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After we board the small craft, I study my surroundings. There are only two seats and one console. I have never been aboard a vessel this small before! Sitting down at the seat to my right, I peer out the window as the shuttlebay doors open revealing the vastness of space. I gape at the brilliance of the wormhole, which I am now closer to than ever.
"How do you feel, Shannara?" Medic Parkin asks as she takes the seat beside me.
Unsure how to answer, I glance back and forth between her and the wormhole. I can distinctly make out emotions that are not her's or any other member of the Akodian crew. They are coming from the pocket wormhole. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not at least a little afraid. My Mother tells me that these wormholes caused her to slip into a depression." Taking a heavy sigh, I will myself not to cry. "I don't want that to happen to me."
"Yes. I am relieved that your mother shared some of her experience with you. It is imperative for no one to enter one of our wormholes blindly. They must be aware of all dangers, no matter how small, and they must be willing to accept all responsibilities for their actions."
"So if something happens like with the Stargazer--"
"The probability of another ship implosion is relatively low. All pockets are checked periodically for loss of stability. New standards were placed into effect after the Stargazer hearing. Any pocket showing a loss of stability greater than .03 percent will be collapsed. But I still need to know how you feel about the wormhole before we enter it."
Staring at the wormhole, I imagine myself entering it. It is no more than five or six meters in diameter. The shuttlecraft is at least eight. The pocket will expand, I repeat silently several times. I want to believe that, for my desire to see what's on the other side is so great. "I am eager to travel through the wormhole," I say. "I want to see what's on the other side."
"Well," Parkin says with a smile, "you're in for a treat, then." She taps in the coordinates, and we glide slowly out into space, picking up our pace as we draw nearer to the wormhole.
As the tip of the shuttlecraft makes contact with the pocket, I resist the urge to close my eyes. I watch with amazement, despite all I've been told, as the pocket expands beyond the parameters of our craft. We enter. The blue and purple brilliance of its interior is beautiful. Seconds pass...thirty....forty. "How much time does it takes to pass through a wormhole?"
"Time? Time is irrelevant."
Q!
As I turn to face him, I realize I'm no longer inside the shuttlecraft and it is nowhere in sight.
"What have you done with Medic Parkin?"
"Don't be frightened, dear child. She's somewhere safe."
"She was going to show me the other side of the wormhole!" I spit out my words like a viper. Usually, Q's games are merely annoying, but this one is beyond belief. Why has he stopped me in midst of accomplishing that which he has encouraged?
"There is one final test I must give you before you reach the other side of the wormhole."
"Why? What do I have to prove to you?"
"It's not me you have to convince." He looks off in the distance, I presume to eye other members of the Continuum. He said that they would not be jealous of me. Neither are they convinced that I am a good candidate for a member of their race. I really don't want to join the Continuum, and yet I feel insulted, dejected even.
"It is they, The Q, who are insisting you preform one more test."
"Before I can cross the wormhole? What claim do they have on Akodian wormholes or me for that matter?" I want to tell him that I refuse to take his test, but something stops me. Why do I care what beings I've never met think of me?
"Listen, " Q says, cupping an ear. "Do you hear them?"
An insect-like drone starts in the distance, growing louder, louder until I realize it is the sound of thousands of voices overlapping each other.
"Yes," I say. "Where are they coming from?"
"Listen closer."
If I were an android like Data, I could probably tell Q not only the exact number of voices I'm hearing, but also what each of them is saying. Nonetheless, I try to zone in on a single voice. Which one could be delivering an important message? Closing my eyes, I imagine that I am inside the mind of an important Akodian. Maybe he is a diplomat or an ambassador. I explore his mind with mine until it is as though we are merging into one. His thoughts become my thoughts. He is thinking of a mission that will take him far from home. He is an explorer, I realize, probably the captain of a large vessel.
Suddenly, I feel something underneath me, and looking down, see that I am now sitting in a large chair. A blurry image forms around me. As it slowly comes into focus, I find myself on the bridge of a starship in the captain's chair!
An ensign at the conn turns in my direction and says, "Your orders, sir?"
Without hesitation, I command, "Take us through the wormhole."
"Aye sir."
The ship propels forward in the direction of a small pocket wormhole. Remaining calm despite the spaceships enormous diameter over the wormhole, I hold my position.
Q flashes in to replace the first officer by my side. "There's still time to turn back. Tuck tail like the proverbial puppy. Are you sure you're ready to face what's.....out there?"
I turn sideways to look Q squarely in the eyes. "I am not afraid of what's out there."
"Oh? A captain once told me he was ready to see the galaxy....until I introduced him to the Borg. He wasn't so eager to explore the Delta Quadrant after that."
I cannot believe what Q is telling me! Did he really sic the Borg on the Federation? Many horror stories about the Borg invasion of Federation space have been passed from person to person. Remembering what Parkin said about people adding to tales, I wonder how much about the Borg are true. I have always viewed Q as a menace, but never took him for evil.
"Are you saying that you deliberately brought war upon the Federation?"
The ship jolts slightly, and I quickly look to the viewscreen. Expanding to permit our passage, the wormhole appears more brilliant than before. Soon, we are enveloped by it. I find it increasingly difficult to look away from this fascinating phenomenon, but Q must answer to me. It's his turn for a test!
"Answer me!" I demand.
" I may not create a pretty self-portrait, but if it were not for me, your precious Federation would have had no warning that the Borg were coming. They would have been taken by surprise and completely assimilated. I did them a favor, although they will never admit it. Now people like your dear friend Captain Jean-Luc Picard are taking all the credit. Let them. I have a higher agenda to fulfill."
"And what might that be?"
"You'll have to discover that answer on your own," he replies and flashes out.
Suddenly I find myself floating in the vacuum of space. I scream, but utter no sound. There is no oxygen in space, I know, and yet I am not suffocating.
A tiny rupture opens before me. Although it is no larger than my foot, I can see the purple brilliance of a pocket wormhole forming. Poking it with my big toe, I watch as it opens to slightly wider than my foot. Courageously, I plunge my entire leg into it's depths. I withdraw my leg and then like a diver, I jump arms first into the pocket. Again, I am surrounded by its brilliance.
Take me to the other side, I plead with it as though it is a living entity. So tired of playing Q's game, I'm determined to beat him this round. I now want more than to see the other side and to explore what's out there. I want to prove to Q that I can be his equal.
How many times has Q told me that I still have his gift inside me? I command this gift to aid me now. "Take me through the wormhole!" I clutch my fists in stern determination and flash out.
I reappear inside the Akodian shuttlecraft beside Parkin, who seems unharmed. Furthermore, she is not perturbed by my absence. We exit the wormhole and Parkin brings the craft to a halt. Approximately 50,000 kilometers away is a blue, green, and red planet.
"Akodia?" I ask her.
"Actually, my people call it Aki," she replies. "I'm going to fall into orbit and request permission to land inside the main shuttlebay in the capitol city."
"I get to see your capitol city!" I wish my excitement didn't make me sound so immature. I won't convince any entities, mortal or superior, of my worthiness if I don't behave in a dignified manner.
Parkin chuckles. It is the first time I've heard her laugh. Her pleasure from my eagerness distills my fears. She probably doesn't get to show off her homeworld to visitors very often. I giggle back at her.
After taking the craft within 10,000 kilometers of Aki, she hails the shuttlebay and is given clearance to land in ten minutes. "While we are waiting," she says, "tell me how your first journey through a pocket wormhole made you feel."
I ponder this for a moment and remember how Mother described her experiences. "I wasn't frightened like my Mother," I say. "I felt the emotions of thousands, heard their voices, and I wasn't frightened."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"But why is it not having the same effect on me now? Mother told me she was pregnant with me when she first came into contact with the wormhole and that we were both terribly distressed by it. Why do I feel none of that now?"
Parkin's silent stare leads me to believe that she did not expect this reaction from me, nor can she explain it. However, after a moment's thought, I believe I can. Q! Maybe he is sincere about helping me. And it is possible that he meant only to help when he introduced the Borg to the Federation.
"Why?" I utter softly.
Parkin obviously believes I'm still thinking about Mother's depression as she replies, "Your mother was taken by surprise when she encountered our wormholes. Your knowledge and perseverance have served you well."
For the second time, I wonder if I should not tell her about Q. Instead, I ask her to explain herself. "Perseverence?"
"Would you stop at nothing to get what you want?"
I think back to the times in my life when I have wanted something badly. I remember a half-Klingon girl, who only wanted to fit in. When she met with opposition, she had to fight back. She stole a magic mirror and banished her worst enemy to oblivion. Feeling no satisfaction, she brought her enemy back and refused the power offered as a gift from Q. Stop at nothing? Did I not use ultimatum and trickery to find my way here?
"I guess--maybe. Do you think that's bad?" Here I am, again, getting into trouble.
"That's a difficult question to answer. It really depends on the situation, what your goals are and how you obtain them. Do you try civilized approaches first or do you go straight for the reward, without thinking of what your actions might do to others."
"I don't want to hurt other people to get what I want, but sometimes, that happens anyway. My Father did not want me to come here. I wanted to so badly that I used something against him, something that frightened him enough that he didn't dare refuse to grant his permission. I felt ashamed afterward. I didn't take the ultimatum back, though. Does that make me an evil person?"
"Child, you're not providing enough information for me to answer you, but from what I've seen, you don't strike me as a bad person."
Sighing with relief, I decide to trust Parkin. "An entity who calls himself Q pops in on me from time to time to tempt me with his powers.
"Q? As in the Q Continuum?"
"You've heard of them!"
"My people have had many dealings with them over the past few centuries."
Before I can obtain any further details from the medic, we receive a hail from the planet. "Shuttlecraft, you are clear for landing."
Parkin starts up the impulse engine and we descend toward the capitol city. I stare out the viewwindow mesmerized by the beautiful scenery quickly coming into focus. We zoom by a forest, a park, and closely lined houses before reaching in on the shuttlebay. Blinking red lights are indicating our reserved spot and Parkin carefully maneuvers the craft into the vacancy. She shuts the engine off, opens the door and gestures for me to step out first.
A crowd is beginning to form the onlookers begin clapping. I had not realized I would receive such a warm welcome! A man wearing a prestigious suit steps forward and offers me his outstretched hands. "Greetings, Shannara Rozhenko. I am Gharet, governor of this providence. And I would like to say, from myself and all of my constituents, 'Welcome to Aki.'"
"Thank you. I'm happy to be here."
"We have been anxiously awaiting your arrival." His confidence leads me to wonder if he knew I'd pass their tests or whether the tests had been a mere front to woo me into their fold. What game are they playing with me? "Tell us about yourself," Gharet continues. "We have not heard much about you--only that you come from an empathic race."
"I get that from my Mother's side, but my Father comes from a non-empathic race." I admit. Startled, Gharet looks toward Parkin. The crowd matches his surprise with words of disbelief uttered among themselves. Parkin knew about this, didn't she? So why are the others so shocked? "Oh, but I was told by the medic that you are empathic with the potential for telepathy."
" I am empathic. I was born that way, which is unusual even for full-blooded Betazoids and I am only one-quarter Betazoid. Direct contact with your wormholes turned my empathic abilities on prematurely. Weren't you aware of that?"
Parkin steps up to me and places her hands on my shoulders. "Shannara, some of the information on your case has been classified for high medical personnel only."
"Oh, why?"
"Because the Akodians always cover up their little mistakes until they can decide what to do with them," someone from the back of the crowd responds. A harmonious gasp rings throughout the crowd and people part to reveal a man sitting in a throne, wearing a judge's robe.
"Q!" I exclaim.
As she hastily approaches him, Parkin asks, "Are you a member of the Continuum?" I follow close behind, worried as to what game he is playing now. Why is he taking away my glory by making a spectacle of himself?
He answers Parkin with a sly grin. "Why, yes."
"Then be gone from this world!
Gharet steps forward to join her. "We will no longer partake in your meddlesome games. Be gone!" The crowd quickly picks up the chant, "Be gone! Be gone!"
Playing with his fingers as though cleaning filth from his nails, Q remains unperturbed by the crowd's demand. With a wave of his arms to quiet them, he responds, "No, sorry." He leans forward. "I'm here, because the girl wants me here." His eyes lock with mine, and for a brief moment, he has me believing I actually summoned him.
"I don't believe you," Parkin says. "She told me that you pop in on her from time to time uninvited. You sound like more of a nuisance....like the rest of your race."
"I'm insulted! I'm nothing like Q....or Q."
Parkin mutters something under her breath. Although I can't understand her words, her emotions reverberate through me. She feels only contempt for The Q. I almost expect her to lash out at Q and beat him with her fists. Instead, with a scowl, she turns around and walks away from him.
"You never could stand up to the Q. Tuck tail and walk away." This sends Parkin pivoting on her heal. "Well," Q continues as he leans back in his chair, "if you wish to banish all Q, you'll have to send the girl away too."
"What?" Parkin stares at Q half-dazed. I must admit that I am as confused by his comment as she is. How dare he insinuate that we need him!
"Oh, I see she has neglected to tell you: She *is* a Q."
After several gasps and cries, some in belief, others in disbelief of this announcement, the attention of the crowd wavers from Q to me.
"I am not a Q!" I plead with the Akodians. "He's lying!" I turn back to Q. "Why are you saying this? I thought you wanted me to succeed. You said this alliance would make you look good."
"I am not sabotaging anything. I am merely here to offer these lowly Akodians the truth, the whole truth regarding the nature of the existence of Shannara Rozhenko. They believe they are solely responsible for your fine-tuned empathic ability. They're intimidated by The Q because time and time again, we've burst their proverbial bubble. There may be some credence in their claim of prematurely awakening your empathy, but if it were not for me, you wouldn't even be here. Not even a gleam in your Father's eye."
I turn toward Parkin, who holds the decision whether or not to banish me from her planet and in doing so, end all chances of an Akodian/Federation alliance. "Be that as it may, she is our guest, and you are not."
"You will regret those words one day," Q says. He flashes off his throne and pops back in kneeling at my feet wearing his pajamas. Several members of the crowd laugh at the absurdity, and I can't help but crack a smile. He grasps my hand. "You see, I'm making a mockery of myself for you. If you want me to leave, then send me to oblivion."
I'm shocked by this offer. I scan the crowd, afraid they will encourage me to take this action. I wonder again, this time silently, why Q has shown up to spoil my first meeting with the Akodians. He craves the spotlight, I realize. Is it wrong for the galaxy to know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Q? I study the faces of several Akodians one by one and know they almost worship me or at least my arrival. They will abide by my wishes. "He stays," I insist, "and it will be written in whatever iron- clad agreement you forge with the Federation that one Q came forward against the will of all of his people to support this alliance."
Parkin looks dumbfounded. The crowd appears bewildered, hushed to silence by my unexpected demand. Gharet turns to the medic, and shrugging, says, "Looks like she's passed your tests better than you hoped. I see no choice. You'll have to abide by her wishes or forfeit our alliance."
Why am I not surprised that the Akodians wanted, perhaps needed, the alliance as badly as the Federation? This has all been a show put on to make the Federation believe that the Akodians had the higher hand. I'm not sure what the Akodians hope to gain through this alliance, but I suspect it is a numbers game to them. With a larger force, they can ward off enemies.
"All right," Parkin says. "If it's your desire to have Q here, then he may join our celebration."
Q stands up and looking toward the sky says, "I told you she had it in her." Placing his hand on my shoulder, Q whispers, "One day, you will win The Q over as well."
Do I really want to seek that goal? I wonder as we follow the Akodians toward the park for our celebration. Although I have never been satisfied with my life on a starship, I am not sure I want it turned upside down by The Q. That is a dilemma better left pondered later, I decide. For now, I will enjoy this victory.
And as the celebration gets underway, one thought rings through my head: What will Father say when he finds out I invited Q to my party?
