All Good Things__ - Michael Jan Friedman [68]
“Disengage the tachyon pulse,” commanded the captain.
Data seemed about to ask a question, but refrained. Turning to his console, he performed the necessary manipulations. After a moment, Picard asked, “Is it disengaged?” The android swiveled again in his seat. “Aye, sir. However, it appears not to have had any measurable effect.” Picard frowned…
… and realized he was back in the future—though he was still sitting in the captain’s chair. Immediately, he turned to his former comrades.
“I’ve shut off the tachyon pulses,” he announced. “The ones in the other time periods.”
This drew a few curious looks from the others, but no one called him crazy—or even suggested it. Apparently, they now accepted that he was traveling through time.
Picard fixed his gaze on Data. In the past, the android had informed him that their disengagement had had no effect—at least, none that was immediately apparent.
Perhaps in this time frame, it would be different: “What’s happening with… with regard to the anomaly, Data?”
The android shook his head. “It is still growing larger,” he reported with some reluctance.
“But Captain Picard has shut off the pulses,” remarked Worf.
“True,” said Data. “However, his actions do not seem to have created the desired effect.”
Picard cursed inwardly. He had been so certain that it would work…
“What do we do?” asked Beverly.
La Forge let out a sigh of exasperation. “The only way to stop this thing is to repair the rupture at its focal point… where time and anti-time are converging.”
“And how do we do that?” inquired Riker.
“It would require taking the ship into the anomaly,” replied the android. His tone was matter-of-fact, as if he were lecturing one of his classes instead of facing a threat to the very fabric of reality. “Once inside,” he went on, “we may be able to use our engines to create a static warp shell.”
La Forge nodded. “Yes… and the shell would act like a new subspace barrier—separating time and anti-time.”
“Exactly,” said Data. “Collapsing the anomaly and ú.. restoring the normal flow of time.” He turned to Picard. “But this would have to be done in the other two time periods, as well.”
The captain considered the prospect. “That could be a problem,” he decided. “The anomaly’s so much larger in the other two time periods…” “… it could be difficult to take the ship in.”
He’d already finished his sentence before he looked up and saw that he was in the past again. Everyone on the bridge was looking at him. “Take the ship in where, sir?” asked O’Brien.
Picard took a moment to make his decision. “Into the anomaly, Chief. Lay in a course to the exact center.”
His officers were shocked.
“Captain,” said Tasha, “you can’t be serious. The energies in that thing could—”
The captain whirled. “I know that no one here understands this—but it is vital that we take the ship to the center of that phenomenon and create a static warp shell.”
“A warp shell… ?” Troi repeated. She didn’t look confident that such a thing could even be done.
“The endeavor you describe would place the ship at great risk,” Data pointed out, perhaps unnecessarily.
“Yes,” Picard admitted freely. “That’s true. But you must believe I am doing this for a greater purpose.”
He paused, wondering how to convey the importance of what he was asking of them. It wouldn’t be easy.
“The stakes,” he said, “are larger than any of you can imagine. The very existence of humanity depends on what we do here today.”
The captain scanned their faces, one after the other. He had yet to sway them; he could see that. They were confused, uncertain of what to do next.
He knew that he had to make a connection with them—with each of them. But surely, if anyone could do that, he could.
After all, he had served with them already, in the not-so-distant future. He had come to know what motivated them, what made them defy the odds in situation after situation.
With that in mind, he now asked himself what sort of words were most likely to assuage