Lost Era 06_ Catalyst of Sorrows - Margaret Wander Bonanno [89]
“Indeed,” Tuvok said, pulling the hood of his parka up over his ears in preparation for the cold.
“Maybe you could-” Jarquin began, then thought the better of it. “Forgive me. I was going to ask, when you return to the homeworld, if you could make inquiries about my sons. Presumptuous of me, but…”
Tuvok knew his reply was illogical, but he made it nevertheless. “I will see to it, Citizen Jarquin.”
The door slid closed behind them, leaving Jarquin alone, watching the ever-swirling snow from his window, but thinking about butterflies.
Chapter 13
“I’ll put my Listeners on it,” Uhura promised. “A migration of that magnitude from an unallied world to Romulus should be easy to track. If Jarquin’s sons or any concentration of Quirinians are registered on the homeworld, we should be able to learn something, however tenuous. Meanwhile, I assume you’re scanning the so-called enclosed areas from orbit?”
“Affirmative,” Selar reported.
“And-?”
“And several regions appear to have been abandoned altogether. There are no life-sign readings other than those indicating small animal life-forms, most likely verminous.”
Rats, Uhura thought, suppressing a shudder.
“Of the other quarantined or ‘enclosed’ areas, most appear to be very sparsely populated,” Selar went on, “and there is evidence of reduced activity among the few remaining inhabitants. Scans show elevated body temperatures, indicating the likelihood of infection. Since I began scanning the village of Sawar less than one hour ago, there have been four fatalities in the quarantined area.”
“But there’s no way of telling for certain if that’s caused by our neoform,” Uhura suggested.
“Without actually collecting biosamples? I believe not.”
“It is unfortunate we were barred from traveling to the quarantined areas,” Tuvok interjected suddenly.
“Yes, it really is too bad,” Uhura agreed. “But of course I’d never tell you to disobey Citizen Jarquin’s directive and try to infiltrate those regions illegally.”
“Obviously,” Tuvok said. “A pity, since we do have hazmat suits against just such a contingency. And, given the necessity for bulky clothing in the Quirinian climate, it would be quite possible for us to conceal all but the face mask of a hazmat suit beneath our parkas. Further, were we traveling at night…”
“Hypothetically, of course,” Uhura said, her face as deadpan as any Vulcan’s.
“Hypothetically,” Tuvok agreed. “Of course.”
Selar watched this exchange with great interest. She wasn’t certain what was going on, but it intrigued her. Sisko, being human, understood entirely, and managed, just barely, to suppress a chuckle. A glance in Zetha’s direction told him she got it, too. Sisko crooked a finger at her.
“You come with me,” he said, indicating she was to follow him forward, out of earshot of the briefing.
Zetha shrugged. She had grasped immediately what was going on. But if Sisko felt it necessary to exert his authority, she would humor him.
“You begrudge me the knowledge that Tuvok and Selar intend to infiltrate the enclosed areas,” she observed when they were alone in the control cabin, where he had assigned her a seat far away from the instruments. “Why?”
“I begrudge you any detailed knowledge of this mission,” Sisko said honestly, frowning at one of the readings. The environmental control adaptor had been hinky since departure, but since when had it refused to respond? “I think the less you know, the better. There’s no guarantee you won’t run to the first Romulan you see with the information you already have-“
“No guarantee except Lieutenant Tuvok, who can no doubt outrun me,” Zetha said, too low for Sisko to hear.
“- and no idea what disposition SI’s going to make of you once this mission is over-“
“I assumed I would be sacrificed.”
She also said this so quietly Sisko almost didn’t hear it, but he did.
“Sacrificed? What are you talking about?”
Zetha shrugged. “I am still learning your language. ‘Executed’ might be a more accurate word, ‘eliminated’ easier