Part 34 (2/2)

”Listen to you two,” Beverly said to the men. She and Troi looked irked with them as she continued, ”You talk like the biggest things in your lives are light-years away.”

Troi added, ”Did you forget your new a.s.signments already?”

Knowing glances of mock dread pa.s.sed between the two men.

”Parenthood...,” Riker began.

”...the final frontier,” Picard finished.

Beverly smirked at their exchange but pretended to ignore them as she asked Troi, ”Have you two picked out a name yet?”

”No,” Troi said. ”You?”

Beverly shook her head. ”Not yet. It's been a matter of some...contention.”

”I know the feeling,” Troi said, wrinkling her brow in frustration at her husband, who rolled his eyes.

”We should go,” Riker said. He reached forward and shook hands with Picard. Before the elder captain could speak, Riker added, ”Don't tell me to be careful.”

”I wouldn't dream of it,” Picard said. ”Be bold.”

”That sounds like the Captain Picard I know.” He let go of Picard's hand, slapped his shoulder, and added more softly, ”Good to have you back.” He and Troi bade Beverly farewell, and Picard saw them off with the hopeful valediction, ”Au revoir.”

Then he and Beverly were alone in the Captains' Lounge, which had been closed for his private event. Sometimes being a famous savior of the Federation had its perquisites.

Beverly took his hand, and they stood together, staring in wonder at the austere majesty of the universe. A grim chapter of his life now felt closed, and a new, brighter chapter was about to begin. Old debts had been settled, and old promises had been kept. His obligations to the past were fulfilled, and for the first time in decades, he was free to contemplate the future.

Wistfully, Beverly asked, ”What will you do in a universe without the Borg, Jean-Luc?”

He didn't answer right away. It was not a glib question.

Squeezing her hand in his firm but gentle grip, he met her reflected gaze in the window and said, ”I'll hope that our son is born healthy.... I'll hope that we can be good parents.... I'll hope that he can grow up in a galaxy of peace.”

He regarded his own reflection with a smile.

”I'll hope.”

Terminat hora diem, terminat auctor opus.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Kara, my lovely and patient wife, thank you for being so good to me, and so understanding even as I spent most of my nights for more than fifteen months secluded behind closed doors writing this trilogy. It would have been unbearable without you.

Marco Palmieri and Margaret Clark, my esteemed editors, I thank you for tolerating my bouts of uncertainty, my moments of dudgeon while I received your eminently reasonable story notes, and my adolescent practical jokes. (”All work and no play makes Mack a dull boy.”) I couldn't have done this without you both.

Geddy Lee, thank you for taking an hour of your time to talk with a stranger, and for sharing your lovely anecdote about French vineyards, and the way that vines are like people, in that adversity adds depth and complexity to their characters. I hope you will forgive me for making use of it in this tale, and that you will approve of the manner in which it was applied.

Keith R.A. DeCandido, Kirsten Beyer, and Christopher L. Bennett, thank you one and all for going above and beyond the call of duty to help me vet all three books of this trilogy. My thanks also go out to Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, who graciously tweaked their novel Kobayas.h.i.+ Maru to track with situations I had established, and for suggesting that Ree ought to bite Counselor Troi. Nice idea, gents!

To revive an old tradition of mine, I wish to thank the composers who helped create the numerous original film and TV scores that serve as my link to my muse while I write. Many of my favorite moments throughout the trilogy were coaxed from my imagination by the music of Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, Season Three), Tyler Bates (300), Alan Silvestri (Beowulf ), Javier Navarette (Pan's Labyrinth), Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption), Hans Zimmer (the Pirates of the Caribbean scores) and Dario Marianelli (V for Vendetta).

Last, I need to thank author Robert Metzger for having made me aware of the concept of catoms, in an article he wrote for the SFWA Bulletin. Astute readers might have wondered if the character of Johanna Metzger in G.o.ds of Night and Mere Mortals was named in his honor; she was.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

APPENDIX I.

2156.

Featured Crew Members Columbia NX-02 Captain Erika Hernandez (human female) commanding officer Commander Veronica Fletcher (human female) executive officer Lieutenant Commander Kalil el-Rashad (human male), second officer/science officer Lieutenant Karl Graylock (human male) chief engineer Lieutenant Johanna Metzger (human female) chief medical officer Lieutenant Kiona Thayer (human female) senior weapons officer Ensign Sidra Valerian (human female) communications officer Major Stephen Foyle (human male) MACO commander Lieutenant Vincenzo Yacavino (human male) MACO second-in-command Sergeant Gage Pembleton (human male) MACO first sergeant

APPENDIX II STARDATE 58100 (early February 2381) Featured Crew Members U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E Captain Jean-Luc Picard (human male) commanding officer Commander Worf (Klingon male) executive officer Commander Miranda Kadohata (human female) second officer/operations officer Commander Geordi La Forge (human male) chief engineer Commander Beverly Crusher (human female) chief medical officer Lieutenant Hegol Den (Bajoran male) senior counselor Lieutenant Jasminder Choudhury (human female) chief of security Lieutenant Dina Elfiki (human female) senior science officer Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen (Vulcan-human female) contact specialist U.S.S. t.i.tan NCC-80102 Captain William T. Riker (human male) commanding officer Commander Christine Vale (human female) executive officer Commander Tuvok (Vulcan male) second officer/tactical officer Commander Deanna Troi (Betazoid-human female) diplomatic officer/senior counselor Commander Xin Ra-Havreii (Efrosian male) chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Shenti Yisec Eres Ree (Pahkwa-thanh male) chief medical officer Lieutenant Commander Ranul Keru (Trill male) chief of security Lieutenant Commander Melora Pazlar (Elaysian female) senior science officer Lieutenant Pral glasch Haaj (Tellarite male) counselor Lieutenant Huilan Sen'kara (Sti'ach male) counselor Ensign Torvig Bu-kar-nguv (Choblik male) engineer U.S.S. Aventine NCC-82602 Captain Ezri Dax (Trill female) commanding officer Commander Samaritan Bowers (human male) executive officer Lieutenant Commander Gruhn Helkara (Zakdorn male) second officer/senior science officer Lieutenant Lonnoc Kedair (Takaran female) chief of security Lieutenant Simon Ta.r.s.es (human-Romulan male) chief medical officer Lieutenant Mikaela Leishman (human female) chief engineer Lieutenant Oliana Mirren (human female) senior operations officer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

David Mack is the author of numerous Star Trek books, including Wildfire, A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal, and Warpath. With editor Marco Palmieri, he developed the Star Trek Vanguard literary series, for which he has written two novels, Harbinger and Reap the Whirlwind.

His other novels include the Wolverine espionage adventure Road of Bones and his first original novel, The Calling, which is scheduled for publication in 2009 by Simon & Schuster.

Before writing books, Mack cowrote with John J. Ordover the Star Trek: Deep s.p.a.ce Nine fourth-season episode ”Stars.h.i.+p Down” and the story treatment for the series' seventh-season episode ”It's Only a Paper Moon.”

An avid fan of Canadian progressive-rock trio Rush, Mack has attended shows in all of their concert tours since 1982.

Having recently fled corporate servitude, Mack now resides in a secret location with his wife, Kara. Learn more about him and his work on his official Web site () and on his blog, infinitydog.livejournal.com.

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