by John Peel
Spaced at irregular and pleasing intervals between the buildings were parks of varying shapes and contents. Trees and treelike growths abounded also in the cities themselves. There were vines and other climbing plants, and thousands upon thousands of floral sites. There were vast rivers running through all of this, and lakes and ponds. One river wound its way directly above their heads. Sisko could make out boats upon the surfaces.
There were vast tracts of what appeared to be farmlands, and in the distance …
"Are those mountains?" he asked in awe. They could create a view like this any day in a holosuite, but this one was real. What an engineering feat!
"Small ones," Tork apologized. "Beyond them is the ocean."
"You have an ocean in this ship?" Dax gasped in astonishment.
"The Hive is very large," Tork explained. "And we wished to preserve as many diverse habitats of our homeworld as we could."
Sisko shook his head. "This has to be one of the greatest engineering projects I've ever witnessed," he confessed. "And I've seen many."
"It was a great and noble work," said Tork with understandable pride. "And it is our responsibility to see that it goes on."
Down the central axis of the Hive were what looked to be small suns blazing away. To provide light and heat for the "world" within, clearly.
"Do they always burn?" asked Dax.
"No," Tork replied. "We maintain the illusion of day and night within the Hive. It was discovered that we function best when given regular light and dark cycles."
"It's much the same with us," Sisko observed. "Part of growing up as a species on a planet, I imagine," he added. "You retain some aspects of them even when they're long gone."
And then, above and below them, Sisko saw the dark line that was growing slightly wider all the time. The line where the Hive was splitting. Soon there would be two Hives—and then one less Bajor.
"Could we see what is happening where the Hive is being split?" Sisko asked.
"Of course," agreed Tork. "In fact, one of my friends is assigned to a station at the break." He pulled a small computer pad from a recess in his shell and tapped at it for a moment. "Sector one-two-seven-four," he announced. "If we visit there, I am sure he will be happy to show you what is being done."
"Fine," Sisko agreed. Perhaps, once they were there, he might get some idea of the strength and composition of the Hive. And, with luck, some idea of what he could do next.
Tukh worked quietly and efficiently, completing his task. The worker drones were now set to detonate on his signal—to be sent from Harl's comp. The three drones he had selected were all back at work again, after being "repaired" under Harl's authorization. All that was left was to insure that Harl would be somewhere near the blast zone without a good alibi for what was to follow.
Fingering the small tranquilizer dart he had stolen, Tukh headed for the maintenance dome where Harl was working. He quietly irised the door and glanced around the bay. There were two further drones in for repair, and he could see a shape hunched across one of them, intent on his work. Harl was very good with machinery and was allowed to work unsupervised for the most part, which was perfect for Tukh's plan.
Silently, Tukh slipped across the floor, checking as he went that the bay actually was empty. Then, he carefully ascertained that the lone repairer was in fact Harl. He wanted no last-minute errors here. . . . Perfect! The tranquilizer dart was in his fingers, and Tukh moved in swiftly. The dart slipped into a gap between Harl's shell plates, and then out again.
With a sigh, Harl collapsed forward onto the drone he had been repairing. He hadn't even looked up, so there was no chance Harl had seen who had attacked him. The drug would keep him insensate for about half an hour, which was more than enough time.
Pleased with the progress of his plan, Tukh exited the repair bay, irising the door closed behind him. He had Harl's comp with him, ready to transmit the lethal signal as soon as he was far enough away not to be affected by the blast.
Sisko couldn't restrain his admiration for the Hive. "How long have you been traveling?" he asked Tork. "The Hive looks almost brand-new."
"We have been scrupulous in checking for errors and in maintenance work," Tork answered. "The Hive has been in our care for two thousand seven hundred and sixteen generations. Each generation lasts about … two hundred of your years."
Dax raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Half a million years?" she murmured. "And since the start of the flight, you've never known any other world?"
"We need no other worlds—except as resources," Tork answered proudly. "The First Hive built well, and they knew that the Crossing would take this long. It is fortunate that we were not delayed, as we were getting close to the end of our supplies, which is why it was so imperative that we restock."
The only problem with "restocking," Sisko mused, was that it had involved the annihilation of Darane IV. "Magnificent technology," he commented. "But a lamentable use for it—to destroy worlds and kill people."
Tork looked pained. "That is not our intention," he protested. "We gave the people of that world a chance to leave. They responded by attacking us." He sighed. "Do you not weary of covering the same ground continuously?"
"I keep hoping that we can impress on you what your people have done," Sisko answered. "However you attempt to justify it, your Hive has murdered half a million people."
Tork glared at him. "Do you think I do not know that?" he asked. "I hear their screams in my head all the time. I am not without softer parts, Captain. I do care. But if the choice is between an insane alien species and the Hive, then my duty is clearly to the Hive. It has been that way since the First Hive created the Great Design, and it must remain that way for us."
"The Great Design?" echoed Odo. "That smacks to me of excuses, not reasons. What is this Great Design?"
The travel tube was passing through one of the small forest areas now. Sisko couldn't help admiring the beauty of the setting. Outside, adult and young members of the Hive were playing and enjoying themselves. There were no doubt lovers walking hand-in-hand, and parents playing the equivalent of baseball with their children. There would be elderly people, watching the young, envying their strength and agility. It was a serene and cheerful picture—if you could forget the darker side of the Hive's purposes for a moment.
"The Great Design was formulated in the beginning by the members of the First Hive," Tork explained, in answer to Odo's question. "We once lived on a planet, as you surmised. The star that was our sun was unstable, however, and showed signs that it was going to explode."
"A supernova," Dax muttered. "Your science was clearly advanced to be able to detect this so far ahead of time."
"Yes," agreed Tork. "We already had rudimentary spacetravel capabilities, and had explored the stars and worlds closest to our own. None was fit for any kind of life, and we had run out of hope of simply moving our population to a safer world. Then the scientists of the First Hive evolved a brilliant idea.
"They proposed taking one of the rocky worlds in our system and converting it into a colony that would be able to travel between the stars. It was risky and audacious, but they were insistent that this was the only hope for our people. Eventually, it was agreed that they be allowed to try. Construction of the Hive took almost the full generation, but it was accomplished. Life-forms from our world were transported to the Hive, and then our population was evacuated. The Great Design began."
Dax frowned. "But according to our calculations, the Hive has only just entered our galaxy from intergalactic space." It shows that you have come from the direction of what we call the Magellanic Clouds. Why did you not simply seek a world in your own galaxy, instead of risking such a dangerous and lengthy crossing?"
"Because as work was under way on the Hive, we finally made contact with an alien species—the first we ever met until a few days ago. They were warlike and aggressive, and had conquered a large part of the … Magellanic Cloud. We were forced for the first time to build
ships of war, to defend ourselves. We won some of the battles, but their strength was far too great for this to continue for long. They pressured us continually, and we knew that we could never hold out. We could not be assured of a refuge in our own galaxy, and therefore the goal was set to make the Great Crossing here.
"The Hive was launched, and began its journey. The enemy could not follow us, as their ships were not able to spend long periods away from fuel. The Hive gathers most of its fuel from the thinly stretched material between the stars and the galaxies."
"Hence the large wings on your ship," Dax commented. "They serve as collectors for the intergalactic gases, and no doubt condensers also."
"Correct," agreed Tork. "It is an efficient system that has lasted us well. Between stars instead of between galaxies, matter is more common, and we are gathering reserves. When the split is achieved, both Hives will be well fueled."
"And then what?" demanded Odo. "You have told us why the Great Design was necessary, but you still have not told us what it is."
There was a sharp ping from the control panel, and Tork glanced down. "We are arriving at the work area where Harl labors," he announced. "We shall be decelerating."
Sisko watched as the travel tube emerged from the forest and recreational area and into what was clearly an industrial complex. Huge machines were moving between the large buildings. Many of them carried flat plates, and others bundles of machinery or electronics. Some carried spars and beams, and others equipment that Sisko couldn't immediately identify.
The buildings themselves were obviously manufacturing these products, which were all heading toward the growing gap. The noise level outside had to be fairly high, but inside their transport tube, Sisko heard barely little more than a low rumble.
"It's very impressive," Dax remarked. "The raw materials are processed here and then converted into whatever is needed to construct the new Hives."
"Here, and in a thousand other factory complexes," Tork explained. "We will be coming closer to the work area. You may suffer some sensory discomfort, so please alert me if you do not feel well."
The travel tube finally drew to a halt beside a small platform, and Tork opened the door. As he had warned them, they were immediately assaulted by everything the tube had sheltered them from.
There was a rhythmic pounding, the sound of the workings of vast furnaces and engines in the complex they had passed. Transports whirled along the roadways, adding their quota to the noise. It was loud, but not unbearable, and a lot less than Sisko would have expected of such a complex and vast worksite.
There was an increased level of heat, and the smell of molten metals and burned earths from the foundries where the vast deck plates were being cast. Smoke and vapors curled about the buildings.
And none of this really impressed Sisko at all. He was too taken in by staring at the gap ahead of them.
They were probably a mile or so from the split in the Hive, but the gap itself was by now almost that wide. It was pure black, without any sign of the stars beyond. On either edge of the gap were legions of machines at work. Huge, spiderlike welding machines prowled the edge of the area, sparks and flames flying as they worked on melding the new materials with the old. As they passed, other machines scurried in, carrying the braces, beams, and other supports. Smaller welders danced along, fixing the beams into position. There were workers, some in environmental suits, busily measuring, moving, and fixing materials. Trucks crawled in bearing machinery, some of which was apparently movable, and some of which was clearly in place.
A vast army of workers and drones were frantically constructing the new material for the twin Hives. It was industry and purpose on a scale that Sisko had never before seen. Whatever else the inhabitants of the Hive might be, they were certainly engineers extraordinare. Too bad they needed O'Brien back on the Defiant. He would have adored this.
"It's very impressive," Odo grumbled. "Magnificent, almost."
"Thank you," Tork replied. "We are working at our fastest pace to create the two Hives. It will be accomplished in a matter of days."
"I can believe it," Dax said admiringly. "The work pace is tremendous. I assume you have force shields in place along the edge of the gap?"
"Yes, to protect the workers." Tork pointed. "On the edge itself, only the drones are allowed to lay the plates and weld them. The area is checked for leaks, and then the edge of the field is pushed further out. Those cone-shaped devices you see beside the workers are the generators themselves. Would you like a closer look?"
"If it would not interfere with the work, yes," agreed Sisko.
"It would be more than acceptable," Tork assured him. "My fried, Harl, should be in the maintenance dome a short way ahead of us. He will be able to explain much more than I can. Please, follow me, and do not stray. It is for your own safety. While the drones are programmed to avoid living beings, I am not entirely certain that they would recognize you as such. Our body chemistries are surely different."
"Yes," Sisko said with a smile. "I'm a trifle more thin-skinned than you, I suspect." They followed along behind Tork, who continually pointed out items of interest—from integration machines to the bioregenerators that would move in to begin planting and soil processing as soon as the metals had cooled. The outer skin was three layers thick, he explained, to guard against possible leaks into space, and reinforced with force generators to prevent meteorite impact.
"That's probably why the sensors couldn't get a good reading of the Hive," Dax commented to Sisko. "The layering effect would reinforce the screen shields and make readings difficult or impossible."
"It's all very impressive," Sisko agreed. "These people have a tremendous technology. It's a shame their sense of morality isn't as well developed."
Odo grunted. "I'm not sure that I agree with you, Captain," he said.
Sisko raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who is putting the most pressure on him, Constable," he pointed out.
"Because I have a feeling he's going to crack," Odo explained. "Tork is quite clearly uncomfortable with what his people have done. He knows what will happen to Bajor and probably Cardassia Prime, too. This does not sit well on his conscience." Odo inclined his head slightly. "I have a feeling that the pressure I'm applying may well pierce his sense of duty toward the Hive. He could come around to our point of view."
"I'd be very happy if he did," Sisko commented. "But will one Hivemaster on our side be enough? The others all seem dead-set on their course of action."
"If one can come around, then possibly more can be persuaded," Odo said. "You're the one who insists on using diplomacy to fight this, battle, after all. What other options do we have?"
"None," agreed Sisko. "Keep up the good work, Constable."
"I shall."
They were now within several hundred yards of the gap.
At this distance, the view of space beyond should have been stunning. Sisko was puzzled to note that the screens were opaque. It was as if a vast wall separated them from the gap and space. That was odd, because it was always simpler and more energy-efficient to make force screens invisible than to make them solid. Maybe it was to show the workers and drones exactly where the limit was? Or could there be another reason? A gnawing suspicion was starting to grow in his mind. He had assumed that the Hivemasters' view of planetary dwellers being insane was simply prejudice—but what if it was more than that?
He could hear the movement of the mechanisms behind the screens, but absolutely nothing of their work was visible. Still, there was plenty to see on this side of the barrier. Trucks were drawing in materials, and the growing area of open floor created by the drones was starting to fill in with the walls of buildings or the outlines of where parks and even rivers would be. All the workers and machines were evidently following some sort of master plan worked out more than two thousand generations before.
It was astounding.
Tork had his small computer out again, and tapped into it. "Odd," he muttered.
/> Odo turned abruptly. "What is?" He seemed to be sensing trouble.
"I'm getting a reading from Harl's comp," Tork explained. "It is several units away from here, and he does not reply to my call."
"Maybe he's resting?" suggested Sisko.
"At this time of day? Unlikely." Tork's snout wrinkled in confusion. "Besides, his work area is that maintenance dome ahead of us." He gestured at the thirty-foot crimson half globe. "Why would he be over in the factory units?"
"Perhaps we should find him and ask," Odo suggested.
"That is—"
The noise of the work was suddenly overwhelmed by the sound of an explosion. Sisko whirled automatically to take in the situation. About half a mile away, one of the drones carrying welding gear was enveloped in an expanding ball of fire. Then the welding gases caught fire, and there was a loud crump, and then a flattened shock wave that slammed through the air.
Heat, smoke, stench, and screams all slammed into them at the same instant. The sound of the blast rang in Sisko's ears as he was hurled back into the closest wall. Around him, slivers of metal and crystal flew. He felt his skin slashed in several places, and then a terrific blow in his back as he slammed into the wall. Dazed, he tried to stay on his feet.
There was the sound of a second explosion, and then a third. The shock waves flew through the deck plates, hurling Sisko and his companions aside. Flames and gases licked out from the machinery, enveloping the area as they expanded. The sound of shattering machinery and screams seemed to come from everywhere.
And then the force wall ahead of them died, showing the vacuum of space beyond, and all hell broke loose.
CHAPTER 16
SHAKING HIS HEAD to try and clear the ringing in his ears, Sisko managed to stagger back to his feet. He ran the back of his right hand across his forehead, and it came away sticky with blood. Not too much, though, so he tried to ignore it. His shoulders ached from the blow the wall had dealt him, and he felt slightly disoriented. Otherwise, he was in acceptable condition.
