Two of Twelve is wittering at me about brain activity and heart rates and what is wrong with mine. I ignore her as I bend over Tylha. For a moment, I think she's not breathing. Then she shivers, and her antennae twitch; her eyelids flutter open, and she even manages to say something in Andorian which my combadge is too prissy to translate. I'll take that as a good sign.
When the katric ark went dim, and the psi field faded out, everyone rushed in. Tylha's CMO and a couple of Vulcan medics are crouched over Stiak, scanning him. I could have told them there was no point. Living people don't have faces like that.
The androids, Amiga and Ada, are getting smoothly to their feet. "Self test commencing," they say in eerie unison. They stand quite still for a couple of seconds, then chorus, "Self test completed and satisfactory." I stare. Ada turns her metal eyes to me, and explains, "We are both the same model, sir, after all."
She seems totally calm and unfazed by it all. Oh, to be a machine, never to know fear or panic or confusion... wait, no. Been there, done that, worn the T-shirt. Not for me, thanks, not ever again.
Ahepkur is trying to scan the androids with her tricorder, while also keeping a phaser pointed at the katric ark. A couple of the Vulcan security guys are edging into the doorway -
And everyone's eyes turn to T'Nir as she unfolds from her meditation pose and stands up.
"For the moment, I am myself," she says in a small voice.
Ahepkur levels her phaser a fraction of a second before the security guards do the same. T'Nir pays no attention to them. She takes a single step forward, and touches the katric ark with her fingertips.
"Bresar is... in abeyance. I cannot say for certain that he is destroyed. But for the present... I am myself again."
A gasping voice comes from the floor behind me. "How can we possibly be sure?" Tylha asks.
"A logical question. You cannot," says T'Nir. "I will do what I can to prevent Bresar's resurgence... I have done all that was possible, in the past." The recordings. Of course. "But it is unlikely to be sufficient, once Bresar has recovered from the psychic shock of Stiak's... action. Bresar's mind is powerful and strongly driven to survive. Moreover, this artifact was crafted specifically for him."
Her voice is calm, toneless, and logical. One thing I'm sure of, it's a Vulcan speaking.
"At present, the katra of Bresar is to some extent divided between two vessels - the katric ark and myself. To render him harmless, it will be necessary to sequester both vessels in widely separate locations."
"Or destroy one," I say, "or both."
"Conceivably. I am not sure that the katric ark can be safely destroyed with any technology currently available to us, though. Bresar is a survivor, and he anticipated many methods of destruction."
I can imagine. Or maybe I can't. Even if we dropped the damned thing into the sun... I wonder, about a star haunted by the ghost of Bresar.
"As for myself -" T'Nir makes a dismissive gesture. "The katric ark should be kept for study - under the strictest possible safety constraints." She hesitates. "I, too, should be kept under strict controls. This is appropriate, for many reasons." She turns and takes a step towards Stiak's body. "The Hegemony of Bresar must be repudiated and its organization dismantled. In support of this... it is necessary that criminal charges should be brought against me. I will... I can... offer no defence. In the public interest, I will accept the maximum penalties for my actions." She takes another step forwards.
"Even though it was Bresar acting, not you?" Tylha asks, hoarsely.
"That is not relevant. It is impossible to deal with Bresar, without dealing with me. Besides, I can never be sure of my own level of complicity, in accepting Bresar's mind into mine. It is logical that I should accept this." She takes one more step, and stands over Stiak's body. She looks down. "In any case... my life is over."
I look at her face. I didn't even know that Vulcans could weep.
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