Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!in.100proofnews.com!in.100proofnews.com!cycny01.gnilink.net!cyclone1.gnilink.net!gnilink.net!ngpeer.news.aol.com!audrey-m1.news.aol.com!not-for-mail Lines: 104 X-Admin: news@aol.com From: kapitanquirk@aol.com (KapitanQuirk) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Date: 02 Nov 2004 03:03:05 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: NEW DS9 "Free to Choose" [PG] Message-ID: <20041101220305.06644.00000001@mb-m25.aol.com> Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative:161269 X-Received-Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 10:30:31 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) NEW DS9 "Free to Choose" [PG] By Kapitan Quirk Title : "Free to Choose" Author : Kapitan Quirk Archive : Yes Series : DS9 Characters: Nobody in particular Type : Humor Part : 1/1 Rating : PG Summary: Two Cardassian citizens discuss the election and other weighty It was a beautiful day for the Detapa Council election on Cardassia Prime. The temperature was a pleasant 40 degrees Celsius and the sun was baking everyone's backsides as they stood in the long line at the polling place in Locarian City. There was a near 100 per cent planet wide turn out for the election, but there nearly always was on Cardassia since it was against the law not to vote. Very few patriotic citizens cared to risk the public calumny of a show trial and imprisonment for not exercising their sovereign right to elect the Detapa Council once every ten years. The line was slow. Most people had been waiting for hours due to the extensive identity check procedures, necessary to avoid fraud. Boredom and ennui electrified the air. Stifling a yawn, a tall thin man from the South side of the city tapped the shoulder of the short chubby man ahead of him. "So who are you going to vote for?" The man lowered the news padd he had been reading in one hand and the sandwich he had been munching on in the other. He turned to glare at his questioner. "That's rather a private matter, don't you think?" "Oh come now. Do you really think it makes any difference? Its all rigged you know." The tall man gave him a wink. "Might as well vote for Shorat Kerut , he's pledged to wipe out the terrorists on Bajor once and for all. He'll do it right. Don't waste your vote on somebody who's not going to win." The short chubby man spluttered and hissed, his eyes growing to the size of small moons. "The elections are not rigged! What are you saying? All the candidates have pledged themselves to wipe out the terrorists on Bajor. What conceivable purpose could there be in 'rigging' the election? As Cardassians we all stand united against the Bajoran terrorists. " The thin man smirked. "Oh sure, that's what the Obsidian Order would like you to believe, but just between you and me, this place is full of dissidents, and I mean we've got traitors right here in this very line." The chubby man's face filled with incredulity. "Here? Dissidents? What are they going to do?" The thin man cast furtive glances over both his shoulders. "Sabotage the elections by not voting." "Impossible! It would show up on the computer immediately that they didn't vote. They'd be arrested on the spot." The thin man nodded. "Exactly. They'll make a big scene by getting themselves arrested inside the polling place. The more arrests, the worse things look, like we're not really united against the terrorists on Bajor." Chubby's eyes narrowed. "How do you know all this? Sounds like you're a dissident yourself." "Not at all. I'm with Military Intelligence." He flashed a badge from his coat. "We're ferreting out the dissidents before they get in. Take 'em away quietly, no fuss, no mess." Chubby nodded. "I see. As a loyal citizen of Cardassia, how can I be of assistance?" The thin man leaned closer. "We need to create a provocation, make a scene to draw the dissidents out of the line now, make them think there's a demonstration out side. Here, take this sign, and hold it up." The thin man produced a shimmering rectangular piece of electro-polymer. Chubby eyed the sign thrust into his hands. "Get Cardassia Off of Bajor Now!" it loudly proclaimed in a neon rainbow of colors. "Are you sure about this?" "Of course, it's the only way to get the dissidents. Now get to work!" Chubby hoisted the sign as high above his head as he could. From all directions, eyes swiveled at the moving colors. "Dissident!" the thin man screamed, pointing at Chubby. From seemingly out of no where, four plain clothes operatives of the Obsidian Order pounced on the protesting citizen, pummeling him to the ground and dragging him away. All the while he shreiked, "No, not me! I've been framed! I'm innocent! I'm no dissident!" Bending down, the thin man picked up Chubby's vegetable medley sandwich with yamuk sauce and his news padd. The line was a little shorter. He tapped on the shoulder of the man in front of him. "So who are you going to vote for?" END NewMessage: