The Fall of Iconia

Chapter 5

The authors wish to point out that they own none of the franchises used in this story. They are simply fans.

Chapter 5

The cube drifted through delta quadrant space. The area was the place of origin for the Borg, and the Empress had begun her experiments on a world not far from the Jord system.

The first of these had been an attempt to merge the biological with the mechanical and electrical. Her stated reason had been to work towards perfection. Her actual reason for creating the Borg, however, was somewhat different than stated. The Empress wanted to ascend, and she believed that the merging of biological and artificial would help her achieve that goal.

The first of her experiments had been on someone who had been a friend. It had been a decision that both of them had made. Her friend's family had all but disappeared. The husband had been killed in an accident. The only son, in a war. Her brother-in-law's family was still alive, but she felt that he had been responsible for her child dying, therefore, she wanted nothing to do with them. She had once been ascended, but had given that up to help the Empress. They both wanted nothing more than to destroy Jean Luc Picard and to take down what he represented.

The Empress knew what Picard represented - she knew it well. She had succeeded in her goal many years ago, and had ascended, but she wanted more. She wanted to have the power that Picard and his fellow Q had.

The alpha quadrant...

Guinan stopped at the door to Picard and Beverley's quarters. They weren't often on Enterprise anymore, so she didn't see them as often as she would like. Of course, this particular meeting was not one she was looking forward to either.

She reached up to press the call button beside the door, and strangely, found herself in Samantha O'Neill's quarters on Avalon. She whirled and confronted her daughter.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Samantha?"

"Stopping you," the younger woman said, matter-of-factly.

"Why? I'm not allowed to see my parents?"

"Of course you are, but what you're about to do leads to your being fobbed!"

"So what?" Guinan asked defensively. "I'm gonna get fobbed. It's not like it's the first time."

"I don't want you to be fobbed!" Sam almost shouted.

Guinan took a deep breath and calmed down. Even though she was much older than Sam, her powers weren't as strong. Her mind, while ordered, was not nearly as finely tuned as her daughter's. Sam could, if she wished, hold her here, and there was nothing Guinan could do about it. "Sam," she said when she was calmer, "this is the way it is. I told you I didn't remember being Janet Fraiser. That's because I haven't been yet, and since Janet was fobbed when you met her, that means I have at least one more time being fobbed." She paused a moment and then said, "I don't want to be fobbed again, Sam, but there's nothing either of us can do about it. I'm going to make these decisions."

"I just don't want to lose you," Samantha told her mother through tears. "You're so sweet... funny... wise. I don't want you to leave."

Guinan walked over to her daughter and put her arms around her. "I don't want to leave either, Honey, but if I don't, all of the friendship you had with Janet won't happen." She smiled a bit and backed up. "Besides, I've taken a look at Doctor 'Oldspice' as your brother calls him. He's kinda cute."

Sam sniffled, put a brave smile on her face and nodded, then she laughed a bit. "Yeah, he is. And Janet, has a great relationship with him."

"I won't have any relationship with him at all if you don't let me go," Guinan said, raising her hands palm up, in a 'there you have it' gesture.