Danny Amor's Online Library/Danny Amor's Online Library - Volume 1.iso/html/startrek/old-incomplete/choices.p3

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 Here is the third part of Choices.

Comments, complaints, etc.  can be emailed.


                  "Choices"
                      by
                  Christopher
                 Walck

                PART III

    After dinner, Beverly took a walk with her husband.  She knew that
something was bothering Jean-Luc.  It would take time to unearth it.  He still
wouldn't convey his true feelings to her.  On the outside, he seemed happy, but
on the inside... she could only guess.

    The moon rose into the night sky.  Beverly thought about how it would
have been centuries ago before the Atomic Horror.  The polluants in the air and
the diseases that wouldn't be cured for another century.  She still couldn't
believe that the human race had survived that long.

    Beverly thought that was she had last thought of was strange.  She
wasn't a doctor.  She was a wife of a husband who worked in the vineyards.
History was interesting to her, but the pollutants and diseases?  That was
unlike her.

    Jean-Luc looked out over the land.  He loved his home here, but he
yearned for something else.  Something... foreign.  He then looked at the moon
above and he felt a sensation, as though some new interest came into his life.
The stars held something unknown, undiscovered.

    But that wasn't his life.  His life was the vineyards and his family.
His children was the lifeblood of his family.  He had to protect them and take
care of them.  He loved them and he wouldn't give up them for anything.

    Beverly looked over at Jean-Luc.  "Are you ok?  You seem rather quiet
tonight."

    Picard smiled.  "I don't know.  I had a thought of something that I
yearned for, but... I can't remember."

    An expression of shock came over Beverly's face.  "I had the same
thought.  Maybe we're finally getting on the same wavelength."

    Laughter passed between them.  Picard kissed Beverly and they turned
back to head to the house.  Both of them were preoccupied of what had occupied
their minds just a few moments before.

                *************

    The following morning, Riker and his wife were back on duty.  He walked
on to the bridge a few minutes before her.  He had enjoyed their night
together, and he knew she enjoyed it too.  She gave her thanks in many ways.
Riker smiled as he walked to the command chair.

    "Status, Number One?" he asked his first officer.

    Tr'Nau looked at his commanding officer.  "We have been ordered to
search for the USS Grainger.  It seems to be that the ship lost communications
with Starbase 210 four days ago.  It was partolling the Romulan Neutral Zone.
Command suspect a Romulan attack."

    Riker grimaced.  "You're probably right.  The Romulans have been
pushing us for a few years now.  Hopefully, this won't keep going forever."

    The turbolift doors opened at Teika walked on to the bridge.  She took
up her station at tactical.  Riker took a glance at her.  A strange feeling
came over him.  She's not supposed to be here... she's supposed.... You're
getting ahead of yourself Riker.  She's here because she wants to be her.  She
told you herself.  You want her gone?  Riker thought to himself.

    Teika looked over her sensors and spoke in her soft voice.  "Captain?
We have an unidentified vessel coming into sensor range.  ID in a few minutes."

    "Slow to impulse.  Lay in an intercepot course."  he said.

    The ship slowed out of warp and changed course gracefully.  As the ship
began to be seen on the viewscreen, Teika said, "It's the Grainger.  No life
forms and no life support.  Hull damage to decks 12-21.  Whatever happened,
that ship got pummeled."

    Riker got up and looked at his first officer.  He had to ggo over
there.  He didn't have a reason, but something urged him on.  "Tr'Nau you have
the bridge.  Teika, you stay behind.  Get Dr. Manhad and Chief Engineer
Handosi to the transporter room immediately."

    Tr'Nau replied, "Aye, sir."  He knew not to argue the Captain's
decision.

    Riker left the bridge and met Manhad and Handosi in the transporter
room.

                ***********

    "Deanna Riker's Personal Log: Stardate 49890.4.  Last night, I had no
idea what came over me.  I knew that Will had died during the invasion of the
Borg.  I've come to grips with it, and now this comes along... I don't know
what I'll do if I lose Tom..."

    In their quarters, Deanna sat.  She had a cup of hot chocolate in her
hands.  Tom had gone on duty a few hours before.  She still felt sheepish for
what she did last night to Tom.  But that was over now.  She had a appointment
with a Lieutenant Ogawa in a few moments.

        She finished her drink and waited.  The door chime rang and Ogawa came
in.  "Hello, Conselor.  I hope I'm on time."

    Deanna smiled. "You early in fact.  Come sit down."

    Once Ogawa sat, Deanna continued.  "Now, we'll start by me asking you
why are you here?"

    Ogawa smiled.  "I'm here because I lost my hubsand two months ago and i
can't get over it.  I don't know why, but I think as though he's not supposed
to be dead."

    Those last few words struck Deanna as odd.  "I felt the same way when
my best friend died years ago.  It came back to me last night.  I felt as you
do now.  You don't have to worry.  We go through this all the time.  Everyone
has their traumas.  You feel as though he shouldn't be dead.  You'll get over
it."

    Deanna suddenly felt faint.  "I'm sorry... I guess I'm not feeling very
good.. Can you come back tomorrow, please?"

    Ogawa looked at Deanna.  "Of course, maybe you should come with me to
Sickbay."

    Deanna shook her head no.  "I'll be all right.  I need some rest."

    Ogawa nodded and left.  Deanna went and laid on her bed.  What was
wrong with her?

                *************

    Data looked at his brother as he ordered the Romulans to surrender to
their rule.  The Romulans knew that there was only one ship.  The fleet started
with 6 Borg ships.  The first five were crushed by the Klingons and an unseen
force that shattered the last Borg ship.  They still didn't know what happened
to it.

    Data suddenly thought something.  I'm not supposed to be here.  Lore's
not supposed to be here.  But why?  Why do i think that.  I am joined with my
brother.  We are the One.  We are here to bring order to the galaxy.  The Borg
are our army.

    The Romulans were saying that they would not surrender.  He heard his
brother reply., "Then die!"

    Lore turned to Data and saw the puzzled look on Data's face.  "Brother?
What is wrong?"

    "Nothing.  I am fine now.  It was just a momentairy lapse."  Data
looked at Lore.

    "Good.  We must prepare."

    The Romulans attacked an hour later.

                *************

    Geordi sat in the command chair and thought.  The searching through the
sensor logs revealed nothing.  He looked at the viewscreen.  The disturbance
was still there.  A gaseous cloud that eveloped everything that came into
contact with it...

    "Helm, send a probe.  Class 4.  Let's see what that thing is made of."
Geordi looked on as the ensign sent the probe out.  It swiftly moved into the
disturbance and disappeared.  A few seconds later, the ship shook.  "What the
hell?"  he asked.  "This is not good."

    Geordi grimaced for a moment.  "Helm, take us back to the Northampton.
Just don't get anywhere near that cloud."

    "Aye, sir."

    A few moments later, the ensign spoke again.  "Sir?  The Northampton is
within sensor range."

    Geordi got up from the command chair.  "All right, let's see what we've
got.  Do a sensor sweep of the outer hull.  See if there is ANYTHING unsual on
it."

    "Aye, sir."

                    ************

    Picard woke up the following morning.  He still thought about what
happened the day before.  BEverly was down stairs making breakfest for the kids
and getting them ready for school.  Picard got up and went over to the computer
terminal to access some information.

    "Computer..." He stopped for a moment, "Location of all starfleet
vessels."

    The computer took a moment.  "All ships currently deployed to Wolf 359
for the Borg attack.  All other inforamtion is classifed."

    Picard turned off the computer.  Why does that name sound familiar? he
thought.  Suddenly he saw before his eyes himself.  but he was encased with
black armor.  One eye was covered by a red lense.   Picard blinked and he saw
someone else.  A man with a beard.  He was a bridge of some sort.  "Number
one...." he whispered.

    Downstairs, Beverly had finished getting the kids ready and they walked
out the door after kissing her.  Now she had time to her own.  She thought
about what had gone through her mind the day before.  Suddenly she had a
vision.  A man stood in front of her in a starfleet uniform.  Then a younger
man appeared next to him.  "Jack... Wesely..."

    She heard steps behind her and the vision dispersed.  Jean-Luc was
behind him.  "Honey?  Are you ok?"

    Beverly blinked.  "I'm not sure..."

    The computer screen in the living room began to flash.  A message had
come in.  Picard walked over to the screen and spoke: "Read message."

    The computer spit back, "We regret to inform you that Robert Picard has
been killed at Wolf 359.  We also would like to alert you to the fact the Borg
are coming.  Take precautions."

    Picard's face turned white.  The Borg...

                *****************

    Riker and his team beamed over to the Grainger and in the middle of a
disaster area.  The bridge had been ripped apart.  Bodies laid everywhere and
the only thing that looked normal was the viewscreen was showing stars.
"Okay... Let's see what happened."

    Back on the other vessel Tr'Nau looked a reading the helmsman had.
"Captain, we have a problem."

    "What is it?"  the captain asked.

    "We're picking up a source of radiation.  It possibly could be a
cloaked ship."

    "Damn...  Beam the rest of the away team back."

    "Captain..." but Riker interrupted him.  "You heard me!"

    "Aye, sir."

    The two other members were beamed back.  Just as that happened, the
cloaked vessel uncloaked.  Riker whispered, "Romulan..."

                ****************

    Deanna laid in her room.  Her headache had grown until she was forced
to go to sickbay.  When she walked in, she saw someone who she had never seen
before, even in the records.  She had red hair and was weairing a blue doctors
coat over her uniform.

    "Deanna.  What's wrong?"  she said in her sweet voice.  Deanna was led
over to one of the biobeds.  "Lay down.  Let's see what I can do for you,
hmmm?"

    Deanna blinked and the vision was gone.  "Beverly?"  she whispered.
Leaning over her was Dr. Mildor.  "Deanna?  Deanna?"

    Deanna then lapsed into unconsciousness.