So.... The Sentinel is on board - time to find out about its ancestors....
Also, here we have mention of the Borg. A race of cyborgs whose ultimate aim is to 'assimilate' all members of the galaxy into their race - they will not accept that many races wish to remain individual insisting that to be part of the 'collective' mind is the best way. Obviously we humans are a stubborn lot....
The Nexus is a ribbon-like phenomenon that moves around the galaxy. Inside, time stands still and it is almost like a parallel universe except that your favourite senarios and greatest wishes are realised.
As before - those who have questions may ask....
I'm sure those of us who know TNG will be only too happy to fill you in....
As always, enjoy..... Oh..Btw... a Wp today too...
Lucy
Chapter 6
Guinan sat at the end of the bar, her thoughts wandering, her people were known to themselves as ‘The Listeners’ but at the moment, she felt the need to be listened to. However, until she could concentrate her thoughts on what was bugging her she would not move to speak to anyone.
The sense of anticipation and relief that she could feel inside confused her – she was not an empath like Ehliena, but the feelings were certainly not hers. She knew they had started at the same time the first call was received from the Sentinel, but could not understand why the feelings were getting stronger or growing inside of her.
Now that they were orbiting the planet Symehk, the feelings were even stronger than before and they un-nerved her slightly. Guinan was good at understanding feelings and knew that hers were not screaming a warning – in fact they were more welcoming than that. More like the anticipation of a meeting with an old friend, but she could not work out why it would be so.
&&
Ehliena was busy, the final preparations had been made for the evacuation of the Sentinel’s people and they were beginning to use the transporter rooms to beam aboard. The Captain had refused to leave anyone behind on the planet – even those that had volunteered when Data had discovered that the transporter frequencies could be matched to the Entity’s people – even giving them a ‘power boost’.
Ehliena noticed that the stronger the Entity, the more fluid and brighter the colours of its persona. The Sentinel was one of the strongest – but also had the greatest variety of colour. Others were more blue, red or green, some were purple. Smiling to herself, she wondered if people would be amused to see her walking around the decks of the Enterprise accompanied by an ever changing group of rainbows. It certainly made her feel happy.
The Historian had been one of the first to transport aboard, using its own energy and the transporter room for maximum efficiency bringing with it the oldest of the records its race had. It had instantly joined Data in the search for details of the Ancestors.
A few days later, as the last of Symehk race arrived on board, Ehliena heard an announcement on the ship wide transmitter, welcoming the newcomers on board, and a request for her to join the Captain and others in the observation lounge.
&&
Walking in, she expected to find Will Riker, Data, Geordi and Worf present, and The Sentinel and another Symehk in attendance, who was introduced as ‘The Manager’. She was not quite prepared however to see Guinan. Her friend had a look of trepidation on her face, emotions in turmoil. Ehliena walked over and sat next to her curious as to what could cause the usually unflappable Guinan to be so perturbed.
“It seems that Mr Data has found out something rather interesting from the archives that the Symehk have brought with them. I have asked Guinan to join us as the matter may also affect her and her people.”
Turning to the android, the Captain indicated that Data should begin his presentation. Data took up his usual stance and began, his initial words causing consternation around the room. “From what I have been able to ascertain, the ancestors of the Symehk are related to the El-Aurian race.”
Guinan gave a startled gasp. “How? I don’t understand…”
Data lifted his hand slightly, causing Guinan to pause in her words, “If you would let me continue my friend, I will tell you how I have come to this hypothesis.”
Guinan settled in her seat, calmer now than earlier – her mind turning over, trying to recall any old stories from the history of her people.
“The oldest of the archives is written in a language that I was at first unable to translate, so to decode it I set the computer a task to match the characters to those of any race that could provide a logical translation. The closest first language was modern El-Aurian, yet there were still some problems, so I went for older more obscure forms – dialects. Finally I found a copy of a language I could use, an obscure script used by only one of the El-Aurian colonies, which has – unfortunately – been completely destroyed.”
“The language itself is very formal, as would seemingly be used in a clerical society…”
Guinan gasped, “Are you talking about the ‘Scholars’? I remember stories my Grandmother used to tell me, of a highly educated, advanced group of our people. A ‘gifted’ child could receive a scholarship and be sent to their planet for extra study. They were said to be the most gracious of our people – yet, they too at some point succumbed to the problems many races encounter – how to best use their gifts.”
Data nodded, “I think we are Guinan, from the records I have been able to establish that many of the Scholars, as you call them, wished to share their gifts with the rest of their people – but a small group were afraid - afraid that their gifts would not be used for good endeavours. Their fears were realized when a civil war began on one of the nearby colonies.”
“At that point the group left the colony, not wishing to be forced to take sides – they travelled for a long time, honing their skills – and became the Symehk when they found the planet which we are now leaving behind us. That was nearly 8 millennia ago.”
Guinan stared at the table, “The Civil War spread to all the colonies, when it was finally resolved, many Scholars had given their lives in the search for peace and withdrew from society, horrified at what they had done, blaming themselves for starting the war, becoming almost reclusive.”
“When my grandmother was born, she had some unique gifts – along with being slightly telepathic, but the Scholars had all but died out and many were not as strong as their ancestors had been, there was nowhere for her to train so she grew up to a normal existence.”
The Captain quietly interrupted, “Guinan, these… Scholars… Are there any left?”
Dropping her head, Guinan replied in the negative, “No… I only knew of two – both were into their 9th century when I was a child. The planet where they lived was completely destroyed by the Borg. A couple may have moved into the Nexus – but they will never return.”
The room became quiet as the people gathered there felt Guinan’s quiet grief for the loss of the most talented of her people.