Truth or Deception?

[Capt Ayers 0]

Nick stares up at Representative Colao for a few seconds after Colao's revelation. It takes him that long to digest what Colao had said without laughing at the outrageousness of it all. He senses Colao's mental state, trying to tell if the Cardassian was lying or not but he can't detect any hint of deception. That doesn't mean its not there possibly just that Nick can't sense it. Cardassians were never the easiest people to read, at least not in Nick's experiences.

 

Nick's mind whirls at the possibilities presented before him. If what Colao was saying was true, the Prime Minister was planning to commit what used to be termed "a crime against humanity" that outdid what Free Cardassia had did to one of the Cardassian regional capitals. Not even during the height of the Cardassian-Dominion war had such a thing taken place. The only thing that could compare was the Borg assimilating entire worlds and with the Borg they were slaves to their master's will. This was something different entirely, something far more insidious.

 

If the Prime Minister was willing to do such a thing just to hang onto power then the Prime Minister was clearly mad and something had to be done to stop him. However, if the Federation moved against him it would only benefit Free Cardassia movement and would doom any hopes of rebuilding the peace between the Federation and the Cardassians. And Nick has no doubt that there were politicians in the Federation morally corrupt enough to consider keeping the Federation out of another possible war with the Cardassian the preferable thing over stopping a madman in power.

 

On the other hand, there was the very real possibility that Colao was orchestrating a deception. Or that he himself had been deceived. That the Free Cardassia movement was hoping to set up the Federation and the Cardassian Government up against each other in the hopes of gaining power.

 

Then there was the third alternative. That the Prime Minister really meant to do such a thing and then it became known that he was behind it. Which would give the Cardassians that didn't like the Federation's presence more reason to hate the Federation. After all, in their view since the Prime Minister would be to blame that must mean that the Federation had a hand in it as the Federation had a clear interest in the Prime Minister remaining in power.

 

The various twists and turns as well as the nuances of this situation is enough to give Nick the beginning of a headache. Nick sighs inwardly and says "Sit down, Representative, and tell me the entire story...from the beginning."