CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

                Spock looked up from his sensor station. The red alert klaxons were blaring. "The ship matches no correlations in our library banks. It is from a race we have not yet encountered."

                "Ok, everyone," Kirk called out to his bridge staff. "Our priority in a combat situation will be to shield NCC-

1701, Captain Pike's ship, from attack. At this point, we can only worry about the direct links to our past and let the future take care of itself. Clear?"

                "Aye, Sir," Chekov and the helmsman, McGarity, chimed together.

                Uhura spoke up, "Captain Picard coming on all-hail, Sir."

                "On screen," Kirk said, very frustrated by this turn of events. His shields were up and his weapons primed but Kirk knew he was facing a technology out-matching his... however, that wouldn't stop him from engaging the enemy, and defeating him.

                The French-accented voice of the Captain of Enterprise-D filled Kirk's bridge, "The vessel approaching is a Cardassian Galor-Class Warship. I respectfully suggest all ships remain in orbit, while 1701-D dispatches her."

                The signal broke and Kirk turned to his crew. "Opinions."

                "As you said, Captain," Spock began. "We must let the future take care of itself. Also, if the Cardassian craft is of Picard's time period, his ship is the best equipped to deal with it."

                Kirk nodded, "I agree. I just hate to sit this out."

                "Captain," Chekov called out. "Enterprise-B is breaking orbit! She is pursuing Captain Picard's ship."

                "What? On visual."

                The screen blipped away from Deep Space Nine to show 1701-B pursuing 1701-D toward the Cardassians.

                Kirk stood up and stepped toward the viewer. "An Excelsior-Class ship. We should be able to stop her."

                "Perhaps, Captain," Spock said. "Assuming the Enterprise-B is indeed a Excelsior Class as we are aware of them. She may be significantly more advanced. Also, we are not certain her actions are hostile."

                "Status of 1701 and 1701-C?"

                "Still in orbit," McGarity said.

                "Stand by to break orbit on my signal," Kirk ordered.

                "Aye, Sir," Chekov replied.

 

                "Raise Enterprise-B!"

                "No response, Sir," Worf said. "The Cardassian is somehow interfering with communications."

                "It is possible in this altered reality," Data said, "The Cardassian technology is quite different."

                Picard paced in front of the command chairs, glancing once at Q who sat quietly, for once, next to Troi. "Counselor, can you sense anything from the ships?"

                She concentrated for a few moments, "I sense hostility and a bit of confusion from the warship. From the Enterprise, I sense confusion and helplessness."

                "They've never seen the likes of us before," Riker intoned. "Captain, the Federation doesn't exist so the Cardassians have no idea what they're facing."

                "All they know is we are invaders," Worf added. "And apparently that is enough."

                "Get us directly between the Warship and Enterprise-B," Picard ordered.

                Just then, the Galor-Class Warship opened fire, striking 1701-B with a full weapons spread. Picard and crew watched as the energy pulses danced across the other starship's weakening defense screens.

 

                "Break orbit," Kirk ordered. "Lock phasers and photon torpedoes on the warship."

                "Aye, Sir," Chekov said.

                "Sir," Uhura called out, "The other ships are breaking orbit as well. Moving in to assist."

 

                "Benjamin, if the Enterprises are destroyed, our history will be irrevocably altered, even if we find a way to restore Earth," Dax said.

                Sisko made the decision he contemplated when 1701-B broke orbit. "Chief O'Brien divert all power to the tractor

beams. Hold those three starships in place."

                O'Brien fingers flew frantically over his engineering board. "The power systems will be strained, Sir, especially if they attempt warp speed."

                "Engage the beams," Sisko ordered.

                He watched as three energy lances emanated from the outer ring of Deep Space Nine, catching the Enterprises as they began to break orbit. The lights in Ops dimmed momentarily and slowly brightened to normal.

                "Got'um, Sir," O'Brien said.

                Then the comm board started screaming at him.

 

                "DS9 has them in tractors," Riker said.

                "That Sisko is such a bully," Q commented.

                "Status of Enterprise-B," Picard barked.

                "The ship is experiences intermittent power overloads due to the Cardassian attack," Data reported. "It is unlikely they will withstand another assault."

                "If we can tell that, so can they," Riker responded.

                "Mr. Worf, fire phasers at the warship."

                "Yes, Sir."

                Daggers of power lanced forth from Enterprise-D. The bridge crew watched as the phasers struck the Cardassians, flaring on the ship's forward shields and dissipating rapidly.

                "Damage report," Picard inquired.

                Worf scowled and looked at his security readouts, "Minor damage to their forward deflectors. It appears the Cardassians have advanced shield technology in this reality."

                Picard nodded, "Arm the phot--"

                "Sir," Worf called out. "Enterprise-B has fired photon torpedoes."

                On the screen, the weapons struck the Cardassians in the same spot as the phasers moments ago. This time, however, the stronger plasma blasts broke through, causing minor explosions to dance along the ship's hull.

                "Helm," Picard ordered. "Get us back in between --"

                It was too late. The Cardassian ship fired a full barrage of phasers, torpedoes, and something else, unidentifiable by Worf's computers.

                The massive power struck the Enterprise-B dead-on.

 

                "Damn it." Kirk yelled, "Uhura, get me Commander Sisko, now."

                "They are refusing our hails, Sir, as well as the hails from the other Enterprises."

                "Mr. Chekov, target the source of that tractor beam and lock phasers."

                "Yes, Sir," Chekov said as his hands flew across his board.

                "Fire!" Kirk said, launching an attack on Deep Space Nine.

 

                "The Enterprise-B has suffered severe casualties," Worf reported. "They are near a power shutdown."

                "What about their warp core?" Riker asked.

                "Scanning..."

                Picard glared at the Warship, contemplating the next move. Obviously, the Cardassian was more advanced then what he was used to, but why had Enterprise-B acted in such an irrational manner, risking so much?

                "Sir," Worf said. "The other Enterprise is going to warp speed! They are on a collision course with..."

                "Mr. Data, warp speed!" Riker called. "Get us out of here."

                "Worf, raise the Enterprise, now!" Picard called out.

 

                Then the explosion blanketed the viewscreen, overloading the visual circuits momentarily, as the two star crafts collided.

 

                "Evasive," Kirk ordered, as his Enterprise, primed for battle, found itself instead riding the waves of a warp

drive explosion, pushing her back toward the space station.

 

                "The shields will be overloaded," O'Brien cried over the alert klaxons in Ops. "Impossible to tell if they will hold."

                "Brace yourselves," Sisko said, as the waves slammed DS9 throwing everyone mercilessly to the deck.

 

                 Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott saw the station approaching quickly on the main viewer in the engine room. His Enterprise would be smashed like an old wooden ocean-going craft slamming into a rocky shoreline. 'Not this ship,' he thought as he made some rapid calculations on his master controls, altering the ship's course and warp speed output just enough to push his ship above and away from Deep Space Nine.

                "Never again will I loose ya," he uttered to no one as he petted his control panel. "Never."

 

                "All systems coming back on," O'Brien said, then added with a surprise. "The Cardassian tractors held, too. The Enterprises still in the beam survived and were held away from the station."

                "Enterprise-A barely missed us, Sir," Kira said.

                Sisko nodded his head, "And Picard's ship."

                "They went to warp speed seconds before the explosion. Sensors cannot penetrate the incident horizon," Dax said.

                "In other words, you don't know," Sisko clarified.

                "Correct," Dax replied.

 

                "Status report, Number One."

                The dark-haired woman turned from the helm console to look at her Captain. "All systems are coming back on line, Sir. The shields were strained by repelling the explosion. They will need some repairs. The station's tractor beam kept us from being propelled into her hull. Dr. Boyce reports no casualties."

                Christopher Pike nodded. His ship was saved by the beam trapping them from assisting the Enterprise-B and D with the alien ship. Now, Enterprise-B was destroyed, altering the future, unless that Enterprise was originally destined to be annihilated at this point. Unlikely.

                Pike turned to his science officer, who was under his station examining the circuitry behind an open vent. "Mr. Spock?"

                The young officer perked up, bumping his head on the vent. Pike smiled slightly, noting the brief grimace of embarrassment before the Vulcan got a hold of himself.

                "Yes, Captain?"

                "I am assigning you to be our liaison to the other ships and Deep Space Nine."

                "But, Sir, there are higher-ranked..."

                "Belay that, Mister. You got the job. Number One will assist you, but you're our man."

                Number One raised an eyebrow. "Captain..."

                Pike turned. "You should work with Enterprise-A, first. I recognize her captain, James Kirk. He is currently a

promising Lieutenant under Captain Garrovick on the Farrugut. Currently, meaning our time, of course. In fact, we've met. I believe his future self is our best bet for gathering information."

                "Logical," Number One said.

                "Indeed," Spock agreed.

                "Get to it then."

                "Aye, Sir," they said in unison as they departed the bridge.

 

                "Well, how about those pyrotechnics?" Q said as he stood and stretched.

                Picard clapped his hands together, "That is all you have to say? Hundreds of people just lost their lives."

                Q shrugged, "Hey, what can we do? Grieve and move on, Captain. But of course you are again missing the big picture. How about you, Riker? Can you figure it out?"

                Riker took a step toward the entity, "All I can figure out is I've had enough of your shenanigans, Q."

                "The brilliance in this room!" Q said as he stepped toward the helm. "Data, save me from human stupidity."

                The android stared at Q for a moment and then turned to look at Picard, "Perhaps Q is referring to the fate of NCC-1701-B. In our timeline the ship was not destroyed in combat with Cardassians."

                Q clapped. "Very good. You get the gold star, Data."

                "Obviously, Q," Picard said loudly. "The Federation and Cardassians hadn't encountered each other during that time period."

                "And now...?" Q said encouraging Picard to think more. When he didn't say anything, Q collapsed in a chair. "Why we ever got interested in you...? History is not locked in place anymore. Those bullies have released the flood gates."

                "I'd say that was an obvious conclusion when they eliminated Earth," Riker said.

                "But," Q said, "You see, you can't realign only a part of history. That's why tampering with the space-time continuum isn't done more often. Because you leave yourself open for annihilation."

                "Q, I'm afraid we don't see the same cosmic picture," Picard said.

                "Picard, listen. They erased humanity -- most of it. Now nothing's locked in place anymore. We can go back and erase them. The timestream can now be rewritten any number of times."

                "This sounds like an extraordinarily dangerous option," Data commented.

                "With Earth eliminated and the Q paralyzed, what do any of us have to loose? Nothing! And we've got everything to gain. How about it Picard, we can finally be a team." Q reached his hand toward the Captain.

                Picard unconsciously grasped it and Q pulled him into a big hug, to everyone's surprise, especially the Captain's.

                "Now," Q said, releasing Picard. "Helm, take us back to Deep Space Nine." Then he moved his right hand in a familiar gesture. "Engage!"  Nothing happened as Q looked at an angry Captain. "Just kidding. Sense of humor, Jean-Luc, is a useful character trait. Look into it."