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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His heart pounded as though it were trying to escape the prison of his chest. His muscles screamed and his joints felt as though they had liquefied. He felt as old as time its self. He could feel space and time bearing down upon him as though they were living things. The moons of Bajor slid slowly out of alignment.
I-Ko Nye collapsed to the floor.
"It is done," he gasped.
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Mikor Dukat opened his eyes to realize he was once more on the Station. Gone was the fire that had engulfed them. Gone his human adversaries. Gone the endless swirling mists. Gone was his father. He tried to take a step forward only to realize, he still lay on the floor, his upper body supported by the altar. He looked at his hands and they were stained with blood. "It worked," said he muttered with a pained laugh.
Hearing a faint squeal, he looked up to find Quark cowering nearby and in his arms he still held the small figure of a child. Sarah Sisko was staring at Mikor and her solemn eyes seemed to look right through him.
"It worked Little Girl," he said ignoring the trickle of blood that ran from the corner of his mouth.
She smiled at him and despite everything; Mikor felt a desire to laugh.
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Jake Sisko opened his eyes to realize he was once more in the Fire Caves. Gone was the fire that had engulfed them. Gone were the Cardassians. Gone the endless swirling mists. Gone was his father. Gone the comfort of being held in his father's arms. Fighting a sense of disappointment, he tried to take a step forward only to realize, Tobin Io still held him captive, a knife pressed to his throat. "It worked," she said her voice filled with awe. "Stay still Jake. Do you hear it?"
He did indeed hear something. It was the same whistling noise an object makes when falling from a great height.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Something," whispered Tobin. "Something wonderful."
Before either could move an object flashed by them from above and slammed into the stone altar. Jake could vaguely distinguish the shape of a rectangular object covered in ice and steaming gently in the warmth of the passage.
Pulling the body of Kira Nerys out from under the shelter of the altar, Odo knew what it was without even looking at it. It was the missing object belonging to Iko-Nye.
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"Thrusters!" ordered Brian Landis. "Get those thrusters on-line now!" "I'll have to pull power away from life support," reported Vonda who was nearly thrown from her station as the floor rocked beneath her.
"Life support won't do us a much good if we're pulled into the wormhole," Landis reminded her. "And will someone kill those damn alarms?"
As suddenly as it opened, the wormhole closed again. In the silence that enshrouded Ops, everyone stood quiet for a moment as though waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Report," ordered Landis softly as though afraid to break the spell.
"Tactical Systems…on-line."
"Communications Systems…on-line."
"Environmental Systems…on-line."
"Everything," reported Vonda. "On-line. Energy readings are still below normal but rising…"
"What the hell just happened?" asked Nog.
"That's what I'd like to know," agreed Landis.
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Jack felt someone behind him and turned to attack only to realize it was Pilgrim. "What the hell just happened?" he asked.
"That's what I would like to know," muttered Pilgrim.
They looked around them only to realize they were the only two people still standing. Scattered around them were the bodies of the men they had been fighting. In the far corner crouched Quark; his eyes shut tight, his arms clutching the child. Around the corner of the altar they could just recognize the body of Mikor Dukat. Renegade was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's…." asked Jack.
"Gone," confirmed Pilgrim. "Most likely took advantage of…of…whatever that was and escaped."
"I hate when she does that," muttered Jack.
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"What the hell just happened?" demanded Dhek but no one was paying attention. "I can't believe it actually worked," said Tobin approaching the altar as though she were in a trance. "Look at it Jake, isn't it beautiful?"
"Do not touch it," ordered Odo. Tobin stifled a gasp as Odo swept the object onto the floor and picking up the body of Kira Nerys laid her gently on the alter. "Captain Dhek," he continued. "I suspect you will find your equipment is functioning properly again, take your men to the surface and get medical attention here immediately."
"But…" protested Dhek. The protest died upon her lips as she caught the look on the Changeling's face. "Yes, sir."
"What is that thing?" asked Jake.
"A book, I think," replied Odo not even sparing it a glance. He quickly tore open Kira's uniform at the point where the knife blade had entered and placing his hand over her heart, allowed it to liquefy.
"All this for a book?"
"Apparently so," replied Odo with a bitter laugh.
"Odo…" said Jake softly placing his hand over Odo's. "What are you doing?"
"Can you perform artificial respiration?" asked Odo abruptly.
"CPR? Sure, but Odo…Odo, Nerys is gone…"
"Can you perform CPR?"
"Yeah, but…"
"I would do it myself but I can't," replied Odo looking Jake in the eye, his voice breaking under the strain. "I do not possess real lungs. I can't blow up a balloon. I can't blow out a candle. I can't perform CPR. Now, will you do it?"
"Right," said Jake moving to the end of the table. He tilted Kira's head back and checked her mouth for any obstructions. It was useless he knew, but what else could he do. He pinched off her nostrils and was ready to start when he stopped. "Odo, what are you doing?" he asked softly.
"I am being her heart," he replied. "What does it look like?"
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"How is he?" asked Jack. Pilgrim bent over the body of Mikor and softly shook his head. "Not good," he replied. "He's dying."
"Damn. If only Gus were here."
"Do you really think that would make any difference?" asked Pilgrim.
"Gus has been a doctor you know," replied Jack.
"And without medical instruments Gus would be as useless in this situation as we are."
"Maybe," agreed Jack. "But I'd feel a lot better."
"Come on," urged Quark. "The bad guys are waking up. We've got to get out of here."
"The Ferengi is right," agreed Pilgrim. "I can carry this one. You get Starfleet. Quark, you carry the child."
"Oh, how I'm going to love having to explain this one," muttered Jack as he gently slapped D. McKinley on the face in an effort to rouse him. "Come on, Huckleberry," he said as McKinley moaned and struggled to sit up. "It's quitting time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."
"Fire," muttered the groggy officer.
"You got that right," agreed Jack pulling McKinley's arm around his shoulder and lifting him to his feet. "That's one hell of a hangover you're going to have in the morning."
"Did I have a good time?"
"Life of the party," Jack assured him. "Defeated the bad guys, rescued the girl, saved the Universe. You're a genuine Junior Spaceman, Huckleberry."
They had just about made it to the door when Jack heard the unmistakable sound of a disruptor rifle being powered up directly behind him.
"And where do you think you are going?" asked a voice.
"Damn," muttered Jack without turning around. "How many do you think there are?" he asked Pilgrim.
The silence of the room was filled with the unmistakable sound of multiple disruptor rifles being powered up. "Too many," replied Pilgrim.
"Gentlemen," said Jack. "Can't we…"
He was interrupted by the sound of phaser fire as John Marshall and a group of security officers burst through the door.
"I love when they do that," commented Jack as Marshall and his men quickly rounded up and disarmed Renegade's men.
"Mr. Blankman," said Marshall approaching them, his phaser still drawn. "I believe you have some explaining to do."
"Huckleberry," giggled McKinley.
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Jake watched out of the corner of his eye as Tobin approached the book as though some unseen force drew her to it. "Odo," he whispered.
"I know."
"But…" He felt the Changelings free hand upon his face.
"Breathe," ordered Odo.
"It's calling to me," muttered Tobin. "Cant' you hear it Jake?"
"Do not touch the book," replied Odo as though talking to himself.
Jake watched as Tobin kneeled down before the book, her hands hovering over it.
"Jake," said Odo. "Breathe."
"But…"
"The non-believer shall seize upon that which must be known only by the one," replied Odo.
"But she's a non-believer," urged Jake.
"Breathe."
"Odo," said Tobin. "Don't you see? With the power this book holds, I could free my people."
"Do not touch the book," muttered Odo.
"With the power of this book, I…I could save Kira."
"Odo," urged Jake. "Listen to her."
"No!" replied Odo his face just inches from Jakes. "Do not listen to her."
"With the power of this book, I could make possible what Bajor only now dreams could be possible."
"Do not…"
Jake watched as though mesmerized as Tobin reached out and placed her hands upon the book. She sucked in her breath sharply and her body stiffened slightly before she was immediately engulfed in flames.
"My god!" said Jake attempting to run to her only to be held in place by the iron grip of Odo's hand upon his arm.
"I told her not to touch the book," he said. "Don't make me tell you again…"
"Breathe," replied Jake continuing to perform CPR. "I got it. Breathe."
His eyes never left the pile of smoldering ashes that was once Tobin Io.
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The new day had dawned brightly on Bajor. Fresh snow had fallen during the night leaving the ground covered in a gleaming blanket. Jake Sisko stared out the window of the small office and wondered if the world would ever seem the same to him again. Ever since the events of the night before, he had been haunted by a deepening sense of disappointment and resentment. As loathe as he was to admit it to himself, he had hoped that his father would return to him now that the Reckoning had been completed. In his heart of hearts, he knew that this was not to be the case, and he was left with a renewed belief that no matter what else she had done, Tobin Io had been correct in her belief that the Prophets did Bajor more harm than good. He turned at the sound of the door opening. "Good news," announced Dhek. "I just spoke to Lt. Commander Marshall. Sarah is on the Station and by all accounts is safe and sound."
"I'm glad something good came of this whole business," replied Jake taking a seat on the other side of the desk.
"Commander Marshall also reports that he has a room full of suspects on hand, not that they are talking, but then again no one expected them to."
Jake thought of all the people he knew who had died in the course of the last few days and drew little comfort from the news that their possible murders were in custody. In a way he envied people like Dhek and John Marshall, people for whom life was just a matter of doing their duty. Some broke the law, others brought them to justice and at the end of the day they could just simply go home and forget about it. Justice, he thought with a sad shake of his head. What real comfort was there in justice? Would justice bring back Silur Ang or Huna Chin? His mind recoiled at the thought of the smoldering ashes that once been Tobin Io and wondered where the justice lay in her demise. He thought of the lifeless body of Kira Nerys…. No, justice was cold comfort, when it was all said and done.
"I thought Odo would be here," Dhek continued. "Is he still at the hospital?"
"No," replied Jake staring out the window. Odo, thought Jake and in his mind's eye he saw the look of self-loathing that was writ large upon his face as he confessed to Jake that he had no breath. He then thought of the last time he had seen Odo, standing alone in the corridor of the hospital and the grim look of determination on the face of the changeling and felt nothing but pity for whoever had the misfortune to cross Odo's path. "He said he had some business to take care of."
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"Well," said John Marshall strolling into the Security Office. "Things seem to be back to normal." "Depends on what your definition of normal is," commented Flato Rey. She stood and walked around the desk to hand him a padd. "I was finally able to identify all our 'guests'."
"Quite a rogue's gallery," commented Marshall thumbing through the padd. "And quite a lot of muscle to involve in the kidnapping of one little girl."
"What about the other two?" asked Flato. "Mr. Blankman and his associate?"
"I think they've cooled their heels long enough, don't you? You can let them go."
"Let them go?"
"Indeed," replied Marshall handing the padd back to her. "Both Quark and Lt. Commander McKinley agree that Mr. Blankman had nothing to do with their disappearance, and as far as the other matters, both gentlemen have refused to press charges."
"But what about all that nonsense in the Station core?" asked Flato. "Not to mention the assault on Mikor Dukat."
"Quark is not saying, and Mr. McKinley, well, Mr. McKinley's memory of that portion of the evenings program is, shall we say, less than reliable. We'll just have to put it on the books as an assault by person or persons unknown."
"I don't like it," said Flato. "I don't like it one bit."
"Indeed," agreed Marshall. "But from what I gather from an associate on Bajor, there are wheels within wheels at work here. It's best not to think about it."
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I-ko Nye stood at the window in his office and stared with sightless eyes at the world beyond. Morning prayers had been sung and the city below was alive with people going about their business little knowing, or caring, what had transpired during the long hours of the night. In a way, I-ko envied them for the simplicity of their lives. He eventually became aware of a commotion in the hallway outside. Voices were raised only to be cut off in mid-sentence or followed by a loud thump and then silence. He nodded his head and moved to stand behind his desk. The door flew open and in backed his secretary followed by a very angry Changeling.
"I really must protest," the secretary was saying.
"It's all right," I-ko called out. "Mr. Odo is expected."
"Eminence," replied the secretary giving Odo an irritated glance before leaving and closing the doors behind him.
Odo threw the book onto the desk and stood staring at the Kai. "You knew," he said through clenched teeth, it was an accusation, not a question.
"Yes."
"You knew about the plot. You knew Tobin and the Children of Anjohl were never after Sarah Sisko in the first place. You knew they were after…this."
"Yes."
"And you allowed it to happen?"
"Yes."
"Nokis Orr?" asked Odo.
"Nokis Orr was working for me," agreed I-ko. "He was close, but he would have never been able to complete the puzzle as you did."
"Did you have him killed?"
"No," replied I-ko. "Tobin is responsible for that."
"Silur Ang? Huna Chin?" spat Odo. "They were working for you as well."
"Yes," agreed the Kai with no hint of apology in his voice. "Silur Ang had to perish because Tobin had to be convinced that Huna Chin was genuinely part of the Children of Anjohl. Both were trusted and loyal servants, it is regrettable…"
"Regrettable that you had to have them killed."
"I did not order their deaths," said the Kai. "Silur volunteered even though she knew it would mean the end of her life, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Huna Chin, on the other hand, was not supposed to die, although she was aware it was a possibility."
"You," said Odo trembling with rage. "You knew about Tobin's plan to release the shadow warriors and in so doing to harness the power of the Book of Kost'Amojin and rather than just stop her, or knowing she was not the one, you could have simply allowed her to continue, but instead you encouraged her to continue? Not only encouraged her, but arranged the kidnapping of Sarah Sisko, arranged the murder of Silur Ang, just as you arranged to drag me into this business as well?"
"Yes."
"But something went wrong didn't it?" asked Odo. "Something you didn't bargain on."
"The Orion Syndicate's involvement," agreed I-ko. "I did not foresee that. Nor did I foresee the involvement of Gul Dukat's son."
"That must have been a real shock," sneered Odo. "You had Tobin set up to fail from the start. Once you realized that Mikor Dukat was involved and there was a real possibility that Tobin might be able to harness the power of the Kost'Amojin…"
"Things had progressed too far to back out," said I-ko. "You know this book, but you do not fully know what it is capable of - it is a door that can never be reopened - Bajor cannot afford it. It was a gamble I was prepared to make."
"You gambled on me as well."
"Yes."
"And if I had failed?"
"You did not," replied the Kai simply. "Let me ask you this, Odo."
"Yes?"
"You can feel the power of the book can you not? It calls to you even now."
Odo turned away but answered the question anyway. "It does."
"Why then," asked the Kai. "Did you not use it?"
Odo stood staring long and hard at the book as it lay on the desk between them and could feel power radiating off it, calling to him with promises of dreams unfulfilled.
"I did not use it," he said looking the Kai of Bajor straight in the eye. "Because that would have made me no different from you."
"Perhaps," said I-ko after a moments pause. "For millennia the Kai's of Bajor have been guardians of the Book of Kost'Amojin. In all that time, only one Kai has ever opened the book and attempted to unlock its power. Winn paid the price for her arrogance. No matter what you think of me, Odo, I give you my solemn oath that the book shall remain undisturbed."
"And what good is your solemn oath to me?" demanded Odo. "When the only force you answer to are your Prophets? What guarantee do I have that tomorrow, or the next day, or a year from now you decide to use that power in the name of the Prophets will?"
"I know you will not believe me," replied the Kai. "But it is a matter you will have to take on faith."
"Faith," spat back Odo. "Kira…." He choked on the words and left the sentence unfinished.
"Would it provide any comfort," said the Kai not unkindly. "If I were to confess to you that I have no idea what the Prophets will of me? If I were to say that, like you, I see some truth in what people like Tobin Io believe about the future of Bajor? But like you, I also believe in duty. My duty. And as Kai, my duty is to protect that which has been entrusted to my care. I do not know what the future holds. I dare not ask. But I do know what is expected of me as the Kai and, like Kira Nerys, I will do my duty until I draw my last breath."
Odo studied I-ko Nye as he made his confession and realized that the man before him spoke what be believed to be the truth. Suddenly weary of the whole business, he turned to leave. He was nearly at the door when he stopped and turning back to face the Kai issued a final warning. "If she dies," he said.
"If she dies," replied I-ko. "It will be a great loss for all of Bajor."
"You had better pray that she doesn't."
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The sun had set long ago leaving the room illuminated only by the soft glow of the interior lighting. Odo sat quietly by the biobed, his eyes never leaving the still figure that lay upon it. The doctors had tried explaining; lack of oxygen to the brain, drastic blood loss, sudden drops in blood pressure as he withdrew his substance from around her heart – and from her veins, etc., but their words fell on deaf ears. Gingerly slipping two fingers beneath her wrist, he felt only slightly reassured to find a weak pulse as he caressed the smooth skin on the top of her wrist with this thumb, marveling at how thin her arms were, how fragile. Not for the first time he contemplated how frail the humanoid body was; how easily injured and yet, how eager some humanoids were to place themselves in danger of bodily injury. Turning her unresisting hand in his, he held it against his face and gently pressed a kiss on the inside of her palm. He was suddenly reminded of the first time she had invited him to her bed. How small her body was, how slight her build, and of how frightened he was of unintentionally hurting her. And yet, how supple and resilient her body was beneath his…
Hearing a noise behind him, he gently laid her hand back on the bed, but did not turn to face the new arrival.
"I'm sorry, sir," said one of the nurses. "But you really must go now."
"If you don't mind," he replied. "I would rather stay."
"I understand," she assured him. "If it were up to me…Why don't you go get some rest for a few hours? If the Colonel's condition changes, we'll let you know."
Realizing there was no point in arguing, Odo nodded in reply. He would leave, for now, silently vowing to return as soon as he was able.
Unable to sleep and unwilling to go home, Jake Sisko, found himself wandering the halls of the hospital attached to the Militia compound. He was not surprised to find Odo standing alone and forlorn in the corridor outside the intensive care ward.
"Any news?" he asked although he knew the answer just by the look on the changelings face.
"Sarah?" asked Odo ignoring the question all together.
"Sarah's okay. She'll be staying with Commander Landis and his wife until I can get to the Station to collect her. Dhek wants me to be available for a few more days while she ties up all the lose ends," replied Jake. "I can't wait for you to meet Sarah."
"We've met."
Jake puzzled over Odo's reply for a moment before dismissing the remark as a misunderstanding. He looked at the changeling and realized he had never seen him so weary; it was as though Odo bore the weight of the universe on his shoulders. "Odo," asked Jake after a moment. "May I ask you a question?"
"You just did."
"It's obvious," continued Jake ignoring the remark. "That you were meant to retrieve the Book of Kost'Amojin. You had all that power in your hands, why didn't you use it?"
"Why?" scoffed the changeling. "I sometimes think that one single word will be the epitaph of your species."
"It's a fair question."
It was a fair question and one that Odo had spent the last few hours asking himself. How could he explain it to Jake when he couldn't really explain to himself? "Someone," he replied eventually, turning to glance back at the door leading to the Intensive Care Ward. "Someone once asked me: what was the point of having power if you weren't prepared to use it? The one thing I learned from my people, if I learned anything at all, is that no one controls that kind of power, it controls you. It is not something that happens overnight, but slowly over time. Each exercise in power, each compromise, each victory or defeat chips away at you little by little until there is nothing left of you and all that remains is…power. A power you will do anything to retain. You said it yourself, Jake, the price was too high."
"So, you just handed it back to I-ko Nye?"
Odo nodded in agreement.
"And how do you know," asked Jake. "That I-ko Nye won't use it?"
Odo glanced sharply at Jake and then looked away. Jake wanted an easy answer, but one did not exist. How could he even hope to explain to this trusting young man that he no longer cared what the Kai of Bajor did with the book?
How could he explain to Jake the war that raged deep within him? How despite his ejection from the Link, he still felt its influence, though half a galaxy away? How, despite everything, he was left with a feeling of detachment he had never felt so sharply before? How small humanoids looked to him, how pathetic they were, how unrelated their concerns were to his existence? And finally, how could he confess how bitterly he loathed himself for thinking that way.
With time, he had begun, once again, to look at others in terms of the individual and to once again care for them as individuals, but people taken collectively remained beyond his realm of caring. What did he care if the Kai used the book? He didn't. As far as he was concerned, he had had made his sacrifice on the altar of humanity years ago and he was now done with them for good. He likened his existence to that of the oceans, existing as part of a planet, but forever separate from the land; forever to be caught in the gravitational pull of one world, but eternally destined to be influenced by the pull of another.
What did he care? If he cared at all it was only because…she cared. She was the only thing that made his existence bearable. It was only through her that he was able to find even a measure of peace. Without her….
"Odo?" prompted Jake gently.
"I do not know," confessed Odo eventually. "There are somethings you'll just have to accept as…a matter of faith."