fic: All In A Weeks Day 4/5 [PG-13] Hl/Voy xover (prompt: trust)
Title: All In A Weeks Day
Author: Aeron Lanart
Genre: Highlander/Star Trek: Voyager crossover
Rating: PG-13 but does contain a references to a multiple relationship so if such things offend, don't read!
Warnings/Spoilers: AU for both Highlander and Voyager. No warnings/Spoilers otherwise.
Disclaimer: Trekstuff is owned by Paramount/Viacom. Highlander stuff is owned by Davis/Panzer productions
Marahet the immortal belongs to Alis, this is a companion piece to her story 'A Sense of Immortality'
Title from the song of the same name by A Wedding Anniversary.
OCC prompt = Trust
Part 4
Siannon's words proved to be somewhat prophetic the next day. Mid-morning, while she was busy with Neelix, Tuvok strode into the messhall.
"This is an unexpected surprise. Can I help you with anything?" Neelix asked.
"Thank you, but no. I am here to speak with Marahet." Hearing her name, she came out of the kitchen area.
"I'm all ears," she announced. Tuvok acknowledged her with a nod.
"I have come to inform you that the Captain has decided you may have the freedom of the ship. You are no longer required to be accompanied at all times. Your weapon, however, will remain in secure storage for the time being. Access to the Bridge is still forbidden at the present time."
"Thank you. And thank you for coming to inform me yourself, commander. I realise you must be busy" Tuvok gave her another nod.
"It seemed the - courteous - thing to do, considering my initial concern, Marahet."
"I appreciate it." Tuvok turned on his heel, and left without a backward glance.
"Well! This calls for a celebration, I think." Neelix said brightly. "I'm going to be busy rustling up something a little bit special for later, and I want it to be a surprise so why don't you use your
new-found freedom and go tell Siannon the good news." He grinned at her. "I think she'll be very pleased".
Marahet knew the way to sickbay very well, so decided to do just that. She also knew how to prevent her Quickening being sensed by another immortal, so she really would be able to surprise Siannon. It was something she did not use often as it interfered in her perception of other immortals too, but as there were only two on Voyager that was not a problem. Another side effect was that ordinary mortals tended not to notice her, so she managed to get to sickbay without interruption. Once there, she found the main area empty, but heard the sound of singing from the adjoining lab //The Doctor must be listening to opera again// she mused. She did not expect to see what met her eyes as she wandered into the office. Siannon and the Doctor were hard at work over one of the consoles, but the singing wasn't provided by the computer, it was the two hardworking medics singing a duet! Marahet gaped //They're good!// When they completed the song, Marahet entered the lab, clapping enthusiastically.
"Bravo!" Both medics whirled round at this unexpected applause, the Doctor beaming, Siannon blushing furiously before she noticed who the audience was, whereupon the colour drained from her face.
"How?" Marahet wanted to laugh at the startled expression on Siannon's face, but managed not to. She also withdrew her hold on her quickening and watched as Siannon visibly relaxed as she began to sense the other immortal. She decided to answer both of Siannon's questions.
"Tuvok gave me the freedom of the ship, except for the bridge. The other is a trick I was taught a few thousand years ago." Siannon grinned in reply.
"Told you that it wouldn't be long before Tuvok relented." She darted round the console to give Marahet a hug. "Congratulations." Stepping away from Marahet, Siannon looked at her speculatively. "And any chance of teaching me that 'trick' of yours?"
"I don't see why not. Not everyone can get the hang of it though."
"Fair enough, but I'd at least like to try." Siannon glanced over her shoulder at sound of a discreet cough behind her. "I’m sorry, Marahet, but we still have a fair bit of work to do. You can stay if you want though..."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll go back and help Neelix until lunchtime, then test this new-found freedom of mine a bit more." Marahet left sickbay with a wave at both Siannon and the Doctor.
That day seemed to set a precedent for how Marahet spent her time: mornings she generally helped Neelix; afternoons she visited the holodeck or airponics before heading over to the nursery to give
the children their final story; evenings she found herself being asked to join various social activities, and not just by her personal 'gang of four'(as she had come to think of Siannon,
B'Elanna, Tom and Harry). Voyager was becoming less strange at an alarming rate, and when it all became too much there was always one person who understood, the only person on the ship who shared her immortality.
Marahet and Siannon regularly spent time alone together, and so it did not take long for Marahet to discover that Siannon also needed her.
It had started with a fairly innocuous request to visit the holodeck, so Marahet had been surprised when the doors opened onto another place that was intimately familiar to her. Letting her eyes roam around the perfect replica of Duncan MacLeod's Seacouver Dojo, Marahet let out a low but appreciative whistle.
"It's perfect. You must spend half your life making holoprograms..."
"Not quite," Siannon replied, "And anyway, I've had help with most of them. Duncan and Richie did most of this - with a little 'help' from Methos every now and then. We kind of find it comforting to be able to revisit places that have been important to us. "She smiled. "And anyway, I have an ulterior motive this time. Computer, load the contents of security file 3947 gamma." Two swords materialised on the floor in front of her. Siannon bent to retrieve one of them, presenting it formally to Marahet. "I'm sorry it's not the real one, but this is the best I can do right now." Marahet accepted the sword with a grin.
"It might not be real, but I'm glad to see it again. But..." Siannon interrupted.
"The last time I faced a live immortal with a sword was about 8 years ago. The holoprograms help, but after a while you get careless. Tom, amongst others, has tried, but their just not as good as someone who has to fight for their life on a regular basis. I'm rusty, and you seem to be the only other immortal on the ship." She picked up her own sword. "Care to spar a little?"
"Why the hell not?"
Marahet soon discovered that Siannon was right. She was rusty. Incredibly so. After a few exchanges she called a halt.
"Enough! You don't just need practise, you need to be re-trained. You might hate me before we've finished, but I bet I can make you even better swordswoman than you were before you ever arrived here."
Siannon smiled gratefully.
"I was kind of hoping for something like that..." And so it began.
One day, sometime after their sparring sessions had become part of their daily routine, Siannon was in her quarters having a fit of nostalgia when Marahet dropped by.
"Hi Siannon, What're you doing?"
"Reminiscing." Siannon gestured at the pile of padds and pictures on the table in front of the couch. "Every so often I just feel the need to connect with the others back home." Marahet joined her on the couch.
"I can relate to that. Can I look?" Siannon nodded her agreement, and Marahet pulled one of the group pictures toward her for closer inspection. Then she frowned at it, muttering under her breath,
"It can't be..." Gripping the picture tightly in shaking hands she turned to face Siannon. "When was this taken?" She asked, her voice hoarse with some unknown emotion. Siannon met Marahet's intense gaze with one of complete bemusement.
"What? Are you OK?"
"When. Was. This. Taken?" Marahet thrust the picture into Siannon's hands; she glanced down at it, looking at the smiling faces of some of her oldest immortal friends.
"About 20 years ago, I think. Why?"
"You're not sure?"
"Well it might have been 15, I suppose. But..." Marahet's eyes were steely, her gaze boring into Siannon's. She shut them momentarily, before looking back down at the picture.
"Hugh Fitzcairn was killed in 1995. What the hell is he doing alive in the 24th Century?!" Siannon could do little more than stare at Marahet for what seemed like hours, and then her memory began to relay its information back to her.
"Kalas." It was both a statement and question. Marahet nodded.
"He took Fitz's head in Paris. Duncan couldn't stop him."
"Duncan couldn't - but someone else did..."
"Who?"
"I have no idea, but apparently it wasn't an immortal. Fitz managed to get away and Duncan eventually finished Kalas off, though Fitz had vamoosed out of the country by then." Siannon leaned forward to put the picture back on the table in front of her, and rubbed at her temples. "You know what this means though, don't you?" Marahet shook her head, still puzzled. "It means we're not from the same universe."
"A Parallel Universe? That sort of thing only happens in..." her voice trailed off and she let out a bark of slightly hysterical laughter "...Science Fiction... God and Goddess. Just look at me..." She shook her head in disbelief and buried it in her hands. She wasn't aware that Siannon had moved until she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.
"Here, drink this." A glass was thrust into her hand and she obediently sipped at it - and gasped at the taste.
"That's foul! What the hell is it?"
"Engineering's best moonshine. Better?"
"A bit - but I think I'll pass on the rest of this," she put down the offending glass "if you don't mind." Siannon grinned at her.
"Not at all." She wandered back over to the replicator and returned with 2 coffees, sitting back down next to the stunned older immortal. "I think we need to talk about this. The first encounter with a Parallel Universe is always a shock."
"You make it sound like this happens all the time!"
"On Voyager, anything can happen - and frequently does." Siannon sipped her coffee, grateful for the pause to collect her thoughts. "And there's an example that's very close to home. I wasn't here when it happened, but I've been told all about it." She proceeded to explain to Marahet about the incident with the duplicate Voyagers that had happened about 9 years previously. Marahet clutched her own coffee tightly, trying to anchor herself to reality.
"So Harry and Naomi really belong to a different Voyager?"
"Yes."
"One that no longer exists?"
"Yes."
"Ouch. This is kind of weird..." Siannon chuckled at that.
"According to Kathryn, 'Weird is part of the job'."
"That's all well and good, but what about me? Am I going to be stuck here in the wrong time and the wrong universe?" Marahet ran her hand through her hair worriedly. She couldn't afford to be stuck here indefinitely, she was sure Methos needed her. Siannon reached out to touch her again, projecting reassurance for all she was worth.
"I don't think so, but there's only one person who can answer that."
"Q?"
"Q. He brought you here for a reason. And much as I hate saying it, I don't think it was for your benefit." She paused, her face grave. "Marahet, I think I'm supposed to take your head." Siannon raised her hand to stop Marahet's outburst. "I'm not going to, of course. Why do you think I've been letting you batter me in the holodeck so much? If I need to regain my skill to live if and when we get home, then I'll do it the traditional way and not by taking the head of a friend!"
"Oh." Marahet looked a little sheepish.
"Now let's forget that, and see what else we can discover that's different, after all we seem to have known the same people..."
They were still talking hours later, when the time came to collect Miral from nursery.
"Marahet, will you pick up Miral for me? I really need to speak to Kathryn. As Captain she's got to know about this little... um... development." Siannon mentally crossed her fingers for luck.
"No problem. Just let me know how it goes." They both stood, and Siannon squeezed Marahet's arm, before dashing out.
In the Captain's ready room, Kathryn leaned against a viewport, trying to temper her incredulousness. Slowly, she turned to face the bearer of such a fantastic theory.
"You mean you were right all the time?"
"I think so. Everything points to it, and now we've discovered that we're from different Universes it's the only thing that seems to fit." Kathryn sighed. Nothing was ever simple where Q was involved.
"But why?" She waved away Siannon's reply. "Don't answer that; there's only one being who can, isn't there? Damn him. I wish I knew why he found us so fascinating."
"Your guess is as good as mine on that front." She smiled wryly."And I don't think we're going to accomplish anything by speculating about it." Kathryn nodded.
"You could be right but even so..." She sighed. "Send Tuvok in, please. I think I may be here for some time..."
To Marahet's surprise, no-one else in the crew seemed particularly bothered about the revelation that she was from a different universe. She continued to be treated in exactly the same fashion by everyone, though Harry had smiled at her ruefully and whispered,
"I know how you feel," when no-one else was paying attention to them. Even so, she was glad to escape to her quarters that evening.
It had certainly been a day filled with discovery, but one small worry gnawed at Marahet //Can it really be true?// she thought. There was only one way to find out, and that was to ask Q.
Unfortunately, no-one had ever tried to contact *him* before, he'd always arrived unannounced and unanticipated. Hopefully Marahet was going to change this, but she wasn't entirely certain.
She'd decided that if Q's powers even remotely approached the omnipotence accredited him; he would 'hear' a psychic call easily. She would be the originator of that call.
Marahet settled into the cross-legged posture that she could comfortably hold for hours, lowered the lights in her quarters to aid her concentration, centred herself and then sent out her call. It surprised her when she was answered by the psychic equivalent of a rather gruff 'What now?', so she *wasn't* surprised to find Q manifest in her room when she opened her eyes. She smiled at him.
"Thank you. I didn't know if you'd hear me."
"Hear you? Of course I heard you. You were shouting." Q deposited himself in a chair. "So, Marahet, what can I do for you?"
"Answer some questions?"
"Hmmmmm." Q swung the chair round and plonked his feet on the desk. "Try me." Marahet breathed an immense sigh of relief. //At Last!//
"We're not from the same universe, are we?" Q twizzled round in his chair again to stare at her with a puzzled frown.
"Of course we're not. I'm a Q!"
//Damned literalist// Marahet thought. She continued aloud, "Not you. I meant me and Siannon. At least that's the conclusion we came up with. Nothing else explains all the similarities *and* all the discrepancies in our friends and our lives." Q grinned, but it was an uncannily genuine smile.
"I *knew* you two would work it out sooner or later. You're right of course... you don't exist in this universe. I'm not sure whether you did at one point, but I can't quite manage to be everywhere at once so I never found out. And Siannon was killed in yours."
"Oh." Marahet let her mind wander for a bit. "In which case, why drag me all the way into a different universe four hundred years into the future?"
"Can't you guess?"
"I don't think I have to. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to have quite an affinity for this ship and crew. Right?" Q looked uncomfortable. "Well?"
"As far as it goes, yes."
"Including Siannon?"
"In a manner of speaking." Marahet decided that was as straight an answer as he would give, and proceeded to her next point.
"So... you watch this ship, become fascinated with Siannon as an immortal out of place, and realise that when Voyager gets home she's probably going to end up with a serious case of death... which is where I came in." Marahet eased herself upright, and perched on the desk next to Q. "You spotted me in that flood somehow, and decided I was your chance to do something for her, didn't you?"
"I just happened to be watching..." He tried to give Marahet his innocent look, but she didn't appear to be paying any attention to him.
"Tell me, is she still supposed to take my head?" Q sat bolt upright, as if he'd been shot.
"No! I mean..."
"But it was your intention?" Marahet was deriving an unholy satisfaction in interrogating a supposedly omnipotent being. Q had the grace to appear almost shamefaced.
"Originally, yes. A 5000 year quickening would have given Siannon such an advantage in the Game, even if Voyager doesn't get home for another 5 years. Though just your presence here seems to have reminded her of the fact that she *is* immortal and has another life back in the alpha quadrant. Now... No. In fact I was going to offer you a choice, sooner or later." It was Marahet's turn to be puzzled.
"A choice? Of what?"
"Of either staying here in this universe, or have me return you to where you came from." Q paused for emphasis. "Exactly where you came from."
"Under tons of muck and rubble..." Marahet shook her head to clear it //What a choice!// "Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place... you certainly don't make things easy, do you?"
"Me? Of course not. But you don't have to decide just yet, I think Siannon would be very disappointed if you left *right* now..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Now that, my dear, would be telling..." He gave one last grin, and disappeared with a flick of his fingers. Marahet stared at the empty chair as it swung forlornly to and fro. //Typical!// And she hadn't even told him of her idea... still, she had time so it could wait for a bit longer, or she could just follow her instincts and not tell anyone.
She knew Siannon well enough by now to realise that the Irish immortal loved a little mystery, and a slightly cryptic message to her would not necessarily go unanswered. Her mind made up, Marahet smiled to herself in the privacy of her dim quarters.
Author: Aeron Lanart
Genre: Highlander/Star Trek: Voyager crossover
Rating: PG-13 but does contain a references to a multiple relationship so if such things offend, don't read!
Warnings/Spoilers: AU for both Highlander and Voyager. No warnings/Spoilers otherwise.
Disclaimer: Trekstuff is owned by Paramount/Viacom. Highlander stuff is owned by Davis/Panzer productions
Marahet the immortal belongs to Alis, this is a companion piece to her story 'A Sense of Immortality'
Title from the song of the same name by A Wedding Anniversary.
OCC prompt = Trust
Part 4
Siannon's words proved to be somewhat prophetic the next day. Mid-morning, while she was busy with Neelix, Tuvok strode into the messhall.
"This is an unexpected surprise. Can I help you with anything?" Neelix asked.
"Thank you, but no. I am here to speak with Marahet." Hearing her name, she came out of the kitchen area.
"I'm all ears," she announced. Tuvok acknowledged her with a nod.
"I have come to inform you that the Captain has decided you may have the freedom of the ship. You are no longer required to be accompanied at all times. Your weapon, however, will remain in secure storage for the time being. Access to the Bridge is still forbidden at the present time."
"Thank you. And thank you for coming to inform me yourself, commander. I realise you must be busy" Tuvok gave her another nod.
"It seemed the - courteous - thing to do, considering my initial concern, Marahet."
"I appreciate it." Tuvok turned on his heel, and left without a backward glance.
"Well! This calls for a celebration, I think." Neelix said brightly. "I'm going to be busy rustling up something a little bit special for later, and I want it to be a surprise so why don't you use your
new-found freedom and go tell Siannon the good news." He grinned at her. "I think she'll be very pleased".
Marahet knew the way to sickbay very well, so decided to do just that. She also knew how to prevent her Quickening being sensed by another immortal, so she really would be able to surprise Siannon. It was something she did not use often as it interfered in her perception of other immortals too, but as there were only two on Voyager that was not a problem. Another side effect was that ordinary mortals tended not to notice her, so she managed to get to sickbay without interruption. Once there, she found the main area empty, but heard the sound of singing from the adjoining lab //The Doctor must be listening to opera again// she mused. She did not expect to see what met her eyes as she wandered into the office. Siannon and the Doctor were hard at work over one of the consoles, but the singing wasn't provided by the computer, it was the two hardworking medics singing a duet! Marahet gaped //They're good!// When they completed the song, Marahet entered the lab, clapping enthusiastically.
"Bravo!" Both medics whirled round at this unexpected applause, the Doctor beaming, Siannon blushing furiously before she noticed who the audience was, whereupon the colour drained from her face.
"How?" Marahet wanted to laugh at the startled expression on Siannon's face, but managed not to. She also withdrew her hold on her quickening and watched as Siannon visibly relaxed as she began to sense the other immortal. She decided to answer both of Siannon's questions.
"Tuvok gave me the freedom of the ship, except for the bridge. The other is a trick I was taught a few thousand years ago." Siannon grinned in reply.
"Told you that it wouldn't be long before Tuvok relented." She darted round the console to give Marahet a hug. "Congratulations." Stepping away from Marahet, Siannon looked at her speculatively. "And any chance of teaching me that 'trick' of yours?"
"I don't see why not. Not everyone can get the hang of it though."
"Fair enough, but I'd at least like to try." Siannon glanced over her shoulder at sound of a discreet cough behind her. "I’m sorry, Marahet, but we still have a fair bit of work to do. You can stay if you want though..."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll go back and help Neelix until lunchtime, then test this new-found freedom of mine a bit more." Marahet left sickbay with a wave at both Siannon and the Doctor.
That day seemed to set a precedent for how Marahet spent her time: mornings she generally helped Neelix; afternoons she visited the holodeck or airponics before heading over to the nursery to give
the children their final story; evenings she found herself being asked to join various social activities, and not just by her personal 'gang of four'(as she had come to think of Siannon,
B'Elanna, Tom and Harry). Voyager was becoming less strange at an alarming rate, and when it all became too much there was always one person who understood, the only person on the ship who shared her immortality.
Marahet and Siannon regularly spent time alone together, and so it did not take long for Marahet to discover that Siannon also needed her.
It had started with a fairly innocuous request to visit the holodeck, so Marahet had been surprised when the doors opened onto another place that was intimately familiar to her. Letting her eyes roam around the perfect replica of Duncan MacLeod's Seacouver Dojo, Marahet let out a low but appreciative whistle.
"It's perfect. You must spend half your life making holoprograms..."
"Not quite," Siannon replied, "And anyway, I've had help with most of them. Duncan and Richie did most of this - with a little 'help' from Methos every now and then. We kind of find it comforting to be able to revisit places that have been important to us. "She smiled. "And anyway, I have an ulterior motive this time. Computer, load the contents of security file 3947 gamma." Two swords materialised on the floor in front of her. Siannon bent to retrieve one of them, presenting it formally to Marahet. "I'm sorry it's not the real one, but this is the best I can do right now." Marahet accepted the sword with a grin.
"It might not be real, but I'm glad to see it again. But..." Siannon interrupted.
"The last time I faced a live immortal with a sword was about 8 years ago. The holoprograms help, but after a while you get careless. Tom, amongst others, has tried, but their just not as good as someone who has to fight for their life on a regular basis. I'm rusty, and you seem to be the only other immortal on the ship." She picked up her own sword. "Care to spar a little?"
"Why the hell not?"
Marahet soon discovered that Siannon was right. She was rusty. Incredibly so. After a few exchanges she called a halt.
"Enough! You don't just need practise, you need to be re-trained. You might hate me before we've finished, but I bet I can make you even better swordswoman than you were before you ever arrived here."
Siannon smiled gratefully.
"I was kind of hoping for something like that..." And so it began.
One day, sometime after their sparring sessions had become part of their daily routine, Siannon was in her quarters having a fit of nostalgia when Marahet dropped by.
"Hi Siannon, What're you doing?"
"Reminiscing." Siannon gestured at the pile of padds and pictures on the table in front of the couch. "Every so often I just feel the need to connect with the others back home." Marahet joined her on the couch.
"I can relate to that. Can I look?" Siannon nodded her agreement, and Marahet pulled one of the group pictures toward her for closer inspection. Then she frowned at it, muttering under her breath,
"It can't be..." Gripping the picture tightly in shaking hands she turned to face Siannon. "When was this taken?" She asked, her voice hoarse with some unknown emotion. Siannon met Marahet's intense gaze with one of complete bemusement.
"What? Are you OK?"
"When. Was. This. Taken?" Marahet thrust the picture into Siannon's hands; she glanced down at it, looking at the smiling faces of some of her oldest immortal friends.
"About 20 years ago, I think. Why?"
"You're not sure?"
"Well it might have been 15, I suppose. But..." Marahet's eyes were steely, her gaze boring into Siannon's. She shut them momentarily, before looking back down at the picture.
"Hugh Fitzcairn was killed in 1995. What the hell is he doing alive in the 24th Century?!" Siannon could do little more than stare at Marahet for what seemed like hours, and then her memory began to relay its information back to her.
"Kalas." It was both a statement and question. Marahet nodded.
"He took Fitz's head in Paris. Duncan couldn't stop him."
"Duncan couldn't - but someone else did..."
"Who?"
"I have no idea, but apparently it wasn't an immortal. Fitz managed to get away and Duncan eventually finished Kalas off, though Fitz had vamoosed out of the country by then." Siannon leaned forward to put the picture back on the table in front of her, and rubbed at her temples. "You know what this means though, don't you?" Marahet shook her head, still puzzled. "It means we're not from the same universe."
"A Parallel Universe? That sort of thing only happens in..." her voice trailed off and she let out a bark of slightly hysterical laughter "...Science Fiction... God and Goddess. Just look at me..." She shook her head in disbelief and buried it in her hands. She wasn't aware that Siannon had moved until she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.
"Here, drink this." A glass was thrust into her hand and she obediently sipped at it - and gasped at the taste.
"That's foul! What the hell is it?"
"Engineering's best moonshine. Better?"
"A bit - but I think I'll pass on the rest of this," she put down the offending glass "if you don't mind." Siannon grinned at her.
"Not at all." She wandered back over to the replicator and returned with 2 coffees, sitting back down next to the stunned older immortal. "I think we need to talk about this. The first encounter with a Parallel Universe is always a shock."
"You make it sound like this happens all the time!"
"On Voyager, anything can happen - and frequently does." Siannon sipped her coffee, grateful for the pause to collect her thoughts. "And there's an example that's very close to home. I wasn't here when it happened, but I've been told all about it." She proceeded to explain to Marahet about the incident with the duplicate Voyagers that had happened about 9 years previously. Marahet clutched her own coffee tightly, trying to anchor herself to reality.
"So Harry and Naomi really belong to a different Voyager?"
"Yes."
"One that no longer exists?"
"Yes."
"Ouch. This is kind of weird..." Siannon chuckled at that.
"According to Kathryn, 'Weird is part of the job'."
"That's all well and good, but what about me? Am I going to be stuck here in the wrong time and the wrong universe?" Marahet ran her hand through her hair worriedly. She couldn't afford to be stuck here indefinitely, she was sure Methos needed her. Siannon reached out to touch her again, projecting reassurance for all she was worth.
"I don't think so, but there's only one person who can answer that."
"Q?"
"Q. He brought you here for a reason. And much as I hate saying it, I don't think it was for your benefit." She paused, her face grave. "Marahet, I think I'm supposed to take your head." Siannon raised her hand to stop Marahet's outburst. "I'm not going to, of course. Why do you think I've been letting you batter me in the holodeck so much? If I need to regain my skill to live if and when we get home, then I'll do it the traditional way and not by taking the head of a friend!"
"Oh." Marahet looked a little sheepish.
"Now let's forget that, and see what else we can discover that's different, after all we seem to have known the same people..."
They were still talking hours later, when the time came to collect Miral from nursery.
"Marahet, will you pick up Miral for me? I really need to speak to Kathryn. As Captain she's got to know about this little... um... development." Siannon mentally crossed her fingers for luck.
"No problem. Just let me know how it goes." They both stood, and Siannon squeezed Marahet's arm, before dashing out.
In the Captain's ready room, Kathryn leaned against a viewport, trying to temper her incredulousness. Slowly, she turned to face the bearer of such a fantastic theory.
"You mean you were right all the time?"
"I think so. Everything points to it, and now we've discovered that we're from different Universes it's the only thing that seems to fit." Kathryn sighed. Nothing was ever simple where Q was involved.
"But why?" She waved away Siannon's reply. "Don't answer that; there's only one being who can, isn't there? Damn him. I wish I knew why he found us so fascinating."
"Your guess is as good as mine on that front." She smiled wryly."And I don't think we're going to accomplish anything by speculating about it." Kathryn nodded.
"You could be right but even so..." She sighed. "Send Tuvok in, please. I think I may be here for some time..."
To Marahet's surprise, no-one else in the crew seemed particularly bothered about the revelation that she was from a different universe. She continued to be treated in exactly the same fashion by everyone, though Harry had smiled at her ruefully and whispered,
"I know how you feel," when no-one else was paying attention to them. Even so, she was glad to escape to her quarters that evening.
It had certainly been a day filled with discovery, but one small worry gnawed at Marahet //Can it really be true?// she thought. There was only one way to find out, and that was to ask Q.
Unfortunately, no-one had ever tried to contact *him* before, he'd always arrived unannounced and unanticipated. Hopefully Marahet was going to change this, but she wasn't entirely certain.
She'd decided that if Q's powers even remotely approached the omnipotence accredited him; he would 'hear' a psychic call easily. She would be the originator of that call.
Marahet settled into the cross-legged posture that she could comfortably hold for hours, lowered the lights in her quarters to aid her concentration, centred herself and then sent out her call. It surprised her when she was answered by the psychic equivalent of a rather gruff 'What now?', so she *wasn't* surprised to find Q manifest in her room when she opened her eyes. She smiled at him.
"Thank you. I didn't know if you'd hear me."
"Hear you? Of course I heard you. You were shouting." Q deposited himself in a chair. "So, Marahet, what can I do for you?"
"Answer some questions?"
"Hmmmmm." Q swung the chair round and plonked his feet on the desk. "Try me." Marahet breathed an immense sigh of relief. //At Last!//
"We're not from the same universe, are we?" Q twizzled round in his chair again to stare at her with a puzzled frown.
"Of course we're not. I'm a Q!"
//Damned literalist// Marahet thought. She continued aloud, "Not you. I meant me and Siannon. At least that's the conclusion we came up with. Nothing else explains all the similarities *and* all the discrepancies in our friends and our lives." Q grinned, but it was an uncannily genuine smile.
"I *knew* you two would work it out sooner or later. You're right of course... you don't exist in this universe. I'm not sure whether you did at one point, but I can't quite manage to be everywhere at once so I never found out. And Siannon was killed in yours."
"Oh." Marahet let her mind wander for a bit. "In which case, why drag me all the way into a different universe four hundred years into the future?"
"Can't you guess?"
"I don't think I have to. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to have quite an affinity for this ship and crew. Right?" Q looked uncomfortable. "Well?"
"As far as it goes, yes."
"Including Siannon?"
"In a manner of speaking." Marahet decided that was as straight an answer as he would give, and proceeded to her next point.
"So... you watch this ship, become fascinated with Siannon as an immortal out of place, and realise that when Voyager gets home she's probably going to end up with a serious case of death... which is where I came in." Marahet eased herself upright, and perched on the desk next to Q. "You spotted me in that flood somehow, and decided I was your chance to do something for her, didn't you?"
"I just happened to be watching..." He tried to give Marahet his innocent look, but she didn't appear to be paying any attention to him.
"Tell me, is she still supposed to take my head?" Q sat bolt upright, as if he'd been shot.
"No! I mean..."
"But it was your intention?" Marahet was deriving an unholy satisfaction in interrogating a supposedly omnipotent being. Q had the grace to appear almost shamefaced.
"Originally, yes. A 5000 year quickening would have given Siannon such an advantage in the Game, even if Voyager doesn't get home for another 5 years. Though just your presence here seems to have reminded her of the fact that she *is* immortal and has another life back in the alpha quadrant. Now... No. In fact I was going to offer you a choice, sooner or later." It was Marahet's turn to be puzzled.
"A choice? Of what?"
"Of either staying here in this universe, or have me return you to where you came from." Q paused for emphasis. "Exactly where you came from."
"Under tons of muck and rubble..." Marahet shook her head to clear it //What a choice!// "Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place... you certainly don't make things easy, do you?"
"Me? Of course not. But you don't have to decide just yet, I think Siannon would be very disappointed if you left *right* now..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Now that, my dear, would be telling..." He gave one last grin, and disappeared with a flick of his fingers. Marahet stared at the empty chair as it swung forlornly to and fro. //Typical!// And she hadn't even told him of her idea... still, she had time so it could wait for a bit longer, or she could just follow her instincts and not tell anyone.
She knew Siannon well enough by now to realise that the Irish immortal loved a little mystery, and a slightly cryptic message to her would not necessarily go unanswered. Her mind made up, Marahet smiled to herself in the privacy of her dim quarters.