Q & A - Keith R. A. DeCandido [70]
On the I. K. S. Qu’, Picard tried to urge General Worf to stop the attack, but his pleas were met with several boot heels to his head. When the other Enterprises moved in to defend, Worf laughed contemptuously and said they would all die at his hands.
On the U. S. V. Enterprise, Picard instructed the ship to move, to raise shields, and to arm weapons.
“Commander, look,” Kadohata said.
Worf saw that Kadohata had changed the view to a wider field, and several of the other ships—if they truly were Enterprises—were taking up aggressive positions to the Qu’.
“Sir,” Leybenzon said, “you’ll want to hear this.”
Nodding, Worf said, “Proceed.”
A cacophony sounded over the speakers.
“This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U. S. S. Enterprise, ordering you to stand down.”
“This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the F. S. S. Enterprise, ordering you to stand down.”
“This is Captain Wesley Crusher of the U. S. Enterprise, ordering you to stand down or we will open fire.”
“This is Captain Thomas Halloway of the U. S. S. Enterprise—”
“This is Captain William T. Riker of the Starship Enterprise—”
“This is Captain Data of the E. S. S. Enterprise—”
“This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U. S. S. Stargazer—”
“This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U. S. S. Sovereign—”
A few others came in languages that the universal translator apparently could not handle. One was in a very old Klingon dialect Worf was able to translate as the captain identifying himself as “Worf Rozhenko of the U. S. S. Enterprise.”
“Several of the Enterprises are opening fire on the Qu’,” Leybenzon said.
Worf ordered, “Engage the warp field.”
“Some of the systems were damaged—gotta reroute,” answered La Forge.
Kadohata said, “Deflectors have power.” She ran her fingers over her console. “Done—warp field ready at your discretion.”
“Okay,” La Forge reported, “full power.”
Worf said, “Activate.”
“Warp field online,” Kadohata said.
The last time, Worf used the warp field from a shuttlecraft to collapse the field, and he knew the stronger broad-spectrum warp field of the Enterprise would work even faster.
It was with a rising sense of dread that the Klingon saw the quantum fissure expand.
He stood up.
“The fissure’s expanding, sir,” Kadohata said.
Worf angrily walked over to the ops console and studied the readings. It should have worked.
Damn you, Q.
“Disengage the field.”
“We can’t. It’s locked in, we—” Kadohata looked up. “Sir!”
Worf saw that the fissure’s diameter had doubled, its event horizon now nearing some of the Enterprises.
On the U. S. S. Enterprise, Captain Halloway said, “Okay, that can’t be good. Mister Branson, get us the hell out of here, warp one.”
Branson shook his head. “Warp drive’s not available, sir.”
From the science station, Picard felt the ship explode around him as the fissure swallowed the Enterprise.
On the U. S. Enterprise, Tasha Yar said, “Shields down to ten percent! Another shot, and we’re done for!”
“Evasive maneuvers,” Captain Crusher ordered. “Laren, get us the hell out of here, warp two!”
“I can’t get the engines online!” Ro said.
The ship exploded around Picard as the fissure swallowed the Enterprise.
On the F. S. S. Enterprise, Picard’s first officer said, “Data to engineering. Wesley, the fissure is expanding—we need warp power.”
“We don’t have it, sir. Best I can give you is half—”
From the captain’s chair, Picard watched the ship explode around him as the fissure swallowed the Enterprise.
On the I. K. S. Qu’, most of the bridge crew were dead or injured, the various Enterprises having finally gotten through the mighty vessel’s shields. Picard was trapped under a beam that had fallen to the deck, crushing his leg.
General Worf sat in the command chair, angrily pounding it with his fist. “Destroy them! Destroy them all!”
The fissure swallowed the Qu’.
On the Enterprise, Worf watched, his eyes riveted on the screen, as the fissure expanded. He asked La Forge, “Can we engage the warp drive?”