Star Trek: Ascension -Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

A cold, sinking dread wells in the pit of Captain Picard's stomach as clouds of tumultuous power billow around Alden. Draws all the energy of the matrix, he rises from the defiling ground and glares down upon his two hostages. Picard and Moriarty watch transfixed as Alden raises his uniform is replaced by fields of energy like threads of red fire. His chest and arms expand to herculean proportions and his face luminously white with eyes of penetrating blackness.

"Now I will rule absolutely!" he roars with a transformed voice deep and resounding.

"I have no intention of sharing this matrix with you!" Moriarty reviles, shoving a stream of power against Alden. But to the dismay of both he and Picard the stream is simply absorbed in the energy now encasing the glorified Alden.

"It's not too late, lieutenant!" Picard offers desperately, "You have a life outside of this illusion! We can still help you!"

Alden looks down at Picard with palpable distain swelling in his radiant yet frigid countenance. "Help yourself, captain! I am here to stay! I have severed my biological properties from the matrix! My body can rot in the Dominion's biological archive! I will remain here, god of a universe of my own creation!"

"Severed your biological properties?" Picard echoes, appalled. "Do not throw your life away like this."

"My choice has been made and I will consecrate it with your destruction!"

"Arch; computer delete Alden!" Picard shouts quickly. Once again Alden disappears, leaving only swirls of drifting energy in his place.

Moriarty casts Picard a tired expression. "Is that how you plan to stay off our destruction, captain, by playing this game with the arch command?"

"No," Picard replies directly with a gleam in his eye. "I have something far more effective in mind, something you thought up yourself, professor. But we haven't much time. He already knows how to escape from the archive and won't make the same mistake twice.

“Computer. Arch…"

*

Within the interplanetary battlefield the Romulan losses continue to be heavy allowing the Klingon defense force success in creating a perimeter. After the destruction of two more warbirds within the gun-sites of the Klingons the Romulans ships begin to withdraw into the Zendalen Ardis asteroid belt.

*

On the hangar deck of the Enterprise's main shuttle bay the runabout carrying the Dominion device, and the two captains within, penetrates the force field and touches down. Beyond the force field the waning battle buffets the ship as crew rush to the shuttle with an antigravity pallet.

*

In the matrix, Alden appears above Picard and Moriarty again in all of his glory and the professor suddenly swoons, reaching for Picard's arm to steady himself.

"Something has happened, Picard," Moriarty reports weakly, "and I'm not at all sure that I like it."

"Maybe the degradation of this program is finally catching up with you professor," the transfigured Alden scoffs. "But don't worry you won't be eaten alive as was your precious countess."

"Believe me, lieutenant," Picard warns, "you do not want to do this."

"Arch;" Alden commands, without regard to Picard's words, "computer, execute supreme Alden!"

Like a passing sandstorm the last vestiges of the matrix program is wiped away leaving Alden absolute in his newfound glory.

"I am the matrix now!" Alden shouts at Picard, his sight lifted into the new black sky with his powerful arms outstretched. As if engorged on his own energy, Alden grows to a tremendous size and casts his gaze down to Picard -and to his sheer astonishment, Moriarty. "Impossible!"

*

On the Enterprise, transporter room six is a hive of activity with an engineering team is busy integrating the Dominion device into the ship's transporter systems as Bashir works with Gomez on the acquisition component. On the other side of the device Troi works with La Forge, tricorder in hand, at B4's side reconnecting him as the ship rumbles under the last volleys of the battle outside.

"Data's engrams are active," the counselor reports, looking to Geordi with anxious eyes.

"Good, that means he's in," La Forge replies.

*

Alden rushes to Moriarty and pushes against him with his hand as if to confirm that he is no phantom. "He can't exist outside of the matrix!"

"Your sacrifice has given him life," Picard states.

"What!" Alden roars dismayed and ascending into the blackness above.

"Picard?" Moriarty checks, suppressing his seeping hope.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Picard presses with whimsical reproach to the receding god above. "The avarice on which you so eagerly feed your gluttony is founded on a sacrifice."

Alden stares down at them dumbfounded. Light begins to swell around him and from that light tiny stars rocket into the black expanse around them. A growl of thunder resounds in the distance. On that dark horizon, clouds build.

*

Polaski and Worf stand tensely watching and waiting in the transporter room as La Forge, Bashir, and Gomez make the final adjustments on the Dominion's machine. Troi stands beside B4 monitoring him with a tricorder as he sits in a chair plugged into the alien device.

"I've identified their patterns commander," B4 says with Data's voice. "Captain Picard is still within the matrix. There are several programs running."

"Several programs?" Dr. Polaski repeats, looking at La Forge. "How is that possible?"

La Forge moves to the transporter controls. "I don't know. It could have something to do with the degradation."

"Data, send the information to this station."

*

Alden's black eyes cut through the radiance of his white face to cast an indifferent stare on Moriarty. "You can have your sacrifice, captain! Your noble view of Moriarty is just a pitiful attempt to lash out at a power now greater than you. Lash out all you want. You will both be dead in a few minutes... but not too quickly."

With a gesture from Alden iron bands appear around both Picard's and Moriarty's head. With the close of his hands they tighten ever so slightly, delivering excruciating pain that sends the two men to their knees. Their hands reach like whips to pull at the bands but are stayed by sudden shackles. Just out of reach, their tormented fingers scratching at the bands uselessly. Clenching his fists even tighter, Alden tightens the bands again, the anguish sending Picard and Moriarty writhing onto the black ground.

"Arch!" Picard cries.

Alden clenches his fists even tighter, silencing him with his own cries of anguish. "Weren't you paying attention, captain? There is no arch. There is no program. There is no escape."

Alden descends to hover mere meters above the two tortured men on the floor. He tightens his fists again and blood begins to appear from beneath the bands as they constrict again.

"Arch!" Picard chokes against the pain. "Computer! Delete Moriarty and Picard!"

To his utter relief Picard finds himself in the biological archive. The band, the pain, and his wounds are gone. Suspended to his right is Riker. As the stasis program begins to take hold he looks to his left at an astonished Moriarty.