Author's Notes: In some ways, this novel is a sequel of sorts to my previous fic called "Dark Archon". The storyline this time around is original but does refer back to events, characters and major plot points from "Archon". That is why I recommend in each story description the correct order for reading them. The first three Trek stories can technically be read in any sequence and they would still make reasonable sense... but the overall experience is better if they are read in the order written. This story is different, since it is tied directly to "Archon". I highly recommend reading "Star Trek: Dark Archon" BEFORE venturing any farther into this territory.

Also, as you read this Chapter I strongly encourage those of you who have watched as much Trek as I have to VISUALIZE the characters interacting. When reading Trek fiction, I can literally hear each character saying the words... the emphasis they place on certain words, tone of voice, etc. Some of the best stories I have ever read require me to SLOW down when I get to a chapter like this. There is a lot of dialogue, so pay close attention to what is happening and to what is being revealed. As usual, I hope you have as much fun reading this as I have had writing it. What you will read answers many questions generated by events from the first two chapters while introducing some eerie new ones.

That's not a problem, since this is FAR from the final Chapter! Thanks for reading EVERYONE!!

Star Trek: Reign Of Terror

Chapter III: The Return Of The Archons

Deep Space Nine, Runabout Pad 'D'

Data was sitting quietly in the Yellowjacket's cockpit making full use of its sensor capabilities when the hatch behind him unexpectedly snapped open. The android glanced up briefly and recognized Chief O'Brien standing outside, flanked on the right by a concerned looking Doctor Julian Bashir. Deactivating the runabout's sensor console, Data nodded to the two men and politely invited the pair inside the sturdy science vessel. "Did you discover anything new?" he asked Bashir with interest. "How are the injured crewmembers of the Ha'Husia doing?"

"They're resting right now, but I expect that all of them will be back on their feet soon," the Doctor replied briskly. "Apparently the severest areas affected by the gravitational anomaly were centralized inside of the airlock and at a small point near the rear of the freighter's bridge. Otherwise the crew's injuries would have been much, much worse. Most of them lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen due to strained breathing when their weight unexpectedly increased tenfold." He shook his head. "Then there's the First Officer, who never lost consciousness but apparently saw some sort of dark, evil spirit with brightly flaming red eyes. I put him on anti-anxiety medication for the time being, but he's still hysterical and convinced that 'a creature' is coming back to kill him."

The android digested the information silently for a moment. "So once again - aside from the physical damage - we are left with a complete mystery." A thought struck him and Data's eyes shifted to meet O'Brien's gaze. "What brought you two here Chief?" he asked with sudden, obvious interest. "It was my understanding that you had already taken a closer look at my small ship."

"Yeah, I did." O'Brien's response was extremely moody, and his eyes flashed back and forth at the runabout's active consoles. His attitude was obviously suspicious and Data took careful note of it.

"What is the matter Chief?" he persisted. "Your expression suggests something is bothering you."

O'Brien responded by detaching a hand phaser from his belt and pointing the weapon directly at Data. "I want to know why you have an almost undetectable dampening field surrounding your warp core," he stated bluntly. "And I also want you to tell me what you're doing here on Deep Space Nine and what else you personally know about the murders here." The Chief of station Operations smiled dryly. "If I like what I hear, I may allow you to explain yourself further before reporting what I know to Major Kira and Commander Sisko."

Data's expression remained blank, betraying nothing. "The Yellowjacket is a completely new design," he stated simply. "Starfleet Intelligence is testing a dampening field on the Knighthawk-Class runabout to determine whether or not we can shield an enemy from accurately plotting a power curve. If a hostile species cannot ascertain our true strength, most will be less likely to attack our ships."

The Doctor said nothing, and O'Brien actually looked visibly irritated at the response he received. "You were never a good liar Data," he said, snapping out each word in a more strongly worded, extremely accusatory tone. "I have my doubts about you, specifically as to what you're doing here on DS9. You're running out of time to tell me what exactly is going on here."

There was a pause before the android answered. "Perhaps you should first tell me exactly what you have figured out," Data suggested. "If you do, I promise to be more forthcoming and respond truthfully to any question that you ask me."

Bashir's expression was extremely hesitant. "I don't think this is a good idea Chief," he admitted. "Commander Data has many times our physical strength. I think he's just stalling until he has an opportunity to overpower us."

"I assure you that I am not stalling," Data replied firmly. "It is vitally important that you do not contact the Commander regarding this manner... at least not until I explain the situation further."

O'Brien waved the phaser angrily. "Then explain yourself already!" he shouted fiercely. "Why do you have a dampening field around your warp core on a ship design that Starfleet hasn't even released into service yet?" He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply before continuing. "I checked Data... I sent a subspace query to verify your story, and there isn't a single runabout of this class currently assigned to active Starfleet duty."

Data nodded upon hearing the news. "You are very observant and a good detective Chief."

"Not really." O'Brien shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "During my inspection, I attempted to access the warp core and take a look at any improvements that have been made. When your security system locked me out I got suspicious and ran a tricorder sweep. That's when I detected the dampening field... a very advanced shield that is so expertly woven around your engine core that I would never have known it was there without a deliberate, meticulous scan."

"It is not simply a dampening field," Data informed them. "The shield projects a sensor echo which your tricorder should read as the output from a standard runabout warp core. In reality, the engine and other systems on board this ship are significantly more advanced than even that of a Knighthawk-Class vessel. This ship is much more than it appears to be at first glance."

Bashir's growing concern was obvious. "What is going on here?" he asked in a demanding tone. "If Starfleet didn't assign you here, then who did?"

A slow smile crawled across the android's face. "I am a copy of the original Data, constructed and living as one of his descendants in the latter half of the 29th century. In that time period my current assignment is to command a Starfleet Timeship called the Relativity. Its current crew and I have standing orders to monitor the timeline for minor anomalies that periodically need correcting. We are also required to travel through time and intervene on the rare occasions when we detect evidence of temporal tampering."

The explanation was clearly not what O'Brien expected. "You're a time traveler?"

Data nodded in reply. "I am," he stated simply. "Approximately one year ago in what is my past, I led my ship and crew on a successful mission to correct a major temporal incursion led by aliens from our distant future. The invading force was attempting to reshape this galaxy for their own use, and my crew and I were able to stop them before their changes became irreversible."

"Obviously you were successful," Bashir snorted with noticeable disbelief.

"Usually I take my entire ship and crew along with me," Data continued, "but this case is proving to be a major puzzle without an easy resolution. Someone is tampering with current events taking place aboard your space station and at other strategic points located elsewhere in this sector. Despite our best efforts, my crew and I have been unable to discover how these changes are being made." He waved his hands in simulated android frustration. "The timeline here in your present is somehow being altered to change my future, but there is absolutely no evidence we can find as to how this is being done."

"Really." Bashir once again was the first to respond, even though both he and Chief O'Brien obviously remained skeptical. "If your story is true and you are a time traveler, then how do we know for certain that you're not the one doing the tampering? You're taking a big risk simply by showing up here and interacting with people from your past."

The android's response once again caught them by surprise. "I will prove it to you," he promised, tapping a button on the cockpit console in front of him. "Commander Ducane, have you been listening?"

"Affirmative. I have locked onto both bio-signs in your vicinity and am standing by."

"Very well." Data returned his attention to Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir. "Transport my two cynical colleagues here to your location in the 29th century and give them a comprehensive tour of the Relativity. Brief them on the timeline changes, including our standing operating procedure during this type of crisis and allow them to examine our sensor logs. I will stand by here until you are ready to beam them back."

"Now wait a minute," insisted O'Brien, waving his phaser menacingly for emphasis. "You're not seriously suggesting that you have the capability to..." The Chief's voice faded quickly away as both he and Dr. Bashir were suddenly surrounded in a bright blaze of azure transporter energy. The two of them faded away in a wash of light, leaving Data alone in the runabout. Swiveling in his seat so that he once again faced forward, the android reactivated the vessel's sensor console and continued his scans.

Commander Thomas Ducane kept Chief O'Brien and Dr. Julian Bashir in the 29th century for well over two hours, real time. Throughout their absence 'Captain' Data remained very busy making use of the Yellowjacket's sophisticated sensor system and main computer. He used the advanced technology to thoroughly scan every nook, crevice and person aboard and in the immediate vicinity of Deep Space Nine. His runabout was Knighthawk-Class in look and name only... in actuality the small vessel was a highly advanced temporal shuttle capable of traversing both time and space. Although the dampening field around the Yellowjacket's engineering section successfully projected the illusion of a standard warp drive, a highly powered artificial quantum singularity actually hovered within the central core.

Having commanded the Relativity for slightly more than twenty standard months, Data was extremely familiar with the procedure of introducing people from the past to the concept of time cops. He had deliberately left gaps in his dampening field to attract the attention of Chief O'Brien because he desperately needed experienced recruits to assist him... and specifically on this occasion he needed people lower in the chain of command. Even so his minor gamble had almost backfired completely on him. O'Brien had almost contacted Sisko first, in which case Data would have been forced to find a way to intervene. He also hadn't expected the Chief to approach him with a drawn weapon, but then the Miles Edward O'Brien that his ancestor had known had been a much jollier fellow.

The original Data had known the Chief long before he had been assigned to a Cardassian space station located so close to Cardassian territory. Further, the growing problem with the Dominion - an empire within easy striking distance from the other side of the nearby wormhole - had no doubt significantly added to growing tension in the region. It was therefore perfectly understandable to Captain Data as to just why the Chief had become so suspicious so quickly, reacted with more than a little paranoia and pulled a phaser on him. Out here near Bajor, it was blatantly obvious that people didn't live very long if they weren't extremely careful.

As scan after scan detected nothing out of the ordinary, Data's mind rapidly filed through the array of protocols that Commander Ducane would be using to orient O'Brien and Bashir. First they would receive a tour of the Timeship, followed by a stern warning forbidding the discussion of time travel and this specific mission with others. Finally, both men would be shown clear evidence that there was indeed a temporal incursion in progress on Deep Space Nine and that the future was indeed being altered by changes to its past. Ducane was an experienced professional, and he would also make certain to point out to both officers that repeated transporter trips through time were often dangerous.

The mystery behind the latest incursion was the major reason why Data and his support staff had made the decision to keep the Relativity in the future for the duration of this mission. The Captain alone had traveled back in the Yellowjacket and planned to interact directly with the Starfleet personnel assigned to Deep Space Nine. Using this strategy would permit him to keep a very low profile and necessitate only one trip through time for O'Brien and Bashir. Once they came back they would know what they needed to know in order to help him, but Data would still have to be extremely careful. Even though he would have the assistance he so badly needed from people officially under Sisko's command, there were still things about the future and those who lived there that he was officially restricted from talking about. Data could ask O'Brien and Bashir for help, but his ability to return that assistance was severely limited.

It would have to be sufficient.

Data had closed the outer hatch so that the sound of the return transport would not attract unwanted attention. Eventually Ducane signaled him that all was well. Second later both O'Brien and Bashir materialized behind him, and Data turned in his seat to greet them with his small, dry smile and what he hoped would be perceived as a confident nod. "Welcome back to the 24th century," he told them.

O'Brien still looked far too suspicious for Data's taste, but his mood had obviously mellowed since his phaser was now holstered. "We have questions... and plenty of them," the Chief told Data bluntly.

The android responded by waving them both toward a pair of empty seats positioned just behind the forward cockpit. "Ask your questions."

"You're not the real Data from the Enterprise," O'Brien began, pointing an accusatory finger at the android. "You're a starship Captain from the future whose primary mission is to protect the timeline."

"That is correct Chief."

"And you don't know any more about what is currently happening aboard Deep Space Nine than the rest of us... only that a series of unexplained murders is gradually altering the future?"

"That is also correct."

"Why don't you know who is responsible?" wondered Bashir, speaking up just as forcefully as O'Brien had. "If history ends up successfully rewritten, then shouldn't the updated records in the future tell you precisely who interfered and changed things?"

"Normally that would be the case," replied Data tersely. His tone of voice was as close to frustration as his android emotion chip would allow it to become. "However, the events taking place in this sector and aboard Deep Space Nine are not a normal temporal incursion. I have handled several of these matters, one of them quite serious, since assuming command of the Relativity. On this occasion there appears to be no detectable trace of temporal tampering. Our records of the original timeline, when compared to our newest scans, clearly show the unexpected presence of events and changes that were absent from previous scans. That is why I decided to show up myself and pretend to be the real Data from this timeline... I needed to make a much closer, on-the-spot inspection and interact with specific individuals in order to more closely assess the situation and determine what is taking place."

"How can history simply change?" wondered O'Brien, scratching his curly, sandy hair with dismay. "There has to be a cause. There has to be!"

"I concur." Data picked up a data padd and handed it to the Chief. "This is downloaded telemetry from my latest scans, taken using the Yellowjacket's advanced sensors during your brief visit to the future. Whatever is occurring here undoubtedly does have a cause and a responsible party manipulating each event. However - aside from the unusual gravimetric anomalies that we have detected on several occasions - even with 29th century sensors I have not been able to detect anything else out of the ordinary. It is a frustrating paradox I find myself faced with, to say the least."

O'Brien studied the data for several minutes and then handed the padd to Bashir so that he too could study the report. "Ducane specifically stated that we are not to approach Commander Sisko about any of this... that we must help you on our own time and in total secrecy. Why wouldn't you want the assistance of a higher ranking official?" The Chief's brow furrowed. "The Commander can clear a lot of obstacles out of your path and permit you considerably more flexibility during the course of this investigation than Julian or I ever could."

Data actually chuckled at the suggestion, an action that drew a startled reaction from Bashir. "I wish I could tell him," he admitted, leaning back in his chair and steepling the fingers of both hands together. "I mentioned earlier that I was involved in another temporal incursion about a year ago. That too was a very dangerous mission and - in order to successfully resolve it - I had no choice but to recruit Commander Sisko as part of my mission team. I transported him away from his post here on Deep Space Nine... from a point several years in your future. I needed him specifically so that he could assist me in communicating with the aliens who dwell inside the nearby wormhole."

Bashir groaned and shook his head with growing dismay. "I get it... if we tell the Commander about this and enough of his history here in the past changes, we could end up interfering with his future and the other mission that you resolved successfully."

"Correct," Data acknowledged, "and - I might add - very expertly analyzed Doctor. Corrections in time do not always take place in the same linear sequence with which we live our lives. When I initially recruited the Commander, he had no knowledge of Timeships or 29th century Starfleet. I would prefer for things to remain that way if at all possible... in this timeframe he knows only the original Data. Thus Benjamin Sisko can continue to function as the station Commander, but his help will have to be within the scope of his normal duties and without any specific knowledge of me or my true mission here. The future has already begun to change as a direct result of the murders and disappearances in this sector. I have therefore been working steadily to undo the damage as much as possible while simultaneously attempting to determine the root cause of all this and put a stop to it."

"I suppose I can't tell Keiko or Molly either," groaned O'Brien.

Data smiled. "For obvious reasons I would prefer that you did not." He paused briefly, allowing them to mentally digest the sudden, massive amount of responsibility that he had unexpectedly placed upon them. "Think carefully for a minute Chief. Commander Sisko wants you to take command of the Ha'Husia and complete its cargo run. Whoever threatened its First Officer during the recent gravimetric disturbance is likely the guilty party responsible for the timeline changes. We need to find out who or what that is as expeditiously as possible in order to prevent that enemy from further altering Alpha Quadrant history."

"The Commander will get suspicious," promised O'Brien. "And I truly don't like the idea of keeping secrets from him. That could come back to haunt Julian and me... it could come back to haunt us big time if things don't work out."

"All I ask is that you try Chief. Simply carry out the orders Sisko has already given you... you don't have to lie about anything. I will contact Commander Sisko and offer to follow you in the Yellowjacket. Given the original Data's considerable tactical experience and this runabout's obvious new capabilities, he will likely approve my request to provide support for your mission. I will also request that he allow Tom Paris to join your team aboard the Ha'Husia. We do, after all, have to sneak him into the demilitarized zone so that he can make contact with the underground Maquis leaders there."

O'Brien and Bashir discussed the matter further with Captain Data for another hour before agreeing - at least tentatively - to assist him with his covert operation. They were preparing to leave the runabout when a final, persistent though struck the Chief. "I have two more, minor questions Data," he stated, his tone obviously inquisitive. "The way my mind works these days, I don't think I'll be able to sleep nights unless I ask about them right here and now."

The android nodded. "What else do you need to know?"

"First. What's the rest of the story with your passengers... Captain Janeway and that Paris fellow? Did you recruit them from the past too?"

"No," the android replied smoothly. "They are holograms wearing mobile photonic emitters." He pointed at his own head for emphasis. "The personality matrices for both holograms are stored within a special database inside the active memory of my positronic brain. Human personalities are very complex and far too sophisticated for the mobile emitter technology if I want accurate recreations. The model used to create them is based completely on very specific, very detailed copies of human minds that were made from the real people who assisted me in the resolution of the Relativity's last major crisis."

Bashir raised a startled eyebrow at the announcement. "You copied the people who helped you?"

"I personally did not," Data responded, correcting the Doctor's comment. "But I have powerful friends from my own future who also assist in maintaining the integrity of the timeline. Captain Janeway has made several trips through our transporter already, so recruiting her again would have threatened both her immediate health and long-term safety. I therefore made the decision to program the two holograms using newly perfected technology and then linked a pair of photonic emitters to my own consciousness via a Borg-like subspace communications buffer. Their minds are - in essence - working in parallel with my own consciousness inside my neural net. All three of us can thereby remain in full communication with each other even as I sit here with the two of you, privately isolated inside the Yellowjacket."

"That's an incredible engineering achievement," decided O'Brien, visibly impressed. He pointed in a general direction outside of the runabout. "So the holograms are out there, walking around wearing these mobile emitters... and you can see and hear everything that they do?"

Data smiled in affirmation. "Yes, I am in constant real-time communication with them." He smiled. "For example, Captain Janeway just asked me to say 'hello' and welcome you both to our team."

"You're not serious!" Doctor Bashir said emphatically, looking a little paler than usual. Even so he kept his composure. "And here I thought technology here in the 24th century was impressive."

"This is indeed a very serious matter," the android declared with dogged determination. "I am the sole representative selected by Starfleet on this occasion to travel back in time and investigate this anomaly. It therefore seemed like a good idea for me to have the capability to be in multiple places at once. The two holograms allow me to spread out and observe Deep Space Nine from three different perspectives, all while simultaneously interacting with their personalities. I have also relied on their counsel since both of the original people were from this general timeframe. Both are experienced Starfleet officers and the proven reactions of each hologram are at least 99.99995 accurate - limited of course to their experiences up to the point where the original humans were copied."

"Astonishing," Bashir commented, shaking his head back and forth with disbelief as he tired to digest the concept. "You have copies of real people walking around as holograms on this station." He glanced up at Data as a sudden thought struck him. "Is that why I thought I saw Captain Janeway disappear on the Promenade? Did she in fact actually vanish?"

"It is quite probable that she did," acknowledged Data. "During the incident at the Ha'Husia's airlock, the gravimetric disturbance and accompanying radiation surge temporarily disrupted my neural net. The interference lasted only a brief instant until I moved out of the way... however that event probably occurred right around the time that you noticed a disruption in the hologram."

"Which brings me to my second question," said O'Brien. "How do you expect to get away with all this? Where is the real Data... and for that matter the real Captain Janeway... the real Tom Paris? They're all still alive and well and living in this time period, are they not?"

"They are." Data paused, weighing carefully how much more he could risk telling them. He was pretty certain that he had won over the confidence of both the Doctor and Chief, but if he hadn't he had to prepare for the undeniable possibility that one or both of them would decide to alert Commander Sisko. If they chose to do so then he had to be in a position to control the situation, and holding out at least some of the full truth was one way for him to do just that. Whatever else happened, his mission was to protect the original timeline as closely as possible. All other objectives were always secondary during such a crisis.

"So what happens if one of them shows up here?" O'Brien wondered. "That would blow your carefully orchestrated plan all to hell for certain..."

"It is unlikely that any of them will be reassigned to DS9," responded Data firmly. "History has not yet been altered significantly, and the 'real' Lt. Commander Data is serving on board the Enterprise. Captain Janeway is currently stationed at the Utopia Planetia shipyards near Mars as she prepares to take over command of a new starship. Tom Paris is a convicted Maquis rebel currently serving out his sentence at a New Zealand penal colony on Earth." He leaned forward intently. "I ask that you please take my word on this and do not issue any additional subspace requests for verification. Any such transmissions will simply provide you with the exact information I have just shared with you and risk alerting Starfleet that something out of the ordinary is transpiring here. No one else must know about my real mission objective, or where I have traveled from."

"We'll do our best to assist you," O'Brien promised. "Ducane's and his sensor log database convinced me of your sincerity."

Doctor Bashir nodded in complete agreement. "It sounds like we have similar goals."

"We do indeed," agreed Data firmly.

The android Captain from the future remained in the runabout long after the departure of his two new allies. His body did not require the rest necessary to revitalize a biological humanoid, but 'sleep' was still a voluntary process that he permitted himself occasionally during periods when his duty schedule was lighter. The neural net that formed his positronic matrix had been designed using a process very similar to a biological brain, and he had learned over the years that Data-Class androids - like their human counterparts - possessed a very powerful subconscious.

Data deliberately permitted himself the android equivalent of a thirty minute catnap in order to allow his subconscious to more fully explore sounds and images he had observed that his conscious mind might normally ignore. He had used the process before in order to expand the creative abilities that his android predecessors had perfected over the years. The original Data had experimented quite liberally with the sleeping process ever since he had first met with Doctor Bashir during an Enterprise layover at Deep Space Nine. The memories from that long ago encounter were still stored in the Captain's permanent memory and he decided to access them, reliving the experience and remembering those days.

After precisely thirty minutes he snapped out of the sleeping stage with a disappointing lack of fresh ideas. Less than ten seconds after he roused himself there was a brief knock on the Yellowjacket's hatch, followed by the electronic hiss of the doors opening. The Captain Janeway hologram had been waiting patiently outside, and she stepped into the runabout with a confident smile. "I wish I would have had this neural link capability during my days on Voyager," she informed him, chuckling softly. "It would have been nice if my crew had simply known when it was okay to interrupt their Captain and when not to."

Data raised a hand in warning. "Be careful about talking about things that have not happened yet in this time period," he cautioned sternly. "If someone overhears you, it will only raise suspicion."

"There's absolutely no one else out there," Janeway countered, triggering the door controls and closing the hatchway. "The entire 'D' section of the docking ring has been completely evacuated. I checked with Lt. Dax in Ops, and she mentioned that they already have a repair team scheduled to begin repairs on the Ha'Husia and its adjoining airlock. However, they're going to have the EVA teams work on the exterior hull first, so at least for the moment we have this entire section of the station completely to ourselves."

As he had done before, Data gestured politely and offered Janeway a seat. "As you already know, I was able to recruit both Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir to our cause," he reminded her. "I am glad that I agreed with Commander Ducane's suggestion to temporarily beam them into the future... it was the fastest way of convincing them both that we are indeed who we claim to be."

"I was a bit surprised that you told them as much as you did," declared Janeway. "Mr. Paris will play the role that he is meant to in this matter and talk about none of this, but it might help me to better interact with this station's crew if we further defined our guidelines."

Data shook his head in disagreement. "I have full confidence in your judgment," he told her. "Further I can always transmit a mental red flag if I am monitoring events from your perspective and notice something that requires your attention. I trust that you will return the favor."

"Of course." She took a deep breath and nodded with satisfaction. "The first part of your plan has certainly worked well enough. You successfully prevented Chief O'Brien's unexpected death at the airlock and restored his place in the original timeline. Already our presence here has applied a major correction to the altered version."

"I almost inadvertently betrayed both you and Mr. Paris in the process," noted Data with a dry smile. "There was no way to predict that the interference from the gravimetric turbulence would interfere with our link. Fortunately the attention of the crowd on the Promenade was focused on all of the other activity taking place there instead of the two of you." He folded the fingers of both hands together and paused just for a few seconds. "I also approve of your suggestion to bring Mr. Paris along with us. That has allowed me to successfully prevent Michael Eddington from uncovering Lt. Tuvok's true identity."

Janeway sighed. "It's too bad that we can't tell anyone here about Eddington's secret loyalty to the Maquis. It would save Sisko so much time and trouble..."

Data waved a cautioning index finger at her. "That revelation would continue changing history instead of correcting it," he responded bluntly. "They will discover his treachery for themselves soon in any case. Unfortunately, the murders have forced Eddington to postpone a vacation that would have kept him off the station during Tuvok's arrival next week. That change is minimal in terms of altering the overall timeline, but his presence here when he should have been on leave will lead directly to his discovery of Tuvok as the actual undercover Maquis agent. Eddington's contacts in the demilitarized zone have, after all, warned him to be on the lookout for a covert Starfleet operative."

"Showing him Tom Paris a week early is the perfect solution," nodded Janeway in agreement. "Eddington is about to unleash the entire Maquis underground on a search for a person who is back on Earth, already incarcerated and serving time in a New Zealand penal colony. With his attention focused on Paris and so many other matters, Tuvok will be able to slip past DS9 security masquerading as a crewman on a civilian vessel and join Chakotay's team."

"You may be a hologram, but you are still a very precise copy of the original Captain Janeway," Data pointed out. "By protecting Tuvok's undercover assignment, you are in essence fighting for your own future just as I am struggling to retain mine. Needless to say, if Tuvok does not end up in the Delta Quadrant with Voyager, Starfleet history will be significantly affected." Next to his right arm, the Yellowjacket's sensors continued their non-stop scan of the station, their study of the Starfleet workers floating outside in a zero-g environment and the immediate area near the wormhole entrance. The colored indicator lights on the central console continued to flicker intermittently as they relentlessly probed for new information, but nothing new had been detected since the most recent disturbance at airlock 'D12'.

Janeway sat quietly in thought for a moment. Although she and Data could merge their thoughts and converse at android speed, they had decided against doing it except during the times when they were apart. Now that this version of the Voyager Captain was actively living a different life than that of the original human, the differences between the holographic personality and those of the original Janeway would exponentially increase. There was no way to predict how far a hologram's reasoning and decision-making process would waver from the original person under these circumstances. Partaking in normal conversations at a regular humanoid rate of speed was one certain way that Data could slow the inevitable change. Wherever and whenever possible, he wanted this hologram behaving like the real Kathryn Janeway... like the human being that had originally been copied.

"The next step is obvious," Janeway decided, breaking the brief silence. "We have to follow Chief O'Brien and the Ha'Husia... whoever is changing history obviously wants that cargo very badly or they wouldn't have so blatantly threatened the ship's First Officer after first killing off its Captain." She smiled wryly, and one corner of her mouth curled upward slyly. "This whole matter remains one big puzzle for me," she continued. "How can someone introduce changes into a timeline without using time travel? I keep asking myself how in the heavens anyone could possibly manage that."

"There are two possibilities," stated Data definitively. "Either our unseen enemy has the ability to conceal their temporal incursions, or else the advanced 29th century sensors aboard this runabout are simply incapable of detecting them. I have had to remind myself on occasion that sensors identify only what they are programmed to detect. There are many documented cases in Starfleet history where something new and unknown fooled our sensors simply because we had not previously encountered that particular life form or energy signature."

"What about the Preserver network?" Janeway asked curiously. "Have you thought about accessing its resources? The sensor capabilities available in that realm would no doubt transcend even your runabout's 29th century technology."

"For the moment, Commander Ducane and I are unwilling to utilize it unless we have no other option," Data informed her. "My most recent communication with Frank Roberts - just prior to our arrival here - went extremely well. Roberts transmitted to me his database records of all Starfleet personnel from our last mission, so I can create additional holograms to assist us if and when we need them." He smiled his odd little android smile again and glanced mischievously at Janeway. "If the need arises, I can even create a hologram of a slightly older but wiser Sisko."

"That would catch him by surprise. I can't imagine meeting a future version of myself," laughed Janeway, shaking her red-haired head back and forth at the prospect. "If that ever happened, I'm pretty certain the Janeway with seniority would be extremely demanding and insist on giving all the orders."

"For now we have exactly what we need," Data continued. "The Temporal Integrity Commission in my time has scheduled regular meetings to investigate this situation and define guidelines for my use of the Preserver network... if we end up needing it. In the interim they have left open the option for me to access its resources if my Captain's instinct advises me to do so." He shrugged casually. "In his own time, Commander Roberts has also added our crisis here to the official agenda governing the next meeting of the Preserver Council. They may live 5.2 million years in our very distant future, but what happens to us does inevitably affect Preserver history as well. Therefore they are understandably committed to assisting us in the rapid resolution of this matter."

"The major problem we face is centered directly on the conditions during which this unknown entity manifests itself. Even you with your enhanced strength encountered a great deal of difficulty fighting your way through the disturbance at the airlock. In each documented case thus far, use of gravimetric fluctuations has proven to be a very effective defense mechanism... it certainly keeps unwanted intruders at arms length."

"Whoever is interfering with history will not get away with that strategy again," Data promised sternly. "If and when another gravimetric disturbance is recorded, I plan to access the Preserver Network and use its capabilities to intervene. Our unknown will remain an unknown only as long as we allow it to."

"How is Commander Roberts, your android counterpart in the future?" wondered Janeway. "Are things still peaceful 5 million years hence?"

"As far as I know," Data replied honestly. "He made no mention of any difficulty there."

Janeway smiled at the news and rose from her seat. "I'm headed back to the Promenade," she informed him. "There is a lot going on, and I want to keep a close eye on Quark."

The android nodded. "The Ferengi bartender is unquestionably at least peripherally involved in all of this."

Deep Space Nine, Corridor outside the O'Brien Quarters

Miles Edward O'Brien paused outside the entrance to his quarters and took several deep breaths. As he did everyday since accepting his post as Chief of Operations aboard Deep Space Nine, O'Brien mentally brushed aside his work persona and instantly switched gears as he transitioned coolly to family mode. He entered his quarters and was immediately surprised to find Keiko already present... usually she spent Wednesday afternoons at her small school checking over her students' homework assignments and preparing the schedule for the second half of her week.

Keiko smiled warmly upon seeing him, her attractive Earth Asian features looking as stunning as ever. She was wearing a simple white blouse and medium-length dark skirt, looking very much the station school teacher. In his heart, O'Brien had always been certain beyond any doubt that marrying her had been the smartest decision he had ever made.

"Daddy's home... hi Daddy!" giggled a small girl, barely taller than O'Brien's knees. She ran across the room toward him with her long dark hair flying behind her and wrapped both arms around his right leg, hugging the appendage more tightly than he ever would have thought her capable.

"Hi Molly, how are you?" O'Brien asked, studying her child-like, cherubic features curiously. Her normal routine greeting him was much different today and as he looked down at her small upturned face he detected anxiety in her small, almond-shaped eyes. "Don't I get my usual smile today?"

"Okay," she replied moodily, flashing him a very awkward, forced smirk. "The other kids at school say it's not safe here on Deep Space Nine any longer. Can we move?"

O'Brien chuckled, remembering his own similar fears of the unknown as a child. He caught Keiko's brief, concerned in his direction as he reached down to pick his daughter up. "Give us a hug little Molly," he said with more than a little amusement, squeezing her small body tightly to him. "You have nothing to be frightened of... Daddy will take care of any monsters. I've always beaten them back before, and I always will."

He was holding her tightly to his chest, and Molly's small face turned upward to focus on her father's middle-age features. "Do you promise?"

"Yes Molly," O'Brien said honestly, setting her down and rubbing her lovingly on the top of her head. "I promise. If any monsters show up here, they're going to have one really angry Dad on their hands." He gripped her firmly by each shoulder and spun his daughter around 180 degrees to face the other direction. "Now... why don't you go wash up for dinner. Daddy's cooking tonight."

"Yay! Replicated pizza!" Molly shouted, trotting off at a full sprint toward the bedroom area and its adjoining bathroom. Behind him, Keiko watched the entire exchange with the warm, loving smile of an approving mother.

"Have there been any new developments regarding the murders Miles?" she asked curiously.

Immediately his conscience stirred to life, throwing the word 'SECRETS' at him repeatedly. Having years of experience with Keiko - first on the Enterprise and most recently during their stay on Deep Space Nine - O'Brien knew full well what type of news worried her and which things she could better handle. He rubbed his eyes to relieve the work fatigue in them, taking a moment to ignore the beginning of a mild headache before answering her. "Not really," he answered truthfully. "However, we've put a really talented team of professionals together and I think they have a really good chance of discovering who is behind it all."

The Chief hugged Keiko warmly and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Who do you think is behind it?" she asked. "If this was a case of the standard drunk and disorderly, Odo generally has the guilty parties locked up by now. This situation is a little more frightening for everybody, particularly since we now know the Dominion is out there... lurking so closely on the other side of that wormhole. They could be up to something."

O'Brien shrugged indifferently and moved toward the replicator system, intending to order up some pizza as Molly had requested. As he did so he felt Keiko's eyes boring into him, even though his back was to her. "What?" he asked suspiciously, glancing irritably over his shoulder at the concerned look still prominently displayed on the face of his wife.

"I ran into Jadzia on the Promenade. She mentioned that you were picked by the Commander to take that cargo ship to its destination." She paused for the perfect amount of time, using the brief silence to scold him for making her bring up the subject first. "That sounds an awfully lot like a potentially dangerous assignment Miles."

"Actually, I'll be safer than usual," O'Brien replied, turning toward her and smiling reassuringly. "With all of those Starfleet people working outside in EVA suits, we've had quite a few power conduit overloads lately. The work crews are constantly tapping into the station's fusion reactors so that they can power the new weaponry properly. Making certain that all of that stuff is properly routed and connected is a big job... there's a lot of risk involved." He harrumphed loudly. "The Bajoran cargo vessel assignment is a piece of cake by comparison. I told you... we have put together a team of experts. All I have to do is make certain that the ship delivers its goods on schedule and then I get to come back here. My place is on the station, supervising all of the work crews."

"I'd still feel better if someone else did it."

The Chief declined to respond, returning his attention instead to the process of replicating dinner. He knew Keiko extremely well, and she would be content now that she had voiced her concerns about the dangers of his ongoing service to Starfleet. She understood matters regarding Starfleet missions very well, having voluntarily accepted a botanist position aboard Captain Picard's Enterprise. The Galaxy-Class starship was where he had first met her, and also where he had quickly grown to love her. So he let her unload on him, venting her emotions properly while he finished preparing dinner.

He loved her so much it was impossible to describe.

Later that evening O'Brien was alone in the bedroom, getting ready to turn in for the night when the Comm-station on a nearby nightstand lit up. He sighed with frustration as he recognized the familiar features of Quark. "What do you want?" he asked rather snidely.

The image of Quark on the small screen peered more closely into the optical pick-up on the other end of the transmission. "First of all I'd appreciate it if you'd put on a shirt Chief," responded Quark with a smug grin. "We Ferengi get teased a lot about our large lobes, but at least we have our hair issues under control. In case you didn't already know, your chest is not your most impressive feature."

O'Brien actually chuckled for an instant, admiring the Ferengi's poise. "You have ten seconds to get to the point Quark," he declared sharply. "Then I'm hanging up on you."

Instantly Quark's expression changed from jovial to serious. "My holosuite isn't working reliably yet," he said with mild annoyance. "I was informed that it would be back on-line by now... I'm losing a lot of latinum every minute that it's powered down."

"In the morning Quark." The Chief said the words as plainly and sincerely as he possibly could.

"I have a written contract with the Commander," protested the Ferengi bartender, his famed persistence testing O'Brien's patience more and more with each passing minute. "Your work crews are required to keep to the repair schedules that they submit to me - otherwise I am not obliged to pay full price."

O'Brien rubbed his forehead softly with the fleshy part of his left palm. "Then charge us less," he said, a little more irritably than he had intended. He glared at the Ferengi and dared him to push the issue. "In case you hadn't already noticed, there's quite a lot of extra work going on these days."

"Of course I don't expect you personally to do the work," continued Quark, glancing down at an incident report he was holding. "But I'm sure there are plenty of..." He trailed off suddenly as he saw O'Brien moving toward the monitor and his eyes widened in surprise as the Chief followed through on his earlier threat and abruptly terminated the transmission.

"In the morning Quark," O'Brien repeated, speaking directly at the darkened screen in front of him. He Chief finished putting on his pajamas, sat down on a corner of the bed and then stretched out his tired legs and relaxed them. He thought about the many events of the day for awhile longer and then lay down on the mattress. It took him a while to get comfortable in his search for a good night's rest. That last image, however, of the Ferengi's expression right at the instant Quark realized O'Brien was indeed hanging up on him lingered in his mind. Once again he chuckled with amusement.

O'Brien slept very soundly that night, having ended an otherwise stress filled day on such a pleasant note.