DS9--Bashir/Garak, Bashir/other -- no sex, mostly plot This story probably takes place during fourth season. All of the main characters appear in this story. Summary: The station is visited by a travelling entertainment troupe, but there are two surprises travelling with them. One could destroy the health of the entire station, the other could destroy Bashir. Memory by R'rain "...so in other words, the basic concept is one of antipathy." Bashir looked at his companion quizzically as they walked down the corridor. "Precisely!" exclaimed Garak with that mysterious smile on his face. "Dr. Bashir." The unwelcome intrusion came from Bashir's com badge. With a roll of his eyes, Bashir tapped the badge, "Bashir." "Please report to the infirmary at once. There's something here you might want to take a look at." It wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. Bashir turned to Garak with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut our conversation short..." "Perfectly understandable, Doctor. I must be getting back to my shop as well. Until next time." With a slight tip of his head, Garak was on his way. With a shake of his head, Bashir hurried on his way to the infirmary. Obviously it wasn't an emergency, but something was there that warranted his immediate attention. Much as he wanted to spend more time with Garak, this intrigued him as well. "I'm glad you could make it so quickly, Julian," said Dax as soon as he had arrived, "We didn't want to alarm you but we may have a slight situation on our hands..." "...and so single-handedly I managed to move the cargo container and get him out from behind it before it was too late." "Really?" The young Bajoran girl's eyes were wide with excitement. "It's true," said Jake, "Ask Nog, he was there with me." "Wow," was all she could say. "So, uh, what do you want to do now?" "Did you hear?" she said excitedly, "A transport arrived today with a bunch of entertainers aboard.Do you know who's with them?" "Who?" "Quentin Ree!!" "Really?" Jake had quite a few of Quentin's compositions where his father couldn't access them. "What's he doing here?" "They're on their way, touring around the sector and they're stopping here for a couple of days on their way!" "Is he giving a concert?" "Not until tonight," she pouted, "Do you have any more good stories?" "Of course..." "I really don't think it's anything to worry about at this point," said Bashir, "as long as we keep him quarantined here in the infirmary." "But we will have to take precautionary measures." "I'll alert Captain Sisko myself, " said Dr. Bashir, "No one enters or leaves the station until we're sure this is curable and contained." "Confidentially, Julian, do you think that'll be any time soon?" "There's really no way to tell. Our priority right now is to keep this as discreet as possible until I can identify this and create a cure. There's nothing like the word 'plague' to send an entire station up in a panic." Bashir kept his voice low so that only Dax could hear him. "All right then, I'll go have a word with Odo, then. You'll report to Sisko?" "I'm on my way, as soon as I inform my staff about the protocols necessary in this case." "I'll see you there." "...and so I hope we'll have a chance to reschedule. I would like to conclude our discussion before next week." "Of course, Doctor. Why, now would be a most convenient time for me." "Now?" Bashir coughed, "I'm afraid I've had a hard day and I don't look my best at the moment." "Vanity, vanity, Doctor. If you're that concerned about appearances I wonder why I don't see you in my shop more often." Bashir gave him a sheepish grin, "The replimat then? Or did you have something else in mind?" "The replimat would suit me fine." The usual place, the usual meal, the usual conversation. There was only one thing out of the ordinary. When Julian looked to his left, there was a strangely familiar body. During his conversation, he couldn't help frequent glances in that direction. "Doctor," said Garak finally, "Why don't you go ever there and introduce yourself?" "I'm sorry Garak. We seem to be having poor luck lately. You see, I'm absolutely positive know him...from somewhere..." "I understand, Doctor. There's no need to explain it to me. I'll just be on my way..." "No, wait here Garak. It'll only take a minute." Julian got up and walked over to the table. "Uh, excuse me," he said, tapping the man on the shoulder. The man turned and one look at his face struck him dumb. "Julian?" he said incredulously, "Julian is that really you?" "Daniel? It can't be!" said Bashir with an astonished smile on his face. "It is, it is! What are you doing here?" "I work here of course. I'm chief medical officer aboard the station. The question is, what are YOU doing here?" "I just arrived this morning, with Quentin Ree and the rest of his entourage." "Are you performing?" "Perhaps, but I think Quentin plans to hog the spotlight once again." "I guess his reputation is well-deserved then. My God, I can't believe you're really here. It been ages." Just then, he remembered he'd left his companion at the other table, but when he turned back, Garak was gone. "Have a seat, have a seat." said Daniel. "Don't mind if I do," said Bashir, "So tell me, what have you been doing for all this time..." "Tell me this one more time, Dax" said Sisko, "How long might this take?" "It's hard to say. Julian wanted to tell you himself but he had something else he had to take care of. He's spent nearly every waking moment working on this case." "Well you can tell Dr. Bashir I want to see him as soon as he's available. I wouldn't dream of disturbing him while he's otherwise engaged." "I'm afraid he'll probably be quite busy, but I'll be sure he gets the message." "Thanks, Old Man. I guess all we can do now is wait and see." "I guess so." Dax left Sisko alone in his office, contemplating the implications of this...situation. If it spread...his job was to run the station, finding the cure was Dr. Bashir's job and keeping the peace was Odo's. It was at times like these when he felt the most impotent. "It's this particular reading that bothers me the most," said Bashir to one of his technicians, "It doesn't match up with any illness I've ever heard of. If we were dealing with a simple mutation it would be a matter of synthesizing the cure but this is something entirely different. There's some sort of unusual electrical activity within the organism itself." "You'd better take a look at the patient doctor. He's begun to stir." Bashir turned his attention to the human body lying on the bed, "Is he awake? No, let's see what his vital signs are." "Weakening, Doctor, but still not in a dangerous range." The patient had lapsed into a coma a couple of hours ago. His fever was getting quite high and the rash was spreading, but at least his breathing had become more regular. "Try and keep him comfortable, that's the best we can do right now. I need to talk to someone who came in on the transport with him. Where they came from on their last few stops may give me a clue as to what this may be." "Yes, Doctor." Bashir left the infirmary and headed straight for Quark's. As he'd expected Daniel was sitting there with a drink in hand. "You haven't changed have you?" "Ah, but I have," said Daniel, raising the drink and contemplating it, "I now have the sense not to take beautiful, young intoxicated girls home with me afterwards." He looked at Julian apologetically, "Especially not when there is someone there waiting for me already." Bashir sighed, "I'm here on business, I'm afraid." Daniel immediately assumed a sober stance, "Is this about Garrett." Bashir's head shot up, "How did you hear about it?" "I didn't. I just noticed that he was missing at rehearsal today. Is he all right." "I'm afraid he isn't, Dan. He's very ill and I need your help to find our why." "MY help? Why my help?" "Because you've been with him almost constantly for the last few months. You know where he's been and what he's been doing. That may just give me the clue I need to make him well again." "If I can help...I have our entire itinerary in my quarters. Would that help?' "It would certainly do for a start. Why don't I wait here while you fetch it?" "Why don't you come with me?" Bashir hesitated. "What are you afraid of. Jule?" "You know very well, Dan. It's best I just wait here for now. We can...catch up..later. Perhaps. If..." "If I want to? We'll see." Daniel realized he had the upper hand and began to play it for all it was worth. "I'll just wait here then and...review these medical records." "And so it was most likely on Kaplan IV that he picked up something. No one can seem to pinpoint his whereabouts while they were there. All his other stops are accounted for and there's very little likelihood that he could have caught so much as the flu while he was there." "Well, this is certainly not the flu, Doctor." "You don't have to tell ME that. And I don' t seem to be making any headway into its cause. It's terribly frustrating. I'm going to have to spend the evening doing research into Kaplan IV. Have you ever been there?' "Not personally, but I hear it not exactly a pleasant place for a vacation." "That's what I was afraid of. Who knows what could be breeding there? Well, I guess I'm about to find out." "Good luck, Doctor. I'll brief the night staff myself when they come on if you'd like." "Thank you," said Bashir giving her a peck on the cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He left the infirmary and headed for his quarters. He wasn't there two minutes when he heard someone come to his door. "Garak!" he exclaimed. Garak held out a bottle of wine. "I hear you've been working hard and I thought you could use a bit of a break." "I'm afraid, Garak, that I don't have the time for a break." "Everyone has time for a break, Doctor. I don't think you'll find a cure any faster if you pass out from stress." "A cure? How did you..." "It's probably best you don't know, Doctor, but rest assured that I haven't told a soul." "I'm hardly going to pass out, but I guess I could use a glass of wine and the company." He felt a bit guilty that he was taking a break from his research, but he was sure that no one would deny the fact that he needed one. "I thought you might," said Garak, entering Bashir's quarters. "Hmmm. a bit sparse, but definitely in good taste. Are you sure you wouldn't like me to make you some curtains?" "Positive, Garak," said Bashir with a slight smile. "Once again my efforts to improve you are to no avail.' "You should be used to that by now Garak." Bashir opened the wine and poured it into two glasses. "So, how's business?" "Quite brisk, actually. Bajoran holiday garb is quite popular around this time. I'm simply overwhelmed with orders." "It makes me wonder how you managed to find the time to come by and visit me." "Like I said, Doctor, everyone has time for a break. Now I believe we were talking about the Raltian Chronicles..." End of Part 1. From: banshee@cyberspc.mb.ca (Banshee) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: REPOST: Memory (DS9) 2/4 Date: 8 Jan 1996 07:02:12 GMT Organization: The University of Manitoba Memory-Part 2 Note: I hate these lines!!! How do I keep my quotation marks??? Don't hate me for them, I'm trying my best... :) by Banshee Dax walked into Quark's and saw Garak sitting alone at a table. Unusual to see him there, and Dax had the feeling she knew why. "He doesn't have a clue, does he?" she said when she reached his table. He looked up at her, and masked his surprise very quickly, but she saw it. "Whatever are you talking about?" "I'm talking about Julian as you know very well. Don't worry, I am discreet." "Are you now. Well, if you were as discreet as you say you are you wouldn't be asking these questions." "I'm also curious," she admitted. sitting down and leaning on the table, "I know perfectly well how you feel. I just don't quite know how HE feels." "Well, since you asked, he feels nothing. For me at least. And I doubt he has the observational skills to notice that I feel anything at all." "So you came in here to drown your sorrows." "I wouldn't put it that way, Commander. I don't believe sorrow has anything to do with it." "Frustration, then." Garak sighed, "So, Commander, how long have your harbored this theory of yours?" "You mean how long have I known? Not too long. A few weeks at most. You're jealous of Daniel, aren't you?" "Jealous? Me? Really, Commander, you must know me better than that." "Uh-huh," she said, giving him a knowing look. "Well, if you insist on keeping me company then I must insist on buying you a drink..." "Did you see him? I'm sure that was him." the Bajoran girl whispered in Jake's ear. "That wasn't him, Keryn, that was Ensign Thompson. Didn't you see the uniform? "He was in disguise, of course. He wouldn't be walking out in the open looking like himself, silly. That would be too obvious. He would be mobbed." Two hours of skulking about the Promenade had been fruitless so far. "That's probably why he's holed up in his quarters until he performs tonight." said Jake. "Oh, come on, he couldn't stay there all day." "Sure he could, if he was sleeping. Or maybe he was practicing. "Shhh, there he is." "Hey, I think that is him." Keryn coughed. "Shhh, he'll hear us." "Sorry. So what do we do now." "You could say hi" "Me? No, I can't. You do it." "No, you do it." "No, not me, you do it." "Captain," said O'Brien, 'Is it true what I've been hearing?' "That depends entirely on what you've been hearing, Chief." "About the plague. Is there really a plague aboard the station." "Plague is a rather harsh word. No, I wouldn't say that." "Then what would you say. I have a wife and daughter to think about here." "All right. There is an illness that was brought aboard by a member of the entertainment troupe, but so far it has been contained to a single case and we don't expect it to go any further. Anything that may have alerted you is purely a precautionary measure." "I ought to let you know that a lot of people are starting to talk about this. You won't be able to keep it quiet for long." "That's what I'm afraid of, Chief, that's what I'm afraid of." "For what it's worth, I'll keep this to myself, but I can't guarantee anything. My first priority right now is the safety of my family." "You might do well to remember that you first priority is to Starfleet and this station." "Yes, sir, but you can't stop me from keeping them safe." "I'm not trying to, but I may need you to help me deal with this very soon." "I understand. You can count on me, Captain." "I need to run these tests," said Bashir to his aide, "There weren't too many leads in my research, but with the general atmosphere of the city they performed in, I have a new area to look in. I hadn't considered that type of breeding ground in my original research." "Hopefully it won't be too much longer now. He isn't looking well." "Let's see for myself," He would have asked the patient how he was feeling but Garrett was still quite unconscious. "Well, his vital signs are surprisingly stable for such a serious illness. I don't believe there's any danger of death, but..." 'I know what you mean, Doctor,' said Dax, stepping in to the infirmary, "I checked in on him earlier. The body's alive, but no one's home.' That expression began to ring bells for Bashir, but nothing came to him. "Perhaps you would look over my research," he said, "I need an objective opinion at this point. Nothing seems to be connecting at all. The combination of symptoms and the way they mutate fits no disorder that I know of." "I'll take a look," promised Dax, "but if *you* haven't found anything then..." she shrugged her shoulders. "But at least you'll be able to give me some perspective. That's something I don't seem to have a lot of right now." "I'll go over them right away. You need to get some rest." "Why does everyone keep telling me that? I feel as though I've been getting more rest than work done." "Well you haven't, and I know that for a fact. Sleep, Julian. I'll alert you as soon as I'm through." "Yes, ma'am," he said with an ironic smile and a mock salute before heading for his quarters and the sleep that he sorely needed. "...and that's when I began looking at the climate in the area this time of year and noticed that it would be ideal for parasites and if they were modified by the radiation in the atmosphere they just might form what we're dealing with." "Fascinating, Doctor. Does that mean the ordeal is nearly over?" "Unfortunately, no. Identifying it is one thing. ridding someone of it is another entirely. I just don't understand it. I've never had this much trouble curing a patient before in my entire career." "It's not as if you've had a terribly lengthy career, Doctor. It was bound to happen sooner or later." "I know, I know, but that doesn't make it any less damaging to my ego. I feel so sorry for him. He's not in any pain, but not being able to cure him makes me feel...." "I know how you feel, Doctor. Perhaps a visit to the holosuites...?" "You must be joking. I'm far too busy for that and besides...that's a little too..." 'I wasn't suggesting any sort of liaison, Doctor. Simply something to relieve your tension." "There are only two things that will relieve this tension right now. One would be to find a cure and the other would be a hot oil massage.' "I'm afraid I can't help you on either count. I'm no doctor and I'm been told my massage skills leave a lot to be desired." "I was afraid you'd say that," said Bashir with a regretful sigh, "Oh well, I suppose I could call...no, that would probably be a bad idea." "What would be?" "Calling Daniel up. I know he's wonderful with his hands, but he'd probably get the wrong idea." "The wrong idea or the right idea?" Bashir ignored the question. "I don't like the idea of my private past being dredged up around the station. I've invested a lot of time in forgetting my relationship with Daniel and I don't need that kind of complication in my life right now." "You don't need it, but you certainly want it. How long ago did you know one another?" "It was in school. We were just kids...I was barely 20 when we last saw one another. He wanted to get married...at that age. I certainly wasn't ready to settle down and from the way he treated me I know he wasn't either." "Perhaps I should stay out of the way while he's here...' "Don't be silly Garak. Everyone knows there's nothing going on between us." "Yes, everyone ought to know that, but still...I wouldn't want to be in the way." "I think I'm just going to return to the infirmary. I have a lot of work to do yet. I'll see you later?" "Perhaps," was all Garak said before he left. Bashir watched him till he was out of sight, then sighed and continued his route. It seemed to Sisko that his ruse had been working. The explanation of a faulty containment seal on the docking ring was plausible enough to allay any fears about why no one could enter or leave the station. Then he's had to come up with an explanation why no one could beam off--reaction to the leakage in the docking ring could break up the signal and no one wanted to risk that--but suspicions were already beginning to rise and Chief O'Brien had pointed out to him. The chaos on the station had to be controlled...it was time he met with his senior officers and found out what, exactly, was going on here. "They're all going insane, I swear it," said Odo, "All over the Promenade, most of them barely into their teens, all of them up to something. Are they always like this when a celebrity arrives?" "I'm afraid so, Constable, and I'm counting on you to keep them under control. But that's the least of our worries. Doctor, what's the situation in the infirmary?" "The same as it has been for the last two days. The patient is showing no signs of change, and there have been no new cases. I'm touching on the area of genetic defects, but according to his shipmates, this has been a recent illness. I don't know what else to do." "I know you've done all you can, Doctor, just keep looking. It's got to be something, and until we find out what it is, I cannot risk lifting the quarantine.' "That's another thing, Captain. People are starting to get restless," said Odo, "It's taking an awfully long time to fix the docking ring." 'Do what you can to keep the peace, Constable, that's your job. Commander Worf, you're assigned to assist him for the duration of this situation." "Assistant!" "You heard me, Commander. You were formerly a security officer, your experience will be invaluable if and when this situation gets out of hand." "Yes, Captain." "Dax, will you be able to assist Dr. Bashir in the infirmary?" "Of course.' "I fear I am woefully understaffed right now, and those who were on leave are unable to return to the station." said Bashir. "I understand, Doctor. Use whatever staff you need." "Thank you Captain." "Now am I correct in understanding that there is to be a concert aboard the station?" "That's correct, Captain," said Major Kira, "Tonight. It's already been delayed two days and everyone is getting restless. At least the delay gave us time to find out about it." "I'm leaving you in charge of the preparations, Major. I know it's not your area, but Odo and Worf are going to have their hands full." "You can Count on me, Captain." "Is there anything else then?" Everyone was silent. "All right. I'd like to meet again at 1900 hours tonight for another briefing. Agreed?" Everyone gave their assent as they got up to leave. Of course, at 1900 hours, everyone was too busy to show up, but Sisko didn't mind too much. From: banshee@cyberspc.mb.ca Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: NEW: Memory (DS9) 3/? Date: 29 Dec 1995 07:12:45 GMT Organization: The University of Manitoba Here it is, part 3. This is all I have written so far, so if you have any ideas as to where you'd like the story to go, now is the time to tell me. I've been writing like mad lately so the next part should be up around the 1st or so. (once again, if anyone knows how to make my cursed quotation marks appear short of reformatting my whole work, please, please, please inform this apparently computer-illiterate lost soul!) As always, disclaim, discalim, disclaim! Memory--part 3 "Sit down, Daniel," said Bashir, "I think we need to talk while we have the chance." "I know." he said sitting down, "Are you sure we're alone?" "Does it really matter? The whole station knows about our former relationship thanks to you." "I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how much it would affect you. I didn't realize you'd decided to completely excise me from your life." "It's not that. I just have some particularly painful memories of our time together and I thought it best to try and forget." "Yeah, but there were a lot of good memories, too," he put a hand over Julian's, "I want you to give me another chance." That was not what Bashir had been expecting. "Right now? You know I don't have time for a relationship right now. especially not one as complicated as ours. Can't you just settle for friends?" "If I have to. You seem to have enough time for Garak, though." "Garak? What does Garak have to do with anything?" Daniel laughed, "That's one of the things I always found endearing about you...how naive you are." "Naive? What do you mean?" "Never mind. Anyway, I will still give you that back rub before I go...if you still want it." "Need it is more like it. Would you?" "It would be my pleasure." "Don't you think that's a little odd to be doing right now?" Odo walked up behind the two human teenagers hanging over the rail on the Promenade trying to see what was underneath. "Uh..." "Well..." "I think perhaps it might be wise to find a safer place to ...hang out..for the time being." "But..." "No buts. Move." Before he could enforce his decree, however, another group of children came running up the corridor behind him, nearly knocking him over the edge. "Hey, stop right there. there's no running on the Promenade. stop, I said." While he was berating the runners, the other two had returned to leaning over the railing. "I thought I told you to stop that, " he said. "Hey, Odo," said Jake, slapping him on the back as he passed by with Keryn, "How's it going?" He didn't wait for the answer. "Jake. Jake! Wait just one minute." It was to no avail. Another batch of frenzied fans came dashing by in the other direction and this time the railing didn't keep him put. Landing as a tissue hurt a lot less than landing as a humanoid, but the damage to his ego was about the same. especially when, after resuming his form, he saw Commander Worf, standing there, a dreadfully serious expression upon his face. Bashir was in front of the screen staring at it with a frown. Something still wasn't adding up. There must be something he was missing. He thought about earlier efforts he had made in terms of cures. Always, always, there had been some clue that he had missed. And usually it was something completely different from what he had been looking for. Maybe that was the kind of change in thinking he needed. "You don't suppose..." he said to himself as something occurred to him. A few taps brought up an entirely different screen. "Yes, yes, it just might be. I need someone to fetch me Daniel Pasteur." "What is it, Doctor?" A face was looking over his shoulder at the screen. "I think I just might have something here. I don't know that this is a disease at all." Just then a group of people came bustling in the door of the infirmary. "Doctor, I think we have another case." Bashir rushed over to their side. "Who is it? What's her condition?" "Her name is Keryn," said Jake Sisko, "I don't know what happened. We were just on the promenade and she collapsed." "I'm sorry, Jake," said Bashir, "Thank you for bringing her here and we'll do all we can for her, but I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside the infirmary." "It's okay. I'm going home. Can I come back later?" "We'll see." Bashir was already hooking her up to a monitoring system and making sure her vital signs were stable. Jake left the infirmary shaking a bit and went straight to his father's office. Bashir sat slumped in a chair in Sisko's office, "I'm afraid it will be nearly impossible to keep this a secret any longer," he said with a resigned sigh. "I have to agree with you, Doctor. the question is, what do we do now. How much longer do you think this will take?" "I don't know! I've tried everything I can think of and I'm back at the beginning again..." "Perhaps you should get some rest--" "Rest? Trust me, between Dax and Garak and half of my staff, I have enough people making sure I get rest. I'd prefer to get back to my research as soon as possible." "And I'll let you do that in just a few moments, Doctor. Are you sure we have enough facilities if this keeps spreading?" "I've devised a treatment that appears to keep the patient comfortable, though it does nothing to stop the illness. It can be administered while they are in bed in their quarters, so space is not an issue." "Now about the concert tonight..." "The concert will do no more to spread the illness than all the other contact on the station over the past couple of days. I see no reason to cancel it...let people have their fun. There will be little enough to be happy about soon." "The girl, Keryn. How's she doing?" "Actually, she's responding remarkably well. I have high hopes that she will be the key to discovering just what this illness is." "In that case, I will postpone all announcements regarding this until tomorrow...*after* the concert." "That would be a compassionate choice, Captain. Is there anything else?" "No, Doctor. Just..keep an eye on Jake would you? I know he spent a lot of time with the girl and..." "Don't worry, I will," said Bashir as he rose from his chair and left the office. Jake sat down alone on the Promenade. The concert wasn't going to be very much fun anymore. He supposed that he was getting a little to old to be excited over a musical performance, but things like this didn't happen very often on the station and he wanted to be there for it. He looked at the PADD in his hand, but shook his head. He had wanted to write something for Keryn, but somehow he just wasn't feeling inspired. He hadn't written anything in a while now. Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and started. He turned his head to see Dr. Bashir standing behind him. "Jake," he said, "how are you feeling?" "I don't know. Fine I guess." "Weak? Tired? Dizzy?" "No, none of those. Maybe a little lonely." "I hope you aren't averse to a little seclusion for a while though." "What do you mean?" "I'd like to place you under quarantine with the other patients for the time being. You were undoubtedly exposed to the illness. I don't mean to alarm you, but I want to be nearby if and when the symptoms begin to manifest." "I...does my dad know everything." "Don't worry, Jake. He knows where you are and if everything goes well, you won't be there for long. I can't order you, but..." "No, I'm coming." Jake stood up, "How's Keryn doing?" "She's sleeping peacefully. She seems to have a mild case, but I'm still running tests." "That's good," said Jake absently. He was still a bit stunned by the day's events. He supposed that the concert was out of the question now, but he found he wasn't too disappointed. Nothing seemed to mean anything to him right now. Captain Sisko paced up and down in his office. Nothing was under his control and he was so frustrated he wanted to break something. Anything. Instead of mass destruction, however, he contended himself with clenching and unclenching his fists as he paced. Not Jake. Anyone but Jake. He knew that Jake was not ill yet, but it was only a matter of time. He'd already lost Jennifer. He couldn't bear to lose his son, too. He recalled the time the aphasia virus has struck his staff. They had gotten through that one all right, hadn't they? And this illness hadn't even proven fatal yet. Suddenly his com badge sounded. "Odo to Sisko." "Sisko," he said instinctively. "Captain, you'd better get down to the Promenade." "Why, Odo? Aren't things under control?" "Hardly! Everyone had gone mad! I found it hard to believe that they could get any worse, but somehow, they did." "I'm afraid I can't help you, Constable. Perhaps, Mr. Ree can start his performance early. I leave it in your capable hands." "As you wish, Captain," said Odo but he by no means sounded satisfied. Sisko hardly noticed. end of part 3 From: banshee@cyberspc.mb.ca (Banshee) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: NEW: Memory (DS9) 4/4 Date: 8 Jan 1996 07:07:43 GMT Organization: The University of Manitoba Here it is, at long last! Any comments, good or bad, can be sent to me. I can take it, really I can! Disclaimer: The character, fo the most part, do not belong to me but to Paramount. No one is making any money off of this, trust me. :) Memory--Part 4 by Banshee (aka Keri L. Prior) Bashir was staring at a screen when the noise began, a low thunder-like sound at first gradually increasing to what sounded like a scream. He winced but did not bother to cover his ears for he knew it would do no good. Jake had played some of Quentin's music for him a few months ago and this was undoubtedly it. He was a bit astounded by the amount of noise that was passing through the station, but mostly he was annoyed. He had a lot of work to do. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to recommend that the concert go on as planned. He heard the door to sickbay open, but did not immediately look behind him, assuming it was a nurse, either coming or going. When he did not hear any further noise, he turned to see what it was. Daniel was standing there, leaning against the wall, just watching him with his arms crossed across his chest. Bashir didn't have any time for this. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked. "As a matter of fact, there is," said Daniel, walking towards him, "you can leave all that work for just a little while and go down to the concert with me. You haven't missed much..." "Daniel! I can't believe you! There's a contagious disease aboard the station, as yet incurable, and you expect me to go out and have some fun with you? Grow up, would you? We aren't kids anymore and I have a duty to these people. I can't believe you..." "Relax, would you? You're acting life this is some life and death matter or something." "What do you mean? This *is* a life and death matter! Unless there's something you know that I don't..." Daniel was silent. Bashir was ominous, "What-do-you-know?" Jake knelt by Keryn's side, occasionally glancing at the continuous readout behind her. If there were many more cases, they couldn't be confined to the infirmary, but for now Keryn was being monitored all the time. It was probably for the best...Jake didn't want her to get any worse. He somehow felt responsible for her condition, as though there was something he could have done to prevent it. He still had the PADD with him, feeling the need to write but not knowing how to begin. Something for Keryn. It was nice to have a girl friend again...he's been lonely for a while. There was nothing else he could give her...nothing that would mean anything anyway. Suddenly he heard loud voices in the other room, loud enough for him to hear over the din of the concert. One belonged to the Doctor and the other he didn't recognize. It went on for a while, then Dr. Bashir dashed into the room, completely ignoring him, and doing something to the readouts. "I am so blind," he said, pausing in amazement. Then he came to his senses and patted Jake on the shoulder, "She's going to be fine now," he said, "go ahead and enjoy the concert, Jake." "What? But..." "I promise to explain later, but right now I have to have a word with your father." For the first time in a while, Bashir had a smile on his face. "McFarlane," he called as Jake hesitantly left the infirmary, "I need you in here immediately." Something strange had just happened and Jake was determined to find out what it was. Instead of heading for the Promenade and the concert, he headed for his father's office. The Promenade was, quite literally, a zoo. Despite the fact that every one of his security personnel were on duty, Odo, for the first time, simply couldn't keep the peace. the station was never meant to hold this kind of chaos. It probably would have been a much better to hold this in one of the old ore-processing centres, but nothing about this concert had been thought out. Garak stood, looking through the gates of his closed shop. There was no point in staying open, and the possibility of theft was far greater than the possibility of a sale. When Odo was too busy to even keep and eye on Quark, he would never have time to help the station's token Cardassian. He hadn't seen the doctor at all since their last lunch together. He'd had to keep himself from going to the infirmary and begging Bashir to stay away from Daniel, but he knew it would appear to be something that it wasn't. Yes, he's overheard a rather nasty conversation between Daniel and one of his cronies, but repeating it to Bashir wouldn't do him any good. He's have to find it out for himself and if he was hurt then so be it..that might actually do Garak more good. He mentally berated himself for his oven manipulative thoughts, but in the end it was in his nature. If something was going to work out to his advantage, then he certainly wasn't going to interrupt its course. After taking care of Keryn, Bashir marched straight up to Sisko's office without so much as calling him on his com- badge to say he was coming. He was far too overwrought for that. Unfortunately for Jake, he arrived just as the door was sliding shut behind Bashir. Still determined, he sat down just outside the door. That got him an odd look from Major Kira but he ignored it and waited. "Doctor," said Sisko, turning around, "What is it?" "The quarantine is off," he said, a bit breathlessly. "Off? You discovered a cure!" "Actually, Captain, there isn't a cure for drug addiction." "Drug addiction? What do you mean?" "Kaplan IV! It is so obvious I can't believe I missed it. The natives have certain types of drugs that are synthesized from living organisms. It's also such a breeding ground for disease that the alternatives didn't really occur to me. Apparently they create excellent hallucinogens, but have odd side effects from time to time. The important thing is that it is *not* contagious and the effects will last no longer than a week. The organisms cannot survive any longer than that--I rechecked it myself." "That is wonderful news, Doctor." "I'll have the patient released to his troupemates as soon as possible." "But what about the girl?" Bashir allowed himself a sheepish grin, "It's a case of Garbalian Flu. She'll recover by morning--I've already had my staff administer the treatment." "The flu." "I was so certain..." "No matter, Doctor. It not important anymore. I'll announce that the quarantine is off as soon as the madness on the Promenade is under control." "The madness on the Promenade..." Bashir blanked on the subject for a moment. "The concert, Doctor," said Sisko, and Bashir could have sworn there was a bit of a smirk on his face, but he knew the Captain better than that. "I'm sure that the Constable is quite overwhelmed at the moment. Then again, surely he didn't believe that this would be easy..." Bashir was catching on, "I remember going to a performance when I was younger...it was wild." "Well, Doctor, I'm sure you're needed in the infirmary." Bashir knew a dismissal when he heard one, "I do have a few loose ends to tie up," he said, "but I wanted to give you this news in person." "Thank you." Bashir made a hasty exit. On his way out he happened to glance down and to his left. "Hello, Jake," he said as he walked right by. As soon as Bashir had exited, Jake was on his feet and inside the door, "Dad..." he said, but got no further before Captain Sisko wrapped his arms around his son. "You're okay," said Sisko, "Thank God you're okay." "Dad," said Jake, pushing away a bit, "Relax, I'm okay. What's going on?" "Nothing. Everything's okay. No one is going to get sick and no one is going to die." "Die? Who ever said anything about dying?" "No one. You're all right." "C'mon Dad." Sisko did not offer any more information, "Aw, no one ever tells me anything." When Bashir returned to the infirmary the excitement had died down, but Daniel was still standing in the doorway to Bashir's laboratory. Roughly he pulled him inside and shut the door. "Now," he said, "you will tell me just what game you were playing. Who the hell do you think you are? The whole station was in an uproar and you knew what it was all along." "Well," he said, "I just wanted you to spend more time with me.." "That's pathetic! You know damn well that I would have spent time with you anyway. In fact, if it hadn't been for this, I would have had even more time to do it." "Yeah, but you wouldn't have had any interest in sleeping with me." "Sleeping with you! This whole charade was a ploy to get me into bed? You put the station in danger because of that?" "The station was never in any real danger..." "Because of that?" Daniel finally snapped, "You know what? You just cost me 50 bars of gold-pressed latinum! I was so damn sure it would work, too. I never should have made that bet. I just knew you'd turn out to be a prude!" Bashir became deathly quiet, "A bet? People were frightened to death, you know. They thought they were going to get sick and die. Because of you. You make me sick. Get out." "Wait.." "Get out!" roared Bashir. Daniel backed up hesitantly, then quickly exited the room, and the infirmary. Bashir sank to the floor and put his face in he hands and didn't get up for a long while. Odo watched as the crowd that had been milling about began to disperse. The Promenade was a disaster...there were discarded bits of clothing and food all over the place and even a few bodies lying around. Odo would soon have to determine whether or not they were dead or just inebriated. The concert had ended over an hour ago, so why didn't all these people just go home? "Constable," said Worf, "Is there anything you would like me to do." Odo has secretly been regretting not giving the Klingon a more active role in the security duties, but he would be damned if he ever told him that. "Get these bodies off the floor," he said gruffly, "They're a hazard to those people still mobile." "Yes, Constable," Worf's subservience was obviously just an act, and it was one that Odo didn't particularly appreciate. "And clean up any trash you see, while you're at it." "What do I do with it?' 'Eat it," Odo felt like saying, but he controlled himself, "Just gather it all together. We'll deal with it later." "Yes, sir." Odo could hear the smirk. As soon as Worf was out of sight, he set about his own menial tasks. No, this was not a failure. He was good at his job... "Never again," he muttered under his breath as he headed off in the opposite direction, "Never again." Jake sat on his bed in their quarters, a PADD on his lap and a smile on his face. Keryn would love this. "Gales of laughter erupting," he wrote.. Joy, friendship Caring, sharing, loving A togetherness... Finally, something for her. "...and so the end of the novel was actually written over a hundred years later," said Garak, "and no one ever knew about it." "That *is* fascinating," said Bashir, "I'm really glad we're able to have these conversations again." "It's as if we ever stopped," said Garak, "Everything is back to normal now and I, for one, am glad." Back to normal? Bashir knew in his heart that it wasn't true. Things wouldn't be the same for him for some time yet. Something Dax had said to him in the infirmary was sticking in his mind. He hadn't really been paying attention, something about Garak... He looked up at the Cardassian and gave him a smile, which was promptly returned. No, things were not precisely the way they used to be, but perhaps they would be better now. He would just have to wait and see. THE END