Chapter 37. Klingon atrocities
Noah slowly turned around and looked at Jeffrey sternly. "What did you say just now?" He felt that he heard wrongly. You must have heard it wrong, because that is so incredible.
Jeffrey had lived among humans long enough to know what the captain was asking. He wanted an explanation, not a repetition of what he had just said. "Nilfer is half-Vulcan," he explained. "I already suspected it when he told us his name, but I wasn't sure."
Noah was shocked. Why didn't Jeffrey tell him this fact? Of course he knows the answer. A Vulcan would never state a conclusion based solely on speculation. It's really confusing sometimes. "How is this possible?" The combination of the two races was completely unimaginable to Noah. No two races are more alien than these two. Klingons are wild, irritable, aggressive, or extremely emotional. Vulcans, on the other hand, are calm, thoughtful and dignified, logical. It's like fire and water, which don't go together at all. Totally impossible.
"Forty-one years and two months ago, a Vulcan research vessel was hijacked by the Klingons and its crew captured," Jeffrey began to explain. "The Klingons brutally killed some Vulcans and tortured and raped some women. Three months later, the Vulcans finally escaped from the original Klingons through logical means." There was something in his voice. With pride in his race, but of course that couldn't be the case. "They returned to Vulcan. However, 11 Vulcan women became pregnant when they were raped. The children were born and raised according to Vulcan teachings."
"Logic suggests that these children should be born because they are innocent of what happened," Nirfer continued. "They were raised according to Vulcan tradition and law, even though they looked more like Klingons in appearance. They learned the teachings of logic and grew up in Vulcan society. At heart, they were Vulcan, Even if you don’t see it on the outside.”
"So you are one of the children?" Noah guessed. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. This has never been a big topic within the Federation. At least as far as he could recall. But what if this happened more than forty years ago, when he himself was still a child. Perhaps because of this, he didn't notice it. But he suspected that the Vulcans might have quietly solved the problem internally. Maybe other Federation worlds don't even know about it.
"Yes," Nilf confirmed the captain's guess.
"Can half-Vulcans perform mind fusion?" Noah was curious.
"Not everyone," Jeffrey replied. "But most people who have learned traditional Vulcan rituals can. Think of Mr. Ofersmon on the Enterprise."
Noah nodded. He wanted to know more about the eleven children and their fate. But now is not the right place to have this kind of conversation. He turned to Nilf again. "What are you doing here? As far as I know, there are no Klingon-Vulcan hybrids in Starfleet."
"Yes, I came alone."
Alone? Why would anyone embark on an unknown and potentially dangerous voyage alone? "Why?" he asked curiously. "Is this logical?"
"Maybe not. But for me, it was the only way to go. I never really fit in with Vulcan society. I couldn't fully control my emotions. My Klingon heritage always showed through. I always was An outsider, even Vulcan didn't make me feel that way. And to the Klingons, I was never welcome. To them, I was never a true Klingon, drawn to Vulcan blood and Contaminated by my thoughts. I was always standing between two worlds. So I chose to be alone. I explored the universe, looking for new places and new cultures that could be my new home. Then, I was captured by the Demon Flame."
"Traveling through the universe alone? Isn't this illogical? This is a great danger, don't you think so?" Noah asked.
"No, of course not. It's no more dangerous than your voyage. My glider is very fast and maneuverable, and I can easily escape your ship, as well as a Klingon, a Romulan, or a Thorian Man. It was a predictable risk. Until I encountered the Demon Flame. They managed to subdue me."
"Why should we believe you?" Noah was impressed at first by Nilf's story, but now doubts are back. Charles's deception was still fresh in his memory, and he now wondered whether Nilfer's game was just a show or if he could really control himself.
"It's the truth. Vulcans don't lie," he replied calmly.
"You look more like a Klingon." Noah continued to challenge. He wanted to know if Nilf's performance was just an illusion, or if he really had control over himself. Noah figured a Klingon couldn't be angered for long.
"My appearance is only superficial, it doesn't matter. Deep down, I am a Vulcan." Nilf pushed his hair back to expose his ears. They were sharp, like Jeffrey's ears.
Still, Noah was a little surprised. He didn't want to believe the story. Now, some doubts remain. He looked at Jeffrey, and the two stepped aside slightly.
"What do you think?" he asked softly.
"This is amazing. According to Vulcan records, there are no longer any of these Klingon-Vulcan hybrids alive on Vulcan. They left the planet over the years. There are eleven such hybrids in total, but I Never seen any of them.”
"Is he telling the truth?" Noah wondered, and that was the only thing that mattered now.
"It's hard to say. In this case, we can't know for sure." Jeffrey had to admit.
"Then he might also be half-Romulan?" Noah speculated. After all, the Romulans are relatives of the Martians. They split from Vulcan about two thousand years ago and left Vulcan to establish a brand new nation. They are very similar to Vulcans, the only difference is that they still allow themselves to express emotions.
"I don't think so, although I can't completely rule it out," Jeffrey replied. "But from the way he controls his emotions, it seems like he has been taught this since he was a child."
"What about mind melding?" The idea of mind melding with a Klingon, or even a half-Klingon and half-Romulan, made the captain feel a little uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, Captain, I can no longer perform mind fusion while we are captured." He was reluctant to admit that the hardships of the mine were also taking a toll on him, but logically, for the Captain, he had no Necessary to withhold information.
"Damn it." Noah didn't know what to do. He didn't want to believe Nilf. Hostility to the Klingons runs deep. Although he always thought that he was unbiased towards others, this was not entirely true. He couldn't shake his distrust of the Klingons and Romulans.
"Captain, we should trust him," Jeffrey suggested to him. "He's another ally. We need every ally here."
Noah touched his chin with his hand, his beard stinging his hair follicles. "If you think so, I will believe that you are not mistaken." His trust in the Martian was almost unlimited, and he hoped that this time too, Jeffrey would be proven right.
"We have nothing to lose," Jeffrey reminded.
At this moment, the door opened and several Demonic Flame Warriors walked into the room. Five guards remained at the door while three others moved through the crowd.
The officers of the Republic looked at each other, uneasy. During the week they spent here, the demonic flames never appeared during the four-hour break. What happened? In the semi-darkness, the demonic flames looked even more terrifying. Like a legendary monster or demon. They could only vaguely see their outlines. The leading warrior was holding other things besides weapons. But I can't see what it is.
Noah tensed up inside when he realized that the demonic flame was coming directly towards him. Is it his turn? Will he now suffer the same torture as Commander Gram?
The leading warrior stood in front of Noah and silently handed something to him. Noah watched carefully. He was shaking with fear. He felt a chill coming over him. Shocked, he stumbled backward. A feeling of nausea came over me. He took a step back and stepped on a prisoner lying on the ground. He fell on his back, breathless.
The leading Demonic Flame Warrior held the head of a reptile creature with his claws. It looked like it had been torn from the body. The skin still glowed a little green amid the massive amounts of blood. Its eyes were gouged out and there was a large hole in its cheekbone. The multiple holes in the skull indicate that the Demon Flame wanted to test how much pain the reptilian creature could endure and whether it posed a threat to them. It must have been a horrific death for this unfortunate victim. Noah was thankful he didn't see the rest of the body. In the deepest recesses of his frightened brain, Noah noticed that the unfortunate man was his driver, Hogan.
Ted sat in his room, looking at the tactical diagrams of various Demon Flame battleships. During the attack, the sensor recorded some data and then failed. Now he's studying that data, along with information gained from the crashed ship. There must be a way to defeat them before you are destroyed yourself. Every ship has a weak point, now Ted just needs to find it. However, facing the huge firepower of the Demon Flame Battleship, they did not have many ways to fight. The energy of these weapons is so great that it only takes a few hits to overload energy shields and destroy power generation units. Ted had never seen weapons technology like this before. In theory, he hadn't even heard of it. No one in Starfleet has ever worked on such a weapon. But if they want to rescue the kidnapped crew, they must find a way to eliminate their opponents before they can attack. Otherwise, they don't even need to try, the demonic flames can blow up their ship directly.
Tak had been staring at the screen for hours, rubbing his sore eyes tiredly, but Tae had found nothing. Your opponent's ships are like flying fighter jets, well-equipped, fast and agile. Although they don't have shield technology, it doesn't seem to matter under the powerful armor. If they had tried to penetrate each other's armor, the Republic ship would have been destroyed long ago. He knew that he probably wouldn't be able to find a solution today. He needs some distance to calm down and then maybe come up with some new methods. But he couldn't rely entirely on that. Solutions don't always appear out of nowhere when one loses focus. So, can he really take a break? His hand moved toward the screen console, then quickly retracted. No, he couldn't rest. The rescue operation relied on him. As a security officer, he must find the enemy's weak points. That's his mission. If he took a break now, and he ended up not being able to complete the mission on time until the ship was repaired, the rescue operation would be delayed because of him. This could result in loss of life of the crew.
He was clearly feeling the pressure. He must find the enemy's weakness. He was alone. This would have been a task that required an entire team of experts. But Starfleet experts are far away and cannot be reached now.
He sighed and stood up. He couldn't take a break, but he could get a cup of coffee. He can bear this for a little while. Wearily walked towards the replicator. "Coffee. Black coffee. As strong as possible." He ordered the computer, and then slumped against the wall where the equipment was integrated. The stress of the past week left deep marks on his face. Being responsible for so many survivors on a nearly destroyed ship was like having a 10,000-ton mountain weighing on him. He must ensure their continued survival and provide them with a future outlook. Although he thought he had done a pretty good job, he was glad that the responsibility was now back in Commander Carol's hands. He was able, not without pride, to hand over a ship that was at least still serviceable. And the restoration work is already well underway, allowing Alva Daisy and her team to start immediately. However, the first few days were very difficult. They didn't have enough energy to use the replicator and had to starve for three days before they were finally able to get some food. However, morale cannot drop. In the first few days, crew members were constantly found hiding somewhere. Most were uninjured, but there were a few injured. While most of the injuries were minor, three of the crew members were seriously injured and did not survive. They died at the medical station. With the right equipment, they could have revived at least two of them, but they could only watch helplessly as the three departed.
His eyes wandered around the room, waiting for his coffee. The room lights were dimmed so that the screen was the only source of light, save for the pale starlight streaming in through the large glass window. On the sofa, the vague outline of a person can be seen, lying there. Ted remembered that it was Levi Wei, and his memory recalled her presence here. Due to his busy schedule, he almost forgot about her. She had recovered somewhat now, but was still plagued by nightmares, so she asked to be allowed to stay with Ted for a while. Here she waited while he continued working. But now, she was overcome by a heavy sleep. She fell asleep quietly, so Ted didn't want to turn on the light.
The sound next to him reminded him of coffee, which had appeared in the drinking area. He immediately picked up the cup like a treasure. The aroma of fresh coffee filled his nostrils and cheered him up. The scent alone brought some energy back to him. Slowly, he walked to the sofa and looked at Li Weiwei. He had to admit, she looked beautiful under the stars. Her face is so relaxed and calm now. All fear is gone. How he wished he could sit next to her right now and be her support.
Ted shook his head slightly, trying to collect his thoughts. No, he had to snap out of it. He knew almost nothing about Li Weiwei. Maybe there is a man waiting for her on earth. Or even on a boat. For a whole week, she didn't mention her situation, so he still only knew her as an assistant from the computer room. That's all. Until then, this was no problem at all. But now he regrets it. But it might just be because of the environment. Ongoing stress, fatigue and uncertainty. In this situation, anyone would crave a little companionship.
Full of anticipation, he picked up the coffee and prepared to take a sip. But after only tasting a small sip, he had to swallow hard and take deep breaths many times. He jerked the cup away from his mouth. The computer did exactly what he ordered it to do. This cup of coffee couldn't be stronger. If he drank it now, he would definitely not be able to sleep for the next two weeks. The premise is that his blood circulation can withstand the impact of caffeine.
He carefully placed the coffee on the sofa table. He wanted to avoid any sound so as not to wake Li Weiwei. He knelt gently in front of the sofa, and only the creaking sound of his left knee caused his movements to pause slightly. He sat quietly for a few minutes, watching her. Her nose twitched slightly, her face relaxed, her skin soft. A strand of black hair fell on her face. Ted couldn't help but run his hands through her hair. He felt like an indifferent bystander, losing control of his actions. He could barely believe it, let alone admit it, but her proximity made him happy. It's like he's falling in love. He felt like a teenager. It's kind of ridiculous, but it's pretty good.
As he brushed through her hair, she grabbed his hand and pulled him close. Ted was surprised. She was still breathing steadily, indicating that she was still asleep. Hope rose in him. If she acts like this in her sleep, doesn't that mean he's attracted to her too? Ted's heart beat rapidly. The happy hormones made him feel almost ecstatic. He seemed to be above the clouds. He could hardly believe it. But it felt so good that he never wanted to give it up.
Li Weiwei twisted his body and pulled Ted's hand closer. The security officer couldn't believe it. "Li Weiwei," he whispered.
Li Weiwei sighed and replied, "Myron."
Myron? Shocked sounds echoed in his head. It took him a few seconds to truly understand what she was saying. He had stomach cramps and a stinging pain on the left side of his chest. He was in heaven a moment ago, but now he fell back to reality so quickly and heavily. How could he fool himself into thinking she felt the same way about him? Especially for him. They were colleagues, maybe allies of fate because of the events of the past few days, but nothing more. How could he have hope? Of course someone was waiting for her. And he's just a ridiculous fool.
Myron, his thoughts repeated. What's this name? What kind of vulgar guy might be hiding behind him? He must be a pretentious guy. A lazy good-for-nothing who looks down upon doing anything to contribute to society. A slick, oily playboy who prides himself on how awesome he looks.
Emotions of disappointment, jealousy, and anger alternated in his mind. Disappointment at having his hopes dashed so suddenly, jealousy at a stranger, anger at everything. Anger at her for being who she was, anger at himself for having hope, anger at fate for being so cruel to him. An emotional rollercoaster filled with negative and useless emotions.
He struggled to sort out the confusion in his mind. Although he is not a Martian, he is a security officer. He learned not to let his emotions confuse him. His mind must be stronger than his heart. His mind must be restored to order.
Ted closed his eyes and concentrated. He still has a mission to complete. It almost made him forget. The surrounding environment, situation, and the great danger they were in were completely forgotten by him. For a moment, time seemed to stop. But now it's moving again. Even faster than before. Time caught up with what he called stillness and then escaped him.
He sighed and looked at Li Weiwei. Everything could have been so wonderful. He carefully withdrew his hand slowly, he didn't want to wake her. When he couldn't feel her skin anymore, it felt like something was missing. But then his reason took over and these feelings were swept away. Now he was back here, where he belonged, where he was needed. He stood up and walked back to the terminal. He still has a mission to complete.
