Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [123]
Sil and Krajensky got to their feet at the president’s entrance, but the large Grazerite said in a gentle voice, “Keep your seats, please.”
Quickly, Sil made the necessary introductions, and Picard learned that the Triexian woman was Crut Na Eth, the secretary of defense.
Once the introductions were taken care of, and the president sat behind his desk, Krajensky spoke. “Mister President, it has come to my attention the Alpha Quadrant has been infiltrated by a hostile species known as the Founders. They are the rulers of an interstellar empire in the Gamma Quadrant called the Dominion.”
“Really?” The president sounded unconvinced. But then, Picard had been at first, too. “And is there proof of this?”
The shapechanger stepped forward. “Mister President, my name is Odo. Until a year ago, I served as the chief of security on the Cardassian station Terok Nor in orbit of Bajor. Several years ago, a Central Command vessel discovered a stable wormhole in the Denorios Belt that led to the Gamma Quadrant. Soon after that, contact was made with the Dominion.”
“By the Ferengi,” Quark muttered only loud enough for Picard, Kira, and Odo to hear.
The shapechanger ignored the aside, and proceeded to once again tell the story of how the Founders sent out one hundred infants, one of whom was Odo. “When I realized that the Dominion was ruled by my people, I initially embraced them-until I understood what they represented. I had always believed that my interest in justice was something common to my people, but I now know that I came by it entirely on my own-perhaps from years of seeing so much injustice on Bajor. In any event, I soon learned that the Founders planned to infiltrate the Cardassian Union, the Federation, and the Klingon and Romulan Empires at the highest levels, replacing important people in the government and military with their own agents, and manipulating events to ease their takeover of this quadrant.”
“Mr. Odo,” Crut said, rubbing her chin with her middle arm, “I think you can understand why we are skeptical of your claims.”
Krajensky said, “I was as well, Madam Secretary; however, I have come to believe this story.”
Whatley then spoke up. “It certainly would explain a helluva lot. The war with the Klingons and Romulans has just been one screwup after another-on all three sides. Every damn time, the worst-case scenario has played out.”
“Conspiracy theories,” T’Latrek said, “are not logical. And rather difficult to prove.”
Kira stepped forward now. “But we can prove if someone’s a shapechanger-sort of.”
Jaresh-Inyo’s already-wrinkled skin contracted into a deep frown. “What does that mean?”
Holding up another of the devices that she had carried in her satchel, Kira said, “This is a device created by a former member of the Cardassian Obsidian Order. He helped me smuggle Odo out of Cardassian space. When activated, any shapechanger within a twenty-meter radius will revert to its liquid state.”
Picard recalled Beverly Crusher’s amazement when she reported to him after her examination of Odo. The shapechanger had objected to being poked and prodded at first-he’d apparently had quite a bit of that on Bajor after he’d been discovered-but relented when he saw how noninvasive Crusher’s instruments were. While there were other species with the ability to change their shape, none of them was liquid in its natural state. (She had also waited until Odo was out of earshot before mentioning that she could happily spend the rest of her career just studying him.)
Ross asked, “How do we know this will work?”
Odo let out a noise that Picard supposed was a sigh of irritation. Then again, in Picard’s brief exposure to the shapechanger, he’d noticed that irritation was one humanoid mode that Odo had mastered with great skill.
Then he looked at Kira, who nodded, and activated the device.
Immediately, Odo’s features shimmered and melted and collapsed into an amber liquid on the Palais carpet.