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TITLE: Zo'or's Adventure: Strange Companions
AUTHOR: Mithril
TYPE: Crossover Story (EFC-Star Trek Universe)
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMERS: Earth: Final Conflict characters are from Gene Roddenberry.
"Q" is from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
No copyright infringement is intended. The idea is mine
SUMMARY: Zo'or is visited by a powerful and mischievous alien, that wants to teach him something about humans.
SPOILERS: The story is set after the second season's episode of Earth: final conflict, "Between Heaven and Hell".
NOTES: Thank you very much to Ja’el and Cache for editing the story
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Zo'or's Adventure: Strange Companions
by Mithril <perretta@entelchile.net>

Prologue

	In a Universe full of wonders and possibilities, two new friends were talking -a man and a woman.  She was wearing a long 
floral pattern dress and he was wearing a black-red jumpsuit.  They were seated face to face, separated by a well served table, 
covered with tea, orange juice, cake, fruits and other delicious things.  
	There was nothing strange with that scene, except that it was taking place in deep space.

"...And that is the whole story," she said, while taking another piece of cake, "Mmm, chocolate, I love it," she added with a smile.

"I see... interesting tale.  Humans have always intrigued me and now, with the Taelon arrival to your planet..."

His companion sighed. "What is it?" he asked.

She looked at him a little shyly.  "Nothing... it's just... home sickness.  I know it sounds ridiculous... but I miss my mom."  

"I can bring her here to you right now, if you so wish." 

She smiled a sad smile and declined with a shake of her head.  "No.  I can do that by myself, but I will not, ever.  It is not right."

He raised a bemused eyebrow.  "After all you are still human..." he said more to himself and then continued, "Tell me more about that 
Taelon." 

"Who...  Da'an?  He is the most kind being I have ever met.  If it were not for him, I would have never met you."

His eyes lit up, but he shook his head.  "No, the other one.  I sensed something like hate in your voice when you were talking about him."

She wrinkled her nose.  "Uh, that must be Zo'or.  I don't hate him, is just that he is so..."

"What?  Cruel, arrogant..."

"Yes.  He treats humans like rats...” Suddenly she looked directly into his eyes.  "I feel some similarities with you!" she said while raising 
her hand in a threatening mode.

He raised his hands in a peaceful manner.  "Hey, do not look at me like that.  I must admit that I was not... how can I say it... very respectful 
when I first met humans, but I have changed.  My own kind and some friends did a good job there."

She sighed again and put her hands on her lap.  "If only Zo'or could learn that lesson too..."

At her words, his eyes lit up and his smile turned sinister.  He held her hands.  "Wonderful idea, " he said and at the puzzled look she gave him, 
he continued, "I will fulfill your wish, my dear."

"What do you mean?" she asked suspicious.

He smiled evilly.  "Wait here Joyce and you will see, however I can promise that you will like it."

"Q, please, behave yourself!  Earth is still my homeworld..."

"Do not worry about that; the Continuum is always looking over me.  Please, just give me a chance...  I ask you to trust me."

"I do," she said with conviction.

He looked surprised and smiled kindly.

"By the way, what are you wearing?" she asked curious.

"Oh... this is a Starfleet uniform."  At the puzzled look she gave him, he added.  "Ah, you should learn to span barriers of time, space and parallel universes."

"Then someone should teach me", she said in a low voice, looking straight into his eyes.

"Of course," he said seductively, "...I must leave now, my dear... wait for me."
He bowed and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Joyce behind.

Good luck, she thought, then she smiled mischievously... and disappeared too.

***************************************************************************


Zo'or was aboard the Mothership.  He was seated on his chair and with a wave of his hand, he had activated the data stream.  He was searching 
for information, information that in the right hands, his hands, could lead Da'an to ruin. Zo'or had found the way to ask the removal of Da'an from the 
seat of North American Companion... and from the Synod.

	The strike will be quick and lethal, he thought.  He tilted his head.  On the other hand, the problem called Joshua Doors will be soon solved.  
Sandoval's paid killer, Judson Corr, will deal with it.  This evening meeting will be the last time I will have to see that annoying human.

Something on the stream caught his attention. Finally what I was looking for! He smiled evilly and called agent Sandoval.

"Yes Zo'or."

"I need your presence here in twenty minutes," he said and then continued, "with a complete security team.  There is something I need you to 
attend to."

Sandoval was surprised, but nodded and then contacted Captain Marquette.

Zo'or closed the data stream, with the smile still on his face... but unfortunately for him, that didn't last long.  Suddenly, in a blinding flash of light, a human 
male, dressed in a strange sort of uniform, appeared before him.  At least he seemed to be human, but he realized that it was not the case.

The 'fake' human was staring at him with disdain and arrogance.  Zo'or matched that look and asked, hoping that the fear he was feeling was not revealed 
to the stranger.  "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I am Q... and I want you," Q answered in a mocking tone, pointing at him.

Zo'or waved his hand to activate the stream and call Sandoval, but nothing happened.

Q yawned, looking really bored.

Zo'or felt panic and tried to contact other Taelons, but he could not... he was alone.

"Do not bother yourself with that," Q said, "I have severed your link with the Commonality.  It was an easy thing to do, you know... and don't worry, you 
will not turn into an Atavus, not this time, anyway."

"What do you want?" Zo'or asked again, this time with anger.

"I have already told you.  I want you," he said, walking toward him, "I am here to please a friend by teaching you a lesson."

Zo'or stiffened on his chair.  "How dare you?" he asked with an incredulous voice, "A lesson?"

"Oh yes!"  Q smiled evilly and snapped his fingers.  A coin appeared in his hand.  "Heads or tails?" he asked a now terrified and confused Zo'or.

"What?!"

"Heads or tails," he repeated annoyed, "Are you deaf?  I am in a good mood today, so I will leave the decision to you.  Choose quickly, though, or I 
will lose my patience... and we do not want that to happen, do we?  You don't want to appear suddenly in a room full of Jaridians to play cards with 
them, do you?"

Zo'or was trapped, so he did the only thing he could, he chose.  "Heads," he said and closed his eyes.

"Oh!  This will be interesting," said Q with amusement and snapped his fingers again, "Come on, you coward, open your eyes and see."

Zo'or was standing next to Q now and opened his eyes.  He felt that nothing was out of place with him, except... "What..."  He stopped suddenly.  
His voice...

"Turn around," Q said, while trying to suppress a laugh.

Zo'or did as he was told... and almost fainted.

He was staring a human woman.  She was young, in her late twenties, slender, shorter than Q.  Her long brown hair was strapped in a ponytail.  
Her eyes were deep brown and now were wide opened with a shocked expression.  No make up.  She was wearing old blue jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt 
printed with the slogan "I HATE TAELONS, ‘SPECIALLY ZO'OR" in bright red letters.

He... She realized that it was her own reflection in a mirror.

Q laughed aloud at her astonishment.

"Change me immediately," Zo'or ordered in a female voice, but in full Zo'or's mode, smirk and evil glare included.

"Why?  This is only the beginning.  You should thank me though.  In humans terms, I can say that you are... presentable and frail, may I warn you."

"I order you!" she shouted.

"Oh, no, no, no.  Stop that.  If I were you, I would leave right now.  Of all Taelons you should know how dangerous this ship is for humans."

"But I am a Taelon, I am Zo'or, the Synod Leader."

"Oh, correction, my friend, you were a Taelon and you were Zo'or.  Do you think that your precious Agent Sandoval will believe you?  What will 
you tell him, that a Godlike being changed you?"  He made a mocking smile and continued, "Oh, and do not even think of sharing with another 
Taelon.  That will be, how can I say it, definitively dangerous," Q then spoke in her ear, "because you see, you are a resistance member now..." 
Q said with a laugh.

Zo'or looked at him, petrified.

"You must face the truth, my friend.  You are just a human woman that escaped from a Taelon laboratory.  You are just a living tool to be used 
against the Jaridians, nothing more."  Then he seemed thoughtful, "In what kind of experiments do you think Or'el or any other scientist will use you?" 
Q asked with an amused expression on his face.

Zo'or felt something strange in his... her chest.  It was like a drum... her heart.  Yes, her heart was beating fast, very fast.  In fact, she was scared to 
death.  She knew too well the kind of experiments Q was talking about.

Q shook his head and smiled coldly.  "Oh, don't look at me like a sacrificial lamb, this situation is too funny to just get you killed." Q snapped his 
fingers for a third time and an interdimensional portal appeared.  "There you have it... damn, I am really generous today."

"Where does the portal lead?" she asked with a voice full of resignation; not that the answer made a great difference, she knew that she had no choice.

Q chuckled.  "I am afraid I can't tell you that.  I don't want to spoil the surprise... and what is life, but a box full of surprises, one after another, especially 
to poor-short-life-humans?" said Q and with a last sinister laugh, he disappeared.

Zo'or hesitated in front of the portal, perhaps Agent Sandoval would believe... Suddenly she heard voices coming from the corridor.

"Quickly, Or'el informed me that a female subject has escaped from the Lab," Agent Sandoval said.

"There is nowhere to run, she is trapped," other Agent said.

"Yes.  Go and search for her, I will inform Zo'or."

That was enough to make Zo'or enter the portal... and so she did.

A few seconds later, Sandoval entered to Zo'or's 'command chamber', but he was nowhere to be seen.  Suddenly the data stream activated 
and Da'an's image appeared.  He looked deeply troubled.  "Agent Sandoval," he addressed him, "I am afraid Zo'or's linkage to the Commonality 
has been severed."

Sandoval was startled to hear that, but he didn't show it.  "Do you mean that he will turn into an Atavus?" he asked worried.

Da'an lowered his gaze.  "I hope not," he said, "but be prepared.  Use a search team to find him," then he met Sandoval's eyes, "You must not 
harm him under any circumstance.  He is a Taelon and the Synod Leader... after all"

"Of course Da'an," nodded Sandoval and made the 'Taelon Salute'.
Da'an closed the stream.

	How different is one of another, the Agent thought.

******

	She appeared in the middle of a...swamp?!  Vegetation and mud surrounded her.  In fact, she was standing on it.
"Hey, Miss." a voice called to her.

She looked around, an officer was speaking to her.
"Didn't you see that inscription?  No pedestrians are allowed there, you must stay in the path," he said while gesturing with his hand.

	How dare you, human, Zo'or thought and then realized that it was a good idea to step out from the mud.  With an icy look to the officer 
she walked away.

"Women," the officer muttered with a sig