The Future's End, Now

Int. Bridge

        It was a typical day on the bridge. It was the middle of the Beta Shift, which consisted of Captain Picard, Commander Riker. Counselor Troi, Lt. Commander Data, Lt. Commander LaForge.

        All of the sudden there was the familiarly overdramatic flash of light that came right before Q's intrusions into their nominally peaceful lives. As soon as Q appeared everyone had their phasers out, knowing damn well there was nothing they could do with them, but holding them made them feel a little in control.

        "Hello you primitive bipeds, you. They all scowled.

        "Q, what do you want," questioned Picard

        "I'll give you three guesses."

        "We don't want any guesses, Q. We haven't time for games."

        "Well, okay, the continuum has decided that I've tortured you enough, so that now I have to give you all something."

        "What kind of something," asked a very apprehensive Riker.

        "I have come to show you your most likely and almost definite futures."

        "You know we can't allow you to do that, Q," said Picard, sourly.

        "I'm not showing all of you. Only one and that one will only choose what he or she chooses to see, meaning if they want to see what will happen in your personal life, they'll see the likely result to what will happen if you continue on your present course. They will go to each of your future selves and your future selves will write to you, their past selves, about the outcome of your present course in life. They won't give details of what events or decisions brought them to their point in time. They'll just tell you things like who they married, if they have any children, their rank. Nothing vital or definite. They won't tell you about the state of the Federation/Romulan/Klingon Alliance. You can choose to include or exclude your future selves from the queue. Let me know who you choose. I'll be back." In another melodramatic flash he vanished. They all shared a look.

        "Senior officers to the Observation Lounge, immediately!"

        Once gathered in the Lounge they reiterated the events on the bridge for those that hadn't been present for Q's impromptu visit.

        "So what should we do?" Asked Riker.

        "I think we should do it," said Wesley Crusher.

        "Wesley, you know that goes intirely against the Temporal Prime Directive."

        "Yes, I do and with all due respect, Captain I think we should still do it. I mean only one person is going and we all have the choice not to include ourselves in this. No one's being forced into this, but it is going to happen, voluntarily or not."

        "He has a point, Jean -Luc. We have the choice not to include ourselves in this, but when Q says it has to happen, it has to happen."

        "I agree with Wesley and the Doctor on this Captain. I mean, he says they'll only tell their present and our most likely future. They won't tell what decisions or events brought them to that point in time, just what they have, who they are. Things of that caliber." Stated LaForge.

        "Still, sir. If you are that set against it, you don't have to include yourself in it. I for one would like to know my likely future. It may not happen, but it'd be nice to know someone's happy out there." Wesley.

        " I've got to admit that my future interests me. If I know my likely future it gives me something to strive for or against," said Riker.

        "CounselorTroi, what do you think?"

        " Well, Captain, speaking for myself, I'd like to know my likely future. You know, whether I'll have more children or get married."

 

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