Chapter 2
Tringis 1st class Hoychink Quorr knew this was a bad idea. He just knew it. But his commanding officer, Aalipi Pingil Rewwool, had ordered it. As 1st officer, Tringis Quorr should have been able to tell the Aalipi that. Now the aliens were opening his ship's door! Well, what could Quorr do? The damn regulations prohibited him from telling his superiors of a bad idea, or doing anything about it. Rewwool had told him to do nothing...NOTHING...and just told him to stay put in his quarters. In fact, the welcoming airlock chamber was evacuated. But Quorr was a man of action, and there wouldn't be any action, at least, Aalipi Rewwool hoped not. It would be simple, the aliens enter the ship, then.....
Odo said, "In!"
The 5-person team entered the room. It was smallish, and quite cold. It didn't affect Odo, but Lieutenant Franks checked his wrist multifunction chronometer. It read twelve-hundred. Franks stumbled to change its screen. Ah, it's 5° Celsius. Frigid, but not unbearable. The air composition looked all right. Odo had said so in the briefing, but it was good to be sure...
Odo looked at the small room which had a door on each side. Suddenly, the airlock slammed shut behind them!
"Damn! It's either locked or stuck!" shouted Chief O'Brien, who was crouching by the airlock.
While Franks, Loyen, and Yinks checked the three doors, Odo tapped his commbadge. "Odo to Sisko."
Franks, Loyen and Yinks reported to Odo that the doors were locked while Odo waited for a response from Commander Sisko. None came. "Odo to Deep Space Nine. Does anyone hear me?"
Silence.
The other three men and young Bajoran female tried their badges too, to no avail. They were trapped.
Commander Sisko had decided it had been long enough. He tried to raise Odo. "Sisko to Odo."
No response. "Sisko to Odo. Constable Odo, can you hear me?"
Silence met his ears.
"Sisko to O'Brien! Franks! Loyen! Yinks! Respond!"
Nothing.
"Sisko to security!"
"Yardley here, sir."
"Have you heard from Constable Odo at all since he left?"
"No, sir."
"Then take two other security personnel to Docking Pylon 3, Airlock 1. Get that airlock open any way you can."
"Understood, sir.
"Report to me when you've opened it. Sisko out."
Tringis 1st class Hoychink Quorr knew this was a bad idea. He just knew it. But his commanding officer, Aalipi Pingil Rewwool, had ordered it. As 1st officer, Tringis Quorr should have been able to tell the Aalipi that. Now the aliens were opening his ship's door! Well, what could Quorr do? The damn regulations prohibited him from telling his superiors of a bad idea, or doing anything about it. Rewwool had told him to do nothing...NOTHING...and just told him to stay put in his quarters. In fact, the welcoming airlock chamber was evacuated. But Quorr was a man of action, and there wouldn't be any action, at least, Aalipi Rewwool hoped not. It would be simple, the aliens enter the ship, then.....
Odo said, "In!"
The 5-person team entered the room. It was smallish, and quite cold. It didn't affect Odo, but Lieutenant Franks checked his wrist multifunction chronometer. It read twelve-hundred. Franks stumbled to change its screen. Ah, it's 5° Celsius. Frigid, but not unbearable. The air composition looked all right. Odo had said so in the briefing, but it was good to be sure...
Odo looked at the small room which had a door on each side. Suddenly, the airlock slammed shut behind them!
"Damn! It's either locked or stuck!" shouted Chief O'Brien, who was crouching by the airlock.
While Franks, Loyen, and Yinks checked the three doors, Odo tapped his commbadge. "Odo to Sisko."
Franks, Loyen and Yinks reported to Odo that the doors were locked while Odo waited for a response from Commander Sisko. None came. "Odo to Deep Space Nine. Does anyone hear me?"
Silence.
The other three men and young Bajoran female tried their badges too, to no avail. They were trapped.
Commander Sisko had decided it had been long enough. He tried to raise Odo. "Sisko to Odo."
No response. "Sisko to Odo. Constable Odo, can you hear me?"
Silence met his ears.
"Sisko to O'Brien! Franks! Loyen! Yinks! Respond!"
Nothing.
"Sisko to security!"
"Yardley here, sir."
"Have you heard from Constable Odo at all since he left?"
"No, sir."
"Then take two other security personnel to Docking Pylon 3, Airlock 1. Get that airlock open any way you can."
"Understood, sir.
"Report to me when you've opened it. Sisko out."