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“Sir, I don’t think it’s wise to keep him on the station. He’s a known killer and has proven to be unstable. Has O’Brien fixed the holodeck yet? ”
“Yes, I know, Mr. Worf; Othello was mandatory reading when I was at the academy. But he was cruelly abused by Iago. He wasn’t in his right mind in the last act of the play. The anomaly occurred just before he stabs himself, and by that point in the play he’s experienced remorse for unrightfully killing Desdemona.”
“I don’t understand why you allowed Bashir to heal him, Captain. He’s a literary character, one who dies. It would have been safer to allow him to finish the story; he would not have known otherwise.”
“Any life is precious. I couldn’t, in good conscience, allow this man to die. He is here outside of the holodeck; he is real enough to be under my protection on this station.”
“Yes sir.”
“I have quarters assigned for him when he wakes. He is to be treated as a guest of this station. He’s in sickbay right now, please have someone take him to his quarters when the doctor releases him.”
“Yes, sir.”
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“Where am I?” Othello pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking around the strange room. There were blinking lights on the walls, thin slabs hanging underneath them. Several people moved around the room, looking up at the sound of his voice. One of the people, a slender man with dark hair moved towards him.
“Hello, Othello, I’m Doctor Bashir. How is your stomach feeling?”
Othello glared at the doctor. “Where am I? Don’t make me ask you again.”
“It’s alright. You're in sickbay, um, the hospital here on the space station DS9.”
“You expect me to believe this nonsense?” Othello threw the blankets off himself and launched himself towards the strange door a woman had just entered through. He ignored the cries of his name from the ‘hospital’. He froze for a second as he was swept into a mass of creatures moving through a wide hallway. Othello flinched away from the strange looking beings of all colors. Some looked similar to the men under his command but others had facial markings and bodies that horrified him. He regained himself after a moment and pushed against the crowd, straining to find something he recognized.
Othello finally forced his way out of the mass of bodies and fell into a wall. He paused to catch his breath, but his lungs failed him as he looked up through the clear wall he was leaning against.
He could feel the cold glass against his palms, but he could see the stars just beyond his finger tips. He recognized the scene before his eyes. It was the same view as the one he used to navigate his ships. Yet now it was before him, above and below. As he watched, a blue tornado opened up in the heavens and spit out a white vessel before disappearing again.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Othello startled at the voice behind him. He turned and saw a man like himself gazing out at the cosmos.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled. “Benjamin Sisko, Captain of this space station.” He turned. Welcome aboard, Othello, we’re happy to have you.”
“You are a captain as well?”
“Yes, though I think I’ve had a better time of it than you have.”
Othello thought to be offended but was interrupted by the doctor from the ‘hospital’.
“Captain! Good, you found him. Othello, you’re not cleared yet, I need to run a few more tests before you can leave sickbay.”
“Doctor, how important are these tests? Surely if he can run around half the station then he’s healthy enough to be shown around. Unless it’s terribly urgent, I’ll bring him back later to finish any final exams.”
The doctor didn’t look happy but he didn’t argue.
“Just have him back to me before the end of the day, sir.”
The captain grinned. “Of course, Doctor.” He turned his attention to Othello. “Come with me then. I think you’ll enjoy Quark’s.”
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Othello followed Sisko through the halls. The captain moved quickly through the throng, walking like a king in his palace, every step sure. Othello wondered if that was what he had once walked like. Would he ever again have the strength and confidence this man had after how far he had fallen.
Sisko showed him to a room which the Captain said was his then lead him into a busy room. Despite the strangeness of this place, it seemed that a bar would always be a bar. People milled around, standing around large tables in the back. Sisko lead him to the bar at the front of the establishment. As they sat down, a demonic creature with ears like a donkey and teeth from hell stepped up to them.
“Captain Sisko, how nice of you to visit my humble establishment! And is this the infamous Othello from that hu-man play I’ve been hearing about.”
“We’re just here for a drink, Quark. Two raktajinos if you would.”
The ugly creature hobbled away as the Captain turned back to Othello.
“He’s a troublemaker, but he has the best coffee on the station. Do you have any questions? I know this is a lot to take in at once.”
Othello looked around. There were more strange creatures here and they mingled freely. There were humans amongst the masses, but they didn’t seem alarmed by the, sometimes hideous, creatures they spoke to. He was appalled to see several humans and creatures intertwined in inappropriate ways. Some beings went as far as to drape themselves over others in provocative manners. Othello felt that he had too many questions to ask. He knew which question was most important though and he turned back to Sisko.
“What happened to Desdemona? Why am I not dead, sir?”
Sisko sighed. “It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll try to keep it simple.” He pointed behind himself to a set of stairs leading to a second level.
“On this station we have reality simulators called holodecks. We use them as teaching tools, as world creators, and as entertainment areas. In them we can create anything we can dream and that creation temporarily comes to life.”
Quark placed their drinks in front of them.
“Thank you, Quark. Usually the items created in the holodeck cease to exist when we leave. The school was using these holodecks to study ancient earth texts. One of the texts they were looking at is a play called “Othello”. We don’t know how, but you are the only person in your story who continued to exist after the program had been shut down. We don’t know what caused this anomaly.”
Othello turned away from the Captain, looking down at the bar and placing his head in his hands. “So I’m not real. Desdemona is gone, I’ve killed her, but it means nothing because I we were never meant to exist.”
Sisko placed his hand on Othello’s back, startling the other man. “You are real. Whatever reason has caused the holodeck to malfunction has allowed you to move beyond your original purpose as a literary character. You are here, drinking and speaking with me. You think as I do, does that not make you human?”
Othello nodded, but thought that perhaps it was not as simple as the Captain made it sound.
“I have another question, Captain, if that’s alright?”
Sisko nodded and smiled encouragingly. “Yes, of course. I want to hear your questions.”
“Who are all these strange beings, Captain? Are they not dangerous? Why are they so horrifying? They look more like animals than humans. They must have the devil in them.”
Sisko’s smile dropped and his gaze became more intense.
“I understand that this is a new place, but we do not allow that prejudiced thinking on this station. I understand that where you’ve come from, people did not treat each other kindly. Humans fought over reasons like the color of their skin. Prejudice is not gone, but we do our best not to let our intolerances of other people interupt our life. The people on this station come from all walks of life, and as long as they are on my station, I will protect each of them as my own.”
Othello stared in awe. “Truly? Other’s prejudice does not force you to prove yourself? You did not have to fight other’s biases for this position?”
“It’s true. I work hard for myself and for my son. The only person I have to prove myself to is me.”
Othello nodded. “This cannot be too bad a place if this is true.”
-----------------------
Sisko sat and drank with Othello for some time, but he eventually stood to leave.
“I have to get back to my quarters to make dinner. Would you like to come with me? I make a mean fish stew.”
Othello shook his head. “Thank you for the invitation, but I think I’d prefer to stay here and drink for a little longer, if that’s allowed.”
Sisko nodded in understanding. “You can find your way to your quarters then?”
“Yes. Thank you, Captain.”
“You’re welcome, General. You can, of course, go anywhere on the ship, but I ask that you not enter sickbay again until Doctor Bashir is on duty tomorrow. There are several things in the sickbay that are dangerous if misused.”
With a smile, Sisko was gone and Othello turned back to his drink. He motioned the bartender, Quark, over after Sisko was out of sight.
“Might I get something stronger?”
Quark nodded in sympathy. “Of course, of course. I know just the thing. And don’t worry about the cost, you’ve got a benefactor who said he’d pay for anything you wanted.“ Quark tipped his head towards a strange man at the other end of the bar, a man whose skin was a sickly gray and who had ridges scaling his face.
The other man tipped his head when they caught eyes. Othello finished the drink Quark brought him before curiosity pulled him to talk to the man.
“I thank you for your sponsorship; I doubt I have currency worth much in this strange place.”
The man smiled, his mouth turning up in a smirk. “No need to thank me, I always enjoy the opportunity to get to know new faces on this station.” He held out his hand to Othello. “Garak at your service. I own the clothing shop on the Promenade. Please, sit down.”
Othello shook his hand before taking a seat, but couldn’t help thinking that the man was hiding something.
“You are sure you’re a tailor? I’ve seen many men in my time as the Duke’s general, and men who have your eyes are rarely anything but dangerous.
Garak threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, General, you sound just like Doctor Bashir! But I’m afraid I have to disappoint, I’m afraid it’s just plain, simple, Garak.”
“Whatever you wish. I understand the need to keep secrets.”
Garak’s smirk grew. “Oh, yes, General. After I heard that you had joined us, I took the liberty to read your story. I have to say it’s the best of the Shakespeare pieces I’ve read at the insistence of Doctor Bashir. Of course, it’s not as good as classical Cardassian; there wasn’t enough sacrifice for the good of the empire, too much personal motivation for my tastes. I have to ask though; after you’d killed Desdemona, why did you then kill yourself - well, try to kill yourself? You were obviously coerced by Iago. Any Cardassian would have killed those who controlled them, then worked for the good of the empire. I would love any insight into your thought process, if you’d be so kind as to share of course.”
Othello let out a short bitter laugh. “I knew you were not simply a tailor. You say you’ve read my story, so you understand what a fool I’ve been. I betrayed my beloved wife, Desdemona, who stood by me till her last breath. I allowed the snake Iago to abuse my trust and so warp my mind that it was no longer my own. If I no longer belong to myself, if I have become what others say I am, then what point is there to living? Did I not owe it to my beloved Desdemona to kill the one who had slain her?”
Garak’s intense gaze lingered on Othello for a moment before turning back to his drink. “From the moment we are born, Cardassians are taught to give their lives for the good of Cardassi. In a way, we never get the chance to control even ourselves. I have been…” Garak paused, looking for the words.
“Sometimes we have to lose control to learn how to gain it. Do not let others decide who you are. If you do, you will wake up after 30 years to find yourself in exile amongst the people who most want to kill you. Or you end up dead. There is no time to blame yourself for mistakes. Use this new knowledge to your advantage, cover any weak spots and never leave them open again.”
Othello turned to look at Garak. The Cardassian smiled at him, a gesture more honest than the smirk had been.
“If you don’t move forward, you’ve let the enemy win. I know you would never allow that, General.”
“And you are certain you’re just a tailor?”
Garak nodded. “That’s right. Just a tailor.”
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Garak stood up from his place at the bar. “Well General, I think it’s time I bid you a good night. If I have too much more Kanar, I won’t be fit for customers in the morning.”
Othello grinned and stood with him. Their conversation had been much lighter after they had moved on from each other's past. Garak was an amazing strategist; Othello was amazed to discover that many of the same tactics he and his men had used in battle were similar to the ones used in this world, only they were used in the vastness of space instead of the ocean.
“That might be good, lest you let slip any more of your military tactics.”
As they walked back to their quarters, Garak laughed. “Yes, it is amazing how much one overhears while fitting the Captain’s clothing.”
Othello snorted. “Oh yes, I’m sure you learned these things simply by accident. I suppose I will also turn in. I know that doctor will want me to complete some tests tomorrow.”
“Ah yes, the dear Doctor. Always trying to get his patients in for checkups.” Garak stopped at a door. “Well, here I am. Good night, General. I hope to continue our conversation another time; I find your insight fascinating.”
“I hope so as well. Goodnight Garak.”
Othello continued to his rooms once the door had shut behind the other man. The decor in was barren compared to the bright colors he usually had in his lodgings, but upon inspection he found that the bed was much more comfortable than he was used to.
The bed turned out to be too comfortable. Othello felt lost in this bed, no support and a sharp contrast to the firmness he was used to. After several hours of tossing and turning, he gave up and got out of bed. The Captain had told him not to go into the medbay without the doctor present, but Othello could admit that he was curious as to what was in this strange place’s version of a hospital.
He crept through the halls towards the main section. The Promenade, Garak had called it. It was easy enough to find the sickbay and Othello moved silently inside.
There was not much to see. No people were about, so it was simply an empty room with strange beds, supported only by the wall, and flashing lights. There were two doors off the main room; through the glass of one, Othello could see an office, probably Doctor Bashir’s.
The other door was solid. He walked towards it, intent on listening through the door. It slid open, like all the other doors on the station, when he approached it. Surprised, Othello stepped through. At first it looked like there was nothing in the room but more lights and beds.
The sound of shifting fabric caught his ear. It was soft, but the room was quiet enough that he could hear it.
Othello looked towards the source of the sound and had to hold in his gasp of surprise and disgust.
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It felt like hardly a moment had passed before Gregor was aware of his surroundings again. He was on his stomach, but the light was still very bright and he tried to flinch away from the glare. The morning sun was painful and he thought that he had not meant to be here to experience it. Pain ran down his back at the tiny movement and he didn’t try moving again. He wondered how long he would have to experience the harsh light before he faded away again. Gregor could hear quiet murmurs around him; soft voices that sounded like his mother’s. She must be speaking with Grete quietly in the kitchen. A moment later, the lights dimmed and he was thankful the cleaner had thought to close the curtains. He felt better than he had when he’d crawled back into his room. Only his back was in pain; the rest of his body felt painless. He thought that perhaps after another small nap, he might be able to leave his room again. He could do what was best for his family and leave when he woke up again.
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When Gregor next woke up, the lights were not painfully bright and his back felt wonderfully numb. He was the most comfortable he could remember since he’d first crawled under the sofa in his room. He lay there for many minutes without opening his eyes, trying to hear any conversation coming from the kitchen or the bedrooms. The only sound he could hear was a low thrumming that seemed to surround him from both above and below. Gregor stretched each of his many legs in turn, deciding that the faint vibrations going up his limbs seemed related to the noise.
Finally he opened his eyes and couldn’t stop himself from twitching in surprise as he looked around. He was most definitely no longer in his room; this new room was larger, with several beds attached to the walls. He turned his head this way and that trying to find anything of the apartment in this new room, but found nothing. Obviously Grete had found somewhere to send him, perhaps a scientific facility. It hardly mattered where his family had sent him; so long as he would no longer be a burden on them, everything would be fine.
There were no windows in this room and he could not remember when he has been moved here so Gregor had no awareness of the passage of time. Eventually he decided that since his back and legs were no longer hurting, he ought to try moving around this strange room. It felt unnatural to be sleeping on top of his new bed; being under it might be more comfortable.
It was much easier to leave the bed this time. He slowly crawled his way down the wall as he relearned how to use his numerous feet. After what must have been only a few minutes, he was under the bed, but found that he missed how soft the blanket had felt on his belly. He tentatively reached his head out from under the bed and began pulling the blanket down to the floor, intent on making himself a nest in the small space under his bed. Gregor had the blanket off the bed and dragged halfway into the dark space when a sound almost like air being let out of a jar startled him. Without any though he dashed back under the bed without the blanket, trying to make as little noise as possible. He could hear footsteps and watched the pair of feet as they moved around the room to his bedside.
There was movement and suddenly a thin yet masculine face with kind eyes was peering at him under the bed. When the eyes settled on him the strange face lifted in a gentle smile.
“Hello there, Gregor. How are you feeling?”
Gregor stiffened in surprise. “I beg your pardon?” He gasped.
“How are you feeling? Is your back still hurting? Are the lights too bright?”
“No, I feel fine.” Gregor said in surprise. “Wait, can you understand me?”
The stranger’s smile widened. “Yes, Gregor. I know it's a bit of a surprise.” The man tapped his temple. “Universal translator, quite handy. Would you mind if I get under there with you for a moment? Just to run a few tests, nothing invasive.”
Gregor didn't want anyone in his small space, but he also didn't want to offend the man. It would be easier to give him what he wanted. At his small nod, the strange man started crawling under the bed. He moved a square piece of metal over Gregor's head which beeped.
“Your scan looks fine, you did a number on your head but the swelling’s gone down. Turn around for me, let me scan your back.”
Gregor tried to turn quickly, wincing in pain as he lowering his head to use it to turn as he had in the apartment before a hand on his back stopped him.
“It's all right, Gregor. You can take your time. No one’s going to hurt you and I don't want you to hurt yourself.”
“Forgive me if I don't believe you.” Gregor muttered. He startled again when the man replied.
“I know it's not what you're used to, but people take care of each other here, Gregor.” The metal brick was moved over him and taken away when it beeped.
“Your back looks good. Try not to overexert yourself for the next week.” He started to move from under the bed but stopped with only his head still visible.
“Do you want some help with that?” he said, pointing to the blanket Gregor had been pulling under the bed.
“Yes, I suppose, if you wouldn't mind.”
The man nodded and moved to the other side of the bed. He pushed the blanket the rest of the way under the bed, helping Gregor to arrange it.
“There we go. I'm sure Sisko will be here in a couple hours with your room assignment. There's no reason you can't stay here until then. Is there anything I can get for you?”
“No thank you, I feel alright. Can I ask your name?”
“Dr. Julian Bashir, at your service. Call if you need anything Gregor.”
The doctor left the room, the quiet snick of the door closing following him out. Gregor shifted his head, looking around the room again. He thought that even if he was only here for scientific testing, he wouldn't mind it so much if everyone was as nice as the doctor.
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There was a giant bug looking out at him from under one of the beds. It had too many legs to count and looked to be the size of a small man. Othello wanted to run, but felt as if his legs were rooted to the spot. The bug stared at him for a second before withdrawing back under the bed out of sight. Othello couldn’t stop the thought that he prefered the satanic creature from the bar; that alien had at least been humanoid.
Othello could understand why Captain Sisko had asked him not to enter the sickbay without Bashir. Was this the dangerous thing he had warned Othello about? Perhaps only Bashir knew how to control it.
“Are you working with Doctor Bashir?”
Othello’s heart stopped. He looked wildly around the room but he knew there was no one else in the room. Just him and this bug.
“Can I ask what you’re going to do to me? I won’t cause trouble, I’d just like to be able to prepare for it if the test is going to be painful.”
Othello had no doubts now. The sound had come from beneath the bed the bug had disappeared under. He didn’t know what the bug was talking about, but it was definitely saying something.
“Is that you speaking? I must be mad, Iago’s trickery has affected me more fully than I thought. How is it possible for you to speak? What have you done to me?” Othello said angrily.
“I didn’t do anything,” came the sullen reply. “Doctor Bashir said he could understand me because of a ‘universal translator’, though I don’t know what that is… Does this mean you aren’t going to be running tests on me?”
“No. I’m a general, not a scientist. Why are they running tests on you?”
Gregor shifted under the bed till he could see the man who had entered his room again. Othello took a step back at the unexpected movement.
“No, don’t move. Captain Sisko said you were dangerous.”
Gregor immediately stilled. “Oh. Yes, I suppose I am a risk, I certainly was enough of a burden on my family to be a threat to their happiness.”
Othello frowned. “What do you mean by that? What did you do to your family?”
“Oh, well I was taking up space in the bedroom, wasting money every month. My mother was horrified enough by my appearance that the sight of me caused her to faint.”
“Does your family not look like you?”
Gregor thought for a moment. “No, I don’t look like my family anymore. I used to be human but I woke up one day as a bug.”
“How does that happen?” Othello was shocked.
“I don’t know. I guess that’s what the scientists are running tests on me for.”
They were silent for several minutes before a thought occurred to Othello. “But if you have a family, why are you here, why aren’t they taking care of you?”
“I was a burden. They couldn’t afford to take care of me and they’re better off without me.” Gregor said matter-of-factly. “I would have gotten rid of me too. Why would they want to help a bug?”
Othello thought about what Sisko had said while they were at the bar together earlier. “I thought that people from this time cared for each other; the Captain said that everyone on this ship was under his command. He also said that prejudice wasn’t as prevalent, and that people tried to treat each other with kindness.”
Gregor made a shrug like movement. “It just makes sense that they would get rid of me when I became too much to handle.”
They were quiet again for some time.
“I apologize for accusing you of being dangerous. Had this strange transformation happened to my Desdemona…” Othello took a deep breath. “Had this happened to her, I hope that I would have chosen to care for her. The healthy should care for their loved ones.”
Gregor looked up at the strange man. “That is… an idealistic view to say the least. I don’t think I could stand to be that much trouble for my family.”
Othello move further into the room. He sat down and leaned back against the bed opposite where the bug was peaking out.
“What’s your name?” Othello asked.
“Gregor Samsa. What’s yours?”
“Othello. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Samsa. If you don’t mind my asking, what are you doing under that bed? If I’m scaring you...”
Gregor let out a twittering noise which Othello realized was meant to be a laugh. “I rather thought that I would scare you. It’s more comfortable under the bed. It feels more protected.”
“I’m not scared of you, Gregor; well, not anymore. This is… very new to me, but I am learning to accept the influx of new species and types of people. Where I come from, the people judged me for the color of my skin. Their comments and hatred affected me in a very negative way. I do not want to be them. The people here judge each other based on their actions and words, not on anything they cannot control. You could not control your transformation, and your words have proven you are a kind and misunderstood being.”
“I’m sorry that the people you know have mistreated you. I am very glad that the people here are kind to both you and me. The doctor healed me despite not knowing me. If I cannot be useful to my family, I am glad to be here. My family found me disgusting and alien. When I tried to interact with them, they didn’t not react well. Earlier the doctor helped me beyond simply healing me. You have spoken with me and said kind things. I like it here. I don’t want to go back to being locked in my room. It was very lonely. I think I will not be lonely here.”
Othello smiled at Gregor. “I am glad to be your friend Gregor Samsa. This is a rather nice place to be; perhaps it will help both of us heal.”
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Doctor Bashir sighed as the chirp of his communicator interrupted his most recent test on how human stem cells reacted to this new mineral from the Gamma Quadrant. He tapped the communication device.
“Bashir here.”
“Doctor, Othello has disappeared and I don’t know what could have happened to him. I went to his quarters and he wasn’t there. The station doesn’t know where he is since he doesn’t have a communicator. He may have been missing for hours at this point. I left him at Quarks last night, I knew I should have-”
“Sir, calm down.”
“Calm down? Doctor, there’s no way to know what might have…”
“Sisko! Captain, Othello is fine. He seems to have found our other literary friend some time last night. He is currently in Gregor’s room in sickbay. Both Othello and Gregor are asleep, sir. “
“They are both fine?”
“Yes, sir. They seem to have forged a friendship overnight. I’ll alert you when they are awake.”
“Thank you Bashir. I’m glad that they may have found some peace in each other, even if their partnership is a little unorthodox. I’m on the bridge should you need anything. Sisko out.”