The Evil That Men Do "
By: Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.31 0400

Silvio's eyes rocketed around under his eyelids. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, soon his hair was drenched in sweat and his breating came in several short bursts. He struggled, in vain, to break invisible bonds that held him. He mumbled words that to the dcasual observer seemed garbled and confused. Finally, the words "Nooooo," escaped his lips.

***

Silvio awoke, to find himself on a foreign ship. Someone had removed his uniform and his arm and legs were bound to the wall. The room was almost dark, he could make out a table and chair in from of him. "Hello," he called out. The room was oddly silent.

Silvio ran though his memories. The last thing he remembered was being in the lounge on the Kittyhawke visiting with the doctor. They were traveling together to meet up with their new assignment on the USS Zion. He vaguley remembered red alert sounding just before the kittyhawke was struck with several explosions. He remembered watching the doctor being killed by a Cardassian and then nothing.

Silvio strugled aginst his bindings. He scanned the darness for anyhting that might be of use to him. There was nothing. Suddely the door slid open filling the room with enough light to make Silvio flinch back in pain at the unexpeted light. A Cardassian entered and stood in front of Silvio, a cruel snear formed on his face as the door slid shut plunging the room back into darkness. "Hello Mister Silvio," he began, "I hope you are enjoying your experience. I know I will."

"Who are you," asked Silvio.

"My name," said the voice in the darkness, "is not important. You can call me Sir, and will will eventually call me Master."

Dispite the fear he felt, Silvio actually laughed, "I doubt that."

No sooner had the words past his lips that a hard, heavy fist struck him in the head. "You have started out bad human, perhaps you want to try again."

Silvio could feel a smal trickle of blood roll down his face. He said nothing.

Once again the fist came out of the darkness and struck him several times. The Carsssian began to laugh as he rained blows upon Silvio. Silvio was not sure but he thought he was singing too. When the beating stopped Silvio spit several broken teeth out on the floor but said nothing.

"Such a noble soldier of war," mocked the Cardassian, "What has it gotten you? You are bound to a wall naked. I can do as I please with you."

Silvio ignroed him and stared out into the darkness. He tried to focus his thoughts on his parents. He tried to block out the pain.

"Nothing to say, have you," asked the Cardassian. "I would have thought a good beating might loosen your tongue a bit, but I see we will need more persuasion."

Silvio heard a strange buzzing noise. Openeing his swollen eyes and blinking to clear the blood from them he saw the faint glowing red light coming at him. The light waved in front of his face several times. Silvio could barely see the lizard like features of his tormentor bathed in the glow from the strange device. "Let's see if this helps."

The Cardassian touched the device to SIlvio's bare chest. Pain surged through Silvio's body. It felt like every cell in his body was being overloaded. Silvio gritted his teeth hard to keep from screaming. He did not want to give this beast the satisfaction.

The Cardassian laughed a loud cruel laugh, "You are a tough one," he said as he pulled the rod accross Silvio's chest. "Tisk tisk," he said pulling it away.

Silvio relaxed and took several deep breaths. The pain was starting to go away when he noticed the rod now glowed blue and the buzzing was more intense. He watched as the Cardassian seemed to admire the tool he held in his hand. Then suddenly in once swift motion he plunged the rod into Silvio's groin.

Silvio could not even attempt to surpress his scream. The pain was so overwhelming. Hot white fires engulfed his very being. At that very moment Silvio wanted to die. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. He screamed until he finally passed out.

***

Silvio's body hurt. He opened his eyes, almost afraid at the monster he would see. The room was now dimly lit. There were now two Cardassians sitting at the table. They appeared to be playing some sort of game. Silvio's attacker put down his cards, "Ah look what he have here. It woke up."

The new Cardassian turned around and regarded Silvio with a cold stare. He got up and stood in front of Silvio.

"Bring him here."

The new Cardassian turned off the binding mechanisims and Silvio collapsed in a heap to the floor. THe new cardassian grabbed Silvio by the hair and pulled him to the chair across from his tormentor.

"Mister Silvio," he began, "I have been a terrible host." He smiled demurly at Silvio. "Perhaps I have over reacted. I will not hurt you anymore," he said as he picked up the strange device that had casued Silvio so much pain, "Just call me Sir."

Silvio tried to repress the urge to shudder but he began to shake ever so slightly. Still, he said nothing.

The Cardassian sighed, "I tried to be nice Mister Silvio," he said as he put the rod back on the table. "I will keep my promise though and I will not hurt you. You will see that I am a kind master. I will be back later to see if you changed your mind." He got up and nodded at the new Cardassian, "Don't kill him." The Cardassian left the room even as he heard new screams of agony from behind him. He was sure the end would come soon.

***

The room was dark again. He was cold, so cold. He layed on the floor barely able to move he could not even huddle himself into a ball to get warm. He could no longer see becasue his eyes were swollen shut. His fingers were broken, he was not sure but he thought that his toes were too. The new Cardassian seemed to enjoy causing pain. The pain was so bad now that Silvio inwardly begged death to come. Suddenly he heard the door open.

"Hello again Mister SIlvio," said the Cardassian, "Did you sleep well?"

Silvio let out a slight laugh, "You are a funny one."

"Well, now that is progress," said the Cardassian. "Did you like the entertainment?"

Silvio did not reply.

"I can make it all go away you know," he said. "Do you want the pain to end?"

"YES," shouted Silvio.

"Call me Sir," demanded the Cardassian.

SIlvio considered it. It would not be all that bad. All he needed to was say Sir. Would that hurt anymore than the beating he has taken, he asked himself. Silvio decided that he had not suffered all of this pain to give him now at the end. He said nothing. He knew what he needed to do now.

The Cardassian kicked him. "I am growing tired of you Silvio," he shouted.

"Go find a rock and sun yourself you damn lizard," croaked Silvio. Silvio's last ditch effort was to make him so mad that he killed him. It would end the pain.

The Cardassian kicked him again.

"All this you have done to me and I still defy you, you miserable lizard." Silvio tired to push himself up but his shattered limbs would not cooperate.

"I can make you suffer," shouted the Cardassian kicking him again.

"You already have you bastard. You lost,"replied Silvio in as loud of a voice as he could muster.

The Cardassian let out a scream of frustration and pulled a long jagged dagger from his belt, "Then Die!" He grabbed Silvio by the hair and brought the dagger to his throat.

"That will be enough of that," said a voice from the back of the room. Silvio thoguht it was human. "You may not kill this man. I have need of him."

"That was not our agreement Jenkins," said the Cardassian, letting go of Silvio's hair.

"I am changing that agreement. Bring him to the shuttle bay," said Jenkins, "Alive."

***

Patia jerked awake, her body bathed in cold sweat. She had been in this state for a time; the sheets covering her were clammy and smelled faintly of fear. Her hands ached, her chest throbbed and she couldn't feel her toes. Nothing was there to have caused this pain, but she felt it as though she had lived it herself. A scream echoed in her mind. The voice was harsh and hoarse. The sound was familiar, but the changes made it hard to identify who it belonged to at first. A piteous wail erupted and she knew who was screaming, Silvio.

Computer, locate Lieutenant Silvio. Her voice was raspy as she spoke. Her throat ached as though she herself had been screaming.

Lieutenant Silvio is in his quarters the canned voice of the computer replied.

Slowly, stiffly, she rose from her bed and shrugged out of her dressing gown. Quickly, she donned the uniform she had neatly folded when she prepared for bed. She slipped from her quarters and quickly strode down the corridor to Silvio's door. Hesitantly she sounded the door chime.

Silvio sat upright on his bed, rocking back and forth. The dream vivid in his mind. The door chime rang again, and a third time before he answered, "Come in," he said in a quiet voice.

Silently, she entered the room. The smell of fear was here as well. Quickly, her eyes scanned the room. Her senses were alert to signs of Silvio's presence. Finally, she spotted him. He was in the middle of his bed, hunched into himself. "Guiseppe?"

Silvio's eyes were wide with fear and his heart was pounding. He saw Patia enter and locked eyes with her, "It all came back," he said.

"I know. Do you want to talk about it?" Slowly, cautiously, she inched forward.

Silvio shook his head, "I was ready to die," he said, "I wanted to die." Silvio looked at Patia as he fought back tears.

She sank to the floor in front of him, leaningforward against his bed. "Tell me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Silvio got off the bed and joined her on the floor. He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace, "I cannot. It is too terrible." He did not want Patia to feel those emotions. She did not deserve that. "I love you too much for that."

She relaxed into his embrace, her body fitting with his. "Love means sharing, even during the cold and ugly times."

Silvio pulled back and held her face in his hands, "Are you sure you want to know this," he asked.

"Yes, she nodded slightly.

"Okay," he said. SIlvio started at the beginning and told her all that he could remember.