It was just as well as she wanted quiet time to seek out some information on him.

Seating herself at her work station, she called up from her computer any data on the human species. There she found little on the species itself, a few facts on physical characteristics, brain capacity, average mental ability (not impressive). But almost nothing on their culture, religious beliefs or natures in general.

Politically, she found a bit more. They were instinctly territorial, yet charged with an almost fanatical need to explore, colonize and infiltrate every small corner of the galaxy. And to insinuate themselves into almost every culture they encountered, doing so almost effortlessly.

She re-read some of the history.

Incredibly, once a planet had agreed to the presence of the Federation, before they knew it (despite the Federation's so-called Prime directive), they were blending with them, having babies with them and, soon after, thinking like them.

Human/alien hybrid colonies had sprung up one after another until they were too numerous to count.

No wonder the Romulan Old council had become alarmed!

And the humans seemed to accomplish it all casually, without war or threats or promise of wealth. Species seemed to, with few exceptions, embrace them as long lost family. Then had come marriages and children in the millions.

Then billions.

And the human birth-rate! A single healthy female, capable of pregnancy as young as twelve earth years, could produce in a normal life span forty to sixty offspring.

Ten times the birth rate than that of Romulans.

Short life span or no, these humans had been on their way to filling the galaxy with their kind and with their hybrid offshoots.

The Humans had gone on increasing while the Romulans, stiff in their desire to remain pure, had begun a gradual decline. Until the danger of them fading to a black dwarf in the kaleidoscope of the galaxy had become all too real.

When the Romulan Old Council had learned of Romulan/Human hybrids (some even living on the home world!), they took to secret meetings to discuss what was to be done.

Even as the politically pacifistic Romulan First Party at the time debated for peace with the Federation, The Old Council and other factions protested and plotted otherwise. Their Fleet was still a formidable one, and if they broke the treaty of non-aggression with the Federation and struck, they had at least as good a chance of winning as losing. Particularly with their cloaking technology and the kamikaze attitude of their forces, who were itching for a battle.

It had depleted their war ships and bankrupted their economies but they had won that first and largest battle. And they won more than they lost of succeeding battles fought throughout the quadrant.

Until the human forces had been decimated.

And, like the Romulan Council had predicted, once those Federation associated worlds realized their Federation protectors had gone down in defeat, they withdrew their own ships and armies, unwilling to face the Romulan hordes for, if the powerful Federation of Earth could be taken, how could they prevail?

The rest was history.

The human home planet had been devastated, left bathed in radiation lethal to all but the most hardy of species.

The hybrid colonies were allowed to exist only if strict obedience to travel restrictions were honored. And only if all laws regarding reproduction were followed. In other words, no more human or human/alien offspring allowed. That, coupled with germ warfare in the product of a swift acting and lethal virus engineered for pure-strain human DNA introduced into the atmosphere of all human or hybrid colonies, had taken care of the rest.

It was then declared that to be human, marry one, breed with one, transport one or grow one in a laboratory was strictly prohibited on penalty of death.

The Romulan Empire had risen and become the liberators of all the galaxy, declaring themselves as the New Law- givers.

Veexow read the old texts and studied her sleeping example.

He hardly looked like an insidious threat. Sick, weak, alone. His existence from moment to moment held in her hands, his welfare resting on a word from her mouth.

In fact, he did not look well at all.

She went to him, not touching.

He appeared to be sleeping. A thin film of sweat coated his face.

"Human." she wanted to rouse him. He needs to eat, she thought, a gap in the side of his thin tunic displaying the faint pattern of his rib-cage.

He didn't wake, even when she placed two fingers on his forehead in order to lean his head back. His skin had a grey pallor. She speculated that was probably not a healthy sign. Neither the dark half-moons beneath his eye sockets.

But she could only guess otherwise. Was he feverish? But to her naturally hot body temperature, he felt cool.

Again she summoned Rhengar and he appeared momentarily.

"Rhengar, I believe this creature is ill."

Rhengar joined his Lady, crouching before the alien. He pressed his instrument to his patient's neck and Veexow heard the instrument hiss as the drug entered the human's bloodstream.

"This is an instant anesthetic. It will keep him out for a few moments while I examine him. I would like to move him over there." Rhengar gathered the creature in his powerful arms and lifted him as if he weighed nothing, carrying him to the divan.

Veexow followed closely. "What is wrong with him?"

Rhengar passed his instrument over the prone being and studied the results. He sighed. "I don't know, M'Lady. I have no training in human physiology. But my instrument can detect no foreign agents nor any known" - he emphasized *known* - "infections. I am forced to conclude that it is simply exhaustion. Without a detailed autopsy on this creature, which I cannot do because he is alive, I can say no more. Whatever medical knowledge of the species that exists is archived and guarded under Romulan Purity Control. Other than perhaps rest and food, I am able to recommend nothing."

"Do you think perhaps he has fever?" She asked.

"That is possible, but again I am uncertain. I do not know what his normal body value is, but he does feel warmer than the last time I examined him."

Veexow found his lack of knowledge, and her own, frustrating. For him to have survived this long, especially under the conditions in which she'd discovered him, only to watch him die now made her feel helpless, not something she was accustomed to feeling.

*He could be dying right now and all we can do is sit here and watch!*

"Well, leave me some more injections, then I have something to at least keep him calm if he becomes agitated again."

"As you wish, Dear Lady."

Rhengar put his instruments away and rose to leave, bowing to her.

"Rhengar!" She called after him, standing to face him when he paused before the door. "Thank you."

He blinked at this rare display of gratitude. His face was gentle. "Dear M'Lady, anything for you. Always." he bowed and left.

Veexow became even more concerned over the creature's deterioration during the next several hours. His jaw was slack, his body suffered tremors and in conjunction with them tiny bumps on the surface of his skin would periodically appear and then disappear. She found it as alarming as she did fascinating, noting each little fact, storing them away in her excellent memory.

Twice he opened his eyes and looked at nothing, or possibly at her but the gaze was unfocused.

Veexow left him there, after preparing some makeshift straps to keep him down, and that night slept in her anti-chamber.

At her habitual hour, she awoke and, after some quick attention to Romulan hygiene, she checked on him.

He hadn't moved but her soft rustling in the room roused him and his eyes opened, blinking. They appeared clear and lucid. Whatever had been making him ill the previous night had now abated.

She moved to stand over him. "You appear very much better."

Then went to her work station, ordering up some food, enough for two. Then added, "I thought you were going to die, human."

"Not quite ready for that yet." he answered weakly.

She turned, surprised to finally have elicited a whole and reasonable sentence from him.

His voice was cracked and strained. He coughed.

"You sound worse, however."

"Thirsty." he managed to get out.

Frowning at her own lack of foresight in giving him no fluids at all during his fever, she obtained a cup-full and, one hand supporting his head, put it to his lips. He drank it all.

She let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, that one action seeming to have sapped what strength he had.

She noted the bruising that had developed overnight on his newly repaired limb. Angry looking, dark purple discolorations on his forearm. She felt the tiniest pang of regret over having to have done it.

"You need to eat. " she said. "I've ordered food. If you remain docile, I will let you up and you can eat."

He repeated it. ""Docile"?" He sounded annoyed but tried to sit up. "Yes, I'll remain "docile". Are you going to untie me?"

"The food is not here yet." She reminded him, not about to allow him freedom simply because he asked for it.

He sighed. "I need to get up for another reason."

"What?"

"I have to use the bathroom."

"The bath-? Oh, yes." She unstrapped him. She hadn't thought of that before bringing him here and now she really had no choice but to let his use hers. She didn't like the idea.

"It's through there." She said pointing.

He managed to get up on shaky legs, swaying a little.

"Are you able to walk?"

"I'm fine." he answered.

She knew it was a lie and understood the reason behind it. She was no fool. He was studying her as much as she was him.

He was communicating now in order to learn of her and her weaknesses. Seeing when and how she would let down her guard. This was a territorial, kill-for-freedom human. He would not accept his captivity this easily. Also he wanted her to believe that he was fine, that he required no more close care or observation. Or drugs.

No, he was not docile. He was a human.

But she was a Romulan.

When he came out, he looked puzzled.

"What?" she asked when seeing his expression.

He glanced at her, or rather, her feet, since he remembered her strong armed insistence that he not look her in the eye.

"I've never seen a bathroom like that. It's...a little weird."

When he offered no more explanation, she was disappointed. She wanted him to keep speaking, wanted to establish communication and begin to learn. But he fell silent again.

He paced a little, looking at her murals and the few personal items in a locked display case (made of non-breakable polymer) that seemed to hold his interest.

When the meal arrived, she placed a portion of it (the cultured meat) in a earthen cast bowl (nothing made of metal for him), saving the vegetables for herself. She placed it on the floor beside the cushions. It was a clear message that was his spot now. He was to expect no private room. He realized he was to have no privacy, in fact, other than trips to the Head.

Sitting down cross legged, he began to eat. Ravenously she noted and thought, *Starvation does that. The Ferengi deserved his execution.*

"The Ferengi's are not known for their generosity. I am surprised that any of you survived. I'm also curious how you came to among their contraband." He contemplated her words, looked at his empty bowl. Swallowed.

Shook his head, eyes shut tight.

He could feel a headache of immense power building deep in his brain. It was the hunger still gnawing at his insides, or the stress of what was happening or his own fear that he kept beating down into numbness. Probably all of it, he didn't care, only that he felt very tired and didn't want to acknowledge anything.

He lay on his side and curled up, crossing his arms, wincing because his left arm ached. That he had a soft cushion was his world.

Said to her, "I don't know what you're talking about." Sleepy.

She wondered if he was perhaps imbecilic. "The ship you were on of course, where you were discovered." She tried again.

"Lady, I don't know where I am right now much less where I was."

"You must have lost your memory, Human."

He looked longingly at his empty bowl, sitting on end like the rest of the room. It'd been tasty but it hadn't filled him. His stomach growled. He had no energy, however, to try and bargain for more.

"I never forget anything except my postal code, *Whatever*."

She didn't understand. "But you insist you do not know where you are."

He wished she would just shut up, he was helpless to keep his eyes open. Felt the powerful pull of slumber.

"I insist I'm either dead and Satan is a woman, which isn't much of a surprise when you think about it or I'm having this really twisted dream because I ate too much take-out before bed."

She narrowed her eyes, trying to sort out his words. Most she understood, but there were references that seemed to have meaning to him but left her at a loss. She could see he was fast dropping into sleep, again denying her opportunity to learn of him.

"You intrigue me, human."

"Y'know, I've-*name*." He mumbled.

"Tell me."

"Mulder."

She considered. "Very odd. Do you have another?."

"I've been called Asshole now and then."

"Sounds Andorian. Insufferable creatures."

"Fox, then. Happy??"

"PhaHks?" She hollowed out the short "o" sound, making it come out as a deep throated "awe", and lengthening the "s". on the end. *PhAWE-Kess*.

"*Fox*."

"PhaHks." She said again, with still the yawning vowel. "Klingon phonetics, I prefer it."

"T'rific. Can I go to sleep now? I'm hoping that when I wake up, neither of us'll be here and that'll generally settle the name problem."

"You may."

He sighed heavily. "Thanks for the food."

She blinked. Her intrigue for the human - for "PhaHks" - grew.

*****************

When he next opened his eyes he was disheartened to find that he was still sleeping on the floor of the mutant woman's house. Or that he was still in the dream of being in the mutant woman's house.

Whichever.

But his arm really ached badly for just a dream. And he still felt really bad.

He rubbed under his shirt, found his ribs. Somewhere along the way he'd misplaced about twenty-five pounds. But at least Freak girl was nowhere to be found.

He strolled casually around, walked through the six rooms. Found her bedroom. A large oval bed but, as far as he could tell, no cabinets or chest-of-drawers anywhere. The walls had a metallic sheen broken up by the few splashes of color from where she had pictures and the huge murals woven from some kind of cloth. He peeked into every cubbyhole, but there was little else to see.

Other than a narrow couch and comfy cushions, the place was spartan. Her decorator must be impotent, he thought, just no "oomph".

But within the jokes he told inside himself, the unwanted fear, craving attention, kicked at his guts. It kept shouting to be heard: If, IF this was real, he had no fucking idea where he was, who the Vampire-wanna-be was or how he was going to get out of it.

He tried not to think that if THIS was real, how he got there must have been also.

The thought passed through his mind, just for an instant, that maybe he'd gone nuts and Scully'd had him committed. That this was just a nice, soft cell and Ms. Forehead was his delusional dominatrix. A *green* dominatrix too. *Too many XXX Vid' nights, Mulder*

But his arm sure looked bad and he did remember it being broken and he did remember Doctor Forehead fixing it by waving some kind of little magic wand to and fro.

After trying the nearly seamless door and finding, not surprisingly, that it wouldn't budge, he stopped his circling at her desk, seating himself in her swivel chair. It molded to his buttocks.

The computer screen, set flush onto the desk's top was black. He pushed one button after another, but nothing happened.

"I have you locked out."

He looked up, his stomach turning to jelly. He quickly vacated her chair, walking away from her desk and her.

She had entered the room silently and he wondered how long she'd been standing there watching him.

"There's no need to flee. Besides, you've nowhere to go."

"I'd rather decide that for myself." he muttered.

Just the same, as she circled him and moved to her work station, he kept his front to her. Felt stupid that his heart was pounding. But then, she had broken his arm as easily as he opened a beer.

The false feeling of bravado that he'd managed to summon while alone for those few minutes rapidly bled away, leaving him feeling hollow.

But at her mention of him having nowhere to go, it was quickly being replaced by anger.

Fuck it! "Who are you?"

"I've told you, I'm High Commander-"

"ENOUGH! with the alien-joke-on-Spooky crap! I want to know who you are why you're keeping me here." His tone was agitated but he was not yet shouting.

"Mind how you speak to me." she warned.

He walked to he desk, thrust out his good arm.

"Here! Break the other one, but I'm fed to the teeth with this bullshit!"

She sat down elegantly, felt how his body had slightly warmed the seat.

"Be grateful that it was I who found you, because any other and you would be dead."

"What the hell's that suppose to mean? Does talking in riddles give you people hard-ons? What the hell do you want from me? Where am I?"

He could feel days of suppressed anger balloon like a lava dome. Any second now. Any second and he wouldn't give a shit if she broke his neck.

"Stay calm, PhaHks. " she said steely.

"Fuck calm!" he leaned over the desk, looked straight at her, eyes to eyes and all. "I want to know why you're keeping me here. I want to know what's going on."

"PhaHks!" She stood, had something in her hand.

He looked at it. Some kind of weapon.

"What's that? Are you going to shoot me? Well, go ahead, DO IT! I don't care, a'right? I want to know why I'm being held here," He pounded the desk with his fist, "and I want to know RIGHT. NOW!"

He didn't even see the beam of light burst from the object that sent him flying two meters beyond the desk, landing hard on his back. He was unconscious before he hit deck.

She slammed the device, now deactivated and harmless, down on the desk. She hadn't wanted to but he'd left her no choice.

Rhengar was right, he was human. He was too volatile, too difficult to control.

*He is what I should have expected.*

She went to him, leaned over. His breathing was shallow but regular. She would have no choice but to euthanize him now. That or keep him drugged or in a cell.

She touched his neck just below his jaw line, felt the bristle of his several days growth of beard (another feature that Romulans did not share with humans: facial hair), suddenly feeling a tiny throb of movement beneath his skin. She started. *The human heartbeat can be felt almost throughout the human body. In the neck, the fingers, the pelvis, the feet.*

She recalled the bit of trivia from what scattered knowledge still existed on the creatures. It must have something to do with the pressure under which the blood traveled, she theorized. Slow heartbeat but blood pumped under pressure.

A pressure of equal force in a Romulan would cause multiple aneurism, hemorrhage, internal bleeds followed by a quick death.

She touched his face, the temple. Paused. Well, if he was to be put down anyway, she may as well learn all she could, though this is not the way she'd envisioned. Not how she'd wanted it.

She moved her fingers to the set-points and concentrated. Shook off the feeling that what she was doing was, technically, mind rape. A violation one Romulan would never perpetrate on another.

But this was no Romulan.

She sounded the depths of his subconscious easily enough, gently sidestepping the natural barriers. Located his memories of recent events as seen through his eyes. Felt his terror strewn with confusion mixed with anger dashed with curiosity, and all of it riding upon pain and hunger. And blankness where he'd been aboard the Ferengi vessel. A blankness that was fear of looking too closely.

Deeper and that blankness became clear.

She shuddered at the naked memory of his ordeal aboard that ship among the other violated creatures selected for sale into slavery, zoo's (which is what he must have been gathered for - a rare specimen), or research.

That was a question she wanted answered: where had the Ferengi's obtained a living human being when they were suppose to be extinct?

It was not inconceivable that, in the thousands of inhabited worlds within the broad domain of the Romulan Empire, a few scattered human remnants remained despite the Extermination procedures. If so, the Ferengi's knew the location of at least one colony.

The next, deeper subconscious level might hold her answers and she probed. Met real resistance now. He stirred under her mind link and she applied a useful technique that fooled him into calmer brain waves. Deep sleep patterns that she could control.

It would be easier now, she could explore as she wished, did so for a moment or two, those deeply protected archives. Learn of...

Her eyes snapped open.

She gasped, releasing her touch.

Sat back, severing the connection to her unconscious prisoner.

She was swimming through his memories, kicking her way through the unexpected that had surrounded her own independent thoughts and self. Reached the surface.

Her mind was thick with his visions of home and life and people and times.

She leaned back on her heels, hating what she had just done, but now satisfied that she had decided correctly. Knowing the answers, now, as well, meant more decisions.

She felt ill.

Pitiful.

Even a Romulan commander could sympathize.

He knew nothing!

This sick, perhaps dying human, was why the Ferengi ship had run. He was why their commander had so desperately tried to bargain with her.

They knew.

As now did she.

Illegally obtained dangerous species.

So illegal, so contrary to enforced law, so dangerous to all established code as it now existed that the sentence of death would have been declared upon the entire vessel's crew.

Just carrying the knowledge of him was deadly.

Their asking price for PhaHks must have been enormous.

She knew everything.

Why he had no knowledge of her or anything of her people. Why the terror, the confusion. The reasons he was so tormented.

He was not to blame, did not realize. Could not.

She would not kill him now, even though Romulan law stated she must. It would be immoral. *Father raised no fool but neither did he raise a murderer of the innocent.*

No. Though it was a fools errand she was undertaking, she'd not deviate from it.

*Should I be so sure of myself? Even with this? I would have been better off just sending him to the Penal Colony as well.*

But she knew she could not have done. And she was glad she had not.

He was just too rare, too unique. Innocent of any crime against her people.

Veexow studied the pale face, oblivious to a fate that was being decided for him beyond his control and without his knowledge.

But all he was guilty of was being human. Something he could hardly have prevented or changed.

And not only being human, but one from another time where her ship, her power, her laws and life meant nothing at all.

Staring at the stark reality of him, the Extermination came under question. It made no provision for procedures against ancient humanity.

To condemn him to death for being born as he was, one from his own world and time, would be a crime against a Higher Law.

But there were difficulties. Somehow she had to get him off the ship. Elsewhere. Anywhere where he'd be safe until she could figure out what to do with him. Until then, she was in as much danger as he.

But there was really only one possible location. Her doctor would think her mad.

********

"Rhengar." She ushered him in.

He came and sat where she indicated with a wave of her hand.

She seemed preoccupied but he waited patiently for her. Taking her time was M'Lady's privilege.

"Rhengar," she began, "I have applied for early retirement. I've asked to be rotated to Romulas and serve my last few months there while I await the decision of the High Command."

Rhengar was thoughtful. They would agree. One of the most powerful families on the home world? To any reasonable request from her lips, the High Command would grant permission. Yes. They would certainly agree.

"I see, M'Lady. How can I assist you?"

She looked at him pointedly. "You can accompany me and remain in my service as my personal physician in my family home, on our land. Will you?"

He was taken somewhat aback. "You are generous, M'Lady. You know nothing would please me more. What may I ask, is the condition?"

She nodded, smiling at his astuteness. "One would think you were telepathic without the benefit of touch, Rhengar, but no matter. Yes, there is a condition. You must help me to transport PhaHks, the human, there undetected. I have a personal emergency transport pod. Together we could engineer a dampening field within to conceal his life signature."

"May I ask why, M'Lady, you want this human kept alive? It is a great risk you take."

"Yes, you may ask. My reasons are my own. But to be fair to you I will tell you that I have discovered certain knowledge of this human that prevents me carrying out his termination with a clear conscience."

When Rhengar didn't answer immediately, she went on. "I know I am asking you to take risk with me. If he is discovered, I will take full responsibility. I doubt the punishment for me would be too severe,-"

He nodded again. She knew of her families power in the High Command.

"-I would possibly lose my ship, rank and position, but not my life and not my family wealth. But PhaHks would certainly be killed. I could not allow the same for you. You would be safe."

His expression of polite attention wavered. Beneath his blonde eyebrows, passed a flicker of insult. "I would never undertake risk in your behalf and then deny my involvement, Dear M'Lady. I'm sure you know that."

He paused. What would his life here be like without her to serve? He knew it would be very empty indeed. Curse affection! Curse his heart taken with an extraordinary woman. "But I will take the risk."

"You are a great comfort to me, Rhengar. You always have been."

He said sadly, "If that is all I can be to you, M'Lady, it will have to do."

She fidgeted. "We will need to begin as soon as possible. Can you prepare an anesthetic that will be put him deeply under, so that his vitals are slowed. It would help conceal him from the import scanners."

"I will begin work."

"Two days." she said.

*****************