16
The Cursed Gift
Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da and Teelar turned to face the door as it swooshed open to reveal a newly showered Captain Pike, dressed in a clean and crisp uniform.
The doctor couldn't help himself as he took a step forward. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I am back to normal," he replied and then nodded at Teelar.
She nodded back at him with a hesitant smile.
Pike walked up to her. "There is no need to worry," he promised softly. "Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da and I will make sure of that."
The technician waited patiently at the transporter for the aliens to take place on the pads.
"I will not speak of your gifts, Teelar," Ov'Da Bob Da promised. "But it is time to change the oppression of your people – it has been allowed to continue for far too long."
"Captain," Spock said evenly as he walked up to stand next to him.
Chris stared at the shimmer of light, made by the transporter, as the last atoms of their visitors left the buffer. He nodded absentmindedly at his Vulcan lieutenant in acknowledgement.
"You do realize that it will only be a matter of hours before the Circusian planetary security force finds footage that enlightens them of the fact that not only you and your XO was brought back onboard but two citizens as well."
The captain nodded. He had already come to the same conclusion. "I'll have a word with Mann about that. We'll give every security officer left onboard this ship a, so-called, shore leave. Just to make sure Teelar is safe."
OOOOOO
Doctor Tee'Pa Dus Do glanced up from the file he had been studying as Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da entered the hospital building. He smiled at the attendant over the desk and handed her the research as he made to leave.
"Looks like you've been in a hurry to get here," Tee'Pa Dus Do remarked. "Anything interesting going on out there?"
Ov'Da Bob Da managed a faint, polite, smile at his medical superior. "This planet offers challenges and surprises every day," he replied. "But you already knew that."
"True," Tee'Pa Dus Do concurred as they began to walk towards the offices. "We had a tourist from the Gargantos region – turned out he was one of the chefs of the large vessel that our chancellor has instituted a protection protocol with."
"Yes, I've heard rumors he was badly injured. Some of our staff doubted he would make it," Ov'Da Bob Da pointed out.
Tee'Pa Dus Do sighed as he nodded. "I had my doubts about that too. Unfortunately, we lost one of our empaths instead," he said.
Ov'Da Bob Da froze. The man had just declared that a colleague had died, like it was no big deal. "This has got to stop," he replied bitterly. "You can't trade one life for another."
"It has been like this for generations," Tee'Pa Dus Do pointed out seriously. "Ever since old chancellor Go'Ro Rex Da was rescued by one of the elders. It was an arrangement between the Circusian government and the travelers in exchange for staying on our planet."
"I've heard the tales too," Ov'Da Bob Da protested mildly. "Those people landed here in escape pods, they had nothing left. The way I see it, it was an offer made in desperation. Besides, the government have been using them as forced labor ever since – it's wrong."
"Watch your tongue," Doctor Tee'Pa Dus Do replied, his voice cold and subdued. "The man was brought in here just as the chancellor toured the hospital with new visitors."
Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da managed a fairly neutral expression as he turned to the senior doctor. "Rumors say that it is a large ship, far bigger and more advanced than that ship you spoke of from the Gargantos region."
"Yes," Tee'Pa Dus Do concurred. "Our chancellor is a bit nervous. He is afraid they want to oppress us, want to make demands, take part of the profit we gain from all the tourists."
Ov'Da Bob Da had to bite his lower lip not to laugh. He had a feeling Captain Christopher would too, if he'd heard it. It was so far off from what he'd seen onboard the magnificent vessel, and the core values of the Federation, that it left him exasperated just hearing about it.
"Perhaps the chancellor has misinterpreted their intentions?" Ov'Da Bob Da reasoned. "I saw some of them yesterday while I was in the recreational zone. They didn't appear threatening. I heard they are explorers, mapping the faraway systems in the galaxy."
The other doctor nodded. "So that they can point the others of their kind in the right direction when it is time for evaluation and then the conquering," Tee'Pa Dus Do reasoned. "I don't know if you've heard but the savages appeared-,"
Ov'Da Bob Da shook his head. "The monsters of the night," he interrupted. "That's the new nickname made by one of the barmaids at La Pi Goa beach. Apparently, they drained the bar two nights ago – every stock and barrel."
Something dark crossed the chief physician's features for a moment. "We have one of them in the morgue," he informed.
"So, it did die," Ov'Da Bob Da mused sadly. "There are rumors of a terrible battle on the 'path of love' between the Starfleet officers and the savages."
"Yes, the chancellor is afraid the debacle will scare tourists away from our planet," Tee'Pa Dus Do admitted.
"Then he should see to it that those creatures are detained," Ov'Da Bob Da returned as he began to walk down the corridor, on his way to start his shift.
Tee'Pa Dus Do hesitated and then fell into steps with the other man. "There is one thing-," he began curiously, "-Ta'Rex Da Od told the chancellor that Captain Christopher died but I saw him on the bridge of his ship an hour ago."
"Perhaps they have medical technology rivaling our own," Ov'Da Bob Da suggested with a shrug of his shoulders, like it was no big deal. "They do appear pretty advanced."
"You know, as well as I do, that if it wasn't for the empaths, we would not be able to patch up even half the injuries brought into our care," the doctor admitted sadly. "Now, it seems Captain Christopher wants a word with the chancellor concerning our little helpers. How does he know about them?"
OOOOOOO
"Society is not safe, Teelar," Kelle said sadly. "It never has been. But this is all we've got."
"Is it?" Teelar asked dejectedly and then glanced up at the dark and starry sky. "There is so much more out there. People comes and goes all the time. They look different, sound different and behave different but in the end, they all have something in common."
Kelle sighed wearily as she followed her younger friend's gaze.
"The Federation," Teelar mused. "I wonder what it means to be part of something greater, something bigger than an amusement park."
Kelle chuckled and shook her head. "It's not so bad here. We have a functioning society, even though there is a lot left to desire for us regular citizens. We have food, a roof over our heads and we have the right to study."
Teelar shook her head slowly and turned to look at Kelle. "There is no way back for me now. You don't understand – I can see it in your eyes – but I have seen things I'd never dreamt about seeing."
Kelle gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"In some strange way, the Federation ship; it felt like home," she whispered. "I know great grandmother and the others came here in life pods, after their ship broke apart in space."
Kelle pursed her lips into a thin line.
"There are so few of us left. I wish I had something to hold on to. Someone to tell me what went wrong; why we travelled and from what?"
"While it might be hard at times; we can have a good life here," Kelle reasoned.
"It is forced labor, Kelle," Teelar pointed out sadly. "One day you will die from the injuries, just like Laara or Jaada, Uncle Jood or your cousin. Doctor Tee'Pa Dus Do couldn't care less."
"There is good pay-," Kelle began.
"Of course, there is. They are asking you to give up your life!" Teelar argued, her voice raising. "For the sake of the planet, to keep Circusia safe, to keep the tourists safe."
Kelle turned to her friend, her eyes hard. "You have no right to judge me or anyone else, Teelar," she countered.
Silence settled over the two normally good friends.
"Can't you see that they are taking advantage of us?" Teelar asked, begging for her friend to understand.
Kelle smirked and once again stared up at the night sky. "You took a risk; a huge risk. Are you the same woman who let a man die to show Doctor Tee'Pa Dus Do you did not have the ability to heal?"
Teelar's lips twitched carefully upwards.
"You've always suppressed your abilities. You've always claimed you don't know how to heal and yet you walk up to this human on the beach and -," Keller trailed off in wonderment. "Teelar, those injuries; even an experienced empathic being like one of our elders would have struggled. You could have died."
Teelar looked at her friend.
"Why?" Kelle added.
"I liked him. I saw his compassion for the Hav'rats. He's a warrior and yet a diplomat. The Federation stands for something great, Kelle; something bigger, something united. It felt like a calling to help him. I can't explain it."
OOOOOO
For his part, Chris found himself unable to sleep. His mind kept reeling with the events from the day, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. To his surprise he found that he was angry and disappointed when he should have been glad to be alive. In the light of recent events, his thoughts involuntarily went back to Boreth. Tenavik's words still haunted him at times. The way the Klingon monk had said; 'I honor you, captain', seemed to mock him. There was no glory for a Klingon in a wheelchair; it was a disgrace. Then again, he had to remind himself that Tenavik hadn't seen what he had seen. The monk only knew that the vision had been a great sacrifice to Pike.
Perhaps that was all it had been? A ruse; a test of strength and character? He had been even more naïve to think he'd been guaranteed to live until that, somewhat, distant future arrived. He could easily have been killed on Circusia – perhaps he should have been? The thoughts were milling around in his head, some darker than others. What did he really know about his future? That someday he would be promoted and accept the role as fleet captain? How long after that would he end up in that life support-chair? Then he asked himself a question he had never dared to ask before – how long would he be stuck in that chair?
He sighed and rubbed at his tired face. He needed sleep so that he would have a clear head early tomorrow morning when he faced the chancellor.
OOOOOO
"This is outrageous," Katoth said fiercely. "His body deserves to be brought back to the Empire, not rot here on some awful planet filled with joyful cowards."
"What do you suggest that we do?" Mesh'ba asked calmly yet his voice was cold and challenging. "Vasq died at the hands of a frail human woman. She might have fought him with all she got but that doesn't take away the disgrace of having lost a battle no Klingon should lose."
Karash spat in front of Mesh'ba's feet. "She might be a weak human woman but she fought with a fierce spirit. There is no disgrace upon Vasq," he protested with a growl.
"Enough!" Mesh'ba said. "Vasq belongs with the 'Barge of the Dead'. We need to get off this planet and get back to the Empire. I would have preferred seizing the mighty flagship of the Federation but even I realize that three Klingons can't take on a crew of several hundreds."
"Where is the body of Captain Pike?" Katoth asked curiously.
"Onboard the Enterprise," Mesh'ba replied. "Because Karash were too slow to reach it."
The two Klingons stood up and faced each other, their heads an inch from touching, as they glared at one another.
Katoth rose, ready to step in between his two comrades. "I am tired of practicing with the Bat'leth on those lazy idiots priding themselves of being the defenders of this planet. They prove no real challenge – I have spared a lot of them recently because it brings me no joy to kill without a good fight," Katoth said. "Get off each other's back so that we can start to work together."
Mesh'ba hissed and pushed Karash back. "There is a promising shuttle – one of those Gargantian ships-," he pointed in the direction of the large parking place. "It brings supplies two days a week. I believe it is possible to reach that region of space and their home planet within a few days."
"Assuming it is the same shuttle," Katoth remarked. "How do you plan to reach it and handle it?"
"Breaking the parameter defense shouldn't be difficult. Stealing the shuttle would not pose a challenge. We'd be out of here before they even realize what happened," he stated cockily.
OOOOOO
16/24
