Chapter Three:

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Ana's Plan

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Reverse-engineering the weapon went smoothly, and in the end it turned out to be a kind of firearm, the ones designed to kill quickly. Flesh, not robotic. The weapons had no special technology about it - a simple shield generator would deflect whatever the weapon expelled, and there were shield generators on the planet surface. Outdated tech by any means.

The Data Recorder, however, held more than he initially thought. At first glance, it looked simple enough. Deeper inspection showed it was still very simplistic in design, but it allowed for a few gigabytes of text-based data as well. Most of the space went unused, except for a few scraps of information here and there about the nature of the war and how the owner of the recorder was hesitant to publicly voice political views for fear of losing funding.

But it still held some mystery since the voice recording was still impeccably preserved and intact. Geordi had taken the artifact into his quarters once he was off duty. It was against the rules, but between managing the ship's engines and additional assignments and crew training, he didn't have enough time to decode the content before he would have to hand it off to Starfleet's Xeno Archaeological Institute.

Unless he did it off the clock, of course. He didn't mind that, not really; such an ancient device should be handled only by the most experienced on board, he reasoned. And who was the most experienced on board if not him? Besides, he didn't want anyone else to meddle with his treasure. And it was, without a doubt, treasure.

"I think I have it!" The ship's head engineer let out a triumphant laugh. The decoder just finished its conversion, and the information was now being fed into the computer database. He touched the Data Recorder lovingly. Such a beautiful thing, to survive those thousands of years, all alone.

He plugged a connection cord into its side with grace and gentleness.

"Computer..." He breathed. "Play data recorder." He relished the sound of the words as they rolled off his tongue. He spent hours of coding and utilized multiple translation programs to get to this point. Now he would be rewarded for his tenacity. He was about to hear the voice of a person who had been dead for thousands of years. He was not lost on the special honor bestowed upon him.

A rich and cheerful voice of a female emanated from the computer, as if she were singing when she spoke. Had she not been dead and dust, Geordi LaForge would have been in love.

Central Command Advisor, Professor Tana Anasa, Science Division, Bioengineer, First class.

Bioengineer eh? A woman after my own heart.

I am using my personal Data Recorder to take field and research notes in lieu of the Auto Writer. I understand this is a breach of policy, but I don't care. I find the more advanced technology becomes, the more likely something is to break down.

You can say that again. Geordi thought with experienced humor.

Besides, I can delete my entries without worrying bout pesky backup files being read by prying eyes. I do not approve of anyone spying on my more intimate thoughts. Data Recorders are outdated, and as a result they are more reliable. I will make a more professional copy into the Auto Writer to divert any suspicions Central Command may have with regards to my using unauthorized equipment.

He approached his replicator. "Coffee. Decaf, black. One-hundred and twenty-five degrees." A white mug of black coffee materialized. "Ahh," He said and took a careful sip. "Computer, dim lights."

He wanted to immerse himself in her ancient world, and with the lights dimmed and all distractions sorted out, he could do just that. He reclined in his chair and focused on that melodious voice.

Day one on Tseres IV.

I was assigned to this barely habitable planet as a safety measure to keep Central Command's nano technology operations secret. If the Board discovered we were using advanced technology against the Cybers, our order could quickly dissolve into Civil Unrest. Experimentation on unwilling subjects is very damaging to one's reputation.

And you're just going along with it, aren't you? So what made you stay? Money? Or fear of your government?

On a more personal note, it's my first day in the abandoned plant and I'm already exhausted. The compound is much bigger in person than what I imagined it to be. The lift is loud, squeaky, barely working and each time I use it I expect to plunge to my death. I suppose I should be more grateful for this rare creature comfort; The compound is primitive at best. I was half expecting a mile of stairs, which I am sure there are some hidden somewhere in this awful place. It's almost all underground. The air is stale and there are no windows. I miss my office.

He listened quietly, the only other sound besides her voice was the hum of a healthy engine. He took another sip and savored its nutty, almost bitter flavor.

Day two on Tseres IV.

My team has assembled the majority of my lab in the third level. The first two levels are too cold for my equipment to operate with any efficiency. You wouldn't believe how cold it gets on the surface.

I could believe it.

I am concerned about the torrential rains that are due to begin sometime next month, but Vaska tells me the portable shield generator will keep the water from flooding the compound. I have to believe he is telling me the truth, even if he is a traitorous Cyber. I don't see any evidence of flooding here yet, and the compound is nearly sixty years old. I will begin with the software for the new Electro-Viral Extermination program. From now on I will call it the 'EVE' for the sake of brevity.

Are you sure you want to program the software before you manufacture a prototype nano?

Day four on Tseres IV.

I am getting very little sleep, so I'm not seeing nearly as much progress as I was hoping. The winds on this planet split through the exposed strata cliffs on the surface and make the most eerie howling sounds at night. At first I thought the compound was being invaded by mythological Weyrpyres. I understand that's absolutely absurd, but the mind can take you places when you're tired and several feet underground. I realize now I should have developed a prototype nano before starting on the program. I think I can replicate most of the program into the revised version, so I won't lose all my previous work.

Told you so.

Day eleven on Tseres IV.

I hate my assistant, Noreen. How she managed a position in the science department baffles me. Likely she romanced one of the Science board members, and now I'm stuck with her. She actually voiced concern that she might be infected with the EVE Virus! Of all the ignorant things to be afraid over! The virus will not target any cell or material that harbors a double helix. Of course there are other signature characteristics of organic life the virus will also avoid, but I didn't need to delve that deeply into details with her. I doubt she would understand. I told her not to worry since the virus would only dissolve mechanical components, but that fact seems to have gone right over her silly head. She had the gall to tell me I am being irresponsible in handling the Virus. She is far too arrogant for someone so simple-minded.

Honestly, she should be on the home planet, popping out babies or something. That is the duty of a young Natural after all, why isn't she there? I count myself lucky I was past bearing years when the Reproduction Act passed. I hate children. They are noisy and smelly.

Noreen avoids the lab most of the time. What a useless assistant. The only people who should be wary of the Virus is Vaska and Mistra, and they have faithfully stayed out of my laboratory.

I don't much care for Mistra. She doesn't talk much. I don't know if I can trust her. Both she and Vaska are Cybers who support the Naturals. They say they want to preserve our race as much as the naturals do ... I still can't shake the feeling they are double agents. I am sending a request to Cental Command to reassign them elsewhere.

You're getting a little ranty and too paranoid. I think you might need to get out of that lab. Tight spaces can do that to people. Only fifteen minutes on the first level and Riker shot Data. He knew it was an honest accident, as Riker wasn't likely to give in so easily to bouts of violence against fellow crew members. But Riker's increasing frustration at being in such cramped quarters hadn't gone unnoticed. Clearly, the suffocating atmosphere had a similar effect on Tana.

Day Twenty on Tseres IV.

My request to reassign Vaska and Mistra was denied. Vaska was... upset, when he heard I didn't trust him. Mistra, on the other hand, told me she respected me for it. As I was questioning if she was right for the program, she was questioning the same about me. My paranoia concerning her loyalties gave us enough common ground to understand one another. The war is going poorly for the Naturals, and we can't afford to waste time and resources on ill-fitting agents.

Speaking of ill-fitting agents, Noreen is as stupid as ever. She asked me if the EVE Virus restored the Cybers' organs after dissolving their mechanical components. She saw all thirty-thousand lines of programming, you would think that since she co-wrote it that she would know it didn't contain such abilities. Perhaps I should have asked to relocate her and not the Cybers.

He took a sip of his cooled coffee and stretched, enjoying the feel of the small pops in his lower back as his muscle and spine relaxed. Professor Tana was a bit high-strung and snappy from the sounds of it. Maybe their relationship wouldn't work out after all.

Day Thirty-seven on Tseres IV.

I am being pressured by Central Command to speed up the process. I tried telling them you can't rush scientific discovery, but try explaining that to a gaggle of bureaucrats. I hear the war is going south for the Naturals. Of course it would since the Cybers are much more resilient with their mechanical parts. Personally, Central Command should simply divide our two planets and give one to the Cybers. I normally would frown on segregation, but given how bloody this war is, perhaps it would be best for everyone. Of course, to recognize Cybers as a political entity would mean the Naturals would lose half their sovereignty, and they would rather die than share their wealth.

I have completed installing the program into the EVE prototypes and injected them into the first specimen. Her name is Ana, Female, and had been fully cyberized since the age of eight. Since most of her essential organs are absent, I expect she will die without any prolonged suffering. She did not fight as I administered the nanoes. Still, I had Mistra and Vaska hold her down, just to be safe. I will update as she progresses through the three stages of the EVE infection.

Experimenting on live people. I am discovering some irreconcilable differences here.

Day Thirty-nine on Tseres IV.

The initial stages went by unnoticed. The first stage is what I call the Replication Stage, where the nanoes replicate themselves using base metals in the host body and surrounding blood, coolant and assorted other liquids. They also utilize electrolytes for their energy source. Once the nanoes reach critical mass of approximately twelve parts per billion, the second stage will have begun.

I'm sorry Tana, this isn't going to work out.

Day Fourty-seven on Tseres IV.

The second stage has finally begun. It is called the Dissolution Stage, where the nanoes begin to dissolve the base metals and convert them to their base molecules. The secondary stage is characterized by a change in fluid color and viscosity of the infected Cyber. Cognitive function becomes difficult, and if there is a blood supply, it may become tainted, in which case death comes more swiftly. But since Ana was fully cyberized, her death will regrettably be slower. Despite the things I have done to her, she is remarkably civil towards me. She says she is not afraid to die.

It's not you, it's me.

However, I hear her crying at night.

Okay, it is you.

Day Sixty-three on Tseres IV.

I had no idea how slow the dissolution process was going to take on a fully cyberized individual. She lost cognitive function days ago, but her natural body fought tooth and nail to preserve the reptilian part of her brain. In the end, she ... bled out her dissolved molecules. Bled! What am I talking about? It was a thick sludge that looked very much like blood that oxidized quickly once it contacted air. I know it isn't actually blood, but the look of it. It makes me question if what I am doing is unethical.

It took you this long to question your actions on whether they were ethical? Geordi was beginning to feel a little sick to his stomach.

It doesn't matter if it is ethical or not - They are converting our prisoners of war against their will. We are merely retaliating in kind.

Good old whataboutism at its finest. He glanced down at his coffee cup. He didn't much care to finish it.

She told me something peculiar before she died. She said she would be twenty-six next week. I am not sure what she meant to do by telling me that - she knew she would die before then.

She was trying to appeal to your better nature. Smart as you are, you couldn't figure that out?

I'm just doing my job! Besides, I... I don't know. I have to report to Central Command on the success of EVE.

He heard her inhale shakily.

With luck, my next entry will be regarding the mass production of the EVE nanoes and the best method of its distribution. Then I can get off this rock and go home.

It might be premature to say this, but I think Ana's plan worked.

The automated voice of the computer heralded the recorder's end. "End Data Recorder translation."

Geordi exhaled and leaned back. He looked at the ceiling of his quarters, but his mind was fixed in the distant past. Tana. Vaska. Mistra. Noreen. Ana. Cybers, Naturals. EVE. Well, he got what he was looking for - all the answers Starfleet would care about was practically gift-wrapped. But now he had more Questions.

Did Tana have a change of heart? What about Vaska and Mistra? Did they hand over the data and win the war? Did they die warm and comfortable on a Cyber-less planet? Or did they go renegade and fight for the Cybers?

With the Zephiian conference looming soon, he supposed there was no time to excavate the lower levels. He had to come to terms that he may never know the fate of these people.

"Damn shame." He said, then retired for the night.

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The next morning, Geordie shared the data recorder findings with the crew.

All the members of the Away Team were now present in the briefing room - Yar, Riker, Data, LaForge, and two science Ensigns. The meeting was called early once Picard heard Geordie had uncovered all the questions Starfleet had outlined as most pertinent information.

"Are you telling me you did all of this in your spare time?"

"I had to, sir." Geordi shrugged. "I was curious." He explained simply.

Picard chuckled. "Something I can understand and relate to. So, what have you learned?"

"They were fighting Cyberized versions of their own people, captain. The whole cause of the Cyber War stemmed from the bitter disagreement between whether Cybers should be forced to adhere to social requirements as the Naturals were, and whether Cyberization should continue in their culture."

"The Naturals felt subjugated by Nutritional Regulations and Reproductive Requirements. Since the Cybers were considered socially unimportant, they were pretty much free to do whatever they wanted. A double edged sword- they had no representation, but they weren't regulated by State, either."

Picard placed his hands behind his head in thought. "It would seem to reason that being Cyberized would be more of a benefit than a hindrance."

"Exactly! Those who wanted more freedoms simply traded in their organs for parts and the Cybers reaped the financial benefit of cyberization. With their new found wealth and growing numbers, the Cybers became an opposing power, and the Naturals considered it a threat to their established order. As a result, the Ruling Board made the conversion from natural to cybernetic illegal. The Board claimed it was to preserve rapid population decline. They claimed to be on the verge of extinction."

"And I am sure that the threat of losing power had nothing to do with it." Picard added sarcastically. "On the verge of extinction, so they wage war on each other." He shook his head at the shame of it all. "Am I to understand the weapons were developed to combat the Cybers?"

"Negative, captain. The weapons facility was shut down decades before the war, after they were considered obsolete and software, that is to say viruses, malware and spyware, became their preferred weapons of choice."

"Against the Cybers?"

"Correct."

"From weapons to software. A small step in the right direction." Picard mumbled.

Data blinked repetitively, analyzing his captain's reasoning at record speed. It is primitive to construct weapons to harm other living entities. But a program designed to harm cyberbiotic individuals and artificial entities is advancement. Fascinating. Perhaps Captain Picard's biased view stems from his experience in being assimilated into the Borg? I do not wish to lose respect for my commanding officer. His statement was broad enough to interpret his statement in other ways, so will choose to interpret his statement to mean that the decision to abandon traditional projectile weaponry was a step forward in terms that 50% of the population was no longer under immediate threat of unconscionable violence.

"Although there was no evidence of Borg involvement, the Cybers were Borg-like in that they forced conversion on captured prisoners of war."

"Assimilation and torture." Picard summarized.

"Assimilation in a manner of speaking, but not torture. Geordi tells me they were liberating the naturals from their oppressors. Full cyberization would grant them the freedoms they could not exercise as a natural."

"Data, when someone is forced to give up parts of himself against his will, that is the epitome of Torture!"

"Understood, sir."

"Good." He exhaled. "This Professor Tana. Why was she in an abandoned weapons manufacturing plant if weapons were obsolete?"

"She was assigned to the plant in secret. It was being used as a lab to design nano technology that would..." Riker fought for the right words. "essentially behave as an artificial bacterial infection. The nanoes would dissolve away any foreign materials that lacked a double helix."

"A way of attacking only the mechanical parts, while leaving the flesh intact?"

"Yes, however that was still lethal to the Cybers, since most of the organs required for sustaining natural life were removed when they were converted. A reverse-assimilation, as it were."

Picard exhaled at the mind-numbing absurdity revealed within the blossoming history of the Tseres system. He was momentarily rendered dumbfounded. What a vicious cycle they had generated, and unable to end it, it snowballed out of control until nothing was left but the Data Recorder. "Like a snake consuming itself." He whispered to himself.

"Good job, team!" He clasped his hands together and rewarded his crew with a smile. "You finished your assessment in record time. Send all the findings to the Xeno Archaeological Institute. I want a copy of that report on my desk tomorrow. Dismissed!"

The crew made their way back to the bridge and took their stations.

"Data, set a course for the Zephiian homeworld, warp four."

"Aye ca-" A tickle in his throat caught him off guard. He cleared it. "Aye, captain." He swallowed and set course. He analyzed the flavor of the nutritional liquid for a second. It found its way into his mouth and seemed normal, save for the fact there was an overabundance of it. Usually there was just enough to keep the synthetic nasal membranes moist enough for him to smell. "Course laid."

Perhaps he had consumed too much the last time he topped off? He found that unlikely, since he calculated his nutritional requirement and only consumed the exact amount needed. But he could not generate his own, so he must have made a mathematical error. As Sherlock Holmes had once put it, "Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth."

No matter how improbable that was.

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