The Arrowprize.

The woman stared first. Her eyes opened: for a moment she seemed calm enough. Then as she sat up and looked from face to face, shoulders jerking as her wrists tugged at the bonds, her expression went through disbelief to fright. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Where's the captain? I...." Her voice trailed off, wild-eyed, she shook her head.

Then she saw the man, not yet moving. "Osric!" And then: "What have you done to him?"

J.M. went to her. "Easy now; it's all right." She looked over to Ben and gestured; he nodded. "Here, let me untie you. But you're not on Stargazer now; this is Arrowprize and we belong here. What we'd like to know is why you are. Here, I mean." He paused. "What's the last thing that you remember?"

Busy flexing her freed hands and wrists, the young lady made no answer. Sisko said, "Let's start with you are. And who Osric is. We've already deduced you're both from Stargazer, relief cadre 2-A. Are we correct?"

"Y-yes." Pushing her hair back from her face the woman nodded. "I don't understand but---I'm Cayla Paulsen and he's Osric Harcrow; we're paired. We've only just got here, a few hours ago. On Stargazer, Captain Janeway called a meeting---not everybody, just some of us---to decide who stayed aboard and..."

She shook her head again. "I didn't understand most of it. We were supposed to relieve 1-A and serve one year aboard, ship's time. But the captain said plans had changed. The main thing was, she wasn't going back when her term ended; she was holding command all the way to destination. And choosing who she'd keep on with her. The ones she didn't want, she said she'd warehouse. I'm not sure what she meant by that, but it had to do with C-Gate lag someway. Do you think....?"

Ben surely did. He said. "How did everybody else react? You, for example? And Osric?"

She didn't directly answer. "There'd been another gathering earlier. Just some of the men, meeting with Captain Janeway. Osric was there; he told me everything was going to be all right. And of course she's captain!"

Sisko thought of old rumors concerning Jupiter-II. "And the others? How did they seem to feel?"

"Well, Mr. Tarmeron and Mr. Burcham, the co-execs, backed the idea; most of the other men didn't say much either way. But some of the women were against it. Ulla Sladek, Mr. Burcham's pairmate. And two or three others, Kalyn Vasser, and the Romanian woman, something Solari. But not speaking up as much as Sladek did."

Keeping in mind the retroactive amnesia effect, Ben went back to J.M.'s question. "And what's the last thing you remember?"

Her brow wrinkled. "We were in captain's quarters; that's where she held the meetings. When the argument got a little hot, Captain Janeway said let's have a bit of food and maybe a drink. That's what we were doing....I don't remember any more."

The man was awake now, had been for some time though Ben wasn't sure how long. "Osric? If we untie your hands will you behave yourself?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?" So Colt took off the bonds.

"Now then---does Cayla's report sound accurate to you?"

The man hadn't wakened in time to learn where he was now; Sisko had to fill him in first. Then: "Arrowprize? That's where Kathyrn was going to pipeline surplus people. So she decided against us after all." He shrugged. "She had not fooled."

Oh yes? "How? For example, tell us about this earlier meeting Cayla mentioned. Just Old Iron Tits and a bunch of the boys, eh?"

At first Osric balked. Ben could guess why. He said, "Mr. Harcrow you're looking at a man who's fresh out of patience. Tell me this: is Cayla important to you?"

"Of course she is!"

"Then answer my questions. Because if I don't like your attitude, I can pipeline you until she's twice your age!"484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTquJOXCbHr
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J.M.'s horrified look said he had no such authority, but Harcrow bit; embarrassed to the stammering point, including a nonstop world's record blush, he related how Kathryn Janeway had directed a sexual circus with five men's activities all focused on her person. "Half the time I didn't know what I was supposed to do, she was---uh---busy and couldn't tell me. But Mr. Tameron or Mr. Burcham always seemed to know just what she wanted next, so it, well, it all worked, you could say."

The way he looked at Cayla she might have been the hangman. Relenting, Ben said, "If it's any comfort to either of you, this is old tricks for Captain Janeway." So the Jupiter rumors were true, all right. "By now she's got to be an expert."

He reached to the playback control. "We can't fill in what took place at the last, on your ship, not for sure. But I'll show you what happened at this end. After you were taken from the Stargazer Ass and put through our local C-Gates once."

"Wait!" Cayla's gesture sought defense against the words. "You mean, with what's coming here from our own ship, we've lost four years? Six, before we could get home?"

"Let's just say, stockpiled them." Play began; the emergence, the deceptive plea, the zapping, Paulsen taking three men with her into the C-Gate. "So I guess," Sisko commented at the end, "our Ulla took it upon herself to change all the plans."

Looking apprehensive, Harcrow said, "What's gonna happen now?"

"To you two?" Ben thought. Kynon's illness left Arrowprize short one hand. "What are your specialties, shipwise?"

"Instruments," said Kayla. "Outside sensor calibration, that kind of thing."

And Osric Harcrow: "Incraft maintenance. Power systems, drive control circuits, DV emergency backup."

Like Ben himself, these kids were trained for Stargazer-class ships, not for the Arrowprize. But if he could adapt, so could they. Except, they'd signed for 4 years C-Gate time at half pay plus a shipboard year at 10-to-1; fourteen years off Earth and 12 years' pay. While Arrowprize's crew was aboard all the way.

Still, "We're shorthanded for a time. I could assign you here, if you wish; notify Earth, make it all official. There'll be some hell raised about this mess before all's said and done, but if you're telling the truth you should come out clean as a whistle."

While the duo looked at each other, neither acting first to take the plunge, Sisko said, "I don't know how much you're counting on your scheduled return date. Or on your overall expected pay for the tour." As he spoke he was figuring, and came up with: "Three months on here, a bit less, would get you home on sked with 8 years' wages. I can't get return word from Earth in less than two of those months, anyway."

"Eight year's pay? That's the best you can do?" Osric sounded plaintive.

"For 3 months' work you're getting a bargain. And certainly nobody's going to pay you for Sladek's detours. Unless you can so it out of her when we get our hands on her."

Kayla tugged at the man's sleeve. "Let's take it; at least we can salvage something. And these folks aren't crazy, like...."

Sikso suppressed a chuckle and turned to assess his own casualties. Ed Straker sat, resting his chin on one hand and looking glum. "Ed, why don't you go downcraft and take a snooze?"

Nick Leger, though, was wide-eyed and taking it all in. "You feeling better now?" And at Nick's nod, "Then escort these two down to the belt. Ask Odessa to outfit them a little, and you assign them the two nearest crewrooms." To the new hands he said, "Did you get any sleep aboard Stargazer?"

Cayla shook her head. "We'd stored our duffels in a room and took our midday meal. Then all of the other things...."

"So you've had no sleep and one meal in the past 6 years. Take 'em down, Nick." Straker followed.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1RLhp4IOK
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Left alone with Ben, Marlena Moreau watched him sigh. "Any suggestions on how do we get things back to normal? J.M. doesn't have any."

Surprised, she said, "Of course not, silly. You're in command now."

"Damn! I hadn't thought of that!"

Leaning forward, Moreau laughed. "Give us a kiss, spaceman."

"Sure." At some length, he did. "What was that for?"

"For being the kind of guy who wouldn't think of command, first shot out of the cannon. Now then, as captain---acting captain or whatever---it's up to you to get the watch skeds on track again. I suspect Johnathan had them laid out for the immediate future; from there you can just continue his system."

Groaning, Sisko said, "System? Did you ever try to decipher one of his roster charts? I've never had any idea how he figures them. Just that everybody shuffles around a lot, working with different people. What the progression is...."

Marlena frowned. Not command itself, but the very idea of it, had Ben in a tailspin. "Then why not set up your own? Better yet, delegate the chore. J.M. tells me that Archer had no talent for that. He kept everything in his own head which is why we've got so many loose ends here."

Now he grinned. "Fine. Tell J.M. to have the new sked on my desk by the end of the watch, and...." He stopped. "Uh-oh. We're short a watch officer. Now who...?"

"Why not...." No, this was when to shut up. "Never mind."

Concentrating, he didn't seem to notice. "Nyota. After all, as DM commander, she's sort of an officer already." He checked the time. "From what we know of the timing two months ago, we're past the interval when any other people could be C-Gating onto the bridge, so..." On the intercom: "Uhura and Tucker, you're relieved; you can go unsuit. Nyota, you're a watch officer. J.M. Colt will have the new skeds ready. So's you'll have time for a snooze, you won't be taking the next trick."

Who would, Marlena wondered. Cawthorn was on now, and neither Ben nor herself was especially well rested. Oh well....

Another thought came. Whatever happened to last names on duty, first names off? It had been that way not too long ago; when had things changed? Gradually, maybe. or maybe the sudden absence of Jonathan Archer and his by-the-book attitudes, plus the disruption of routine, had tipped the scales.

She felt no need to comment. What she did say was, "Ben, there's no sense in all of us getting pooped, either. You're going to want to take over the next watch, I suspect. Why don't you go doss down until then, while I do those skeds? I'll pick up the current roster sheets in control, to give me an idea who's had the most time off lately and should be due."

"Yeah. Okay." Sisko sighed. They shared a hug and kiss, stood, and went separate ways.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhG1CXP0FH
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Adjourned to the galley, Odessa and Moreau and Elyse and Jacqueline were finishing off the thick, hearty stew Odessa had put together, when Jacqueline looked up to see Nick Leger come in, followed by two total strangers and Ed Straker.

Jacqueline jumped up first but not alone. "What....?" "Who....?" "How....?" Everybody tried to ask at the same time: Nick yelled, "Hold it!"

When he had quiet, he said, "These aren't intruders like we mean the word; they're from Stargazer and brought here out cold. Matter of fact, the captain's signed them on for duty, temporarily, at least. What with Kynon gone, and all. So...."

"Captain?" Confused, Jacqueline went on. "I thought he..."

"Mr. Sisko, I meant," said Nick. "He doesn't seem to realize it yet, but if he's not captain, we don't have one. Until Captain Archer pops out again, that is."

He turned to the newcomers. "You want anything here, before I show you your rooms?" Headshakes. "Okay; Odessa, these people don't have anything with them but the shirts off their backs. Could you manage a few things, what they'll need right now?"

Vangelos said, "How about name?" She stated her own; in a few moments everyone was introduced. Then she said, "Personal kits, sure, and I expect we've got some spare clothes to fit." With Osric and Kayla following and Nick bringing up the rear, she led the way out.

At the door Nick turned. "Jacqueline, I know you're full of questions, but hold 'em; when your dad comes down here he needs to rest. He's stretched tight and doesn't even know it, is my guess. So be easy on him."

"Sure thing, Nick." Startled, Jacqueline felt rebuked, then realized that wasn't Leger's intent; he meant it for everybody, but cautioning her alone would seem less bossy. All right.

So she went to her quarters and took her unsatisfied curiosity out on the computer until she felt relaxed enough to sleep.

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Coming onto the belt and walking to the galley, Sisko braced himself to tell the whole damn story and probably more than once. But only Beverly Crusher and Elyse Cawthorn were there, standing now and apparently ready to leave. "Hi," said Elyse. "I guess everything's under control now? When you've got time you'll have to tell us all about it."

But for now, surprising the hell out of him, both women merely smiled and went out.

And Jacqueline wasn't even waiting in his quarters? Perplexed but grateful, Ben kicked his shoes off and took a nap.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3jPWdML87
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As long as he was stuck on the bridge anyway, J.M. took watch duty as well, relieving Hoshi Sato. "As new watch officer, Uhura's the junior, so you can have a regular shift now if you'd rather."

"Actually, I'm used to this. Can I talk with Nyota and let you know later?"

Damn! Well, that's what happens when you give people options. This scheduling was bad enough without waiting for other people to make up their minds. "I'd rather know now, if you don't mind. "If she sounded officious, too bad. Still, though: "Tell you what; I'll leave things as they are for a time. If you want to change in a few days, when I've got a better handle on how this works, we'll see about it."

Looking mollified, Hoshi left. As Colt got back to shuffling duty assignments, Paul Stamets brought in a packet from Earthass. "One piece from the brass from Captain Archer, marked urgent. Should I call Mr. Sisko?"

"He's sleeping, or should be. He's relieving me in..." She checked the time. "About two hours. Here; I'll give it a look and see if he needs waking up just yet."

Sheest! Everybody was giving her these. "Who the hell do you think you are?" looks. Blowing it off. J.M. opened the folder, then shut it quickly. "Oops; captain only, it says. Could have put that on the outside, I'd think."

"Then I'd better..."

"It's been two years getting here. What's two more hours?" And if Paul translated it to Earth time, she was going to say something she probably shouldn't!

Her face must've said it anyway; Stamets shut up.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHfphDid32
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Curiosity had Marlena obviously on edge. When Sisko---somewhat rested, sketchily showered, and minimally fed---showed up for watch, he waited only until J.M., Crusher and Tucker checked out as Sato and Nightgazer relieved them. Then, opening the folder marked urgent, he summarized its contents out loud. "Cadre 1-A hasn't returned from Stargazer and there's no word, either. Do we have any news, they want to know?" He grinned. "Yes, we do. Two here, along with two from 1-B, two to Yamato. The other pair...." He shrugged.

"Are you going to report what we've learned?"

"You mean, Jonathan's information blackout? I don't think that applies anymore. But I doubt there's much point; four years after they sent this, they're bound to have newer data."

"But not from here. If Sladek sprayed darts around before she inGated her group there, possibly nobody on that ship has any idea where they all went."

"You're right." Ben nodded. "I'll get it off right away. Except...."

"Hmmmmm?" He looked for a question.

"I'll give the facts, such as we've got, about who went where. I seen no reason to pass along Harcrow's story about Janeway's stag party. If he wants to write it up himself, all right. But from me it would be purely hearsay....and the woman's not here to protect herself."

Marlena ruffled his hair, grown nearly enough to comb and getting a little bit shaggy around the edges. "Good old Ben. Is there anyone you wouldn't give the benefit of the doubt?"

"Hah!" He snorted. "I'm sure you were present when Dolores's lawyer came aboard." He declined even to speak the name of Arthur Vinson.

After Marlena left, Sisko scrutinized the logs and data readouts. Outside the ship, at least, all was normal.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6avzp68IC
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Dutifully Jacqueline's alarm woke her 30 minutes before mid-watch, when she was scheduled to help Beverly Crusher with a routine check of drive parameters. While she was dressing, though, the room's terminal message light caught her attention. The readout button brought a revised watch schedule onscreen and Jacqueline saw that Beverly was currently on duty, with Sulu, on Ben's watch. This hadn't been his scheduled shift, but apparently it was now; the reshuffle for intruder guard and the loss of Jonathan Archer must've shaken things up. Sure they had, now she saw Nyota Uhura listed as a watch officer.

Oh well, Jacqueline was hungry anyway. Nothing in the room stock appealed to her, and besides she wanted to find out what all was happening; she finished dressing and went to the galley. Hikaru had some customers for scrambled eggs and he didn't mind expanding the order.

When her tray was loaded up Jacqueline looked around and saw the new people sitting with Marlena Moreau. She walked over. "Mind if I join you?" Marlena's expression said yes, so Jacqueline sat down. "Hi," (to the newcomers). "Getting settled in okay?" Must've been a jolt, finding yourselves here all of a sudden."

"To say the least," said Cayla Paulsen. "And if it wasn't for your vidcams, we wouldn't even know who did it."

"Let alone why," Harcrow added, staring at Jacqueline for no apparent reason. "Which which still don't."

"Mr. Sisko and I have a few ideas," Jacqueline said.

Mister huh? All right. Ignoring Osric Harcrow, Jacqueline said, "Officer Moreau, could you give me a quick rundown on what's happened?"

"Quick it'll have to be," and briefly related what she, along with Ben and J.M., had seen and learned. The way the tall woman paused now and then, Jacqueline had a hunch she was leaving some things out. Maybe Ben's version, when he had the time, would fill in some of the blanks.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF4tjLtHEZ
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Near the end of Ben's watch came another urgent for Captain Jonathan Archer, from Bolt Park. Wondering how anyone could mark urgent on anything that took 2 years to get here, Sisko opened it. Well, heigh-ho! Now they knew, back on Earth, that Chalet and Holtz had gone to Yamato because Forgrave and Gomez had reached home to report that unscheduled detour or desertion or whatever the hell it was. What they didn't know was that Janeway and Tameron and Mr. Burcham and Sladek and the two youngsters were right here on Arrowprize. Well, more or less. But they'd know. Real Soon Now such as another 2 years, because Ben had sent his report off something like 6 or 7 hours ago. Or, considering the rate of exchange, just about one Earthside week.

When Nyota Uhura came to take the watch and Jacqueline cornered Ben at a brief galley stop, he brought her up to date. Marlena had told her a lot, so all he had to do was answer questions. Of course he left out the juicy parts.

"So this Captain Janeway tried to hijack Stargazer?"

"Well, not in the conventional sense. She didn't want to divert it to some other destination. Just to keep command all the way instead of leaving when her hitch was over."

Jacqueline shook her head. "I don't see how she thought she could get away with it."

"Maybe we'll find out when they all come through again."484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnXkyAQ7zB
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Osric Harcrow, Jacqueline felt, wasn't going to be easy to get to know. Not exactly sullen, but he did have a guarded manner, as if he had to defend himself constantly. Yet at the same time his presence seemed to push at her, in a sway she neither liked nor understood.

With Cayla Paulsen, though, she hit it off right away. By actual birthdates Cayla was five years and two months the elder. While someone might thing her 3 C-Gatings would bring their lived ages closer, that wasn't how it worked. 2 C-Gatings plus Arrowprize's time ration spread the difference to nearly 8, with Cayla 20 and Jacqueline just a little over 12.

They clicked---or cliqued---anyway. Cayla might have been young for her age; Jacqueline had for years schooled with older children. No fan of shipboard news bulletins, now she pumped her new friend about the 3 years she'd spent on Earth after Jacqueline left. Was Jesse Rich's music still popular (and never mind that "still" meant 6 years ago?) "Jesse? He's immense on the west coast, but..."

Or, what's been happening with clothes? Only shortly before her graduation had Jacqueline become a fashionista; not long after events cut her off from that phenomenon. Oh, she'd seen how people dressed in the dramas on holovid caps sent out for the crew's entertainment, but she knew enough to realize those getups weren't typical of real life. She wasn't too impressed, now, by what Cayla reported, but with any luck the styles might look better than they sounded.

They worked out on the full-G ring and showered at Jacqueline's quarters. Cayla offered the use of hers, but Osric might have dropped in while she was there and Jacqueline would have felt funny about that.

Afterward they sat drying their hair. By now the short sculptured fashion haircut Dolores had financed for Jacqueline's graduation had grown from its initial artfully uneven look to post-apocalyptic raggedness. Brooding into a mirror Jacqueline noticed Cayla watching her and made a face. "Pretty rasty, huh? Nibbled out by mice, looks like.

Holding up two fingers Cayla squinted over them. "Bangs, fairly heavy but not long. Blend into short sides at the front, show your earrings, smooth up the ragged ends across the back. I could do it in 5 minutes so you grow out presentable all the way." Jacqueline didn't have the proper tools for the job so Cayla fetched hers.

A bit later Jacqueline kept a date for dinner with Ben and Marlena. Well, dinner for Ben and breakfast for Marlena. Jacqueline was two hours past lunch when she'd skipped on purpose. At sight of her refurbished appearance Ben said, "Looking good, Jackie," and Marlena added, "Yes, you sure are."

Jacqueline could have used something more effusive in the way of compliments, but you make do with what comes your way.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5OpT2QPdV
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As the day came when the group's suggestions for attempted subspace communication could bring a return response from Earth. Ben began waiting for the other shoe to drop. He kept pestering the bridge, calling during his offwatch hours to see if anything had come in through Earthass. Finally J.M. Colt, on watch, told him: "Look, Ben, everybody's seen the notice you posted here; that you're to be called immediately, anytime, awake or asleep. Now give the squawk-box a rest."

So, like it or not and he didn't. And so, the uncanny invisible powers that control undropped shoes being what they are, the box's chime caught Marlena just beginning climax and Ben about 30 seconds shy of it.

Although they didn't stop---largely wouldn't but partly couldn't----the distraction took some of the bloom off. Most unsually, then, they disengaged sans afterplay and Sisko wanted to answer the call. Elyse Cawthorn said, "We've heard from your senator friend. And there's a sealed envelope for you personally."484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvWN4MVT9I
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In the somewhat-crowded bridge Sisko addressed his other officers and the tech chiefs. "They like the idea; the senator co-opted Dr. Cochrane himself as a consultant, and the old Gatemeister tossed in some new wrinkles. They've implemented by Benati gimmick and added some advanced measuring methods---not just flowmeters but impulse sensors, to detect the onset of plus or minus changes." He paused. "Not to bog down in all the numbers here---I'll pass this around later, if you'd like to c heck through for yourselves---what it boils down to is that based on extrapolation from small-scale models, and let's hope it holds good, they suggest we go with 2-minute rise times, total cycle of 8 minutes for a yes or no. Yes starting with a pressure rise and no just the opposite, remember, and with short pauses between the answers. Which brings it down, at their end, to just 3 hours 20 minutes for a response. Not quite speed reading, but well up from what we had." By 5 to 1, yes.

"Now here's a new one: Cochrane turned in a proposal for auxiliary pumping units to be added at both ends and give us two-way comm. Using smaller components the signal could be a lot faster; there's something about a trinary code..."

Ben shrugged, "But then he ran into design issues, trying to fit any such things into our existing C-Gate interfaces. So plus the fact of 2 years to send us the gear and another two for pipeline lag, he scrapped Cloud 9 in favor of Cloud 8 1/2. Which, it seems...."

"Ben," Elyse's voice held a cutting edge. "You're keeping Senator Berman waiting at 25 to 1. Get to the part where we do something right now!"

The first something came out of Ben's personal envelope from Rick Berman. Questions he was to answer before proceeding to the general list. Then after all that was done they were to await response, via the C-Gate, to their replies.

Sisko looked again at the Senator's note:484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIB5x7RAY0
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Ben: these questions are confidential between you and me: nobody else. All you say is yes or no.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsOJDlZxcC
1. Is your daughter aboard?

2. Is she all right?

3. Do you need any further help concerning her? If you do, I'll try to devise questions over the next few days to determine what's needed. If not, good luck to you both and let the fun begin.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm5iihnn8L
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Rick.

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The matter took no thinking. To Elyse Cawthorn at the drive controls Ben said, "Your first three answers are yes, yes, and no." Then grinning; he quoted the senator's final phrase and added, "Let 'er buck."

Though actually, thanks to the governing safety circuits, the drive's thrust variations were rather sedate.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKWTAVUPdn
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The main body of questions, following Sisko's trio of private and privileged communications, made up a mixed bag.

"Has the crew suffered any deaths? If so, send one cycle for yes for each death."

No.

"Are all crewmembers in good health? If not, send on cycle for no for each sick person."

No.

"Are any sick persons being treated on board?"

No.

"Have any C-Gated to Earth?"

Yes.

"Have any C-Gated to another ship?

No.

Fascinated, Ben started to appreciate the difficulty of composing a list of questions, none of which could depend upon earlier answers. He was glad the job hadn't been his.

And the list went on. "Do you require any male replacements? If so, send one cycle of yes for each male requested."

No.

"Do you need any female replacements? If so, proceed as above."

Ben looked around. "I don't think so. Either Kynon or someone else should be on the way already, plus we've got Paulsen and Harcrow for the time being at least. Are we all in agreement?"

No had it.

The line of questioning changed. "Have you had any major personnel difficulties: i.e., any needing action or advice from this end? If so, additional queries follow later."

No. Although Archer, Sisko thought, might have quibbled a bit on that one. Smuggling Jacqueline aboard, for example.

"Aside from Dr. Kate Pulaski, have you recieved any visitors from other ships?"

They'd already know that, but Yes.

"From Stargazer?"

Yes.

"If so, how many? Count as before."

Redundant or not, Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes.

For Yamato the same sequence followed. Beverly Crusher said, "You know, these are strange things to ask. You'd almost thing they knew something's going on."

"I'd bet my life on it," said Ben Sisko.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10x6Y9ZYIR
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Succeeding questions became more prosaic. Any problems with Warp Drive? Life-support? Instrumentation?"

Any new phenomenon encountered in space/ Not since the dust cloud, already noted in reports; would those have reached Earth by now? At 25 to 1, Ben wasn't sure, but No.

Supplies: any shortages? A list of categories followed and the string of noes went on. A few miscellaneous queries, some puzzling and others clearly frivolous, wrapped up the list.

From there it was sit and wait. Berman and his people were sure taking a hell of a long time, Ben thought, to beef up their list of follow-ups. A little delay and confab, he could see. But---he checked the clock and did his 25s---2 days?!

Then Beverly, who'd drawn Earthass monitor, brought in a new message. Scanning the paper, Sisko frowned.

"Well?" said Elyse. "What's it say?"

Slowly Ben read it off. "It's long past time we should've recieved a response to our queries. I hope nothing's gone wrong. Maybe our calculations were too optimistic. Please repeat your whole series of answers, increasing change levels to your originally proposed parameters of 10%.

A postscript followed: "Meanwhile we've been notified of arrival at Bolt Park of your ailing crewmate Kynon Nagada. She's undergone surgery and is doing well, but pending determination of her fitness to return to duty, a replacement has been selected and C-Gated to you."

That part was all right. Still, to himself, Ben swore. At the slower speed, repeating everything they'd already said was going to take the better part of forever.

Sitting through the process promised to be a bitch.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnLESFs4xE
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The day following the communications attempts, Berman did go up to Columbus Conservatory, and there he pried Dr. Cochrane out of his lab long enough to try for some answers. "Not a thing, doctor," he wrapped his report up. "Only the same slow, small, seemingly random flow variations we'd been getting all along." Looking across Cochrane's desk he sipped the coffee an office helper had brought. "I don't understand it; your models worked out just fine, and surely the size wouldn't make such a radical difference."

Cochrane shook his head. "Size, no. Shouldn't, anyway."

"But everything else was the same, just to scale. We...."

"Not the same. Not at all."

"What was different, then? You saw the plans."

"The Time-lost Continuum. No way I could put it in a model, senator. But when you test with Arrowprize, there it is. Right in the middle and who knows what it does there. We didn't, looks like."

Rick leaned forward. "But it never does anything to whatever we send. What goes in, comes out. Two years later, sure. But not c hanged. So why this?"

"Comes out, yes. Back, no. Maybe time in Time-lost has a one-way valve to it, just like here."

Drawing on the desktop with his finger, Berman protested. "Look. You put fluid into a line---fuel, in this case---and it comes out the other end just the way it goes in. In, out, no change. Am I right? How can it do anything else?"

The doctor's heavy brows lowered; for a time he said nothing. Then suddenly he looked up, eyes agleam. "Got it! You want to smooth out a flow, mask the variations---actual, you don't, but it's what you're getting---you put in a section, acts like a balloon."

"What---?"

"I could make you a model, you want me to. Have the far end change flow, just like you told Arrowprize. This end, all you see...." Cochrane spread his hands. "Well, what do you see?"

He smiled. "Clear now? In Time-lost, maybe extra dimensions act like that balloon. Or maybe some other way; I'd have to run the math to be sure. But one thing I tell you. Forget asking questions for next year to answer. It's not gonna happen."

What about the advanced proposals, mini-C-Gates with specially sensitive fluid-handling signal units? What about.....? Berman asked more questions, but no luck. The curvature of the universe, it turned out, put a lower limit to the size of C-Gates, and the existing ones came near it. And no matter how refined the fluid-squirters, most likely the Time-lost's balloon effect would nullify them.

Finally the senator gave up. "Well, thanks for your time, Dr. Cochran, and all the effort you've put in." he stood. "It's too bad the research came to nothing."

Cochran rose also, and reached to meet the handshake. "No research ever comes to nothing. We just don't know yet, what's to use in what we learn, once we've got time to figure it out better."

"Great. I should ask you down at budget time, so you can tell that to the committee."

He flew back the same day, and from his office sent a message to Arrowprize.

On the way home, then, he once again picked up flowers and champagne. What the hell! A homecoming is a homecoming.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzVFMzUC11
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After the 5 times slower repetition of answers to the whole list of questions, Ben let everyone but the scheduled watch gang go off duty, himself included. Pooped out of all recognition, he made his way to quarters. Marlena had sidetracked to the galley, but Sisko was beyond hunger.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1QgGeYg3C

"What happened? What went on, that was so important?" Why Jacqueline was here he didn't know....but avid for admiration, she wouldn't be denied.

Nor should she be. Through fatigue haze Ben sought for meaningful phrasing. "The subspace experiment. Communications to Earth. It didn't work. They had us do it over, only slower for a bigger signal. Then we waited, but they haven't said."

He gestured come here, gave her a hug and a good-night kiss, and pushed her in the general direction of the door. He got all his clothes off before climbing into bed, but they lay wherever they happened to drop.

When the chime brought him awake and he sat up. Ben could tell he hadn't really had his sleep out, but he felt more good than not. Reaching out over the intercom, "Yes? Sisko here."

"Cawthorn. Just to let you know, we've got word from Earth. They say to drop the subspace tests. Dr. Cochrane says they won't work. "

"Cochrane? Why not?" Well, she'd know what he meant.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJi1rKkpdFn

"I'm not sure, Sisko. Something about balloons."484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HEWLssRUe
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Tentative dimensional realignments show promise. Offending spatial vicinities once identified, volitionals might act on preliminary warning signs to avoid inadvertent admixture with momentary or sustained trans-plenal mass intrusions. Such measures prove sufficient to circumvent deleterious effects of both transient and persistent initially-evident phenomena.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQl0lMPi6Wv

The onset of adverse-chronal impulses, however, is of greater potential worry; even minor uncompensated derangement of accomplished causation imperils not just subcontinua, but all of contextual reality.

Yet intensive study reveals this aberation to be less dangerous than first assumed. The cross-vector products created by such impulses reinforce or attenuate, according to the spatial-chronal curvature of the medium in which they propagate. In this special pair of sub-plena, that parameter lies just barely on the side of conservation of causality, giving the effect of added dimensions absorbing any disruptive effect(s). Thus, along all operational chronal vectors, safety margins do indeed exist.

Against these special sub-plenal anomalies, therefore, contextual reality stands proof. Anxiety is relieved, and proposed dissociation of the subject sub-plenum seems to become unnecessary----and wasteful.

Unless further variations of hazardous and distressing observation(s) should develop, that is.

The Arrowprize.

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