“I don’t think I need to tell you that this is beginning to look more and more like a conspiracy by forces within the Federation, gentlemen,”Asarem said frankly.
“I agree, First Minister, that it looks that way,” Akaar said. “But I am not yet convinced that that is what we are really facing.”
“First Minister, I assure you,” Gandres chimed, “that my government utilizes no such devices for any purpose whatsoever. If there is a plot against Bajor, then it may be by a handful of rogue elements, but certainly not by the people of Trill or the Federation. If Gard—”
Gandres was interrupted by the wardroom doors parting to admit Dr. Girani. She looked pale and exhausted. No,Akaar thought. She looks as if she has just experienced a shock of some kind.
“Doctor,” Lenaris said, “do you have something to report?”
“Sirs, First Minister, pardon my interruption, but I’ve finally completed the autopsy report on Minister Shakaar.”
“And?” Asarem prompted from the viewscreen.
“First Minister, my preliminary examination showed none of this, but upon a detailed scan of the body, I discovered two anomalies that I cannot explain. Shakaar’s brain and nervous system contained an alien biochemical, which I’ve now identified conclusively as isoboramine.”
Everyone in the room looked at her blankly except Gandres. The Trill ambassador seemed stunned. “That’s impossible.”
“I ran the tests four times, Ambassador,” Girani said. “There’s no mistake.”
“And what is isoboramine?”Asarem asked.
“It’s the unique neurotransmitter that facilitates the integration of host and symbiont in a joined Trill,” Girani said.
Akaar’s eyebrows went up.
Asarem positively stammered. “Doctor, are you…are you saying Shakaar wasjoined?”
“He couldn’t have been,” Gandres insisted. “Only Trill can be joined to symbionts.”
“That is not entirely true, Ambassador,” Akaar said, pacing the room thoughtfully. “Starfleet is aware of at least one instance in which a Terran served as host to a symbiont, at least temporarily, and under extraordinary circumstances.” The admiral turned to Girani. “However, if Shakaar was somehow joined, then there would be a symbiont in his abdominal cavity. Was there, Doctor?”
“No, sir,” the doctor said. “Despite the presence of isoboramine, Minister Shakaar’s abdominal cavity showed no indication of ever carrying a symbiont.”
Akaar scowled. He felt as if all the pieces were there, but the picture eluded him. There was something familiar about all this…but what?
“However,” Girani continued, “a microcellular scan of the wounddid reveal traces of symbiont DNA. Or something very much like a symbiont.”
“What do you mean, in the wound?” Gandres asked. “The wound was to his neck.”
Akaar froze, the realization hitting him like a kligat.He looked up at the face of Gandres, at those of the Bajorans around him and the first minister on the screen, and suddenly he knew that everything about the situation had changed. Blood of my father, not this. Not again…
“Admiral,”Asarem said, watching Akaar carefully. “What is it? You know what this is, don’t you?”
“First Minister,” Akaar said, “I fear that I do.”
Akaar walked into the infirmary’s isolation ward, where Hiziki Gard lay stretched out on a biobed, seeming to study the ceiling. His eyes didn’t move to acknowledge Akaar as the admiral stopped at the foot of the bed.
“I will come right to the point. I know why Shakaar was killed. We found traces of foreign DNA in his neck. We also found a match in the Starfleet database. Shakaar was host to a parasite, one of the creatures who infiltrated Starfleet twelve years ago and attempted to take over the Federation. The same species as the creature that a joint team of Starfleet and Trill civilian scientists encountered a century before.”
Gard said nothing, just continued to stare straight ahead.
“What are you protecting?” Akaar persisted. “Why continue this subterfuge?” Again Gard refused to answer. Akaar slammed his hand on the edge of the biobed and stepped around it, leaning in close. “If these creatures have indeed returned, then they threaten all of us. This is about more than just Trill.”
Gard’s eyes suddenly met the admiral’s. “You’re wrong, Akaar. This is all about Trill, from beginning to end.”
“Tell me how.”
“Why ask me? You know about the previous encounters. You have the DNA. So you already know the truth: outward appearances notwithstanding, the symbionts of Trill and the parasites are essentially the same species.”
“I don’t know enough,” Akaar said. “How long was the parasite controlling him?”
“Months,” Gard answered. “We believe he became infected at some point during his diplomatic trip to the Federation. Unlike most symbionts, parasites completely dominate their hosts. They don’t even access the hosts’ long-term memories. That’s how your people detected them during the last incursion, but only after they’d already overplayed their hand. There are also subtle indications in behavior and body language, but these are more difficult to detect. That’s why I was called in. I’ve spent many lifetimes specializing in the behavioral psychology of joined beings. I was sent to DS9 specifically to evaluate Shakaar, and if our suspicions were correct, to deal with the matter.”
“But what did the creature want from Shakaar? What was it trying to do?”
Gard arched an eyebrow. “To take Bajor into the Federation. Isn’t that obvious?”
“But why Bajor?”
Gard shrugged. “A new direction of attack, perhaps? Infiltrate the Federation through a single species? Maybe to manipulate the sociopolitical landscape in this region as a prelude to some grander scheme? Take your pick. The only way to stop whatever plan they had was to stop Shakaar from signing the agreement, but in such a way that Federation unity couldn’t go forward.”
“That’s why you waited until the signing ceremony,” Akaar realized. “But why was it necessary to kill him?”
“He’d been infected too long. There was no longer a way to free him from the parasite. To all intents and purposes, Shakaar Edon was already dead.”
“Are we still in danger?”
“Oh, yes.”
“You said you were sent to DS9,” Akaar continued. “Is Trill behind this?”
Gard smiled. “That depends on who you ask.”
Akaar turned away, emotions seething. Finally he spun back around and grabbed the folds of Gard’s tunic in his great fists. “Do you think this is a game?”
“I’m growing weary of you, Akaar,” Gard said quietly. “You think you’re old? Believe me, you don’t know what old is. I’ve died more times than I can remember. Next to me, you’re a newborn. So don’t think you can intimidate me.”
Akaar slowly released Gard, but the two men continued to stare at each other. Finally the admiral said, “Gryphonis on its way to Trill.”
That seemed to give Gard pause. “Why?”
“Captain Mello believed they had detected the energy signature of a cloaked vessel, heading in the direction of Trill. We assumed it was you, so she set out in pursuit of it.” Akaar watched the shock seep into Gard’s face. “But if you are here, then it begs the question…what is Gryphonchasing?”
Gard did not respond at once. Clearly he had not expected the news. So the Jem’Hadar was right, and Gard had heard only part of Akaar’s conversation with Mello.“If what you’re telling me is true, then you’ve all been duped. Captain Mello is being manipulated by the same kind of creature that controlled Shakaar. Gryphonis going to Trill for one reason: to retaliate. Not for the death of Shakaar, but the thing that was inside him.