Author's preface: This episode occurs about two years after the episode "Pen Pals" and is a sequel to it. Thus, it fits in about the fourth season. That's all you need to know to enjoy the story.

Scene: SICK BAY

Troi, Picard, Data, Worf Crusher, Kitsman, Sennard and attending personnel. Sennard is scanning Kitsman. All of the away team is back in uniform.

PICARD - Apparently, the instability of the planet is related to the instability of the people there. But the difference is, the people are just incredibly partisaned. No one can straddle the fence. They demanded to know whether we believed in the miraculous intervention by God or rescue of some higher intelligence. Their beliefs and drives are all focused on conflict.

CRUSHER - But conflict that leads to civil war? Those people don't even have contact sports, as far as we can tell.

DATA - Doctor Crusher is correct. Even the security weapons are stun force at maximum. Although they certainly have the ability to develop and use more powerful weapons, to do so and thereby harm another person is unthinkable. Our culture would seem impossibly violent to them.

KITSMAN - These people argue for a living, for Pete's sake. The Klingons naturally interpreted these impassioned fools to be at the brink of war. They're going to forget all about us when the next catastrophe comes along.

TROI - I would hardly call them fools, Ambassador. What is foolish about an entire people without war, without violence, without hatred...

KITSMAN - Oh, yes, just lovely. It would be heaven. (Looking at Sennard) Oops, sorry about that, Doc.

SENNARD - No apology needed. How about having lunch with me in Ten Forward? We never finished our discussion of science and religion.

KITSMAN - Uh, um ... Er ...

He is interrupted by a communicator beep. Riker's voice is heard

RIKER - (V/O) Captain, the USS Magnificat is approaching to transport the Ambassador.

PICARD - Acknowledged. (to Kitsman) Saved by the bell?

KITSMAN - Sorry, Doc. I don't want to be late for my choir practice.

CRUSHER - Ooh, wait.

She leaves then returns with the singing stone, and puts it in Kitsman's hand. The sound it makes changes

KITSMAN - The singing stone! You've recovered it. Well, it's a good thing you recovered it. Leaving this stone with those people would have continued to plague them for decades to come, and Starfleet Headquarters would have had to send another vessel and put the lives of another crew at risk down on that dreadful planet...

PICARD - Well, yes, thank you Doctor, and thank you, Ambassador, and Mr. Worf if you will escort the Ambassador to transporter room Three, and make sure he is safely aboard the Magnificat. And please, Ambassador, consider the singing stone a farewell gift from all of us to you and good-bye.

As soon as Picard mentions Worf, Worf begins moving closer to Kitsman, who begins backing off toward the door while Picard finishes his speech. The door closes just as Picard says "Good-bye."

PICARD - Nice work, everyone. (Exits)

Scene: BRIDGE

Scene follows Picard to the Bridge. As he steps out of the turbolift, Geordi and Riker notice him.

RIKER - Welcome back, Captain.

GEORDI - Captain, our geologic survey team has done a lot of looking on this visit to Drema Four. This planet is more of a mystery than ever.

PICARD - Explain.

GEORDI - The planet's dilithium core is stable for now, like I said earlier. But how could it last this long? How could the planet form with this high concentration of crystal, and an atmosphere form and stabilize, and life evolve over millions of years, when I can't tell you if tomorrow the core is going to start self-destructing all over again? This planet should be an asteroid belt like Drema Five.

RIKER - These people are living on borrowed time.

PICARD - This complicates matters for the future. If we saved them once, do we save them again?

GEORDI - Do we plan for First Contact after all?

RIKER - If they join the Federation of Planets, are we then bound to hold their planet together forever?

PICARD - These are matters for Starfleet to decide.

Turbolift doors open and Worf steps onto the bridge.

PICARD - Speaking of which, I trust the Ambassador is safely in transport.

WORF - The Ambassador has boarded, and the Magnificat is on her way. With the luggage.

PICARD - Never have I seen such an insecure person.

RIKER - How is Ensign Ford down in sick bay?

PICARD - He's out of shock, and resting. I neglected to ask what caused him to go into shock.

Riker reacts with a smile that catches Picard's eye.

PICARD - Number One, you were monitoring Ford. Do you know what caused this reaction? Well?

RIKER - It's a long story, Captain.

Scene: DR. CRUSHER'S QUARTERS

Crusher plops down in a chair in her room, dressed in nightgown, just about ready for bed. She toys absently with the table viewscreen a moment, and decides to read the mail. She calls up her mail, and notices a letter from Wesley. She perks up and calls up the letter. Wesley's image appears on the screen.

WESLEY - (On Video) Mom, it's finished. I wanted you to be the first. You and Captain Picard.

The viewscreen shows the Starfleet Academy emblem, and then Wesley's formal paper begins.

Scene: PICARD'S QUARTERS

Picard is seen also reading his mail. The same screen is showing on his viewscreen.

WESLEY - (On Video) This paper is entitled "Time, Space, and Thought", Stardate 12360. I will attempt to demonstrate that these three apparently unrelated abstracts are not the separate things we think of, but are linked by mathematical relationships.

Prior to the Twentieth Century on Earth, nothing was known of quantum physics or the space/time relationship called Relativity. Albert Einstein at that time proposed the equation "Energy equals mass times the square of the speed of light" to quantify the relationship between energy and matter. Time was also included in the equation, and time dilation was proven as early as the mid-Twentieth century. But the concept that thoughts, human or otherwise, could affect such uncontrollable abstracts as time or space was left to the realm of metaphysics, quacks, and astrologers.

Based on my experiences with a life form known as "The Traveler", and on working with warp field generation on the Starship Enterprise, I have concluded that the element of thought can and does affect the time and space around us, and this effect is felt most strongly in conjunction with warp fields...

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