Third Mission, Part II

Posted on May 03, 2018 @ 7:32pm by Chloe Nielsen
Edited on on May 03, 2018 @ 7:32pm

Mission: Section 31

“Third Mission, Part II”

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Location: FARIUS PRIME
SD: [2.18] 0430.2118
Scene: Chloe’s suite

The doors parted. A blonde human woman entered the suite, booked for a couple of days, which might be extended, depending on how long her stay on this world would be. The suite wasn’t large, comprising of a living area and one bedroom with an attached bathroom. The living room was spacious with a brown couch and two single sofas, surrounding a glass coffee table in its centre - all standing on a crimson carpet. A few feet away, a small rectangular dining table with two chairs was found next to large, double door windows. The walls were cream coloured and bare, except for a painting or two.

Chloe walked across the room, stopping in front of the window, where she glanced outside. Beyond the buildings on the opposite side, she could barely see the outline of the sea due to the fog and snowfall. It was the middle of winter in this part of the planet. The inn, she chose, was modestly priced, situated on the outskirts of Maltabra city. The establishment was owned by a Farian family and generally didn’t have many customers during this time of the year, which was perfect for the agent. The owners never really cared what one did as long as the guest paid them and didn’t cause trouble.

The city itself, while not the biggest on the planet, was one of the major centres for illicit and clandestine activities. Numerous criminal organizations, including the Orion Syndicate, established bases for their operations on this world. In the 24th century, Farius Prime was used by the Bajoran Resistance and the Maquis as a supply depot, due to its close proximity to the demilitarized zone between the Federation and the Cardassian Union as well as the Badlands. It was also the headquarters for the Orion Syndicate cell, led by Klars, a native Farian. Eric Mwangi, a high level operative, was the man, Chloe needed to convince to gain membership into the Syndicate. Mwangi reported to Klars and met with him, once every two months to provide an update on his operations on Numino.
Nielsen just returned from securing the bounty hunter’s runabout in a private hangar by the sea. The man himself would be unconscious for a while after Chloe injected a strong sedative into him. His body was placed in the stasis chamber that was in the shuttlecraft. She made sure to choose a hangar, where only she could access it and no one else, though she had to shell out extra latinum strips for the additional security measures.

Removing her jacket and gloves, she tossed them onto the nearest chair and stepped away from the window. Her eyes flickered to the side as a door slid open and a Trill woman marched inside, her long, silver hair swaying. A sullen expression marred her lovely features. Chloe sighed, eyeing the older woman with a look of concern. Anaqueen stayed in the adjoining suite and there was a door that connected both rooms.

“Why do I have to stay in the room, while you go meet this Syndicate person?” Anaqueen asked in an angry voice. The Trill had a short temper, a concern for Chloe. She was also reckless and often didn’t play well with others. Managing one’s temper was also a problem shared by her counterpart, Anaqueen Spankryz. However, Captain Spankryz, over the years, had managed to keep her temper in check for most of the time. Well, she held a commanding officer position and a Captain’s rank for the last fifteen years. Unlike Anaqueen’, the Captain, despite her temper, was more prudent and thoughtful, when considering her decisions or actions. So the two women, although alike in appearance, had vastly different personalities. Their other difference was one was joined and the other wasn’t.

“You really have to ask,” Chloe said dryly. “Look, this city is crawling with bounty hunters, eager to make a payday and you’re popular with them, considering the number of bounties placed on you.”

The Trill waved dismissively. “I’ve evaded them so far and I can hold my own against them.”

“I hate to break it to you but you were just lucky.” Chloe gave her a wry smile. “And luck tends to run out. So if you aren’t too careful, you’re going to get killed one day.”

Ana stepped an inch closer, a defiant look in her eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, sighing. Oh she just didn’t get it. The Trill was too cocky and impulsive for her own good. “So what have you done that’s awful enough to warrant a bounty of fifty bars of gold pressed latinum? Cause an uprising or murder someone from the warlord’s inner circle?”

To the agent’s annoyance, Ana grinned, her blue eyes gleaming with pride. “The usual. I might have whispered a few words that led to a disturbance amongst Gul Molac’s slaves, some of whom broke into his warehouse and stole merchandise.”

“That must have cost him a fortune, no wonder the Gul is so mad that he placed such a large bounty on you,” the agent remarked. Chloe was frustrated with her asset. When was Ana going to realize that causing uprisings against oppressive despots, was going to get her killed one day? The agent knew Anaqueen was sad and angry over not being able to return to her home dimension and was inserting herself into her causes as a way to assuage her grief. But at some point, Ana had to give up because as far as Chloe knew, there was no way to cross over to the mirror universe.

“It’s a small price to pay,” Ana said. “At least those workers can now fight for their freedom and with any luck the Gul will be running with the tail between his legs back to Cardassia.” She snorted. “The Cardassians here are so pathetic.”

Well, the Cardassians weren’t the formidable power they once were but that didn’t mean they weren’t dangerous. “They still have the means to track one single individual who fashions herself as ‘freedom fighter for hire’ and whose service isn’t exactly free.”

Ana snapped, “Well I do need to eat, live somewhere and gain passages on transports. And my fee is quite affordable.”

“Well, it’s your popularity with bounty hunters that made you bait for Wyk, in order for us to capture him for Mwangi.”

Anaqueen sported a smug smile. “Well, what can you say? They’re threatened by me.”

Chloe bit her lip to hold off from responding. While the agent rarely ever lost her cool, there were times when the Trill came close to driving her crazy. Anaqueen had this special talent of bringing out the worst in others – no surprise, many were gunning for her life.

The Trill had been the agent’s asset for nearly five years, which got the former’s sentence to be suspended.

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Location: SING SING II
Scene: Visitor check in
TI: Five years ago

“I still think this is a bad idea, Chloe,” a tall ebony skinned man said, furrowing his brow as he stood facing the blonde woman. The three golden pips on his lapel indicated he was a full Commander. “This woman hijacked a Starfleet vessel and threatened to kill its CO and crew.” He glanced behind at the exit. “We can turn back and forget we ever came here.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, I want to do this. She may be our best shot in finding him.” Both officers adorned the fully black uniforms, marking them as part of Starfleet Intelligence. They approached the security officer on duty, a young Andorian woman, who gave them a weary look. Well, it was no secret that many in security weren’t too fond of the ‘spooks’, a term sometimes used to refer to intelligence agents.

Her CO sighed. “Well, I can’t stop you even if I want to as the Deputy Chief approves of this plan of yours.”

The Andorian guard demanded in a crisp tone, “State your identity and designation and the prisoner you wish to see.”

Chloe gave a sidelong glance at her CO, who nodded before she replied, handing the guard a PADD. “Lt. Commander Chloe Nielsen from Starfleet Intelligence. I’m here to see prisoner 18439.” She waited, while the blue woman perused the contents of the PADD.

“Everything is in order, Lt. Commander,” the Andorian informed. “You may see the prisoner now.”

“Thank you.” The agent nodded, taking the PADD from the guard and then turned to the black man. “Do you wish to come with me?”

Commander Hernandez shook his head. “I’ll wait out here.” A moment later, he said in a low whisper. “Be careful. That woman’s quite dangerous.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Hernandez sighed, muttering. “Of course, she can.”

The blonde turned around, moved past the guard’s station and down the corridor of the cell block.

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Scene: Prison cell

Chloe stood in front of cell, located at a far corner down the quiet hallway. A few feet from the forcefield, separating the cell from the surrounding environment, a Trill woman, about a few years older than the agent, was lying on a flat bed. It was hard to tell whether the woman, a little haggard in appearance, and rather unruly light brown hair, was asleep or not. “Computer, lower the forcefield, authorization Delta-2-3-7-9-2.” Within moments, the forcefield vanished, allowing the blonde to step inside the cell.

The sound of her footsteps alerted the Trill, who opened her eyes and tilted her head. Then her blue eyes lit up as they fixed on the agent and the Trill jumped off the bed. The brown haired woman rushed towards the Canadian, extending her arms outward.

Chloe, believing the other woman was attacking her, grabbed the Trill’s shoulders and in one quick move, turned her around. She then wrapped her arm around the prisoner’s neck, pressing her forearm against it. The Trill struggled to breathe as Chloe tightened her grip around the other woman’s neck.

When Nielsen loosened her grip a little, the Trill spoke in a raspy voice, amidst gasps for breath, “You still remember how much I liked this move.”

“What?” Chloe wore a confused expression. She released the Trill from her grip, the other woman stumbling forward, releasing a burst of coughs. The agent blocked the doorway, in case the prisoner had ideas of escaping.

After the Trill stopped coughing, she turned around, a wide smile gracing her lips. “You came, Chloe, crossing over to rescue me.” She took a step towards her, when the blonde raised her hand, giving her a cold stare.

“Okay,” the agent began, still puzzled, “You’re mistaking me for someone else. But we never met before.” She watched as Anaqueen studied her closely and then the Trill’s excitement deflated. Gone was the smile, replaced by a frown.

“Oh.” Anaqueen narrowed her eyes and sulked. “You’re this dimension’s Chloe Nielsen and what a surprise, another hypocritical Starfleet officer, preaching about spreading peace and harmony throughout the galaxy when in reality, your people just want to control others. Hypocrisy seems to run wild in this universe.”

“You’re confusing me with another kind of officer,” Chloe remarked in a dry tone.

“What do you want?” Ana asked, glaring at her as if the blonde’s presence offended her.

“I work for Starfleet Intelligence,” Chloe answered in a calm, yet professional tone. “And I’m here to make you an offer.”

“Well, unless it is to return me to my own universe, where I reunite with my Chloe and we kill those parasites, starting with Spankryz, then I’m not interested.”

Chloe sighed. “No, sorry, we don’t have the means to send you back.”

“Well then, I’m sure you know your way out.” As Ana began to turn on her heel, Chloe’s voice stopped her half-way and the Trill glanced behind her shoulder.

“My offer is freedom out of this prison cell.” Now that caught Ana’s attention.

“Freedom? Just like that?” A suspicion look formed in the Trill’s blue eyes. “I sense a catch.”

“Yes, there’s a catch.” Chloe nodded. “In exchange for freedom, you’ll be working for Starfleet Intelligence as an asset. I’ll be your handler and as long as you do whatever I tell you, you won’t see these walls ever again.” She watched the Trill’s mouth curl into a smile. “There are conditions, however and failure to meet them, will have you sent back to prison.” Anaqueen rolled her eyes, much to Nielsen’s annoyance. “First, you remain outside Federation space until I contact you. You will only be permitted to cross into Federation territory on my orders.” The Trill nodded. “And lastly, stay away from Captain Spankryz, her loved ones and her crew.” She noted Anaqueen’s expression darkening. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yes,” Ana replied in a strained voice.

“Great.” Chloe gave her a tiny smile. “Now, after I make the necessary arrangements, you should be good to go in a day or two.”

Anaqueen spoke in a quiet, yet in a non-apologetic tone, “You know my intention wasn’t to hurt anyone. I only wanted to free Anaqueen from Spankryz.”

“By attempting to kill her?” Chloe said in a detached tone. “I’m not Trill and even I know the host doesn’t survive if the symbiont dies.”

“Death is preferable to living life as a slave.”

The blonde shook her head. “See, I read your files so I know everything about you.” She gave the Trill an icy stare. “From your personal statement and the information that was downloaded from the SHIV’s database, I know about your life in the other universe and what you did to get here. Quite the career you had– pilot, assassin, mercenary, thief, smuggler and terrorist. In fact, you were placed on the most wanted list by your homeworld’s government for acts of terrorism and murder of a high ranking official.”

Ana argued, her eyes blazing with anger, “I was fighting to free my people from those parasites and I don’t regret my actions. At least the man whose body was used by that parasite is finally free.”

“Look, no one here gives a damn about what you did in your home dimension.” Chloe’s voice hardened. “But after the Gateway authorities captured the SHIV, you had a chance for a fresh start in this universe – your slate wiped clean. So instead of taking this chance and running away, you decided to board the USS Commendation to kill Captain Spankryz on the mistaken belief that you were freeing her from a parasite, when that’s not the case with the Trills here.”

“I know that now after that self-righteous bitch arranged to send information on the Trills in this dimension.” Ana rolled her eyes. “That woman thought I’d change my mind but she’s so wrong. Sure, it’s not the same here and that the host and symbiont share a rather symbiotic relationship.” Her expression darkened. “But you know what, it’s a relationship that seemed to benefit the symbiont more than the host. After reading everything about Trill society in this dimension, the populace is brainwashed in thinking, being host to those vermin, is some kind of honour, basically creating a form of inequality between the joined and the unjoined. Am I right?”

“I’m not the one you should be having this conversation with. But maybe you’d have gotten your answers about the Trills if you had asked these questions to Anaqueen, instead of trying to kill her.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Never mind.” The agent sighed. “I’m glad you accepted the deal. It’s rare for someone, imprisoned for such a severe crime, to be given this opportunity to be free again, even though it comes with conditions.” She stepped out of the prison cell and reactivated the forcefield before leaving.

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Location: FARIUS PRIME
Scene: Chloe’s Suite
TI: Present

While her former CO and others at SFI believed releasing Mirror Anaqueen out of prison was a big mistake, it turned out that the Trill was a major help during that mission. Sadly, one mission didn’t change minds but since the deal was approved by the deputy chief, Ana remained free. Despite the Trill’s impulsiveness and penchant for trouble, Chloe was glad she got her out of prison. Ana was her only ally during those dark years from the agent’s time at the Neo-Essentialist run psychiatric facility to her return to Earth. The Trill also was a prisoner at the facility, having been brought there a few months after the agent’s arrival. Apparently Ana, along with a few other non-humans, were abducted by Orion pirates, who sold them to the facility for an enormous price. They travelled together, conducting their own operations for a while but parted in 2431 when Chloe headed for Earth.

“When do you leave?”

Chloe replied, “In an hour or so.”

Ana demanded, “Take me with you, Chloe. You need me for this meeting to go well.”

The agent let out a sigh of frustration. “No, you can’t.” Needed her, seriously. Anaqueen would be more of a liability than benefit. In such a tense situation, she could launch into a temper tantrum, shooting her mouth off and end up getting them both killed in the process. Chloe wasn’t willing to take the chance as meeting Mwangi and gaining his trust to obtain membership into the Syndicate, was the most crucial part of this mission.

“This is not fair!” The Trill shouted, turning around and stomped back to her suite, the doors sliding shut behind her. Shouting and sounds of crashing were heard from the other room.

Chloe sighed, realizing the Trill must have thrown something against the wall. The agent called out to her. “Hope you realize, there’s a steep fine for property damage.” And that Section 31 was footing the bill. Another crashing sound. The Canadian was starting to become annoyed. If this behaviour continued, then the agent would need to take some action. The sounds died down. Chloe waited for a couple of minutes – still quiet. She sighed with relief. Good. Now she wouldn’t have to knock the Trill unconscious.

Well, time to get ready – she had a big meeting to attend.

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Scene: Anaqueen’s Suite

She let out a roar, kicking down a chair. A loud bang came from the room below, followed by a yell, where Ana barely made out the words, ‘Hey quiet up there.’ Ana shouted, stomping her foot on the floor, “No you be quiet!” Still reeling with rage, she marched to a sofa and sat down. Leaning back, she then crossed her legs and wore a sullen expression. How could Chloe do this to her? Hadn’t she proved her usefulness already to the agent? Maybe Chloe needed reminding that it was the Trill, who was her only friend, during those years, when the hypocritical Starfleet abandoned the blonde at that mental institute. It was she who helped the agent escape from that awful place and without her, Nielsen would be lost and likely left for dead. Did she get thanked for her efforts? No, that ungrateful bitch just continued to boss her around. No one ever dared order her around. She was her own woman not to be controlled by others.

“Damn you, Chloe!” Anaqueen growled, her blue eyes filled with a burning ire. “When I see you again, I’m going to punch you in the face. And then you’ll know how it hurts.” One problem though, the Trill had never once been able to overpower the Section 31 agent in hand to hand combat.

She let out a heavy sigh, the rage in her eyes, replaced by sadness. How did she end up like this? 42 years old and she was leading quite a miserable existence. She had been in this universe for a decade now. If it wasn’t for the pirate captain’s insatiable greed, they’d have never crossed over in the first place. Damn her. Ana believed that one decision ruined her entire life – ripped her away from everything she knew. Now she’d never know what happened with the rebellion. The last thing she knew was they were losing the war against the parasites. She feared her fellow freedom fighters could be most likely dead and the rebellion crushed. She sighed, thinking back to the time, when the course of her life altered forever.

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Location: TRILL (Mirror Universe)
Scene: Dormitory, Hallgor compound
TI: 21 years ago.

The day had finally arrived – the day, a young 21 year old Trill woman was dreading for a while. Anaqueen stared intently at the screen, re-reading the contents of the message again and again. She felt her hands shaking and a knot forming in her stomach. A pained expression enveloped the young woman’s lovely features. She had always known since birth that this day would come and was even prepared for it, like all the humanoids on the planet. But even then she felt panic surge inside her as her breathing and heart rate elevated.

In three days, Anaqueen was going to be joined and to not just any symbiont but Spankryz – one of the elites. She was chosen to be part of the Aristocracy – the ruling class, where only few hundred symbionts belong to it. A rare honour bestowed only to those humanoids deemed worthy. Unlike ordinary symbionts, the elites chose the hosts themselves. This puzzled Ana – she was known throughout the compound as a bit too outspoken for the elders’ liking and figured an elite wouldn’t desire such a host. Independence and being strong-willed in humanoids were qualities, deemed unacceptable by the planetary government – the reason why they all got joined at age 21 before reaching full adulthood, well that was if they survived the ceremony. Ana, partly hoped, she would die in the process after all she’d cease to exist anyway as the symbiont took complete control of the host.

Ana remembered the strange message that she received about two nights ago on a data crystal. The message read was ‘Come join us and be free’. In addition to the crystal, she was given a palm sized console with a data port – both the crystal and the handheld turned to dust immediately after she read the message. Could it be the ‘Free Trill’ rebels attempting to recruit her? She heard rumours, some of the rebels lived on this compound. She was skeptical of the movement that came into being a decade ago, apparently by a bunch of 16-19 year olds. Their goal was to end the symbionts’ tyranny, referring to them as parasites, and gain freedom for the humanoids, where compulsory joining would cease to exist. Unfortunately, the rebels were so far unsuccessful with many killed as sadly their numbers were too low to counter the joined majority.

“I see congratulations are in order, Anaqueen,” came the familiar cold and distant voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

The Trill swallowed a lump down her throat as she slowly turned around to face a tall, blonde woman, adorned in a formal green suit, her posture stiff and her green eyes, cold as ice. Ana feared and despised the new arrival, also the woman, who was her mother.

Elina Tanix’s smile was devoid of any warmth. “I’m so proud that an offspring of mine has been chosen to be host to an elite. This is a wonderful day, indeed.”

Ana asked in a quiet voice, “Will I continue to exist?”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous, child,” the older woman scoffed. “Your lives only ever gain meaning after we join with you. Without us, you’re all just worthless and cannot function in life.”

Worthless. Cannot function in life without the symbionts. Ana clenched her fists, a sudden ire rising within her.

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Location: FARIUS PRIME
Scene: Anaqueen’s Suite
TI: Present

That moment changed the course of Anaqueen’s life. She decided then to not join with Spankryz and accept the rebels’ invitation to fight against the parasites’ oppression. On the morning before her joining ceremony, Ana escaped from the compound. But her freedom was short-lived as the military police captured her. She was imprisoned for a year until the rebels staged a prison break. After gaining her freedom, she partook in a number of operations with the Free Trills.

In 2421, about two years before crossing over to this universe, Anaqueen, as part of a strike team, assassinated Pentaur, a prominent figure in the government. Since the murder of an elite symbiont was punishable by death, she was forced to leave the planet. Chased by Trill forces, who even recruited bounty hunters and mercenaries to track her down, Anaqueen travelled around the quadrant, never staying in one place for too long. The one who led the hunt was the one most obsessed with killing her and that was Spankryz. The parasite, angered over the rejection, ended up choosing a young man, whom she remembered to be quite timid with low self-esteem issues.

She had never met Spankryz in person but they had interacted over subspace, trading nasty verbal blows, ending the conversation with both swearing to kill the other. What a difference in personality joining made. Gone was the timidity and fear in that young man, only to be replaced by arrogance and pride. Ana could still remember the anger and hatred, radiated by the man’s eyes. Though Ana found it odd, it chose a timid host, when it was legendary Spankryz desired humanoids with a strong independence streak and that it took pleasure in breaking their spirit completely, eventually subjugating the host’s consciousness.
A few days, prior to joining the SHIV crew, Anaqueen took refuge on a pleasure station that orbited Casperia Prime in the Horvian cluster. During her brief stay there, she encountered a young Terran woman – well the establishment was a popular destination for Terrans, so no surprise she’d run into them there. Ana was never a big fan of Terrans, considering the disdain, many of them held towards non-Terrans and so mostly avoided them. Some of them were mercenaries, likely trying to track her down for Spankryz.

This female Terran, seemed different and Ana was immediately taken in by her. They spent three days together and Ana still possessed strong feelings for the woman, she’d never see again. During those three days, the Terran woman made a promise to her that she’d take her to Earth - a safe territory, where the Trills wouldn’t dare enter. Ana was skeptical at first. She had heard from some Yridian smugglers that non-Terrans weren’t welcomed or allowed on Earth – the information was sketchy at best. But Ana didn’t care, she had already fallen for this woman and was ready to do anything to be with her and get away from Spankryz. The other woman said she’d keep the Trill herself and that afforded the latter protections, though Ana didn’t really understand what the Terran meant by ‘keep’.

Alas, this plan didn’t materialize.

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Location: BFOV SHIV (Mirror Universe)
Scene: Sickbay
TI: 10 years ago

This was all wrong. She wasn’t supposed to be here. She should have been on a transport with the Terran woman to Earth or somewhere safe from Spankryz. Two days ago, she was on route to rendezvous with her lover but then Spankryz showed up. Someone on the station tipped it off, which didn’t surprise her as that place attracted patrons from all over the quadrant and any one of them could have contacted the parasite. She didn’t make it to the rendezvous point, having to flee from Spankryz’s minions and only managed to escape the station with the help of a mysterious Vulcan male, who directed her to the BFOV SHIV and so here she was, having embarked just a few hours ago.

Ana had already met with the Captain – a really nasty piece of work that one was. She was assigned to the helm not because of her exceptional piloting or navigation skills but because Daisy shot the previous helmsman in a fit of rage for pressing the wrong button. So Ana knew from the onset, if she wanted to survive, then she better not cross that crazy woman.

Daisy assured the Trill that she had no intention of giving her up to Spankryz as long as the latter obeyed her every command and didn’t attempt to escape. The Captain promised her if she served under her for a year, then she’d help get rid of Spankryz and in turn release her from service. Ana was skeptical over whether that woman would keep her word and didn’t plan on staying on this rust bucket for that long. Her lover would eventually find her and she’d be free. Until then, she’d have to hang on and survive this nightmare.

She had arrived in sickbay on the Captain’s orders, requiring her to get a full medical checkup. The room was eerily quiet and the air reeked of a foul smell that made the Trill a little nauseous. She could feel the taste of bile in her mouth, which she immediately swallowed. She called out, “Hello, I am here for a checkup.”

A tall humanoid woman appeared from another room, wiping her hands with a blood stained grey cloth. She had a pale complexion and long, shoulder length auburn hair that was disheveled and messy. Her violet eyes were cold. She was adorned in a long, white coat over a red jumpsuit. The woman studied Ana in a manner that made the Trill uncomfortable like she was a subject in an experiment rather than a patient.

“You must be the new pilot the Captain sent over,” she spoke in a detached voice.

Ana nodded. “Yes. My name is Anaqueen.”

“Doctor Kate MacNeil,” Kate said with the emphasis on the ‘doctor’. “I’m this ship’s chief and the only physician.” Her eye colour changed to black.

Ana’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped. “You’re a Nuimon.”

A smile crept across the doctor’s face. “Actually, half-Nuimon. I’m also human, born and raised on Earth. I’m not surprised you recognized my mother’s race. Your people have on occasion taken help from Nuimons.”

Ana glowered, clenching her fists. “Where do you want me to sit?”

“On the biobed there,” Kate informed, pointing at the bed, next to the Trill. “Lie down and I’ll be with you momentarily.”

Anaqueen nodded and got onto the bed. She leaned against the headrest and waited, while the doctor came to her, dragging a cart holding a tray of instruments. She watched MacNeil pick up a tricorder before turning her attention forward as Kate began scanning her. Ana took a look around her surroundings and let out a sudden gasp, her eyes widening in shock. A body, well now more like a bloodied rump, was hanging loose with the head attached to some kind of silver, hemispheric contraption.

Kate followed the Trill’s gaze to the body and said in a nonchalant tone, “Oh, a result of a failed experiment.”

“What happened?”

The doctor explained, “One of the maintenance staff. An idiot just like this whole crew. That wretched man attempted to kidnap my precious baby because he was starving for meat.”

Anaqueen sported a confused expression. Precious baby? Were there children aboard? A look of horror formed in her eyes. Oh no, did some of the crew resort to cannibalism because of a food shortage? What had she gotten herself into? She needed to get off this ship immediately.

“It so happened that I needed to perfect an experimental surgical technique and used him as a subject for a study I’m conducting,” she continued, not paying heed to Ana’s discomfiture. “In the end, he died for a worthy cause. Now so many around the galaxy will benefit from my brilliance.”

A low growl made Ana tilt her head to the side and the Trill’s eyes filled with fear. Approaching the biobed, was a large animal, resembling what Ana assumed to be a Terran dog. The dog, a fully grown Siberian husky, had thick, snow white fur and almond shaped bright blue eyes, set obliquely and moderately spaced. The husky’s gaze fell on the Trill, studying her to see if she was a threat or not. Ana held her breath, her eyes not leaving the dog as it moved around the biobed and then sighed with relief, when the animal trotted towards the doctor.

“Aww,” Kate cooed, cuddling the dog as it snuggled against her, its eyes now filled with affection. “You’re hungry, aren’t you, wee one?” The husky howled in response. “Alright, I’ll contact the kitchen and have a plate of meat sent up here.” As the dog turned and howled at the mangled body, MacNeil gently petted it. “Don’t worry, lad. That bastard won’t hurt you anymore, my precious baby.”

Ana’s mouth hung open, her eyes widening in disbelief. So that animal was her ‘precious baby’. What was wrong with everyone on this ship? This was going to be a long year.

“P’Trella,” the Scot said, sounding mildly irritated. “The ship’s cook. Her meals have always been nourishing and quite fulfilling. So all this whining about not having enough meat is ridiculous and then these fools dare make attempts to eat my wee one, when they already have enough to eat. Animals are very precious and not meant to be consumed.” She picked up a hypospray, filling it with green liquid and then quickly injected it into the Trill’s neck.

Ana demanded, looking horrified, “What did you just give me?”

“Something to help you relax.” Kate grinned, returning the instrument to the tray. “Alright, we’re done here. You can leave now.” As Ana got up, obviously couldn’t wait to leave, MacNeil informed, “I’ll be seeing you again.”

“I rarely get sick, so won’t be visiting again.” Ana looked smug.

The doctor’s smile and the words that came out of her mouth were as cold as ice. “Oh but you will. In fact, with all the stress from dealing with the Captain, you’ll be here, begging for a relaxant every night before you go to sleep.”

Ana’s eyes flashed with anger, her fists clenched, wishing to kill her then but didn’t and just left. If it wasn’t for that animal, the Trill would have attempted sneaking into the doctor’s quarters to kill her.

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Location: FARIUS PRIME
Scene: Anaqueen’s Suite
TI: Present

Ana sighed, knowing the sad part, regarding life on the SHIV, was that the food, while nourishing, wasn’t really fulfilling. While that didn’t bother the Trill, it did so for the other crewmembers. Majority were resentful over fresh, if one could call it that, meat reserved for only the Captain and the physician’s dog, while they were left with scraps.

An even sadder part was that MacNeil was right – Anaqueen ended up visiting sickbay every night for a drug to alleviate her stress. She fumed, remembering the doctor’s taunts about her becoming an addict. It was only a few years later she had discovered that Kate was testing a new drug and used her as a subject without her consent. Apparently, the doctor had tested a new drug or medical procedure on most of the SHIV’s crew and she didn’t ask them for their permission. During the raids, the pirates brought in prisoners, adding to the list of test subjects. That woman used to serve some of the most powerful groups in the galaxy.

Like the Trill, Kate ended up in prison, but now the bitch was free, ready to continue her work of destroying lives. Ana wished, if only the half-Nuimon met a gruesome end to her life just like the SHIV’s captain did on the Gateway, then it’d have been so much better. As far as she was concerned, those two women were the worst in a ship of degenerates and one of them still lived.

She grabbed an empty bottle and threw it across the room, smashing it into pieces. Oh why couldn’t Chloe just kill that wretched doctor, instead of finding and capturing her? MacNeil was too dangerous to be allowed to live. Damn this dimension and the hypocrisy of Starfleet never ceased to amaze her. They probably wanted to use the doctor for their own ends.

Ana sighed, leaning back on her sofa. Chloe likely left for the meeting by now. Then she got up, a smile forming – time to go sightseeing.

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NRPG: Here’s Part II. I had planned on advancing the story but the post already got too long and figured, get most of the background stuff out of the way. In Part III, the story will move forward and in Part IV, the story should hopefully take us to Numino.

Mirror Anaqueen’s background was borrowed from old posts from the 1st ed. and retold in a different way. Some information, related to the characters, are newly added.


~*~
Ranjani S.
Writing for

Chloe Nielsen
Section 31 Agent