Options and Favors
“Well, that was entertaining,” Q noted with a smirk as the closing credits began to roll.
“Yes.” His compatriot replied. “It’s too bad that they’ll never come to pass now.”
“Oh! That would be horrible to let them simply vanish from all reality after they’ve managed such a spectacular triumph!”
“Well, it's a done deal, Q.”
“Not quite. I have until Spock finishes watching the movie.” Q replied and snapped his fingers.
Behind the starship Enterprise, the former Romulan mining ship Narada was being consumed as singularities spawned by the eruption of Red Matter grew and merged with one another, their pull also growing, threatening to drag the Enterprise in as well.
“Scotty! Why aren’t we at warp?” Kirk called into the intercom.
“I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!”
“That’s not good enough! What else you got?”
Down in engineering, Montgomery Scott’s mind went into frantic overdrive as he tried to think of a solution before the Enterprise was torn apart. “If we eject and detonate the warp core, the shockwave might push us out of the way!”
“Do it! Do it! Do it!” He heard Kirk call over the com circuit. Scotty rushed to eject the core. He pushed the button…
Nothing happened.
“Ejection failure! I can’t eject the core!
On the bridge, Kirk swallowed. This was it. Then from the other Spock’s memories, he saw a chance. “The Narada originally passed through an event like this when it entered our history. Maybe we can do the same thing.”
“Even if that theory were correct, we have no idea where or when we might emerge. We might not be able to return to our reality.” Spock warned.
“Maybe, Mister Spock but we’re all out of ideas,” Kirk told him.
Spock nodded. “Logical.’
“Mister Sulu. Take us in. Maximum Warp.”
Enterprise arced around and plunged into the event...
… Finally, she emerged and the shaking subsided.
“We’re through,” Sulu reported in relief, looking over at Chekov and smiling.
“Bring the Stellar Inertial Navigation System online. Let’s see if we can figure out where we are. Uhura, monitor Starfleet channels. Time is a variable too. This could get interesting.”
“Picking up the automated beacon from Starbase 7,” Uhura announced. “Stardate 6017.08. That’s nearly twelve years into the future…”
“Inputting time adjustments into SINS,” Chekov reported. “Adjusting for stellar drift, I can confirm we are now near the boundaries of the Klingon Neutral Zone.”
“Are we on our side at least?”
“Yes, Keptin.”
“Captain,” Uhura called. “We’re picking up a Star Fleet hail.”
“Put it on the screen.” The viewscreen brightened to reveal a bridge considerably more compact than that of Enterprise. In the center sat a man with pepper gray hair and the cuff insignia of a Commodore.
“This is Commodore Robert Wesley of the Starship Lexington. Please identify yourself and state your intentions.”
Kirk leaned forward in the command seat. “This is James T. Kirk, acting Captain of the USS Enterprise. We have suffered damage and casualties in combat with renegade Romulan forces. We would appreciate any assistance you could provide sir.”
“The Enterprise… From an… alternate reality?” Captain Kirk questioned a short time later.
On screen, Commodore Wesley shrugged. “What can I say, Jim? I’ve gone aboard and spoken with Captain Pike and seen their records and logs. They’ve got a very interesting ship, 1100 crew along with survivors from several other Federation ships and members of the Vulcan High Council. The ship is about seven hundred meters long. She’s going to be a beast once we’ve upgraded her to current technology.”
“Anyway Jim, The Lexington has been ordered to Altair VI. We'll be rendezvousing with you in six hours. The other Enterprise will accompany you home to Earth. Along the way, you can take some time to help them adjust.” Bob grinned, “Think of it as a chance to get to know yourself better.”
Raven studied the tall biped standing in Princess Celestia’s flower garden. Beside her, Sergeant Iron Helm and Private Swift Edge watched the being warily. Physically, it resembled the off-worlders that Her Highness had been meeting with, a mare if she judged correctly, it seemed confused more than anything else. Its attire was much drabber and covered even more than the garb of the other bi-peds. It turned toward them, noting the guards’ weaponry with a tinge of concern but not responding in either threat or panic, merely caution. Raven noted that Swift Edge had raised his spear in a more defensive stance. The Royal Aide’s horn glowed for a moment as she gently pushed the Private’s weapon down.
“I don’t see any need for that. We pride ourselves on our hospitality after all.” She addressed the stranger directly. “All are welcome in Equestria as long as they come in the spirit of amity. Of course, we prefer our visitors not simply appear out of thin air in Her Highness’s private garden but as Celestia would note, simply being is hardly a crime. Perhaps if we started with a name? It’s much easier to hold a conversation when one knows whom one is addressing. Mine is Raven, aide to Princess Celestia.”
The human, Raven was now fairly confident about that, looked at her curiously and then spoke.
“My name is Amanda Grayson, wife of Sarek of Vulcan.” She glanced around once more. “This isn’t exactly what I pictured the hereafter to look like.”
Raven laughed. “Well, the garden is quite lovely this time of year, but It’s hardly the Fields of Elysia... So Amanda Grayson, do you know how you ended up here?”
Amanda smiled ruefully shaking her head. “That would have been my question also.”
A smug and unapologetic voice from behind Raven spoke. “That would have been my doing.”
Raven and Amanda turned to see a tall Earth Pony in a red colored uniform of some sort. Raven noted that the insignia on it greatly resembled that worn by the Federation people.
The pony made an exaggerated bow with an added flourish of the right forehoof. “Admiral Q at your service, ladies.” His expression turned more serious as he looked at Amanda. “Let’s just say that at some point in the past future… Future past? Well, at some point I did and will owe your son a favor and so I’m taking the opportunity to settle that now. I’m certain your sons will be delighted to see you.”
“But I only have one son.”
“Yes, and they’re both unbelievably stubborn.” Q groused then straightened himself. “Well! I must be going! While you may be welcome here, my dear,” he told Amanda. “I fear that Celestia would be less than pleased to see me. I won’t get into details. Anyway, there’s a Dax problem I need to fix and the perfect time to get on it.” With that, Q stamped his right hoof into the ground and vanished in a blinding flare of light.
“Aren’t you forgetting something Q?” A voice queried in his head.
“And what might that be?”
“The girls?”
“Oh! Them! Oh, no, they are quite safe. A little Japanese Cherry Blossom and a Georgia Peach in a land of Apples!”
And the others?
I left them with a bunch of Centaur Corsairs from Calvaria.
That was rather cruel, Q!
No, they won't hurt the pirates too badly...
After all the excitement over the past week, the CMC was actually ready for things to go back to normal in Ponyville. Although Scootaloo was anxious to hear Rainbow Dash tell about her trip to the giant starship, it was time to get back to crusading.
They climbed up to their clubhouse when they all heard a voice coming from inside:
"I don't know where this is but while my momma might not care, I'll just bet your folks are worried sick! I'd better find some food for us first. after that, I'll figure something out. I hope..."
Applebloom shoved open the door to the clubhouse.
"We got aliens!" Scootaloo exclaimed as they saw the two humans inside. The larger one frowning at them as she rocked the baby in her arms.
"Dang it! I'm a McCoy! Not an alien!"