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1995-08-20
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9KB
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!msunews!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!nntp.brisnet.org.au!softtech!au!org!brisnet!closer!william.gracie
From: William.Gracie@closer.brisnet.org.au (William Gracie)
Date: 09 Jan 95 11:44:44
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: DS9 story (shadow arc) Doorway (pt 2)
Message-ID: <dbd_9501100327@softtech.brisnet.org.au>
X-FTN-To: All
Organization: Soft-Tech +61-7-869-1131
Lines: 137
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:4317
DOORWAY (part II)
by Raymond N. Cooper
"The Borg have attacked DS9. This is a part of your future. You're
seeing parts of your life that haven't even happened yet. This is an
alternate world. This one is your future. You're being here will alter
the rest of your future - in this world - in some way."
"I don't believe this... I must have been drugged and dragged into one
of Quark's holosuites. Either that, or this is some play acting." Kira
stomped off to Quark's.
The little Ferengi was hunched over even more than usual. Looking
closer, Kira could see that was because his lower left arm had been
reduced to a bloody stump.
"Profits," he was muttering, "I thought there might actually be
something to this station, even before the wormhole opened. Even the
Grand Nagus told me there was. But he's dead now. Every one on Fereng
is. No one's alive, everyone's dead." He looked up at Kira, and jumped
backwards. "But you're dead, too! You saved my life. You're dead! I
saw! And Nog and Rom, there's no hope for them. But you saved them.
"YOU'RE DEAD!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Kira said, "What do you mean, I'm dead?"
Bashir entered behind her, bringing in the last of the wounded. He
placed the person down - Morn, Kira noted - then pulled a phaser out on
her.
"I'm sorry about this, who ever you are, but you're under arrest.
Impersonating a senior officer is a Starfleet offense. Odo, take her."
A quivering orange blob on the floor bubbled almost menacingly.
"This is Odo? What happened? Is he resting or something?" Kira
asked.
"No, the Borg got him, did something to him. And now he can't change.
My God, I'm forgetting things, I can't do this, I never will be able to..."
Bashir nearly burst into tears. Kira had never seen him like this: he
had blood running down his face and hands, some his, some not; his hair
stood at right angles to the rest of his body; his uniform, usually
so immaculate, now hung ripped and dirty off his shoulders. And his
body...!
His once strong, relatively well-toned and strong body was now wasted,
gaunt, empty. He hardly filled his uniform. His hands were thin, his
eyes pale, all the sparkle of life gone from them. Even his caramel
coloured skin had faded considerably.
Kira took the phaser from the doctor's hands almost gently, then
helped him into a chair. Moving to grab herself a chair, she stole
a glance at Quark, who had bustled off somewhere. He was making up
drinks. Seeing her curious gaze, he said, "Customers'll be here
soon. Don't want to disappoint!"
The Bajoran woman turned back to Bashir. The girl materialized next
to Kira.
"What's going on?" the Major asked, confused and fustrated.
The girl paused a while, then answered.
"The Borg have invaded from the Gamma Quadrant. What's happened to
the Dominion is anyone's guess. I know, but I'm not telling. Virtually
everyone who is able to is fighting the Borg. They want assimilants, and
they need them desperately. They've dispatched a small scout cube to
Bajor, and the Federation and the Cardassian Union have banded together
to fight them. The Borg don't want to destory this station, as it can
be used as an advance base into the Alpha Quadrant, for when they're
ready to invade here again. You... that is, the Major Kira Nerys that
resides here, was supposedly killed about an hour ago. Your Bajoran
body, however, is more resiliant than a humans, and your doctor thought
that you had... passed on."
Bashir's head flicked up. "You mean she isn't dead?"
"Not yet," the girl answered softly. "You can still save her, and get
her gratitude..."
Bashir hurried off, new life in his body. It seemed to Kira that it
swelled with new purpose. Perhaps it did. Kira was seeing things
differently. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, turning back to the
girl.
"His mind is only just clinging to sanity. He has had command thrown
on him, the commander having had the nerve to die in the first volleys
between the opposing forces. Julian has been working non stop for three
days, on and off in thirteen hour shifts, including doubles, for the last
six."
"He can't last much longer," Kira murmured. "I'll help him. I've got
to do something. I can't just sit here and wait for the Borg. I should
be out there, fighting, as he said earlier. I should -"
"Do that, and you'll die. You can die here, just as easily as you
could in your own reality. Here, you saved the Ferengi. Rom and Nog
are running around avoiding the Borg, making their way to a ship. They'll
launch as soon as there is some kind of break in the fighting. Your
friend is going to try to save your life. The least you can do is try to
help him do it!"
Kira got up from her chair, and moved over to Bashir. He was busy
opening 'Kira's' uniform, trying to hear if she had a heartbeat. There
was no pulse in her neck, nor her wrist. This was a last resort. He
took a deep breath, and placed his ear on 'Kira's' left breast.
"I hope you don't mind," he whispered, almost to himself.
"I'm sure I don't," Kira muttered back at him. Then she softened.
"Can she be saved?"
"I can't hear a heartbeat, nor find a pulse. There's no pupil
dillation, no observable respiration, even the tricorder can't find a
thing. There could be mental activity, but... with the Infirmary on the
other side of the Borg lines, I can't tell."
Kira pushed him gently away from her otherworld counterpart, and reached
a hand around under the left arm. She pushed in slightly, until she could
feel the artery. There was a soft pump, a long pause, then another.
'Kira' was still alive; at least, for the moment.
She looked up at Julian. "I think I can get you to the Infirmary. Do
you think you can carry... her?"
The doctor nodded.
"Good, I'll lead you. We'll make it," she added, more for her own
benefit than Bashir's. Bashir bent, picked up 'Kira's' body, and followed
Kira when she left the room. Quark called out, "If you see my customers,
tell them drinks are on the house!"
It was a desperate move, Quark reflected. They had probably found
another bar. He had to get them back.
The girl in the Starfleet uniform turned. She knew a Borg was getting
closer. She knew that Quark had only minutes to live. She gave him one
last wish: with a wave of her hand, the dead rose, temporarily restored
to life. Quark moved about them busily, handing out drinks, giving
advice, and the customers were paying heaps for it.
Quark had his customers, and he had his money. He was happy. He
looked up at the girl.
"Do you want a drink?" he asked. The girl looked down at his arm.
That was something she could do something about. It became whole.
"No, thank you Quark. Be... happy. Live long and prosper."
She turned and ran, not wanting to see the cheerful Ferengi die.
"I will!" Quark called after her.
Please note that, while some of the characters may be copyrighted to
Paramount, Sasha Wren and the events portrayed in this story are
copyrighted (c) to Raymond N. Cooper. This story may be sent around
the world or even to the Gamma Quadrant for all I care, as long as it is
not copied without my name, address, and copyright stuff.
If you would like to write to me (and I can't see why),
my address is: R. N. Cooper
17 Belton Court
BEERWAH QLD 4519
Australia
(You know, that country nearly the size of the USA?)