The Last Stand - Brad Ferguson [76]
“Now, Ilsewidna—” Tarrajel began.
The old woman ignored him. “The radicals destroyed the church,” she continued bitterly. “They pulled down all our institutions and replaced them with lies and more lies. They changed the holy way we lived, where adults and children worked together, worked hard, to build a holy world full of hope and free from fear. They destroyed truth and created a false paradise that drew the ultimate evil of the Krann to us like a magnet draws iron. And now we’re all going to die in flame and fire and horror, just as the holy book promises.”
“The Krann will not necessarily attack, Ilsewidna,” Data said. “There is still reason to hope for a peaceful solution.”
“No,” Ilsewidna said dully, clutching the book to her. “No, there’s no hope left. The Krann are here, and they’re bringing war and death to us all, and it’ll be the price for our sins. We didn’t obey the law, and so we’ll die. It’s in the book.” Ilsewidna’s eyes filled with tears. “I have three grandchildren,” she said thickly. “Don’t they have a right to grow up? Don’t they? They haven’t hurt nobody. They never enslaved no one, they never did nothing wrong. They’re good little kiddies, mindful of their manners and always nice to their grandma. I taught them their prayers, too, even when their mother didn’t want me to and their father hit me and threatened to call the police on me, to put me in jail. They’re so little. So little …” Her voice trailed off.
“Ilsewidna is only one of millions,” Tarrajel said. “You’ve seen them around recently, no doubt. The Followers see our doom at the hands of the Krann as assured, and even deserved. It’s been hushed up, but some Followers have been caught engaging in acts of sabotage against the defense effort. They believe they’re helping to fulfill the promise of the Book of Exile. That’s why the interpretation of the prophecy is so important. If enough people believe it and act upon it, it will hamper any effort we may make to defend ourselves against the Krann.”
“The prophecy of doom thus becomes a self-fulfilling one,” Data observed.
“But how can a book written by primitive people be so correct about what’s happening to us right now?” Ro wondered. “That’s not possible, is it?”
Tarrajel closed his eyes and leaned back against one of the crates. “I wouldn’t have thought so myself,” Tarrajel said sadly. “Given the horrible crimes our people committed so long ago, though, prophesying the vengeance of the Krann might be pretty much like predicting tomorrow’s sunrise. You’d have a high probability of being right.”
“The Krann are going to kill us,” the old woman mumbled. “They’re going to kill us with fire and flame.”
“I know, mother,” Tarrajel said quietly. He closed his eyes. The shelter was silent then, except for the soft crying of Ilsewidna and the sympathetic, hollow sound from somewhere of dripping water.
Suddenly, distantly, there was a quick series of thuds. The four of them could feel the vibration as they sat on the thick concrete floor.
Ro took a chance and tapped her communicator. “Ro to Enterprise,” she called. There was no response.
“What are you doing, Fessalahka?” Tarrajel asked Ro.
The ensign ignored him. “Please try yours, sir,” she asked Data.
The android activated his own communicator. “Data to Enterprise,” he said. Nothing.
“I am not getting any response,” he told Ro after a moment. “I do not believe the signal is getting through. Perhaps it is being blocked somehow, or the ship may no longer be in range.”
“Or it may have been destroyed,” Ro frowned.
“That possibility exists.”
“What are you two talking about—?” Tarrajel demanded.
The building they were in suddenly rocked back and forth like flotsam caught in heavy surf, and things went flying. A terrible noise came an instant later and remained. The rolling went on for some time.
“Judgment!” Ilsewidna screamed. “Judgment has come at last!”
Ro looked at Data. “I’d like to use the tricorder now, Commander. Permission to operate