Literary Challenge 52
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The doors to the bridge swished open and Kathryn expected to see the order and quiet of her bridge crew dutifully focused on various tasks. Instead, everyone was standing straight and only Staza Murai held a weapon in her hand, pointed toward the Captain's chair. Looking at her chair, she noticed another Starfleet officer sitting relaxed and looking toward the main viewscreen. Kathryn didn't recognize the person sitting as a member of her crew and she stopped next to the command seat.
"Hello, again, Q ..."
The human-looking female smiled then looked up at Kathryn. "'O Captain, my Captain' ... so the Earth poem goes. I think. I read it before I came aboard but fell asleep after the first line."
Kathryn crossed her arms. "You should make time to read it all. It's a sad tale for a great man of Earth history."
Q shrugged. "Indeed. Yet, I do think your trip is done."
"Is that right."
"That's right. Before we get to business, kindly tell your Orion slave girl to drop her weapon. It's rude to point it without using it."
Staza's eyes flared anger and Kathryn nodded toward her. Staza looked to First Officer Anthi Ythysi who nodded as well, then lowered her disruptor pistol.
Q looked to Staza, and without losing the smile, said, "not that it would have worked on me anyway."
Kathryn snapped her fingers. "Q, let's focus on why you are here."
Turning to Kathryn, Q stood and brushed at her uniform. "Ah, yes. Shall we retire to your quarters?'
"How about my ready-room." Turning toward the office door, she spoke over her shoulder. "Anthi, you have the con."
Q followed Kathryn into the room and waited for Kathryn to sit in her chair.
"Forgive me, Q. Welcome aboard."
Q's eyebrows raised. "Thank you, Captain."
"You're welcome. Now get to it."
"Ah, ever the conversationalist. In short, do not go to Solanae."
It was Kathryn's turn to be surprised. "Pardon me?"
"You know, the ... what do you humans call it ... ah, yes. The Dyson Sphere."
Kathryn could not contain her surprise and laughed out loud once. "The great Q comes to my ship to warn me? I didn't think you cared. I'm touched."
Q's eyes narrowed. "Don't be so smug. I'm doing you a favor."
Kathryn stood and smirked. "Remind me about that again?"
"I'm telling you, Captain, the Voth are more advanced than your tribes are collectively. The Borg are animals compared to the Voth, which makes every species in the galaxy like amoeba in comparison. You, personally, will experience great hardship and suffering if you travel to Solanae." Q's demeanor darkened as she spoke.
"Hyperbole suits you well, Q." Kathryn walked to the replicator and keyed a command. A clear glass with a dark brown liquid materialized and she took a sip from it, licking her lips to savor the taste. "Of all the ships in the Federation, why are you here, on this one ship to warm me personally?"
Q sat into a chair in front of Kathryn's desk. "Have you ever asked why you are where are now? And I mean beyond adventure, duty, honor, revenge or ambition. I'm talking about your raison d'etre?"
Kathryn took another sip. "You mean, you don't know either?"
"I'm not joking, Captain. This, Dyson Sphere, will challenge you ... will change you." Q shook her head. "You may not like what you will become."
"Maybe that's my choice to make."
"Maybe choices can be influenced to not be made."
"Maybe, as an officer in Starfleet, I don't have that luxury. If I am ordered to go to the Sphere, then that is my duty."
Q scoffed, "oh, please. All sentient being have the power of choice, it's understanding the consequences that drives those choices."
"Exactly! Thank you for pointing out the obvious. You still have not answered my question."
Q paused. "Oh, yes. Why you?" Kathryn nodded, then sipped again. "Because the Continuum hoped this Sphere would never be found. Now that it has, it is bringing the species of the galaxy to it like moths to a flame ... and it is a very bright flame indeed. Of all the species the Continuum has faced, humans continue to intrigue us." Q stood and stepped toward Kathryn then spoke in hushed tones. "But this Sphere will damage the human race in ways you cannot imagine. Not even the Borg try to assimilate them. They have tried and failed."
She stopped within inches of Kathryn. "I do not want you to go there." Q leaned in and kissed Kathryn on the lips, then disappeared in a flash before she could react.
---
The doors to the bridge swished open and Kathryn expected to see the order and quiet of her bridge crew dutifully focused on various tasks. Instead, everyone was standing straight and only Staza Murai held a weapon in her hand, pointed toward the Captain's chair. Looking at her chair, she noticed another Starfleet officer sitting relaxed and looking toward the main viewscreen. Kathryn didn't recognize the person sitting as a member of her crew and she stopped next to the command seat.
"Hello, again, Q ..."
The human-looking female smiled then looked up at Kathryn. "'O Captain, my Captain' ... so the Earth poem goes. I think. I read it before I came aboard but fell asleep after the first line."
Kathryn crossed her arms. "You should make time to read it all. It's a sad tale for a great man of Earth history."
Q shrugged. "Indeed. Yet, I do think your trip is done."
"Is that right."
"That's right. Before we get to business, kindly tell your Orion slave girl to drop her weapon. It's rude to point it without using it."
Staza's eyes flared anger and Kathryn nodded toward her. Staza looked to First Officer Anthi Ythysi who nodded as well, then lowered her disruptor pistol.
Q looked to Staza, and without losing the smile, said, "not that it would have worked on me anyway."
Kathryn snapped her fingers. "Q, let's focus on why you are here."
Turning to Kathryn, Q stood and brushed at her uniform. "Ah, yes. Shall we retire to your quarters?'
"How about my ready-room." Turning toward the office door, she spoke over her shoulder. "Anthi, you have the con."
Q followed Kathryn into the room and waited for Kathryn to sit in her chair.
"Forgive me, Q. Welcome aboard."
Q's eyebrows raised. "Thank you, Captain."
"You're welcome. Now get to it."
"Ah, ever the conversationalist. In short, do not go to Solanae."
It was Kathryn's turn to be surprised. "Pardon me?"
"You know, the ... what do you humans call it ... ah, yes. The Dyson Sphere."
Kathryn could not contain her surprise and laughed out loud once. "The great Q comes to my ship to warn me? I didn't think you cared. I'm touched."
Q's eyes narrowed. "Don't be so smug. I'm doing you a favor."
Kathryn stood and smirked. "Remind me about that again?"
"I'm telling you, Captain, the Voth are more advanced than your tribes are collectively. The Borg are animals compared to the Voth, which makes every species in the galaxy like amoeba in comparison. You, personally, will experience great hardship and suffering if you travel to Solanae." Q's demeanor darkened as she spoke.
"Hyperbole suits you well, Q." Kathryn walked to the replicator and keyed a command. A clear glass with a dark brown liquid materialized and she took a sip from it, licking her lips to savor the taste. "Of all the ships in the Federation, why are you here, on this one ship to warm me personally?"
Q sat into a chair in front of Kathryn's desk. "Have you ever asked why you are where are now? And I mean beyond adventure, duty, honor, revenge or ambition. I'm talking about your raison d'etre?"
Kathryn took another sip. "You mean, you don't know either?"
"I'm not joking, Captain. This, Dyson Sphere, will challenge you ... will change you." Q shook her head. "You may not like what you will become."
"Maybe that's my choice to make."
"Maybe choices can be influenced to not be made."
"Maybe, as an officer in Starfleet, I don't have that luxury. If I am ordered to go to the Sphere, then that is my duty."
Q scoffed, "oh, please. All sentient being have the power of choice, it's understanding the consequences that drives those choices."
"Exactly! Thank you for pointing out the obvious. You still have not answered my question."
Q paused. "Oh, yes. Why you?" Kathryn nodded, then sipped again. "Because the Continuum hoped this Sphere would never be found. Now that it has, it is bringing the species of the galaxy to it like moths to a flame ... and it is a very bright flame indeed. Of all the species the Continuum has faced, humans continue to intrigue us." Q stood and stepped toward Kathryn then spoke in hushed tones. "But this Sphere will damage the human race in ways you cannot imagine. Not even the Borg try to assimilate them. They have tried and failed."
She stopped within inches of Kathryn. "I do not want you to go there." Q leaned in and kissed Kathryn on the lips, then disappeared in a flash before she could react.
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Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Q - June Diane Raphael
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
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