Like… did Q just re-create existence around him? Or did he pluck Prime Picards consciousness and dump it into the body of Beta Picard? I like to think it's the latter with Beta Picard in the background just like "Wait… what? What's happening?" and then Q and Picard fuck off leaving this poor dude to desperately rely on therapy for the next couple years.
Yeah I've actually thought about this.
Like… did Q just re-create existence around him? Or did he pluck Prime Picards consciousness and dump it into the body of Beta Picard? I like to think it's the latter with Beta Picard in the background just like "Wait… what? What's happening?" and then Q and Picard fuck off leaving this poor dude to desperately rely on therapy for the next couple years.
I think this is a rare case where “it was all a dream” is fine
My headcanon is that Q shifted Picard to an alternate quantum reality. Like what happened to Worf that one time.
Q has made little pocket realities before that don't seem to affect the rest of the universe.