ten_fwd | [Locked to Picard] Hailing frequencies open

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[Locked to Picard] Hailing frequencies open

The more Terzen looked into it, the more obvious it was.

He was sat in his assigned quarters, almost a day since appearing here, going over what computer access the crew of the Enterprise had given him, looking, hunting for something to explain away all of this...

...But it didn't. All it did was confirm what he already knew, and that was very worrying.

Reaching for the comm panel on the desk, Terzen activates the internal circuits.

"Commander T'Karr to Bridge. I'd like to speak with Captain Picard as soon as he is available, please."

There was something the Captain needed to be aware of. As soon as possible.

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Unsurprisingly, Captain Picard has been quite preoccupied for the last several days. It's a few hours before he can free himself of his duties long enough to pay Terzen a visit, but he does so respectfully at his earliest convenience.

A chime in Terzen's temporary quarters signals his presence at the door.

Terzen didn't expect a response immediately. He's perfectly happy with waiting. After all, a ship's captain had many responsibilities, especially in the predicament Captain Picard finds himself.

It's completely understandable.

Terzen is sat at the desk, browsing through his terminal, when the door chime grabs his attention.

"Come in, please."

The door hushes open, and the captain strides in.

"I understand you wanted to see me?" he says, stopping in the center of the room.

Terzen gets to his feet when the Captain walks in. Standing at half-attention, respectfully.

"Yes, captain." A pause as Terzen frowns. "Sir, it is ny duty to inform you that, under the rules of the Temporal Prime Directive, that I am from a time period in your immediate future. Approximately one year, at most."

He looks apologetic. "Far be it for me to add to the complications of this scenario, but I figured it was best you knew, especially when making contact with the Pathfinder. For all they know, I'm still there, as a Lieutenant."

And also avoiding a visit from Temporal Investigations. Temporal incursions were frowned upon, after all.

Picard tightens his jaw and lets out a small puff of air, nodding almost imperceptibly.

"I see," he muses. "That indeed serves as a complication, though one unfortunately not unique to your situation."

He motions for Terzen to be at ease, inviting him to retake a seat if he so desires. He may be here longer than he originally thought.

"I should hope you're familiar with the history of the Enterprise?" he questions.

And Terzen eases up, moving over to the Replicator.

"Please, captain, sit down if you wish. Can I get you anything?" He asks, before turning to the replicator. "Jestral tea, 80 degrees."

His attention goes back to the Captain. "I am familiar with her most famous missions to date-" A pause. "-My date. I will need some brushing up on... recent history."

He smiles slightly. "All of which, of course, can wait until proper tests and screening are complete." Terzen is willing to be patient. It's a symbol of a good officer.

Touching on a previous point, Terzen frowns. "It's not a situation unfamilliar to many of my fellow displaced souls, but... It's more... complicated with me. I'm too close to current events, I would need to exercise caution over my actions and words, in order to not pollute the timeline."

He nods sharply, but spares a smile.

"Yes, I think I will join you. Make mine Earl Grey, hot," he says, seating himself in the closest chair. He props his elbow on the armrest, rubbing his chin while Terzen carries on.

"I agree," he says. "You are, by far, the closest individual to our time and dimension. Much can occur in a year, and I wouldn't wish to know the outcome of this situation or any others the Enterprise may encounter between now and then. If you are accustomed to her most noteworthy history, then you must know of the original Enterprise's crew, captained by James T. Kirk. Three members of his crew have also been brought to our time and dimension."

Terzen walks over to hand Picard his tea, before settling in a chair himself, turning to face the captain. He takes a moment to sip at the golden liquid, before nodding.

"Yes, I've met Admi..." A pause. "Doctor McCoy. In Ten Forward. He's very..." Diplomatic word selection in progress... "Pragmatic."

Another sip of tea as he stares into the cup for a second, before looking up at Picard. "It may well be that I'm from the same dimension as this ship was. Perhaps Q has created a seperate timeline for his little game. I don't propose to know the first thing about what's going on, but... Perhaps my knowledge of the near future will prove useless."

He certainly hopes so, that would save a few headaches. Would Q be so kind?

"Thank you," he nods, accepting the cup. The way Terzen describes Dr. McCoy amuses Picard, and he is forced to hide his smile behind his tea. "Ah, yes, that's very good. Thank you again."

Putting the tea aside for a moment, he pays Terzen the respect of thinking his words over as carefully as if he hadn't thought of that himself, nodding slowly. "I have discovered that the Doctor McCoy and Ensign Chekov we now entertain on the Enterprise come from an alternate past themselves, where certain events have happened quite differently than they do in our history books. Q very well may be altering our futures as we speak, or as you have suggested, we may be in a pocket timeline ourselves. It would not be the first time Q has removed all memory of an event he has orchestrated, once the 'game' is over. But is it worth the risk?"

He lets the question hover a moment, contemplating the ribbons of steam coming off his tea.

"By simply being here, this crew of the original Enterprise have already challenged the Temporal Prime Directive. Do we allow them to return home with the insights they've gathered in their time here? Of course, we cannot keep them here if a way back presents itself. The damage to the future of their timeline is very much in Q's hands," he says.

"They could submit to allowing their memory engrams to be wiped." Terzen suggests, taking a sip of his own tea. "If a way home without Q is discovered, and they agree to it, of course."

This is a pain. A mess of convoluted timeline threads that threatens to make Terzen's headache return.

"I'm a communications specialist, not a temporal physicist, but... There's a lot about the fabric of space-time we don't know." A frown, there. "As far as I know, it's possible to fold it like Andorian Origami and be able to be everywhere at once." A shake of his head. "I hope a way appears, or Q will be benevolent enough, to prevent pollution of timelines too much."

"It is an option, but one I would prefer not to pursue unless absolutely necessary," he nods. "These are Starfleet officers, they know their duties and responsibilities as well as any of us do, but they are also entitled to their personal freedoms while aboard this ship."

Suggesting to Doctor McCoy that his memories be removed is not a conversation Picard wants to have. The mere thought is enough to make him facepalm, but he shows a good deal of restraint in Terzen's company. He must say he admires his sense of duty; however, putting "benevolent" in the same sentence with "Q" only serves to make Picard sigh.

"We can all hope for that," he says, eyebrows arched. "Q has made it inescapably clear that his knowledge of space and time far surpasses our own. Humans are but babes in his eyes, barely weaned. I am confident in my crew, that despite whatever he decides we will weather the consequences and find a desirable solution."

He pauses. "I must ask, since you are Betazoid... have you any notion of why Q has shown interest in you? Or in any of the visitors aboard, for that matter?"

A frown there. "I can't say. Honestly, I can barely sense Q's presence, other than an overwhelming power. Something alien. If what I'm sensing are emotions, they're nothing that humanoids experience."

A shake of the head. "I'll be frank, captain. You're much better off asking Counsellor Troi over myself. Our powers may be equal in strength, but she knows how to interpret them. I..." He smiles. "I'm rather lost at the moment."

"Hmm, yes," he murmurs, rubbing his chin in thought. He gives a small wave of his hand, as if telling Terzen to cease and desist all attempts for his personal well-being. "What Counselor Troi reports is quite similar to what you have just described."

He wanted to hope that perhaps Terzen could provide more, or a different perspective at least. But he knows that Betazoid abilities are not as strong with half-Betazoids, and he isn't about to invite Lwuxana to come give him her expertise. Besides that, Terzen is still adjusting to a brand new set of circumstances on a much larger ship than he is used to.

"I hope that you find your footing soon enough," he says with a small smile. "You are also half-Trill, as I understand it? You must forgive me, I find that rather fascinating. Our knowledge of the Trill at this point in time is not much; I'm afraid I understand little of your needs, and I certainly wasn't expecting to encounter a Trill-Betazoid Starfleet officer."

"My thanks for your concern to my wellbeing, captain. It'll just be like the Academy again, and if I can survive the hazing there, I can survive the Enterprise."

He takes a sip of the tea, contemplating for a second, before looking up.

"I wouldn't worry about my needs, sir. It seems Q has provided for them. Dr. Julian Bashir has knowledge of Trill, particularily Joined individuals. I couldn't ask for a better doctor."

He bows his head slightly, before looking back to Picard.

"I need no special treatment. I'm a Starfleet officer, after all, sir. We seek out new experiences." A smile. "If I can answer any questions, however, please. Feel free to ask."

He appears rather fond at the mention of Academy hazing, though the true reasons for that will remain hidden for the foreseeable future. Yes indeed, if one can survive the Academy then one should find life aboard the Enterprise less taxing.

"Ah, well I suppose even Q has his sensibilities," Picard says, peering into his teacup. He finds at times he rather misses the lazy swish of dregs at the bottom of his cup. "I do not know much about Dr. Bashir either, but his assistance is welcome here, and my chief medical officer seems to have some faith in him.

"I wouldn't wish to overwhelm you with questions, though some general knowledge might prove helpful to all of us," he continues. "The Trill can survive both with and without a host, is that correct? How do you go about making your selection?"

"That is true until we are Joined. Once we are, the host and the symbiont are one, and can't survive without each other. A Joining is usually something that takes place at the end of the host's life, or if the symbiont is at risk."

He pauses, frowning, remembering his ordeal through the Symbiosis Commission's trials. The Academy was easier.

"The Symbiosis Commission controls all aspects of joining. We need to pass all tests provided, and have our application approved by the commission, along with a positive recommendation from a Field Docent."

"Only one Trill in a thousand is capable for Joining, so the Commission has to be... thorough."

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[Locked to Picard] Hailing frequencies open

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