x
On the west coast Dolores Malvida, as she called herself now, weighed her options. In the nine or so years since she'd returned to Earth and fixed Arthur Vinson's clock so it likely ran backwards if at all, Dolores had starred in several imaginative self-productions before a breathless world. Or just plain not breathing; sometimes she wasn't sure which.
Waste not, want not; although Jacqueline couldn't be found, Dolores felt no obligation to force that information onto the department that paid her child support money every month out of Ben Sisko's salary. It was nearly 3 more years before the checks ceased, with a curt note saying that Dolores Deacon Vinson were summarily discontinued and previous overpayment would be reimbursed according to the following schedule, which Dolores threw in the wastebasket with suitably profane comment.
That was when she scrapped all her previous surnames and picked a new one. By now she knew a CyberNet raider who could validate Social Security numbers the government hadn't really issued, so the dipsydoo went easier than one might expect.
If the bastards couldn't find her, they couldn't collect.
Since her venture into space she'd been married twice: three years to a tabloid publisher and almost that long to a sports promoter, both notably shady dealers. She wasn't sure why she picked men of that stripe; maybe it was no matter what she did to them, she didn't have to feel guilty. The thought of Ben Sisko still bothered her sometimes. Jacqueline was aboard the ship with him; Dolores knew that much, at least. Maybe it was best, after all, even for herself.
She'd also learned of Arthur's release. For a while she worried: would he come after her, try to get revenge? But the private investigator reported that Vinson had become more more less a hermit. "Hardly ever goes out. Order in a few hookers every now and then. Both polarities."
So he wasn't destitute after all. Just bent a whole lot. On consideration, Dolores didn't begrudge him a little salvage.
Right now she was deciding whether or not to marry Hugo Stuart-Lane IV, an ambitious financial predator enjoying a somewhat advanced stage of youth and skilled in the fine art of living off corporate carrion, provided he was the killer. She had cut Hugo out from the attentions of a covey of younger and crisper bodies because she knew and demonstrated more tricks in bed, and even after 40 he was still naive enough to think anyone could be unique in such respects.
All in all, Dolores firmly believed that any man who could be pussy-whipped deserved to be.
On the one hand Hugomuffin was a total swine, no question. On the other, you had to keep in mind the grade of trough he presided over....
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After nearly 7 shipboard months of recurrent crises, Ben Sisko enjoyed a few weeks of relative quiet. Nobody arrived, left or had any problems that couldn't wait until he'd had a proper breakfast. The way a ship should be.
He didn't mind the puzzles that came from outside. In fact, he welcomed them as breaks in routine; peace and quiet that didn't need to be monstrous.
Like the triple-star system well off the ship's starboard flank. It didn't seem to have any planets, none that could be detected from here, anyway, but the small reddish luminary ride in a Trojan orbit with respect to its brighter consorts.
From what Ben remembered, the mass ratios between the three had to lie within narrow limits for the layout to be valid. It was Paul Stamets who dug out the math for those expectations and then ran a mass-luminosity curve to prove the three stars could do what they obviously were doing.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNmY4DjQRc
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"You just go down there, Vinson," de la Cruz said, "and take the tour and pay the hell some attention. Claudia here goes with you, she tapes the lecture and keeps track of how they work the fuckin' C-Gate."
So with Claudia Prats riding herd on him, Ben went to Bolt Park, to the starship-crewing center. Three times in two days, in the guise of interested citizens, which maybe wasn't too far off the mark at that, both suffered through the guided tour. The flare of colors accompanying the disappearance of several cartons of supplies impressed Arthur; nothing ever impressed Claudia.
Returning, they reported back to Joaquin de la Cruz, a shirttail relation of Slide-action Cartiere's and now sitting high in Phantom's vacated saddle. "No real security," Claudia said. "Not even any metal detectors. You draw down on the tour guide while she shows you how the C-Gates work, you say send us off or we blow you out." She shrugged. "Couldn't be easier."
de la Cruz frowned. So did T'Paul and Turo; monkey see, monkey do. Two slabs of men, beside them Joaquin looked like somebody's kid. Didn't sound like one, though, as he said, "What about it, Vin? My little cousin, she's too optimistic, you think?"
Not true cousins, this was the fiction that Phantom's people were all "family." Oh, hell, they weren't even Mafioso----but you didn't say so aloud, Arthur said. "It might not be as easy as it looks." Then, at Claudia's glare, "There was an armed guard, remember, that followed the group around."
"Yeah, sure, the old far." Claudia snorted. "Had his holster flap buttoned down the whole time, so the piece don' fall out."
"Just the one?" said de la Cruz. "Nothing more, you saw?"
"Not inside the building, no," said Arthur.
"So we go with the job as set, and this is our out, after. We play tag with those C-Gates until the statute time runs out."
de la Cruz nodded, so did T'Paul. The seal of approval.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMEs7r5Gjz
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Arthur wasn't even told what the job was. Which was fine by him; all he wanted was to get paid for his little spy act and go home. But Joaquin wanted differently. "Naw, Art; you gotta be down there and get tour tickets. For five, 'cause you coming with us. So you're not around later, to answer a lotta questions."
Shit; he might have known it'd go down like this. And just when he was getting his sex straight again, well enough to try it on someone besides hookers.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifA00WDwdJ
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Vinson hadn't looked de la Vega up; he'd never heard of him; but Joaquin spotted Vinson's release in the news, recognized the name from Phantom's list of clients, and came around to see if he could market a little something. No damn via; dope had been Arthur Vinson's downfall once and that was enough.
But Joaquin also had a handle on commercial sex in the area, and it didn't hurt Arthur's dealings along those lines to be known as a friend of the boss. Sop he went to a few of Joaquin's parties and accepted some favors that he took to be freebies.
Now he was finding out that they weren't!
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When the tour group entered the big C-Gates room, Ben took a hitch in his breath and a firm grip on his sphincters. This was going to be a bitch, yeah, but it couldn't be helped.
He'd had to switch the tickets once, from early afternoon to late, because Joaquin called from upstate, got hung up in transit and running behind schedule. Always something! For a moment there he'd thought maybe this was his chance to take just four tickets and say that was all he could get, so he wouldn't have to go in the C-Gate. But he got to thinking, you never could tell. Joaquin might just shoot him instead. So he signed for the quintet. Not his own name, of course.
The way it went, Claudia would've known he was lying anyway, because the tour group turned out to be smaller than usual, maybe fifteen. Still hoping, Arthur tried to hang back toward the tail end, but no luck; if T'Paul wasn't flanking him, Turo was. Both heavy in the midriff with all the loot stashed in money belts.
About halfway down the long room now, everybody gathered around the 3rd C-Gate in the lineup, the guide was saying, ".....were moved into space, to macro-C-Gate 2, for several years until it was decided the precaution was unnecessary after all and they were brought back again. This C-Gate, now, transmits to Arrowprize, our 3rd starship, and you'll note by the indicator panel that it's been rendered operational. I have no departures scheduled, so presumably it's a supplies requisition. Now..."
As she turned away, Joaquin de la Vega dropped a quarter; it bounced ringing on the floor. In moments, T'Paul and Turo had moved out to cover the group while Claudia jerked Arthur toward the C-Gate. She was half his size, but he went along because he had a pretty damn good idea what she'd do if he didn't.
Grabbing the tour guide's shoulders, de la Vega gave her a shake that jarred her carefully coiffed red hair loose to stand out in disarray. "Hold still!" And, "Everybody hit the floor! On your faces, hands behind your head!"
The guard fumbled at his holster. "Leave it sit, soldier! You may be good, but we're five to one." 4, really; Arthur wasn't packing. But he admired Joaquin's tactic; let the man keep his pride, easier for him to give in.
Now de la Vega shoved the woman towards the control panel and backed into the C-Gate area itself, motioning T'Paul and Turo to join them. "All right, lady, send us out!"
"I--I can't do that!"
"You said it's up and ready; hit it. And anybody comes after us, they get blown away. Now move it! I'm still here 30 minutes from now," aiming at her, "one less broad."
"Wait! I---all right, I'll do it. But it takes longer...."
"Start."
Where were the goddamn UN troops when you needed them? Arthur didn't want to go; he didn't even want to be here!
Wait a minute, though. Arrowprize? That tricky little bitch Jacqueline! 16 years ago now, a little over, maybe; Arthur hadn't forgotten, though. And a story on the holo "....youngest member of a starship crew..." By God, he'd.....
As the air thickened with flashing color, Arthur heard de la Vega's gunfire. But no sound of the bullet striking.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegju6IoV8w
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"How the hell could this happen?" Rick Berman was mad through and through. "Don't we have any damn security down there?"
On the other end of the line, the director of Bolt Park both looked and sounded whipped. "There was a guard in the C-Gates room, but he was badly outnumbered, Senator, you have to realize, there's just no precedent; we've never had any problem before. Not since the Earth First protesters, over at the Cape when the Jupiter were under political attack. And that's...."
"A long time ago. Yeah, yeah. Well, it's not your fault, Whorlton. But what're you going to do about it?"
"What can I do? The ringleader said they'd shoot anyone who went after them, and at 25 to one, between the 5 of them they could guard the Ass for months, by our time. And they could wait spread out, flanking whoever arrived. Sitting ducks!" He paused. "We can't use assault methods, throw in a grenade first, anything like that---even if we didn't kill some of our own, by mistake, we could damage the ship."
"Then you're saying we can't get anyone at all, for any reason, until Sisko gives word it's safe to do so."
"I'm afraid that's right, Senator. We can still provide supplies, of course."
Berman's imagination beat at the bars of the situational cage. How big was the water supply line? Send a man though in a diving suit? But how the hell could he get out of the tank?
He shook his head. "All right, Whorlton. Keep me posted.
Two days later Berman approved sending a team after all. Specially equipped and bearing very special instructions.
At least the press didn't know. Not yet, at least.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrDgQM7uc5
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It was Yasmin Armiger who guessed that the rather spectacular explosions appearing on the aft sensors, while Arrowprize was passing a double-star system not terribly far off the port bow, were some kind of super-thermonuclear floating space mines. "Radar fuses," she insisted, "and we got close enough to set 'em off. But long gone before the bastards could react and blow."
"You're probably right," Ben told her. The round trip beam transmission time wouldn't be sufficient to get the ship out of range, but no detonating mechanism could avoid a few milliseconds worth of inherent delay, and at Arrowprize's speed it didn't take much of that to spring them on past, free and clear.
Predictably, Paul Stamets wanted to go investigate, but realized it wasn't doable. "No, we really couldn't chance the ship being discovered and none of us out and awake."
There were some questions as to whether or not certain traces indicated ships traveling between the twin systems. "I'm sure they do," said Beverly Crusher. "But it's not Warp Drive as we know it, and as near as I can tell by the readings, nothing's pushing even half of c."
"Not in our league, then," Ben concluded. "And they act mean, to boot. So," he said to Nyota, "I guess you know what to put in the log summary for Earth, regarding these systems."
"No, I don't. You better tell me."
Sisko grinned. "Don't send out the welcome wagon."
Too bad he couldn't give that advice to the nearer neighbors, back at Beacon System. He tried figuring how many light-years behind them those planets were, but decided he'd have to look it up in the log---and then forgot to!338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpEEv7tyPn
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A little over two weeks into Perry's latest hibernation, J.M. coming, timed off watch brought Ben an envelope. "This is something from the personnel office." What now, he wondered.
"Let's see it." Reading quickly, then he handed her the sheet. Boiled down, it ready that Kathryn Janeway having recieved corrective medical treatment was now fully certified for duty and would arrive aboard Arrowprize to serve as supernumerary watch officer for a period of approximately 90 ship-days. After which she'd C-Gate to Stargazer on rendezvous with relief cadre 4-A, and take command as that ship started its long deceleration. She would be accompanied by her new pairmate, Geordi LaForge, drive chief for that cadre, who would meanwhile assist Arrowprize's chief.
"On the other hand, if she screws up, it's back to Earth," J.M. summarized. "Do you suppose you might?" She frowned. "I'm not sure I like being guinea pigs on a test run."
Sisko shrugged. "What the hell, J.M.; that's what these entire mission are."
And he was right, he realized.
Then Marlena came on watch, and Ben gave her a quick hello kiss.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqT1q8TU9M
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"What's she like so far?" Senator Perry asked. As Ben had bet himself, the 3rd emergence was running true to form. During this time in the C-Gates, Kathyrn Janeway and Geordi LaForge had arrived, and the senator had to see what was going on.
It'd be Janeway, of course, who worried him. Like Ben himself, Perry had no qualms about the big negro who accompanied her. Quiet except for his rare contagious laugh, LaForge hovered near his pairmate like a shaggy, protective gorilla. Or so it seemed to Sisko.
"Stick around and see for yourself," Ben said now. Due on watch in less than 30 minutes, Janeway should be stopping by the galley any minute now. "Here, have some more coffee."
And soon she did arrive. Alone for once, and now Sisko remembered that LaForge would be incraft, getting a guided tour of the drive area itself. Once Kathyrn had her tray ready she came and sat down beside Ben, across from Perry and Barrows. "Yes, I have returned, as you can see." She smiled. "Ten days past arriving here, Geordi and I. In another 80, slightly less perhaps, we go on to Stargazer. Conversion to drive thrust living mode will be complete or nearly so; we join cadre 4-A to commence and carry through deceleration to destination orbit."
As talk went on, Ben watched the senator absorb the differences, some obvious, others more subtle, from the last time they'd seen this lady. Well, appearance. Top: gray hair no longer dyed red, still sheared at sides and back but no longer curled above, just shortish and slightly wavy. Paradoxically the change made her face look incongruously younger. That face a bit less lean, more solid, and a similar shift in body proportions, she wasn't what you'd call stocky, Ben reflected, not by any means. But with the excesses of thyroid and andrenals curbed, Kathyrn Janeway's metabolism no longer burned away everything but the vital core of her.
She spoke quietly, not so intense as before her treatment. "We are all lucky my illegal attempt was foiled. I've been studying the changes that need to be made, to converted Stargazer for living under 1G deceleration." She shook her head. "I didn't even consider the difficulties involved. Though conversation should be largely complete when we arrived, operation of the ship will be tremendously different from what I knew. But back on Earth orbit we trained on simulators, so I'm ready."
Her presence might've lost some impact, but the loss made her a lot easier to be around. Now, finished with a light breakfast, she stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm due for watch."
Watching her brisk, no-nonsense exit, Senator Perry raised at eyebrow. "That's not the Old Iron Boobs who used to worry the hell out of me. I think it's gonna work."
And in the days following Perry's fourth local C-Gating, Ben found no reason to contradict the old man's judgment.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWt9ZcvHhwI
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As the air lost color, Arthur still didn't hear any bullet strike. Blinking he saw no mark on the bare walls before him.
He felt a push, then found himself drifting out of the C-Gate recess and grabbed for something---anything---to hold onto, but by now nothing lay within his reach. "Hey---!"
His slow spin had him facing away when de la Vega barked out "Everybody hold onto who's next to you. Don't panic, Vince, we'll get you in a minute." then "Goddaminit T'Paul, you puke and you'll eat it!" Maybe not the best way to put the admonition, but when Arthur's drift faced him around, T'Paul wasn't erupting.
Somehow, Joaquin got the others strung out hand to hand until he himself reached the control chair and managed to get seated. Then Claudia, Joaquin holding her by one foot, swung out far enough to catch Arthur's outstretched arm, and shortly everyone had a handhold for anchor. "About time!" said de la Vega. "Now then..."
From around a corner only a few feet away came two women. One was slim and very dark, the other stockier and older, with hair like a blond, shaggy mop. Both stopped, eyes wide and expressions frozen, "Hold it right there!" de la Vega yelled. He wiggled the gun. "You come over here, blonde, and you stand right where you are 'til I say different."
His brow wrinkled. "How the hell do you walk in the place?" Then he nodded. "The shoes, right? Okay, take 'em off, you," to the blond, "Claudia, see if they fit," because sure as hell none of the men could get into them.
The blond held onto the control console as Claudia tried the shoes on and took two unsure steps; Arthur expected her to fall or float, but she didn't. "Hey, they work yeah."
"All right, we'll get us some more. You!" to the black woman. "You go bring 'em back, enough to go around. You do that and not one damn thing else, if you want your friend here with all her parts inside where they belong. You got me?"
"I gotcha."
"Then get!" Now back to the older woman. "You got a squawkbox around here? Talk back and forth around the ship?"
She gestured to one corner of the console. "That's the intercraft. Who do you want to talk to?"
"I don't; you do. 1st, how many guns on here?"
She stared at him. "I haven't seen the inventory."
"Well, it don't matter; anybody comes at me, you get it first and then we shoot up your damn C-Gate. So they won't. Now, call your captain and tell him we're in charge now. And why."
She reached across and pushed several buttons; Joaquin scowled. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm not sure where he is; I'm calling broadcast."
"Well, get to it!"
She cleared her throat. "This is Yasmin Armiger. At Earthass. I need to talk with Jonathan if he's awake for once."
The woman who answered sounded surprised, or maybe cautious. "I don't think he's available right now."
"Then get me Old Iron Boobs. Maybe she can help."
If this was how starship crews talked about their officers, Arthur thought, it didn't say much for discipline.
Something else bugged him, too. Joaquin'd shot his damn gun off. The bullet hadn't even gone spang; there or her either.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLXhLu342V
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On the bridge Jacqueline looked up, startled, Old Iron Boobs? And wanting to talk with Jonathan Archer? Had Yasmine blown a feedback loop or something? At the main console J.M. spoke again. "I'll call her right away," as Nyota Uhura passed the door carrying an armload of Velcro shoes.
Talk switch off. "Nyota? What are you doing with those?"
"They're wanted," and the D.M. commander kept right on going.
Yasmin was speaking again. "....five of them, one a woman, they say they're taking charge of the ship. They've got guns. If anybody tries stopping them, they say I die first and then they'll destroy the C-Gate here. After that, God only knows."
J.M. frowned. "Warn them to be careful with those guns. Breaching the hull could be extremely dangerous to all involved."
Jacqueline stared. Breaching the hull, here in the operations tube? Then she realized, intruders might not know any better. And it couldn't hurt to keep them just a little bit nervous....
Again she listened to the intercom. In the background someone barked out something largely unintelligible except for the obscenities, and Yasmine said, "We're coming to the bridge and they'll tell you in person what they want. Armiger out."
"What's she trying to do?" Ben said, entering fast and breathing hard. "Jonathan, for God's sake! And..."
"Maybe she's giving you the chance to be here without their knowing you're the captain," J.M. said. "It could be an edge."
Jacqueline missed whatever was said next. Because grouped around Yasmin and Nyota shuffled four men and a woman.
Four strangers and Arthur Vinson!
Instinct bared her teeth. Her breath hissed.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQywSdQ9OCR
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Seeing the man who had tried to violate his daughter shattered Sisko's restrained. "You piece of shit! What are you doing here?"
"Watch your mouth; we're armed, you're not." But all Vinson waggled was a forefinger.
The little guy, the one who look liked the brains of this sideshow if they had any, did wield a handgun. "Shaddup!" He pointed to Ben, not to menace but to indicate who he was speaking t. "You the captain here?" Jonathan, right?"
No point in glaring at Yasmin. Sisko said, "Captain Jonathan Archer cannot be with us at this time." Then, all semblance of formality gone: "What the hell do you want?"
Small Stuff nodded. "Now you're talking. We're taking a tour, see? Go through those C-Gates you got, one ship and then another, it's two years a jump, am I right? Well, I'm pushing for about 10 years worth of that, then we go home and they can't touch us, the statute runs out."
His smile was pure sarcasm. "Got a problem with that?"
Before Ben could answer, a voice said, "I don't." He turned to see Kathryn Janeway come in, carrying something that looked like an ornate gun. No, that couldn't be! There weren't any!
To nobody in particular she announced: "From the intercraft, I believe I understand what's necessary." Then, with apparent ice-cold calm as Geordi LaForge loomed silently behind her. "Now to which ship would you like to go next?"
"Well..." The little nervy guy stuck out his jaw. "What are our options?"
"The ships are Stargazer and Yamato and..." Suddenly she seemed confused; she stared at the local C-Gates as though she'd never seen them before, then at Ben, back to the C-Gates and again at Ben, this time glaring at him. "No! I see what you're thinking, but you can't unleash these people on Orphan Colony. It's a fragile experiment, they're not ready. You mustn't....."
Totally bewildered, Sisko tried hard not to gape.
"Hold it!" The little man worked up a smug grin. "Orphan Colony, huh? In there?" He pointed. "Tell me about it."
She set her lips primly, then said, "An unbalanced concept; you'd be uncomfortable. Barely the fiction of governmental structure. Also, the men outnumbered 6 or 7 to 1, by women; hardly an equitable arrangement. So you see..."
The smaller man laughed aloud. " We'll take it." The swarthy-complexioned woman, Ben noticed, gave him a look of pure hatred. He ignored her. "All right, let's get on." And waved his gun again; the gesture was becoming monotonous.
As the other four moved at Kathryn's gesture to the local Mouth, Arthur Vinson said, "One thing, Joaquin." He lunged at Jacqueline. "This kid here, she's coming with us!"
"The hell she is!" Infuriate, Sisko disregarded the guns. But Vinson already had the girl by the arm, pulling her with him into the C-Gate's operational area.
Bracing to dive in after Jacqueline (damn the consequences) Ben stopped at Kathryn Janeway's overriding shout. She raised the pistol-grip object and toyed with its trigger, evoking a threatening howl that rose and fell, nerve-grating. She said, "I don't recognize the hostage principle. Let the girl go, mister, and you can leave." Her grip tightened.
Arthur turned and twisted, moving Jacqueline to and fro in front of him. "Hah! You can't get at me without hitting her."
"I don't need to; the small, bossy one make a better target."
"Wait a minute!" the man called Joaquin yelled; as the heavy object swung to point at him, he stood frozen in place.
"It's not open to debate, fella." Janeway's smile held pity. "If you can't keep your own people under control..." With the others seemingly paralyzed into a deadlock, the gun thing wound up its scream. "Call it!"
"All right!" Frantically he jerked Jacqueline loose from Arthur Vinson, pushed her out and away, then drew himself up and leveled his pistol. It shook a little. "Now send us to Orphan!"
"All you have to do is ask," and J.M. activated the local C-Gate.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjsZhHO6OH
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Unprecedented obtrusion into plenum-major or highly kinetic mass from previously disruptive dimension packet produces not just pain but physical damage neither quickly nor easily reasonable. Due to normal state of admixture, impacting causes injuries to be widely shared, spread among many.
It's determined that the mass, small in comparison to its destructive ability, obtruded while suffering such rapid change of point group loci as to escape the boundaries of dimensional overlap during the single moment between intrusion and withdrawal. Thus disruption isn't confined as previous effects have been, to point-groupings within extrusion itself.
The cause of such extreme kinesis remains inexplicable; a theory arises, that such phenomena may be specific to the particular sub-plenum producing cross-dimensional interaction. Previous study has shown this grouping to be a nominal array of paired vectors defining six directions in all. Divided equally, as expected, between spatial and chronal.
Unexpectedly, however, the sub-plenum proves to be harbor development of volitional beings which exist unadmixed and therefore lacking the capacity to intercommunicate with their osmotic liaison.
All of this from exostudy; to observe inside the vector subset requires an unforeseen modification, deliberate limitation of a sensory extension to the dimensional packet in question. With some misgiving, decision accretes to essay such an experiment.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJQIL9EP2S
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"Yasmin said Old Iron Boobs was needed," Kathyrn said, "so I performed her as best I could remember. Was I credible?"
It wasn't exactly the word Ben would have picked, but he nodded anyway.
"Lord!" said Yasmin Armiger. "All I was hoping was you had another of those dart spinner to just zap 'em with."
"And why bring up Jonathan?" J.M. asked.
"Hey, I asked if he was awake, didn't I? I figured you'd catch on, I had company that didn't know any better."
Sisko made a puzzled scowl. "What kind of gun is that, anyway? I've never seen anything like that before." And where did Kathyrn get it, anyway?
"It's not a gun, Ben. It's a cordless torquing wrench. Men like that, I felt, wouldn't recognize such a tool; a gun's what they would expect, so I made sure that's what they saw." She smiled. "I improvised myself these big gunsights out of iridescent foil. Anodized."
"Well...." Words really did fail him. "Thanks."
"Your welcome. And now," said Kathyrn Janeway, "we've got to think of the details of the enclose to be constructed here."
"A cage, in other words." Ben nodded. "Let's don't forget the sign on the inside. To let the senator know it's not intended for him."338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkotuTTkUiv
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Having C-Gated a report back to Earth, Sisko was spotting measurements on deck and bulkheads, showing Nick Leger where to cut away deck plating and begin welding plates in place, when the six men came charging into the bridge, reasonably skillful on Velcro. Helmeted and and goggled above bulky garments, they carried large bore handguns. "All right, freeze! Bandits and everybody else. Now, who belongs here and who doesn't?"
Oh damn hell; straightening up, Ben gestured towards the local Mouth. "I'm Benjamin Sisko, the captain. Your bandits are all safely in local C-Gate lag; we're setting up now for when they come out again. I'm afraid you've had your trip for nothing."
The man in front removed his goggles and pushed the helmet back. "Trust me, that's not bad news. We've got softnose slugs with only target loads, but the poop was , hit one piece of equipment by mistake and we all end up facing charges. What a way to run a manhunt." He put his hand out. "Frank Tanka."
"Welcome aboard, then. Would you all like something to eat before you C-Gate back? It's the least we can do."
"That'd be nice. So would getting out of this goddam Impackt tunics. But, you're sure you don't want us to stick around just in case?"
"For a month? Two extra years, Earth time? Besides, it could get a little crowded, and not much for you to do, waiting."
Advised that reassurance had already been transmitted to Earth, Tanka and the rest did have a meal, followed by a brief tour of major points of interest. Then, after much expression of mutual good wishes, they C-Gated home.
"Now," said Ben, "let's get our asses back to our jobs."
When would they realize, back on Earth, that C-Gate lag and time dilation tended to make rescue missions obsolete before they got here?
Never jinx your luck, though; Sisko crossed his fingers.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K06sZisIp
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"Damn near shit my britches, I guess you know," Perry said, seated in the lounge and sipping coffee. "I came through the C-Gate expecting our usual cheery welcome, and here we're in a cell, lit up so we can't see for glare. Tell us a bit more, of what happened. And how this is supposed to work."
So Ben told it, and J.M. took up the explanation. The marauders would have no choice. "They drop their weapons, their clothes, everything, down that slot into the bin outside the cage. The vidcams up in the corners will cover their actions. The glare will keep them from spotting the cameras."
"And bareass with no guns," the senator said, "you don't figure these goons pose much of a threat."
"No." Ben shook his head. "Though they might be able to damage the Ass, if they panic and try some shooting before they give up. We don't know just what could happen in that case; early tests along those lines were inconclusive, one way or another. So you'd better not use those C-Gates just now."
Perry made a face. "You're saying we need to stay out here in ship's time, until after that goon squad emerges?"
"Of course not," said Sisko. "Any reason you shouldn't put off to Earth for a few days, say hi and come back? By that time, all this will be over and done with."
"It does sound good, I'll admit," said Tonia Barrows.
"I'd like to check on something first," said Perry. "I'll see you in a little bit." A half hour after he returned, a bit flushed in the face. "All right. I just wanted to try out the 1G ring a little while to see how it felt. I guess I haven't gotten too much out of shape to hack it for a few days."
So after a good night's sleep and some minor packing, the two C-Gated off.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AsU3YItOv
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"Let's see if I've got this straight," said Yasmin Armiger. "This guy, you really owe him the axe; you want to cut him too short to hang up. You'd like to know what his soft spots are."
Jacqueline nodded. She'd tried to find ways to ask J.M. and Marlena, but came to realize Talia couldn't help her, and lacked the nerve to approach Kathryn Janeway. But on the face of it, Yasmine knew a few things about getting one's own back. Thus: "What can I say, so he'll wish he'd never seen me in his life?"
"I don't know enough to answer you. What is he like?"
Carefully editing her story to tell much of Arthur Vinson but next to nothing of the terror he'd put her through, Jacqueline prospected for information. Just a few more days now....338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygIvSomslJ
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Claudia Prats screamed. "Joaquin! How they do that?!"
Snarling, de la Vega said, "Sonsabitches! Switched the C-Gate somehow, sent us back. Wonder which slammer.....?"
Then Arthur noticed. "Hey, we don't weigh anything. We're still in space." Which ship, he wondered? Well, what the hell? Wherever they were, bare panels enclosed a small area containing just the single C-Gate. There was a slot, not quite 2 feet wide and maybe 5 inches high----but behind it, less than 1 foot away, lay more blank metal. T'Paul banged on the small door, on this side it had no knob or handle, and it rang loudly.
Joaquin cocked his automatic; Joaquin said, "Yeah, come on, everybody. Maybe we can blow ourselves a hole through."
"Wait!" Arthur put a hand on the little man's arm. "You want lead bouncing around? You'll shoot one of us, is what."
Toro nodded. "Awright, put it up, Vega. We gotta...."
From behind the metal came a voice. "Listen good in there. If you want out, do as I say, do it not, and do nothing else."
First the guns, then the clothes. Joaquin railed, but there wasn't any choice; finally cursing, he gave in. Arthur was mildly surprised; Claudia had better hooters than showed with clothes on!338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd53dKnZBlV
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She'd practically had to beg, but finally Sisko let Jacqueline stay for the bandits' ignoble release. He grumped more than just a little. "It's not decent; they'll all be naked," and made dire hints that before he sent Arthur Vinson back to Earth he just might want to pat him down flat like hamburger.
Ignoring that part, for arguing would only make him angrier, Jacqueline said, "6th grade, we had a field trip to a nude beach; the only thing not decent was the shape some were in."
Under lowered brows he stared at her. "Why do you really want to be there?"
"I owe Arthur something. And this is my last chance."
He looked even harder but didn't ask any more questions.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKBqN7Onx4
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After Hikaru Sulu retrieved the guns and clothes and so forth from the outside bin, he gave Sisko his choice of weapon to wield as a symbol of authority. Ben picked the big Mauser; he had no idea whether he could hit the broad side of a barn with it, and didn't give a damn; the thing was for show, here, not to use.
Then with Charles Tucker covering from one side and Alfred Nightgazer from the other, Sulu opened the cage and motioned the five crestfallen raiders to come out. Seeing who they faced seemed to put them into something that resembled shock.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Z99Arf9P
A sorry bunch, thought Ben. The two big muscle guys hadn't said a word and looked to share the IQ of iceberg lettuce. The little one was trying to convince himself that he was still a tough guy with no gun and no clothes. The woman would have been attractive if it weren't for her wholly feral expression.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbqonWZXPU
And then there was Arthur Vinson; Sisko put a lid on his feelings and said, "Make it march, commandos; you don't have to give the shoes back until we have you in Earthmouth." The smaller man protested, but Ben just waved the Mauser.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36pcJugjXR
Alfred led the way. Corridor after, right turn onto the transverse, and here we are. Sisko said, "Tell 'em your clothes will be along in a while." Maybe an hour, maybe a month, he hadn't really decided: The guns, no hurry at all. "Now get in there, settle toward the back, and toss the shoes out."338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEh2b46RgF
Those things done, Ben stepped near Arthur Vinson. "You know something, you sad sack of shit? I'd like nothing better than to kill you twice!"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNB5beFfKe
"Ben!" From behind him, Jacqueline's voice came urgent. "He's mine, remember?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwOiq4PnAt
Now what was she planning? Nothing physical, surely. He said, "Sure. Just don't make too much of a mess." And enjoyed watching Vinson's cheekbones burn red against suddenly cafe-au-lait skin. This was getting to be fun. And J.M. was primed to activate the C-Gate on his signal.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3uUmxAZF8
Stiff-legged, Jacqueline stalked up near the uneasy group. "Remember the bathroom, Arthur?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyTBfCv05h
"Now look! I didn't do anything. I didn't even hurt you! I...."338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVLpVTzNO6
"Shut up." Spoken quietly. "Remember what you said?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyuQIM2tVf
"I don't remember anything. What did I say?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHQNDrOK5Q
She pointed at his crotch. "Why do you call it a cobra, Arthur? It's not even an earthworm."338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnaty7r7p3
Activate!338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOlCPOfko4
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When the color flare died, Ben said, "Jacqueline, what in the hell possessed you to say that?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ4T4ElHRJ
"Yasmin. I asked what's the worst I could do, and she said that's pop him like a balloon. Do you think it did?"338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpa0VjnwwL
"Probably."338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJnjBSOgW3
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Later that day, as Nick and Charles were dismantling the cage preparatory to restoring the deck covering, Sisko remembered to fish the clothes out of the bin and C-Gate them off. 338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfUZZeadc9
It wasn't too much later, maybe a week by Earth time.338Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUgHTH4NFn
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