by Becky Miller
"Julian, please be clear, what are you telling me?" Romyana said annoyed. He opened the case and took out the medical scanner.
"I have been nominated for an award on the research I've been working on." he explained.
"On biomolecular replication." Romyana remembered.
"Yes, and I am leaving tomorrow. So I thought I would check up on you, and to be honest," Julian looked back over his shoulder, "I wanted to hear your side of the story, from you personally."
"Ah, well. I've just been stupid. I should never have gone to investigate those containers on my own. I should have told someone about it straight away." Romyana explained sadly.
"But you didn't ?" Julian asked.
"What?"
"You're not trading those goods? Or using it?" Julian asked concerned.
"No, of course not. I don't even know what was really in those boxes. I only translated the markings on the outside, I haven't even touched them." Romyana said.
"Turn around, please. So why did you run then? If you were not doing anything illegal?" Julian asked while he performed some more scans.
"I did creep into the maintenance tubes without permission, through a restricted area even! That's illegal enough. And I guess I sort of panicked, trying to run made it even worse, it made me look even more suspicious. Now I'm locked up and I might even be expelled from the Academy. But I don't know anything else about this trading, do you?" she asked him.
"No, Odo didn't want to tell me much. He thinks it is a big organisation with helpers everywhere. He has been on their trail since the festival." Julian said.
"And what is the verdict, am I fit for another half a year?" Romyana asked jokingly when the doctor put the instrument back in his case. But before Julian could answer that question, Lieutenant George Primmin appeared in the doorway.
"Your time is up, doc. You said you'd keep it short." he said.
"And I have." Julian replied to him.
"Thanks for coming by." Romyana said, "And good luck at the awards!"
"Thank you. And? " but then the Lieutenant broke in again.
"That will be enough now, Lieutenant. Sir?" He had deactivated the force field already and was urging Bashir to leave. Bashir did so without saying anything, he just looked back once more at the Ensign before leaving the room.
2. One step
Two days later Romyana was still being held in the brig. Nothing much happened. Except that Chief O'Brien had stopped by to inform she had been suspended from duty until further notice. And Nommi had paid her a visit. It was very short and he wasn't allowed to pass the force field, but her gave her an update on the goings on between their colleagues on the work floor. Nommi liked to gossip, nothing bad though, a bit like a walking newspaper.
Then Odo appeared in front of the doorway. He told the Ensign she was to be escorted to her quarters and confined there, because of the lack of evidence, until the investigation was completed.
Well, that was an improvement from the boring and cramped prison cell. It also meant that Odo couldn't prove his accusations and that she might be cleared of the blame.
The Ensign wasn't allowed to do any work for O'Brien yet, but she filled her time with chatting with Nommi on the computer and studying instead. In only a few weeks she was planning to back to Earth to do some exams and finish her third year of Starfleet Academy. Romyana didn't get all nervous because of the situation she was in, she had plenty of time to study now, and she held on to the knowledge she was innocent. She just hoped it would all be over before the exams were due.
The Ensign was reading through the message Nommi had sent her on the computer, when she got an anonymous text message.
It said: "This will teach you not to mess with somebody else's business. Find someplace else to annoy people, knowing everything better all the time, colonel's daughter!"
It wasn't signed, but apparently it was written by someone on the station who knew her personally and had a grudge against her. Though Romyana had no idea who it could possibly be. This time she didn't make the same mistake as before, she immediately notified Odo about the threatening message.
"Do you know who could have written it?" Odo asked.
"No, but the person must know me personally, for he or she seems to know my father too." she said.
"Yes" Odo agreed, "I think it is one of your colleagues who is angry at you and is glad to see you leave."
"But I am not being sent away, am I?" Romyana asked.
"No, only if you are found guilty of smuggling." Odo said with a strange sort of smile on his face.
"But I didn't do that. Maybe someone is trying to get me sent away from here on purpose." Romyana suggested.
"You mean, setting you up." Odo said.
"Yes someone is obviously jealous of me, but who?" Romyana wondered.
"You try and think who it could be, then I will try to trace where the message was sent from, maybe it will help." Odo said and left.
Romyana pondered about who it was that hated her so much to plan such a scheme. Nobody had ever told her she was annoying. She wondered what she had done wrong. She couldn't figure it out, so she turned to Nommi for help. Maybe people had complained about her behind her back, and if so, Nommi would have heard about it.
Nommi responded that he did know about a few people who were annoyed by Romyana sometimes. He also posed a good question; "How would any of them get three containers of Amothenian Glitter and why didn't anyone else find out about them first?"
The whole scheme didn't make any sense. It was a very risky plan just to bully someone away. There are easier ways of achieving that surely.
"How come Security didn't pick it up on their scans? So much Glitter could hardly go unnoticed." Romyana was thinking. "Unless? there was no Glitter inside those boxes! I never had the chance to actually scan the content when Lt. Primmin discovered me near the boxes." Romyana thought.
That was it! Her chance of proving her innocence. If, somehow, someone were to discover that there is something else inside those containers than the alleged Glitter, it would prove the whole affair was a set-up and the accusations against her would be dropped.
Realising this possibility Romyana was one step closer to freedom.
3. Conclusive evidence
"Nommi, do you know weather Odo already checked what is inside the three containers?" Romyana typed to him in her message. Nommi responded that he didn't yet know, but that he would go and find out. Nommi had his ways of doing so, with help of his many connections. So Romyana trusted him in succeeding.
Odo had moved the boxes to a cargo bay. Nommi had traced them and had found a friend who worked on Odo's security staff and could help him get a look inside.
"Do you really think all three are loaded with that Glitter?" Nommi asked his friend, "Do you know how it looks like?"
"No, not really. Maybe it sparkles as the name suggests." his friend replied and halted in front of the three big containers.
"Wow. Can you open them?" Nommi asked.
"Well, I don't think it is allowed, though." his friend hesitated.
"Oh, come on. Just a quick peek." Nommi urged him.
"All right then." his friend gave in and opened the top box carefully. The two boys watched with awe at the content, then Nommi took out his Tricorder and scanned it.
"Hey what do you do that for?" his friend asked.
"Curiosity." Nommi simply said.
"Come on, let's go." his friend urged Nommi and they quickly left the hangar. Then Nommi transmitted the results to Romyana as soon as possible. He hoped it would give her the answer she was looking for.
***
"Oh, please Mr. Odo. I want to tell her this myself." Nommi tried to convince Odo to let him visit Romyana this afternoon to share the wonderful news which he had just received.
Odo eventually gave in, after all the Ensign was not so much under suspicion anymore and it was very good news Nommi had to tell.
Inside room 306 the doorbell rang. Romyana was surprised, she wasn't expecting anyone. She wondered who it could be, Odo perhaps.
"Come in." she called. To her amazement Nomi came walking in with a giant smile on his face and eyes twinkling with joy. Apparently he was very happy about something.
"Well, well. You are looking very happy! Why, tell me." Romyana said. They both sat down on either side of the table. Then Nommi couldn't contain himself any longer and spilled the news.
"I'm going to the Academy!" he said, Romyana was puzzled.
"You were already admitted. I knew that long ago. " she said.
"No. I mean, I am going to Earth too! To study there." Nommi explained.
"Wonderful! When? Soon?" Romyana asked.
"Yes. Monday my first classes start. So I will leave this weekend." Nommi said.
"Hey you know what, I was planning to leave Tuesday or so, but we might just as well go together. It makes the trip a lot more fun." Romyana proposed. She was very glad for Nommi. This was a big achievement for him.
"But that's tomorrow." Nommi complained. He had realised their idea might not be possible and was very disappointed.
"Hm, yes. You're right." Romyana realised too.
"Oh, don't be sad for me. I'm very positive I will be coming after you soon. It's just a matter of time, I'm sure." Romyana said convinced.
"Hm, I don't know." Nommi didn't quite believe that. But Romyana tried to cheer him up a bit.
"Cheer up! Your going to the Academy tomorrow. And to Earth for the first time. You must be awfully excited! Oh, I remember my first year. ? "
About an hour later Lt. Primmin entered the Ensigns quarters followed by Odo. Primmin didn't seem to be very happy today. Odo on the other hand looked quite contempt.
Romyana and Nommi's conversation was cut short by the officers appearance. They were curious to know what Odo had to say. Nommi got a bad feeling about what was to come, but Romyana remained calm.
"Sirs?" she asked politely, standing up from her chair, Nommi followed the gesture.
"Ensign Casparian. As you know, you have been suspected of smuggling prohibited goods, and by further investigation?" Odo said.
Meanwhile Nommi closed his eyes, he was afraid to hear the conclusion.
"? you have been cleared from these charges." Odo continued.
Nommi opened his eyes again wide and his mouth fell open. He couldn't believe his ears! That was why Primmin was in a bad mood; they found out Romyana wasn't responsible at all.
"Oh, yes!" Romyana cried out. "Thank you, Sir.", she said and out both hands to her face.
Odo was amazed by Nommi's reaction, for he seemed to be petrified by the good news.
"Cadet." he said firmly to get the Cadet's mind back to the present and to remind him to close his mouth.
Nommi shut his mouth immediately and stood at attention.
"I have more news." Odo announced, "I have spoken to Commander Sisko and he thinks it's best if you leave for Earth tomorrow. Together with Cadet Jarr, here. I presume you have heard his good news by now."
"Yes, Sir." the Ensign replied gladly. "May I ask, Sir?', she said, "How did you come to the conclusion to clear the charges?"
"With some help from your friend here." Odo said.
"Yes, someone went sneaking around our evidence, which caught our attention, of course." Lieutenant Primmin said sternly.
"Which brought us to a very important discovery. But you already know it, don't you Ensign?" Odo continued.
"Yes." Romyana had to admit, "It wasn't Amothenian Glitter inside those containers."
"It wasn't?" Nommi asked with disbelief, Odo shook his head. "But do you know who put the boxes in the crawlspace yet?" he asked the Security Chief.
"And who sent the anonymous message?" Romyana added.
"Unfortunately not." Lt. Primmin said grumpily.
"But we are working on that and we didn't want to stop you from going to your exams. So start packing you two!" Odo said with a satisfied expression on his Changeling face. He and lieutenant Primmin then left the room.
"Oh, yes! Yes." Romyana called out, she grabbed Nommi's hands and they jumped up and down of joy.
"I am so happy for you." Nommi said. They embraced each other shortly but tightly.
"Thank you." Romyana whispered gratefully to Nommi, because without his help the set up might never have been uncovered and Romyana would have been expelled from the Academy. Now, they could go there together and become even better friends.
Then, Nommi left to go pack his bags. When he walked out through the door, he halted and turned around. The two pointed at each other and said simultaneously, "Earth, here we come!"
THE END
storywriter
Becky Miller
production
Sylfaen Publications
Credits: This story is based on the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Star Trek is owned by Paramount and created by Gene Roddenberry. No permission was asked, though authenticity was maintained as much as possible. No infringement intended. Some characters and most happenings do not occur in the original tv series and were added freely by the author. This document or any of its content may not be reproduced or profitably sold in any way without written permission of the copyright and trademark owners. Becky Miller 2005, 2009.
