ACT II

(An interview room at the Bajoran civil security station we were looking at earlier. KIRA sits across the table from TELPAR, who looks surly and uncommunicative. The bloodheart is on the table between them)

KIRA: If you were going to lie you might at least have told one that didn't incriminate yourself.

TELPAR: Everything I told you is true.

KIRA: What would you say if I told you we know Dantac was not your confederate? What would you say if I told you we have your partner in custody and his story diverges widely from yours?

TELPAR: I'd say you'd have better luck interrogating him, then.

KIRA: You and Dantac are both members of Teiarin Ghii. (TELPAR does not respond) Were you ordered to perform this mission?

TELPAR: Nobody orders us.

KIRA: But your superiors knew of your plan and they approved.

TELPAR: The Ghii do not have superiors. Everyone is equal who walks in the spirit.

KIRA: Everyone except heldeks.

TELPAR: The heldek are not of us. They belong to Cardassia.

KIRA: Heldek stor existed on this planet long before--

TELPAR: During the occupation Cardassia had complete access to all our records, all our history, literature, everything. They made it say what would suit them. They brought heldek here, let them take it away again.

KIRA: What would the point be of--

TELPAR: Since they came they have been doing nothing but trying to kill off Bajorans. As long as we tolerate heldek we create fewer children. The fewer children we have the weaker we become. They make us believe it's
natural so that we won't see they're trying to breed us out so they can take Bajor again. They brought their heldeks here to spread the disease, and now it's gone so far we believe it's of our earth when it's not.

KIRA: And you don't like Cardassians.

TELPAR: (not understanding why she's restating the obvious) Neither do you.

KIRA: You want nothing to do with them. You want them cleaned off the surface and sent into space or beyond.

TELPAR: That is the vision of the Ghii. Bajor for Bajorans. True Bajorans.

KIRA: And it doesn't strike you as...contradictory, at all, that an organization dedicated to this laudable goal should agree to do the Order's dirty work for it?

TELPAR: The Protectorate wants what we want--Cardassians on Cardassia. And heldeks in hell.

KIRA: So they told you. (circling him) But Cardassians are subtle. (TELPAR looks at her, nervous) Cardassians never walk a straight line or talk a straight game. They lie, they double-deal, they have two faces for every occasion. You know all this. (Leans over the table to talk to him) They *told* you they want what you want. And you *trusted* them? (TELPAR is now starting to seem perturbed) It never occurred to you that perhaps they were trying to *rescue* Garak?

TELPAR: (shocked) Rescue?

KIRA: Garak has been gathering data on Bajor and Bajorans for years. That spot on the station is a prime observation point and now he's married to Bashir he has access to Federation classified information as well--he's the most effective agent Cardassia has ever had but the problem is he's convinced everyone who knows him that he's in exile. So when it's time for him to be debriefed, he can't just get on a shuttle and pop home for a visit. It has to *look* like an abduction. (TELPAR looks perturbed) Think about it, Telpar. Why was it so easy? Why were you allowed to transport onto the station without being harassed by security personnel? Why could you override his door lock without setting off an alarm? How did you get away from the station without being pursued?

TELPAR: (starting to doubt himself) Because--because--

KIRA: Why were you able to plant the bloodheart without--

TELPAR: I didn't--(KIRA looks at him; he breaks off)

KIRA: You didn't plant the bloodheart. (TELPAR has now shut down) Who did? (No response) Who did, Telpar? (Picks up the bloodheart and shakes it at him) Who left him the Order's calling card? Who played Harvester? Who stood up at one of your little secret meetings and said (brings the bloodheart down on the table in front of him with a crash), "Yes, I want to bring death back to Terak Nor, (crash)  I want evil set free, (crash) I want the black terror stalking Bajor once more, (final big crash; TELPAR flinches and looks about to cry) *give* me the bloodheart, *I* want to be the one who starts the misery all over again!"

TELPAR: Nobody! It wasn't one of us!

KIRA: Then who was it?

TELPAR:  I don't know! I didn't even know there was one until it was flying at me! (KIRA looks at a recently-healed scar on TELPAR's forward and draws back. TELPAR sits huddled, whimpering quietly)

KIRA: We will find out who your confederate was. (TELPAR is silent) And we will find out where *this* came from. (There is no response from TELPAR. KIRA exits with the bloodheart. The camera follows her into the hall
outside, where ODO is waiting)

ODO: What did he tell you?

KIRA: The Ghii weren't involved in planting the bloodheart. (ODO looks nonplussed) Which means of course that someone else was.

ODO: And that someone would be...

KIRA: If we knew that, we'd be a lot farther along than we are. (Starts walking off; ODO follows her)

ODO: Where are we going?

KIRA: Fortunately it's not a religious holiday, for once. I think it'll still be open. (She exits; ODO follows her out.)
 

(Cut to a square room with plexiglass cases lining the walls at intervals and a few free-standing on pedestals in the middle of the floor. The room is dark except for pin spotlights that illuminate the cases from above.
Inside the cases are various items that seem to have some relationship to torture--restraints, a remote like the one we saw Oranz using, gas masks, a pile of extracted left molars. KIRA and ODO are standing in front of one of the cases in the center, which contains a bloodheart. ODO reads the description on the front of the case)

ODO: "Formed as a result of an ancient geological cataclysm on the Cardassian homeworld, entra^naa --literally, "open eyes"--have been used since the inception of the Obsidian Order to intimidate suspected traitors prior to their arrest and interrogation. They were introduced for use on Bajor in the third decade of the occupation, as soon as Cardassian intelligence suspected the formation of an organized resistance movement. Called "bloodhearts" by Bajorans after their red centers, they were delivered, and so on and so on and so on...(pauses) Now *this* I didn't know.

KIRA: You didn't?

ODO: I tried to remain as ignorant as possible about the activities of the resistance, Major, as you well know. (Pause) I must say the more I learn, the more I wish I didn't know.

KIRA: If you had been there--

ODO: I *was* there, Major--

KIRA: I mean where *we* were, living *under* the occupation as opposed to around and about it, you would have seen--you would understand why--why--

ODO: Why you used Cardassian methods to terrorize your own people?

KIRA: When you help the Cardassians you become a Cardassian! And Cardassian justice is good enough for them! (ODO looks at her)

ODO: You don't still believe that. (KIRA opens her mouth; at this point NYRA appears behind her)

NYRA: Nerys?

KIRA: (not saying whatever she was going to say to ODO) Nyra! (They hug) I'm so glad you weren't out poking around in a hole in the ground somewhere. (NYRA starts shepherding them toward an office) This is Constable Odo. Odo, this is Nyra, former member of my cell and now assistant curator of the Occupation Memory House. (They enter her office and sit down)

NYRA: I'm pleased to meet you, Nerys has told me a lot about you.

KIRA: How are you? How's Intrel?

NYRA: He's very well, but you didn't come all the way down here to catch up with me, Nerys. (KIRA looks embarrassed) It's all right, I haven't exactly been banging on your door on a regular basis. What can I do for you?

KIRA: I need you to evaluate a specimen for me. (Produces her bloodheart. NYRA becomes suddenly excited)

NYRA: Prophets above! (Takes it and examines it) Yes, yes it's genuine, you can see the crystalline structure of the--(realizes her geological terminology is about to fall on deaf ears) This is a *beautiful* specimen. Where on earth did you get it?

KIRA: I was hoping you could tell us.

ODO: It seems like rather a fuss to make about a rock.

NYRA: It's not a rock, it's a bloodheart. They're *so* hard to find now, I can't even tell you. The one on display is all we have, and we only came into that by chance through an excavation of the barracks at Galatep. 

ODO: As I recall, they were common as eggs during the occupation, especially in its later stages.

NYRA: But since the ceremony--

ODO: What ceremony?

KIRA: On the first anniversary of the liberation all the bloodhearts known to be in existence were collected and pulverized in a ceremony presided over by Kai Opaka. The fragments were buried and the ground ritually
cleansed.

NYRA: At the time we felt it wouldn't be right to ask that some be kept for historical value. We were lucky to come across the one we have afterwards. I don't suppose you'd consider donating this one?

KIRA: I'm afraid it's evidence, at the moment. (NYRA looks disappointed) If you were going to try to obtain another specimen, where would you look?

NYRA: When we were first building our collection, we approached our contacts in the Resistance, of course...they said they had sent everything they had to the ceremony. We made some attempts to approach the families of victims of the interrogations, but none of them could help us. A bloodheart isn't something you hang onto for good luck, you know. And we were unwilling to ask Cardassia to send us one, didn't like the symbolism...one of the student interns did suggest approaching suspected former collaborators, but of course even if we could find out who they were they'd be unlikely to come forward with proof of their collaboration, even if we promised anonymity.

KIRA: But if someone wanted a bloodheart, they would either have to go to Cardassia for it, or get it through one of those channels.

NYRA: That's right.

KIRA: Thanks, Nyra. (They get up to leave)

NYRA: You will think about donating that one, when you're done with it, won't you?

KIRA: I'll let you know. (They walk out through the exhibit room onto the street. KIRA shivers) I don't know how Nyra can stand working there. 

ODO: A strange project. Collecting souvenirs of the worst period in your history.

KIRA: We spent so long not being able to trust any report we heard or any picture we saw--it's important to know what happened.

ODO: I think she actually likes the things.

KIRA: It's only because she never had to serve one. (ODO looks at her. KIRA starts walking faster)
 

(Back on the station, KIRA is sitting in the replimat having a late night with a laptop and a mug of raktageno. She is talking to someone on the screen of her computer)

KIRA: Your whole stockpile.

ENTAD: We wanted them gone.

KIRA: And you're sure everyone obeyed the directive?

ENTAD: Are you suggesting people wanted to decorate their homes with them?

KIRA: No, but--

ENTAD: It was my idea to have the ceremony in the first place as a way of ending that whole ugly business. You of all people should-- 

KIRA: I'm not questioning your decision, I just want to know if there's any way one or two could have escaped detection until afterward and then--

ENTAD: I do not know of any bloodheart being found by any of my present or former colleagues after the ceremony. I am sorry I can't be more help. Walk with the Prophets. (The transmission ends. KIRA looks at the blank screen in frustration. She looks away and sees GARAK sitting at another table with another mug of raktageno. He is alone and looking at a PADD, but his eyes aren't moving across the screen the way they should be. KIRA watches him for a moment or two, then gets up and crosses to him)

KIRA: Do you...(GARAK looks up; she has second thoughts, but continues) Do you mind if I join you?

GARAK: I'd be delighted. (KIRA sits down at the other chair) I gather the investigation continues not to progress.

KIRA: You've been talking to Odo.

GARAK: I've been watching your face. (KIRA looks irritated) Major, if your former colleagues *do* still have--bloodhearts--on hand, they are not going to tell you. There's no legitimate reason to keep them around.

KIRA: Legitimate reason.

GARAK: Yes, that is what I said.

KIRA: Meaning there might be an illegitimate reason.

GARAK: You see, your mind isn't so tiny after all.

KIRA: But what use could they possibly be? The occupation is over--

GARAK: Cardassia is gone. Yes, I'm painfully aware of the fact. But Major, has it ever occurred to you that I might not be the *only* piece of flotsam left stranded on the shore after the tide receded?

KIRA: Are you saying there are other Cardassians still here working for the Order? (GARAK smiles sadly)

GARAK: I envy you your faith in your own people. (KIRA glares) I'm not being facetious. I really do. I had it once. (KIRA looks at him) Think about this. Hundreds, thousands of entra^naa served all over Bajor, and
somehow the person responsible for doing it always slips away unnoticed. As you may have remarked, Major, I stick out on this station like a sore thumb, even among aliens. Imagine how conspicuous I'd be in a rural town
like Yint, or in a monastery like Tarbot.

KIRA: (starting to become shocked) Both places where bloodhearts were served on--

GARAK: Not all of your enemies wear my skin, Major. (GARAK gets up and leaves KIRA to chew on this.)

*end Act II*