Deception is Futile

Posted on Tue Dec 20th, 2022 @ 3:03am by Centurion Nancy Gable & Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Ashix Zirda

1,739 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Chapter VI: Racing the Storm
Location: Medical

After a rather interesting meeting with Subcommander Kaiae t'Lien, Lieutenant Lynn, and Freya Mannerheim Ashix Zirda had been approved to remain aboard this vessel, which she had learned was called the Ourainavassa, but she was uncertain for how long she would be welcome. The conversation was intense at times, but was an intriguing divergence from her only other experiences with people from this side of the galaxy. While the crew of the Voyager were intense in their own way, they did not hold a candle to the people she had met in this Quadrant so far. Perhaps the life of the Federation was different than that of the rest of the galaxy as she assumed. Perhaps, despite their post scarcity economic realm, there were still those who profited off of the weak.

She almost felt pity for these Romulans. Almost.

She pitied herself more.

Stepping into the Medical Center she wondered what would come next. She had learned that all who served on these vessels had to be checked by the vessel's medical staff. Ashix could understand the policy. She only hoped that the work that had been done to hide her Borg origins was truly as foolproof as she was told.

Hearing someone enter, the doctor got up and headed for the entrance. She looked over the newcomer - no obvious cuts, bruises or signs of inebriation, which put them ahead of most of the cases she'd seen lately. Also, the face was not familiar and not Romulan. "Hello. I'm Dr. Gable. I take it someone convinced you to sign on."

Ashix gave a subtle, almost imperceptible, nod to the comment. "I had nowhere else to go, really."

Another stray... I wonder which one of them picked this up? Nancy thought. "Okay then, up on the biobed and I'll check you over. Before I begin, are there any issues I should know about?"

"Probably a million or so, but I'll let you be the judge," she answered with a hint of sarcasm.

Nancy cocked an eyebrow. "I'd advise against starting out on the wrong side of your doctor, especially by not being honest."

"Best listen on that point," a man called from a biobed where was semi-reclined and looking less than happy about it.

"Damn straight," Nancy shot back and pointed at him. "Hide an injury and you'll find yourself on 'time out' like the big dumb blonde there."

Arnason frowned at her. "I wasn't hiding anything. It just wasn't that serious. And I'm -"

"A nurse, which means you do NOT get to question doctor's orders," Nancy cut in firmly, then smirked at him. "Especially since you have a history of deciding you aren't injured enough to NOT throw yourself into trouble. This time, you're staying in that bed until I say those ribs are healed."

The man dropped his head back resignedly, then rolled it to give Ashix a half amused if long-suffering look. "Like I said, best not to irritate the grumpy doctor."

The Sikarian looked at the other patient, wondering how he would react if he overheard the findings that she had been formerly Borg. To be honest she wondered how the doctor would react too. If the implants could be recovered they were worth their weight in latinum throughout the galaxy. It was funny to her that Borg technology, while scary as Hell, was so highly revered within the cosmos.

"Scan away, Doctor."

"Okay then." Nancy nodded and began her scans. After so many years as a doctor in Starfleet and then working with Romulans - both groups known for avoiding admitting to anything short of missing limbs - she'd developed a sense of when someone was hiding something and her gut was telling her this person was. She halfway expected that Arnason had picked up the same vibe (takes one to know one after all...) "You have quick a lot of denser scar tissue in various places. You must have undergone extensive surgery for something?"

Which time? She thought to herself but dare not say it. She didn't know this doctor well enough yet to go to into detail about her history, but she would put out a feeler at best. "I had some surgeries from some injuries I'd been inflicted with over the years. Some broken bones here, torn muscles there, it's hard to run a shipping business."

Uh-huh. "The indications here are beyond some broken bones and torn muscles," the doctor stated flatly. She frowned at the results and set the biobed for a more detailed scan, bringing up a map of extensive internal scarring, evidence of organ resections, and... "I haven't seen anything like this since Five of Eight."

The Sikaran paused dead in her tracks at the announcement. Another Borg? How was it possible? Mila had mentioned another xB, but the Romulans had captured almost all of the xBs and held them on that forsaken Artifact. She could feel her blood pressure rising, her fight or flight instincts naturally kicking in at the thought of another Borg. She tried to overcome, she tried to hide it, but she knew the infernal tricorder would give her away, "Borg? You have Borg working for you?"

Gable nodded, as much to herself at seeing the telltale fight-or-flight reaction lit up on her diagnostic screen as in answer to the question. "Yes. We liberated him from a pirate ship. He's in engineering if you'd like to look him up." The doctor paused, cocking a knowing eyebrow at Ashix. "After you tell me your real medical issues."

She sighed, "Is this confidential?"

Hoo boy... Arnason almost cringed at seeing the way Nancy stiffened at the question, but knew better than to say a word when she had her back up.

"I am a doctor. Of course it's confidential," Gable stated tersely. Then as if sensing his quiet observation, she shot a look at Arnason, jerking a thumb toward him. "Him too. When he's not being a bad patient, he's a nurse."

"Same ethics apply," he affirmed, offering a reassuring smile.

Ashix sighed, "Alright then. I was assimilated by the Borg after it encountered Voyager, some decades ago actually. I only recently escaped the Collective after the Sphere I was on had what is called a 'submatrix collapse' and we were cut off from the Collective to prevent the damage from spreading. I managed to escape the Sphere and regained my individuality, but I've been hunted ever since. I was lucky enough to find a doctor who was able to 'repair' me."

Blonde brows rose along with the upper body of the man on the other bed, heedless of Gable's warning glare. "The Borg are hunting you?"

"Not the Borg," she admitted, "everyone else. The nanoprobes, implants, the myriads of technologies that go into assimilation are worth a pretty penny on the black market. A drone that had been operational for over a decade is worth triple its weight in latinum."

A look of shock and pure disgust cross the man's face. Gunnar took 'Do No Harm' seriously both as a medic and as person, so the idea of murder or mutilation for profit was appalling.

Nancy, despite far less hesitation to do harm - at least to anyone threatening her patients - was with him on utter disgust at the idea of hunting sentient beings for parts. "They try that here and I'll ship their parts to the Gorn in snack boxes," she growled, her Klingon heritage making a rare showing.

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Ashix genuinely smiled. "Thank you," it was also the first time she felt like she had been truly honest in a long time. Then she told the story of her escape. She explained how she had been captured and taken to the planet Vergessen in the Hypatia system. It was a nearly uninhabitable world (its surface covered in large gaseous plumes, mountains, and fairly large clusters of plant life surrounded by bodies of liquid) but it was the location of the Seven Domes. There a Betazoid named Bjayzl ran a facility where ex-Borg were dismembered for parts. It made her sick to her stomach to share the story.

"That's horrible," Gunnar said sympathetically. He had left his imposed bed rest to come over since while Nancy was sincerely devoted to her patients, he could see the tension from suppressed outrage - emphasis on the rage part - in every line of her body. When the Betazoid butcher had been mentioned, they had exchanged a look; a silent mutual thought that the man was either devoid of telepathy or a true sadist. "I wouldn't go so far as making snack boxes for Gorn, but I know some Dosadi Imperial Marines who would relish the opportunity to shutdown an operation like that."

Gable snorted. "It'll be all you can do to keep T'Ango from going with them. And she at least would approve of turning that Ha'DIbaH into snack meat."

"A Fenris Ranger raided one of the outposts, found a Starfleet Officer who was an xB there in the process, but it was too late for him and Bjayzl had already fled," the patient explained.

The nurse closed his eyes a moment, a shadow of sorrow for the xB crossing his face, then shook his head. "We can make sure this Bjayzl is on more than one wanted list, and that the crew is aware."

"Yes." Gable nodded firmly. "And God help him if he trespasses on a vessel full of Romulans looking for places to vent their frustration and rage."

The new Operations Officer nodded, politely, wishing that it would be that simple. She feared that Bjayzl would be wanted for a long time, but knew, deep down, that one day she'd be brought to justice for her crimes. At least she hoped that she would.

"So, what's the verdict?"

"Now that I have an explanation for the odd readings," Nancy said, with a meaningful look. "You're cleared for duty."

Ashix was relieved to hear this. "Thank you, Doctor. I am looking forward to making myself useful. Is there anything else that I can do for you before I depart to learn more about my station?"

Gable shook her head. "No, but thanks for the offer. Go on and get acclimated to the ship. We're going to need all the capable hands we can get soon enough."

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