justprompts
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She'd determined before to go, but right when she'd gotten up to going she decided not to. She hadn't been ready after all to deal with whatever the Continuum might have held. She threw herself into practice and study, as she had when she was in Starfleet Academy. Time passed, and truly, she had no concept of how little or how much time that was.
She couldn't say for sure how much all of that had paid off yet, but she was feeling more confident at least, and this time she did go. With a breath of determination and a brilliant flash. She expected chaos, an infinite expanse of knowledge and light. She found an empty expanse of featureless clay all around her. There was a blue 'sky', and a strange gate that led nowhere.
It was a little unnerving, really, but she'd come this far, she wasn't about to turn around and leave a second time--even if it didn't really count as 'leaving' the first time, so much as deciding against it preemptively. The door swung inward when she reached for it, and revealed a swirling vortex of gray. The harder she focused on it, the more colors she could spot swirling in it, but doing so made her dizzy.
She glanced around briefly, just in case she was missing another door, before stepping through the gateway into whatever part of the Continuum awaited her. It was a little like what she would have imagined diving naked into a frozen lake might feel like. Except she had a feeling the truth of the matter was no as shocking as she thought it would be, and this particular experience was more explosive, and did not immediately abate. If she had need for air, she would have struggled for a gasping breath, and it was debatable how successful it would have been. Fortunately, she was not, so despite the inclination and habit she was able to focus her attention on calming the constant turmoil.
The swirling clouds eventually settled, and she found herself standing in a city that looked very much like a picture she once saw of an Ancient Earth civilization. It was like Q said, then. The Continuum changed to what she envisioned it would be. Either this, or Roman culture was inspired by a traveling Q. (Not that she would have ruled that out anyway.) Either way, she was no longer wearing the dress she had been before. Now it was a white tunic-dress like the other Q who wandered the city. None seemed to pay her any mind, and perhaps that was for the best.
She did not exactly wander aimless, so much she wandered without quite knowing exactly what it was she was searching for. She knew next to nothing about Q culture, and if it was structured on Roman culture, she knew little more about that. The occasional Q glanced up briefly when she passed, but none seemed interested in speaking to her. Perhaps they were disgusted, perhaps, like Q suggested, they were afraid. Perhaps they were so slothful now, even if they wanted to, they couldn't put forth the effort to speak to her. If it was the last option, at least that might mean if she did something they disapproved of, it would be a while before they could do anything to prevent her, and she could be gone by then. She could certainly hope that was the choice, at least.
She didn't know how long she wandered, and she wasn't certain if she was going in circles, but the Q around her were starting to look more agitated, and she thought she heard one snort softly in disgust when she passed them. This was not working. At all.
For a moment, she considered turning back, finding Q and asking him how she was supposed to find anything in the Continuum...but that would have defeated the purpose of waiting. It would have defeated the purpose of the lessons she'd taken. She chewed her lip softly, and dropped her gaze to the ground briefly. Maybe it was a bit of omniscience she was calling on. Maybe it was telepathy...and then, maybe, just maybe, it was the lessons he'd already taught her, doing the work they were meant to.
Whichever it was, she stood in silence for only a few moments before the answer--or perhaps an answer--came to mind. While the Continuum appeared to be a Roman city she had once glanced at, she had a feeling its true form was closer to the vortex she'd seen before this visage had formed. If what Q had said was true, then her vision of this place was controlled entirely--or almost entirely--by her own mind. She didn't think it was conscious mind, because that wasn't really how the Q worked.
She gave a small nod, and clenched her hands into determined fists, before taking a step forward once more. She didn't know where the Continuum would keep what she needed, but she would follow her instincts, and call what she needed to her, rather than wander throughout an eternity trying to get to it.
It was not long before she found herself standing before a looming courthouse. The Q there ignored her as surely as the rest of them had, but it truly was for the best. There were security Q, as well, but it was anyone's guess whether they would play the part they were dressed as or not. She followed the signs along the walls, both subtle and obvious until she reached an area labeled 'Archives'.
The largest section was, unsurprisingly 'Q'. In fact, it was debatable whether there was another section. She took a breath, chewing her lip once more, and reached out for a book blindly, trusting the arrangement to bring the archive she chose. Fortunately, it seemed to be successful. The Q labels displayed the signature she had felt during the brief, intense battle. There was a sticker that said "Do Not Remove From Library'.
She peeled it off and vanished from the Continuum.
She'd determined before to go, but right when she'd gotten up to going she decided not to. She hadn't been ready after all to deal with whatever the Continuum might have held. She threw herself into practice and study, as she had when she was in Starfleet Academy. Time passed, and truly, she had no concept of how little or how much time that was.
She couldn't say for sure how much all of that had paid off yet, but she was feeling more confident at least, and this time she did go. With a breath of determination and a brilliant flash. She expected chaos, an infinite expanse of knowledge and light. She found an empty expanse of featureless clay all around her. There was a blue 'sky', and a strange gate that led nowhere.
It was a little unnerving, really, but she'd come this far, she wasn't about to turn around and leave a second time--even if it didn't really count as 'leaving' the first time, so much as deciding against it preemptively. The door swung inward when she reached for it, and revealed a swirling vortex of gray. The harder she focused on it, the more colors she could spot swirling in it, but doing so made her dizzy.
She glanced around briefly, just in case she was missing another door, before stepping through the gateway into whatever part of the Continuum awaited her. It was a little like what she would have imagined diving naked into a frozen lake might feel like. Except she had a feeling the truth of the matter was no as shocking as she thought it would be, and this particular experience was more explosive, and did not immediately abate. If she had need for air, she would have struggled for a gasping breath, and it was debatable how successful it would have been. Fortunately, she was not, so despite the inclination and habit she was able to focus her attention on calming the constant turmoil.
The swirling clouds eventually settled, and she found herself standing in a city that looked very much like a picture she once saw of an Ancient Earth civilization. It was like Q said, then. The Continuum changed to what she envisioned it would be. Either this, or Roman culture was inspired by a traveling Q. (Not that she would have ruled that out anyway.) Either way, she was no longer wearing the dress she had been before. Now it was a white tunic-dress like the other Q who wandered the city. None seemed to pay her any mind, and perhaps that was for the best.
She did not exactly wander aimless, so much she wandered without quite knowing exactly what it was she was searching for. She knew next to nothing about Q culture, and if it was structured on Roman culture, she knew little more about that. The occasional Q glanced up briefly when she passed, but none seemed interested in speaking to her. Perhaps they were disgusted, perhaps, like Q suggested, they were afraid. Perhaps they were so slothful now, even if they wanted to, they couldn't put forth the effort to speak to her. If it was the last option, at least that might mean if she did something they disapproved of, it would be a while before they could do anything to prevent her, and she could be gone by then. She could certainly hope that was the choice, at least.
She didn't know how long she wandered, and she wasn't certain if she was going in circles, but the Q around her were starting to look more agitated, and she thought she heard one snort softly in disgust when she passed them. This was not working. At all.
For a moment, she considered turning back, finding Q and asking him how she was supposed to find anything in the Continuum...but that would have defeated the purpose of waiting. It would have defeated the purpose of the lessons she'd taken. She chewed her lip softly, and dropped her gaze to the ground briefly. Maybe it was a bit of omniscience she was calling on. Maybe it was telepathy...and then, maybe, just maybe, it was the lessons he'd already taught her, doing the work they were meant to.
Whichever it was, she stood in silence for only a few moments before the answer--or perhaps an answer--came to mind. While the Continuum appeared to be a Roman city she had once glanced at, she had a feeling its true form was closer to the vortex she'd seen before this visage had formed. If what Q had said was true, then her vision of this place was controlled entirely--or almost entirely--by her own mind. She didn't think it was conscious mind, because that wasn't really how the Q worked.
She gave a small nod, and clenched her hands into determined fists, before taking a step forward once more. She didn't know where the Continuum would keep what she needed, but she would follow her instincts, and call what she needed to her, rather than wander throughout an eternity trying to get to it.
It was not long before she found herself standing before a looming courthouse. The Q there ignored her as surely as the rest of them had, but it truly was for the best. There were security Q, as well, but it was anyone's guess whether they would play the part they were dressed as or not. She followed the signs along the walls, both subtle and obvious until she reached an area labeled 'Archives'.
The largest section was, unsurprisingly 'Q'. In fact, it was debatable whether there was another section. She took a breath, chewing her lip once more, and reached out for a book blindly, trusting the arrangement to bring the archive she chose. Fortunately, it seemed to be successful. The Q labels displayed the signature she had felt during the brief, intense battle. There was a sticker that said "Do Not Remove From Library'.
She peeled it off and vanished from the Continuum.