Narek watched Kiel and Setha as they worked with Dr. Jurati and Soji. They were mapping the young Romulan corpse's neural network. The synthetic woman, Setha narrated the procedure for Narek as they worked, explaining how the technique was largely based on Lore's work with the expatriate Borg before he was disassembled. He tried to pay attention. To focus on the task, but being in the presence of this many synths was unnerving. He and Enid still disagreed on the status of the synthetics. The music Enid heard from them was different from that she heard from organic life forms, however, she didn't take this as evidence that they were merely mimicking life. She pointed out that there were predictable variations in tone and form between different species. Even within species, there were differences depending on their place of origin. Romulans who lived on Surruk most of their lives had a different tempo from the resettled Romulans. Those with Northern blood had slightly different timbers to their thoughts than Southerners as if different instruments took the lead in the composition. Narek had studied Enid's music in detail and found the very small discrepancies between organic life forms she described, but to him, they appeared inconsequential. When he compared her compositions of synth to those of organics, he thought they were radically different. True, she pointed out some similarities but the overall mood and cadence were completely different. She assured him that they were indeed alive as she perceived life. He knew it pained her to kill them. Luckily, she didn't seem to have a problem destroying the inactive synthetic spiders they had encountered as they sprung the traps laid by the Synthetic Alliance.
"What is that?" Narek pointed to an abhorrent reading on the screen in front of him. At least it looked abhorrent, he had to admit to himself that this technology was beyond him to a large extent. Self-deception was folly. If he was in over his head, it was best to acknowledge it as fact and look for ways to compensate so he could complete his mission. And this mission was more important than any he had ever undertaken. Enid's life depended on success here.
"Something's wrong with the equipment," Kiel said, tapping rapidly on the control pad. "I'm trying to compensate."
Narek wished that Enid had attended. He was no expert in the matter but he sensed something very off about Kiel. There was a dissidence, or rather an echo, like the synth's mind was participating in a round of sorts. Two voices sang at different points and at times it seemed that they didn't sing the same tune.
"No!" This came from Soji who shoved Kiel aside and took over the controls. The equipment went dead.
"What did you do?" Narek rounded on Soji. Had she sabotaged the process? Why?
"I tried to fix it," she said. She flashed Kiel a suspicious look.
"That is exactly how that looked," Narek said with ice in his voice. At this point Plutarch stepped in, placing his hand on Narek's shoulder.
"Please explain," he said, smoothly in a tone that Narek understood was an order to stand down. An order he only followed reluctantly. Plutarch had inserted himself between Narek, Kiel, and Soji. Dr. Jurati stepped in to explain what had transpired. The equipment was having too difficult a time reconciling the decomposed tissue. If they wanted an answer, they would have to return to Coppelius. There was technology there that would be able to compensate.
"How convenient," Narek said, his voice a drawl, "Since you know Enid won't go to Coppelius."
"We can take the body there and report on what we find," Setha said.
"And we are just supposed to trust your report?" Narek felt the tension in his body. Tension that wanted a physical outlet. The desire to pound flesh is how Ni'ael characterized such urges. He was not far off in the description. Narek very much wanted to pound Kiel into pieces so tiny, a million synths working round the clock for a million years wouldn't put him back together. The urge was overwhelming and Narek felt his hands form fists at his side.
Plutarch's voice sliced through his thoughts. "We insist on observing the process on Coppelius." Narek's neck involuntarily whipped his head to look at Plutarch. The taller, older man looked ominous now. What was his game?
"Enid—"
"Enid will do as I tell her," Plutarch said with a certainty that enraged Narek. He modulated his expression though, realizing that Plutarch could certainly feel his emotions.
"I'm not sure that Arcana will allow a Romulan delegation," Soji said.
"If nothing more can be accomplished here, perhaps we should adjourn until a course forward can be arranged," Narek said. A tactical retreat was in order, both from the synths and from his father-in-law. He wanted to talk to Ni'ael and more importantly, he needed physical contact with Enid. She was safe in Ni'ael's company but he needed to commune with her mind. Then maybe he could reconcile his impressions of these events. They were much better off when they worked in tandem. Separately, their abilities were unfocused and sometimes at odds with each other. Enid felt that this could be reconciled if they each tied up their loose ends. He discounted that.
He met Ni'ael in their living quarters on the Gi'halidrl. Enid was resting on a lounger with a fuzzy blanket pulled around her body. She had her floppy bear tucked under her chin and the childish backpack lay on the floor beside her. She looked a bit gray. Immediately he knelt by her side and felt her forehead and cheek.
"She's feverish!" He turned on Yumuen. "What is going on?"
"I'm just fatigued," Enid said as she took hold of Narek's hand and gave it a squeeze. "There is so much…". Her words trailed. Yumuen handed Narek a tablet. The look on the man's face as he retreated told him he wasn't going to like the information the tablet contained.
"Yumuen thinks it's an immune system response. There must be something on Vashti that doesn't agree with her." Ni'ael's even voice did not have a calming effect on Narek.
"Why was she on Vashti?"
"Yumuen was on Vashti. Rather than wait for him to beam to the Gi'halidrl, I took her to Yumuen. She needed more snakeleaf."
Narek took a seat on the edge of the lounge. "There's a problem with the equipment."
"I know," Ni'ael said.
"Plutarch?"
"No. Enid. She is very much aware of what you observed." Ni'ael's countenance indicated that Enid had been forthcoming with her cousin's husband.
"Narek, we can trust Ni'ael," Enid said. "I know he's on our side."
"You serve Plutarch."
"No. I serve the Empire." Ni'ael waved his hand in a vague gesture since that sentiment didn't mean much in the days since the supernova. "Or rather, I am loyal to Lorlani's interests."
"And Lorlani's interests don't lie with Plutarch?"
"My wife thinks for herself," Ni'ael said. "Enid tells me that neither of you has seen Boo lately." Narek gave Enid a look of admonishment. She smiled weakly.
"We can't afford to play Romulan games," she said. "He's spoken with Boo." Enid's mind conveyed that her attempt to find Boo by releasing Elnor of his promise had been unsuccessful.
"And according to Enid, so have other people." It was Ni'ael's turn to give Enid a look of admonishment. Enid looked down and played with Floppy Bear's ear.
"I didn't mean to," she started.
"Of course you didn't," Narek said.
"But it is a breach of security," Ni'ael said. Narek opened his mouth to protest but Ni'ael held his hand up to silence him. "But that is beside the point at this juncture. Boo has communicated to us that Enid is in danger from Plutarch."
"According to Elnor, no one else understands what Boo wants." Enid stumbled over the young Romulan's name. It was stupid really but growing up with Vulcans, she had been told countless times that emotions could defy logic. It was the one point that she could concede to her foster father and brother although almost everything else they said to her over the years she held in doubt. She looked up to stifle the tears that pushed at the back of her eyes.
"You're not feeling well," Narek said. "That accounts for your emotionality." Enid nodded. She was reacting from a place of pain and exhaustion.
"Yumuen says it's more difficult to compensate for my immune responses." What she didn't say, and what everyone present understood, is that the situation was far more serious than they allowed themselves to admit. Maybe it was Ni'ael's presence that provided both the soberness and strength to acknowledge Enid's decline.
"She can't go to Coppelius." Narek mentally prepared for Ni'ael to argue.
"I have to," Enid said.
"Why?" Narek dreaded Enid's response even if he knew it before her lips formed the words.
"Because that is where Boo is." Enid found the strength to sit up and Narek pulled her into his chest. Why was Boo on Coppelius? He tucked her head under his chin and squeezed his eyes shut. He knew this feeling. They had been to Coppelius before. It had not gone well. Details of their various timelines grew dim when they retreated along another route, but he knew he didn't want to do this again.
"We can take the Gi'halidrl. Cloaked, no one could find us. Not even Plutarch's new ship. Enid, we can't go to Coppelius." He didn't dare say this out loud. He didn't trust Ni'ael. Even if he weren't working to forward Plutarch's interests, Lorlani would not sanction their escape.
"It didn't work before, it's not going to work now. Our fate lies on Coppelius."
"Narek," Ni'ael's voice cut through his internal torment. He grasped the younger man by the shoulder. "I know that your experience with your family has not been ideal. Neither has Enid's." Enid untucked her head so that she could give Ni'ael her attention. Seeing this he smiled and continued, "But understand this—you and Enid are my family. You are my brother."
"It's true," Enid said. "He couldn't make peace with his daughters if something happened to us." Narek relaxed. If he believed Ni'ael or if he was just exhausted from always looking over his shoulder he couldn't say.
"We just need to figure out what Plutarch's motives are," Ni'ael said. At this Enid closed her eyes. She concentrated on her father then both she and Narek winced.
"What?" Ni'ael leaned in, his eyes darting between the two members of the dyad. Enid's eyes were wide as she studied Narek's face as he processed the images from Enid's mind.
"My father wants to destroy the Coppelius synths," she said. Narek nodded. His eyes were still focused on the scenes playing in her head.
"That doesn't make any sense. Plutarch never expressed much of an interest in the mission of the Zhat Vash before," Ni'ael said.
"He was an operative at one time," Narek said, suddenly snapping out of the internal landscape. He ran a hand over the stubble along his jawline. "That is how Enid came to be."
"I can't see Plutarch risking hostilities with the Federation. Even with the new technology from the synth ship, we are in no shape for a prolonged confrontation."
"He plans to blame it on me," Narek said. "The radicalized orphan."
"What about Enid?"
"I don't know exactly," she said. "But I'm expendable."
"He thinks he can frame me for Enid's murder. Make it look like I've been using her for access to the synths." Narek was conflicted. Just a few years ago, he had resigned to die in the cause of destroying the synthetics. It wasn't his first choice, of course. He had hoped to redeem himself to his sister and aunt. Once free from their scorn, he planned to make a life for himself in the new Romulan Free State. Now, he didn't know what to feel. He still believed that the synthetics would mean the end of organic life, but he didn't want Enid to die. He would condemn trillions to death just to preserve her life. If anyone were going to be sacrificed, it was going to be him, but only to save her. His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp sting on his face. Enid had slapped him. Hard. Harder than she looked capable of in her condition.
"Don't ever think that again!" Enid's irises were red with anger.
"I'm sorry, my little sand devil." He wasn't. If it came to it, he vowed it would be him, not Enid who paid the price in this timeline. Something told him he couldn't lose Enid again. Enid narrowed her eyes and he knew she was thinking the same of him.
Ni'ael cleared his throat. "So we go to Coppelius and retrieve Boo. In the meantime, we watch Plutarch." He left the couple. Enid needed rest and he knew that she drew strength from Narek. He also was aware that Plutarch had been communicating regularly with Picard so he returned to Vashti. Perhaps there was something to be gleaned from the old Starfleet Admiral. It was not a particularly Romulan thing to do, but desperate times called for innovation.
In his quarters on the Sseikea, Rynar examined his new body. It had been easy, really. Plutarch hadn't expected to encounter him in the body of a synth. The jump had been quick. Poor Kiel, he thought as he frowned at his reflection. The young synth was no doubt being grilled by Soji for his sabotage of the equipment on the Enterprise. Sabotage he didn't remember doing. It didn't matter. He had control of Plutarch and his ship. Soon he'd have control of Enid and use her power to destroy the synthetic life forms, once and for all.