Star Trek: 6.
Movements of the Unseen Hand
by Charles Hackney
Strategically positioned near the planet Bajor and its most valuable asset, the only known stable wormhole in the galaxy, Deep Space Nine stood silent watch. Built by Cardassians during their seventy-year occupation of Bajor, owned by the Bajorans, operated by Starfleet; DS9 was home to a number of unique creatures. One of the more unique was Quark, the Ferengi who owned and operated a bar on the promenade of the station. Tending bar was the least of Quark's enterprises, though. His "extracurricular activities" included smuggling, fraud, and all the other things that made life worth living. At the moment, it was trafficking in stolen goods that was foremost on his mind.
"What took you so long?" Quark asked Grell. "You contacted me about your merchandise over four months ago. Grell sat across the table from Quark, a scar crossing his nose that had not been there the last time we saw him, and he replied: "I was on my way out of Orion territory when my ship was fired upon and boarded. I was sure it was a pirate ship, and I began preparing myself to enter the Divine Treasury; but it turned out to be Tesla Peacekeepers. Almost as bad. They thought I had murdered an Andorian, and it took a long time to convince them otherwise, and almost half my goods to bribe them to let me go." Grell sighed like a broken man. "This has cost me so much time and latinum, I'll need to do extremely well at this auction to show any kind of profit at all." A desperate, evil light came into Grell's eyes. "You will see to it that I do well, won't you, Quark?" the eyes turned murderous, and his voice took on a threatening tone. "Won't you, Quark?"
Quark hesitated, regretting already his association with this man. He did not let his regret show in his face or voice, though. "Of course you will. I personally guarantee it. Now that you're here, I can contact the buyers, and we can hold your auction in just a couple of weeks when they arrive. In the meantime," Quark rose and placed his hand on Grell's shoulder, "I've arranged guest quarters for you, and feel free to enjoy the hospitality of my bar. Play some Dabo. Spend some time in a holosuite."
As Quark departed, leaving Grell muttering to himself, a soft scrabbling could be heard from a nearby air vent. A Cardassian vole (the station had a slight infestation problem) scrambled on its six gnarled legs down the shaft. Turning several corners, it approached the air vent that serviced the station's security office. It then did something that would have frightened you or I terribly (well, maybe not I, but definitely you), but was a common enough sight to the denizens of the station. It dissolved. Melting into a flow of liquid, it passed through the grid covering the air vent in the wall. It oozed down the wall onto the floor where it coalesced into a puddle. The puddle rose and expanded, taking on the familiar shape of Odo, chief of security at DS9. The shapeshifter made a note in his duty log to place Grell under surveillance and spoke to himself: "An auction. Not again."
Many light years away, Arthur was overwhelmed by the glory of the cosmos. Aboard the Orion spaceship The Dreams of Avarice, bound for Talar, he was allowed enough freedom to wander the small ship (under guard, of course),and had immediately gravitated to a window where he could see the stars race past. He wiped a tear from his eye at the stellar majesty before him, and softly sang to himself: "Oh, Lord, my God, when I, in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made. I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder; Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art."
Arthur heard a slight noise behind him. He turned to see Smythe looking at him with an attitude of confusion creasing his brow. "Y'know, I don't get you, David. I've had a lot of slaves over the years, and I just don't get you. Other guys, they rage and wail at bein' made a slave, then they just kinda die inside and do what they're told. You, you do what you're told better than they ever did, but you never died inside. It's like you don't care that you're not free."
"No mystery there," answered Arthur. "I've been given a life that can't be broken, and I have a freedom that can't be touched. Even now, I'm freer than you've ever been."
"You call that no mystery? I didn't understand a word of it."
"It's like this." Arthur fully turned to look Smythe in the face. "You're only half alive as it is. Your body is alive, but your soul is dead and rotting inside you. You're a slave to your basic nature, incapable of freely choosing to be anything other than what you are." The words were harsh, but Arthur spoke them with such gentleness that Smythe felt like he was listening to a kindly doctor diagnosing a fatal illness. "It doesn't have to be that way, though. My soul has been regenerated so that even when I die I will merely be moving on to a higher and greater existence in the presence of my Creator. And more than that, I exist right now in a living and loving relationship with that selfsame God who revived me. Nothing I do, nothing that happens to me, is outside of His will. 'He walks with me and He talks with me,' to quote an old song. This is the source of my strength and my hope. I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I am meant to do. That is freedom."
"What are you talking about? What kind of fantasy crap is this?"
"You said yourself that I was different from other slaves. Is that a fantasy? The qualities in me you said you didn't understand, are they fantasy? This is real, Harry. As real as it gets."
"What you describe, it's not possible. The creator of the universe is a personal friend of yours, and even if you die you won't die?"
"Yup."
"It's crazy!"
"Not the first time I've been called that. But is it crazy to believe that a loving Creator wants a relationship with His children, or is it crazy to reject the idea just because it's not the sort of thing you're used to hearing?"
"I don't know�"
"Just think about it. But," Arthur's face and tone became more serious, "don't take too long. You never know how long you've got." He turned to face the star field.
"None of us do."
As if on cue, the ship was rocked by a blast. A panicked voice came over the intercom:
"Smythe! Get up here now! We've got company! It's� it's huge! Like nothing�" The voice was interrupted with a burst of static as an incoming signal overrode the comm system: "Orion vessel, this is the Federation starship Juggernaut, Captain Quentin Stone commanding. Heave to and prepare to be boarded. This will be your only warning."
Smythe, with Arthur behind, were on the bridge in a matter of seconds. On the viewscreen was the single largest ship Smythe had ever seen. Most Federation starships were built along the same general pattern, consisting of a saucer section connected to an engineering section. This vessel appeared to be only composed of a saucer. Easily four times the size of a Sovereign-class ship (at the time considered the largest class of starship in the fleet), three massive warp nacelles (one above and two on each side) extended back from the saucer, with (unbelievable!) what appeared to be two entire Intrepid-class starships nestled in twin alcoves in the ship's underbelly.
To call the Orion ship outclassed would be a laughable understatement. The Orion ship was a flea.
Smythe, regaining some of his composure, opened a channel to the behemoth ship. "Federation vessel, this is Harcourt Fenton Smythe commanding the Orion Free Trader ship Dreams of Avarice. We are not within Federation territory. We are not within your jurisdiction. You have no authority here."
"You know something?" Captain Stone's voice betrayed much amusement. "You're right. We're not in Federation space. Ensign Nagato, disable their engines. Ensign Walker, prepare to lock on tractor beam. We will speak again, Smythe, once we are within Federation space." A thin white beam lanced out from the underside of the Juggernaut, piercing the Orion ship's shields as if they were not there and piercing its hull just as easily. It was a pinpoint shot, lasting less than a second. It punctured the Orion ship, destroying its ability to move. Almost immediately thereafter, a high-power tractor beam snared the helpless vessel, and the monstrous Juggernaut slowly, gracefully, pivoted away from the Dreams of Avarice and leapt into warp, pulling the hapless Orion vessel and its helpless crew behind it.
They remained in that state for less than an hour. The massive ship and its prey propped into realspace, and Stone reopened communications: "Dreams of Avarice, as we are now within the borders of the United Federation of Planets, I am now ordering you to stand down and prepare for our boarding party." The link was severed before Smythe could protest.
Four security officers; two Humans, a massive Brikar, and a porcine (and belligerent) Tellarite; materialized on the bridge, phasers drawn. The Tellarite spoke: "Nobody move! Harcourt Fenton Smythe, I have a warrant for your arrest on the charge of violating Federation directive 257-A14, participation in the enslavement and sale of sentient beings. All persons on this vessel classified as slaves are hereby declared free, and you will come with us."
The Brikar officer (who by virtue of his sheer physical size and hardiness resembled more an anthropoid land mass than an organic being) reached out with one immense arm and seized Smythe by his shirt collar. He tapped the communicator on his massive chest, saying "Ensign Kebron to Juggernaut. Two to beam directly to the brig. Energize." The living colossus dissolved into sparkling particles as he was beamed away, and Smythe with him. While the two Humans kept the Orion crew in their sights, the Tellarite pointed his phaser at Arthur (who, as was depressingly common, had no idea what was going on). "How many slaves are there on this ship?"
"Uh, just me, as far as I know."
"Well, now you're free. Coming with us, or staying with them?" The security officer indicated the Orions.
"With you."
"Good choice." The Tellarite signaled the ship, and the foursome were transported to the Juggernaut. It was the first time Arthur had ever been transported, but he had seen others do it, so he was not as frightened as he might have been otherwise. He materialized in an unfamiliar room with the others. The walls were lined with alcoves (which looked suspiciously like cells), one of which contained a very unhappy Smythe. "Where are we?" he asked the Tellarite.
"The brig." (Yup. They were cells.) "We've got to check your story before we trust you." He pointed with a thick and hairy paw/hoof/hand, indicating a spartan cell with only three walls. "In." Arthur complied. The fourth wall thing became immediately clear when the Tellarite said "Activate forcefield," and a forcefield activated, covering the empty space between Arthur and the security guards.
Arthur looked around. The cell he was in was smaller than his old cell on Tesla IV, but better lit and more comfortable. Good enough, but he wished he had his Bible. He sat down and waited until all but one guard, a Human, had left. His cell was adjacent to Smythe's, so he couldn't see him. He then began closely examining the interior of the cell. He didn't see any weaknesses, but then again, what did he know about jailbreaking? He experimentally touched the forcefield. Ouch. He recoiled slightly as it gave him a painful jolt. Well, he thought, I'm not going anywhere. He lay down and took a nap. It had been a big day.
