Spirit Walk_ Enemy of My Enemy (Book 2) - Christie Golden [35]
“Then why do I get the feeling that there’s a but in there?” the Changeling replied.
Astall laughed, a bright, silvery, happy sound. The Changeling decided on the spot that he hated Huanni.
“Let’s go,” Astall said, still chuckling. “We’ve got some time before we get back to Loran II. Everyone will check everyone out, and I’m sure we’ll all decide we’re all fit for duty.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Kaz.
“Chakotay” extended a hand, indicating that they should precede him. As he followed them to the turbolift, he desperately wished he could figure out a way to justify killing them both.
Chapter 11
“IT HAS TO BE,” Chakotay said, feeling his way along the path of logic. “Think about it, Sekky. You and I and everyone else on our world—we’re all only human. There’s nothing different about us.”
“Yes,” said Sekaya slowly. “That’s what I told Father. That’s why it struck me as so odd that they’d want to have samples of each of our DNA. We were just human.”
“Except we weren’t,” Chakotay said. “We aren’t. And what’s made us different from other humans is we still have a trace of Sky Spirit DNA in our makeup. Moset noticed it when he examined the members of our tribe.” His mind raced, and he struggled to keep up with the thoughts. “And I’ve got more than a trace. I’ve gotten…”
The words came to him in an instant, making him almost ill. He was furious that he hadn’t figured it out earlier. “Moset spoke of a fresh infusion,” he said slowly. “When they walked down the corridor and thought we couldn’t hear them.”
“I remember,” said Sekaya.
“And that’s exactly what I’ve got. Less than seven years ago I got a fresh infusion of Sky Spirit DNA, directly from the source. I had the bonding, the same bonding our ancestors had. The gift, he called it. Just like it happened over forty-five thousand years ago.”
Exhausted and in pain as she was, as they both were, Sekaya was able to follow along. “Your Sky Spirit DNA is much more pure than any of ours,” she said. “And because of it, you are genetically similar to the first human who had the bonding.”
“That’s what Moset wanted, all those years ago. He discovered a trace of it when he started testing our people and wanted to make sure that he got everyone, just in case my DNA was somehow better for his purposes. The irony is, if he’d gotten me then, I’d have been no different from any other member of the tribe. The question is, why does he want this so badly?”
“You are a curious fellow, Captain,” came Moset’s voice, startling Chakotay into silence. “But that comes with your DNA, I suppose. Tell me, Chakotay, did you notice if anything was different after your encounter with the Sky Spirit?”
He stood over them now, a padd in his hands, taking notes as if this were nothing more than a traditional, sanctioned experiment.
Chakotay laughed. “Why the hell would I tell you anything, Moset?”
The Cardassian smiled mischievously. “Because you are a curious fellow. You want to know what’s going on. We have more in common than you think, Captain. What I learn here because of you and that amazing DNA you carry could help cure diseases we haven’t even heard of yet. It could move technological development forward at an accelerated pace.”
Chakotay regarded him. He’d tried to, as the Changeling had put it, “play” Moset earlier. It wasn’t likely the Cardassian would be stupid enough to fall for it if he tried again, but there was nothing to lose. He was certain that he and Sekaya would die here unless he could somehow convince Moset to free them.
He decided to try the obvious first. “I’ll make a deal with you, Moset. I’m the one you missed the first time around, and I’m the one with the fresh infusion of Sky Spirit DNA. Let my sister go. She’s of no use to you. I’ll tell you everything you want, as long as I know she’s safe.”
Moset regarded him with a mixture of contempt and pity. “Surely you must know I can’t do that. She’ll lead your friends right to us. And besides, she’s quite useful as a control subject. I can compare and contrast