"That was an incredible program." "I am glad you approve." "I have always found the Black Sea at night to be a most stimulating experience." "Worf, we were walking barefoot on the beach with balalaika music in the air, ocean breeze washing over us, stars in the sky, full moon rising." "And the most you can say is stimulating?" "It was very stimulating." "What?" "You know, I don't spend nearly enough time on the holodeck." "I should take my own advice and go there to relax." "Next time, I'll choose the program." "If you like the Black Sea, you're going to love Lake Cataria on Betazed." "Deanna." "Perhaps before there is a next time, we should discuss Commander Riker." "Why?" "Is he coming along?" "No, but I do not wish..." "I mean, it would be unfortunate if he..." "If you and I are going to continue, I do not wish to hurt his feelings." "Worf, I think it's all right to concentrate on our feelings." "Yours and mine." "Counselor." "What's today's date?" " The date?" " Stardate 47988." "47988." "Captain, what's wrong?" "47988." "I'm not sure." "I don't know how or why but I'm moving back and forth through time." "Space, the final frontier." "These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise." "To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." "I had this feeling that I had physically left the Enterprise." "I was in another time, another place." "I was somewhere in the past." "Can you describe where you were, what it looked like?" "You see, it's all slipping away so fast." "It's like..." "It's like waking up from a nightmare." "I, uh..." "It was years ago." "It was before I took command of the Enterprise." "I was talking to someone." "I can't remember who." "And then it all changed." "I was no longer in the past." "I was now an old man in the future." "And..." "I was outside, and I was doing something." "God, I can't remember what it was." "I'm sorry, it's all gone." "I just can't remember." "It's all right." "Have you considered the possibility that this was just a dream?" "No, no." "It was much more than a dream." "The smells, the sounds, the very touch of things." "Much more real than a dream." "How long did you spend in each time period?" "Did it seem like minutes?" "Hours?" "You see, I can't say." "At first, I had a sense of..." "A sense of confusion, disorientation." "I wasn't sure where I was." "And then all of that passed." "And it all seemed perfectly natural, as though I belonged in that time." "But I can't..." "Captain Picard to the Bridge." "Captain, we've got a problem with the warp core or the phase inducers." "Ha, ha, or some other damn thing." "Geordi." "Ah." "Hello, captain." "Or should I call you ambassador?" "Oh, I haven't been called that for some time either." "How about Mr. Picard?" "How about Jean-Luc?" "No, I don't think I can get used to that." "Good Lord, Geordi." " Well, how long has it been?" " Nine years." "No, no, no." "Since you last called me captain?" "Since we were all together on the Enterprise?" "Close to 25 years." "Twenty-five years." "Well, time has been good to you." "A little too good in some places." "Can I give you a hand here?" "Oh, well, I'm just tying up some vines." "Mm." "You've got leaf miners." "You might wanna try a bacillus spray." "My wife is quite a gardener." "I've picked up a little bit of it." "How is Leah?" "Just wonderful." "Busy as ever." "She's just been made director of the Daystrom Institute." "What about the little ones?" "Bret, Alandra and, urn..." " Sidney." "Yeah." " Sidney." "Well, they're not so little anymore." "Bret is applying to Starfleet Academy next year." "Whew." "So, what brings you here?" "Oh, I just thought I'd stop by." "I've been thinking about the old days on the Enterprise." "Was in the neighborhood." "Geordi, you don't make the trip from Rigel Ill to Earth just to drop by." "No." "So you've heard." "Leah's got a few friends at Starfleet Medical." "Word gets around." "I'm not an invalid." "Irumodic Syndrome can take years to run its course." "I know." "Once I heard, well, I just wanted to stop by just the same." "Well, now that you're here, you can help me carry those tools." "Well, my cooking may not be up to Leah's standards, but I can still make a decent cup of tea." "Oh, I read your last novel." "I thought that the protagonist was a little too flamboyant, but for the rest, I..." "Captain, are you all right?" "Captain." "Captain?" "Will this be your first time on a Galaxy-class starship?" "Are you all right, sir?" "Sir?" "I'm sorry, lieutenant." "My mind must have wandered." "What were you saying?" "I was asking if you'd ever been aboard a Galaxy-class starship before." "No." "Of course, I'm familiar with the blueprints and the specifications, but this will be my first time on board." "Well, then, if I may be so bold, sir, you're in for a treat." "The Enterprise is quite a ship." "I'm sure she is." "Have I done something wrong, sir?" "No." "It's just that you look very familiar." "Enterprise to shuttlecraft Galileo." "You are cleared for arrival in Shuttlebay 2." "Acknowledged, Enterprise." "And there she is." "Captain?" "Captain." "Tasha." "I was just with Tasha in the shuttle." "I just finished the neurographic scan." "I didn't find anything that would cause hallucinations or psychogenic reaction." "Is there any indication of temporal displacement?" "No." "Usually a temporal shift would leave some sort of tryptamine residue in the cerebral cortex, but the scan didn't show any." "Personally, I think you just enjoy waking everybody up in the middle of the night." "Actually, I really like running around the ship in my bare feet." "The biospectral test results, doctor." "Your blood gas analysis is consistent with someone who's been breathing the ship's air for weeks." "If you'd been anywhere else, there would have been an indication of change in the oxygen isotope ratios." "Thanks." "Deanna, would you excuse us, please?" "Of course." "Jean-Luc, I scanned you for evidence of lrumodic Syndrome, as you suggested." "There wasn't any." "But I did find a small structural defect in the parietal lobe." "A defect that you hadn't noticed before?" "It's the kind of defect that would only show up on a level-four neurographic scan." "It could cause you to be susceptible to several kinds of neurological disorders, including lrumodic Syndrome." "Now, it's possible for you to live with this defect for the rest of your life without developing a problem." "Or even if you do, many people continue to live normal lives for a long time after the onset of lrumodic Syndrome." "If that's so, why do you look as if you just signed my death sentence?" "I'm sorry." "I guess it caught me off guard." "I wouldn't worry about it." "Something tells me that you're gonna have to put up with me for a long time to come." "Well, it won't be easy, but I'll manage." "Captain." "Has Worf found anything?" "No, sir." "His security scans came up negative." "They're still checking the sensor logs, but there is no indication that you ever left the ship." "I wasn't dreaming." "Something happened." "Worf to captain." "Go ahead, Mr. Worf." "Sir, there is an incoming transmission from Admiral Nakamura." "It is a priority-one message." "Beverly." "Mr. Worf, will you route the call through to Dr. Crusher's office?" "Aye, sir." "Captain." " Admiral." " I am initiating a fleet-wide yellow alert." "Starfleet Intelligence has picked up some alarming reports from the Romulan Empire." "It appears that at least 30 warbirds have been pulled from other assignments and are headed for the Neutral Zone." "Is there any explanation why they would make such a blatantly aggressive move?" "Our operatives on Romulus have indicated that there appears to be something happening in the Neutral Zone." "Specifically in the Devron system." "Our own long-range scans have picked up some kind of spatial anomaly in the area." "We can't tell what it is." "What are our orders?" "This is a very delicate situation." "I am deploying 15 starships along our side of the Neutral Zone." "I want you to go there as well." "See if you can find out what is going on in the Devron system." "Am I authorized to enter the Neutral Zone?" "Not yet." "Wait and see what the Romulans do." "You can conduct long-range scans, send probes if necessary." "But do not cross the border unless they do." "Understood." "Starfleet out." "Captain." "What's wrong?" "This is not my time." " I don't belong here." " What?" "I was somewhere else a few moments ago." "What do you mean?" "You've been right here with me." "No, no, no." "I was somewhere else." "I was..." "It was a long time ago." "There was someone talking." "I was..." "I..." "I was talking to someone." "Beverly." "I was talking to Beverly." "It's okay, captain." "Everything's gonna be all right." "I'm not senile, you know." "This did happen." "I..." "I was here, I was talking to you, and then I was somewhere else." "I was, uh..." "I was on the Enterprise." "I was back on the Enterprise." "At least, I..." "I think that's where it was." "I was in Sickbay." "I..." "Well, it might have been a hospital." "Captain, I think we should go back to the house and call your doctor." "Yes, yes." "I know what you're thinking." "It's the lrumodic Syndrome." "He's beginning to lose his mind, the old man." "Well, it's not that." "And I'm not daydreaming either." "Well, all right." "All right." "So, what do you wanna do about it?" "Data." "I wanna see Data." "Data?" "Why?" "Because I think he can help." " Help how?" " I don't know, I don't know." "I wanna see Data." "Okay, then." "All right, let's go see Data." " He's still at Cambridge, isn't he?" " I..." "Yes, I think he is." "You see them, don't you?" "See who?" "They're everywhere." "They're laughing at me, but why are they laughing?" "Come on, captain." "Let's go see Data." "Yes." "Data." "We'll go see Data." "I know how it sounds, but it happened." "It was real." "I was there, back on board the Enterprise." "JESSEL How do you like your tea?" "Tea?" "Earl Grey, hot." "Of course it's hot." "What do you want in it?" "Nothing." "Well, Data, I must say, this is a fine place you have here." "They certainly treat professors very well at Cambridge." "Holding the Lucasian Chair does have its perquisites." "This house originally belonged to Sir Isaac Newton when he held the position." "It's become the traditional residence." " Here you go." " Thank you." "If you're really his friend, you'll get him to take that gray out of his hair." " Jessel..." " Looks like a bloody skunk." "She can be frightfully trying at times, but she does make me laugh." "Data, what is it with the hair, anyway?" "Well, I found that a touch of gray adds an air of distinction." "You're sure this is Earl Grey?" "I'd swear that it was Darjeeling." "Captain, how long has it been since you've seen a doctor about your lrumodic Syndrome?" "A week." "They prescribed peridaxon." " But, sir, peridaxon..." " Yes, I know, it's not a cure." "There's nothing that can prevent the deterioration of the synaptic pathways." "And you think that I'm senile, that all this is just a delusion." "Oh, come on, captain." "No one said anything of the kind." "In all honesty, captain, the thought has occurred to me." "However, there's nothing to disprove what you're saying, so it's possible something is happening to you." "The first thing we should do is run a complete series of neurographic scans." "We can use the equipment in the biometric lab here on the campus." "Jessel, ask Professor Rippert to take over my lecture for tomorrow." "Possibly for the rest of the week." " Oh, dear." " Captain, we'll get to the bottom of this." "That's the Data that I remember." "I knew that I could count on you." "Commanding officer, Enterprise, arriving." ""To Captain Jean-Luc Picard, stardate 41148..."" ""You are hereby requested and required to take command..."" ""To take command of the USS Enterprise as of this date." "Signed, Rear Admiral Norah Satie, Starfleet Command."" "Red alert." "All crew to battle stations." "You heard him." "Move." "Personal log, stardate 41153.7." "Recorded under Security lockout Omega 327." "I have decided not to inform this crew of my experiences." "If it's true that I've traveled to the past," "I cannot risk giving them foreknowledge of what's to come." "Report." "We've completed a full subspace scan of the ship and surrounding space." "We've detected no unusual readings or anomalies." "With all due respect, sir, it would be helpful if we knew exactly what we were looking for." "Noted." "Counselor, do you sense anything unusual on board the Enterprise?" "Perhaps an alien presence that doesn't belong here." "Maybe one operating on a level of intelligence far superior to our own." "No, sir." "I'm only aware of the crew and the families on board the ship." "Mr. Worf, initiate a level-two security alert." "All decks, until further notice." "With all due respect, sir, I'm the security chief on this ship." "Unless you're planning to make a change." "No." "Uh..." "Of course not." " Lieutenant, security alert two." " Aye, sir." "Captain Picard to the Bridge, please." "We're on our way, chief." "All right." "Sir, Starfleet just issued an alert." "A number of vessels are moving toward the Neutral Zone between Romulan and Federation Space." "What kind of vessels?" "Freighters, transports, all civilians, none of them Starfleet ships." "This tells me that a large spatial anomaly has appeared in the Neutral Zone." "In the Devron system." "Captain, it could be a Romulan trick to lure our ships into the Neutral Zone as an excuse for a military strike." "Starfleet's canceling our mission to Farpoint Station and ordering us to the Neutral Zone as soon as we leave the space dock." "No." "We'll proceed to Farpoint." "Sir?" "You heard me." "Captain, the security of the Federation could be at stake." "Mr. Worf, will you man your station?" "Aye, sir." "Captain, perhaps if we understood your thinking, if you could explain..." "I have no intention of explaining to anyone." "We will proceed with our mission to Farpoint as planned." "Chief O'Brien, am I right in thinking that you're having a problem with the warp plasma inducers?" " That's right." " I know how to get them back online." "You're with me." "We'll be in Main Engineering." "Mr. O'Brien, will you use these specifications to bypass the secondary plasma inducer?" "You have to realize, sir, this isn't exactly my area of expertise." "The chief engineer should be making these modifications." "But the chief engineer isn't on board." "Mr. O'Brien, trust me." "I know you can do it." "All those years you spent as a child building those model starship engines, they were well worth it." "How did you know that, sir?" "From your Starfleet records." "Yes, sir." "I'll get right to these modifications." "Fletcher, tell Munoz and Lee" " to get up here right away." " Aye, sir." "We have to realign the entire power grid." "We'll all be burning the midnight oil on this one." "That would be inadvisable." "Excuse me?" "If you intend to ignite a petroleum product on this ship at 0000 hours, you will activate the fire-suppression system, which would seal off this entire compartment." "That was just an expression." "Expression of what?" "A figure of speech." "I was trying to tell him that we'd be working late." "Ah." "Then to burn the midnight oil implies late work." " That's right." " Hmm." "I am curious." "What is the etymology of that idiom?" "Hmm?" "How did it come to be used in contemporary language?" "Well, I don't know, sir." "Commander Data." "Welcome on board." "It's so very good to see you." "It is good to see you too, sir." "I could use your help with the infuser array." "Certainly." "As you can see, we're having problems with the plasma conduits." "This will need a completely new field induction subprocessor." "It appears we will be required to ignite the midnight petroleum, sir." "Jean-Luc, what's going on?" "It happened again." " A time shift?" " Yeah." "What happened?" "It's still a little vague, but I can remember more this time." "It seems that every time I shift periods, I can retain more memory." "At first, it appeared that I was in the future, years from now." "And then I was in the past, just before our first mission." "What is it?" "I just scanned his temporal lobe and compared it with the scan I performed just a few minutes before." "There's a 13 percent increase in the acetylcholine of the hippocampus." "Within a matter of minutes, you have accumulated over two days' worth of memories." "Counselor, do you remember when I first came on board the Enterprise?" "Yes." "What happened after the welcoming ceremony?" "There was a reception in Ten-Forward." "I introduced you to Worf and the other senior officers." "Do you have any memory of my calling red alert in the space clock?" "Do you remember Starfleet diverting us from Farpoint to the Neutral Zone to investigate a spatial anomaly?" "No." "It would appear there is a discontinuity between the time periods you described." "Events in one time period would seem to have no effect on the other two." "Yet in both the past and the present, there is a report of the same anomaly in the Devron system." "I find it hard to believe that that's a coincidence." "For all I know, I may find the same thing in the future." "Perhaps the anomaly is a temporal disturbance of some kind." "How is all this related to your time-shifting?" "These are all very important questions, and perhaps I will find answers to them in the past." "But now we have a potentially dangerous threat from the Romulans." "I want all departments to present a battle readiness report to me at 0800 hours tomorrow morning." "Dismissed." "Deanna, it's going to be a late night." "Would you like to have some dinner first?" "Actually, I..." "We have plans." "Oh, I see." "I'm sorry." "I'll see you in the morning." "Good night, sir." "Worf." "I want continual subspace sweeps." "We may be able to detect a temporal disturbance." " Aye, sir." " Will?" "This time-shifting, when it happens, I experience a momentary disorientation." "If that should happen during a crisis, Will," "I want you to take command immediately." "Number One?" "I'm sorry." "Be prepared to take command." "Aye, sir." "Speaking of disorientation, are you all right?" "I'm just a little distracted." "I'm fine." "You have the Bridge, Number One." "I'll..." "I'll be in my Ready Room." "Come." "Milk, warm." "A dash of nutmeg." "What's this?" "A prescription." "A glass of warm milk and eight hours' uninterrupted sleep." " Beverly..." " Doctor's orders." "You're exhausted." "Look, I don't know whether you slept in the past or in the future, but I'm sure you haven't slept in the present." "Now, get some rest, or I'll have you relieved and sedated." "Yes, sir." "What?" "Hey" "Beverly?" "As a physician, it's often my job to give people unpleasant news." "To tell them that they need surgery or that they can't have children or that they might be facing a difficult illness." "But you said yourself that this is only a possibility." "But you've been to the future." "You know it's going to happen." "I prefer to look on the future as something which is not written in stone." "A lot of things can happen in 25 years." "A lot of things can happen." "Captain." "Yeah." "Captain, wake up." "Yes?" "What is it?" "Have we reached the Neutral Zone?" "The Neutral Zone?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "I was in the past again." "What's going on?" "Data's arranged for us to run those tests on you in the biometrics lab." " We're ready to go if you are." " No, no, no." "No, we have to get to the Neutral Zone." "The Neutral Zone?" "Why?" "In the other two time periods, Starfleet reported a..." "A sort of a spatial anomaly in..." "In the Devron system." "In the Devron system, in the Neutral Zone." "Captain..." "If the anomaly appeared there in the past, then it might be here too, and we have to find out." "Just because you've seen it in two other time frames doesn't mean that it's gonna be here." "Yeah." "But if it is here, then it means something." "Damn it." "Geordi, I know what we have to do." "All right." "Okay, but first, there is no Neutral Zone." "Remember?" "Right." "Right." "Klingons." "In this time period, the Klingons have taken over the Romulan Empire." "And right now relations between us and the Klingons aren't too cozy." "I know that." "I haven't completely lost my mind, you know." "Well, if we're going to the Devron system, we're gonna need a ship." "Right." "Now, I think it's time to call in some old favors." "Contact Admiral Riker." "Starbase 247." "Jean-Luc, you know I'd like to help." "But frankly what you're asking for is impossible." "The Klingons have closed their borders to all Federation starships." "Will, what if this spatial anomaly really is in the Devron system?" "I saw a report from Starfleet Intelligence this morning on that sector." "There is no activity." "There is nothing unusual going on in the Devron system." "Well, I don't believe it." "What if their long-range scans are faulty?" "We have to go there and see for ourselves." "Look, I've got the Yorktown out near the border." "I'll have her run some long-range scans in the Devron system." "If she finds out anything, I'll let you know." "Will, that is just not good enough." "It's going to have to be." "I'm sorry." "It's all I can do." "Riker out." "Computer, restore holographic image." "Damn him anyway." "After all we've been through together." "He's been sitting behind that desk too long." "Captain, I'm sorry." "I guess all we can do now is wait and see if the Yorktown finds anything." "There is another option." "We could arrange passage aboard a medical ship." " Medical ship?" " Yes, sir." "There was an outbreak of Terrellian Plague on Romulus." "The Klingons have been allowing Federation medical ships to cross the border." "Yes, yes!" "So, what we need now is a medical ship." "I think I can arrange that." "Data, find the USS Pasteur." "I have some pull with the captain." "At least, I used to have." "Well, this is a page from the past." "I never thought I'd see either of you on a starship again." " Hello, doctor." " Geordi." " Doctor." " Data." "Uh..." " Let's just choose one." " All right." "Oh." " So did you get my message?" " Yes." "Jean-Luc, crossing into Klingon territory, it's absurd." "But then, I never could say no to you." "Oh, so that's why you married me." "Well, now, the first order of business is to get clearance to cross the Klingon border." "Agreed." "What about Worf?" "Yes." "That's it." "Worf." "Yes, that's the answer." "Worf will help us." "Data, isn't Worf still a member of the Klingon High Council?" "I'm not sure." "Information on the Klingon political structure is hard to come by these days." "However, at last report, Worf was governor of H'atoria, a small Klingon colony near the border." "Captain Picard." "Yes?" "Captain, McKinley Station is signaling." "They wanna know when we'll be docking." "Tell McKinley we've been called away on a priority mission." "Aye, sir." "So you kept the name." "I've prepared quarters for you on Deck 5." "You might wanna get some rest." "No, I'm fine." "I don't need rest." "Nell, please escort the ambassador to his quarters." "Look, you are treating me as if I'm an invalid, but I do have a few years left in me yet." "I do not want to be led around, and I do not want to be patronized." "You're right." "I'm sorry." "Now I'll go and get some rest." "How long since his last neurological scan?" "I'm not sure." "But I wouldn't try suggesting it." "He says he's not taking any more damn tests." "Do you really think he's moving through time?" "I'm not sure I do either." "But he's Jean-Luc Picard." "And if he wants to go on one more mission, that's what we're going to do." "We'll find the anomaly." "I know we will." "Report." "We're nearing the coordinates you gave me, sir." "Is there anything unusual in the vicinity, Mr. Data?" "How would you define unusual, sir?" "Every region of space has its own unique properties that cannot be found anywhere else." "There should be a barrier of some sort nearby." "A large plasma field, highly disruptive." "Nothing, sir." "This is the right time, the right place." "He should be here now." "Who, sir?" "Q, we're here." "This has gone on long enough." "Counselor, do you sense an alien presence?" "No, sir." "What is a Q?" "It's a letter of the alphabet, as far as I know." "I don't understand." "This is not the way it's supposed to happen." "Maintain this position." "I'll be in my Ready Room." "Mon capitaine, I thought you'd never get here." "Q, I knew it." "What's going on?" "It's Judge Q to you." " And isn't it obvious what's going on?" " Yeah." "The last time that I stood here was seven years ago." "Seven years ago." "How little do you mortals understand time." "Must you be so linear, Jean-Luc?" "You accused me of being the representative of a barbarous species." "I believe my exact words were "a dangerous, savage child race."" "We demonstrated to you that mankind had become peaceful and benevolent." "You agreed, and you let us go on our way." "Now, why am I standing here again?" "Oh, you'd like me to connect the dots for you, lead you from A to B to C so that your puny mind could comprehend." "How boring." "Boring." "They'd be so much more entertained if you just tried to figure it out." "I'll answer any ten questions that call for a yes or a no." "Well?" "Are you putting mankind on trial again?" "No." "No." "Is there any connection between the trial seven years ago and what's happening now?" "Oh, I'd have to say yes." "The spatial anomaly in the Neutral Zone, is it related to what's going on?" "Most definitely yes." "Is it part of a Romulan plot?" "A ploy to start a war?" "No and no." " Five down." " That's only four." "Is it a Romulan plot?" "Is it a ploy to start a war?" "Those are separate questions." "Yeah." "Did you create the anomaly?" "No, no, no." "Ha!" "You're going to be so surprised when you realize where it came from, if you ever figure it out." "Are you responsible for my shifting through time?" "I'll answer that question if you promise you won't tell anyone." " Yes." " Why?" "Sorry, that's not a yes-or-no question." "You forfeit the rest of your questions." "Oh, I expected as much." "You're such a limited creature." "Perfect example of why we made our decision." "The trial never ended, captain." "We never reached a verdict, but now we have." " You're guilty." " Yeah." "Guilty of what?" "Of being inferior." "Seven years ago, I said we'd be watching you, and we have been, hoping that your ape-like race would demonstrate some growth, give some indication that your minds had room for expansion." "But what have we seen instead?" "You worrying about Commander Riker's career, listening to Counselor Trot's pedantic psychobabble, indulging Data in his witless exploration of humanity." "We've journeyed to countless new worlds." "We've contacted new species." "We have expanded our understanding of the universe." "In your own paltry limited way, you have no idea how far you still have to go." "But instead of using the last seven years to change and to grow, you have squandered them." "We are what we are, and we're doing the best we can." "It is not for you to set the standards by which we shall be judged." "Oh, but it is, and we have." "Time may be eternal, captain, but our patience is not." "It's time to put an end to your trek through the stars, make room for other more worthy species." "You're going to deny us travel through space?" "Ha-ha-ha." "No." "Ha-ha-ha." "You obtuse piece of flotsam." "You're to be denied existence." "Humanity's fate has been sealed." "You will be destroyed." "Q, I do not believe that even you are capable of such an act." "I?" "There you go again, always blaming me for everything." "Well, this time, I'm not your enemy." "I'm not the one that causes the annihilation of mankind." "You are." " Me?" " That's right." "You're doing it right now." "You did it before, and you'll do it yet again." "What sort of meaningless double talk is this?" "He doesn't understand." "I have only myself to blame, I suppose." "I believed in you." "I thought you had potential." "But apparently, I was wrong." "May whatever God you believe in have mercy on your soul." "This court stands adjourned." "Commander, assemble the senior staff and go to red alert." "We have a bigger problem than I thought." "Red alert." "I don't believe him." "This has to be another one of Q's games." "He's probably listening to us right now, getting a big laugh out of watching us jump through his hoops." "And normally, I would agree with you." "But this time, I feel that somehow it is different." "There was a deadly earnestness about him." "I think he's serious, which means that in some fashion," "I am going to be the cause of the destruction of humanity." "But didn't Q say you already had caused it?" "And that you were causing it now?" "Given the fact that there is an apparent discontinuity between the three time periods the captain has visited," "Q's statement may be accurate, if confusing." "So, what am I going to do?" "Lock myself in a room in all the three different time periods?" "Captain, maybe not acting is what causes the destruction of mankind." "What if you were needed on the Bridge and in a key moment you weren't there?" "I don't think we can start second-guessing ourselves." "I think we have to proceed normally and deal with each situation as it occurs." "Agreed." "I've been thinking about my conversation with Q." "He admitted that he was responsible for my shifting through time." "Now, it occurred to me that he might be giving me a chance somehow to save humanity." "What makes you say that?" "Well, he's always had a certain fascination with humanity, with myself in particular." "I think he has more than a passing interest in what happens to me." "That is true." "Q's interest in you has always been very similar to that of a master and his beloved pet." "That was only an analogy, captain." " Captain Picard." " Go ahead." "We're approaching the Neutral Zone, captain." "We're on our way." "All stop." "Initiate long-range scans." "Captain, there are four warbirds holding position on the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone." "The Federation starships Concord and Bozeman are holding position on our side." "A face-off." "The question is, who's going to move first?" "We are." "Mr. Worf, hail the Romulan flagship." "The warbird Terix is responding." "Captain Picard." "Hello, Worf." "It's been a long time." "It is good to see you again." "Have you had a chance to read our request?" "Yes." "But you must realize I am no longer a member of the High Council." "But surely, Worf, you must still have some influence." "We have to get into the Neutral Zone." "Can't you just get us permission to cross the border?" "I must refuse." "It is for your own safety." "The Neutral Zone is extremely volatile." "If Admiral Riker had given you a starship with a cloak, you would have been safe." "It is hard to believe that even he would refuse to help you." "I don't care what kind of ship we go in." "We have to get to the Devron system." "I am sorry." "My first duty is to the Empire." "I must adhere to regulations." "Well, I know that I'm an old man and I'm out of touch, but the Worf that I remember was more concerned with things like honor and loyalty than rules and regulations." "But that was a long time ago." "And maybe you're not the Worf I once knew." "You have always used your knowledge of Klingon honor and tradition to get what you want from me." "Because it always works, Worf!" "Your problem is that you really do have a sense of honor and you really do care about trust and loyalty." "Don't blame me for knowing you so well." "Very well." "You may cross the border." "But only if I come with you." "I am familiar with the Neutral Zone." "Terms accepted." "Inform Transporter Room 2 to beam the governor aboard." "I must make one thing very clear, Jean-Luc." "If we run into any serious opposition," "I'm taking us back into Federation territory." "We aren't well armed and wouldn't last long in a fight." "Governor Worf is aboard, captain." "All right." "Set course for the Devron system, warp 13." "Once more, for old times' sake." "Engage." "Engage to where, sir?" "Uh, set a course for the Devron system and engage at warp nine." "The Devron system is inside the Neutral Zone, sir." "I am aware of that, lieutenant." " Carry out my orders, chief." " Aye, sir." "Captain, may I have a word with you in private?" "Yes, of course, counselor." "Contact Farpoint Station." "I wish to speak with Commander Riker." "Aye, sir." "Captain, I just wanted to voice my concerns about the way the crew is responding to your unexpected orders." "They don't trust me." "They think that I'm behaving erratically." "Some do." "Others are confused." "It takes some time for a new crew to get to know their captain and for him to know them." "I understand." "But I also know what this crew is capable of even if they don't." "It would also help if they knew what was going on." "I know it's difficult operating in the dark." "But right now I don't think I have any other choice." "Yar to Captain Picard." "I have Commander Riker for you, sir." "Excuse me." "Put him through here." "Commander Riker, I wanted to inform you that we will be delayed picking you up at Farpoint Station." "I see." "May I ask how long?" "I can't say." "I'll keep you updated." "Will you inform Dr. Crusher and Lieutenant La Forge of our delay?" "Understood." "Riker out." "Is there anything else, counselor?" "Actually, sir, there is." "I was debating whether to mention it." "And perhaps..." "It's about Commander Riker." "What about him?" "I think you should know that he and I have had a prior relationship." "I see." "Do you think this will interfere with your duties?" "Not at all." "It happened several years ago, and it's well behind both of us now." "I just thought you should know." "I appreciate your telling me." "But I am quite sure that the two of you will find some way to deal with the situation." "Thank you, sir." "Tea, Earl Grey, hot." "That beverage has not been programmed into the replication system." "So, captain, how long shall we stare at each other across the Neutral Zone?" "There is an alternative, Tomalak." "We each know why we're here." "We could each send one ship into the Neutral Zone to investigate the anomaly in the Devron system." "Has Starfleet Command approved this arrangement?" " No." " I like it already." "Agreed." "One ship from each side." "But I warn you, if another Federation starship tries to enter the Zone..." "There is no need to make threats." "We each know the consequences." "Very well." "I'll see you in the Devron system." "Helm, set a course for the Devron system, warp five." " Aye, sir." " Engage." "Sensors are picking up a large subspace anomaly directly ahead." "All stop." "On-screen." "Full scan, Mr. Data." "Aye, sir." "We have to get as much information as possible about that anomaly." "We are approaching the Devron system, captain." "Sensors are picking up a large subspace anomaly directly ahead." "All stop." "On-screen." "It is larger in the past." "Sir?" "Nothing." "Full scan, Mr. Data." "Aye, sir." "On-screen, on-screen!" "Let's see it!" "As you can see, sir, there's nothing there." "Still nothing, captain." "I've conducted a full sensor sweep out to one light year from the Pasteur." "No temporal anomalies, no particle fluctuations, nothing." "I don't understand." "It was here in the other two time periods." "Why isn't it here now?" "Captain, I have been monitoring Klingon communications channels." "Several warships have been dispatched to this sector to search for a renegade Federation vessel." "You're not thinking of leaving." "There's nothing here, Jean-Luc." "But there should be." "There has to be." "Data, is there some other way to scan for a temporal disturbance?" "Something that isn't covered in a normal sensor sweep." "There are several methods of detecting temporal disturbances, but we're limited by the equipment on the Pasteur." "We should head back to Federation territory." "However, it may be possible to modify the main deflector to emit an inverse tachyon pulse which could scan beyond the subspace barrier." " That's it." "Make it so." " Wait a minute." "Data, how long would this take?" "To make the modifications and search the entire Devron system would take approximately 14 hours." "All right." "Data, begin to modify the tachyon pulse." "Ensign Chilton, lay in a course back to the Federation." "We'll stay here for six more hours, and if we haven't found anything, we're heading back, maximum warp." " Aye, sir." " Six more hours may not be enough." "We have to stay here until we find it, no matter how long it takes." "Carry out my orders." "May I see you a moment?" "Beverly, I cannot believe that you are not willing to stay..." "Don't you ever question my orders on the Bridge of my ship again." "Damn it, I was just trying to..." "Look, there are larger concerns here." "What you don't understand..." "I understand that you would never have tolerated that kind of behavior back on the Enterprise, and I won't here." "I don't care if you're my ex-captain or my ex-husband." "You're right." "I was out of line." "It won't happen again." "But what you have to understand is what is at stake here." "Q has said that all of humanity will be destroyed." "I know." "That's why I've allowed us to stay here longer and keep looking." "But I also want you to allow for the possibility that none of what you're saying is real." "What?" "Jean-Luc, I care for you too much not to tell you the truth." "You have advanced lrumodic Syndrome." "It's possible that all of this is in your mind." "I'll stay here six hours longer, and then we're heading home." "I want you to remember, if it were anyone else but you, we wouldn't even be here." "Hey." "What was that she said, sonny?" "I couldn't quite hear her." "Q?" "Where is the anomaly?" "Where's your mommy?" " Well, I don't know." " Answer me." "There is an answer, Jean-Luc." "But I can't hand it to you." "Although you do have help." "What help?" "You're not alone, you know." "What you were and what you are to become will always be with you." "My time-shifting." "The answer does lie there, doesn't it?" "Now, tell me one thing." "This anomaly we're looking for, will that destroy humanity?" "You're forgetting, Jean-Luc." "You destroy humanity." "By..." "By doing what?" "When?" "How can...?" "Report, Mr. Data." "The anomaly is 200 million kilometers in diameter." "It is a highly focused temporal energy source which is emitting approximately the same energy output as ten G-type stars." "What is the source of this energy?" "I am uncertain, sir." "Sensors are unable to penetrate the anomaly." "What if we modified the main deflector to emit an inverse tachyon pulse that might be able to scan beyond the subspace barrier?" "That might give us some idea of what the interior of this thing looks like." "That is a most intriguing idea, sir." "I do not believe a tachyon beam was ever used in such a way." "I had no idea you were so versed in the intricacies of temporal theory, sir." "I have some friends who are well versed in it." "Make it so." "I believe we can make the necessary modifications in Main Engineering, sir." "We can get more power if we reroute the primary EPS taps to the deflector array." "Agreed." "Initiating tachyon pulse." "Okay." "The pulse is holding steady." "We're starting to receive data from the scan." "It will take the computer some time to give us a complete picture of the anomaly's interior." " I suggest we..." " Ugh." " Geordi?" " Oh." "What is wrong?" "I don't know." "It's like somebody's sticking an ice pick in my temples." "My visor's picking up all kinds of electromagnetic fluctuations." "Data to Sickbay." "Medical emergency in Main Engineering." "This is amazing." "The DNA in his optic nerves is regenerating." "Geordi, it's as if you're growing new eyes." "How is this possible?" "It shouldn't be possible at all." "There's no medical explanation for spontaneous regeneration of an organ." "Doctor, we've just gotten reports from two crew members who say they have old scars which are healing themselves." "Captain, I believe I have a partial explanation." "I have completed my analysis of the anomaly." "It appears to be a multiphasic temporal convergence in the space-time continuum." "In English, Data." "It is, in essence, an eruption of anti-time." "Anti-time?" "A relatively new concept in temporal mechanics." "The relationship between anti-time and normal time is analogous to the relationship between antimatter and normal matter." "So if time and anti-time were to collide..." "They would annihilate one another, causing a rupture in space." "I believe this is what happened in the Devron system." "The rupture may be sending out waves of temporal energy, which are disrupting the normal flow of time." "Data, what could have caused this collision of time and anti-time?" "Anti-time, sir?" "I believe that if you modify the deflectors to send out an inverse tachyon pulse, then you'll find that the anomaly is a rupture between time and anti-time." "That is a fascinating hypothesis." "How did you...?" "I don't have time to discuss it now, Mr. Data." "Do the modifications and send out the pulse." "Then try working on a theory as to what caused this rupture." "Mr. O'Brien, how large is this anomaly?" "Approximately 400 million kilometers in diameter, sir." "I don't understand why it's bigger in the past." "Lieutenant, you have the Bridge." "I'll be in my Ready Room." "Aye, sir." " What's going on?" " We're under attack." "Shield strength down to 52 percent." "Minor damage to the port nacelle." "Two Klingon attack cruisers decloaking to port and starboard." "Warp speed." "Get us out of here." "Warp power is off-line, sir." "Heading 148, mark 215, full impulse." "Impulse power is fluctuating." "Shields down to 30 percent." "Weapons status?" "These weapons are no match for their shields." "Geordi, we need more warp power now." "I'm trying, captain." "They're too much for us." "I can't keep the phase inducers online." "Shields down to 9 percent." "One more hit and they'll collapse." "Open a channel." " Open." " This is Captain Beverly Picard." "We are a medical ship on a mission of mercy." "Please break off all..." "Worf, signal our surrender." "Our shields have collapsed." "We are defenseless." "Captain, another ship is decloaking." "Bearing 215, mark 310." "It's the Enterprise." " They're hailing us." "On-screen." "I had a feeling you weren't going to listen to me." "Stand by." "I'll see if I can get the Klingons' attention." "The Enterprise is drawing their fire." "Damage report." "The warp core has been badly damaged." "There's a breach in progress." "We have to stop it." "The Klingon ship is disengaging." "Admiral Riker is hailing us." "Our sensors indicate your ship has a warp core breach in progress." "Prepare for emergency beam-out." "All the Pasteur's crew is safely on board, admiral." "Raise the shields." "Where are the Klingons?" "They're still moving on, sir." "Half a light year away." "They'll be back." "As I said, I figured you wouldn't take no for an answer." "But I thought you had more sense than to send a defenseless ship across the border into hostile territory with no escort." "If you had not turned down the captain when he came to you for help, none of this would have happened." "But unlike you, I still have a sense of honor and loyalty." "We don't have time for this." "The Pasteur's core is going to breach." "Take us out of here." "Full impulse." "All right." "Let's get out of here." "No, Will!" "We can't!" "We have to save humanity." "Engage cloak." "Admiral, we took a direct hit to the starboard plasma coil." "Our cloak isn't functioning." "Engineering reports it'll be seven hours before we can cloak again." "All right." "We'll do it the old-fashioned way." "Set a course for Federation space, warp 13." "Will, don't leave." "We have to stay here and find out what is causing the temporal anomaly." "We can't stay, captain." "We have to." "Everything depends on it." "We can't leave now!" "Please, listen to me!" "Your visual acuity is improving by the hour, Geordi." "I'm sorry, Alyssa." "May I take another look?" "You'll have a little tenderness for a few days." "That's to be expected." "Jean-Luc." "I'll be right back, Alyssa." "Alyssa lost the baby." "I think it's the same phenomenon that affected Geordi." "Somehow, the temporal energy from the anomaly caused the fetal tissue to revert to an earlier stage of development." "It's as if the unborn child began to grow younger until finally, the DNA itself began to break down." "How is she?" "Physically, she's fine for now." "But if this temporal reversion continues," "I don't think any of us are going to be fine for much longer." "So this is affecting the entire crew." "Our cellular structures appear to be coalescing, reverting to earlier forms." "but the effect is only temporary." "Eventually, it may kill all of us." "We have to determine how widespread this effect is." "Contact Starbase 23." "That's the nearest outpost." "Have them check their personnel to see if there are any signs" " of temporal reversion." " Aye, sir." "Mr. Data, how close are you to completing the tachyon scan?" " Approximately one hour 45 minutes." " Good." "When it's done, I want you to find some way of collapsing this anomaly without making things worse." "Give me a risk analysis of whatever solution you come up with." " Aye, sir." " Dismissed." "It's a pretty big decision, Jean-Luc, tinkering with an anomaly you know nothing about, trying to collapse it." "Isn't that risky?" "Why?" "Will that cause the destruction of mankind?" "Maybe." "On the other hand, maybe leaving it alone would be the wrong thing to do." "It's a pretty big decision, all right." "Would it help to have a different perspective?" "Welcome home." "Home?" "Don't you recognize your old stomping grounds?" "This is Earth, France, about, oh, 3 and a half billion years ago." "Give or take an eon or two." "Smells awful, doesn't it?" "All that sulfur and volcanic ash." "I really must speak to the maid." "Q, is there any point to all this?" "Look." "So the anomaly is here too." "At Earth." "At this point in history, the anomaly fills your entire quadrant of the galaxy." "The further back in time, the larger the anomaly." "Come here." "You see this?" "This is you." "I'm serious." "Right here, life is about to form on this planet for the very first time." "A group of amino acids are about to combine to form the first protein." "The building blocks, heh, heh of what you call life." "Strange, isn't it?" "Everything you know, your entire civilization, it all begins right here in this little pond of goo." "Appropriate somehow, isn't it?" "Too bad you didn't bring your microscope." "It's really quite fascinating." "Oh, look." "There they go." "The amino acids are moving closer and closer and closer." "Oh." "Nothing happened." "See what you've done?" "Are you saying that I caused the anomaly?" "And that the anomaly somehow disrupted the beginnings of life on Earth?" "Congratulations." "Let's concentrate on how this anomaly was initially formed." "Speculation." "Our tachyon pulse has been unable to completely penetrate the anomaly." "If we had information on the center of the phenomenon, we might have a basis for speculation." "Is there any way that we can scan the interior?" "I've tried everything I know." "There's just too much interference." "There's nothing on board that will do the job." "Do you know what could?" "In theory, a tomographic imaging scanner capable of multiphasic resolution would be able to penetrate this much interference." "The Daystrom Institute has been working on such a device, but it is still only theoretical." "Data, do we have a tomographic imaging scanner on board?" "Yes, sir." "Can you use it to scan the interior of the anomaly?" "Possibly." "There is a great deal of interference, but I am getting some readings." "This is very unusual." "What is it?" "It appears that our tachyon pulse is converging with two other tachyon pulses at the center of the anomaly." "The two other pulses have the exact same amplitude modulation as our own pulse." "It is as if all three originated from the Enterprise." "Three pulses from three time periods converging at one point in space." "Captain, what are you suggesting?" "Computer, where is Admiral Riker?" "Admiral Riker is in Ten-Forward." "The ship has held up pretty well over the years." "They tried to decommission her about five years ago." "One of the advantages of being an admiral is you get to choose your own ship." "Will how long is this thing between you and Worf going to go on?" "It's been going on for over 20 years." "It doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon." "I suspect the last thing Counselor Troi would have wanted is for the two of you to be alienated." "I agree." "I think it's time to put it behind you." "I tried at Deanna's funeral." "He wouldn't even talk with me." "Might have been tough for him then." "He took her death pretty hard." "Oh, yeah?" "Well, he wasn't the only one." "I know." "But I think in his mind, you were the reason that he and Deanna never got together." "Didn't you, Will?" "Did I?" "I didn't want to admit that it was over." "I always thought that we would get together again." "And then she was gone." "You think you have all the time in the world until..." "Yup." "Ensign." "How do I get to Ten-Forward?" "It's four decks down, sir." "Section 005." "Thank you." "Oh, my God." "Will." "Will, I know why it's happening." "I know what's causing the anomaly." "We have to go back." "The only place we're going back to, sir, is bed." "Damn it, Will." "I know why it's happening." "We caused the anomaly with a tachyon pulse." "It happened three times, Will." "We did it in three different time periods." "I think you better come with me." "Will you leave me alone?" "Damn it, I'm not stupid." "Will, the tachyon pulses, they were used in the same spot in three different time periods." "Don't you see?" "When the tachyon pulse used..." "I mean..." "I mean, when the Pasteur used the tachyon pulse, then we..." "I mean, everything started, Will." "We set everything in motion." "It's like the chicken and the egg, Will." "The chicken and the egg." "We think it started in the past, but it didn't." "It started right here in the future." "That's why it's getting larger in the past." "I think I know what the captain is talking about." "If I'm not mistaken, he's describing a paradox." "Yes, right." "That's it." "Intriguing." "It is possible." "We could have caused the very anomaly we've been looking for." "Let us assume for a moment that the captain has been traveling through time." "Let us also assume he has initiated a tachyon pulse at the same coordinates in all three time periods." "In that case, it is possible that the convergence of three tachyon pulses could have ruptured the subspace barrier and created an anti-time reaction." "I see where you're going, Data." "And because anti-time operates opposite the way normal time does, the effects would travel backwards through the space-time continuum." "Yes." "That's why it gets larger in the past." "It grows as it travels backwards in time." "All right." "Just for the moment, let's say that you're right." " What do we do?" " We go back to the Devron system." "He may be right." "If we go back to the Devron system now, we might be able to see the initial formation of the anomaly." "Riker to Bridge." "Set a course for the Devron system." "Maximum warp." "Aye, sir." "Worf, we could use a hand." "Entering the Devron system, sir." "Full stop." "Sensors are picking up a small temporal anomaly off the port bow." "On-screen." "I was right." "It's an anti-time eruption." "It seems to have been formed within the last six hours." "We must stop it here so that it can't travel back through time." "Mr. Data, we need a solution, and we need it now." "The anomaly is being sustained by the continuing tachyon pulses in the other two time periods." "I suggest shutting them down." "The next time I'm there, it's the first thing I'll do." "Isn't there something more we can do here?" " Seal the rupture somehow'?" " I'll investigate the options." "Data, disengage the tachyon pulse." " Sir?" " Do it." "The convergence of the tachyon pulses from the three time periods is what's causing the anomaly." "Aye, sir." "Is there any change in the anomaly?" "No, sir." "Disengage the tachyon pulse." "But we haven't finished the scan, sir." "I know that." "But it is imperative that you disengage the tachyon pulse immediately." "Aye, sir." "Disengaging." "Why isn't the anomaly being affected?" "Why would it be, sir?" "I've shut off the tachyon pulses in the other two time periods, but it hasn't changed the anomaly." "It remains unaffected here as well, sir." "What do we do?" "Well, the only way to stop this thing is to repair the rupture at the focal point where time and anti-time are converging." "How do we do that?" "It would require taking the ship into the anomaly itself." "Once inside, we may be able to use the engines to create a static warp shell." "Yeah, Data." "That's right." "And the shell would act as an artificial subspace barrier separating time and anti-time." "Collapsing the anomaly and restoring the normal flow of time." "But this would have to be done in the other two time periods as well." "That could be a problem." "The anomaly is so much larger in the other two time periods." "It may be dangerous to take the ship in." " Take the ship in where, sir?" " Into the anomaly, chief." "Lay in a course for the exact center and transfer all available power to the shields." "Sir, can you give us some explanation?" "No, lieutenant." "I cannot." "Captain, so far we've obeyed every order no matter how far-fetched it might have seemed." "But if we're to risk the safety of the ship and crew," "I think we have to ask you for an explanation." "I understand your concern, lieutenant." "And I know that if I were in your position," "I would be doing the same thing." "Looking for answers." "But you're not gonna find any, because I don't have any to give you." "I know it is difficult for you to understand, but we have to take the ship into the very center of the phenomenon and create a static warp shell." "Now, this will put the ship at risk." "Quite frankly, we may not survive." "But I want you to believe that I'm doing this for a greater purpose." "And that what is at stake here is more than any of you can possibly imagine." "I know you have your doubts about me, about each other, about this ship." "All I can say is that although we have only been together for a short time," "I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet." "And I would trust each of you with my life." "So I am asking you for a leap of faith and to trust me." "Shields up." "Maximum strength." "Boosting field integrity to the warp nacelles." "We may encounter shearing forces once we enter the anomaly." "I am preparing to initiate a static warp shell." "Course laid in, sir." "All decks report ready, sir." "Take us in, chief." "Captain, I have an idea." "If we take the ship to the center of the anomaly and create..." "Create a static warp shell." "It could repair the barrier and collapse the anomaly." "Yes, sir." "Mr. Data, you are a clever man in any time period." "Helm, lay in a course for the center of the anomaly and prepare to initiate a static warp shell." "Aye, sir." "The other two Enterprises, they're on their way." "Very well." "Ensign, take us in." "We're entering the anomaly, sir." "All hands brace for impact." "The temporal energy is interfering with main power." " Switching to..." " Auxiliary power." "I'm having trouble keeping the impulse engines online." "I've got power fluctuations all across the board." "Maintain course and speed." "Mr. Data, how long until we reach the center?" "At least 30 seconds, sir." "We've entered the anomaly." "We have reached the center, sir." "Initiate warp shell." "Initiating static warp shell now." "Is it having any effect?" "Something is happening." "A new subspace barrier appears to be forming." "Captain, the sensors are picking up two other ships." "Captain, it appears to be working." "The anomaly is beginning to collapse." "I think that..." "Temporal energy is rupturing our warp containment system." "We must eject the core." "No." "We have to maintain the static warp shell as long as possible." "We're losing containment, captain." "I can't stop it." "It's going to..." "Transfer emergency power to the antimatter containment system." "I'm trying, but there's a lot of interference." "The warp shell is definitely having an effect, sir." "The anomaly is collapsing." "I can't hold it." "The containment system is going." "Maintain your position, Mr. La Forge." "Both of the other ships have been destroyed." "Two down." "One to go." "Data, report." "The anomaly is nearly collapsed." "We're losing containment." "Goodbye, Jean-Luc." "I'm gonna miss you." "You had such potential." "But then again, all good things must come to an end." "Containment field is at critical." "I'm losing it." "The Continuum didn't think you had it in you, Jean-Luc." "But I knew you did." "Are you saying that it worked?" "We collapsed the anomaly?" "Is that all this meant to you?" "Just another spatial anomaly." "Just another day at the office." "Did it work?" "Well, you're here, aren't you?" "You're talking to me, aren't you?" "What about my crew?" "The anomaly, my ship, my crew." "I suppose you're worried about your fish too." "Well, if it puts your mind at ease, you've saved humanity once again." "Thank you." "For what?" "You had a hand in helping me get out of this." "I was the one that got you into it." "A directive from the Continuum." "The part about the helping hand, though, was my idea." "I sincerely hope that this is the last time that I find myself here." "You just don't get it, do you, Jean-Luc?" "The trial never ends." "We wanted to see if you had the ability to expand your mind and your horizons." "And for one brief moment, you did." "When I realized the paradox." "Exactly." "For that one fraction of a second, you were open to options you had never considered." "That is the exploration that awaits you." "Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence." "Q, what is it that you're trying to tell me?" "You'll find out." "In any case, I'll be watching." "And if you're very lucky, I'll drop by to say hello from time to time." "See you out there." "Captain, are you all right?" "Mr. Worf, what's the date?" "Stardate 47988." "Ls something wrong, sir?" "No, no." "No." "Uh..." "I think I'll get back to bed." "I, uh..." "I could use some sleep." "Captain's log, supplemental." "Starfleet Command reports no unusual activity along the Neutral Zone, and there is no sign of a temporal anomaly." "to retain any knowledge of the events I experienced." "Take it." "Anytime, doctor." "How does he do it'?" "I cheat" "I'm kidding." "You know, I was thinking about what the captain told us all about the future." "About how we all changed and drifted apart." "Why would he want to tell us what's to come?" "Sure goes against everything we've always heard about not polluting the time line, doesn't it?" "I believe, however, this situation is unique." "Since the anomaly did not occur, there have already been changes in the way this time line is unfolding." "The future we experience will undoubtedly be different from the one the captain encountered." "Maybe that's why he told us." "Knowing what happens in that future allows us to change things now so that some things never happen." "Agreed." "Come in." "Am I too late?" "Of course not." "Pull up a chair." " What's the game?" " Five-card draw." "Deuces wild." "Come in." "Is there a problem, sir?" "No, I, uh..." "I just thought that I might, um, join you this evening." "Uh, if there's room." "Of course." "Have a seat." "Would you care to deal, sir?" "Oh, thank you, Mr. Data." "Actually, I, uh..." "I used to be quite a card player in my youth, you know." "I should have done this a long time ago." "You were always welcome." "So five-card stud, nothing wild." "And the sky's the limit."