textfiles/sf/STARTREK/fieldofd

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From: CSW2589@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
To: jfy@cis.ksu.edu
Subject: Field of Dreams
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 13:28:42 -0400 (EDT)

Hello!  This is a story I wrote while I was a freshman at RIT.  There will be a
continuation as soon as I get around to it.  Enjoy!

Chrisopher Walck



                            Chapter I

     "Stardate 46890.3.  The Enterprise is heading to Starbase 220 for rest and

relaxation.  Hopefully we will get the time that we deserve."

     The bridge was rather active as the Enterprise left the Omega Three

outpost.  In the command chair, Commander William T. Riker had a feeling that

finally they would get some rest.  It had been a hard few months with any shore

leave, he thought.  

     Behind Riker, the turbolift doors opened and out stepped Captain Jean-Luc

Picard.  Riker noticed that Picard also looked rather haggard.  He needed the

rest as much as the rest of the crew did.  Picard walked down to the command 

chair.

     "Number One, I relieve you."

     Riker was thankful.  "Thank you, sir."

     Riker got up and was about to leave, but Picard stopped him.  "and Will, 

get some rest.  You need it."

     "Aye, sir."

                               *   *   *

     The doors opened for Riker.  He didn't care about eating or playing the 

trombone.  He was flat out tired.  He walked into the other room, changed,

washed his face and hands and got into bed.  A few moments later, he fell

asleep...

     The battle bridge was filled with excitement and nervous energy.  Riker

had told them the plan and hopefully, with the help of Commander Shelby, they

would be able to save the Federation at the hands of the Borg.  

     The Borg ship hung there silently.  Then the ship was replaced by

Locutus.

     "Locutus," Riker began, "we will not let you invade the Federation. 

Return to where you came from."

     "Return is irrelevent.  Federation will be irrelevent.  You shall be 

assimilated."

     "We will not be assimilated."  Riker turned and spoke to the tactical

officer.  The screen returned to a picture of the Borg vessel.

     "All right, Shelby.  Let's get this show on the road."

     On the main bridge, Shelby prepared for saucer seperation.  "Saucer sep.

in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.."

      The locks disengaged and the saucer section lifted away from the

stardrive.  Shelby took up position for the next step of their plan.

      Both commanders said simultaneously, "Fire."

      Phasers and photon torpedos smashed against the Borg ship.  But the Borg

ship had already been attacked with these primitive weapons.  They were

prepared for this.  But they wondered about this saucer seperation maneuver.

     "Proceed to phase #2."

     "Aye, sir.  Fire antimatter spread."

     Both the saucer section and stardrive shook.  The Borg had locked on with

a tractor beam.

     On the stardrive, Riker was not suprised.  "Engineering, break us out."

     LaForge couldn't do anything.  The Borg had them.

     On the saucer section, Shelby began to hear popping noises.  She

immediately pulled out her phaser.  The Borg transporters were in use.  The

Borg beamed into the center of the bridge.  Shelby and the rest of the crew

were stunned for a moment.  Then Shelby shot her phaser at a Borg soldier.

It went down without a struggle.  The other Borg had been taken down by the

officers on the bridge.

     Another group of Borg beamed in.  This time, Shelby fired her phaser and

it bounced off the Borg shield.  They were prepared for anything.  The Borg

fired several shots.  The rest of the crew, except for Shelby, went down with

a thud.  The Borg rushed over to Shelby, who tried to put up a struggle but

was instead knocked unconscious.  The transporter beamed the Borg and their

captive home.

     The crew on the stardrive section were having a pitched battle of their

own.  Using an idea that Wesley had, Riker was able to retune the phasers

every shot so that the Borg were unable to adjust.  Several borg had already

fallen in battle by the time the saucer section was cleared out by the Borg.

Riker was hidden behind the command chair when a flood of Borg beamed on board.

Riker shot a few shots, downing the Borg who were at the receiving end of them.

      The rest of the bridge crew was not faring so well.  They were all dead

 except for O'Brien.  He ran from the conn to the tactical station.  The Borg

fired an energy pulse and O'Brien went down in a wave of pain.  Then the Borg

put a hypospray to Riker's neck and they beamed back to the cubical ship the

Borg called home.

     The Borg ship hummed around Riker as he was strapped to the Borg

equivalant of an operation table.  Several Borg started working on Riker. 

Within a few moments, Will was one of the Borg collective.  

     His first order as a Borg was to destroy the Enterprise.  Since he

was part of the unimind, it took a thought to fire the weapons that destroyed

his former ship.  Then the Borg started moving again.  This time there would

be no one who would be able to stop the power of the Borg...

     Riker came to.  The Borg vessel had a strange hum.  Riker began moving.

He noticed that he was laying down.  He also was alone.  There were no voices

in his mind.  Riker also was dressed in strange clothing, not the usual black

leather with metal attachments of the Borg.

     Riker got up stiffly and looked around.  Everything was wrong.  Then he

heard a voice.  "Will?"

     Riker listened.  The voice was almost sweet, but sweet was irrelevent.  He

walked towards the door.  The door opened and Riker saw a woman.  Not a Borg,

but a woman.  His mind immediately knew what she was.  

     "Race, Betazoid.  You shall be assimilated."

     Deanna almost fainted.  Immediately, she touched her communicator.  

     "Dr. Crusher to Commander Riker's quarters.  Emergency!"

     Will looked at Deanna as though she was a stranger to him.  Suddenly, he

grabbed her arm and started squeezing.  Deanna felt pain shooting up her arm.

"Please Will, stop."

     Dr. Crusher and a medical team ran down the hall.  "What's the matter?"

     Will released Deanna's arm.  He turned towards Beverly.  "Race, human.  You

shall be assimilated."

     Beverly couldn't believe her ears.  She couldn't believe that Riker was 

a Borg.

                                 *   *   *

     Beverly Crusher looked at the readouts on her patient.  She had deduced 

that some outside force was causing the patient to believe he was

something that he wasn't.  All of the scans had turned up negative, but she

knew something was not right in the body of William T. Riker.

     Riker was lying on the biobed stiff as a board.  His expression was 

blank.  He just stared at the ceiling.  Since he had been brought in, he hadn't

said a word to anyone.  She had notified Picard and he told her that he would 

get in touch with Starfleet Command for orders.

    Beverly turned around to check Will again.  She hoped that this was all a

dream and that she would wake up any second.  As Beverly bent over Riker, a 

strange sensation came over her.  It was as though Riker was communicating

telepathically.  But she began to feel possessed by this urge to let Riker go.

     "BEVERLY... BEVERLY..." she heard in her mind.  She didn't know where the

voice came from.

     "HELP ME, BEVERLY...  HELP ME..."

     "Will... We are..."  

     Beverly couldn't believe what she had just said.  The possesion of her

mind grew more intense every second.  "NO! You shall be..."

     Beverly fought to keep control.  Riker was trying to impress the Borg

ideology on her, but how?  On the biobed, Will stared at Beverly.  His blank

face was turning into a smile as Beverly went further into the depths of the 

Borg mentality.

     She finally broke away from Riker.  Her mind felt assulted.  She would

have to talk to Deanna after this was all over.  
  
     "Crusher to security."
     
     "Security here, Lt. Worf."

     "Worf, I need you to take Will to a detention cell."

     "On my way."

     "Doctor?" Picard's voice broke in.

     "He tried to possess me, Captain.  It was difficult for me to break free."

     "I understand.  I have called for a meeting at 1600 hours.  Are you up for 

it?"

     Just what she needed, a meeting.  "Aye, sir."

     "Good.  I'll see you in a few moments."

                                 *   *   *

     "Chief Medical Officer's Log:  I have finished the tests on Riker.  I

have not found any cause for his afflicition.  I must give a report to the 

command crew in a few moments."

      Doctor Crusher walked into the observation lounge.  The only other

person there was Deanna.  Of all the people in the universe, why did it have

to be her? she thought.  Deanna looked at her with the eyes that could look

through you in a glance and feel what you felt.

      "Beverly...  Are you all right?"

      "Deanna... I'm fine.  I don't need your counseling."

      "Beverly... You just had a strange experience.  I can feel that it makes

you upset.  Tell me."

      Beverly looked out the window at the stars.  "Deanna, I felt so helpless.

It was if someone had free control over my mind.  The only way I broke away

was to think about how much I didn't want to be a Borg."

      Deanna got up and walked twoards Beverly.  "Come, sit down.  You need to

talk about it."

      Beverly sat down with Deanna.  Before they could start talking, the door

opened and the rest of the bridge crew came in.  Riker was noticeably absent.

Picard sat down at his regular chair.  Riker's chair was empty.

      "I will start by telling you that the crew has been asked to go on a

patrol mission near the Romulan Neutral Zone.  It seems to be that the Romulans

are showing some force on the other side of the Zone.  We are to watch the

Romulans until such time is appropriate to relieve us.  I know how much you

were looking twoards shore leave.
 
      "Now on to other matters.  As you already know Riker has been afflicted

by an unknown disease in which he thinks he is a Borg.  I feel sorry for him 

because I know what he is going through.  The first officer's position will

be filled by Commander Data.  Now, Dr. Crusher, your report."

      Dr. Crusher got up and went to the viewscreen on the wall.  "Thank you,

Captain."  The viewscreen filled with a picture of a scan she did on her

patient.  "This is a scan on Will's brain I ran less than three hours ago. 

When I checked it with a pervious scan, there was no change.  It is as

if William had nothing wrong with him.

      "There is one other thing.  When I was in sickbay, something happened. I

began to feel possessed.  It was as though Riker was trying to invade my mind.

I don't know how, but Will has become a very strong telepath.  I was forced to

put him in an isolation detetion cell."

      Silence fell over the room.  Picard looked at Data and an unspoken

question passed to Data.  "There have been no anomolies that would cause this 

phenomonon, sir."

      "All right then.  Meeting adjourned. Data, set cause for the romulan

Neutral Zone.  Dr. Crusher, keep working at it."

      Everyone got up and left except for Deanna.  Riker a telepath?  I

taught him everything that I know. she thought.  Then she left the room,

leaving it empty.

                            
 
                             CHAPTER II

      "Conuselor Deanna Troi's Personal Log:  I have talked with Beverly about

her experience.  She has decided that further counseling is needed.  I have set

up an appointment for tomorrow morning.  For now, I'm going to sleep."

      Deanna turned off the recorder and went to sleep...

      The sky was filled with birds and the scent of spring.  Betezed was so 

beautiful this time of year.  She and Admiral Riker were walking through the

park.  Will looked so good in his uniform.  What she didn't understand is why

did he seemed so closed today.

      "Imzadi... Is there something wrong?"

      Will looked away before answering.  "No, there isn't.  I'm just

thinking."

      The birds began to sing.  Deanna loved every moment of it.  "Is it 

something to do with the wedding that we're going to have tomorrow?"

      Riker sighed.  "Yes... and no.  I feel that it is wrong to get married

without thinking about it, but on the other hand my life would be with you, and

I can't forget that."

      Deanna stopped and turned twoards Will.  "Will, listen to me.  We have

been together for over twenty years.  Don't you think that is long enough

before we get married?  I mean, why did it take us so long?"

       Will looked at a tree and then looked at Deanna.  "Deanna, I love you."

And he kissed her.  They found a closed area when no one could see them and

enjoyed each other's company.

                              *   *   *

       Will woke up with a start.  He was laying on a comfortable bed in

Lwaxana Troi's house.  He could never get used to the idea that she would be

his mother-in-law.  He thought that she was an off-the-wall person who had

less than a whole brain in her head.

       He got up and undressed before going into the shower.  It felt so good

to have real water running down his back.  After the enjoyment he had yesterday

with Deanna, he felt as though he could defeat the entire Klingon Empire

bare-handed.  Riker turned off the shower and began to dry himself off.

       Someone knocked on the door.  Riker knew who it would be.  His best man

and his fellow crewmembers.  Riker opened the door and in came a Klingon and a

black man.

       "Ah!  Commander Worf.  It is good to see you again."

       Worf stood there and said, "The feeling is mutual, sir."

       Riker turned to Geordi.  "Nice to see you, Geordi.  So how are the

implants working out?"

       Geordi, with his blue eyes, said "Wonderful!"

       Geordi and Worf sat down while Riker got changed into his tuxedo. When

he came out, he asked, "Where is my best man?"

       Worf replied, "He forgot the rings."

       Riker looked at Worf as though he was crazy.  "Oh well, we will see him

shortly."

       While the three of them began to talk, a knock at the door anounced the

arrival of his best man.  Data was more human than any of them after he

'evolved' several years back.  Will wondered sometimes if he missed him being

an android.

       Data walked into the room with a smile on his face.  He had the rings

in his hand.  "Hello everyone!  I thought I'd never get here.  You know the

traffic is horrendous.  Must be a holiday.  Anyway, I was talking..."

       "Data, you haven't learned to stop babbling."  Riker interuppted.

       "Well thanks a lot.  Oh, you have ten minutes before the wedding.  You

ready?"

      Will took a deep breath.  "You bet I am."

      The four of them walked out the door.

                                    *    *    *

      The chapel where the wedding ceremony was being held was filled to

overflowing. All of the family from both sides were gathered together on this

special occasion.  The music started to play and the wedding began.  Will

was already at the altar and he looked at Deanna as she walked down the aisle.

      Lwaxana was sitting in the first row.  She was crying as Deanna took her

place next to her husband to be.  

      The priest began the ceremony.  After going through all the

preliminaries, the priest said, "If there someone who thinks this marriage

should not go forth, speak now or forever hold their piece."

      The priest waited a few moments.  Silence gripped the room, except for

Lwaxana's crying.  He was just about to begin when a voice cried out from the

back, "STOP THIS MARRIAGE!"

      Everyone turned around and looked at the newcomer to these proceeddings.

The man had on a Starfleet uniform and looked like Riker.  Deanna recognized

him almost immediately.  "That's Lieutenant Riker.  How did he find out?"

      The man began to walk down the aisle.  "I thought this day would never 

come for you two. I always thought that you and I would get  married, not

him."  With this he pulled out a phaser.  "and for that I will kill you."

      Deanna screamed and Riker tried to push her out of the way.  The phaser

shot out.  The beam went through Riker and hit Deanna squarely in the chest.

They both were incinerated instantly.  Then Lt. William Riker stuck the phaser

in his mouth and blew his head off.

                                    *   *    *

       The door chime rang.  On the bed, Deanna lay there unmoving.  The chime

rang again.  The person outside decided that they had the authority to

override the door.  She came in.  Dr. Crusher looked around the room.  When

her eyes looked at the bed, she was shocked.  Deanna had a phaser burn.  

       Dr. Crusher ran to her bedside.  After she ran a scan over her body,

Beverly called Captain Picard.  "Jean-Luc, I'm in Deanna's quarters.  I think

you'd better get down here."

       "On my way."

       A few moments later Picard arrived.  Dr. Crusher was bent over the

covered body.  "Yes, doctor?"  he said.

       "Captain, Deanna's dead and I can't save her!"

                         CHAPTER III

       "Captain's Log: Supplemental.  I have been getting strange reports from

all across the ship.  It seems that something has infected the crew and that

the crew has begun to die.  Dr. Crusher has no idea why this is occuring.  I 

have also spoken to Starfleet Command.  We have been ordered to contiune our

patrol of the Romulan Neutral zone."

       In his ready room, Picard sat and contemplated what had happened.  The

two deaths of his comrades had hit him hard.  Will was almost a son to

Jean-Luc.  Deanna was the side of Picard that he kept hidden from the rest of

the crew.

       The door buzzer brought Picard back from no man's land.  "Come," he

spoke with almost no inflection in his voice.

       The door opened and in came Dr. Crusher.  The look on her face did not

bode well.  She looked haggard and very tired.  "Captain."

       "Please come in, sit down."

       "Thank you, Captain."

       Picard tugged on his uniform jacket.  "You have a report to make?"

       "Yes, I do.  And you won't like it.  Since Deanna's death, twenty four 

other crew members have died in sickbay from no apparent reasons.  I can't

find a cause or a cure.  There is no indication of cause of death.  They all

still should be alive.

       "I also did an autopsy on Deanna.  From what I uncovered, Deanna was

shot at close range with a modified phaser."

       Picard looked at her and stared.  "A modified phaser?"

       "Yes. Data also agrees with me.  The weapon output was over 300 percent

more efficent than a normal phaser.  Jean-Luc, except for Riker, all the other

crew members who have died seem to be dying in their quarters.  I think there

is a murderer on board the Enterprise."

       Picard got up and walked to the window.  When he looked out, he saw the 

stars slowly go by.  When he turned again, he had a look of concern on his

face.  "I'll tell Mr. Worf to start an investigation into this.  I hope you're

wrong, Beverly, but it doesn't hurt to make sure."

       "Thank you, Jean-Luc."

       Beverly got up and left the room.  Picard sat down in his chair again

and called Mr. Worf to go over the investigation.

                             *   *    *

       Beverly went into Sickbay where several more crewmembers had died from

this inexplicable condition.  As she checked the first of the new casualities,

she heard a voice behind her.  "Mom?"

       Beverly turned quickly.  Behind her stood Wesley Crusher, who should

have been at the Acadamy.  "Wesley?"

       Wesely turned and ran out of Sickbay, almost as though he wanted his

mother to follow him.  "Wesley, come back!"

       When Beverly began to walk to the sickbay door, another voice was heard.

The voice was of Jack Crusher,  "Beverly, help me..."

       Bevelry ran out of Sickbay and followed where the voice was coming from.

She ended up in front of the cell where the now Borged Riker stood stiff.  His

mouth was moving and Jack's voice came out.  "Release me...  Release me..."

       Beverly became mesmerized.  She had known this had happened before, when

Riker came into sickbay.  But this time Beverly was unable to break free.  She 

walked twoards the cell and turned off the force field.  Riker walked out of

the cell and touched Beverly.  Beverly collapsed and quickly fell asleep...

       San Francisco was so beautiful the day that Beverly Crusher reported

for duty at Starfleet Medical.  She was sad that she wouldn't see the crew of

the Enterprise for a long time.  beverly walked into Starfleet Medical and

came upon her good friend Dr. Daylen Quaice.

       "Daylan, so good to see you again."

       He hugged her long and warmly.  "I'm glad you took this position here."

       "I am too.  So what have you been up to?"

       "I've been studying a new form of life that we had already discovered a

few years ago."

       A warning bell rang in th back of Beverly's head.  "Really?  So what

have you found out about it?"

       "The lifeform is considered a superior form of life.  Come, I'll show it

to you."

       Beverly walked with Dr. Quaice until they reached his office.  When they

walked in, Beverly knew something was wrong.  Usually, Dr. Quaice was a very

outgoing man but in his office, Beverly found nothing that suggested it.  There 

was no picture of his wife or any trinket from any of the numerous planets he

was stationed on.

       Quaice walked around to the desk and pulled out a small black case which

looked hauntingly familiar.  My god! Not again! her mind screamed

       When the case was opened, the parasite that had invaded the Federation

only a year before was inside. Beverly tried to get away but Dr. Quaice made

sure she wasn't going anywhere.  The parisite walked up her arm and went into

her mouth.  The parisite then settled in her throat and began its symbiotic 

relationship...

       "Captain's Log: Stardate 42003.6.  We have just received a strange call

from Dr. Crusher.  She has decided to return to the Enterprise instead of

staying at Starfleet Medical."

      The door buzzer to Beverly's office rang.  Then Picard came in.  He knew

something happened to her from the black box which carried the parasite was on 

her desk.

      "Ah, Captain.  So nice to see you again."

      "Beverly, what's the matter?"

      "Why nothing.  I've just been enlightened back on Earth.  They discovered

a lifeform they thought was superior and they asked me to bring it out here to 

do some field tests."

      Picard immediately had his phaser out.  "Beverly, what has happened to

you?"

      Instead of answering, Beverly opened the case and out came the well known

parasite.  Picard immidately fired his phaser and the alien disintegrated. 

When Picard looked back at Beverly her throat started to bulge, just like

Remmick's had at Starfleet Headquaters.  Picard set the phaser to kill and shot

Beverly.  Beverly's head exploded and the parisite in her died quickly...

                                 *   *   *

      "Beverly... Wake up, Beverly..."

      Lieutenat Worf stood over the prone form of Dr. Crusher.  When he checked

for lifesigns, there were none.

                                Chapter IV

      "Captain's Log: stardate 46782.3.  The deaths of my fellow officers and 

my crew has forced me to influence Starfleet Command that something is 

definitely wrong on board."

      Picard waited for the transmission to get to Earth.  He felt uneasy as he

sat there in his ready room.  His friends and what he considered his family 

were all dying, with no cause.  His heart felt heavy as he received a reply to

his message from Starfleet Headquarters.

      The viewscreen lighted up and a picture of an admiral appeared.  "This is

Admiral Nacheyev to Captain Picard.  Starfleet recognizes the incidents that

have been happening on your ship over the last few days.  We have decided to 

relieve you of duty so you can return to Earth.  There will be a vessel

arriving in your sector in a few days.  After that you will proceed home for

a full investigation.  Starfleet Command out."

                           *  *  *

      Worf looked around Ten-Forward.  He wondered where Guinan was.  She would

have heard if anything out of the ordinary was said on the ship.  The

investigation was going rather slow.  No leads had turned up and no suspects had

turned up.

     Worf turned his head and Guinan walked through the doors at the other end

of the room.  She walked twoards the bar and began to serve drinks to those 

who were waiting.  Worf walked twoards the bar and sat next to an engineering

officer he didn't know.

     After a few minutes, Guinan made her way down to Worf.  "Would you like

anything, Mr. Worf?"  she said.

     "No thank you.  But I do need to ask a question of you."  His voice

lowered, or tried to, so no one would be able to hear him.  "Have you heard

anything... unusual over the last couple of days?"

     Guainin looked at him and stared.  "All that I heard was that someone on

the ship was killing some of the crew off with no apparent reason."

     "Thank you.  You have been most helpful."

     Worf got up and left Ten-Forward.  Guinan turned around and collapsed on

the floor.
 
                                *  *  *

     Picard walked into sickbay as soon as he heard Guainin was hurt.  When he

went into sickbay proper, he saw that the biobeds were filled with people, most

of them dead.

     Dr. Selar was examining the readouts on Guinan.  

     "How is she, doctor?"

     "She is fine.  Although she is tired.  I will make her sleep some more

before she returns to Ten-Forward."

     Picard approached the biobed.  He thought that Guanin's mouth was moving,

but it must have been his imagination.  "Thank you, Doctor."

     He left sickbay and ordered Lieutent Worf to meet with him in his ready

room.

                              *   *   *

     Worf and Picard entered the ready room.  Picard sat down in his chair

while Worf remained standing.  "Lt. Worf.  Do you know what happened in

Ten-Forward after you left?"

     Worf stared at Picard.  "I was never in Ten-Forward, sir.  I was continuing

my investigation into the deaths of Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi."

     "But you were seen in Ten-Forward just a few minutes ago."

     "Sir, I promise you.  I wasn't near Ten-Foward."

     Suddenly the klaxons started to blare.  Picard and Worf rushed out of the

ready room and took their places on the bridge.  

     "Report, Mr. Worf."

     "Sensors are picking up a Romulan vessel crossing the Neutral Zone at high

warp twoards our position."

     "Hail them."

     "Hailing frequencies are opened."

     "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.  You are in violation

of the treaty.  Please respond."

     On the viewscreen, the ship grew until the class of the ship was

recognizable.  It was a Romulan warbird.  And it was heading straight twoards

the Enterprise.  "Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Data."

     The Romulan vessel changed course to match and it fired a projectile.

     "Shields up!" 

     The projectile hit the Enterprise with a force the size of a star going

supernova.  The bridge went off kilter and the crew was flung across the

bridge, except for Data.

     Throughout the rest of the Enterprise, the structual intergrity buckled

and almost broke down in a few areas.  Picard struggled to get back on his 

feet.  "Damage report!"

     Data spoke, "Warp drives out.  Weapons out. Communications are out."

     Picard walked to his command chair as another projectile was shot at them.

This time the shot blew out most of the circuits in engineering.  Geordi was

working frantically trying to eject the core before it blew.  The smoke was so

heavy that you could cut it with a knife.  

     A franctic call came in.  "Geordi to bridge.  I have to eject the core!"

     "Data, assist him."

     Data's hands flew across the panel as another shot rocked the ship. "Core

dump unsuccessful.  Core breach in 10... 9... 8..."

     In Engineering, Geordi finally got the programming back on line.  But

would it be too late?

     "Core breach in 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

                        TO BE CONTINUED...


    
                        Chapter V                                           
      
       Q appeared on the bridge just as Data was counting down.  Q thought for

a moment before freezing time and the Romulan warbird.

      "Well, I see you're in a spot of trouble, mon capitaine."

      Picard looked at Q and a look of disgust came over his face.  "Q." 

      "Yes, it is me.  The all powerful Q."  he looked around for a second

before asking, "So what is going on?"

      Data opened his mouth to say something but Picard quietly said no.  Q

caught this.  "So, Picard doesn't want me to know something.  Well, Data why

don't you tell me what's going on."  

      With a snap of his fingers, Q turned Data into a stool pigeon and Data 

spilled the beans.  He told Q all that was going on, including the deaths and

the predicament they were in now.  Reluctantly, Q changed Data back.

      "Well, I'll save you, for a price."

      Picard looked at Data, who had turned back into himself, and asked,

"Data, is there a chance we could survive without him?"

      "The probability of surviving is .23 percent."

      "That isn't much of a guarantee."  He turned towards Q.  "All right, Q.

Help us."

      Q snapped his fingers.  The Romulan warbird disappeared.  But the damage

was still there.  Q approached Picard.  "Now, my price.  I'm going to borrow

someone for a while.  Let's see, who shall it be?"

      Data, at the conn, turned to Q.  Q looked at Data and snapped his

fingers.  Q and Data disappeared in a flash of light.

                              *   *   *

      Data was only gone a few seconds when he reappeared on the bridge. 

Everyone looked at him.  They all thought that was a very short period of

time for Q to borrow someone.  Data didn't even know what happened to him when

he was with Q.

      "Data,"  Picard said, "What did Q do?"

      Data was perplexed for a second.  "I do not know sir.  One moment I am 

here, the next moment I am with Q and then I am back here. I cannot explain

it, sir."

      "Don't try to, Data."  Picard looked around the bridge.  "Let's see how

bad Q left us." 

      The engineering crew already was working on the damage report for the 

captain, and it didn't look good.  "LaForge to Captain."

      "Picard here.  Go ahead."

      "Well, sir, we have a problem.  When our warp core was about to breach,

we burned the warp coils out, so we're not going anywhere.  Structual damage 

over most of the ship plus a breach on deck 32.  We've closed it up for now,

but I don't know how long it will last.  Impulse engines are barely working.  I

can give one-tenth impulse power."

      Picard turned to Data.  "How long till we get to the nearest starbase?"

      "At maximum speed, approximately 21 days, 3 hours."

      "Geordi, do what you can.  We'll see what we can do from up here."

      "LaForge out."

      Picard sat down his chair and slouched they were in for a long ride. 

"Mr. Data, set course for the nearest starbase.  Maximum speed."

                               *   *   *

      Geordi stood over the main diagnostic table in Engineering.  His face

looked tight and he had circles under his eyes.  He had been working on fixing

things for the last three shifts.  Data walked into Engineering and headed

straight twoards Geordi.

      "Geordi,"  he said, "you need sleep."

      "No, I don't..." Geordi yawned.  "I'm fine."

      Data looked around Engineering.  Then he looked back at Geordi.  "As your

superior officer, I order you to sleep."

      Geordi tried to protest but he yawned again.  Geordi nodded and walked

into the turbolift.  After arriving on his deck, Geordi proceeded rather

sluggishly to his room and collapsed on his bed.  He yawned one more time and

fell into a deep slumber...

      Geordi found himself on a planet he knew too well, Galondon Core.  Over

ten years before, he was trapped here while still stationed on the Enterprise. 

He found a Romulan and together they weathered the storm and found a way home.

Now, the planet was to be his grave.

      Above him, above the eternal storms, the Hathaway hung, the crew, save him

all dead from an attack by the Romulans.  The fleet had attacked them so fast

that they were unable to defend themselves.  When the Romulans boarded their

ship, they were pleased to find Geordi among the survivors.  They used their

mindsifter again.  They had exiled him to the planet.

      On the horizon, lightning struck again.  Geordi knew that within a few

hours, he would become blind and his VISOR would be useless.  All he had was of

all things a phaser, and that probably didn't even work.  Geordi walked down 

off the crest of the hill that he was on and began his trek along the desolate

wasteland.

      A few hours past, though Geordi thought it was a lifetime.  As he walked

twoards a cave, he heard footsteps behind him.  When he turned around Guinan

looked at him with an evil look on her face.  She pushed him onto a part of the

ground where she knew it would cave in.  Geordi fell to the bottom of the pit

while Guinan laughed a wicked laugh.  He tried to get out but he couldn't.

      As the rain continued to pelt down at him, Geordi began to think about

all the things that had happened throughout his life:  his family, his mother

and her disappearence, the Borg, the Romulans, Aquiel, his friends and officers

and his wife Leah Brahms.

      Geordi fell asleep.  As he slept he dreamt about his adventures and his

misadvetures.  Sometime during the night, a mudslide filled the hole.  Geordi

would never again wake, which was all that he could hope for...

      "Picard to LaForge."  On the bridge Picard was trying to communicate with 

his Chief of Engineering but it wasn't working out as planned.  "Computer,
 
locate Chief Engineer LaForge."

      The computer resonded, "Commander LaForge is in his quarters."

      Picard waited a second.  Then he turned to where Deanna used to sit.  He

was quiet for a moment thinking about his lost comerade.  "Picard to Crush..."

She wasn't around either, he thought.  "Picard to Data."  A moment passed. 

"Data here, sir."

      Picard let out a sigh of relief.  "Data, could you check up on Geordi. 

I'm not getting an answer from his comm."

      "I will immediately sir."

      Picard began to wonder if what had happened to some of the crew had now

claimed Geordi.

                                  *   *   *

      The dark room was filled with light as Data entered Geordi's cabin.  On

the bed Geordi had mud stains all over his uniform.  Data quickly went over to

his bed.  Geordi was trying to say something. 

      "Gui..."  he whispered.

      Data tried to get closer but Geordi wouldn't say anything.  When Data

checked Geordi's pulse there was narry a bump.  Geordi had gone the way of over 

half the crew.   

                                Chapter VI

      "Captain's Log: Stardate 46870.3.  The condition that has killed most of

my crew has now also begun to take my command crew away from me.  Commander 

Geordi LaForge is hereby given a commendation for his work after the Romulan

attack.

      "I also have another mystery on my hands.  Yesterday, Guinan collapsed

after meeting with Lieutenant Worf.  When I spoke to Worf, he denies ever being

in Ten-Forward.  I will speak to her shortly."

      Ten-Forward was rather quiet when Picard walked in.  Because of the

deaths, he had been forced to shrink the number of shifts  in order to have the

Enterprise working at near efficency, which was becoming harder to do as the

hours went by.

      Guinan stopped cleaning tables and walked over to where Picard was

standing.  "Captain, is there anything I can do for you?"  There was a strange

intonation in the question which put Picard on edge.

      "I need to talk to you about yesterday," Picard said.

      Guinan turned and walked to one of the tables and beckoned Picard to

follow.  When they sat down, Picard began to ask, "Guinan, who were you talking

with before you fainted?"

      Guinan immediately replied, "Worf."

      "Are you sure?  I asked Worf what had happened and he said he was never

in Ten-Forward and he never asked you anything."

      Guinan's face showed the slightest anger in it.  "What?  Do you think I'm

lying about some stupid thing like that?"

      Picard was taken aback by Guinan's response.  "Are you all right?" he

asked.

      "I'm fine and stop asking me dumb questions!"  she replied with force.

Guinan got up and strutted out of Ten-Forward.  What had gotten into her?

Picard wondered.  He sat there for another moment and then quickly exited the

room, pondering the last few moments.

                         *  *  *

      Data was seated at Ops when something on his panel flashed by.  When he

realized what it was, Data immediately called Picard from his ready room,

where he had been since he returned to the bridge.  "Captain... There is

something you should see."

      The ready room doors opened and out stepped Picard.  Data recognized that

something was on Picard's mind ever since he returned to the bridge.

 "Yes, Data?" he asked.

      "We have had a sudden loss in power.  The warp engines have completely

failed.  It seems there is a power drain but I am unable to find the problem.  

Also, the life support systems have begun to fail on unpopulated decks on the

ship."

      "Life support?  Are you sure, Data?"

      "Captain, I do not lie."  Data looked over his screen again.  "Now I read 
a power surge."

      Picard looked on with interest.  "Has life support been reestablished?"

      "No.  Surprisingly, it is a surge in Ten-Forward."

      The ship shook and the klaxon began to blare.  Picard sat in the command

chair.  "Status report, Data."

      "A Romulan warbird has followed us.  It has just decloaked and is

accelerating towards us."

      "Mr. Worf. Raise shields and arm all weapons."

      Worf made the necessary preparations.  "Sir, shields at ten percent,

weapons charged at fifty percent."

      On the viewscreen, the Romulan warbird quickly came into focus. 

"Captain, they are firing!"

      The bridge shook as the weapons broke through the weak shields.  Picard

knew without hearing the damage report that the Enterprise was crippled.  "Fire

all weapons!"

      Both Worf and Data tried to comply, but the computers weren't responding

to their attempts.  Another shot hit the ship and Picard heard a low Boom! in

his ears.  "Captain!"  Data said, "Hull breach on deck 24.  Also severe damage

on Deck 10."

      Picard tried to say something but he was cut short by the Romulan's

weaponry.  The weapons were aimed at the warp nacelles.  They were cleanly cut

away from the Enterprise.  Picard looked at them as they floated away into

space.

      Picard tugged his jacket.  "Worf, lock tractor beams on the nacelles."

      Worf looked at Picard as though he was crazy.  But then his command

training took over.  "Aye, sir."

      The nacelles began to steady themselves as the Enterprise tried a last

desperate attempt to save a piece of the ship.  Picard ordered Worf to aim them 

at the Romulan warbird.  Within a few seconds, the nacelle hit the warbird. 

The resulting explosion threw the Enterprise into a spin. The roof of the 

bridge collapsed, somethering the remaining crew under the debris.

      As he fell to the bridge deck, Picard mercifully dreamed one last dream...

      Picard, Troi, Yar and Data stood on a platform in a place where Picard

didn't recognize.  The audience in the room stood as the judge came forward

from the background.  As Picard looked on, Q appeared in the judge's seat.  He

knew that Q had conjured up all this.

      "You have been accused of being a barbaric race.  How do you plead?" Q

asked.

      Picard looked at Q and said, "Not Guilty."

      "I'm sorry, Picard. You said the wrong answer.  Before I execute you

all, I'd like to meet a friend of mine.  She's not Q, but she is the cause of

everything you've been going through."

      The spotlight shifted to an obscure corner of the room.  Guinan appeared

and Picard wondered what she had to do in all of this.  As she walked twoards

them, Picard noticed the way that she had walked had changed since the last

time that he had seen her.

      "Well, Picard.  Nice to see you again.  But let me get right to the

point.  Several years from now, your crew will begin to die, one by one.  You

don't know what's going on.  The only lead you have is a conversation between

you and me, in which I get a little annoyed with you.  I caused all of what had

happened to you, but you won't know how or why because your ship will never be

found.  Have a nice afterlife, Picard."

      The guards next to Picard aimed their guns at him and shot him several

times in his chest.  He fell to the ground, dead...

      As Picard gasped his last breath, Worf died a quiet death.  No dreams and

no Klingon ritual.

      Data deactivated as he hit the ground.  As the ship was transported into

another part of the galaxy, the Enterprise was quiet.  If you listened really

closely, you could make out a faint and horrifing laugh.

                              To Be Continued...

   
                            Chapter VII

     The station hung stationary in space.  It had a look of something the

Cardassians would do, with its sweeping curves and very dark colors.  After

they had abandoned it, the Federation moved in.  Soon after that, they found

what was to become the first stable wormhole known.  As news of the wormhole

spread ships began to ask passage through the wormhole to the quadrant beyond.

     Commander Benjaman Sisko looked out a window in his office.  He felt

confident that the upcoming science mission into the Gamma Quadrant would shed

some light on the subject of how the wormhole was formed.  The doors behind him 

opened and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax and Doctor Julian Bashir walked in.  Sisko

noticed that Bashir had a crush on Dax even though he knew that she was much

older than he was.

     Sisko sat down at his desk and began the briefing.  "You have already been

told that Starfleet would like to know more about how the wormhole was formed. 

Because of all the problems we have had on the station, I am ordering you two

to take a runabout through the wormhole and get some new information.  I don't

need Starfleet breathing down my back."

      Sisko looked at Bashir and Dax.  They knew how important this mission was 

and that they had to come back with information that was useful.  He gave them 

a nod and they walked out of his office.  Sisko sat there looking at the closed

doors.

                                     *  *  *

      "Personal Log. Dr. Julian Bashir.  Stardate 46901.2. Yes!  I finally get

to be alone with Jadzia!"

      Julian met Jadzia at Runabout Pad C.  The small ship had already been

prepped and ready to fly before they had gotten there.  Dax sat down in the

pilot seat while Bashir sat next to her.  Bashir had so much energy, it seemed

to be that he was about to burst.

      The runabout lifted off the pad and flew twoards the wormhole.  Dax was

still amazed about the wormhole.  It was though someone dug a hole and

purposely left clues to help you find it.  She still couldn't believe the size

of the wormhole.  Nothing she had ever seen compared to the size of that thing.

      The wormhole's mouth opened to receive the runabout.  After a few

moments of travelling through the wormhole, the runabout exited the wormhole. 

Bashir took some initial readings, but they seemed to be off.  

      "Dax," he said, "I took some readings, but they don't make sense.  The

star configuration is all wrong.  We're not in the Gamma Quadrant."

      Dax stared at Bashir for a moment.  Then she checked her instruments and

they told her the exact same thing that Bashir's had said.  They weren't in the

Gamma Quadrant.  Instead they found themselves in the Delta Quadrant, near Borg 

space.

      "Julian, any signs of the wormhole?"

      "No.  The sensors haven't picked up anything.  The only thing I'm picking

up is a vessel drifting twoards us."

      Dax played over the keyboard.  "I'm setting a heading for that ship."

      As the runabout changed course, Bashir began to get more accurate

readings on the vessel.  Bashir gasped at what the computer told them.  "Dax,

that's the Enterprise.  I'm reading no lifesigns aboard."

      The hull of the Enterprise was scarred badly, Dax noticed as they got

closer.  It seems that the Enterprise got into a battle and was on the losing

end of the stick.  Dax looked at her scanners as the runabout glided around the 

dead ship.  A flashing light signaled that the sensors had found something.  

      "Julian, I'm picking up a faint signal coming from where the bridge used

to be.  It seems to be an automatic signal."

     "Can you identify it?" Julian asked.

     "I believe it is a distress signal, but not from the ship's computer.  it

seems to be a personal distress signal."

     Julian's face relaxed. "Lock on to the signal and beam it on board.  I

know what it is."

     Dax looked at Bashir and muttered something before complying.  The

transporter hummed.  When it completely formed Dax and Bashir were looking at

the unmoving form of Commander Data.  He was covered with metal pieces and he

had a large dent in the side of his head.

     Bashir leaned over Data and found the switch in Data's back that turned

him on.  Immediately Data sat up and looked at Dax and Bashir.  "Ah, Doctor

Bashir.  Nice to see you again.  Where am I?"

      The doctor replied, "You're on a runabout in the Delta Quadrant.  We

found you on what was left of the Enterprise.  We need to ask you, what

happened?"

      Data stared at Bashir.  "Something was invading the minds of the

crewmembers and it was killing them.  Then the Romulans came and..."

Data stopped.  Underneath his skull, Data began to understand what had happened

to his friends and who had caused it all.  Data then realized that Q had told

him what was going on and that in order to save them, he would have to go to

Guinan's home world and rescue them.

      "Lieutenant, I must take command of this shuttle."  Data stood and went

to the pilot's seat.  He sat down and began to change the course of the

runabout.  Bashir walked up behind him.  "Data, what are you doing?"

      Data turned to Bashir.  "I can only tell you this.  The crew of the

Enterprise fell victim to an ancient being who stole the souls of whoever were

trapped by it.  And now they are being held on a planet where one of the former

crew was possessed by the creature.  I must get to that planet as soon as

possible."

      Dax was stunned.  "Data, where is this planet?"

      "Approximately 43 light years away from our present position."

      Dax ran her fingers over the console.  "Data, that's Borg space."

      Data turned twoards her.  "I must do this, Lieutenant."

                            TO BE CONTINUED...

                           Chapter VIII

     The man in the cell woke slowly.  His head ached and he felt as though he

had been run over by a train.  As his eyes began to focus, he looked around the

cell.  It was dark and dreary.  On the walls there were skeletons hanging from

past occupants.  The only thing else that looked like it was important was a

small, frail human who huddled in the corner. The older man looked at him with

concern.

     The man got up slowly and walked over to the young man.  He tried to touch

him, but the child shrank away.  "Are you going to torture me?"  he asked in a

scared, timid voice.  The bald man crouched down and said, "Why should I

torture you?"

     The child turned his head.  "Because you're one of them!  They trick you

into believing that you're a wonderful person and then they take you away for

'conditioning.'"

     "Who are you?"

     The child began to cry.  "I'm Hans Bricher."

     A German? the man thought.  Quietly he asked, "Where am I?"

     The child shivered.  "You don't remember?  You were brought here several

days ago.  You're in a concentration camp on Nirvana V."

     The cell door slammed open and several guards came in.  The old man didn't

recognize the uniforms they were wearing.  They each had the same gray uniform

with black jackboots.  Over two of the guards jacket pockets, they had what the

old man thought were black crosses.  Each of them had an eagle sown on their

jackets and the eagle was holding in its clutches a twisted cross.

     The guards grabbed the old man's arms and began to drag him twoards the

cell door.  The old man suddenly realized that they were Nazis, but what were

they doing in the future? he thought.  He was dragged into the hall and his

suspicions were confirmed.  A flag was hanging at the end of the hall with the

swastika on it.
   
     Prisoner Jean-Luc Picard fainted.    

                               *   *   *

     A snowstorm blew over the frozen ice.  A man, who was sporting a beard,

was slipping and sliding on the ice.  Several days ago, his vehicle turned

over and he had barely escaped with his life.  He still wasn't sure if he was

going to survive the ordeal.

     As he struggled along, the man tried to remember what had happened to him. 

He didn't remember why he went out in the vehicle and where he was supposed to

be going.  He tried very hard to remember, but he failed on several occasions.

     Suddenly, he heard a roar come out of the storm.  He knew that if he

didn't find shelter soon, he would be either freeze to death or be eaten by the

wild animals that lived out on the ice.  As he dragged himself further, the man 

saw a small cave jut out of the ice.  As he pulled himself inside, William T.

Riker collapsed.  He didn't care about eating; he just wanted to sleep.  

     Out on the ice, a roar was heard but Riker didn't hear it.

                              *  *  *

     "Aaaaauuuuuggghhhh!"

     The screams came from the booth at the end of the hall.  The security

officer knew that the person inside had another hour to go.  He enjoyed hearing 

the screams of his subjects.  They didn't appreciate what the Empire was

investing in them.  They all came from conscripted planets.  At first, they

didn't want to be trained to serve the ruler, but it was his job to make thay

change their mind.

     The last bunch of recruits were really difficult.  They all came from a

planet they called Betazed.  What a weird name, the officer thought.  When the

Empire took over, they were confronted by a unusual telepathic ability among

the population.  The leadership back on Earth realized the importance of being

able to sense other people's feelings.

     Another scream sounded.  The agony booth, the person thought, what a

fitting name.  He looked twoard the chamber.  The woman inside had black hair

and was rather beautiful.  He checked the name on his pad. "Troi, Deanna" it

read.  He would want to keep an eye on her throughout her service he thought.

     Troi screamed.  The pain was unbearable.  How could... anyone live under

the rule of the Empire? she thought.  When she tried to sense the officer's

emotion, she felt sick.  He felt pleasure and contempt seeing her being

tortured.

     In her mind, a voice called out: *Little One?*

     Before she could respond, her mind was filled with a mental picture of a

knife going straight through her mother's heart on the planet's surface.  Deanna

began to scream again and she didn't stop till well after her session was over.

                             *  *  *

     The woman stood in a long passageway.  She was holding in one hand a small

shield and in the other an ancient-looking sword.  She had been in the caverns

for several days trying to find a way out.  The denizens of the dungeon had

tried to kill her on several occasions, but she was rather lucky that she had

gotten out of the fights alive.  She wasn't a skilled fighter, but she would

be one if she needed to survive.

     As she quietly walked down the passage, she heard something shuffle along

the floor behind her.  She quickly spun around.  A rather large and ugly hairy

monster shuffled twoards her.  She struck out with her sword.  The monster lost

some of its hair.  The woman tried to strike it again, but the monster dodged

and struck her.  She felt her strength leaving her body.

     The hairy monster shuffled along the passageway.  Its mission had been

accomplished.  The woman would slowly lose her strength until she was just a

heap of bones. 

     The woman looked after the hairy creature.  Beverly Crusher rested and then

continued on her way.

                               *  *  *

     The runabout sped through space towards its destination.  Up until now

the ride had been very quiet.  Dax and Bashir were both wondering what Data was

going to do once they got to Guinan's planet.  There was no way that the small

runabout would be able to transport the entire population of the Enterprise

back to Federation space.

     Dax checked her sensors.  "Data, we are approaching the system."

     Data acknowledged and the sound of the runabout quieted as they had

switched to impulse power.  He ran a sensor sweep of the area.  There were no

signs of life in the system and no vessels, especially no Borg.  Slowly, the

runabout went into orbit of the planet where Guinan had taken her prisoners.

     Dax spoke up from behind Data.  "I'm picking up unusual sensor readings

from the planet.  It seems that there is a cloaking device guarding the

surface.  I can't penetrate it."

     In the other chair, Bashir had some funny reading of his own.  "Data,

there's something heading this way.  A starship.  I believe that it's a

Federation ship.  It's just coming over the horizon now."

     The silver starship glided around the planet.  As Data, Bashir and Dax

watched, the ship came closer.  They all recognized as a Galaxy class starship.

But what they didn't understand was why was it here.  Data examined the

lettering on hull.  He realized that it was the Enterprise, not a copy, but the 

Enterprise that was crippled only a few days before.

                             Chapter IX 

     Picard was thrown into a chair.  He hadn't been able to concentrate since

he had fainted a few minutes before.  He didn't believe what was happening to

him.  How did he get here? Why was he here? Who brought him here? he thought. 

     The door opened at the other end of the room.  A man came in holding a

whip and an evil looking dagger.  Picard recognized the uniform from ancient

history.  The SS he thought.  He remembered that they were the most feared

people of their time.  They were brutal and were ready to kill if they didn't

get what they wanted.

     He heard the crunch of the man's boots against the floor.  The whip

snapped out at Picard and he barely was able to avoid it.  The officer walked

twoard him.  He pulled Picard up by his shirt and slapped him.  "Do you know

what happens to people who try to avoid this whip?" he yelled in Picard's face.  

He slapped Picard again.  A thin line of blood trickled down his cheek.  Picard 

slowly shook his head.  "They get twice the amount of 'conditioning.'"  The

officer walked away.  On his way out the door, he told the guards to begin the

treatment.

     Picard was thrusted back into the chair.  The guards strapped his neck and

his arms to the chair.  Then one of them brought a needle out.  Picard tried to

scream but it died in his throat as the needle was stuck in his arm.  He felt

like he was going to faint again, but he was able to force down the urge.

     The guard put down the first needle and called for help.  The straps were

taken off of him.  He tried to struggle but the handle of a knife stopped his

attempt.  He was dragged out of the door the officer had come from.

     Beyond the door, there was an operating room.  The guards hoisted him up

onto the table and again strapped him down.  Picard began to feel dizzy as the

anaesthesia began to take effect.  The last thing he saw was Guinan standing

over him with a wicked knife in her hand and laughing.  He slipped into

oblivion.

                                  *  *  *

     The next morning was cold and blustery.  Riker woke and wiped the sleep

from his eyes.  The animal noise he had heard the day before roared again, this

time much closer.  Riker packed his meager belongings and left the cave.  The

snowstorm had lessened since yesterday.

     Riker began heading the direction that he was walking the day before.  He

still had no idea why he was there?  As he walked, Riker began to dispare as

the wind began to howl and his body was becoming a slab of meat.  Riker was

brought back to the present as the howl sounded again.  Whatever was following 

him had picked up the pace.

     Riker began to run twoards the horizon.  The snow began to fall again and

the ice became covered with the white snow.  It was approaching noon when Riker

began to slow down again.  In the distance, he barely made out a pipe that was

running along the ground.  He rushed to pipe, which took him over a half an

hour.

     The pipe, Riker noticed, was made for oil transfer.  He wondered what the

pipe was doing out on the middle of an ice cap.  Then he realized that he was

in the wilderness of Alaska on Earth, but how did he get there?

     Suddenly a roar sounded and Riker turned around.  A large polar bear had

been hunting him for over a day and it had finally caught up.  Riker

frantically searched through his pack, trying to find a weapon.  All he could

come up with was a small ball.  The polar bear growled and Riker began to

believe he wouldn't see home again.

                                 *  *  *

     The transporter hummed as two humans and an android materialized on the

Enterprise.  Data immdiately went towards the nearest turbolift to get to the

bridge.  The lift deposited the group on the bridge of the flagship of the

Federation.  When Data began to do a complete diagnostic of the Enterprise

systems, a message flashed up on the viewscreen.

     "My dear Data," Q spoke with an obnoxious tone, "I felt that you needed

some more help, so here it is.  But your bill is adding up and you're owing me

more and more every moment.  I'll have to collect when this little adventure is

over."

     Dax and Bashir looked at each other.  Their looks on their face said to

Data, "Why is Q helping you?"  Data had no idea, except that it wasn't good in

the end.

     "Computer:" Data spoke, "Scan the surface of the planet below us."

     A few moments past.  "The planet below cannot be scanned.  There is a 

cloaking shield guarding the planet."

     Data looked at Dax and Bashir.  "Computer.  Source of shield."

     "Unknown." The computer replied with no inflection in its voice.  "This is

quite puzzling."  Data began to work and Bashir and Dax helped him search for a 

way to break through the shield.

                               TO BE CONTINUED...

     
                           Chapter X

      Beverly stood before a large door.  Ever since the hairy thing had

attacked her, she began to feel weaker.  She had realized that she had been

injected with some sort of slow working poison.  After the attack, she had

wondered through the dungeon without meeting any more opposition.  

      She hoped the door would lead the way out of the dungeon.  She took out a

key that she had found and tried it in the door.  She heard a click and door

slowly opened.  A blast of hot air hit Beverly as she tried to look into

the next room.  The whole room was virtually on fire.  There was a small,

almost miniscule, bridge that crossed the room.

      As she contemplated what to do, a low growl was heard from behind

her.  Crusher turned and saw the hairy thing.  This is just great, she thought.

This time she realized that she couldn't fight the thing.  If she did, the

poison that was eating up her insides was going to take efect more quickly.

      Beverly took a large leap of faith.  She stepped out onto the small

bridge that hung precariously in the room of fire.  She slowly, almost to

slowly, began to make the trek across.  The hairy thing stood at the door. 

      Beverly looked at the door at the end of the bridge.  A rather large and

ugly ogre stood there with an axe in his hands.  He took a giant arc and swung

the sword through the bridge.  A large snap was heard and the bridge gave way

underneath her.  

      Beverly tried to grab the remnants of the bridge, but it was too late. 

She screamed her son's name as fell into the firey room below...

                              *  *  *

      Troi woke up with a very bad headache.  She remembered all too well

what she had gone through.  The death of her mother still tormented her as she

looked around where she had ended up.  It looked like a maximum security room

that held the most dangerous prisoners in the Federation.  But this wasn't the

Federation, she reminded herself.

     She stood up and walked towards the door.  She was hoping the field was

off, but she didn't have any luck.  The field was in full force.  A guard stood

in front of the door.  This man was different from the one who watch her writhe 

in pain a few hours ago.

     "You come around to your senses yet?" he asked in gruffy voice.  "I don't

know why we even want your race.  You're no good except for reading our enemy's

minds."

     Troi didn't say a word.  She wouldn't under any circumstances.  As she sat

in a chair in her cell another man took the guard's place.  "So," he said,

"still not on our side.  No matter."  He pushed a button on a wall near the

cell.  

     The cell floor slowly slid in to the walls and in it's place was...

chocolate?  Deanna couldn't believe her eyes.  They think that chocolate is

torture for her? she thought.  Deanna dropped into the vat of her favorite

dessert.

     But something was wrong.  She slowly began to sink.  She tried to grab

something nearby, but to no avail.  In a few moments Deanna's head

swallowed up be chocolate.  There was nothing left in the room except for some

very happy chocolate...
 
                             *  *  *

     Geordi woke not in a dungeon, but in his room on the Enterprise.  He got

up and looked around his room.  Everything looked normal he thought.  He walked 

out into the corridor.  It was really quiet.  You could hear a pin drop, if

there was such a thing around anymore.

     He walked down the corridor.  Just like in his room, nothing seemed out of

order.  The walls were the way they were supposed to be and nothing had

changed.  Then Geordi noticed something.  A slight breeze began to blow.  He

realized that there was no wind on the Enterprise.

     He followed the direction where the breeze was coming from.  Suddenly a

loud sucking noise began out of nowhere.  Geordi looked down the corridor

and the wall just seemed to disappeard and space appeared beyond it.  Geordi

tried to grab on to something, but he knew it was useless.  Geordi was dragged

along the floor and went out the hole into the absolute zero of outer space...

                              *  *  *

     The polar bear growled and leapt at Riker.  Riker tried to jump out of the

way, but the bear was quicker.  His paws reached twoards Riker and caught his

shoulder.  Pain seared through Riker's body.  What he wouldn't give for a

weapon, Riker thought.

     A long sword appeared in his hand in the next moment.  Surprised, Riker

swung the sword.  The polar bear's head was cleanly cut off.  The bear quivered

for a few moments and then died.  Riker looked at the dead carcas for long

moments.  

     As Riker was about to turn away, the bear began to burn.  Riker had no

idea what was going on.  Suddenly, the horizon turned blood red.

     "WILLIAM T. RIKER..." a voice boomed.  "YOU ASKED FOR A WEAPON TO DEFEAT

THE BEAR.  YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING."

     Oh my God! Riker thought.  "NOT GOD! THE DEVIL!  YOU HAVE SOLD YOUR SOUL

TO ME.  COME TO ME, MY ETERNAL SLAVE."

     In front of Riker a staircase appeared going downward into the rock. 

Riker couldn't take his eyes away from it.  Slowly his legs began to move

forward even though he didn't want them to move.  A great force slammed into

Riker's mind, breaking any feeble blocks he had put in the way.  The Devil

took over Riker's mind and Riker obediently walked down the stairs into a

world of eternal damnation.

                         *   *   *

     Picard slowly woke.  He wasn't back in the cell.  He was resting in a bed. 

All that he could remember was that Guinan was going to operate on him.  He

felt his head to see if there were any scars that he could find.  His head was

as smooth as it had always been.

     He looked around the room.  It was a rather nice room.  There was a window

and the sun shone through brightly.  There was a door and a chair sat next to

the door.  Picard began to look for anything suspicious.  The door opened and

in came a nurse.

     Picard was expecting to see a uniform, but instead she was wearing a white 

smock over her rather beautiful body.  "How are we feeling today, Lieutenant?"

     Picard looked at the nurse with a quizzical look.  Suddenly, he felt

another presense in the room.  "Nurse..." he tried to form a question but he

couldn't remember what he was going to ask.  Again he tried to formulate a

response that would ask the nurse why he was here, but instead he said, "Yes,

ma'am."

    "Good.  You'll be out of here in no time."  The nurse checked a chart that

she had carried in and closed the door as she left.

    A few moments passed.  Picard still had no idea what was going on.  He

tried to recall why he was there but instead he didn't remember.  Instead, he

got out of the bed and walked to the closet which was situated near the window. 

Picard hadn't noticed it before the nurse had come in.

    Inside the closet, there were several uniforms.  Picard took one out and

changed into it.  He walked over to the window and looked out.  Ah.  My native

Germany.  Today I have done something great, he thought.

    The door opened again and a newspaper was laid on the chair.  Picard looked

out the window one more time before going over and picking the paper.  The

headline read: "FDR Durch Leutenant Jean-Luc Picard Erscholossen." or "FDR

Assassinated by Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard."

                             *  *  *

    "Personal Log, Dr. Julian Bashir: Stardate 46996.3.  We have tried to break

through the shield for the past three weeks.  Commander Data has been

working around the clock, but with no success.  Data has decided that we should 

return to Federation space using the altered wormhole."

    The Enterprise approached the location of where the wormhole was last

positioned.  Right on schedule, the maw of the tunnel appeared and the

Enterprise glided in.  The energies of the wormhole propelled the ship through.

A few moments passed.

    Near DS9, the wormhole's maw opened and deposited the Enterprise back in

Federation space.  A call came in from DS9 requiring an explanation for what

had happened.  Bashir knew it would be a long talk.

    As he beamed onto DS9 with Dax and Data, he felt a heavy heart of who and
0
what they had left behind on a ball of rock in the Delta Quadrant.


                          To Be Continued... 
                         Chapter XI

    It was a rather sunny day as the wave crashed against the wall of solid
rock.  The young man walked along the beach.  He had been told about the death
of his mother and his friends.  He felt rather angry that he had lost not only
his father but now his mother.

    Cadet Wesley Crusher sat down on a rock.  His uniform was the
normal cadet uniform that he had worn while he was at the Acadamy.  But today,
he felt like he didn't want to be in Starfleet anymore.  He didn't want to
become like his father.  He just wanted to shrivel up and die.

    A soft humming began from behind Wesely.  Wesely looked back.  Someone was
beaming down.  He wondered who it could be.  When the shape became solid,
Crusher was infuriated.  Commander Data stood before him.

    "Data!" he yelled, "where is my mother?"

    Data gave Crusher a blank look.  "I need you, Wesley."

    "But you won't have me!  You killed all of them!  Why didn't you die
instead of them?"

    "I cannot die, Wesley."

    After a few moments Wesley calmed down.  "What is it you need from me?"

    Then Data told him everything.  Wesley stared at Data and absorbed what he
was telling him.  Then he told him what he needed of him.  "Wesley, I need you
to return to the planet with me.  We need to save them before it is too late."

    Wesley looked out onto the water.  "Data," he said, "I'll go."

                                  *  *  *

    ...and woke up in a pale blue uniform.  Beverly remembered falling into
the flames, but she didn't remember the feeling of pain.  She just was in the
dungeon and now she's, well, whereever she is.  Beverly gazed around the room. 
She recognized as her office but she didn't remember why she had an office.

    "Dr. Crusher?" A voice called from the hall.

    A doctor, she thought.  Whoever it was would be her nurse.  "Yes, Nurse?"

    Dr. Pulaski came in. "Well, its been a long time since you've called me
that!"

    Beverly stared at her.  She wasn't supposed to be here, Beverly thought. 
She was supposed to be on the... Damn! she couldn't remember.  "Dr. Pulaski. 
Come in."

    "Thank you.  I have a question about your daughter."

    Crusher didn't remember having a daughter. A son, yes but not a daughter. 
"Daughter?" she stuttered.

    "Yes, Leslie.  I was wondering when she was leaving for the Acadamy."

    Leslie? she thought.  To Doctor Pulaski, she said, "Soon.  Why do you ask?"

    "Oh no reason.  Just wondering."

    Dr. Pulaski got up and left Dr. Crusher in stunned silence.  

                              *   *   *

    Riker continued to walk the stairs to hell.  As he got closer, the heat
climbed exponentilly.  Riker's mind still was a blank, unable to fight the
powerful mind that had taken over.  At the bottom of the stairs, a large door
opened and Riker walked through.

    He was swept off his feet almost immeditely.  In front of him stood
Lucifer, the God of Sin.  Riker shakenly stood up and faced the three-headed
creature- dragon,human, and Riker had virtually no idea who or what the third
head was. 
 
    "YOU SHALL LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS IN HELL AS MY SLAVE. KNEEL!!!!"

    Against Riker's will, he knelt.  "NOW, ENTER THE ROOM OF YOUR REWARD FOR
CALLING TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Riker got up and walked in the room and Lucifer slammed the door behind
him.

    The room was empty except for a bed.  Deanna Troi was naked in the bed.  
She was so beautiful.  Riker began to walk towards her when a force pushed him 
back.  He got back up and walked closer to her.  The same force pushed him back
again.

    So this was to be his fate.  Never make love to his Imzadi. Never...

                             *  *  *
    
    Wesley stood again on an empty Enterprise bridge.  He looked around it.  He
remembered all that had happened when he was on board.  The memories were
almost oo much.  Data had told him what he had to do and it wasn't going to be
easy.  A transmission was already been sent to see if his best friend had been
able to help him in his quest.

    The turbolift doors opened and Data walked to where Wesely stood.  "Nice to
be back, Wesley?"

    "Yeah.  But it's so empty.  Have you heard anything from him?"

    "Yes. He'll meet us at the wormhole.  It should take us only a few days at
maximum warp speed."

    "Thank you, Data."

    Wesley spent the next few days going thorugh his mother's things in her
quaters.  He wondered, Is it possible that she might actually be alive?  He
found an old picture his mother and husband just after they were married. 
Wesely began to cry at the thought that he might not be able to bring them back
and he would never see them again.

                               *  *  *

    Leutenant Picard stood at attention in front of Adolf Hitler.  He felt so
proud that he was chosen to take on that vital mission for the Reich.  Hitler
began by pinning several medals on him.  Picard had a feeling of satisfaction. 
Few people had ever had medals pinned on him by what most Germans considered
God.

    After the medals were placed on his uniform, Picard then had several
photographers from throughout the Reich take pictures of him.  Several
newspaper men began a series of interviews of what had happened when he had
murdered the President of the United States.

    Several hours later, Picard got into a bulletproof car so that he could be
driven to his new home.  Mobs of people cheered when they caught sight of him
getting out of the car.  Picard pushed through the masses and finally got to
his home.  He opened the door, got inside and locked it.  Outside he saw
several guards protecting his property.

    Picard decided that it was rather late and that he should get some sleep.
He changed and got into bed.  Almost immediately he fell asleep... 

                               *  *  *
   
    The Enterprise glided into a docking ring on board DS9.  Commander Sisko
wanted to talk with Data and Wesely before they went through the wormhole which
was showing some peculair characteristics lately.  Data and Wesley transported
on board because as usual, things were malfuncitoning again.

    The first thing Data and Wesely heard was O'Brien cursing that something
else had gone wrong, again.  Wesley and Data looked around the bridge.  A
Bajoran and a Trill, who Data had identified as Dax, were talking on the lower
part of Ops.  O'Brien looked over at Data, nodded, and then got back to work.

    The Bajoran walked up the stairs to greet them.  "Ah, Commander Data.  A
pleasure.  My name is Kira and I'm the first officer around here.  Commander
Sisko is waiting for you in his office.  This way, please."

    Kira led them to the other side of the bridge and through a pair of
doors.  Commander Sisko was sitting behind his desk.  "Commander Data and Cadet
Crusher.  I've asked you because I need to warn you about something.  It's the
wormhole."

    Wesley asked, "The wormhole?  What's wrong with it?"

    "You'd better sit down.  After Data returned, the wormhole inhabitants
contacted me.  They told me that someone had altered the configuration of the
wormhole so that Data, Dax and Bashir could travel from and to the Gamma
Quadrant.  They are unsure if they will still allow travel to the Delta
Quadrant."

    There was silence in the room for a moment.  Then Wesley asked, "You mean
we might not be able to get back?"

    "Exactly, Mr. Crusher.  You might not be able to get back."

    Data then asked, "Has he arrived yet, Commander?"

    Sisko looked at Data.  "Yes he has.  He's waiting for you in his quarters. 
I'll have Bashir bring him in."

    The doors opened and Bashir walked in with a rather gray-haired
humanoid next to him.  Wesely turned and his face beamed.  "Hello."  he said.

    "Hello, Wesley."  The Traveller replied.

                                To Be Continued...

   
                            Chapter XII

    Dr. Crusher left her room to visit with the daughter that she had never
known.  She walked into her quaters.  They hadn't changed since... she couldn't
remember.  "Leslie?"  she called.

    From the other room, a female voice called, "Mom?"  Dr. Crusher went into
the other room to see Leslie.  Leslie Crusher was a teenager.  She had blond 
hair and blue eyes.  She had a body that would make any man interested.

    "I'm sorry, Mom.  I'm on duty in a few minutes,"  she said in a sweet
voice.  "You're on bridge duty?"  Dr. Crusher asked with a sound of
incredability in her voice.

    "Yeah.  I've been on duty for over five years.  What's wrong?"

    "Nothing, honey.  I'm just tired."

    Leslie kissed her mother and walked out of the room.  Dr. Crusher sat down
and stared at the wall.  The disbelief over losing Wesley but gaining a
daughter was almost too much.  She walked over to her computer station and
began searching for information on her daughter.

    Dr. Crusher didn't realize that someone else was in the room.  "Well, well.
The good doctor is losing her mind."

    Beverly looked around and she saw Q... but not Q.  He had the appearence of
a human, but he was a lot younger looking than the Q she knew.  His complexion
was also off.  "What's the matter, cat got your tonuge?"

    "Q! Are you the person who has been giving the crew headaches around here?"

    "No!  Why would I do such a thing?"

    Dr. Crusher replied in a sarcatic voice, "Well, I don't know.  You've been
a pain before.  Why not now?"

    "Because I've come to help you out.  A few years ago, you asked if you
could all powerful.  Well, I've come to give you your request."

    "I didn't ask!  I never said I wanted to be a Q!"

    Q looked around the room.  "I specifically remember you saying that I want
to be a Q to protect my daughter."
  
    "I never said that!"

    Q walked closer.  "Now don't go back on your wish.  Anyway you are now one
of the Q.  With all the rights and privileges."

    "I'll give the Q powers back."

    "Oh I can't do that!  I'll just say that you have the power not to use your
powers now that you have them which you wanted the first place."  Q flashed
into nonexistence, leaving Crusher in a state of shock.

                               *  *  *

    The Enterprise glided into orbit around the deserted planet.  On board,
Data, Wesley, The Traveller, Dax and Kira stood on the bridge.  Wesely and the
Traveller were standing in the middle of the observation deck, preparing to try
to save the crew.

    Kira and Data watched as Wesely and the Traveller began to phase partially
out.  A few moments past.  Wesely suddenly snapped back into existance.  "It
was successful.  I touched one of the realities that the crew are trapped in."
A loud popping sound was heard in the air.  A scared crewmember lay on the
floor, half-naked and covered with blood.

    Kira immidately helped her up and led her to the door so that Dax could
come in and take care of her.  Another person came back to the realm of the
living.  Data helped him up and walked him to the door.  Kira thought that it
would take a long time.  She was not far from the truth.

                                *  *  *

    Picard woke up slowly.  He felt stiff.  When he tried to look around he
couldn't.  Oh great! Now what? he thought.  As his eyes got accustomed to the
near darkness, Picard had a startling thought.  He remembered where he was and
how he got there.

    Picard moved his eyes so that he was looking down the table that he was
laying on.  The lower half of his body was covered by a strange black leather
alloy.  Picard tried to think of something, but strangely his mind went
suddenly blank.

    He heard a clanking off in the distance.  Someone was coming twoards him. 
A humanoid stood over him. He had a pasty white complexion and one of his eyes
were covered by a sensor lens.  Picard almost fainted.  He was a Borg!  The
worst days of his life, and he had to relive them.  

    The Borg soldier bent over and began to work again on Picard.  Adapting the
human's pathways to accept the Borg's signal wasn't a problem.  It was
trying to wipe clean the consciousness of Picard.  No matter what he tried to
do, Picard's mind still hung on.  So the Borg decided to leave Picard's mind
alone and continue the assimilation.

     Picard could not look anywhere but straight up.  The voices of the Borg
filled his mind.  He instantly knew what the Borg was going to do and what the
Borg was expecting of him, or more exact, them.  He had no control over
himself.

     A few hours passed.  The assimilation was complete.  Locutus had been
created.  As he walked through the Borg ship, a transmission had come in from
the Federation starship.  Locutus was ordered to respond.

     "We are Locutus of Borg.  Resistance is futile.  You shall be assimilated."

     On the screen, Locutus recognized who was talking to them.  Commander
William T. Riker.  Former first officer under Locutus.  "We shall not be
assimilated."

     "Resistance is futile."

     Riker turned to his tactical officer and said, "Fire!"

     Power churned all around the deflector dish.  The Borg had already been
ready by the time the beam lashed out.  They had taken the knowledge stored in
Locutus' mind and used it against the fly that was the Enterprise.  The shield
that the uni-mind erected completely absorbed the fire. 

     "Resistance is futile.  You shall escort us to sector 001.  Assimilation is
to begin upon our arrival."

     The screen blanked out.  Locutus was led away for more enhancements to
his already powerful arsenal of Borg technology.  The Borg ship sped away at
high warp speed, on route to Earth.

                               *  *  *

      "Acting Captain Data's Personal Log:  Stardate 46970.3.  We have been
able to retrieve almost all of the crew.  We have not been able to locate the
command crew.  We are about to try again."

      Wesely and the Traveler sat down in the observation lounge.  Their eyes
were closed.  Slowly they faded out completely...

      ...and reappeared in...


  
                           Chapter XIII

       ...in hell.  Wesley reassembled slowly.  He felt as though he was in a
a volcano the size of Rakatta Mons.  Wesely looked around.  He saw a bed and a
naked woman in it.  Wesely looked closer and realized that it was Deanna Troi. 
She seemed to be calling to someone.  Wesely looked in the direction that she
was calling.  He saw a battered Commander Riker crawling twoards her.

      Wesley called to Deanna but she ignored him.  Riker turned his head and
saw Wesley.  "WESLEY! Get me out of here!" he screamed.

      He walked twoards the Commander but suddenly he couldn't move his legs. 
A loud voice broke through the quiet of hell.  "YOU SHALL NEVER HAVE HIM!"

      "Why?"  Wesley screamed.

      "DON'T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS.  THIS IS HIS PUNISHMENT FOR THE EVIL THAT HE
HAS DONE."
  
      Punishment? Wesely thought.  Looking at a naked Deanna Troi was
punishment?

      "You have no right to him!"

      Riker yelled, "Don't argue!  Get the hell out of here."  

      The voice again blurted, "GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

      Wesley began to dissolve.  "No!  I was so close."  Then he disappeared.

                              *  *  *

      He reappeared on the Enterprise.  The Traveller was standing next to him. 
Wesley collapsed.  His uniform was so hot that his body was burnt.  The
Traveller grabbed him and took him over to a chair.  "Wesley?" he asked.  "Are
you are right?"

      Kira walked towards him.  Wesely whispered, "I can't save him!"

      She asked, "Who? Who can't you save?"

      "Commander Riker.  He was in hell for something that he had done."

      Kira took a second to think the last statement over.  "Hell?  How was
it?" she asked.

      Wesley looked at her.  "Hot," he replied.

      "Thanks a lot." Kira replied.

      The Traveller asked, "Are you ready to try again?"

      Wesley looked at him.  "Yes."

                            *  *  *

      The Borg ship hovered over Earth.  Locutus had already given the Borg's
warning to the lifeforms that infested the planet.  A ship came out of warp
behind them.  Locutus recognized the ship as the Enterprise.  The ENterprise
was irrelevent.  Only the Borg mattered.

      The Enterprise had failed to get Locutus back.  Now they were to get him
back at any cost.  But the Borg was ready.  They used the weapon that had
destroyed so many ships before.  The beam struck the ship and destroyed most of
the saucer section within a few moments.

      The Borg ignored the stardrive section because it was irrelevent.  The
Borg began the process of assimilation of the human race.

      A shimmering light enveloped the Borg communications center.  A human
appeared.  From Locutus' experiences, they recognized him as Wesley Crusher. 
Wesley ran towards Locutus but a force field was in the way.  He pounded on the
shield trying to break through, but it didn't help.  

      Behind him appeared several Borg soldiers.  They were eager to assimilate
their second human into the collective.  Wesley turned and saw them coming.  He
had no choice but to leave Captain Picard behind.
 
                           *  *  *

      Beverly relaxed in her quarters.  Leslie was on the holodeck doing
something.  She had time to herself to think about how things had developed
over the past few hours.  She felt more comfortable on this Enterprise than on
the real Enterprise.  But she knew that she had to get back to where she
belonged.

      The comm panel beeped.  "Dr. Pulaski to Dr. Crusher! Emmergency on
holodeck 4!"
 
      Leslie! her mind screamed immediately.  She burst out the door and ran
down the hall to the turbolift.  She felt the lift went to slow, eventhough it
was as quick as it usually was.  The doors opened and Beverly ran out.  As she
turned the corner, she saw her daughter on the floor with a phaser burn on her
chest.

      She knelt by her daughter and took some readings.  She couldn't be
helped.  A voice in the back of Beverly's mind said, You're a Q.  Beverly
immediately said to herslf that she couldn't.  But then she looked down at her
daughter's face and she felt very sad.  

     Beverly made up her mind and decided to use the Q powers.  She snapped her
fingers and Leslie awoke.  But Beverly felt strange.  She felt as though she
had done something evil.  She would have to live as a Q for the rest of her
life.

                            *  *  *

    Picard's mind began to take its hold again.  He wasn't on the Borg ship
where he was just a moment before.  He seemed to be now in a cavern.  He was
strapped in a chair and he couldn't free himself.  He looked around and his
eyes focused on several human lifeforms.  

    Commander Riker had mysteriously been brought here from hell.  He saw Dr.
Crusher and Geordi arrive.  Riker had thought that the Troi that he had saw was
just an illusion, but he learned that was actually Deanna.  She had been
brought there with him.

    "Captain?" he called.  Picard realized who it was.  "Will.  Are you ok?"

    Riker spoke, "I was going to ask you the same thing."

    A voice, different from the crew members spoke, "Had you family reuinon?"
Guinan walked out into the light from one of the corners of the cavern.  "It's
good to see all of you again.  Now for why I brought you here.  I realized
several years ago that you all had never commited anything evil, except for
Picard.  The purpose of the sperate realities was to force you to give you the
oppertunity to do so.  And all of you did."

    Picard said, "Guinan, why?"

    Another voice came out of the darkness.  "Now, mon capitaine, you don't ask
a question until the end of the class period."  Q appeared in a captain's
uniform.

    He spoke to Guinan.  "Thank you for your help, Amanda." 

    Amanda stepped out of the body of Guinan.  Guinan collapsed to the ground.
"You see," Q said, "after Amanada and I returned to my home, I taught her about
what it was like to be a Q.  She asked me everything, and I told her. 
Suprisningly, she turned out to be as wonderful a Q as I am."

    Dr. Crusher spoke.  "So, you destroyed a young woman just so that you could
have a protege?"

    "You can move to the head of the class, my fine doctor.  Now back to
Picard's question.  I intend to have you executed for the crimes that you have
commited."

    Silence gripped the cavern.  Picard glanced Guinan slowly getting up behind
Q.  He didn't know what she was up to.  Guinan whispered, "It's over Q."

    Q spun around and cursed.  "Well, our host has finally has woken.  Glad to
have you back among the living, my dear."

    Another voice spoke.  "Not on your life, Q."  It was Wesley Crusher. 
Picard thought that this was getting to be a family reuinon.  Wesley stood
behind Picard.  "Give them back."

    "Oh shut up you little wimp."

    Next to Q, Amanada began to turn.  "You're a wimp, you're always been a
wimp, and you will always be a wimp."  Amanda lashed out with her powers.  Q
was taken completely by surprise.  The energy hit Q full force.  He was thrown
back against the cavern wall.  Amanda screamed, "Wesley!  Get them out while I
hold him!  I can't for much longer!"

    Wesley took the restrainers off each of the crew members.  Guinan rushed
over to join them.  Together, they all phased out of the cavern, leaving two
Q's dueling.


                           Chapter XIV

    The command crew, along with Wesley appeared on the Enterprise.  They took
a moment to catch their breaths and then rushed out onto the bridge.  Picard
ordered whoever was at helm to take them away from the planet.  The stars flew
past as the Enterprise gained speed.

    Wesley and Guinan slowly got into the turbolift.  They both were tired and
needed to rest.  Data told Picard what had happened since he left the ship. 
Picard asked few questions.  When Data was done, he told data to change couse
and proceed to the wormhole.  

    The wormhole loomed on the screen after a few minutes.  The Enterprise
entered it and came into real space near DS9, back where Dax, Bashir, and Kira
had been brought aboard the vessel.  Picard was relieved to have the Enterprise
out of danger.

   Kira, Dax and Bashir beamed off the Enterprise shortly thereafter.  Picard
had received orders for the Enterprise to go to Risa and relax after their
tribulations.  They could all use the time off.

   After Picard had ordered the course change, a flash of light filled the
bridge.  Q appeared rather rattled.  "Well, did she give me a hard time."

   Picard wasn't happy to see Q.  "Q, you have caused enough trouble for one
day. Go away!"

   Q ignored him.  "Oh shut up.  I'm not done with you.  After I collect my
bill, I'll continue on with you.  Data?  Time to pay up."

   Data spoke, "Q.  You have no right to collect anything.  You were the cause
of it."

   "Oh, Data.  Always thinking of the technicalities.  Forget about.  Pay me. 
Kill someone."

   Picard looked at Q with a shocked look on his face.  "Data, don't do it."

   Q looked at him.  "I told you to shut up."  He turned back to Data.  "You
force me to use my powers to cause you to do it."  He snapped his fingers and
Data turned quickly around.  He held a phaser in his hand.

   Riker and the rest of the crew looked on as Data stood up, aimed the weapon
and fired...

                                 The End...(?)