Beyond the Alpha Quadrant Cont'd
He felt a ripple, and the Traveler appeared. He nodded, āHello Wesley.ā Crusher felt himself blush, embarrassed that he hadnāt yet succeeded in visiting the other dimension. Traveling had become so casual to him, he felt that it should just happen without effort. He felt as though he had left the Traveler down, but the Traveler was a patient being and that was unlikely. Shame had been one of the hardest things to put aside during this journey. All his life, things had come naturally to him until he started this voyage. He also learned that while he was gifted in ideas, he wasnāt always so capable in the people department. His social skills were perfect for a Federation Starship, but not for seamlessly blending into peoples and civilizations as varied as the stars themselves.
āDonāt worry Wesley. Things take time. Just close your eyes and empty your mind,ā said the Traveler in his almost monotone voice.
Crusher closed his eyes and breathed slowly. At first a million thoughts came flooding into his head. He tried to squeeze them out, but was unsuccessful. He focused on his breathing, the slow in and out, and he felt his body relax. Slowly he felt himself drifting as though he were a cloud. His eyes fluttered open and there the Traveler appeared before him. Crusher felt the Traveler touch him, but he wasnāt actually touching him. The feeling was surreal.Ā
Suddenly everything changed before his eyes. He felt like he was in a dream. He rubbed his eyes, but didnāt get any clarity. This experience was such a divergence from all the others heād had so far. Prior to now, heād always visited places out of phase or far away from the alpha quadrant, but this was in some far off quadrant with 2 planets occupying one space. It was as though the world around him rocked and one plane of existence dematerialized as another materialized. Instinctively, he reached out his arms to steady himself. Grunting, it dawned on him that he had no control of what was happening. His heart began to pound and panic took over. āAm I doing this or is it the Traveler?ā He asked himself.
Finally, everything seemed to straighten itself out and it felt as though he were landing on the surface of a planet. His mind and body both reeled. He stepped back, his legs unsteady. His body rocked and he fell to the ground, landing with an audible thud. Pain surged through his backside as he hit the ground, and he was brought back to reality or at least what seemed to be reality.
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