Odo was beyond flustered right now, a viscous sludge was forming right above his brow.
This was odd because it hadn't even been 16 hours yet.
Was his solid form already begining to revert back to it's liquid state?
It couldn't be.
Maybe it was just stress.
Yes it had to be the stress that's what was doing this.
He had never done this before yet again he really wasn't that keen on asking Sikso to have dinner with him anyway.
He never ate, he had no need to eat and since he didn't possess taste buds so the experience was interesting but the sensation left him unsatisfied.
Odo had been too flustered at the time to argue with Bashir and remind him that he got no joy from food and drink whatsoever.
Bashir was so keen on bringing people together and having everyone get along that he forgot that he himself was not capable of eating.
Just as Odo went around the corner that lead to the promenade and he heard a familiar voice greet him.
"Good Morning Constable.
Funny meeting you here, out on the promenade."
There Sisko stood casually leaning on one elbow rested against the one of the promenade acloves.
"I'd hardly call it good just yet Commander and I find nothing humorous about meeting you here on promenade, especially since I've looking for you for the past 30 minutes.
If I recall that son of yours, Jake loved to loiter around this area constantly, along with his Ferengi accomplice Nog.
I almost had this area closed down due to their negligence of the law.
I suppose he doesn't loiter any longer these days now does he?"
"Oh I'm sure he does here and there.
He's a successful novelist now.
I'm very proud of him.
I was surprised by his career choice, since he had such a spark at Star Fleet Academy, yet I am happy for him, he's doing what he loves and I can't ask for anything more than to have my son pursue a career he loves.
He is happy with his life so I'm happy."
"Understandable.
What of Nog? How is he these days?"
"Well he became the first Ferengi to serve under Star Fleet, he became a very brave and capable asset to the Federation.
Just as you guessed it, he was the first of his kind to be promoted to captain.
Is Rom still a engineer here on the station?"
" Yes after Rom gave up his life long pursuit of inheriting that internal Dabo bar, he stuck with his engineering career on this station.
Quite a interesting career switch isn't it?"
"Yes indeed it is.
I knew there was a certain spark in him too, that spark of greatness.
All he had to do was get out from under his brother's shadow and so he did.
Do let me guess, Quark is still here?"
"Would you have it any other way?
Yes he's still here, being the infuriating and obnoxious pest he's always been.
Just goes to show some things never change especially when it comes to Quark".
"Yes some things never change like Dr. Bashir for instance, I ran into him on my way here to the promenade, I was almost jealous after meeting him, He didn't look a day over 35.
Yet tell me How are you holding up these days Odo?"
"I keep myself together...rather well like I usually do.
You don't look too bad yourself for an Emissary.
I suppose Bashir told you about these ridiculous Dinner plans."
"Oh yes, I'd hardly call it ridiculous, I think it's a splendid idea.
I have a even greater idea, Constable.
How about I help you lighten the load for a few days?"
"How do you plan on doing that?"
Odo had that accusing bite to his tone yet again.
"Well since I've taken the Captain's chair why don't I take the helm as Commander for a little while?"
"This isn't your idea is it?"
"No it's not but honestly I wasn't trying to take all the credit for the idea, I just wanted Bashir to remain the unseen genius he's always been."
"Yes I admit Bashir has always liked being behind the scenes but Benjamin there really is no need to defend him.
I know he's behind this whole thing, he likes to tinker, to meddle with things that usually don't need to be fixed in the first place."
"Hey now, Bashir has your best interests at Heart and as you remember he almost always has good intentions behind everything he does.
So what if this was his idea?
He merely made a recommendation, a mere suggestion and I readily agreed with so this isn't just a favor for him, this is a favor for you.
I consider you to be an old friend and I always help out a old friend, Constable".
"Yes emphasis on old.
I suppose I should thank you.
Thank you, Benjamin.
Did he tell you about her by any chance?"
"The newcomer? Yes he did but briefly.
I must say I am intrigued, in fact I simply can't wait to meet her."
"Then he obviously didn't tell you how dangerous she is.
I was going to tell him more about the dangers of having her aboard this station but I could hardly get a word in edgewise.
He was talking non stop and then he got whisked away with these grand plans of dinner, the empty chair at the bridge and him wanting me to take it easy for the rest of the day.
Doctor's orders he told me.
He also told he'd have everything taken care of while I was enjoying my day off.
I highly doubted that would happen but I stand corrected.
Perhaps Bashir really can do it all."
"Oh of course he can. He's capable of innumerabley incredible things as are you Odo.
Now what seems to be the problem with this new girl?
Come we can talk on the way to the bridge".
"Well, Benjamin, it's not that I don't like the girl, I do and I would prefer her to stay within the safety of these station walls.
She has an incredibly tragic backstory, yet when I suggested to her that she seemed to be rather well taken care for a prisoner being held captive by the Cardassians, she gave me the worst death stare imaginable and then all the Lights began shorting out.
I checked the computer, the computer told me there were no traces of frayed wires or any signs of the electrical cables becoming disconnected.
There were no panels that had been opened, no bolts were loose, no connection were severed and there was absolutely no evidence of anyone tampering with the internal power supply.
The odd thing is this glitch effected the entire station, Sisko.
I asked her to explain how these abilities work and all she told me was that she had an odd influence on technology.
Influence is not quite the same as control.
She can apparently control technology very efficiently, in fact it just so happens to be here area of expertise.
She was able to reconstruct a synaptic stimulator to function as a Telepathic Transmitter at only 8 years old.
She can control people as well but after watching 15 years worth of Cardassian torture methods, that was enough to discourage her from using it on anybody else.
So she could potentially have the power to turn this entire station upside down if she wanted to and as Chief of Security I can't let that happen.
It is my duty and responsibility to prevent anything of that nature to happen on this station.
So in a way I can't really allow her to remain here... at least not any longer than she has to.
She has connections with the Cardassian Empire, she knew both Gul Ducat and Garak quite intimately, she may even have connections with the Maquis.
She was a stowaway on a Romulun vessel and she even used her manipulation techniques to bypass all the computer's security systems just to get in here onto this station.
She has broken so many federation rules and Star Fleet regulations it's not even funny to mention the Bajoran laws that still govern over this station.
She is dangerous and she may prove to be even more dangerous the longer she stays here.
Yet Bashir thinks it would be a grand idea that we have dinner with the girl.
He doesn't see the danger cause he's too busy seeing the silver lining and skipping under rainbows to see that not everyone has good intentions, not everyone is honest, pure and sincere like he is."
"Yet Bashir believes she is honest, pure and sincere and I think you must believe that too.
Why else would you allow her to stay here?"
"Because I knew her family!
I met her mother and her grandfather, her aunts, her uncles, her cousins and even her
neighbors, for crying out loud!
I knew her as a little girl and she wasn't afraid of me, she treated me with the upmost kindness and respect.
What happened to her planet in the Gamma Quadrant was despicable, It was disgustingly horrible, it was a highly pernicious and traumatic event, one that I'm sure will be replayed within her mind till the day she dies.
What happened on Yandera Prime never should have happened.
What happened to those people was absolutely appalling.
She deserves a safe haven away from all that death and destruction.
She deserves to heal and find some form of happiness.
That's why she's here Commander!"
Even though he was shouting Sisko just smiled at his passionate display.
"Then that's reason enough to keep her here.
Yandera Prime was indeed a tragedy.
The atrocities done on that planet alone is reason enough for me and the federation has a obligation to take in such people like herself.
So why not have her stay?"
"I'm glad, you agree with me."
Odo blurted out smugly as they entered the turbo lift that lead up to the Operations Center which was equivalent to any ordinary Star fleet Bridge that was aboard any Federation Regulated Star Ship.
Odo still had doubts about his executive decision.
What if he was wrong?
What if she brought the whole station to ruin?
If DS9 was destroyed it would be entirely his fault.
What would Sisko think of him then if he had compromised the safety of Deep Space 9 for his own feelings and his own personal convictions?
He'd worked alongside the federation before, even if Bajor hired him elsewhere he'd be too ashamed and angry with himself to accept any type of security detail job ever again.
Perhaps he could be a tailor like Garak had been after his work as a Cardassian spy.
No, I don't know anything about replicating fabrics, I've never touched any type of clothe in my life.
I'd probably be no good at that anyway.
Perhaps I could be a special Ops Officer like Jahdzia Dax had been.
It's too bad Gul Ducat isn't around, he'd certainly give me a job... I think but no I can't work under Cardassia law again, not after what I've seen, not after what I had to do for them.
I was a investigator, they had tried to make me an interrogator but I had refused after witnessing their brutal tortures tactics.
I saw that scar on her face.
That scar isn't just skin deep, no doubt it goes deeper than that.
It probably effects her brain, her way of thinking, it might even reach down to her very soul for all I know.
That poor girl.
What was I thinking sending her away.
"Look at it this way Odo, If you do send her away, Where will she go then?
She can't very well go back to her home planet, not after the war between the Dominum and Cardassians had it destroyed.
She has no living relatives and no friends to speak of, so where would you send her, to Bajor?"
"Oh a Terran looking Yanderan amongst a bunch of Bajorans, I suppose you think that would be better than having her stay here?
No she would be very out of place, possibly even more so than if she were to stay here.
She already doesn't feel she belongs here on this station, so to send her away would just ostracize her more than she already is.
She won't belong there, she belongs here... for now unless she proves otherwise."
"A wise decision.
It would seem rather cruel to send her away after coming to you for help.
She did come here for your sake didn't she?"
"Yes she did.
You see I met her on Yandera Prime when she was a little girl.
Her grandfather was their leader and he was the head scientist as well.
He was a exceptionally intelligent man unfortunately he was dying by the time we arrived to their planet.
So she literally has no one to look after her now.
I was there to investigate a series of disappearances if you remember".
"Oh yes I remember.
I remember it very well actually.
Perhaps you two can describe the events further over dinner tonight.
In the meantime this so called influence on technology might come in handy.
Perhaps you could assign her with a occupation as an engineer on the Bridge".
"It's not a bridge, it's the Operations Center but yes I suppose I could give her something to do.
O' Brian could definitely use a extra hand."
"O' Brian is still here?
I thought he went back to earth with his family to live a quieter life as College Professor".
"Yes he did but after his wife died and his daughter went off to college herself he didn't know what to do with himself so he came back here.
I recommended him as Chief Engineer and Kurland liked the idea so much he hired him, yet that was only after he fired the last Chief Engineer.
He was highly appreciative of my interference and O' Brian and I have had a pleasant relationship ever since."
"Well that's good at least. So how is smiley doing these days?
Does he Still play traditional Raquetball with Bashir?"
"Occasionally they do yes.
They get along for the most part, there is still a bit of Friendly competition between them but they remain civil and on fairly good terms".
"I'm so glad especially after that last Racquetball fiasco.
You remember that surprise Racquetball competition Quark put on for everyone to watch?"
"Yes, I wish I could forget.
Then he claimed a certain percent would go to Bajoran Orphans.
He kept saying to Bashir and O' Brian" But think of the orphans" everytime they tried back out".
Sisko laughed in a sophisticated fashion as he arrived to the Operations Center and strode non challantly towards the Commander's Chair.
"Then the match was shut down due to Disturbances within the laws of Probability.
The Neutrinos were out of whack if I remember correctly. "
"Jahdzia sorted it all out in the end.
It is beyond me, why throwing a ball at a wall serves as a source of entertainment."
"It has its moments I suppose.
I'm more of a baseball fan myself yet One thing I will say about racquetball is it is excellent excercise."
"I don't need exercise.
I don't have muscles or bones".
"Lucky you.
So is dinner still on for this evening?"
"It's already too late to turn back now, Commander.
Bashir most likely made the reservations already".
"Where are we going this time?"
"At Quarks of course.
Where else?"
"Call me crazy but something tells me this whole arrangement doesn't sit well with you".
"Oh I have no idea how you came to that conclusion, Commander. You'll have to explain how this strange hypothetical system of yours, works one of these days.
It's not the dinner plans that bother me, it's the fact we'll be making those dinner plans in such close proximity to Quark.
Quark has a thing for that girl!
It's disgusting.
He spoke to me like they had actual close relations with the one another.
She doesn't drink and she has no desire to gamble, so I highly doubt she met Quark in that bar.
No doubt Quark was chasing her all around the station.
I've seen what happens when any female walks by his establishment, he tracks them down like a rabid animal.
He's never very subtle about it.
He pretends he's simply wandering around, when everyone know he's been on their trail for the last hour.
Quark may be glued onto her the entire evening."
"No, not if we can help it.
Here's an idea, Just tell him she's with someone".
"With someone as in taken?"
"Well yes in a way but more of a plus one".
"I'm not familiar with that term.
Is it a terran term or a Terran idiom of some sort?"
"Take Lwaxana Troi, she was your plus one at the Bajoran Festival here on this station several years back.
So that's what she could be".
"For you or for me?"
Odo's blue eyes were brimming with worry now.
"It would be a date, Odo.
It's that simple.
It doesn't have to be one but we can tell Quark that it is.
She can be your date cause I think she may be a bit too young for me".
"Oh gee thanks.
You're very generous.
How old do you think I am?
I was here before the provisional government and I was here before the Bajoran's took over this station.
I'm much older than I look Commander.
I've been a here a long time, a very long time, I've been here far longer than you have."
"Yes,yes but she doesn't know that.
Quark doesn't know your age either.
Age is just a number anyway and you could very well pass off as any age you'd like.
Don't overthink it, Odo, its just a friendly get together.
Nothing out of the ordinary is going to happen, just as long as you tell Quark she's with you, everything should go just fine.
Think of it as protecting her honor.
She needs help, support, guidance and most importantly protection, that's what she's here for.
When we are there we might as well offer her a position as an Engineer".
"Oh yes let's just allow her to become a engineer, without any formal training, that sounds wonderful.
She can blow up a few electrical panals and then call it day."
"O' Brian can train her while she's on the job, if she's sharp, clever and adaptable, then she'll be a quick learner."
"Don't you need to go through Star Fleet regulated training first?"
"No not necessarily. She can train first and then pass the Star Fleet Regulated tests afterwards.
It's been done before and its better that she has experience before she goes through Star
Fleet and Federation procedures.
I've seen people fail Star Fleet because of the lack of experience.
You need to learn the pressure and difficulty of operating such essential equipment while in critical situations.
So yes it's a perfect learning opportunity for her and no she won't be blowing up anything on this station".
"What if she does?"
"Then we'll simply have her reassigned to something that's more well suited to her skills.
Why do you keep assuming that she'll cause irreparable damage to this space station?
She hasn't permanently damaged anything on this station yet,
yet you still keep gravitating towords that unlikely scenario".
"I am the Chief of Security, It is is my job to worry about all unlikely scenarios.
I'm meant to be hyper vigilant and paranoid, its what I do and it's exactly how I protect this station from any outside harm.
I run a tight ship so to speak and without me, this station would lose all concept of order and it fall to chaos and eventually it would go to complete ruin.
So I'm just doing my job.
So forgive me if I think the worst, it's what I was trained to do.
I am order and the law on this station.
If I chose to see the best in people every waking hour like Bashir, I might as well put a match down one of the air locks and chase it down with a gallon of gasoline.
I am responsible for the protection of every soul on this station and I will continue to do so thank you very much".
"Yes you do that, in the meantime I can't wait to see the look on the Quark's face when he sees you come in with a plus one."
"Oh dear am I going to actually have to pretend I'm interested in her?"
"No, but the least you could do is be a proper gentleman and escort her in".
"I don't run a escort service but if it means that Quark won't be sniffing around her like a Tom Cat, in heat then yes that's the least I can do.
I don't want him harassing us the whole evening.
So I'll play the part.
I'm really going to regret this aren't I?"
"Not if you decide to enjoy yourself".
"Oh then I can't wait.
Color me Hopeful and Delighted."
"More like Color me Bashir".
Sisko had to chuckle wickedly.
Odo returned this remark with a secretive smile.
"I'll be any color you like but please don't ask me to be Bashir tonight".
"Oh no I wouldn't dream of it.
Bashir is one of a kind anyway.
Its hard maintaining that kind of unique originality."
"Now That's something I would know nothing about."
Sisko returned his response with equally secretive smile as they carried on with their duties within the Operations Center.
Odo remembered that he still had his post outside the promenade.
He rushed onto to the Turbo Lift to resume his duties as Chief of Security on Deep Space 9, however as he heading towards the security booth in which he worked he remembered Bashir and how he had recommended he take the day off.
So he took a quick detour back to his private quarters perhaps he could work more on that Holosuite novel he's been designing for the past 2 weeks.
This time Kira would not be in his program any longer.
She'd been there too often and it was about time to let go... of her possibly for good.
He thought that she would be his great link.
He's given up the great link with his people just to be with her but in the end it hadn't really mattered what he'd sacrificed for her.
She had chosen her path, she was happy with it and he should be happy for her Just like Sisko had been happy for his son Jake.
He still wasn't happy.
These dinner plans didn't make him happy, bickering with Quark wasn't cutting it either and even seeing Sisko return wasn't enough to ease his sadness and the overall emptiness he felt in this place.
There was no link with anyone.
He craved that link more than anything but after he broke the rule of One Changeling may not harm another, he couldn't return back to his home planet and his people would most likly not welcome him to his home any time soon.
There were times he wished he'd been more like them because if he had been he wouldn't have made that grave error.
He would belong there if he hadn't been living with the solids so long.
If only he hasn't been rescued that day by that damn scientist Mora Pol he would have been free to be with any people he wished.
Even though there were a few people that had grown fond of Odo, people that he knew he genuinely cared for him like Bashir and O Brian, he still found himself craving more.
He still felt he was all alone just like he had when he first arrived to Deep Space 9, just like he had felt his entire life.
He wished there was someone that he could permanently link to but he knew only his own kind was capable of making that kind of link with him.
This made him extremely depressed.
It hurt being this alone.
There was no way of stopping it but it was too late for that.
He was stuck here with Quark, Bashir, Sisko, O' Brian and now some secret technology Maverick that possibly had an angry Cardassian on her trail.
This was not going to end well, he could tell, yet he had to do the right thing and be a true friend to this girl.
This was about morals not logic so he'd just have to suck up his fears for the day and just pretend being so close to Quark didn't bother him.
He'd escort that girl to a open table, claim that was his date that he brought along and then somehow enjoy himself while he was at.
This was not going to be fun.
Odo was not very good at faking certain emotions such as joy and happiness.
He rarely smiled enough as it is so how was he supposed to fake having a good time with friends?
He'd just have to give it a go.
I hate Quark.
I hate Dabo Tables and Drinking games.
The din, the drunken voices, the horribly off key battle songs, I hate it all.
I hate Bashir's almost toxic positivity and Sisko's calm demeanor of constant amusement.
I wish I could go home.
This is not my home.
I knew I said it was, but it's not and it never will be.
I wish I could disappear.
I wish didn't have to go this evening yet unfortunately thanks to Bashir I have to.
Sisko isn't much help either.
He wants me to be a gentleman.
When Have I ever not been a gentleman towards any female?
Yet this escort business is going a little too far.
I don't feel comfortable with informing anyone that I have a date.
It's not a date.
It's just some plan Bashir cooked up to break the ice between all of us.
He wants Sisko to be involved so he can tell me "Oh Odo I don't know what you're worried about she's really just such a lovely girl completely incapable of hurting anyone. She'd never sabotage anything on this station.
Why even the thought would be beyond her".
Yes I'm sure, she'll be absolutely enchanted by her exactly like Bashir and they'll disregard any of my concerns I have about her.
She'll probably end up doing no wrong in their eyes and then I'll be considered the crazy one.
Everyone on this station will probably fall in love with her except me because I'll see Right through her.
I already do in some way, I see all the emptiness, the loneliness and the rage in those eyes.
She might not understand what's she's capable of but she could do some serious damage to this station if she isn't careful.
Since she doesn't understand what's she's capable of that's what makes her dangerous.
No control, no safety, so I suppose I could just keep an eye on her for now.
BAH. Who am I kidding?
I'll have to watch her like a hawk till I know I can trust her.
Yes my security detail is her now.
Why did I ever decide to let her stay? This is only going to make my job harder and she's certainly not making my life any easier.
If I could only find Garak maybe he might have a suggestion about what to do with her.
If she is a part of the Maquis maybe they'll be willing to take her back.
I needed to be on my guard but still I was supposed to enjoy myself.
I suppose I could pretend that as well.
What next a Tuxedo?