Chapter 43: Control
March 2414
91175.3
“What’s wrong? What took so long?” The Ferengi asked with concern.
Something’s wrong. It didn’t work. Why didn’t it work?
Kirina climbed out of the targ cage and stood to her full height. She felt her mouth moving, and she felt the words in her throat, but they weren’t hers, “She was surprisingly resistant. But they all succumb in the end.”
It should have worked. IT SHOULD HAVE WORKED!
“Come,” the Ferengi responded. We have much to do."
91241
Kirina leaned up against the wall. Her movements were still not her own, but she could feel the parasite’s weakness. There were moments where it almost felt like she could just…
The headache was getting worse.
You feel that too, don’t you, kllhe.
Kirina could hear the faint sound of distant voices, indistinguishable and unintelligible, but there. For weeks now, always there, a constant droning.
Just… have to keep going, a little longer…
The creature within her regained its composure. Kirina felt herself push up off the wall, and continue down the Risian hallway.
91279
Kirina walked down the corridor of the Klingon ship. At the parasite’s direction, a raid was conducted on a Klingon convoy. She was on her way to fabricate evidence pointing to a Federation attack. To destabilize the alliance. To pave the way for an Iconian invasion.
// SYSTEM ONLINE // DIAGNOSTIC: RUNNING … COMPLETE // FOREIGN OBJECT DETECTED. //
It’s working? It’s working!
// LOCALIZING … COMPLETE //
// INTERNAL COUNTERMEASURES: ACTIVE //
Kirina stopped in her tracks, and doubled over as if in pain. But all she felt was some tingling. An odd sort of numbness.
Come … on…
It was the parasite, that was in pain. It was weak; it was losing the battle. And that was when it finally happened.
// THREAT: UNKNOWN // SPECIES: UNKNOWN // ASSIMILATION PROTOCOL: ACTIVE
Kirina blinked. She blinked again, to make sure it was her doing. She tried to look around. Her vision was blurry, and her movements were sluggish, but they were hers. She’d broken through. She was winning.
It worked! Elements, I’m winning!
// DIAGNOSTIC: RUNNING … COMPLETE // SYSTEMS NOMINAL
Standby mode.
“Standby mode.” Her voice cracked, and she stood for a moment in amazement that she was able to speak. She had control of her body again.
// SYSTEM: STANDBY //
The distant voices were still there. That was to be expected. Kirina knew she could work through that. What she didn’t expect was the flash. An image, suddenly, in her mind. Not just an image, but part of a plan; a thought.
The parasite’s thought.