23
The Vulcanorion Connection
Chapter Nine: Sirtek's Solution
Soval sat beside his wife, holding her hand as she slept in her bed at the Martia City Hospital. His son Sorral was by his side, his arm bandaged and in a sling. Sorral's wound was now on the mend, as the Andorian who had tried to stab him had been stopped before he could do any fatal damage. T'Nak's wounds, however, were going to take longer to heal. The medical team had been successful in removing the bullet from her abdomen, but at least two of her intra-abdominal organs had been affected. The team had managed to stop the bleeding, but there had been substantial loss of blood. She was at present being given intravenous nutrition in order to keep her strong.
A doctor entered the room as the father and son sat quietly with T'Nak. She checked her vital signs on the monitor before addressing Soval.
"Ambassador," she informed him, "We have been performing some tests, and it has come to our attention that your wife is pregnant. The fetus is only a few days old, and it so far has not miscarried due to the injury and trauma that its mother's body has sustained. We need to consider the fact that it may continue to grow as a viable fetus. Because of her condition, it may be a very complicated pregnancy. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Soval took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The fear and rage in the back of his mind re-established themselves once more, and he fought to keep the emotions down.
"My mother is a Shir'Kaya Vulcan," Sorral told the Doctor, as his father struggled to compose himself, "She believes that all life is sacred. If she's pregnant, she will probably want to go through with it—will that be dangerous? I mean, is there any chance that the wounds will be healed enough by then? Vulcan pregnancies last slightly longer than Human ones."
"The pregnancy will need to be very closely monitored," the Doctor replied, "As I've said, the injuries that she's received will complicate matters considerably. This is not a good way to begin for any emerging life form. I would recommend that she be placed at the Maternity Hospital here on Mars for an extended stay. She will need plenty of bed-rest, and the fetus can then be properly monitored. Ambassador—do you agree with me on this course of recovery on behalf of your wife and child?"
"The child is most certainly not mine," Soval informed her gruffly, "My wife was...obliged to enter into dubious relations with one or more of the Hostage-Takers who recently kidnapped us all. If the fetus survives, it is likely to be a multiple-species Vulcan-Andorian-Orion Hybrid."
The Doctor stared silently at Soval, as if dumbfounded by what he had told her.
"I see," she responded finally, "Well—that will complicate matters even further. I would highly recommend that your resident psychiatrists, Fer'at and T'Lan, be involved in the process of recovery. We have psychiatrists here at the Hospital, but they are trained to treat the psyches of Humans, not Vulcans. I imagine there will need to be a process of psychological healing for the whole family, and that will best be accomplished by Vulcan Doctors. I would be happy to introduce Fer'at and T'Lan to our psychiatric team, so that we could coordinate the care for your wife in a cooperative manner."
"I am sure that Fer'at and T'Lan would be more than willing to cooperate with your people, Doctor," Soval replied wearily, "Now if you will excuse us, I would like some time alone with my family."
"Yes, of course, Ambassador," the Doctor answered politely, "Please do not hesitate to call for our staff should you require any assistance."
As the Doctor exited the room, Soval buried his head in his hands. Sorral put his hand on his father's shoulder awkwardly, unsure as to how to support him.
"My Honored Father," he finally said, "Are you...are you okay?"
"Why do Earth people always ask that?" Soval replied, "I have recently discovered that your mother is pregnant with the child of one of our hostage-takers. How 'okay' do you expect me to be, Sorral?"
"I don't, Dad...I just...I wanted to comfort you somehow. I know it's kind of too 'Human' of me. I'm sorry! I...I hope it was Zallyn who was the father, and not Th'Orran."
"It really does not matter, Sorral. The injury has been inflicted upon all of us. We must not allow our emotions to control us, however. There is much work to be done in order to mitigate the damage caused by the kidnappers' actions. Your mother will need to remain at the Martian Hospital for some time, as she cannot be transferred to Earth in her present state. I will need to meet with Starfleet and other officials to discuss this entire travesty. There will, unfortunately, be a need for increased security, and it will be in the best interests of Vulcan, Mars, Earth, and Andoria that we coordinate our efforts in order to stem the tide of this approaching storm. Sorral, I must ask you to stay here with your mother, and to support her like the mature adult that I know you can be. She has sacrificed herself for your welfare many times over, and she has done this because she has a very deep love for you."
"I know, Dad," Sorral murmured, "I only wish it could have been me that got shot in the stomach, and not her."
"Sorral," Soval warned his son, "I caution you against these futile imaginings of what might have been. They have no redemptive value, and are therefore in need of purging. Practice the meditations that I have taught you. This hospital is very well-equipped, and it has many meditation areas where you can go to soothe your spirit. I have arranged for you and Talcon to share a room in the Family Complex of the Hospital. Talcon's wounds have been treated, and he is now ready to serve as your bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Sorral exclaimed, "Dad, I don't need a bodyguard! At least—not Talcon! I mean, I'm glad that he came out of this ordeal alive, but I don't want to share a room with the guy! He'll drive me nuts, telling me that everything I say or do is wrong, and that I'm too 'Human'..."
"I think you will find, my son, that Talcon's attitude has changed a great deal since our ordeal," Soval countered, "And he is as much in need of your support as you are of his. Sirtek, his father, has shunned him as a result of his submission to Th'Orran's dictates while he was under threat of torture and possibly death. Talcon's mother has refused to go along with this, and so he has at least half of his family to defend him. Unfortunately, when the news of Talcon's 'groveling' to Th'Orran and his supposed relationship with Olivine Fossa reached the ears of his wife's family back on Vulcan, they requested that the marriage bond between Talcon and his wife be dissolved."
"But...that was just Th'Orran's take on it!" Sorral protested, "I mean...Talcon and Olivine knew each other since they were kids—it doesn't necessarily mean that because they cared about each other's welfare that they were romantically involved!"
"Sorral, you cannot expect rational behavior when personal family matters are involved—even from Vulcans," Soval explained, "I suppose I ought to warn you that the news of your mother's once-secretive Orion DNA has also reached the family of your new wife, Vanal. They have already requested that the marriage between you and her be dissolved immediately."
"Hey, that's the best news I've heard yet," Sorral replied, "Sure—let's dissolve it. I don't think Vanal and I exchanged ten words the whole time we were living together during that 'marital year' of ours. We were both miserable!"
"Very well. We will then proceed with the dissolution, once the larger issues have at least been partially resolved. I must leave soon, Sorral, to meet with Forrest and the others."
"Okay, Dad," Sorral agreed, "I'll surrender to the idea of Talcon being my bodyguard—and I'll be his Spirit-Guard and try to help him as much as I can. It seems as if we're both in the same boat now."
"My gratitude, Sorral. Your cooperation in this matter relieves me of many concerns."
As Soval turned to exit the room, Sorral called out to him.
"Hey Dad...you still...I mean, nothing has changed between you and me because I have some of this Orion DNA in me?"
"Nothing has changed between us, Sorral," Soval reassured him gently, "You will always be my Cherished Son."
Sorral nodded, his expression one of relief. Soval finally left the room, as much as he wanted to stay with his wife and son in order to support them in the aftermath of their ordeal. He knew, however, that he needed to go to the briefing this afternoon, and he would have to travel to MarTerra Space Station in order to attend. As he left the hospital on the MagLev Train, he reviewed the past few days in his mind.
After they had been rescued by the Human/Vulcan/Andorian joint Security Forces, the former hostages had retreated for a few days to spend time with their families. Maxine and Sethir had been reunited with their families, and Fer'at's wife T'Lan had been working extensively with both children to help each of them to deal with their respective traumas. Mariel Woods was working in conjunction with Dr. T'Lan, as she was a psychologist herself and knew what needed to be done for her family in order to heal their inner wounds. Mark Forrest had since resumed his position as Student Envoy to Mars, and he was to attend today's briefing with his father Max. Soval had not had an opportunity to discuss anything with Admiral Forrest, but he presumed that the Admiral would be sufficiently recovered from his earlier stress and ready for duty.
By the time Soval reached the MarTerra Station and disembarked from his shuttle, Forrest was in his uniform and waiting for him in the Arrivals area.
"Ambassador," he greeted the diplomat, his brow furrowed with concern, "How is your wife?"
"She is resting," Soval informed him, "I believe that she will recover, but she will need to spend a certain amount of time at the Martia City Hospital before she can even think of going home. She will not like it, but we all do what must be done. We have been cooperating with the Human Security officers who have been guarding her at the Hospital."
"Considering all that T'Nak did to help free the hostages, I think any charges against her for briefly aligning with them will be dropped," Forrest replied, "and the same applies to Jovan as well. We were holding her and Kelsad for a brief time, until the Andorian Security Chief, Ka'Shel Th'Zhek, told us that Kelsad had actually been working for them as a double agent. He's been collecting evidence against this group for a while, and so I think the remaining gang members will be extradited to their planets of origin, on either Vulcan or Andoria. Kelsad and Jovan will be at the briefing, along with Fer'at."
"Have you received any information pertaining to the fates of Zallyn and Th'Orran? I presume that Th'Orran was killed after he was shot by Kelsad."
"Yes, he's dead," Forrest replied, "and I don't think there are going to be many people grieving him. According to Chief Ka'Shel, he worked for the Orion Syndicate as a Drug Lord. He wasn't interested in protesting the 'Destroyer Gene' or standing up for the rights of the poor. He's responsible for luring thousands of Andorian youths into the drug trade. Ka'Shel and Ambassador Ka'Jar have been working for years to protect the kids from it. That's what Th'Orran was talking about when he lambasted Ka'Jar for 'throwing the poor youths under his care' into prison. Ka'Jar and Ka'Shel were putting the youths into protective custody so that they could receive treatment for drug addiction, and be kept away from the Drug Runners."
"We will need to work with extreme cooperation between each of our species in order to prevent people such as Th'Orran from turning Mars into another 'Gateway' for the Orion Drug Trade," Soval responded, "It is essential that your colony not be used as a connection point for the Syndicate to recruit new Drug Slaves, as has been done on Andoria and in my home district of Shir'Kaya on Vulcan. Our governments did not take this threat seriously enough, and now we are all regretting it."
The two men arrived at the Briefing Room, pausing for the Security Guards to scan their identity cards. As they walked into the room, Soval surveyed the people who were there. The Andorian Security Chief, Ka'Shel and his mate, Ambassador Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek, were at the table, along with a Vulcandorion prisoner. To Soval's dismay, it was Zallyn; it seemed that their former captor was now himself under custody. His hands were cuffed, and he was sitting in a therapeutic mid-air chair, obviously disabled from the gunshot wound delivered to him through Th'Orran's "old-fashioned" gun. He looked into Soval's eyes briefly before lowering his gaze, and his green antennae drooped despairingly.
Beside Ka'Jar sat Minister Nathan Samuels with a man in a United Earth security uniform, whom Soval surmised was Samuels' bodyguard. It seemed that none of them were taking chances after what had happened to them. Mars Envoy Sirtek sat beside Samuels and his guard, accompanied by a number of Vulcan security people.
Forrest was joined not only by his son Mark, but also by his wife Mariel. Soval sat down as Fer'at, Jovan and Kelsad entered the room and sat beside him. Admiral Karen Washington and her Security officers sat at the center of the room, waiting to begin the well-attended briefing. Finally, the doors parted to admit Talcon, who was dressed in civilian clothes, and his friend Olivine Fossa. Talcon and Olivine did not look at Sirtek, and for his part, he ignored them completely. They sat across from Ambassador Soval.
"Ambassador," Talcon greeted him, "I have arranged for one of the Human Security Guards to attend to Sorral's needs while I am attending this meeting."
Soval nodded in return. He supposed he could have brought Sorral with him, but he felt that it was more important for the young man to spend the time comforting his mother.
"Welcome to the Briefing, Gentlebeings," Admiral Washington greeted the inter-species group, "We may as well get started. Chief Ka'Shel, what is the status of your prisoner?"
"Sha'Zallyn Th'Zoara, the full name of the Vulcandorion Leader of the band of kidnappers, has been disabled and can no longer use his legs," Ka'Shel replied, "He may at some point qualify for bio-mechanical walking aids, but at this point we prefer to keep him where he is. Ordinarily in a situation such as this one, we would send him to Andoria for execution; he is, after all, guilty of kidnapping government officials and engaging in other acts of treason and betrayal. We have decided, however, that because he helped T'Nak to incapacitate Th'Orran that we will give him a special deal. He is to work with Special Forces to help expose Drug and Bootlegging Rings. In his work as a Justice Fighter, he has come to know the various Drug Lords, such as the late Th'Orran. I believe, however, after his experience with Th'Orran, that he may be willing to work with us to bring these traitors to Andoria down. After all, they work for the Orion Syndicate—and the Syndicate has in recent years made itself the enemy of Andoria."
"I'm sure our forces can work with you on that, Ka'Shel," Washington told the huge Andorian Security Chief, "but we would like to bring charges against Mr. Sha' Zallyn, seeing as how he helped to kidnap citizens of both Earth and Mars. I realize that the Orion Drug Trade issue is an extremely important one, and we want to stop Mars from becoming a connection point for the Orion Syndicate; but I think a very strong line needs to be drawn so that visitors to our worlds understand that we will not tolerate the capture and wanton mistreatment of our citizens and guests. I understand, both from the statements of Ambassador Soval and his wife T'Nak, that many of the Orion-Hybrid people are upset about the creation of a 'genetic manipulation project' that will interfere with their health and the reproductive capabilities of their people. This is completely understandable, but we cannot tolerate kidnappings and hostage situations being forced upon us because of it."
"We will let him stand for trial on Mars," Ambassador Ka'Jar told them, "But we would like access to him here if you incarcerate him. He can provide us with much useful information that would also benefit the Human worlds as well."
Washington nodded her agreement. She gestured to the Martian Head of Security.
"Good afternoon," a burly woman with black hair greeted them, "I am Alma Sharma, the Head of Martian Security. We have been talking with Mr. Ka'Shel about access to the prisoner should he be incarcerated here on Mars. We are willing to allow this, but I need to say unequivocally that if we do that, we need to know what the Andorian Security Forces are planning to do—at least when it directly affects the welfare of our own people. During this hostage crisis, it would have been nice to know that Kelsad was acting as a double agent on behalf of the Andorian government, for instance."
"Ambassador Ka'Jar?" Washington queried the Andorian representative, "Were you aware of this fact prior to your capture?"
"Yes," Ka'Jar admitted, "and I apologize for not having brought it to your attention, Admiral. We Andorians make it a policy not to share such sensitive information with outsiders. If we had, it would have put Kelsad's life in danger and therefore have jeopardized his work. These fools who took us hostage are only one group among thousands, and if they had not counted Th'Orran as a member we would have ignored them completely as irrelevant. Many of these sorts of gangs have ties with the Orion Drug Trade if not the Syndicate itself, and they use the Justice Fighters, such as the late Valk of Vulcan and Sha'Zallyn Th'Zoara, for their own ends. It is not in the Syndicate's best interests to allow the so-called 'Destroyer Gene' to disrupt their reproductive infiltration plans, and so they use crusaders to create fear and mayhem. Their goal is to make populations afraid to use the genetic technology which is available to them through Envoy Sirtek's work. We needed to give the group an opportunity to strike so that we could demonstrate that we are not helpless in the face of their traitorous activity."
"Just a minute, Ambassador," Samuels broke in, "Do you mean to tell me that you knew these people were going to strike, and you did not warn us? I went with you to the surface of Mars in trust and friendship, to inspect the work conditions of your people, just as Ambassador Soval and Admiral Forrest did. I wondered why there were no Security people around to defend us when those barbarians came to capture us. Did your people deliberately distract my guards?"
Ambassador Ka'Jar lowered his eyes at the Earth Minister's accusation. He glanced up at Ka'Shel and nodded, giving him leave to speak.
"Yes, Minister Samuels. We did distract them with a false alarm, and it was then that Kelsad signaled us that the group was going to strike. I did not want them to take you or my own mate, but we were acting on orders from the Imperial Guard of Andoria. They knew that the Syndicate was planning to infiltrate Mars using the ordinary Hybrid immigrants to establish a presence on your worlds, and they wanted this particular group of activists to strike so that Humans would become angry and want to use the 'Destroyer Gene' to limit the reproduction of Orion Hybrids. I and my officers were given advance notice of the strike by Kelsad, but only by a few minutes. We did not know the precise place or where and when they would strike until we heard from Kelsad. He could not communicate with us frequently because it would have aroused suspicions.
The Orions must be stopped, for they are planning to slowly build a network using the Drug Cartels to manipulate and recruit Hybrids into their service using the Vulcanorion Connection to establish a 'Gateway' into Mars, just as they have begun to do on Andoria. We have been using Sha'Zallyn's group in order to make a statement to the Orion Syndicate that we do not intend to let the Human worlds become connection points or "Gateways" as Vulcan has become in the past century, and as Andoria is becoming now. Their presence on our own world of Andoria has only been recent, and we are still hopeful that we can eliminate it. That goal has been rendered difficult by the lack of action on the part of the Vulcan High Command, which strangely does not seem to be trying very hard to stop the spread of the Jaboraxin Trade, amongst the many other malevolent drugs which are being trafficked. We are mystified as to why that would be the case."
"Don't try to shift blame over to the Vulcans, Mr. Ka'Shel," Samuels replied angrily, "I am 'mystified' as to why you would allow a kidnapping to occur! Ambassador Ka'Jar, I am going to personally file a complaint against your government. This is a very poor way to begin a relationship of trust and cooperation between our peoples."
"I can only apologize to you, Minister," Ka'Jar told him regretfully, "If it had been up to Ka'Shel and I, we would not have proceeded in this fashion; but we were under orders from not only the Imperial Guard, but also from the top levels of our government. I do not expect you to forgive me for this."
"I spent days in that warehouse prison with you, Ka'Jar," Samuels cried in frustration, "And I came to consider you a friend. You're damn right that I don't forgive you! You told me nothing of this. I'm afraid this debacle has severely altered the relationship between our two peoples that we had been building in spite of all the difficulties. How can we trust your people now, knowing that you kept us in the dark about this simply to make a statement of power to the Orions? This is absolutely disgraceful, and I am deeply disappointed in you and your government."
Ka'Jar remained silent, as Sharma and the members of the Human Security Teams glowered at him.
"So you see," Sharma added, "How can we trust these Andorians? They have not been honest with us, and for that matter neither have the Vulcans. The Vulcan Security Chief has not confided in us the whole picture. You did not tell us about the possible involvement of your government in this...Vulcanorion Connection, Chief Y'Ral."
Chief Y'Ral, a tall Vulcan woman, raised her eyebrow quizzically.
"The Vulcan High Command does not confide in me all its information, Ms. Sharma," she responded, "I did not tell you about 'the big picture', as you call it, because I did not know what it was. I certainly did not have advance knowledge of this extremist organization's plans to kidnap Vulcan, Human, and Andorian officials and their families. Had I known, I would have shared the information immediately. Perhaps the question of the High Command's involvement would be better directed at Ambassador Soval."
Soval took a deep breath before responding. This would not be the first time that the High Command had shut him out of their plans, but he knew he could not come out and accuse his own government of aiding the Orions. He was fairly certain that they were not actively participating with the Orion Syndicate, but he did need to offer the Humans an explanation for his government's odd behavior. He knew that he would need to go into more detail about the shameful drug problem in his home district of Shir'Kaya.
"I have shared with Admiral Forrest all I know about the Orion influence on Vulcan," Soval stated calmly, "I myself was raised in one of the vulnerable areas, a tribal district known as Shir'Kaya. I have always worked with authorities to try to stop the Drug Trade on my world, especially since it has affected me and my extended family members for many years. The main drug which has been distributed on Vulcan by these Orion and Vulcanorion traders has been Jaboraxin, a substance that is highly addictive to Vulcans and which also has a debilitating effect on the intellects of its users. The Orions are my enemies because of what they have done to a large number of my people. The Orion Hybrid people are not, however. They are caught in between the governments of our worlds and the Orion Drug Traders, who seek to enslave them to the Syndicate.
I have no reason to believe that the High Command is actually working with the Orion Syndicate, but they do tolerate the use of Jaboraxin in the Tribal Districts because it is believed to keep the dissenters quiet. Shir'Kaya and other desert districts like it have always refused to modernize, and many of them do not follow the teachings of Surak. Rather, they follow ancient polytheistic teachings from long ago. Because of this, many in the government are concerned that the Shir'Kayas and other desert tribes will not control their emotional impulses properly. The government officials fear that they will rage out of control as our people did two thousand years ago before the Great Awakening and the advent of the Age of Surak. I have always argued against such strategies because I believe that the best antidote to the situation is through improved education, especially in the teachings of Surak. There are certain Vulcan officials who have been most resistant to this, but I believe it is due to prejudice and ignorance on their part rather than because of some reputed conspiracy with the Orions. They do not understand the Shir'Kaya culture, and there are many Shir'Kayas who have inter-mated with Orions—because of this, many Vulcanorions follow the polytheistic tribal teachings as well. This has served to cement the connection between Shir'Kayas and the Orions, and the Syndicate no doubt plans to use this bond to their own advantage.
As for the High Command, I do not believe that they would actively participate in a conspiracy with the Orion Syndicate. Such an alliance would hold no advantage to them, as the Syndicate would wish only to use Vulcan to serve its own ends...just as it is doing now, because of our short-sighted failure to contain the Drug Trade. The reasons for the Vulcan government's failure to stop the Drug Trade on our world have more to do with a lack of vision than anything else. This foolish drug problem which has been allowed to grow has been vigorously opposed by many local politicians, among them my own birth-father, Skarn of Sh'Vaht. Skarn is the Magistrate of the village of Sh'Vaht, and he has for many years implemented the most severe anti-Jaboraxin policy on Vulcan. Other districts and villages have been following his lead, and they are putting addicted youths into facilities in order to withdraw them from their drug addictions and to re-educate them through the T'Pannok Center for Reintegration. Madam T'Pannok has devoted her life to rescuing addicted youths—in fact, she was instrumental in rescuing me from the effects of Jaboraxin use when I was a young boy. The majority of Vulcans are vigorously opposed to the spread of Jaboraxin on their world, and I believe that Administrator V'Las, the head of the High Command, can no longer afford to ignore the voice of the people in this matter."
"That explanation does seem to make more sense," Forrest concurred with Soval, "than the idea of the Vulcan government participating in a scheme that adversely affects their own world. Listen—I know that this is the first time that as many as three different species have attempted to work together in cooperation to solve these kinds of planetary security issues. It's become evident that we don't trust each other, but that doesn't mean that we can't continue to at least attempt a coordinated effort to stop the Orion Syndicate's Drug Trade. We did work together long enough to bring down the hostage-takers. I know you're feeling very betrayed by the Andorians, Minister Samuels, and so am I; but I still believe that working together against this Drug Trade issue is in the best interests of all our worlds. I urge everyone here not to give up, in spite of the challenges."
Silence greeted Admiral Forrest's words for a minute, until finally Chief Sharma spoke up.
"I'm willing to work with the Vulcan Security Chief, Y'Ral," she informed them, "But how can I work with Ka'Shel knowing that his government could either allow or orchestrate criminal acts against our citizens? I mean, I was willing to work with you, Ka'Shel, right up until I found out that your mate Ka'Jar basically led Minister Samuels into a trap. He knew, and so did you, about this whole business before it began!"
"No," Ka'Shel defended his mate, "Ka'Jar did not know when the criminals would strike, and how; I did not warn him that it was about to happen, and so he was not told that he was about to be captured. My shame in allowing my own mate to be taken by the extremists is deeper than you will ever know, Minister Samuels. Because he is a diplomat and not a soldier, however, I did not tell Ka'Jar about any of this until after he was freed."
"Nonetheless," Ka'Jar interjected, "I take full responsibility for this action, or lack thereof, on the part of my Security Team. I had my suspicions that the Imperial Guard was up to something, and a number of Ministers in my government had warned me that I should not resist too strenuously if I was one of those taken in an unspecified 'incident'. We were expected to remain silent about this possibility because it would have been interpreted as a betrayal of our own government if we had not. Disobedience on our world is often repaid through retribution against family members, and so we are wary of trusting anyone outside of our own clans. We are not accustomed to 'working cooperatively' with other species, and now we have effectively ended that possibility for the future. I can only say that I am not proud of how we have handled this whole affair."
"But isn't that what the Orion Syndicate wants?" Mark Forrest spoke out, before his father could respond, "They want to end the possibility of our respective species working cooperatively together because it's a danger to their plans. They need to isolate us from one another, to drum up suspicions and get us fighting with each other...and right now, they're succeeding admirably."
"Before we talk any further about inter-species cooperation, Mr. Forrest," Admiral Washington interjected, "I just want you to know, Ambassador Ka'Jar, that if you and your government ever withhold information concerning the welfare of our people again, I'll have all your asses hauled out of our territory so fast it'll make your heads swim! Mars and Earth are sovereign worlds inhabited by the Human species, and we will not let others decide our fates for us. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Admiral," Ka'Jar conceded, "Perfectly clear. I have already contacted my government and...expressed my concerns about the way this situation was handled."
"You'll need to do more than simply 'express your concerns', Ka'Jar," Samuels warned him, "I should tell you that my government is considering the possibility of having you replaced as representative to our worlds."
"They would simply send a more aggressive representative," Ka'Jar told him, "But I understand your anger at us, Nathan."
"You and I are no longer on a first-name basis, Ambassador," Samuels replied coldly.
"Understood," Ka'Jar murmured sadly, "As usual, my government has behaved badly and left me to apologize for its foolishness."
"Let's not be too hasty about replacing Ka'Jar, Minister," Admiral Forrest interjected, "at least we know him, and have developed a rapport with him. Another rep might not even have the grace to apologize. Look, this is not going to be easy, I know! Captain Archer, in his dealings with an Andorian named Commander Shran, has always told me that Andorians are very paranoid, and do not trust easily; but when you do gain their trust, you've got it for life. We need to build more of a relationship with these people, and we won't do it by accusing one another."
"Max is right," Mariel told the group, "They're used to working alone, and so are the Vulcans. If we're going to have a chance of stopping the crafty manipulations of this Orion Syndicate, we're going to have to start trusting one another at some point in time. If Ka'Jar is sorry for what happened, then why don't we just wipe the slate clean and try again? After all, I don't know that the Mars and Vulcan Security Team let the Andorians know that they were going to allow me, Jovan and T'Nak in to cause a bit of havoc."
Soval raised his eyebrow, giving a quizzical look towards Securty Chief Y'Ral.
"We left the Andorians out of that particular piece of negotiation because we did not want them sending in their own agents, who would have moved too fast," she explained, "T'Nak was known to us through her work as an intelligence officer on Andoria. She had experience in dealing with aggressive Andorians in similar situations, and Jovan was the mate of one of the hostage-takers, or so we thought; we made a decision to send in both T'Nak and Jovan in the hopes that they could gain the hostage-takers' trust and distract them until we had our people in the proper place at the proper time. Mariel Woods went in as well as part of the Humans' negotiation for the release of the young people during the standoff phase of the hostage crisis. When Ka'Shel finally told us that Kelsad was standing by to give his officers the word as to when to storm the building, we at last decided to unite and take the crisis into its termination phase. As it turned out, we were successful together in spite of our failings and our mistrust."
"There, you see?" Mariel said triumphantly, "Now, imagine what you could accomplish if you all worked together honestly and cohesively? I bet the Orion Syndicate wouldn't stand a chance."
"Mariel is correct," Jovan added, "As a Vulcanorion, I had no idea that Kelsad was working for the Andorian government. When I agreed to go in, I was working under the auspices of the Vulcan team. We were collectively like a six-legged sand lizard whose front legs did not know what its back legs were doing. We were as chaotic and disorganized as the criminals we sought to capture, and yet, we were victorious! I believe that we have Kelsad to thank for that. He may have begun as a villain, but he finished as a hero. Would you not agree, my Father Fer'at?"
"I would not go quite that far, my daughter," Fer'at replied, regarding Kelsad with suspicion, "But I am thankful that you were not harmed, and that you were not truly joining those who attempted to destroy our family."
"I must apologize for my part in this, Fer'at," Kelsad told the Vulcan, "I did not want to have you and your children involved in this, but I was pretending to be in league with some very radical men. I did not have much control over their actions while I was working with them, in spite of my status as a double agent for the Andorian government."
"I do not forgive, Kelsad," Fer'at told him darkly, "You ought to have warned us before we went down to the planet's surface. Your first duty was to your mate and child, not the Andorian government."
Kelsad nodded sadly, his antennae drooping in response to the rebuke from his mate's father. Jovan touched his shoulder softly.
"I may not have been truly in league with the hostage-takers," Jovan said angrily, "But I do still support their message, and so does T'Nak. We are Orion Hybrids, and this 'Destroyer Gene' business needs to be addressed."
"And to address that topic," Minister Samuels began, "I'm very sorry to say that Andorian officials were correct—Earth and Mars politicians are very angry about the hostage fiasco which has taken place against its own citizens. There are many more of them now who want to implement Envoy Sirtek's 'Destroyer Gene' technology."
Jovan stared at Minister Samuels in shock, but did not reply.
"If we are now ready to discuss my Science Team's genetic solutions to the Orion Hybrid problem," Sirtek told them, "I would ask that the civilians who have been invited to these proceedings now leave. These are not matters for the everyday public."
"Envoy Sirtek," Washington responded, "The former hostages have all been invited to be here at this briefing—at least the ones who are well enough to attend—because they deserve to know what's going on with regard to all this. They have suffered more than anyone from this crisis, and I wanted to give them each the chance to issue a victim impact statement. I also wanted Mr. Sha'Zallyn to hear these statements, so that he understands how his actions affected these people."
"I can assure you that he does not care," Sirtek scoffed, "If the non-essential people here wish to make irrelevant emotional commentaries, I would ask that they be kept as brief as possible."
Washington nodded, and the "non-essential" former hostages each spoke of their experiences of fear, anxiety, and powerlessness during the crisis. Mariel Woods emphasized the fact that her daughter Maxine had been experiencing recurring nightmares about the event, and she particularly wanted Zallyn to know how the kidnapping had affected her child. Zallyn had said nothing in response, but simply hung his head as she was speaking.
When it was Talcon's turn to speak, he declined to say anything. Olivine Fossa, however, was determined to make sure that Sirtek heard about how his son had been affected.
"I just want Envoy Sirtek to know that his son Talcon handled himself with bravery and dignity," she announced, "He was placed in an impossible situation, and he met it with the courage of a...desert mountain lion...a le-matya. He tried to sacrifice himself for all of us, many times during our detention by the kidnappers. He kept encouraging Th'Orran to take out all his anger on him rather than on us. Sirtek, you should be proud of your son—instead of shunning him and judging him harshly for his actions in a situation that you never had to endure..."
"Olivine, please stop it," Talcon pleaded, "That is enough. You are overstating the case, and my father is not interested in hearing about me."
"I would concur with Ms. Fossa," Soval added, knowing that Talcon needed his support in the absence of his own father's concern for his welfare, "Talcon is to be commended for his strength of character and his ability to endure a torture session which would have doubtless broken most men."
The others all called out their agreement of the two statements made on Talcon's behalf, until finally Sirtek had himself endured enough.
"That will be all, thank you," he said to them, "Soval, my son needs neither your flattery nor your sympathy. The fact is that he submitted to Th'Orran's dictates, and his weakness was recorded for all to see. Unfortunately, his disgrace was leaked to the Martian media, and now it is common knowledge. His career as a Security Officer is obviously finished, as is his marriage to a woman of strong standing in our society. He is not intelligent enough to qualify for the Vulcan Science Academy, and so I have left him to his own devices. He must make his own decision about what he intends to do next. Speak to me no more about his so-called 'courage'."
"His career as a Security Officer is not finished, Envoy Sirtek," Chief Y'Ral countered, "He has simply been given a leave of absence in order to heal himself from the effects of this crisis. We will receive him back into service whenever he deems himself ready."
"And will you receive back into service a Vulcan who has been engaging in an illicit relationship with a Human female?" Sirtek asked scathingly.
"Talcon's choice of a mate is not my business, Envoy," Y'Ral replied in a matter-of-a-fact manner, "I do not believe that his relationship with Ms. Fossa will affect his work performance in any way."
"Oh, and by the way, Envoy Sirtek," Olivine said to him with irony in her voice, "Talcon and I were never involved with each other romantically. We're just the same as we've always been since we were kids: very good friends."
"Irrelevant," Sirtek sniffed, "Admiral Washington, may we now proceed to more important matters?"
"Yes, Envoy Sirtek, we may now hear about this great genetic manipulation program that's caused all the havoc to begin with."
"Perhaps I should mention," Sirtek began, "That before this hostage situation was resolved, a number of Earth politicians had expressed an interest in the 'genetic manipulation program', as you call it, Admiral. They have assembled a team of Earth scientists, and with the help of my science team and a team from Andoria, they have begun plans for its implementation. The politicians will be drafting a piece of legislation that will require all Orion Hybrids to undergo certain genetic alterations before taking up residence on either Earth or Mars. It would appear that the hostage-takers' cause has failed, utterly and completely."
"Do you mean to tell me that the Earth government is planning to rush through a piece of legislation that will effectively sterilize my people?" Jovan shouted angrily, staring at Sirtek and then Samuels, "as far as I'm concerned, such legislation is an insult to us, and we will not go to Earth if such is the case."
"That," replied Sirtek, "is the purpose of the soon-to-be-enacted legislation. I have briefed the members of government on the Orion Hybrid crisis, and they have decided that they must take up emergency measures to stop the Orions from genetically altering the population."
Soval was startled to hear that Sirtek had been in contact with members of the Earth government. As a special Envoy to Mars, it was clearly a violation of Soval's area of jurisdiction that he meddled in Earth affairs without the knowledge of the duly appointed Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He would need to tread carefully with regard to this issue.
"Sirtek," he responded, "it is most inappropriate of you to have met with Earth officials. The Earth government needs to hear the other side of the issue—this "genetic alteration" that you are proposing is a violation of the rights of any Orion Hybrid residing on Earth..."
"And the Orions have violated all of our rights by creating these hybridized monstrosities!" Sirtek retorted, "Soval, I understand from a variety of sources that your wife T'Nak and son Sorral both carry within them Orion genes. Since they are effectively both Vulcanorion Hybrids, I must conclude that you, like the fool-ridden government that you serve, are Pro-Orion in your tendencies. For my part, I speak from the perspective of the Scientist—we have the capacity to use our knowledge to protect our people. Our error-prone Leader, Administrator V'Las, on the other hand, seeks to undermine Vulcan society with his lenient policies towards Vulcanorions and the Jaboraxin Trade on Vulcan. I would like to remind everyone at this Briefing that the respected Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, by his own admission, was once himself a Jaboraxin addict before he became involved in military and governmental service. So you see that defending the hostage-takers as he did while under their custody came naturally to him, for he is from the drug-ridden district of Shir'Kaya on Vulcan. I must conclude that Soval of Shir'Kaya, like the Vulcan High Command, seeks to further the drug trade in our galaxy, Gentlebeings!"
"That conclusion would be erroneous, and based upon false assumptions!" Soval countered, realizing that he needed to refute Sirtek's accusations of him as strongly as possible, "As I told you earlier, it is true that as an adolescent, I fell into dubious associations with Drug Traders and became a Jaboraxin addict. It is also true that I was punished by my father for it, and sent to work in the mines and eventually serve the monks at the Monastery of Sh'Vaht. They helped me to overcome my addiction and to educate myself and others; as a result, I received an opportunity to redeem myself that is not often given to others in my Tribal District—especially not the Vulcanorions.
Sirtek is correct, Gentlebeings—I do support the individual rights of my own people, who count among them many Vulcanorions and other Hybrids. That, however, does not automatically make me a supporter of the Orion Syndicate. Unlike Sirtek, I have spoken to and formed friendships with many Vulcanorions. I know from direct experience of them that most Hybrids are against the Syndicate, and are willing to work with us to oppose it. On Vulcan, some of the most vocal opponents of the Orion Syndicate and its Drug Trade are Vulcanorions.
This...destructive genetic code that Sirtek wishes to force upon the children of Hybrids will not stop hybridization—it will merely push the process underground, where the surviving Hybrid children of all our worlds will become enraged at our behavior. They will rightly criticize us for intentionally creating a disabling genetic disease amongst them, and they will want revenge. They will then be ripe for misuse by the Orion Drug Lords, who are themselves slaves of the Syndicate.
There is a more effective way to fight this problem, my colleagues, and that is to embrace the Hybrids and to work with them to thwart the aims of the Orion Syndicate. This may seem to many of you to be counter-intuitive, but I firmly believe it is the only way to protect ourselves. The people of Earth and Mars are under no threat from the Hybrids in individual terms. The recent influx of Vulcanorions such as Dr. Fer'at's daughter Jovan are here not because they want to further the Drug Trade, but because they want to escape it. They are looking for opportunities which are not available to them on Vulcan or Andoria because our societies are afraid of them. We know from experience that taking away their individual rights will only fuel extremist groups like the one that took us hostage."
"Soval is right, Mr. Samuels," Forrest agreed, "This 'genetics alteration' scheme is not something that most Hybrids will submit to willingly. It would need to be enforced, and the victims of that force will undoubtedly be mainly female; it is, after all, their fetuses that we are seeking to destroy. These forceful actions will take us down a very slippery slope. If this crazy 'emergency legislation' gets rammed through the United Earth Council's decision-making process by panicked officials, then we will have gone over the edge. The governments on Earth and Mars need to hear the other side of this issue before they do something that we'll all regret."
"The Andorian government has already begun to implement the program of action that Sirtek has suggested," Ka'Jar told them, "Which will mean that there will be a flood of 'genetic refugees' rushing to both Mars and Earth in order to escape...they may even go to Vulcan, given that its current administration has been so lenient with regard to the Hybrids and their activities. I do wonder, as Sirtek does, if the Vulcan High Command is deliberately attempting to undermine Vulcan society by allowing the Drug Traders free reign."
"Admiral Washington!" Jovan cried, "And Minister Samuels. You need to stop this madness! We are no threat to Earth society—we abhor the Orion Syndicate!"
A storm of chatter greeted Jovan's words, until finally Admiral Washington called for order.
"All right, that's enough!" she bellowed, "I'm sure the Ministers and other officials will be willing to hear the other side of this before arriving at a decision. Ambassador Soval, if you and Admiral Forrest, in addition to Jovan and any other Orion Hybrid who wishes to join you, would like to present your understanding of the consequences of this type of legislation, then we will ask Minister Samuels to set up a meeting with the appropriate government officials."
Soval and Forrest both nodded their assent. Before they could say anything, however, Zallyn spoke out.
"Excuse me, Admiral Washington," he asked politely, "May I be allowed to speak? I have some information which the Earth and Mars officials may want to hear..."
"Yes, and let's not forget that Marsies are not joined at the hip to Earth!" Olivine Fossa interrupted, "Just because Earth is considering this idiotic, fear-based legislation does not mean that Mars must follow suit."
"Admiral," Sirtek protested, "Could you please expel Ms. Fossa and her...consort...from these proceedings? She is being disruptive..."
"I'll decide when to expel someone, Envoy Sirtek," Admiral Washington told him, "Now if everyone will please shut up for a moment, I would like to hear what Mr. Sha'Zallyn has to say. Go ahead, Mr. Sha'Zallyn."
"It is simply this," he said to them calmly, "This 'Destroyer Gene' solution will not stop inter-species hybridization. I know from speaking to Th'Orran and some of his associates that the Orions are working on a kind of genetic antidote to Sirtek's plan. They have been working on a genetic code that would provide immunity from the kinds of disabling effects that Sirtek would insert into the Orion-Hybrid gene pool. They call it the "Creation Code", and it would result in DNA that is even more adaptable than that which the current generation of Hybrids carries within themselves. Sirtek cannot alter enough Hybrids to stop the current generation from re-producing; he can only begin the process of introducing these disabling genes to our children's DNA structures so that there will be fewer surviving fetuses in the future; and those that do survive will most likely contract a disabling and fatal neural disease at some point in their lives.
Sirtek's morally dubious solution is, however, too late. The Orions have been introducing these hybridizing genetic structures into planetary populations for over a century now. And because of this new 'Destroyer Gene' threat, they are currently working on a code that contains "Super-genes", to use a colloquial name for them. These genes will be impervious to hereditary diseases. I myself have a medical background, and I was working on this kind of research independently until my work on Andoria was shut down by the government, and a warrant was issued for my arrest. It was then that I became desperate and joined Valk and Th'Orran's group out of rage at the injustices towards my people. I now realize that, in my rage, I may have made things worse, not better, for my people. I am now willing to work with those of you who would like to oppose the 'Destroyer Gene' course of action. I believe I can find some evidence that the Orions are very close to coming up with a "Creation Code" which will cause Orion Hybrid genetics to be all the more adaptable, and more difficult to alter.
Whether or not you like it, hybridization of the different species is here to stay. Sirtek's destructive path of action will not save you...I am afraid there is no easy way to overcome your fears of genetic manipulation..."
"It sounds like Eugenics Wars, Part Three," Forrest exclaimed, "I think maybe Sha'Zallyn will be a valuable asset in this discussion, Admiral Washington...Minister Samuels."
"You would be a fool to trust that fiend, Forrest," Sirtek warned, "He is simply trying to frighten you with these tales about a 'Creation Code'."
"Yes, Envoy Sirtek, you may be correct," Samuels responded, "We need to determine that Zallyn is not simply 'yanking on our chains', so to speak."
"I am now the one in chains, Minister," Zallyn answered softly.
"Yes, Zallyn...and perhaps it is causing you to feel desperate, like we did when you exercised control over us. I remember what that felt like...you are willing to say just about anything to regain your freedom or the freedom of your family members...we saw that when Ambassador Soval made his statement, under duress of course, in support of the kidnappers' aims."
"It was not the kidnappers' aims that I was trying to promote, Minister," Soval explained hastily, "But rather a more rational course of action with regard to the majority of Orion Hybrids, who simply want to live their lives in peace. We must not be seduced into reckless action by fears of the unknown."
"You, Soval!" Sirtek fumed, "You and your Orion family members have been cohorts of Zallyn and his ilk from the very beginning of this crisis. I believe it is because you are trying to further the Vulcan High Command's Pro-Orion agenda."
"My agenda," Soval retorted, "Is assuredly not Pro-Orion, and neither is that of the Vulcan High Command. I wish only to pursue a course of reasonable action based upon intelligent security precautions as opposed to a campaign of fear that could lead to innocent Orion Hybrids being genetically experimented upon against their sovereign wills. This is not an appropriate solution to address our fears, Sirtek. There are times when that which we fear must be embraced, and now is the time to do just that. We must work with the Orion-Hybrid people, Gentlebeings, rather than against them. I'm afraid that, given what Mr. Sha'Zallyn has just told us about the Orions' latest creation, it is our only viable option."
Samuels looked at Sirtek, and then at Soval. He paused to take a deep breath in and out, closing his eyes as if he was in meditation for the moment.
"Very well," Samuels relented at last, "I will talk to the other Ministers about what we have discussed here today, and I will encourage them to at least listen to reason."
