Distant Shores - Marco Palmieri [128]
Yes, that’s the name I’ve chosen for the duration of my stay. I’m not sure why the old reincarnated character in Greek mythology came to me when I was trying to think of a name, but it did.
I find it fascinating that I have been able to choose a name for my… secret identity, you might say… so rapidly, but in the six years since my activation on Voyager, I have been completely incapable of choosing a permanent name for myself. I wonder why that is?
As of today, Voyager has had a full minute to figure out how to get me back. If they haven’t found a solution by the time of Darek’s party, I intend to go. I have a feeling the services of a competent medic will be required, if not several doses of anti-intoxicant.
Hmm, I wonder if they even have anti-intoxicants? I must go research this.
C
HIEF
M
EDICAL
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FFICER’S
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OG
- Stardate 53501.3024604885
Subjective Time: Day 75
The political situation here is growing increasingly unstable. Terrina Protectorate is now openly and quite vociferously demanding that the Central Protectorate release the prisoners. Protests are taking place in Terrina’s capital city. There are reports that one prisoner’s wife has holed herself up in an unknown location and is threatening to kill their three children if the request isn’t met within a week. Apparently, the Terrina Protectorate officials haven’t been able to reach her-or even do something as simple as a telephone trace-to put a stop to it themselves and take the children away. I have a feeling they may not have even tried. To the Tahal-Isut- at least the ones of the Central Protectorate-to not stop a child from being killed when you’re in a position to do it makes you just as guilty as the killer. It would appear that the Terrinans want us to think they hold the same belief. The Central Protectorate would be held at least partially accountable for failing to release the prisoners.
From what I’ve been able to judge in the short time I’ve been exposed to these people, Protector Azanthair Baracin, the head of the Central Protectorate, is the kind of man who will find the option that allows both sides to claim victory. His daughter was brought to my emergency room two weeks ago for a compound fracture in her right leg, and to say that she was angry about the situation would be putting it mildly. She was allergic to some of the painkilling medications at my disposal, and the drugs that wouldn’t give her a reaction would have barely scratched the surface of her pain. Rather than risk it, he managed to find a way to cajole her into allowing me to set the bones in her leg to avoid the most scarring, and only use the least amount of medication necessary.
Between that encounter and what I’ve seen of the man’s politics, he appears to be a very levelheaded individual with a keen eye for possibilities inherent in a situation. If there’s a way out of this situation without the blame falling on the Central Protectorate, I’m confident that Baracin will find it.
D
OCTOR’S
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ERSONAL
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OG
- Stardate 53501.3026245210
Day 80 on Tahal-Meeroj
For the last month, I’ve spent an hour after each duty shift checking up on Mareeza and just engaging her in simple conversation. There are some days when she appears lost, as though a large black cloud were looming over her and she had no idea of what to do. It’s at times like that I wish I’d taken on the programming of a ship’s counselor.
Pain was obvious in her eyes whenever the subject of the child came up, but if I attempted to ask further, the proper words wouldn’t come. I always thought holograms were above such things as being tongue-tied. Not for the first time on this mission, I was wrong.
Tonight, the right words finally came to me, courtesy of Earth’s William Shakespeare.
“‘Tis not enough to help the feeble up
“But to support him after.”
“What?” Mareeza asked.
I tried to think of an appropriate