Post by Triton on Jan 30, 2012 14:22:42 GMT -8
"What You Come Back To" by Donald "Triton" McKelvy
PROLOGUE
Several hours after the Battle of Cardassia, 2375.
The large view screen had announced that the Female Changeling was now in the custody of the forces of the Cardassian Liberation Front and that forces of the Cardassian Guard and the Dominion had been ordered to stand down. Troops of the Alliance were now landing on Cardassia Prime. The war was over!
Glinn Zeno Talkar began to climb up the metal ladder from the sewers of Cardassia City and lifted up the metal grating covering the manhole. He climbed up onto the street. His uniform and boots were wet and smelling of raw sewage. Pieces of raw sewage soiled his hair, face, exposed skin, and uniform. With each step, he heard the squish squish of wet socks in his wet boots. He looked up and saw that the transparency of the view screen was shattered, but its speakers were still functional. He pulled off his left boot and overturned it. Water spilling out onto the street. He then pulled off his right boot and drained the water from it. Then replacing the now drier boots onto his feet.
When the Jem'Hadar had started their campaign of genocide that had resulted in the death of over 800 million of his fellow Cardassians, Zeno had opened a manhole cover and had sought refuge within the kilometers of sewers running underneath Cardassia City. It was far better to sacrifice his pride and endure the untreated stink generated by 35 million Cardassians, than to risk slaughter by the Jem'Hadar on the surface. The smell of it had made him retch several times. The taste of bile and raw sewage still in his mouth. The smell of it still saturated his nostrils. The stink and the wet of the sewers saturating his uniform, undergarments, and boots.
He had been stationed in the Torr District of Cardassia City. The most populous and vibrant residential area of Cardassia City. It was now mostly a pile of rubble—broken stone, pieces of plaster, and twisted rebar. He could hear the feet of Cardassian voles moving underneath the piles of rubble, the sound of their teeth feasting upon the bodies of the dead and the dying. It made no difference to the voles if the bodies were Jem'Hadar or Cardassian. They consumed either with equal relish. Fires burned. The smell of the burning and the dead now assaulted his nostrils overpowering the smell of the raw sewage.
Hunger and thirst compelled Zeno as he made his way north. He came across a group of Cardassian children who had some how escaped the genocide and were now engaged in defacing a mural featuring the Female Changeling. The children had already succeed in drawing Xs over the eyes and replacing the smiling mouth with a maw with large fangs. The propaganda slogan about the Dominion providing friendship and prosperity to all the Cardassian people had already been covered over with a stream of written obscenities. Behind the Female Changeling's head was the image of the sun shining behind her as if it was a halo and her arms and hands outstretched as if to shower the Cardassian people with riches. Looking up at her in admiration were the images of Cardassian men, women, and children.
Upon seeing the mural, the rage boiled up within Zeno. Gul Skrain Dukat had promised that by joining the Dominion, the Cardassian Union would regain its place as a respected power within the Alpha Quadrant. Instead, the Dominion had only offered the Cardassian people even more oppression, destitution, and death. His body trembled. From a pile of rubble, Zeno picked out the straightest piece of rebar steel. He held it like a club and with all his strength began to strike at the mural. Pieces of plaster began to fly off the wall. Sometimes hitting him and bouncing off his body. He continued to strike the plaster mural to the delight and cheers of the assembled children. His hair and body became white with plaster. He struck, struck, and struck again. Knocking off the pieces of plaster down to the stone until none of the mural remained.
His strength spent, Zeno threw down the the piece of rebar steel and collapsed in a heap. His eyes swelled with tears. He began to sob uncontrollably in his grief and rage. Placing his hands over his eyes he hunched over. His body continuing to tremble and he began to rock back and forth. The war had cost him the life of his wife and young son. He had been a loyal Glinn in the Cardassian Guard. Now his home was in ruins. For what did he and his fellow Cardassians shed their blood and volunteer their lives? It had all been a waste. The price had been too high to reclaim Cardassian pride. Or was it Cardassian vanity? Zeno wondered.
As he continued to shake, rock, and sob in his grief and rage, Zeno saw a vision of his deceased father, Gul Dergo Talkar. Dergo had fallen during the Cardassian-Klingon War, a hero to his son and the people of Cardassia.
“Son”, the image of the old Gul cried out to him, “You will go to the Central Archives in the Tarlak District and take from it the Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation.”
“Yes, father,” replied Zeno.
“You will now pull yourself together as a son of Cardassia,” ordered the image of Gul Dergo Talkar, “and walk north toward the Tarlak District.”
“Yes, father,” Zeno replied.
Zeno used the disposed piece of rebar steel like a crutch to lift himself up. Like a man possessed, Zeno began to shamble forward through the streets of Cardassia City.
After several hours, Zeno made his way into the Barvonok district of Cardassia City, the former center of business and finance within the Cardassian Union. He passed the Cardassian Stock Exchange and the Cardassian Central Bank. Then came to a mob who were smashing the glass in front of shops with pieces of rubble. They then ran inside through the broken windows, taking from the shops food, containers of potable water and other liquids, power cells, and blankets. Zeno too went inside. Opening a container of water and drinking it down in several gulps. He then opened a package containing pre-prepared zabu stew. Which he ate with his fingers. Licking his fingers.
Zeno could also hear the glass shattering from neighboring shops that sold luxury goods. He could hear them making off with luxury chronographs, valuable metals and gems, computing devices and view screens that displayed information and news from the Cardassian Information Network. With his thirst and hunger satisfied, Zeno made his way outside of the shop and continued to head northeast toward the Tarlak District.
Zeno had passed several burned-out, or still burning, hulks of ground skimmers since beginning his journey from the Torr District. Then he passed a luxury ground skimmer that although damaged, seemed relatively intact and functional. Its anthracite grey exterior had several exteriors scratches that would have distressed its previous owner in better times and the front windshield was cracked. The driver, in his chauffeur's uniform, was hunched over dead at the piloting controls. Parts of the interior were stained with his blood. Zeno opened the driver's side door, then pulled the deceased driver out of the driver's seat, his body falling onto the street with a thud.
Zeno sank into the leather seats and plush interior and pressed the starter. The engine started and the vehicle began to rise several centimeters above the street. Zeno set the navigation system to the Central Archives in the Tarlak District. The vehicle made its way quickly through the streets of Cardassia City, despite the piles of debris and broken pavement. The broken water mains spilling potable water onto the street. It flowed like a small river into a storm drain.
After several minutes piloting the vehicle, Zeno had reached the Imperial Plaza within the Tarlak District. A crowd was gathered around the statue of Skrain Dukat and Zeno slowed the vehicle to a stop. Members of the crowd were striking the legs of the statue with sledge hammers, while others had tied ropes around the neck and arms. Pulling the ropes with all their strength. With each blow of the hammers, the statue shuddered. They continued to hammer with all their strength. After landing several blows, there seemed to be no ill effects to the statue. Yet members of the crowd continued to swing their sledge hammers with all their strength and determination. Then small cracks began to appear at the ankles of the statue. Then the cracks became longer and longer until the damaged ankles could no longer support the weight of the statue. With cheers and catcalls, the statue of Skrain Dukat began to fall forward and then came crashing to the ground with a thud. The mob leapt forward with stones, rebar, and hammers and began striking the fallen statue of Skrain Dukat. The head of the statue was soon smashed to pieces. Those unable to smash the statue with stones or tools, began to urinate upon it. In minutes what had been a statue honoring Skrain Dukat was now a pile of debris. Zeno eased the ground skimmer forward and continued his journey deeper into the Tarlak District and to the building housing the Central Archives.
Another crowd had gathered around the Central Archives. From the outside, the crowd threw stones and debris shattering the windows and damaging the facade. The shattered remnants of ground skimmers were burned out, or burning, in front of the building.
Zeno put the ground skimmer into park and it settled to the ground just outside of the Central Archives. He made his way inside. His fellow Cardassians were smashing computer terminals and records. Optolithic data rods containing information about births, deaths, deeds, marriage licenses, business licenses and other information generated throughout the Cardassian Union were shattered and broken. Their sharp pieces littering the floor of the Central Archives. Zeno could hear them crunch and shatter further with each step into the Central Archives.
Zeno's father had returned to him and given him a vision of the location of the Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation within the Central Archives.
Zeno made his way deeper into the Cardassian Central Archives. He had found himself in rooms that housed the riches plundered throughout the member worlds that constituted the Cardassian Union and her many occupations, including the planet Bajor. Display cases previously containing daggers and other objects of art made from solid jevonite had been smashed and their contents looted. Other objects of art from the history of the Cardassia Prime and the Cardassian Union had been looted. Tapestries and flags had been burned or were in tatters. Statues broken and smashed. Paintings slashed or disfigured. Obscenities in Cardassian had been scrawled onto the walls and ceiling. The smell of urine and excrement reached Zeno's nostrils.
He had reached the Bajoran section of the Central Archives. Many of the Bajoran orb cases had been damaged or smashed. Twisted metal hardware and splinters of Bajoran janaala wood littered the floor. Despite the damaged and smashed cases, the forefields still protected the hour glass-shaped orbs.
Picking up a Bajoran banner from the floor, Zeno wrapped the damaged Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation within it and gathered up the broken pieces of the orb case as well. Lifting his bundle, Zeno made his way out of the Cardassian Central Archives, bits of debris further crackling and shattering under his steps.
Reaching the ground skimmer, he then placed the bundle onto the side passenger seat. Then sat behind the controls and began to make his way back to his home in the Torr District. The mission given to him by the vision of his deceased father accomplished.
PROLOGUE
Several hours after the Battle of Cardassia, 2375.
The large view screen had announced that the Female Changeling was now in the custody of the forces of the Cardassian Liberation Front and that forces of the Cardassian Guard and the Dominion had been ordered to stand down. Troops of the Alliance were now landing on Cardassia Prime. The war was over!
Glinn Zeno Talkar began to climb up the metal ladder from the sewers of Cardassia City and lifted up the metal grating covering the manhole. He climbed up onto the street. His uniform and boots were wet and smelling of raw sewage. Pieces of raw sewage soiled his hair, face, exposed skin, and uniform. With each step, he heard the squish squish of wet socks in his wet boots. He looked up and saw that the transparency of the view screen was shattered, but its speakers were still functional. He pulled off his left boot and overturned it. Water spilling out onto the street. He then pulled off his right boot and drained the water from it. Then replacing the now drier boots onto his feet.
When the Jem'Hadar had started their campaign of genocide that had resulted in the death of over 800 million of his fellow Cardassians, Zeno had opened a manhole cover and had sought refuge within the kilometers of sewers running underneath Cardassia City. It was far better to sacrifice his pride and endure the untreated stink generated by 35 million Cardassians, than to risk slaughter by the Jem'Hadar on the surface. The smell of it had made him retch several times. The taste of bile and raw sewage still in his mouth. The smell of it still saturated his nostrils. The stink and the wet of the sewers saturating his uniform, undergarments, and boots.
He had been stationed in the Torr District of Cardassia City. The most populous and vibrant residential area of Cardassia City. It was now mostly a pile of rubble—broken stone, pieces of plaster, and twisted rebar. He could hear the feet of Cardassian voles moving underneath the piles of rubble, the sound of their teeth feasting upon the bodies of the dead and the dying. It made no difference to the voles if the bodies were Jem'Hadar or Cardassian. They consumed either with equal relish. Fires burned. The smell of the burning and the dead now assaulted his nostrils overpowering the smell of the raw sewage.
Hunger and thirst compelled Zeno as he made his way north. He came across a group of Cardassian children who had some how escaped the genocide and were now engaged in defacing a mural featuring the Female Changeling. The children had already succeed in drawing Xs over the eyes and replacing the smiling mouth with a maw with large fangs. The propaganda slogan about the Dominion providing friendship and prosperity to all the Cardassian people had already been covered over with a stream of written obscenities. Behind the Female Changeling's head was the image of the sun shining behind her as if it was a halo and her arms and hands outstretched as if to shower the Cardassian people with riches. Looking up at her in admiration were the images of Cardassian men, women, and children.
Upon seeing the mural, the rage boiled up within Zeno. Gul Skrain Dukat had promised that by joining the Dominion, the Cardassian Union would regain its place as a respected power within the Alpha Quadrant. Instead, the Dominion had only offered the Cardassian people even more oppression, destitution, and death. His body trembled. From a pile of rubble, Zeno picked out the straightest piece of rebar steel. He held it like a club and with all his strength began to strike at the mural. Pieces of plaster began to fly off the wall. Sometimes hitting him and bouncing off his body. He continued to strike the plaster mural to the delight and cheers of the assembled children. His hair and body became white with plaster. He struck, struck, and struck again. Knocking off the pieces of plaster down to the stone until none of the mural remained.
His strength spent, Zeno threw down the the piece of rebar steel and collapsed in a heap. His eyes swelled with tears. He began to sob uncontrollably in his grief and rage. Placing his hands over his eyes he hunched over. His body continuing to tremble and he began to rock back and forth. The war had cost him the life of his wife and young son. He had been a loyal Glinn in the Cardassian Guard. Now his home was in ruins. For what did he and his fellow Cardassians shed their blood and volunteer their lives? It had all been a waste. The price had been too high to reclaim Cardassian pride. Or was it Cardassian vanity? Zeno wondered.
As he continued to shake, rock, and sob in his grief and rage, Zeno saw a vision of his deceased father, Gul Dergo Talkar. Dergo had fallen during the Cardassian-Klingon War, a hero to his son and the people of Cardassia.
“Son”, the image of the old Gul cried out to him, “You will go to the Central Archives in the Tarlak District and take from it the Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation.”
“Yes, father,” replied Zeno.
“You will now pull yourself together as a son of Cardassia,” ordered the image of Gul Dergo Talkar, “and walk north toward the Tarlak District.”
“Yes, father,” Zeno replied.
Zeno used the disposed piece of rebar steel like a crutch to lift himself up. Like a man possessed, Zeno began to shamble forward through the streets of Cardassia City.
After several hours, Zeno made his way into the Barvonok district of Cardassia City, the former center of business and finance within the Cardassian Union. He passed the Cardassian Stock Exchange and the Cardassian Central Bank. Then came to a mob who were smashing the glass in front of shops with pieces of rubble. They then ran inside through the broken windows, taking from the shops food, containers of potable water and other liquids, power cells, and blankets. Zeno too went inside. Opening a container of water and drinking it down in several gulps. He then opened a package containing pre-prepared zabu stew. Which he ate with his fingers. Licking his fingers.
Zeno could also hear the glass shattering from neighboring shops that sold luxury goods. He could hear them making off with luxury chronographs, valuable metals and gems, computing devices and view screens that displayed information and news from the Cardassian Information Network. With his thirst and hunger satisfied, Zeno made his way outside of the shop and continued to head northeast toward the Tarlak District.
Zeno had passed several burned-out, or still burning, hulks of ground skimmers since beginning his journey from the Torr District. Then he passed a luxury ground skimmer that although damaged, seemed relatively intact and functional. Its anthracite grey exterior had several exteriors scratches that would have distressed its previous owner in better times and the front windshield was cracked. The driver, in his chauffeur's uniform, was hunched over dead at the piloting controls. Parts of the interior were stained with his blood. Zeno opened the driver's side door, then pulled the deceased driver out of the driver's seat, his body falling onto the street with a thud.
Zeno sank into the leather seats and plush interior and pressed the starter. The engine started and the vehicle began to rise several centimeters above the street. Zeno set the navigation system to the Central Archives in the Tarlak District. The vehicle made its way quickly through the streets of Cardassia City, despite the piles of debris and broken pavement. The broken water mains spilling potable water onto the street. It flowed like a small river into a storm drain.
After several minutes piloting the vehicle, Zeno had reached the Imperial Plaza within the Tarlak District. A crowd was gathered around the statue of Skrain Dukat and Zeno slowed the vehicle to a stop. Members of the crowd were striking the legs of the statue with sledge hammers, while others had tied ropes around the neck and arms. Pulling the ropes with all their strength. With each blow of the hammers, the statue shuddered. They continued to hammer with all their strength. After landing several blows, there seemed to be no ill effects to the statue. Yet members of the crowd continued to swing their sledge hammers with all their strength and determination. Then small cracks began to appear at the ankles of the statue. Then the cracks became longer and longer until the damaged ankles could no longer support the weight of the statue. With cheers and catcalls, the statue of Skrain Dukat began to fall forward and then came crashing to the ground with a thud. The mob leapt forward with stones, rebar, and hammers and began striking the fallen statue of Skrain Dukat. The head of the statue was soon smashed to pieces. Those unable to smash the statue with stones or tools, began to urinate upon it. In minutes what had been a statue honoring Skrain Dukat was now a pile of debris. Zeno eased the ground skimmer forward and continued his journey deeper into the Tarlak District and to the building housing the Central Archives.
Another crowd had gathered around the Central Archives. From the outside, the crowd threw stones and debris shattering the windows and damaging the facade. The shattered remnants of ground skimmers were burned out, or burning, in front of the building.
Zeno put the ground skimmer into park and it settled to the ground just outside of the Central Archives. He made his way inside. His fellow Cardassians were smashing computer terminals and records. Optolithic data rods containing information about births, deaths, deeds, marriage licenses, business licenses and other information generated throughout the Cardassian Union were shattered and broken. Their sharp pieces littering the floor of the Central Archives. Zeno could hear them crunch and shatter further with each step into the Central Archives.
Zeno's father had returned to him and given him a vision of the location of the Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation within the Central Archives.
Zeno made his way deeper into the Cardassian Central Archives. He had found himself in rooms that housed the riches plundered throughout the member worlds that constituted the Cardassian Union and her many occupations, including the planet Bajor. Display cases previously containing daggers and other objects of art made from solid jevonite had been smashed and their contents looted. Other objects of art from the history of the Cardassia Prime and the Cardassian Union had been looted. Tapestries and flags had been burned or were in tatters. Statues broken and smashed. Paintings slashed or disfigured. Obscenities in Cardassian had been scrawled onto the walls and ceiling. The smell of urine and excrement reached Zeno's nostrils.
He had reached the Bajoran section of the Central Archives. Many of the Bajoran orb cases had been damaged or smashed. Twisted metal hardware and splinters of Bajoran janaala wood littered the floor. Despite the damaged and smashed cases, the forefields still protected the hour glass-shaped orbs.
Picking up a Bajoran banner from the floor, Zeno wrapped the damaged Bajoran Orb of Reconciliation within it and gathered up the broken pieces of the orb case as well. Lifting his bundle, Zeno made his way out of the Cardassian Central Archives, bits of debris further crackling and shattering under his steps.
Reaching the ground skimmer, he then placed the bundle onto the side passenger seat. Then sat behind the controls and began to make his way back to his home in the Torr District. The mission given to him by the vision of his deceased father accomplished.