Into The Mind of A Despot
Posted on Mon Jan 29th, 2024 @ 11:15pm by Captain Marc Kidd & Lt JG Adalyn O'Rourke Ph.D.
Edited on on Tue Jan 30th, 2024 @ 12:13am
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
The Sins of History
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Deck 3 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD005 1100 hrs
Adalyn smiled as she met the eyes of those bridge officers she passed as she made her way to the ready room. Her expression was genuine, but took effort, as her heart was still heavy after listening to the accounts of Gul Vamcet's surviving victims.
It was not the first time she had heard accounts of violence, of course, but knowing that an entire group had been targeted simply because of their mere existence brought a heaviness to Adalyn even she found surprising despite her experience.
She knew if she was feeling this way, she could only imagine the pressure the Captain and the rest of the crew were feeling. Each department had their own priorities to focus on, but Kidd had the weight of all that and more.
Carrying a copy of the psychological profile she had compiled, Adalyn decided to deliver it in person, knowing that it would also provide her an opportunity to check in with Kidd himself.
She rang the time and waited to be allowed entry.
Marc had been going over tracer reports. These were reports on where it was speculated where Vamcet would go if he was not on Freecloud. In truth it made his brain hurt all the what ifs. So, when the door chime rang it was a very welcome distraction. "Come on in..." he called out as he tossed the PADD on his desk. The sight of his Counselor and Profiler was a welcome and unexpected surprise. "Morning Counselor... What can I do ya for?"
Seeing Kidd surrounded by PADDs, Adalyn felt guilty on two fronts. She was about to add to his pile and she was interrupting his work for something that didn't require a personal delivery. She realized belatedly perhaps it was she who needed a touchstone. "I brought you my completed psychological profile of Vamcet, sir. I don't wish to interrupt, but I thought perhaps you might have questions." It was a lie...but perhaps a white one.
"No interruption at all." Marc began as he took the PADD offered. "So, Counselor what have you learned about our new favorite Gul. Give me a look into his head. It may help me get us a step ahead of him and close this case early." He began to read over the report. In truth he had a few other things to do however, judging by what he read nothing as interesting as this.
Adalyn took a moment to gather her words, also mindful that Kidd was reading her report. "Well, sir, as you can already surmise just based on what you know, the Gul's behavior suggests a sadistic personality, someone who receives pleasure from inflicting the suffering of others. His belief that Bajorans are inferior beings is not unique to him, of course, but reports of his behavior indicate he was driven by more than just ideology. Because much of his experimentation on Bajorans could be done in private and without oversight, he could shift between scientific curiosity with a disregard for his subjects and outright torture for the sake of it."
Kidd nodded his agreement with all that she had said. "But then the question is why surface now? Why not stay hidden and continue your experiments with impunity. I just don't see a justifiable reason for the sudden change. If we can figure that out then I feel like we would have a huge chunk of the puzzle."
"Arrogance? Boredom?" Adalyn suggested with a shrug. "Perhaps given the time that's passed, he thinks no one is really looking for him."
"hmmmm perhaps you have something there." Marc began, he sipped a cup of coffee. "Tell me does Vamcet have any family that he keeps in touch with? Cardassians pride themselves on their family so I am curious if his had disowned him or not. Is he the type of person who would maintain his family despite laying low."
"Maintaining or resuming contact with family is exactly something I would expect from someone who doesn't think anyone is looking," Adalyn remarked. "If memory serves, he does have a son."
"Excellent, see what you can dig up on the son. With any luck the son could lead us to the father. Do you have any ideas on what Vamcet would do if cornered. I would like the extraction teams to be as prepared as we can make them." The wheels in Marc's head spun at high speed at the moment. There was so much to think about, and yet so little that they could do until Vamcet is found.
O'Rourke took a moment to consider his question. One thing she had learned in her professional career was not to pretend to know more than she did. Profiling may have been a science, but there was also a bit of art to it as well and sentient behavior wasn't as predictable as a computer no matter how sophisticated the field appeared to be. "It's hard to say, sir. On one hand, his arrogance might suggest he would never allow himself to be captured, but if, as you say, his family ties are strong, he could choose not to inflict that sort of grief on his loved ones. There's also the added opportunity to be one's own messenger. With age, legacy isn't just the people you leave behind, but the work. Like it or not, his 'work' will always be important to him."
"Yes... I would tend to agree. I wonder if allowing himself to be seen after so long is simply a way for him to get back to Bajor. Once there he could continue his work or try to at the very least. This worries me, we could in theory be bringing the proverbial wolf back to the lambs." Marc did not really expect Adalyn to respond to this diatribe. However, it was something that he had been afraid of and needed to get it off his chest.
O'Rourke was sympathetic. The meaning of justice was in the eye of the beholder. It also could not be achieved without pain. "No matter the situation, I've had to come to terms with the fact we are always going to open wounds for someone in the pursuit of truth, sir. If there is a crime to be investigated, by definition, there's going to be at least one victim changed by it. I know I can't change what happened , but my commitment to any survivors I meet is a commitment to assist in their healing as much as possible. Bringing the truth to light is never easy, but can often be the first step in the process."
It seemed to Marc that this meeting would serve two functions. The first was the briefing it was intended for and the other was to give the Captain a unique look at one of his crew members. This was something he was appreciative of. "Quite right you are. When we get back to Bajor with Vamcet I am sure that the Bajorans may have need of your services as his arrival will open a lot of wounds. What puzzles me the most is that Bajor all but forgot about him. In the criminal and political sense I mean. So, why bring yourself out of hiding. He was hidden so well that he could have lived out the rest of his days and no one would have been the wiser."
"My best guess, and it is still a guess, is arrogance. Living out the rest of his days with no one the wiser makes him equal with anyone he considers beneath him, the lowliest commoner or Bajoran. Someone who has once achieved greatness and notoriety, even if only in his own mind, does not hide."
Marc thought about what she had said. Whether the Counselor knew it or not she gave him a possible solution to the problem. "Would someone who is that arrogant be easily lured into a trap. I am wondering if we can use his hubris against him. Might make our jobs somewhat easier."
"Perhaps," the counselor replied. "Still, I would not confuse hubris with a lack of intelligence. We also can't rule out the possibility that he has received help all of these years to stay in hiding. Even if hubris causes him to be vulnerable to mistakes, we shouldn't assume others are equally vulnerable."
"Sage advice, thank you Counselor. Keep at and keep me informed." Marc said with a smile. He knew that every little bit of information helped in getting this case closed sooner rather than later.
"Will do, sir," Adalyn replied, sensing a natural conclusion to their meeting. Before turning and taking her leave, she offered, "My door is always open, Captain."
A Joint Post By
Captain Marc Kidd
Commanding Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Junior Grade Adalyn O'Rourke
Chief Counselor/Profiler, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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