Chapter 7: Bread Course
"How did they manage that?" Adm. Alynna Nechayev had witnessed many strange and sometimes boneheaded things in her career, but this had to be near the top of the list. How could the Cardassians be so stupid? It was bad enough that they seemed bent on trying to invent a super soldier, but even they should have had enough brains to figure out that one just should not mess with any of the technology associated with Genesis, no matter what. That stupidity alone was bad enough, now she was hearing that they had added a viral component. This had to be the height of lunacy, at least in her opinion. "I am not even going to ask if you have any idea about who the informant was?"
"Actually sir, I might have a good idea."
"Care to enlighten me Commander?"
"Tom fidgeted in his chair. "During my last foray to the colony I was almost caught by a group of guards. I over heard them while they were looking for me. During their exchange, Captain Riker's name was used instead of mine." After the last two days Tom hoped that this would not end up being detrimental to the Captain. "I also heard a place mentioned, but it is not one I was familiar with until yesterday, Dentarus." He paused for a moment before gathering his thoughts for the next sentence. "From what I learned with the Riker's over the last two days is that during a mission to Dentarus, Will Riker was exposed to some form of a virus. This virus left him a telepath. I still do not know what they have to do with each other, but I know they do."
Damn. I knew that incident would bite Will in the ass. "I am aware of most of what happened on that planet. You are correct in assuming that the two are connected. I know how they are. For right now though, it is not something that you need to worry about. You are dismissed for now."
"Yes, Sir."
After she was sure the Commander was gone did something that she hated to do. She ordered an aide to have Captain Riker brought in for questioning. She had worked with the man several times, and during the height of the Genesis crisis to boot. She knew him to be an exemplary officer. But he had been compromised, and now it was her job to see that the damage control was done, even though it had taken over six years to find out exactly how he had been compromised.
"With all due respect Admiral, what the hell are you talking about? This is insane." Captain Riker was pacing around the desk area of the admiral's temporary offices on DS9. "That was quite a while ago. I don't know how he got the information out of there before he was subdued. I must remind you that I was rather incapacitated at the time, and relieved of command." He ranted a little more. "I did not even know the outcome of things until almost two weeks later, and by then we had established orbit around Betazed. I have no knowledge of what happened during my interrogation, nor do I know how he would have smuggled out anything. From what I understand I had only been captive for a few hours, no more that twelve before they were securing the facility."
"The reason that you are in here Captain is not because you had been captured, it because I am aware of just how much you know about Genesis. What we are dealing with is actually stolen research from that damnable project. I want to know if you can tell me why he would want to disseminate that information, and how he got it out."
"Admiral, I have told you already, I don't have any information to give you. I haven't got a clue as to what he took from my mind. Commanders Troi and LeBeau would have more information. Actually Troi would be the better bet, she had command at the time."
"Is there anyone else who might know anything? The official logs have been rather vague."
"What about the Enterprise's logs, she was there too."
"Same thing. For some reason both Captain chose to edit their logs to the barest of facts."
"If that is the case sir, I am at a loss. I know that I am of no help here."
"I was afraid of that. I am very sorry Will. But I am going to have to keep you in custody until I can get enough facts to ensure that if any of this came from you that it was gotten while you were under the influence of a psychotic virus that changed your neural pathways. After I am certain that this was beyond your capacity to control and I know just what was gotten I might be able to release you, but not until then. Depending on what we learn, I may not even be able to return you to command."
"Before you do that, I have a request."
"After all that we have been through, you have earned it. As long as it is not letting you go, you can have it."
"There are two people that might actually know how Taldoran got the information out. Contact them. I would suggest that you contact Taldoran, but the last that I heard he was in prison on Darona, with a psionic inhibitor stuck in his brain. I doubt he would cooperate anyway."
"Who are the two people?"
"The first is the Counselor on the Enterprise, Lt. Comdr. Alana Buckley. She is the one who actually took him down, and she was in telepathic link with the person who would most likely have any information that you need."
"And who is that person?"
"Ambassador Troi."
"You are telling me your mother-in-law, is involved in this too?" She watched Will nod his head. "I knew that she was on board during the mission, her rescue is what started it, but I did now know in what capacity she had been used, that was also missing from the official logs."
"Commander Troi is a much more tactful writer than I am sir. She is very concise and brief in her command logs. As for Captain Picard, he is simply a well seasoned Captain, he knows when to spout prose and when to just put in the numbers."
"Let me guess, they both figured that you probably have had one too many run-ins with Jellico and decided to team up to cut you a break."
"Either that or they did to want to deal with him either."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that Will. Why don't you tell me all that you know about the incident? It might save me some digging. If it is good enough it just might save your hide."
"Well most of what I know came from Lwaxana Troi after the fact. Deanna and I haven't even discussed it much. Anyway, during my recovery, Lwaxana and I spent a LOT of time together. Near the end of my the rapy with her she told me how they distracted Taldoran long enough to let Buckley take the shot. What happened was an away team, consisting of Counselor Buckley, Captain Picard, and Mrs. Troi kept him distracted long enough for a full security detail to get there. Mrs. Troi and Taldoran got into a telepathic battle of wills. He was so preoccupied, that he didn't even see the counselor aim."
"Why wasn't that in the logs?"
"My guess is that everyone thought that it was better to leave it out, including the woman that was in charge of the operation."
"I see. Well, I think I can understand why it wasn't there. My opinion is that you still have heavily edited the account. However, I will make you a deal. I am going to give you back your ship."
"I sense a but…"
"The but, as you so put it, is that you are going to do me two favors. The first is that you are going to talk to you mother-in-law and wife. Find out everything that you can that they chose not to file and report to me when you can. And by can I mean within twenty-four hours. The second is that you are going to handle this situation for me. I am posting Commander Riker to the Titan. His assignment is at your and your senior staff's discretion. Then you are going to that colony and get that research. When you return I will handle the information, and how we are going to approach the Cardassians with this. When you have been released from here, if you wish to reassign Mr. Riker to another vessel you can. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir." Will demurred. He had gotten to where he could tolerate the man, but he still didn't like the idea that Tom would be part of his crew. He would follow the orders, if for nothing else to clear his name. He had to prove that if it really was him that leaked the information, then it was done while under the influence of mind altering drugs. Right now, until he proved otherwise, he was thought guilty of leaking classified information. The Admiral was cutting him a break that she did not have to. "I will have LeBeau on it as soon as I return. I will contact the Ambassador as soon as I talk to Commander Troi."
"Good. Now you may return to your ship."
