[Vimyridge] 950131.20 Pt 18 (C. Blake, Saladin, Wilkinson, Xoron and Balkion (npcs))

[Tana Ragsdale]

[Caves]

Kat glanced up from treating one of the group, to see Cait and Marcus had
returned though stood only a few meters away.  She observed as they spoke
with Balkion curious as to what Cait needed to tell her that she didn't want
to share over the coms. She patted the shoulder of the man she'd been
treating. "I'll be right back." she told him as she moved closer to where
the others were standing. She tilted her head as she heard Balkion's remark
and pondered it for a moment before speaking up. "As unpleasant as it seems
I would give up my planet for a chance at survival." she said as she moved
closer to join in the conversation. "I would instruct my people to follow me
if they wanted to fight to live, and see to it that if  we succeed that
fight would be made known for generations to come." she added, "but to stay
here and perish along with your planet seems pointless." she continued as
she moved closer to Cait still holding her tricorder with scan results from
her last few patients.

Xoron glanced at his rotund companion then at the others, they didn't
understand, and Xoron was not a man of many words, and the Feddie's language
often left him stumped even further, but he was a man that the people
followed so he did his best. He touched his chest, "Me." He crouched down
and touched the cave floor, "Me." He stood up and looked at the three, and
pointed at the cave floor, "If I die then," he touched his chest, "why do I
deserve to live? Those of us, who do not feel this. Have left. We are not
all the people. We are some of the people. Small group, who hold old ways in
heart, while learning to live new ways, your ways. Now you would, through
force of words, make us tear ourselves in two, so that the small part of us,
lives, and leave greater part to die? Why do you waste time, with this,
instead of focus instead on how to save Us." There was a very audible
capital U in his use of the word us. He looked them over then at Balkion and
back.

"There are ways, to, purify water, purify food. You give us those, you go.
Save Us. We heal Ourselves." He had always been a big man, almost as if he'd
been carved from the mountains, and as such he had schooled himself to keep
his temper, but he was starting to feel it stir in his chest now. Why were
these people so stubborn? Why could they not see, that to take those still
here away, would condem both them and the planet to death? They were one.
They should stop this silliness and focus on saving the planet. That Kala
had died only proved how sick the planet was, how needed they were if it was
ever to survive. Why were they cheapening her sacrifice, by using it as a
means to try to force them to leave?

Cait shook her head. "No one's going to force you to leave and I can assure
you, that we are trying to save this planet. Everyone's been inoculated and
we've done what we can for those already ill. I'll leave medicines that will
buy the time we need to hopefully fix this mess and we'll leave you the
means to purify your food and water, though that will only work for a
while."

Marcus shook his head in frustration, "Purifying water and food will do
nothing to stop the radiation in the air, or the earthquakes." He held up a
hand for peace, sensing that his words were close to offending. "My planet
is important to me, but more important are what those who live on my planet
stand for. I hold those values and beliefs dearly. The planet and our
history has taught us much. Other races now benefit from what my own race
has learned in a most difficult and often deadly way." He looked from
Balkion to Xoron and then briefly behind him at the others in the cave,
"Your way of life has much to teach others. While I understand that you wish
to die with the planet on which you have lived and served I also understand
that that will rob others of benefiting from your people. Would you choose
death over that?"

"Those who would leave. Have. We do not. We understand. We are planet.
Planet is us. To leave, is to die for us, for planet. We stay, we maybe die,
our death renew planet. I will hear no more." Xoron turns and bulls his way
through the people, heading as far away from the Feddies as he can get. It's
a measure of how angry he is becoming that he doesn't even apologize to
those he knocks out of his way.

Marcus looked to Balkion, "Is that the decision for all your people or can
we give each of them a chance for one more decision? After explaining the
latest facts they may change their mind."

There was a grunt, "You can tell 'em but believe me we are all here by
choice."

Saladin gave a thoughtful nod. "Then with your permission, we shall tell
them." And he felt sick to the pit of his stomach. It was happening again.
It wasn't first contact, but he was going to have to stand by and let an
entire race be wiped from existence. Watch idly by as people died. Paralysed
by Star Fleet rules and regulations that he held so dear. He gulped and
turned away from the group, as much to hide the anger on his face from Cait
as from Balkion. Cait knew him well and might well guess where his thoughts
were leading him.

Not only did Cait know him, but she could feel the anger, the frustration
and the despair he was feeling. She understood it, just as she understood
where the natives were coming from as well. It wasn't something she liked,
but she understood about faith, belief in something or someone of a higher
power or in this case, part of something you believed in. Who was to say
they were wrong?

Saladin walked away from the group and signalled Kat, trying to look as
natural as possible.

As Marcus walked away, Cait moved over and touched his arm, giving it a
gentle squeeze in understanding.

Marcus dropped his head, shook it slightly, "It's foolish" He muttered under
his breath.


Kat looked over at Marcus raising a brow as he signaled her. She moved over
to his position. "are we leaving them?" she asked quietly, knowing clearly
they were becoming more endangered if the team stayed with the people.

Looking at Kat and then Marcus, Cait sighed. "I don't see we have a choice.
Offer them the choice and if they say no, that's the end of it. In fact,
considering the conditions, I'm going to make it an order to be out of here
within the hour."

Marcus scowled at Cait, "One hour? We can last longer than that surely?" He
looked back to Kat, "How many younger than five are here?" He looked to
Cait, "Maybe some of them understand the beliefs of their people but those
under five...should they be condemned too?" His voice was barely a whisper,
but a harsh one, harsh with the desperation he felt. It was true that many
of the race had already left the planet, though why the Federation had not
previously heard about this evacuation he had no idea. But it was also true,
in his mind at least, that every life counted.

"An hour, Marcus, and there are no youngsters here under about 15. They're
old enough to understand their the consequences of their beliefs and old
enough to be responsible to make the decision to stay." Cait felt his pain,
knew it to be her own as well. If it was hard for him to step away, it was
even harder for her and the other members of her medical team to do so. It
went against their natures. Keeping her voice soft, she looked up at the man
she called her friend and brother. "There is hope, Marcus. We may still
figure out how to stop the radiation and save the planet, but the safety of
this team is my responsibility. With the radiation seeming to be increasing
rapidly, I am taking no chances."

The buck had to stop somewhere and that somewhere was her. Before Katan'ka,
she would have been arguing and rebelling, trying to do the impossible,
fighting the unfightable. For a moment, Cait marveled at the changes in
herself, even as they horrified her. She clasped Marcus' shoulder. "It
doesn't help, but know the final decision of when we evac ourselves is mine
to make. Go and talk to the other refugees while I set things up to buy them
more time."

Kat sighed softly not liking what they had to do one bit. The mere thought
nearly moving her to tears but she held back not just because she had to ,
she needed to prove to herself that she was stronger than she felt. She
glanced to both
Marcus and Cait then would await evacuation instructions.