Lost Era 06_ Catalyst of Sorrows - Margaret Wander Bonanno [43]
“It’s like lasers,” Heisenberg said. “You turn those high-beams on a man, you can cut his heart out.”
“Best you remember that next time you have dealings with me, young man,” Uhura had said, poking him none too gently in the shoulder. “How long were you in that closet, anyway?”
“Couple of hours. I thought my kidneys were going to give out. Earned a nasty reprimand from my CO for letting you get the better of me, too.”
“I’m sorry, Heisenberg,” she’d said sincerely. “I’ll have a word with your CO about that. After all, we both know you were defenseless against The Look.”
Many a junior officer had felt the power of that look in the intervening years. Every time she had call to use it, Uhura thought of Heisenberg and resisted the urge to smile.
She turned the Look on Sisko now, and he felt his ears starting to singe. He opened his mouth and nothing came out, found himself shifting his feet, something he only did when he didn’t know what else to do. Uhura, barely masking her amusement, let him stew for a few seconds longer, then relented.
“As you were, Mister,” she said very quietly, and Sisko returned to his seat. “Liya na tabia yako usilaumu wenzako.”
“Sir?”
” ‘Don’t blame others for problems you have created yourself.’ I didn’t think you spoke kiSwahili. But now that I have your attention…”
She cleared her throat, folded her hands on the desktop once again, and began communicating.
“I’m not going to flatter you by telling you’re the best theoretical engineer or the most versatile young officer in the fleet, because you’re not. What you are is the most versatile young officer in the fleet who has also excelled at my Special Communications course, and who happens to be available in this sector at this time. There are at least three other people I could tap who qualify on the first two counts, but you’re here, they’re not. And I don’t have the luxury of waiting for someone halfway across the quadrant to rendezvous with the rest of my team, which is here, in place, and good to go on a mission where time is of the essence, because lives are being lost with every minute’s delay. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Sisko?”
“Loud and clear, sir.” Sisko was looking at his boots.
“Good. Now I will give you until 0800 tomorrow morning to reach a decision. If your decision is ‘no,’ then I will go to the next person on my list. If your decision is ‘yes,’ then you will see your son safely launched on his first day of kindergarten, and then you will report to me.”
She watched his head come up at the mention of Jake.
“A child’s first day of kindergarten is a milestone his father shouldn’t miss. But there are sacrifices we sometimes have to make, Mr. Sisko. You see Jake off on his very important mission. Then I’ll trust you to make the right choice about yours.”
“You actually let him walk out of your office without committing?” Curzon was surprised.
“He said he wanted to talk it over with his wife,” Uhura explained. “Technically, I suppose I could have ordered him to report for duty straight from my office, but I didn’t. Part of what makes my job so hard is not being able to do things like that. But I’m hoping he’ll come around.”
“If I have to knock him down and sit on him,” Curzon said, “he’ll come around. Although I think we can count on Jennifer to save us the trouble.”
The Hamalki string music had ended. Uhura was looking exceptionally pensive, and the mood Curzon had tried so hard to create was in danger of dissipating.
“Another drink?” he asked her, though she’d barely touched the first one. She shook her head. “More music? I have a number of new pieces that-“
“Thanks, Curzon, but I really should go.”
“Without telling me what really happened to you at Khitomer?” Curzon asked. “Isn’t that what you came up here for?”
“You know it isn’t!” Uhura said, smiling in spite of herself. “But it’s as good a place as any to start.”
Chapter 7
“I’m not easily embarrassed,” Uhura began. “But some of the things that led up to the peace conference on Khitomer