All Good Things__ - Michael Jan Friedman [36]
“I’m sorry,” said Q. “That’s not a yes-or-no question. You forfeit the rest of the game.” Giddily, he tossed away the flipboard. “I expected as much, you know. And, as I might point out, that’s a perfect example of why we’ve made our decision.”
The captain shot him a questioning look. “Your decision?” he echoed.
Q nodded. “The verdict has been decided, Captain. You’re guilty.”
Picard took a half-step toward his adversary. “Guilty of what?”
“Of being inferior, of course.” Q looked at him with unconcealed contempt. “Seven years ago, I said we’d be watching you. And we have been. We’ve been watching and hoping that your apelike race would demonstrate some modicum of growth… give us some indication that your minds have the capacity for further expan-sion.”
Q’s floating cushion lowered so that his eyes were on a level with the captain’s. There was a hard-edged disdain in them that Picard had never seen there before.
“And what have we seen instead?” the entity went on. “You spent your time worrying about Commander Riker’s career… listening to Counselor Troi’s pedantic psychobabble… helping Worf determine if he’s a man or a mouse… and indulging Data in his witless exploration of humanity.”
“We have journeyed to countless new worlds,” Picard maintained. “We have made contact with new species … expanded the Federation’s understanding of the universe…”
“In your own paltry, limited way,” Q conceded. “But you have no idea how far you still have to go. And instead of using the past seven years to change and grow—you have squandered them.” “I beg to differ…” he began.
Q dismissed his comment with a wave of his hand. “Time in the universe may be eternal, Captain. However, the patience of our Continuum is not—and you and your kind have exhausted it.”
It sounded to Picard as if this was a battle he couldn’t hope to win. It seemed that Q had already made his decision.
“And having rendered a verdict,” he asked, “have you decided upon a sentence?” “Indeed,” replied Q. “You see, it’s time to end your trek through the stars, Jean-Luc. It’s time for you to make room for other, more worthy species.”
The captain didn’t quite understand. “You mean we’re to be denied travel through space?”
Q’s eyes flashed fire. “No, you obtuse piece of flotsam. You’re to be denied existence. Humanity’s fate has been sealed. You will be completely and irrevocably destroyed.”
No, thought Picard. How could that be? Even a spiteful entity like Q was not capable of such an act.
“IT’ responded Q, having intruded in the human’s mind. “There you go again, blaming me for everything. Well, this time I’m not your enemy—even though I could easily have become one, after listening to that insipid balalaika music all evening.” “Balalaika music? I don’t—”
“Never mind.” He leaned in close to the captain, so close their noses were almost touching. “I’m not the one who causes the annihilation of mankind,” said Q. “You are.” Picard shook his head. “Me… ?”
“That’s right. You’re doing it right now… you’ve already done it… and you will do it yet again in the future.”
The captain felt his teeth grate together. “What sort of meaningless double-talk is that?”
Q took a long, melodramatic draft of air and slowly let it out. “Oh, my. He doesn’t understand. I have only myself to blame, I suppose. I believed in him… thought he had some tiny spark of potential. But apparently, I was wrong about him. C’est la vie.”
“No,” said Picard, sensing that the entity was about to make his exit. “You can’t just leave it at that. You’ve got tom”
Q didn’t even seem to hear him. “Good luck, Jean-Luc. Maybe you can still avoid killing every humanoid in the galaxy… but I doubt it.” “No!” cried the captain.
“May whatever god you believe in have mercy on your soul. This court stands adjourned.” Again, louder this time: “No!”
But Q was already raising his hand, signaling an end to his audience. There was the crash of a gong…
… and Picard sat up, fully awake. It wasn’t until the sound had faded away to nothing that he realized he was in his ready room. And it took a moment longer than that for