by Неизвестный
At the very same moment, Rom's renewed scream-ing in O'Brien's helmet informed him that Rom had discovered where the missing legs were.
He could see it for himself.
The corpse he'd been reaching for was only half there.
Severed at the waist, the truncated body spun around in empty space, slipping away from the conduit with the momentum O'Brien had transferred to it.
And the fate of the lower half was now apparent.
All that remained of it was a shiny discolored patch of merged flesh and metal on the inner hull of the con-duit.
The lower half of the Cardassian's body had been fused within the metal hull plate of the station.
No wonder Dax couldn't get a clear lock on them, O'Brien thought. The poor devil must have been
caught in the worst kind of transporter malfunction imaginable.
So bad that fifteen separate fail-safe systems made certain that such a tragedy could never happen by acci-dent.
Which meant only one thing to O'Brien, as the gigantic station wheeled around his tumbling form.
Odo had two more murders to investigate.
CHAPTER 6
.an entire world lay before Captain Benjamin Sisko.
Its visage was smooth and pristine, like the all-enshrouding ice caps of a frozen planet. And its unmarked surface held no hidden secrets, nothing lost or obscured in deep caves or folded valleys.
Only smooth, featureless mountains broke the Pla-lonic ideal of that perfect sphere. One long, unending line of regular red stitches, interlocking the two halves of the skin of the world to make a single whole.
Yet from that unblemished perfection, from that bal-anced mass and absolute symmetry, unending diversity was born in unending combination. Like an omega particle exploding to become an entire universe of pos-sibilities in which-
"Captain Sisko... ?"
Sisko looked up from the baseball he held in his hand to glance across his desk. He saw the questioning
expression in Commander Aria Rees's eyes and instantly knew this was no time for excuses. This very serious young Bajoran Starfleet officer deserved the absolute truth.
"I apologize, Commander. I must have tuned you out and-"
"That's quite all right, sir. I read the report of your mission to save Captain Cusak. I understand it might take time to recover from such an encounter."
Sisko regarded the attractive young commander with new interest. He had returned from the Defiant's latest patrol-and the mission to save Cusak-to find that Starfleet had unexpectedly assigned him a new second-in-command to coordinate with Major Kira.
Kira's reaction had been explosive. She believed Starfleet was passing judgment on her performance, or the perceived lack of it. Fortunately, Sisko had been able to quickly confirm that Commander Aria was here only on temporary assignment. After more than a decade of intricate negotiation and elaborate construction, the Farpoint Starbase on Deneb IV was finally about to be activated and Aria was slated for the number-two position on the base's command staff. Given the complexities of Starfleet's relationship with the Bandi of Deneb IV, the staffing wizards at head-quarters had decided that Aria could benefit from experiencing life on DS9, a living laboratory of cross-cultural complexity.
She 'II need the benefit of a few other experiences, too, if she's to survive out here, Sisko thought as he contemplated the Bajoran newcomer before him, whose sharp edges had yet to be blunted by the reali-ties of routine. But he remembered what he had been like when he was a freshly minted commander. He was
willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Jean-Luc Picard had done the same for him when Sisko had taken this assignment, though the captain of the Enter-prise might not have realized it at the time.
"Thank you, Commander," Sisko said. "But that's no excuse for not listening to your report."
Aria offered him a padd. "You could read it later."
Sisko was tempted. The last thing he needed to hear right now was yet another report on Starfleet-Bajoran cultural referents in the workplace. But why was Com-mander Aria suggesting that she would be willing to forgo the official schedule? The scuttlebutt had it that Aria wasn't allowing anyone on the station to bypass standing Starfleet orders. Why was she willing to bend the rules for him?
"I appreciate the offer," Sisko said. He put his base-ball back in its display stand on his desk and pushed it away so he wouldn't be tempted to reach for it again. "But you've worked hard on that report. I would like to hear it."
Aria nodded, and looked back to the padd, as if try-ing to find her place. Sisko was momentarily caught by the particularly elegant line of the epinasal folds on the bridge of her nose. There was a slight downward curve to them, which gave her an intriguing expres-sion, as if she had just thought of a sly joke and was keeping it to herself.
Careful, Sisko cautioned himself. She had looked up without warning and caught him staring. Second time in this meeting alone.
"Captain? Is there something you wanted to say?"
Sisko shook his head, making a deliberate attempt to ignore her expression of shy amusement. "Please- continue." Then he leaned back in his broad-backed
chair, tugged down on Ms jacket, and forced himself to listen to every word Aria Rees had to say about the time-and-motion modification studies that had arisen from observations of Bajoran and Starfleet personnel working together.
Regrettably, but inevitably, the thirty-minute presen-tation was followed by Aria's suggestions for over-coming the perceived difficulties of human-Bajoran interactions. Sisko struggled to give his full attention to each of her recommendations before responding.
"Very clearly thought out," he announced when she had finished. And he meant it. The new commander's report revealed exceptional intelligence. For just the briefest of instants, Sisko felt a rush of pride in know-ing that someone with the potential of Aria Rees- who could have chosen virtually any career in the galaxy-had been inspired to join Starfleet.
"Thank you, sir."
"A most thorough analysis of the existing literature as well."
Aria's smile was tremulous, expectant.
Sisko wondered how far he'd have to go with this. "I'll definitely circulate it among the command staff." That should do it, he thought.
"And..." Aria prompted.
"And... I'll ask them to read it." Sisko didn't know what else she wanted of him.
Well, obviously that wasn't it, he thought as he saw Aria's crestfallen expression.
"Shouldn't we have a general meeting of all com-mand staff to discuss implementing my changes? Sir."
Sisko leaned forward, trying to find the best possi-ble way to put what he knew he had to say.
"Commander, truthfully, those are all very insightful
observations about working conditions on DS9. And your suggestions for improving things are just... fine. But they're not necessary." Before Aria could respond, Sisko quickly added. "And more than that, they won't work. Can't work."
The dismayed young commander shook her head as if to be sure she had heard him properly, making the chain of her single silver earring sway against her olive-gold cheek.
"I beg your pardon, sir, but how can you know with-out trying?"
Sisko firmly reclaimed his usual air of detachment, settled back in his chair with a patient smile. "I have tried them, Commander. Everything you've suggested and more. And really, when it comes down to a choice between forcing everyone to do their work according to Starfleet's textbook definition of perfection, or hav-ing everyone do their work in their own way, with respect for other people's traditions and work habits, I have found it's better for people to find their own way than to have it forced upon them by an unseen bureau-cracy."
Aria's chin lifted, in a way that reminded Sisko of Major Kira when she was not at all convinced of someone else's argument. "But sir, the literature clearly suggests ways that humans and Bajorans could be more efficient as team workers."
With a sigh, Sisko rose to his feet and
waved a hand past the closed doors of his office, down the stairs to the lower level of Ops. "I have no doubt that's true, Commander-for humans and Bajorans. But look out there. What about Commander Worf? Commander Dax? And I have a half-dozen other races staffing this station. Should we make Bolians adhere to some form
of Bajoran-human work ethic? Should we force Mar-tians to celebrate the Bajoran Days of Atonement instead of Colonial Independence Day?"
Aria's almond-brown eyes met his. "Well actually, sir, one of my suggestions is that all group religious celebrations be banned from the station. Not personal expressions of faith," she hastily amended, as his look of consternation and lack of comprehension registered on her. "I'm not suggesting that. But for the good of the group, religious events really have no place in what is, after all, a military environment-which is what DS9 will be for the duration of the Dominion War."
Sisko concentrated on keeping his voice calm in the face of Aria's surprisingly insensitive conclusion. "Commander, war or no war, this station is first and foremost a civilian installation run by the Bajoran gov-ernment. Starfleet's presence as an administrative authority is temporary, and strictly limited to security operations. In no way would we ever infringe on the religious rights of any culture-which makes your suggestion totally out of line."
Aria's face reddened. "Sir, I'm not suggesting Starfleet outlaw religion, just relegate it to private expression, off-duty. I... I don't think there's any-thing out of line with my suggestion."
"No," Sisko said slowly. "Not as a suggestion. But what surprises me, frankly, is that you-a Bajoran- are making it."
"We're not all religious fan-" and Aria hesitated, apparently rethinking her choice of words. "We're not all religious to the same degree, sir."
"So it would seem."
"I don't mean to offend you, sir. I mean, I know that
many Bajorans believe that the wormhole aliens you've encountered are their Prophets."
"And you don't," Sisko said, not bothering to make it a question.
"Sir, with all due respect, I'd be much more inclined to believe that the Bajoran wormhole was a celestial temple if it didn't form with verteron nodes. I mean, if it's truly a home for gods, shouldn't it operate outside the normal laws of physics, instead of appearing as a natural phenomenon?"
Sisko sat down again and reached out for his base-ball. He decided he was going to have to take a closer look at Commander Aria Rees's personnel file. He had met many Bajorans, with many different degrees of belief and many different traditions of worship. But he had never met one who so obviously rejected the idea that the beings in the wormhole were the Prophets.
"I have heard that argument," Sisko said, noncom-mittally, tossing the baseball from one hand to another while he waited to see what else the surprising young Bajoran would come up with.
Aria didn't keep him waiting, apparently most reluctant to accept such a neutral stance from him.
"Sir, do you believe the wormhole aliens are the Prophets? I mean, I know some people call you the Emissary, and I don't mean to offend you, but... you're an educated man."
"And as such," Sisko said lightly, "My eyes are open to the full range of wonder the universe contains."
Aria's spontaneous smile was full of quick, respon-sive humor. "You're not answering my question, sir."
Sisko stopped playing games. He placed his hands together as he thought for a moment. "Very well. What do I personally believe? I am sure there are entities
who live in the wormhole. I have no doubt that these entities are the source of the Orbs which have had such a profound effect on your people's history and culture. I have no doubt that these entities are, indeed, what the Bajoran people call their Prophets. And I have no doubt that the Prophets are inextricably involved in the fate of your people."
"That's still not an answer." Now Aria, too, spoke in earnest. "And the question is so simple. Are... they... gods?"
"A wise man once said, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' Why should it be indistinguishable from the works of gods, Commander?"
"Sir, don't you think there's a difference-a pro-found difference-between having the attributes of a god, and being a god?"
If you only knew how many times I've asked myself that same question, Sisko thought wearily. "Yes," he said. "I do."
At that, Aria shot him a quick, almost triumphant look from beneath her improbably thick fringe of eye-lashes. "So-what is the answer to my question?"
Sisko suddenly felt the need to bring an end to their conversation. "In all honesty, I don't know."
Sisko could see this disconcerting young woman didn't want their meeting to end with that pronounce-ment. But he could also see that she understood he did not wish to continue on this topic.
So, instead, she turned abruptly to look out the viewports in the main doors. Beyond her, in Ops, Starfleet uniforms mingled chaotically with Bajoran.
She glanced back at him. "So, ten races?"
Sisko reminded himself of his earlier resolve to give
the young commander the benefit of the doubt. In her way she was, perhaps, trying to change the subject, to bring their discussion back to the work at hand. "And that doesn't count the civilian staff," he said.
Aria turned away from the viewports, glanced down at her padd, then hugged it close to her, as if she no longer had any intention of turning it over to him.
"I'm sorry, Captain Sisko," she said quietly. "It's all new to me but I was just... trying to help."
"Believe me, Commander, I understand."
Aria took an impulsive step closer to his desk, and Sisko couldn't help noticing that the young command-er's stiff military bearing, formerly so reminiscent of Kira's, had suddenly relaxed. "You do understand, don't you," she said with an open, frank look of approval that reminded Sisko of earlier days, of his youth, when he too had been capable of uncomplicated emotion. "I... I felt you would from the moment I met you."
Sisko might have been distracted before, but he was on full alert right now. There was only one way of dealing with what was happening, what might happen. "We should have dinner," he announced, rising to his feet to meet her gaze directly, though he had to look up to do so. The young Bajoran was a half head taller than he.
Aria's smile of pleasure was instantaneous. "I'd like that."
"So would I. I'd like you to meet two very important people in my life. My son, Jake, and Captain Kasidy Yates."
Aria regarded him quizzically. "I don't remember a captain of that name from the Starfleet personnel lists."
"Ah," Sisko said, as he stepped around his desk and toward the main doors, moving close enough to trigger their sensors. "That's because Kasidy is a civilian. A merchant captain." The doors slid open and the noise of Ops filled Sisko's office like a current of power. "She is also the woman I love," Sisko added deliber-ately, knowing no better way to set the record straight than by a blunt statement of the facts.
He was greatly relieved to see Aria's shoulders come back into square and her posture return to that of an officer. "I look forward to meeting them both," she said politely.
"I'll check with Kasidy, but I believe tomorrow night is open."
Aria stood beside Sisko at the top of the stairs to his office. She handed him her padd after all, and as he took it, her long, slender fingers for the briefest of instants grazed his, generating a current of another kind. 'Tomorrow night," she said.
Startled by his own response, Sisko took the padd, promptly removing his hand from contact with Aria's. He was about to dismiss her when his communicator chirped, followed by a familiar voice.
"Bashir to Sisko."
Sisko tapped his communicator. "Go ahead, Doc-tor."
"I've completed my preliminary scan of the two bodies Chief O'Brien found."
Sisko could sense Bashir's unspoken conviction that his captain wasn't going to like what he heard next.
"What's the bad news?" Sisko asked.
"The Ch
ief was right," Bashir answered. "I'd say we're looking at two more murders. And at least from
a preliminary analysis, it appears both were killed by the same type of weapon that killed the Andorian."
Sisko's jaw tightened, and he felt his back stiffen as he reached a conclusion he suspected Bashir was about to share with him. "I see. Does Quark have a connec-tion to the Cardassians?"
"I've asked Odo to bring him over to the Infirmary. I think you should be here."
"On my way, Doctor." Sisko paused for a moment, and then made a sudden decision. "Speaking of inter-species relations, Commander Aria, have you ever seen a changeling and a Ferengi interact?"