The Hour of Departure Has Arrived,
And We Go Our Ways
Picard was shaving after a restless night's sleep when his combadge bleeped.
"Doctor Crusher to Picard."
"Yes doctor?" he asked. So beautiful, if only she wasn't part of my crew.
"Captain," she said. Ah, this is a business call then. "Worf tells me you sent him tosickbay yesterday until he calms down?"
"Yes, I did," Picard admitted.
"Well he's still here," Crusher said. "We're preparing to treat casualties today and the man is refusing to leave."
"I'll come straight down, Picard out." You've underestimated Klingon stubbornness again.
Picard strode into sickbay and looked around for Doctor Crusher. Young doctors and nurses were running maintenance checks on equipment. If we're very lucky and quick, this won't be needed, he reassured himself. He had never allowed himself to become comfortable with losing people.
Crusher entered the room and grabbed him by the arm.
"This way," she said.
"Has Mr Worf been causing difficulties, doctor?"
"Not really," the doctor admitted. "He's just filling a bed we might need."
Picard followed the doctor into a side ward of eight beds. His Security Chief lay in full uniform staring at the ceiling, his arms crossed. Picard decided how to handle the warrior as he strode across the room.
"Mr Worf, on your feet," Picard barked like a parade ground sergeant of old. "Resume your duties and yesterday will not go on your permanent record."
Worf leapt out of bed and stood to attention.
"I wish to resign my commission," he said, staring at the wall behind Picard. "This is not about my pride, serving on this ship has become incompatible with Klingon ideals of honour. My ideals."
"Your ideals are important, Worf," Picard moved the conversation onto a more informal footing. "But Kolth has provided a course that will return us to our own time, almost where and when we left. We will be ideally placed to disable one of those motherships and board her."
"That was my idea!"
"Yes, and it is a good one," Picard admitted. "But we may have to fight our way out and there's no one I'd rather have at Tactical."
"Then it would be my honour to continue fighting for the Federation," Worf decided.
Picard got as far as the corridor outside sickbay, before the com system summoned him.
"Captain Picard to engineering," LaForge's voice echoed through the corridor. Picard slapped his combadge and answered:
"I'll be there shortly, LaForge." He turned and sought the turbolift that would take him to the Main Engineering deck. He found LaForge and O'Brien in a nook off the main room.
O'Brien looked around to make sure he was not overheard before he said:
"I did what you asked, sir, and hung around with the Magrans when they installed that device in the cargo hold."
La Forge handed him a small box. It had a hinged plastic cover protecting one button.
"This morning," La Forge said. "We rigged up two devices of our own. One's a small explosive in the right place and one's a chronotron field emitter."
"And what do they do?" Picard knew the basics of engineering, but both these men were adepts.
"Flip back the cover." LaForge pointed to the box. "Then press the red button and it turns the device off."
"I warn you though," O'Brien frowned. "That scrubs all the patterns in the buffer. Gone for good."
"We thought," LaForge waved a hand at himself and the transporter chief. "It might be a useful last resort."
"Ah," Picard sat and stared at the box in his hand. This will kill billions of children. Or save my ship. Or both?
"Let's hope I don't have to use it."
The turbolift carried Picard to the bridge, he tugged the hem of his tunic straight and ran a finger around his collar just before the doors opened.
"Are we ready Number One?" He asked Riker, who was leaning over helm control, reading the panel. Picard noticed he was wearing a space suite and had left the helmet next to his chair.
"Yes sir," Riker replied. "All systems are showing nominal, La Forge reports all engines available," Riker reported. "Data believes that an automated ship will not have an atmosphere, so I've kitted the Away Team out for that contingency. We are ready to go on your word."
"Good, because I hope to get in, find the information we need and get away without damaging my ship," Picard said as he slumped into his seat.
Riker grinned: "Winded? Enterprise is a big ship."
"I am far from winded, Number One," Picard admonished with a straight face.
"I heard the captain of the Odyssey uses a Segway to get from the Bridge to Engineering."
"The day I need assistance to get from one end of my ship, to the other," Picard declared. "Is the day they can put me out to grass."
"Captain to all decks," Picard raised his tenor voice and the computer activated the PA system. "We will return to our own time close to the point we left. We are doing this for two reasons: one, to minimise damage to the timeline and two, the Federation needs information about the ships that attacked us. We will be at Battle Stations the moment we re-enter our own time period. Picard out."
"Helm, ready?" Picard asked. The helmsman answered in the affirmative."
"Let's hope luck is on our side," Picard said.
The turbolift doors opened and Councillor Troi and Worf entered the bridge. He took his station with a nod to Picard, and the councillor took her seat at his left hand without a word.
"How is crew moral?" Picard asked the councillor.
"Mixed," Troi replied. "We've had our confidence knocked by that last battle, but we trust our captain."
"That's reassuring," Picard said.
"Some people are looking forward to locking horns with those warships again," she continued. "They want payback for the damage done to us."
"Let's hope they get it. Very well, helmsman, en-"
The bridge filled with Magrans. Worf yanked a phaser from under his console and rushed forward as they surrounded Picard.
"Stand down, boy," Kolth roared. "We're only here to wish you luck."
Worf lowered the phaser as Kolth clapped Picard on the back. "And wish us luck in return, eh, Picard? We'll be ready for deep space within the year."
"Yes, of course," Picard said as he gathered his wits. He spotted Garyll in the group and was about to ask if Kolth had told her of their discovery yesterday when the old Magran leaned in and whispered.
"We've said nothing of that repeating message to Garyll, no need to create a bootstrap paradox, eh?"
"I understand: if you tell her what the message is, then she will broadcast the message only because we recorded her broadcast. Agreed," Picard whispered back. "That way madness lies."
Kolth moved off to talk to Data, and Picard faced Councillor Trayne. The Magran's face was long and his shoulders rigid. "The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways. I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."
"Socrates' Apology?" Picard hazarded. "Have you been studying our philosophers?"
"I have found Socrates` courage in the face of death a great example," Treyn admitted. "When his society betrayed him, he drank the poisoned cup with dignity. If he was fearful, he never let it show."
"Has someone betrayed you?" Picard asked, drawing himself up to his full height.
"Not you, Picard," Treyn replied. "Not even your Klingon, who is only staying true to what he is. I have been betrayed by my fellow Magrans," his voice rose in volume enough to carry across the bridge, "who are going to pack up and run away."
Picard winced and glanced around. Kolth had his back to them and was probably deliberately ignoring Trayn.
"You could still go with them," Picard urged. "With Kolth and the others."
"No, I believe I cannot. Someone has to stay and fight whatever comes for us. If only to find out what it takes to destroy the Magrans."
Treyn bowed with exaggerated dignity and vanished. Others took his place. They were mostly solemn, although some like Kolth, seemed to be looking forward to returning to a wanderer's life style. Councillor Garylle was last to present herself to Picard. She was the only Magran wearing a luminous blue tunic which reflected the colour of her eyes.
"And may I ask which faction you have joined?" Picard asked.
"I've never been a joiner," Garyll admitted.
"Oh?"
"I'm afraid I'm leading the third faction."
"And what option does that cover?"
"We are also building ships," Garyll admitted. "But we are going to stay until Magra is attacked. We shall study the forces come against us in the hope of defeating them at a later date. We also intend to leave a trail for you to follow, once we are safe."
Ah. That explains the broadcast.
Garyll took his hand. "You must keep our children safe. Please?"
The councillors eyes brimmed with tears.
"I have both children and grandchildren in your cargo bay," she admitted. "I always enjoyed bringing new people into the world."
"I will do everything in my power to carry them safely clear of the Dead Zone." Picard squeezed her hand firmly and touched her knuckles to his stomach. It was an old diplomat's body language trick to engender trust. It seemed to work on Garyll. She squeezed his hand once more and smiled as she stepped back. The Magrans vanished and the bridge seemed suddenly empty. Picard took his seat between Riker and Troi.
"Helm, engage," he ordered. Enterprise jumped to warp, her powerful engines vibrated as the star Magra grew larger on the main viewer.
Picard was shoved back into his chair as the sun grew larger on the view screen. The Magran home world flashed by and he used the auxiliary panel on his chair arm to look at the sensor feeds. There were billions of life signs on four of the worlds the Enterprise was warping past. Millions more on the moons and living on stations in orbit. Each life sign had the power of a techno god. What force exterminates all these species? He knew his curiosity would not be satisfied until he found out.