Chapter 4
4th March 2631
USS Redemption
Starfleet Construction Yard
In Orbit of Romulus
Second Officer’s Log, 4th March 2631. Final preparations for launch should be complete by 1400 this afternoon, just in time for Captain Kalara’s arrival. Most of the crew is onboard and they seem to be settling in. Rumours are rife as to what our final mission will be, but no one seems to know exactly where Starfleet is sending us. Even if I wanted to, I could not clear up the uncertainty, as my own orders from Command have been very vague. I hope that Captain Kalara will be able to reassure the crew once she arrives. In the meantime, I am anxious to meet our new Operations Officer who is en route aboard his former vessel, the Reliant.
XXX
For the brief moment that the transporter effect lasted, Jasto was at peace. As soon as the Redemption’s transporter room coalesced into solid reality around him, though, Haebron began to scream, the sound echoing through his mind.
Taken aback by the sudden change, Jasto took a moment to get his bearings. He blinked a few times, as if trying to clear his head. When he saw the smile on the transporter operator’s face, he quickly recovered and stepped down from the padd, hefting his duffel bag on his shoulder.
A gold-skinned officer in a black and grey uniform - gold stripes running around his collar and down his arms - stepped forward, hand held out.
“Lieutenant Dax? Welcome to the Redemption. I’m Lieutenant-Commander Ianto.”
Jasto Dax took the outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. To his surprise, it was cold.
“You were expecting something more… metallic?” the android asked with a wry smile.
“Am I that obvious?”
“No, not at all. It has simply been my observation that most non-artifical lifeforms have certain… expectations about androids. One of those is that their skin should feel cold or metal like. Thankfully, my father was able to perfect a nearly undistinguishable substitute for ‘living’ skin.”
Jasto blinked. “Your father?”
Ianto nodded. “My maker. The android known as Data.”
“I didn’t realise that you and your fellow Data-class androids saw Data as a father. Sir.”
“Most do not. I… I have a slightly more complicated relationship with our initiator.”
Before Dax could ask any more, the comm badge on Ianto’s chest beeped. The android reached up and tapped it.
“Lieutenant-Commander Ianto here.”
“Sir, we have a problem down in Secondary Engineering. The power flow to the third slipstream drive is playing up. We were wondering if…”
Ianto cocked his head, his eyes becoming glazed. Dax had heard that the few Data-class androids still around had a harmonic link to the ships they served on, allowing them to better deal with problems and even take full control of the ship if necessary. He guessed Ianto was connecting to the main computer to check the diagnostic systems. After a moment, he sighed. “I’ll be right there. Ianto out.”
He focused on the Trill. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Dax, I was hoping to give you a tour of the ship, but it looks like duty calls. If you wish, I can show you to your quarters on my way to Secondary Engineering?”
“That would be fine, sir.”
“After you.”
The android bowed his head and indicated with a sweep of his hand for Dax to precede him out into the corridor. Stepping through the open door, the first thing Dax noted was how similar it looked to the pre-Occupation Starfleet corridors. The last time Dax had seen corridors like this had been aboard the Aventine, Ezri Dax’s ship. He had become so used to the dark, military grey of most Starfleet vessels built during and since the Occupation, that the unmarred white walls and bright illumination came as quite a surprise. The Romulan Construction Yards had made a real effort to replicate the feel of the old ships.
He also noted the high level of activity that always preceded the launch of a new ship – he had seen it from a number of different perspectives over the span of his many lifetimes, from the lowly ensign carrying cables to a Jefferies tube, to the Captain walking the decks and getting acquainted with his crew. The Redemption didn’t seem any different. People ran every which way, only the cut and colour of their uniforms giving any hint as to what they were doing or where they were going.
“The level of activity has increased exponentially over the past few days,” Commander Ianto said as he followed Dax into the corridor. Dax would have sworn he detected a hint of pride in the android’s voice. “I have noted a 46 % increase in congestion within the corridors and a 73 % increase in average foot speed.”
Dax allowed himself an ironic smile. Ianto was a Data-class android, alright.
“Did I say something amusing, Lieutenant?”
There was the slightest hint of censure in Ianto’s voice and Dax reminded himself that this was not Data and he wasn’t Lerin. Ianto was, however, Dax’s direct superior. As second officer, Ianto was supposed to coordinate all of the different sections, including Dax’s own Ops position. He quickly erased the smile. Last time I was aboard a ship like this, I was her captain. Now… Well, this is going to take some getting used to.
“No, sir. Sorry, sir”
Ianto nodded curtly, then began to lead Dax down the corridor. “I believe that one of your hosts knew my father?”
Dax nodded. “The first host born during the Occupation, Lerin Dax.”
“Ah yes, I remember Lerin. An eager young rebel. A shame how he died.”
Dax stopped short in surprise. Ianto turned and looked at him, a single eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry, sir. You remember Lerin?”
“I travelled with my father in his last days, as the Dominion closed in. Every night, he imprinted his memory engrams onto my neural cortex, just in case he should be captured or killed. I carry a full set of his memories right up until the night when the Dominion finally caught up with him.”
“On Seraphis.” One of Dax’s former hosts, Zaria Dax, remembered hearing about it as a child living on New Trill. The Dominion had proclaimed Data’s death all over the news services, proud to have finally brought down such a key member of the Resistance.
“Exactly.” Ianto’s voice grew sad. “I stood with him as the Jem’hadar broke through our defences, but he ordered me to retreat, to carry on the work he had started to draw the Resistance movements together. He programmed each of his children with an obediance sub-routine, a special harmonic that none of us could refuse. I was compelled to leave him behind.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ianto smiled. “In a way, we are not at all dissimilar. I carry all of my father’s memories, which I will pass on in the event of my deactivation. Much as your symbiont passes on the memories from the former host.”
Dax forced a smile as Haebron’s screams rattled through his mind. He struggled not to wince. He’s getting worse. He glanced at Ianto again. Trust me, Commander, we’re more different than you think.
While they had been talking, Ianto had started walking again, leading them through the corridors to the nearest turbolift. They waited for a few moments among the milling crew members, then stepped on to the first available pod. Most of the crew members already aboard were young, the pip on their collars identifying them as ensigns. An uncomfortable silence fell over the pod as the two officers stepped on board. Dax tried to hold back a smile, remembering his own experiences as an ensign. And Ezri’s. And Jadzia’s. Both women had been the last members of the Dax ‘family’ to be members of Starfleet. Of course, after Ezri, there hadn’t been a Starfleet left to serve in.
As the turbolift descended, Ianto carried on talking. Dax listened with half an ear – it was taking all of his concentration to do even that much with Haebron’s screams rising and falling every few moments.
“I think you’ll find that the Redemption is very different to the ships you’re used to serving on. Starfleet has made a real effort to improve the living conditions considering the length of time we are probably going to spend out of range of a starbase. We have three holodecks, a number of recreational facilities and relatively large quarters. Of course, she’s nowhere near the size of pre-Occupation Starfleet vessels. In fact, by my calculations, she is about the size of the Constitution-class Enterprise.”
Dax nodded politely. No! Haebron screamed in his head. Don’t. Please. Just… Stop. I’m begging you. Please, don’t!
The turbolift stopped. When the the doors opened, Dax found himself face to face with a young human woman. Blond hair cut in a bob around a heart-shaped face, she would have been stunning if it hadn’t been for the brutal scar that twisted around her neck, starting on her left cheek. When her eyes met his, Dax’s blood froze.
No! No! Haebron screamed at the sight of her. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. They made me. Please, don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me. I’m begging you. No!
Clamping down on a sudden urge to scream, Dax took in a hitching breath. The young woman stared at him coldly then stepped on to the turbolift, nodding curtly to Ianto. She knows, Dax thought. She knows who I am.
“Lieutenant Williams, I would like you to meet Lieutenant –“
“Dax.”
Ianto raised an eyebrow. “You know one another.”
Lieutenant Williams glanced at Dax. He almost took a step backwards at the raging hate that blazed in those blue eyes. “We have never met. No.”
Dax could only nod feebly. The lieutenant’s presence had turned Haebron into a raving monster. Dax felt his lips begin to move and he realised that he was mouthing Haebron’s words. Stop it! he screamed in his mind. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or if he was talking to the madman who shared his mind.
Ianto seemed to sense the tension between the two of them. Still, he went on, “Lieutenant Dax, this is Lieutenant Astrid Williams. She is our primary helmsman.”
Of course she is, Dax thought, stifling a groan. It had to be her. He nodded again, not trusting his voice. “The two of you will be working closely together,” Ianto went on, emphasising the word closely.
Dax was saved from saying anything when the turbolift stopped. The doors opened, revealing a long corridor broken every few metres by a door. Ianto politely pushed through the ensigns, telling Astrid Williams that he would be seeing her later. Dax followed along behind, his mind in a daze.
Ianto led him to a door a few feet down and pressed the pad. The door whooshed open, revealing the room beyond. “Here are your quarters, Lieutenant.”
“Thank you, sir,” Dax responded, pretending to look inside. “They look perfect.” The door closed again.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to Secondary Engineering. The Dominion’s Quantum Slipstream Device was a wonderful invention, but we’re nowhere near as proficient in its use as they were. Sometimes I miss the good old warp-drive.”
“I know what you mean,” Dax said. “The price of carrying another man’s memories. Nostalgia.”
Ianto smiled. “I’m sure you’re going to fit in fine, here, Lieutenant.” He held out his hand.
“I hope so, sir.”
They shook then Ianto headed back down the corridor. He stopped for a moment, then turned back. “I’m not sure what your history is with Lieutenant Williams, Lieutenant Dax, but as operations officer you are going to be working very closely with her. I hope that the two of you will be able to handle that.”
“Of course sir. I’ll… I’ll speak with her.”
“Good. Well, good day, Lieutenant.”
“And to you, sir.”
As soon as the Lieutenant-Commander had vanished into the turbo-lift, Dax let out a sigh of relief, his whole body shaking with the effort it had taken to hide his discomfort. Throughout the whole trip from the transporter room, Haebron’s screams had been getting increasingly louder, as if the moment of absence during transport had urged him on to greater effort. Seeing Astrid Williams had not helped. What is she doing here? Gritting his teeth, Dax slapped his hand on the pad and stepped into his quarters.
He glanced around, barely taking in the simple bunk, desk and chair that were the only furniture. He hurried over to the bunk and threw himself down. Grinding his fists against his eyes, he groaned.
“Stop it, Haebron. Please, you have to stop it.”
Dax’s last host just continued to howl.
Reaching down to his duffel, Dax rummaged around blindly until he found the hypo. Good thing I charged this up before beaming over from the Reliant, he thought. With trembling hands, he pressed the hypo to his neck and depressed the button. With a whoosh of air, the drug spread through his system. Moments later, Haebron’s voice began to fade. It took a good two or three minutes, though, for his screams to become little more than a murmuring in the back of his mind.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Dax rubbed at his eyes. Haebron had been getting worse over the past few months and the drug prescribed to him by Doc Jones was taking longer and longer to have an effect. Soon he was going to have to get his dosage increased. If the Redemption’s doctor would even allow it. Doc Jones had warned him of the dangerous side-effects of jalapamine.
Lying back, Dax closed his eyes. Immediately, he saw Astrid William’s face. In his mind’s eye though she was screaming. He forced Haebron’s memory away. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. He felt sick. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes again and wondered what he was going to do.