The Hearsay Situation
Mar. 8th, 2026 09:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: Spock and Uhura finish their translation of Harrison's 'testimony'.
Word Count: 1038
Rating: Teen
The entire story is, as Nyota would put it, rather disturbing. Logically, punishment is rarely as effective as humans would believe. It breeds resentment, not compliance, especially in a species so inclined to being contrary. Some arrogant minds are unable to comprehend that some consequences are self-inflicted, borne of past actions. Further, there are those who take anything other than what they believe they deserve as a personal offense.
This is, clearly, true of Harrison. He had not seen the reaction to the tyranny perpetrated by Khan as anything other than unjust, nor reflected further on their methods upon becoming enslaved himself. He had also briefly tried to convince them all that he was, in fact, Khan Noonien Singh. His entire account has been, thus, in first person, though it’s easy enough to separate that out, since it changes very little about the plan other than who had originated it. The attempt at playing a body double would be more effective if absolutely no records had survived, though perhaps many would not have found motivation to study such eras of history. Spock would be inclined to think them lazy if not for the fact that Vulcans are not much inclined to dwell on pre-Surak times, either. Perhaps there are simply moments in the history of a civilization, as well as potentially personal history, that, upon growth.
They had been exiled. Harrison had claimed it was a self-exile, but his veracity in several aspects is highly suspect. In any case, the exact circumstances largely only matter for the historians. The outcome was a source of resentment either way.
They had slept in suspended animation, drifting in space upon their own ship, the Botany Bay (clearly a reference to the ancient British practice of exiling criminals to the location of the same name). Examining cryogenic capsules would be a scientific curiosity, but one that Spock cannot indulge at this time. The technology had not been really needed after Earth had discovered warp drives, but there is no certainty that they will never meet another race using a very similar technology, and the fact that little damage had occurred as a result is remarkable. There were, however, casualties, probably a fact that a power-mad dictator would add to the tally against them, despite the fact that such an assignation of blame is hardly logical.
They had then been found by Marcus, much to their own detriment. Rather than reporting the discovery or leaving them, Marcus had then decided on his own scheme, implanting all on board with the modified Centaurian slug, then reviving a few as his own superhuman private army, serving as spies and assassins. While the timeline of fatality is extended, it is not entirely erased. In the time since, not all of those who had been revived had survived.
The Admiral had believed himself to be utterly safe from retaliation, thanks to the Centaurian slugs. He had been, it appeared, re-tracing Nero’s footsteps, scavenging whatever technology or lifeform he could in his quest for power. He may have convinced himself that the desire for destruction or power is rational, the only means by which the Federation could be protected, but in this he is entirely mistaken. Sooner or later, a warmonger’s mindset can only lead to war, not peace.
In the interim, Khan had been seeking a means of revenge. With the announcement of the Genesis Project, he had found it. Like Doctor McCoy, he had immediately seen the dangers of the technology. Marcus had been planning on Qo’noS being the second target, after he’d been satisfied of its functionality, and then using them on any other Klingon colony planets they could find. Much of his efforts in the past year had been spent trying to uncover every single one of them so as ‘not to leave behind survivors’.
Khan (or at least Harrison) was deeply involved with the plan, having been sent out personally as scouts for the effort in ships designed to appear Romulan, and thus knew the specifics. Harrison was later assigned by Marcus as a scientist and spy on the Genesis Project. Such insight was enough that with some additional unauthorized investigation of his own, he was able to form a counter-plan of his own: stealing the Genesis Project and using it against the largest Section 31 base. It had previously been on Earth, before Marcus had the observation that it was easier to escape oversight if you chose a frontier planet far away from any sort of governmental body designed to ensure no laws or the rights of sentients are violated. In addition, the remaining sleeping Augments are on planet. Given his actions attempting to find a way to extract the slugs, it is unlikely that Khan will abandon ‘his own’ on the planet, which will give them some time with which to maneuver. Harrison further claims that this is merely the end goal, that once the world is habitable they will not act further. This statement is highly improbable. There is a chance, however low, that this is the actual intent, but sooner or later a dictator wishes for ‘lesser’ subjects to rule.
It does not help build the case against Admiral Marcus that all they have to go on is secondhand testimony, no matter how serious the accusation of genocide. In addition, they have not been given any orders that are a direct violation of any of the laws or principles of the Federation. For all that the man may appear amateurish in some respects, it is clear he is careful enough to have avoided being brought up on charges before this point.
Harrison had enough time at the smaller base to pass along the Genesis Device and any knowledge he had obtained working on the project to Khan before he was apprehended. While Khan values the lives of the other Augments, he is also unlikely to abandon his plans simply because one of them had been captured.
Nyota has come to the same conclusion, of course. “He’s heading to Tarsus IV.” She hesitates, but then adds, “...We do need to tell Marcus.”
“Of course.” Those involved should be tried, not killed. Though he understands her feeling conflicted on the matter.
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: Spock and Uhura finish their translation of Harrison's 'testimony'.
Word Count: 1038
Rating: Teen
The entire story is, as Nyota would put it, rather disturbing. Logically, punishment is rarely as effective as humans would believe. It breeds resentment, not compliance, especially in a species so inclined to being contrary. Some arrogant minds are unable to comprehend that some consequences are self-inflicted, borne of past actions. Further, there are those who take anything other than what they believe they deserve as a personal offense.
This is, clearly, true of Harrison. He had not seen the reaction to the tyranny perpetrated by Khan as anything other than unjust, nor reflected further on their methods upon becoming enslaved himself. He had also briefly tried to convince them all that he was, in fact, Khan Noonien Singh. His entire account has been, thus, in first person, though it’s easy enough to separate that out, since it changes very little about the plan other than who had originated it. The attempt at playing a body double would be more effective if absolutely no records had survived, though perhaps many would not have found motivation to study such eras of history. Spock would be inclined to think them lazy if not for the fact that Vulcans are not much inclined to dwell on pre-Surak times, either. Perhaps there are simply moments in the history of a civilization, as well as potentially personal history, that, upon growth.
They had been exiled. Harrison had claimed it was a self-exile, but his veracity in several aspects is highly suspect. In any case, the exact circumstances largely only matter for the historians. The outcome was a source of resentment either way.
They had slept in suspended animation, drifting in space upon their own ship, the Botany Bay (clearly a reference to the ancient British practice of exiling criminals to the location of the same name). Examining cryogenic capsules would be a scientific curiosity, but one that Spock cannot indulge at this time. The technology had not been really needed after Earth had discovered warp drives, but there is no certainty that they will never meet another race using a very similar technology, and the fact that little damage had occurred as a result is remarkable. There were, however, casualties, probably a fact that a power-mad dictator would add to the tally against them, despite the fact that such an assignation of blame is hardly logical.
They had then been found by Marcus, much to their own detriment. Rather than reporting the discovery or leaving them, Marcus had then decided on his own scheme, implanting all on board with the modified Centaurian slug, then reviving a few as his own superhuman private army, serving as spies and assassins. While the timeline of fatality is extended, it is not entirely erased. In the time since, not all of those who had been revived had survived.
The Admiral had believed himself to be utterly safe from retaliation, thanks to the Centaurian slugs. He had been, it appeared, re-tracing Nero’s footsteps, scavenging whatever technology or lifeform he could in his quest for power. He may have convinced himself that the desire for destruction or power is rational, the only means by which the Federation could be protected, but in this he is entirely mistaken. Sooner or later, a warmonger’s mindset can only lead to war, not peace.
In the interim, Khan had been seeking a means of revenge. With the announcement of the Genesis Project, he had found it. Like Doctor McCoy, he had immediately seen the dangers of the technology. Marcus had been planning on Qo’noS being the second target, after he’d been satisfied of its functionality, and then using them on any other Klingon colony planets they could find. Much of his efforts in the past year had been spent trying to uncover every single one of them so as ‘not to leave behind survivors’.
Khan (or at least Harrison) was deeply involved with the plan, having been sent out personally as scouts for the effort in ships designed to appear Romulan, and thus knew the specifics. Harrison was later assigned by Marcus as a scientist and spy on the Genesis Project. Such insight was enough that with some additional unauthorized investigation of his own, he was able to form a counter-plan of his own: stealing the Genesis Project and using it against the largest Section 31 base. It had previously been on Earth, before Marcus had the observation that it was easier to escape oversight if you chose a frontier planet far away from any sort of governmental body designed to ensure no laws or the rights of sentients are violated. In addition, the remaining sleeping Augments are on planet. Given his actions attempting to find a way to extract the slugs, it is unlikely that Khan will abandon ‘his own’ on the planet, which will give them some time with which to maneuver. Harrison further claims that this is merely the end goal, that once the world is habitable they will not act further. This statement is highly improbable. There is a chance, however low, that this is the actual intent, but sooner or later a dictator wishes for ‘lesser’ subjects to rule.
It does not help build the case against Admiral Marcus that all they have to go on is secondhand testimony, no matter how serious the accusation of genocide. In addition, they have not been given any orders that are a direct violation of any of the laws or principles of the Federation. For all that the man may appear amateurish in some respects, it is clear he is careful enough to have avoided being brought up on charges before this point.
Harrison had enough time at the smaller base to pass along the Genesis Device and any knowledge he had obtained working on the project to Khan before he was apprehended. While Khan values the lives of the other Augments, he is also unlikely to abandon his plans simply because one of them had been captured.
Nyota has come to the same conclusion, of course. “He’s heading to Tarsus IV.” She hesitates, but then adds, “...We do need to tell Marcus.”
“Of course.” Those involved should be tried, not killed. Though he understands her feeling conflicted on the matter.
