Disclaimer: Whereas, the party of the first part, heretofore known as "Paramount" does own the television show known as Star Trek: The Next Generation, and whereas, the party of the second part, heretofore known as TheVulcanPrincess, is merely borrowing the characters and is not making any money from the endeavor, may it therefore be known that the party of the second part requests that the party of the first part refrain from commencing litigation against the party of the second part. (English translation: Paramount owns it. I don't. Don't sue me.)
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Pea Girl for beta. Thanks to Steve Pugh's JavaScript Stardate Converter for help with the stardates.
Author's Note: This story takes place after the fourth season episode "The Drumhead".
Captain Picard said, "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied -- chains us all, irrevocably."
Simon Tarses watched Captain Picard's speech with awe. 'Even after he found out about me, he's still defending me,' he thought to himself. He turned to look at Dr. Crusher. 'What will she think of me now?' he wondered.
Admiral Satie made a shrill outburst, and as a result, Admiral Henry walked out in disgust. The hearings adjourned, and everyone got up to leave. Simon held himself together long enough to get to his quarters. He collapsed in an armchair, put his head in his hands, and began to weep.
Five minutes later, he heard his door chime. He considered ignoring it, but a few moments later, he heard from the other side, "Crewman Tarses, it's Dr. Crusher. May I speak with you?"
Simon stood up, walked over to the door, pressed the button to open it, stood at attention, and said, "Of course, Ma'am. Please come in. Can I get you anything?"
Beverly smiled, walked in, and said, "At ease, Mr. Tarses. I'm not here as your superior officer, I'm here as your friend."
Simon and Beverly sat down, and Simon said, "Who wants to be friends with a liar?"
"So you made a mistake. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to move forward from them."
"I don't know where to go from here. My career is over."
"Do you want to stay in Starfleet?" asked Dr. Crusher.
"Of course! Being in Starfleet is all I've wanted to do since I was a boy. But now, that dream is coming to a crashing end. I'll be court-martialed and dishonorably discharged."
"You're a valuable member of my staff, and I don't want to lose you. I still have some sway with the higher-ups in Starfleet Medical. I could put in a good word for you."
"Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate your help."
"Are you up to your shift tomorrow morning, or would you like some time off?"
"I'll be in sickbay at 0500 as planned."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. In the mean time, I recommend you get some sleep."
Dr. Crusher left, and Tarses sat back down on his chair. He fidgeted for a few moments before opening a subspace channel to Mars. The screen flashed to life.
"Hi, Mom," Tarses said.
His mother took one look at him and said, "Simon, what's wrong?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?"
"I'm your mother. I can tell."
Simon sighed and said, "The Klingon exchange officer, J'Dan, was stealing Federation secrets and giving them to the Romulans. A witch hunt ensued, and because I administered a hypo to J'Dan in sickbay, I was brought in for questioning. I wasn't working with him, and I certainly wasn't spying for the Romulans, but they found out about Grandpa, so I don't think anybody believes me. Well, except for Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher. They stood up for me, but Admiral Satie and her henchmen made me look bad in front of the whole crew. They found out that I lied on my entrance application, saying I was part Vulcan instead of part Romulan. I'm not proud of what I did, but it's in the past. I'm afraid my career in Starfleet is over!"
A look of concern crossed Mrs. Tarses' face. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Your father and I are here for you. Call us anytime, day or night if you need anything."
"I love you, Mom. I need to go; I have an early shift in the morning. I'll call you later."
"I love you, too, Simon. Don't worry. This will all work out."
Simon fell into a fitful sleep. After getting comfortable, he was disturbed by the computer stating in a prim voice, "The time is 0430. This is your chosen wake-up call."
Simon got out of bed and splashed some cold water on his face. He looked in the mirror and saw that his eyes were still a bit red from crying and from lack of sleep. He took a quick sonic shower and ordered a coffee from the replicator. By the time he finished getting ready, it was 0455, so he headed for sickbay.
When he walked in, he saw Dr. Selar in the laboratory looking at some cell cultures. There were no patients, and no other medical staff on duty. The noise of the door alerted Dr. Selar to the presence of another person in sickbay, so she glanced up and said, "Greetings, Crewman Tarses."
"Good morning, Doctor."
Dr. Selar said, "These cell cultures need to be catalogued. Afterward, appointments need to be scheduled with the senior staff for their annual physical examinations."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She looked at Tarses and saw that his eyes were red and puffy. "Crewman, are you well?"
"No, Ma'am. I didn't sleep well last night."
Dr. Selar pulled out her tricorder and began scanning. "Your cortisol levels are elevated, but all other readings check out normal. Are you under stress at the moment?"
Simon suppressed his immediate reaction. After all, he didn't need to add laughing at a superior officer to his list of offenses. "You haven't heard?" he asked in surprise.
"Apparently not." Dr. Selar raised her eyebrow, inviting a response.
Simon took in a deep breath, debating how much to reveal. "I was called to appear before Admiral Satie's tribunal on suspicions of assisting J'Dan in spying for the Romulans. I was found not to be involved, but the whole experience was upsetting."
"Indeed. Do you require time off?"
"No, thank you, Ma'am. I think that performing my duties will be the best way to get my mind off of the whole situation."
"Very well, Crewman."
Simon spent all morning cataloguing cell cultures. Dr. Crusher came to relieve Dr. Selar at 0900. By 1100, Simon was finished with the cell cultures, and he got out a PADD to begin scheduling the physical exams for the senior staff.
Dr. Crusher walked over and said, "Your dedication is admirable, but your shift is over. You can go now."
"I would really rather stay. I need to prove to Starfleet that I'm dedicated and trustworthy."
"No, you don't. You need to rest," Dr. Crusher said gently, but firmly.
Simon knew better than to argue with that tone of voice. He took his leave of Dr. Crusher and went to Ten Forward for lunch.
When he got there, he sat down at the bar. Guinan walked over and said, "What can I get for you?"
"A do-over of the last 48 hours would be nice, but if that's not possible, then a ham sandwich will be fine."
Guinan came over with a ham sandwich and a chocolate milk. She said, "It looks like it's a chocolate milk kind of day. What's on your mind?"
"My grandfather, Nivel, was a brave and honorable man. He defected from the Romulan Empire when he was 21 years old. He bribed a Ferengi merchant ship captain to take him to Vulcan, where he set up a new life. That's where he met my grandmother. She was from Earth, but she was studying at the Vulcan Science Academy. They fell in love and got married. As soon as my grandmother graduated, they moved to Mars to join the terraforming expedition. When I was a teenager, I asked my grandfather why he left Romulus. He said that he wanted his children and his grandchildren to grow up free. He knew that was impossible on Romulus, but that if he came to the Federation, his posterity would have what he didn't have growing up."
Simon pulled a small, silver colored coin from his pocket and showed it to Guinan. "He gave me this piece of currency from 20th Century Earth. On the front, it says 'Liberty', and on the back, it says 'E Pluribus Unum', which means 'From Many, One'. He told me that people have dreamed of freedom and unity since the dawn of time, and that I should feel blessed to live in a place where those dreams have become a reality."
"He told me that it doesn't matter that I'm 1/4 Romulan. I'm a citizen of the Federation, and the Federation is about people from different races coming together."
Simon got choked up as he continued, "I dishonored him when I lied on my Starfleet entrance application. I wanted to believe him, but I was afraid. I know what people think of Romulans, so I said that I was 1/4 Vulcan. I've spent my entire career feeling guilty about that lie, and now that it's out, I'm probably going to get kicked out of Starfleet."
While Guinan was thinking of an appropriate response, Simon finished his sandwich. Then, his communicator beeped. "Picard to Tarses."
"Tarses here."
"Please report to my ready room at your earliest convenience."
"I'm on my way, Sir."
Guinan said, "Don't worry. He's on your side."