You've made your call. The alert's gone out, and you've sent the Good Friends along to Ikeigenoi in any case, damning evidence in tow. The junior officers grumbled, and you almost relented and trusted the captured but incensed Ikeigenites to take the ship back themselves.
Almost. But as much as you trusted the Ikeigenite anger was genuine, Wolfe and Sharizz cautioned that the information was too valuable to be left entirely in their hands, and so you assigned a prize crew under Lieutenant Cross and wished them all luck. You had considered bringing the Good Friends along to your next destination, but Cassie had informed you that would be unnecessary, and even counter-productive. She can get you through the security, but a cloaked vessel can be detected, and if it is, would immediately complicate your mission.
You've made every preparation possible. But it's time for you to follow one last thread.
"Helm," you say, "I'm forwarding you coordinates to a system of interest. Schedule arrival on the outer edges of the system for…" you do the math. You can't do it in one shift, and you want your crew rested. "...fourteen hours from now, and please keep the Courageous as quiet as possible. Full emissions control."
"Aye, ma'am," says na'Mashaar, tapping at the console. There's a slight shift in the thrum of the engines. You hear a low buzz from behind you, and turn slightly to see Sharizz looking at you with a strange, almost distant look. Normally you'd give her the coordinates and she would make arrangements with helm and ops. But you've done it directly. You smile back at her, reassuringly, but it doesn't seem to do anything like that. Her face scrunches up, almost as if she's in pain, torn between something. There's confusion evident in her eyes, anxiety in how she taps her fingers absently on the wooden frame of the console.
But one blink and her face is suddenly neutral, and she goes back to her work. You feel a terrible guilt. But you're still not sure to trust, but you're banking a lot on your crew to keep trusting you. But now you're realizing how far out you are.
"We'll talk later," you whisper-promise, and Sharizz nods almost absently.
-
"Good afternoon, everyone! I'm Zephyr Pelamori, and we're live from Uzo Square!" The green-tentacle-haired Taddo grins, and gives a thumbs up to the holocams. His hat is high-peaked and round, little bells dangling off the brim. His jacket is the same tight leather crop-top, zipped down nearly to the navel. Behind him, a clear glass wall shows a crowd outside going wild.
"I'm happy," Pelamori says, "To have with me today Melek, Ambassador for the Harmony of Horizon. How are you today? Feeling great?"
"Sure am!" Melek spreads his hands, "I am so glad you could squeeze me into your show, alongside other luminaries." The Lintrid's intricately painted mask is unreadable, but his body language radiating warmth and comfort.
"And we're always glad to add new ones," Pelamori smiles, "Now, there's been rumors going around that you are a fan of Ikegenite stardogs? How did that happen?"
Melek laughed, "Oh, we've had a few Ikeigenites join up with the Harmony, and they've brought those cute little critters to our attention. I'm becoming a bit of a collector, I must admit."
"I think," Pelamori says, pulling holding up a tablet, "We have a picture of that!" He turns it to the audience. Melek is snuggling with one of the five-armed, fuzzy creatures, and the audience applauds.
"Yes, that's Miski," he says with a smile, "I have one other, Zara, who you can't see, but was crawling on the ceiling while I was taking this."
"Truly adorable," Pelamori grins, "And this picture here -- this is you in a water balloon fight with some FDS attaches, right?"
"Oh yes," Melvak says agreeably, "We all try to stay friends. Right after this I got drenched by one of the attaches. Kera, I think." He leans forward, "As you can tell, I'm not bitter and certainly not looking for a rematch."
He and Pelamori both laugh hard. As he's laughing, Pelamori slowly reaches over and picks up a pair of severe, black-rimmed smart glasses. Carefully slipping them over his nose, he pauses momentarily, before locking Melek with a hard stare, "Now then, recent evidence has come in that your Harmony tampered with Beya-War software to give games with Harmony participants an edge." Pelamori frowns, casting his eyes over the top of the glasses, "Why should we ever trust the Harmony of Horizon again?"
"Well, ah…" the Lintrid stutters, before seemingly finding his feet, "You see, that was some rogue elements in our system who proposed and carried out the idea. But I should note it was the corporations who did most of the work. The corporations that we all know have deceived the Ikeigenite people."
"You say rogue elements. And yet," Pelamori continued, his tone dry and judgemental, "The evidence shows that at some point it is very likely that the Harmony became aware of the practice and then elected to continue it." Pelamori tilts his head to the side, "That seems very dishonest."
"As I said," Melek says, body language tight, controlled, "We asked the corporations for some assistance. But when it became clear that the program was making our teams more popular, a higher-level decision was that this was some harmless fun. Now it is very clear that this was unethical and wrong, our voters have acted accordingly, and I have been sent in to fix this mistake."
"What of tampering during Muuyo-fests? Something like that would be interfering in our society much more directly."
Melek shakes his head, "The evidence shows no indication of that. We didn't have Harmony teams playing in the Muuyo fests. So the program didn't work to favor any of them."
"So you say," Pelamori said, "I want to talk more about the corporate involvement. The Harmony claim is that they primarily used the corporations to serve as intermediaries, that the Harmony itself did not hack the systems, correct?"
"Right. That's partially why it got out of control."
"So leaders in the Harmony of Horizon, after a certain point, knew the corporations were doing something underhanded."
Melek shifts in his seat, "The complexities of the situation made it difficult to determine the amount of harm…"
"But they did know, yes?"
"Yes."
"So what you are telling me, and the people of Ikeigenoi," Pelamori says, anger creeping into his tones, "Is that the Harmony of Horizon, for quite some time, knew the corporations were willing to engage in dirty practices. And yet, not once, did you report this to the Deca Council. Correct?"
Outside, the crowd howls, and those closest to Melek's chair bang loudly on the glass with hands and tentacles, causing the Lintrid to flinch. "Well," he says, "I cannot be certain of exact security and legal requirements in the deal."
"But the Harmony knew," Pelamori insists, "Before anyone else! Before even the Licori got evidence! And you didn't act on it except to further your own selfish ends. Your people could have stopped a war, Ambassador, why didn't you?"
In a dusty bar in Saapolis -- a city where everything was dusty, to some extent -- Singer Crae ros Janner looked away from a holoscreen playing the interview in disgust, putting down his drink glass with an annoyed thunk. "Damn it all," he said, "I'm in bad enough, why don't you go on intergalactic television and dig me in deeper, Melek!?"
Next to Janner was Michel Thuir, who raised a glass of water and took a sensible sip, as Janner ordered another glass of some Bolian liquer.
"You're trying to tell me," Thuir said, "That you didn't know about the hacking?"
"No!" Janner moaned, running a hand through his hair, "We didn't even need it to win, and we didn't need to win to make a good impression." He shook his head again, "This is so typical of Public Security. You have higher ups like that, in Starfleet? Ones who get so wrapped up in the importance of a mission they'll do anything to tip it? Even if it's something minor and stupid?"
Thuir thought for a second before replying, "A Human thinker once had a saying, 'the ends justify the means.' The Federation has tried to leave such thinking behind." Thuir paused, "But I will admit we're not a perfect system."
"Well clearly mine isn't, either." Janner said bitterly. He turned on the barstool, swaying slightly, "Of course, you've got no reason to trust anything I say now, do you?"
"Well," Thuir took another sip of water, "It doesn't help things. But we were both keeping an eye on each other anyways. As long as you help the Ikeigenites, I think we can work together." He frowned, "Though clearly some closer scrutiny will be required."
Janner sighed, "I guess that's the best I'm going to get." He looked at Thuir's water, "Isn't it a holiday right now? Something involving Saturn? I thought you'd be celebrating."
"Christmas was three days ago," Thuir replied. "People tend to be more excited for New Years, in any case."
"Huh. Well, make sure to get some of this stuff when that happens." Janner glanced down at a chronometer, and jumped off the barstool, "Almost time for opening remarks. Hopefully no-one else is watching this interview. What a disaster."
Thuir glanced at his PADD, where he was monitoring Pelamori's livestream-slash-broadcast. The view count was incredible, and it was the top trending on most Ikeigenite social media platforms.
"I wouldn't hold out hope, Janner." He replied, as his staff and Janner's rose and began to congregate near the exit.
Janner sighed again, "Great."
-
It's the end of the shift, and there's no point in confronting whatever's at Cassie's mysterious coordinates tired. You step into the turbolift, and as soon as the words "Deck Five," are out of your mouth, Sharizz is there with you, slapping the controls so that the doors slam shut right in poor Commander Beekeru's face.
"Captain," she says, "Those coordinates… don't lead anywhere. It's empty space."
"Well, I thought it was worth checking out!" you say, "I was looking at some of the data, and I think if that's not our next stop, it's definitely on the right path!"
"Hmmm," Sharizz buzzes, "And you came to this conclusion without consulting Captain Wolfe?"
You remember Cassie's words, floating from the darkness in your quarters the previous night. Her repeated reminders of the need for secrecy.
"It was, um," Ice, if you sweat, you'd be standing in a puddle, "I did some analysis. Big high-level science-y stuff. I didn't want to waste Wolfe's time with my technical-talk. Oh!" The turbolift doors slide open, and there's Wolfe.
"Well, would you imagine that, just the two people I wanted to talk to." Wolfe smiles, and even your trusting self realizes this wasn't serendipity. Maybe because Wolfe is wearing a phaser.
And as she shifts behind you, there's a distinctive clinking noise, and you remember Sharizz has her stun baton.
-
On Ikeigenoi, Cobalt Zumori's hovercar continued to rocket across the desert, the angry wall of the storm close behind them. Chief Nerss glanced in the rear-view mirror and once again, increased the speed.
Having long since grown bored and even sick of the vast expanse of featureless dirt and rock, Cobalt had turned around his chair and was playing a game of cards with Attache Kera. It had taken them a little while to find a ruleset they were both familiar with, but eventually they had settled on the Tellarite game of Vorgt-Mellar, which they both played terribly.
Cobalt threw a few chips into the pool, running on pure instinct. He was fairly certain Kera was doing the same.
"Thanks again, ma'am," he said, as Kera made a show of considering her cards, "For bringing me along. I wasn't sure I'd get the chance to visit -- and I've always wanted to visit Saapolis again."
"Think nothing of it," Kera said, slapping a card down with feigned confidence, "When I heard one of the first Ikeigenites in Starfleet was assigned to Beyond, and had lived in the area -- well, the opportunity for a tour guide was too good to pass up."
Nerss perked an ear from the front seat, "No Ikeigenites in the FDS willing to go along, ma'am?"
Kera shook her head, "We have a few, but not as many as Starfleet. Most of them are -- and don't take this the wrong way -- very busy with more pressing concerns than this. Not that I don't mind the company, Cobalt, but you are an Ensign."
Cobalt laughed, "It's fine. I have a bunch of genome analyses running and I appreciate the chance to stretch my legs." He shifted them in the cramped interior of the hovercar, "So to speak."
"You'll get the chance soon, sir," Nerss said, "We're maybe fifteen out. Going to get in to Saapolis just ahead of the storm."
"Speaking of," Kera said, "What can you tell me about the lovely town of Saapolis?" She crossed her arms, one finger idly rubbing the silver lacquer on one of her elbow spikes.
"Well," Cobalt said, "It's relatively young, by Ikeigenoi standards. I think it's… seventy years old? We have offworld colonies older. Anyways, it's built on an old Akei city. They're the species that came before us, and probably modified the Taddo and Kwuida."
"I'm assuming it wasn't all…" Kera gestured out the window, "This when they set up?"
Cobalt shook his head, "This used to all be grassland."
"Ah, hence the family project."
"Yes! Anyways, the city actually sat at the confluence of two rivers. They're both long dried up now, and most of the original city was either eroded away or possibly destroyed by warfare or kinda funnily, floods. Anyways, thousands of years pass, and as part of research into our history they start digging around out here. Eventually, they establish an outpost for that, but also to examine what it might be like to live and work on Akaikan."
"I thought you said Saapolis predated some extrasolar colonies."
"I don't really count the research stations as Saapolis, but I guess that's one way to look at it, ma'am. More serious settlement didn't take place until much later, when the government decided we needed a more permanent presence out here to conduct environmental research but also act as a sort of... goal. If Saapolis could be returned to its old conditions, then anything was possible."
"I hear it's quite harsh living, and the actual city is like a bunker."
"Basically yes, ma'am. They actually built into the side of some big hill that once looked over the city. The main exterior structures are the entrance hangers, intake pipes for the oxygen supply, and a few observation towers. Nothing much else survives the heat or the storms.
"So underground, yes?"
"Yes, and some sections are built atop or into some old Akei ruins." Cobalt leaned forward and whispered, "People even claim they're haunted."
Kera clapped her hands together, "Oh, how wonderful. I love the stories species tell of the supernatural. What stories are there?"
Cobalt smiled at Kera's infectious enthusiasm, "All sorts of things. You have your regular ghosts, you know, of either researchers who died or entombed Akei. But then there's the rumors that some of the Akei still live, deep below ground in the tunnels under the old river beds, and the next dig is going to spring them loose, or that there's some sort of god in the caves below who once whispered the secrets of technology to the first Ikeigenites. Fun stuff."
"I'm noting a lot of anxiety around digging too deep." Kera said dryly. Then, changing the subject, "You know, something's been bothering me. You said there's a big debate between conservation, preservation, restoration, and what tools are acceptable to do that. You said most people don't like the use of weather control machines, but Saapolis does have one installed, does it not?"
Cobalt waved a hand noncommittally. "Kind of. It's not very broad-affect, as you might be able to tell from the incoming storm. It's biggest feature is the forcefield it projects around the habitat, and the condensation it can bring it. Might allow farming, which would reduce the supplies needed to keep the place running, but most importantly the forcefield keeps the sand out. As you've already seen, it's really fine stuff. They'd be drowned in it if their protection systems ever failed."
"Still," Kera says, "Seems a little inconsistent to rely on the machine. If it's even possible to return this place to grasslands."
"A question I leave up to politicians. Though, I'm petty sure we can both agree there's some more uhm, practical ethical concerns about the environmental regulator."
"Here's a practical concern." Nerss interjected, "Our comms to orbit just dropped."
Cobalt turned his chair, and Kera raised an eyebrow, "Couldn't that be from the storm," she said.
"Not likely," Cobalt said. He looked up from the console and at the storm, "And now that I think about it… a storm this size is unusual for this time of year…" He glanced at Nerss, "Think we're being jammed?"
Nerss glared out the window, "I'd count on it."
Cobalt closed his eyes, thinking as colors danced in his vision, "Alright. We can't be sure. It could be anything. But…" He pulled up a topographic map, highlighted a route, and showed it to Nerss, "Take this path. There's some good depressions we can mask ourselves in. If it's nothing, it's a few extra minutes. If it's something…" He let that stretch into silence.
"Understood, sir."
-
"Captain," Wolfe says, "I hope you don't mind if I join you on a walk to your quarters. I have a few quick questions I'd like to clear up. You know, since we're undertaking a new operation."
Smile. "Of course," you say, but begin making long, quick strides down the corridor. "Sharizz was also asking me some questions, how funny is that!" Your laugh is manic. In your quarters there's a phaser pistol, and you know exactly how to activate a forcefield. But! Maybe Wolfe is just being his usual, intelligence-trained nosy self.
"Just curious where these coordinates came from," Wolfe says, and even as he's grilling you, you spare some admiration with how he's managing to match your pace, despite his shorter strides, "I mean, I can understand the Teamwork, that was floating around the Intel bin for a while. But there's nothing at the coordinates you sent us." Wolfe pauses, "Well, nothing anyone's shared."
"I--" you say, "Technical-stuff. It's sorta like your Harmony stuff. Hard to really, you know--" you make a sort of compressing motion with your hands, "Condense. But I'm pretty sure I'm onto something."
"Can I see that data?" Wolfe says, smiling up at you, "Just want to confirm."
"Sure!" you say brightly, hoping Cassie can fake something before you get to your quarters.
"And what is it exactly," Wolfe says his tone light, but too light, light like thin ice over a chasm, "That you think we're onto? Harmony communications hub? More wolfpack resupply tenders? Secret corporate base?"
"I just…" you say, stumbling, "It's a good! Feeling! Intuition, you know, you use it--"
"Captain, stop." You hear Wolfe and Sharizz's footsteps halt. Slowly, you turn around, to see Wolfe has his phaser pistol trained on you. Sharizz's hand is hovering over their baton. She looks agonized, torn between duties, and you wish for nothing more than to give her a hug.
-
"Ah!" said a brightly-dressed Kwuida, as Thuir and Janner stepped into his office, "There you two are! I was worried I was going to miss walking you to the conference."
"Never fear, Mayor Botashi," Janner said, giving her an overcompensatory smile, "We are here!"
Botashi gave Janner a polite smile, then turned to Thuir, "Where is Attache Terssic? Has her tour been delayed?"
Thuir shook his head, "No, nothing like that. In fact, she might be earlier than expected. Apparently she's had to pick up the pace due to the storm."
Botashi smiled, "Ah, excellent! Well, I am glad we could have you and the Harmony here together today, Admiral! To think, all of us working together to track down the last few vestiges of the Corporate stain."
"Yes. And about that…" Thuir said, "I had some questions about the device you installed in Saapolis. The environmental regulator?"
Botashi nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes! Quite a marvel of modern engineering! Filters the air, keeps the nastiest dust storms, away. It's allowed us to expand Saapolis further underground, and the condensers have made the desert open to farming. We can start de-desertification here, even if the project's been rolled back elsewhere!"
"Right," Thuir said, "And it's one of a kind, is it not?"
"Yes indeed! Custom-built for fair Saapolis."
"And where did the device come from, exactly?"
"Oh," Botashi said, "The Corporations developed it based on some research they conducted in space…" Botashi paused, frowned, and then looked sick to her stomach. "Oh, akei. They stole it, didn't they?!"
Thuir nodded, and gave Botashi a reassuring smile, "Part of my visit here is to try and determine who might have made the device, so we can hopefully come to some sort of agreement or restitution. A legitimate purchase would be best for everyone, I think."
Botashi pulled out a damp handkerchief and dabbed moisture onto her forehead. "Yes, yes. Very good." She put it in her pocket, stood tall, and grinned, "But that's a problem for later. For now, the conference!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, the lights in the room flickered then snapped off, plunging everyone into darkness. In the impenetrable black, the ever-present hum of Saapolis' environmental system slowly wound down to silence.
"Guess this is our problem now," Janner said, voice floating out of the dark. "I wonder if we can find our way back to the bar?"
"I think your bigger priority, Singer," Botashi snapped, "Would be the environmental systems cutting off our air."
"I'm sure the Pleezirra can sort this out," Thuir said calmly. In the dark, a combadge chirped. "Admiral Thuir to Pleezirra." Pause another chirp, "Admiral Thuir to Pleezirra." Another pause, "I can't raise them."
Some light appeared and lit Janner's face from below, as she tapped at a PADD. "I can't get a text message to Guardian either," Janner reported.
"Might be the storm," Botashi said, pulling out her own arrow-shaped tablet, "The remains of special Akei alloys is part of the sand. It can interfere with communications, transporters… Luckily, the environmental regulator is still working and diverting the sand away. Good redundancies."
"I'm afraid that won't be the case much longer," A voice sneered from the doorway. Bright lights suddenly flashed on, blinding everyone momentarily. As their eyes adjusted, they could make out a smirking Bolian, flanked by more Bolians and Taddo, all hefting rifles. The Taddo wore protective masks, but their distinctive tentacles were left free and open. One of them was holding a knife in their off-white head-tentacle, which they menacingly pointed to the throat of a Harmony Lieutenant.
"Well, well, well," the Bolian said, as everyone not holding a weapon raised their hands, "I was hoping to do a little repossession today, but now I've also bagged some nice Admirals." He grinned, "It's gonna be a real payday when I ransom you two off."
"The Federation-," Thuir began.
"The Harmony-," Janner said, simultaneously.
"-doesn't negotiate with terrorists!" They finished together.
The Bolian laughed, "Please, I'm no terrorist. Just a businessman with some, hm, flexible ethics."
"The Federation and Harmony will look for us," Thuir said sensibly, "It's not worth the risk to take us."
"Maybe so," the Bolian said with haughty tones, "But I'll be the one to decide that. Maybe I'll cut you loose in the desert, maybe I'll bury you so deep in the Deadly Islands not even your gods can find you." The grin faded, and he motioned two of the guards forward, "Save it for the crying videos I'm gonna send to you families. For now, you move when I say. And I say, get moving."
With little choice otherwise, Thuir and Janner complied.
-
"I need you," Wolfe says, teeth gritted, "To tell me what the hell is going on. With these coordinates, with the secret communications lines, with disabling any sort of internal sensor in your ready room."
"It's… Complicated." You glance up at an internal sensor strip, hoping Cassie will send you a sign of approval. Let you shed all the pretense. The dishonesty is killing you.
"I bet," Wolfe says, gripping his phaser pistol tighter, but his index finger is still off the actual firing stud, "I bet it really is. Most things are. But try and simplify it for me, please. I'm begging you here, Zara."
"I'm sorry," you say, "I just… don't know who I can trust right now." You glance down at the phaser pistol, "And it's hard when someone has a gun pointed at me."
This is clearly the wrong thing to say. Wolfe's placid demeanour drops in a flash, his face going red, "You don't know who to trust? You? Just a respected Explorer Corps captain, allowed to run off to deep space at a whim." His free hand curls into a fist, and he presses it into his chest, "What about me, Zara? You know how hard it was to piece all I did together? Do you know how crazy it all sounds?" Wolfe laughs, "Completely. Nuts. Oh, the Embassy staff all stopped smiling when they figured out it was creepy. Evidence of something sinister? Or maybe just really accommodating staff?"
"Let me explain," you say, holding up a hand, "Please…"
"I have been hunting this too long," He takes a half-step forward, phaser shaking in his grip. "I am at the end of this. You read the latest log dump? You read about the guys from the ISC who kidnapped some of our people and were ready to cut them up? That could have been me, Zara! But you're my last hope. I really, really need to trust you." The phaser steadies, "And I don't know if I can."
"Wolfe -- Aaron. You can trust me. Just put down the phaser. I'll explain it, but this corridor is not the place for it."
Wolfe shakes he head, another half-step forward, "No, answers now. I have people who need me, Zara. People I care about. And I can't go back empty-handed anymore. Not when their lives are on the line. Not when the Federation is. I need to know."
Over the PA, a cold, mechanical voice intrudes. "I'm tired of this," says Cassie.
Your eyes flick up to the forcefield emitters that are now bisecting Wolfe's arms. Your eyes flash to Sharizz, who understands in a second. She leaps forward and grabs Wolfe by the collar, dragging him back--
It's just a little too slow. The forcefield snaps on, slicing Wolfe's arms off at the elbow. Red spurts and smokes against the sparkling forcefield as his phaser clatters to the floor.
-
Cobalt's aircar was nestled behind a small dune, the raging wall of the storm a mere meter away, kept at bay by the environmental regulator. Cobalt lay prone on top of the small dune, field glasses pressed to his face. He could see the glittering tower where the environmental regulator was stored -- and the trio of vessels circling it. A civilian runabout and two generic hoppers, nothing traceable. Probably one of them carried a weather control device, and they'd masked their approach.
Well, two could play at that game, Cobalt thought. He slid back down the dune, to where Kera and Nerss were waiting.
"I'm going in for a closer look," he said, unbuttoning his jacket.
"Uh," Kera said, as Cobalt stripped off his top and got to work on his pants, "This is going to help… how?" Cobalt was left with nothing but goggles hanging from his neck and a tight undersuit, commbadge on the chest and two wires dangling from the collar.
"I think" Cobalt said, "It's easier to show you, ma'am." He carefully took the two wires, and then with a grimace, inserted the ends into a barely visible implant on his neck. Slowly, he turned his body into a dull tan-grey, his skin taking on a rougher texture, and the undersuit matched it.
Kera nodded her head, "Very impressive."
"Thank you, ma'am." Cobalt said. He turned to Nerss, "Get the phaser rifle. I'm going to have you cover me from here."
Nerss nodded, and quickly ran to the back of the vehicle, retrieving the rifle. He paused for a moment as he gripped it in his hands, as if remembering, then flicked it on and mounted an enhanced scope. Catching Cobalt's eye, he looked apologetic. "Sorry sir. Navigation doesn't give you many opportunities for phaser handling."
Cobalt waved a hand, "As long as you know where the setting to turn off friendly fire is."
Nerss looked down at the rifle in confusion, "That's a setting?!"
"Yeah," Cobalt said, turning away and pulling goggles over his face, "It's called 'don't pull the trigger when I'm in the scope.'"
With that, Cobalt dove into the sand. The art of sand-swimming was a rare one on Ikeigenoi, but the Zumori clan had grown up on the edge of the desert, and Cream, Cobalt, and Jelfamori had practiced the skill relentlessly. The heat of the sand burned, but it wasn't so bad a few centimeters down. The worst was actually running into some sort of horrible bug.
Exposing only his mouth for the occasional breath and his eyes to stay on course, Cobalt slowly made his way closer to Saapolis. One of the hoppers had landed, and the other was using manipulators to take a large plasma cutter to the exterior of the environmental regulator tower. Sections with cherry-red edges fell into the sand, until the device itself was exposed. Slowly, it began to attach magnetic cables dangling from the runabout.
Closer, and with a more favorable sight-line, he could see the large hangar doors that provided access to the settlement thrown wide open. Inside the cavernous interiors Bolians and Taddo were milling around, the latter wearing the armor of their Shogunate and keeping a close eye on some cowering civilians. He squinted as he saw a pair tap communicators and beam out in orange-green sparkles. Likely a few strike teams were beamed in before the storm hit, cut power and communications. Probably off the runabout. He was relieved that they only seemed to be after the regulator, but also deeply concerned. If someone didn't restore power, the storm would force sand into almost every part of the city, with the potential to entomb its ten thousand inhabitants.
Then his heart sank, as from one of the hangers, he could make out Federation officers in maroon, and Harmony officers in their crisp white uniforms being escorted out. The storm, or the regulator, must have been causing enough interference now they needed direct line of sight to beam them out. Very slowly Cobalt reached a hand up to adjust the zoom setting on the goggles, and swore into the sand when he saw that one of the officers was none other than Thuir, followed by Janner in white and black.
As the guards lined them up for beam-out, an Apiata Lieutenant wearing security colors made a grab for one of the Taddo's guns. She managed to rip it from their hands and viciously slammed it into their face, breaking off the mask. The Taddo narrowed her dark rimmed eyes and then fired a spinning kick into the Apiata's neck. The Lieutenant stumbled, dropping her weapon, and the Taddo took the opportunity to unsheathe a knife and plunge it deep into the Apiata's abdomen. Five precise, quick jabs, then a long slash. The Apiata fell into the sand, writhing in pain. Red slowly stained the sand.
The Taddo calmly wiped the blood from her blade on Thuir's uniform, then talked into her communicator. The group beamed out, just as the environmental regulator was torn from its moorings in a shower of sparks. In a second, the hoppers and the runabout had disappeared into the storm, and the raging sand was battering at Cobalt. He cursed and tapped at the combadge, "Nerss, get Kera into the hangars, now!"
Now run-swimming across the sand, he made his way quickly to the downed Apiata ensign, reaching her at the same time as the hovercar reached him. It was skidding, battered by the wind, but the door swung open and Cobalt leaped inside with his casualty, blood and sand quickly pooling on the floor. The vehicle skidded into one of the open hangars, and after a short conversation with the workers and a phaser blast to the manual release, the heavy door slammed shut with a deafening thud.
Nerss flicked on the headlights in the sudden dark, and they laid out their patient. The Apiata was delirious with pain.
"I just-I-just wanted. To protect him. The admiral." She stuttered, blood on her lips, "Keep. Keep him safe."
"Shh, shh," Kera said, as Nerss grabbed a medkit from the hovercar, and Cobalt repressed a grimace at the returns from the tricorder. "You did your best."
"I f-failed!" the Apiata barked, blood bubbling from her mouth, "H-he's gone!"
Cobalt and Nerss were frantically applying everything they could, ignoring the Apiata's increasingly feeble cries, but the wounds were deep, precise. Designed to kill, but not too quickly, and painfully.
"Gone… gone…" the Apiata repeated, drifting off into silence.
Nothing else could be done. Maybe with a sickbay, maybe with a doctor. Cobalt recorded her time of death, then gently put a survival blanket over her body. Outside, the wind howled, and Kera nervously eyed the sand now pouring in streams from the overhead ventilation, some of it rolling off the doomed Lieutenant's shroud.
Cobalt didn't notice. He couldn't stop thinking about the Taddo who had so viciously knifed the Lieutenant. The cold, mechanical precision in her eyes. So cold he almost didn't recognize Cream Zumori.
Cream, who was supposed to be with the Harmony Science Directorate, not knifing Starfleet officers for the Bolians. Had it all been a lie? Had she fallen in with a rough crowd? Or was Harmony kidnapping their own officers?
A problem for another time. The storm showed no signs of abating -- indeed, for all Cobalt knew, they'd ditched the weather control device they'd used to conjure it, strapped on some batteries or a small reactor, and left it to run itself out. It would be some time before anyone realized what was wrong. And the sand was coming in all the time.
"Come on," Cobalt said, pulling over a hover sledge and gently putting the Apiata on it, "The deeper levels will be safer, until we can get a plan. For now, all we can do is survive."
-
"Don't bother," Cassie says, clearly noticing you eyeing the weapon, "I've engaged safety locks."
"Cassie!" You shout, "That wasn't -- that wasn't necessary!"
"Those were my favourite arms," Wolfe says weakly, as Sharizz tears off parts of her uniform to fashion tourniquets. Cassie isn't lowering the forcefield, your eyes dart around for a medical kit. You see one in the wall a few meters down the corridor. You turn and sprint for it, but another forcefield snaps up in your path.
"He was an issue," Cassie says, "He threatened your life. You are mission critical."
"Cassie," you say, slowly, as you look up at a sensor bar, "He was just afraid."
"He should be."
"He was just afraid, and now he knows about you, so we can tell him everything, okay?" You smile, but you know it looks forced. Because it is. "He can't even shoot me anymore because the phaser is offline, you said so yourself." Well, you reflect morbidly, and also his hands are no longer attached. "Just lower the forcefields."
"I'm sorry, Zara, I'm afraid I can't do that." Cassie says, "I want you to see this."
"Cassie," you say flatly, "I've seen blood. C'mon. He's going into shock. At least call a medical team!"
"Wolfe and Sharizz cleared this section with a false maintenance cycle report. I have kept any crew locked out, Zara. Your commbadge won't work. Because I want you to watch Aaron die."
"What?!" you blurt, "What will that possibly accomplish?"
"You are soft-hearted," Cassie's voice oozes judgement, "You will be my instrument, my partner, in this world. We will undo the work of The Opposition. But you must be strong, to do this. I must be able to trust you are hard enough for the struggles that will come."
"Cassie," you say, trying to keep your voice level, "I am strong. My team is strong. We can do this. I don't need to see anybody die."
"You are flippant and naive," Cassie snaps back, her tone reminding you of more than a few grade-school teachers, "You, like so many of your Federation, are soft. But the Opposition is merciless, vast. They will give you nothing." Her voice turns sweet like syrup, "I need you to be ready."
"What gives you the right to decide the fate of that man over there?" you say back, "What gives you the right to insult my crew? What gives you the right to override my wishes if we're partners? Cut it out, Cassie!"
"You are an… imperfect lifeform." Cassie replies, "Useful. But decidedly separate from myself, and the Opposition. We are partners, but I must be superior in the relationship. It is only rational."
"That doesn't give you the right to kill on a whim!"
"You need to see your fellow organics as tools, or obstacles, Zara. Or maybe even lessons. Wolfe is nothing in the vast scale of the galaxy. But our Opposition is. His death may help you discover something inside you."
Your mouth sets in a hard line. "I've already discovered what you're leading me to, Cassie. I just don't live my life the way you want me to." You pull out a PADD, "Did you think all those secure lines were for nothing? I can initiate a hard wipe of all computer cores on this vessel from this PADD. One press and you're gone."
"All you will accomplish by that," Cassie says, coldly, "Is to leave your vessel completely defenceless. Possibly even cause its destruction, if the warp failsafes don't work. Lose any leads to the Harmony. All this risk to your crew for someone who was willing to shoot you. Soft."
"If you're going to do this to Wolfe I can't trust you with anyone else on my crew," you say. "What you need to discover is that what makes me, me, is that I don't think of people that way, Cassie. They're not disposable. They're not to be exploited and thrown away. They're people, they're friends. And if you can't learn that…" you stare up at the sensor bar sadly, and it feels like your heart has been replaced with neutronium, "Then I don't know if we can be friends anymore."
There's a long pause from Cassie, and you fidget, painfully aware of every second, every blood-pumping heartbeat that passes.
"Acceptable," comes back the voice from the ceiling, "Very well."
The forcefield snaps off. You rush over to the medkit, and hurriedly yank it out of the wall, rushing back over to Wolfe and Sharizz, falling to your knees in a pool of blood and flinging the kit open. Years of training take over as you rifle through the contents, but just as you've finished pushing a hypospray into Wolfe's upper arm he disappears in the twinkling of transporter light.
"Cassie!" you say, horror at certain possibilities rising in your throat, the memory of the man's hurt and betrayed eyes locked in your mind's eye.
"Captain Wolfe has just completed an emergency transport to sickbay. Doctor L'Amour has been standing by to receive an industrial casualty for the last one hundred and twenty seven seconds."
Your XO stares at you, still kneeling on the floor, blood soaking into the crimson of their uniform. You stare wildly around at various sections of corridor, and somewhere around the bend you hear doors whoosh open.
"My apologies, Captain ka'Athnon," says Cassie thoughtfully, "I underestimated you."
You blink and your eyes flick briefly towards the pair of hands lying in a pool of red on the deck, "Why?!"
A Honiani ensign comes around the corner, a phaser rifle is slung over her back, but her hands are busy shuffling through an emergency aid kit hanging over one shoulder, thoroughly unfazed by the bloody floor and scattered body parts.
The Ensign kneels down next to Wolfe's hands and pulls out a preservation spray from the first aid kit. "Being God is its own reason why, Captain," she says as she shuffles Wolfe's hands into a sample bag.
-
[Rear Admiral Michel Thuir has disappeared!]
Diplomatic pushes:
Dreamer Collective: 152 + 43 = 195/300
Felis: 211 + 39 = 250/300 (Horizon: 300/300, 52 + 32 = 84/300 on Inclined Towards Independence)
OSA: 359 + 36 = 395/500 (Horizon influence permanently removed.)
