Part 4 (2/2)

”You haven't done that already?” Kellec sounded shocked. ”We explained how important quarantine was.”

”I've done what was needed,” Dukat said. He wasn't about to admit that he hadn't done a full quarantine on Terok Nor.

”Do more,” Kellec snapped.

”You're out of line, Bajoran,” Dukat said.

Kellec tilted his head. ”What are you going to do to me? Kill me?”

Dukat froze, then forced himself to breathe, hoping Kellec hadn't seen the expression on his face. Kellec had hit something Dukat hadn't realized: If the surviving Bajorans believed they had nothing left to lose, if they believed they would die anyway, they might rebel in ways that the Carda.s.sians couldn't stop, particularly if his people were ill. He would become the gul not just of a station that succ.u.mbed to a plague, but a station in which all the Carda.s.sians were overthrown before the plague took everyone out.

”I wouldn't be so smug, Kellec,” Dukat said. ”You blame my people for this disease, but yours could just as easily be responsible. Your rebels are sometimes willing to die for what they believe in. They might think: If a few Bajorans die to rid the universe of the Carda.s.sians, that is not such a great price.”

”My people aren't the ones attempting genocide,” Kellec said. ”Yours are.”

”If we were attempting genocide,” Dukat said, ”your people would all be dead by now. Don't you see that Carda.s.sian rule is better for you than leaving you to your own devices?”

”I'm sure it is,” Kellec said. ”My people are so happy processing your precious uridium.”

”Please,” Narat said. ”Please. Both our peoples are dying. Can't we stop recriminations for a few moments and just concentrate on saving lives?”

”It is not in Gul Dukat's nature to save lives,” Kellec said.

”That's right,” Dukat said sarcastically. ”That's why you're on the station. Because I have not a thread of compa.s.sion in my system.” ”Stop this!” Narat shouted. ”Now!”

Both Dukat and Kellec turned to him. Dukat had never seen Narat so fl.u.s.tered. Not even when his medical section was filled with casualties all needing his attention did Narat look this distressed.

”We have to find a way to destroy this disease,” Narat said, ”or we will all die. Bajoran, Carda.s.sian, it doesn't matter. The virus doesn't seem to care. And neither can we. We have to work together.”

He stood. He was of the same height as Dukat, but his back was hunched after years of studying and researching, bending over computers and lab specimens. Narat had served as a field medic, but he had never been a soldier. His body lacked the rigid discipline that Dukat's had.

”I know you realize how serious this is,” Narat said to Dukat, ”but I don't think you realize the scale. People are dying on Bajor as well. It will only be a matter of time before this spreads to Carda.s.sia Prime. We may have spread it there in our ore freighters. Kellec and I do not know, and we can't even hazard a guess. We don't know how long this thing incubates. We may have contracted this disease from Bajor months ago, and may have been spreading it to Carda.s.sia Prime all this time. Or even farther. We don't know.”

Dukat took a deep breath. He hadn't thought of that. ”I can't do anything about that,” he said. ”Central Command knows we have sick Bajorans here, and that the disease has spread to our people. They know the extent of the disease on Bajor. They will have to work out the rest of it themselves.”

”I'm not telling you this so that you do anything about Carda.s.sia Prime,” Narat said, ”although if 1 knew of something you could do, I would tell you. No.

I'm telling you this because Kellec and I need help.

We have been treating sick patients and trying to find a cure for this disease. We are making progress, but it's not enough, and it's not fast enough. The more minds we have working on this, the better.”

”You can link with doctors and researchers all over Carda.s.sia,” Dukat said.

”It's not enough,” Kellec said. ”We've contacted Bajor as well, and the physicians there are as tired and as stumped as we are.”

Dukat sensed they already had a solution. They were simply preparing him to hear it. Which meant he wouldn't like it.

”I have heard rumors,” Kellec said, ”that the Federation dealt with a virulent cross-species disease recently, and found a way to contain it.”

”You heard this-what, a few hours ago, when you received that wonderfully sweet message from your ex-wife?”

Kellec flushed. Good, Dukat thought. The doctor had gotten a bit too arrogant for Dukat's tastes. It was good to give him a bit of his own medicine.

”No.” Kellec was obviously struggling to maintain his composure. ”I knew of this before.” ”So why didn't you ask her about it?”

”Because I thought someone might be listening in,” Kellec snapped.

”But,” Narat said quickly, ”the contact did give us an idea.”

So, Narat was going to present this idea. And he was going to present it as his own as well as Kellec's.

”I'm waiting,” Dukat said.

”Kellec's ex-wife, Dr. Katherine Pulaski, is one of the Federation's best doctors. She is currently not a.s.signed anywhere.”

”If she's one of the best, why doesn't she have an a.s.signment?” ”She will,” Kellec said. ”The Federation is arguing within itself. There's too much demand for her services.”

”So how does this apply to us?” Dukat asked.

”We'd like to bring her here. Have her work with us, and focus on the research itself,” Narat said.

”No,” Dukat said. ”I will not have the Federation here.”

”She wouldn't come as part of the Federation,” Kellec said. ”I could ask her to come for a family emergency.”

”No,” Dukat said again. ”She's Federation. And I will not have them here.” How many times did he have to repeat himself?.

”Don't say no yet, Dukat,” Narat said. ”There's another, quite compelling, reason I think we should go with this plan.”

Dukat crossed his arms. All he needed was the Federation to get its hooks into this place. They'd been looking for ways for years to discredit the Carda.s.sians. This would be a first step. ”What's your compelling reason?” ”She's human,” Narat said.

Dukat shrugged. ”Chances are, she will not get this plague.” ”So?” Dukat asked.

Narat put a hand on Dukat's arm. ”Think of it. Right now, you have Kellec and me working on a cure for this disease. We can't keep up with both the research and caring for the patients. If one of us succ.u.mbs or, even worse, if both of us do, that's effectively signing a death warrant for you, Terok Nor, and all of Bajor.”

Dukat stared at Narat's hand until Narat moved it. ”We'll send for someone from Carda.s.sia Prime, then,” Dukat said. ”But would they come'?”

Narat's question hung between them for a moment. Dukat didn't have an answer. Or maybe he did and didn't want to face it. What would he do, if he were on Carda.s.sia Prime and making decisions from there? He wouldn't see the death, wouldn't smell it. The lives here would be statistics, except for the handful of people he knew, and even then, he would have to evaluate their importance to Carda.s.sia. Coldly.

He closed his eyes. In that situation, he would ask himself: Is it worth sending a needed doctor or medical researcher off Carda.s.sia Prime on a mission that may or may not succeed? Or would he be better off letting everyone die and letting the plague die with them? Then, after some time had elapsed and someone had discovered a cure, sending in a cleaning crew and beginning all over again?

He knew the answer to that. He knew it. He would do the most efficient job he could, the one that would bring the best results. If Central Command saw what this disease did, they would do anything they could to keep it from coming to Carda.s.sia Prime. They would help from the surface, but they would not send help. It would be too dangerous to send help.

Dukat sighed and opened his eyes. ”All right,” he said. ”Send for the woman. But do it unofficially, as a family emergency, just as you suggested.” ”Can she bring a.s.sistants?” Kellec asked.

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