Chapter 81:

An invitation was received by Section 31, "Picards, Supervisor Gary 9 wants to meet, 10 Forward LA June 28th 2028, 9am LA local time." This note got through the screeners and reached my attention.

I looked at the online reviews of 10 Forward. Many 5 stars often repeating, "Guinnan knew what I wanted to order when even I didn't.". "I hadn't realized how much I missed celery soda until Guinnan gave me one, ignoring what I asked for." "That wine I had in France, but didn't remember the name of, is what I was served."

There were a few 1 stars, "Got chased out by that crazy dog." Most of those were followed up by the owner explaining in great detail the misbehavior that led to them being asked to leave.

Myself, Luna, Cora, and Theo went to 10 Forward, at 10 Forward Ave, Los Angeles a few minutes before the appointed time. Our security didn't like us going into a meeting not planned by us, but Guinnan agreed for their hidden presence in the bar. We were let in past the sign, "Closed".

We were introduced to Guinnan. I said, "You know, we never tried to find you during the time that we needed proof of extraterrestrials. We know that you are a listener and didn't even consider using you as an example of an extraterrestrial threat."

Gunnan replied, "You also know that I would have skedaddled off of Earth" She poured me a drink from the distinctive bottle shape of Saurian Brandy.

I said, "Wow, I always wanted to try that. I thought we have Sauria off limits since they haven't developed warp yet."

Guinnan replied, "I listened there."

Luna asked, "What are you going to do during the LA evacuation in 2033?"

From canon we knew that a catastrophic earthquake would happen in the Los Angeles region in 2047. Geoengineers with magical help were going to relieve the fault line stresses with controlled earthquakes starting in 2033. The level was going to kept below richter 6.0, and the more severe earthquake and breaking of the San Andreas fault would be prevented. The affected region was going to be evacuated for several years.

Guinnan said, "Probably going to move on to Starbase Sol."

At precisely 9am, a man appeared, resembling Gary 7 from the Original Series episode "Assignment Earth", but dressed business casual. It still had the same effect as Gary 7's sharp looking suit in 1968, in that if he showed some sort of secret agent badge, at least by appearance he would be believable.

"I am Supervisor Gary 9." He also had a black cat with him, wearing a silver collar.

I said, "I am Tom Picard. Are you related to Gary 7?"

Gary 9 replied, "He was my grandfather."

The cat meowed at Cora who replied, "Are you Isis, the shape shifter who was with Gary 7 in 1968?"

The cat turned into a woman who resembled the cat and had the same silver collar, "Yes, I am Isis. I am a human magical."

She didn't look that much older than Isis in Original Series "Assignment Earth", which took place 60 years earlier, but magical humans age slower than non-magical humans.

After introductions, and Guinnan poured drinks for everyone, a glass of milk for Isis.

Guinnan gave a drinkable pudding to Luna and said, "This is Betazoid." We hadn't yet contacted Betazed.

I said, "This is a little different from a timeline I know of. In that one Talinn, a Romulan was a Watcher of my daughter Renée"

Gary answered, "Interesting that she joined the Romulan House Radaik while in another timeline had a Romulan Watcher.

I am human, we are descendants of humans removed from Earth over 5000 years ago. We would not use a Romulan, who would be too easily detected in missions to Earth. We try to use species that would not draw too much attention in the places they go. We also do not have specific Watchers."

Luna asked, "Do you travel in time?"

Isis answered, "No, although we can see into the future."

I said, "That would be another difference from another timeline. I think in that timeline, the Watchers program was started in the 24th century, but then traveled through time to preserve the timeline. The difference is probably that Q is not allowing timeline revisions. Probably the 29th century Temporal Integrity Commission and the time cops also will not exist in this timeline."

Isis said, "I can confirm to you that neither exist."

Luna said, "Do we have the same goals? How compatible are these goals with Q's goals?"

Isis said, "We really should bring Q into this discussion."

Guinnan said, "As little as I am looking forward to seeing him, I'll summon him."

As Guinnan was reaching for a particular bottle, Q appeared and said, "No need to drink history. I do so like reunions."

Gary 9 said, "Just the entity I wanted to see. Everyone in the room is interested in timelines, and all except Guinnan manipulate them. We need to clear the air so that we do not work at cross purposes."

Q said, "This timeline matters to me. You are all working for its betterment and have my approval. Remember, no eddy currents. The timeline flows forward, protected as need be, but not corrected once it has been, except by me that is."

Cora asked, "You showed me the Organians. Is that what you want to see the Federation species become?"

Q said, "Your species have the potential to become like the Q. Being like the Organians would just be a step towards that, but one that the Organians themselves will not make. We Q need a new influx."

Isis asked, "Are you asking the Supervisors and Section 31 to work together?"

Q said, "I'll be watching what the two groups decide to do and then later actually do." Q then disappeared.

I said to Gary 9, "Does your organization accept the same end goal that Q gave?"

Gary 9 replied, "We try to better the outcomes of what you would call timeline nexuses. Our viewpoint is in the order of centuries, not as long term as that of evolving towards the Organians and beyond. It took them millions of years, humanity and the Federation might do so faster, but it is still a very long term project. In that context, we are looking at the trees, not just the forest.

Our actions towards Earth, both in our history, and in your canon, were to guide humanity past disasters. We saw what you were doing in the last 35 years, and let it proceed without our intervention. Now as we look to future nexuses we are drawn in again.

Tell me Tom, how do you see Section 31 continuing in the next centuries?"

I said, "I see what you are getting at. It worries me also. We obviously trust ourselves, but who will run it after us? Also, our organization needs extraordinary power, but that power is renewed by accomplishments. If too much time goes by, without us visibly fixing something major, maybe we lose authority.

On the other hand, if our organization holds onto authority, but becomes corrupt, it can have negative effects. In canon the organization became too secretive, implementing plans that were not well thought out.

In the conflict between magicals, this was the exact approach I persuaded Albus Dumbledore to discontinue. The Section 31 that we built, him included, operates by consensus. We get buy-in from the rest of Federation leadership, or openly try to assert authority. We never operate secretly, or I should clarify, we never found a circumstance in which operating secretly from the rest of Federation leadership was warranted.

This is the tradition that we want to establish that will last for many centuries. Hopefully, we will have seers throughout that time.

We have also instilled in Starfleet and the Federation the notion that orders are not to be followed without common sense. That corruption, insanity, mind control, shape shifting, and various other unknown factors including stupidity can cause orders to be issued that should not be followed."

Gary 9 said, "Our organization would like to join efforts with yours, not as a merging, but as a cooperation. We would stay in close contact, and each given the ability to monitor what the other is doing."

Luna said, "What about your advanced technology?"

Isis said, "I saw you trying to scan my collar. No, we will not share technology. Your species and the Federation need to go through its developmental steps, not be handed far more advanced technology and magic than it has yet discovered.

We will give you a window into our operations, and give you pledges that the operational view is complete. We don't actually need the same from you since we can already see what you are doing."

Theo said, "On a completely different topic, as representatives of Earth, we are obligated to say the following. As humans, we would offer any of your people the right to move to Earth or to otherwise connect to humanity and also to the Federation.

Also, we want to make sure that sentients are not being prevented from leaving your society, when there is another place that would welcome them."

Gary 9 said, "Consider what happened when people on Earth were separate for thousands of years and then met again. The lower tech ones were conquered by the higher tech, in the Americas and Australia and Pacific Islands.

This is not what would happen, but the gap between our two cultures are too large to merge without disruption. However, we will give you the ability to verify that noone is being kept against their will from Earth. If it would ever to happen that one of us should move to the Federation, as opposed to being an agent there, certain knowledge would need to be removed from them before doing so."

I said, "Agreeable. Getting back to cooperation of the organizations. We each try to remain true to our purpose. Obviously each of our organizations try to prevent losing this purpose. We can consult with each other regularly to provide a sanity check. Both organizations should have a long term directive to take seriously the other saying that they have gone astray. This is separate from the usual and expected disagreements on how problems should be solved, this is making sure that the organizations remain pure to their purposes."

Isis said, "We agree. Also we should meet regularly to discuss the future of our linear timeline and upcoming nexuses."

Cora said, "We do not see an upcoming nexus. Our seeing is often years at most, only rarely decades or longer, except for seeing canon which is no longer our future. Our Federation consensus is that this is a time for peace and building up our economies, societies, and magic. That leaves few nexus level decisions unless unexpected threats emerge."

Gary 9 said, "I see your long term planning about the Borg, and I do not have anything to say about that. I see your eventual plans with the Klingons, Xindi, Gorn, and Tholians, and might have something to say as your plans emerge in the future.

However, your assumption that you can handle the Dominion is perhaps over optimistic. At this time, the only way I can see for you to improve your chances is to direct your research more to what you understand of them from canon. Remember it is not only ship fighting ship you'll need to worry about, but Federation worlds becoming their allies."

Isis added, "And given that we worry about the trees, not just the forest. Here in LA, widen your evacuation area considerably. Geoengineering is less understood than you think."

Gary 9 said, "We will setup a protocol for meeting. In canon we kept our location secret, but Section 31 will learn its location when Federation expansion would reach it, to arrange for visitors to be kept away. You can send a representative there. That person, or group, or family, if you prefer will be prevented from learning our technology. They will be able to meet humans as they wish and verify if they are being kept there against their will. Bring them to our next meeting."