Chapter 5

“Three hours. And you said nothing?”

“Nothing.”

It was the first chance Counselor Dax and Commander Alden had been able to make a second session since the station broke down five days ago. Not surprisingly, Ezri wasn’t getting much of anything out of the first officer on his conversation -- or lack thereof -- with Colonel Kira in the turbolift during the three hours they were stuck there. And Ezri couldn’t help thinking how ironic it was that Endar was saying nothing about nothing. “You're telling me you both just sat there and... nothing...for three hours?”

“Well...that's not entirely true,” Alden corrected himself, looking up at Ezri from the couch he was laid out on. “We traded tense words on what to do...then we said nothing.”

Ezri chuckled. Well at least that’s something. “You know, locking the two of you in a small room to fight it out was one of my last resorts. I'll have to think of something else.”

“I'm sorry.”

Then came a pause that made Ezri shift uncomfortably in her “counselor’s” chair. Obviously Alden was not going to make this very easy, but then when it came to his feelings toward Kira it never was easy. As the two handled their respective duties -- Kira oversaw the station’s overhaul with Nog while Alden handled the evacuation of non-essential personnel and civilians to Bajor until the overhaul was completed -- everyone could feel it. Tension that skirted the edge of hostility. As long as the two could work without biting each other’s heads off, their would be some peace on the station, but eventually it would affect crew morale, cause increased animosity, and, if Alden was on the station that long, perhaps even a rift in loyalties. It reminded Dax of the Salan’tha, and what happened when the crew became posessed by their essences so long ago.

That’s why knowing what happened in the turbolift was so imperative. Ezri considered herself the thin line between the two of them, and if she could run interference, maybe she could deter the hostility, and in time the two might gain a better understanding of each and perhaps keep up an air of professional civility. “I'm guessing you had a lot of time to think.”

“Sure,” Endar said with a shrug.

Ezri sighed. She put down her PADD and crossed her arms. “What did you think about, Endar?”

“The turbolift walls are lovely, you know. Very...dark.”

“I always thought they could use a polish,” Ezri chortled.

“I'll consider that when I do the next crew manifest.”

“You do that,” she said with a smile. “What else did you think about? The walls aren't that interesting.”

Alden looked away, not answering. Ezri craned her neck to see what he was doing. He appeared deep in thought, apprehensive, as if he had something to say, but wasn’t sure if he should.

“You can talk to me, can't you, Endar?”

“Well...I don't know...what am I doing now?” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but he still sounded nervous.

As long as he kept up the nervousness, he would never say anything. Ezri placed her hand on his shoulder. “Looking a bit uncomfortable, for one thing,” she said softly. “Just try to relax. What was going through your head?”

Alden remained silent, then sighed and placed a hand on Ezri’s, startling her. It was almost a sign that Endar did trust her and accepted her concern. He looked up to her, half nervousness, half understanding. Ezri smiled.

“I...a vision,” he said.

The very word changed Ezri’s expression, sending a barrage of questions through her mind. She blinked. A vision? Another one? Caused by what, Kira? Being in the turbolift? The same one, or a different one? “A hallucination?”

Alden went back to that careless expression. He folded his arms again and shrugged. “Sure.”

Ezri began scribbling on her PADD furiously. “Endar, what did you see?”

“I don't know -- it was dark. And quiet, and I heard footsteps,” he said non-chalantly.

“A cell of some kind?”

Alden shrugged again. “I-I...don't know. It was very...confining.”

“And you heard footsteps...”

“I heard footsteps.”

She paused, frowning at her notes. “Were these the footsteps of someone coming to help you? Or were you afraid of this person?”

He sighed. “It was just...footsteps. They weren't coming towards me or going away from me...just...footsteps. I didn’t see anyone.”

“Did they worry you?”

“I just kept thinking...don't make a sound. Just don't make a sound.”

“You didn't want to attract their attention,” she thought out loud. “You were hiding.”

“I guess. I didn't have any thoughts...just...don't make a sound.”

Ezri looked back at her PADD, formulating questions. “So that’s why you didn’t talk to Kira?”

“I didn't talk to Kira at first because I figured she didn't want me to...then it happened."

“Can you remember anything else about this vision?”

“No. There was nothing else." Alden blinked.

Ezri made note on the PADD. “That could be something, Endar. Thank you for telling me.”

Alden looked back at Ezri, eyes full of concern. “What does it mean, do you think?”

“That's what we're hoping to find out. Maybe you're hiding from someone, maybe you're being held prisoner. Or it could be even more complicated, and all of this is symbolic. The image of a small, dark space could symbolize restriction. It could mean you feel held back, under pressure, trapped with nowhere to go.”

“Don’t I know it,” Alden muttered.

Ezri smiled at his glib remark and giggled inwardly. “It could lead back to how you feel about Kira. Maybe being around her makes you feel...penned in. Let me ask you this: after three hours of sitting there, Kira sitting directly across from you, what do you think she was thinking?

“I wouldn't know. I'm not Kira,”Alden snorted in reply.

“But you can sense things about people.”

Alden pulled himself onto his elbows and flashed a frantic look at Ezri. “What do you mean?” he demanded.

His action puzzled Ezri. It wan’t unusual for him to get unnerved suddenly, but to that comment in particular.... “Body language. Expression. People can pick up on signals, figure out how others are feeling.”

He fell off his elbows and exhaled. “I couldn't see her...it was dark,” he said, looking quite relieved. Ezri made a mental note to probe into that in later sessions. “From what I could see, she was hunched up most of the time. Then I went into my...what have you...she didn't want to talk to me.”

“Well, I know you didn't spend a lot of time examining her, but if you had to guess, why didn't she want to talk to you?”

“She doesn't like me.”

“Why not?”

“Because...I'm not what she wanted.”

Ezri realized she was treading into familiar territory, but it was worth looking into again. Alden’s notions on how Kira perceived him would help her gain insight into the way the two handled each other. It could be very possible that Kira had completely different perceptions. "Okay. What do you think she wanted?”

“She wanted someone who would take her orders without question.”

Okay, so far Endar’s off. Kira might want someone more subordinate than Alden, but she had always thought Kira was more reasonable than that. “Someone... submissive?

“Yeah. Someone who would put up with her crap. She doesn't use me like a first officer.”

“And you feel you deserve to be treated as one.”

“Of course. I mean, that's why I'm here, isn't it?”

“Actually,” Ezri said, “Kira is using you exactly as a first officer is supposed to be used. Starfleet isn’t just about exploration and combat. There’s more paperwork than there is exploration and combat, especially on the first officer’s end. It’s actually a rather boring job, when one think’s about it. People seeking action might get restless in Starfleet.”

Alden snorted. “I wish someone had explained that part to me before the recruiter signed me up.”

“You know, your record with Kira hasn't been impeccable as of yet. Maybe that has something to do with how she treats you?”

“She's not giving me time!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I've only been here three weeks, at most. And it's not like she got off on the right track with me, either.”

Ezri shrugged. Better get him back on track. “Well, you know... first impressions. What do you think she thinks of you? Personality-wise, how does she see you? ”

“Not worth being her first officer.”

Okay, maybe he does know a bit about how she feels. “You think she doesn't respect you?”

“I know she doesn't respect me. After the past week and a half, trying to be this...superb, the epitome of first officers...you know most of the XOs I’ve met were hot shots and skirt chasers. At least I concentrate on my job. But she only sees what is most offensive to her.”

Ezri had to giggle at his remark about first officers. Kira would find that interesting...she was never much of a skirt chaser, that I could tell. Wonder if she realized all the fun she could have had. Then Ezri tried to look as serious as possible. “Then what doesn't she see? What's she missing?”

“Well, for one thing I volunteered to work with Nog and Kaoron on the science table repairs. I didn't have to, you know.”

“And how did working with them go for you?”

Alden shrugged. “We had a small scuffle towards the end.”

“A scuffle? You?” Ezri teased.

“The Ferengi got a little...exasperated. And it was his fault to begin with,” he added accusingly.

“Well, don't be quick to blame him, Endar. Lt. Nog's been under a lot of stress lately.”

“It's an excuse for blaming me?”

“No. I'm sure he just lost his temper. But in any case, you think you worked well with them for the most part?”

Alden nodded. “Stayed up with them all night. Then the table blew up. Could have been at Vic's.” Then he muttered, “But Kira didn't notice that.”

“True. She noticed you arguing with Nog?”

He shook his head. “She wasn't there...hadn’t come in yet.” Then he sighed. “I mean...I'm doing what you asked. I've tried very hard to restrain myself...even around her...she's just...she's so...frustrating. I mean, I could be the perfect XO and she'd still....” He sighed. "I don't know what it is...it just feels like I could save her life and she'd still think I was scum. I mean...no one else treats me the way she does. Even Nog is starting to warm up to me,” he added matter-of-factly, causing Ezri to raise her eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Yeah, he started telling me all about how he was feeling just the other day. I got to play counselor and everything.”

“What did he say?”

“He was talking about how people treat him, and how he felt like no one gave him a chance.” He looked up at Ezri again. “Sound familiar?”

Ezri shrugged. Actually, it sounded quite familiar. She'd have to talk to Nog about it later. “Sounds like you two could relate to each other. What did you say?”

“I said he has to prove himself. On his own. Without help from any of us.” His expression became slightly confused. “I told him a story.”

“I'd be interested in hearing it.”

Alden propped himself on his elbows and looked into Ezri’s eyes. That slightly intense look, as if he were undressing her psyche. And then he seemed afraid. “Ezri...can I suddenly just go into a story and not know where it comes from? Is that possible with what I have?”

Ezri’s eyes widened. A story he doesn’t know. A memory? “I... suppose. Sometimes we remember things from our early childhood, things that...resurface...” her voice trailed off.

“It was weird,” he started. “It was like the memory was there the whole time. But when it ended I couldn’t remember anything really specific...just the meaning. I could have added ‘...And they lived happily ever after...’ and it would have felt no different than a fairy tale. I told this whole story about being some...intern or something. In some political position. And the events were just like what Nog was going through. I mean even what happened later on, it matched what Nog had been going through."

“Political position? Before you enlisted? There was nothing on your record about that,” Ezri said, her brow creasing.

“I know...a-and when I was done...it was like I told a story...I didn't recognize anything...”

“If you held official position somewhere, Starfleet would know about it... wouldn't they?” she said thoughtfully. Ezri's pulse quickened. If he were in a political position, it would be in a directory or an assembly record or some other legislative document. Someone would remember him.

“I don't know...would they? Maybe it wasn't with the Federation? I don't know.” He shrugged.

“It's worth researching. Do you remember details? Where was this political institution? What planet?” If it was possible that Alden held a political position somewhere, it could give some insight into who he was and what possibly happened to him.

“I don't know...” Then his eyes brightened. “Something about Boagwaren.”

“Boagwaren....” Ezri echoed the unfamiliar name. Not any planet she knew. “Okay, that's something. We'll see if we can find anything.”

Endar nodded uncertainly, causing Ezri to smile back. "I'm sure something will come up," she said softly. He smiled, and relief seemed to spread on his face.

There wasn't much more they could discuss about Boagwaren. Ezri switched gears. “In any case, you reached out to Lt. Nog. How did he take your advice?”

Alden shrugged again. “He seemed to like it.”

Ezri grinned. “Well, like I said, he saved the station. He proved himself, without help from anyone else. Seems to me he followed your advice. In fact, I'd say... you did a good job.”

Alden snorted. “Thanks. Now how can I apply this to Kira?”

“Kira isn't the type to dismiss a job well done. Don't be too quick to judge her, Alden - she's an honorable woman. It may be that you have to prove yourself to her, just like Nog had to prove himself and you’ve had to before. Just like everyone else.”

“Then why doesn't she seem to look at what I do? I feel like she doesn't want anything to do with me.”

“You'll have to give her time, just like you need time to prove yourself. And keep doing your job - you've proven that you can reach out to people. In time, if you're dedicated, Kira will come to respect you. In the meantime, I'll try to find out as much as I can about what you told me.” Ezri put down her PADD and sipped her Fanalian tea. “I think we may be getting somewhere. From what you've told me - being restrained, your fear of doctors, feeling trapped, hiding - it seems like you were kept prisoner somehow.”

Alden snorted again. “In some psychotic grade school science lab...complete with shock therapy and a hamster wheel.”

Ezri blinked, not recognizing the phrase. “Hamster wheel?”

Alden looked at Ezri incredulously. “Yeah...you know...furry, rat looking creatures...live in cages, run on big wheels all day lo --” He made a gesture of a wheel turning, but when he saw the confusion on Ezri’s face he decided to let it drop. “Isn't that what we all are...rats on wheels?”

Ezri laughed. “I guess that's one way to look at it.”

Alden laid back and folded his hands over his chest, looking philosophical. “Running as fast as we can in a circle without moving. Maybe that has something to do with everything.”

“Maybe it does,” Ezri replied.

Alden looked back at her and winked. “Here endeth the lesson.”

* * * *

"Bureaucracy," Kira muttered, leaning her elbows on the desk. "Starfleet bureaucracy. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand it."

Counselor Dax, seated across from her, frowned back thoughtfully as if trying to figure out where the conversation was headed. "They're... unique, I'll say that much."

The colonel snorted, then waved a PADD before tossing it onto the desk. "I just got a message from Starfleet Command - concerning Lieutenant Commander Alden. I was told that while my concerns were 'appreciated,' I should be 'more patient, less quick to judge his competency.' I think that's how they put it."

Dax's frown deepened. "Your concerns?"

"His aggression," Kira said, sighing heavily. "His confrontational attitude. His recent irresponsibility at his post - take your pick."

There was silence as this sank in; Ezri's lips tightened. "So you're trying to get rid of him."

"Not exactly," the colonel replied tiredly. "But even if I was, there are walls being thrown up at every turn. No matter what the complaint against him, I keep being told that Alden simply needs to adjust to his post and that he'll turn out to be a fine officer. For one reason or another, someone high in the ranks is protecting him."

"Admiral Ross," Dax guessed, her tone flat.

"Maybe. Or someone else - an old war comrade that rose to the top after Alden left. Who knows." Kira sat back in her chair. "The point is, at the moment I'm stuck with an officer that I'm not even sure I can deal with right now. Ezri, if Alden doesn't start showing improvement - marked improvement...."

"Nerys." Ezri half-rose, leaning her hands on the desk. "You can't rush this. Treating his condition is going to take time, but I know I can help him. You just need to be patient."

"And in the meantime, the rest of the station could be put at risk," the colonel retorted. "Ezri, I can't allow one officer to compromise the safety of my crew! Refusing to do inventories is one thing, but what if he defies an order and people get hurt? Or worse still, what if he has a hallucination in the middle of a crisis and people are killed as a result?"

Dax scowled in frustration. "I don't think it's going to come to that --"

"Counselor." Kira met the younger woman's gaze, waited for her silence. "I understand that you're trying to help him. But quite frankly, I think someone with his problems is too high a risk to keep on the station or even in the service. Outside of Starfleet, maybe he'd make better progress."

"It's not that simple," Dax insisted. "I've just started to make headway with him; if things fall through for him now, after everything else, he may never trust anyone again. And if you treat him as a failure before he has a chance to prove himself, he might get even worse! He could lash out, or run away...."

Kira's jaw tightened. "If he does," she said deliberately, "it would make him an open-and-shut case."

Silence again. Ezri gazed at her commanding officer with an unreadable expression for a long moment, processing this. Then she turned away, eyes narrowed in a way that would do Jadzia proud. "You're building a case against him. Court-martialed at the next opportunity, is that it?"

The colonel hesitated, then sighed as she followed Ezri's pacing, feeling more worn out than angry. "I wouldn't be able to handle a court-martial for some time, there's too much else going on. Alden will be here for a while, there's no avoiding that. But he's already got a sizable list of offenses on his record, and the past few weeks haven't been any help. If anything else happens, admiral's orders or not...." She trailed off, then met Dax's gaze with as much sympathy as she could. "I'm sorry I even have to consider this. But my first priority is to the safety of this station. And Commander Alden has yet to prove himself reliable or even capable."

"But he has shown reliability," the counselor said firmly. "There's a lot more to his service records than reprimands, Colonel. Endar's a decorated officer. His conduct in the past year was highly commendable."

"Then why break down on Deep Space 9?" Kira said incredulously. "Why now?"

Dax sighed heavily. "It's... complicated. ODD is an obsessive compulsive disorder - patients tend to focus on something – an obsession – and react to that. For the past year, Endar's focus was DS9 – and more precisely...."

"The Defiant," Kira finished, shaking her head. "Of all the things in the universe...."

"It makes sense," Ezri said, her gaze dropping to one side, thoughtful. "The ship fits with his nature, his personality - it's a warship with no luxuries. Strictly a fighter. Just like him."

Kira blew a dry snort. "Not exactly, Lieutenant. The Defiant can be controlled."

"But don't you see?" Dax pressed earnestly. "Endar was able to control himself before because he had a goal to reach for – something to channel his energy into. And when that seemed to be taken away from him, his focus turned to you – an authority figure, someone to be resisted. He lost direction. If he can regain a sense of purpose – maybe if the Defiant was still a reachable goal...."

A faintly horrified expression ghosted across the colonel's face. "Are you telling me I should just hand over command of a powerful warship to someone like him? Let him have his way and hope he decides to behave himself?"

"No," Dax nearly groaned. "Of course not. Just the hope that he has a chance to achieve what he's been fighting for. That alone might give me enough time to make some breakthroughs with him."

But Kira shook her head. "How can I make a promise like that, Ezri? I can't put everything in the balance, all for the sake of a psychological theory."

Dax retook her seat, clasped her hands on the edge of the desk. "I'm asking you as a friend, Nerys. If he does show improvement, if he has a chance to prove himself...."

"If he shows improvement," Kira interjected. "If he proves himself -- and he has a hell of a long way to go to reach that point and not very much time to work with -- then I might be willing to reconsider my evaluation. But I'm asking you, as your commanding officer -- can you promise me, from an objective viewpoint, that Alden will cease to be a liability to the rest of my crew?"

"No, sir," Dax responded after a long beat. Her voice was subdued, but the undertone of frustrated anger was hard to miss. "I can't promise you anything."

Kira nodded slowly. "I thought as much," she muttered, not enjoying being right. She idly examined the PADD on the desk, then resolutely pushed it away. "You have some time left. Two months, maybe longer, barring any more incidents. Until then, do what you can for him. Is there anything else I can...?"

"No." Ezri stood and pushed her chair in, her movements precise. "That should be everything, Colonel."

"All right." Kira replied gently. Prophets, all she wanted to do right now was sleep. "Dismissed."

Kira watched Dax go and sighed as she returned to her log.

Station Commander’s log, supplemental. It’s been four days since the damage to the station was finally repaired, and yet things are still only just getting back to normal. That’s not a negative view of Lieutenant Nog and his engineering team, either – it just shows the extent of the damage. They’ve worked hard, all of them. Almost non-stop; Nog still hasn’t had time to deliver a full report because of the final ironing-out of various subroutines.

From a personal point of view, I thought I’d become used to emergencies on the station – I’ve survived the Dominion Occupation, the battle against the Klingons, and countless other times when the station was in danger. But this was different. This time, I was the commanding officer of these crews.

And I’m damn proud of them.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Startled, Kira's eyes flickered towards the door, where Nog stood.

“Take a seat, Lieutenant.” Kira met Nog’s eyes, the Ferengi moving from the office doorway, allowing it to shut. Maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed a little taller – but she still had to bite back a smile when she saw Nog’s stiff posture as he sat in the chair. If there was such a thing as ‘sitting to attention’, Nog was doing it.

“At ease, Nog.”

He visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping to a more natural position as he nodded at her. “Thank you, sir.”

She leaned back herself, yet again amazed that a Cardassian chair could be vaguely comfortable. Besides, there was little point in looking intimidating. “Do you have a report for me?”

“Yes, sir.” Nog lifted the PADD that he had been carrying under his arm, pressing one stubby finger to the display to activate it. “The ‘pulse’ which caused all of the trouble was in fact a Cardassian subroutine, one that was very deeply imbedded into the security protocols.”

That certainly caught Kira’s attention. “A Cardassian security program? Like the one that was triggered a few years back?”

“Exactly like it, sir. We believe that they both had the same purpose, to combat threats against Cardassian rule of the station. The program that Jake triggered was designed to stop any possible rebellion by Bajoran workers; this one was meant to stop an alien takeover – when the defense sail blew, the subroutine assumed that there had been a bomb incident or some other alien attack, and began to purge every non-Cardassian system from the station’s computers. To stop the enemy from taking over.” Nog’s bald head bounced a little in a mini-nod. “Quite clever, really.”

“Wait a minute: you’re telling me that all this started when the defense sail blew? When Commander Alden tampered with them?” Kira’s mind began to whirl in a particularly unpleasant way –the prospect of Alden being a threat to the safety of the station was a little more than she’d bargained for.

“Technically, yes,” Nog admitted. “But Commander Alden isn’t to blame, sir, not at all. Someone would have triggered the pulse eventually anyway, what with all of the upgrades that we’re carrying out at the moment – any of the engineering team could have set it off just as easily. In a way, I’m surprised that it didn’t happen sooner.” The Ferengi seemed to straighten up again, head held back. “Sir, on the subject of the engineering team --”

“Lieutenant Jensen’s transfer.” Kira looked into Nog’s eyes. “It’s been approved – he’ll be receiving a new posting soon.” She instantly detected Nog’s regret, only confirmed by his words.

“It’s a shame. He’s a good engineer.”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference if he was the best engineer in the quadrant.” Her voice was gentle. “He didn’t want to work for you. And by association, he became disdainful of the people who didn’t share his views – once he realized that the rest of the team had accepted you, he knew he couldn’t stay. You’re going to have a happier and more efficient crew without him around.”

“I hope so.” Nog looked up, his face endearingly earnest. “Do you really think that the engineering crew has accepted me?”

This time she had to smile. “It sure seems that way to me, from what I’ve heard. You proved yourself to them through the problems we’ve been having lately, both by being a leader and a colleague. There’s no better way to gain acceptance than that.”

He gave a little smile in return. “So I’ve heard. But sir… may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why didn’t you…say something… to the crew when they were giving me a hard time?”

“You mean, why didn’t I command them to get along?” She found it strangely amusing to see the slight blush spreading over Nog’s cheeks. “If I’d done that, they wouldn’t have had any respect for me, and they would have had even less for you. And besides, it seems that you’ve got their respect all on your own.” She held his gaze, seeing the understanding there.

“Thank you, Colonel.” Nog stood, bringing his report to a close. Kira nodded for him to leave, when a sudden question entered her mind. “Nog!”

He turned and gave her a questioning look. “Yes, sir?”

“Commander Alden… you were very insistent that he wasn’t to blame.”

“Yes.” Nog tucked the PADD under his arm again. “He gave me some advice, about how to deal with the problems I was having. It helped me a lot – I kind of felt I owed him one.”

“You took advice from Alden?” Kira raised an eyebrow.

“Not really… it wasn’t like that… but he understood exactly how I was feeling, at a time when I wasn’t sure that anyone else did. And maybe he’s a little misunderstood himself.”

She smiled. “Good work, Lieutenant Nog. Dismissed.”

Snapping to attention again, he stopped just short of saluting her. “Thank you, sir.” Then Nog turned, walking through the opening office doors, as Kira watched him go. Looking down at the polished desk, into the dark eyes of her reflection, she could almost see the thoughts running behind them. That one has a big future ahead of him.

Pushing her hands against the desk she stood and slowly walked over to the office doors, making sure they didn’t shut. There was Nog, making his way back to the engineering station and smiling at the crewmembers working there, looking every bit the Chief of Operations. It was good to see how he’d progressed in such a short space of time – from teenage delinquent to promising young cadet, to engineer entrusted with the running of a space station. Seven years ago, Kira would have laughed out loud at the idea. But things changed – and Nog had changed.

“Lieutenant-” Maki, one of Kira's oldest friends, spoke. “I have a Captain Yaveb of the freighter ship Jalissina hailing us – they picked up some damage on their trip to Bajor, and would like to stop off for repairs. Should I give them clearance?”

Nog nodded stoutly, clearly relishing being in charge. “Docking Pylon One is free; clear him for docking, and tell him that a repair team will meet him there.”

The colonel watched as he turned to another of his crew. “Mr. Korak, meet Captain Yaveb. Assemble your team, assess the damage, and communicate a report before you start work. Understood?”

The Benzite stood up, brushing down his uniform. “I’ll get right on it, Chief.”

Chief. Funny that such a simple word could have such an effect. As a brilliant, beaming smile emerged on Nog’s face, Kira turned her attention to the whole of Ops, the nerve-centre of the station. All the other engineers were smiling too.

Yes, things had certainly changed.

* * * *

“Ops to Nog.”

In the middle of his dreams, Nog heard Ensign Kuhlman. The Ferengi turned in his sleep, hoping to drown out Kuhlman’s almost shrill voice as waved crashes on the shores of Baker Beach, Nog running barefoot in the sand towards a crimson sunset and a tall, pale, bl --

“Mr. Nog, please respond.”

Nog bolted upright in his bed, rubbing his eyes. “Computer, what time is it?”

“The time is 0300 hours,” the computer responded.

0300 hours. Nog sat, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He groaned inwardly, dreading the idea of something else going wrong. He’d had enough to deal with in the last few weeks. “Kuhlman, what’s wrong now?”

“There’s a communication for you from Ferenginar, sir.”

Nog jumped out of bed, pulling a sky blue robe over his pajamas, and sprinted through his quarters to the comm screen. Finally, he thought, it’s about time. Kira had promised to get communications through to Ferenginar almost a week ago. It brought a sense of relief, after days of thinking something was wrong with his father and stepmother, and it brought some closure to the situation he’d been in the past week. “Put it through.”

Kuhlman acknowledged, and Nog pressed the middle button the comm screen. His father, Grand Nagus Rom, financial head of the Ferengi Alliance, flashed onto the screen, clear and larger than life, with that same goofy-looking smile on his face. “Hello, Nog. How are you?”

His cheerful inflections, his prominent lisp, and his usual bounciness couldn’t mask the tone in his voice. Nog was surprised to hear how weary his father was. Nevertheless, seeing his father on the screen definitely made him feel much better already. “Father, I’m all right! How are you, how’s Leeta?”

“She’s fine. She’s in a meeting with the FCA right now, on trade guilds and subsidies and such. She’s a big hit over here, you know.”

“Excellent, good for her. And you. I’ve been trying to get hold of you for days, Dad, what happened?”

Suddenly Rom’s eyes widened, and his voice trembled just slightly. “Uh...we had a...uh...a blackout, for the past week,” he stammered. Then he seemed to relax.

While Nog was a little shocked about the black out, he was even more surprised at the sudden change in his father’s demeanor, for that instant. “A blackout? On Ferenginar?”

“We had an shortage of gyrithium, and we called for a black out to conserve until we could drill for more without tapping into our preserves in Splort. Turns out one of the bosses was stockpiling gyrithium and selling it to an energy corporation on Pyran IV for an enormous profit. But, uh...we took care of that.”

Nog sighed. It wasn’t as though this were a rare occurrence, but it certainly was detrimental to the kind of reforms his father and stepmother were trying to make, and the types of reforms Grand Nagus Zek had attempted before them. For millennia the Ferengi lived to exploit and turn a profit whenever they can, the Rules of Acquisition themselves preached in favor of dishonesty and greed for thousands of years. Attitudes were not going to change over night, especially when those reforms were handed down all at once. He feared the repercussions if those attitudes seriously clashed with his father’s visions for the future of the Ferengi Alliance.

“We can’t expect our people to suddenly change their business practices after hundreds of years over a couple of months, Father. I know Grand Nagus Zek was passing progressive reforms long before you became grand nagus, but it’s still going to take time.”

Suddenly his father pounded the table in front of him, and Nog jumped slightly. “No,” he said. Nog noted the tense, firm gaze in his eyes, and the confidence in his voice. It was certainly strange, not like his father at all.

“Taking time will only delay change,” he said forcefully. “We need to make our changes all at once, and then after the initial shock dies down, attitudes will change.” Then Rom’s features softened, and his voice returned to its usual tone. “At least that’s what Leeta says. Besides, the people agree with our policies, it’s just a few at the top who won’t change with the rest of Ferengi society. But in the end, they’ll be the ones left behind in the socioeconomic revolution.”

Nog sighed again. There obviously was something going on, but his father wasn’t going to tell him. Every report out of Ferenginar said things were good, though. Nog wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. “But change won’t come unless people are willing to follow me, Son,” Rom said assuredly. “And every day, their appreciation for me grows. Don’t worry, Son, together, we’ll march towards a kinder, gentler Ferenginar.”

Nog smiled at that. He still wasn’t completely convinced. But, apparently, he wasn’t the only one people were adjusting to. “I hope you’re right, Dad. And I’m glad you and Leeta feel you ‘re making progress.”

“Thank you,” Rom said, and that almost whimsical inflection, the way he drew out his “u,” returned to Rom’s voice. He was Nog’s father, not the grand nagus, once again. “So, how has your week been?”

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