"Where are we?" Sisko questioned, rising to his feet. Wherever he was pitch black, and there was an eerie dampness that could chill a man's bones. Something was very wrong, that he was sure of.
"Wherever we are it isn't on the station. That's for sure…" a voice emerged from out of the darkness.
"It must be O'brien," Sisko thought to himself.
"Are we the only ones here?" Sisko asked, futilely looking for others.
"Sisko.." Dax said weakly grabbing Sisko's hand. He jumped at her unpredictable grasp, smacking his head on a caved in pipe.
"Dammit!" he exclaimed. "You scared me old man."
"Are you okay, Commander?" Bashir inquired, shuffling to his feet.
"Yes, I'm alright," Sisko replied, his head throbbing and adrenalin pumping.
"Sorry, Benjamin. I didn't mean to scare you," Dax empathetically apologized
"Dax, is that you?" Kira wondered, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of this…place.
"Kira, your here too?" Odo questioned, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Looks like all the senior staff is here," Kira announced, struggling to stand on her own two feet.
"Wherever, here is," O'brien added, using a wall to support himself upward.
"We should try to contact Deep Space Nine." Dax suggested, placing her hand where her com badge should be. "It's not there!"
"What do you mean it's not there?" O'brien asked abruptly, almost panicking.
"I don't have mine either," Sisko replied.
"Neither do I," Kira stated.
"Me either," Bashir retorted.
"I'm afraid, I don't have one either.." Odo remarked solemnly.
"What on Earth? I don't have one either!" O'brien exclaimed. "I don't like this, Captain, something is seriously wrong here.."
"Why the hell is it so cold in here?" a familiar voice echoed.
"Garak?" Bashir asked, clearly surprised.
"Noooo, it's Quark," he replied sarcastically.
"Now, we have to deal with him? As if we didn't have enough problems already.." Kira surlily stated, crossing her arms.
"Now major, do you really think nows the time to express how much you..don't like me?" Garak replied with a usual smirk drawn across his face.
"I've heard quite enough of both of you! If we ever intend on getting out of here, we're going to have to work together even though we might not like each other.." Odo said, his eyes fixed on Garak.
"Why are you looking at me?! I've done nothing but be kind to yo-"
"Wait, you two can see each other?" Sisko interrupted, an idea was beginning to form inside his aching head.
"Apparently they can." Dax suddenly retorted, obviously, thinking the same thing Sisko was.
"Is there anyway, that we could possibly make the room..lighter?" Sisko asked, a spark of hope burning inside his eyes. Odo and Garak scanned the area for anything that looked as though it could produce light.
"Nothing, except these useless cylinders." Gar replied, holding one in his hand.
"Wait a minute, Garak. Back in the 20th century, didn't they used to use a cylinder shaped thing for light?" Bashir asked, hoping for a response of some sort.
"You mean a flashlight? Bashir, they stopped using those hundreds of years ago. Do you really think—" Sisko's jaw dropped at the sight of a ray of light shining through the dark abyss.
"You were right, Doctor. It appears these strange things are flashlights." Garak replied, eyeing the piece of primitive technology. "Fascinating."
"Hardly.." O'brien remarked, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"How many are there?" Dax asked curiously.
"There's only two," Odo said slightly distressed. "You could always use me as a flashlight, Commander."
"I just might take you up on that offer." Sisko smiled, his eyes beaming with satisfaction.
"Before we get all cheerful and what not, I think you might want to take a good look at where we are," Garak suggested, his voice faltering from his normal chipper voice to a seriously troubled one.
Everyone began to soak in the room for the first time since they arrived. It appeared they were in a incredibly long and wide hallway that was lined with rooms without character. The hallway had a musty smell and the air was miserably thick and soupy. Almost every wall was neglected and paint starting to flake off. Doors were barely hanging on their hinges because they were so rusted. The only sound that could be heard was the pitter pat of water dripping slowly from the ceiling.
"I don't like this…" Bashir's voice cracked as multiple chills went down his spine.
"What is this place anyway?" Dax asked nervously.
"I don't know." Sisko answered. "I'm not even sure I want to know."
"It almost looks like Xlan Lor labor camp." Kira rigidly stated, her heart quivering at the thought. In a moment of complete distress, the light suddenly flickered off.
"Garak! What the hell? Turn the light on you idiot!" O'brien yelped, his chest starting to heave.
"But I didn't turn it off!" he exclaimed, pressing the button rapidly. "It won't turn on!"
"You liar! You just wanna scare us. Well, it isn't gonna work," Kira deduced pridefully, trying not to show how concerned she really was.
"Odo, we need your help. Can you change into a flashlight?" Sisko questioned, bottling his anxiety, like always. A moment went by before Odo responded like a frightened animal.
"I-I-I can't Commander! I-I-I can't change into anything!" Odo yelled as panic blossomed from inside his trapped form.
"Try the other flashlight," Bashir suggested, trying to remain calm.
"It's not working either!" Garak exclaimed his eyes bulging.
"Everyone remain calm. We're going to be o—" A door slammed shut, masking Dax's words. No one moved, spoke, or breathed for what seemed like eternity. It was as if something was lurking in the shadows, waiting for them. But that could not be, that was only something from old myths and legends. Yet, it stared them down like prey in the dark abyss of the night…
"Wholly Shit." O'brien said, breaking the silence surrounded by fear.
A terrible folly.
An aghast shriek emerged from the darkness, it pierced through the skin and shook everyone to the core. It sounded like O'brion, but no one could be sure, because they were so petrified they forgot how to breath. The sounds skid marks proved that someone was being dragged away, but no one dared to help. The screaming became softer and softer until it completely vanished into the darkness. Then, the light flickered back on as quickly as it had dissipated.
But O'brien was gone….