Chapter 8
"The Cardassian ship is hailing us." Bridget reported, examining the console. All three of Heather's friends looked at her expectantly.
"Well?" Maureen prodded. "Are you going to answer it?" Heather suddenly felt nervous with all eyes on her. This must be how Captain Sisko feels, she thought. She didn't want to speak to those murderers.
"I guess we'd better see what they want." she said with a resigned sigh. She hit the button to let the transmission through. The face of the Cardassian captain looked back at her on the view screen (A/N: Does a shuttle have a view screen? Not sure...but for this we'll say it has a view screen).
"Well, well, well." he said slowly. "Lt. Heather Martinez. Pleased to meet you." Heather stared back at him in wonder.
"How do you know my name?" she questioned. The Cardassian captain grinned.
"I think you'd better watch this." he said simply. Then a clip came up on the screen. It was the Ability, and Kathleen.
Kathleen was the main focus of the clip. In front of her was a view screen at wheelchair height, and attached to the side panel of her wheelchair was a portable com system. Behind her, the bridge crew sat, eyes on the view screen where the face of the very same Cardassian captain was on. Maureen's sitting in the first officer's chair. Heather noted. My chair. She felt a surge of longing and slight jealousy.
"Hello, there." The Cardassian captain spoke to the Ability's crew. "I see you have a disabled crew. I admire you. But there is no need for people like you-" he emphasized the phrase "-in space exploration. I know of a large moon where people like you can go. May I send you the coordinates?" Kathleen glared at the captain. She hated when disabled people were set inferior to "normal" people.
"No, you may not." she said through gritted teeth. The Cardassian's grin widened.
"Perhaps I should phrase that another way: Leave space exploration or DIE!" A torpedo shook the Ability hard. Just before the clip fizzled out, Heather could see Kathleen's piercing blue eyes look to the viewscreen as if she could look past it, and see the shuttle with her childhood best friends, determined to honor her memory.
"I'm sorry, Heather." Kathleen whispered. Then the clip turned to static, and the face of the Cardassian captain appeared on screen again. At this point, Heather was sobbing freely, Maureen was looking like she could cry at any moment, and Bridget looked like she was deciding whether to yell or to cry. Tucker just looked mad.
"You'll pay for this!" Heather yelled, her words barely distinguishable through her sobs. "You-you..." apparently she couldn't find words evil enough to describe the Cardassians. "...best friend murderers!" And with that, she got up and fled. Heather locked herself into the tiny bathroom that was at the back of the shuttle.
Some time later, Heather head a small knock on the bathroom door. The door opened and Maureen stood there, tears streaking her own face.
"Heath, can you please come out? The Cardassian captain wants to talk to you again." Heather sniffled.
"I don't want to talk to that murderer." Maureen gently steered her best friend out of the miniscule bathroom.
"Come on, Heath. It's best if you talk to him."
Heather plopped down in the pilot's seat and crossed her arms. She avoided looking at the cold face of the Cardassian captain.
"What do you want?" she asked hostilely. The captain paused for a moment before speaking.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to make you cry." Heather remained stonily silent. "I would like you to look at the moon I mentioned in the clip. I think you might inspire the people there." Silence, and then
"Send the coordinates." Heather said quietly. A moment later, the coordinates arrived. Bridget punched the coordinates into the computer.
"It's actually a real place." she said, the disbelief evident in her voice. "It's a large moon where people with disabilities go to be with other people like them. There, they get all the help they need. There's a large colony of people who live there. The moon is called Alasius Prime." Heather smiled, the first time she had smiled since the Cardassian ship had come into view.
"Well what are we waiting for?" she asked, looking around expectantly. "Let's go!" And so the shuttle crew went off on what seemed to be an adventure.
A/N: Ooh two updates in two days! And nobody's reviewed so far! Must you make me say it again? It only takes a second to click that purplish button. Come on, people, review!