Explanations:

The Calling (by Andrew Robinson, published in the book 'Prophecy & Change'): "With Cardassia ravaged by civil wars after the Dominion War, Garak and his associates investigate the Vinculum. […] At a public rally, Garak is supposed to give a speech intended to bring various factions together. Unfortunately he is so depressed that his speech only adds to the problem. The other members of the government decide something must be done about Garak before he makes things even worse. An ancient artifact of the Hebitians has recently been discovered - an otherworldly realm known as the Vinculum where the Hebitians went to meditate and find solutions to their problems. The others decide Garak must be sent into the Vinculum and left there. […] Slowly, the vision breaks down as the faces of Garak's friends and loved ones return to him, giving advice and emotional support." – memory-beta

Chapter 14

"So let me get this straight: you want me to lie to my commanding officer, violate Starfleet regulations and go with you on a mission into the Gamma Quadrant, which will probably get us both killed."
"I'm ready when you are."

- Bashir and Garak in 'In Purgatory's Shadow'

Garak activated the transporter device and closed his eyes so that he didn't need to see her disappear. It worked like a usual transporter although the process itself seemed to be a bit slower. He felt a bit like in the Vinculum and he wondered if he could ever live this experience again.

He has been there for several times, seeing his friends who told him what he had to do. And although it had finally helped him and Cardassia, it has also brought him into misery, realizing that his own friend had been betraying him. After a while, he had learnt to forgive Pythas for that he had wanted to leave him at the Vinculum and never ever let him return. But when he did return and did manage to give a speech in front of the left-over Cardassians who listened, he has changed sides and supported him once more, given the people the strength to believe.

Together, they have managed to build up a new Cardassia with a new government and – of course – a new Intelligence Service. But still, the old world couldn't be recovered, the people have changed. No more Cardassians like Enabran Tain or Skrain Dukat ruled the Union, but people with a consciousness and with a softer side, such as Pythas Lok and himself.

He hardly laughed inside of him, he, a soft and sensible man, there were a lot of people who would say otherwise. How many people has he killed? And how many have suffered pain and grief because of him? How could he live with that guilt, how could any of them do?

Only the occupation of the Dominion has made them realize what they had done to the Bajorans decades ago. And still there was this hatred between their peoples, something that will never stop. The Reunion project has made some progress but they were still so divided that Garak already feared it could be even worse when he came back. What has happened to his other 'I'? Has he managed to do everything better and will the successfully fulfill the infinite time loop? What about all the others? He has tried to rescue the ones who died, but what about the ones who lived?

He remembered how beautiful Palandine has looked when the first rays of the uprising sunlight had seemed to make her body melt away in the brightness. She has turned to him, her perfect eyes watching him and how he has crawled over to her and felt the warmth of her body.

Every time he felt reminded of her, he also remembered his life at the Bamarren Institute. After all, most of his Cardassian friends he has made there. It has been ages since he and Pythas have gotten to know each other, both young men of servants families who have been given the permission to reach out for something more. And he has taken his chance, but how foolish has he been thinking that he'd come out as One Lubak after the first year period and how desperate when he was told that he had to leave. He has run over crying to Barkan and Palandine, the two traitors who had betrayed them for their own purpose. And they have been together, aiming for staying the first ones and winning the battle for them.

No wonder they had married, perhaps Palandine has truly loved him. But what has she then felt toward Garak, how much of what she has said back there had been true? Anything at all or has it only developed later into a romantic relationship from her side as well? But one thing was for sure: He has always loved her and he will always do.

He remembered one time they met after his return from his latest mission. Their romance had extended, she was sneaking out of her house from time to time, leaving Kel alone at night. Barkan was often working over night, 'fixing' some political problems.

The moons very brightly shining in the sky and the stars were as beautiful as hardly ever before, he thought when Garak entered the Torr Sector. It was still loud here, people were chanting and getting drunk together and even at that late hour, the bars and restaurants and stores were still open.

Actually they had wanted to go to a service together, but this night was none and since he has returned, he had the desperate need to visit his love again. After a while walking through the streets he spotted her and she came quickly over to greet him. They hugged and kissed shortly, hoping that no one would recognize them.

They have become careless the last few times and he knew that this would have consequences but right now he didn't want to think about it but just enjoy his little time with her.

"Where shall we go?" he asked when they tried to walk through the mass of drunk students and story-telling soldiers. Watching my people like this, he thought, I could seriously compare them to Klingons.

"I don't know. What about there?" she said and proposed the restaurant where they have met for their very first meeting in the downtown here. It had all night and day opened and it was always overcrowded by people so that it was very unlikely that anyone would recognize or even remember them. The waitress led them to a small table in the corner of the room with so many walls that they could hardly have a look over the whole restaurant. They studied the menu and ordered their meals.

"So how different is Decos Prime?" Palandine asked who has never been to the system before.

"Oh, much more diversity. It's a Federation planet so there are all kinds of species. It is very close to our borders and there were negotiations between the Federation and the Union ongoing," he explained without revealing much about his mission.

The waitress came back and served Taspar eggs for Palandine and Zabu stew for Garak.

"And what have you been up to during my absence?" he wanted to know and they started eating. Garak had quick looks around. There was only that grayness around them, only Cardassians and he felt home again. There had been so many Federation officers of all species on Decos Prime and he had become ill of listening to all those speeches about the Bajoran occupation and why it should end without the Federation entering the war.

There is no war between boot and Cardassian ant, Garak thought while Palandine told him about the newest reforms that Barkan wanted to prevent. On Decos Prime, Garak, having come along as soldier of the Eighth Order of Cardassian's military, had to join the welcome meeting between the secondary head of the Union and an ambassador of the Federation, a decent old Vulcan who had used the word 'logic' and 'peace' in nearly every sentence that he spoke.

It had been a long evening and the food served by Bolian cooks had included a wide variety of every known culture around except for Cardassian. And the smell of Bajoran Foraiga had made him feel awkward. How could a species possibly eat this stuff? He could never get used to certain Federation dishes, as the nervous Tellarite next to him has offered him both heart of targ and goat from Earth.

He was torn back to reality when Palandine asked whether he was staying for long now on Cardassia Prime.

"Oh, I'm sorry but I never know what Tain plans next. I assume I'll have some time here to write my report and finish some delayed business," Garak answered with a smile and Palandine nodded, understanding that it was better if she didn't know any further details of what her lover was doing at work.

They finished and went back outside again. The streets have gotten a bit quieter and there were already some people sleeping on the pavements who were soon about to be shooed away by Cardassian guards.

"What shall we do now? We still have plenty of time," Garak whispered into Palandine's ear and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know," she answered when they suddenly heard a big blast.

Everyone immediately ducked down and had a look around. Garak spotted it first and pointed at the building which had burst into flames only meters away from them. "Oh damn," Palandine said when she realized that it had been a skyscraper in which families of the server families resided.

"The detonation must have gone off in the bar below," another Cardassian shouted and most of them were running away from the disaster when rocks started to fall down on the streets.

But Palandine rushed forward trying to have a look if there were any survivors left. Garak stumbled over the debris and helped an old woman up who had fallen down when the ground level of the building had exploded.

Other Cardassians have gathered to help the victims and they could already hear the hovercraft shuttles of the ambulance nearby.

"Who the hell would have planted a bomb here?" Palandine asked when she had a look at a little boy's injuries. His face was covered with blood and his clothing was ripped up.

"I bet it was the Bajorans," one of the arriving doctors mentioned and lowered down in front of the boy. "Where are my parents?" he cried and looked around.

"They'll be all fine, you'll go with us to the hospital," the doctor explained and pulled the whining and screaming boy inside the shuttle.

Palandine sighed at the slight brutality on a boy who has most definitely just lost both of his parents. "You think it was the Bajorans?" she asked and hugged Garak.

"It is possible. It wouldn't be the first time they have managed to plant a bomb on Cardassia but I've never heard from fugitives who have managed to get inside Cardassia city," he answered and had a look at all the rubble and debris they were standing on. The fire was about to be dimmed and the military has arrived.

"We should go," he whispered and silently they left the location when everybody else was being gathered for questioning. But they shouldn't have been there, officially, and so they disappeared silently and without being noticed.

"I should go home," Palandine decided when they have arrived in a dark corner of the Paldar Sector.

"Stay with me," Garak said and kissed her softly.

"No, I'm sorry, Elim, but I need to go home. Barkan is probably trying to reach me because of what just happened. They're going to investigate all this, I need to go," she said but took the time to kiss him again.

He still stood there when she had disappeared in the night and not even her shadow could be seen anymore. Garak sighed and looked back at the smoke that was whirling up into the sky and the smaller-becoming flames licking the building's walls. He shouldn't be seen here as well, he was a shadow, not existing and it always were the shadows who did such things or who betrayed their world. Through the darkness he was slowly walking home.

Garak concentrated on what lay ahead of him. His thoughts have been somewhere else, back at Palandine and that very special night in Cardassia City, but right now, it was evening and he wasn't alone.

Kira and Damar stood behind him, waiting for the sign that the coast was clear. He nodded and they came around the corner. "It's hardly anybody here," Garak mentioned.

"Hard to believe when you hear that they're always meeting at night," Damar mentioned but was already corrected by the ex-agent: "Not this kind of meeting. The briefings held here are official and at bright daylight, the more informal ones always took place in the Munda'ar Sector."

"And suddenly everything makes sense," the other Cardassian answered thinking of the abandoned area and the empty warehouses in which not even Cardassian voles hided.

"What now? We can't just walk through the front door?" Kira asked surprised by how sure Garak seemed now.

"The building is also linked to the canalizations system-"

"Please not again crawling through those wet and filthy tunnels," Kira mentioned.

"-which are of course of a better state than those through which we have entered the city. The ones here are used for an emergency case." Garak opened the way to the underground and smilingly stepped down. And he was right: The tunnel was far better equipped than the one they had used for entering the city.

There were some electric lights that immediately started to gloom as soon as they were passing by and now watery cesspool in which they had to walk. "It's not far ahead of us," Garak played the sightseeing guide and let the three through the labyrinth in which both Damar and Kira had soon lost their orientation.

"And what exactly is ahead of us?" Damar wanted to know.

"Oh, the main building of the Obsidian Order. When I am right, we should end up in the basement and storage of the Intelligence service."

"Then you must feel like home there, don't you?"

"Unfortunately not, Damar. How surprising it might be for you, I have never set foot on the Obsidian Order's storage room. The only times I went into the basement was for visiting the labs," Garak corrected him and felt awkward telling a stranger his personal experience at the Order.

After all, he didn't like the idea of stumbling in whatever lay ahead of them and was stored by Enabran Tain deep under the surface. He climbed up the ladder at the end of the tunnel and pushed away that little door to crawl into the basement. He found himself in a small room with lights going on automatically again.

"They've really thought about everything," Kira commented when she looked at the lightly shimmering console to their right.

"I have actually thought that everything has been shut down since the Dominion took over the government and also the purposes for which the Order existed," Garak said and looked challenging at Damar.

"Taking down the order was one of the most dangerous plans of the government. Eight troops of soldiers have tried to deactivate all the installments here and I doubt that they have even found all rooms, not to mention access to them."

With that answer, Garak seemed happy again and slowly opened the door into the hallway. Staring at the sign in front of him, he commented, "we must be in the third basement. As far as I recall – and hoping that no one has re-structured the building – these were the laboratories of technological and genetic research who also equipped their agents which was known to the upper world as 'gadgets'."

"You said 'genetic research'," Kira mentioned and looked confused, "you mean, they worked on genetic engineering?"

"In case that you remember the dear Dr. Bashir's problem, I must agree. As much as Section 31, the Obsidian Order barely had to take responsibilities for their actions or were bound to ethic limits and moral discussions. I think some of the scientists down here even had contact with other agencies not only within the Cardassian Union."

"I think I don't actually want to know more about the Cardassian's dirty work," Kira decided and pointed at the staircase to their left.

"I assume we shall take that direction?" Garak nodded and led the way. At the first stair, he turned around and added, "although it seems as if this building was abandoned and taken down, I think that the clarification codes from Odo might still work. I assume that even if no one is working here, the doors won't be open for any visitor."

Arriving at the second basement, Garak had a first look around in the hallway. There was no staircase leading further so they probably had to search another way up.

"Storage area," Damar read from the small sign at the wall.

"Yes, and I honestly have no idea what exactly they were or still are storing here," Garak mentioned before anyone could ask. "Now, let us have a look," he took out the small padd in which they had stored the information from Odo. "I assume that my own codes won't work due to my exile, but these might do it as well," he added and walked to the door in opposite to them.

"You sure this is the right way?" Damar complained and tried to examine the room.

"No, but there is only one way finding out," the other Cardassian answered optimistically.

'Access granted' could be read from the control panel and the three rebels entered the dark room. The light that switched on was much dimmed and Kira could hardly see anything. Even for Garak it took him some while to get used to the dark and then he recognized a huge room, filled by nothing than what seemed like coffins.

"Computer, increase light," Damar ordered and more light began to shine the store.

"Are these…coffins?" Kira repeated what Garak had already noticed. He walked forward to one of them and wiped away the dust on the glass. "No," he said with a bad feeling crawling up inside of him, "these are stasis chambers." He looked down at the face of a female human who stared back with no expression at all.

"They're human," Damar suddenly gasped when he also began to have a closer look.

"All of them are," Garak muttered loud enough for them to understand when he looked into the faces of two other men.

"But why humans?" Kira asked. Even after such a long time with Garak, the Obsidian Order still surprised her.

"You will count 73 of those stasis tubes," Garak suddenly said which made Kira and Damar look up at him at once.

"What? Do you know who they are? What the hell are 73 humans doing in the basement of the Cardassian secret service?" Kira asked angrily, wanting an answer for what seemed to not make sense at all.

Garak breathed deeply. This couldn't be, it was impossible but still…they were here, here on Cardassia for all the time. "I have no idea how they came here and how long they already lie down here. All that I can tell you is only based on guesswork."

"Then I would guess very precisely if I were you," Kira commented and stared in the sad face of a young human male.

"Damar, have they taught you about genetic engineering attempts of other species when you were at the Institute?" Garak suddenly asked.

"Not much, have they done so at Bamarren?"

"At Bamarren Institute, we have learnt a lot about other cultures to recognize their limits and power. Not knowing it would one day be so important for me, I had found an interest in the awkward and contradictory history of humans of Earth," he began and continued wiping away the dust, obviously searching something or someone among the men.

"These men…are genetically enhanced?" Kira asked surprised, again recalling everything she had read about Dr. Bashir's physiology.

"Yes, colonel. Somewhere in the twentieth century of Earth, men began to experiment with altering their own kind. There were a lot of inner-planet wars going on even before they've made first contact with the Vulcans. They wanted these engineered people to end the war."

"But something went wrong," Damar concluded.

"What a brilliant conclusion," Garak teased him but then continued, "the genetic engineered were five times stronger than humans, had fifty percent more lungs efficiency and were twice as intelligent as an average person.

"But instead of ending the war, they rose to power and they wanted to dominate those who weren't as strong as they were. Because of the enormous threat to mankind, they were overthrown but some could escape from Earth on a ship called the SS Botany Bay."

"But that doesn't explain how they ended up here."

"Let me continue my explanation, Colonel and then you might deduct. However, they were found in the 23rd century in stasis chambers by a ship commanded by Admiral Marcus. He woke up one of the enhanced people, Khan Noonien Singh and as a member of an early Section 31 he forced him to build advanced weapons and technology due to his enhanced brain."

"I'm sorry, but what is Section 31?" Damar interrupted.

"Section 31 was founded about two hundred years ago along with the Federation. It is a sort of Intelligence Service who has nothing to do with legal authorities or the Federation itself. As soon as Khan has found out what Admiral Marcus had planned with them and only used him for starting a war with the Klingons, he constructed Photon Torpedoes and hid his 72 crew members who had survived stasis inside them."

"He put his own crew members into Torpedoes?"

"Yes, he would have been a great agent for the Order. When he swore revenge and attacked a Starfleet meeting in London, Captain James T. Kirk was sent to destroy him with exactly these Photon Torpedoes."

"I've heard the name Kirk before," Kira mentioned.

"Yeah, he was kind of a hero for the humans, a great Captain I heard. However, with using Kirk for his own advantage, he killed Admiral Marcus and widely over seven hundred people during his attacks in London, a battle on Kronos and a space ship crash in San Francisco. He was eventually taken down by two officers of Kirk and was forced to save his life…I don't recall every detail about it. The point is, Khan and his 72 men were put back into stasis and stored somewhere deep in the Federation's memory."

"Two of them are missing," Damar suddenly mentioned while continuing wiping away the dust from the glass.

"As Odo already found out, it seems that Section 31 and the Obsidian Order have made some negotiations and as the Cardassians have been quite advanced concerning genetic enhancement, it is no wonder that Section 31 handed them over some test subjects. Probably those two were taken out for further experiments but then the Order was overthrown."

"But what if those two are now out there?" Kira asked with horror.

"They aren't," they suddenly heard a fourth voice together with the doors opening. The man came closer and Kira realized that it was a Cardassian, luckily without armor or soldier uniform. "Five of them died during the experiments," he explained further and stopped ahead of the Bajoran and the other two Cardassians. "And like always, you came to the right conclusions, Elim," he suddenly said at the former agent.

"I'm glad that my skills have not suffered under the long time I haven't been able to use them…I'm surprised to see you here, Pythas. I thought you were either killed when they took down the Order or murdered with most of the other rebels."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Elim, but someone has to look after all the left secrets here in the building and those men are only one of them."

"You worked for the order?" Kira asked.

"Yes, he did. This is Pythas Lok, former director of the Obsidian Order after Tain has retired. We went together to school," Garak introduced his old friend, still not so sure about what he was doing down here.

"How have you found this, Elim?" he wanted to know with concern.

"By coincidence. We have received some former codes and wanted to see with what knowledge of the Order we could win advantage when encountering the Dominion government."

"You really haven't changed a bit," Pythas laughed and came closer. "Where do you have these codes from?"

"I don't think this is important."

"You trusted a source?"

"Actually not me but our contact man on a Federation space station," Garak answered but Pythas has already grabbed the padd.

"I recognize these commands. They're from Tallara Shran, but she hasn't been working here for four years."

"Then perhaps you could tell us how she appeared as Starfleet officer on DS9 executing orders from Section 31?" Garak proposed.

"It is complicated and I don't think you have the time for this. You came here for something else."

"I think we could take that time," Kira said demanding. She has had enough of all those secrets of every Cardassian she met. She finally wanted to know something properly.

Pythas sighed and handed back the padd to Garak. "I assume you know that Shran has been stranded here along with other Andorians due to a shuttle crash which Section 31, the Andorian Imperial Guard and the Obsidian Order had planned together? It might sound like fiction but it has been one of the biggest plans of the century and it was all about one girl.

"But she was so genetically enhanced that the Andorians agreed to hand her over to us as we had the best secrecy and technological possibilities. Section 31 has always watched our steps concerning her and when her education has nearly been finished, they wanted her at Starfleet to smuggle her onto DS9 as soon as they recognized its political importance for the Dominion War.

"We agreed but she had been the best test subject we ever had, so they sent us over the 73 surviving men that had been stored in their basements for too long. It was a fair change and end of the story. Although I have always guessed that Shran would do everything she could to make us pay as soon as she has found out what we have done to her," he said and sighed deeply. But however, there was nothing in his voice that could show grief or regret. "End of the story," he added and looked at the surprised face of Kira and Garak.

"You said that five men had been taken out for experiments," Damar suddenly shouted across the room.

"That's right, why?" Pythas asked.

"Because six men are missing. And one of the stasis pods is broken."

"Impossible," the ex-agent said and came over followed closely by Garak and Kira.

"Who has been in here?" Garak asked and glided his hand over the cracked glass.

"Khan," Pythas muttered silently. "He has been the strongest of all of them, their leader. He killed over eight hundred people a century ago and is the most dangerous as well. He can hardly be stunned by a phaser, can survive incredible jumps and even a ship crash, he is superior in fights and can crack your head bones with his bare hands. It…is possible that he might have awoken from stasis when his body has regenerated long enough to adapt itself to the stasis conditions."

"You want to tell me that a genetically enhanced monster who has devastated Earth a century ago and killed dozens of Klingons single handed just escaped a secret stasis pod in an Intelligence Agency's faculty in the middle of the climax of a war where a single little mistake from one of the sides or an advantage from the other side can end everything and is now set free in the city where probably the most severe decisions for the history of this Quadrant is being made?" Garak asked slowly.

"Couldn't you have said this a bit easier?" Damar complained.

"Yes, we are doomed," Garak answered with a smile and turned to the former Legate.