Henry Wyatt had seen plenty in his six hundred years.  He’d felt plenty in that time. Yet those long years of experience did not prepare him for the news that his home planet had been attacked by the Borg, who had murdered millions of his people.  Reid had helped him sit up and sat beside him, sharing in pieces how the universe had changed since he’d been imprisoned on The Island.  

“It feels different.”  He explained how the world felt to him as an El-Aurian, “Each of us has different…abilities.  For me, it’s seeing the lines of history as they happen – the choices that shift each reality as they’re made.  We know when things are wrong or when they’ve gone astray.  We’re taught to be listeners…watchers…recorders of history.  You cannot imagine how hard it is to stand by and observe the horrors year after year.”

“You’re right.  I can’t.”  She kept an eye on his readings, “You can share…if you want.”

Wyatt let out a long sigh.  “The wars on Earth were the worst.”  He stared at his hands, “Watching the dead march off to their graves…and knowing what would happen to each of them.”  He held up his hands, “These are strong hands, but I couldn’t hold them back from Destiny.  History rides on, dark rider and all.”  His tone became grim, “I was tempted to interfere.  It would have been so easy.”  Wyatt played with his fingers, “But I knew I couldn’t live with myself and the knowledge that I had broken our people’s most sacred agreement.  And so death continued to grind through the fresh meat that would line up again and again.”  He turned to look at Reid, his eyes threatening to overflow with his feelings.  “It never ends.  Such is the weight of the responsibility we carry.”  Another sigh escaped his lips, “I will find a way to reconcile all this in time.  I will ask to speak to your ship’s counselor as you suggested earlier.”

Reid reached out and touched his arm, “I’ll let her know.  For now, please rest.”  He gave a small nod and turned over, pulling the blanket over him and closing his eyes.

Hasara stood in the expansive Astrometrics holodeck, his hands scrolling through the console as the various system in the expanse filled the screen.  The door behind him flew open, and Harris walked in carrying a PADD.  The Cardassian turned, acknowledging the captain with a nod, “You got my message.  This is an incredible department you have here, captain.”

Ambrose stood beside the Gul, “It is.  First installed on the USS Enterprise-D, it’s become a standard in the fleet.  You found something?”

“Galaxy class.  Always like the look of those ships.”  He accepted the stare coming from the CO with a quiet grin, “I am allowed to appreciate the human design once in a while, captain.”  He tapped at the console, “We are not all, as you humans say, ‘philistines’.  I took the ongoing scans from your science department and merged them with Cardassian scouting reports over the last few days.  Together with the Palasa operational reports, I have located what I think are three possible sites where Jade Dilithium could be found.”  The screen shifted to show the three systems with the various reports layered over them.

Harris stepped forward and examined the options, and pulled up his own PADD, “I can eliminate option C332 – Palasa reported that facility was destroyed earlier this morning.”  

Hasara tapped at the console, and the marker faded out. “That leaves C21 and C243.”  With another tap of the console and both items were stacked up side by side, “Both are in systems with a sun.  Both are far enough away from Cardassian interests and Palasa interests.  But only one has this unusual sensor reading attached.”  The reading filled the screen.

“That’s a similar frequency to the Blood Dilithium we encountered in the Delta Quadrant.”  Harris stepped forward to the console and ran the signal through several filters until it flashed green, “It’s a close match.  That’s where we’re going to find it.”

Hasara cautioned, “You know this, but I feel compelled to mention it.  Your XO is susceptible to the effects of this material.  It has been shown to have impacts on humans and other alien species alike.”

“I appreciate the reminder, Gul.  I’ve tasked Fowler and her team with figuring out a way to shield us from this thing.”  He thought for a moment, “Come with me – let’s see where they’re at in the process.  You might have some ideas.”

Hasara chuckled, “A Cardassian’s ideas on science and technology are wanted.  The day continues to surprise.”

Fowler stood in the conference room, surrounded by the various assistant science chiefs and their crews.  Various large mobile screens were spread throughout the room as teams worked through the problem.  They’d spent the morning going over the readings from both Blood Dilithium and Jade Dilithium, trying to grasp the connection between the two.  As the afternoon began, the teams formed and began their work.  She walked the room, observing and listening as each group tackled the issue of how to shield someone from the effects of what was basically a mind-controlling substance that had been weaponized.  

She glanced at the door as it opened, revealing Captain Harris and Gul Hasara.  The gathered group went to stand, and the CO put his hands up, “No need.  Continue your work.  Here to observe only.”  The group glanced at Fowle,r and she nodded her assent as the new arrivals wove their way to her.  Harris spoke first, “Afternoon, Fowler.  How’s it looking?”

She picked up her PADD, “Well, sirs…it’s one step forward, two steps back kind of thing.”  She turned the device around to show them both, “We’ve come up with a few polymers that are being simulation tested right now, but we’re having to significantly increase the layer levels in order to make a dent in the extrapolated effect.”  She tapped at the PADD, “We’re also trying to use the methods used against the Blood Dilithium to adapt in some form, but it’s a slow process.”

Hasara glanced at the PADD, frowned, and pulled out his own device.  “I may have a solution for you, Lieutenant.”  He worked for a moment and then turned his device around, “Electromagnetic waves, radio waves, and other assorted waves – we use it to make places ‘clean’ to ensure no kind of surveillance equipment is able to pick up or read what’s going on.”

Harris examined the display, “That’s not very secret – Starfleet’s been aware of it for some time now.  It usually tells us that something is happening in that sector of space.”

The Gul smiled thinly, “Yes, but you still rarely find out what we’re doing, captain.  I’m not about to give away state secrets, to be clear.  But it’s a way to cleanse an area of signals.”

Fowler nodded along as the two men spoke and broke in, “It’s like creating a dead space. The risk is that no signals would come out or in – it’s a pretty brutal tactic with not much finesse.”

Hasara agreed, “We are not known for finesse or subtly, Lieutenant Fowler.”

“I’ll share this with the team.  This helps.  Thank you, Gul.”

He bowed slightly, “I live to serve.”  He watched Fowler roll her eyes slightly and start her walk around the room to update the teams.  Hasara turned to Harris, “I think she likes me.”  

He smiled, and Ambrose observed dryly as they left the room, “She might like to kill you, Gul.  Don’t confuse the feeling.”  

Hasara chuckled and tapped him on the shoulder, “You’re understanding Cardassian humor more and more, Captain Harris.”

It was the CO’s turn to roll his eyes as they continued down the corridor.