Consequences

by DoctorH

This is a follow-up to "Failure Analysis," but it's not a sequel (and it is much shorter). A Physics professor arrives on DS9 and proposes to conduct experiments on the wormhole. The equation that forms the basis for the experiments is so complicated that almost no one can understand the equation... or its consequences. Sisko must decide whether to allow the experiments to proceed.

12. A visit to the Prophets

Chapter 12: A visit to the Prophets.

Sisko piloted the runabout Rio Grande into the wormhole. He adjusted the attitude of his craft, and presently became aware that his consciousness was in the Celestial Temple.

He had to know.

Before him stood a Prophet, manifested as Dax.

"Your concern is unjustified," "Dax" said. "The danger never was, is, or would be."

"I felt that I, as your Emissary, had a duty to advocate for you," Sisko explained. "I did not know whether Professor Nguyen's experiments would harm you or not. I chose to err on the safe side."

"What is, 'the safe side?'" inquired a Prophet, manifested as Kira.

"It means that, I did not know whether the creation of null time inside the Celestial Temple would hurt you, so I chose to prevent such creation until I could obtain such knowledge."

A Prophet manifested as Bashir answered. "In the realm of the Celestial Temple, what you call null time is for us nonexistence."

"Nonexistence? You mean, you would die?"

"Bashir" answered, "We would not die for we never exist at all."

"Then what you're saying is, the experiments would have harmed you! Null time would have terminated your existence!"

"Your expression is unrefined," intoned a Prophet manifested as O'Brien. "A more refined expression, in your understanding, would be to recognize this: the fact that we exist means that the experiments are not conducted."

Sisko was bewildered for a moment, then found himself thinking that what he'd been told made sense, in a strange way. From the Prophets' points of view, it wasn't that the existence of the Prophets could be terminated by the experiments; it was that the experiments were terminated by the existence of the Prophets.

But no matter how you looked at it, null time was inconsistent with the Prophets' existence.

So he'd made the right decision, not to allow null time in the wormhole. He'd thought he'd exercised his free will in making his decision, but the Prophets seemed to think that his decision was a pre-ordained event.

Either way, it was the right thing to do.

Sisko smiled. "I— I think I understand."

"Kira" said: "And we believe we understand as well; and we find it fitting to express to you gratitude for 'advocating' for us."

THE END