<<Stardate: 47307.16- 12:53>>

<<Captains Ready Room>>

Within seconds of the last of the senior officers leaving the Ready Room, the Yellow Alert lights began their warning. No sound accompanied the alert. In such situations, the First Officer, at least, if not the Captain, was expected on the Bridge. Epic waited ten carefully counted seconds, for either the Captain to leave his office or, using his communicator, inquire about the alert.

After ten seconds, the Captain did not respond. Epic rose and moved toward the door to the Bridge.

"Excuse me, Commander."

Epic turned in abrupt surprise. Standing behind him, presumably all the while, was a woman. More specifically, a lovely young woman. More precisely still, a lovely young Admiral. Epic fought back the instinct to snap to attention.

This woman was no Admiral, and she had not been ‘there’ a second ago.

"You have been here a while...", Epic said what he felt. "...Why am I only really noticing you now?"

The blond....girl...Epic decided on, she was no older in appearance than seventeen, walked up to him, standing toe to toe. Their noses were only inches apart. She studied his face carefully. No, not his face. His eyes.

Epic bore the intimate scrutiny with equanimity. His empathic senses were almost overwhelmed by his initial attempt to read her and he had instinctively flinched back. This girl had power, and the ambient excitement that implied barely contained motive and intention. And Epic held her gaze for a long moment.

"I mean you no harm.", she finally said.

"That’s good.", Epic replied with ironic humor. She smiled. Her smile was happy and charming. It did not allow Epic to relax even a little. Though outwardly calm, internally, he was....not frightened. Intimidated.

"You have keen perceptions, Commander. I thought for sure you would actually react to me before I was ready for you to do so." "Sorry to disappoint you.", he replied evenly, without a hint of inflection. She still stood close. If she were another woman, in another setting, Epic was certain he would have kissed her.

"‘Disappoint me’?", she subdued a laugh. "I am impressed." Epic could think of nothing to say, so he said nothing. Besides, she would get to her point. Soon. Her enthusiasm was creeping into his awareness, despite his best efforts to block her. "I am here to help you.", she finally said. And, saying it, Epic felt a wave of exuberance that almost caused him empathic pain. She was too powerful and he was too sensitive. And, she was too close. But Epic would not retreat or yield.

"Do I need help?", he asked.

Epic sighed in relief from tension as she stepped away from him to look out the starboard window.

"Not now. No.", she said with a hint of playfulness. "But, you will."

Epic nodded for no reason, then shrugged. "Who are you?"

She turned to look at him. "Four years ago, I was Amanda Rogers.

For the last four years, I have gone by the name ‘Q’."

Epics fear tightened into a dense ball just below his diaphragm. "I have been allowed to accompany you on this voyage of discovery.", she stated happily. "And I look forward to it." "Allowed by whom?", Epic asked, again, without emotion, though inside, his organs were squirming.

"By the Continuum.", she replied.

Again, Epic nodded in affirmation. Then inquired. "And how do you know we will need help? Are the ‘Q’ precognitive as well as omniscient?’ "Omniscience implies precognition.", she stated matter-of-factly. "But there are anomalies here that offset the Continuums ability to ‘see’. So, I have been allowed to accompany you to observe and .... direct... where needed."

Epics fear was beginning to morph into anger, which expressed itself as disdainful indignation. "And, because of your relative omnipotence, we are powerless to prevent you. Is that it?" Q looked genuinely wounded by the remark. She snapped back. "Do not assume that there are no dangers here for me, as well, Terrakian." Epic was immediately struck by her words. She did not say that there were ‘dangers OUT THERE for me, as well’. She said ‘dangers HERE’. In the back of his mind, Epic smiled sinisterly. He had a sudden and sure intuition of what she meant by the remark, but he would not allow himself to think of it or about it.

But the dark seed of a plan was already germinating in the deep recesses of his very dark mind.

Q became immediately guarded in her posture. To the observer, it might appear that their positions had suddenly reversed, though none could say why.

"Well, then...", Epic spoke suddenly. Q winced minimally, barely noticeably to the insensitive but dramatically to Epic. "...I guess I have little else to say besides ‘Welcome aboard’." Then, he turned to exit the room. "I know what you’re thinking, Terrakian.", Q said, her sweet, teenage face looking as sage as it could.

"No.", Epic replied with certainty. "You don’t."

Then, he left.

Commander Epic Terrakian entered the Bridge and walked to the Captains chair. He sat, feeling the tension in his legs release, causing his knees to quiver. No one noticed.

After taking a few deep breaths, he turned his attention to the monitors set into the chair console and waited for reports to start coming in.