The Return of Charlie Evans-Chapter 4

Yeoman Janice Rand sat nervously in Dr. Noel's office. She had gone to her instead of McCoy because she felt that this new problem she faced would get her, at the very least, a Section Eight. It all started last week, a year to the day when Charlie Evans vanished off the Enterprise Bridge. She hadn't thought of him for six months, but, for some reason, soon after the excursion to Miri's planet, she started to see him everywhere. The last straw came that morning. He appeared, fully clothed, in her shower! She told him to get lost or he, real or not, would be singing soprano permanently. He giggled and vanished.

Dr. Helen Noel came through the door, psych tricorder in hand. She took one look at her patient, and wondered what she was doing there. Could it be that she still hadn't gotten over the evil duplicate Kirk's attempted rape? Or, perhaps it had been something to do with her recent experience on the other planet Earth. Whatever it was, the yeoman looked flustered and worried.

"Hello, Yeoman." She greeted warmly. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hi, Doctor. I hardly know how to begin."

Noel sat in an easy chair and faced her patient. She had recently become Starfleet's first certified ship's counselor. She knew from Janice's demeanor that this problem could be a serious one, and that she would have to keep what was said in the room in the strictest confidence, unless whatever it was presented a danger to the ship in some way. Rand's nervousness was infectious.

"Well, beginning at the beginning usually helps."

"All right." She took a deep breath. "I think I'm going crazy. I keep seeing Charlie Evans everywhere!"

"Who?"

"Oh, I forgot. You were not on the ship yet at the time. He was a young man with Thasian powers."

"Oh, yes. I read about him. An interesting case study." Noel paused, concerned. "You are seeing him everywhere?"

"Yes. The first appearance was right after I beamed aboard after returning from Earth Number Two. The crew was due for shore leave. I entered my quarters after a long hard day, was just about to read a novel on my computer, when he appeared behind the viewer."

"Did he say anything?"

"Yes. He said 'Help me, Janice' and disappeared."

"Was he solid, or could you see through him?"

"He seemed to be as real as you or I."

"Well…it sounds to me as if that experience affected you more than you realized, Janice."

"That's just it, Doctor! I thought I had gotten over him six months ago!"

"Janice, people don't get over someone like that that fast. Have you ever heard of traumatic stress disorder? Sometimes, after something profoundly emotional or disturbing happens, like your experience on Miri's planet, it triggers memories of another highly stressful event."

Janice shook her head.

"This wasn't a memory, Doctor! I have heard of that disorder, and I am certain it's not that."

"But you say you think you're going crazy."

"She's not." A familiar voice interrupted. Rand gasped and Noel stood with astonishment. She was about to reach for the intercom to call the captain for the intruder alert alarm. The young man waved a hand and she found she couldn't reach the controls. He then began to morph into a young woman. She smiled benignly and looked at the other two women with compassion. "Hello, Miss Rand. Because my Evans disguise wasn't working, I decided to appear to you as I really am. My name is Amanda Rodgers, and I am a Q."

"Wh—what is a Q?" Janice asked anxiously, watching as the mysterious intruder waved her hand again and broke the spell which had been holding Dr. Noel.

"We are the parent race of the Thasians. Some of us consider ourselves more advanced, but not me. I have come to ask you for your assistance in locating and protecting Charlie Evans. He is in trouble."

"I have never heard of you, Miss Rodgers." Noel said.

"I'm not surprised. I am from the twenty-fourth century."

"Charlie is in trouble in the next century?" Rand asked.

"Yes. One of the head Q's wants to kill him."

"Why?"

"Because, when Charles became of age, he also chose to become a Q. It was a foolish mistake, since this other Q wanted Evans to do what he wanted him to do. Charles just wanted to be free. The Thasians understood that, but could do nothing but hold the other Q in a stasis field on Thasus while Charles left via our time transporter to an undisclosed location. My job is to find him and take his Q powers away from him before the other escapes."

"This is deep." Noel whispered. "Can I do anything?"

The young woman named Amanda Rodgers shook her head no.

"There are already people in the next century to assist us on the star ship Enterprise-D. I am here to ask you to accompany me, Yeoman."

"It's an interesting offer, but I can't go AWOL."

"You don't need to." With another wave of her hand, she produced an exact double of Yeoman Janice Rand.

"Captain Kirk won't even know you've gone." The double said with a wink. "Dr. Noel, would you mind keeping this under wraps?"

Noel studied the double for a moment. She was exact in every detail.

"Will the double be able to pull this off? I'm game if you are, Janice Number One."

The landing party materialized at one end of a huge long corridor, which was lined with machinery on both sides as far as the eye could see. They were all expecting the place to look like a cyclone went through it, but all seemed neat and orderly, with no sign of a scuffle or a fight. Either the Federation people who preceded them went on a cleaning jag, or the Q had lied. Tola suspected it was the latter, as did the rest of the away team. She sensed a strong presence in the vicinity. They were being watched intently. Tola could detect strong emotions. One was immense rage. That emotion was quite close. Others were senses of urgency and fear, coupled with an uneasy feeling of satisfaction.

Riker and Tate took out their tricorders. For the ensign, it was standard procedure to record everything that went on during their visit here. She half wondered if Starfleet really wanted to know. The group separated. Vickers accompanied Tola as Riker, Data and Tate examined the myriad dials, lights and switches lining the walls.

Data soon discovered a door within a niche. It was made of some sort of metal that defied analysis. The door was seamless, but light could be seen seeping through the bottom. There did not appear to be any recognizable mechanism for opening or closing.

"Everyone," he called, "there is something interesting over here. There is some kind of doorway."

They all quickly responded. Commander Riker examined the door ruefully.

"Can you find a way in?" He asked, inwardly uncertain whether or not he wanted to explore what lay beyond. Then, he considered that that was one of the main reasons that Starfleet sent ships out into space. Tola and Vickers stepped forward, their weapons set on stun. They were all still being scrutinized by unseen eyes and it was beginning to work on the nerves of all of them. Tola still sensed the rage emotion, and surmised but couldn't prove yet that it was probably the Q.

"Commander Riker," Tate asked uneasily. "Wouldn't it be prudent to ask the Thasians if we could enter before busting in? After all, it is their planet."

"A point well taken, Ensign. Tola, are you able to contact them telepathically?"

"I will try, sir. Do not be alarmed if I appear to lose consciousness." She said, sitting down beside the door. "Their telepathy will probably be very strong." She closed her eyes and concentrated. At first, she was overwhelmed. A flood of fear and questions drowned out her own thoughts and queries. In a few moments, though, she regained control, and, after sorting out all the emotions and thoughts, Tola found that the Thasians were the ones who were watching the away team. The Q, amazingly, was bottled up in the transporter mechanism. There was urgency in the Thasians' mental processes. They made it clear that they could not hold the Q for long, so the away team would have to find Evans in five days. They also told her what was behind the metal door and that the Q was unable to pick up anyone's thoughts in his suspended animation prison.

Tola opened her eyes to see the rest of the landing party standing around her. Riker and Vickers offered her a hand as she stood and brushed herself off.

"The door is voice activated, and only a certain speech pattern will open it." Tola announced. "The Thasians have instructed me to say a peculiar phrase from ancient Earth mythology." She turned back to the door. "Oh mighty Isis."

The door opened with a soft swish. A lovely and rather large black cat with a diamond-studded collar peered at them from a crouched position. It growled a greeting, stood, and took a step backward, as if bidding them to enter.

"Tola and I both have our phasers set on stun, Mr. Riker. There might be dangers within." Vickers said.

The cat went on ahead of them and Tola smiled.

"Any animal as well maintained as that feline would not be in danger, but it is a wise precaution, Alistair."

"However, do firing on my orders only." Riker said. "Understood?"

"Of course, Commander."

The cat paused and looked at Riker with obvious disdain, as if it understood what they were saying. It raised its head regally, and padded ahead of them without a backward glance.