| Released October 7th 2008 The Road to There by Missbevcrusher Rated [R] Standard Disclaimer: They�re not mine, never have been. I�m just playing. No copyright infringement intended. Warning: When it comes to Alternate Universe, this story might take the cake. To say that it could never have happened in the canon storyline of TNG is putting it mildly. In the series, Beverly was 19 years younger than Picard, but in this piece of fanfiction, I decided to make them of equal age so as to explore how they would have dealt with one another had they met at the Academy. I especially wanted to explore who they were as people before the realities of life changed them for good. An example of that was in the episode �Tapestry�, where we saw how vastly different Picard was as a young man. How undisciplined, how impulsive he was. You�ll notice, I had to bend the timeline too because there were certain elements to Beverly�s upbringing that I felt I should keep. Just so to make it clear, this story starts in the year 2323, the one that was established in canon as being when Picard first enrolled at the Academy. So anyway, read on if you�re open-minded. I hope you�ll enjoy this one. By the way, I cannot credit this story to my imagination alone. Mackillian helped a great deal, not only by being my soundboard/beta reader but by providing me with a lot of military info which she used to create a general outline of life at the Academy. Thank you, thank you. Prologue �Beverly?� Felisa Howard�s voice faintly called from downstairs. �I�ll be right down, Nana.� With brisk brushstrokes through her red hair, the young woman looked at her reflection one last time before standing up. Behind her, some of her most precious belongings as well as her necessities were all neatly arranged on her bed. It was everything she would need for the year ahead�her first year at Starfleet Academy. Two rather large and still-empty suitcases were set on the wooden floor just by her closet. I better start packing right after dinner. Her transport was scheduled to leave first thing the next morning. As she stood there, Beverly�s mind wandered back to the day she�d learned of her acceptance to the Academy as a Pre-Medical cadet. She�d been relieved to see that she�d been granted one of the only 200 slots allotted to Initial Pre-Med. As such, she would go through the same basic training as all the other cadets while taking the Pre-Medical course at the same time. If she worked hard and finished at the top 25% of her class, she would be given preferential admittance to Starfleet�s medical school. Her grandmother had been proud, for Felisa was a healer. Though the profession had come about by necessity at first, she had continued the traditional craft here on the colony of Caldos IV. The young woman recalled with amazing clarity how she�d felt at the exact moment she�d read the message sent from Earth. She�d been so excited. We are pleased to inform you that your application for entrance to Starfleet Academy�s medical division has been approved� For the past few years, well�ever since that day on the desert planet�all Beverly had wanted to do was become a doctor. In recent years, however, she�d also started to be intrigued by a life of duty with Starfleet. Naturally, the Academy was her first choice for her post-secondary education. It was the only place where she could train for the dual career of her dreams. She�d worked hard to get there, studying endless hours in order to graduate at the top of her class. �Beverly, dinner�s going to get cold.� �I�m coming.� Since this was going to be her last homemade meal for quite a while, she decided she might as well go downstairs and enjoy it with her grandmother. Nana� she thought. Beverly was going to miss her very much. She owed everything to her. Felisa had single handedly raised her granddaughter from an early age, ever since her son Paul and his wife Isabel had died while on a scientific mission. Her stomach growled, reminding her of the fact that she hadn�t eaten since eleven o�clock that morning. The familiar and wonderful aroma of beef stew filled the air. Felisa had many family recipes, most of which Beverly liked very much. The young woman finally left her bedroom and headed downstairs to join her grandmother. * * * * Jean-Luc Picard closed the suitcase that rested on his bed. Much to his chagrin, his leaving was more a relief than a sad affair. It was nearing the end of August and the weather was quite warm in Labarre. The breeze that gently flowed through the open window was a clear reminder of that. With a sigh, the eighteen-year-old turned slowly as he took in the sight of his bedroom one last time. How often he�d dreamed of adventure out in the stars from this very room. His window, from it he�d gazed up at the sky many times�countless times. He approached the white sheer curtains that moved lazily in the breeze and pulled them to the side. The scenery below filled him with both fondness and regret. As strong as the pull of a life in Starfleet was, Jean-Luc still loved his home, the vineyard. But his destiny lay elsewhere, of that he had no doubt. Soft knocking followed, and Jean-Luc didn�t have to turn around to know who it was. With a sad smile on his face, the young man said, �Hello, Maman.� Yvette Picard was a petite woman of elegant beauty whose style in dress was reminiscent of years past. Her brown hair, which was starting to turn gray, was pulled up in a bun and her flowered dress fell well below the knee. With warmth in her eyes, she approached her son. �Do you need help packing?� Jean-Luc gestured toward the closed suitcase on his bed. �Thank you, but I already have.� Yvette contemplated the young man who stood before her and thought back to a time when she could still carry him on her hip. �How you�ve grown� I can�t believe it�s already time for you to make your own way into the universe. I�m very proud of you.� �Thank you.� Touched by her sentiment, Jean-Luc hugged his mother. She was the only person that made it bittersweet to leave. All these years, she�d been there for him, defended him, been nothing short of a peacemaker. Her husband, his father, was a stubborn man and she�d relented on more than one occasion to go by his wishes, but when it came to her youngest son, Yvette never hesitated in taking his side. �Where are Papa and Robert?� She pulled back, a look of disappointment in her eyes. �Somewhere out in the vineyard.� �I can�t say that I�m surprised.� Jean-Luc went to pick up his suitcase. �They�re really upset with me.� �They�ll get over it soon enough. You can�t stay here just to please them. As much as I�m going to miss you, your place is out there�� She took a breath. ��with Starfleet.� The two shared a look of understanding. �You�re going to miss your shuttle if you don�t leave soon.� He nodded slowly, and then gently ushered her toward the doorway, his hand on her back. Once his mother was past the threshold, Jean-Luc paused and looked over his shoulder one last time. He did not know how long it would be before he�d get to step foot in this room again. He knew his mother would always welcome him with open arms, but as for his father and brother� Why can�t they understand? * * * * Chapter 1 It had finally arrived, the day, or rather Reception Day. The next three days would allow the new arrivals to get accustomed to life at the Academy before the Corps of Cadets returned to campus for the academic year. Beverly�s insides felt like a tangled mess of knots. Although this new start meant that she�d taken one step closer to her goal of a life in Starfleet, this one still felt like it was light-years away. The road to graduation would be a long and arduous one. But the young woman knew that her chosen career would surely provide more than its fair share of obstacles. If one couldn�t handle the training, he or she wouldn�t stand a chance as a career officer. As she made her way toward Alumni Hall to report in, the redhead looked at the new cadets around her. She could see the anticipation and even intimidation in their eyes. No one could truly hide it. The closer she got to her destination, the more Beverly could feel a rush through her. She wasn�t a little girl anymore. These were her first steps toward independence as a young adult. And she knew that her life would never be the same again. The promise of a successful future was within her reach and she was more than determined to grasp it and make it hers. When she reached the large doors of Alumni Hall, the young Howard paused momentarily. �I can�t believe it�s finally R-Day.� Beverly turned to see who had spoken. It was a petite young woman. Her blond hair gathered in a braid, she looked up and around in awe for a moment. Finally, she cast a quick glance toward Beverly and smiled before continuing on her way. It took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but Beverly managed to get her feet to start moving again. * * * * With its high ceilings and large windows, Alumni Hall was an impressive sight. Like most of the new cadets there, Beverly was unsure of what to do at first. Luckily, she was directed toward the other end of the large room where she stood with twelve other cadets. It seemed all the new arrivals were doing just that, each reporting to their designated squads. Since she hadn�t been taught military etiquette yet, Beverly did the only thing she could think of which was to stand straight and wait for instructions. Directly in front of the squad, with an air of confidence and authority, stood a young woman clad in a crisp maroon uniform. Her dark brown hair was gathered back neatly and her green eyes scanned the group of new arrivals before her. When she spoke, her voice resounded with as much self-assurance as her demeanor exuded. �Welcome to Starfleet Academy. I�m Cadet Walosik, your Second Class squad leader. Before all of you new cadets get ahead of yourselves, you will have to familiarize yourselves with the basics of Starfleet etiquette. The first of which has to do with these little bars you see on my uniform here.� Walosik pointed to the white strap that came down her shoulder to hold the front flap of her uniform secured. �Everyone with more than one bar, you call sir. Every officer you see, you call sir. As a general rule, the first or last word out of your mouths for the rest of the year will be �sir�.� There was a pause. �Is that clear?� �Yes, sir!� �Good.� � There were roughly 165 squads assembled in the vast hall, to all of which a similar speech was being delivered. Near the entrance was a squad led by a Vulcan male. His delivery was flatter than most but just as effective. Jean-Luc Picard stood at attention at the end of the second and last row. His hazel eyes were fixed forward, the strong lines of his face set in a way that expressed just how seriously he was taking all of this. Already, he felt as if he belonged. Stoic, methodical, logical, his squad leader was the stereotypical Vulcan. No doubt he took his role very seriously. The explanations and directions he gave the new cadets about etiquette were clear and concise. Once he was done with his detailed tutorial, the Vulcan regarded his subordinates with a stare void of emotion. His jet black hair glistened in the sunlight that filtered in through the windows, his dark eyes revealing an intelligence that had come to be expected of his people. �Now that you are all familiarized with the basics of Starfleet etiquette, you will each be issued uniforms. Several scanning stations have been set up at the very back of the room. In two files of six, you can now proceed toward station four in order to get your new uniforms replicated. Move.� The new cadets did as they were told. In the most orderly fashion, they waited patiently for their turn. In order to accommodate the two thousand new cadets, the Academy had prepared twenty stations. Despite the number of people present, one could have easily heard a pin drop. Someone did in fact drop something to the floor. There was a definite ping as it hit the hard surface, bounced and vibrated to a stop. �Well I�ll be damned. You can hear a pin drop.� remarked an upper-class cadet standing on the sidelines. He turned toward his classmate who stood waiting for his squad and added, �I owe you ten credits.� When it was finally Jean-Luc�s turn, he stepped on the scanning device which was comprised of two relatively flat panels about seven feet in height and three feet across. Once he was in place, the officer manning the scanner asked, �Your name?� �Jean-Luc Picard.� The officer retrieved the appropriate cadet profile from his computer and began to prep the scanner. �Stand very straight and don�t move.� �Yes, sir.� The scanner started to hum as the bottom of each panel lit up. The bluish light that shone straight through from one panel to the other started to travel slowly upward as it scanned Picard�s body. When it finally reached the cadet�s chin, it dimmed and disappeared as the scanner became silent again. �You can step down now.� The officer transferred the data to the replicator that stood behind the scanner and a few seconds later handed a neatly folded uniform and a pair of well-shined, standard-issue boots to Picard. �Thank you, sir.� � Beverly could hardly believe it. After all the anticipation, here she was, holding her very own uniform. She quickly snapped out of her wonderment and rejoined her squad. Just beside her was the blond girl she had seen just as she�d entered Alumni Hall some time earlier. She didn�t know her name yet but she was the only somewhat familiar face in her group. Walosik nodded once. �Now that you�ve all been issued your uniforms, we will proceed toward the dorm where you will each change out of your civilian clothes. Follow me.� The squad fell into precise step behind their leader as they left Alumni Hall. As much as she tried not to look around as though she was a tourist, Beverly couldn�t help be marvel at the surroundings. Although she�d walked through the grounds some time earlier, they weren�t any less impressive. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an old man, tending to a patch of flowers by some neatly trimmed shrubs. He had a serious expression on his face that reminded her of �grumpy old men� in some of the bedtime stories her Nana used to tell her. But as he looked at them as they passed by, she got the impression that there might be a great deal more under his severe exterior. Wisdom perhaps? Just up ahead, the white exterior of the dorms contrasted sharply against the scenic green backdrop. Above, the sky was the most beautiful shade of blue. Soft clouds scattered here and there seemed to blend in the surrounding azure like swirls of molten perfection. In the lead, Walosik continued with her explanation of Academy life. �The building you see just ahead will be your dormitory. It is one of forty dorms, each of which can house a total of two hundred cadets, otherwise known as a full company.� Once they were inside, the squad leader led them to the second floor. The new cadets lined up next to one another in the corridor and waited. �Each room houses two cadets. When I call out your name and give you your assigned quarters, you will proceed inside where you will change into your uniforms and report back out here.� Walosik consulted her padd. �Howard, Beverly. Symes, Valerie. Room 225.� Beverly stepped forward and saw that her roommate would be the blond girl. The two didn�t waste any time to enter their room as their squad leader continued with the room assignments. Once the door was closed behind them, the two seemed to relax a bit as they smiled. �Beverly Howard, huh?� The blond girl extended her hand. �Like our squad leader just mentioned, I�m Valerie Symes.� The redhead was more than a little relieved to see that her roommate seemed friendly. It would make the transition to Academy life that much easier. �Nice to meet you.� Valerie chuckled, �Yeah, you say that now.� Beverly laughed. Seemingly friendly with a sense of humor� things won�t be dull around here, that�s for sure. With a quick jerk of her head toward the door, Symes continued, �I guess we should hurry up and change if we don�t want to be reprimanded on our first day.� �Right.� � Jean-Luc contemplated his reflection in the mirror. After all these years of dreaming, here he was, wearing the uniform. His mother would be so proud, his father, not so much. I can�t let him get to me. �All that�s missing is our combadges,� said his roommate, Cortin Zweller, a freckled-faced kid with reddish hair. When the two roommates had spoken for the first time, this one had made it clear he�d rather be called Corey than Cortin. �I overheard someone saying that they�ll be issued later on today at the swearing in ceremony.� Corey smoothed out the front of his tunic. �Ready to go?� In their crisp new uniforms, Zweller and Picard exited their dorm room and assembled with the rest of their squad. From there they were addressed by their TAC, or rather the officer in charge of the dorm. This one explained the basic rules of the dormitory as well as how the chain of command worked in the event of any problem. Afterward, the floor was yielded to their company�s honor court cadet representative. He was an upper-class cadet assigned to explain the Honor Code. The young man who addressed the squad spoke with assurance, �A core fundamental of Starfleet Academy, the Fleet, and ultimately, the Federation is moral and ethical development. From this very moment up until graduation, you will be educated on integrity, honor, and mutual respect based on the moral values of respect for dignity, respect for honesty and respect for the property of others. Our main goal is to ensure you will leave here with a sense of your own moral beliefs and the ability to express them. The most common theme of the Honor Code is obvious.� Then he paused for dramatic effect before adding, �Honor.� The explanation went on further as the cadets listened intently. Afterward, they were brought on an in-depth tour of the Academy and told to memorize the locations of all the buildings. Considering the vastness and complexities of the grounds and structures, this was intimidating for the new cadets. But they were put under pressure for a reason. Only the best of the best deserved to be here. Once the tour was completed, all two thousand cadets from the freshman class assembled in formation in Alumni Hall where they took the oath of office for Starfleet. Out in their respective spots, both Jean-Luc and Beverly, still strangers at that point, spoke the words with determination to uphold and succeed. It was official�they were now cadets. As each stepped up to their squad leader after the swearing in, he or she was issued comm badges. The adventure had begun and it would be filled with more twists and turns than anyone could ever imagine. continue to chapter 2 library |