Star Trek Outwardly Mobile
Children of Ateb - the decision

By
Jay P. Hailey

 

We were on the planet called New Ateb by the Atebians.

We stood or sat around a large bonfire.

"Tell them." Nojineok said, harshly.

I took a deep breath and then turned to the collected Atebians. "I am responsible for a genocide."

They looked back at me in shock.

"There was a race called the Kliges'chee. We were at war." The wound was raw and painful. I opened it all the way. "We found a Bioweapon. I used it. They died." It rasped coming out.

"You maniac!" Luaporom said. His face was red and he shuddered.

"Do you have any idea what Biological weapons do to people?" Analessur, the Atebian's chief medical officer asked sharply. She was graceful blonde woman who looked delicate. That look was deceiving. No one delicate could have survived 1000 days of Asteroid base Ateb. "I had to fight them on Arrae! Millions were killed!"

Nojineok looked at me. "We can't condone that. We can't continue with the Discovery."

I nodded. "I understand how you feel. Please understand me. My desire for you to continue with the Discovery has a selfish element. I can't deny that. But mostly it's about you."

Nojineok didn't especially believe me. "What do you mean?"

"Listen. Scouting out a new world and learning how to live there is not a job for amateurs." I said.

"We're not amateurs." Ynosedrev, the Atebian Chief of Security said, harshly.

"You are all experienced spacemen. You are all, by now experienced explorers. But that's a long call away from being a First-In Scout." I said.

Nojineok turned away from me. "We'll make do."

I sighed. "Every new world has its dangers. Predators, parasites, diseases. You have no guarantee our seed stocks of plants will grow successfully down here. Sure, we can eat native life forms. But what if there's a minor incompatibility? It'd take weeks for the symptoms of malnutrition and scurvy to start to show. And by then, it would be far too late."

Rotamgreb, their chief science officer said "There are solutions to any problem, if you look hard enough."

I found myself getting angry. "Have you ever off loaded ships of plague survivors? Have you ever been on a ship that was too late responding to the distress call? I have! I have seen the scars and the dead bodies. I am trying to keep that from happening to you!"

"And if we don't agree, will you kill us?" Nojineok sneered.

"Don't tar Earth with my crime." I said. "The Federation didn't do this. I did. I had a moment of weakness. A moment of fear and I jumped when I shouldn't have. But Earth is a welcoming place with a full, civilized infrastructure waiting for you. If you're into make your own new world, then you can join a better equipped and better supported colonization effort. One where the First-In Scouts have already learned many of the hard lessons for you."

"I can't condone your action by going with you." Nojineok insisted.

"Captain Hailey." Gensilan said. Her voice caught the attention of the crowd.

"Yes, Gensilan?" I answered.

"Did you know what that weapon would do when you fired it?" She asked.

"No, but that makes it worse." I said.

Ynosedrev was incredulous. "You used a Bioweapon and didn't know what it would do!?"

Gensilan asked "Captain Hailey, what do you see happening to you when you get home?"

I looked at her. She stared right back at me unmoving. "I'll be arrested. I'll spend the rest of my life in jail, disgraced. I'm lucky. The Federation doesn't support the death penalty."

Nokineok squinted at me. "But you go anyway."

"I made a promise that I'd do my best to get the Discovery and her crew back to base as intact as I could, and I mean to keep it." I said.

"Would we be arrested?" Nalatrac asked.

"We be conspirators after the fact." Nojineok insisted.

"No." I said. "I made it plain in my logs that the decision to fire the weapon was mine alone and that my crew wasn't in favor of the action."

"Commander Mendez, may we speak with you?" Nojineok asked.

Mendez stepped forward into the light. "Do you want to make me take an oath or something?"

Nojineok was confused. "Why?"

"Well, you've put Captain Hailey on trial." Mendez said calmly.

"He wants us to join your ship and crew. You don't think that calls for questions?" Nojineok said.

"I didn't see you asking many back at Ateb." Mendez said. "You're distressed travelers seeking a ride back to civilization. Strand yourselves here, and you will still be distressed travelers stranded in the middle of nowhere."

Nojineok turned away, offended.

"Commander, " Gensilan asked in a clear voice "Would the Discovery have survived the encounter in the nebula without firing the bioweapon?"

Mendez shook his head. "I doubt it."

"That was no excuse!" I barked at Mendez. "We're not out here to do the right thing when it's convenient! We're here to do the right thing, period!"

Mendez nodded at me. "Now you're sounding more like the Jay Hailey I know. She didn't ask me if it was the right thing to do. She asked me if the Discovery would have made it out of the nebula. I don't think we would have."

"We'd have found a way." I said. I didn't sound much like I believed it.

"Would you have fired the weapon?" Nojineok asked Mendez.

"I don't know. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have, but there is too much hindsight there for me to be sure any more." Mendez answered.

"Why didn't you relieve Hailey and take command yourself?" Analessur asked him.

Mendez looked grim. "I have asked myself that a million times. It's too late now. Now he's doing as well as I ever could. I believe the Discovery will get home."

Nojineok snarled "At what cost?"

Mendez looked at me. "It's already cost one soul, and a sentient race. I don't think we'll be making that mistake again."

Ayam, their shape changing science officer smiled a sparkling grin. "Nope. We'll be making a whole new set!"

Ynosedrev looked at Ayam horrified. "You're going with them?"

Ayam nodded. "I must continue to try and find my home, Ynosedrev. Please try to understand."

"I... I thought you loved me." Ynosedrev said, his heart breaking.

Ayam stood and gently brushed Ynosedrev's face. "I do. I hope you'll come with me. But I am going."

There was silence for a while, interrupted by the crackle of the fire and occasional calls of alien birds.

Nalatrac stood. "Commander, we didn't blame the whole Cartsarlan Military for Colonel Merbak's massacre. We blamed Colonel Merbak and his henchmen."

Nojineok whirled on his old friend. "This man makes Merbak look like an amateur!"

"I am interested in seeing this Federation of theirs. Camping sounds like fun for a while Commander. I think about the third or fourth year it's going to start feeling very old." Nalatrac said. "I hear they have indoor plumbing and hot food."

I spoke sharply. "You're not judging me. That's for other authorities. You're judging your probability of survival here on an unknown world."

"I can't surrender my sense of morality." Nojineok said. "I can forget the difference between right and wrong."

"Then don't," I said "be my conscience back to the Federation. I'll listen."

"I can't condone genocide!" Nojineok yelled.

"No one's ASKING you to!" I yelled back, "tell everyone we meet. Tell every reporter on Earth. Tell the Commander of Starfleet, tell the Federation council and yell at every planet we pass between here and there! Just don't stay here and die!"

"I'll add my plea to his." Commander Mendez said. "Don't stay here and die. Come with us, please."

"Stay here and die if you want to," Gensilan said. "But make that choice freely and with full knowledge of the consequences."

Ayam came and stood behind me. I looked at her. "No, not like that."

Nalatrac also came over to strand behind me.

"Oh, no." I said.

Several other Atebians got up and moved over behind me. I looked at Nojineok sadly.

"Alright." He grudgingly agreed. "I'll be your conscience. May the Creator help you if you don't listen."

I smiled a half hearted smile. "Welcome aboard everyone."

"Just don't forget who's the senior Conscience in the chain of command." Mendez said to me.

I grinned honestly at him "May the Creator help me."

 

-end-

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this story for me.

This story posted by permission of the author. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Jay P. Hailey

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