“Everything electronic gives off an emission of some kind. You just have to know how to look for it.” Toq did not look at Rodek as he replied, as he was still looking at Tereth. “Please, Commander, I think this is it.”
“Since such knowledge is restricted, how did you even know to recognize a possible connection?”
Toq had been hoping the commander wouldn’t ask that. “I cannot say, Commander, except that I gained the knowledge before I joined the Defense Force.” That much, at least, was true. Living in the House of Lorgh for four years had been a—complex experience, to say the least.
Tereth gazed at Toq for three seconds with an impenetrable expression. Then she looked up. “Computer, grant Lieutenant Toq access to mind-sifter files, by authorization of Commander Tereth.”
The computer recognized her voice pattern and the screen showed what Toq had asked for.
“Thank you, Commander,” he said, gazing hungrily at the readings. “If I am right, this may be the solution to our problems.”
“What problems?” Rodek asked.
“Colonel Kira told us that Malkus was able to take over the minds of the entire population of Narendra III. If we can identify how he controls people, we might be able to defend against it.”
Toq then studied the readings. The waveforms were very similar, as he had thought, but…
“Commander,” he said, suddenly looking up at Tereth, “permission to contact the Enterprise. I would like Commander Data to verify this and confer with him on a possible solution.”
“Granted.”
Within minutes, Data’s face occupied the bridge’s viewer, and Toq had filled him in. Tereth had, in the meantime, left Toq in charge of the bridge while she briefed the captain.
“An interesting theory, Lieutenant,” Data said with enthusiasm. “However, we do not have any records of the mind-sifter apparatus, as your government never shared them with us.”
“I am sending along the relevant portions of the schematics now,” Toq said; having anticipated this request, he had partitioned out the portion of the schematics that dealt specifically with the emissions. Even the famed android wouldn’t be able to construct a mind-sifter with the limited information Toq was transmitting, so there was no security breach. “It is a very close match.”
“Datalink established,” Data said, looking down at his console. “Information incoming.” He looked up. “If I may ask, Lieutenant—what led you to this train of thought?”
“An accident,” Toq said with only mild embarrassment. Several chuckles went around the bridge, prompting Toq to add, “Most of the greatest discoveries ever made were accidents.”
“Indeed. Zalkatian ruins have been found on many Klingon worlds over the centuries. It is possible that the mind-sifter was created from technology adapted from one of those sites.” Something grabbed his attention on the console. “Data transfer complete. Accessing.” A pause. “I believe you are correct, Lieutenant.”
The screen changed to a more general view of the bridge in response to another speaker: Picard. “What does this mean in practical terms, Commander?”
Data turned to face his captain, leaving his back to the viewer. “I believe that we can modify the tractor beams of both the Enterprise and the Gorkon to emit a psilosy-nine wave that matches the amplitude and frequency of the energy emissions from Narendra III.”
Klag chose that moment to walk on the bridge, Tereth behind him. “You’re assuming, Commander, that such emissions are coming from Narendra.”
“Yes,” Data said, turning back to the viewer, “but it is a reasonable assumption under the circumstances.”
“Can’t we make a portable psilosynine wave guide?” Toq asked. “Then we could bathe individuals in the frequency—it would modulate their electroencephalogram to make them resist Malkus’s control.”
Klag smiled at his second officer before taking his command chair. “That would give us the advantage we need.”
“Agreed,” Picard said. “Mr. Data?”
“It can be done, sir. I believe that Commander La Forge and I can replicate such a device by the time we reach Narendra.”
“Good,” Klag said. “Then, when we arrive at the Oort cloud, you can beam over here and test it on Colonel Kira. If it frees her from Malkus’s control, then it will work.”
Picard nodded in agreement. “Make it so, Mr. Data.”
Getting up from his station, Data said, “Aye, sir,” and moved out of the viewer’s range.
“We will speak again when we arrive, Captain Picard,” Klag said. “Screen off.”
Toq deactivated the viewer. Then he looked up to see Klag smiling at him from his command chair. “Well done, Lieutenant. A true warrior goes into battle with the proper weapon—and you may have given us the best possible one.”
Beaming with pride, Toq said, “Thank you, sir.”
Rodek leaned over. “And if we live this day, we will celebrate your victory over the android.”
Laughing, Toq said, “Oh, the bloodwine will flow very freely tonight!”
Vralk was late for his shift. He had overslept, like a fool. It was all well and good to think poorly of one’s commanding officers, but it was better to proceed from a position of moral certitude. If Vralk was to get any kind of support from the crew for his planned overthrow of the Gorkon command structure, he’d need his own record to be above reproach.
Today, in fact, was when he intended to begin his campaign. He’d spent his time aboard getting the lay of the land, and he knew that there needed to be a change.
Vralk’s father had raised him to be a better Klingon than one who simply stood by and let such deterioration of values go unchallenged—unlike Toq and Rodek. And Vralk knew that there simply had to be others who supported him. Lokor, for one. He was a Housemate of Vralk’s, so he knew—
“Vralk! I will speak to you!”
The deep voice that halted Vralk in the corridor was Lokor himself, the chief of security for the Gorkon. Vralk had always admired Lokor growing up.
“It is good to see you, Lokor, but I am late for my shift, and—”
“Then be late.”
Finally, Vralk realized just how furious Lokor was. His black eyes smoldered, his long, elaborately braided hair seemed to cover his head in a black flame, and all his teeth were bared. If it were anyone else, Vralk would fear that he’d be challenged. “What is it, cousin?”
Lokor spit. “Cousin—pfagh! You are no cousin of mine, you are an idiotic petaQ of a child!”
Vralk found his mouth falling open in shock. “I—I don’t understand!”
“What kind of idiotic things are you saying to the rest of the bridge crew, boy?”
“I—”
Lokor leaned in close. Vralk could smell the raktajino and gagh on his breath, and he imagined he could hear the blood roaring in Lokor’s veins. “I just had a talk with Lieutenant Rodek. He wanted to know if there was dissatisfaction with Captain Klag in the ranks. If there was concern about having a man such as him in command and having a female as his first.”
Vralk let out a breath in relief. “I assume you told him the truth, cousin.” He turned to continue walking toward the bridge, assuming Lokor would accompany him. “You of all people know that this kind of perversion has to be stopped before—”
His words were interrupted by Lokor’s meaty hand punching him in the back. Vralk stumbled forward onto the deck. Lokor then picked him up and slammed him into the bulkhead.
“I—I don’t understand,” Vralk managed to cough out. It was suddenly very difficult to breathe. “You—you grew up with—with Grunnil just as—as I did! You’re the only thing that has made assignment to this cesspool tolerable!”
“In that case,” Lokor said—and now he was smiling, but it was a smile that filled Vralk with tremendous dread—“this cesspool is about to get much much worse.” He leaned in close, his arm pressing Vralk against the bulkhead, making it even more difficult to breathe. “Understand something, Vralk. You’re only
still alive right now because of me. And the only way you’re going to stay alive is to—”
Vralk knew where this was going. “Betray Grunnil’s teachings?” He couldn’t believe that a Klingon was saying these words to him.
“No, toDSaH—the only way for you to stay alive is to get off this ship as fast as you can. Trust me, you will find no allies to rally to Grunnil’s antique causes here. You’re in the real world now, boy, and it’s time you acted like it. Trust me—keep your head down, your mouth shut, and I will see to it that you are transferred before your hearts become targets for d’k tahg practice.”
With that, Lokor stood up straight, relieving the pressure from Vralk’s chest. However, since that was also all that was holding him up against the bulkhead, he fell to the deck.
“This is the only warning you’ll get, boy. And do not expect being part of my House to protect you any further.”
Lokor walked back down the corridor the way he had come. Vralk coughed once and struggled to his feet.
As he now ran to the turbolift, he thought, This place is worse than I imagined. My work is cut out for me….
No, I cannot afford to be the idiot Lokor thinks me to be. I am in no position to effect change—yet. I must be patient. He entered the turbolift. I shall take that transfer, and work my way up the ranks. Eventually, I will be able to show everyone what it truly means to be Klingon.
Kira was having a strange dream.
She was walking all over Deep Space 9, but it had been abandoned. Yet every once in a while, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone familiar. First there was her father. Then Commander Vaughn. Then Kai Opaka. Then Quark. That led her to run into Quark’s Bar, where she found Jake Sisko, Odo, Morn, and both Jadzia and Ezri Dax all drinking through straws from a vat of kanar.
Jadzia looked at her and said, “Colonel, you awake?” But she said it in a man’s voice.
Then the bar started to congeal and melt into an amalgam of random colors and lights that, after a second, coalesced into the more familiar sight of the Gorkon medical ward.
The last conscious thought she remembered having was the unpleasant face of Nurse Gaj standing over her. Now, though, there were four different people gazing intently at her. She knew all of them: Klag and Toq from this ship and Data and Geordi La Forge from the Enterprise. In fact, in her dream Jadzia had spoken with La Forge’s voice.
“You all right?” La Forge asked.
What is going on here?“I’m fine—I think.”
Toq asked, “Do you feel the influence of Malkus?”
Kira was about to instinctively answer in the affirmative when she realized that, in fact, she didn’t feel Malkus at all. She hadn’t noticed it until Toq mentioned it, but—“No, he’s—he’s gone.” She broke into a smile. “It’s nice to have my head to myself.”
“It worked!” Toq said.
“What worked?” Kira asked.
Klag smiled. “You, Colonel, are the beneficiary of the genius of the other three men in this room. We have found a way to combat Malkus’s telepathic influence.”
“That’s the good news,” La Forge added.
Frowning, Kira asked, “What’s the bad news?”
“We are presently in the Narendra system’s Oort cloud,” Klag said. “Sensors are detecting seven Defense Force ships and one Federation civilian ship in orbit of Narendra III—and they are in defensive formation. The civilian ship is a part of the formation, which leads us to think—”
“That they’re all under Malkus’s control,” Kira finished. “Dammit.”
Klag nodded. “Three of the ships are birds-of-prey under the command of Captain Huss. I know for a fact that they were at Ty’Gokor only yesterday.”
“It is likely,” Data said, “that they came to Narendra III and were also enthralled by Malkus.”
“So it’s four-to-one odds,” Kira said. “Assuming Malkus doesn’t enslave the rest of us.”
La Forge smirked. “Well, thanks to Toq here, that won’t be an issue for us. The thing is, we can neutralize Malkus altogether with our modified deflector—we’re gonna rig it so that it broadcasts a large-scale version of what we hit you with. I was hoping to modify both ships, but the Gorkon’ s deflector won’t take to the modification, at least not in the time we’ve got. But if we’re under fire…”
“Reinforcements?” Kira asked.
“The seven ships in orbit comprise all the Defense Force ships assigned to this sector,” Klag said bitterly. “Others are en route, as are Starfleet ships—including the Defiant and the Hood—but no help will arrive for at least two more days. And we cannot afford to wait.”
Data said, “Dr. Crusher has replicated the cure for the disease, based on the records from the Constellation and the Enterprise a century ago, but we cannot administer it until Malkus is neutralized.”
La Forge put a hand on Data’s shoulder. “I need to get back and rig up the deflector.”
Nodding, Data said, “Lieutenant Toq and I will inoculate the Gorkon crew against Malkus’s influence. Then I shall return to the Enterprise and do the same for our crew.”
“How long will that take?” Klag asked.
“About an hour,” La Forge said. “And at that, we’ll be pushing it, but Beverly said we can’t afford to wait much longer than that if we’re going to have any chance of curing those people.”
“Get to it, all of you,” Klag said, and the trio departed the medical ward.
Kira got up from the biobed. Klag shot her a look. “What are you doing?”
Standing at attention, she said, “Colonel Kira Nerys, reporting for duty, Captain.”
Klag threw his head back and laughed a loud, hearty laugh. “You are not a member of the Defense Force, Colonel.”
“No, but I’m sure as hell not gonna sit around and let you do all the work,” she said with a smile. “I’m ready, eager, and damn willing. So give me a post, Captain.”
Still smiling, Klag touched his communicator. “Klag to Rodek. Lieutenant, has a new fore port gunner been assigned?”
“Bekk Lojar was to be assigned, sir.”
“Is there some reason why he shouldn’t be?”
“He is a half-blind yIntagh with the gunnery skill of a grishnar cat. Otherwise he is perfectly adequate for the job. Sir.”
Kira smiled. This Rodek person spoke in a very simple tone, conveying none of the invective of his words.
“We have someone else for the position, Lieutenant. Out.” Klag cut the connection. “The Gorkon has four secondary gunnery positions for the twelve rotating disruptor arrays. One of the warriors assigned to the position died in a duel a week ago, and—as you heard—his replacement is inadequate.”
Breaking into a grin, Kira said, “Not anymore, she isn’t. I’ll report to the bridge right away.”
“Good,” Klag said, leading her out of the medical ward. “Our controls may be strange to you. I suggest taking the next hour to familiarize yourself.”
“Captain, I’ve flown Bajoran sub-impulse raiders, Starfleet starships, Klingon birds-of-prey, and Jem’Hadar strike ships. I think I can handle a rotating disruptor array.”
“Then report for duty, Colonel,” Klag said as they arrived at a turbolift. “I will see you on the bridge.”
Kira entered the lift and headed to her temporary new post.
Chapter Sixteen
MALKUS SEETHED—AS MUCH AS A disembodied mind could seethe, in any case.
It was impossible for one consciousness to maintain control over thousands of minds. But if the Instrument could allow control over only a few people at a time, it was functionally useless to Malkus. So Aidulac’s team had hit upon a way of sending out shards of the user’s telepathic essence to the person being controlled. That sliver of Malkus—independent, yet connected—provided the control. Malkus himself could monitor assorted shards and make adjustments as needed, but it was not required that he himself maintain constant oversight.
That ability had many good p
oints. It meant that he was able to imprint shards of himself in the other three artifacts, and it enabled the number of people he could enslave to be in the thousands. The one bad point was that pawns could sometimes slip out of his control without his knowing it right away.
Most frustrating was his inability to hold on to Spock. The ambassador had been able to resist control practically from the beginning, and it had taken Malkus a great deal of effort forcing the shard of his consciousness to maintain its grip.
Then, when he checked on Kira Nerys, he found that his shard was nowhere to be found in her mind. Somehow, she had managed to expel it.
Unfortunately, until he was able to attach the fourth Instrument to the Great Rectangle, he did not have sufficient power to reestablish his control over her. As it was, he barely had enough to control the people on this planet and the ships in orbit. The former were busy constructing new buildings and structures and weapons for Malkus’s use, as well as an android body for him to transfer his consciousness into.
When Spock had yet to return from dealing with the people in the shuttle, he connected with the shard in the ambassador’s mind—only to find that it, too, was nowhere to be found.
No, wait—it was there, but it was cowering in an astral “corner” of Spock’s consciousness, helpless. Malkus tried to take direct control, but he could not. There was something—different. The mental impression from Spock should have enabled Malkus to have complete control.
Then he realized that the mental impression was divided—split into two beings. Spock had performed some kind of telepathic trickery with the other ambassador he had traveled with in order to gain an advantage.
At that moment, Spock and his fellow diplomat—Worf—became more trouble than they were worth. As useful as they might have been, they now needed todie—as did their fellow prisoners in the shuttle. In retrospect, Malkus never should have let them all live in the first place.
Malkus sent out ten Klingons.
He also maintained personal control on one of them—J’lang was his name.
Through J’lang’s eyes, Malkus observed the Klingons moving toward the shuttle. Six of them broke off to take care of the four in the shuttle. The other four could take care of two diplomats with ease, Malkus was sure of that….
The Brave and the Bold Book Two Page 21
