New Life
PG-13
Chapters 22-24
Chapter Twenty-two
“You have got to be kidding!” Jadzia exclaimed in disbelief.
“No, I’m not,” Sisko said with all seriousness. “If we can just get to the docking bay we can board the Defiant. Once we are out there, we need to find out just how damaged that Borg ship is. If it’s not, we’re going to have to make it that way.”
“That’s no guarantee that the Borg won’t catch up with you in the runabout,” Jadzia insisted. “It’s too dangerous, Benjamin.”
“All I have to do is get into wormhole,” Sisko explained. “After that, if I’m right, the prophets will take over.”
“You have a lot of faith in the prophets,” Kira commented cynically. “I don’t know if I would test them to that extreme.”
“Look, I was told to protect that which is good and that is what I’m going to do,” Sisko insisted emphatically.
“We can’t just leave Jean-Luc and the rest here!” Beverly suddenly exclaimed with concern. “We have to do something to get them off the station too before we do this!”
Beverly could not count the many times that the crew of the Enterprise had to leave Jean-Luc on the Enterprise to fend for himself. Most of the time he did have at least one or two others staying behind with him, but even with others staying with him, it was still very disturbing for her when they left him behind on the ship.
“Doctor Pic…” Sisko did not have a chance to finish his sentence.
*Picard to Sisko.*
“Guess they’ve found out we don’t have control of Ops anymore,” Kira scoffed.
Sisko tapped his com badge, “Sisko here.”
Picard breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Sisko’s voice. “I assume everyone is with you?”
“Yes, I have them all, except Sarah,” Sisko informed.
“Janeway has her,” Picard stated disapprovingly. Picard wanted to move the conversation along before boarding the turbo lift to Ops, “What is your present location?”
“We’re in the access tunnel that leads to the docking bay,” Sisko informed Picard.
“Evacuating?”
“I guess you could say that,” Sisko replied cryptically.
Picard knew Sisko was up to something, but he did not know exactly what. “What is your plan of action?”
“I don’t think you really want to know, Sir,” Sisko replied secretively. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.”
Picard sighed. He knew, like Janeway, Sisko had his unusual ways of finding solutions to impossible situations out in deep space. He did not want to hear another plan that definitely was not the usual Starfleet procedure. He was just hoping, that whatever it was that Sisko had in mind doing, it was going to be good.
“Well, we don’t have time to discuss it,” Picard finally replied. “Just use your best judgment. The rest of us are going to try and take back Ops. How many Borg are up there?”
“Last I knew three,” Sisko told him.
“That makes the odds a little better,” Picard said with sarcasm. “The people on the Promenade?”
“We beamed the last group out of there just as the Borg began knocking on our door,” Sisko informed him.
“Very good. Proceed as plan. Picard out.”
“You’re not telling him?” Beverly inquired of Sisko as the group continued to make their way to the docking bay.
“Why should I?” Sisko asked with irritation.
Beverly was not sure how to answer his question, so she just shook her head. “I just think someone on the station needs to know what we are doing before we do it.”
“He would not understand anymore than you do,” Sisko insisted. “Just trust me on this.”
“What I don’t get is, if the Borg on the station are severed from the Cube by the dampening field, why are they still trying to take over the station?” B’Elanna asked suspiciously as they entered the turbo lift.
“They can’t make contact with the cube,” Picard insisted. “But they can still communicate with each other and apparently, they have agreed to continue their previous course of action.”
Then Picard addressed the computer, “Ops.”
“That is precisely what I was thinking,” Janeway concurred as the turbo lift began moving.
“So, where does that leave us?” Chakotay inquired as he continued to carry Sarah in his arms. “I mean, let’s say Voyager and the other ships do destroy the Cube, how do we go about getting the rest of the Borg off of the station?”
“Good question, Chakotay,” Janeway complimented. “And we’re going to figure it out.”
Outside the station, the struggle with the Borg Cube continued to rage. Both sides were taking heavy damage, but the Borg seemed to have the advantage as they made their repairs and fought back at the same time.
The three Starfleet ships were desperately trying to hold their own in the turbulent battle. Consoles sparked and officers were tossed from their posts.
The Titan’s Bridge filled with smoked from one particular console that had erupted in flames and tossed Ensign Monroe out of her seat as she screamed in panic. She then lay on the deck of the Bridge quiet and motionless.
As Semaj watched the crew being tossed around like rag dolls, he began to wonder what the logic was in having seat belts on just the command chair. To him, it appeared to be more logical to have seat belts on every chair that was bolted down on the ship. It seemed so senseless to have valuable crew members being injured or worse yet dead from being thrown from their seats.
Then he realized that Ensign Monroe might have been in even more danger if she had been strapped to the chair that was in front of the flaming console. He observed her still body on the floor in front of him and thought, ‘At least this way, she might still have a chance.’
The Titan shook again from another Borg Torpedo and brought Semaj back to the moment. He was surprised that he was struggling to keep his Vulcan composure in this situation. He had worked long and hard to keep his emotions under control every day, but the current situation could test even the strongest Vulcan’s self-control.
The turbo lift finally stop at Ops and the team cautiously stepped off the lift. It was no surprise to the five officers that the door to the turbo lift was destroyed. The heat and humidity that hit the group was overwhelming at first, but even that did not seem to surprise them. Both the environmental conditions and the destruction were typical of the Borg, but what did surprise them was the Borg’s ability to access DS9’s computer so quickly.
Both Janeway and Picard wondered if O’Brien had the time to lock out computer access before they had to evacuate Ops. If he had, the Borg seemed to have figured out the code to override the lockout rather fast because one of them was at the controls and reprogramming it to fit their needs.
As the five officers warily prowled Ops, the Borg continued to go about their business. They worked undaunted with the interface of the station as they seemingly ignored the small group of officers.
“What do you think they are doing?” Janeway inquired of Picard. “Besides trying to remove the dampening field to make contact with the cube.”
Picard considered the possibilities before answering Janeway’s questions. “To be honest, I have no idea.”
“Do you think they are making an attempt to beam more of their buddies over here?” Riker asked distrustfully.
“Possibly,” Picard surmised.
“They seem to be ignoring us,” B’Elanna observed suspiciously. “That can’t be good.”
“Well, it’s better than the alternative,” Chakotay reminded B’Elanna as he guardedly laid Sarah in the corner. Then he stood watch in front of her.
“I don’t know. I think I’d rather have them confronting me.” B’Elanna replied as she controlled her urge to bodily throw the drones off the ship.
“Spoken like a true Klingon,” Riker remarked as he kept a close eye on the Borg. “No insult intended.”
“None taken,” B’Elanna replied.
“Do you think there’s a way we could surreptitiously look over their shoulders to find out what they are doing?” Janeway conferred with Picard.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to give it a try,” Picard determinedly replied. Then he cautiously walked over to one of the drones and passively looked at one of the consoles.
Janeway followed suit without any hesitation. She knew as long as the drones felt like their small group did not pose a threat, she was safe from being attacked by them. She just did not know how long that would last though, so she kept a watchful eye on them as she looked at the display on another console.
Chakotay was suddenly hyper-vigilant as he watched Kathryn get too close for his comfort to one of the drones. He was wishing she would stay more than an arms length away from them. He would jump every time the automaton she was closest to started to move. He was ready to fire on any Borg that so much as bumped his Kathryn.
Even Riker was feeling very uncomfortable with the two admirals violating Borg personal space. He knew they both had a working knowledge on how the Borg functioned, but he felt like they were tempting fate. He was hoping desperately that fate’s protection extended beyond the Enterprise.
Sisko’s group managed to reach the Defiant. After they cautiously crawled out of the tunnel, they boarded the ship and were preparing to carry out his plan of action. When the docking clamps released their vessel, they sailed out of the docking bay and immediately joined the other three ships in battle.
Sisko gave the order to seriously damage the Borg vessel any way they could. As soon as the Borg ship was damaged to his satisfaction, he was going to carry out the second part of his plan.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Geordi was barking out orders on the Enterprise. His helms officer was injured when he was tossed out of his seat during a torpedo hit.
“Lieutenant Anaya, take the helm!” He yelled.
She quickly did as she was told, just as Geordi noticed the Defiant leaving space dock.
“It’s about time!” Geordi exclaimed in relief as he saw the Defiant immediately attacking the Borg Cube.
The Defiant battered the Borg Cube with several quantum torpedoes in a row. They continued to bombard the cube for almost a minute until Sisko decided it was time to make his move.
“Well, Old Man,” he addressed Jadzia affectionately. “You have command of the Defiant.”
“Be careful, Benjamin,” Jadzia concernedly instructed him.
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“Sir,” Worf began. “I do not think this is a wise course of action.”
“Noted, Mister Worf.”
“There has got to be another way to get rid of the Borg,” Worf persisted to stop his captain in what he thought was a dangerous idea.
“Mister Worf, if I could think of another way that would work, I’d do it,” Sisko informed him firmly. “But I can’t think of any other way.”
“Benjamin,” Kasidy worriedly addressed him. “I… Please don’t keep me waiting as long as you did last time.”
“I’ll try not to.” Sisko then kissed his wife goodbye and gently took Tov from Beverly’s arms.
“Captain,” Korok briefly stopped Sisko before he left the Bridge of the Defiant. “Qapla’ “ Korok bang his chest with his fist as he wished Sisko good luck in his own way.
“Try and keep the Borg off my tail until I am about to enter the wormhole,” Sisko said as he gave final instructions to his crew. “Then, if they are so inclined, let them come after me. Don’t try to stop them from following me into the wormhole.”
“Yes, Sir.” His crew replied in unison.
“Make sure you let Voyager, the Enterprise, and the Titan know the plan.”
“Yes, Sir,” O’Brien replied.
“OK, Tov and I are ready to beam back to the station where the runabout is located,” Sisko informed them.
“I don’t remember the last time I beamed people anywhere while in the middle of a battle,” O’Brien stated anxiously. “But it’s been done before. I’ll get you two as close as I can and hope there are no Borg there.”
Sisko fatherly cradles the baby close to him as O’Brien beams them off the Defiant and back onto the station close to the runabout.
“I’m still not quite sure what they are doing, but they are trying to access the weapons,” Janeway informed.
“They might be trying to use the station as a tactical base to attack our ships in order to assist the Borg cube,” Picard theorized.
Suddenly, the Borg moved to a clear area of Ops and stood in formation as though to be beamed off the station. In seconds, they dematerialized off the station.
While Riker, B’Elanna, and Chakotay watch in curiosity, Janeway and Picard hurried over to the com station.
“They have activated the auto-destruct, silent mode,” Janeway announced stressfully. “We have less then ten minutes to deactivate it. B‘Elanna, you take that station.”
“I’m an engineer, not a weapons expert,” B’Elanna stated with confusion.
“You’re now a weapons expert,” Janeway urgently insisted. “The Borg work as a collective, so we have to work as a collective too in order to deactivate it.”
“She’s right,” Picard affirmed. “We have to work together for this to work. No questioning or second guessing each other’s moves.”
Picard takes another station as he instructed Riker and Chakotay to take a station. B’Elanna reluctantly gives in and takes the station that Janeway assigned her.
Riker and Chakotay glance at each other for a brief moment. They were the only two people there who had not been assimilated by the Borg. The other three had been and though their personal feelings about the Borg varied, they knew how the Borg functioned.
“Gentlemen,” Janeway gestured for them to take their places. “We have nine minutes.”
Riker and Chakotay did as they were ordered and took their places. Their tension was mounting as their chances to deactivate the auto-destruct slowly began to dwindle.
Sisko had secured Tov on the runabout so that he did not get tossed about as they flew into the wormhole. Then Sisko braced himself in his seat and departed from the docking bay.
He noticed the Borg as he flew towards the wormhole. He also noted that they saw him too and were prepared to follow him, but the Defiant did as instructed and kept the cube busy as he headed towards the wormhole. The Enterprise and Titan also occupied the Borg at the same time.
“We’re going for another ride and it looks like we’re going to make it, Tov.”
Tov gave Sisko a happy and contented sound in reply.
“You know, if I didn’t know better,” Beverly began in a clinical tone as she watched Sisko fly towards the wormhole. “I’d say he was insane!”
“Others have said that before,” Worf told Beverly in a deep and serious baritone voice.
“I can see why!”
“I just hope he is right about the prophets,” Kira hopefully stated.
“I can always order a full mental evaluation on him when he gets back,” Bashir jokingly suggested.
“If he gets back,” Kasidy wistfully sighed.
“Oh, he’ll be back,” Jadzia optimistically stated. “If the prophets ordain it. It‘s just a matter of time.”
“Meanwhile, I maybe classified a widow again,” Kasidy fretted.
Deanna and Beverly sympathized with her concerned about her husband. They did not know what they would do if they had lost their husbands in a similar situation.
“I hope he and the baby succeed and come back again,” Hugh sadly added. “He’s a good man, like Geordi is.”
Everyone fell silent with Hugh’s last statement. Each thinking about Sisko in their own way and quietly agreed with him.
“Five minutes,” Janeway announced.
“Let’s try entering the codes all at the same time,” Picard suggested. “That would be what the Borg would do.”
“Wait!” B’Elanna exclaimed. “There were only two Borg who were at the consoles.”
“Yes, I think I’m following you, B’Elanna,” Janeway encouraged her to continue.
“Maybe we are going about this all wrong. Maybe only two of us need to be deactivating the auto-destruct.”
“Four minutes,” Janeway counted down. “You maybe right. Admiral?”
“Let’s do it,” Picard answered as they looked directly at each other for confirmation.
The other three removed themselves from their consoles as Janeway and Picard feverishly worked together to stop the auto-destruct.
“Three minutes,” Janeway informed.
“How is she?” B’Elanna asked Riker as he scanned Sarah.
“Her vital signs are normal given her condition,” Riker stated worriedly. “She’ll live if the admirals succeed in deactivating the auto-destruct.”
“Two minutes.”
The three officers began to feel anxious as they waited with high hopes for the admirals to succeed in their mission. Janeway and Picard worked as a team as their fingers moved over their consoles trying various sequences to deactivate the very thing that would destroy them all.
Sisko raced toward the wormhole as fast as the runabout would carry him and Tov. The Federation ships began so cease their attack on the extremely damaged Borg cube.
The Borg were now going after the small runabout as they made repairs on their large ship at the same time.
“One minute.”
Janeway and Picard’s actions became harmonious and their timing was succinct. It was as though their minds had become one as they laboured to stop the inevitable.
“Thirty seconds.”
Sisko was about to enter the wormhole. The Borg were following close behind him.
“Twenty seconds.”
Finally, the runabout disappeared into the wormhole. Then the Borg ship entered behind him.
“Auto-destruct deactivated,” Janeway excitedly exclaimed. “With ten seconds to spare.”
“That’s cutting it close,” B’Elanna sighed with relief.
“I agree,” Picard also breathed a sigh of relief.
“Where are the Borg?” Riker suddenly asked as he looked out the portal.
“Cloaked?” Chakotay asked thoughtfully as he turned to look.
*Dax to Deep Space Nine.* Jadzia voice came over the com.
Janeway looked to Picard as though to ask, “Which one of us is going to answer it?”
Picard gestured for Janeway to respond.
“Deep Space Nine, here.”
*The Borg are gone.*
“Destroyed?”
*No, not exactly,* Jadzia replied cryptically. *We’ll brief you when we all return. Are the Borg gone from the station?*
“We’re happy to report that they have left DS9,” Janeway informed them.
“Good!” Jadzia smiled with joy. “All ships are returning to the docking bay. Jadzia out.”
“How do you think the admirals are going to react when we tell them about Sisko and why we don’t have the baby with us?” Kira asked.
“We’ll just have to find out,” Jadzia replied.
“Well, if I know Admiral Picard,” Beverly began to inform everyone. “He’s not going to be too happy.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The four Starfleet ships were back in the docking bay and repairs were being made on them. At the same time, the other Starfleet officers were trying to get things slowly back to normal on the station.
Meanwhile, Picard was not at all happy as he listened to the senior officers of DS9 brief him and Janeway concerning Sisko and the Borg.
“He did what?” Picard excitedly questioned Jadzia, Odo, Worf, and Kira.
“He took the baby into the wormhole in hopes the prophets would help,” Jadzia informed the two Admirals.
‘Sometimes I wonder if working out in space drives us all insane,’ Picard silently thought.
“His idea did get the Borg away from DS9,” Janeway pointed out to Picard. “Maybe the prophets will help in this matter and return him and Tov back safely.”
“And what do we tell Sarah?” Picard asked. “Do you really believe she will have any understanding of the Bajoran prophets?”
“He’s right,” Kira regretfully agreed. “We can’t just say, ‘Oh and Captain Sisko took your baby to visit the prophets. They could be there for a while‘.”
“This could be construed as kidnapping,” Picard mentioned to all those responsible.
“Admiral Picard is right,” Odo agreed. “We could all be charged with kidnapping.”
“I’m sure we can work this out somehow,” Janeway assured everyone.
“Sir, the Borg were about to over take the station,” Worf informed Picard. “Once Sisko headed towards the wormhole the Borg left with him.
“And what if he is wrong?” Picard frowned.
“I don’t think he is,” Bashir assuredly stated as he walked into the captain’s office with Beverly and Doctor Mark. “The prophets maybe our only chance.”
“Doctors,” Picard addressed all three of them. “I do hope this is important, because I was just…”
“I assure you it is,” Beverly informed him. “It could shed some light on this situation.”
“OK. Let’s hear it,” Picard replied.
“Well, just before Captain Sisko left with the baby, we got a sample of the nanoprobes,” Beverly told everyone. “Then we compared his nanoprobes with Seven’s and found some remarkable qualities.”
“Yes, it seems they are a hybrid form of nanoprobes,” Bashir picked up where Beverly ended. “I was even amazed by our findings.”
“Well?” Janeway anxiously asked. “Tell us what is so special about these nanoprobes.”
“The nanoprobes seem to be able to kill viruses and we believe they maybe able to hasten healing,” Doctor Mark reported to everyone. “If they can kill viruses, it is very possible that recovery time could be shortened.”
“Kills viruses?” Janeway asked as realization dawned on her. “That’s why they want Tov. They know his nanoprobes can fight off any virus we throw at them. They must think we are going to infect them with something again.”
“Protective custody,” Odo suddenly stated.
“I’m sorry, Odo?” Picard asked with confusion.
“We can say Tov is in protective custody,” Odo explained.
“Yes!” Janeway said excitedly. “We have evidence for the need of protective custody and at the time the mother was having a medical emergency. Therefore, we had to make a decision for the sake of everyone on the station, especially the child.”
“Admiral,” Picard thought very carefully about his next words. “I’m not quite sure that idea will support Sisko taking the baby to the prophets.”
“It’s worth a try,” Odo stated firmly.
‘Why do I get the feeling this is going to be dragged out for quite a while?’ Picard thought. Then with a sigh he addressed everyone, “Alright, we can attempt to inform Starfleet that Tov is in protective custody and hope they accept it. Meanwhile, let’s hope Sisko gets back with the baby soon. Dismissed.”
Everyone but the admirals began to leave the room. Jean-Luc then called, “Beverly?”
“Yes, Jean-Luc?”
“How is Sarah doing?”
“She is recovering,” Beverly informed him and Janeway. “The EMH neutralized the nanoprobes in her system. She is still in shock from the incident, but you should be able to talk to her in the morning.”
“Thank you, Beverly. Will you be able to get away for dinner tonight?”
“I don’t see why not,” Beverly replied with a smile. “1800 hours?”
Picard smiled at the thought of making a date with his own wife, “Sounds good to me. See you then.”
Beverly smiled lovingly at him and then departed.
“Well, I also have a date tonight,” Janeway smiled as Jean-Luc looked at her with curiosity. “Dinner with my fiancée.”
“How does it feel?” Jean-Luc asked with a smile.
“Having a date or dinner?”
“Neither,” Picard replied. “I meant being able to admit that you really care about someone without worrying about what your crew may think, protocol, or anything else?”
Janeway smiled, “Fantastic!”
She started to leave when Picard said, “Admiral Janeway?”
“Yes?”
“Beverly and I need to be back at Starfleet as soon as possible,” he told her. “I was hoping, since you have to be back about the same time, we could hitch a ride on Voyager, instead of dragging Geordi or Will from their well deserved shore leave in order to get Beverly and me back to Starfleet.”
“No problem,” She smiled. “That is, if you think Voyager can handle having two admirals aboard.”
Picard smile. “Thank you. I assume Voyager will be departing DS9 as soon as repairs are finished?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well, Beverly and I will be ready.”
“See you then,” She smiled and then left the office.
Sisko sailed into the wormhole and noticed the Borg were right behind him. “Now would be a good time, if you’re going to help,” Sisko pleaded with the prophets.
Suddenly, Sisko was with the prophets and holding the child in his arms as they addressed him, “You must protect that which is good.”
“I understand that, but I was hoping you would do something about the Borg, who want this child.”
“Who are the Borg?”
Sisko tried to explain, but he did not feel like he was getting anywhere as usual.
“This is the Borg?”
Sisko saw images of drones, the Borg Queen, and the Cube. “Yes, they are the Borg.”
“This child is special and should not fall into their hands,” the prophets replied.
Suddenly, the Borg Queen appeared. “Why are we being held here? You will be assimilated! Your technology will be added to ours!”
“What is assimilation?” The prophets asked.
“You can not be that inferior not to know what assimilation means!” The Borg Queen growled at the prophets.
“Inferior?” The prophets replied. “You disrespect us.”
“You are inferior,” the Queen insisted. “And far from perfect!”
Sisko knew the prophets were not happy with this person known as the Borg Queen. He was sure they did not see any redeeming qualities in the Borg as he continued to listen.
“What is perfect?” They asked of the queen.
“We seek to better ourselves,” the queen told the prophets. “We have achieved perfection. This child is one more step in that direction.”
“Have you or have you not achieved perfection?”
“We have, but we continue to strive to be perfect.”
“Assimilation is to achieve perfection?” The prophets asked.
“We take what is imperfect and make it perfect,” the queen explained. “Flesh alone is weak, but adding inorganic implants and adding the technology of others, we achieve perfection.”
“Assimilation is forced on others?”
“Their willingness is irrelevant.”
“Why is it irrelevant?”
“Your questions are irrelevant!” The Borg Queen hissed. “You will be assimilated! I will see to that! Your resistance if futile!”
“Nothing is futile,” the prophets insisted.
“Where are my drones?” The queen angrily demanded.
“They are here,” the prophets assured her.
“My drones will begin assimilating you!”
“How can this be if we do not allow it?”
“Irrelevant!” She screamed. “You will be assimilated! Your technology will be added to ours!”
“How can you add our technology to yours?”
“We will add your knowledge to ours.”
“We do not wish for you to have what we know,” the prophets informed them.
“You must be naive to think that your technology can not be added to ours!” The queen hissed. “I have overseen many assimilations. I will over see yours too!”
“There is not freedom in your society.”
“Freedom is irrelevant!” the queen continued to insist.
“There is no individuality,” the prophets continued to access.
“Individuality is inefficient and irrelevant!”
“Irrelevant?” The prophets asked. “We do not understand irrelevant.”
The queen growled, “Assimilate them!”
The drones could not move to attack the prophets and assimilate them. “We will not be assimilated.”
“Irrelevant!”
“You are not worthy of our attentions,” the prophets told the queen. “You are not worthy of the child. Your thinking is flawed.”
“Flawed?” The queen asked. “No, yours is flawed!”
“Times change,” the prophets stated. “You are not worthy.”
“Worthy of what?”
“Freedom is desired by those we watch over,” the prophets stated. “Being individuals is important. Procreating, changing, growing old, and baseball are important.”
Sisko could not help but smile at the last as he watched the prophets analyse the Borg. They seemed to have learned just as much from him as he had of them.
“Those things are irrelevant!”
“We grow tired of this,” the prophets stated with irritation.
“You will be assimilated!” the queen hissed.
“No, we won’t,” the prophets insisted. “But you will be far from your people for years to come. There will be others to put you in your place.”
“You flatter yourselves!” The queen spat. “You are not gods!”
“No, we are the prophets and you are nothing more than impieties.”
Sisko could tell the prophets were more than annoyed with the Borg. Still, he continued to watch the conversation, safe from the Borg.
Suddenly, with a flash, the Borg and their Cube were thrown light years into the Gamma quadrant. He was a bit surprised that the prophets sent the Borg deep into the Gamma quadrant.
“They will begin to assimilate those people too!” Sisko exclaimed.
“We do not think so,” the prophets told Sisko. “The Borg are weak and will not get very far with the inhabitants. They will keep the Borg occupied for years to come.”
Sisko did not argue with the prophets. He knew they understood things that he could not comprehend. He just hoped they were right.
“Protect that which is good,” the prophets reminded him.
Sisko and Tov were back in the runabout once more. Sisko was relieved that he was right about the prophets. He placed the runabout on impulse power and began to head out of the wormhole and back home again.