The Writing On The Wall
Posted on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 4:41pm by Captain Marc Kidd & Commander Mariko Tao & Lieutenant Commander Corin Layal & Lieutenant Jonathan Corwin & Lieutenant Maya Canak
Edited on on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 5:01pm
2,235 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Sins of History
Location: Sick Bay - Deck 9 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD013 0700 hrs
"Hey Doctor. Hope things are well enough for you, given everything going on. I'm sure you've been busy," Layal greeted Dr. Canak as she stepped into her office.
"In situations like these, I'm usually just on standby and let the defense talk first," she explained. "Thing of it is, that whatever he decides, refusing treatment isn't necessarily a get out jail free card. He can still be committed to a locked facility, it just changed to a hospital room as opposed to a prison cell. A lot of people choose prison."
Maya nodded. "Good to see you. Yes. Nothing about this situation is ideal or simple. Fortunately, my job is to heal people, not pass judgement. I gladly leave that to you."
Days like today were when Marc longed to be like any other Captain. Just having to manage the day to day operation of his ship as they explore. However, that was not him. He had to deal with the same things as every other Captain plus the legal woes of his new division. It was with this in mind that he walked into Sick Bay as a man on a mission. "Commander. Doctor, how is our patient at the moment?"
"Resting comfortably," Maya replied.
As the doors to sickbay opened Mariko almost walked into the back of the captain. It appeared a queue was forming just to get an audience with the doctor. She assumed due to the venue this would be about Vamcet as she had no other reason to visit the medical bay. She was perfectly healthy.
Maya hid a smile as she moved back. "Please, everyone, come in."
Jonathan walked in with his briefcase in hand and PaDD's in a shoulder pouch. He approached the assembled group and waited and listened to what was going on. He sat down and opened his briefcase and removed a stim patch to his forearm and seemed more focused and ready to get this meeting going.
Once it seemed that everyone was there Marc leaned on the wall and ran his hand through his hair. "Doctor, is it safe to assume that the Gul has not been made aware of his medical condition and that there is no change in his medical condition?" It was a long shot but Marc could hope that the first case for his division was not totally lost.
"Yes. We ran a second series of tests, with the same results. The gul has not been informed as yet, although I'm sure he suspects there is something wrong." Maya wished she could give him better news, "Surgery has a 78% chance of success. However, there is a possibility the brain damage will be permanent."
"And that would be a bad thing?" Layal asked dryly from her corner in the room.
Maya couldn't help chuckling. "It all depends on your perspective. I maintain that saving his life is the best option. But that has its own set of complications."
Marc allowed the silence to hang in the room a moment as he thought. "I think the question for us at the moment is what are the legal ramifications one way or the other. Would it effect his trial? I will add that ultimately the surgery is the Gul's decision and after we finish this conversation he will be informed of his condition and allowed to make that choice."
Layal took a solid look at Corwin and then a quick glance at Canak. "The Judge doesn't have to agree with Dr. Canak's assessment. The burden would be on the prosecution to prove he is fit to stand trial. He knows why he's here, the likely outcome if he's found guilty. He recalls details of what he is being charged with to assist in his defense. I have a good case to request that the Judge order we proceed to trial. Sorry, Doctor."
"No need to apologize. You have your job, and I have mine." Maya shrugged. She didn't fault the other woman for disagreeing with her. "We will do what we feel is right."
Gul Vamcet had an idea that something may be up, although he was not sure if something was up or if the Federation treated all prisoners this comfortably. He had been moved from his cell to guest quarters on the ship. Of course, he remained under guard but the living space was infinitely more comfortable. Now, he had been escorted to Sick Bay to meet with the Chief Medical Officer and others.
Vamcet walked into the Sick Bay flanked by security officers. "Doctor, it seems that we are just destined for constant conversation." He said to Maya with a smile.
"Of a sort." Maya's smile was polite and professional as befitted the reason for his visit. "Please, have a seat. I have the results of the tests we took during your last visit."
"Gul Vamcet." Jonathan began. " After this we'll need to talk to see how this will affect your case and what we can do about it." Stated Jonathan sounding tired. "I'll also so want to hear your opinion on the matter and how you'd like to proceed."
Maya raised an eyebrow at Jonathan's timing. "We discovered a tumor in your prefrontal cortex. If we operate right away, there is a 93% chance of successfully removing it. If we do not, you will die."
"Starfleet has some of the finest surgeons in the galaxy and your recovery would be swift and comfortable. Would you like us to proceed in setting up the surgery for you Gul Vamcet? As your councilor this is what I would advise." Jonathan stated simply and honestly.
Vamcet did not rise to the rank he attained or accomplish all he had accomplished without gaining some insight into how people acted. He could tell by everyone in the room, and by his own attorney's quick reactions that there was something more to what went on. What's more is that he thought he knew exactly what was hidden. "Doctor. You say that the tumor is in my prefrontal cortex. Forgive me I am lax on my studies of anatomy. But, what exactly does the prefrontal cortex regulate in the body?"
"Of course," the doctor said. "The prefrontal cortex controls complex cognitive functions such as decision-making, planning, and regulating behavior and emotions. It plays a crucial role in shaping personality and social behavior. As the tumor grows, it can also affect speech and memory."
"I see..." Vamcet began and then he added another question almost as an afterthought. "Is there a way to tell how long I have had this tumor?"
Maya shook her head. "Perhaps six to nine months, but gliomas such as this do not grow at a constant rate, so there is no way to calculate how long it's been there. But what I am certain of is that if it is not removed, you will die."
There was a moment of silence as Vamcet mulled over the news that he was just given. He broke the silence first with a broad smile typical of a Cardassian then he spoke. "Well, it seems that the Bajorans will have to get in line for my head. I am not a stranger to the court of public opinion. Up until recently that was the way of things on Cardassia Prime. If I survive to get to Bajor they will try me in a public forum, and with all due respect to Lieutenant Corwin here they will convict and kill me. Perhaps I owe them the courtesy of saving them the trouble."
Maya knew that humor was often a way to deal with bad news, so she said nothing. Besides, he would need time to come to terms with the diagnosis and decide what he wanted to do about it.
Mariko stepped forward slightly, her arms still folded but her posture sharp and deliberate. “You're entitled to make your own medical decisions, Gul Vamcet. No one here disputes that. But I would caution you that refusing treatment does not erase the charges against you. It merely complicates the path to closure for everyone involved.”
Her tone took on a subtle firmness as she continued, eyes fixed on him. “As someone trained in interstellar law and diplomacy, I can assure you: a trial is not just about verdicts. It is a legal mechanism to establish fact, to allow for the examination of evidence, witness testimony, and the right to confront accusations. It's messy, yes. But it's also the fairest chance any society has to define the truth, and for you to defend your legacy under scrutiny, not whispers.”
Mariko's expression softened only slightly. “You may not care how the Bajorans see you. But the record matters. And history does not treat unanswered questions kindly.”
Vamcet stood and placed his hands behind his back. His posture was that of someone who had just been brought into a most interesting conversation, as opposed to someone who had to decide their own fate. "Commander I would like to thank you for your candor. However, I am pretty sure that everyone including history has already decided what my legacy is, and how future generations will view me. I stand here because I choose to, I have been hidden for quite some time and then suddenly here I am. This is because I knew it was time. Time to give closure as you so eloquently put it Commander."
Vamcet turned to face Corin, and the look on his face was that of someone who faces their victims with remorse for the first time. "Tell me Counselor. What will happen to me if found guilty on Bajor?"
Layal's eyes narrowed as she glared at the Cardassian, a smirk playing on the lips. "You would like to know that, wouldn't you? I don't think the answer is as simple as you might think." She shook her head and turned away with a look that crossed between pity and disgust. "Are we done here?" She asked.
It was Vamcet's turn to smile. "You see. That expression reveals everything. I will be tried, convicted and sentenced to death. There are those who believe I should be put to death for what I did. If it means anything I am one of them. So, I ask does it really matter what I decide about this illness. Whether it is the illness that kills me, or a firing squad, what is dead is dead."
Mariko gave a subtle nod, folding her arms once more, but she did not move to leave. Her posture remained poised, neutral, waiting—always waiting—for the commanding officer to make the final call. She had spoken her piece, and now it was Captain Kidd's room to dismiss.
Her expression betrayed little, but inside, she weighed Vamcet’s words not with sympathy, but with a sort of quiet resignation. He was not the first man she had seen face death with theatrics, nor would he be the last to frame fatalism as nobility. Whether he chose surgery or silence, she suspected he had already decided what truth he wanted history to remember—and it likely wasn’t the truth at all.
Marc weighed the words of the Gul heavily. He did not like the idea of someone dying either way, Captain Kidd was against the death penalty. However, it was not his beliefs that mattered here it was those upheld by Bajoran and Federation law. "Well Gul Vamcet the decision is yours to make. I trust you will inform Dr Canak when you have made it. In the meantime the Doctor and her staff will do what is needed to keep you well and comfortable. We will be proceeding with your trial as scheduled. Thank you everyone." With a small dip of his head Marc left Sick Bay before he was inclined to overturn his own resignation to allow the Gul to make the decision.
Jonathan walked out of the sickbay with the others and waited for the door to close before he spoke. " He's going to refuse the treatments you know, He knows he's going to die one way or the other and doesn't care how it happens. " Jonathan shook his head. " He believes that his death will reclaim his honor in the eyes of other cardassians and allow his family to live in peace on cardassia prime. In his mind this is a win for him and everyone else gets what they want, namely his death. This case is making me sick to my stomach, If you'll excuse me I need to talk to the doctor about something. "
A Joint Post By
Commander Mariko Tao
Executive Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Commander Corin Layal
Judge Advocate General, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Maya Canak
Chief Medical Officer/Medical Examiner, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Captain Marc Kidd
Commanding Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Jonathan Corwin
Defense Council, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
RSS Feed