Lost Time by Ilsa J. Bick Read Free Book Online Page A

like a little miracle or two to get folks lining up on the right side in a hurry.”
    “That’s all you need?” Gold managed a smile. “I got a miracle lying around somewhere, right up my sleeve. Piece of cake.”
    They fell silent for a moment. Then Kira said, “I’ve got some bad news. Word’s out that the Klingons’ll throw in with the Cardassians.”
    “Damn.”
    “Yup. They do that, all bets are off. The Remans are too busy putting down the Romulans to care, and even with the Vulcans on your side, I don’t think the Federation can help but watch its influence shrink. Then? Maybe we’re all going to start getting used to taspar eggs.”
    “Maybe. What will your people do?”
    “If Starfleet pulls out? I don’t know. I still can’t fathom that the Cardassians might get away with religious genocide. Boggles the mind that other Bajorans would stand by and let it happen just because the religious sect is a minority.”
    “It happens,” said Gold. “Study Earth. It happens. Why not get off Bajor?”
    “Bajor’s our home. We have a right to worship as we please. No, we have to take the battle right to the Cardassians.”
    “With what? Harsh language? You have maybe ten ships? Fifteen? You know, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but most Bajorans don’t care. They’re not waiting around for you to rescue them. The Cardassians aren’t oppressing you. There are no Bajoran slaves. Your government’s in bed with the Cardassians, and no one gives a damn because life is good. There’s money, there’s food; everybody’s happy. So you’ll get yourself killed for nothing.” He rubbed his face with his hands, then scrubbed his hair. His wife used to complain about how he never really learned to use a comb. What would Rachel have said about all this Prophet nonsense?
    Gold wasn’t aware that Kira had spoken until there was an expectant pause. “Sorry. You said?”
    “I said maybe not for nothing. We’re willing to die for our right to worship as we please.”
    “What…are you…are you serious? You’re serious. What, kill yourself to make a statement?”
    “Not just me.” Kira’s voice was hard-edged and sharp as a knife. “We take a couple hundred Cardassians with us, then that’s a statement.”
    “I’m supposed to stand by and let you?”
    “I don’t see how you can stop me. Look, I think we can all agree that the wormhole is our primary objective in terms of yielding maximum dividend. If the Bajoran legends are correct, once the wormhole is open, it’s stable — and whoever opens the wormhole is the One, the Emissary the religious Bajorans must follow. Think about it this way, David: What would happen if your Messiah suddenly appeared? You don’t think your people would notice? I don’t see how Bajor is any different. Believe me, if we get the wormhole open, give something tangible for Bajorans, they’ll think twice about the Cardassians. Even if all we give to my people is a martyr or two that calls attention to our cause. We win either way.”
    “I’m not sure dying’s a win-win proposition. You’ll get people’s attention with a nice, big explosion and a couple dead Cardassians, yeah. But there’s nothing noble in that, Nerys…and don’t even start with that these-are-desperate-times crap. What you don’t like is the suppression of your religion. That’s your beef. You think you’re going to get people to wake up by slaughtering Cardassians? Killing yourself in the process?”
    “There are some things worth dying for.”
    “Precious few.”
    “You have a better idea?”
    “Beyond living to fight another day? Not at the moment, no.” Gold sighed. “Just—hold on. Let us try working with the Bynars.”
    Kira stared at him for a long moment. “All right, we’ll wait. As soon as I get there, I’ll have my chief engineer beam over. That ought to speed up your repairs.”
    “Thanks. He’s a good man.”
    “Yes, he is. David, we have to give Bajor something