A Preview of Things to Come...
Moderator: LadyTevar
A Preview of Things to Come...
This is the beginning of a fan fic I've been dabbling with. Without spoiling too much, it's my alternate continuity on Voyager's encounter with the Borg. And yes, there will some significant differences with the show, particularly with regards to where the Borg are located and when Voyager encounters them. Anyways, enjoy!
Last edited by Tribble on 2014-04-04 11:24pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - The official Troll motto, as stated by Adam Savage
Re: A Preview of Things to Come...
“Captain’s Log, Stardate 55543.7. The Enterprise is currently en-route to deliver supplies to the Axalon system, one of the first new colonies to be established since the end of the Dominion War. I’m relieved that after years of armed conflict the Federation is finally returning to its tradition of peaceful exploration and settlement.”
“What is our status Mr. Data?” Picard asked as he finished the log entry.
“All systems are functioning within normal parameters sir” Data replied. “Based on our present speed we will reach the Axalon system in approximately eleven hours and thirty-six minutes.”
“Very well. I’ll be in my ready room.” Picard stood up and strode towards the ready room. As the doors closed behind him, there was a flash of light.
“Mon Capitaine!” A familiar voice rang out. “Please, do come in.” Picard looked over to find Q sitting in his chair, with his legs casually stretched out on his desk. Picard frowned. Normally Q’s visits did not bode well.
“What is it you want, Q?” Picard asked.
“Why Jean-Luc, I’ve simply come to here to talk. I thought I’d swing by and catch up on things, it’s been far too long since my last visit.”
“Oh really?” Picard replied, while thinking to himself the exact opposite.
“And you seem to be doing quite well for yourself too. New ship, new uniform… but something seems a bit… odd.” Q frowned. “There’s something… missing. What is it?” Q glanced around the room and puzzled it over for a few seconds. “I know!” He snapped his fingers. In the corner of the ready room an aquarium appeared. “Go on, take a look!”
Picard walked over to the aquarium and gazed into it. Inside, a lionfish gazed back at him. He turned towards Q, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
“I knew you’d like him. The Captain of the Enterprise just wouldn’t be the same without his beloved pet. Consider him a gift for all the times we’ve shared together.”
Picard found himself amused, despite his best efforts. “I sincerely appreciate your generosity Q, and I thank you. But something tells me you didn’t come here just to deliver a fish.”
“How incredibly perceptive you are, mon capitaine!” Q said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Indeed, there were a few things I was hoping to discuss with you.”
“And what would those be?”
Q stood up and walked over to the viewport, and motioned Picard to join him. For a moment the two of them stood there silently, gazing out into the stars. Even though he had been travelling aboard starships for decades, Picard found the view just as memorizing as when he used to watch the night sky for hours on end as a child.
“I see you are still exploring this area of space, despite my warning.” Q said, breaking the reverie. “You humans never really learn, do you?”
“What warning?” Picard asked, turning to face him.
“Come now, has it really been that long? Just a few years ago I seem to recall having offered my services to you and your ship as a guide.”
“Yes.” Picard replied, remembering the conversation and the horrible events it led to. “And when we refused, in order to satisfy your ego you sent us to the Borg!”
“Now we both know that’s not true. All I did was merely set the stage for you to prove your case. You were the one who decided to remain and poke around. Even that creature of yours, the one you call Guinan... even she warned you to stay away. Had you taken her advice or mine, the entire situation could have been completely avoided. But you didn’t listen, did you?”
Despite his anger, Picard admitted to himself that Q had a point. “I concede that you were right, and back then we weren’t ready” he said while holding up his hands.
Q looked at him incredulously. “Are you actually implying that you are better prepared to face them now?”
“So far, we have managed to survive our encounters with them.”
“Yes, by the very skin of your teeth I suppose you have, though I’d hardly call that a victory.”
“Still, I’d like to think you helped kick us out of our complacency. Though we are not yet equal with them, we are continuing to develop new weapons and ships in order to –“
“I have admit I’m a little disappointed in you” Q interrupted. “Do you really think, mon capitaine, that after putting humanity on trial for its barbarism the solution to the Borg would be as simplistic as building bigger guns? I’m not that big of a hypocrite.”
“Dealing with the Borg is utterly impossible! They are interested in one thing, and one thing only: the total conquest and assimilation of the Federation! There is no other option other than to resist them!”
Q rolled his eyes sighed. “Since you’re so slow on the uptake, I’ll be generous and give you a hint, if only so that you can’t complain to me later. As I told you earlier, the Borg are unlike anything your Federation has ever faced, and they're not interested in political conquest, wealth or power as you know it. Perhaps you might want to consider actually taking the time to investigate the purpose behind their behavior.”
“What purpose is there, other than their desire to perfect themselves?”
“That’s for you to find out, if you choose to do so.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because mon capitaine” Q stated, with a sudden serious tone to his voice “As I warned you earlier, this area of space isn’t safe! And like I said before, the Borg were just a preview of things to come.”
And with that Q snapped his fingers and was gone, leaving Picard alone with his thoughts.
“What is our status Mr. Data?” Picard asked as he finished the log entry.
“All systems are functioning within normal parameters sir” Data replied. “Based on our present speed we will reach the Axalon system in approximately eleven hours and thirty-six minutes.”
“Very well. I’ll be in my ready room.” Picard stood up and strode towards the ready room. As the doors closed behind him, there was a flash of light.
“Mon Capitaine!” A familiar voice rang out. “Please, do come in.” Picard looked over to find Q sitting in his chair, with his legs casually stretched out on his desk. Picard frowned. Normally Q’s visits did not bode well.
“What is it you want, Q?” Picard asked.
“Why Jean-Luc, I’ve simply come to here to talk. I thought I’d swing by and catch up on things, it’s been far too long since my last visit.”
“Oh really?” Picard replied, while thinking to himself the exact opposite.
“And you seem to be doing quite well for yourself too. New ship, new uniform… but something seems a bit… odd.” Q frowned. “There’s something… missing. What is it?” Q glanced around the room and puzzled it over for a few seconds. “I know!” He snapped his fingers. In the corner of the ready room an aquarium appeared. “Go on, take a look!”
Picard walked over to the aquarium and gazed into it. Inside, a lionfish gazed back at him. He turned towards Q, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
“I knew you’d like him. The Captain of the Enterprise just wouldn’t be the same without his beloved pet. Consider him a gift for all the times we’ve shared together.”
Picard found himself amused, despite his best efforts. “I sincerely appreciate your generosity Q, and I thank you. But something tells me you didn’t come here just to deliver a fish.”
“How incredibly perceptive you are, mon capitaine!” Q said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Indeed, there were a few things I was hoping to discuss with you.”
“And what would those be?”
Q stood up and walked over to the viewport, and motioned Picard to join him. For a moment the two of them stood there silently, gazing out into the stars. Even though he had been travelling aboard starships for decades, Picard found the view just as memorizing as when he used to watch the night sky for hours on end as a child.
“I see you are still exploring this area of space, despite my warning.” Q said, breaking the reverie. “You humans never really learn, do you?”
“What warning?” Picard asked, turning to face him.
“Come now, has it really been that long? Just a few years ago I seem to recall having offered my services to you and your ship as a guide.”
“Yes.” Picard replied, remembering the conversation and the horrible events it led to. “And when we refused, in order to satisfy your ego you sent us to the Borg!”
“Now we both know that’s not true. All I did was merely set the stage for you to prove your case. You were the one who decided to remain and poke around. Even that creature of yours, the one you call Guinan... even she warned you to stay away. Had you taken her advice or mine, the entire situation could have been completely avoided. But you didn’t listen, did you?”
Despite his anger, Picard admitted to himself that Q had a point. “I concede that you were right, and back then we weren’t ready” he said while holding up his hands.
Q looked at him incredulously. “Are you actually implying that you are better prepared to face them now?”
“So far, we have managed to survive our encounters with them.”
“Yes, by the very skin of your teeth I suppose you have, though I’d hardly call that a victory.”
“Still, I’d like to think you helped kick us out of our complacency. Though we are not yet equal with them, we are continuing to develop new weapons and ships in order to –“
“I have admit I’m a little disappointed in you” Q interrupted. “Do you really think, mon capitaine, that after putting humanity on trial for its barbarism the solution to the Borg would be as simplistic as building bigger guns? I’m not that big of a hypocrite.”
“Dealing with the Borg is utterly impossible! They are interested in one thing, and one thing only: the total conquest and assimilation of the Federation! There is no other option other than to resist them!”
Q rolled his eyes sighed. “Since you’re so slow on the uptake, I’ll be generous and give you a hint, if only so that you can’t complain to me later. As I told you earlier, the Borg are unlike anything your Federation has ever faced, and they're not interested in political conquest, wealth or power as you know it. Perhaps you might want to consider actually taking the time to investigate the purpose behind their behavior.”
“What purpose is there, other than their desire to perfect themselves?”
“That’s for you to find out, if you choose to do so.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because mon capitaine” Q stated, with a sudden serious tone to his voice “As I warned you earlier, this area of space isn’t safe! And like I said before, the Borg were just a preview of things to come.”
And with that Q snapped his fingers and was gone, leaving Picard alone with his thoughts.
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - The official Troll motto, as stated by Adam Savage