Contacting Q

"Alright Q," said Picard. "I know you're out there. I know, on some level, you're aware of this. I'm very reluctant to say this, but I need your help. Are you satisfied?"

Someone appeared out of nowhere. But it wasn't Q. It was a tall man, wearing menacing, ornate armor. The man surveyed the startled looks of those around him. "YOU WERE EXPECTING MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE?" he said. His voice was loud and imposing, and sounded like it was electronically altered.

"Where's Q?" asked Picard. "Who are you?"

"I AM OBLIVION," said the man. He took off his helmet. Under it was the face of a young man, pleasant and not at all menacing. He had brown hair and green eyes, and seemed no more than 16. "Q COULD NOT COME HERE, AS HE IS OCCUPIED WIHT... MORE PRESSING MATTERS."

"And just what sort of matters are those?" asked Picard.

"IT'S A LONG STORY. IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY I CAME HERE.

"YOU SEE," he continued, "I AM AN AUTHOR. THE UNIVERSE OF THE BEING INSIDE SISKO'S MIND--AND YOURS AS WELL--IS MAINTAINED IN PART BY A DEVICE CALLED THE SERVER. WE AUTHORS MAINTAIN THE SERVER AND GUARD THE STABILITY IN THE UNIVERSE.

"THE BEING INSIDE SISKO'S MIND BECAME AWARE OF US BECAUSE OF AN ERROR IN THE SERVER. THIS AWARENESS DROVE HIM QUITE MAD, AND HE TRIED TO KILL US. WE PUNISHED HIM BY RESTORING HIS SANITY AND SENDING HIM HERE. WE PARTIALLY DID THIS BECAUSE WE NEEDED HIM HERE.

"YOU SEE, THE SERVER IS STARTING TO MALFUNCTION. THE HIGH AUTHOR, SIR TOBY, HAS LOST ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS TO THE SERVER, AND IT IS STARTING TO BREAK DOWN. WE NEED YOU TO GO ON A QUEST OF SORTS, TO REPAIR THE SERVER. YOU MUST BRING SISKO TO THE KTARIAN HOMEWORL IN YOUR SHIP. YOUR QUEST WILL BEGIN THERE. BUT I MUST WARN YOU. THERE IS GREAT DANGER INVOLVED, NOT JUST TO YOURSELF, BUT TO THE UNIVERSE."

"So are you giving us a choice?" asked Dax.

"NO," intoned Oblivion. "THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE. ALTHOUGH I REGRET TO BRING A LOVELY WOMAN SUCH AS YOURSELF INTO MORTAL DANGER, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE." The man disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

1. "Alright," said Bashir. "What now?"

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