Star Trek: DS9: What Friends Are For

Chapter 4

A/N: thank you for commenting. :). I am glad this is being well-received. I got the sort of idea for this chapter from watching an episode of Cosmos: A Personal Journey by Carl Sagan. It really is an awesome show, and Sagan is one of my scientists. The reminder that radio waves still only travel at the speed of light really got to me again; that aliens fifty light years away could be watching JFK's assassination, and those twenty llight years away could be watching the first episode of The Simpsons really fascinated me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. :).

Bashir stirred slowly from his sleep. He murmured something incomprehensibly then yawned, stretched and sat up. The intense light of the sun was cause for him to blink. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. He heard a noise and realised Garak was groaning.

"Garak?"

The Cardassian looked up; he was already awake and had been for some time. "I think I should like to leave, now, doctor," he stated.

Bashir gave him a wry smile. "So would I, believe me," he agreed. "But we can't leave."

"I have to say, I prefer it when you are optimistic, doctor," Garak chided, huffing and crossing his arms.

Bashir nodded glumly. "So do I, but I'm not going to be happy for no reason. Jadzia told me to stop doing that."

"Someone needs to have a word with this sun," Garak continued. "It is far too bright here."

Bashir grinned. "Just because Cardassians like it to be dingy," he mocked.

Garak gave him an indignant look, then gave in. He stood up and walked about in circles. "What is Captain Sisko doing up there?" he asked no one in particular.

Bashir shrugged, answered, "He's probably very busy, Garak. The distress signal was probably very faint, so—"

Garak cut him off with an impatient wave of the hand. "Doctor,please don't educate me on physics again."

Bashir huffed. "I wasn't going to."

The Cardassian sighed. "On second thoughts, say what you were going to say," he reconsidered, but it wasn't just Bashir's slightly smug face which made him do it.

"Well," Bashir said, spreading his hands, "a signal travels at the speed of light, yes?"

Garak nodded like he was in military school again.

"But?" Bashir prompted.

"That was a subspace signal, was it not?" the tailor asked with a cock of his head.

Bashir shook his head. "No."

"How can that be?" asked Garak.

"The subspace emitter was destroyed in the crash."

Garak frowned. "How do you know?"

Bashir hesitated, then answered, "I went over to the wreckage site to look for a PADD, but I found none, and saw that the beacon was destroyed."

Garak moaned and cursed in his native language. "So we only have a radio?"

Bashir nodded gravely. "Precisely."

"How far away is Deep Space Nine?" Garak asked.

Bashir shrugged. "Not far," he said, losing his nonchalant manner.

"'Not far'?" Garak echoed. "That isn't too definitive."

Bashir sighed, hung his head a little. "I know, but I... Think it wasn't too far. It can't have been. The runabout's range is only ten light years."