CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
April 6, 2401
Yup, a very, very, very long and active week was ending this day.
Sisko and Onara had left for Bajor, and had promptly reached the entrance to the Fire Caves in a small shuttle Kira had been too happy to put at the disposition of the returned Emissary.
During the trip, they had talked for a long while, as Onara considered it her duty to share with the former Emissary what the New Emissary slash Destitute had told her. Sisko did not show much enthusiasm for those revelations though.
“It’s easy to misrepresent and misinterpret events that happened millennia ago. While it is true that at some time, the Prophets and the Kosst Amojan lived together in the Celestial Temple, they never were prisoners in it. Why otherwise would the Kosst Amojan have tried to return in it?”
“To kill the Prophets?”
“The Prophets cannot be killed anymore than the Kosst Amojan can. They are both immortal. They are both the same. The only difference is that the Kosst Amojan has chosen the Way of Evil.”
“Did they create the Cardassians?”
“Absolutely not. The Prophets are of Bajor, that is true, just like the Kosst Amojan. They evolved and became the non-corporeal, non-linear entities we now worship — the Prophets, I mean. The Bajorans and the Cardassians appeared later, in another wave of life emergence, which is still lasting today, and will last until the Bajorans too evolve to another form of life.”
“So the humans are not our ancestors, Emissary?”
“No they are not.”
“But they were destined to play a role in our history?”
“Yes. First I was born then, to help accomplish my destiny, the humans — the whole Federation — was made aware of the Bajoran plight. Eventually they played a role in the Cardassian departure, and the stage was ready for me.”
“So the Prophets guided the humans?”
“Yes.”
“The other Emissary says that …”
“She’s lying. There are no beings superior to the Prophets. She tried to lose you in the lies of the Pah-Wraiths. The Prophets are the only true gods.”
***
“Miss Cretak?”
Sabrina had just gone to Engineering to see the new circuitry command panel in action.
“Yes, Captain?”
“How is it working?”
“There are a few glitches, Sir, which is to be expected when such a revolutionary technology is implemented on such an old ship. But Lieutenant DeSoto and Ensign Xu, in particular, have studied the schematics of the old refit Constitution Class, and they have spent days and nights crawling in all the conduits and tubes, showing everyone the variations specific to this ship.”
“So you have crawled too?”
“Yes, Captain. In my tank top and socks, for hours at a time. I know this ship as if I had built it myself, and so do all of us.”
I wish I could have been there, Sabrina thought.
“Excellent”, she answered simply, looking at Taleria’s neck.
“Something on my neck, Sir?”
“I was just wondering why two pips. I thought the rank of Sub-Centurion was the equivalent of Lieutenant-Commander?”
“Not exactly, Captain. A Sub-Centurion is somewhere between a Lieutenant and a Lieutenant-Commander. A Centurion is the equivalent of a Lieutenant-Commander. Commander Sorel would be a Centurion.”
“So Lieutenant DeSoto is your subordinate?”
“Her rank is inferior, but I serve as her second because she knows Starfleet technology much better than I do. It is the order of things, Sir.”
“Excuse me, Sir. Sir, we are ready for the level 4 diagnostic”, an ensign interrupted them.
Taleria winced and answered “I will join you in a few minutes.”
Sabrina had noticed.
“You do not like being called ‘Sir’, do you?”
“No, Captain. I believed mine were visible enough to avoid this, but it seems Starfleet regulations do not take breasts into account.”
“Just tell him. Like I tell you now that I do not like it either, even if my breasts are about half the size of yours.”
“Sorry, S… Captain.”
“And another thing. When a commanding officer does not carry the rank of captain, she is to be called ‘Captain’ only when she is on duty on the Bridge. Here, I am a simple commander.”
“It is quite complex.”
“Very simple in fact. On the Bridge, you look at the chair, specifically whoever is sitting in it. Everywhere else, you just count the pips.”
“I will remember that, C… Commander.”
***
Akeen and Akoval Shran had been brought in the same day the macabre discovery had been made. They had seen an unusual share of horrors, so they didn’t barf on the crime scene, but they still cringed.
The first thing they noticed was blood, everywhere: on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. Then they noticed Kara Grem’s naked and decapitated trunk in the center. Her left arm was in a corner, the right arm over the bed, the left leg under it, and the right leg sitting over her chest. Her clothes were well folded at the end of the bed.
“Have the holographic recordings been taken?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Very well. Leave us.”
Once alone, they took a look around. Then they came to the mutilated corpse, and cautiously lifted the leg from the bloody chest.
“What is THAT?”
On her chest, right between the nipples, a Bajoran word had been carved in her flesh. Akoval read it, translating it at the same time.
“Heretic.”
***
Sisko and Onara were now at the entrance of the Fire Caves. To both of course it was now familiar surroundings. Onara noticed that the shoes she had left there the first time were still there.
“Emissary, are you sure?”
“You still doubt.”
“Emissary, what Lieutenant Watson told me was so compelling, I …”
“Onara, think. Did I have to be abducted, tortured and raped for months, then left alone to meditate in order to become the Emissary?”
“No, Emissary.”
“To your knowledge, did any Emissary ever have to endure such trials?”
“No, Emissary.”
“Was I a bad Emissary?”
“Of course not! You are the Sisko!”
And saying that, Onara took off her shoes. Sisko looked at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking off my shoes, Emissary. Like I was instructed to.”
Sisko started laughing loud.
“You did that already last time! Keep your shoes on, Onara, this is not a sacred place! Besides, the search may last days. It won’t be as easy to find the real Destitute as it was to find the Imposter …”
