Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt
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Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount. No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.
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"This is hopeless," lamented Vonda Lek, Chief of Station Engineering, leaning wearily over the operations table in Ops. "It would be difficult enough tracking them when the Station was relatively empty, but with it filled nearly to capacity…" She left the sentence unfinished and glanced at the other officers around the table. "Difficult," agreed Nog, her counterpart in the Starfleet Engineering Department. "But not impossible. There has to be a way to find them."
"I do not believe it is a matter of how we find them," agreed John Marshall. "But when we find them."
"And if we find them in time," countered Bryan Landis. "Have you tried scanning for them as a group rather than as individuals?"
"In infinite combinations," replied Vonda. "We've tried scanning for every place a human and Ferengi are located together. We've tried scanning for every place a human and a Cardassian are together. We've even tried scanning for every place a human and a Cardassian and a Ferengi are together on the Station and we keep coming up with the same location."
"Quarks," confirmed Nog. "All other locations are crew or visitor quarters and when Security arrives they find only the legitimate occupants and their guests."
"Do we even know if they are still on the Station?" asked Landis who at the moment wished he were on vacation rather than Kira.
"No," confirmed Marshall. "But we have been in contact with all ships that have left the Station in the last twelve hours and none report any passengers that match either our suspects or our missing residents."
"And," continued Nog. "All outbound traffic is being carefully searched before being granted permission to depart."
"What about….?" asked Landis. Marshall was momentarily distracted by the sound of his comm badge. He stepped away from the table. "Marshall here." The voice on the other end of the call belonged to Flato Rey.
"It looks as though someone just sprang Mr. Blankman from his holding cell," she reported.
"Good," replied Marshall. "I trust you did manage to slip a tracking device on our Mr. Blankman before putting him in his cell?"
"Affirmative."
"Excellent. Get a team on the job immediately. We'll try and trace him from here."
"…I know where I'd go if I wanted to hide out for a while," Nog was saying as Marshall rejoined the other officers. "I'd head straight for the Station core. The shielding would prevent a lot of scans from penetrating and there are still areas down there that no one has gone into in years."
"What news?" asked Landis.
"It seems our other suspect is on the move," said Marshall with a hint of self-satisfaction in his voice. "Mr. Blankman has just been liberated from the holding cells."
"Damn!" exclaimed Landis.
"Not quite, Commander," Marshall assured him. "The redoubtable Captain Flato was able to place a tracing device on Mr. Blankman when we arrested him." Marshall punched in a series of commands and the display presented a map of the Station and on the map was a small blinking light. "With any luck he will be able to lead us to the others."
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Tosko Fudan lifted his head and through his one, as of yet, good eye looked at the still unconscious bodies of Quark and the Starfleet stooge and realized that even if they were conscious they would provide little help. He searched his scattered memory and thought of the first time his father had allowed him to witness an interrogation. He must have been about nine or ten years of age and the memory still burned bright in his mind. These men were amateurs by comparison he thought with a slight laugh. . "Ask him again," said the one called Jones.
"Who are you working for?" asked the one called Arat.
Fudan slowly turned his gaze toward Arat and managed just enough saliva to attempt a feeble act of defiance.
With a muttered oath, Arat backhanded him, sending his head snapping back. He was well beyond the point when such a blow would cause him much pain; his head and most of his torso were now numb to the repeated blows delivered by the Cardassian before him.
"He's not gonna talk," growled Arat.
"Oh, he'll talk," replied Jones. "We just have to make the argument a little more…persuasive."
Out of the corner of his eye Fudan spied the child. She sat on a low crate of some kind not far from Jones, her eyes wide, her hands extended toward a ventilation duct high in the ceiling of the room. She glanced at him for a moment before uttering a single word.
"Odo," she said.
Oh no, repeated Fudan softly to himself, you got that right little girl.
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"Well," said Jake standing on the edge of the precipice. They had been in the Fire Caves for hours and had found no sign of either Sarah or her abductors. "This should be the place." "But," protested Kira. "This is where the trail ended two years ago. Shouldn't this be the ending?"
"It depends on how you look at things," explained Jake. "Eastern Philosophies on Earth believe that there is no ending or beginning that life just continues. The alpha is the omega, kind of like a circle, where it begins depends on where you are at the time."
"I'm not so sure the kidnappers are that philosophical," replied Tobin. "You're taking a lot on faith."
"Not really," insisted Jake. "Ever since this morning, I've had this nagging feeling that everything that has happened has been carefully choreographed, kind of like a play. So, I started thinking that if this were a play, or more like a story, and a story that I was writing, that maybe it would start to make some sense."
"Well," replied Kira. "If you can make sense of it, you're doing better than I am. Okay, Mr. Writer, what do we do now?"
"Let's see," said Jake thoughtfully. "We know this is where the trail ended two years ago when we were searching for my father. We're on a ledge, overlooking a precipice, it stands to reason that the only place to go where there would be no trace of you would be either up, or down."
"Well," commented Tobin. "Up is not an option. The walls are steep and have no apparent hand holds."
"Which leaves us down," said Kira. She peered over the edge and could not make out anything below. "Do you suppose there is another way down to the bottom?"
"According to my tricorder," replied Tobin. "It's about a quarter of a kilometer to the bottom. Wait a second…I'm picking up faint life signs down there!"
"Can you tell if it might be our kidnappers?" asked Jake.
"No," said Tobin with a shake of her head. "Too much interference. But if someone is down there, then there has to be another way down."
"Right," said Kira. "What are we waiting for? Good work Jake."
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"Are we there yet?" "Do you have any idea how annoying you are?" asked Pilgrim.
"Are we there yet?"
"Of course you do," muttered Pilgrim. "Annoying is your middle name."
"Are we there yet?" asked Jack once again. "Ouch! You did that on purpose."
"And I shall step on your hand again," warned Pilgrim. "If you do not shut up!"
"Can you at least tell me why," commented Jack. "We are climbing through the Jeffries tubes and not just taking a turbolift?"
Pilgrim climbed on in silence.
"Well," continued Jack. "I suppose it's more romantic climbing to the rescue rather than just passively being carried there in a lift. I mean whoever heard of the cavalry arriving via an elevator?"
Pilgrim refused to answer.
"I guess there's no point," replied Jack. "In even speculating why we are climbing at all, it's not as if we were changelings, or anything and could turn into something that would move faster."
"You know as well as I do," said Pilgrim through clenched teeth. "That the more we shift the easier it will be for Renegade to detect our presence. Have you forgotten everything?"
"I haven't forgotten how to annoy you now have I?" asked Jack. "Now that you've condescended to talk to me, I don't suppose you want to tell me what this is all about? Last I saw of you, you were going to go charging off to Bajor to single handedly haul Renegade in for her crimes."
"If you must know," replied Pilgrim. "I spent the last week tracking Renegade to an office in the Bajoran Ministry of Trade. Finding her was fairly easy; getting close enough to apprehend her was more difficult than I anticipated. She remained on the move for most of the time."
"She must have anticipated someone would turn up eventually," speculated Jack. "You should have taken someone with you."
"I thought I was," replied Pilgrim. "But my back up decided he would rather stay on this Station. Hardly staying out of trouble in the mean time, I might add."
"Yeah, well," conceded Jack. "No one ever said I was boring. So, what is Renegade up to?"
"I'm not sure. I was never able to determine exactly what her plan is on Bajor. She spent a fair amount of time in merely keeping track of Odo."
"Odo?" asked Jack. "Why?"
"I can only guess," replied Pilgrim. "But I suspect it has something to do with the kidnapping of Sarah Sisko."
"But what possible reason could she have for kidnapping the Sisko baby? And if she did have an interest in the kidnapping then she is also involved in some way with the Orion Syndicate." And, he thought, if she has an interest in the Orion Syndicate, then what's the connection with Fudan? And furthermore, what's Fudan's connection with Gul Dukat?
"That is exactly what I hope to find out," remarked Pilgrim. "Not shut up and climb."
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Fudan braced himself for the next onslaught. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out the gleam of a knife blade. Fine, he thought, do you worst. He watched carefully as Arat approached and idly wondered about his fellow Cardassian's past. From the way he held the knife it was clear the man had never served in the military, most likely he had grown up off world. Fudan made a vow that if he were to somehow survive the day he would have a score to settle with Mr. Arat. The opening of the door in the far wall halted the Cardassian's approach and both men turned their attention to a small, wizened Bajoran woman standing in the doorway. She looked around the room, and registered no emotion as though similar sights were commonplace to her.
"It is time," she remarked. "Bring the child."
Jones nodded and turned to the child. She was staring intently at the woman and as soon as Jones laid a hand on her, she began to wail, her arms reaching out to Fudan.
"I'm the only one who can stop her from crying," remarked Fudan. He had no idea if his statement were true, but it was worth a shot. He received another backhanded blow from Arat for his trouble.
The woman said nothing and turned to leave the room.
"Go ahead and scream," replied Jones mockingly. "No one will hear you down here."
"That goes for you too," said Arat making sure Fudan saw the knife.
Fudan barely spared Arat a glance, his eye riveted on the child as she reached over Jones' shoulder in order to reach out for Fudan. "Sorry little one," he said his voice filled with regret. "I tried. It seems we're both out of luck."
She stopped wailing as Jones carried her out the door. The last Fudan saw of her she was pointing once again to the air vent and he could just make out her repeating the word: Odo.
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"Well," said Odo standing on the edge of the precipice. They had been in the Fire Caves for what seemed like hours and had found no sign of either Sarah or her abductors. "This is where the trail ended two years ago when we were looking for Benjamin Sisko. If the circle is to be completed this should be the place." "But," protested Dhek. "This is nothing but a dead end. Surely you aren't suggesting that they just threw the Sisko child into the pit?"
"I would be greatly disappointed if they did," replied Odo. "According to the legend the circle must be completed. Only how do you complete a circle if you don't know the beginning? Now, if you follow the philosophical argument that a circle has no beginning or ending – then the ending point is a good as the beginning point – it all depends on where you look."
"I'm not so sure the kidnappers are that philosophical," replied Dhek. "This is ridiculous. I can't believe I allowed you to talk me into this. Legends! You don't even believe in them."
"No," insisted Odo. "I don't have to. But apparently the people behind the kidnapping of Sarah Sisko do. That's all that matters."
"Well," replied Dhek. "You're the expert. What do we do now?"
"Let's see," said Odo thoughtfully. "We know this is where the trail ended two years ago when we were searching for Mr. Sisko's father. We're on a ledge, overlooking a precipice, it stands to reason that the only place to go where there would be no trace of you would be either up, or down."
"Well," commented Dhek. "Up is not an option unless you can fly. Which leaves us down," She peered over the edge and could not make out anything below. "Do you suppose there is another way down to the bottom?"
"I'm guessing there is," said Odo. "How much do you weigh?"
"What?"
"How much do you weigh?" repeated Odo. "If I turn myself into a large enough bird, I might be able to carry you down with me."
"Turn your self into a…" sputtered Dhek. "Fly down there carrying me? Are you insane?"
"That is the rumor."
"No, there is no way I'm going to let you jump off this cliff and there is no way you're going to take me with you. If we go, we're walking and that's final."
Solids, thought Odo. "Very well, then. Can you at least scan down there and tell me if you can detect anything?"
Aliens, thought Dhek. "According to my tricorder it's about a quarter of a kilometer to the bottom. Wait a second…I'm picking up faint life signs down there!"
"Can you tell if it might be our kidnappers?" asked Odo.
"No," said Dhek with a shake of her head. "Too much interference. But if someone is down there, then there has to be another way down."
"Right," said Odo. "What are we waiting for?"
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Fudan stared open mouthed in fright at the scene that was taking place in front of him. It was not Arat with his knife that frightened him for he knew who and what Arat was, he did not know who or what the amber substance was that was presently pouring out of the ventilation duct. In the back of his memory he vaguely remembered his father telling him of a creature that inhabited the Station while his father was stationed here, a creature that was stronger than even the strongest Cardassian and who could change his shape at will. The very thought that such a creature existed had haunted his dreams for ages afterwards and here, in front of him, was the very embodiment of those nightmares. "You should be afraid," said Arat totally unaware of what was transpiring behind him. "Now, I'll only ask you once again: who are you working for?"
"He's working for me," replied a voice Fudan immediately recognized as belonging to Blankman. He stared in horror as the column of fluid resolved itself into the familiar form of the being Fudan had believed to be human. Before the startled Arat could make a move, Blankman struck him across the back of his neck and the Cardassian crumpled to the floor without making sound.
"Mr. Fudan," said Blankman. "We meet again."
"What are you?" asked Fudan. He did not fail to notice the other creature in the room. Like Blankman, he too had taken the form of a human, a very tall human, and was currently bending over the bodies of the Ferengi and the Starfleet officer.
"Very angry," replied Blankman, he leaned over and grabbing Fudan by the upper arms lifted him off the ground as though Fudan weighed no more than a child. "So don't even think of telling me any more of your lies."
"Perish the thought," Fudan assured him. "Do you mind putting me down now?"
"Right. Now first off, what's your real name and why are you really on the Station?"
"Mikor Dukat and I am only on the Station by a trick of fate."
"I believe that's the first honest thing you've said," remarked Jack. "Now, Mr. Dukat. Tell me about this trick of fate?"
"The Ferengi is starting to come around," reported the other creature. "But the human is still unconscious."
"Fine," replied Jack turning his attention back to Mikor. "I'm waiting for an answer."
"I'm looking for my father," said Mikor trying to get as far away from Jack as his bonds would allow. "I went to Cardassia Prime hoping to find a lead as to what happened to him in the final days of the war."
"I'm sure the Cardassian Authorities were most helpful."
"You know was well as I that I could not turn to them for assistance," Mikor replied. "So, I appealed to…other…sources. It was a mistake as my sources tried to have me killed."
"Hast Spraga," ventured Jack. "No wonder you were willing to give me his address."
"Yes," agreed Mikor. "I was trying to get a shuttle off the planet. I was in the Terminal, when I heard phaser fire coming from behind me. Next thing I know a woman shoved the child into my arms and muttered something about a circle not being completed. I had no idea what she meant, I still don't, she died before I could insist she take the child back, but it was my chance to get off the planet and I took it. I boarded the first transport that was leaving and it just so happened to be the one that comes here."
"He's lying," commented the other creature.
"No, I don't think so. So, rather than have to tell your story to the Cardassian Authorities, you just hung onto the kid and skipped out?"
"Yes."
"With the idea of dumping the kid the first opportunity you got," said Jack with a shake of his head. "And the first opportunity was in my office."
"Yes."
"You're a piece of work, I'll grant you that," commented Jack. "So you really didn't know anything about the child being Sarah Sisko or anything about why the Orion Syndicate would want her?"
"You know who I am. If I had known the child was Sarah Sisko do you think I would have gone anywhere near her?" asked Mikor. "I'm not stupid."
"Where is he?" asked a much battered and slightly shaky Quark. "Good, you've got him tied up. That will make this easy."
"Settle down, Little Man," said the other creature holding Quark at arms length. To Mikor's amazement the Ferengi stopped trying to hit him and taking a good look at the creature took a step back not in fright but in amazement.
"Pilgrim?" he asked his hand immediately going to the wound on his head. "I must have been hit a lot harder than I thought."
"What are we going to do with them?" asked Pilgrim. "We are running out of time."
"I'm thinking," replied Jack.
The door to the room opened without warning as Jones sauntered in, before the human could utter a warning shout, Mikor watched in wonder as the one called Pilgrim extended his arm and in the blink of an eye a tendril of fluid shot across the room hitting Jones in the face. The human stood as though stunned for an instant before crumpling to the ground.
"Think faster," ordered Pilgrim.
"Okay," replied Jack. "Tie up our friends from the Orion Syndicate and Quark untie Mikor."
"Who?" asked Quark.
"Mikor," insisted Jack. "Oh, you were unconscious. Mikor Dukat meet Quark. Quark meet Mikor Dukat."
"Dukat?"
"Just untie him," commanded Pilgrim giving Quark a push.
"How many of them are there?" asked Jack as Mikor slumped forward in his chair, his limbs throbbing as blood flowed back into them.
"I only saw the two men and the woman who came to take the child."
"A woman?" asked Pilgrim. "What did she look like?"
"Small, pinched looking, didn't have much to say but was obviously in charge."
"That's her," confirmed Jack. "And you saw no one else?"
"No."
"What do you think?" asked Jack. "She's obviously working with solids, so maybe she only brought along a few men."
"It is a possibility," replied Pilgrim. "Are you thinking of just rushing them?"
"I'm thinking that between the two of us and the two of them, we just might have the upper hand."
"Now, wait a minute," protested Quark. "What makes you think I'm going to…"
"You will do what is asked," replied Pilgrim. "Or the money goes away."
"The money…," stammered Quark. Of course, the mysterious amount of latinum that appeared at regular intervals in his account, labeled only for services rendered. "That's from you? Damn, I knew there had to be a catch."
"Right then," said Jack helping Mikor to his feet. They took up positions on either side of the door and at a signal from Jack, waited for the door to open and rushed through.
What they found on the other side was unlike anything they had anticipated. In the center of the room was a table flanked by two lights. On the table sat Sarah Sisko. Around the table stood at least a dozen men in ceremonial robes who turned as they entered and instantly leveled a dozen weapons in their direction. The woman Mikor recognized as the one who came to retrieve the child stepped forward a slight smile on her face.
"Welcome gentlemen," she said. "We were expecting you."
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"Will you slow down?" said Dhek panting to catch her breath. She leaned against the wall of the rough passage and rested her hands on her knees. "We have time." "Time is the one thing we lack," replied Odo. "According to my calculations the eclipse will begin in less than a quarter of an hour."
"So what if it does?"
"I don't think either of us wants to find out," he muttered.
"You keep talking about it as though it were the end of the world," scoffed Dhek.
"It may be," replied Odo.
"You are serious, aren't you?"
"Have you ever known me not to be?" asked Odo. "What was that?"
"Sounded like phaser fire," commented Dhek consulting her tricorder. "It is phaser fire, about a kilometer up ahead."
"Are you coming?" asked Odo before sprinting off down the passage.
"Great," muttered Dhek. "Just great. It's the end of the world and I'm stuck in a cave with a madman."
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"What are we waiting for?" asked Jake attempting to stand upright only to be pulled back down into a crouching position by Kira. "We are waiting for Tobin's men to secure the area," replied Kira checking the setting on her phaser. "You Starfleet types never cease to amaze me – always ready to just rush in."
"Well it beats hiding out in caves. If I've learned one thing it's nothing good ever happens in caves."
"I spent the majority of my life hiding out in caves," remarked Kira. "I guess it's a matter of perspective."
At Tobin's signal they moved forward down the passage to find Tobin and her men clustered around the mouth of an opening. Inside the opening was a makeshift alter of sorts and on the alter sat a child and next to the alter stood a Bajoran couple. They looked up at their approach but made no effort to run or defend themselves.
"Halt what you are doing," ordered Kira.
Jake did not fail to notice the couple glance at Tobin before complying. So, that's it, he thought. It was beginning to make more sense to him now. He glanced at the Milita gathered around, none had drawn their weapons and all stood by expectantly as though waiting for something else to happen. Well, fine, he thought, I'm sick of being a puppet in someone else's little play, it was high time he took matters in his own hands.
"Colonel?" he asked indicating Kira's phaser. "May I?"
"Jake," cautioned Kira. "No. You don't want to interfere. We found Sarah, she's safe, let the law take care of this."
"Lieutenant?" Jake said appealing to Tobin. She stared long and hard at him before handing over her phaser and stood by silently as Jake adjusted the setting on the weapon.
"Jake!" ordered Kira. "Put the weapon down. You do not want to do this."
"I think I do," he replied turning toward the couple. "Sorry." Before anyone could protest, Jake swung the phaser around and shot Kira, the blast catching her full in the chest. She stared at him open mouthed for an instant before falling face forward onto the ground. Jake looked at her dispassionately for a moment before tossing the phaser to the ground next to her.
"Now that that's out the way," he said turning to Tobin. "Perhaps you will now tell me what this is all about?"