“An early-warning network?” Jetanien offered.
Reyes nodded. “Think about it. Our outposts along the Neutral Zone are covered with sensors and monitoring devices that all point into Romulan space, monitoring for signs of activity on the other side of the border. It’s the same basic concept.”
“Such a deployment of similar assets would presuppose something of extreme value or importance located within the system,” Xiong said.
“Something important enough to control the orbits of thirteen moons?” Reyes asked. “Yeah, I think that might be a possibility, Lieutenant.” Frowning, he turned to T’Prynn. “What about the carrier wave? We already think it was some kind of warning signal. This would fit in with what I’m proposing.”
“Assuming your theory has any basis in reality,” the Vulcan replied, “the signal we intercepted would be a form of communication, either between the planets or something intended for other locations.”
“Something automated,” Xiong said, “perhaps designed to be triggered in reaction to a specific event or set of events.” Looking to the others, he added, “We are talking about a race of beings able to change the course of astral bodies and who apparently were genetic engineers of the first order. What precisely would they have to fear? It would have to be something rather uncommon, and therefore rare in occurrence.”
Reyes shrugged. “Maybe the warning, if that’s even what it was, is just one kind of signal. Seems to me if they’d gone to the trouble to communicate between distant points in space, they’d want to do it for all sorts of reasons.”
“An interesting theory,” T’Prynn said. If Reyes’s hypothesis was correct, it presupposed a race of beings possessing technology and power beyond that of any species ever encountered, even more advanced than what already was theorized just based on what she and her companions knew of the meta-genome. Logic suggested that the originators of all that had been found by Lieutenant Xiong and his teams to this point were long dead, which meant that their vast storehouse of superior knowledge remained hidden, concealed deep within the Taurus Reach, waiting for someone to find it.
Submit!
The force behind the directive caught her off guard, Sten’s katraasserting itself once more and all but drowning out the question Reyes put to Jetanien. She did not hear the commodore’s words, instead marshaling all of her mental disciplines to beat back the essence of her long-dead fiancé.
Leave me alone!
The command pressed into the dark, distant corners of her mind even as T’Prynn forced herself to remain standing as she was, schooling her features to offer no clue to the others in the room that anything was amiss. A quick glance to her companions showed that her efforts had been successful, as Reyes and the ambassador were continuing their conversation while Lieutenant Xiong watched and listened.
“The Tholians must know something,” Jetanien was saying. “It’s the only logical explanation for their actions to this point. That said, I do not believe they are aware of their own apparent connection to what we’ve found.” He rolled his shoulders while emitting a new string of clicks. “Based on my contacts with them to date, if they do know more than they are revealing to us, then they are by far the most consummate actors it has ever been my privilege to watch perform.”
Folding his arms across his chest, Reyes said, “Well, I think we can agree that they’ve got some of the best poker faces at the table.” He smiled at his own poor joke before beginning to pace the length of his office. “Mr. Xiong, I suppose you know what your next assignment is going to be?”
The lieutenant nodded. “Yes, sir. A visit to the Jinoteur system.”
“Eventually,” Reyes countered. “I want that place given a complete once-over before we send you and your team in. Whatever’s making use of the technology we’re finding on these planets, they’ve been a step ahead of us for weeks, and that has to change. We got lucky on Erilon, but we can’t count on that happening again.”
“Our efforts should be on learning how to access that technology ourselves,” T’Prynn added. “Mr. Xiong has already provided us with valuable insight in that regard. It is my opinion that his talents can best be utilized to continue that investigation.”
“Absolutely,” Jetanien said. “I would also add that determining the identity of our mysterious interloper from Erilon would also be of benefit. If there are others like him, it’s crucial we find them before our enemies do.”
“There’s that gift for understatement again,” Reyes said as he made his way back behind his desk. “Well, I think we’ve got more than enough to chew on for one day. If there are no objections, I’d like to go to my quarters and slip into a coma.”
Following Jetanien out of the commodore’s office, T’Prynn was careful to keep her hands clasped behind her back, hoping as she passed Xiong that the lieutenant would not notice any traces of green blood she was certain seeped from between her fingers.
You are mine.
I would rather die.
Death will not free you.
“Commander,” Xiong said from behind her. “Are you all right?”
Turning to face the younger officer, T’Prynn regarded him with as stoic an expression as she could muster. “I beg your pardon?”
Xiong seemed overcome by a bout of nervousness, no doubt owing to his inexperience in dealing with members of the opposite gender, she decided. “You seem…unwell.”
Her posture stiffening, T’Prynn replied, “I am fine. If you will excuse me, I must return to my duties.”
“Yes, of course,” Xiong replied, nodding. “I meant no offense.”
“Offense is a human emotion, Lieutenant,” she replied. Seeing the expression on his face and realizing the words had been delivered with more of an edge than she had intended, she added, “That said, your inquiry is appreciated. Good evening.”
She watched him depart, waiting until she was alone and none of the other personnel on duty in the operations center appeared to be looking in her direction before finally bringing her hands around so that she could see them.
Other than the impressions made by her manicured nails, there were no visible injuries or blemishes.
Submit,Sten goaded again, his katrafeeling like a physical weight pressing down upon her mind.
Meditation,T’Prynn decided as she turned on her heel and marched toward the turbolift. That was what she required now. Once more she called upon the mental exercises taught to her by the Adepts. Fatigue and the need to constantly focus on her myriad and demanding duties had caused her to lose the focus that was vital to keeping her fiancé contained within the cage she had erected for him within the depths of her mind. Her lapse had allowed Sten to escape that prison, and it was now time to pummel him back into it.
You will never know peace, so long as you resist me,he said.
Then I shall never know peace.
T’Prynn opened her eyes, only to discover that she no longer was in the operations center. Looking around, she was alarmed to find herself standing in what she recognized as a corridor within the apartment complex located in Stars Landing, Vanguard’s civilian residential and commercial area. The carpeted deck, the walls painted in muted colors, and the irregular placement of plants and artwork lent the passageway an air distinctly different from that of the passageways connecting the quarters assigned to the station’s Starfleet contingent.
She held no memory of the turbolift ride down from operations, or of how she had come to be here, either on foot or via the subshuttle tube encircling Fontana Meadow.
Fascinating.