Part 62: Episode 62: "Wait, Undine are dangerous?"
Episode 62: "Wait, Undine are dangerous?"First Officer's Log posted:
Korvat is back with us, and seems none the worst for the wear, although the other rescues were more of a surprise. Both Admiral Chakotay and Admiral T'Nae were on that Undine ship, and the Undine have to realize they've been rescued.
Korvat expects they'll either try to destroy us, try to discredit us, or go to ground. Unfortunately, they're in a perfect position to do just that. Fortunately, the Captain has already been in touch with Four of Ten. We can count on Battle Group Omega's support if the Undine make a move. In the mean time, he's in a conference with the Admirals as we speak; undoubtedly trying to decide what to do about this mess.
"Excuse me, Captain. Am I interrupting you?"
"Oh, n-no. I was just finishing up here. Hhh… what can I do for you, Gul Vorlaj?" "Ah-I just wanted to meet you. I haven't had the chance, and I like to know everyone I'm serving with. If I came at a bad time-" "No, it's alright. You'll have to forgive me, I'm not especially fond of Cardassians." "… I understand. How-" "We went to the academy together, he requested me. I was hoping for the Enterprise, honestly, but so was everyone else at Starfleet Academy so you can take that with a grain of salt. I'm surprised you didn't know that already." "Asking you is faster than digging through a database." "I suppose that's true. So, Gul Vorlaj-" "You can call me Gilana, if it'll help." "-Gilana, then. I'm curious: You're from Cardassia too, what do you know about the Captain?" "So, just because I'm a Cardassian, that means I grew up with him and know his innermost secrets?" "Buh-no, that's not what I-" "-I know, Captain. I was attempting to lighten the mood with a little humor. Truthfully-I know he's a Cardassian. I'm afraid I don't know anything else." "Nothing? Weren't you just a little curious? With your connections-" "Oh, don't misunderstand, I looked, I just didn't find anything. The Korvat family was small, and entirely wiped out when the Breen bombarded Cardassia, so I suspect Isshan Korvat isn't a Korvat." "So who is he, then?" "I don't know." "Heh. Maybe we should try asking him." "We?" "It c-"
"RED ALERT. WOOP! WOOP! WOOP!" "Korvat expected the Undine would make an attempt to kill us, this must be it. Let's get back to the bridge."
BlipTV version
"… Phew, we actually pulled it off…"
"Was there ever any doubt?" "Well, there was that one point early on…" "What's that, Null Set? Hehehe… he says it's hardly the captain's fault you panicked and started firing at everything in sight."
"We made it through, and that's enough. The Undine will probably think twice before trying that again…"
"Which means they'll either be back in greater numbers-" "-or find some way to discredit us." "Or run away! Don't forget, for 'superior lifeforms', they're not very bright." "Hehehe…" "Molly, that's not nice."
"She does have a point." "I doubt very much they'll simply step aside for me, however; and with no way to prove that we're not Undine infiltrators-"
"Ahem." "I haven't made a decision yet, Elerena." "A decision about what?" "Our ship's doctor… injected you with some modified Borg nanoprobes. They were transmitting for six hours, which was their expected lifespan, so we have reason to believe you're not Undine-" "-that was what you were working on?!-" "Shh." "-but we have no baseline for comparison, so we can't be certain unless we try injecting the nanoprobes into a real Undine-" "Like the one conveniently sitting in the Brig. You're welcome, incidentally." "-but doing so would be against nearly every rule and regulation in the books. I just can't justify taking that sort of action, even with Admiral Janeway's tacit approval."
"I say we do it. Regulation 3, paragraph 12-" "Is a slippery slope, and this is something I can't justify." "Actually… there may be a way you can." "You have my attention." "Captain Galti, can your nanoprobes be modified to, oh, scan for the low-level radiation damage caused by, say… exposure to Undine antiproton weaponry?" "Well yes, fairly easily, but it'd be less efficient then our usual equipment…" "Well, it's a pity the undine attack knocked that equipment offline." "-Elerena, I'm going to need everyone on the ship tested for radiation poisoning. With all the anti-protons floating about, the crew-and all of our prisoners-" "Hehehehe…" "-could develop some severe health problems a few decades from now. We can't have that now, can we?" "I'll get right on it, sir." "Of course, the real trick is going to be convincing your doppelganger to take the same test." "Yes, I know… but hopefully, this will be enough to plant a seed of doubt; and Admiral Janeway will always be susceptible to empirical data." "Assuming a transformed Undine reacts to nanoprobes the way we hope." "Yes. I hope Captain Galti has done her homework." "She has. I'm more worried that the Undine have a way to suppress their aggressive biology." "That's also a possibility I hadn't considered."
"Subcommander, may I have a word?" "Er-yes, Admiral?" "I'm gratified to see that Captain Korvat has the support of the Vulcan science acade-" "I'm a Romulan." "… What?" "Eyebrow ridges. Korlissa Vreenak. Not Vulcan." "I-I see." "You are disturbed." "I didn't realize our relations with Romulus had improved so much." "They haven't. If anything, they're worse than ever. Captain Korvat granted me asylum, since the Praetor had my family killed for our less-than-hostile ties to the Federation. Please excuse me, Admiral, I have duties to perform." "Er, yes… of course."