Beamed into Star Trek

Chapter 38: Memories

. . . 2364.  . .

 . . Enterprise  .  .  .

Picard found himself in the long hall where there were crew members walking past. A few of them had the skirt uniform that was being phased out and he had the new uniform on. He could tell it was 2364 as that was the year the old uniforms were being phased out. He had a good idea where he has heading to: the bridge.

But then he saw Ensign Carly headed his way.

She wasn't dead.

"Ensign Carly?"

Ensign Carly stopped in her tracks looking up from her padd. She had the characteristics of  Cippallon and seemed to be rather clueless at first at who he is. She raised a brow up then her eyes darted to to his pips then straight to Picard. She lowered her eyebrows.

"Yes?" Carly said.

"How is Kevin?" Picard asked.

Carly blinked,startled by the question, looking at Picard rather strangely.

"I don't know who you are talking about, Captain." Carly said.

Right.

Kevin hadn't been born yet.

Come to think of it.  . . Geordi and Carly hadn't got close until after the polywater intoxication.

"Sorry, I got confused," Picard apologized. "I must have confused you with another Carly I know."

"It is is all right." Carly said, then she walked past Picard. 

Picard watched her walk away then he went on his way.

It all went eerily similar to how it went the first time except . . . Someone was missing. Picard couldn't put his finger on it. They were heading to Far Point. At every moment Picard expected an unusual chase. Why? He recognized Ensign Carly. He talked about Kevin. Who in heavens name was Kevin? Kevin was Carly and Geordi's kid. But something wasn't right. 

Without much problem they picked up the Enterprise crew members at Far Point.

"Remember what Q told you."  He heard Ensign Carly's voice.

It was from long ago.

Picard was in his ready room.

Earlier he had transport beams sent to Far Point once everyone was evacuated. He went off a gut feeling. A gut feeling that saved the life of a alien space squid. Another of its kind came by for the pink space squid. Then they both floated out of the Enterprise's reach.  Picard then heard bad news from Sick Bay, at the time in his ready room, that Ensign Carly had passed unexpectedly.

"Remember what Q told you." Carly had said, clear as day standing in front of his desk with hands behind her back.

"Why?" Picard asked.

Carly had a small sad smile.

"That's the point." Carly had said.

The memory faded. In this memory Carly had on a new kind of uniform similar to Picard's except it was black and blue. She had one pip on her collar. Her hair was a little sorter. She had some scaring around her chin that might have been the result of a accident. She seemed to be fairly tall for her age, pretty tall.

Picard closed his eyes.

Who was Q?

Was he an entity?