The Children of Hamlin - Carmen Carter [22]
Deelor expressed his dissatisfaction with a frown but said nothing more as he took an empty seat next to the captain. Out of the corner of his eye Picard saw Ruthe skitter away from Riker’s offer of a chair. She stood at the back of the room, fading into the gray shadows.
“Well, let’s get started,” demanded Deelor as if the crew had kept him waiting.
Picard signaled Data to activate the computer display in the center of the table. A miniature bubble ship wavered into existence, hovering just above the desktop.
“Fifteen years ago,” began Deelor without preamble, “a Ferengi merchant encountered a crippled Choraii ship marooned in space. Their supply of zinc had been exhausted, rendering the ship immobile. The Ferengi, with an eye to future profit, exchanged a few pounds of that metal for the only salable merchandise the Choraii had to offer: five human captives. In turn, the Ferengi offered those humans to the Federation, at a significant price per head. That was when we finally learned the fate of the Hamlin children. They had been taken aboard Choraii ships and kept there for over forty years.”
The man’s uninflected voice could not rob the narrative of its horror. “Five survivors,” said Picard. “Forty-two children were reported missing from the colony. How many more have been recovered since then?”
“Eight more.”
A very low growl erupted from the general vicinity of Lieutenant Worf. The rest of the crew released their anger less directly with the rustle of shifting bodies and the exchange of somber glances.
“You must understand the difficulty we faced,” said Deelor. “The Choraii have no home other than their ships, and though they travel in loose groups, each vessel is autonomous; they do not form a cohesive political entity. Furthermore, the Choraii are nomads and travel over broad areas of uninhabited space so the Federation has lost track of their ships for years at a time. Even after we learned of their reappearance in this sector, it took months to track down the local cluster and weeks of sporadic radio contact before we could persuade one ship to meet with us to exchange a few pounds of lead for their captive.”
Yar broke into the explanation. “But at that rate it could take another four decades to recover the rest of the children.”
“They’re hardly children anymore,” said Data. “Given the age range at the time of abduction, even the youngest would be Captain Picard’s age.”
A smile flitted across Dr. Crusher’s face, and Picard wondered if she was amused by Data’s unerring instinct for social bricks, or by his own reaction to the unflattering statement.
Tapping thoughtfully at the sheets in her hand, Crusher expanded on the android’s comment. “The Hamlin colony medical records indicate the older captives would be in their mid-sixties now. That’s assuming they’re still alive after fifty years of imprisonment under who knows what conditions.”
A voice from the back of the room drew the group’s attention. “The Choraii have treated them well”
Picard responded with considerable fire to Ruthe’s remark. “Captivity, by its very nature, is barbarous!”
“Yes, well, that’s certainly true,” said Deelor quickly. “However, we must all remember to contain our natural hostility during the second round of negotiations or we risk severing our tenuous diplomatic ties. And the remaining captives will be lost forever.”
The intensity of his own reaction had surprised Picard, and he saw those same strong emotions mirrored in the eyes of his crew. Discussion of the Hamlin Massacre still touched a raw nerve among Fleet officers, and it seemed the captain was no exception. He struggled to provide a more dispassionate example. “Understood, Ambassador Deelor. I, and my crew, have no wish to jeopardize the outcome of this mission. You can depend upon our full cooperation during contact with the Choraii.”
Ruthe spoke again. “Thank you, Captain.”
Picard took a second, closer, look at the woman.
Until now she had been overshadowed