Chapter Text
T’Ralia’s offer wasn’t good enough. If Spock was saved the Terrans were doomed, but she couldn’t stand to take an active part in his assassination either. The best option was to remove the element of choice entirely. If she was out of this universe before any of these events came to pass, she would be blameless. There was a twinge of sadness to it, she had gotten on well enough with the Spock from her world based on their brief interactions, but as La’an never hesitated to point out, this was not the same person. The Spock she knew shared the same name and face but nothing more.
Maya waited until La’an fell asleep and went back to work on her computer console. With the lights in their quarters off, the screen emitted a soft glow as she read rapidly through personnel files. Two hours of work and she found what she needed, her short list. Ensign Shyraal, an Andorian who worked in engineering and had a record of getting into fights with traditionally minded Terrans. Lieutenant Butler, a science officer whose parents were executed for sedition; nothing in her file suggested that she shared their inclinations, but it was still noteworthy. Lieutenant Junior Grade Martinez, a warp core specialist recently disciplined for defying orders. La’an’s credentials also allowed her to view shift rotations. Martinez and Shyraal should be ending their shift just now. If she could find them, this was the best time to talk, but La’an’s warnings still lingered in the back of her mind. This was inexact and uncertain.
With La’an’s security clearance Maya was able to get the door open and step out into the corridor. This wasn’t the first time she ventured, without permission, out into this ship with a flimsy plan. The other time, though, she had less of a plan and no prior knowledge to help her on her way. She tried to walk with purpose and confidence: Back straight, shoulders back, chin high. If she seemed like she was meant to be there and acted like she knew what she was doing and where she was going, she was less likely to attract suspicion.
She only encountered three officers before she reached the turbolift, each barely acknowledged her, only giving a Terran salute before they went on their way. Once she was inside the lift, Maya allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. She could only hope that the rest of her plan would go so smoothly. Maya tried to input her destination of main engineering, but the lift did not move. Instead, an error message appeared on a panel on the wall.
“Access restricted.”
Frustated, Maya smacked the wall with an open palm, then quickly pulled it away and shook out the pain. La’an could get her there, so long as the computer couldn’t tell the difference between her and her Terran double she could do anything an Admiral could, but there would be no convincing her. Best to go try to get some sleep and regroup in the morning, either with a different plan or a better strategy to beg La’an for help. She input the command for the turbolift doors to open, and when she saw who was on the other side her heart jumped. It was Suzette Ling, and she had a wicked half smile on her face.
“How strange. I didn’t think you were brave enough to be out of bed and sneaking around. I was told that you were meant to be confined to quarters and to be secretive about your existence.” Suzette purred.
“You've mistaken me for my double.” Maya stood tall and proud but her heart raced as she tried to speak with bold, heavy gravitas, the same way her brother, her father, and her Terran double spoke. “Now I demand an apology. You are speaking to the heir of Khan, show the proper respect.”
“What a valiant effort.” Suzette crossed her arms and tilted her body to one side. “But it’s easier to tell the two of you apart than you might think. You’re clearly the heavier one, and you speak like you’re doing a poor imitation of her. Now be cooperative and tell me what you’re up to.”
“I don’t owe you any explanations.” Maya spat.
“Is that so?” Suzette narrowed her eyes before she grabbed Maya by the arm and yanked her out of the turbolift and into the corridor. “You’re supposed to be confined to quarters, so you had better have a damn good reason. Now, you can explain yourself to me, or you can explain yourself to the captain and the admiral, and I doubt if they will be as understanding.”
Maya looked into Suzette’s eyes. In her universe, Suzette was one of the few augments from Ceti Alpha V who treated her with respect and kindness. This version was colder and harsher, but Maya wanted so desperately to trust her. “I was…” For a moment she swore she could see some of the warmth and kindness from the Suzette she knew. “Trying to find a way home. I don’t belong here, I’m only going to get in the way of your coup, surely you understand.”
Suzette’s smile grew. “Oh, Maya, I understand.” Her voice was saccharine sweet, but she still kept a tight grip on Maya’s arm. “You’ve never felt like you belonged anywhere did you? Your counterpart used to feel the same way before she blossomed and realized her true potential…” A sudden change in Suzette’s tone as she abandoned sweetness for sharp acidity. “So you can talk through it with her.” Suzette began down the corridor, dragging Maya along with her.
“Suzette, wait!” Maya pleaded. She tried to break free but was no match for Suzette’s enhanced strength. “My plan wasn’t going to work, anyway, I’ve given up on it.”
Suzette said nothing and didn’t even look at Maya as she forcibly led her. Maya was surprised at just how close her and La’an’s Terran counterpart’s quarters were to her own. All this time she had assumed they were living in another part of the ship when truly they were right around the corner. She had walked past this very door without knowing who lived on the other side each time she went down the corridor to catch the turbolift.
Standing outside the door to the Terran Maya’s quarters, not only was Maya’s heart racing, but legs shook and her stomach turned. La’an had been right. This was a stupid, poorly thought-out plan and now she would have to face brutal consequences.
Suzette rang the door chime and waited for a response. Silence. “Maya! Wake up! This is important.”
“Come in.” The Terran Maya answered in a voice marked with impatience and annoyance. While a star ship ran at all hours, there was still a distinct day/night cycle that each person kept according to their schedule.
The door slid open, and Suzette pushed Maya inside. Maya couldn’t keep her balance and fell to her hands and knees. As she tried to pick herself up off the ground, she looked up to her Terran counterpart who stood in front of her. The Terran Maya was dressed in a long silk nightgown, her dark wavy hair hanging loose. Katya was there too, hanging back. She still sat in bed covering herself with the blankets, her eyelids heavy and hair uncombed.
“Your copy has been trying to stage a grand escape.” Suzette explained. “I thought you might like to deal with her disobedience yourself.”
“I see.” The Terran Maya crossed her arms, eyes narrowed on her double. “Get La’an.”
“La’an had nothing to do with this!” Maya begged. No one else deserved to suffer because of her mistake. “She thought the whole idea was foolish. Leave her out of this!”
“I didn’t mean your La’an,” The Terran Maya hissed. With a few long, quick strides she closed 558888888the space between them and began to slowly circle her counterpart. Her eyes were fixed on the copy of herself, studying every inch of her. “I thought I had you figured out. I thought we had more in common than you dared to admit, but now you vex me. I have offered you everything you could want, everything to which you are entitled, and yet you push me away. What is it you had back there that you are so eager to return to?”
Maya looked her Terran double in the eye for a moment before she felt a jolt of fear and quickly turned away. What did she have? A world that was, while safer, almost as unwelcoming to a half-augment as Ceti Alpha V? Poor health? Restrictions on her freedoms and her ability to live a full life? In truth, her safety, her friendship with La’an, and her access to knowledge were the most tangible improvements.
“Can’t think of anything?” The Terran Maya teased and placed her hands on her hips. “Or at least not anything grand enough to move you to defend your situation.” She stopped her circling, standing behind her counterpart and leaning in close. She placed her hands on Maya’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, close enough that Maya could feel the heat of her breath. “Tell me exactly what your life was like and what you hope to return to.”
“I was living with La’an.” Maya looked straight ahead and tried not to flinch. “I was…on house arrest, essentially, but beginning to earn a little more independence.”
“Oh?” The Terran Maya raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “What did you do? I hope it was worth it.”
“I tried to take control of a ship, this ship’s alternate, in fact, and all of the assault and tampering with Starfleet equipment necessary to achieve that end.” Some of her fear subsided. Over the past few months she had been asked to explain her crimes so many times that it was now part of a comfortable routine. “I also had a change of heart soon after, helped Starfleet, and ended up saving hundreds of lives, so I might have a few mitigating factors working in my favor.”
The Terran Maya shook her head as she stepped away. “A better kind of human, a genetically superior princess, and they made you into a prisoner. What a sad state your world is in.”
“That’s part of what complicates matters. Genetic engineering is strictly forbidden in my world. Legally, I shouldn’t exist, but La’an thinks mine is a unique case with special concerns.”
The Terran Maya took a few steps around to face her double from the front. “A prisoner, a second class citizen, and you can’t even think of what you had to value in your own universe?”
“Stop it!” Maya backed away. She knew what was happening now, the Terran Maya was trying to manipulate her. “Earth was a massive improvement. I was safe, I was surrounded by people who treated me with dignity and respect no matter what they thought about who I was or what I did.” McCoy, La’an, Albrecht, T’Ralia…only a handful of people (one of them dead) who had shown her more compassion in a short span of time than anyone one Ceti Alpha V did in a lifetime.
“Everything you listed will come to those who demand it. It is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”
Maya rolled her eyes. “You sound like Father.”
“That was my intent. He was right about a few things.”
A chime at the door. “Come in,” the Terran Maya called. The door slid open and both Mayas turned to see Suzette Ling and the Terran La’an standing in the door frame. La’an, too, had clearly been awoken unexpectedly. While she had at least taken the time to change into her uniform, instead of neat little braids her long gray hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, and her eyes were heavy. She stepped inside, the door closed behind her, and she gave both Maya’s a stern look.
“Honestly I’m surprised we’ve made it this far without any unpleasant incidents from our…esteemed guests.” The Terran La’an closed the space between her and Maya, cupped the young woman’s chin in her hand, and turned her head to force Maya to look into her eyes. Maya’s eyes were wide and fearful, even though she fought to not show any sign of weakness. She didn’t try to look away from La’an’s gaze. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been dragged out of bed to attend to a disciplinary matter.”
“La’an.” The Terran Maya spoke this time and stepped beside La’an, and she reached out to touch her upper arm. “I trust your judgment to punish her as you see fit, but please don’t kill her. I’ve gotten quite attached, and I think she could be swayed.”
“Not to worry, killing her would work against my best interests. I still need the cooperation of the other La’an. Wand too much hostility toward her little friend would turn her into an enemy.” La’an turned her head to address Katya. “Get dressed and leave us. Take Suzette and…go for a walk. Anything. It doesn’t matter.”
“No.” Katya inched forward in bed, still covering herself with the blanket. “I’m strong enough to stay and watch. It won’t bother me.”
“I don’t doubt that you are. It's the privacy we require. This is an issue between Maya–both of them–and myself.”
Katya said nothing else, quickly grabbing clothes from a pile on the ground and throwing them on her slender frame. She left without another word, and also without waiting for Suzette, who trailed behind her.
The Terran La’an watched them go, and once the door shut behind Suzette she turned her attention back to Maya. “I’m curious. I’ve been told by my Maya and the augments that I remind them of Khan. Would you make the same comparison, given your differing experiences?”
“You’re worse.”
“Good.” The Terran La’an let go of Maya’s chin and stepped away. She reached for a device that was clipped to her belt, not a phaser or communicator, something Maya had never seen before. “You’re lucky. Some of Spock’s reforms outlawed the most effective means of discipline, but I’m nostalgic enough to keep an agonizer for my own purposes. He called it inhumane, but I find it much more merciful and civilized than any alternatives. Be grateful I don’t have to resort to ancient, medieval methods. No bodily harm, no lasting damage, only pain.”
The Terran La’an aimed the device at Maya and activated it. An explosion of searing hot pain burst through Maya’s body. She fell to the ground and screamed with such force that her throat was raw. The pain seemed to surge on for hours until it finally ceased. Maya collapsed in a limp heap on the ground, shaking and gasping for air.
“That was only one quarter power for ten seconds, and here I expected a half augment to have a stronger constitution.” La’an taunted.
“I don’t need to know what full power feels like,” Maya spoke between labored breaths. “I’ve learned my lesson. I was wrong. You have my full cooperation.”
“No one breaks that easily.” La’an activated the agonizer again, set to a higher intensity and for a longer duration. Her face remained stern and stoic as she watched Maya scream and writhe on the floor in pain. This was not her first time inflicting unspeakable pain on someone, nor would it be the last. “No one breaks until they have lost all sense of self.””
Maya couldn’t guess how long it had been before the Terran La’an had turned off the agonizer for more than a moment. Even then, Maya expected another onslaught of pain to begin. She laid face down on the floor and had no desire to get up, every fiber of her being feeling as though it had been ripped apart. Her heart raced, and her instincts told her to run as if from danger, but she didn’t have the strength to move.
The Terran Maya knelt beside her and laid a hand on the back of her head. Her touch was soft and gentle, but Maya still flinched away. “Are you ready to cooperate?” she cooed.
Maya nodded. Words seemed too difficult to form.
“I believe you. All I need is for you to prove your obedience to me.” Her fingertips trailed down the back of her double’s neck, down her spine, and stopped at the small of her back where she traced little circles. “It would be a lovely status symbol, to have an exact copy of yourself as a concubine.”
Maya closed her eyes and nodded. She was lucid enough to know what her Terran counterpart was suggesting, and while she wanted no part of it, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Too exhausted, too frightened to invite another round with the agonizer. She had no more energy or will for anything other than the path of least resistance.
“Say it.” The Terran Maya nearly spat out her words.
“Yes.” Just forming that one word felt like a chore. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, and her speech was slurred.
“Yes, what?” The Terran Maya demanded as she traced her fingertips back up her counterpart’s spine.
“Yes, I…” Her throat was tight, but somehow she forced out the words. “Yes, I will..submit myself to you and do anything you ask.”
The Terran Maya chuckled softly and curled her fingers into her double’s hair. “Not to worry, I know how worn out you are. You don’t have to do anything. Let me take care of you.” She looked toward La’an “Leave us.”
“What a shame,” she sighed. “I would have liked to stay and help. I value a meek lover, and Albrecht gone I fear I might not find someone to suit my tastes for quite some time.” The Terran La’an offered no other protests, and left without looking back.