Search Worlds Without End

Nebula Award winning and Hugo and Locus Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 1995. The story can also be found in the anthologies Nebula Awards 32 (1998), edited by Jack Dann and The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology (1999), edited by Gordon Van Gelder and Edward L. Ferman, as well as the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

A fiction anthology featuring 36 amazing tabloid tales from a rock band with Satan as its manager to 2,437 UFOs in New Hampshire. Written by some of the zaniest minds in science fiction and fantasy--such as Dennis McKiernan and Kristine Kathryn Rusch--these better-than-true originals are sure to grab readers' imagination. Original.

Table of Contents:

• 15 - Introduction: Alien Pregnant by Elvis - essay by Esther M. Friesner
• 18 - The Source of It All - short story by Dennis L. McKiernan
• 22 - The Bride of Bigfoot - short fiction by Lawrence Watt-Evans
• 37 - Close-Up Photos Reveal JFK Skull on Moon! - short story by Barry N. Malzberg
• 43 - Marilyn, Elvis, and the Reality Blues - short story by James Brunet
• 51 - Those Rowdy Royals! - short story by Laura Resnick
• 58 - My Husband Became a Zombie and It Saved Our Marriage - short story by Karen Haber
• 69 - Rock Band Conjures Satan as Manager - short story by Deborah Wunder
• 73 - 2,437 UFOs Over New Hampshire - novelette by Allen Steele
• 89 - Pulitzer Kills Publishing Maggot - short story by Mark W. Tiedemann
• 95 - Elvis at the White House - short story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• 108 - The Number of the Beast - short story by Jeff Hecht
• 114 - De Gustibus - short story by Anthony R. Lewis
• 117 - Is Your Coworker a Space Alien? - short story by Rosemary Edghill
• 130 - A Beak for Trends - short story by Laura Frankos
• 140 - Hitler Clone in Argentina Plots Falklands Reprise - short story by John DeChancie
• 154 - Group Phenomena - short story by Thomas F. Monteleone
• 164 - Unextinctions - poem by Bruce Boston and Roger Dutcher
• 166 - How Alien He Really Was - short story by Bruce Boston
• 168 - NASA Sending Addicts to Mars! - short story by Alan Dean Foster
• 179 - Vole - short story by John Gregory Betancourt
• 182 - In Search of the Perfect Orgasm - short story by Dean Wesley Smith
• 186 - Saving Sam's Used UFOs - short story by Kate Daniel
• 194 - Danny's Excellent Adventure - short story by Greg Cox
• 198 - Royal Tiff Yields Face of Jesus! - short fiction by Esther M. Friesner
• 209 - Magnetic Personality Triggers Nail-Biter's Near-Death Ordeal! - short story by T. Winter-Damon
• 213 - They'd Never-- - short story by Harry Turtledove
• 227 - Loch Ness Monster Found--in the Bermuda Triangle - short story by David Vierling
• 231 - Racehorse Predicts the Future! - short story by Josepha Sherman
• 237 - Printer's Devils - short story by Gregory Feeley
• 248 - Cannibal Plants from Heck - short story by David Drake
• 265 - Psychic Bats 1000 for Accuracy! - short story by Jody Lynn Nye
• 270 - Caveat Atlantis - short story by Richard Gilliam
• 277 - Frozen Hitler Found in Atlantean Love Nest - short story by Rosemary Edghill
• 281 - Those Eyes - short story by David Brin
• 294 - Stop Press - short story by Mike Resnick
• 302 - Martian Memorial to Elvis Sighted - short story by George Alec Effinger

Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, November 1992. It can also be found in the anthology Angels! (1995) edited by Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann, and the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

Nebula Award winning short story. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, December 1994. The story can also be found in the anthologies Isaac Asimov's Ghosts (1995), edited by Sheila Williams and Gardner Dozois and Nebula Awards 31 (1997), edited by Pamela Sargent as well as the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

Esther Friesner offers a collection of 12 of her best pieces of short fiction including brand new story, "Ilion", as well as two Nebula award-winning stories.

Contents:

• All Vows (1992)
• True Believer (1997)
• "White!" Said Fred (1993)
• A Birthday (1995)
• A Pig's Tale (1995)
• Love, Crystal and Stone (1999)
• In the Realm of Dragons (1998)
• Jesus at the Bat (1994)
• Chanoyu (1999)
• Ilion (2002)
• How to Make Unicorn Pie (1999)
• Death and the Librarian (1994)

When sleuth meets spell...

Victoria, queen of the realm, the mightiest mage in the British Isles, and one of the lustiest women Dr. John H. Weston had ever had the pleasure to companion beneath the covers, was in desparate trouble. And the only one who could help her was the world's most renowned sleuth, Brihtric Donne. For someone had stolen the Rules Brittania, the magic tome that was the secret strength of both Victoria and her kingdom. Now with the Rules gone, Victoria was powerless to halt the unknown foe who was summoning demons of evil to destroy the queen and the Isles. So Donne and Weston began a hunt that would lead from the haunts of Lord Byron and Oscar Wilde to the mound of the Baskervilles to a confrontation with all the darkest magic a would-be monarch's mad ambition could conjure up....

E. Godz, Inc.'s stock-in-trade was magic. When Edwina Godz had inherited the family corporation after her parents were killed in an accident, she had put to work all the sorcerous techniques that she had learned during her Spiritual Quest period, taking all the shamans with the Right Stuff on board as subsidiaries, and raking in all the benefits of the material world, including big profits and a high-selling stock. Unfortunately, Edwina's two children, Dov and Peez, hated each other's guts, to put it mildly, and if she stepped aside and let them take over the company, it was certain to go down the tubes. So she pretended to be dying from a disease that neither science nor sorcery could cure, and let the two of them fight it out for dominance using all the tricks of both corporate in-fighting and wizard warfare that she had taught them. No holds barred-and may the most evil and ruthless sorcerer win!

Noona, the unhappy teenaged daughter of a cave family, is breaking out with pimples and lacks the brow-ridges of the rest of her kin-group. She feels life is a grand tragedy. Then she meets someone twice as tall as her father, blond-haired, blue-eyed, and marked with a crimson figure on his forehead. It's love at first sight...

Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October-November 2005. It does not appear to be available in any other publications at this time.

Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1999. The story can also be found in the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, July 1994. It is included in the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

To Gudge's bride, Queen Artemisia of Hydrangea, are born a set of royal triplets. But traditional Gorgorian belief holds that triplets are a sure sign of the mother's adultery--for which the tradition Gorgorian punishment is death. And Gudge is nothing is not a traditionalist.

So in secret the Queen sends her faithful servant Ludmilla on a desperate mission, to bear the girl and the younger boy to the secret forest redoubt of the last Hydrangean resistance. The oldest boy will remain, to be raised as the heir.

Unfortunately, Ludmilla takes both boys instead...

Table of Contents:

• 1 - Introduction (It's Been Fun) - essay
• 5 - The Sailor's Bride - (1985) - short story
• 17 - A New Chantey - (1988) - short story
• 23 - A Friendly Game of Crola - (1985) - short story
• 29 - Dragonet - (1986) - short story
• 37 - Love's Eldritch Ichor - [Cthulhu Mythos] - (1990) - novelette
• 71 - Pride and Prescience - novelette

Contents:

• 1 - Chicks in Chainmail (introduction) - essay by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner]
• 5 - Lady of Steel - short story by Roger Zelazny
• 8 - And Ladies of the Club - [Ladies' Aid & Armor Society - 1] - short story by Elizabeth Moon
• 31 - Exchange Program - short story by Susan Shwartz
• 55 - Goddess for a Day - short story by Harry Turtledove
• 66 - Armor-Ella - short story by Holly Lisle
• 89 - Career Day - [Riva Konneva] - short story by Margaret Ball
• 106 - Armor/Amore - short story by David Vierling
• 112 - The Stone of War and the Nightingale's Egg - novelette by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
• 137 - The Growling - short story by Jody Lynn Nye
• 153 - The New Britomart - novelette by Rosemary Edghill [as by Eluki bes Shahar]
• 178 - On the Road of Silver - short story by Mark Bourne
• 197 - Bra Melting - short story by Janni Lee Simner
• 203 - The Old Grind - short story by Laura Frankos
• 216 - The Way to a Man's Heart - short story by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner]
• 233 - Whoops! - short story by Nancy Springer
• 246 - The Guardswoman - [Legends of Ethshar] - short story by Lawrence Watt-Evans
• 257 - Teacher's Pet - short story by Josepha Sherman
• 271 - Were-Wench - [Terion & Feric - 1] - short story by Janet Stirling [as by Jan Stirling]
• 294 - Blood Calls to Blood - short story by Elisabeth Waters
• 311 - Maureen Birnbaum in the MUD - [Maureen Birnbaum] - novelette by George Alec Effinger

Contents:

• 1 - Introduction (Did You Say Chicks?) - (1998) - essay by Esther M. Friesner
• 4 - No Pain, No Gain - [Ladies' Aid & Armor Society - 2] - (1998) - short story by Elizabeth Moon
• 24 - Slue-Foot Sue and the Witch in the Woods - (1998) - short story by Laura Frankos
• 32 - A Young Swordswoman's Garden Primer - (1998) - short story by Sarah Zettel
• 48 - The Old Fire - (1998) - short story by Jody Lynn Nye
• 65 - Like No Business I Know - (1998) - novelette by Mark Bourne
• 92 - A Bone to Pick - [Vassilisa - 1] - (1998) - short story by Keith R. A. DeCandido and Marina Frants
• 109 - The Attack of the Avenging Virgins (as told by one of the Valiant Vanquished) - (1998) - short story by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
• 129 - Oh, Sweet Goodnight! - (1998) - short story by Christina Briley and Lawrence Watt-Evans [as by Walter Vance Awsten and Christina Briley]
• 145 - A Bitch in Time - [Lineman - 1] - (1998) - short story by Doranna Durgin
• 162 - Don't You Want to Be Beautiful? - (1998) - short story by Laura Anne Gilman
• 171 - A Night with the Girls - [Sun Wolf and Starhawk] - (1998) - novelette by Barbara Hambly
• 196 - A Quiet Knight's Reading - (1998) - short story by Steven Piziks
• 204 - Armor Propre - [Terion & Feric - 2] - (1998) - short story by Janet Stirling and S. M. Stirling [as by Jan Stirling and S. M. Stirling]
• 222 - A Big Hand for the Little Lady - (1998) - short story by Esther M. Friesner
• 237 - Blade Runner - [Hallah Iron-Thighs] - (1998) - short story by K. D. Wentworth
• 253 - Keeping Up Appearances - (1998) - short story by Lawrence Watt-Evans
• 268 - La Différence - (1998) - short story by Harry Turtledove
• 279 - Tales from the Slushpile - [Riva Konneva] - (1998) - novelette by Margaret Ball
• 302 - Epilogue: Yes, We Did Say Chicks! - (1998) - short fiction by Adam-Troy Castro
• 303 - About the Authors (Did You Say Chicks?) - (1998) - essay by uncredited

Contents:

• 1 - Introduction (Chicks 'n Chained Males) - (1999) - essay by Esther M. Friesner
• 4 - Myth Manners' Guide to Greek Missology #1: Andromeda and Perseus - (1999) - short story by Harry Turtledove
• 19 - Chain, Link, Fence - (1999) - short fiction by Steven Piziks
• 24 - Fool's Gold - [Ladies' Aid & Armor Society - 3] - (1999) - short story by Elizabeth Moon
• 47 - In for a Pound - (1999) - short fiction by Lawrence Watt-Evans
• 61 - Death Becomes Him - [Vassilisa - 2] - (1999) - short fiction by Marina Frants
• 79 - Straight Arrow - (1999) - short fiction by Susan Shwartz
• 106 - Bad Heir Day - (1999) - short fiction by Rosemary Edghill
• 117 - Why Do You Think They Call It Middle Earth? - (1999) - short fiction by Susan Casper
• 135 - Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe - (1999) - short fiction by Laura Frankos
• 157 - Shiftless - (1999) - short fiction by Josepha Sherman
• 169 - May/December at the Mall - short story by Brian Dana Akers
• 178 - Yo, Baby! - [Terion & Feric - 3] - (1999) - short fiction by Janet Stirling [as by Jan Stirling]
• 196 - Don't Break the Chain! - (1999) - short fiction by Jody Lynn Nye
• 214 - Cross CHILDREN Walk - [Zoli of the Brazen Shield - 1] - (1999) - short fiction by Esther M. Friesner
• 239 - ... But Comedy Is Hard - (1999) - short fiction by Kate Daniel
• 253 - Baubles, Bangles and Beads - (1999) - short fiction by Kevin Andrew Murphy
• 276 - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows - [Hallah Iron-Thighs] - (1999) - short fiction by K. D. Wentworth
• 294 - Miss Underwood and the Mermaid - (1999) - short fiction by Sarah Zettel

Contents:

• 1 - Introduction (The Chick Is in the Mail) - essay by Esther M. Friesner (variant of Introduction (The Chick is in the Mail)) [as by Esther Friesner]
• 4 - To His Iron-Clad Mistress - poem by Kent Patterson
• 5 - Sweet Charity - [Ladies' Aid & Armor Society - 4] - novelette by Elizabeth Moon
• 29 - The Catcher in the Rhine - novelette by Harry Turtledove
• 50 - With the Knight Male (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling) - [Burmeister and Carver - 11] - novelette by Charles Sheffield (variant of With the Knight Male)
• 74 - Patterns in the Chain - [Mother Berchte] - short story by Steven Piziks
• 83 - Arms and the Woman - novelette by Nancy Kress
• 105 - Fun with Hieroglyphics - [Riva Konneva] - novelette by Margaret Ball
• 131 - Troll by Jury - [Zoli of the Brazen Shield - 2] - novelette by Esther M. Friesner
• 155 - Looking for Rhonda Honda - novelette by William Sanders
• 179 - The Case of Prince Charming - novelette by Robin Wayne Bailey
• 203 - Incognito, Ergo Sum - short story by Karen Everson
• 222 - Chain of Command - short story by Nina Kiriki Hoffman and Leslie What
• 238 - The Thief & The Roller Derby Queen: An Essay on the Importance of Formal Education - short story by Eric Flint
• 252 - The Right Bitch - [Lineman - 2] - short story by Doranna Durgin
• 270 - Foxy Boxer Gal Fights Giant Monster King! - novelette by Pierce Askegren
• 291 - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Change of Life - [Hallah Iron-Thighs] - short story by K. D. Wentworth
• 308 - About the Authors (The Chick Is in the Mail) - essay by uncredited

Contents:

• 5 - Mightier Than the Sword - (2004) - short story by Jack Campbell [as by John G. Hemry]
• 19 - A Late Symmer Night's Battle - (2004) - short story by Laura Frankos
• 31 - Psyched Up - (2004) - short story by Michael D. Turner
• 43 - Branded - [Terion & Feric - 4] - (2004) - short story by Janet Stirling [as by Jan Stirling]
• 59 - The Girl's Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord - (2004) - short story by Cassandra Clare [as by Cassandra Claire]
• 77 - She Stuffs to Conquer - (2004) - short story by Yvonne Coats
• 83 - The Gypsy Queen - (2004) - short story by Catherine H. Shaffer
• 99 - Over the Hill - short story by Jim C. Hines
• 113 - A Sword Called Rhonda - (2004) - short story by D. S. Moen
• 123 - Giants in the Earth - (2004) - short story by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner]
• 139 - Rituals for a New God - (2004) - short story by Wen Spencer
• 149 - I Look Good - (2004) - short story by Selina Rosen
• 157 - Combat Shopping - (2004) - short story by Lee Martindale
• 167 - Battle Ready - (2004) - short story by J. Ardian Lee
• 171 - A Woman's Armor - (2004) - short story by Lesley McBain
• 187 - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Hall of the Puppet King - [Hallah Iron-Thighs] - (2004) - novelette by K. D. Wentworth
• 203 - Princess Injera Versus the Spanakopita of Doom - (2004) - novelette by Robin Wayne Bailey
• 221 - Brunhilde's Bra - (2004) - short story by Laura J. Underwood
• 233 - Smoke and Mirrors - (2004) - short story by Steven Piziks
• 247 - The Truth About the Gotterdammerung - (2004) - short story by Eric Flint
• 261 - Defender of the Small - short story by Jody Lynn Nye
• 275 - Of Mice and Chicks - (2004) - short story by Harry Turtledove

Contents:

• 1 - Introduction (Chicks and Balances) - essay by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner]
• 5 - A Chick Off the Old Block - short story by Jody Lynn Nye
• 21 - The Girls from the Hood - short story by Jim C. Hines
• 35 - Smackdown at Walmart - short story by Elizabeth Vaughan [as by Elizabeth A. Vaughan]
• 51 - The Mammyth - short story by Harry Turtledove
• 61 - Give a Girl a Sword - short story by Kerrie Hughes [as by Kerrie L. Hughes]
• 73 - Bite Me - short story by Steven Piziks [as by Steven Harper Piziks]
• 87 - Dark Pixii - novella by Wen Spencer
• 103 - A Warrior Looks at 40 - short story by Julia S. Mandala
• 115 - Roll Model - short story by Esther M. Friesner [as by Esther Friesner]
• 129 - Second Hand Hero - short story by Jean Rabe
• 143 - Burying Treasure - short story by Alex Shvartsman
• 153 - Calling the Mom Squad - short story by Sarah A. Hoyt
• 167 - Rabid Weasels - short story by Robin Wayne Bailey
• 181 - A Girl's Home Is Her Rent-Controlled Castle - short story by Laura Resnick
• 197 - ... And Your Enemies Closer - short story by Lee Martindale
• 209 - Knot and the Dragon - short story by P. C. Hodgell
• 217 - The Rules of the Game: A Poker Boy Story - short story by Dean Wesley Smith
• 231 - Beginner's Luck - short story by Linda L. Donahue
• 243 - One Touch of Hippolyta - short story by Laura Frankos
• 259 - Saving Private Slime - [Jelly's Heroes] - short story by Louisa Swann
• 277 - Unearthing the Undying Armor - short story by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
• 291 - Fashion and the Snarkmeisters - short story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• 307 - About the Authors (Chicks and Balances) - essay by uncredited
• 315 - About Esther Friesner (Chicks and Balances) - essay by uncredited
• 317 - About John Helfers (Chicks and Balances) - essay by uncredited

The archdemon Atamar has not been pulling his weight in bad deeds, and he and his junior demons have been banished from Hell until they can collect recruits for Hell. But when the demons find a team of American archaeology students, they realize their ideas of bad deeds are hopelessly out of date.

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods - or her looks - to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies - such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus - but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

In this rousing sequel to Nobody's Princess, young Helen of Sparta is not about to be left behind when her older brothers head off to join the quest for the Golden Fleece. Accompanied by her friend Milo, and disguised as a boy herself, Helen sets out to join the crew of heroes aboard the massive ship known as The Argo.

Helen quickly faces all sorts of danger. There are battles to be fought, as well as an encounter with a terrifying murderous princess. With her beauty blossoming, Helen's journey takes her beyond the mythology of the Golden Fleece to Athens, where her very future as Queen of Sparta is threatened.

Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's future - one day this privledged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen years - her shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.

Himiko's world is falling apart. An attack by the Ookami clan has left many from her tribe dead or enslaved. And those who remain in the ransacked Matsu village are certain they've angered the gods. Amid the chaos and fear, Himiko hatches a plan to save her beloved tribe. Traveling through the treacherous wilderness with her best friend Kaya, their only goal is to free her clanfolk from the Ookami. At every turn she encounters other tribes and unforeseen challenges. But just when it seems that she will outwit Ryu, the cruel Ookami leader, she is captured. Held agains her will, Himiko starts to realize that not all of the Ookami are her enemies and every step of her unconventional journey has prepared her for something greater than life as a princess. Though she may not see her path as clearly as the spirits seem to, there's more adventure (and even unexpected love) for this young shamaness and warrior.

Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face.

Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she’s the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society.

Esther Friesner offers readers another fresh new look at an iconic figure—blending historical fiction and mythology in a thrilling concoction.

Overnight, every aspect of Nefertiti's life has changed. She is no longer living at the royal palace as the intended bride of the crown prince. Instead, she is being chased by the prince's soldiers for a crime she did not commit. Traveling with two of her dearest friends, including the crown prince's brother, Nefertiti takes shelter in the wild hills along the Nile's west bank. But she is determined to plead her case and set things right. As she begins to question long-held sacred beliefs - a questioning that could alter the fabric of Egyptian society - her extraordinary journey from commoner to royalty brings adventure, intrigue, and romance.

THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN... WHERE DRAGONS WALK BY NIGHT

Now the showdown has begun. On a planet called Earth and the city known as New York, knight and dragon confront each other in one final battle. As the deathly dance begins, the city of asphalt and steel slowly wakes to the magic in its midst. Beneath the streets the tattered subway dwellers meet in secret convocation to worship the Dragon as God. In Spanish Harlem a young boy is apprenticed to a great warrior. On Fifth Avenue hardened cabbies tremble as a Nightmare parades the streets. And in St. Patrick's Cathedral the Dragon takes control of the greatest city on Earth...

WHEN MAGIC MEETS MORTAL

When Amanda Taylor and her stepson, the elf prince Cassiodoron, fled Elfhame for the mortal Lands of Earth, Cass's father Kelerison, Lord King of Elfhame Ultramar, swore he'd hunt them down and bring them back.

Now he's found them... and their haven in the peaceful town of Godwin's Corners faces invasion by the not-so-peaceable Fair Folk. But all is not well in Elfhame--and soon Amanda, Cass and their unlikely allies find themselves caught up in a struggle for the elfin throne itself...

ELF DEFENCE

When magic meets reality anything can happen.

The sphynx is back, and armed with a new set of riddles, she sets out--in human form--to the newest, poshest casino in Atlantic City... where sides are drawn and spells are cast as a new kind of pandemonium erupts around the roulette wheels!

A message left behind by the Kai Opaka gives Commander Benjamin Sisko a fateful mission: find a young Bajoran girl destined to be a great healer who could bring together the warring factions of Bajor. While Lt. Dax tries to find the healer, Dr. Bashir goes planetside to treat a rare disease that is killing the children in Bajor's resettlement camps. Surrounded by thousands of dying children, Bashir goes A.W.O.L. from Deep Space Nine, vowing not to return until the plague has been stopped. But by the time Dax finds the girl from the Kai's prophecy the child has fallen victim to the plague. Now, with the fate of the entire planet at stake, Commander Sisko must find Dr. Bashir in time to save the child who may be Bajor's last chance for peace.

When Lelys, ambassador of the plague-ridden colony planet of Orakisa, approaches the Federation seeking help for her dying world, the U.S.S. Enterprise speeds to the rescue. Captain Picard and his crew escort the Orakisan delegation to its long-lost sister-world, Ne'elat, where the ambassador and the Away Team are initially welcomed, but then endangered. As the Enterprise officers make their way through a web of planet-wide intrigue, time is running out the people of Orakisa and the inhabitants of their sister-worlds as well.