Paint and Powder

A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.

Enterprise: The End of the Universe

Written by stormturmoil

"...alright Q, what's your game this time?" Enterprise sighed. This wasn't the first time Q had incarnated her as a quasi-organic melding of her ship self and Avatar, and she was annoyingly certain it probably wouldn't be the last. It Did have the advantage that it Might mean her crew wasn't in danger since they weren't - properly - here with her.

"Believe it or not...alright, probably not, but regardless, this is actually an apology" Q...well, not spoke; being as both were out in something that might sort-of be open space, it wasn't speech, and she didn't register it as any sort of transmission either, but she heard it none the less; probably showing off by simply rewriting reality so he'd been heard without actually speaking.

Enterprise raised an eyebrow "...An apology? An apology for what?"

"Oh that would be telling!" Q shot back "...but you can't tell me that I haven't done many, many things worthy of an apology to you, now can you?"

Well, yes, there was that. So, there was definitely something; a lot of somethings, actually, so it was more 'which' than 'what'.

Enterprise wasn't sure what the point was, though; Incarnating her in this form again, though mildly amusing, wasn't much to a being of Q's power, so she wondered what the major thrust of this apology was. As if reading her mind (which he probably was) [No, I'm Not] Q responded "one of the things you've always had in common with the beings who crewed you - humans especially - was curiosity; A desire to see something new and interesting. As it happens, despite my power and knowledge, it's one thing I enjoy as well, though I seldom get to indulge it; I must remember to do something Nice for Vash sometime as well...but I digress! Since I've landed you in some unpleasant and frankly banal situations in the past, I thought I'd treat you to one of the experiences even I found remarkable."

Enterprise considered this; It was certainly within Q's power to drag her to who-knows-where, but something even he had found intriguing? that was...well, somewhat worrying. While she couldn't truly Fathom the power of a Q, just as her crew could not, she was a bit closer to being able to grasp it, and so this worried her.

Yet as she glanced around she didn't see much in the way of interest, just open, empty...somewhat fuzzy spacetime, saturated with photons and dissolving quarks, but not much more. She shrugged.

" This doesn't seem all that remarkable"

"Oh it hasn't happened yet...and just as well, you wouldn't want to be out here when it does, but fortunately, I was able to get reservations"

Enterprise's train of Thought suddenly derailed at the apparent non sequiter, but Q merely waved; turning, Enterprise rotated on her axis until she faced away...and suddenly found herself looking at something her sensors had completely overlooked until she turned to face it.

As she took in the sight, her mind struggled to describe it, until she eventually settled on four words. "That is such Bullshit"

Q actually laughed "I know, right? Even I didn't expect it, even with my near-omniscience, and yet here it was, once I came to look. Something even I could never have predicted, and those close-minded fools in the Continuum would never have even guessed at, and yet here it is!"

Enterprise struggled a little, as the sight sorted itself out, and she struggled with the enormity of something that could even astonish the Q...but even so...

Even so "Milliways, The restaurant at the End of the Universe?" Enterprise asked, almost Dumbfounded.

Q Actually shrugged "Now do you understand why I find humans so interesting? Who else would think to build something like this?"

At that, Enterprise actually smiled, for one of the few times while in Q's presence. "so...reservations?"

"Absolutely! We'll just get our table and drinks in time for the main event! Though honestly, that part isn't as interesting as the other clientele...worth seeing, yes, but not worth paying to see."

A certain suspicion arose unbidden in Enterprise's mind, and she turned and fixed Q with a stare: "...does that mean you're going to stiff me on the bill?"