Tuesday morning dragged. Marla had no real interest in her lectures that morning and the papers that had been handed in were far below her capability to read. The anticipation of learning more about her new occupation flooded her every thought and the more she dwelled on it, the more outrageous her thoughts became. At first, she was content to think that some fresh documents had been uncovered and they needed someone to read through them and catalogue them. Though a nagging thought at the back of her mind said that it wasn't so, anyone was capable of doing such a task and it wouldn't be a top secret matter either.

It was then that her thoughts began to run away with her, she wondered whether some accounts had been found that would incriminate some major families and so secrecy was necessary. Someone impartial, who knew very little about politics perhaps, or maybe they'd discovered some recorded documents that needed someone who had a vague knowledge of twentieth century technology. She did run a course on it after all and there were not all that many people who knew about the now obsolete technology.

By the time she was catching the cross campus shuttle; her mind was aflame with a multitude of different possibilities. None of which would come close to the truth. The sun had made itself scarce when she stepped from the crowded shuttle and she pulled her light jacket over her narrow shoulders. A shiver passed through her and she quickened her pace across the square. Fortunately, when she entered the climate controlled building, she warmed up.

Crossing to the receptionist, who sat behind a desk looking at her PADD, Marla coughed politely. The woman looked up and gave her a warm smile, "You must be Ms McGivers," she said. Marla nodded. "David's expecting you, his office is just down the hall, first door on the right," she said.

"Thank you," Marla said with a nod. The look on the receptionist's face was oddly sympathetic and she couldn't help wonder why. Dismissing the thought, she navigated the corridors until she found the right room. David Carter's name was on the door and she gave it a tap before pushing it open. He looked up from his desk and beamed a warm smile at her.

"Good to see you again Ms McGivers," he said as he laid aside his PADD. "Please, take a seat; we have a lot to discuss." She did as he asked and settled in the chair opposite him. A quick glance around the room told her he did a lot of his work here. It was welcoming, homely and thoroughly lived in. There were a couple of model ships adorning one of the shelves and several replica items from the previous century, including an early model of a tricorder. Perhaps it wasn't a replica!

"Thanks," she said as she set her bag onto the floor, "For the opportunity," she added.

"Don't thank me yet, you don't know what you're getting yourself into just yet. Before I answer any of your questions however, I need you to sign this." He slid a piece of paper towards her and she picked it up. It was a non-disclosure form requesting that she not speak of anything she learned in this meeting or pertaining to her future role. She swallowed, read it through twice before signing her name at the bottom of the paper. She handed it back to David and he gave a curt nod before putting it underneath the desk into a drawer. "Now that we've got that formality done, I can answer any questions you may have."

She let out a breath and a small frown puckered her brow, "Now that I can ask, I don't know where to start," she said.

"Take your time."

"Why the need for secrecy?" Marla asked, "My mind has been circling around and around all day and I can't figure it out."

David smiled and his gaze flicked down to the desk for a moment. "You're going to be working alongside someone from the twentieth century," he said. She blinked as the information sank in.

"What?" she asked when she found that it didn't settle. Maybe she'd misheard.

"Do you follow the news Marla?" he asked. She nodded. "Did you hear about the bombing in London and the ship that crashed?" She nodded again as she recalled the events, if not the details. "The news would have told you that it was caused by a rogue agent."

"John Harrison if I recall," she said, "Terrible deeds, but I don't know what that has to do with this."

"John Harrison was a pseudonym. It turned out that the late Admiral Marcus was developing weapons in order to defend against the Klingons. A task that drove him to extreme measures, as he scanned space in his ever increasing desperation, he came across the SS Botany Bay, a name that perhaps you're familiar with?"

"You're joking!" she said, her eyes widening at the mention of the name.

"No. The one behind the attacks wasn't John Harrison, it was Khan Noonien Singh," David said. He fell silent and she thought over the new information he had given her. Her first thought was that it was a brilliant opportunity to learn all about a period of history in which the details were sparse. It was shortly followed by the one that said Khan was a person who had rights and shouldn't be studied like some lab animal. This led her to remember that not only had he caused the deaths of millions back in the twentieth century, but rather a lot of people had died in both the bombings and when he flew a star ship into Head Quarters. She shook her head in disbelief.

"That's quite a story…" she muttered as the information took hold.

"Your role is going to be two fold. One aspect shall be to learn as much as you can about the Eugenics Wars, the other will be to help rehabilitate Khan into this century. It's not gone too well so far but Starfleet believe that he will be a valuable asset if he can readjust." David said. Alarm bells instantly went off in the back of Marla's mind. This man had already killed hundreds of people in order to achieve whatever goal it was he wanted. Who was to say he'd not do so again?

"Is it safe?"

"He'll be under surveillance all the time you'll be together, there is no way he'll be able to harm you," David said. She let out a breath she hardly knew she'd been holding and nodded.

"That's good to know," she said as she threw back strands of red hair. Reaching down, she opened up her bag and pulled out her PADD. She opened a new file and quickly began to jot down what she had learned so far, including the details on the security measures, the last thing she wanted to be was a bargaining chip for the notorious dictator. "What do you think I have that will enable me to rehabilitate this man? Surely a lot has already been done to do so," she said.

"The late Admiral Marcus was more than a little heavy handed with a particularly difficult customer," David said. "He used Khan's frozen crew as leverage against him in order to try and get him to do as he wanted." Marla's eyes widened at that thought, no matter how nasty someone was; using someone else against them was a low blow.

"So, what's changed?"

"He thinks they're all dead." David said.

"But they're not." David shook his head. Marla tapped that into her PADD and let the information sink in.

"So, what's the end game of this going to be?" she asked. "What does Starfleet intend to do with him when they've learned all they can and have no use for him anymore?" The words came out a little more forcefully than she intended and she inclined her head, "I don't mean that rudely," she added hastily.

"Of course not." The smile on his face had faltered a little however and she hoped it was only a minor mistake she'd made. "Personally, I don't know what they'll do with him. For the moment, the assignment is just listed as ongoing." His words were enough and she jotted down what he'd said. "I do have a file for you to read through before you start."

"That would be useful," he said. "We've also set up a time so you'll be able to meet Khan before the assignment begins."

A shot of ice flowed through her and she nodded, trying to fight against that thought, "When for?" she asked, a little too quickly.

"Breakfast tomorrow," David said. "It'll give you some time to read through the information we've got and get used to the idea as well."

"Thanks," she said. At least they hadn't scheduled that for this evening; there was no way she'd have been mentally prepared for that! Silence fell as she contemplated everything that she'd been told about her assignment. There was so much to digest, so much to think about and so much to take in, in such a short space of time as well. How she was going to do so was beyond her but she knew she'd do it. She had to. There was no way she wanted to disappoint the people who believed in her, which they clearly did.

"I know it's rather a lot to take in, so take this time to go and have a read through your files." David said.

"What about my old job?" she asked. It had taken such a low priority on her list of things to think about that she almost forgot to ask.

"Bennett's got it all covered for you," David said. The warm smile was back on his face and she nodded.

"I'd hate to leave the department in difficulty," she said, "They've been very good to work for." David nodded at her comment but remained silent on the matter.

"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" he asked.

"Not currently."

"My number is in the file; just send me a message if you think of anything between now and tomorrow morning."

"Where shall I meet you?" she asked.

"Come here at six thirty." She nodded her response and tucked her PADD back into her bag. Rising, she swung her red back onto her shoulder and extended her hand to David. He clasped it in hers once more and smiled again.

"I'll see you in the morning then," she said. He hummed a conformation and showed her out of the office. Only when she was out in the fresh evening air, did she allow herself to relax. Her world had just taken a rather dramatic shift and it was going to take more than a bit of time to get her head around it. Looking down at her watch, she had just over twelve hours to let it sink in before she met the man in question.

Dawn had happened about an hour previously and found Marla in front of her mirror telling herself that she could do what she was about to and could do it well. Her hair was as immaculate as it would be and she was as prepared as she could be. The previous evening had been spent reading through the file she'd been given on Khan, a document that hadn't told her all that much more than she knew already. Still, she'd read through it twice and slept a little easier than she thought she would. Checking herself over once more, she found everything to be perfect. Only then did she step out of her bathroom, slip on her boots and make her way downstairs.

She caught a shuttle to Headquarters rather than drive. She had no idea how long she was going to be gone and she didn't fancy leaving the vehicle parked indefinitely. As she did so, she scanned through the file once more, not wanting to leave any part of it overlooked just in case she'd missed something vital. The journey passed and she discovered nothing new. The air was crisp, lacking the heat that it would gain during the day and she found it rather refreshing as she crossed the courtyard to the designated meeting spot.

David and Bennett were waiting for her; Roland was nowhere to be seen. They greeted her with a warm good morning before ushering her into another shuttle to the secret facility. They travelled for a while in silence, the scenery flashing by swiftly as the shuttle sped them towards their destination.

It was Bennett who broke the silence, "I don't think you should expect a warm reception from Mr Singh," she said. Marla looked up from her PADD and tilted her head to the side a little.

"I'm not sure what I expect really," she said.

"We'll be with you the whole time," Bennett said. Marla frowned at that, not sure if that was the right way in which to handle this situation. Clearly they expected her to gain his trust and confide in her, if the others were sat with them, listening and monitoring everything that they said, it was hardly going to build an air of confidence.

"Perhaps that's not such a great idea," she said after a moment's thought.

"Oh?" This time it was David who spoke.

"Well, you want me to get as much information as I can from him and that's going to take a bit of trust. It's not going to get off to a good start if he thinks everything he says is going to be recorded and scrutinised for lies or whatever," she said. Bennett's eyes narrowed and she began shaking her head. Marla held up her hand and kept her eyes on the other woman's, "Try and put yourself in his position. I know it's probably rules and I'm not saying I want to go in there unprotected but, why not hang back a bit, watch from afar rather than breathe down our necks."

"I'm not sure if it'll be safe," Bennett said, "Mr Singh is known for his volatile and violent nature." Marla nodded her understanding.

"True, but I think this can be handled better than just sitting there awkwardly with everyone involved." Marla replied. David seemed to heed what she was saying and was nodding along with her.

"I think what Ms McGivers says has merit," he said, "Perhaps we should hang back while the initial contact is made."

"We'll still be in the room, we're not going to just leave him to do whatever he likes," Bennett said, "Roland isn't going to like this."

"Perhaps not, but I want this to work and I believe this is the only way to do so." Marla said. Bennett narrowed her eyes again before typing swiftly into her PADD. David lapsed into silence once more, leaving her to ponder the madness of the suggestion she'd just made. She was going to be alone with a mass murderer who was known for fits of aggression and dominance. She certainly hoped she knew what she was doing.

In little under an hour, they were ready. Despite the nerves that were making her heart pound and her palms clammy, her stomach growled. She was led to a window that looked into a room that was lit by a solitary bright light. The stark white walls were less than inviting and she swallowed. In the centre of the room was a single table with two chairs. At one of them was the 'project' she was going to be working on for the next god knew how long. Khan was sat rigid, facing the table, looking straight forward. Now that she was faced with the prospect of speaking with him without any security nearby, she wondered at the wisdom of her decision. David gave her shoulder a pat but there was no going back now. "We'll be here watching," he said softly.

Knowing that it was now or never, she gave a nod and reached out for the door. She tapped in the code and the door hissed open. He did not look up. Stepping into the room, she waited for the door to close before crossing the room and sliding into the seat opposite him. "Hello," she said. He regarded her with eyes that were an odd mixture of blue, green and grey all at once. The hardness in them was unmistakeable however but she refused to shrink back from him.

"Hello," he returned. He offered no further conversation.

"I'm not going to waste your time with small talk or pleasantries; I suspect you already know why I'm here." Marla decided that the best method of getting through this was as quickly as possible.

"Do enlighten me," he said. His voice was as hard as his eyes, Marla swallowed down her apprehension before continuing.

"My name is Marla McGivers, I am a historian an-"

"You're here to study me then." His interruption took her by surprise and she shook her head quickly.

"Not at all," she replied, "Star Fleet is interested in the experiences you have of the Eugenics Wars. Our records are severely lacking in detail and we have a unique opportunity to rectify that," she said. She shut her mouth abruptly, realising that she was in danger of rambling on about it. Leaning in a little closer, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I, for one, do not see you as an experiment, partly the reason it's just you and I talking, without a full security detail in here." If her words surprised him, he made no show of it, instead his eyes flicked to the security window she'd been behind earlier before returning to her face.

"And you expect me to just tell you everything for nothing?" he said.

"No," she said, "I don't know what power I have yet." He snorted at that but she pressed on regardless, "But perhaps you can set down some of the things you'd like and I can see what I can do." She reached down and pulled out a pen and some paper from her bag and slid them over to him. He raised a brow at them and left them where they were. His eyes returned to hers; his face blank.

"Was there anything else?" he asked. His voice was as cool as it ever was and she sighed inwardly, this was going nowhere fast. She'd be lucky if he told her his name, let alone any of his experiences during the Twentieth Century. He casually flicked black hair from his forehead and she was struck by the grace of the simple movement. She had no doubt that he carried himself with the same easy acceptance, he certainly had the sure confidence of someone at ease with themselves and her confidence took another small blow. This was going nowhere fast.

"The way I see it Khan, there are two ways we can do this, we can work together and I can try and get as much for you as I can. Or we can struggle against one another until I'm pulled from this project and Star Fleet do with you what they will." Marla gave a shrug at that point, "I have no idea what that would be by the way, but I doubt it would be good." She suspected that they would return him to cryogenic suspension but there was no way she could know for sure and as such, she didn't mention it. "I shall leave you with that thought."

When she rose, she could feel his eyes on her. Marla did not turn back, did not even breathe as she walked towards the door. She half expected him to say something but the frosty silence remained until she opened the door and stepped out of the room. As soon as the door hissed shut behind her, she let out the held breath and sagged against the wall.

"Alright?" David asked.

"That was a complete disaster!" she replied. The tension drained from her shoulders as David guided her to a chair in front of the window. They were both settled, her gaze on her hands when David spoke.

"I wouldn't say that," she looked up at him and he indicated the window. Khan had picked up the pen and was tapping it on the table, clearly thinking about what she had said, "I'll get that paper to you as soon as he's done with it."

"He can keep the pen," Marla said.

"I don't think that's really appropriate." David said with a shake of his head.

"It is necessary though," Marla said, "Let me explain before you start huffing about it. It's more than just a simple pen; that is a show that I trust him and that you do too. If he'd going to tell us what happened freely, then we are going to have to take small chances."

David appeared to consider the suggestion before he slowly nodded his head. "Very well Marla," he said finally. Her stomach gave a loud rumble and she realised that she had skipped out on the meeting before they'd had a chance to eat. "Come on, let's leave the mastermind to think, we'll get something to eat and then I can show you to your rooms."

Rooms… that did sound promising. "Gladly!" she said, "I'm famished," she found that it was true as well. She rose shortly after him, sparing her new friend a final look. He appeared to be writing something on the paper she'd left and she gave him a warm smile, one he would never see. Marla could only hope that she had done the right thing. Dismissing the thought, she followed David away to another part of the base, the promise of food far more alluring than sitting watching the killer from behind the glass.