Chapter XXIV
The taste of victory was sweet in his mouth as he drank from the goblet in his hand and looked down upon the surface of the world beneath them. Another lance of incandescent fire gouged its way across the surface of Cardassia Prime and Worf felt honored to have been permitted to seize this vessel in order to repay the duplicitous aliens for their part in the death of his beloved. A frown creased his features as a stray thought occurred to him. This is not right… I am Ambassador for the Empire, the Klingon realized.
He reached to steady himself as the deck shook beneath his feet, his fingers locating the necessary control rapidly while he waited for the results of his command. Perhaps this time they would be successful and the fading energies of the starship's might would pierce the shields of the relentless armada of Borg cubes which seemed to follow them wherever they went.
But even as the shot was fired, he recognized his surroundings. As the bedraggled Riker watched from below, the Klingon called up the sensor readings. A blow struck the side of his head, sending him into the air; but Worf was able to roll and absorb the impact even as Data raised his hand once more. A calm voice said, "I think your pet has learned his lesson, my brother."
The android turned away from him and he sprinted towards the console once more. His movements were hampered by the apparatus he wore and once more he cursed the day his friends had convinced him to undergo the procedure rather than end his life as would have been honorable. Worf knew that he might have only a few moments to accomplish anything and he stabbed with all of his might at the controls. Abruptly, everything seemed to stop and the Klingon realized that he was frozen; his finger poised just above the button. It is almost as if whatever is causing this knows what I intend and is interfering, he thought.
Worf considered his options, but his knowledge of temporal mechanics and quantum theory was limited. However, his friends might have an idea. Turning from the display in front of him, Three of Twelve allowed his enhanced gaze to take in his surroundings.
The will of the Collective was like an immense river, threatening to drown his thoughts at any moment. However, the mindless reptilian still retained a fragment of his former purpose and so considered who might be able to devise a way out of their predicament. In the back of his mind, Worf could still feel the pull of the aliens who had addicted him to their insidious game so long ago; but the Klingon would not relent in his determination.
It was difficult for him to concentrate due to the constant shifting between one reality and the next, but he saw something which they had in common almost at once. Tapping his combadge, he said, "Worf to Data, please join me in my ready room at once."
Standing, he went to examine the weapon on his wall and wondered how this version of history had led him to this point. The doors opened at this point and the Klingon stepped inside and knelt before the android. "I am feeling merciful, please stand," his liege directed. Facing his comrade, he said, "I have reason to believe that the fabric of existence is coming apart. Unless we find a way to restore it, the universe might be in peril." The hologram nodded thoughtfully, then said, "Your opinion, Number One?"
"You have experienced this before, yet your previous idea appears to have been ineffectual," Data noted. "I was hoping that you might be able to suggest an alternative," Worf went on.
"During a recent encounter with Q, he suggested that an entity might be feeding off the temporal anomalies. He implied that only the existence of multiple realities prevents it from destroying everything," the scientist told him.
"Yet such things are being created all of the time. Therefore how can we use that against this creature?" the Klingon wondered. "It seems to me that we must place this entity in a period of history where its eventual destination is infinite, therefore negating its effect upon us," she answered. "If I understand what you are saying, then there is only one solution to our problem," he decided, moving onto the bridge with Lore following him.
He had long ceased to wonder about the effect his passage might have on the other planes of existence, since the numerous possibilities contained within each instant determined how the next would take its shape. On the viewscreen, Worf could see the vortex clearly as it pulsed under the beam from the mysterious ship.
The Enterprise was still whole and his jaunt thru other realms seemed to have ended as abruptly as it had begun. Now, the only question was how to get their foe to go thru the aperture. There was a flash of light and the Klingon frowned, then growled, "Fine time to pay a visit, Commander." "Couldn't miss this opportunity… by the way, Q sends his regards," Riker told him.
"I would appreciate any suggestions that you might have to offer," he admitted. Wesley shrugged and said, "This matter is beyond my ability to influence. Like the Traveler, I am here merely as an observer." Worf nodded, then smiled faintly. "Beam the Orb onto the bridge," the Klingon directed. "Have you gone mad? That would surely tear this ship apart!" Martok objected.
He didn't reply, but instead reached out and touched the controls himself. The deck rattled audibly beneath him as the scintillating jewel materialized and Worf saw that his shifts were coming even more rapidly than before. Doggedly, he walked to the glistening object and extended his hand to touch its surface. Abruptly, all was still. "He is linear, but not the Emissary," Sisko intoned from in front of the viewscreen. "He comes at the end, when all begins," Kira noted, dressed as a Bajoran cleric.
"He is not alone. They are all with him," Leybenzon pointed out, gesturing off in the distance. The Klingon turned, his mind boggling at the sight. Like a mirror reflecting itself, an infinite array of images seemed to stretch before him; each like his own but altered somehow. "You know why I'm here," each version of Worf said at once, facing the Prophets again.
"You are the one this time. There have been others and will be more yet again. This path goes no farther," Gul Dukat warned. "You would permit the universe to be destroyed?" he retorted incredulously.
"It cannot be eliminated, for it does not exist and always shall pervade the space beyond our home," his wife explained. "But without your help, I cannot accomplish this. A malignant entity is devouring everything. Alone, all of us shall perish!" the Klingon protested. "We have not done anything before, nor is this bound to occur in order to cause all to be. For you there is the linear… a beginning and an end. This is the latter," Janeway told him. "If you choose not to act, then more is at stake.
The devastation which has been unleashed shall bring about the collapse of every possibility," Worf said.
"Such things are inevitable for you. It is impossible to fight destiny. You should not even try," Picard declared. He felt a sudden surge and was thrown to the deck. The Orb still hovered before him, its power threatening the lives of everyone aboard. But the final words of the enigmatic aliens had given him an idea; one which while dangerous, might succeed.
"Activate an inverse warp field," he directed, a thousand million scenes flashing by between each syllable; myriad hands reaching for the correct key and pressing it inexorably. The result was immediate and even as he watched, the phenomenon before them expanded outwards; covering their ship instantly. Worf sat up, his eyes focused on the interior of his quarters. He frowned, wondering about the vivid memories that flashed into his mind. The trip to Cardassia Prime, the events which had led to the destruction of the universe… the Klingon did not believe it was all a dream. Rising, he activated his terminal and called up his orders.
Worf frowned, realizing that these were quite different from the ones he recalled. Shutting down the monitor, he made himself a glass of prune juice and allowed his mind to consider his recollections. The entire sequence of events was far too sharp for it to be his imagination. But he also knew there was only one way to settle the issue. Turning back to his computer, he soon established a channel with the Enterprise. After waiting for a few moments, the face of Captain Picard appeared.
"Ambassador, I must say that this is an unexpected pleasure. I was just thinking about you," his former superior stated. "And I confess the same thing… tell me, does everything feel right to you?" Worf asked.
The Captain's face frowned and he replied, "Now that you mention it, I did feel rather confused when I got up; as though I wasn't where I belonged. Why do you ask?" "Consult with the rest of the crew. I think you will find that they have similar feelings. I cannot prove it, but Q might be able to provide answers," the Klingon admonished.
Picard looked astonished, then nodded and said, "If what you're suggesting is true, I hope events do not take place in a similar fashion." "Anything is possible," he noted, then ended the transmission. Having glimpsed a mere fraction of the ways his life might've turned out, Worf knew that similar conversations were undoubtedly going on in those other versions of reality. He was still surprised at the abrupt way that it had ended; yet the Klingon realized there could have been no other outcome.
Changing the past would have brought about an instant alteration to the present, he thought. As for the creature which had brought about this series of events, Worf suspected that it still existed. Perhaps even now, others not unlike myself find themselves trapped by that entity; seeking a means of escape but not finding one.
Yet in still disparate realms, the conflict was still future; or perhaps might never come to pass. He found it all to be rather confusing. He felt relieved to have escaped, to return where and when he belonged. As for whether what he had experienced would ever take place once more, Worf hoped that he didn't get the chance to find out. Finishing his drink, the Ambassador for Qo'noS prepared himself for another day of service to Empire and whatever it might bring.