Survivors - Jean Lorrah [81]
The warlord appeared in the strategy room sometime after Yar joined the growing group before the viewscreens. She already knew Data, Dare, Sdan, Poet, Barb, and Aurora. Now she met Tuuk and Gerva, a mated pair of Tellarites; Jevsithian Drominiger, a Grokarian seer, and Pris Shenkley, a human woman who built expert weapons systems. The rest of Dare’s “gang.”
Jevsithian was archetypal: just about Yar’s height, he was so old and wrinkled that a first glance could not identify his species. His hooded gray robe hid so much of him that only his eight-fingered hands, looking like nothing so much as spiders at the ends of his sleeves, provided the clue to what he was.
Yar had heard of Grokarians, but never met one before. Some of them were said to have the gift of prophecy, although she recalled that the Starfleet manual on species with so-called psi powers explained it as “a wild talent, the ability to calculate probabilities within the space/time continuum.”
Jevsithian turned to her, eyes almost hidden in wrinkled folds, and announced, “You are the one with whom it changed.”
“Hmmm?” Yar found the impression of staring into black holes unnerving.
“Your presence draws all possible futures into one. The Silver Paladin will win all, and yet lose. The bright knight of darkness transcends to legend.”
“Hey-none o’ that doomsayin’!” Sdan protested.
“Doom is but fate,” Jevsithian replied, “and the fates of all living beings are linked.” He withdrew to a chair in one corner, apparently unconcerned with the plans the others were making. Or, thought Yar, maybe he already knows everything we’re going to do.
“Tasha.” Data’s voice drew her away from her contemplation of the Grokarian. “We must talk.”
“Hmm? What about?” she asked, following him away from the cluster of people around the computer.
“About how much aid we should give these people … if any.”
Of course she should have known Data would not take that final step without careful consideration. Yar felt a sudden sinking feeling. “Priam IV,” she said.
“Exactly.”
She stared at him. “You took that test? How could they fool you, when you can see the walls of the holodeck no matter how it’s programmed?”
“Do you mind if I do not explain how an android can be misled by computer experts? The point is that we face a similar paradox here. We know that Nalavia is so determined to maintain her tyranny that she has resorted to drugging her people. But this is not a Federation planet; we are not duty-bound to help the people of Treva regain their freedom.”
“Are we duty-bound not to?” Yar asked. “Suppose we do nothing. Nalavia continues her rule-unless Rikan and Dare can put an end to it without our help.”
“My help,” said Data. “I have the information from Nalavia’s computer which will allow them to remove the drug from the water supply.”
“Allowing the people to decide for themselves whether to overthrow Nalavia,” said Yar. “Isn’t that closer to the spirit of the Prime Directive than leaving them unable to think for themselves?”
“It is not the spirit but the letter of the law that we are sworn to obey,” Data pointed out. “If we interfere, we do not know the effect on Trevan culture.”
“No, we only know what will happen if we don’t interfere. Things will get worse. You told us the long-term effects of Riatine. Data, last night you were ready to help Rikan and Dare. What happened?”
“I was reminded of the short-term effect of removing the drug: war.”
Yar remembered Rikan’s “That’s when we attack!”
“War or drugged docility,” she said. “It’s Priam IV, all right. But Data … if I were a Trevan, I know which I would choose. You cannot imagine what it is to live drugged, to have no happiness except a false joy created by chemicals-“
“Your mother?” he murmured.
“And myself.”
“What?!” he asked