The Garden - Melissa Scott [107]
To her surprise, Adamant himself responded to her hail, and professed himself willing to receive the body
and the two humans. He gave a familiar set of coordinates-the garden where they had first beamed into the citadel-and Janeway took her place on the transporter pad, Paris at her side.
"Captain," Chakotay's voice said in her ear. "I ask you once again to reconsider."
"No, Commander. I want answers." Janeway looked at the transporter chief. "Energize."
The Kirse garden was very different by daylight, the enormous flowers furled to tiny white buds, the rich color of the paving stones bleached by the sunlight. The fountain was silent, though it was impossible to tell whether that was normal for daytime or if it had been turned off because of the Andirrim attack. For a moment, she thought the Kirse had chosen to ignore them again, to leave them there with Grayrose's body on its rolling table, but then a door opened in the far wall, and Adamant appeared. Two more Kirse, both winged, followed him, and Revek trailed behind them, hands jammed into his pockets. He straightened, seeing Paris, and Adamant said, "Once again, you're welcome, Captain Janeway. And doubly so for your help against the Andirrim."
"We seem to have a common enemy," Janeway answered. "Adamant, we've brought back the body of one of your people who was killed fighting the Andirrim flagship."
"I did everything I could," Paris blurted.
Janeway gave him a reproving glance, and went on smoothly, "I'm afraid she was dead when we beamed her aboard. We are sorry for her death."
"It was generous of you to bring the body down," Adamant said, and nodded to one of the winged Kirse. He stepped smoothly forward, and tugged the table back toward the open door. Revek moved to
help him, but the other winged Kirse waved him away, and moved herself to take the table's end. "Her death will not be wasted."
The transporter sounded again, sealing the wall behind them. Janeway took a deep breath. "There are other things. Things we have to settle before we can finish our transaction."
"Oh?"
It was simulated surprise, she thought, and her attention sharpened. Adamant had been expecting- something. She glanced at Revek, but the human's face was impassive. "Yes," she said, and looked back at Adamant. "When we brought Grayrose on board, our doctor ran tests to see if he could revive her. Although he couldn't, the tests were unexpected in some other ways. Specifically, Adamant, Grayrose's DNA was strange-its segments were incomplete and repetitive, and we can't see any way that Grayrose could have existed. Can you explain this?"
Adamant hesitated, chin lifting like a frightened horse, but Janeway went on without pausing.
"And why were you so reluctant to ask for her body back? For that matter, what are the implants for?"
"Ah." Adamant seized on the last words with some relief. "The implants are made because I am limited-"
" 'I'?" Janeway said. " 'I' am limited?"
Adamant paused again, and Revek laughed softly. "I told you, Adamant, there was no point to it."
"So you did," Adamant said, gently. "So you did." He turned away, and the transporter sounded again, doors opening all along the garden wall. More Kirse appeared, winged and wingless and even a few of the dwarfish soldiers, and in spite of herself Janeway took a step backward, reaching for her phaser. If they
attacked, she could take a few of them, buy enough time to transport back to the ship-
The Kirse ignored her, moving to stand beside Adamant, and light flared, growing like the light of a candle flame. She blinked, dazzled, but not before she saw the first winged shape melt-like wax, like snow-and collapse into itself, into Adamant, who glowed brighter as the shape joined his. A second, then a third Kirse were absorbed, and then the light was too bright, and Janeway looked away, shading her eyes. Adamant's voice spoke out of the brilliance.
"I am all of these, if 'I' has true meaning. I am Kirse, all these are Kirse, and are me."