Sorry it's been so long since I updated! The holidays were VERY busy! I'm sorry! Well, here's the next chapter. And hopefully, 25 won't be so long in coming.

Chapter Twenty-four

The room Gentanar had prepared for Marina was perfect. The floor was black and white marble, covered by a soft green rug under and around the bed. The bed had four posts and was draped in soft, sheer blue and green, with flowering vines twisting up the posts. There was a large vanity, white in color, like the bed, and a huge window with a window seat. An old-fashioned ceiling fan hung from the ceiling, green, blue, and silver streamers hanging from its blades and making a soft sound as they spun.

"Do you like it, my dear?" Gentanar asked, coming up behind Marina and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Marina quickly stepped away from him, moving deeper into the room. "It's beautiful. Like something out of a dream." She spun around to face her enemy. "But seeing how you know me so well, why would you even think that a beautiful room would draw me to your side? I'm not at all materialistic, you know."

"I know." Gentanar crossed his arms and leaned against the black and white papered wall. Somehow, the gesture reminded Marina entirely of Julian.

"Oh." Marina cleared her throat, nervous that Gentanar knew so much about her.

"There are other things I have created for you here that I am sure will have more influence over your decision to stay."

Marina laughed sharply. "My decision? As if I have a choice! I am a prisoner here! The only reason I have not killed you and all your men and escaped is the fact that you have my friends captive as well. If they are what you are talking about, then yes. You have something that will keep me here." She frowned thoughtfully. "But you said something you created…"

Gentanar smiled. "Yes. Something made by me."

Marina was silent.

"Just eaten up by curiosity, aren't you?" Gentanar asked, stepping closer to her.

Marina looked away from him, turning her eyes to the window, looking through its shiny panes to the darkness outside.

"There's a closet over there," Gentanar said quietly, motioning to the wall near the vanity. "Change into something pretty and knock on the door when you are ready. This is something I cannot explain. I would rather show you."

Marina crossed her arms and said nothing.

"Good evening, then." Gentanar bowed, then turned and left the room.

(LINE)

"Hello, Julian!" Miles greeted as two guards shoved his friend into the small, dark dungeon room.

"Hello, Miles." Julian squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. "Are we all here?"

"Yes, all of us," Odo replied. "In this tiny room…" He shot a glare at Quark and muttered under his breath, "Too close for comfort."

"All of us except for Lt. Richardson," Captain Sisko pointed out.

Julian nodded grimly. "Gentanar has special plans for her." He slammed his fist into his other palm and cursed. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Maybe there is," Kira spoke up. "We can't just give up! Gentanar must have some sort of weakness."

"He's arrogant as hell," Julian muttered darkly.

"Maybe he can't see beyond himself," Miles suggested. "Maybe we can use that to our advantage."

Kira nodded. "I think we should at least try. We have to do something."

Dax glanced at Julian. "I hope Marina can hold her own out there without our backup. Do you think she'll be strong enough?"

"I hope so," Julian said quietly.

"She seems to be a very strong woman," Worf added. "I think we should trust her."

Suddenly, Julian remembered something. "Her hair clip!" he exclaimed.

Everyone looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Miles asked.

"You know, the special clip I made for her. The one that blocks her brain waves from harming those who are allergic to them," Julian explained.

"Ah, yes. I remember." Miles frowned. "But… what does that have to do with anything?"

"Odds are, some of those Cardassians and Jem'Hadar out there are allergic to Marina's brain waves," Dax spoke up, catching on.

"Precisely!" Julian exclaimed.

"But what can we do about it?" Quark asked. "We're stuck in here, in case you didn't remember, doctor."

"Yes, but they won't keep us in here forever," Garak replied. "They'll have to bring us out eventually. And somehow we'll have to signal Marina to remove her hair clip."

"This sounds like a good plan," Sisko said.

(LINE)

Marina, dressed in a short, sleeveless dress of blue silk and blue high heels, knocked at the door of her prison.

It quickly opened, revealing the face of one of the Cardassians whom she had seen before. "He is waiting for you, lieutenant," the man said formally. "Follow me. And don't even think about trying to run." He turned his back to her and began to walk.

Marina followed him. Curious, she tried to reach into his mind with her own. But something was blocking her. Gentanar, she was sure. So she resigned herself to walking behind the guard, feeling almost sick at her helplessness. This was Gentanar's place, his stronghold. And she was trapped inside.

The Cardassian guard led Marina down long, marble hallways and up an elaborate curving staircase, finally coming to a stop in front of a tall, ebony door. "You may enter," he said to her, standing beside the door and gripping his phaser.

Marina hesitated. "Uhm, may I ask you something first?" She bent to rub one of her sore ankles. She had walked for far too long on heels!

The guard looked annoyed. "Go ahead."

"Why are you working for Gentanar, anyway?" Marina straightened and looked him in the eye.

"I don't work for him," the Cardassian protested. "I work for the Dominion."

Marina shook her head. "No. You don't. You're working for Gentanar."

"You don't understand how these things work," the guard snapped impatiently. "I do. Now be quiet and go inside. Now!"

"Gentanar is not working for the Dominion," Marina said, thinking that maybe she could get this man to help her. She wished that her mind powers weren't trapped by Gentanar's. "He's working for himself. And so are you. You just don't realize it. He's using you, using the Dominion. Why don't you see that?"

The Cardassian smiled crookedly. "You misunderstand the situation, Lt. Richardson," he said smoothly. "Gentanar is not using the Dominion. The Dominion is using him." He laughed quietly. "You psychogenotrons are all alike. Arrogant. Think you know everything. Well, you and Gentanar have made the same mistake in underestimating the Dominion. We have the entire situation under control. Gentanar works for us."

Marina raised her eyebrows. "Well. I'll remember that." She started toward the door, then stopped and turned to the guard. "But I think that you are making a mistake. The Dominion may be in control, but… Gentanar is vastly powerful. And so am I." Her voice lowered to just above a whisper. "You are making a mistake in underestimating psychogenotrons." Then she opened the door and stepped inside.

What she saw made her catch her breath. She stood in awe, not even noticing the door shut behind her. She was in a huge circular room with a domed ceiling. The room was bare of any furniture or decoration, but its design was elegant. Starlight shone through the skylights in the ceiling, twinkling on the black marble floor and displaying the inlay of silver. The stone walls were carved with figures of people in Grecian clothing.

But something was out of place. Marina frowned and peered closely at a section of the wall to her right. Contrasting sharply with the elegant and ancient style of the rest of the room was a panel of very modern computer technology. Marina took a step toward it, the clicking of her heels on the floor echoing through the domed room. She stop, startled momentarily by the sound. Then, shaking off the feeling of unease, she advanced toward the panel.

Suddenly, the room seemed to waver. Marina stopped walking, dizzy.

And there he was--Julian. He was standing right in front of her, blocking the panel of computer equipment from her view.

Marina blinked. "Julian! What are you doing here?"

He just smiled calmly at her.

"Looks just like him, doesn't it?" came a voice from behind her.

Marina spun around. "Gentanar. I--I didn't hear you come in."

"I've been here the entire time." The man smiled. "And I must say, you look gorgeous in that dress."

Then it hit her. "This is a holo-suite!"

"Excellent observation, lieutenant," Gentanar said, smiling crookedly and clapping. His claps echoed. "That is exactly what it is. I built it just for you."

"To keep me here… Is that it?" Marina put a hand on her hip. "This is just another one of your ploys to seduce me."

"You are very astute, milady--even without your mind powers." He stepped closer, stopping only when he was inches away from her.

"Back off," Marina said quietly, her eyes cold.

"I don't think I will," Gentanar said, reaching to touch her cheek.

Marina turned from him and crossed her arms. "All right, Gentanar. Why am I here? What do you want? Let's get this over with so I can go back to my cell."

"I just wanted to bring you here so I can show you what I can give you." The psychogenotron seemed unbothered by her coldness toward him.

"And what is that?"

"Anything your heart could desire," Gentanar whispered.

Marina shivered, a chill running up her body. Anything my heart could desire…

"So… what is it that you want?"

Marina spun on her captor. "I want to be back on Deep Space Nine with my friends, all of us unharmed. You wouldn't dare give me that."

Gentanar just smiled. "Computer," he said, "Process Marina's request."

And suddenly, they were on Deep Space Nine, on the Promenade. Dax and Worf walked by, chatting with each other. Captain Sisko and Jake were laughing together about something. Odo was following Quark. Kira was strolling by with some Bajoran dignitary. Garak walked by and flashed her a sly smile. Then Julian and Miles walked up. Julian waved good-bye to Miles and joined Marina by the railing. Marina shivered again when he took her hand.

"It's not real," Marina said, pulling her hand from Julian's. "They're all fake." She turned to the only real person in the room besides herself. "Gentanar, this is a holographic world. I want the real Deep Space Nine. I want to be surrounded by my real friends, my real fellow crewmates."

Gentanar's face was expressionless, but Marina could tell that he was biting back annoyance. "Computer, stop the program."

Deep Space Nine and its crew disappeared, and once again, Marina was in the domed room with the skylights, the marble floor, and the computer panel.

"I give you what you want, and it's not enough," Gentanar said through his teeth. "I don't understand you."

"No, you don't." Marina walked past him toward the dark door. "I don't want to spend my life in a hollow world. I want something real. And you can't--no, you won't--give me that." She reached for the door handle. "So… now that you know that I won't take what you offer, are you going to kill me or let me go?" She turned to glare at him.

Gentanar smiled tightly. "Neither. I plan to keep you here--and your friends as well--until you see reason."

Marina shook her head. "I don't see it in you." She opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

Gentanar quickly followed her. "You once again forget who holds the power here," he said, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him. "If you don't meet me here tomorrow morning at the time which I choose, one of your friends will pay the price."

Marina felt sick. Her spirit weakened. "All right." She dropped her eyes. "I'll be here."

"Good." Gentanar loosened his grip on her shoulder and reached to gently touch her cheek. "See you tomorrow." And he turned and left her with the guard.

"Back to your room with you, lieutenant," the Cardassian said.

"I know," Marina meekly replied. As she followed the guard back to her room, her hopelessness grew. How would she ever escape from this house of madness? Would she ever see her friends again? The ghost of the hologram Julian's touch still lingered on her hand. Would she ever be touched by the real Julian again?