Chapter 15

"Set phase-pistols for stun," Brown told his security team as he led them down the corridor. "And remember; she may not be our target. Stay alert though. Suliban can fool anyone."

Despite his confident, professional tone, Brown felt a deep pit opening in his stomach as he stalked towards Zrae's quarters.

A Suliban, here.

The Suliban had been known to Earth for almost a decade. Most of them were a harmless minority, having become nomads since their homeworld was rendered uninhabitable. But a few were members of the Cabal - an interstellar terrorist group who claimed to receive instructions from the future, leading them to either violently attack or surreptitiously manipulate other races.

Those in the Cabal were beneficiaries of some advanced genetic engineering, granting them traits such as shapeshifting, camouflage, and an ability to compress their bodies as if boneless.

The Cabal had all but collapsed about seven years ago, but a few determined zealots remained. United Earth had instigated a policy of taking in any Suliban refugees who had either never been members of the Cabal or were disillusioned ex-soldiers. Given the enemies the Cabal had made - Klingons, Tholians, Tandarans - there were many who saw all Suliban as a threat, regardless of their allegiance, and, as usual in these situations, it was the innocent who suffered most.

With Suliban DNA found at the scene of Bird's murder, coupled with the fact that no Suliban had been sighted on the base, it seemed likely that a disguised member of the Cabal was their killer. Why they would want to target Reena Bird was a question that could wait until they had the Suliban in custody.

While it seemed highly likely that Aubren Zrae was the culprit, given the lack of any other unidentified DNA on the scene, nothing had been clear-cut in this case. Zrae may simply have left no DNA behind, and the Suliban could be someone else entirely. Brown had talked Captain Thorpe out of leaping to conclusions, but he would still be very, very cautious himself.

It was all he could do to convince the gung-ho captain to coordinate the effort from Ops rather than get in the way of the security and MACO personnel.

His team met Kostopoulos and her troops coming down the other end of the corridor. They couldn't risk securing the level without tipping their hand, so they were being quick yet quiet in their approach.

Brown took position in front of the door to Zrae's quarters. He gestured for the others to take positions along the wall, so that they wouldn't be seen. Kostopoulos stood to the right of the door, phase-pistol drawn.

Brown kept his own weapon holstered, again to allay concern, though he couldn't help his hand from hovering nearby.

Exchanging a nod with Kostopoulos, he pressed the door chime and let out a breath.

Zrae answered quickly, making Brown's heart skip a beat. Still wearing the bodysuit which matched her hair, but a darker shade of red, she seemed surprised to see him.

"Commander," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, ma'am," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I just need to ask you some questions. Would you come with me, please?"

Zrae's eyes quickly flitted down to his pistol and back up, worry creasing her face. "What kind of questions?"

"I'm afraid we need to conduct some medical scans…" He was prepared to explain that there were non-intrusive ways of doing so - just in case Zrae was Trill after all - but he didn't get that far.

With uncanny speed and strength, Zrae suddenly shoved Brown hard against the far wall and bolted back into her quarters.

"Stop her!" Brown shouted, winded.

Kostopoulos was already pursuing, followed by the twin trails of security guards and MACOs. He heard phase fire inside and pushed his way in.

The colonel was in the near corner, aiming her pistol upwards. The vent cover was hanging off.

"She… She climbed up the wall and into the vent!" Kostopoulos said in disbelief. "She was like lightning."

Damn. Zrae was definitely the Suliban, and was capable of shapeshifting, sticking to surfaces like an insect, and compressing her body into tight spaces. Faster and stronger than most humanoids too. At least we know how she got into Bird's quarters without being seen, he thought, eyeing the open vent, identical to the one at the crime scene.

He pulled out his communicator, having pre-set it for Ops. "Security breach! Seal off Levels Fifty-eight, Fifty-nine, and Sixty! Post guards at all access points, scan anyone who tries to leave!"

"Acknowledged," Thorpe said via the comm. "What's happening, Commander?"

"It's her, Captain," said Brown, only now catching his breath. "Zrae is the Suliban, and she got away from us. She's in the ventilation system."

"Hell." There was a pause. "Suggestions?"

His mind focused, Brown formulated a plan of action.

"Flood the vent shafts with axonol gas," he said. "In low concentrations. If it gets out, it won't be strong enough to affect anyone, leaving them vulnerable, but in the cramped space it will either knock her out or flush her out."

"Right."

"Also, Captain, I suggest advising all residents on these levels to remain in their quarters and report anyone suspicious."

"Will do," said Thorpe. "Do you need any help down there?"

"No, sir. Colonel Kostopoulos and I will handle the search. Brown out."

He closed the communicator and turned to address the assembled team.

"Okay, people, we've got ourselves a manhunt."

They had Zrae on the run. That meant she was scared, desperate, likely to slip up. She probably hadn't counted on getting caught. They had been foolish to let her escape their net like that, but they wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Brown had split everyone into teams of two and set them about searching every conceivable - and inconceivable - space across this level and the two adjacent. After his instructions to Thorpe, she wouldn't get further than that.

He and Kostopoulos were going door-to-door on Level 59, scanning each room. Thankfully, Suliban shapeshifting was only skin-deep, so an activate scan would reveal them. Hence why Zrae had likely posed as a Trill; to use the cultural taboo against invasive scans to protect her true identity.

Pressing another door chime, Brown and Kostopoulos stepped back, weapons drawn but lowered.

The door opened and both of them instantly dropped their gaze to the short Ithenite occupant. Brown recognised him from the expo floor.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Ithenite demanded, folding his arms and looking up at them indignantly. "Is it not enough that we are confined to this base, now we are stuck in our rooms!?"

"I'm sorry, sir," said Brown. "This is a security matter. I just need to scan you and your quarters."

The Ithenite harrumphed but did not protest. Brown started his scan.

"You there!"

Everyone turned to see a sturdy Tellarite round the corner, pointing at them. He wore the ruddy jumpsuit of the Tellar Space Administration, and was probably a crewmember from the ship docked for repairs.

"I demand to be released!" the Tellarite continued. "My vessel has an important mission and my superiors will not tolerate further delay!"

Kostopoulos and Brown had immediately drawn their weapons on the impatient troublemaker, and Brown aimed his scanner towards him.

"It's not him," he told Kostopoulos. "He's just being annoying for no reason."

They both lowered their pistols again.

"I'll handle him," said Kostopoulos. She moved off, her free hand held up passively.

Brown resumed scanning the Ithenite's quarters while the colonel led the loud Tellarite away with polite force.

"All clear," he said after a moment.

"What is all this about?" the Ithenite asked, slightly angry.

"I can't say, sir, but hopefully it will all be over soon."

He closed the door and made his way down the corridor to the next room.

Kostopoulos came running back around the corner, alarming him.

"Everything alright?" he asked her.

She looked around, confused. "Where's the medical emergency?"

"What?"

She pointed over her shoulder. "You said there was a-"

Both their eyes widened.

Whoever Kostopoulos had been speaking to, it wasn't him.

They both rushed back the way the colonel had come from.

There was a fork in the corridor. "You go straight on," he told her as he took the left turn. Both options would loop around and, with the turbolifts inaccessible thanks to his security measures, there was nowhere for their fugitive to escape to.

Sure enough, Brown soon found himself face to face… with himself.

It was a disconcerting feeling, looking into his own small, muddy eyes and weathered features. Obviously, it was no oddity for Zrae, who quickly tried to dart past him.

He levelled his pistol, but it was kicked out of his hand before he could react. Although mimicking his body, she was a lot more graceful.

Managing to come to his senses, he grabbed at his - no, Zrae's - leg and flipped her to the ground.

To his astonishment, however, she twisted around to face him, even with his grasp firmly on her leg, contorting like an acrobat thanks to those enhanced Suliban genes.

Her free leg kicked him in the head, but he kept his grip tight despite the bells he could now hear.

Why is my head such a target? he thought, recalling his fight with Lennoc.

It was enough of a disorientation for her to squeeze her limb from his grasp. As she took off down the corridor, he dove for his discarded pistol, whipping it around to fire off a few shots in her direction.

But she evaded them, leaping onto the wall and scurrying along like a bug.

It was even more bizarre to see himself performing such an unnatural act, but he retained enough wits to give chase.

Fortunately, in her desperation, Zrae had ran away from him, back down the corridor she came from and straight into the path of Colonel Kostopoulos.

A shot from the colonel's phase-pistol dropped the fleeing impostor to the floor.

Brown came jogging up, both of them aiming their pistols at the fallen captive. She wore a blue Starfleet uniform with red piping, like his own, but without rank insignia or a nametag. Probably taken from a storage locker.

Now unconscious, she reverted back to her natural appearance - a hairless head of dappled green skin.

"I had a funny feeling that wasn't you," Kostopoulos said drily, not taking her eyes off of Zrae, or whatever her name was.

Regardless of her identity, they now had their killer.