Woah, this is a really old story. The original idea comes from the summer of 1993/94, during the summer hiatus between seasons of seaQuest. Originally the idea was for the dilithium to be rock candy, and Krieg was going to discover this by eating a piece. What can I say, I've never been normal. The final result is a bit different than what was created back then, but I'll just blame that on reality hitting me.
SUMMARY: seaQuest is doing its thing on the bottom of the ocean when it discovers a vessel from the twenty-fourth century.
CODES: SQ, TNG, B/W, P/C
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: Paramount and Amblin own all the rights and characters, the story is mine, however, and the song near the end is under copyright to someone, not me.
NOTES: 1) I have no idea how much of the science in here is fact, most of it I made up to keep the story moving; 2) The way everything returns to normal is not how I would have liked it, but it was the only plausible solution I could think of.
"The Next Generation of seaQuest"
by Liz VanZandt
Stardate 46934.8
somewhere near Vega
Captain Jean-Luc Picard took a sip of tea and watched his breakfast companion tear off a bit of her croissant. "Jean-Luc, you're staring again," Beverly Crusher said and popped the bite into her mouth.
"What?" Picard said, drawn out of his reverie by her voice.
"You've hardly said a word all morning and you were staring at me just now."
Picard tried to cover his embarrassment at being caught by feigning ignorance. "Oh, was I? I'm sorry, Beverly."
She smiled at him, not fooled one bit by his innocent look. "What's the matter, Jean-Luc?"
"Nothing."
"No," she shook her head. "Something is bothering you, what is it?"
"Beverly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me, I've just had a lot of work lately and I'm a little distracted, that's all," he insisted, taking a sip of his tea. He was contemplating rewarming the rapidly cooling liquid when Beverly's next comment caught him off guard.
"So than when is our shore leave?"
His eyes snapped up to look at her, taking in the large grin and satisfied look on her face. "Beverly," Picard said, exasperated. She had been pushing for an unscheduled shore leave for the last week, and all of her requests had been meeting with the stony wall of Picard's rejections.
"Riker to Picard," Wil Riker's voice interrupted Picard's objection.
Picard tried to hide his relief at the welcome intrusion of work. "Yes, Number One," he answered, tapping his comm badge.
"There's a priority one message for you coming in from Starfleet Headquarters," came the reply.
"Very well, Number One, I'm on my way."
"Aye, sir."
Picard stood up and tugged at his shirt. He looked over at his companion in apology. "I'm sorry, Beverly, I have to go."
"That's all right, Jean-Luc," she smiled slightly. After over twenty-five years in Starfleet, Beverly knew quite well the demands on a captain. "But I'm still serious about shore leave." His response was the door whooshing closed behind him.
* * *
Picard sat down to face his senior staff. The message from Headquarters was still bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason. More often then not his gut reactions were right -- it was a mark of a good captain -- and the few times he'd ignored his gut in the past had led to his most significant failures. For this reason, he intended to approach the upcoming mission with caution. Nearby, Deanna Troi could sense his uneasiness and was disturbed by it.
"A renegade ship has been attacking outposts along the edge of the Sekal galaxy near the border territory," Picard explained, opening the briefing. He looked around the room, studying the faces around the table, trying to phrase the next part of the news. "Unfortunately, there have been some rumors that this ship is neither unaffiliated nor Cardassian, but rather a Federation ship."
Deanna nodded to herself. That explained some of the Captain's unease, but she was sure there was something more bothering him.
"And of course, as with all missions," Picard continued, "this one comes with some level of danger. Mr. Data?"
"Sir, the Sekal galaxy and surrounding areas have been experiencing an abnormally high amount of temporal anomalies and wormhole activity lately." Data's statement brought a round of groans as he launched into a more detailed description of the recent activities.
Beverly settled back in her chair and, ignoring Data, let her thoughts wander back to breakfast with Jean-Luc. He had definitely had something on his mind, and it obviously hadn't disappeared since then. She noticed Deanna staring at her and realized her mind had wandered too far. Pulling herself back to reality, Beverly noticed Jean-Luc looking at her, expecting a response. Silently, Beverly cursed herself for not paying more attention; she hated to seem like she was anything other than on top of things. "I'm sorry, Captain, what was that?"
"I asked whether Sickbay would be ready by the time we reach Sekal," Picard replied crisply, not even sparing her a smile of sympathy.
"Oh, well, we're returning to normal after the incidents last week," she said. "I can have all the non-critical patients out and be ready for incoming casualties by the end of the day."
"Fine, make it so," Picard nodded, then turned back to the rest of his staff. "All right, you all know what you should be doing. Dismissed." Everyone stood to leave, but Picard had other ideas for one daydreaming doctor. "Doctor, could I speak with you for a moment?" he said calmly, halting her retreat. Beverly slowly sat back down in her chair and watched the others leave. As the door closed behind them, Picard turned to Beverly. "What's the matter?" he asked, coming around the table and perching himself on the edge of the table near where she was seated.
"Nothing," she replied innocently, knowing where he was headed with this.
"Beverly, you were staring off into space, lost in thought," he objected. It wasn't hard to see the concern in his eyes. "That's not like you, what's wrong?"
She sighed. "Jean-Luc, I'm fine, just a little tired and besides, you know how monotonous Data can be at times." She hoped he wouldn't push her for more than that, and was rewarded by a reluctant nod. Smiling to herself, she pushed back from the table and stood up. "And now, I have to go clear Sickbay. Unless, of course, you've decided you don't want the ship ready to handle the large numbers of casualties Starfleet is expecting." Knowing she'd won, Beverly reached over and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Jean-Luc, I'm fine." She smiled and left the room to find Deanna waiting outside.
"Are you free for lunch?" Deanna asked. Beverly nodded with a sigh, knowing full well what Deanna's motives were. Sensing this, Deanna quickly added, "As friends," drawing a laugh from Beverly.
September 13, 2019
somewhere in the Pacific, near the bottom
"Ahem." Doctor Kristin Westphalen looked up to see Nathan Bridger standing in the doorway of her office, leaning against the doorjamb, a mischievous smile on his tan features. "I thought we were going to have lunch."
"Oh my God, I totally forgot," Kristin said glancing at her watch. She grimaced at the late hour she saw glaring back at her, reminding her of the fact that she'd let time get away from her for the third time that week. "We just got some follow-up data from the global warming project we ran a few months ago and I wanted to glance through it before lunch. I completely lost track of time. I'm so sorry," she apologized, throwing in a pair of large, wet eyes to back up her apology.
Bridger couldn't help himself. He laughed. It wasn't everyday he was on the receiving end of one of Kristin's apologies, let alone her puppy dog eyes. "That's all right, I was sidetracked going over diagnostics reports with Hitchcock and only just finished." His tone of voice changed as he came over to the desk. "How's the data look?"
"Encouraging, the changes we implemented seem to have taken hold," she said digging through the papers piled on her desk to find the summary sheet. He leaned over her shoulder, pulling out his glasses to study the columns of data.
"Captain to the bridge, Captain to the bridge," came the voice of Tim O'Neill.
Bridger sighed and sent Kristin an apologetic look as he went over to the commlink on the wall. "What is it, Mr. O'Neill?"
"A ship, sir," the communications officer replied. "But you have to see this to believe it."
"I'm on my way." He turned back to Westphalen, "Sorry, I guess we'll have to reschedule for dinner."
Kristin nodded and watched him leave before returning to her reading.
* * *
Bridger strode onto the bridge a few moments later and almost stopped in his tracks as he noticed the ship on the screen in front of him. It was gray and looked like a saucer with something coming down from the back it. "What is that and where did it come from?" he asked, eyes wide.
Jonathan Ford joined Bridger by the navigation table, his eyes still wide in surprise. He hadn't known what to make of the strange ship that just appeared on the ocean floor several minutes earlier, and he still didn't. "I don't know, sir. It just ... appeared right there in front of us."
"NCC-1701-D," Bridger mumbled.
"Captain, I have an incoming message that apparently originates from the ship," O'Neill said.
Bridger could not manage to hide his surprise. "Put it up, Lieutenant."
"Aye, sir."
A moment later the screen changed from a view of the ship to a room inside. There were about a dozen people standing around among banks of what appeared to be computers. In fact, the entire room seemed to be straight out of a science fiction story, the screens around the room all lit up with several colors, and some even appeared to be blinking periodically. The people appeared mostly to be human, with a few exceptions. Most of them were picking themselves up off the floor, and several were holding their heads in pain as others rushed over to offer assistance. All of them wore black pants and shirts of either blue, red, or yellow.
The bald one in the middle of the screen looked up and, noticing the crew of the seaQuest, took a step toward the viewscreen and spoke, his voice deep and rich, with a British accent, a lilt of aristocracy to it. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets," he explained
Bridger glanced over his shoulder at his XO quickly before replying. "Nathan Bridger, Captain of the seaQuest, United Earth/Oceans Organization."
"Then this would be Earth?" the man asked.
Bridger frowned at the question. "Yes," he nodded carefully. "What were you expecting me to say?"
A nervous set of looks passed between the faces on the screen, especially Picard and a handsome man with a dark beard who'd joined him before the viewscreen. "Captain, what would the current date be?"
Again, Bridger frowned. This time more Picard's avoidance of Bridger's question than at the strange query. "Friday, September 13, 2019," he said finally.
"Captain, we need to talk." Bridger raised an eyebrow as if to say, What a wonderful idea. "Will you allow me to come aboard your vessel and discuss the situation with you?"
"I would be very happy if someone could explain to me what is going on here," Bridger said. He nodded to Hitchcock, who immediately nodded and pushed up from her station, heading for the Mag-lev and the docking bay. "I can have a launch over there in fifteen minutes."
"You needn't worry about that, Captain, I'll find my own way over."
"OK," Bridger said skeptically as the screen returned to a view of the Enterprise.
"Captain, is there somewhere we can talk in private?"
Bridger spun around to see Picard standing behind him. "How did you ...?"
"I can explain, but I'd rather not discuss it here," Picard said looking around, taking in the surroundings. He was both surprised at the advanced technology surrounding him, especially considering the date, and repulsed by the backwards nature of the technology. Though Picard wasn't particularly familiar with how much of the technology on his own ship worked, he was grateful for almost all of it.
Bridger, meanwhile, glanced at Ford who just shrugged. "All right, this way." He left the bridge and led Picard down the hall to the ward room. Closing the door, Bridger turned to Picard, "OK, Captain, what the hell is going on and how did you get aboard my boat?"
Picard sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Bridger to do the same. "I can attempt to explain, but it may take a while."
"I'm all ears."
* * *
Three hours later the two captains emerged from the ward room. Bridger looked slightly shocked, but managed to overcome it by the time the senior staff had assembled. Despite objections from Crocker and Ford, followed by assurances from Picard of the safety, the six senior officers from the seaQuest, as well as Lucas and Picard, beamed back to the Enterprise, where they met with Picard's senior staff.
Jean-Luc Picard looked at the faces assembled around the table in the briefing room off the bridge. They had segregated themselves after introductions were made and were seated at separate ends of the table. The one glaring exception was the two doctors. They had hit it off almost immediately and were now carrying on a lively conversation near the middle of the table. Picard only spared a second to imagine what the results of such a pairing could be like if the attractive Doctor Westphalen was anything like his own Doctor Crusher.
At the other end of the table, Nathan Bridger was observing the same scene, amazed that the two doctors had not argued yet. "Whenever the two of you are finished," he said, drawing one more glance between the two women before they settled back in their seats. "Thank you."
"Captain," Ford said breaking the silence that ensued, "I'd like an explanation for these ... unusual circumstances."
"I'm going to defer that question to Captain Picard since he seems to have a better grasp on the facts," Bridger said, looking down the length of the table at his counterpart.
All eyes in the room turned to Picard. "First of all, let me just ask my crew to bear with me as I give some background information. The starship Enterprise is a galaxy class ship from the twenty-fourth century. It is the flagship of the United Federation of Planets and this current ship is the fourth to bear the name Enterprise. We had just finished a relief mission on the planet Samekh V and were headed for the Sekal galaxy to look into reports of a renegade ship destroying colonies there. There had been, however, an increased amount of wormhole activity and temporal distortions in the area--"
"And you were caught up in something like that, and brought back to Earth in the twenty-first century, right?" Lucas said from the other end of the room.
"I believe so, yes," Picard nodded. He noticed that his crew had hardly blinked an eye at the explanation, taking it all in stride, while the seaQuest people were all looking around between each other, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
All except Lucas, that is. "Very cool," he whispered, lips curving upwards into a pleased smile. He was itching to get a look at some of the technology on this ship of the future.
Ford, as well as most of his fellow officers, looked confused by all of this. "What are wormholes and temporal distortions?" he asked.
"Temporal distortions are like tears in the space-time continuum," Geordi LaForge said before Data could begin his more formal definition. He hoped to spare the seaQuest people the long, rigorous explanations his friend tended to launch into. And he wanted to get back to work on getting them home as soon as possible as well. "Wormholes are kind of like shortcuts between two points, usually some distance and time apart."
"I thought things like that were just hypothetical," Katie Hitchcock interjected.
"The presence of wormholes has been proven, but they are still under heavy study even in the twenty-fourth century," Picard said, wondering how much of the future it would be wise to divulge to these people. So far he had been able to keep the details to a minimum, even though he knew it might be necessary to allow some of them access to parts of the ship in order to get it fixed with all possible speed. "Very few permanent ones have been discovered, and those that have been are the focus of much study.
"Right now, however," he continued on, bringing the subject back to their current situation, "I think it would be wise to focus on repairing the Enterprise in an effort to return to our correct time. Mr. LaForge, I assume you've had time to assess the damage."
"Yes, sir," LaForge nodded. "She took quite a jolt when we hit, but the exterior damage seems mostly superficial and relatively easy to fix. The engines, however are a completely different story. The dilithium chamber housing the matter/antimatter reactor is cracked. While it's managing to keep the matter and antimatter contained for now, the crack is deepening as we speak."
"Wait a minute, you have a matter/antimatter reactor on this thing?" Hitchcock said, her eyes growing wide.
"Yes, and if we can get it fixed I will be glad to explain the basic concept to you, but right now we have bigger things to deal with," LaForge said, trying to remain patient. "If we don't get it fixed, there may be no Earth in the future for us to return to."
The room went silent for a minute at the implications of LaForge's statement. Bridger finally broke the silence, "OK, than let's get it fixed. Hitchcock and Lucas, see how you can help Mr. LaForge and Mr. Data. Krieg, if they need anything, get it. Spare no expense, and use any contacts you feel are necessary. Chief Crocker, assist Mr. Worf with any security he needs and see if you can't keep this from leaking to too many people." Heads nodded as he talked. "Captain Picard, is there anything I'm forgetting?"
Picard looked over at the two women in the middle of the table. "Doctor Crusher, how does Sickbay look?"
"No major casualties reported yet, just bumps and bruises," she replied. "My people should have everything under control within the hour."
"OK, than I think we've covered all the bases. Dismissed." Everyone slowly got up and looked around for their counterparts to begin discussing their assignments. The engineering team was the first to leave, heading immediately for the engine room several decks below.
"Captain Bridger, would you and the Doctors stay behind please." The three looked over at Picard, nodding and joining him at the head of the table.
Beverly, irritated at being detained for a second time in the same day, crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. "What is it this time, Jean-Luc?"
He gave her a frosty glare. "I don't mind the two of you being friends, in fact I think it's a wonderful idea, but I would like it if you could show a little more professionalism in the future."
"Captain Picard is right," Bridger agreed, glaring at his CMO as well. "Your giggling during the meeting was distracting."
"I apologize, Captain," Beverly said, trying to be serious, though her tone came off closer to insubordination and indignation than what she'd hoped for. "I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again."
"I certainly hope not," Picard said.
"Doctor," Kristin said, trying to diffuse the situation, "why don't you show me what the twenty-fourth century has to offer in medicine. Maybe I can help with some of those bumps and bruises."
"Excellent idea," Beverly grinned, grateful for a reason to leave the room and escape Picard's reproachful gaze. "Of course, I'll have to give you a quick demonstration with the tricorder, but I'm sure you'll --" Beverly was cut off as the door closed behind their retreating forms.
"I apologize, Captain," Picard said, turning to his fellow captain. "Beverly is not normally like that."
"It's all right, Kristin wasn't helping the situation any," Bridger said and then paused momentarily. "You care for her, don't you?"
Picard turned to stare out the window behind him, his gaze coming to rest on the seaQuest floating in the water nearby. "I care for all of my crew, Captain. I'm sure you can understand that."
"Yes, I do," Bridger replied quietly, reading what Picard was saying between the lines.
* * *
"That's fascinating. It's so simple I can't believe no one's come up with it yet," Katie Hitchcock said, staring at the Enterprise's reactor.
"The logical reason for the lack of this technology at the current date," Data replied from behind her, "is that many of the materials needed for it to run safely have not been discovered yet."
"So if the materials haven't been discovered, how can we fix this thing?" Ben Krieg asked. All this science was beginning to make him wonder if he'd gotten himself in over his head with this latest assignment. Science had never been his forte in school, and was even less so now.
"Good question," Lucas said.
"The problem is not necessarily about finding replacement parts, Lieutenant, but being able to repair the ones already in place," Geordi LaForge replied.
"But how do we contain the matter and antimatter while we're fixing the chamber?" Katie said rhetorically, not expecting an answer. Around her, heads shook.
* * *
"How do you manage to keep up with both the science experiments and the medical emergencies on a boat the size of seaQuest? I find myself getting back logged and I only have to deal with medicine," Beverly said leading Kristin into her office.
"I don't usually," Kristin replied with a laugh. "I've had to come to the realization that I'm not Wonder Woman and I can't handle everything all of the time. Major things do get shoved in my direction, though."
"I'd go crazy, heck, I go crazy just with this much," Beverly chuckled. "Would you like something to drink?"
"A cup of tea would be wonderful if you have some," Kristin replied, seating herself in the chair by the desk.
"Any special kind?"
"Earl Grey?"
"Just like Jean-Luc," Beverly said shaking her head. "Computer, Earl Grey tea, hot, and coffee." Two cups appeared in the replicator and Beverly handed the one with the lighter liquid to Kristin, keeping the darker one for herself.
"You have more than just a professional relationship with Captain Picard, don't you?" Kristin observed, taking a sip of her tea.
Beverly swallowed a sip of coffee, sitting back in her chair. "I didn't know it was that obvious."
"Most of the time it isn't. It's only when you're alone with him that it shows." Kristin smiled, "And you're not the only Chief Medical Officer with feelings for her Captain."
Beverly looked only mildly surprised by this. She'd noticed the interaction between Kristin and Bridger earlier. "Are those feeling reciprocated?"
Kristin sighed, settling her tea cup on her knee and looking down at the warm liquid. "I think deep down, yes," she said finally. "But Nathan is still tangling with the loss of his wife a few years ago. I've tried to let him have time and space to cope."
Beverly almost laughed out loud. "Jean-Luc's been giving me time and space for twenty-five years now." At Kristin's puzzled look, she explained. "I was married to Jean-Luc's best friend, Jack Crusher." Even after so many years her eyes still grew misty thinking of Jack, and she had to blink several times to clear away the tears that were threatening to fall. "We met through Jack and it was Jean-Luc who brought back his body after he died. Jean-Luc has been there for me as a friend through the good times and the bad for over twenty-five years now. I've come to count on his support and friendship, not realizing that he loved me through it all."
"And do you love him?"
She closed her eyes and slowly nodded, "But I don't want to ruin our friendship. It means more to me than almost anything in the universe. Sometimes I wonder if he's frustrated, knowing I love him but too scared to do anything about it."
"Well if he has waited twenty-five years than a little while longer won't make much difference," Kristin said, trying to cheer up her suddenly quiet friend. "Beverly, by taking your relationship one step further your friendship will either suffer totally, or it will strengthen even more."
"That's why I'm afraid," Beverly replied. "I don't want to lose what we already have. That's twenty-five years in the making."
"Friendship is the greatest precursor to love that I know. I made the mistake of marrying without a strong foundation of friendship, and I found myself back where I started -- alone." Kristin paused, and then continued on. "But, ... in the end, it's a decision that only you and Jean-Luc can make."
"I know ..." Beverly trailed off. He lips curved up into a smile. "So tell me about this Captain of yours."
Kristin laughed as her new friend changed the subject.
* * *
"Is there some way we could construct a temporary chamber around the old one, or maybe just part, like a patch?" Lucas suggested.
LaForge shook his head. "The technology and materials are too advanced for this time."
"Is the chamber actually made of dilithium, as in two lithium atoms together?" Hitchcock asked. She was still trying to figure out the physics behind such a device.
"The original chambers were made of dilithium, but later models such as this one are made of a composite of a hardened version of carbon and C6H12O6," Data answered.
Lucas looked up in surprise. "Woah, carbon and glucose?" he said.
"Yes," Data said, "but the process for combining the two --"
"Might be possible," Geordi said excitedly, cutting Data off, "if we can find the products and enough heat and pressure."
"How much do you need?" Krieg said excitedly, already halfway to the door.
"I don't know that we could provide that much heat in so short a time," Hitchcock said skeptically. "And besides, diamond isn't exactly an abundant product."
"Do you have a better idea, Commander?" Lucas asked, his mind running at near warp speed as he tried to figure out a way to make the idea work.
"No, but I think we shouldn't pin all of our hopes on a plan that may not work," she replied.
"The Commander has a valid point. We have only a forty-two point three nine eight percent chance of being successful," Data provided.
"Thank you, Data," Geordi said trying not to let his frustration show, "but we might as well get this one underway and at the same time keep looking at other options." Heads nodded around the room and Krieg left to call some people.
* * *
"Captain Bridger," Deanna Troi said entering Ten Forward, "I see you've met Guinan."
Bridger was standing be the large window and had just been joined by Guinan when Deanna entered. "Actually, I had just come over to see if the Captain would like something to drink," the bartender smiled serenely.
"Oh, well, Captain, this is our bartender, Guinan," Deanna said. "Guinan, Captain Bridger of the seaQuest."
"Guinan," Bridger nodded.
"Captain," she smiled in return. "Can I get you something to drink?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm fine."
"Counselor?"
"No, thank you, Guinan, I'm fine," Deanna smiled at her with a slight shake of the head. Guinan nodded and returned to the bar. "Exploring the ship?" Deanna said, turning back to Bridger.
He nodded. "Some of the advances are fascinating, even to someone who generally dislikes space exploration."
"And why is that?" she asked.
"Why do I dislike space?" Deanna nodded. "Well, I suppose it's jealousy mostly. It's always been my stiffest competition for funding. And the rewards it brings are so small compared to the cost." He glanced over at his companion. "What brings you down here, Counselor?"
"I was looking for Kristin and Beverly," she said. "Have you seen them?"
Deanna noticed his eyes light up briefly at the mention of Kristin. "No, not lately."
She couldn't help herself from asking her next question. "You're very close to Kristin, aren't you?"
"Why do you say that?"
"The way you act when she's around. Like right now when I said her name, your eyes lit up. It's not hard to see." He smiled not knowing what to say. "Your crew can see it too," she observed.
Bridger grimaced, "Great, just what I need, a ship full of rumors about the Captain's private life."
She laughed. "Your boat's not the only one with rumors, Captain, all boats have them."
"And what are some of the rumors on the Enterprise?" he asked, partly out of curiosity, and partly just to make conversation.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to spread gossip and rumors that might not be true," she replied quickly, and his eyebrows went up is doubt. She smiled, sensing his doubt. "But I will say that we have our fair share of ideas about Captain Picard's private life."
"I'm sure he enjoys that," Bridger said sarcastically.
"Well, the captain is an extremely private man, which tends to add fuel to the fire. But, like I said, nothing has been proven, and as far as I know, Captain Picard is still a confirmed bachelor."
"Ah. Funny how our two ships parallel each other in so many ways," Bridger observed.
"How do you mean, Captain?"
He shrugged. "Well, both are the flagships of their respective communities, and both have the top crews of the times, for a start."
"Somehow I get the feeling the similarities run even deeper that you imagine, Captain," Deanna said.
Bridger looked over at her and frowned. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Counselor, but I get a very odd feeling when you're around. This is going to seem strange, but are you psychic?"
"Actually, I'm an empath, I sense feelings rather than thoughts," she replied, a bit surprised that he'd picked up on her empathic abilities. "Can I ask how you knew, Captain?"
"I don't really know, Counselor," he said, "just a feeling I had." He paused, studying her. "I take it you know the crew quite well."
She nodded. "Yes, some better than others. Why?"
He shrugged again. "I tend to like to know who it is I'm dealing with, what makes them tick. What is Doctor Crusher like?"
"Interesting you should start with her," Deanna said.
"Why?"
She shrugged noncommittally. "Beverly is an excellent doctor, she even spent a year as head of Starfleet Medical. Beverly worked her way through the ranks despite much personal loss and grief. Her husband died almost fifteen years ago, leaving her with a young son. Beverly has had a few relationships since, but nothing permanent. She is a strong woman, however, and has managed to get by with the support of friends, especially Captain Picard."
"So they're quite close."
"I think Beverly would consider the Captain her best friend," Deanna replied.
Bridger chuckled. "And I would guess that has caused more than one rumor through the years."
"Like I said, Captain, the similarities go much deeper than you imagine."
* * *
Kristin Westphalen was busy studying the tricorder sitting on the desk in front of her she heard a gentle knock on the door. She looked up to see Picard standing in the doorway. "Oh, Captain Picard. I was just trying to wind my head around this technology and figure out how to use this ... tricorder, is it?"
"Tricorder, yes," he nodded, looking around the small office. "Where is Doctor Crusher?"
"She went to check on a patient," Kristin replied with a smile. "She should be back in a few minutes if you'd like to wait. I promise I won't bite."
Picard grinned and considered the offer for a moment, deciding a few minutes with the doctor could prove to be quite interesting. "All right, I think I can spare a few minutes." He walked over to the replicator. "Tea, Earl Grey, hot." Kristin had to hide a smile as she now understood Beverly's earlier comment. "So, Doctor, how are you finding medicine in the twenty-fourth century?" he asked, turning back around to face her, tea cup in hand.
"It's fascinating, both as a medical doctor and a scientist," she said. "I had no idea such things were possible."
"There are probably quite a few things that might surprise you, Doctor."
Outside, Beverly Crusher entered the main room of Sickbay and stopped just inside the door. Standing there, she silently watched the two people in her office talking. One, an old friend; the other, a new friend.
"Do you commonly block the doorway, Doctor?"
Beverly spun around to find Nathan Bridger standing behind her, grinning mischievously. "Captain, I'm sorry, I was distracted for a moment," she apologized, blushing slightly. She stepped aside to let him enter.
"That something wouldn't happen to be the conversation over there?" he nodded his head toward her office where both Kristin and Picard were visible through the window.
She laughed. "Am I that transparent?"
"Only because there's very little else to grab one's attention in here," he chuckled. "Any special reason for the interest in Captain Picard and Doctor Westphalen?"
Beverly paused for a moment, thinking. "No," she said finally, shaking her head. "And why is Sickbay being graced by your presence, Captain?"
"I was looking for Doctor Westphalen," he said. "And it looks as though I found her."
"It seems so," Beverly nodded. "I don't know if you're aware of it, but Kristin cares for you very much."
"She's the CMO," Bridger responded. "She cares for the entire boat. Surely you can understand that, Doctor."
"No," she shook her head. "I don't mean in that way. I mean something deeper, more ... personal." She paused for a moment. "I don't mean to pry, Captain, but you're a widower, right?"
"Yes, how ...?"
"Kristin mentioned it," she replied. "Captain, I did much the same thing when Jack died. For years I stayed true to Jack and his memory. I'm still not sure I can really forget him and everything he meant to me. And then sometimes I have to wonder if maybe I might be missing something very special by clinging to his memory like that."
"Captain Picard," he said.
She paused and then nodded. "Just give the matter a little thought." Beverly turned and headed for her office. "Well, you two seem to be getting along quite well. I don't suppose you've managed to get him to come in for his overdue physical, have you?"
Kristin laughed. "No, but if you figure out how, let me know. I happen to know another stubborn Captain."
"I'm not avoiding it, I've just been too busy," Bridger said entering the room.
"Could have fooled me," Kristin quipped.
"LaForge to Captain Picard."
Picard sighed and tapped his comm badge, "Go ahead Mr. LaForge."
"Captain, in order to fix the engine I'm going to have to shut off everything except the essentials."
"For how long, Mr. LaForge?"
"At least three to four hours, sir," the engineer replied.
"Is that our only choice?" Picard asked.
"In order to safely repair the chamber, I'm afraid so," LaForge said. "It's the only way we've come up with so far."
"Fine, make it so, but do it quickly."
"Aye, sir."
* * *
"All right people, let's get this done with and get the power back on line," LaForge yelled across engineering.
"I certainly hope this works," Hitchcock mumbled.
"It's our only choice, Commander," Lucas replied.
* * *
Four hours later ...
"All right, that's it. As soon as everybody is clear we can turn her back on," LaForge said standing up.
"Let's hope for the best," Lucas said coming over, wiping his hands on a rag.
"Lieutenant, put the computer and all systems back online," LaForge ordered, walking over to a nearby console.
"Aye, sir." Everyone held their breath as power returned to the Enterprise. As the power reached fifty percent and the reactor chamber was still holding, LaForge decided it would hold.
"OK, let's leave the power here at fifty percent. We don't want to push our luck." He tapped his comm badge. "LaForge to Captain Picard."
* * *
Hamlet was in the middle of telling Horatio about his father's deceased jester Urick when LaForge called Picard to tell him the results of the engine repairs.. "LaForge to Captain Picard."
Picard sighed, setting his book down on the couch next to him. "Go ahead, Mr. LaForge."
"Power has been restored to the computer and the engine is temporarily fixed," the engineer reported.
"Thank you, Mr. LaForge," Picard said. "If you can spare a few minutes, meet me in the conference room in fifteen minutes for a briefing with the senior staff."
"Aye, sir. LaForge out."
* * *
Fifteen minutes later Picard and Bridger stepped into the conference room and were pleasantly surprised by the scene that greeted them. Unlike the earlier segregation between the two crews, small conversations were being held around the room between equivalents. On a screen on the far wall were Ford and Crocker who had returned to the seaQuest. As everyone was seated the segregation was still evident, but less pronounced.
"All right," Picard said sitting down at one end of the table, "Mr. LaForge informs me that the engine problems are under control."
"I wouldn't try maximum warp but she should hold together until a permanent fix can be made," LaForge reported. "The computer system, by the way, is only at fifty percent capacity as a precaution."
"Very good," Picard nodded. "The next problem we are faced with is getting out of the ocean and back to our correct time."
"I don't suppose there's any way to either induce a temporal anomaly or predict where one will occur?" Lucas pondered out loud.
"No evidence has been found to suggest any predictable nature to temporal anomalies and all efforts to create them have failed," Data replied.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Jean-Luc, I thought I had taught you to be more creative than that." A being appeared, floating in the air near Picard, his legs crossed Indian style, and wearing a captain's uniform identical to Picard's. "You must not think linearly, but expand your minds."
"Q," Picard hissed. "I should have known you were somehow behind this."
"Oh, mon capitaine, you overestimate me," the floating humanoid placed one hand over his heart. "I did not bring you here, but I will send you back to your own time, but only if you say please."
"In return for what?"
"I'm hurt, Jean-Luc," he pouted, but his eyes said differently. "Not everything I do is completely selfish, that's a human emotion and one that Q do not lower themselves to."
"Everything you've done before has been, why change now?" Picard objected.
"Because this is not where you belong and the Continuum asked me to return you to your correct time," Q replied, his first straight answer in longer than most in the room could remember. "But, since you're already here, I thought I'd have a little fun with the two crews while I have the chance."
"Meaning what?" Picard's narrowed his eyes to slits.
"Oh, I don't know," Q said, all but his smile disappearing, much like the Cheshire Cat of Alice in Wonderland fame. "See if you can't figure it out together."
The officers from the seaQuest had a stunned look on their faces after the strange man had disappeared. "Who, or what, was that?" Bridger finally said.
"Q is one of a group of beings calling themselves the Continuum," Riker explained, "who consider themselves gods. During our first mission, Q put Captain Picard on trial for humanity. Since then, he has been sort of like the proverbial thorn in our side, popping up to play his little games."
"Very cool," Lucas said. "So what kind of 'game' does he have in mind for us now?"
"Who knows," Riker shrugged. "Everything Q does is for his own amusement."
"By the way he stated his last comment, it would seem as though we are meant to guess his game by working as a team," Data commented.
"Yes, but for what purpose?" Ford mused.
"Eventually Q will explain," Picard said, "but for now I suggest we all get some rest. Things tend to be clearer in the morning after a good night's sleep."
Bridger nodded. "Good idea. We can attack this in the morning with a fresh view." He stood up, "Shall we?" The rest of the seaQuest crew followed suit. Before following the others out, Kristin whispered something to Beverly, who smiled and nodded. When they had all left, Picard dismissed his officers, all of whom followed the seaQuest crew out of the room. All except Beverly and Deanna.
"Jean-Luc, do you have a minute?" Beverly began.
"Of course, what's the matter?" he said, looking at her in curiosity.
"The crew," she replied simply.
"Everyone's been under a lot of stress lately," Deanna explained, "and it might be a good idea if they had something to take their minds off the situation."
"Shore leave is not an option," Picard said quickly. He'd hoped Beverly had given up on that idea finally.
"We were thinking of something more along the lines of a party," Beverly said.
"A party?" he said, suspicious of what he was being roped into.
"Yes, why not?"
"We could utilize either Ten Forward or a holodeck, and we could make it a joint venture between the crews," Deanna suggested.
Picard thought for a moment and then sighed resignedly. "The two of you will plan everything."
"Yes, sir."
"Fine," he relented.
"Thank you, Jean-Luc," Beverly grinned, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. She turned to follow Deanna out of the room, pausing in the doorway on her way out. "You're blushing, Jean-Luc," she said and left.
* * *
"A what?" Nathan Bridger said incredulously.
"A party with the Enterprise," Kristin said.
"Give me one good reason why I should say yes."
"I'll do even better, Captain," Lucas said. "I'll give you two. First, the crew can use a break and by taking the time now, you don't have to give them shore leave for a while. And second, you don't have to deal with any of the planning, just show up and have a good time."
"And ..." Kristin finished the thought in a whisper into his ear. Bridger's eyes grew wide at her statement.
"I don't want to hear anything except the time and place," he said.
"Nineteen hundred hours, tomorrow in Ten Forward on the Enterprise," Lucas grinned broadly. "Thanks, Captain."
"You're welcome, Lucas," Bridger said and left the room.
As soon as they were alone, the teen turned to Kristin with a curious look. "Do I wanna know what you said to him?"
"Even if you do, I'm not about to tell you," she replied. With a wink, she left the room.
* * *
Bridger entered Ten Forward and marveled at the number of people in the room. He wandered for a while, greeting the crew members he recognized. Finally he found Picard and the two doctors near the edge of the room trying to be inconspicuous. Beverly and Kristin looked like twins in matching green dresses that came to mid-thigh. They had a halter top and loose skirt, with a low back, baring most of their backs.
"You ladies look lovely," he said joining the group. "And I'm beginning to wonder if I was duped into this party."
"If it's any consolation, Captain," Picard said, "I'm feeling the same way."
"Oh, don't be so uptight," Beverly said, "enjoy yourselves."
"Yes, how about a dance," Kristin agreed. "Nathan?"
He shrugged, "Why not since you're determined to make me have a good time." Kristin led him to the center of the room where couples were dancing.
"Well, why don't we join them?" Picard suggested.
"I thought you'd never ask," Beverly grabbed him by the arm and followed the others.
At the other end of the room, Lucas, Ben Krieg, Deanna Troi, and Will Riker were standing by the table where the music was set up. "Look, they're dancing," Lucas pointed to the dance floor.
"All right, is the song ready?" Riker asked.
"All set to follow this one," Krieg grinned.
As the last chords of the song died down, Riker grabbed the microphone. "Hello, welcome to everyone out there and thank you for coming. Our next song is a special request that goes out to all the lovers in the crowd. It's an oldie called 'This Magic Moment,' hope you enjoy it."
This magic moment
So different and so new
Was like any other
Until I kissed you
And then it happened
Kristin couldn't help but notice the words as she traversed the dance floor in Nathan's arms. It was one of her favorite old songs, but tonight the words seemed to hold a special meaning. She looked up at Nathan's face and saw that he was listening to the words as well. Her mind drifted back to her conversation with Beverly earlier and she wondered briefly about what the future might hold for both of them.
It took me by surprise
I knew that you felt the same way
By the look in your eyes
Sweeter than wine
Softer than the summer night
Everything I want I have
Whenever I hold you tight
Jean-Luc was surprised at how well the words fit his feelings. But the future was not up to him, rather the woman in his arms. Beverly's head had been resting gently on his shoulder, but as the song progressed, she had picked it up and was looking into his eyes. There was a far away look as though she was thinking of the past, but at the same time there was a look of longing. He didn't dare hope that longing was directed at him.
This magic moment
While your lips are close to mine
Will last forever
Forever 'till the end of time
The partying continued on late into the night. A little while later the captains and doctors retired to a table in the back of the room. As they were sitting there talking, Q appeared between the two doctors.
"Bravo, Captains," he said placing his arms around both doctors, "this is a wonderful party."
Both Kristin and Beverly pushed his arms off themselves with a stony look. "What do you want now, Q?" Beverly asked.
"I came to congratulate you on figuring out my game."
"And what game would that be?" Picard asked.
"Working together toward a common goal," Kristin guessed, everything suddenly becoming clear.
"Very good, Doctor, but that's only the first half," Q said. "You must be two of the most boring crews in the universe."
"So you decided to give us a little fun," Bridger said.
"Why? That's not like you, Q," Picard said.
"Mon capitaine, fun is universal. I toy with you because it is fun; you became a captain because you enjoy it. Everyone and everything needs fun. Sometimes you seem to forget that. I just reminded you that it's not so bad."
"So you will return us to the twenty-fourth century now?" Picard asked.
"Oh, I think maybe I'll wait a little while first," he grinned. "And Captains, don't let go of these two, they might come in handy in the future." With that he was gone.
"What did he mean by that?" Kristin said.
"I don't know," Bridger said. "But the party seems to be dying down so I think I'll be heading back to the seaQuest."
"I think I'll join you," Kristin said standing up.
They said their good-byes and returned to the seaQuest. As Nathan walked Kristin to her cabin he thought back over the night.
"Penny for your thoughts," Kristin said, noticing his pensive mood.
"Just thinking," he replied.
"About what, if you don't mind my asking?"
He sighed. "Us."
"Oh?"
Nathan nodded. "Tonight started me thinking about how much I care for you, but at the same time I kept seeing Carol."
Kristin stopped, turning him to face her. Looking straight into his eyes, she spoke quietly. "Nathan, you have to be comfortable with the idea of us before anything can happen. That's not something I can do for you, it's something you have to come to terms with in here," she said, putting her hand over his heart. "Only you know what's best for you. But, whatever you decide, I'll stand behind you as a friend."
"Thank you," Nathan said with a smile. He checked the hall for people and seeing no one, bent down to kiss her.
* * *
The next morning Beverly rolled over to face the man asleep next to her on the bed. For a moment, she wondered briefly at whether she'd made the right decision. It was so easy just to keep denying this man and her heart, but was that really the right thing to do? Beverly wasn't so sure anymore.. Somehow, deep inside, Beverly knew she had made the right decision about Jean-Luc. She had watched Jean-Luc through his last few relationships and been hurt by each one. But would Jack understand? Funny how she hadn't thought of that question with any of her other lovers. I'm sure he would want what's best for me, even if that means Jean-Luc.
Just then Jean-Luc began to stir. "I could get used to waking up like this," he said with a smile.
Beverly kissed him, "I'm sure you could."
* * *
"Well, Captain," Picard said later, standing back on the bridge of his ship. On the viewscreen in front of him, the bridge of seaQuest could be seen, Bridger standing in the middle. "Thank you for all your help and a very interesting two days."
"You're welcome, Captain Picard," Nathan Bridger smiled. "And we wish you a safe and hopefully lucky trip home."
"And you as well, Captain, if all goes well we won't see each other again."
Bridger nodded, "Good luck." Picard nodded and the screen returned to the UEO symbol as communications were cut between the two ships.
Stardate 46939.4
somewhere near the Sekal galaxy
Jean-Luc Picard took a sip of tea and watched his breakfast companion take a bite of her croissant. "What's on your mind, Jean-Luc?"
"I was just wondering about the seaQuest and her fate after we left," he said absently, his thoughts still light years away from their current position.
"Did you look her up on the computer?" Beverly asked.
Picard shook his head.
Sighing, Beverly crossed over to the desk. "Computer, access data on the twenty-first century submarine seaQuest. Display all relevant personnel files."
"Files displayed," the computer announced a moment later.
Beverly began scanning through the data on the screen. Jean-Luc joined her and read the screen from over her shoulder. When they reached the files of Nathan and Kristin Bridger, a smile crept onto Beverly's face. "It would seem that Kristin and Nathan had as interesting a night as we did."
"Riker to Picard."
"Go ahead, Number One," Picard said, tapping his comm badge.
"We're nearing the Sekal galaxy, sir," Riker announced.
"Understood, I'm on my way. Picard out."
"Will you be free for dinner?" Beverly asked.
"I'll try," Picard said with a kiss and left.
El Fin
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