My Value Increases.....

Posted on Mon Jun 5th, 2023 @ 11:05pm by Captain Ethan De Havilland

1,252 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Ethics, Morals & The Prime Directive.
Location: Administrators Office - Colony - Eta Serpentis
Timeline: 12 hours after Dreadnought departed.

Ardon paced his office rubbing his chin, he was no fool, he knew when the deck was stacked against him only now his ruse was about to be discovered in its entirety. All the trades, the assurances, everything he'd done to keep his people safe was about to be cast under a very uncomfortable light and there was nothing they could do about it. He'd bartered scientists like chips at a table, promised works to further unethical concepts, he'd welcomed those that threatened everything to his table and he was helpless to do anything about it now.

He'd cheated, told lies, and altered information just to keep his facade going. He'd shaken hands with the devil, traded in ways that at best bought time and nothing more. One his desk lay a report, another scientist was murdered in one of the many labs conducting illegal experiments, at the hands of one of the raiders. This particular loss was a blow to the project overall, Dr Leona Baylond. Baylond was the Chief Neurobiological Pathologist. She was being forced to work on viruses that were later tested on prisoners from raids and the results were documented. She'd been killed when one of the raiders stormed into her lab demanding results. The ensuing confrontation left both the Doctor and the raider dead from exposure resulting in the lab's immediate closure and quarantine.

The silence of the room was broken his door being harshly opened, the Nausicaan was back. At first, there was silence as the two men stared at each other seemingly sizing the other up, both had purpose and both prepared to flex it before the other.

"I hear....there had been an incident." The Nausicaan spoke as he stepped into the room.

"Yes." Ardon spoke after clearing his throat. "Dr Leo...."

"I don't care for a name...." The Nausicaan waved off.

"Well this one you should. Doctor Leona Baylond, name ring a bell now?" Ardon struggled to keep his anger in check. "She's dead, killed by one of your men." Ardon pushed the report across his desk to the Nausicaan.

"And the project?"

"Unknown, lab is locked down and under quarantine," Ardon answered, wholeheartedly expecting this to anger his guest but instead was met with naught but silence.

"When can the lab be opened?"

"72 Hours, minimum." Ardon answered.

"Unacceptable."

"Then perhaps you should tell your men to stop killing my staff." Ardon barked. "Dr Baylond was one of my few remaining Chiefs. She was the only remaining one with top clearance to that lab, with her dead nobody else can override her, not even me. I frankly don't care what experiments or projects you run, but you won't be able to run them if you keep killing those that actually do the work. Unless you have those in your ranks with multiple degrees and specializations in the neurosciences?" Ardon knew he was pushing it, part of him knew that at the end of the day he'd be killed just to cover up what had transpired here, but if he could keep what staff he had left alive then that meant more time.

The Nausicaan looked down at the Human barking at him, brave, or foolish, but he had a spine and perhaps when all this was done it would adorn a room on his ship. "I will speak to my men, but when this is over...." A large hand clasped Ardon by the throat. "We...will speak." Pushing him back against the window causing the Human to cough.

"Well, you best do so before the U.S.S. Dreadnought gets here." Ardon spoke rubbing his throat and colour returning to his face.

"You focus on the lab, I will deal with the ship."

Ardon smirked, to him it seemed the Nausicaan didn't have a clue. That he was facing down an insignificant ship, tasked with a trivial issue that would become easy prey. "Well I hope you have a lot of ships because you are going to need them."

"I don't like your tone...Human."

"My tone, has nothing to do with it. The Dreadnought is Starfleets largest and most advanced starship in service. We're not talking about a frigate or cruiser here, we're talking a ship that makes Starfleet's Galaxy Class, the Romulan Valdore, a Cardassian Galor look like child toys in comparison and she's coming, now. Left 12 hours ago." Ardon spoke. "They are going to come here, run scans, send away teams and there is nothing I can do to stop them because Starfleet assisted in setting all this up, they have a right to see their investment. I can't hide all the damage that's been done, I don't have the staff to clean this place up and I certainly don't have the scientists remaining to justify the progress or claims I've been falsely feeding them."

The information gave the Nausicaan cause for pause as he paced the room thinking in silence.

Ardon watched, knowing that on some level he must have gotten through to him. "You want your projects and I don't particularly want to die today, but if we have even a slim chance then we need each other. The Dreadnought won't be here for a while yet, enough time for the lab to reopen. In the mean time we have to tidy the place up, make it look presentable, some wear and tear fine but all the slogans painted on the walls, the smeers and graffiti have to go. If you have any of my people still alive and held captive, I'll need them."

"They are no longer your property."

"And nor are the projects you want done without help, one of your people killed a key person in your projects, so you owe me if you want to get them back on track." Ardon spoke. "I'm not stupid enough to believe that when all this is done you're going to let us live, you can't, loose ends and liabilities but if you want your projects completed I need time and that means I need people to clean this place up and complete the work necessary." Ardon knew it was a big ask but as he saw it, for now he had the upper hand. So far he'd not shared all the data created from the projects, holding just enough back to ensure that they would still be useful but now he needed people to complete the projects and the ruse he was hoping to maintain with Starfleet a little longer.

"72 hours." The Nausicaan spoke.

"Minimum." Ardon answered. "I need people and time."

The Nausicaan pulled out a device from his belt and tapped out a series of button pushes. It bleeped a confirmation and then silence. "I will bring your people back, I will bring more captives to help clean, you....will complete the work I have given you." A clawed finger jutting out towards Ardon.

"Get me the time, and I will."

The Nausicaan left without closing the door behind him leaving Ardon feeling like he won a minor victory at best, trivial mostly but at the time Ardon knew his options were limited. It would take days for the Dreadnought to get here, days for the place to be cleaned up to a presentable standard.

He sat trying to think of a way to spin this to Starfleet that they were the victims and while that may in part be true, his own involvement was what he needed to mask over with something more credible.

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