Star Trek: Deep Space 9 # 8 Antimatter CHAPTER 1 SUNK DEEP IN A GIANT PIT was an Ambassador-class starship, looking as if it was about to be swallowed whole. An intricate network of walkways and turbolifts spanned its gleaming hull, and workers swarmed over the helpless ship like hungry ants. The scene reminded Benjamin Sisko of the Lilliputians who tied down Gulliver and crawled all over him. But even if the shackles were removed, this sleeping giant was not about to rise, not for another few days. It was missing the most crucial element of its being, the thing that would give it life and send it streaking across the galaxy, the most dangerous substance ever discovered: antimatter. "Isn't it magnificent?" said Kira Nerys beside him. "It's so thrilling to see the Okana Shipyards open again. You don't know it, Commander, but this shipyard has seen centuries of history. Songs have been written about it, and plays. We're very proud of it." "Impressive," answered Sisko. He didn't tell his Bajoran first officer what he was really thinking, that the shipyard was crude by Federation standards. It had been centuries since Terrans had built starships under normal planetary gravity- they much preferred moon-based or orbital shipyards with little or no gravity. Of course, the Bajorans had once had a state-of-the-art orbital shipyard, but it had been utterly destroyed by the Cardassian invaders. With its ravished economy, Bajor could hardly afford to build a new orbital shipyard, so they had reopened the surface shipyard. They were happy just to be building a ship, even if it was under a Federation contract. Sisko also didn't mention that the design of the Ambassador, one of the workhorses of the fleet, was an old one. Its construction kinks had long been worked out. The saucer section was considerably smaller than that of a Galaxy-class vessel, such as the Enterprise, and its hull was cylindrical rather than squat. The twin nacelles were also directly behind the saucer section rather than under it. But the seven-hundred crew-member starship was an extremely economical vessel, and it could go farther and run longer than a Galaxy-class ship on the same amount of antimatter. It was a perfect choice for its mission- a long-range exploration of the Gamma Quadrant, on the other side of the wormhole. Most important, Sisko knew that this was the first starship to be built on Bajor since the Cardassian invasion over fifty years ago, and he was determined to help them succeed. In one respect, he agreed with Major Kira. The Okana Shipyards were a magnificent sight- six monstrous pits spread across the vast Okana Desert, each one crisscrossed by six gigantic arches that curved to an apex almost a kilometer above the ground. He was standing on one of those archways now, and the view it afforded was incredible, despite the intense heat that made his neck crawl with sweat. He knew that soon- after the antimatter arrived and was installed in the reactor- tractor beams along the arches would be activated, and the giant starship would rise out of the pit half a kilometer above the ground. The ship's inertial damping and structural integrity fields would have to be adjusted to compensate for Bajor's gravity, but they would be returned to normal once in space. The launch was an event he didn't want to miss. Until then, he could enjoy the endless horizon and a respite from the rigors of commanding Deep Space Nine. "You're smiling," observed Kira. "May I ask what you find so humorous?" "I'm just enjoying myself," Sisko admitted. "It's so peaceful out here- like being at the ends of the Earth. Or in this case, at the ends of Bajor." "I knew you would enjoy it," said Kira with pleasure. "I came here once as a child, and I've never forgotten it." "Best of all," said the commander, "I'm pleased that everything is going so well. Right on schedule. Maybe a little bit later we can go down and take a closer look at the Hannibal." Kira wrinkled the ridges on her nose and muttered something under her breath. "Did you say something, Major?" "It's that name. What does it mean?" "Hannibal?" asked Sisko. "Why, he was a great African general. He did incredible things, like leading an army of elephants over the Alps to attack Rome. It's also a town in Missouri." Kira nodded glumly. "Terran history." The commander smiled. "So what would you name it?" The Bajoran tightened her jaw. "I can think of several worthy names. Okana would be nice, in honor of the shipyards that built her. Or Kai Opaka, in honor of her memory and her sacrifice." Sisko touched Kira's shoulder for a moment. "Don't worry, Major, the time is coming when Bajor will build her own ships again. First, you must build up your economy and feed your people. This is a big step in that direction." "I know," said Kira, leaning on the railing. "Patience has never been one of my virtues." After a moment's reflection, she stood erect and managed a smile. "I'll contact Director Amkot and see if he can arrange a tour of the Hannibal for us." But before she could tap her communicator badge, an explosion rent the desert air and rocked the walkway beneath their feet. Kira was thrown against the railing, and only her strength and quick reflexes kept her from plunging into the abyss a kilometer below them. Sisko staggered toward her and gripped her tunic, pulling her to the metal walkway just as another explosion jarred the structure. With an awful groan, the archway tilted, and they began to slide across the slick metal into the empty air beyond. Kira rolled to her back and slapped her comm badge. "Emergency!" she yelled. "Two to beam off arch three! Immediately!" Sisko's Starfleet comm badge wasn't patched into the Bajoran system, so he could do nothing but hang on to Kira and try to place his feet against the railing supports. He managed to brace one foot, but their precipitous slide continued. With the crook of her arm, Kira grabbed the handrail as her legs swung off, and she dangled in midair, groaning from the exertion required to hold on. Sisko let go of her but not soon enough, because her momentum pulled his foot off the support and started a headlong slide into oblivion. He grasped at the railing as it passed over his head, and his arms were still flailing as he sailed into the air... And materialized in a crowded storage room, stretched out on a transporter pad. Kira stood beside him, her arms still twisted around a railing that was no longer there. She let out loud gasp and sank to the platform, and Sisko gripped his chest. He felt as if his heart would pound straight out through his rib cage. A young Bajoran transporter operator stared at them from behind his console. "I... I got everybody, didn't I?" "You did fine, son," breathed Sisko. Kira scrambled to her feet and bounded off the platform. "What by the holy orbs happened?" "I don't know," the Bajoran answered. "We don't keep any explosives near the arches. One of the pylons just blew up!" Kira slapped her comm badge again while Sisko rose slowly to his feet. Maybe he wouldn't come back here to witness the Hannibal being launched, he decided. He could monitor it just fine from the space station. "Major Kira to Director Amkot," she barked. "Director, I need to speak with you. Now." "Major Kira!" came an excited male voice. "Are you all right?" "We should be dead, but your transporter is at least working. What happened to that arch?" There was a pause before Amkot responded, "We won't know until we conduct an investigation." "You can't even make a guess?" asked Kira incredulously. "If I had to make a guess," said the hoarse voice, "it would be sabotage. Our security around the ship has been tight, very tight, but perhaps it wasn't tight enough aboveground. Offhand, the only thing I could imagine that would cause those explosions would be timed charges planted inside the pylon. We are reviewing maintenance records to see who had access to it." Kira glanced at her commander to see if he wanted to interject anything, and he nodded. "This is Commander Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine," his voice thundered. "I think we should meet to discuss this." "Of course, Commander!" came the reply. "I want to assure you that this incident had nothing to do with your presence here, nothing! Arch number three is the center arch, so it was the most obvious target. The charges could have been set days ago, or weeks ago. You know, there is considerable opposition to us building a starship for the Federation, instead of Bajor." "Will you be able to repair it in time for the launch?" asked Sisko. "Yes, Commander. It will take some doing, but we can move a center arch from one of the other bays. They're not in use. If you would like to discuss this further, I am headed to my office now." "We will meet you there," Sisko concluded. He nodded to his first officer. "Kira out," she replied through clenched teeth. Commander Sisko just looked away, deeply saddened by Director Amkot's explanation. The planet of Bajor could be a paradise, as it once was, but sabotage and terrorism had become a way of life for too many Bajorans. If only they could stop this insanity! Until they did, the Bajorans were every bit as dangerous and unpredictable as the antimatter that was headed their way. * * * In his spartan, windowless office on Deep Space Nine, Security Chief Odo continued to page through various Starfleet reports and documents concerning the shipment and handling of antimatter. For two days, he had been boning up on the subject in anticipation of the shipment that would arrive by convoy in about twenty-four hours. Having never served aboard a starship, the alien shapeshifter had little firsthand experience with matter/antimatter propulsion systems and antimatter storage pods. He knew only one thing for certain: the more he read about the stuff, the less he liked it. In his analytical way, Odo summarized the most important points about antimatter on his computer screen. Thus far, everything he had learned was troubling. For the hundredth time, he turned to his screen and studied his notes: 1. Antimatter is the most dangerous substance ever discovered. When it comes into contact with matter, both are annihilated in a devastating explosion. 2. Under controlled circumstances, this power is used to drive a starship, but a warp-core meltdown can result in total destruction. 3. When not in use, antimatter must be stored in a special pod that contains the substance within magnetic fields. If the pod is breached or ruptured, the result is total destruction. 4. The danger to a starship is so great that the warp core and antimatter pods are designed to be ejected in an emergency. 5. Antimatter cannot be transported, except in minute quantities. Antimatter storage pods must be shipped and handled manually. 6. Antimatter cannot be replicated. It is generated in a handful of major Starfleet refueling facilities, all of them deep in Federation space. 7. The expected shipment, 2,000 cubic meters of antimatter in 20 storage pods, is enough to power a starship for two years. 8. Starfleet only ships antimatter in special tanker craft that are protected by a minimum of two Starfleet cruisers. 9. Antimatter is one of the rarest and most valuable commodities in the galaxy. Odo