Beamed into Star Trek

Chapter 18: Without a Q

...Sick Bay...

..About half an hour later...

"What is her condition?" Picard asked.

"It seems she is fading," Doctor Beverly said.

Picard looked over toward Ensign Bell. Then he looked back to Doctor Beverly.

"May I?" Picard asked.

Doctor Beverly nodded.

"Sure," Beverly said.

Geordi sat by the Ensigns's side holding her hand sitting on a chair. She is in intensive care right now with low life signs that are not normal. Geordi seemed to be generally concerned for her and the baby. Picard put one hand on the metal device connected to the biobed right over her chest. A glow emitted from Picard's hand then it drifted down through the metal right into her chest. At first a visible light color outlined her body making the form of a shield. Then it vanished. Doctor Beverly looked over to the screen where Ensign Bell's life signs are rebounding.

"It is a miracle," Doctor Beverly said. "Her life signs are..."

Time froze.

"Good job, Picard," Sam said, with a slow clap. "You made a choice. A easy one...But you seriously did not need to bring the shield back."

"That was a shield?" Picard asked.

Sam sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, you are not even aware of Q powers," Sam said, once he stopped clapping. "Just think...Where do you want to go?"

Picard frowned.

"I have to think where I want to go?" Picard asked.

"Time is paused," Sam said. "But the continuum clock keeps ticking." He approached Picard. "Do me a favour and think where you want to go. You can think of a person. Think and you get what you want. That is the way of the Q."

"Fine then," Picard said. "...I will."

Q, Picard thought, Where is he?

Picard found himself in a gray building. There were two armed men standing at the door aiming their weapon like guns at his head. Shortly afterward Sam appeared wearing a jump suit that appeared to be the one from 2371 with a yellow shirt underneath. He wore shiny dark shoes that had silver markings on the side in the shape of a com badge.

"Lower your weapons,Q guards," Sam said as Picard stared at him. "What?" Sam looked down to his attire. "OOooh." Sam had a sheepish smile appear on his face. "Sorry," He rubbed the back of his head. "You are not suppose to see that."

Sam's attire changes to a pearly white shirt, a gray jacket, and gray matching pants. His shoes remained the same design. The guards lowered the guns to their sides. Picard can see empty cells with bunks and some of them had only one bed. It was unusual to see while hearing the guards apologize.

"Where are the inmates?" Picard asked.

"Oh Picard," Sam said. "You are not even Q so you cannot see them."

"I want to see," Picard said.

Sam sighed.

"Fine," Sam said, making a pair of golden glasses appear in his hands. "In the 1400's Chinese judges wore these while in court and they were seen, more less, as the sign of wealth bestowed upon the individual along with power over the years."

Picard took the golden glasses that felt light weight in his hands.

"It is surprisingly light as my combadge," Picard said.