Part 19 (1/2)
”This?” asked Ro, reaching under some leaves and drawing out the high-tech whip.
”Precisely,” replied the android, taking the weapon from her. ”It is a fascinating device, but I am unfamiliar with its operation.”
”Perhaps,” Gregg Calvert suggested, ”we could try it out on Doctor Drayton.”
Even bound and gagged, the doctor squirmed fiercely.
Suddenly a beep sounded in Data's pocket. He made a quizzical expression and reached in to remove the hand-held communicator given to him by President Oscaras. He opened it and answered, ”Data here.”
”This is President Oscaras,” bellowed an arrogant voice. ”We are completely in charge of the planet, and we ask you to turn yourself in. Also, do you know the whereabouts of Ensign Ro, Gregg and Myra Calvert, and Doctor Drayton?”
”Yes,” answered Data honestly. But that was all the information he furnished.
”We won't harm you,” said Oscaras, ”if you turn yourselves in.”
The android replied, ”That promise does not correspond with the events I just witnessed. What was the purpose of attacking our party and the Klingons?”
”That's simple,” answered Oscaras. ”To put the Klingons on trial.”
”For what crime?”
”Murder.”
Data asked, ”If you found them guilty of murder, what would be their punishment?”
”We expect to hang them.”
”Are you aware,” the android replied, ”that capital punishment is forbidden in the Federation, according to the second directive?”
”Yes,” answered Oscaras, ”and we expect to withdraw from the Federation now that we have stabilized Selva.”
”I see,” said Data. ”If you are going to withdraw from the Federation, then you have no reason to detain Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Worf. I request that you release them immediately.”
”As soon as the trial is over,” Oscaras agreed. ”We'll release you, too.”
”I am not in custody,” answered Data, ”and I do not intend to be.”
”Can I talk to him?” asked Gregg Calvert.
Data nodded and handed the communicator to the former security chief of New Reykjavik. He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. ”This is Calvert,” he said.
”Gregg!” thundered Oscaras. ”Come back to us. Our dream has been fulfilled-we finally captured the savages! You should be here with us, not against us.”
”Oscaras,” muttered the blond man, ”I used to respect you, but now I realize you're an idiot. I'm begging you-let them all go and call back the Enterprise. If you act now, there may be time to save New Reykjavik. The way you're going, you'll just destroy it.”
”You can't defy me!” bellowed the president. ”I'm completely in charge of Selva. Turn yourself in, and we can make this planet the paradise we set out to make it.”
”By hanging a bunch of children and defying the Federation?” Gregg shook his head. ”That's no way to found a civilization. When the Enterprise doesn't hear from its away team they'll come back, and Data still has his communicator. You can't keep this a secret.”
Ensign Ro could almost envision the apoplectic expression on Raul Oscaras's face as he shouted, ”If you don't stand with us, you stand against us! I'll come out there myself and get you!”
”Yeah, come and get us, you fat windbag. You couldn't find your nose with your finger!” He snapped the communicator shut.
Myra chuckled, but Data asked, ”Was that wise, antagonizing him?”
”Yes, it was, if you want to free your friends. If we can get him to lead a large party out to find us, we can go back in there and free your people and the Klingons.”
”How will we do that?” asked Data.
”The same way we escaped,” answered Calvert. He took a couple steps and threw open the trapdoor that led to Drayton's tunnel. ”We have a private entrance.”
Worf awoke in an angry mood, made angrier by the fact that his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound by tough polymer cord. He struggled for almost a minute before he realized it was futile; only then did he take time to study his surroundings. He was lying on the floor in somebody's private quarters, and Counselor Troi was lying on the bed, bound in a similar fas.h.i.+on. She appeared to be still unconscious.
”Counselor!” he called. ”Counselor Troi!” he barked hoa.r.s.ely.
She moaned, then began to stir. Gradually she came to, only to make her own disheartening discovery of their predicament. She rolled over to face him, her black hair matted against a grimy cheek.
”Worf,” she groaned. ”We made a terrible mistake. We led them into an ambush.”
”They call us savages,” he spat. ”The settlers never intended to make peace-only to betray us.”
”Have you talked to any of them?” she asked. ”Where are we?”
”Somebody's quarters. I haven't seen anybody but you. They took our comm badges, and I don't know where Turrok and the others are. For all I know, they may be dead.”
”We have to talk to them,” Deanna insisted. ”We have to make them see reason.”
”Reason,” he scoffed. ”Revenge is all they want.” With all the volume he could muster, Worf yelled, ”Release us! Release us now! I demand it!”
The door opened, and President Oscaras entered, accompanied by a man who kept a phaser rifle trained on them. Worf did nothing to hide his hateful glare.
”I hear you, Mister Worf,” said Oscaras, ”there's no reason to shout. I apologize for the precautions we have to take, but this is a moment we've been planning for ten months. We don't want anything to go wrong.”
”I'm the one tied up,” seethed the Klingon, ”but you're the one who's in trouble. Release us now. I demand it!”
Oscaras scowled. ”You're in no position to demand anything, do you understand me?” He turned to Deanna and said with more sympathy, ”I do apologize for this treatment, Counselor Troi, but we allowed Ensign Ro and a traitor to be untied, and they escaped. If I have your a.s.surance you won't try to escape, I will arrange for you to be untied.”
”I would keep my word,” she replied, ”but I don't believe a promise means anything to you.”
Oscaras's lips thinned under his salt-and-pepper beard. ”You've never understood the h.e.l.l we've gone through here. If I took a knife and slit Lieutenant Worf's throat, do you think I should escape punishment? If I attacked peaceful people for no reason, should I escape punishment?”
”You did attack us for no reason,” barked Worf, ”and you won't escape punishment!”
”Lieutenant Worf, I tire of you.” Oscaras frowned. ”I fear you have more in common with those murderous savages than with the people you claim to serve.” He motioned to his henchman. ”If he talks again, stun him.”
Deanna had seen the big Klingon angry before, but never quite like this. He looked as if he could bite through the cords that tied his legs and wrists, if only he could only get his teeth on them.
”You have us at your mercy,” she said calmly, ”and there's no reason to torment us. What are your intentions?”
”There will be a trial,” answered the president. ”A murder trial. We wish to hold it as quickly as possible and to resolve everything before the Enterprise returns. But first we have to find Ensign Ro, Commander Data, and one or two traitors who escaped. I'm afraid you will both have to remain bound until we return.”