The Black Pit

[TannaLanvin 0]

Once again, Tanna found herself in the control tower. But this time, she wasn't the only Rixian present. Her entire delegation had been ordered to report. And so they did. Tanna and the Ambassador arrived with their respective 'escorts.' However, Captain Nurani was accompanied by an impressive entourage of security officers. It was obvious by the expression on his face, as well as the presence of so many security personnel, that something was wrong. She could only imagine what that might be.

 

Tanna slowly closed her eyes and leaned against the wall beside the lift. She was exhausted. She'd lost track of how long she had been working in Aegis's medical bay helping the Federation staff treat their wounded. She knew it had been several hours at least. But she felt like it had been days since she slept or ate. Tanna feared the worst as far as the research was concerned. In spite of reassurances from Captain Ayers and others, Tanna couldn't escape the sinking feeling that more pressing issues would prevent any further research on Rixian Syndrome. And Captain Nurani's attitude toward the Federation certainly wasn't helping any.

 

She opened her eyes and surveyed the controlled chaos surrounding her. Tanna heard bits and pieces of conversations but paid little attention to them. It didn't matter that martial law had been declared on Cardassia or that a fleet of Federation ships had passed by the station. She could have cared less that three Dominion warships had just popped out of nowhere. Tanna was too wrapped up in her own misery to care about much of anything.

 

There was a time when she would have been able to work for days without food and only minimal sleep. That was the norm on Rixis. One of the many perks of genetic engineering. But six months earlier, Tanna noticed she was tiring more easily. At first, she ignored it. Several weeks later, her decreased stamina became more noticeable and she had to face an ugly possibility.

 

Tanna was a research physician at one of the most prestigious scientific facilities on Rixis. She had easy access to everything she needed to test herself privately. She also had access to the various medications used to treat the early stages of her illness.

 

By the time Tanna diagnosed herself, she had already been appointed to the Rixian delegation that would visit the Federation space station. She was never asked about her health when she interviewed for the post and she chose not to mention it after the fact. No one, not even her parents, knew the truth and she had hoped there would never be a reason to reveal it.

 

Tanna continued leaning against the wall, watching and half listening to what was going on around her. As soon as this meeting was over, she would return to her quarters, take her medication and sleep for a few hours. She would feel much better then, physically and emotionally. Glancing quickly at the Ambassador and then at Captain Nurani, she offered a silent prayer to the Ancients that she could maintain her ruse until after they were safely back on Rixis. She didn't bother praying for a cure. Tanna was now convinced there wouldn't be one, at least not anytime soon.

 

"What a fool," she whispered quietly. "Why did I ever believe we would find a cure in time. Why did I put so much faith in this Federation?"

 

The answer came to her immediately. She had to trust the Federation because there was no one else they could turn to for help. And she had to believe there would be a cure. To think otherwise would be to despair.

 

Tears stung her eyes. "Despair," thought Tanna. "I always wondered what it felt like. Now I know."

 

There was no time to ponder the misery of her newly realized despair. The Rixian delegation was summoned into another room to meet with the Andorian admiral. Tanna quickly pulled herself together and followed the others into the room. She smiled slightly at the sight of Admiral Meve. His skin was such a gorgeous shade of blue. She made a mental note to look into engineering such a skin tone into the Rixian DNA code. She was certain it would become a very popular choice. By the time she entered the room, Tanna felt her spirits lifting a bit.

 

Her smile soon faded once the doors closed behind them. Almost immediately, Captain Nurani launched into a belligerent tirade about access to his ship. Tanna slowly moved to a nearby chair and sat down. She again closed her eyes and tried to block out the sounds of the angry voices all around her. "There will be no further research," she thought sadly, sinking deeper into that black pit called despair. "Especially after this."