A Present For The Captain

Guest Poster: Beverly Crusher

I've called a meeting of the senior staff while Jean-Luc is in the holodeck.

"What is this all about, Beverly?" Ro Laren asks. The others talk among themselves in speculation as to the possible answer.

"Surely you must know." I tell them, "Next Monday on the 14th of January is Captain Picard's birthday. We have to decide what to get him."

A sound of realisation plus a few groans run around the table.

"Well, I have no idea." Riker says, "He seems to have everything."

A few more nods of agreement are seen.

"Has anyone any ideas?" I ask.

"You are closer to him than anyone else, Beverly." Deanna comments in a delicate manner. I hear a few giggles. "Perhaps it is you who have the answer?"

"I suppose you're right, Deanna." I answer, "But the opinions of others will always help."

"In the Terran Empire." T'Pol suddenly says, "Our birthday present to the Captain was that we let him live another year."

"Yes, T'Pol." I reply, "I think that situation won't apply here."



"In the Borg Cubes." Seven of Nine tells us, "If we forget the birthday of the Borg Queen, we are deactivated. She certainly gets a lot of cards that way."

"I'm sure she does!" Geordi says drily.

"We're going off course here." I remind them, "We need suggestions about what we can get the Captain."

"The Captain has always been a man of culture." Data observes, "We might need to get something very cultural."

The staff nod their heads in agreement.

"Data is right." Jadzia tells us, "What cultural item would the Captain enjoy?"

"He likes acting and plays." adds Riker.

"That's true." I answer, "We're doing well. We might be getting a solution. Is there anything in the Galactic Gazette 'For Sale' column?"

We call it up on the screen and see an interesting entry:

Do you have a holodeck? Are you a potential actor? Live out your fantasies in The Shakesperian Holoprogram. All the plays are here. You can live any role in them. The program is more real than typical programs. It's like no program you've had before!!

"That sounds perfect!" Jadzia says. All the others agree.

"Very well." I tell them, "We'll all put in for that and present him with the program when he has his party on the 14th."

We all break up to leave. Deanna holds me back to whisper something.

"What is it?" I ask.

"This program" Deanna tells me, "I have bad feelings about it."

"Don't be silly Deanna." I tell her, "What could go wrong?"

Sometimes a brash statement like that isn't a good idea.