Interrogation

[Chirakis 1]

Interrogation

A Joint Log by Centurion tr’Jeth Dabi and Ocul of Deosi

 

Ocul pounded on the interrogation room door. “I have the answer,” he shouted, on the odd chance someone might hear him. Then he turned full circle for the security cameras, sweeping the walls and ceiling with his gaze, shouting, “Let me out! I have the answer!”

 

Security Technician Elder was manning the main security console, but many security staff were surrounding it at the time. He alerted them, “What’s his problem... look at this,” as he pointed to the live console feed of Ocul pounding on the secure, sound-proof door and yelling at the top of his lungs.

 

“It’s proximity. You must tell them. It’s proximity!”

 

Daise tr’Jeth Dabi spent over an hour in Science, listening to the details of what they believed the Deosi slave was contributing to the problem, including their accusations. He took detailed statements from each of the attending scientists and doctors. The lists were long, but it gave him a good idea of how to interrogate the prisoner. He would get it out of him - the security of the station and preservation of life depended on this information. The tactical advantages could be great if the power could be harnessed by the Empire, or even Starfleet.

 

=/\=

 

Ocul’s mind spun. Now he was not only a thief, he was a terrorist plotting to destroy the station. And he was in collaboration with the Breen? Pure stupidity.

 

The station commander knew what slavery was like. He had overheard part of her conversation with his brother. He had seen the tattoo, barely visible beneath her hairline. Ocul had no first-hand knowledge of the commander’s Cardassian overlords, but to know the terror of slavery, especially that of the Breen, one must experience it. Otherwise, they could not possibly know.

 

He paced the small cell they called solitary confinement. It was clean, dry, and warm, yet they imagined it a place of punishment, frightening and formidable. He rubbed a hand through what hair remained on his head, trying not to think of the places he had been held on Deosi, when he refused to work. Where they had held his wife... his children. What they did to them... until he complied.

 

“And now they hold the key,” he spoke to the walls. “They hold the key!”

 

He stopped to beat again on the door, his gaze raised to the security camera. “I know what is wrong! Let me out! We can fix it!”

 

Silence.

 

Exhausted, frustrated, he slid to the floor.

 

=/\=

 

When the Daise returned to security, he was met with a few security officers alerting him to the prisoner’s rants. All of them felt the urgency of which to convey the information to tr’Jeth Dabi. He paused to listen to them, all of them one-upping each other. He finally reviewed the video of the prisoner, then instructed Lieutenant Harada to go into the monitoring booth and make sure that Commander Chirakis was aware the interrogation was about to proceed.

 

For a moment, tr’Jeth Dabi watched Ocul on the live feed, just before entering. As Ocul slid to the floor, Torate recognized the desperation on his face, making a mental note to take full advance of this weak point. However, he was required to take the lloann’nae approach to all interrogations, at least at first. The ‘real’ interrogations would come later, if they were approved. He hated the restraint he had to embrace, but it was for the RSE.

 

The Daise’dheno (security) entered his security code, popped open the door and entered the room. He stood in front of the door as it closed behind him, in his hardened stance, staring at the prisoner.

 

Ocul knew the routine. He knew he should stand if he valued his life. But with the strain of using the device, his weakened physical condition from DNA manipulation, and the grip of the Rihan fingers still affecting his breathing, he remained sitting on the floor, his back slumped against the metal wall, his gaze fixed on the floor as his former captors would have expected.

 

It wasn’t obvious, but to Torate, this was a waste of interrogation time. The weakened state wasn’t even a challenge, as this prisoner had already been tortured sufficiently by the Breen previous to him coming aboard Aegis. “What is the solution?” he inquired, with a surprisingly soft tone, rare for any Rihan interrogation.

 

“Proximity,” replied Ocul, as though no other explanation was needed.

 

It was clear that this just became a very long interrogation. Torate mentally prepared himself while giving a terribly long silence to let the prisoner rethink his vagueness.

 

He watched Ocul on the floor, without making a move himself. Torate could wait unmoving for hours, and had many times in the past. It was a well known fact that even interrogations of a silent nature were just as torturous as those that become seriously violent. He had to be careful how he handled this - as the video feeds in the room were being monitored, he was sure.

 

The Deosi prisoner finally came to life. He gave a vague wave of his hands without looking up, his voice raspy, his breathing labored. “When we developed the device...” He stopped, wiping one hand over his haggard face. “When the Breen forced us to help them develop it... they insisted it work in any environment, so temperature should not matter.” He paused again, his head lolling against the interrogation room wall.

 

“They set strict parameters for transport: object dimensions, configuration, mass, necessary transport distance, variable control, DNA recognition. Some we could do, some we could not. We were never able to transport living beings successfully....” He paused again and took a deep breath, as though the memory was unbearable. “...never able to transport completely successfully. Eventually they lived. The Breen lived, that is. Most of them. Because of their DNA. Their own scientists were incorporating something similar into their cloaking system. I... I don’t know... if they ever succeeded.”

 

The Daise let him speak as long as he did until he paused, then spoke with a firm voice, “Continue.” Giving him an intent expression, and never letting up his Rihan glare, he knew he would be spending some time in the holodeck later, to get out his frustration of not having the physical interaction he so longed for. The poor slave that would be incarcerated and torn to shreds by the time tr’Jeth Dabi got done with him... no one would be the wiser, but Torate’s temperament would be satisfied.

 

“We transported objects. Large size, variable mass... over short distances, over long distances. When we left, we stole the device to transport what we needed. To trade. To survive. Passing freighters, stations such as yours. Any place. Any one who had anything we could use. We got aboard, we took....

 

“But we were never close like we are here, in your laboratory. We transported from the ship or the colony or the station to wherever we were hiding at the time. The activator and the main assembly were never in close proximity.” Ocul stopped and closed his eyes, his chest heaving, his arms limp. After several minutes he continued, though his voice had weakened considerably.

 

“That scientist, that doctor... Feretti? We were trying to figure out the variables. What was different. The temperature didn’t... shouldn’t matter. The DNA on my fingertips. Their placement... on the activator. It was all the same. Except that the activator... what I held in my hand... and the main transporter were never close together.”

 

Not pretending to be any sort of scientist, he egged on for complete disclosure. “This is the proximity you were crying out? Explain.” He needed to pry as many details and facts from the prisoner’s mouth.

 

“Yes. The proximity. The closeness.” He cupped his trembling hands to illustrate. “They shouldn’t be so close. Tell the doctor... feedback loop.”

 

Even though the Daise was not satisfied with this interrogation, he would have to follow the Commander’s orders, and let him live. After the long dissertation, Torate began to address the charges against the criminal. “You were charged and have your lloann’na rights; What do you plead?”

 

For the first time since the Rihan officer entered his cell, Ocul raised his eyes to meet those of his captor. With a renewed strength his expression changed and he struggled to press his body away from the interrogation room wall. “What do I plead?” he said, his eyes flashing. “What... do I plead?” His voice rose into a weak ironic laugh. “What does it matter? I’m dying anyway.

 

“Oh. You didn’t know that?” he said to the brief look that passed over the Rihan’s face. “Yes. I’m dying. And soon. Like my brother. Because, you see, the Breen DNA they forged on my fingertips... so I could test their damned device because they were too cowardly to test it first? It doesn’t mix with my DNA because they altered my DNA so I wouldn’t be able to use their technology! Does that make sense? Tell me! Does_it_make_sense???”

 

Sapped of strength, he slumped back against the wall once more.

 

“Forget what I plead,” he said finally. “Just tell Dr. Feretti what I told you. The problem... is... proximity. Then... when I am gone... they can take my fingers and use them for the device... find the Breen... and destroy them.”

 

There was not an ounce of compassion in the Daise. He could have cared less that this prisoner did not care about answering to his accusers. “Guilty then, I will record it.” It was standard to record a guilty plea, in all cases.

 

Torate entered his code and stepped out of the room without another word. He secured the room again, leaving the prisoner within the interrogation walls of solitary confinement, while letting all of those concerned view the feed. Ocul would be held in this unfurnished room until everyone was satisfied that they had all of the necessary information.