorting his lips out of shape. Before he spoke again he cleared his throat. "What you are telling me is you took a priceless artifact from a controlled environment and brought it on to the holodeck?" Hazel eyes locked with blue ones. "Beverly, you have done a great number of things I find reprehensible, yet I managed to turn my back. This time, you have carried it too far."
"You're reacting as if I stole the artifact Jean-Luc, I didn't. I fully plan to run a DNA analysis on the organic compound the tricorder picked up. While I had it I thought it might make a more realistic prop for this holodeck simulation." She reached for the hand that was holding the claw, "if I would have known you would blow up like this I wouldn't have done it. God, I wish we never would have found this priceless artifact of yours."
Between their hands the claw's third and final opposable digit curled inward.
They both moved their hands away quickly and looked at the golden claw. "Did you feel that?" They said in perfect unison.
"Yes."
"What the hell?" Picard exclaimed.
- Ruins on Mayus Prime -
Stardate 58578.4
The Captain blinked his eyes as they adjusted to the darkened surroundings. He could barely make out the features of Lt. Commander Raja, the Enterprise's archeologist, who stood a few meters away. The only light that guided the pair along the slender path belonged to the hand held lanterns they carried. He had beamed down along with the Enterprise's archeologist to explore the planetary ruins. It was one of the few pleasures his CMO and First Officer allow him to indulge himself in lately, and only after the area had been deemed safe by security.
Lately it wasn't often he was able to indulge in his hobby, and with the peace and quiet they were experiencing for the moment; he wanted to get his hands dirty. It wouldn't be long before life would make demands upon him that would complete his transformation from the Captain of a Federation Starship to the father of a newborn. He had been counting the days.
"Over here Sir." Raja announced, as Jean-Luc felt the man pull against the sleeve of his uniformed jacket.
Picard pointed his lantern in the direction he was being moved at it caught the glimmer of something shiny. He stared wide eyed as if he was a child in a candy shop. With in the face of the ruins was a large bird like statue with hieroglyphics that formed an arch around it.
The hieroglyphics translated into:
"Ah! so it is that miserable man,
By nature fickle, blind, unwise, and rash,
Oft fails to reap a harvest from great gifts
Bestowed upon him by the heav'nly gods."
He raised the tricorder to record the site and would ask Data to work on transcribing them. "What else have you found?"
Raja's light flashed towards a doorway, "In there, Sir."
Before the two men could step into the inner chamber the ground beneath them began to shake violently. The air around them filled with a vapor that burned their nose and lungs, choking the air out of the area.
As Picard coughed, he cried out, "No, we have to get out of here."
- Sickbay -
(Two Hours Later)
The last thing the Captain remembered thinking about, before he awoke in Sickbay under the beams of a cellular tissue regenerator was his wife's beautiful face, and not the catastrophic events going on around him.
His greatest wish stood right beside him with a worried look upon her face. "Hello," he said in a hoarse tone.
"Hello to you too, Indy." She told him, "Now don't try to talk, your lucky we pulled you and Commander Raja out of there alive. Apparently, the first away team tripped some form of trap in the ruins and when you and Raja entered with your lights it triggered the release of a deadly toxic. We were lucky to be able to get you out of there before you both succumb to it. When are you going to realize your life is not just your own to worry about."
She took his hand and placed it on her swollen abdomen. Beneath their hands he felt the sharp kick of their child. With a painful intake of breath reality struck, at seventy-six he was about to become a father. This was the culmination of every wish he had ever had with the beautiful redhead standing over him.