Slings and Arrows 01_ Sea of Troubles - J. Steven York [19]
Picard leaned forward, finally intrigued. “How so?”
“It is true, the Great Link, the collective consciousness that all our people join in, tends to make us the same. But I have been away from the Great Link for a long time. I have lived among solids for many years, learning your ways, assuming small parts of your limited lives. And as I have remained separated from my people, my knowledge, experiences, and reasoning have been my own. In that time, my feelings about solids have changed and grown more sympathetic than is typical of my people.”
“You claim to be a friend of the Federation?”
“I care nothing for your governments or political alliances. But I have developed a fondness for you humanoid solids and your ways of living. Mind you, I have no wish to actually become a solid the way our poor, misguided, Odo seems to desire. To be limited to one form, to one life would be a nightmare for me.
“But I am literally legion, Captain. I have been hundreds of different humanoids, living their life for an hour or a day or even a month at a time, and I desire to be thousands more before I am through, sampling your simple yet chaotic lives like a bee flits from flower to flower.”
Picard forced his expression to remain neutral, to allow the Changeling to continue. With each word, he learned something more about his adversary, and each piece of information made him better able to negotiate.
“This behavior may seem strange to you. I’ll confess, from a Changeling perspective it is strange, even perverse. I should reject my interest in the solids and return to the blessed Great Link. Yet I have little desire to do this.
“My theory,” she said, a trace of pride in her voice, “is that I have uncovered the vestige of some ancient propagation instinct, left from a time when there were many Links on our world of origin. From time to time, they would send off individuals, who, instead of returning to their own link, would instead be driven to travel and explore, one day founding a new Link far from their original home. Perhaps this instinct no longer serves a purpose, but it serves me. I value you. I have no desire to see you destroyed, or even to see your fascinating existences crushed into order by the Dominion.”
“If that is so, why allow the Samson to be destroyed? Why do you still gather intelligence for the Dominion?”
The Changeling’s brow furrowed in anger. “I’m not a traitor to my people, Picard. I still work for the Dominion, and I’m loyal to them in my fashion. I confess, I’ve been assigned to negate the Federation’s flagship, and to the Great Link, that doubtless means destruction. I’ve also been charged to advance the downfall of the Federation and its sublimation into the Dominion. And in my own way I serve that goal as well.”
Picard removed his hand from under his desk, now holding the type-2 hand phaser that had been hidden there. He pointed it at the Changeling. “Then we have nothing to discuss.”
She laughed again. “How theatrical. How did you come to have a phaser hidden there?”
“It’s something I learned from a man named Dixon Hill.” He reached for his communicator to call security.
“Wait! You misunderstand, Picard. The downfall of the Federation is inevitable, and nothing you or I can do will change it. The Dominion has faced a dozen or more civilizations like yours, and each has fallen before us. But I don’t relish the day when that happens, and I’m in no hurry to see it come to pass.
“The Dominion is great and eternal. What does it matter if the Federation falls in a decade rather than a month? To the Dominion, none at all, but to me, it would mean a great deal. My people as a whole place great value in order. That is where I am different. When the Dominion comes-and it will-your people, if they survive at all, will become ordered, controlled, and will no longer be interesting to me. If I can delay that inevitable day, I will. And if I can neutralize