Chapter One: Prologue

Benjamin Sisko stands alone in the Celestial Temple. His arms are crossed; his expression is grim. He sighs as he senses his mother, Sarah, approaching from behind.

"What is wrong, my son?" she asks, her words heavy with concern.

"That was too damn close," Benjamin says as he blinks, rolls his eyes, and shakes his head all at once.

"You speak of the being whose fate you altered?"

"Yes," Benjamin says as he tucks his chin back into place and refocuses on a specific point in the endless white of the Celestial Temple. As the son of a Prophet, he has learned to peer through space and time—to an extent.

"You are upset," Sarah cocks her head. "It survived, did it not?"

"Barely," Benjamin's brow warps momentarily as he utters the word with disappointment.

"It survived nonetheless," Sarah puts her hands on her son's shoulders. "You should be pleased."

"I'm not," Benjamin deepens his voice.

"But why, my child?"

Benjamin sighs. "I wanted to help the man," he says as he gestures to his focal point in the sea of white, "but from what I've seen… I'm afraid that what I'm subjecting him to is worse than the nothingness we pulled him from."

"Didn't you say that any life would be preferable to the perpetual emptiness of its previous existence here, and that we should compensate for the theft of its fate and whatever may lie beyond?"

"I did, but…" Benjamin takes a deep breath and releases it. "I may have been wrong."

"You prepared it as best you could. We provided countless memories to aid its transition. Its form was repaired, even improved."

"I know," Benjamin turns to face his mother. "I appreciate what you did for me… for him. It did help him; it will help him. I'm just worried that in the end… none of it will matter."

"So," Sarah smiles and puts a hand on the side of her son's face. "What do you intend to do about it?"

Benjamin sighs. "I've learned so much, mother, but…" he takes Sarah's hand and squeezes it as he turns back to the point in space that's been commanding his attention. "I really don't know. The only thing I'm sure of at this point is that I need to stop what his keeper is doing."

Sarah turns to inspect the same invisible point before them. "Does it not help?"

Benjamin closes his eyes and shakes his head. "No, mother. It most definitely does not."

She faces her son and creases her brow. "I don't understand."

"I'm afraid Chris won't either," Benjamin sighs heavily.

"Do what you believe you must." Sarah says as she looks to a new point behind them. "There is… another matter that concerns me."

"I know." Benjamin rubs a hand down his face. "I've felt them too."

A/N:

I'm posting this prologue as a bit of a placeholder. I've started work on this story, but I only have about 20K words of a first draft thrown together as of 4/4/16. If you liked the story that this is a continuation of (In the Colonel's Care) and want to know as soon as I post more… you can subscribe to/follow this story, or me as an author in case you're interested in anything else I may post in the meantime (I can be a little ADD at times).

I will do my best to make this story make sense on its own, but I would recommend (and be pleased if) you read "In the Colonel's Care" before continuing this one.