The following presentation is rated G.
With the shuttlecraft rapidly putting distance between itself and
Voyager, Kes could feel the tingling sensation that marked the onset of
her highly anticipated transition into an exciting new existence. She
smiled, fondly remembering all of the enriching moments shared with Neelix,
Captain Janeway and the rest of the rag-tag crew of the Federation ship
over the past three years. She loved them all dearly, admired them for
their comradeship and determination in their seemingly futile exodus across
the galaxy. They had done so much for her, providing friendship,
knowledge, wisdom, love and a purpose in life. She felt indebted to them
all and wanted to repay them in kind, but how?
Kes could feel the transformation process strengthen, the scope of
her psychokinetic abilities radiating out further and further. The
structural integrity of the shuttle's bulkheads wavered and buckled, the
electromagnetic bonds of the duranium molecules being uncontrollably
manipulated by the Ocampa. With exponentially increasing focus, Kes
acquired the perfect idea to express her thanks. "A gift, for you," she
murmured tranquilly as the essence of her physical being began losing its
cohesion. She attenuated her whole consciousness on the starship, willing
it across the span of the galaxy, but found the task increasingly
difficult. A moment of confusion gripped her as the ship failed to go
anywhere. She wondered what that object was and what she was trying to do
to it, or who she was, for that matter. In the last moments Kes lost all
function of thought and consciousness as the power of her transformation
pushed its way out of her body, dissociating every single molecule of her
person.
Q nestled into his comfy nook of the cosmos and observed the
unfolding events with genuine interest and enjoyment. His plan -- the
utmost in cleverness and guile -- had worked perfectly, with nobody the
wiser. "I never really liked that little goody-goody much anyway." He
grinned and chuckled a sinister laugh. "You should have listened to the
dear madam captain, little one," he advised the quickly dispersing cloud of
gaseous particles that had once been Kes. "That woman has a remarkable
intuition."
The mischievous entity then turned his attention to the straggling
starship. "Now, what to do with you?" he wondered aloud. He spent a
fraction of a second projecting Voyager's future before him like a
picture show. "Oh, dear now, that won't do at all," he complained. "I've
been planning to make your lives interesting for a long while yet. It
won't be nearly as much fun if you let yourselves become Borg drones, now
will it?"
He spent another fraction of a second considering how to best suit
his interests. "Hm, that annoying little pixie has given me an exemplary
notion."
Q was not immune to charitable acts; he'd been known to pass a few
favours for a certain starship captain before. However, he preferred a
certain anonymity in such cases. After all, he had a reputation to
maintain.
The Ocampa's self-annihilation provided such a loophole. Of course,
he'd have to change it a little bit: it wouldn't do him any benefit if the
Voyager was sent all the way back to the Alpha Quadrant. He'd sent them
just far enough to put them out of immediate peril. Those silly humans
would most likely assume it was she who had done it anyway.
Manoeuvring time back to just the right moment, Q tossed the little
vessel safely across the Borg domain. "Just call me a closet
philanthropist," he remarked waggishly to the thinning vapour.
With that done, Q decided to move elsewhere. He hadn't had enough
fun yet, and his recent thought about charity sparked a renewed interest
with a familiar pastime. "I wonder what Jean-Luc is up to these days.
Perhaps I should drop by and say hello." And in an instant he was gone
from his cozy niche.