A Break With Clarity ((t'Tamarak/t'Mor'Talni))

[Jaiysa t'Tamarak 0]

Jaiysa was not usually one for pacing but she was doing it now, moving back and forth with quick measured steps in front of one of the screens in her office, which was displaying the latest results from the Federation team's research of their new pathology. Her expression was darkly frustrated and worried; the last few hours had seen the situation she had helped to start, grow drastically more complex and dangerous. They stood on the cusp of being discovered; the security teams were suspicious, their contact in the government found out and dying. More to the point, they had been following the wrong path now and Jaiysa was still coming to grips with the implications of that statement. So she was pacing, nervous energy keeping her body moving as she analyzed the latest data.

 

The door to her office slid open, and Dr. t'Mor'Talni barged in unannounced, her features taunt and drawn, rage clouding her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded with vehement hostility. "Why are we halting all medical treatments of Echococcosis patients?"

 

Jaiysa's head snapped sideways and she halted her pacing, keeping her expression as calm as possible, if only because she knew it would further infuriate the epidemiologist who she tacitly blamed for this chaos, as she was the most convenient target. "New information has come to light," she said coolly. "A new pathology." She gestured at the information still scrolling by on the wide screen over her desk, her dark eyes narrowed at the other woman.

 

Lisia's eyes narrowed as well as she rudely elbowed Jaiysa aside to study the screen. The several moments of terse silence that followed were suddenly broken by the frustrated screech which emanated from her throat. "You do realize what this means?" she spat out disgustedly at the neurologist.

 

If the situation had not been so dire, Jaiysa would have laughed at the noise that Lisia managed to produce in her frustration. As it was, her eyes only showed a faint amount of dark amusement but her jaw tightened with annoyance. "Of course I realize it. It means we've been wasting our time."

 

"That is obvious," Lisia replied with a scathing bite in her voice. "Any dha'rudh can see that we were looking in the wrong direction. I was referring to the fact that if this research is correct," she sneered, pausing for a moment, "and the true cause of Echococcosis is leaked to the general public, the implications are going to be enormous. Hta'Dva, Jaiysa! If it got around that we have been practicing genetic manipulation for decades among the general populace, all sorts of unpleasant thing will occur, including our execution," she concluded huffily.

 

Jaiysa reflected that her own execution had been likely ever since that first ill-fated meeting with Senator t'Bagg that had informed her that she would be working with the Federation team; the idea was beginning not to bother her so much. She focused instead on the aspect of Lisia's words that had her concerned. "Yes...the manipulation -- you have heard of this, then?" She eyed the other woman sidelong, wondering at what level of clearance this information must have been hiding to have slipped past her.

 

"I…" Lisia began, but stopped abruptly, studying Jaiysa intently for several seconds. "You don't have the proper clearance for this information, do you?" she guessed shrewdly, laughing humorously. "It figures," she mumbled, speaking to herself. "They don't usually like to let the subjects know about the experiments."

 

Jaiysa's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" she snapped, not appreciating the laughter in Lisia's eyes, though it was already obvious what she meant. This explained why the Vulcan scientist -- it had to be a yyaio; the bearing cut through the Romulan brow ridges -- had asked for her blood, and seemed, when Jaiysa had eyeballed the team before departing, satisfied with the results. She scowled; yet again played for a fool by the secrecy that pervaded this world, on a level that toyed with her very existence. This refrain was growing extraordinarily tiresome.

 

"Absolutely nothing," Lisia smirked maliciously, in a tone laced with superiority. "Do you mind if I take a copy of these findings – to study more thoroughly, of course," she asked haughtily, already extracting a data chip from a pocket of her lab coat.

 

"I would deny you nothing," Jaiysa said sardonically. "Perhaps this time we can pursue this correctly and actually complete the business of saving lives."

 

Her annoyance was not all with Lisia -- it extended to every official in this facility and in the government, for allowing this process to be shoved into a tight corner and all but forgotten about, leaving her and those around her to struggle to come up with the correct solutions through exhaustion, tension, overexposure, fear, and secrecy. It extended to herself and the doctors she worked with for allowing those things to interfere with their judgment and intelligence and turn them aside on the wrong track. It was infuriating.

 

"Thank you for your consideration," Lisia simpered sarcastically as she transferred the data. "I will get back to you with a complete report as soon as I have had an opportunity to careful studying these findings and consult with the new research team." Smirking once more she exited the office, leaving Jaiysa no chance to reply.

 

Jaiysa's eyes narrowed at that parting shot; putting Lisia in the same room with the lloann'na could not possibly add joy and rapture to this situation. Of course, their time was already short; t'Bagg, in his last communication, had told her that he was dying and suggested that government officials were on their trail. T'Bone was annoyed and suspicious, and would now be watching them through t'Goon's eyes every minute. Things were rapidly coming to a head and Jaiysa didn't like it one bit. Snapping her wrist out she flicked the screens over the desk off and turned to leave the room. Time to see if she could locate the weaponry she had promised the Federation security officer.

 

***

dha'rudh -- Total idiot.

Hta'Dva -- Expletive.

yyaio -- "Dead one" (derogatory term for a Vulcan)

lloann'na -- Federation personnel, "Feddies"

 

Source: The Rihannsu Encyclopedia