CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

                "You know, Doctor McCoy said the same thing..."

                "McCoy!!" Kirk grabbed her shoulders. "Leonard McCoy?"

                "Yes," she said, startled by his emotion. "He's in the mission."

                Kirk turned and started across the street, turning back briefly. "Wait! Wait right there!  Spock!" He called after his Vulcan friend who started down the New York City street moments before. "Spock!"

                The Vulcan seemed to appear from nowhere, "What is it?"

                "McCoy! He's in the mission."

                As if on cue, Doctor McCoy stepped out from the doors in front of Kirk, "Jim!"

                "Bones," Kirk said delighted, as Spock, in a lapse of control, grabbed McCoy in a seeming bear hug.

                Then, McCoy's eyes widened, something behind him.

                Kirk turned, "Edith!" His voice, a ghostly gasp.

                McCoy tried to push past. Kirk turned, grabbing him, his comrades screaming something, his name, Kirk didn't hear. He buried his face in his friend's shoulder. A screech of tire.... a final scream.

                "I could of saved him. Jim, do you know what you just did?," said the anguished voice. An unexpected voice, Kirk

looked up at the person he was holding:

                Carol Marcus. "Do you know what you just did?"

                Kirk blinked. What?? He turned to the crowd gathering in the street. On the ground was the broken body of ... David. His son, his dead son.

                He turned back to Carol, shocked. What....?

                "He knows, Doctor. He knows."

                Kirk looked past Carol.

                And saw Ayelborne smiling, delighted.

                Kirk awoke with a start, his head swimming. Standing over him was Jean-Luc Picard. "Wha..?"

                "Jim, Ayelborne attacked, suddenly. Knocked me down, and grabbed you. You passed out."

                Kirk put his hand on his head, "Some sort of mind game. I'm not amused." He reached for his phaser, on the ground next to him, and tried to stand, but couldn't get his bearing. Picard grabbed him before he fell. "Which... way...?"

                "Ayelborne took off over the hill." Picard pointed past the hills before them. "You recover. I'll go after him."

                Kirk nodded. "Be careful, I'll be right there."

                Picard nodded and left in a sprint.

                Kirk tried to calm the 'Red Alert' blaring in his head.

                Above, the skies grew into a darker red.

                Linked tricorders and communicators snaked along the floor of the bridge away from Uhura's station. Her head was buried beneath her console. Chekov stood over her.

                "How's it going?," he asked.

                "A few moments more," her muffled voice answered.

                Spock was busy at his station, McCoy standing near him.

                "Think it will work?," the Doctor asked.

                "I estimate a 57.4 percent chance of success." Spock said, looking up momentarily. "For even though I analyzed the databanks, the Cardassians of this timeline have displayed altered abilities. Their computer system may also be different."

                "You can do it, Spock. If any one can."

                "Curious."

                "What?"

                "As illogical as it seems, sometimes I miss your ... barbs."

                "That's only human," McCoy beamed. "Now stop wasting time and get back to work."

                Spock did.

                Q stared at the old men, gathered in DS9's Promenade. 'Old men,' he winced. 'How foolish a thought. I must get out of this human guise soon. I'm starting to lose intellect.' Of course, they were not old men, these Organians. They had kept their presence hidden from the Continuum. Formidable indeed. Q thanked --God?-- ('another human concept?,' he thought.) that the Organians had nonagressive tendencies. If one Organian, or part of an Organian, could pop the Continuum like Ayelborne had... no, that was because of surprise. If it were a fair fight, it would be the battle of the universe. A menacing smile came to Q's lips, 'Of course, that would never happen.'

                Ayelborne and his compatriots were on another plane, even though their humanoid dopplegangers remained visible on the Federation Station.

                'Do you hear the Q's thoughts?,' Trefayne projected to him.

                'I do. He is but a child, daydreaming. It is of no consequence. Remain focused, our job here is not completed.'

                Trefayne projected acknowledgment and returned to their duty at hand.

                Kira Nerys struggled at the controls of the damaged Yangtzee Kiang. The other runabouts were drawing the Cardassians' fire away from them. But they couldn't wait much longer. "I'm having trouble holding the ship on course, Captain. The helm controls were damaged by that blast."

                Christopher Pike frowned. He knew the ship wasn't going to make it. He glanced briefly at the sensor display of the four remaining Starships Enterprise docked at Deep Space Nine. 'My legacy,' the words flashed in his mind. It was true, in his day Starfleet was an upstart association, daring to think they could go where no man had gone before. The U.S.S. Enterprise, his Enterprise, was the most advanced starship in the young fleet, having successfully completed a shake-down tour under Robert April, she was handed over to Pike. He was supposed to be the man who would go beyond human ken, exploring new worlds, and seeking out new life. I only scratched the surface, Pike knew. But if he, his crew, and his starship hadn't been the intrepid explorers, then there may never have been an Enterprise -A, B, C, or D , or what was still to come. It was a legacy he must protect at all costs.

                "You served in the Bajoran Underground against the Cardassian occupation of your planet. Correct, Major."

                She shook her head and turned to look him in the eyes. "One last blow against tyranny, Captain?"

                He nodded. "Prepare to engage the warp engines."

                She swallowed, but didn't hesitate. She grew taller in her chair, bringing herself to the attention she knew all of Bajor, of the Federation, deserved at this moment. "Bringing the mains on line."

                Jean-Luc Picard reached the other side of the hill and saw the Chapel of the Vedek Monastery. It's large wood front door was open wide, almost begging someone to cross the threshold.  He glanced up to the ever-reddening sky. It became harder to see, with the amber sheen over everything. The Captain pulled his phaser from his belt and walked toward the entrance. He turned back momentarily, no sign of Kirk. Picard hoped his counterpart had recovered.

                Picard crossed the threshold and listened. Utter silence. In front of him was a typical layout for a place of worship. Rows of pews before a raised alter. The room was very dark.

                Except, something glowed from the alter.

                The Captain stepped carefully and methodically, looking at each row of pews before moving on. No indication of Ayelborne.

                Moving closer to the alter, Picard made out the glow: a Tear of the Prophet, one of the 'hourglasses' from the beings living inside the newly discovered wormhole. He swallowed, the tears were very powerful. Although the extent of their abilities were unknown, Sisko -- the 'Emissary,' as he became known not long after excepting his position at DS9 -- had reported in depth about their abilities to manipulate time, at least for an individual exposed to the tear.  Why was one here, in the Organian's temporal pocket?

                Picard climbed the steps of the alter and stepped toward the tear in its transparent casing. The item's warmth calmed him, the transparent casing, apparently sensing the presence of a body, opened. Picard felt compelled, almost hypnotized, as he reached for the tear---

---            Just as Ayelborne, leaping from somewhere above the alter, tackled Picard to the ground.