Continued
“You’re hardly the first Starfleet captain to make that claim.”
“But in my case, I’ve also been the catalyst of said events. I awakened the Inth, remember? And they came close to exterminating all life on our side the galaxy.” His waive indicated the length of the window. “Never mind the last year we’ve spent out here.” Then, under his breath: “And now the Velkhohn crisis.”
She noted the reference to Velkhohn, confirming her suspicion that there had been more to the mission than met the eye. She slid nimbly from the sofa and glided over to him at the window. They stood shoulder to shoulder for a while as though admiring the view.
“You may be right.” Shantok said at last.
Aubrey blinked at her, clearly surprised.
“There is much about reality that isn’t understood.” She elaborated. “Your destiny may indeed be a dark one. But without evidence, you must----to paraphrase T'Plana-Hath---‘let reason be your guide’.”
He made a sad grunting noise. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is,” Shantok retorted. She set her feline glare upon him, her empathetic tone fading with each word. “You have two choices; continue laboring under the belief that you’re a temporal aberration who will one day bring about the Federation’s end.”
“Or?”
“Or believe that you’re simply a man with an unusual past----a man who chooses not to see the deceitful hand of fate within a series of unrelated events; someone who ultimately chooses his own destiny.”
“There’s nothing I’d like better.”
“So you claim.” She snapped. “But unless you can fully embrace the latter philosophy, you must resign your commission at once.”
The captain assailed her with a foreboding scowl. “I beg your pardon?”
She folded her arms defiantly. “You said it yourself; you’re often at the epicenter of events that can destroy the Federation’s future. Self-loathing, believing yourself a slave to destiny…as a Starfleet captain, these are luxuries not afforded you. And in time, your dangerous mindset could trigger the very cataclysm whose potential you now agonize over.”
Aubrey’s haggard frown lingered for nearly a minute, before eventually capsizing. “Well,” he chuckled, “someone recently suggested I share my burdens. It looks like that decision’s been made for me. Even if I have a less than sympathetic ear.”
Shantok sprung an eyebrow at him. “If you wish to be coddled, you’re welcome to confide in Dr. Kella.”
Their levity died in the wake of Aubrey’s severe expression. “Commander, the knowledge you now possess is extremely dangerous. I hope you realize that.”
She tilted her head in the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug. “Of course. Section 31 believes you may still know where the Prism is, but that the knowledge is inaccessible by known methodology. This is part of the reason you remain alive. But due to recent events, they could now assume I’ve acquired that information.”
There seemed nothing more to say, so Aubrey let the idea marinate. After a few minutes, he turned to leave. “I should let you rest.”
Thinking back on it later, Aubrey blamed his carelessness on a variety of factors; fatigue, the concussion he received during the battle, stress from a yearlong mission with no respite…or just a moment of unparalleled idiocy.
But whatever the cause, there was no excuse. Touching Shantok in her present condition was just plain stupid and he should have known better.
It was meant to be a reassuring pat on the shoulder. But the instant he made contact, she jolted into action, jamming her palm into his shoulder blade while her other hand snapped over his wrist. She brought him to his knees by twisting his captive arm upward and locking his elbow.
The speed and ferocity of her maneuver had left no time for a response. He was on the floor and immobilized before his brain could register the change in view.
“What the hell are you doing?” He yelled at her.
She gazed down at him with cold pity. “Believe it or not, captain-my-captain, I'm really not in the mood to have anyone putting their hands on me." The voice belonged to someone else. It was chilly and tenacious, sculpted by the flow of half a dozen lifetimes.
“Commander, stand down! That’s an order!” His first thought was the Changeling. Against all odds it had infected her! But somehow he knew it wasn’t. There was something familiar about----
The pressure mounted against his locked elbow, agony exploding through his joint as it moved inexorably towards the breaking point.
“I said stand down!” His free hand went towards his combadge.
No.
An escalation could push her beyond the tipping point and into a state of no return. And if her psionic gifts were under another’s control, the security personnel would be destroyed the moment they arrived.
The pain intensified, making it nearly impossible to think. He threw out a desperate gamble, a ploy that would either bring her back, or worsen her mood.
“Zorek is ashamed of you!” He growled through clenched teeth. “You’ve lost your Katra and dishonored your teacher!”
There was a strangled gasp and Aubrey was released at once. He fell to the deck and rolled away, inflicting fresh stabs of pain to his arm in the process.
Shantok stumbled backwards and fell into the chaise sofa, her eye wide with shock.
Panting, Aubrey climbed to his knees. As he gently massaged his damaged elbow, he searched her face warily, looking for a trace of the woman he had worked with and trusted for the last five years.
Shantok’s eyes glistened with misery. “Jason,” She whispered, “Please forgive me!”
He managed to nod dumbly at her before scrambling to his feet. He backed away slowly, avoiding eye contact as though she were a large cobra.
Once he was outside, he used his command code to seal her door. After that, he informed security that Shantok was confined to quarters and ordered most of the surrounding deck cordoned off.
Once done, he slumped against the bulkhead, cradling his ruined joint.
Locking Shantok in her room was more a formality than a true safety measure. Physical barriers were meaningless to a telepath, after all. But limiting her contact with the crew would at least minimize the chance of another episode.
The nerves in his elbow had now begun to shriek, so he set out for sickbay, grimacing with each footfall.
Trotting back to the turbolift, he passed his own cabin and paused. It occurred to him that a glass of his favorite spirit would go down nicely at the moment.
He licked his lips and deliberated for what seemed a very long time.
And then he moved on.
He had no right to feel better for sharing his secrets…if anything, he should be ashamed that he was adding to Shantok’s host of ills. This new burden would only impede her recovery. And worse, she was now in the sites of Section 31.
Yes, he should feel ashamed about all of that.
Instead, Jason Aubrey forced a thin smirk into place and continued his journey.
