Chapter 37- Measure of a Man
Mendak was pleased to be back with his father in his own lab and among his own kind again. He was certain he was going to die on the Klingon vessel, but he was saved by an unusual set of circumstances and he told his father and the Senate all about it in a hearing as soon as he was rested and fed- he hadn't done much of either in the week he was held captive.
As a man of science himself, he could understand the silent skepticism with which the members of the Senate regarded him when he told them about the man that could read his thoughts and the one that murdered the Klingon in such a brutal fashion it was quite impressive.
"And where are these extraordinary humans now?" His father asked casually as though he were asking him the whereabouts of his imaginary friend when he was a child.
Mendak tried to remain calm and objective because he knew what he witnessed no matter if he sounded crazy to them or not. But ultimately he had to make them believe him. "They are being held on Dhael with the rest of the prisoners. I thought it best to keep them there until we know what they are capable of."
His forethought apparently did not impress the members of the Senate. "And if they can do what you say," a woman on the panel coolly replied, "why should we take the risk of entering into a war with the Federation? They will no doubt demand their return and attempt to crush us if we refuse. Even if they are special, what good are they to us?"
Mendak resisted the urge to throttle her. He was running short on patience and the two of them had a long standing grudge ever since she attempted to scuttle his secret weapons project and cut funding for his lab. It was only his father's intervention that adverted that disaster. He gave a sarcastic smile and replied, "As you know, we are at war with the Klingons and we need every advantage we can gain to defeat them and any other race that threatens us. If we can force the humans into service or find a way to harness their power for ourselves we would be victorious. Just think of the practical implications: if we can use the powers of the man who can read thoughts, we can know the intent and plans of our enemies and be prepared to defeat them. With the capabilities of the one that can move objects with his mysterious force, we can kill from afar with absolute precision." He paused for dramatic effect and sat back in his seat with a triumphant gleam in his eye. "Wouldn't that be worth the risk?"
"Perhaps." Another Senator answered. "But what makes you think the humans will cooperate either willingly or otherwise?"
"They will." Mendak promised. "And if they won't, we kill them. We can't let the Federation get them back so they can benefit from their gifts. As insurance, I brought a present for you." He smiled wickedly. "My capture turned out to be most fruitful. The humans are members of Starfleet and none other than Spock from the Enterprise bartered for the safety of the Klingons. He is also on Dhael and it is my intent to use him to force the humans into compliance."
"You have captured the Vulcan Spock?" His father asked amazed. He couldn't be more proud of his only son. While he was worried he would have to defend his family name behind closed doors or plead insanity due to his son's capture for his delusions, he now looked down on him with admiration and Mendak basked in the glory of it all.
"Half Vulcan," He reminded them, "Yes, I have. He is being…persuaded to cooperate as we speak." The innuendo was not lost on the members of the Senate and truth be told each one wanted a piece of the action. There was much hatred for Spock among the inhabitants of Romulus- both because of what he did and the very fact that he carried the blood of Vulcans in his veins no matter the amount.
"This is great news and we must let the population know of your success." A member of the panel said enthusiastically. He was new to the Senate and was working very hard to secure his father's influence and Mendak knew this, but he appreciated the honor all the same even if it was disingenuous. "A prisoner of war returns with an infamously murderous Vulcan! The people will love you!"
Mendak gave a small demurring nod and quietly stated, "I am undeserving of such a spectacle, but if you must let the populace know of Spock's capture I ask that nothing be mentioned about the humans. They are something of a matter of national security and I think it is best we keep them a secret."
"Agreed." His father stated with authority. He didn't concur necessarily because of the security implications so much as he couldn't imagine how the general population would respond to the idea of magic humans. "We will hold a state dinner tonight in your honor. We appreciate your service and sacrifice for all Romulans."
Mendak returned to his lab with a smile on his tattooed face. With this one turn of events he would forever be a hero in the eyes of his people and all but lock up a place of honor and status for the rest of his life. All in all he had to say that being held captive by the Klingons in a rusty, sweltering hot box was well worth it. Tonight he would become a household name and he wondered if it would be enough to assure his succession to his father's seat as the Head of the Senate. He chuckled as he imagined having his own line of courtiers lapping at his heels just as the new Senator did in his veiled attempt to curry favor.
On the barren prison planet, Gabriel watched Peter nap fitfully in the corner of the cell. He imagined he fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion from the cramps that had finally subsided, although his arms were still wrapped loosely around his abdomen even as he slept. He was beginning to worry when in his sleep, Peter would twitch and mumble incoherently as though he were delirious. Most of what he said was unintelligible, but he did make out "Mexico" and what he thought sounded like "sick" but it could have been any number of things.
He rested his head against the rough stone wall and looked out the window at the pervasive darkness and noted the tense pain that began forming in his shoulders and back from swinging his pickaxe with a little too much vigor. He was furious with Peter then for trapping them in this mess, but honestly how could he have known that there was going to be a perpetual eclipse that would rob them of their powers? What were the chances? They were astronomical in his opinion and he couldn't find it in himself to be angry with the paramedic anymore. It was rotten luck and nothing more.
He glanced at Peter as he lay sleeping again and wondered what it would be like to be friends with him. Suddenly it didn't seem so impossible that they could find something in common. Without powers, they were just two normal guys and he began to wonder what it would be like to have a friend at all since he had never been one or even had one that he could remember. What would they do together? Would they watch football on Sundays or fix cars together? The more he thought about it, the more remote the whole idea seemed. He couldn't think of one thing that he and Peter would enjoy doing together. All they shared was abilities but the two had very different opinions on how they should be used. At least for once on this occasion they could probably agree that they should be used to escape if they ever got them back.
A guard passed slowly by the cell and Gabriel tensed slightly. He hated feeling helpless and that was exactly what he was without his abilities. If the guard got it in his head that he wanted to beat the hell out of them with his baton, there was little he could do about it since it was painfully obvious that he was not skilled at fighting by the number of times Peter had pummeled him when it came down to hand to hand combat. The guard passed without incident and Gabriel relaxed somewhat but remained on guard. The best thing he could do was fake it until he made it- make everyone around him believe he was still powerful and to be feared in the hopes he could stall until the eclipse was over. His IA may have been gone, but he was still an intelligent person who could read people well enough to manipulate them and that was just what he was going to do if it meant keeping he and Peter safe.
Peter mumbled and rolled over onto his other side facing the wall. In transit, his shirt slipped up revealing long, angry red welts under his blue shirt where the whip had left its mark and Gabriel felt sick. It was a visual reminder of just how serious this was, but it also reminded him that he was successful at bluffing to get them out- he just had to keep it up.
He was tired himself, but he thought it best if one of them remain awake so he forced the urge to sleep from his mind by constantly fidgeting to send sharp spikes of pain from his sore muscles when he felt his eyes grow heavy with fatigue. It was an intriguing experience for him since prolonged pain was not something he had experienced since taking Claire's ability. The novelty alone was almost enough to keep him awake- along with the vague feeling that he was doing Peter a small favor by letting him sleep while he kept watch, but he would never admit to that once he got out of the hellhole he was in and he would if it was the last thing he ever did.
Jim sat tensely in his chair intermittently chewing his bottom lip as was his habit when he was nervous. He was sitting in Romulan airspace like a duck without authorization or notification from either Starfleet or the Romulans which was going to be a bitch to explain to the brass. He had a ship full of Klingon refugees fearful that he had tricked them and demanding to go home, his first officer was in mortal peril and two superpowered humans that no one knew about were being held against their will and he had to get them back. As he sat there waiting on results from more scans on the feasibility of a grab n' go from Chekov, he contemplated how he was going to spin this all to Starfleet without betraying his guests and not causing an intergalactic incident. He had to say, he may have actually outdone himself with this mess.
"I do not think it will vork, Sir." Chekov reported shaking his head. "The radiation levels from the mines are causing too much interference."
"Well we have to do something!" McCoy growled. "We can't just leave them down there to fry. The longer we wait, the more cellular damage will be done and after a certain point there won't be much I can do."
"I know, Bones." Jim sighed. "I don't like it either, but we have to be smart about this. Looks like we will have to open negotiations. Uhura, contact the Senate and request a meeting. Nathan, I hope you are ready to brush off your skills, we will need every ounce we can get to try to talk them into giving them back- Spock included."
Nathan stood up straight and tall and nodded with determination. "I'm ready. Like Noah, I am also comfortable with morally grey- believe me I have lived most of my life mired in questionable transactions. I'm already going to Hell, what's one more transgression?"
Jim smirked and knew the feeling. He was all in now and there was no going back. He motioned for Nathan to follow him to the conference room to give him a crash course on Romulans. As soon as he turned to close the door, Nathan wrapped his hand in a vice like grip and shook it vigorously, surprising the hell out of him.
"Thanks for trusting me, Jim." Nathan smiled. But unlike all of the other times he smiled out of a sense of nervousness or necessity, this time it was genuine. "I know I don't exactly have the confidence of all of my people and I can't blame them, but I really can be a help here. I know you want Spock back and I sure as hell want Pete back."
"What about Sylar?" Jim asked half laughing.
Nathan wasn't laughing. "As far as I am concerned, he can rot down there for all of the things he has done and if it comes down to it, he is expendable. He can be left for dead and I can guarantee you that not one person on this ship will look back."
Jim sat in his chair a little stunned at the seriousness in the other man's voice. He said he didn't give a rat's ass and he meant it. Jim had never written anyone off like that in his life- even those that may have deserved it and there were plenty that fit that category. He understood that Sylar was a bad man who freaked him right the hell out, but did it mean he deserved to be left behind if it meant getting Spock and Peter? Jim was without a doubt and win-win kind of a guy and this went against all he stood or and believed in, but looking into Nathan's eyes, he saw the political shark- cold and calculating and he knew he was the only real chance they had. For all he knew, Sylar's demise would be a win for the other evolved humans.