Disparate Purposes

[Chirakis 1]

Disparate Purposes

 

Whatever this was in front of him, Nick was intrigued by it. And puzzled. He had been taking scans for the past 5 minutes and yet he had no clue what he was seeing. More importantly, he had no clue whether this...being was alive or dead. When he had first heard of the fighter he had assumed they'd want him to check on the pilot. But what he was seeing here was...different. There didn't seem to be a pilot. At least not one that fit his definition of a pilot. It was more like the pilot and the spacecraft were one entity. While part of the ship seemed largely intact, Nick wasn't too sure about the pilot.

 

He turned to look at Chirakis. "Well, Commander, I have never seen anything like this before. I'm not sure whether it's still alive. I need to do a couple more scans to be sure."

 

After some minutes of scanning the craft visually, Chirakis removed a glove and ran her bare hand along the fuselage down to the underbelly. Two security guards stepped sharply to the side as she invaded their space and she continued on, her brow furrowed in intense concentration. The hull had a metallic resonance but was unlike any metal she had ever encountered. The thought occurred to her it was not entirely metal and it was more of a casing than a hull.

 

"A current runs through here," she said, pausing briefly in her examination, "but I would not call it power. It hasn't the same feel." She waved the doctor over with her other hand and continued towards what seemed to be a ventral hatch. "The current runs from stem to stern and ends here." She gave the hull a solid thump then waited, her hand on the shell, for any kind of response.

 

The tricorder started beeping and flashing as Nick ran it along the indicated area. The readouts caused him to raise his brows in surprise. "Wow," he breathed, utterly astonished at what he was seeing. Chirakis was right about the current. It wasn't strong but it was definitely there. "I think you just found…its central nervous system. I detect some activity but nothing that would indicate some kind of higher brain functions."

 

Kirel snapped her eyes towards him. "Central nervous system?" The implications were obvious, but she wanted to be sure she understood him fully. "Explain."

 

"Yeah, central nervous system as in brain," he explained, tapping his head with his index finger. "Actually this," he scanned the length of the craft again before continuing. "Looks more like a sort of...spinal cord, just without a spine. It runs the length of the ship seemingly connecting all vital systems. But it's difficult to make out much. There's only minor activity toward the front. My best guess is that's the brain." Nick shook his head as he perused the readouts again, still totally baffled by the implications of the scan results.

 

"Then the entire fighter is, indeed, a being. Much like a crustacean with an artificial shell." The overtones and Kirel's facial expression suggested her statement elicited a response.

 

After one last scan Nick closed the tricorder in his hand and faced Chirakis "I suppose you're right, in a manner of speaking. I mean, this looks more sophisticated than any crustacean I've seen so far. But yes, this fighter is, indeed, a living being. Well, not sure how long it will still be a living being, though."

 

Intense curiosity was one of Kirel's greatest assets – and one of her greatest faults, according to SI Director Torak. He had often mentioned that he fully expected it to be her undoing, yet it was something she found hard to resist. Giving a half-grin, Kirel reached towards the hatch. The nearby security guards leveled their weapons at the area and one of them gave a shout of protest, but too late. With a flick of her wrist the hatch popped open releasing a cascade of fetid fluids, crushed innards, shredded connective tissue, and rancid bile that filled the bay with putrid odor. She recoiled briefly, then covered her nose and mouth with one hand and stepped forward to peer inside. "It certainly does look like it was alive at one point, doctor," she said, reaching in with her free hand. "But I don't believe it is anymore."

 

"Remind me not to get hurt when you are around," Nick replied dryly as he watched Chirakis peer inside what had just held the being's bowels. Although he was used to the smell of putrefaction, blood and all kinds of other, more smelly bodily fluids the stench was almost overwhelming. It took him a second to recover but then he also stepped forward and stood beside Chirakis to take a look. "I think this stuff," he pointed at some black-ish green substance. "Is actually blood." Nick whipped out his tricorder again and scanned. The readings showed considerable damage to what he was now convinced were the being's intestines. "There's massive bleeding. This one's beyond saving." Nick shook his head, feeling oddly downcast, almost as if he'd just lost a patient during a risky surgical procedure.

 

"Get samples. Trace its origin. Get someone inside to diagram its operation, then remove the biological parts so we can find out how this thing works," she said as she buried her arm up to the shoulder, continuing to explore internally, the being's guts now spilling freely onto the deck and soaking the commander's uniform. Deck hands outside the stasis/containment field turned to watch. One fell to her knees, adding her vomit to growing mix of rank odor. Several made a quick exit. When she was satisfied, Kirel withdrew her hand and turned to Dr. Lepage. "I'll inform science and engineering. They will want to investigate as well. And..." she gave her arm a shake and grinned, saying, "I think I need a shower."

 

Nick watched Chirakis with an expression of disbelief etched on his face. When she turned to him and grinned he was stony-faced. He turned his body so that he was facing her directly, his face only inches from hers, not caring about what his stance communicated and how Chirakis would take it. "This 'thing' is a living, sentient being. Do you have any idea what you just did, Commander?"

 

Squarely meeting his gaze, without flinching and speaking evenly she replied, "I know exactly what I did, Doctor. I explored an unknown enemy whose mother ship nearly destroyed this station, whose weapons and technology are beyond anything we have yet encountered, and who may return any time without notice. I want to be prepared when that happens, and if that means pulling the guts out of a living, sentient being, then so be it. My first priority is the safety and preservation of this station, those aboard, and notification of Starfleet and its allies of possible threats coming from this sector of space, and the sanctity of the life of one sentient being will not deter me from that goal. Is that clear, Commander?"

 

"No," Nick said, not quite as successful as Chirakis at keeping his anger out of his voice. "What you just did was stick your arm into the belly of a wounded enemy, who, if I may add, is still alive, barely so, but yet alive. Tell me, what vital information have you gained probing his intestines? How would you feel if after a battle you got carried off to the enemy's labs, heavily wounded and all they did was stick their fingers into your wounds instead of healing or, if that's impossible, at least letting you die in a dignified manner? This is against my work ethics and I'd like to think it should be against yours, too." Nick couldn't believe he was having this conversation right now. Chirakis ought to know better.

 

"The being is dead, Doctor. Time to move on. If you cannot, I will get someone who can." With that Chirakis turned on her heel and strode towards the crew showers, ready to shed every bit of this sentient being that she could.

 

"I will have no part in this, Commander. Court martial me if you will. I don't care," Nick shouted after her, not caring who'd overhear him, knowing full-well he'd have to face the consequences of his decision sooner or later.