Chapter 10

Skurs' console chimed the next morning; a sound Jevah had never heard before. It galvanized the Cardassian; he leapt from the bed and raced to the console to read a message, then came back to the bed and stretched. "I have been assigned to the mining colony planning team," he told her. "I will spend half-time on that project, more as it grows."

Jevah turned over. All thoughts of the five-year plan had been forgotten while the party had devolved into smaller and smaller groups last night; she'd finally had enough kanar that she slept without hesitation when the opportunity presented itself. Now she turned over what she remembered in her head. "How long do they think the project will take?" she asked.

"Preliminary estimates are two years, if there are no problems. But we are starting at the very beginning. We have standard plans for such facilities, but they will have to be adapted to the environment, the size, and the resources; it will be weeks before we even have a rough schedule." Skurs put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "Just this piece of the project will have significant personnel demands," he said. "It is going to make the station crowded as they bring people up."

"Who will they need?"

"Many people with professional training: engineers, mining site and construction specialists, software and hardware designers, facilities designers. Once the designs are done, the people who will do the actual work will come and direct most of the activity from here; there will be frequent visits to the moon for review and inspection. The first self-replicating equipment will go to the moon to set up the most basic living quarters, then the engineers and builders who run the equipment systems will go there to direct the initial hollowing out of the facility. It will probably be underground; those systems are easier to develop and more secure. Various teams will work through the phases from drilling out the tunnels to setting up the life support and production facilities; last will come the final setup for occupancy and work. The system will be tested on a small-scale basis for several months before full-scale production begins." He paused, took a breath. "More Cardassians will also arrive in the near future, to both supervise the project and liaise with Central Command."

"And that is just the smallest part of the overall plan. The other aspects, preparing Bajor for—" He broke off his words, and turned away.

"For settlement by Cardassians," Jevah said quietly. In spite of the room's warmth, she was suddenly chilled.

"Yes."

"That is probably a much bigger project, since the planet is so much larger than just a moon, and there are so many Bajorans to be handled."

"They have allotted a full five years for implementation."

"What will become of Bajorans?"

"I have not seen the detailed plans, Jevah."

"What has happened in other Cardassian-occupied planets?"

"This is not a discussion we should have now."

She bit her lip and turned away as Skurs walked into the 'fresher. Bajor would be turned into a Cardassian settlement; Bajorans would fade as a people, become the servant class, the worker class, the lowest caste of the culture. The filth-carriers, the untouchables. They were already impressed as workers in the mines, the station, the fields, but there were still some Bajorans who worked their farms, ran their businesses, provided their services. As a Cardassian settlement, she could not see that continuing. Few Bajorans would be in a position of authority or power; those would be working for Cardassians against the best interests of the Bajoran people and would not be trusted. Even families like Naprem's, who held shipping interests throughout the major continent, would slowly be ousted, their holdings given to Cardassians to control. Gradually Bajorans would be fortunate to hold positions there at all; at some point in time they would become indentured workers, slaves, possessions. Resources.

Jevah took her turn in the 'fresher after Skurs had finished, and came out wearing her dull blue work uniform. "Do we work today?" she asked while eating fruit and bread.

"Yes," Skurs replied absently. "Starting tomorrow I will spend mornings in the LSC and afternoons working the mining colony project. If there is no security staff available to bring you here, return to the worker barracks until I send someone for you."

"Very well," she replied tonelessly, and followed him passively to the LSC. During the morning, she saw him walking around with another man, appearing to show him the room, the functions; this was apparently the Cardassian who would take Skurs' place. At the mid-day break, she mentioned the project to Binna, who had already heard about the five-year plan. There really were no secrets in such a closed environment as the station; while the details were not commonly known, the overall goals listed in Trakorn's speech the night before were already circulating.

Jevah took a breath while telling Binna what she knew. This went beyond the bounds of the Occupation, perhaps all the way to genocide. Did she finally have reason to contact the Resistance, to work in their efforts to overthrow the Cardassians? She was not brave, she acknowledged that. She clearly saw the situation, saw the advantages the Cardassians held, saw the small groups of Resistance fighters making things a little uncomfortable for those holding power, but no more than the occasional bug bite. Could a bite turn fatal?

Binna echoed her thoughts. "I know there are Resistance members on the station; I wonder if there is any information we could get that would help them."

Jevah shivered. "You would have to be very careful," she said.

"But if I could? Would you help?" Binna was serious now, her expression wary.

"I—yes, I would help. Just—Binna, I don't want to hear the details, the plans. I don't think I could handle that."

"I will see what I can do."

They returned to their consoles, Jevah filled with uneasiness. She had tried to just live her life during the Occupation, taking the world as it was, and dealing with it the best she could. She had come to a more or less comfortable accommodation with Skurs as well, and now she considered stepping out of that comfort zone into a dangerous world in which a misstep could imprison her, torture and kill her.

After the shift ended, guards again walked the workers back to the barracks area, but when she slid her pass through the reader, she was directed to stand aside while the others filed past. "This one goes back up," the guard said to his partners. He did not speak to her, but gestured for a different soldier to escort her back to the officer's level, to Skurs' rooms.

As she expected, the room was empty; Skurs had thought the project would take up much of his time, including evening meetings. She showered, nibbled at dinner, and settled down to read, but could not focus her mind on it. How would she access the information that might be helpful to the Resistance? What would they do with it? She turned away from the thoughts of how many casualties might result; she could not deal with the nightmares that would result. How would slowing or stopping the mining colony help the Resistance? How would it change the direction of Cardassian rule? There was too much she didn't know, and she suspected that as a Cardassian's bedmate, she would never find out.

Skurs came in when Jevah was considering going to bed; he walked as if exhausted. "The first meetings were held today," he said as she slumped onto the couch. "There is much to be done. They want a shorter schedule; I don't know if we can accomplish it in the timeframe they demand." Jevah brought him a glass of kanar, and he gulped it down. "They brought us food, anyway," he said, "but it's going to be a long and hard project." He looked up at her, indicated that she was to sit. "We will need additional staff," he said, "administrative and records personnel." He finished his kanar, gestured for more, which Jevah poured. "Would you like to work on the project?"

"Why not just assign me?" she returned.

"I thought to give you some choice in the matter," Skurs said, and drank more kanar. "You would be working as support for the entire team, managing documentation and making sure the required forms are generated and filed." He paused, drank again. "Most of the team are senior-level military and planning managers; they are not part of the Occupation and have not necessarily fallen into the habits of those stationed here."

"In other words, they would be likely to leave me alone."

"In matters other than your work, yes. In point, it would probably offer you some greater protection than I have been able to provide. It is not likely that anyone on the station would interfere with a member of the planning staff's team." He shrugged, turned toward the viewport. "I thought it would be interesting work for you. And you are certainly intelligent enough to handle it."

Jevah smiled weakly. This fell into line with her thoughts about the Resistance; yet Skurs offered this as a compliment, and a way to secure her safety. "Yes, I think I would like it," she said, acknowledging that she would have to balance her feelings about it later. This was not likely an offer that would happen again, and she could not afford to pass it by.

"It might not be soon," Skurs warned. "This is the beginning stage of planning, and we are still a very small staff."

Jevah nodded. "Is—Gul Pinha to be any part of this?"

"He is purely military," Skurs told her. "His involvement will be in the Bajoran parts of the activity. He might even be transferred to the planetary facilities. He has not mentioned you since the time he had me sent away—and Dukat intercepted you."

"I still don't understand that," Jevah confessed. "The Prefect refused you—but he kept Pinha from me."

"Nor do I. Dukat always has his reasons, though; we may never understand them. It has not helped him with Pinha, but it has ensured my loyalty."

"It meant that much to you?" she asked.

"He is the Prefect; he had my loyalty, but he has done something for me personally, and that goes beyond professional loyalty."

"I don't understand him, but I have to admit that I am grateful that he intervened."

"As am I." Skurs gathered her close and held her for several moments, as if for comfort or companionship, before he shifted his position. "There will be much work in this project," he said, "it will take more hours than our working shifts allow."

Jevah leaned into him, her forehead resting against his neck. "I know," she replied softly. "Such things do."

"There will not be much time for this." He stroked her hair, twining it in his fingers.

Jevah felt surprised; he sounded romantic and emotional! Was there something more here than just the companionship and regular sex? Was this quiet, confident Cardassian showing some sort of feelings for her? "I am sure," she whispered, "that you will find the time." She felt slightly ill; this felt like deception and betrayal. She had no love for Cardassians in general, but this man had treated her well, had been decent and kind, and she felt guilty and tainted when she considered that she would use his kindness against him, would use her body to hide her perfidy. They sat unmoving for some time before Skurs lowered the lights and stood, leading her to the wide bed in the next room.