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If you are following the development of this story daily, this addition was posted May 3, 1998.

Escape from the Trenditan - PG RATING
R/T, Zlanna@aol.com cont. Conclusion - 5/3/98

*************

Deanna Riker watched the staff file out of the conference room single file. Balona and Luke left with their eyes locked together and their hands tightly held. "I can't believe Balona has been recovered."

"It looks like Luke has no trouble believing it." Will replied. "Deanna, help me speculate."

"Really, Will, I don't think there is time"

"Cute," Will laughed, "very cute, Deanna. I mean help me speculate about what the Trenditan might be doing with the Guardian of Forever."

"Using it as a transportation device?"

"Let me play devil's advocate for a bit. There many other transportation devices around. Why use the Forever World just as a transportation device?"

"Maybe that is the only one the Trenditan can use."

"Why, Deanna?"

"Because they are energy life forms?" Deanna guessed.

"Sorry, Deanna, we have encountered a number of energy life forms in our travels, they can all use conventional transporter devices."

Deanna's lips turned down into a frown, something Riker rarely saw. "What if the Guardian of Forever is the only transportation device the Trenditan use"

Immediately Will understood what his wife was about to say and voiced the exact words at the exact same time, "Because it is their transportation device!"

"Exactly! What if the Trenditan are decendants of the creators of the Forever World. "

"Then, we are up against a very powerful enemy." Will concluded. "How do you defeat God himself?"

"The Trenditan are not God." Deanna insisted.

"I know, but I always thought of the Guardian of Forever as God. The Guardian of Forever says he has existed since the dawn of time. Sure sounds like God to me."

"I think this speculation is useless, Admiral, we will have to wait until we arrive at the Forever World before we find the answers to the Trenditan."

A claxon sounded in the briefing room through the com system marking the shift change. "Let me contact Beverly. She will want to have dinner with us tonight."

"Okay," Will agreed, "but we retire early."

"That's what you said fifteen years ago!"

"Boy you are full of one liners tonight!" Will countered."

"I've fallen under a very bad influence."

"Hmmm. I can be even a worse influence."

Deanna giggled, "You are sending out the most lascivious emotions, Admiral Riker."

"That's what we bad influencers do."

Deanna nodded in agreement, "We will retire early, tonight."

Several hours later in the dark of their cabin, Admiral Riker and his wife woke to the sound of Data's voice over the com system. "Admiral Riker? Sorry to wake you,Sir, but you asked to be informed when we were 30 minutes from Forever World."

"Thank you Data. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Riker out."

Deanna stirred when Will swung his legs off the bed. "Coming?" he offered

Will and his wife made their way quickly to the turbolift, both wondering if the Trenditan would beat them to the Forever World. Stepping out of the turbolift onto the bridge, Will's attention was immediately caught by the strange sight on the viewscreen. "Data. What is that?"

"Unknown, Sir. It just appeared. I am running scans on it now, but I am not receiving any data back. I would speculate that it is a ship, Sir."

A strange, orange glowing sphere orbited the Forever World, its neon coloring shifting slightly from lighter to darker shades then back to lighter shades of orange. To Will Riker the ball resembled the globe of lightening bugs he used to catch every August evening in a meadow near his home. His dad had given him a glass ball to hold the lightening bugs. During the night he would lie awake watching their light antics as they darted around the ball. Their dancing flights fascinated him and in his imagination they might be dog fighting fighter crafts or phaser canons shooting out the Klingon wars or they might be some strange entities from Kirk's travels. Will would watch the lightening bugs until his eyes grew heavy and sleep replaced his fantasies. The next following morning he would release the creatures back to the meadow to rest until he repeated his pursuit of them the following day. It was a comforting image, not at all what he expected to feel when faced with what presumably was a Trenditan ship. "Trenditan?" Will asked.

"It would seem the most probable explanation, Sir." Data answered.

Before anyone could move, the Admiral and Deanna were suddenly transported onto the surface of the Forever World. The first thing that Will noticed was the pile of bodies laid neatly side by side outside the perimeter of the barrier the Federation had established to protect the Guardian of Forever. Federation scientists. Anger welled up and caught in a knot in Will's throat at the waste of such brilliant minds. Looking up he saw the twinkling lights that appeared like a thousand stars around the Guardian. Again, Will wondered at the image. Those twinkling lights were the Trenditan and yet the analogy he thought of was a reassuring image to him. He had always loved the stars. Why did he now see the beauty of the Trenditan instead of their horror? He tried to conjure up the hatred that he had every right to feel, but instead, he felt only a sense of awe at the energy beings.

Beside him, Deanna took his arm. "The scientists are alive Will. From their emotions, I would say they are asleep. Their dreams are peaceful, not at all the disturbed images of an attacked victim.

"Admiral William T. Riker." A deep baritone voice sounded as if it came from the planet itself. "All will be as it was."

Will turned around full circle trying to spot the being who belonged to the disembodied voice. He found nothing. Then he followed Deanna's finger which pointed to the Guardian. In a rush the lights enveloped the Imzadi couple. Blinded by the white lights, Will tried to move but found himself immobilized. Familiar feelings of confusion flooded Riker's mind. Time flowed by in disoriented sequences. Once again Will saw himself as a young Starfleet cadet sitting down for the last part of the pilot qualifying exam. He was running after a a pleasure girl on Risa her laughter filling his ears. Lwaxanna studied him at his wedding reception on Betazoid reading his mind no doubt. He fought the panic that gripped him as he realized that he was once again a captive of the Trenditan. Instinctively, Will's thoughts turned to Deanna. As before he heard her voice. "Will, close your eyes from the images. I understand now. All will be as it was."

Once again Will found himself transported to the field working beside Deanna. They were among a small group of workers. The Trenditan darted around the group as each humanoid took a small, brightly colored square from a box on the ground and placed the square on the side of a tall, oblisque. Turning to Deanna who worked beside him, Will asked, "Deanna? Are you alright?"

"Work quickly Will, we have lost much time."

5/3/98-Conclusion

"What are we doing?"

"We will make all as it was."

"I don't understand, Deanna."

"Work quickly Will and have faith."

Will lost track of time. His fingers ached from the effort of placing the small squares on the tall structure. There was a pattern that was forming from the myriad hues that comprised the squares. Although it seemed that the workers beside him were placing the squares randomly, there was a picture that was forming. A picture that he could not make out in the bright light. He knew only that the picture made a pattern and that the pattern had a meaning. They worked side by side with no break. The lights danced around them as if encouraging their progress. When they could no longer reach beyond where they had placed the squares, ladders appeared which allowed them to climb up and passing the squares from one to another, the workers were able to cover the entire, oblesque. Wearily Will climbed down the ladder and stood beside Deanna.

"Will, look!" Riker followed Deanna's gaze and saw the tall, pointed structure change colors from one hue to another, pulsing with a life energy. Suddenly, everything began to spin once again. Will reached out for Deanna, steadying himself by holding onto her shoulder. Around them the winds of the Forever World howled and before them the great Guardian pulsed with power. The disembodied voice reached them once again. "All is now as it was." Tiny lights danced as if in a jubilation ceremony and then gracefully disappeared one after another. As the last light faded, the scientists assigned to the Forever World began to stir. Riker intended to go to them, but he never made it. Instead, he and Deanna were transported in an instant to the Starship that circled over head.

"Mom! Dad!" Beverly shouted upon seeing her parents materialize in their quarters. "We thought you had been abducted again!"

Will turned to his wife. "Deanna,are you okay?"

"Yes. It was wonderful wasn't it?"

"What mother?" Beverly demanded.

"The Guardian, dear. The great Guardian of Forever."

Data and Captain Reynolds listened quietly in the Briefing Room as Deanna described what had happened on the Forever World. "So you see," she continued, "the Trenditan had evolved to energy based beings and were unable to repair the damage that the Guardian of Forever had sustained over the milennia. They needed our physical hand to eye coordination to manipulate objects and correct the erosion that the Guardian had experienced. Since they were unable to communiate with us, they had no way to explain what they needed us to do. They therefore, captured those they thought would be able to aid in the repairs and used illusion to effect the complicated work."

"I don't understand. How did you realize what was happening Counselor?" Captain Reynolds asked.

"I don't know. I had no idea until I was standing before the Guardian. Perhaps because of my empathy the Guardian was able to get the idea of what was needed and why our help was required. I only know, I had a "flash" of insight and knew that the Guardian was in danger if the repairs were not completed quickly.

"And you think the Guardian is repaired?" Data asked.

"Yes, Data, I think "

Will interrupted Deanna, "All is as it was."

The End

I only do this for the pleasure of Imzadi fans. If you enjoyed the story or if you have suggestions, please send your comments to:Zlanna@Imzadi.org.