From netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!newslink.runet.edu!sratliff Tue Oct 31 18:05:48 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.startrek.creative:30418 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!newslink.runet.edu!sratliff From: sratliff@runet.edu (Stephen Ratliff) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: Beyond Nature 1/2 New TNG Date: 30 Oct 1995 23:35:00 GMT Organization: Radford University Lines: 425 Message-ID: <473nf4$3ue@newslink.runet.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: europa.sunlab.cs.runet.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] UY-ers but not the ideas, so please keep my name attached to the story. This is something I created a few years ago and is probably my only non P/C story. Any historical inaccuracies are mine. I hope you enjoy it. Please send any comments to 70004,1163@compuserve.com. Many thanks to Stephen Ratliff, who made the posting of this story possible! Beyond Nature by Gabriele Preusse (70004,1163@compuserve.com) Chapter One Beverly Crusher, arguably the finest medical officer in Starfleet, held a tricorder before her as she scanned herself. The machine trilled happily when it finished, and she shut it and placed it in a box to her left. She took a new machine from the pile on her desk and performed the same test. Deanna Troi, arguably the greatest fan of chocolate in the universe, appeared hypnotized by her friend's actions. Her next appointment wasn't for another three hours, a Lieutenant who was convinced he could fly. As she watched the doctor return the next tricorder to the box, she was surprised to feel that she was actually looking forward to that meeting. Sickbay was almost empty, except for a few diligent nurses that made certain Beverly would not run out of tricorders. The two of them had finished their workout an hour earlier. They had taken a coffee break in ten-forward. And now... "Oh... this one isn't calibrated correctly," the doctor announced suddenly. "Oh?" sighed Deanna, not able to even feign being interested. Beverly stood up. "I'll be right back," she said, relishing the chance to get away from her desk. If she was lucky, some patients might be waiting outside. But somehow things just weren't working out today. Deanna sat alone in the office. She could feel how frustrated Beverly was. She recognized it, for she felt the same way. These meaningless, mind-numbing projects were Beverly's attempt to ignore her emotions. For a moment the counselor considered venturing over to the replicator in Sickbay and ordering a huge chocolate sundae with triple fudge as a solace to herself... At that instant the doctor returned, her mouth a straight hard line. No patients waiting, obviously. She stopped short of the desk and stared at the box full of tricorders. The trip outside had sapped her desire to complete this project. She walked behind the desk and slumped into her chair. She looked over at Deanna, who flickered a smile in her direction. "Remind me again why we couldn't go on the away mission?" Deanna leaned back into the chair. "Let's see... a routine mission... no life forms involved... no need for medical personnel." Beverly bit her lip, then crossed her arms at her chest. "They're probably just as bored as we are!"; offered Deanna, although she knew that would be impossible. Beverly laughed mildly. "I'd rather just be allowed to pilot the damn shuttle down to the planet instead of this. (she frowned and lines creased her forehead) But being bored isn't the issue here, Deanna, and you know it." The counselor nodded. "We need some adventure. For once I'd like to go on an away mission with some danger involved!" "I doubt that will happen, Bev." The doctor paused, tracing imaginary outlines on her desk. Then she pointed a finger at Deanna. "I just don't buy into that 'no medical personnel necessary' excuse. I think it goes deeper than that. They must think we're weak or something. But I know we can handle it! We don't need them to come to our rescue." "You're right. It seems that they have an idea of what the limit of our abilities is, and it will take a lot to change that." Beverly huffed. "We're supposed to be living in a time of equality, yet I don't feel equal." Deanna smiled. "Neither do I. (she looked thoughtful) I would like a chance to prove ourselves. I think we..." Her sentence was interrupted when a flash of light appeared in the room. It registered as a disturbance on the bridge and a security team was immediately dispatched to Sickbay. Meanwhile, the women were nervous. Deanna remained seated, too stunned to move. Beverly gathered her courage and stood to face the being before her. "Q! What the hell are you doing here!?" "It's nice to see you too, Crusher. (he rolled his eyes) I was in the galaxy when I heard your sniveling. I was going to ignore it and go on my way but then a fabulous idea crossed my incredibly brilliant mind!". He smiled toothily and the rest of Beverly's courage evaporated. "I've decided to grant your wish. Congratulations!" Deanna looked perplexed; "Our wish?" Beverly's voice wavered; "What are you going to do?" Q raised an eyebrow and they disappeared, just as a pair of security officers ran into an empty office. Beverly and Deanna reappeared in a field. The doctor stretched her arms out and noticed her uniform had been replaced with a long, black dress covered by a black hooded cloak. "Q, what is this? Where are we?" "You're on Earth, in the place you know as Europe." "It's not modern-day Europe." "My but you are observant, Counselor! It's no wonder Picard finds you so crucial in his negotiations!", he said dryly. "This is certainly not what you linear beings refer to as 'modern-day'." She sighed, then looked down at her new outfit. "Can you at least explain this clothing to us?" Beverly suddenly looked horrified. "Oh God, it's not that Robin Hood thing again is it? I *hated* that!" He shook his head. "It's all a part of the times, you see. You can hardly interact with the people here in your Starfleet uniforms. They would probably feel... (he grinned) threatened by you." "I can't believe that any of this is for our benefit." "Well, it depends on what you make of it. I don't know the outcome of this little adventure any more than you do. You might make it through to tell your story (his voice lowered ominously) or you might be killed. (he smiled again) Either way it should prove fascinating to behold!" Troi crossed her arms at her chest and squinted her eyes; she wished she could read him. "Are you serious?" He frowned at her. "Of course I am. I would never joke about something as serious as mortality with a mortal. (he thought for a moment) One of the few things of value you have, I suppose..." Beverly took a step towards him, almost stumbling in her new shoes. "Q, stop this! We are not simply objects for your amusement!" He put a hand to his chest, as if hurt by her comment. "My dear Beverly, would I ever do anything to intentionally hurt you or Troi?" Beverly untied the cloak and threw it to the ground; her courage had returned. "We refuse to play along in this game of yours, Q! Return us to the Enterprise, *immediately*!!" He shook his head and smiled. "Such vitality and stubbornness... I think I can see what Picard finds so attractive in you..." The way he looked at her sent chills down her spine; thankfully the look faded. "I assure you, this is no game. Whatever happens here is quite real. It happened many centuries ago and now you will be here to witness the spectacle for yourself. (he stepped between them) A challenge awaits you, moreso than you could face on any away team mission. If you think things are bad for you in your time, well..." He placed a hand on their shoulders, and both women shrunk back from it. "You two kids have fun. I'll be watching...". He looked down at the discarded cloak, then back up at Beverly. "You might want to reconsider wearing that." With that he disappeared, leaving them to stare at each other in silent confusion. Their thoughts were mutual; "What now?" Chapter Two The away team returned and briefed Captain Jean Luc Picard on their findings. They discovered nothing unusual -- no civilizations, past or present. No resources that could be used for the Federation. A water supply that would be insufficient for locating a new Federation colony, unless a lot of effort was put into importing water. There was just vegetation and some scattered fauna. The captain nodded and looked over just as Geordi LaForge was (unsuccessfully) battling a yawn. "Well, I suppose my report to Starfleet will be dull to say the least. While you're all here, I would like to draw your attention to our next mission." Suddenly his comm badge sounded. "Captain?" He looked surprised, and tapped his communicator; "Yes, Guinan? What can I..." She interrupted him. "I have an unusual feeling, Jean Luc. Has anything strange happened?" He frowned; "What do you mean, unusual?" "A few minutes ago, I sensed... a presence." By now Picard had learned to trust her instincts. "Thank you, Guinan, we'll check up on it." "Thank you." He looked up expectantly at his officers. "Anything *unusual* to report?" Worf spoke up; "Sir, earlier we detected an energy disturbance in the doctor's office. A security team investigated but found nothing." "I see." He tapped his communicator; "Picard to Doctor Crusher." There was no answer. (Louder) "Captain to Doctor Crusher!" William Riker looked at him and shrugged; "I think she was with Deanna earlier." "Picard to Counselor Troi." No answer again. The men began to look concerned. "Computer, locate Beverly Crusher." It droned back; "Beverly Crusher is not on board the Enterprise." Gasps of surprise echoed throughout the room. Riker joined in; "Computer, locate Deanna Troi!" "Deanna Troi is not on board the Enterprise." "What?!" "Where the hell could they be?" "Computer, are any shuttlecraft gone?" "All shuttlecraft are accounted for." The captain hit his communicator; "Picard to Transporter chief Hubbell." "Yes, Sir?" "Have the transporters been used, besides to beam up the away team?" "No, Sir. No one has used them." Picard thought back to the concern Guinan expressed, and what Worf said about the energy disturbance. (very quietly) "Something has happened to them." "They may be in danger." "But we have no idea where to look!" "Mr. Worf, recheck the sensors on that energy disturbance. It might hold a clue as to where they went." "Aye Sir." The Klingon exited to the main bridge, managing to reign in his anger... and fear. "In the mean time, we will stay in this orbit." "Do you think they could have been beamed off the ship?" "It is possible, Number One." Geordi shook his head. "I hope they're all right." "They are... for now." Picard recognized the voice immediately. He stood and slammed his hands on the desk. "Q! Where the hell are you?!" The entity appeared in a burst of light. Instantly Worf contacted Picard; "Sir, the disturbance has reappeared, this time in the observation lounge!" "It's all right, Worf. We know the source. Please stand by." (with great hesitation) "Aye, Sir." Picard glared at the being before him. "What have you done with them?" He raised his hands. "Nothing! I have simply granted one of their wishes. (he smiled) In a way, it will be your fault if they die because of it." "Die?! What are you talking about?" "They wanted to go on an adventure, to have some excitement in their dull, petty little human lives. So I gave that to them. (he shrugged) I don't know how it'll turn out." "Bring them back now, Q!" He laughed bitterly. "Oh no, Picard! The fun hasn't even begun yet...". With that he disappeared. Chapter Three Beverly and Deanna wandered around, trying to figure out where they were. There were no people nearby but they could see what appeared to be a small village in the distance. "Maybe we'll find some answers if we head to that town." "It might be dangerous..." "Deanna, it's Earth! We should be able to handle whatever we find." "If you say so." They reached the village a few minutes later. Beverly watched as people huddled together in doorways, watching as they passed by. "What do you sense from them?" Deanna shrugged. "Curiosity from most, although some are frightened and a few... (she shuddered) a few seem rather suspicious of us. It's as if they think we're hiding something." Beverly smiled; "Like the fact that we're really from the twenty-fourth century?" Deanna smiled back but it couldn't mask her nervousness; "I guess it's like how we act when someone new comes on board the Enterprise...." The doctor sighed wistfully; "Like that new Lieutenant in Engineering? Now that's a fine looking...." Deanna stopped and turned to look at her, horrified; "Beverly, he's probably the same age as your son!" Beverly shook her head; "Oh relax, I'm just kidding!! I was just trying to lighten things up. I mean... here we are on an away mission. Why don't we try to enjoy ourselves?" Deanna did not feel like sharing her humour; this place was making her very uncomfortable. "This is a small, close-knit community where everyone knows everything about everyone. The sight of two strangers is bound to cause some excitement." They tried to talk to a few people but most seemed distrustful, particularly the men. They managed to stop one woman who had her young son in tow. She looked surprised when they asked her where they were. "Why, this were England last time I checked it! How could ye not know that?" Beverly was about to explain when the woman suddenly gasped and stepped back. "Is that red hair ye have?"; she exclaimed, pointing to a strand that had escaped from the hood. Deanna sensed a jolt of fear from her and watched as she held her son closer to her side. Beverly quickly brushed the hair back into place. "Yes, you see... we are travelers from a far away place. From Ireland, actually." The woman looked somewhat relieved. She walked away from them hurriedly nonetheless, glancing back every few steps. Many people talked behind their backs when they passed. They overheard some conversations but could not make sense of them. "Are ye goin' to see what they do to Goody Shaw?" "Aye. What a sight, that." Their trepidation grew as they continued through the village, feeling the suspicions of every person on their backs. It was mid afternoon when they noticed the thick plume of smoke near a church. A crowd had gathered around a hill upon which a large bonfire raged. As they approached they could discern long poles sticking up inside the fire. A peculiar scent hung thick in the air. Just before they reached the crowd, Deanna shrieked and pulled Beverly over to one side. "I sense such pain and anguish here. A sense of fear... it's overwhelming!" "Are you all right? Do you want to turn back?" She shook her head. "Let's get closer. I want to see what's happening." They stepped amongst the crowd and gradually pushed their way up near the front. The people around them bore various facial expressions; some appeared fearful while others seemed to be rejoicing. An older woman clutched a metal cross tightly to her chest. A thin trickle of blood ran down her right hand. Unlike the doctor, Deanna was not tall enough to see what was happening in the clearing ahead. Beverly stopped and brought her hands to her mouth. She stumbled backward and almost tripped on her own feet, then ran back through the crowd. A shocked Deanna ran after her. Beverly steadied herself against a tree, then vomited onto the ground. "My God, what's wrong!? What's wrong? What did you see!?" The doctor looked up at her friend, her face pale white and eyes drawn. "You didn't see them?" "What? See who?" Beverly shook her head. "There were people tied to those poles. (quietly) They were being burned alive." Deanna's jaw dropped. She turned slowly to look at the crowd gathered around the fire and clenched her fists at her sides. "What the hell is going on?" Beverly straightened and walked over to Deanna. "I think I know what it is but I don't think you'll like it. (she sighed) This is likely 15th to 17th century England and what we're witnessing is the burning of witches." Silently, they watched as the flames grew higher. They could feel the heat from where they stood. The cloud of gray smoke expanded until one could no longer see the church spire in the background, almost as if God was being shielded from this spectacle. A state of panic had set in among the senior officers. An away team had been sent to the surface, in case Beverly and Deanna were there. Somehow, that seemed doubtful. Picard was on the bridge discussing the situation with his senior officers. They were at a loss as to what to do next. Q had disappeared from the ship only ten minutes ago. Chapter Four Late that afternoon as the sun began its descent, Beverly and Deanna passed by a building where an injured child had been brought to see the village doctor. Beverly spied at them through the street window, curious to see what medicine was like at this time. Within minutes the doctor declared that the boy had a fever and gave him some herbs. The boy's father followed the doctor to his back room to discuss some business. His son waited in the office and winced whenever he touched his arm. Beverly believed he had been misdiagnosed. Despite her own misgivings and despite warnings from Deanna, she walked into the office and examined the boy. Deanna stood in the doorway, shifting from one foot to the other. "Let's get out of here before they come back!" The physician inside Beverly could not let the child sit and suffer. "I have to help him. I'll just be a few minutes..." Deanna looked behind her. "Please hurry!" The boy stared up at her, silent. Beverly took a quick look at his arm -- it had been separated from his shoulder. "Here. " She gave the boy a stick to bite on, then she quickly set it back into place. He gave out a cry but then stopped. "Thank ye, Ma'am!" He rubbed his arm, this time without wincing. "What's your name?" "Robert Warren, Ma'am. (he grinned with a mouth full of missing teeth) I feels much better!" "Well, you're welcome Robert Warren." She smiled, then jumped when she heard a booming voice behind her. "What the devil are ye doing, woman?" She turned to see the doctor regarding her suspiciously. "I just heard this boy crying and came in to see if he was all right." "And what did ye do with his shoulder? I heard a noise, I did." Deanna walked in to stand beside Beverly; she had a bad feeling about this. Nevertheless Beverly managed to remain nonchalant. "Yes, I noticed it had come out of its socket so I popped it back in." "You did what?!"; the father was enraged. (quietly, but growing progressively louder) "Doctor Hutchinson... how is it that ye let a female touch me boy?!" The doctor was flustered. "I ne'er saw her before in my life, Mr. Warren! And I ne'er let her help my service!" The father shook his head in disbelief. He walked over to his son and grabbed him by his newly-set arm. The boy shrunk down. "C'mon boy. I hear enough." He pulled his son up from the chair. Deanna's eyes widened; she looked at the boy and then at his father. "He's scared to death of you! My God, what have you done to him!?" Beverly sucked in her breath and turned to her; (whispered) "Deanna!" "He beats him! The child is so frightened, I..." The father looked over at Hutchinson, who stared at the two women. He shook his head. "How could she know it? Did ye tell her tales, boy?!" "No sir! I ne'er did nothin'!" "Well how the devil could she know it?" Hutchinson's brows lowered; "I think I know." Beverly tugged at Deanna's elbow and began to back up; "Let's get out of here..." Hutchinson continued; "There's only one thing I can figure." "Aye, we found a couple of witches I think." The women turned to run out of the room, only to find three other men standing in the doorway. They had overheard the conversation. "And where do ye think yer goin', woman?" One tall, gruff man clasped his callous hand around Beverly's throat. Before she could react to this, another man twisted her arms awkwardly behind her back and tied a rope around them. They restrained Deanna in a similar manner. "Take'm to the Minister's. He'll know what to do with'm." They were led away like fugitives, drawing stares as they passed through town. Some people pointed and hollered; "I knew it!". The villagers had come to equate women led away in ropes to being witches. Beverly looked up as she walked past an oak tree and noticed Q sitting on top of it, laughing. make sense of them. "Are ye goin' to see what they do to Goody Shaw?" "Aye. What a sight, that." Their trepidation grew as they continued through the village, feeling the suspicions of every person on their backs. It was mid afternoon when they noticed the thick plume of smoke near a church. A crowd had gathered around a hill upon which a large bonfire raged. As they approached they could discern long -- Stephen Ratliff Computer Scince Major, Radford University. sratliff@runet.edu http://www.cs.runet.edu/~sratliff FAQ Maintainer for alt.startrek.creative : Status of Recently Posted Stories on a.st.c. Introduction to alt.startrek.creative, A Guide to the Newsgroup home page : http://www.cs.runet.edu/~sratliff/ "If you hear muffled screams, consider that a request to beam up." -Lieutenant Tom Paris, ST:VOY "Parturition From netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!newslink.runet.edu!sratliff Tue Oct 31 18:05:57 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.startrek.creative:30419 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!newslink.runet.edu!sratliff From: sratliff@runet.edu (Stephen Ratliff) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: Beyond Nature 2/2 New TNG Date: 30 Oct 1995 23:35:55 GMT Organization: Radford University Lines: 393 Message-ID: <473ngr$3ue@newslink.runet.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: europa.sunlab.cs.runet.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] UY-s but not the ideas, so please keep my name attached to the story. This is something I created a few years ago and is probably my only non P/C story. Any historical inaccuracies are mine. I hope you enjoy it. Please send any comments to 70004,1163@compuserve.com. Many thanks to Stephen Ratliff, who made the posting of this story possible! Beyond Nature by Gabriele Preusse (70004,1163@compuserve.com) Chapter Five Minister Matthew Hopkins was a high-strung man, suspicious of almost everyone he met. He would rather falsely accuse someone of witchery than to risk them coming back to harm him. He considered it his personal duty to seek out every last witch and kill her. This village had a particularly high number of witch burnings and trials. It was located in the county of Essex, England. The year was 1644. As he looked at the two women standing before him and heard the tale of what occurred in the village, he was certain they were genuine. One man pulled off Beverly's hood, pointing to her red hair as a sure sign of a witch. "She tried to put a spell on me, Minister!"; blurted the father. "What spell were that, Mr. Warren?" 'Why... she say that if she had her way, she'd be certain I'd ne'er have any children again!" Beverly rolled her eyes and glanced over at Deanna, who looked clearly petrified. The Minister stood up from behind his desk and walked over to them. He stopped a few inches from Beverly's face. "So, what do ye have to say? Ye have the hair of a hag. Do ye admit to yer treachery?" Beverly glared at him; "We are not guilty of any wrongdoing. I simply saw that the boy was in pain and I wanted to help him." "She likely put a spell on the lad, she did!" "Is that true, woman?!" She was getting flustered; "Look! I too am a doctor. I just wanted to help out!" Doctor Hutchinson laughed; "There's no such thing as a woman doctor! (he pointed at her) Yer no doctor. Yer a witch!" "No, I am not!" she asserted, beginning to see the futility of arguing with them. Hopkins turned to Deanna. "And yer a mind reader, eh?" "I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was low, almost timid; it gave the Minister a sense of empowerment. "There were witnesses. Ye can't deny it." "I don't know what..." The Minister slapped her briskly across the face with the back of his hand, and she yelped in shock and pain. The action enraged Beverly, who struggled violently against the man who held her. She stopped wrestling and hissed; "Don't you *ever* touch her!" Mr. Warren stepped back; "She'll put a spell on ye, Minister!" The Minister had found a new well of strength; that slap felt good. Still when he saw the seething Beverly, he felt plainly unnerved. He turned away from her glare. "We must put these heathens to trial. One claims to be a healer, the other were a mind-reader. Clearly, they are both beyond nature." "Why not just burn them right away?" "Or use the water torture?" "No no, they are very powerful witches, in league with Satan himself. Their trials will serve as an example to other witches in the county. They will know that we mean to destroy them all. (he looked over at the men) Will ye cry them out in court tomorrow?" They nodded. "Good. For now take them to the jail box behind the courthouse. Be sure they be under guard at all times. We'll settle this in the morn." "Aye, Minister." The two women were dragged off to the prison cell and thrown inside. Their hands were unbound but the rope had cut deeply into their flesh. Deanna's face was red on the side where she had been struck. They sat on a cot in silence, and felt their fear consume them. Chapter Six Jean Luc Picard was a man who liked to be in complete control of a situation. He thrived in command situations aboard the Enterprise. He excelled at mediating disputes between warring factions. He relished his chances to go riding, where he could test the abilities of his mount. Now he felt like he was trying to control a runaway shuttlecraft. It was bad enough when Q toyed with him. In a way he was getting accustomed to that. But now... now he had definitely crossed over the line. He did not like other members of his crew to become involved in Q's games. Especially Beverly. Picard played out in his mind what Q had said over and over again. It would be *his* fault if they died... what the hell was he talking about?! He sat in his ready room, drumming his hands upon his desk. His eyes darted back and forth as if he expected Q to reappear at any time. About thirty minutes had passed since their first encounter. Frustrated, he stepped outside to join his officers on the bridge Beverly paced back and forth behind the bars, like a caged panther. Her actions made Deanna even more nervous. By now she was quite hungry and devoured the stale bread they offered her. She regretted not ordering that chocolate sundae, especially since it might be her... but she couldn't afford to think like that. Q was going to get them out of this. He had to. The abilities of these women made the guards holding them extremely uneasy. They marveled about their strength, their intelligence, the way they spoke. They were physically stronger than any other women they knew. These two must be the most powerful witches that had been found yet! And yet they were also two of the most beautiful women the men had ever seen. They would have to be careful not to fall under their spell. Chapter Seven It was about 7 o'clock in the evening and all but one of the guards had left to eat supper. Q chose this moment to appear in the cell. He sighed; "Well it didn't take you very long to get yourself into trouble, did it?" They stood up and walked over to him. "Q! You're back! Get us out of here!" "Why should I? I'm having so much fun watching this little drama of yours. I hear your trial is tomorrow... (he grinned) I hope you have good representation." "You know as well as we do that there's no one to speak for us. After they present whatever evidence they have, we will die tomorrow!" "Well then, I suppose you have your work cut out for you." The women were getting progressively more agitated, and louder. The lone guard turned to see them talking in the dark to no one. "You have to help us!" "Why?" "Because you got us into this!" "There you go again, always putting the blame on me! You know, Picard uses me as a scapegoat for all of his problems as well. (he chuckled) Well let me refresh your memories. I quote; 'We need some adventure. For once I'd like to go on an away mission with some danger involved.' " They were silent at that. He frowned at them; "Now you've found yourself in the middle of a particularly dangerous adventure and you're whining. What's that saying you humans have... 'be careful what you wish for because you just might get it'?" "We get the point Q." "No, Beverly, I don't think you do. You consider yourselves to be resourceful and intelligent, able to handle anything thrown your way... and yet here you are on the verge of being executed. Burned at the stake no less! Maybe you aren't cut out for such challenges after all. There might be a good reason why you're not included in risky missions. (he laughed) You claim to be independent and strong but all you do is sit on your asses and snivel, waiting for me to show up and help you! Well, forget it! Had I known you would give up so easily, I never would have wasted my time on you. (he sneered) If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you should have stayed where you were and stopped complaining!" "What's goin' on? Who are ye talking to?" They turned to see the guard standing behind the bars, a puzzled look on his face. Q stepped between them. "I'll see you in the afterlife." Deanna's stomach twisted when he said that. Beverly simply closed her eyes. Q departed once more. "I said what's goin' on woman!?" The guard was standing just outside the cell, holding a candle. Beverly turned to her friend. (whispered) "I hate to admit it but he's right. We have been just moping around here waiting for him to get us out of this. But the entire point of us going on a dangerous mission was to assert our independence. We can't sit around and wait to be rescued because it's not going to happen. I think he made that very clear." Deanna nods; "You're right. We have to use our own resources." "And what better resource than this!" She smiled and pointed to her head. Deanna rolled her eyes and couldn't help but grin; "So, what do you have in mind? What are we going do about the guard?" Beverly looked over at the young man peering at them from behind the bars. A wicked smile crossed her face. "I think I have thought up part 1..." She whispered something in Deanna's ear, who looked shocked at first but then began to laugh. Beverly took a deep breath and rubbed her hands together; "Well, wish me luck!" She turned to look at the man behind the bars and smiled devilishly at him. She undid the cloak she wore and let it slide off her shoulder, revealing the dress underneath. Her previously hidden long, red hair fell loosely about her shoulders. The guard's mouth gaped open, then he shook his head quickly. "I... I hear ye talkin' to someone. Who were it? (he stuttered slightly) Or were ye chanting?" Beverly reached through the bars and let her hand travel down his face, his neck. He looked deeply into her bewitching blue eyes. It was like being in the spell of a siren. He was certain she was practicing some sort of witchcraft on him but felt powerless to do anything. Besides, it felt good... "What's your name?"; she asked, as her fingers traveled lightly over his dry lips. The flickering light of the candle danced in her eyes. "M...M... Michael." She smiled, her voice was deep and sensuous; "Well, Michael... there is no need to worry. My friend and I were simply discussing our rather unfortunate situation. You see, we're innocent. We are not witches of any kind." "But... (he gasped for breath) but what ye do, is witchery." Deanna was surprised to see Beverly stroke the man's chest. She was certainly doing a good job of... using her resources. The counselor stood beside her and noticed the keys attached to the guard's belt. She took of one of his hands and held it up against her chest. "Do you really think people like us could be witches?" The guard could feel Deanna's heart beat. It was all so overwhelming! Beverly noticed his high level of agitation and decided it was time to capitalize on it. She grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him towards the bars, planting a big kiss on his lips. His mouth tasted foul, like old fish and cigars, but she focused past that. She broke it off and he stared blankly at the two of them. Then a stupid grin crossed his face and he passed out on the floor, knocking his head soundly against the bars. Beverly wiped her mouth, pausing to spit on the floor. She turned and smiled at Deanna; "You were good!" "No, *you* were!" "Can you reach his keys?" "I think so... " She knelt down and reached out between the bars, trying to grab his belt. She shook her head; "Why don't you try?" Beverly took Deanna's position and stretched her arm out as far as she could. On her second try she managed to grab hold of the keys and yank them off the belt. The guard stirred slightly, the huge grin still on his face. "I bet he's having one hell of a dream now." "Yes, and who are we to wake him up. Let's get out of here..." It had been almost two hours since Q last appeared. "I thought they were doomed but now it looks like they're going to make it. I just needed to have a chat with them. (he smiled at Picard) I guess it also helps that Beverly is such a good kisser." Picard straightened in his chair. He was about to say something but Q interrupted. "I'll be back in a little while, Jean Luc. And by that time I'll know how this adventure ended." Chapter Eight The courthouse was on the outskirts of the village. It didn't take Beverly and Deanna long to leave and they were able to avoid populated areas. The sky had turned dark red and purple, and a cold wind whipped across the land. They clutched their cloaks tightly around them, hoping Q would appear soon. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side this night. A few minutes later they met up with the father and the gruff man returning from plowing some fields, shovels in hand. Their initial shock quickly gave way to rage. "We should not left a wee boy in charge of these two demons!" Mr. Warren ran towards Beverly, raising the shovel above his head. Beverly stood her ground. She leapt aside as he swung the shovel down on her, but it still managed to graze her cheek just below her eye. Warren noticed her wound and looked pleased with himself, then approached her once more. Beverly managed to grab hold of Warren's shovel. Her strength caught him unprepared. She twisted the shovel out of his hands and threw it away from them. While Warren was distracted by watching where his prized shovel landed, she delivered a swift kick to his crotch. He collapsed to the ground, howling. There was a cold gleam in her eyes as she bent over him and hissed; "Just to make sure you can't make any more children to abuse..." Deanna, meanwhile, had succeeded in wrestling the shovel out of the large man's grasp. She tripped him by placing it behind his knees, then whacked him soundly on the head. She stood back as he staggered over to his companion, thinking to herself how proud Worf would be if he had seen that display. Then she watched in curiosity as both men grabbed hold of each other, looking terrified. Deanna turned to see the cause of this fear. Beverly stood on a boulder on the hill, her arms spread wide, her long red hair and cloak fluttering in the cold wind. To the men she made for an intimidating sight. Even Deanna found her appearance a bit... spooky. She pointed to each man in turn, then proclaimed; "Now begone, before I turn you both into newts!" The men scampered off to the village, one holding his head and the other holding his head. The women watched them and laughed. They turned when they heard clapping behind them. It was Q, leaning against a decaying tree. Beverly frowned; "Oh, do we have to leave now... just when we were beginning to have some fun?" Q did not understand. "Well... I suppose you could stay here if..." She held out her hands before her; "No no! That's quite all right!" "Will our being here affect the course of history?" "Goodness, that's an egotistical thing to say, Deanna! Don't give yourself that much credit. You are nothing over the vast course of..." "All right! I get the point!" He smiled momentarily; "Actually, there will be a legend about two powerful witches who escaped their captors... but few people believed it and those alleged to be involved denied the story." His smile faded and he looked over the hillside towards the village. "Your little adventure will have no effect on what happens to the citizens in this county or anywhere else in Europe. The same people will be executed for the same reasons. In this puny county alone, almost 100 will die in less than a century. (he shook his head) Things like this make me wonder how your species managed to survive at all." "It's a part of human history that no one is proud of. And to actually experience it was a frightening thing." Deanna sighed; "I think we've both had enough. Please, take us home." He nodded, and they disappeared once more. Chapter Nine They reappeared on the Enterprise bridge in their regular uniforms. It was slightly disorientating at first as they tried to get their bearings. Beverly reached up to touch her cheek and noticed that the cut was gone. Picard bolted out of his chair and wrapped his arms around Beverly, checking that she was real and not some cruel ruse by Q. The doctor gasped in surprise, then returned the embrace. "Thank God you're all right!" "No, actually we should thank Q." He pulled back to look at her; "Thank him? How can you thank him?" Deanna smiled; "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here now." "Yes, that is if he ever had the intention of letting things happen naturally." "Of course I did!" Q reappeared once more, this time with his arm around Beverly's shoulder. Picard frowned when he saw that. "Q, I thought we were rid of you!" "Oh, you know I could never leave without saying good-bye, mon capitaine! Besides, I wanted to stick around and hear all the nice things being said about me! (he looked at Beverly) She's quite a spunky one, Picard. I hope she rubs off on you, someday." He peered about the bridge. "Well, it was marvelous seeing all my old friends again." He noticed Worf snarling at him from behind the tactical station. "Perhaps next time I'll come to the aid of Microbrain!" He grinned and then vanished in a flash of light. The other officers stared after Beverly and Deanna, who walked off together to the turbolift. That night Jean Luc invited Beverly to dinner in his quarters. She was famished after her long day, although in real time she was only gone for about two hours. Picard didn't have much of an appetite, instead choosing to watch her eat, etching her movements into his memory. Whenever she looked up at him, he would take a quick bite of his bread roll. No sense in stressing her out any further today by making her think he wasn't eating. Between bites the doctor related several stories about what happened. At one point she was surprised to hear Picard laughing. "What?" "I just find it amusing that they thought you were a witch," he explained, looking at her in a new light. She wasn't sure how to react to that, so she frowned and muttered; "Well, looking back it might be somewhat funny but at the time they were going to execute me because of it!" He still wore that smug smile on his face. Beverly thought how much she would love to erase it... She smiled back and took a sip of red wine, deciding to change the topic. "At any rate, I don't think I'll be complaining about the times I'm living in for a while!" Picard nodded, then looked up at her; "Oh... our next mission will involve some planetary exploration. You can be on the away team, if you'd like." She smiled at him; "Yes, I'd like that." He looked into her eyes, blushing slightly; "By the way, Q told me that you managed to get out of a difficult situation because you were such a good kisser..." She raised her eyebrows; "Oh he said that, did he?" Beverly leaned forward and Picard did likewise, closing his eyes in anticipation. Instead she pulled back and grabbed another roll from the table. She smiled impishly as his smug grin disappeared. "I guess you'll have to trust him...". THE END her long red hair and cloak fluttering in the cold wind. To the men she made for an intimidating sight. Even Deanna found her appearance a bit... spooky. She pointed to each man in turn, then proclaimed; "Now begone, before I turn you both into newts!" The men scampered off to the village, one holding his head and the other holding -- Stephen Ratliff Computer Scince Major, Radford University. sratliff@runet.edu http://www.cs.runet.edu/~sratliff FAQ Maintainer for alt.startrek.creative : Status of Recently Posted Stories on a.st.c. Introduction to alt.startrek.creative, A Guide to the Newsgroup home page : http://www.cs.runet.edu/~sratliff/ "If you hear muffled screams, consider that a request to beam up." -Lieutenant Tom Paris, ST:VOY "Parturition