reborn. Well, now we’ve got a window, a quantum fracture into a realm of space through which energy and information can be transferred. Think about it a second. We know that Bynars always come in pairs. Always. But now 110 has found his match, a twin. How is that possible? Singletons are incapable of meshing. They’re unfit to do so. But this energy signature can, and he calls himself Solo-Man.” She paused, her darkly brown eyes clicking over their faces. “Don’t you understand? Solo-Man. One Man. The One.”
“No, no,” said 111. “There is Soloman, and then there is this other. He is a,” she cocked her head an instant, chittered in dataspeak and said, “Ferengi.”
“What are those? ” asked Gold.
Another pause. “He says it would take too long to explain. There are, it seems, many rules applying to acquisition. He says that we must shut down this device; that the search program has activated the computer on their side of the datastream on their…” 111’s eyes were huge. “On Empok Nor. He says that temporal-distortion waves are destroying the fabric of space-time.”
“What?” said Kane. “ Empok Nor?”
“Are you sure it isn’t Terok Nor?” said Jadzia. She dropped to her haunches now, laid her hands on the Bynar’s shoulders. “Ask the Prophet if this Empok Nor is anywhere near—”
“It is not a Prophet,” said 111. She raised her bright blue eyes to Gold. “This Soloman—the Ferengi says he lost his bondmate.” Her voice quavered. Broke. “He says I died there.”
Gold took the Bynar’s left hand. Her fingers were cold, and they trembled. “111, does this—this Ferengi say why Soloman is there in the first place?”
“No. But I sense Soloman—waits.”
“For what?”
“I do not believe he knows, but there is a void in him.” She pressed a bunched fist to her chest. “But I cannot fill it. Much as I wish to help, I have my bondmate here.” The look she gave Gold was full of anguish. “I want 110 back, whole, and yet I feel such sorrow for this other. I do not know how he has managed to live.”
“I suppose he just went on.” Gold had to pause, clear his throat. “People do that.”
“Perhaps. But when love is gone,” 111 said as a tear inched down either cheek, “there is always emptiness because the heart knows what has been lost.”
“Yes,” said Gold. His eyes burned. “Yes, it does.”
“Well?” asked Gomez.
Nog shook his head. “I know I got the message through; 111’s code changed to assimilate it.”
“And Soloman?”
“He’s there, but it’s like he’s…locked in tight somehow. And I…” Nog trailed off, squinted at his data.
Gomez waited an anxious few seconds. “What?”
Nog began toggling in data. “I am so stupid. I know why Soloman can’t break free. You know how Betazoids have a paracortex that enhances their telepathic capabilities, and how Betazoid women have elevated levels of neurochemicals that further augment these abilities? Look at Soloman’s psilosynine level. It’s through the roof. That’s what’s happening with Soloman. The Bynars in that universe? They’re telepaths.”
Gomez gaped. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. It’s a logical extension, you ask me. What do the Bynars do? They interconnect with computer code. It all comes down to discharges along the electromagnetic spectrum. The brain works the same way. All neurons rely upon electrical potentials, whether neurochemically or electrically mediated. So it’s not so unbelievable that the Bynars of that universe also possess some form of telepathy and that some machines only respond to telepaths.”
“Okay,” said Gomez. “So what are they looking for?”
There was astonishment on Dax’s face, and Gold saw Gomez and Duffy glance at each other.
Then Gomez said, “Do we tell them?” She seemed unaware that she’d sidled closer to Duffy. “Maybe they can help.”
Gold gave 111’s hand a squeeze, then pushed to his feet. “I’m not
“No, no,” said 111. “There is Soloman, and then there is this other. He is a,” she cocked her head an instant, chittered in dataspeak and said, “Ferengi.”
“What are those? ” asked Gold.
Another pause. “He says it would take too long to explain. There are, it seems, many rules applying to acquisition. He says that we must shut down this device; that the search program has activated the computer on their side of the datastream on their…” 111’s eyes were huge. “On Empok Nor. He says that temporal-distortion waves are destroying the fabric of space-time.”
“What?” said Kane. “ Empok Nor?”
“Are you sure it isn’t Terok Nor?” said Jadzia. She dropped to her haunches now, laid her hands on the Bynar’s shoulders. “Ask the Prophet if this Empok Nor is anywhere near—”
“It is not a Prophet,” said 111. She raised her bright blue eyes to Gold. “This Soloman—the Ferengi says he lost his bondmate.” Her voice quavered. Broke. “He says I died there.”
Gold took the Bynar’s left hand. Her fingers were cold, and they trembled. “111, does this—this Ferengi say why Soloman is there in the first place?”
“No. But I sense Soloman—waits.”
“For what?”
“I do not believe he knows, but there is a void in him.” She pressed a bunched fist to her chest. “But I cannot fill it. Much as I wish to help, I have my bondmate here.” The look she gave Gold was full of anguish. “I want 110 back, whole, and yet I feel such sorrow for this other. I do not know how he has managed to live.”
“I suppose he just went on.” Gold had to pause, clear his throat. “People do that.”
“Perhaps. But when love is gone,” 111 said as a tear inched down either cheek, “there is always emptiness because the heart knows what has been lost.”
“Yes,” said Gold. His eyes burned. “Yes, it does.”
“Well?” asked Gomez.
Nog shook his head. “I know I got the message through; 111’s code changed to assimilate it.”
“And Soloman?”
“He’s there, but it’s like he’s…locked in tight somehow. And I…” Nog trailed off, squinted at his data.
Gomez waited an anxious few seconds. “What?”
Nog began toggling in data. “I am so stupid. I know why Soloman can’t break free. You know how Betazoids have a paracortex that enhances their telepathic capabilities, and how Betazoid women have elevated levels of neurochemicals that further augment these abilities? Look at Soloman’s psilosynine level. It’s through the roof. That’s what’s happening with Soloman. The Bynars in that universe? They’re telepaths.”
Gomez gaped. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. It’s a logical extension, you ask me. What do the Bynars do? They interconnect with computer code. It all comes down to discharges along the electromagnetic spectrum. The brain works the same way. All neurons rely upon electrical potentials, whether neurochemically or electrically mediated. So it’s not so unbelievable that the Bynars of that universe also possess some form of telepathy and that some machines only respond to telepaths.”
“Okay,” said Gomez. “So what are they looking for?”
There was astonishment on Dax’s face, and Gold saw Gomez and Duffy glance at each other.
Then Gomez said, “Do we tell them?” She seemed unaware that she’d sidled closer to Duffy. “Maybe they can help.”
Gold gave 111’s hand a squeeze, then pushed to his feet. “I’m not
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