The Showdown

[Cmdr Ayers 0]

By:  Doctor Images and myself

 

      When the Captain calls for a recess in the trial, Nick quietly packs what he brought with and heads for the doors.  Without saying a word, he cuts through the crowd leaving a cool wake behind him as he steps through the doors.  He's taken a few steps through the crowd gathered outside the doors when he hears the murmuring of the word "witchhunt" said by several people.  Frowning, he turns and brushes past a few people until he reaches the open center of what everyone is gathered around.  He reads the sign before stepping forward and unceremoniously ripping it from the wall.  The shocked murmurs are cut off as Nick turns to face the assembled crowd, everyone falling silent at the expression on his face.

 

      Usually when he gave orders he tried to couch it as politely as possible.  This time he makes no such attempt at social niceties as he says "You all have places where you belong right now.  Be on your way."  Nick slices through the crowd and disappears into a nearby turbolift.

 

      He orders the turbolift car to his office.  As the car hums to life he takes a closer look at the sign.  The emotional residue from it is palpable and it is obvious who it belonged to, even if Nick hadn't had to shield himself from that same emotional sense just a day earlier.

 

      He taps his commbadge and says "Dr. Images, report to my office immediately.  No exceptions."  He speaks calmly...unnaturally calmly.  

 

      Victor gets the message in sickbay.  He is hunched over a console looking for

more ships that could possibly be infected by this so-called “Rust Bug”.

When he hears the Commander's request coming from his badge, a surge of

shock runs through him.  A fear that perhaps what he has done earlier has put

him in big trouble.  But recovering within a moment, he presses his badge and

replies in a level of calmness that even rivals Ayers' own.

 

      “Yes, sir, I'll be up immediately.”

 

      He saves his work and makes his way to the office at top speed. He presses

the doorbell and waits.

 

      Nick glances up at the door and then retrieves a tricorder from a corner of the desk.  He sets it down next to the sign that was put near the courtroom/holodeck door, center stage on the desk.  Finally he says "The door is open."

 

      When Images enters the office, Nick neither greets him nor gestures him to a chair.  He indicates the sign with a tap of the finger and calmly says "Thank you, Doctor.  I wanted a witness because I'm about to run a little minor science experiment as to the identity of the person who wrote this.  It hardly qualifies even as a science experiment as it only will entail using the tricorder to run a fingerprint analysis.  I have my suspicions who did it of course but some proof would be nice.  Because I must say, I am most curious as to what anger could drive a person to do a fool thing like this, especially when they should have known better.  I'd like to know who that person is if only to, as the cliche goes, head that person off at the pass before they run head first off a very steep cliff."      

 

      Without missing a beat, the doctor answers.  "I don't think that will be necessary sir, since we both know perfectly well that it was me. Any beating around the bush would be completely, as the Vulcan's say, illogical.

 

      Then he snaps to attention as if giving a report.

 

      "If you want to know what particular anger sent me to do it sir.  I think it

is the anger I feel because I believe that Ensign Mogg's trial has been

mishandled by a certain counsel for the prosecution who has continuously

said that Ensign Mogg told no-one about his mental condition when the one

person he did tell about them WAS the counsel for the prosecution.  And how

that same counsel decided to not refer him to medical for possible

psychological treatment and to pretend the conversation in question never

took place.  To add further insults to injury, during a witness's testimony,

he not only degraded a witness's competence on the stand, but also the

competence of every doctor in Starfleet who has given a psychological exam.

That is why I was angry enough to put a paper sign on a door."

 

      Just before Ayers has a chance to speak, Victor lets out one last summary.

 

      "However...since I was officially off my shift and am allowed a full right

to protest unethical procedures if it does not disrupt the action in

progress, I fail to see where and how you foresee a cliff on my horizon."

 

      Victor shuts his mouth.

 

      Nick narrows his eyes and coldly says "Let me correct some of your....misconceptions.  I'll start with your belief that putting up that sign was perfectly acceptable.  If you have an objection with something the Captain or I do you are free to make it known...in the proper way.  You can ask for a private conversation. What you don't get to do is undermine our authority doing it.  You tried undermining our authority and at the least you're in contempt of court.  Normally I'd be perfectly prepared to that it slide as the foolish choice of a youth but you're old enough and have enough rank that you really should have known better.  Like Mogg, you let your anger override your judgment.  So yes, Doctor, you will face some punishment for your choice."

 

      "And no...you don't get to argue that I said that he told no one he had a mental condition while simultaneously trying to defend him by saying that he didn't know he had one.  Either he knew he had one and therefore he is culpable for what he did through his own negligence or he didn't know he had one and he needs to be removed from duty because of it.  There is no he has a mental condition and we'll let him do as he damn well pleases because of it.  And at the time, Doctor, what I knew about his problem would hardly qualify it as a mental condition since the only thing he said was why he was here and why he didn't like Cardassians.  And as for my impeaching your credibility, Doctor, that is part of the job of the Prosecutor.  I'm sorry if you don't understand how a trial works but that's your own fault.  If you took it personally don't blame me for that one.  And as for my going after the fact that Starfleet didn't detect it that was also part of my job as Prosecutor.  You claim he has a mental condition, you didn't pick up on it nor Starfleet didn't pick up on it so perhaps the real truth is that he doesn't have one at all or that it is buried so deep that it's near non-detectable until it rears it's head which means that it will be next to impossible to tell if it is ever cured.  Lt. Quark chose to use a mental defect defense.  I would have been remiss in my duty as Prosecutor if I didn't try and tear that down.  If you don't like that then really that is too bad but I owe you nor anyone else an explanation much less an apology for it."  

 

      "And despite your belief to the contrary, this is not a political witchhunt.  Mogg made his choice, he made it knowing that what he was doing was against the regulations and disobeyed standing orders.  He took an oath as a Starfleet officer and he violated it.  He is not going to get a free pass on it, Doctor, no more then you, I or anyone else would get a free pass.  He made his choice knowing the consequences and now he can face those consequences.  His personal history no more gives him permission to do as he pleases then mine gives me permission to take the Pandora's Box and go hunt down every Borg I can find.  I have fought the Borg before, I was at the Battle of Wolf and my last ship was there when Voyager returned.  I fought them, Doctor, but I fought them as a Starfleet officer..not as an El-Aurian seeking revenge for his destroyed home and people. What you would have us become is nothing more then a collection of beings exercising their petty and not so petty revenges as they please.  No, Doctor, our history does not control us despite your arrogant contention to the contrary.  I can sympathize with Mogg far better then you or pretty much anyone else on this station but I would be remiss in my own duty if I allowed that sympathy to cloud my judgment.  He can have the counseling he needs but it isn't going to happen on this Station because it is far too tempting of a target if his personal trauma once again leads him to do something foolish.  The danger to this Station and to everyone on this station...including you, Doctor, is far too great to risk letting him stay."

 

      Nick leans back in his chair and glares up at Images.  In a cold dead tone, Nick says "And as for your statement about the talk Mogg and I had..hind-sight is 20-20.  If I would have known that he wouldn't be able to make a wise judgment after that talk I would have removed him from duty and seen that he got the help he so obviously needs.  He told me why he was here, I told him that he was here for the wrong reasons and warned him that he was to obey orders and do his duty.  He gave no indication at the time that he would do otherwise.  If I would have known then what I know now I would have dealt with it before he got a chance to make the choice he did.  So no, Doctor, don't try pinning the blame for what he did on me.  The only one to blame here, Doctor, is him.  And even if I was able to read Ferengi I wouldn't have read his mind during that talk because of respect for his privacy and the fact that it would have been illegal.  Secondly, I told him that I would keep the conversation private unless he made it necessary for me to do otherwise.  And I would have kept it private if he wouldn't have did what he did and you wouldn't have blabbered it in the court room in a fit of pique just because you've lost your objectivity."  

 

      "You claim he wasn't in his right mind..fine that may be...but then that means he isn't fit for duty.  And if the psych tests that Starfleet administers to all applicants and cadets couldn't detect how far his trauma went then there is no reason to assume that you will be able to tell when he is in his right mind again.  Do you really want us to risk the peace treaty with the Cardassians on a very large what if, Doctor?"

 

      "And as for you not seeing a steep cliff in your future, let me paint it for you.  You acted in contempt of court in an attempt to undermined the Captain's and my authority.  If you have a problem with us you should have brought up in a proper way.  You didn't.  It doesn't matter if you were off duty or not, you're still a Starfleet officer and you're expected to act like one.  I have no problem in letting the officers that I command speak their mind even if it is to criticize me but I'll be damned if I'm going to tolerate it in a way that is completely disrespectful to me, and to everyone on this station.  You are hereby ordered to stay away from the Courtroom and the court proceedings unless the Captain, myself or Lt. Quark summons you."

 

      "And I will be notifying the Captain of what you did and I'm quite sure he will have additional punishment for you.  You made a foolish choice, Doctor. Getting yourself thrown in the brig because you let your temper get the better of you is hardly going to help you or Mogg.  And if you act petulantly again, Doctor, you will not like the results, that you most certainly will not.  I have no personal problem with you, Doctor, but if you continue how you are then I will choose to correct the situation before you manage to make it personal for both of us.  You are a good Starfleet Officer, Doctor, so I suggest you find your way back to that point."

 

      Nick frowns in momentary thought as he considers whether to let this...conversation progress any further.  He can see the conflicting emotions running through the young officer's eyes.  Calmly Nick says "You are dismissed, Doctor.  Return to your duty."  

 

      Victor thought long and hard before answering.

 

      "Yes sir."

 

      He then turned away from Ayers and walked to the door but before leaving

said one last thing.  "One more thing Comander, I wonder how someone can cause contempt in a court that was already in recess? As a "good" prosecuter, I'd assume you could answer."

 

      He then stepped out before an answer could be made.

 

      Nick frowns and thinks to himself "Doctor, just because it is in recess doesn't mean that you get to do as you please."