Part 11 (1/2)
”Surely, Captain,” Tal prompted, ”identifying your homeworld is not that difficult a task.”
”Actually, Commander,” Picard admitted, bracing himself inwardly, ”it may be somewhat difficult, not because we do not have the information but because you may find it hard to believe.”
The Romulan arched his eyebrows in what was obviously mock curiosity. ”Indeed? And why is that?”
”Because we are from another... reality,” Picard began, carefully watching that other Guinan out of the corner of his eye. ”We- ”
A bark of laughter erupted from the Romulan's throat. ”Another reality? You are spirits, then? You are very solid spirits, if we are to believe our sensors.”
Picard shook his head, still watching Guinan as much as the Romulan. ”We of course are not 'spirits.' By 'another reality,' I mean an alternate universe, one just as real and solid as this one, but different in many ways. Surely your scientists have suggested the possibility that such things exist.”
”Perhaps,” the Romulan said with a shrug, ”but the Alliance has little time for such theoretical esoterica. We must focus our energies on more practical matters, for example finding a way of stopping the Borg.”
Picard managed a small smile. ”Oddly enough, that is precisely what we ourselves are doing.”
The Romulan frowned skeptically. ”Explain.”
And Picard did, cautiously spinning out the story his subconscious had apparently been working on ever since Riker's jolting remark about El-Auria, In their own universe, Picard explained quite truthfully, the Borg, while not yet invading the Alpha Quadrant, were as much a long-term threat as they were here. If a way wasn't found to stop them, they would almost certainly, given time, turn the entire galaxy into one ma.s.sive collective.
Recently the Federation had stumbled onto a method of traveling to alternate universes, Picard continued, beginning to bend the truth in earnest.
”That is why your warp trail began in the Arhennius corona?” Tal asked with a frown. ”Your method of travel involves a star's gravity well?”
Picard nodded, relieved that the Romulan had jumped in to supply a part of the explanation. ”An interaction between an intense gravity well and the warp drive, yes.”
”And you are out exploring? Looking for what? A universe where the Borg don't exist?”
Picard shook his head. ”A universe where they have been defeated,” Picard said slowly. ”In our universe, the Borg have not arrived in this sector of the galaxy, but they soon will, and we are powerless to stop them. The Enterprise and several other s.h.i.+ps are searching for a universe in which a way to defeat the Borg has been found.”
”This is obviously not the universe you seek,” the Romulan said. ”I a.s.sume you will soon be on your way.”
”Not necessarily,” Picard said, still watching that other Guinan out of the corner of his eye. She had been listening intently, looking as if she were about to interrupt any number of times, but always restraining herself. ”There is a major difference in Borg behavior in this universe. In our own universe-indeed, in every universe we have visited-the Borg have for millennia steadily and systematically expanded in their home quadrant. Here, however, they appear to have broken that pattern and leaped hundreds if not thousands of pa.r.s.ecs to take over Terra and expand outward from there.”
”And how do you know this?”
”I don't know for certain, not as yet. Based on what we have seen so far, however, it seems to be the only logical conclusion. I am of course a.s.suming that the Borg in this universe originated in the Delta Quadrant, as they did in ours.”
”They did,” said the Guinan on the screen.
The Romulan turned to scowl at her. ”I realize you know many things, Guinan,” he said stiffly, ”but I did not know you were more of an expert on the origins of the Borg than are those who have made it their life's work to study them.”
”There are many things you do not know about me, Tal,” she said in a tone so familiar it sent chills up and down Picard's spine. Then she turned to look out of the screen at him. ”Captain Picard, would it be possible for me to visit the Enterprise? I would like to learn more about this universe you say you are from. It could be most useful for the Alliance,” she added, glancing at Tal.
Picard hesitated, remembering how his own Guinan had fled from the bridge moments before the hail from the Romulan s.h.i.+p and the appearance of this Guinan's image on the screen.
”I don't see why not,” he temporized, ”but we are far outside transporter range.”
”Of course,” she said, looking again toward the Romulan, whose scowl faded into a look of resignation.
”Very well, Guinan,” Tal said, ”but someday you will go too far, even for you.” Turning back to the screen, he said, ”You are welcome to her, Captain, at least for the time being. In the meantime, I will be making a complete report of this incident to Alliance Prime, which may well have further questions. I trust you will have no objection to answering them.”
”None,” Picard said, and the images wavered and disappeared from the screen. The moment the connection was broken, he stood up from the command chair and strode to the turbolift. ”Number One,” he said over his shoulder, ”let me know if our friend Tal-or anyone else-makes contact. And Mr. Data, keep me informed of any changes in the level of chronometric radiation. I'll be wherever Guinan is.”
Fourteen.
NOT EVEN the discipline that came from a hundred-plus years of iron self-control could keep all traces of shock and surprise from Sarek's face when the two creatures appeared on the Wisdom's viewscreen.
They were doubly impossible.
First, they appeared to be Terrans, but Terrans no longer existed except as mindless Borg drones. The only existing records and images of that lost race were contained in the thoroughly studied logs and diaries of the few travelers that had sporadically and unofficially visited the world in earlier, less troubled centuries.
Second, Sarek recognized them not only as Terrans but as specific Terrans that he had until this moment believed existed only in his own hallucinatory memories of a life he could not possibly have lived.
One was named Kirk, those memories told him. He had been a captain and then an admiral in the fleet of stars.h.i.+ps maintained by the ”Federation,” which Sarek had long ago decided was nothing more than his rogue subconscious's idealized version of the constantly-coming-apart-at-the-seams Alliance.
The other Terran, he ”remembered,” was named Scott. For many years he had been an engineer on the s.h.i.+p the one called Kirk commanded.
Logically, neither one could exist here, in the real world.
But, equally logically, it was pointless to deny their existence, just as it was pointless to doubt his own sanity. He had to a.s.sume he was sane despite evidence to the contrary.
And he had to find out who and what these beings really were.
It was the only logical course.
But before he could even begin to formulate a plan, one of the beings, his eyes widening in seeming surprise, blurted out Sarek's name.
For a fraction of a second, the Vulcan froze. How could this creature from his own hallucinations know his name?
Abruptly, keeping his hands out of range of the viewscreen, he signaled for Varkan to break the connection.
As the impossible image was replaced by the sensor-provided image of the aliens' tiny craft, the commander turned toward Sarek in puzzlement. ”What- ” he began, but Sarek cut him off.
”Transport them both to Interrogation.”
Varkan hesitated but only for a moment. Stepping forward, he spoke the security code that only a s.h.i.+p's commander possessed, then activated the transporters and watched the lines of data that streamed across the bottom of the screen.
”Transport complete, Arbiter.”
”Now program it to respond to my voice rather than yours, Commander.”
The hesitation was longer this time, but finally Varkan complied, speaking the code again and adding a transfer sequence. Sarek repeated the code, watching the screen as the computer indicated its acceptance.
”Arbiter- ” Varkan began but again was cut off.
”I will speak with the prisoners myself, Commander. Signal me immediately if there is any further communication from Outpost No. 3. Or any communication whatsoever regarding the prisoners or the Vortex.”