21st November 2012
11:40 GMT -5
Mister King winces quietly as
Miss Linden tries to interface with the 'research' facility's central computer, the mid-level dominators who are on duty in the security office standing and staring into nothing.
"Take as long as you like, Suzi. I can do this all day."
"It's an
alien plant, Henry. I control the
Green. This is not
Green."
"But you can-?
"
"There's… More than one. I don't understand their… Their language."
"Black Orchid, now is not the time for bravado. If you can't do it, we move on-.
"
The mass of plant-computer
undulates, small flowers and leaves growing on its exterior surface as Miss Linden breathes a sign of relief. And then wobbles unsteadily on her feet.
"
Suzi?"
"I just had to convert my entire magic waveform from Green to… Whatever the hell
this is. But it's
done, it's working for
us."
"
Yeah, but-."
"I'll-" She winces, her skin turning from pale green to the grey-blue of the dominator's computer system, thick veins and oddly angular rhytidome appearing as her body adapts to its new alien spirituality. "-cope, just… Give me a minute."
"Not a problem.
"
Orange construct ropes extrude from my body and connect directly to the red spots on the middle of each dominator's forehead. While I could easily justify killing these people, I'm not exactly sure whether these are
soldiers or
regular tech support. The small red circles make it clear that they're not decision-makers, and with a member of the Green Lantern Corps watching it's probably best to limit collateral damage.
So long as they haven't directly involved themselves.
Their eyes
flash orange as I realign their desires and… Ah, yes, though they do feel
loyalty, it's more to the structures of their society than to any particular high caste dominator. Increase
their desire to conform to an abstract moral code and
make sure that they identify that with us…
"God… Damn." Mister King takes a step back, regarding me with a decidedly impressed air. "Has the Commander been holding out on us?"
"I doubt it. You can release them.
"
He nods, and the dominators come alert. They don't immediately look all around them as a human would, but instead remain in place, taking in how the part of the world they can perceive is different to what they thought it would be. The one closest to the computer takes in Miss Linden, but after a quick visual review opts to walk past her to take a closer look at the computer itself.
"That should not happen. It is functioning outside of accepted parameters."
"Necessary, I'm afraid.
"
The other dominators slowly turn to face us, the one with the slightly larger red blot opening his mouth in a sign of agreement.
"I understand. Have you bypassed the Exalted's overrides?"
Mr. King is looking a little better now that he's not having to dominate them. "Have we?"
Miss Linden is still looking decidedly peaky, but manages to nod. "I have an arrangement with every part of its programming. Every connection to every system. Every-."
She doubles over, vomiting hard enough to spray gastric juices across a nearby console! I scan, but I can't find anything in the air or in her body.
Mr. King
walks closer-.
"Ohnono. I just-. It just showed me what they've been doing with-."
The lead dominator nod-smiles. "Yes, it is grotesque. I will be glad to take part in stopping it. What do you require?"
"What does this place have in the way of automated defences?
"
"Automated bulkheads. That is all. All across the Dominion, we prefer dominators in control of devices where possible. Fixed defence guns are manned, patrols are frequent and carried out by living soldiers and the fleet above us is crewed by dominators."
"Where are the teleportation scramblers?
"
"One is in here."
One of the other dominators raises his left hand. "I will deactivate that for you."
"There are two others: one is in the high caste research centre, and the other is in the planetary command centre. If you destroy the first then you will be able to teleport anywhere within the facility. Destroying the global one will remove all impediments."
Zeta radiation wasn't being blocked when we came
in, but if they have a way to block it then there's no obvious reason why it would be somewhere else.
"Do they check that your scrambler is active?
"
"Yes, but they do so via the computer network. Random checks by sample teleportation are only three times a year."
"Telepath detection systems?
"
"That is passive, and integrated into the structure of the facility. You would have to tear the place apart first."
Mr. King grimaces for a moment. "That's going to hurt our coordination."
One of the other dominators reaches into a wall-mounted storage bin and pulls out a handful of headsets.
"If the mutations to the central processor have not deformed it too much, these headsets should allow you to communicate within the facility. If you control the processor, you should be able to instruct it to keep your words secure."
"Thank you.
"
Those go in subspace, and that's a fascinating example of Dominion technology that I'm going to be passing to Dox when I get home.
"Are all the humans the Dominion has here, or are there some somewhere else?
"
The lead dominator clamps his mouth shut. A negative or nullification.
"I do not know. The high caste wouldn't feel it necessary to inform us about that. We are only told about the humans here."
"Why are these ones still alive?
"
"Their powers are interesting enough to warrant continuous non-terminal studies. Some… Are still killed each year." His eyes flicker with genuine distress. "You will… Stop this?"
Mr. King nods. "That's why we're here."
"Good. Do so swiftly. Their state distresses me.
I will help in any way I can."
I create a zeta tube construct, and Mr. King and I step towards it. Just before we pass through, he stops.
"When this is over, you're planning to go back to your universe, aren't you?"
"Yes, of course.
"
He nods, glancing back at the dominators. According to my ring, their body language indicates sadness and guilt and they're doing a dominator group hug. "Don't take this the wrong way, but that's probably for the best."
