"Computer, time."
<The time is 0432 hours.>
So much for sleep, Tarik thought. He'd not been able to sleep all night. Dinner had gone well; Tarik was correct in his assumption that Paul and Hecate were personally as well as professionally attached -- but the readiness of the Swarvan fleet rivaled Federation standards, so Paul evidently had managed to whip them into shape regardless. He was by no means the fickle man Tarik had met just over a year earlier.
His mouth feeling incredibly dry, Tarik replicated a glass of water. And another, and another. Something is definitely wrong with me! Quickly, he got dressed and left his quarters for Sickbay.
The duty doctor wasted no time in getting a tricorder and scanning him. "You look terrible, General! And no wonder -- you're running a five-degree fever!"
"What's going on? I've never been this sick before!"
The duty doctor continued to scan Tarik. "Hmmm... have you been on any unsurveyed worlds recently?"
"Nowhere other than Starbase 901, Serenity, and Yukon for the past several months."
"You've picked up a rather exotic virus. It looks bioengineered."
"Wait a minute... this can only be one thing." Tarik explained the situation with what had been termed the 'love virus' on Starbase 901. "We determined it to be a Mulluran bioweapon. But other than Vulcans who ended up in pon farr, its effects passed relatively quickly after the antidote was administered."
The doctor looked disturbed by this news. "You're obviously suffering some effects from this virus. Do you know of any other Romulans who were infected?"
"The only other Romulan in the Serenity system was my grandfather, and he wasn't exposed. If there were any Romulan agents on the station, they didn't report to Sickbay."
"Then we have no way of knowing how the virus will affect you. But your liver is working overtime and your pituitary gland is shutting down. There's no way this is going to be gentle on your system and pass like what they used to call the common cold on Earth."
"I can still do my job, Doctor. My body may be falling apart but my brain still works, and that's what I need to run this expeditionary force."
"Nonetheless, I don't want you away from competent medical help. Not until we can get a handle on what's going on. I'm dispatching my findings to Starfleet Medical and the Vulcan Science Academy. Somebody's got to have some idea."
Falut, former Mulluran civil servant, was settling into his job as a clerk at the Vulcan Science Academy. The work, unlike his former position as a diplomatic aide, was relatively non-stressful and the Vulcans treated him with courtesy (even if their detached way of doing business took some getting used to). Cataloging scientific records and specimens was certainly less stressful than diplomatic service, especially when the catalog system was as efficient and user-friendly as Vulcans were capable of making it.
The work was also varied. This week Falut was working in the exoarchaeology section. "Good day, Mr. Falut. Would you please retrieve Artifact 23947," a Vulcan researcher asked of him.
Falut headed into the storage area and found the requested artifact: a scroll, nearly 10,000 years old, with unknown writing on it. Using an antigravity pod, he maneuvered the scroll out of its stasis field and into a container. He presented the container to the Vulcan.
"There you are, Academician Secek. Artifact 23947."
"Your ebullience, though emotional, is refreshing, Falut. Not many even amongst my people have the patience for such taxing work," Secek said as he took the container.
"This is absolute pleasure compared to my previous position. What is it, anyway?"
"This is a scroll retrieved from the ruins of a colony in the Briar Patch. We believe it to be a relic of the Albacetian civilization but as yet have not been able to translate it."
"Albacetian... Mr. Secek, I think I know of someone who might be able to help. In fact, she'd be delighted to help."
"Indeed?"
"Yes, if there's anyone who can be called an expert on Briar Patch relics -- particularly the Albacetians -- Kassia would be the person to talk to."
Kassia stopped in at her shop to check up on Danni and on her sales. As usual, the shop was doing excellent business. Unfortunately, much of that business was in funerary accessories these days.
"I'm glad you're here!" Danni exclaimed. "There's a message waiting for you!"
Kassia retreated to her office in the back and activated the comm screen. It was a transmission from Academician Secek of the Vulcan Science Academy. He'd sent an image file of an ancient scroll, with a message that the Academy would compensate her generously for her time.
"Computer, relay this message to my quarters," Kassia ordered.
back to TOC