Estranged Relations

Chapter 4: Deception

Shinzon wasn't the only one tracking which programs his daughter accessed. Alura wanted to know what Kat was learning to, she did after all have plans for the girl.

Kat, China and Tom had found out they could really work well together. They would use the flight simulator and battle simulator on the holodeck. They found that when they combined their knowledge, there wasn't any problem they couldn't solve. One day while working in the battle simulator, they came across the battle tactics used when the Enterprise and the Scimitar fought. Kat pulled up the program and held in a gasp as she saw a man similar to her father staring back at them. This man was called Shinzon too and it made Kat wonder if he was related to them somehow. He was a frightening man, and merciless. As the simulation continued, they found themselves overwhelmed by the choices they had to make in order to survive. The first choice they made was incorrect and the computer voice announced them deceased. The second time however, they used teamwork and were able to destroy the Scimitar the same way Enterprise did, by sacrificing one of their own. Kat had come up with the idea and was surprised to find her plan was successful, she was however the one who died.

After they had finished the simulation, Kat headed back to her quarters thankful that Tom and China had not said anything about the man in the simulation looking like her father. She went to her room and studied all she could about her father, grandfather, and this Shinzon she had just met in the holoprogram. She found that the original Shinzon was indeed her grandfather's clone. Her father was the result of Romulan treachery. After finding out about the male side of her family she researched the female side. She found Rose's story about becoming impregnated with Jean Luc's DNA and the cloaking device used to conceal this. She read about the way her father had been Lee Clearwater until the memories of the deceased Shinzon where implanted into his brain by a Romulan spy. Some how she kept coming back to the Romulans apparent hatred of her family, and this scared her. She had just been down on that planet and didn't feel as though they were her enemies. Her mother's story was very vague and so she decided, on a whim, to look up Donatra's story instead. She found the facial resemblances to her mother amazing and asked the computer to show her what Donatra would have looked like had she been human. Before her very eyes her mother's face appeared. Kat jumped back from the screen in disbelief.

She mulled over the events in the simulator and realized that the original Shinzon must have also had feelings for Donatra. He could have easily destroyed her ship the Valdore at any time and chose to humiliate her by crippling her so she could watch helplessly as the Scimitar destroyed Enterprise instead.

When her dad walked into their quarters later that evening, Kat called him into her room. This surprised Shinzon because Kat had not asked to speak to him privately since they had been reunited. When Kat told him all of the information she had found out, she asked him to tell her everything. If they stood a chance at being a family again, he couldn't keep his past from her. Shinzon agreed and took Kat to one of the holodecks to show her the program he had hoped he would never have to show her.

As Shinzon and Kat waited for the holoprogram to load, Shinzon turned to Kat with sadness etched in his very being and watched her anticipation. He knew the disturbing images she was about to witness could destroy their relationship forever. He decided to warn her about the images being very graphic, but necessary for her to understand who he was and who he had become now. This was the first time Shinzon felt that he needed to protect his little girl from himself.

They walked into the program and their tour guide for the first segment was none other than the man Kat had decided to just name "the clone". He identified himself as Shinzon of Remus and proceeded to tell his story starting with growing up in the mines of Remus, then fighting in the Dominion War, meeting the crew of the Enterprise and violating Deanna Troi. The last subject he relished and went into explicit detail. Kat watched all these horrific images without muttering a sound. Shinzon was amazed that there wasn't a hint of emotion on her face. The clone then proceeded to tell her how vital Jean Luc's own life would be in saving his own. He explained that he didn't want to kill Jean Luc, but had no choice. Kat watched as Shinzon's ship and his life were destroyed in the endeavor. The image of the clone faded from view as his story and life ended.

The next tour guide was the image of her father in present day form. He showed her his happy childhood, his schooling at the Academy and the graduation. She watched as the clone's memories took over her father's body making it his own tool for revenge against the Federation. She watched as the man who looked like her father abused Donatra and joined the Remans on their quest. Then she saw the turning point where Shinzon found love and caring in the same woman he had abused and humiliated.

Kat started to shake as the emotions came to the surface. She watched her father's anguish as he thought he had lost her and her mother. She saw joy in his face when he realized they had survived the Remans treachery, and watched as her father held her for the first time. Her mother's transformation didn't surprise her as it was intended to do, but she did start to cry as she watched her family's happiness die with her mother.

When the program concluded, Kat turned to her father and embraced him. She snuggled her face into his chest and cried until she was so weak she couldn't move without his help. They walked back to their quarters hand in hand, a family once more.

After Kat had gone to bed, Shinzon read through the daily reports on his desk, trying to forget what he had just put his daughter through. He heard a noise and thought Kat might be experiencing nightmares from the holoprogram. He started towards her room when he felt a lump on the carpet. He had the computer raise the lighting and saw Alura's unconscious form at his feet. He shook her gently and her eyes fluttered open as she tried to focus on him. "I'm sorry Shinzon, I didn't want you to see me like this."

Shinzon looked quizzically at her. She gingerly rose from the floor as he guided her to the nearest couch. He started to call sick bay, but Alura protested saying that she felt better than she looked. She explained to him that she had taken the safeties off of a holoprogram she was in. Of course she had to lie to Shinzon, it was part of her mission. Shinzon didn't pursue it any more, but he didn't believe her story either. He decided to watch her through the night to make sure there were no other complications. When Alura awoke the next morning to see Shinzon watching her, she raised up out of her bed. She couldn't help but notice his surprise as he saw all of her wounds had healed. She only had slight bruises from her supposed encounter with the holodeck.