Future Reflections
Chapter Five: On your mark, get set...
. - . - .
The Runabout Deschutes was in their sights.
The two had hidden behind a stack of crates full of what looked like Starfleet rations, when the security detail had been called away to respond to an emergency.
"Just as I planned." Elim gloated in a whisper, pleased with himself. He had almost forgotten the Intendent was within earshot.
"Don't compliment yourself yet, we haven't left the station." She snapped quietly.
His lips pressed into a thin line. He could feel a throbbing headache grow behind his eyes, and her frequent jabs weren't helping. Of course he had to take her with him; in this timeline, Cardassians had terrorized Bajorans to such a degree that his presence alone on Bajor would be immediately noticed. He suspected that a Bajoran companion would help ease any witnesses until it was too late. Still, did it have to be this Bajoran? He supposed he could try to kill her again, later.
When he saw the coast was clear, he motioned for the Intendent to follow. They dashed towards the runabout, snuck aboard, and instructed it to close its hatch.
The Intendent landed in the co-pilot seat with an excited squeal.
"Ah, I love that new ship smell! Don't you?" She rubbed her hand over the fabric of her arm rest. "Ohh, not like our old ships back home." She smiled fondly. "I was planning on updating the entire fleet once I became Regent. I could have, you know. If I had more help from you."
"Do. You. Mind." Elim grumbled, trying to focus through the headache. These controls were strange, not what he was used to. But he was getting the hang of it rather quickly: it was very user friendly, these Starfleet vessels. Perhaps that wasn't such a good thing! "I'm a little busy." He added needlessly.
"What are you doing?"
"Shh!" His head was beginning to throb. He pressed on his temple and tried to will the pain away. He could feel another fever coming on, and the runabout began to spin slightly. The medicine in this realm was better, faster. But as he soon discovered, they weren't miracle-workers, and they and the virus has side effects. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. The vertigo stopped. He opened his eyes and continued on his work.
"Hacking sensors again? You used this tactic before, when those Breen renegades tried to take us hostage. Remember?"
"They aren't the Breen. So there's no reason why it wouldn't work here." Elim replied curtly, and maneuvered the small ship away from the station and into space.
"It looks to me like you're just rehashing old tactics. I hope you have something new in your arsenal when old tricks stop working." She hoped allying herself with him hadn't been a mistake. He had fallen so far from when they had first met. He had been young, eager to please, brilliant. Now he was bitter and broken.
She had almost forgotten what triggered his descent to mediocrity; it was only when she was alone in Bashir's infirmary that she remembered. Why couldn't he just get over it? It's not like the brat had earned any value in the 26 hours it was on the station.
She turned on the rear sensor, where Deep Space Nine loomed large an foreboding: Her kingdom, her prison.
"Do you think we could fire on it?" Her fingers hovered over the weapons control.
"Our phasers are too weak to do any real damage. It would only attract unwanted attention." Elim answered, eyeing her eager fingers wearily. "And with the Defiant still docked here I wouldn't dare." Elim warned. Her fingers folded into her fist. Another time, perhaps.
"Speaking of the Defiant, why didn't you try to take that instead? It would have been the better option."
"Because it's guarded by the Regent?"
Intendent scoffed. "The Regent here can't be anything like ours. This universe is so tame in comparison."
"I'd rather not tempt fate."
"You're such a disappointing coward."
"I'm sorry, I was busy hijacking station sensors, deactivating a tractor beam, and getting over Ulcartic Fever to just melee with a fully trained Klingon!"
"No need to get testy! So emotional." She rolled her eyes. "Why haven't they noticed us yet?"
"I just modified the shuttle to appear as a communications buffer. It's not perfect, but it will buy us some time."
"Hmm." The Intendent watched with immense pleasure as Deep Space Nine shrank in size with growing distance.
"I actually did it. I managed to escape." She purred. "Set a course for Bajor."
"What - now?! Shouldn't we lay low for a while first?"
"I don't intend to stay here any longer than I have to. I have a timeline to correct."
Elim shook his head. "This is a mistake." He muttered and plot a course for Bajor. "I don't know why they moved the station so far away from it."
"Something about a wormhole; I really couldn't care less about it." She rest her boot on the monitor and leaned back, adjusting to make herself more comfortable.
. - . - .
In the docking ring, Kira bashed her fist against the gear door. "Damn!" She tapped her comm badge. "Kira to Ops, we just missed them. Can you tractor them back?"
"I'm not picking up any unauthorized shuttlecraft on our sensors."
"Have them search for any extra unmanned probes, sensors, or communications buffers." Garak advised from behind her.
"Are you reading any additional unmanned craft? We should have three probes, six sensors and eight communication buffers."
"I'm counting nine communication buffers, Major!"
Kira shot an impressed glance over to Garak. "That will likely be our fugitives. Lock on to the communications buffer that has a trajectory outside the station's gravity field, and tractor it back in."
"Aye, sir!"
. - . - .
"This is Deep Space Nine to Deschutes, you are not clear to disembark. Return immediately."
"What's the point of telling us that if they know we won't listen?" Elim growled.
"They probably don't know it's us yet." Intendent surmised, and tapped her monitor in the co-pilot station.
"Not to worry, one of those explosions was a real one. I knocked out their tractor beam."
"Oh, I just adore you!" She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Do not touch me." He warned with a glare.
She released her arms and raised them in defeat. She sank back into her co-pilot seat and watched with pleasure. Just when he couldn't sink any lower, he would redeem himself. That little glimmer of his old self was enough to make her want to forgive his failures - almost.
He powered up the engine to warp, and with a flash, Deep Space Nine disappeared.
Me and my Second-In-Command, just like old times.
And once I have the Orb of Time, everything will be made right.
. - . - .
"Why didn't you tractor them in?" Sisko asked Nog, who immediately looked defensive, like a frightened rabbit.
"I couldn't! The tractor beam was offline! It must have been damaged in the explosions!"
"There were no explosions on the station." O'Brien explained. "It was all sensor tricks."
"Not all of them were sensor tricks, Chief." Odo defended the ferengi as he entered Ops. "There was one legitimate explosion that knocked our tractor beam offline." It was large enough to have shaken the station, which led an artificial credence to the initial reports of multiple explosions everywhere else. After Garak's warning, Odo had ordered a team to locate and deactivate the bomb, but found it too late. Two of his deputies were injured. One didn't make it.
Sisko was rubbing his eyes in irritation.
Worf was already sporting a look of disapproval. "Why wasn't the other Garak apprehended earlier." He asked Odo flatly.
"The trap we set for Garak's counterpart failed to activate. He made off with the Intendent and all of Bashir's antivirals." Odo answered.
"Maybe the Ulcartic fever will slow him down?" Ezri offered.
"Not likely." Bashir said somberly, having just arrived at Ops after treating the injured security officers. "There were several cures for Ulcartic Virus in my stockpile. They had arrived just hours before."
"Irresponsible." Worf blurted.
"Excuse me?"
"You left the cure for the virus within his reach, knowing he would need it, and seek it out."
"Where else am I to store it, Worf? In a box at Quark's?"
"You should have waited until the infection ran its course!"
"Worf..." Ezri tried to interject.
"And risk spreading the virus to everyone else on the station?" Bashir replied coolly.
Worf exhaled. "Point made."
From the turbolift, Kira's irritated voice carried. "I don't want to hear it, Garak!"
"All I'm saying is if you and the constable had listened to me and had doctor Bashir store his antivirals in the Celestial Cafe's freezer, the antivirals would have been preserved and my doppelganger would be dead, not menacing the station!"
"For once we agree on something." Worf muttered under his breath.
"Not all antivirals can be stored at the same temperature!" Ezri hissed while shooting him a dirty look, which he ignored.
"This isn't helping, Garak!" Kira barked and approached captain Sisko.
"Permission to take a Runabout, sir."
"Do you know where they're going?" Sisko asked.
Nog scanned the readings from his station. "Sensors indicate their trajectory was Bajor, sir."
"That's a risky move. Why would they go there and not the wormhole?" Sisko wondered.
"I can't anticipate the Intendent's moves as well as I can my counterpart. I'm certain he is following her instruction." Garak looked to Kira as if expecting an explanation of the Intendent's intentions.
"I have no idea why she would go there!" She said with a shake of her head. "It's insane!"
"Well, she is that." Sisko added. "Nog, send a message to Bajoran authorities to be on the lookout."
"Aye, sir."
"I doubt they will approach Bajor without camouflaging their warp signature first." Garak warned.
"But that would take some time to configure." Kira countered.
"It would, so may I suggest searching Bajor's moons first?" The Cardassion suggested.
Nog grimaced as he received correspondence back from Bajor.
"Captain? Bajoran authorities just said they won't allocate manpower or resources to apprehend them."
"Did they say why?"
"They said that would be excessive use for a 'petty crime'." Nog shook his head. Orbs could bring in substantial profit, if marketed properly to the right buyer.
"I would hardly call theft of an orb, hijacking a runabout, and physical battery as petty!" Odo scoffed in dsbeleif. "So they're going to wait until they commit more crimes before apprehending them?"
"Take the Runabout." Sisko said. Kira was about to walk away when Sisko continued. "I want you to take Garak with you."
Garak bowed his head in a purely Cardassian show of obedience.
Kira opened her mouth to object. Having Garak assist her on the station was one thing, but being stuck in a Runabout with him was another.
"He did warn us of what his alternate was intending to do. He could be useful." Sisko told her. In seeing the wisdom of his reasoning, she remained silent.
"Then we best get going. They already have an ample head start."