Vectors by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch

restaurants and stores were open, but there were no clients. The Volian sat in the window of his tailor's shop, working on an outfit, but he didn't appear to be looking up. Quark thought he saw something shimmer near the door to the bar, but when he focused on it, he saw nothing at all.
    "Clear," he whispered.
    "What?" Rom asked. "Is that blister making you deaf?" Quark snapped. "I hope not." Rom brought a hand to his ear, and the Cardassian tipped sideways. The Cardassian's foot bounced loudly on the floor. Quark nearly collapsed under his weight.
    "Will you do your job?" Quark snapped. "Pick up the foot. Pick it up."
    "Where are we going with him?"
    "Just behind that post," Quark said, nodding in the opposite direction from the Volian's store. They were getting close to the second floor balcony, but he didn't see anyone there either. And he would have to take the risk.
    They also couldn't leave a polished streak running from the Cardassian to the interior of the bar. "Wait!" Quark said. "Nog, grab the Cardassian." "Me?" "Do you see anyone else named Nog?"
    Nog came over, rubbing his hands together. His small face was squinched in an expression of disgust. "Where do you want me to hold him?"
    "Where do you think?" Quark asked. "He can't be touching the ground."
    Nog gave him the most pitiful expression Quark had ever seen. "I can't."
    "You will or I'll make you clean the bar with your head skirt every day this week." "You can't do that!" Nog said. "It isn't sanitary." "Then I'll make you sanitize it after you're done."
    "Don't underestimate him, son," Rom said. "Remember the drinks." And he reached for his ear.
    "No!" Quark said too late. The foot bounced again, but this time Nog had grabbed the Cardassian's midsection.
    "I want to go back to Ferenginar," Nog said. "Maybe I can live with Moogie."
    Rom struggled to reach the foot without dropping the other one. Quark thought his arms would break.
    "Moogie wouldn't treat me like this."
    "Moogie would hide you in a closet," Quark said. "She has dreams of finding a better mate, and the last thing she needs is a grandson hanging around so that people know her age."
    Rom got the foot. He nodded. "I promise I won't drop it again."
    "Good," Quark said. "Or Narat will think broken ankles are part of this disease."
    "You think I broke his ankle?" Rom said. "I didn't mean to. I mean-"
    "No, I don't think you broke his ankle," Quark said. "But I might break yours soon."
    They carried the Cardassian into the Promenade. Their footsteps echoed on the floor. Quark had never heard the Promenade echo before.
    It was only a few meters to the post Quark had seen, but it felt like they had to travel light-years. When they reached it, and Quark gave the okay, all three dropped him at the same time. It sounded as if something exploded on the Promenade.
    "Come on!" Quark said and ran for the bar.
    "But, brother, what about the medical staff?" Rom was keeping up with him. So was Nog.
    "You call them," Quark said. "But you will not mention the bar, got that? Tell them-oh, never mind. I'll do it."
    They got inside and Quark slipped behind the bar. Before he contacted anyone, he was going to wash his hands. They felt sticky with sweat, and something else. Germs, probably. Virus. Possible infection.
    He grimaced. He had a hunch things were going to continue to get worse. Much, much worse. And he doubted they would ever get better again.
    Chapter Eleven THE CARDASSIAN CREW piloting the freighter didn't mix with its passengers. Pulaski, Governo, Marvig, and Ogawa were confined to a small area that had once served as the crew's mess. The tables were bolted to the floor. The walls were a gunmetal gray, undecorated, and the room smelled of stale food Pulaski couldn't identify. There were no portholes, so she couldn't see the stars, but the freighter ran relatively smoothly, so she also couldn't feel the hum of the engines. It felt as if she were in a room on Cardassia Prime instead of in a freighter heading