Path: moe.ksu.ksu.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!ukma!widener!dsinc!ub!acsu.buffalo.edu!ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu!v130qh57 From: v130qh57@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (sandra guzdek) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: REPOST: Test Of Time Message-ID: Date: 11 Aug 92 21:17:00 GMT Sender: nntp@acsu.buffalo.edu Organization: University at Buffalo Lines: 1160 News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 Nntp-Posting-Host: ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu this is the last repost, from last month. it is a long one, so if you don't receive the whole thing, then e-mail me and i will send it off to you. some people have asked me why i'll be gone after the 28th, why Qlue will be my last story. simply, i graduated, and once the new semester starts, i lose my account. "Say La Vie." if i ever return to school, i will be in touch. if anybody cares, that is. :) + + + sandra guzdek + username: v130qh57@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu + til 28 Aug 1992 6037 Devlin Avenue + Niagara Falls, NY + 14304 + after 28 Aug 1992 "Higher emotions are what separate us from the lower orders of life... Higher emotions, and table manners." --- Deanna Troi, _Imzadi_ Test of Time Copyright 1992 by Sandra Guzdek ______________________________________________________________________________ Through a haze of concentration, Beverly Crusher heard the captain's voice announcing red alert, for all hands to secure themselves, as the klaxons sounded at their full grating intensity. Undaunted, she kept a trained eye on her patient, carefully directing the beam that closed the incision. "Almost there, almost there," she muttered through gritted teeth, as the ground beneath her vibrated and the lights flickered. Every square millimeter of sinew was tensed to precision; she didn't even dare draw a breath until the last of the cut had been sutured. On her order, her assistants had left her side to ensure critical care patients were properly secured. Sweat poured from her skin -- at long last, success. A long, slow breath of relief came through her lips as she read the vital signs on the biomonitor. Everything in order and stable. _Thank God._ As the shuddering waned, she leaned back to steady herself against the empty biobed behind her. At precisely the wrong moment. The ship jarred intensely, and Beverly suddenly found the floor rising towards her at an alarming rate, her legs thrown out from under her. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was a searing pain cracking through her left arm and side, and through her head as the biobed met it with a terrific force. +++ "...along with a fracture of her left ulna and coccyx." This she was able to hear through the gauzy veil of half-consciousness, voices conversing around her. It wasn't possible to open her eyes comfortably. It was terribly painful to even breathe. _Rib_, she thought, _broken..._; her lips soundlessly mimicked these disjointed thoughts. It was hard to hear, harder to concentrate. Was someone having a conversation? Was that Wesley? _But he's at the Academy... that would be impossible... the Academy is over three days away at Warp 5... and what happened to the alarm klaxons?_ She strained and raised her head. Through half-lidded eyes she could see she was in a biobed in the Sickbay she was so accustomed to working in everyday. Yet, strangely, lights were at full power, the officer she had been operating on was nowhere in sight, and in general, everything was much too neat and clean and everyone too calm for the circumstances that were occurring before she had fallen. Resignedly she decided she must have been out for much longer than she thought, regardless of the pain in her side. Lifting her head caught the attention of a doctor not too far away looking after Geordi LaForge, and upon pardoning himself, he rushed to her side. He pulled out a hypospray syringe that, when placed to her neck, sent a wave of pain-deadening relief through her body. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Doctor, can you hear me?" the young man asked. She nodded, as the clouds in her head began to part. "What happened?" She turned her head. "Where's Dr. Selar?" When the young man didn't immediately respond, she looked to him, blinking to see straight. "Who are you?" He turned to her with a kind smile. "Don't worry, the broken bones are healing nicely. Bumped your head too. Probably why you don't recognize me right away. It's me, Kulko. Doctor Asli Kulko." If there was one thing in this world she was certain of, one and only one thing, it was that she had never laid eyes on this doctor before in her life. "Who were you talking to about me? Am I still on the Enterprise? Who are you?" He came around, tending to her healing. "Why, I was discussing your injuries with your son over the intercom. He's currently racking his brains down in Engineering." "But what about the Academy? He was in the Academy." "Dr. Crusher, you must have fallen a lot harder than we thought. Wes graduated from the Academy's accelerated program a year ago, remember?" He reached for an enhanced neural tricorder and ran it over her head, producing a look of confusion on both their faces. "Everything seems to be normal... I can't imagine... I hope everything's all right with..." As her vision sharpened at last, she noticed Kulko's pointed ears. But this could be no Vulcan, not with the warmth and sense of humour he had displayed in such a short time. Yet the hair, the ears suggested... no, it couldn't be. Certainly not. She interrupted, "Are you Vulcan?" As he ran another tricorder over her chest and abdomen, he chuckled, "Heavens no. Romulan, of course." He punched some keypad buttons, and he seemed pleased with the results. He smiled and gave her a wink. Romulan? But how? Surely she'd been hearing things. "How long have you been with us here on the Enterprise?" she asked, trying to make sense of this new information. He looked puzzled. "Since it was commissioned. My father joined Starfleet Medical shortly after the alliance of our peoples thirty years ago, and as he was a doctor, I followed suit. Do you remember now?" "Uh, yeah..." Federation and *Romulan* alliance? This definitely warranted further investigation. Later. "Did you find what you were looking for?" The doctor gave her a sidelong glance, another grin in place. _How odd to see a Romulan smiling,_ she mused. "If you mean is the baby still perfect and healthy, I sure did." Her mouth went instantly dry and she found it hard to breathe. "Wha- what do you mean? I'm -- *pregnant*?" The doctor nodded. "Have been for six months now." Even in her prone position she felt a little lightheaded. _Can't let this give me away. Have to play along. More questions later._ "How long was I out?" The Romulan shrugged. "Ten minutes. Not very long at all. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" She nodded again. "Good. Now don't you go anywhere. I've got to check up on LaForge here. Be right back." He walked away. _Okay, Beverly, reality check._ _In the space of ten minutes, Sickbay has a new face that claims he's been here since this ship was commissioned. He also claims to be Romulan, and that the Federation and the Romulans are allies. Wesley's out of the Academy on some supposed 'accelerated program', and *I'm* carrying a child._ She closed her eyes, letting this all sink in. _Something is very wrong._ At that instant she heard footfalls approaching. Relief washed through her when she heard the familiar voice of Jean-Luc Picard: "I'm sorry I couldn't get you away sooner. If I had known... " Nothing on Earth or in any galaxy could have prepared her for what she heard next. A chill ran up her spine, as she clenched her closed eyes tighter. The words were innocent enough. But it wasn't the words. It was the voice. "Don't apologize, Sir. I'm just thankful that Bev and the baby are all right." Beverly was actually afraid to open her eyes, for if she had not already lost her mind, doing so might very well send her careening over the edge. She began to tremble as she felt fingertips brush away a lock of hair that had settled on her forehead. "Bev, honey, can you hear me?" She strained not to bite her bottom lip. "It's me. It's --" _Don't say it, please I don't want to hear it...._ "-- Jack." +++ Geordi LaForge sat on his biobed, as this doctor, this Kulko fellow, tended to a wound near where his VISOR implants were, which had effectively knocked out his artificial vision. Geordi had been doing some work in Engineering, trying to figure out exactly what the anomaly was that was screwing up the ship so bad, when the ship had so violently shaken him off of his feet. He supposed he was now in Sickbay... how he got there was anybody's guess. "This should do it... here we go..." said the doctor. Just then, like a flickering candle, his vision came back. Only it wasn't *his* vision. Instead of reading wavelengths and patterns, he was now seeing shapes and forms, and real, tangible colours. He gasped. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?" That was odd, too. There was no constant thread of pain searing through his brain from the VISOR. "No, I-I'm all right. Better than all right. What did you do to my VISOR?" "Why?" replied the doctor. "Because I'm able to see everything as if it were a solid, instead of just being topographical outlines." Just like when the Q entity had given him that moment of true sight. _Wait a minute, he looks just like a..._ "Geordi, your VISOR has *always* been like that, thanks to Romulan technology. With a flip of the switch there on the right side, you can still see those 'topographical outlines,' though I still don't understand why you would even care to. Guess it's helpful in Engineering..." He paused, glancing over to where Beverly was, then glanced back. "If I didn't know better, I would say that you and Dr. Crusher had Zielinski's Syndrome. Nothing in the scans though... very peculiar..." "Dr. Crusher?" he echoed. "Yes," he continued as he busily made adjustments, "she doesn't remember me, she doesn't remember Wesley's graduating -- she doesn't even remember being pregnant." Geordi's mouth gaped before he could stop it. "Don't tell me you don't remember either..." Kulko gave Geordi a playfully stern look. But Geordi covered successfully for himself. "Uh, no... I'm just surprised... This baby means... so much to her..." After one final adjustment, Kulko announced, "Well, Geordi, everything seems to be in working order. You're a free man, m' boy." Geordi hopped down with a smile, and looked over to Beverly, who had turned a perfect shade of flour white, talking to the captain and another man Geordi did not recognize. "I'll be... seeing you." +++ Reluctantly, Beverly opened her eyes, and her heart did a swan dive through the bottom of her stomach. Before her was indeed her late husband, looking almost just as she had remembered. Only the deepened laugh lines and the grey hairs told her that she hadn't gone back in time. "Jack..." she began, voice ready to falter at any given moment, "I thought you were... you were... " "Yes, I *was* on-duty, but when the report came that you'd been hurt I dropped everything just for you, my sweet. Bridge duties are secondary to you." She looked quickly to Picard, who was smiling. As Jack kissed her forehead, she thought she might faint dead away. "Are you all right, Dr. Crusher?" the captain asked. Something was different here, too, considering the closeness they had achieved as friends. Now he was at a greater distance than he had ever been. "She should be fine... bones are healed up nicely," offered a young female intern. "I *am* just fine." She sat up, pushing back the biomonitor, and feeling for the first time her distended belly. "If someone would please explain to me what exactly is going on here..." Her head throbbed in an unfamiliar head-rush. Picard stepped near. "Doctor, we hit a bit of a rough spot as we passed through the center of a harmless sub-space anomaly. You were here in Sickbay, and you fell, hitting your head." She tentatively took to her feet. _That's the first thing anybody's said that makes any sense,_ she said to herself. "No, I mean, who is this Dr. Kulko? What is Wesley doing here? What is *Jack* doing here?" she asked, directing it at the captain. As she glanced to Jack, she saw he looked more than a little wounded. She felt regretful for it, and apologized with mournful eyes. The captain gave her an odd look. "Jack's here because he is my Number One, and your husband. Why wouldn't he be here?" he explained, a little more than confused himself. Beverly felt as if her memories were a house of cards that was slowly toppling down. "Where's Will, then? Will Riker?" Jean-Luc looked to Jack, then back to Beverly. "Will *who*?" She felt a little dizzy, and must have swooned, for the captain and the commander were at her side to support her. "Come on, honey," said Jack, "let's get you well, and then get you home." He helped her back onto the biobed, then called for the doctor, who promptly ordered Beverly overnight for observation. Jack gave her a kiss goodnight and Picard wished her well before the pair of them left. She noticed that Geordi had been standing on the fringe of the small gathering. As Picard and Jack were leaving, he came near her, and said, "Dr. Crusher, are you all right?" "I'm just fine," she replied, trying to sound as convincing as she could. "What about you? Did *you* get hurt?" "Yeah... I was working in Engineering, trying to figure out what in the world was making this ship reel so badly. Next thing I know, I'm in here, vision wiped out." He paced a little next to her bed as he spoke, his hands wildly expressive. Once in a while he would glance to the doctor -- it was still incredible, this vision. To see the doctor with true vision, the prominent features of her face he had always been able to delineate, now offset by those warm eyes and that shock of coppery hair. He realized he had stopped speaking when she began to look at him oddly, and abruptly he began again. "The vision's back, Doctor, but it sure isn't the vision I'm used to. It's... different." "What do you mean, 'different'?" Beverly got herself up on her elbows, much to Geordi's dismay, and he insisted she lay back down. The fiery doctor did not. "Geordi," she asked again, "*What* do you mean by 'different'?" "That doctor, Kulko, tells me it's a result of Romulan technology: I can see the visible spectrum just as you do, as well as what I used to be able to see." He bent closer to her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't have any recollection of being friendly with the Romulans on *any* terms." A strange look washed over Beverly's face. "Geordi, tell me... who is the first officer of this ship?" Geordi's brows met. "Commander William T. Riker. Doctor, I don't understa--" "According to the captain, his first officer is my husband, Jack Crusher." Geordi thought a moment. "But I thought he was --" "Yes, he *is* dead." Beverly's voice was filled with throaty heartache and just a little bit of fear. "Dr. Crusher." His tone became secretive. "What is going on here?" "I was hoping *you* could answer that." +++ Lieutenant Sauntevia Proudfoot stirred in her bed, dreams haunting her as she slept. Upon sitting up with a gasp, she could not recall what the dream was, after all, but knew instinctively that something had changed. She was in her own bed, and normally that wouldn't have been too distressful, but the fact of the matter was that she had been having surgery to replace her damaged hip and should have rightfully been in Sickbay's recovery room... well, recovering. "Computer, what time is it?" she asked as she sat up, her dark, straight hair falling in her eyes. "It is nine-hundred twenty five hours." _Funny, that isn't the computer's *normal* voice..._ With a scowl on her tawny face, she stood before thinking of her hip, and she was astonished to realize it was as perfect as new. She took a couple of steps, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming still, and smiled as she pirouetted on the once-damaged leg. Until a voice called for her on the intercom. "Commander Crusher to Lieutenant Proudfoot. Acknowledge." "Proudfoot here, Commander." She had no recollection of a Commander Crusher, and she wondered if he was related to the doctor who had fixed her hip so wonderfully. "You were supposed to report to Engineering 25 minutes ago for duty. Is there something wrong?" Her head swirled. Had she slept through a day? A week? A month? Because her hip surgery had relieved her from duty for that long, for complete and thorough healing, and for physical therapy. "Commander, I thought I had been taken off of the duty roster for the next month because of my surgery." "Surgery?" "Yes, I had my hip replaced. Normal repair procedures didn't work. You can talk to Dr. Crusher, she's the one who performed it." "My wife hasn't performed a surgery since she became pregnant six months ago... the blood, you know... was making her queasy. In any case." He stopped to clear his throat, as if an image of Beverly reacting so violently to her life's work had come to mind. "Please report ASAP to Engineering. Crusher out." As the young Lieutenant pulled on her uniform, she couldn't help but feel as if she were still dreaming. +++ Geordi LaForge had spent a couple of hours talking to the computer, and now his eyes were sore behind the metallic facade of his VISOR. He had determined the parameters of this reality after a painstaking question-and- answer session with the unfamiliar male voice of the computer. Yes, he was still Chief Engineer. Yes, Beverly Crusher was still Chief Medical Officer. But those were almost the only things that had remained the same. To make matters worse the anomaly they had passed through was nowhere to be found on the long range sensors. He had done every type of sensor sweep imaginable, but the little bugger just up and disappeared. He sighed as he thought of all of the information he had weaseled out of the computer, and decided a stiff drink might be in order. _Well,_ he mused, _as stiff as synthehol can get, anyhow..._ As he stepped into Ten-Forward, he was comforted to see at least *it* hadn't changed; atmosphere, familiar faces... Guinan. She smiled as he walked in. He sat at the bar, and she was soon across from him, ready to concoct anything he desired. "What'll it be tonite, LaForge? A Mirixian Storm Ball? A Vulcan Logic? Or the usual -- a good old Romulan Ale?" _*Romulan Ale* on the Enterprise?_ He smiled. "I'll take the Ale." She smiled in her enigmatic way. "There's no changing an old dog's tricks..." As she turned to get the bottle, her brows knitted under the lofty brim of her hat. As if whatever had crossed her mind had passed and been forgotten, she shook herself of it, and got Geordi his Ale. As she poured it for him she continued, "Data's waiting for you. He's pretty upset that you forgot your dinner meeting here." "I'm sorry, I was kind of -- wait a minute, did you say Data was angry at me? *Angry*? *DATA*?" As he said it he mentally kicked himself in the pants for it. Everyone was going to think something was wrong with him if he continued on like this. Yet he turned around and scanned the room for his friend anyway... there he was, in the corner... *laughing*? Leaving his Ale on the counter, he quickly made for Data. He was sharing a joke with Counselor Troi. She looked beautiful, her long curly hair pulled into one of those intricate Betazoid headbands she was so fond of wearing. Just as with Dr. Crusher, it was spellbinding to see her as she really was. _Commander Riker sure knew what *he* was doing,_ he thought to himself with a smile. Even Data was a sight... goodness, those yellow eyes! And that preternatural pallor! How did the rest of them ever get used to it? "Hi, Data, hi, Troi," he greeted his friends as he approached their table. They both stood. "Geordi! Where have you been?" It was unsettling to hear a touch of anger in the android's voice. Even so, it wasn't true anger, for which Geordi was grateful. It was more like a sarcastic anger, which only served to perplex the chief engineer more, that Data would have a grasp of sarcasm. "Well, first I was in Sickbay... fell down during that anomaly. After that, I spent some time on the computer..." Just then he caught Deanna giving him the most evil of evil eyes. She said to him, "Is that any way to greet your Imzadi?" He consciously kept his jaw from dropping open, but his eyes couldn't help but to practically pop from the sockets. _Thank goodness for this VISOR._ "I-I'm... sorry, Deanna," he replied, as he bent to kiss her cheek. She laughed and quickly ducked out of the way. Geordi was as dizzy as ever. "Not me, silly!" she whispered. She quickly glanced over to another woman who had been sitting with them, but whom he had not noticed due to his fascination with Data's apparent expression of emotion. She now stood behind him, and to his right, and as he turned his head to look at her, no amount of conscious control could keep his jaw closed. She was simply the loveliest woman he had ever seen, her straight dark hair ending abruptly at her jawline. She smiled. Then he realized her facial topography was indeed familiar. _My God. It's Ro._ And it was Ro Larren, but somehow, she wasn't the same. The way the Bajoran smiled demurely told him as much. "Hello, Geordi," she said. For Heaven's sake, her voice was... coy! However, an echo of the Ro he knew shone through when she planted a passionate kiss on his surprised lips. _Hmmm, I might start to like this,_ thought Geordi, as she broke away. He was a little embarrassed, but still tried to play up to the notion of he and Ro as lovers by slipping his arm around her waist. He looked to Data, whose mouth was in the broadest grin he had ever seen. "Lucky boy," Data said, as he cocked an eyebrow in his familiar fashion. But as he looked to Deanna, she seemed a little confused. In his head he could hear her voice: At first he didn't know what to do -- hearing a voice in one's head that was not one's own tended to be more than a little unnerving. He thought back: _How do you know?_ He was floored at her response. <'I might start to like this'?> _You're *telepathic*?_ She smiled innocently. "Let's order, shall we?" Deanna proposed, as Guinan neared the table with Geordi's forgotten Ale. They all smiled as they sat again, leaving Geordi to wonder what else this reality might hold. +++ "Are you feeling better today? Can I come down and see you?" "Geordi, I'm so antsy I could scream; I cannot stand being a patient in my own Sickbay." He chuckled, as she continued, "I think I have news for you that will knock your socks off." As he continued his new-found game of self-scrutiny in the mirror, he said, "I think we're gonna be a *couple* of sock-less StarFleet officers. I have quite some news for you, too." He could imagine the soft smile curling on her lips as she replied, "Can't wait to hear it. Crusher out." The lighthearted banter was merely a thin veil over the terribly serious problem the two of them faced. This fact kept playing over and over again in Geordi's mind, and as he reached Sickbay, his stomach was turning in knots. The salutations were minimal; Geordi plunged right into the heart of the matter. "I spent hours reading the history of the Federation. Only it's not the history we're so used to. It seems that thirty years ago, a fleet of Klingon battle cruisers attacked the undefended Federation Starbase Leonardo without provocation, and the base was severely crippled. The 250 survivors, out of 10,000, mind you, were picked up by a *Romulan* cruiser." Beverly let this absorb in. "The Romulans are so brutal. How is it that they gave safe harbour to 250 Federation citizens?" Geordi could offer no explanation. "If they were held as hostages, it would make a little sense. But all 250 of them were turned over unharmed to Starbase Copernicus, no demands made, no recompense asked. It seems that that selfless gesture paved the road to a Federation and Romulan alliance. The Klingons are currently our main military concern, for in siding up with the Romulans, we are no longer focused on chiefly exploratory missions. 'We' being the Federation, that is. The Enterprise now has battle capabilities." "We have *more* firepower than we used to, you mean?" Beverly queried. Geordi nodded. "And get this," the chief engineer said excitedly, "we even have *cloaking* capability." Beverly raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What about the Klingons? Do they still have it as well?" "Yeah; as far as I know, history wasn't changed much before thirty years ago." They both took a moment to consider the consequences of all this. What was their current mission, then? To boldly go and seek out Klingons to destroy? Eager to get these thoughts of combat off of his mind, Geordi prompted Beverly for her information, which she gladly provided. "In checking out Sickbay injury reports, I discovered that you and I sustained the most serious injuries when the ship was tossed around. That is, we were the only ones that were rendered unconscious. So it would seem that our ability to recall actual reality is a direct result of our being unconscious." Geordi sighed. "So it's just you and me, kid." She smiled. He realized that he had not told her of everything he had found, and went on to describe the counselor's telepathic abilities; Data's emotional ability, thanks to the proper installation, by Dr. Soong, of the modified emotion chip that had found its way into Lore in "actual reality"; his relationship with Ro, which Beverly smothered a smile at; and lastly: "Kyle Riker's important role as technical advisor to the Romulans left him without time or want to ever be married. Therefore, William Thomas Riker was never born." This left Beverly feeling empty. Will was a good man -- she thought briefly about the time he had let his body serve as host for her Trillian lover. She sighed and looked to Geordi. Over his shoulder she could see Lieutenant Proudfoot approaching them, and Beverly made a motion across her lips to be silent. "Hello, Lieutenant. Something I can help you with?" Geordi asked, for she was one of his brightest in Engineering. The dark-eyed officer looked right past him and at Beverly in amazement, especially at her protruding belly. "It's true, then, Doctor. What Commander Crusher told me is true." Beverly tread gently. "Tevia, what did Commander Crusher tell you?" "That you are pregnant." Beverly glanced to Geordi, then back to Proudfoot. "Do you remember me *not* being pregnant? Have I not seen you in six months?" Proudfoot came a little closer. "The last time I saw you, I was on the operating table. You were about to give me a new hip, and right before you put me under, you joked to me, 'This won't hurt a bit.'" Beverly sat up on her elbows. "My God. You requested the rarely used procedure of general anaesthesia. Of course. You remember what we remember." Sauntevia Proudfoot did not make it a habit to looked confused, but in the past day, she was getting good practice. "What are you telling me? You *did* do my surgery, even though the commander told me you hadn't...?" "Sit down, Lieutenant," Geordi cut in. "We've got quite a story to tell you." Proudfoot had a worried look on her face, one that only became more so as the story unfolded. At the end, she even looked a little angry. "So what do we do about it?" she said. "Unless it comes back, we can't do anything." Beverly made an observation: "Do you think this is perhaps some Romulan trick to get information out of us?" Remembering his own bout with the Romulans and their attempt to manipulate him, he shook his head. "This doesn't seem like their style. Too passive. Too much trouble, creating an entire history for our benefit; it's a history where the upper hand in technology seems to be held by the Romulans anyway. I mean, look at what they did to my VISOR. No, I don't think this has anything to do with them wanting secrets at all. According to this history, they've got everything they need." "What, then? Q, maybe?" Geordi cracked a smile. "Are you kidding? He's too egotistical to do something like this anonymously. No, I think this is entirely a fluke of nature, so to speak. We'll just have to ride this thing out until something happens." Proudfoot spoke up again at last, fear creeping into her strong voice. "What if *nothing* happens?" "Then I guess this becomes our reality." As he said it, the thought made him shudder. +++ Geordi and Proudfoot left for Troi's and duty respectively, and Beverly laid back down on her bed to try to catch some more sleep. Having this baby inside her was certainly no illusion, and as it shifted from her left to right side, a wave of nausea rolled through her. It was certainly ironic, that after all this time after Jack's death, and her finally coming to terms with it, that she should be thrown into a reality where he was still alive and well and flourishing, and that she would have to deal with it. It was a bittersweet situation. It tore at her insides, and she was not comfortable with that. She must have dozed off, because next thing she knew she was awakened by the soft voices of Kulko and Jack speaking nearby. "She's fit as a fiddle; she's all yours as soon as she wakes up," the doctor said, and Jack smiled. God, it was good to find comfort in his smile again. He came close to the bed when he saw she was awake, and when he saw her looking happy, he felt relieved. She really hadn't been herself after that fall, with those strange remarks about his presence there and all. Maybe she was back to being her old, sweet self again. Hopefully. "Hey sweetheart. Did you hear that? They're letting you out of this place. How about an old fashioned breakfast in bed?" He helped her to sit up, and she groaned with the pressure. "Jack, that sounds wonderful," she said, her voice wavering a little. Good heavens. Would it really be that easy to settle back into life with Jack? Was it prudent to allow herself the comfort and security of a life long ago? It felt like she was slipping into a favourite pair of old shoes, ones she hadn't worn in a very long time, and wondering why she didn't wear them more often. Was she doing the right thing? What if this was all taken away again? Would it hurt just as much the second time around? He helped her down from the biobed, and her feet tingled as the pads of her feet touched the ground. "Honey, do you need a ride back?" He helped her with getting on her footwear; she had some trouble, as large as she was for her point in gestation, reaching her feet. She stood as straight as posture would allow her to and said, "No, I think I can walk to my-- our quarters. Come on, I want that breakfast you promised me." As they got to the Crusher cabin -- the cabin Beverly had always known to be Will Riker's -- the door slid opened and Beverly saw Wesley for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Wes!" He had been combing his hair, and he turned from the mirror as a smile swept over his features to give her a loving embrace. "Mom! How are you? How's the blob?" He looked to her face, as if the answer could be found there. She screwed her face up, not having a clue to what he meant, so he elaborated: "The *baby*?" "Oh, um, alive and kicking." She patted her stomach and offered him a light laugh. At that point her eye caught hold of a patch of auburn hair so close to her own in colour that it made her gasp for breath. A small girl lie on the couch there, apparently having fallen asleep in anticipation of Beverly's return. Undoubtedly, this child was her daughter. Wesley jumped in with an explanation. "She wanted to greet you at the door, Mom." She looked at the both of them in surprise. "What-- why didn't you tell me-- why didn't you tell me she wanted to see me?" If Beverly hadn't chosen to whisper for the girl's sake, she surely would have been yelling. Jack replied, "You told me, if ever you were in Sickbay for medical reasons, not to let her see you." He shrugged -- he had only complied to her wishes. "I'll get her up... she'll be so thrilled." He tickled her nose and whispered to her, "Elisabeth... Mommy's home..." When the little girl opened her eyes to see her mother had come home, she leaped up and threw her arms about Beverly's waist. She couldn't have been more than seven years old, and she was the prettiest little thing, soft, curling hair, wide hazel eyes... "Mommy! You're all right!" squealed the small voice from below the expanse of abdomen. Beverly took to this small girl instinctively, bending with some difficulty on one knee and embracing her. "I'm *just* fine." She turned her eyes to Jack as she said delicately, "Elisabeth." _Of course,_ she thought with a nod of acknowledgement, _that's what we were supposed to name our first daughter..._ The love that emanated from this child was so intense that Beverly began to cry. She began to wish with a twang of guilt that they would never find their way back to 'actual reality', where Jack was dead, and she was alone. +++ When Geordi arrived at Counselor Troi's office, she awaited him with questions of all kinds. He had no choice but to tell her everything. They sat on her cozy couch, and he patiently and calmly explained all that had happened to him, Beverly and Sauntevia Proudfoot. When he was through, he expected laughter, or at least for her to tell him that he'd truly lost it this time. But all she gave him was a kind smile. "Geordi," she told him, "it does sound crazy, but if you believe it's real, then it's real enough." "Then you don't think I'm making it up?" "What would you have to gain by that? Nothing." Geordi tipped his head. "Good point." Her eyes sparkled as she offered him a comforting smile. "I sense that you feel a lot better knowing that you've shared this with me and I didn't scorn you for it. Sharing it has eased your anxiety a hundred fold." "What about that telepathy thing? Can't you just read my thoughts?" She shrugged. "Sometimes that is not a wise thing to do. Like now. I don't want you to feel as if there is an imbalance of power." He considered what she said, and asked, "But what about last night? You read my thoughts loud and clear." Deanna couldn't help but giggle. "'Loud and clear' exactly. Any telepath in close proximity would have been able to read you like a beacon. You were so excited about... well... How *are* things going with Ensign Ro?" Never had he seen Deanna flub in such a big way. He smiled; perhaps she was always so bold in this reality, or perhaps it was for the benefit of making him feel more comfortable. "We're okay, Counselor. I've been really busy trying to solve this little mystery, but I've cleared the board for tonight, to spend time with her, get to know her. Hell, I should at least *know* her, if she's my Imzadi, right?" They both shared a good laugh, and he got up to leave. "I have to get back down to Engineering. Proudfoot and I are running intense scans, trying to find this thing again. Maybe if we can find it and sail through it again, we'll be sent back to... reality." He felt bad saying that, as if what he said meant to imply he was not happy here. On the contrary, he could get used to life here *very* easily. "I understand," said Deanna. "And if you need any help, let me know." +++ In the days to follow, not a beep came out of the console to indicate any reappearance of anything unusual. In fact it was so quiet down in Engineering that Geordi began to wonder if they were out in space at all, and found himself in Ten-Forward reassuring himself with the streaking starfield just outside the window. Life with Ro Larren proved to be quite an adventure, as Geordi was quick to discover. She was every bit as fiery as Geordi remembered her, yet at the same time somewhat tempered by the fact that she was deeply in love. They spent a great deal of time together when duty schedule permitted. It was evident to Geordi, if to no one else, how he could have become involved with her. And Beverly... wasn't she the happy homemaker! Although any talk of the kind in her presence would have landed him a slug on the jaw, rightfully deserved. That was an appropriate word for it though, for the many times Geordi had seen her in the presence of one of her family members, most often the little girl, Elisabeth. It was also good to hear that Proudfoot was able to get up on her toe shoes again. That was something she was had not been looking forward to giving up. He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hand as he thought of the stars that stretched just out of his grasp. He was awakened by the beckoning of his insignia, and was surprised at what was before his eyes. +++ Beside the readout terminal in Engineering, Lieutenant Proudfoot sat leisurely scanning for anything unusual. Naturally, she didn't really expect to find anything; even after Geordi had told her to scan for even the most inconsequential particles, anything out of the ordinary had not even so much as whispered across the sensors for the whole week since this 'alternate reality' had begun. _It's threatening to become boring down here,_ she thought to herself, as she took a break and rested in the back of the seat. _"Normal parameters," this. "Normal parameters," that._ She almost prayed for something, anything, to pop up. Her prayers were answered, and she was rather sorry that they were. The room was permeated by the high-pitched whine of the sensors all sounding off at once. Her spine stiffened and she sat up, her eyes incredulous at what they saw. As instantly as it began, it stopped. Everything was back to normal. She blinked, hardly believing that what she saw and heard had actually happened. But it had, and there it was before her eyes, although what she saw on the console readout just did not make much sense. Her first reaction: Geordi. +++ "Proudfoot to La Forge. Acknowledge." Geordi sat up, and realized that he was no longer in Ten-Forward. He had somehow returned to his quarters, and he was in his bed. It seemed significant that he was alone, for lately he had been waking up with company. He looked around, thoroughly disoriented, forgetting for the moment he had been paged. What was going on? Had he had one too many Romulan Ales? "La Forge, *acknowledge*..." "La Forge here, Proudfoot. What's up?" "The anomaly." She sounded breathless. "It came back." He jumped out of his bed. "I'm on my way. La For---" "No, sir. It *came* back. It's gone again. Though something interesting occurred when it came up on the sensors -- after it disappeared again, I noticed..." "*What*?" Geordi was in no mood for beating around the bush. "Our coordinates. We're clear across the system from where we were a minute ago. And we're on half impulse power now. A minute ago we were running on warp 5. Doesn't make much sense, does it?" He ran a hand over his wiry hair. "Why didn't I think of that... Of course!" "What would that be, Sir?" He began to pace, and noticed himself in the mirror. He felt the blood rush from his face as he saw what the reflection held. In a decidedly smaller voice he told Proudfoot, "I'll be down there in a minute. La Forge out." As he begun a quick query of the computer, the information he got did not disappoint in surprising him. What the hell was going on now? +++ Beverly had had an uneventful night -- she had attended her daughter's grade school play and probably applauded the loudest of any parent there, save for Jack. Wesley had been on duty and had told her over dinner that Geordi had had him looking for the oddest stuff. As he spoke she had just sat and watched him -- how mature he had become, how handsome. She of course had known why Geordi had him looking like he did, but didn't think it was necessary to tell the story to him unless, of course, he had found something. And Jack -- he certainly did age well. He was as romantic as ever. After they had gotten Elisabeth into bed, he had prepared for her the loveliest evening she'd ever had. Dinner had been delicious, the music soothing, his smile inviting, and to dance with him again made her want to weep. She fell asleep in his arms, as content as a baby. Yet this had all been normal in the experiences she'd had in coming to this reality. Not very eventful at all. Now, calling for Elisabeth for the third time to come to breakfast, what at first started as an annoyance became a source for serious worry. Elisabeth had been chattering away about the play the night before, how proud she had been to represent Venus in the Terran System, how happy that her mom and dad had been able to attend. But right after Beverly had called the second time, she felt a little woozy, and thought Elisabeth's voice had stopped rather abruptly. So as she called out the third time, she set down the plates with a worried frown. "Elisabeth. Are you hurt?" She hurried to where the girl's room was. When she came to the door, it opened to show her something that ordinarily would have no effect on her. Now, it became horrifying, and she screamed out in terror. In the room, there was no evidence that a small girl or her belongings had ever been in there. The room was lined with books. On every wall, books. In the center sat a large desk, with a terminal blinking on and off and scattered isolinear chips on its smooth, dark surface. She felt sick to her stomach, and felt as if she could not breathe. She rested her hand on the cool door frame to keep from falling. Wesley was at her side instantly, alarmed by the wail his mother had let out. "Gosh, mom. I'm sorry," was all he could offer. Could he not see the trembling that wracked through her every bone? "Wesley, what happened to this room?" she managed. "I'm really sorry! I promise I'll clean it up," he continued. She looked at him. Evidently he had no idea what she was talking about. "Where's Elisabeth?" Wesley wrinkled his brow. "Hm. I think I saw her lying on the floor, next to the couch." It took a moment to sink in. The couch. The couch. She stared at him for a couple of seconds. Maybe, just maybe... She ran to where the couch was, and could only see... a cat? "Where's Elisabeth?" she repeated, more forcefully than the first time. "*Mom*... she's right there..." He sounded worried. "Are you all right?" As she slumped into the couch, she replied, "I'm fine. Never better." She was happy to feel the baby still inside of her. "Maybe you should get down to Sickbay early. Have Kulko check you out." The dull realization of what must have happened hit her. She had to confirm it with Geordi. She waved her hand, as if to shoo away a fly. "No, that isn't necessary. I know exactly what's wrong." She suddenly turned her head to him. "My God, Wes. Where's your father?" Wesley stared at her as if she had just turned into a Klingon. "On the bridge...?" She was relieved at that much. She couldn't bear the thought of him being taken from her again so soon after getting him back. With a minor struggle and some help from Wes, she stood again. "Computer, where's Lieutenant Commander LaForge?" The voice was once again the pleasant female voice, and it purred, "Lieutenant Commander LaForge is in Turbolift 3. Correction, Lieutenant Commander LaForge is on Deck 36." _Engineering. Something *has* happened._ Wesley finally caught on. "Something's going on mom, I can tell." He trailed her like a hungry puppy as she headed for the door. "Mom, you're scaring me. Are you all right? Mom, you can tell me! Please?" She turned and sighed. "You can be *so* persistent sometimes. Come on with me, I've got quite a tale to tell." +++ Proudfoot barely looked up from her watch until she heard the voice of Geordi nearing her. And when she did look up, she could not halt a sharp gasp of surprise. "Geordi? What's going on? Where's your VISOR?" He took the seat beside her, and acted rather nonchalant. "You're not going to believe this one. My eyes are mainframe-fed cybernetic implants. All I have to do is tell the computer what spectrum I want to scan for and bam, there it is." He blinked, then rolled his eyes around. "Pretty darn realistic, huh? Scared the hell out of me when I woke up." She was in disbelief, as were Beverly Crusher and her son as they neared the pair of engineers. "So reality has changed again. How? What happened?" Beverly's eyes were red-rimmed, and Wesley looked absolutely dumbfounded. Geordi looked to Wesley. "Does he know?" Beverly nodded. "What about you? Something has happened to you as well?" Beverly hung her head. "It's... Elisabeth. She has... ceased to exist." Wesley had no memory of his "sister," yet still was sympathetic as he placed an arm around her shoulders. "Oh man. I'm sorry," Geordi offered. Beverly seemed to pull herself together at once. "Tell us. What changed? What happened?" Proudfoot explained her experience, and Geordi concluded with an explanation of the coordinates: "We were placed clear across this system in a matter of nanoseconds, all this while our engines had gone to half impulse. This told me that we went to another 'reality', so I did a little checking on the computer." It was very odd to see Geordi's eyes; they were darting all over and were very animated as he spoke. "This reality differs somewhat from the first alternate one we experienced. Just check out this holo-schematic." At that time he asked for a holographic simulation of the Enterprise. It came up on the console, hovering just above it. It truly was a surprise to see, even for Geordi, who had seen it already: instead of its familiar saucer-and-star- drive shape, it had become a grotesque hybrid of the Enterprise they had known and a Romulan Warbird. "And I've checked Starfleet personnel records. Ro Larren is currently serving on Outpost 24, and has been there for the whole of her career. She's never known any of us." There was a moment of sympathetic silence for Geordi's lost love before he began again. "Our mission is to stake out this boundary -- it's the line in the sand drawn by the Federation for the Klingons. Apparently we are on a search and destroy mission. Somehow, we are able to fire weapons while we are still cloaked. The Klingons are not." The three officers senior to Wesley glanced to one another nervously. Wesley wanted to explain how simple it all was, to be cloaked and able to fire at the same time, but figured it was not the best time to concern them with that knowledge. "If all this you've said is really real, I think it would be a good time to tell the captain," offered Wesley. When they all scowled in confusion, Wesley explained, "Captain Picard, that is. He *is* the captain that you all remember, isn't --" At that moment the sensors beeped again. They were horrified to see Wesley vanish from their sight as Beverly collapsed into a heap. "Computer!" demanded Geordi LaForge. "Where is Ensign Wesley Crusher?" The voice had changed to a gruff male voice. "Ensign Wesley Crusher is currently serving aboard the Warbird Intimidation." He helped Beverly off of the floor. She had heard what the computer had said, and while she was upset that he had vanished, at least he still existed. The beeping stopped. Proudfoot yelled, "15 seconds! It stayed a whole 15 seconds this time!" As Beverly stood, she realized that her stomach was as flat as a board, and she began to heave for air. "Jack!" she wailed hysterically. "Where's Jack Crusher?!" "Commander Crusher is on the bridge." Beverly's eyes rolled back into her head and her lids closed as she sunk into the nearest chair. "Geordi, I can't take this. We have to get back." As much as she had loved the alternate reality at first, it had become a cruel mockery of what it once was. What had begun as a dream come true was now a pure, unadulterated nightmare. Almost in a taunt it had decided, as if it could decide, to change. Would it continue to change in a moment's notice, without warning? More importantly, would they have the strength to keep up with these changes? Geordi felt it too. "I think Wes was right. It's time to take this to the captain." +++ "Come." The captain's voice sounded impatient and just a touch angry from behind the door of his ready room. Beverly and Geordi entered; Proudfoot had offered to stay and monitor for the anomaly again. They approached his desk meekly. "Well? You had a problem?" He touched his console to turn it off. "You have my full attention. Unless, of course, the Klingons decide to make an appearance." He settled back into his chair, crossing one leg over the other. Geordi took in a breath, wondering where to begin. Slowly, and with a few interjections by Beverly, the whole story was told to him, leaving out details like Jack's resurrection and Data's ability to feel emotions that would only serve to confuse him. Much like the others, his reaction was one of wide- eyed awe. It made the two of them hopeful, for it took a lot to awe this captain. "LaForge, coming from anyone else, this story would be grounds for me to throw you in the brig. But I remember that anomaly... had a strange effect on me, almost made me feel... dizzy." He stopped, engaging Geordi eye to eye. "Sir, in my honest opinion, this anomaly is becoming unstable. If its condition continues to deteriorate, reality will not cease to change for us. It would effectively drive us insane." "Solutions?" Beverly stepped in. "Based on the two appearances it has made so far, every time this thing reappears, it hangs on a little bit longer. It may sound like bad science to theorize on such scant data, but we can't just sit around and wait for more. Since this whole thing started by the ship passing through the center of it, we're hoping that the next time it appears, we have the reflex enough to aim straight for it and pass through its center again." At that moment, Geordi's comm pin tweedled. "Proudfoot to LaForge." The captain gave him a look as if to say, by all means, take it. "LaForge here." "Geordi, we're one step closer to finding this thing. I noticed that each time before it popped up, the nirvanium particle readings shot way up." The captain looked puzzled. "We don't routinely scan for that." "Normally, no. And I wouldn't have even noticed that they had gone up if I hadn't made a connection between what the sensors said then and what they say now as being normal -- which is *very* low. I didn't realize nirvanium was so rare." Geordi was ecstatic. "Captain, with your permission, the next time we see these unusually high nirvanium readings, may we change course for them at once?" Captain Picard didn't need much time to come to a decision. "If you are right, things will be back to normal, and on track, according to what you've told me. If you are wrong, we will just be passing through a harmless nirvanium cloud." He paused dramatically, then hit his own comm badge. "Number One, set the sensors on the bridge to scan for nirvanium. If it comes up on the readings in unusually high amounts, set a course for it, at a sufficient speed for the distance. Picard out." Beverly's heart flipped when she heard Jack's voice acknowledge. It still surprised her, supposed it always would. The captain sighed, and with a smile said scornfully, "If it were anyone else but my Chief Engineer..." Geordi and Beverly shared a look of relief. "Thank you, Jean-Luc," said Beverly. She was glad to see him smile in response. +++ That night, Beverly was plagued by the strangest dream. She was in the corridors of the Enterprise, but they were unnaturally foggy, and rather than leading anywhere, they were maze-like. She could hear Jack calling to her, and as she ran after him, he would disappear, only to reappear in some more remote section of the maze, where she would have to get her bearings and start the search anew. Although it was only Jack and her in the maze, somehow she was fearful down to the very core of her. At long last she thought she had reached him -- and the voice that was calling became her own. She sat up like a bolt, bathed in cold sweat. Her fingers were digging into the mattress against her will. Even before her eyes adjusted to the dimness in the room she knew it had happened again. Something was very different. Somehow, the plan she had worked out with the captain had not succeeded. She could feel it. As her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she knew it was no longer the bedroom that she and Jack had shared. Yet, as a shiver ran down her spine, she knew it was not the cabin she had spent her nights alone as an unmarried CMO. She did not know where she was, and that was more frightening than the dream. She heard a noise beside her, so she whispered, "Jack, are you awake? I just dreamt..." The figure beside her shifted and grumbled, "*Jack*?" Beverly realized, as this figure sat up, that reality had changed her surroundings, because the man she had gone to bed with was not the same man here now. When it registered who it was beside her, she stiffened like a startled bird. That voice could belong to only one person. Jean-Luc Picard. "Beverly, are you feeling all right?" He sat up; he was dressed at least, in silken pajamas that were opened at the top. He put a comforting arm around her and drew her close to him. "Jean-Luc. I don't know *how* I feel." She didn't even have the energy to resist this reality. _Maybe I am crazy! Maybe this is the way it's been all along!_ Jean-Luc kissed her lightly and told her to try to get back to sleep. He laid down and held out his arm, for her to lay with him. Out of fatigue and confusion, and a hope that had been shot to hell, she did, resting her head on his chest. To her surprise it seemed -- no, it *felt* -- as if he was beginning to caress her. She was about to protest when the red-alert klaxons sounded. "Captain." It was the smooth voice of Data. "Klingon Bird of Prey decloaking." He got out of bed, but not before placing another kiss on Beverly's lips. He quickly dressed and was out of the cabin in a flash, leaving Beverly feeling as if a tornado had just swept through the place. She sat there for a moment, too blanked out to know what to do. Then logic kicked in and she ordered the lights up. "Computer, identify my voice." The computer's voice was a pleasant male voice. "You are Dr. Beverly Picard, Chief Medical Officer of the Federation Galaxy Class Warbird Enterprise." Beverly Picard. So she was his wife. _And this is a *Warbird*._ "How long have the captain and I been... married?" "20.5 years." So what happened to -- "Identify Commander Jack Crusher." After a tweedle "working" noise, the computer told her: "There is no Jack Crusher on board the Enterprise." "Is there a Jack Crusher in Personnel files?" Pause. "Negative. No record of a Jack Crusher exists in the database." She felt quite lightheaded. She got out of bed and began to pace. "Do I have any children?" she asked as she started to tremble. "One son. Wesley S. Currently serving on board the Federation Galaxy Class Warbird Intimidation." At least there was something that had remained constant. At least she still had Wesley. "Give me a location on Geordi LaForge." "Commander Geordi LaForge is currently on assignment at Starfleet Science Lab on Alpha Gamma One in the Mayeb sector." "What about Sauntevia Proudfoot?" "Lieutenant Sauntevia Proudfoot was killed in the line of duty on stardate 44367.8." Her heart sunk. She was alone. And this ship was in the middle of a conflict with the Klingons. It was useless to remind Jean-Luc about his earlier cooperation, because for him it had never happened. She had to get him to do it if the need arose again, whether or not they were nose to nose with the Klingons. She looked for and found her uniform. She noticed that even its appearance was markedly different: it looked more like the severly angular Romulan uniform. She shuddered as she put it on. Against her better judgement, she headed for the bridge, hoping she was not too late. +++ As Picard entered the bridge, he barked, "Hail those Klingon dogs. Are the shields up?" At the tactical post was a young but highly experienced and respected man, tall and handsome, with a beard dusting his Romulan features. "Yes sir, of course, sir," he replied to the captain. "Photon torpedoes armed and ready?" "Yes sir. Armed and ready, on your mark." "Fine job, Lieutenant Riker." The lieutenant's blue eyes beamed at the praise. Now was not the time for vanity, and he returned to his post, yelling, "Klingons have answered our hail, sir." "On screen!" Picard ordered, as he strode to stand between Ops and Conn. The screen changed from the elegant birdlike Klingon ship to that of its dark and dingy bridge. In the center was one who was apparently the captain, or HoD, and to his left was another who was most likely the la', or second-in- command. There was an uneasy silence as the two commanders sized each other up. The Federation captain chose to speak first. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the United Romulan Federation of Planets. By being here in Federation territory, you are directly violating the agreement between our peoples. I order you to vacate at once, or I shall have no choice but to regard this as an act of war." The other captain stood there, making no sound. His severe features were unmarked with sympathy or regret. His long, ragged hair hung down to his waist and he wore a golden sash with choppy Klingon characters decorating it. His lips curled in a sneer, and the shadows on his face and uniform were positively terrifying. The officer at his side was a female; she was equally intimidating, her protruding forehead thumbing a nose at any ideals of human femininity. She growled what was intended to be under her breath, "G'dayt tokhe straav'." Neither seemed much impressed with Picard or his crew. Picard smiled at the insult. Damned Klingons weren't going to give in without a fight. _Then a fight it shall be._ "I repeat, vacate Federation space at once or --" The booming voice of the Klingon HoD rang across the bridge. "Silence, nal tai-kleon. I think we will stay here as we please." Picard met his eyes with the formidable captain's, and neither wavered a millimeter. "Then we have no choice but to fire upon you." Deep laughter rumbled through to Picard's innards. "Be my guest, Captain. But when you see what delicious prize we have, I think you might want to reconsider." The Klingon turned to look off-screen and made an approving gesture. "Look, Captain, at what we have brought with us." Picard ordered the screen to be split with an exterior shot of the Klingon vessel. Picard's brow knit when he saw a Federation Warbird decloak beside the still-unidentified Bird of Prey. Deep and resonant, the HoD asked, "Do we destroy the Intimidation, or do you surrender to the Klingon Empire?" The smirk on his lips was pure evil. Picard felt beads of cold sweat form on his upper lip. Before he could even think, a shot came forward and crippled the Intimidation. Another came out and destroyed it. "Time's up, Picard." His laugh was bone-chilling. "Surrender now, or you shall meet a similar fate!" "Damn you, Klingon! You'll get no surrender out of *me*! Fire all--" To the surprise of everyone a voice yelled out from the back of the bridge, "*Worf*!?" All heads turned to see the woman they knew as Dr. Beverly Picard standing near the turbolift doors. No one was more surprised than the captain. Enraged by this interruption, he chastised her. "Beverly, this is *no* time for...!" However, the Klingon HoD was rather intrigued. "How did you know my name, woman?" he snarled, interrupting the captain. Beverly stepped closer, near where the captain had stood on the front of the bridge, and noticed that the female la' was in fact K'Ehlar. Apparently, in this timeline she had fully embraced the traditions she had so scorned in Beverly's reality. At the appearance of the doctor K'Ehlar's growl became more pronounced. In a cool, collected voice Beverly said, "There is no honour in destroying a ship without a battle, Worf." He was disgusted by the lack of respect for his hard-earned title, and exploded with, "*HoD* Worf to you, kleon!" However, Beverly's interest in him was lost. She had more important things to worry about. Beverly turned to the ensigns at Ops and Conn. "I want you to scan for high levels of nirvanium, and lay down a course for it at the fastest practical speed should it appear." The ensign there turned to the captain for his approval. When he gave none, the ensign began the scan anyway when he saw the look in Beverly's eyes. Picard ordered the channel closed. "What is going on here, *Doctor*!?" he demanded angrily, taking her by the arm and tugging rather hard. She swung around and gave him a look that said she was not one to be trifled with. From the counselor's chair came the voice of Guinan. "She is trying to get us back to... where we belong. For several days now I've been getting these weird vibes, almost like a presence from another place in time. Like you, Beverly. For a while there I felt like there were two separate beings there when I saw you. It's very hard to explain..." Beverly stared at her in disbelief, yet knew she should not expect any less from Guinan. From the commander's chair came the voice of Data. Apparently in this timeline Dr. Soong had had greater success in making the android look more like his human counterparts: his skin was a startling realistic human caucasian tone, and the yellow eyes were now a warm chocolate brown. "Captain, I believe there may be some validity to Dr. Picard's request, and to Guinan's comment. In the 21st century, Dr. Ja of Romulus theorized that nirvanium particles, as rare as they are, could possibly have profound effects on temporal flow when they accumulate in large enough numbers, thus altering reality--" At that moment from tactical called the voice of the Romulan Riker, who save for the ears and the requisite haircut still looked strikingly similar to the human version Beverly had known. "Klingon ship powering up weapons!" Picard's voice was scathing. "Offended that we cut them off? Fire weapons on my mark!" Riker then scowled. "Klingon ship hailing us now, sir." "Status?" He sounded disappointed. "Weapons still trained on us, sir." "No time for conferences on alternate temporal realities, Doctor," he said sarcastically as he shot a glance to her. He turned to the viewscreen. "Open the channel." On the screen again was HoD Worf, only this time he had a young human male at his side, a jagged Klingon dagger poised over his throat. Worf spoke as the human struggled under his grip. "We plucked this *fine* human specimen from the Intimidation before we destroyed it. Look familiar? I thought so." He began to laugh before it even registered with Beverly who it was. Wesley. Picard's eyes tried hard not to grow wide; Beverly took a step forward and said, her voice full of rage, "You let my son go, Worf. You have no quarrel with him. Where's the *honour* in killing a defenseless boy?" Beverly hoped that Worf's obsession with honour had stuck through the timelines. As the Klingon drove the dagger deep into Wesley's side and twisted it, Beverly realized with horror that it had not. Wesley's face contorted with the shock, and he cried out, writhing in pain. Worf just grinned maliciously, meeting eyes with the mother of the dying boy that was flung over his arm. "'Honour' is just an excuse for those who are weak." The channel closed on them, and the ship once again cloaked. "Doctor, I'm picking up those readings you asked me to look for. Two hundred kilometers off of the port bow." As the ensign said it he laid in a course for it. Picard would have none of that. "Forget that nirvanium business. Find that cloaked ship, now! Destroy it!" "You would kill your own son?" Beverly asked. Picard tugged down on his uniform top, and said, as if he were reciting it from rote memory, "He shall not have died in vain." She couldn't believe what she was hearing, couldn't believe he was being such a heartless bastard. _I guess that's the Romulan influence on him. No time for talking things out. Just kill._ There was only one thing left to do. She had been hoping she didn't need to do it, but now it became her only option. Beverly turned to her captain and said in an unbelievably calm voice, "Captain, I judge you unfit to command this vessel. You are acting in an irrational manner, in my professional opinion, and I believe your judgement to be clouded after witnessing the stabbing of your... son. Effective now, you are relieved of command." She turned to Ops and Conn again. "Ensign, head for that nirvanium cloud at once." Picard was fuming. "'Unfit'? Riker, throw this woman in the Brig, charge her with treason! And find that Klingon ship!" Riker's hands were tied, however. Besides, he was far too busy at Tactical, trying to get a fix on the cloaked ship. Guinan stood and yelled; it was the first time Beverly had ever heard her raise her voice. "Captain, I second her opinion!" Guinan grabbed Picard by the wrist and held him fast, much to his surprise. "Get to that cloud now!" The poor ensign was torn. He looked to both parties and saw the severity on both their faces. "*NOW*!" Beverly shouted. In the midst of all this the ship rocked in an explosion. "We have just been hit by a spray of Klingon fire!" Riker yelled. "Evasive maneuver!" called Brevet Captain Data. "Return fire! Cloak the ship! And continue course to that cloud!" From different stations on the bridge came reports: "The shields have been breached! Cloaking ability is down! Weapons are inoperable! Starboard nacelle has been hit! Outer hull integrity weakening!" Beverly felt dizzy, and hoped this would work. God forbid it didn't work. They would all be dead, and it would be her fault. "Nirvanium anomaly directly in front of us!" Suddenly the viewscreen was filled with a crimson light that blinded everyone. A wind swept across the bridge; Beverly tried desperately to keep herself upright. Her grip was loosening... she did not know if this was the cloud, their destruction, or both. She closed her eyes and prayed for the first as her hand slipped from the back of the Ops chair. All was black. +++ When Beverly opened her eyes, all she could see were bright lights above her head. Her body ached all over, and she could not move. She felt nauseous and her head was spinning in circles. What was happening? Was she dead? Everything that had occurred flashed through her mind and she began to weep. _Please, oh please. Not another reality._ But the longer she was conscious, the quicker those memories began to fade. By the time she heard footfalls nearing her bed, all that was left was a mere impression, an echo of what had happened. "Doctor Crusher? Are you all right?" The tears in her eyes, now there for a reason Beverly did not know, made it impossible to see who it was. But the voice, it was familiar. She blinked a few times to squeeze out the tears and realized it was Dr. Selar. Dr. Selar! Beverly sat up, or at least she tried to sit up, but the biomonitor was in her way. "Where am I?" she asked automatically. Selar tipped her head. "A most illogical question, Doctor, since your presence is required here almost every day." "Where is Geordi? God, how will I know I'm back?" "Geordi LaForge is just a few beds over, and the second question does not make any sense." She was absolutely right! _What *did* I mean, exactly?_ "And what about Tevia? I mean, Lieutenant Proudfoot?" "She is in the bed beside you." Beverly struggled to remember what happened, but the grasp she had on the memories she had left was releasing them against her will. Something about Wesley, and a stabbing? Worf? Jack? As she thought of these things they were almost just as quickly forgotten. "I want to see my husband," Beverly said wearily. Looking as confused as a Vulcan can look, Selar stated, "Dr. Crusher, I was not aware you were married." Beverly shook her head. Where did that thought come from? "I'm not, Selar. What happened to me?" "You were finishing up surgery on Lieutenant Proudfoot," she began matter-of-factly, "and some instability caused you to fall and injure yourself. Nothing terribly serious: a fracture of your ulna, twelfth rib, and coccyx, all of which have been sufficiently repaired." "How long was I out?" As she said it, a strange sense of deja-vu overcame her. "25 minutes." Selar took a reading on medical tricorder. "You seem to be in good health. Try to get some sleep." "Captain. Who is the captain? The first officer? Can Data laugh?" Where were these questions springing from? Selar, anxious to treat the awakening LaForge and Proudfoot, said, "I will ask for the captain to pay you a visit." With that she stepped away. Beverly raised her head to see Geordi in the bed down the row. It relieved her to no end to see him, and again, she did not know why; the same went for Proudfoot. They were both doing fine. He was probing his VISOR with his fingers and calling for Ro Larren, while Proudfoot asked Selar about her hip. Judging from their reactions to Selar's queries, they were just as disoriented as Beverly was, and just as plagued by this bizarre loss of memory. As Captain Picard stepped into Sickbay, Beverly was overcome with a great sense of peace. Somehow seeing him made her feel all right. Did what happen to her hinge on him, somehow? Had he been hurt in a dream of hers? Had *he* hurt *her*? Was what was fading from her conscious memory a dream, or had it really happened? She saw Riker beside him; for some reason she felt compelled to count his insignia buttons. There were three. That was normal, right? "Captain, Commander," she said, her voice sounding foreign to even herself. "How good it is to see you both." "And how are you?" Riker asked. She merely nodded, for her eyes were drooping. Even before Picard could voice one sentence, she had fallen fast asleep. The two commanding officers looked to each other. Riker joked, "Was it something I said?" _______________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 1992 by Sandra Guzdek standard disclaimers about Paramount, and threats of death for plagiarism, apply.