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Ben met Clive Tarmeron briefly during the Jupiter-2 days, himself preparing for his tour on the original Jupiter while the latter readied himself for command of the second one. He remembered the man as an extroverted jock type, pleasant enough and apparently competent. But here Tameron looked defensive and answered Perry in monosyllables. And though records showed the outstanding job James Buracham did, taking over the shambles his cadre 1-A found on Stargazer, none of that ability showed now. The Englishman displayed all the presence of a kid in the principal's office, and a guilty kid at that.
Naturally, both men, and Janeway, for that matter, were totally at sea here; their earlier memories, prior to being drugged and C-Gated, ended 20 to 30 minutes before Yasmin Armiger switched off their lights. Finally Ben said, "Yasmin, maybe you'd better fill these people in, and us, too, on just how you all got here. The events, I mean, on just how you all got here. The events, I mean; the reasons can wait for a more official session."
He gestured to her. "Go ahead." Jonathan Archer began to move a little, but his waking needn't be waited on...
After a moment when it seemed she might stubborn up, Armiger began. "There was a meeting, in Kathryn's quarters. Actually a setup to dart-gun the ones she'd decided to discard; James was supposed to bring them here, stick them in your local C-Gate, and come back. It's no secret I didn't like any of this and a lot more. Anyway, when she began shooting, her first target ducked and the dart lodged in a chair arm."
Her grin at Janeway, Ben thought, really wasn't all that mean. Glaring a bit, maybe. "I pulled it out, and when Kathryn moved past me I stuck it in her neck and grabbed the gun."
She swung her head around a little, giving Tameron and Buracham their fair share of grin. "That's when I dropped everybody who might not agree with what I intended, and went ahead and did it. Told Luna Hohstadt to inform James Buracham that he was captain now, in case he couldn't figure it out for himself. Brought all three of you, and Harcrow who was gung-ho to join your tong, and his pairmate Paulsen so they might as well be together, and made it to here. And like the Senator said, we've all been through the local C-Gates twice, since. That was to make sure her stretch as captain was well over and done with, before I turned loose of the situation. but I guess I lost track and maybe I overdid it."
She looked to Ben. "Is that what you wanted?"
It was Perry who answered. "Well done." Turning to Ben: "This matter is by no means settled, however. Until it is, I recommend a limited version of house arrest for all four of these folks. Can you arrange that?"
"I don't see why not. We can use some of the away team space. Burns? Can you and your people maintain watch in the corridor there, just to keep everyone honest?"
Alan Burns nodded. Sisko continued, " Buracham and Tameron can room together; I expect that each woman should have single quarters."
"Not necessarily," said Armiger. "I don't hate her or anything; she just needed stopping, was all. Besides, you can see she's not feeling well; somebody needs to look after her."
Tight-voiced, Janeway said. "It doesn't matter; if you keep me from my ship you destroy me."
Nothing like a flair for the dramatic, Ben thought. But it didn't sound as if Janeway posed any threat to Armiger, either. So he called Odessa Vangelos to roust out quarters supplies for four, pulled the deck plan up on the screen and assigned the pair of adjacent rooms handiest for the containment people to keep under surveillance, and sent the lot of them off in Burns's charge.
Then he poured himself a healthy jolt of sour mash over ice. Jonathan was waking up at last, and for that conversation he needed much more than coffee.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU8prPBJI5
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"All right," said Archer a time later. "I think I understand most of it." He'd been shaken, and still was to some extend, to find himself transported from the bridge to the lounge with no memory of anything in-between, but was obviously trying to pull himself together. Now, ticking off points on his fingers, he said, "I've lost 1 month in the C-Gates; the intruders came from Stargazer, some kind of power play there but you have them in the box now. Senator, you and your associate came out on tour and ran into a mess; sorry. And Ben, you say subspace comm didn't work, after all?" Sisko confirmed.
"And that we have two additions to the crew. Harcrow's replacement from Earth, and also one from Stargazer that you feel you can trust. If you say so....Although one smelled bad and you C-Gated him home. And...." He was running out of fingers. "Oh yes, the containment crew that came to deal with the intruders. But how did they know...?"
Teams to all three ships, Ben explained. "I see," said Archer. "And now, what's your next move?"
Huh? "Why, returning command, of course. You're back now, so it's your move, wouldn't you say? I'll give you any backup info you need; that goes without saying. But from here on out..."
Looking uncomfortable, Jonathan Archer said, "I don't, uh, feel we should, uh, change horses in midstream. The existing situation---from its start you've had the reins in your hands." Jeez, thought Ben; one second I'm the horse; the next I'm the rider. Make up your mind, goddamit! As Archer added, "So what I'll do is I'll pick up the rest of the command routine. Like the watch schedules, responsibilities like that. And...."
"Actually," said Ben, "I've been delegating that stuff. J.M. has it pretty well in hand." And producing schedule charts people could understand, for a change!
"Well then---other area of procedure. We'll look it out later, Sisko. Right now I'm a bit fazed; not too many minutes ago I was fired up, waiting for the intruders to appear. Now it's all over and I missed it. I need some time to relax."
He stood. "I'll be in quarters. Meanwhile, Mr. Sisko, you're in charge." He shook his head; Sisko heard him mumble. ".....trouble with command, you have to make all the decisions."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBiHobSipV
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As the returned captain left, Ben's glare dared anyone to comment. Or at least that's how Jacqueline saw it, as he said, "All right, what do we do next, Senator?"
Clearing his throat first, the old man said, "I think your captain's reaction gives us a hint. He's not only disoriented, but he's in shock. And so are the Stargazer people, with the possible exception of Ms. Armiger."
His lips tightened, then eased. "Let's take a day to review the situation, then convene a hearing. With Rick Berman's support I still have considerable clout; any decision I make will hold up under review back home." He grinned. "It says here."
"Good enough." Ben nodded. "I'd better get back now." His eyes widened in alarm. "Oh jeez! I left the bridge without calling for a relief watch officer. Some commander I am!"
As he stood, Marlena caught his arm. "Don't worry. I saw you were busy and alerted Elyse. She was due next, and by now it's her watch anyway. So relax."
He stretched the way he did when tension got at his shoulders. "You're right." For the first time, apparently, he recieved Jacqueline, sitting off to one side and keeping quiet; she'd come in at the moment when Kathryn Janeway had the room paralyzed and used it to pick an inconspicuous seat. "Hi. Did you get an earful? What do you think of Old Iron Boobs?"
"She carries a helluva lot of drive thrust, doesn't she?" And in a strange sort of way: the short rumpled curls, tilted eyes and high cheekbones gave the woman a rakish gamine air; at odds with her real age. "What's most likely to happen to her?"
Ben nodded towards Senator Perry, now leaving with his companion. "It's his call, not mine. Just as well. I don't know what the best decision is, honestly?"
"I still can't figure out how she did what the Armiger woman says she did," Jacqueline went on. "How could see boss everybody around, uh, in their personal lives, so much?"
J.M. chuckled. "How did she bring us all up short for a minute there, alone on a strange ship and tied to a chair? On Stargazer, remember, she commanded."
"And her own pairmate, Tameron, was exec," Ben added. 'If he went along with it---and apparently he did, and James Buracham with him---there's practically all your chiefs leaning on the Indians. There's nothing new about the abuse of power."
"Except," said Marlene, "traditionally that's been a man's prerogative." She gave Sisko a wicked look. "No offense."
By now, Jacqueline knew the signs; they'd be going to quarters.
"See you later." Hungry, she headed for the galley.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4IWqR95ng
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Cawthorn's watch was nearly over when her call woke Ben. "You may want to see this," she told him. Marlena was already dressing to report to the bridge and relieve Elyse; Sisko decided he mighty as well accompany her. He wasn't really tired, anyway.
What Cawthorn had to show them was the record of a sensor trace, a bright line slanting down across the main screen's left upper area. Even replayed in slow motion it seemed to appear instantaneously; then, as Arrowprize's own velocity took the ship past the phenomenon, almost at once the line slipped offscreen.
"What would you say that was?" Beverly Crusher asked. "My guess would be a cosmic string." Over at the next console, Nick Leger looked interested yet baffled.
Ben checked the mass detector record and shook his head. "Those things are supposed to be extremely massive. I see just the hint of a blip, conicident with the line's appearance, as if something zipped past use pretty goddamn fast."
"Just a minute." Backing the action to just before the line's initial appearance, she ran forward at the slowest speed the equipment could produce; then, as soon as it appeared, she froze the picture. Most of the line disappeared, leaving a short segment near top center of the view. "This is roughly a microsecond frame," she said, "so that's how far that whatsit went in that time."
Right; like car headlights making streaks in time-lapse photography. "Distance?" said Sisko. "From us to it, there?"
"There's no perspective basis," she began, then paused. "Hold it. Our velocity, and the time the line takes to move offscreen when it reaches the edge of our sensor view." She frowned. "I need to program a dynamic projection. To scale, time and space both. And then to run it. Be patient with me, please."
Ben was still trying to establish velocity as a function of trace length; the decimal point kept getting lost so he gave it up, just as Crusher announced, "Give or take a bit either way, I'd estimate that length at not quite a thousand feet."
Times a million, divide by the feet in a mile: "That'd be awfully close to c. Well, no reason the thing couldn't be doing just about our own clip." Ben frowned. "There can't be anything of ours out here. You suppose we had a near oblique pass with some more new neighbors?"
"Wait a minute!" Elyse Cawthorn said, "How about relatively, the Nichols-whosis contraction?"
"Hegel," said Beverly, smiling like a teacher's pet.
"Right." Cawthorn nodded. "Then wouldn't the actual line be considerably larger than what we see?"
Ben thought fast, then said, "No .The contraction's along the mutual velocity vector, isn't it? I think that's right. And we're seeing this from the side. Well, on a slant, really, which skews any estimates we can make. But my guess is we're running in just about the same league."
Since the line trace at the distance observed showed no detail, they were stumped for further data; spectrographic, electromagnetic, whatever. Only the line itself, stark and enigmatic. "At least," J.M. said, "they don't outclass us with a warp drive, like the Gror'iel. Or there'd be no freeze-framing a segment; there'd be just the whole thing all at once." She paused, then said, "If we could detect it at all."
On that note, as Charles Tucker and Odesssa Vangelos arrived to relieve Beverly and Nick, Sisko headed back to his quarters.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxITvSJUxQ
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".....coming at each other, both doing almost the speed of light," Odessa was saying, as Jacqueline came into the bridge to check the duty roster for her own next chores, "then our relative speed's gotta be more than c. So how can we see it at all?"
Jacqueline looked pained. "Relativity doesn't work that way; velocities don't add or subtract arithmetically." Puzzled was the word for Odessa's expression. J.M. said, "Don't ask me why, but here's how it's figured." On an aux screen she sat it up, relative velocity equaling V-one plus V-two, divided by one plus V-one times-V two." And the result can't be more than one. Meaning c, in these units."
Neither Odessa nor Charles looked ready no able to absorb anything else, but J.M. went ahead anyway. "Also: in the case of radiation, moving at C, its arrival velocity is always c, no matter how fast a ship's going. And if one object up ahead is stationary and another is coming at us at our own speed, the difference between their velocities relative to us is a little less than one part in 3 million. Or about 3 decimal points short of any difference our sensors can detect."
Both looked dubious; 'J.M. said, "Check it out, any numbers you wish." Jacqueline had seen this once, in honors class the month before graduation; she'd forgotten the equations themselves but the mathematical elegance of the concept still impressed her.
Now she asked, "What's this all about, anyway?"
Hadn't Ben told her? No, she hadn't seen him since the lounge. So J.M., bringing the sensor trace onscreen, filled her in. Jacqueline sighed. "I suppose we'll never know who it was?"
Colt shrugged. "Well, that's hard to say. But we're still pretty close to Earth, astronomically speaking." She paused. "Not much over 9 light-years---9.1, roughly. Which is to say, whoever it is, they're practically skirting our home turf."
Jacqueline looked again at the screen. "But not heading there. The slant. Right to left, we can't tell the angle for sure, but it's way wide of approaching our system. And it points down." Through the ecliptic plane, she meant, and J.M. nodded. "So they won't pass anywhere near."
"Maybe that's good," said Charles Tucker. "Who knows what they're like?"
"That's not the way to look at it." Odessa spoke with heat. "How do we know unless we meet them? And read your history, Charles. Maybe they're the ones to worry what we're like."
Jacqueline nodded. Odessa had a point there.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0pPWMZF97
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When Sisko had the rest of his sleep out, he readied himself for a new day. With several hours free before his next watch, he decided to tackle a few loose ends. Hoshi Sato answered her intercom, he said, "Okay if I come talk with Jonathan a little?"
"Please do."
"Is now a good time?"
"Only if you make it five minutes."
So he did, and at captain's digs, Elyse opened the door. "Come in, Ben. Maybe you can get him to make some sense."
What the hell? "Yeah." He looked across the room, to where Johnathan Archer sat staring at a 10-year-old holodrama running with the sound off. "Jonathan?"
And again, louder, until Archer looked around to face hi. Ben didn't like what he saw. "Jonathan? Are you all right?"
The eyes tracked, the expression carried assurance, the hands were steady, but something didn't feel r ight as Archer said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Unanswerable question. "Fine. W hen do you want to pick up on the routine? Watch duty, and all that jazz? Don't mention command. Not yet, at least."
"Duty? Yeah. Well, after I report, I suppose, and make a few arrangements."
Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. "Report, sure. Hey, why don't we go up to the bridge and you can put that report together, and I'll C-gate it off to Earth. Or...."
He saw Archer begin to freeze. "Or we could do it right here, and I'll take it to control for the watch officer to produce for you."
But Jonathan Archer shook his head. "Not that kind of report, Sisko. Be serious. I will report, at Bolt Park and to the Congress or General Assembly if necessary. When all scurrilous allegations have been laid to rest, then I shall C-Gate back here and resume my command responsibilities. In the meantime, ;please excuse me." Rising, he strode decisively to the bathroom and locked himself inside.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNaaBvo5qs
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"Hoshi! What the hell..."
"That's what I'm asking you." The bushy-haired Oriental woman gripped his arms. "What's happened to him? Is there anything we can do?"
"I don't know." Ben was thinking ahead; if Archer went home, would Sato go with him? And if she did, who'd be the unspammer? Paul Stamets knew all the theories, all right, but to date he'd never had to show a smidgen of practice.
Elyse Cawthorn and Alfred Nightgazer were satisfactory as techs, damn good, in fact. But none of them were a patch on the unspammer Hoshi Sato had proven herself to be.
So neither his thoughts nor his next words held much worry for Jonathan Archer. "Hoshi? Where would you stand?"
It shook her, he saw, as she made a slow nod, accepting the necessities. "Yes, Sisko. You have to think of the ship first, don't you? Because Jonathan's not. And for the same reasons, if he C-Gates to Earth he does so alone. I'll stay."
Her mouth twisted. "I know he needs me; I know he'll feel I'm betraying him. In a way I am. Maybe I failed him, didn't give him the support he had to have. He's a good man; it's not his fault things happened that he couldn't handle. But I can't leave you without an unspammer. Paul's a genius on the theory and Elyse's thoroughly competent in all routine matters, but with due modesty, I'm the one who can operate on the ship's brain and straighten it out. That's why I can't leave."
Before he could answer, speak gratitude or praise or sympathy or maybe something truly idiotic, she said in very matter-of-fact tones, "So if Jonathan goes, these will be your quarters?"
Without hesitation: "No. We're happy where we are."
"It's not wholly fitting...."
"It hasn't happened yet. First let's see if we can pry Jonathan out of the john and talk some sense into him."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03DrP00XTI
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There was more to it than they were letting on; Archer was aware of that. Their story sounded plausible enough; that after a period of intruder watch he could no longer remember, he'd been struck by some kind of poisoned dart. Which rendered him unconscious and conveniently blanked memory for the previous half hour or so. T hen, so they expected him to believe, he'd been put through the local decel C-Gates, and finally brought to the lounge where supposedly a group from Stargazer had been interrogated before being restricted to their assigned quarters. He hadn't yet seen any of these supposed intruders but had the fullest confidence that they could be produced for his inspection. They, or persons claiming to be such.
It wasn't good enough, that story. For one thing it didn't know he could hear them, but when he lay down, just at the edge of sleep, the insinuating voices began. At the bare limit of intelligibility they whispered of his failure, his incompetence, the charges he could be brought to face.
They weren't going to get away with it. So far, he'd pretended to believe and go along with the masquerade. Because he couldn't be sure just who was involved and who was not. Rule #1: don't let them know you're onto them. He'd slipped a bit, a few minutes ago, revealing to Sisko that he suspected conspiracy. But would Ben be in on it? He'd never been pushy, never tried to muscle in on the prerogatives of command. Or was he just an innocent, unwitting tool?
It made no difference, either way. Archer didn't dare to confide in him. Or even in Hoshi, whom he knew would never purposely betray anyone, let alone him. In fact, he could no longer trust anyone aboard; that was why he needed to C-Gate to Earth, get to someone beyond the conspiracy's range. Only on Earth could he find safe counsel.
Looking into the bathroom mirror, rearranging his expression to one of full self-assurance, Jonathan Archer shrugged. He might as well get on with it.
Finally he answered the light, insistent knock. "I'll be right out."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPFnj0hBCI
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"I don't see that we had a choice," Sisko told his assembled officers and chiefs. "He's convinced there's a conspiracy to face against him. For a couple of minutes, when he brought him face-to-face with Janeway and the rest, I thought we were getting through to him. He recognized them, all right: Janeway and Tameron and Buracham at least. But then he said it was bigger than he'd thought, something like that, and got even more urgent about C-Gating home. So I wrote a formal memo for him to take along, saying that I accepted command during the period of his absence but that it would revert to him when he got back here, and then we saw him into Earthmouth and sent him off He didn't want to say goodbyes all around, so we didn't push it."
And at Bolt Park, Marlena wanted to know, what would happen? Ben reassured her. "While I was getting his stuff packed, what he wanted to take along. I C-Gated out a message detailing the situation; they'll be alerted. I emphasized that it's not a case of misconduct or malfeasance of duty; the man simply took a shock he can't handle right now, and needs help."
"What was such a shock?" asked Nyota Uhura. "Several of us got zapped, the same as he did. It didn't put us looking over our shoulders for the boogie-man."
Hoshi Sato cleared her throat. "That's 'cause you don't feel like you're in over your head, unsure of doing your job right. Jonathan hid it well, but I knew that was how he felt. And my guess is that being taken over, having his control preempted without his knowledge or even recall, was too much for him."
And if anyone would know, Ben thought, it'd be she. "As may be," he said. "Now then---as long as Jonathan was still aboard, technically at least our own changed command functions were strictly brevet, no reclassifications needed. Now, though, I'm putting us in for official upgrades including pay. You're my first, Marlena. Beverly Second. Nyota Third. Any questions?"
Uhura grinned. "As DM commander I'm already paid at that level. As if I had anywhere to spend it."
"Maybe I can get you extra for wearing two hats." She shrugged, obviously not worried either way. "Well, then, unless there's something more," he said, "meeting adjourned."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7QQGvZuvV
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Towards the end of Ben's next watch Jake Corman came into the bridge escorting Yasmin Armiger, who looked worried. "Says she's got to talk with you, sir. Erin's holding down the corridor."
"All right, what is it?"
No comb would ever tame that hair but apparently one had tried. Fresh clothing also helped Armiger's appearance. She said, "Something's very wrong with Kathryn Janeway."
"What, specifically? Illness? Behavior?"
"I don't know. At first she wouldn't speak, then she asked how I could do this to her. She wasn't raging or even angry, seemed mostly hurt---and incredulous. Then almost despairing, but quieter and quieter as she went along, until she lay down and went to sleep. When they woke us for breakfast she wouldn't go, and she hasn't said a word since last night."
"Sounds like another silence strike."
"I don't think so." Armiger's face showed anxiety. "You'd have to see her. I'd say she's gone inside herself somehow. And she doesn't like it there, not at all."
"Corman!" Ben spoke sharply. "Get back to that room. You or Seamer, one, stay in there with that woman. We don't want a suicide on our hands." Maybe he was overreacting; he'd take that chance. And to Odessa Vangelos at the right-hand console, "Nyota's on next here; call her early if anything comes up." He turned to Yasmin. "Okay, let's go."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZAFuoxbHU
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Hard to believe it was the same person. Dull-eyed and slack-mouthed, face strained with vague, abstract tension, Kathryn Janeway looked nothing like the vital, commanding presence of the previous day. Well, day and a half, technically speaking. Or, Ben's built-in calculator reminded him, 5 weeks back on Earth.
He pulled a chain over to face her where she sat, slumped on the bed. "Captain Janeway?" No response, not the slightest.
"I told you, captain. She's shut off contact. I doubt if she even hears you."
Sparsely furnished, the room did have an intercom terminal. "Odessa? Locate Hikaru, get him to the bridge. With his med-kit, please. I'll be right up." Then, "Thanks, Yasmin, you did right to hit the alarm button. Can you watch her for a time now?" She nodded. "All right then; Corman, take over outside again. And Seamer's free to go."
"Actually, we're into her shift now."
"Whatever. And thank you both."
For the first time in quite a while he chafed at the slight wait for the transfer ring.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZejgoHj4G
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"Maybe there's something in the complete edition of Jonathan's cyberscrapbook," Ben said, and called the former captain's Stargazer crew material file up on an aux screen. That was why he'd had Sulu meet him here; his room terminal didn't access Archer's total file system. "Here, Hikaru, you'll know what to look for better than I do."
Nyota Uhura had indeed arrived, along with Bruno Eustace and Rosie Quallister, to take the watch. Odessa hadn't left, though, apparently hoping that Hikaru wouldn't be needed long here, she stayed, waiting. Probably out of luck right now, Ben mused as Hikaru said, "Who'd have thought it? This looks like the original unedited personnel files, medical and all."
"What's it say about Janeway?"
"Hang on; it goes back a way." Scrolling the copy up, pausing, moving on, Hikaru clucked to himself, then said, "When she goes aboard Jupiter-II she's taking something generic, a long chemical name that I don't recognize. Quite a lot of it, so maybe it started to give her side effects. Because when they come back she gets switched to something else. Trertaene-12. Ten milligrams, three times a day."
He shook his head. "That's stranger yet. Let's go look it up in the book."
So, with Odessa accompanying them, Sulu and Sisko went downcraft. Exiting the transfer ring they met J.M. Colt. After a few words of explanation she came along too.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rNcKd5ZBq
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"No." Closing the reference book, Hikaru Sulu sounded sure. "It's not even on the market now; erratic long-term effects."
"What's it for, anyway?" Ben'd never heard of it.
"Depression, really bad cases. About 15 years ago it looked like a big winner. After a time, though, it did too good a job, besides building a tolerance, it gave a pretty good imitation of chronic manic syndrome. If you know...."
J.M. nodded. "Sort of. High energy, conviction of infallibility, logical abilities enhanced but judgment questionable."
"Something like that." Hikaru was looking through Supply readouts. "Looking to see what we've got that might----" Mumbling, he turned pages. "Anyone acclimated to that formula, she'll go through ordinary antidepressants like popcorn. And just coming down off it, no wonder she crashed like all hell. Here, I'd better get out some tranks. Sedatives, too, maybe."
Those he had at hand. "Had to dig some out for your ex that time, Ben, so I remember where they are." He brought out a packet. "All right, then; I'll check my stock for antidepressants. Haven't had any call for such stuff, but the list shows some things. Provided just in case, i guess. God knows where those cartons may have got themselves, by now."
He'd find something or he wouldn't. Ben and J.M. headed back towards the room where Yasmin watched over Kathryn Janeway. As they passed the corridor leading to the VIP suite, Senator Perry hailed them. "Sisko? I think I'm ready for our hearing. How soon can we set it up?"
Ben sighed. "Not right now, senator. I'm afraid this is not a good time."
"Why? What's hapenned?"
"Kathryn Janeway seems to have swallowed her own head."
Perry frowned, then he nodded. "Oh. Well, just let me know when she pukes it back up."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJubJ4eeZGO
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With Erin Seamer opening the door for them. Ben followed J.M. into the room and looked around it. In one chair Yasmin Armiger sat alert and watchful yet seemingly relaxed. Still sitting on the edge of a bed, Kathryn Janeway stared blankly into something Sisko was glad he couldn't see.
J.M. went to her. "Here. Take this. It'll help until Hikaru find something better." Accepting the pills in a limp hand, with an autistic jerk Janeway put them into her mouth, choked them down without water, and sat gasping.
It was unreasonable, Ben thought, to expect any fast or definitive reaction to the medications. Nevertheless he sat waiting until after some time, Kathryn Janeway raised her head and actually looked at something visible and real: J.M. Colt.
"Thanks. Now let me sleep." There was no vitality in the voice n ow, though, and when she lay down Ben was reminded of an old rag doll that had been left out in the pouring rain all week.
So the next day when he asked Alan Burns how Janeway was doing, the answer shocked the hell out of him. "Your man Sulu gave her some stuff, late yesterday, t hat seems to have brought her back from dreamland. If you call it that. Now she's demanding a court-martial."
Checking the time, Ben said, "I'll inform the senator. I expect we can start right after lunch." Sitting on his utter astonishment so Burns wouldn't see how much he was shaken up.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp077ajIQeo
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To Ben's way of thinking, Tameron's testimony and Buracham's had been displays of total pussyfooting, neither man willing to admit anything with regard to themselves. Janeway, or who shot John F. Kennedy. Obviously disgusted with both men, the senator excused the. "....for now, but don't think I'm finished with you," and called Kathryn Janeway.
Sitting to one side of the lounge, now closed to all but the participants and designated observers, Janeway shook her head. "You haven't heard yet from my accuser, as is proper. I want to reserve my own statement for last."
Shrugging, Perry said, "All right. Yasmin Armiger?" She moved to the chair facing him. The senator wasn't bothering with any swearings-in, saying at the outset. "You're on your honor, all of you, as ship's officers. If that doesn't bind you, neither would a few extra rituals."
Now he said, "In your own words, tell us how Captain Kathryn Janeway, in your opinion, violated regulations and the ethics of command."
Armiger frowned. "I'm not sure what actually busted regs and what just abused them. You were there when that cadre arrived. She demoted James Buracham, sent out as exec and then acting captain Luna Hohstadt got hurt, down to watch officer. So her personal stud Clive Tameron over there could have the slot. Not supposed to have captain and exec from the same cadre, but a lot she cared. James Kirk made her give Jimmy back his job, sort of, but only as co-exec. And she shuffled the watches, that were set to give pairmates the most off-duty time together, to do the exact opposite."
Pausing, she bit her lip a moment, then went on. "This crew group marriage thing, now. She used to have as many men as she could round up, all at once." Her glare aimed more toward Tameron and Buracham than Janeway herself. "I think Clive even helped her; where I come from, it's called pimping. And Jimmy got hooked early; she'd do all the things decent women won't."
Ben blinked; he'd never considered versatility indecent.
"Kirk was the only one even tried to hold out," Armiger went on. "Not that Ocano would have fried him for it." She giggled. "Told me once she'd said to James, go ahead and prong the silly cunt, in her left ear if that's where she wants it."
Kathryn Janeway looked offended, but Yasmin wasn't done yet. "Just about anybody could've led Pascal Helsing around by the weenie, and the two younger guys never had a chance. Anyway, regs or no regs, she was playing Nookie Monopoly with loaded dice and I got damn well fed up."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTjVVV7PE2
"I see," said Puffin. "And were there any legally certifiable violations? Of regulations, obligations or duties?"350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNbikkLzYt
"You're damn right. She and some of the others set up a real fancy plan: instead of C-Gating home when their year was up, they'd stay on the ship all the way to destination and run the colony there. Stash incoming cadres and dissidents into a C-Gate lag and so forth. No point in my wasting time spelling it out; they put the whole thing on a datacap. And I've got a copy with me."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7dPbDRBWl
She brought out a small packet. "Play it yourselves."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9z4bRNvgz
Kathryn Janeway stood up. "No need for that. I'll admit to all it contains. I'd like to make a statement of explanation. No excuses, as there aren't any. And then, pending court-martial which I feel to be justified and necessary, I'll consent to resign my commission under whatever terms you wish to set."
