Q & A - Keith R. A. DeCandido [63]
Picard rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Yes, Q, I understand that—”
“Will wonders never cease,” Q muttered.
“—but why have me go into the cavern in the first place if all it would do is destroy the universe?”
Q stopped and stood facing Picard. “Because, Jean-Luc, it’s a necessary part of the process. There’s only one way to stop the drain backup, to beat the metaphor into the ground. And only you can do it.” Again, he started to pace. “The arguments over this have nearly torn the Continuum apart. We fought a civil war, you know.”
“Yes, I’ve read Admiral Janeway’s reports.”
“Of course you did. The little antebellum fantasy she described was just her own interpretation of it. It was a terrible conflict, one that nearly did Gorsach IX’s job for it.”
Picard folded his arms again. “And you saved the day by having a child.”
“Yes. No need to thank me—believe me, q is thanks enough,” Q said with more than a little sarcasm. “In any event, I was convinced that you were the ones to find this place and do what needed to be done. The other Q were less sure, viewing you—not without reason, I might add—as a bunch of delusional bipeds with little hope of understanding the basics of reality, much less saving the universe.”
Regarding Q skeptically, Picard said, “Are you saying that…you were humanity’s advocate?”
Smirking, Q said, “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Q, I still don’t understand—”
“And now he doesn’t understand,” Q said while looking up, though from whom Q would ask supplication Picard didn’t dare contemplate. “Would that he would make up his mind.”
“What is my role in this?”
Q smiled. “Oh, that’s simple, Jean-Luc. You have to be yourself.”
With that, Q snapped his fingers, and Picard disappeared.
16
Enterprise
Gorsach system
The end of the universe
“COMMANDER,” ENSIGN BALIDEMAJ SAID FROM tactical, “Gorsach IX has disappeared.”
From the conn, Lieutenant Faur said, “Confirmed. The planet’s just…just gone.”
Worf rose from the captain’s chair. “Red Alert. Hail the away team.”
Balidemaj operated her console even as the Red Alert siren went off and the lighting dimmed. The entire bridge was now cast in a red glow. Balidemaj looked up, giving Worf a stricken look. “I’m sorry, sir, but—”
Tapping his combadge, the first officer said, “Worf to transporter room. Ensign Luptowski, beam up the away team.”
“Stand by—sir, I’ve lost the lock on them. In fact, uhm—I’ve lost the planet.”
Turning to Lieutenant Rosado at ops, Worf said, “Sensors?”
Shaking her head, Rosado said, “I’m checking the sensors now, sir, but…well, they’re not picking up anything.”
At that moment, Kadohata, Leybenzon, Stolovitzky, and de Lange appeared on the bridge. There was no transporter effect, not even the glow that often accompanied one of Q’s tricks. One moment they weren’t there; the next, they were.
All four of them looked disoriented.
“Stations!” Worf barked, and that got them all moving.
Leybenzon quickly assumed tactical, Stolovitzky and de Lange left for their Red Alert stations. Worf put a hand on Miranda’s shoulder before she could go to ops. “Where is the captain?”
“Commander, I don’t even know what I’m doing here. Last thing I remember, we were all in the cavern, then—” She had a faraway look for a moment, then stared hard at Worf. “I’m sorry.”
“Take your station,” Worf said, letting her go.
Kadohata took a reading. “Sir, there’s something coming in from the probes in orbit of Gorsach V.” She looked up. “You’ll never believe this, but it looks like it’s about to ignite into a red dwarf!”
From tactical, Leybenzon said, “That should take centuries.”
“I know—it normally does.”
From the bridge engineering station, La Forge pointed out, “There is nothing ‘normal’ whenever Q’s around.”
Worf sat back in the command chair. “Put the fifth planet on screen. Continue scanning