The BLTS Archive - Prudent Survelliance by T'Lin (LinkyS@aol.com) --- Disclaimer: Paramount/Viacom own the TREK universe ... I just like to play there. I make no money off of my endeavors, nor do I intend any copyright infringements. Although the characters and places used in this story are not the property of the author, this original work of fanfiction is the property of T'Lin, © 9 February, 2003. Archiving: GBFF, ASC* and my own web page. All others, please ask first. Feedback gladly accepted ... posted to the list, or sent privately. --- Personal Log Sometimes there are benefits to having full run of the station ... especially when I can do it completely unobserved. My ability to shift shape gives me such an upper hand, one that I have taken full advantage of in order to catch certain people at illegal operations. Of course, I sometimes overstep my authority -- at least in the eyes of the Captain -- to observe certain individuals. But his ire is worth it, if my transgression into their private lives stops a crime, or saves a life. On those rare occasions, when no crime is detected, I still find justification in my actions by pointing out that the mere knowledge that I *may* be lurking in the shadows made the perpetrator think twice about committing the crime. My justification usually does not appease the Captain, however, there is little he can do to prevent me from performing my duties as Constable as I see fit. He knows that I am the only one who has any control over Quark ... and without Quark's continued 'good behavior' the promenade would not be a safe place. But my justifications aside, I have recently found myself in a rather awkward position, while 'overstepping my authority' ... one that I, admittedly, do not fully comprehend. Technically, there is no violation of station law, or even that of the Federation, but I fear that what I observed can only lead to trouble ... and possibly be a danger to the security of this station, if my suspicions of Garak are valid. For obvious reasons, I have never trusted Garak. From the day he arrived, his 'cover' of being a 'simple tailor' didn't jibe. As time passed, the animosity between Garak and Dukat became palpable ... it came as no surprise to me when Garak was left behind during the Cardassian withdrawal. Everything between Garak and Dukat, up to that point, was part of the 'cover' of making Garak an exile ... but I didn't buy into it. To me, he was a spy, and I intended to prove it. Over the years since the arrival of the Federation, some of my suspicions about Garak have proven true ... his association with the Obsidian Order being the most damning of them all. But he has convinced the captain of his innocence, when it comes to being a spy for the Cardassians ... so much so, that he is now breaking their codes for the Federation. So far, he has been honorable in this endeavor ... but I still watch him. Especially now, when he has been spending so much time with the doctor. Now, in and of itself, that should not be grounds for suspicion. After all, the doctor is one of the most innocent people I have ever encountered. Their friendship has been ongoing since the doctor arrived on the station. I don't begin to understand what the young man sees in the Cardassian, but that is of no concern to me ... that is, until we learned that the doctor had been replaced by one of my people. The duplication was perfect ... leaving us all unsure of our perceptions. How could we ever be certain of whom we were speaking to ever again? Bashir had been missing for months, and none of us were ever the wiser. Even Garak seemed to be unaware. Or was he? Could he have been the one to have arranged the abduction of Bashir, and replacement with a shape-shifter? Was that going to be his way of getting information to the Cardassian people? Did the discovery of the real Bashir put an end to his plans? When Bashir was first returned to the station, he spent very little time with Garak ... but two weeks later, that all changed. Suddenly, they were seen together all the time. Lunch in the replomat ... dinner at Quarks. When the Defiant went out on patrol, nine-time-out-of-ten, Garak went along with them. Admittedly, my suspicions were aroused. Could the Dominion have replaced the doctor once again? I don't know, but I had to find out. So I set up some surveillance equipment in Garak's shop, and more in the corridors outside of his quarters. I did likewise outside Bashir's quarters, although I had noticed that Garak never went there. Regardless, I needed to see what Garak and Bashir talked about when they were away from prying eyes. But my cameras proved less that productive ... I needed to get them inside Garak's private office in the back of his shop, where the two seemed to have most of their private rendezvous. Something was going on here ... something more than the exchange of books and conversation. I needed to find out what that was. Of course, I had been forbidden to do so by the captain. He called it an invasion of privacy ... I called it prudent surveillance of a potential threat to station security. Needless to say, I took a chance ... the captain would thank me, if my suspicions proved to be correct. I had managed to slip into Garak's shop, unnoticed, just minutes before he closed his door, and made his way to the replomat for lunch, as had become his custom. I knew that I would have the better part of an hour to set up my camera in his back room. However, I had barely finished when I heard Garak return. 'A short lunch,' I thought, as I shifted shape, hiding myself in among the bolts of fabric. Garak came into his office, and sat at his desk ... apparently intent on spending some time on paperwork, or some such. I resigned myself to a long stakeout. Time passed ... how much, I could not say. I heard the outer door open, and the doctor call out. Garak lifted his head from his paperwork, and smiled a predatory smile. As I had seen him do so many times before, he went out into the shop. I knew from my earlier surveillance tapes that the doctor was most likely handing Garak a book, or a small parcel of some sort ... they had done this almost every day for the past week. Soon, if they followed their usual pattern, they would come into the back room. 'This would be even better than catching them on tape', I though, as I knew I had nowhere to hide, nor any way to get out. I saw Bashir enter first, followed closely by Garak, who quickly assaulted the young doctor. I shifted my 'eyes' to follow them, as Garak tore the clothing off of Bashir, and threw him face first onto the bed he had set up in the back of the room. "How dare you leave me sitting there, all alone, at lunch," I heard Garak say, as he pulled off his own clothing, and proceeded to spread the doctors legs. As he positioned his body between the doctors legs, and began to thrust, he asked, "What do you have to say for yourself?" I could hear the doctor's labored breathing, as he gasped out, "There is ... no excuse ... I ... beg ... forgiveness ..." My earlier assessment of Bashir as an innocent came flooding back to me ... seeing him like this, at Garak's mercy, made me feel guilty over ever suspecting that he was a spy. I was just about to transform myself in order to save Bashir from this indignity when Garak apparently finished, and rolled off of him. The young doctor rolled onto his side, and I heard him say, "I love it when you play rough ... perhaps I should skip lunch more often." "Perhaps you should," I heard Garak reply, before he shifted his body. When he moved, I could see that the doctor was aroused, and then I heard Garak say, "Let me take care of that for you." Partially forgotten feelings swept over me, as I recalled the feel of a warm mouth on my own engorged flesh, while I had been condemned to 'human' form for a time. The discomfort/pleasure of it nearly overwhelmed me, and the realization that, while so engaged, ones defenses were always low, once again put me on alert. At that moment, I knew I had to inform the captain of this possible danger ... if Garak was a spy, as I knew in the pit of my being that he was, there was no telling what secrets he would be able to glean from the doctor, while so engaged. I vowed that as soon as I was able to leave there, and retrieve the tape of the encounter, I would present my evidence to the captain. The doctor, in his naivete, would have to be spoken to about this inappropriate behavior ... and I have no doubt that the captain will want to do just that. When they fell asleep, I was able to leave. I've just finished editing the surveillance tapes ... leaving a few of the shop rendezvous on it, as well as a time-edited version of one of their previous 'private meetings' ... one that I had been unable to see ... and the 'finale'. I'll bring it to the captain in the morning.