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"Ping" Jaidev LeBeau Jaidev was use to the looks, the glances, even the snarls. He did after all look like his mother with two very noticeable exceptions. Jaidev looked every inch Cardassian, a blonde haired, hazel eyed, Cardassian. One would think that fifty plus years and the alliance with the Cardassian Union would soften hard feelings, but apparently not. It didn’t matter to the ones who gave him the dirty looks that his father was human, that he was the first non-Cardassian Gul in the history of the Cardassian military, it didn’t matter that his mother was a Federation Marine and diplomat. All that matter to those people was that he had butcher’s blood in him. Then again, he could be getting the death glares because he was the lead scientist on the temporal machine that caused Banshee’s disappearance. It hadn’t been his idea, that belonged to some admiral who refused to listen to Admirals Janeway and (C) Kaelyre’s warnings. It was however his work that made the mechanics of it all possible, so he was taking all the blame. He wouldn’t take the blame officially of course, that would only cause trouble between the Federation and Cardassia, but he was allowing the crew of the Tempest to lash out at him. Though no one as harder on him then himself. Stepping up to the main control island of his lab he put in his access codes and then called up the new programming. “Lieutenant.” He called out to one of the techs. “Activate the machine.” “You sure this thing isn’t going to suck us into a hole?” One of the crewmen asked as the lieutenant did as he was told. “As I’ve said before,” Jaidev said in an even voice. His voice, like the rest of his physical being, sounded very Cardassian. Which of course made the hint of accent he’d picked up from his father sound that much more out of place when he spoke. “This machine works as an anchor. It will only work when it makes contact with the original. The two will work as anchors at each end to form a stable wormhole between us and them.” “Which means they’ll have to turn their machine on, if they even have it.” The crewmen huffed. “Which is why we’re sending the signal.” Jaidev replied. The beacon signal would work the way pinging between to computers did. This machine would send out a continuous ping that would search out the other machine. When the ping reached the other machine, the other machine even if it were dormant would ping back, at which point this machine would remotely trigger the other machine while at the same time a prerecorded message would be broadcast on the same pathway created by the pings. It seemed like a gamble, but gambles were all they had at this point. “Siren’s up and hot, Glen.” The lieutenant called out. Siren, as in Siren’s Call, had been the pet name given the machine. Jaidev held in his sigh. When a human said the rank Glen, which was the equivalent of their lieutenant, it always sounded like the Terrain name Glenn. That was not the proper way of pronouncing it, but Jaidev was tired of correcting them. Tapping the comm. badge the captain had given him he called out, “LeBeau to Bridge, we’re ready to proceed Captain.” “Then do it already.” Came Miranda’s reply. “Of course.” Jaidev replied. Looking down at his panel he tapped in the command codes. A few moments later a soft pinging sound filled the room. Now all they had to do was wait for the second ping, and all he could do was hope it was soon. Stepping away from the others, Jaidev went into the small office attached to the lab. He reached into the inside pocket of his uniform and pulled out a small gold pocket watch. He opened it and stared down at the picture of his family that filled the opposite side from the watch. He sighed as he ran his finger tip over Vidya’s bright smiling face. --
You can always rewrite a plot, but a character that is alive enough to argue with you, to choose things you would not, that's magic, and you don't mess with magic. You accept it as the gift it is, and let it play. —Laurell K. Hamilton |
