Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek obviously.
I was always curious about what Quark did right after being rescued in "The Ascent"
The last few sentences between Quark & Odo are ripped directly from the episode.
, . , . , . , .
"All that Twinkles"
, . , . , . , .
The wind had died down, but even then, it was still so cold that his teeth hurt.
His flesh, however, had stopped burning a long time ago.
He lay slumped backwards over the emitter; the rocks below him were frigid and sharp, and perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed that the emitter also emitted the smallest iota of heat along with that signal.
And so he put up with the most uncomfortable pillow ever and waited and hoped someone would find them.
He exhaled as he stared up at the sky, a puff of breath dissipating around him.
The stars were beautiful from up here: They twinkled a bright white against a dark blue expanse.
How crystal clear the sky looked even during the daytime at such an elevation. To think that he looked out the window of his quarters and saw those same stars every day. Somehow knowing there really was no glass between him and them made it so much more breathtaking.
Latinum was forever; that was true, but these powerful twinkling lights certainly weren't.
Just like people, they had an expiration date. In a way, that made them more rare than latinum.
And what was more rare was always found to be more valuable.
Perhaps it was because he knew he was to die soon, that made him appreciate the beauty of the affairs of the mortal.
It wouldn't be long now before he would find himself standing before the real Blessed Exchequer.
And what would he say to him? "Despite a life spent chasing profit, I have nothing to show you"?
Was it really nothing, though?
Like the man who lay hundreds of feet below him on the summit, just as powerful in his own way in his unwavering sense of being and justice.
Was Odo not just as rare as any one of these lights? Just what was the ex-changeling and ally, first-murderer-of-his-kind worth?
What of the others? Beautiful Natima, and the magnificent Grilka. Were they not rare as well? Could their worth ever be calculated accurately.
These people certainly held a certain affection for him in one form or another. Was that not valuable due to its rarity and temporary nature?
Perhaps it was folly to think of them as more valuable than latinum.
Maybe it was desperation in his final moments that made him think he had something valuable when he didn't.
Or maybe he suddenly realized they really were worth more than all the latinum in the universe.
Just as precious as the stars in the sky he watched with half-closed lids.
It was inevitable that each star would eventually succumb to its own weakness: time. And then they -and he- would fade away, like most things.
He thought he may have slept for a time, but a voice disrupted his sense of peace.
"Quark!" Some male shouted his name. "Quark!" The voice repeated, then the man tried to shake him awake. Quark's eyes remained closed.
"Blessed Exchequer," Quark pleaded in exhaustion, "I have something more rare than latinum."
"More rare than Latinum?"
"I have a friend. Of rare and high quality. You will find him..." He struggled to find the words. "...difficult to place a value. He is priceless and further down the summit. Please accept our friendship as proof of a life well lived." He finished his sentence with a gasp, then lost consciousness.
, . , . , . , .
He awoke to a burning sensation on his lobes. "Ah! Ow ow ow!" He shouted repeatedly, then turned his head to the man responsible. "Really, doctor!" He snarled.
"Hold still. You have severe frostbite. Unless you would prefer I not treat you, I could do an amputation of your ears instead." Dr. Bashir said smoothly.
"I'm not dead?"
"You almost were."
So the Blessed Exchequer still had not presented himself. It had all been a dream. Everything, even his plea to... to...
"Wait." Quark said in a panic. "What did I say? What did I say!"
"Relax," Dr. Bashir grinned. "I won't tell anyone what you said. Now lie still."
Quark eased back onto the bed in relief. "Ohh, you promise?" He couldn't imagine if that got back to Odo.
"I promise."
"Mmm." He rumbled, enjoying the warmth of the Defiant and the camaraderie nearby.
Yes, Bashir could be added to the pile of priceless commodities he had acquired. He would have to supply the doctor of some free alcohol to ensure his silence. No need for Odo to catch wind of what had been said, after all.
Discounted synthale. The old stuff. Ten percent discount. Maybe five? Five. Five percent discount.
"Come to my bar next time. I'll give you a three percent discount for your...discretion."
"How generous of you."
"I know. Hard to believe I make a profit like this."
He sighed happily, and slept for a time.
, . , . , . , .
When he awoke again, he saw that Odo quietly occupied the bed on his left.
"Odo. Odo! Are you awake?" He asked.
"I am now." The man answered gruffly.
"We survived."
"We did."
"I bet you were surprised I actually made it all the way to the top."
"Astounded."
"You remember back there when I told you I hated you, and you told me you hated me?"
"Vividly."
"I just want you to know. I meant every word of it."
"So did I."
-finis
