EPILOGUE
Only Tam wasn’t dead. He had been ripped from the planetoid by force. He was in Ten Forward, encircled by the group who had rescued him, using their combined power and the influence of an alien technology. Kelvan technology. Simone let go of the solitary button that was on her wrist band. She had risked severe brain damage accessing it, but she had been able to use the computer successfully, perhaps because of the telepathic link to the others, or perhaps because she was one with Garcia, or maybe, and most likely because of her superior intellect.
The Chosen were no longer in his head and the crystal bracelets that had linked them together were gone, compliments of Simone and Kelvan technology. Tammas should have been relieved, but the only emotion he could feel was anger.
“How dare you!” Tammas said. “I have free will.”
“I give you your free will back,” Simone offered, bowing traditionally.
Guinan stepped into the circle. “Tam,” she said.
“Not now!” Tammas snapped. “I’m not going to be calm now. I am angry now. I made a choice.”
“Tammas,” Guinan interrupted firmly. Even now he found it hard to resist her peacefulness. “You need to go to sickbay.”
“The hell I need to go to sickbay,” Tammas said. “I’m tired of people telling me what I need.”
“It’s McCoy, Tam. He’s dying and he’s asking for you,” Guinan said.
“What?” Tammas asked, his visible anger was gone, his voice a whisper. It was like he was another person standing there.
“Come with me,” Guinan said, putting an arm around his shoulder.
Tammas broke through the circle, brushing Simone rather harshly as if challenging her to a fight. They exchanged glances, each expressing different thoughts. Garcia and Guinan hustled to the turbolift and took it down to sickbay. The lift didn’t go fast enough, but it eventually opened up, and Garvia’s vision blurred as he made it the final way. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and entered. Guinan walked over to join Picard, Worf, and Counselor Troi. McCoy lay very still, life support readings didn’t look promising. He was literally “circling the drain.” Crusher, who was treating another patient, looked up to see Tammas and turned what she was doing over to the nurse so she could attend to him. She scanned him with her tricorder to ascertain his health.
“Doctor, you have to heal him,” Tammas said.
“I can’t do anything more for him,” Crusher said. “He has a living will.”
“I don’t care. Fix him!” Tammas demanded.
“Tam, is that you?” McCoy called out.
Garcia went to McCoy. “I’m here, Pa Pa.”
“You’re alive,” McCoy said. “I’m very relieved.”
“Let me help you,” Tammas pleaded, holding McCoy’s hand to his face.
“No, it’s time,” McCoy said. “I go to join my friends.”
“That’s silly,” Tammas said. “How do you know your friends haven’t cheated death? They have before!”
“It is okay, Tam. I’m ready,” McCoy assured him. “I’m just glad to see that you’re well.”
“What kind of talk is this?” Tammas demanded. He felt hypocritical, but he didn’t care. “How am I supposed to stay well knowing you’re not here? Who’s going to come bail me out of trouble?”
McCoy chuckled. “You’ll have to stay out of trouble.”
“That’s too difficult,” Tammas said. “We can help you. Even if you’re bed ridden, your brain is still good, and we can liberate your mind through virtual technologies.”
“Humans aren’t supposed to live forever,” McCoy said.
“How do you know that?” Tammas asked. “Maybe people just keep dying because of tradition. There’s the Kelvan ship on board. I can use its technology to make you young again.”
“No!” McCoy said, adamantly. The force of his “no” started a coughing fit.
“Please,” Tammas said, crying on McCoy’s chest. “You’re the closest thing to family I got. I know we’ve hardly spent any quality time together, but I thought you’d still be around. I need you.”
“Promise me something,” McCoy said. “Take charge of my burial ceremony on New Fabrini. See that I get buried there, next to my wife.”
Garcia begged, “At least let me carry your Katra!”
“No,” McCoy said. “No more mind melds. My funeral arrangements. Promise me.”
Tammas wiped his face on his sleeves and looked into McCoy’s eyes. He wasn’t sad, or afraid, or lonely. He was just tired. He would be alright with just a little rest. McCoy was obviously tired and his sanity slipping. No sane person would seek death, right? Isn’t that what Duana was telling him?
“Promise me,” McCoy said.
“I’ll take care of the New Fabrini arrangements,” Tammas said, resigned.
“Thank you,” McCoy said. “One more thing.”
“Name it,” Tammas said.
“You’re a lot like him, in many ways,” McCoy said. “I see me, too, but more of him for some reason.”
“Who?” Tammas said.
“I’m going to tell you what I told him,” McCoy said.
“I’m sure you’ve told me already,” Tammas said, sniffing, guessing at what was to follow.
McCoy told him again anyway. “Out of trillions of galaxies there are probably only a billion earth like stars, and out of those, perhaps only a few millions of those will have earth like planets where life has developed, and out of those, maybe a few thousand that have sentient life, but in all of this, in all the Universe, there is only one you. Be kind to the one known as Tammas Garcia.”
McCoy’s hand went limp as he passed over, his eyes remaining open. One moment he seemed to be looking right at Garcia, and then suddenly his focus went through Garica and beyond to infinity. There was the death rattle, something Tammas had never heard before, never so clearly anyway, but he had read of such things. It was the sound of the last bit of air leaking from Mccoy. McCoy was gone. Tammas looked towards the ceiling and howled. For a moment it was his voice alone, but then Worf, recognizing the Klingon ritual, was behind him, adding to the chorus. The medical display over McCoy’s bed cracked and the three glass containers on a mobile cart just behind Garcia shattered, allowing the contents to ooze out, mixing the primary colors. He placed McCoy’s hands on his chest and raised the cover over his face, and then laid his head down on top of the lifeless body. Counselor Troi touched Tam’s shoulder and he allowed himself to be led away.