As the display begins a holographic image of a female Andorian appears. She wears a yellow jumpsuit with a Jannessen-Yashal Mining company patch on the shoulder and the name Zh’Bast on the left chest. The woman smiles and begins talking in Andorian.
“{Ansha, I hope it is you. Only you should be able to open this message.” she paused and looked down pensively. “There is so much to say and my heart aches. My will wanes, but I must say what I must say. I must… confess to you. I am ashamed of what has happened… of what we caused… our ignorance and naivete’…” she scowls. “I am angry at them, sad for,” tears roll down her face, “your people, and so so very ashamed.”}
“{Anasha, my love, my daughter, I wish I could be there to see you. To see how you have grown. I wish I could tell you everything I have to say in person. You deserve that. Obviously if you are looking at this message I am dead. At least if you are seeing this I know you are safe, my lovely child.}”
“{We were told by the mining company that we were to survey life on prospective resource rich planets, such as Adjaellia Prime, your homeworld,}” she smiles “{that is where we found you. We were told that the company would use non-invasive techniques to mine the planets with life on them, and if necessary negotiate with any sentient inhabitants found. We asked about the prime directive and they assured us, the planets we were going to were not civilized in the sense required so those rules didn’t apply. They also said they would handle the cataloging of new life forms discovered and pass that information on to the various science organizations.}”
She stops again, seemingly trying to hold herself together emotionally. “{These were lies, Ansha.}” The video stops for a moment as she breaks down in tears with a male voice in the background saying, “{Nashal, just take a…}”
"{The video resumes with Nashal once again at the forefront, looking worse for wear. “{Sorry, it is tough to tell you these things. Anyway, we decided to go back to Adjaellia Prime, I was going to let you meet your real family after We went down to make sure it was safe…}” she began to weep again, “{That’s when we discovered the truth. Ansha, if you are angry with me for what I am about to tell you, if you never forgive me, I would not blame you. They… they killed them. The Wind-People. You species. The company wiped them out.}”
“{We said nothing to anyone else, not even Captain Arrus Barns. We asked the Captain to go to a couple of other planets to ‘check on progress’ as if we were in on it, and… we found the same things. Everywhere, death. All the flora and fauna gone. Massive, wholescale, unnatural, extinction… all of it with Jannessen-Yashal’s fingerprints all over it. We gathered as much evidence as we could, all the while acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary, but I think Barns was on to us.}”
“{I… I wanted to tell you… I did… but I was so scared and ashamed. When we went to the company to ask about this, they said nothing. THey would not even see us. Only said we are to immediately turn over all research materials, notes, and… samples to them as part of… ‘an investigation’. I refused. You were among the samples that they were referring to. A sample… this all they saw you as.}” she hissed in disgust
“{They wanted you specifically because they knew you could put the pieces together. You could indict them for their crimes. You, my dearest, are proof of the Wind-Peoples existence… existed, and I hope your continued existence is an dagger in their collective sides.}”
“{I… we, the other scientist and I, we would not turn you over. The captain threatened us with death and was going to take the Slygo to a rendezvous with another company ship. That’s when I killed him and anyone who stood with him with my Ushaan-tor. You know, the ones I trained you with. I hope you have them. I must remember to give them to you should… well.}”
“{We had all the evidence that the company had no interest in the lifeforms on these planets. They would scan for any semblance of technical savvy, checking to see if it wasn’t to a level that could not be covered up, and then they send us in to get biological profiles to help them decide the best method of… global extinction, finally… they would… they… would… annihilate all life on that planet… so that… they can strip mine. I… I led the biology teams that… led them to these planets. I turned those findings over, never questioning why I never saw the findings published publicly. I was getting paid well. I was exploring. I was a discoverer of new life. I just… never… it never dawned on me… or maybe I shut off my skepticism for the dream of being a famous xenobiologist. Damn me.}”
Nashal’s tear soaked eyes look away, “{How many deaths am I responsible for? How can I ever atone for this shame and guilt?}”
“{We decided to make for Federation space as quickly as we could, but one of those corporate lapdogs sabotaged the warp drive before they died. We have been traveling at sub-light speed for three weeks now and we are within a week of the Federation space border. We repulsed an attack by one vessel, a not very smart bounty hunter, but who knows who he was able to tell before he died.}”
“{We were able to find an old derelict company freighter, the Von Gruber, that one of my fellow mutineers were crew on. He said we might be able to scavenge for parts. Slim pickings so far, except I found this old, bio-encryptable, holovid device. That is why I am making this message, my daughter. I am also including every bit of evidence that I we have found using the hardened flight recorder memory banks. That way, if whoever you’ve ended up with has a either a mind for justice… or a heart for vengeance… you can make the company pay.}”
“{I love you. I love you so much. I so wish I could have been there, taken you to Andor, raised you as my own, and proudly watched you live your life with honor and beauty. I hope you are Ansha, I so hope you are.}” She looks away from the camera and breaks down.
With that the message stops but seems to crackle alive as a new face is seen. A Vulcan that worked with the team and someone Ansha, through green tears of her own recognized.
“Davak…” she says slowly.
“{Ansha,}” he began speaking Andorii in the flat manner that Vulcan’s express themselves, “{I’m sure you remember me. Davak, an associate of your Zhen’s. I hope you have taken some of the lessons I have taught and have used them as guidance in your life.}”
“{Regrettably, she speaks the truth. I hope you do not blame her for what has transpired, or any of us for that matter. We were fooled. What Nashal does not realize is that I have been in contact with an associate of mine, I began to suspect the company were performing acts of genocide, so I had my associate save as many species as possible, among them, your species.}”
“{I have not told anyone on the team this, as I am concerned there may be an informant for the company among us. It would be logical for them to take such steps. She does know that I have left you this message. There is a new colony, a new collective, that my associates have helped them start on an Island on the planet of Risa. It is a place of warmth and humidity, and most importantly, one that aligns itself neutrally. There, with the assistance of my colleague, Jarkael, they will be able to flourish and hopefully start anew. }”
A map of Risa appears with a zoom in and coordinates on the planet for the new collective.
“{Go there Ansha. Go to your people. This is the new Grove of the Sweet Wood, as you were so fond of telling me about. I hope they have flourished there.}”
“{ I hope you have flourished as well, young one. I would have hoped to have seen how your life has been, but I’m afraid none of us will ever see you in the coming years. It is only a matter of time before we are caught. We have all decided, we fight to our deaths and set you off in an escape pod. Even if you freeze you will survive. We will buy you time to escape.}” he pauses for a moment, emotionless but seemingly straining to restrict a flood of emotions. Davak looks up again, raises his right hand in the iconic, vulcan gesture, and says, “{Live long and prosper, Ansha.}”
The recording ends.