Uhura quickly assured him that was unnecessary. A brunette female yeoman who Uhura mentally identified as Yeoman Cappa, someone who according to her logs she’d considered a friend, quickly offered to go get Uhura some coffee, for which Uhura smiled gratefully and said she was sure that would help. As Kirk turned his attention back to Scotty, Uhura returned to her panel. Was it possible? Had she mis-remembered the names or provinces? It was hard to imagine, with her own notes jotted down on the padd beside her. Determined to prove it wasn’t incompetence on her part, Uhura decided to probe further. Her suspicions were soon confirmed when she revisited the news service of the agrarian sector and found no mention of the previously stated fifty-eight years since a drought. Now the sector boasted “a healthy rain system to promote growth, now and always.” Unsure what to make of these changing “facts,” Uhura continued her study of the planet’s news and information. Periodically it seemed there was an echo to her sweeps, as if someone was monitoring her scans. But she couldn’t immediately trace this echo as it appeared to route through various redundant portions of the comm system on the planet. Undaunted but aware, Uhura continued her research.
Meanwhile, Mr. Scott had concluded some research of his own. He called the captain over to show him what he’d discovered. “There’s your imminent planetary disaster,” he said, pointing to a viewer at his station.
Kirk asked, “The energy Grid powering the planet?”
“Aye,” a grim-faced Scotty said. “And if they continue to overload it at this rate, it will blow out completely, with the power exploding back into every home and business it feeds. Anyone even remotely close to a powered device could be killed or, at the least, very badly hurt.”
“Scotty, that’s every home and business on this planet,” Kirk pointed out.
“Which is why they have to switch off their grid immediately and effect repairs. They need to reroute their circuits, install redundancies and breakers, and add more infrastructure to handle the power output. And they need to do it now. If they keep this up much longer, the whole system will blow and take most of the population with it.” Scotty’s worried look was mirrored by Kirk’s own.
“Lieutenant Uhura, get me Kyo-Ina again. Now,” Kirk ordered.
The smiling face returned to the viewscreen. “This is Kyo-Ina of the Donico Decorous Diplomacy Corps. How may I be of assistance?” If Kirk noted the slight name change, he didn’t show it, but Uhura caught the difference and added it to her growing notes.
“Kyo-Ina, our sensors show that there is indeed a problem on your planet—one that threatens your entire population,” Kirk began.
Kyo-Ina didn’t blink. “Donico has no problems. But thank you for your concern. Have a lovely day.” She again cut communications. Kirk quickly indicated to Uhura to get the woman back onscreen. She did so.
“Kyo-Ina,” Kirk was getting annoyed as well as concerned, “whether you believe me or not, there is a threat to your planet. Your energy grid will overload if it is not shut down immediately.”
This time a shadow nearly broke through Kyo-Ina’s smiling façade. But it was not from fear of a Grid shutdown. Uhura caught the brief disturbed look on Kyo-Ina’s face, but Kirk was more concerned with getting his message across. “Kyo-Ina, you must shut down the Grid, do you understand? If you can’t do it, let us help you.”
The smile definitely faltered as Kyo-Ina firmly informed Kirk, “No, Captain, it is this communication which must be shut down. We have nothing further to say to you. Please leave our planet.” Her customary signoff, “Have a lovely day,” had no warmth to it this time. And communication was again shut down.
“Captain,” Scotty warned, “that Grid is going to blow. It’s a matter of when, not if. And when is likely to be within the next few hours.”
Spock observed, “Regulations forbid us to interfere with the inner workings of a nonallied planet. They have refused our help.”
Scott pointed out, “Not everyone. Someone sent a distress call.” He appealed to the captain, “Surely that counts as requesting assistance?”
Kirk agreed. “We’re not going to let these people destroy themselves if we can help it. Scotty, how do we shut down the Grid?”
Scott referred back to his findings on the computer. “The network and its control system are located deep underground. We can’t reach it with ship’s phasers nor disable it via computer command—we need to go down and shut it off manually.” Kirk did not look happy at the option.
“And we’re persona non grata on Donico II if Kyo-Ina is any representation,” Kirk noted. “We may face a fight just to help these people not kill themselves.”
“Sir, we canna just let them die! Not if we can do something.” Scott’s concern grew.
Kirk made up his mind. “I agree. But before I bring an army of security men down to fight our way to the Grid controls, let’s try the carrot before the stick.” He pointed to his chief engineer. “Mr. Scott, you’re with me. Time to play diplomat to the Donican diplomacy corps. Mr. Spock, you’re in command.”
The first officer protested. “Captain, may I remind you of Mr. Scott’s own assessment that the Grid system could self-destruct in the next few hours? If you go down there, you are risking your lives just to try to communicate the danger to these people.”
“Objection noted, Mr. Spock. But they’ll all die if we can’t get through to them. It’s a risk we have to take.” Scott nodded in agreement. The captain added to Spock, “While we’re down there, I want you and Lieutenant Uhura to find out what’s going on down there. Why won’t they listen? Why won’t they even accept that there’s a problem? And Uhura?” She looked at her captain expectantly. “Maybe you’ll find your Nyshev and Zimmer while you’re at it. If they deny there’s a problem, maybe that’s tied into denying the existence of members of their own population.”
Uhura smiled gratefully at the captain for his validation of her earlier concerns, while he and Scott headed for the turbolift. With Spock’s tacit approval, she returned to studying the planet’s communications. She continued to find more and more discrepancies in her investigation—there were ongoing subtle and not-so-subtle alterations being made to the planet’s histories, news reports, and even popular entertainment. She began to see a common thread in the changes. And still that communications echo followed her probes….
Kirk and Scott materialized in what appeared to be the lobby of the Donican Diplomatic Corps. It was a bright and airy, high-ceilinged building with tall windows that gave the impression of a great chapel crossed with a high-rise corporate office in a combination of beauty and efficiency. A monorail passed by outside the higher levels of the building. Inside and out, smiling people bustled by and made great efforts not to notice Kirk and Scott. But before the two managed to speak to anyone, Kyo-Ina was suddenly before them. “Gentlemen, you must leave,” she said at once. She looked around herself constantly as if nervous, but she kept smiling at them and everyone around them.
But Kirk wouldn’t be rushed off. “And you and your government council must listen to me and my chief engineer. You wouldn’t do it when I was aboard my ship, so I thought we’d appeal to you in person.” He and Scott kept wary eyes on all the powered systems around them, from lights to computers. “Mr. Scott?”
The engineer immediately attempted to outline the problem with the Grid system to Kyo-Ina, whose protests began to draw attention despite the locals’ best efforts to ignore them.
“Please, you must stop,” Kyo-Ina practically pleaded with Scott. “There’s nothing wrong. Nothing at all. Everything’s fine. The system is fine. There is no problem with it.” Her grin seemed locked onto her face, but her eyes began to betray a panic. A group of large, heavily-muscled black-uniformed men emerged from a far doorway and headed in their direction. The crowds parted before them, as people intently ignored but avoided the men. Kyo-Ina saw them coming. She urged Scott and Kirk to stop, and finally begged them as the large men drew closer and closer. But Scott was insistent on tell
ing her of the problem and Kirk was insistent she listen. And then it was too late. Before Kirk could even pull his phaser, he was grabbed by three of the men. Another three grabbed Scott. Their weapons and communicators were taken from them and handed to Kyo-Ina.
Kirk looked at a blissfully unhappy Kyo-Ina. “What’s going on? Why won’t you listen to us?”
She looked at him and said, “Nothing is going on. There is nothing to listen to.” But Kirk could tell she didn’t believe this. The black-clad men silently looked at Kyo-Ina, who sadly, but still smiling, pointed at Scott. “Enforcers, this one insists that there’s a problem, that there’s danger, that people will die.”
Scott pulled against his captors. “There is a danger! The Grid is going to explode! You canna let it stay on! It must be shut down! I can help you recalibrate it, help you upgrade the infrastructure, but you must power it down now! Do you want people to be killed?”
With this, even Kyo-Ina couldn’t continue to smile. She lowered her head and told Kirk, “I warned you to leave.”
Kirk asked, “Warned us about what?” The men in black began to drag Scott away, while Kirk was held in place. “Where are you taking him?” Scott fought against those holding him, but the men were too strong and he was soon pulled off through the doorway from which they’d come. Kirk shouted after him, but the engineer was gone. And all the people continued to walk by, seemingly oblivious of the scuffle, except for a young man with blond hair who had watched, discreetly, from behind a nearby pillar and then hurried away. Kirk demanded to know from Kyo-Ina what was happening.
In a low tone she said, “Your engineer has committed an act of sedition with his statements.” Kirk didn’t understand. “On Donico, the punishment for sedition,” she continued, “is death. The sentence will be carried out tomorrow morning.” At this, Kirk strained desperately against his captors, but it was no use. Kyo-Ina noted, “I told you—there is no problem here.” She pleaded with her eyes as well as her voice. “Please, you must leave now, while it is still permitted. Do not commit the same act as your engineer or you will face the same result.” She nodded to the men in black, who released Kirk’s arms. As Kyo-Ina raised Kirk’s phaser and aimed it at him, the smile returned to her face, though not her eyes. She handed him his communicator and watched as he flipped it open to contact his ship.
“Kirk to Enterprise, one to beam up,” Kirk said as Kyo-Ina gestured at him with his own weapon. “This isn’t over.”
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Uhura sat around the table in the briefing room. McCoy berated his captain. “Jim, you’re not just going to sit there and let them kill Scotty, are you?”
Before Kirk could respond, Spock interrupted. “Doctor, the Prime Directive demands noninterference in the society of such a planet. Despite the captain and the engineer’s best intentions to help, the Donicans have clearly shown an unwillingness to permit it.”
“And for that, we just let Scotty die?” McCoy angrily asked.
Spock pointed out, “Violating a planet’s sovereignty, as we have done, always carries risks. Mr. Scott has broken one of their laws. Do you suggest we break more of them?”
“Gentlemen.” Kirk’s concerned voice entered the fray. “We are not going to let Scotty die and we are not going to interfere with the government and justice system of Donico II.”
Uhura couldn’t resist asking, “Then, Captain, what will we do?”
“Come up with a third option. There has to be another way,” Kirk concluded.
Spock injected, “The lieutenant may have found one possibility.” All eyes turned to Uhura, who shifted in her seat, nervous to be the center of attention. Had she always been this nervous in a briefing? She couldn’t recall her former self mentioning this in a log, so she supposed not. She must have always been so confident. Then. Her captain expected as much of her now—but that little voice nagged at her. Who did she think she was? What did she think she knew? For a moment, Uhura thought her anxiety would overwhelm her, but Kirk smiled his encouragement, which soothed her a bit.
Using her notes as a reference point, Uhura briefly outlined the ongoing, minute changes she’d discovered by studying the planet’s communications.
“So someone is rewriting the history of Donico II,” Kirk concluded.
“Not just their history,” Uhura pointed out, “they’re rewriting the present, too. It seems like anything that could possibly offend or upset someone is routinely and methodically removed from documentation as if it never happened. A traffic problem. A drought. A war. It’s as if by pretending these things never happened, they’re trying to make them go away through sheer denial.”
McCoy harrumphed and shook his head.
“Though it may seem illogical and unsustainable by our present standards,” Spock noted, “the Donican system is not without precedent. There was a time in Earth history when humans were so concerned about a word or definition offending another group of humans that they tried to redefine the word or censor its usage. This led some to call for the removal of various displays of cultural heritage, art, or works of literature if they were determined to be possibly ‘offensive,’ rather than teach people the context of the history in which such beliefs were held. For fear of upsetting some groups of people, they wound up disrespecting others and disavowing their own past.”
“Fortunately, Mr. Spock, we pulled our heads out of the sand and figured out that denying our earlier ignorance only led to more ignorance rather than enlightenment, and that there was room enough for multiple beliefs and behaviors,” McCoy observed.
“Indeed, Doctor. And it only took you a century or so to manage it. Several millennia after the Vulcans discovered IDIC.” Spock cocked a sardonic eyebrow at this latest thrust and parry in his and McCoy’s long-standing argument on the maturity of humanity.
“It seems that the Donicans, however, are still firmly buried up to their necks,” Kirk said.
“But it’s worse than just denial of facts, Captain,” Uhura explained. “The Donicans are a totalitarian society where no ‘unpleasant’ speech is allowed. Everything from history to news to entertainment is controlled and sanitized until it can’t disturb anyone. That’s why they arrested Scotty—something so ‘unpleasant’ as a potential planetary catastrophe can’t be publicly proclaimed.”
“So they’ll all die happy and ignorant. Wonderful solution,” McCoy grumbled.
“Not our solution. Lieutenant,” Kirk asked Uhura, “Spock said you had another possibility? Even if we could gain control of their communications systems and warn the Donican population of the threat, it doesn’t sound like the population is in any condition to hear the truth.”
“You’re right,” Uhura acknowledged. “Most of them couldn’t understand or accept the truth of a bad situation because they’ve been conditioned to see the world from an idealized perspective. However…” Kirk smiled as he sensed a solution forthcoming. “While I was scanning the planet, I noticed what seemed at first to be a sensor echo following my scans. But after a while, instead of shadowing what I did, it seemed to head off in certain directions. When I followed it, I uncovered certain ‘unpleasant’ facts that had yet to be rewritten. Caches of information that seemed hidden away from the main comnet and media highways. It was as if someone was leading me to them.”
Kirk’s smile widened. “We have an unknown ally.”
“Unidentified, but not unknown. I suspect there is a group of people on Donico II that are trying to protect the truth, their history, and they’ve been leading me to them. I believe…” For a moment Uhura hesitated, then, feeling the support in the room, finished her thought. “I believe these are the people who initially sent out the distress call. I think I can trace the echo and contact them. They might be able to help us find a way to help Scotty from within.”
“Hopefully, before it’s too late,” McCoy worried.
“Do it.” Kirk ordered Uhura to contact the rebel group of Donicans. “In the meantime, I’ll see if I can try to convince Kyo-I
na to postpone Scotty’s sentence.”
The unfamiliar face of a blond-haired young woman answered their communication. Kirk asked to speak with Kyo-Ina. The woman responded, “Kyo-Ina is not available at the moment. I will inform her that you contacted us if I speak with her. Have a lovely day.” Contact was broken. Frustrated, Kirk turned to Uhura, who had been working away at her communications panel. She had a concerned look on her face.
“Captain, I’ve managed to contact them, but I think they want…” She hesitated.
“Put it onscreen, Lieutenant,” Kirk ordered. “If there’s a chance to save Scotty, we need to take it now.”
“Aye, sir.” Uhura obeyed the command.
A dark-haired middle-aged man sat in a darkened room. It was hard to make out the details of anything behind him, though the room might have been filled with computer equipment or junk. There was no visual sign of anyone else in the room, but the occasional shift or creak around him belied that idea. The man tried not to glance at someone presumably standing just off to his left side, but instead stared into the viewscreen. He looked at Kirk and asked, “Where is Uhura?”
Kirk glanced back at his communications officer, then introduced himself. “I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise. Who am I addressing?”
The man looked disturbed and snuck a look over to the person standing offscreen, then back again. “I will speak only to Uhura. Where is she?”
Kirk indicated for Uhura to step forward. She did, albeit a bit reluctantly. “I’m Lieutenant Uhura, communications officer for the Enterprise. I’m the one who contacted you.”
The man looked suddenly angry. “Communications officer? On Donico that would mean it’s your job to obscure the truth, clean it up so it’s all ‘fine’ and easy to swallow.”
Uhura reassured him. “That’s not my job on the Enterprise.” With the captain’s nod of approval she stepped forward to express herself. “It’s my job to make sure everyone knows what is going on. To make sure everyone has reliable information. So we can make informed decisions.”
Constellations Page 23
