...In private...

..Aboard the Enterprise..

"How come you didn't tell me you knew Q before you set foot on this ship?" Geordi asked.

"Because it is complicated," I said.

"How complicated is it to tell me you know Q?" Geordi asked.

"We met a long time ago," I said.

Actually that is the truth as Carly met Q when she was a little girl who got lost on a forested planet.

"You nearly died," Geordi said. "What happened to you in that encounter?"

I sighed.

"The truth is..." I said. "You can't tell anyone."

"I can do that," Geordi said.

"Eight years from now, a girl will be beamed aboard the Enterprise in a rocking chair," I explain. "She will be transferred to the USS Pearl. After the Enterprise leaves there will be a random infestation of alien ugly beings called Xenomorphs. She tries to warn but no one believes her except for some other personnel. She will get infected. She will blow up the nest. Her mind will be transferred to this body."

"How old are you?" Geordi asked.

I took Geordi's hand.

"I don't want to tell right now," I said. "Carly Bel, technically, still lives."

"Woah,woah,woah," Geordi said, letting go of my hand. "Carly is dead?"

I sighed.

"I honestly don't know," I said. "Cippallon's can only live for so long."

"You are a walking corpse," Geordi said.

"Not at all," I said. "I am not decomposing."

"That is the same thing," Geordi said. "I need time to think about this."

Geordi left me in the room. I looked down toward the floor. Perhaps sending me into the past wasn't much as a great idea or telling Geordi the truth. It felt like any future I would share with Geordi had fallen to shambles. I don't really have that kind of skill to handle scenarios like these. I wish I had told Geordi a lie, I thought.

Suddenly, and strangely,time went backwards.

I was back with Geordi in the room.

This time Geordi has one hand against the surface wall material to the window.

"How long have you known Q?" Geordi asked.

"It is complicated," I said.

"How complicated can it be?" Geordi asked, turning away from the window.

"Very," I said.

"You nearly died,Carly!" Geordi said.

"I know," I said.

"Tell me the truth," Geordi said.

A faint memory from Carly's past resurfaced.

"It is going to be unbelievable," I said. "I am just remembering it, Geordi, the first time I ever met with Q."

"What happened in that encounter?" Geordi asked.

"When I was a little girl..." I started to explain. "I had a incy bincy problem..."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

..2346...

...Cippallon's major prime city, Decafros...

Carly Bell was born on August 17th,2338. So that makes her 26 at the time I am starting my story from. She was eight years old at the time this event happened. She was so curious about the land, the construction going on the city, and the star ships being built! God did they peak her interest not only did her lessons and reading come into her interest. It was the stars. Also helping people, that too.

"Are you really intending to see the stars from this level?" Came a man's voice.

I was staring at the night sky.

Elds Worth is just about fifteen minutes away from this site.

"Yes," I replied. "I get to see the stars so beautiful."

"Eight years old," The man said. "And you are a excellent climber."

"Thank you," I said.

I started to fall from my side, tired, that is all.

"Watch it!" The man said, using his leg to stop me from falling. "You need to go home, little human."

"What is a human?" I asked.

"Oh,so I am not on Earth," The man said.

"Earth?" I repeated.

"Er, forget that," The man said. "What is your name?"

"Carly," I said. "Carly Bell. And yours?"

"Call me the alphabet man," The man said.

"Alphabet man?" repeated.

"Yes," The man said.

"That is a silly name!" I exclaimed.

"You would get scared if I told you my name," The man said, in a low voice.

"I won't get scared," I said.

"You tell me what you are and I will consider telling you my name," The man said.

The building trembled, violently, causing me to fall abruptly off. The alphabet man grabbed me by the hand with a frown on his face. Regardless of his attitude I had a little laugh at seeing the turn of events. For being a little girl I did have a strange kind of humor.

"I am a Cippallon," I said. "Thank you, Alphabet man."

"That is it," The alphabet man said. "I am sending you out of harms way."

"Aww," I whined. "I like climbing construction!"

"Climb a mountain!" The alphabet man said.

My stomach grumbled.

"Okay," I said.

In a white flash I appeared about a couple miles from home in between a mountain pass.

"Now, don't tell anyone about this," The alphabet man said, shaking his index finger.

I quickly nodded.

"I will!" I said.

The alphabet man stared at me.

"Don't tell your parents," The alphabet man said,

"I will!" I said, again. "Honesty is the way of Cippallon life."

The alphabet man sighed.

"Good grief," The alphabet man said. "The things a man has to do."

The alphabet man vanished in a flash of light.

"I met an alphabet man, I met an alphabet man, I met an alphabet man!" I sang skipping running the passage way.

Okay, that's where things turn for the worst.

You see my singing echoed disturbing some boulders. I know, I have a streak for danger. Go figure. I seem to attract danger where ever the heck I go. Anyway, you can put together the worst fate ever. It was very unexpected because next it was total darkness, pain, and isolation thrown into a unpleasant time. The back of my neck ached in pain. I can feel the back of my skull ringing, and a cool smelling liquid coming down my skin. My other senses except for sight were out.

"Carly?" I heard my father, being George, in concern.

Daddy, I am here!

My father and mother went in different directions calling for me.

"Carly!" My mother, Jennifer,shouted.

"Honey, look over here!" My father shouted.

"Oh my gods," My mother said.

I heard a stampede of shoes coming toward my direction. My other senses gave out. Everything about today seemed to wash away as did the pain. The memories of today were playing through my mind. Making it nearly to the top was my biggest achievement. Staring upon the stars had made me feel hope and wonder at once. It was a memory I preferred to relive at the moment.

"My baby!" My mother cried.

"The doctor is not in town, tonight," My father said. "Let's bring her inside...Carefully."

My eyes struggled to open.

When I did my eyes could see a bright light on the ceiling.

"Daddy?" I squeaked.

"Yes, my princess?" My father said.

"The...The Alphabet man..." I said. "He...He transported me home. I was on a construction building and he startled me...He saved me, daddy."

I saw tears rolling down my father's face.

"My princess," My father said.

"He vanished in a white flash, daddy," I said. "He is called the Alphabet man."

My mother came to my side as my father got up. I never seen my father so shaken as he usually is calm, happy, and usually just the best parent he can ever be! I heard my father shout, 'ALPHABET MAN, COME OUT!' then I heard him curse at the gods. I heard my father, of all people, weep.

I can see it is turning dark and my pace is slowing.

"Mommy," I said. "I am scared."

Eight year old me, being scared, how typical.

"Honey," My father said,entering the house.

"Oh my gods--" My mother started but the alphabet man interrupted.

"Enough of your gods, Cippallon," The alphabet man said. "I will wipe your memory of this event afterwards. Is that clear?"

I didn't know then the name of the alphabet man.

I didn't know he was Q.

"Yes," My mother said.

I saw the alphabet man look over with the appearances of a male Cippallon rather than the clean face I had seen earlier. He had lacked ridges on the middle of his nose, The 'V' shaped forehead, his elevated shoulders with bumpy shapes, and the attire usually worn by a Cippallon. Both genders could wear as they please even cross dressing was acceptable. Usually it is a shirt, pants, shoes that protected the spider like toes, and a vest that typically had strings to knot it up. Little children usually had on a shirt and short pants that end at the knee's. Some little girls wore dresses while I did not!

The alphabet man put a hand on my chest.

Lay still, The alphabet man told me through thought, and relax.

I took a painful breath.

Relax, I thought, think of the stars.

My pulse slowed as I pictured a beautiful night sky that glowed.

"Her lungs are damaged," The alphabet man said. "Hmm..." He cocked up a brow. "That is a first."

"What, what,what?" My father asked.

"None of your concern," Q said, then I felt something going on in my body. "There." He stood up. "No more problems with her and I. Her memories will be wiped of today as will yours. You will be randomly moved to where you should be."

The alphabet man snapped his fingers and vanished.

My parents were frozen in place and my pulse continued to decline.

"Daddy?" I called.

No response.

"DADDY!" I called, so afraid and weak.

I never felt so scared than before.

The alphabet man reappeared taking my hand into his smaller hand.

"Carly Bell..." The Alphabet man said. I saw the hair behind his ears are gray unlike how dark brown they were earlier. "You will thank me for this." He had on a black and red uniform with three pins on the collar. Q placed my left hand on my chest then he lightly pat on my hand. "It is the least I can do."

"Alphabet man..." I said. "Will I remember you?"

The alphabet man had a sad look on his face.

"I am afraid not," The alphabet man said. "But it is imperative you trust me, little bell."

I didn't know why I found that comforting in how he referred to me. I didn't feel so scared. I felt...protected.

"Why?" I asked.

"If I always told the truth I wouldn't need people to believe me," the alphabet man said.

"I won't forget you," I said, feeling my heart returning to life.

"Sadly, little bell," The Alphabet man said. "You must not...At least for now."

"I want to remember you," I said.

The alphabet man took his hand off my hand.

"Tell Picard to remember what I told him years ago," The alphabet man said.

"What if Picard doesn't remember what you are referring to?" I asked.

The alphabet man had a concerned look but that is replaced by a sad smile.

"That is the point," The alphabet man said. "He has to remember."

I saw a light behind the alphabet man. He turned around and walked in the direction of the light. He snapped his fingers and time resumed. From then onward I started to climb mountains with little to no memory why I wanted to do that. Each level was a success story for me. Eventually I grew to love climbing rocky surfaces.

That is the moment I became Carly Bell.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

...Private place...

...Enterprise..

I sighed.

"That is how we met," I said. "I know now why I nearly died. My heart has some help."

Geordi came over to me.

"So all these years," Geordi said. "You never remembered him."

I nodded.

"You are correct," I said.

"Until today," Geordi said.

"Yes," I said.

I realized then why I had felt nostalgia when he appeared on the Enterprise. I was so fond of Q as a little girl because of what he did. It made perfect perfect sense, really. Carly's mind recognized that voice.

"The captain wants Sam to screw up," Geordi said.

"To make a Q screw up?" I repeated. "That is...going to be impossible."

"Not really," Geordi said. "Think of him as wanting to help people."

"Oooh," I said. "That kind of mistake."

Geordi nodded.

"Yeah, that," Geordi said.

"But Sam is omnipotent," I said. "He knows everything."

"Unlike Q," Geordi said. "He respects our privacy."

I blink.

"But doesn't Captain Picard have the powers of the Q?" I asked.

"Not as you think," Geordi said. "He is still human. Just temporally gifted with the power of the Q."

"I see," I said.

"It will be all right," Geordi said. "Just don't go over the cliff."

I laughed.

"I won't go over the cliff," I said.

What Geordi means is; don't wish for people to die.