"The holo-simulation is really exceptionally detailed," Tuarak purred, "and that, of course, affords us all sorts of possibilities." He stalked over to the second man. "As a basis, of course, we used the advanced stages of the Vidiian Phage, but that was only the start of our simulations. We added Mendaran spotted plague, Shukalian leprosy, and an interesting one from the Alpha Quadrant, a thing called yaws. The results - well, you may see for yourself." He smiled. "Now, you may ask, after the loss of his vocal tract and most of his hands, was there any point in our continuing the interrogation? And the answer is yes, for two reasons. Firstly, it still provided data which my colleague here -" he nodded towards Nessick, who was bent over the controls for the holo-projector, in the corner of the laboratory "- is using for his researches. Secondly, and much more importantly, it entertained me. I find interrogations very tedious - all this refusal to answer questions, all this repeating of 'I don't know', it is really so dull - so I positively need my little indulgences, now and again."
He crossed the room with three quick strides, to stand by the unharmed Kadirian. "I think, my poor friend, they made you too well. Oh, yes, your survey missions, they demand ingenuity, they demand flexibility, they require the use of self-aware holograms such as you. But, to give your simulation the ability to feel so much pain, to be corrupted to such an extent -" He shook his head in mock sorrow. "I inflict the pain, but your creators gave you the capacity to feel it. So who is the worse monster? Me, or them?" He bent down to whisper in the hologram's ear, "The correct answer, of course, is me."
He straightened up. "You should feel proud, you know. You endured -" he waved a hand at the disfigured shape in the other chair "- all of that. You held out, you did not talk. Such courage, such fortitude, I cannot help but salute it. - Of course, it means that my friend and I must be even more creative this time around. And if you still persist in obdurate silence, we will simply restore you from the backups and start again. Until you talk, or some version of you talks. Or until my colleague obtains enough data to decompile and deconstruct your holo-matrix, and thus obtain access to everything you know. I imagine that will be inexpressibly painful for you, like being dissected from within." He bent down and grinned into the captive's face. "You will let me know how much it hurts, won't you?"
The hologram's eyes were wide open, bulging with fear. Finally, he found his voice. "What do you want?" he whispered.
"And so, it begins," said Tuarak. "Every time, it starts the same way, with an apparent effort at intelligent cooperation. You are so predictable. I suppose it is the result of your programming." He rose to his full height and glowered down. "What did you do to the Kobali?"
The hologram struggled against his bonds. "We spoke with them! We discussed the biome of the colony world!"
"Try again," Tuarak snarled. "After you spoke to them, they died. Does that happen with everyone you speak to?"
"They died?"
Tuarak sighed. "Yes, for - what is it, the fifth time now? - they died. Five times. The four previous versions of you have exhausted my patience, but not my ingenuity."
"Ah." Nessick spoke up, unexpectedly, from the projector controls. "That is interesting. You appear to have triggered a new decision tree in its subroutines."
"Oh," said Tuarak, "how fascinating, I am gratified."
"You should be. You should be. It means that the hologram is motivated to explore new thought processes, in response to your questions," the Octanti scientist said.
"You mean, I may get some new answers?" Tuarak smiled. "Well, then, that is good news. So, then," he said, turning back to the hologram. "My friend says you are racking your imaginary brains, trying to come up with answers for me. Let me hear them."
"I -" The hologram swallowed. "If the Kobali were - were killed - it would have been a policy decision - not something for us - the organics would have made that decision, you should question them -"
"We did," said Tuarak. "They proved intransigent. Intransigent and fragile, an unhappy combination. Try again."
"I don't know!" the hologram wailed.
"And here we go again," said Tuarak. "Let me try to phrase things in words of few syllables. You spoke with the Kobali. The Kobali died. Does this happen with everyone? Answer, yes or no."
"No. No, of course not, we -"
"No. Very well. What was different about the Kobali?"
"Only - only that they were Kobali, and not Nafsadians, or Talaxians, or Kezzkreen, or -"
"Oh, do not give me a complete list," said Tuarak. "One or other of us would not survive to the end of it, believe me. Were there any variations in your procedures? Did you do anything differently?"
"Ah," said Nessick again. "Another spike in the data analysis subroutine activity. You have touched another nerve."
"Not literally," said Tuarak, "not yet. - So. You did something differently. What was it?"
"We, ah, we used a secondary actualizer."
"A what?"
"On the probe. We used a secondary actualizer to increase our range and physical persistence. It is a new device, we got it from our Hazari escort. It amplifies the holo-matrix - I do not know if you have the technical background to follow the details -"
"I do," said Nessick. "Intriguing. We must talk about this, from a purely scientific and theoretical point of view."
"Yes, you must," said Tuarak, "any time I am at least a parsec away. This secondary actualizer, where is it now?"
"It was - we integrated one with the probe's circuitry, and also with the ship's projector system -"
"Interesting, interesting," said Nessick. "Tuarak, did you not say that the security holograms were resistant to the EMP grenades you used?"
"They - they were distorted, incapacitated, but not destroyed by the first one I threw, certainly," said Tuarak. "I ascribed that to exaggeration on the part of the Hierarchy salesperson who instructed me on their use - Are you suggesting that the security holos were reinforced by this - gadget?"
"A secondary actualizer. Something that makes holograms more real. Intriguing, intriguing. Where are your records of this device?" Nessick asked. "I do not recall seeing anything in the computer logs we downloaded."
"We, ah." Somehow, the hologram looked embarrassed. "We did not discuss it with - with the organic crew. The Hazari approached us. It affected us primarily, after all -"
"I think I understand," said Nessick. He touched the controls of the holo-projector, and the hologram froze into sudden immobility.
"I put it on pause," said Nessick. "So that you and I can discuss, without interruption... and we can unfreeze it as we go, if we need any more questions answered."
"I think we need many more questions answered," snapped Tuarak. "How could this device affect the Kobali colonists, for instance?"
"Ah," said Nessick, "there, I have already formulated a hypothesis. Yes. But we will need the device itself to confirm my suspicions.... It was an error, I am afraid, to destroy the Kadirian ship after you had taken the prisoners and the downloads."
"I did not want to leave forensic traces for the busybodies of the Benthans or the Alphans to find," said Tuarak. "Besides, Kadirian technology is not worth keeping."
"Usually, no, I concur. But in this case.... We need a copy of this secondary actualizer."
"Well, that should be easy enough to obtain. My sensor log will identify the Hazari escort, I will approach them, and I will - negotiate."
"As you say, as you say. I would advise peaceful negotiations, to begin with. The device might be destroyed in crossfire, otherwise -" Nessick glanced to one side, and stopped speaking. He walked to the wall of the laboratory, peered through the small circle of a viewport.
"There one goes again," he said in peevish, complaining tones. "I wish you had cleaned them up properly."
Tuarak crossed the laboratory floor to stand by the Octanti, to look out on the contorted, frozen form of a Kadirian, drifting in the vacuum beyond. He snorted. "If only we had known that those organic ones had no clue," he said. "It would have saved time."
"They are making my station look untidy," Nessick grumbled.
"Oh, very well, I will detail some defaulters to clear them away and incinerate them," said Tuarak. "While we make my ship ready - for the hunt."
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