The Long Night by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Authors: Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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scans of the entire system," he said. "Ensigns Kathé and Coleman, you will help Lieutenant Dax and Chief O'Brien in their search."
"Aye-aye, Commander," the ensigns said in unison. Ensign Kathé bent her head over the board. She was a long, slender Yominan whose most arresting feature was her long mane of rainbow hair.
Ensign Coleman, who had been on DS9 less than six months along with his wife and two children, glanced at Kathé before beginning his own scan. Sisko both liked and disliked the boy's caution. In a situation that required quick thinking, it would get him killed. In a situation like this, his thoroughness might help them all.
"Start with the bigger asteroids first," Sisko said. He had spoken to the Caxtonian before the Defiant left, asking for more details than Odo had received. The Caxtonian said the ship was on a large asteroid in the outer band. He said he had discovered it while doing repairs on a broken warp drive. He had only gone into the ship a short distance, grabbed two items that looked like they had value, and then got out. He had no idea the name of the ship. He just said it frightened him because of the bodies.
The Caxtonian's cargo bay showed that he lied about how many items he took. But the fifteen tiny pieces that Sisko found there did show that the pilot had been spooked. If he had found the Nibix, fifteen pieces were less than a handful.
Bodies.
Sisko had seen a lot of bodies in his day, but space death was never pretty. He knew, deep down, that the bodies alone would probably remove the last traces of romance about the Nibix from his memory forever.
But for the moment, he would hang on to the excitement. Trapped in his clenched fist was the feeling he was trying to reign in, the feeling he wouldn't admit to anyone but Dax, and then he would do so only after several drinks many months from now.
He felt like a kid. A kid on an adventure. A kid about to discover all the secrets of the universe.
Nothing like the commander of a space station on the Cardassian border or the commander of a ship on a mission, however short, that might change the future of the Federation.
"Commander," Dax said, startling him.
He focused on her, ignoring the jump of excitement in his stomach.
"I have a reading. It appears to be the hull of a ship on the largest asteroid this side of the red star." She paused and met his gaze. "There are no life signs."
Something inside him relaxed. He had been afraid, very afraid, that the tales of the Jibetian religion were true, that their religious leader was indestructible.
"The coordinates?" Sisko reminded her.
"Seventy-eight mark two," she said.
"Take us there," Sisko said to Ensign T'plak, the quiet Vulcan in the navigator's chair. T'plak nodded and plotted their course. Ensigns Kathé and Coleman were still scanning, as was O'Brien. Sisko was relieved he didn't have to tell them the drill. In an asteroid field this big, several ships could have crashed. Dax might not have found the correct spot right away.
"I'm finding nothing else, sir," O'Brien said.
"Keep scanning," Sisko said.
"Benjamin." Dax's voice was soft, showing the depth of her shock. She always followed protocol in a professional situation-except when she was rattled. "My preliminary scan shows the ship matches the reported size and configuration of the Nibix."
Sisko's heartbeat increased. He tightened his fist, holding his excitement back as best he could. "Let's get a closer look, Ensign."
"One moment, Commander," T'Plak said. Then, in what seemed like seconds, the Defiant was in a stationary orbit over the asteroid.
Sisko took a deep breath. Protocol demanded that he remain on the Defiant.
Protocol be damned. He didn't want the ensigns down there, playing in the dark. He would take Dax for her knowledge and O'Brien for his trustworthiness.
"Doctor," Sisko said, "you have the comm. Dax, Chief, let's see what we've got down there."
Dax stood before Sisko finished speaking. Dr. Bashir
"Aye-aye, Commander," the ensigns said in unison. Ensign Kathé bent her head over the board. She was a long, slender Yominan whose most arresting feature was her long mane of rainbow hair.
Ensign Coleman, who had been on DS9 less than six months along with his wife and two children, glanced at Kathé before beginning his own scan. Sisko both liked and disliked the boy's caution. In a situation that required quick thinking, it would get him killed. In a situation like this, his thoroughness might help them all.
"Start with the bigger asteroids first," Sisko said. He had spoken to the Caxtonian before the Defiant left, asking for more details than Odo had received. The Caxtonian said the ship was on a large asteroid in the outer band. He said he had discovered it while doing repairs on a broken warp drive. He had only gone into the ship a short distance, grabbed two items that looked like they had value, and then got out. He had no idea the name of the ship. He just said it frightened him because of the bodies.
The Caxtonian's cargo bay showed that he lied about how many items he took. But the fifteen tiny pieces that Sisko found there did show that the pilot had been spooked. If he had found the Nibix, fifteen pieces were less than a handful.
Bodies.
Sisko had seen a lot of bodies in his day, but space death was never pretty. He knew, deep down, that the bodies alone would probably remove the last traces of romance about the Nibix from his memory forever.
But for the moment, he would hang on to the excitement. Trapped in his clenched fist was the feeling he was trying to reign in, the feeling he wouldn't admit to anyone but Dax, and then he would do so only after several drinks many months from now.
He felt like a kid. A kid on an adventure. A kid about to discover all the secrets of the universe.
Nothing like the commander of a space station on the Cardassian border or the commander of a ship on a mission, however short, that might change the future of the Federation.
"Commander," Dax said, startling him.
He focused on her, ignoring the jump of excitement in his stomach.
"I have a reading. It appears to be the hull of a ship on the largest asteroid this side of the red star." She paused and met his gaze. "There are no life signs."
Something inside him relaxed. He had been afraid, very afraid, that the tales of the Jibetian religion were true, that their religious leader was indestructible.
"The coordinates?" Sisko reminded her.
"Seventy-eight mark two," she said.
"Take us there," Sisko said to Ensign T'plak, the quiet Vulcan in the navigator's chair. T'plak nodded and plotted their course. Ensigns Kathé and Coleman were still scanning, as was O'Brien. Sisko was relieved he didn't have to tell them the drill. In an asteroid field this big, several ships could have crashed. Dax might not have found the correct spot right away.
"I'm finding nothing else, sir," O'Brien said.
"Keep scanning," Sisko said.
"Benjamin." Dax's voice was soft, showing the depth of her shock. She always followed protocol in a professional situation-except when she was rattled. "My preliminary scan shows the ship matches the reported size and configuration of the Nibix."
Sisko's heartbeat increased. He tightened his fist, holding his excitement back as best he could. "Let's get a closer look, Ensign."
"One moment, Commander," T'Plak said. Then, in what seemed like seconds, the Defiant was in a stationary orbit over the asteroid.
Sisko took a deep breath. Protocol demanded that he remain on the Defiant.
Protocol be damned. He didn't want the ensigns down there, playing in the dark. He would take Dax for her knowledge and O'Brien for his trustworthiness.
"Doctor," Sisko said, "you have the comm. Dax, Chief, let's see what we've got down there."
Dax stood before Sisko finished speaking. Dr. Bashir
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