THE BAJOR SYSTEM - ANOTHER UNIVERSE

"I wish to let it be known I do not like surprise parties," Worf intoned, sitting blindfolded in a chair in Quark's bar on Deep Space Nine.

He heard Captain Benjamin Sisko say, "But it's not a surprise party, Worf, because you already know about it. The surprise is in the gift."

"Which has arrived," Jadzia Dax added. "Ok, Worf, open your hand."

Worf grumbled softly but opened his right hand. He felt a glass pushed into it. "What is it?" he asked.

"Sorry, you have to drink it," Major Kyra said.

Worf cautiously brought the glass to his lips, took a slip-

- and broke into a grin when he downed it. "Prune juice!?" he yelped, surprised.

"Couldn't let you go without your warrior's drink," a familiar woman's voice said.

"Guinan!?" Worf tore off the blindfold. The black skinned bartender from the *Enterprise* stood before him, flanked by Quark and two other Ferengi - one older and one about the same age as Quark. He also recognized Admiral Paris.

Worf started to stand. "Admiral-"

"As you were," Admiral Paris said. "This is your day, Commander. Enjoy it."

"You're not getting out of drinking your prune juice that easily," Guinan said with a smile.

"Why would I want to?" Worf smiled as he savored the rest of the juice. The he turned to Guinan. "You brought this from the *Enterprise*?"

"No, although Captain Picard and the others send their regards; they were unable to make it. That's not replicated; it's real prune juice, brought from Earth by Quark's cousin here, Daimon Pi Meson."

"The first of many shipments from Earth," Pi Meson said with a smile. "And I also have a lucrative deal for root beer from a bottler in - what's the name of the city?"

"Montreal," Quark said.

"Yes, Montreal," Pi Meson said.

"It's part of a pilot program," Admiral Paris said. "We still have to move supplies that can't be replicated, and the Ferengi have made the case that they are the experts on moving cargo and keeping it safe. We're going to observe their operations and use them as a models for a new generation of armed cargo ships. Assuming, of course, the Ferengi behave themselves." He turned to the old Ferengi. "Isn't that right, Kaimon Muon?"

"Any business relationship is prone to misunderstandings in the early stages," Muon said authoritatively. "But I am sure we will smooth things out and both sides will profit from it. We have much to teach our Federation friends, don't we Pi?"

Pi nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I admire Starfleet. The *Galaxy,* *Nebula,* and *Sovereign* class starships are marvels engineering. Militarily, they're the equal of anything out there, no question. But when it comes to efficiently moving merchandise, you have it all wrong. Quite frankly, you don't know your lobes from beetle nests. You need help. And after profiting from my dealings with the Federation, I'm glad to help."

"Only fare," Quark said, "and good for business. As uncle Muon always said, don't bet against hyu-mons."

"And I said it even when you boys weren't listening," Muon said. "But you know your crazy uncle is right now, don't you?"

"Yes, Uncle," Quark and Pi chorused.

"Strange," Odo said. "With the Federation being threatened by the Dominion, you're not even hedging your bets?"

"Boys?" Muon said.

Quark went first: "Where other species seem to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else - and yes, I include the Ferengi in this - hyu-mons have done a little bit of everything. They've had the honor-bound warrior classes, but not to the exclusion of all else. They've had their brilliant scientists, but they're not all nerds. And as far as capitalism goes, if I hadn't already been to Earth, I'd be taking a pilgrimage to Wall Street this year. But they didn't all become merchants."

"When did you go to Earth?" Pi asked.

"1947."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. The point is hyu-mons specialize in not specializing. You see it in their food - a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It makes you flexible, able to adapt. And where you may fall short in an area, you have the lobes to draw on species who make that area their business. You're the living embodiments of diversification."

"That adaptability has served you well," Pi said. "In the past 75 years, the Federation has doubled its territory and made quantum leaps in starship design. In contrast, the Dominion's territory has only increased 5% over the last 150 years, and their starship design has been frozen for twice that long."

"Their societal structure is too rigid," Quark said. "It stifles innovation. Which goes along with what the Founders are." Quark turned to Odo. "Nothing personal, Odo, but your people are a homogenous pile of goo. They pick a place to lie and stay there. They're the opposite of nimble. In one of the greatest ironies of all time, a race of shape shifters has given up trying to adapt. They don't bother. One way or another, they'll lose in the long run."

"There's plenty of upside for hyu-monity in spite of recent challenges," Muon said, "and these boys had the lobes to see that - if grudgingly, at first - but they let good business sense win out in the end. And so maybe it's time for them to take on new challenges."

Quark and Pi frowned. "What are you saying, Uncle?" Quark asked.

"I can't live forever," Muon said. "It's getting close to time for me to retire. But someone has to take over my counting house on Ferenginar." He smiled broadly and clapped his hands on his nephews' shoulders. "And so I am going to name my nephews, Quark and Pi Meson, to be my successors, pending approval from the board of directors."

"I…" Quark stammered. "I don't know what to say, Uncle."

"I'm speechless as well," Pi said.

Muon smiled. "I knew you boys would be happy."