Q & A

Quarton gasped in shock.  And collapsed to the floor.

Somehow... strangely enough... Ringo regained consciousness.  It almost seemed like divine will.  No one should be able to wake up from a stun blast of that intensity.  He sat up and paled.  "Oh no!  OH NO!  Look what you made me do, you... you... Saiyan!"  He glared at Dennh who looked back and forth, confused, before raising his hand to his com-badge, intending to alert medical.  Ringo was rocking back and forth on his butt, hands tied.  "They're gonna get me, they're gonna get me..."

"What are you blabbering about?" Dennh said.

Ringo glanced at him.  "Don't you know where he's from?"  He jerked his chin at the fallen form of Quarton.

As if to answer Ringo's question, a bright flash of light erupted in the room.  Standing there was a young woman, in a red dress.

Ringo stopped and blinked.  "Hubba hubba...."

The woman fixed Ringo with a glare that made some of Eve's worst seem warm and friendly.

Ringo groaned and fell onto his back with a thud.  "That's it.  I'm Ringo-kebab."

She shook her head.  "Humans.  I swear... what the other Q see in this pitiful species is beyond me."  She turned and looked down at the fallen Quarton.  Kneeling down, she patted his head, like you would pet a dog or small child.  "Awww... did little Wolfie fall down and go boom?  Let me fix it."  She placed a hand to her lips and blew a kiss in Quarton's direction.  The phaser wound vanished in a flash of light.

Ringo lifted his head and his eyes went the size of pancakes.  He clutched Dennh's leg with tied hands.  "Save me!" he whimpered.  Funny – a short time ago he was ready to off himself.

Wolfgang Quarton gasped out loud.  He felt around to his back.  He was fine!  He was alive!  And then... he saw...  "Q!  What are you doing here?  The Continuum said they wouldn't interfere!"

Q smiled.  "Come on, Wolfie.  You should know better than that.  We don't let anything happen without keeping an eye on it."  She shook her finger, as if scolding him.  "And shame on you.  Trying to get yourself killed like that.  Tsk, tsk."

Q turned her attention from Quarton to Ringo.

She started towards Ringo.  Pausing about halfway there, she called back to Quarton.  "What would you like me to do with this one?  I think he'd look kinda cute as an Archellian wartbug."

Ringo tried to not shit his drawers and at the same time ogle this red-hot mama.  "Sau-say!  Spank me, you are so fine..."  He looked down at his pants.  "Ohhhhh, Simon, be-HAYVE..."  He cracked a nervous grin at the female Q.  "Uh... hey, wanna go out?  I know this nice little black hole...."

Q looked on in shock.  "How rude!  No... wait.  I have a better idea.  How about I turn you into a Dreidelian bloatfly?"

Quarton spoke up.  "I have a better idea of what to do with him."

Q looked back.  "I'm listening."

Quarton said, "Can you place him in some form of restraining device?"

Ringo held up his tied hands helplessly.  "This isn't enough?" he asked in a child-like meager tone.

Quarton smiled bitterly.  "Not even close."  Turning to Q, he said, "How about it?"

Q looked at him in shock.  "This... pitiful creature tries to kill you... and you don't wish him dead?"

Quarton shook his head.  "Trust me.  What will happen to him is much, much worse than killing him."

Ringo grabbed Dennh.  "Kill me," he whispered, pleading.  "Hurry.  Set the phaser to kill and shoot me.  Pleasssssse..."