Plague, part IV

By Seema

Bashir threw up his hands in frustration and with a quick look at his data, he stalked out of the infirmary. He knew he didn’t have much time to waste, but he really did need a game of darts to vent his frustration. On his way to Quark’s, he bumped into Major Kira.

“How did it get to Bajor?” Bashir wondered. “As far as we know, only Dax and Mrs. O’Brien have come in contact with the substance.”

“Well, it spreads quickly,” Bashir explained. “And it appears highly contagious. Most new viruses are like that, spreading quickly and incapacitating its host within a matter of days before moving onto its new victim. However, I am optimistic as neither Keiko or Jadzia seem close to death. It might be this is a fairly harmless virus. Or harmless as viruses are that is.”

“I was afraid of that,” Bashir turned back and headed to the infirmary. “But I do know that if this thing is spreading, we don’t have much time.”

“We know it can affect Bajorans now,” Bashir told Kira and Sisko. “I talked to a contact down on the planet and at least three Bajorans have been infected with this virus, including Dev Taya.”

“Major, you and Odo go down to the planet and find out everyone Dev Taya has ever had contact with in the last forty-eight hours,” Sisko said. “Maybe if we find out where it came from-”

“With all due respect, we know where it came from, Captain,” Bashir interrupted. “We don’t know how it’s spreading. With Keiko and Dax, I have a pretty good idea, but this Dev Taya is a wild card.”

“We should start at the bar where I first met Dev Taya,” Kira told Odo as they strolled down the street. “He should have some friends there and they can tell us what we need to know.”

Kira pointed out the bar and they entered, Kira first and then Odo. Immediately, Kira spotted the friend who had introduced her to Dev in the first place.

“Odo, this is Lora Riata,” Kira said. “Lora was in the resistance with me. Actually, Lora was part of the group which led the raid on the Callista mining camps.”

Odo nodded, remembering the mission so long ago when a collaborator had betrayed the Shakaar cell’s raid on Callista to the Cardassian and how Kira had coolly killed the collaborator, a Bajoran called Vetrick. The occasion of Vetrick’s murder had prompted Odo’s first encounter with the young and defiant Kira Nerys and now he was looking at another woman who had known that same Kira Nerys.

“Yes,” Lora nodded. “He came down with it very suddenly a few days ago. Actually, I think the day you came in here, he was complaining that he wasn’t feeling well.”

“I know that. I was hoping for some more information than that. Can you tell me a little bit about Dev? You see, we think he’s infected with the same virus that has infected some people on board Deep Space Nine. Anything that could give us a clue about what this is about would be very helpful. Please, Riata?”

“I met Dev about a year ago,” Lora said. “Actually, I met him right here in the bar. He was waiting for his girlfriend, I think, and I was waiting for a friend of mine, Pino - you know him.”

“Ah,” Odo nodded, thinking that there were some subtleties in humanoid relationships that he could discern in Kira’s voice when she spoke of Lora and Pino, but those were subtleties he could not understand.

“I liked him. He was very funny, very smart and ambitious too. Turns out we knew some of the same people because we had grown up just a few blocks from each other. That was an amazing coincidence. And then of course, he’s a doctor. A very prominent doctor, in fact. He’s personal physician to Kai Winn.”

“Originally, he served the Vedek Assembly, but apparently the Kai took a liking to him and that was that,” Lora shrugged. “He comes here often, almost every night, except for when his girlfriend is here.”

“Jane or something like that,” Lora said. “Honestly, I’ve only seen her a few times. She doesn’t really like coming to the bar and I’ve never spoken to her. The only thing I remember about her is that she has red hair.”

“No, we just want to talk to him. This sickness, well, two of our people have it too and we want to know how it’s spread,” Kira answered. “Thank you, Riata. It was good to see you again.”

The next stop was Dev Taya’s home, a small brick building on a side street. Kira knocked and almost immediately the door was opened by a small woman, dressed all in black.

“We’re old friends of Taya’s,” Kira said suddenly. “Could we come in for a moment just to say good-bye one last time? Would that be all right?”

She led them up a set of rather dark stairs up into a small room flooded with light. Dev Taya, who must have been a handsome man in life, was lying on the bed, his hands folded neatly over his chest. Kira looked at the man, noting the splotches on his face, especially the yellow discoloration around his lips.

“Just like that. He came home from work and laid down one evening and did not wake up again,” the woman continued. “I begged he should see a doctor, but he refused. He said this was a small price to pay.”

Kira touched the woman’s arm gently, “Thank you for letting us see Dev. Can you tell us who else might be infected with this virus?’

“I think we should go back to Deep Space Nine. I want to find this girlfriend. She might know something. And Bashir should also know about Dev Taya.”

“Yes,” Sisko tapped his personal view screen and turned it so Kira could see. “The Kai is broadcasting a message on the evils of the Federation.”

Kai Winn’s face filled the screen, “...this illness proves exactly what I’ve been saying along. This virus first was brought to Bajor by the Federation. More specifically, it was spread by a Starfleet officer and while our doctors are looking for a cure, it is infecting more and more Bajorans. Just today, my personal physician died of this disease and I mourn him deeply. But keep in mind, his death comes at the hands of the Federation -”

“Her name is Jenna Rei,” Odo said as he and Kira made their way to Jenna Rei’s quarters.

“Oh, Lieutenant Rei,” Kira said, remembering the young woman she had met while disembarking from the transport a few days before. “Of course. I don’t know why I didn’t think of her before.”

“It’s probably because she’s so new and you don’t know her well. I did some research on Lieutenant Rei. She has only been on the station for a few months. She’s a biologist and I think she may know Keiko O’Brien. At least in passing, I think, as they served together on that expedition to the Agricola Mountains six months ago.”

“Over here, Constable,” a weak voice called from the next room. A second later, a red-haired woman limped out to greet them.

“I’ve been expecting you,” Rei said simply. She pushed her hair back with her hand, a gesture which brought Kira’s attention to the red spots dotting the young woman’s skin.

“We got your name from Lora Riata,” Kira answered. “One of Dev’s friends. And there are only so many red-haired science officers with a name similar to Jane on this station.”

“No, after that. I was down on Bajor just three days ago. Taya was just getting sick. I touched him and now look at me,” Rei gave a forced laugh. “I never expected this.”

Bashir glanced wearily at his three patients; Jenna Rei had fallen unconscious just as she was about to explain Epsilon Three to Kira and Odo.

“No,” Kira shook her head. “It wouldn’t have been an official transport. It would have had to be a private venture. I don’t believe there are public transports going through the wormhole.”

“One thing for sure,” Bashir said, “we now know how it’s transmitted. By touch. Highly contagious, but only if you touch it directly.”

At that moment, O’Brien entered the infirmary and Bashir groaned as he noted the patches of red skin on the Irishman’s face.

Kira shook her head, “I doubt it. According to O’Brien and Bashir, Keiko was incapacitated by the virus the moment she stepped foot on the station. I doubt she had a chance to see anyone other than her husband and her children.”

“Just a lab of some sort. Bajoran in style. Some residue and this,” Odo dropped a piece of silver filigree into Kira’s hand.

She could tell he was perturbed by the way he stood, his back towards her, his hands clasped behind him. “The referendum has been canceled and the people are rioting in the streets.”

“They blame the Federation for this sickness. Three more people have died from it. Total death count is seven now, including Dev Taya. The people are afraid, understandably and they are blaming the Federation for this. Most specifically, Keiko O’Brien and Jadzia Dax.”

Kira shook her head, “There must be some explanation. Bashir and Odo said specifically that that virus was engineered in a Bajoran structure. There was a Bajoran earring there. Everything points to Bajor. At the very least, offer up the Dominion as a possible alternative suspect. But not Dax or Keiko.”

“O’Brien is sick now,” Sisko said. “That’s four of our people now. Luckily, Worf seems to be immune from the virus. He is in fine health.”

“You think?” Bashir asked, aghast at the possibility of a fellow doctor inflicting such a thing on his fellow creatures.

Kira let herself into her quarters, almost forgetting for a moment that she had hired a sitter to care for the children. She found Yoshi and Molly curled up on a little mattress on the floor, fast asleep.

“Daria?” Kira whispered. She rushed into the bedroom where Daria was sleeping in her cradle. Mixed in with the baby’s Trill spots, Kira could see the beginnings of a rash spreading across the infant’s face. Kira picked up Daria, and rushed out to see the ensign picking up the O’Brien children’s scattered toys.

“No change in any of them,” Bashir was telling Captain Sisko as Kira burst into the infirmary, clutching the baby and Markova was right behind her.

“Daria has the plague,” Kira said breathlessly. “And I’m worried about Markova. She touched the baby. I don’t know about the O’Brien children yet, but I’m going back to check on them.”

“Very. I’ve been to Bajor no less than five times in the last six days. I’ve argued with the Kai, been barred from the Vedek Assembly, hunted down a sick man and then his girlfriend. I’ve been caring for my friends’ children,” Kira felt all the energy drain her from her as she spoke. “And now, after all this, nothing.”

“I am starting to think Klingons are immune to this virus, because from what Worf has said about his contact with Dax, he should have gotten the virus by now. On the other hand, I think Trills are very susceptible to the rash,” Bashir answered. “Which would explain why Dax’s rash is so much worse than everyone else’s. But then, Keiko O’Brien is much sicker and her REM readings show that her level of sleep is much deeper than everyone else. It may be an equal opportunity to virus, but I’m starting to think it affects different species at a different levels. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

“I’m looking for the cure, Commander, but I’m not even sure how this virus works. All I know is that is spreads very fast and unless we find something soon, it will be too late. For everyone.”

Kira could not sleep. She tossed and turned all night. She could not stop seeing Worf’s face in her dreams, the stricken look on the Klingon’s face as Bashir delivered the bad news.

Go on to Part 5