HDD not recognized in BIOS?

I am unsure if this is the right board to post in, but:
Last night I accidentally dropped my Dell XPS L401x (oops). It has had worse falls, but now when I try to boot it up there is a whirring/beeping noise as the machine tries to load, and it shows an error message:

"Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller Series v2.35 (06/14/10)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable"
and later
"Reboot and Select proper Boot device"

When I enter the BIOS I notice the Fixed HDD says (0.0GB).
I've already tried to disassemble the machine but I do not have much experience and have no idea what might have gone wrong, so I put it back together.

What should I do?

I thought that was what might have happened. Darn.

Is there at least anything I can do to get back my data and store somewhere else? Or is it simply gone?

Thanks, I'll try what you said. I hope it works.

Freezing an HD can temporarily restore operation but only for certain types of failure. I very much doubt it would help in this case. Usually it just causes further damage. Data recovery after an incident is always a chancy business. That is why you need to make backups of your data before problems develop as after may be too late. All important files need at least one backup copy, 2 or more copies if the data is of particular importance. This is even more important with a laptop.

Alright, so I have read all your replies.
Here is an update:

I left the HDD in the fridge overnight and just now I tried to see if it works. It only says "Missing operating system" after the BIOS password prompt, which I suppose means "This is beyond repair, good luck, pal". It must have been a head crash as some of you have said.

Thankfully, I did have some backups ready (although few) and the data on this machine had more emotional importance than work importance, so I am not particularly in hot water.

Suffice to say, I think I have learned my lesson on being careful. Although it was a done deal from the beginning, I am still grateful for your help. Thanks.