"Making the Tough Decisions"

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

"Making the Tough Decisions"

 

Harper stalked into the NNC, aware that the stormclouds on her face would start the gossip mill running, but not willing to trust the information to comms yet. "Paradox," she called out, "we need to talk."

 

Day looked up from the console she was reading, and jerked her head in the direction of her office. Clearing the display, she stood and headed that direction. Obviously, something was not right..... after this day, it could be anything.

 

Stepping into the familiar confines of the XO's office, Harper paced the small space before the desk restlessly. Her mind was still whirling with the information Condacin had given her... and its fallout.

 

Paradox waited until the doors were closed, then enacted a privacy seal. "Okay... what happened now?" she asked, with no small amount of frustration in her voice.

 

"Condacin came to see me." She stopped pacing, turned to face Day. Her tone loaded with frustration, she continued, "She's been to talk to Noleph, and apparently he had some interesting things to say. Starting with the fact that the Selshans control the Soltans."

 

A swear word escaped Day's lips, before she paused, "Wait a second... why was Science interviewing our prisoner? Isn't that Security's job? What the heck is WRONG with that dept? JoNs has had more people in and our of sickbay in the last two days than Medical has! Can't they function at all without her? They can't keep a prisoner secure????!" Day was getting pissed.

 

She sighed. "I don't think he left the brig, at least. But -- well, you know Condacin. She probably blustered right by the guards."

 

"Exactly my point! So what else did our lying prisoner tell our nosy science officer that you want to believe?" It was blunt, to be sure... but there was no point in dancing around the issue with Medusa.

 

Harper scowled, thinking of her argument with that nosy science officer. "Well, apparently he's got Odile ready to argue his case. She proposed keeping him on as some sort of... native guide!"

 

Day laughed, "Oh, sure... I like that idea." She paused, waiting to see the look on Harper's face. Seeing the ‘Are you insane’ look on Harper's face, she smiled broadly, "Well... guides lead the way, right? We can launch him out the forward torpedo tubes, and he can guide us through the nebula. Too bad the EVA suits won't fit through those tubes, but we all must make certain sacrifices."

 

Slowly the look melted into a gallows-humor smile. "It does have merit. But I think if we want to keep our component atoms attached to one another, we may have to offer him to the Selshan.'

 

T'Loren shrugged, "Well, he'll be right out there where they can pick him up." After a brief pause, she shrugged again, "Why are we even considering believing a thing that lying bastard says, Charlie?"

 

"I don't know," Harper answered slowly. "But, Paradox, this rings true, somehow. I'd like to think he was lying to us again..."

 

Day sat down, being still a little tired from the last few days. "So what if it's true? I mean, what does it really change??"

 

"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything." She leaned a hip on the edge of the desk. "If the Selshans are the puppeteers, then they're responsible for the attacks on our shipping routes. On the other hand, until Noleph's little stunt they haven't been hostile to us. We could persuade them to have the Soltans take us home."

 

Day shook her head, "If the Soltan are doing this all at the Selshan's direction, then asking them to send us home isn't likely to do much good. And if they are in charge, they've already, in essence, declared war on the Federation. In which case, while I certainly don't agree with the action... well, people die in wars. Okay.. so what do we know for sure? The Soltan are dangerous--both from the raid perspective, and from the perspective that they infect people. I hope no one in the Federation has contracted that little 'disease'."

 

"It seems to take contact, so unless their MO has changed since we got here, probably not." Harper considered the matter for a moment. "The source is suspect, of course, but Noleph claims there's a... revolution? movement?... afoot in Selshan society. Freedom and justice and the usual suspects."

 

Another vulgarity was expressed, this one indicating the belief that the subject was equal to male bovine manure. "I trust him about as far as.. as... well.. as far as O'Brien could throw him. Even if it's true, again, what does it matter? If there is... is it the 'rebellion' that's pulling the Soltan strings, sending them raiding into Federation space in the hopes of attracting powerful enemies to bring down the Selshan leaders? Or are the leaders pulling the strings, looking for power against this rebellion? Charlie, I just don't see it mattering. What's important is that we're here, but we're not here to get involved in politics."

 

"I don't see us getting home without getting involved," she answered bluntly. "The Soltans have the subspace drive that can send us there; we need it. Unless you want to spend thirty years crossing the quadrant."

 

Day shook her head, almost determinedly, "We need it. Doesn't mean we have to get involved in politics. We just need to acquire one... and the *Soltan* have already committed acts of war against us, so I have little problem in, shall we say, appropriating one of their ships, minus the crew."

 

Harper chuckled. "You have a ruthless streak," she commented, but she didn't sound upset. "What about the Umbara? I could live with 'the enemy of my enemy' -- perhaps they know more about the drive."

 

"I don't want to get in bed with them any more than we have to. It comes down to this, Medusa: Our responsibility is to our crew. Period. If that comes across as a 'ruthless streak'.. well, our crew is too important to risk on the possibility of contracting that virus. If that means we space the Soltan crew... well, think of it as a Borg cube. Those people aren't who they were. They aren't really even 'people'. They're organic machines, nothing more. But... what is Noleph is lying in part.. and it's the Umbara pulling the Soltan strings?"

 

"This whole situation is giving me a headache," she complained. Silent for a moment, Harper mulled over the facts. "Here's what I say: hand Noleph over to the Selshans, the birdy general to her people, and get through the nebula out of this warzone. Then we can concentrate on getting one of those drives from the Soltan, and going home."

 

T'Loren nodded, "I can live with that. There is just one potential problem that I can see. What if we give Noleph to the Selshan and he gives them a sob story?" She paused, her face taking on a sad, pathetic look, and her voice was squeaky, "I tried to tell them it was toxic. I begged them not to use it, but they are heartless and cruel. You have no idea what it's like on their ship. Captain Bob had me gathering intel on the Umbara.. and they killed him for it!"

 

Considering that, she shook her head. "They don't like him much to begin with," Harper pointed out. "We tell them what happened -- then offer him up by way of apology."

 

Day held up a finger, "How do we *Know* they don't like him much? His word? Their saying they want him back? That's not much proof."

 

"You want to keep him?" she asked dryly.

 

Day's bark of laughter resounded in the office, "No... but I don't want to get attacked if we've been played. I just think we need to be sure, that's all... Either have Levy do it, or I will... but one of us has to verify that he's not playing both sides against the middle."

 

Harper's expression abruptly turned grim, her lips pressing into a thin line. "There are rules about that..." But slowly, she nodded. "Make it so."

 

Day nodded, "I know there are rules.. but the safety of the crew is more important. Do you have a preference?"

 

"Do you?" She rubbed her temples, feeling a pounding ache threatening to start. "Levy may be less pragmatic about it, but would her read be more accurate?"

 

Day shrugged, "I don't know. We haven't exactly gone head-to-head to see who's stronger, if you know what I mean. But being she's a healer, she may object. My methods, though, require touch.. and may cause, potentially, damage."

 

"To you or to him?" Harper asked anxiously.

 

"Well, technically, both... though in my case, it'd be more a headache. The real danger would be to him, if he fights it."

 

Medusa looked out the viewport, her jaw working. "I'm not sure I care about that," she admitted, finally.

 

"I know I don't.. but will the Selshan?"

 

"If they're just going to execute him anyway, probably not. If they care what happens to him... Well, if he's playing us, we're going to have to reconsider giving him back in any event."

 

T'Loren nodded, "I'll see to it. Just don't tell Troll.... He'll lock me away in Sickbay for a week." Day grinned, "You should have seen his face with half of security traipsing through... I thought he was going to have kittens."

 

She mustered a smile for that. "Because of the territory invasion or because of the overdose of barnacles?"

 

"Both, I think. You'll have my report in half an hour."

 

Harper nodded. "Thank you, Paradox."

[Kansas_Jones 0]

Very cool!