Star Trek: Absolution
Chapter V: Secrets New And One Revealed
The rain started just before morning. By the time the sun rose the trees and brush in which Data hid were soaked and dripping from the continual downpour. Noting that the time when Vandahar's gates were due to open was drawing closer, he decided to leave the woods behind and began walking until he located the nearest dirt road. From there he planned to follow the path all the way in to the outer city wall.
He didn't see anyone else at first but expected to begin noticing people and horse-drawn carts at any time. Folks who lived in pre-industrial farming communities were usually up pretty early preparing to buy and sell goods – he expected a rainy day to be no different. The rain itself let up some as he continued for the next half kilometer or so and he would have made it all the way to the city itself if he hadn't heard an animal scream in the distance. Somewhere not too far to the north of him was the distinctive sound of a prowling mugato.
The sound of gunshots surprised him, since the Starfleet reports he had memorized made special mention of the fact that the animals were almost never hunted – they were predators that were shunned and avoided for the most part due to their deadly poison. The screaming became a pained yowling and then suddenly silence returned to the rainy morning.
His curiosity raised, Data left the dirt road and began hiking north toward the sound of the noise. He entered another length of trees that bordered the woods near the city and began a quick search of the area. Another gunshot sounded and he immediately identified its source and began running toward it. Breaking through the line of trees he spotted a small hill in the distance at the base of which lay a bloody white-furred mugato. The animal had taken several bullet wounds and two soldiers stood nearby, while a third was bent over the beast and doing something unseen to its mouth and snout.
"Hey!" Data shouted at them. "What is going on here?"
The soldier nearest the mugato stood up with a panicked expression on his face. Motioning to the other two, they leveled their weapons at Data and quickly retreated into the forest and were gone. Extremely puzzled, the android walked over to the mugato and carefully checked it for life signs. Unfortunately he had not arrived in time to save it, nor was he able to identify any obvious reason why soldiers from Vandhar would kill it.
A twinge of electronic frustration filtered into his positronic brain and he considered pursuing the soldiers. Ultimately he decided that his primary objective was more important and headed back toward the dirt road behind him. Still – he thought very carefully to himself – the fact that the soldiers had retreated upon discovery prompted him to conclude that their purpose had not been sanctioned by Vandahar's commanding officers. If it had been, they would have simply confronted him and chased him away rather than retreat in fright upon discovery.
By the time he neared the city the rain had stopped and the fog was beginning to lift, melting away as fast as the early morning sunlight grew stronger. Data's pace on the dirt road was rapid and he quickly closed the distance on an older gentleman who was walking toward Vandahar with a pack mule trailing behind him. There were lots of furs on the mule and the man immediately smiled upon seeing the newcomer.
"Good morning to you sir," he said cheerfully, tipping his hat at the android.
"Greetings," replied Data. "I take it you are headed toward Vandhar as well?"
"Yes, yes I am," the man replied, looking Data up and down very carefully. "It's a might chilly out here this morning and you're dressed pretty lightly… short sleeves even. I don't suppose you'd be interested in buying a light jacket or heavier coat from my stock?"
"Not at the moment," Data replied. "I am actually quite comfortable and do not feel any chill at all. My name is Data. What is yours?"
"Most folks call me Planno," the man replied, chuckling. "I guess you can too."
"It is nice to meet you Planno," said Data, pointing northwest toward the forest behind them. "Tell me, why would someone be out this early hunting mugato?"
"Hunting them? Nobody does that."
"You are incorrect Planno," said Data respectfully. "Approximately one half kilometer back the way we've come I heard gunshots and saw several soldiers from Vandahar examining a dead mugato. I was wondering if they were after its fur."
"I suppose some folk would want to kill them and wear their fur as a status symbol," Planno decided. "Although I've never heard of such a thing before today, that is. Most people stay as far away from the mugato as they possibly can – you make one mistake around those beasts and unless a medicine man is close by it's your last."
"That is what I thought," decided Data.
Through the dissipating early morning mist they could see the outer wall of Vandhar – a monumental feat of construction that Data had looked forward to viewing ever since he read about it in the Starfleet briefing. Large blocks of stone had been carefully cut and used to build a 2-story barricade that reached at least four kilometers in length on its southern face. The path upon which they walked was gradually turning north and running directly toward one of the massive gates that occasionally broke up the consistent pattern of the stonework.
Although he couldn't see behind the top of the wall, it was quite obvious that there were numerous defensible positions available for soldiers to occupy during a time of battle. An invading army would pay dearly if it tried to take the city – even by surprise. This was another issue that Data was privately evaluating… why Alucarn's leadership had massed the southern nation's troops for an obvious invasion. Even with a superior force pushing steadily northward, they would eventually reach the city and taking it by force would cost many thousands of lives.
"You don't look much like a salesman and you don't have any goods," Planno said suddenly, smiling at Data curiously. "Why are you headed to Vandahar?"
"I plan to look for a job," replied Data straightforwardly, "After I locate a friend of mine."
"A job, huh?" Planno snorted. "The way everyone's talking about an invasion from Alucarn my guess is they'll stick a rifle in your hand and send you south. That'll likely be the job that you get."
"I sincerely hope not," Data decided. "I must find my friend as soon as possible."
They approached the soldiers standing guard at the city entrance slowly, watching them opening wide the large doors that protected the city. They were made of very dense, solid wood that was reinforced by iron bars on the inside. Each had a window in its center and they too were filled with protective iron bars. Vandahar was designed to be the central command center for all of the armed forces protecting the surrounding territory – Data had little difficulty in believing they would make a formidable opponent, even against a force as large as Alucarn's.
People began streaming out of the city as the soldiers finished opening the city. Glancing down the length of the wall toward the next gate to the east, Data could see that entrance throwing wide its doors as well. Many people were pushing carts loaded with their possessions as they headed out onto the paths leading away from the city. Glancing over his shoulder back the way they had come, Data could also see additional travelers on the horizon – they too were headed toward the city using some of the other pathways.
"If I don't see you again, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my friend," Planno said with vigor, shaking Data's hand. "If you ever do want a new coat or even some insulated slacks please look me up. It's so tough to sell the really expensive stuff until the snow flies."
"Thank you Planno, and I will most certainly look you up if I require a new jacket," Data promised the man.
The guards nodded to Planno as he and his pack mule ventured into the city limits. One of them gave Data an apprehensive look as the android tried to follow and immediately held out a hand to stop him. "Who are you?" the tall soldier asked suspiciously. "Have I seen you around here before?" He and his companions were wearing the distinct red and black colors that identified them as soldiers from Vandahar – the exact same uniform, Data noted, that the people he had spotted hunting the mugato had worn.
"No, you have not," Data said truthfully. "I have traveled a long way from the territory to the west and am looking for a friend of mine who was on his way to Vandahar. May I inquire – what is your name?"
"I am private Nolian, a soldier serving in the armed forces of his Majesty Appela the second," the guard said proudly.
"It is nice to meet you Nolian. Tell me, have you seen any strangers around here lately?"
"None but you," Nolian said with continuing distrust. "What is your friend's name?"
"My friend's name is Worf," said Data. "And my name is Data by the way. I am looking for this man and am hoping that you know of him… he was involved in an unusual incident southwest of here yesterday, and…"
"I don't know anything about an incident yesterday morning," Nolian said quickly, his tone of voice becoming even more guarded. "And I think that you should be very careful what types of things you ask about while you're visiting our city."
"Noted," Data said as he watched a stream of people continue leaving. Glancing inside he surveyed the rows and rows of homes, vendor huts, and other structures that stretched as far as his eye could see. "However, Vandahar appears to be quite large and it is imperative that I locate my friend as quickly as possible."
"That's not my problem," said Nolian briskly, pointing a thumb into the city. "Move along now, stranger, before I arrest you for loitering."
Data held his ground. "If my friend were to fall into trouble with the law, where would he be taken?" The android watched Nolian's expression become slowly more irritated.
"Prisoners are held at the castle until their case can be heard by a magistrate or King Apella himself, should the accusation warrant it."
"Ah," Data said, satisfied. "Can you please give me directions to this castle? Perhaps I will look for my friend there, first."
"Your friend is a criminal?"
"He is not exactly a wealthy man," Data said. "And thus sometimes causes public disturbances. I have had to get him out of trouble many times before."
"Your friend doesn't sound like a very nice person."
"He has his moments," continued Data. "I would very much appreciate it if you would give me directions to this castle."
"You wouldn't be able to get in if you got there," pointed out Nolian as he began to grow a bit irritated. "Unauthorized personnel – strangers for one thing – are not allowed inside the castle's walls. Only certified officers of Vandahar's armed forces and selected servants are permitted inside of it. You're wasting your time and mine, so please go away."
"Yes of course," Data said, leaving the guard standing at attention next to the open gate. He walked over to the closest man leaving the city and quickly grabbed him by the neck with one hand. With the other, he took the traveler's shoulder bag.
"Hey!" the man said with more than a little surprise. "You can't do that – give it back!"
"I am robbing you," Data said. "Perhaps you should scream louder."
The man shot Data a dirty look and walked over to the soldiers at the gate. "Tell him to give me my bag back!" he said angrily.
All six men turned and looked at the android with extreme hostility in their eyes. Nolian quickly approached them and took the bag away from Data. Shaking his head he handed it back to the traveler and sent the man on his way.
"I know what you're trying to do and it won't work," he said. "Because of this little stunt of yours, I'm not even going to give you the option of looking for your friend. Your privilege to enter this city has been denied. So go back where you came from and leave us – and me particularly – alone because you're not entering Vandahar today." Nolian pointed back along the path that Data had come from.
Curiously, Data surveyed the terrain surrounding the gate. All of the overnight rain had soaked everything and there were still several large mud puddles in the vicinity, particularly the one right behind…
"What are you – ?" Nolian gasped as Data gave the unprepared soldier a shove. Nolian landed flat on his back in the middle of the mud puddle and his uniform immediately began soaking up dirty water. Spitting out a mouthful of liquid he sat up snarling. "Arrest that man!"
"Thank you," Data said to the rest of the soldiers as two of them grabbed his arms. A third gestured towards the city beyond the gate and they began walking inside.
"You're lucky I don't have you shot!" Nolian shouted after him, standing up uncomfortably. He picked up his rifle and glared at the two remaining guards. "What are you waiting for… one of you go and call for reinforcements!" he said heatedly. "I'm going to need to go back to the barracks and change my uniform."
There were six cells in the underground chamber that Data was eventually sent to… three on each side. Two of them were filled with sleeping peasants, while a third held a blonde haired man who looked more of the wealthier sort and thus seemed a bit out of place in a jail. There was a young, dark-haired boy with long flowing hair in the fourth cell and the last two – which were across from each other at the end of each row – were empty.
The guards put Data in the empty cell next to the boy and promptly left. From around the corner came the sound of a large door being shut and locked, then silence. He noticed that all of the cells were made of iron bars only, so there wasn't a lot of privacy for the prisoners. For Data it was a positive all the way because he was able to survey the entire cellblock and carefully study each prisoner in closer detail.
"My name is Lexi," said the boy with a small smile. "Are you a criminal?"
"Not usually," Data replied. "But I have decided to be for today, since I am looking for a friend of mine and felt that he would probably end up here. I'm afraid he can be a bit of a troublemaker." Data stuck his hand through the bars that separated their cells and shook the boy's hand. "My name is Data, and if I may ask – are you a criminal?"
"No I am not and that's what stinks about all this," replied Lexi. "It's nice to meet you Data." The boy frowned with frustration. "They charged me with violating the city's curfew, since I was out hunting yesterday morning and saw some things. It turns out that they don't want me telling anyone, so until they decide to let me go I'm stuck here. My Aunt Mehru is going to be so worried… and mad at me."
"What kinds of things did you see?" Data asked curiously.
"Something fell out of the sky… a big mysterious flying machine that had lots of fires burning on it," Lexi said cautiously. "It crashed near some trees and I helped the woman that was in it to safety. That was when the soldiers showed up and arrested us both."
"Are you sure there was only one person in this machine?"
"Positive. I bandaged the cut on her left arm and gave her some water to drink. She was dressed in a strange uniform and talked very strangely. We were both brought here and are currently being held indefinitely for questioning."
"Really," said Data. "Your story is most intriguing."
"That's just what it is – a story," the wealthy-looking blonde man said sarcastically. "The kid has been telling that fable to anyone who will listen. In jail, everyone is innocent. So am I in fact and that's what I told them… My name is Jerral and I didn't try to cheat the King on the tithe amount I owed him – that's just a story they made up so they can keep me here."
"It is true," Lexi insisted. "I did see the object, and you saw the woman yourself."
"I saw a woman wearing strange looking clothes, kid. Other than that you're telling a fib. How come no one else saw this flying machine of yours?"
"The soldiers did, but they'll never tell. They're trying to hide the whole thing."
"Where is the woman now?" Data asked Lexi.
"She's been in the cell across from you for most of the time I've been here," the boy responded. "But they took her away this morning… probably to see the King." He glared angrily at Jerral. "Not too many ordinary criminals get an immediate audience with our King," he said snidely, sitting down on the rundown bunk at the rear of his cell.
"I've heard stories about visitors from the stars myself ever since I was a boy," Jerral said casually. "But I've never actually seen any of them, nor have they dropped out of the sky anywhere on the land that I own."
"Maybe you don't own enough land," said Lexi with a bit of anger in his tone. Sitting quietly for a moment he looked over at Data. "Do you believe me?"
"I would like to hear more about the object that you saw fall from the sky," the android said thoughtfully. "What did it look like?"
"Oh don't tell me you believe him," Jerral said with disgust, shaking his head.
"It was very long and thin with a large metal wing on each side," Lexi said excitedly. "There was a glowing green thing on the tip of each wing, and one of them broke off when it crashed. The whole thing was made of metal and inside was a bunch of stuff that I'm pretty sure was powered by electricity."
"Another lie. You heard about the new project the city is working on to set up an electrical telegraph system. That's why the King's been charging higher tithe amounts lately – to pay for the lumber and increases in the labor force that are needed to begin setting up Vandahar's new communication system. Unless King Zantu and his Alucarn army march on us first, most of it will be completed before the snow flies." Jerral looked at the boy with complete disdain. "I'm really growing sick of your lying."
"I believe him," Data said.
"You do?" said Jerral and Lexi at the same time. They both glared at each other with complete annoyance.
"I would like to meet this woman," decided Data.
"All you have to do is wait here with me," commented Lexi. "They'll bring her back when the King is done speaking with her. If they're not going to let me go then they're certainly not going to release her either."
King Apella sat on his throne feeling mixed emotions. Next to him was his wife Maliya… his nine year old son Yori was also present. They had been visiting for most of the morning, trying to get at least some information out of the mysterious woman that had come to them from the sky. Several hours before she had grown quite frustrated, then sat down on the floor and refused to speak to them. The few things that she had said before growing angry had been incomprehensible to them anyway. Sepenon had tried a few words he knew from the languages of other distant lands, but she had not recognized any of those either.
Since the woman did not want to talk to them, they had moved the topic of discussion from determining who she was to the question of what they were going to do with her. The King had not at all been happy to hear that the flying machine the woman piloted had mysteriously disappeared or that the hand weapon that they had seen tested the previous evening was also missing. Both objects had simply vanished, right out from under the care of his armed soldiers.
"I'm open to suggestions," the King said simply, waving his hands in futility.
"The fact that items we have viewed with our own eyes have vanished without a trace implies that some form of sorcery was involved," said Sepenon. "What other explanation is there to explain what we have personally witnessed?"
"Maybe the ancient legends about visitors from the stars are true," suggested General Thadren. "We are just on the verge of harnessing the power of electricity. Just imagine what the equipment in that flying machine was capable of."
"Visitors from outer space? I doubt it," Sepenon said. "Those are fables."
"Are they?" Thadren boomed in reply. "If so, then perhaps you can show us how this sorcery was accomplished. You are our senior Kanutu wizard, after all." He folded his arms and stood quietly waiting.
"Whatever it was is obviously beyond my humble skills," Sepenon admitted.
"I think that woman is a visitor from another world," Apella declared, pointing to her. "The stories of people from other worlds are true – my father, after all, was a direct witness and had contact with the first people that landed on our planet."
"My King," Maliya whispered quietly. "This is not something that you should be saying, particularly outside of this room."
"They are true!" he insisted. "Gunpowder and our first rifles were given to my father by evil people who wanted to corrupt our planet. They lured my father into killing instead of trading, an action he later regretted. Once the hill people that he tried to exterminate were given the same weapons and fought back, we eventually he made peace with them and together built Vandahar city." He folded his hands together and gazed into his wife's eyes. "Unfortunately, word of the weapons we had learned to build spread to other lands, including King Zantu's."
"Zantu is our biggest problem right now," said Thadren with some concern. "Rumors that the visitors from above have returned are already spreading, and we know from the spies we have captured that he craves our secrets. He has been planning an invasion for months now, and this news – even if unconfirmed – will tempt him to advance his timetable and attack us sooner."
"Nonsense," disagreed Apella. "Alucarn will not attack Vandahar unless Zantu is certain that he can secure our city with few casualties. As long as our central command structure remains strong and intact, he knows that too many of his own troops would be lost in an assault against this city." The King shook his head negatively. "We owe many thanks to you, Thadren, for keeping us so well defended."
"If you're going to discuss politics, perhaps Yori and I should leave," suggested Maliya. "He's so young to be involved in all of this military debating."
"Yori will be King one day," Apella said proudly, ruffling his son's hair. "I think it does him a service to be able to sit in on our military sessions and learn how things are discussed and settled. I want him here."
"And I want to be here too," decided Yori, smiling at his father. The small, dark-haired nine year old boy was watching the unknown woman carefully. "She doesn't look evil," he said softly. "She just looks tired and lost… I think she is very far from home."
"A good observation," commented Thadren.
"If I hadn't seen that advanced weapon she brought with my own eyes, even I would find this all the more difficult to believe," the King said with a bit of puzzlement. "But my father swore that the stories were true. He said the evil visitors were trying to use his leadership and influence among our people to gain access to this planet and its resources. When he confronted them about it they became very vicious and he was seriously injured. That was when other visitors from the stars appeared and chased the evil ones away. To my knowledge, neither side has been back since."
"There is also the legend of Mordra," Sepenon suggested. "She is supposed to appear to us, particularly in times of battle – making decisions about who lives and who dies based on the character of each individual. She is not a goddess to be trifled with, something which these visitors from the stars will learn if they continue traveling to our planet."
"You and your sorcerous fables," Thadren said with complete disdain. "You are a simple magician with simple tricks who deceives all of those foolish enough to believe in you. That the King even keeps you around is a wonder in my mind."
"He is my senior spiritual advisor," King Apella declared. "Not only have his herbs and spices enriched our daily diet but they help to keep us strong and healthy."
"I am also a healer and one of the few who can cure the death that comes from the poisonous predators that prowl outside the city walls," Sepenon said defensively. "When someone in your armed forces is severely injured I have noticed that you call for my services quickly enough."
"There is that," Thadren said simply, still sounding skeptical about the wizard.
"I still don't know what to do about this woman… or the boy they captured near that ship," said the King. "I have personally made inquiries and heard that he lives with an Aunt who is worried sick about him. How long do we unfairly keep him in our custody?"
"To release him would be very foolish," Maliya said. "He would immediately tell everyone he knows about what he saw and heard out beyond the city as well as what he has seen here in the castle. Those types of stories will only increase the rumors that are already spreading throughout Vandahar."
"So why would that be foolish, my wife?" Apella inquired. "The machine is gone and so is the weapon." He pointed at the woman in her strange uniform still sitting on the stone floor. "Besides her, there is no physical evidence of any visitors from space… and she looks like one of us. Even her blood is red," he noted, observing the dried patches on her uniform and the large spot that had seeped from her wound through the cloth that Lexi had bandaged her with.
"You're going to let him go?" Sepenon said in astonishment.
"Yes," Apella declared. "I so order it. We will send him home to his Aunt and let him tell his story. If he likes, he can even take the curious out to the crash site and show them the burnt grass that is there and nothing else. The rumors will die quickly." He glanced over to General Thadren. "Keep him one more night and then release him quietly tomorrow morning."
"It shall be done as you command my King," Thadren said, bowing his head with respect.
"What about her?" asked Sepenon curiously, pointing at the woman.
"She must be detained for a while longer, until I can figure out what to do with her," the King said simply. "As Yori has said she looks very lonely and far from home. If we can ever figure out how to communicate with her, perhaps she will choose to live here with us." He nodded curtly at the General.
Thadren opened the doors to the King's private court room and admitted several soldiers. Pointing to the woman he said simply, "Take her back to her cell."
Everyone but Data was eating the afternoon meal provided for them when Data first heard the distant jingle of keys and heavy doors opening and closing. He was standing at the door to his cell, watching the two peasants in the end cells hungrily eating their food. Lexi was sitting on the bunk in his cell next to Data, picking idly at his portion. Across from him, Jerral was eating too but glanced up mischievously as he also heard the soldiers returning.
"I think they're bringing your visitor from the stars back Lexi," he said with a chuckle. "Perhaps we can convince her to do a trick for us."
"Shut up," Lexi said simply and continued eating.
Completely fascinated, Data waited patiently as the sounds of the approaching soldiers grew quickly louder. As he watched, two guards came around the dungeon's corner with a handcuffed prisoner between them. It was definitely a woman and she was most definitely wearing a Romulan uniform. Data smiled a bit as he realized that he had found the person he was seeking. The guard to her right blocked his view of her face as they stopped in front of her cell. The first hint that something unexpected was happening dawned on him as he noticed the dried red blood on her jacket. Curiously, he leaned against the door to his own cell.
One soldier entered in front of her, turned and began unlocking the handcuffs. Her back was still facing Data, and he continued to patiently wait as both guards finished unshackling her. They led her into the cell, then closed its door and locked it. Casting a glare at Data, they both headed back out of the underground chamber and he heard the door slam shut and then lock behind them. From his vantage point, Data could see only the woman's short graying hair.
"You have a new admirer woman," Jerral said with a laugh as he continued eating. The female looked at him with puzzlement, so he raised his spoon and pointed at Data.
Turning, she faced Data for the first time. As recognition dawned on both of their faces, Data felt a surge of complete astonishment burst forth from his emotion chip. The woman was in her mid sixties and – from the look of her hands and face – had obviously been confined on a planet with harsh working conditions for many years. But there was no doubt whatsoever in his mind that the pilot of the Romulan ship now standing before him was Tasha Yar.