Atonement (39 page)

“Acknowledged
,” Decan replied.

“A wise precaution, Counselor,” the Doctor said.

“I didn't call him here to check on you,” Cambridge said.

“Then . . . who?” the Doctor asked.

Cambridge turned to Lieutenant Barclay.

•   •   •   •   •

Lieutenant Barclay didn't know whether to be insulted or complimented by the counselor's accusation. Decan arrived within moments, along with an armed detachment of six officers. Once he understood the nature of the counselor's question, the Vulcan advised him that Reginald Barclay's mind was his own. Cambridge then ordered Barclay to lower the force field and Decan assured the Doctor that he sensed nothing unusual from his program.

As the group made their way to the astrometrics lab to put their commanding officers to the same test, Cambridge explained. “While I would have been surprised if Lieutenant Barclay had been compromised, it was possible. It was safe to assume, Doctor, based on your actions before the energy surge, that your program was functioning as best it can. Since then, Lieutenant Barclay is the only officer who has worked on your program and had you been housing an entirely separate consciousness, I can't imagine that it would have escaped his detection. Had
he
been taken by Xolani, however, he would likely have attempted to cast doubt upon you, particularly given the emergence of these new memories, in order to buy himself some time. He did not, but I had to be sure.”

“By that logic, you might have easily come under suspicion as well,” the Doctor suggested to Cambridge.

“Were I the imposter, do you think I would have brought one of the only people on the ship who could unmask me to sickbay?”

The discussion ended abruptly as the group entered astrometrics. Admiral Janeway, Captain Chakotay, Commander
Torres, Lieutenant Kim, and General Mattings were all present. Before the counselor responded to their obvious question, he waited for Lieutenant Decan to observe each of them silently for a few moments.

“Patience, please,” Cambridge requested.

When Decan shook his head, Cambridge finally said, “It appears that the virus Commander Torres found was a Seriareen consciousness known as Xolani.”

“What?” Torres demanded.

The Doctor quickly explained the chain of events that had led to this conclusion, to the mounting horror of everyone assembled.

Chakotay had just raised his hand to tap his combadge when Admiral Janeway said, “Wait.”

“We need to take the ship to red alert, Admiral,” Chakotay said. “Decan and Lasren should begin an immediate search. Nothing takes priority above finding this potential intruder.”

“You're right,” Janeway said. “But, you were also right when you suggested that Lsia is many moves ahead of us. It won't take long for rumors of this search to spread throughout the crew, possibly alerting this intruder to our suspicions and forcing him to take some precipitous action before we can find him.” Turning to Decan, she said, “Begin your search with the senior officers. Captain, take Lieutenant Kim and the general back to the bridge, provide Lieutenant Lasren with a security team, coordinate with Decan. Lasren should start with the bridge officers. But let's do this
quietly.
It's our best chance of finding Xolani without tipping our hand.”

Chakotay nodded. “Let's assume the worst for a minute. Let's say Xolani has compromised a key crewmember. If his intention was to turn control of the ship over to Lsia, he may already know we found his program and deleted it.”

“He'd be looking for another way to accomplish his goal,” Janeway said.

“And if he found it?”

Janeway said, evenly, “We analyze whatever modifications he's made.”

“B'Elanna
and Lieutenant Conlon are our best hope for finding a technological solution. Should worse come to worst, I'm going to leave that in your capable hands, Admiral.”

Janeway smiled. “While you focus on our tactical response?”

“Yes.”

“Agreed,” Janeway said. “The only way to eliminate this Xolani is to force him out of the body he is currently inhabiting and back into containment. But as it stands right now, we can't do that without exposing the rest of the crew to possible possession.”

“How many canisters did Commander Glenn give us?”

“Five. Lieutenant Barclay has the spare.”

“Okay,” Chakotay said.

“I'm going to have a little chat with Lsia,” Janeway said. “There might still be time to convince her of the error of her ways and enlist her aid in separating Xolani from anyone he might have taken.”

“Doctor, Counselor, Lieutenant Barclay, return to sickbay,” Chakotay ordered. “I realize, Doctor, you've given up hope of separating Emem, Tirrit, or Adaeze from their hosts, but we're talking about one of our own. Whoever it is, they might not have been compromised for long. The general discovered some ancient references that suggested individuals might have had some success in fighting Seriareen possession. I'd be willing to bet that any of our people who were attacked would have resisted. If it's only been a few days or less, the consciousness might still be struggling to control its host. We have baseline scans on the entire crew. I want this thing removed from the body it has taken immediately.”

“I will do my best, Captain,” the Doctor said.

“Reg, Hugh,” Chakotay added, “make sure nothing compromises the Doctor's program.”

“Understood,” Cambridge replied as Barclay nodded mutely.

Chakotay, Kim, and Mattings moved briskly to the doors. The Doctor and Cambridge followed. Janeway was speaking quietly to Decan. Barclay paused, waiting for their discussion to end.

“Decan?” Torres interjected softly as soon as the admiral
dismissed him. Barclay noted how pale and still her face had become. She looked like someone who knew they were about to receive terrible news.

“Yes, Commander.”

“We're going to start your search in main engineering.”

Decan looked to Janeway, who nodded.

With that, they departed, leaving Barclay alone with the admiral.

“Admiral,” he began hesitantly, “I know you understand how dangerous Lsia is.”

“I think I do,” Janeway replied.

“I have already placed a containment canister in her cell. An intense enough electromagnetic charge within the cell would overload her holographic matrix.”

“You're suggesting I kill her now?” Janeway asked.

“She's a hologram,” Barclay replied. “The only part of her that's real
can't
be killed.”

“But the charge would also disable her cell's force field and the anti-psionic field. If they fall, there's no way to ensure that Lsia's consciousness would move into containment. Any of us would become vulnerable.”

“As plans go, it has its limitations,” Barclay conceded. “But she's done enough damage, hasn't she?”

Janeway nodded. “Yes. But I'm not willing to risk more than I have to in order to destroy Lsia.”

“I am,” Barclay admitted.

“Focus on taking care of the Doctor, and leave the rest to me,” Janeway ordered.

Barclay nodded and followed her out. They parted ways at the turbolift as he hurried to join the Doctor in sickbay and prepare for the worst.

•   •   •   •   •

The moment Admiral Janeway entered the brig, Lsia knew that the end had come. She had seen the admiral angry, disappointed, and defiant. This was the first time she had seen Kathryn Janeway pushed beyond the possibility of mercy.

The admiral came right to the point.

“You've lied to me,” she said simply.

Behind her, Emem had risen to his feet in his cell. Lsia suspected that Tirrit and Adaeze had already done the same.

“I have done what I thought best to secure my people's future,” Lsia replied. “Surely you cannot fault me for that.”

“I agreed to help you. We've discovered an interesting energy field out here in the wastes, along with the wreckage of the first ships you sent out here to try and locate Seriar. Our people assure me that we can safely traverse the field. We might be only hours away from finding the answers you are seeking. But that wasn't enough for you.”

“Admiral, your courage is undeniable, and your crew's ingenuity does you credit. But you have yet to live a single full life. I've lived dozens, as have my companions. Don't take it too hard. There are limits to what you can conceive. In time, we will show you the truths that lay beyond your limits. You need not fear us. But you
will
follow us.”

Janeway smiled mirthlessly. “I've been told by my superior officers that I sometimes have difficulty following orders I don't agree with. I don't see that changing under new management.”

“For your sake and that of your crew, you should reconsider,” Lsia said.

“My crew,” Janeway said calmly. “There's a great deal I might be willing to come to terms with, but an attack on my people is not one of them. You promised me that the slaughter of innocents that you refer to as a ‘consciousness transfer' had come to an end. But that wasn't true. You have compromised one of my officers. I can't allow that to stand. Our former agreement is hereby rescinded. You presided over the transfer of Xolani's consciousness into the bioneural systems of the shuttle you stole. That means that the
word
you would use to sever the connection between him and any host is known only to you.”

Lsia remained silent, stilling her anticipation.

“You will tell me that word so that we may attempt to safely separate Xolani from his current host.”

“And if I do?”

“That
will depend entirely on the success of our efforts to save the life of the individual you have taken.”

“Very well,” Lsia said. “
Tryshanthal.
”

The force field separating Lsia from the admiral suddenly blinked out of existence. As soon as it did, Lsia
felt
as if an unbearable, constant pressure had been lifted from her mind. The anti-psionic field Janeway had trusted to safeguard her people had fallen along with the cell's energy barrier.

Lsia smiled, not in victory, but in acknowledgment that this holographic body she had chosen was becoming much more than a malleable form. Finally, the sensations she had desperately missed were returning, and with them came a rush of fierce joy.

Janeway immediately stepped back. “Lieutenant,” she said sharply to the brig officer. “Restore the force field.”

Emem had already stepped out of his cell and placed his hands on Janeway's upper arms, securing her. “It's too late for that, Admiral,” he said softly, relishing this moment as surely as Lsia did. “Your ship is now ours to command.”

Janeway attempted to shake him off, but his grip was too strong.

The lieutenant raised his phaser and aimed it at Emem. Janeway felt Emem's grip tighten and feared he was about to use her as a human shield. A heartbeat later, the brig officer fired.

Nothing happened.

Almost simultaneously, Janeway bent her elbow and tapped her combadge, saying, “Janeway to Captain Chakotay.”

No response.

Lsia stepped out of her cell, her head held high. “Naturally, I have taken certain precautions. Your weapons are now inhibited by a dampening field. Your internal communications have been restricted to me and my companions. Your primary and auxiliary systems will no longer accept commands without my authorization, including navigation.”

“How thorough of you,” Janeway noted.

“I have had a great deal of time to think,” Lsia reminded her. “You
once said that your greatest wish was for our people to resolve their differences without further bloodshed. Is that still true, or does it only apply when you possess the upper hand in a negotiation?”

“As I said before, our earlier understanding no longer applies. However, we will resolve our differences with a minimum of bloodshed, if possible.”

Lsia smiled condescendingly. “Admiral, you understand that any aggressive action taken against me or my people will only result in further loss of life.”

“I do.”

“Then would you be so kind as to accompany us to the bridge?”

PALAIS DE LA CONCORDE

G
rowing up, Commander Tom Paris had attended plenty of First Contact Day events. He had stood in his father's shadow, conscious of the silent expectations that followed him like a spectre everywhere he went. That demon had grown to mammoth proportions by the time he'd entered the Academy and first tasted the exquisite discomfort of a full-dress uniform.

Today he moved among a thousand other officers, ambassadors, and high-ranking members of the Federation Council. The uniform was as uncomfortable as ever, but the ghost of presumptions past no longer dogged his steps. The path he had forged for himself had been circuitous, treacherous, and uncertain, but it had brought him to a place where he could finally stand unapologetic among his peers.

Whether that would still be true in a few hours was another matter.

His mother maneuvered through the press of people milling casually about with practiced ease. She carried herself like approachable royalty, warm in her greetings. She had a staggering knowledge of guests' names, along with their spouses' and children's in many cases. Any notable event in their lives was commented upon with appropriate grace—
a well-earned promotion, Commander . . . you have my deepest sympathies on your loss, Captain . . . your sixth grandchild, Madam Ambassador? How proud you must be—
and was received with matching cordiality. Many took a few moments to say kind things about Owen Paris and to note how proud he would be to see his son following in his footsteps.

Paris and his mother had done this complicated dance without misstep for more than an hour when Julia directed him toward a set of doors near the rear of the hall. They were guarded by a pair of security officers detailed to President Bacco. Everyone in the room was anticipating the president's entrance. As soon as the president's party arrived—Bacco, Admiral Akaar, and T'Saen, the Vulcan ambassador to the Federation—they would formally receive all of their guests before the ceremony began in the adjacent dining hall.