The Children of Vaal
Chapter 29
Akuta wasn't finished yet. He still detested the Starfleet crew for taking his antennae, but he was exhausted from the few days of maintaining the hatred he felt for his jailers. He sensed that Shalana felt the same way. His head still hurt, but the Vulcan doctor assigned to see to their needs gave him some medication to ease the pain and help him sleep. He could not figure out why his head still hurt. They were less than a day away from the Tantalus penal colony. Selar had informed him that the Enterprise crew were investigating the possibility that the Ferengi thought enhancer that his group had used to kill Dr. McCoy was also still affecting him. Akuta thought it was a long shot, but if it were true, the device was worth what they paid for it on the black market. Vaal was now over forty light years away. He said nothing as he drifted off to sleep at last.
Selar had left for sickbay to get some supplies. Upon her return to the brig, she paused at the threshold and pensively drew in a breath, a med kit in her right hand. She had been asked to obtain a saliva sample from Shalana by Dr. Crusher and Riker. As she entered all the way, she peered in at Akuta. He had his back to her and the Andorian security officer guarding the cells and was apparently asleep. She nodded to Tola and stepped to the next cell. The Vaalian female was wide awake and glared at them both.
"Shalana." Selar addressed the girl.
"What do you want?" She growled rather unpleasantly.
"I do not want anything. I was ordered to obtain a sample of your DNA for analysis."
"What for?"
"The first officer has reason to believe that you have a biochemical substance in your saliva."
"Is that the reason that the coward has not been back?" The prisoner grinned impishly.
"Perhaps."
"Very well. I will oblige."
Selar raised an eyebrow. Tola tensed up as the Vulcan doctor ordered her to lower the force field. As she did so, she kept her phaser trained on the prisoner, sensing that the former ensign was about to do something a bit nasty. Selar knelt in front of the Vaalian woman and held out a test tube. Quickly, and to Selar, predictably, Shalana spat in her face. "Is that enough for you, bitch?"
Selar did not respond, but calmly removed a cotton swab from her med kit and scraped a good amount of what the humans would call a "loogy" off of her face and placed it in the sample test tube. She then stood calmly and removed a pre-moistened towelette from her kit and nodded in the affirmative, wiping the rest of the spit mixed with mucus off. "That is quite sufficient." She finally said without inflection and without a trace of emotion. The prisoner frowned in puzzlement, not expecting the lack of response from the Vulcan doctor. Tola, on the other hand, stared at the prisoner in disgust and dismay and then back at the doctor.
"Doctor, how can you just stand there and take that? I would slap her into next week!"
"I am not an Andorian. Please control yourself, Lieutenant. Shalana is just expressing her hatred for us, which is quite understandable under current circumstances. Thank you, Shalana."
"My pleasure, you pointy-eared freak."
Tola angrily raised her phaser, but Selar stopped her from pulling the trigger.
As Shalana finally fell asleep, she found Akuta in her dream world. There was also the disembodied voice of their main henchman, who confirmed Selar's hypothesis that Akuta's headache was being caused by the Ferengi thought device. His name was Atazar, and he also told them that he had implanted personal cloaking devices in a pair of belts he had recently given them in tribute for their heroic deeds. He explained how to use them and told them that he did not have time to tell them of the devices before they were apprehended. He was pleased to learn that they were both still wearing them. Both Shalana and Akuta were surprised and impressed at the cleverness of their people at improving Romulan technology. However, they both felt that they wouldn't get very far at using the devices on board the Enterprise-D, even if it were true that they could become invisible. They both decided to wait until they were both on their respective penal colonies and when the humans had let their guards down. Akuta ordered Atazar to deactivate the Ferengi thought enhancer immediately. As he did, they both fell into a deeper dreamless sleep, still under the influence of Selar's tranquilizers. They both hoped that the telepathic Andorian security guard wasn't listening in on their conversation and that if she was, they hoped that she considered it as just wishful thinking. After all, neither one of them was completely sure that it wasn't.
Commander Riker entered the captain's ready room at Picard's request and sat down when offered a chair. Jean Luc sipped on a cup of Earl Grey tea.
"Sir, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Number One. I am curious. How did you know about the Venus drug?"
Riker relaxed a little and smiled.
"That's an easy question to answer, sir. I learned about it on my last shore leave on Risa."
"I see." Picard responded, taking another sip of his tea. "How did you find out, if I may ask?"
"Captain...haven't you noticed that the Risan women are all drop-dead gorgeous?"
The captain's eyes widened.
"Well, uh...no. Not really."
"No offense, sir, but you might have had your nose buried in one of your books too long to take notice when you were there. There's not a plain Jane in the bunch. I asked one about her looks and she told me that many of the resort staff use the Venus drug to keep humanoid male guests coming back for more. They think it's good for business."
Picard chuckled softly.
"You are probably right about me burying my face in a book, Will." He said with a smile. "How is it legal on Risa?"
"As you know, sir, Risa is a hedonistic society, much like Argelius of old. The Venus drug is commonly used to enhance the looks of the females on their world."
"I suppose so, Number One. By the way, Dr. Crusher has analyzed the saliva sample of our female Vaalian prisoner. It is not the Venus drug. It happens to be the same biochemical substance as in Elasian women's tears."* Picard smiled at him. "It's amazing that you were able to combat the effects of it. One kiss and any normal male human would have been affected for the rest of his life. I now understand why you stayed away from her. I commend you on your self-control."
Deanna Troi had not been informed that the Ferengi thought device had been deactivated, for no one else knew that it was on the ship. She waited patiently as the new subspace link with Gamma Trianguli Six was established. Ambassador Makora's face appeared on her screen. He smiled at her, obviously pleasantly surprised.
"Ah, Deanna. It is nice to see you, but why didn't Captain Picard contact me?"
"He thought it would be an intrusion on his part, given some of your people's attitude towards the captain of the Enterprise."
"I understand. Why have you contacted me, my dear?"
"I was asked to by Captain Picard, to find out if that Ferengi thought device was still in operation. We believe it might be harming Akuta."
"Not to worry, Deanna. I have operatives that report that the device has been shut off. I am glad of that. As evil as he has become, he did not deserve that. Before the advent of Kirk, he was a good leader of our people. I remember how much the deaths of his family had affected him. I watched as his mental health deteriorated and he disappeared into the wilderness. I felt sorry for him. I lost track of his whereabouts through the years and thought he had died as well." Makora paused and sighed. "I must go for now, little flower by stream. I am preparing Shavara for her Choosing Day ritual. She will be choosing a husband soon."
"Very well, sir. I hope she will choose wisely."
"As do I. Good day and thank you for your concern."
As Deanna closed the connection, she was informed that they had achieved standard orbit around Tantalus.
* "Elaan of Troyius"
